Kise Ryouko was never one to feel awkward; it simply didn't exist in her world. She was confident, outgoing, and always had a smile on her face .

However when she kissed Aomine innocently on the cheek and saw the red faced ace , her face exploded in different shades of red .It was the first time she felt this way, a strange mix of excitement and nervousness. And she felt quite happy too .

But things weren't going like she wanted .

When She meets Kuroko and Momoi for lunch , usually the the navy blue haired ace of Teiko who always was with one of them was nowhere to be found .

Things between them had gotten quite awkward lately ever since that innocent kiss on the cheek. The navy blue-haired guy seemed to be actively avoiding her whenever she joined the trio.

And She thought they were making progress, that their bond was growing stronger. But now, she felt a heavy sense of guilt weighing on her. Maybe she had been too forward, too bold in her actions.

The fear of losing their friendship consumed her . leaving her feeling vulnerable and uncertain. If only she could turn back time and take back that moment of misplaced courage.

That innocent kiss on the cheek seemed to have changed everything.

To Momoi, it was evident that Daiki was acting strange . Something had clearly happened between the two .Momoi's mind spun with possibilities, but without any concrete information . 'What could have happened for Dai-chan to avoid Ki-chan like the plague?'

"Aominecchiiiiiii ! Momoiichhiiiiiii !"

Aomine and Momoi turned their heads at the sound of their names being called, and their eyes widened as they saw a cute blond figure running towards them with uncontainable joy. Aomine's heart skipped a beat , a blush decorating his cheeks .

"I-I think I should go ." He stammered

Where to, Dai-chan?" Momoi raised an eyebrow questioningly, her eyes scanning his face for any hints or answers. She had noticed his distant behavior lately, and her curiosity got the best of her. She wanted to understand what was going on, to bridge the gap that had formed between them.

"I promised Midorima that I wil hang out with him ."Aomine replied, his voice sounding a bit rushed. He avoided making direct eye contact with Momoi .

"Since when do you hang out with Midorin , Dai-Chan ?" Momoi questioned raising an eyebrow , 'it's obviously a lie' she thought .

" S-Since he lent me his homework."He knew his response sounded feeble, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that he is too embarrassed to look Kise on the eyes .

Without waiting for further questioning, Aomine turned and started to run away leaving Momoi watched him go, a mix of concern and frustration crossing her face.

0_0

"Momoiiichhiiii, Kurokocchiiiii, what should I do?" Kise let out a loud and pitiful whine, her voice filled with desperation. "Aominecchiiii is avoiding me."

Momoi , quickly took a seat beside him, her expression shifting to one of concern. "What happened?" she asked, leaning in closer to hear his words.

"What happened ?" Momoi asked dropping into the seat beside the model

"I, uh, kinda kissed him on the cheek,"

Ryouko confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and uncertainty, unsure of how her stupid action had affected Aomine and their relationship .

After a brief moment of silence, Momoi couldn't contain her amusement any longer. She burst into laughter, her infectious giggles filling the air. " Bwahahahaha! " Her laughter echoed, catching the attention of other students nearby, who looked on curiously, wondering what could be so funny.

Even Kuroko, known for his stoicism, couldn't help but choke on his drink in surprise , at Ryouko's boldness.

"Oh my goodness, that's so funny!" Momoi exclaimed between fits of laughter. She wiped away tears of amusement from the corners of her eyes, thoroughly entertained by the unexpected turn of events.

Kuroko, finally recovering from his surprise, spoke up, his voice carrying a hint of astonishment. "Aomine-kun has a maiden heart," he commented, his typically calm demeanor betraying a sense of amazement.

Momoi's laughter only grew louder at Kuroko's remark,

As the laughter subsided , the pink haired girl patted the blond's hair "Don't worry Ki-chan it's gonna be alright ." She said between chuckles '

Kise nodded , a person only could hope for the better

0_0

"Dai-chan let's go home " Momoi declared loudly across the basketball court after practice was over .

Aomine found himself hesitating : should he accept. ' the blond girl would surely join them after since it became a routine for them to hang out after school , before the young model started to act silly that's it .

"Kise-san won't join us , she has photoshoots after training ." Kuroko declared.

"What the...Tetsu , where did you come from ?" Aomine jumped in surprise as Tetsu suddenly appeared from behind, catching him off guard.

"I was here from the beginning Aomine-kun ."Tetsu replied calmly, his expression unchanged.

"What do you mean you were here from the beginning?" Aomine asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "I didn't even notice you."

Tetsu simply smiled mysteriously, not giving away any clues "Like always Aomine-kun ."

"So we are going back home or not ?"

The pink hair girl asked, his voice bringing the two back to the present moment.

"alright.". the tension in his body easing , Which didn't go unnoticed by his friends.

Once Kuroko parted ways with them, Aomine remained silent, not bothering to say anything to his childhood friend.

didn't bother to say anything to his childhood friend

"you have a crush on Ki-chan ." she said, unable to hide her amused smile.

"What?" he exclaimed, jumping away in surprise.

"Don't worry Dai-Chan I won't tell her." she said, playfully patting him on the head.

Aomine scoffed, his annoyance evident on his face. "You are enjoying this too much ."

Momoi's smile widened as she teased Aomine further. "Well, it's not every day I get to see the great Aomine Daiki flustered and caught off guard. It's quite entertaining, you know."

Aomine crossed his arms, trying to maintain his composure despite the slight blush creeping up on his cheeks. "Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. But I don't have a crush on Ki-chan or anyone else for that matter."

Momoi raised an eyebrow, her playful expression turning slightly mischievous. "Oh, really? Ki-chan told us that you are avoiding her because she kissed you on the cheek."

Aomine's eyes narrowed, his surprise quickly turning into irritation. "That idiot can't keep her mouth shut, can she?" He muttered under his breath.

Momoi smirked, thoroughly enjoying the reaction she elicited from Aomine. "So, it's true then? You're avoiding her because of a simple kiss on the cheek?"

Aomine shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting away for a moment "It's not like that ." He didn't sound very convincing .

"I understand, I understand ."Momoi's playful expression softened "but you shouldn't avoid her like that ."

Aomine rubbed the back of his neck, a hint of frustration in his voice "I know ."

"Next time would you join us at lunch . won't you ?"

"Fine, I'll join you guys at lunch."

Momoi beamed, her grip on his hand tightening briefly " It's going to be great, Dai-chan! We'll have so much fun!".

"Just so you know I'm rooting for you ." Momoi added out from nowhere .

"Yeah! yeah ! whatever ! "

0_0

Ryouko class came to an end, and as she stepped out into the bustling hallway,

she spotted a vibrant flash of pink hair, belonging to none other than Momoi . She seems to be in high spirits, enthusiastically dragging along Aomine, his navy blue-haired companion, toward her .

"Momoi-chii!" Kise called out cheerfully, finally reaching her Momoi greeted her with an equally cheerful tone, opening her arms for a warm embrace , they hugged for awhile ignoring the discomfort it bought Aomine .

"Ki-chan let's go eat !"

"C-can I really ?" Ryouko Her eyes darted between Momoi and the object of her affection hoping for a positive response.

"Yeah let's hurry I am hangry." Aomine answered not really looking at the blond .

Walking side by side towards the bustling cafeteria, Kise couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over her. It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She is glad that the

Tension between them is dissolving.

0_0

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of another eventful day at Teiko Middle School, students flooded out of the classrooms, filling the hallways with a lively buzz of chatter and laughter. Backpacks slung over shoulders, the students made their way towards the school's exit .

Among them there was a grey haired basketball team member standing by the gate as if he was waiting for someone particular , with him was a brown haired girl who was clinging tightly to his arm .

"Shougo-kun let's go! " The blunette glued to his side whined tugging at his jacket .

" not now babe! " he Replied as black orbs searched for golden blond locks among the leaving crowd of middle schoolers.

Today Aomine and GOM hung together and left earlier than usual , so there is none to bother them .

." Ryooou-ko " he called out the blond girl without much of a galance to his brunette girlfriend clinging to him .

Instead of answering the annoying boy , The blond ignored him like she always did .

"Come on baby !" Frustrated by her aloof behaviour , the silver haired guy grabbed her wrist.

"Let go off me ! "

she turned around to look up at Haizaki with pure anger making her blood boiled like molten lava , She pried her arm from his hand since he let go slightly of his hold on her wrist .

"What's wrong with you ? Can't you leave me alone already ? "

The amusement was clear in Haizaki's eyes as he gazed into her angered face , he has always liked a challenge .

"Fiesty I see !" He smirked .

"Shougo-Kun !" The brunette beside him tugged harshly on his sleeve .

'damn noisy woman .' "Shut up woman! "

"It's over between us . " the brunette cried and tried to slap him , but he cough her hand , a fierce glare adorned his face which made the girl shudder in fear . When he let go the brunette run away as fast as her trembling legs could until she was far from his side , she collapsed on a random unpopulated road which she barely recognises.

The brunette gritted her teeth from anger and pain , being humiliated like this by her now ex-boyfriend "How dare he do that to me ? Shougo Haizaki you will pay ."

"What is it babe ?" A tall guy with short black hair and strong build kneeled beside her .

" Koji-kun ?" The brunette gasped at her Ex boyfriend whome she dated before shougo came along.

she was aware that he still had some feelings for her , she hugged him as she begins to cry .

" Help me Koji-kun ." His ex whom he still had feeling for whimpered , drenched with tears and trembling violently .

"What is it babe ?"

"Shougo-Kun..."

'Tsk .' He hated the silver haired boy with passion , not only Haizaki stole his woman , but he tossed her after as she was garbage when he found a new toy . he could never forgive the bastard .

"That's all for that bitch model , Kise Ryouko." She bit her lips .

"Don't worry babe ." The boy smirked evilly as he patted the crying girl's head " Leave it to me ."