Another fluff! Is Nijimura OOC here? I tried to keep him in character, but it's probably off… And anyone notices how the title of every chapters is a reference to a quote? How about the title of this chapter? Anyone know its continuation?

Pairings : Undecided

Warnings : Teikō Middle School Days.

Disclaimer : I own only the OCs.


Chapter 32 - A bird does not sing because it has an answer

The vicinity around the school building was nearly desolated, as club activities were held within the confines of buildings throughout the school ground and those students who didn't have any on the day, had left when the bell signalled the time to go.

The soft afternoon glow casted a shadow on the two teens getting ready to head home and the quiet atmosphere really helped creating the mood, a somewhat melancholic one, as they stood side-by-side with a distance enough to consider them as close acquaintances, but not exactly friends.

If it wasn't hard to question his presence before, it was now.

The brunette hesitated and it showed in her gestures; her flitting gaze, shifting between him and the ground, as well as her fidgeting toes against the surface.

"U-Uh, Nijimura-san? Are you... skipping practice today?" her voice came out in a whisper, as if she was afraid he would hear her.

While not comparable to a master, Yume wasn't a bad judge of character and she could tell the kind of individual one was. It told her, that he wasn't the type of person he appeared to be at the moment and she held firmly to her belief for it rarely failed her.

What she wasn't sure of, was if it was okay for her to pry. Because his 'good' reason, might be personal and thus should be respected and left alone.

The reaction she received was spontaneous and partly predictable, a tiny teasing smirk. "I asked for permission, I'm going for a hospital visit today." he explained, taking the first step out of school area.

The unexpected was the somewhat pensive air surrounding his playful smirk. That seemed to be her cue to stop advancing said topic and she quietly followed after him, muttering a low, "I see." before falling in steps with him by his side. She just felt like it wasn't her place to ask further, because they weren't close enough to tell each other of personal problems.

Nijimura didn't seem to be on the same wavelength as he spoke in a teasing, nonchalant, tone next. "You're not going to ask me?" he asked.

This flustered the brunette, and she nearly missed a step. She wasn't the clumsy one who would trip over her own feet! No, not her.

"W-Who are you visiting?" she stammered, still recovering from the fact that she could have possibly embarrassed herself by falling over.

In hindsight, she probably should have worded her question better for it was a sensitive matter and she knew it. But the thoughts of almost embarrassing herself clouded her momentary judgement. And if her mind was clear then, perhaps she wouldn't even comply to his teasing and asked like he nudged her to. Because it really wasn't her place to know.

"My father..." the ravenette answered, his teasing gone, only a somber tone.

Whatever was on her mind was harshly shoved out of the window at his reply, she mentally chided herself for being too distracted over herself when she should be paying more attention to her response to what her senpai had to say. She honestly felt bad for asking. Insensitivity was again, Aomine's job, not hers.

"It's been a year since my father was hospitalised." he continued, he might have tried to smile to lighten up the mood, but it didn't deceive anyone. "His condition was improving ever so slightly but now it's stagnating."

"The doctors are afraid that if this persists, his condition will worsen and his life may be threatened..." he finished with his heavy worries hanging on the air as they walked on in silence.

The only sounds filling in their silence were those from the surroundings, a meowing cat, the faint honk of cars, a chirping bird, and other lighthearted sounds that were common on the roads.

It was well within expectation for her to say something, anything. But she wasn't sure what to say, what she could and couldn't. She was aware that her senpai was sad and worried for his father's condition. Which explained the pensive air around him when she asked if he's not attending the club.

Since the male next to her was the Captain, he must felt responsible for the club. But on the other hand, he also had his father's condition to worry about. He must had had it tough.

"You're amazing, Nijimura-san..." the praise easily slipped out of her lips, she was awed and her respect for him was almost tangible. A small sincere smile accompanied her compliment as she gazed up at his surprised dark eyes.

Finding it awkward to hold his gaze, she lowered hers towards the road, her paces relaxing. "My... friends," she still wasn't quite used referring to them with the term in front of other people, "they admire and respect Nijimura-san's ability as both a Captain and a person."

She took his silence as permission for her to continue, and she gladly did so. "Daiki-kun admires your talents in basketball, Nijimura-san. I heard from Sat-chan that he plays the same position as yours, uh, the Power Forward, I believe... Your experiences, how you play with both power and speed, a capable player you are." she smiled at this, recalling the rambunctious teen and his infectious grin in her mind.

"Sat-chan, she often compliments you too. She says it's easy to talk and discuss things with Nijimura-san and you always provide helpful insights." the pinkette had nothing but praises for her Captain, and she was somewhat envious her superior was a certain redhead unlike hers, who was indeed capable, but... you know what.

"Midorima-kun..." now she was lost at what to say about him, the spectacled teen kept mostly to himself but his snide remarks mostly aimed at the tanned male if not the occasional purplehead giant. Other then that, what come out of him was the usual Oha Osa's morning readings.

In her uncertainty, she let out a shaky laugh to salvage the halted situation. "Well, Midorima-kun doesn't say much about you, Nijimura-san... But he never utters a negative word either. So I believe it means he respects you just that much because he nitpicks at nearly everything." she was convinced of that fact, especially the last part where the greenhead 'nitpicks at nearly everything'.

From her times as a member of the Student Council who was (un)fortunate enough to spend fifteen minutes every school days during lunch time with two colourful-haired teens, she knew what she was talking about. The greenhead found solace in complaining because it appeared to be the only language he could use to communicate with others.

Really, Aomine's statement of the spectacled teen being a 'tsundere' was closer to home each passing day she knew him. Hopefully, the greenhead would learn to speak the common language they were speaking as they got to know each other as there was nothing wrong in saying and admitting what you truly felt unless it involved a certain redhead, whose opinions of him would rather be buried six feet under if you were to keep your head where it belonged.

At least it was so for her. If the redhead caught wind of her 'hidden' thoughts regarding him... Well, she didn't know where she would be, and she didn't want to know.

"Murasakibara-kun rarely adheres to anyone's request if he doesn't acknowledge the person, but he does acknowledge Nijimura-san." she sweat dropped with a sheepish smile, she was aware of how hard it was to get the purplehead to behave if not for the incentive of treats. "He won't necessarily make troubles for you... unless his snacks are involved." she muttered.

"Maybe you'd have a better chance of getting Daiki-kun to study than separating Murasakibara-kun from his snacks..." she mused to herself, her mutterings hardly audible to anyone else, but the amused ravenette next to her. "...or maybe both are exactly as impossible." she finished her musings with a convinced nod.

It was a logical and random thought, but it was still as amusing as it was enlightening.

Back to the conversation at hands, there was one other person she wasn't quite sure she wanted to talk about if it wasn't necessary to complete the set. "Uh, Akashi-kun... He is perfectly capable at anything he sets himself on." she began with a known fact they both knew as they worked with the same redhead, her smile brittle.

"...If, however, there's something he might be lacking, it's probably experiences." she caught his stare briefly before returning to the roads. "Since Akashi-kun is often at the top of command, he isn't quite familiar with how things are done in the lower sections."

This, she learned from working closely with the redhead in the Student Council the past months. Sometimes, common sense escaped her President and it was the responsibility of his humble subordinates to remind him and returned him to the tracks. It was also the reason why, in some works she was assigned as an advisor to the redhead for offering inputs his Vice President might be unable to deliver the way she did.

"And for that, he has different ideas and thinkings. Doesn't Akashi-kun seek Nijimura-san for advices and confirmations? He knows and understands what he didn't." she beamed a small smile at him, catching his surprised gaze fully.

It appeared that her senpai was stunned silent as he listened to her talking about her friends - his kōhais and club mates - on the sides he didn't know.

"Your father... I think he is also grateful to have a son like Nijimura-san, a considerate and responsible individual you are." she complimented sincerely, everything about her was radiating honesty. "To still find time to visit your father like this while maintaining your school's responsibilities..." she trailed off, letting the words hung in the air for a moment, before she flashed him a shy smile with slightly flushed cheeks.

"That's why, in my eyes, Nijimura-san is amazing..." she whispered at his wide-eyed expression.

As usual, Yume didn't hold his gaze for longer than few seconds and she was soon staring at the road beneath her. It was out of her characters to behave like she just did. Normally, she wouldn't be so talkative and express what she saw and felt, but she saw him depressed and in dilemma, nudging her conscience to say something, to alleviate his concerns.

But when her senpai's silence stretched far too long for her liking, she grew worried and glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. She was afraid that she had said something wrong and panicked inwardly. Had she overstepped her boundaries?

"U-Uh, t-that... I-I... I didn't mean anything bad... I-I apologise if I overstepped the lines...!" she stuttered, halting in her steps to bow her head in apology at the older teen.

This seemed to take him out of whatever trance he was in and Nijimura blinked before finally responding to her frantic self. "It's not that," he shook his head at her, getting her to raise her head. "I'm just a bit... surprised you know my worries without me voicing them..." he smirked a little.

"Am I that easy to read?" his smirk and tone was playful, bordering teasing.

At her frantic shakes of head in denial, he smiled. He rubbed his neck with one hand, a nervous habit he developed over his teenage. "All this time, I honestly feel troubled. I don't know if I am capable enough for my position, and the appearance of Akashi made me rethink my position as the Captain. What's now with my father's condition..."

His expression took a sharp turn in his next words. "But now, thanks to you, at least I know that I can still hold the position. At least a little while more until Akashi learns what he needs to before succeeding my position as the Captain."

Nijimura grinned, this time it was his usual lopsided grin, cheerful and with a tinge of mischief, accentuating his youth. Along with this, he placed his hand on her head, slightly pushing her down.

"Thanks, Manai. Really." he spoke, the force he put on his push made her unable to see his expression as he said this.

The simple act had her blushing and even as she couldn't raise her gaze at him, she averted her eyes elsewhere quickly and didn't answer him other then a quiet nod. Inwardly, she wondered what's with boys and her head. Aomine seemed to like doing that to her as well. Murasakibara occasionally rested his head on top of hers, with his chin. Was it related to the differences in their heights?

"Where's your house, Manai? I have to take the bus." he informed her as well as asking, he had lifted his hand off her a while ago.

The brunette returned to reality at that, and she realised she hadn't told her senpai about her part-time work today. "A-Ah, I have a part-time work at the convenience store just on the right corner of this street." she told him.

He blinked once before smirking. "It's a nice coincidence then. I'm taking the bus from the bus stop on the street near the place you work. We can walk there together." he suggested.

Seeing nothing wrong with that, she mutely nodded again, averting her gaze to the side. When she was with him, she always ended up blushing somehow. It wasn't like this with the other boys, was it because he's older?

She stole a glance at him, taking in his manly features; chiselled jaw, angled nose and sharply-defined eyebrows above his clear, dark, onyx eyes.

'He's handsome...' a careless thought crossed her mind.

This realisation sent her to again duck her head, stewing in her embarrassment at the fact that she just checked out her senpai. She hoped he would never know what she did.

She repented.


***From the eyes of a senpai

It was pure coincidence that his kōhais were there on the meeting as representatives of their classes like he was.

It was partly a responsibility as a senpai to walk home his female kōhai when learning she had no one to walk with.

It was the 'need' to reply that he answered to her hesitant question.

It was the feeling of wanting to share his burdens with someone who would listen and kept his words locked securely that he spoke.

His worries for his father were eating him and his guilt for not prioritising his team weren't helping.

The father who raised him, the man who was once so huge, sturdy and out of reach was now weak and frail.

How could he not worry?

Yet the team needed him now more than ever before. The brilliant prospects of four freshmen in the team required his guidance, someone to lead them the way.

How could he not feel responsible?

He only expected for her to listen, lent a pair of earnest ears. He didn't expect for her to start praising him.

With each words she spoke, the burdens he shouldered slowly faded away. His uncertainties, his guilts, and some of his worries.

He never thought that a non-club-member girl would be the one to tell him about his kōhais' views on him.

He also didn't think, that listening to her words would be witnessing a magic in act.

Of course, she surprised him in all possible ways.

And still, underneath those surprises, was a shy, easily flustered young girl who was awkward with social interactions.

She was always full of surprises. But she was the sweet brunette with the most alluring soft limegreen eyes.

A girl by the name of Manai Yume.


So yeah, how is it?

Reviews are very much appreciated!

Next time, how will this conversation affect the two teens' relationship? How about Aomine and Yume?