Referee blew in his whistle and the match has ended. Rakuzan, like always, have won. Seirin couldn't believe their eyes. They lost with Akashi. They won't be the best in Japan.

At first the gym was silent, then everybody was yelling. People stood up from their chairs and gave ovation for the Rakuzan.

Hyuuga grited his teeth. With last will power, he stood up and lined up with the others. He saw tears in their eyes. Hyuuga realized that he was also crying. His eyes were wet.

The atmosphere in locker room was like the one at the funerals. Everybody was quiet, they didn't even look at each other.

Riko looked at them. She was searching for some words to comfort them.

'Nee, guys' she started slowly. 'You are the second best team in the country. I'm so proud of you'

'Thank you, couch' said Kuroko, but his voice was weak.

'We should go back home' Kiyoshi stood up. 'Thank you guys. It's been a wonderful time. I can't play with you any more, due to my leg. But I will help Riko and become your second couch. We can win next year'

'I'm sorry, Kiyoshi' Hyuuga bended down to him. And then he did the some to the others. 'I'm sorry, team. It's my fault. I got carried away and failed you all'.

'Hyuuga-kun' Riko wanted to touch him, but he stepped asaid.

'I'll be leaving first. See you at school'.

He went straight back home. His parents knew - bad news travels fast. They also know that talking to him, when he is in this mood, wouldn't make any good. Hyuuga needed time. They just let him be.

Was he crying?

Oh, he was. Like a baby. He curled up and snuggled his pillow. Soon, he fell asleep.

His mother walked into his room and smiled lightly. She covered her son with a blanket and slowly caressed his hair.

'You did well, Junpei. I'm so proud of you.'

'Mom…?' his voice was stifled.

'It's okay, honey. Sleep now. You must be exhausted.'

She sat on his bed and for few minutes just looked at her son. She knew that he wasn't this sad just because they lost. Mother know everything about her child. And she saw Junpei with his coach the other day. Her son was different with this girl. He was so deeply in love with her, they both couldn't even imagine.

'Everything will be okay, honey' mrs. Hyuuga kissed her son on the forehead.

Riko felt uneasy. Team went to the Maji Burger to celebrate, but it was clear, that none of them wanted to be here right now. Even Number 2 couldn't cheer them up.

'Listen to me' she looked at them. 'We have another year. We can do this. We just need to train more'

'Coach, can we talk about this later?' Koganei was so sad, that he didn't even look at them. He didn't smile even once since they left the locker room.

She didn't respond. They all went home, while she and Teppei were still sitting in Maji Burger.

'Riko, cheer up. It's not the end of the world'

'I know, Teppei. But I'm worried about you. Akashi destroyed our soul'

'My soul is perfectly fine, Riko. The rest will be fine too. You will see. Let them rest, give them time. But I am also worried. Hyuuga looked… bad. He was so pale'

'I know. And he apologized. He was like a different person' she sighed. 'Maybe you should go see him?'

Teppei looked at the ceiling. These words were hard to say, but both Hyuuga and Riko were his close friends. He needed to push them, before it would be too late.

'It's not me, Riko. Hyuuga doesn't want to see me' he said with smile.

'Then maybe Izuki-kun? They are friends since junior high'

'Riko.…'

'Oi! I know! Mitobe-kun! He is very good at comforting people!'

'Riko' Teppei looked at her. 'Hyuuga wants… no. He needs to see you'

So she went to visit him. It was his mother, who let her in.

'Riko-chan, come on in. It's been a while'

'I am sorry for disturbing you' she said politely. 'Is Hyuuga-kun at home?'

'Yes, he is. He is sleeping.'

'Oh' Riko grew sad. 'Then maybe I'll come back later'

'Come on in, don't be silly. I'm sure Junpei will be happy to see you. You can wake him up!'

Riko was a little bit nervous, when she was standing in front of his room. She had visited him earlier, they even laid in the same bed a few times, talking about basketball. Riko always thought that they were friends. But recently she noticed that Hyuuga treated her in a different way. He was kinder, warmer. And last night, when she came to him to have her hair done, he was blushing. But she needed to hear it out loud. She had to be sure.

Standing here won't change things, she thought and opened the door.

Hyuuga was sleeping under the blanket. Without his glasses on, he seemed younger and more vulnerable. He was so calm and defenceless that Riko couldn't helped herself. She sat on his bed, just like his mother awhile ago, and she watched over him.

She wasn't sure about her own feelings. Yes, Hyuuga was very an important person to her. She can even say, that he changed her life. She couldn't imagine Seirin without him, but she also couldn't imagine her own life without him around.

'Riko' he murmured in his sleep. She blushed. Was he dreaming about her? It made her feel even more uneasy.

'Nee, Hyuuga-kun, wake up' Riko touched his arm.

'Five more minutes, mom' Hyuuga yawned and covered his face with the pillow.

'Oh, sure like hell!'

Riko lifted her whistle and blew it.

Hyuuga woke with a silent scream.

'Wait, whaaa- Coach? What are you doing here?' he asked, looking for his glasses. He looked at her, waiting for an answer. He was embarrassed.

'Your mom let me in. I need to talk to you'

'Can you wait a second? I need to get dressed'

'No, you are just fine. Stay here'

'O-okay' he looked away and blush a little. 'So? What do you want to talk about? If you want to scold me, please, save it for tomorrow'

'I don't want to scold you. I don't have a reason, baka. Anyway, I have few questions for you'

'Okay' he said slowly.

'First one: do you think on giving up basketball?'

'What? No!'

She felt relief. She was scared that he couldn't manage the pressure. Even her father told him, that he was the lifeline of the Seirin. They didn't think about it, but Hyuuga must have felt really responsible for the team. They just took it for granted and he didn't complain. Not even once. He did everything they asked of him. And he did even more.

'Coach, I will be okay. I was just so tired and angry. But I was angry with myself, not with you, guys'

'I know, Hyuuga – kun' she moved little closer to him. Without looking him in the eyes, she touched his hand. Riko suddenly felt scared.

He blushed when she had touched him. Her hand was cold.

'Oi, coach, are you cold? Here, take it' he gave her his Seirin jersey (he left it on the chair next to the bed before he laid down). Riko wrapped up and not for the first time in forever she thought, that Hyuuga smelled nice.

'Thank you. Are you ready for the second question?' she was acting firm, but her hands were shaking.

'Bring it on, since I don't have any other choice'

'Hyuuga – kun, why did you stop calling me by my first name?'

That was unexpected. For a few seconds Hyuuga was looking at her with shock in his eyes.

'Well…' he started 'You became the coach and I thought that, since it is your title, I should call you by using it'

'You are a terrible liar, you know that'

Hyuuga looked away. He didn't know what to say. This conversation was heading to disaster.

'You also don't call me by my name' he said after few minutes.

'Do you want me to call you by your name?'

Hyuuga felt like his heart was in the middle on some creepy race right now. It was beating so fast, like it was trying to pop out from his chest.

He stopped calling her by her first name because he was scared that his feelings may slip away with it.

'If you want to. Do you have any questions left?'

'Yes, just one. You wanted to ask me out yesterday, didn't you, Junpei?'

His heart skipped a beat. He didn't know how to act. What should he say? The pain in his chest was devastating. Was Riko making fun of him? No, it wasn't her style to laugh at somebody. But what if his feelings are unrequited? Will they destroy their connection and friendship? On the other hand, it was once in the lifetime chance. He could finally tell her about his love.

'Riko, I… I was. Yes, I was going to do that. I'm in love with you since junior high. I tried to quash it. Yet, I failed, no matter how many times I have tried' he said it on one breath. It was over. He did it.

'So, you were angry not because you lost to Rakuzan, but you thought, that I won't go out with you, because you are not the best?'

'Both' he said slowly.

She sighed. And then, she touched his hand again.

'First of all, you are so stupid, I can only feel sorry for you. You fought with this for so long alone. We could have used this time in other ways. Second: if you think I only date the best players in Japan, you are not wrong. But you know what? You are the best. You are second in the whole country, after two years of playing. Why didn't you think about that? Rakuzan is school with traditions, with many players. We got only us. And it's enough. Third… will you finally kiss me or this is another thing I should do first?'

She doesn't have to ask him twice.

Mrs Hyuuga looked at the clock. Riko was talking with her son for over two hours now. Yet her stupid son didn't bring her any food or tea. I didn't raise him like that, she thought, on her way to his room.

She closed the door as fast as she opened them. She smiled and turned back to kitchen. They needed privacy now.

'I told you, you will be fine' she whispered, preparing special dinner for her son and his girlfriend.

They spent the whole evening, laying in his bed like they did many times before. But this time Riko put her head on his shoulder, while Hyuuga was slowly playing with her hair. Above all, they were kissing each other, discovering sides they didn't know. When they weren't kissing, they talked about the future. Not only basketball and new games, but mostly about their shared future.

They both don't want to waste any more time.

I would like to thank my friend, Paulina, for reading this and correcting my crappy English. And many thanks for Hyper Vongola Decimo for inspiration ^^