Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Kuroko no Basket!
...
...
3rd year – Teiko
Mac glanced over and saw Sasaki smiling calmly at her, reassuring. She inhaled and looked at the door to the apartment where she knew her uncle and cousin was waiting for her, waiting to meet her. She suddenly wished she had asked to meet them at Daiki's house, but she had thought it best to separate the two places. She couldn't allow herself to remain in her comfort zone all the time; she wouldn't be able to move on if she did.
"You ready?" Sasaki asked.
Mac closed her eyes for a moment trying to calm herself down. She wished Daiki was there, but she had said she wanted to do it on her own. Again, she couldn't keep hiding behind Daiki everytime something happened. She needed… she needed to do this. She was the one who had to live with these people, and having Daiki or even Ayano or Takehiro with her would allow her to hide and avoid any type of confrontation with them.
"Yeah," she said opening her eyes and squaring her shoulders determinedly. She would face them and not show how scared she was, she thought back to the hug Daiki had given her the day before and relaxed slightly. Daiki would be there when she got back.
Mac could feel Sasaki give her a look again before he nodded and saw him push the button next to the door, a faded sound of the bell going off inside the apartment was all she heard as she stared at the door. Her uncle and cousin were inside, they were just there… what were they like? Would they like her? Sasaki said he had told them about magic, so she wouldn't have to tell them. They must be okay with it if Sasaki still brought her to meet them, right? He wouldn't have if they were scared of it like the Dursley's? She trusted Sasaki, but… what if they just pretended to be fine with it? What if…
Her thoughts were interrupted when the door opened and she was kind of happy they were, but at the same time it meant that the time to meet her long-lost relatives was here and she wasn't ready. She fisted her hands, her nails digging into her palm trying to keep her calm. She looked up at the tall man standing in the doorway, he was clearly Japanese but more muscled and taller than average. She had a brief thought that he would have been a good basketball player. His short dark hair was nicely cut and his eyes were a dark red that now looked curiously at her.
Mac looked down feeling shy and wished she could hide behind something, even if that made her childish, she didn't like being studied like she knew she was right now. She was barely aware of Sasaki saying something beside her until a hand was placed on her shoulder and she jerked a little. She found herself being led inside and stopped when they reached what appeared to be the living room combined with a kitchen. The large windows gave a great view over the city and she could see a small balcony outside as well.
Mac noticed at teenager sitting on the sofa flipping through the channels on the television, even seated Mac could tell he was tall, perhaps like Daiki. His hair was a mix of dark and red, much like hers. He looked sullen but he turned the television off when the man Mac supposed was her uncle nudges his shoulder, and got up facing her. She was right, he was as tall as Daiki, she thought. She also noticed that he had the same red eyes as his father.
"Potter-san," Sasaki smiled at her trying to calm her down, "this is your Uncle Kagami Tarou and cousin Kagami Taiga."
Mac dared to look up at her uncle and saw him smiling slightly as he met her eyes and even if he had an intimidating aura around him she thought he looked kind, she relaxed slightly at that. Her eyes shifted briefly over at the boy, her cousin, and saw the disinterested look he gave her and the frown on his face. She hid her wince. He already didn't like her. Mac swallowed and refused to show any reaction to his look.
"And this is Mackenzie Lily Potter," Sasaki finished the introduction and she felt him squeeze her shoulder gently in silent comfort. Mac wished he wouldn't, but she didn't protest.
"Hi," Mac said quietly remembering her decision of being brave and not hide anymore.
"Hello, Mackenzie," Tarou said and Mac realised that it was the first time she heard his voice. He sounded calm and soothing, kind of reminded her of how Newt talked to his animals. She almost scoffed, she hoped the man didn't think she was some kind of wounded animal or something. She wasn't.
"Mac," she corrected glancing up at him again, "everyone calls me Mac."
"I see," he said smiling again, "I'll call you Mac, then, if you prefer that?"
Mac nodded and swallowed, she still felt nervous but she could do this. She glanced over at Taiga again but found that he had already looked away from her. She looked down, how she wished she could take Nao out of her bag and cuddle him. He would offer the comfort she needed.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Tarou asked breaking the tense silence in the room, "and sit down, Mac. Make yourself comfortable."
"Um, sure," Mac agreed and when he arched a brow she smiled slightly, "tea, please. Thank you."
"One moment," Tarou nodded.
"Thanks," Mac said politely taking the cup from her uncle who smiled at her again before sitting down on the free seat. Sasaki was on the other side of her and Taiga had moved to a chair.
...
Tarou had been watching Mac since she entered the apartment and he could see a little of his wife in her, the eyes for one. Those green eyes were just like his Sophia's, it had made him flinch slightly at first when he spotted them, and hopefully, it had gone unnoticed by Mac. She was quiet and looked like she wanted to turn around and flee the apartment at any moment. He couldn't really blame her for that, from what Sasaki had told him he knew she must be worried about meeting him and Taiga.
And thinking about Taiga…Tarou glanced over at his son who was sulking on the chair he had sat down on and not looking at Mac. He was still upset about moving to Tokyo and Tarou could understand him, but the sulking was not going to help. He hoped that Taiga could bond with Mac and that they could find some common ground.
"I hope you're not too worried about meeting us," Tarou said breaking the silence again and saw Mac glance up at him. She did that often, he noticed, before looking away again. His sharp eyes taking in everything about his new niece, it was a strange thought but he found himself quickly getting used to the idea. He knew his Sophia would have loved meeting her, she would be the first to say yes to take her in. She had always wanted to know more about the biological family but had never been able to find them.
"I'm worried," Mac spoke up quietly, but her voice was surprisingly calm and firm. "But I think it's more the unknown in the situation and the fact that I'm remembering how my…other aunt and uncle were. I don't know you. I try not to let myself be influenced by my memories of my other relatives."
Tarou arched a brow in surprise as he stared at Mac. He had not been expecting her to say something like that, and she sounded so… mature and at the same time detached, like she was talking about someone else. He glanced over at Sasaki and saw the same trace of surprise in his eyes as he looked at her.
"Well, that's very mature of you," Tarou said finding his voice again. "I am sorry you had to experience what you did with your aunt and uncle, Mac. I know you don't know me, and that I don't know you either, but that can be easily corrected. I would like to get to know you and hope that you'll find a safe place here with me and Taiga. You're family, and family is important. My wife, your aunt, Sophia would have been the first to say so."
Mac gave him a look that seemed to be trying to look straight through him like she was trying to catch him in a lie. He looked back calmly and saw how she frowned before looking down at her lap. He waited for her to say something, he didn't want to push.
...
Mac felt exhausted when she finally arrived back home, she fell back on her bed and barely acknowledge Nao who burrowed into her side and whined slightly. She absentmindedly petted him while covering her eyes with the back of her arm. She felt so tired and worn out emotionally and mentally. She had spent the entire day with her uncle and cousin, even if he hadn't said much. Her uncle had talked about his work a little, and about the place they lived before and where he had grown up just outside Tokyo, and asked her questions as well. Not really deep ones, but random things to get to know her. She liked that he hadn't asked the deep ones, she wasn't ready for that but the way he tried to ease her into a comfortable conversation showed that he was different from her other uncle. She allowed herself to hope.
"Kenzie?" Daiki sounded worried, "are you okay?"
Mac grunted very ladylike mind you, and she heard the amused chuckle coming from the door and she contemplated removing her arm from her eyes to give him a glare, but she was too tired. She just jerked her leg in his direction without hitting him.
"Kenzie," Daiki said again and he sounded like he was closer now. "How did it go?"
Mac groaned and sat up making Nao yelp by her sudden movement and looked at Daiki who was wearing his concerned-but-not-sure-what-to-do-face as he watched her.
She sighed, "I'm fine, Daiki. I'm just exhausted and slightly overwhelmed."
He looked relieved as he sat down on the edge of the bed next to her eying Nao warily as he growled softly again, Mac shook her head slightly at the growling, she couldn't get him to stop growling at people who came close to her. He still did it, and while it was cute it was also a little annoying.
"Shh, Nao," Mac soothed and scratched behind his ear.
"You were gone a long time," Daiki commented.
"Mm," Mac nodded absentmindedly, "we talked a lot. Ka-Uncle Tarou said he wanted to get to know me."
A look of wonder crossed her face and Daiki smiled a little sadly at her, he knew her and knew she was surprised when someone seemed genuinely interested in her. He hated her relatives for making her feel like that.
"Good," Daiki said before getting up. "You should get some rest. You've got a long day tomorrow."
Mac nodded and watched Daiki walk toward the door.
"Daiki," Mac called when he reached the door. He paused and half turned to look back at her. "Thank you for supporting me."
He smiled a little before nodding and walked out. Mac smiled and sighed before forcing herself to get up and get ready for bed. Daiki was right. It would be a long day tomorrow.
...
Sato's house
Mac was relieved she had her magic lesson the next day, it gave her something to concentrate on that wasn't her family situation. She knew that she would have to deal with everything, but it was good to have a place to escape to. At least for now.
"Um, you like challenging Nao, don't you?" Mac blinked as she stared at the bird placed on the perch in her professor's office. Much to her surprise, the older man started to laugh, he normally didn't laugh much during their lessons so she was a little surprised by it.
"I'm trusting you to have control over him," Professor Sato said when he stopped laughing.
Mac smiled and looked down at Nao who had his eyes trained on the bird but didn't move to attack or anything.
"Ok, but why do you have a bird here?" Mac asked looking back at it.
"Today's lesson will be to learn how to transfigure animals into water goblets," Professor Sato explained.
"Um, why?" Mac furrowed her brow.
"Why?"
"Why would anyone want to change animals into water goblets?" Mac asked frowning.
"Why would you change rabbits into slippers?" Professor Sato asked back, "it's just what magic is capable to do, Potter-san. It won't always make sense."
Mac snorted softly, but she nodded and pulled out her wand making her professor smile and nod.
"Now, the incantation of the spell is: Vera Verto," Professor Sato explained, "and it's a fairly difficult spell to cast. If cast wrong it could be disastrous. It might take some form from the animal you're transforming it from, like being furry or having a tail."
Mac nodded in understanding and listened as he showed her how to do the spell. Mac watched as he tapped the bird three times as he cast the spell before the bird changed into a crystal clear goblet. It was by far the first piece of transfiguration she'd seen but it was always fascinating to see how things or animals, in this case, change into something else.
...
"How did your lesson go?" Daisuke asked sitting down beside Mac who was just finishing lunch. She had been a little distracted through the meal, her mind going back to her uncle and cousin, so she hadn't noticed how the others had exchanged concerned looks around her.
"Alright," Mac said.
Daisuke looked at her for a moment before deciding to speak again.
"You ok, Mac? You seem a little distracted," he said.
"I'm a little distracted, but I'm fine," Mac said smiling a little, "just have a lot on my mind."
Mac looked up and saw the curious looks and sighed before she told them about her newfound family and that she was going to move in with them soon. She still wasn't sure on when, but she saw that there really wasn't a reason to prolong the process. She knew that they were all willing to let it go at her pace, but she didn't want to worry anyone or be a burden on them. So, she should just pull herself together and do what she could.
"Wow," Daisuke said interrupting her thoughts. "That's rough."
Mac just shrugged and offered a piece of fruit to Nao who chipped happily and ate the apple from her hand.
"Why don't you go and play some Quidditch for the remaining of your time here before you have to go back?" Professor Sato asked and Mac looked at him in surprise.
"Yes, let's play some Quidditch, Mac!" Daisuke beamed and Mac nodded.
...
"So, this is a Nimbus 2000," Daisuke said, "it's mine but you can borrow it if you want."
Daisuke placed it on the ground and smiled when Mac arched a brow at him. She couldn't understand why he put it on the grass like that. She looked down at it, the handle was a dark rich brown and she could see the golden letters spelling the name Nimbus 2000 in an elegant script.
"It's not the fastest broom out there anymore," Daisuke explained with a smile as he noticed the awed look on her face. "Both Nimbus 2001 and the Firebolt is faster, but it's still a good broom."
"How do you fly it?" Mac asked looking back up at him with an eager look on her face.
He laughed.
"Step up to the broom," he said and she did as told before looking at him again, "raise your right hand over the broom and say; up."
"Alright," Mac shrugged and held her right hand over the broom before speaking, "up!"
The broom instantly flew up in her hand and she blinked shocked at how easy and comfortable it felt with the weight of the broom in her hand. She had expected it to weigh a little, but it felt like nothing. It was like she was holding air.
"Wow," Daisuke said drawing Mac's attention again, but he seemed to shake himself out of whatever he was thinking and instructed her to get on the broom and keep both feet planted on the ground for now. Mac watched as he mounted his own broom and how he gently kicked up from the ground so the broom was hovering in the air. "Now you try, Mac. Easy."
Mac kicked off and the broom speed up into the air a little farther than what she intended, but she just laughed as the air hit her hair and she felt free. It was like she knew what to do without having Daisuke to tell her, she adjusted her grip on the broom and steered it so she faced Daisuke who was gaping at her.
She pulled on the broom and it flew higher and she couldn't help but smile as the fresh air hit her face and she climbed higher and higher up in the air. She was vaguely aware of someone calling her from below but she was not paying them any attention as the feeling of finding peace and freedom rushed through her body.
Daisuke stopped trying to follow her as he watched her fly, he felt his heartbeat slow down slightly as he saw the control she had over her broom. He had never seen anyone fly like that on their first try, it was like she was a natural at it. He did, however, feel his heart stop when she suddenly dropped to the ground before pulling back up.
"She's trying to give me a heart attack;" he muttered.
...
"That was fun!" Mac beamed when she landed and felt the solid ground underneath her feet again. "I can't believe I haven't tried that before!"
"Well, you've been pretty busy," Daisuke said with a small smile, "but seriously, Mac! You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Eh? Why?" Mac blinked at him confused which grew when he groaned and gave her a look that clearly said he thought she was an idiot.
"You flew like that without any training!" Daisuke said. "It's not something most people would try to do on their first time!"
"Well, I just felt like I knew what to do and did it," Mac tried to explain. "It felt…natural."
"I could see that," Daisuke said.
"Oh, I don't think it's time for a Quidditch match," Mac realised spotting the clock. "I have to go back and get to Teiko."
"Alright," Daisuke said, "hope the flying helped to get your mind off everything."
"It did," Mac said. "Thank you, Sato-san."
"Daisuke," he corrected but she just smiled making him shake his head.
...
Teiko
Mac was in a better mood when she got to school and even the thought that it was probably the last week she would be arriving at school together with Daiki was not enough to bring her mood down completely. She pulled her bag further up her shoulder as she entered the classroom for the day, Ryota smiled and waved from where he was sitting by the window. He had the seat in front of her and Daiki.
"Mac-cchi! Aomine-cchi!" Ryota beamed. "You're almost late!"
"Hi Kise-kun," Mac said with a small smile as she sat down behind her desk. "How are you?"
"Great!" Ryota said with a smile that stretched as far as it would go. Mac was still shocked he could be so happy all the time, though, he did go to the extremes quite often. "I had a model assignment yesterday and they said I would be promoted next month and have more to do!"
"That's great," Mac said and the blond boy nodded before looking at Daiki who was already looking like he was about to fall asleep. Mac could see the flash of disappointment in his yellow eyes before he looked back at Mac like it never happened. She didn't call him out on it, but she felt like hitting Daiki and tell him to pay attention to his friend.
"Did you do your homework?" Ryota asked changing the subject.
"Yes," Mac nodded and he sighed dramatically slumping all over her desk. She arched a brow as she watched him feeling slightly amused.
"I didn't…" he wailed, "I didn't understand it and now I'm going to fail! I'm going to be kicked out of school and basketball and everything! Mum's going to be so mad at me!"
Mac sighed at the dramatic sight in front of her.
"Quit whining," she said and he blinked at her with tears in his eyes, "I'll help you. We can look at it in the recess and I'll explain it to you."
Suddenly his face lit up and he was beaming again, Mac wondered if he got whiplash from the sudden mode swings he got all the time. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," he chanted.
"Don't mention it," Mac shifted uncomfortably in her seat and pulled her hand out of his. She glanced to the side to see Daiki stare at Ryota with narrow eyes from where he was resting his head on his arms over the desk. She rolled her eyes and was grateful when the teacher entered the room.
...
Helping Ryota with his homework turned out to be a small study session with Daiki, Tetsuya and Atsushi joining in as well. Seijuro and Shintaro were also there, but they let Mac do the explaining and just sat in silence playing shogi against each other.
"I'm bored," Atsushi whined, "I want to eat."
"You just ate, Murasakibara-kun," Mac said, "finish your English and then you can eat."
"Fine," he pouted but did as she said.
"Can you look at mine, Mac?" Tetsuya asked quietly and Mac accepted his paper and looked at it. She read through it quickly and made a couple of notes before handing it back.
"Almost there, Tetsu," she smiled, "just look at those points. The grammar isn't the best and you might want to word it a little differently."
He frowned but nodded and looked so focused that Mac couldn't help but smile a little. She turned her attention over to Daiki who looked frustrated.
"Calm down, Daiki," she told him, "it's nothing to get so frustrated over."
He looked at her before nodding and handed her his paper so she could read over it. She smiled a little and gave it back.
"It should be good enough," she said and he smiled.
"Finally," he said.
Mac just rolled her eyes and looked at Ryota who was staring at his paper with such intense eyes that she wondered what he was looking for.
"Done!" he suddenly cheered making Mac jump slightly before glaring at him.
"Quite," Mac scolded him and he grinned sheepishly at her. "Well done."
...
"Why did you need help, Aomine-kun?" Ryota asked when they had finished the last class for the day and was changed into the practice clothes ready for another practice. Daiki looked bored and was leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest. "I mean, couldn't you have asked Mac at home?"
Mac wondered if she was the only one who noticed the way he tensed and glanced at her, though she noticed the way Seijuro narrowed his eyes as he looked at Daiki.
"She wasn't home yesterday," Daiki finally said, "and she was too tired when she got home."
"Oh," Ryota blinked and looked at Mac curiously and she sighed. "Where were you, Mac?"
Mac hesitated and used the notebook in her hand as an excuse to not have to answer right away as she flipped through it to the latest entry. Finally, she looked up and saw all of them looking at her and she met Daiki's eyes. His eyes were warm and gave her the encouragement she needed.
"I met my uncle," she said.
"What?"
"You're uncle?!"
"Why would you meet him?!"
The angry questions and exclamations had her blinking as she hadn't been finished in what she was about to say before they interrupted her. Seijuro didn't react but his eyes were locked on her, watching her and reading her reaction.
"If you let me finish I would tell you," Mac huffed annoyed. "My social worker found out that I have another uncle and cousin. My mum had a half-sister she never knew about. She died, but husband is alive and agreed to take me in."
They stared at her for a long moment and she let herself study the other team members that had entered the gym, they all kept a distance to where she and her friends were standing though and she felt a little sad that they felt the need to stay away from them. Though, right now it might be the tension that was flowing off them that kept the others away. They wouldn't want to be near if another fight was about to break out.
"Oh, will you move?" Ryota asked the question Mac was sure everyone was thinking if she read the way they tensed correctly. Only Daiki and Seijuro was calm, but that was because they knew her answer.
"No, my new uncle is Japanese," Mac said with a small smile, "he and my cousin just moved back to Tokyo, so I will stay here."
The sigh of relief they let out at the same time was comical and warming, she felt a little warmer at the thought of them caring whether she moved or stayed. Even if they didn't enjoy basketball anymore, they wanted her to be there and with them.
...
Mac talked with Sanada about the new recruits and their training regime, he wanted her to set something up for them and she agreed even knowing she would be tired.
"I'm sure you'll be able to get something together that will be suitable for their level," he said. "We have to think about next year when you guys aren't here anymore. I would like you to try to teach someone as well about how to be a manager and analyse the games like you do."
"But…" Mac frowned.
"I know it's not simple," Sanada said looking at her, "I don't expect someone who's at your level, Potter-san. I know you're exceptionally talented and to find someone else like you… well, that'll be impossible."
Mac felt herself blush slightly and she shifted on her feet as she tried to look at something besides her coach. She was also still annoyed at him for what he had said to Daiki, she hadn't talked to him about it yet and she wasn't sure she ever would. But now it was lying beneath every time she talked to him and had to listen to him. The annoyance and questions about why he would say something like that in the first place. What kind of coach told a player that they didn't need to come to practices anymore?
"Ok, Sanada-sensei," Mac said politely and he nodded at her. She sighed quietly as she watched him walk away and looked at the players in the gym, she noticed how they eyed her friends warily as they played at the other side of the court.
She grabbed her notebook and started to write down the observations she made of the newest players that had made the second-string. She tapped the pen against her lips as she noticed a tall boy with brown hair who was bouncing the ball with a confidence and almost cockiness she thought familiar to Ryota or Daiki, perhaps. She quickly made the note and continued to study the players as her mind was thinking about the possible training menus and how to help them develop further.
And where would she find someone who would be interested in learning more about being a manager and analyst for the team? She didn't really know anyone else good enough, the girls that were doing the regular manager stuff was so different from herself and she had never really talked to them. She didn't want to blame them for not talking, but she had always felt it hard to talk to them and all they asked about was Seijuro or Daiki or one of the others. They were only interested in knowing if one of the boys were her boyfriend or something, and she never had the patience to listen to their boy's talk. She knew it wasn't really their fault, she was the one who stayed by Daiki's side and if wasn't there she would be with Seijuro or Tetsuya or Shintaro more often than not.
Sighing she closed her eyes briefly and wondered just how she was supposed to find someone who had a talent for analysing? She glanced over at Daiki and saw that he was lying on his back on the bench on the other side of the court looking like he was sleeping. She looked at Seijuro who looked focused and cold, and she knew that neither of them would have the patience for her worries. They wouldn't see the need for what she wanted, and she knew she was probably overthinking it. But that didn't mean that she didn't want to talk about it.
...
"You're dismissed!" Sanada called out and everyone started to move toward the locker room to change. Mac walked in silence to her locker room and changed quickly after checking on Nao who was sleeping in her bag. She smiled and closed her bag again and changed it so it was muggle friendly again.
Stepping out of the locker room she saw Daiki and Tetsuya standing awkwardly side by side, Shintaro was just stepping out of the locker room as well just behind Seijuro and Atsushi.
"You didn't practice today, Mac," Ryota commented as he jogged up beside her to catch up just as they left the gym and started to walk toward the gate.
"No, coach needed me to do something for him for the second-string," Mac shrugged.
They all fell silent as they walked through the schoolyard and Mac couldn't help but remember a time when they would have been joking and making plans to go to a local grocery store to hang out.
"Mac!" a cheerful voice called making Mac look to the side and a smile spread on her face as she spotted Kiyoshi standing there with a large smile on his face. She quickened her steps as she walked toward him.
"Kiyoshi-san, what are you doing here?" she asked but smiled at him all the same.
He grinned and rubbed the back of his head looking a little sheepish.
"Thought you might want to come and play some streetball with me," he said, "I haven't seen you in a while."
Mac felt her cheeks heat up for some reason and ducked her head to hide it, but a smile played on her lips as well.
"Ok," she said looking back up at the teen before her and for some reason, her heart skipped a beat at the grin on his face. Had he always been so handsome? She blinked at the last thought and pushed it away, she wasn't sure why she thought that.
"Great," he said.
Mac smiled a little and glanced behind her suddenly remembering that her friends were watching them, she noticed Kiyoshi also looking at them and got a pensive look in his brown eyes. She noticed that Daiki and Seijuro looked suspicious and was watching with narrow eyes. Ryota was looking curious but also with a small frown, while Shintaro looked like he tried to seem uninterested but was watching rather closely as well. Atsushi looked confused but had tensed slightly. It was only Tetsuya who looked like he was unbothered by the fact that a Kiyoshi was talking to her.
Letting out a long-suffering sigh she turned back to Kiyoshi and smiled a little.
"I'll just have to let Daiki know," she said and he nodded.
...
Mac jogged over to the others again and ignored the looks she got. She looked at Daiki who scowled at her.
"Who's he?" Daiki asked.
Mac looked at him with a blank look for a moment, of course, he didn't remember Kiyoshi. She wondered if any of the others did.
"A friend," Mac said simply, "I'm going with him for a while. Tell Ayano-san that I will be home later, ok?"
"But…" Daiki started.
"Bye!" Mac waved and turned to jog back to where Kiyoshi was waiting, looking relaxed and unbothered by the stares or rather glares he was receiving. Mac was impressed that he managed to just ignore the fact that Seijuro and Daiki both were glaring at him, she knew that most would be affected.
"Ready?" he asked causing a swirl of butterflies moved in her stomach.
"Yes," she said hoping she didn't sound as breathless as she thought.
...
"How are you doing?" Kiyoshi asked when they reached their park and Mac had taken Nao out of her bag, she was grateful that Kiyoshi only arched a brow but didn't ask any questions.
"Alright," she smiled slightly, "trying to stay positive."
"Good," he said, "they're still your friends, though. I could see it in the way they kept glaring at me."
He laughed and she shook her head a little but smiled as well.
"They're being overprotective," she sighed, "but, yeah, they're my friends."
He smiled that proud smile of his and she swallowed and looked away, not sure why she was suddenly so affected by his smiles. She wanted to make him smile more, and to be the reason why he smiled.
Again pushing her thoughts away she stole the ball he was holding making him blink before starting to chase her over the court with a loud laugh. She giggled as she twisted around to keep him from reaching the ball and bounced it between her legs as she turned and spun around with him a few steps behind.
...
"So, how is your team coming along?" Mac asked a little out of breath as she was sitting in the middle of the court with the ball lying on the ground beside Kiyoshi.
"Well, we're six members now," Kiyoshi grinned, "I finally managed to convince Hyuga to join us. He never wanted to play again…."
Mac frowned when Kiyoshi suddenly stopped and she glanced over at him to see him frown slightly and she frowned herself. Why did he….then her eyes widen as she recognised the name.
"Hyuga…do you mean Hyuga Junpei?" Mac asked.
He looked slightly surprised but he nodded.
"He…gave up basketball?" Mac asked in a small voice.
"Yes," Kiyoshi said looking at her and Mac bowed her head letting her hair hide her face from him. She knew without having him say it what the reason was. Them. Her. She fisted her hands.
"I remember him," Mac whispered, "we played them last year and…we won. They gave up playing and we…we didn't. I…"
Mac was barely aware that Kiyoshi was moving closer to her as she felt a wave of guilt and pain hit her at the knowledge that someone had given up basketball because of her team. While she knew that some might do so, it had only been an abstract idea. This…this was real.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered.
"Hey," Kiyoshi said, "it's not your fault."
"He stopped because of us," Mac protested.
"He took a break," Kiyoshi said. "He's playing again now. You can't take everything on your shoulders, Mac."
Mac just shook her head, she couldn't shake the guilt she felt but she knew it wouldn't do any good dwelling on it. She glanced over at Kiyoshi who was watching her with a serious expression on his face, she nodded but could see that he didn't believe her. He sighed, though, and smiled a little letting it go.
"Anyway, we have him and with him joined Izuki, Koganei and Mitobe joined after them again and last is Tsuchiba." Kiyoshi continued.
"And did you get a coach?" Mac asked.
"Well," Kiyoshi said making her raise her brow at him, "we asked a classmate named Aida Riko. She's really good and can read the game very well. Her dad is a coach and she's learned a lot from him."
Mac blinked surprised at that, "wow."
"It wasn't easy though," Kiyoshi grinned as he remembered it and launched into the tale of how they tried to convince a reluctant Riko to join them as their coach. How they tried to follow her around the school and finally each of them made a statement on a school assembly from the rooftop shouting out their goals and what they wanted from playing basketball, even setting a punishment if they didn't succeed.
Mac was laughing at the end of it and had to dry her eyes from tears springing out because she laughed so much. When she calmed down she looked up to see Kiyoshi look at her with something in his eyes she couldn't read and she forced herself to look away quickly.
"She sounds interesting," Mac said.
"She's tough and demands the best from us," Kiyoshi said, "but that's what we want."
Mac nodded and pulled a leg up so she could rest her chin on top of it and watched Nao chase a mouse or something at the edge of the court.
"Coach talked to me today," she suddenly said.
"Oh?" Kiyoshi asked interested and curious.
"He wants me to find someone to teach analysing games to and how to be a manager like I am," Mac said. "I don't know if I can do it."
Kiyoshi hummed and didn't say anything right away making Mac wonder if he was going to answer at all. She was about to say something again when he spoke up.
"I can understand that, but I'm sure you can," he said. "He wouldn't ask if he didn't trust that you could do it. You're smart and talented and have a way to see things others miss. All you have to do is help others learn what to look for and how to best use it in their own way. If you remember that they're different from you and help them find out how to use their own talents I'm sure you'll do fine."
Mac blinked and blushed at the compliments from him while she thought about what he said, and she thought it made sense. It had helped to tell someone her worries and have them acknowledged. To have someone believe in her, it made her smile.
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AN: Thank you for reading and supporting the story! :)