When We were Kids

###

I woke up from my nostalgic dream with a bit of worry. Aomine and I didn't meet until high school, which I am very certain of. Everything looked convincing though. I was really weak hearted as a kid, and I'd always pick the blue and white flowers instead of playing. But, that encounter was a farce. Does that mean… Momoi injected me into Aomine's past?

I looked around the shelves of my room. There was a picture of the three of us as children; Momoi, Aomine, and I were together, smiling. On the dresser was a picture of just Aomine and I. We looked about thirteen years old or so, and I was wearing a Teiko uniform. He was grinning radiantly and he was holding me in his arms as I smiled and made a peace sign with my fingers. If a person were to find this photo, they'd mistake us for a sweet couple. It was cute photo though. We were our purer versions of ourselves back then.

"But you guys were a couple!" I heard Momoi shout in my head, startling me. Both she and Riko appeared in their miniature forms. I raised a brow.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned.

"Although neither of you guys said you were dating, you two were actually a couple!" she answered gleefully.

"W-wait a minute, so that means Aomine is my boyfriend?!" I asked. She shook her head.

"Used to." She responded dejectedly. I grew even more confused.

"What do you mean?"

"According to how Momoi planned it out," Riko began. "You guys fell apart without a word."

"How?"

"It's complicated; remember how you were told how the Kiseki no Sedai had a fallout? Well when they broke apart, so did you two because you figured out that Aomine wasn't the same person you fell in love with as a kid." Momoi explained. I gaped at her. What an overly sentimental plot, but that's what otome games are like I guess. Momoi continued ranting on.

"You see, Aomine-kun prevented you from feeling lonely and he protected you, but after that incident he changed and with no official word you guys were just friends, and the past was all behind you two. You guys didn't speak much but when you got hurt Aomine rushed to see if you were okay; isn't that the cutest story ever?!" she proclaimed proudly. I just stared at her with an unamused look.

"It's too cute." I said sickly. She pouted.

"Hmph, Koto-chan is so bitter." She retorted. I gently picked up the framed picture of Aomine and me.

"But, is it really alright to make it that he fell in love with a person he never really met?" I inquired in an austere tone. "I mean, this beautiful past we had together isn't real."

"Huh? Koto-chan don't think too hard about it; you are dreaming after all so we can alter as much as we want, nothing bad will happen." Momoi objected. I didn't reply. I don't really like Aomine in reality; I understand that he wasn't always such an asshole, but other than that there's nothing but a falsified past. Even though, I felt kinda bothered.

###

The next day, my family said I was able to return to school. I wasn't going Seirin like I thought, I was going to Tōō. Nothing felt really different though. I didn't have any classes with Aomine, which for me was relief. I tried looking for him during lunch break, but for some reason he seemed to be avoiding me. I'd call out his name and as soon as he saw it was me he'd just walk away as if I wasn't there. It was after school and I tried looking for him by the gym where they had practice. Out of nowhere I ran into someone; not Aomine, but Tōō's captain, Imayoshi.

"Oh, I'm sorry senpai." I apologized.

"Ah, Makoto-san it's you; how's your injury?" he inquired.

"I'm starting to feel better." I replied.

"Are you looking for Aomine?" he asked. I nodded my head, surprised.

"Uh, yes." I muttered.

"Well, I'm sorry to say this but he decided to skip again." He told.

"Does he always miss practice?" I enquired. He stared at me with a confused look.

"Huh, don't you remember? He always plays hooky when it comes to basketball conditionings; he says he doesn't need it." He answered. Complete bullshit. That's probably why I hate Aomine so much.

"So that's it…" I growled out with animosity.

"Momoi-san said you've been forgetting a lot of things recently, particularly about Aomine. Your injury must be affecting your memory; can you remember anything else about your relationship with him?" he asked me. I pondered about it for a moment, but not much surfaced.

"Almost nothing, except for how we met as kids and now we don't like each other." I said. Imayoshi chuckled a bit. I raised a brow and shot a glare. "What's so funny?" I questioned.

"Sorry, it's just what you said; about how you two don't like each other. That's a bit far-fetched from the truth dear Makoto-san." He responded with his usual smirk. He took a step forward and he gestured me to go along with him.

"C'mon, walk with me. Maybe I can help clear these obscure ideas of Aomine."

###

Imayoshi and I walked around the perimeter of the school as he began clearing up my memories.

"Ya see, I don't think Aomine has completely let you go. After all, he stayed with you in the hospital as soon as Momoi-san said you fell." He began.

"It's just one little act, it doesn't mean shit to me. He's still the same asshole afterwards." I stressed. He laughed.

"Oi, oi, isn't that a bit too harsh, even for someone like Aomine?"

"Well that's how I see it."

"My, my, you've sure grown harsher from what Momoi-san has told me. If your memories were intact you'd see that Aomine treated you differently from everyone else. Everything was different; the way he spoke to you sounded kinder. He never made fun of you unless it was obviously a joke. As soon as you walked into a room he noticed you. You always passed by to see Aomine play in the park at a usual time and if you were even a few seconds late he'd ask Momoi 'where's Koto?' Sometimes when he wasn't at practice I'd here from someone that he was with you that evening. If you ask me, it doesn't sound like you guys were too distant like you presumed."

I stood back, trying to slowly process all this information that he was telling me. Aomine and I apparently had a fall out, but we were still good friends; not two people who tried to pretend the other didn't exist?

"Neh Makoto-san, can you come over here for a sec?" he requested. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Sure, but what for—"suddenly he wrapped an arm around me, pulled me close and took a snapshot of us with his phone. I stepped back, feeling very bewildered.

"That should provide some fun for Aomine later on."