"Himeragi, are you sure you want to stay here?" Sanada wasn't the mastermind behind the plan and felt some guilty conscience for involving her in the publicity of the basketball team. The least he could do was warn her of who was after her. But the latter came to see how many students she'd be up against, knowing the risk.

"It's alright, coach." she glanced at the starters, with the exception of Kuroko, all having the seal of approval from their coaches tacked onto their uniforms. "Our players are barred from romantic relationships and I've already made sure Kise and Aomine don't even think about trying to chase me." The starters could all hear her and while Kise internally cried because he wasn't even allowed to hug her for the remainder of the day, Aomine sulked because he was bored. Kise wanted to tell her that she was really the only one that cared about the dating ban at this point but he couldn't risk their head coach hearing him.

"It is reassuring to have a manager that upholds the dating ban." Sanada said, pushing up his glasses after calling a missed basket.

"It's unfortunate that she's the only one that takes it seriously."

"Surely Midorima and Akashi uphold the rules as well, Shirogane coach."

"I'm sure they are well-aware of the rules. However, with their hearts already swayed, I wonder what they'll do." Midorima could feel Shirogane's stare at his back and broke out in some sweat, wondering if he had somehow not fulfilled his job as Vice-Captain.

"Should we make it clear again that relationships are forbidden?"

"No, if it's either of them, I'm fine with it." Sanada was surprised by his words before Shirogane raised his voice. "The only person that is barred from participating in today's competition is Kise!" As he asked why and whined, everyone ignored him. With the gym being filled with contestants unable to shoot five baskets in a row, Kise and Aomine soon lost interest, finishing up their consolation prize juice boxes and heading their respective ways to kill time. Meanwhile, Himeragi and the rest of the starters were bothered by the appearance of a familiar face.

"Yo Himeragi, looks like something fun is happening." After flashing an apprehensive look, she sighed when Nijimura, their previous captain joined the competition.

"Well Nijimura has graduated from the club. I don't see why not," Sanada and Himeragi flashed the same look, clearly not pleased that Shirogane's rules were becoming more lax.

"No way! Enough of the basketball club, let us normal students join the running already!" Boys left and right were crying out for Sanada and Shirogane to spare them this struggle but the two towers of Teiko's basketball team were relentless.

"Continue whining and you all will have to make ten baskets in a row instead." Himeragi stayed next to Midorima and Murasakibara.

"Azu-chin is just waiting for the hour to pass?"

"Unless someone formidable appears and I have to run away, yes I will take it easy." Midorima scanned through the vicinity and wondered where Akashi went. It was a given that all the regulars would get the five baskets in and they were free to not participate in the contest but Midorima found it uncharacteristic for Akashi to just disappear off somewhere.

"Don't worry, Akashi-kun will be back to watch the sunset and bonfire with us. I believe in him." The way she put her faith in Akashi made Midorima's heart ting just a bit. Even if she also believed in Midorima's abilities, knowing that Akashi could make her smile like this, made him slightly jealous. Murasakibara watched the interaction and picked up on Midorima being slightly upset.

"Mido-chin, if you're just going to sulk, then I guess you don't want to come get food with Azu-chin and me." Murasakibara said, changing the subject. Midorima picked up on his intentions and stared at him with slightly widened eyes.

"I'll go," he said with a sigh, as Murasakibara slightly smirked. Himeragi chose not to ask about what was happening above her head and walked with them out of the gym.

"Just you wait Himeragi! I'm going to sink all of these baskets and then—Hey! She's not here!"

After Aomine and Kise ran off, Momoi and Kuroko were left alone, with their consolation prize, peach juice boxes. It was indeed a shame that she was so close to winning the game and receiving support from others, for her love for Kuroko. When she looked over at Kuroko, Momoi felt slightly guilty that he was taking the loss more harshly than expected.

"I was so close to obtaining those basketball shoes…" she heard him mumble. Did he really want those LeBron James shoes that badly? It was uncharacteristic of him to exude such emotion, when he typically didn't voice these thoughts.

"Did you want those shoes that badly? I'm sorry, Tetsu-kun." It made sense for the Riddle Society to have set another trap so close to the finish line. With her analytical skills, she could have easily avoided the disaster but she was distracted by the wonderful feeling of running with her crush. They sipped their juice in silence, as now Momoi turned her head to the sunset. The sky was beautifully hued pastel colors: the purple color faded into sky blue and pink and orange blended with the white clouds to produce an aesthetic sky. It was truly a fitting beginning to the night activities of the Teiko festival. But Momoi couldn't hide her disappointment; she would have been so much happier if she properly fulfilled her role in helping Kuroko obtain the prize he wanted. When he saw Momoi sigh, he felt bad as well, having kept the details from her during the entire Stamp Rally.

"Actually, I didn't want the shoes." When they made eye contact again, Kuroko heaved out a sigh. "I wanted to get them for Aomine-kun."

"What, Aomine-kun? Why?" Momoi asked, still thinking back to her pitching the konjac at Aomine's face twice and how she would have threw it a third time if she had the chance. It made sense for Aomine to show gratitude to Kuroko for being his shadow but why was Kuroko grateful to Aomine?

"If it wasn't for Aomine-kun, I wouldn't have continued to play basketball." Momoi thought back to Himeragi's words as well. She described Kuroko and Aomine's friendship to be mutually exclusive and mutually beneficial. "In a team, no player is unnecessary. Let's stand on the same court and play one day. Aomine-kun said these words to me." Aomine was the one that brought such a smile to Kuroko's face. Kuroko explained that he felt so happy to be able to play basketball with the other regulars and this feeling can be traced back to that day when Aomine told him not to give up. He had known for a long time that Aomine wanted the LeBron James shoes so he had been nervous when Aomine himself decided to join the Stamp Rally. Aomine unintentionally worsened Kuroko's anxiety when he chose another capable athlete, Kise, to be his partner. Momoi looked at her juice box, running the tip of her finger on the edge of the carton, trying to organize her thoughts.

"It's nice… to be a boy." Kuroko made a sound of confusion, wondering what she meant. "Being worried, having such a strong friendship… I'm envious," Momoi suddenly remembered Himeragi's words concerning the friendship between all eight of them. Even if it felt like the six boys were in their own world, they would always remember her. That was what Himeragi promised her.

"The friendship between boys is inherently different from the friendship between girls and the combination of all these friendships yields a beautifully entwined story. Don't cut yourself out of the picture, Satsuki. You have a rightful place in the friendship between Kuro-kun and Aomine. Never forget that." Kuroko couldn't read her thoughts but was relieved to see Momoi smiling to herself.

"Sorry Tetsu-kun. I said that because I was feeling a bit lonely hearing about how you boys get along so well. But then I remembered something I was told before." With a radiant smile that made him blush a bit, Momoi's pink eyes gazed up at him. "I won't cut myself out of the picture anymore. I want to also be a great friend to you, Tetsu-kun!" With those words, Kuroko could surmise who comforted Momoi when she felt lonely amidst the Generation of Miracles.

"Thank you for always supporting me, Momoi-san." she felt teary when he smiled for her.

"Tetsu-kun…!" If people saw her teary eyes, they would have thought that Kuroko made her cry. Rather, he just touched her heart again.

"Do you have time now, Momoi-san?" Even if she didn't, she would have said yes and moved her plans to another time. She nodded fervently. "Then in return for all you've done for me today, I would like to show you my special place." It didn't matter if he brought her to the dark corners of the gym or someplace with no light; she'd go anywhere with Kuroko at this moment. But her affirmative answer was cut short when she heard the familiar voices of Kise and Aomine, who actually ran off to get food.

"Tetsu-kun, shall we bring them as well?"

"Of course."

"Are we allowed here?" Momoi asked, as Kuroko fiddled with the old lock as if he had done this many times. They were on the rooftop of one of the old school buildings, one that was no longer in use. Kise and Aomine didn't mind the fact that they may be bending rules and headed onto the roof.

"What is this place, Kurokocchi?"

"This is my favourite scenery." Watching the sunset from ground level was different from seeing it on the fourth floor. In addition to the pretty blends of pastel colors in the sky, their eyes marveled at the bright streetlights that were lighting up one after another, into the sunset. They could also make out the vague silhouettes of construction cranes in the distance. The sun was quick to set behind the tall buildings, creating shadows. Before the city was dyed a red color, it was a pale cyan color for just a moment. That moment was captured in the eyes of the four individuals, who agreed with Kuroko that this was a beautiful place. When Momoi snuck a look at Aomine, he was also enjoying the scenery, making her slightly smile.

"Aomine-kun really seems to like it here, Tetsu-kun." he was caught off guard by her whisper, not knowing what she meant at first. "Although it's not the basketball shoes, this is a gift too." He still seemed unconvinced but she flashed a smile up at him once more. "Don't you think so?" Kise noticed them chatting to his left and slightly smiled, knowing they were talking about Aomine.

"Thank you." Kuroko's words faded with the cyan dyed sky and the four of them continued to watch the night fall, enjoying a moment of peace.

Unfortunately for Himeragi, there were quite a few contestants that had athletic skills and after enjoying downtime with Murasakibara and Midorima, she had to rush out of the crowded space because a group of five boys were chasing her.

"Himeragi!" Midorima called, wondering what he should do in the situation. If he chased her, he would likely have to bring her to the stage himself, to ensure her safety. But that also meant winning the contest. He didn't feel ready to come to terms with how he may have felt for her but he wanted to offer some help.

"Don't worry about me! See you soon!" She called, leaving him and Murasakibara in front of the food stalls.

"Ah~ Azu-chin left. Is it really okay for you to still be here, Mido-chin?"

"Why are you asking that?"

"Because you like Azu-chin right?~ Is it okay for you to watch her get stolen away?"

"Don't be ridiculous. 'Like' is too strong of a verb to use."

"But you're bothered aren't you?" He certainly was but given the circumstances, Midorima didn't feel it was right to uninhibitedly court Himeragi. In comparison to Midorima overthinking the situation, Himeragi wasn't thinking of any consequences, skipping through the campus as the guys relentlessly chased her.

"Himeragi-san, please let us catch you!" Her carefree smile was soon replaced with a suspicious look as she halted her pace, a daring move against five guys.

"Why?" The unafraid look in her eyes made them intimidated to approach her. Both sides engaged in a staring contest before one mustered up words to explain the boys' perspective.

"We'd all like to dance with you, H-Himeragi-san. Even though we know all five of us can't win at once!" She thought for a moment; it didn't seem particularly convincing that they all had the same goal and didn't think through how they would feel if one of them did win. When she glanced at the clock and did a quick calculation to determine whether or not she'd make it to the stage in time, Himeragi realized she couldn't stroll anymore.

"I'm sorry!" she yelled, quickly side stepping into a run toward the stage. Onlookers watched her run, as they wondered who would end up being her partner. Nijimura saw her and stopped himself from "childishly" chasing after her. Since there were only two minutes until the allotted time was up and since no one was on stage except Akashi, there was no chance that anyone was going to win.

"And here she is! Himeragi-san has come up alone! Will she win the competition?! There is only a minute and a half left for any contestants that want to give it one last shot!" Although Himeragi wondered why Akashi didn't seem to have a reason to be on stage, her curiosity got the best of her as she walked closer. Surely he was not actually participating in the contest.

"Good work making it here without being caught," When he extended his hand, he exuded a welcoming air that made her want to put her right hand in his left. "This is checkmate." He immediately pulled her into a hug, as she realized that was his plan all along. The other boys gasped as well, as they thought that the President was just on stage for formalities, not to actually lay in waiting until the last minute, when Himeragi would definitely show up on the stage, alone. He won the contest immediately, as the MC was shocked by his ingenuity that outsmarted the Vice-President too.

"Hey! You cunning—!" Nijimura's friends told him not to curse out an underclassman as the rest of the crowd was shocked speechless.

"You're… so sly, Akashi-kun." She said, feeling herself blush because he was never this affectionate and under these circumstances, one could only think that he wanted to dance with her around the bonfire.

"Isn't it more interesting this way?" When she realized that he participated and won the contest on a whim—in other words, because he felt like it―she felt herself flashing a big smile that also surprised him. He didn't expect her to be happy with the outcome and realized he hadn't thought through his answer. But because it came out without a filter, Akashi's words made Himeragi happy.

"I think so too!" When they smiled at one another, Midorima gasped in horror, having also heard her sentence incorrectly.

"Did she just say 'I feel the same too!' ?! Akashi, did you just confess?!" He asked, demanding answers as Murasakibara tried to tell him that he misheard.

"Aka-chin and Azu-chin dancing…" Murasakibara mumbled, wondering why he also felt a little put off by that idea. Neither doubted that it would be a beautiful scene but they didn't want to admit that they wanted to be in Akashi's position. When they took another peek at the two peering up at the sunset together, they sighed in relief. They weren't a couple; they were just dancing together.

"It's decided! Our President and Vice-President will dance together at tonight's bonfire!" The crowd cheered for them as they left the inquiring minds to ponder whether or not they were a couple.

"Hm… so Akashi is the winner." Shirogane mused, as Sanada wondered what the implications of his sentence were. Neither were worried about Akashi's priorities but were slightly bewildered about Akashi's thought process: just what was going on in his head? When the two of them descended the stairs and students in every direction helped to pack up equipment in preparation for the final bonfire dance, a servant from the Akashi household came by.

"Young Master, the master wants you to prepare to sit in for the board meeting immediately." Himeragi knew it was not her place to tell him not to go since it concerned his family's corporation. She didn't mind not dancing with him later on in the night but was worried that he would be thrown back into his myriad responsibilities without even a break in between.

"I understand." she sent him off with a wave as Midorima and Murasakibara wondered what had happened. Akashi was a man of his word and for him to suddenly take off after joining the farce of a contest, was unlike him.

"Oh so Aka-chin and Azu-chin aren't dancing together."

"Apparently not." Murasakibara silently judged Midorima for clearly showing a smile in these circumstances. Himeragi also just laughed it off, still remembering the sensation of being in Akashi's arms.

"Well then! Looks like I shall dance with no one!" she declared, as all the guys around her did double takes. Kise, Aomine, Kuroko and Momoi had just returned from the rooftop and heard Himeragi's declaration.

"Isn't that great, Kise-kun?" Kuroko asked, as Aomine and Momoi asked him what he meant. When they saw Kise panic and turn a bit pink, they were bewildered. The basketball team members stayed as a group while night fell, watching as the staff lit the fire.

"Thank you for all of your hard work, students! We encourage you to come dance with your fellow classmates!" Momoi watched Himeragi sit on the bench with a smile on her face.

"Azu-chan, it's not cheating on Akashi-kun for you to dance with someone else." Himeragi's face cringed in confusion, as "cheating" also implied she was in a relationship with Akashi. But Himeragi didn't need to reply when Kise appeared before her. When Momoi saw Murasakibara and Aomine restraining Midorima, she understood the picture and grinned.

"I know I didn't hug you on stage. But I want to dance with you, Azu-chin!" With girls lining up to dance with him, Himeragi saw the dark aura behind him. Although it didn't bother her, she was bothered by his earnest expression. "I didn't participate in that contest under your orders and regardless of the outcome, I still want to dance with you." The girls were shocked by his words, ready to protest before Aomine quieted them with a glare.

" 'Want.' " she repeated, looking up at him again. Momoi could forsee the result of the interaction, concealing her smile. "You've been using that word a lot these days." When he saw her smile, he knew she accepted his request and so he extended his hand. Midorima was also in the background protesting, using the "dating ban" of the club as his excuse. "Midorin, settle down~ We're not dating." she said, reaching for his hand with hers.

"Himeragi." Akashi cut in at the exact moment Himeragi's hand would have touched Kise's. Momoi was also shocked by the turn of events. Wasn't this fellow supposed to be at a board meeting? When he walked straight to Himeragi, they realized he came back, to specifically dance with her.

"Didn't you say Akashi-cchi left, Midorimacchi?!" Kise yelled, realizing that his wish was not going to come true because the actual winner of the contest was here and since he was here, Akashi was the only one allowed to dance with Himeragi. Kise dejectedly went back to the other guys, as girls swarmed him.

"Did you finish the matters you needed to attend to?" she asked, looking up at him with a concerned expression. He returned her expression with a softened gaze.

"Yes." He only needed to say that for her to nod her head and walk with him to the bonfire.

"I never expected this…!" Momoi's women's intuition picked up on Akashi's special treatment of Himeragi and now that he defied her expectations and came back just to dance with Himeragi, she was brimming with excitement.

"May I have this dance?" When she looked at his warm gaze and his extended hand, Himeragi giggled. Akashi also defied her expectations. This time around there was no suspicion in his actions. This was no ballroom but with Akashi's manners, she felt like a princess in the center of the dance floor.

"It'd be my honor." She said, placing her left hand on his right hand. Momoi and Kuroko were the first to notice their chemistry and soon after, the rest of the team was staring too. Perhaps it was the burning fire; perhaps it was the temperature given off by all the pairs. But it definitely felt warmer than usual. Both individuals must have taken dance lessons, since both were so apt about taking steps that avoided each other's toes.

"Azu-chan looks so happy~" Momoi teased, making Midorima, Kise and Murasakibara just a bit upset. She was filled with courage as well, turning to Kuroko with hopeful eyes. "Tetsu-kun! Please dance with me!" the entire team was in for a surprise as well, as Kuroko obliged, holding out his hand. Momoi blushed, letting him lead her to the bonfire as well.

"Wait really Tetsu?!" Aomine called after him as Kise was tired of all the surprises.

"Forget that bogus competition, I'll hug Azu-cchi when I want to…!" Kise mumbled to himself, as Midorima found fault with that statement and began lecturing him.

"Refrain from being crass, Kise. You don't just hug people when you feel like it." Himeragi picked up on what Akashi was hiding and smiled up at him. Being near the flames made it clearer: the sweat he was hiding on the side of his face.

"Thank you for coming back for me, Akashi-kun." He was someone that she never imagined would hurry himself somewhere, let alone for a person besides his father. It was heartwarming that she mattered enough to him to warrant him running back to her. When Himeragi remembered that she explicitly said "I believe in him," she realized she didn't argue with Akashi's choice to come back, because she knew he would.

"It's my pleasure." He won the contest because he felt like it but when faced with the decision to fulfill his father's call or stay and accompany Himeragi, Akashi wavered. Since he was never one to hesitate, he realized he needed a peace of mind; he needed to dance with Himeragi. And he was right: this moment put him at ease.

"Let's remember this moment, for years to come, Akashi-kun!" He couldn't always choose to follow his father's commands and make time for Himeragi but when he saw her smile, he didn't mind. If he could continue seeing this smile, Akashi was content.

"Ah.*"

*Ah = Yeah - you hear suave Akashi-kun saying this quite often~