A/N: Thanks to everyone who followed and favourited and reviewed! It makes me very happy!
Another longer, and a bit more serious, chapter here.
Enjoy!
People complain that joking about serious subjects is 'making light' of them. Isn't that a good idea? Comedy lets the air out of the bully's tires. – Peter Baynham
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. – Helen Keller
Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. – Carol Burnett
My dear young cousin, if there's one thing I've learned over the eons, it's that you can't give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it. ― Rick Riordan
No performer should attempt to bite off red-hot iron unless he has a good set of teeth. – Harry Houdini
Family isn't blood. It's the people who love you. The people who have your back. ― Cassandra Clare, City of Heavenly Fire
I can be really annoying, but I also feel like I'm a nice person. – Mike White
"What is that?" Aya asked when she saw Kiku reading something in front of the shoe lockers.
The girl startled and crumpled whatever it'd been. "I-it's nothing."
"Can I see it, then?" She asked with narrowed eyes. She felt bad for neglecting Kiku the previous week because of all the dram. Based on Kiku's reaction, she had an idea of what those notes might've been. Bully notes. She'd received some on her own, and she didn't like the idea of Kiku receiving them as well.
Kiku shook her head 'No.', she didn't want Aya to worry. It was only receiving notes, nothing worse, so she could handle it on her own.
"Hmmm…" Aya sighed and opened her own locker. Several notes fell out of it too. More than one? That's new… "Oh? Shall we open a post office?" She said in a cold voice and leaned down to change her shoes. What idiots are doing this?
Icy hand grabbed Kiku's heart. "I-I-I didn't…" Kiku was freaked out. Aya probably concluded it had been her. She was holding a letter in her hands, when Aya had come. It was equal to being caught red handed. Aya must have thought…
To her surprise Aya just patted her shoulder and chuckled. "I know you wouldn't do something like this. Come on, let's compare what our admirers tell us!" She said with a mischievous smile and collected all the notes.
Kiku blinked at her. "But that's…"
"That's fun." She turned on her heel and walked towards their classroom.
######
"Hey! What are you doing?" Ishii asked when he and Kano walked into the classroom earlier than usual – they decided to escort Kenta to the kindergarten together, and they stopped by at a convenience store to buy some snacks.
It wasn't unusual to see the girls there, because Aya always came to school in time for morning practice, regardless of whether they had it or not. And Kiku was an early bird, who did her homework at school in the morning.
"Hey! You are early!" Aya exclaimed and smiled at them. "We've received these letters today. Some of them are really funny." She pointed at the notes that were meant to hurt them.
"What are these?" Kano asked suspiciously. "Love letters?"
"Oh no," Aya chuckled. "According to this one I'm a 'self-centred, egoistic and ignorant bitch', and this one says that I should 'leave the clumsy little mouse alone, or I'll face the consequences', whatever that means... and this one claims that Kiku is an 'ugly-duckling who should go and die'."
"That's horrible! Who would do that?!" Kano and Ishii got angry. Who dared to threaten their precious manager? And the girl who baked cookies for them?
Aomine walked in with a yawn (his mom insisted on driving him to school, so he was super early), overhearing the conversation. It angered him instantly. What idiot would do that? Kagami, sure as hell, didn't do anything to receive this and neither did Ohno. He might have not been fond of Ohno, but she didn't deserve such a treatment.
"Tch." He growled. "Who did it?"
Aya turned her reddish eyes towards him. "Oh? Protective much?" She teased, but in reality, seeing him protective over her and even Kiku made her heart skip a beat. It was impossible to forget Aomine's hands on her skin or his face buried in her chest in just one day. And she didn't want to.
"You wish." But he averted his eyes, indicating he too didn't forget one bit of the party, and slumped onto his chair. "Just curious what idiot would risk his neck by doing this."
Aya smirked. Right... "I don't know." She said and read through the note again. "Did you receive them before, Kiku?"
The little girl didn't answer. She stared at her folded arms and letters. It hurt her so much to read those words day after day.
"You've received it before, Kiku-chan? You should have told us!" Kano exclaimed loudly, occupying Sakurai's seat and reading through the vicious messages.
Aya quickly glared at Kano 'don't-scold-her.'
"So you did." Aya concluded calmly. "You could've told me, or Ishii, or Kano, you know." She felt bad she hadn't noticed it before. Kiku was so kind and quiet, she wouldn't speak about it. Aya gently brushed Kiku's hand. "I've been receiving some too, but it's always been just one note with the same text, so I didn't care much. Sorry I didn't notice. It's not worth it to feel bad or discouraged about what others think. They all scream 'look at me', 'pay attention to me', 'I envy you'. Too bad no one signs so we know who to pay attention to."
Tears stung in Kiku's eyes. She wasn't sure if it were tears of relief, or anger, or hurt, or happiness. These were her friends. They were encouraging her, protecting her, accepting her, scolding her when she messed up.
Aya took out one letter, sighed and read it out loud: "Get a grip, Ohno. You are just an ugly, graceless piece of garbage, not a damsel in distress to always have others saving you." There was a moment of complete silence, as Aya let it sink in. She read it loud enough for others in the class to hear.
Kiku wanted to bury herself in a hole.
Aya scanned the class, and no one fidgeted or behaved guiltily, so whoever it was wasn't from their class. She was glad about that.
"What an outstanding vocabulary. I mean… Damsel in distress? And graceless?" Aya said in such a voice that even Kiku chuckled.
True, with every ignored letter, the author was getting more original. Kiku only noticed this after Aya pointed it out.
"They even bothered to remember your name. I bet they envy that you have friends to help you out, and want similar attention from someone." Aya took another letter. "I like this one in particular: 'You are a self-centred and ignorant bitch, who cares only for herself, Kagami. You don't need to be a hero of the day, just break your neck already, you basketball-team's whore…'" She chuckled. "I always learn something new about myself! I swear I've never expected someone to think of me as a 'hero-of-the-day'. It flatters me." She said, ignoring the insulting parts, though being called 'a whore' again, sure felt like a hornet's sting.
"Basketball team's whore?" Kano spat out furiously. "What dickhead would write that?!"
Aomine's blood boiled too. His fists tightened and he hid them under his desk. If he could get his hands on whoever wrote it, he would strangle them. No one calls Kagami, the manager of the team, a 'whore'. No one.
"You've dealt with it before as well…" Ishii said, observing Aya. It wasn't a question.
"Aren't you liked by everyone, Aya-chan?" Aki, one of the girls who originally badmouthed Kiku before, joined into their conversation. It felt unreal that Kagami Aya, who was so cheerful and who was on good terms with almost everyone would receive a hateful letter.
Aya laughed at her comment. "Oh please, I'm definitely not liked by everyone. If I remember correctly, you don't like me much either, right?"
Aki puffed her cheeks. "Well no, but I don't have a reason to rub it in your face like this!"
"… because we decided to have a truce, right?" Aya reminded her.
"No, because it's not bad to have an ally like you…" So what if it sounded egoistical. Life wasn't fair, and having someone resourceful like Kagami Aya in the class, and being on good terms with her, wasn't something to throw away.
"But are you okay with that?" Rei, Aki's best friend, joined in. "I mean, I wouldn't want to be called a whore."
"No one wants to be called that, Rei, but I don't think there is a rumour about me I haven't heard. According to some I already have three kids, smoke weed and dance in a strip bar. So being called a whore or a bitch is outdated and lacks imagination." She laughed at how ridiculous it sounded.
There'd been times when Aya had been hurt by it, when she had cried because of it, but at the end of the day, she'd figured out it wasn't worth it. It felt much better if she could make fun of it, and laugh at the creativity of all those who wanted to hurt her. It still hurt, to some extent but she's learnt that the moment you start burlesquing it, you get off the hook. Or at least it becomes easier to deal with it. But she wouldn't be able to get through without Taiga and those closest to her. Now, she wanted to help Kiku, to get her off the hook too.
'You need a very thick skin to survive at the top.' Hiroto's words sounded in Aomine's head. Thanks to Kagami he'd met some intriguing people. And he was just starting to comprehend what she had to go through to become who she was now. But was she really fine? She acted fine, but he doubted she was.
"But I have this idea…." She said, and explained it to the others.
######
"Aomine?" She asked him as they were walking towards the shoe lockers after they finished cleaning up and creating her little payback idea. Kiku went for her club and the other boys went to the library to study for an upcoming chemistry test on Friday. She didn't feel like studying for that yet and Aomine didn't care – he'd go through it the night before like usual.
"Hm?"
"Let's stop by the courts."
"You wanna play?" He raised an eyebrow at that. She had played with the others the previous day, as he'd learnt. And she had her practice later that day. Was there ever a day when she just lazed around and relaxed?
"Yeah. I feel like playing a bit." And she wanted to spend more time with him, to occupy her mind with something different, positive. "Do you mind?"
"I'll pass."
"Afraid of losing?"
"I don't lose." He yawned. "I'm tired. I want to take a nap. Care to join?"
Hmmmm… So tired huh? She grinned. "Still thinking about your face in my chest?"
It was good he was walking in front of her, and she couldn't see his rather shocked, blushing expression. No, he still wasn't over it, but he refused to let it show. He smirked. "You sure are confident in your looks, Sweetheart."
"Oh? So D-cups are not enough for you?" She teased.
Once Aya switched into a teasing mode, she didn't feel nervous, no matter whom she was talking to. Yeah, maybe she became fond of Aomine Daiki, maybe she had a crush on him, and maybe she was slowly falling in love. But in the first place, they were classmates and partners and friends. She wanted to enjoy the occasional flirting.
"I've never said that! I like 'em bigger, but D is a good start." He blurted out without thinking. Kagami got him with her teasing once again.
"Good start?" She laughed at it. "My personal opinion? Bs and Cs are awesome. Ds are bearable, but not very comfortable and everything bigger is like a punishment."
They reached the shoe lockers; still undecided about the little match Aya wanted. But maybe she could lure him out while talking about boobs and once on the court, he wouldn't refuse a small match.
He turned around to stare at her. Her opinion was like an insult to him. Bigger than Ds being a punishment?! Big boobs were great! And why was he having this conversation with her?
"What?" She asked and looked up at him, when he remained quiet.
"It's a blessing, not a punishment."
"For a guy sure. But for us? Can you imagine the weight? Or how difficult it is to find fitting clothes? And don't let me start on underwear! Looking for that is a nightmare." She said with an intensity that could almost persuade him that small boobs were better.
Someone got talkative? Still… it didn't matter to him. Big boobs were awesome. Period. "Can I try it then? The weight?" He asked with a smirk and approached her, his palms cupping the air…
She laughed and slapped his hands away. "Dream on, Honey-bun."
"Keh… Now I'm disappointed." He sighed, not sure where his courage to ask her that came from, or where it left the moment she turned around and started heading outside.
"Too bad." Aya snickered. It was so fun to tease him. She clasped her hands behind her back and walked towards the outside courts.
He followed her, without thinking about it much.
"You sure you're fine?" He asked suddenly, referring to the letters he saw.
"Hm?" She turned to look at him with a confused expression. "Oh… You mean the pleasant notes?"
He nodded.
She blinked at him in surprise. Was he really worried for her? She was already aware that Aomine was not an ignorant person, no matter how he acted, but that he would genuinely care for how she felt…
"Hmmmm…" She turned her face towards the sun, bathing in its rays and warmth. "I can handle it." She shrugged. "Of course I'm not happy about it, who would, right? But I've learnt that when you don't let it get to you and when you can smile despite that, it eventually goes away. And as I said before; I've heard all kinds of different stories about myself and honestly, compared to that, this is not a big deal."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
He wasn't sure what he wanted to ask, but he wanted to get to know her. And without talking with her it was impossible. "Why would they call you names?" Kagami was confident, sometimes annoying, but she'd never done anything to earn such a note.
"Aren't you called names too?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and she could see he started to think about it. "Why would someone do that, I don't know. Envy? Anger? Hatred? Loss?" She guessed randomly. "I dance. You've seen how it can look. Some dances are very passionate, in a sexual way too… so I kind of get where it started. And then it escalated. People love when they can talk about someone or something."
His face had an 'oh' expression. He wouldn't come up with such an explanation, he wouldn't even think about it. Sure, he saw her dance, and he didn't like how Hikaru had touched her, but he would never think there was something more between Hikaru and her. Maybe it was because he already knew her, but…
"So? Will you play?" She interrupted his thoughts, when they reached the courts. "I don't want to think about the notes anymore. I need to move. Please?" For Aya, moving around, running, dancing… It was just an alternative to cope with unpleasant thoughts.
Now he understood. That's why she asked me to play…"We don't have a ball."
Aya smirked mischievously. "Of course we do." She shook off her blazer and approached a tree growing in one corner of the court.
"You are kidding me…" He muttered for himself.
She jumped up to reach the lowest branch and pulled herself up. Aomine was staring at her from the ground. He hoped to see her panties, but…
"Why are you wearing shorts underneath the skirt, ha?!" He asked, once again disappointed. He couldn't even see up her skirt as she was climbing to higher branches.
"Exactly because of Peeping Toms like you!" She laughed. Climbing trees was easy for her, and with Kano and Ishii, they'd decided to leave one ball up there, just so they didn't have to go to the gym to get it every time they felt like playing. She smiled when she reached a basket with their ball securely stored in there.
She took it out and looked to where Aomine was standing. The ball was already on its way to his face when he heard her. "Catch!"
He caught it in the last second. Her aim was freakishly accurate and he could hear her giggle up there.
"You gonna come down, or what?"
"But of course!" She didn't bother with safe descent; when she thought she could make it, she jumped down. She landed on her feet with a wide grin on her face.
Aomine raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you a monkey?"
"Who knows? Maybe?"
He rolled his eyes. "Five baskets, not more."
"As you wish, Mr. Ace. I respect your need for a beauty sleep." She teased.
"Provoking me again?"
"If it means you won't hold back as much… Gladly."
He shook his head and started dribbling. His intention was to beat that challenging and never resting ass of hers in no time.
They played only for around fifteen minutes. Aya was using everything she could against him. But now, after the party, he was getting a hang of her dancing-inspired moves that had been so confusing before. Despite her agility being on par with his, she wasn't as confident in changing pace while handling the ball. The more he played with her the more he was used to her pace. It went the other way too, so now she managed to steal from him a couple of times. He had to admit that she was getting better with each practice. Not enough to ever win against him; he still had the height advantage, but good enough to have his respect.
"I've won, satisfied?" He asked as he sat on the grass and spread his legs in front of him.
"I'd play more, but… Yeah, I'm satisfied with this loss." She said with a smile and sat next to him. It wasn't that terrible. Their mini match ended with a win 1-5 for Aomine, but she managed to score once! "Thanks for playing with me."
"I've won, what's there to thank me for?"
"Your time?" …and care? She tilted her head and looked at him.
Their eyes met and they stared at each other for a moment. Friends… They both reminded themselves and broke off the staring.
"Do you ever relax?" He blurted out.
"Not much. But I don't complain." She shrugged. "I'm used to this after all."
"How much did you train then?"
"When I competed? Hmmm… 6 – 8 hours a day, then I had one or two days free. There were some days; before competitions, or when we were learning a new choreography when we trained for 10 hours a day… or more."
"And school?" He asked, surprised. When he was at Teiko they had morning and afternoon practices, but it was never more than 3 to 4 four hours altogether; if he didn't count over practices.
"I had an individual study plan. I self-studied mostly and went to school sporadically, mainly for exams… So. How did you become such good friends with Model-kun?"
With that he knew she was done with answering his questions. He was actually surprised, she answered at least some, and he decided not to probe further. "We aren't good friends." He retorted.
She laughed at his reaction. "Oh come on. You wouldn't have shown up for that goukon otherwise."
"Ooh? Underestimating me much?"
"Oh no, Honey-bun. Gods forbid. But you are not the type to do that, or have I misjudged you so far?"
"…" How could she read him that much? Did that blonde bastard sell him off? Or was he really that intimidating for girls?
"So I was right." She chuckled. "What did he use to get you there?"
His eyes widened. "How –?"
"Some lecherous magazine?" She guessed, thinking about his stash on the rooftop, which she'd discovered, but decided not to tell him. It was advantageous knowledge she could use against him, when necessary.
When his eyes widened in surprise, she laughed.
"What did that Kise-bastard tell you?!" He growled.
"Lucky guess! I know you and I can pretty much guess how he thinks. I know his type, and he is pretty similar to me. But that wasn't my original question. How did you become friends?"
That stung. So she knew how Kise thought, heck, sometimes he didn't understand the blonde. And how much time did she spend with Kise? Two days? Kagami was so confusing. He wasn't sure if she just wanted info on Kise, or if she wanted to get to know him. "We were on one team, played together a lot and hung out a lot. He always challenged me one-on-one." He shrugged and looked somewhere past the court. Had he missed it? Not really.
"Has he ever won?" She asked curiously.
Aomine gave her incredulous look. "Of course not. The only one who can beat me –"
"– is you. Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes. "I've heard that a couple of times. Have you ever wondered if he could copy you?"
"Not in a thousand years. He can't copy neither of us."
"You sure 'bout that? It would be funny if Kise pulled it off." She smiled mischievously. Just the sheer idea of Kise managing to copy Aomine's play was intriguing. Maybe it was impossible, but she knew talent when she saw one, and Kise's potential was not smaller than Aomine's. He just lacked the experience and years of practising and gaining skills Aomine had had.
"You like him?" He'd wondered about it before too. When he'd watched them interact and dance, he could only think of how good they looked together. He hated the idea.
She laughed. "Am I imagining it, or are you jealous?"
"What?! No way!" He answered way too abruptly. "Just askin'."
She shook her head and sighed. They were finally having a civil conversation. "As a person, yes. As boyfriend material, no thank you."
Why not? He wanted to ask, but pry some more and she'd definitely get the idea he was into her. The last thing he should do after basically friendzoning her. I'm an idiot. I am jealous... He admitted to himself.
"Now." She got up and dusted off her skirt. "I should get going to be at the practice sooner. Senri is finally back, so I need to go over the past practices with him. Thanks again for playing with me, let's do it again sometime. Oh, and please put the ball back into its hiding place." She pointed towards the tree. "You'll know it once you see it."
"What if I'm afraid of heights?"
"Then you wouldn't dunk." She laughed. "And Satsuki told me you were hiding in the tree in the garden!" She smiled at him one last time and then she ran off.
And off she goes… Now...
He got up and approached the tree. The branches looked sturdy enough to hold him. Once he climbed high enough he noticed a small basket, which looked almost like a bird's nest, tied to the tree. There was also waterproof army-coloured cloth to cover and protect the ball from bad weather. He laughed.
Those idiots took this much trouble to hide one ball?
The next day…
"Aya-chan!" Satsuki found them all during lunch break, all eating outside. "Is that for real?"
"Hey." Aya greeted her. "Come and join us."
Satsuki sat down with her bento and stared at both Aya and Kiku, who were calmly eating. "Did you really make it?"
"Mhm. They all helped." She smiled at her boys.
"Even Aomine-kun?! What did she use as an incentive?" Satsuki asked him in surprise.
"Nothin'. I liked the idea so I helped. Any problem?!" He brushed her off with a glare.
"You sure you won't get into trouble?"
"We? Why? We haven't done anything." Aya smiled innocently.
Her idea with a 'post-office' materialised itself. They had created a white box for bully letters and placed it near shoe lockers, so everyone would pass by it. It was taped, with only a small slit on the top. The bully letters Aya and Kiku had received served as a tapestry – so it was obvious they all had different handwriting and bullies could identify themselves, or be identified by their friends and teachers. Then Aya wrote a massage on top:
'If you feel like telling us something nice like all the people whose letters you can read below, feel free to do so. We will gladly accept all begging-for-attention letters, but don't forget to sign your name, so we know who to socialize with!
- Sincerely, Kagami Aya and Ohno Kiku.'
"But you signed there! Both of you!"
"On the box, yeah. But I don't feel like secretly sneaking around, trying to find out who is so kind to Kiku and me." She shrugged. "I don't mind hitting heads with people, but this anonymous cowardice..."
"Just don't get yourself into bigger trouble. What if they pick a fight?!"
Kiku had thought about it too, but she wouldn't run away now, because now, she had someone to back her up. Aya had asked her opinion, she was given a choice to not do it, and Kiku chose to do it. After that, not signing would only make her feel more cowardly than anything else.
Aya shook her head and chuckled. "I don't think so. Not here. And I bet there won't be a single letter by the end of the week."
######
"I'm surprised you showed up for practice. Preliminaries pressure, Honey-bun?" She teased him.
The fed-up look he shot her was priceless. "What nonsense are you spouting? I'll win."
"Aya! Is Ohno-san fine?!" Wakamatsu asked, almost shaking Aya, when he learned about the box and bullying letters.
"Oh? Kiku? Not curious about me, senpai?" She tilted her head at Wakamatsu's question.
Wakamatsu's face lit up instantly. "I-I… Uhhh… S-she is your f-friend right?"
"Then why not ask her directly?"
"Eeeerrrmm…." He was scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.
"She turned him down." Tada, who was just passing by added teasingly.
"Turned you down? What am I missing?" Aya asked, confused, ignoring Aomine's laughter.
Wakamatsu didn't manage to ignore the ace. "What the fuck are you laughing at, Ahomine?!" Then he turned to Aya. "I, Uuuuh… errr…"
Because Kousuke was unable to explain himself, Shun took initiative. "He wanted to accompany Kiku-chan home after practice, when she came to watch, you know about that, right?"
"Yeah, I've noticed that she stopped by a couple of times. And?"
"Aaand, she said she was okay, and would go home alone." Shun shrugged. "And this dork didn't insist and let her go. Stupid, don't you think?"
"How lame, senpai." Aomine snickered.
"Oh shut up, Mr. Ace. Not like you have a girlfriend." Tada jabbed back. Unlike Wakamatsu, he wouldn't fight with Aomine, no. He would tease him instead.
From Satsuki they all knew he didn't have any girlfriend, and after training camp they started to suspect that Aomine had a thing for Aya, though no one dared to tease them because of it.
Aya chuckled. Yeah, pretty stupid… "But when it comes to Kiku, I'd say he did a good thing when he didn't insist. I'm her friend and I have no idea where exactly she lives. It's better if you don't push her too much." She shrugged. "If you want to spend time with her, try asking her to bake cookies or do something for the club. You are the vice-captain after all, use it. It shouldn't scare her off that much… and… Don't be too loud, 'kay?" At some point she turned towards Wakamatsu and advised him.
The blonde's cheeks were red, but he seemed to be thinking about it. He nodded.
Then something else occurred to him. Something he should probably warn her about. "Oh… about the 'post-office'… the disciplinary committee would want to talk with you tomorrow, so don't get freaked out when someone comes to fetch you and Ohno-san."
"Have we done something worth punishing?" Aya asked, observing Wakamatsu with her reddish eyes.
"Not really. Personally I'm all for what you did! Those letters were just awful!" He shouted angrily; he was just as protective of his team's manager as the majority of the others. "It's just… Irihata-sensei said she wants to 'discuss what you've done.'." With his imitation, he made it clear he didn't like the teacher. Most of the time, she didn't care what the disciplinary committee did and only poked her nose in when some bigger trouble occurred. This shouldn't have been worth her time, and yet…
Aya's eyebrow went up. That woman hated her. "Should I be wary of something?"
"I don't know. She didn't specify anything." He shrugged. "But you should be careful of what you say."
She sighed. "Don't worry. I should handle. Kiku though… Will you be there?"
"The committee is going to be there, of course." He said seriously, showing that he, despite his reputation, could be serious.
"Good. Can you back us up?"
"Of course. Almost the entire committee is on your side, so don't worry 'bout that, Aya." But the teacher still worried him. They never stood up against her, and he doubted anyone would do it this time.
"Okay everyone!" Katsunori clapped, to get their attention. "We have our first preliminary match next Wednesday morning. Today included, we only have six more days to practise, so we will have morning and afternoon practice on Monday and only morning practice on Tuesday. I don't want to hear any complaints."
"OSU!"
"Wakamatsu, lead the warm up. And Aya, you come here!"
"Tch… I wanted to practice." She mumbled.
"At least you won't slow us down." Aomine snickered as he ran past her.
"Pardon me, you slowpoke?!" She shouted after him, and walked towards Katsunori. "Am I in trouble?"
"No. Why should you be? That box is actually a very good idea. You are not bullying anyone back, and at the same time you are informing everyone about the problem. If Irihata-sensei scolds you, I'll pay her a visit." He said darkly. "But I wanted to talk about Wednesday."
From his reaction Aya read he didn't like Irihata-sensei and that there was something bothering him, but he wasn't sure enough to let her know. "What about tomorrow?" She asked.
"Hiroto is making the reunion dinner party."
"Say what?" Aya's eyes widened. "He invited us to meet his wife…"
"Check your mail. He invited more people than just the two of you."
"What?!" She sprinted to get her phone. She checked her mail. Indeed she had an email from Hiroto; he invited them to come at six thirty and the same message was sent to Shiranui brothers and Katsunori too.
"But that's fine. I thought he invited your 'old crew', the former members of the national team. Don't scare me like that."
He chuckled. "I wanted to tease you a bit."
"That wasn't good."
"Hai, hai. Have you resolved your argument with Aomine?"
"Pretty much." She nodded. "We are on speaking terms, friends, let's say... And he helped us with the 'post-office'…" And played one-on-one with me. She added inwardly.
"Post-office?... Ah… The box?"
"Yeah, the box." She sighed and watched the boys.
"Are you okay?" He knew she knew he was referring to the letters she'd received. He'd read them.
"Yes! I'm fine. I've been called 'a whore' before. By my father. Trust me; there is nothing more humiliating than that." More so if it's a lie. She said, not averting her eyes from the boys dying from warm-ups. She needed to be sure they wouldn't hear it.
Katsunori's face twisted in shock. Did he hear right? Haruka did that? That Haruka, who couldn't get enough of boasting about his perfect children some years ago?! What the hell had happened to his best friend since he had stopped keeping in contact and started to ignore his calls?
"It's been almost ten months since then… We haven't really talked about anything besides business. And I can't bring myself to forgive him." She sighed. "…but I can't hate him. Is that weird?"
Katsunori didn't answer. He was too shocked to say anything.
Aya shrugged it off. "Hey! Let me join!" She shouted and joined the basketball practice with a smile on her face.
"Headmaster?" Katsunori peeked into the headmaster's office. He didn't do it often, because the man had some strange personality, but now he needed his help.
"What is it?" The man raised his head from the papers he was reading.
"Do you have a minute? It concerns Irihata-sensei and my niece, I fear."
"The box?" Of course he knew about it. And he wanted to see how it would solve itself. Kagami dealt with it in an interesting way. He'd seen the girl several times, when she'd stayed over-practice to help her team, or when she chatted with Tsuchiya-san. And he concluded that she was a smart young lady, who loved to be around people.
"Well… one letter in particular." He pulled at his fringe. "I have a suspicion that the letter claiming Aya to be a whore was written by Irihata-sensei herself. And right now, she is grilling Aya and Ohno-san, god knows why."
He frowned. "That's a very serious accusation, Harasawa-sensei. I hope you do realize that."
"Yes, but I can back it up. Will you help me to prove it?"
######
"You feeling okay?" Wakamatsu asked them. He was the one who came to get Aya and Kiku from their classroom.
"Never felt better." Aya chuckled, but she was slightly nervous. This was exactly the type of situation Katsunori feared. She was being a Kagami; impulsively dealing with her problems the way she was used to – head on. She only hoped that this little problem wouldn't escalate and cause troubles for Kiku.
Wakamatsu opened the door for them and they walked in. The committee room was small and simple with tables arranged in a circle facing the door. Six people were already sitting there waiting for them. Irihata-sensei and another five students, Wakamatsu was the sixth.
"Welcome girls. Please sit." The teacher pointed towards two chairs in the middle.
Kiku gulped. The atmosphere was heavy, and Aya noticed Kiku's growing anxiety. She leaned to her and whispered…
"Looks like an inquisition. Beware, the redheaded witch is here to burn." She said in an eerie voice, trying to lighten up Kiku's mood a little. Thankfully, Kiku bit her lip fighting laughter.
Wakamatsu snickered behind them and lowered his head. Corners of his lips were twitching as well. He quickly slipped to his seat and smiled at them encouragingly. At Kiku, mostly. He might actually like Kiku, she thought.
"Thank you." Aya smiled at Irihata-sensei and took a seat. "Why are we here?"
"But to discuss what you've done." Sensei's smile showed that she felt she had an upper hand. "I'm sure you know it very well, Kagami-san." She said the honorific as if it physically hurt her.
Yeah, and I hate you so damn much. "I fear we have no idea what you are talking about Sensei. I'm sorry." Aya decided to play innocent.
"You have no idea?"
"No we don't." Aya insisted.
"Are you Ohno-san's spokesperson?"
"Of course not. But it looked like you were asking me." She shrugged.
The teacher frowned at the redhead and turned to Kiku. "Ohno-san, do you also claim you have no idea what you've done?"
Everyone was staring at Kiku now and she was starting to feel sick. She was staring at the floor, and she was trembling in stress. All eyes were on her and the teacher was glaring, which made her stomach turn. Nevertheless, she had to speak for herself. Aya could only do so much to shield her.
"Y-y-yes."
"Yes what? Yes you don't have any idea what happened, or yes, you do?"
"I-I-I d-d-don't have a-any i-idea." She stuttered.
"Could you repeat it again?"
"I believe we all heard her, Irihata-sensei." Wakamatsu jumped in, helping the poor girl.
Teacher him shot a glare, but let it be. "What can you tell us about the white box for bully letters?"
"Oh, is that what we've done?" Aya raised an eyebrow in played surprise. "I didn't know it was against the rules." She tilted her head in question, and her reddish eyes were staring straight at the teacher; she wasn't afraid of her.
"It was a rebellious act, Kagami-san. Do you realize that by publicly displaying the letters you might have exposed other people to bullying? They might get ostracized by those who recognize their handwriting. Is that okay in your merit?"
"With all due respect, I didn't force them to write those letters. And do you think it's okay if students receive such letters on a daily basis? Is that okay in your merit?" She shot back.
"You are not in America anymore, Kagami-san, we deal with it differently here."
"Oh?" She blinked incredulously. "By ignoring it?"
"You need to learn to face the consequences of your actions, girls." She didn't answer Aya's daring question.
WHAT?! Aya took a breath to retort-
"WHAT?!" Wakamatsu shouted, reflecting her thoughts faster. So far everyone on the committee kept quiet, they didn't want to oppose the vicious teacher. "You want to punish them for being bullied?! That's nonsense!"
"It's you who said it, Wakamatsu-san. No one is punishing them for being bullied, but bullying is another matter." She smiled at him, and it took the air out of his lungs. "The box the girls made was an act of revenge and thus bullying. I would say they should be banned from club activities permanently."
"PERMANENTLY?! But she is our manager! And Ohno-san helps us a lot too!" He shouted, trying to protect Aya and Kiku at the same time. Kiku wasn't doing much for the club, but she showed up during practices here and there, and it made him happy. "They were bullied! They are not bullies! The team needs them."
"And your judgement is thus biased. You should leave and let us deal with it."
"And why are you keeping your mouth shut!" He yelled at the other members. No one dared to look at him. Wakamatsu was fair, that's why they'd taken him in, but right now… Right now, he was acting impulsively and they couldn't fail in English or repeat a year. "We should look for the bullies who wrote those letters! Not punishing girls who got bullied! That's twisted!"
"They received the letters as the result of their behaviour." Irihata-sensei said calmly.
"What are you implying?" Aya jumped in quickly, before Wakamatsu could shout out anything else,. Her voice was eerily calm and icy. It was great to see him trying to help, it gave her time to think, but he was only making it worse. Still, she was starting to feel powerless. No matter what she said, Irihata-sensei would twist her words. It was an uneven fight, she knew that, but she was refusing to give up or show her insecurity. There was no reason for her to get punished, just because she refused to be a victim.
"There must be something true in those letters."
True?! If I cite them, she'll say 'you said it'. So Aya decided to play dumb. "Explain it please. I don't understand what you mean."
"Do you say you've never had an affair with a basketball player?"
WHAT?! Does she mean Tatsuya? How the hell does she know?! This was going too far and Aya momentarily panicked, but she kept her poker face. How glad she was that Tatsuya had taught her the little trick. "Pardon me? I have no idea what you are talking about." She replied without flinching.
"I've seen the photo." Irihata said slyly, trying to break Aya.
Oh… You've seen that? "I'm getting completely lost now. Is this your personal vendetta? Have I done something to you? Because, don't get me wrong, I'm feeling unjustly accused for something that doesn't matter."
Irihara-sensei narrowed her eyes. "Of course it's not personal. I'm dealing with you as I would with any other student who did something troublesome. You have broken the rules, which requires punishment. That's it. Those photos I have seen might cause a mayhem."
It is not personal? Are you kidding me? But what do you envy me? "Might? Which rules exactly did we break? Can you point me to the exact page in the academy handbook? If it's the picture, then I assure you, no one knew anything, until you brought it up. Besides, I'm Kagami Aya, sensei. There are many photos of me. Many of them are photoshopped and used out of context. I don't keep a track of everything." She said icily. She knew exactly what photo Irihata was referring to; the one where she was making out with Tatsuya, the one that found its way into the press. Tch… The topic was dangerous… If the disciplinary committee found out, the whole school might come to know… Then so be it. She was ready for war.
No one had an idea what this was about anymore, except Aya. She knew she would have to give some explanations to Kiku at least, but she hoped the committee, Wakamatsu included, would soon forget the conversation. Please don't have the photo with you!
Irihata could sense when she was pulling by the shorter end and at the moment she was. "But you do expect me to remember those letters?"
'My-win.' Aya smirked at her, knowing the teacher got the message. "You said you want to punish us for the letters we received, so yes. I expect you've read them, or…?" Aya stuck her chin out, challenging.
"Wh-"
The door opened, and Harasawa waltzed in, accompanied by the headmaster. "I believe you do remember this one in particular, dear colleague." He slapped a copy of one letter on the desk in front of her.
Her face twisted in a grimace. She'd never expected him to stand up for the girl. "Were you listening behind the door? This is under my supervision, you shouldn't undermine my authority, Harasawa-sensei. You might be a family, but she broke the rules." She said, aware that members of her committee will keep quiet about this matter. She just needed to punish Kagami and maybe Wakamatsu…
"She? Then why did you call out both girls? Aren't they equally guilty in your merit?"
Irihata took a breath to answer, but he stopped her with a dismissive hand gesture.
"And about breaking the rules... I saw the box, they didn't break any rule. Revealing bullying is not breaking rules. If anything, what they've done is admirable and gutsy. There is something I've been wondering about after I saw the letters on the box though. Then the word got around that Aya got called in, and you are supervising it, I got curious. You personally see to major troubles only, while minor problems are dealt with by the committee alone. This is a minor dispute, not a problem at all."
Aya was staring at Katsunori with hidden admiration and relief. She was never happier to see him in her life. His intervention surprised her, because she knew how much he hated confrontations and she certainly didn't expect any help from him, but it lifted a huge worry off her shoulders.
"They might get others into trouble." Irihata-sensei argued.
"Shouldn't the others face the consequences of their free actions as well, Irihata-sensei? I doubt the girls asked for those bully letters." The Headmaster commented, observing his English teacher. He was an elderly man, who hated injustice. He always tried to pick out his teachers carefully, but there were some decisions he didn't approve of, which happened anyways and she was one of those. "You included, Irihata-sensei."
"What are you implying?" Her eyes narrowed into thin slits.
"It's your handwriting isn't it?" Katsunori tapped his forefinger against the letter lying on the desk. If there was anything he would fight for, it was his family. Even if the family was not related by blood.
WHAT?! Aya turned her head to stare and Katsunori bewildered. What the hell are you talking about? It's not her handwriting! She wouldn't be that stupid…
Irihata's eyes widened. How the hell did he…? "I don't know what you're talking about." She tried to play innocent, but her first reaction gave her out.
"We searched your table and found a draft and your personal notes, sensei." Headmaster said. "You obviously can't stand Kagami-san, for whatever reason I am not aware of..."
"You can't accuse me like this! Why would I write bully letters to a brat like her! It's not my handwriting. Look at–"
"I know you are ambidextrous. And your handwriting differs, depending on which arm you use. You use your right hand preferably, but you are originally left-handed, am I right?" Katsunori's eyebrow went up. He figured it out thanks to Aya, when he went over her latest basketball report and saw how her handwriting changed when she'd switched hands. And he knew Irihata from college, where she'd only used her left hand. Of course the letter seemed so familiar.
"You can't break into my drawers!"
"But I can." The headmaster intervened. "I'm the headmaster; I have the authority to see your teacher's notes. Especially if there is suspicion you are bullying students. I won't tolerate a teacher calling my students whores." He spat out the word angrily. "Much less those girls who diligently fulfil all their tasks and participate in club activities."
"I-I didn't-"
"Come to my office."
"B-b-but…"
"NOW!" Headmaster thundered, turned on his heel and left.
With a slumped head and cheeks red from anger and embarrassment, Irihata followed him. She glared at Aya one last time.
The door closed.
The entire committee sighed in relief. It was obvious they hoped Irihata-sensei wouldn't supervise them anymore.
After a few seconds of grave silence: "Thank you!" Aya squealed and jumped at Katsunori on the verge of crying. She was touched by his help, happy and relieved this was over. "Thank you, thank you, thank you…" She breathed out as she hid her face in his shirt.
"Err…" Unused to affection displays, he didn't know what to do. But his arms instinctively held her. "You're welcome, Robin." He said finally and squeezed her in a tight hug. "No one will call my niece 'whore'. No one. And I didn't like her anyways."
Aya chuckled and stepped back. "You are welcome for me causing this scene then…"
"Don't cause another. Or let me know in advance."
"Sure." She winked at him and then grabbed Kiku into a big hug. "We are off the hook! We are not getting punished!"
"The rest of you." Katsunori gave them a strict look. "Ueda-sensei will be your new supervisor. So treat him well. And I'd prefer if you don't talk about this incident much."
"Hai." They nodded in unison and left the room, happy to go home.
Aya let go of Kiku and the happy glee washed off her face instantly. "What was her real problem with me? Do you know?" She turned her serious eyes to Katsunori. "I've never done anything to her."
"Well..." he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to remember his college days. "It's hard to say. Irihata was never liked by others. I don't think she was bullied, but she was always in the corner, alone with a book. She didn't have a single boyfriend, she didn't interact with the male population in the college nor in the high school as the rumour went around. I doubt she had real friends. I mean, she studied like a madman, she was always the best, with no time to 'fool around'. Maybe she compared herself to you and thought that everything was handed to you on the silver platter? A part of her might envy you, your friends, grades, practices... You make it look easy. And she wanted to make it harder for you, mentaly at least but since you acted out she wanted to use it and forbid you the club?" He shrugged. "That's what I think. But I don't know what is going on in that strange brain of hers."
"So I played into her hands by making that box... Hmmm..." Aya shook her head and snorted. "I still don't understand how my existence in her life could bother her so much. If she let me be, nothing would happen."
"Yeah, and now she will most likely be fired."
"And blame me for it and hate me even more."
"She'll forget once she moves to another school."
"Or she will find another victim." Wakamatsu thought out loud and both Aya and Katsunori turned to him.
"Right." Katsunori cleared his throat. "We should go to practice. Do you want to tag along, Ohno-san? It would be for the best, so you don't bump into Irihata in the hallways."
Kiku blinked at him in surprise. "Y-yes. T-t-thank you."
######
That day, no one skipped practice and Kiku came with Aya, Wakamatsu and Harasawa-sensei to their gym. They were late and no one was practising. The boys were too interested in what had happened. The entire school knew about the 'post-office', and the word about Aya and Kiku being called out by the disciplinary committee spread like wildfire.
The boys from their class immediately flocked around them.
"What happened? Why did they call you? Is everything okay?" Kano rapidly fired his questions.
"Let's say, we weren't banned from our clubs thanks to Katsunori." Aya smiled.
"What?! They wanted to punish you for being bullied?!" He shouted in disbelief. "Wakamatsu-senpai! How could you let it happen?!"
"Hey! Don't blame me! I tried to help, you know?! But Irihata-sensei wouldn't listen to reason!" He defended himself.
"Yes, yes. He was awesome." Aya smiled at him and patted his shoulder. Wakamatsu turned his head away with a blush. "Right, Kiku?"
"A-ah… Y-yes." She stuttered. Her stomach was still shaking from all the drama. But she was glad they made it through. "T-thank you, Wakamatsu-senpai." She said quietly, staring at her feet.
Wakamatsu's face lit up.
Aya, Tada and Imayoshi exchanged knowing looks and snickered.
"I believe Kiku-chan has had enough of people for today, same goes for you, Wakamatsu." Imayoshi said, and Aya knew he had some ulterior motive. "Why don't you make sure she gets home safely or as far as she lets you tag along? You can skip practice today, because of the circumstances."
Aya could've gone home too, but she decided to stay and practise with them. It was the best way for her to forget about all the bad things that happened during the day. During the mini matches at the end of the practice, she was taking notes. With this, they would definitely get through prelims smoothly, even without Aomine playing. She wasn't sure he would show up for all the matches they were assigned to. After all, he was still apathetic and fed up when it came to playing against 'useless' opponents.
"LIL' MONKEEEYYYY!"
Upon hearing that voice and that nickname, she froze, shivered and ducked.
A boy flew over her head, rolled midair, and stood up.
Everyone in the gym stopped with whatever they were doing and stared at the idiot.
"You avoided me!" He accused her.
She was staring at the boy. Yes, she recognised the voice. No, she couldn't connect it with the phenomenon standing in front of her. It was 20 years old Shiranui Kouta. The same Kouta, who used to be a bookworm with glasses –similar to Kano Shima. Smarty-ass, with his hair always short, and wearing old-fashioned clothes. But this Kouta… He had long dreadlocks with pink dyed ends, no glasses and he was wearing torn jeans and a tank-top. What a few years could do to a person…
"Uuuuhm…" Aya was staring at him. "Who did that to you? And where is the Kouta I know?"
But he ignored her question. "You've grown some boobs there! Lemme feel 'em." He tried to catch her in an embrace again but she avoided him. "Oh, come on!"
"Wah!" She was basically running away from him every time he tried to catch her.
She could say he was just playing this stupid demeanour, but it was still shocking to see the usually serious Kouta acting this way. Yes, he was the one coming up with hilarious pranks when they were children, but he always managed to keep his dignity. So now, she was curious as to how long he could keep this silly behaviour, and what would happen.
"But monkeeeyyy! Don't fight my love!"
Aya rolled her eyes. "Will you stop acting like a pervert?!"
"Oh?" He stopped and tilted his head. "I haven't seen you in years! And you managed to avoid me when I moved into your house! How you did that is beyond me…" He mused, acting goofy. "I'm offended! You were so rude to completely ignore your friend and future fiancé!"
Entire team gasped. "Future fiancé?!" They asked in whispers.
"WHAT?!" She yelled in surprise. Yeah, he'd said something like that when they were kids, but that he would stick to it… "Did you fall on your head?!"
"I've told you. You'll be mine one day, Lil' monkey. I'll wait all you want."
Katsunori rolled his eyes. They were causing mayhem, but he didn't feel like butting in, the practice was already ending and he didn't want to end up in the midst of it. As he watched the stunned faces of his team, he assumed they were way too shocked to interrupt either.
"Over my dead body." She said in a deadly cold voice and glared at him.
Kouta gasped and put his hand over his heart. "Don't be like that. I've come from America just for this reunion Hiroto organizes! You can as well be nice to me for one night."
She understood the double meaning. "Then stop spouting nonsense!"
"But we promised when we were kids!"
"YOU have." She jabbed her finger into the air. "Not me. And then you threw a cockroach under my shirt!" She shivered at the memory.
Kouta had a terrified expression for a moment. "You don't have to remember that!" He whined. "And you turned me down."
"Just stop making a fool out of yourself, Kouta!" She said with her hands on her hips.
The boy smirked, "Very well then." And he suddenly switched from goofy, into serious, sly even. "It's good to see you after so long. You look good."
She shook her head in exasperation. "Yes. Can't say the same. You look ridiculous with that hairdo…" She chuckled at his shocked expression. "Anyways… Sorry I avoided you back in America."
"Naaah." He waved his hand at it. "It's not like I don't get your reasoning. In your position, I'd probably pack my stuff, slam the door and leave immediately."
She sighed. "I couldn't possibly do that."
"Oh yes you could. It was an easy way out, but you chose to stay and face 'em instead… Aaand that's why I want you for a wife, Lil' monkey. Though I know I'm not your type." He joked and ruffled her hair. This time, she didn't run away, but she suspiciously glared at him. Then his eyes finally focused on Katsunori and their surroundings. "Oh, hey everyone. I'm Shiranui Kouta, her… What are we? Friends, siblings, family by choice? Whatever…" He waved them with a goofy grin and took a few steps towards Katsunori. "Long time no see, Katsu! You age like wine! The older the better!"
Katsunori rolled his eyes. "Welcome home, Kouta. I hope you are done with that foolish act."
"But that's me!" Kouta laughed. "I haven't seen my Lil' tiger yet! That will be ruckus, when I get my hands on him!"
"Urgh." Aya groaned. "Why do you make it sound so perverted?"
"What?! If he looks as good as your ol' man, I wouldn't mind leaving my mark on him." He winked at Aya.
"Eeeew! Stop it! If Taiga or father heard you, you'd be dead by now." She knew Kouta swung both ways, and she didn't mind it, but if he could just leave out her brother and father…
"Your father wouldn't bother himself… And Taiga… Has he ever won a fight against me? I bet he is around your height, no?" He asked cockily, acting full of himself.
Aya and Katsunori exchanged glances and Kano, Ishii and Naito chuckled. The boys were grouped together. They were trying to be as discreet as possible and observe the scene in front of them. Even Satsuki was hiding from the eyes of this wildly looking and obviously perverted newcomer, though she appreciated the pink dreadlocks.
Aomine gave them a weird glance. "What?"
"Nah… This guy is hilarious."
"You mean fucked up?" He hissed at Kano, but suddenly Aya's hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the group. Eh?
"This is a good example of the physical build of the 'Lil' tiger'." She dragged him in front of Kouta, who was barely reaching Aomine's shoulders. "You sure you want to provoke him when you see him?"
"Eeeeeeh?!" He looked up at Aomine. Another sexy one… You are a sly little fox, Aya…
The way Kouta stared at him sent chills down Aomine's spine and he instinctively took a step back, to be out of the man's reach. It felt as if Kouta wanted to undress him then and there, and it sure as hell didn't please the grumpy ace. His eyes glared down at him. No, he didn't like this Shiranui either. And his face looked so much like Hikaru's, it annoyed Aomine. "Heh… pink dreadlocks? Aren't you impressive?" He asked mockingly.
Kouta smirked. "Says a guy with navy blue hair." He jabbed back. Then he muttered under his breath: "Very hot guy, with navy blue hair…"
…and he wasn't sure whose glare was scarier, Aya's or the boy's. Definitely Lil' monkey's… He decided. He would have to survive the night in the twins' presence, so he decided he should ignore the boy, and he turned to Katsunori. "Anyways. The practice is over! Shouldn't we head out? I'm staaarving! And I want to see the two idiots." He started heading out.
"If the two idiots are your brothers, then there'll be hell to pay." Aya called after him.
He stopped and turned to her with narrowed eyes. "What they don't hear won't get me pranked." He said, but could already feel her retort.
"I'll gladly tell them."
"Oh you wouldn't dare Lil' monkey, I'm the number one in pulling pranks. You don't want to get on my bad side."
"Is that a challenge I hear?"
Aomine was forgotten by both. It was annoying, but the expression on Aya's face at the moment was priceless. The challenge was burning in her reddish eyes and she was excited. Despite the amount of time she hadn't seen this man, it was as if they'd parted yesterday. At least that's what it looked like to Aomine. Could he ever have this type of relationship with Kagami? Was that what he wanted, or…? When he heard the word 'fiancé' in connection with Kagami, it made his blood freeze for a moment. Maybe your little crush is a bit more than a crush? Kise's words echoed in his mind. Shit... That can't be it.
"Careful, monkey." He smirked and looked at Katsunori. "Gimme your car keys, I'll fetch it and wait for the two of you at the school gate. It feels creepy to be back at my high-school grounds."
"You are not driving my car. You're still underaged for the licence."
"Urgh, come on, Katsu. You know I do have one."
Katsunori narrowed eyes at him. He knew Kouta way too well to trust him with his car, but it wasn't a bad idea. "Don't do anything weird." He warned and threw him the keys.
Kouta caught it. "Hai, hai. I ain't a lil' kid anymore." He waved them and disappeared outside.
"Wow… That was… Interesting…" Imayoshi summarized Kouta's intervention accurately.
"Sorry. He surprised me too. He used to be more like Naito… Not like this… natural phenomenon…" Aya shrugged and stared after the dreadlocked guy in surprise as well.
"Okay everyone!" Katsunori clapped to get their attention. "It's time to wrap it up!"
"I think we can close the gym ourselves, coach." Imayoshi offered himself. This day was crazy for everyone. "You don't have to wait for us."
"Okay, Imayoshi-kun. I leave it up to you then." He nodded to the captain, glad he could trust the boy with always doing a proper job.
"Have a good night!" Aya waved at them enthusiastically and followed after Katsunori. She needed to change into normal clothes, and brace herself for the evening full of memories and pranks and food and no sleep at all.
######
"Turn right here." She said and pointed at the side road leading towards Seirin. "We need to pick up Taiga."
"Oh god... You really didn't lie!" Kouta said as he spotted the tall figure of 'Lil' tiger', standing at a sidewalk and waiting for them.
"Yo." Taiga saluted to both of them as he got into the car. He fastened a seatbelt and only then he looked at the driver. His eyes widened in surprise. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?!"
"I could ask the same! What fertilizer did they feed you?!"
"… Is that really you?!"
"Yep, flesh and blood." He nodded and smirked slyly. "You look very hot, Lil' tiger." He said in a flirty voice. "I wouldn't mind getting closer with you."
"FUCK NO!" Taiga said loudly with a pale face and leaned as far from Kouta's direction as the inside of the car allowed. Then he sighed, it wasn't his intention to sound hateful. "Swing whichever way you want, but leave me out of it."
"Hahahaha." Kouta's head tilted backwards as he laughed. "Your sis' said the same thing. I'm disappointed. I hoped I'd get at least one good fuck during this trip."
I didn't say it out loud… she thought.
"Then try not to pick your family members and minors, stupid." Katsunori rolled his eyes.
"We are not blood related!" Kouta exclaimed desperately.
"That doesn't matter moron, we are family. And that's it!" Aya hit the back of his head. "Now drive. I'm starving too."
######
"Anata! Your guests are here!"
"It's our guests." Hiroto corrected her, just as he took out a chocolate cake from the oven. "Go invite them in, Mayu."
She played with the hem of her casual dress. "They don't know me." She pouted slightly.
"What are you talking about? Katsunori and Shiranui brothers do. And those twins are sweethearts, really."
"As you wish…" She huffed and stomped towards the door.
They decided to host the dinner at the bar, which was closed tonight, and so she had quite a way to get to the front door. Along the way she breathed in and out through her nose. She was nervous. She saw Shiranui brothers only once or twice, and the possible reaction of the twins worried her. The age gap between her and Hiroto was quite big after all…
"Welcome!" She opened with a bright smile on her face.
"Hello! Thank you for having us." They all said in unison, as if they had rehearsed it.
"Please come on in. You don't have to take off your shoes." She reminded them, as they were in the usually public place, now turned private for the dinner.
Aya was staring at the beautiful young woman, who opened the door for them. She had straight silky black hair cascading down her back and the darkest black eyes Aya had ever seen. Her face was heart shaped and she had a mole under her right eye. The woman was lean and around her height. Judging by Katsunori's quick description and the wedding-ring on her finger, she assumed she was Hiroto's wife. She didn't expect someone so young, and looking at Taiga, he didn't either.
Mayu was, on the other hand, staring at Kouta's wild appearance. He changed so much in only half a year?!
"I believe we don't know each other." Aya broke the staring contests and Mayu finally looked at her and then at Taiga standing behind her.
"Eeek…" She took a step back. Out of all the men there, Taiga was the tallest and he looked the most intimidating. Is he really just fifteen? On the second glance, the girl had an intimidating presence as well. Just who are these twins? She wasn't prepared for this. They looked like the Kagami twins; Haruka and Kyou! Were they related? If yes, then Hiroto withheld a lot!
"I'm Kagami Aya, and this is my twin brother Taiga. Nice to meet you."
"Ussu." Taiga nodded. "Nice to meet you."
"Ka-Ka-Kagami?!" As in children of one of the Kagamis?! The owners of this place?! Oh god! And she was wearing only a casual black cotton dress and a little make-up!
"Oh?" Aya and Taiga exchanged glances. "Hasn't Hiroto told you?"
Mayu was frozen on her spot. She should introduce herself. But she wasn't prepared for this!
"You must be Hiroto's wife, right?" Aya was trying to break the ice. She was pitting the poor little lamb, which fell into this trap. "You don't have to worry, we don't bite."
"Ah!" She bowed immediately. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive my rudeness! My name is Amane Mayu! I've been Hiroto's wife since September." She blurted out and her voice jumped up several octaves.
"Can we call you by your name?"
"Errr. Yes!"
"Okay then. Please, call us our names too." Aya asked with a smile and pushed her way into the building. This time it was her, leading the way towards the kitchen. "Right now, we are not Kagamis, okay? We are not here on Kyou's or father's behalf. We came here to meet our closest family and friends and relax, so please don't feel nervous, Mayu." She said and hoped it would help at least a bit. "Oh, and Taiga is one big softie, so don't feel intimidated by his size."
"Wha –? Ayaaa!"
"What? It's true." She laughed and patted his back.
Mayu smiled at the gesture. So the kids of Kagami Haruka… The one she hadn't met yet.
The dinner was great and everything went according to the plan, or rather the no-plan they had. Hiroto knew that with this bunch, there was no need to try impressing them. They enjoyed great food (and lots of it), no matter what it looked like, and they talked about everything and nothing at the same time.
Hiroto decided to offer them wine and champagne, whichever they chose. The twins went for the wine as per usual, and he was keeping an eye on them so they wouldn't get drunk. He knew he could trust them, and they kept drinking water so as not to get light headed too quickly. Aya was avoiding family topics as he'd expected and Taiga didn't poke it either. They mostly questioned his wife, who was a new addition to their family circle and he was surprised that they never mentioned the age gap, which must have been obvious. At the same time he wondered when would his wife break and question it herself… Hiroto knew how difficult it had been for Mayu to persuade her family that their relationship was worth it. But after the wedding, they cut all ties with her anyways. He only hoped it would resolve itself at some point, because he hated the idea of being the reason for Mayu's loss of family.
"So you don't mind?" Mayu asked suddenly.
"Don't mind what?" Aya blinked at her.
"Uhm… the age gap?"
"How old are you?" She asked curiously. She didn't want to poke that bear, but when Mayu started on her own, she'd be foolish not to ask.
"Twenty five." She said and averted her eyes.
"So it's only seventeen years… You are forty two, ol' man, right?" Aya turned her eyes to Hiroto, who nodded. He was the same age as Katsunori.
"Only?" Mayu asked hesitantly.
"Yeah. I don't care. Honestly, your relationship is your own and as long as you two are happy, who are we to judge? It's your path and we haven't walked in your shoes." Aya shrugged and smiled at Mayu, who had glassy eyes from unshed tears. "You are kind, nice, pretty, caring and your cooking is awesome. You seem to genuinely love this old man, so I'm happy for you both, and I hope you'll stay together forever and have lots of little kiddos running around in no time. And since we didn't attend the wedding, for which we are very sorry…"
Aya and Taiga stood up from their chairs and raised their wine glasses (that kept refilling itself throughout the dinner; mostly thanks to Hiroto's skill), the others joining them.
"We want to congratulate you to your wedding and offer you a gift, even if it's months late." Taiga continued when Aya went to get their gift. "It's great to welcome you to our small patchwork family and we hope we won't scare you away… Erm… But if you were easily scared you wouldn't end up with Hiroto, right?" He chuckled nervously; he wasn't as smooth in talking as Aya, so he was more than glad when she returned.
"Congratulations to the newlyweds, even though it's late! Welcome to the family Mayu! We are more than happy to have you!"
Aya pulled Mayu into an embrace while the others cheered. Then she pulled away and handed over the gift.
Mayu was crying crocodile tears of joy and happiness. What her own family didn't give her, these teenagers offered without a second thought, naturally. She felt flooded by acceptance and love, and she couldn't stop her tears.
"I…" She got out after a moment. She felt Hiroto's arm around her shoulders, quietly supporting her. As if he was saying: 'Go on. I'm here with you. I love you.' "Thank you…" She whispered. "Thank you both."
Aya was grinning widely and she had tears in the corners of her eyes as well. Seeing someone so happy was melting her heart. When she glanced at Taiga, she noticed that he was discreetly hiding his tears as well. They had another family member, who was a sincere person and could be trusted. They could tell that much.
"Oi, oi. We are all crying here, now could you continue and open up the gift, sweetheart?" Kouta demanded. "I'm curious as hell."
"Enjoy the moment, stupid." Hikaru scolded him. "You last cried at their wedding."
"Not true! I last cried a few weeks ago, during an awesome sex."
"URGH! Could for ONCE stop talking 'bout sex?!" Aya shouted at him. "You are ruining the moment!"
"But I love it!"
Senri smacked his head, and sighed in exasperation. "Yeah, yeah, we know. We can see it. You've changed into this unguided missile. Stop rubbing it in our faces. Grandpa is turning in his grave when he hears you, Kouta."
"Oh, behold, the eldest brother trying to bring in some order!"
"Be happy you have big brothers to rely on, idiot!" Hikaru joined Senri in trying to rein in on Kouta, who was indeed going through some late rebellious stage.
Mayu burst out laughing. This was indeed a patchwork family full of big hearted dorks. "Hai, hai. I'll open it in a minute… Oh… can I?" She looked at the twins.
"Sure. It's nothing dirty. We are not him." Taiga pointed at Kouta with a pouty expression.
"Ossu… Here it goes." Mayu started to tear off the wrapping.
The gift was a middle sized box, but she couldn't guess what was inside. She loved the white wrapping with tiny roses printed on it. When the wrapping came off, she stroked the white leather of the box. Hiroto gently rubbed her shoulder to cheer her on; he was curious as a little kid. Mayu opened the lid and was met with a glimmer of two crystal goblets. The stems were made of beautifully crafted silver, and black onyx stones were crafted into it.
"It's beautiful…" Mayu breathed out. "Thank you."
"Look beneath it, dear." Hiroto said, when he noticed something unusual.
"Eh? What's that?" She asked and pulled out a thick envelope to open it.
"It's plane tickets… To Paris, I believe…" Hiroto leaned forward to see better; there were indeed the airplane tickets and all reservations the twins had made and paid for them.
"It was Taiga's idea." Aya shrugged. "He said it was your dream to go there once, so… Take your lovely wife and have another honeymoon."
"Really?" Hiroto blinked at Taiga, who scratched his cheek in embarrassment; Aya had promised not to rat him out.
"Well… Yeah… But I –"
"Oh come here!" He pulled Taiga into a fatherly hug. "Thank you, Tiger."
"Ah… Errr… You're welcome?"
"And I can't even touch him." Kouta pouted.
"Would you shut up?" Katsunori narrowed his sharp eyes at the brat, who kept interrupting everyone's moments.
######
"Aaaa, so here you are." Kouta leaned against the railing on the rooftop, where he came to smoke and where he found the twins; who went to get some air. It was past midnight and their conversation turned into playing family games, twister, and whatever they took into their hands. Kouta blissfully inhaled the nicotine and offered a cigarette to Aya. She glanced at it, then she glanced at Taiga, asking for permission and when he shrugged, she took one.
"You want some too?" He asked Taiga, even though he knew the answer right away.
"No thanks. I don't smoke."
"Ah well… Good choice, Lil' tiger." He patted his shoulder.
"…only because you came all the way from America just to see us." Aya said as he lighted it for her.
"Sure, sure. I wanted some break anyway." He puffed out smoke and stared as it dispersed in the night's breeze.
"How is he?" Aya asked about her father and stared at the red tip of her cigarette. It tasted awful, but for some reason, she didn't mind. The cigarette calmed her down.
"Locked up with his work, or out on business trips, most of the time. When he is at home, I only know thanks to the housekeeper lady, ehm…" He was trying to remember her name. Something like… "Gabi! Yeah, Gabi-san who says hello, by the way… I don't get how you can hide in that house and not bump into each other if you don't want to. I mean, your house is huge. It's not even a house, it's a mansion…" He got carried away. "Anyways… I've only met Haruka-sama thrice. Once when I arrived, then when he asked me to have dinner with him, and then when he questioned my dreadlocks."
"Haruka-sama? Do you actually respect our ol' man?" Taiga asked in surprise. They used '-sama' honorific when addressing their father lately too, but it was more out of obligation and spite than real respect.
"I don't want to be thrown out, all right? And he still has the image of the previous me in his head… As long as I can feed that image, I will. I want to finish my university there."
"I wanted to ask whether he approved the hairdo…" Taiga mused.
Kouta scratched his head. "He didn't, but it was already done and I told him I'd lost a bet… It's not like I'm a Kagami, so he can't do anything with it."
Aya chuckled. "He can still throw you out, or order you to cut it."
"Nah, he wouldn't go so far. It's more like… he couldn't care less. As long as I don't cause trouble, don't bring my dates in, and as long as I'm discreet with my partners, he doesn't care what I do."
A bitter chuckle escaped both twins. "Yeah, he couldn't care less. As long as we don't bring shame on him…" Aya echoed his words and inhaled tobacco fumes.
"I'm sorry." Kouta said sympathetically. He grew up without parents too. And he knew how hard it could be. Maybe having no parents was better, because he could still believe they would've cared…
"It's fine." Taiga shrugged. "We are used to it."
"He doesn't really know you anymore, does he?" The question was meant for both of them.
Aya thought about Kouta's question for a moment. "I don't think so. Not anymore. And I think we don't know him anymore either."
"We tried to fix it, but fixing this cannot be one sided." Taiga added. "Sometimes… It's like we don't even exist."
"So you left?"
"We didn't run away. We asked him to come with us… I wanted to come back here and Aya tagged along." He shrugged. "I don't think he actually misses us. He knows we left, but he probably doesn't notice our absence. We didn't spend much time in that house anyway."
"So here's where you are!" Hikaru's voice interrupted whatever Aya wanted to say. "Come on! Hiroto is making pancakes! And we want to play truth or dare!"
"What?! Pancakes? Now?! It's two in the morning!" Aya groaned.
"Since when do you care? We want something sweet, come on!"
A/N: Our 'favourite' teacher gets caught up in her own game. Oh... someone's pointing out Kise's copying ability! And a little moment for our couple. I hope I didn't confuse you with the OCs too much and that the story is still enjoyable. (I like creating them all.)
/sentence structure, grammar minor wording changed on 1. August 2022/
Let me know what you think and remember, reviews are appreciated but never necessary.
S.