Author's note: English is not my first language, so I'm sorry for any mistakes. My friend goes through the chapters to check it for me , but there still might be some faults. I hope I'll manage to keep everyone from KNB in character.
Also, events of one day are separated by "######", while days are separated by a horizontal line.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no basket, but I do own my characters. (And I write this disclaimer here only once.)
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. – Seneca
At every step the child should be allowed to meet the real experience of life; the thorns should never be plucked from his roses. – Ellen Key
Elegance isn't solely defined by what you wear. It's how you carry yourself, how you speak, what you read. – Carolina Herrera
One must never forget that life is unfair. But sometimes, with a bit of luck, this works in your favour. - Peter Mayle
As we all know, when you're an athlete things are a little bit easier for you. It didn't mean that what was going on inside my heart wasn't a bit of a thunderstorm, but outwardly I got along ok. - Stephen Chbosky
The last competition.
The last performance.
The last applause.
She wanted it to be her best.
She bowed down out of habit when music stopped. Her heart was thumping, adrenaline and joy running through her veins. She usually loved these moments. But today there was something more; a feeling of deep sorrow, loss and desperation. Her heart was breaking and she was leaving a part of it behind. It hurt more than she'd imagined. But it had to be done.
She knew what awaited her. The moment she'd step out of that patch of light, it'd all end. Tears stung in her eyes, but she refused to let them out.
You decided it for yourself. Don't you dare to cry now, it's the right choice. She told herself.
The most difficult part of all this was still awaiting her. And she was terrified. Her life was about to turn around. For better or worse, she didn't know.
Several months later...
It was her second day at Touou, and she was pretty much lost in this huge institution. She had to come super early if she wanted to look for Harasawa Katsunori's office. After several tries, she finally found the door with his nametag on it.
She knocked but didn't wait to be called in. She confidently entered the office. "Hello. You wanted to see me?" She asked, but it was more of a statement than a question.
The dark-haired middle-aged man was rustling through papers on his desk and he didn't bother to look at her. "Sure, you can come in. Make yourself at home." He said sarcastically.
"Gladly, Katsu." She smiled and remained standing opposite him, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence.
He could hear the smirk in her tone. He expected to see several students that morning and he didn't remember this particular voice. What a stupid idiot would call him, a teacher, by his name? No one, except...
He looked up at the girl and had to double take when he saw her. Two toned black and dark red hair, braided into a French braid; reddish-brown eyes and perfectly shaped figure were something he didn't quite expect to see.
"A-A-Aya!" He stuttered and blinked. Yes, he had expected her to come. Yes, he'd known her since the cradle. No, he hadn't expected this. This was not the six-year old rascal with short hair and scraped knees he had hoped to see. This Aya was a teenager, almost a grown woman. She'd grown so much. And that sharp, intelligent look in her eyes... "When did you become an adult?"
"There were circumstances... Oi... Don't look so stunned, ol' man, it's weird. I'm home!" She was glad to see him after such a long time. There was a lot they had to catch up and a lot to talk about. She was looking forward to it. After all, it'd been almost eight years since their last meeting. "And I'm happy to see you again."
"It's been too long since I've last seen you. Welcome back, Robin." He sighed and smiled kindly. "But I have to ask; are you bringing trouble?"
Oh, I haven't heard that nickname in months... "No. I hope not."
######
She walked into her classroom 1-3 a few minutes before the bell rang. It was almost full. She didn't mean to come in this late. As a result, some people whispered about her due to her rather fiery appearance (they were far from being used to it) and the way in which she carried herself. She was light on her feet, walking with her back straight and head held high. She had an air of self-confidence surrounding her and her every step looked like a part of some highly refined dance. She was aware of it, but she wasn't doing it on purpose; she couldn't get rid of her gait that easily.
The students in her class looked at Aya in awe and wonder. There was something magnetic about her; she embodied elegance and many girls secretly envied her. She didn't really care about it. Instead, she greeted everyone with a smile, exchanged some words with those she knew from the previous day and headed to her seat. The shy girl, Ohno Kiku, who sat next to her and whom she wanted to befriend, wasn't there yet. She sighed in disappointment and placed her bag on the desk.
Her eyes wandered to the boy sitting behind her, who was already sitting there. Without realising it, she stared at him curiously.
He was looking out of the window lost in his own thoughts. Oozing boredom and annoyance. Or maybe he wasn't thinking about anything. He was tall, muscular and tanned, or darker skinned, she wasn't sure. His legs stretched all the way under her chair and she wondered if he'd kick it. He looked like the type who'd do that. With his navy blue hair, dark eyes and what seemed like ever-present frown, he appealed intimidating and scary. He could as well carry a 'DON'T COME CLOSE' sign over his head. Aya would ignore it anyways. She had faced people much more intimidating and scary than the boy was.
On the contrary: He's kinda hot. That frown makes me want to tease him, she thought. Too bad, she couldn't remember his name.
Feeling her steady gaze, he turned to look at her. "What?" He asked in a husky voice and eyed the girl up and down. There was no saying he didn't like what he saw. He stopped on her boobs for a moment too long (evaluating her cup size), to go unnoticed, but she didn't seem bothered or embarrassed about it. Strange... He thought.
It wasn't like he hadn't noticed her the previous day – she was sitting in front of him – but he wanted to avoid her overflowing energy and enthusiasm. She was drawing people close to her and he was content being on his own.
"I don't remember your name from yesterday..." She said bluntly and her reddish eyes were burning when she was trying to remember. "Would you mind refreshing my memory?" She asked with a polite smile.
Just when she spoke directly to him, he noticed her strange accent. Not too foreign, but not exactly Japanese.
He couldn't remember her name either... But he wouldn't go as far as asking her. "Aomine Daiki."
"Aomine... Daiki..." She repeated slowly, tasting his name. "I'd swear I've heard your name somewhere before."
"Like yesterday during homeroom?"
Aya chuckled. "I guess so." Aomine Daiki... Hmmm... he sure has a sense of humour. But where did I...? "I'm Kagami Aya by the way. It's nice to meet you, finally." She turned her chair sideways, forcing him to pull his legs underneath his desk and sat down, facing him.
His eyes ran all over her again and then he said; "Sorry, I'm not into socializing much."
"Obviously." She smirked and when he gave her a questioning look she pointed at his forehead, "that frown of yours speaks loud and clear. I tend to ignore warning signs."
"Hmph." What a strange girl. He turned his attention back to the trees swaying in a spring breeze.
Aya was trying to remember who had mentioned him to her before. She was trying to evaluate him, but she wasn't sure what to think of him. He seemed bored, lazy, uninterested. Apathetic. He wasn't paying attention to her anymore. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, showing off some refined muscles and she noticed calluses on his palms, and there was the way he walked... That could only mean he did some sport. Then she glanced at his bag, noticing an orange bell-shaped keychain. And she remembered where she'd heard the name. Katsunori mentioned him before. The problematic ace to be... Aomine Daiki must've been really good at it, because he had a presence much greater than a high-schooler should have.
"You play basketball?" She made her 'lucky' guess.
He snapped from his daydreaming and looked at her again. "How...?"
"Just a hunch but I see I was right!" A satisfied smile settled on her lips.
"Tch... What was your hunch based on?" Not sure how to feel about the girl, he was carefully observing her. He was in the class with her for only two days and she'd noticed that much? Not likely...
"Your built, those forearms and calloused palms. The way you move and the keychain." She shrugged nonchalantly.
For the first time, Aomine felt self-conscious about his calluses and that darn keychain he'd gotten years ago, but couldn't get rid of. Damn you, Satsuki. He frowned at his bag, where the said keychain in the shape of basketball was hanging. Then he looked back at her. "Acting like you know much?"
"Oh?" Aya didn't expect him to be this unapproachable. So different from Taiga. "Are you any good?" She blurted out.
"Tch. I'm the best." He said coldly.
She frowned. It was rare to meet someone his age to be so arrogant, so detached. "Do you even like basketball?"
His eyes darkened when he looked into hers. "That's none of your business."
For a moment she could see a huge storm going on in those dark blue orbs of his. It was like a deep dark ocean, waves crashing into each other and swirling around, in destructive dance. The intensity of it took her breath away.
Hmmmm... "In that case, sorry for bothering you." She turned away from him. This time, she respected the signal to leave him alone.
Just as the bell rang, a small, short-haired girl with thick framed glasses entered the classroom. No one paid her any attention, but she seemed very stressed about it. Her bag looked too big on her and her eyes were glued to the ground. She headed straight to her seat – next to Aya – as if it was the only safe place in this classroom. One step away from her spot she tripped over her undone shoelaces and started to fall down.
Aya reflexively sprang up to catch her, or at least soften the girl's fall.
The sudden clatter of chairs dragged everyone's attention.
They both managed to stay on their feet – the girl was relatively light and Aya had perfect coordination and lean, but firm muscles acquired by years of relentless practise.
"Are you alright?"
"Y-y-y-yes!" The girl sprang upwards, her eyes wide – it was the first time someone had caught her, or helped her... The redhead was like a knight from a fairy tale. She bowed down. "T-t-thank you, Kagami-san!"
"It's nothing." Aya smiled at her, taken aback that the girl remembered her name. "You should tie your shoelaces, though." She pointed out.
The girl's cheeks turned bright red, and she glanced at her shoes – those weren't school issued indoor shoes, but black, ankle-high converse. She immediately bent down to tie it, almost hitting the desk with her forehead in the process.
"T-t-thank you again." She breathed out when she got up – shoelaces tied already.
Aya chuckled. "No need to be so nervous, Ohno-san. I don't bite," without a reason.
"Y-y-yes." The girl stammered nervously again and finally managed to sit down, putting her bag on the desk.
Aya wanted to talk with the shy girl more, but a teacher came in and classes started.
######
Around 25 guys and a girl gathered inside the gym. They all wore their uniforms, because all clubs' practises were supposed to start the next afternoon. The third and the second years were already chatting vividly, a few of the first years mingled in well, but they mostly just stood around awkwardly, not sure what to do as they waited for the coach.
Aya came in as the last; she forgot to watch the time while chatting with some girls from another class. When she entered the gym, everyone looked at her curiously. She'd always had that in her; catching the eyes and stirring interest in people around her. And it was no different in this team. She recognised the boys from her class, there were surprisingly a lot of them, but they were still strangers to her. There was also a pink-haired girl who ran up to her immediately. Probably the one Katsunori had mentioned previously. Momoi Satsuki, was it?
"Another girl on the team! I can't believe it." She exclaimed, smiling happily. "I won't have to do everything! Thank you!"
Aomine's eyes widened as he recognized the redhead. What is she doing here?! Even if he acted disinterested, he tagged along behind Satsuki. The team was whispering about him, thinking he wouldn't notice. The redhead was certainly unexpected in these parts of the school.
"Thanking me already?" Aya chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you are happy. I'm Kagami Aya." She bowed slightly, fighting the urge to offer a handshake.
"Oh, sorry, sorry! I'm Momoi Satsuki. I'm Aomine-kun's childhood friend." She introduced enthusiastically.
"Oh, so he has friends?" She teased him, enjoying that annoyed grimace he made. She also wondered why Satsuki would tell her that. The pinkette was cute, slender but she had, for a Japanese girl, unusually huge breasts – probably two or three cup sizes bigger than her – and it made Aya recall Aomine's judging gaze on her breasts. Was he comparing?
"Yeah, yeah, he's not that bad. Anyways, were you a manager of a club in your middle school too?" Satsuki asked fishing for any information she could get so she could run a background check on Aya. Professional curiosity, as she liked to call it.
"No. I wasn't in any school club." She answered; not lying but not giving a completely clear answer either.
"Eeeh? Then why have you decided to join a basketball club now? It's not that easy. If it's just out of obligation to be in a club, you could've picked a literature club or something where you don't have to do much." She blurted out without thinking about her answer properly.
"Because I like basketball and because Harasawa-sensei specifically asked me to." Aya answered with an amused smile. She wondered whether Satsuki always spoke before thinking, or if it was just a one-time slip.
What an idiot... Aomine facepalmed inwardly.
"O-oh. Sorry, I thought..." Satsuki blushed, embarrassed that she, firstly spoke without thinking and secondly jumped into an unfavourable conclusion about Aya. If the coach asked her to join the club, she must have been good at the job.
"Sometimes you shouldn't think, Satsuki." Aomine said lazily.
"Aomine-kun...!" She gasped in surprise, not expecting him to say that.
Not that bad, huh? To everyone's surprise (because the boys were definitely listening by now), Aya just laughed it off. "Don't mind. You are free to think whatever you want 'bout me, we just need to work well together, right?"
"But I want to be your friend too..." Satsuki muttered.
"That's fine by me." Aya grinned. "So? Were you in a basketball club before?"
"Yes, for three years in the middle school; it's not as easy as it might look."
"I guess it's not. So, tell me, what exactly is expected of me? Katsu didn't really tell me much."
Katsu...? As in Harasawa Katsunori–sensei? Satsuki processed this reluctantly, but spoke about their duties to come and her experience and whatnot. They still had some time, and she was glad that Aya was asking questions.
"Aomine-kun will try to ditch practises, so if you are in his class, drag him with you whenever you'll have the chance." Satsuki said seriously, "it's one of your duties."
"Why would he," Aya looked at Aomine, but spoke as if he wasn't even there, "ditch practises?"
"'cause it's boring. And I don't need it." Aomine jumped in, with a wide yawn. "I can't possibly get any better."
Aya recalled their previous conversation. What's his problem? "Hmmm... Can't or don't want to?" She asked but didn't wait for an answer and turned back to Satsuki, cutting off any answer Aomine might've given. "Attending practises is his responsibility, not mine. I can't practise in his stead, and so, if it's his choice to ditch... I don't care."
Thank gods, she's not Satsuki no.2. I'm off the hook! Aomine's mood lightened up and he smirked. Her question caught him by surprise, but he didn't have a reason to bother himself with it.
Satsuki wasn't that happy to hear this; "I don't get it..." She admitted.
"One should know how to face and deal with consequences of one's choices." Aya explained her thoughts; though she wasn't sure it got through. "That's responsibility you have in everything you do, be it grades, be it sports, be it life; no one should make decisions for you. That's how I was brought up." She shrugged, as if the last sentence explained everything. "If he decides to not practise, he should be prepared to face the consequence of being defeated at some point. And that has nothing to do with me."
Satsuki pondered this for a moment. If Aya really meant it, she was more mature than she appeared to be. And if she was really brought up like that, she must have been slapped by life. Pretty hard – that's what Satsuki felt after hearing the explanation and observing Aya's eyes and expression. The redhead had layers. And Satsuki's interest was piqued.
They were silent for a moment, but a moment long enough to notice that the others were talking about them. Whispers among the boys got gradually louder as they thought the girls were preoccupied by talking.
"Are we really gonna have two managers?!" Someone asked.
"How lucky!"
"At least we have managers!"
"They look good."
"So pretty."
"I chose the right club."
Satsuki tried to ignore it, but she blushed. Aya just raised an eyebrow.
"Ne... Isn't the redhead in our class?" Another pointed out. Aya knew the voice from her class. Kano Hideki, I believe.
"Ah right! She is. Her accent is somewhat off." A boy standing next to him answered.
"Does it matter, Ryuu? You notice unimportant things!"
"Oh? And what is important, mister wise?" The third guy standing with them asked mockingly.
"She has an exquisite butt and legs, for example."
"Oh my!" Aya reacted to this comment and she turned to face him with an amused grin on her face. "Thank you, Kano-kun! My butt hasn't been called exquisite yet!" She didn't mind the comments, she was used to it; in a way. Compared to what she'd already heard, Kano's comment was funny and innocent.
Kano blushed and looked away; mortified that she remembered his name. Girls were supposed to feel embarrassed or shy, after hearing someone talking about them like that. Kagami completely contradicted his ideas. And not just his. Even Satsuki blinked at her in surprise.
What the...? Aomine thought and stared at his classmate in disbelief.
Kano took a breath to apologise. Then something hit him... She teased him back... Then was it... okay? He looked at her, with a grin of his own. "Glad to make you happy, missy." He bowed in a prince like style, to lighten up the suddenly awkward atmosphere.
Aya laughed at his gesture and it helped to completely disperse any weird mood that might've been there. I'll probably have to be careful with my tongue...
"Seriously?" Harasawa strolled in, shaking his head in exasperation. He overheard Aya-Kano's exchange. "You are not in America anymore, Robin. Keep that in mind." He said, looking at Aya with hard eyes.
"We were just joking. Don't be so grumpy." She said familiarly with an innocent smile.
"I can remember your definition of 'joking' pretty well, thank you." For some reason he referred to all Kagamis not just Aya, and she understood that much.
"Well, just because you are bad at it, doesn't mean we all have to be so serious." Aya, on the other hand referred to the entire team of boys who were looking curiously at her and their serious coach, suddenly not being so serious.
Harasawa gave her a long unimpressed look. Yeah, he knew he sucked when it came to jokes, he only had his occasional sarcasm. No, he wouldn't argue with Aya about this. "Whatever, Robin, just don't cause me any trouble." He sighed; thinking when would be a good time to regret inviting her into his team.
"I won't. But I can't promise you that." She smirked with a mischievous light in her eyes, which made a chill run down his spine. "By the way... Shouldn't you clear our relationship for them? They seem to jump to very wrong conclusions." She added, noticing confused glances and blushing cheeks of the boys.
As if he could read their thoughts he sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "Okay, I hoped to wait with all introductions, but... This is Kagami Aya." He pointed his arm in Aya's general direction and she bowed with a smile. "She is my god-daughter, my niece, my family. Don't be deceived by her looks. I've known this little devil since the cradle. And I invited her here as a manager to help me deal with you."
She rolled her eyes, at his notion. That didn't have to be so explicit.
"You have a god-daughter?!" Wakamatsu pointed a finger at him. "You?!"
His grey eyes pierced his overly loud vice-captain. "I don't see anything weird about that."
"Me neither. He is not as lone-wolfish as he seems to be, Wakamatsu-senpai." She smiled at the blonde, who was now looking at her in confusion – how did she know his name?
Some more questions came up, and after it quieted down, all members assembled in a half circle around the coach. New members were sitting in the first row, the others sitting behind them.
"For all the first years, I'm Harasawa Katsunori – coach of this team." He introduced himself. "Today, I will give you the basic information, the first years will introduce themselves and then you are free to leave, or practise – if you feel like it. I don't care. Understood?"
"OSSU!"
He was monotonously explaining what he expected from them and what a usual training regimen of the club was. He didn't care about the bunch of teenagers in front of him, not really. His task was to guide them so they could become better. The results were completely up to them. With Aya there though, he felt more at ease and he was panicking at the same time. She could push them if needed. She could also cause as much trouble. But mainly he hoped she'd miraculously figure out how to handle Aomine, because he didn't think he could do it and neither did he trust Satsuki with this.
"Now we could go to introductions of the first years. Imayoshi-kun, I leave this up to you."
Imayoshi stood up, followed by a big, blond - almost white haired - guy. They went to the coach to face everyone.
"Hello everyone, I'm the captain of this basketball club, Imayoshi Shoichi." He introduced himself and then pointed his hand at the boy standing next to him, "and this is Wakamatsu Kousuke, the vice-captain. If you need anything, you can always turn with your questions or problems to us."
"Seems like some psychology club..." Aya muttered so only Aomine could hear and he smirked at her comment. Maybe the redhead wasn't as bad as he had first thought.
Imayoshi took the list of applicants and a pen from Wakamatsu. "I want you to state your name, class and position played or preferred. If you are in a basketball club for the first time, state your reasons and a position that interests you."
An awkward silence settled over them, because no one wanted to speak up first.
Aya rolled her eyes and despite the fact that she had already been introduced, she took initiative. "Kagami Aya, class 1-3. It's my premiere in a school club; I am here to be a manager. When I play it is either a point guard or a shooting guard position."
"You play?!" Wakamatsu asked her too loudly again, his eyes wide. It was starting to be too much, she was a niece of their coach, she played... What else?
"Yeah, is that wrong in any way? I thought it was an advantage for me."
The vice-captain flushed, and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "No." He muttered. "A! I mean yes!"
"Which is it?"
"Eeeerrrr... It's good." He wanted to disappear. She is like Imayoshi.
Imayoshi smiled at her, relieved he didn't have to point at people to make them speak. "Thank you, Kagami-san. Next."
Another moment of silence.
"Aomine Daiki, class 1-3, power forward." He rumbled lazily, slightly surprised that he was the tallest one from the bunch of the first years.
Whispers broke among the other players, because not everyone knew him, some of them had just heard rumours: "Aomine Daiki?" ... "From the generation of miracles?" ... "The ace of the generation of miracles?" ... "It's him." ... "That Aomine Daiki?"
Aya glanced at him curiously. Aomine just stood there, numb, immovable; he didn't care. He ignored it all.
What is the generation of miracles? She wondered and shot a sharp glare at Katsunori, who ignored it. He hadn't had enough time to explain that to her yet. Or maybe he decided not to bother himself with it.
"Oya~ Welcome, Aomine-kun. I'm glad you decided to join us." Imayoshi said a bit slyly, from which Aya understood they'd already met before. And that the captain was as crafty as he appeared to be.
"Next!" He said, this time hoping for an instant reaction.
"Momoi Satsuki, class 1-1, manager." She was standing next to Aya, so she took initiative next.
Thanks to that, all the other boys got more coordinated, taking turns:
"Ah, sorry. I'm Sakurai Ryou, class 1-3, shooting guard." The boy was relatively short and plain looking – brown hair and big brown eyes of a roe deer darting around the room. He was playing with his hands and fidgeting nervously, looking almost fragile. Aya, Satsuki and the coach just hoped that this wasn't how he acted on the court.
Another, not that tall player spoke up next. "Hasegawa Akio, class 1-1, point guard." He was more confident, and seemed to be a calm type of a player.
A preferred position of this one was obvious even before he spoke up. "Oyama Isamu, class 1-2, center." Oyama was a bulky, muscular boy, with very short dark hair and thick eyebrows. He appeared rather scary, but his chocolate-brown eyes had a certain gentleness in them, which made him approachable.
"Kano Hideki, class 1-3, small forward. But I only started playing in the second year of junior-high school." The boy was leaner than the rest of the boys. His longer hair was a complete mess, held up from his eyes by several hairpins. Aya liked the humorous spark in his greenish eyes. He looked friendly, funny, cheerful. People who could joke, lift the spirits, were an irreplaceable and very important part of any team.
"That's not a problem." Imayoshi smiled, and looked at the next boy.
"Ishii Ryuu, class 1-3, power forward." He said in a confident voice. Dark hair and eyes he had, gave him an air of mysteriousness and some healthy slyness. But he was really a straightforward guy with shorter fuse, who was good at sciences and loved basketball.
"Naito Shouhei, class 1-5, point guard." Intelligence in his eyes indicated he was probably a good point guard. He didn't stand out much, but Imayoshi had a feeling that this boy would become an official point guard of Touou at some point. The captain needed to nurture this boy as his replacement.
"Arai Souta, class 1-4, shooting guard." The last one was the most ordinary looking guy, with nothing interesting in particular. He looked introverted and too thin to be able to keep up with the rest of the team.
"That's all, I believe." Imayoshi sighed almost sadly. "I've expected more applicants –"
"Oi, what's with this class coordination!" Wakamatsu was staring at the list. 5 out of 10 new attendants were in the class 1-3.
"I'm sorry!" Sakurai bowed deeply, as if it was his fault that the majority of them ended up in the same class. "It's strange, right? I'm so sorry!"
"O-oi... It's not your fault." Wakamatsu said almost apologetically. What is wrong with him?
Imayoshi coughed to get back the team's attention. He was already getting tired. "Now, when we are done with the introductions, I have a question for the girls. Which one of you is going to be the first manager?" He looked at them expectantly, half expecting an argument to break out.
Aya turned to Satsuki with a question in her eyes. She still didn't know what exactly her duties were.
"Only one of us can be on the bench during official matches. That's the only difference in the duties." She explained with a smile.
"Oh. Then you do it. You are already used to it, right?" Aya proposed without a second thought. Being on the bench meant being in the spotlight. She didn't want that.
"Well, that was quick. It's decided then. Momoi Satsuki-san will be the official manager of the Touou's basketball team." Imayoshi made the note. From the first impression the girls gave off, he considered Satsuki to be less unpredictable, and thus he was glad it turned out like this.
Harasawa clapped, to stop their talking and ended the assembly: "Now since everything necessary has been said, you can either: stay and get to know each other, or wrap it up. Practises start tomorrow afternoon at three-thirty p.m., be sure to attend."
Without wasting another second, "Let's go, Satsuki." Aomine already started heading towards the exit. "I'm tired."
"Ah... Aomine-kun! Wait!" She called after him, but he didn't stop. "Kagami-chan, I have to go. If there is something interesting, please let me know. Ask my number from the coach, it was on my application form." She said in one breath with an apologetic smile and ran after Aomine.
"And there goes the only other girl." Aya sighed and turned around. She saw some boys taking Aomine's example and leaving immediately. Some, she believed they were second years, took out balls and started playing some three-on-three, or one-on-one, just for fun.
It made her smile.
"Wanna play?" Imayoshi's voice came from behind her and she almost jumped out of her skin.
"I'd like to, but I was thinking about meeting the other members, Captain. Would you introduce them?"
"It'd be my pleasure, dear second manager~" He smiled at her.
He accentuated 'second manager'. What an ass. Aya thought, and couldn't omit it. "Not just crafty... You have a foul personality too, right?" She asked bluntly, earning various surprised looks from those who heard her.
Imayoshi's smile froze on his face. How did she...?
"HAHAHAHA!" Wakamatsu laughed when he heard that. "She's read you well, captain!"
"Oya~ what a surprise." Imayoshi's voice was still pleasant, but there was a quiet threat there somewhere.
Wakamatsu backed away, paling a bit. Their captain could be scary.
"Honestly, I don't care." Aya spoke up again. "It surprised me a bit, but you seem you know how to handle your team, Captain-san~."
He narrowed his eyes at her, but didn't comment. Dangerous girl. He thought, when his instincts told him to be wary of Aya.
Introductions went quite well. Some boys were rather shy when Aya eyed them from head to toe, as if judging their worth, because she was most likely doing just that. Other than that, she was friendly, outgoing and smiling at everyone. They liked this cheerful manager. She chatted with those who stayed, while the others played mini games – all in their uniforms, since no one bothered to bring a change of clothes for an assembly meeting.
At some point, when only nine players remained and wanted to play some five-on-five, Aya joined the matches as a substitute point guard for the first years. And to everybody's surprise she wasn't half that bad. Her passes were accurate and easy to catch, and she managed some shots as well.
Players and positions were following:
Team Newbies 1st years – Oyama Isamu (190cm) – Center, Kano Hideki (181cm) – Small forward, Ishii Ryuu (186cm) – Power forward, Sakurai Ryou (175cm) – Shooting guard, Kagami Aya (168cm) – Point guard. Average height = 180 cm.
Team Seniors 2nd and 3rd years – Wakamatsu Kousuke (193cm) – Center, Susa Yoshinori (190cm) – Small forward, Yamaoka Tarou (194cm) – Power forward, Tada Shun (190cm) – Shooting guard (original position: Small forward), Imayoshi Shoichi (180cm) – Point guard. Average height = 189,5cm.
"I didn't think you could actually play." Ishii pointed out.
Despite the fact that their team was composed of only the first years, and their average height was much lower, they weren't too bad. They still lost, but that was to be expected when they went against the Touou's current regulars.
She remembered Ishii from the class, he sat at the back with Kano, and they seemed to be good friends. "You just thought that I'm the one with a weird accent and nice legs, right?" She teased, taking off her sweater. The game went from lazy and slow to something quite high paced, and she was starting to sweat.
"A-ah... Kano said that!" He defended himself, which earned him a glare from Kano.
Aya just laughed at it. "I'm not too bad, but I still have a long way to go to be good." Why am I playing in my uniform? She wondered.
"You are plenty good, Kagami-san. You are just unfortunate to play against me." Imayoshi complimented. She played a point guard, which meant she played against him and still managed to get passes through, or to outrun him. Some of her moves were streetball, some were strange and tricky, like he'd never seen on a court before. But it was to her advantage. Her agility was impressive too. However, Imayoshi was just expert at riling people up and when it came to height and strength he was definitely in advantage.
She frowned. "I'm still not good enough. I'm not good against your fakes, and I miss a lot."
"It's just the beginning of the year, you'll probably get plenty of chances to improve." Imayoshi pointed out. "And since you are not bad, you'll probably play with us more often. You might lack a sense, because you didn't play often, you said, but your reflexes are quite something."
"You don't mind if a girl plays with you?" Aya asked dubiously. She didn't mind playing with boys. For her it was a challenge and an entertainment to play against those who were much stronger and much bigger, but it was probably a nuisance for them, since they had to pay more attention than usual.
"Not at all." Imayoshi chuckled.
"You are not bad." Wakamatsu looked somewhere above her head and scratched his cheek. "True, I have to be more careful not to run you over, but... it's a nice change of pace."
"Are you blushing?" Tada Shun – Wakamatsu's classmate and the best friend – teased.
"HA?! No way! You are imagining things!" He burst out at his friend.
"Pffft." Aya laughed at their antics, slowly starting to like the team. "Why don't we mix teams up for the next match?" She asked. It was given that they weren't done yet.
"Right. We don't want to lose, just because we are shorter!" Kano Hideki exclaimed.
"Hai, hai." Imayoshi had an amused smile on his face. Getting this many interesting first years from that low number of applications, and not only Aomine Daiki, was good.
They mixed up, changed positions to make it more interesting and played another game. And then another. Until it got dark outside.
"I think you should wrap it up." Harasawa said, leaning against the gym door. He wanted to go home a long time ago, but he noticed lights on in his gym and decided to check it out. Curiosity won over his desire for a glass of whisky and a good movie. Surprised to see them playing, he'd watched several mini games.
"All right! Don't forget to stretch when you get home!" Wakamatsu shouted.
Imayoshi glanced at a clock that showed it was almost eight p.m., it was a long time since he'd stayed in the gym for so long. How unusual. He thought, and glanced Aya's way.
She was smiling, wiping her face with a small towel she miraculously fished out of her bag and chatting with Ishii, Kano and Naito.
The coach came closer to him. "Don't look so surprised." Harasawa smiled. "That's Aya. You will fall in her pace in no time."
"Oh... I thought you didn't like her, judging by your previous reaction." This was getting interesting. Imayoshi wasn't really fond of poking a bear, but it got him curious.
Harasawa frowned. "That's not completely true. It's not just Aya, all the Kagamis are hard to predict and difficult to handle. When it comes to Robin..." His voice softened at the nickname. "I can't figure her out. I never could. It's pointless to try. You just have to get used to it." The coach said quietly. "Dealing with her, I mean."
"Hmmm..." There was no one Imayoshi couldn't figure out. "Sounds interesting."
They cleaned up the gym, said goodbyes and parted ways. Aya, however, stayed behind. There was so much more she wanted to talk about with Katsunori. After an hour of detailed description of Touou's basketball style and the regulars and the Generation of miracles, and after lending her around dozen of DVD's from Touou's and Teiko's games, Katsunori offered himself to drive Aya home. He didn't want her to go home alone in the dark. Although he was pretty sure, she could handle herself.
######
Few hours earlier...
"Wait up!" Satsuki called out to Aomine. His legs were too long for her to keep up with.
"Hurry. I wanna be home already." He said in his fed up voice, but stopped to wait for her anyways.
"Gee'," she pouted. "Why couldn't we stay for a little longer?! I wanted to meet them all!" Her managerial part of the personality cried to stay and see how good those guys were, to get to know them and analyze them.
"Y' could've stayed, Satsuki."
No, she couldn't. Leaving him alone to ponder his superiority again wasn't exactly good either. Not that she would tell him that. "I probably should have. At least Kagami-chan stayed behind." She thought back to the red haired girl. "Ne? What do you think about her?" She asked with a genuine interest.
Aomine shrugged. "Nothing much. She'll leave me alone which is great." He said what came to his mind after recalling the girl named 'Kagami Aya'. Then he added: "and, she is hot."
Satsuki huffed in annoyance. "I didn't mean it that way. What do you think about her personality, traits..." She was looking at her feet, thinking carefully of the day's events. Observing others was one of her strong points. And she made sure to observe Aya carefully. Something about the way in which Aomine reacted to Aya, the subtle change in his expression whenever she spoke up her mind, made Satsuki think that if there was anyone to shatter Aomine's mask, it was probably Kagami Aya.
Oh, I know that twinkle. He thought not sure if it was a good sign or a bad premonition. "Why do y' want my opinion anyways?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, suspicious about Satsuki's intentions. If she was asking him that, she was about to turn all stones she could to figure out everything about their redheaded second manager.
"Because, despite this entire act of yours." She threw her arms up to show her frustration – something she wouldn't do when the others were around. And even if their friendship was tattered and they didn't speak that much anymore, she had moments when she decided to forget the bad parts, and just talk to him like she had usually done. "You are actually quite good at judging people. And whatever you say, you are still my friend, and I want your opinion. Genuine one. Not driven by your hormones."
Aomine let out a long sigh. It wasn't nice what had happened, and he didn't want any of it, but it was too late to patch everything up. He had drifted too far away. Still... "She is observant and she reminds me a bit of Kise, unpredictable, but less flashy, less whiny version of Kise. Errr... Maybe flamboyant, rather than flashy and she seems to be a good person. Annoying, but not bad annoying."
"Hmmmm... I have the same feeling. But I don't think she's annoying. What did she tell you?"
"Nothin'." He lied. Their first conversation was lingering in his head.
Satsuki narrowed her eyes, but didn't push him. It was never good to push him. "I'll try to dig out more about her. Why did the coach mention America in connection with Kagami-chan? Did she live there? Why is she back here then? And what is that 'Robin' nickname thing... Hmmm... Ah, since, you are in the same class with her..." Her voice trailed off and she glanced at Aomine expectantly.
"NO! Not a chance! I'm not gonna spy on her on anything! Got that?"
"Reaaally~?"
A/N: Aaand... that was it for the first chapter. A little bit long, but the story will be moving forward slowly.
Late note added -
I'll try to update whenever I can (Originally it was every two weeks, but... now it's whenever I can. It is a long time project).
I'm currently going through the story again. I'm not making any major plot corrections, no worries, just sentence structure, typos and such. If anyone is willing to help me with it, I'll be very grateful :) And sorry for slow updates, I'm working in audit, and it's the busy season. It's really, really busy.
Thank you for sticking with me -
Let me know what you think and remember, reviews are appreciated, but never necessary.
-S.