The match was tense and everyone who thought Ryonan to take the lead have changed their minds as they now witnessed how Shohoku managed to gain point by point until the unknown team was only a point away from the former. Sendoh was covering Rukawa, Mitsui covering Kogure while Sakuragi was covered by Fukuda. All through the game the redhead made a few silly mistakes by overestimating that his strength and ability would break the laws of gravity - jumping from a too far point to miss the basket or aiming badly that all of his shots ended up either on a person's head or in the spectator's arm. Akagi gave him a look of displeasure. Kogure gave him a look of worry. Rukawa gave him a look of disgust. The redheaded do'aho has yet to pass him the ball and that seemed to not be possible in this match. The fox-eyed boy cursed before he turned around to get back to his position with Sendoh.

"Idiot," said Fukuda as he took his place beside the redhead.

"You're the idiot," growled Sakuragi nudging the Ryonan player when the boy began to crowd over his space of defence, "And Mitsui too! If I had my way, I'd have covered him instead of a fish-face like you..."

"Not only are you an idiot, you're also delusional," scoffed Fukuda, "You can't beat Mitsui in a million years even if you tried."

The redhead's nudging became more forceful and Fukuda fought back. It was not long before the nudging became a full out war of harsh elbowing that the two boys knew there would be bruises on them if they even thought about it. Finally Sakuragi gave such a strong jab to Fukuda's ribs that made the boy to stumble from his spot and after the Ryonan player regained his balance he gave the redhead a deadly glare. Fukuda walked up to his opponent and pushed him.

From afar Akagi frowned when he realised that the two power forward were doing something other than guarding each other. Kogure was running towards Sakuragi even before the referee blew his whistle when the scuffle was seen.

"Stop, Sakuragi," pleaded Kogure, "The game is still on!"

"Let me go," growled the redhead shrugging his arm away from Kogure's grip, "I need to teach this fish-face a lesson!"

"No, Hana-kun!" hissed the senior, "Stop or you'll get thrown out of the game!"

Sakuragi turned his head when he heard the odd tone in Kogure's voice. To his surprise the senior's eyes were glassy, as if the boy would cry at any time.
The redhead shrugged his hand away from Kogure again, "I said let go of me."

Kogure stared at boy, perplexed. Ever since Mitsui proposed to him a few minutes ago before the match, the spectacled-boy couldn't seem to be able to think straight. He was confused and his heart was divided between the scarred-face boy and Sakuragi. He was in an emotional instability that he nearly broke down when he saw the redheaded boy about to start a fight that would get himself thrown out of his first game. For a person like Sakuragi Hanamichi, that would be a blow to his pride.

"Fukuda, what's going on here?"

Sakuragi clenched his fist when Mitsui walked up to them.

"This idiot pushed me first," said Fukuda defending himself.

"Sakuragi," said Akagi, who had joined in after Mitsui, "What's the matter with you?"

"This frog-face pisses me off!" answered Sakuragi angrily, glaring at the aforementioned boy.

"Oh yeah!" said Fukuda, "You piss me off as well!"

"Shut up!" barked Mitsui, "Fukuda, you are always in control. Why are you doing this?! You ride the bench for now. I know Taoka-sensei will want to say something to you."

The Ryonan player winced before he grudgingly acquiesced, walking towards the corner where his coach and other team-mates were sitting. When Fukuda saw Taoka's displeased features, the boy steeled himself for the inevitable verbal abuse.

As his rival walked away, Sakuragi was about to stick his tongue out but he held it back when Akagi told him, "You too Sakuragi. You're off the game until you cool down and think about your attitude."

The redhead tried to protest, "What?!! He...!!"

"Now!" roared Akagi, "Go!"

For a moment, Sakuragi wanted to start on a protest again that Kogure had to grip the redhead's arm to remind him to be calm but to their relief the junior only grumbled a curse before he turned his heels and stomped back towards the line of chairs at the opposite corner of Ryonan's. Sakuragi sat down in anger and when he turned his eyes back to the court he saw Mitsui and Akagi chatting to the referee before Mitsui turned towards Kogure to touch the boy's arm. Sakuragi growled under his breath making the other players edge away in nervousness. Anzai-sensei looked at Sakuragi with disguised worry while Ayako arched her eyebrow, tapping her chin with her pen in a show of puzzlement.

****

"Doumo arigato, sensei," said Akagi, bowing to their coach. Kogure stood a bit behind him with Ayako, the two following suit to show respect to Anzai-sensei.

"It was a good game," said the white-haired man, "Even if we didn't win."

Akagi told him grimly, "I will have a talk with Sakuragi, sensei. Someone ought to tell him about his short fuse."

The coach clasped his hand in front of his round stomach and said wisely, "It's he who needs to talk, Akagi, because we need to find out why."

Akagi pondered in silence before nodding in agreement at their coach's words, "Hai."

When Anzai-sensei was gone, Akagi looked at Kogure and said, "Will you?"

"Hai," said Kogure, bowing before hurrying off to catch up to the redhead who went ahead soon after their bus reached Shohoku high-school.

Ayako blinked in bewilderment, "Huh? Why Kogure-sempai?"

The captain sighed wearily, wondering if he should trust this vivacious girl-manager to his friend's secret.

****

Kogure saw at once the redhead's form in the darkening street after he turned around the corner of the block.
"Hana-kun!"

The junior turned around and Kogure's steps nearly faltered when he saw the redhead's serious look.

"Hana-kun," puffed Kogure when he reached Sakuragi's side, "Why didn't you wait up for me?"

"Huh, oh, I forgot," apologised the redhead, but his voice lacked the warmth Kogure thought ought to be there. The two began walking and Kogure bit his lip trying to find an opening to start his questioning on Sakuragi's behaviour during that afternoon match.

"So have you given Mitsui an answer yet?" Sakuragi asked suddenly, that Kogure was startled from his thoughts. It took the senior a while to realise what the redhead was talking about.

What?He knows... "Why so quiet?" said Sakuragi in a near sneer.

"Hana-kun... I... I... haven't told him yet..." began Kogure.

"Why? I thought the answer was obvious," pointed out Sakuragi, suddenly spinning around to look at Kogure. The senior winced at seeing the hurt look in the redhead's eyes. "Why didn't you tell him?"

"I... I was shocked," stammered Kogure, "I was suddenly lost for words..."

"You won't tell him. I know you won't!"
Suddenly the redhead turned and ran away, too angry and hurt to care if Kogure would say anything in his own defence.

"Hanamichi!!" cried Kogure, "Wait!"
The frantic boy ran after the Sakuragi while calling the redhead's name but together with his exhaustion from the earlier match and the redhead's acclaimed speed that only Ryota could beat, in was only in a matter of moments before the junior disappeared from his view.

Kogure's pace slowed down and when it came to a stop, he fell on his knees and hung his head panting for breath. He felt bad, confused and lonely. Knowing that he has hurt the boy added guilt to the turmoil. He didn't realise that a lone tear trailed down his cheek before a feminine voice called him.

"Kogure?"

****

"Hanamichi!! Wait!"

The redhead's feet stopped it's run when Kogure's distressed voice played back in his mind. He hated how he was feeling at the moment. Never had he felt hurt like this. With 50 rejections he ought to be callous enough not to be affected but with Kogure it was different. He cared for the boy more than any other puppy love crushes. With a sigh he turned around and headed back to where he left the 3rd year.

****

Akagi and Ayako were kneeling beside Kogure where they found him and it didn't take much coaxing by the manageress to get to the root of the senior's distress. Kogure kept his head down as he told them what has happened while trying to keep his voice from breaking-up.

"Kogure," said Akagi lowly, "Why didn't you tell Mitsui about Sakuragi? You should leave the past behind and move on."

"Akagi..." began Kogure.

"You should have told him no," persisted Akagi not hearing the faint voice from his assistant.

"What's done is done," Ayako reminded Akagi, soothing Kogure with a warm hand on the senior's back, "We can't control a person's feelings..."

Kogure suddenly punched the rough sidewalk with his clenched fist but the pain on his knuckles could not dim the pain in his heart, "I feel so lost! I loved Mitsui. I know that I now have Hanamichi but why is it that I still feel the same for Mitsui when I see him?"

When Ayako saw a tear drop fall on the concrete ground from Kogure's eyes, she gave a gentle squeeze on the 3rd year's shoulder, "Kogure-sempai..."

"I hate myself," whispered Kogure, his voice finally cracking, "I hate myself."
"I've hurt Hanamichi! I've hurt him! It's better if I die!" he sobbed, hitting the sidewalk again and again, "It's better if I die! It's better if I die!"

Ayako, fearing that senior would hurt himself badly, quickly grabbed the boy's bleeding hands while Akagi held him still by the shoulders.

"It's better if I die!" cried Kogure for the last time as the curly-haired girl gathered him in her arms while Akagi sat beside them in helpless silence.

Sakuragi was still in shock at what he has heard from the boy he gave all his heart to. His suspicion was confirmed and knowing that felt like a knife being stabbed to his chest. Deciding with reluctance at what he should do, he left the three seniors quietly to get his thoughts in order.


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