Drama Between Schools; Haikyuu x Kuroko no Basketball

Part 4; Boundaries and Bonds

The next day, Aomine and I are walking to practice when he suddenly stops.

"Sawamura-chan, can I talk to you?" Aomine says, his tone more serious than usual.

"Huh? Oh sure! What's up, Aomine-chan?" I ask, stopping as well.

He doesn't have his usual carefree expression today, so I know this is going to be serious. Aomine is my best friend, but normally he's just his goofy self.

He frowns. "Please tell me you're not going to fall for Haizaki."

I sigh. "Trust me when I say this, Aomine-chan, I'm trying my hardest." I pause for a moment. "I don't even know how to explain it, but he's been so sweet and caring towards me. He hasn't shown any signs of what you guys say he's like."

He nods. "I know, and everybody can see it. It hurts thinking about what he might do if you give in to him. But I understand you are trying your hardest, so if you think he'll be good for you, I'll believe you and support you. But the moment he hurts you, even in the slightest bit, I want you to drop him."

"I promise, Aomine-chan, I will. You'll be the first to know if he ends up hurting me, even the tiniest things," I say with a smile. "I'm glad you care about me, Aomine-chan!"

"Of course, I don't want Haizaki making our second manager run off," he says, looking away with a bit of blush on his face.

I chuckle. "I would never run off on you guys! You guys are my friend!"

He finally smiles. "I know, I just want to make sure."

"I'm glad we got that done and over with," I say, giving Aomine a side hug.

"Me too!" he says as we go our separate ways to change for practice.

After changing, I grab the guys' water bottles and start to fill them up. Suddenly, someone comes up behind me, grabbing my waist tightly and putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Shogo?" I whisper as he lifts his head. I can feel his breath on my neck, sending shivers down my spine. "What are you doing?" I ask.

"Nothing," he quietly whispers.

I close the last water bottle and set it down. Shogo is still holding me. I don't know what to do. My heart is racing.

I take a shaky breath. "Shogo, we have to get to practice." He grunts before turning me around so I'm facing him. My heart races even more. "We can't do this," I say.

"You mean you can't do this," he mumbles, leaning closer.

"That's beside the point, Shogo." I pause. "We can't happen, so please just stop," I say with a shaky voice.

He looks away towards the gym before turning back to me. "Give me one chance," he asks as I back into a wall.

I sigh. "I can't because then I'll let you in, and I can't do that to my friends."

He looks down at me with hope in his eyes, making my heart yearn for him. "Shogo..."

"Just once, and no one has to know," he says, walking even closer.

We are now inches apart. I look down for a moment before looking back up. "Just this once—"

He kisses me without hesitation, moving his hands around my hips. Without thinking, I move my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. This wasn't going to end up a one-time thing, and everyone knew if I gave in, it would end up going south.

"Sawa—" I hear Aomine say from the gym doors, and I immediately pull away.

My eyes widen as I turn to Aomine. "Aomine..." I start to say before he quickly turns back around, heading back into the gym. "Aomine, wait," I say, breaking away from Shogo's grapes. Once I get into the gym, he's already standing next to Satsuki, and she looks furious.

There's nothing I can do, so I walk right back out of the gym, heading towards the changing rooms. I grab my things and just leave without speaking to anyone. Shogo is nowhere to be found, and Satsuki is pissed at me. I just walked home.

The walk home feels longer than usual, each step heavy with the weight of what just happened. My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. I can't believe I let Shogo kiss me, especially after promising Aomine I'd be careful. And now Satsuki is furious. I let my friends down.

As I approach my house, I decide to take a detour to a nearby park. It's quiet and serene, a perfect place to gather my thoughts. I find a bench under a large cherry blossom tree and sit down, staring at the petals as they fall gently to the ground.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I see a message from Aomine.

Aomine: "We need to talk. Meet me at the park later."

I sigh, feeling a knot in my stomach. I reply, agreeing to meet him, then put my phone away. The tranquility of the park offers a small comfort, but my mind is still racing.

I think back to the kiss. Shogo's touch was gentle, his kiss passionate. But the guilt of betraying my friends overshadowed any warmth I felt. What if Aomine and Satsuki can't forgive me? What if I've ruined our friendship for good?

As the sun begins to set, casting a warm orange glow over the park, I see Aomine approaching. His expression is serious, and I can tell he's still upset. I stand up as he reaches me.

"Aomine, I'm so sorry," I start, my voice trembling. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Sawamura-chan, I'm not mad at you. I'm worried about you. Haizaki isn't good for you, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I know, and I appreciate that. But he's been different from me, Aomine. I don't know what to think."

He looks at me, his eyes filled with concern. "Just promise me you'll be careful. If he hurts you, I don't know what I'd do."

I nod, tears welling up in my eyes. "I promise. And I'll talk to Satsuki. I don't want to lose you guys."

He pulls me into a hug, and I feel a wave of relief wash over me. "We'll get through this together, okay?"

"Okay," I whisper, feeling a bit more at ease.

We sit on the bench, watching the sun set, knowing that our friendship is strong enough to weather this storm. And with Aomine and Satsuki by my side, I feel ready to face whatever comes next.