Chapter One
New Arrival, many meetings..
The plane ride from San Francisco to Narita International Airport should have been comfortable riding in first class, but Itou Kyouren had trouble sitting still. The elderly woman next to her frowned as she fidgeted restlessly in her wide leather seat, downing her third cup of lemon seltzer. It was her first time going to her native country since she was born. She was conceived in Kanagawa, but raised in Anaheim with her mother's second husband and his son, Itou Kano. Her life had been relatively simple, until three months earlier her mother had passed away of malignant hepatoma- liver cancer. Then she discovered her father was not her blood father, her brother not really her brother.
"Kyouren.. You have a twin brother in Japan." Her step father, had said on that sunny day, which seemed to mock the severity of her mother's funeral. "He's your twin brother. He's still living in Japan, although your father passed away a year ago."
"Attention passengers, we will be landing in 10 minutes. Please fasten your seat belts and stay in your seats."
Her fingers gripped the armrests until her knuckles turned white. Everything had been decided so quickly. She was surprised how supportive her step-father was of her decision to go to Japan and find her older twin. He had arranged everything- the plane ride, a place to stay, financial support. A part of her felt a little hurt at his rashness in sending her away, but she knew he needed time to adjust to the void in his life, now that her mother was gone. She fingered the black sweatband on her wrist, the number twenty-three roughly stitched across it. Kano had stitched the numbers himself when they were young, and Michael Jordan was his ultimate idol. She remembered the worried look on her step-brother's face as she walked into the gate, waving as the only family she had known faded from her view.
From the cabin window she was beginning to see skyscrapers, tangled highways, and rows of gleaming cars as the plane descended. She felt nauseated, as the questions she had numbed from her mind came swimming back. Why did she never tell me about them... What will he say when I tell him I'm his sister.. When I tell him mom died..
The plane rapidly descended and the wheels hit the black top, the floor rumbling under her feet. All she really knew was his name, she didn't know if he was tall or short, what his favorite subject was, what his goals were, if he knew she existed... If he liked basketball like Kano.
Sakuragi Hanamichi.. Are you really my brother?
"Sensei, when can I play basketball again?"
A long legged, red headed young man sat propped by several pillows on a groaning hospital bed.
"Sakuragi-kun, you need to take it easy for a few weeks. Straining your back before it heals can cause permanent damage to your tissue."
Sakuragai Hanamichi scowled looking comical in his polka-dotted hospital gown. He kicked the sheets off scowling."You said that last week Sensei. My team needs me. This tensai can't waste more time laying in bed," he growled. Gori might have appointed Ryu-chin as captain, but the genius was the true spiritual leader of the team. They needed his moral support!
The doctor smiled patiently, patting the trim red head. "Give it time son. You're a strong boy, It shouldn't be too long now."
Sakuragi Hanamichi was about to protest when a sweet faced nurse stepped in, holding a letter in her hand. "Ohayo Sakuragi-kun. I've got a letter for you, from a Miss Akagi."
In a flash the letter was ripped from her hands. The good doctor ushered the nurse out of the room, as the loud exclamations of joy errupted from the room.
"HARUKO-SAN.. To think how much worry I'm causing you! This basketman genius will be out in one week. Yes, ONE week!"
Kyouren watched the foreign buildings pass by, and she felt the difference in the air filtering through the open window. It felt slick and muggy, causing the straight black strands of her hair to plaster across her neck. She was used to stifling dry heat of California, but the swampy stickiness was overbearing. Her soft faded jeans and favorite puma track jacket stuck against her skin, but she couldn't find the motivation to slip it off, her eyes were taking in the streets of the place she would call home.
The taxi-cab pulled up into a large, modern looking house, a few blocks down from what looked like the main street of Kanagawa. The driver opened the trunk to pull out her luggage, two suitcases filled mostly with clothes.
An elderly woman wearing a flowered apron had opened the front gate, and helped her with the luggage.
"You must be Miss Itou. Please, come inside, its very hot today."
She introduced herself as Mrs. Nitta, the housekeeper, and informed her that Mr. Rukawa was in Tokyo and his son Kaede would be back from basketball camp in a few days. Kyoren knew very little about the family, only that Mr. Rukawa was her step-father's good friend. She felt a little strange walking into an empty house, as if she were a robber. Mrs. Nitta led her upstairs, where a short hallway led to three rooms. The one on the left, she said, was Mr. Rukawa's study, and the one on the right was Kaede's room. Her's would be the middle room, and ushering her inside she placed one of her suitcases by the twin bed, and left her to herself while she prepared breakfast. Kyouren felt grateful for the elderly woman's brevity. She wanted to be left alone to rest for a while, to take in her surroundings. Her room was moderately sized, with a large window overlooking the neighboring houses, a white desk, and a pink flower-print bedspread matched the curtains on her windows. A white dresser stood to one side of the room, and she began to empty her suitcase of clothes.
It seemed Mr. Rukawa had taken extra care to make her room comfortable, and she made a mental note to thank him when she saw him. She pondered the relationship between her step-father and Mr. Rukawa that made him act so kindly to her, and take her into his family home. The boy she remembered being told, was her age. So he plays basketball does he? She wondered if he was as devoted as Kano, though she began to doubt that anyone could be as passionate about basketball as her elder brother. Her fingers touched the glass on the silver picture frame sandwiched protectively between her clothes. It was a picture taken not so long ago, she and her mother sat on the porch of their old house, her father and brother standing protectively behind them. She sighed as she placed the frame on her new dresser, fighting the tears welling up in her eyes.
She realized how quiet this house was, the faint footsteps of Mrs. Nitta echoing through the empty halls. Kyouren could smell the familiar pungent odor of miso stewing from downstairs. It reminded her so much of her mother, that she couldn't hold the tears that spilled softly down her cheeks. An overwhelming sense of homesickness came over her, although she knew home would never be the same, now that her mother was gone. She stripped off the sweaty track suit, and slipped under the cool sheets, promptly falling asleep from a mixture of exhaustion, sadness, and being plain overwhelmed from the sudden changes taking place.
When Kyouren woke it was still daylight, but she felt like she had been sleeping for days. The flower shaped clock on her wall pointed to half past 1. She had slept through the entire morning. Feeling groggy she decided to go for a run, slipping on some jogging pants and a comfortable shirt. She wrapped Kano's sweatband tightly around her wrist. The gentle snores of Mrs. Nitta resounded from her room downstairs. She left a note hastily on the counter in her clumsy Japanese, slipping out quietly.
The sun was full circle in the bright blue sky of Kanagawa. Kyouren jogged past middle aged women clutching grocery baskets, men in business suits smoking, and laughing children in the streets. She passed the outdoor market where the smell of fish clung tightly to the air, voices chattering and bartering cheerfully. She made a wide loop, circling further and further away from the Rukawa household. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she was soon quite a few blocks away. Stopping to take a breath, she panted, peering in both directions. A rectangular building stood ahead of her, a sign in Japanese reading "Shohoku Senior High School."
So this is my high school. She jogged steadily up to it, circling the wide expanse of the empty grounds. The windows were all tightly shut. The entire building was empty- except for a distant sound of shouting and squeaking shoes. Curiosity piqued she headed toward the sound, where a large building stood, its double doors propped open. She peeked into the doorway, feeling like an intruder.
What she saw surprised her. Several tall boys, her age, or slightly older stood at opposite ends of the twin basketball court. They were practicing shooting, dribbling, lay-ups, passing... A shorter, brown haired boy with a silver earring shouted out orders to the rest, who answered spiritedly. A young woman with a red baseball cap waved a large paper fan. Hm.. Didn't think basketball was popular here. She was absorbed in viewing the moves of each player. The shorter boy in particular was very good. He was quick, decisive, and obviously the leader. She didn't know very much about basketball, but from watching Kano's games since her childhood, she knew enough to recognize talent. A tall black haired boy with distinct scar on his chin was also superb. She admired his three point shots, the graceful way his body eased into position before his hand flipped back for a nice clean swish.
"Anou.. Can I help you with anything..?"
Kyouren jumped at the cheerful voice behind her. A pretty girl, about an inch shorter than her stood wearing blue track shorts and an oversized t-shirt. She had short brown hair that ended just below her chin, and a pair of large, lovely blue eyes.
"No..I'm sorry- I uh.. I'll go now."
"Wait! Do you like basketball?" She pointed at Kano's wristband.
"A little.. My brother, he plays basketball."
"Really? That's wonderful! My brother plays baskbetball too.. In fact he was captain of Shohoku last year." She smiled brilliantly, making her feel a little less uncomfortable. "I'm Akagi Haruko."
"Itou Kyoren." She smiled back, absentmindedly fiddling with the hair-tye in her ponytail.
"So, Kyoren-san, what school do you go to? I don't think I've ever seen you in Shohoku high.."
"I'm new here, I used to live in the states."
"Welcome to Kanagawa then! You'll have to tell us all about basketball in America. If you like, you can watch the practice inside."
"No really, I wouldn't want to intrude." Kyoren protested, her eyes lingering on the boy with the scar on his chin. He was dribbling down the court, jumping up gracefully to make a lay-up.
"I insist Kyoren-san. I'm co-manager for Shohoku Basketball team, and I think you'd be a great help to us."
"Please.. don't address me so formally. And I don't know a lot about basketball.."
"But you've seen basketball in the states! Come on in, I'd like to hear all about it!"
At this point, the girl was pushing her gently along. Inwardly she was thankful for the girls persistence. She couldn't image how to kill time now that she had jogged to the point of getting lost, and the empty Rukawa household didn't sound comforting. Haruko was lugging several bottles of water with her, and naturally she helped her with the load. They walked towards the lady with the red baseball cap, who was yelling out suggestions to the boys, who exclaimed "Hai", or "Aa" obediently.
"Ayako-san, I'd like you to meet Itou Kyouren from the United States!"
"Hi there. It's nice to meet you." Ayako was friendly but brisk, her attention focused on the men running up and down the court, now that they had commenced in a friendly match of five-on-five.
During the entire match, Kyouren couldn't take her eyes off of the boy with the chin-scar. He moved so gracefully, his eyes were so full of fire and concentration. Something about the way he moved reminded her of Kano, it was strangely comforting.
"Nice shooting Ryouta!" Ayako yelled, as the short captain nailed a jump-shot.
Kyouren watched, baffled as the boy named Ryouta stared googly-eyed back at Ayako, hearts practically shooting out of his eyes. "Aya-chan!" he sighed, promptly letting the ball get stolen by the other player. Kyoren watched as the tall figure moved confidently towards the other end of the court, the speedy shorter captain following closely behind. He stood right before the three point line, jumped, his wrist flipped back- SWISH. Kyouren stopped a sigh from escaping her lips.
"Nice form Mitsui-Senpai!" Haruko yelled from beside her.
Mitsui. She thought, as she watched him jog down court to defend. His eyes were full of concentration, oblivious to the three women standing near the benches.
When practice was over Haruko and Ayako were busy handing out chilled towels and thumping backs ecstatically. The captain of the team Ryouta was hogging most of Ayako's attention, while Haruko was talking cheerfully to the other players. Feeling a little out of place, now that eyes were wandering and shooting her odd glances, Kyouren stood off to the side, shuffling her running shoes uncomfortably. She sneaked a glance at Mitsui, who was chugging his water bottle, a towel draped around his shoulders.
When the men had jogged off to the locker room, Ayako turned to her with a genuine smile.
"I'm sorry I didn't talk much during practice. Kyouren did you say your name was..?"
"Hai. Please, don't hesitate to call me by my name. I dislike honorifics." Kyouren glanced meaningfully at Haruko, whose use of "san" was starting to bother her.
Ayako was smiling at her ruefully. "You'll have to get used to it. In Japan its considered rude to address a person by just their name.. Hmm. how old might you be Itou Kyoren?"
"I'll be entering Shohoku after the summer break as a sophomore."
"Ah. Well seeing as I'm your senior, I'll just call you Ren-chan."
Kyouren nodded, glad that someone was calling her by her nickname. 'Itou Kyoren', and 'Kyouren-san' was starting to sound so foreign. "Thank you senpai. Anou.. Haruko-chan.. Ayako-san, do you know a good place to eat lunch?" She was starting to feel her appetite again, her stomach was rumbling and she hadn't eaten much on the plane. She felt better already, meeting these friendly girls, and that interesting basketball team, especially one particular player named Mitsui.
"Well, there's a udon stand just a few blocks from here." Haruko replied, starting to pick up the empty bottles.
Kyoren had to wait for the girls, who were gathering all the balls into bins, and collecting all the dirty towels in the laundry hamper. A few of the freshmen stayed behind to sweep the court, but the senior basketball players left shortly. Ryouta waved sheepishly at Ayako as he was dragged off by Mitsui.
True to her word, Haruko led the girls only a few blocks from school, at a humble udon stand stood in the corner. They sat on the rickety wooden stools, each ordering a bowl of noodles and some tempura. Ayako turned out to be much more talkative when she wasn't absorbed in watching basketball practice.
"So have you been to an pro basketball game Ren-chan?"
"You mean an NBA basketball game senpai?" When the elder girl nodded, she shook her head sheepishly. "Iie. I was never that interested in basketball.. It was always Kano who went to those games, with Tou-san."
"Kano is..?"
"Ah.. my Oniichan."
"Kyoren-sa-, er Ren-chan, you said your brother played basketball.. Does he still play?"
Kyoren nodded fiercely, a proud light entering her eyes. "Hai. He plays NCAA division now for his college."
"Sugoi!" Haruko exclaimed, her eyes shining brilliantly. Ayako's eyes had widened significantly, and she felt immensely proud of Kano.
"Basketball is his life.." She glanced at Ayako and Haruko, whose attention was bound by her words. "Watching Shohoku play reminds me of him."
Ayako was nodding enthusiastically. "Shohoku is a committed team. We went to the inter-high nationals last year, that's a competition between Japan's greatest high school basketball teams. Although we didn't win, we really proved to Japan how strong we are." Kyoren nodded, noticing the fierce pride with which Ayako spoke. Even Haruko had a strange mist in her eyes.
"Anyways, enough about basketball. Ren-chan, what brings you to Kanagawa?"
Ayako's friendly curiosity, nevertheless reminded her of the painful task at hand:to locate Sakuragi Hanamichi, and tell him of their mothers death. Ayako didn't miss the look of discomfort in Kyouren and the slight hesitation before her answer.
"I came.. to learn about my culture.." Kyouren hoped she sounded convincing.
"Oh, is it your first time in Japan?"
"H-hai.."
"Are you staying with relatives?"
"Iie.. My mother and father were only children, and their parents live in the US."
Haruko looked concerned, putting down her chopsticks as she paused from eating her noodles. "Then where are you staying? With a host family?"
Kyouren shook her head slightly, enjoying the warm steam coming off the broth of her udon. "My father's friend offered me a room in his home.." She suddenly remembered that Mr. Rukawa's son, Rukawa Kaede went to Shohoku. He plays basketball. "Eto.. Do you know a Rukawa Kaede at your- I mean our school?"
Haruko promptly choked on her noodles, coughing fitfully. Kyouren blinked, wondering if she had sparked her surprise. Ayako slapped her juniors back heartily, turning to look at Kyouren curiously. "Ah.. Don't mind Haruko-chan. She'll be fine. Yes, in fact, we do know Rukawa Kaede... Why do you ask?"
"Oh! What kind of person is he?" Kyouren asked, putting down her chopsticks. She was curious about her new room mate, but from what she had gleaned was that he was at basketball camp. He's probably not very good.. since he's not even on the team. She felt a wave of sympathy for Rukawa Kaede.
Haruko had sufficiently recovered from her coughing fit. Her blue eyes were as round as door knobs. "A-anou..Kyoure- Ren-chan.. Why do you ask? Do you know him?"
"Iie.. Actually.. I'm staying at his house. My father is good friends with Mr. Rukawa. He's still at some basketball camp.. so I haven't met him yet."
This time Ayako was laughing, she slapped her back to the point of pain. Rubbing her sore back Kyouren wondered if she should be affronted by such familiarity. She felt a little annoyed wondering what the joke was. First Haruko choking, then Ayako laughing.
"You should keep that information confidential. All the girls at school are going to hate you if you tell them that." Ayako said seriously, calming down.
"Why senpai? Is he that terrible?"
Haruko's eyes had somehow expanded. "Iie Kyoren-chan! Rukawa-kun is.. Rukawa-kun is.."
Kyoren watched with fascination. Haruko was apparently in some sort of trance. Ayako was shaking her head at her junior, she turned back to her noodles and took a healthy bite out of her tempura. "Itou Kyoren.. Don't ask questions.. We know for a fact Rukawa-kun is coming home in a few days. You'll see then." Then she did something strange, she smiled at her, a little sympathetically. Kyoren couldn't help the feeling of dread that came over her.
Rukawa Kaede.. what kind of monster are you?