Gazing at a fading rainbow

by Sky divider

Red, green, blue, pink, purple, yellow and pale blue...She knew these colors. She once shared a bond with them called friendship and just like an ephemeral rainbow, those colors faded away into the distance. So why not gaze at those dazzling colors one last time?

46. December 20th - first part

This is the last chapter of the year. And to end it with a bang, I've prepared you a special one. I'm so happy I made it in time! You've certainly guessed what day it is and why I updated it today, so enjoy. This story has finally reached that point.

Thank you for the follows and favorites! Your reviews were so kind and moved me! I'll keep you entertain as much as I can. I also can't thank my beta reader enough for their wonderful job!

One last thing, this chapter goes out to you Oneworld111. I've promised it a long time ago, you might not remember it or even know what I'm talking about, but I do, so thank you for your loyal support! I can't believe it's been three years now!

Early Happy Christmas!

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December 20th

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December came, with its final exams. Before Ritsu could enjoy the long awaited Christmas holidays and New Years Eve peacefully, she had spent most of her time after classes studiying for them. Sometimes with Akashi or Momoi's company, sometimes in study groups which had welcomed a new member, Kuroko Tetsuya, although those sessions mostly ended up as recreational moments of sorts instead of brainstorming ones. If Akashi had not been there to keep the troublesome group in line, they definitely would have fallen behind with their reviews. And since it was procedure for clubs to suspend their activities a week before exams, Akashi made sure to drill every bit of knowledge into his friends' brains in that short period of time, so that none of them, especially birdbrains like Aomine or Murasakibara, could possibly fail their exams.

He really had some spartan ways to do things. At times, Ritsu felt like the abundance of knowledge would spill out of her brain any moment and leave it empty as a shell for the exams. But on the decisive day with the paper right in front of her, her hand had never written down the answers so quickly and confidently; they came naturally to her.

Harvesting the fruits of her labor, she immediately reminded of her red-haired friend and glanced briefly at his back, silently thanking him for his teaching before finishing the rest of her test.

Kuroko was right, teaching suited Akashi.

At lunch break, Ritsu ate with Momoi, Aomine and Kuroko at the cafeteria. She stared at the pinkhead. For an unknown reason, since they had started eating, the girl's eyes were sparkling in excitement and she wouldn't stop staring at her, a smile plastered on her face, as if she was waiting for some sort of signal to ask whatever question was burning on her lips.

"Momoi-chan, do you have something you want to ask me?" Ritsu decided to ask.

The conversation initiated, the pink-haired girl jumped on the chance to sate her curiosity, "Did you buy a present for Akashi-kun?"

"A present?" The ashblonde repeated, confused.

She had no reason to buy a present for Akashi. She did want to thank him for his help with her studies by buying him a juice or baking him homemade biscuits of course, but she wouldn't go as far as to buy him a present for that. Knowing the redhead, he'd never accept something so big as a form of gratitude when he had been willing to provide help.

"No...?" Ritsu said, her tone pitching higher despite herself, and thus turned what was supposed to be an affirmation into a question. "What for? Do you plan to buy him one as thank for helping you review?"

"Eh?"

"Eh?" Ritsu echoed. Judging by the awkward silence, they weren't talking about the same thing at all.

Momoi's lips pulled up in a nervous twitch.

"Have you, perhaps, forgotten what day it is today?"

She hadn't the slightest clue. For her, it was merely the last day of the final exams, not anything more noteworthy as Momoi tried to hint. And yet, the date had a familiar ring to her, though she couldn't put her finger on it.

Having no answer to give her, her gray-blue eyes slid to the boys for some sort of enlightment. But as expected, they were as cluesless as her. Aomine shrugged his shoulders and Kuroko's blank face told her nothing if he hadn't cocked his head innocently at their eye contact.

"Today is Akashi-kun's birthday!" She clued them in, leaning toward her.

And it worked. It rang a bell in her exam-focused mind. A flash of the school festival, where Momoi briefed her on all of the little things she had gathered about Akashi for the friendship quiz contest surfaced from a forgotten corner of her mind.

December 20th was, indeed, Akashi's birthday.

It dawned on her and Ritsu gasped in horror.

"I...I completely forgot!"

Her head had been so filled with exams and studies that it slipped her mind.

"I can tell." The pink-haired girl observed, giving her a sympathetic smile.

Ritsu cupped her face in her hands, feeling both her cheeks becoming hotter with shame of having forgotten such a special day, and even more when she remembered asking him casually what he'd do after exams were over.

Although she was absolutely sure that Akashi didn't expect anyone - classmates, teammates or even friends - to congratulate him or give him a present (since he'd never mentioned it to anyone himself), it didn't make her feel any less guilty for the slip-up. She was a close friend to him, and as such, wasn't it her duty to have made this day the highlight of the year? And even if she would not have been able to, wishing him a happy birthday was the least she could do just to tell him she cared for him.

But she did none of that. What a terrible friend.

"I'm so ashamed...!" Ritsu cried. "I have nothing for him, and worst of all, I wasn't even one of the first to wish him a happy birthday...!"

"It's not like any of us have prepared anything for him. I didn't even know today was his birthday until just now too." Aomine remarked indifferently. "Just wish him a happy birthday the next time you see him."

"That I'll do, but I'd like to celebrate it the proper way."

A birthday was one of those special days one could grantly declare their feelings and gratitude towards their loved one(s) for being born in this and being a part of each other's world.

So she disliked the idea of Akashi having the impression she'd forgotten his birthday and that someone had to remind her so as to get those precious words out of her. The redhead was not just any friend to her, they shared a strong friendship, and for that reason, she couldn't settle with just a happy birthday without doing anything special for him, for she came to treasure every moments in his presence.

Ritsu wanted to convey that feeling but to do so, she wanted to give him a present. She knew that any were more precious than any present, and that Akashi would be more than delighted to just hear his friends congratulate him.

Even so, to her, Akashi deserved both and certainly more. She didn't want to see mere delightment but pure happiness on his face when she'd wish him a happy birthday. If she could catch sight of it by giving him a present, she'd not give it a second thought.

"However, by the time I finally find what to get him as a present after school, it will probably be too late to give to him today..."

Raising an eyebrow, the tanned boy looked as though he didn't see where the problem lay. "Just wish him a happy birthday today and give him the present tomorrow. What's the big deal?"

"I don't think Asaka-san had this in mind when she suggested a 'proper way' to celebrate Akashi-kun's birthday, Aomine-kun." Kuroko commented in his typical monotonuous tone.

At his intervention, Ritsu looked at the tealhead, surprised he'd understood that stubborness of hers, and nodded with a gentle smile meant for him.

"Yes, it has to be today or it's meaningless."

A clap shifted all attention on Momoi, her eyes sparkling.

"I have an idea in that case! Let's bake a birthday cake for him!"

Aomine and Ritsu stiffened at the simple idea of having her in a kitchen. Contrary to the many beautiful things her secret admirers were fantasizing about Momoi Satsuki, the girl was one of the worst cook Ritsu - and it might not be an overstatment to even say, the world - had ever known. Many brave souls fell victim to that master of food poisoning and kitchen destruction.

Ritsu had tasted her cooking once and it was an experience she'd never recommend to anyone unless they had a death wish. Everytime Momoi mentioned cooking, she couldn't help but feel a horrible taste of charred and badly seasoned food on her tongue.

"Are you planning on killing him?!" Aomine shouted straight at her face, unable to contain his panic, "Even Akashi would not make it after eating your food! Hell! It might even be the only thing that could kill him on the spot!"

Momoi looked offended and countered fiercely with her two cheeks puffed, "Stupid Dai-chan! Just because I can't chop vegetables like a chef, burn the food a little or sometimes mix ingredients with others doesn't make me a bad cook! Tetsu-kun has never complained about my food! You're too picky!"

As she mentioned those love-filled lunches, Aomine and Ritsu swore they saw Kuroko tremble. Guess they caused some trauma to rise again. Being the object of Momoi's endless love, the poor boy naturally became the number one victim of her bad cooking and was forced into eating them everyday for a week and half. However, like a true gentleman, Kuroko never hurt the girl's feelings by telling how bad it was and dealt with the situation like a real man. But as his stomach couldn't digest such highly poisonous food anymore, he had to resort to all sorts of excuses to avoid her homemade meals.

And sometimes, Kuroko must love his lack of presence for that.

His blank face showed nothing of his trauma, but Aomine and Ritsu could feel his presence fading as if not to draw Momoi's attention at all, and they were sure that if misdirection would be of any use for him, he would not hesitate to do so.

"Besides, we're talking about a cake. I am very good at baking!"

"Who convinced you of that bullshit?"

"You, Dai-chan! I often bake you cookies and cakes every time I come over to your house and you eat them all!"

He snorted. There was only one reason his childhood friend would get that impression.

"That's because my mom's always there watching us like a hawk! If I have the nerve to tell you straight how bad they taste or refuse them, she'd get angry and nag me to eat them since you take the time to make them especially for me and all that shit!"

The women in Aomine's life sure were as strong-headed as him, and they'd surely not be the last ones. If the boy gets married one day, his domestic life would be an animated one, Ritsu couldn't help but think so.

"Fine then! If you hate it that much, you won't get a piece of Akashi-kun's birthday cake! Mukkun will rejoice about that!" Momoi huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oi! Drop it already!"

Ignoring her childhood friend, the basketball club manager leant in and gave Ritsu her most persuasive look, "Well, isn't it a good idea, Asaka-chan? Let's bake him a strawberry shortcake!"

"A-A strawberry shortcake?" Instead of rejecting the idea, the ashblonde blurted out the question, a little shocked by Momoi's bold choice. That was one difficult cake to prepare, at least for the two novices they were. Ritsu only ever made pancakes and biscuits at home and as for Momoi, nothing more needed to be added. Ritsu could already predict that despite all their efforts, it would never turn out round and perfect a cake like the one she always stared at with envy at the cake shop.

"For a birthday, nothing's better than a good strawberry shortcake! It's simple but classy! I'm sure Akashi-kun would love it!" Momoi chirped, a soft giggle accompanying her argument, "Ah! Unless you have another idea! Like a big chocolate cake!" She then mumbled, as she herself was barely convinced by it, "I can't peg him as a chocolate lover though..."

"Ah, no, no, strawberry shortcake is fine!" Ritsu waved her hand to stop the girl's brain from going too far with the cake ideas. "He won't resist whipped cream and strawberries! He'd love it so much he might go redder than the strawberries!"

She could feel the eyes of the two boys burning on her face - Aomine's especially - already knowing why she earned those pressing looks. Momoi was only awaiting the green signal from HER before dragging all of them into preparing Akashi's birthday cake. And here she was going along with Momoi's idea of a shortcake when she HAD to kill it from the start.

But when she saw her friend giddy with excitement and involve herself so much for her friend's happiness, Ritsu couldn't say a blunt and dry "no" to her face, even though she knew all too well what awaited her after. She was really too soft on her friends. On the other hand, having everyone falling sick during Akashi's birthday was far from the ideal picture she had of this special day. More than anything she didn't wish for Akashi to die the same day he was born on this planet!

'Sorry Momoi-chan! Your culinary skills are way too terrible and dangerous to the world! I can't let you kill Akashi-kun!'

Her choice made, her lips pulled up nervously, showing an awkward smile spreading on her face. She was ready to use whatever it took to shoot the homemade birthday cake idea down.

"What about the recipe, Momoi-chan? I don't know how to make this kind of cake."

"I've looked it up some time ago! Everything's stored here!" Momoi pointed at her head.

This fact set of all the alarm bells in Ritsu. If her cooking was already awful by following a written recipe, she dreaded the result with a recipe based on Momoi's memory. Sure she didn't doubt that great quality of her friend, but baking didn't allow for approximations. What were they going to feed Akashi on his birthday?!

Without anything except a very nervous smile on her features, Ritsu went on.

"Er...Hm, but where would we find the ingredients and prepare the cake? We don't have time to go shopping, get home and finish baking it before it gets dark. Also, Akashi-kun might want to hurry home to celebrate with his family tonight..." Ritsu paused, leaving time for the girl to think on it and eventually give up on baking a cake due to the lack of time and load of work.

"I got this covered!" Momoi announced with pride, "We can borrow the home economic room and ask the club for the ingredients! Every year, they make strawberry shortcakes for christmas! I know a senior there, I'm sure she wouldn't mind us using the room after school!"

Ritsu was speechless. Either Momoi had planned this for Akashi's birthday from the start or her brain worked very fast to find solutions, the volleyball ace's intuitions went for the former as she felt more and more cornered, and eventually she would have to accept the girl's idea if she had no other arguments to offer.

No wonder Akashi had only praises for her.

"Oh, that's good new—" Ritsu forced a laugh at her failed attempt, when she felt a kick on her shin. She shot a glare at the culprit.

'Did you just kick me?!'

Aomine shrugged and stared back at her, disgruntled.

'The fuck you're encouraging her for! We're all gonna die eating some fucking poisonous cake at this rate! Because of you!' He replied by narrowing his eyes and urged her to make Momoi change her mind quickly.

'No one's going to die! I just didn't expect her to have planned this all along! And why don't you help out too?!' Ritsu retorted in desperation.

Oblivious to her friend's telepathic exchange, the pink-haired girl pondered about something.

"As for Akashi-kun..." She paused as though this factor alone seemed unpredictable enough to be able to thwart all of her festive plan. It allowed a little bit of hope to return to Ritsu's eyes. "Aomine-kun and Tetsu-kun can keep him busy at school while Asaka-chan and me prepare the cake. When we're finished, we all gather and celebrate Akashi-kun's birthday, with Midorin and Mukkun too !"

Aomine looked anything but pleased to get that kind of troublesome (and risky) role. "Keep Akashi busy, how? That guy always manages to slip away one way or another."

"Akashi-kun loves playing shōgi! Say you want to learn playing it from him! Midorin said he never refuses a game and could play it for hours!" Momoi said vehemently.

"Ha? In what kind of universe am I gonna play shōgi? Akashi will be creeped the hell out if I come to him for that." Aomine scoffed. "He might even suspect something's going on. Have Midorima do it instead."

The pink-haired girl deflated and sighed. So uncooperative.

Seeing her excitement drop a notch and so make her a little more willing to listen, the navy-haired teen came to ask :

"Anyway, why're you so fixated on baking a cake for Akashi? I would have gotten if it was for Tetsu but you don't have to go to such lengths for him. For Murasakibara for example, you just bought some kinda snack."

"That was rare and limited editon!" Momoi retorted in a pout.

He shrugged, not caring at all. "Wouldn't it be quicker (and safer) to buy one after school? Or just go eat somewhere like we did for Midorima's birthday?"

The manager lowered her head, a light blush of embarrassement dusting her cheeks.

"Aomine-kun would not understand. It HAS to be homemade! It wouldn't have the same meaning if it's bought!" She explained while sneaking a few glances at the other girl. "I came up with this idea because of Asaka-chan..."

Aomine quirked an eyebrow and glanced at said girl, "What about Asaka?"

She fell silent and looked at the ashblonde. It didn't take long for Ritsu to connect the dots, and after knowing of her true intention, a mix of happiness and guilt washed over her.

Momoi didn't come up with this idea solely for the sake of celebrating a birthday but because she thought that a homemade cake would sincerely make Akashi's day, and from what she'd caught of, one from the ashblonde especially. Ritsu wasn't sure what to think about the last part, nevertheless, she agreed on the homemade part. When she mused on what kind of thing would make the redhead happy, handmade stuffs flooded her mind, be it a scarf, cookies, cakes or a simple birthday card. Had she not forgotten his birthday, she would surely have given him something handmade as a present.

For the simple reason that they conveyed how much one cares for another.

That was what Momoi had in mind all along.

"Momoi-chan..." She whispered, her lips were tempted to give in to the idea of making the cake. But before she could say anything, Momoi reverted to her usual cheerful attitude instantaneously as though she could drop the act after successfully in tugging at her heart-strings to get what she wanted.

"Let's do this! Akashi-kun will get the best cake he ever had in his life!"

"Oi!" Aomine interjected, noting the sudden change of tone.

"Momoi-chan," Ritsu shook her head, telling her she had other plans, "It's okay. You don't have to mind me. Let's do this the simple way. Instead of spending time on making a cake, I'd rather have fun with all of you."

Her forehead creased into a frown. She wanted to insist but didn't say anything against it.

"If that's what Asaka-chan thinks is best..."

Ritsu nodded and reassured her with a faint smile. "Let's hang out somewhere after school and surprise Akashi-kun. All of us..."

Her voice trailed off, when a wave of frustration hit her instead of excitement as the three words formed on her lips.

She looked forward to it, just imagining all of them laughing and having fun. Yet, something restrained her from fully rejoicing about it, and knowing what it was turned out to be a surprise for herself. Deep inside her, this was not what she wanted, how she wished to spend Akashi's birthday. The perfect way would have been to give a present and wish him a happy birthday and then spend some time...with just the two of them.

Just them. Not with everyone. She wanted this special moment to be theirs alone. And that thought was what surprised her the most. Why would she wish to have Akashi all to herself? Where did this desire even come from? Why wasn't it the best to spend time with everyone but Akashi?

It's supposed to be the more, the merrier. She couldn't be feeling this way because she had forgotten his birthday and wanted to make up for it. So why the strange feeling?

"Asaka-chan?" Momoi tilted her head, noticing her long face.

Kuroko scrutinized her before he turned to his partner and the pink-haired girl.

"Momoi-san, Aomine-kun. I have to go somewhere after school. Would you mind accompanying me? I'd like both of you to come with me."

"Eh? Er...Sure, Tetsu-kun. W-Where do you have to go? Oh, and what about Akashi-kun's birthday?" Momoi stuttered out of surprise at the boy's sudden request.

Kuroko's face was stoic as ever.

"We probably should call it off for tomorrow. We still have exams and Akashi-kun might want to rest. The past week must have tired him out after teaching everyone, and especially some of us."

Akashi had been teaching them until the school was closing down every day after classes while he had his own reviews to think about for maintaining his perfect scores. Midorima had chided him many times for concerning himself with idiots instead of focusing on his own studies.

"Hey! No one asked him to!" Aomine growled as the remark was definitely aimed at him.

"Moreover, days are shorter now. We won't get enough time to celebrate his birthday properly before it gets dark. So let's do this tomorrow and have something prepared for him. We'll inform Murasakibara-kun and Midorima-kun of our plan as well."

"Fine by me." Aomine was the first to accept, shrugging his shoulders almost in indifference. Today or tomorrow, it worked for him either way.

Momoi showed more hesitation, her concern mainly going to her ashblonde friend.

"It has to be today for Asaka-chan..."

"I know." Kuroko declared, giving a soft, reassuring smile to the girl that dissipated every one of her worries. "I'm sure Asaka-san will be good company for Akashi-kun and find him the best present by the end of the day. She doesn't need us for that."

Ritsu blinked, her lips slightly apart and her eyes fixed on the tealhead.

It couldn't have shown on her face, right? That a small part of her had hoped to spend the day with Akashi alone. Even she herself was unaware that she could have this kind of selfish desire towards someone.

And yet, Kuroko had just given her the chance to do things correctly on this special day.

As if his round blue eyes saw right through her.

She regarded him with a confused look. Kuroko met her gaze and stared at her, expression indecipherable.

What exactly did he see?

---

The second the teacher left the classroom, cries of joy and relief burstead all over the place. Exams were finally over. Amidst the chatter about the tests and christmas holidays, Ritsu felt tired. Between answering the questions and stressing over Akashi's birthday, her mind was a jumble. She couldn't fully concentrate on her tests.

She released a long, heavy sigh.

"That was one long sigh. Did it not go well?"

Before she even noticed, Akashi's attentive gaze was resting on her.

"N-No. I'm a bit tired but everything went well." Her lips pulled up mechanically so as to reassure him. "I have a few doubts about some of my answers, still overall I can hope for a good score. All thanks to you. The time you spent on us didn't go to waste! Maybe on Aomine-kun though."

Akashi chuckled as she bad-mouthed Aomine.

"So I take I must expect something from you the following days. If you ace your exams."

"Are you actually looking forward to it?"

The ashblonde narrowed her eyes suspiciously, seeing that Akashi seemed a little bit too comfortable with the idea. Words of gratitude were the only thing he'd usually accept for his help, nothing else, so he always made it a real challenge for the girl every time she wanted to show her gratitude. Like it was the case with the flying wallet episode. Really, whenever she remembered this incident, she couldn't help but think that everything would have gone smoothly if Akashi was not so stubborn.

"One of us must know when to give in in order to avoid embarrassing ourselves. I've seen enough of your actions to indulge you instead of pointlessly arguing with each other."

Ritsu almost facepalmed. "I-In other words, you're being the more mature one out of the two of us..."

A smug smile showed on his face.

She refrained herself from telling him that she was only being as stubborn as him.

"Why wait for days then? I'm not letting you go straight home today, Akashi-kun. Keep me company."

His eyebrows arched up.

"Let's celebrate the end of finals and hang out around the city! The past days we only studied and I didn't find the time to go see the Christmas lights and do some shopping!" She leaned in, grinning, "And of course, I will properly thank you for your help."

More than anything, she'd be able to find a present for him and wish him a happy birthday.

"You don't really give me a choice."

"I humbly accept! Since the day we crossed swords, I swore to myself I'd follow you to the ends of the universe! Even to Hell and beyond!" A dramatic voice added in the background.

Akashi wouldn't have appreciated this kind of interruption coming from any other person than this funny classmate of his.

"Honda-san." He greeted the girl with hair braided in two, all too familiar for her eccentricity (and her way to slip in dramatic lines in conversations).

She giggled, "Sorry, I overheard a bit of your conversation and couldn't help myself! So you two are going to hang out around the town?"

"Asaka suggested that we go see the Christmas lights."

"The Christmas lights~ How romantic." Honda mused, her hazel eyes half-lidded and dreamy.

She then tilted her head to the side.

"Should I invite Sudo-kun and Yoshi-chan there too? That will pick Sudo-kun up after those nightmarish tests. The poor guy is on zombie mode since morning. He mixed up the events of the battle of Sekigahara with the battle of Okehazama, and filled in the english QCM incorrectly and erased all his answers before realising only five minutes were left. He took a critical hit."

Ritsu sneaked a glance at said boy. Sudo was still sitting at his desk, his soul practically coming out of his mouth.

"Maybe some celebration and two superb girls on each arm will light up his mood!" Her classmate chirped, deciding on her after school plan. Her gaze, that was previously on the lifeless Sudo shifted to the front of the class where a way too familiar high-pitched laugh caught some of her attention.

"By the way, be careful not to bump into Hime-chan. She also had plan in town with her friends." Honda warned them in low yet amused voice, "It's a small world after all! And who knows what she might do if she sees you two hanging out alone~ Rare are the girls who have the privilege to monopolize Akashi-kun!"

She winked at the pair of friends.

"I'll keep my eyes peeled."

The two girls chuckled, knowing Himeno's reaction by heart. She'd not feel the least bit ashamed to interrupt and join in if she saw a girl, who wasn't Momoi or Ritsu, getting too intimate (to her taste) with her crush, Akashi-kyun. Since their discussion after the play, Himeno has acknowledged - though not completely (and bitterly ever since Akashi rejected her) - Momoi and Ritsu's friendship with Akashi and stayed away most of the time. However, the ashblonde was certain that if the ravenhead suspected anything beyond friendship, she'd break the truce without hesitation.

Thinking about it, Himeno may take the two of them hanging out outside the school walls in good grace because this was literally the definition of a 'date' for her. Date equals romance. In short, Ritsu may have crossed the line.

The ashblonde crossed her fingers that she would avoid the wrath of a black tornado in town.

"By the way, Honda-san, did you need anything?" Akashi asked, noticing that the girl has kept her hand behind her back during the whole conversation.

His classmate blinked twice, unable to remember the reason before it struck her back.

"Oooooh, right!" Sparkles suddenly filled her round eyes, attention fully on the boy. "Aaakashi-kun! Look what I have here!"

Honda was so excited to show him the object she was hiding behind her back that she practically shoved what looked like a book, a manga to be exact, at his face. With it barely an inch away from his nose, Akashi could only see a bit of the title and the cheeky face of a familiar character.

"The eighth volume of A Magical Girl's Notebook of Mystic Spells! It was released yesterday!" Honda squealed and pulled the book away from Akashi, pressing it against her cheek. "I ran to buy it! Thank god I did! There were only three copies left!"

At the full sight of the brand-new book, his red eyes lit up with the same excitement. Honda and Akashi were looking forward to this book as both were fans of its author, Momiji Aki.

As shocking as it may sound, the shōjo manga world had piqued the redhead's interest. He read all the manga Honda lent him, ranging from the typical slice-of-life or teenage love to more fantastic stories set in medieval or modern era, and would share his thoughts with his classmate at school. But Ritsu never could have predicted that Akashi would get so hooked on A Magical Girl's Notebook of Mystic Spells.

The story was about a high school girl and former delinquent whose life made a 180-degree turn after coming to the rescue of a boy who happened to be a mage from another world. At this fateful encounter, she became a magical girl despite herself, fighting evil with magic spells. Adding a pinch of romance and comedy to the story as the main protagonist stalked a secret crush, a bookworm ever since he'd saved her life, and tried to hide her delinquent past from him and the entire school at all costs, wanting to turn over a new leaf, and you've got all the elements of a romantic comedy.

Indeed, this was miles away from the realistic, down-to-earth classical and contemporary literature Akashi used to read. Yet, it shouldn't be so bewildering, he enjoyed well-written books, and this manga was one of them. From the way the protagonist's emotions were conveyed through her magic to the creation of her own spells in each of her battles, Akashi had goosebumps every time the main protagonist cast a large-scale spell to save the world. Ritsu had a full list of things he liked about this manga from his passionate conversations with Honda, but if there was a number one, she'd say, without a doubt, the heroine : Shirabe Kotoha.

One day, during lunch break, she was practicing piano and he was reading. She mentioned how happy he looked reading the manga and his response was as fresh in her memory as if it happened yesterday. With his fond expression he uttered those three words that froze the world for a full minute.

«Kotohan is adorable.»

To think that Akashi Seijūrō was fond of a 2D character, and a magical girl, no less...He even called her by the nickname fans gave her.

...Never underestimate a magical girl.

"They finally revealed the new spell Kotohan uses to defeat Echo of Death! She totally kicked his ass (like all the other vilains)! And this scene with Magnus-kun in the battle...! I wasn't prepared for that~! Kuuuu—" Honda squeezed her eyes shut, fghting very hard not to spill everything to Akashi. "You have to read it, Akashi-kun! So heeeere you go! Straight to your heart!"

She handed him the manga. Akashi gladly accepted and took a brief yet closer look at the cover before he carefully put in his school bag like a precious treasure.

"I'll read it once I get home."

The bubbly girl gave him a thumbs up. "O-k, we'll hold our usual meeting! Tomorrow morning then! I can't wait!"

Honda must be the only girl in school who acted so casually around Akashi, which never ceased to amuse Ritsu. How many girls could talk for hours about manga with the great and intimidating Akashi Seijūrō?

"I wasted enough of your time! I'll leave you two alone now." She spun around and stretched her arm toward Sudo, her hand clutching an invisible wand and determined eyes set on a certain zombie. "Someone has to bring Sudo-kun back to life or he'll rot here all night. Yosh! Time for me to save a friend from despair!"

She peeked at the two friends over a shoulder, grinning.

"I'd do a good job as a magical girl, right?"

"Honda-san is very kind-hearted."

Her energy multiplied as if Akashi casted a boost spell on her with that simple answer. She skittered her way to Sudo, without him reacting to her presence. She then took a deep breath and shouted at the top of her lungs :

"SUDO-KUN, SNAP OUT OF IT ALREADY! THE WORLD NEEDS YOU! TAKE UP YOUR SWORD AND GO FIGHT WITH ME, PARTNER!"

A little glint of life returned to the teen's eyes. He raised his nose up.

"Huh?... Honda. Why is it only you who came for me?" He remarked flatly, his face creasing into a surly frown. But Honda, the sunshine, radiated with light and continued to beam at him.

"My kindness knows no bounds, Sudo-pon~! I will always come for you! Anytime, anywhere!" The girl sat in front of him, her chin resting on her hands. "How long do you think we've been on this adventure together?"

"...Nine months." Sudo mumbled, looking away.

"Yup~! Nine months since you and I shared this exquisite pork cutlet sandwich under the cherry blossom and became sworn friends; you've become my second half ever since! So instead of sulking about tests, let's celebrate this over a good, hot chocolate and giant cookies! Then you go flash your smiles at all the girls in town and blind them with your incredible charm. I heard a lot of girls at school say they find you rather irresistible when you smile! Cheer up, Sudo-pon!"

"Ugh, Honda...! Why're you so great to me?" Sudo sniffed, his eyes welling up with tears. Honda chuckled and gently patted his head in response.

How heartwarming, Ritsu thought, a soft smile tugging at her lips at the sight of the two close friends.

Nine months, huh? Time sure flew. So many months had passed since the entrance ceremony and the day Akashi gave her that chocolate bar. So many little things appeared to hold a bigger place in her heart and became the dearest to her. One of those things was her encounter with the rainbow squad, colouring up her days with joy and laughs. But among those colours, she'd realised that there was one she'd always gaze at : Red.

Akashi became a presence she could not take her eyes of off. A dearest friend with whom she bonded with over those nine months. They gauged each other's strengths in the volleyball match, they trusted each other in the haunted house, they challenged each other at the school play, they found comfort in each other over a sweet cake, they confided in each other about their worries...All the moments she spent and every emotion she felt around him enveloped her with warmth.

This warmth, it was such a precious, and at the same time, such a confusing feeling.

She sought his presence, as if the simple thought of seeing him illuminated her days. Well, wouldn't anyone be happy to see their friends? But this unknown desire seemed to go deeper. It sometimes made her question the nature of such feeling and she wondered if Akashi sought her presence like she was his, if he held their time together as dearly as her.

Something tingling in her desperately wanted to know.

And hoped that his answer would be "yes".

"Shall we go, Asaka?"

"Yes."

---

The spell of Christmas was cast upon the city, thousands of lights were illumating the streets and shops. Wherever your gaze landed, your eyes were sure to twinkle with the wonder of a child. Ritsu and Akashi were walking down the main street while gazing at the fairy lights and christmas decorations hanging everywhere. They sometimes stopped to look at beautifully decorated shop windows. Christmas trees, cute snowmen, huge snowflakes, Santa on his sleigh, all the elements were gathered to create the most enchanting christmas scene.

The hustle and bustle of the city was also even more impressive at this period of time. Coffee shops, food joints and shops were swarming with people, and it wasn't even uncommon to see them getting in the queue outside to get in. The most popular shops even had part-timers to lure in customers with their bells and welcoming shouts.

Ritsu's gaze roved around and lingered on people coming out of shops happy with the colorful presents in their arms. She still hadn't the slightest idea what she'd buy for Akashi. Before her mind went around in circles, she directed her eyes to the winter sky.

Not a single ray of sunlight pierced through the thick, gray clouds.

"If the temperature continues to drop, it will probably snow tonight." She noted with a smile betraying her excitement. "The city might be covered in snow tomorrow!"

"You don't seem bother by it."

"Last year, we didn't have snow for Christmas, only snow flurries in February. I was a bit disappointed, so I'm crossing my fingers for some heavy snowfall this year!" As she looked up at the threatening sky again, an innocent moment of her childhood made her laugh. "Perhaps I should hang a Teru-teru bōzu upside down. It is said that if you do, they'd bring rain or snow instead of the sun. When I was little, I used to do this a lot, wishing for snow to fall so I could play and make an army of snowmen with Shōhei!"

Every winter, Shōhei and she would hang a Teru-teru bōzu upside down outside their room window. And to say it all started from a prank from her little brother. That day, Ritsu had a piano recital in the next prefecture and made a big Teru-teru bōzu in hopes that no rain or snow fell so that her father could drive her there safely. But her little devil of a brother flipped it down before going to sleep to play a prank on her, and the next day, thick layers of snow painted the whole city in white. In the end, she couldn't go to her recital because of it. She blamed her brother for that when she noticed the upside down cloth doll, but she soon forgave him after spending the day playing in the snow with him.

After this episode, the two of them genuinely believed in the mystic and wondrous power of Teru-teru bōzu. Even though years passed and they grew up, Shōhei and Ritsu kept doing it, not as often as they would in the past but from time to time an upside down white doll would be hung outside their window in autumn and winter. And this even became a competition of who would be able to make snow fall with their Teru-teru bōzu.

"Please don't. Teru-teru bōzu are charms for fair weather." Akashi opposed, his tone lighter than his words. "You shouldn't use it to call misfortune."

Ritsu giggled, her cheeks coloring up in a faint shade of pink. "My mom said the same thing. She always scolds us and hangs it correctly after."

This strange practice often freaked out their mother and they got told off for using the charm in such an inauspicious way. As the memory crossed her mind, the image of certain greenhead condemning the very act of flipping a Teru-teru bōzu upside down with contemptuous eyes appeared alongside it.

"Do you think Midorima-kun would be freaked out?"

"Midorima would most assuredly never hang a Teru-teru bōzu upside down."

"The stars really don't align for us." She joked, "But he warmed up to Shōhei right away. We aren't so different though."

"What is Shōhei's astrological sign?"

"Hm...He was born on the 27th February, so Pisces, I think." As the point of his question clicking with her, Ritsu turned to face the redhead, "Is the compatibility between Cancer and Pisces that good?"

Akashi shrugged his shoulders, having made his point. His red eyes were trained on the crowd walking up the street, all bundled up in coats and scarfs. His fingertips were getting numb from the cold air, his nose suddenly felt itchy. A stream of air hit and tickled the back of his nose, enough to cause him to sneeze.

"Ah-choo!"

Ritsu couldn't help gawking at him just because he sneezed. She didn't doubt that Akashi sneezed from time to time (he's human no matter how perfect and god-like he appears to be) but it was the first time she caught him in the act, and to be honest, it had made her heart squeeze a little. The soft sneeze was almost cute from him. Someone might be talking behind his back, or most likely...

"...Are you cold, Akashi-kun?"

He rubbed his nose delicately. "Ah, it's getting cold."

Without making fun of his honest answer, her gaze lingered for a couple of seconds on the faint red tinge on his nose and cheeks due to the biting wind before she looked around for a place where they could stop. She'd rather avoid him getting sick on the day of his birthday, although a part of her firmly believed that nothing could get to Akashi, not even a cold.

"Perhaps we should go warm ourselves in a shop. We've been walking in the cold since we left school."

"Aren't you cold?" Akashi glanced at her unbuttoned coat and her bare legs.

"A bit. But I'm quite resistant to the cold despite the appearance, you know. I could play for hours in the snow." She declared as it was something to be proud of. Though she kept silent about all anedoctes of her being bedridden with a cold the next day and getting lectured by her mother.

"You really do like snow."

Ritsu gave him a sidelong glance. "You sound surprised by it."

"I see you as someone who stands under cherry blossoms more than snowfall."

She pictured the two images and chuckled seeing what he meant.

"Snow has that kind of lonely and melancholic feeling. Some people dislike winter because of the cold weather and this sentiment of loneliness that they feel more than ever. But if you ask me, the charm of winter resides in snow landscapes and its quietness. When it snows, the world looks like it stops. You hear nothing but silence, time is frozen, the landscape turns completely white and everything disappears." She exhaled and looked at her warm breath condensing in the air instantly. "Once in a while, it feels good to just hear your own heartbeat. When the whole world seems to go too fast and is too heavy for you."

"It's a very lonely vision, indeed."

The boy didn't look at her when he said it but she only had to hear the grave tone of his voice to know how well he understood her – this feeling.

"As much as I like playing in the snow, I find the most peace watching it falling. Don't you have those moments when you want the world to stop, even just for an instant?"

He regarded her a moment with contemplative eyes. As he broke the contact and focused back on the road ahead, Ritsu mirrored him. Whether he would answer or not, she'd learned that silence spoke louder than words between them.

Akashi wasn't one to voice his feelings.

"I do."

But when he did, she would let them sink in.

"So you do."

Truthfully, it was rather easy to picture Akashi standing in that silent, white scenery. The quietness and solitude of winter described him well. But in his case, this image of him under snow did look lonely.

While she sought peace, he sought comfort in solitude. It was the impression she had, and it was nothing strange to her. It only reflected the heavy responsibilities he carried on his shoulders. People trusted him and expected a lot from him - his family, his teammates and his friends. Of course, he needed moments to himself.

As someone who must grow fast so as to face the world's expectation.

"Then, let's pray that snow falls."

"I'd rather it snows when I'm home."

Ritsu laughed and pointed a huge glass building. "Well, let's warm ourselves inside before your lips turn blue."

---

Inside the shopping mall, Ritsu surveyed every shops where she could potentially find a present for Akashi. But she had no idea where to even start. Aside basketball, Akashi liked many other things like shōgi, playing the violin, horse-back riding, reading, Shirabe Kotoha, and maybe more she had yet to know. The problem was to narrow her choice down to one. It wasn't that she didn't know what to get him, rather her head was filled with dozens of ideas. Yet, she couldn't decide which one would be the one to make Akashi's eyes sparkle; and to be honest none of them truly satisfied her. She had already thought of buying something related to basketball or shōgi but she dropped it soon after, thinking Akashi might already have everything he needed for the sport and shōgi. So her next choice was the violin. The only idea that came to mind was buying him one. The same could be said about horse-back riding, there was no way she could afford to buy him a horse nor a violin of high quality. And why was she even considering it in the first place?!

Truthfully, how very desperate of her, and perhaps was she being stubborn because she'd failed to remember his birthday and wanted to make this day as perfect as possible. She always took the time to choose a present but she never debated this much over it – Something held her back. She would not allow herself to buy him whatever she found interesting just for the sake of giving him a present.

It has to make the person smile genuinely. Have a meaning. Be special.

Special, huh. Ritsu sighed internally. Akashi was one she could consider her best friend and thus held a peculiar place in her heart and deserved something special.

But just how big?

Her heart twinged but she ignored the feeling. No time for self-introspection.

For an hour, Ritsu and Akashi walked around the shopping mall. She had spotted many interesting (and cute) things on the way but she couldn't bring herself to buy them. It was mostly things that she liked, not Akashi, although his eyes did linger on some of them.

A little bit dejected, her gray blue eyes continued to look around and landed on the storefront of a famous bookstore chain. Well, Akashi liked reading so it might be worth it to go take a look. She might find an old book Akashi read when he was little that held a sentimental value for him.

"Akashi-kun, do you mind going in there?"

He followed her inside, both welcomed by store clerks. Surrounded by the smell of brand-new books, the two of them started to navigate and browse between the rows of books. After chatting over stories ranging from romance to science fiction for a couple of minutes, Ritsu stopped in her track and looked curiously at the magic books displayed in front of her. She took one randomly and skimmed through the pages.

"A book on magic tricks?" Akashi peeked at the book in her hands.

"Kuroko-kun learnt about misdirection from them."

"I see. He never mentioned anything about it but I guessed as much."

He cracked a smile, one full of respect. He sincerely appreciated the tealhead for his perseverance, but his accomplishments were even more commendable. Who would ever think of using the basis of magic tricks on a basketball court?

"Say Akashi-kun, did you know that Kuroko-kun would use a technique like misdirection when you put him to the test all along? You advised him to stray from conventional concepts of basketball in order to find his own style; and following your words, he ended up finding it in a book about magic tricks."

So when Akashi had given him this piece of advice, he must already have had a precise idea of how Kuroko would pass his test.

His soft smile shaped into a little smirk.

"No, I didn't."

"You didn't?" Ritsu didn't hide her astonishment and stared at him in curiosity.

"At that time, his lack of presence was very intriguing. He goes completely unnoticed – almost invisible to people. It was very strange how awfully weak his aura is in spite of doing sports, and to be honest, I've never met someone whose hard work showed so little after training hard for so long. Nonetheless, if it weren't for this impression, he'd not have caught my eyes. I thought it'd be very interesting to have him in our ranks." He explained, "A player with such a low presence is perfect to support our team and help us turn the tables. He would have no problem shaking his mark off and become someone to rely on against a strong defense. Even just for a mere second, as long as a pass connects to him, the configuration of a game is bound to change."

It was exactly what Akashi was looking for at that time. Someone who'd be able to support his team and surprise his opponents. He'd brought up the lack of cohesion in his team that often had them in tight spots. They had yet to learn how to pay attention to their surrounding instead of rushing headlong to score, and Kuroko's presence might create another team dynamic. His ability of going unnoticed allowed him to move freely and create openings for his teammates. That was how Akashi visualized Kuroko's role in Teikō when he'd put him to the test. To see if he'd be capable of being that kind of support for his team.

Kuroko was.

Even more so than Akashi expected of him. He surprised him.

"But Kuroko-kun did more than that." Ritsu remarked. "He's not merely a presence but a fully fledged player your team can trust in."

His red eyes shifted to the magic trick books neatly aligned and scanned the few titles. Magic tricks for beginners. Let's do magic!. The art of magic : trick your friends!.

"Misdirection. Kuroko proves to be quite an ingenious mind and a competitor through and through." Akashi acknowledged, "It seems that I'll never get bored with him."

"Watch out, Akashi-kun. Someday he might really make the ball disappear in the middle of the game. Poof!"

Her joke made him laugh.

"Or he might even make your team disappear. Just imagine the chaos on court, if one of you were to suddenly vanish into thin air. Your opponents would be thrown into confusion. Well, I'd be. A huge boy like Murasakibara or a wild and fiery boy like Aomine shouldn't be able to run wild, unnoticed. They stand out so much."

"If it's Kuroko, he would be able to pull off that sort of trick. Probably."

"Ah! So it's also crossed your mind!" Ritsu noted.

For Akashi to even consider it as a possibility, it revealed that there were several aspects he could not predict about Kuroko. All he could do was expect anything and everything from him, as the wild card the boy was.

"A magician has more than one trick up his sleeves."

"To keep us entertained, right?" Ritsu clapped the book shut and slipped it back to its rightful place.

The red-haired teen nodded and uttered a single syllable before he interrupted himself, his gaze fixing on something behind her. Ritsu peeked over her shoulder and immediately guessed what his eyes were resting on : A Shirabe Kotoha cardboard cutout in her newest magical girl outfit. Her cheeky face and confident stance as she held her wand in one hand and a floating notebook in the other were enough to bewitch anyone looking her way and draw them to the shōjo manga section. To her.

Akashi couldn't resist her charm either.

"Let's take a look." He said, leading the way.

Even he wasn't immune to the charm of a girl he was fond of, Ritsu thought. Akashi was going through puberty as well, it seemed.

"You want to take it home. Your eyes are burning for Shirabe Kotoha, Akashi-kun." Ritsu teased him while they both stared at the cardboard cutout.

The redhead responded with a smirk when his head angled lower to his right where dozens of the eighth volume of A Magical Girl's Notebook of Mystic Spells were piled up. Akashi stood fascinated in front of this special space dedicated to his favorite series. Everything was made to make you buy the book from those perfectly neat piles to the decorations featuring a replika of Kotoha's notebook and another small cardboard cutouts including all the main characters.

But Akashi's excitement became even more palpable as he caugh sight of the watercolor illustration cover of the A4 size books displayed next to the manga.

"An artbook?"

Akashi took one from the display and examined the front and back cover. Although he couldn't open it because all the book were carefully protected by shrink-wrap, his red eyes were sparkling like a child's in the face of his favorite toy.

His hands would not let go of it. He wanted it.

With this expression of burning desire clearly showing on his face, Ritsu took it as a chance. This could make a perfect birthday gift for him.

"I'll buy it." He announced abruptly.

"Huh?! So quickly?" She interjected, almost choking. What's with the impulse buy? And really, how much of a fan was he to buy it on the spot? No, no, she couldn't let him buy it! She's decided on it. "Hang on! Check the pri—"

She saw him grab the manga as well and secure it in his hands with the artbook.

"...You're even going to buy the manga?"

"It's now or never. I can't miss an opportunity like that." The redhead stated and motioned for her to pay a closer look at the cardboard cutout, "For the release of the eighth volume, they make a special offer. If you buy it with the artbook, you get a small replika of Kotohan' notebook at the check-out."

Ritsu read along during his explanation. So the notebook replika wasn't just for show, she mused, peeking at said displayed item. For any fans of the serie, every limited edition item was a must-have for their collection.

She kept skimming the cutout and put her attention on a cutely designed pen and the chibi figure of the two main protagonists printed on round enamel pins; there was more to the special offer.

"Oh, you can also claim a limited edition pen and two pins with 2500 points." Ritsu read out.

The store really pulled out all the stops for this book promotion, it was telling how big a hit this manga was.

"Hm...Too bad you don't have the store card." She slightly turned her head to give him a sympathetic smile but it froze midway when a purple card with his full name on it flashed before her eyes.

"I do have it." Akashi proudly popped it out of his wallet. The card was glittering between his fingers as if it was the Holy grail.

Ritsu rolled her eyes and shut out all the silly questions floating in her mind like when he had gotten the card and whether he had the 2500 points needeed or not. It was Akashi Seijūrō after all. She wouldn't even be shocked if this alien magically showed her a black card at this point.

And so he marched toward the counter. In one hand, a shōjo manga and the corresponding artbook; in the other, the ultimate card.

"Thank you for your purchase!"

The automatic door closing behind them, Ritsu glanced at the paper bag filled with goodies and the delighted expression of her red-haired friend. In the end, she didn't get to buy him anything but Akashi was having fun at least – this was the most important on a birthday. Nonetheless, Ritsu had not given up yet. She didn't know when Akashi would suggest they part and go home but until then she would keep looking for a gift, though hopes of finding a rare gem for Akashi dwindled by the minute; and she concluded she would not find it in this shopping mall. After spending more than an hour in here, the shops all looked the same. She must be a little tired from the window shopping and the dazzling lights all around. Time for them to change location and get some fresh air.

Stepping outside, the teens shivered from the difference in temperature. Night had already fallen along with the temperature. Their breaths formed white puff in the air and the cold bit their skin without mercy.

Ritsu took a big breath, feeling the fresh air filling her lungs. The cold was so invigorating, slapping you awake. But as revitalizing as it was, she hadn't forgotten to protect herself from its fangs and buttoned up her coat; she didn't want to end up with a cold by the end of the day. Beside her, Akashi elegantly adjusted his coat then glimpsed at the dark sky.

As she watched him, she expected him to call it a day.

"You have other places you want to go to?"

His gaze slowly shifted back to her.

"...Yes! Let's keep going up the street."

During night time, the town looked even more beautiful with the fairy lights illuminating their path. Engraving the scenery into her memory, Ritsu didn't notice her turtle pace. Akashi said nothing and walked by her side the whole time, soft yellow and blue lights glimmering in his eyes.

She stopped in her track suddenly. Something shone from the corner of her eyes.

Finely crafted costume jewelry. Necklace, rings, bracelets, earrings, brooches glittered in the front display of a small accessory shop. Yet, the sight of an elegant hairpin was the most enchanting. She stepped closer, so close her nose almost touched the window.

Not hearing his friend's footfalls next to him, Akashi turned around and retraced his steps to the ashblonde.

"What are you looking at?" He asked, following her line of sight.

"This hairpin." She pointed her finger at the shiny item. Glass-like plum blossom were beautifully arranged over a thin and slightly curved thread of metal, like a branch of a plum tree in full blossom. "The design reminds me of one my father bought for me when I was little. Diamond blue flowers and little pearls were gracefully entwined by silver threads. I always put it on for recitals but I lost it accidentally. I cried so much that day. I loved it."

Although the plum blossom hairpin seemed of a lower quality than the one she lost, Ritsu was staring at it fondly. Akashi scrutinized her profile then his gaze trained on her straight hair.

"Let's have a look inside."

Her gray-blue eyes twinkled and she nodded cheerfully.

A few other customers were inside, looking around - all girls and women. Any guy would feel uncomfortable there but the last thing that would make Akashi embarrassed or blush was people's gazes. He examined the place and followed Ritsu without a care for the other customers, as he would in any other shop.

Though amused, Ritsu didn't allow herself to comment on this situation just for to tease him. The middle and high school girls around them did the job perfectly. Even though they were whispering among themselves, Akashi could hear every word between their giggles and sneaky, curious glances – well, if he did bother himself with wondering what was being said around him. So the volleyball ace made a beeline for the hair accessory corner; that was what they came for.

"There's so many choices!"

Headbands, hairpins, clips, scrunchies and ribbons were filling her view with their different colours, patterns, designs, shapes. From cute to chic and elegant, there was something to suit all tastes. Only looking at the accessories, she could imagine all sorts of hairstyle she saw in magazines and what kind of clothes she could associate them with. As much as her imagination ran wild, she couldn't bring herself to touch and examine a single one, not sure what exactly would be stylish on her.

As far as she remembered, she had always kept her hair loose except for recitals and volleyball, or unless her father did her hair himself and tied it with corloful ribbons, stating his daughter's cuteness should be shown to the world. Well, she did receive many praises for wearing those but she had to graduate from ribbons and all – at least the ones that'd make her look like a little girl.

Her attention passed from ribbons to hairpins. Looking at them, she found the gorgeous one displayed in the shop front. Without a second thought, she took the plum blossom hairpin from the display and stepped towards the nearest mirror. She fixed her side bang and followed the length with her fingers before she grabbed a strand of hair and slid the hairpin into it.

She lifted her chin up slightly and took a good look at the mirror.

"Does it look good?" She faced Akashi.

"It does." The boy smiled in delight. "It's not too extravagant. The flowers looks charming on you. Also, white is a colour that suits you and goes well with your ashblonde hair."

He fixed the hairpin, his eyes then went down the strand of hair falling to her shoulders, trimmed in a neat and straigth cut. This lingering look and this faint sign of disappointment on his face, Ritsu had already seen it before.

"You wish my hair was longer. You have the same expression my father made when I cut my long hair off. He'd fix me with that dissatisfied look."

"Do I?" Akashi responded without actually denying anything.

"You do." She chuckled while taking the hairpin off but kept it in her hand. "I may have waited too long to cut them, for you to have gotten so used to seeing me with long hair."

She should have cut them last summer as she did every year. Summer was the perfect season for a new and fresh haircut with the heat and all, and her hair was usually too long at this period. But this year, she hadn't cut them during summer vacation and let her hair grow out until it reached her mid-back. Over those days, Akashi had all the time to get used to her long-haired self. However, since it had been a while since she kept them so long, she no longer had the patience to deal with them every day when they got in her way.

So three weeks ago, she went to a hair salon and had them cut it shoulder-length again.

She continued to examine the accessories when hair ties with rabbit ears caught her attention with their cuteness. On pigtails, those were a pretty cute sight. Girls looked so innocent, and that explained probably why most boys went crazy over pigtails especially on anime/manga characters with their incredibly long and perfectly brushed silky hair.

Then, a couple images of magical girls flashed in her mind. Many of them sported that hairstyle as symbol of purity and innocence.

"Do you like pigtails, Akashi-kun?"

"That's coming out of nowhere."

"Well, you like long-haired girls, so I thought that maybe you found them cute on girls ‒ veeery long pigtails. From the way they dangle on each side of the head down to their body and sway gracefully. Doesn't that make you want to run your fingers through their hair?"

"Listening to you, it seems you're the one who's quite fond of it."

Ritsu laughed. Indeed, that was some passion, but it didn't come from her.

"I just repeated Shōhei's words. He loves girls with long pigtails, they're the cutest out of all for him. I find it cute too but I don't think it'd look good on any girl. For some it'd look too, er..." She paused, searching for the word, "Girly? No, that's not quite it...Anyway, if I dare say that to Shōhei, he'd snap back at me saying that an unattractive girl like me doesn't have the charm required for pigtails, so of course it'd be ugly with it. Is there really something like that?"

"You should try and see." Akashi simply said.

The ashblonde didn't argue. Akashi still hadn't answered her question earlier, and she was curious to know whether pigtails had the power over him like they did over other boys. But would she even trigger a reaction from him? She hadn't swept her hair up in pigtails since ^she was little.

With attentive eyes, Akashi watched her work. Ritsu split her hair in two, hooked her hands around them and then lifted them up. And tadaah!

"..."

No reaction, only an awkward silence.

A faint blush on her cheeks, Ritsu turned to her reflection in the mirror. Shōhei might not have been totally wrong about her and pigtails, there wasn't the slightest bit of charm oozing from her. Though it hurt the Girl inside, she truly was miles away from the cuteness she found in other girls.

This was getting embarrassing, and not just for her.

She'd put Akashi in a tight spot. She couldn't read past his poised face, and perhaps the awkwardness of the moment made her too self-conscious, but a lack of reaction was never a positive thing. Was he looking for a polite way to point out her lack of cuteness? A gentleman such as him would certainly not utter words that could hurt a lady's feelings. Or was he just too stunned by the sight to find his words?

In either case, she couldn't let Akashi be the one who had to break this long silence.

"I look different – in a bad way. That's quite a turn off."

"I wouldn't say so. It does suit you in a way but it's unlike you."

She released a sulky sigh as her hair fell back on her shoulders flatly. "I suppose you're right. Maybe I've already grown out of wearing pigtails...Though I'm only thirteen."

"Perhaps. It is true that something sober would bring out your charm more, Asaka. You've never been comfortable with flashy things." After a quick glance at the displays, Akashi grabbed a small blue ribbon hairpin without hesitation, his fingers brushed a lock of her hair and gently tucked it behind her ear as he put the hairpin on. Akashi examined her face before he nodded in approval. "This looks far better than pigtails."

"Really?" Ritsu quirked an eyebrow, taking his action as an attempt to make fun of her. But the fact that there was no awkwardness in the air spoke for his sincerity. So, she faced her reflection in the mirror and what she saw was a very pleasant surprise. The ribbon in itself had nothing extraordinary, plain in fact – the kind you could find in every accessory shop in different color and size. But how should she put it? It added a nice feminine touch to her in the simplest way. She oozed charm, she could felt it compared to earlier. Something about herself was very cute, and Akashi had nailed it.

"You have a good fashion sense, Akashi-kun. I should bring you with me when I go buy hair accessories, I'd try more of them." She grinned at him.

"As long as you think my opinion is needed. Besides, it'd be a shame not to put one on once in a while, you have beautiful hair. You should do more with it."

She thought the same. But truthfully, Akashi never was stingy with compliments on her hair; he must like it.

"It's decided then. I'll buy the two hairpins."

The two teenagers stayed around the hair accessory corner for a little while.

"Oh!" Ritsu leaned above a basket full of rainbow colored hair bobbles. Her father loved to put them on her. She wore them in most of her preschooler photos and recalled this air of innocence on her face from those. Any child would be overflowing with cuteness and she knew a big one on which they could fit p-e-r-f-e-c-t-l-y.

"Murasakibara-kun would unlock his hidden charm." She dangled pair of red hair bobbles in front of Akashi. "His long hair sometimes gets in the way, so wouldn't he look incredibly cute if you tie them up with this?"

She giggled at the image of Murasakibara tilting his head nonchalantly, making the tuft of hair sway from side to side. So much cuteness almost forced a squeal out of her; it should be forbidden. She was certain that Kuroko and Midorima would not lose on that field either. Too bad Aomine's hair was cut too short to do anything with it. Then, her gaze focused on the last member of the colorful squad who happened to be with her.

"Your bangs are long enough to tie them up, Akashi-kun. Hehe," She said, her voice carried a note of mischief. "Don't move."

She inched closer and raised her hands toward his head, carefully, for Akashi to grasp her intention. Confirming that he wasn't against it, she gathered his bang into a tuft of hair and fastened the elastic around it.

She backed up two steps and contemplated the result like an art critic in front a new artwork.

Akashi made no comment. With his forehead bare and a tuft of hair tied with bobbles over his head, was there anything he could comment on except for embarrassment and discomfort?

"You're looking scary rather than cute."

Ritsu continued to examine his looks (and engrave it into her heart. When would be the next time she'd see him like this again?) with an expert eye. Her smile was the only giveaway of mockery on her face, but she hardly laughed, however hilarious the redhead's appearance might be. Even with hair bobbles, Akashi still looked intimidating overall.

Such terrifying aura was enough to overpower innocence and cuteness. If one asked his peers, most would answer that Akashi was handsome, perfect, the prince charming, etc...but nobody would consider him as cute for a first impression.

Akashi was not cute in his speech or behaviour. You'd never see him handle things clumsily, trip over something or someone, whine, complain, throw tantrums, look at someone with puppy-dog eyes. Nonetheless, he wasn't devoid of cuteness. People just could not see it or didn't know him well enough to be able to claim that.

Bobbles might not bring the child in him out well but she recalled one item that made her see him in a new light.

"A crown would suit you better. Like that white flower one at the school festival. You've never looked so cute before." Ritsu took the elastic off and watched the tuft of hair fall back to cover his forehead in a disheveled way. Even so, Akashi barely lost any of his natural elegance. "A real crown might be splendid on you as well, Akashi-sama."

Yet, in her eyes, more than a king, an emperor, a prince charming, Akashi was...

"And antenna too."

"Antenna?"

"You know, like aliens have. They use them for telepathic communication or brainwashing humans or for offensive purpose." She put her hands above her head, wiggling her index fingers before straightening and pointing them towards him, "Akashi beaaam~! And Earth is pulverized."

"Am I that extraordinary to you."

"More than you can imagine."

Akashi pursed his lips in a smug smile.

---

"You even bought the bobbles." The redhead noted as they exited the shop.

She couldn't resist the temptation to buy the cute accessory, not for herself but for certain members of the rainbow squad. After seeing Akashi wearing them, there was no way she would not, and who knows? Murasakibara might need it when he eats, Midorima might need it as his lucky item of the day, Aomine might need it when his hair grows out, Kuroko might need to impress or stand out, and Akashi might need it when he practices or for P.E classes (or to threaten his teammates with).

She just wanted to be ready for any occasion in hopes to see the boys with bobbles.

"In case your hair gets in your way again. I'll keep them in bag, ready whenever you need them." She declared, mischeviously tapping on her school bag.

"It would not be a waste on you either."

"I already have this one for me."

The girl touched the blue ribbon hairpin, still attached to her hair. She couldn't bring herself to take it off, she had come to like the cute touch of feminity that it brought out. And well, they were the first accessories she'd bought in a while.

She was content with her shopping and she wouldn't mind going straight home to rest. Suddenly, it hit her. What was she feeling happy about, as if she's had a fulfilling day? There were still one thing left to do for her which was even the purpose of them strolling around the shopping district.

She still hadn't gotten Akashi his birthday present.

It seemed that Akashi wasn't the only one getting too comfortable around her, she was as well. It went so smoothly that it didn't feel like their first time hanging out in town together. Generally, they parted at the school gates, sometimes at the nearest bus station Akashi took to commute to and from school and some other times they ate out with the rest of the rainbow squad.

In fact, they have never been together and alone for so long outside of school (aside that one time at the coffee shop). But here she was, having so much fun with him that she completely went with the flow – To the point of forgetting how special today was.

Though she wondered what could make this day special to Akashi? To him, them shopping around was merely to celebrate the end of exams, not his birthday.

Ritsu sighed inwardly. If she didn't hurry, it might end up so.

A grimace twisted her face when she looked at the time on her cellphone. There wasn't much time left, about an hour at the absolute most before they must go home. She still read no intention from him to end their time together. Was he being considerate? She didn't care and was thankful that she still had the time to look for a present.

As long as nothing stood in her way. She could make it.

But that'd be too much to ask that things would go perfectly as planned, she thought when a haughty princess entered her field of vision.

A few meters away, Himeno Reiko was chatting with her friends in front of a coffee shop.

Ritsu froze in place, Honda's merry voice echoing in her head with her warning.

«By the way, be careful not to bump into Hime-chan. She also had plan in town with her friends. It's a small world after all!»

Ah yeah, it REALLY was a small world...The situation was so laughable that her fingers itched to text Midorima and ask him Aries' horoscope for today. Seriously, what were the chances of coming across her out of all of their classmates? She figured that it wasn't good but it wasn't bad either.

Hopefully, Himeno hadn't spotted them yet.

But considering her luck, it was only a matter of time and...

«And who knows what she might do if she sees you two hanging out alone~ »

You didn't need to be an oracle to predict that. Ritsu expected nothing but the worst from their possible encounter and she could not afford to waste time on finding a way to get rid of Himeno. She's already got her hands full with Akashi's birthday.

What would she do? Turn back? Cross the street? Hide in a shop? Negotiate? Turn into stone?

Before she could come up with a solution, Himeno's friend pointed their way. All alarms buzzed in Ritsu's head and her survival instinct kicked in.

"Asaka?" Akashi turned around, when she seized his hand and yanked him towards her.

Desperate times call for desperate measures!

"You're looking for a dress for Christmas eve? Ah, I heard a new clothes shop has been opened recently down that street! I went with my big sis last week and saw very cute dresses! Wanna go?"

In said direction, for a fraction of a second, she caught sight of an ashblonde and a distinctive tuff of blazing red hair. She narrowed her eyes, were they tricking her mind?

"What is it, Hime-chan?"

"I thought I saw a spiteful witch over there."

The princess watched the peculiar spot warily as if the girl'd reappear.

"What's with that?" One of the girls sneered.

Himeno flipped her hair back over her shoulder, "I must have imagined it. What would an unattractive and plain girl be doing here? And with him? There's nothing for her."

In a back alley, Ritsu kept a watchful eye on the main street. Even amidst the hustle and bustle going on around, her ears pricked up when hearing a high-pitched voice near their location; she could recognize it anywhere.

The voices were getting closer and closer, the ashblonde stiffened and pressed herself up against the wall more, trying to become one with the shadows.

Seconds later, Himeno and her friends emerged from the first building and soon disappear behind the other.

Disaster avoided. Her whole body relaxed instantly. She let out a deep sigh of relief as she backed up a step from the soft wall, almost missing its warmth, when it struck her where its source came from.

Body heat. Akashi's.

Upon the realisation, Ritsu raised her chin, only to face cat-shaped eyes looking straight at her. His gaze was penetrating her soul yet she couldn't take her eyes off of him, bewitched by the deep shade of red. They were of such vibrant and beautiful color. She had never seen his irises so up close, she could dive into them just to discover what lay beyond.

She looked into his eyes without moving, fearing to break this moment. His hot breath mingled with hers, she felt its delicate caress on her face as it evaporated in the air. But this ghostly touch on her lips virtually made her lose all sense of rationality, arousing an unknown desire in the deepest corner of her heart. Her gray blue eyes lowered on his slightly parted lips. No words, no sounds flew out of his mouth.

Even so, she felt attracted by them. Rosy. Soft. Warm. She yearned to run her fingertips over them. Taste them. Kiss them.

What was this fuzzy feeling? This burning and unstoppable desire?

Her heart raced. The loud and wild heartbeats drummed in her ears, making her deaf to anything around. Could Akashi hear it? It felt like they were just the two of them. Her head leaned closer to him, pulled by his breath. She sought his warmth, the touch of his lips.

Slowly. Slowly. The gap between them narrowed. Innocently. Tenderly. She would...

She would what?

Her forehead bumped into his, hard enough to bring her back to her senses. Then, it dawned on her what she was about to do to Akashi.

A kiss on the lips...What the hell has gotten into her? She had been caught up into the heat of the moment, she convinced herself so as to regain self-control. Even so, that wasn't enough to make excuses for her crazy action. What would have happened, had she landed that kiss?

Unable to sort out her own feelings, Ritsu grunted in frustration and shut her eyes close, taking a hold of herself.

Her heartbeat calming down a little, she reopened them to Akashi, staring at her in a perfect composure. He wouldn't move or utter a word.

"A-Akashi-kun...At times like these, you should struggle."

In response, the redhead barely budge. His gaze could drill a hole in her and force an apology out of her right away if he found it necessary. But she sensed no such intention from him and it troubled her to no end. When one did something bad, you get mad at them and scold them. Akashi didn't frown or glare at her, not even the slightest sign of displeasure she usually saw on his features whenever people crossed the line.

He left her utterly helpless.

Then his red eyes finally slid to one side, glancing at her hand pressed against the hard wall, a few centimenters from his head.

"I would if I could."

He rubbed salt into the wound, painfully reminding her of their current situation. Both her hands were holding Akashi captive after she forcefully pinned him against the wall. Indeed, there wasn't much he could do in that position. Having said that, no matter how small or defenceless the boy appeared to be, Akashi didn't fit the image of a meek and powerless sheep at all.

If anything, the whole situation would not have been taken this far with merely one word or move from him.

"Y-You won't make me believe you didn't learn a bit of self-defense. You're smaller than me but unless I'm mistaken, you can take a man twice your size down easily. I wouldn't be even surprised to hear that you're a black belt."

"I wouldn't hurt you unecessarily."

"At least, try to stop me...!" She rebuked him, only to let out an exhausted sigh after. Why was she getting mad like she was the victim? Guess one of them had to be angry to balance things out. Akashi was being awfully lenient (and passive). "...Well, I'm not totally blameless."

Ritsu jerked backward and released the small boy from her grasp. Despite having his freedom back, Akashi barely moved away from the cold wall and kept staring at her.

An apology should be in order.

"I'm sorry, Akashi-kun. I...acted without thinking and might have upset you."

He accepted it with a nod of the head, though it was uncalled for judging from his expression.

"No need to be so formal. A second late and Himeno-san would have spotted us. I assume you wanted to avoid confrontation with her; it's no secret in class that you made an ennemy out of her."

His understanding was truly appreciated right now. It saved her the hassle to explain at length which would have certainly made things between them more awkward than they already were.

"So you know..." She observed until she frowned at a detail. "You saw her?!"

"Hard to miss her. She was in front of us, just several meters away."

With just that, he turned her efforts into naught. Ritsu facepalmed and let out a groan. She would have opted for a less abrupt choice in order to avoid contact with Himeno, but because time was against her and Akashi had kept walking towards her innocently, she thought he didn't see her and wanted to spare him (rather herself) the trouble of dealing with the snobbish princess. So she had pulled him back violently and dragged him into the shady alley.

"I feel like an idiot. I really did something uncalled for, didn't I?"

"I don't dislike this rash side of you."

She rolled her eyes and whirled around to hide her blush. He wasn't mad at least.

Akashi trailed her as she scurried to the main street. As soon as he stepped onto it again, he stopped and gauged the ashblonde walking ahead from head to toe. His gaze shifted back to the dark alley, to the spot she had slammed him against the wall.

None of this would have happened so easily if he had been...