As Kogure made his way to the block of buildings where the classes were held, he walked past the gym and heard the sound of squeaking soles inside. Knowing that it was probably a class taking the early gym class and not the basketball team, the senior didn't stop until he was far away to hear the people inside any more.
Why was it that the thing that he enjoyed most, which is basketball, brought him so much pain; the loss of a dream for victory and the loss of two people that he loved in his highschool life? And that has not yet accounted the respect from his father. After the final game between Kainan, Kogure's results have been somewhat lower than his average marks and just last night his otousan gave him a hard time about it.
~flashback~
"What's wrong with you, Kiminobu?! How have your marks sunk this low? I would've espected this from your brother but you?!"
Kogure chose to keep silent as his father went on and on about his future and his apparant fall in grades. He didn't care anymore. What does it matter? He didn't know since when he had started feeling this empty and uncaring.
After his father stomped away clearly dismissing him without an ending word, Kogure walked towards the flight of stairs and came upon his brother who was descending down the steps. Kogure looked up at his brother and opened his mouth, "Kaede...."
But then he changed his mind and began climbing the staircase with a quiet, "Never mind."
Reaching his bedroom thankfully without Kaede pressing for him to speak his mind, Kogure shut the door to his room with a soft click.
~end flashback~
It has been a week and he has not seen or heard of anything from Sakuragi. Traipsing to the first year's block would be embarassing and at this time of the year he as a third year was officially off of the basketball roster and hence there was no reason for him to be hanging about in the gym during basketball practice where Sakuragi would definitely be there. The time when he would usually practice basketball were now filled with extra tutorials and he didn't want to appear like a stalker hounding the redhead's shadow when especially Sakuragi himself was not taking an initiative to see him.
Suddenly Kogure felt a wave of dizziness assaulting his brain before white lights appeared behind his eyelids. He has been feeling exta tired since last night and wondered if he was coming up with something. Shrugging away his disorientation, the spectacled boy walked towards his classroom intending to go to the nurse later on during lunch time.
****
"What's wrong with you?" Akagi asked Kogure who was lying his head on the table pillowed by his arms.
"I don't feel so good," groaned Kogure. He felt cold but the breath from his mouth was too hot that it felt like steam from boiling water on his flushed skin.
Akagi placed his palm on Kogure's forehead and hissed, "You're burning up! C'mon, let me take you to the Sick Bay!"
"Later," said Kogure, lifting his head which at the moment seemed too heavy on his neck, "After this class."
"No," Akagi firmly said, "Right now."
"But..."
"Now Kogure," persisted Akagi, pulling Kogure forcefully on his feet. The spectacled-boy complied and let his friend assist him out of the classroom and along the corridor towards the sick bay near the far end of the building.
Sliding open the door, they found out that the room was empty.
"Where's the nurse?" wondered Akagi aloud after ordering Kogure to sit on one of the beds behind a screen.
"Stay here," the ex-captain said, "I'm going to find her."
When his friend was gone, Kogure let his body lie on the bed with a a relieved sigh. True, if he persisted on being in class at the moment, he would've passed out in this state.
Suddenly he heard the door sliding open and not being able to see who has just came in because of the screen between the examining area and the resting area where he was lying, he didn't know who it was until he heard a familiar voice cursing, "K'so! How was I supposed to know that the kid was behind me!"
Sakuragi!
The redhead hissed before he cursed again, "K'so! Where's the nurse?"
Hana-kun....Is he hurt?
Hearing the junior sigh, Kogure burrowed himself deep under the covers, suddenly awkward to meet the boy right now after a week of being strangers with one another.
Does he still think of me or am I the only one thinking about us? Has he moved on without me?
Kogure sighed wearily and pulled the blanket which was on his feet to cover his warm body to ward off the chill. It was dim where he was lying because the lights over the bed was switched off and the only source of light came from the other half of the room. He and Sakuragi were only a few feet away from each other, seperated by a screen, but the spectacled-boy felt that they were further apart than that.
So close, yet so far away...
Kogure was only aware of the screen being pushed away when the bright light from the examining room flooded on his face, making him squint even when his eyes were closed.
"Kogure..."
Sakuragi?!
After Kogure's eyes were able to orientate themselves in the change of lighting, he found himself staring into the soft brown eyes of the person he has been sorely missing for a week.
"What's the matter with you?" asked the redhead, looking somewhat surprised and uneasy at finding Kogure there unexpectedly.
"I... I feel sick..." Kogure told him, knowing that he should say something else but couldn't find the appropriate words to say.
Where have you been? Did you know I have been thinking about you? I feel so sad.... were the words he want to say.
Kogure bit his tongue. Sakuragi might have forgotten about him.
It's been a week since I talked with him and that was before our loss with Kainan.
"Studied too hard for your exam, maybe. You should take care of your health more..." Sakuragi said shifting his weight from one foot to the other in a gesture of nervousness. He seemed to want to say something else but he was holding back.
"Uh... how are the others in the team? Are they doing well?" asked Kogure probably sounding over-enthusiastic.
The redhead lost some of the uneasy look on his face when he answered with a grin, "Yeah, they're fine..."
Then room became silent when no more words were passed between them. Words were being held back and feelings were restrained.
The tension was eased when the door to the sick bay slid open again revealing the nurse with Akagi in tow.
"Hey, Gori," greeted the redhead in a lighter tone than what he has used with Kogure. The spectacled-boy wished he knew what the redhead was feeling at the moment.
"What are you doing here?" asked the ex-captain as he watched the nurse take care of his sick friend.
"Nothin'. Just a scratch but the PE teacher told me to go see the nurse. He's afraid I'll get infected or something. I think he's a sissy..." said the redhead scratching his unbruised arm.
"Where does it hurt?..... That?! That's not even a cut!" scoffed Akagi.
"Told ya he's a sissy. He should've stuck with home-ec," chuckled Sakuragi, "Well, I'll just leave now. No point in wasting the nurse's time with this. I've been in worse scrapes before."
With a wave of a hand he left. Akagi turned towards his spectacled-friend who was still being examined by the nurse and looked at his expression. Kogure's face was unreadable but his eyes held something akin to disappointment. Wordlessly, Kogure turned his head away not wanting Akagi to see how affected he was by Sakuragi's behaviour.
Not even a good-bye for me....
****
The door to the gym was open and when Kogure passed by he couldn't help but stop to take a peek inside. Even without the intention of searching for Sakuragi he was able to see where the junior was among the crowd of players with his height and red hair.
"They certainly have gotten better, Haruko," a feminine voice said nearby. Craning his neck inside to see who was also watching the practice, Kogure saw that just beside the door inside the gym where they were hidden from his span of vision earlier, were two girls, Akagi's sister, Haruko and her friend who was recognisable with her two pony tails and full lips.
"Yes," Haruko said with a smile, "Especially Sakuragi and Kaede. They have learnt a few things after the IH tournament and now that onnisan and the other seniors have gone they have to pull some extra weight for the winter championships this year. I'm happy to be able to be a part of the team when they start to become their best."
Haruko's friend smirked, "Hmmm... I know one person who's happy to have a chance to be closer with you."
The brown-haired girl blushed, chastising her friend with a pinch on the arm, "Shush!"
"Rukawa Kaede is a lost cause. He's certainly not interested in anyone. I know that you and Sakuragi are close and I did hear someone say that Sakuragi-san likes you..."
Haruko blush grew till the tip of her ears as she clamped her palm over her friend's mouth, "I can't believe you! Do you always believe everything you hear...."
Kogure was already walking away, not wanting to hear anymore. Now that he has heard what Haruko's friend said out loud did he remember that time, before they were together, when Kogure confronted Sakuragi and his gang hiding behind the bushes to peek at the girls during lunch time.
"So you like Akagi Haruko, eh?" he had teased.
The redhead had mumbled with a red face and fidgeting feet, "She's... she's ok..."