"Can I sit here?"

It was mid-afternoon in Tokyo which meant the Starbucks was full to burst and there were probably no more free seats. There was no reason for her to say no. "Sure," she said, without turning her attention away from her magazine.

She heard him—there's no way it wasn't him with such a deep voice and bearing—settle into his seat across the table from her. Riko finished the article she was reading, then glanced up, curious.

"Hi."

She stared. She was pretty sure this was the most dumbstruck she'd looked since she Kuroko that first time.

His grin widened. "It's Aida, isn't it?"

"Uh, yes. And you're Imayoshi."

"I'm glad you've remembered me."

Frankly, Riko wondered if she'd ever forget that last game against Touou, if she'd ever forget all of their names and faces. And Imayoshi was not the least of them. "It would take me more than a couple of months to forget."

"At I can graduate knowing I made an impression. Of course, you'll be in the same boat next year."

"No I won't," Riko smiled, "We'll win next year too."

"Confidence and arrogance are two sides of the same coin."

"A coin which you lost." Imayoshi was still smiling and she could get nothing from it, but she wasn't a coward so she plowed right ahead. "If you're so bitter, should you be sitting here with me."

"Bitter?" he laughed. "Why should I be bitter if I'm getting to sit with 'The Youngest Coach to Win the Winter Cup, Heir of the Aida Legacy'?"

Riko scowled. Imayoshi was quoting an article in Basketball Monthly in the issue that followed the Winter Cup. She had been prepared for the press and attention given to the team after the win, but she had not been prepared to get so much attention herself. The press had seemed delighted the coach of the winning team was not only a high school student but also a girl. She didn't know why they were so surprised—Yosen's coach was a woman after all and the WBNA was fairly popular in America.

"I see," he said, "You should be grateful they didn't make aspersions on your appearance."

Her scowl deepened. "What do you mean by that?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Nothing untoward on my part. Just pointing out that if our Momoi-san had the coach that won, she would probably get attention of the most scurrilous type. There is an expression, Aida-san: don't shoot the messenger."

She crossed her arms and sat back into her seat, glaring outside. He was probably laughing at her, but he could go on laughing for all she cared. She was trying to calm herself down. After a minute of silence, she admitted, "You're probably right."

"I almost always am."

She looked at him.

"Almost." He put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his seat. Instinctively, she started analyzing him as best she could through his winter sweater. "Have you seen any of the monsters recently?"

"Well, I still see Kagami and Kuroko everyday for practice. But I have seen both of yours."

"Both? Who—oh you mean Aomine. How tactless of me to have forgotten."

Riko bit her lip to keep from smiling. "Yes. He and Kagami have taken to playing one-on-one with each other."

"Typical."

Riko grinned. "I told Kagami if he had enough energy for that, than he had enough energy for an increased training regimen."

"Well done."

Riko appreciated someone appreciating her work, even if said person was the Cheshire Cat turned human. "Momoi and I are also working together. We're trying to use my new publicity to get more attention focused on girls' basketball teams."

"Is it working?"

"We're making baby steps." She pushed her magazine over to him. "That's the first fruit of our labor." The article in question was about the winter tournament for girls' teams. She watched him read it.

"It's not very long," he said, pushing the magazine back over to her.

"It's shorter than my own interview. But, as I said, baby steps."

They fell silent. Riko took a sip of her latte, for something to do. She made a face; it was cold.

"Is your drink cold? I can get you another."

"Ehh!" She flushed and shook her head. "No, it's nothing—there's no need—I—"

"It's no trouble," he said, already standing up. "I was going to go up and get myself another anyway. Latte, right?"

She nodded dumbly and stared at his vacant seat as he walked away. What the hell was she doing? Did this now count as a...as a date? What the hell was she doing on a date with Imayoshi Shouichi of all people? What would the team think? What would—

Her panic was interrupted by a warm drink being placed in her hands. Imayoshi sat back down in his chair, his own drink in hand. Riko took a slow slip of the new latte and made an appreciative sound. It didn't taste like poison. "Thank you," she said, just as slowly.

"No problem."

A thought occurred to her. "How did you know I was drinking a latte?"

He nodded at her old cup. "It's written on there."

"Oh." Of course it was. "So," she said, feeling like she'd just been thrown into a pool of jello, "So. We've talked about what I've been doing since the Cup. What have you been doing?"

"Exams. There isn't much more to the last term of the third-year."

"And you're from Osaka right?"

"How could ya guess?" he said, exaggerating his usually more subtle accent.

"Are you going back there for university?"

He shook his head. "Staying here. Got into Tokyo University."

"That's good. Are you going to keep on doing basketball?"

"Haven't decided yet. I still need to check out the team. Unless you know anything about them?"

She shook her head. "Not really." Her cellphone, lying flat on the table, started vibrating noisily. She checked it. It was an alarm she had set to remind her to leave for practice that afternoon. "Um, I have to go. Practice."

"Of course. I would hate to see Seirin lose to Touou without giving a good fight."

She rolled her eyes and started collecting her stuff. "Imayoshi?"

"Hmm?"

"What was this?"

He, annoyingly and, she reflected, predictably, said, "It can be anything you want to be."

"Great," she muttered.

"But, if there is a possibility of it happening again, it might be prudent to exchange numbers now. I shudder to think what Momoi would say if you contacted her for her old captain's number."

"You're right. That might be. Prudent." She unlocked her phone and slid it over to him. It might have been a trick of the light, but thought his eyes widened slightly in surprise. He passed her his. She saved her number under Aida Riko and handed it back. "It was nice to run into you," she said.

He passed her phone back. "Yes. I hope we see each other again soon."

Riko grabbed her stuff and walked away. She threw her two cups away as she passed the garbage can on her way out and reflected that she wished she'd gotten a third. She felt a little faint.