Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, favourited, and followed. Several people told me to continue so I shall honour their wishes! I like to reply to reviews at the beginning of a chapter. I hope that's okay with everyone.
Tora19Kage: Why, thank you! This idea just wouldn't go away so I wanted to see what people thought about it. Every time I post a story the character list for summaries never work. I got it to work the next day. There will be one relationship. I can only handle so much mushy-ness. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review.
iciclefangAJ: I will continue, thank you! Everyone does seem to like writing Kuroko as a girl but I don't find it particularly interesting character-wise. Fem!Aomine is a rare species. It like muscular idiots, sleeping, and ear cleaning. Approach with caution as eggplant flinging is its first line of defence.
minichampi: Honestly, I didn't like gender bending fics much either. Sometimes there's a good one but mostly I drop it by the second chapter. I have no idea what happened. Maybe I dislike OC stories more? I do like the two idiots as well. It's so fun writing about idiots. The idiots will come together like a massive planter collision … next chapter. Sorry!
Promakhos: My goal is to retain the Aomine Daiki character as much as possible with a few minor adjustments for being a teenaged girl. I'm glad to hear that I've somewhat succeeded. It's harder than I thought. And I completely agree with you for the ooc-ness in gender bending stories. It can be really frustrating so I wanted to try it out myself so I can speak from experience. Thank you for critically thoughtful comment. I really appreciate it!
MomoHoworth: Thank you very much! Lovely of you to leave a comment and here's your next chapter.
Chapter 2
Silence
Daiki slouched into the gym where the rest of the team had already gathered. She hadn't even bothered to change out of the school uniform and stood out amongst the boys in their sweaty workout shirts. An old gym clothing stench permeated the massive room. From the middle of the gym where everyone had gathered, Satsuki sent her a dirty look. Daiki had skipped the rest of school by hiding out in the nurse's office. She still hadn't figured out why the little old woman continued to believe Daiki's lies.
The wall was cool touching her back when she flopped back against it. The cool wall in contrast to the warm gym felt nice so she slid slowly down to the wooden floor and let her legs slide out in front of her. Her toes wiggled in joy, the big toe on her left foot was especially perky as it was popping out of a hole it made in another pair of socks.
Some of the team members were glaring at her, disgruntled over her special treatment. A tall member with short, blond hair was fiercely glaring at her with obvious discontent from within the team huddle. Remembering lunch and the eggplant she projected from the school roof sent a smug smirk spreading across her face. The smirk spread wider at the appearance of the bulging vein on his forehead. She raised an eyebrow, wiggled her fingers at him and watched as he almost blew his top in anger.
Wakamatsu's doctors should really warn him about the dangers of high blood pressure. It couldn't be healthy to lose your temper so often.
"Good, now that we're all here we can begin," Coach Harasawa glanced at Daiki but didn't say anything about her lateness or state of dress. Not that she expected him to. "Our first game in the Inter-High preliminaries will be against Seirin High School. Momoi-san has analyzed the game data of their last few games and will brief you on what to expect."
Seirin was the school Daiki's old teammate Tetsu went to, the new one with the average team. Truthfully, Daiki had thought that the pale, light blue haired boy had given up on basketball by joining such a minor team. So she was rather surprised to hear they made the prelims.
"Right." Satsuki smiled brightly and raised a finger. That was her lecture mode. Daiki was a professional at tuning her out. "I'll begin with their starting players. They'll most likely play their passing expert, current first year and former Teiko regular, Kuroko Tetsuya."
Satsuki paused and went in to girl-overdrive mode to the confusion of all the males in the building. It was really getting worse the farther away she was from him. It seemed he got better and better in her head the less she saw of him.
Daiki's attention wandered as Satsuki's lecture mode picked up speed with the help of Coach. Not that she needed to pay attention, she just had to beat them. Although she was completely distracted from the lecture, Daiki managed to listen in when her ears picked up something interesting.
"… and Seirin's ace is Kagami Taiga. He's a power forward with a natural jumping talent and good basketball sense. He's quite talented and I would say he's underdeveloped. He could be a dangerous opponent in the future but I don't see him challenging us right now. He's still recovering from an injury but I expect him to be back in the lineup by the game. However, he will not be playing at full power with that injury. Now, they're missing one of their regulars from last year, Kiyoshi Teppei …"
Seirin's new ace would be Tetsu's new light. It would make sense for Tetsu to gravitate towards the most talented of the Seirin team. But Tetsu wouldn't just pick the strongest out of a group of average players. This ace had to be talented.
Daiki closed her eyes and rested her head back against the wall. If this Kagami Taiga was Tetsu's new light, maybe the old light should test how bright he could shine.
"… Daiki … up … Daiki-san … wake up …"
The blue haired girl awoke with a start when something impacted her foot. She yawned widely and glared up at the pink haired girl hovering over her. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep.
"What now, Satsuki?" Daiki grumbled and rubbed at her eyes. It was way too bright.
"Practice has started. Get up and run some drills." She spread her feet apart and crossed her arms under her breasts while glaring down at the other girl.
Although her words and posture were serious, the demand lacked the bite it used to have back in Teikou. The crinkle of her eyes and tone of voice gave away her request. She was essentially pleading with Daiki to join in practice. The taller girl glanced at the boys running layup drills and thought about how absolutely boring it looked. Why would Satsuki think she'd want to participate? But her childhood friend looked so desperate that Daiki considered it.
But then she caught sight of a second string member staring over at them. No, not at them, at Satsuki or more precisely: her breasts. The green skin monster that Daiki worked so hard to suppress reared its ugly head.
"You know, I don't feel so good." Daiki stood up and stretched her arms high above her head. A few of the boys turned to look, probably wondering if she would actually join them. She faked a grimace and clutched her stomach with one hand. "Oh, ouch. I'm cramping up."
Sharing an uncomfortable glance, all the eavesdropping boys turned away and scurried to the other side of the gym. Coach Harawasa also shuffled away, mumbling about getting something from the teacher's room. Satsuki raised an eyebrow, having also noticed the reactions, but rolled her eyes at Daiki's poor acting.
"You really need to stop saying that around the boys. They're very delicate about girl things. Also, you used that excuse two weeks ago."
"I just like making them squirm," Daiki shrugged. She picked up her school bag and swung it over her shoulder. "Anyways, I'm outta here."
"Daiki-san, wait! I'll come with you!" There was shuffling behind her as shoes were changed before Satsuki ran to catch up to the taller girl. "We always walk home together. Sometimes you can be so mean."
"I thought you would stay for practice," Daiki didn't bother to cover her mouth and released a jaw cracking yawn. Satsuki cringed at her lack of lady manners but didn't bother to comment. "You know, since you seem so focused on practicing."
"I don't need to practice," Satsuki pouted and sent a pointed look at the taller girl.
"I don't need to practice either," Daiki snapped. She tried to ignore the wounded look on the other girl's face. "The only one who can beat me is me. If – by some miracle – a new challenger comes along and beats me, I'll start practicing again. But until then, I do what I want."
Satsuki was quiet for several minutes as they walked the familiar sidewalks home. Although the sun was starting to set, the weather was still warm. Summer was just around the corner and Daiki was looking forward to sleeping in everyday and lazing around on the hot summer nights. Of course, she often did just that even during the school semester.
Their houses appeared around the corner. Two comfortable middle class homes in the suburbs, perfect for a small family. Near the front gates, the pink haired beauty whispered something that Daiki didn't catch. "Huh?"
"I hope he comes soon," Satsuki repeated. She avoided looking at Daiki and instead watched the lights of a passing car.
"You hope who comes soon?" Why did girls have to be so cryptic?
Satsuki furrowed her eyebrows and looked up to stare straight into Daiki's eyes. "The challenger you're waiting for."
"What? You want me to lose?"
"No, I want you to have fun. Like you used to."
Daiki blinked and looked down at the girl beside her. Satsuki's head was tilted forward and a shadow fell over her eyes, hiding them from view. She smiled slightly but it was weak. "I just want to see you smile again."
Then she disappeared through the gate and up the path into her house. Daiki had enough time to call out to her to apologize. To say how sorry she was. How she really didn't want to keep hurting her best friend over and over again. How badly she wanted to say that the old Daiki was still there but hidden too deeply to see.
But the words wouldn't come out. Because Daiki couldn't say how many of those words would be true.
Instead she trudged up the pathway into her house next door. The lights were already on as they always were, releasing a warm glow. The bushes in the garden were perfectly trimmed and the flowers blooming in healthy colours.
"I'm home," Daiki called as she pulled off her shoes and shut the door behind her. The house smelled nice like her mother had been baking all day.
"Welcome back," her mother's voice called from the kitchen. "How was your day?"
"Boring," Daiki grumbled. It was her usual response and she was surprised that her mother kept asking the same question. She walked into the kitchen to find her mother slaving over the stove cooking dinner. The same place Daiki would find her every day after school. And every day Daiki would ask the same question. "Is Dad home?"
The line of her mouth tightened and the tall woman hunched over her cooking a little more. "He won't be home until late."
Daiki leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms over her chest. She hated seeing her mother like this. Waiting for a man who had stopped caring. "Is he out drinking again? What the hell is wrong with him?"
"Don't talk about your father like that. His boss wanted to go out and he has to keep a good relationship with his boss to get a raise," her mother shrugged in a nonchalant manner. But Daiki could see right through the façade. "Dinner's almost ready so go get cleaned up. And don't leave your bag in the hall. I'm always cleaning up after you."
Safely in the privacy of her bedroom, Daiki released her short burst of anger by throwing her bag on the bed. It was the same thing all the time. She couldn't pinpoint when things had changed but somehow those playful memories of her father were fading faster than before. Some days she even forgot she had a father. Work had become his life. His passion to move up the corporate ladder meant his time at home had all but vanished. He was not talented in any one thing but worked hard in the most menial job as an office worker for a car company.
Her mother had chosen the opposite direction. With her long legs and wide shoulders, her mother had once been a member of Japan's national swimming team. Daiki had seen the videos, had watched her mother compete with passion found only in the most talented of athletes. But then her college sweetheart proposed right after she made a qualifying time for the Olympics. In Daiki's opinion, her mother foolishly chose to get married and settle down, turning down her spot at the Olympics. Her mother could've made it big, but instead she gave it all up to support her new husband in his corporate ladder climbing.
Because, as her mother once told Daiki, a good Japanese wife supports her husband and family.
But Daiki was seeing the combustion of that belief. One does not a marriage make. Daiki was not the most observant of people but even she could see the resentment her mother was suppressing. The few times her father was home for the day, she could see how lost he was in his own home. The tension between the two could be cut with a knife. But they stayed together, not out of love, but out of necessity. She was a housewife with no job skills. He was an office worker that needed someone to go home to. They were strangers with matching marriage bands.
She hated her father for the way he treated them and she kind of hated her mother for taking it. To be honest, she kind of hated herself for her own part in this family disaster. A daughter who'd lost her passion, an absent husband more focused on his career than his family, and a wife desperately trying to pretend everything was alright.
What a lovely fucking family they made.
Daiki's got issues. I love the damaged characters, so much angst!
Please drop a review if you have the time. Next chapter will take a little longer. Also, if you ever notice a mistake (grammar, spelling, nowhere-close-to-canon, or just plain ooc-ness) please point it out so I can review it.
Cheers!
