So I'm still alive. I'm so sorry for disappearing. I'm such a shameless creature..

Chapter 7

"Where are we going?"

Takao chose to ignore the blonde behind him and instead focused on the road before him. He was excited.

"Takao-kun?" No answer. "Takao-kun!"

Apparently, Maihara doesn't like surprises as she was now tugging on his hair.

"Patient, Mai-chan. Good things come to those who wait." He answered, snickering. Although he couldn't see it, he's positive that she was pouting. Or trying not to pout. Like she always do when she couldn't do a thing.

The traffic light turned to yellow for five seconds and the dark-haired male pulled at the brake, sliding one foot on the gravel beneath them for balance. The light went red afterwards and people started crossing at the intersection. They have a good minute and a half before it turns green again.

Takao observed the blonde sideways (with his Hawk Eye) as she maneuvered herself to a sitting position. She removed her hands from his shoulders and he leaned forward to rest his arms on the bicycle's handles.

"Hey Takao-kun?" Maihara asked after a moment and he twisted on the side to watch her. "You asked about my horoscope the other day. And you mentioned…" she swallowed, blushed and looked away, "that it's important or something. Why is that?"

The dark-haired grinned at her. He remembered exactly the words he texted to her: "I remember something VERY essential and crucial that will determine your future relationship with Shin-chan!" That's probably why she blushed.

Maihara deadpanned at his face-eating grin. Takao cleared his throat.

"It's something you have to know about Shin-chan." He started and the blonde nodded eagerly. He smiled crookedly, deciding to tease her. "Are you, Maihara Ruka-san, prepared to accept Midorima Shintaro-chan with all his strange habits that doesn't really make sense but matters most to him especially in how he sees a perso—"

Maihara glared at him and made a move to whack him. He leaned away from her, cackling lightly.

"I'm serious."

Takao glanced behind at the traffic light and prepared himself to pedal. He looked over his shoulder.

"Tell you later." He faced straight. "Hold on, Mai-chan."

Ruka immediately grabbed fistfuls of Takao's orange hoodie when the bicycle suddenly lurched forward. It was then that she noticed the green light. Cars and some trucks whizzed past them and her dark-haired classmate was careful to stay on the sides.

She wanted to pester him more about Midorima's strange habits but decided not to push it. So she instead to watch the scenery around them, the skies turning orange and gray at the sides.

Seven minutes later, the blonde snapped out of her reverie when the bicycle slowed to a stop. When she lowered her eyes from the sky, she was taken aback at the sight of the open basketball court before them. Well, not exactly open since it's surrounded with chain-link fence on all sides.

"Wow." Ruka said, mouth hanging open.

"Heh. Come on." Takao said and climbed off. She followed and as soon as her feet landed on the even ground, she stared her fill at the court. Her dark-haired classmate went to park the bicycle away.

The blonde is a huge fan of basketball but she's never seen a basketball court on the open. It's different on the audience stands like in their school and on TV. It felt realer here. And bigger.

She felt both ashamed (for not knowing this beautiful place before today) and excited (a real court!). The point guard then joined her side by side, watching her stare at the basketball court for a moment before averting his gaze to the court itself.

"Wow." The blonde repeated dumbly after a minute of mentally drooling at it. Takao snickered beside her.

"Heard you the first time."

She playfully punched his shoulder in response.

"Wait here. I'll go get a ball." He casted a huge grin at her before sauntering off.

Ruka stepped forward until she was inches away from the chain-link fence. She placed her palm against it and smiled. She wasn't dreaming.

Two minutes later, Takao was back, spinning a basketball ball on the tip of his index finger. When he was almost at her, he passed the ball towards her and Ruka, totally taken aback and unprepared, almost got her wind knocked off her chest. But she did manage to catch it. Clumsily. Her dark-haired classmate raised his brows at her and she immediately passed it back to him, wanting to surprise him, too.

Of course it didn't work as he gracefully catch said ball. He didn't even notice that the blonde was trying to catch him off guard.

"Ah, right." Takao said and it was Ruka's turn to raise her brows.

"What?"

The dark-haired male laughed and she narrowed her eyes at him. Then…

"You 'couldn't dribble a ball to save your life'." The basketball player quoted-unquote his fingers on the air and laughed. Ruka blushed at her own words.

"Oh shut up."

As usual, it took more than thirty seconds for her dark-haired classmate to recover from laughing.

"Well, if you're marrying Shin-chan, you need to know everything about his sport." He stated and dodged a huge slap from the blonde. He grinned at her but she's clearly not amused.

Ruka huffed and crossed her arms on her chest to avoid committing a crime like hitting Takao. For some reason, he could easily bring out her 'violent tendencies' as he has called it.

"Just so you know, I know a lot about basketball. I'm a fan." She said grumpily. To her utter surprise, Takao reached out and patted her head playfully.

"Well, theories and facts are different from experience. As you'll know soon."

Takao grinned when the ball rolled away from under Maihara's hand for the twelfth time. It's true. She really couldn't dribble the ball to save her life.

"UGH!"

The basketball player snickered but stooped immediately as the blonde shoot him a glare. He cleared his throat and went to fetch the ball. Aside from having violent tendencies, Maihara is also touchy about not being able to play her favorite sport.

"Show me how you do it again." Maihara demanded with her hands on her hips. Takao swallowed a grin then dribble the ball easily. "How do you make it look so easy? The ball is rough and heavy and it keeps on bouncing in different angles!"

Now she's pouting. And shouting. Where did the polite young lady go?

"Don't give up easily." He said and passed the ball to her. The blonde failed to catch it and she glowered at him for a moment (like it's his fault, seriously) before following said ball to pick it up.

"Who said anything about giving up?" Takao heard her mumble under her breath.

-Forty minutes later-

"I… give… up..!"

Ruka has never, never been this tired before. She gave up on crouching and instead slumped down on the ground, her knees giving away beneath her. The blonde stretched her legs and tilted her face to the sky while using her hands to support her weight as she inclined her body. Her breaths came in fast, short and shallow. The sky was a mix of purple and golden-orange that made her close her eyes to protect them from the harsh colors. She was aware of the gravel beneath her and the dusts that now cling to her sweaty legs, and maybe some other time, she'd care, but not now. Not when every muscle in her body begged for rest.

A shadow fell over her and Ruka opened her eyes to the sight of her dark-haired classmate crouching over her from behind, his face darkened by the setting sun. He was grinning, of course (nothing shocking there), his dark tendrils glistening with sweat around his face.

She's glad to know she wasn't the only one dying from perspiration. Although she's at least ten times worse than him.

"I'm dying." Ruka mumbled almost incoherently and Takao cackled. "I'm serious. I can't move an inch. I need ambulance."

"Don't say such weird things. Come on, stand up. The by passers are staring." He said after a while.

"Gah, if I knew I'm playing basketball today, I wouldn't have worn this thing." The blonde said and gestured at her orange hoodie. She envied Takao who has worn a dark shirt underneath his own hoodie.

"Well nobody could've predicted you'd be playing. Or rather, would be attempting to play." The basketball player stated with a grin and wiped his face with the front of his shirt. Ruka glared at him for a moment then watched his arm flexed at his action.

Well it was hard not to stare at his arm since he rolled up its sleeve. It was begging for her attention ever since they started playing.

And it's a really good sight.

Ruka rolled her eyes at herself. Seriously.

"Come on, Miss Notice-Me-Shin-Chan."

That brought back her energy and she reached out with both hands to pull Takao's hair.

"Ow, ow, ow! Okay, okay, just kidding!"

"You pedal." Ruka said and released his hair. When her dark-haired classmate just continued to stare at her, she moved to pull his hair again in which he successfully evaded. "What?"

"You're Gemini, right?" He asked and the blonde remembered their earlier conversation and his promised explanation. Ruka nodded. "Well, hm…" Takao seemed to be thinking deeply for few seconds before his face lit up. "Ah! I think you're normal for Shin-chan."

… Ah. What?

"What?"

"It means that you're not entirely compatible with Shin-chan but you're not on his must-be-avoided-at-all-cause either. You're on the safe and neutral side."

"Can you speak in English, Takao-kun?" At that, the dark-haired chuckled lightly before answering.

"Shin-chan highly believes about luck, and since he's a Cancer, he allowed as small interactions with the signs that are 'said' to be unlucky for him. I think the only reason Shin-chan actually hangs out with me, which means he talks to me, is because I'm a Scorpio and we have the highest compatibility percentage."

…

That was the weirdest sentence Ruka has ever heard.

"I'm home." Ruka announced and is about to go straight to her room (she needs to process everything Takao has told her about her precious Midorima) when her mother emerged from the kitchen, holding a saddle. The delicious smell of stew immediately wafted over her.

"Are you okay, Ru-chan? You look…"

"Awful, I know. I also feel awful." She answered with a small pout and head for the stairs. "I delivered the fruits safely to Aunt Nami."

"O-okay. Thank you for your hard work, Ru-chan!" Her mother called out as the blonde took the stairs. "And come down for dinner immediately!"

Ruka answered with a prolonged yes from upstairs. And as Mrs. Maihara turned her back to attend the stew she's cooking, hurried footsteps flew down the stairs, calling her attention back around.

"Ru-chan?"

"Does dad still own a basketball ball?" Well she must at least try to play his sport.

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