[A/N]: Thank you guest for reviewing my story! I've actually re-read the first chapter, and realised that perhaps Akashi is a little too soft in my story, so Akashi is being described here as a little more absolute (as he is frequently portrayed), more of the yandere he is and not so warm, as he had only met Misaki. Perhaps after knowing her for longer, he would be slightly kinder.
Also, thank you LightFun27, Shiranai Atsune, Tsuna De Vongola Decimo, Hope10032, Helena Light, darkxxion, and NamikazaMia for adding this story or me to your story subscription! (sorry if I wrote your username wrongly!) Please read and review!
X
Thankfully, the horribly boring English lesson had ended. After sending the teacher off as a class, Misaki dragged her thoughts away from Aomine, and started packing up her backpack excitedly. Her deskmate was much less excited, just calmly packing up. "Akashi-kun…" Misaki hesitated. "May you please speed up?" The redhead stared back at Misaki with an intimidating eye. "Wait. Stop being over-enthusiastic, Misaki." Misaki blinked repeatedly, not processing what the redhead had said, then she sat down, quietly waiting for him. Akashi… Scary as ever. And even with that intimidating glance of his, Misaki felt he still looked a little normal, just him being his usual self. Misaki cringed. Normal? All her friends spoke about his odd character, but she found him fine. He seemed nice enough, and she accepted that his personality was a little different. On second thought, Akashi looked scarier than ever. Misaki tugged at his arm gently, trying one more time. "Akashi-kun…?" as she tried to make her way to the toward the toilet to change into appropriate attire for attending the basketball trials. A golden orb stared back at her, and a pair of burning indigo eyes stared right back. Misaki, ever perseverant and obstinate. And as Akashi replied, "I am absolute. Do not try to make me do something I do not want to do.", Misaki sighed and rushed off to the toilet herself, Akashi slowly packing up behind her, and he looked after her.
Imayoshi Misaki had an air of quiet dignity, despite her loudness and her love of speech. She wasn't particularly sloppy or anything. For some reason, Akashi liked that carefree yet dignified air. She would definitely not sacrifice her pride for anything, just like him. Misaki was completely different in a mysterious way. Somehow she had a slightly cynical side, whenever she hung around derederes, as she had way too many annoying loud friends. She could be counted on to switch sides whenever she needed to, and would become an almost different person when discussing something serious with Akashi.
And that eye of his blended into red for a millisecond before becoming golden again.
Don't even think about it, Seijuurou.
Akashi gritted his teeth as a few hot tears entered his eyes. Misaki always made his personalities go awry for some reason. After all, she herself seemed to have two different aspects of herself, and was the one and only one who could make him soften a little and perhaps, return to his old self for a short period of time, no matter how short it was, she still made him a kinder person. But he needed to control himself, no matter how hard it was going to be.
X
The basketball trials were going to start. Imayoshi Misaki sat at a wooden bench near the court, donning her basketball shoes and observing the regulars play. The Rakuzan basketball team was indeed amazingly strong. Misaki watched with her mouth dangling open as they made incredible shots, passing flawlessly and playing amazingly. The team was truly in a class of its own. She was filled with even more determination to prove herself worthy of being the manager of this team. Since the trials to get into the team itself were taking place first, Misaki could observe Akashi and several others lining up to do some warm-ups and test their abilities. Misaki grinned as she spotted Akashi moving through the warm-up without sweating and seemed to have limitless energy, while some of the others like poor Kageyama had started to pant while working their way through the tiring warm-ups. Akashi was just there for show, of course. He would naturally be accepted as a regular, and play in games immediately. After all, he was accepted into Rakuzan because of his basketball. Sometimes, she really envied that kind of strong and talented players. Without any effort, they could do well in games. They were so much unlike her, who needed to train crazily for any game she played, and in the end only produced half the results that they achieved. So did Tetsu, but he was naturally talented already. Still, that was the main reason why they actually sympathised with each other when no one else could.
Misaki spotted the girly-looking black-haired boy she had seen at the basketball booth coming towards her with a lazy smile on his face. "I recognise you, you're Misa-chan right?" Misaki blinked repeatedly with surprise. Misa-chan? She was used to people calling her Imayoshi-san formally the first few times they met her, not Misa-chan or even her first name. Maybe this boy was just an oddball. Misaki nodded, and the boy introduced himself. "I'm Mibuchi Reo, first string shooter of the team. Come, I'll lead you to Kantoku and he can test you out. Good luck~" That lazy expression on his face changed to something else. Not quite a smile, but somewhat similar. He's like a sloppier version of Akashi, and just as eccentric. Both of them walked over to where the coach was sitting. Eiji Shirogane was there, serenely observing the other players who were being trialed. "Kantoku, here is Imayoshi Misaki. The manager…?" He turned his head and Misaki bowed politely once more. Mibuchi then left for his own team. Misaki inwardly cringed. Oh no… Now I'm all alone with the Kantoku…! Nodding, Eiji lead Misaki to right in front of the regulars who were practising hard. Misaki frowned. Why the regulars? What did he want her to do? Misaki was downright puzzled, until Eiji explained everything to her.
X
"You see, we need a capable manager who had is both observational and strategic in order to help Rakuzan win games. It's not enough if you just have experience. So, I shall test your capabilities by letting you observe the players. Over here, there are 5 players playing 5 different positions. You have to deduce each player's position, simply by looking at their style, physique and capabilities." Eiji stated, as Misaki shivered a little. This was going to be tough. How on earth was she going to figure out their positions without any additional information? As if reading her thoughts, Eiji stood up. "You have ten minutes to figure the positions out." And he left her there, staring at the players on the court cluelessly.
Misaki breathed in deeply. Okay, don't panic. Figure it out, like he said. She whipped out a notebook from her pocket and clicked her pen, looking intently at the regulars warming up. She just needed to be able to understand each position's requirements and strengths, then observe carefully and deduce from there. Misaki started by penning down each position's unique capabilities. Centre. Strong, tall, has huge leg muscles and great power. Usually like a giant. Small Forward. Agile, fast, but usually runs out of steam quickly. Misaki smiled as she thought of a hyperactive blonde player in Teikou Middle School. Ki-kun was essentially the reason and basis for her stereotype of Small Forwards. Power Forward. Slightly slower than SF, but typically taller, can possibly double up as a a centre and has more stamina. More skilled than SF. Misaki winced as she thought of Aomine yet again, herself trying to rid him from her mind.
Point Guard. Less noticed compared to the others, but has a quick reaction and is the strategist of the team. Clever and made less mistakes most of the time. Shooting Guard. Misaki wanted to laugh whenever she thought of a superstitious green-haired shooter back in middle school whose name she had forgotten. Miro… Mitsu… What was it again? She usually hung out with the first stringers in first and second year at the convenience store near Teikou, but only was close and familiar with Satsuki their manager, Aomine, Tetsu and Kise. She just remembered a lanky purple-haired giant and that green-haired boy being on the team as well. Though they were all in the same club, the only time she played with Kise was when she had been in-charge of Kise once before when he was still in the second string. Misaki's eyes went back to the basketball court and decided to focus again. Shooters were mostly… Arrogant and kind of tall and intimidating. Not very agile, but stiff and composed. There, she had finished all of them already. Shutting her notebook, Misaki stared stiffly at the players and glanced at her watch. Four minutes left. Yikes.
After scanning the area, Misaki realised that those three players she had seen at the booth were no present. She sighed. If they were there, she would have completed this task more easily, already knowing the blonde's position. On the court, the first player she noticed was a particularly pale and lanky boy. He was completing his warm-ups efficiently and with an air of superiority at the same time. Misaki narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, wanting to examine his muscles. His leg muscles were quite defined but not bulky, and his arms as well. She grinned to herself as she recognised that expressionless face of his. Shooting Guard. Perhaps she shouldn't generalise and group all lanky and lazy-looking players into one group, but she couldn't help it. It was just the way Misaki thought about them.
X
Eiji Shirogane glanced at his watch. It was about time. He strolled to the bench where Imayoshi Misaki was sitting, expecting to find her in a state of half-panic, half-confusion. But in fact the indigo-haired girl was sitting up straight with bright eyes and was trying to control a grin that was appearing on her face. "Imayoshi-san, are you done? Please tell me the positions of the players, in any order you'd like. Point them out to me as well." As she scrambled to her feet in an effort to be polite, Misaki also opened a bent little brown notebook. Eiji raised his eyebrows in surprise. It had been a long time since he had ever seen a manager bring a notebook to take down notes, and this girl wasn't even the manager yet. He was even more amazed when Misaki started reading off the positions from the pages and pointing towards the players on the court. All her deductions were, amazingly, accurate. As he looked a little closer, Eiji spotted many messily-written notes about each position. Shooting Guard. Think of that arrogant green-eyed guy in Teikou. Tall, intimidating, arrogant?
The girl was still on her feet, and the expression on her face reminded Eiji of a little puppy, desperately wanting to be accepted. Eiji smiled. "Right. You got the job." Anyway, the first time he saw her, he already realised that she had a lot of potential. Those deep indigo eyes… Imayoshi Misaki also had attended Teikou Middle School, the school where the Kiseki no Sedai had been to. Misaki also had plenty of experience in playing basketball, and demonstrated a kind of selflessness as she had accepted that there were many others better than her in playing basketball, and she knew what she wanted to do in that field. Those three years of playing would certainly help her in being Manager, after all. She would be able to feel the players' emotions while they were on the court, strategizing more effectively and essentially improving the team's play much more than Shouta Higuchi ever could. Sure, he had experience, but he was weaker than others. This girl, however, had been in The Teikou's team. She used to be in second string, but surely she would be talented as well. For once, Eiji was grateful that Shouta had resigned. It gave the opportunity for Imayoshi Misaki to take his place. She was also the sister of Touou's captain, Imayoshi Shouichi. Misaki would definitely know him well, and that way he could face Harasawa, that old teammate of his, without feeling that his school was not prepared well enough.
X
Misaki's face blossomed into a smile. Yes, yes, yes! She had gotten the position. As Kantoku explained the so-called very important job she had as manager, Misaki's head drifted off into the clouds. She couldn't wait to tell Satsuki and Shouichi… As Eiji Shirogane finished off, she sprinted towards Akashi, wanting to tell him the news. Thankfully, the boys who were being tested were relaxing on the benches and gulping down enormous sips of water already. Misaki ran off to Akashi, and greeted him as calmly as she knew he did not like loud, annoying personalities. "Akashi-kun, I got the job as Manager finally. Do you know what position you'll be playing for Rakuzan?" She inwardly squealed with happiness, thinking about her accomplishment once again as Akashi turned towards her and nodded his head in acknowledgement. Others nearby within earshot glanced at him silently with strange looks, as if thinking he was odd not to congratulate his friend. But Misaki didn't care. She liked the way Akashi was, the calm cool way he acknowledged everything around him. He was simply less emotional than others, after all. Perhaps he was a kind of tsundere or something, because he was exceptionally nicer to her than everyone else. But something told her that he was different from others. Akashi was more sensitive, felt others' emotions more, and wasn't in the least bit creepy, despite what others often said.
Somehow, she found herself enjoying his company more than anyone else's.
After packing up, the both of them walked back to their dormitories silently, as Akashi came from Tokyo as well. Misaki enjoyed the silence around her, the space that he gave her. Despite her bubbly nature, Misaki always preferred silent support and company compared to people chattering away at full speed. Unlike many others she felt that the silence between her and her friends wasn't awkward at all, but rather soothing. It gave her the chance to think about things, to think about ideas. Apparently Akashi also felt the same, as the both of them paced themselves according to each other and were in harmony although they weren't saying anything. Misaki's thoughts drifted to Satsuki. She got her phone out, texting away at full speed. Luckily, Satsuki seemed to be on her phone at that moment and replied instantly. Misaki couldn't help but sigh at her responses. They reminded her of the past, as always. Satsuki always had to bring up Aomine in her conversations and texts with her. Couldn't she understand how she felt about him? Whenever she saw Satsuki, it always made her think of that ganguro who had broken her heart into tiny fragmented bits, and was the one who had caused it to be scarred even after being forcefully glued back together. But after all, Satsuki was the one who helped her out of that black abyss after her best friend changed.
To: Momoi Satsuki
From: You
YAY I actually got the position as manager in the team today im gonna beat u in any comps from now on hehehehe tell my bro too I haven't told him yet
To: You
From: Momoi Satsuki
ohmy mi-chan good for u congrats! u'll c Imayoshi-kun on the court then too interesting… btw can u help me omg daiki isn't budging and refusing to attend pracs now how did u convince him in the past you know I tried finding his horikita mai-chan fotobk but I CANT FIND IT ohnoes D: fail
To: Momoi Satsuki
From: You
satsuki, urm I don't really understand him anymore solly but can u ask ppl to help u find all his mags then blackmail him to attend maybe u can ask my bro to help I guess?
To: You
From: Momoi Satsuki
you should really get back tgt with dai-chan! u guys are so sweet come on… i'll try to counsel him to start liking bball again kayzz can't wait to c u during the weekend text me when u find an appropriate date 3
Aomine Daiki. The cause of all her lingering problems. Misaki rubbed the top of her head, sighing. Why did Satsuki always try to matchmake the both of them? True, they were the closest pair ever in middle school, but that was all in the past. She still blushed as she thought of the way he always carefully and gently draped his thick jacket over her head when she felt cold in winter, even if that meant he would be cold himself. Whenever the weather got cold or the classroom's air-conditioning grew too frosty, or whenever she saw someone donning a Rakuzan jacket, or whenever she saw a sweet loving couple wrapped in thick coats together, or whenever she saw someone draping a coat over their friend or lover – all these made her think of him. No matter how much she tried, that sweet face of his kept circling in her mind. He really messed up her emotions like crazy. Aomine Daiki made her feel mixed emotions, but mostly bitter despite having more sweet memories than unhappy ones. Misaki clenched her teeth. Forget about him already! She hated the way he made her feel so vulnerable but safe at the same time whenever she saw him, that casual attitude of his which she once loved making her heart thump faster and faster, ripping off the bandages off her old wounds. He just made her heart bleed, and her eyes shed tears, and her face devoid of a single smile for an entire week.
And she had to face him yet again possibly on the basketball court if Rakuzan ever played against Touou Gakuen, which was extremely likely. Misaki vowed to crush him someday with her team, to teach him the taste of defeat, to let him know what it was like to have an opponent stronger than him.
X
After walking back to his dormitory, Akashi Seijuurou was thinking about Misaki on the basketball team as his manager. Misaki was reliable and could be trusted, but if she was against her former friends, how would she perform? Akashi answered his own question almost immediately. He sensed that Misaki was a professional person who learnt to keep work and life separate. Misaki had plenty of experience behind her, after all. She hadn't been the captain of the Teikou second string for nothing. Besides Shouta Higuchi, Misaki was very likely the best fit for the position of manager, since she had both talent, potential and experience in playing. Besides, Misaki also knew some of the other Kiseki no Sedai members pretty well, and she could even understand Daiki. Knowing your opponents' weaknesses and strengths was a valuable tool. Akashi smirked as she thought of Hayama and Eikichi. They were forever complaining and whining. The typical annoying players like Ryouta. It would be inetresting to see how they fared under Misaki.
Misaki was also different in a personal way. Although Misaki was usually the type he disliked because of her openness and the fact that she loved to chatter away at top speed, Akashi found himself liking every bit of her. She was different, all right. Misaki talked in an interesting way; again he found himself thinking about her talk's content. Unlike many other teenagers, Misaki didn't listen to the latest Japanese pop or start fangirling about any animes. She did watch anime like any normal teen though, but wasn't explicit about it. Sometimes Akashi found her listening to some anime songs in the classroom, but she never obsessed about it unlike many of her friends. And he found himself thinking about her aura again. She seemed to give off a quietly supportive aura, and when Akashi observed her during group presentations in class, she would always be standing by the side, giving her full attention to her group mate who was speaking, and silently be there for him or her. She was downright confusing, and made his mind swirl. This was someone who could be both loud enough and silent at the same time. Oddly, but wonderfully someone who fitted his personality.
Again, Akashi deduced and confirmed that Misaki seemed to have two different personalities altogether. One was a bubbly cheerful one that appeared to most people, the one who was carefree and had a never-ending supply of energy. There was another, however, that appeared to Akashi more often than not. Misaki apparently gave off different vibes when it came to different people, and perhaps when encountering people like him who thought more than speaking, the second Misaki came out. She was much quieter, sympathetic and understanding, and in a way dignified, a little too poised to be a regular high schooler. She was more like Akashi in that aspect, and that second girl was the same girl who managed to enter Rakuzan High, and the girl who helped Teikou Middle School clench first, second or third position for second string matches yearly. She was the one who was Daiki and Tetsuya's close friend. And Akashi definitely preferred that Misaki to the regular one.
She was the only one besides Father that glanced directly into his multi-coloured orbs without hesitation, and without any fear or grudging respect. No. She had just looked back at him, sometimes her indigo eyes lighting up with a cheery smile, with a slight bit of friendly respect and interest, nothing else. Or her eyes would seem to tell him she accepted and understood him, and she wasn't at all afraid. Yes, Imayoshi Misaki was definitely different from others. That disturbed Akashi. He had to be absolute. No questions asked about him, no disobedience or any form of a challenge- wasn't that what people usually did in front of him? Akashi was supposed to be like that, for the Akashi family's pride and honour. Misaki, however, didn't do any of that. Her personality softened a little, definitely, but… She still had that carefree aura occasionally. Perhaps it was due to the influence of her family. Her brother, Imayoshi Shouichi, was slightly interesting as well. In Basketball Monthly, Imayoshi was always pictured as a squinting, wryly smiling teenager with a menacing smirk permanently plastered on his face. From the way Misaki talked about him, it appeared to Akashi that Imayoshi was never very sincere about things except to her. Akashi was mildly curious about how he would deal with that arrogant Daiki, even with Satsuki's help. The Imayoshi family seemed to have a special talent for dealing with difficult and particularly annoying people.
Imayoshi Shouichi. A third-year senior prefect with black hair and a genuine smile popped into Akashi's memory. That amiable, smiling prefect he had seen in Teikou Middle School turned into a cynical, humourless teen. Akashi wondered what had happened to him along the way. Imayoshi used to be a nice person, and as Misaki put it, he was "overprotective of anyone he cared about". Did Imayoshi Shouichi even really care about anyone besides his sister nowadays? Akashi's interest was piqued even further when he received a text from Misaki.
To: Imayoshi Misaki
From: You
Akashi-kun, we're going back to Tokyo this weekend aren't we? Can we go together? I'm going home with my brother once we reach.
What kind of person was Imayoshi Shouichi, in reality?
No matter how Akashi thought about it, he couldn't decide.
X
[A/N]: Yes, this is a sort-of cliffhanger. Sorry if my writing style differs a lot, since my emotions changed while writing this... I've decided to make the presence of Imayoshi Shouichi more prominent in Misaki's life, because in this story so far I've been focusing a lot on Misaki and Aomine, mostly on their past together. Her brother plays an important part too, as he is in Touou along with Aomine, and has to deal with his behaviour. Look out for stronger presence of Kiseki no Sedai as well!