When they left the café, Momoi had been charged by her desperate classmates to keep an eye on Aomine and Midorima to prevent any fuss.
While walking down the hallway, the pink haired girl removed her wig and raised her head happily to feel the fresh air through her hair again.
"This summer is so hot!" Momoi flapped her hand close to her face. "I'm beat! Since the festival opening, I always had to keep a watch on Dai-ch...Aomine-kun...and Midorin too..."
"I think the main reason is because you're the only one who can truly get a hold of those two, especially Aomine-kun. You sure know how to handle him. Are you two close friends? You sometimes call him «Dai-chan»."
Momoi nodded with a peaceful smile on her face. "We're childhood friends. Since we were little, we often used to play and watch basketball matches together."
"Is that why you decided to join the basketball club as a manager?"
"Hm! I love basketball! This sport is so simple and complex at once. From basic movements to elaborate tactics, alone or in a team, novice or pro, it's always fun to watch basketball!"
"I'd never thought one day I'd call you a basketball freak too."
Ritsu was astonished by Momoi's passion for the sport, though she never doubted she had this flame in her considering she became a manager of the basketball club, it went beyond expectation. That cheerful tone she used to talk about it was fully sufficient to understand that.
"I'm not the same." She said in jest as she stuck her tongue out.
Maybe but not everyone could handle the first string's sustained training and provide helpful data like she did. She was a true asset of the club from what she heard a long time ago.
"They're lucky to have you."
"Don't say it like that. You're making me blush." She put both her hands on her cheeks and wriggled shyly which made Ritsu crack a smile.
Momoi Satsuki was truly one of those pale lights that together formed the glorious Teikō basketball club. A simple glow yet so warm.
"Anyway, Asaka-chan, I'm happy we're friends!" She declared out of the blue looking her straight in the eyes. "So since it's not often we're only between girls, let's make the most of it!"
Her heart skipped a beat, how sweet Momoi was. Her pink haired friend took her by the hand and pulled her down the hallway.
"What are you going to do about Aomine-kun and Midorima-kun?"
"No need to worry. Nothing will happen!"
"How can you be so sure?"
"Boys are somehow predictable." Momoi smirked showing a certain confidence about what she was claiming. "When Aomine is going to be tired of visiting the festival, he'll certainly laze around in a quiet and cool spot given the summer heat, too hot to lift a finger. He won't move till noon until his stomach starts growling." She went on explaining, rendering Ritsu completely speechless. "And Midorin is definitely with him. They are both on the same boat so he won't let him get away and let him laze around quietly. As we're talking, they must be arguing."
Although they were mere assumptions, Ritsu didn't have to think very hard to imagine them follow Momoi's prediction. Aomine was the type to go at his own pace, doing things when he felt like it. So of course he'd take a nap instead of parading in a girl outfit, it could hardly have been otherwise. As for Midorima, his seriousness could not tolerate his teammate's easygoing attitude.
Momoi was very familiar with their behavior, showing she cared deeply about them as players and friends. Her capacity analysis was high, she even went as far to look over her players habits and behaviors to have complete data. She was the ideal manager a team could only dream of.
"You're kind of scary, Momoi-chan."
However, having Momoi as an enemy would be terrifying in a sense. Her Intel was detailed, and accurate to boot. She was a true database for allies. Consequently if there were allies, this also implied enemies and better not be on that side with Momoi's keen senses. All the data she kept had multiple purposes but the main one was to get the upper-hand. In every aspect. In Basketball or not, she could likely disarm anyone with just intel.
"That's mean, Asaka-chan! I'm just scouting for the basketball team." She pouted cutely. "Do you want me to reveal some secrets about you?"
"You even did research on me?"
"Hm! Because I like you! I also collect data of those I like."
"W-What kind of data...?" Ritsu cringed as she heard it, though she felt happy to know Momoi was fond of her.
"Relax. Just common data for now! Like your blood type is A, your birthday is on 14th April, you learned to play volleyball when you were in 4th grade, you have a little brother, your favorite food is matcha ice cream especially the one in that small restaurant near the station, your three-sizes are..."
"W-Wait! I've heard enough!"
Ritsu shut Momoi's mouth with her hands before she revealed something embarrassing. How could she be so well-informed about her privacy...? To even know her measurements, she was a fearsome scout.
"Really...I don't know how you get that kind of information and I don't want to know it..."
"Well, they can be helpful when you need to know something particular about someone..." Momoi tilted her head with a mischievous smile. "...Like Akashi-kun."
Suddenly her cheeks became bright red and she stammered unable to let out a simple word. Oh god, Momoi knew about her utter failure two weeks ago when she tried to invite Akashi to a have lunch with her.
"Murasakibara-kun complained a lot ever since Akashi-kun had made him undergo a spartan training."
"Aha...I-I know he told me everything."
As she promised him that day, they had met up right after practice to vent their frustration by eating cakes. Murasakibara was a bundle of nerves until they arrived at the tea shop whining about Akashi's punishment when she got off lightly even though she was the mastermind. Well «mastermind» was a strong word for such a simple-minded plan but she still held responsibility.
Remembering that day, she scrutinized her friend realizing she may have not chosen the right person to tell her idea.
"Maybe you'd have been a better choice." She must have some details regarding Akashi's habit or behaviour.
"Huh? M-Me?" Momoi strangely stiffened as she looked up at the ceiling.
"Yes. You may have certainly discerned some weakness about him...If he has one though."
"No-no-no. Don't involve me in any of your schemes." She waved her hands in front her.
"Er...I never mentioned or intended to do something against him. I was just saying I might have had a slight chance of success with your help."
Momoi laughed nervously dropping her eyes on the floor her foot spinning in a shy movement.
"No sweat, after my failure, it's understandable that you don't want to be involved with me. In any case, I'd never put you in such danger."
"Don't take me wrong, Asaka-chan!" She gasped. "If you ever need help, I'll be here! It's just...! Don't tease Akashi-kun too much! He's rather hung-up on that aspect."
"I'm not teasing him...To be more accurate, I'm the one being made a fool of." Ritsu folded her arms. "From the start, my feelings were genuine. But he just doesn't get a girl's heart, does he?"
"Well, Akashi-kun is a boy. Although he easily understands other minds, a girl's heart is too irrational even for him to grasp it in its entirety."
"Figures."
The two girls burst into laughter. A girl's heart could get the better of Akashi? A shred of truth might lie in her words, though a love confused Akashi would be as rare and spectacular as a solar eclipse. Such a view might never occur, but their imagination worked perfectly for them.
"You care for him, don't you?"
"Encountering a guy like him only happens once in a lifetime. I better treasure him. Don't you think so?"
A radiant smile bloomed on her friend's face, nodding wholeheartedly. Full of spirit, the girl turned around and skipped, followed by Ritsu walking quietly by her side.
"Next time, write me a form of all my personal data you collected." Ritsu said while Momoi was humming cheerfully squeezing a pale blue chick plushie in her arms. "I'm being worried that you're so knowledgeable of me."
They had been strolling on the second year floor, when they had stopped at a special class event that was testing friendship in the form of a quiz contest. Momoi had wanted to try it as she had fallen for the colorful handmade chick plushie which were the prize for the team that ranked first. In each session which lasted twenty-five minutes, three duos of friends were competing and had to answer questions. The quiz was divided into two rounds, the first were general knowledge questions and the second, the longer one, consisted of answering intimate questions that were asked to each duo like what their favorite color was, the best memory they had together, etc... And the duo that had the highest score won.
Momoi and her had been hugely successful during the first round answering almost all the questions. But the second round had been where her pink haired friend revealed her true face. While she could only answer basic questions concerning Momoi, the latter had gotten a perfect score.
Thus she had gained the MVP title of the day and had gotten the fabulous prize, the pale blue chick plushie.
That was the reason Ritsu felt a bit worried.
"Tehehe, where do you want to go next, Asaka-chan?"
They had gone to most of the interesting attractions. As she looked over the program, she felt uneasy as if someone was observing them and that was not the first time. She noticed it just after they had finished their second attraction. At first she thought it was just an impression but that feeling of uneasiness was lingering. She tried several things to identify a suspicious character but every time resulted in a fail.
Riled up by that bothersome feeling, she turned back and scanned the crowd and as always there was nothing unusual.
"What's wrong?"
"Don't you feel like someone is watching us?"
She stared at her cluelessly. "No, I don't. And who would do that?"
"Maybe it's one of your admirers. You're quite popular among guys."
Indeed, Momoi was renowned for her beauty in school. From rumors, a lot of guys has confessed to her and all suffered failure.
"Impossible..."
"In any case, I don't want to be stalk by some pervert!"
She grabbed Momoi by her hand which startled her and they started to run down the hallway. As they tried to cross the crowd, Ritsu glanced back and caught sight of a strange squirrel mascot who tried to follow them in spite of the kids getting all excited around him.
Now that she thought back, that huge squirrel was always in the picture when she tried to figure out who was watching them. She didn't pay attention to him, the kids were so keen on him that he didn't arouse her suspicion.
So it was him! That damn squirrel!
"A-Asaka-chan, slow down!"
"Look behind you! There's someone suspicious following us."
"You mean the squirrel?!" She shouted as she glanced back at the mascot who tried to open up a way among the crowd.
"Exactly. I think it's that pervert who's been watching us. We're going to corner him!"
For now she had to isolate him. Ritsu and Momoi ran to a less crowded place and when they took a sharp turn, they stopped and lurked in wait for the squirrel.
He followed, not expecting a trap, but before he could do anything he fell flat on the floor as Ritsu tripped him up. The cardboard he was holding crashed with a loud noise echoing in the hallway near the two girls' feet.
"That hurts~!"
Ritsu and Momoi backed away when the defeated squirrel tried to stand up.
"Momo-chin, Asa-chin, you meanies!"
That nonchalant voice and those nicknames.
"Murasakibara-kun! Is that you? Why didn't you call out to us?" Momoi helped him get up as the poor giant had some difficulties to get on his two feet with that huge disguise.
"I did...But you didn't hear me." He replied removing the mascot head.
As he stood before them in his huge squirrel disguise, they couldn't help but smile at his cute appearance. The strands of hair that usually hid a part of his face were pinned back by a black hair clip revealing his sulking face, frowning slightly with his lips curved downward like a child who had been refused a candy. His face was contrasting with the happy face of the squirrel mascot that had a broad smile and big black eyes glittering with dreams and happiness. A red cape was attached around his neck turning the ordinary squirrel into a superhero. No wonder the kids were crazy about him, the cape changed everything plus the costume seemed to be tailored as it perfectly fit Murasakibara's broad build, giving the kids an impression of a super giant squirrel hero.
"Of course we couldn't with that costume and all the noise!"
"But Asa-chin seemed to have noticed me. She always looked my way when I tried to catch up to you...Why did you run away?"
"I didn't really notice you until now, Murasakibara-kun. I thought some pervert was watching us. That's all...But I'm glad to find out it was only you."
Ritsu gave a knowing smile to Momoi who responded with a faint chuckle leaving the purple haired head in deep thought.
"Then I want you to apologize for what you did earlier."
"What?"
"I want you to buy me some snacks!" At the idea, Murasakibara stopped sulking and quivered like a happy child.
"Aren't you preying on Asaka-chan's kindness?"
"Hum...No. It really hurt when I fell. Asa-chin is a brute..." He replied with vague movement of the head. "And it's easier to ask you than Aka-chin ever since he got mad at me."
"If that's not preying on, then what is it?" Momoi retorted half-heartedly.
"No I won't buy you anything. I'm not Akashi-kun's substitute." The giant boy frowned upset to be refused. "I'll apologize in my own way. If I talk to him, everything will be back to normal, he'll buy you snacks again."
"No, I want snacks. I'm sure if you talk to him, it'll be worse...You always screw up when it comes to Aka-chin."
"I see you trust me a lot." Ritsu said with sacarsm, vexed by his honesty because he was right, she never got the upper hand with that alien named Akashi. "Then why don't we make a bet? If I fail, I'll buy you any snacks you want, however if I win...er...I'll think about it later."
"Asaka-chan!"
"Something's fishy. Asa-chin is too assertive." His animal instinct awakened, Murasakibara eyed her suspiciously like she was trying to trap him. "...It's like flying piggies, it's strange..."
She was compared to «flying piggies» when she kindly offered her help to reconcile him with his red teammate, though it wasn't a matter to meddle in because Akashi had certainly overlooked their little trouble by now. Moreover, before the festival he had his hands full with all the preparations and the basketball practice, so he probably didn't find the time to care about his teammate's feelings. And knowing Murasakibara, he didn't make the first move to talk to Akashi as it might hurt his own pride.
"And you're unfair, Asa-chin."
"Why?"
"You know Aka-chin won't punish you heavily even if you do the worst thing to him."
"Oh sure he won't bother to punish me. He'll kill me right away."
A blank ensued between the squirrel hero and the two girls.
"Asa-chin, you cheater, I'm through with you." Murasakibara put the mascot head back on and fidgeted impatiently. "But I'm hungry~! I've been assaulted by kids...people want to take photos with me...strange girls hugged me...No one wants to buy me snacks...Everyone is mean..."
With that super squirrel costume on him, he didn't know how comical his whine was.
"I didn't ask you, Murasakibara-kun, but what is your class doing for the festival?"
"A photo booth. With animal costumes. Everyone can dress up and take photos..."
"I want to try it!" Momoi exlaimed and she begged Ritsu with sparkling eyes to head for the photo booth. She gave in, sometimes it was hard to bear a stern face against her candor, she was really enjoying the festival.
"Can I come with you?" Murasakibara asked tilting the mascot head.
"Yes! We'll take a souvenir photo together!"
"Can I have snacks after?"
"It depends on Asaka-chan's mood."
"Why me exactly?"
"Because you have money!" both her friends said at the same time.
That being said, the squirrel showed them the way.
Phew. Momoi got her moment!
Now then, only Akashi remains. Ready for some Asaka and Akashi moments? (It was about time, you all think. I'm right?)
I'm sorry...