It's not usual for him, a famous model who has pretty face, cool style, and is also very good at sport—though his academic score is so-so—to admire someone else besides himself. This Kise Ryouta now is different, he changed after he met that one person who is better than him, at least, in basketball. Kise is a genius at sport, a fast learner, if anything aside from basketball, he can easily take control of it. Basketball is not an exception, though Kise has never tried it before, he's able to catch up with everyone else in the Teikou basketball club, but not Aomine Daiki. The tremendous power, dexterous movements of the tanned boy have shifted Kise from his boredom, at the right time. Aomine is such an amazing player that Kise may never be able to overtake. But it's just exactly what Kise really wants. The blonde only needs 2 weeks to get in to the first string, and a bit more time for him to play as a regular. Of course this fact is such bitter news for some people, for his seniors who are already on their last year in middle school—but have never got the chance to play as a starter. Jealousy is everywhere, swarming around Kise. He is the only regular who just joined the club on his second year, after all.
"Oi, Kise-kun. Take this mop and clean the gym floor!" It has become so natural for Kise, receiving such orders from his seniors to do these and those, sometimes with coarse language and harsh action. And this day too, after the training ends, his senpai asks him to mop the gym floor though today is not Kise's duty. Kise must go to his workplace now, he has a photo session schedule which he can't cancel. Brows furrow, Kise isn't sure how to refuse his senpai's order.
"Ummh, Matsui-senpai, today is not my duty" Kise's statement makes his senpai annoyed. He can look how his senpai squinting, looking at him with piercing eyes. The other second and first year students are not there, there are only the third year students who are on Matsui's side. Kise's facing his senpai alone when Matsui grabbing his clothes and whispering a short line in front of the blonde. Kise sweats beads. He doesn't know what to do. Maybe he can just do what his senpai wants. But in the other hand, he can't break the contract he had made, a job is a job, he must be professional.
"Yeah, so? You have schedule, model-san?" That dark haired senpai keeps cornering Kise. He's well-known for his bad attitude. He used to be a starter before he got his leg injured. Even after the physiotherapy healed him, he can't be as good as he was. It makes him so depressed. He hates this junior in front of him who can easily become a starter, while he can't be a starter anymore, yes, he hates Kise Ryouta the most. It's so unfair for him, and maybe for everyone who keep struggling from their first year, but up until now, still can't get themselves into the regular.
"Well, no need to answer. I don't care if you have, but with this, you don't need to go to your workplace for several days." That senpai hits Kise's pretty face, the model can't keep his balance until he tumbles onto the floor. But his senpai just left him there without saying anything. The other third year only look at him without helping, they are all afraid of Matsui, it's all about bully or being bullied. That punch left a visible bruise on Kise's cheeks, even make up will barely cover it. It's no use to ask why is he being bullied, he knows the answer, it's because his presence is really annoying for some people. But Kise doesn't wanna give up just because of that reason, he wants to keep playing on the same court with Aomine, the one whom he can't overtake.
"Kise.. Why are you still here?" That voice, Kise really knows that the voice comes from the navy blue haired, tanned boy whom he adores so much. "You said that you have a—hey, that bruise, what happened?" It's kind of surprising for Kise to see Aomine here, it's because Aomine also said that he had to go home immediately after practice. Aomine touches Kise's cheek, only to check his bruise.
"Aww! It hurts!" Aomine furrows his brows when Kise shrieks like that. A bruise like that is really a serious problem for a model like Kise, of course it makes Aomine worry. A sigh comes from Aomine's lips, the dark skinned boy grabs Kise's wrist tightly, he takes Kise outside the gym. Of course the blonde gets confused when Aomine suddenly drags him, Kise doesn't know what Aomine shall do. "Aominecchi, where are we going?" The bluenette ignores Kise and keeps dragging the blonde along. Step by step they take, with Aomine unconsciously keeps grabbing Kise's wrist so tight, too tight. Now they're walking through the corridors, it's so quite because all students are already left the classrooms. And after a few minutes, they arrive at the infirmary.
"Let me guess, senpai did that to you, right?" Sapphire eyes glare to look for something to heal Kise's bruise, but the blonde only sits on the bed without answering Aomine's question. "So that's right, huh. Why didn't you fight back?"
"It's alright, Aominecchi. I'm fine" The model gives Aomine his smile after saying that thing, he doesn't want to make Aomine worry, or even involve the tanned boy in his problems.
"Don't force a smile, Kise. It's painful, isn't it?" Aomine gently treat Kise's bruise with an ice pack, making Kise shriek once again.
"Ngh—! That hurts!" Kise can only calm down when Aomine stops patting the ice pack. Aomine is right, after all, forcing a smile makes him suffer more pain, at this time
"Why don't you fight them back?" Aomine doesn't know how hard it is for Kise to fight back, because Kise is all alone, no one will help him. Kise has been bullied so many times when there are no many people around him.
"Ummh, in fact, I'm.. if it's not about sport or it's outside the court, I'm nothing equal to them, Aominecchi.."
"Huh? You can't fight? But it will be so troublesome for a model like you to get wounded like this." Sapphire eyes focus their sight into the other's amber eyes. Kise feels nothing other than shame, he doesn't want Aomine to see his pathetic self which is full of gaps. The figure who looks so perfect in the magazine, really is a coward who doesn't even try to defend himself. "I'll start protecting you from this time, then."
Of course the tanned boy's statement makes the blonde surprised. Amber eyes get bigger when the model hears something like that directly from someone like Aomine. He feels so pathetic yet so fortunate to be treated like that, but he also doesn't want to be a nuisance for Aomine. That prankish senior of course will do something bad again, not only to Kise, but also Aomine if he insists to help the model.
"You don't need to do that, Aominecchi. You will also get hurt if you try to help me."
"It's okay, like hell I will get hurt. I'm not like you, I can fight by myself, I can protect you, model-kun. Just trust me a little more. Can you?"
"Huh? It's up to you, if you say so. But please don't get hurt, Aominecchi. And stop calling me model-kun, it's annoying."
"Yeah, yeah. I will never get hurt, Kise Ryouta."
"Are you teasing me?" Brows furrow as the model pouts, he isn't comfortable with Aomine calling him either model-kun or Kise Ryouta. Because it sounds like the other boy is teasing him. "Just call me Kise or Ryouta. Would you?"
"You're so naggy, Kise. By the way, is it okay to cancel the photo session?"
"I'll talk to my mom, she's my manager. It's impossible to do a photo session if the bruise is so visible like this, anyway." The pretty face of his is blushing, he didn't expect that the cool Aomine Daiki will care so much about him. "I'll just want to go home now.. Aominecchi."
Aomine looks so confused noticing the model only looks blankly at the floor. He wonders what's wrong with Kise, but Aomine then assumes that the model is still shocked and scared about that incident just now without noticing the model's redden face. The bluenette grabs Kise's wrist and start walking ahead, dragging the model behind him. "Let's just go, I'll walk you home. And, don't be so gloomy like that, you're safe now."
"Eh? Ummh, yeah, of course. Because Aominecchi is beside me" By the time a big, bright smile appears on Kise's face, red flush also appears on Aomine's cheeks. Aomine only walks straight, without looking back at Kise, because he doesn't want Kise to notice his blushing face.
"Ryouta? What happened with your face?!" A blonde lady comes out from her house and walks towards her beaten son, she's so worried after seeing that purple bruise on Kise's cheek. Her son rarely gets into a fight, of course it makes her kind of confused, besides, it's also very rare to see her son brings a friend to their house, which make her more confused. "Ummh, are you Ryouta's classmate? Let's come in."
Aomine can only scratch his back of neck, it's really surprising to reveal that young hot lady is Kise's mom. She exactly looks like her son, blonde hair, beautiful amber eyes, pointed nose. Kise got his pretty face from his mom, Aomine thinks, since he doesn't know how Kise's father looks like. "No, but I'm also on the basketball club, Aomine Daiki is my name. And thank you very much, ma'am, but I have to go now."
"Ah, that's too bad. It's the first time Ryouta brings a friend. Thanks for walking him home, anyway. Make sure to visit us again next time, Aomine-kun. Ryouta is a lonely boy, please be a good friend for him."
It's so awkward for Aomine to say such formal sentences. And it becomes more awkward when Kise's mom talks like that with her mocking tone. Aomine can't believe what Kise's mom said, a famous model must have so many friends, that's what Aomine thinks.
"Mom, come on. Just because I never bring a friend, doesn't mean I am that lonely."
"Oh, Ryouta, my son. I know how lonely you are." Again, his mom talk like that in her mocking tone, making the model pouts with his flushing face.
"Let's just cut it out. Aominecchi must go home before it's too dark. Once again, thank you very much, Aominecchi."
"Well, Ryouta, take a bath now. I'll have a little chat while taking Aomine-kun to the front gate." Her son doesn't want to leave her and Aomine, at first. But Kise can only obey what his mom asked, in the end. The blonde lady and the bluenette boy then walk towards the gate, they need a few time to reach the gate because Kise has a quite big house with a wide yard, enough for them to do a little chat. "Aomine-kun, thank you very much, once again. And I really mean every word I have said. Ryouta didn't have many friends, so I asked him to be a model so he can easily make friends, but it seems he gets so many fans instead of friends." They stop for a sec when they finally reach the gate, the model's mom makes a serious expression while Aomine only standing there awkwardly. "Would you please..become Ryouta's friend?"
That kind of question—or it's more like a request—make Aomine sigh, he really can't believe that the model's true self is really like that. "Don't worry, ma'am. We're already a good friend."
"I'm glad to hear that. Well, see you, Aomine-kun." Kise's mom looks relieved when Aomine says things like that. The smile on her face doesn't vanish until Aomine leave the house.
And that one simple request, become the beginning of their love story.
And that's it. Please support me to make the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it and stick with me till the end. And sorry for grammar errors/typos :'3