Author's Note: Longer chapter for you guys. Also includes a game. Sort of.


Chapter 12


As the game with Seirin approaches, I see less and less of Aomine. On one hand, it's like he's extremely focused and he can't think of anything else; on the other, it's like he's so lax that his mind can't stay on one topic, that he wanders from one thing to another, endlessly on a different dimension than the rest of us.

But either way, I don't see him much. He stops coming to me before and after school, and only appears for a few classes at a time. The rare times he does show up, I try to get him to cheer up, but he'll barely pay attention to me.

Apparently, Momoi isn't having much more progress. She comes to me one day to vent out her frustrations. "Kaminari-chan," she whines, leaning into the bench beside me. The outside air is fresh and cool, and I shiver inside my jacket.

"How are you doing, Momoi-san?" I say.

"Like I said, you can call me Satsuki! I don't mind. We're friends after all, aren't we?" She gives me a smile and I manage to return it. Unlike Aomine, she's full of energy and smiles. I wonder how the two of them are even friends. But I like her, and her organization skills are no joke.

"How's Dai-chan with you?" she asks me. "He keeps brushing me off. Won't let me get in a word edge-wise!"

I frown, thinking it over. "Well, he certainly is distracted lately. He hasn't been talking much."

Momoi sighs and slumps further into the bench. "I'll have to talk to him," she says. "That's absolutely no way to treat his girlfriend. And you, you should have a real talk with him as well! He needs someone close to him right now."

I glance at her, confused.

She continues, noticing my look. "What I mean is . . . Dai-chan and I . . . we know each other too well, and in ways, we don't get along. But you and him . . . I see a real connection there. And you're always trying. You're always persisting. I admire that. And I think he sees it, too. So keep trying with him. He'll eventually come around, okay? I promise."


"You both have progressed a lot," Matsuzaki says. He throws the ball toward Hana firsts, who then tosses it in my direction and I manage to catch it fairly easily.

"I'd hope so," I say. "It's been almost a month and a half since we started practicing."

Hana grins at me. "Are you going to show Aomine-kun soon?"

I pause, rolling the ball through my hands. "I haven't thought about when I'll show him," I say.

"You could do it after his next game," Matsuzaki suggests.

"I suppose. How do you think I should do it?"

"What's this, are you asking me for advice for a date?" The words are joking and he grins. Hana freezes, her face reddening at even the slight mention of such a thing.

"Well, you are my senpai." I crouch, dribble the ball a few times, and then dash past him. Distracted for a moment, he doesn't catch me, and I'm able to slip past him. Nearing the hoop, I jump up into the air and shoot it. It tumbles into the basket; not an entirely clean shot, scraping the edge, but at least it made it in. I grin, proud of my accomplishment.

"I see how it is," Matsuzaki grumbles behind me. "You're just gonna bat your big eyelashes to get past people. That's the only way you'll ever be able to beat Aomine-kun."

I turn around, still grinning, and throw the ball toward him. "What's wrong with using some of my natural gifts? Distraction's not a bad technique, either."

He raises an eyebrow. "That sounds more like something Hana-chan would do, not you."

"W-what?" Hana's cheeks are bright red now. I catch the familiar way he addressed her and raise my eyebrows at her. She just shakes her head at me. "I — I don't think I could really think that well during a game," she says.

"Well, you're plenty good with me," he says.

She looks like she might faint, poor girl. Luckily, she manages to keep from doing so, and just ducks her head, her hands clutching her skirt.

I check the time. "Oh, it's getting late. I'd better head home. Thanks for practicing with me!" I begin to move away from the court.

"No problem. Will we be doing this again?" His eyes twinkle. "Or will you be doing it with your boyfriend from now on?"

I glance back at him. "I suppose we'll see about that."


The morning of the game, I send a text to Aomine. It seems impersonal, but I have no other way of contacting him, and he won't answer my calls.

It took me forever to be able to think of something to say, but finally, I settle with the simplest:

Have a good game today.

He never replies. I didn't really expect him to anyway.

Matsuzaki and Hana both meet me at the station for the game. She's fidgeting beside him, and looks relieved to see me.

"You look a little nervous," Matsuzaki says, his usual smile adorning his face. "Worried your boyfriend might have some trouble today?"

"I don't know," I reply, and I'm being honest.

In truth, I don't know if Kuroko Tetsuya will be the one to beat Aomine Daiki. And I don't know if I want him to — perhaps I want Aomine to stay strong, forever the unbeatable ace. But then, perhaps I don't, because sometimes there are things that can only be fixed by being broken first.

Aomine Daiki might be one of those.

It's currently not in my power to uncover what is bothering him right now, but maybe someone who knew him from before, who might know what his problem is now, will be able to find the truth. Tear it from the lock on his heart. And then — then, maybe, he'll be more open to me.

Because I want to know him. If he'll only let me in.

As we file into the stadium, there's already a large crowd. My eyes widen at the sight of all the people. Winter Cup really is a big thing. Matsuzaki's told me of the level it's risen to, but now, looking at the huge crowds, I firmly believe him.

We find our seats, but due to the traffic and crowds, we've already missed the teams' warm-up. The game is due to start in about fifteen minutes. Matsuzaki and Hana make some small talk, and he offers to go get drinks, while I simply fidget.

When Matsuzaki returns, he's just in time. The lights flicker around us. My breath catches and I lean forward.

The two teams file onto the court. There is Touou, as strong and undefeatable-looking as always, firm in their standing.

And then there is Seirin. A relatively new school, the underdogs who are surprising everyone. They almost made it through the Inter-High, only to be crushed by Touou previously this summer. This re-match determines . . . everything. As I watch Seirin, though, goose bumps form on my arm. The looks on their faces . . . they're clearly here for a purpose, and I don't think it's just to win a game.

This game means more than that to them.

I wonder if it has something to do with Aomine. Kuroko Tetsuya. The Generation of Miracles. The red-haired boy talking to the Phantom Sixth Man.

Seirin is no ordinary team, that's for sure. They have an agenda, and they're willing to go to great lengths to achieve it.

But Touou . . . we have Aomine Daiki. The unstoppable force, the ace of the Generation of Miracles.

He can't be beaten.

Right?


The next hour seems to pass at a sluggish pace, yet also very fast. Like each moment is being broken apart for everyone to see in slow motion — and then sped forward at such a speed it becomes a blur. I'm not quite sure if I ever blink, if I ever breathe even.

And then it's all over.

101 to 100, in favor of Seirin.

Touou lost.

We lost.

Aomine lost.

Aomine Daiki, the ace of the Generation of Miracles, lost. For the first time in his life, he was beaten.

I stand up. And with the rest of the crowd, I begin screaming. Cheering, clapping, I don't know. Just shouting and screaming. I hear Hana and Matsuzaki beside me, roaring out their excitement as well.

I can't exactly describe the game. The amount of emotions packed inside of the four quarters; the amount of tension, the amount of quick turnarounds, and edge-of-your-seat wonderings for what will happen next. I've never seen such a thrilling game before.

And I thought sports were boring.

But Aomine lost.

He lost!

I saw him smile, though.

During the game, when he was playing Kagami Taiga, Seirin's red-headed ace, I saw him smiling. He'd finally found someone, a person he could fight his hardest against, someone who would never back down.

I am so happy for him. I want to cry and laugh and smile and scream — I don't know what I want to do.

He stands on the court, a blank expression on his face . . . and it's almost soft. The strain on him that I've come to known the last few weeks has disappeared, and it's like everything that he was carrying has been lifted off on him.

Kuroko stands near him, but with the adrenaline from the game finally wearing off, he begins to sway. Kagami manages to catch him and hold him up. Aomine turns slightly to Kuroko, and they exchange a few words. Then, a fist bump. I grin, and begin to race through the crowds. I hear Matsuzaki and Hana call after me, but I ignore them. I have to catch him. I have to reach him before he leaves — if I don't — I don't know what'll happen if I don't.

I push my way through the people surging through the aisles, chatting about how great the match was. I squeeze through them, muttering excuses, hoping they notice how urgent this, how much I need to —

I reach the base of the court.

Both teams are absent. Only a few people remain, cleaning the court up.

"Aomine," I whisper.

But he's gone.

"Miss?"

I spin around, my heart leaping in my chest.

A boy with light blue hair faces me. His eyes are naturally large and he has a rather blank expression, though it's tired and I can see just a bit of contentment in there.

"You're Kuroko," I breathe out.

"Do you know Aomine-kun?" he asks.

"Um . . . yes. We're dating." It still feels weird to say those words.

He cocks his head. "I see. He already left, though."

"Yeah, I can see that. But — but I wanted to talk to you, too! I wanted to thank you!" I dip into a bow.

His eyes widen slightly in understanding, and a small smile curves his lips. He says, "Aomine-kun is lucky to have found you."

I start and lift my head to meet his eyes. He stares straight at me and it's almost disconcerting. I say, "Thank you. Again. I think . . . you've fixed something inside of him. Something I couldn't do."

"It's up to you now, though . . ."

"Tsuchiya Kaminari. My name is Tsuchiya Kaminari."

"Tsuchiya-san, then. I will leave him in your hands now. After all, it is time for both of us to move onwards now."

I nod and whisper, "Thank you."

He nods back and disappears from my sight.

I clench my hands into fists, steadying myself, and then dash from the court. I send a text to Aomine, asking him where he is, not that I really expect him to answer. I search around the stadium a bit and find nothing.

After forty-five minutes, with no sign of him or his team, I'm beginning to lose hope.

But then I stumble outside, and there he is.

He's lying on the stairs, hands behind his head, staring up at the sky. He still has that weird, soft expression on his face.

"Aomine!" I shout, unable to stop myself.

His head turns slightly and he rolls up to a sitting position. "Kaminari?" He squints in the darkness. "That you?"

"You idiot," I say. "I've been looking all over for you. You haven't been checking your phone at all, have you?"

"No. You could've asked Satsuki. I just talked to her."

I pause. It would probably be a good idea to get Momoi's phone number, since she's essentially Aomine's babysitter, even though I'm technically his girlfriend.

I sit down on the steps beside him, and he lies back down, closing his eyes. For a few moments, neither of us say anything.

Finally, though, he speaks up. "Did you watch the whole thing?"

I nod, but then realize his eyes are still closed. "Yes."

"Huh."

"Huh? That's all you have to say?"

"What do you expect me to say?"

"I . . . I don't know."

"So what did you think? Were you expecting that outcome?" His voice is dry.

I lick my lips before replying. "No, I can't say I was. In all honesty, I'm pretty sure it's hard for anyone to imagine you losing."

"Me. Losing." He repeats the words slowly. They are still so foreign to him.

"I talked to Kuroko-kun," I say. "After the game, when I went looking for you. He . . . he's interesting."

"You mean, he scared you."

I blush slightly, and am glad for the darkness that hides it. "I . . . he didn't scare me. He just surprised me."

"Tetsu can do that." Despite being just beat by the guy, there's a tone of fondness in his voice.

A smile slips onto my face. "Aomine —"

"Hey, when are you gonna stop that?"

"Huh? Stop what?"

"We're boyfriend and girlfriend," he says. He shifts onto his side, opening his eyes as he does, to face me. "You can call me by my first name."

I blink.

Aomine . . . Daiki?

I've always just called him Aomine. Not even with an honorific because he annoyed me so much before. He's always called me Kaminari — I assume because it annoys me — and when we began to "date," he continued because of the excuse that he now had the right to.

But to call him by his first name?

"Kaminari, come on." He huffs. "I just got beaten for the first time in my life, and you're worried about calling me by my first name?"

"It's not that simple," I snap at him. "Just because you —"

"Kaminari."

I quiet down.

"I want you to."

The words shoot straight through me . . . perhaps because it seems like he doesn't often voice things in the way he just did. Things that he truly wants. Sure, he'll order people around like he owns the place, but those aren't things he truly wants. Now, what he just said . . . some part of me is telling me it's from the heart.

"Okay," I whisper. "Okay! I'll do it."

He shifts again, this time onto his elbows, like a waiting child, and stares straight at me, a glint in his eyes.

Silence envelops us again.

He says, "Any time now, Kaminari."

"Daiki!" I blurt it out.

He smiles.

My heart jumps inside of my chest.

Something drives my body, then — I'm not entirely sure what it is — and I lean forward until our faces are inches apart. His smile falters for a moment.

I say, "I thought you'd be more disappointed."

"That I lost?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, of course I am. I'm practically boiling inside with . . . this . . . feeling . . . I can't even name it." His fingers curl into a fist. But then he looks back at me. "But you just said my name. That's not something I could ignore now, is it?"

I begin to lean back, but he grabs both of my arms, pinning them to my sides, and holding me in place. "Don't," he says. "Don't move."

My body begins to tremble, just slightly, and I wonder if he can feel it. His fingers are warm against my bare skin. Even though it's winter and it's night and it's cold, I feel hot — no, burning.

What . . . is this?

"Ao— I mean. Um. D-Daiki . . ."

"Mmm?" He rubs his fingers against my arms and I almost shiver at the touch.

"W-what are you doing?"

He frowns, looks up at me. Glances away. Looks at me again. Then, his hands drop from my arms, and I'm able to breathe again. He says, "Right. I'm sorry. Just . . . forget it."

"Aomi— Daiki, I mean. Tell me. What's the matter?"

He shakes his head and rises. I scramble up beside him. "I need to get home," he says. "I'm exhausted. Do you have a ride?"

He's . . . rejecting me?

I blink a few times, trying to swallow the hurt inside of me. "Y-yeah. Matsuzaki and Hana came with me."

"Good, good . . . I'll see you later, then." He sounds distracted, and I wonder if the game is still on his mind. His first defeat. I suppose it is a bit much of me to ask him to spill his heart to me immediately after the loss.

I nod. "Okay. See you."

He turns from me, and his fingers are tapping by his side with nervous energy, his body still humming from the game. I suddenly feel the strange urge to reach out to him again, to calm him, to ask him to stay, but I force myself to remain still.

The one thing I can't manage is to look away from him. I watch his back the entire way until he disappears. He never looks back at me, though.


A/N: And Aomine is beaten! I didn't include the full game because a written play-by-play would've been kinda . . . I mean, actually watching it is a lot better. :P And now he's gotten her to call him by his first name. Daaaiiikiiii. Anyways, thanks for reading! I'll try and post the next chapter this weekend. It should be a good one for you guys.

~ J. Dominique