Three in One

Disclaimer: I don't own SD boys, Inoue does. The events that follow are not included in the original plot but enjoy anyway.

Summary: On the night of Shohoku's victory against Toyotama, many wonders are about to take place. MitRu, MiyaAya, SakuHaru. One shot.

Lost in the eight-thirty p.m. breeze, Mitsui Hisashi decided that if there was a time to take his last drag, it would have to be now. He descended to the porch, passing by Sakuragi who was frantically fiddling with the cordless telephone. He looked rather strapped for something he needed to have now.

"Hey Mitchy! D'you happen to have Gori's number?" Sakuragi, nearly in alarm, said to Mitsui.

The senior studied Sakuragi for an instant and replied,

"Akagi's in the showers. If you want to talk to him, go wait for him to finish. It's that easy."

"I know, moron. I want his number. What makes you think I want to talk to him?"

"Your shooting. Maybe you could ask him to tutor you--"

"Just give me his fucking number, okay?"

"You could use being a tad nicer, you know." Mitsui mumbled and ransacked his wallet for a small piece of paper. He pitched it to Sakuragi and was out of sight before the latter could express his gratefulness.

"It's amazing, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"That one way or another, you're bound to face the toughest player in every team we run against. Back in Kanagawa, there was Ryonan's Sendoh, Shoyo's Fujima and then Kainan's Maki. You must be feeling really nervous out there."

"Sometimes."

"Sometimes, Ryota?"

"You heard me. It isn't like I have a choice, is it? After all, point guard is the only position I can handle. Being nervous is just a part of it, however large it may appear to be."

"Uh-huh. You're not half-bad yourself. I suppose the whole team hardly knows what you're going through when you're out there."

"Yeah. But do you, Ayako?"

"Well, I wish I could experience it,"

"Uh-huh. It's not really a position I'm willing to get rid of anytime. I mean, I don't know about other players but I love this job."

"Good for you."

Miyagi and Ayako continued walking. The sky outside was imbued with the darkest hue of purple and the lamp posts were the only virtual source of light. Far off the distance, the hooting of owls haunted the woods.

Sakuragi was rummaging through the dial buttons, breaking out in cold sweat. In preparation for what he was going to say once Haruko was put on the other line, he scooped out a piece of paper and pen from the drawer and scribbled again and again her initials on the white pad as though he was in danger of forgetting her name any given moment.

"Akagi residence, may I help you?"

"I--I need...er, may I speak to Haruko?"

"Speaking. Is that you, Sakuragi?"

"Nyahahahaha! Yes, it's none other than the genius!"

"Er, alright. You sound happy. Shohoku won, am I right?"

"Spot on. And guess who the hero is?"

"My brother already told me. Rukawa was really good back there, wasn't he?"

"Huh?"

"Rukawa. My brother said he scored most of Shohoku's points."

"I suppose so. He's really expert at hogging, that dim bulb."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nothing. I just said Rukawa plays like a crocodile. He wants the meat all to himself."

"Okay. Do you hate him, Sakuragi?

"Uh, let's see. It's hard to hate somebody you couldn't care less about, so... I don't care."

"Alright, I understand."

"So what did Gori say about me?"

"Oh, he said your rebounding is extremely helpful. I wish I was there to see you, Sakuragi."

"Nyahahaha!"

Sakuragi's voice echoed and bounced through the walls that enclosed the house. The delight he was feeling was intense, real in particular, so much so that it didn't feel like reality at all. Hearing her voice, as was often the case, was quite more than enough to subject him under another dimension of happiness. He went on laughing, pausing only for a moment or two and resuming right away. It wasn't until Haruko spoke up again when he applied the brakes.

"Hey, Rukawa."

"Hey, sempai."

"Funny to see you around here."

"Hmm."

"Did you come here to smoke, too?"

"I don't smoke. Just coke."

"Okay. I can see that. I've stopped smoking since I came back. I mean, not to be defensive or anything, but I'm just taking this one as my last."

"Uh-huh."

"It's to relax. Once in a while, you get to crave for it, that mean old urge that pulls you back to a bad habit. So far, I've managed well to stop myself."

Rukawa frowned, which Mitsui didn't miss. He seemed to offer the question why Mitsui was reverting to the old habit now.

"As I've said, this is going to be my final goodbye to this vice. I haven't consumed a whole stick for five months, since that incident. Now I'm not really sorry to miss it. If it's safe to guess, cutting back on it is for the best."

"Uh-huh." Rukawa muttered, his frown fading from his face.

"Is your eye still sore? If you don't mind my saying, it looks bad any way you look at it."

"It hurts just a little."

"I hope you'd be good as new on the next game. Otherwise you'd have to make whatever small adjustments there are."

"I'll be fine, sempai."

They pursed their lips, being unable to tell with any precision where to restart the dying conversation. Mitsui's smoke was creating a white puff that had since then begun enveloping them in its expanding territory. Rukawa decided that he didn't mind this and began inhaling the not-so-fascinating fragrance it emitted.

"You'll be facing Moroshi too. The star of Aichi. Any idea how you're supposed to do it?"

"Not yet. But I haven't entirely ruled him out of the list of my worst opponents, not when we've moved quite far ahead. You know, there's something ominous about that guy."

"Morohoshi?"

"Something tells me he might as well be my undoing."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Forget it. Right now my focus is on Sannoh. Don't you think they're scary, Ayako?"

"I do." she admitted. In fact, she could still remember in vivid detail how that Eiji moved on court and it scared her. "Do you think they could be any fiercer in person?"

"I say, anything's possible. Regardless of what happens, what Sannoh does, nothing changes the fact that they have the best high school player in Japan. For all we know they're going to beat the crap out of any team that comes in their way, efface them from the competition just like that, without a trace of difficulty."

"Your considerations are utterly reckless, I have to say. Do you really think they're that unbeatable, Ryota?"

"I didn't exactly say that. What I wanted to say is, we have as slim a chance as we could get."

"I see,"

"No, you don't."

"And pray tell why?"

"Because you're not me."

"Really? I'm guessing you followed me all the way here so you could argue with me."

"Not quite, Ayako."

"Well if you have a reason, whatever it is, I don't want to hear it. I just wish you'd realize that you just sounded like you're willing to lose."

"Did I? If you ask me, I have nothing I'd hate to lose."

"Really?"

"Well, that is, unless you give me that spot."

"What spot? Excuse me, but I can't quite understand you."

"That spot you hold for basketball. That same love you hold for the game. You do know the reason why I joined the club, don't you?"

"I know well enough. Why don't you just concentrate on the upcoming games instead of--"

"Watching you? Going out of my way to impress you? I can't help that. Not a day passes when you're out of my mind. When you're not with me everything's...excuse the cheese but...without you, the only thing palpable is the sense of emptiness. I could only do so much for you and you know that."

Ayako clung to silence. When before, she never ran out of things to say, now she didn't know what to say anymore. Articulating her reply seemed impossible as the night closed in on them.

Without the slightest caution, Mitsui felt like showering Rukawa with more than the ideal amount of attention. And despite not being able to click with the freshman on any aspect, he felt like touching him even as he had touched the ball on the day of his homecoming.

"What are you afraid of, Rukawa?"

"Losing."

"Losing. Mmmh. It's worth the experience, sometimes."

"It's not."

"It is, at least for me. Losing to Kainan made me realize how much I've left out. In a way, I'm glad I learned from it."

"..."

"Well, if things work out for the best--"

"They will, sempai. We're going to win this. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried, Rukawa. I'm just...excited, thrilled maybe."

"Me too."

"Yes, of course. You always are. I could see you burning with something... determination of a kind. That Eiji, you're going to have to guard him, right? If you don't mind my saying, he's got to be the most talented high school player at the present."

"He is. But talents can work against oneself."

"You're right. Do you think we stand a single chance?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm going to take your word for that. Who knows, Sannoh may have a wider opening, but it all depends on how we execute our opportunity. One thing's for sure; no amount of practice is going to salvage us now. Only a change of perspective would."

"You're right."

"..."

"..."

"Sigh. When I look back at those years, I start shivering at each thought. I've had more chances than I could count and all I could do was to throw them away, every one of them. And yet, here I am. Half of me tells me I'm a much renewed, better athlete than I was; the other half insists that I could've been way better. No matter what happens now, no matter what becomes of me, I'm still that little silly boy who let himself run away with his pride."

"You can't do anything about it now."

"Well, that's the point I'm making, right? I can't do anything about it anymore."

"But you can look ahead."

"I guess so."

"Sempai?"

"Rukawa?"

"I'm glad you came back to the team."

"You are?"

"Yes. It wouldn't make my first year at the club worth it if you didn't."

"But I beat you up...with that mop, remember?"

"It doesn't matter."

"But why?"

"Because that made you come back."

Mitsui didn't press for more answers. He knew quite well what Rukawa meant by that. Instinctively, and rather reposefully, he drew his hand to the freshman, running his fingers on his raven hair as if curious to feel and assign characteristics to each strand. If Rukawa planned to resist, he didn't look it.

"Sakuragi, do you need something?"

"Uhm. It's kind of embarrassing. I hope you wouldn't refuse. It's just that..." Sakuragi heaved a an audible sigh, gathering sufficient momentum. "I lost your picture."

"Picture?"

"I used to have a picture of you in my wallet, you know. I kept it carefully between the folds. For remembrance. Youhei and Noma took it. It's a..."

"A stolen shot?"

"Yes. A while ago, I accidentally crumpled it because of Yasuda. I was staring at it when Yasuda screamed from his nightmare and I sort of just panicked and didn't know what I was doing. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry."

"Yeah, well. I was wondering if you could send me one. I can't sleep at night without, you know, seeing your face."

"..."

"Are you still there, Haruko?"

"Er, yes."

"I'm not a freak, you know."

"No, I don't think you are. Sakuragi?"

"Yes?"

"I'll be there at your next match. If you want, I can give you a picture of me when--"

"No problem! That would be awesome. I promise you, victory sealed!"

"Yes, that would be great. Uhm, good luck."

"Okay, thanks, Haruko-chan."

"I need to go, Sakuragi."

"Yeah but..."

"Yes?"

"When you come here, would you like to, er, eat outside?"

"Oh, sure. Of course. Anything."

"Yes, I swear to god you're going to have the best of time with this tensai! Nyahaha!"

She laughed just then, a gentle, kind-hearted, well-meaning laugh. "Naturally. I'm sure I would. Goodbye, Hanamichi."

She put the phone down even before Sakuragi could celebrate the fact that she finally referred to him with his first name. If Sakuragi had borne witness to her blushing cheeks then, if he knew that his words were the primary reason why she decided to visit them on their next match, he would've had more reasons to celebrate. But as it was, his response was quite more low-key than it had to. After exhausting his throat with boisterous laughter and assuring himself that nothing was ever going to stop him from being the hero of their battle against Sannoh, he let his mind go vacant.

"It's so amazing, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"That only an inch separates me from you."

"That's amazing for you?"

"Most amazing, in its best meaning."

"Well."

"Well?"

"There's really more to you than normally meets the eye, Ryota."

"You didn't just say that to make me feel better, did you?"

"No, uhm, I mean it quite enough."

"Okay."

"Okay, no problem."

"..."

"..."

"You'll do everything to win the next match, won't you?"

"Yeah, anything for you, Ayako."

"Don't do it for me. Do it for the team and yourself."

"I'll do it for them second. I'll do it for you first. You know my rules."

"Mmmh, not bad. Will you give me your hand?"

Miyagi outstretched his arm, which she took in hers. In the dark, she smiled at him. He found it hard to return the smile; his shock overtook him. His heart pounded, his blood began flowing cold. He had never found a more reasonable excuse to live than this. To put it to the simplest terms, he had never felt as ecstatic. They shimmied away from the shadow of the evening, away from more practical concerns. There under the stars, at ten p.m., they found one other, each equally ready to proceed to the next stage of their rapport.

END