Chapter One

Midorima Shiro

My alarm blared, jolting me awake, and causing me to reach for the snooze button. My hand slapped around on my bedside table, searching for it, but when all it found was table, I grumpily scrunched my face up and lifted my head off my pillow.

"Good morning darling!" my Mother's cheery voice greeted me. I groaned as the light flooded into my eyes, and I squinted up to see my alarm clock in my mother's hands, the snooze button out of my reach.

Giving up with a growl, I willed myself to sit up, and seemingly satisfied, my mother set the still whining alarm back onto the bedside table before turning around and leaving me alone in my room. I looked at the calender hanging on the wall opposite to me and sighed inwardly.

"Ah, this time of the year again." I said combing back my hair with my fingers, "Almost summer break."

After brushing my teeth, combing my hair, and hopping into the shower to freshen up, I pulled my damp hair into a high ponytail, and added a thin line of eye liner on my upper lid.

Trotting down the stairs, I steered myself into the kitchen and almost gagged when I caught sight of my older brother, Shintaro, wolfing down his breakfast like some sort of barbaric carnivore. Of course, the moment he saw me, he slowed down and wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, then proceeded to eat his meal as if he were a normal person.

"Good morning Mother, Father, my darling loser brother." I smiled, and I heard Shintaro scoff at my greeting, and my Mother shook her head as my Father snickered.

"You know." My older brother said, pushing his glasses further up his nose, "Adding 'dear brother' to the word loser doesn't make it any better."

I just grinned sweetly and took a seat at the table across from him, he narrowed his eyes and set down his glass of water.

"I think I just lost my appetite." he snarled, and I mocked him under my breath. He stood to kiss my Mother's cheek, "I'll be going now."

"Have a nice day." my parents replied in unison.

As soon as he disappeared through the doorway, the doorbell rang, and I sprang up to get it, pushing over Shintaro, who was already in the hall and on his way to answer the door. I clicked open the lock and swung aside the door as fast as I could, to reveal a yawning raven haired male, Kazunari Takao. My heart fluttered. He had his arms raised above his head as he stretched, and his open mouth curved into a smile when he turned and saw me.

"Ah good morning Shiro-chan." he beamed, and I sped forwards, wrapping myself around his waist.

"Not exactly subtle are you?" Shintaro snorted from somewhere behind me. I ignored him.

"Takao-senpai, save me from the monster." I laughed, and Takao nodded, and he patted my head, something he figured out comforted me.

"I'll be there in a second." Shintaro said, rushing up the stairs and leaving me and Takao alone.

"So you're going to be picking my brother up until summer break?" I asked, looking up expectantly as I moved away from him.

"Mhmm." he replied happily, and the moment our eyes met, I felt my cheeks burn, and I prayed that he couldn't hear the hammering of my heart.

I met Takao-senpai the very first time I went to go see Shintaro's basketball games with his new team. Takao stood out and looked extremely cool on the court, it didn't help my poor heart that he was a complete gentleman to me afterwards when I went to congratulate the team on their victory. The other members seemed to feel uncomfortable around me, but Takao smiled and joked around and made me laugh. I saw him more and more often whenever he would hang out with my brother, and I soon figured out my own feelings for him. But I couldn't tell him. At least not yet.

After a few moments of quiet, I decide to break the silence.

"It's nii-san's birthday in a couple days." I mentioned, and Takao's eyes gleamed as he looked up at me, he flashed a grin and gave me a thumbs up.

"I know. The team and I are taking Shin-chan out for a little surprise party."

That earned a pout from me.

"I was thinking to plan something too..." I lied, wanting to extend my conversation with Takao, and I looked down, but his smile never faltered.

"Really now?" he said, "What an amazing sister you are Shiro-chan. I knew you actually loved your brother a lot."

Heat crept up to my face, and I dipped my head to hide it.

"Well, I don't really think you'd appreciate having to hang out with the team all day. I mean, from what I can tell, you don't really like us, do you?" I shook my head frantically.

"I like you Takao-senpai." Then I immediately clamped my hand over my mouth, regrettably dying on the inside at my indirect confession. Thankfully Takao didn't seem to have taken it in that way, as he just flashed my an eyes smile that made my heart melt and eyes widen.

"I'm glad to hear that." he grinned, patting the top of my head in an affectionate way, "Let me rephrase that. I'm sure you have an entirely different way to celebrate Shin-chan's birthday than we do."

I pursed my lips, then nodded in agreement. He was probably right, and I shuddered at the thought of what kind of presents teenage boys would be exchanging with other teenage boys.

"Alright." I sighed, now feeling guilty about my lie, "But I still want to think of some way to surprise him."

Takao winked and patted my head again.

"Don't worry. I have an idea, and I'm pretty sure that it's 100% full proof."

Takao spent the next few minutes scheming with me, until Shintaro came pounding down the stairs, today's lucky item, a grey key necklace, dangling loosely around him. I choked.

"Is that mine?!"

"Yeah. Oh, I'm borrowing it." he announced, and I grumbled but nodded my head, knowing better than to mess with my brother and his lucky items.

"Oops! Guess we gotta go." Takao said, looking down at his watch, "Don't forget to text me Shiro-chan.

He winked before sliding out the door, Shintaro followed after and hit him upside the head.

"Don't wink at my sister. It's weird." he grunted.

"Sorry.." Takao mumbled, scratching the back of him head.

"Bye Takao-senpai! Have a nice day!" I chirped, and he waved back at me.

"Have a nice day, Takao-senpai." Shintaro mumbled in disgust, mocking me, before he slammed the door shut, and I growled, shaking a fist at him.

Author's Notes::/ SORRY THIS IS SO LATE BUT OH MY GOSH I SWEAR I'LL BE UPDATING THIS ON SCHEDULE. Next update is July 7... I wonder why... (Hardcore Midorima fan, you know how it is ;)