Suddenly, the door of the gym was opened with a loud bang.
"Tensai Sakuragi Hanamichi is back!" The loud announcement of Sakuragi Hanamichi stopped everyone�s movement in the gym, and the first person who broke the silence was Akagi Haruko.
"Sakuragi-kun!" Haruko excitingly run up to Sakuragi and followed by the others.
Miyagi Ryota patted Sakuragi�s back and said. �How�s your back, Sakuragi? Is it okay for you to play basketball again?�
Sakuragi smiled at him and gave him a thumb up. �No problem.�
"Captain Miyagi, have you forgotten that Sakuragi is made of iron?" Mitsui Hisashi smiled evilly at Miyagi, indicating that he did it on purpose to let Sakuragi knew Miyagi had become the basketball team captain.
�NANI~?! Ryochin~! How could you take away my captain seat~?�
"I don�t have to take it, I EARNED it~!" Soon, Miyagi and Sakuragi started their fight so loudly that no one could stop them.
Ayako knew she couldn�t stop the two kids and sighed. �Don�t tell me that there�s no one who can stop them except Akagi-sempai?�
As if the God answered her call when Sakuragi felt someone kicked his bottom and caused him landed hard on the floor together with Miyagi. �Ouch~! That�s hurts~! Who�s the one who kicked me!?�
�You blocked my way, Do-aho.�
Hearing the familiar voice, Sakuragi immediately jumped off from Miyagi�s body. �Rukawa~! How dare you insult the Tensai?�
�Both of you are so noisy that I doubt you will heard me arrived, so I decided to use some actions.�
�Rukawa~! Just because you have been in the national team for training, it doesn�t mean that you can be so proud~! Tensai Sakuragi Hanamichi will be selected for the training next time~!�
�Hai�Hai�Wait for another ten years, Sakuragi.�
�What did you say, Michy~?!�
"Stop it, both of you." Miyagi put on an angry face while he got up from the floor. �We don�t have time to waste. Especially you, Sakuragi, after the long treatment you had, you will have a tough personal training from me and Mitsui until the winter tournament.�
"What? Why do I have to involve in this?" Mitsui said angrily.
"That�s an order from Anzai-sensei and we will start the training now." Mitsui and Sakuragi followed Miyagi to the other end of the gym so that they won�t disturb the practice of the other team members.
While the other team members went back to their practice, Ayako turned to ask Rukawa about his training in the national team. Rukawa shrugged, as he didn�t know how to describe his happiness to Ayako when he knew he was selected. �I came back directly after the last training at national team.�
�Welcome back, Rukawa! By the way, the national team uniform you are wearing looks great on you. Make sure that you keep it in good condition, and of course, show our competitors what you have learnt from the training in the coming winter tournament.�
Ayako patted Rukawa�s shoulders and smiled. Rukawa liked Ayako a lot as he was the only child and had always wished for siblings, but his parents' divorce had destroyed his dream. Ayako had always taken good care of him when he was in junior high school, and since then Rukawa had treated her as his elder sister.
"I will," And I will beat Sendoh this time, Rukawa thought.
Just when Rukawa was able to walk into the gym, a voice stopped him.
�Sumimasen, is Ayako-san here?�
When Rukawa heard the familiar voice, he was stunned. Although the voice had changed, he knew it belonged to the same person whom he had waited for the past six years. He wished that he could turn around to look at her, but he was also aware of the familiar pain he might face if it was another dream or illusion.
�I am. So you must be Rika from Singapore? Welcome back to Japan.�
"Thank you, and I�m glad that we have finally meet each other. You look much prettier in person than the photos you have sent me." Rika smiled to Ayako and shook her right hand.
"Although I already knew that, your words still embarrassed me. Hohoho�"
While Ayako and Rika were laughing, Rukawa knew that he was not dreaming or having an illusion when he heard Ayako spoke her name and their laughter. Maybe she's really back in Japan. Relying on this belief, Rukawa took out his courage by taking a deep breath and faced the girl who had the name of Rika.
Rika stopped her laughter when the tall guy in front of her turned around to look at her. She looked up slowly to Rukawa�s face, and both of them looked at each other�s eyes for seconds before Rika said softly. �Rukawa-kun?�
The girl whom Rukawa had waited for the past six years was really back in Japan, and she had changed into a beauty. Her long shiny black hair was tied into half and she was wearing a baby blue-colored sweater together with a long dark blue tartan skirt which consisted of black and white thin colored crossed lines. She also carried a small white-colored bag and had put on some light make-up. Rukawa now realized that he had missed her voice, her laughter, and her smile...
"Huh? Both of you knew each other?" Ayako asked curiously while she looked at Rika, then Rukawa, and back to Rika again.
Rika finally torn away her gaze from Rukawa to Ayako and put on a smile. �Yep, we were playmates.�
"I see, so I don�t think there�s a need to introduce both of you then." Ayako was glad that Rika was wearing white-colored sneakers, which won�t spoilt the gym floor, and took Rika�s left hand. �Stop standing at the doorway, Rika. Come in and I shall introduce you to our basketball team.�
While Ayako pulled Rika into the gym and stopped the team members' practice, Rukawa had never torn his gaze away from Rika.
"Guys, this is our new manager from Singapore, Rika." Ayako said proudly to the basketball team members.
"New manager? Aya-chan, we already have Haruko and you. Do we really need another manager?" Miyagi examined Rika from head to toe. She was small build and looked so feminine that Miyagi suspected Rika knew everything about sports.
Ayako was so angry when she heard Miyagi�s words that she stepped very hard on his left foot. �Rika was the MVP of the secondary school girls' basketball in Singapore for past 3 years and she knows more about first aids than I do. Oh, the most important thing is that she is the granddaughter of Anzai-sensei.�
Everyone, except Ayako and Rika, was shocked to hear that Rika was the granddaughter of Anzai-sensei. Even Rukawa couldn�t believe what he had just heard.
After Ayako spoke out her identity, Rika pulled Ayako away from the team and whispered. "Ayako-san, Anzai-sensei didn't tell you that my relationship with him will be a secret?"
�Ah!� Ayako immediately put on an apologetic smile. �Gomen ne, I forgot about it.�
Rika let out a sigh and said. �It's okay." She looked back to the basketball team and said nervously. �Well...Actually I'm the temporary manager to assist in the training camp tomorrow. Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu.�
�Hohoho�Rika-chan.�
Rika turned her head and saw Anzai-sensei, who was her maternal grandfather, walked into the gym. �Ojii-chan~!� Forgetting the presence of the basketball team members, Rika ran into Anzai-sensei�s arms and gave him a big hug.
After the hug, Anzai-sensei held Rika at arms' length and took a good look at her. �Every time when I see you, you are getting more alike of your mother. Have you been to the principal�s office?�
Rika nodded her head. �Shin nii-chan immediately took me here from the airport. He�s still waiting for me in the car.�
�Oyaji, don't forget about the Tensai Sakuragi Hanamichi.�
�Hohoho�Sakuragi-kun, it's great to have you back.�
�Sakuragi? He's the guy who you have been talking about?�
�Eh�Don't tell me I, Tensai Sakuragi Hanamichi, am so famous that my reputation has been spread to Singapore? Hahaha��
Mitsui and Miyagi immediately shook their heads and waved their right hands. �Impossible!�
�NANI~?!�
Anzai-sensei turned back his attention to his granddaughter who started giggling when Sakuragi chased after Mitsui and Miyagi. �Rika, you better go back to Shinichi. It's not good to keep him waiting for you. Beside, your grandmother is still waiting for you at home.�
Excited to see her grandmother again, Rika immediately said a loud "Hai~!" to her grandfather. Rika said good-byes to her grandfather and the basketball team members before her eyes met Rukawa�s. Slowly, her mouth formed the words �Tomorrow?�. Rukawa knew what she meant and nodded his head. Getting his nod made Rika smiled before she waved to him and walked out the gym.
After the dinner at her grandparents' house, it was Maki Shinichi, the Number One Basketball Player in the Kanagawa prefecture, who sent Rika back home. Maki was also the captain of Kainan University High School basketball team, which was the Japan�s second strongest high school basketball team in the summer inter high school tournament.
During the ride in Maki's brand new sliver-colored Mercedes Benz car, which he got as his eighteenth birthday present from his parents, Maki told Rika about the interesting matches in the summer tournament, especially about Shohoku High School.
When they arrived outside Rika's house, Maki issued an order to Rika. �Remember to lock the doors and windows before you go to sleep.�
Rika turned around and stuck out her tongue at Maki. �You are getting sounded like an old man.� She immediately got out of the car as fast as she could, because she knew that Maki hated being called as an uncle or old man. Still, she was not fast enough to close the door and escape a slap on her bottom from Maki.
�You little rascal, sleep well and sweet dreams.� Maki smiled at his one and only lovely cousin. She was the sunlight brought into the room whenever she walked in, although there�s one time the sunlight was gone for about one year after her mum, who was his aunt, died from brain tumour.
�I will. By the way, you must stop studying late at night, it�s not good for your health.� To avoid Rika�s nagging, Maki immediately gave her a wave before he drove away from her house. Rika was not angry about his rude attitude since he had always been a big brother to her and it would be a miracle if he allowed Rika to act like a big sister to him for once.
Suddenly, someone patted Rika�s right shoulder from her back. Instantly, she put on her defense automatically from her twelve years of Chinese martial art training. Before the stranger could react, she pulled the stranger�s hand away from her shoulder and twisted his right arm with her both hands while she turned around to face the stranger�s bent back.
"Ouch~! That�s hurts, Rika~!" The stranger shouted
It was lucky that the stranger shouted, or else she couldn�t recognize him. She immediately released his arm and placed her hands on her hips.
�You scared me, Sendoh Akira.�