Who was I to think Akashi could've been joking? As soon as my doorbell rings, I know that Akashi's been dead serious from the start. I'm going to Touou. Damn it! My next thought is probably the most worrisome. Who in the hell is ringing my doorbell this early? I know for a fact that I can sleep for another hour and a half and still make it to Touou early. Dressed in my pajamas, I open the door groggily. Squinting eyes stare back at me. "Who the hell are you?" I ask, leaning against the door. "And why are you waking me up this early?"
"I'm Imayoshi Shoichi, captain of Touou's basketball team. You're Hai-san?" I nod drowsily. "I'm supposed to show you around campus since you'll be a new addition to our team."
"Gimme five minutes." I say, inviting him in. Last night Touou's uniform was sitting in boxes on my doorstep, along with textbooks for classes I didn't know I was enrolled in. I put on the mandatory summer uniform, make sure I look presentable, gather my basketball stuff and everything else I need for school including snacks and a premade bento, snatch my breakfast from the toaster, and am out the door, locking it, within five minutes.
"You're pretty short, aren't you?" Imayoshi says pleasantly. "I can see straight above you."
"Your face is still within easy punching distance." I reply in an equally pleasant tone of voice. "Anyway, Imayoshi-san, does Aomine attend practice, or is he skipping?" Imayoshi seems to sober up slightly at the question.
"He may not attend practice, but he's still ridiculously strong." I give the taller player an amused glance.
"I know Aomine is strong. I just wanted to know if he's been attending practice at all. Momoi must be going nuts."
"Hai-chan!" Huge breasts suffocate me as Momoi drags me to her chest for a hug. I struggle feebly.
"Hey, Momoi." I croak, tugging myself away. "Doing well?" She nods enthusiastically, glancing about the gym for a moment.
"Let me introduce you to the players you'll most likely be played with." She says. First comes a tall-ish guy with short hair and what appears to be a permanent frown. "This is Susa Yoshinori, our small forward." Next, a tall blond that appears a little too irritated. "Wakamatsu Kousuke, center." A brunette that seems shy. "Sakurai Ryo, shooting guard. You've met Imayoshi, our point guard. Dai-chan is our power forward, like last time."
"Hai, it's been a long time." Aomine appears out of nowhere, a hand pressing down on my head.
"Aomine." I say in warning, giving him a glare. He removes his hand after giving me a rather menacing grin. "Did he tell you?"
"Some of it. Keep up and we won't have any issues." Aomine and I glare at each other for a few moments.
"Ah, you're the foreign player?" A man with unusually curly hair and sly eyes pops out of nowhere. "I'm Harasawa Katsunori, the head coach." I'm still bristling from the 'foreign student' comment. Isn't it obvious?
"Nice to meet you." I say politely, bowing slightly. "I'm Alex Heights. You can call me Hai." The coach gives me a strange, calculating look.
"Are you sure she can keep up with Aomine?" Harasawa looks at Momoi with curiosity. I grit my teeth.
"Hai-chan is capable." Momoi says firmly, pressing against my side slightly. "She's played with Aomine-kun and the others for almost as long as Kuroko-kun." Aomine and I both look away from her at the mention of Kuroko. "Our former captain personally recommended her for Aomine."
"Didn't Akashi make you switch schools?" Aomine says curiously, whacking the back of my head when I give him a sharp glare.
"Yeah." I answer. "I was going to go to Seirin with Kuroko." Aomine's expression darkens.
"I see." Silence engulfs the entirety of the gym.
"Hai, get changed. I want to see your skills in action." says Coach Harasawa. I nod, walking into the locker room. I change into my shorts and a sleeveless shirt before putting my hair in its usual ponytail and slipping on my brace and shoes. I return within a few minutes.
"Here we go." Coach tosses me a basketball. "Have any shooting ability?"
"Nothing outstanding." I reply. "My fundamentals are pretty solid, if that's what you're going to test." Harasawa smirks.
"Then Aomine will be your opponent." The tall teen and I stare each other down. I can hear Momoi desperately attempting to change his mind, but to avail.
"I'll take you on." Aomine says with a crooked smirk. "It's been a while since you've played against me." My eyes darken as the unmistakable need to win consumes me. "
Don't disappoint me." I reply. "I may not have your strength, but I can still match you." We wait just long enough for the court to clear before the two of us go at each other.
Our match to five drags on for quite a while, a flurry of speed and tricks, streetball and tactics. I block more shots than I care to count, and break away from Aomine enough to see a thirsty grin on his face widen.
Aomine is the first to smash his way into the Zone. I follow suit, running, sliding, dribbling without so much as a second thought. Aomine looks a little bigger than usual. Taller, happier. We never do find out the winner. One moment I'm about to jump for a shot when Momoi steps in front of me, holding a phone. I dodge her, about to shoot when a chilling voice stops me.
"Alex, stop." I freeze in place, turning to identify the voice in cranky English.
"Thanks, Akashi-kun." Momoi says gratefully, hanging up.
"Did you really... just for that?" I ask, tossing the ball back to Aomine. He looks as pissed as I feel.
"The two of you weren't listening!" She exclaims, pink eyes wide. I sigh, glancing at Aomine.
"A draw?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. Aomine's lips tighten into a tight smile.
"For now." I give Momoi an irritated look.
"I still don't have the usual amount of data." Momoi hums, looking me over. "Are you still as heavy as you used to be?" I sharpen my gaze into a glare.
"It's not my fault I weigh that much! I exercise and stuff!" I hiss.
"I'm not calling you fat, Hai-chan." Momoi says, poking and prodding me. "It's obvious that you just have an unusual amount of muscle. Are you still cross training?" I nod slightly.
I tug my shirt away from my skin slightly, disgusted at the damp sensation that pervades from it. "It's good you can keep up." Imayoshi is the first to speak. "Saves the rest of us a considerable amount of trouble." Aomine and I both look irked.
"Is he like that with everyone?" I ask, looking to Sakurai. The boy nods slightly, a feeble motion. I hum in response. "Stop poking me!" I snap, stepping away from Momoi. "That's seriously annoying!" Momoi simply laughs at me.
"I'm off." Aomine says suddenly. "Hai, you coming or not?" One look at a fuming Wakamatsu makes my decision.
"I'll find you later." I reply. "Might as well see how these guys practice." Aomine rolls his eyes before leaving.
"His attitude seriously sucks!" Wakamatsu screams, turning red with rage.
"Has for a while now." I say flatly, watching Aomine disappear. "Although I can understand why." Wakamatsu bends slightly to look me in the eye.
"You agree, right? Imayoshi, why are you letting him leave?" Imayoshi offers no explanation. "You're short." Wakamatsu says suddenly. I give him a glare.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious." The blond pales slightly before laughing. "You don't make him practice?"
"As long as he makes his shots, it's okay." Coach Harasawa says. "The same applies to you." My eyes widen.
"O-Okay." I say. Why wouldn't you have your players practice together? Momoi gives me a sympathetic look. I wish I were at Seirin.
"Hai-chan..." Momoi's voice is unusually soft as I unlace my shoes and take another brace from my bag.
"What?" I ask, looking wary.
"It won't end up like that again."
I glance up at the taller player, wishing I wasn't cornered like I am now. "How would you like me to break those legs of yours?"
I give the pinkette a softer expression. "I know." Pink eyes widen with surprise. "At any rate, Aomine seems to have disappeared. Annoy him into walking me home and I'll see what I can do to make him show up tomorrow, even if it's only for a moment."
Momoi's eyes brighten considerably before she prances off. "Can you actually do it?" Wakamatsu looks at me skeptically. I give him a wicked smile.
The next day I have to kick the doors to the gym open, dragging a thrashing sack behind me. "Hai-san, what are you doing?" Susa asks me, eyes curious.
"Didn't I say I'd get him here?" I haul the sack further into the gym before releasing the contents of my bundle. Aomine stares up dazedly as a couple of skin mags flutter out of reach.
"Oi! Hai, you're so dead! This isn't even the right model!" The hothead exclaims, waving a magazine. I give him an unimpressed look.
"Oops. Sorry I don't know the difference in models. I'm not a pervert like you." I reply. He calms down after a few more minutes of ranting.
"There's no use in me practicing." He says after a few minutes. I grimace. "The only one who can beat me is me."
"I'm supposed to coordinate my plays with you, Aomine. At least let me practice." I intentionally leave out everything Coach Harasawa previously said.
"Do what you did in Teiko." He says unsympathetically. "It's not like you need to practice, either." I hope he misses the tortured expression that flashes across my face.
In the end, I let Aomine walk out. I can't decide whether to be angry or depressed, and choose neither. Silence ensues as I stalk into the locker room and change into my gym clothes. "He might not want to practice with you," I say with great irritation, "but I do. Stupid Ahomine."
Wakamatsu and the others give me surprised looks as I tug my hair into a ponytail and adjust my shirt. "Show me what we can work on."
In the end, I reap no rewards. Practice is overly easy and irritating. My blood boils slightly at the thought that anyone could just make practicing something optional. I leave a few minutes early to make use of the treadmills in another section of the gym.
Inhale. Exhale. Run, run, run. It was Akashi that first had me run for long periods of time until I jogged to school every morning. I walk now, but I still run like I used to. Inhale. Exhale. Run.
"So you're doing a different sort of training?" The voice of Coach Harasawa startled me, but I keep running at my usual pace.
"Might as well. I don't mind showing up to practice, but your practices are relatively easy compared to Teiko's." I answer.
"For a foreigner, your Japanese is pretty good."
"Akashi didn't want any misunderstandings. Kuroko is an excellent teacher."
"Why is this Akashi person so important?" I nearly stop running in surprise.
"Akashi's word is always final." I say flatly. "It's simply how it is." My hour is nearly up, so I sprint the last ten minutes before shoving all my stuff into my backpack. "If we ever play Rakuzan... I don't think victory will be easy. It'll probably be the most difficult game of the season."
I run home, my backpack slowing me down slightly. My stomach rumbles slightly as I pass Maiji Burger, so I decide to drop by and buy my dinner. "Hello, Hai-chan." Kuroko's voice sounds beside me as I find myself sitting at a neighboring table. My eyes widen with surprise.
"Kuroko..." I say softly, feeling my expression soften considerably. "How is Seirin? Are they treating you okay?"
"Yes." Kuroko says. "We have a practice match tomorrow against Kaijo. Would you be interested in coming?" I pause for a moment.
"Is it directly after school?" Kuroko shakes his head.
"An hour and a half later." I could practice for an hour in the gym and take the subway.
"I'll do my best to make it on time. Where is it?" I respond.
"Kaijo." For a moment, we both stare at each other silently. "I have found a new light."
"Who?" I ask, sliding to sit across from Kuroko.
"Kagami Taiga." Kuroko says. "The tall redhead." I nod my head enthusiastically.
"That's great, Kuroko!" My mouth splits into a grin. "Maybe... he and Aomine..." Kuroko nods.
"I hope so." Then my smile falters, and I look down at my sweating shake. "Hai-chan?"
"Aomine... has changed since the last time you played with him. I think he misses you, Kuroko." My hands shake as I clasp them under the table. "I don't know what to do with him. For a long time I was scared to play with Aomine, especially since your place was a hard one to fill. I..." I look up at Kuroko openly, trying to show him everything I want to say. "I want Aomine to reconcile with you. I want him to go back to the way he was... but I don't know what to do. He doesn't show up to practice. He won't even let me use him for practicing coordination plays!" I grit my teeth.
"Aomine was always supportive of new players when he started out at Teiko." Kuroko says wistfully, his eyes softening. "He was happy when you decided to try basketball. He was just too stubborn to show it."
"As much as he was supportive toward me playing, he favored you above everyone else. You leaving really hit him hard... but I don't think he blames you at all." Kuroko and I exchange slight smiles. "Teiko really did change quite drastically."
"I pity you for playing with them during that time." Kuroko says. I shake my head.
"You had it far worse." I glance at the clock in the corner. "I have to get home. I don't want to be out late. I hope you can at least change Kise's mind. The rest will follow." Kuroko nods and says goodbye as I begin the long trek home.
"How about that face of yours? You wouldn't mind a scar or two, would you?"
The streets seem slower, duller, emptier than usual as I turn a corner.
"C'mon, it's all in good fun~! Don't people like you enjoy this sort of thing?"
"No!"
"...Hai?" I bolt at the sound of my name, wanting nothing more than to get home and hide underneath the covers of my bed.
"Can't you run any faster? Those legs of yours aren't much use to you now, are they?"
"Hai!" Faster and faster, until I can only see blurs.
Dark eyes staring at me, devoid of any hint of mercy. "Stop it!"
"Hai! Hai, stop running!" Run and run and run and run and hide. Run and hide. A hand grabs my wrist, and I instantly try to worm my way free.
"Stop it! Let go!" Can't think can't think can't think. "Let me go! Let go..."
A set of dark blue eyes look nearly liquid as I'm tugged to a body. "Hai, it's okay." Long arms wrap around me as I shake. "Remember? Everything's fine." I shudder and lean forward.
"Aomine..." I murmur, closing my eyes. "I'm sorry." Teiko's former ace doesn't say anything for a long time.
"Are you on your way home?" He asks after a few minutes. I nod.
"Yes." Then I open my eyes and pull away. "Sorry. That must've been rather bothersome for you-"
"Stop it already." Aomine says, narrowing his eyes. "You always say things like that, but then we find you later hiding under the covers after you miss three days of school." I look away.
"It's fine already." I mutter, wishing I were home. "It's fine." I start my trek home again after I start to recognize the streets around me. Surprisingly, Aomine falls into step beside me. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" I ask. He shakes his head silently.
"They got pissed again." And here comes the usual. "Can I crash at yours?" Like clockwork.
"Yeah." I don't want to be alone. The chill of evening settles around me, making goose bumps rise along my arms. It's good that we aren't too far from home now.
"Must be nice to live alone." Aomine says for the umpteenth time this year. I cast a weary glance in his direction.
"Only until you realize how much you spend just breathing." I reply. Normally I just offer Aomine a tired smile. "After you realize how much you have to work to pay bills and eat and go to school, you appreciate having parents around. When you're alone, you notice all the empty, sad noises that houses make. Until there's no one to say 'welcome back' to you, everything is taken for granted. It helps if you're at least in the same country." Aomine narrows his eyes.
"They stopped by?"
"Stayed a half hour drive away from me for a month and only told me after they got back." I say quietly. "Fun, as always. Maybe coming here was a bad idea, after all. I mean, I haven't seen anyone from home or even seen my hometown since I came during middle school." Aomine is dead silent until I pull out my keys and push open the heavy door to reveal a dark, cold apartment.
"They always do that to you." He says, slipping off his shoes. Aomine comes here often enough to know that I'm fine with everyone just walking around in his or her socks or barefoot. "How many times is this? Four? Do they even check up on you at all? Do they even talk to you?" I turn on the lights as Aomine turns on the TV.
"Sometimes my little sister will send me an email." I reply, whipping out my rice cooker and some veggies. "My parents have work and my brother is busy trying not to fail seventh grade." Aomine watches silently from the couch before sitting on my counter, watching me work.
"They fight as much as mine, right?" I nod. "What did you do?" I frown.
"I hid a lot. Sometimes I drew their attention to me when my siblings were in trouble. It really was dependent on the situation." We have these talks often. I like Aomine off the court. He's a nice, really passionate, genuine, stupid guy with an unfortunate addiction to skin mags.
We eat in silence. So glad it's a Thursday. "Aomi-"
"Daiki."
"What?" I stare at the bluenette in surprise.
"You can call me Daiki... like you did in middle school." My jaw nearly drops. "But in return I get to call you Alex! Got it?" I nod slightly.
"You did your homework?" Aomine sweatdrops. "C'mon. I'll help you." Daiki, huh?