Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki, who wrote and illustrated the manga. And Production I.G adapted the anime. The only things I do own are my OCs and a simple plot story.
Note to self: This chapter was updated on February 04, 2014.
Author's note: Welcome, cherryapplegirl! And welcome to any new quiet readers out there. :D
Chapter 8
Such a goody two-shoes.
The Basketball Club had started for only half an hour. I was feeling too lazy to play with the others, even Akashi did not bother with me. Which was good, because I was not in the mood to participate. Seriously. I was pissed again.
Diagonally across the room to my left, Senpai was sitting by herself. I was stealing glances over to her because she put on her pale brown glasses a while ago. …I didn't know she had glasses. Made her looked… somewhat of a consistent person.
From out of nowhere, Senpai just winced and her hand touched her left wrist. Then I recalled she hit her hand in the locker room.
My eyes glued over to Satsuki and I tried to send her a message. She finally took notice of me and pouted because I was not practicing with my teammates. My eyebrows twitched as I felt I was using telepathy while thinking: Oi, oi, Satsuki… Senpai's hurt.
Of course, Satsuki did not understand me. And, fuck, the evil-glasses senpai just approached her and pointed over to me with a smirk.
Then I noticed something. …Why the hell was Kise suddenly heading up the bleachers to Senpai for?
…She was smiling at him. …And she was chatting with him. They were flirting with each other, I could tell! Damn, those two! We were in the middle of a club activity!
"Aomine-kun!" Groaning, I stood up as Satsuki stomped right next to me. She gave me a light glare… and she was unfazed by my own glare, but my glare was not supposed to directed to her. "Just how long are you going to take a break? Do you want Akashi-kun to personally come to you?"
"Of course not," I answered her, frowning. The evil-glasses senpai had just approached us with a basketball under his left arm. "I'll start practicing right now, happy?" I walked forward, immediately stealing the ball from Imayoshi-senpai.
"Aomine?" I heard him calling as I rushed forward to the middle of the room.
First, I dribbled the ball, heading in a direction I was not supposed to go. I almost bumped into Midorima, who mumbled something, but I ignored him.
Kise and Senpai were still talking… Shit. I was feeling really irritated just seeing those two talking like a couple. Or was I thinking too much?
Whatever. I did not like it anyway.
Raising the ball in my right hand, I threw it over my head and the ball flew across the room… and it slammed into the back of Kise's head, making a very nice sound.
Senpai started to laugh, but she quickly covered her mouth. I could not hear her laugh that well though since I shouted, "Kisee! Stop flirting and get your ass down here!"
"What the hell, Aomine!" Wakamatsu's voice was behind me.
"Aomine-kun!" Satsuki also disapprovingly uttered.
Like I cared. As long as Kise stay away from Senpai and just focused on training. That was all that mattered. For now.
Finally, I listened to Satsuki and played with my teammates again. We regularly play against each other on Fridays and Saturdays. Today, sometime after four in the afternoon, my team was going against Tetsu's team. And I sneered when I saw Kagami giving me his usual determined expression, as if he would take me down today.
Whatever. No one ever bested me before. Kagami would not be able to do so in another hundreds of years.
When my team and Tetsu's team begun to play casually, no could stop me. Obviously. But Kagami always kept on trying. Better than nothing, right?
The time went on for a little… until I suddenly bumped into the raging Kagami at the side, which caused him to twirl a bit and his arm slapped across Tetsu's face, who just appeared out of nowhere yet again.
And Kuroko fell on the ground, his palms hitting the ground and he landed on his bottom. "Tetsu!" I shouted while I still had the ball in my hand. There was a large red print on his face!
"Kuroko!" Kagami walked toward Tetsu… and his feet almost tripped me when we were trying to get to Tetsu at the same time.
I glared and almost spitted out at Kagami's face, "Watch it!"
Kagami returned the same look and grabbed my shirt. "You're the one who should watch it!" he exclaimed. His loud voice was so annoying. I pushed him away and dusted myself. Kagami frowned and looked to Tetsu first. "Kuroko, you all right?"
"Yes…" I saw Tetsu nodded calmly.
…I was probably thinking too much, but Tetsu was starting to feel distant from me by responding to Kagami like that. Why could I not be on his team instead with a bunch of losers?!
"If only someone here stop playing so roughly," Kagami complained, furrowing his eyebrows at me.
My eyes fixed on him and I glowered, "Looks who talking. And you're the one who blindly charged toward me, dumbass."
Kagami then retorted, "Stop thinking you're better than everyone else! It's an eyesore!"
"I'm not to blame if you guys can't catch up!" I shouted angrily. This stupid asshole was not even aware of his place. It annoyed the hell out of me now. He even looked at Akashi in the eye before, the nerve!
Both of our voices just begun shouting over one another. The shoes squeaking seemed to have stopped due to our verbal brawl.
"You're supposed to work as a team too, Aomine!" Kagami said as if he was lecturing. And I was tired of hearing things like that.
"Aomine-cchi…" Kise's voice came from somewhere. And that made me recalled the blonde talking to Senpai earlier.
Before I knew it, I threw the ball once more. Throwing it to Kagami this time, but he dodged it with his eyes wide opened and… the ball was now heading to Satsuki and Senpai. …Damn it!
My eyes were glued to the ball and I saw Senpai just protected Satsuki by hitting the ball away the best she could, which the ball could have hit Satsuki's head pretty hard. I was thankful Satsuki was fine, but Senpai used the same hand that had the bruise from earlier. …What the hell was she thinking, using an injured hand?! I would kill her for being so stupid!
"Aomine!" the coach assistant scolded.
"Suzu-senpai!" I watched as Satsuki touched Senpai's shoulder, checking to see if she was all right. …Eh? Suzu-senpai? When did Satsuki start calling her that? "Aomine-kun!" Satsuki now called to me, her eyes glaring.
Why did she shout at me for though? Did she see me throw the ball? That was so like Satsuki, always noticing something. Now I hurried over to them, wondering if there was something Satsuki wanted me to do since she seemed so worried.
The coach assistant got there before I did. "Hisasuzu, are you okay?!" she asked, her hands waving around to see where she could touch Senpai's hand.
I slowed down when Satsuki ran off to the First Aid Station. She took an ice pack, shaking it and almost tripped when she walked back to Senpai. "Here's an ice pack!" Satsuki held it up to Senpai.
"No ice," Senpai was chuckling with pain as she backed away.
"But you need it," Satsuki frowned, which I did the same as well.
While Senpai still insisted on not taking the ice pack, and even saying she would be leaving, I grabbed her left forearm and pulled on her almost angrily. She looked up at me and her face went almost pale when she saw my stiffened face.
She glared now, but I overlooked it, taking the ice pack from Satsuki and literally hit it against her bruise. She whimpered and I told her, "Stop acting so stupid." Her head was lowered and my eyes looked over to the coach assistant and Satsuki. "It was Kagami's fault, by the way."
"Hey!" Kagami shouted loudly in the room. "You're the one who threw it!"
I was going to say something, but then the coach shouted from the other side of the room, "Shut up over there! Continue your practice! Riko, I leave Hisasuzu to you!"
My eyes glanced to the coach assistant, who nodded to the side to her old man, "Okay!"
I was still frowning and then Senpai looked up to me. She still seemed mad too. Was I too rough with her? Oh well. Served her right for not taking care of her own hand earlier.
Then Senpai told me, "I don't need an ice pack… it hurts."
Rolling my eyes, I responded, "You'll feel better in no time." The ice should help.
Satsuki came next to me and looked to Senpai with concern. Senpai winced a bit, "Really, I can survive without ice packs… Mom can help me with it. And I should really be going."
Are you serious? I could tell she was just trying to be tough! I wanted to smack her for not accepting Satsuki's kindness!
Senpai just tried to move fiercely to get out of my grip on her arm, so I easily let her go. The ice pack dropped to the ground and I glared, but Senpai had already looked over to Satsuki and Aida-senpai.
"Okay, I'll see you girls on Monday!" Senpai declared.
She was really in pain, her left hand was twitching. But whatever. There was no point to even convince the narrow-minded brunette girl.
As Senpai picked up her school bag from the ground and took a few quick steps toward the exit, the coach assistant ordered, "Aomine, walk her home."
What? Me, walk her home? I wasn't her boyfriend, why did I have to? We weren't even as close as friends!
I blinked and saw Senpai practically stormed out of the gym. I grunted and hated to see her go as if she hated the idea of me going with her. …Was that it? That must be it. She must hate me. She did yell at me over the times we 'interacted' because I kept going to the girl's locker room.
Satsuki took my right arm, which caused me to blink with confusion. "Ai-chan, Aomine-kun and I will go after Suzu-senpai!" Satsuki notified, pulling on me over to the exit.
"Satsuki," I frowned, letting her tug me.
And then I heard the coach assistant approved, "Okay, but please take the ice pack with you, Momoi."
Satsuki stopped pulling and pointed to my face, "You go and get dressed first." I stood there and hesitated. She pouted, "Go!"
"Alright, alright," I grumbled, walking around her.
When I casually walked out of the gym, I rushed to the girl's locker room. If I didn't do so, Senpai might end up leaving the school grounds and we would not see her if I didn't hurry.
Getting done dressing back into my school uniform, I slammed the door shut and Satsuki exited the gym. She gave me a surprised look. "That was fast!" she smiled brightly and I frowned.
"Shut up and let's go," I gestured my head down the hall. Satsuki nodded and she jogged off with the ice pack in her hand. And I went after her.
The two of us headed up the stairs together and we made it to the hall on the first floor. It wasn't even that long when we saw Senpai, who just looked like she was about to walk off. …Was she waiting for us? That annoying girl, I bet she just wanted attention and waited for us to catch up to her!
"Suzu-senpai!" Satsuki called out.
I saw Senpai turning her head with a smile, but when her eyes met mines, her face turned sour.
…I suddenly wanted to kill her for making such a face at me. What was so bad about me? I only entered the girls' locker room because it was closer! It was only natural, wasn't it?! And she saw me half-naked! Girls would die for that. Or was I wrong?
Satsuki reached to Senpai first and she held up the ice pack. "You shouldn't run off without this," she told the brunette girl.
I came up behind Satsuki and noticed Senpai seemed enchanted by Satsuki. And then I almost sighed with relief when she finally took the ice pack. Satsuki then took Senpai's school bag and Senpai slowly rested the ice pack on her bruise on her left hand.
There. That wasn't so hard, right?
"Aomine-kun and I will walk you back home today," Satsuki told her.
My eyes peered to Senpai, who seemed assured. "Okay," she agreed.
…All right, I seriously hated Senpai now. Walking beside Satsuki, Senpei did not even glance to me. Did I want her to look? Hell, no. I merely wanted her to remember I was here. And I said nothing.
"Let's go," Satsuki giggled a bit.
The three of us strolled down the hall together and no one said a word. I noticed Satsuki gave Senpai a few glances and at the bruise. Later, heading outside and going beyond the school gates, Senpai lead us to the right. After walking over a block, I blinked to myself with a silent thought.
"Oh, you live this way too?" Satsuki inquired the same thing in my head.
I was behind the two girls and Senpai turned her head to Satsuki. "Yeah," she blinked.
Satsuki beamed, "So do Aomine-kun and I."
Highly doubting we lived near each other, there was still a few ways before we even reach to our houses. And I never had seen Senpai before when Satsuki and I went to school in the morning.
Oh, wait a sec… we did see Senpai this morning, which we never did before. Eh, not that I would pay any attention to a girl with a flat chest.
My mind had wandered off that long until Senpai's voice curiously asked, "Are you Aomine's girlfriend?"
Satsuki snapped her head directly to Senpai and uttered, "No, of course not!"
"What makes you think that?" I asked Senpai. I didn't like it when people misunderstood like that.
Senpai looked over her shoulder and looked at me blankly. She answered, "Because you call her by her first name."
…So? I just knew Satsuki very well. That was all.
"We're just childhood friends," Satsuki smiled and Senpai eyed to her again. "And we live really close to each other!"
Senpai nodded a couple of times, "Oh, I see."
And then for a second there, I thought I saw Senpai grinning about something.
"What are you smiling about?" Satsuki asked, which was also the same thing on my mind.
Senpai snorted, "…Nothing."
…What did she mean, nothing? It was making me curious about what was going on in her head, which I really wanted to smack.
But then I lost that thought when Senpai winced and I almost hurried to want to check her stupid, stupid bruise. However, if I approached her, she would just give me an attitude.
Once again, Satsuki inquired the question that I itched to ask. "Are you okay?" Satsuki leaned to the brunette girl.
Senpai nodded and replied, "Yeah. I'll be good in no time at all… Thanks for coming with me."
I flattened my eyes and wanted to point to myself. I made the fucking effort to come out and she didn't even thank me?
Turning my head away, I was trying to forget about all of this. Until I heard Senpai said, "And… you were probably forced to… so… thanks, I guess?"
Too late, I didn't give a damn. And this was boring me. I wished I never came out here.
"No, that's not it at all," Satsuki was saying. My eyes were still elsewhere and she continued, "Because he changed his clothes really fast. I'm sure Aomine-kun was worried."
Satsuki… shut your mouth. There was no need to mention that.
"Isn't that right, Aomine-kun?"
I yawned, "Sure, whatever." I did not care about it anymore. …I just felt left out. And it reminded me that no one in the Basketball Club could even reach to my level. Life was so dull… maybe I should become a police officer.
"I love cherries!" Satsuki suddenly blurt out.
My eyes blinked and I continued to stare nowhere. What were the girls talking about now? This was getting more and more boring.
"…I hate cherries," I heard Senpai said, slightly disgusted about cherries. "They taste like medicine."
That was weird. Cherry did not taste like medicine. Senpai probably ate or drunk medicine that had cherry flavor or something. That sounded like a possibility.
"Aomine, what is your favorite food?"
Almost surprised, I looked to Senpai who blinked back at me. She was asking me that? Should I answer? "…Teriyaki burger," I grumbled.
"Ah, that sounds good right now," Senpai sounded more casual now when she smiled to Satsuki.
…Shit, her smile.
"You want to grab a bite then?" Satsuki beamed childishly.
…She didn't mean the three of us going off and eat burgers together, did she? Not that it was bad, but… I wasn't sure how to make of this.
Senpai sighed, which I figured what she was going to say. "No… I should be getting home as soon as I can," she told Satsuki.
I knew it.
"How about tomorrow?" Momoi insisted, yet politely.
Yeah, keep pressuring her, Satsuki!
"…Momo-chan… I have strict parents."
…Did Senpai just called Satsuki 'Momo-chan?' When was that?! Tetsu was already 'taken' away, so if Senpai also took Satsuki, I swear I would punch… Kagami!
Eh? Strict parents, she said? Oh, this would mean… Senpai was one of those kinds of girls. How great.
The two were still talking and I quickly paid attention again. I saw Satsuki smirking, "You can just tell them it's required for the Basketball Club."
"I can't lie!" Senpai gave Satsuki a disbelieving expression. "I don't want to lie."
I slapped my face at her being such a goody two-shoes.
"Alright, I understand," Satsuki nodded softly to Senpai with a smile. "Maybe we can eat out someday with everyone then."
…I doubt Senpai would. Her parents caged her like a bird and Senpai did not seem to like socializing. We should just forget about Senpai, since she acted that way.
Eventually we walked for a couple more blocks. Senpai stopped walking and Satsuki turned to her as I came to a stop myself. "Um, here is fine now," Senpai smiled awkwardly. "My house is… around here."
"Oh," Satsuki looked around. I noticed Senpai panicked and I frowned, which no one noticed. Satsuki then directed her smile to Senpai and said, "Alright. Take care of yourself then, Suzu-senpai."
"I will," she nodded.
Rolling my eyes, I walked and grabbed Satsuki's arm. "Okay, let's get out of here," I told her. Senpai probably wanted us to leave anyway. She was so annoying.
Satsuki whined, "Aomine-kun, wait!"
"…Bye!" Senpai called to us when we took ten steps. We crossed the streets and she shouted, "And thank you both, again!"
I grunted and scowled at the thought. You're not welcome.
[*~*]
The following week, when Senpai came in on Monday, I kept hearing a bell around her. On Tuesday morning, I saw her in the hall and the same bell sound was ringing too. She did not come on Tuesday for the club though, which was when Tetsu pointed out Senpai was carrying a bell on her school bag. And most of the guys started to call her Suzu-san, Suzu-senpai, or whatever because of it.
…Yeah, she was definitely trying to get attention.
Wednesday arrived, but I didn't see Senpai around school today. I wasn't sure if she was going to the club or not either. Yesterday, I still went to the girls' locker room. If she were planning not on coming today too, then that would be heaven for me.
Down in the basement, I just reached for the doorknob of the girls' locker room. As soon as I opened the door, my eyes stared to Senpai who stood in the looped hallway. Almost right in front of me. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her feet spread out.
What a nice surprise, but… Senpai was looking rather childish and I tried not to smile about it.
I pushed the door wider with my foot and leaned my arm up on the doorway. "Did you really want to see me change in front of you?" I stared at her, unenthusiastically. "Cause I don't care." I would even strip for her if she weren't going to move out of my way.
Senpai's only respond was a slap on her face and shaking her head. I smirked and she sighed for a long second. When her hand left her face, she just glared to me.
"…Keep glaring or I'll really do it," I told her, cracking a smirk.
She walked forward and walked through the doorway and purposely bumped into my left side. I frowned and she walked off without a single word. And I looked back silently.
…That was really not cute of her.
Thanks for reading!
