(Kise's pov)

   It's been a year since Aominecchi left. I haven't called or texted him since. It was just too painful. Now, as a third year, I was deciding if I would continue being a model or continue playing basketball.

   It was the weekend, and I was at a photo shoot that would hopefully help me decide.

   "Why does life have to be so complicating?" I asked myself as I walked out of my dressing room.

   "Oh! Kise-kun!" a different model called from down the hall. I smiled at them.

  "It's nice to see you, Nagisa-chan!" I said happily.

   "Here," she handed me two plane tickets going to New York City. "I was going to go with my boyfriend, but we broke up a few days ago. You can have them."

   "Really? Are you sure?" I looked at her, and she just smiled.

   "It just looks like you need a break. You're summer vacation is coming up, right? Why not go then?"

   "Thanks, Nagisa-chan!" I exclaimed, walking away. I looked at the tickets, realizing it would probably be my only chance to see Aomine again.

   "HUH!? No!" Captain Nakamura exclaimed after I asked if I could take the first week of summer vacation off. "We're going to train more! No slacking!"

   "Captain! It's for training purposes! Please!" I was practically begging now. "Let me take the first week of summer vacation off."

   Nakamura sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "If I let you go, then don't tell anyone else about it. You're going to be sick in the hospital."

   "Thank you very much, Captain!" I ran down the hall, back towards my classroom before the bell sounded.

   The last three days of school went by very slowly. I had a hard time controlling my excitement to go to America for the first time. But I was really excited to see Aomine and see how far he's come in a year. He's probably at an even higher level than any of us.

   My phone buzzed.

   "Hey there Momoicchi!"

   "Ki-chan are you really going to America tomorrow?"

   "Yup! I won't be back for a week, so you might have trouble contacting me."

   "I was surprised when I heard my classmate talk about you and the tickets. Anyways, Ki-chan, be careful over there. America is different from Japan."

   "Hai, hai. Well I've got to go, Momoicchi. Early start tomorrow."

   "Good luck, Ki-chan! Make sure you bring Aomine home for once!"

   "Leave it to me!" I hung up, and put my phone on my bedside table. It was going to be a very interesting week.

   "I can't believe I almost overslept!" I exclaimed, running out of the house with my large duffel bag and backpack. I ran to the street, hailing a taxi. "To the airport please!" I checked my pockets and felt my phone wallet and apartment key. I relaxed, knowing I didn't forget anything important.

   After arriving at the airport, I saw a few figures up ahead.

   "Momoicchi! Kurokocchi!" I excalimed. "What are you two doing here?"

   "We're here to send you off," Kuroko said.

   "We didn't want you leaving without having someone here to send you off," Momoi said. "Unlike another person I know." She sighed, making sure she kept her cool. "Well, we don't want to hold you up. See you in a week, Ki-chan!"

   "Good luck, Kise-kun!" Kuroko called as I walked away.

   I boarded the plane, and a nice woman and her husband were the people sitting next to me. They were heading to New York for a business trip. They recognized me from some of my photo shoots, and took a few pictures with them before the plane started getting ready for takeoff. After things quieted down, I put my earbuds in and put on my long playlist of songs.

   I slept most of the plane ride, and watched movies the other times. I occasionally talked to the couple, and learned they had a son my age. He didn't play basketball, though, and lived up in the mountains. I told them about the Generation of Miracles and how strong we were. I talked about my high school days, and about the inter-high and winter cup tournaments.

   The plane landed, and the couple and I parted ways. I stared at my guidebook, trying to remember words from my English classes.

   "Geh. This is going to be harder than I thought." I walked out of the airport, and looked around at the city. It was smaller than Tokyo, so I thought I would be able to find my around...

   Or so I thought.

   "Where the heck am I!?" I asked myself, looking around at the buildings. It was around 10pm their time, so not many people were out anymore. I looked around, and tried to find signs that would give me hints about where I was.

   "Huh?" I heard a voice behind me. "Is that you Kise?" I spun around and looked at the person who spoke.

   "Um... Wait!" I looked at the person more closely. "Kagami!? Kagami Taiga!?"

   "What are you doing here in New York?" Kagami asked, walking over to me.

   "Well... at the moment, I'm lost." I started sulking, and Kagami noticed.

   "Where do you want to go?"

   "This hotel." I took a sheet of paper out of my pocket and showed it to him.

   "That's right around the corner." Kagami pointed in the general direction. "Come on. I'll show you the area."

   And so he did. He taught me how to say the hotel I was staying at and the street it was on. He taught me how to say nearby streets and buildings as well. He dropped me off in front of the hotel before saying goodbye.

   "I'll see you around?" he asked.

   "Of course!" I smiled at him.

   The minute I went to sleep, jet lag had me. The times were all messed up, and I slept most of the day. I got room service, and turned on the tv in my room only to remember it was in English.

   "This sucks!!" I exclaimed, plopping down on my bed. "I'm going to have to find Aominecchi tomorrow."

   Or so I thought.

   When I woke up the next day it was already around 4 in the afternoon.

   I got up, and immediately head out, not knowing where to go exactly. I found myself lost again.

   "What's this?" I heard a voice behind me and saw three men coming over to me.

   "It's a high schooler, I think," another said.

   "He doesn't look like he's from here."

   "Wanna come play with us?" the first asked. They had surrounded me now, and I didn't know what to say.

   "Er... Sorry, cannot go with you guys," I said in my best English.

   "Whoa! A foreigner!" the second said. "Interesting."

   "Hey Kise!" I heard a voice called. "Catch!!"