A.N.: Apologies for the delay.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own KnB.
Aomine parked at the open space outside the modeling agency. It was blazing hot outside, but the temperature was worse inside the vehicle. Wiping his sweaty palms, he momentarily glanced up the establishment. It was a three-story building and not that much to be boasted for. Though what it housed were top models of Japan; mostly females. The agency was one of Kiseki no Sedai properties and was currently managed by Alexandra Garcia. A foreigner who has been in the country for years. Although not a fellow member of the group, or affiliated to any other organizations, the woman has Akashi's trust.
The blue-haired man thought of finishing his business there quickly, and might as well have a conversation with Satsuki before he leave. The two of them have much to talk about and catch up.
He walked towards the double glass doors and went in.
"Um... You see... Ah..."
"What is it, Kise?"
The blonde's grip tightened on his handkerchief, where he was getting his ounce of confidence, blushing more when he was addressed.
"Well..." Okay, this is it, he thought. The moment of truth. "I... I...I like you..." If by any chance they were both on a crowded area, Kise's voice would have been drowned by the noise.
The thing was, they weren't.
It came out much lamer than he initially thought. Oh, God. He lowered his head, hiding his squeezed shut eyes from the other man, his thick rimmed eyeglasses almost falling off from the gesture. He opened his eyes without looking up, and mentally cursed when his raggedly trimmed blonde bangs obscured his view. He couldn't make out what the other man's expression was, and it made Kise really nervous. But he knew from experience that the other was kind enough that if he would be rejected, he would be turned down gently, and most likely, out of modesty, would look like nothing happened afterwards.
Yeah, Kise's object of affection was that type of man.
Or so he thought.
The blonde heard him heave a huge sigh after several minutes had passed, clicking his tongue, he said, "Sorry, you must have misunderstood me. Look, to be honest, I only made friends with you because of your－you know－geeky look. I thought you're really the type of person who aces his class and does shit like that." He scratched his head when he paused. "Unfortunately, I'm wrong. I actually wanted someone who can do my assignments for me. After getting to know you, I figured as much you can be dumber than me at times. And well, no hate for people like you who bat for the other other team. But why the hell will I date someone whose looks are already a so-so and what's more, an idiot one to boot?" He shrugged nonchalantly, turning his back with a yawn. "At least you found out from me than some others out there, eh?" And with that, he walked off.
Leaving Kise and his heart broken to million pieces, and him in a sobbing mess.
...
Kise sat up on his bed suddenly, sighing frustratingly at his dream. It was an eleven year old memory, for it to suddenly show up...
He blamed it for his busy schedule lately for the month, piled with stress and exhaustion. Sleep had become a blessing whenever he could get an opportunity to have one even for a few hours.
He lied down on his bed again, thinking over the pathetic first confession he did, and the last confession he ever did, if he may add.
Looking at him now, he was far from the ugly, under puberty idiot he was known for. Okay, maybe he only had a little improvement on his intellectual department, but hell he wasn't a paid scientist now. Besides, models like him make use of their physical appearance rather than their brains. Most of them are. Making it easier for him to fish out pretty ladies in the industry with simply a few flattering words and short flirting, and have them go putty in his hands.
Perhaps (more like actually hoped for) the man who was his first and last love, and also his first and last heartbreak, had considered rejecting him his worst mistake, seeing how far had Kise gotten now that he could be seen almost everywhere－magazines, billboards, commercials, posters, printed advertisements－you name it. Kise briefly wondered where the person might be now, but then again, he was now simply a horrible past. The memory of his first rejection would always be there, but Kise had gotten further to not even remembering that person's face anymore. Not like he didn't want to. But maybe he still owe the man for making Kise aware of the importance of outside appearance to this unfair world.
People will only care for you if either you are dying or pretty.
"Hmmm... So you're Aomine, huh?" Alexandra eyed him from top to bottom. "Akashi's men are gorgeous people, why is he wasting them on joining his gang?" she asked more to herself.
Aomine pretended to not hear her.
Alexandra Garcia was nowhere near looking like her age. If anything, she could be passed as an older sister of an equally attractive person. Blonde hair and green eyes－totally a perfect combination. Throw some body curves here and there, she was definitely a catch.
Sure, Aomine might have a thing for blondes, but he backed out of the idea of even flirting with her. Aside from the embarrassing thought of he would possibly be laughed at for even daring to make a move on her, the idea of being smooth with a woman with an age close enough with his mother's was just plain awkward, alright.
"Anyway, I will be arranging some papers for the tribute. I dunno how long it will take, but for the meantime, you can wait at Momoi's dressing room. She's on a break, if I'm correct. I'll look for you there when I'm done."
"Oh my God, have you seen that man?"
"Huh? Who?"
"You know, the tanned man in suit. He looks so sexy!"
"The one with midnight-blue hair? Yeah, I've seen him knocking Momoi-san's room earlier. He's hot. I mean, he looks like a model himself!"
"I know, right. Too bad, I heard he's a substitute tribute collector for a while. Highly possible one of the Yakuza."
"So what? I would still do a guy like him. Sexy and dangerous are a great combo. They'll rock you in more ways than one."
"You're right!"
There was a horde of giggles coming from a bunch of female models (Kise recognized them as the newbies) seated on one of the tables at the coffee shop right in front of the agency. Kise happened to be situated nearby them and overheard their talk. It wasn't of his business until Momoi's name was thrown in and a member of a Yakuza whom he learned knocking on her dressing room.
Kise found it suspicious. Why would a mere tribute collector visit his friend? The previous one with green hair and glasses and standing more than six foot tall and carrying weird items around with him was only overlooking the agency for a brief while and then would leave the building with a briefcase.
It was worrying him. Momoi is one of the important females in his circle aside from his older sisters and his mother, and Alexandra posing as his auntie. He had been interested on the pink-haired woman because of her looks, but when he found out she wasn't only a beauty but also a smart one, Kise laid off his advances and found her as charming as his sisters are. Since then, she became a confidant and a close friend, if not his best.
Kise was warry of the man visiting Momoi. Who knows? The man might be a stalker for all they know. Still, he had to be sure.
He left a bill and exited the coffee shop.
"Yo, Satsuki."
Momoi turned at the familiar gruff voice, beaming when she saw her childhood friend. "Dai-chan!"
Aomine allowed his ever rare smile. "It's been a while."
The woman pouted. "What do you mean it's been a while? It's almost a year!"
"Yeah, yeah. I know. I just thought I check up on you. How are you doing?"
"Still the same as ever. Tetsu-kun is still immune from me. I don't even know what's wrong with me." She looked at him dejectedly.
Aomine snorted. "Heh. Perhaps that Tetsu-dude knows how terrible you cook food."
Momoi smacked him on his back; Aomine faked a painful reaction. "That's not something you say to a lady right on her face, you know?" she chuckled afterwards. "Well, enough about that. What are you doing here?"
"You don't have to kn－"
She waved a finger in front of him. "I won't buy that excuse." Her tone went serious. "It has something to do with Kiseki no Sedai, am I right?"
"Yes, because I will be collecting the tribute. Akashi substituted me for Midorima's job, but only for a month. I hope."
"Midorin?" she inquired curiously. "Why are you replacing him, then?"
Aomine debated whether to tell her or not. He decided the former when she looked at him expectantly. "Something happened last night." He ran his hand through his hair. " I found Midorima heavily injured in one of Akashi's assignment for him." Aomine glanced away from her when she gasped. "His mission was mainly to gather information and we all know he's the best man for that. He never fucks up. Hell, fucking up wasn't even in that man's vocabulary. Until now we have no idea what actually happened."
"I'm guessing he's yet to wake up then," Momoi said finally.
The man nodded. "He's still breathing. That's a good sign, at least."
It was a good few minutes before Momoi spoke again. "Must you do this?"
"It's the way of life. For us, I mean."
"Then it's a dark path you're taking. You and everyone else. It's so sad, you know? When all we can do for you and everyone else is to wait for you all to come back safe and sound." Momoi nestled her head on Aomine's shoulder. " I know you can no longer feel anything since you've been part of them. But please let me to at least be the one to feel upset or cry for you if you have to." She hugged him on his side.
Aomine returned the gesture by encircling his arm around her shoulders.
Kise hastily approached Momoi's dressing room. When he finally stood in front of the door, he noticed it was slightly ajar. Peeking through the slight gap, he quickly found them hugging each other, their back turned against him.
It clicked inside his head in an instant.
The man he thought suspicious was in reality...
Momoi's secret boyfriend.
It all made sense now. The reason she was turning down men after men, and always speaking so highly about a blue-haired man he never knew the name of.
This must be the guy she was talking about!
But if this man is really part of the Yakuza, then he's no doubt trouble as well!
Kise ran the facts over his head. Okay, he understands his friend was hiding their relationship in public, and that he respected. It was easy to pretend he didn't know a thing. Yep, nothing. He saw nothing. But then thinking of even leaving her to the hands of such a guy just couldn't make him comfortable.
This leaves me no other choice but to become Momocchi's secret bodyguard! It's the only thing I can do for her. As her friend－
Kise's internal proclaiming of his new duty was cut off when the door suddenly swung opened and revealed the two.
"Eh?"
"Ki-chan, you're there!" Momoi greeted jovially. "How long have you been there?"
"Just a second ago," he lied, convincingly enough. If the man with Momoi noticed it, he did not commented, but was instead looking at Kise weirdly. The blonde had to gulp out of nervousness.
The man was a few inches taller, but Kise felt like the man was looming over him. Though, he wouldn't deny that the other man looked like a model himself when Kise realized the former filled his pin-striped black suit quite perfectly with his physique. The kind of man who would pose for some perfume brands.
"Ah, by the way, Ki-chan! This is Dai-chan, my－"
Boyfriend. Kise finished for her in his mind before offering his hand in an instant to the man. "I'm Kise! Nice meeting you!" Before Momoi could even continue, Kise immediately added, "Ah, I was looking forward to know you more, but I gotta go now! See ya' around; catch you later, Momocchi!"
Kise made a dash like a run for his life.
"Ki-chan seems hasty today."
Aomine frowned thoughtfully. "Kise, huh?"
He briefly wondered why the hell that name sounded very familiar.
A.N.: Kise is currently 25 yrs. old in this fic. Making him 14 yrs. old (last year in middle school) when he was first rejected by... well, you'll find out, in case you have no idea yet as to who. Although, it should be obvious already. Also, let's just say Kise wasn't that as attractive as he is now; you know, before hitting his puberty and all. Unlike the Kise in the series who is already model-like right from the very beginning.
TBC