#kagami decided not to change so she could spend more time w friends

[daily-kagami-tsurugi]

Day 120, to wear or not to wear a kimono ; Lukagami July, Day 1 - Festival

Lukagami July Prompt list by @queen-werempire . Check the tags for backstory of this scene!

[spooky-z]

[1/13] K-12

First let's go to the important topics in this story:

I have already given a very general idea about the story here. Things that I will not (probably) go deeper into the story, but that if you didn't know, you would be confused. So read this post before starting the story.

I plan to update every Friday. It can be the day before (Thursday) or the day after (Saturday), in case something happens.

Warnings (for the whole story): Plenty of salt for Lila, Alya and Bustier, but this is nothing new.

1.4K

Chapter 1:

Wheels on the bus

I know the driver sees it I know he's peeking in the rearview mirror He says nothing Trying to ignore it, it's fucking boring I'm quietly observing I'm saying nothing

And there was Marinette again, being scolded for something that was not her responsibility. Being used as a scapegoat for everyone and anyone who acted wrongly.

“-And you know it's not Lila's fault. The poor girl has a serious illness and you, more than anyone, should understand her situation before antagonizing her.” Bustier sighs as if the bullshit she was spitting on the teenager was the bloody holy grail. “You have to be an example-“

And that was where Marinette let her mind run wild. Her face was blank while all she could think about was how tired she was.

Caline Bustier was no longer Marinette's dream teacher. There was a time, between her seven and eight years, when she really wished she could stay with the teacher until she graduated and had to go to college, but that was over now. Nowadays, the teenager wanted to keep as much distance as possible from the teacher.

Marinette was emotionally exhausted. Worn to the edges with scorn, and the way of acting as if it were not relevant.

There were times when she thought of simply throwing her backpack over her shoulder, leaving the classroom without caring about the world and never coming back. And that required a lot of her to keep quiet, without moving a muscle, not wanting to cause a scene.

But even though she knew her parents would support her, she remained strong.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was neither weak nor a dropout. She was a fighter, a very, very experienced fighter.

"-So, I want you to go in there and apologize to Lila and the rest of the class." Caline smiled sweetly and Marinette raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Bustier, but it won't happen." The girl responded with the best disregard tone she could do.

Ms. Bustier quickly dropped the smile and an outraged expression took over.

"What do you mean ‘it will not happen'?" Marinette was grateful for the hours she had spent with Damian training her poker face, because if it weren't for that, she would have burst into laughter at that point.

The teacher seemed about to burst a vein. Her face was growing redder and her eyes were twitching.

“Exactly what I said. This will not happen." The brunette crossed her arms.

“But you are the representative! The example!" Ms. Bustier countered.

"Do you want me to apologize just because I'm the class representative?"

"Yes-NO-I mean-"

"OK then." Marinette replied, her posture becoming more casual and relaxed.

Caline was surprised by the sudden change in behavior, but smiled nonetheless.

"So, are you going to apologize?"

"No. I am leaving the position of representative.”

The teacher felt as if her soul had left her body.

“W-what? Leaving?” She mumbled weakly.

"Yea. If in order to be a class representative I have to become the carpet where everyone cleans their dirty feet, then I prefer to leave.” Marinette waves dismissively. "And that's a good thing, since I don't speak to half the class anymore and that makes my job more difficult."

Ms. Bustier looked more and more lost.

She had called Marinette to talk privately and as she had done several times before, she tried to convince the girl to be more understanding with her classmates.

It was not the first time the two had this exact conversation, but in all previous times, Marinette had been easily convinced to retreat. The girl had a heart of gold and that was why Caline often chose her to show the class what good behavior was like.

But this time obviously, she was not listening to the voice of reason and Caline was concerned about her student.

Since Marinette joined in a particularly unusual friendship with Chloe, the girl who before was sweet and assertive, was now armed with sharp words and sharp looks.

“B-But you fought so hard to get this place! You can't go out like that!” Caline insisted, feeling desperate.

Marinette raised an eyebrow in challenge.

“I'm out, Ms. Bustier. You can choose someone else to serve as a punching bag for bullies because I, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, am sick of it.”

And with that the girl left, leaving Caline Bustier stunned behind.

The teacher didn’t know what else to think, but she felt that moments of tension would come from her class in the near future.

And she was not at all prepared to deal with it.

ˣˣˣ

"... and then I told her that was enough for me!" Marinette finished speaking and brought her fork to her mouth to enjoy the cheese tortellini that Luka had prepared.

"You did well, Mari." Alix said with her mouth full and the cheeks puffed up with food and not at all concerned with how disgusting it was. “Bustier has always been a facilitator!”

Chloe, who was just finishing eating, wrinkled her nose in disgust both for Alix's lack of decency and the fact that Ms. Bustier was a terrible teacher.

“Swallow before speaking Kubdel. It's disgusting to have to see this chewed baby food, ugh! " She pretended to shiver and Alix opened her mouth even more in retaliation. "OK! Enough- Anyway. Late, but you finally faced her, Dupain-Cheng. I'm proud."

Marinette looked at the blonde in surprise. She was not so vocal about their friendship in front of others, still trying to maintain the snobbish pose.

"Awn, our Chloe's heart just grew an inch!" Adrien, who was sitting on Chloe's right side, reached out and squeezed the girl's cheeks. "Look at this character development."

"I never thought I would live to see that day." Max adjusted his glasses.

"This year has been the year of revelations." Kim twitched his eyebrows, bringing the glass of water to his mouth.

Chloe slapped Adrien's hands away, her face red in embarrassment.

“S-stop it! We're talking about Mari kicking Bustier's ass, not me!”

Kagami smiled fondly at the girl.

Since they had found this safe haven in the form of friends and partners, Kagami, Adrien and Chloe were increasingly comfortable opening up to be themselves, without fear.

"But we can also talk about how cute you look when you show support for our friends, じ ょ お う (jo-ō)." She teased.

Luka clapped his hands. “Even Kagami joined. Now you're going to have to put up with it, Chlo.” He laughed at the blonde's displeased expression.

“Do I have to get involved in this? Because I prefer to continue eating these tortellini which is, I must say, delicious.” Damian pointed his fork at Luka. "If you don't pursue the rockstar career, you might as well open your own restaurant."

Everyone saw how the always composed, Luka Couffaine, tried to hide the blush on his face with his hands, but the red ears denounced him.

They laughed as Marinette kissed behind the boy's left ear and Damian placed his hand on his right hand on the table.

They all sat at the Wayne's extensive dining table, with Titus lying next to the living room door and Alfred the cat using the dog as a bed.

They had all gathered for lunch at the house - almost a damn castle, because the rich like to spend unnecessary money - that the Wayne's had in Paris.

When Damian had told them, three months ago, that he would be coming to live in Paris for a few years, Marinette and Luka were excited about it. They would be able to see their boyfriend often, as he would be a short distance away and would not have to juggle because of the time zone.

Marinette honestly thought that Bruce would rent an apartment to Damian - Jason and Cassandra, who also decided to leave Gotham for a while - since it wasn't something definitive, just a few - three - years... Needless to say, she was more than surprised when Damian took the group of friends to the most famous mansion in Paris.

The Chateau Louis XIV. The most expensive house in all of Paris and perhaps even in the world.

A huge place just for three people, two pets and a butler.

Damn the bourgeois. She didn't understand these rich guys.

The rest of the lunch was spent in a light and playful mood, making Marinette finally relax and recharge.

After all, she still had a second round about to happen when she returned for the rest of the day's classes.

[teaberrii]

Kings & Queens

A Kuroko No Basuke & Prince Of Tennis Crossover MultiChapter Fanfiction. [Various Pairings]

Summary: Street sports had an uncanny way of bringing people together.

Rating: M

Warnings: Adult Situations, Language, Mild Violence, OCs

Genre: Slice Of Life & Romance

Chapter One: When Worlds Collide

Chapter Two: It’s A Date! 

The moment Kasamatsu decided to step out of the comfort of his own home in exchange for time with Kise came with arguably heavy consequences. While Kasamatsu didn’t necessarily hate spending time with his teammate, the model did unintentionally bring extra baggage that was taking a toll on Kasamatsu’s patience.

“Excuse me,” said a female. With his irritated countenance unchanged, Kasamatsu turned to the female and stared at him with narrowed eyes. “Are you Kise-kun’s manager?”

“Oh, for crying out loud!”

“Senpai, sorry I made you w–” Kasamatsu’s annoyed glare stopped Kise’s hand before it landed on his shoulder. The blonde chuckled nervously. “A-are you mad?”

“I was just asked if I was your manager.”

“Eh, what’s wrong with that?” asked Kise lightheartedly, his hands now placed behind his head.

The corner of Kasamatsu’s eye twitched.

…

“Hey, did you wait long?”

The familiar voice caught Kise’s attention. He turned around to see Kagami hurriedly approaching a girl considered of short stature. The blonde smiled mischievously as he watched the two walk off towards the nearest train station. This didn’t go unnoticed by Kasamatsu. The former captain of Kaijo’s basketball team had not only saw the curious rendezvous but also the way his teammate was looking at them with much interest. A little too much interest for Kasamatsu’s liking.

“Kagamicchi has a girlfriend!” Kise spun around eagerly. “Senpai, let’s follow them!”

“No,” was the blunt and stern reply.

“You aren’t even a little curious?”

“No, not at all.”

As Kasamatsu stared at Kise’s pouting face and half-heartedly listened to his whine of, “Senpai, you aren’t being serious, right?” Kasamatsu had never regretted the decision of stepping out of his house so deeply before.

“I’m going home.”

“W-wait a minute, senpai!”

~x~

It had been a spontaneous glance from the magazine shelf Inui Sadaharu had been looking at, but the girl had caught his attention. 

From across the street, he was watching her and her unfamiliar male companion talking amicably inside a sports shop. Inui recognized her as a regular from Rikkaidai Fuzoku’s tennis club, a teammate of the girl he was currently accompanying. Inui’s brow furrowed as his eyes went to the tall red haired boy. He glanced at the sports magazine in his hands and back up again. 

It clicked.

“Inui, what are you looking at?” Nozomi approached him with a bag full of snacks. She followed his gaze and saw her friend walk out of the shop just as another male approached them.

“Hey!”

“Tatsuya, you made it!”

...

“Was that a date?”

“It could be a double date,” suggested Inui.

Nozomi was looking at Inui as she said, “With only one girl?”

Pause.

“This situation feels strangely familiar.”

An eyebrow raised, Nozomi asked, “What are you talking about?”

With Inui’s eyes fixated on the magazines in front of him and Nozomi’s attention on the pondering male, they thus missed two males stride past them, one displaying much more enthusiasm than the other.

~x~

With a box of his usual favorites protected tightly in his large hands, Murasakibara had seen Himuro from across the street accompanied by two others. While the sight had sparked an extremely mild interest, his attention was quickly diverted upon noticing his former blonde teammate rushing up the steps of the bridge Murasakibara was currently crossing.

“Kise-chin, what are you doing?”

“Ah, Murasakibaracchi!” exclaimed Kise excitedly. “We’re on a mission!”

“You mean you’re on a mission,” muttered Kasamatsu.

“Don’t be like that, senpai! Why else would you be here then?”

Kasamatsu glared at him. “Yes, I wonder.”

“Senpai, this isn’t any fun,” Kise had said with a pout.

“Why don’t you go by yourself then?” muttered an irritated Kasamatsu.

Kise smiled mischievously. “Because it’s more fun with other people!”

Kasamatsu sighed loudly, his patience wearing incredibly thin until he spotted the recent transfer student from Kise’s class. His fingers begun brushing against his palms, his head slightly lowered and turned, and his eyes were focused on the pavement rather than what was in front of him. Kise had noticed the sudden change in his former captain’s attitude and was proud to know what exactly was causing it. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

“Kanzaki-chan!” yelled Kise, waving enthusiastically towards his classmate.

Kanzaki Chitose turned and saw Kise Ryouta and the boy she only knew by surname walking towards her, the former approaching much more eagerly than the latter.

“What are you doing here, Kanzaki-chan?”

“I’m babysitting my nephew and his friend.” She gestured toward the two boys playing in the sandbox in the park in front of her. “What are you two up to?”

The somewhat dramatic sigh from Kise made Kasamatsu uneasy. “Unfortunately, nothing. Senpai refuses to go anywhere with me today! He’s so mean. Isn’t he, Kanzaki-chan?”

While her presence had been enough to send Kasamatsu into a frenzy, Kise had to go the dangerous step forward of directing attention to him. As Kasamatsu’s eyes met her curious stare, his blush had visibly darkened and was about to break into a cold sweat before she spoke.

“I don’t believe I properly introduced myself last time.” Surprised, Kasamatsu instinctively looked her in the eyes which sent his heart and mind racing at incredible speeds. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kasamatsu-san. My name is Kanzaki Chitose. Your guitar playing last time was incredible.”

Kise had difficulty suppressing his laugh as Kasamatsu was at a loss for words. “You flatter him too much, Kanzaki-chan,” Kise said while swinging a reassuring arm around his friend. When Kasamatsu said nothing, Kise continued. “Kanzaki-chan, I think you should convince him to spend some time with me. I’ve been very lonely the past few weeks.”

“Is that right?” asked Chitose. Her eyes landed on Kasamatsu once again. “But Kasamatsu-san looks unwell.” To the boys’ amazement, she placed her hand on top of Kasamatsu’s forehead. “Do you have a fever?”

Kasamatsu had never wanted to disappear so fast in his entire life.

“It has been getting colder recently, so be sure to stay warm.” She turned to Kise. “You too, Kise-kun.” 

“Chitose-chan, I’m hungry!” Chitose glanced downwards at her nephew who was pulling her coat impatiently. “Can we get something to eat now?”

“Of course, Sasuke-kun.” She turned to her friends. The utterance of his name forced Kasamatsu to look in her the eyes. “Kise-kun has been working very hard to improve his grades these last few weeks. I think it’ll be nice to spend some time with him if you aren’t busy, Kasamatsu-san.”

Murasakibara was already on the last snack as Kasamatsu slapped Kise for failing to hold his tongue. Just as he was about to take the last bite, it suddenly and unexpectedly slipped from his grasp as he felt a powerful force collide into him. What took him by slight surprise was the swiftness of the suddenly extended hand that held his snack.

“I’m so sorry!” Her Kansai accent was strong. “I wasn’t watching where I was going!”

Murasakibara took the snack from her tiny hand. He stared downwards at the girl whose height only reached his stomach. With a small tennis bag over her shoulder, she swiftly raced off. Murasakibara bent over and picked up the dropped handkerchief. His eyes went to the girl who was descending the stairs, deliberating whether he should make the effort to return the item or not. To give him the extra energy, Murasakibara quickly popped the snack into his mouth.  

~x~

Upon unwrapping the goodness, Nozomi tossed her apple flavored chewing gum into her mouth before saying, “Hm, she did say she was meeting some old friends today.” Inui had his notebook opened in one hand and his pen held tightly in the other. He was scribbling something down until Nozomi had attempted to steal a glance. “You’re always writing something down, Inui. Just what kind of data could you get from that?”

“You’ll be amazed at what you can find out about people from the smallest things.” Nozomi looked displeased but allowed the topic to drop when Inui spoke of the brunette that was currently rushing across the bridge in front of them. “Isn’t that Imayoshi-san?”

But it wasn’t just her Nozomi had noticed. Putting the thought aside, she said, “You’re right. I wonder where she’s headed today.” As Nozomi watched her teammate reach the center of the bridge, she shouted her name.

Without stopping, Imayoshi Mika had turned and smiled at her friend. Mere seconds later, she was saying sincerely, “I’m so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going!” As she descended the stairs, her friends’ names left her lips in an excited manner.

“What brings you two out here? Could this be a date?!”

“Before that, are you okay? That looked like it hurt,” said Nozomi, concerned.

“You don’t seem to have any visible injuries,” added Inui.

Mika waved her hand dismissively. “Mika will always be a-okay! So, what’s the deal with you two? Is this a secret date?”

“Far from it,” said Nozomi. “I’m dropping some notes for Renji. Bumped into this kid, and he decided to tag along.”

“I do ask that you refrain from calling your seniors a kid, Serizawa-san.”

“Since when are the formalities coming out?” The simultaneous voices of Mika and Nozomi made Inui feel like he was being attacked.

“So, what about you? What’s the rush?” asked Nozomi.

“Long story short, I was getting my strings fixed until my stupid brother called me for whatever reason.” Mika’s voice suddenly went an octave lower. “‘Mika, you’d better come quickly!’” She narrowed her eyes. “Who does he think he is? My time is precious!”

Though having known Mika for a year, Nozomi realized that she had never once seen her brother who was the former captain of a basketball team at Touou Gakuen. She had heard bits and pieces of rumors here and there but never anything from Mika directly.

“I hate having siblings!” cried Mika. “Don’t you agree, Inui-san?”

“Unfortunately I cannot relate,” replied Inui. “But best of luck with whatever you have to do.”

“Do not ever underestimate the power and pleasure of being an only child,” said Mika sternly.

“We will never ever take it for granted. Right, Inui?” 

“I beg to differ.”

“Just ignore him,” said Nozomi playfully. “His opinion is not important anyway.”

“Is that any way to treat your seniors?” asked Inui. 

“It’s the closest respect you’ll be getting out of us,” said Mika teasingly.

~x~

Kise was the first to notice the handkerchief in Murasakibara’s hands. “Murasakibaracchi, why do you have a handkerchief?”

“Oh, this? It was dropped by the girl who ran into me.” 

Kise glanced behind Murasakibara and asked, “Oh, her?”

Without even a glance he uttered, “Sure. Can you return it for me, Kise-chin?”

Kise took the handkerchief from his tall teammate and was about to call until he noticed the carefully and brightly stitched name on the side, Imayoshi Mika. His countenance turned serious, but only for the swift duration of watching the girl out of the corner of his eye run in another direction. Kise briefly noted that they did have a similar face shape and eye color. For now, he decided to pocket the hanky.

All this time, Kasamatsu’s eyes had been wandering between who he assumed was the girl’s friends. He had seen them before in many sports magazines: the male, if he remembered correctly, was Inui Sadaharu from Seishun Gakuen, a school known for its rapid progress in school clubs. The female was Serizawa Nozomi, a strong tennis player from the elite school Rikkaidai Fuzoku.

Kasamatsu had come across the school name many times in sports magazines. They seem like a popular bunch, for many reporters had showered them with praise. While he hadn’t read much about their basketball team, their female tennis team had become the strongest in Japan while their male counterparts snagged silver in nationals, their defeat suffering at the hands of Seishun Gakuen.

“Kise-chin, are you going to see Muro-chin or not?”

Kise had nearly forgotten Murasakibara in front of him. “O-oh, yeah, I guess we are.”

“Can you give him a message for me then?” drawled the tall Yosen player. “Tell him that he owes me four large of Nerune candy for ditching me.”

“Eh?” said a surprised Kise. “You guys had plans?”

“We were supposed to go shopping for sweets. But he left suddenly saying that something came up. Talking about it makes me kind of annoyed honestly.”

“Why don’t you tell him yourself, Murasakibaracchi?” asked Kise with a wink.

“Kise!” yelled Kasamatsu. “Stop dragging other people into this mess!”

Kise pouted. “But, but, I’m sure Murasakibaracchi would want to know too!”

Murasakibara frowned and asked, “About what?”

“Himurocchi’s girlfriend!”

~x~

Shopping was always a fun pastime for Riko. One that she often preferred to do alone. However, after befriending Momoi Satsuki through many interactions regarding coaching the new and improved Generation of Miracles, her free time became more socially occupied. Riko considered their personalities to be on opposites of the spectrum with the biggest difference in their display of femininity. Yet despite their differences and banter, Riko came to love her as a friend.

“Riko-rin, look at this!” The corner of Riko’s eye twitched by her ‘unflattering’ nickname. She had argued against it, insisting Momoi to simply call her ‘Riko’, but the outgoing female insisted otherwise. “I think this bathing suit will look super cute on you!”

“I already have one,” said Riko, cringing slightly at how ‘revealing’ the attire was.

“But this one looks cuter!” insisted Momoi. “Besides, this one will be more likely to get Hyuuga-san’s attention!”

Riko didn’t blush but was flustered by the unexpected comment. Refusing to acknowledge how rapidly her heart was pounding, she cleared her throat. “Momoi-san, I hope you know that this is not a vacation.”

Momoi looked innocuously at her. “But it is still a vacation! Ah, or do you just feel nervous that everyone is going to be there?”

“Why in the world are we coming in here?” complained a male voice.

While Momoi was busy scrounging through many swimsuits, Riko briefly glanced at the small group of first-year high school students who just entered the shop. The salesperson greeted them politely and attempted to usher the three hesitant males to the men’s section. Beside them, the girl with long, bushy, pigtails had a predatory gaze that contrasted drastically with her friend’s soft doe-eyes.

“Again, why are we here? We’re supposed to be on shopping duty!”

“If you must know, Horio, we’re taking the opportunity to look for the perfect swimsuit for Sakuno!”

“Tomo-chan, please keep your voice down,” her friend said, her cheeks turning pink.

“Why don’t you guys take the time to look for a swimsuit too?” asked Tomoka.

“I don’t think we’ll be needing one. We’re only volunteers after all.”

“A vacation is still a vacation, Kachiro!” said Tomoka excitedly.

“Is it really a vacation?”

Horio placed both his hands behind his head and turned to Mizuno who had just spoken. “It’s a rare chance we get to go on a gigantic cruise! Let’s make the best of it!”

“Anyway,” said Tomoka loudly. “It’ll be a chance to get back at Rikkaidai Fuzoku!”

Riko turned her head slightly at the mention of the school, her eyes landing on the freshmen again.

“Oh, is Seigaku planning a counterattack?”

The freshmen almost jumped at the sudden voice behind them.

“T-Tachibana-san!” gasped Sakuno. “What brings you here?”

“Probably the same reason that brought all of you here,” said An with a smile. “So, how’s Seigaku’s condition?”

“We aren’t going to lose to Rikkaidai twice!” said Tomoka excitedly.

“Osakada-san, you make it sound like you were the one who played against them,” said Kachiro quietly.

Tomoka glared at her friend. “I heard that!”

The friendly argument happening between her friends created the opportunity for An to check her phone. She flipped the device open and went aside to call her friend.

“Hey, sorry I missed your call. What’s up?”

“Are you free right now? I’m with some friends and we need an extra person to play a game.”

“A game you say?”

The girl on the other line smiled and said, “Yeah, you in?”

~x~

The basketball teetered on the rim before dropping through the hoop.

“You lost your touch since you started playing tennis,” said Himuro.

Standing closest to the hoop, Kagami tossed the ball back to her to which she proceeded to make another shot while replying, “I don’t think I ever had one to begin with, Tatsuya. Appreciate the comment, though. Makes me feel like I’m on par with the two of you.”

“Well, you are doing your best with tennis,” commented Kagami. “Tatsuya and I saw your game. You were really great.”

“We had to get back at Seigaku this year. There’s no way was Rikkaidai affording another loss.”

“Just like how we’re going to get back at Seirin next year, Taiga.”

Kagami smiled, a competitive glint in his eyes. “Bring it on, Tatsuya!”

“Taiga’s all fired up now.”

“There’s no cooling his engine now,” added Himuro.

Kagami frowned and asked loudly, “Why does it sound like you two are mocking me?”

Himuro exchanged a playful smile with his female friend. “By the way, who’s this friend you called?”

“Ah, she’s a teammate of mine. I think you guys will like her.”

From afar, Murasakibara still held a box of uneaten snacks in his hands. He looked downwards at Kise who had been quietly observing the three behind a large building. On the way, to Kise’s dismay, Kasamatsu had abandoned the mission and had given a quick but stern lecture on respecting other people’s time and to stay out of other people’s affairs to his junior. While it was a lecture that Kise had heard many times from his sisters and parents and understood, life was much more interesting when he pursued his curious nature.

“Kise-chin, it doesn’t really look like a date.”

Kise frowned. “If this wasn’t a date, I’m going to be super disappointed.” The blonde noticed his teammate’s eyes had wandered to the trio and hadn’t strayed. “Are you checking her out, Murasakibaracchi?”

“I think I’ve seen her somewhere before.”

“Eh?” asked Kise with a mischievous smile. “Is that your excuse?”

Murasakibara narrowed his eyes at him. “No, I really think I’ve seen her somewhere before. I just forgot where.”

“Could it be that she works at the sweets shop you visit almost every day?” guessed Kise on a whim.

“No. That would be Seri-chin.”

“Eh?” said Kise loudly. “Seri-chin?”

“The girl who works at the sweets shop.”

Kise was about to inquire further when the call of his familiar nickname made him turn around to see a waving pink haired girl running towards him. Following behind her was their team’s second reluctant coach.

“Momocchi!” Kise then smiled widely at Riko who now stood beside her. “And Aidacchi!”

“Stop with the nicknames,” said Riko flatly.

“What are you guys doing here? It’s rare to see you two together,” wondered Momoi.

After taking a large bite of his snack, Murasakibara said, “Kise-chin is eavesdropping.”

Momoi didn’t look too surprised. “On who?”

Kise gestured toward the trio on a nearby basketball court to which Riko responded with an audible “Ah!” after a look in the direction.

“Kagamin and Himuro-san,” began Momoi, “And… Riko-rin, where are you going?”

Behind Riko, there were questionable looks from Momoi and Kise while Murasakibara was paying little mind to this entire scenario. Just as Riko arrived in the surrounding area of the small basketball court, a girl loudly shouted the name that had crossed her mind.

“Azusa!”

Azusa had just shot the basketball into the hoop when her teammate had arrived. She was about to greet her when Kagami’s loud voice took over.

“It’s you!”

An looked surprised but smiled in response, “Hey, look who it is! Azusa, I didn’t know the friends you were talking about included Kagami-kun.”

“Kagami-kun?”

The simultaneous voices of Azusa and Himuro drowned out the hurried footsteps from Momoi and Kise with Murasakibara’s long lazy strides following behind.

“Kagamicchi!”

“K-Kise?!”

“Atsushi!”

“Muro-chin, you owe me.”

“Hey, aren’t you’re the one from that night?”

“I didn’t get a chance to thank you the other day for saving me.”

“Saving? What happened, Riko-rin?”

“Is this your girlfriend, Kagamicchi? She’s really cute!”

“She’s not my girlfriend!”

“But you’re blushing.”

“Tatsuya, you know that’s not true!”

“You blushing or that she’s not your girlfriend?” inquired Momoi.

“Both!”

“You sure are flustered, Kaga-chin.”

“Are you really going out with Kagamicchi?”

Azusa glanced at the curious stares before her eyes landed on Kagami’s annoyed countenance. “We might have dated before.”

“Stop lying, Azusa!” shouted Kagami.

“It’s not really a lie,” said Himuro.

“Tatsuya, not you too!”

“It was more of a spur of a moment kind of thing,” added Azusa, smiling.

This was certainly the strangest icebreaker An had ever seen.