"You said that you have a black belt in karate before, right?" Curiosity coloured his voice as Tatsuya recalled the passing comment she'd made a while back, prompting Shirato to look up from her lunch. They were seated near the windows today in the cafeteria, where the filtered rays of the afternoon sun bathed her tawny skin in a mellow light.

"Yes, I do. What about it?"

"Shuu mentioned before that he was trained in karate, as well." He spoke casually, trying to gauge her reaction. Shirato seemed to still at the mention of that name, her eyes widening slightly as she suddenly paid him much closer attention. "Were you two trained together, by any chance?"

There was a moment when she just looked at him in silence, as if she wanted to ask her own questions in response to his comment. Shirato then slowly lowered her chopsticks and lay them horizontally over her bento as she answered, "Yes, actually. Shuuzo-kun and I went to the same dojo back in Tokyo. I must have been about eleven when I joined." She momentarily glanced away then, a slight frown touching the corners of her lips. "He and I never really talked until that incident with the Kamizaki students, though."

"So, you were basically his knight in shining armour who was there by his side all along?" Tatsuya commented jokingly, earning a soft laugh from her as she raised her hand to her chin. Something about her light-hearted response made him smile a little as well- she really did have a nice laugh; it was almost infectious.

"Some knight I am, what with him being able to knock me off my feet about as easily as he dribbles a basketball." Shirato scoffed good-naturedly, recollection lighting up her eyes. "I could rarely ever beat him at sparring."

"He is a pretty good fighter, I'll give him that much." His response prompted her to look back at him again, a curious and almost wary look appearing on her face.

"How would you know that? Heck- how do you even know him?"

"I ran into him in L.A. back when he'd just touched down, actually." He answered, remembering the day he'd run into that strange foreign boy who'd looked completely out of his element as he was confronted by the local riff-raff. "He'd gotten lost trying to find his way to where his family was after his luggage had gotten stolen. Almost got into a situation with some thugs, too."

"He- what?" Shirato gaped at that, the vibrant blue colour of her pupils made even more obvious as she they widened in response. "Oh my god. He really got robbed first thing in a new place?"

"A real chain of bad luck, right? The guy was a real trouble magnet- but that's how we met."

"From how calm you seem, I'm guessing things turned out alright in the end." Shirato sighed, placing a hand over her lips as they began to twitch into a smile. There was a fond look in her eyes- an expression that made something twinge in Tatsuya's chest. "That airhead. Always taking stops along the way…"

"That's exactly what he called it, too." Tatsuya chuckled, the slight discomfort in his chest not quite going away. Spurred on by his intrigue, he asked, "You two were close, huh?"

"I thought we were. Until he just… stopped bothering to talk to me as soon as he left town, I guess." Shirato's eyes flicked down to her lunch box again, and he noticed that she'd clasped her hands together over the table. She did that a lot whenever she was nervous or stressed out, he noticed. "Maybe he was trying to shake me off and this was just the right opportunity for it."

At that, Tatsuya frowned. "I didn't think Shuu was the type to do that."

"I didn't think he had it in him, either." When Shirato blinked, Tatsuya noted with a slight skip in his pulse that her eyes seemed to glisten. "Maybe there are a lot of things I don't know about people."

When she remained just as composed as before, Tatsuya swore he felt his momentary panic deflate with his next breath. Even so, this new information left him confused. Tatsuya knew he wasn't as close to Shuuzo as Shirato had obviously been, but he'd seemed so sincere, if a tad awkward- and he doubted that anyone who would have pushed aside their own problems to save a kid they didn't even know would be such a snake. There had to be an explanation for this- he would contact Shuu soon, just to be sure…

"Shirato-chan, would you want to-"

"Hey, Muro-chin. Shira-chin."

The relaxed drawl of Atsushi's voice cut Tatsuya off before he could finish, and he looked up to see the underclassman towering over them as he stood at the table. He carried a particularly big bento box today, and he didn't waste a second to explain himself. "Can I sit with you guys? It's hot up on the roof today."

"Yeah, sure thing." Shirato scooted over willingly, making space for Atsushi to sit next to her. As the first-year slid into the seat, Shirato glanced back at Tatsuya, as if urging him to finish his sentence. However, before he could do so, they were cut off again.

"Hey, you guys. Got room for two more?" Okamura's voice suddenly called out, catching their attentions once more. The Yosen basketball team's captain was heading towards them, waving good-naturedly while he was accompanied by Fukui.

"Fukui, Okamura." Tatsuya greeted pleasantly, trying not to feel too disappointed at yet another interruption. "Nice to see you here."

"Naturally." Fukui scoffed, tossing up the sandwich he held in his hand and catching it in a nonchalant manner as it fell. "So, I'll take that as a yes. Move over, would ya?"

"This is starting to feel familiar," Shirato muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Tatsuya to hear. His lips twitched at that as a sheepish feeling settled within him- they'd all split the bill to get her another umbrella after that fiasco. It hadn't been nearly as big as the one she'd had before, but it was decidedly for the better.

"You seem to have attracted quite the crowd, Shirato." Another familiar face joined the table then, sliding into the seat next to Tatsuya with ease. Liu merely nodded at the rest of them in greeting, before opening up his lunchbox to proceed with his meal. Tatsuya exchanged another look with Shirato as their eyes met across the table, and he raised an eyebrow in agreement with her earlier statement. She caught on to his silent message quickly enough, though she attempted to hide her poor attempt at stifling her smile by digging into her lunch again.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, Shirato-san, but is that goya chanpuru?" Okamura suddenly asked after a few minutes had passed, catching everyone's attention. He seemed to be staring intently at Shirato's bento, and Tatsuya couldn't help but feel his own curiosity pique at that. He'd been wondering about what she was eating as well- but he had worried that his own lack of knowledge about Japanese culture and cuisine would make him appear ignorant about what might have been common knowledge. Shirato, on the other hand, appeared almost pleasantly surprised at Okamura's observation- though a tinge of pink flooded her cheeks in embarrassment.

"It is, actually." She nodded. Okamura seemed to brighten at her response, further prompting Tatsuya's intrigue.

"I thought it looked familiar! Man I haven't had a good chanpuru since I last visited my hometown." The captain sighed, sounding almost nostalgic. Shirato glanced down at her bento for a moment, before she looked up again and spoke.

"Do you want some, senpai?"

Her question seemed to startle Okamura, who appeared genuinely taken aback at her offer. A mildly embarrassed look crossed his face then, and he began rubbing the back of his neck as he said, "I mean, I would, but I really don't want to impose…"

"It's fine. Please, help yourself." Shirato pushed her bento over the table before he could protest further, leaving no room for argument. Okamura still appeared hesitant to accept it, however, and Tatsuya decided to step in to help him along.

"It'd be rude to decline such a generous offer, Okamura," He supplied, his words seeming to snap some sense back into the third-year. Okamura blinked for a moment, his eyes darting from him back to Shirato, before his own face coloured in response.

"Thanks, Shirato-san," He said sincerely as he accepted her lunch box. Shirato seemed satisfied with that, though she slowly turned her chopsticks over in her hand as she watched Okamura almost nervously for his reaction.

"Is that dish something special?" Tatsuya asked, taking advantage of the moment to voice his curiosity.

"It's actually an Okinawan dish. It's hard to find good Okinawan cuisine around here, so I often make some for myself." Shirato seemed a little shy about admitting that, her eyes flickering towards the others at the table who were watching the exchange in interest as well. "The rest of you can have some as well, if you'd like..."

"This is so good!" Okamura exclaimed all of a sudden, drawing their attention once again. The captain was virtually glowing with joy as he munched on a mouthful of the food, an almost childish excitement lighting up his features. "It tastes just like how my grandma makes it! This is amazing!"

"It's actually a recipe I learned from my grandmother, too." Shirato appeared flustered at the compliment, her fidgeting growing more intense as she fiddled with her chopsticks. "Is it really that good?"

"Definitely! You've got a real talent for this, Shirato-san," Okamura said sincerely, making her blush even more. The crimson flush on her face stood in stark contrast to the warm, olive undertones of her skin, and Tatsuya found himself staring at the trail of colour a little longer than he should have.

"You guys can finish that, if you want. I made too much, anyway- I'm full."

"Really? You're the best manager ever!" Okamura enthused. However, when he turned back towards the bento, he found it missing as Atsushi plucked it off the desk to try it for himself. His eyes widened slightly when he took his first mouthful, and he was quick to take another bite before Okamura could protest. "Hey, Murasakibara, don't hog the entire thing!"

"I'm… not your manager, though." Shirato voiced her correction quietly, uncertainty colouring her voice. Fukui was the first to respond, a light snort coming from him as he leaned forward to look past Liu and right at her.

"Coulda fooled me. Even Coach has been talking about having you around for the Interhigh." The vice-captain said it so nonchalantly, a stark contrast to the shock that crossed Shirato's face. "Only problem's that the lodgings have been booked and there's no more room with us."

"You're joking." She seemed disbelieving, but Liu shook his head in disagreement.

"He is not." The exchange student was utterly casual as he said, "Coach actually instructed me to inform you of the match this coming Saturday. She wishes for your presence at the stadium with us."

"This weekend? That's the Interhigh prelims!"

"So you are aware. Then that is convenient." Liu brushed off her astonishment with ease, simply telling her, "We shall gather at nine. Do not be late."

Tatsuya's gaze was drawn back towards Shirato, who looked utterly stumped at this new update. A dumbfounded look had made its way onto her face, a storm of uncertainty and indignation reflected in her eyes. Sensing her inner conflict, Tatsuya offered, "If you want to tell her no, I can go with you."

"No. No, it's alright." Shirato breathed out, though there was a strained cheer in her tone as she looked up at him. "I said I'd like to watch you all play after all, right?"

"Still…"

"Hey, Muro-chin. Wanna try some?" Atsushi pushed Shirato's bento towards him then, distracting him from finishing his sentence. He hesitated as he looked at the last of the chanpuru and then glanced back at Shirato, whose expression had mellowed out significantly since lunch had started. When she caught him looking at her, a somewhat forced smile made its way onto her face, and she nodded encouragingly as she gestured towards the lunchbox.

"Go ahead. I'd like to get some feedback."

The topic they'd been discussing still tempted him with the urge to pursue the subject, but a glance at Atsushi made him decide that it was something to approach another time, perhaps in private instead. He had a feeling her unease had something to do with the Miracles- and if so, then it wasn't the time or the place to pursue it. With a nod, he shot Shirato slight smile and accepted the bento willingly. "Alright. If the chef insists."

While he had to admit, that had been a damn fine lunch she'd made- he'd never had anything like it before- Tatsuya found himself thinking about the ambivalence on Shirato's face more than anything else. The question that he'd intended to ask slipped back into the recesses of his mind- and all up until that night, he would catch himself thinking about those sapphire eyes and the way that sheen of tears in her eyes had refused to fall.

Chapter 10: Intrigue

The Interhigh preliminaries of the Akita prefecture were being held in the city, a fair distance from where Mikoto resided. Despite that, however, the train line still connected to a stop that was relatively close to the stadium, making it at least a little more convenient for her travelling purposes even if it wasn't the shortest train ride away.

Thankfully, she didn't have to worry about that- given that Coach Araki had ensured the bus they were using to get to the stadium would have space for her. Even as she sat in her seat on the day of the first match, Mikoto still couldn't quite understand how she'd gotten in such a position to begin with. Despite all her assurances that it was alright, she wasn't part of the club and that Araki really didn't need to take the trouble to bring her along, the coach had brushed off all her protests and brought her along anyway. She'd only been told two days before the game that she'd be joining them, giving her hardly any time to do her homework on who they were facing, too...

"You'll want to loosen your grip, Shirato-chan."

Himuro's voice piped up from behind her, and Mikoto turned around to glance at him from where she sat near the front of the bus. Noticing the way he was pointedly looking at her hands, clutched together over her lap, she made a deliberate effort to disentangle her fingers. The red marks that her fingers left on her skin made her wince- she hadn't even noticed how hard she'd gripped her hands.

"Thanks," Mikoto mumbled in response. Himuro spared a glance at Murasakibara, who was leaning back in his seat next to him and taking a nap before he crossed his arms over the back of the chair next to her. Leaning his head against his arms, he shot her a wry smile.

"You are way too tense right now."

"How can I not be? I still don't know what I'm doing here." She began to fret again, her frustrations and nervousness leaking through once more.

"Maybe Coach really has taken a liking to you."

"I'm like her personal errand girl. How could she not?" This time, Mikoto actually rolled her eyes as she slumped in her seat. She found her hands gripping onto each other again, though this time she tried her best to avoid fidgeting.

"Relax. It's just our first game- we'll get through this just fine." Himuro assured her, his even temperament and calm nature a stark contrast to her jumpy, wound-up state. He seemed to be trying to put her at ease- and while she noticed and appreciated his efforts, she wasn't sure it was working. "You've read up on out opponents too, haven't you?"

Mikoto nodded. "Akitakogyo. Decent team, only two real threats that we know of- both easily countered by the members of our own team."

"Exactly. There's nothing to be worried about."

"It's just… this is my first time being behind the scenes of a real game."

"Nervous?"

"Very," Mikoto affirmed. She wasn't sure if that nausea she was feeling was her imagination or an actual result of her stress. "I don't doubt that this will be fine, but I'm still jumpy."

"That's just the anticipation surfacing." He placed a hand on her shoulder then, and this time Mikoto found it easier not to flinch at his touch. She was getting used to the familiar gesture- in fact, it was almost beginning to feel comforting whenever he coupled it with that soft look on his face. "Don't worry. It'll get better once the game actually starts."

There was something about his confidence that dispelled her worries somewhat- putting her at ease just with his words alone. She stared up into his silvery eyes for a moment, wondering just when she'd started trusting him enough to believe his reassurances like this. Feeling her confidence swelling within her once more, Mikoto cracked a smile as she said, "You guys better make this worth my time, then."

At that, Himuro smiled back, and his next words sent an inexplicable chill down her spine. "I'll do my best to put on a show, then."

Not for the first time, Mikoto found herself unable to respond to such a statement.

Azure eyes scanned the crowds of people milling around the spectator stands. Though there weren't as many people watching the prelims as there normally would have been for the actual Interhigh, it was still enough to make Mikoto tug uncomfortably on the collar of her grey, hooded jacket, grimacing ever so slightly at the sight. For once, she was relieved that she wasn't sitting amongst the spectators- but the idea of having all those eyes on them was almost doubly nerve-wracking. She retreated from where she'd been peaking past the gap in the doors, straightening herself up as she moved to the back of the crowd of basketball players milling about in the hallway leading to the court. They'd just finished their warm-ups in the next court. Any second now, they'd be instructed to make their move…

"The first match of the Interhigh second round will commence now." A voice on the loudspeakers announced, prompting Mikoto to look up in surprise. Had it been ten minutes already? "Teams Yosen and Akitakogyo, please assemble on the court."

"Let's go, team!" Okamura pumped his fist and hollered, earning an equally positive and enthusiastic exclamation from the rest of the teammates. They were all already in position as they pushed the doors open, filing out onto the court in unison. Mikoto found herself struggling to swallow with the sudden dryness within her mouth, even as her feet carried her forward to match Araki's pace next to her. The coach seemed indifferent to what she was certain was her palpable nervousness- or she was just ignoring her. Mikoto hoped it was the former.

The bright lights of the stadium were almost blinding as she stepped out of the hallway, making her squint for a moment as her eyes adjusted to the shift in lighting. The crowds cheered as both the teams were announced, and Mikoto couldn't help but spare them yet another glance as she made her way towards their side of the court. She was positive that she recognised a couple of faces from her school- some spectators were even carrying banners rooting for their respective teams. However, her attention was drawn away from the amusing sight as both the teams lined up in the middle of the court, preparing for the match's commencement. In that time, Mikoto spared a moment to size up their opponents- in particular, she sought the two prominent players on the opposing team that had caught her attention.

Sanada, Ryosuke. Mikoto's gaze slid over to the player whose name she recognised as belonging to the captain of Akitakogyo's team. From the research she'd done, she knew the eighteen year-old was also a pretty good point guard, with coordination worthy of such a position. His speed was his most powerful weapon, as shown by his ability to break past screens with relative ease. However, he wouldn't be too much of a threat to Yosen's team- Kensuke would be able to hold his own just fine.

Taruma, Shinji. Now this one- Mikoto knew from watching videos of his previous plays- was quite skilled. Research showed that he was pretty good at catching rebounds and scoring- as per his position as a centre- and his stature made him rather formidable in defence of his respective area. Compared to the giants on Yosen's team, however, she doubted it would take much to overwhelm this guy- though his with his skill, he could still prove to be a challenge.

Here, Mikoto shot a glance back at her own team- staring particularly at Yosen's double aces. As new players to the team, they could prove to be a great asset in terms of surprise. Coach Araki would probably have advised them not to use too many of their techniques if they could help it- the less the opponents had to use to research their aces' capabilities, the better. Mikoto idly wondered if the new shot Tatsuya had been working on had been perfected in time- she knew he was working on it, but even she hadn't seen it in action yet.

"Ready for this, Shirato?" Araki's voice cut through her musings, bringing her back to the real world. When she met the coach's eyes, Mikoto found herself tensing up somewhat unintentionally- but she forced herself to maintain eye contact as she replied.

"As I'll ever be, Coach."

"Good." Araki seemed pleased at her confident reply, before her eyes turned back to the court once more. The ball was in position- it was time to start the game, and they all knew it. Even as the coach spoke, Mikoto felt her pulse racing beneath her skin, a flurry of emotions arising once more. "Because this is just the beginning."

"Tip off!"

It was almost torment to watch the game proceed without being able to cheer as frequently and freely as a spectator in the stands. Mikoto had to actually bite her lip a couple of times to stop herself from exclaiming whenever someone from Yosen made an impressive block, or a member from Akitakogyo nearly slipped past an opening. Watching the Yosen team playing in an actual match on the court and watching them practice were almost two completely different things- their passion and energy was almost palpable. She didn't understand how half the spectators could remain so calmly seated in their seats- even if it wasn't an extremely intense match, or one that seemed to be extremely challenging, the spirit the players were putting into the game was just exhilarating. She'd forgotten what this felt like.

A failed pass from Liu to Okamura had her hissing quietly through her teeth- that had been a risky move, with the odds of that succeeding being close to none. It had almost been easily expected- the Akitakogyo team was good, and their point guard had the reflexes to respond to actions like those. It was obvious that they were all motivated to win this game- positions in the Interhigh and the Winter Cup were at stake, after all. However, there could only be one winner in this match, and looking at the scoreboard, it was obvious who was taking this match.

14-0. With Yosen in the lead.

It was only the first quarter, but even with such an overwhelming difference in scores in such a short amount of time, Akitakogyo's team was still putting everything they had into the game. It was admirable- Mikoto greatly respected the opponents for their unyielding effort, and was equally proud of all of her own team's members for not holding back.

Well, almost all of them.

Mikoto winced visibly when Murasakibara easily stopped another shot from entering the basket- he barely even seemed to be trying! That was the only thing that tainted her excitement over watching her first live match in months- the fact that the centre still aimed to crush his opponents while exerting as little effort as possible to demean their skills. It wasn't nearly as bad as it was when he was on Teiko's team- his current teammates were not on the same level as him to afford such a callous play style, after all- but it still gnawed at Mikoto's mind whenever she witnessed him playing. It was distracting, and not in a good way.

But then again, there was the other ace of the team that demanded just as much attention.

Mikoto watched in fascination as Himuro retrieved a pass from Fukui- the third-year had managed to break past a block from his opponent to hand over the ball. A very strategic move- as expected from their point guard- and he dribbled a ways past his opponents before stopping at the three point line. In one swift movement following his miniscule pause, his knees bent and he jumped, his arms moving in sync to produce a concise arc in which the ball was cast from his hands.

When the basket he'd shot finally went in, Mikoto had to stop herself from exhaling too sharply. She couldn't pry her eyes away from the shooting guard as he manoeuvred gracefully through the court, surpassing every opponent that got in his way. She had noticed Himuro's distinguished playing style before, but now that she could see him playing at full force, facing down his opponents with the full intention of winning...

He was beautiful. There just wasn't any other way to describe it. It was the first time she had ever thought that about someone's play style- not even amongst the Generation of Miracles was there someone who moved like Himuro did. The nearly unpredictable movements, the effortless sophistication and graceful coordination, that confident air he seemed to exude in such a subtly overwhelming way- he wasn't kidding he said he'd put on a show.

Damn. She really was glad that she got to see all of this in person, after all.

. . .

Masako Araki glanced over at Shirato, who had been utterly silent since the first quarter commenced. The girl appeared completely spellbound her hands gripped together tightly as her eyes remained completely fixated on the game at hand. Despite the awe in her gaze, there was also a distinct alertness in the way she watched the match- something sharp that indicated that she was still watching out for any details that would assist her observations.

Try as she might have, Masako couldn't hold back the smile that grew on her lips as she returned her gaze to the match as well. It looked like her plan to get Shirato invested in the Interhigh had been a success after all.

"Shirato-chan, need a hand with anything?"

Mikoto raised her hand, waving it high over her head to make sure it was visible over the aisles as she continued arranging a few new products on the shelves. They'd had quite the number of customers come in over the week and even that same afternoon as well, and so she found herself restocking the shelves with whatever they had left from the last shipment. "Don't worry about it, Terumi-san. Everything's fine over here."

"If you say so. Just tell me if you need anything!" Terumi called back- the university student had been working as a cashier in the shop for about a year now, and Mikoto had grown rather comfortable with his presence. He was a hard worker with a delightful personality, and even her dad had taken a liking to him.

Just then, the familiar chime of the entranceway bell alerted her to the presence of another customer. Without missing a beat, both Mikoto and Terumi called out, "Irasshaimase!"

She spared a quick glance at her watch- it had been a little past half an hour since she'd gotten here to help a little with work. Toshi would be fine even if she had to stay for a couple hours in the store, but she didn't want to keep him chained up too long. She was feeling a little lazy today- though she hadn't really done much, the match from yesterday had left her feeling rather tired. A look at the few shelves that needed to be restocked helped her make up her mind- she'd just finish with this, and then be on her way. Her father never really hired her here anyway- she just helped out wherever she could when she was free, so she wasn't obliged to work in set hours…

"Oh, Shirato-chan?"

Upon being called, Mikoto turned around, eyes widening in mild surprise as she saw who was standing in the aisle. "Himuro-kun, good afternoon. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Atsushi told me that this place stocks up on some pretty exclusive stuff, and I remembered you saying that your dad owned the chain." The shooting guard gestured to the bag of snacks he was holding- she recognised that as some chips they'd imported from America. It looked like someone was feeling nostalgic. "Since this was the closest outlet, I decided to stop by."

"I see," She murmured, resuming her task of arranging the shelves as she did so. It gave her something to do to divert her attention away from the fact that Himuro was wearing a sleeveless tank top and jeans- for some reason, that was awfully distracting. It was ridiculous, given that she'd seen him wearing his basketball attire consisting of shorts and a sleeveless jersey, but in this casual setting, it seemed almost sinful for him to look that good without even trying. In the meantime, she was wearing a baggy shirt and tights beneath her shop apron. It felt somewhat embarrassing to be caught looking this frumpy, though she couldn't quite understand why it mattered.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd be here." Himuro's statement caught Mikoto by surprise, and she shot him a puzzled look as he spoke. "I wanted to talk to you about Shuu- we never got to finish our conversation on him properly."

"Oh." Mikoto couldn't help herself- she could feel the buoyancy leaving her at the mere mention of that name. She still wasn't certain how she should feel about Himuro knowing Shuuzo- even hearing him address the latter with such a casual nickname made her heart sting with the onset of envy. She remembered a time when she would have been close enough to Shuuzo to talk about him so easily, but now… "I'm surprised you remember that."

"I do have something important to tell you about." Himuro's words drew her curiosity, and she couldn't help but wonder what could be so important about Shuuzo that warranted him looking for her on a day off. "What time do you get off work?"

"This isn't really work- just something to help my dad with. I should actually be done in a few minutes," Mikoto replied, unable to help the sudden desire to know what Himuro had to say to her. He nodded thoughtfully at her answer, before he glanced back up at her with a certain eagerness in his eyes.

"I'll wait for you outside, then," He said, and Mikoto nodded in acknowledgement. With their arrangement settled, Himuro went to pay for his goods, while Mikoto resumed her task at a much faster pace than before. She was cautious not to make any mistakes or to get sloppy, but before she knew it, she was done. Practically throwing the box she'd been unloading out the back with the rest of the recyclables, she all but dashed out to the counter to take off her apron and store it back in place. As she slipped behind the counter, Terumi raised an eyebrow at her.

"Was that a friend of yours, Shirato-chan?" He asked- despite his attempt at seeming casual, anyone could tell that he was obviously trying to pry some information out of her. For all his niceties and mannerisms, Mikoto had quickly learned that Terumi could be a terribly curious individual, with a thirst for knowing about everything and everyone around him. He may not have gossiped much, but he certainly enjoyed being in the know about such affairs.

"Yeah. He's a schoolmate."

"He's quite a looker," Terumi commented, earning a raised eyebrow from Mikoto.

"He's a little too young for you, don't you think? And what will Tachibana-san have to say about that?" She asked, a teasing lilt to her voice. The cashier shot her a look then, wearing a pout on his lips.

"Hey, I'm only three years older than you, kiddo."

"Old man," Mikoto shot back, barely holding back a smirk as Terumi reached out to swipe at her arm.

"You've gotten cheekier these days, haven't you?" He muttered, before turning back to the customer that had just stopped at the counter. Mikoto just exhaled sharply though her nose, a smile on her face as she avoided bursting into laughter in front of a customer.

"I'm done with inventory- if my father asks, I went home."

"You sure you aren't just going out with your friend?"

"Toshi's in the back, remember? I have to walk him home."

"Sure, you just want to walk the dog." Sarcasm saturated Terumi's tone, making Mikoto blush at his obvious teasing. Waving his hand at her, he just sighed and said, "Don't get too carried away now. You ruffians get up to far too much trouble these days."

Mikoto couldn't hold back another laugh at that as she put away her staff apron behind the counter, raising a hand in farewell as she exited the store. There, Himuro stood off to the side of the entrance, his head darting up from where he'd previously been looking at his phone. As she approached, he moved off of the wall he was leaning against- even that slight movement was made with such effortless grace that she could scarcely comprehend it. How did he make even that look good?

"Sorry that took me a while," She breathed, an apologetic look on her face as she gestured towards the back of the store. "Could we head around the back for a moment? I need to get my dog."

"Oh, sure." Himuro perked up at the mention of her pet, and he was quick to bring that up. "What do you call 'em?"

"His name's Toshi." Mikoto couldn't help but beam as her loyal companion of five years came into view, but she turned towards Himuro to gauge his reaction. He seemed surprised, not that she hadn't expected that- Toshi was a rather big fella, with some distinctly German Shepherd blood mixed in him that contributed to his size and colouring. "As you can see, he's a pretty big boy, so we let him wander around outdoors whenever we can."

"Does he take kindly to strangers?" He asked, stopping a slight distance away from where she knelt to untie his leash from the pole. Mikoto glanced over her shoulder at him as she used her free hand to ruffle Toshi's fur- it was obvious he was being cautious about approaching her canine companion, and for good reason. It was always better to be safe when it came to dogs of his size.

"He does when they're with me." As if to justify her point, Toshi hopped up and leaned his front paws against her knees, snuffling and licking at her face as Mikoto looped his leash around her wrist. Grimacing at the feeling of slobber on her face, Mikoto gently pushed Toshi off of her and wiped her sleeve across the spot he'd licked, before turning back to Himuro with an extended hand. "Come on. I'll introduce you."

"Is he really okay with that?" Himuro asked, still clearly hesitant. Mikoto just nodded in reassurance- if there was one thing she knew, it was that her furbaby was a gentle soul despite his size and appearance.

"Do you trust me with this?" She asked, ready to pull back if he wasn't certain. However, something flashed across Himuro's eyes as he looked at her, and all of a sudden, he placed his hand in hers with all the confidence in the world.

"Of course." The smile that crossed his face was just as dazzling as all the others before it, and Mikoto suddenly felt a lot more nervous about having his hand in hers. His hand felt much cooler than hers, and she began to wonder if that was just his temperature or if she was starting to feel uncomfortably warm.

Suddenly eager to distract herself from the odd feeling, Mikoto focused her eyes on Toshi and moved her hand from Himuro's palm up to his wrist, lightly tugging on it to bring his hand closer towards the dog. She made sure to keep petting Toshi's head, all while inching Himuro's hand closer in obvious view. Though Toshi seemed alert at first, he seemed to lower his guard a little as she scratched his ears- and when Himuro's outstretched palm was just inches away from Toshi's nose, Mikoto waited with bated breath as the dog sniffed experimentally at his hand... and eventually nudged his fingers lightly with its nose- a gesture of permission to let him pet his head. Mikoto beamed upon seeing this new development, and she turned back towards Himuro in excitement.

"See? He likes you just fine," She pointed out, relief filling her chest. She'd been certain that Toshi wouldn't harm anyone, but there was still a hint of doubt that she hadn't quite erased. The same, unidentifiable expression from before darted across Himuro's face again for a moment, before he averted his eyes from hers and focused on Toshi with a slight smile on his own lips.

"That's a relief. He's a handsome one- is he a rescue?" He asked, scratching Toshi beneath his chin as he did so.

"We adopted him about five years ago. Moving here from Tokyo was good for him. He's got such long fur, and he's huge- the house here gives him more space, and the climate is great for him."

"That's good. He seems so healthy." Himuro glanced up at her as he continued petting Toshi, a somewhat knowing edge appearing in his smile this time. "By the way, how was your first official game 'behind the scenes'?"

At that question, Mikoto shut her eyes and took a deep breath, before her eyes flew open again and she turned towards him with barely concealed enthusiasm in her voice. "It was incredible! I still can't believe you guys managed to keep that score."

"Your comment about number 8 during halftime really helped. He might have scored a basket there if we hadn't been watching out for him." The unexpecred comment took her by surprise, and Mikoto blinked several times in confusion.

"Really?"

"Really," Himuro reassured, before he shot her a wink. "Nice work, manager."

"I'm still not your manager," Mikoto retorted, trying to ignore the way her heart beat just a little faster when he winked at her. Stupid hormones responding to anything a cute guy did. "But I'll enjoy these games while I can. Hopefully, you guys will do well enough at the Interhigh."

"You're not coming with us?" At that question, Mikoto's face fell as she looked away.

"Coach said she's willing to allow me on the bus, but because of the accommodation issue, she can't really have me on board unless I can arrange my own place to stay while I'm there."

"Do you want to go?"

"I... I don't know." Mikoto sighed, rising to her feet and prompting Himuro to do the same. Fiddling with Toshi's leash for a moment, she murmured, "There are some things I need to work out first."

Himuro seemed sympathetic at that, and he nodded in understanding. "I can respect that. Still, I do think that at the very least, it'd be a nice chance to visit Tokyo."

"Have you ever been there before?" Mikoto asked out of curiosity as they walked back to the front of the store, preparing to make their way towards the main road. When she made a turn towards the housing estate instead of the station, Himuro followed her without protest, clearly indicating that he was fine walking her way for now.

"It'll be my first time if we make it to the IH. Can't help but wonder what it'd be like."

"It's a lot busier than Akita. A lot more people, too." Mikoto thought about it for a moment, allowing Toshi to trot beside her as they walked. "But there are loads of places to visit. You'll have a great time if you're looking around."

"Well, they say that the locals make the best tour guides." Himuro turned towards her then, a slight smile on his face. "Mind helping this foreigner out when we're there?"

Mikoto raised an eyebrow at that. Was he trying to convince her to go by saying that? "If I do end up going, then I'll think about it."

"I'll hold you to that." Himuro chuckled again, the sound leaving a pleasant warmth that nestled comfortably into the space between them. However, a solemn expression found its way onto Himuros face, and his smile quickly dropped as he seemed to recall something. Shifting the bag containing his purchase from one hand to another, he seemed to take a deep breath before continuing. "But in any case… I wanted to talk about Shuu. I remembered something that might explain why he wasn't able to contact you after moving."

His words made her eyes narrow, though she loathed to admit that she felt her heart jump in anticipation. She'd tried to think up any excuse for Shuuzo not speaking to her for the past year- she didn't want to get her hopes up for this. "What do you mean?"

"You see, after he got robbed, he also got his phone busted up," Himuro recalled, gesturing absently with his free hand. "The whole thing just died on him, and he wasn't able to retrieve all of his contacts. One of those contacts were yours."

The explanation made sense. It would explain everything, in fact- but Mikoto wasn't sure if she could just take his word for the truth. Himuro didn't have a reason to lie to her, but this seemed almost speculative instead of solid fact. "Is that true?"

"It is. I had to lend him my phone at one point, too." He pulled out his phone from his pocket then, scrolling through for a moment before he turned his screen towards her. "And just to be sure, I even asked him about you."

"What?!" Mikoto all but screeched to a halt as she leaned forward, squinting to read the words on the screen. It took her a while to be able to make out the sentences- she knew she should have brought her glasses out for Toshi's walk today...

"You able to make out what it says?" Upon Himuro's inquiry, Mikoto just nodded in response. It seemed almost surrea to be reading something that Shuuzo actually wrote- in fact, from the way he worded his messages, it sounded like he was rather distraught when Himuro accused him of cutting her off. The way Himuro just got straight to the point when he asked why he'd stopped contacting her was enough to make her pause for a moment, too- he seemed rather offended on her behalf, and she appreciated that somewhat. "He really didn't mean to just lose contact with you. He just lost your number and couldn't think of a way to get back in touch."

"Did he ever think about using social media, for once?" Mikoto muttered. "He could have found me there."

"I don't think that occurred to him. He said he planned on trying to contact Aomine-kun or something the next time he came back to Japan to try and get your number again." Mikoto scoffed quietly under her breath- yeah, as if Shuuzo would have gotten anywhere trying to get Daiki to help him find her, of all people. When she reached the end of the conversation, Mikoto released his phone- she hadn't even noticed that she'd grabbed onto his hand in the process- allowing him to pull back. "But now that I know you, I could help you guys reconnect- if you want."

"What do you mean?"

"I have your number, but I won't give it to him if you tell me not to." There was a solemn look in his eye as he met her gaze, and he continued, "If you don't believe his excuses, then that's entirely your call. I'll do what you ask of me."

The sincerity in his voice reflected in his eyes, and Mikoto found herself feeling almost guilty for doubting his intentions earlier. Still, she bit her lip as she considered the situation. She recalled how she waited for months, checking her phone continuously in the hopes that Shuuzo would message her. His old number was supposed to have been deactivated after he'd left, but she still tried now and then to call and message in the hopes that maybe he still kept his old card. The memory of all those days and nights of wondering what she'd done wrong intertwined with all the time they'd spent together, painting the fond memories in a grey blanket that couldn't be overlooked. Bitterness mingled with longing, hope stained with anger, but above all of those mixed emotions, Mikoto found herself longing to speak to him again.

And so, she made up her mind,

"Please give him my number- and this time, tell him to write it down, or open up an online account."

"Wise words." Himuro smiled slightly at that, typing out his response in the message box as his grocery bag hung from his wrist. He paused for a moment, looking up at her to ask, "Is there anything you want to say to him?"

"Don't worry. If he messages first, I'll tell him everything I have to say." And boy, did she have some choice words for him simmering at the back of her mind. Her wrath must have been at least slightly noticeable, if the way Himuro's smirk widened was any indication.

"Then.. it's done." He exhaled as he sent the message, putting his phone back into his pocket. "You can expect a message any time now."

His words sent a fresh wave of relief and gratitude coursing through her, months of anxiety being put at ease with that sentence alone. Mikoto glanced down at the leash in her hands, her fingers picking at the spare threads as she murmured, "Thank you, Himuro-kun. I... I can't begin to express my appreciation for this."

"Think nothing of it." He waved it off easily, but Mikoto was reluctant to accept his nonchalance. He'd gone through the effort of actually confronting Shuuzo about her, and had even offered to bring the two of them back into contact with each other- all without her asking him to. She had done absolutely nothing to deserve it, and she had to repay him somehow. Was there any way for her to do that?

"Do, uhm..." An idea came to mind, but she could feel another blush rising to her cheeks as she hesitated, barely able to get the words past her lips. "Do you Americans... hug, at moments like these?"

Himuro blinked at her statement, seemingly perplexed, before he suddenly looked away as well. He cleared his throat, evidently trying to seem indifferent about her inquiry, but Mikoto couldn't help but notice the pink tint growing in intensity at the tips of his ears. "Well, yeah, some of us probably would. But really, you don't have to worry about that- it's not an obligation."

"But I really do want to thank you for this." Even though she should have been relieved, Mikoto found herself insisting. It didn't seem fair that she could only thank him verbally for all that he'd gone out of his way to do so much for her. "Words alone barely seem sufficient. How can I repay you, seriously?"

Her insistence must have been obvious, given the way that Himuro ceased protesting against her wishes. He appeared to think about it for a while, a slight furrow appearing in his brow as he contemplated an answer, but his eyes lit up almost instantly as an idea struck him.

"I'll tell you what- you can just show me around the next time we're in Tokyo together. That's all I ask for in exchange."

"That's it?" Mikoto was taken aback, but Himuro appeared confident in his answer.

"Were you expecting something else?" He asked- Mikoto wasn't sure, but she thought for certain that she heard a somewhat coy note in his voice when he said that. She quickly attributed it to her imagination, however, and shook her head.

"No. Just..." She huffed, not quite sure how to voice her disbelief. "That's so easily done."

"And that's what I need." Himuro halted in his tracks for a moment, prompting her to stop just a few paces ahead of him. Extending his hand, he looked her straight in the eye and said, "Do we have a deal?"

For a moment, Mikoto swore that when she blinked, she saw someone else standing before her. Another boy with jet black hair, but with eyes that were closer to a misty, charcoal-grey than the liquid platinum of Himuro's irises. He'd offered her his hand back then as well, swearing to repay her for how she'd saved him from a potentially dreary fate at the cost of her own wellbeing. However, the moment passed, and suddenly Himuro's features came into focus once more, blindingly handsome and almost soft in its visage.

This time, it looked like she was the one who owed a favour.

"Deal." She took his hand firmly and shook it once, feeling the cool temperature of his fingers slip through hers once it was settled. She glanced around her a moment after that to confirm where they'd stopped, and upon recognising the street they were on, she gestured around the corner with her free hand/ "This is my stop. Thanks for walking me here."

"It wasn't a problem," Himuro returned easily- and if it wasn't her imagination this time, there was something kinder in his eyes as he spoke.

"And... thank you again, truly." Mikoto felt an abrupt wave of shyness overtake her, and she called Toshi to heel in an attempt to regain her composure. Once she'd calmed herself down somewhat, she took a small step backwards, offering Himuro a wave as she said, "Have a good day, Himuro-kun."

"You too. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Try to keep the rumours at bay until then."

With that lighthearted jest, Mikoto shot him one last, bright smile and was on her way. But had she waited just a second longer, she would have seen the flush of colour that spread across Himuro's face just before he turned away, covering half of his face with his hand as a shard of realisation struck him deep in his chest. But in that moment, as she walked down the street with her dog by her side, Mikoto remained blissfully unaware of just how significant the promise she'd made would be in the times that lay ahead.

Edit date: 11/7/18. I'm revamping this entire part of the story and replacing it with a new mini-arc involving Shuuzo instead of a bet. I'm sorry if anyone enjoyed that bit- but a bit of reflection sort of made it occur to me that it seemed ooc for Himuro. Hope ya'll don't mind!

AN: Heads up, guys- it might be a while until the next chapter (not that I was updating thing much originally anyway pfft). Will try to get back ASAP, so bear with me, guys! EDIT 18/8: Not sure if any of you noticed, but somehow a couple of sentences in chapter 9 where I touch on Murasakibara's third brother when Eiko does the introduction was not saved when I edited it (internet malfunction during time of editing), so it kinda left a plot hole. Forgive me for not noticing this earlier- the slip has been fixed!

Shout out to S. Rune, lostinthefridge, Eurwen de Vrill, Forgotten Cross, RomanticKissez, LeoInuyaka, Multitules, BlazeMary, SnowstormX, MasaYumm, 1827alouette6927, darkxXxflames, Aku Tora, Teawanese, StarRose101, Ynnah, saradaprato94 and MethodicChaos! Thanks, you guys- it means a lot to me ;D