Would you dare?

by Sonya06

What if Kagami Taiga had a twin? And what if that twin happened to be a challenging girl, who decided to attend Touou Academy as the second manager of the basketball team... Is she capable of managing the problematic ace? And is he capable of handling her?

39. Chapter 39: You won't play

A/N: Thanks to everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed, it makes me very happy! Here's another chapter, as I warned before, storm's to come, but still...

Enjoy!

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There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm. – Willa Cather

Life experience is what defines our character, even if it means getting your heart broken or being lied to. You know, you need the downs to appreciate the ups. – Nev Schulman

You can't win an argument. You can't because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it. ― Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People

Life is short. Focus on what really matters most. You have to change your priorities over time. ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

The course of true love never did run smooth. ― William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

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"Was your talking with Aya enjoyable?" Naito asked in the morning. When Aomine had returned, he hadn't spoken a word to anyone, well, Kano and Sakurai had already been sleeping like good kids, but still…

The ace raised an eyebrow at his roommate and a teasing smirk appeared on his face. "Very much." He said, guessing their ideas, but what of it? He didn't care; they could think whatever they wanted.

"We heard Kise too…" Ishii looked at both of them. "I don't assume he joined you?"

Aomine shrugged. "I don't need to explain anything to you. Think what you want."

"Told you, nothing happened." Ishii whispered to Naito quietly, withstanding Aomine's frustrated glare.

######

"Morning." Aya greeted Aomine when she spotted him in the hallway. She forgot to watch the time playing with Dorian and she expected to be the last to arrive for breakfast. Apparently, she was wrong.

"Uh, hey." He nodded in greeting, surprised to see her head for breakfast this late. He really didn't forget anything that had happened the previous night. And sure as hell, he had no idea how to behave now.

They headed towards the staircase and down to the dining hall.

"Are you feeling okay?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah." But under her scrutinizing stare he sighed. "A bit sore, but fine."

"That's normal. Your knees?" She probed. She needed to be sure.

"Tch." His usual frown deepened. He didn't like this topic, but apparently she wasn't willing to poke their 'almost kiss' from yesterday. Well, neither was he. "Fine enough."

"Good. Rest as much as you can today, thankfully we have the match at 5PM so it should be okay."

He nodded and gave her a curious sideways glance. "Did you have a problem yesterday?"

"With Katsunori?" With a raised eyebrow she laughed. "Not really. He was surprised and curious about the bandaged idiots and wanted to know if you were fine–" noticing his sudden horrified expression she quickly added: "– no worries, I assured him you were fine enough. But he is not stupid, Daiki. He'll be watching you today. I'm sure of that."

"I need to play tomorrow."

"I know. And you will." She smiled at him. "So… Did the boys interrogate you when you got back?" She didn't forget the 'almost kiss' either.

He blushed slightly and scratched his cheek. "Not yesterday, but they did a couple of minutes ago... I avoided it. It's none of anyone's business."

A small blush didn't avoid her either. "That I agree with."

They were already at the bottom of the staircase and had only a few meters to the dining hall, when they heard a massive stomping of someone running down the stairs in admirable speed and vigour. They turned around and waited to see the person. Soon, Hero emerged; her bob cut hair bouncing as she was taking steps by two and muttering swears and curses for being late under her breath. Considering her shortness it was a sight to remember and she wasn't watching her way at all. All she was focusing on was her speed and stairs under her feet – she wanted to avoid an embarrassing fall at all costs.

Aya and Daiki exchanged glances and smirked. Then Aomine took a step right to stand in the girls way. Hero would either notice him, or she'd ram into him. Either way, they were curious about the reaction of the small girl.

"Gyah!"

The second option came true. Hero rammed full-force into Aomine and he had to take a few steps back from the impact. It surprised him how much strength that little missile could muster. Hero on the other hand scared the crap out of herself as she hadn't expected anyone to be wandering the hallways at the time.

"For fuck's sake! What the hell is yer fuckin' problem?" She started her rant taking a few steps back to crane her neck, rubbing her nose which she hit against Aomine's chest. "Can't ya see I'm in a hurry! I'm friggin' late! Masa-chin will kill me!" She used Atsushi's nickname for their coach.

"Good morning to you too, Hero." Aya greeted her, laughing at the tantrum.

"Oh, Booby-chan ya have no idea… no idea…" She shook her head grimly, thinking of the shinai awaiting her in the dining hall.

"Please, the breakfast will be there for the next half an hour. Plenty of time…"

"But we have the match at 10:30! We need to go over the strategy again. It's fuckin' Rakuzan! …and I have a bad feelin' Cookie-monster will bail." She complained, but remained standing with the two. Then she realised it was Aya and Aomine, and a wide grin appeared on her face. She hadn't interrogated Satsuki for nothing. "Hmmm~ Ya spendin' every possible minute together?" She asked.

"I don't get what you're trying to imply…" Aya said with a smile.

"Oh, ya do."

"I certainly don't." Aomine said with a raised eyebrow. "What are you up to?"

"Ah." Her eyes glowed with mischief and she couldn't help it. "Booby-chan and Spray-tan sitting in a tree~"

The moment those words left her mouth both of them slapped their palms across her mouth – Aya was quicker – and glared down at her. "Seriously?!" They asked in unison. Daiki had hoped the nickname was forgotten, then again, if she'd used his name it would've sounded really weird.

Hero shrugged and asked something like 'What?!' against their palms, but it was only a muffled sound.

They let go.

"It's true though, ain't it?" She protested immediately after gasping for air. "Pinky-pie told me so!"

"Pinky-pie?" Their eyes almost bulged out at the nickname. "As in… Satsuki? What made you change the nickname?" Aya asked in surprise.

Hero shrugged. "I know when to back down. The previous one obviously offended her, and if I wanted to get some intel, well… Pinky-pie it is."

Aomine sniggered. "Fitting enough."

"Yeah, right?"

Aya shook her head at the two. "Come on, I'm hungry."

"I'm so lookin' forward to that trainin' camp with the two of ya."

Aya and Daiki glanced at each other over Hero's head, who now seemed to be leading them both, they blushed and looked away. Aya laughed quietly. Really… I'm looking forward to that too. She commented inwardly.

######

Even though it was Saturday, all the Seirin members gathered in their gym, which was available to them all summer long. After witnessing the match between Touou and Kaijo, they couldn't keep still and needed the practise. It didn't matter that they had just returned from the deadly training camp.

"GAME?!" Hyuuga shouted in surprise when he walked into the gym good half an hour before the set time for practise and saw everyone playing already. "Wait… EVERYBODY'S HERE?!"

"AH!" They stopped, startled by the sudden shouting. "HI, CAPTAIN!"

"Well, fine, whatever… Wait… Are you sure?!" He exclaimed. "I'm glad that everyone's motivated, but you've got to last during the official practise time. Be careful not to wreck your bodies by overtraining."

"How can we not?! After watching that match!" Kiyoshi said, already trembling from exhaustion. He'd spent too much time in hospital and out of practise.

"Of all people you look the worst, Kiyoshi! You're already trembling like a leaf!" The captain scolded him.

Taiga snorted. "You do realise we are up against the generation of miracles this winter, right? Either we do it, or die trying! No time for worries."

Hyuuga huffed, raising his eyebrow. He sure talks big… "I appreciate your motivation, but you still shouldn't overdo it. I bet Aya-san wouldn't appreciate that."

"Easier said than done." Taiga grumbled. "I'm leaving tomorrow and I won't be back till late August."

"And you will train your ass off wherever you'll be. Understood?" He ordered the teen with hands on his hips. It felt better after they learned some bits about Kagami's background and summer plans. The boy trusted them, and they should trust their ace too.

"Ossu." There was no other way he'd have it. And Aya wouldn't let him laze around.

"Hey! Kuroko's here!" Koganei called out to get everyone's attention.

"Eh? He wasn't here?" Someone asked in surprise.

"Good morning." The ghostly boy greeted them.

"You're here! Good!" Hyuuga nodded. "We'll be starting early today then."

Kuroko nodded and glanced into the box he was carrying. "Look what I've got here."

"What?"

"A doggie." He said, and as if it was a command a doggie's head popped out from the box. "Woof." It said and wagged its tail.

They all froze in shock, staring at the blue-eyed puppy of a strange origin, perhaps a mix of Alaskan malamute with something else no one could quite pinpoint. It was curiously staring back at them.

"You've brought a doggie here?! No!"

"Why?"

Kuroko hummed. "I found it in a park nearby. It had 'adopt me' note attached" He shrugged and placed the box on the floor, taking the dog onto his arms, where the puppy squirmed and climbed all over Kuroko, settling on the bluenette's head. "I couldn't leave him there. He's only about two months old…"

"I think the doggie likes you!" Koganei said with a smile.

"But what are we going to do with the dog?" Hyuuga wondered. "It's not a sin to just ignore it along the road, but once we've taken it in, it's bad to give it away… How big it's gonna get anyways? We can't use the club funds to take care of the dog…"

"Hmmm…" Izuki was staring at the dog and Kuroko with a thoughtful expression. There was something odd about the duo. "Hey, everyone!" He called out when he realised what it was. "Don't you think the doggie looks like…"

Everyone came closer and stared at both, the dog and Kuroko.

"IT'S KUROKO!" They cried out collectively. "ITS EYES!"

"Damn! We're getting emotionally attached to it already!" Hyuuga swore. The puppy was cute, indeed.

"Doggie!" Koganei pointed a finger at the dog. "From today onwards, your name is Tetsuya #2."

"HA?! Don't give it a name! Now we really can't put it back onto streets anymore!" Not that the captain wanted to do it.

"Uhm…" Kiyoshi hummed to get everyone's attention again. "One more thing. I noticed…" He turned his head towards Taiga crouched in a corner of the gym, covering his head and trembling in fear. "What are you doing there, Kagami?!"

"No… Well… I… Uhm, I have a problem with dogs…" He stammered, glancing at the group of excited boys.

"HUUUH?! WHY?! You weakling! We thought you were a Tiger when you first arrived! Tiger, don't succumb to the little doggie like this!"

He glared at Hyuuga for that. "I NEVER SAID I WAS A TIGER!" He protested. It wasn't his fault that Taiga and Tiger were pronounced about the same.

"Kagami-kun, please don't say that." Kuroko spoke to him from an awfully close distance.

"Kuroko?" He turned around to face the boy and the dog. Oh crap! They were too close, he backed away, but Kuroko followed.

"Look here – it's so cute!" He got closer to Taiga again.

Taiga backed again and soon he was running from Kuroko and the pup, who were chasing him around the gym. "Stay away from me! Damn you, Kuroko! Stop… or I'll kill you… Afterwards!" He kept shouting threats and cursing over his shoulder as he tried to keep the distance between the pup and him.

"…Morning everyone!" Riko strolled into the gym. "What's the commotion over there?" She asked curiously. "You have…" She squinted her eyes to zoom on the thing in Kuroko's hands. "A DOGGIE?!" She squealed excitedly, as she ran towards Kuroko and snatched the puppy. With #2 in her arms she made some pirouettes admiring its fur and eyes and cuteness. She glowed like a little kid getting a new toy.

Kiyoshi sighed. "We can't abandon it anymore, we'll figure out how to take care of it. Hands up, those who want to keep it in our club."

Everyone raised their arm. Everyone except Taiga; he really couldn't handle dogs. But he was outvoted, although Riko as their coach wasn't sure it was wise to keep a pet in the club. Still, she said she'd agree if Kuroko managed to persuade Taiga to vote 'yes' and thus there'd be unanimous agreement.

Taiga dreaded Kuroko's way of 'getting him and #2 along'. This'll be one hell of a long day…

######

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU WON'T PLAY?!" Masako's sharp voice cut through the air in the dining hall like a thunder. Everyone turned they attention to Yosen.

"What?" Several guys at Touou's table whispered.

Aya noticed that Hero shrank back to herself, she'd been late which started the coaches annoyance and now when Atsushi announced he wouldn't play… Akashi was staring levelly at Atsushi and a content smile appeared on his face.

"Look at him." Aya growled lowly to Daiki, who was sitting next to her and pointed to Akashi with her chin. They hadn't escaped curious stares of their teammates; obviously a word of Daiki spending considerable amount of time in her room spread around the team rather quickly. Well, she didn't particularly care. "He's glowing in complacency." Oh, how she wanted to wipe that smile off Akashi's face. With her fist. Preferably.

"Heh… I'd love to see his expression when he loses."

Aya nodded in agreement. "You think he won't play either?" She asked, remembering Akashi's words from the very first day.

"Hard to say. He does have three uncrowned kings on his team… Yosen has none, and besides Murasakibara all they have is height and defence. And your ex is incapacitated."

"Then you'll play!" Masako suddenly got up and pointed the tip of her sword at Tatsuya. It got Aya's attention once again and she paled.

"Oh, no…" She muttered.

Tatsuya flashed a smile. "I'm glad to have the opportunity, coach, th–"

"–but unfortunately, he isn't registered as a team member, let alone an active player." Okamura said with a sigh and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "We can't magically pull him out like a rabbit from a hat." The coach fumed and glared at her captain, who calmly withstood it and once she shifted her gaze to Atsushi again, Okamura shot a withering look at Tatsuya. As the captain, he had been informed about the injured shoulder by Atsushi. What is the injured idiot thinking?!

"I'll find a way!"

"Masa-chan." Katsunori felt the need to get involved, mainly due to the alarm which flashed in his niece's eyes for a second. "They won't allow it. If they did we could change and shift players as we wanted. Even among the teams. You know, Kaijo lost yesterday, so we could borrow Kasamatsu-kun for today… And claim he was a part of the team we 'forgot' to sign in…"

"What do you mean by that, coach?" Imayoshi mumbled under his breath.

"Why me?" Kasamatsu protested too, though it was kind of a praise of his skills.

Katsunori ignored both boys and stared at angry Masako.

"Oh, then what am I supposed to do, if this –"she pointed the tip of her shinai at Atsushi, who winced at the sight, "lazy bum refuses to play?! Hah?!"

"Your authority sure sucks…" He muttered.

"WHAT?!" The Yosen's coach was enraged and that blazing fires in her eyes reminded Katsunori that she had been a part of some motorcycle gang. Probably still was, and she was definitely a leader.

It wasn't wise to provoke her. He shrugged. "Nothing at all… Well… He might be feeling sick."

"SICK?! He's fucking lazy!"

"Ohooo!" Hero squealed upon hearing her coach swear like that for the first time.

"Language, Masa-chan. You're setting an example. Not to mention you're offending Genta."

Kaijo's coach almost choked with his food when he heard that. "Don't get me involved here, Katsu." He glared at Katsunori. His former teammate just shrugged it off with a smile. Those past wounds were probably long healed.

"That midget swears anyways, so what?" She defended herself and took a deep breath to calm down, ignoring Sumire's angry retort ("I ain't midget, Masa-chin!"). She was supposed to be the calm and strategic coach. If there was a way to beat Rakuzan without the giant, she had to figure it out.

"Aka-chin won't play either." Atsushi drawled staring back at his former captain.

"That's true, Araki-sensei." Akashi was quick to meddle in. "I'm, after all, not needed in this minor match."

Masako gawked at the arrogance. This brat was calling her team 'minor'?! She gripped the shinai tighter. Oh, how she wanted to smack him. "Don't be surprised if you lose then." She said with a dignity. As an adult and a coach she wouldn't get into argument with this self-conceited brat. Suddenly, she kind of appreciated her 'lazy' giant, because he wasn't trying to act as if he ate all the wisdom of the world. And she could now guess where the idea to 'sit out' the match had come from, because Atsushi usually didn't cause problems like this.

"I don't lose, sensei." Akashi said and got up to leave. "Good luck to you all." He said over his shoulder, his team flowing out after him.

"Damn brat." She muttered under her breath. No, she wouldn't want this one in her team.

Aya's phone chimed and she fished it out. She read the message, replied and frowned deeply.

"What's up?" Daiki leaned over her shoulder to see the bad news, but she'd already closed her messages.

"Suzume is leaving Akita now… I have a bad feeling about this." She sighed.

The phone call the girls had shared was weighing on his mind too. He didn't get the full picture, but from what he'd overheard, Suzume didn't like her mother much and she was scared of going on this journey. But it still wasn't a valid reason for Aya to be anxious all day long. "Aren't you worrying over nothing? She'll be fine."

Aya sighed and shook her head. "You're probably right."

######

Everyone was excited to see the match between Yosen and Rakuzan, even though the two members of the generation of miracles were sitting this one out. Satsuki managed to nag Aomine into coming with them to watch the match too.

"Those three are interesting; Nebuya Eikichi the center, Mibuchi Reo the shooting guard and Hayama Koutarou the small forward." That's how Satsuki started her lecture about the three outstanding players.

It made Aomine roll his eyes. He didn't need it, he would see how good they were or weren't on his own once the match would start. But the others seemed interested, Aya included, so he bit back an annoyed retort he had ready.

"Ah, can I sit here?" Tatsuya appeared next to them and pointed at the vacant seat to Aya's right. Under Daiki's glare he simply smiled and waited for the girl to reply.

Aya shrugged. "Sure, why are you not with the rest of your team?"

"I don't get along with them that much…" He trailed off, Satsuki's lecture piquing his interest. The pinkette sure had an eye for perfect analyses and outstanding players. His arrival interrupted her speech for only a second and she happily continued.

"Well, of course we got the first ball." He commented, interrupting Satsuki again, because the match had started and no one was listening to her anymore.

"You have two guys over two metres tall. I guess Okamura-taichou's original position is center, right?"

"He switched to PF because of Atsushi. And the shooting guard is Muri-kun."

"How good is his shooting rate?" Aya asked curiously watching the slow paced game of the first quarter.

"8 in 10 free shots, mostly…" He shrugged. The girls probably had the data. "Whoa…" He stared at Mibuchi's three pointer. The form, the accuracy, the overall performance, it was perfect. "That's no match for Muri-kun." He muttered.

"Perfect shots?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Of course Tatsuya could appreciate a fellow shooting guard.

"And extremely difficult to perform…" Sakurai added from behind them. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt… sorry."

Aya sighed. "Stop apologising, really."

"What's so special about it?" Kano asked immediately, he wanted to know. After all, he was still relatively new to basketball.

"Well… He needs to jump high and into a fade-away all the while maintaining his centre of gravity mid-air in order to shoot." Sakurai scratched his cheek.

"Not to mention he has to aim while getting further away from the hoop. The shot is usually called 'Heaven'." Tatsuya added, glancing at the boy who asked. "And it has its twin shot 'Earth', where he can get a foul, thus make a four-point play."

"Huh." Satsuki smiled. "You've done your research too, I see."

Tatsuya shrugged – it hurt like hell – but he shrugged anyways. "I like to know who I might face. Besides, I'm a fellow shooting guard too. It's interesting to watch the others' styles."

The first quarter was slow paced. Yosen managed to keep the score in check, their defence was exceptional, the best in the entire country, but they attacking power wasn't as good. It compensated, but it wasn't enough. They ended the quarter with score 23-24 for Rakuzan.

"This will be a tight match, indeed."

"We'll lose." Tatsuya said. "The defence is good for nothing if they can't make the shots right. And Rakuzan is getting used to it. All they need to do, is pace the game up, and even the shield of Aegis will be skewered. We're missing Atsushi on the inside."

Aya gave him a sideways glance. "Do you really not trust your teammates?"

"It's not about trust here. I'm just being realistic."

"After the first quarter with a score like that I'd say you're being pessimistic."

He sighed. "Whatever."

The second quarter started in the same – according to Aomine – sluggish pace and he yawned. He could already see the winner, and it wasn't Yosen. Murasakibara was obviously missing on the inside, and even if the gorilla-like captain stood guard quite well, Mibuchi's three pointers were getting the best of him. So far, the shooting guard was the main point gatherer for Rakuzan. Not to mention the bulky Nebuya who, despite his smaller size, caused problems. And then there was Hayama, who didn't get much of a space so far, but Aomine could sense that the blonde would be the one to get the pace of the game up. He wanted to see that happen. The team eerily reminded him of Teiko, of his former team. All that was missing was the sixth man. Heh… Interesting bunch you've got there Akashi.

But the point guard was nowhere near Akashi's level, not even Imayoshi's, and he was the main source of fumbles during the game. And the power forward seemed to had just recently started with the game, he was average, if not below average at the point.

"I wanna leave." Aomine complained mid game. The score was tied at 46-46.

"Then go." Aya said with a half smirk, provoking him. Hayama was out of the spotlight for now, but she guessed that Rakuzan would speed things up very soon. They shouldn't drag the game like this much longer.

"Not yet." He grumbled; his eyes staring at Hayama, who was radiating confidence and skill, yet didn't have the chance to show off. "I wanna see him."

"Then why are you complaining?"

"'cause it's slow. And that PF is pathetic. Kano could take him!"

"Eh? Really?!" Kano glowed like a little sun behind them. Getting such praise from Aomine… He could as well grow wings and fly off.

Daiki rolled his eyes. "Don't get on a high horse here..." He grumbled begrudgingly, realising he had just complimented someone.

"Says the guy with 'The only one who can beat me is me' mantra." Naito pointed out dryly and everyone around them laughed.

"Careful, you might not wake up tomorrow." Daiki threatened him icily.

"Warning understood." Naito nodded seriously. I should learn to keep my mouth shut…

Katsunori shook his head at this bunch he called his team. "I'm surprised the score is tied." He mused. He decided to watch the match with his team, to have a better picture of the style of both teams. "I thought they'd have some difference by now. It seems as if they are testing each other for an awfully long time."

"They should speed up in no time." Imayoshi pointed out.

And indeed, the third quarter started with Hayama getting the ball. And the fun began. The boy's speed was exceptional. His dribbling was powerful and incredibly fast, like lightning. The opponents could barely watch the ball, let alone steal it. They couldn't match up to his nimble speed and reflexes. A deafening banging sound echoed throughout the entire stadium when he possessed the ball. The sound itself was unnerving and nipping at the confidence of whomever faced it. This way he could get passes to Mibuchi or Nebuya.

"Finally." Aomine smirked widely. This boy he wanted to face.

"Similar to you, eh?" Kano asked curiously. "But damn, how can he dribble like that?"

"Years of practise." Aya said.

"He isn't showing everything." Aomine said and leaned forward a bit. He has one… no, two notches higher level than this.

"Well, they know we are watching." Katsunori shrugged. He was actually glad that Aomine was interested in someone else beside his former teammates.

"They abandoned their PG and PF," Satsuki's eyes widened in surprise, "it looks like three on five now, and they are winning…" It seemed like they got rid of a dead weight holding them back. Those three were a good team with an outstanding cooperation.

Hayama's sudden involvement, Mibuchi's four pointers and Nebuya's rebounds earned Rakuzan a lead. The third quarter ended with Rakuzan leading 71 – 65. It was close and manageable, but the flow of the game had been tipped to Rakuzan's side already.

"I don't believe they will win this…" Aya huffed referring to Rakuzan, but she could see it too now.

And they did. Rakuzan won by 14 points. They were all staring at the score board: 94 – 80 for Rakuzan. The game was pleasant to watch – too boring according to Aomine since it wasn't as heated at Kaijo vs. Touou and he had to sit tight and watch – but there was a lot to learn. And those two schools weren't explosive offensive teams. Yosen was a defensive team, while Rakuzan was well balanced all-round team.

"It was a good game. They played well." Tatsuya summarized it. He still felt rather detached from the team so the loss didn't affect him much. He got up to leave, but then he remembered something and turned to Aya. "Don't you have some spare bandages and tape?"

The question caught her unprepared. "You should ask Hero. Don't you have it in your team's first aid kit too?"

"It's too thin and barely holds up." He complained.

Aya sighed; at least she always knew how much of the medical / taping supplies she had. The stock of tape and bandages, however, was getting alarmingly small by the day. She was using the tape daily, Kise had stopped by to ask for some tape before too, now Tatsuya, and she was more than sure that Aomine would need it during both matches. If she gave some to Tatsuya now, there wouldn't be enough for her own team. There won't be enough anyways…

"I don't have enough. Considering the amount I've used already… I guess I should go and restock after lunch..."

"Don't you have your specialised shop all the way back in Tokyo?" Katsunori asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"If I go right after lunch, I should make it back in time for our match. And if not, well, you don't need me that much. I'm not on the bench anyways, right?"

"Can't you find the stuff you need in this area?"

She shrugged. "Probably. But I'm positive that looking around will take more time than going to Tokyo and back."

"All right. But come tell me when you'll be leaving, okay?"

She sighed. "I'm not a kid, but fine. I'll report to you."

######

During lunch, Aya kept her phone on the table, and she kept on checking it every ten minutes. Suzume should've messaged her a long time ago. Even if they had left at 10AM, as had been the original plan, she should have been in Sendai by now. There was nothing. The worry was eating her up, because she could feel that something was wrong.

She had typed a message 'Are you okay?' to Suzume half an hour ago. It had been delivered but no reply came. This wasn't like the tall girl at all and it only enhanced Aya's bad premonition which was lurking around for days.

The rest of the team noticed her strange behaviour too. If they asked her directly and alerted her that she was being obvious, she'd deny it and pull out her mask of nonchalance, which no one wanted. They were strangely happy that the redhead wasn't keeping her guards up as cautiously as before. Hence, they observed quietly wondering what was going on with their manager.

Daiki was sitting opposite her and her constant fidgeting was making him anxious about the girl he'd never met. He stretched his legs, bumping into hers. She startled at first, looking up at him, but he forced her to keep her legs where they were by caging them with his own. It also effectively stopped the nervous tapping of her foot against the floor. It was a quiet and invisible movement, but sometimes she would tap against his shoe without realising it and it was driving him crazy.

'Calm down.' He looked at her almost softly, ignoring the rest of the team.

'I can't.' She looked back at him desperately. But the physical contact was comforting her and she didn't protest. The tapping stopped. She leaned her calves against Daiki's so they could touch with the largest area possible.

She took a deep breath; she needed to think about something else. Anything else. "Do you need anything except the tape?" She asked and looked at everyone flashing her usual cheerful smile. Without Daiki's touch she probably wouldn't have been able to do it now.

Considering the fact they were leaving the next day, there wasn't much the boys needed. They asked mostly for snacks and sweets. And Naito asked for a book, because he had nothing more to read, and he wanted Aya to pick something for him – out of curiosity of what the girl would choose for him.

######

"Aya-chan! Welcome, welcome!" An older lady working in the sport's shop where Aya was a patron greeted her with a smile. "Aren't you supposed to be somewhere else?"

"Hello! I just popped out for a while to restock the first aid." She explained cheerfully. The shop was huge and well stocked, there was about anything one could demand. Aya liked it particularly because of dance sport section, which wasn't common in sports' shops, except this one. And they usually had Taiga's shoe size there too.

The lady nodded and started walking towards the tape, bandage, plaster etc. section they had there. "Yes, yes. Come on, your usual purchase has just arrived and there is a new brand we ordered." She hummed all the way, describing the properties and qualities of the new brand, comparing it to the rest, but not claiming it was the best.

Aya appreciated that. The small talk actually helped her to think of something else besides Suzume. And soon the conversation shifted to the Interhigh and their matches. The lady with her motherly aura wanted to know everything, but Aya filtered it as usual.

She took several packs of tape, just in case, and weighed the new one in her hand, observing it carefully. "Hmmm… I'll stick with the usual. But I'll test the new one if you want me to."

"Yes! I'll be happy to get feedback from you, Aya-chan."

"Sure thing." She smiled and followed the lady to pay for her purchase. "Please, no packages. I have my own bag."

"But –"

"No buts." She chuckled. "Too many wrappings and packages are only a waste."

The lady sighed. "All right. Have it your way."

She checked the time. It was 2PM, there were still good three hours for her to spend, including the way back and so she decided to visit a bookshop she knew well. The sweets and snacks could've been bought later on the train station.

She opened the door to the familiar, cosy bookshop of Arami Ken. A bell hanging above the door jingled in greeting.

"Hello!" She greeted the shopkeeper, who was sitting behind the counter sipping from his coffee. The shop seemed vacant and he was reading idly.

"Ah!" He startled and quickly closed the book, almost spilling the coffee all over the table. He adjusted his glasses and blinked at the new guest, probably the first one in some hours. A recognition sparkled in his eyes. "Aya-chan! You startled me!"

"Sorry, sorry." She apologised with a chuckle. "I need to buy a book for someone, and this was the first place that came to my mind."

"Eh? Aya?" Kiku's surprised voice came from one of the tables. To see the redhead, she had to lean forward as she was shielded from the door by one of the numerous high bookshelves. She hadn't expected to meet the redhead there, or anywhere in Tokyo until late August.

"Kiku! Hey! I didn't think you'd be here."

"I didn't think you'd be here. Could you leave from the Interhigh? Are we winning?" She asked curiously. In fact, she wanted to go, but there was no one to accompany her, transportation was rather expensive and she was scared to go to a huge stadium all on her own. Even though she could just ask Wakamatsu or Aya to come and fetch her at the station, still… She didn't want to be a bother to anyone.

Aya smiled at the girl's cheerfulness, oh how much she needed it. "I think I have enough time for one coffee… Would you mind?" She glanced at the store owner questioningly.

He grinned. "One coffee on its way!" He saluted, always happy to see the two girls chatting at one of his tables. "And…" He halted, "who are you buying this book you need for? We'd better not forget about it later."

"Uhm… Naito-kun." She said with a finger on her lips glancing at Kiku, but the girl shook her head – she didn't know Naito that well. "He is intelligent, composed, usually keeps quiet and observes others, but he has a rather dry sense of humour, I guess… And sometimes he blurts out biting remarks without thinking. I've seen him read detective stories but also fantasy and even some manga."

"Hmmm…" He tapped on his temple in thought. "I'll think about it, while I brew the coffee."

"Thank you!" With a smile she took over the armchair opposite Kiku. "So? What do you want to know about the Interhigh?"

Kiku's chocolate brown eyes sparkled in curiosity. "Everything!" She breathed out excitedly.

And so, Aya told her everything important. She brushed the matches quickly, only talking about the match against Kaijo and everything that concerned the match – including the injuries and the 'almost-kiss' (which made Kiku blush and hide her face in her palms all the while staring at Aya wide-eyed). The only thing she omitted was Suzume and her troubles. When she checked the phone there was no message from her tall friend, only one from Taiga, who was: 1. – annoyed and scared by some dog (Aya didn't understand half of it), 2. – starting to worry about Suzume as well, because she didn't reply to his messages either.

"In just a week…" Kiku muttered, still blushing.

Aya shrugged with a smile. "I think it took much longer than that."

"True." She finished her tea and stared out of the window. "Somehow… I wish I could be there." The words escaped here before she could stop them. She quickly covered her mouth and looked sheepishly at the redhead.

"Hmmm…" Aya tapped her finger against her lower lip. "Then why don't you come with me?"

"W-what?! No! I can't…"

"Why not?" She probed. "I bet there still is one free room and if not you can stay with me if you don't mind the cat or with Satsuki. That's something we could talk out with the hotel."

The redhead made everything sound so easy. "I'd need to go home, tell my parents and all! It's not that simple, Aya."

"Ah… Sorry." The Kiku's reaction made her feel a little abashed. "I guess, for me, it is just that simple to go whenever wherever…"

And also a bit lonesome I believe… She thought, but would never say it to Aya. The situation the twins were in was well known to her. "Well… It's not for me."

"I know. Sorry. But…"

Kiku raised an eyebrow in question.

"Why don't you come at least for the finals tomorrow? It's not that far…"

"Are you sure you'll get into the finals?"

Aya smirked. "100%, our guys are that good after all."

"I don't know…"

"Are you scared of going alone?"

"A bit…" Kiku admitted. "I might run into someone I don't want to see."

"Won't your brother be willing to accompany you? And you can get a ride home in the school bus – there are enough vacant seats…"

"Hmmm…" Kiku chewed at her lower lip as she was rolling the idea in her head. It wasn't a bad one. Actually, she could make them cookies too, regardless of the outcome of the match. And it wasn't a sleepover thing, so her parents would be probably okay with it – more okay than with the summer training camp, where they allowed her to go to anyways.

"Sounds good, right?" Aya was observing her friend curiously; Kiku was always quite unreadable for her. With her timidity, quietness and kindness which could subside and give way to teasing and unusual cheerfulness, the small girl could be rather enigmatic too. One never knew which side of her would resurface.

"Yeah…" She nodded absent-mindedly. "It could work out. I'll ask Ryuu-nii-san tonight, he is supposed to come for dinner."

"I'll be looking forward to seeing you then." Aya smiled. "And how are you spending the holidays?"

"The orphanage, the dojo and here. And I've already done the homework."

"Whoah… I haven't even started."

Kiku smirked. "And we both know you won't until the last few days."

"True." She laughed, knowing all too well she wouldn't have much time for homework.

After a thorough search they found a book for Naito. Aya was sceptical about it at first, she'd never read the author, and hearing it was an English author known for his subtle jokes depending on the language and wording itself she really doubted the translation could equal the original. But it caught her interest and it was especially something like this to pique Naito's interest. She added the book to her list too, but she'd read it in the original language. And compare it later, maybe…

But the discussion about books got her so immersed that she forgot to watch the time.

"Oh, dammit!" She swore when she'd realised her mistake.

Kiku glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. "You've missed the train." It wasn't a question.

"I've missed my bus which was supposed to take me to the station. Even if I run I won't make it…"

"When is the next one?" She knew that getting from Tokyo to Chiba prefecture wasn't such a problem, but if Aya missed some connecting transport in between… well…

"Well… train is not such a problem, connecting to another bus is. To get where I need to it'd take me hour and a half, since I'm here, two hours. Match starts in hour and a half and I'll get there in… two and half hours, not to mention I need to buy them snacks, so three hours." She sighed, sometimes, she hated transportation; it could mess up her plans really well. "I won't make it for the match."

"If you're lucky you might catch the dinner."

######

Katsunori was surprised when Satsuki knocked on his door hour and a half before the match. Aya had already informed them all she wouldn't make it in time for the match. At times like these, he was glad for the group chat she had created. But the pinkette's presence made him wary.

He was dressed casually in sweat pants and a loose black t-shirt, which was unusual for him. Reading glasses with a stylish frame – Hikaru's choice – were settled on his nose and made him mysteriously even more handsome (he never realised it) and he was holding a book he'd been reading up until her knocking had interrupted him.

"Momoi-san, what brings you here?" He asked her a bit awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable to be caught in his leisure clothes by a student.

"I need to discuss something with you. Can I come in?" There was a certain resolve shining in her magenta orbs, but there was also a hint of guilt, which he didn't like.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What about?"

She glanced left and right nervously, as if she was trying to hide something. "Aomine-kun."

That's not good… He thought. "Okay, come in." He took a step back and let the girl in. She sat on a vacant chair and fidgeted.

"What is it?" He leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms over his chest. The book was still in his hand and he used a forefinger as a bookmark.

Satsuki bit her lower lip and took a deep breath to speak up. "I think Aomine-kun is injured. And I want you to take him off the matches from now on." Her voice was resolute, but he could see a hinge of guilt remaining in her eyes.

"Why do you think so?" He asked, willing to let the pinkette explain everything. Playing dumb had its advantages when dealing with students who seemed to be hiding something, as a teacher he knew that.

"He is moving differently. When I asked him he said he was fine, Aya-chan said the same thing, but I know him the best. I've observed him for years and I think his knees are hurting. If he plays against Akashi-kun he will get seriously injured. You can't allow that!"

"We will lose without him."

His grey eyes bored into hers and she wanted to take a step back, but she was sitting and it wasn't possible. The coach in his casual clothes with messy hair and glasses was an unknown variable and she wasn't sure how much she could pester him. He looked different, more approachable and at the same time more distant than ever. She didn't understand it in the slightest. Yet, she was determined to protect her best friend at all costs.

"Maybe not. But he definitely can't risk a serious injury. And he won't hold back in the finals. You can't allow him to play. Please!"

The worry in Satsuki's eyes made him sigh. "Have you talked with him?"

"He doesn't want to talk to me. I think he talked with Aya-chan, but… They're trying to hide it, I'm sure of it." Suddenly, she was angry at the redhead. "I don't get why she encourages him to injure himself! She should do the opposite!" Her natural respect for coach was being overshadowed by her irritation.

"Because he wants to play." He ran fingers through his hair. "Look, we can let him play and once we see something is off, we can pull him off anytime. What you're suggesting is a drastic measure and I don't think it's necessary."

"Aomine-kun requires drastic measures! I know him! Once we realise something is off, it'll be way off, and way too late. He's an idiot and he will play until he'll destroy himself, mainly if it's Akashi-kun… Coach, please." She insisted, not realising that her voice was getting louder and tighter with emotion.

He raised an eyebrow at that. "And why forbid him to play today too? All we need is 10 minutes, and he doesn't need to go all out."

He knew that some people (like Aya) could hide their pain very well, and he wasn't fond of the idea to let him play either, but they needed him. And what more, Aomine wanted to play. Katsunori was willing to let him as long as the ace was honest about his condition and taped his knees. He hadn't expected the pink haired advocate to come and demand Aomine's withdrawal from the matches.

"To prove the point that he needs to rest and heal. If we let him play today, he'll insist on playing tomorrow." He'll insist anyways, but…

"I think you're overly anxious, Momoi-san." He kept his voice purposefully calm, hoping the pinkette would calm down too, but it didn't seem to be working.

She frowned; she didn't expect this to be so difficult and so annoying. The coach was sure headstrong. "I don't want to see my best friend shattered just because you and your niece need to prove something to yourselves." She spat angrily. "And, unfortunately, you're the only one with the authority to hold him back. I need you to do it, because if something happens to him, I'll make sure you'll be accountable."

He blinked at her taken aback by her outburst. Threatening me now? I see Aya can have some bad influence. But if Satsuki's mother pulled some strings, he could very well face consequences he didn't want to face in his teaching and coaching career. There were wheels spinning he couldn't influence and some people just had long fingers. Momoi Satsuki was that kind of a person whether she realised it or not.

"Fine." He yielded. "Call a meeting here in half an hour. And I want you to inform Aya about it."

She stared at him for a moment. "Fine." But she was already decided not to tell her. If Aya thought it was the coach's idea, it would be for the best.

######

As the team gathered in Katsunori's room, he was already wearing his usual, almost business-like shirt and matching necktie, his hair was combed and neat and he wasn't wearing glasses anymore. The boys were confused about the sudden meeting Satsuki had called them to. The match was starting in an hour and they were expecting it impatiently.

"What is going on?" Imayoshi asked seriously when the last boys – Aomine and Kano – arrived.

Katsunori sighed and pulled at his fringe. "Yamaoka-kun, you'll play the match." He said.

"Yeah, I know." The third year nodded and tilted his head in question.

"The whole match." Katsunori specified. They could handle the Onita high even without Aomine.

"WHAT?!" Several guys asked at the same time, Imayoshi included, but Aomine's voice was the loudest. And the ace continued. "YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!"

The coach sent an icy glare towards the boy. "Don't yell at me. And as a matter of fact," he continued, holding the stormy gaze, "you won't play in this competition anymore." His voice was resolute.

As the coach he didn't have to explain his reasoning and he sure as hell wouldn't blame Aya that it had been her who had told him about Aomine's condition and Satsuki… well… he needed the team to trust their manager and he couldn't undermine her. Part of his mind wondered if Satsuki had planned it this way all along.

There was a moment of silence. The faces of everyone went from pure shock to worry and something close to anxiety. Only Aomine's face twisted in rage.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" He couldn't keep his voice down, coach or no coach, this was unfair. He wanted, no, he needed to play in both matches. His eyes ran around the room, the redhead wasn't there. Why the hell she wasn't there?!

Satsuki winced; she wasn't used to Aomine yelling like that. It actually scared her and she took a step back, glad that he wasn't paying her any attention. She hoped the coach wouldn't explain himself too much. As long as Aomine believed it was solely coach's idea, it was going to be fine.

Katsunori stared back at him placidly. "You're not fit enough to play. It's my decision as the coach–"

"I'M FIT ENOUGH! I AM THE ACE, DAMMIT! YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE ME OFF LIKE THAT?!" He didn't care he was yelling at the coach at the moment. He was seeing red and the only thing he could feel was hot white fury. "YOU'LL LOSE THE FINALS WITHOUT ME!" There was a certain desperate edge in his voice.

Unconsciously he made a step forward and he felt two pair of hands grabbing him from sides so he wouldn't launch at the man in front of him. He tried to free himself from whomever it was holding him back – he didn't care who – but they had an iron grip and his elbow protested.

"It's my final decision." Katsunori said coldly. He understood the boy, he felt sorry for him, but he let nothing of that reflect in his expression or eyes. "Get him out to cool off." He cocked his head towards the door and Wakamatsu and Tada had to fight the ace to be able to drag him out, all the while he kept spouting insults at them and the coach. Unfazed by the scene he looked at Imayoshi. "Get the team ready, we meet in the changing room within 20 minutes. Be sure to win this match."

"What about Aomine?" The captain asked uncertainly. A scene like this could cause a problem in the team's concentration during the match.

"Leave him alone. He'll settle down eventually."

######

"LET ME GO ALREADY!" He's had enough of the two bastards who dragged him to the hallway.

"THEN COOL OFF, FOR GODS SAKE!" Wakamatsu bellowed back at him, easily equalling the volume. "YOU'RE BEHAVING LIKE A KID, DAMMIT! THE INJURED IDIOTS SHOULD SHUT UP AND HEAL!"

"FUCK OFF, BAKAMATSU! LIKE HELL YOU KNOW ABOUT MY INJURIES!" He roared. Wakamatsu's comment only made him more furious.

He didn't care anymore; he used his heel to stomp on Wakamatsu's foot. The quick sharp movement sent a pain through Wakamatsu's leg and he loosened his grip, which was just enough for Aomine to land a good aimed elbow punch into Wakamatsu's ribs. The punch made them both wince, as Aomine's left elbow protested painfully, but it served its purpose. Wakamatsu staggered away, holding his abused side and glaring angrily at the ace.

"HEY!" Tada shouted, but before he could say anything more a strong left blow was delivered to his jaw. He blinked in shock and backed away. The force behind that punch was quite something and he hadn't expected Aomine to actually punch him.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Masako's voice rang in the hallway and she crossed that few meters separating her from the boys in a second. It was only a coincidence that she decided to go for a coffee.

She always carried her shinai along and now it proved to be handy. In a lightning fast movement, her shinai sprang up above her head and then swung down hitting Aomine on the head. It hit him hard as she used the strength of her entire body. The sound of the hit resonated in the hallway for a moment. It hurt, yes, but the shinai wouldn't cause any serious injury a bruise at most. And it shocked Aomine enough to stop his nonsensical behaviour fuelled by rage.

"Wh –?" He started, staring at the Yosen's coach in astonishment and disbelief.

"No fights or your team can be out of the competition for good, brat." She said, resting the shinai against her shoulder. Her legs were spread wider apart and she was staring down at him (even though she was shorter). Her steely gaze told him loud and clear he didn't want to go against that woman. "As it was within your own team I'll turn a blind eye."

"Thank you." Tada said despite taking the punch. "We need to play."

She nodded. "Get out of my sight." She pointed the shinai towards the staircase.

"Tch." Aomine clicked his tongue. I warned them. But he didn't argue further, with his head hurting, he passed by Masako and disappeared down the staircase. He wasn't sure he'd return so soon. He didn't want to see anyone.

"What in the blazes happened?" She asked the two boys who had taken some hits – though she'd have to admit, that frowning ace was good at fights, there had been no excessive movement in his little performance.

"Coach forbade him to play further. He made a scene and we dragged him out before he could launch at the coach… Bastard!" Wakamatsu growled, hoping the foot and ribs would stop hurting until the match.

Masako laughed heartily at that, tilting her head backwards. "I'd love to see that old idiot getting punched."

She could understand the situation much better now too. Once she had been forced to sit out a match she had knocked out the team's captain. Her short fuse had been legendary back then. So she completely understood Aomine's action, especially if they were restricting him. She wouldn't have had that either. But it was still amusing.

"It's not funny, Araki-sensei." Tada joined in, rubbing his sore jaw.

"It is, it is." She waved her hand. "But he wouldn't. No matter how lax Harasawa can look, he isn't one to be trifled with, boys."

They exchanged glances, not believing her, but then again, when the person who apparently hated their coach said it and meant it, maybe she was right. And she had hit Aomine.

"Oh, well." She turned on her heel to leave. "Good luck in your match. Win it." She said over her shoulder and tapping the shinai against her shoulder she continued to descend the stairs.

######

Finally on train, Aya took out her phone to check the messages again. There was nothing new; only the reply from Katsunori that she didn't have to hurry. Her battery was barely 2% and she cursed under her breath. She'd forgotten to charge the previous day and all the checking did the trick. Still, no message from Suzume had been delivered. An icy hand squeezed Aya's heart and she resolved on calling Suzume's grandparents once she got back to the hotel and charged her phone.

But she could still manage to send one quick message: 'Good luck and win the match, Honey-bun.' to Aomine. The phone died just as she tapped the 'send' button. She didn't know if the message was delivered or not. She hoped it was.

######

Daiki strolled onto the outside court further away from the hotel. He was fuming, kicking every rock he found on his way violently. There were two guys playing one-on-one and the third was watching them, keeping a record of points scored. They seemed to be enjoying themselves and apparently they had no intention to head for the Interhigh matches. It only annoyed him even more.

"Hey!" He called out to them. "Gimme the ball and get lost." He demanded bossily, not willing to go back to the hotel to fetch a ball.

The guy who wanted to shoot had missed as Daiki's voice disturbed his concentration. "Huh?" All three of them turned to him.

With hands shoved inside the pockets of his shorts he approached the trio. "I said gimme the ball and get lost." He repeated.

"Who do you think you are?!" One of them spoke. He was relatively tall with his hair cut shorter than Daiki's, but there was nothing special or memorable about the guy.

"Oi, oi, that's Aomine Daiki." His friend peeped up from behind him. "The Aomine Daiki. Maybe we should listen."

"Hah?! This prick could be an emperor's son for all I care." He barked back, then turned his eyes back to Daiki. "If you want the ball come and take it in a match." He challenged.

Daiki smirked dangerously; it would've been boring without the challenge. The other guy cleared the space for the two, but Daiki shook his head. "That's not even a warm up. All three of you play."

They blinked in surprise and then stepped onto the court as well. Aomine Daiki or not, they thought the three of them had a solid chance.

How wrong they were.

In a mere three minutes they were sitting on their butts breathless. Daiki was holding onto the hoop with his right hand and hanging in the air above them, glaring down at them. He let go and jumped down a groan escaping him as his knees took the impact. He strolled towards the ball victoriously and picked it up, spinning it on his forefinger.

"I won. Now get lost." He ordered the trio roughly.

They all gave him looks of disdain and anger, but there was also awe and even fear. They scrambled to their feet and left the ace to himself.

Once they were out of his sight he threw the ball against the fence with a grunt, using his entire force. The fence trembled and rattled receiving the canon ball. "FUCK!" He shouted at the poor ball and went there to pick it up again.

He leaned against the mesh of the fence and slowly slid onto the patch of grass encircling the court. Anger was still boiling the blood in his veins and he felt betrayed. Betrayed by the coach and the entire team; no one had tried to back him up. He knew it might've been his fault for not caring enough and skipping too many practises, but still… It sucked.

He checked his phone, but there were no messages except the one from Aya in the group chat saying she wouldn't make it in time. It was strange. The redhead had never missed their match, and he had no idea what her reasons were. She got held up, yeah, but… something was bothering him just at the edge of his mind and he couldn't fully grasp it.

He dialled her number, but her phone was shut down. He frowned. And then he grasped it, a certain dreadful idea crossed his mind and bit into his heart. Aya had been the only one he'd honestly talked with about his hurting knees and elbow. The coach's niece. And the good liar. Of course… He thought bitterly. He had trusted her!

He closed his eyes and exhaled sharply. The thought was wrenching. The girl he loved, almost kissed, had gone behind his back like that while claiming otherwise? It infuriated and saddened him more than anything. "Dammit!" He punched the ground.

######

It was close to dinner time, and Aomine still wasn't anywhere in the hotel. Given the situation, the boys started to worry. They'd never seen the ace as furious, angry and desperate as he had been when the coach announced that he couldn't play in the final match. Injuries… And Aya-chan hadn't been there at all, so there had been no one to rein in on him or to run after him. After that, the team's mood slumped way below freezing temperatures.

They had won the match by good 30 points but… It had been an awfully quiet, quick and efficient match. The ace's removal shocked them, but instead of weakening and distracting them, it seemed to have the opposite effect.

"What do we do?" Kano asked his roommates. "We need to get him inside, somehow." He was worried about Aomine.

"We don't know where he went." Naito said and his voice was tighter than usual. Even he felt some sort of sympathy for Aomine after his outburst. Not that he'd forgotten the slipper…

"Aya-chan might." Ishii shrugged. The girl was the only one who could manage Aomine when he was pissed off like that; the only one, who dared to go and poke the bear.

Naito rolled his eyes. "Yeah, except she isn't back yet either. Remember? The taping and book…"

"Oh god…" Ishii muttered. "So she has no idea what happened…"

"Maybe Satsuki-chan informed her?" Kano guessed. "I don't think she doesn't know…"

"Sorry, to butt in, but… Imayoshi-san couldn't reach her. He said her phone was off." Sakurai joined in. It had happened in the half-break during the match and the boys couldn't have known. "I don't think Momoi-san had better success at that."

"Don't we have her work-phone number?" He tried.

Sakurai shook his head negatively. "Imayoshi-san asked that too, but she doesn't give that to anyone outside the work. And she doesn't store personal numbers there either. I doubt she remembers anyone's number… So… Sorry."

"How convenient…" Naito snorted. "So Aya doesn't know and Aomine is god knows where."

"Do you think it was coach's idea?" Ishii asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Something didn't bode well. He hadn't noticed any deficiency in Aomine's condition, but Aya-chan had come to fetch the ace after all.

"You aren't suggesting that Aya-chan asked him to do that, are you?!" Kano couldn't believe that.

His friend shrugged. "She did come to talk with Aomine yesterday. What if we got it all wrong and she wanted to discuss his condition? And knowing him, well, he wouldn't sit out just like that." It was logical to turn to an adult for help, no?

Naito was, however, shaking his head in disagreement. "Even if she had discussed his condition with him, she wouldn't have asked coach to do that–"

"But she was late, what if she called him?"

"Then she would've called Aomine!" He threw his hands in the air. "Maybe her phone is dead, or lost, or stolen. Who knows? But it's not Aya-chan's style. If she wanted Aomine out, she would've talked to him herself instead of using coach to deal with it. Or she would've warned Aomine, but judging by his reaction that wasn't the case, he wasn't expecting it. And if she had known coach wanted to put him out, she definitely wouldn't have left to restock the taping." It took him some time to realise this, because the entire situation had been so unexpected and shocking. Now he was annoyed at both, the coach and the pinkette for going behind Aya's back, though he wouldn't tell it to the others. "Although I'd bet Aomine believes it was Aya-chan's idea… As she was the only one missing there… And if he can't reach her in any way…"

"Then we should be looking for him!" Kano exclaimed, getting up to go put on his shoes, but Ishii grabbed his elbow to stop him.

"And tell him what exactly?"

"Ah… Well, that it's not Aya-chan's fault?"

"You think he'd believe you?"

He chewed his lip and looked away. "Then what do we do?"

"Watch. There is nothing else we can do." Naito shrugged. "If you try, I think you'll only make it worse than it is. And maybe we are only making ridiculous scenarios…"

"Still…" Ishii muttered. "This won't be nice…"

######

Aya was angry at herself for missing the match and disappointing the boys. The silent treatment of Suzume was worrying her and now her phone was dead. Yet, she decided to at least fulfil her promise to buy everything the boys had asked her to. When she was done with all the shopping it was already evening and the sun was setting quickly, colouring the sky deep orange and almost red. The sun here was setting around an hour sooner than it was in the LA, it was also rising sooner. But Aya liked longer evenings better.

"I'll miss the dinner too." She sighed glancing at her watch.

Still, she took a brisk walk back to the hotel. She could've taken a bus again, but she needed the fresh salty air and the breeze softly blowing from the ocean. The water was not visible from where she was, but she could smell it was quite close. It all had a calming effect and she sighed contently.

Huh, another court… She though, passing by a basketball court she hadn't noticed before. There was a figure half-hidden by long shadows sitting on the opposite side of the court. She squinted to see better in the rapidly receding light.

"Daiki?" She called out to him in surprise. She didn't expect to meet him on her way back; it made her happy.

But he didn't react and so she walked through the entrance and stepped onto the court, approaching him. Something about his posture gave off a small warning and she frowned. He was rolling a ball around, shutting out the outside world. It made her wonder how long he'd been there.

"Daiki." She tried again a bit louder.

"Huh?" He raised his head to look at her and he blinked in surprise.

"Hey." She smiled. "What are you doing here? You'll miss the dinner."

"I'm not hungry." He grumbled; the surprise of seeing her overshadowing the anger and betrayal he felt.

She shrugged. "Sorry I missed the match, I got held up. And my phone died. How are your knees holding up?" She asked, tilting her head to a side curiously. "I–"

"Tch." He got up abruptly and glared down at her, cutting her words off. "How convenient! Thanks to you, they are holding up marvellously." The sarcasm was heavily lacing his voice.

Something was definitely wrong. She knew this wasn't a praise or thanks for her yesterday's effort. Daiki was pissed off. "What?"

"You heard."

"Daiki, what happened?" She asked cautiously. It wasn't like him to be this… she had no idea how to describe what she felt him radiating. It was probably hostility, like he was suddenly out of her reach. And it wasn't pleasant.

"Don't call me that." He snapped at her.

It felt like a slap and she took a step back, dumbfounded. What the hell? She opened her mouth to say something, but he didn't let her.

"Why d' you even ask? You know what happened very well!" His voice rose with each word, going from a dangerous mutter into almost a shout.

"Uhm, I don't. I wasn't here." She reminded him softly and held her forearms up in a defensive gesture. She had no idea what was going on.

"Oh, don't play innocent with me! It's your fault!" He took a step towards her, feeling he had the upper hand.

But he seemed to forget that Aya had a short fuse herself, and despite the fact that she was in control of it most of the time, she could very well lash back. And she didn't like when he was blaming her for god knows what. Instead of backing away, she took a step forward.

"What is my fault then?!" She snapped back at him.

"Tch," he clicked his tongue in annoyance. "DAMMIT! You know! You're the one who told coach about my knees!"

There was a hint of 'oh' flashing in her eyes quickly. Because she had talked about Katsunori about it, but Aomine had been allowed to play, she didn't get what was the problem. "That–"

"I knew it! It was you who made me sit out!" He shouted angrily.

"What? Sit out? You sat out the whole match?" She asked in genuine disbelief.

Aya was a marvellous actor when she wanted to be, he knew. And so he considered her surprise to be fabricated. "Because of you! I should never have trusted you! Liar! Traitor!"

His words hurt like a whiplash and there was nothing she could say. He simply didn't want to listen to her. No matter what she'd say, he already had his mind set on her being the treacherous liar. The fact that it was Daiki accusing her hurt a thousand times more. There was no point in arguing further. She didn't want to be hurt more.

She took a few steps back, her face turning into a bitter scowl. "I guess we've both made a mistake then, Aomine." She said gravely, reverting to using his family name once again.

Then she turned on her heel and walked away calmly, with her head held high. In reality, she wanted to run. To run as fast as she could until her legs gave way under her. Tears stung in her eyes and she bit them back. While she was used to being called names and insults, those people could never get close enough to hurt her. And there he was, the person she trusted so much calling her a traitor. Which wasn't even true.

Daiki watched her leaving silhouette and his heart felt heavy. He was in the right so why the hell did it feel so damn wrong? The hurt bordering with heartbreak that flashed in her eyes couldn't be real, could it? She didn't try to argue back, or explain herself, which only enforced his belief it had been her. And it made him only disappointed and sad.

Aya's pace quickened once she'd left Aomine's sight. She wanted to be in her room, where she'd be able to let out those treacherous tears she had to hold in. Aomine had had the upper hand in their argument the whole time; she had no chance to explain herself or to contradict him, as she had no idea what she'd been being accused of. Too late she'd learned what the problem was. And while she knew the anger could create terrible words, it didn't ease up the pain she was feeling. The words had been said, and he had meant them.

But the whole way, her mind was racing, trying to figure out what exactly had happened. He didn't get the message then. She realised. This was a huge misunderstanding. But why would Katsunori make him sit out when he agreed to do the opposite? Why the hell he hadn't let her know? It wasn't his way of coaching. Sure, Imayoshi could've noticed too, but the captain would've found a different way to deal with it. And no one else knew.

Except…

Satsuki.

Aya's insides twisted violently, threatening to make her retch. It felt like she got punched into her stomach, the air being driven out of her lungs. Suddenly, she was glad she missed the diner. The long lost friend she'd just found again went behind her back like this. And Satsuki knew about her feelings for Aomine, yet…

So much about trust and 'friends'. She thought bitterly and she stopped to take a deep breath to calm down. After a moment she turned left and headed towards the hotel.

"Robin. What happened?" Tatsuya's voice stopped her.

She turned to blink at him. He was sitting near the vending machine, chatting with Fukui-kun, Hero and Atsushi about their next match to determine their placement in the tournament. She didn't notice them there. And all were watching her with slight worry in their eyes.

Quickly, she fabricated a smile that was non-existent a second ago. "Nothing. I'm just disappointed I missed our match. That's all."

He held her gaze for a moment. Something had happened and she was hurt, he knew that face already. "Do you want to talk?" He asked.

Realising the fake smiles didn't work on Tatsuya, she gave it up, slipping back to her anguish. "I want to be alone." She said resolutely. "Ah, I got you something." She reached into the bag she was carrying and produced new bandages with an additional ointment, which she threw to Tatsuya.

"Eh? I didn't… Thank you."

A small smile formed on her lips. "I don't doubt Hero's care, but I thought you shouldn't pillage your team's first aid kit because of your own stupidity."

"Kind as ever." He chuckled and shook his head. "If you need to talk, I'm here."

"I know. Thanks."

Aya turned and left the four to discuss their match. With a sigh she climbed the stairs, getting ready to meet the boys. They didn't have to know she ran into Aomine on her way back. She walked around all the Touou's rooms, delivering sweets, leaving Aomine's and Imayoshi's room as last. By the time she went to Aomine's room, she'd already been informed about the scene he'd caused and the entire match.

Kano opened the door immediately after she knocked. "Aya-chan! Come on in!" He ushered her inside the room. "You missed the dinner."

His friendliness and brotherly worry made her chuckle. "I know. But I'm not hungry anyways." She opened her bag to fish out their share of sweets. "Sooo, these are yours."

"Thank you!"

They took their shares and she threw Aomine's bag of crisps on his bed, along with the taping she'd bought for him.

"You met him, didn't you?" Naito asked, observing the way she'd thrown those things.

She shrugged. "I wish I hadn't." There was an edge to her tone, indicating she wasn't willing to discuss it, but her perfectly fabricated smile faded. Those four were her classmates, her friends, and even if they still didn't know a lot of things, they cared. That was enough.

"He blames you, right?"

"Look," she sighed and glared at the boy. "I met him. We argued. I don't wanna talk about it." She held his gaze, then deciding he wouldn't pry any more she nodded. "Now. Here's your book. I have no idea if you'll like it, but I added in on my 'to read list' too."

"Terry Pratchett?" He raised an eyebrow at the author's name. "Never heard of him."

"Neither had I until a couple of hours ago. It looked like something you might be interested in, though." She was glad he took an interest in the book and started reading its summary, humming to himself quietly.

"Hm… I might even like it. Thanks." Naito placed the book on his night table and pulled out his wallet to pay for the book. Aya accepted the money without arguing.

"Okay, guys. I need to stop by Imayoshi's room and then I'll pay a visit to Katsunori. Sorry, I can't stay longer to discuss the match."

"It's fine." Ishii smiled at her. "The match is probably the last thing you're interested in now."

She half-smiled, "I wish it wasn't, but you're right. Thanks guys, I'm glad to have you lot." She turned and left.

The four stared at each other dumbfounded. "She's glad to have us…" Ishii muttered.

"Never heard a girl to say that." Kano added with tears in his eyes and blinked. "Aya-chan is awesome."

"Until she breaks your heart." Naito jabbed.

"I'm not in love with her, stupid." He protested immediately. "She's a friend. A friend."

Sakurai was smiling too. The girl was too overwhelming for him to handle, but he liked her too. She was strangely kind.

######

"IT POOPED INTO MY SNEAKER!" Taiga yelled at his teammates accusingly, showing them the puppy's load in his poor sneaker.

It's getting worse. They all thought. Kuroko pursued Taiga with the doggie the whole day, and now, when the day came to an end, this had happened. It was probably around the time they called it quits and went home. All they needed to do was tidy up the gym and pack their stuff.

Cursing, he walked out in his casual shoes to try and somehow clean these ones.

"Shit, perhaps I should buy a new pair…?" He wondered, while trying to shake out the poop from his shoe. Then he sighed and looked up at the black sky, he couldn't see the stars from here. He was worried about Suzume, and now he felt something was wrong with Aya too. He felt he needed to be with his sister. And there was that blasted dog!

"Kagami-kun!" Kuroko's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Why don't you try accepting it?"

"Huh?" Kagami turned around to face his shadow, just to see him approaching him with #2 again. "KYAA! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" He jumped a few paces back, dropping the shoe. Then he glared at Kuroko. "No way! I'm scared of dogs!"

Kuroko was looking back at him with that unreadable expression of his. "Perhaps… You think, there are lots of violent dogs around, but #2 isn't one of those! I'm not coercing you to take care of it, but please, try petting it?" He asked. "I'm sure someone will take proper care of it, so it won't be abandoned again, but try putting down your prejudices and take a closer look."

"Kuroko, can you come over here?" Hyuuga called him and Kuroko trotted back into the gym.

"Wait!" Taiga protested. "Don't leave me with #2 alone!" Then he stared at the unrestrained puppy sitting a meter away from him. He was frightened to death.

Even if you say it's different… I don't understand it just like I don't understand other dogs! He thought. Aya might've tried to persuade him to like dogs too, their both grandparents did have a few after all, but he simply couldn't stand them. Would it bite me if I extend my hand?

He slowly picked up the sneaker. #2 kept watching him curiously, but didn't move a muscle.

"Eh?" Taiga blinked in surprise. "There's a gash in my sneaker. I didn't notice it." He glanced at the doggie again. There was no way the doggie could be that smart… But…

I might get injured if I continue to practise in these. Speaking of which... We've had a tough training regimen as always, but everyone looked cheerful. They like the dog. I don't like hearing a dog barking in practises or matches, but the same goes for rudely shouting spectators. Maybe… The dog isn't that bad? Musing like that he slowly reached his hand towards the patiently waiting #2.

Instead of biting him, Tetsuya #2 sniffed his hand and licked it.

######

Her visit at Imayoshi's was a bit longer. The captain had the need to explain the situation and the match to Aya. And when she saw Tada's bruised jaw, she demanded some serious explanation. The boy didn't want to explain it at first, but she worked on it until she got the answer. She wasn't half that surprised of its origins, just disappointed.

When she was about to leave, Imayoshi had to bully her a bit. "We've figured you out, Kagami Aya-chan~" He was curious how much the girl could endure in a day.

Her hand froze on the door knob and she sighed. There was no way she'd let him provoke her. "Took you long enough~"

"Oya? I thought you'd be… uncomfortable."

"I am. But… So long you don't put articles and photos around the school's pinboards like a middle schooler, I don't care anymore."

Then she continued to interrogate Katsunori. At first, he was going round and round, before admitting it was Satsuki who sought him out in order to let Aomine heal. It was just as she had thought. She told Katsunori about what had happened with Aomine, but she asked him not to butt in. She also told him about Suzume, because she needed to get it off her chest. Then she left, and all she wanted to be alone for some time.

She almost entered her room, when Satsuki called out to her happily. "Aya-chan! Welcome back! Come on, we need to discuss tomorrow's strategy. There were some changes in the line up."

"I think you can make it work without my insight." Aya said coldly and turned to look at the pinkette.

Satsuki backed away under the hostile glare of those reddish orbs. She found out… "But it was coach's decision, not mine!"

"Cut the crap. First of all, I talked to Katsunori just a minute ago and I'm not stupid. Next, I'd have appreciated it if you had at least warned me that you decided to make him sit out, because it wasn't pleasant to learn this little detail from Aomine." When Satsuki opened her mouth to protest, Aya held out her hand to shut her up. "And don't try to use my dead phone as an excuse, or claim you don't have my work-phone number, you do, and so does Katsunori, but he told you to call me, didn't he?"

She shuffled backwards again and fondled with her skirt. "Ah, yes. I forgot, sorry."

"Forgot, or didn't want to?" Aya bit. "Thought I wouldn't figure it out? Anyways. Congratulations. You've managed to improve my relationship with Aomine. And ours too. Be proud. My trusted friend." Sarcasm was dripping viciously from her voice and her anger was finally getting out. "Oh, and next time you want to 'check up on Aomine's condition', please do it yourself." She walked into the room and slammed the door behind her.

Satsuki remained standing in the hallway, speechless, and tears welled in her eyes. She'd never meant for this. She simply wanted to protect her friend!

"Those two hate when someone goes behind their backs like this, Momocchi." Kise came out around the corner; he'd barely managed to jump behind to hide.

"I needed to help Aomine-kun! He can't get injured while playing against Akashi-kun!" She protested. "He was supposed to believe it was coach's decision! Not Aya-chan's or mine!"

He chuckled. "Things are usually not as they are supposed to be. Aominecchi's not the brightest, but… Aya-chan was probably the only one he talked with honestly about it." He shrugged. "Of course he came to that conclusion. I believe she would've told him to sit out herself if she'd believed he hadn't been in condition to play."

"Are you blaming me for this?!" She bristled. "I just wanted to help!"

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." He said. It was something his mother was repeating to him way too often. "You should've talked with Aominecchi directly. And you know it."

"He can't know it was me."

Oh, how typical… He thought and fought an eye roll. "So it's better he thinks it was the girl he loves who went behind his back and lied to him? Look, I won't tell on you, and neither will Ayacchi, I believe. But once he figures it out, because he will…"

Satsuki covered her mouth again. "What have I done?"

######

Tears rolling down her face, Aya stumbled to find her charger and connect her phone. Dorian greeted her happily and meowed in greeting, but she ignored him. She didn't bother to turn on the lights. In the familiar cooing darkness, she slumped to the ground and rested her back against the bed, pulling her knees close to her chest. She buried her face in them and let the tears flow freely.

It'd been some time since she'd felt this hurt by another person. The gap between her and Aomine reappeared. For him to ask her to call him by his family name again… It was serious. True, she'd started using his name out of the blue, because she wanted and he hadn't stopped her, maybe he'd liked it. Dammit! Aomine should've known that if she wanted him off a match she would've fucking told him herself! You should've tried explaining… arguing… anything! Dammit! She punched the floor and bit her lip. She was crying quietly, like she'd always been.

Dorian rubbed himself against her thighs in try to help and demanding food. So she started to absent-mindedly petting him. Dorian purred in response, food would've been better, but this affection was nice too.

After a moment, she had no idea how long; she reached to turn on her phone. There were no new messages, and out of curiosity she checked when the message she'd sent had been delivered to Aomine. The time corresponded with the time she'd turned on the phone again. Of course… She snorted and wiped the tears with a back of her hand. It was pointless to cry over this misunderstanding any more than she'd had.

The phone chimed.

'You okay?' Taiga was asking.

'No. Emotional crap, nothing serious. Talk to you later.' She replied.

'… Okay. But if you need me to come…'

'No worries, Tai. I'm fine. Anything new from Suzume?'

'No… I'm worried.'

'Gonna call again.'

'Join me in.' He demanded.

She smiled at that and proceeded to make a group call. It was around 10PM already and she hoped that Suzume would be allowed to pick up. It was a silly thought, as the tall girl ignored her phone the whole day.

"I guess we won't get lucky…" Taiga commented after the phone continued dialling Suzume without any response.

"Only a bit more."

"You sure, you're okay? You sound like you've cried."

"Venting out anger and a stupid argument. I'm fine, Tai. Suzu is more important now."

"You think something happened?"

"Now, I'm more than sure about it…" She said grimly.

After another three tones, when they were about to give up, someone picked up.

"Hello? Aya-chan, Taiga-kun?" A coarse voice of an old woman sounded over the phone. And Aya's heart froze.

"Saeru-obaa-san. Good evening." Aya greeted her. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but…"

"Did Suzume forget her phone at home?" Taiga asked hopefully, interrupting his sister, who hissed back at him.

Instead of answering a sob echoed through the line. "N-no, I wish she'd had." The woman forced the words.

"What happened?" Aya asked, noticing how Taiga quieted down completely. Saeru's words sounded ominous.

"Ah," she swallowed with a certain difficulty. "There was a… a… car accident. A frontal collision… with a truck… transporting steel rods. She is… My son… Her parents are…" Saeru was choking on those words and tears and sobs.

"Hey." Naoto's voice took over as he took the phone from his wife. He could maintain some sort of detachment. "I'm sorry kids. My son and his wife are dead. We are in the Akita's city hospital. Suzume just got out of a surgery, we don't know if she wakes up. And even if she does, her legs are severely damaged. She won't ever play volley again." He rasped out, it was obvious he had cried too. "I'm sorry."

Aya dropped the phone then. She couldn't believe it. This was too much. Too much for one fucking day! Her best friend was in a hospital, near dead, with her future half-destroyed. And she had felt something had been about to happen! The only thought in Aya's mind was: Why Suzume?

"Aya!" She heard Taiga's voice, and then he apologised to the startled old man.

"Ah… yeah… Sorry, I just dropped the phone… Uhm… Naoto-san, can we come?" She asked immediately. "I want to see her. I promised her…"

"…" Naoto wondered about it for a moment. As a family member he wasn't pleased by it, then again, it only showed how strong the bond between Suzume and the twins was. He'd seen the dozen of messages and missed phone calls they'd left on Suzume's phone. And if he considered Suzume's feelings… "If you want, you can. My granddaughter doesn't have a lot of friends after all, Aya-chan."

"We will." The twins said in unison.

"We'll be here. Thank you." Naoto said and hung up.

"Taiga… I… I knew, I felt something bad would happen… I just never thought…" She had a lump in her throat and new tears welled in her eyes. "Why her? Out of all people?!"

"Shhh… This is definitely not your fault. We'll go there. Now." He sounded dead set on the idea.

"How? We booked a plain for tomorrow late afternoon."

"Do you want to wait until then? Because I can't sit around."

"Of course not." She got up and turned on the light. She started picking up her things and throwing it on the bed.

"Well then… Car, I guess? We can be there tomorrow around 8 – 9AM if we leave at midnight. Planes are in the morning, and trains well… I'll call Hiroto if he could lend his car, or come or whatever... I'll fetch you in less than two hours. 'kay?"

"I need a cigarette."

Taiga hummed in agreement. In this situation, he wouldn't be surprised if Aya smoked half the package in one go. "No alcohol, please. If, by chance I'm driving, I can't keep at it for 8 hours, I'll need you to relieve me."

"No worries. I know. I'll be waiting for you."

They both hung up.

It was like a house of cards crashing down. Aomine, Satsuki, Suzume… people could be alienated or lost so easily. She was once again reminded about the simple fact. The idea of losing another important person was unthinkable for Aya. She needed to go to her friend. She needed to leave.

"FUCK!" She yelled at the surprised Dorian who immediately sought a hideout under the bed.

After taking a quick shower and hastily packing all of her stuff, she fed Dorian. Then she took the pack of cigarettes and headed outside. She needed the fresh air.

On her way out she stopped by Katsunori's room again.

"I need to leave." She said before he managed to fully open the door.

"What happened?" He asked immediately, taking in her eyes slightly reddened from crying and the cigarettes in her hand. This was not because of Aomine, he guessed, maybe a bit, but there must've been something more.

"Suzume was in a car crash. She is in the hospital. Taiga will come and fetch me by midnight, we need to go there." She said mechanically, chewing on her lip. "She might not wake up. Even if she does… There'll most likely be a permanent damage."

Katsunori's eyes widened. Then, without saying anything, he reached out and pulled Aya into a hug, resting his chin on top of her head. "She'll be all right." He reassured her. "If the girl is half the person you've described, she's a fighter. And she'll get through this."

"I'm believing that." She muttered against his chest. This was a fatherly hug she hadn't received in so damn long that it made her want to cry again.

"Will you tell the boys?" He asked her.

"Can you do it tomorrow? I don't feel like saying goodbyes tonight."

"Okay. Want me to come with you?" He glanced at the cigarettes.

"No. I wanna be alone now."

"Sure." He understood. "Don't do anything stupid."

"I won't." She promised, pushed herself away and walked out.

######

"Mayu!" Hiroto found her in the small back apartment built in the bar. She was changing into her uniform, to go take over the top floor bar. This wasn't her usual job, but she did help out once in a while. Her husband's business was now part hers too and she wanted to know everything she could about it. She was even thinking of quitting her job and coming to work here, she liked the bar more.

"Huh?" She stopped her activity and looked up at her man. "What's up, dear?"

"Change of plans." He said grimly and threw her car keys from the counter.

She caught it and blinked at it in surprise. "This must be serious." Those were the keys from hers car. The sports car Hiroto dreaded to drive, because its horsepower was something he said he couldn't handle. But she loved it, it was her baby she nourished and cared for. Cars and occasional not-fully-legal races had been her bread and butter, and the only way to keep in contact with her older brother.

"The twins need a ride."

"Where to?" She asked simply, pulling the uniform over her head to get back into her casual clothes.

"Akita city hospital. And you need to pick up Aya somewhere in Chiba."

"Whew, good 7 hours." She noted.

"8,5." He corrected her.

"I could make it in 6 alone, but with kids… its 7."

"Please be careful." He said and kissed her forehead. "Their friend was just in a car crash…"

She frowned at that. "I'll get us there in one piece, don't worry." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. "You'll need to cover my shifts for tonight and tomorrow."

"I'll take care of it."

"Good." She smiled happily. "Love you."

"Love you too."

######

When Daiki's phone chimed, he ignored it. It was probably Satsuki, panicking and asking him to get back again. He didn't feel like doing that. He wandered the streets aimlessly, not wishing to go back. Stopping by at small ramen restaurant for a late dinner, he was thinking about the redhead the entire time. He couldn't help it, he was hurt and angry, but he couldn't stop wondering about her strange reaction in the evening. Wouldn't she usually argue back? Aya's been worried and anxious the whole day, he'd noticed. And they had talked about his knees in the morning; there was no reason for her to suddenly pull him out. Why the hell did she do it then?! He thought, the feeling of betrayal deepening.

Reluctantly, he pulled his phone out to see dozens of messages from the guys and from Satsuki. Even Kise wrote him a message to come back. Tch… They sure miss me…

And then, there was a message from Aya, delivered an hour and a half ago.

It piqued his interest, but he didn't open it. She probably wanted the same thing as everyone else – him coming back. He wasn't in the mood for that. And if it was an apology, she could stick it up her exquisite behind for all he cared.

He wandered around a bit more and then he decided it was time to head back. He was tired. When he finally got back to the hotel – he hadn't realised just far he'd wandered. Unusually for him, he was staring at his feet, kicking stones again. So when a voice suddenly barked at him, it startled him.

"Came to say goodbye?"

His head shot up and he noticed an unbelievable sports car, a kind of car all men dreamed about. Then he took in the scene. Kagami Taiga was standing by the car with his hand slumped over the door, while his sister would climb into the back. There was a woman he'd never met at the steering wheel and she looked rather young to drive such a car.

"What?" Aya turned around and her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh…"

For a moment, he was caught speechless. Aya's eyes were red rimmed, but so tired he couldn't read any emotion in them. Then he frowned. Where the hell was she leaving in the middle of the night?

"Running away?" He asked, without thinking about it.

Anger flashed in her eyes but then she waved her hand in resignation. "Whatever you say," she said and climbed inside the car. Right now, she wasn't in the mood for explanations and he certainly wasn't willing to listen.

Taiga put his seat back into position and got into car too. "I thought you knew her better." His voice was laced with bitterness and hostility. Then he snorted, "guess I was wrong." He closed the door and the car pulled away.

Daiki was left there alone with his thoughts. And a worm of regret and doubt started to eat him up. He just couldn't figure it out. It was pointless to try. What the hell… He spun on his heel and headed to the hotel, hoping that the boys would all be asleep by now.

---

A/N: That's about it. I hope it doesn't look that it's all Aomine's fault (if so, sorry), I think it's the fault of all three of them; lack of communication and hasty judgement...

The next chapter might come a bit later than usual; I can't seem to keep up with my schedule. Still, I hope I'll update on time.

Let me know what you think but remember, reviews are appreciated, but never necessary.

S.