Chapter Text
The last bits of sunlight proliferated through the branches of the cherry blossom tree, orange rays of light painting her face. The sound of afterschool clubs echoed throughout the school. Tennis, swimming, soccer, and even the strumming of instruments in the music rooms somewhere within the building reverberated through the lazy skies.
It was a certainly new aspect of Japan that Maemi Mikoshiba regretted not being a part of earlier.
It must be nice being in a club and working towards a goal together she thought.
Maemi Mikoshiba was by no means a shy young lady, however, landing in a new country that would be her home for the next three years not even two hours before, battling the worst case of jetlag, and sacrificing her much-needed rest to surprise her childhood friend left her losing her with a lack of composure. It was in a moment of weakness did her forgetfulness take over.
Where exactly is the gym? I suppose this is what I get for leaving the brochure on the plane.
Staring at the gates of Seirin High, Maemi let out a sigh.
I suppose I’ll have to ask for help.
Before she could take a step past the school gates, a voice sounded a few metres away from her. Snapping her head up, having been surprised at the presence of another person without her knowledge, Maemi turned to face the blonde stranger.
“Excuse me miss! Sorry to interrupt, but do you have any idea where the school gym is? I’m visiting an old friend. He’s in the basketball team you see.”
The stranger was handsome. Blonde hair combed neatly with a sharp angular face. Perhaps he could work as a model. He was decked out in a clean-pressed grey suit emblazoned with a school crest of some sort. Sensing her stare, the stranger gave a cocky grin, placing his hands in his pockets and shifting his weight to one leg.
By any chance, is he posing?
Shaking the thought from her head, Maemi gave a polite smile and bow.
“I apologise. I’m actually a new transfer student, though I suppose I don’t really count seeing as it’s still the first week of the term.” She let out a small laugh. “Right now, I’m visiting my friend in the basketball team too. Would you like to look for our friends with me?”
The blonde gave an easy-going shrug.
“I don’t see why not miss. By the way, I never caught your name. I’m Kise Ryouta. I play basketball for Kaijo High.”
“Oh, it’s a pleasure to meet you Kise-san. My name is Maemi – I mean, Mikoshiba Maemi. Apologies, I sometimes forget to introduce my surname first. I just moved from America.”
“America! That’s amazing. I hope you find Japan to be just as good of a country as the US.”
After the exchange of pleasantries and small talk about Los Angeles and other cities that Kise was curious about, the topic of their respective basketball playing friends came about.
“So who are you visiting? I’m visiting my middle-school teammate and best friend. His name’s Kuroko Tetsuya.”
Tucking a strand of her silky black hair behind her ear, Maemi smiled, the biggest grin she’d had since the beginning of her chat with Kise. It became obvious to him that whoever she was visiting was someone she treasured.
“His name’s Kagami Taiga. He’s also my best friend since childhood. He moved here two years ago in our second year of middle school. I decided to come to school with him for a change of pace… and well because I missed him.”
“Oooh, how lucky this Kagami Taiga is to have a pretty friend missing him,” Kise teased relishing in her flushed face. “I’m jealous.”
It was difficult for anyone, even the ever reserved and introverted Maemi to resist the blinding charm of the handsome Kise.
Peeking at him from under her bangs, face still warm from the compliment, she grinned politely.
“You flatter me Kise-san! It is a very high compliment coming from you. You yourself are quite handsome, you must have no reason to be jealous. I’m sure there are many girls chasing you around.”
Despite being called handsome his whole life, Kise enjoyed her praises. They felt fresh and genuine.
Just as he was in the middle of basking in the polite girl’s attention, the sound of chattering, screeching and earth trembling thumps made its way to their direction.
“Kise! Kise! Kise! Please give me your autograph! Marry me please!”
Maemi didn’t know what to make of the next few moments. One second her new acquaintance was teasing her and the next he was swept away in a crowd of what could only be described as a horde of fangirls. In the chaos, Maemi and her luggage were shoved to the back, some girls shooting glares at her for even being in the same vicinity as their apparent idol.
When I said that he’s have many girls chasing after him, I never thought of how literal it could be.
In her state of shock, Kise’s voice made it’s way to her.
“Miko-chan! I’ll see you at the gym!”
“O-okay!”
Miko-chan? We just met, but I suppose it’s fine. We’re acquaintances now after all. Surely, this level of familiarity is okay.
Brushing off the dust that coated her after the stampede, Maemi gathered herself and made it to gym which thankfully was only a few paths from where she was.
The squeaking of shoes and yells of ‘here’ and ‘good work’ and ‘fix your foot work’ echoed throughout the gym. As a new school Seirin seemed well funded by the look of their pristine gym.
Slipping in quietly, so as not to disturb the team’s practice, she watched from the balcony her eyes immediately locking on her childhood friend.
She missed him. His fire truck red hair, the way his eyebrows split the same as they had since that small incident when they were children (she couldn’t help but let out a giggle at the memory), and even the way he would frown when he was focusing; she missed it all. Some things did change about her childhood friend though. He definitely had a growth spurt since she saw him last (those video chats revealed next to nothing), and he had put on quite a lot of muscle.
He must’ve worked hard like always, that stupid Tiger. I’ve always told him to rest, but all he does is basketball. Looks like I’ll have to rein him back in again.
The coach’s whistle blared, signalling a break. Instantly, the boys collapsed to the floor, sweat pooling around their tired bodies.
Taiga refused to fall. Instead, he jumbled his way to the bench and took a huge gulp of water.
Probably his pride getting in the way again. Perhaps, now is a good time to introduce myself.
Making her way down the stairs and towards the coach whom she was surprised to find was not in fact the old man sitting down, but the brunette girl muttering orders to the captain and senior members of the club, Maemi coughed to let her presence be known.
Needless to say, they were surprised.
The garbled sound of alarm called the attention of the entire room, curious to see what had their spartan coach so shocked.
“Who is that?”
“She’s pretty.”
Initially uninterested by the whispers of some girl, Taiga looked up at the scene wondering why it was taking so long for practise to resume.
He made eye contact with Maemi. She smiled and he promptly spit out his water.
Without a second of hesitation, Taiga bounded over to her, scooping her up in his arms, crushing her to his chest before bombarding her with questions.
“Mae! Why are you here? When did you get here? You should’ve told me you were coming; I would have picked you up. Have you eaten? Where’s your dad?”
Taiga was flustered, a sight that that the Seirin team had not seen yet. While the boy was giving her an overly thorough check, interrogating her without letting her answer, Maemi only grinned softly, still taking in the fact that Maemi was finally where she belonged: right by her best friend’s side.
Grinning widely with her cheeks flushed and hair tousled by the excited treatment at the hands of her best friend, she held his cheeks with both her hands, memorising this new older face which held the eyes and smile of someone so dear to her.
“I missed you too, Tai-chan.”
In that moment, there was only them. Holding each other in their arms, the two inseparable friends were finally reunited.
Just as suddenly as the two friends launched into their excitable greetings, the moment was broken by a leering upperclassman.
“Kagami! You never told us you had such a pretty girlfriend! Introduce us. Come on man, don’t be stingy!”
The cheers from the team shattered Taiga’s focus, leaving him a flustered red-cheeked mess while Maemi just let out an embarrassed giggle behind her hand, half-hiding away behind the towering red-head.
As the laughter died down, Maemi reintroduced herself, louder this time for the whole gym to hear.
“Hello everyone. I apologise for interrupting your practise. My name is Mikoshiba Maemi, First Year, Class B. I start school next week. Please look after me.” Giving a polite bow, the team also bowed back, exchanging their own greetings and pleasantries.
“My name is Aida Riko and I’m the coach here.” Aida grinned, a glint in her eye.
“And I’m Hyuuga Junpei, captain. Pleased to meet you.”
Shoving the glasses-wearing man aside, Aida scoffed at his surprise.
“Hey, so you’re friend’s with Kagami right, Mikoshiba-chan? How about you join our team and become a manager? I could really use the help. This kid right here,” she pointed at Kagami who gave a defensive stare back, “…is already proving himself to be such a troublemaker. I could really use the help!”
“Oh! Thank you for the offer. I was actually just about to ask the same question. They do say that great minds think alike, no?”
Needless to say, the team cheered.
“It hasn’t even been a week and we finally have a cute manager! One that can control Kagami!”
Insulted, Taiga roared back.
“What are you punks trying to say huh? Gah! Oi Kuroko! I oughta put a bell on you if you don’t stop sneaking up on me like that.”
A calm voice spoke up from beside Maemi, startling her.
“I’ve always been here Kagami-kun. No one noticed me so I decided to come up and introduce myself.” He turned to Maemi and bowed slightly. “Its nice to meet you Mikoshiba-san. I am Kuroko Tetsuya.”
Her eyes widened in recognition.
“Ah! By any chance are you friends with a boy called Kise Ryouta? I met him outside and we chatted for a bit before he was swept away by some girls.”
Kuroko’s eyes darkened, confusing Maemi.
What a reaction. I thought they were best friends.
“He…he and I are no longer friends.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. I suppose then I should let you know that he’s come all this way to see you. He seems to care for you very much Kuroko-san. Perhaps he’d like to talk with you?”
As if signalled by the heavens above, the familiar sounds of screeching suddenly spilled into the gym echoing off the walls.
Maemi sighed, half-amused and half-exasperated by the less than convenient timing of events.
Riko swore at the mass of girls blocking the only entrance and exit to the gym.
“What is all this? What’s going on?” muttered Hyuuga.
Oh dear. It seems Kise-san was unable to separate from his fans.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen. Give me a few minutes please,” Kise said sheepishly before turning and signing more autographs.
Needless to say, everyone was annoyed.
“The nerve of this bastard. Just because he’s a model.”
“This is so unfair! Good looks and good at basketball? Leave some for the rest of us guys,” Furihata whined.
In the five minutes that Maemi had gotten to know Kise, somehow the thought of him being a famous model never crossed her mind despite the countless magazines clutched in the teenage girls’ talons. She was usually quite observant. She blamed it on the jetlag.
Once the ruckus had died down, and the Seirin team was thoroughly fired up, Kise finally turned to face the team, bowing sheepishly at the team. His eyes met with Maemi, now being held close to Taiga. Somehow, Kise was peeved at the sight. Shrugging it off he scanned the team hard for the next to invisible man.
“Kurokocchi! Long time no see,” Kise cried out.
“It’s been a long time Kise,” Kuroko responded dryly.
Saddened by the lack of excitement by his proclaimed ‘best-friend’, Kise turned to Mikoshiba puppy tears welling up in his eyes.
“How mean! Miko-chan please comfort me! We got along so well and now our friendship is like this!”
“Not better than everyone else.”
“Ouch!”
Maemi, still thrown for a loop at the unexpected lack of warm feelings between the two former teammates, smiled politely.
How cute! Just like a child.
“Glad to see you found the gym in one piece. Here, have this.” Rummaging in bag, she pulled out a small box of Lemonheads.
Eyes sparkling at the unexpected gift, Kise gave a lop-sided grin. He held it to his chest and thanked her profusely.
“Thank you so much Miko-chan! This is wonderful! Is it candy from America? I can’t wait to try it – oof.” Before he could finish his sentence, a basketball came darting from the side.
“Sorry to mess up your reunion after a long time, but you didn’t come all the way here just for a greeting right? How about being my opponent pretty boy?”
Sensing Maemi’s disapproving stare, Taiga lowered his voice but continued pressing on.
“And what’s with the ‘Miko-chan’? That’s Mikoshiba-san to you pretty boy.” Turning to Maemi who simply stood there pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation he asked her, “how do you even know this guy Mae? He’s annoying.”
“I told you Tai-chan. I met him outside the gates. He’s very nice. Please apologise to him, that was really rude.”
While the two childhood friends remained bickering (more like Taiga pouting while being lectured by Maemi), laughter rung out from the blonde.
“Aw man, so I take it you’re Kagami Taiga? Man you are so lucky having someone like Miko-chan look after you. But I’ll accept that challenge, but you are going to lose.” A predatory glint in his eyes startled Maemi and froze the rest of the team.
Next to her, Taiga grinned wildly.
“This might be bad,” whispered Kuroko.
Maemi felt a cold breeze tickle her neck, sending shivers down her spine.
You don’t even have to say it Kuroko-san. This… this definitely won’t end well.