#rukawa

summary:

Y/N, a dedicated psychology student, crosses paths with Rukawa, a talented basketball player whose reserved nature often conceals his true thoughts and emotions

Yet, he finds solace in Y/N, revealing his most vulnerable self to her in ways he cannot with anyone else. Her shoulders bear the burden of his struggles, as he frequently seeks comfort in her presence, relying on her for emotional support.

•◉✿ 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 6 ✿◉•

RUKAWA'S POV

Another day, another day to grind. Rukawa has only one dream: to be the no.1 high school basketball player in Japan and he will make sure to beat anyone who will stop him to achieve that. That is his mindset everyday, it's like his muscles memorized every move he is doing everyday. But today, everything changes when someone shakes him out of his relentless routine.

Rukawa was peacefully asleep in his cozy nook on the rooftop when someone flung the door open with a loud bang.

He attempted to return to sleep, but every footstep of the intruder felt as though it might crack the ground beneath him.

Frustrated, Rukawa squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to find rest again. Irritation simmered within him, and he ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath in an effort to calm down.

What the hell?

It went silent for a moment when—

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" a voice rang out, piercing the stillness.

Rukawa shot up, eyes wide with shock, his breaths coming in quick gasps as he processed the sudden shout.

“Who the hell dares to disturb my sleep?” he muttered, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

“You can do it! You’ve got this, L/N Y/N! Inhale... exhale... Inhale... exhale... FIGHTING!”

Confused, Rukawa followed the silhouette of a woman making her way toward the rooftop exit.

"L/N Y/N huh?"

That was the first encounter Rukawa had with Y/N. And it's so refreshing that they're here now, feeling the breeze of the wind on the rooftop together.

You sighed. "I should go."

"I'm here for so long already. It's already enough to rest."

"Why not?" Rukawa asked.

"What do you mean, why not? I have responsibilities."

"there is nothing wrong in acting like a regular student, though" he replied, almost whispering, but you could still hear him.

You were taken aback by his statement.

A soft chuckle escaped your lips.

"But a lot of people are expecting something from me."

That was the last statement you uttered before leaving the rooftop.

A day before the festival...

"This is so heavy! Do we really have to lift this all by ourselves?" Sakura huffed, struggling with the load.

With a sarcastic laugh, Sarah shot back, “Oh, come on! We volunteered to lift ten chairs each round, remember?”

"But this is so heavy! And it's not exactly the most... ladylike task, is it?" Sakura whined, straining under the weight.

I leaned in, trying to lighten the mood. “Hey, we can't just leave all the hard work to the guys. We need to help out too!"

I added with a smirk “Besides, they’re stuck with the ‘unladylike’ jobs.”

"Well, what can we expect from you? You're always so capable and strong!" Sakura teased.

The group erupted into laughter, and for a moment, the burden of the chairs seemed a little lighter.

"Eh? Why on earth are girls lifting heavy things like this?" a man, whose face remained hidden, remarked.

You tried to peek around the chairs you were lifting to catch a glimpse of him.

They’re… from the basketball team

"Don't worry! This tensai will definitely rescue you! NYAHAHA!" exclaimed a boisterous voice.

"You're so loud all the time, Hanamichi," the shorter guy chimed in.

"Here, let us help you with that," the guy with dark blue hair said, gently taking the chair from your hands.

The other two quickly snatched up the remaining chairs from Sakura and Sarah.

"O-oh, thank you!" you said, leading them to where the chairs needed to go.

They helped you carry the chairs to the school field, where the mini concert was set to take place. Their assistance made the task much easier, especially when more basketball players showed up to help.

"Are you guys the only ones who can do this task?" the dark-haired guy asked while lifting the last of the chairs.

"Unfortunately, yes," you replied with a short laugh. "We're short on people, so we have to pitch in."

"Right. By the way, do you know me?" he inquired.

"Ahh, not... really," you admitted with an awkward smile.

"That's okay! I'm Mitsui Hisashi, by the way. Third year."

"L/N Y/N, first year, senpai” you responded, and he nodded.

"Oi, are there still chairs left?" Mitsui called out to his juniors.

"Everything's good, senpai!" they replied.

"Thank you so much for your help. We owe you one!" you expressed your gratitude to the team.

"Don't mention it! Is there anything else we can assist you with?" Mitsui offered.

"Ah, no, no. You've all helped a lot already. Thank you," you insisted.

"No problem. Ja'ane!"

"Tss! That Rukawa, teme! He didn't help us," Sakuragi grumbled, annoyance evident in his voice.

"He was already at the gym before we came. He probably doesn't even know we're helping," the short, curly-haired guy replied.

"Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi exclaimed, looking like a lost puppy.

Ryo-chin? That must be the nickname for the short guy.

"You know Rukawa always goes straight to the gym," Mitsui said.

"You’re just insecure!" Ryo-chin teased as they descended to your location.

“Thank you so much for all your hard work, everyone! It’s almost time, and we’re on track!” the president of the student council announced, a smile on her face.

“Wow! What a day! I feel like I’ve gained muscle!” Sakura exclaimed, playfully flapping her stomach.

“We’re going to be super busy starting tomorrow, especially you, Y/N-chan. Didn’t the student council ask for your help?” Sarah chimed in, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Yeah, Misaki-senpai asked me to join because two of their members can’t attend the festival tomorrow due to illness,” you explained.

“Well, good luck, future president!” Sara teased, laughter bubbling up from both her and Sakura.

“Come on, you two, stop it!” you said, rolling your eyes but smiling nonetheless.

“But Y/N, what do you think about being the next president? What if President Misaki graduates next year and asks you to take over?” Sarah pressed, genuine curiosity in her tone.

“Yeah, that could actually happen,” Sakura added, leaning in as if she were uncovering a secret.

Sighing, you considered their words.

“If I were to accept that offer, I’d first have to consider the vice president position they offered me before,” you replied seriously.

“Wait, they asked you to be vice president?” Sakura said, eyes wide with surprise.

“Yeah. When I started at Shohoku, I was kind of under their watch. After a semester, Misaki-senpai asked me to be her vice president.”

“Why didn’t you accept it?” Sara asked, genuine concern in her voice.

“I was just starting high school. I felt I needed to focus on my studies more,” you said, lost in thought for a moment.

But here I am, still part of the volunteer club, helping out where I could.

“Well, there’s a saying: ‘once a leader, always a leader,’” Sarah encouraged, her tone upbeat.

You chuckled softly.

“Sō da ne. (I see.)”

With that, the two of them bid their goodbyes, and you found yourself alone, packing your things into your bag. Once you were ready, you left the room, reflecting on everything that had just been said.

As I walked towards the gate of Shohoku, I noticed the sun had already dipped below the horizon;

it was 6 PM. I hadn’t realized how late it had gotten until I checked my watch. Airi was probably already home since her last class ended at 4. I didn’t want her to wait for me if I was going to be this late. There was no basketball practice today either, as the gym was being prepared for tomorrow's festival. Only a few students remained on campus, most likely members of various school clubs.

My thoughts while I took a deep breath, feeling the cool night breeze, and admired the beautiful dark orange clouds above me.

"You'll trip again if you're not paying attention to where you're going," a voice called out from behind me.

I turned to see who it was.

“R-Rukawa," I stammered.

"It’s late, busy with your responsibilities?" he asked, riding his bike alongside me while maintaining my pace.

I chuckled. “What do you know about my responsibilities?"

"Dunno. What are your responsibilities, then?"

I smirked. "For someone like you, being curious about someone else's life is quite rare."

I could feel his gaze on me, and an inexplicable chill ran through me. Was it the cool breeze, or was it the intensity of his stare?

"What do you know about me?" he inquired.

I laughed lightly. “Not much, to be honest. So, who are you, then?" I looked up at him, trying to maintain my composure.

If it’s all about teasing, makineso (i will not lose!)

Walking down the streets together feels surreal. Our paths seem to cross every time, which is understandable since we attend the same school. I glanced at him, and what struck me was—

"Don't you have any other face to flash?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't. This is the only face I have."

"Tss, don't answer it as if I'm asking about your face literally," I replied, a little annoyed.

"What I mean is, don't you have any other facial expressions you could use?"

"Hmm." He tilted his head, glancing upwards.

"This," he said.

"Ha?"

"This. I look like I'm thinking, right?"

I shut my eyes in annoyance and took a deep breath.

"Hai hai."

"I think talking to this guy is just mendokusai (a pain in the butt)" I whispered to myself.

We reached the intersection where I needed to cross, so I bid my goodbye.

"I’m heading out now. Matanne (see you)!" I called, jogging across the street.