Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ This Way ❯ Part 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Part 2

"We don't want none!" a familiar voice taunts from the other side of the Akagis front door. *Oh damn, I have been really bad about flaking out on him…*

"Lemme in, monkey-boy!" I yell, tapping impatiently on the camera slung around my neck. I signed it out when I left work this afternoon. "Who made you the welcoming committee?"

There's some faint scolding and giggling from the other side of the door before Haruko finally opens it, laughing at someone behind her.

"Thank you!" I tell her sarcastically before giving her a hug and stepping out of my shoes. "Where'd that little brat go?"

"You must learn respect, Hanamichi," she chides, "As he likes to point out, he's a month older than you."

"Pfft. Hey Gori!"

The elder Akagi waves dismissively at me. I see him standing in the kitchen with Mitsui, Kogure, and…him. Rukawa. He's here and he actually…gives me a friendly nod? Very strange.

I toss an arm around Haruko and we head for the kitchen. *Now's the time to pull out the new happy personality, buddy-boy* I tell myself. I almost run into Kiyota as he's dashing out of the kitchen. Kid's never going to slow down, I swear.

"Hey thanks for letting me in, jackass!" I call after him. He salutes with a glass of beer.

"You need to come talk to me before you leave here, Sakuragi!" he orders before scampering off to do some damage somewhere. I snicker and turn to the other guys.

"I think he's a little pissed at you," Mitsui muses, giving me a half-hug.

"Who can tell?" I mutter, patting Akagi and Kogure on the back. Mitsui is giving me an odd look…it's like suspicious and amused at the same time. I smile pleasantly at Rukawa and Mitsui looks even more suspicious.

"How's it going, ace?" I smile sincerely. Rukawa offers up something that could possibly be called a smile and sort of gives me a hug. Okay, I guess I'm not the only one who's acting weird.

"Hey, did you get that from work?" Mitsui asks, nudging the camera.

"Yeah. You remember those pictures I took a couple years ago? Well I was wanting to buy a new camera since the one I used back then is kind of old and I want to see about getting a digital one, so I thought I'd play around with this one and see how the quality is."

"Right on."

"Oh, and you know that art gallery that Kiyota took us to a couple months ago?" Rukawa looks startled at this comment. "Well, they are looking for submissions for an amateur photography exhibit so I need some subjects."

"You can photograph me in the nude," Kiyota informs me as he passes behind us and taps me on the shoulder. Mitsui snorts.

"Sure thing, shorty."

"What the hell difference does that make?" Kiyota snorts in return. "Who the fuck in this room is on the university basketball team?"

Akagi rolls his eyes. "I know you're not thinking that somehow puts you above an NBA player," he taunts, gesturing toward Rukawa. Rukawa giggles. What the hell?

I glance at Mitsui, who has given up harassing Kiyota. The reason appears to be that he is absorbed in smiling at Rukawa. How strange. I've been noticing a few strange things involving Mitsui lately…I really need to ask him about this someday soon.

All of a sudden Kiyota is going back the other way with a fresh beer. "C'mere," he tells me, pulling on my wrist for just a moment, as though to spark me into action.

"Yeah I'll be back," I wave to the other guys. "Gotta discuss some artistic…something."

Once in a quiet hallway, Kiyota crosses his arms and gives me a brooding look. "What's with you, man?"

"You know you're gonna have to elaborate on that," I sigh.

"Only because you're playing dumb. Where have you been for two months? What is wrong with you? I thought we were gonna start doing the gallery thing together. But you seem to have dropped out of life. You know, Mitsui's not the only friend you have. Hell, you seem to spend more time with that asshole Mito than you do with me lately."

Is Yohei an asshole? I suppose so. Or maybe it's just with me. But if I'm not the only one who thinks so… "Look, Mitsui just…I dunno, I can talk to him about shit that's bothering me. I don't know why it's like that with him. I don't mean that you're not a trustworthy guy or something. But…you know that week we went backpacking through Europe like some disillusioned American kids?" Kiyota chuckles.

*…Then I'm off to Amsterdam
To rest up for strength to deal with this weight
To deal with these deals, to deal with this hate…*

"Well, I guess that was when everything went really wrong with everything. I was forced to be around Yohei for the first time since freshman year of high school, and it was because Haruko brought him along. And…you know, I told him I was sorry for brushing him off in high school and for basically throwing away our friendship. But…he was so…he just wasn't gonna get over it. He told me it didn't matter, he didn't need to know why I had turned into such a self-pitying loser. And ever since then it's been this awful tension. And I don't want to say anything to Haruko because I still do kind of consider her a friend…but I don't think she realizes the extent to which her boyfriend hates me."

"But Mitsui does?"

"Yeah," I nod as I move to sit on the floor. Kiyota follows suit. "I told him right after it happened, and he talked with me and made me feel a lot better. He's like that. He…just…makes me feel…comfortable."

Kiyota just sighs and looks at the wall. I think I must be bringing him down with all my feeling sorry for myself. "Hey, I have stupid question," I beam. He raises an eyebrow at me. I whisper conspiratorially, "You suppose Mitsui's bi?"

He *almost* smiles. "I don't know." He says it like he *does* know.

"You bastard!" I hiss. "Tell me what you know!"

He shrugs. "All I know is he seemed awfully eager to see Rukawa today." At this I frown. "What's the big deal about it? You're such a gossip, Hanamichi."

I snort and wave him off as he stands up. He frowns down at me. "What's wrong? You jealous?"

"Pfft, whatever." Absently I lift the camera and snap a shot of Kiyota standing over me, his long hair framing his face in a sort of halo lit by the lamps from the living room. He gives me an amused look and then waves dismissively as he walks off down the hall. I look at the digital image and smile. He'll be a good subject.

After a few more moments I stand up and follow him to the living room, almost running into people as I'm staring at the camera. "Oi, seiyuuki-chan!" Kiyota smacks me upside the head. I look up and realize we're standing in front of a couch that contains Rukawa and Mitsui looking like they've been interrupted in a very cozy conversation. Mindlessly, I snap a picture of the two of them looking up at me. Two sets of blue eyes, two heads of soft-looking midnight hair…yet Rukawa looks so delicate and graceful while Mitsui is almost the opposite, very rough and intense. I love it.

"Okay, you're coming over tomorrow so we can work on this," I tell Kiyota as I show him the picture I took of him. "You too," I point to the two on the couch, not looking at them. When I do glance over, Mitsui looks amazed and Rukawa looks a little anxious.

"You don't want any girls?" Kiyota asks.

"I think Mito would kick my ass if I tried to photograph Haruko."

"What about Ayako?" Mitsui chimes. "She's a freaking model after all."

"But she's in Paris right now. Come on, I promise, it'll be good. Might even be fun." I show the pictures to Mitsui and his expression seems to admit that they turned out well.

"Yeah, I guess I could come over tomorrow," he says, glancing at Rukawa.

I smile my thanks and turn to head to the kitchen. Kiyota follows along and murmurs, "I don't think he'll have any trouble convincing Rukawa." For some reason, the way he says this makes me feel uncomfortable. I don't know what's bothering me now, but I brush it off. It's a new day. I can't go on this way, being the bitter, cowardly me.

"Listen man, I'm sorry I've been such a punk," I tell Kiyota. "Things are gonna get better."

*