KISEKI KISS

Akashi Seijuro: Meeting VIII

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Akashi Seijuro: Meeting VIII

Permission.

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A day has passed since you have made friends with Kuroko and although today was a Sunday*, the basketball club continued to hold its practice. Today as well, you held the trusty clipboard of yours as usual and began marking down absentees and late comers. The difference this time, however, was the location of practice.

A volleyball comes hurling towards you at a blurring speed, but by the time you looked up and noticed, it was already too late. You felt the impact of the ball against your stomach and fell backwards, landing on the grainy wet sand. Your clipboard and pen falls to the side.

“Now I know what it feels like to have the air knocked out of me...” You thought miserably, trying to sit yourself up, but to no avail. The pain screamed at you, making all your other senses feel secondary. You quickly sat up when you heard the sound of footsteps running toward you. You were ready to give your offender a piece of your mind.

"Sorry, are you alright?"

You stared blankly at the boy who had just run over to give you a hand. Your lips quivered when you finally recognized who he was. "Senpai?"

In front of you stood the Ohana Gakuen basketball club's captain, Mamoru Otani.

"(f/n)!" A smile formed on his lips. You flinched, hearing your name roll off of his tongue. You no longer had the same familiarity with him that you did when you were managing Ohana's basketball club. His smile was gentle, but his eyes were calculating and deceitful. Something told you that your meeting with Ohana's captain was no mere coincidence. At the same time, you realized that that was no mere accident either. Your gaze fell onto the volleyball that hadn't landed too far away from where you were. A chilling sensation prickled at your skin and your senses began to heighten at the scent of danger. “It's good to see you,” he said as if taunting the fact that you knew his exact nature.

“Y-Yeah,” you said. You were afraid that if you had said anything else it may offset his mood and send him into a frenzy.

“I had heard from Hotaru that you transferred to Teiko, so I was expecting to see you at the game the other day. I saw you, but you didn't seem to see me, unfortunately.”

Your gaze pans over to the volleyball again and then back at Mamoru. That's why he was angry? That's why he did that? Multiple thoughts ran through your mind in that short instance. “S-Sorry...” You mumbled.

“Did you think I was angry?” He chuckled. “Don't worry about it!” he said. “After all, you used to help me out all the time back at Ohana---you still will now that you are at Teiko, right?” he said darkly.

“Please don't speak of the past anymore---and don't tell anyone that I'm from Ohana...” Your words were quickly followed by regret as you noticed the unamused look on Mamoru's face. You recalled that he did not like being ordered around. Your gaze fell downwards and you spoke quickly, “I won't help you cheat---no matter what.”

“Of course.” He regains his composure in a heartbeat. “Here, let me help you up.” He reaches for your hand, but you instinctively draw away. When you realized that your action could have offended him, you quickly combed your fingers through your hair, acting as if that was your intention for moving your hand away all along. “Whoops.” Mamoru laughed it off. “Give me your other hand.”

“N-No, that's okay.” You reassured him, “I can get up by myself.” You pressed the palms of your hands against the sand, trying to get up, but your legs wouldn't move.