A/N: Thanks to everyone who followed and favourited and reviewed! It makes me really happy.
Seirin's match was supposed to start at 10AM (manga) – I changed it to 11 AM.
I let her go because I knew she could do better. And now she's gone, I wonder if I should've just been better. ― Atticus Poetry, Love Her Wild
My mother once said to me, 'You must promise to be happy; it is the greatest favour you can do to others'. It has guided me throughout my life. – Stephane Hessel
One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team. – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
It is better to use fair means and fail, than foul and conquer. – Sallust
Life isn't that sweet. That's why everyone wants sweet things. ― Yana Toboso
Aya was, once again, woken up in the middle of the night by her buzzing phone. With a low grunt she groped around the free side of her double bed in order to find it.
"Yes?" She asked sharply. It was her personal phone, so she could afford to be a bit snappy.
"Hey, Robin. Sorry for waking you up. When I realized what time it was over there, I'd already dialed your number." Tatsuya's soft voice sounded apologetic towards the end.
Aya sighed, and switched to English automatically. "Well, I'm up now, so?"
"I just thought you might want to know that I was accepted to Yosen. I have a part scholarship, so I don't have to pay for the dorms."
This time, she sighed in relief. "Thank gods! I thought I'd ruined your chances, by being a bit… daring… towards their coach." Yosen took less than two weeks to give Tatsuya a proper answer to his application form; it only meant that he must have impressed them.
"I'm surprised it was this quick. Alex told me she had sent some videos of my current matches… And she was sure I'd be accepted." He said and she could almost see him shrug. "I doubted it. Their team favours the height too much, so I didn't have high hopes–"
"Oh you had, you lying fox." She interrupted him. "You wanted that school because it's a 'western-like' school." Then she waved her arms, as if he was sitting on the bed next to her, while they talked. "Nah… Be it as is… It's official now. You're coming back. Congratulations!" She said cheerfully, but she was keeping her voice down; she knew Taiga wasn't sleeping.
A smile played on his lips. Lying fox, huh? "You know me too well… Thank you."
"I didn't do anything. I just sent those videos. You got there because of your skills, not my influence." She had a feeling that it might have been troubling Tatsuya. He wasn't used to asking for favours, or hoping that others would help him. And when they did, he suddenly thought that he did nothing himself.
Tatsuya was quiet for a moment. "I've lived in America my whole life. I'm a bit scared now…" He admitted.
"Now you're getting' cold feet?" Aya laughed. "Start practising your Japanese then."
"I have to. Kanji mostly. Are you willing to exchange some e-mails with me? In Japanese of course?"
"I don't mind. But don't expect immediate replies. I have my responsibilities here."
"…and a boyfriend?"
Was it hurt she could hear there? Of course not. Tatsuya was over it already, just like she was. The worst thing she could do was start sticking her nose into it again. For both of them.
"…" She bit her lower lip thinking back to Aomine. Was it okay to try and go for it? Probably not for now. "No. At least not for now."
Tatsuya wasn't stupid. He noticed the hesitation, and he could read there was someone special. Not a boyfriend, at least not yet. But it was only a matter of time. And the guy must have had something special, if she was considering the option. Ah well… You let her go, pal.
"You are troubled." He said, and it wasn't a question.
"… Nah. It's nothing you should worry about, Tatsuya."
"That doesn't change the fact that you're troubled."
"Yes, but I have a lot of things in my mind right now." She said more impatiently. She still considered Tatsuya her best friend, but she sure as hell didn't like the idea of discussing Aomine with him. It just didn't feel right.
"… I'm coming back right after I finish my first year. I need to take some final exams of your first semester, and attend a few supplementary lessons in July. Why is it that strict? Isn't enough that I have a paper from America?" He changed the topic. Discussing possible boyfriends with Aya didn't feel right for him either, but he was still curious.
"Well, we have some different subjects they probably want you to catch up on. And it's a good opportunity for you to be among your schoolmates, so you won't be that new weirdo."
"Weirdo?"
"Well… The amazingly handsome transfer student, all girls will faun over?" She teased him good heartily.
He chuckled at the teasing. "You have a high opinion of me."
I fell in love with you once, stupid. "Of course I do! You are still a very important member of my patchwork family."
"Your own family is big enough, silly." He shook his head and laughed, but her words made him happy. It was problematic in his own family, and Aya offered him a way out, a safe ground. She was his hero, and always will be. You are a very important person in my life too.
"True, but I appreciate them all. Blood or not." She fought back a yawn. At least she tried to.
"You should get your beauty sleep. We don't need Taiga to get frightened when he sees you in the morning."
Aya's eyes narrowed. "You say what?" She hissed.
Tatsuya laughed. "Go to sleep. You have some matches to attend tomorrow, if I'm correct."
"Yes. I'm going to watch Taiga tomorrow. And then some other teams, just in case."
"Good night, Aya."
"Good night." She smiled at invisible Tatsuya. "Don't forget to e-mail me. In Japanese."
"I won't."
He thought they would be on the phone for a few more seconds, hesitating to end the call, like they had done so many times in the past. But Aya hung up without a second thought.
The message was clear. She'd moved on. Now it was up to Tatsuya to move on as well. It would be the best for both if he stopped bringing any sad and regretful feelings into their, still fragile, friendship.
######
"I knew it! You haven't slept at all." Aya laughed when Taiga shuffled into the kitchen with a loud yawn.
He scratched his bare stomach and yawned again. Then his red eyes glared at her in warning. But red veins, clearly visible due to the lack of sleep, made his intended glare more funny than threatening. "Mind your own business." He grumbled and slumped onto the closest chair.
She placed a rich breakfast, consisting of steamed fish, rice, soup and fresh vegetables, in front of him. "Eat up, so you have enough energy."
He blinked at it, usually they ate simpler breakfast and this was a luxury. What did I do to deserve it? He thought, but food was food, and he didn't want to waste another minute. "Itadakimasu!"
Seeing people enjoying her food like this was the greatest appreciation she could receive. So she waited for a moment and watched him stuffing his cheeks like a squirrel with a smile.
"Tatsuya was accepted by Yosen and I'm going to watch your match today." She announced.
"What?!" Taiga almost choked. Then he coughed and it took him a moment to successfully gulp down his mouthful. "Tatsuya called? When? And didn't you say you have a match today as well?"
Aya was smiling innocently. "Yesterday night. I thought you heard me talking. Yes, we do have a match, but Satsuki can handle it. And after seeing their yesterday's performance I don't think there will be any problem for us to win." She answered all three questions at once.
"I thought you were sleep-talking." He mumbled.
"I don't sleep-talk."
"You do. Sometimes, but you do…" He sounded really certain about it. "So Tatsuya is officially coming to Japan?"
"Yep. But we knew it before, right?"
Taiga nodded, frowning at his food. "You said you don't doubt your team. Are they really that good?" He asked with a thoughtful expression, and he didn't wait for an answer. Of course they were that good, if Aya believed in them. "And there we are, afraid of our first opponent."
"Just because he is a foreigner." She shrugged. "You'll be fine. I had a look at them, and they were nothing special, except for that transfer student. You should do just fine."
"It's heart-warming when you say it."
Aya narrowed her eyes at him, she wasn't sure if he was being ironic or if he really meant it. But she let it slide. "I'm going to get changed. You think it's okay if I don't wear my uniform?"
"Did you wear it yesterday?"
"Only the skirt and I had Touou's basketball team jacket on top."
"No one from Touou is going to check up on you, right? Wear something comfy."
"Good idea, brother. Good idea." She liked when Taiga sometimes became her fashion consultant or commentator on her choices.
"'f course." He answered with his mouth full, once again focused on the delicious food.
######
"Aya-san! Hello." Riko greeted her in surprise. Seirin's team was meeting at their school grounds, and then they went to a local gym where A-block had their preliminary rounds. Taiga was the last one they were waiting for, but his twin tagging along was something no one expected.
"Long time no see, Riko-senpai." She bowed her head in greeting. "Kuroko-kun" I hope you've kept your promise. – remained unsaid.
The ghostly boy understood the hidden words and he nodded, and then bowed politely. Your video was kept secret.
"I hope you don't mind if I join you today, Hyuuga-senpai?" She turned towards the captain with a smile.
"Ah…" He blinked at her. "No, not at all. But are you sure your team doesn't need you?"
Aya waved her hand at this. "I'm not allowed on the benches anyways, and they have Satsuki-chan. It should be fine, they are not as team-like as you."
"Oh well. Alright then. Another pair of eyes and a quick mind can only help us." Riko said with a smile. Her eyes went over her entire team: "Since everyone's here. Let's go."
"You couldn't sleep again?" Izuki asked quietly with a smile on his face.
Taiga acted as if he didn't hear a thing. But Aya chuckled. "Yep, you're right, Izuki-senpai."
The boy nodded approvingly. It was nice that Kagami's sister remembered their names after only one meeting, and it was a little bit scary as well.
"Again?" Kuroko glanced at Taiga with a corner of his eye. His voice was calm, but he was fighting a chuckle himself.
"Shut up." The ace grumbled. "Both of you." He added and glared at Aya as well.
"As you wish, Tai." She smirked. "Ne, Riko-senpai! Wait up." She sprinted to catch up with the Seirin's coach.
"It's nice to have another girl here." She said when Aya caught up, though her eyes slid down on Aya's breasts. D-cup… Were they this big when I last saw her? "So which block are you in?" Riko asked to divert attention.
"B-block. We had two matches yesterday. One today, and another two on Friday."
"Two matches on the first day are quite difficult." Riko mused. She could imagine that with her small team, which barely had enough players, it would be troublesome, but she knew they wouldn't avoid it.
######
Seirin arrived at the gym, similar to the one Touou had matches in, and headed towards their changing room.
"I think I should go up towards the spectators' area." Aya said with a smile. After all, she wasn't a part of this team; it didn't matter that her brother was part of it.
"You can come with us, but it's up to you." Riko shrugged. She wouldn't mind Aya joining them today, but at the same time, she was aware that Aya was their enemy too.
"I'll go find a good spot for watching." She stared at the boys for a moment. "Go get them. You should be able to win without any problems."
"OSSU!" They collectively appreciated her encouragement, and suddenly their nerves seemed smaller than minutes ago.
Kuroko remained behind the group. "You sure know what to say, Aya-san."
"Oh? I haven't said anything special." She smiled at him.
A small smile formed on Kuroko's lips. People like Aya-san were his lights. "If you say so."
######
Meanwhile in Touou's changing room:
"Uhm… I'm sorry to ask… but, where is Aya-san?" Sakurai asked when they all gathered in the changing room, and he couldn't see the redhead anywhere. It was confusing and saddening as there was no one else who would encourage him before a match.
"You miss her?" Yamaoka asked in an annoyed tone. "I sure don't."
"Ah. I'm sorry, senpai, sorry for asking…" His voice trailed off and he sighed, staring at his jersey.
Aomine raised an eyebrow at the dejected expression of his classmate, and lunch bringer (at times). Then he sighed and asked: "So where is she?" He could already hear all the teasing about his 'Honey-bun' nickname…
To his surprise, no teasing came and Imayoshi, who was changing next to him, explained the mystery. "She went to watch Seirin's match against some team with a transfer student, and in the afternoon she'll go observe Kirisaki Daiichi from our block. She should come to our matches tomorrow. Right?" He looked up to their coach.
"Right." Harasawa nodded. "I want to know how Taiga will manage this two meters tall boy. Plus she can have a look on Shuutoku and Seiho, while she is at it. We might as well end up facing one of them in the final league."
That surprised Imayoshi. "You think Seirin won't make it?" Honestly, he didn't think Seirin was good enough to make it past the preliminaries, but maybe the coach believed in his nephew, just like Aya believed in her brother.
"I don't know. Taiga just recently started playing again." He shrugged. "One can never be too sure. Anyhow, it's good to know your possible enemies in advance."
"Hmmm..." He nodded, and then looked at Aomine. "Satisfied?" He wanted to add 'Honey-bun' there, but he could feel that Aomine's fist would spring at him if he did so.
The ace didn't answer.
######
Aya climbed the stairs and found a nice place from where she could see the show on the court. There weren't a lot of people. Well, it's only the first match for their branch… She thought.
The boys entered the court and started their warm up, but she couldn't see the transfer student anywhere. So he is late.
"Eeeh? The transfer student isn't here yet?" A loud and cheerful voice behind her asked.
"Hn. Don't be loud, Takao. He will come." A deeper voice answered.
"But look. Your friend is already down there. Number 11?"
"I'm not here because of him."
That's Kuroko… Aya had to turn around, to see the two boys.
One of them was tall, taller than Taiga, with vivid green hair and eyes. He wore glasses, fingers on his left hand were taped, and he was carrying a maneki-neko. Midorima Shintarou. She recognised him.
The other one was shorter, with black slightly longer and messy hair, blue eyes and a sharp chin. He had slyness and mischief in his face, and he appeared to be friendly and easy-going. She didn't know his name. The boy noticed her interested glance.
"Hey!" He talked to her with a smile. "You know us?" He asked without a thought, his eyes looking the redhead up and down. She wasn't wearing a uniform, so he had no idea which school she was from.
"I recognise Midorima Shintarou-kun, but I have no idea who you might be." Aya said with a polite smile and an unreadable expression; she was baffled by his straightforwardness, but she didn't mind it.
"I don't remember meeting you." Midorima said, his eyes glaring down at her. He had to admit that there was something familiar about her, maybe the hair…
"Because we haven't met yet."
"Then how do you know me?" He demanded an answer.
"I'm a part of Touou's basketball team. And the sister of the number 10 of Seirin." She pointed her thumb towards Taiga and shrugged. "I've seen Teiko's matches."
He blinked at the answer. The girl must have known Aomine and Satsuki, and most likely Kise and Kuroko too. "Your name?" Though he would swear Kise had mentioned some redhead… (When he had been pestering him over the phone a few days back. Again.)
"Kagami Aya." She said and bowed slightly. "And you are?" She turned her eyes at Takao, who was just curiously staring at the two.
"Takao Kazunari, Missy." He bowed. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, Takao-kun."
"So you are a manager, right?" He asked, because Midorima was not likely to start any conversation. And the spot she had picked was indeed very good.
"Yes. Are you a regular as well?"
"Sure thing. I'm a point-guard. With number 10, actually." He snickered and glanced at Taiga, with the same number. "Oh, look! The transfer student!"
Aya and Midorima turned their eyes downwards. They had missed Papa's entrance. Now, the tall black guy was holding Kuroko up in the air as if he was a little kid, telling him something. It was too far for them to hear. Aya's eyebrows went up. "I think we will see something interesting." She mused.
"Hn." Midorima picked up his lucky-item higher, as if it could watch the match. "I'm here to check out that transfer student."
"Not Kuroko-kun? I thought you were here to see Seirin…" She said and Midorima narrowed his eyes on her.
She decided to change the topic. "Anyways… What's that?" Aya asked, staring at the white and gold maneki-neko, with a red choker and a jingle bell, calmly sitting on Midorima's hand.
Takao's shoulders were shaking in a withheld laughter. He was interested in how Midorima would explain this. And more so, how Kagami would react.
"It's my lucky item." He said seriously.
"Lucky item?" She asked curiously. "You want to tell me you carry this thing with you every day and everywhere?" She tried not to sound prejudiced or disapproving.
"Just today. It's my lucky item just for today, according to the Oha-asa horoscope. And that horoscope is always right." He explained seriously, almost protectively.
"Horoscope." Aya repeated confusedly. "Right…" She would add something, but she didn't want to insult this tall boy. Then again… "What is Oha-asa?" She asked after a few seconds.
Midorima's expression suddenly turned pained and shocked. How come she doesn't know? "It's a radio programme. How can you be so uninformed?" He asked quietly, but his voice made it obvious he wasn't pleased by it.
"Oh?" Her eyebrow went up and she chuckled. "Sorry, I don't listen to the radio much. So does it really help?" She vaguely pointed at the maneki-neko.
Takao couldn't take it. He burst out laughing. "Ahahaha… But Shin-chan really gets in trouble if he doesn't carry those things around." Takao said with laughter, as he remembered those hilarious yet dangerous situations, which had occurred when he had destroyed or hid Shin-chan's lucky items to test it… He wouldn't do it again.
"Shin-chan?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Shut up, Takao."
"Shin-chan…" She repeated. "I like the sound of it." Aya decided with a nod.
"See what you've caused?" Midorima was frowning at him. "So?" He looked at Aya again. "What's your zodiac?"
"And why do you need to know?"
"To know how much I should avoid you."
"How mean… And if I won't tell?"
He was frowning at her, as if he could see her zodiac sign written on her forehead. "Hmpf. Then don't."
Takao was still laughing his lungs out.
"I'm very tempted not to, Shin-chan. But I can't have you ignoring me this entire match, so… Try to guess, once. And then I'll tell you."
"Hmmm…" His constant glare continued. Wrinkles formed on his forehead, while he was concentrating. She was out-going, friendly, maybe even funny. She was pretty. She attracted attention, and she didn't seem to mind it, she was confident, but not arrogant. He hadn't seen her move, but he'd bet it was elegant and smooth. And she had a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. He had no idea. There were more zodiac signs that would fit… Even his zodiac description didn't fit him in all aspects… There was something fire-like about the girl: Her element must be fire. He thought, which reduced his options to three signs, but it would still be a guess… "Aries?"
"Nope. I'm Leo. August 2nd, if it helps you in any way."
The Oha-asa did say he would meet someone interesting, and there was no mention he should be careful when approaching Leos, so it should be fine. The horoscope is always right…
"And you are something closed off… That makes me think of Cancer…" Aya guessed. She didn't believe those things but she knew the basic traits the zodiac signs should have, and which were most likely not true. So she guessed the first thing that came to her mind.
Midorima's eyes widened.
"Eh? Was I right?" She asked in disbelief. "I was just guessing!"
Takao laughed again. "You are amazing, Kagami-chan."
"Please, call me Aya. I don't like it when people address me by my family name."
Now they both exchanged confused glances but nodded.
A referee whistled. Aya's attention turned towards the court immediately.
Seirin lost the tip-off, but with Kuroko as a starter, they were doing great. It exceeded Aya's expectations. And to top it, Taiga was dealing with Papa perfectly fine. Whatever the boy had said to Taiga and Kuroko, it only made them play harder.
Midorima was staring at Aya by the corner of his eye. "You are not surprised by Kuroko's style." It wasn't a question; he was simply stating a fact.
Interested in the foreign student, sure… "I've seen them play and played with some of them. I don't know Seirin as well as my own team, but I'm aware of their style."
"You play, too?" Takao asked with a surprise in his eyes.
"Yes. He is my brother after all." Her eyes tracked Taiga. "But I play either a point guard or a shooting guard of course."
"That's like us! Are you good? Would you play with us sometimes?"
"Takao. Don't be pushy." Midorima warned him with a meaningful look. He didn't need this girl to bother them.
Takao made an exasperated face, but let it go. Whatever…
The first quarter ended with a big lead for Seirin. 23 – 8.
There was a short break and Aya leaned her back against the railing, turning towards the two boys to chat with them some more, but she noticed someone familiar. She frowned.
"Could you hold this spot for me please?" She asked, not even looking at them and she walked towards a boy with a cap on his head.
Kano Daiki didn't notice her until she placed her arm around his shoulders and he startled. He had been staring at the court, not people around him.
"It's been some time, Daiki." Aya greeted him cheerfully, took off his cap and ruffled his hair in a familial gesture.
"A-Aya-san!" He stuttered as a response to fright. "W-w-what are you doing here?"
"And what are you? Aren't you supposed to be at school?" She asked teasingly and spun his cap on her forefinger.
He breathed in to respond, but he couldn't deny it. His expression turned guilty. "I am." He mumbled, then his head sprang up and his eyes glimmered, "but I wanted to see Kuroko-senpai playing with his whole team!" He said with a sudden urgency in his voice. "I had to!"
To his surprise Aya chuckled, and let go of his shoulders. "Then I have nothing to say. Everyone should skip school at least once. And if you have a good reason…" She shrugged with an obvious mischief in her eyes.
Daiki realised that Aya didn't mind his irresponsibility, on the contrary, she completely favoured his decision to skip school for this reason. She was his ally now.
"Come with me and meet my two new acquaintances. We have a better spot to watch the game from."
"Eh?"
When he stopped next to Midorima Shintarou, and Takao Kazunari – he knew both of them; Midorima because he was a part of the generation of miracles, and Takao because Daiki was in the same class with his younger sister – he had to double take. Midorima was taller than he had expected, and Takao had a sharp edge in his eyes.
"This is Kano Daiki." Aya introduced the younger boy. "He is the younger brother of my classmate and teammate."
Both Shuutoku players stared at the boy in front of them. Kano Daiki was short, around Aya's height, and thin, almost skinny. He had unruly brown hair and clear forest-green eyes. Freckles framed his cheekbones and nose. The boy had a weak presence, and averted his eyes when Midorima stared at him too long.
They both introduced themselves to him, bowed and shook his hand.
"You are in the class with Airi, right?" Takao asked, tilting his head. The boy was familiar, and he would swear his sister had mentioned the name, with a dreamy face. So Airi has a crush on this one… Not so bad. He thought. A bit too skinny.
"Hai! She helped me to pass biology!" The boy answered immediately, and blushed.
Takao stared at him for a moment, which made Daiki fidget. Then he smirked. "Oh, yeah, she mentioned you. I'm glad to finally meet you in person! Take good care of her, Kano Daiki-kun~" He teased.
Daiki blushed even more. "I'm not… we're not… I mean… We are just friends!" Meeting the older brother of his crush by chance was embarrassing and scary. He had no idea what Airi-san's brother would be like, but he'd wanted some time to prepare. Now, thanks to Aya-san, he had none.
"Sure you are~" Takao said with a whistle.
Aya gave Takao one warning look. 'Don't-tease-him-too-much.' But she was smiling at the boy's reaction as well. Maybe we could invite the girl for Daiki's birthday… Then I need Takao's number. She made a mental note to propose this idea to Kano later on.
Takao shrugged. 'If-you-say-so.'
The second quarter began.
Daiki stared at it and then sighed. "I hoped I'd see Kuroko-senpai some more."
"You will, don't worry. He will come out towards the end." Midorima said, surprised that the boy was actually interested in Kuroko. "It's not like that dunking monkey can do much alone." He snorted.
He was then exposed to a pair of dangerously glaring reddish eyes.
"Good observation, Shin-chan!" She said way too sweetly, which sent shivers down his spine. "But I recommend you not to underestimate that 'dunking monkey', or you might be unpleasantly surprised."
He gave her a sharp nod and didn't say anything more. Kagami Aya seemed scarier than pissed off Miyaji-senpai. That shouldn't be taken lightly.
Takao elbowed him. "Good job, Shin-chan~"
Five minutes into the second quarter, and Aya was leaning onto the railing, watching her brother in serious concentration, ignoring everyone else. He was a level better than when he had faced Kise. This was… She knew his jumps were crazy. The ability to dunk at his age was something special, well, maybe not that much, but not everyone could do it. She knew he could jump really high if needed, they had played beach volleyball together at times. But this was something else… His jumps were getting higher. He was staying in the air longer. The moment Kuroko stepped off the court, Taiga was performing individually better. Is he holding back because he relies on Kuroko-kun too much? She wondered, but it wasn't the only thing. If Taiga could change those jumps into his weapon…
She caught Riko's gaze, and both girls nodded. They saw the potential there.
If he continues, he will stop one of Papa's high three pointers by the end of this match… She thought. And there he was nervous because of Papa's height…
During the ten minute break, Daiki asked what was so interesting for her. "Those two are enemies, so I will explain when they leave." It made both Shuutoku players frown, but they had to agree. They weren't talking about their team either.
When Kuroko stepped onto the court again, it was Daiki who was leaning onto the railing observing the blue-haired boy in an utmost concentration. He couldn't lose Kuroko from his sight.
When the match was over – Seirin roared happily. They won their first match of the preliminaries! A step closer to getting to the top.
"As expected." Aya nodded.
"Only by 7 points." Midorima pointed out.
She rolled her eyes. "Of course your merit is doubling or tripling your opponents' score, but even this victory is still a victory. No need to belittle it, Shin-chan."
Midorima grimaced and started to walk away. Their match was in an hour, they still had some time for a light lunch.
Takao waved to Aya and quickly caught up with his taller friend. "At the end… The transfer student wasn't at all that interesting, was he?" He said leisurely with his arms joined behind his head.
######
"WHAT?!" Taiga shouted when he heard it.
"We are going back to school." Riko repeated calmly. She was aware this wouldn't go well. There were another four matches they could watch, but the rules had been set. They had to return. She wasn't a teacher, who could bend those rules, or push her ideas through.
"But I want to watch the other matches!" He protested. His eyes naturally found his sister, who came to congratulate them, in hope she would support him.
To his disappointment, Aya just shrugged. She wouldn't support him now. Rules were rules, and she wasn't sure a small new team like Seirin could afford to break them.
"We all do, Kagami-kun. But we need to follow the rules." Kuroko mixed into the banter, trying to calm their ace.
"Then I'll skip." He said vehemently.
"Are you an idiot?! If you skip, you'll get in trouble, maybe you won't play in another match!" Riko raised her voice. "You are coming back with us!"
He took a deep breath to answer something really rude, when a basketball hit the back of his head, almost making him fall over. His eyes narrowed.
"Listen to your coach, Tai." Aya said with a sharp voice, resisting Taiga's glare. 'I know you were about to insult her, be glad I've stopped you.'
'I wasn't…' They couldn't read each other's mind, but they knew each other so well they could easily guess it. And Aya was right this time, he was indeed about to spat an insult he would regret later on.
"Tch… Fine." He nodded and rubbed the sore spot at the back of his head. "You don't have to throw a ball at me! What if something happened to me?"
"There's nothing to happen in there." She chuckled. "No offence."
######
Kano Daiki stayed with Aya to watch another two matches.
Seiho had a unique style Aya couldn't quite comprehend, so after the match, she went to ask for a video recording of it. She had to ask Satsuki or Katsunori, or maybe Aomine (preferably Aomine), what he thought about it, and whether he ever played against something like that.
All the guys from Seiho were moving differently than the other players. It looked smooth, and they had unbelievably good defence and stamina. Or maybe they just knew how to tire out their opponents efficiently, without getting tired themselves. All in all, they won with a double score.
After the match, she went to grab a quick lunch with Daiki and then they returned back to their spot. Aya enjoyed the company of the younger boy. He was easy to talk to, and he didn't pry or ask unimportant questions. Daiki was slightly amused by Aya's personality, since he had met her only once, but he liked the girl; he understood why his younger sister Aki declared Aya as their adopted older sister.
Shuutoku's match was… It was a massacre. They crushed their opponents 152 – 26. It was even more brutal than Touou's last match, because in Touou's last match Aomine hadn't gone all out, and he had to cover for the others – even though he wouldn't admit it. Midorima's three-pointers gave Shuutoku a huge lead. He always got three points, always. He didn't miss, not once. The maneki-neko was sitting on their bench, watching its owner, as he was shooting one ball after another.
But there was a thing, Aya noticed. Midorima Shintarou didn't pass. Just like Kise and Aomine. When he got a ball, he made a shot. He never cared what his teammates were doing, he didn't screen, he didn't pass. He thinks too much of himself… Just like those two.
When they were done, Midorima looked up to Aya. 'This is a victory.'
'Good job.' She smirked and gave Midorima and Takao thumbs up. "Well, this was brutal." She said to Daiki.
Daiki was staring at the court with wide eyes. "I can't believe what I've seen. It's not real… How is Seirin going to deal with this?"
"Uhm… With high spirits?" Aya joked. "I believe they will manage. There's one week before the semi-finals and finals of the prelims, so I think they will find a way."
"… I would be so scared." He admitted. "Where did they go anyways? I thought I'd meet with Kuroko-kun."
"Ah well… They had to go back to school apparently." Aya shrugged. It had this disadvantage when the coach was also a student, and a member of a student council. "Trust me, Taiga wasn't happy about it at all."
"I can imagine." He did remember Taiga's little outburst from their last meeting.
"Now." Aya got up. "I need to go to another gym, to watch one more match. I believe you should go home."
Daiki nodded, and walked in front of her. Then he suddenly stopped and turned around. Aya almost ran into him.
"What's up?"
"Please, don't tell my brother I skipped school! He would get really angry."
Aya blinked at that. "Can he even get angry? I've never seen him raise his voice on anyone." And she doubted Kano would get angry if Daiki explained his reasons.
"He doesn't shout." Daiki shook his head and paled a bit. "And that's what's worse…"
"Hai, hai. Don't worry. I won't rat you out."
######
"Satsuki! Hey!" Aya waved, as she was running towards the pinkette. She barely made it in time. "Sorry I'm late."
She bent forward to catch her breath, she was sure she looked like she had run several miles the fastest she could. Her feet were burning, because she was wearing espadrilles with thin soles. What a poor choice of shoes. At least it was the same gym where their match had been, so she didn't have to look for an entrance.
Satsuki sighed in relief. "Aya-chan. I was starting to think you wouldn't come…" She started accusingly, but then she looked at Aya and her voice changed into worry. "What happened?!"
"Me too." Aya admitted. "There was a big car crash, so it took forever by bus. I got out four stops earlier and ran from there. I was still quicker than that bus." She explained. Really… when something can go wrong it will…
"You ran four stops?! You realize how much that is? You could've called me, you'd be late." It was almost 6 miles, and she didn't doubt that Aya had sprinted all the way. The bottomless energy and stamina Aya had, surprised her once again.
"Yeah, yeah… I promised to be here the whole match, didn't I?" Aya smiled at Satsuki. Her breathing was slowly calming down. "So, what's going on?" She asked and looked down on the two teams getting ready for the tip-off.
"They warmed up, and we will see. What exactly made you wary of this particular team?"
"Hanamiya Makoto, and… I think you've noticed it too. In the majority of their matches last year, there were accidents, injuries. Especially in the Winter cup."
The name rang a bell and her eyes found the said boy. She didn't know he was on this team. He's changed a lot and he is a captain… "You don't think those were accidents…"
"There were too many of them in my opinion. Plus Kirisaki's players were never injured during such an accident. Convenient, don't you think?"
"Hmmm…" The pinkette bit into her lower lip. "Let's see if there's any injury during this match."
A referee blew a whistle and threw the ball up.
Kirisaki Daiichi got it and the game started.
At first, everything went okay, Kirisaki Daiichi seemed to be more skilled than their opponents, and they gained a lead. By 8 points, which wasn't much, but it was still a lead. But then the center of Kirisaki Daiichi stepped on his opponent's foot, preventing him from getting the rebound they were going for. It took only a split second, and the referee didn't notice.
And that was only a start.
After this first unnoticed foul, Kirisaki Daiichi slowly started its dirty game of fouling. They were stepping on their opponents' feet, elbowing their ribs, pulling at their jerseys, even punching their stomachs. All of this was happening in a way that referees wouldn't see, that cameras wouldn't record. One of Kirisaki Daiichi's players always covered the view, and shielded a dirty play from the referees' eyes.
"That's horrible!" Satsuki was covering her mouth, staring at the game with wide eyes. "How can the referees be so blind? Their opponents are already forming bruises!" She was shocked and angry. If anyone told her this, she wouldn't have believed it. She had seen recordings of Kirisaki Daiichi's matches, but those fouls weren't visible there!
Aya was staring at the disgusting game going on below her. "They do it so the referees can't see, it also isn't seen on videos… They must've studied really hard to achieve this form of perfect fouling." She snorted, and pulled out her phone to record it from above.
"You've expected this?" Satsuki asked, because Aya's previous tone indicated so.
The redhead nodded, "I had a hunch. You can't see those fouls on DVDs, but if you are really observant, you can see bruises, pained expressions… Their matches were weird, I didn't enjoy watching it, so I needed to be sure what to expect."
Satsuki was frowning. "We will face them. That's for sure."
"The thing is how our guys are going to deal with this."
"They are attacking the ace the most." Satsuki pointed out, her heart suddenly sinking.
"They will go after Aomine. I believe."
"We can't let him play in that match." She didn't like the idea of Dai-chan getting injured by the bunch of low-lives.
But Aya was shaking her head in disagreement. "I think he will want to play particularly in that match." She didn't know why she thought so, but she did. Aomine wouldn't run and hide just because he could suffer an injury. He wasn't a coward.
The half-game ten minute break started. Kirisaki Daiichi was calmly discussing their other plans, smirking the whole time, while opposing players were applying a cooling spray, and ice on their injured and bruised arms and legs. Their ace was visibly injured, tired and shocked, and the coach was frowning deeply, but there was nothing he could do.
"He doesn't need much more to break." Aya said, pointing at the ace player. "He is stepping on his left foot very carefully. By the looks of it, I guess his toenails are cracked, or his toes are injured in some way."
"Hmmm… they've been stomping on his foot a lot…" Satsuki nodded. "The coach should bench him."
"He should, but I don't think so. The point difference is still manageable. Only 19 points. They can still turn it around, but if their ace sits out, they will lose for sure."
"I think they should rather throw in this game, than permanently injure that boy. They can try another year."
"The ace is a third year, Satsuki. He doesn't have a 'next year'." She sighed. If it were her, she would want to continue, injuries or not. "Oh look, someone new is joining Kirisaki."
"Eh? That's… Seto Kentarou, if I'm correct. There was nothing special about his personal abilities." Why would he join the game now?... There are better players than him.
"For once, he is taller than the previous center." Aya pointed out. "I wonder what kind of player he is." She said seriously. And then her stomach rumbled loudly, as if making fun of her. She squeezed it with her arm and an ashamed blush. "Sorry."
Satsuki chuckled. "Did you eat at all today?"
"Yeah, but running…" She scratched her neck and smiled sheepishly.
"We can go grab some early dinner after the match." The pinkette proposed with a smile. She'd gladly have another girly chat with Aya-chan.
"Sure. That sounds awesome!" A wide content grin played on Aya's lips. She was starving, so if there was food in it, she'd go anywhere. "Oh! They're starting the next quarter!"
During the second half, they soon found out what kind of player Seto Kentarou was. Seto wasn't focused on scoring, or rebounds. It almost looked like he didn't care. But he was moving around a lot. And it took the girls some time to understand what his agenda was.
In the first five minutes, they continued with their rough play. They pushed the ace of the opposing team to his limits, stomping on his already injured foot even more. Then in a very quick sequence, small forward of Kirisaki Daiichi stomped on his foot twice, and then swept him off his feet, and they were both falling down. The ace roared in pain, and then the elbow of the small forward jabbed right into his stomach using the momentum of the fall and his weight.
Aya clenched her jaw. The excruciating pain on the injured boy's face could have been felt. This was a very nasty fall. He was forced to go to the infirmary. An accident…
The rough play seemed to be forgotten. Now, Kirisaki Daiichi started stealing all of their opponents' passes. If the previous rough play and the ace's break down didn't work, this broke the mental strength of their opponents completely. The opponents couldn't score at all; it was an unbelievable struggle of a moth caught in a spider web, and struggling to get free. It was impossible.
At the end of the match Kirisaki Daiichi won by almost 60 points.
"What a disgusting match." Aya growled and turned to leave. "I need something sweet to lighten my mood. What do you say about having some crêpes?"
Satsuki's eyes sparkled at the idea. "Yes!" She agreed immediately, sweets were sweets after all.
Aya just smiled. "Let's go."
As they walked towards their destination, they were talking about the match they had just witnessed. They both concluded that they needed to warn the coach, Imayoshi-senpai and the entire team. At least they weren't at such a risk when it came to Kirisaki Daiichi's spider web. Touou's players didn't pass much, it wasn't their style.
They entered a spacious crêpe restaurant, with a colourful interior. They were immediately greeted and seated to a table of their choosing. Aya wanted to sit near a window, so she could watch people passing by. Then they placed their orders. Aya chose crêpes with fresh strawberries, chocolate filling and whipped cream on top. Satsuki decided to have one with an apricot jam and vanilla ice-cream, with no whipped cream.
"I'm so interested in how it'll taste!" Satsuki squealed happily.
"Awesome, like usual."
"You know this place?"
"Yep. It was the first place Taiga and I visited when we arrived here." She chuckled. They had gotten lost, then hungry, and then they had found this place, by chance.
"It's my first time here." Satsuki said and then stared at Aya.
"What?"
"You danced with Aomine-kun… How in the world did you do it? He is totally not the dancing type."
Aya shrugged. "I dragged him there."
"You can't drag a guy his size anywhere, unless he lets you to." She said with a twinkle in her pink eyes. "Tell me, Aya-chan… Why aren't you dating yet?"
"Because we decided to be friends, and I don't think I'm a good dating material." Aya said in a colder voice than she wanted. In her opinion, whatever relationship she had with Aomine wasn't Satsuki's business. At least not yet…
Satsuki understood the hidden meaning. It stung, but this was Aya-chan and Satsuki swore she would learn to deal with it, just like she had learnt to deal with Dai-chan. "You aren't rejecting the thought of it, nor Aomine-kun as a choice… But still…" Satsuki mused aloud and decided to change the topic. "I'm confused. Don't all teenage girls want a boyfriend?"
Aya had to smile at that. "Maybe…" She admitted. "But having a boyfriend just for the sake of it is kind of pointless. You shouldn't deceive a person that way."
"Hmmm… I've always seen Tetsu-kun."
"And you are not officially dating, right?"
Satsuki's face saddened a bit. "I'd love to go on a date with him and all, but I have my responsibilities, and we live far away and…"
"You are embarrassed to call him out yourself?"
"I think I'm being too pushy… I am too pushy!" She corrected herself. "But I just don't know what to do. I feel like Tetsu-kun doesn't really look at me."
Ah… unrequited love is never nice… It was the first time Satsuki was opening up like this, admitting her flaws. "You can never be too sure about that." She tried to cheer the pinkette up.
"It would be nice if you were right…" She shook the thoughts away and looked at Aya. "You won't hurt Ki-chan because of the video, right?"
"No, but we want to get back at him somehow."
"Can I join? Or is it only between you and Dai-chan too?"
Aya rolled her eyes inwardly. The pinkette could get offended quickly, and she would let you know with small jabs here and there. "You can, of course. So far we are waiting for after the prelims, and we don't have the slightest idea what to do…"
"Hmmm… I'll try to think of something too!" She took a bite of a sweet crêpe. Munched. And her face turned into a definition of bliss. "This is amazing!"
"What did I tell you?" Aya smiled and started eating too. She loved crêpes from this place.
When they were done, they sat in a comfortable silence and watched people outside. It was getting dark, but neither of them wanted to go home.
"There is this idea…" Aya started.
Satsuki turned her pink eyes at her. "About Ki-chan?"
"No. About Kuroko-kun."
Satsuki blinked and leaned forward. She was all ears.
"Kano has four younger siblings. His younger brother, Daiki, is turning 14 on Sunday. If I'm correct, first rounds of prelims end on Saturday, ours on Friday, and we have six whole days before semi-finals and finals, so we have Saturday and Sunday free. Daiki admires Kuroko-kun's style and he wants to learn it… I've been thinking about throwing a small party for him. Kuroko-kun and Taiga would be invited, Naito and Ishii too. If you help with organization, you might join us too…"
Eeeeh?! Satsuki made a squealing sound and she had hearts in her eyes. It was an opportunity to see Tetsu-kun without feeling too pushy. "I'll gladly help! You are amazing! I love you!"
Aya laughed. "Of course you do. But first of all, we should ask Kano for permission. They might want to have a family party, you never know…"
"Won't you invite Aomine-kun too?"
"Nope. He has nothing to do with Kano's siblings, he doesn't know them, and inviting too many unrelated people would be weird."
Satsuki nodded in understanding. "Do you have any idea?"
"Actually… We could play some basketball, ask Kiku to bake some cupcakes, and finish it with some small fireworks… I've seen those in manga but I've never done that, so I thought it might be fun. If we stay out longer, you and Kiku can sleep over at my place." Aya offered with a shrug.
"That's awesome! I haven't had a sleepover in years!"
######
Aya came home late.
Taiga was still up, watching some random TV show he didn't really pay attention to. He was tired from the day's match and excited for tomorrow's one.
"Tadaima. Aaaah, it's nice to be home." She sighed as she walked into the living room.
"Okaeri'." Taiga greeted her, and frowned at the lack of sweat. Something was wrong. "How was the practise?" He asked carefully.
"What practise?" She blinked at him.
"It's Thursday…"
"FUCK!" She groaned and her eyes widened in shock. She'd completely forgotten all about the dancing club she should have gone to. In the day's drama, meeting Midorima and all the matches she'd seen…
"You forgot…" He assumed, still talking very calmly and carefully. He knew there wasn't much needed and his sister would snap.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck! How can I be so stupid?!" Her palms came to her face and she had a horrified expression. She didn't make mistakes like these! And Senri didn't call her!
Senri didn't call her?
She rummaged through her bag and pulled out both phones. Not a single message or a missed phone call. One mail from her father, labelled as 'URGENT'. Great… I won't get any sleep tonight…
"Senri didn't call?"
"NO! I don't get it! Shit! I'm an idiot. Unbelievable idiot… I mean, how could I forget?" Her voice calmed down, but she was still angry at herself.
"You are overworking." And you are tired. He added inwardly.
"Overworking?! Tired?!" She asked incredulously, her voice jumping up. "I was out eating crêpes with Satsuki! I could've gone to the practise! But I just…" She threw her arms up, flaring up instantly.
Taiga was on his feet already. He approached his fuming sister – which equaled a death wish – and caught her wrists. She was angry at herself, he understood, and he knew she would get angry at anyone who would try to comfort her, but he had to.
"You relaxed! It's normal. You need it. You've spent some time with your friend. Senri would understand."
"That's not –"
"STOP IT!" He shouted at her in French, when she didn't seem to understand.
Her head jerked backwards in shock. Taiga rarely shouted at her like this. And he rarely used French on his own accord. It was a language they used with their mom, as she'd been a halfie, and with the mom's side of the family. After she had died, their father had forbidden them to use French at home, so they gradually stopped using it when talking to each other. But now, now it served its purpose; she took a deep breath, and it seemed she was finally calming down.
Taiga nodded. "Just stop it. You've missed one practise. The world is still spinning; all those people are still alive. Stop beating yourself over it."
Aya nodded.
"Good girl."
She rolled her eyes. "Your accent is off." She pouted, adapting to his language choice quickly.
Taiga chuckled. "I haven't used French in some time…" This was better. "Now," he let go of her wrists, "go take a bath, I'll call Senri and then I'll help with whatever ol' man has sent."
"You have a match tomorrow."
"Around noon again. I can afford to be up till midnight, don't worry."
A/N: Sorry for Aomine's absence in this chapter, he'll show up a lot in the next. But I needed to make some foreshadowing, and I bet you know what it is... :-) I hope I kept Midorima in character - truth to be told, I was struggling with that part quite a lot.
/sentence structure, grammar minor wording changed on 21.8.2021/
Let me know what you think and remember, reviews are appreciated, but never necessary.
-S.