Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ N.P. ❯ Yubikiri ( Chapter 2 )

Title: NP

Part: 2/?

Author: MitsuiSelphie

A/N: Lost and found - MitsuiSelphie. I'm back in the game.

Words inside ((parentheses)) are thoughts.

Chapter II - Yubikiri

"Ki…Kitsune-onna!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at her, smeared with blood all over, and yet she was still struggling to get up.

"What have you done now, kitsune-onna?!"

"Urusai…do'aho. This is my fight. Do NOT interfere."

To say that Hanamichi was amazed was an understatement. He wondered if it were possible for such a thin girl like her to survive her current condition, much less call him a do'aho.

Watching her cough blood out and still have that dangerous glint in her eyes, he can't help but compare her with an iris. It was not usual for him to listen to lessons but what his new biology teacher said caught his ear.

"Irises are inconspicuous during the summer yet they outshine everything whenever it rains."

It wasn't a usual thing for science teachers to say that. Ever since then, he reckoned that it would not be harmful to listen to biology lessons once in a while.

"Oi temee!" The redhead clenched his fists, his eyes clouded with white-hot fury. "How dare you hit a girl…" He was shaking in anger, voice dripping with venom. For all that he didn't particularly like his future stepsister - she was still a girl.

"Yamete, do'aho, I said, this is my fight." Wiping her bloody nose with the back of her hand, Hot-headed Rukawa Kaede summoned what's left of her strength stood up.

Red.

She was seeing red everywhere she looked. Her blood-shot eyes didn't do her any good. Still, she'd rather die than have her "aniki" stand up for her. She was after all, Rukawa Kaede, friend of none, indifferent to all.

"No!" Sakuragi spat at her. "When I say you stand back, stand back and let me handle this."

"You've nothing to do with this. You've no right to interfere!"

"Yes I do!"

Kaede's assailants were starting to get really annoyed. Unknown to them, they've been caught in the middle of a family squabble. In the meanwhile, Miyagi was already taking his place beside Hanamichi, cracking his fists ready for battle. It was a very nice day and he has no wish to fight, but in their team, an enemy of one is an enemy of all - Hanamichi would've stood up for him too. If Mitsui were still in Shohoku, they could have taken the whole gang down in a minute or two. Everyone knows that no one gets away from the Bash Brothers of the Shohoku basketball team, too bad there are only two of them now.

"What?!" the fox-eyed girl narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm your aniki," Sakuragi simply said, punching his palm and looking at his new-found…enemies. "Hear that? I'm her brother. Touch even one hair on her body again and I'll kill you."

((Aniki,)) she thought, her usually narrow fox-like eyes, wide in obvious surprise.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

If the situation then weren't so intense, I would have laughed at her expression. I guess it was all new to her, the feeling of being protected. And I wouldn't have admitted it then, but now I could safely say that I also loved the feeling of being needed. She'd never confess she needs me, even now, but in her heart I know she does and that for me is more than enough. All my life I was always the one that needed somebody. But when she came and caused one too many troubles, I felt grown-up. `Ah,' I thought, `here's someone who's more stubborn than I am'. I felt good - I was after all no longer the family black sheep, but I can't help but feel sorry for my stepfather. Poor guy, he must've had a tough time with his daughter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

The next morning after the fight, Kaede was too much in pain to be able to go to school. So that afternoon after basketball practice, Hanamichi went quickly to check on her. He didn't want to say it, but both their parents knew that she was growing on him. They were hoping that in no time, they'd learn to love one another. In the months that would have passed, they'd wish that they didn't wish it so hard then.

"Eh? Where's Kitsune-onna," he wondered, opening the door to her room and finding her bed disarrayed but with no one in it.

Hanamichi's face faltered. It's a girl's room. ((Of course its a girl's room, Kaede is a girl,)) he punched himself mentally for the stupid thought. He didn't know how to describe it, but if he knew the word then, he'd have said her room was stunning. No it wasn't gaudily decorated, on the contrary, it was quite plain. Yet there was something in it, so enticing, he can't help but step in for a better view.

Walking into Kaede's room was like walking into her usually closeted mind. Everything she fancies that she'd rather not tell others about is boldly evident with everything you see inside the four corners of her own tiny world. She'd hidden everything there, from her CDs to her posters to her collections of manga.

((Seems like we've nothing in common. So much for being siblings,)) he mentally assessed, not knowing that on the wrong side of her closet door, there's a poster of Michael Jordan, and at the same time totally forgetting their first meeting in The Pachinko shop.

((To open or not to open.)) He was standing in front of her dresser, emotions battling whether or not to open the first compartment. But even while he was thinking, his hands were being pulled towards the brass knob, urging him to open it.

It came as a huge surprise, what he saw in the drawer. Instead of brushes and make-up one would expect a girl to have kept in it, there were bottles upon bottles of medicine.

"Pain killers," he said aloud, more to himself than to anyone or in his case, to anything.

Despite his being the leader of the red-mark gang, he knew some things about medicine, his mother needing a lot during his father's death, and his own father needing it too when he was still alive. And so the question came to his head, ((Is Kaede sick?))

"What the hell are you doing here?" Recognizing the dangerous tone of voice behind him, he whirled around, fixing gaze at his stepsister who was standing defiantly, arms crossed against her chest.

"What are these?" he narrowed his eyes at her accusingly.

There was a shift in Kaede's expression, from being ice-cold to being agitated as if something was greatly bothering her.

"Pain killers," she managed to croak in a tiny voice that was very unlike her.

"Yeah, I know. What I meant was what are you doing with these. Are you addicted to pain killers?!"

For all that Kaede was known to be ice-cold, a wave of red-hot fury enveloped her that very moment.

"How dare you accuse me," she said in a low voice. "I'm nothing of the sort."

"Then what the heck are these pills doing in your drawers?"

"It's none of your business!"

"Yes it is, I'm your brother!"

"No, you're not! I'm tired of you calling yourself my brother. Get out of my room this instant," she shouted at the top of her lungs, shoving Hanamichi out and slamming the door against his face.

"Oi, Kitsune-onna," he banged at her door, "open up, you stupid fox! Oi! Chikusho…"

What was she so nervous about? She always seemed so calm, her retort a while ago took the redhead completely by surprise - he didn't even know how to react. What was eating her? Is she really addicted to painkillers? And here he thought the only one he knew who is, is Michael Jackson.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

It quite hurt me to find out that I don't know even the tiniest bit about Kaede. I thought we were going along quite well. I was ready to make things happen, all for the sake of my mom, even to the point of being friends with her - heck I even admitted that I was her brother. But it was her who was pushing me further away. What was I to do? I could only feel sorry for myself. The first time I feel responsibility towards another person and she just had to be the most aloof, most ice-cold human being alive on earth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

Sakuragi Hanamichi, sophomore class 10, sighed.

He was supposed to be the one beside Haruko right now, her escort and her dance partner. But NO, due to his stepfather's insistent pleadings, he had no choice but to take HER instead. Who's HER, you ask? Of course it's none other than the blue-eyed fox herself.

Due to a reason not unknown to all, Shohoku's principal had this sudden crazy idea to hold a homecoming dance this school year. "It's in honor of the cherry blossoms," he said. But everyone knew it was due to the fact that he was in love with one of the teachers that got him thinking like a foolish romantic.

He sighed again and made a mental note to self: Kill Yohei after this stupid dance.

How could he ask Haruko to the dance? He, most of all, knew how head-over-heels Hanamichi is over the girl. Somehow, he wouldn't buy Yohei's reason. "Would you rather someone else take her to the dance then?" he asked Hanamichi. How could he answer that? Of course he'd say no!

So now here he is, stuck with ice-cold Kaede who still would not talk to him. It's been a week since that incident, yet it seems that she still could not forgive him for intruding upon her private stuff. It only made Hanamichi more suspicious. What is she hiding?

"Oi Kitsune-onna, you could at least talk to me." When he elicited not even the tiniest response from her (he'd been expecting even one of her small annoying grunts), he sighed again for the nth time that night and almost choked on his punch when he saw Yohei leading Haruko into the dance floor, one of his arms against the small of her back.

((Chikusho…)) he gritted his teeth.

It wasn't that Kaede wasn't lovely that Hanamichi hardly noticed her presence. In fact, it seemed as though he was the only one who didn't notice her exquisite beauty that night. Most of the other boys already had predatory looks on their faces the moment she entered the ballroom earlier. And yet, Kaede is Kaede. She never noticed such things. All she was thinking about that very moment was how boring that function was. She'd rather shoot some hoops in the Pachinko shop than sit around doing nothing for the whole night.

By the middle of the evening, she's already turned down about half the boys of Shohoku who all asked her to dance. Of course she did so politely, or at least she tried. Already she was getting more and more impatient as she realized that the cue of boys who wanted to dance with her was endless. And so she was rather grateful when the principal broke in their revelry, much to the chagrin of the next guy who would've have asked her. ((Damn,)) he thought, ((I just know she would have said yes.))

"Now, now kids, don't groan on me like that," their principal said, stepping onto the stage. "I have a very good reason why I'm doing this and I know you'll be thrilled when you hear what it is. I am now going to announce this year's King and Queen of the Cherry Blossoms!"

A buzz spread throughout the ballroom. Kaede snorted. What a waste of time! He would have thought his principal better than that. ((Who would want to be the watchamacallit of the Cherry Blossoms?))

"And Shohoku's first ever Queen of the Cherry Blossoms is none other than - "

All the other girls held their breaths. Hanamichi was still fuming at Yohei. Kaede's eyes were drooping - in a minute or two she would've fallen asleep. She WOULD'VE - but she couldn't. For in that instant, the principal spoke:

" - Rukawa Kaede!"

((Oh…my…God.))

Her eyes suddenly shot up. What the heck? What the heck indeed? Everybody was clapping and her head started spinning.

((No, I would not take part in this circus,)) she thought as the people started clapping again and the silhouette of a man was coming towards her.

((This is absurd! Such foolishness…really. I will NOT make a spectacle of myself,)) she firmly scolded herself, as the man before her knelt and took her hand in his before kissing the back of it.

That was it. Kaede.Finally.Snapped.

Taking one big swipe, he punched the unknown guy out of consciousness. Everybody in the ballroom gasped as the guy tumbled over after giving a tiny cry of pain and surprise.

"Yare, yare," she sighed inwardly. So much for not making a spectacle of herself.

Beside her, Hanamichi almost fainted. She just sent the King of the Cherry Blossoms on a free trip to heaven and back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rukawa Kaede looked up at the night sky. ((Such beauty,)) she thought, ((is incomparable.)) She was hugging herself due to the cold, but was extremely thankful that she was finally out of that tiny piece of hell called the Spring Dance.

The principal was distressed because of what she did, but she didn't even give him her time of day. So in the end, she and her "brother" were sent back home earlier than everybody else. "For punishment of your bad behavior," he said, though he didn't know that Kaede was very much elated that very moment.

((I wonder if HE'S mad,)) she looked sideways at Hanamichi. Every time she'd do something that would have the principal call on him again, he'd go nuts and scold her just like a brother would. But that night he kept silent and walked beside her without even the least insinuation of annoyance in his face. ((Hn. Why the hell should I worry about him?))

The redhead took his coat off and handed it to her at arm's length. "You're cold. Put it on, I'd rather not go near you. It seems like you take joy in knocking innocent people senseless."

There wasn't even a drop of sarcasm in his voice that she couldn't reply with much disdain.

"Don't worry, I could hardly call you innocent," she retorted, or at least she tried to retort because even then she just shrugged and took the coat from him. His comment sounded more like a private joke shared between them than as an insult she would have expected of Sakuragi Hanamichi.

"It's still early," Hanamichi declared, looking at his watch. "Your father's not gonna be here to pick us up until midnight. What you say let's go shoot some hoops?"

The raven-haired girl raised her eyebrows. Did Hanamichi just challenge her to a one-on-one game?

"The school court is closed."

"The park basketball court is not. Unless of course you're worrying about dirtying your dress and all."

"Okay, you're on."

"Good."

~*~

Kaede scored her 16th consecutive shot and Hanamichi was fuming mad. How could a girl in a tiny black dress mop the floor with him like that?

When they arrived in the park court, they realized that they couldn't play a real game after all because Kaede was wearing a dress. So instead, they opted to play a 3-point shootout.

"Kuso, I should've asked Micchy to train me while he was still in high school," he grumbled. She gave him one of her fox-like smirks and continued shooting.

"Kitsune-onna," he started, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Hn? What is it?" Clutching the ball under her arm, she turned towards him.

"Why do you always get yourself in trouble?"

She stood there in silence, looking at him as if he was the silliest man alive.

"You stopped me from shooting because of that?"

"It's kinda important, if you don't notice," he said, getting frustrated by the minute.

"It's none of your business."

"Oh, but it is. `Coz you seem to have the ability to always drag me along everytime you cause trouble."

"Look who's talking?"

"What the heck do you mean by that?" Scowling, he advanced towards her.

"Don't think I don't know that you've got such a bad reputation yourself when you were a freshman. Or do you want me to remind you of the things you did?"

"What?! How did you know what things I did? Who told you?"

"Your mother, who else."

Smarting from his own mother's recent betrayal, his anger finally flared. "Well at least I haven't been in trouble for a long time now. But you…you on the other hand, you're good for nothing but making a mess out of things. Heck, I don't think you even have a purpose in life!"

"What did you say!"

((She's mad,)) he thought. ((Good.))

The ice-cold blue of her eyes was abruptly replaced with burning blue. Years later, every time he'd recall that particular incident, Hanamichi would compare those eyes to a pair of glittering sapphires.

"What are you alive for, Kitsune-onna? I, at least, have my mother and basketball. You have nothing."

It struck her like lightning. He was right. She'd never tell him so, but he was right. What was she alive for? Everyday she'd get out of bed, go to school, come back home and then go back to bed again. It's been like that for quite some time now. Why is she hanging on for life? It would be, after all, just a few months before she'd…

"Don't preach to me about life. You don't me well enough to do so."

"Just admit that you are worthless and this discussion would be over."

"I am NOT worthless."

"Of course you're not worthless, what the heck am I talking about? You've proven that often enough everytime you drag me to the pits."

"Be careful of what you say!"

"Why should I? Have you been careful of not getting me into any mess?"

"I never asked you for any help."

"Ask me or not, as your brother everyone would always be looking at me to discipline you a little. Especially since everyone thinks I'm older than you."

"You are NOT my brother."

"That's beside the point!" He flung his arms in exasperation. "Look," he started again, "the principal warned me earlier. If I can't stop you from getting into fights, he'd have me out of the basketball team even before the Summer Tournament begins."

((Ah, that's why he's so quiet earlier,)) she thought. "I don't care about you."

"And I, you. The feeling is mutual. I thought we could work things out and really treat each other like brother and sister, but I see that with you it's quite impossible. So now, I'm offering you a deal."

"A deal?"

"Yes, a deal. Don't get in trouble as long as you go to Shohoku. I don't care if you transfer schools next term, just don't get in trouble while you're in Shohoku, or else…"

"Or else what?"
"I'd tell your father about those pills in your drawer."

Hanamichi made a big and important gamble that night - something that would change both their lives. He didn't exactly know if her father knew of those pills, but by the look in her face, he knew her father doesn't.

"You wouldn't dare," she whispered.

"Oh yes, I would."

"You don't know what those pills are for."

((Do I hear pleading in her voice?)) "I don't care. So is it a deal or not?"

"It sounds more like blackmail to me," she said flatly.

Hanamichi merely shrugged. "I could think of no other way for you to stop making my life a living hell. So, how about it?"

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment before replying. "Fine."

"Good, then that's a promise then?" Hanamichi held out his pinky.

Kaede snorted and slapped his hand away from her. "Do'aho," she said under breath before walking away.

"Oi! Chikusho, that's supposed to be a yubikiri! Matte yo, temee, Kitsune-onna."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

And so that started it all. Everything that happened afterwards is the result of our little deal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

~END OF CHAPTER II~

A/N: *Whew*can't believe it. I think it's been a year since I posted chapter 1 of this fan fic. And to think I haven't even gotten to the main plot yet! It's been so long since I've written too, so forgive me if I'm getting a little rusty at it. Wowie, hope you like this chapter. This story is for you after all.

BTW, yubikiri means pinky-promise, that's why Hanamichi held up his pinky towards Kaede.

Date finished: December 7, 2003 - 1:20 a.m. (GMT +8: Singapore, Philippines, HK time)

Mood today: sleepy.