Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ Just a Little Love Story... ❯ Chapter Five: My Brother's Life ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter Five: My Brother's Life

 

“Are you going to tell your friends that I'm your little sister?” - Aki whispered to Rukawa, clinging to his arm as they walked down the halls where students were pushing and shoving to see what they believed to be the icy ace and his girlfriend. “Onii-chan? Are you gonna tell them?” - She asked again, looking at the surrounding students, tugging at his uniform. “No” - Rukawa replied in a firm way, before continuing - “Let them think what they want to. If I tell them you're my sister, there will be dozens of guys wanting to be yours because you're pretty.” Aki sighed and replied - “You're still as protective as ever, ne? And besides, no one thinks I'm pretty…” She looked at her large shoes before looking up at him and adding thoughtfully - “Except you and mum, maybe.” He looked down at her and told her, smilingly - “I always thought you were the prettiest girl I had ever seen.” She smiled back. Then he continued sternly - “And for that reason, I'm worried that other guys who think the same will do things to you.” She slightly nodded and got closer to her brother. She heard some girls whisper - “Ooh look! They look cute together!” Aki unconsciously turned around to look at who spoke and spotted tiny Haruko wedged between her two friends, as usual, looking like she was about to burst into tears any moment. `Hello', Akiko mouthed to Haruko who immediately looked away. Turning back to her twin, she asked him - “Why is Haruko so emotional when she sees us?” She heard him sigh - “She likes me…” “Oh!” - Aki exclaimed - “Then… Do you still think it's a good idea to pretend? I don't wanna break her heart. She's too vulnerable.” Rukawa scowled and replied - “The baka likes her, so even if it breaks, he'll be there.” Aki winced; how did he ever become so cruel and unfeeling? “Okay” - she whispered back, disappointed at what her twin had told her.

 

They were inside the school's gymnasium and Aki spotted a lot of people in the stadium - people whom her brother had informed her of. However, she spotted three people she knew - Hanamichi, Ayako sempai and Haruko. Aki immediately took away the arm hanging on her shoulder when she spotted Haruko - she had remembered what her twin had said. Rukawa took her towards and introduced her to the people she hadn't met yet - “My friend, Saito Akiko.” She smiled as she shook the hands of the main people in the basketball team. The first was the towering captain, Akagi Takenori (or Gori as Hanamichi `affectionately' added); the second the future captain, Miyagi Ryota; the third a bespectacled person, Kogure __ and finally a person that made her look twice, the three pointer Mitsui Hisashi. “Konnichiwa Akiko-chan” - he said when she shook his hand; the others either grunted or smiled. “Hajime mashite” - she replied softly, a blush almost creeping up her face. `He's soooooo cute!' thought Aki. She glanced up at her brother who seemed to look at her as if he knew what she was feeling. This time she really blushed. She retreated towards the benches lining the walls of the stadium, nodding at Ayako and Haruko at the same time.

 

Suddenly, the doors of the stadium opened and she saw Akemi enter the gym. “Sakuragi-kun! Where are you?” - She cried in a love-sick manner. Her long hair was fluttering behind her, and she seemingly dragged her feet towards the central part of the stadium. Everyone stared at the Sakuragi they knew, so hard that they started to make him blush. His eyes quickly traveled over Haruko and then over to Aki who seemed like she was about to laugh very loudly. Aki saw Mitsui poke Sakuragi in the back and point towards Akemi; Aki could make out the words that he was saying - “Go get her dude!”

 

A muffled giggle escaped from her lips and immediately, Akemi spotted her. Akemi gave her an evil look before wailing again - “Sakuragi!! Where are you?” Another jab from Mitsui made the red-head reel over towards her; he stuttered - “I… I'm Sakuragi…” Akemi looked shocked and gave a little embarrassed and nervous giggle before whispering softly - “Umm… I think something's been mistaken…” Akemi turned her head towards Aki, before running (in the twisted way) to her and muttering into her ear - “Who the hell do you think I am?? Playing a cruel joke, eh? You'll learn what cruel really is! Wait till I get my hands on you, you little pig!” Akemi turned around and then with another nervous giggle, prepared to leave the gym. Unfortunately, Rukawa arrived to stop and stand in the doorway. Realizing the problem of the situation, he was about to turn his back around and run away from the scene. Akemi cried again - “How could you give me a false name? I never knew that someone like you - so handsome and perfect - could do such a cruel thing to me?” Rukawa couldn't turn back now, so he just stared at Akemi and didn't say a thing. Aki giggled again. Sakuragi looked shocked and angry that Rukawa, his enemy both in love and basketball, had done something like that to him. The rest were just looking at the short pretty girl wondering what she would do next. Aki saw her scoop something in her bag and put a small amount of tear-inducing stuff on her hanky, then wiping away what were supposed to be tears - of course making her cry more than ever. With a `sob', she ran out of the room. Aki knew that she was the only one who knew and saw the antics of Akemi. She sighed. Ten years was enough to know a lot about a person who wasn't even related to her.

 

From afar, she studied the guy she felt seemed to be sending male hormones everywhere - Mitsui Hisashi. `He's soooooo cute!!' she thought once again. She watched Sakuragi be poked at by Mitsui who was laughing all the while. Sakuragi stood alone, staring at his big sneakers, a blush creeping from his neck. “Stop humiliating me” - he muttered. “I'm sorry dude, just can't help it” - Mitsui replied, before bursting out into guffaws. He patted the taller and younger red-head on his back, laughing all the while. When Sakuragi spotted Rukawa, he started to yell things which seemed totally incomprehensible because everything he wanted to say was combined into one sentence. “Chill dude” - Mitsui sempai said again - “She'll never forget you or your name ever again!” He gave howls of laughter, and soon the whole of Shohoku started to join in. He had an infectious laughter. Even when Aki was against things like this, she heard herself laugh in tune with her new friends. She stopped when she saw Sakuragi walk out of the door with slouched shoulders; she got up and out of her seat. “I think I overdid it…” - mumbled Mitsui guiltily. She turned to look at him before rushing after Sakuragi; she got caught by the arm when she passed by Mitsui. “I think he prefers being alone, or with Haruko” - He told her, staying her. “But…” - she tried to argue, trying to crane her neck and look at Sakuragi's reclining back. She could feel the grip of his fingers encircling her wrist - very strong and weakening her. She felt his grip loosen as he gave her a grin and unexpectedly told her something - “Akiko-chan; what'd you say if I invited you to a party?” She gulped down, and felt her saliva slightly constrict in her throat. “Umm…” - she hesitated, before continuing - “That sounds nice…” Mitsui grinned again when she murmured - “Arigato Mitsui sempai…” His smile was still evident when he said - “What a polite little girl…” Akiko blushed in reply.

 

“Yue!!” - Akiko shrieked into the phone - “A really cute guy from Shohoku's b-ball team invited me to a party!!” She heard her friend sigh on the other end of the line, before bossily telling her - “I told you so… Shohoku has really cool guys. And one of them includes your brother.” Aki gasped before whispering softly - “How'd you know that I found my brother again?” “Duh! I've still got contact with him” - Yue replied. “Yue! Why'd you never tell me??” - Aki whispered harshly and crossly. “That's coz of your mum and dad” - she replied before taking on a British accent and saying richly - “Everything is so hush-hush nowadays darling… I'm just happy to be able to be free now.” Aki sighed. She knew her friend was telling the truth, but in such a way that it seemed unreal. “Ooops! Did I hurt your feelings?” - Aki heard Yue speak up when she became silent for more than thirty seconds. “No… I'm okay” - Aki replied in a phony way. “I did hurt you, right?” - Yue asked in a hurry before replying just as speedily - “I'm sorry. I'm really inconsiderate sometimes.” This time Aki replied truthfully - “I really am okay.” Both knew that they could've gone on forever, but a bang on the door said that it was time to stop. It was going to be show time for Akemi's anger. “My sis sounds irritated; bye Yue” - hung up Akiko and walked to the door to receive Akemi's `compliments'.