Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

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I did try to write out a bit of Aomine's thoughts, still uncertain in that department so it's only light. But I hope you'll like it nevertheless! It's fluffy enough I hope, now after I've written it, I'm afraid it's not enough. Take these fluffy imagination things and feel fluffy.

Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews!

DAY THIRTY

Mia put the milk into the basket, staring intently at the list in her free hand. It wasn't like she loved to go shopping for food, but the ingredients promised the special chocolate cake, her mother always baked after she was able to pass her tests with good grades. It was a recipe her grandmother had given them years ago, right before they moved to Japan and to this day, the girl still hadn't found a better one.

She browsed the shelves in the supermarket for brown sugar, enjoying the cool air inside the building while the weather outside got warmer and warmer each day. Her own day had been nearly eventless, save for a single strange call from Momoi.

Mia couldn't help but wonder how that girl always got hold of such information...first her landline number and now her mobile phone number - did she ask Aomine for it? Would that guy hand it over just like that? The orange-head furrowed her brow as she stared at the small package in her hand as if the sugar could offer an answer to all her questions.

'Do you know where Aomine-kun is?'

She had already left school, stopping by the diner with Nanami on her way back. And very second she stepped out of the train to walk home an unknown caller tried to reach her. It was obviously a surprise to hear the worried voice of the pink haired girl on the other side of the line.

'Uh...no? No, I don't. Sorry.'

Momoi immediately apologized for calling her out of the blue, adding a 'thanks' before she hung up on her. It left the teenager speechless on the street, clinging to her mobile phone while her mind tried to come up with an explanation.

Maybe her lazy classmate did finally murder someone?

And now his poor friend must get rid of the tracks while making sure the criminal was somewhere else - hidden from the police and innocent witnesses...it would make a good thriller movie for sure...maybe she should work in the entertainment branch with her imagination?

In the end, Mia's phone had received one more contact, whether she liked it or not. And the girl tried to ignore the strange event as her mother proposed the idea of baking the delicious cake if she volunteered to buy the needed things. She didn't need anything else to keep her mind occupied, so here she was, putting the sugar next to the milk as she continued to find the butter. It was not like his disappearance had anything to do with her; Momoi had surely found him by now for whatever she needed him for.

...what could it be?

Suddenly her mobile phone started ringing; the familiar sound which signaled the arrival of yet another message filled her ears. Mia didn't even know anymore who it could be from, the typical line of 'Mum' and 'Nanami' had been already broken by the blue haired basketball player and his lively friend who had somehow wormed her way into her life as well.

Slightly curious she stuffed the list into her pocket exchanging it with the small object she had to flip open. The screen met her, informing her of a new message which had been sent by a person called 'Aomine'. What had she done now, she asked herself? They had no homework anymore; the last few days were more or less boring right before the break.

Quickly she pushed a few buttons, her dark eyes scanning the few words he had written.

'I won.'

He...won?

Oh, wait. Today was a match wasn't it? One of the few...or maybe the last one before the InterHigh officially started. She remembered faintly about the rules, how the tournament worked to determine which teams would move forward and which were forced to try again next year. Who were they playing against...? It was a High School not far away...Sharin High, was it? No, no...something else...but with an 'S' for sure.

Mia hesitated before she typed an answer - if anything it was a good thing if their basketball team won.

'Congratulations.'

Her feet were glued to the ground; her hand shifted the basket slightly to have a better grip on it. She didn't know why. But she did expect an answer from him. Another snarky comment about how weak his opponents were; or how easy it had been to win. How he didn't need a 'congratulations' from her.

But nothing came.

Mia frowned at her phone, still staring intently at the screen. Maybe she expected too much? It was still her classmate she was talking about. She bit her bottom lip, weighing her options in her head. Would it be strange to ask him if something was wrong? It was possible that he just didn't care...although he did go out of his way to text her about his victory. If he did that then he should be bragging a bit more about it.

"Why am I over thinking everything..." The orange haired girl mumbled, her thumb pressing a few buttons with sudden determination. "...stupid."

"Aah?"

He could hear her breath first, a slightly startled sound which left her as she heard his sour tune. He could feel his face darken, the sweat still clinging to his skin while the air felt cold in contrast to his burning muscles.

"Hey..." Her voice sounded different over the phone was the first thing he noticed. Neither higher or deeper - just different. "...is...something wrong?"

Aomine closed his eyes, slightly shifting on the steps he sat on just outside the sports hall. His blood was still pumping loudly through his veins, the noise filling his ears and head as the sound of her calm breathing slowly made its way through all the turmoil inside of him. She was so calm. Strangely - while his mood swirled in between anger and aggression.

"I'm just, I'm just really pissed off." He hissed.

The blue haired teen pressed a hand against his forehead to ease the wrinkles away. Of course that didn't work though, he was too worked up to just relax. The memory was burning in his mind, appearing every time he dared to close his eyes. His temper felt like a way too short fuse, ready to lit up and activate a bomb.

"This damn' jerk talked bad about- about someone I know." Aomine finally opened his eyes and glared at his shoes. "...should've beaten the crap out of him."

The girl on the other line had become quiet, leaving him alone with his anger for a second. He could still feel the tension in his body, the disappointment the match had left in his bones. The way Satsuki had called after him like always before he had left the locker room, ready to snap someone's neck.

"Was that someone he talked bad about...a friend?"

Her soft voice made its way through the mist in his mind and he blinked away the harsh thoughts. He hadn't spared that topic his attention yet and now he didn't want to either. It was something which was in the past. And it should stay the hell there in his opinion. But that didn't mean he couldn't get pissed off at some member of the team who didn't even play on the court.

Who was he to bad-mouth Tetsu? That guy did nothing but sit on the bench.

"...if yes..." Mia's voice perked up again as he didn't reply. "...then you should've punched him."

For the first time, the grimace on his face eased away. A bit surprised he stared at his feet, his left hand brushing over his face to get rid of the sweat as his mind considered that it was nothing but a play of his imagination that he heard her say that. But it wasn't, he knew that. The girl really did say that.

The burning heat in his veins cooled down as he started to laugh quietly. What else could he expect of the girl who sat next to him in class? Who dared to tackle him in a desperate attempt to get the ball back? His tense muscles finally relaxed with his laughter, the sound slowly dying down into a handful of chuckles.

He didn't even know he needed to hear just that until she said it.

Aomine sighed heavily, his left hand rubbing the back of his head while his narrow gaze slowly lifted towards the darkening sky above him.

"It was a good idea after all to text you, Nidori."

The basketball player listened closely; he could hear her breath hitch in her throat. The surprise at his statement was obvious, and if he closed his eyes he could imagine her face. She was definitely blushing again, he mused. She always became red whether she was nervous, embarrassed or startled. Every time he teased her out of boredom she'd definitely scowl at him while her face turned into a dark shade of red. It had actually become something he looked forward to, never ceasing to amuse him.

"Of...of course it was."

Her voice sounded sulky, a weak attempt at sounding arrogant. But Aomine started to grin to himself anyway. The wave of anger left his body slowly but surely, the longer he listened to her steady breathing and voice. The strange support she offered him lifted his spirits even after the match from today. The basketball player leaned back against the stone steps behind him, his elbows keeping his torso up as he continued to stare at the sky.

Strangely he couldn't wait for tomorrow where he could annoy her in school again.

"Let's play basketball again sometime."

Aomine took a deep breath through his nostrils, his eyes closing again.

"Yeah, let's do that."

The conversation obviously came to a mutual end but he didn't find the will to end the call. Instead he continued to sit right there, certain that soon Satsuki would find him after he had left the locker room as dramatic as he did. The girl was probably searching for him in the halls, worrying that he had tried to break something - which honestly he had in mind.

Although this here, talking with Mia, felt a lot better and was less messy.

He could still hear her breathing. Mia was uncertain herself if she should now just hang up or not. But for him it was calming to just sit there, the sweat slowly drying thanks to the cool wind.

"Nidori."

After a few seconds she replied. "...yeah?"

Aomine found himself sighing, his upper body slowly falling back until he lay awkwardly on the steps. He was too lazy to move. "Say something."

"Wha-? Like what?" Mia asked confused.

The basketball player grumbled something quietly, his tongue clicking in slight annoyance. "Just something, stupid."

"Well...summer break starts next week...so you won't have to copy my homework anymore."

The teen couldn't help but breathe a light laugh; she had started to complain about that the most. Even though she always gave him her homework in the end in exchange for bread he bought at the cafeteria. He didn't even need to ask anymore, all he did was place the certain item on her table and with a sigh the needed homework was his. His marks could only profit from this.

"And...your tournament is taking place, InterHigh, right?"

"I guess..." He mumbled disinterested.

"I bet I could win that with my basketball skills." Mia said quickly after his tune had fallen.

Aomine could feel his lips form another grin, his body relaxing as the memory of her poor attempts to play basketball filled his head. For someone like him it had definitely looked silly. Though she didn't give up even as she had to face him, he had to give her that much. The basketball player could hear the sound of rushed steps somewhere behind him, Satsuki was about to find him and preach him because of his behavior. It looked like their call would come to an end.

"Sure." He replied quietly.