"I'm leaving, mom." Aimi calls out before heading to the door.
"Take care, love! Oh, by the way. Your dad will be in town this weekend. He says he wants to meet you." Her mom calls out before the teen.
Aimi sighed. She didn't really want to meet up with her father right now. The last thing she needed was another lecture and scrutinizing on how she should be the best in every school activity she would be involved in. Although her parents were divorced, her father still made it a point to acknowledge her as his daughter and the current only heir to their family business. This is also the main reason he wanted her to always observe and maintain excellence in everything as much as possible.
"Do I really have to?" She asked carefully, not really wanting to sound impolite.
Her mom gives her a knowing look and smiles softly. "He's still your father, hun. Besides, that's the least you could do to make up to him for choosing to stay with me here and not attending Rakuzan."
"Okay, fine." She answers, clearly defeated.
She knew she was actually set to stay with her father in Kyoto and attend Rakuzan once she graduated from Teiko. After her incident with a certain red haired captain, however, she begged both her parents one day to let her remain with her mother here at Kanagawa knowing that he planned to enter the said school as well. She finally got her father to agree, with the condition that she should maintain and achieve excellence as expected for an heir of the Takamoto household.
"Before I forget, I might as well inform you that I might be home late. I have three surgeries scheduled tonight, so you don't need to wait up. You can just have dinner outside as well if you wish." Her mother added.
Aimi nodded, expecting nothing less from what she said. She didn't really mind being alone since she was used to it ever since she was little. Her father was a business man and her mother was a cardiologist. Both of them were always away for work most of the time.
The rest of the morning at school was nothing out of the ordinary. Pretty soon after, lunch finally came and the quiet, empty halls soon became filled with students rushing for lunch break.
"Hey, Aimi chan! Why don't you join us for lunch? We're going to the cafeteria for some pork buns." Yui called out to her team mate, seeing she was alone inside her classroom as they passed by.
The white haired girl seemed to be reading a book as usual while eating some fruits from her bento. She spared Yui a glance before closing the reading material.
"Thank you for the offer Makoto san, but I don't really like crowded places such as the cafeteria." She said with a polite smile.
Knowing she can't be forced into coming, she decided to let her be.
"You're no fun, Aimi chan. Next time I'll definitely have lunch with you!" The short haired girl pouted and waved as she and her classmates proceeded down the hall.
Deciding that she wanted a change of place, she picked up her book once again and walked to the school's courtyard.
With the book in hand, she flipped through the pages boredly while walking to a secluded spot by the school's garden. That was when she heard someone call out her name.
"Aimicchi!"
Great. She thought, not bothering to stop nor look up to see who it was. Not that she needed to anyway.
Kise was apparently on his way to the cafeteria to have lunch with the basketball team, however he got stopped by a group of girls once again asking either for a photo, an autograph or just some bunch of random questions about him. While trying to come up with an escape plan, he luckily saw a flash of familiar long white hair walking from afar. That's when he got the idea of how to break free from the now growing crowd.
He jogged quickly to catch up to the girl even though she seemed to give no sign that she heard him. Anything to get him away from that chaos, really.
"Where are you going, Aimicchi?" Kise asked cheerfully, eager to go anywhere safe from his fan girls.
"Somewhere no one would bother me." She answered, still not looking up from her book.
The blonde however continued to follow her anyway. Thankfully he did not pester her much with his annoyingly cheerful questions and decided to walk with her in silence until she found an empty secluded bench by the corner.
"Ne, we've changed schools and all yet even though you were always the quiet one you still get attention from a lot of people." Kise says while sitting beside her, being able to relax for once without anyone to bother him.
Aimi finally looks up from her book for a split second to look at her surroundings. She could see passersby looking at them and whispering. Even those who were hanging out around the vicinity within their eye range kept on glancing by their direction.
"Don't be ridiculous Ryota kun. They're looking because of you and not me. Why are you here anyway? Don't you have an autograph signing session or something?" She questions sarcastically.
"Why do you always bully me, Aimicchi?!" He pouted. "Besides, that isn't entirely true at all! Sure, I may be famous, but a lot of people know you as well! I even heard my classmates the other day talk about you. After all, you even managed to catch Akashicchi's attention." Kise practically sang the last part, much to her annoyance.
She stiffened by the mention of the name for a mere split second, but not fast enough for the blonde not to notice.
"Say Aimicchi, what really happened to you and Akashicchi?" He suddenly asked, all playfulness gone from his voice for a moment. "I mean, we all know he changed into someone else, but we didn't expect you to change as well. One day you just stopped talking to each other, and it was just a few weeks after our graduation too."
Aimi finally looked up at him properly. She knew he was serious about wanting to know the answer to that question. After all, Akashi and him were former team mates and once friends.
"Like you're one to talk, Ryota kun. Don't act like as if we're the only one who wasn't like how we once were. It's not only him who has changed. You all did. We all did." She answered, not bothering to hide the bitterness in her voice.
The boy could only smirk, not bothering to think of a good comeback. As he stretched his arms out, he soon returned back to his carefree manner.
"That can't be helped, Aimicchi. You of all people should also know how it feels when you're better than most people and there's no one to truly challenge you. Besides, we all made an oath upon graduation. Whoever emerges the champion during the Winter Cup is clearly the strongest among us. I'm definitely going to beat Aominecchi this time." He says confidently.
Aimi could again suddenly see the motivation that once had been lost in his eyes, along with the rest of his former team mates. But this was different, however. They were all only now focused on winning and who was stronger. All the love and passion they once showed and had for basketball was completely lost.
"I can't believe you guys did that to Tetsuya! What were you thinking, Seijuro?! Did it not occur to you how would the other team feel after mercilessly playing with them like that?" Aimi shouts at Akashi after the match they had with Kuroko's old friend.
"They lost because they were simply weak, Aimi." The red haired boy responded calmly yet with finality in his voice.
"It doesn't matter whether they win or not! It was how you treated them and how you made them feel afterwards!" She says, desperate to wake the old Akashi in him.
"Winning has no place for the weak. Emotions make you weak. If you can't understand that, then I have no use of you anymore."
"Hey, Ryota kun. What does winning mean?" Aimi suddenly speaks up, still looking at the blonde.
Kise was mildy surprised by the sudden question. It was the same question he and his former team mates asked Kuroko. He stared back at the girl in front of him, searching for any trace of hint from her eyes that she had knowledge of it. He couldn't find any proof however, for she was really good to mask her emotions with her cold expression much like him albeit being the opposite of her quiet demeanor.
Forming another playful smile on his face, he decided to ignore the seriousness of her question.
"It simply means that you're the strongest and the best, and that's going to be me, Aimicchi!" The blonde exclaims, relaxing his back on the bench with his arms now crossed at the back of his head.
Aimi knew she wasn't contented with the answer. However, she did not bother pressing the subject any further. She did not want to relive such painful memories again, not when she felt like she had finally gotten over the red haired emperor and moved forward.
"By the way Aimicchi, our coach said that we're going to have a practice match with Seirin! I suppose you know who's going there, don't you?" Kise informs.
"Of course I do. He's still a member of the Generation of Miracles after all." The girl responds.
"Man, I don't know why Kurokocchi has chosen such a school, but I definitely am curious to find out why! Ne, Aimicchi, do you want to accompany me to Seirin this afternoon after class?" The blonde offers excitedly.
Aimi never really got the chance to see nor speak to Kuroko after the incident. He never showed up in the club after, plus she was too preoccupied with her own troubles.
"Okay." That was her only reply.
The blonde smiles widely in joy. "This is going to be exciting! I wonder if Kurokocchi found some strong players to go against us this time around."
As always, arrogance was an issue with all the members of the Generation of Miracles.
Classes have finally ended, and Aimi as always began packing up her things quietly without any bother to say goodbye to anyone from the room.
"Aimi chan! Do you want to hang out today at the mall before going home?" Yui offers once again.
"No thanks, Yui san. I have somewhere to go to today." She politely declined.
As if right on cue, a piece of blonde hair came peeking through their classroom door.
"Aimicchi! Come on hurry up or we're gonna miss the train!" Kise calls out cheerfully.
As expected, murmurs from everyone remaining in the room started to errupt.
"My my, Aimi chan. You could have just told me that you have a date with Kise kun you know." Yui nudges teasingly.
"Ne, Takamoto san, is it true that you're dating Kise sama?" One of their classmates who was with Yui couldn't help but ask.
Aimi sighed at how annoying these gossips are getting.
"You're just as ridiculous as that idiot, Yui... And no. I am not going on a date with Ryota. We're going to Seirin to visit a... friend."
It felt weird to call her former friends that. Were they still considered as a friend after all the change that has happened?
"Hmm. I see. Could it be that he's an old team mate of theirs?" Yui continued to probe.
"Yes." She just replied, not eager to elaborate any further.
Yui smiles knowingly. Even though she badly wanted Aimi to open up a bit to more people in school, she was at least glad to see her finally showing some sign of friendship that she had with someone. At the very least, she wasn't as cold and as aloof as she wanted others to seem.
"Very well, but next time you're going to have to hang out with us! See you later then!" She calls out, dragging her friends along with her who seemed clearly wanting to ask more questions about the popular blonde standing by the doorway.
Thankful that her teammate is at least aware of her irritation to questioning, she grabbed her bag and left to join Kise before another crowd of his fangirls started to gather and cause a scene.
"Didn't I tell you to stop causing a scene? You could have just waited for me by the school entrance." She glared at the blonde who didn't bother to feel the very least bit apologetic.
"I was just being a gentleman, Aimicchi! Even Akashicchi took his time to come get you after class once in a while after all." He teased.
"I would appreciate it if you stopped mentioning his name Ryota kun." Her cold voice was unwavering.
"Just kidding! Sheesh, you need to lighten up." He says, arms in the air gesturing a defeat.
The travel to Seirin wasn't quite that long. Before they knew it, the two teens were now already standing by the school's entrance. It wasn't long before they were gone unnoticed however. Aside from wearing different uniforms from the students in the area, the blonde's face seemed impossible to not be noticed.
"Excuse me, uhm, you're that model Kise right? May we have a picture with you?" One of the girls from Seirin suddenly asked as she approached the tall blonde.
In a matter of seconds, a flock of girls soon emerged and crowded the boy. It was a good thing Aimi soon kept her distance and managed to not get swallowed up by the crowd.
"Aimicchi! Don't just leave me here!" The blonde called out to her.
"I have no intention to get caught up in that mess of yours Ryota kun. I'll see you at the court when you're finally done with your business." She answers back nonchalantly as she ignored the boy's protests while walking away to find the basketball gym on her own.
She managed to slip into the gym unnoticed, choosing to sit down by the far end of the bleachers. As she scanned the area, it only took a moment for her to spot the blue haired boy. Usually he had no presence to everyone, but she was one of the few who seem to be aware of him even if no one wasn't. After all, she wasn't a manager of the Generation of Miracles for just any reason. Her keen eye to assess things and people could almost be up to par with Akashi's.
Her hidden presence was short-lived however. She knew the girl who seemed to act as their coach noticed her not long after. Thankfully, before anyone else did, Kise stole the spotlight just in time.
"Huh..? What's happening?" Their coach asked confused.
That was when Kise revealed himself, apologizing for the ruckus he has caused and informed them that this won't take a minute.
While he tried to placate the girls and with the help of the other members of Seirin, the crowd finally dispersed.
That was when he finally got his chance to introduce himself and talk to Kuroko.
Everyone was aware that he was one of the Generation of Miracles. The Seirin basketball team looked intimidated to be honest, despite trying their best to hide it.
From the far end of the bleachers, Aimi felt a familiar presence. Someone who once had been like them. Yet it felt incomplete, unrefined. Noticing the huge boy by the corner staring intently at Kise, he grabbed a ball from the racks while everyone was busy preoccupied with the blonde's presence.
No one has noticed though, not even Kise, when a ball suddenly came charging sharply towards his direction. Of course, being with exceptional talent, the blonde felt it and stopped it with ease not long before it hit him.
Not one to not return the favor, the blonde accepts the challenge of the boy who was apparently called Kagami. Needless to say, the team was in shock, which even impressed Aimi slightly, to see that Kise has indeed improved to that extent.
"Now that was disappointing. Why don't you hand over Kurokocchi to us?" The blonde said coolly, extending an arm over to Kuroko.
"I respect you very much Kurokocchi, and I feel like you're wasting your talents away if you stay here." He adds.
Aimi thought that he wasn't entirely correct however. When she laid eyes on Kagami, she just knew that with the right training, he had a potential that could come out as strong as the level that the Generation of Miracles possessed.
Finally deciding to move from her place, she quietly stood up and slowly approached the group below. Kuroko was the first to finally notice her when she finally stood just behind the tall blonde who was talking to them.
"It's been a while, Takamoto san." The small boy suddenly said.
Everyone turned their eyes to the person he was referring to, and there behind the tall blonde stood a girl with long hair white as snow, standing curtly with her hands tucked behind. She showed no hint of emotion, whatsoever, which was clearly difficult to tell whether or not she was glad to see a former acquaintance. Just as everyone started to wonder who she was, Kise suddenly yelled out.
"There you are Aimicchi! How could you be so cruel to leave me behind to deal with those girls earlier?!" Kise whined.
Clearly used to Kise's drama as well as Kuroko was, she ignored the blonde and gave the blue haired boy a stare.
"Indeed, it has been, Tetsuya-kun." She said, and finally, even just for a little bit, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly upward to reveal a small smile of acknowledgement.
"Wait! I've seen her, she was also in the article I've showed you guys earlier!" A first year from the Seirin team exclaimed while quickly flipping through the pages of the magazine he was reading to them about Kise a moment ago.
"Aimi Takamoto, Teiko Junior High's volleyball club captain, doubles as the co-manager of the legendary Generation of Miracles. Considered as also a prodigy in her field of sport, her exceptional talents are a reckoning force to add up to support the basketball team's own prodigies." He begins to read out loud.
"You've got to be kidding me. Is Teiko that really full of monsters?" One of the seniors from Seirin said.
"I appreciate it if you wouldn't compare me with them, senpai kun." The white haired girl says simply.
Startling the captain of the Seirin team, he momentarily blushes after realizing his lack of tact.
"I apologize, Takamoto san. I wasn't really thinking much when I said that." He says and bows to her as a sign of apology.
"The Generation of Miracle's manager and captain of the volleyball club? And now she's with Kise at Kaijo. We're definitely doomed." Another guy suddenly blurted out.
"Shut up, all of you or I'm gonna make you run 50 more laps around the court!" The acting coach suddenly said to the rest of the team. As soon as they all immediately obeyed, she turned back around to face the two outsiders.
"We appreciate you taking your time off coming to visit Kuroko kun. Are you perhaps Kise's girlfriend as well?" She asks Aimi.
"He's just a friend, as well as with Tetsuya kun." She answers politely, albeit already starting to get tired with everyone assuming so.
"Aww, Aimicchi! You finally admitted that we're friends once again! Doesn't this feel like old times, ne Kurokocchi? Kise exclaims teasingly while clinging to Aimi's arm like a child.
She tries to shake them off, and after successfully doing so another first year from Seirin spoke up.
"Uh... Kise kun seems awfully close to you however."
"That's just how Kise kun acts towards people he acknowledges." Kuroko says, saving her from further explanation.
"Besides, she is our former captain's ex-girlfriend." He added coldly, surprising her and everyone else for saying that.
Aimi smiled sadly towards the blue haired boy. Perhaps his bitterness towards Akashi's actions extended to her, seeing as she was close to him and therefore must had some kind of influence at least. She couldn't blame him though, what they did was uncalled for. The worst part is, she wasn't able to do anything but to watch the team change for the worst.
"Now, now, Kurokocchi. You know that Aimicchi doesn't have anything to do with this." Kise says, starting to get worried knowing the cold and scary side of the girl.
But I could have had done something about it before you guys turned out to be like this. Aimi thought. But it was too late, she decided. She'd leave their fate in the hands of the boy who still carried the remaining values the rest of the team once had in them.
"It was nice to see you again, Tetsuya kun." She said finally, while turning to the boy who challenged Kise earlier.
"Taiga Kagami, was it?" She said more like a statement rather than a question, having heard him introduce himself earlier to Kise.
The boy scratched the back of his neck, clearly not knowing how to react as she just suddenly showed a soft knowing smile only Kuroko and Kise would have probably understood.
Aimi didn't say anything else, as the room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. After what feels like minutes, she finally spoke up, breaking the silence.
"We'd better get going Ryota kun. I believe you already saw what you came for." She tells the blonde, still facing Kagami and the rest of the team.
"Wha-? But, Aimicchi! I haven't convinced Kurokocchi yet to come with us! Kurokocchi, join our school, let's play together again." Kise once again offers the small boy staring at them.
Kuroko doesn't budge however as expected and formally declines Kise for everyone to hear.
"I've already made a promise with Kagami to defeat the Generation of Miracles Kise kun. I'm very serious when I tell you so." Kuroko answers.
Aimi smiles genuinely for the first time in a long while. As she turned her back to the group to leave, she called out once again to her former friend.
"I'm looking forward to how it would turn out, Tetsuya kun." She says as she gives a quick glance to Kagami and back to him. "Let's go, Ryota kun. We need to catch the train soon."
Seeing the resolve and seriousness from Kuroko, albeit hesitantly, he follows the girl and tells the rest of the team that he'll be seeing them again soon in the practice match.
"Akashi Seijuro's ex-girlfriend, huh." Riko Aida, Seirin's coach says once the two were out of sight. "Kuroko, how was your former captain like?"
Kuroko did not give them an answer. Instead, he stared curiously at the spot where his former team mate and manager disappeared to. He didn't have to answer the question just yet, but he knew already that from the powerful aura the two were emitting a while ago that his teammates at least understood that the person in question was much more on a whole different level.
He didn't miss the way Aimi acknowledged Kagami kun either. He knew Kise noticed it as well, which is probably why he resigned so easily when he refused his offer. Both of them knew Aimi saw something, maybe a hint of potential in his current team mate. It was the hint of sadness in her eyes that made him more curious however. Like the rest of his former team, it was hard not to wonder what happened between them and Akashi for her to lose the caring side of her. She was still a bit cold and aloof, that was a fact, but at least not towards them. She wasn't even able to develop a bond with her former volleyball team mates unlike the one she shared with the basketball team.
He was sure however, that he was able to see a small trace of the old Aimi when he declared his promise to Kise a while ago. He knew for a fact that she was still in there, and that she wasn't gone completely. She was just only hiding it, closing herself up to the others and to the rest of the world. What had warrant her to do so, what he only could deduce was that Akashi definitely left a scar on her deep enough to not heal easily.