It was the very beginning of summer break when the three of them met that day.
Nine year old Nozomi had just moved to town with her mother, skipping the last week of school to get settled into their new home. Nozomi didn't like moving, she had left her one and only friend back at her old home, but Nozomi was a good girl so she accepted the fact that they needed to move somewhere new.
The small brown haired gray eyed girl wasn't the best at making friends, the girls and boys at her old school had teased her due to her dressing and acting too much like a boy. Girls calling her a "weirdo" and boys calling her a naughty word that her mother told her to specifically never ever again. Her friend had been the only one who hadn't treat her like the others, but now it didn't matter. They were far away from one another now.
Nozomi was half Japanese and half Chinese. Her mother, who is Japanese, had met Nozomi's father, who is Chinese, in America, both attending the same college at the time. Her parents had fallen in love with one another during their final year of college, which was how Nozomi had been created into existence. After graduating college, Nozomi's mother, Suki, had went to China with Nozomi's father, who's name she never learned, to get the blessing from his parents to get married to her. They had approved it and got married weeks later.
But their marriage didn't last long.
Her mother caught him cheating on her with the daughter of a old close family friend shortly after Nozomi was born.
Without saying so much as a word to anyone, her mother left to go back to America, bringing the newborn Nozomi with her.
Nozomi never asked anything about her father since hearing what he had done to her mother, she wanted nothing to do with him.
It was early noon and Nozomi was sitting in her room staring at the small television screen that showed one of her many favorite cartoon shows, Scooby-Doo. Her room was fairly empty minus her small twin bed, a few boxes that held her stuff, and her small television that was resting on the floor against the wall near the only power outlet.
Her room was small with plain white walls and a small closet that her clothes would eventually be stored in.
The house that they lived in now was tiny compared to their old one. This house only had two small bedrooms, a kitchen that would most likely be too tiny for two or more adults to work in at the same time, a small bathroom, and the place barely had a front or back yard. It was comfortable, but too small in Nozomi's eyes, but Nozomi didn't complain about it to her mother.
Nozomi wasn't too sure why they had moved in the first place, and she didn't want to be nosey so she didn't ask, just taking the simple answer of "Change of scenery" instead.
It has been only a day or so since they arrived in their new neighborhood and Nozomi's mother was already looking for a new job, meanwhile Nozomi stayed at the house by herself not ready to go out and explore yet. Nozomi hadn't left the house once since they first entered their new home. It wasn't that Nozomi wasn't active or anything, she's as hyper as three kids on a sugar rush, she just wanted to stay inside for a little while longer. But knowing her mother, she would be forced out of the house sooner or later.
A few minutes later Nozomi heard a soft knock on her bedroom door, and a moment later her mother opened it and walked into her room.
"Hey kiddo, it's about time for you to get out and explore your new surroundings, that and to try to make new friends." Her mother said, her voice soft and gentle, just like a mother's voice should be.
Her mother had long straight brown hair and blue eyes, her body small and fragile looking, something that didn't match her personality at all. A personality that Nozomi took after, you know the saying "Mother like daughter".
The nine year old made a small sound that was a half groan and half whine. She didn't move from her spot on her bed nor moved her eyes from the television screen. Nozomi heard a sigh escape her mother and felt slightly guilty. She knew how much stress her mother goes through, she witnesses it first hand when she's home. Her hair was turning gray in a few areas, dark bags were forming under her eyes, and she's more drained than she usually was.
Nozomi then shifted and moved off from her bed, going over to the television and turning it off, when that was done she then turned and looked at her mother, nodding.
"Okay, but come with me?" She asked softly.
Her mother immediately brightened and smiled as she nodded. "Of course dear! I know just the place for us to go, you'll love it! You still like Basketball don't you?"
Nozomi smiled and nodded as she watched her mother practically bounce her way out of her room, going to her own to get ready no doubt. Walking over to the area where she kept her shoes, she slipped them on without untying the laces. She then walked out of her room, closing the door behind her.
When Nozomi was at the front door, she was waiting for her mother, but she didn't have to wait long because her mother came out a few moments later. She was now wearing her white sun hat and her white sandals, matching her white sun dress. She walked over Nozomi and smiled down at her.
"Ready to go dear?" She asked. When Nozomi nodded to her mother, the woman then turned to the front door and unlocked it. Twisting the knob, and pulling it open, she then stepped out with Nozomi following her.
As her mother closed and locked the front door with her house keys in hand, Nozomi glanced around as she slowly made her way down the stairs of the porch.
"You'll be fine dear, there's no reason to be afraid."
Nozomi pouted and looked up at her mother. "I'm not scared." She mumbled causing her mother to laugh at her, making the small brunette blush in embarrassment. Without another word Nozomi let out a small huff and grabbed her mother's hand, dragging her down the pathway that led them to the main sidewalk.
Her mother let out a joyful laugh which caused Nozomi to smile softly herself. She glanced around as her mother led the way to the place where she said Nozomi would love, keeping her head down as they walked, not wanting to meet the gazes from the passing strangers.
The nine year old didn't know how long it took them to get to the place that her mother wanted to show her, but they soon arrived and Nozomi immediately heard the familiar sound of a ball being dribbled.
They were at a small streetball court.
Looking up she saw two boys not that far away from where Nozomi and her mother were standing. Biting her lower lip, the small brown haired girl let go of her mother's hand and looked up her to only receive an encouraging nod. Returning her attention to the two boys playing Basketball by themselves, she slowly made her way over, her body trembling due to her nervousness.
As Nozomi got closer, she was able to make out one of the boys' appearances.
One boy had dark red hair that had black in certain areas with weird eyebrows and eyes that matched the color of his dark red hair, his skin was lightly tan just like her own. The boy he was playing with had black hair and pale skin, Nozomi couldn't see his face due to him facing away from her.
The redhead soon noticed her and blinked a few times before he straightened up from his defensive stance in front of the raven haired boy. He offered a small smile and waved, and a few moments later the raven turned around and together the both of them walked over to her.
"Hey, are you new around here?" The redhead asked, the smile still on his face.
Nozomi made a small sound, half tempted to just run back to her mother, but knew that she couldn't without embarrassing herself.
She nodded a few moments later. "Y-Yes. I-I-I just moved here with my mother." She said softly, glancing down as she played with a strand of her brown hair.
The redhead grinned. "Cool! I moved here a few months ago! You'll like it here!" He said, he then blinked and tilted his head to the side, his smile disappearing. "What are you doing here? Do you like Basketball too?" He asked.
Nozomi paused for a few moments before she nodded. "Y-Yes. M-My friend got me to like it."
The redhead's grin was back, but was ten times brighter. "Cool! My name is Kagami..er..Taiga, and this is Tatsuya, what's your name?" He asked.
The brunette blinked. They're Japanese too? Nozomi offered a tiny smile of her own. "N-Nozomi, ni-nice to meet you two."
The redhead, Taiga, continued to grin as he nodded.
The raven then spoke after being quiet for the whole time. "Would you like to play with us?" He asked.
Nozomi blinked before she shook her head. "I-I can't play, I suck. I can't even get the ball in the hoop." She said, feeling embarrassed as she admitted this to them. They would only laugh at her and make fun of her like everyone else had when she tried to play.
"That's okay! We can teach you how, right Tatsuya?" Taiga asked, causing Nozomi to leave her thoughts, looking up and at Tatsuya who gently smiled at her. Now that she got an up close look on him, she took in his appearance.
His eyes were a darker shade of gray than hers, his bangs hung over his left eye, and he had a black spot by his right eye. A beauty mark.
"I don't mind." He replied with a nod.
Nozomi blinked a few times before she nodded. "I-If you're okay with it." She said softly.
"Awesome! Let's start now!" Taiga said going over to her and grabbing her hand, pulling her over to the small Basketball court. When they got there Taiga handed her the Basketball and smiled at her. "Show me what you got!" He said.
Nozomi blinked before she made a small sound, frowning slightly as she hesitated, glancing down at the ball then back up at the redhead who was now frowning at her in confusion and worry.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
The brunette blinked and looked back up at him due to her looking down once more. She then smiled nervously. "I-I'm fine….I-I'm just scared o-o-of you two making fun of me." She said. Nozomi then looked up at the hoop and threw the ball up. The Basketball hit the backboard hard which caused it to bounce back and hit her in the head. She let out a small yelp and reached up, rubbing the area where the ball had just hit her.
Taiga laughed which made Nozomi's eyes glistened with tears as she started to regret her decision on playing with them,but she let out a small gasp when her bangs were suddenly pushed out of her face by a warm hand. She blushed in embarrassment when she saw Taiga smiling at her softly.
"You got a good arm, but your aim is off because your hair is in your eyes. Pull your hair back so it isn't in front of your eyes, it will help you. Wait here, I'll ask my Mom for a hair tie!" The redhead was off before she could even reply.
Nozomi blinked and made a small sound. Move her hair out of her face? But she could see just fine, would it really make a difference? The brunette waited there like Taiga told her to, and a few moments later, he was back with a black hair tie in his hand.
"I'll put your hair up, hold still!" He said grinning. He then went behind her and pulled her hair back. The brunette blinked when her hair disappeared from her vision, and soon enough her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She looked at Taiga when he walked back around, watching as his eyes widened.
"Wow, you're really pretty! You should keep your hair like this, it suits you!" He exclaimed, somewhat shocked by the fact that she hid her face like that when she was indeed very pretty, or at least in his opinion.
Nozomi blinked in surprise before her face heated up in embarrassment, she made a small squeaking sound and hid her face in her hands, shaking her head.
"D-Don't say things like that!"
Taiga laughed. "Haha, sorry. Let's back back to teaching you. This time hold the Basketball like this, aim a little lower, and don't have your elbows out to the side so much, it throws off your aim." He explained.
The brunette made a small sound and pulled her hands away from her face. Looking at Taiga, she watched him carefully as he showed her how to shoot properly. When Taiga handed her the ball back she did what he showed her and threw the ball up after taking aim. The ball went up and hit the rim, rolling around it once before it fell off and back onto the ground. Nozomi frowned but Taiga placed a hand on her head.
"Hey, it's okay, you're still learning! You did great for your second try, you'll be a pro at it in no time!" He exclaimed making Nozomi stare at him before offering a small smile.
"Y-Yeah…You're right…T-Thank you."
Nozomi didn't know how much time passed until her mother called her back, saying that it was time to leave. For hours Nozomi had played with Tatsuya and Taiga, surprisingly getting along with them well. They didn't make fun of her, they were actually really nice and supportive, she liked them. Since they all got along together fairly well, they all agreed to meet one another at the street court again, and Nozomi could hardly wait.
As Nozomi and her mother made their way back home, the small brunette told her mother all about her two new friends, a smile on her face as she spoke of them.
"Seems like you enjoyed yourself, that's good to hear, I'm happy for you dear! You said their names are Taiga and Tatsuya? I'll make sure to thank them personality." Her mother replied.
Nozomi blinked, looking up at her mother in confusion. "Thank them? For what?"
"For being nice to you, for making you more confident in yourself. I already see a difference of how you hold yourself. You're not hiding your face under your hair like you usually do, and don't tell me it's just because of the silly sport. I believe that they will help you evolve into a beautiful woman."
Cheeks turning red in embarrassment, Nozomi looked down, her eyes downcast, and a pout on her lips as she listened to her mother's laughter.
Soon they got back to their house. Nozomi went ahead of her mother and ran up the steps of the porch, pausing and turning around when she reached the front door. She gave her mother a bright smile, the blush still present on her face.
Her mother hummed and went to the door, pulling out her keys before she unlocked the door and opened it, pushing it open and waiting for Nozomi to enter the building first.
When Nozomi entered their house, the small brunette kicked off her shoes and immediately went to her room. Maybe one thing changed about her, but that doesn't mean her whole self would. Leaving the door open, Nozomi walked over to her bed and sat down on it, reaching up and touching her hair that was still in the ponytail that Taiga had put it in. She sat there for a few moments, not really sure on what she wanted to do.
After a few moments of thinking it over, she decided to leave her hair up for the moment. She shifted before she laid down on her bed, pressing the palm of her hand on the mattress, she shifted so she was resting on her side, and rested her cheek on her hand, curling her legs up to her chest.
It wasn't even a half an hour later when Nozomi woke up from a nap that she wasn't even aware of taking by her mother's voice, telling her that it was time to eat dinner.
The nine year old brunette shifted into a sitting position and yawned, stretching her arms out as she let out a small breath. She then pushed herself off from her bed and stood, walking out of her room and making her way to the small kitchen that had a small two people table in it.
" I hope spaghetti is good for tonight, I have to go out and get groceries tomorrow, and as I go out and do that you can hang out with those two boys." Her mother said as Nozomi sat down in her spot at the table.
Nozomi paused for a short moment, glancing at her mother silently before she hummed and gave a small nod. "Okay." She then grabbed her fork and started to eat, keeping her eyes glued to her plate, her shy nature returning.
Taiga and Tatsuya…
Nozomi smiled to herself. Her heart feeling warm and fuzzy at the thought of her two new friends, the very same boys who promised to show her how to play Basketball.
I hope that we can be friends forever.
One year later.
"Happy birthday Tai-Chan!"
It has been a little over a year since that day, the day of when Nozomi moved and met her two best friends in the entire world, Kagami Taiga, and Himuro Tatsuya, two Japanese boys who just so happen to be in America.
During the year long time of knowing the two boys, she found out a lot about them. That, for example, Tatsuya's birthday was October 30th and he was two years older than her and a year older than Taiga, and that Taiga's birthday was August 2nd, which was today!
Nozomi had changed a lot over the year, and it's all thanks to the two of them.
She had longer hair which she always had pulled back by either a headband or hair tie in a ponytail, she was a lot more open and outgoing, not caring on what people thought of her, she was a lot more active than she used to be, almost being outside with Taiga ad Tatsuya all the time, and her Basketball skills grew and expanded as well.
Of course she had no chance at winning against either one of them, but that's why she will continue on growing and then one day she will beat them both and become the best Basketball player out of the three of them.
Over the year she also met Alexandria Garcia, a blonde haired green eyed woman who was Taiga's and Tatsuya's Basketball mentor. They had met her while playing basketball one day and they had went over to her to ask her if she could teach them how to play better, she had rejected them at first, but then as they were playing together the blonde had jumped in and snatched the ball from them. And that's pretty much when she decided that she would teach Taiga and Tatsuya. When Nozomi met Alexandria, the blonde had took just one look at her and immediately glomped her into a big tight hug claiming that she was a cute little foreign puppy (hinting how her eyes looked like ones of a small puppy who was innocent and shy). And that's how Nozomi's basketball skills grew. From the help from both Taiga and Tatsuya, but also from Alex who Nozomi thought of as a older sister.
Currently the three of them were at Nozomi's house, her mother was at work, and due to her mother's trust in the boys, they were able to hang out at her place for the day, watching television, playing video games, or even just talking. And since it was Taiga's birthday, Nozomi wanted the day to be special.
The said redhead blinked in surprise, his dark red eyes staring at the small box that Nozomi was holding out to him, a big grin on her face. Hesitantly, the eleven year old reached out and grabbed the small box from her hands and opened the white lid off from it
Inside the small box was a silver Tiger pendant that was attached to a long silver chain.
Taiga stared at it with wide eyes, looking up at Nozomi who was staring at him intensely, wanting to see his reaction. Taiga then pulled the pendant out carefully, scared that he might end up accidentally breaking it if he handled it too roughly . He then placed the small white box down and lifted the chain up, slipping it over his head, he let the pendant fall down onto his chest, resting next to the silver ring that hung from a chain, a gift from Tatsuya shortly after they met which symbolized their brotherhood
Nozomi had gotten a matching one a month after their meeting, officially making her their younger sister.
Taiga then smiled widely as he looked back up at the brunette. "Thanks Nozomi, I love it!"
Somehow she managed to smile even wider and brighter, and Taiga was afraid that she might end up ripping her cheeks at how big the smile was.
"You do? I'm glad! I saw it and I immediately thought of you. It's cheap,but I wanted to get you something nice like I did with Tat-Chan." She said, blushing a little as she admitted this.
For the raven's birthday she had gotten him a Dragon pendant, and ever since that day he had wore it, not once taking it off.
Taiga smiled and shifted, reaching out and grabbing her by both of her arms, pulling her to him and wrapping his arms around her in a hug a few moments later.
"Thank you No-Chan, I'll never take this off." He said softly.
They sat there for a few moments, hugging one another tightly until the brunette pulled away. She then scooted back and got up. "Wait there, don't move, there's something else!" She said, and without another word she turned and walked off, not giving Taiga a chance of replying.
The redhead blinked in confusion but didn't question it, he simply looked over at Tatsuya who merely shrugged.
For his birthday, Tatsuya had gotten him a new basketball since it all the air of his old one went out due to some kind of puncture hole it got when he had put it in his family's garage.
A few minutes went by and Nozomi finally arrived back, holding something behind her back, her gray eyes shining with some kind of glint that Taiga wasn't familiar with.
She then pulled the thing from behind her back, showing it to him. It was a cupcake with red frosting on it and one single candle on it, a small little flame going on it.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Tai-Chan, happy birthday to you, make a wish Tai-Chan!" Nozomi exclaimed, her smile wide and excited.
Taiga blinked a few times before he looked down at the lit candle, he then thought for a few moments before he smiled and nodded, blowing out the candle.
The brunette then handed him the cupcake and the red head happily took the candle out and took a bite out of it, a smile on his face.
"Thanks No-Chan, this has the best birthday ever." He said.
"Ew, don't talk with your mouth full, it's yucky." Nozomi said, her nose scrunched up in disgust when Taiga spoke with his mouth full, getting crumbs all over the place.
Taiga shrugged in reply, only really focusing on his cupcake at the moment, hearing but ignoring the chuckle that Tatsuya released.
Ten year old Nozomi puffed out her cheeks, her gray eyes narrowed as she watched the redhead gobble down the cupcake she had gave him, but soon a small smile appeared on her face as she continued to watch him. She then shifted and moved closer to him, causing him to pause and look at her.
"No-Chan?" He asked.
The brunette paused for a short moment before she reached out and pressed her palm flat against his forehead, she pushed up his bangs and leaned in, pressing a kiss to the center of his forehead. Pulling away a few moments later, Nozomi blushed in embarrassment when she saw Taiga's wide eyed expression, she glanced over to the raven and he looked surprised as well. Nozomi's face rivaled Taiga's hair color due to how hot her face got that moment, she pulled away and covered her face with her hands.
"S-Stop staring at me!" She shouted, her voice a higher pitch.
The boys were silent for a few moments before Nozomi heard them both laugh.
"I love you too Nozo-Chan!"
The brunette froze before she pulled her hands away from her face, her gray eyes wide as she lashed out, pouncing onto Taiga as she reached up, hooking her thumbs on both corners of his mouth and pulled, making his mouth get stretched open.
"Y-Y-You idiot! I didn't mean that!" She screeched.
"Waaaaaah! Lay oh of eeeh!" Taiga cried, reaching up and grabbing onto her arms, trying to make her let go of his cheeks, it hurt and he could feel his dry lips cracking due to to the force that she was pulling his cheeks.
"I don't love you and your stupid face! I only did that because my mother does that to me on my birthday so don't get any ideas!" Nozomi shouted, her face still dark as Taiga's hair. A few moments passed and she finally let go of his cheeks, pulling away from him and sitting down in front of him, her arms crossed and her head turned to the side, her lips in a pout and cheeks puffed out. "Hmph, stupid Bakagami." She mumbled.
Taiga rubbed his cheeks, a small pout on his own lips before he blinked at the sudden new nickname, he stared at her before his eyes widened in disbelief. "EHHHHH?! What did you just call me!?" He asked, pushing himself into a sitting position as he stared at her.
Nozomi blinked a few times, glancing at him for a short second before a grin formed on her face as she turned her head to face him. "Bakagami, that's your new nickname. Bakagami, Bakagami, Kagami Taiga is a Bakagami!" Nozomi sang while clapping her hands together, laughing.
Taiga made a small sound before he grinned. "Take that back or I'll have no choice but to punish you!" He said.
Nozomi raised a brow at him. "You and what army?" She asked, her grin widening. "Bakagami~"
"Me and my army of the tickles!" Right after saying that Taiga pounced on her much like she had done to him, but he reached out and tickled her sides.
"EEEEK!" Nozomi screeched as she fell backwards, landing on the floor on her back with Taiga hovering over her, his hands on her sides tickling her, a spot where she is most ticklish. "AHH! Hahahahahahaa! S-s-s-stop!" She cried out laughing, squirming around, trying to get away from the hands that were giving her punishment. But it was no use, she couldn't get away. "Hahahahahahahaha! O-O-Okay I-I'm sorry!" She screeched, curling her legs up, trying to protect herself from him.
"Take it back!" Taiga demanded, pausing in his torture, looking down at the brunette under her, taking in her shining gray eyes and red face, no doubt both from laughing.
"Never! You're Bakaga-MEEEEP!" Nozomi squeaked, twitching when Taiga started up on his tickling again. She started to laugh again, wiggling once more. "AHHHHH! T-Tat! H-Help me!" Nozomi begged, turning her head to the side, reaching a hand out in Tatsuya's direction, her vision blurry with tears.
"No! Don't help her! She needs to take it back!" Taiga said, not looking away from Nozomi just in case she would try something to get away from him.
"T-T-Tat! P-P-Please! H-H-Help me!" Nozomi cried, staring at the raven, begging him both verbally and non-verbally to help her.
The raven let out a small laugh and shifted from his position on the floor, instead of pulling the redhead away from her, Tatsuya reached out and started to tickle Taiga in the same location causing the redhead to scream out in surprise.
"AHH! Tatsuya! You t-t-traitor!" Taiga screeched, curling up as he started to laugh himself as he tried to get away from the older boy.
"You're the one who started it first Taiga, I'm only returning the favor in Nozomi-chan's favor." The raven stated as he continued to tickle the redhead who paused in his own tickling due to not being able to focus anymore.
Nozomi was then able to wiggle away much to her joy. She shifted and stood up, throwing her hands up into the air in celebration. "Yay!" She cheered.
The raven then pulled away, a smile on his lips as he backed away from Taiga who panted. Taiga then looked at Tatsuya and pouted, narrowing his eyes at him. "You traitor, I don't know you anymore." He said.
"You can't stay mad at me forever Taiga, I was only helping in Nozomi, you started it first so I wanted to help her get her revenge." The older one out of the three said.
Taiga whined. "But you weren't suppose to help her~!"
Nozomi giggled and went behind Taiga and dropped down onto her knees, she then wrapped her arms around him. "We wuv you Tai-Chan!" She cooed making the redhead blush and snort, pulling away from the snickering brunette. He then got up with a small huff, sulking.
Tatsuya laughed softly. "Let's go play Basketball." He said making Taiga immediately grin and nod in agreement.
"Yeah! Let's go play basketball!" He said before he ran over to the front door of Nozomi's house, but paused when he didn't hear following footsteps. He blinked in confusion and looked over to see Nozomi still on the floor on her knees.
"I can't go, I have to stay here until mother comes back." She said softly looking down, she then smiled and looked up and smiled brightly at them. "But you two can go, you don't have to stay here." She said.
Taiga paused for a few moments, he then made a small sound and sighed. He then shifted and went back over to them. "I'm not going if you can't come with. I love Basketball, but I love you more." He said grinning brightly.
Nozomi blinked before she blushed darkly. "WHAT!?"
Taiga stared at her as if she had just grown a second head, he then blushed darkly. "Not like that you i-idiot! I meant as a friend, as a sister! Geez stop overreacting!" He said.
Nozomi stared at him for a few seconds before she huffed and looked away, crossing her arms over her chest, something that she and Taiga had been doing a lot that day.
"Then you shouldn't have said it like that." She grumbled.
Tatsuya sighed and shook his head, he then walked over to the living room television and crouched down, grabbing one of the three controllers of the gamecube they had on the bottom shelf of the T.V stand.
"Since neither one of us wants to leave Nozomi, let's play a game." He said.
Nozomi and Taiga glanced at one another before they smiled and nodded, making their way over to join Tatsuya.
"When is Alex supposed to come over and drop off your present Tai-Chan?" Nozomi asked.
Taiga paused for a short moment before he frowned and shrugged. "I don't know. I told her that I would be here, but maybe she forgot.' He mumbled before he grabbed one of the controllers and sat down on the floor.
Nozomi frowned softly before she smiled and plopped down next to him, grabbing the last controller on the way down onto the floor. "She didn't forget, she's probably just busy. How could she forget when you kept on reminding everyone?" She teased.
Taiga puffed out his cheeks before he smiled. "Let's play smash bros! This time I'll be the winner!"
The brunette shook her head. "Na-Uh! I'm going to win! Tat-Chan, make sure to knock him off the screen!"
Tatsuya chuckled softly as he turned the television on and turned it to the setting so they could play the game on it. The raven then turned the GameCube on before he got up and sat down on the other side of Taiga.
"I'm not helping you, I'm going to be the winner." He said smiling making Taiga and Nozomi grumble.
"You always win."
"I hate you."
The oldest out of the three of them chuckled softly. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you two." He said.
"Wha-no!" Nozomi glared at him. "If you go easy on me I won't forgive you! "
Taiga nodded in agreement. "Yeah!"
Tatsuya hummed softly before he opened his mouth to say something, but then there was a knock at the front door which caused the three of the to pause.
"That must be Alex!" Nozomi grinned, getting up from her spot on the floor and going over to the front door just as the title screen of Smash bros appeared on the television screen. When she got to the front door, Nozomi unlocked it and opened it, smiling brightly she she saw the familiar blonde haired woman. "Hi Alex!"
The blonde blinked before she smiled. "Hi Nozomi." She said grinning before she walked into the house and closed the door behind her. Going into the living room, the woman known as Alexandria Garcia went over to the two boys and dropped down into her knees behind them, reaching out and grabbing them, pulling them close to her chest
"I missed you two so much!" She said before she leaned down pressing a kiss to both of their cheeks making them both flush in embarrassment.
"Ack, W-Why!?" Taiga cried, pulling himself away from Alex, reaching up and rubbing his cheek as he glared at the blonde haired woman who was his, Nozomi's, and Tatsuya's Basketball mentor.
Alex wasn't effected by his glare, she just continued to smile. She shifted before she pulled a shoe box from her bag.
"Happy birthday Taiga!" She said before she handed him the shoe box.
The redhead blinked a couple of times before he smiled brightly at her and opened the box.
It was a new pair of Basketball shoes. The main color of then was white, but the outline on the bottom was dark blue. Taiga's old Basketball shoes were falling apart, his father had refused to get him new shoes because he didn't see the point in playing Basketball, saying that it was a waste of time. But thanks to Alex, he now had a new pair and he didn't have to worry about it anymore.
"Thanks Alex!" He said, jumping over to her and wrapping his arms around her neck since she was still crouching down, hugging her tightly.
The woman laughed. "You're welcome Taiga, I'm happy you like them." She said, hugging him as she patted his back softly.
Taiga soon pulled back, grinning brightly. "This is the best birthday ever! Thank you!"
Nozomi and Tatsuya smiled and nodded while Alex jumped and hugged him, kissing his cheek again much to the redhead's displeasure.
One year later
"Nii, Tai-Chan, have you had your first kiss yet?" Nozomi asked as she, Taiga, and Tatsuya all sat on the benches in the street court, taking a break from playing Basketball.
The said redhead blinked and looked at the brunette. "No, why?"
The girl hummed in reply before she looked at the raven. "How about you Tat-Chan? You're the oldest so you must've had your first kiss right?"
"Actually, no I haven't, why are you asking?"
Nozomi furrowed her brows and hummed softly, she then shifted, bringing one leg up, pressing her foot on the bench as she held her knee close to her chest. "A lot of the girls in my class has been talking about their first kisses, and when I was asked I told them that I haven't been kissed yet they made fun of me for it. Saying no boy wants to kiss me because I'm not pretty enough."
"So you want us to kiss you?" Tatsuya asked.
Nozomi blinked before her face turned dark red. "Th-That isn't true!" But in reality it was. She wanted to prove it to the other girls in her class that she could get her first kiss too, that she could be just as pretty as them! The brunette's shoulders then slumped. "Okay….maybe I do, but just so the other girls can stop making fun of me."
Taiga and Tatsuya didn't answer so she feared for the worse. She then shook her head and put on a smile, closing her eyes as she felt them glisten with tears. "Haha." She forced out a laugh as she reached her hands up waving them in front of her face. "Just forget that I even said anything about-" Nozomi was cut off when something soft, warm, and dry pressed against her lips. Her eyes flew open, staring wide eyed as her face turned crimson. She pulled away with a high pitched squeak. "W-Wha?!"
Taiga blushed in embarrassment, his own eyes wide as he rubbed the back of his head. "What?! You wanted to have your first kiss so I gave it to you!"
The brunette made a small sound before she punched the redhead on the shoulder. "Y-Yeah but I didn't know that you were going to actually do it!" She screeched, her voice a higher pitch due to her embarrassment. She then made a small sound and puffed her cheeks out as she glanced off to the side. "It wasn't even that good anyway." She added in an undertone grumble.
Taiga sputtered at that and Tatsuya laughed. He then got up from his position on the bench where he had sat on other side of Taiga, and went over to Nozomi, stopping in front of her. He then reached down and lifted her chin up like he had learned from all the times his parents had kissed, and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss on her lips. He then pulled away a few seconds later with a small smile on his face, a tiny blush on his own face.
Nozomi blinked a few times before she blushed darkly, she made a high pitch squealing sound before she hid her face in her knee. The tip of her ears turning red as he heard Tatsuya and Taiga laugh at her reaction.
"There, now we all had our first kiss."
"Stupid Tat-Chan, stupid Tai-Chan." The brunette grumbled. "Kissing is weird, I don't know what's the big deal about it is."
"A kiss is what you share with another person, and that person is usually someone you love." Tatsuya said making Nozomi pause before looking up.
"Someone you love?"
"Yeah. My parents kiss each other because they love one another, and sometimes friends kiss one another because they love each other too. I love you and Taiga, but only as my siblings." The raven explained.
Nozomi blinked a few times before she made a small sound. "Oh, that makes sense I guess. Maybe I should've left my first kiss for my future husband…..oh well, I'm glad I got a kiss from the both of you!" She said, a bright smile appearing on her face as she got up.
"Eh?! Why?" Taiga asked as he got up along with Tatsuya who was also curious.
"Because silly! I love you both, as my best friends and brothers, but that doesn't matter to me! I was able to share it with the people I love and trust the most, and that made me really happy! Thank you!"
Taiga made a small sound and glanced off to the side. "That's a weird thing to be thanking us for."
Nozomi hummed before she giggled softly. "It will be our secret! No one but us three will ever know!"
Taiga and Tatsuya both blinked in surprise and confusion, but they shouldn't really be surprised. Nozomi was an odd one after all. They both gave their best friend a smile and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah."
"Alright then."
Nozomi smiled brightly at the both of them and nodded, she then reached out and grabbed both of their hands and pulled them with her to the court. "Come on, let's go play again!"
They played with one another until they were called home by their parents, they all said bye to one another and went their separate ways following their parents home. Nozomi smiled as she walked, the eleven year old was very happy that her two best friends had gave her her first kiss, now she could prove those other girls wrong!
"You seem happy, is there anything that I need to know about?" Her mother asked making the smaller brunette to blink and look up at her mother, she then shook her head.
"Nope! I just had a lot of fun playing with Tai-Chan and Tat-Chan today, that's all!"
Just their little secret.
One year later (last time skip)
"I'm moving."
Over the year Nozomi's mother had met a man over some kind of dating website, and her mother really liked the guy too. He even flew to America to meet her mother, he was Japanese just like her and her mother, his name was Saki Hikari.
At first, Nozomi hated the guy. Believing that he was there just to steal her mother away and leave her all on her own, and it didn't matter how many times they tried to explain that they wouldn't leave her, the twelve year old girl didn't listen to either one of them.
But over the months of being there, living with them, Hikaru always made her mother happy. Her mother laughed and smiled a lot more, and she didn't seem as stressed out either. It made Nozomi both happy and scared.
What if her mother didn't need her anymore? What if Hikaru was the only one she wanted and needed now? One night she woke up and went to her mother's and Hikaru's shared room, crying and voicing her fears with them. They both immediately reassured her that it would never come to that, that Nozomi was their little princess and nothing would ever make them want to get rid of her. She had slept with them in their bed that night.
Shorty after that incident, both her mother and Hikaru made sure to include her in more things. Taking her out to eat with them, taking her out to the movies, and even took her with them when they went on picnic dates.
She and Hikaru had also gotten closer after that, and as they hung out with one another more, Nozomi had learned Hikaru's mother had left him and his father at a very young age as well. She had cheated on his father with another man and ran off with him, leaving both a young Hikaru and his father heartbroken.
After getting to know him better, Nozomi finally came to realize something. Hikaru made both her mother and herself happy, Hikaru was like a father that Nozomi never had growing up. So she made her opinion known by telling both her mother and Hikaru that she accepted him into their family. Hikaru had broke down crying at that, thanking her for her acceptance.
A few weeks later Hikaru and Nozomi's mother got engaged and that's how Nozomi got into the situation she was in now.
Since they were engaged, Hikaru wanted to go back to Japan and live with his father and step mother, wanting to get their approval and such, and Suki, her mother, was all for it.
But Nozomi didn't want to move, she wanted to stay there with Taiga and Tatsuya, she didn't want to leave them. She didn't want to be alone again. But she also didn't want to leave her mother, so she had no choice but to go. She had to move to Japan with them.
And Taiga and Tatsuya knew it as well, but that doesn't mean that they were happy with it. They were just as heartbroken as she was with the whole idea.
"I don't want you to leave….I love playing basketball with you, and Tatsuya does too!" Thirteen year old Taiga said, a deep frown on his face.
The fourteen year old nodded in agreement.
Nozomi sighed and looked down. "I don't want to move either, but I can't leave my mom." Her gray eyes glistened in tears. "I hate this, this is so unfair!" She cried, her lower lip trembling violently as she reached up, rubbing her eyes as she sobbed.
She felt both Taiga and Tatsuya wrap their arms around her making her shift and wrap her arms around them in reply.
"Why do you have to move? This is so stupid." Taiga said softly, his voice shaky, you could easily tell that he was crying as well.
Nozomi nodded in agreement, tightening her grip on them as they continued to hug one another. But a few minutes later they all pulled away from one another.
"...Want to go play basketball?" The brunette asked softly, knowing that this would be the last time that they would be playing together before she had to leave. The two boys nodded and took her hands in theirs, and together all three of them made their way to the street ball court.
As they made their ways to the street court, a few adults who they had walked past had stopped them and asked them if they were alright due to their sad expressions. Each one they all nodded in a silent answer before they continued on their way.
Soon they got to the court, but none of them made a move to go over to the Basketball and the Basketball hoop. They all just kind of stood there in the entrance of the court.
After a few minutes of just standing there silently, Nozomi slowly led them over there, letting go of Taiga's and Tatsuya's hand and grabbing the abandoned Basketball that was usually laying around in the court. She then turned to them and gave them both a bright smile.
"Let's just forget about it and play like we usually do! I don't want to be sad as we play!"
The two older boys blinked at her sudden exclaim before they both smiled and nodded, agreeing with her.
"Yeah, let's play! First one up to ten wins!" Taiga exclaimed.
"You're on!"
So that's what they did. They played against one another, and when one of them won, they started to play a new game. It lasted for hours, the three of them enjoying their limited time left with one another to their full enjoyment, and just like Nozomi had suggested, they all forgot about her having to move, making them all play in a better mood.
But it was now getting late out, and Nozomi would have to get home soon so she could pack up stuff. They all agreed to go to the park not that far away next, finding a nice grassy area under a tree where they all laid down, Nozomi in the middle and both boys to her sides. They all were holding hands again, staring up at the darkening sky.
Nozomi frowned softly as she watched the sky turn several shades of pink, purple, and orange due to the sun setting. She let out a small sigh causing the two boys to direct their attention to her.
"My mom told me one time that distance doesn't matter in a friendship, that you can have the best of friends living millions of miles away from you. I understand that, but…" Nozomi trailed off closing her eyes just as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I don't want to leave you." She whispered. "It won't be the same. We won't be able to play Basketball, we won't be able to hang out everyday, we won't even be able to talk at all due to the timezones! How can we keep in contact?"
Taiga and Tatsuya frowned, both staying silent before they both gave a gentle squeeze to her hands.
"We'll figure out something."
"Taiga's right. We won't let the distance stop us from being your friend."
Nozomi opened her eyes and smiled softly. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She said softly.
They then went quiet. Staying silent as they watched the dark sky fill with stars, a gentle breeze blowing causing their skin to chill. As they watched the night sky, Nozomi came up with an idea and let go of the two boy's hands and shifted, getting up and turning around, crouching in front of them both.
"Let's make a promise."
Taiga and Tatsuya blinked, furrowing their brows.
"What kind of promise?" The raven asked.
Nozomi stayed silent for a few moments before she smiled. "A promise that, even though we won't know what the future holds for us, let's all promise to meet and play with one another again in the future!"
The two older male's blinked in surprise, looking at one another before looking at Nozomi. They then slowly smiled and nodded.
"That sounds like a good plan."
"Yeah let's do it."
Nozomi smiled brightly and held her pinkie fingers out to them, and both Taiga and Tatsuya wrapped their pinkies around hers.
"We promise to meet one another again in the future, no matter how long it might take, we will all meet and play basketball again!" Nozomi said, smiling at her two best friends.
Taiga and Tatsuya smiled.
"I promise."
A strong friendship doesn't need daily conversation or being together. As long as the relationship lives in the heart, true friends never part.
Author's notes : I posted this on my first account as a one-shot, but I decided to continue the series idea as one whole story instead of making separate books. It will be easier to keep track of. But I warn you, the actual events for this story won't start for a while, the next part of this story will take place just a little while after Nozomi moved to Japan with her mother and Hikari, that's where the other major Ocs will be introduced into the story! During that part of the series, none of the canon Kuroko no Basuke characters will be shown, only mentioned and possibly be briefly seen but no real major interaction with them until the third part of the series in this fanfiction. If you are curious on how my oc team forms then please stick with me throughout this story of how friendship blooms between the most unlikely people!
Sorry for any errors that may have showed up! Hope to see you in future chapters! See you there~!
Part 1 out of 4 of the Kuroko o Basuke oc chronicles : Complete.
Part 1 : A promise made under the starry sky : Complete.
Part 2 : The meaning of friendship and teamwork : In process.
Part 3 : Together we will rise : Coming soon.
Part 4 : What our future holds : Coming soon.
