Happy New Year beautiful people!

Whaddup in 2017 I am back and better than ever ready to kick off on my fanfics again. I thank you for everyone in the last chapter who wished me Happy Holidays, I hope everyone enjoyed their time off!

Good news! This chapter beat the record for longest chapter for this story. Nearly 7k words! Can I get a hell yeah?

Well anyway enough talk, hopefully I haven't kept you waiting for too long. Without further ado...

Please enjoy!

Chapter 14

"Checkmate!"

"Miyoko, while I said I wouldn't nitpick, may I remind you that we're playing Go Fish?"

Bokushi sat across from Miyoko at the dining table in her house. It was a Wednesday afternoon and after Bokushi had spent the better half of his day in the library in his house, a maid suddenly called out to him from the entrance, informing him that Midorima was on the phone. When he went to answer it and politely greeted him, Miyoko snatched the phone from her older brother and asked if Bokushi could come over. Now here he was, across the table from the little girl, shaking his head in exasperation at how incorrectly she was playing the card game.

Miyoko frowned slightly. "Eh? I can't say that?"

"No," Bokushi said for what he imagined to be probably the fourth time already. "If I ask you for a number and you don't have it, you're supposed to tell me 'Go Fish', not 'Checkmate'. And you're not supposed to put your cards face-up, either."

She looked down at the cards she put down on the table and gasped. "Ah, I forgot!" she exclaimed, quickly picking them up again. "Okay, now we can keep going."

"It doesn't work if I've already seen your cards," Bokushi sighed. "Never mind, give them to me and we'll start over."

"Okay~"

As Bokushi began reshuffling the cards, Midorima walked into the room and spotted the two sitting at the table.

"Are you playing a card game, in fact?" he asked. "If so, it takes Miyoko a while to understand instructions."

"No, it doesn't!" Miyoko huffed, grabbing the cards that Bokushi handed to her. "I can play just fine! Look, I have three Kings already. That's good, right?"

"You're not supposed to tell me what cards you have Miyoko," Bokushi emphasized. "Now I have to reshuffle them again."

"Oh. Oops…"

Bokushi rolled his eyes, taking her cards back and reshuffling the deck, his eyes wandering over to Midorima who was still standing over them. "If you're that interested in watching the game, then why don't you play, Shintarou?"

"This card game isn't necessarily engaging, in fact," Midorima replied. "I prefer more strategic games."

"Unless you want me to start teaching your sister how to play poker, then we have no other options," said Bokushi. "At least sit down for one game."

Midorima thought about it for a moment, weighing his options in his head before sighing in resignation and sitting down, taking five cards from the deck. Bokushi began to sort his own cards.

"So, Shintarou, I never got the chance to ask you what you were up to these days."

"Nothing special, in fact," he replied. "My days are the same as usual. Do you have any threes?"

"Go Fish."

"Tsk." He drew a card from the deck.

Bokushi gazed at him with a deceptively innocent smile. "Do you have any threes, Shintarou?"

Midorima glared at him before surrendering two of his cards, the boy eagerly taking them and putting them in his deck.

"Much obliged. Miyoko, it's your turn."

"Okay!" she said happily. "Does anyone have any sevens?"

Bokushi heard Midorima growl before reluctantly handing a seven over to his sister. She giggled in excitement.

"Yes! I'm gonna win before you do, onii-chan!"

"Hmph, what a pointless game," Midorima muttered, adjusting his glasses.

Bokushi patted his shoulder. "Try not to let it get to you, Shintarou," he lightly teased. "How is basketball going?"

"The same as always. Takao is more rowdy than usual, though."

"Ah, Takao Kazunari, the Point Guard in your team. Well, he's probably excited for the upcoming basketball competitions. There are quite a few of them scattered between now and the end of the term, including the Winter Cup. I assume your team intends to enter them."

"Of course, it would be good practice for the Inter High, in fact. Does anyone have any Queens?"

Miyoko pouted. "I bet you were peeking at my cards," she said before tossing a Queen in her brother's general direction. Midorima shook his head in amusement.

"As I was saying," he continued. "Due to such unforeseen circumstances, it seems that I won't be facing you."

Bokushi frowned. "I suppose not," he said slowly.

He hadn't properly considered his future up until that point. Obviously, now that he was stuck as a child for good, he would no longer compete in high school tournaments. Seijuro would be the one competing in the Winter Cup in the upcoming months, and then again in his final year of high school. Before, Bokushi could hope to play if they switched but they were two separate people now. Switching was not an option anymore.

All those times on the court, the adrenaline rush when he stepped into a packed stadium, the cheer of the crowd, the sound of the basketball bouncing on the polished floors, the excitement when the buzzer sounds to start the game... all of these were things he could no longer experience.

He thought of his previous teammates and how their talents had grown over the years, and how exhilarating it was to have a proper battle with them. Now, they'll continue on without him, going on to bigger and better championships, Bokushi going back to watching them from afar. He looked down as a wave of jealousy washed over him.

They're leaving me behind again, huh?

Midorima glanced over at Bokushi, aware of the sudden change in the air. Despite the fact that Seijuro and Bokushi were two different people, Midorima was still able to detect when either of them fell into what Aomine always described as 'one of his moods'. The boy had also left his cards on the table, his face showing no desire to pick them up again. Miyoko, on the other hand, was sitting on the other side of the table, probably wondering why they had stopped the game. Midorima took the cue from the tension-filled atmosphere and decided that he too would put his cards down, standing up from the dining table.

"Come," he said, grabbing the other two's attention. "Both of you should put your shoes on. Let's take a walk to the park, in fact. This house is getting quite stuffy."

Miyoko immediately perked up at the suggestion and jumped off the chair.

"We're going to the park?" she said. "I'll get my shoes right now!"

She dashed upstairs and to her room before anyone could say a word. As she ran off, Bokushi looked up at Midorima and quirked a brow.

"Shintarou?"

Midorima didn't answer and instead turned around to go get ready. Once he took a step in the other direction, however, he stopped in place.

"You should go put your shoes on as well, in fact. I keep the basketball in the back." He then continued walking.

Bokushi stared after him, unblinking, until he finally turned away and smiled.

"Alright."

…

Bokushi, Midorima, and Miyoko set out once they got their shoes on, and together they walked down the street, on their way to the park they were at just days before. Miyoko was bouncing the ball down the street with excitement. "Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy~" is what she sang as she bounced the ball up and down.

Bokushi, walking alongside her, observed her behavior. Kids really will just say the first thing that pops up in their head, won't they? Once people get older, they might be thinking of the silly tune that Miyoko was singing at that moment, but they wouldn't actually sing it out loud, due to the fear of being heavily judged. He hadn't realized how many excuses children such as herself had for doing such strange things without being reprimanded.

"Miyoko," Midorima began, "you shouldn't bounce the ball so much, it might go into the street."

"It's fine, onii-chan," Miyoko said back. "You worry too much—ah!" The ball bounced onto an uneven part of the sidewalk and began bouncing away from her, near the busy road in front of them. Miyoko's eyes widened.

"The basketball!" she shouted and began to chase after it, but the door to a shop opened in front of the ball, the orange basketball coming to a halt once it hit the glass door.

The person who opened the door bent down and picked up the ball, and Miyoko stopped in her tracks to look up at who it was. He was very tall. Very tall, and very pretty as well. He looked like he was wearing a school uniform, gray trousers with a white collared dress shirt and black tie. His hair was golden yellow, and his eyes were a deep amber color. This person was none other than Kise Ryouta.

He held the ball out to her and smiled. "Is this yours?"

Miyoko looked entranced for a moment before shaking herself out of her state of wonder and timidly taking the basketball back from him.

"Yes… thank you." She immediately turned around and held the ball up. "Onii-chan! I caught the ball!"

Kise quirked a brow. "Onii-chan?" he repeated. His gaze wandered behind her to find who she was addressing and saw the green-haired Shooting Guard he knew so well. "Midorimacchi?"

Midorima furrowed his eyebrows. "Kise?" he said. "What are you doing here, in fact?"

"I was doing a photoshoot nearby and I decided to look at something in this shop when I was finished," he explained. "This is your little sister?"

"Yes," said Midorima. He gestured over to the little girl. "This is Miyoko, in fact."

Miyoko smiled. "Hi! I'm Miyoko and I'm five. Nice to meet you!"

Kise gave her another cheery smile. "Nice to meet you, Miyoko-chan!" he chirped. "I'm Kise Ryouta."

"Hi, Kise-san! Oh! I almost forgot." Miyoko pointed to the redheaded boy standing next to Midorima. "This is my friend Bokushi-kun."

Kise followed her pointed finger to the boy she was talking to and his eyes widened so much they nearly fell out of their sockets.

"Wha—" His jaw dropped when he spotted the young boy who had red hair and heterochromatic eyes, one red and one gold, almost exactly like a certain captain.

Bokushi smirked, raised a hand, and gave a small wave. "Why hello, Ryouta."

"EEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHH?!"

~O~

"Alright, five-minute break, everyone!"

"Yes, captain!"

Seijuro took a long contemplative sip from his water bottle during practice as he reviewed some notes on a clipboard he was holding. Mibuchi came walking off the court and grabbed a towel, wiping the sweat off his face and then stretching his arms out.

"What's up next on the training menu, Sei-chan?"

"We're going to have a few practice matches once everyone has returned," he answered, still reading off the clipboard. "Once that's over, I'll be discussing what we're doing in tomorrow's practice and then we can finish up for today."

"Please don't put me on Eikichi's team. He's disgusting."

"He's your teammate, Mibuchi," Seijuro responded, an amused smile on his face. "You should try to at least get along with him."

"Well, maybe I would if he had manners," Mibuchi huffed stubbornly. "Not to mention for every single thing he does, he has to shout 'Muscle-whatever'. That boy is a handful sometimes."

Suddenly, something began to ring, and it was only after a few moments that Seijuro realized it was his cell phone.

"Ah, excuse me." He unzipped his sports bag and dug around, quickly pulling his phone out and looking at the Caller ID. "Hmm? Kise?"

Mibuchi arched a brow. "Oh? What would Kise Ryouta-kun from Kaijo be calling for?"

Seijuro shrugged. "I suppose I'll find out." He pressed the answer button. "Hello?"

"AKASHICCHI, YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOU HAD A YOUNGER BROTHER!"

Mibuchi watched Seijuro wince from Kise's voice on the other line, making a point of moving the phone as far away from his ear as possible, his eye twitching slightly in irritation.

"You're loud, Kise," he chided. "And how did you know about that?"

There was some shuffling on the other line and some muffled speaking, and then a different voice came through the speaker.

"Good afternoon, Seijuro-nii."

"Bokushi?" he said in surprise. "What are you doing with Kise? Where are you?"

"I was originally with Shintarou and Miyoko and we were walking to the park," Bokushi told him. "But we ran into Ryouta along the way."

"I see," Seijuro said, nodding in understanding. "In any case, I suppose Kise was in for quite a shock, wasn't he?"

"Shock isn't nearly enough to describe it!" Kise exclaimed, taking the phone back. "Midorimacchi explained everything just now, and even though I understand how this happened, I'm still in denial! Is this really your other self? He's so cute!"

"Don't call me cute!" He heard Bokushi yell from the other line. Seijuro chuckled.

"Now, now, Bokushi. Anyway, it really is an odd coincidence that you all happened to run into each other. It seems that ever since Bokushi and I came back to Tokyo we've been having run-ins with quite a few of you."

"Midorimacchi wasn't the first?"

"I'm afraid not," said Seijuro. "Kuroko and Kagami were the first to know, actually. We ran into them on the first night we were in Tokyo."

"And they didn't tell me?!" Kise whined (Seijuro didn't even have to see his face to know he was pouting). "Kurokocchi and Kagamicchi are both traitors!"

"I see you're as dramatic as always," Seijuro observed. He looked at the clock at the far end of the gym and blinked in surprise. "Ah, the five-minute break should be over soon. I have to go now, unfortunately. Tell Bokushi I say goodbye and that I'll call him tonight."

"Okay! I'll tell him. And Akashicchi…"

"Yes?"

"The next time you come back to Tokyo, we should all play basketball sometime!"

Seijuro smiled, his eyes softening at the innocence of the proposition. "Yeah. Let's play basketball sometime. Later."

"Later!"

The call cut and Seijuro put his phone in his bag. Putting his water bottle on the bench, he looked back one more time before walking onto the court along with his gathering teammates.

"Alright, let's resume practice!"

~O~

Miyoko and Bokushi opened the gates that led to the court, stepping inside and looking around.

"Finally, we're here," Miyoko observed, sighing in satisfaction at the sight of the court in front of her. Bokushi, carrying the ball behind her, watched with an impassive expression.

"It didn't take that long, actually," he responded.

"Everything takes long to her, in fact," Midorima said. "A minute usually feels like an hour to her."

"That's kids for you," said Kise.

Midorima's eyebrow twitched. "Kise… why are you still here?"

"How mean!" he cried. "I thought it might be nice if I joined you guys."

"We didn't invite you."

"Midorimacchi is so stingy. You should be happy when someone wants to hang out with you!"

"I hardly think of you as good company, in fact," Midorima huffed, earning him another cry of despair from Kise. "But I suppose you can stay now that you're here."

"Kise-san, did you want to play basketball with us?" Miyoko asked, staring up at him with questioning eyes.

Kise smiled. "Would I? I'd love to! Miyoko-chan, do you know how to play?"

The little girl shook her head. "I've only watched onii-chan play," she said. "But I wanna learn how to play, too!"

"You know, I can play basketball, too," Kise added. "I used to play on the same team as Midorimacchi."

"You used to play on the same team as onii-chan?"

"Yep!" said Kise. "Do you want me to teach—"

"Bokushi-kun, can you play basketball?"

Kise's jaw dropped as Miyoko completely ignored what he was going to say and went straight over to Bokushi.

Bokushi nodded. "I can play basketball. I can teach you if you'd like," Bokushi suggested.

Miyoko beamed at Bokushi with a wide smile. "You can? Thank you, Bokushi-kun!"

"I got rejected!" Kise exclaimed woefully.

Midorima grunted at the assault on his eardrums. "You're noisy, Kise," he complained. "Anyway, she's Bokushi's friend so leave them be."

"But I wanted to help, too," said Kise. He was always fond of kids and adored it when they looked up to him. "Even now, Akashicchi still wins in the end."

"It's Bokushi now," Midorima reminded him. "And considering the fact that he's still better than both of us in basketball, it would have been wiser for him to teach her anyway, in fact."

"Come on, Bokushi-kun. Teach me how to shoot!" Miyoko said excitedly, skipping over to the center of the court.

Bokushi shook his head. "Basketball isn't just about shooting, you know," he said. "There's a lot more to it."

"Like what?" Miyoko asked.

Bokushi hummed in thought. "Well, let's start from the basics."

He went over to join her in the center of the court and set the ball down on the ground.

"First of all, the rules of basketball are easy enough to understand. All you have to do is try and score as many shots into the other team's basket as you can. If you score more than the other team, you win. But there are a few things you need to learn how to do before you can play."

"What do I need to learn?"

"In basketball, there are three things you have to be able to do. Dribbling, passing, and shooting. If you can do all three, you can become a good basketball player."

"What's dribbling?" Miyoko asked.

"It's quite simple, really." Bokushi bent down and picked up the ball he had left on the ground. "Dribbling is just being able to bounce the basketball while you run. Like so." He dribbled the ball all the way to the other side of the court and then came back.

Miyoko nodded in understanding. "I can do that," she said. "Like this?" She took the ball from Bokushi and started dribbling as well, going in zigzags as she bounced the ball up and down.

"Yes, like that," Bokushi said in approval. "Now throw the ball to me."

Miyoko stopped in place and threw the ball in the air, Bokushi catching it before it hit the ground.

"Good. Now that was a pass. This is shooting." From where Bokushi stood at the three-point line, he made a jump shot and the ball soared through the air, swishing cleanly through the net and then bouncing away. Miyoko was in awe.

"That was so cool!" she said. "That's like the shot onii-chan makes!"

"The shot that Shintarou makes is called a three-pointer," Bokushi explained going to go retrieve the ball. "It's his specialty move."

"Specialty move?" Miyoko repeated, cocking her head to the side. "So, it's special to him?"

"Yes. This move is what Shintarou is known for."

"Does Bokushi-kun have a specialty move?"

"I'm glad you asked, Miyoko." Bokushi turned around and sent a devious smile towards Kise. "Ryouta, can you please come over here?" he said in a sickly sweet tone of voice.

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm in danger?" Kise said fearfully.

"Because you are, in fact," Midorima stated. "He intends to use you as a test dummy."

"Why me, though? You're standing right next to me. Why didn't he ask you?"

"Tick tock, Ryouta," Bokushi called to him.

Kise jolted. "C-Coming!"

As Midorima watched Kise rush over to where Bokushi and Miyoko were, he realized that even though Bokushi had changed a bit since the Winter Cup, he was still as dominant as ever.

And still as good at basketball as ever, Midorima thought when thirty seconds later Kise was on the floor, Bokushi scoring a basket and Miyoko pointing and laughing at the fallen model on the ground.

…

After Bokushi ran through all the basics and fundamentals of basketball such as rules and positions, and how to properly dribble and pass, finally he got onto what Miyoko was most eager to learn, how to shoot.

"Can you shoot a ball, Miyoko?" Bokushi asked the girl.

She thought for a moment. "I think so," she said. "Let me try."

She turned to the basket near them and adopted a position that looked more like she was about to launch the thing at someone's face than shoot it at the hoop, her arms holding the ball up high, almost holding it behind her head. It took less than half a second for Bokushi to realize that this would not end well and decided to spare Miyoko the trouble.

"You won't be able to score if you try and shoot like that," he said.

"I won't?" Miyoko asked.

Bokushi shook his head. "No. You need to fix the way you're holding the ball. Which hand do you write with?"

"Um…" Miyoko timidly held up her left hand. "This one," she said.

"Alright then." Bokushi walked over and took her left hand, moving it so it was supporting the underside of the ball and her right hand was at the side of the ball. "If you want to shoot, you should hold it like this, otherwise there will be a much higher chance of missing."

Miyoko looked at the basketball in her hands. "Am I supposed to stand like this?" she asked.

Bokushi took a step back to examine her position. "Not quite," he said. "Your legs need to be spread a bit further for balance, and you should lower your arms a bit. Let me help."

Midorima and Kise continued to watch Bokushi as he corrected Miyoko's shooting position, Kise letting out a nervous laugh as he turned to his former teammate.

"He sure is a strict teacher…"

"It's nothing that we're not used to, in fact," Midorima replied. "That's just how he is."

No matter how much Bokushi was changing now, that part of him would always stay the same. His ability to teach others to improve their skills and the guidance that he provided to achieve such goals, both Seijuro and Bokushi excelled in this aspect. He had once been told by Kuroko back in Teiko that he was a good teacher, even if sometimes his methods were a bit Spartan. At the end of the day, he still got results, though, and that was rewarding in itself.

After Bokushi examined Miyoko's stance one last time, he deemed it satisfactory and moved on to the next bit.

"Now," he began, "for the actual shooting part, what you want to do is point your toes in the direction of the basket and crouch down. Then you jump and shoot the ball towards the basket. Don't forget to flick your wrist as you're shooting it. Can you do that?"

Miyoko nodded, face determined. "I can do it," she said. "So, like this?"

She aimed for the hoop and jumped, her left hand forcing the ball upwards, flicking her wrist so the ball would go towards the basket. The ball ricocheted off the backboard and then sunk through the net with ease, bouncing only a few times on the ground and then coming to a slow halt a few feet away from the pole. Miyoko grinned and jumped in celebration.

"I did it!" she said in glee. "Bokushi-kun, I did it!"

Bokushi wasn't even expecting her to make the shot the first time, so he was a bit surprised himself. He would have remained expressionless but the fact that she made the basket because of his tutelage made him smirk a little.

"Well done," he congratulated her. "I have taught you well."

"Onii-chan, were you watching?"

"I was watching, in fact. It was a good shot," said Midorima.

Kise was clapping his hands and smiling. "You're a real pro, Miyoko-chan!" he said in encouragement. "You'll be a good basketball player for sure!"

Miyoko was over the moon with happiness. "You think so?" she said. "In that case, Bokushi-kun, can we play a game of basketball?"

Bokushi blinked, slightly bewildered at the wild suggestion. "You want to play against me?" he echoed, sounding unsure as if he didn't hear her correctly.

Miyoko nodded fervently. "I want to try and play a game, just to see how strong I am."

The other two were just as dumbfounded.

"Going straight into the boss battle, huh?" said Kise.

"Even if she's my sister, Miyoko is far too ambitious, in fact," Midorima sighed.

Bokushi didn't know how to feel about this declaration. "You really want to play me?"

"Yes!" Miyoko exclaimed. "And don't go easy on me. I won't forgive you if you do!"

"You say you want me to go all out, but do you really know what that means?" Bokushi asked her.

Even though he wanted to carry out her promise, Bokushi had morals. The thought of ankle-breaking a poor defenseless little girl in a basketball match was too much. No one in the history of the high school basketball world was that mean, not even the really sleazy people like Hanamiya. Haizaki maybe, but that was about all he could think of. Miyoko was so innocent, so naïve that she thought that she was ready to take on someone like Bokushi in basketball.

You teach one person to shoot and suddenly they think you're beneath them, he thought. I suppose this could be interesting.

"Very well," he said. "I'll accept your challenge. Prepare yourself, Miyoko."

Miyoko got herself into a defensive position. "I'm ready!"

Bokushi bounced the ball experimentally. Once. Twice. Thrice. Then he exhaled, focusing himself on the oncoming battle.

"Let's begin."

…

Thirty minutes and several one-on-ones later, Bokushi was standing in the center of the court once more, not even breaking a sweat, yet somehow regretting everything.

Bokushi promised Miyoko that he'd go all out, but that would be disastrous, and so for the occasion, he only played at half power. He thought if he did that, he should have been able to play at an acceptable level for Miyoko.

For the second time in his life, Bokushi had made a grave error.

Bokushi knew that Miyoko was a beginner, but he didn't think she was that much of a beginner. More like, he didn't adjust his power properly, and he ended up accidentally outclassing her—he knew he was going to, but just not by that much—so badly that it couldn't even be considered a game anymore. Even Kise and Midorima were mortified, and they weren't even the ones playing.

"Um…Bokushicchi…" Kise was shaking, physically shaking out of the pure fear he felt for the girl's wellbeing. "I think you used too much power…"

"I knew this match was doomed from the start," Midorima began, his voice wavering slightly, "but to think that this was the outcome…"

Bokushi could safely say that he agreed with them. It was an accident, after all. He didn't mean to do it.

He may or may not have had the ball in his hands and Miyoko may or may not have reached for it and when she reached for it, he may or may not have crossed her and broken her ankles.

And as a result, she may or may not be sitting on the ground at the moment.

Bokushi cursed himself for being so stupid and giving in to his bad habit. Taking a deep breath to convince himself that this situation wasn't entirely out of his control, he composed himself and turned around to face the girl.

"Miyoko," he began. "Are you alright—"

He stopped in his tracks when he finally took a look at her. She was staring—correction—glaring at Bokushi from where she was sitting on the court, her arms folded tightly and her mouth pulled into a frown. Her cheeks were growing increasingly red as well, and it didn't take a genius like Bokushi to know why.

She was mad at him.

"I apologize, Miyoko," Bokushi said as he approached the girl. "Let me help you up."

"I don't want any help," she huffed.

Bokushi frowned and tried again to reach for her hand to help her up, but she turned away from him, her back facing the boy. Midorima was already sensing what was to come. He has dealt with his sister for five years. He knew that she was going to become very unpleasant very soon. When something didn't go her way, like any child, she got mad. And when she got mad, it was not a very good time for Midorima. So, with a sigh of resignation, Midorima decided to try and diffuse the tension.

"Miyoko, please don't start making that face, in fact," he said. "There is no need to get upset."

Miyoko completely ignored him and continued to sulk. "Bokushi-kun is unfair. I wanted to win!" she complained. Her voice sounded irritated, but Bokushi could still hear the whininess that was apparent whenever an upset child was speaking.

"I'm sure you did, Miyoko, but please stand up," Midorima said as gently as he could manage, to not anger her further.

Miyoko was still adamant. "I'm not moving," she declared, keeping as still as ever as she sat on the ground.

Midorima made a noise of exasperation, getting slightly annoyed at how difficult she was being. "Miyoko…"

"Ah, calm down, Midorimacchi," Kise said, trying to appease his former teammate. "She's just a kid y'know?"

Midorima looked away and clicked his tongue.

Kise shot a look to Bokushi, one of sympathy, as if to apologize for what was going on at the moment, but Bokushi shook his head.

"I don't need your pity, Ryouta," he said, dismissing the sympathetic look he was giving him. "I can handle this."

Bokushi calmly walks up behind Miyoko and just stands there, staring at her for a moment before finally calling her name.

"Miyoko?"

"Go away, Bokushi-kun."

Bokushi moves out from behind her and goes to her front instead, but she immediately turns in the other direction. He cocks his head to the side but he walks over to her front once again, and again, she repeats the same behavior. This time, he walks over to her front, but sits down, crossing his legs and watching her in silence. He stayed like that for a while, staring at Miyoko, the expression on his face completely neutral. She noticed the staring, obviously, because it was very difficult not to, and occasionally she glanced up every once in a while, to see if he was still staring. It was only after the sixth glance that she finally caved in and looked at him properly.

"Don't stare at me."

"I was simply waiting until you've calmed down," Bokushi replied. "I would like to know why you are angry with me."

Miyoko averted his eyes. "Because."

"You know 'because' isn't a proper reason. Were you angry because I won?"

A pause, to consider the question, and then a slow nod. "You didn't let me win at all," she said, going back to her pouting, her arms still adamantly crossed.

Bokushi propped his chin up on his palm, leaning forward slightly, his lips curving upwards into an amused smile. "So, is that it? Would you have liked me to lose on purpose then?"

"No," Miyoko said immediately. "I just wanted to win…"

"I'm sure you did, but please keep in mind that you just learned how to play today, and there will be times when you lose."

"I don't want to lose. It's no fun if I don't win."

Bokushi was mildly taken aback at what Miyoko just said. His amused smile faded into a frown. That last sentence sounded eerily familiar, and glancing back to look at the other Kise and Midorima's expressions from the side, it seemed they also recognized it, too.

It sounded like what Bokushi used to say.

That phrase wasn't supposed to affect Bokushi the way it did, but the fact that craving for victory could start as early as the age of five was alarming. He felt like he was staring into a mirror, looking at himself from when he was playing in the Winter Cup. Cocky, arrogant, and, when he didn't get his way, he went to extremes, like a petulant child. He changed his ways in the end, yes, but the last thing he wanted to see happen was for those foolish ideals to be imprinted into the mind of a five-year-old little girl, much less Midorima's sister. Imagining her having those ideals throughout her childhood, pushing away her friends, discarding emotions, and going borderline insane when she didn't succeed, Bokushi almost got lightheaded. He can tolerate himself making those mistakes, but not someone like Miyoko. So, he shifted a little closer and stared into her vibrant green eyes, offering up a small grin.

"Winning isn't everything, you know?" he said. "Even if you do lose, it's not the end of the world. So what if you lost to me? Just work harder to beat me next time."

Kise's eyes widened in surprise. "Eh? Bokushicchi…"

Bokushi's eyes flickered up to him. "It's true, is it not?" he asked. "After all, you know what it feels like to lose. Shintarou as well."

Midorima didn't say anything, but he silently agreed with Bokushi. Ever since his first loss, his pride took a blow, obviously, but that didn't stop him from trying his best to win the next time. One loss did not set him back. It made him frustrated, yes, but that was not nearly enough to make him quit. He remembered back in their Teiko days when they were still learning and made mistakes along the way to becoming back-to-back champions, Nijimura used to stress the importance of not dwelling on the past. To this day, all the Generation of Miracles, both Akashis included, remembered what he used to tell them.

"If you have time to look back, run forward!"

Midorima let out a small breath akin to a laugh at this memory. Who would have thought that this advice would be coming back to haunt them from none other than Bokushi himself? That was a turn of events he did not see coming. But the advice was working because Miyoko was no longer sulking. Instead, she was listening, eyes following Bokushi's face as she quieted down.

"Have you lost before, Bokushi-kun?"

Bokushi's eyes became distant as he recalled the memory.

"Just once," he answered. "But that doesn't stop me from playing. So, it shouldn't stop you from playing either."

Miyoko's face went from neutral to sheepish, and she averted his eyes once more.

"I guess," she mumbled. "Sorry for getting mad."

Bokushi took in the expression she was making. Children are the most genuine with their emotions, and it was fascinating, almost endearing to see emotions in such a raw form.

He should probably do something. What was it that Akashi did to him? Something he did as consolation when he knew that Bokushi was in a bad mood…

He reached up a hand and placed it on the top of Miyoko's head, slowly ruffling her hair.

"Apology accepted," he said, flashing another grin. "I forgive you. Do you want to play again?"

Miyoko nodded. "Yes," she said to him. "I'll… I'll become better so I can win next time!"

Bokushi turned to the two bewildered miracles standing by the side of the court. "Aren't you two going to join us?" he asked them. "Or are you going to keep standing there with your mouths open like you're catching flies?"

The two were instantly snapped out of their trance and exchanged looks before finally deciding to join the two on the court.

Honestly, even though he was a kid now, Bokushi still had his way with words.

...

The four of them had played basketball until the sun started to go down. By the end of it, they were tired, thirsty, and a little bit sweaty, but they were satisfied with how the day turned out.

"That was awesome!" Miyoko said cheerily. "I had a lot of fun!"

"Me too! Me too!" Kise chimed. "I loved hanging out today!"

Midorima finished wiping his glasses clean before putting them back on. "I suppose today was enjoyable, in fact," he said. "Even if I had to babysit three children at once."

"Eh? Midorimacchi, don't you mean two?"

"I know what I said."

"So mean!"

"I enjoyed this outing as well," said Bokushi. "It's been a while since I played basketball like this, so I've been wanting to since."

"We should get going now, however," Midorima pointed out, taking a look up at the slowly darkening sky. "It's almost dinner time and your driver said he would pick you up soon. We'll be making our way back now."

"Oh! Before you go," said Kise, signaling the others to wait. "Why don't we take a selfie?"

Three pairs of eyes stared holes into the front of his head.

"Ryouta…"

"Only Kise would think of something so nonsensical, in fact."

"Eh? What's a selfie? Onii-chan, what's he talking about?"

"Why is it that I'm always rejected by you people?!" Kise wailed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Can't we just do something that I want to do for a change? Just one picture and then you can go. How about that?"

Bokushi and Midorima exchanged equally weary looks and then shrugged.

"I suppose one picture wouldn't hurt," Bokushi finally sighed.

Midorima felt like rolling his eyes at the thought of taking a picture with Kise, but he let it slide. "Alright. Just one picture. We're leaving after that, in fact."

"Yes, yes, Midorimacchi~"

Kise took out his phone and turned on the camera, the others gathering around him, settling once they were all in a comfortable spot. Once Kise had finally gotten the angle he wanted, his finger hovered over the camera button.

"Okay, is everyone ready?"

"I'm ready, Kise-san!" said Miyoko.

"Midorimacchi, Bokushicchi, don't you want to smile more?"

"Ryouta, I had no idea you wanted to die so early on in life," said Bokushi.

Kise jotled. "Okay! Okay! I'm taking it!"

Kise took the photo, and, once he deemed it satisfactory, he nodded to himself in appreciation before beaming and showing the other three.

"Got it! It looks great! A perfect way to commemorate our hangout!"

"Whatever you say, Kise," said Midorima. "Anyway, we'll be heading off now, in fact. We'll see you some other time."

"Yep! See ya!"

Kise waved to the other three as they parted ways, Kise going in one direction while Bokushi, Miyoko, and Midorima went in the other. As the three of them walked back to Midorima's house, Miyoko gazed at Bokushi with those curious eyes of hers again.

"Hey, Bokushi-kun, will you teach me more basketball some other time?"

Bokushi looked back at her, amused by her question. "Anytime you would like," he answered. "I have all the time in the world."

And that wasn't such a bad thing after all.

~O~

Sometime later that evening, Kise posted the selfie he took that day onto his Instagram account, and all of his fangirls who follow him went insane. Kise, being the popular ikemen bubbly model that he was, was obviously loved by many girls all over Japan. Wherever he went, he attracted a crowd, and the girls in his own school fell to his feet when he walked down the hallway. Fangirls followed a simple formula that decided how popular a post from Kise would be.

Kise equals cute.

Kise plus friends equals cuter.

Kise plus friends plus little kids equals nosebleed-worthy cuteness.

One like turned into ten likes. Ten turned to a hundred. A hundred to five hundred. Five hundred to a thousand.

The more people like your posts, the more popular they become. The more popular they become, the more people see it. The more people see it, the more likely it is that someone you know will see it. This is how a certain Touou Ace and manager and a certain snack-eating Center happened to come across this post while scrolling through their respective Instagram accounts.

To: Akashi Seijuro

From: Aomine Daiki

Subject: WHAT

THE FUCK

—

To: Akashi Seijuro

From: Momoi Satsuki

Subject: You have a little brother?!

Why didn't you tell us! He's so cute! Ｏ(ToT)Ｏ

—

To: Akashi Seijuro

From: Murasakibara Atsushi

Subject: I'm confused

Aka-chin has a mini Aka-chin?

All of these text messages and more flooded the poor Rakuzan captain's inbox out of nowhere when they started cleaning up in the gymnasium after practice, and his phone had been vibrating non-stop.

Mibuchi hummed in thought as Seijuro picked up his phone for the seventh time in the span of thirty seconds to answer yet another text. "Somebody's popular tonight," he mused.

Seijuro narrowed his eyes in that dangerous way that he tended to do when he was about to quadruple someone's training menu, fist clenching as he looked up at the ceiling.

"Kise…" he gritted through his teeth. He didn't even check to see the reason behind all this commotion. He just somehow already knew that it was his fault. "That guy is so lucky that I'm not his captain anymore."

I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter! Pretty sure from here on out the fluff is just gonna increase so prepare your feels for the next chapter. Anyway it's like 2:30 in the morning so I'm gonna sleep now. Until my next update, you know what to do...

Read and review please!