Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A GLIMPSE OF THE PAST.

✦✧✦✧

103 - 102.

BUZZ!

. . .

We...

...won.

We-

We won..!

I... I can't believe it.

I hear Pride's laugh echo throughout the court, and the loud steps from her rubber soles as she ran to insult the stands. She was obviously boasting about her victory, especially to the losing schools. I would've been the one to stop her, since we had so much enemies already due to her antics, but right now it didn't matter. Sloth was surprisingly making the effort to go to each member and give them a hug. She looks at me and I save her the time by running to her myself. She had the club's jacket on as she hugged me, it felt extremely comfy in this moment.

"Captain... we won..." She whispers in the usual lazy tone, but I could tell it was full of happiness. 

I laugh, knowing she must've been repeating the same line to the others.

"Yes we did—"

Lust interrupts by crashing her form and rubbing her cheek against mine. I smiled and hugged the two of them tightly.

"It's all thanks to you, Captain!" 

━━━━━━

I was in front of the team as we headed out of the indoor court. My hands pushed the doors open, and the first thing we were met with were flashes of bright light. One hand immediately becomes a barrier for my team that was behind me, and the other over my tired eyes that can't adjust to the lighting. Photographers and microphones surrounded us, giving us almost nowhere to walk to. Our personal spaces diminished in seconds by people asking questions of the game and requesting for an interview. I growled in annoyance, though it easily drowned in the crowd.

It took everything I had not to lose my temper. Was it so hard to let the teams go after such an aggravating game? Can't they see how we're not in the mood right now? I made a promise to myself to not make it worse for the team, because I was aware of their exhaustion and their desire to just relax in our suite.

The glare I gave made them freeze in fear for a moment before continuing. Somehow I was glad that most of them were paying attention to me instead of my teammates.

"Captain Wrath! How do you feel after pulling off that winning buzzer beater?!"

"Shiroryuu! Shiroryuu! Can we please get an interview with the Seven Deadly Sins?!"

"[f/n]! Will you ever do a swimsuit photoshoot?!"

And of course I didn't forget the perverted side of the media.

"[f/n]! Please sweat on me!"

"Please let me have your jersey!"

I don't know how these people get away with talking that way to junior high school students.

"[f/n] we love you!"

"Wrath! Have you decided which high school to attend?! If so, please tell us!" 

Annoying, all of you. 

━━━━━━

My body collapses onto one of the beds, I felt the mattress slowly but amazingly sink from my weight. We could finally relax! Miraculously we made it back without anyone following. It relieved me to know that my team was safe and sound. I decide to rest for a bit and let everyone use the showers first. It was risky to be in a bed first thing we arrive, but I don't care. If I fall asleep, maybe Greed or Gluttony would be nice enough to wake me up.

I hear Lust giggling, something that you don't hear unless she was up to no good. My eyes close and the last thing I hear is Envy groaning in annoyance.

. . . 

"AAAAAAHH!" 

I hear Gluttony's scream from another room, and this time it wasn't the usual panicked one after she discovers her snacks were gone. My body instantly jolts itself awake. The fatigue was forgotten as my worried self took control. I slip off the bed immediately and ran as fast as I could towards Gluttony's direction. 

My body crashed into a few walls and items before reaching her room. I open the door to find crying with her snack-patterned towel on. My eyes follow her stare and I discover a cameraman hiding behind the glass in the room's balcony. Rage blinded my focus, my [eye color] orbs brightened into a glowing white. I swiftly took off my jacket and pulled it over my teammate's form, wiping off her tears as I did so. Next I opened the glass door to meet with the pervert's cheeky smile. It seemed to vanish as he noticed my wrath-filled eyes. 

"How bold of you," I growl. 

My rubber shoes crash with the camera in his grasp, the devices crumbles when it meets with the wall next to him. I grabbed the back of his collar and dragged him out of the room, his faint whimpers trail out of his mouth. On the way out and to the elevator, I didn't see or heard the other girls nearby. I hoped that they were okay. 

My thumb aggressively pushes the button to the hotel's lobby, and I waited patiently for the doors to close and the elevator to descend. I glare at the photographer, he doesn't dare to stare back. The doors open a ding, and I am met with the friendly smile of a housekeeper before she notices the man in my grip. 

"M-Miss [l/n]! Why—" 

I ignore her and started walking up to the front counter. 

"WHO THE HELL ALLOWED THIS MAN IN MY TEAM'S SUITE?!" 

I slam him against the wooden receptionist table, not caring if he got hurt. The women at the desk looked genuinely terrified, not sure how to handle the female junior high all-star. 

━━━━━━

With my anger, I managed to round up the whole team back in the suite. They were thankfully safe and now under my supervision. I informed them of what happened, and they don't object to my decisions. They knew me well enough to know when not to fool around. I've already closed and double-checked all the locks on the windows and doors. 

Gluttony seemed to have calmed down, yet a sad look lingered in her eyes. My rage died down too, not because I wanted to but because I was tired. It disturbed me that the hotel had no idea how that man got in, and I blamed myself for not being vigilant enough. I hated that I put my guard down after we won the Nationals, and I hated that I just slept when we arrived. I didn't expect the media to be crazy enough to break into our top floor suite, but I should've. 

It was hard being the Captain and Coach of the team from a not-so-well-known junior high school. 

I faced the team with a confident posture. 

"We're leaving tomorrow," I decided. 

Their groans filled the air. 

✦✧✦✧

Chapter Text

ADJUSTING TO A NORMAL HIGH SCHOOL LIFE.

✦✧✦✧

YOUR APARTMENT. 

Good morning. 

She ate eggs over rice; it was her usual breakfast. At times she changes it a bit, like a vegetable omelet, eggs with tomatoes, or boiled eggs with soy sauce. But breakfast always had eggs, because that was normal to cook. 

She made her lunch bento too. Today was a sandwich that consists of: sliced bread, ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. She also cut some peaches to eat after, and packed a small bag of potato chips incase she got hungry in class. A considerable amount of effort was put into her meals today, since it was her first day in high school. She believed that if the day didn't go well, she could at least enjoy what she eats. 

After putting them in containers and wrapping them in a plain [fav. colored] colored cloth, she places it in her leather schoolbag, and makes sure that the placement doesn't damage or affect everything else next to it. 'Everything else' being her notebooks, pencil case, flip phone, and wallet. 

And finally the finishing touches: pulling her hair back into a ponytail, holding up her bangs away from her face and securing them with a clip, exchanging her slippers for white knee-high socks and brown school shoes, and slipping into the blue sweater that covered her white school uniform. After turning off and unplugging everything that wasn't in use, she grabs her bag and keys, then leaves and locks her apartment. 

Outside she is met with the cool morning winds, she felt her skirt ruffling. There were no voices, and no car engines. She had no neighbors. 

BRRR. 

A text. She takes out her phone to read it as she went down the stairs. 

—————— 

FROM: LIA       

fiiirst daaay ! 

its morning there, right?? so ohayougozaimasu! 

that was long to type x)))

make sure to join a club

—————— 

She spots her black bike chained and hidden in the bushes. As she approaches, a sigh escapes her mouth. She quickly made a reply and unlocked the chain. 

——————

      TO: LIA

you know that I can't

——————

Her form was already on the bike when she hits SEND. After slipping her phone back in her bag, she puts it in the attached metal basket, and started cycling towards her high school. 

━━━━━━

THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. 

I make sure that I don't run over anything dangerous and don't get distracted by anything. My ears catch a few greetings, one I recognize to be from Amane-san. She was a lonely old lady that lived not so far down the street. I respect her and in some way envy her for living quite a normal life. 

My name is [f/n]— sorry, [l/n] [f/n]. 

I n America I was known as Wrath, the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins, or the Girl's Basketball Club of Pinewood Junior High. My other title was Shiroryuu, which is 'white dragon' in Japanese. 

I'm a Japanese-American orphan, raised in the United States by multiple foster parents. I'm fluent in both languages, but I'm used to English. 

I moved to Japan in order to live a normal life. 

My pedaling slowed since I came to a level crossing. I use a foot to stop myself. 

BRRR. 

I felt another text rumble my bag. 

——————

FROM: LIA       

i didnt say you should join basketball!!! 

——————

Once it was safe to cross, I went forward, planning to text later. 

Revolia, or Lia for short, is my best friend. 

She's an international faceless popstar called 'Ugly Siren'.  In all her performances she wears a wig and mask to protect her identity when she sings. People seem to love her theme and her voice so she's extremely successful. She's always busy but manages to send me texts everyday. 

I'm aware that being friends with a popstar wasn't normal, but I owe her so much for helping me secretly move to Japan. And I know that even if I try to abandon her, she'll always find a way to connect with me, because she is that clingy. 

I met her crying in an alleyway, right before one of her concerts. When I told her to "suck it up" she immediately became attached to me, like some curse. I'm not sure how we became friends after that but she acquired my phone number and befriended my foster parents. 

I don't hate her for any of that though. I learned that she doesn't have any friends and wasn't able to normally go to school like the others at her age. 

I start to see some students with a uniform similar to mine, reassuring me that I was going the right way. 

━━━━━━

SEIRIN PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL. 

After spotting the pristine gold and dark green sign of the high school, you slow your bicycle's speed and stopped right at the front gates. There was no place to chain it outside, so you held it beside you and walked with it. Slowly and carefully, you were making sure you don't hit anyone. 

You were informed of the Opening Ceremony before but you now realize that you had forgotten. Thoughts travel back to Lia's advice, which you regrettably start to consider. Through the entrance, cherry blossoms littered and flew all around, matching well with the enthusiastic people trying to recruit for their clubs. It was too welcoming that it made you want to stop at one of the tables and sign your name— almost. 

"Have you ever played shogi?" 

You felt bad for ignoring the students around you; it was against your true nature. Your eyes were completely focused on the cream-colored building in front, because your mission was to find the Faculty Room and obtain your schedule. 

"You gotta play baseball if you're Japanese!" 

It felt weird to hear other people around your age speak Japanese. You're used to hearing yourself speak it, since you live alone. 

"Basketball! Basketball club!" 

You spot a male with dark brown hair trying to hand out flyers for the school's basketball club, appearing to be for males. 

"How'd you like to join the basketball club?" 

His expression resembled a cat's, and you thought it was really cute. You try not to smile. He was next to two others that had the same goal, one scolded the cat-boy. 

You follow behind a student with light blue hair, who seemed to be ignored by the recruiters. The space was just right for you and your bike, so you used him as a guide. Soon he stopped abruptly, causing your bike to hit him lightly. You thought it was karma getting you back for using him. 

"Ah! Sorry! Please excuse me," your Japanese was smooth and without any English accent obscuring it. 

Instead of waiting for a response, you immediately took a turn and went past him. 

━━━━━━

TEACHER'S FACULTY ROOM. 

"[l/n] [f/n], is that right?" 

Surprisingly, I'm glad my parents left me with a Japanese name. 

"Hai." 

She hands me a sheet of paper with a smile on her face. 

In my head I'm celebrating at how she didn't question if I was a foreigner or of some sort. Lia told me that I would blend in well with my appearance, the only out-of-the-ordinary features I had are my long eyelashes and my color-changing orbs. The real problem was my mannerisms, like how I'm not so frail and feminine, and something she said about my attitude being too extreme. It takes a lot of energy to be aware of what you look like at all times but I'm trying my best. 

"Thank you very much." 

━━━━━━

IN HOMEROOM. 

"[l/n]-san," The teacher calls. 

You confidently stand by your desk to introduce yourself. 

"[l/n] [f/n]! First-year and I love riding to new places on my bike!"

You bow at a considerable angle. 

"Please take care of me!" You finish. 

Your sensitive ears catch a few comments and whispers. 

"I haven't seen her around here before." 

"I think she's cute..."

"Do you think she has a boyfriend?" 

That last one made you blush a bit. 

"Thank you [l/n]-san." That ends the comments. 

"Next, Kagami-san." 

━━━━━━

As I put my arm through my bag's handles in order to leave, my teacher stops me, and I watch everyone else leave the room. My brows furrow in worry that I've already done something wrong on the first day. 

"Yes Sensei?" 

He looked at me strangely, rising my concern. 

"You haven't signed up for any clubs," he states. 

I sweatdrop and form an awkward smile. 

"Yes... Was I supposed to?" I felt ashamed for forgetting how Japan likes ambitious students. 

He sighs disappointingly before giving me a small piece of paper. 

"I went ahead and signed you up for the Errand Club, the details are on there." With that he walks away and back to his desk, waiting for the next class to come in. 

I give a bow and thanks before leaving the room. 

━━━━━━

LUNCHTIME IN CLASS. 

As I enjoyed the sandwich I made from this morning, I read the slip my homeroom teacher gave me. It was a three-panel manga of how the Errand Club worked, the character was a shy bunny in a girl uniform. 

Step 1. Go to the Task Board in the Faculty room. ( Uwaaah! I hope no one talks to me! )

Step 2. Pick a task and fulfill it! ( Hmmm... This one seems the easiest! )

Step 3. Wait for the end of the week to get contacted and claim your prize! ( Wow! Almost like a real job! ) 

Behind the paper was the contact information for the club's President and Advisor. 

With my free hand, since the other had a sandwich, I pull up my flip phone and send a text to Lia. 

——————

      TO: LIA

hr teacher put me in errand club, it's exactly what it is. 

should I go for it? 

—————— 

And in a few seconds I felt her reply. 

——————

FROM: LIA       

ew 

do something else 

——————

I chuckle softly at her response. 

——————

      TO: LIA

that settles it then.

I guess I'm joining!

——————

BRRR. 

—————— 

FROM: LIA      

NOOO 

——————

I didn't notice that I've already finished my sandwich. My hand felt empty until I opened my container of peaches, wooden chopsticks were now in my hand. With my phone still open, I contacted the Errand Club's President. 

━━━━━━

DISMISSAL. 

You were quick to reach the Faculty Room once you were dismissed. You took the risk of being caught for running in the halls, but no teacher was nearby at the time so you succeeded. The staff looked at me with surprise, noticing how quick I was but I didn't mind it. On the Task Board was three available. 

HELP TAKEDA-SENSEI MOVE BOXES OUT OF HIS ROOM AFTER SCHOOL. 

CLEAN TAKEUCHI-SENSEI'S ROOM AFTER SCHOOL. 

PRINT 10 COPIES FOR AIDA-SAN. 

Immediately your mind crosses out the first two, since you had work. Working after school was crucial. You treat your job very seriously because it was your only source of income and way to pay what you needed. Your eyes spot the paper the third task was referring to, and you freeze upon finding the basketball logo. 

You suck in an uneasy breath. 

After a moment of contemplating, you decide to take the job. You silently write on the task, following the directions the club's President told you, and took the single membership form before leaving the room. 

[l/n] [phone number]. 

You planned to complete it tomorrow. 

✦✧✦✧

Chapter Text

YOU ARE STRANGE, AND I KNOW THAT.

✦✧✦✧

HEADING TOWARDS SEIRIN'S GYM.

In your hands were 10 copies of Seirin's Official Membership Form for the Basketball Club. It was a small stack so it was easily held by you. You can't help but notice how little the amount of copies the club needed, it tells you that they weren't so popular. But you weren't one to judge because it reminded you of the basketball club you formed in junior high.

You approached the gym quite confidently, immediately getting rid of the past in your mind. When you push the doors open, you see the club members having some small talk, appearing to have just finished a play with the sweat formed on their faces. It looks like a practice game with the first years versus the upperclassmen. You find the light blue and red-haired players familiar, but you didn't care that much.

"[l/n]-san! Over here!"

Aida signals you with a wave, and you walk towards her. You keep your eyes on the duo from before and see that the red one was trying to punch the other, but light blue dodged them all. They don't look like they're getting along.

As you reached Aida, you can't help but ask. 

"Are they... going to be alright..?"

She is silent, not expecting any injuries from them at all. You give her the papers, to which she accepts, and you turned to leave. But you felt a hand touch your shoulder, freezing you in place.

"Ne, [l/n]-san, why don't you watch the game for a bit?"

You panic slightly, not sure if it was a good idea, but then again you can't deny a Senpai because it would be disrespectful. You're also still a bit early for your job...

"O-Okay..."

━━━━━━

They resume the game, and there was only 3 minutes left.

1st:  15  - 2nd:  31

The first-years wore yellow, and the second-years blue.

Yellow #6 is pressured by Blue #8, he dribbles the ball for a moment, quickly thinking of his next move so it doesn't get stolen so easily. He chest-passes it to Yellow #15, the one with light blue hair. But immediately he throws it over his shoulder, passing three Blue. The ball perfectly lands in the hands of Yellow #9, who looked surprised but quickly scores.

The Blue and Aida was confused at how the ball went through. You were genuinely amazed at how light-blue easily secured that pass with just one touch. Compared to your team in America, one-touch passes were just too risky, especially with average passing skills. You were invested, completely forgetting about your job.

And again.

Light-blue receives the ball again, and with one touch he made it seem as if it ricochets from an invisible wall. It lands with Yellow #6 and then Yellow #11, the red-haired, encourages him to shoot, and he makes a score.

Again, and again.

It was like magic. The ball would end up in front of them, it would go over, or under them. The score gap easily closed up.

You listen to Aida mutter her thinking.

"Is he using his lack of presence to pass..?"

His what? You thought.

"He's not even touching the ball for very long..!

Could he be diminishing... his already weak presence even more..?"

I don't get what she means.

"Misdirection. A technique used in sleight of hand. He's drawing his opponent's attention away from himself..!"

That, makes sense. What a unique implementation in basketball...

"He's the invisible regular of Teiko who excelled at passing. I'd heard rumors, but I didn't think he actually existed..!

The sixth phantom member of the Kiseki no Sedai!"

Kiseki no Sedai... that translates into the Generation of Miracles...

The scores now had a 1 point difference.

1st:  36  - 2nd:  37

A Blue attempts to steal the ball but it ends up in light-blue's hands. He drives towards the enemy's basket, with his team cheering him on. They left him with the winning shot.

But, much to his team's disappointment, the ball bounces off the rim, his shot's arc was too low. Instead the red-haired player follows and dunks the ball.

"That's why I hate the weak!" He yells, and the game ends. 

━━━━━━

"Wow," you unconsciously whisper.

Aida looked towards you with a mischievous grin, her hands full with the copies that she held close to her chest.

"Amazing, right? The manager position is open, if you're interested—"

"N-No!" It accidentally sounded a bit too loud, catching some of the players' attention.

You panic and nervously put your hands up.

"I-I mean, sorry, I'm not interested."

On the court, a few of them were shooting and dribbling for fun. Three first-years were playing around with their passes, and one of them threw the ball a bit too hard that the other had to dodge. It was coming straight to their coach, and she couldn't notice it in time.

"Kantoku[*]! Watch—" One tried to warn. [ *Coach ]

Thanks to your refined reflexes from your basketball days, a single hand easily stops the speeding projectile. Aida finally notices and jumps in shock. You bring the ball into your two hands and pass it back, a bit too perfectly, the Coach notices. She wasn't the only one who noticed it, though.

"Thank you, [l/n]-san."

"Mm, no problem."

You took out your flip phone and looked at the time.

"AGH! I'm late!" You run towards the exit and left.

The Coach couldn't help but wonder if what just happened was a figment of her imagination. She snaps out of it and turns to the players. 

━━━━━━

RUSHING TOWARDS YOUR WORKPLACE.

You pedaled fast to go at the highest speed that you could with your bicycle. The items in the attached metal basket threaten to fall out whenever you went over a rock or bump. Passive stray cats run at the sight of your speeding form, and the plants you pass lose a few leaves.

"Sorry..! Sorry!" You say as you pass. 

After making a few risky sharp turns that obviously damaged your tires, you see the familiar green neon lights belonging to the convenience store you worked at. You finally arrived, hopefully not too late to clock in.

KONBINI. The sign says. [ Literally 'convenience store' in Japanese. I'm not creative with names. ]

You lock your bike quickly and approach the front glass doors. Your hand goes to one of the handles and tries to pull it open—

CLACK CLACK.

It was locked.

Confusion was written all over your face until you find a white sign with handwriting on it.

CLOSED FOR TODAY

SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE

You recognize it to be from the manager's.

A disappointed but also relieved sigh escapes. You lightly hit your head on the glass.

At least I wasn't late.

You got on your bike again and wonder where to go. 

━━━━━━

MAJI BURGER.

You walk in, relieved to meet with the restaurant's excellent air conditioning. Some nearby customers look at you strangely as you took off your dark blue sweater, revealing your school's white uniform set and green sailor necktie. You stuff the article in your bag before tiredly looking around for a place to sit. Most of them are full of students relaxing with their friends, but you find a table with that light-blue from earlier. You don't recognize anyone else.

Without second thought, you walk over and ask to sit with him.

"Can I sit with you..?"

He doesn't mutter a word but instead continues sipping from his drink and gives a small nod.

As you threw your bag near the window and sat across him, you let out a relieved sigh. You close your eyes and slouched into the red chair to let the cold air take care of the sweat on your forehead.

"Ahh... Arigatou."

He recognizes you as the errand girl from practice, the girl with a bike from the opening ceremony, and having the same homeroom as him. His blue orbs stare at your exhausted form, a question took over his mind but he didn't think it was right to ask. You felt his stare, it was slightly bothering you.

You coolly open one eye to meet his.

"If you have something to say, then say it," you threaten, your American-like personality taking over.

He releases the straw to speak, unfazed by your tone.

"Kuroko Tetsuya." He puts the straw back and you hear him sip lightly.

"[l/n] [f/n]." You returned.

You fix your posture and put your hands on the table. Your [e/c]-colored orbs roam to the drink in his hand, making you consider buying something. It's your first time visiting this fast-food restaurant chain, so you didn't know what to order. Your hand unzips your bag and passes your sweater to bring out your wallet.

"Ne, Kuroko-san."

He blinks.

"What do you think I should get?"

The straw leaves his mouth again.

"Vanilla shake," he says simply.

With that recommendation, you stood and went to order.

He thought it was strange.

At opening ceremony, he knew that you were following him from behind, and here at Maji Burger, you noticed him without difficulty. He was aware that he had such a small presence that most would forget he was right next to them, yet you saw him and spoke to him normally. The only logical reason he could think of was that your sensitivity of others was high, though he didn't intend to figure it out. 

"Arigatougozaimashita!" The clerk tells you. [ Thank you very much! ]

You arrive with your order on a dark brown tray. On it was a vanilla shake and two wrapped cheeseburgers. He watches you unwrap and hungrily chomp on the sandwich. It was unfeminine but he didn't dislike it. And when you take a strong sip from the vanilla shake, he waits for your reaction. 

It's actually really good. 

Your eyes seem to sparkle at the taste, it wasn't too overwhelming and tasted great with the cheeseburger.

"Umai." A smile was on your face even with full cheeks.

Cute... He thought. 

He compared you with a cat, always cute but dangerous for their frequently changing moods.

It wasn't too long before you finish the two cheeseburgers, leaving you with the vanilla shake. Kuroko took note how fast you ate. You finally pack up and waved at him before leaving, no words were exchanged because you both were occupied with a vanilla shake. He acknowledged your unconventional mannerisms. It was different from Japanese norms, especially first meeting someone and then leaving so quickly.

He still thought you were strange. 

━━━━━━

YOUR APARTMENT.

Freshened up, arranged laundry, finished homework.

You collapse onto your small bed, with your phone in your hands. With your basketball shorts and a regular shirt on as your homely clothing, all that was left to do was to sleep. But you decided to text Lia before that.

——————

      TO: LIA

in school I heard of the Generation of Miracles.

do you know what that is?

——————

BRRR.

——————

FROM: LIA      

WHAT! you dont know them???

youre really blind sometimes yknow

——————

. . .

——————

      TO: LIA

please tell me, I don't have a TV or wifi.

—————— 

BRRR. 

——————

FROM: LIA      

i swear im gonna buy you a good phone one day!

the generation of miracles is basically the seven deadly sins but male and in japan

that should be easy to understand x3

——————

So they're just like me..? 

——————

      TO: LIA

thank you and please don't do that.

goodnight.

——————

BRRR.

——————

FROM: LIA      

goodnight!  <3

——————

✦✧✦✧

Chapter Text

YOU ARE NOT LIKE THEM.

✦✧✦✧

FACULTY ROOM.

It was Friday, and all you could think of was working in the weekend. You sigh as you looked at the Task Board, trying to find something easy to do before lunchbreak ends. Unfortunately it looks like you could only fulfill one task this week. Most of them were time consuming, and almost all of them took place after school. You're starting to wonder if this club is good for a part-timer.

BRRR BRRR BRRR...

You could feel your bag vibrate from an incoming call. While walking out the Faculty Room, you unzip your bag and move the flip phone in your hands. Once in a corner, you put it to your ear and accepted.

[ ENGLISH ] "HEEELLOOO BEEESTIE~!" You almost lose your hearing.

It was Lia. You weren't sure if you should be speaking English.

"I'm in school! Why did you call me?!"

[ E ] "Oh stop~! You know that I don't understand Japanese!"

You look around, finding that you'll probably be alone for a while, before answering.

[ E ] "Why did you call me..?" You whisper, hoping no one hears your fluency.

[ E ] "HAHAAA! Guess whaaat!" She sings.

You groan, hoping this conversation isn't as long as you think it will be.

[ E ] "I... don't know." You honestly can't predict her next actions.

[ E ] "I'M VISITING JAPAN!"

Your eyes widen.

[ E ] "What..?! When?!"

[ E ] "TOMORROW! HAHAAA! I'll send you the deets soon!"

She then hangs up, leaving you stunned.

━━━━━━

IN YOUR LAST CLASS.

The teacher went on about a topic you've already covered. It was more of a review to the class, preparing us for a small test next week. So to pass time you were doodling a basketball going into a hoop on a random page in your math notebook. It was probably the only few things you were confident in drawing. You tried a cat earlier and it didn't look so good.

RIIING!

The students were quick to stuff their notebooks and pencil cases in their bags. The teacher stops talking and dismisses us, knowing that once we hear the bell there was no way to get our attention back. It was Friday, after all. Everyone was excited to get a head start on their weekend plans, except you. Everyday was just the same, even with your popstar friend visiting tomorrow.

You expect Lia to be just as busy as she is in America, so you had no reason to be excited. She must also understand your circumstances, how having a connection to a popstar could bring you some unwanted attention. Or at the least you're hoping she keeps it in mind.

It appears that you're the last one out, the result of being involved in your thoughts for a moment. You follow behind two students and reach the halls. Just as you were about to take a turn towards the exit, a familiar voice calls from behind.

"[l/n]-san!"

Aida-senpai..?

You spot her short brown hair that was held back by two pins, and her pink whistle tied around her neck. Looks like she was about to head to basketball practice. You went back in the halls to meet with her.

"Do you need something, Aida-senpai?"

There's a smile on her face that seems to mean something other than politeness.

"Did you forget? It's about your reward for the errand you did for me," she says, still keeping that strange smile on her face.

"Oh... Aren't you supposed to call me for that?"

"I thought it would be better if we met in person."

You're honestly starting to freak me out.

She suddenly grabs your hand and leads you deeper into the school, keeping the reward a complete mystery. Since you strayed further from the exit, it probably wasn't food.

"Ano, Aida-senpai? I hope this is quick, I have a job afterschool," you tell her.

"Hai, it won't take long at all!"

━━━━━━

AT SEIRIN'S GYM.

As much as you didn't want to, you let Aida drag you inside. You hoped she didn't feel your hesitation. Inside you find the basketball club members doing some warm-ups, like shooting and lay-ups. Kuroko pauses to watch the Coach drag a familiar-looking girl to the gym's storage room. Knowing how crazy Aida is, it may have been a kidnapping. He continues his warm-up.

The brown-haired female locks the door behind her after forcing you to sit on a box. You stare at her in shock, wondering why she needed to do that. Was your reward really in this dusty room?

"Aida-senpai—"

"Shhh!" She silences you with her index finger near her lips.

She moves you aside to reach for a box, opens it and takes something out. She hides it from you by turning away and letting you face her back; you could hear her rapidly flip through pages of something. You wait patiently with pursed lips, not wanting to disappoint her. Your job was still on your mind though.

Finally she stops, a satisfied sound leaves her lips. She turns and slams it on the box beside you, which acts as a table. You look to find that she was flipping through a magazine, an American one in fact—

"This is you, correct?" Her finger points to a face in the page.

Your body freezes upon realizing what the page was. It was an old feature about the Girl's Basketball Team from Pinewood Junior High, which was your team, the Seven Deadly Sins. The first section was all about you, and it had many pictures. One picture had a clear shot of your face.

WRATH! [f/n] [l/n].

Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins, and also 'Shiroryuu'. She is known for being an exceptional point-guard and the one to turn the tide in difficult games. She easily captures the hearts of her team and fans with her smooth plays, beauty, and her selfless personality. On the other hand, she has quite the temper, which earns her the right to the title 'Wrath'...

"You're m-mistaken! She may have the same name as me and look like me—"

She gave you a serious stare, and you sigh in defeat.

"Please don't tell anyone," you pleaded.

She smiles and nods, since she planned to do that from the start. But in her head she's celebrating at the amount of potential that attends the school. It was Kagami and Kuroko, but now there's also you.

"So this is my reward..." you mutter with sadness.

━━━━━━

AT KONBINI.

You finish collecting the outdated items in a trash bag, and it was easy for you to do so because you knew the store like it was the back of your hand. It was just you in the store, and you gained more money as an employee acting as the cashier, cleaner, the one to restock, etc. You quickly dispose the trash bag in a lidded bin, planning to throw it away when the shift ends. After that you went back to the cashier, waiting for some customers before another duty.

BRRR.

You felt a message arrive in the pocket of your green apron, which was a part of the store's uniform.

——————

FROM: #######      

hello [f/n], this is riko

——————

Oh, it's Aida-senpai. You quickly made her a contact.

——————

      TO: AIDA RIKO

hello senpai. everything okay?

——————

You thought becoming closer with her was the right decision, since she knew.

BRRR.

——————

FROM: AIDA RIKO      

yes. would you like to join the basketball club?

——————

She's so persistent...

——————

      TO: AIDA RIKO

sorry, no thank you.

——————

The store's chime rings, signaling a customer. You put away your phone and put on a plain smile. 

"Irashaimasen!" [ Welcome! ]

━━━━━━

IT WAS SATURDAY.

The wind fails to loosen your ponytail but succeeds in tousling the strands that make up your bangs. You regret forgetting to clip them this morning, it made you look a lot like the you in junior high. Hopefully no one recognizes you. You had on an unzipped maroon bomber jacket over a white dress shirt, loose black shorts, knee-high white socks, and your favorite white rubber Nike shoes on. It was a strange outfit, but it was mostly to prepare yourself for work this afternoon.

You stared at the flip phone in your hands and looked back up to glance at the skyscraper's logo. The text Lia sent wasn't very helpful.

——————

FROM: LIA      

tsuki agency

that's all i know but please visit meee

——————

Tsuki means 'moon', that you knew.

After asking around multiple times, they all were kind enough to lead you to this tall and expensive looking building, which had a glass crescent as its logo at the entrance. You learned that the agency was well known for handling all kinds of celebrities, so it was sensible for a popstar to be here. You went up the cement stairs of the front, skipping a few steps when you could. The bushes looked well and exceptionally maintained, which makes you wonder what it would look like in the inside.

The glass entrance opens for you automatically, and your nose catches the room's pleasant air freshener. It slightly burns, you assume due to your sensitive nose. Inside was a large lobby and waiting room with a light blue scheme. You could see some bodyguards roaming with their dark shades and suits. But their intimidating aura didn't overpower the floor's comfortable one.

You walk up to the front desk, a woman notices you and smiles. You didn't feel like returning it.

"Name?" She asks.

"[f/n]." You give only your first name, not wanting to be tracked down.

The receptionist types your name in her computer for moment before her friendly smile falters.

"Sorry, I don't see any appointments under your name. May I ask who is it that you are here to see?"

[ ENGLISH ] "Ugly Siren."

Her eyes widen in shock before quickly dialing a number and talking quietly. You heard her mutter your name. She then hangs up, rips a scrap of paper, and scribbles something on it. It was all done in silence, a serious air had formed. She hands it to you, to which you take, and then pointed to the elevators behind her. You kept your eyes on her as you walked away, and you find the same friendly smile from before reprise. It reminded you of robots.

Is Lia really that famous?

You shook off the thoughts once at the elevators. There was two of them, and they were both occupied. The one on the left was going up, and the right was coming down, you hope that it reaches the lobby. Your eyes take a quick glance at the slip.

36TH FLOOR

PLATINUM ROOM ENTRY: UGLY SIREN

It also had the woman's signature signed over it.

DING!

You stuff the paper in your jacket's pocket, waiting for the elevator to open.

"Kyaaa! Kise-sama! You're so good at everything!"

Your ears catch a bunch of girls squealing, it was really annoying.

"Kise-sama! Are you really leaving? Can I go with you?!"

The metal doors open to reveal a blonde male, that looked to be around your age, surrounded by a group of wealthy-looking girls. He looked very photogenic, making you assume he was a model.

"W-Well," he nervously put a hand behind his head, "I still have practice after this s-so..."

"Kyaaa! Kise playing basketball! Can I please watch?!"

Wow, he plays basketball? That's overkill.

"I d-don't think outsiders are allowed on campus, sorry..."

He says that as he steps out of the elevator, but the fangirls start to whine, stopping him from taking another step.

"But Kise-sama!"

"Kise-sama!"

"Kise-sama, you can allow us on campus! Right?!"

The one called 'Kise' looked really nervous, not knowing what to say that wouldn't disappoint his fangirls. You felt bad for him, but more annoyed at the invasive girls.

"Oi. Move out of the way," you growl, nearing your angered state.

The fangirls finally notice you and give you stuck-up looks.

"Who are you to tell us that," she looked at your attire, "you rat."

The rest of the fangirls giggled.

Kise had his mouth open, not liking where this was going.

"Wait, don't—" he tried to intervene but you interrupt him.

"What did you call me," your eyes glowed a bright white, "you cake-faced hag?"

The girls looked terrified and felt weak from your threatening orbs, so they looked toward Kise for help.

"Kise-sama! She's so mean to me!" One fake cried.

"Yeah Kise-sama! Tell the guards to throw this rat away!"

The blonde's yellow orbs met your powerful white ones, he felt helpless too.

"Want to try something too, Ikemen?" You turned the compliment into a threat. [ Handsome male. ]

She hates me too?! Kise thought, shocked that you weren't attracted to him at all.

He opens his mouth but words refused to come out. His fangirls repeated their whines, so you took this chance to push them aside and take the elevator behind them, not caring if one of the girls fell or broke a heel. The doors close satisfyingly, and you don't hear their deafening voices anymore. You smash the button that went to the 36th floor.

━━━━━━

36TH FLOOR.

Once the doors open, you are surprised with a bone-crushing hug, and your sight blinded by a head of black hair. You slowly hugged back, having a feeling you knew who it was. Your glowing orbs faded back to its normal [e/c] hue.

[ The whole conversation is in ENGLISH. ]

"[f/n]! You made it!"

A vein grew. "Barely! Your text message was shit."

She finally lets go of you and you take in her appearance. Despite her title, she wasn't ugly at all. All her features were extremely plain: black hair, tan skin, brown eyes, a few moles, and a natural body size. It's been a while since you've seen her face. For a second your mind flashes back to when you met her in an alley.

"What took you so long?! I was scared of hugging some stranger!"

"I had to deal with some hyenas in the lobby," you say as she leads you into a really fancy room. 

✦✧✦✧

Chapter Text

THE PROBLEM IS, WE ARE THE SAME.

✦✧✦✧

IN HOMEROOM.

The room was gloomy.

Everyone must've stayed up and didn't get enough sleep last night. Their drowsiness and unmotivated moods were contagious enough to affect you. Or maybe you were just depressed with it being Monday, the weekend had ended. Your homeroom teacher finally enters and lazily places his belongings on his desk, seeming to share the same opinion as us. He opens his grade book and clicks a red pen.

"Good morning Sensei..."

"Mornin' Sensei..."

He didn't scold us for our unenthusiastic tones.

"I will be taking attendance and then you'll be dismissed for the Morning Assembly."

You forgot about that. It happened every Monday, or the first morning of the week.

"Sayaka-san."

"Hai."

"Hayato-san."

"Hai!"

"[l/n]-san."

"Hai." You say.

"Kagami-san."

Silence. He was absent.

"Kuroko-san."

Silence again.

Absent..? I'm sure I saw him this morning...

The teacher sighs, noticing that two absents in a row wasn't natural.

"Did anyone here see them today?"

You raise your hand, being completely honest.

"Perfect. [l/n]-san, could you please find them and get them to the morning assembly? They're probably fooling around somewhere."

Your hand in the air falters. You regret.

Eh..?

━━━━━━

THE SCHOOL'S HALLWAYS.

You grumble complaints under your breath as you ran through the halls, looking hard for a head of light blue. In your hand you had your flip phone to check the time. There was 7 minutes left. Luckily running wasn't a problem for you, but it would be all for naught if you can't find anyone. Your brown school shoes suffered as you skidded and made sharp turns.

"...the morning assembly is in five minutes!"

An angry voice echoes through the halls, and it seemed to be coming from upstairs. You were on the top floor, so it was coming from the roof. An annoyed look forms on your face, wondering why they were in a restricted area. You skillfully skipped steps to reach the top quicker.

"...promise...last year." Your ears pick up a female's voice that sounded very familiar.

The closer you got, the clearer.

"No matter how hard you practice, 'someday' and 'maybe' aren't good enough."

Is that... Aida-senpai..?

"CLASS 1-B, NUMBER 5, KAGAMI TAIGA!"

Did he just say his name was Kagami?! Why the hell is he yelling that from up there?!

"I WILL DEFEAT THE GENERATION OF MIRACLES AND BECOME THE BEST PLAYER IN JAPAN!"

You finally reach the top and slam them open.

"OI!" You yelled, catching their attention.

You find Aida, Kuroko, the red head, and three other first-years. Strangely, Kuroko had a megaphone in his hand.

Aida's eyes sparkle at the sight of you.

"[l/n]-san! Are you here to finally join the club?!"

"Hello, [l/n]-san." Kuroko meets your eyes.

"Wha- no! I'm here to get Kuroko-san and Kagami-san!"

The red head walks up to you, his tall figure towering and meant to be intimidating but you stood strong.

"Haaah? I don't know who you are but you can't tell me what to do."

White flashes in your eyes as you glared at him. You assume that he is Kagami.

"You guys are not supposed to be here, and you don't have to be so loud!"

"YOU'RE YELLING TOO!"

"NOT AS LOUD AS YOU—"

The doors to the roof slam open again, but this time it wasn't you. It was an older man with a suit, he was obviously one of the Seirin's staff.

"HEY! THE BASKETBALL CLUB, AGAIN?!"

Riko swings her fist in disappointment.

"Crap, and we were almost finished."

You walk up to the teacher while letting out a relieved breath.

"Finally! Yes Sensei, these—"

"SILENCE! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!"

You were shocked. 

Surely he doesn't see me as one of them, right?!

"But—!"

"SHUT IT!"

"EH?!"

━━━━━━

AT MAJI BURGER.

You've just finished work.

You lock your bike at the front of the restaurant, took off your dark blue sweater, and then stuffed it in your bag. The same thing you did last time. You had a pretty rough day so you decided to treat yourself, and hopefully get to know more about Kuroko, if he was here. When you walk in, you're overjoyed to find his signature light blue hair. You run up to him, planning to ask to sit again.

"Kuroko! Can I sit—"

You turn to see that red-haired idiot from this morning, casually gobbling on a cheeseburger. He glared at you for your change in expression.

"What's with that look?!" He asked you angrily.

"Hello, [l/n]-san," Kuroko greets, sipping his vanilla shake.

You steal a seat from an unoccupied table and sit close to Kuroko, making it known how much you didn't like Kagami. You even slid your chair a bit, the unnecessary action makes the red-hair grow a vein.

"I GET IT ALREADY!"

"Maybe she wants an apology, Kagami-kun."

"Way to put me on the spot, Kuroko." He frowns.

. . .

Silence.

Kagami grew a sweat.

He looks away as he takes a cheeseburger from his stack and sets it in front of you.

"I'm... sorry for yelling at you... and getting you involved." A small blush grew on his cheeks, matching well with his hair.

After a moment, you just couldn't hold it in.

"Pfff... HAHAAH!" You laughed.

Kagami growled, his cheeks getting redder. Kuroko was finding this entertaining.

"W-WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!"

"Pfft. Sorry, sorry. I just didn't expect you to get all soft like that." You unwrap the sandwich and took a bite.

"Thanks for the food!"

━━━━━━

Time flew by fast. You've befriended Kagami and learned his full name. You've also learned that they're striving to become the number one basketball team in Japan. They were really passionate about it, you could tell. A sadness was hidden in your expression as they talked about basketball, but Kuroko easily notices it, since he observed people everyday. 

You already ate three cheeseburgers and was halfway through your shake. Somehow Kuroko was still on his first... 

"Kuroko!" 

You decided long ago that you were going to call them without honorifics. And it wasn't because you've warmed up to them, you were just lazy and used to American norms.

"How are you still drinking your vanilla shake?!"

He didn't say anything so you felt the cup— only to discover that it was weightless.

"Wha- It's completely empty! You're sipping air!"

"[l/n]-san, do you like basketball?" Kuroko suddenly asks, to which Kagami was interested as well.

"You can't just change the subject like that... and no, I hate basketball." You felt a pain when you said that.

The light blue-haired male stares at you for a moment before understanding. He knew that you were lying, but also knew it wasn't right to continue the topic. Hopefully one day you would allow yourself to open up to them, slowly and carefully. Pressuring was the last thing he would want to do to you.

"I see," he says.

"So? What sport do you play then?" Kagami casually asks.

"Who said I played a sport?" You retort.

"Well, judging from your body, you're quite toned throughout," he states.

You glare at him. I can't explain that... You mentally panic.

"Is analyzing girls' bodies your hobby, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko saves you.

Red-hair freezes, his blush coming back.

"It's not like that! I just... Fine! Forget I asked," he says.

The night ends with the three exchanging numbers, officially making them friends. It wasn't strange to have the numbers of other students in same year, but having connections with this reckless duo would certainly put you in a bad spot in the future, and you didn't know that.

━━━━━━

YOUR APARTMENT.

And like always, you collapse onto your white bedsheets after another exhausting day. You get comfortable and flip open your phone. After a moment to adjust to the brightness and a few button taps, you end up in your contacts.

AIDA RIKO

KAGAMI

KUROKO

LIA

You planned to text Lia like usual, but you stop at the red hair's name, some thoughts from Maji Burger clouding your mind again. A feeling of guilt overwhelms you.

It was only later that you realized something.

That time you met Kagami on the roof, there was no need to be so rude to him. But when you saw those ambitious red orbs, the confidence seeping from them, you remembered your past self. The junior high 'you' that just had eyes on a single goal, and had an obsession with basketball. Perhaps it was jealousy that fueled your words, acting as your 'hate' for him. And to easily and shamelessly shout your goals on a rooftop, was something you couldn't do anymore.

But this was the normal life you wanted.

It had a few flaws, but that was okay.

——————

      TO: LIA

I made two friends today.

goodnight

——————

━━━━━━

AFTER SCHOOL.

It was just after your last class, and you were running to your bike.

You had work, Lia, and what to eat for dinner on your mind. The popstar hasn't been texting you as much since you visited her at that agency, leaving you to assume she suddenly got too busy. But then again, she was always busy and still would send texts. Once you unlocked the chain to your bike and was seated, you hear a message arrive. You threw your bag on the metal basket and unzipped it. You hoped it was Lia.

——————

FROM: AIDA RIKO      

hi [l/n]-chan!

would you like to watch today's basketball practice with me?

——————

You weren't sure how many times she's asked you that, though adding '-chan' to your name was new. Today was Thursday, so you remind yourself for another text like it tomorrow.

——————

      TO: AIDA RIKO

sorry senpai.

——————

And you denied her like always. It's true that you felt ashamed for it, especially when she makes the effort to ask you everyday.

With a foot on the pedal, you start towards work.

━━━━━━

IN SEIRIN'S GYM.

Aida sighs while staring at the her flip phone. Kuroko was walking by.

"Kantoku, why do you always sigh at your phone before practice?" He asks.

She jumps, startled at his little presence, but calms down to explain.

"I've been trying to get [l/n]-chan to watch our practices." The sound of your name catches Kagami's attention.

"Why?" Kuroko continues.

She gives a determined smile. "I'm trying to make her our team's manager!"

Kuroko's eyes widen slightly, he didn't show it but he was interested in the idea.

"I can ask her about it tomorrow. Kagami and I have the same homeroom as her."

Aida's eyes glimmer. "Really?! Thank you!"

━━━━━━

AFTER WORK.

The amount of hours you had to go without sitting acted as your everyday workout. But once your shift was done, you could feel your joints painfully stiffen, encouraging you to stretch. Using your bike could do more harm than good since it forces them to function. And so your usual solution to this was walking about halfway through your route home.

You held your bike beside you, both hands on the handles, as you walked home. It was night, but not so dark as the streets where illuminated by street lights and cars. You've done this many times so you weren't afraid of crooks. Instead you enjoyed the feeling of walking alone, to be able to hear all the little sounds of the world was comforting. No phone calls, camera clicks, microphones...

You shook your head.

The streetlights around this part were dimmer than the ones near the main road, and you swore you saw one of them flickering. But that didn't matter. A mew of a stray cat, you ignore. The rustling of a bush, you ignore. Police sirens from a distance, you ignore. The bounce of a ball—

Wait what?

You look ahead and see the basketball court you always pass on the way home. You wonder who's crazy enough to play this late.

Soon you reach the court, and you lazily look over to see a familiar head of red hair. It was Kagami.

Shit..!

You immediately try to pass by quietly and quickly as you can.

"[l/n]..?" He notices you.

SHIT!

"Wait! Why are you running?!"

You stop and sigh, facing away from him.

"You should be at home, Kagami." You thought the least you could do was speak.

He doesn't respond but you hear him stop dribbling.

Suddenly you feel a hand harshly grip your arm away from your bike's handles, causing it to fall to the ground. He pulls you inside the street court quite forcefully, you start to feel angry.

"KAGAMI! WHAT ARE—"

He silences you by pushing a basketball on your chest, making you hold it.

"Shoot," he demands, motioning towards the hoop.

You grew a vein, hating to be ordered around. You threw it towards his face, and he's surprised but catches it.

"THE HELL WAS THAT?!" He complained.

"THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?!" You yell back.

He sighs, knowing his way of doing things wasn't very... friendly.

"I... can tell," he says.

A shadow casts over your eyes, not liking where this was going. You wonder if running away was an option.

"...'can tell'? Can tell what?"

"...that you play basketball."

. . .

"I don't play," you say, though it wasn't the whole truth.

He growls and angrily palms the ball in his hold.

"Don't lie to me! I saw how you handled that basketball that one time," he states, making you wonder the last time you were seen with a ball.

Oh, when I was doing the  errand  for Aida-senpai.

"Kantoku! Watch—" One tried to warn.

Thanks to your refined reflexes from your basketball days, a single hand easily stops the speeding projectile. Aida finally notices and jumps in shock. You bring the ball into your two hands and pass it back...

You look away, not understanding what was wrong with it.

"Is there something wrong with catching a ball?"

"It's not what you did, it's how you did it!" He says.

What..? How I did it?

"When you caught it and you brought it to your chest, you were in Triple-Threat Position!"

The Triple-Threat Position. An effective stance used by most basketball players because of its versatile form that allows you to pass, shoot, or dribble. The stance comes naturally or on instinct due to vigorous amounts of training, especially for serious basketball players.

"You also did it just now! When I gave you the ball!"

You were speechless. He was right, you've practiced that much to know the habits of your own body. It's unfortunate that with just one touch of a basketball, you're easily an open book.

You let out a tired sigh, completely defeated. You were caught, what could you do about it now?

"I used to play basketball," you correct yourself. 

"But what of it does that matter to you?! I hate basketball now!" Saying that still stings.

Kagami was serious in this moment, he allowed you to yell at him. He didn't understand how you felt, so he didn't try to comfort you. He knew that you would hate that, because you were just like him... 

"But you loved it at first, right?" 

. . .

You turn away from him, heading towards your bike. You didn't want to continue the conversation.

"Goodnight, Kagami."

✦✧✦✧

Chapter Text

YOUR EYES HOLD THE SAME STRENGTH AS MINE.

✦✧✦✧

IN HOMEROOM. 

There was a small break right after homeroom for transitioning to their next class. You'd usually use this time to check if you've done all your homework, or finish them if you knocked out last night. But today you didn't feel like doing anything, so you just put your head down on top of your crossed arms. After that conversation with Kagami, you just couldn't sleep, leaving you lazy and craving a good nap.

Someone taps your shoulder so you turn your head, with half-lidded eyes.

"What..?"

"Good morning, [l/n]-san." It was Kuroko.

"Oh... Hello, Kuroko. Do you need... something?"

"Yes. I need you to join the basketball club."

You groan and turn the other way.

"Oh no... You have Aida-senpai Disease..."

"I believe you'll be a good manager," he continued.

"Didn't I tell you that I hated basketball?"

"Yes, but I know you are lying."

Your body jolts to sit up on your seat and then faces him.

"Why does everyone want to pry into my life..?" You grumble.

You took your bag and left the room before he could say another word.

He stared at you as you left, with his eyes gaining a glint of determination. You didn't deny the offer, and that meant something.

━━━━━━

SEIRIN'S FRONT ENTRANCE.

The students were dismissed a few minutes ago.

As you unlocked your bike, you go through your messages with Lia. You noticed that still she hasn't sent you any messages, making you wonder if it really was work that's stopping her. You still send her 'goodnight' texts in hopes that she reads them, but even if she was, why doesn't she respond? After sending her a message, you got on your bike and headed for the school gates. 

——————

      TO: LIA

hey, you haven't been responding to my texts.

is everything okay?

——————

If she doesn't respond before tomorrow ends, you were going to visit her immediately.

━━━━━━

Meanwhile, a certain blonde was visiting the school.

"Oooh, so this is Seirin. As expected from a new school, it looks nice," he comments.

A few of the female students notice him and blush.

"Wow..! He looks so cool..."

"Isn't he that model..?!"

You appear with your bike, coming straight at him because he was right in front the gates.

"Sorry! Coming through!"

Kise immediately makes way for you to pass, a bit shocked that you almost ran him over. But in that moment, for him everything appeared to be in slow-motion. His face was right next to yours, and he recognizes you as the scary girl from the agency.

She's actually quite pretty... He thought, with a small blush.

But once everything went back to normal, he looked behind him to find that you were gone. He honestly didn't expect to see you again.

So she goes to Seirin, huh... The same as Kurokocchi.

━━━━━━

IN SEIRIN'S GYM.

The team was doing their warm-ups like always, waiting for their coach to arrive. But she took quite awhile, and they were already sweating a considerable amount.

"Hey, what happened to Kantoku? I know she's supposed to find an opponent for a practice match, but she wouldn't be late to practice..."

"She came back already. But when I saw her, she was skipping..."

"SHE WAS SKIPPING?! EVERYONE, YOU ALL BETTER BE READY!"

"Huh?! Why?!"

"When she skips, that means our opponent is ridiculously strong!"

The doors open to reveal Aida in an extremely good mood.

"I'm back! Before I get changed I'll tell you one thing," she grinned excitedly at the doorway, "I got a match ready with a school that has one of the Kiseki no Sedai!"

When she leaves to go to the girls' changing room, she pulls out her phone to send a text message.

——————

      TO: [l/n]

hey! you should watch our practice game tomorrow!

it's against one of the Kiseki no Sedai!! <3

——————

━━━━━━

IN KONBINI.

You stare at the message with pursed lips, thinking deeply while the other hand holds a can of soup. Tomorrow was your day off, and also Saturday. Days like that were for you to sleep in, ride your bike everywhere, or go see a movie. Essentially they were free days. And if you denied Aida or lied to her that you had work, you'd feel like scum.

"Avoid basketball and become scum, or..?" 

Another reason that worsened that guilt was that you were waiting for Lia to respond. This is because you couldn't crash the agency flashily and impolitely, which could harm her career and possibly your efforts to hide your identity. The 'old you' would've been the one to make such bold actions.

Perhaps you'll accept the offer.

But just for this one game. Just once.

——————

      TO: AIDA RIKO

sure.

don't expect me to join the club though.

——————

You continue restocking and arranging products.

━━━━━━

IN SEIRIN'S GYM.

With her gaze locked on her flip phone, she squeals in happiness when she reads your message. The team, who were playing a warm-up game against each other, pause to look at their coach in curiosity. Aida felt their stares, and she turns to glare at them intensely, her mood taking a quick 180.

"HEY! Why are you all stopping practice for? [l/n]-chan is going to watch tomorrow, so be the best you can be!" 

They jump back into action. "Hai!"

Kuroko was the only one to know that the message was from you; it was the conclusion he reached from Aida's behavior. He noticed there was a specific attitude the coach held towards you, especially when talking about you. It was unusual because Aida was your senpai, it should be the other way around. He wonders what makes the coach so interested in you, and willing to make you the team's manager.

On the other hand, Aida was super excited for you to watch the game. It was okay if you refused to be their manager— only for now at least. She plans to slowly lure you into the team, and asking you to watch one of their games against a strong school was the best start. 

━━━━━━

AFTER WORK. 

You were halfway through your walking part of your route home, but the sensation of raindrops on your skin made you rush towards the buildings. Not wanting to catch a cold and get your clothes soaked, you forced yourself on your bike and pedaled, not caring how much your stiff joints groaned. 

The streetlights guided you to the much brighter and populated places of the night. Many thoughts left your head in such a desperate state, but once over a striped awning you got off. After putting your bike to stand against the wall, you slowly bent your knees to rest. 

The rain became fairly heavy, but enough to get soaked if you decided to go on. You decide to wait until it stops. 

You catch a whiff of sweet baked goods, the cascading drops somehow obscure the smell. Beside you find the glass window of a small café, which may have been the reason for the awning's existence. The soft orange lights from inside light up a nearby display, revealing various sized bread and treats. You find disk-shaped pastries with appetizing glazes and sprinkles: doughnuts. They reminded you a lot of America, and your team... 

The rain doesn't seem to slow down, it appeared to only get stronger. You were tired of standing; you've reached that limit when your shift ended. After grabbing your schoolbag off the bike's metal basket, you headed inside. 

The shop's windchime rings softly when you open the door. When you step inside, the perfectly lit bulbs and Japanese city pop music softly playing puts you at ease. The simple decorations and wooden furniture also helped create a comfortable atmosphere. You wondered if you've just stumbled into a hidden gem. 

There wasn't many in the café, about two businessmen were occupied with their laptops and a male that looked to be around your age sat by the window. He was invested in a small novel, and had a small cup of coffee on the table. The faint wisps above the drink suggested that he was here for a while. But what really caught your attention was the red hair that reminded you of that annoying Kagami, though that hothead had a darker shade. 

His attire suggested a significant amount of wealth: brown business shoes, black slacks, a tucked dark blue dress shirt accompanied with a black tie, and over it an unbuttoned expensive-looking grey suit jacket. Luckily, riches don't scare you. 

Since you preferred to keep an easy eye on your bike left outside, you went to him. 

You muster up a decent friendly tone. 

"Hello, is it okay if I sit here?" You asked, as you gestured towards the chair across him. 

━━━━━━

And with a flutter of his eyelids, he had his fierce heterochromatic orbs stare at you, analyzing and judging you carefully for your intentions. Surprisingly he found no hint of a crush or admiration, unlike every other girl that interacts with him. No stutters, nervously pressed lips, nothing. From the uniform, you were clearly in highschool like him, Seirin to be exact. A not so very notable school, he knew. 

"Why?" He replied in an assertive tone, which you flinched at.  

Perhaps he's a businessman too... You thought. 

"I wanted to be near the window so I could watch my bike." You point at it outside. "It would be until the rain stops." 

He stares at you for a moment before answering. "That's fine." 

As long as she doesn't become bothersome. 

You take the seat and placed your bag on the ground. From then on there was no more talk between the two of you, no introduction either. You just watched and listened to the rainfall outside... 

. . . 

Though that was until you got so bored that your fingers started to twitch. 

You leave your seat to get a standard chocolate donut and hot tea. It took a couple rings of a bell to order. There was only one employee that manned the café, which was plausible because of the establishment being so small. After paying and receiving your order on a wooden tray, you bring it back to your seat. 

Once seated and goods on the table, you excitedly took the donut out the paper bag and took a bite. As expected it was light and soft on the inside, and with a sip of tea in its disposable cup— perfection. You've truly stumbled into a goldmine. This place might as well be where you relax on Fridays. 

"Ahem." His voice interrupts your peace. 

You swallow before speaking. "Yes..?" Your [e/c] orbs met his red ones. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Mm... Eating a donut..?" 

His stare sharpens to a glare, with his eyes containing a shiny red ring. It demanded obedience... 

"Yes. Why do you do so?" 

You blink in confusion. "Because I bought one—" 

"Why are you using the table?" He interrupts, his point was still not clear to you.

Putting down your donut warily, you return the glare. 

"To eat. Where else would I put my food?" You retorted. 

"On the floor. Next to your bag," he casually says, as if it was obvious. 

"Why—" 

"Didn't I allow you to only use the chair?" 

━━━━━━

He won't let me finish my sentences! 

You felt rage build up from within, you're close to losing all of your calm. 

Who does he think he is... to tell me to eat on the floor?! 

Your [e/c] orbs light up to bright white ones, challenging his heterochromatic pair. You would never obey people like him. 

"What makes you think I'll listen to you?" 

Before responding, he takes a second to notice that you were able to stare back. Nothing faltered, your enraged white eyes seem to hold the same intensity and cancelled out his own. 

"Because," he lifts his chin, strengthening his intimidation, "my orders are absolute." 

"I don't know what kind of high horse you think you're riding on, but I absolutely won't adhere to your orders." 

You turn to discover that the rain had stopped. A smirk forms. 

"You're lucky you don't have to face my wrath," you say, before collecting your stuff and leaving. 

What an asshole. 

✦✧✦✧

Chapter Text

ONLY TO SUPPORT YOUR SCHOOL'S BASKETBALL TEAM.

✦✧✦✧

FLASHBACK. 

They sat on the classroom floor, cooling off after a bit of practice. They would still practice after Nationals... 

"Wrath? Why'd you call us here?" Gluttony. 

"Idiot. It's clearly a meeting..!" Pride. 

You wait patiently for them to quiet down. 

"Ugh. Can you guys read the mood?!" Greed. 

You sigh. "Alright... Everyone, please settle down." 

(   . . .   )  

You took a deep breath. 

"I'm leaving America." Straight to the point. 

They all gasp, and surprisingly Sloth snaps out of her half-stupor. You were prepared for their reactions, but you can't stop your heart from hurting every time they spoke. Especially in their depressed tones. 

"You're leaving?! Why?!" Lust. 

"No... You're joking, right?" Envy. 

"I thought we all decided to go the same high school..?" Sloth. 

You struggle to find the right words. "I... I know this is sudden. But—" 

Greed cut me off. "It's about what happened last week, right?!" Frustration was in her tone. 

You wanted to say something, but you couldn't. She's right. 

Pride tried to help. "Greed, you can't blame her she's—" 

"She's what?!" Greed stood up. "The best out of all of us, the Captain, the Coach, the manager— She's everything. Yet she's the one leaving all of us first!" 

She went to glare close to your face. You stood your ground, but not to challenge her back. She was the kind to deal things this way, yelling and taunting. You knew her best. 

She clenched her fists. "You're supposed to be glad. You get all this attention and you're running away?!" 

I don't like the attention. Was what you wanted to say. 

(  . . .  )  

"I hope you all understand my wishes. If you all want to continue pursuing this kind of career in high school, you're free to do so." You then left the classroom, leaving them to process it all in painful silence. 

━━━━━━ 

YOUR APARTMENT. 

The bathroom sink runs as you gently wash your face. When the cold water flows through your fingers, and splashes onto your cheeks, you feel at peace. You quickly forget most of your troubles, which you knew would come back to harass you later. 

You stare at your bright [e/c] orbs in the mirror. Or so you believed they were bright. 

"Today's... the practice game." 

BRRR. 

Your flip phone rumbles as you went out to your bedroom. 

——————

FROM: AIDA RIKO      

good morning [ l/n]-chan!

the practice game is at Kaijou High.

——————

"Kaijou High..." I think I know where that is. 

 ━━━━━━ 

KAIJOU HIGH. 

? ! 

"What..? What do you mean you can't let me in..?!" You question. 

"I'm sorry miss, we can't let you in if we can't confirm that you're with Seirin." The security guard tells you. 

"But I'm wearing the uniform!" You pull up your dark blue sweater to show a bit of your white and green uniform top. 

"Eh... You could be one of Kise's fangirls. So I'm sorry." 

At this rate, you're going to be late. 

I promised Aida-senpai... You remembered. 

A scary grin crept on your face. "Hey... Security Guard-san..." 

━━━━━━ 

AT KAIJOU'S GYM. 

You slid open the blue doors and entered silently. Your eyes spot a familiar group with the black, red, and white colors of Seirin High. 

"You're here. Welcome. I'm Coach Takeuchi." As a man with a clipboard speaks to them, you walk closer. "Which one of you is the coach?" 

"That would be me," Aida says, she stepped forward. 

The man was surprised. "You? You're not the manager?" 

"I'm Coach Aida Riko. Our manager should be arriving shortly—" 

You intervene, "I'm not exactly the manager, more like a spectator." 

They finally notice you. 

"[l/n]-san." Kuroko acknowledges. 

"[l/n]..?" Kagami is surprised. 

Kise looks to identify the strangely familiar voice. He instantly recognizes you. 

She's..! 

He thought that if he acted natural, you wouldn't notice. 

You went next to Aida. "Sorry for my tardiness. I'm [l/n] [f/n]." 

You were in sync with Aida. "We look forward to playing with you today!" 

"Uh, yeah." He responds. 

She looks to the other court, which was from the separated by the one you stood on with a green net. "So, um... What is this?" 

You also agree that this practice game should be using a full-sized court. 

"It's exactly what it looks like," he casually responds. "We've only made simple arrangements for today's game." 

In the corner of your eye, you witness Aida's brows twitch. "'Arrangements'..?" 

The overconfident man continued, "There won't be enough to learn from this game that makes it worth for the others to watch." 

You shared Aida's anger. "I see," she manages to say. 

You could care less about basketball but this was a direct insult to your school. If it weren't for the game being a valuable opportunity, you would be cussing him out by now. You took slow and deep breaths to calm down. 

"We're having the other players practice as usual so we don't waste time." He pulls up his clipboard. "Despite that, you'll be playing against our regulars." 

You wish he'd just stop talking. 

To finish it off, he added, "I hope you won't let us triple your score." 

The team was mad, but not as much as Aida and you. 

"You all better crush them... Because if you don't, then I will." You say. 

The team hoped you meant that in basketball. 

The male coach went up to a blonde player and reminded him that he wasn't playing in the game. His reason was that if he played, it wouldn't be a game anymore. You feel that you've seen him somewhere before, but you don't try to remember. 

He must be that Kiseki no Sedai member Aida-senpai was talking about. 

He ran up to you and the team. 

"I'm really sorry about this! I'll be on the bench." He lowered his tone to give some advice, "But if you give his guys a beating, I'm sure he'll put me in..!" 

"And besides, if you can't force him to put me in, you shouldn't go around saying you'll beat the Generation of Miracles." 

━━━━━━ 

You sat with Aida at the bench, together with five members. 

"Glad you could make it, [l/n]-san." 

"Yes, but not early enough to introduce myself to the team... Sorry." 

"Don't mind that! You could always do it after." 

Just a few seconds in the game, Kuroko steals the ball and drives toward the enemy's basket. One easily catches up with him and hopes to steal the ball, but it's passed to Kagami who ran from the other side. He dunks the ball, surprising the opposing team. 

"All right!" He celebrates— 

? ! 

He had the hoop gripped in his hand, it was ripped off from the headboard. 

Everyone is shocked, but you sigh. What a monster... 

You go with Aida. "We are very sorry!" Though you both were grinning on the inside. 

"I'm sorry we broke your hoop." Kuroko too. 

You walk up to the grinning red-head and smacked his arm. "Ow!" 

"Why aren't you apologizing?" 

You sigh. He must be thinking that he could use the full court now...  

━━━━━━ 

[ multiple timeskips ahead, to shorten the game. cuz let's be honest, we watched the anime. ] 

When you hear the girls squeal for 'Kise-kun' on the sidelines, it all finally clicks. Your [e/c] orbs immediately meet his golden ones, as if he sensed your realization. 

You mouth, I-ke-me-n. 

He felt shivers run down his back. Yikes. 

You notice their unnecessary high-paced play. As a former captain, you knew that it wasn't good to exhaust your players for so long, especially when it's not late game yet. When you look to Aida, she is already about to request a time-out. You decide to be productive and grab their bottles and towels. 

"Seirin! Time out!" 

They thank you for your help. 

"Don't waste your breath, focus on cooling off," you advise. 

It was the same words you told your team— no. Don't think of that. 

As they took the towels off your arms, Kagami was left. 

"I don't need it," he says stubbornly. 

You give him a look. What is he trying to prove..? 

"You're sweating more than anyone out there, just take it. I don't want you slipping on your own puddle." 

You threw him a towel that landed on his head and covered his face before walking away. But underneath, he was blushing slightly. He somehow liked that caring side of you, even if it was rough. 

You figured out Kise's special skill: copying. But his version is usually much more powerful. 

"End of the 1st quarter! Take a two minute break!" 

And according to Kagami, Kuroko is his weakness. 

Kise accidentally smacks Kuroko as he reacts to Kagami's quick movements. The blonde probably lost the sense of Kuroko's presence already. He collapses with a thud. 

"Referee time out!" 

You rush to him immediately after grabbing what looked like a first-aid kit near the bench. The injury was right above his left eye, the blood dripped down to reach his cheek. He goes up to stand, yet you could see him struggling to keep his balance. 

"W-Wait! You shouldn't be moving!" You tried to tell. 

"Are you okay?" Kagami asks. 

"I'm fine. The game is just getting started." He plainly states. 

I can't tell if he's joking..! 

He loses consciousness then crashes into you. 

"Kuroko!" 

They decided to leave it to the seniors to handle the game since the usual Kagami and Kuroko duo couldn't be used. They handled it well with Hyuuga's shots. Looks like the 2nd quarter wouldn't end as bad as we thought. 

"Coach, isn't there anything we can do?" Kawahara asks. 

"They don't have any energy left for plays after the first half's pace. If only we had Kuroko-kun..." 

"Very well," the injured male says. He rises from the mat he was laying on. 

You and the others sweatdrop. 

He stands, clearly not looking well with the bandage around his head. "Good morning." He heads for the court. "I'll be going, then." 

You ran in front of him, halting him from moving forward. "Kuroko, she didn't say you should go. And also, you're not not in a good condition to play! What if you collapse again?" 

His determined blue orbs appear focused on the court. "I'm happy that you're worried about me, but I promised Kagami-kun that I would be his shadow." 

You look to Aida. "Fine," she says. "But if I think you're in trouble, I'm switching you out immediately." 

It was the last quarter, and they were currently tied. 

82 - 82. 

And somehow Kise got more powerful. 

Both teams were desperate to get and stop the other team from getting points. Widening the gap was something they could not have in these last few seconds. 

In the last 5 seconds, Kuroko threw the ball at the hoop, which you knew would clearly miss. But in the last second, Kagami jumps up to grab it. Kise tries to stop him, but miraculously he couldn't match up to his rising jump height. 

"I don't need you to return the favor!" The red-head yells. 

"Because," he grips the ball in one hand, "this ends now!" 

And he dunks it, completing the alley-oop. 

A buzzer beater..! 

Seirin 100 - Kaijou 98. 

"YOSHAAA!" Kagami celebrates. 

You feel relieved, and like everyone else, you gave a thumbs up. Kise starts crying but his captain cheers him up. You're surprised that a practice game would make him act up... then again, you would too. 

"Line up!" The players lined up facing each other at the center circle. "With a score of 100 to 98, Seirin High wins." 

They bow, "Thank you very much for the game!" 

The captains of both teams earnestly shake hands and share a few words. Kaijou's coach is furious and Aida is gleaming with delight. 

"Let's go!" 

"Hai!" 

✦✧✦✧

Chapter Text

HANDLE IT WELL, FINISH IT QUICKLY.

✦✧✦✧

IN THE CITY. SASAKI GENERAL HOSPITAL. 

"Everything's okay!" Aida reassured. His injury wasn't serious.

Everyone sighs in relief.

"Sorry for making you all worry." 

Kuroko's eyes went to yours, you nodded. If he's fine, then you don't need to worry. 

Now that's out of the way, and the atmosphere was brighter, you properly introduced yourself. 

"Hello. You all may have heard about me from Aida-senpai." You bow. "It's nice to meet you all. I'm [l/n] [f/n], a 1st year." 

Aida joins in, "And our cute soon-to-be manager~!" 

"Senpai invited me to watch the game, and I enjoyed it." 

Aida groans. "Isn't that enough to join..? [l/n]-chan! Please~!" 

You sigh. "Senpai, we go through this everyday..." 

"Let's get something to eat on the way home." Izuki suggests. 

"What do you want?" Hyuuga asks. 

"Something cheap. I'm broke." Koganei. 

You hum in agreement as you held your bike beside you. 

"Me too." Kagami. 

"So am I." Kuroko. 

"Hold on," Aida says. We all stop to look at her. "How much does everyone have after transportation costs?" 

(  . . .  ) 

21 yen in total. It was very discouraging. 

"Let's just go home," Hyuuga says. 

As they sadly start their way back home, Aida stops us all again. 

"It's okay. What do you say we go for steak?" 

━━━━━━ 

IN A RESTAURANT CALLED STEAK BOMBER. 

SUPER VOLUME 4KG STEAK! 

Eat it in 30 minutes or less and it's free! Those who fail must pay 10k yen. 

The steak was big. 

You sat between Aida and Kagami. All she had was a orange drink. 

"Well... Itadakimasu." You cut a piece with your fork and knife and chewed. 

"This steak is *suteki." Another one of Izuki's puns. 

[ *Suteki means amazing, great, etc. It sounds like 'steak'. ]

Koganei spits. "Sorry, but that shit is really annoying right now." 

Kuroko wipes his lips with a tissue. "Excuse me." 

"Do you need some water?" Hyuuga asks, like the good senpai he is. 

"I give up." He wasn't even a quarter through his steak. 

"KUROKO!!" 

Soon everyone else gave up too... 

I'm dead. Hyuuga thought. 

"This is delicious! Maybe I'll get some more." Kagami happily chews. "If you're not gonna eat that, can I have it?" 

He proceeds to finish everyone's steak. 

You were surprised. "You guys can't finish a steak this size?" 

? ! 

The team surprisingly finds your plate empty. 

"H-How did you..?! [l/n]-san?!" 

"I guess I have a large appetite." 

Going through many foster parents that are as generous as a grandmother helped you learn that. 

"Thanks for the food!" 

"Yeah, and don't come back!" 

Kagami saved them. 

Aida smiled. "Okay, let's go home. Is everyone here?" 

You look around. "Kuroko's not here..." 

━━━━━━ 

You are paired with Kagami to find Kuroko. He didn't want to answer his phone, so something must be up. The bike's chains clink softly as it traveled beside you. 

"Aahh~" A yawn from you. "Eating so much makes me... sleepy." You wanted to crash into your bed. 

Somehow Kagami's heart races due to a simple yawn. He put a hand to his chest to feel his heartbeat. 

"What's wrong?" You ask. 

"N-Nothing."

He takes the bike's handles off your hands, letting you rest. 

"Thank you." 

You and Kagami stop to watch a few males playing in a street basketball court. It reminds you of your childhood days. 

"Street ball. How nostalgic." You accidentally voice your thoughts. 

When the players move out of the way, you find Kuroko talking to Kise. "Oh... isn't that..?" 

"I can say one thing, though. If you think so highly of Kagami because of his attitude towards basketball, some day the two of you will part ways." Kise says confidently. 

You and Kagami eavesdrop. 

What is this Ikemen implying?! Death?! A divorce?! 

"Just like the Kiseki no Sedai, he has a unique ability. Someday he'll achieve their level and grow apart from his team. When he does, do you really believe Kagami won't be a different person?" 

That's... That's not true... You knew he was wrong. 

Kagami barges into Kuroko, making him lose the ball and the tense atmosphere. "You bastard, why'd you disappear like that?" 

"Hello." You enter. 

Kagami glares. "Oi." 

"Were you listening?" Kise asks. 

"I sure as hell was. What the hell are you kidnapping Kuroko for?" 

As they bicker, you and Kuroko notice the thugs invade the street court. Soon Kagami and Kise did too. They were playing unfairly, it then became physical. 

Kuroko was already in the court, causing a mess too. You, Kise, and Kagami enter when they offered a game to settle it. 

"Mind if we play, too?" Kise. 

"Why'd you get involved, bastard?" Kagami. 

You scold the phantom male, "Can you not be so reckless with your injury? It makes you less intimidating." 

The thugs have wide eyes, terrified of the two newcomers' heights. "What the hell?!" 

"Five-on-three's fine. Bring it on." Kagami says confidently. 

"H-Hey! At least make her join!" A thug gestures to you. 

! ! ! 

They must be thinking that having me as a handicap would help them win..! 

You won't accept that. 

Kise tried to help. "Eh? But she's wearing a skirt—" 

"It's fine, Kise." You took off your dark blue sweater and tied it around your waist. "I can play." 

The three are curious of your play style, and can't help but get a bit hyped up. This will be the first time they'll see you play. 

You took in a few breaths, you needed to be calm. There was no need to be overwhelming like Kise and Kagami, you needed to be a simple offense. 

You aren't Wrath, the ace, nor a basketball player. You are a normal high school girl. 

Yet, they were doing fine on their own. 

Kuroko steals, passes to Kise, and if Kise can't score, he passes to Kagami who usually waits near the hoop. 

You sweatdrop. "Maybe I don't need to do anything..?" 

You stood by the three-point line, away from the chaos. 

But suddenly, the ball lands in your grip. 

"Shoot!" Kagami encourages. 

And so you did. 

A few are stunned for a moment, they wonder if it was a lucky shot, which was your intention all along. If they can't confirm if it was luck or skill, then it can't be either...  

"Nice, [l/n]-cchi!" Kise says. 

Then after a while, the ball is in your hands again. 

"Shoot!" This time it was Kuroko who encouraged you, it was... strange. 

You couldn't pull a three-pointer like you did before since there was a guy right up in front of you. You're unfortunately forced to dribble near the edge and leave your usual spot. 

But you wonder, Why would Kuroko pass me the ball and encourage me to shoot if I wasn't open? Was it a mistake? 

You shook your head. These opponents were easy, he wouldn't make a mistake... 

You have two on your sides, they guard the basket. 

Unless... it was on purpose..?! 

You bounced the ball between their legs and passed through them easily to gain hold of the ball again. It's also known as a nutmeg. Just to not be so flashy, you pulled a simple layup. 

Kuroko... 

The thugs were completely crushed.  

The non-thugs bow. "Thank you very much, nee-chan!" 

You dismiss them with a wave, you felt embarrassed. "A-Ah, you're welcome. Stay safe, okay?" 

"Hai!" 

You catch up with the three colorful males and walk next to Kagami. 

Kagami scolds Kuroko. "What were you thinking? Did you think you could win if it turned into a fight?" 

"No, they would've beaten me up." 

"You bastard." 

Kuroko attempts to flex. "Look at these guns." 

"You don't have any!" 

"Kuroko-cchi, you can be amazing sometimes." Kise adds. 

You step up. "Also, what was that pass earlier?! I had to leave my spot!" 

Kuroko didn't faze. "What's wrong with it? You scored." 

"Why would you pass me the ball if I'm not free? You wanted me to play more, didn't you?!" 

He averts his gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about." 

You grew a vein. "Kuroko..." 

Kise grins. "I think you did great, [l/n]-cchi!" 

"Shut up, Ikemen." 

"Hai..." 

━━━━━━ 

You grab your bike and start your way back with Kuroko and Kagami, since Kise left already. 

BRRR. 

A text? 

——————

FROM: LIA      

help

——————

! ! ! 

You immediately threw your bag on the basket and went on your bike. 

Kuroko was concerned. "[l/n]?" 

"Sorry guys! Something came up! Please tell senpai that I left!" 

You sprint towards Tsuki Agency, which you knew was nearby. Lia was the only thing on your mind. You mindlessly threw your bike onto the steps of the building's entrance and ran up to the receptionist. She gives you that look of familiarity. 

[ E ] "Ugly Siren." 

She picks up the phone for a bit before answering. "She's not expecting any visitors—" 

You slapped the desk. "Fine." 

You ran into an open elevator and pressed a button before any of the guards could stop you. 

Like before, the 36th floor... 

DING! 

You reach the floor, and luckily no guards were present. As you opened the platinum-colored doors— 

? ! 

Lia was whining on the ground, with her pretty pink pop dress wrinkled and her hair a bird's nest. She wasn't in danger at all. Her manager stood by with a stressed look. 

[ English convo. ]

She looks at you with teary eyes. "[f/n]..! You're here! Please," she hugs your leg, "let me be with you forever!!" 

You grew a vein. "What... I thought..! I thought you were in danger so I rushed over here!!" 

You tried to loosen her grip but she seemed to tighten it. 

"M-Miss [l/n]..! Lia is throwing a tantrum because she doesn't want to leave Japan..!" Her manager explained. 

"Oh? Is that so? Have you tried tranquilizer darts?" 

He stiffened. "W-Well that's..!" 

You sigh. "Lia is extremely clingy to me, so you either take her by force or she just won't go." 

You bent down and shook her shoulders. "And you, Lia. Don't make me worry for nothing or else I won't visit you at all." 

"But—!" 

"I mean it." 

" :( "

━━━━━━ 

Logged into the computer. 

SEARCH: [l/n] [f/n]_ 

About 639,000 results. 

< www.girlsbasketdaily.com >

Where is WRATH? - Girl's Basket Daily

We all know that the 6 members of the Seven Deadly Sins, a.k.a. Pinewood Junior High's Girl's Basketball Team, have settled into their favored high schools. But all that remains is Wrath, the captain of the team, the gorgeous [f/n] [l/n]. Where could she have gone? ... 

< www.hooptruth.com > 

Wrath was kidnapped?! - The Hoop, The Truth

Ever since the graduation of the students at Pinewood Junior High, there have been no sightings of our beloved Wrath, or [f/n] [l/n], of the Seven Deadly Sins. The school has refused to give any input, and the team has been too focused on honing on their skills... 

< www.deadlyfans.org > 

We miss Wrath! - The Deadly Fan Club

Hardcore fans of Wrath miss her infamous white orbs of rage, and others, the way she frees her hair after a good match. But the list doesn't stop there! We Deadly Fans have compiled a detailed account of [f/n] [l/n]'s most lovable traits, to cope with the times of her absence. ... 

< www.queencourt.org >

WRATH - Ladies of the Court 

Royalty Ranking: #12. Name: [f/n] [l/n]. Nicknames: Wrath, Shiroryuu (White Dragon), White Wrath. [f/n] is a female Japanese-American player who is well respected in the court, for her statistics in skill, elegance, and beauty are high. Yet her anger keeps her in the top 20... 

< www.yootub.com > 

Best Wrath moments - YooTub

pls lik n sub for more deadly content #1 backwards dunk #2 one arm throw #3 tackled by team #4 dragon roar #5 calm clutch #6 team showers her with alligatorade #7 sarcastic smile #8 smacks team #9 childish excitement #10 yelling at pap #11 laughing... 

A chuckle escapes their throat. "Interesting." 

✦✧✦✧

Chapter Text

I GUIDED YOU, BUT YOU SAVED ME.

✦✧✦✧

"...There aren't many in this world who possess this special trait;

that's because they are hard to spot!

They could be sitting right next to you at the bus,

eating across from you at the dinner table,

or your colleague that you can't help but hate— anyone can have it!

So once you've identified them, never let them go...

...Thank you for listening to today's horoscope..!" 

━━━━━━

——————

FROM: AIDA RIKO      

I heard from kuroko that you left early.

is everything okay ?

——————

It was a text you couldn't respond to yesterday. You finally sent a response.

——————

      TO: AIDA RIKO

sorry about that.

I had to check on a friend.

——————

After that you fell back onto the bed with your arms stretching near your head. A satisfying yawn escapes your throat, reminding you of your exhaustion. It must be from babysitting Lia yesterday... She surely was harder to handle than usual...

Today was a school day yet here you are, still laying in bed, no motivation whatsoever. Somewhere in the back your head must be a note for a test or something but you can't bring yourself to remember. Instead you consider sleeping in, for maybe, the whole day. The bed is just hard to leave, y'know?

BRRR.

——————

FROM: AIDA RIKO      

good to hear.

by the way, would you like to

cheer us on during our inter high games?

——————

Ah, they have more games..?

——————

      TO: AIDA RIKO

I can't guarantee anything.

——————

━━━━━━

You ended up going to school anyways.

RIIING!

And that was the bell for lunchtime.

You reach down to unzip your bag and search for that familiar cloth, the one that wraps your bento. Your hand seemed to look further and deeper until your fingers hit the disappointing bottom. You felt confused.

Did I forget it..?

You pull the bag onto your lap, only to confirm your suspicions. A sad sigh leaves your lips. "That's the first time I forgot my lunch..." A lot of things have been running around in your mind lately, so that could be the reason.

The chair makes a small squeak as you got off. I guess I'll go buy something from the school store.

With your small frog purse you left the classroom. A few students pass by in a hurry, they nudge your shoulders without leaving an apology. Rude but rare. They went in the same direction as you, making you wonder what all the fuss is about.

Approaching Seirin's store, a large crowd has gathered in front of it. There was no ordered lines, just restless students trying to pry their way through— but why? Today wasn't anything special, at least from what you knew...

In the mix were students of all kinds: the athletes, the perverts, the inconsiderate. If you were to buy something, your limbs would surely get crushed or harassed. It's just like those Black Friday sales where you could get killed by accidentally tripping. If you were to wait for the crowd to thin, leaving the normal and tolerable people, you would be starving, late to class, but you still get food in the end. Though that's the sunny side of your thoughts, you have a feeling that it'll never happen.

Your stomach growls loudly but luckily it was mostly drowned out by the passionate yells. If I skip lunch, I wouldn't be able to focus in my next classes... Food is quite important to you.

"[l/n]-san?"

You find Kagami with the other first-years of his basketball team, and strangely, without Kuroko. You're used to that inseparable duo. "Hey Kagami. Do you know what this is about?" You asked.

"There's some premium sandwich that's rumored to have lucky effects."

You sigh, "Lucky effects..?" If it gets students this crazy then it might be legit.

Your stomach roars again, an embarrassed blush blooms.

"Hm? You're hungry?" Kagami asks.

The fact that he genuinely sounded concerned instead of teasing you about it made you relieved. "Y-Yeah..."

He sighs and put a hand in his pocket, fumbling for the right amount. "What do you want? I'll get it for you." He didn't want you to get hurt in the crowd.

You didn't expect his kindness. Is he trying to be polite? "No it's fine! You shouldn't—"

"Excuse me," we notice Kuroko from behind, "I got one."

EH?! They were shocked.

After Kuroko's unbelievable explanation, they realized that the Generation of Miracles was on a whole other level. You also find out that Aida asked them to buy the sandwiches for their senpais. He drops the single sandwich onto Kagami's palm, his small success raises their hopes of completing this somewhat impossible task.

Kagami stares at it for a moment before turning to you, "Here."

You couldn't imagine how expensive the Iberian pork sandwich was. "I..! I can't pay you back!"

He groans in annoyance. "You don't need to." He grabs your hand and forces the sandwich into your grasp.

You felt really grateful. "Thank you!" You start your way back to class. "I'll pay you back somehow— I promise!" And you were gone.

(   . . .   ) 

"You're cruel, Kagami-kun. Giving it away so easily..." Kuroko emotionlessly comments.

"Wha— She was hungry! I was being kind to her!" Kagami defends.

"Then why didn't you buy something for her then?"

Kagami was confused, was Kuroko angry? "I WAS ABOUT TO!"

"Are you trying to take [l/n]-san from me?"

"HAAH?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?! KUROKO, DO YOU—?!"

"That was a joke. No need to be serious, Kagami-kun."

The red-head glared at the phantom. It sure as hell didn't sound like one. 

━━━━━━

You successfully made it back to your class while hiding the sandwich. You take it out from your sweater and unwrapped it before taking a good bite. Itadakimasu.

? !

There was no expectations before you tasted it, you didn't even take a good glance at it, yet you are hit by a great wave of supreme flavors. You finally looked at it: caviar, foie gras, and truffles, it was no regular sub sandwich. This is had to be the first time you've tasted high-quality ingredients. You attempt to brand the tastes on your tongue in case you can't eat them ever again.

Tears prick the edges of your eyes, they build up and you don't notice them before they start running down your cheeks. You were confused because you didn't mean to. Is this what it means to cry tears of happiness..?

━━━━━━

AFTERSCHOOL.

The doors open to reveal your co-worker, Hina, arriving to take the next shift. You didn't realize that much time has passed. You clocked out and left her a goodbye.

You went towards your bike— which was secured by a chain like always— and noticed that its tires looked worn out. When you press a thumb to them, they don't seem as firm as you thought they were, there was also the possibility of holes... You may have to replace the axle with it too.

Sadly you knew not of any bike store around your area, nor a store that sold things you needed. You'd have to browse through those you haven't been in and hope for the best, even though it was a pain altogether. Your bike is your only form of transportation, and you have no plans to get a car, especially with the amount you make.

And so, you carefully rode into the city, particularly the side where it was the brightest. Small shops of all kinds lined up in a corner, most with paper or neon signs announcing that they'll still be open for another hour. A lot were gift shops, you mentally pulled them down on your list, and some were restaurants, you ignore them completely. However there was one shop at the end, looking dull and surrounded by two dead establishments, that you couldn't identify...

You approach a window with the bike at your side. The display was filled with items of all kinds, as if someone just threw in whatever they saw they had. The arrangement was not pleasing to the eye since they had no connection with each other. There was an old music box, a modern abstract painting, a large plastic toy, and a lot of small items or trinkets littering the bottom.

Perhaps they don't want to attract customers..?

Since this was the only store that appears to have a large variety of items than the rest, you might as well check it out first. You lock your bike before heading inside.

clink clink...

A pleasant door chime welcomes you.

Inside is as quiet as it could be, almost eerie. Good thing there's a decent amount of light and the air was cold so there had to be someone running the shop. Your eyes went to the multiple racks and shelves that were arranged inconveniently, they make up a labyrinth that hopefully leads to the register. 

━━━━━━

You curse under your breath as you met with the same rack for the third time. The somehow omnipresent rack was filled with carved wooden ducks with details carefully pained on. You would be happy if that was what you were looking for, but it clearly wasn't.

Instead of pulling on your hair or shattering a damned duck, you took deep breaths. And then you went back into the maze again. You could only hope to run into something unfamiliar.

Hm..?

You could hear a bit of rustling ahead, a possible sign of life amongst these musty products. Quickly, you ran forward, holding on to that miniscule sound. Please let it be someone..!

There stood a giant with green hair and framed glasses, looking through a group of various crafts. From the side you could see that his face was stern, only focused on finding whatever he yearned for, and his hands were quick, almost apprehensive— or is that a part of my imagination? He was tall enough to be an adult but you could tell he was around your age, making him easier to approach.

Lucky!

"Excuse me..."

"What do you want?" His tone sounded annoyed.

"I-I'm lost. Can you help me?"

He glares, "Tch. Unfortunately, I don't work here."

This guy... "I just want to know where the bike tires and the cashier are."

"Well that makes two searching something for themselves."

You couldn't let this chance go. "What are you looking for, then?"

He was quiet for a moment before he whispers, "A wooden duck."

Your eyes lit up, "I know where that is."

His form straightened, "Where?"

It was your turn now, "You have to help me first."

He points to an area, "Tires are at the far right—"

"Directions won't help me..! I've gotten lost for way too many times..."

His stare burns. "If you think I'm willing to guide you all the way there then you are mistaken."

Curse this arrogant vegetable..! "Of course not. I have an idea."

He waits.

You took out your flip phone, "Give me your number."

His bandaged fingers tapped the bridge of his glasses. "And why would I give my number to a stranger?"

You scoffed, "You can delete me after this! No need to be so defensive..."

━━━━━━

The path splits into three, each formed by racks and shelves at the sides. They all looked the same yet they had to lead to different places. And you, being the forgetful person you are, Midorima's instructions. You reach into your pocket and pull out your flip phone, calling the grass-head immediately.

He answers, "You're lost already?!"

You give a nervous laugh, "Yeah... Sorry about that."

He sighs, "Raise your hand high."

You do as he says. Thanks to his height, he sees your hand rise from afar.

"...Turn right."

"Thanks!"

━━━━━━

"See! That idea wasn't so bad!" You say, as you followed him out the store. You held your bike to follow you at the side.

He's annoyed how you're talking to him so casually, as if you're a close friend. "No matter the idea, you're still a hopeless, lost puppy who is dependent on me."

You retaliate, "But I helped you in return, didn't I? You seemed pretty desperate for a wooden duck— why do you need that anyways?"

"It's tomorrow's lucky charm..." He whispers, as if the truth was embarrassing.

"Oh..? Like for competitions and stuff..?"

He's surprised that you aren't judgmental, but doesn't show it. "Yes, something like that."

"Hmm. I've been having some bad luck lately, I wonder if I should get one..?" You whisper to yourself.

"I recommend listening to Oha Asa every morning."

"Oha Asa? That's the horoscope radio, right?"

"Yes. She tells you everything you need." He sounded very confident.

"Ah I see. Thank you."

At the start they both hated each other, yet it ends with them unknowingly walking back together.

"Oh, I'll be going this way," you say, a bit sad to leave him.

You waved, "I'll be sure to delete your number," you got on your bike and started the path, "Bye bye~!"

Midorima could only watch as you rode away; your simple ponytail and school uniform trailing from behind seemed oddly charming. He realized that for the whole time he was with you, he hasn't had any bad experiences since he lost today's lucky charm. It must be your zodiac, he thought. There had to be some sort of compatibility, it would explain the tolerance he had for you. He would've asked you if he hadn't deleted your number so quickly, but either way, he wouldn't have the courage to ask you. 

This leaves him frustrated, confused even. It was he who wanted nothing to do with you at the start, so why is he interested in you now? I don't need to know her zodiac. She's just a stranger. Yet he fails to convince himself. His life was centered around zodiacs; how could he brush this off?

Midorima secretly hopes to meet you again... 

✦✧✦✧