A/N: I'm so sorry for the wait!

Chapter 22 — Mitsuri

The finals for the Inter-High are today — and we're facing Kaijō.

Everyone was a little surprised that it was Kaijō that was standing before us. Previously, we'd thought that Teik and Tōō were the biggest threats. However, Teikō, with the loss of its Uncrowned King Kiyoshi Teppei has taken a serious hit in power. They were taken out shortly after the preliminaries. After hearing the news, Akashi looked both conflicted and relieved. On one hand, he wouldn't have to face the team that beat him last year and risk losing again — but on the other hand, he wouldn't be able to play them. It was a strange thing.

Tōō advanced to the quarter-finals, but was taken out by Kaijō — from what I'd heard, it was a revenge match. Tōō had beaten Kaijō in the previous Inter-High, and Kise Ryōta, the ace, wasn't going to let that happen a second time. There was a fire in his eyes, and even I felt the energy, up in the stands. Akashi remarked on how much he'd improved in the last year, despite his injury that had set him back for a few months. You could hear barely concealed pride in his voice.

On our side, we faced Yōsen, and won, obviously. Murasakibara had a fearsome defense, but even he wasn't enough for Rakuzan's well-rounded stats.

Which left us to face Kaijō. Kaijō had also lost some of its power, due to the retirement of its third-years. However, they were far from weak: there was the current captain Hayakawa, with his high energy and unrivaled ability with rebounds, and the talented shooting guard Nakamura, whose cool-headedness balanced out the team. Two other second-years, who'd most likely been bench-warmers in the previous year, had joined and shown off their flexibility and hard work. And then, of course, there was Kise Ryōta.

Akashi looked pleased to be able to face him. According to him, he hadn't played many of his former teammates in official matches, and this was a great opportunity to see how much Kise had grown.

Experiencing a basketball game from the stands is a whole different experience than being on the court — and seeing it all first-hand for yourself. The preliminaries didn't have nearly the same feel as the finals — whereas those matches only had family or friends dotting the stands, today, the seats are nearly full. I can feel the excitement of the crowd reaching me, making me shake, even though I'm not the one playing.

We'd arrived early, of course, but the crowd seems just as impatient as we are. The best seats have already been scouted, and they're filling more and more quickly.

Reiha and I escort the team to our designated locker room, then wait in the court for them to get changed. Kaijō has just finished their warm-ups and are leaving, casting us curious and sometimes intimidating gazes as they went.

"I know I'm not the one who should be nervous," Reiha mutters, sitting down next to me on the bench, "but, honestly, I am."

I let a small smile onto my face. Before, Reiha probably wouldn't have admitted that. "I know," I say.

As the team returns from the locker rooms to warm up, I know I should be watching all of them, but my gaze is continually drawn to Akashi. He isn't racing around as much as Hayama or as pumped as Nebuya, but he's already acquired the sheen of sweat that shows he's not slacking off. He passes to Mibuchi, who leaps into a graceful arc. The ball lands silently through the basket, and Ogiwara catches it before it rolls away.

Speaking of Ogiwara . . . I glance toward Reiha, and she seems just as enraptured as I am.

I almost feel bad for Hayama, Nebuya, and Mibuchi.

But I can't keep my eyes off of him.

He catches me watching and smiles, that kind of Akashi smile that's soft and gentle, yet confident and charming. It's not Hayama's bright and cheerful grin or Mibuchi's charismatic smile or even Ogiwara's cute and boyish look.

My heart speeds up, and I smile and wave back. Reiha lets out a shout of encouragement, nearly causing Ogiwara to trip. We look at each other and laugh.

Four months ago, I would never have imagined this happening.

After warm-ups, we retreat back to the lockers to wait. Reiha and I pass out their jackets to keep their bodies warm. We'd also made honey-soaked lemons, but we decide to save those later for the break. The rest of Rakuzan passes out water bottles and words of encouragement.

"Well, Mitsuri." Reiha gestures toward the team. "Do you want to give a pep talk?"

For a moment, I'm taken aback. "Me?"

Although I know it's something that managers sometimes do, it's mostly been Akashi who's been getting the team's spirits up.

"Yeah, yeah!" Hayama pumps his first in the air. "Let's hear the Kasayama twins!

"I'm sure that if you cheer us on, there's no way we'd lose," Mibuchi says.

"Yeah. MUSCLE SPEECH!"

I'm still flabbergasted, especially by Akashi's amused yet fond look as he gazes at his teammates' antics.

"Well, um —" I usually consider myself a good public speaker, but never when it's on the spot. Somehow, though, I manage to gather my thoughts together into something coherent. I think of my thought just moments ago, and words begin to form inside me. "A year ago, I never would've imagined myself here. I've never been interested in sports and I never saw myself as a leader. But somehow, I've become the captain of the debate team as well as the co-manager of the basketball team. And . . . it's been a great experience. I wish I'd joined you last year, so that I could've spent more time with you all and cheered you on."

I bend my head. "As much as my job is to help you, I want you to know that you've helped me just as much. Please continue to take care of me!"

There's a smattering of applause as well as whistles and whoots. My cheeks burn.

"Ack." Reiha steps up beside me. "I guess it's my turn now?" Even though her words sound reluctant, her eyes shine. I take a step back to allow her the spotlight.

"I guess I'm kind of with Mitsuri," she starts. "I, too, never would've thought I'd be in some kind of leadership position or part of a sports team. I always thought that Mitsuri was the responsible one, but here I am. Managing a whole team of rowdy boys. I never knew being in a position of responsibility would be so much fun." There are some laughs. She smiles. "Well, I'd just like to say thanks. And — go out there and win tonight!"

Her small speech garners the same response mine did, and for a moment, she looks almost embarrassed. Only a few minutes are left till the start of the game, and the energy in the room is palpable. Within minutes, I'll get to sit out on court and watch as my players do their best. Within minutes, I'll be able to watch the culmination of all of our hard work — and I can't wait.

The game ends about as expected — we win, 98-90. For Rakuzan, it was a close match, and I'm sure it's only because of Kaijō's hard work this past year. If we'd played them last year, the whole game would have been very different.

Although Akashi has never mentioned it outright, he's hinted about the changes that have occurred to him in the last year. How the dominating atmosphere of his middle school team pressured him. How he and his teammates separated as rivals. How he beat his best friend, Midorima Shintarō, but in turn, admitted loss to Seirin.

I can tell, even without him telling me, that last year was a dark place for him, littered with the expectations of the impressive Rakuzan team and his duty to uphold the family name. Those pressures are still present now, especially from his father.

But still, the defeat of last winter has changed him, and even if I didn't know him back then, even I can see the difference in his aura. I remember walking past him, my first year at Rakuzan, and being intimidated, even though we were about the same height. This year, when he first talked to me, I was surprised by how approachable he had become.

Sure, there are times when he relapses into that darkness, those times that sew discord within the team. But tonight is not one of those times. He is happy, happy to have won by his own merit and his teammates' abilities. It's clear by the way he smiles when Hayama tackles him or how he congratulates Kise on his hard work.

His smile makes me smile.

The game was much more intense, being the final, and although everyone looks tired, they look invigorated as well. It's the kind of energy that you can only get from doing something you love.

As the crowds disperse, we retreat back into our locker room. Akashi gives a brief congratulatory speech to which everyone cheers. Then, after showers and the replenishing of liquids, we make our way to the school bus.

Reiha and Ogiwara chat about the highlights of the game as they load onto the bus, interrupted by Nebuya bragging or Mibuchi pointing out a correction. Akashi, to my surprise, sits next to me. Usually, he sits by Mibuchi, but Hayama stole that spot.

My cheeks warm as he sits. While we aren't as close as we were while riding Yukimaru, the bus is still cramped. Still, I don't mind. He smells fresh from the shower, even though the rest of the bus still holds the evidence of carting sweaty boys.

"Congrats," I say. It's the first time I've said it personally to him.

He nods in acceptance. "Did you enjoy the game?"

"Of course! It was amazing. I never know basketball could be so fun to watch."

He lets out a small laugh. "I'm glad to hear that."

He's always considerate of others' opinions, so asking isn't that out of character. But then I wonder if maybe . . . if maybe he's worried that I wouldn't like the game. If maybe he's more concerned about how I view him than anyone else.

The thought warms me. Akashi knows I would never lie to him, and yet he still seeks my honesty, even if it might be negative.

I lean in a little closer to him, until our faces are only a few inches away. Everyone else is too busy reminiscing about the game or catching some sleep to notice.

"I think you were amazing," I say. "I love watching you play."

A smile lights up his face — and it's the kind that makes me want to kiss him.

A/N: KISS?! Haha.

Well, thanks for reading!

~ J. Dominique