Another day, another chapter.

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I didn't plan ahead and only realized that now, haha. Now I'm afraid I won't finish this in time for Karen's birthday...it's possible that I'll have to continue a bit afterwards. Maybe. I don't know yet. Don't hurt me. Gah. I'm such a horrible chaos, haha.

Thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews!

You guys are wonderful and nice the critics are also really helpful, I'll try to improve and I have all your great ideas in mind!

DAY NINETY TWO

The air slowly cooled off, the clouds claiming back the sky they had avoided during the hot summer days. And the days returned with their daily activities, up and downs included, of course. The Culture Festival was the main topic of the students, classes exchanging their ideas and opinions about what they were doing. While others were too busy with their clubs to prepare something as well, just like a certain black haired girl.

Nanami brushed past the classes with a handful of boxes and documents in her arms. She wasn't exactly someone who volunteered to do things for teachers, but if that meant she could escape a single lesson of English then it was definitely worth it.

Balancing the papers in her arms she climbed one step after another to reach the higher floors of the building they were in. The teacher's lounge was on the other side, far away from her location but that only meant that she had enough time to gamble around and avoid coming back to the class for a long time.

Who needed English anyway?

"Excuse me." She muttered beneath her breath, pushing the door to the destination open with a pair of fingers, because she couldn't let go of the objects in her hands completely.

"Ah, Himara-sensei's documents, I presume?"

Nanami had no idea whose voice it was. Probably a teacher of another division bracket, however, she affirmed it anyway.

"Yes."

"Imayoshi, help that student out, will you." The attention of the adult had already shifted to something else before she shortly after that heard a few heavy steps were closing in on her form in front of the door.

She had heard that name before, hadn't she?

Her suspicions were unsurprisingly correct as two of the three boxes she had carried disappeared from her pile, the familiar sharp face of the older student appeared in her vision instead. Nanami quirked her brow at seeing him here, she knew that he must be her senior but even those had classes right now going on.

"Ah, Amori, wasn't it?"

His thin smile felt anything but welcoming, and at the lack of the polite suffix, she had to lift an eyebrow. He must be her senior. Definitely. But even as an underclassman she should at least receive a fitting greeting. Two could play game, Nanami assumed as she nodded her head curtly at the taller teenager.

"Imayoshi."

The dark haired student in front of her only smiled a bit more, carrying the boxes towards a table at her left which she quickly did as well.

"Sensei, do I get an okay then?" The basketball team captain asked and the grey haired man at his desk nodded absent-minded. His eyes were still glued to a notebook in front of him.

"Yeah, fine. If he hands in all the assignments then I'll give a 'go'...ah." The teacher finally looked up and waved his hand at Nanami who still stood calmly in between the fronts. "Thanks for the documents, you can return to your class."

Well...if she was lucky then the bell would ring soon anyway. Wordlessly, she left the room with the taller student who nearly mockingly held the door open for her as well. The expressionless girl couldn't shake off the feeling she had with him. He was weird. And not in a good way at all.

"What for a coincidence, eh?"

Nanami looked up at the male student, her face still hiding the opinion which formed on him and his unshaken smile. He had talked with the teacher about some assignments...surely they weren't his, Imayoshi didn't strike as a lazy guy who dared to question the teachers how he could pass his subjects...no, it must have been about that trouble-maker.

Ah.

"Making sure that he can participate in the Winter Cup?"

The grey eyes behind his glasses widened slightly before he started to laugh, pushing the frames closer against his face..

"I've been found out it seems. Well, a captain has to make sure that the whole team is prepared."

Well, she had to give him that. It must be a horrible job to look after that guy, she still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that her dear friend had found a way to tame the lazy, shark-eyed teen without getting herself killed. It wasn't like she hated Aomine...but as a friend she was a little bit worried about Mia.

Although her amusement certainly overweighed that by miles, it was too much fun to tease her about her complicated relationship with the blue haired basketball player.

"Must be hard." Nanami mused before she was about to turn away, she still had to walk for quite a while before she'd reach her classroom. But her feet came to a sudden halt, her body twisting back around to Imayoshi who watched her change of mind curiously.

"Actually, I could use your help, Imayoshi." The black haired girl said calmly. "The Literature Club works at a novel concerning the school, I was told to gather information from the upperclassmen."

"Oh. Already busy because of the Culture Festival?"

Nanami shrugged with her shoulders. If she had found in him an acquaintance by chance, then she'd surely use that opportunity for her own needs. If Imayoshi wouldn't want to help, she could still try to ask the other senior from the basketball club. It couldn't be that hard to find him. But to her surprise the tall teen agreed, his smile broad as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Sure, why not? Seniors should help their underclassmen."

"I won't call you senpai." She deadpanned nearly immediately.

Imayoshi's face actually fell at that, his forehead set in wrinkles while he breathed a weak chuckle.

"Why are all youngsters so harsh these days?"

It was as if the heaven was on her side today, because somewhere around the time she had reached the stairs to climb them down the bell started ringing, indicating that the English lesson was already over. Nanami couldn't help but form a silent fist of victory, a gesture she had unconsciously learned from the orange haired girl as she continued her long walk towards her destination.

The next lesson was going to be mathematics, she was confident she could handle the countless numbers and letters. Logical parts of her education were always easier to understand then the other things, but her thoughts were interrupted as she finally reached the corridor of her grade.

The hall just outside the classrooms on this floor was filled by a handful of students who met their friends from the parallel classes. Something which wouldn't interest her as much if the very girl she called her best friend wouldn't be standing just outside the room, talking with two guys about something.

Nanami furrowed her brow curiously, scanning the back of the heads she saw of the male students but she couldn't tell who they were...classmates?

Mia gestured something with her hands, her round eyes wandering between the boys until she nodded. She smiled at something, oblivious to the classroom's entrance behind her in which suddenly another person appeared.

It was no one else than Aomine, who the black haired girl had talked about with Imayoshi, his slouched form leaning against the door's frame while his narrow glare landed on the orange-head and the two boys. Even from the distance Nanami could tell how his eyes were darkening, his expression twisting into a heavy frown as he stared the teenagers down over Mia's head.

One of boys bumped into his friend, suddenly eager to pull him away. Mia's eyes widened in confusion, shrugging with her shoulders before the students walked past her with a weak wave - just like Nanami had expected, they were disappearing in another class room.

The orange-head turned around, still puzzled at the sudden change of mood, before she looked up in surprise. Mia finally noticed her blue haired classmate who still wore the same frown on his face he had used to obviously scare the other two away. The girl said something, pointing at the basketball player who shrugged carelessly with his shoulders. Definitely doing anything but showing remorse.

"It's like some cheesy comedy show..." Nanami mumbled to herself, her steps increasing to reach them.

"I swear, your face is like a horror movie." Mia complained half-hearted.

"Tch, it ain't my fault that those morons are nothing but scaredy-cats."

"But I need to talk to them about the concept of the flyers..." The orange-head whined, her attention shifting to the newcomer. At the sight of her friend, her dark eyes widened in relief. Mia easily reached for the black haired girl, engulfing her in a hug.

"Nanami, Aomine is scaring everyone away. Again."

"Eeh~?" With her calm expression she looked up at the tall teen, her arms encircling the girl as she lifted an eyebrow teasingly. "Now, is he?"

Aomine's grimace returned. Nanami had never really talked with him much before, all she ever heard was from the girl in her arms but it was enough to put a picture together. Although even if not, she had already watched them enough to make up the rest. She still thought he wasn't really a great guy, but as long as Mia didn't end up dead somewhere, she didn't mind the show.

It was surely entertaining.

With a rare lopsided smile she looked up at the basketball player who couldn't help but recognize the familiarity of her and someone he knew. Her calmness was amazingly covering up any train of thought she had in mind. Something which annoyed him immensely.

Nanami, on the other hand, only wondered if Mia could see and understand everything she had witnessed these past weeks. Or if her stubborn mind and lack of experience blurred her sight of any clue and hint. Well, the black haired girl sighed as the bell rung once more, indicating the start of the next lesson.

At least she could still tease her friend about it till then.