Chapter 23: Better Late Than Never
"Good morning, Kaga-kun!" I chirp happily into the red head's ear. He jumps in shock, but not for too long as the next thing I know he begins to yell frantically into my face. Spit flying and all.
"Sorry, sorry. I didn't know that you were this worried about the match today already," I hint, with a smug look on my face.
"Really? I'm worried? Aren't you the one still without a team?"
"What makes you say that?"
"There's been no word around that you've come up with a decent team. Plus, from what I've heard you've been inside your house for the most part."
Raising an eyebrow at him, I ask him questioningly if he's been keeping tabs on me or was just really obsessed with my perfect life, or so what I would like to call it.
"Tch, with Aomine in it, it's far from perf- OW!"
"See, I wouldn't have to keep hitting you if you just accepted the fact that he and I are-"
"Bull-"
"Hmph. Fine. Remember what the bet is? Whoever wins get's one favour that the other has to comply to no matter what. I already know what mine is."
"And I already know what mine is too."
Staring into each other's eyes' as if ready to lunge for the other, my senpai's from the team and Kuroko-kun end up stepping in front of us from doing so.
"Imouto! We haven't seen you all week!" cries Hyuuga-senpai, as he pulls me into his hard chest roughly, almost breaking my nose by the sudden impact.
Patting him on the back, I muffle my words to him that I too did miss the team's company.
"Well, I noticed you were home all week-"
Giving Izuki-senpai a suspicious look, I ask him what he meant that he had noticed.
"Oh-Ah, I mean, we noti-"
Hyuuga-senpai slaps him on the back of the head as he then proceeds to grab his collar, half whispering and half yelling at him to not throw all of them underneath the bus as well.
Sighing out loud to myself, I scratch the back of my head and begin to wonder if everyone was just keeping tabs on me this weekend.
Suddenly, Kuroko-kun taps me on the shoulder, giving me an all too serious look.
"I noticed Momoi and yourself had ran out of milk. So here, I brought some from the convenience store on my way to school," he says sternly, as he hands me a small gallon of white milk.
Thanking him with a smile, I take it graciously when it suddenly hits me that during the week, not once had Kuroko-kun came over.
Slowly turning to my side, my eye begins to twitch as a vein pops out of my neck.
"Just what the heck were you guys doing on the week-"
"Damnit Kuroko! We were so close!" groans Kagami-kun, as he grabs the hem of Kuroko-kun's shirt, quickly dragging him off before anything else ensued.
Looking at the senpai's, I'm about to demand an explanation but they too end up hauling ass away from me.
Just what on earth were these guys- Hey, wait a second.
"WHERE THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO PUT THIS MILK?!"
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"Out of a group of seven, not even one of them can bother to answer their damn phones!"
Grunting and slamming my forehead lightly against my locker, I clench my fists tightly as I crack one eye open, flipping my phone back open in hopes they responded.
Nothing.
"Getting scared, I see?"
Not bothering to look, I take it by the arrogant voice and familiarly that it was none other than Kagami-kun.
"Yes. I'm scared that after this game that large ego you have will be diminished to that of nothing," I jab, as I give him an affectionate smile.
Disgruntled, he asks me where my team was, clearly amused that I seemed to be having some sort of breakdown this close to the game which started in an hour and a half.
"No, just our communication isn't exactly our strongest point."
"Well, you better bring it to the court if you plan on winning."
With that, Kagami-kun waves me off as he recedes down the hall, where the team of Seirin is waiting so they can all walk to the Recreation centre where our game was being held.
Sighing, I grab all my belongings from my locker, slamming it shut as I too make way for the centre. All I had to linger onto was hope. Hope that my grand scheme would in the end pay off.
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My hopes of getting what I wanted, which was Kagami-kun to accept my relationship between Aomine-kun and myself, seemed like nothing now. It had to be less than 5 minutes to the game, with Seirin already getting a good hour of practice in before hand. Me on the other hand practiced on the other half of the court all by my pitiful self. Still, even 5 minutes before the game, not even Satsu-chan had replied to a single one of what had to be 50 messages that I had sent out to everyone.
Seems as though my favour was too much to handle for everyone. Especially the bunch that I had gathered. Takao-kun was probably busy handling Midorima-kun. Himuro-kun taking care of Murasakibara-kun. Kasamatsu-kun probably had captain duties that first had to be taken care of at Kaijou. Kise-kun probably had a photo shoot he had to go and most importantly, Aomine-kun was most likely lying on his back, fast asleep while dreaming about playing in the NBA.
"Oi, Yukari!"
Jumping, the basketball from my hands slips out of my fingertips and away from my body.
Turning around, I find the team of Seirin along with Riko-senpai staring at me with worry and amusement from Kagami-kuns' side.
"Look around, the place is packed with people from school and around the neighbourhood. Where's your team?" he asks, looking around in exaggerated mock as clearly it was just me by myself.
Sighing, I throw my hands up in the air and tell him that he won.
"You're right. I had no team all along. It was just me by myself hiding in my house. I'm done. I give up. I forfeit this match," I whisper sadly, as the remainder of my dignity and will power go flushing down the toilet.
"The hell type o' bullshit is that?!"
The familiar voice echoes throughout the gymnasium, causing everyone amongst the crowd and floor to grow hush as I watch all of their heads turn to what was behind me. Looking up, I watch all of Seirin's eyes' go wide with shock, their jaws dropping as well.
Swivelling my head around, my blonde locks that stay currently into a high ponytail on my head sways into the side of my face.
Pulling the strands away, I look with a smile as to what awaits before me.
There stood the boys. Takao-kun, Midorima-kun, Himuro-kun, Murasakibara-kun, Kasamatsu-kun, Kise-kun and of course, Aomine-kun.
But what surprised me the most wasn't my cousin standing in front of them with a clipboard and whistle with a large grin, but it was the fact that all of them were wearing matching yellow, orange and white uniforms.
Nearly running towards them, the first job I do is smack each of them on the back of their head. Much to my convenience, Murasakibara-kun being the gentleman he is, bends down for myself. Stopping at Aomine-kun, I of course hit him the hardest.
Growling, he grabs my wrists in his fist out of annoyance and anger.
"Damnit woman, what the hell is yer'-"
"You all had me so worried!" I cry out, as I give them a shy, meek smile.
Kise-kun reaches in and pinches my red cheeks, while quickly dodging Aomine-kuns' swatting hand.
"Neh, don't give us that look, Yuki-chan. Of course we'd come. I couldn't leave my Yukitten all alone to defend against these bad dogs."
"What do you mean 'I"?" asks an annoyed Kasamatsu-kun that Kise-kun was only talking for himself.
"More importantly, why the hell do ya' keep calling her th-"
Slapping Aomine-kuns' obnoxious form out of the way, I ask them what was up with the crazy get up.
"Oh, well we figured that we needed uniforms," chips in Himuro-kun.
"So I asked some of the girls I worked with at the agency if they could make us some," replies Kise-kun, with a wink and a grin.
"Did you pay them?"
"Well, no. But-"
"It must've taken a while to make these- What the- They're so soft and…durable."
"I know. It's made from the finest- OW!"
Crossing my arms over my bust, I huff out at the blonde-haired boy as I turn away from him.
"The cost of these uniform's are coming from your pocket, I hope you-"
"But-"
"No buts!"Kise-kun turns to Kasamatsu-kun to cry, but he pushes him to the ground.
"Here's your uniform, Yuki-chan," chirps Satsu-chan, as she hands me a crisp, orange, yellow and white jersey with the number one crisply printed on.
Thanking her, I ask how they came up with the colour scheme.
"Well, you always where a white ribbon in your hair," says Satsu-chan.
"You have blonde hair," states Midorima-kun, as if it was an obvious fact.
"And you have orange skin," says Aomine-kun flatly. Going in to hit him again, he dodges before I could do so.
"I'm still working out the whole tanned business, alright? But, why would you guys choose the colour scheme as colours that had to do with-"
"Because you're our captain, silly," laughs Satsu-chan, as she hugs the side of my body with affection.
Looking up at each of their happy faces and Midorima-kuns' scowl, I can't help but laugh in joy as to how wrong I was about them.
Suddenly I hear Kagami-kuns' laughter behind me. Turning around, it seems as though the apparent shock had come down, but only a smidge. As to Kagami-kuns' behaviour, I had to believe that he was going into some sort of delirious state.
"This is your team? Do you expect us to be scared? After already playing against these guys?"
"And losing," says Aomine-kun, as he gives Kagami-kun a heavy dose of his cocky attitude that was about to arise.
"G-Guys, let's turn the heat down a notch, al-"
Aomine-kun pushes me behind him as he takes a step closer to Kagami-kun. Stumbling into Mursakibara-kun, he holds me upright with his left hand.
"Sorry."
He nods his head, signalling that it was fine.
Sighing out loud, both teams watch tiredly as Aomine-kun and Kagami-kun go at it while Kuroko-kun tries to act as a moderator.
This was going to be a very, very difficult game. Not in physical strength, but emotionally wise.
And right now, looking at all the spectators and teams, it was going to be a hell of a game.