Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ Just a Little Love Story... ❯ Chapter Eight: Mitsui Hisashi ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter Eight: Mitsui Hisashi

Akiko felt worried as she stared at the burger placed in between them. Is he going to make me eat it with him again? It's getting uncomfortable; she thought; have we already moved to that stage of a couple within a few hours? This is weird. Fortunately, Mitsui leaned over to grab the burger, before adding - “You don't have to share if you don't want to. Sakuragi is coming in, so he can easily polish off my burger.” Why's he so pushy, thought Aki, is he really mad at me or wanting to annoy me because I annoyed him? She turned to her right and saw Sakuragi bounding towards them, but stalling himself because he saw Rukawa sitting a few tables away. Aki saw Sakuragi glare at her brother and taunting him - “Since when did a stupid kitsune go to cool places like this.” Awaiting a reaction, but getting none, Sakuragi made a face and strutted towards Aki and Mitsui sempai. “Hey Mitchy!” - He yelled first and punched his sempai's shoulder softly before turning towards Aki and greeting her politely - “Konnichiwa Aki-chan.” “Konnichiwa” - Aki replied, smiling and bowing her head just slightly. Sakuragi grinned and slipped down next to her, meanwhile asking her - “Aki-chan, if you're done with your coke, I'll take it.” Without even waiting for her answer, he immediately started slurping away. Aki was extremely surprised. Sakuragi just took her coke like that? Didn't he even ask her if she took a sip? Coz she certainly had. Was drinking from same cups or straws a theory within Shohoku to represent trust in a new or old friend? She was definitely puzzled. “Uh… Sakuragi-kun” - Aki stammered -“Aren't you feeling strange to drink from my straw?” She saw Mitsui looking at her while she was talking, and then he scoffed in a loud angry way - “She's definitely new here. Knows nothin'. Poor kid.” Aki felt a little irritated and said uncomfortably - “Excuse me?” She felt Sakuragi pat her head and tell her reassuringly, like a big brother - “Well, Aki-chan will adapt soon. Won't ya?” She nodded slowly, and took a peek at her brother who was definitely scowling. She knew that Rukawa had heard Mitsui's comment and was extremely angry. I hope he doesn't get into a fight with Mitsui sempai, Aki thought worriedly. Sakuragi continued - “Drinking from same straws define uniqueness to the Shohoku High B-ball team.” Then, he muttered to himself in a way that Aki had to smile - “I hope I said it right…” Turning back to Aki and giving a huge grin, he told her -“It shows that you're accepted into our inner circle.” “More like pulled into…” - he muttered to himself again. “Haruko-chan is a little shy, so she doesn't accept that idea. So does Ayako coz she's our sempai; however she does it with Ryo-chin.” How naïve you are Sakuragi-kun, Aki thought, Miyagi sempai is Ayako's boyfriend! He continued -“Now that I took a sip of your coke, it means that you are my little sister, and I will protect you. If you'll sip your coke again, we are bonded. I will be your brother too.” Sakuragi grinned satisfactorily at the explanation he had given. I should've realized, Aki thought, he doesn't want Haruko drinking from someone or him because that would make her his little sis, and Sakuragi definitely doesn't want that! “Arigato gosai masu” - Aki told Sakuragi with a smile on her face - “for telling me and allowing me to be in your inner circle.” He grinned at her, and the smile stretched even further when she took a sip of the cold sweet coke. After that, she took a look at Mitsui, who was now smiling. Apparently, his temper had retracted into himself. Whoo, she breathed out, what a day!

 

Rukawa saw Mitsui beckoning him to join their table, whereas his twin smiled sweetly at him, obviously having a relieved expression written all over her face. “Come on dude” - Mitsui shouted at him - “We have to discuss plans for the party!” What party! Rukawa nearly yelled back when he realized it was the one for Anzai sensei. He nodded, and walked over to them, taking along his coke cup. He was still a little angry at what his sempai had done to his sister, but he knew that he could do nothing at all. And he was sure that his sister knew that too.

 

“What do ya wanna talk about first?” - asked Mitsui the whole group. Akiko felt a little strange: Hadn't he told her that he was going to tell her the secret plans? Didn't he mean alone? What's up with this group discussion? And then it hit her why he said that when he continued - “You guys know that it's for Anzai sensei right?” Of course! She wasn't on the Shohoku B-ball team! So this was a secret to all the rest of the `unprivileged' students of Shohoku about Anzai sensei's secret party. “Food!” - answered Sakuragi immediately, with a huge smile painted on his face. Aki smiled at him; he sure was full of sunshine. “Okay” - nodded Mitsui - “Are we going to cook ourselves or order because the main point here is that the party is going to take place in the stadium.” “Uh…” - said the younger students surrounding him. “Take-outs sound good” - muttered Rukawa; he hated cooking for himself. “Besides” - added Aki, supporting her brother's point - “there's no place to build a fire in the stadium.” Sakuragi nodded in agreement, but he told her - “Even take-outs need warmth to make it taste better.” Mitsui listened carefully to all of them, with his eyes focused on the person who was talking. He commented on their ideas - “Sakuragi, Aki is right. But you are right too; I like my food to be warm too. But we can't possibly have an oversized microwave to heat up all the food before we eat, na?” “So what are you suggesting?” - Rukawa asked him, still annoyed with his sempai. Mitsui nodded and told him and the rest - “I'm suggesting we order the food in advance to be just ready by the time that everyone gets really hungry. Of course, to make things faster, we also need to assist the place we order by getting the food together with them.” “Will it still be warm?” - asked Sakuragi, getting excited with Mitsui's idea. “Of course” - he replied - “that's why we have to get the food just in time.” Everyone seated beside him nodded. “So, who's going with me?” - Mitsui asked, with his eyebrow raised in a quizzical expression. “Me!” - Instantly hollered Sakuragi, scaring a lot of the people surrounding their table, including those in his. “Lower your volume dude!” - Mitsui scolded him - “Besides, if I take you, you'd probably have eaten half of the food meant to be for the people coming.” Sakuragi made a face at his sempai and scowled, folding his arms and leaning his back on his seat and staring somewhere else where he didn't need to look at Mitsui. Mitsui gave out a chuckle, but reminded Sakuragi that he really couldn't control himself when he ate. Aki glanced at Sakuragi and gave him a small smile and a pat on his back. “I nominate Aki” - Mitsui suddenly said - “to join me at getting the food ready.” Akiko blushed. Just him and me? She thought. She smiled shyly at him, whereas her sempai grinned widely. However, he assigned choosing music to her brother. “Dude, since I see you having a headphone hooked to your ear all the time, I'll assume that you'll have a good choice of what we would listen to” - Mitsui told Rukawa. Sakuragi scowled even more and muttered - “How come I don't have anything assigned to me?” Mitsui grinned and replied - “Actually you do. You have the honor of joining Haruko-chan in picking up Anzai sensei without his knowing that there's a party for him.” Sakuragi beamed immediately at Mitsui's mentioning of `Honor' and `Haruko'. Everything was settled. The rest of the guys on the team would make sure to invite all concerned with the Shohoku B-ball team and also the graffiti material to make the stadium look more party-like.