Carnival music danced around and the scent of popcorn and cotton candy filled the air. The Shohoku basketball team looked at the scenery each with different thoughts in their mind.
I wonder if I could get Ayako to go in a boat ride with me in the Tunnel of Love? thought Miyagi.
Why did I let Kogure drag me to this place? wondered Mitsui.
Kogure looked at his scarred-face friend beside him who was boredly scanning the area. C'mon Mitsui, just relax, he sighed inwardly.
Damn. We should be practicing! Instead I get conned by Kogure and Ayako to let the team free for a day out at the carnival! frowned Akagi.
Ayako turned around to look at Akagi's sulking face and smiled. I'm gonna make him loosen up before the day is out! she vowed determinedly
The thoughts that ran around Rukawa's head is most probably: No. 1 in Japan, No. 1 in Japan, No. 1 in Japan...
The first person in the team to start vocalising his thoughts (very, very loudly) was, of course, Hanamichi, "WAH! Is that the Top Spin?! No! Let's go try to Pirate Ship first! I'm not gonna go on the Ferris Wheel! That's for sissies! - WAHHHHH! Look! Popcorn!! Let's go get some first!"
The team winced at the shrillness of the red-head's voice.
"Sakuragi, I think we should play the fast rides first before we eat anything or we might get sick," said Kogure.
"You're saying the tensai has a weak stomach?" demanded Hanamichi, leaning threateningly over the senior.
"You are weak all over, do'aho," said Rukawa.
"TEMME!!"
"ENOUGH!" roared Akagi, "There will be no fighting today! If I see any of you lift your fists even an inch I'll dunk you in that tank!" he threatened pointing towards a tank meant for one of the games called Dunk the Clown. Over the tank, teetering lazily on a plank near a hanging circle target was a blue and green suited clown, waiting for a customer to dunk him in.
The two stopped at once.
"Alright! Now let's go out there and have some fun!" barked Akagi.
"Uh, Akagi... smiling is the first step to have fun..." started Kogure.
The captain turned to his friend and glared. "Don't start," he warned.
The spectacled boy sweated and backed away hastily while Ayako just snickered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They went on the first ride first: the Ranger, by Hanamichi's insistence. The ride was a big ship which turns 360 degrees, going up very slowly and then swooping down /very/ fast.
Going up... "Uhh....."
Going down... "WAHHHHHHHH!"
Going up... "Ahahah!"
Going down... "WAHHHHHHHH!"
Hanamichi was doing most of the yelling. People sitting next to him thought that they wouldn't hear much of anything for an estimation of a few days. Kogure was trying very hard to prevent his glasses from slipping off. Ayako squealed and giggled, enjoying the ride very much and Rukawa remained his stony expression. Mitsui and Miyagi clutched the safety bars around their shoulder for safety. Akagi clutched the bars for dear life.
After a few more fast rides; namely the Top Spin, The Enterprise, The Boomerang, Break Dance, Giant Drop and the Condor:
"That was GREAT!" laughed Hanamichi.
"Can we find something to eat now?" asked Mitsui.
"I think that's a good idea, ne Sakuragi? We had enough fast rides for one day," said Kogure.
"But..."
"Ayako, do you want to ride with me in the Tunnel of Love?" asked Miyagi turning to the curly-haired girl.
"I'm sorry, Miyagi," she said to the disappointed boy, "I'll pass. Maybe we can go to the Haunted House and ride together later on?"
"Great!" Miyagi beamed.
"Akagi? Are you alright? You look pale," commented Kogure worriedly.
The tall captain was leaning on the immobile Rukawa for support and when Kogure was near he pulled the boy by the front of his shirt, "Remind me to hit you later".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After buying some food, Mitsui was in a better mood. He suggested that they go to the Hall of Mirrors first before going anywhere and Kogure seconded that idea.
Inside the Hall of Mirrors each of the Shohoku players get to see what they would look like if they were not lean and tall, or in Akagi's case, big.
Rukawa blinked at the mirror in front of him which shows his image's chin drooping very low.
Ayako giggled looking at Rukawa's blank expression. But when she looked at her image in front of her she stopped. The mirror had changed her image making her look VERY fat around the hips. She scowled.
"WAHAHAHA!! You look like a stick!" laughed Hanamichi pointing at Miyagi's distorted image.
"Oh yeah? Take a look at yourself," the shorter boy snickered. Hanamichi turned to look at the mirror in front of him to see that his lean waist was stretched wide horizontally, making him look pregnant.
"Hey, Sakuragi, when is the baby due? " snickered Mitsui.
"Why you!"
"Guys, don't fight..." pleaded Kogure.
"Blow Fish!" hooted Hanamichi pointing at Mitsui's bloated image, "You always do stink in the game!"
Mitsui growled walking towards the red-head intending to give him a piece of his mind. Kogure quickly jumped in front of him, "Mitsui..."
"Look at Rukawa! He looks like Droopy Dog!" continued Hanamichi having fun.
Rukawa took a glance at Hanamichi's image before he turned to look at the red-head in the eyes, "So who's the father?"
Hanamichi's jaw dropped before he closed it, his face going red. Although he and Rukawa have been having some physical intimacy, they have not gotten THAT intimate - yet.
"STOP IT AT ONCE!" yelled Akagi, scaring the rest of the carnival goers out of the hall, "Can't you behave yourselves just once without me to threaten you? You are not a bunch of kids! Why can't you learn some discipline and comradeship? This is what going out together is for! Not to knock at each other's heads!"
The players all went silent, glaring at each other while shuffling their feet on the ground. Akagi continued to glower at them for a few moments before turning around intending to get out of the place and he suddenly came face to face with an image of himself. The image of himself was pressed so flat that he looked like an enourmous walking hockey put with a white Adidas t-shirt.
When he heard snickering behind him, he turned around and gave them a Look before walking out, leaving a burst of laughter behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They continued walking around the carnival grounds, going on a few more rides, buying a few more snacks or playing some games. Mitsui was doing well on some of the games, for example, Shooting the Ducks, Tossing the Ring and Knocking out the Coconut. He was soon lugging around a few stuffed animals, a goldfish and 2 coconuts.
"That is some haul, Mitsui!" remarked Kogure.
"Yeah," the Shohoku No. 14 player grinned, "but this is too much! Here, I want you to take these!" With that he handed over a few oversized stuffed animals to his friend who struggled to get a handhold on them. Holding a stuffed giraffe in one hand, a gangly monkey and a fat hippoptamus in the other the spectacled boy smiled weakly. "Uh... thanks. - NO! This is enough! Give it to Ayako!" protested Kogure quickly before Mitsui handed over a yellow stuffed rabbit. Ayako accepted the gift happily, ignoring Miyagi's angry scowl.
"Here Akagi," Mitsui said, handing over a stuffed pig with a frilly pink dress and a lacy bonnet.
"No thank you," Akagi said coldly.
"Aww, why not? Afraid of a little piggy? You want a turtle instead?" teased Mitsui.
"I'm warning you"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Mitsui, Akagi, Kogure, Miyagi and Ayako squabbled on the stuffed toys (Rukawa merely watched), Hanamichi took a walk by himself looking at various items sold on a few nearby stands. Suddenly he bumped into someone and was pleased to see that it was none other than Akagi Haruko.
"Sakuragi-kun!" Haruko said happily. "I didn't know you would come here! I hope you are not cutting practice," she said worriedly.
"Ahahah! Of course not! Gori cancelled practice today so we went here," explained Hanamichi scratching at his head as he grinned.
"Oh! That's wonderful!" Then she turned around and and gasped, "Look! It's the Tunnel of Love! Sakuragi-kun, let's go in!"
"W-What? M-me?!" gaped Hanamichi in surprise.
Haruko blushed, "Well, you see, I haven't been in there and I really want to see what it looks like from inside. I don't want to go alone - it'll be so embarrassing! The only person I can trust to be with is you. Please?" she pleaded, wide eyes hopeful.
Hanamichi grinned again and blushed as well, "Yah, ok!"
Haruko laughed pulling the tall player along.
***********************************
"Eh? Where is Hanamichi?" asked Ayako looking around.
The rest looked around as well scanning the area when suddenly Kogure spotted him coming out of the Tunnel of Love with Haruko.
"There he is! Hey, Sakuragi, Haruko!" Kogure called out.
Hanamichi waved at them before he helped Haruko out of the swan-shaped boat and together the pair walked up to them.
Akagi was first to open his mouth, "WHAT were you doing with MY SISTER over THERE?!"
"Oniisan! I made him come with me and we just looked around! I just wanted to see what it was like inside there!" Haruko said blushing very hard.
The rest laughed teasingly while Hanamichi turned red. Hearing Haruko say 'looked around' he remembered watching other couples in the front and behind them in seperate boats and they were doing more than just looking around.
After being berated by her brother a few more times, Haruko went away when she spotted her friends waiting for her near some booths.
"C'mon, let's keep walking. I think I saw a cotton candy stand nearby," said Ayako.
The boys agreed, moving to follow the manageress. Passing by Rukawa, Hanamichi looked at him, curious as to what the fox-eyed boy thought about him and Haruko. Rukawa was looking at him with an unreadable expression before he turned around and walked to follow the others.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Passing by one of the many cotton candy stands in the carnival, each of them got a stick of the coloured sweet.
"Mhmmfffghf," Hanamichi said in mouth-full, which translates 'This tastes good'. Passerbys were looking at him in caution, already hearing about a loud tall red-head with ear-splitting voice (that must be when he was on the rides) and a troublesome attitude (and that must be when he was in the Hall of Mirrors).
"Man, he's been noisy all day it's embarrassing! It's as if he has never been to a carnival before," grumbled Miyagi picking at his candy.
"Yeah, if he got sick like Akagi, then he won't be as loud," said Mitsui.
"Yeah..." Suddenly Miyagi brightened. "Hey, can too much candy make you sick?" He asked holding up his blue fluffy candy. Mitsui looked at Miyagi and grinned before both of them jogged back towards the cotton candy stand.
"Man, that was good!" commented Hanamichi happily licking his fingers and the cotton candy stick clean.
"Hey, Sakuragi, do you want mine?" asked Miyagi handing over his candy to the red-headed boy.
"You sure? Hey, thanks!"
"Have mine too, Sakuragi. Both of them!" Mitsui said thrusting two pink cotton candies at him.
"You guys are the best!" Hanamichi said, delighted.
After stuffing Hanamichi with three more coloured cotton candy, the two boys waited for the red-head to start going pale and groan in pain. But instead Hanamichi seemed to get louder and more energetic.
"AHAHAHAHAH!! Look at that clown! He's so stupid! Hey clown, come here! What?! You dare ignore the tensai! Come back here!!! You're supposed to make me laugh"
Akagi, Ayako, Kogure, Miyagi, Mitsui and Rukawa watched as the hyperactive boy chased the fleeing red and white coloured stripped suited clown around the grounds. "What is he ON?" asked Ayako, looking at Hanamichi who managed to trip the clown and sit on him.
"He seems to be a bit high on sugar," Kogure remarked eyeing the seven candyless sticks Hanamichi was using to poke the clown relentlessly.
"A bit?" Akagi said arching an eyebrow. Hanamichi was now laughing gleefully trying to dunk the flailing clown in the Dunk the Clown water tank. The blue and green suited carnival clown working at the water tank and a customer holding a red rubber ball looked at the pair in surprise. The rest of the people waiting for their turn on the game backed away quickly. Akagi, Kogure, Ayako, Mitsui and Miyagi sweatdropped. Rukawa just continued watching.
"Hey, lookit! Another clown!" cried Hanamichi pointing at the horrified Dunk the Clown clown, "Let's see if you're funnier than he is!"
"Doh!" Miyagi groaned slapping at his forehead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mitsui rubbed at his forehead. "He's worse that before!" he groaned.
Hanamichi was jumping from one booth to another expressing his interest to those near him in such a defeaning way. Wherever he went, people around him were sure to scatter away.
"Can't anybody make him shut up?!" said Miyagi exasperated.
BAM!
"OUCH! AKAGI! YOU GORILLA! THAT HURT!"
Ayako winced, "Only if he passes out."
"Oh, that can be arranged," Mitsui drawled start cracked his knuckles as Miyagi flexed his legs.
"Interested in joining us, Rukawa?" the boy asked him.
"Definitely."
At that moment, Akagi was attempting to give Hanamichi another head-bash but Kogure was busy pulling him back.
"Guys, don't you dare!" Ayako chastised Mitsui and Miyagi, "He'll wind down soon, so just leave him be."
"If he leaves our hearing in peace!" shot out Mitsui.
"Hey! Watch your tone when you're talking to a lady!" Miyagi told him angrily.
"Do you have an idea, Ryota?" Ayako asked.
"Umm... well, no," Miyagi answered, blushing.
"Mitsui?"
crack, crack...
"Forget it," Ayako sighed. The she turned to the third boy. "Rukawa?" she asked hopefully.
"Hah!" Mitsui laughed, "You're asking ice boy over there?"
"I do," Rukawa said surprising everyone.
"EH?!!"
"I don't believe it!" exclaimed Miyagi.
"Neither do I!" exclaimed Mitsui, "500 yen says that you can't!"
Rukawa thought for a while before nodding, "Deal."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was time for the Haunted House ride. The cars were a four seater, two at the front and two behind. Ayako sat beside the ecstatic Miyagi as she promised and Akagi sat behind them. Mitsui got in another car with Kogure. Before Hanamichi could join them, Rukawa pulled him to the last car, "We sit here."
"What? Why?" the other boy asked, a little too loudly.
"Just do it. Why, are you afraid to take the furthest car?" Rukawa asked tonelessly, looking at the red-head as if he's taunting his courage.
"Of course NOT! C'mon you stupid kitsune! The tensai is never afraid!" declared Hanamichi angrily jumping into the devil painted car. Because the carnival was winding down, most of the people have already gone home so the two had the car all to themselves.
The ride started and Hanamichi gave a loud, "Yipeee!"
Mitsui smirked from his seat, "You can kiss the 500 yen goodbye, Rukawa."
All manner of ghostly sounds and mechanical ghosts, monsters and goblins jumped out at them. Ayako was screeching and giggling as the ride went on, clutching Miyagi's hand in her excitement. Miyagi was one happy guy. Akagi was not - he was bored, rolling his eyes at the sudden appearances of the 'supernatural beings'. Then he saw a green robot which was supposed to be a scary Frankenstein but some how to him it looked like... Uozumi. The captain chuckled. He looked around and saw a drooping ogre whose face that looked like Fukuda and a troll's hairdo looked exactly like that Ryonan player Sendoh, only it was green.
Rukawa looked at the red-head beside him in the dimness. Hanamichi has been behaving like a hyperactive child all day and it amuses him, but it was true - he has gotten TOO loud. He made a bet with Mitsui and he intends to win it.
Rukawa quickly pulled Hanamichi towards him and gave him a forceful closed mouth kiss. Hanamichi was surprised, desperately trying to push the dark-haired boy away. Is he crazy?!! The others will see us!!!! he thought frantically. However, Rukawa still kept on his assault on Hanamichi's lips despite other boy's struggle. He opened his mouth, swipping his tongue at the bottom of the red-head's lips before nibbling at it gently. Hanamichi groaned at the change in the kiss and Rukawa easily slipped his tongue in as he pushed the red-head down on the seat. The hands that were trying to push him away were now clutching at him tightly at the front of the jacket. Hanamichi sighed as he felt Rukawa slip his hand under his shirt to caress at his body.
"Shit!" Mitsui cursed, ducking.
"Mitsui, don't lean out of the car too far," warned Kogure. The broomstick held by a plaster witch nearly swipped Mitsui on the nose.
Mitsui sat back in his seat. Since it was dark, he couldn't see what was going on at the furthest car occupied by Rukawa and the loud-mouthed red-head. How the hell did he get Hanamichi to shut up? he wondered.
When the ride ended:
"That was fun!" said Ayako, "Some of them really looked real!"
"Yeah," Miyagi said with a goofy grin on his face.
"Yea, it was an interesting ride. Ne, Akagi, what do you think about it?" asked Kogure.
"It was ok, I guess," admitted Akagi. Ayako and Kogure looked at each other and smiled in triumph.
Mitsui was looking at the other two tall players in curiosity. Rukawa was wearing his usual cold expression while Hanamichi was sporting a very red face. He walked up to them and asked the latter, "Hey, did he punch you or anything?"
Hanamichi looked at him in startlement, "Huh? N-No! W-why do you ask?"
"You look funny..."
"Mind your own goddamn busi..... ohhhh..." Hanamichi wailed clutching at his head, "I feel sick..."
"Uh-oh, you're on a sugar crash right now," said Kogure holding Hanamichi's shoulder sympathetically, "I think we better quit for today. It is getting late."
"Yes, we better," Akagi said. "Tomorrow, please be punctual for practice. We need to review the players' skills of a few top teams for the next competition this next three weeks."
"Hai," chorused the rest, excluding Hanamichi who was still trying to stop the tilting of his head.
They all turned to leave except Mitsui, Rukawa and Hanamichi. The senior turned to Rukawa and said, "I sure would like to know how you did it" as he pointed to the kneeling red-head.
Rukawa remained silent. Mitsui just grinned and slapped 500 yen on the silent boy's hand before he walked off whistling a tune.
"Hey Akagi," Rukawa heard from Mitsui, "are you sure you don't want the pig?"
"..............."
A SPLASH!! came from the water tank seconds later.
"Mitsui!" Kogure cried out.
Rukawa watched Kogure lead a cursing dripping boy away until the two seniors, a smug Akagi and a laughing Ayako and Miyagi were out of sight before he turned to Hanamichi and asked, "Are you alright?"
"I think I'm gonna die," said Hanamichi weakly.
Rukawa rolled his eyes and huffed, "Baka"
"Temme! Who are you calling Baka?!"
Apparently Hanamichi made a quick recovery as he stood up, fisting Rukawa's collar.
"You. Who told you to take too much candy?" Rukawa pointed keeping a cool face.
"I-I... SO WHAT?!" yelled Hanamichi.
" Why did you kiss me over there! They could've seen us!" he hissed at the dark-haired boy.
"They did not see us. I made a bet with Mitsui to shut you up without hitting you," Rukawa told him.
"YOU WHAT?!!! Ya jerk!! You should've just hit me!" sputtered Hanamichi
"Oh?" Rukawa said arching a dark eyebrow, "I think the method I used is more pleasurable, don't you think?"
Hanamichi's face burned, "That's not the point! They could've SEEN us!"
"I am not as careless as you, do'aho," Rukawa said lazily.
Before Hanamichi could pound him to the ground for that, Rukawa pulled Hanamichi's hand and started to lead him opposite where their friends had gone. There was only a handful of people still there in the carnival and knowing none of them, Rukawa didn't worry. Neither did the people look twice their way.
"Where are we going? FOX! Let go! Where are you taking me?" demanded Hanamichi tugging at his hand.
"Shut up. We're going into the Tunnel of Love," Rukawa said still pulling Hanamichi along.
The red-head's cheeks got redder but a silly grin - like the one Miyagi had - appeared on his face as he let Rukawa lead him along.
THE END
P/S: I took some of the names of the carnival rides from the amusement park where I live and the rest I got from books or I just made up (not knowing their real names, but the descriptions are understandable I hope?)
P/SS: Hmm ... I know this is a RuHana fic but ... do you feel a hint (itty-bitty one) of a Mitko? After I reviewed it I certainly did. I didn't do it on purpose, honest ^^;; - it's just that Kogure is always so caring and considerate of his friends.