Okay, so! Longish AN ahead! Another chapter! It's got second-string in it, so if you guys were missing them, they're back. It's basically just a friendship/romance chapter to help move things forward naturally, but there's a bit of plot shoved into the crevices. On another note, it's really late... so I think the chapter is good, but I'm half dead so it might actually be pretty bad! If it is, I'm sorry! Eep! Also, there's a quote in here that I don't own... I got it off google so I don't know who it belongs too, just putting that out there.

Anyway, thank you guys. Seriously. All this support really encourages me, and if I'm feeling down I go back and read the comments. It pumps me up right away. You guys are the best. Thank you.

Warnings: Bad language, violence, poopy doopy editing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke.


Old and New

Her heart was racing, her palms were sweating, her mind was mush and all Hana could focus on the fatigue rushing through her veins. Her surroundings faded away into a mass of technicolor and the air reeked of sweat. An annoying thumping sound came from behind her, but Hana couldn't look if she tried. Her limbs refused to move.

"Oh my god," she panted, hands resting on her knees, "Stop moving so fast!"

"It's not my fault you're out of shape," Uoya taunted as he shot the ball into the net, "Seriously, I thought you were used to this. Don't you run?"

"I haven't had time!" Hana gasped before standing up to full height. Forcing her body to cooperate, she pouted toward her old friend. He had caught the rebound and situated himself under the net with an obnoxiously smug smirk, "I've been swamped! I'm barely getting into bed by midnight!"

"Is high school that hard?" Uoya jogged back toward her and passed the ball as he pondered, "You never complained back at Teiko."

"The work's harder; the last chemistry test murdered me," Hana rolled the ball between her palms thoughtfully, "But it's mostly my manager stuff. I never realized how much time it took to be sneaky."

Hana started to dribble and Uoya spread his arms out, blocking her passage, "What're you doing? I thought you grew out of all that."

"Nope," Hana ducked under his arm and raced past him. Doing a layup at the goal, she waited for Uoya to retrieve the ball before replying, "I think I've gotten worse actually. Since Inter-High began I've been to every single school we've played against—"

"You're kidding me," Uoya deadpanned, dribbling in front of her, "How many?"

"Only a few," Hana feinted aroundn him, slapping the ball out of his hands. Twisting on her heel she shot it back into the net, "Ha! Two in a row!"

"You can't just slap it! Use some skill!" Uoya raced toward the rebound, narrowly avoiding Hana's hands, "You're the worst at fouls, Hana-chan."

"You're just a sore loser," she stuck out her tongue, waiting as Uoya dunked the ball. The metal hoop clanged and his lanky body hung in the air before crashing to the ground, "Since when could you do that?"

"Since I got promoted to vice captain—"

"— Vice captain?!"

"Oh," Uoya blinked as he brought the ball to his chest, "I didn't tell you?"

"No!" childishly, Hana stomped her foot on the ground. Green eyes narrowed on her companion, "I've missed so much shit… You know how some women have girls nights? We need one of those."

"Want us to paint our nails? Watch movies?" Uoya mocked her, but he smiled to show his amusement, "We could have pillow fights."

"I was wondering when you'd hit puberty—"

And there goes the Uoya volcano, "Hana-chan! No!"

Smirking, Hana motioned for Uoya to pass her the ball. He did, though not without a very stern glare, and she bounced it hard against the court. Eyeing the orange ball, she voiced her thoughts, "What's happening over there? How's coach?"

"He's good," Uoya shrugged easily, "I visit him sometimes. You know his wife finally had a daughter?"

"Seriously?!" The ball stopped dribbling as she gaped, "Man, that sucks for the kid."

"… how?"

"She has four brothers!" Hana palmed the ball and passed it to Uoya, hard. He caught it before it slammed into his chest, but the smacking sound still rang out, "Think about when she starts dating! They're going to riot!"

"Hana-chan, his oldest son is six," Uoya tucked the ball under his arm, rubbing his palm distractedly, "You throw too hard— You were trying to hit me, weren't you?"

Smirking at the accusation, Hana flapped her hand around to signify her pervious point, "That's even worse! He'll be six years older than her boyfriend… hopefully."

"What's with this conversation?" Uoya quirked an eyebrow. His eyes were curious, but there was a knowing tone inside their brown depths, "Is this like a subconscious way to tell me you've suddenly become interested in boys?"

We are not going down that road! Hana skillfully ignored the question, "… you sound like a therapist."

"You're not answering the question," Uoya sung his words out as he walked toward her. Throwing a disgustingly sweaty arm over Hana's shoulder, her younger friend continued to tease, "It's alright! Hormones are a good thing!"

"Ughk!" Hana tried to dart away, but it was no use. Uoya had grown some serious muscle since joining first-string, "Go back to being a terrified underclassman! I don't like this sassiness!"

"Can't change it now," with a laugh, Uoya removed his arm, "You did it!"

"I didn't know it'd get this bad!"

"Your fault—"

The metal gate clanged open, making both teens turn their attention sideways. The site that greeted them was… unexpected to put it simply. Ever since Hana had known him, Iseri was always impeccable. He never had a strand of hair out of place, his uniform was always neat and tidy, his face was always deceptively calm. But oh no, not today.

"I didn't think you were going to make it—" Uoya was cut off by Iseri holding a hand up. The silence lasted a moment longer before the gate clanged open again, this time with a surprise guest. A hurricane of blonde came tumbling in before Iseri was grabbed by the shoulders. Hana blinked, that explains his appearance.

"Iseri-san!" tears dripped off the guest's cheeks, "You left me behind!"

Iseri stared at the blonde while taking a step back, "You didn't get off the bus fast enough."

"My bag was tied to the chair!"

"Oh," Iseri deadpanned, "That's unfortunate."

"You were trying to get rid of me!"

"Clearly," Iseri merely raised an eyebrow as he walked away from Kise toward the thunderstruck Hana. The black-haired teen grabbed her wrist before pulling her in front of him, "He's your friend. You deal with him."

"What—" Hana gaped at Kise. He was still ranting about the unfair treatment, but when Hana spoke he perked up, "Kise? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Imamura-cchi!" Kise smile was blinding and Hana could do no more than blink at the sight, "Did you know Iseri-san is in my class? I didn't realize who he was until yesterday!"

"That's interesting…" Hana was still drawing a blank. Shouldn't he have noticed that earlier? "But why are you here?"

"Well, I heard him mentioning that he was going to see you—"

In an uncharacteristic move, Iseri interrupted, "He eavesdropped on my conversation with Uoya-kun."

"That's not true," Kise waved the accusation off before turning back to Hana. He tried to keep the smile plastered on, but Hana caught the edge of irritation, "Anyway, he said I could come with him!"

"…" at his words, Iseri let out a soft hiss, "I said no such thing."

"You're so grumpy, Iseri-san," Kise pouted at the other teen. Meanwhile, Hana watched their interaction contemplatively. Iseri was obviously infuriated, but Kise, on the other hand, looked hurt. Except Hana could tell that was complete bullshit. Judging from the gleam in the blonde's eye, Kise knew exactly what he was doing. The only question is why?

"This is weird," Uoya began to dribble the ball again. Obviously trying to play off the awkwardness, he continued, "It's like Teiko all over again…"

"Huh?" now Hana was even more confused, "Are you talking about the game back in second year?"

"That's not what we're referring too," Iseri intoned, his eyes never leaving Kise, "I'm reminded of their attempts—"

"Iseri!" Uoya cut him off with a sharp look, "It's not a bad thing, Hana-chan. It just brings back some interesting memories. So, Kise-san?"

"Yes?" Kise moved his recently narrowed eyes away from Iseri and gave Uoya an angelic look, "I'm really sorry for interrupting!"

Iseri hissed again, "No you're not—"

"Okay, seriously not now," Uoya grumbled under his breath, "Anyway, since you're here Kise-san, want to play with us? That's what we were planning on doing."

"He doesn't—" Iseri started.

But Kise finished, "Sure!"

Ever thought you entered a parallel universe? Like, things look normal, but they aren't? Because that's how Hana felt at the moment. For one, Iseri was never angry! Like ever! For two, why was Kise here? Sure, he went to the same school as Iseri… but still. Watching Iseri twitch, again, Hana darted up toward him and held him back. My questions need some answers!

"Okay," she lowered her voice in hopes Kise couldn't hear, "What the hell is going on?"

Scoffing, Iseri flicked his hand toward Kise in obvious annoyance, "That… thing. He followed me here, Hana-chan. How do you put up with him?"

"It's an acquired taste," Hana admitted without shame. She pressed on, "I don't get it though… I didn't think you had a problem with him?"

"That was before I had direct contact with the neanderthal."

"Uhm…" Hana took a quick step back. What happened to calm Iseri? Besides, what do you say to that? On one hand, Hana definitely got where Iseri was coming from. But on the opposite hand, she was a little fond of the hyperactive blonde. A little, she assured herself, it's just a little.

Luckily, she was saved from replying by Uoya calling everyone to formation.

When she came to the half-court line, Kise gave her an excited smile before transferring it over to Iseri. It lost a bit of shine then, but Hana didn't call him out on it. Beside her, Iseri folded his arms across his chest and waited for Uoya to begin the game. Apparently, he had placed himself on her team.

Hana winced when she looked between the two groups. This… is going to be literal slaughter.

"Alright…" Uoya seemed to agree with her thoughts and examined the two teams distractedly, "First to five wins?"

"Awh," Kise gave Hana a desperate look, "Can I be on your team, Imamura-cchi?" I wish you were, trust me.

She'd seen the miracles play. She'd been up close and personal in fact. Hana had even played with Aomine once! Albeit, completely half-assed, but that's beside the point. But right now, she felt a bit like a rabbit facing off the wolf. Is this how all their opponents feel? Hana grimaced, I don't understand how Kagami enjoys this.

"We're already in teams, Kise-san," Uoya chastised, being the peacemaker of the rag tag group, "Just— just shoot the ball." … elegant.

With the grace expected of a model, Kise let out a dazzling smile, "Gotcha!"

Like Hana had predicted, the little game was an absolute slaughter. Since Iseri had quit playing basketball in school, he wasn't nearly up to Kise and Uoya's standards. Then there was Hana, the little manager, who couldn't even see above their damn heads! It was like a modern retelling of David versus the Goliath.

Uoya scored the first point in a second flat. Complete with the customary woosh. When Iseri retrieved the rebound, Hana tried to guard Kise. Keyword, tried. She couldn't even reach his freaking shoulders, how the hell was she going to block his passes? It was that problem that allowed Kise to score the second point.

The third point came during a face-off between Iseri and Kise. Iseri had traded places with Hana and was attempting to guard their goal, but Kise was quicker and the ball went into the net. Hana had never seen Iseri so incensed… it was a bit amusing. Maybe my temper rubbed off on him more than we thought. The fourth point came in much the same way.

Now the fifth point, oh man, the fifth point. Kise and Uoya both looked sympathetic by then, which pissed her off. Uoya hadn't even tried to block her pass! He'd just let her give the ball to Iseri with no trouble! Then, Kise had the audacity to toss her the ball instead of shoot! At that, Hana stopped dribbling and held the ball between her palms.

"Hey," she glared at the two assholes, "Just because we suck doesn't mean you get to stop trying."

"Hana-chan," Uoya tried to console her, but Hana just glared harder, "It's not like that—"

"We just don't want you to get tired!" Kise chirped from behind Uoya. His gold eyes were shining in mirth, obviously uncaring about the rudeness of their gesture, "You are a girl—"

Hana shut him up. Oh, she definitely shut him up.

Copying Kagami's first move against Kise, Hana launched the ball at the blonde's face. He caught it, of course, but his laughter was cut short when Hana stomped up to him. Digging her finger into the blonde's hard stomach, she growled, "Don't. I can be a girl and still kick your ass."

Iseri sighed in the background and Hana could imagine his annoyance, "Hana-chan… stop picking fights."

She turned around to snap back at Iseri, but a hand latching around her wrist distracted her. When she turned back toward Kise, he was looking down at her with a smooth smile, "That's not what I was implying, Imamura-cchi."

"…" that got serious really quick. Instead of replying to Kise directly, Hana yanked her hand back and hissed at the other team, "Whatever, just for that we're starting over! Come on, Iseri!"

"I'd rather not—" Hana grabbed him by the arm and dragged him toward the center court. The game started again moments later, and just like the first time, Hana and Iseri were slaughtered. At least this time, Uoya and Kise didn't make the same mistake. In fact, Kise seemed to play even harder, completely leaving Hana in the dust.

Fifteen minutes later, she was curled up in a ball, resting against the concrete. Iseri was just as tired, but he put on a strong face in an appearance of ease. Hana was just a tad bit jealous of him for it. Okay… a lot jealous, but whatever. Meanwhile, Uoya wore a rueful smile and his partner, Kise, actually looked a bit worried.

"Imamura-cchi?" Kise squatted down beside her head, his face painted in concern, "Are you alright?"

"I'm just dying," Hana huffed into the ground, "It's cool."

"We shouldn't have played twice," Uoya scolded from the background. Despite her aching lungs, Hana shot him the finger. He didn't say anything else. Good.

"Awh," that was all Hana heard before she was lifted off the ground. Her body was pressed into a firm chest and she was assaulted with the smell of sweat. Ignoring the unpleasant smell, Hana looked at the ground before her eyes bugged out of her head, "I'm sorry, Imamura-cchi!"

"Uhm… you might not want to do that—"

"Kise-san, put her down."

"Woah," Hana yelped, reflexively throwing her arms around Kise's neck. It was an insanely high drop, in her opinion at least, "Shit! Why?!"

In a move that had Hana's hackles rising, Kise smiled mischievously, "You just looked so tired! You should probably rest your legs!"

"Kise! I'm going to—" Hana shrieked when he pretended to drop her, "Let me go!"

"Are you sure?" Kise repeated the fake drop. His eyes lit up when Hana screamed and a loud laugh passed through his lips, "I don't think you want me to!"

In the background, Uoya and Iseri exchanged looks. Both boys appeared to be annoyed, but they said nothing to hint at their displeasure. Instead, Uoya dragged a hand down his face before looking up to the sky. Iseri continued to watch his former manager flail and his mouth pursed into a thin line as her screaming got louder.

"Ugh," Uoya looked back to Iseri with a half-grimace, "This is weird."

Iseri agreed wholeheartedly, "I believe the correct term is sickening."

"Is this how you feel with your sister?"

"It is."

"… great."


So, this was awkward. With a capital, A.

Eyeing the noodles in front of her, Hana trailed her eyes to the blonde sitting across from her. At her look, Kise gave her an excited smile, reminiscent of a puppy. On his opposite side, Uoya had a mouth full of noodles and scrolled through his phone and across from him, beside Hana, Iseri had his hands neatly folded in front of him. A little family of basketball players… how quaint.

"So," Hana swallowed the lump of food in her mouth, "Did we go out to eat just to stare at each other?"

"It seems so," Iseri intoned before picking up his chopsticks and poking at his food, "It wasn't my intention to come here, but it seems Kise-san had other plans."

"Hey," Kise chirped back, "I was hungry! All that playing wore me out!"

"I'm sure," Iseri's voice was deadpan.

"Iseri-san," Kise let out a long whine, "You're so grumpy! Are you that mad I followed you?"

"Yes," while Iseri's voice was calm, he still stabbed into his noodles, "I'm also unhappy that you dragged me to your practice. It was unneeded."

"I couldn't just skip practice! Captain would punch me!"

Raising an eyebrow, Iseri stared Kise down, "There was no need to force me to come."

"Yes, there was," Kise's voice sang out, "You wouldn't have let me come!"

"Have you ever thought it's because I didn't want you to come?"

"Guys," Uoya finally put his phone down and stared at the two boys, "Can we not do this? Just get along, right Hana-chan?"

"Sure," Hana ducked her head to hide her amused smirk. Their bickering was actually pretty funny. Now they know how I feel, "I would think you guys would get along though. Since you go to the same school and everything."

"That has nothing to do with my friend preference," Iseri sniffed. I still love you, conscientious asshole.

"Isn't that why we're friends though?" Hana countered with a raised chopstick, "You hated me when we first met, but we grew on each other."

"Woah," Kise interjected himself, tired of being ignored, "You guys didn't like each other? That's weird, Imamura-cchi."

"Hana-chan is good at hating people," Uoya offered for her, "Don't you know that?" Was that a double meaning I spied there, Uoya-kun?

"Uhm," Kise suddenly looked uncomfortable at the subject change, "I guess so… it's true we didn't really get along at first."

"More like extreme mutual hatred," Hana scoffed. Her eyes landed on the table at the onslaught of memories, "Weird how we got here."

"I don't think it's weird," Kise's smile grew, obviously thinking about their first encounters too, "I'm glad it happened, besides, I could never hate Imamura-cchi!"

"…" Hana rolled her eyes, but her comment lacked any heat, "Sure, Kise." Stop being so adorable.

When the table rolled into silence again, Uoya turned his attention toward Iseri, "Did you ever hear back from Kitano? He never showed up."

"No—" Iseri was interrupted by Hana's startled gasp.

"Shit! I was supposed to call him today!"

"That'd be redundant," Iseri gave her a sharp look for her interruption, "His phone is broken."

'Are you kidding me?" Hana gaped at Iseri before slamming her palms on the table, "No! I need him!"

"What?" Kise's head was rotating between the three friends, obviously confused, "Are you okay, Imamura-cchi?"

"Yeah," Hana began to shove noodles into her mouth. Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go. Unconscious of how gross she appeared, she began to talk, "I've got to go to Meijo tomorrow! Ugh, it would have been so much easier if he helped me!"

"Woah, Hana-chan," Uoya gawked at her, "Slow down!"

"I can't!" She shoved one last bite of food into her mouth, "I gotta plan now! I didn't want to plan!"

"Plan what?" Iseri commented, his eyes watching the new spectacle impassively, "Don't tell me…"

"Yup!" Swallowing, Hana smirked before grabbing her bag, "Meijo's next on the list. I've already got Shinkyo and Jitsuzen."

The atmosphere radiated exasperation and Uoya grimaced at the thought, "You shouldn't be this excited."

"Can't blame me," Hana jumped out of her chair with a flourish, "This is like my life dream come true!"

While the three boys thought over this new development, Kise was the one who turned to Hana first, "Do you need me to walk you back, Imamura-cchi?"

"Nah, thanks for the offer though," Hana gave him a genuine smile, "I'm glad I got to see you Kise. I'll text you soon, okay?" She turned to Uoya and Iseri next, "You two! Next weekend? Same place?"

"Got it Hana-chan," Uoya gave her a returning smile, but there was a hint of anticipation behind his eyes, "Be careful, okay?"

"Will do!" with that answer, Hana was speeding out the door.

Back at the table, Kise looked flabbergasted. He hadn't expected that new development and he was a bit disappointed that his evening plan was cut short. When he turned back to the other two boys, he almost did a double take to find them both staring back at him. His hand came up to play with golden locks to stifle his apprehension.

Choosing the nicest of the two, Kise turned to Uoya, "Well, I should probably head out now—"

"No, that's alright Kise-san," Uoya gave Kise a sharp smile before placing his chopsticks down, "This is kind of nice actually, I wanted to talk to you."

"Uoya-kun," Iseri scolded in a mild tone, "You're channeling Hana-chan."

"That's the point," Uoya smirked back at his old teammate before focusing his gaze back onto the nervous looking Kise, "Speaking of Hana-chan, how do you feel about her Kise-san?"

"Uhm…" Kise trailed off, looking toward the door hopefully, "She's my friend?"

"You don't sound positive," Iseri intoned, black eyes locked onto Kise's golden, "We just wanted to be certain your intention were honorable."

"My intentions?!" Kise gawked before slamming back into his chair. Was this an intervention?! Where had he gone wrong? How had he ended up here? This wasn't the plan!

"Yeah, those," Uoya's fingers tapped a little beat against the table, "We just want to look out for her, you know?"

"We wouldn't like a repeat of our Teiko years," Iseri's smile was chilling and Kise almost began to shiver, "Would we, Kise-san?"

He moved like lightning. One second Kise was there, the next he was gone.

Uoya and Iseri exchanged looks, but both boys were secretly pleased. They'd gotten there message across and they didn't even have to talk much. The miracles might be terrifying, but no one can survive the wrath of the over-protective-brother-syndrome. They ate the rest of their dinner with a sense of contentment.

Meanwhile at her house, Hana stared down at her phone. Her information on Meijo Academy was almost complete, but she wanted a little bit more. Her mind raced toward Kitano and Hana scowled at the reminder. Of all the times for the little brat to break his phone… Glancing back down at her phone, Hana's face brightened.

Her voice was reverent as she whispered, "Blackmail?"

That would prevent Kitano from denying her request. Jumping off her bed, Hana made her way toward her computer. When she plopped into her cushioned chair, she heard a distinct voice whispering that this was a bad idea. It sounded like Kiyoshi. She waited a few seconds. Doesn't a devil accompany the angel on your shoulder?

Minutes passed but Hana didn't hear anyone encouraging her to do the dastardly deed. Okay, I must be pretty damn terrible to not even have a devil on my shoulder. Does that mean I'm my own devil?

Ignoring the thought, Hana flipped her laptop open and selected the file she was looking for. A little pop up of all her former teammates appeared on the screen and Hana scrolled until she clicked on Kitano's name. When it loaded, her lips formed a smirk.

"Something not too mean," she scrolled down the first layer, "But it has to make an impact."

Finding the album for Kitano's birthday party during sixth year, Hana clicked the link. She scrolled past the images of birthday cakes and presents until she got to the part where they played truth or dare. Perfect.

"Who knew Kitano would look so good in a dress," Hana folded her arms across her chest after hitting print, "It's beautiful."

Hopefully, Kiyoshi didn't find out.


It was safe to say that Kitano was not expecting his day to go like this. He'd been on his way out of the school, talking to another player as they headed toward practice. They were laughing and having a grand old time. Kitano was teasing the other guy about his new girlfriend and how sappy they were. You know, all in all, normal guy talk.

Everything was going smoothly until he passed a bush. He didn't even notice the bush, other than maybe a passing glance. Same with his friend. Instead, the two boys just kept walking. It was when the bush started moving that Kitano finally paid attention to the suspicious shrubbery.

Nudging his friend with his elbow, both boys stopped to look at it. More specifically, the tennis shoes hanging out from underneath.

"The hell," Kitano breathed out and the bush abruptly stopped walking, "You're seeing this right?"

"Yeah… what's it doing?"

"Someone's in there—"

Kitano was cut off when the goddamn bush started sprinting toward them. It was strangely threatening for a piece of vegetation. Both boys let out startled shouts before running like hell. It was too bad that Kitano tripped over his own feet when he tried to race after his friend. The quick trip to the ground was enough time for the shrubbery to descend upon him, scratchy leaves and all.

He struggled. Kitano struggled pretty damn hard in his opinion. He wasn't going to die, especially at the hand of a psychotic gardener!

Unfortunately, he was no match for the weirdo in the bush. His fate was further sealed when sharp little teeth dug into the skin of his arm. Despite the pained shriek he let out, Kitano felt a hint of relief break through his terror. At least he knew who the hell was in the bush. But why's the she-devil here?!

The teeth dug further into his arm and Kitano pulled on long black hair reflexively, "What are you doing here?! Get off me, Hana!"

"…" Hana let go at the sound of her name, but the bush didn't move from on top of him. The aura his former manager radiated was enough for Kitano to gulp and hastily let go of her hair. A few silent seconds passed before Hana smiled with demonic intent, "Hey, Kitano-kun. We need to have a chat."

"I swear I didn't do anything!"

"I know that," Hana purred and Kitano let out a curse, "I just want to talk about a new little proposition I thought of. You don't mind, right?"

Flash-forward one kidnapping later and Kitano sat across from her, eyeing the papers with contempt. Meanwhile, Hana continued to sip her delicious coffee. Seriously, this stuff was good. She'd have to remember this place… it'd be a long walk, but hell, it'd be so worth it. A cough distracted her from her coffee high and Hana blinked back up at Kitano.

"Okay," the bald boy had a finger pointing at the contract, "If I sign this you'll get rid of the pictures?"

The contract was a masterpiece. Not trying to stroke her own ego or anything, but she clearly had the ability to be a lawyer. In that little pile of paper, Hana had included several clauses for Kitano to agree too. In exchange for her help with future opponents, Kitano would be agreeing to give her information about the members of his team, the abilities of past opponents, and insights into other games.

The pictures were just an insurance policy, you know, in case he flipped his shit. She wouldn't actually use them, but if Kitano knew she had them, he'd be much more inclined to agree with her.

"That was the plan," Hana sipped on her coffee delicately, "I'll hand them over to you as soon as you're done."

Kitano snorted before grabbing the pen, "What about the ones on your computer?"

"I haven't the faintest clue what you're referring too—"

"Bullshit," Kitano's hand moved fluidly, signing his signature at the bottom of the page, "Man… those were from sixth year, why the hell do you still have them? Also, I get to delete them off your computer." Yeah, not happening my friend.

"I've got a blackmail file saved for everyone," Hana snagged the contract away from him before pouting, "You crossed out some of it."

Kitano raised an incredulous eyebrow, "I'm not recruiting my teammates. What the hell made you think of that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" She blinked at her friend, "They're thugs. Every mafia boss needs thugs."

"Yeah, how about no." Well… there goes that plan.

"Party pooper," Hana scowled at him, but the twitch of her lips betrayed her, "So, just to make sure, you aren't mad? Because I really don't want to deal with your shitty attitude."

Her friend frowned down at the wooden counter top, hand rubbing his chin distractedly, "Not really. I kind of expected this eventually, you know? I would have done it without the damn blackmail though; that kind of pissed me off."

Okay, maybe she'd gone a bit overboard. Unable to stop the blush, Hana tried to explain her thought process, "I was trying to be authentic!"

"Yeah," Kitano scoffed, "I got that. Don't do it again."

"…" Hana let out a dejected sigh, but she didn't argue any further, "Fine."

Silence spread across the table. Her friend continued to frown thoughtfully, but his face began to even out the longer he waited. Meanwhile, Hana dug into her bag and retrieved the photos. Placing them down on the table, she slid them toward Kitano. It looked a bit like a sketchy drug deal… manila folder and all. I hope this isn't a premonition.

Kitano let out a slow sigh before a tan hand came out and retrieved the envelope. He didn't actually open the folder, but his shoulders lost a bit of the tension at having them back in his possession. The silence continued and Hana finally allowed herself to twitch. It's never good when temperamental people are quiet.

When he finally replied, Hana didn't like the shine in his eyes, "You're paying for my food."

That shit! Her mouth gaped, "What the hell, no!"

"Then next time don't blackmail me!"

"Authenticity!"

"No one actually does this, Hana! Stop watching movies!"

xXxXxXx

Today was the game between Seirin and Meijo Academy. Per the contracts request, Kitano was waiting for Hana and going to the game with her. While she was upstairs trying to look presentable, Kitano was sprawled out across her couch downstairs. They'd both been assaulted with calls from their respective teammates, but they both chose to ignore them. They should know the deal by now, anyway.

The whole situation reminded her of Teiko; it was almost uncanny. It was also a bit heart breaking.

The nostalgia continued during the walk. Everything reminded her of her old second-string teammates and Kitano was not helping. He kept bringing up old memories, crazy escapes, and recounts of hellish trainings. While it created an ache in her heart, Hana also felt a bit of relief. Even though they all went their separate ways, they'd never forget each other.

When they got to the sports complex, they were a bit late. By a bit late, Hana meant about five minutes late. Which wasn't a big deal! Nope, not at all… Unless your name was Hyuuga. Her hand was latched around Kitano's as they raced down the hall, her old friend spewing an endless amount of curses every time he tripped. Which was quite often. Aren't basketball players supposed to be good on their feet?

When they reached the correct door, Hana didn't even push it open. She just slammed her body into it, subsequently Kitano's too, and the two teens blew into the room with a loud bang. If the whole place could stop talking simultaneously, it just did. Every eye was on her and Kitano, emotions ranging from deadly anger to tired amusement.

"Shit, Hana," Kitano panted as he used her hand to pull himself back up, "You really know how to make an entrance."

"…" blushing, Hana drove her elbow into his gut, "Shut up. They just need to make automatic doors."

"You'd break them!"

"What? I wouldn't! Have some faith in me, man."

"For you? Hell no."

While the two former teammates continued to bicker playfully, they missed the appearance of a very irate tiger stomping toward them. He was shadowed by his shadow, a pun Izuki would have loved, but neither Kitano nor Hana saw their approach. In fact, Hana had just pulled Kitano into a headlock when Kagami's hand landed on her shoulder.

When Hana tilted her head up, she was assaulted with the feeling of dread. She tried to play off her shaking voice, "Hey, there Kagami. How you doing?" … Please spare me.

"Imamura," the red head's voice was a growl, "Where have you been?"

"Well, you see, I was just running behind a bit. That's when I ran into my good old friend Kitano—"

"Imamura-san," Kuroko's appearance made her jump, but Kagami remained infallible, "It's rude to lie."

"What he said," Kagami let go of her shoulder before crossing his arms in front of his chest, "We told you to show up on time!"

"Okay," Hana stalled, trying to phrase her words in the most respectful way possible, "We are…" she fished her phone out of her sock, "Only five minutes late! Don't tell me your turning into Hyuuga-senpai, Kagami?"

"You're still late!"

"The game hasn't even started!"

"Hey," Kitano had slipped out of her headlock and now he stood behind Hana with a sharp smile, "Are you Hana's teammates?"

"We are," Kuroko intoned, causing Kitano to jump in shock. Her blue haired teammate simply blinked, "It's good to see you again, Kitano-san."

"You?!" Kitano gaped at Kuroko before turning to Hana, "You didn't tell me he followed you!"

Raising her eyebrows in offense, Hana argued back, "You didn't ask!"

"I shouldn't have to!"

"Oh, so I'm a mind reader now?"

In the background, Kagami slowly lost the edge of his temper. Watching Hana argue with the strange boy was an enlightening experience. Was that how they sounded all the time? It was annoying as hell. Beside him, Kuroko wore a face of resignation as he watched the two interact with one another. It was the way the ghostly player's eyes scanned over the new guy that had Kagami speaking.

"You know him?" Kuroko turned at Kagami's words and the tiger inclined his head toward Kitano, "You called him by his name."

"I do," Kuroko tilted his head a bit, "He was one of her old teammates from middle school."

"Huh," filing that information away, Kagami turned back to the arguing pair. Placing a hand on Hana's head, he shoved her away from Kitano before addressing the boy himself, "You're with Meijo, right?"

While Hana clawed at Kagami's hand, Kitano eyed the red head with impassive eyes, "I am. I'm guessing you're on Seirin?"

"I am," outstretching the hand the wasn't holding Hana back, Kagami waited for a handshake, "Kagami Taiga."

Kitano grasped the other's hand in a firm grip, "Kitano Toki."

"Oh look," Hana commented thoughtfully, watching the two boys little pissing contest, "Your initials match!"

"Shut up, Imamuara."

"Hana. Shut up."

Okay, that was weird. Her eyes widened as the two boys spoke simultaneously and Hana turned astonished eyes onto Kuroko. Her blue haired friend didn't seem surprised by the occurrence and he simply blinked at Hana's inquiring stare. Thanks for your help, Kuroko. Meanwhile, Kagami and Kitano were still sizing each other up.

"…." Hana twitched before taking a step back. When Kagami's hand fell off her forehead, she questioned, "Shouldn't we join our teams now?"

She could feel their stares drilling into the trio's back. The sharpest one, directed at her head of course, felt suspiciously like Hyuuga's and Hana was not looking forward to that. Luckily, at her words, the two hot tempered boys backed off from one another with a brotherly head nod. No, they can't be friends! Oh god! The horror!

While Kitano and Kagami exchanged in a quick goodbye conversation, Kuroko stepped up to Hana and offered her a hand, "You're right, Imamura-san. We should go, Kagami-kun will follow."

"Alright…" as her cheeks pinked a bit, Hana slipped her hand into Kuroko's before tossing out a goodbye over her shoulder, "Good luck, Kitano! I'll meet up with you after the game!"

"Okay— Hey!" Kitano choked on whatever he was about to say, eyes bulging out as he stared after Hana's back, "Don't hold her hand!"

At the outraged cry from the rival player, Kagami turned back to Kitano with raised brows. The bald boy's vein was bulging from his forehead dramatically and his eyes stayed locked on their managers back. Shooting a glance back to Hana, Kagami returned his gaze back to Kitano.

"Oi," the red head's voice broke Kitano's stare, "You should go get ready. Your team looks like they need you."

Kitano turned toward his teammates only to blanch. He'd never seen them look so terrified and his captain paled when Kagami turned to look too. Kitano's team broke out into terrified shivers, only making Kitano's confusion more prominent, "What happened to them?"

Giving a shrug, Kagami replied, "We faced them before."

"What—" Kitano cut himself off when Kagami turned away from him. The bald boy's eyes narrowed on his back before Kitano stalked toward his teammates, "That guy…" Kitano scoffed, "It's like another miracle in the making. Great."

After a thorough lashing from her irate captain, Hana was sulking on the bleacher. She was sensing a pattern in the making. Even Riko gave her a pitying look and that was saying something! It seemed like everyone on the team approved of her information gathering except for Hyuuga. Maybe the guy had more morals then Hana thought?

The players lined up and Hana deadpanned at the look of absolute fear on Meijo's faces. In the middle of the line-up, Kitano was looking between his teammates with astonishment. The whistle blew and the game started. From point one, it was thoroughly in Seirin's favor. Watching her old friend flounder against her old friends, Hana had to suppress a wince. I should have warned him or something.

The quarters passed by quickly. Each time the whistle blew out, Seirin had amassed at least fifteen points. While Meijo looked exhausted, Seirin was still going strong. Eyeing Kitano, Hana slipped away from her teammates and made her way to the opposite sideline. The only one who noticed her was Mitobe, and since he didn't talk, Hana's escape went unpunished.

Popping up next to the Meijo bleacher, Hana hung back. It wouldn't do for the other players to see her. Much less the guy whose wallet she stole, Kurkawa or something like that. When the final whistle rang out, the Meijo players made their way to the sidelines and Hana made her move.

"Kitano," she hissed, drawing the attention of her old friend. When he came toward her, she enveloped him into a tight hug, "You did good."

"Sure," Kitano's voice sang with self-pity, "Hana, we lost 41 to 108."

"Yeah, but you tried," she tightened her arms around him before resting her head against his chest, "Even though you lost, you seriously improved."

Though he scoffed, Kitano patted her on the back, "Thanks. I know you're just saying that, but still."

"I'm not," removing herself from the hug, Hana stepped back and gave him a once over, "You've got better muscle structure, you didn't miss a single shot, you even stood your own against Kagami and that's saying something. Guy's a monster."

"I noticed," with a slight smirk, Kitano trailed his eyes over to her new teammates, "They like, flock to you or some shit."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Nah— holy shit."

"Huh?" Hana blinked at the abrupt change of pace, "What is it?"

"I was just kidding when I said that," Kitano's voice was weak as he stared over her shoulder, "I wasn't serious."

"I know that—" Hana was cut off by Kitano grabbing her shoulders and turning her around. The sight that met her eyes was a group of orange. In the middle of the orange lump stood a proud head of green and Hana gawked. It took a few moments to manage a reply, "He looks like a carrot."

"Hana, seriously?"

"It's just an observation!" Hana defended herself before quieting as Kagami stomped toward Midorima. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but the handshake Kagami offered was apparently a ploy and the red head scribbled something out across Midorima's palm.

"Think you should head over there?" Kitano's voice broke her out of her observation, "Not that I'd complain if Midorima got his face punched in, but disqualification would be a pain to deal with."

"You're right," her voice was distracted while she watched, "Are you going to hang around or head home?"

Kitano just shrugged, "Depends on how long you'll be."

"We've got a game after this," Hana admitted, frowning when Kuroko came up to join Kagami, "That kid. What's with him pissing off people taller than him?"

"Don't know," Kitano admitted. It was silent for a moment before he tossed his arm over her shoulder and pulled her into a side-hug, "You know, no matter what you do, I'm here for you."

What? Hana paused and turned her eyes up to Kitano's, "What do you mean?"

"You can't be that blind," Kitano blinked down at her. His face quickly changed into a look of exasperation, "You are that blind. Are you kidding me?"

"Obviously not. Since I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"You've got gooey eyes," Kitano deadpanned, "I don't know which one it's directed at, hell it could be both, but you're all weird. Like those fangirls back at Teiko."

"I am not!" Hana slammed her elbow into Kitano's gut, smirking at his cough of pain, "I'm not gooey eyed, man that sounds disgusting. Anyway, I'm not!"

"…" when his pained moan trailed off, Kitano brought a head to his forehead, "You know, for a girl that likes to know everything about people, you sure don't know shit when it comes to yourself."

"You… you are a dick," she wasn't blushing, no, it was just hot in here, "Since when did you know so much?"

"I'm pretty familiar with wanting someone you don't think you can have," Kitano ruffled her hair before shoving her shoulder forward, "You better go to your team. That black-haired guy is all up on your man."

"Kitano!"

"Talk to you later, Hana!" Kitano had already started to walk away, but he shot a smug grin over his shoulder, "Remember, if you get hurt I'm down to beat some ass."

With a pout, Hana stared after him, "Jerk."

Turning away from her old friend, Hana turned back to the show off. Kitano was right, Kuroko was being assaulted by a black-haired guy. Squaring her shoulders, Hana put on her best bitch face and marched forward. She could deal with this guy, she could deal with Midorima, she could deal with it all. And I can do it all without making so-called gooey eyes!

"Kuroko!" Hana called right before coming to a stop in front of her blue haired friend and his assailant, "Who's this?"

Kuroko blinked, "I'm not sure."

"Oh," well that made things awkward. Turning to the other guy, Hana repeated her question, "Who are you?"

"Takao Kazunari!" The newly named Takao smirked at her, "And if I'm guessing correctly, you're Imamura-chan?"

"…" what is this, the twilight zone? Trailing her eyes over to Kuroko, Hana waited for a look of approval or something. When he didn't offer her anything, she turned back to Takao, "That's me. Mind telling me how you know that?"

"Shin-chan talked about you," Takao removed his arm from around Kuroko's shoulders and gave her a sly grin, "I didn't know he had such a cute girlfriend though~"

"Girlfriend," Hana deadpanned. Her eyebrow was steadily climbing up her forehead, "Well that's a first. I would have thought he mentioned how much of a pain in the ass I was."

"Nope!" Takao took a step toward her, sharp eyes trailing over her outfit, "You know, he checks your horoscope. Especially after he came to watch you guys at the preliminaries!"

"Cool," what else was she going to say? The fact that Midorima came to watch didn't really surprise her. He went to the practice game against Kaijo after all. Studying Takao, Hana asked her next question, "So you two seem pretty close. Shin-chan? Never heard that before."

"Imamura-san," Kuroko cautioned from the background before lacing his hand around her own, "I don't think you should—"

"She's trying to induct me into her spy ring!" bringing a hand to his chest, Takao let out an excited chuckle, "I've got to say I'm honored, but I have to decline!"

Her heart stopped for a minute. What? There's no way… How had he known? Green eyes trailed over Takao in thought and a second passed before she growled out her findings, "That little carrot! He eavesdropped!"

"…" Takao collapsed into giggles, "Carrot! Ha!" His laughter was cut short when Hana ripped her hand away from Kuroko's and began to march toward Midorima, "Hey, wait!"

She ignored him, anger steadily climbing as she marched. Her sights were set on Kagami and Midorima who were both staring each other down. Distractedly, Hana registered the words written on the bespeckled teen's hand, but she pushed the curiosity down in favor of indignation. Eavesdropping! No! I am the sneaky one!

"Okay," when Hana got close enough she cut in front of Kagami. Ignoring the tiger's growl, she glared up at Midorima, "As a fellow eavesdropper, I understand the temptation. I get it, honestly. But—" she took a step closer until she was face to chest with the shooter, "Don't do it on my team!"

"Imamura," Midorima's voice was calm, but Hana sensed his annoyance by the way he pushed his glasses up, "I had been hoping to avoid confrontation with you."

"Confrontation? With me?" Her upper lip pulled into a snarl, "I could say the same to you… you stupid carrot! Everything would have been fine and dandy if you hadn't intervened with my shit!"

His green eyes flashed down at her, "I don't have the patience for your meddling. None of us do—"

"You had enough patience to spread the information around," Hana's voice went back to suitable volume levels, "And I'm not meddling. I'm part of a team. I help my team."

"I'm doing the same," Midorima continued to speak in a monotone, "I'm simply ridding my team of your useless distractions."

His face looks mighty bruise-able. "If you weren't so damn tall—"

A hand landed on her shoulder, freaking Kagami, and Hana was forcibly moved beside him. The red head shot her an annoyed look before turning toward Midorima, "So you watched us? You're that scared?"

"No," Midorima looked away from Kagami dismissively, "I was expecting to see your defeat."

Bristling, Hana hissed from beside Kagami's arm. Apparently, the red head was of the same mind set because he took a threatening step toward Midorima, "Don't underestimate us."

"I wouldn't waste the effort doing so," Midorima turned away from Kagami and his eyes searched for his teammate. When they landed on Takao, he began to walk away with one last, "Your fate is sealed. There is nothing left for you to do."

Him and his stupid horoscopes! Hana growled after him, "Fate is for those too weak to make their own destinies!"

Midorima froze, Kagami froze, everyone in the whole universe seemed to freeze. All eyes were on Hana, and this time, every emotion displayed the same wide-eyed surprise. It lasted all of ten seconds before Izuki started cracking up in the background with Takao quickly following. Hana's face flushed, but she continued to glare after Midorima even when the green haired teen walked away.

"Imamura-san," Kuroko spoke from beside her opposite shoulder, "We should join our teammates."

She allowed Kuroko to lead her away, face still flaming. Okay. That had been lame and she was regretting it completely. Midorima hadn't even reacted! The one time she says something meaningful, and everyone laughs at her! Even the stupid tiger was chuckling under his breath as he followed behind them.

When they joined up with their teammates, Hana ignored Izuki as he bounded up toward her. The senior's eyes were flashing with pride, but she was still focused on Midorima's back. While she was definitely pissed he got the upper hand on her little plan, another part of her felt a different fear.

In a fluid movement, Midorima turned around and his eyes scanned over their little group. His green connected to her own and Hana felt her heart stop for the second time that day. While Midorima looked indifferent, she saw that edge underneath his mask. Whatever it was, she didn't know, but it scared her a bit.

Listening to Izuki's onslaught of pun masterpieces, Hana felt her thoughts go astray.

Midorima wouldn't tell anyone besides his team… right?


Reviews!

AngelicHallows: Hey, no worries! It's not selfish at all! Thank you for sticking with me through all this, though. The kind of support you give me really helps! I'm glad you liked last chapter! Honestly, I'm so glad! I was really worried you guys as readers would think her idea was too theatrical, so I'm glad to hear some support. Finally, thank you for another great review! I promise I won't give up on this story! I'm here for the long run, no matter how long it may be!

ArchimedesAckerman: Ahh! Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! And yes, Riko and Kiyoshi's scene was one of my favorites last chapter. Again, thank you!

Jazmeme: Yup, finally back! Sorry for these longs waits! I'm glad you liked last chapter, thank you so much! Seriously, thank you!

OneWhoReadsTooMuch: I love the evil schemes, except sometimes they kind of hurt my head. Hana's a very hard character to keep up with. I'm glad you like Kuroko and Hana, I think they're cute too! And yes, poor Kagami, I've got lots of plans for that guy. Thank you for another great review!

Anime1Freak: Awh, thank you!

Naliyu: It holds lots and lots of chaos, so much chaos. Anyway, thank you for another review! I'm glad you liked last chapter!

Crystalviolet24: Ah! Happy to hear I got Kiyoshi correctly! It's a bit hard jumping from crazy Hana to calm Kiyoshi. On the subject of Tanimura, let's hope he doesn't know about Hana's plan! Thank you for another great review. Your support for my story has been amazing and I'm so thankful for it!

NinjaPenguinLover: It would have been funny for her to lick him. Might happen in the future? You've got me thinking about possible scenes. And dude, ship her with whoever you want! I don't mind one bit! Thank you for your review!

ADDBaby: Ahhh! I'm glad she's perfectly, imperfect. Makes me happy. And it could be hardcore henry? I've never seen the movie, le gasp. Anyway, thank you for another review. On a side note, I'm still thinking about those birdies. They haunt my dreams in the best (cutest) way possible.

Amgs: If I ever get the time to write it, I will! (I make no promises tho, so please, please don't be disappointed) Thank you for your review! Also, thank you for your support! It really means a lot… like seriously thank you!

Volley-14-nerd: Yes! Espionage ring! Glad you liked it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!