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I’m so nervous, I almost can’t eat.
Kuroko is right here, and we’re on what he says is a date. It would be our first. Even if it’s just to Maji Burger, where we’ve been a thousand times before, it feels different now. I suppose it’s mostly because we actually planned on going together, instead of just randomly meeting up there. He also insisted that we hold hands on the way. I was afraid that we would be met with laughter and police sirens, but nobody seemed to notice us. I really should have expected that, but in the moment, I had forgotten that most people just walking by can’t see Kuroko.
Is everything going to be different now? Am I going to be hyper aware of his presence everywhere, or just on dates? I don’t think I’d mind, especially during basketball. It could be really useful. It’d be even better if it didn’t come with a weird squiggly feeling in my chest, and the feeling that my heart is going to leap out of my chest and start dancing.
He’s sitting at our table while I wait for our food. Well, my food and his shake. Is he as nervous as I am? He’s just staring out the window, and he looks almost unbelievably beautiful. The squiggly feeling is still here, but now it’s mixed with the feeling that my stomach is going to force its way out of my body.
I don’t know when I got so sappy. If Ahomine heard this, he’d laugh until he pissed himself. It’s only fair, though, because I’d laugh just as hard if I heard him saying sappy shit about Kise, too. But if it’s for Kuroko, I don’t think I care.
Finally, our number is called, and I carry my pile of burgers and one vanilla shake over to the table. I give him a burger, but I don’t think he really wants it. There’s a reason I got 26 burgers instead of 25. I would give him as many as he wanted, but he’d never eat them.
I bite into a burger, he takes a sip of his shake, and everything just feels right. I couldn’t ask for anything more. I can only hope he feels the same way. We don’t speak much, but we don’t really need to.
And later, on the way home, he squeezes my hand, and I secretly pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Sitting alone at a table in a restaurant waiting for a boy is not a great experience. But if writing class has taught me anything, it's to always bring a notepad and a writing utensil with you wherever you go.
"I'm pretty sure you're the only girl I know who would come up with basketball plays while waiting for her boyfriend. Most would probably just play with their phones." Stupid Hyuga! Can't he stop making worthless remarks for five minutes?
I must have looked annoyed, since he leaned down to kiss me on the cheek, almost seeming like an apology. "Sorry, but I like your determination. Your willingness to tell us what to do is sexy." He must just mean himself, but I won't press the issue.
I keep our topics light, on the off-chance that the team, or even worse, my dad, has followed us again. I love the guys, but they are so weird sometimes! And I don't think my dad realizes that I wouldn't go anywhere near Hyuga if I didn't actually like him, like he's always hoping. He also seems to think that Hyuga's going to try to have sex with me in a crowded restaurant where everyone can see us. He may act stupid, but he's not a barbarian!
I must be paranoid. For a second, I thought I saw someone with a cat smile. Anything can set me off now- a bad pun, red hair, anything. My mind does not discriminate.
We've just ordered, and I feel the need to whisper now. "What would you do if the team was following us now?"
"I'm starting to think I'd man up and tell them the truth. I'll find the courage to tell them you're my girlfriend."
"What if it was my dad?"
"I'd tell him the same thing. But, you know, nicer. I want to get on his good side." Awww! All the boys I had liked in the past took one look at my dad and decided I wasn't worth the trouble. The fact that someone does think I'm worth it now means more to me than I can express with words. But I think I can find a way.
"You know, I think I left my school bag in the locker room." I didn't, really. That's just where we do all our hooking up.
He raises an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" Suddenly, our food can't come fast enough. Even if Kagami ended up killing the mood, Hyuga says it was inevitable that someone figured it out. I think we convinced him not to tell, though. We will when we're ready.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Yukio Kasamatsu loved to play guitar. He was about to nail the chords to one of his favorite songs, "Never Look Back," when "I Know a Song That Gets on Everybody's Nerves" came from his phone. Why me? There's only one person that could be…"Why the fuck are you calling me? I thought I told you never to do that." The captain had tried to enjoy his Sunday, and he'd succeeded until he'd received a phone call from the most annoying person he knew. "Damn it, Kise, I have things to do." Actually, he didn't, but Kise didn't need to know that."Sorry, Kasamatsu! Anyway, I'm at a shoot now, and you've left bruises! The makeup artist thinks I'm being abused! Well, there are other marks, but not from you. Aominecchi was over last night, and we went at least four times-""Stop talking about that before I puncture my own eardrums. I do not care about your… sex life with that monster. And I'm still trying to figure out why you're calling me in the first place. Shouldn't you be calling that moron who you… do things with? I know you can't possibly be this stupid.""Sorry, Kasamatsu! I guess my makeup person wants me to break up with you." Why is he always so irritating?"It is not possible for us to break up. We are not dating. I like girls. Many girls, none of which are anything like you. Even if I were gay, you would be the last man on the planet I would ever go for, including, but not limited to, our teammates and the old man working at the grocery store. You are very lucky that you're handsome. And besides, unless you get a brain transplant and decide to quit the basketball team, you're stuck with me until I graduate. And if you do, I'll hunt you down, since you're irreplaceable. It would be impossible to get another member of the Generation of Miracles, unless the purple one wants to live in Candy World or something. And as much as I hate to admit it, we need you.""Wow, Kasamatsu! I didn't think anyone on this team even liked me! I love you, too!""Let's not get ahead of ourselves, here. I don't love you. I am willing to put up with you. There is a big difference.""Yay! My team loves me!" Oh well. I might as well let him have his fun. It's not going to do any harm in the long-term, except to my psyche, but I can deal with that. That doesn't stop him from hanging up on the blond annoyance, however.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Oh, Kuroko, why won't you love me?
I just want to put him in my pocket and take him places with me! To shoots, parties, school (meaning Kaijo, not that dump Seirin), anywhere except Maji Burger! That redheaded brute Kagami is the one keeping me from Kuroko, and he practically lives off the stuff! Just thinking of him makes me sick.
Even after our game against them, Kagami may have won my respect as a basketball player, but that doesn't mean I'll just sit there and allow him to take my Kuroko away from me! I need to figure out what makes him like that basketball brain so much.
To: Tetsuya Kuroko
Hey Kurokocchiiiiiiii~ I'm going shopping this weekend! Do you want to come with me? It'll be fun!
From: Tetsuya Kuroko
Kise, is this going to be one of those occasions where you will bother me for every second until I give in? I really don't have time for this.
To: Tetsuya Kuroko
Yesssssssssssss~~~~~
From: Tetsuya Kuroko
Okay, fine. Saturday afternoon, the train station, 3 o'clock. If you are even two minutes late, I will leave. Don't think I don't mean it.
It was only Tuesday, but my week had already been made.
"Hello, Kise." Gee, he could at least try to act a little excited. I'm a model, and I don't even get anything out of it.
"Hi, Kurokocchi! It's great to see you! Where should we go first?"
"How about Animal Kingdom? Kagami is banned after I forced him to go in. He started screaming when a dog licked his ankle. The manager claimed he had never seen anyone so mentally disturbed. It was almost impressive." Am I seriously losing to that? What is wrong with this world? If there was a corner around here, I think I'd go sulk in it.
"That's fine. I don't mind going to see the puppies!" That's right, Kuroko needs a man who isn't terrified of a puppy! So what if I'm afraid of worms, which are even smaller?
Puppies are so cute, and not at all scary! Next, we went to my favorite café, Common Ground, where I had tea and Kuroko had a vanilla shake. It's as good a chance as I'm going to get to figure out what Kagami has that I don't.
"So, Kurokocchi… Have you reconsidered coming to Kaijo?"
"No. Seirin cannot take down the Generation of Miracles if I am on the same team as one of them, even if all I have is my passing ability."
"Don't say that! You're great!"
"This is not really about basketball, is it, Kise?" Stupid Kuroko! Why does he have to be so smart?
"Not exactly. What does Kagamicchi have that I don't? He's just a brute that eats too much!"
"As much as it pains me to admit, it seems that muscular idiots with a secret cuddly side are my type. Aomine is similar, but they would both start foaming at the mouth if I told them. It would be funny, if I had a sense of humor." I don't know what he's talking about. That actually does sound pretty funny.
But, that means he… likes Kagami? I've been turned down before, but that's trivial compared to when Kuroko does it.
"I am not worried about you, though. Last year, I caught Aomine using one of your photo spreads in Zunon Boy in a less than wholesome way. You could be idiots together." Just then, an alarm goes off on his phone, and he gets up. "I'm very sorry, but it seems that my captain has called an impromptu meeting." That glasses guy? That makes sense. He likes to mess around with people and their happiness. "Please understand. I will have to eat my coach's cooking if I do not attend. It's just like Momoi's, so I have to go, or I may die." Kuroko tries to take out his wallet, but I tell him not to.
I watch him leave, and I feel the stares burning into my skin. The smell of fresh coffee and the upbeat pop music fills my senses, and I normally wouldn't mind, but now it's almost nauseating.
And then I remember what Kuroko said. Aomine likes me, huh?
To: Daiki Aomine
Are you busy later? I need a one-on-one suddenly…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Okay!" Shinji Koganei, a second year basketball player at Seirin High School, yelled. "We've got the stuff, so let's get back to school!" Riko Aida, their coach, had put them in charge of food and drinks for the party they were throwing for Kiyoshi's birthday the next day. Luckily for everyone, Izuki had somehow managed to talk her out of cooking all the food herself.
"Um, Koga, could you please not say that? People around us probably think that we're drug dealers. Plus it's even more illegal to bring drugs to a school," Satoshi Tsuchida, Koganei's classmate, quietly mentioned.
I agree with Tsuchida. Those lines are a textbook example of suspicious, Rinnosuke Mitobe, their tall, silent companion thought.
"Oh, come on, Tsucchi, Mitobe! No one thinks that! They just think we're innocent kids having some fun!"
Yeah, right, Tsuchida thought. The only reason we're not being strip searched now is because Mitobe's a silent giant and everyone else is getting scared away.
I just wish everyone would stop staring at me, Mitobe thought. It's obvious that they think I have a gun or something. Why would I ever hurt anyone? I'm a pacifist!
"Come on, Mitobe, no one's afraid of you!"
"Now everyone thinks you're a mind reader now too, Koga! They'll take you away and dissect your brain!"
Do you also think that Tsuchida has been watching too much TV, Koganei?
"Ha ha ha! Yeah, I'm sure he does."
"You guys are using your telepathic link thing to make fun of me, aren't you? I bet you are, Kitty Face and…" Crap! What's a good name for Mitobe? What was that American movie on TV last weekend? Jay and… "Silent Bob! I bet you're just waiting until we've completely lost hope to open that gob of yours, aren't you? Have you ever actually heard Mitobe speak, Koga? Out loud, not that telepathic stuff."
"I think I might have heard him say 'Ouch' once, when he stubbed his toe. But I might have imagined that. You're pretty funny, Tsucchi."
Actually, I never considered his idea until now. Please tell him thank you for me, Koga.
"Mitobe says thanks for the idea."
Oh well, it's probably no big deal. I just really hope this doesn't come back to haunt me.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Hey, Hyuga, do you get this at all?" Izuki asked. He had even managed to stop punning for five seconds. Wow, he must really need it. The two juniors were having their weekly study session in Hyuga's living room, and as usual, it would not end up well. Hyuga would threaten to shove a basketball down Izuki's throat, while Izuki would say something about shoving a dove in a glove.
"What am I looking at? What is this chicken scratch? Is… is this supposed to be English? And what's this on the side? 'Broken pencils are pointless.' Oh no, your Japanese puns are bad enough. You are forbidden from doing puns in English."
"Goodness, Hyuga. It's not clutch time, geez. Cheese? Geez, I want some cheese!"
The captain looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel. "Izuki, stop. Do you think I'm joking? There is no good time for your stupid puns, but now is a very bad time."
"I don't know how to stop. Can't stop, won't stop."
"Did you become Tumblr when nobody was looking!?" He yelled at the eagle-eyed boy, unable to figure out just how he was able to stand being around Izuki this long.
"Maybe. They do love their puns, don't they?"
"I'm going to tear the puns right out of your brain." At least he's better than Kiyoshi. That permanently smiling fluff brain is just unbearable. But I'd still take him over any of those morons Kuroko used to play with.
"While I'm sleeping, right? I've heard this one before."
"Whatever. I helped you with English, now help me with math."
"You never actually helped me, but okay. I learn math while taking a bath on a path. When I say these words, I receive your wrath." Izuki smiled, and Hyuga knew exactly what was going on.
"You're just fucking with me, aren't you?"
"Well, yeah. Your angry faces are hilarious."
"You once asked me why we didn't study like this at your house. And now you know the answer. Between you, your mom and your sister, I'd lose my mind in ten minutes."
"Even Kagami figured out that I do so many puns just to mess with people."
"But I pride myself on being smarter than Kagami! I guess anger really does cloud your judgment." The two friends laughed, but they knew the same thing would happen again next week.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Koki Furihata, Koichi Kawahara, and Hiroshi Fukuda had a rare day off from basketball practice, so they decided to go shopping.
They met up in front of Taco Loco, the Mexican restaurant across the street from Maji Burger. They had almost gone there, but they decided that they were sick of it, thanks to always going there after games and seeing Kagami always ordering a massive pile of burgers. Here, they always pooled their money to get six tacos, a pound of potato snacks, and three drinks for about 1000 yen.
"What do you think we should get everyone? I'm not coming up with anything, no matter how much I think." Kawahara had never really been tasked with buying Christmas presents before, since his parents had always done it for him.
"I was thinking of just getting them things they'll use. Like a better joke book for Izuki, a Maji Burger gift card for Kagami, things like that." Fukuda's family had always been utilitarian.
"But what if Izuki switches from bad puns to dead baby jokes or something?"
"I think I would like the dead baby jokes better. Like, what's the difference between a dead baby and a trampoline? You take your boots off before you jump on the trampoline. It'd be hilarious!"
"That could really be bad, though. He could get in a lot of trouble for that. Besides, coach would probably kill him, or make him do so much extra work that he'd wish he were dead." Furihata had always been the type to care about others, even when it probably wouldn't go too well for him. Just as Kawahara was about to say something else, Furihata added, "No dirty jokes, either." Kawahara immediately shut his mouth.
"Well, what about Kuroko? What does Kuroko like?"
"You know, I'm not sure. I think he's in the Library Committee? So I suppose he must like books. Why? I don't know anything about books!"
"As far as I know, he just likes books and vanilla shakes, so maybe another Maji Burger gift card? Or one for Book Mania or something. Whichever."
Why did Kuroko have to be so hard to shop for?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
I would rather destroy all of my lucky items before admitting it now, but for about two weeks back in eighth grade, I was attracted to Ryota Kise.
Somewhere in the back of my closet, I still have one of the magazines he appeared in. I'll probably get rid of it the next time I clean out my closet. But then again, I said that last time, too.
I don't remember how it started. I just think I decided that he was handsome enough to distract me from how annoying he was. I think he was my first "crush," as my mother would call it. (That's not true. When I was nine, I saw a picture of Oha Asa in her younger years, and I decided that she was the one for me. I don't talk about it.) I knew that if I had ever told her, she would find it far too amusing for my liking. I just hoped she wouldn't give me the "it's okay to be gay" speech. Even now, I'm not 100% sure that's true.
However, the ending of that crush will always be one of the most embarrassing moments of my life.
The team was having a party at Akashi's house. We had just won our second championship, and some of the rowdier members of the team (read: Aomine) had gotten into his father's liquor cabinet. That, and Murasakibara had brought some of his sister's vodka stash, somehow confusing the fruit flavors for candy drinks. The six of us ended up playing spin the bottle. Momoi wanted to play for some reason, but Akashi barred her from it, as he hated odd numbers. Murasakibara and Akashi ended up in the closet first, and I tried not to think about what was going on in there. I could only really picture Murasakibara trying to swallow Akashi whole, and there was a lot more moaning than there should be.
Finally, it was my turn to spin, and I thought my heart might explode when it landed on Kise. We went into the closet, but he didn't seem too enthusiastic about me. He was unable to stop giggling long enough to form a proper sentence for at least five minutes. It was clear that Aomine hadn't been the only one drinking. Given that this was my first kiss, I didn't have the courage to even ask if he wanted to kiss me.
Inside, I was freaking out. Did he hate me after all? Was calling me "Midorimacchi" just a ploy to get my guard down?
Finally, just as I was about to give up, he gave me a quick kiss, and the results made me die inside.
Captain Midorima had released his cargo without proper clearance, and I wanted to hide for the rest of my life.
Kise had started laughing again, and I chose to pretend it was the effects of the alcohol, which might have been true. He never brought it up after that, even when he had plenty of opportunities to do so. He either didn't remember or he was just too nice to bring it up. Maybe he kisses guys who end up coming in their pants all the time. Even so, I still felt like crying at the time.
When the doors were finally opened, Aomine and Kuroko went into the closet we had vacated, I ran to the bathroom, cleaned myself up, and called my parents, asking if they could pick me up.
After that, I couldn't even bring myself to look at him in the face, helped by the fact that we didn't really interact with each other at all, even in practice or games. He was still as friendly as ever, but it seemed condescending to me. Now, instead of feeling like I was floating when he called me "Midorimacchi," I wanted to be struck by a meteor.
Of course, human intimacy was completely out of the question. I didn't even think about kissing anyone for another three years, and it would have been longer if Takao hadn't forced it on me. Fortunately, it did not have the same result.
Kise is apparently involved with Aomine, so Kuroko tells me. Personally, I think he could do better, but it's not really my place to say so.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
I was just finishing my homework when I got a text from Kagami.
From: Taiga Kagami
Wanna meet my parents
To: Taiga Kagami
Don't your parents live in America?
From: Taiga Kagami
Yeah but we Skype every week you could come by and I might cook something afterwards it's at noon on Saturday if you want to come
To: Taiga Kagami
Okay, I'll be there.
I admit I was a little afraid of how they would react to me, a stranger, intruding on their private time with their son. I'm not quite sure why anymore.
"I'm so glad that Taiga has made a friend! And he's so cute, too! Okay, honey, bring out the baby pictures!" Mrs. Kagami had red hair, and she was as energetic as her son, but more excitable than angry. She reminded me of Kise, but in a good way.
Mr. Kagami, a handsome older man with black hair and forked eyebrows, brought out an old photo album labeled "Taiga." My personal favorite was the one where he was in the bathtub with a rubber duck and his hair in a shampoo Mohawk when he was about a year old. And to no one's surprise, he dressed as a basketball player for Halloween every year between ages nine and thirteen. There were also some pictures from when he was a little older of him with Himuro. They seemed upset about their strained relationship.
Meanwhile, Kagami was more embarrassed than I'd ever seen him. "What the hell, mom and dad, put those away! I hate you guys!" He was so upset that he'd even switched to English.
"Why are you embarrassed, Kagami? You look cute. It is fun to see parts of your past."
"Your friend is so polite, Taiga! Thank you, Kuroko. You've put our minds at ease. If he's around someone like you, I'm sure he'll be just fine." Later, I asked Kagami a question that had been on my mind recently.
"Why do your parents keep calling me 'your friend'?" He started to look embarrassed again.
"I'm sorry; I just haven't had the courage to tell them the truth yet. It's not that I never want to; it's just that I don't think it should be over the internet. I'd rather tell them in person."
"I never told my parents about Aomine. Although that was mostly because they thought he was an arrogant, self-centered jackass, before he actually started being one. That's why we broke up, and because I caught him using Kise's pictures for his own gratification." We're already off to a better start than that. I'm sure we'll be fine.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
There was a somber mood in the locker room after Seiho lost their match against Seirin.
"So, this is it," Tsutomu Iwamura, the captain, began. "It's been a good season. We've had our ups and downs, but that's okay. Even if we've lost today, we can still hold our heads high. We've done all we can, and for that reason, we will never be losers."
"Yeah," Ryuhei Kasuga agreed. "Even though it's crazy to think that this is the last match of our high school careers, I think we've done fine. I can't say I wouldn't like to take them on again, though."
Iwamura laughed. "I couldn't, either."
"Ha! Old farts! You sound like a couple of girls!" Tomoki Tsugawa was laughing now, even after his teammates had tried to stop his incessant word vomit many times over the past year.
"This damned brat. I feel like a failure as an upperclassman, don't you, Iwamura? We've failed to beat some respect into this idiot freshman."
"I'm with you, Kasuga." Iwamura saw a stack of towels out of the corner of his eye. "You know, maybe that's why they left these towels here- to help upperclassmen force, sorry, I meant teach, their juniors to not say every little thought that comes into their heads. What do you think?"
"I think you may have a point, Iwamura." Just as they were about to pick up the towels, their coach walked in.
"What the hell do you guys think you're doing? Seirin's game against Shutoku is about to start! Don't tell me you want to miss it because of your shenanigans!"
"Of course not, Coach Matsumoto!"
"Alright, then. Now, go cheer on Seirin!"
"Sir, yes, sir! Otherwise we'll all look like a bunch of pansies!"
"You know, Tsugawa, sometimes I wish you were mute. You're a good player, but that mouth of yours gets you into too much trouble. Kids shouldn't be so arrogant."
"I just think that life's too short not to tell people what you really think of them, geezer."
"Why, you-"
"You don't want to miss the game, do you?" Kasuga and Iwamura were ahead of them now. They would miss interactions like these after they graduated, but for now, they could still laugh at the antics of their underclassman. As long as he didn't take it too far, anyway.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Come here, Shin-chan! I want to show you something!" The Shutoku duo was on their school's roof eating lunch during the summer of their second year of high school.
"Must you always use that horrible pet name for me?"
"Pet name? If anything, I'm your pet- Stop that!" Shintaro Midorima had started hitting Takao with that day's lucky item, a rubber band ball. Luckily for him, his precision was as perfect as ever. "Seriously, Shin-chan, I think you're going to leave bruises."
"Why should I care?" Midorima scoffed. However, he did stop throwing the ball at him. "So what was it exactly you wanted to show me?"
Kazunari Takao didn't really have a plan here. His goal was just to mess with Midorima as much as possible. "Hey, watch this video! This cat- Ouch!" Midorima threw the rubber band ball at him again.
"You know how much I despise felines. Why would you show me something like this?"
"I thought it would be funny! Well, it would be if I actually had a cat video to show you. Look at my pictures!" After scrolling down a little, Midorima found a picture that he secretly sent to his own phone.
"Why do you have a picture of yourself shirtless on your phone? How obscene."
"Oops! I forgot that was there. That's a selfie for any girls who may be interested, and maybe some guys, too." Especially guys named Shintaro Midorima. What. Am I having gay thoughts about Shin-chan? But he's so weird! Yes, he's good-looking, but still!
"I see." Shit! Maybe he's a homophobe? "Kise kissed me at a party three years ago. It was very unpleasant. But lately, I've thought I'd like to try again, except with someone who's not him."
What? Why the hell is he telling me this? But still, it'll probably be hard to beat Kise. I wonder if his copycat skills extend to kissing… Aomine would know, but he'd probably kick my ass if I asked.
"I'll kiss you. I've wondered, too." They could feel the tension in the air as they stood up and moved closer. Takao rested his hands on Midorima's shoulders and leaned up. Midorima placed his hands on Takao's back and leaned down. Their lips touched, and they quickly forgot everything else. They only stopped when they faintly heard a ringing sound, which they quickly realized was the bell telling them to go back to class.
"You're a surprisingly good kisser, Shin-chan." So are we ditching class now?
"It was terrible. We need to go to class now." Takao knew he was lying. His red face gave him away.
"Why? I'd rather kiss Shin-chan again- Ouch! Stop throwing that thing! Okay, fine, I'll go to class."
"My boyfriend needs to stay on top of his studies." Takao didn't even bother telling him it doesn't work like that.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Taiga Kagami was at the grocery store when he saw someone he wanted to avoid at all costs. At first, he tried to ignore this person, but his hot-headed personality made it difficult.
"Hey, carrot! What are you doing here? This isn't anywhere near Shutoku!"
"Who's a carrot, illiterate hot head? For your information, I was sent here by my mother to get her some tomatoes for dinner this evening."
"Aren't there about a hundred places closer to your house? Why this store?" Midorima barely heard the question, having been shocked at the sight of Kagami's overflowing grocery basket.
"Are you having a party? Do you keep emergency food in your closet?" Kagami looked confused.
"This is only for a few days. It's all for me." He looked like he wanted to say something, but then decided there was no point. The horrified expression spoke for him.
"You've seen me eat before, haven't you? Why are you so surprised?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe because that amount of food is supposed to last for about two weeks! I realize portion sizes are larger in America, but this is ridiculous. You did eat a lot that one time, but I didn't think that was an everyday thing. I assumed it was because you'd burned so much energy after our game."
"Why do you care so much about my diet? We don't even like each other. You should be hoping I choke on a cheeseburger right before the next game with Shutoku."
"Nonsense. Why would I want to miss the chance to play against the ace? I would just lose interest otherwise."
"Wait. You must like me at least a little."
"Not true. Just because I dislike you doesn't mean I would want you to die or be otherwise incapacitated. It's called human compassion."
What a load of bullshit, Kagami thought. Does he think I'm stupid?
What an idiot. Kise was right; he and Aomine really are the same. They're two halves of a whole imbecile.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Good afternoon, Midorima-kun." Tetsuya Kuroko had been out shopping for a new pair of school shoes when he had unexpectedly run into Shintaro Midorima, his former classmate and current rival. Being the two most deadpan members of the Generation of Miracles, they had already run out of things to talk about.
"So, what are you doing today?" Kuroko finally asked, not wanting to leave Midorima in the middle of a department store.
"It turns out that I need more winter outfits. I've outgrown all my old ones. It's been so cold this year." He sounds like an old man, Kuroko thought. I wonder how Takao puts up with him.
"In that case, we could look together. Our clothing styles are not so different." It was true. Even if Kuroko had on a white sweatshirt, and Midorima had a black t-shirt, they still wore the same style of jeans, and the same model of sneakers, but in different colors.
"Fine. Just don't get in my way."
They had been browsing for ten minutes, and neither of them had said a word to each other. However, two girls had been brave enough to try to talk to Midorima, and one had even given him her phone number. "Why do girls like to give me their phone numbers? What do they want from me?" Kuroko was about ready to strangle him with the scarves he was looking at.
Is he an ape? Does he not realize that those girls, however misguided, are attracted to him?
Kuroko moved over to the clearance rack. He couldn't risk inhaling Midorima's stupidity any longer. It was there that he saw something that he thought would fit him perfectly.
"I think this would suit you, Midorima-kun." He clutched a red t-shirt with characters reading "Glasses Man" in his hands.
"Why should I wear such a stupid shirt? Everyone can see that I wear glasses, even without it."
"You could wear it to sleep in, or to wear during basketball practice. Takao would find it funny. I'm sure I would too, if I had a sense of humor."
"Why should I care what Takao thinks? I don't even like him." I was right. He really is an ape.
"It's only 300 yen. And I hear that Cancer's lucky item for tomorrow is a t-shirt with a dumb phrase on it."
"Okay, fine. Maybe Takao can have it."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Basketball has always been my life.
I'm tired of both now.
There are times when I wish that things could be the same, with me as Tetsu's light, but looking back at the past is pointless.
When I first met him, I thought it was great that he put in extra effort at the game he loves, despite the lack of potential to succeed. If anyone deserved to be noticed, it was him, which is why I found it strange that most people couldn't see him. I decided to train with him. Even if I was one of the first four first years to ever make it into the first string on their first try, a little extra practice couldn't hurt, right?
Even if we barely saw each other during the school day, we practiced together every day after school, and we ended up becoming friends. It stayed that way until our first championship, when I went to give him our usual fist bump, and it turned into a kiss. The next thing I knew, my tongue was in his mouth, and it didn't want to leave.
It was fine for a while. After our extra practices, we had a new activity. We'd kiss wherever was convenient for us, not caring about consequences. It wasn't until the middle of our second year when things started going downhill.
My power was exploding faster than anyone could have predicted, and I should've been on top of the world. Kuroko was the only one I really talked to about anything, until I hit a gorgeous blond in the head with a basketball, and he constantly bothered me afterwards. That was what really did me in.
When I kissed Tetsu now, my mind always pretended he was Kise. I held a handful of sky blue hair, wishing it would turn yellow. I used to like Tetsu's silence, but now I wanted smiles and laughter.
He just wasn't enough for me anymore. Who needs an invisible guy when you can have a model eating out of the palm of your hand?
Right after the second championship, I wanted to kill Midorima, but part of that could have been Akashi's dad's booze. Why did he get to go in the closet with Kise? I wanted to do that! I did laugh when he ran away afterwards, though. He probably got rejected, and he looked like he was about to cry. But it was our turn in the closet next, so I didn't really have time to laugh fully.
"I know you would rather be in here with Kise than with me. I just wish you would have said something first, though. I'm sorry, but I can't continue like this anymore." He left before I could say anything back.
The third year may have been even worse. Tetsu would barely speak to me, and I'm sure he was at least part of the reason I stopped going to practice. By the time we had to pick our high schools, I didn't even care what he'd picked.
It's not like it matters, though. It's not like Kise will ever happen, and besides, he's way too busy going crazy over Tetsu. But then, he does it to me, too. And I'll never find a rival, either, except maybe in the pro leagues. But I doubt it.
The only one who can beat me is me.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
For once in his life, Taiga Kagami didn't know what to say.
He and his partner in more than one sense, Tetsuya Kuroko, had unexpectedly gotten caught in the rain on their way home from school. They had enjoyed the sun until they were about halfway to Kagami's apartment, where they had planned on "studying," but that was only the official story.
They won't remember that story tomorrow, after Kagami turned the TV on and placed Kuroko in his lap, leading to long, leisurely kisses. Their hands are everywhere now. Kagami feels the idiotic grin on his face, but he knows Kuroko is wearing a matching one, if only on the inside. Kuroko is proud, for he has finally gotten to touch the skin that's been calling to him since the first week of freshman year, almost an entire year ago.
This is when words lose him, when his shadow looks so bright, flustered, wanting. He wonders how anyone could ever look past him, this beautiful boy who chose to help him meet his dreams.
Kuroko feels it, too. He is in awe of the man he is currently using as a chair, whose tongue is in his mouth. The light that radiates from him is blinding, and he is proud to be the support system.
Finally, as if an invisible wall has been breached, Kagami has placed his hands on the small of Kuroko's back, underneath his shirt. Kuroko's uniform was bouncing around in the dryer, and it is his own shirt he is reaching under. He tried to find the smallest shirt he could, but their eight inch and 55 pound size difference is not one to be taken lightly, and it's still too loose to wear in public. Kagami already thought Kuroko was adorable, and he was ready to declare his love all over again.
He wouldn't mind saying the words another time, but Kuroko chose that moment to start kissing and biting his neck, and they die on the tip of his tongue. Later, he won't be able to decide if the noise that came out of his mouth instead was more of a moan or a squeal. Even though Kagami would prefer to be the one in the driver's seat, he will allow Kuroko to do as he pleases. He is curious to see the outcome of this turn of events, and he knows there will be a protest if his shadow is made to stop now.
All he can do now is move his hands, one going down to squeeze at his hip, and the other moving up to grab at sky blue hair, and hang on for the ride.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
I thought Daiki was cool for about three minutes when we were seven. I won't make that mistake again. He chose that moment to put a frog on my head. I still haven't forgiven him for that, and it was ten years ago. Even now, I can't stand the vile creatures. In another life, I could have actually been in love with him, but this life is one where Daiki is cursed with gargantuan amounts of incurable stupidity, so this is not that life.
I was always so surprised during middle school when the other managers asked me if he had a girlfriend, talking about how cool he was. All I could do was remember the time in fifth grade when he asked me how the new automatic sink at school worked. "I can't find the handles anywhere! And there's no foot pedal!" But it's not like they actually liked him anyway, having asked about Akashi and Midorima immediately afterwards. I still give him crap about that one.
I'm about 75% sure that Daiki would've gotten kicked out of Touou already if it wasn't for me making sure he actually showed up and did at least some of his homework. He's almost as bad as Murasakibara. I was surprised they weren't better friends.
I almost gave up on him after hearing about his breakup with Tetsu. Just hearing about them dating was hard enough, and I won't say I didn't cry. But then I thought that as long as he was happy, and Daiki was treating him well, I'd be alright. Then he had to ruin it by letting Tetsu catch him with his pants down while looking at Kise's photo spreads! It can't be helped that he lost interest in Tetsu and fell in love with Kise, but that is not how you let him know! He got more than a few slaps for that one.
But then my conscience kept telling me things like, he'll probably get arrested in ten minutes if you aren't around, and for something really stupid, too.
Still I followed him, as my conscience would not allow me to stand by as Daiki killed himself with his own idiocy. However, I told people that I went because Touou's graduates have a really high rate of getting into university. I'm interested in going into business, and this'll help me get a leg up. Daiki, however, put pro basketball player, porn star, and cop on his career choice worksheet, and he got detention. I don't think there's any help for him anywhere in this world.
There's no way I could have known this then, but not going to Seirin helped me avoid the torture of having to watch Tetsu falling in love with Kagami up close, instead of just hearing about it from Kise. But I'll be fine. From what I hear, Kagami has a surprisingly gentle side when he's not being all hot-headed.
And if I get a boyfriend of my own, then that's fine, too.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Hey, Sakurai, this rice omelet is delicious." Shoichi Imayoshi had invited himself over to Ryou Sakurai's apartment, trying to taste more of his cooking.
"Yeah, this is really good," Kousuke Wakamatsu chimed in. He had mostly followed along for the free food. "I'll definitely have to rub this in Aomine's stupid face later."
"Be prepared for another kick to the stomach." As usual, Imayoshi was smiling, Wakamatsu looked like he was going to lose it, and Sakurai looked like he was trying not to cry.
His parents didn't like him spending a lot of time outside of school with his teammates, since Imayoshi made children cry, Wakamatsu had a millimeter long fuse, and they were afraid that Ryou would somehow catch Aomine's stupidity.
"Hey, Sakurai, move in with me so you can cook for me every day. Be my personal chef at Osaka University." He was tearing up just thinking about it. He'd hit me! And he'd make me wear a naked apron! Would he even let me finish high school? That could never happen.
"He can't do that, because he'll be moving in with me!" No! Sure, Wakamatsu won't hit me, and he won't creep on me, but he'll yell a lot, so it'll still be really scary! I want to stay here!
"Sorry, but I think he needs a more… logical man."
"He needs a man who doesn't make small children cry!"
"I stand by my statement that the child was already crying when I asked if he needed help finding his parents."
"Hell, I almost started crying the first time I saw you, especially after hearing about your sword collection!"
"I laughed until I cried when I heard that you liked Starish."
"Mirai Chizu is catchy, okay?"
Sakurai felt bad for his upperclassmen that were fighting over him, even when most would have run for the hills. "Um, guys, I think-" You're insane, just leave, I don't want you here!
"Come on, Sakurai! You have to choose- me or Imayoshi? Who would you rather be with?" Sakurai was still confused about how this somehow turned into a love triangle.
"I'm sorry, but I think you both should go. My parents will be coming home from work soon, and they don't like me spending extra time with you outside of practice and games."
Mr. and Mrs. Sakurai eventually had to kick the delusional young men out themselves when they found Wakamatsu clinging to their son's legs, going on and on about "forbidden love." Imayoshi still sat at the table, smiling as he imagined his and Sakurai's "married life."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
I can't believe this. How long has it been since I've seen Tetsu? Four months? And he already has a new light? This is bullshit!
To make things worse, the guy's nothing but a cheap imitation of me. Kagami, he's called. What a joke. I guess he lived in Los Angeles for a while. Satsuki keeps trying to tell me about him, but I've just tuned her out. Not that it matters, he's an idiot, anyway, not fit to lick my shoes. I'm the best light Tetsu will ever have, and maybe someday he'll realize it.
Has he really replaced me that easily?
"I think he could be the one you're looking for," she says. "Your ex had led you to your rival. It sounds like a movie or something." I'm sure if this were a romantic movie, I'd be desperately fighting to win Tetsu back, but… I just don't care. I just want my gravure magazines (and Zunon Boy) and naps on the school roof. If I get bored with that, I'll go bother Kise for a one on one.
Imayoshi and Wakamatsu give me shit for not practicing, but I really don't care. Imayoshi is a creepy bastard, and I'd rather not spend time with him at all. And I think Wakamatsu's an idiot. I don't care about anything he does, even if he probably will be the next captain. Nothing he will ever do to try to get me to practice will work. I just like Ryo because he gives me the food he makes. It's good food, too, nothing like Satsuki's. The first time Satsuki cooked for me, I thought she was trying to poison me. I don't know enough about Susa to really judge him at all; he's pretty much a blank slate to me.
I would never admit this out loud, but I always sort of liked my Teiko teammates. I even miss Midorima's attitude and Akashi's tyrant characteristics sometimes. I never really talked to Murasakibara, but I always thought he was cool. And then there was Kise. He could still set me on fire, being the only reason to subscribe to Zunon Boy whatsoever. Even if he was annoying sometimes, I looked forward to seeing how he could entertain me in the future.
Tetsu was different. Unlike my other opponents, I can't bring myself to hate him completely. With others, I won't be satisfied until I see their tears, but it's not like that with him.
It's funny how things happen. Tetsu used to be my best friend, and now I have to play him and my "replacement," like anyone could ever replace me. It's impossible to replace the strongest player.
I'll just have to show them that they can never beat me.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Yay! Poker night at Tsuchida's! I'm so excited!" Shinji Koganei exclaimed. It was the last Saturday of the month, which meant poker with himself, Tsuchida, Mitobe and Izuki.
I just hope Number Two won't start eating the chips or something. The only reason I brought him tonight was so that my younger sisters wouldn't start putting him in their doll dresses again. Kuroko's family was out-of-town that weekend, and he had entrusted Mitobe to keep an eye on his dog. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that his youngest siblings would see the puppy as a toy instead of a living being.
"Your family's dogging the dog, huh?" Mitobe just stared, torn between wondering how Izuki even heard his thoughts and internally groaning at his terrible pun. In fact, Mrs. Tsuchida's only stipulation for the event was that Izuki had to bring the food and drinks, because otherwise, heads would roll if she had to hear another "seven ate nine" joke.
Eventually, they reached Tsuchida's home, sanity still intact somehow. His home was on the small side, but it was the best fit for their poker games. Mitobe's family was too big to have so many extra people over, Izuki's mom and sister were also prone to puns, and Koganei's parents didn't like the idea of him gambling, even if the winnings were just mini candy bars.
"So, what did everyone do for Valentine's Day?" Koganei asked as Mitobe was shuffling the deck. "My sister says she had her usual 'hot foursome:' herself, pizza, beer and the DVR. Mitobe and I just played basketball and went to Taco Loco."
"I took my girlfriend to the Lego movie. We both really liked it. We got ice cream after, too." Tsuchida was the only one on the team with a girlfriend, so he was the only one with an actual date that night.
"I sat on a park bench and yelled pickup lines at girls that were passing by. A girl almost beat me up when I yelled 'I'm harder than Flappy Bird right now.' I ended up running into that Moriyama guy from Kaijo, and we ended up hanging out. He's not a bad guy." The other three could only stare. Izuki was annoying sometimes, but they never thought he'd actually creep on anyone. They were unsurprised by his new friendship with Moriyama, the desperate pretty boy with a love of cheesy/scary pickup lines.
I think Tsuchida wins, Mitobe thought. Even if that date was with my sister, she says she had a good time, so I'm fine with it. Izuki, though… I hope he is not becoming a degenerate pervert. I will have to stop him from ever trying to buy a trench coat.
"You're funny, Mitobe! Anyway, let's get started!" Mitobe deals the cards and the candy bars, ready to enjoy the time he has with his friends. He wishes it could last forever.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Junpei Hyuga had only been talking to Teppei Kiyoshi for three minutes, and he was already frustrated. They had been planning on making their White Day presents for Riko, but Kiyoshi was more interested in asking inane questions and generally being annoying.
"Hey, Hyuga, why are we making chocolate for Riko if we just threw away the chocolate that she gave us?" She had given everyone on the team chocolate, but while everyone else's was more in line with what most would think of as "friend chocolate," Hyuga and Kiyoshi each got chocolate that was the size of their heads. They were flattered, but they felt it would have been better if the intended heart shape hadn't ended up looking and feeling like a rock, along with having what looked like powdered sugar on top, but was actually a protein powder. It even looked like a rock, having vitamin pills sticking out of the sides.
"You can't be serious. You've lived in Japan how long, and you still don't understand how Valentine's Day works in our country? She gave us chocolate last month, so we have to return the favor on White Day. Do any thoughts go through that head of yours at all?"
Now Kiyoshi was the confused one. "What? Of course I know how Valentine's Day works. What I meant was, it just seems really fake that we'd give her something back, even if we didn't eat what she gave us in the first place. Don't you think so?"
"Speak for yourself. There was a reason I didn't show up to the special Saturday practice, and it wasn't because I was skipping. I ate about a quarter of the chocolate in the morning, and I passed out about two hours later, completely missing practice. Giving something back is mostly for appearances, anyway, but I don't know what would be considered double or triple the value of something so low."
Kiyoshi smiled. "Are you the kind of guy who will eat any chocolate a girl gives him, even if it might be laced with poison or Viagra or something? How noble of you."
"Shut up! You make me sound like an idiot. It's just that if a girl wants to know if her chocolate was any good, I want to be able to give her a straight answer. Except I think Riko would cry or beat me up if I told her I almost broke my teeth on hers and that protein powder is not going to make chocolate any healthier whatsoever."
There's no way that's true. It's so obvious that he likes her, even Kagami knows about it. It's like, skies are blue, grass is green, Hyuga likes Riko. I have to wonder if he recognizes that, though.
"You know what? Let's just get her some store-bought chocolate. I think that would be more than enough for those rocks she gave us. Even if she's offended, I'll get over it, unless she makes us do extra training or something. That would suck."
"She knows she's not a good cook. I think she'll be fine. She's tough."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"How are you today, Kiyoshi?" Riko asked as she saw him walking down the school hallway. It feels so strange to see him walking around with his uniform on, she thought. It looks like a new one. He seems even taller than I remember.
"I'm alright. How about you?" He smiled his usual smile at her.
"I think I'd be better if you weren't lying to me." How does she always know?
"I don't know what you mean."
"Don't even give me that. You're doing the same fiddling with your hands that you always do when you get nervous. You can't lie to me. I know you too well for that."
"Tell me about the first years." Why was I admiring him earlier? I won't be making that mistake again. Why does it seem that the basketball team is filled with morons? Well, not Kuroko, but still!
"Alright, fine. I'll go along with your obvious attempt to change the subject. Kawahara and Fukuda are pretty run-of-the-mill, but they have courage, so I can't complain. Furihata is a scaredy-cat, but that helps him control the pace of a game. Kuroko has almost no presence, but that's helped us in ways I never could have imagined. And then there's Kagami. He's an idiot. We've already had to help him study so that he could keep playing in games, and he's got a hair-trigger temper, but he's our ace. When it comes down to it, he's as good as you."
"I see. Does that mean you don't need me anymore?" He's smiling, but I can tell he doesn't mean it. No more hiding your true thoughts from me, Kiyoshi.
"Of course not. I'm about 90% sure we still wouldn't have a basketball team without you. Hyuga would probably still be playing at being a delinquent, complete with that ridiculous hair. Kagami would probably beat people up instead of playing basketball, or he might have killed someone by now, I don't know. Izuki might just creep on everyone. I think basketball is an outlet for him. Koganei would probably still be playing tennis. Maybe he'd even be the prince."
"Oh God, now I'm picturing Koganei going 'You still have much to learn' at everyone while cat-smiling. Thanks for almost killing me with hilarity. But thank you. I feel a little better about going to practice now."
As long as he's smiling, I know everything's alright.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Look, Shin-chan, Kagami and Kuroko are here, too." Takao and Midorima had somehow ended up at the Soba So Good noodle shop, after Midorima read that Oha Asa favored it, and Takao followed him. Midorima looked up to see that it was true. A giant redhead with ten finished noodle bowls in front of him was only three tables away, with a tiny blue-haired boy still on his first bowl sitting across from him. "We should go say hi."
"Why would we do that? We're supposed to be their rivals. You don't just go over and say hi to your rivals when you happen to see them out in public. Think once in a while, idiot." He said that, but he looked up to find Takao already over at the Seirin table.
"Oh, what a coincidence! Shin-chan is here, too. Come on over, Shin-chan!" Why are my legs moving? Why does Takao have this sort of influence on me?
"Are you two on a date as well?"
"Yes, I am on a date with Shin-chan!"
"No you are not, Bakao. You just followed me here. And since when are you two dating?"
"Since forever, Shin-chan, hello" and "Since after the Winter Cup" came out at exactly the same time.
Suddenly, the waitress came out with Midorima and Takao's food- two orders of Lucky Noodles and two cups of tea. "Change of plans, miss- we're going to sit at this table!"
"What?" Kagami finally spoke, having been continuously eating since the Shutoku duo came over, trying to avoid talking to them. "Don't we get a say in this?"
"I believe this is what would be called a 'double date,' Kagami-kun." Kuroko looked so excited about this that he had a hard time telling the two to never interact with him again, excepting basketball games. Stupid Kuroko! Stop looking so damned cute!
"What? I believe I already said that I am not on a date with Takao!"
"Yeah, like I'm ever going to believe that. Who's paying at the end of the meal?"
"Well, I am. I have more money than he does; it's only natural that I pay." Kagami was trying and failing to stifle his laughter behind his hand, which was only getting louder.
"It's rude to laugh at people, Kagami-kun. Midorima-kun can't help that he is so oblivious."
This is going even better than I planned. I even got Kagami and Kuroko to join me in making fun of Shin-chan. If this keeps up, he'll be mine in no time.
"I am not oblivious!"
This time, even Kuroko was having a hard time trying not to laugh at Midorima.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
I have to do it.
I have to finally tell Kise how I feel about him. There's no way around it anymore.
I can't help but feel that I need to do something about Tetsu first, though.
I always thought that I liked Kuroko, until the day that he told me that Aomine liked me. Since then, the stares and the impressed look he had when we first met finally made sense to me. That and the constant "pretty boy" taunts. That was a common attempt at trash talk by my opponents in all the sports I've tried, but Aomine was the only one who never said it with any spite. It always sounded more like he was just stating a fact. That made sense now, too.
Finally, I realized that I liked when he would do these things. Normally, he wasn't shy about what he wanted, so why was he now? If he really likes me so much, than why doesn't he just go for it?
Unfortunately, I had forgotten exactly who I was dealing with.
I called Tetsu out to the basketball court near my house. We had been there several times during middle school, so he knew the one I meant. Satsuki could probably see everything from her bedroom window, but I didn't care.
"What is it you wished to discuss, Aomine? Usually when you call someone to this court, it means you have something to say to them."
"I'm going to tell Kise how I feel about him." Wait a second, why is Tetsu laughing at me?
"I told him months ago. I did not realize it was supposed to be a secret."
"That doesn't mean you tell him! Tell anyone you want, even Bakagami, just not Kise!"
"Why would I tell those other people? They already know. That includes Kagami." Seriously? Shit! "That face you are making would be very funny, if I had a sense of humor." Stop saying you don't have a sense of humor! You do, and it's a damn twisted one, too. "What's the real reason you called me out here?"
"Well, I wanted to make sure you were okay with it."
"I did not ask you for permission to date Kagami."
"That was when we still weren't on speaking terms."
"It was not. It was two weeks ago." Really? I had assumed those two had started dating like two days after they met. "Go ahead and date him. I am not your keeper. I only told Kise that you liked him in the first place to help him get over me. What happened between us was not his fault."
"But you're over it now, right?" Having Tetsu mad at me is the last thing I want. He always finds a way to make your life hell.
"Yes. It was hard to admit to myself that you didn't love me anymore, but I don't think it was your fault, either. We were 13 years old. If we couldn't decide on a favorite pair of shoes, what made us think we could decide who to date? I am very happy with Kagami, and I hope that you will be happy with Kise. You are still very special to me, Aomine." Then he walked away. Nothing I said would make that feel any more complete.
Well, I guess it turns out I have to make the first move if I ever want Aomine to touch me. Kuroko says their first kiss just kind of happened, but there's no way he didn't make the first move.
We're playing a one on one after school today, and that'll be as good a time as ever to do it. I'll have to stop staring at him like an idiot first, though.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"What should we do now, Kise?" Aomine and Kise had already played two quick one on one games, and they didn't know how to expand their repertoire. If they were to actually date, they would have to do something else.
"Let's go sing karaoke! Let's do it!"
"Ugh, no. That's so girly. I would rather chop my arm off. I hate singing."
"You could just watch me, then. And it's not like you have any better ideas."
"I want to go to Disneyland. I haven't been since I was a kid."
"I can't go to Disneyland, Aominecchi! Someone will probably see me and then we'll be mobbed by a bunch of girls! That would be a terrible date!"
"We could always go to a love hotel or a back alley."
"No! I can't be seen entering or leaving a love hotel, especially with a guy! And anyone could see us in an alley! Maybe we shouldn't bother going anywhere."
"What, for when you can't resist me when we're out in public? I knew I was hot, but I didn't think I was that hot!"
"You aren't that hot, Ahominecchi. Unless you plan on taking off your clothes in public, it'll be pretty easy to resist you."
"Is that so? Then why are you with me?"
"I'm pretty sure the reason for that is in your pants now."
"Oh, so Little Daiki is the reason you bother with me? Well, he's not really that little. I got the magic stick, after all."
"You are not 50 Cent, Aominecchi. Anyway, I was just kidding. You're my basketball idol first, and we always manage to have fun together."
"Up until two weeks ago, I thought I only liked your ass. And then… shit, this is embarrassing."
"I'm listening."
"Then you sent me that text message telling me to have a good day at school. And then… I realized that I loved you."
"What was that last part?"
"I realized that I loved you! Happy now?"
"Yes, Aominecchi! I love you, too! Let's have sex right now!"
"We're still in the middle of a basketball court."
"In the showers, then."
"This is a public park. There are no showers."
"We'll go to my house, then."
"See, I told you it was hard to resist me. When we get back to your house, I'll show you some magic."
"You still aren't 50 Cent."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Okay, everyone, time for the picture!" Riko had insisted that everyone meet in the gym, under threat of triple training every day for a week. She had claimed it was for the graduation album, even though there was nobody on the team graduating. Kuroko pointed this out, but Riko threatened him with quadruple training, so he quickly dropped the subject.
"So, what do we need to do?" Why does Koganei have to choose now to act like a moron?
"Just stand there and look happy. Is that so fucking hard?"
"Calm down, Hyuga. It's not clutch time, after all." Kiyoshi was the only one who wasn't afraid of Hyuga going into clutch mode. He just thought it was funny.
"Come on! Let's just take the picture! I still want to practice after this!"
"Yes, ma'am!" the team shouted.
"The team is teeming with life."
"Izuki, shut up." Even if it wasn't clutch time, that didn't mean that Hyuga was going to be nice.
"Wait, who's going to take the picture?"
"Hey, Mr. Takeda? Can you please take a photo of the team?" The older man put down his book and walked over to the group.
"Okay. Is everyone ready?"
"Yeah!" The eleven members of the Seirin basketball team and their coach smiled for the camera. There were a few peace signs and waves, but this wasn't a formal picture, so it was fine.
"Also, I wanted to say thank you for the tickets to the game with Touou. My grandsons loved them." Takeda had two grandsons, aged 7 and 9, and they were basketball fiends in the making. Kiyoshi held them up on his shoulders so they could do a dunk, and Riko tried not to burst from the cute display.
"It's no problem! We love our young fans!"
Kagami wasn't really listening. He was just wondering why Riko was waving in the picture.
That weekend, Riko went to get the pictures developed at a photo printer. Kagami came to practice on Monday to find his teammates writing on a piece of paper.
"What are you guys doing?"
"Absolutely nothing. We most definitely were not planning on sending a present to your parents in America."
Kagami grabbed the paper. "You better not be sending this shit! 'Kagami is ace. We are best team.' Just write it in Japanese! They'll know how to read it! And what's this? 'To see the sea is the life for me.' I know this was you, Izuki."
"Stop it, Kagami-kun. There's no reason to be so angry." Kuroko's words made Kagami stop yelling and bow his head.
"Sorry, guys. It's just a surprise that you'd even want to send my family anything. Except I don't know how you were planning to send them anything without their address."
"The school has it in their database. It was easy for Kuroko to get it while the secretary was dealing with business. This was his idea first, after all."
"I wanted to do something nice for your family, Kagami-kun. They're really nice."
My god, would those two admit that they like each other and get it over with, already? I have 500 yen riding on this! I don't want to have to pay Momoi just because two morons don't want to admit their feelings!
"Okay then. We'll send it." He gave Kuroko a tiny smile, and Riko had to consciously hold in her screams.
Three weeks after the package was sent, Takeshi and Akiko Kagami opened their mailbox to find an envelope sent from Tokyo.
"What is this? Is Taiga in trouble again?" They were surprised to find a framed photograph of their son and what they assumed were his teammates.
"Oh, how cute! Taiga and Tetsuya are in the center!" Since their Skype conversation with Kuroko, Akiko was dying to know more about him. Then they had found the card. "What is this? Is this a card? Oh, that's cute. They mostly wrote it in English; I guess they forgot that we know Japanese. And there's Tetsuya's!"
"There are times when I think that you care more about him than our own son."
"Let's see, it looks like he's the only one who wrote in Japanese. 'Kagami-kun is very important to me. He is my light who helps me every day, both on and off the court. He is my best friend, and he may be an idiot, but he is my idiot. Kuroko Tetsuya (we have "met")' Sounds like someone has a crush! And Taiga wrote something, too."
Mom, Dad- I'm dating Kuroko. I wanted to tell you in person, but after seeing what he wrote, there's no way around it anymore. I just hope you still love me. ~Taiga