Haruka Matsumoto.

Haruka Matsumoto's first week of school was made more welcome by the fact that her childhood friend was there. She was not completely alone. And as she learned later on, he was one of the most popular boys in school because he was the captain of the Kaijo basketball team.

"Haruka you're so lucky that you're friends with a third year. And a captain too! That puts you high on the high school hierarchy. Lucky lucky lucky," Namiko whined.

"Don't you have a cousin in third year?" Haruka asked.

"Yeah but he's a loser so I try to keep that information confidential."

"Oh, right."

"He doesn't even play a sport, let alone basketball."

Another thing Haruka learned was that this school was crazy about basketball.

She sat with her new classmates and it was surprising that even the girls were so obsessed with the sport.

"Do you play?" Haruka asked Ayako with curiosity, the girl who was ranting about the players the most.

"N-No I don't," she said with a nervous laugh. She wore thin glasses and her hair was coming down just below her jawline in a stylish bob. She was revering all these 'miracle' players.

"So you just like to watch the boys play?" Haruka asked with a grin. The other girls giggled and nodded their heads. "Well if they are good looking, then I wouldn't mind seeing a match," Haruka said with a shrug. She had always imagined having a boyfriend in high school who was into sports.

"Yukio-san is good looking. Aren't you going to watch him play?" Hinata asked. She was also a girl from Haruka's past. They went to elementary school together before Haruka left town.

That question took Haruka completely by surprise. She hadn't thought about Yukio at that point. He was indeed good looking and great at basketball. They shot hoops together when they younger. But she wouldn't go to a match just to ogle at him. He was a childhood friend, it'd be too weird for her.

Before she could reply, Ayako continued to gush about the Generation of Miracles. They all sat around her desk and when she started talked about particular players, all the girls found themselves leaning in to listen. Ayako went to Teiko for junior school. That was how she knew all these players. She was currently gushing about the phantom sixth player Kuroko and the strongest one called Seijuro Akashi.

"But I think the most good looking one goes here. Kise-san," she said with a giggle.

"Really? He's a serious basketball player?" Haruka asked surprised. She saw him twice in one of the lessons they shared this week. He came off across as really lazy and self-obsessed. There was always a gaggle of girls around him.

Hinata noticed Haruka look of doubt. "Not your type?"

Haruka shrugged. "I'm not really into such self-obsessed pretty boys. The playboy type, the type to cheat you know? Those types of guys are so-"

She noticed that the girls went white as soon as she started speaking and their faces were dumbstruck, looking at someone behind her. Haruka tensed.

"Oh? And what is your type then?" A smooth voice asked. Haruka whipped around, mortified to find none other than Ryota Kise behind her, half sitting on a desk, with his arms crossed. She had to admit to herself, that was one fine looking guy. Ayako wasn't exaggerating. It took a moment for Haruka to get over the surprise of being interrupted so unexpectedly. The smug look on his face irked her.

She regained her composure quickly. "The not eavesdropping type that's for sure," Haruka huffed.

His grin widened at her response. "Mmm how boring," he drawled. "My type is definitely the not gossiping type," he said. Haruka noticed next to her Ayako's ears were flaming red and she stared down at her desk, her face being hidden behind her hair.

"First of all," Haruka said standing up, "I don't care what's your type. And second of all, we were discussing basketball. You just happened to be in the conversation. Regrettably."

With a smirk he pushed himself off the desk and began to walk away. "Whatever."

"God, self absorbed and rude." Haruka said, loud enough for him to hear. She was sure Ayako was going to fall off the face of the earth from embarrassment. This was one of the basketball stars in her eyes and here was Haruka bickering away with him.

Kise stopped mid stride and looked back at her. "You wound me Miss... what's your name?" He asked. There was so much arrogance about him, this whole conversation felt like an amusement to him.

"Never mind what's my name. And I'm not a gossip," Haruka said, flustered, grabbing her bag from the floor and going to her next lesson.