Hello, sorry for the really long time that i was missing. I got busy and forgot about , and when i remembered it turned out that I can't access it. For several months my internet provider blocked for pornographic content... Well even though it's true that there are indeed porn here but come on, it's not a porn website! But suddenly i can access again, like a few days ago, that's why i wrote a new story about Akashi called "Taming the Emperor," please check that out and let me know what you think.

Anyways, this chapter is based on Kurobas's OVA "Tip Off!" And there will be some Midorima/Kise moments too, even though it will focus more on the GoM and Kuroko.

In no time Kise is already on the first string, progressing quickly after each practice, from third, second, and directly to the first string.

To celebrate her promotion, Kuroko, Aomine, and Murasakibara invited her to a convenience store. That fact annoys Kise because it's such a boring celebration, moreover Kise has to buy everyone popsicles, not only for the four of them, but also Midorima, who happened to also be in the convenience store. Even though Midorima did give her a great advice, she still can't accept him just joining in and getting a free popsicle from her.

The group of people in front of her are so noisy and irritating, from Midorima who scolds her for complaining that he's there, to Aomine who said that treating popsicles won't be a problem because she is a model and that means she is rich. Well, technically it's not wrong, but this time she forgot to take money from the ATM, and now her wallet is almost empty. Thankfully it's already late meaning she'll go home straight away and there won't be anything that will require her money right away anymore, hopefully.

"I won."

Kuroko stared at his popsicle stick. He won a prize.

Kise then took a look. "EH? Really?! I've never seen that before, it's really hard to get a prize you know!"

And suddenly she realized that she got excited, just because of a popsicle stick, well, a winning one, but still, even though this group of people on the first string seemed annoying, maybe they aren't that bad.

But then Murasakibara came up with another box of popsicles, probably planning to eat it all by himself. To add it up, Momoi suddenly showed up, and seemingly fell in love with Kuroko just because she's given the winning popsicle stick. Such pathetic people, Kise facepalmed. Maybe they are that bad.

Suddenly, a motorbike came rushing by the sidewalk, almost crashing into Momoi. It turned out that the rider have just stolen a purse, and Aomine, also motivated by seeing Momoi fall to the ground because of the rider, chased the rider down immediately. Feeling that Momoi is also her best friend, and also driven by her desire to help the owner of the stolen purse, Kise followed Aomine.

In the end, they managed to stop the rider, and return the purse.

What she remembered the most is not how Murasakibara saved her when the rider was about to punch her, although she is very thankful that he did. What she simply can't get her mind off of is only one thing.

How Midorima managed to throw Murasakibara's popsicle box from metres away, hitting the rider on the head and making him fall from the bike.

Suddenly she doesn't mind buying him that popsicle.

AAAAAAAAAA

"Oh, so, Oshiro-san won't come?"

Momoi ended up in the same class as Kise once more, and has to deal with her slumping on her desk desperately again.

"Yes, and it's my first ever match!"

"Well I'm sure that he has good reasons."

Kise will be sent to help in a second string match together with Kuroko. It's a Teiko tradition to send one or two players from the first string to help the second string team in a match, just to ensure victory.

Kuroko is someone that baffles Kise, on the first day of her first string training, Kuroko, this fragile looking small boy, is assigned as her mentor. What baffles her even more is the fact that Kuroko is also on the first string team, a very strange fact considering Kuroko's weak skills.

Now, she is asked to play together with Kuroko in a real match, maybe then she will finally be able to see Kuroko's true talent.

But, Kise's childish attitude made her not even able to hold her curiosity until the match, thus she asks all of the first string players about Kuroko.

"You want to know my opinion of Kuroko?"

Kise halted Midorima in front of the vending machine to ask him about Kuroko. Midorima is drinking chilled red bean soup, something that Kise realized he does often, a strange habit that she decided to ignore.

"Kise, why are you asking something like this?"

"I know he's my instructor, but he's sort of…"

"You're going to play in a match with Kuroko right? Just trust him, Akashi has his eyes on you, if you play well with Kuroko then you'll be a regular straight away."

"Akashi? Who's that?"

Midorima throws away his can of chilled red bean soup, and pushes his glasses up with his taped fingers. An annoying and seemingly trying to look cool habit of his that Kise yet again tried to ignore.

"You'll know in the near future," Midorima walks past Kise. It gives the impression that he's trying to look mysterious, and Kise slowly starts to be annoyed by him.

Suddenly Midorima stops mid-step. "About Kuroko…"

"Now?!" Kise has had it, this Midorima Shintarou is indeed an annoying person.

"He is an Aquarius. Today's lucky item is an English-Japanese dictionary. By the way, Cancer's a puppet doll," Midorima being a Cancer himself, showed his puppet doll, and it talked for him.

"Kuroko's blood type is A, that's why he is incompatible to a B type like me."

And Midorima, together with his puppet doll, walked away just like that.

"What the heck is that."

Midorima is truly an annoying, and weird, human being. With that in mind, Kise continues to seek the other players, and Momoi, to ask about Kuroko.

AAAAAAAAAA

The day of the match came, and Kise hasn't gotten any clear answer from anyone, about who Kuroko really is. The only information she gathered is the fact that the rest of the first string members are so weird that their answers only confuses her further. Things such as "he's different, he's the complete opposite of you and me, he's completely reliable on matches," coming from Aomine doesn't really help. But at least that made her curious about how Kuroko would play in an actual game. That's why she's glad that today finally came.

On the way to the match, which is held in the opponent's school, she wanted to make a bet with Kuroko, so that Kuroko will play his best in the game. It's not only because she wanted to know how good Kuroko really is, but she wants to make sure that Teiko wins, because if they lose, she'll be kicked out of the first string.

"Kuroko-kun, I have a proposal."

"What is it?"

"In this game, if we both have to go in, who can get the most points?"

At that Kuroko didn't speak a word.

"If I win, please give me that uniform," Kise said with a smirk.

"I wouldn't like that," Kuroko's voice doesn't show any expression, "if the team loses, what will come to the bet?"

"Even if it's like that," Kise insisted, "the one who gets the most points… I wouldn't like that?!" Kise has only realized Kuroko's first sentence, not expecting him to reject so bluntly.

"Actually, it's meaningless. Haven't you been asking people a lot of things since I became your instructor?"

Uh oh, busted.

"Please let me say one thing : What is important in a team, is thinking about what you can do for it."

What I can do for it… Kise mused, she doen't really understood what it meant, yet.

"And Kise-san."

"What?"

"Even if there is a bet, I actually don't know this, but can a girl wear a boy's uniform? Even if they can, won't my uniform be sizes too small for you?"

Kise only blinked.

AAAAAAAAAA

Kise can't move a muscle, she's being guarded by two players at once. She thought because she is a girl some of the other players will have some sort of decency and manners to not play rough, but what happened is the opposite. These players have been playing rough with many fouls all game long, but the judge is biased, so they got away with it. In fact, this school is the complete opposite of decency and manners. The team had been losing until the fourth quarter, where the coach decided to bring Kise to the court to try and change the match. When she entered the court, all of the spectators, really jerk-looking boys, whistled at her, making her pissed. She thought that she'll just beat the crap out of their team in return, but that task suddenly became a hard one.

The score-gap isn't shrinking at all even with Kise on the pitch, until Kuroko is subbed in. Yet again the un-decent spectators mocked Kuroko for his fragile look.

Kuroko immediately approached Kise. "I'm sorry, but please lend me your strength."

"Sure…eh, me?! Isn't that the opposite?"

At that Kuroko merely smiled.

"I am a shadow. The light who will take all the points is Kise-san."

Momentarily confused, Kise finally knew what his words meant, and knew what his hidden ability is. With his misdirection, Kuroko managed to make accurate passes to Kise, who scores point after point, until Teikou finally won the match with a single ball margin.

AAAAAAAAAA

"If knowing what you can do will lead to you having no choice but to sacrifice a lot, I know I can't do it!" Kise exclaimed after the match, commenting on Kuroko's skills.

"I know that Kurokocchi's amazing but… is that any fun?"

They are standing beneath the stands, wiping their sweaty bodies with towels. Kise looks up towards the stand, checking again if Shouta is really not there. Lately, Shouta's been, distant. Maybe he's just adjusting to Kaijo high, but Kise feels that something is wrong.

But she tries to take her mind away from Shouta and to Kuroko instead. She thinks that, because of Kuroko seemingly not going to answer her question anytime soon, that he doesn't think himself as a sacrifice. That's why he's amazing.

"It is no fun at all."

"Eh?!"

"It's even more if we lose."

Kise smiled.

"Rather than that, what is 'Kurokocchi'?"

Before Kise could even say her usual answer..

"She calls me with a cchi also, Midorimacchi, she says it's because she respects me, but it's annoying, nanodayo."

"Midorima-kun, what are you doing here?" Kuroko calmly asked, while Kise froze, a little bit shocked and offended at the same time at Midorima's appearance.

"I'm just monitoring all of you, an order from the coach."

"Mm..Midorima-kun?" Yet again Kuroko asked with a calm voice.

"What?"

"The coach is here, why are you ordered to monitor us while he already is?"

"EH?!" he quickly glanced towards the bench and saw the coach sitting together with the vice coach. He cleared his throat. "Well, you know… he must've forgotten that he'll be coming, he's already old. Kise, congratulations on your first match, goodbye."

And with that Midorima just walks out the gym casually.

"What the… Wait, Midorimacchi!"

Midorima stops and turns just by the door.

"Thank you, for telling me to trust Kurokocchi."

"Your welcome, nanodayo."

He pushes his glasses up and turns back towards the exit door.

As Midorima walks out the gym, Kise realizes one thing.

Even though Midorima is indeed an annoying, and an absolutely weird person, she still calls him with a –cchi. And a part of her thinks that Midorima lied, that he came just to watch her, but just like Midorima himself, the idea is weird.