"Can I get one double hamburger and a small chocolate shake?"

"Of course, your total is 4.68, ma'am."

Kotone nodded and handed the cashier a five before collecting her change and picking up her food. She turned and scanned the establishment before deciding to sit in the table closest to the window. She unwrapped her burger and took a bite, savoring her meal. Maji Burger was quickly becoming her fast food of choice. Their burgers were amazing and never disappointed her (though her bathroom scale would say something different).

She had just taken a sip of her shake when she heard a vaguely familiar voice. "Oh, it's you."

She glanced up and almost immediately choked. It was the rude redhead to ran into a week or so ago. Quickly she recovered after a quick coughing fit. She cleared her throat and weakly waved a hand, "Oh, yeah. Hi."

He stared at her for a long minute, expression blank. Long enough that she was starting to feel a little uncomfortable until he finally just sighed and sat down. There was a short pause as he just studied her and she tried to avoid his gaze.

She was the first to cave, "Look, I'm sorry about the other day. I was a little rude to you."

"Yeah, you were." She snapped her head in his direction, glaring now. Okay, she was rude, sure. But would it kill him to just accept her apology and let her dine with a clear conscience?!

"Sorry." She repeated herself bitterly as she turned away and took a bit of her burger.

"What school do you go to?"

Kotone eyed him warily, surprised he was still talking to her. "Rakuzan."

"Really? Why are you all the way over here then? I never see any other people besides Seirin students here." He took a bite of a cheeseburger. It was then that Kotone noticed his tray was filled with burgers, at least ten of them.

She chose to ignore his question, instead she eyed his tray and gave him a look of disbelief, "Are you really gonna eat all of that?!"

"Eh? Yeah." He nodded curtly and big off another chunk. His brow furrowed when she continued to stare at him in disbelief. "What?"

"You're gonna die." She deadpanned.

"Oi! Is that anyway to talk to someone you don't know?!" He snapped, his mouth still full of burger.

Kotone cringed accordingly though she didn't bother to comment on it. "Really though. That can't be healthy."

He just scoffed and settled down a little. Finishing off his burger and unwrapping the next, he replied, "It's fine. I play basketball so I burn it all off anyway."

That caught Kotone's attention. In the past week that she'd been working with Akashi, she'd started to pick up more about basketball when she watched the practice. She studied him for a second. The more she looked the more she realized that he did have the build of a basketball player. Kotone was already tall but still she knew he dwarfed her. He had to be at least six feet tall. And he was fairly muscular with broad shoulders, he had to be an athlete of some sort.

She couldn't help but noticed how different he was from Akashi yet they somehow played the same sport. Akashi with his pale, flawless skin, lean build and agile movements. Although this guy was no doubt bigger and bulkier, there was no doubt in her mind that Akashi was definitely the better player. It had only been two weeks or so that she had been observing practice but even the untrained eye would notice that Akashi was a phenomenal player. She had soon realized why he was captain even though he was only a first year.

"You okay?"

She was snapped back to reality when she realized he was still staring back at her, his expression now one of curiosity.

"I'm fine. You go to Seirin right?" He nodded his affirmation, "Well maybe I'll see a game or something sometime later. I have to go." Kotone took the last sip of her shake and then stood up to go. She tossed him a wave and then she was gone.

Once she was outside she thought about what he had told her, "Seirin, huh? I wonder if they're playing in the Winter Cup too. Well, it's still a few months away anyway…"

~x~

Again, Kotone found herself hanging out inside the gym watching basketball practice after school. Today they were having a scrimmage and although Akashi was sitting out in order to observe their performance, she always found her eyes wandering back to him.

It was moments in the gym like today when she secretly admired him. Arms crossed, heterochromatic gaze focused on the court, he looked like the perfect picture of what a captain should be. Over the past couples weeks she had grudgingly come around to start tolerating the redhead. Sure, it still irritated her that he never failed to beat her test scores but after spending so much time with him she slowly starting forgetting that first impression he left on her the first day they met outside the gym. That side of him had never emerged again after that first encounter. Though, she still felt a touch of wariness around him even if it was quickly fading.

It was surprising but she found that she no longer hated him that much anymore. Spending so much time with him everyday made it tiring, almost impossible to harbor that much hate towards him. It just seemed better to make the best of her situation instead of cursing him for it.

And she had been pretty rude to him too, talking bad about him and such. Looking back, she probably did deserve what she got. Of course, she was still ticked off about the fact he continued to best her in academics but it now seemed a little irrational to hate him because of her own shortcomings. She'd just have to try harder to beat him.

Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, his ruby and gold gaze snapped up to her. Instantly, she felt her cheeks heat up and she hurriedly turned away. She looked down at her notebook and pretended to scribble something in it. By the time she looked up he was already looking back at the court, seemingly oblivious to her presence.

~x~

After practice Kotone, again, found herself alone with Akashi in the club room. Akashi was silently completing the packet questions as usual but Kotone found herself a little distracted. Maybe it was the fact that it was nice and warm outside, and the window was cracked open just a bit allowing a breeze to float in every now and then. Or the fact that this room was so quiet; the sound of pencil on paper was calming to her. More and more she found herself spacing out or just letting her eyes wander around the room. Eventually her eyes drifted to a corner and she noticed a small wooden box there. Upon a little scrutinization, she realized it was a shogi board.

Forgetting to keep the silence, she inquired, "Hey, Akashi, do you play shogi?"

He looked up, his ruby and topaz gaze locking on her. Instantly, she felt a little embarrassed about asking him a question out of the blue like that. But to her surprise, he was pretty forthcoming, "Yes. Every week or so."

Kotone had no idea what came over herself in that moment. Maybe it was the way the sun was pouring through the window, warm on her skin and lulling her into a state of false security. Maybe it was just the fact that she always wanted to learn the play intellectual games like shogi and that desire was just now bubbling to the surface, but Kotone found herself speaking again, "When did you start playing?"

There was a slight silence as Akashi looked up staring back at her. Kotone cleared her throat, suddenly a little embarrassed. She was just about to say never mind when he finally answered.

"I started at age eight."

Kotone nodded, processing this. "Who taught you?"

Akashi glanced up at her, obviously wondering why she was suddenly so talkative. But Kotone couldn't bring herself to care about his scrutinization today, her interest was piqued.

"My father."

Kotone smiled a little, they were actually having a conversation without being at each other's throats. "So when did you start playing basketball then?"

He paused in his writing for a second, thinking, "...I was around five years old, my mother would teach me how to play."

"Eh...no wonder you're so good. You've been playing forever!" Kotone leaned her head on her palm, surprised by this. When he gave her a curious look, she blushed realizing she'd just complimented her rival. "Well, I mean, I don't know that much about basketball so you look good is all I'm saying…"

Akashi gave her a long stare and she flushed slowly when she realized the connotations of what she just said.

"Never mind! Forget I said anything!" She muttered as she ducked her head down. God, she was an idiot.

"You're a very dishonest person." Was all Akashi said as he continued writing, seemingly unperturbed by her embarrassment.

Kotone huffed a little at this, "Not really…"

"You are. You insist on petty competitions and you refuse to admit when you've been bested."

"You haven't even bested me at basketball though! I don't even play!"

"Ah, so you're saying I've bested you at something else. Academics, perhaps. " Akashi was calm, he didn't even sound smug as he said this which, surprisingly, irked her more.

But she calmed herself down quickly, she'd learned her lesson about blowing up at Akashi. Instead, she just grumbled under her breath and started writing. "I'll beat you soon enough."

"Interesting. I'm looking forward to it. However, we are done today." Much to her surprise, Akashi didn't even seem the slightest bit bothered by her declaration of war. He just stood up, gathering his items and headed towards the door.

Just before he left, he turned giving her a curious look over his shoulder. His eyes were slightly wide and just a little bit crazed as he said authoritatively, "Though I warn you. I won't lose."

Guess who Kotone was talking to. ;)