"You have to help her, Dai-chan. Just like how Tetsu-kun helped you." Momoi Satsuki thought to herself as her eyebrows knitted together in determination.

***

The next day

"Minna, gather around. Kirisaki Daichi High School has accepted the request of a friendly match we're hosting and it is due on Saturday, the day after tomorrow!" Momoi beamed at the members of the Touou Gakuen high school boys basketball team. Her enthusiasm faded as she realized a certain dark blue haired ace's absence. Clenching her fist, she went back to the roof but found no one there so though her face red from anger, she had no choice but to revert back to the sports hall yet there stood a lean muscular figure.

"Dai-chan!" She huffed, scowling at her childhood friend. "Where were you?" 

"Back door." He pointed to a spot at the other side of the vast sports hall. "Did you hear what I just said-"

"Yea, practice match with a school, what's new? I'm leaving." Momoi grimaced at his words but not so long before the fury settled in. "That's Ai-chan's school! If you don't practice now, we'll be beaten! Not to mention they have one of the uncrowned kings - Makoto Hanamiya as their captain!" 

Aomine's eyes widened a millimetre at the name but caught himself quick and tried to act nonchalant by shrugging though his moment of surprise didn't go unnoticed before Momoi's eyes and she smiled widely behind his back. 

"How do you know?" He muttered, only loud enough for Momoi to hear and she confessed to have gone to their school yesterday in order to confirm Akashi's predictions. Aomine thought for a while, a little troubled as if debating with his inner self but very very quietly, he added, "How is she?" voice so faint even Momoi who was only less than a metre away could barely catch it.

"Very strong. Hanamiya is no where near being her equal." 

"No, no!" Aomine snapped and repeated, "How is she?"

Momoi was taken aback by surprise as she glanced at the light blush appearing across his cheeks and her mouth formed an "o" shape. "She... she seems distant... But I didn't really get the chance to talk to her..." A sad smile surfaced as she answered truthfully and the exact frown replicated onto Aomine's face as he nodded grimly and turned away, joining the others with the basketball drills.

***

After school

"Ah man, I'm so freaking tired." Aomine said, draping an arm across Ryo Sakurai's shoulder as the team walked down the street together to get some popsicles after practice.

Kosuke Wakamatsu, the former captain grumbled something about uncommitted and so annoying, never going to practice under his breath whilst Momoi stood back watching the trio with the two new added decent starting members, a small forward named Masamoto Kazuo (same year as Aomine) and a point guard named Adachi Renjiro(freshman). *the last names are before the first*

"Oi, Satsuki, I have a dictation tomorrow, lend me your notes?" Aomine turned around, walking backwards as Momoi glared at him joylessly. But her face corrupted into a genuinely shocked look. The teams's one and only power forward spinned back around, only to see a mop of straight black hair walking into the bookshop a few meters ahead of them which in turn is another few meters in front of their destination of a convenience store. 

Before anyone knew it, Aomine had disappeared, a blurred figure that dashed into the same shop almost immediately, leaving only a whirl of wind by the ears of his teammates. As he entered the bookstore, a couple pairs of eyes were already on him, sending annoyed accusing glances at his direction to wish themselves upon some peace for reading or choosing a book yet to their dismay, he disrupted the store's silence with another one of his thumping footsteps as he discovered a small frame he could recognize anywhere by the corner of the store.

In a second or so, he had crept up behind her and from a distance of 3 feet or so, he had figured out it was a geography book she was currently examining. Aomine had intended to take a few more steps towards her yet sensing a pair of eyes watching her, the girl had turned around, meeting his eyes. Aomine adverted his gaze as Mizushima's red orbs had seen right through his dark blue ones.

"Hi..." His voice faltered as he brought a hand up to scratch the back of his neck, clearly nervous. "Mizu." Mizushima let a pause settle between them before repaying his greetings. "Dai-chan." She smiled yet her eyes didn't.

Hurt flased across Aomine's orbs, "she's changed afterall..." he thought but swiftly disguised it with his usual impression. "Want to join us for some ice cream?" He offered without thinking it through.

Mizushima seemed to ponder whether to question why someone like him would appear in a bookstore but thought better against it and just simply nodded, caught up with the tanned boy and side by side they had walked out, meeting Aomine's frustrated teammates face to face with Wakamatsu's arms crossed in front of his chest, biceps bulging. 

"Why you-" Something indecent was supposed to come out of the captain's mouth but the words rolled back down his throat as his eyes fixed upon Mizushima by Aomine's side and a knowing smile replaced his annoyance. But some other people just couldn't get their head around it. "Wooo, cute girl. Which school do you go to? What year? I'm freshman Renjiro Adachi from Touou basketball club, you can call me Ren!" He directed a wink at Mizushima but Aomine blocked it with his palm. Mizushima just grinned, sending a shiver down the younger with her cold charisma. 

Intimidated, not by Mizushima but by the death glare Aomine was sending him, Adachi cowered behind Momoi whom murmured inaudibly, her lips reading "Ai-chan". 

"Momo-chan." Those blood red orbs focused upon the pinkette and Momoi became immobile for a second before rushing up to her best friend and engulfing her in a big bear hug, tears splashing out. Mizushima stiffened under her passion but nonetheless, hugged her back, though unnaturally indeed as if she hadn't received a hug for years. Aomine looked sullen as he stared at the two girls and cleared his throat.

"Let's go get the ice-cream." He suggested and relieved a sigh after Momoi had finally let go and her and Wakamatsu exchanged a look, wiggling their eyebrows behind the backs of Mizushima and Aomine.

***

"It's getting late. I need to go." Momoi dismissed herself as the crowd began wondering across the streets after getting the popsicles, seizing Masamoto and Adachi by the arm and dragging them behind her. 

Checking his watch, Sakurai Ryo shrieked in surprise. "Eh! Sorry! It's so late! Sorry Sorry, gomen m-minna! I have to go home sorry sorry sorry. I'm sorry for everything, I'm so sorry..." Wakamatsu clasped his hand on his mouth and led him away, a red tick mark appearing on his forehead because of Sakurai's habitual rants.

"Guess it's just us then." Aomine looked down towards the petite doll-like girl as she stared back right into his eyes, making him look away uncontrollably. "Should I walk you home?" Aomine, not acting like his usual self, made an attempt at being a gentleman yet failed, the giggle Mizushima let out as proof. For a moment, it seemed like she had reverted back to her old self for she had on, a genuine smile accented on her fair skin, the smile spreading up to her eyes. Aomine stared at her dazed, subconsciously reaching out to take her hand but pulled back just as their fingertips grazed. He looked away.

"I'll walk you home." His tone was firm and resolute, leaving Mizushima in no place to reject so they headed towards Mizushima's apartment which her parents had rented for her because she didn't want to live with them in the mansion. 

As they approached Mizu's flat, "Mizu... why did you go to America?" Aomine hesitated at once after the sentence escaped his mouth, aware of the fact his words pointed at a sensitive topic. Unsurprisingly, Mizushima's eyes coldened, "You already know." Her tone seemed so dispassionate but he could sense the birds of sadness nesting in her hair.

He wrapped his huge hands around Mizushima, a hand behind her head and the other around her back, holding onto her shoulder, pressing her into his chest as he bent downwards to bury his nose into her hair. Only for a short second before he let go and briskly walked away, just as stunned as Mizushima was. He could not comprehend what had overwhelmed him just now.