Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ Miss Match ❯ Going Away n Returned ( Chapter 19 )

The match scene is originally from the book volume 23, where Rukawa got hurt in the match. So if anyone who had read the comics (Manga) you all would be familiar with the scene. However if those who had only watched the anime, you won't know anything about the IH match.

Chapter 19

Hiroshima, the first match…

Yuna watched Rukawa fell to the floor after his opponent hit him hard on his left eye. She stood up slowly, when he didn't get up again. The Red Crescent was called and they carried Rukawa out the court with a stretcher. Yuna watched them leave, apprehensively and walked away.

When Rukawa woke up again, he was in the medical room. Even though his left eye hurt badly, he sat up and saw Riko standing at the corner of the room looking at him worriedly. When she saw Rukawa stood up she ran up to his side quickly.

"Are you alright, Rukawa-sama?" Riko asked.

Rukawa remained silent, his left eye was hurting him like hell, but he knew that he had to continue playing. He got off the bed quickly. By the look of the time on the clock hanging on the wall, the first half of the game was over and they were having the break before second half of the game starts. It was time for him to return to his team. He went to the door and reached for the knob but Riko stopped him.

"Rukawa-sama, you shouldn't continue with the game!" She exclaimed. "With your eye like that how do you expect to play?"

Rukawa looked down at Riko's anxious face.

"You're hurt!" She continued when Rukawa didn't answer. "Please listen to me!"

Riko doesn't know me that well. Rukawa thought silently looking slightly angry. To think that this little injury will stop me from playing basketball. She must be wrong.

He opened the door and went out then ignoring her. He will continue the game with Toyotama no matter what happened.

"Iya, Rukawa-sama!" Riko cried trying to persuade him again. "As your fiancée you should listen to me."

Rukawa lost his temper then, when he heard Riko said that. Who the hell she is anyway to stop me? I never wanted her to be my fiancée in the first place. He thought lividly.

"You should respect my wishes!" Rukawa snapped then.

He was feeling really irritated and wondered why couldn't Riko leave him alone. He knew that Yuna would understand if he wanted to continue. If fact she will always support him no matter what. Feeling slightly, upset she wasn't around he turned away from Riko who looked like she was about to cry. That was when he saw down the corridor at one corner, a very familiar face poked her head out from around the wall looking at him.

Yuna? Rukawa's eyes widened. But it cannot be…

Yuna walked down the corridor to the medical room when she saw Rukawa being carried out on a stretcher. She waited down the other end of the corridor very sure that he will be coming out again, as soon as he regained consciousness. Her feelings were so right when he saw him barging out the room with Riko at his wake. She smiled slightly when she saw how determined he was. Even though the wound on his left eye was pretty bad that his eyes could hardly opened. She was worried about him too but she knew Rukawa wouldn't stop playing even if both his eyes were shut.

"Rukawa-sama!" Riko pulled on his arm. "Don't do this please!"

Rukawa tear his gaze away from Yuna and looked down at Riko furiously. She shrank back at Rukawa's glare. When he turned back towards the corner again, Yuna had already disappeared like he had imagined it. Feeling slightly confused he went to back the locker room pushing her out of his mind completely. He should be concentrating on how to win the match.

Yuna walked out the stadium slowly. Rukawa would be excellent in the IH match, she thought gladly.

She looked back at the building when she stood outside. The wind blew around her moving her hair gently. Well, she would have to concentrate on her training now. She pushed him out of her thoughts as she turned around and saw Kasumi waiting for her by a taxi.

"Are you ready?" She called.

Yuna nodded walking up to her. "Gomen, neechan for keeping you waiting."

"Iya, I was glad you were able to see Rukawa and tell him sayonara." Kasumi said as they both climbed into the back seat of the cab. "It is a lucky thing your plane transits here."

"Sayonara?" Yuna whispered and turned back to the stadium as the taxi drove away to the airport.

That was something she couldn't do, turning away from the building she stare straight ahead. Not wanting to remember that she care about Rukawa so much it aches to leave him.

(A/N: If I say the story ends here, I think everyone will throw rotten fruits at me… :P Well just kidding the story continues of course ^_^ stroll on n read what happens!)

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Almost 6 months later…

A girl with long dark brown hair, tied up in a ponytail, wearing a pair of Nike sports shoes, blue jeans and a light violet button blouse stepped out the cab. She looked up at the wooden front gates of Tendoshi Judo Training Hall and smiled. It had not change a bit since the day she left.

"I'm home…" she whispered while the driver unloaded her luggage.

"Yuna!" A lady with an apron on her skirt came running out the house towards her.

"Yuna-neechan!" A boy next to the lady cried running out too.

"Kasumi neechan!" Yuna exclaimed. "Sota!"

They hugged each other.

"You had grown so much Sota!" Yuna said after letting them go.

"Of course!" Sota grinned. "What do you expect? I can't stay little all the time.

"How was China?" Kasumi asked helping her with the luggage. "Let's go in to have tea."

"And as for you, you never change Kasumi neechan." Yuna laughed and they all three entered the house.

"So where is ojiisan?" Yuna asked as they all sat at the dining area and Kasumi pouring them tea. "I don't see him around."

"We didn't tell him you are home." Sota said. "We wanted to surprise him. He had been away to Tokyo lately. So when he returns he will get his surprise."

"Does anyone know I'm home?" Yuna asked, she was referring to Rukawa then but she didn't want to mention his name.

"We never tell anyone you're home." Sota said. "You said not to because you wanted to rest for the week."

"That's right; I really tried to speed my training up." Yuna said. "It wasn't easy though."

"I had improved a lot on basketball when you are away!" Sota exclaimed excitedly. "You are looking at the captain of the junior school basketball team!"

"That's really good." Yuna said smiling. "Congratulations."

"Sota had been working hard lately." Kasumi said. "I'm so glad."

"Well, thanks to Rukawa oniisan had been here almost every night to train me." Sota said happily as Yuna choked on her tea. "He was really a great couch and player!"

"Really…" Yuna said softly. "So he doesn't know I'm back?"

"Nope… you told us not to tell anyone until you are rest up for the week." Sota replied. "Well, he will soon know anyway, because he will be coming here this evening to train me…" Sota looked at his watch. "It will be anything time soon, I guess."

Yuna stood up then, "I'm going out for a moment."

"You just got back," Kasumi exclaimed. "Aren't you tired?"

"I want to see the neighbourhood again." Yuna smiled turning to them. "It had been a long time since I've been away from it. It's going to be just a short stroll."

"Well, come home for dinner OK," Kasumi said standing up. "It's time for me to start cooking."

"Sota," Yuna turned towards the door. "Don't tell Rukawa that I'm home."

"Eh?" Sota looked at her disbelievingly. "But…"

"Just do as you are told Sota." Yuna snapped turning to him angrily. Surprised at her outburst she sighed. "Gomen, Sota… I didn't mean to shout at you. Just don't tell him that I'm home please."

"If you say so…" Sota said looking confused.

Yuna left the house then, no matter how tired she was she forced herself to walk down the neighbourhood. She wasn't ready to meet Rukawa yet.

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Rukawa changed back to his uniform after practice. He remembered he was supposed to meet Sota at Yuna's house to train him in basketball. He had been going there very often since Yuna left. He felt really comfortable with her family and they treated him like he was part of them. Not wanting to admit it, he had missed Yuna very much too. He made his way out the school when Riko came running up to him.

"Rukawa-sama!" She called waving at him.

Rukawa turned away from her then and took a deep breath. His parents had told him to accompany her more often lately and he was struggling with it ever since. He waited for her to come up to him.

"I was waiting for you so you can walk me home!" Riko said happily. "Are we going home?"

Rukawa ignored her question and walked on, Riko quickly followed. The faster he sends her home the faster he can get away from this. They both walked side by side with Riko talking away about her meetings in the Rukawa's Fan Club members but Rukawa wasn't listening to her at all, it was the last thing he wanted to know was what those girls were up to recently. He shuddered to know if they had any new ideas on other campaigns to recruit more girls into the club. After for a few minutes Riko called Rukawa when she realized he wasn't listening to her.

"Rukawa-sama, Rukawa-sama?" Riko called looking rather hurt.

Rukawa moved his eyes towards her for an instant without answering her.

"You can give me a ride on your bike." Riko said blushing. She was trying very hard to get Rukawa's attention.

"Iya, I feel like walking." Rukawa replied curtly.

Looking disappointed Riko remained silent for a moment before she started chatting again. However when they reached around the corner, Riko fell silent when they heard a little child crying. Then another girl's voice very familiar to Rukawa came from the same direction.

"What's wrong?" The girl asked.

"I lost mama!" The child cried.

"Hush, now we will find mama…" they heard her saying kindly. "Here, let neechan help alright."

They couldn't hear the child crying anymore then. Rukawa was doubt founded, couldn't believe what he heard. He quickly turned around the corner just in time to see a girl in a ponytail; wearing the familiar fashion of clothing, carrying a little girl in her arms, walking away the opposite direction her back facing him. She then turned around the corner and disappeared from sight.

"Isn't that…?" Rukawa wondered out loud.

"Rukawa-sama?" Riko called looking at Rukawa who stood rooted on the ground. "Are you alright? You looked like you had seen a ghost!"

Rukawa quickly cover his expression again. Looked down at Riko coldly without answering they walked on.

I must be dreaming, he thought to himself. Yuna is in China.

Rukawa sent Riko home quickly and made his way to Yuna's house. Sota was already waiting for him. Rukawa liked Sota very much. He was very determine and hardworking. Rukawa remembered Sota was very much like him when he was little. That was why he agreed on training Sota.

Meanwhile down the neighbourhood, Yuna passed the little girl to her mother who was very glad to have found her daughter kept bowing to Yuna who bowed in returned.

"Arigatou," The mother sobbed. "Domo Arigatou!!"

"Douitashimashite." (You're welcome) Yuna said smiling. "Be careful next time."

She turned away from the mother and child then and walked off. She looked at the watch. It was still early and she knew that Rukawa would be still at her place. Wondering where else she could go. She ended up walking to school instead.

When she reached school, she saw that there a couple of students still around, those that stay for extra activities. She smiled walking inside making her way to the gymnastic hall, wondering if she would be able to find her team mates still practicing.

"Yuna?"

Someone called then, Yuna turned around and blenched when she saw Kutzo running up to her. She took a step back nearly stumbling.

"It must be faith to let us meet like that!" He cried running to her with his arms out stretch.

Before he could hug her Yuna gave him a punch on his face. He was taken by surprised and Kutzo fell to the ground totally unconscious.

Faith? She wondered. It had always been playing dirty tricks on me.

Angrily she turned away from Kutzo as some students around saw what happened came closer to have a look if Kutzo was alright as Yuna walked away.

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Well, Yuna had finally come home after six months… Rukawa still do not like his fiancée and doesn't know Yuna's back. What would happen when Rukawa finds out? Well check out the next chapter!!! I'll post it up a few days time…

Thank you for all your reviews!!!! I really appreciate them a lot!!!! And continue reviewing!!! At least I know how my story is progressing!!!! Thank you so much.