Again the chapter is pretty late; I was on a birthday, haha. I'm afraid the next one will be late as well because I'll meet up with friends and I'll return home very late again. So just a warning!

Big thanks to...

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It's really, really, really short! Sorry about that but I'm tired and lazy and birthday parties...you know. Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews!

DAY FOURTY ONE

"Mhm. That's good, right?"

Mia glanced at the ceiling of her room, the phone heavy in her hand. It was nice to hear Nanami's voice, knowing that her friend had always been the honest kind whether or not you'd like to hear it. But right now, she wished, she'd offer a bit more than a handful of words as an answer.

"I guess, but didn't we want to go together?"

The cause of the orange-head's uncertain mood was Satsuki's message. She couldn't help but console Nanami first about the invitation. It was the summer festival, where the pink haired girl wanted to go to, but the two of them had wanted to go together originally. Their plans though, had fallen into the water the very second where the family of Nanami had decided to visit their grandparents instead.

"Yeah." The black haired girl hummed on the other line. "But I won't be here this year, so why not go with the drug dealer instead?"

Mia breathed a laugh, stretching her legs across the bed to get more comfortable. It was just a joke, a really stupid one but her friend wouldn't let it live down. The girl felt slightly guilty for finding amusement in something as shallow and stupid like that, but it was hard not to laugh at the exaggerated picture in her mind.

"You're right...but..."

Her voice died in her throat as her mobile phone went off, signaling the arrival of yet another message. Mia swore that if it was another 'please' of Satsuki again, she'd be ready to scream. The basketball club's manager could be so persistent, it was amazing. Who knew that behind that soft and beautiful face hid a stubborn, thick-headed mind?

However, instead of her it was the tall basketball player, Aomine, who decided to send her a message.

Quietly she opened it, still pressing the other phone they used at home against her ear. Nanami had become quiet for a moment herself on the other line, shuffling around. It took the orange-head a moment to register the message on her screen, but after the meaning slowly sunk in she started laughing lightly to herself.

'Pay me back on the festival.'

He never typed a greeting, it seemed, always straight to the point. Only using the few words he needed to get his point across. But these words alone made it so obvious that Satsuki had decided to annoy him, too. Long enough even so that he chose to contact her, making sure that his childhood friend got her way. How sly. She knew, she should have forced the money back onto him after he had bought the popsicle for her. Now he was demanding something in return.

'Is there even ice cream?'

Mia replied back, not willing to give in so easily only because Aomine wanted it. His answer was rather quick.

'I don't care.'

What else could she have expected of him? Short and straight to the point. Whether it was polite or not didn't matter. At least it didn't to her classmate, she thought. Nanami breathed deeply into her ear over the line, her voice calm as she started to speak again.

"What happened?"

"Just a text." The orange haired girl mumbled quietly. "Are we really going next year to the festival then?"

Her friend chuckled, the faint noise of a suitcase zipping up invading the familiar rustle. "Promise. Next year, it's just you and me. So go with Momoi."

"I don't like yukatas..." Mia argued weakly while a frown crawled onto her face, her fingers were slowly typing a reply to the basketball player. She could imagine just fine how the pink haired girl got on his nerves; she had nerves made out of steel. Satsuki didn't fear the tall teenager at all, although to her own surprise, Mia had to confess that she barely felt the panic she used to feel in the past these days either.

Aomine still had a rather intimidating glare in his eyes, but slowly and surely she realized that it didn't mean her end.

'Where?'

"That's just you - girls love yukatas."

'At the station in front of the festival. Seven pm.'

"Well, they aren't comfortable." Mia grumbled in return, her eyes still glued at the screen.

'Alright. I'm coming.'

"No one said that they'd have to be."

'Finally.'

Mia couldn't help but laugh again. It was too easy to imagine the frown on his face, how his forehead was set in wrinkles while his lips were turned down. It was strange how clear his expression had suddenly become. How simple it was to imagine his lack of motivation and annoyed attitude even though they were doing nothing else but exchanging a few written words.

"Ah, I need to hang up. I'll send you a few texts or something if I can." Nanami's voice grew distant, her attention had obviously wandered. Probably to all her stuff which she still hadn't packed up completely.

"Okay." Mia agreed. "I hope you'll survive without me."

"I'll try. See you, Mia."

"Yeah, see you..."

The girl finally sat up, putting the one phone aside to cast the mobile phone in the other her whole attention. She had really hoped that she'd go and visit the summer festival with Nanami since they had become friends. But to spend the day with the bubbly female student instead didn't sound so bad either.

"Summer festival, huh?"

The heat filled her room, making her sweat even though she barely moved a single centimeter. The girl could hardly wait for the fall to come, warm weather was nice and everything. But to sweat when she did nothing but lay around was certainly something, she didn't need. With a heavy sigh, she let herself fall back onto the bed, staring at the snow-white ceiling above her head once more.

Food and fireworks.

So simple and still something everyone looked forward to.

Mia rolled onto her stomach, cradling her head in her arms as she glanced at nothing in particular. There was no way, she wasn't excited herself, Tokyo was a pretty popular location. The fireworks had always been pretty, offering a great sight at night when the sky was nearly black. The blue haired basketball player was coming as well, her mind hushed quietly, right?

Maybe it wasn't going to be so bad. Aomine could be pretty funny when he wanted to.

Carefully she lifted the mobile phone, lazily blinking at the display as she started to type.

'See you tomorrow, Aomine.'

Silence filled her room. And to be honest Mia hadn't expected him to actually reply when she had fallen asleep, he could take so long sometimes, it was terrible. But to her own surprise a message arrived a few seconds later.

'Yeah.'

The orange-head smiled slightly at the word, burying her head in her arms as her head suddenly felt heavy and tired. Their friendship was surely weird. She looked forward to the festival, even more while knowing that he'd be there as well. He wasn't really the person you'd see walking around on such a lively event, his mood and appearance was anything but welcoming unlike Satsuki's.

But she looked forward to it anyway.