DAYLIGHT - K. Rukawa

thirteen

Chapter 13 : Edited on 7th of January 2022.

You couldn't help but wonder, why would Sendoh send you a confession letter? He didn't even know you that much. Just like how you don't know anything about him. Before he was a fisherman, but it seems like you really need to start looking at the people who surround you, because it turns out that he is Ryonan's ace.

"This is what you're oblivious to, (L/n)-san. You're actually popular with guys." Ayako chuckled beside you.

You sighed before your lips formed into a shy smile. "I have no idea why he would send me this, we didn't even talk that day." You muttered under your breath.

Ayako nods her head continuously while patting your shoulders.

"Who knows? Might be love-struck or something?" She said obviously teasing you.

After the team made a little commotion because of Sakuragi's exclamation with the confession letter in his hand, Akagi took it back and gave it to you, stopping the team and making them go back to practice. Because Sakuragi's rival had already arrived he was immediately distracted.

"Rukawa, I want you to make a simple lay-up and demonstrate it for this idiot right here." Akagi said with the ball tugged between the side of his waist and his left arm, and his right arm wrapped on Sakuragi's shoulders.

"He didn't have to-"

"Sakuragi-kun! Just listen to the captain!" Ayako fumbled beside you.

Ayako's yell made the red-haired turn his back sulking on the corner of the gym and making faces. A first-year guarded Rukawa as he makes a quick play and scores a lay-up to show Sakuragi. But it seems like it wasn't that effective since Sakuragi didn't watch Rukawa at all.

"Now, Sakuragi does it." Akagi, who was unaware of it, ordered Sakuragi.

You shifted on your seat when you saw Rukawa guarding Sakuragi as he tried to make the lay-up play they were talking about. But instead of scoring Sakuragi unbeknownst launched the ball on Rukawa's head. It is because of their dizziness together with their fast drives, including Sakuragi's fast dribbles.

"Oh," Sakuragi smugly muttered. "I didn't do it on purpose," he said while raising his hands in the air. It looks like the red-hair is provoking Rukawa as he used to.

They grew fondly of fights. You sighed. Of course.

Rukawa was not the one who was quickly provoked so he let it pass, not until Sakuragi kept on doing it on purpose waiting for the black hair's irritation.

"It was not my intention." Sakuragi laughs, with his hands both on the sides of his waist. You saw Akagi massage the bridge of his nose from the sight of growing tension.

This caused Ayako to stand up.

"Sakuragi! Stop playing arou-"

You were shocked, everyone was when Ayako didn't finish her sentence at all, because Rukawa behind Sakuragi had finally fought back. He threw a ball exactly on the back of his head, and Sakuragi's laughing figure suddenly stopped.

"That wasn't my intention. The ball slipped," Rukawa smugly said, analyzing his hands. Lowering his gaze to the ball that's currently on the gym's floor.

"Rukawa, you bastard!"

Sakuragi started throwing non-stop balls on Rukawa. You didn't start to worry about their injuries, but when Sakuragi lifted up the ball container and showered it to Rukawa's head, you were suddenly reminded of his past injuries on it.

"Sakuragi-kun!" You yelled, standing from the benches. It caught the players' attention.

Sakuragi stood frozen with a ball in his hand, and Rukawa gazed at you while he's sitting on the floor, confused.

"If you would hit him," You sighed. "Don't target his head!" You walked in their direction, Sakuragi slowly bringing the ball down. And Rukawa slowly stood up.

"(L/n)-san what do you mean by that?" Akagi on the other side asks you.

"I got the reports from the office of Rukawa's head injury." You sighed once again looking at the black-haired boy. Then you turn your gaze to Sakuragi beside you. "Even a tiny injury could trigger his past ones, so you guys need to be careful."

You watch Sakuragi fidget his finger. And Rukawa stood there to your right, still confused and clueless. His mind is currently dozing off from too much information.

Akagi has dragged them both by grabbing their collars. He threw them out of the gym.

"You are both suspended from practice today." That was all he said, before he could even close the gym's door you had stopped him.

"I need to ask Rukawa something, Akagi-san." You uttered.

"Fine, just go back quickly inside and let the two of them here."

You nodded.

Your hands were on the sides of your waist as you gaze at Rukawa. You looked up to him.

"What did Sendoh exactly tell you when he gave you this?" You asked him, showing the letter in front of him.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Your brows are knitted with frustration.

"I don't know."

You sighed, almost rolling your eyes. "Why did the two of you meet anyway?" You asked him once again.

"He said he wants to meet, that's it."

You shook your head. "You just did him a favour, Rukawa."

"I did?"

You facepalmed. "Gosh, you did!"

You know that Rukawa isn't the type of person who overthinks things except for basketball. He wouldn't stay up late all night, instead, he would dream a lot because of how huge the mass of sleep he gets each day. And he wasn't the kind of person who likes to meddle with someone else's business too.

"Right." He nods his head. "Are you going to accept the confession then? (L/n)-senpai?"

L/N-senpai??

L/N-SENPAI!?

"What did you just call me?" You ignored his question.

Rukawa thought that you didn't want to talk about it, that's why you changed the topic. He stared at you with less expression.

"Are you going to accept the confession?" He insisted, repeating the question twice.

You blinked twice. This is the first time that Rukawa sounds so persistent, but with less expression on his face. The way he voiced it was almost interesting to you, but then he kept his stoic and boring eyes.

How can he ask something so casually!?

Though, I'm already sure about my answer-

"I'm not. I don't know him that much. And I don't really have plans of getting into a relationship while I'm still studying." You explained.

Rukawa nods his head. "Same."

You narrowed your eyes. "Same?"

"I'm still studying." He simply replied.

"That is not what you call studying, Rukawa. You're just here to play basketball after all," you insisted.

"I'm here because this school is close to my home."

The two of you continue your pointless conversation. Rukawa being clueless and making you confused, and also Rukawa being confused because of you.

Unbeknownst, the gym's door was slightly opened, Mitsui smiled to himself as he realizes things.

"Things changed after all." He uttered. Ayako, who was currently sneaking a sight, tapped his shoulder.

"Change is constant. But it's not the end for everything,"

Because no matter how pointless, how confusing the conversation you had with Rukawa that time, the both of them saw how joy windowed your eyes.