A special chapter for Momoi (because I accidentally forgot her the first chapter)

It's a bit different from the first ones. It's not as funny as those.


Akashi's Book


Akashi Seijuurou had an old notebook.

Or rather, he had an odd, crinkling book bound together with some twine. It was a little unnerving that their captain had a book filled with a bunch of scribbles.

Momoi came across it by accident.

Well, not quite.

She was on her way home from her scouting. Their next opponent might be a bit of a challenge, but she could easily figure out strategies that would work to their advantage. It also helped how observant she was, and she used it to her advantage all the time. With Teiko's captain, it should be fine.

Now, when she came across the captain by accident, it really was an accident.

It really wasn't her fault that the captain openly talked to the water with a cat at his side under a river bridge (granted, it was late into the afternoon - not many were out at the time).

It really wasn't like she was eavesdropping— nothing like that!

It's just— it was almost surreal to watch the Akashi Seijuurou casually chatting at nothing but water and his cat glaring at it. Why was it so mad?

Momoi had enough time to hide behind a ledge wall on the other side of the bridge before she was spotted. She had a very good view of him reaching into his school bag for something as he seemed to ask a question.

The water moved.

Momoi swore it did.

Akashi nodded as if it answered everything.

He held open an old, weathered book as he stood up to his full height. The air around him seemed to swirl and the pages of the book flapped rapidly. Momoi almost couldn't breathe when the one page suddenly stopped unnaturally straight. Akashi ripped it out, folded it in half, and stuck it in his mouth like it was something he did everyday—

Momoi wasn't sure what happened when Akashi clapped his hands together and looked up— because nothing happened for a good few moments.

Then the water moved.

She almost screamed when water splashed away from Akashi and a strong— almost downright terrifying gust of wind billowed down the river one second and it was gone the next.

Everything seemed so still until Akashi dropped on his knees like a weight of bricks.

Momoi jumped out of her hiding spot and ran to the other side, leaning over the railing to check if he was okay.

"Akashi-kun!?"

She could clearly see him now— very pale and tired Clearly, he looked closer to taking an impromptu nap - the absolute opposite of the strong, absolute captain she saw at Teiko. It was so strange for Momoi to see Akashi's red eyes staring up at her in quiet shock, if not confusion.

"Momoi-san," Akashi greeted, as if he didn't just do something.

"Are you okay?" Momoi asked. She flicked her gaze around to find a way down when Akashi waved her off with that charming smile of his.

"I'm alright," he assured, "Just… a case of anemia."

Momoi couldn't help but stare at him as he grew a second head. He did know that she could tell that was a terrible lie, right? His health was top notch.

The fat ugly cat meowed loudly to break the silence. Wow, that was a weird meow. It almost sounded like a terrible imitation of a… cat? (It was a cat, right?)

Momoi spoke first, "Are you sure? I should get help—"

"Momoi, wait. I promise I just— need to rest for a moment." True to his word, he didn't move from his spot.

"I'll stay with you," Momoi stated.

"You don—"

She kept a firm expression when Akashi almost spoke against that, "You can walk me home once you're okay. It's just around the corner."

He blinked at her, all while ignoring his cat trying to bury its abnormally large head into his stomach, "Of course, since it seems that Aomine couldn't do that today."

She forced that smile.

With that, Momoi began to fill the time explaining what she seen of their opponents in the next upcoming match. It was hardly noticeable, but Akashi did his best to add his own inputs. She pretended not to watch as Akashi subtly slipped that old book back into his bag. She said nothing about how weird the cat tried to fit itself in the school bag. She kept a steady flow of words about random things even when Akashi scaled his way back to the bridge.

As promised, he walked her home— all the way to her doorstep like the polite young man he displayed himself to be. But that image was mostly broken with that cat of his. Momoi did her best not to laugh at the way its mochi body moved.

"Thank you for walking me home, Akashi-kun!" Momoi smiled at him, "If you want, I can get you a bottle of water before you head home. It must be out of your way."

No, she did not just imply that Akashi was in a place he shouldn't be.

She didn't.

Akashi picked up his cat as he answered, "It wasn't."

He seemed to share a look with his cat before he bowed his head toward her, "Thank you, Momoi. I appreciate it."

Momoi did notice the double meaning in his words, "Of course! I'll be right back with water."

Of course, when she slipped into her house and returned with a bottle of water a moment later, he and his cat was long gone.

For a second, she swore that everything that happened in the last hour was a fever dream.

She pinched herself.

Right then and there, Momoi Satsuki decided that Akashi Seijuurou did not have anemia.


Momoi's probably out of character, but like, I think she would try to stick with him if she knew something wasn't right.

Maybe the next one will be Rakuzan.