Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ A Player's Heart ❯ Here With Me ( Chapter 2 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

“Are you Ran?” Sakuragi asked.

“Hai! I’ve missed you so much, brother!!” she exclaimed then practically flew towards the stunned Sakuragi.

“Missed...me?? You don’t even know me!”

“Well! ‘kasan told me a lot about you. She also said before that I kind of looked like you! Don’t you think so, oni-san?”

“I don’t know!”

Sakuragi looked at the girl.

“I think we should go home now.” Sakuragi finally suggested.

Then Sakuragi remembered something. He didn’t have any money.

“Yeah. Uhm.. Ahh.. About that, you see I rushed here from basketball practice and you know I forgot to take my wallet here... so ahm.....”

Sakuragi was getting embarrassed.

“He..he.. I don’t have any money left!! He..he..he... So I was wondering do-you-have-perhaps-any-money-there??? He...he..he..”

“Oh! Gomen, brother, you see....” Sakuragi watched as Ran reached into her pocket and pulled out a dollar bill.

“All the money I’ve brought are in dollars!” she shyly added.

Sakuragi’s heart began to beat fast. He knew he could walk all the way to Kanagawa, but can his sister do it? Especially now that she’s tired. “Ran, wait there a minute!! I’ll think of something!” as she hurried outside.

He then began to look at his surroundings. Trying to find a familiar face whom he could borrow money from. And as luck would have had it, he spotted that particular man who was at that time about to board a bus.

“Shoe-man!! Shoe-man!!”

The man looked around only to find the familiar red-haired freak who practically tore off his Air Jordan shoes before for a measly 30 yen. The man scrambled to get onto the bus but Sakuragi who was already there practically pulled him off the bus door.

“Eh No! Baka, what do you need?”

“Shoe-man, could you possibly lend me maybe about 200 yen?”

“Shoe-man???”

“Yeah! My step-sister’s here! We don’t have any fare home!”

“Your sister???”

“Yeah! She’s here from the States and she’s tired!”

“Is she good-looking?”

“Hai. Very good-looking, a real charmer!”

“Yare...Yare... I think I should just treat you to a cab ride!”

“Really!! Sugoi ne, shoe-man!!”

“Hurry, call her!!”

Sakuragi ran towards the airport to call Ran.

When the shoe-man noticed Ran, he greeted her with a smile. He poked Sakuragi in the side acknowledging him, “Wooh! She’s quite a looker!”

Ran heard the compliment and bowed her head. “Domo Arigatou!”

“Whoah! She’s also polite and good-humored! Unlike you red-hair!”

Sakuragi was quiet the whole ride to Kanagawa. Ran noticed this and she began to feel uneasy.

When they arrived at Shohoku High at about 5:30, the two thanked the shoe-man as he went his way.

Sakuragi clasped his stepsister’s bag tightly. It seemed he didn’t know what to talk about so he remained silent instead.

The gym was still occupied by his teammates and the practice wasn’t exactly halfway finished.

“BAKERO!!!” was the first thing Sakuragi heard when he entered the gym.

“Hehe...he.. Hi! GORI!”

“Where did you run off to, Sakuragi?” he said as he planted a huge lump on Sakuragi’s head.

“Gori! I was gone because my sister was at the airport!”

“SISTER!” they all shouted out.

“I thought you didn’t have a sister!?” Kakuta asked.

“I don’t, she’s my mother’s child from another man in the States.”

“Oh!” was their reply as they all saw the contempt in Sakuragi’s face as he said those words.

“So, where is she?” Mitsui finally asked.

“RAN!” He called out the door.

The next person who stepped in was a girl of about Sakuragi’s stature. They all awed at her sight. Since they also noticed what the shoe-man noticed before. “She’s quite a looker!” they concluded.

Ayako was the first one to personally greet her. “Hi!”

She bowed gently then proceeded in introducing herself, “Nice to meet you minna-san! Watashi wa Ran Se... No..No.. Sakuragi!”

“Eh! You don’t look anything like that red-haired fool over there!” Ryota commented.

“Grr... Ryo-chin!!” Sakuragi mumbled.

“Oh! But I do think I look like him!”

“Hahaha...Hahaha...” they all laughed at Ran’s remark.

“Anyway! Ran, how old are you and in what year are you in?”

“Oh! I’m sixteen! And I think based on Japanese Standards I’m already in 1st year here!”

“That’s Great! So where will you be studying?”

“Of course in the same school where my brother is!” she exclaimed then laughed softly.

The practice lasted until about 8:30 that night. Akagi then told them to pack up and head home after showering.

“Ran, where will you be staying tonight?” Ayako asked.

“I was hoping to find a hotel but I think it’s already too late for that so I guess I’m staying at Kyodai’s house!”

Sakuragi’s ears perked up when he heard those words. He hurriedly walked near Ran to ask her.

“You... stay at my house??!”

Ran nodded. “It’s only for tonight, brother!”

“Well! Hehe...hehe... You see about that, my house is a big mess and I think you shouldn’t really stay there even for one night! You know... because big mess... hehehe...”

Ran was surprised but remained understanding. “Um! I guess it’s okay if I just find a hotel to stay in!” Then turning to Ayako, “Ayako-san, do you know any hotel I can stay in while my stay here last!”

“Yes! Tokiyo Inn is a great place but that’s near Ryonan High and that’s quite far from here!” she replied.

Ran thought for a minute.

Suddenly Ayako had an idea. “Ran, would you by any chance would like to stay at my house for this week?”

“I won’t mind, Ayako-san, but how about your parents?”

“My parents are on an out-of-town seminar for the next 2 weeks so I think they wouldn’t mind your stay!”

“Really! Then it’s settled then, I’ll go stay at your house!!”

“Yes!”

Ran clapped her hand happily then hugged Ayako tightly. “Arigatou, Ayako-san!”


The next morning, Ran and Ayako walked to school together.

“I hope brother woke up early today!”

“Well! I wouldn’t count on that, but maybe.”

10 minutes later they arrived at Shohoku High.

“Is your application already fixed?” Ayako asked Ran.

“Hai! Okasan made sure of that before I came here. She said I’m in Class I-A.”

“I-A! That’s the same class as Rukawa’s!”

“Really!!! Maybe he’ll be my guide around!”

“I wouldn’t count on that either!”

“Why not?”

“You’ll soon find out for yourself!! Ran, I’ve got to go! See you during lunch break!”

“Hai!” Ran waved back at Ayako.


“Class, we’ve got a new student here today! Her name is Ran Senada. Please welcome her warmly.”

The class cheered at the sight of the new student. They clapped and greeted her while she was in front.

“Ran, would you like to tell us a little something about yourself?”

“Uhmm... Hai! Sensei! First of all it’s not Senada! That’s my last name back in the States and I don’t want to use it here. My real name is Ran Sakuragi! Minna-san Nice to meet you!”

The name, Sakuragi, created a hush-hush among the students.

“Are you by any chance related to Hanamichi Sakuragi?” one of the students asked.

Ran nodded then laughed, “Yup! He’s my brother!”

All the students laughed at this revelation which left Ran wondering why?

“Ran, you can stay there at the back beside Rukawa.”

The girls snorted at the prospect of Ran seating next to Rukawa. Rukawa however didn’t seem to notice since he didn’t show any reaction at all.


“Class! I’m Ms. Ayoue Kashiya! I’m going to be your new drama teacher for this year! This quarter’s presentation will be a play in which all of you will participate in either as part of the crew or as an actor/actress!”

The class let out a sign of annoyance.

“Now, don’t do that, our play is titled, “Sakuras in the Winter!” There will be 2 lead actors and 1 lead actress since it’s a story of a love triangle! The first lead actor’s character is cold and quiet while the other one is happy-go-lucky and very cheerful! Any suggestions for the role?”

The girls giggled loudly as one of the boys suggested, “Rukawa-san sould be great for the first actor, he’s cool, quiet and a snob!”

“Oh! Who then is this Rukawa?”

Unluckily, Rukawa was at the back, sleeping soundly and had heard nothing from the class discussion.

“Rukawa-san! Rukawa-san!” Ran said as she tried to wake up the sleeping boy.

“Rukawa!” Ms. Kashiya called out again.

Out of sheer desperation, Ran pulled Rukawa up, to the class’ surprise.

“Haha... Gomen, Sensei! Rukawa-san didn’t hear the first time!” as she struggled to keep Rukawa up.

“Oh! So is he willing to play the lead role?”

At this Rukawa woke up, irritated and annoyed at the disturbance of his sleep.

“Rukawa, do you want to play the lead part?” Ms, Kashiya asked again this time she too was annoyed at Rukawa’s inattentiveness.

“No, Kashiya-sensei! Rukawa-san is part of the basketball team!” Ran answered.

“Oh! Is that so! Well! Okay, he’s exempted!”

At this Ran finally let go of Rukawa’s arm. And in her surprise, Rukawa pulled her arm and twisted it tightly.

“Don’t disturb me again!” he warned then let go.

Ran was hurt. This guy was practically a nightmare. In no less than a minute, she got so angry she whispered back at him, “Bakero, Rukawa-san!”


For the next few days, Ran was unusually irritated at Rukawa, during basketball practice where she would visit Sakuragi, she would turn and glare at Rukawa.

In one of those practices, things really heated up. While Ran was trying to shoot the ball, she accidentally hit Rukawa in the head while he was warming up. Because of this she received an icy glare from the boy.

“What are you so worked up about, Ran?” Ayako asked.

“Nani mo! Ayako-san!” And she proceeded with talking with Ayako.