Whoever Said College is Easy?

Chapter 1: Along the Corridors of the Future

Vacation passed by quickly, what with preparations and all. Rukawa cleaned out his room, well, the stuff he would bring anyway, which was not much. He really wasn't the type of person who would bring unnecessary things.

When he was done, all he was carrying was a medium-sized black luggage with all his clothes and other personal paraphernalia, his Compaq laptop, and his blue Speedo sports bag for his basketball gear. Considering those will sustain him for the entire semester, it was not bad at all.

He was a given a grand tour of the whole university, courtesy of Mitsui-sempai, and due to Kogure-sempai's prodding. He could notice that the proud three-point shooter was still a bit miffed about that little match they had about three years ago. He did not say it outright, of course, but the lack of enthusiasm in Mitsui Hisashi's tone was hard to ignore. That and Kogure's occasional nudging led Rukawa to suspect that he wasn't welcome with open arms. He guessed that being matched up to a freshman then, no matter how good, still hurt his pride.

Of course that was only Rukawa's speculation. It's either that or his sempai would rather be doing *other* things with his Megane-kun.

They hadn't really come out as a couple yet, and very few would notice those discreet touches and looks they give to each other. Well, one of those few was Kaede. Actually, he dismissed those thoughts at first, thinking that the mere gestures were those of friendship, and nothing more.

But he saw how they supported each other during games, those times when Mitsui-kun would teach the other his infamous three-point shots. Then he knew that there was something more. It was not just because of the deed itself, but how it was done. He could only describe it as...gentle? Loving, perhaps. Sweet, in a way. A praise would not be expressed by a hard slap on the back, like what was done with teammates. No, a smile does it. A heartfelt and genuine smile...reserved for special people.

Right now he could just feel the uncomfortable atmosphere of the everyday "third person" who's unfortunate enough be stuck with two lovebirds on a date. Well, he was not really stuck, and it wasn't really a date...but that's the idea.

He stoically followed the two from behind, as his seniors walked side by side. They both seem to have momentarily forgotten about their "visitor" as they took the trip down memory lane. Rukawa didn't mind, he was actually thankful that they took some time to show him around. He didn't need the babble of a tour guide. He was already seeing much of the school as it is, and it was not hard to figure out which room is which, as they have signs and all. He could even say that he enjoyed this "tour", so to speak. He had company, yet he was alone. That was how he preferred it, anyway.

Daigaku University was bigger than most universities go. There were about five main buildings: School of Medicine, School of Business, School of Arts and Humanities, School of Law and School of Sciences. Of course there were also other structures like the dining areas, the clubs, recreational and many others. The overall theme seems to be "red brick', probably following the "Old Schoolhouse" tradition. It was well-maintained, unlike most old buildings. One can hardly see cracking plasters or rotten beams. The white windows were only partially smudged by natural dirt. Classrooms were not air-conditioned, but well-ventilated, as there are windows on every room.

And if you look outside, one can have a pleasant view of green foliage. On the East side, a walkway lined with sakura trees can be spotted from the rooms. The North provides a magnificent scenery of blue-green hills, dotted with a few houses. The wide soccer field can be seen from the South wing and on the West was one of the things that interested the once Super Rookie.

The Daigaku Dome.

State-of-the-art basketball court. Spacious locker rooms, individual shower stalls (with hot water, of course). Digital scoreboards, audience seating capacity of about one thousand, players' lounge equipped with a water dispenser, ice machine, vendo, a refrigerator filled with energy drinks and bars --- plus a comfortable leather couch that could snugly accommodate a tired, young player who's about six feet tall with a lean, muscular frame.

Things are certainly looking up for the incoming freshman.

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Rukawa Kaede took in all the details of his new home, at least for the coming semester, and if lucky, his entire college life.

Yosei Dormitory.

The golden plaque glinted against the stone exterior, the name engraved in black letters.

Rukawa just let out an amused "Hn".

His tour just ended after about two hours of walking around the campus. He had yet to see East part, but basically, he had seen the main sites. His companions were helpful, despite the slight distractions on the latter part of their tour. Mitsui-sempai looked a bit too happy when they parted ways, literally dragging Kogure-kun to wherever they were musing to go, perhaps.

In any case, he was satisfied with everything so far.

Yosei All-Boys Dorm was a bit on the extravagant side. The student walked through the black wrought-iron gates after showing his ID to the guard. Nodding, the burly man led the boy to a pair of oak doors.

With his bearings, the raven-haired student treaded almost silently on the white marble floors, squinting a little at the blinding chandelier at the lobby.

"Oh, sorry about that."

The bright yellow light dimmed, showing the face of a middle-aged man. Kaede reminded him of Taoka-sensei, except that this man had a kinder look to him.

Rukawa nodded at the apology.

"...installing a dimmer, you know? Dormers complained that the damn thing hurt their eyes, and I guess they got tired with having to wear shades indoors..."

The man let out an amused chuckle, before turning to look at the boy blankly looking at him.

"Uh...are you new? Never seen you before."

A nod.

"Don't talk much, do ya?"

Shrugs.

He just let out a sigh. He apparently was not going to get his conversation from this kid, but he was done here and he needed something to do besides "flirting" with the old hags at the front desk. The other students were all in their respective rooms, probably trying to enjoy what was left of their break.

"What's your name?"

"Rukawa."

"That's it?"

The other hesitated. Why would he need his whole name for, anyway? But then again, he guessed that this guy was just being friendly. It was just a name, anyway. He'd probably forget all about it...

"Kaede. Rukawa Kaede."

"Eh? Sounds familiar..."

The basketball player wondered if he had made a mistake. He didn't want anyone to start greeting him as "supah player" or something when he walked at the halls of the dorm even before the season began. Before the man pondered even further, Rukawa broke into his thoughts.

"Who are you?"

The utility engineer blinked at the voice that awoke him from his reverie. To the usual onlooker, the student seemed rather impertinent before an elder, yet there was no sarcasm or malice in his tone. The statement was, merely, an inquiry. Nothing more.

"Matsuzuki Ichiro, at your service." He winked as he held out his hand.

A minuscule twitch of the younger one's lips, he took the proffered gesture.

Next Chapter: Yosei Dormitories: Meeting the Roommate

Slam Dunk and its characters do not belong to me. Other characters/names, to which I lay claim on will be noted as such.