Chapter 7

The gust of the heater filled Momoi's ears with a sense of comfort. It was nearing dark, but she was at home, and she was tired. However, as much as sleep wanted terribly to take her away for the night, she knew that she mustn't disappoint. Staring half-lidded at her laptop screen, she took a swig of caffeine and continued to do her work.

Makoto Hanamiya

The web didn't give out much. Clearly, this Makoto guy wasn't much of a social media enthusiast. However, she did find a few interesting points. He was once a player at Kirisaki Daichi – one of the many schools that Teiko has pummeled. She also found out that he had transferred to some school in Tokyo. After taking out a map that she kept underneath her drawer, she encircled the possible high schools that he could be in. There were around ten – her old school and Seirin included. Then, after a number of phone calls directly to the different headmistresses and principals – along with some personal knowledge – she came to the conclusion that Makoto Hanamiya was conveniently studying at Seirin High.

She glanced at the time. Seven thirty-six. It wasn't that late, right? Flipping her phone open, she dialed the new number given to her earlier that day.

"Um…Shimizu-kun?" she worded into the speaker once she heard someone pick up.

"Momoi-san?"

"Um…hey. There is someone I need to research on, and I was hoping you'd help me. He's from your school. It's Makoto Hanamiya. Do you know him?"

There was a brief pause on the other line, and for a moment, Momoi wondered if Shimizu had flinched. However, she dismissed the idea, rendering it impossible.

"I think I've heard of him. Is there something about him, Momoi-san?"

"Well the basketball captain did ask me to research about him. It's about the teams Teiko has fought against. He wants to study them for the coming matches." She didn't think that it was right to tell him that the highly intimidating captain suspected his schoolmate for messing up their gym. She wouldn't know if that would end well now, would she?

"Okay, I understand. I'll send you what I find tomorrow morning before classes start," he said.

Something inside her jumped; something that she couldn't place. "Thank you Shimizu-kun!"

And after a brisk goodbye, the both of them hung up. That evening, Momoi lay in bed, glad that she had found a very reliable friend.

The next morning, after receiving the reports of Makoto, she decided to tell the team all about her new friend. However, everything was immediately wiped clean off her mind when she saw banners hoisted across the school.

They were black, with nothing but white, scripted fonts written in the middle.

Come to the gymnasium before the second bell today, it says. Vague. Mysterious. Especially with what's happened there. She marched towards the gym, preparing herself. But when she saw the bloody streaks on the door, she knew that something was terribly wrong. Suddenly, she felt like nothing in this world could prepare her. But then, gathering her wits and courage, she put her hands forward and slid the door open.

Almost immediately she felt her knees unbuckle with what she saw.

A bruised and bloody boy was hanging by a rope from the basketball hoop.

Oh, no, he's not dead. In fact, despite the horrors of his wounds and the fact that he was hanging several feet off the ground, you'd most likely laugh because he was most definitely not modestly dressed. No! He was wearing nothing but a thong. Below him stood four guys, who looked far too serious despite the comedy literally hanging right in front of them.

"Aominecchi, he really deserves more than this."

"I want to crush him, even if it's a lot of work."

"My hands are itching to bring that rope up to his neck."

"You know, I brought an axe today. Let's try it out on him."

"GUYS!" Kise, Murasakibara, Aomine and Midorima turned their heads towards the door, where Momoi stood, looking like she was about to fall over anytime. "WHAT THE HELL?"

"We found the culprit, Satsuki," Akashi said from the bleacher closest to the door.

After turning stiffly to the pitiful student, Momoi slapped a hand against her face.

"YOU?!" she yelled. "YOU'RE THE CULPRIT?!"

"You don't know what I've been through!" he said.

Aomine looked bothered. "She doesn't have t–"

"Three years ago," the boy said while hanging lamely from the hoop, "I punched some guy that was getting in the way of me and my girl!"

"That guy's name is Kuroko," Midorima said murderously.

"And he's really nice," Murasakibara added softly.

"And besides, she wasn't your girl. Based on what Akashi told us, she was just passing by when you harassed her," Aomine said matter-of-factly.

The guy decided to ignore them. "Anyway, for someone as lame as he was, he sure can catch a lot of attention, huh? Because all he had to do was hold his bleeding nose and suddenly you guys come barging in from nowhere!"

"We just happened to be passing by when you did that to him, you ass," Kise growled dangerously.

He opened his mouth to continue when Akashi's voice cut across the gymnasium. "Enough," he stated. "You don't have the right to speak. You're an repugnance here – nothing but a deplorable, worthless little worm, and you do not speak to my teammates that way when I am present."

The boy had frozen – nothing more than a stiff stick moving back and forth like a pendulum.

Then, that was when a loud echo of footsteps banged the grounds from outside.

Momoi sighed, knowing fully well by now what this sound was.

"Omigosh!" a girl screamed right after rudely pushing Momoi out of the way to get into the gymnasium. "He's actually still alive!"

"Really?" Another girl pushed the previous girl out of the way. "Didn't the Miracles lock him up in a box for a week?"

"No! He lived long enough to get out, only to be expelled for punching some student right after!" Someone cried from the back. Then they noticed the Miracles, standing there in their utmost shining glory.

So, the students screamed and all hell broke loose.

Momoi actually felt glad she's been pushed out of the way because thank goodness, the hundreds of students thundering towards their idols to congratulate them for capturing the criminal didn't crush her. By this time, she never really wondered where the authorities were because clearly, it was the students. And by this time, she knew that all she needed to do was survive.

Morning classes that day were nonexistent because of the clamor that is the entire student body. By the time afternoon came around, Momoi managed to pull Murasakibara aside by flashing a piece of nerunerunerune candy at his face. It was through thorough wheedling (aherm bribery) that she found out that the culprit's name was Goro Kobayashi, an old student at Teiko who was expelled for inflicting injury on to another student. He wasn't a basketball player, but he was one of the very few that knew about Kuroko's existence. He's also the few of the few that knew just how much he meant to the boys.

Later that day, as they were pulling Goro down from the hoop, Momoi decided to ask him a question. "Statistically speaking," she started, "you have been quiet after getting expelled. You barely stood out among our pool of suspects. Why did you suddenly decide to jeer at the boys with something so personal?"

Maybe it had been her gender, but it could also just as easily be because she wasn't technically one of them. Well, whatever the reason, Goro was very participative.

"I realized the day before I messed up the gym that my life is ruined because they got me expelled."

Momoi cast her gaze downwards, not sure about how she should reply at first, when he decided to say something detestable, just to painfully jab them some more.

Needless to say, this earned him a smack on the face, straight from Akashi himself.

Going back home, the whole team was very dull. Momoi had been holding onto her report about Makoto for the entire day, but as the passed the curb, she found herself tightening her grip on it. Clearly, it was all a useless effort. It was also pointless to bring it up now. Their shadow's name was resurfaced, and the intention was merely to open up past wounds.

His safety was not assured. Heck, even if he had died, it hasn't been confirmed. What Goro last told them didn't make anything better either.

'I just wanted to remind you that people who go missing are oftentimes dead. And their manners of death are mostly excruciatingly painful murders.'

She didn't know until then just how cruel some people could be. Goro will most probably have to pay for the damage he has caused at the gym. But knowing Akashi, he'd see far more pain than a dug-up wallet.

…X…

At home, Momoi was surprised to find Shimizu giving her a call. She was even more surprised, however, by his very straightforward question, although she decided to gracefully go along with it –

"Momoi-san, can I see you this weekend?"

"Huh? Wait, what? Why? What's happening?"

–by acting like it was the most uncommon thing in this world to ask for.

The pregnant silence that followed told her that Shimizu wasn't going to say anything else until she responded. Bringing her fist up to her strangely racing heart, she thought about his question. She had no plans for the weekend, right? And maybe she really did need to lash out about what's been happening among her friends. Maybe she needed an outsider's opinion on the whole thing, and who could be wiser that Shimizu-kun?

"Um…could I bring Hana and Ayane-chan over?"

There was a brief pause.

"I was hoping to speak to you alone. And please don't tell anyone about this."

Suddenly, she felt her face redden. Could Tetsuya Shimizu possibly want to confess his undying love for her? Oh, no! That couldn't be the case, right? But it sounded pretty serious. My gosh, what else could it be? What was she supposed to say? She was old enough to have a boyfriend but she was far from ready, right? Although Shimizu was seriously cute, maybe she'd consider it.

Wait. What?

"C-couldn't you tell me here? Tokyo is pretty far."

"I'll treat you to make up for it."

"Okay!" she answered immediately.

A brief pause. Then, from the other line, she could just feel him smile in content.

"Would you like to meet up at Seirin?"

"Yes…"

"I'll see you then, Momoi-san. And thank you."

"Y-you're welcome."

The moment the other line died, Momoi found herself staring long and hard at her study table, considering the idea of hitting her head against it. To Shimizu, she might've sounded desperate and needy. She didn't need that. She needed to act calm and dignified. Like a sophisticated woman who is about to gratefully receive a love confession.

Yes.


Hi! To those who've read the previous chapter early, I'm sure you've noticed some inconsistency with a certain name here. You see, I only realised my error about a day after publishing chapter 6. But I've fixed it.

*aherm* so...uh...this is awkward. I was practically screaming the spoiler by making the mistake. But if I'm really making no sense and I'm just boggling your mind by attempting to be vague and mysterious right now, check chapter 6 and see how I've replaced one of the names with a different name.

Then...yes. You could laugh me.

Hihi. See you!