Looking at the radar the controller spotted a green blip on the screen, signalling to him that an aircraft was within the area of the Japanese Air Self-Defence Force's control. Not recognising the signal as their own, he quickly informed his superior, "Sir! Airrec reports unidentified jet approaching at twleve o'clock!"

"Enemy aircraft?!" exclaimed the man, shooting out of his seat.

"I think so, Sir!"

As all stereotypical bad guys were, the jet plane was sleek black and the pilot's face covered with the black shield of his helmet.
Slowly it approached knowing that at that very moment the airbase where he was ordered to strike would be getting ready for his arrival. As the red alert signal blared around the base, Sendoh Akira, the no.1 pilot of Japan prepared for takeoff after being given the go by the traffic controller on the ground. With a blast of the engine, the jet slowly made it's way along the runway and gaining speed before lifting up into the air, intent on meeting this unidentified flyer.

"...altitude 25000, speed 500 knots and rising..."

Sakuragi Hanamichi, Commander of the Japanese airforce, Kanagawa ordered through the radio, "Sendoh. Hold your fire unless under attack."

"I copy," answered Sendoh.

Sendoh, I'm counting on you, thought the redheaded commander looking through the glass window to watch the jet fly in the sky.

"I've got a visual on the ghost raider," reported Sendoh when he spotted the black jet in front of him. Without warning the black jet fired but Sendoh was fortunately quick to evade the attack.

"Damnit! He's shooting at me! Returning fire!" cried Sendoh, turning his aircraft to chase the black one. When he was able to lock onto his target, he fired but the enemy managed to swerve at the last minute, flying over Sendoh and behind him. When Sendoh realised that he could not shake his opponent, the enemy has already fired.

"No! Akira!!" cried Hanamichi and....

...woke up from his daydream to find his cheek grounding against the harsh concrete, his hip hanging over the laundry line he has just tripped over and his behind up in the air.

"Itee..."


~~~~

Hanamichi placed the pail and washcloth back in the closet, sighing to himself, "Why was I dreaming about Sendoh? But he looked so great in my dream! Wow..."
The redhead flung himself back into his daydreams to imagine the spikey-haired pilot looking heroic in his pilot uniform, "Kakkoii (cool)..."

"Sakuragi!" came Sendoh's cheerful voice.

Turning around, Hanamichi goofily answered, "Yes, Akira?"

The pilot looked at him in surprise and when the mechanic realised that the person in front of him was not a figment of his imagination, the redhead mumbled in embarassment, "A-Ano..."

Sendoh grinned, "That's ok. You can call me Akira and I'll call you Hanamichi."

"Eh...err...," Hanamichi stuttered, before he quickly changed the subject.
"S-So, how did your morning exercise go?" he asked, taking in Sendoh with his orange uniform and the helmet in his hand hanging over his shoulder.

"It went great," the sargeant answered, "Now I'm going to take a shower. Wanna join me?"

Instantly, Hanamichi's face went red, "No thanks."

Sendoh chuckled, giving the redhead a wink, "Alright then. Ja!"

As the pilot walked away, Hanamichi suddenly remembered something and called out to him, "Hey! Chotto matte!"

"Your birthday?" questioned Rukawa boredly as he climbed down from his cock-pit.

"Yup! Tomorrow's the big day!" grinned Hanamichi, "Just wanted to tell ya that!"

The fox-eyed pilot walked towards him before saying bluntly, "You want a present, do you?"

"Iie!" denied Hanamichi blushing, "You don't have to get me anything! It's just another day, that's all! Ahahahah!"

Rukawa leaned against his jet and regarded the mechanic speculatively but the redhead refused to look at him. When he saw their captain walking towards them, Hanamichi went up to the tall man and announced, "Sir! It's my birthday tomorrow!"

"Honto?"

"Yeah!" laughed the redhead, "You don't have to get me anything! Just your friendship and well wishes will do! Ahahahahah!"

Rukawa shook his head and sighed, "He wants a present bad."

When Hanamichi was gone and the captain off to do other tasks, Rukawa was left alone to think about their new member of the team.
So it's his birthday..., thought Rukawa trying to remember when he has ever cared about another person's birthday before. It was rare because he has never known that many people who he cared about to give them presents. The redhead was unique, Rukawa agreed to himself, when he remembered what Sakuragi said to him that day he went to fetch Hanamichi before the briefing with Colonel Yumiyoka.

"Because you're a pilot. And to me that's something special. You fight for what you want and you have to be pure hearted too."

I guess I can take him out to dinner..., thought Rukawa imagining to himself how the redhead would react to it. Without a doubt Hanamichi would be ecstatic and when they reach the restaurant, he knew the redhead would stuff himself like a pig.

"Wow Rukawa! What a feast! I'm gonna eat like a king!!" exclaimed the redhead and proceeded to chow down the food with vigor. Between mouthfulls Hanamichi mumbled, "Good! Yummy! Thanks a lot Rukawa!"

Allowing himself a small smile, Rukawa shrugged and turned around towards the dormitory, Yeah. Why not?


~~~~

After a shower and changing out of his orange uniform, Rukawa went to look for Hanamichi. Passing by the briefing room he stopped when he heard the redhead's voice from inside. He tugged the sleeves of his blue uniform for a moment before he took a deep breath and walked in. As expected, the redhead was indeed inside the room talking with another person who was sitting casually at the edge of the briefing desk in front of the mechanic. And that person was Sendoh Akira.

"...with me? Are you sure?" the redhead was asking the spiky-haired pilot who has already changed into his blue uniform.

"Of course! It will be your birthday after all," grinned Sendoh.

Chikuso! cursed Rukawa, He beat me to Sakuragi again.

"Yo Rukawa!" greeted Sendoh in smiles, "I'm taking Hanamichi out to eat at any restaurant he wants for his birthday."

"Cool, ne?" the redhead grinned, scratching the back of his neck goofily.

"What?"

"To a restaurant," repeated Sendoh, "I'm going to-"

"I heard, Sendoh," glared Rukawa to his team-mate. In his imagination Hanamichi gave the bright smiles and shy thanks to him! Not to Sendoh!

"Okay," the spiky-haired player said slowly before turning back to the redhead, "I guess we can call it a date, ne Hanamichi-kun?"

Rukawa's fists clenched. Sendoh was so quick that he was already in the second name stage.
"Baka ne."

"Nani?" Sendoh and Hanamichi looked at the fox-eyed pilot in puzzlement.

Without another word, Rukawa stomped out of the room in anger.

Hanamichi stared at the still open door and asked, "Why's he so bent out of shape?"

Sendoh gave him a thoughtful look. Then he shrugged and said good naturedly, "Forget about him. He throws those kind of tantrums all the time."

"Oh..." said the redhead but somehow he knew that it wasn't just any normal tantrums.


~~~~

Later that day:

Sendoh and Rukawa were in the air doing a practice run without any problems until Sendoh spoke, "Hey, Hikoichi. Where should I take Hanamichi out tomorrow?"

Hikoichi who was sitting in the seat behind cocked his head to the side to look at the side of Sendoh's face, "What? You mean to eat?"

"Aa," the taller pilot replied, "Aiyoyama or Harayuuku*? Which is more romantic?"

"R-Romantic?" Hikoichi squeaked.

"Hey, you guys! What's goin' on up there?" demanded Hanamichi as he stood beside the jeep, a radio speaker in his hand, "It better be something to do with training or you'll get it from Gori."

"Not training," Sendoh's smooth voice told him, "There's this place called 'Sheru' in Aiyoyama that's really romantic. Shall we try it?"

Hanamichi blushed, "Uh... wh-whatever you think is good, Sendoh..."

"What on earth are they talking about?" Akagi wondered out loud. He and Mitsui were standing a few metres behind the redheaded mechanic, evaluating how the team were working together with the practice they were doing at the moment.

"I dunno," grinned Mitsui, "But I bet 1000 yen that says love trouble comes from it."

Rukawa listened in on their conversation silently, his mouth in a frown. Sendoh was speaking again, "But the restaurant in Harayuuku has a wonderful teahouse. The blueberry pies there are great!"

"Mmmm...." Hanamichi drooled, "I can't wait to go."

Rukawa's sapphire blue eyes glinted as his face grew dark.

"Ooh... you like blueberry pies, Hanamichi?" asked Akira, his voice going silky.

"I like!"

"How about on me?"

"Uh...."

Hikoichi blushed just as furiously as the redhead on the ground.
Rukawa suddenly growled and twisted his plane to fly over Sendoh's, nearly giving the two pilots inside the aircraft a heart attack by the sudden movement.

"Aah!" cried Hikoichi

"Rukawa!" yelled Sendoh looking up, "What the hell are you doing?!"

Rukawa did not reply but kept on crowding his jet over Sendoh's, dismissing the pilot's attempt to shake him off.

"Rukawa!" cried Hanamichi angrily through the radio, "Stop fooling around! Back off!"

Rukawa ignored him, letting his jet mirror every action Sendoh made, not allowing the pilot any chance of escape. It was another contest of skill and speed for the fox-eyed pilot did a perfect immitation of Sendoh's manouvers with only a small margin of distance between them. The risky balance between amazing and dangerous suddenly tipped when Rukawa's left wing jerked to crash onto Sendoh's. Sendoh's tip wing ripped and the plane went spinning down, the pilot trying valiantly to stop the spiralling descend.

"Sendoh!" cried Hanamichi.

Rukawa quickly gathered himself after the initial shock and went after Sendoh's plane at full speed. Plummeting beside Sendoh, Rukawa mirrored the furious spins until they were again tail to tail to let his wing purposefully crash against Sendoh's, instantly breaking the troubled jet from the uncontrollable motion so that Sendoh was able to pull his plane up to stability.

Back on the ground Akagi, Mitsui and Hanamichi sighed with relief.
"Not again," the tall captain groaned.

The redhead surprisingly chuckled, "But you've got to admit, Rukawa has got amazing techniques."

"Eh?"

Mitsui nearly cackled with glee as he nudged his captain and friend, "1000 yen!"



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