Here's the next chapter, finally! I won't be able to update everyday now, because school has started. (NOOO!)

This chapter is a little longer than usual, and I intent to do so from now on. I'm gonna try to write longer chapters than usual! (YAY!)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except my OC. Everything else belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki-senpai!

ENJOY!

Aomine Daiki

"Mayumi won't show up during the game." The coach said, playing with his bangs.

My eyes turned slightly wide. Why wouldn't she attend? "Why?" I asked, calmly, and looked up from where I was sitting.

The coach turned towards me. "She is busy." He said, simply, and told everyone to continue their stamina training. I just stared at the coach, as he walked towards the bench and sat down beside me.

"What kind of business is this?" I asked, side glancing at him.

He continued to watch the team, but his mind was concentrated on my question. "It's something personal. If you want to know, ask her yourself. You two are close after all." He added the last part in a low tone. I felt my face warm up a bit.

"I don't know what you are thinking, but we're only friends." I said and stretched, before yawning.

The coach suddenly turned his head towards me. "I know that this friendship you're talking about is something more than just that. As her uncle, I don't want to see her get hurt. Physically or mentally." He said, with narrowed eyes. "She's been through so much already."

"Calm down, kantoku. There is nothing going on between us." I said, even though I wanted something to happen. "Besides… would you really think that I would hurt her? I don't hurt people I…" I stopped for a second. This thing I'm about to say is way out of character for me, but if it'll ease his worries… "I care about." I finished and looked away, slightly embarrassed for saying something like that to my coach AND Shinohara's uncle.

I slightly stared at him from the corner of my eye, trying to see a reaction, but he just stared at me with a straight face. He seemed to think about something. "Fine. But still, I completely know what you mean by care. It's not something mutual to the care you have towards Momoi-san, right? It's something else. This care you have towards Mayumi is completely different from the care you have towards Momoi-san."

No reason to deny it. He already knows my feelings towards his niece. "Is it that obvious?" I asked and turned to look at the team.

"Yes." He nodded. "It's normal for me to see this, because she has never ever been treated this way before. Mayumi was always lonely." He said and looked down on his hands, with sad eyes. "She's never had any friends before. Even when her parents were alive, she was alone." I listened to the coach's every word with focus. I really wanted to know more about Shinohara.

"You can trust me that I'll never leave her alone." I said which made the coach turn towards me surprised. I clenched my hands into fists. "I don't want to see her cry again. Never!" I said, with narrowed eyes as I remembered the time she told us about her parents' deaths. I still couldn't get her tearstained face out of my mind. It was like a scar to me.

I saw a small smile tug at the coach's lips, before he let out a low chuckle. "I'm happy to hear that. I have to thank you though." He said. I turned towards him, with a confused and questioning look. "Thanks to you and Momoi-san, I finally got to see her real smile again."

Shinohara Mayumi

I sat in the classroom, looking bored, but I was deep in thought. I stared out the window, as I thought about my parents. I was going to go and visit them tomorrow. I wish uncle could come as well, but he has to be at the match against Kaijo. He is the coach after all.

"Mayu?"

Wonder what flowers I should bring them. Maybe mother's favorite flowers. Daisies. Dad was allergic so he didn't like flowers. I felt a small smile tug at my lips at the memory of my mother chasing after him with flowers in her hands. It was a small payback for him, because he had eaten mother's favorite strawberry creamed cookies.

"Mayu?"

I should bring her some cookies as well. Now flowers and cookies for mom, but what about dad? What did he like? Oh, I remember! I should bring him his journal and read out some pages for him. About his stressful dates with mom, before they got married. I would always laugh at the way he expressed out his feelings in that little book.

"Mayu?!"

What else can I bring him? Since mom gets two things, dad should get two things as well. Maybe his favorite pencil. Dad was such a workaholic, so it was usual for him to have a favorite pencil, favorite notepad or even a favorite work bag.

"MAYU?!" I felt someone shake me. I turned to look at the person that shook me harshly.

"Eh?" Was all I could say, as I realized that Aomine stood beside my desk, looking… worried? Why would he look worried? "Aomine…-kun?" I muttered out. I was confused.

"What the hell?! Do you know how many times I tried to break you out of your thoughts?! Are you okay?!" He said, still holding onto my shoulders. His eyes were slightly narrowed and he had a deep frown on his face, but his eyes looked so scared and worried.

I felt myself freeze in place as I stared at him.

"Mayu?! Stop dozing off again!" He said and put a hand on my left cheek. He rubbed his thumb across it, as if he tried to wipe something off my cheek, before starting to rub it gently. "Why are you crying?" He said, sternly.

"Eh?!" I said and wiped my eyes. I felt something wet on my fingers. "Why was I… crying?" I asked myself, in a whisper.

"Mayu." Aomine's voice said, softly. I turned to look at him, my eyes still wide, because of the confusion. He crouched down and took a hold of my both hands. "What were you thinking about?" He asked. It was the first time I had heard Aomine's voice being so soft and caring.

I stared into his deep blue eyes a little longer than I should. He had so pretty eyes. I hadn't thought of that before.

"Mayu! Answer my question! You're making me worried!" He said his face turning into a worried one.

Worried? Aomine… worried about me? "I…" I thought for a second, repeating the question he had asked me in my mind. "I was just…" I then put on a poker face and waved him off. "Nothing! I think I just got something in my eye." I said and tried to take my hands back to fake-rub my eye, but he wouldn't let go. I stared up at him, surprised. "Aomine-kun, can you please let go of my hands?" I said, softly.

He just kept staring at me. Probably he didn't buy my lie. "What were you thinking about?" He repeated his question, his eyes narrowing.

I just looked down on my lap. I didn't want to break down now in front of the students in the classroom, who were talking with each other. I suddenly stood up, which jerked him back a little. I grabbed his hand and started to drag him somewhere. A place where no one else could be. I thought about dragging him to the rooftop, but the stairwell was too far away, so I decided to drag him to the gym. It was the closest place where it would be quiet at this hour.

When we entered the gym, I made sure to look everywhere to see if someone might be there. No one. I turned towards Aomine, who now looked completely confused.

"Why did we come here, Mayu?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"You wanna know what I thought about? Then just listen." I said and went over to the benches. I sat down and soon Aomine joined me. He kept staring at me, waiting for me to begin. "I was thinking about my parents."

Aomine Daiki

So she couldn't come to the game, because of her parents' anniversary. That's the business the coach was talking about.

I stared at her, as she bit on her lip to try to prevent a sob. Her head was hung low and her eyes were shut, as she tried not to let the tears fall. Her hands were clenched on her lap, making her knuckles go white. Her whole body was tensed up, just so she could prevent herself from crying.

Seeing her like this, hurt more than just seeing her tears.

I reached out for her and grabbed her. I pulled her towards my chest and rubbed her back. "I know I told you that I never wanted to see you cry, but… seeing you like this! It's even worse! So just let your tears escape." Sorry, coach. I promised you that I wouldn't let her cry, but seeing her restrain herself was even worse. At least by letting her tears fall, she could get all the sadness she was feeling out of her mind.

Soon I felt her hand grip on my shirt, as she started to cry out. I felt my shirt getting wet. She was crying out so painfully. I bit my lip, feeling the taste of blood. I just pulled her closer to myself and let my head rest on her soft, pale brown hair. It frustrated me so much that I couldn't do anything to ease her pain.

When her crying ended, we continued to sit on the bench, in the gym, still in each other's arms. There was a comfortable silence between us.

"Aomine-kun…" She softly said.

I pulled back a little to see her face. "Hmm?"

"Can you take me home?" She asked, looking into my eyes with her big glassy, amber ones.

After I left her home, I went home myself. It was still 1:00 pm, so we would skip some classes and, not to mention, the practice as well.

I lay down on my bed, thinking about Shinohara. The way she looked at me with her tearstained face, was another scar that would be left in my memory. I would never forget that hurt and broken look on her.

I gave a desperate sigh and closed my eyes. I decided to take a nap.

"I love you… Mayu." I whispered to myself, before dozing off to a deep slumber.

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!

- xoxo