Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ A Fox's Life ❯ House Rules ( Chapter 3 )

Standard disclaimers apply.

"A Fox's Life"

Chapter 3: House Rules

"You're thirty minutes late." Michiru was already starting the briefings before they went on to the formal practices when Hanamichi Sakuragi silently crept hiding behind his teammates' backs. But the tensai seemed to forget that he was actually taller than most of them that's why his plans were spoiled.

Uh-oh…I should've known today's our first meeting with her…! Now I'm in trouble!

He turned to face their new manager, putting on an apologizing smile.

Akagi was shaking his head in disbelief.

"One thing that I'm very much strict about is punctuality, gentlemen. And unfortunately, I do not tolerate any latecomers whenever I fix a time that we should have been training." She paused.

"Time is precious, and you are all aware of that. As much as possible I don't blabber like this but since is the first day on which I'm supposed to tell you my rules, I think its appropriate."

"Like what I've said, I do not tolerate late comers in any session or meeting that we will be having from now…"

"Hanamichi Sakuragi…"

Now I'm dead meat…! he gulped, looking at the amused face of Coach Anzai sitting on his favorite spot at a bench. "Miss Akiyama…"

"Why were you late?"

Sakuragi stammered in between his words. "Uhm… I was, you see… I…"

"Stop. This will be a lesson to all those who would be arriving late. You will be punished for your recklessness…"

This is it! How many times do I have to mop the floor this time? No. wait! I think she is much kinder than Ayako, neh? She doesn't look harmful to me!

"You will not be practicing with the Team today."

"W-WHAT?!" Sakuragi reacted. "You can't do that! How can this tensai be left out of the practices? They couldn't possibly make it out without me! And besides, the semi-finals is barely a month to go!"

Michiru smiled. "That is right. All the more you should be responsible enough to wake up early, Sakuragi. If you hadn't slept late, you'd probably be joining them now on the practices later. So that means, if you miss any practice, the more reason you shouldn't be playing for Shohoku. Its as simple as that."

"B-but… you can't do this to a tensai like me!" he growled back.

"Tensai's are early-risers, I suppose." she said. And turning to the others, she continued. "Practices are still conducted at the end of your classes at 3pm. I will meet you all here at exactly 3:30, with you all changed and ready. As I've said earlier, I don't like to waste time so we'll start right then and there. I'll dismiss you early so you'll still have time to study and rest in your respective homes. The Principal has talked to me and Coach Anzai and he told us that athletes will be excused from classes on the week before the game so I expect you all to be trained enough by that time."

"I'm here not to teach you just the techies and physical aspects of basketball per se. I'd want you all to value one another as you do your own brothers and sisters. Basketball is not a game of one but many. That's why you are a team."

Coach Anzai nodded to himself in agreement to what he had heard.

"You should learn how to be sensitive to the needs and thoughts of one another to be able to execute the game well. If you do not have these traits, no matter how good you are in playing, you are not even considered good, actually. You are useless as well as your team."

"I may possess a fragile and weak face, but you never know… I may even beat you on a one-on-one…"

"I will not be easy on you. I have met and managed countless teams much better than you think, as my good friend had mentioned yesterday. Don't even try your pranks on me, or better yet-don't even think about it. I may be a woman, but I have a heart and wits of any man."

"Now, do you have any questions so far?"

The Team was astounded. They had never heard of a woman like this before. Mitsui, Miyagi and Kogure were speechless. They didn't thought she would be this strict.

"Very well then… I'll meet you this afternoon to start the training. Sakuragi, you will not join them today. If you'll be early tomorrow I might change my mind. For now, you go home after class."

Sakuragi gave up. He wouldn't dare question the new manager's authority. He dumbfoundedly nodded in surrender.

Just as they were about to leave they gym, the door flew open.

"R-rukawa…?" Akagi unbelievingly stared. He couldn't believe he had just arrived. It wasn't like him being late because he never missed any meeting or practice in his entire career. Actually, he's earlier than most of his teammates. But now…

His face was in distraught. They could all see the circles around his eyes which obviously caused by his lack of sleep. He?Lacked? Sleep?

Sakuragi pointed mockingly at the kitsune and laughed hard. "Hahaha! Now were even! Now you'll get the same punishment as I have! Hahaha! You will not get to show-off this time!"

Rukawa only grunted. Akagi patted him on his shoulders as he walked past him. "Be early tomorrow, Rukawa."

B-be early tomorrow? What is he talking about?

He was left to himself wondering.

Michiru walked towards him and looked up into his eyes.

Black pools gazed at each other for a moment. They seemed to be reading each others thoughts from their eyes.

Suddenly, Rukawa was surprised as she felt his forehead.

"W-what are you doing?"

Michiru stared again in his eyes. She let in a long sigh.

"Nothing. Its just not like you being late. I'm surprised."

Rukawa grunted and looked in another direction, avoiding her look.

She chuckled slightly. "I guess I'm not going to be seeing you in the practice this afternoon. Have a nice day, Kaede." she said as she turned to her heels approaching the gym's door.

Rukawa couldn't move. He just stood there, mesmerized.

"And one more thing… you buttoned your uniform wrong." then he heard the door shut behind him.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

The practice went fine that afternoon. And as expected, Rukawa and Sakuragi were not included in the session.

It was very tiring for the players and they felt like giving up, for Michiru had already applied some of the Western techniques she had known while she was in New York.

"Ouch! I can't take this any more! I want my Ayako back!" Miyagi muttered under his breath while inside the locker to change. The practice was over and they're all preparing to go home.

"You're right Miyagi! Do we really have to undergo this kind of training to be able to beat them all?" Yasuda seconded from one corner.

Akagi turned to face the two. He twitched his head as he felt his muscles tensing up. "All I can say is that the training is great. I have never felt this way before. This is good for all of us. She is our manager and Coach Anzai trusts her so much with her decisions. We will rely on that."

"Akagi's right. We've never been trained so hard before and I'm really looking forward for the next ones. This oughta be better than the usual…"

"I agree. I've heard the trainings in the U.S. are more of like this so it makes me feel like someday, we are going to be like those NBA players."

"Yeah, too bad Sakuragi and Rukawa aren't here with us."

"I bet Sakuragi wouldn't be able to move even his fingers just because of the warm-ups tomorrow!"

The locker room was filled by the boisterous laughter of the players.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"Huh?"

Michiru heard the laughs that are coming from the east side of the gym. Those boys! She grinned to herself. Couldn't wait for tomorrow, neh?

She trekked along the corridor as she approached the parking lot outside the gym. She yawned while poking at her bag for her car keys. My! Am I tired!

When she was about to open the car door, she felt someone looking at her from behind.

"Kaede… why are you still here?"

Rukawa seemed surprised. Her instincts of him didn't failed her despite the years.

Michiru turned around to face him. "I thought you already went home,"

He stepped towards her a little. Narrowing his eyes, he spoke. "Why Michiru?"

Michiru looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you suddenly came back here in Japan?"

The lady lowered her head then met up to his towering gaze. "I have a month vacation. Dad wanted me to see to our house here. You know very well how Dad loves Japan…"

Rukawa grinned mockingly. "Is that so? But why did you end up as our manager? There could've been other options, but why you?"

"Don't sound too sarcastic, Kaede. Ayako saw me three weeks ago and right then and there she asked me to manage your team. You know that I couldn't say no to anybody… including her."

"Why? Has she done you many favors before?"

Michiru wailed her head. "Hmm, actually yeah. She has been a lotta help for me before. Oh, not just for me, but to US before as well, in case you might've forgotten already. Or you actually DID forget on purpose…"

The taunting smile on Rukawa's face slowly disappeared. "Times have changed, Michiru. And people change too, you know…"

Michiru looked directly at Rukawa and felt the seriousness in his voice. "I know that too well. And people also learn, if I might add. They learn from the pain that one goes through. Pain that sometimes doesn't go away…"

Rukawa couldn't look at her. He looked at the gym where his teammates were now leaving one by one.

"I have to go now. If you'd excuse me," Michiru managed to say when she felt he couldn't answer back. She went inside her car and left Rukawa to himself again.

He did not know that a red-haired tensai was looking confused now from what he just had heard from behind the wall. He accidentally overheard Michiru and Rukawa's conversation.

There you go! Hope you like it. Please review. Thanks! Ja ne! ^_^