“Are you okay now?” Aomine asked Tsukiko as he sat beside her bed and leaned closer and put his hand on her forehead.

Tsukiko nodded and smiled. “I just need some rest” Aomine sighed then smiled at her. “Better go get some then” he started stroking her hair as she felt sleepy.

“But you just got here” she pouted.

“Yeah, to visit, not to let your fever worsen, c’mon go to sleep” he said.

“Is it okay if you stay until I fall asleep?” she requested with a sparkling brown eyes. Aomine smiled at her and patted her head. “Just sleep” he said making her cheer. “I’ll take that as a yes!”

Tsukiko lied down on her bed and started to drift off to sleep as Aomine watched her droopy eye lids collapse. After she fell asleep, Aomine stood up until someone spoke from behind. “Tell me the truth; are you two dating already or what?”

He turned around to see Akashi standing at the door. “Have you been watching us?”

“Came here to check on you two; too make sure you’re not taking advantage of his sickness” Akashi crossed his arms.

“Do you really think I’m that much of a perv?!” Aomine exclaimed then sighed seeing it’s useless just by looking at Akashi’s straight face. “Let’s just let her rest” they left the room closing the door behind them.

“And when do you plan on asking her to be your girlfriend?” Akashi inquired folding his arms. Aomine flinched and slowly looked at him with a smirk. “About that…”

“What?” Akashi raised his eyebrow suspiciously.

“I need your help”

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“C’mon guys, don’t look all sentimental, it’s just for the summer” Tsukiko smiled at her friends who went to the station to deliver her there. It was already summer as like she said, she has to go back to her province and spend her whole summer there. “I’ll be back”

“But Tsuneko, we’re supposed to spend our summer together!” Momoi cried and hugged her.

“Don’t cry Momoi” Tsukiko gave her a weird look and patted her head.

“We don’t want to parted away from you!” Aya whined and hugged her too. Tsukiko sweat dropped.

“Don’t be too dramatic you two” she said and pulled away. “If you don’t want to part away from me, then come to Hokkaido and spend your summer there with me”

After that, all of them eyed each other as if keeping something from her making Tsukiko suspicious. She cocked an eyebrow and grabbed Kise by the collar since she thinks he’s the easiest to ask the truth from. “Alright what’s going on?!”

“T-Tsukikocchi!!” Kise whimpered and looked at her rather scared.

“What’s that signal all about?” Tsukiko quizzed. “Kya! Just tell her just tell her just tell her just tell her!” Kise pleaded continuously, waving his arms.

“Tell me what?” Tsukiko glared at him and tightened her grip.

“Oi, let go of him before you make him cry” Aomine lightly slapped 10 tickets on her face as she let go of Kise taking it from the tanned guy. “Nani? What are this for?” she stared at them innocently.

“Are you seriously that dumb?” Kagami snarled receiving a smack at the head from Emiko. “Oi! What was that for?!”

“Don’t call her dumb” Emiko sneered at him. “Why you!” Kagami leaned closer as Emiko flinched and looked away, pushing his face. “Your face is too close. Mind your distance”

“Are… what’s going on with Emi-chan and Kagami-kun?” Momoi asked.

“Who knows?” Murasakibara shrugged and munched on his chips while Midorima pushed his glasses up and Akashi let out a deep sigh. “What’s wrong Aka-chin?”

Akashi pinned the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “Let’s just get this over with” he groaned and took the tickets from Tsukiko and shoved it on her face. “Don’t you know what the purpose of tickets is?” he questioned.

“I--”

“For trains” Akashi didn’t let her finish. “It’s for us to ride one, and we happen to have ten. And do you know how many we are here with you? Ten.”

“Well--”

“You do the counting”

“I—eto—Akashi, I—ten.”

“Aka-kun!” Aya interrupted and knocked on Akashi’s forehead. “Don’t be mean” she scolded him but he just looked away. “Oi! Don’t look away while I’m talking to you!” she faced where the direction of his face was but he looked away again and there she stood up again.

Everyone sweat dropped watching them and Tsukiko sighed. “I get it. You guys are going back to my province with me, right?” she confirmed looking at Aomine who nodded in response. She sighed looking down.

“It can’t be helped…”

…

“So where will you guys stay?” Tsukiko asked and sipped on her bottled tea.

“We thought they could stay in that family inn Uncle built since nobody has stayed in that inn for so long” Emiko answered and looked at the two with a scary face. “I even once thought it was haunted…”

Tsukiko and Tetsuya gulped seeing the scary side of Emiko. “But me and Emiko thought that we should stay with you” Tetsuya informed her.

“What? In that dump? No way! I’ll be staying with grandfather and grandmother in their old house” Tsukiko explained as Tetsuya sipped on his tea.

“Better then. We’ll call them and let them know we’re going with you” Tetsuya finished as Emiko nodded. “Then we can tour everyone around Hokkaido” Emiko added, planning their summer vacation.

“Ooh! Let’s take them to the flower fields where we always play Emiko!” Tsukiko suggested feeling excited.

“Ehem” Tetsuya cleared his throat.

“Well of course you too, Tetsuya” Tsukiko laughed awkwardly. 

…                                                                                             

As soon as they arrive at the station, the three relatives offered to deliver the rest to their family inn because the road there was pretty complicated. There were many turns, before meeting a mini forest and they had to cross a shallow river then the old family inn greeted them. “Man! Do you guys have to go a lot of trouble just to go to this old inn of yours?” Aomine complained and slapped the bugs that were biting him. “The path here is so complicated!”

They looked at the old inn that’s been surrounded by dust and some spider webs at the wall corners. It looks old and scary. Some of the windows had cracks on them, and the sliding door didn’t looks safe to open at all. All of them thought it was haunted and had second thoughts in entering.

“Well, oto-san wanted the inn to be in a… hidden place?” Tsukiko thought and just smiled afterwards. Aomine sweat dropped at her as Tetsuya stood at the front door and knocked on the door.

“O-Oi, wait Tetsuya!” Kagami stopped Tetsuya as he glanced at him. He didn’t believe that someone would answer the door; but if anyone did, it would probably be a ghost according to his idiotic mind. “W-Why are you knocking? Don’t you have a key or something?”

“We used to have an inn keeper here” Tetsuya said pulling his fist back.

“What does “used to be” mean?!” Kagami hollered as Emiko shushed him by putting her finger on his lips. “Don’t be so noisy, she doesn’t like loud people” she whispered silently sending shivers to Kagami’s back.

Emiko glanced at Tetsuya who was kneeling down and looking under an old mat. “What is it, Onii-chan?” Emiko tilted her head to the side peeking at his brother who was scratching his head confusingly.

“Hm, the key we always use when visiting her is missing” Tetsuya thought seeing a blank floor where the inn key used to be placed.

“Nani? That’s impossible! We always hide it there and nobody looks under!” Tsukiko looked puzzled and looked down on the floor. “Where on earth?”

“Maybe it just got rusted and your inn keeper threw it away” Aomine guessed.

“No, she doesn’t know we hid a key beneath this mat, if she did, she’d never throw it away, and she’s too lazy” Emiko protested and grumbled the last part.

“Hm, maybe it’s already open?” Aya suggested and tried to open the door as it provided the space for them to enter. But it didn’t open, it collapsed. It was too old so it broke. They started coughing because the impact produced dust.

“Is this inn that old?!”

Akashi sighed. “Look what you did now”

“Eh? I-I didn’t mean to break it!” she defended stepping away from the rusted door and almost tripped when Akashi caught her.

“Man, this place is really old? Since when is the last time this got renovated?” Tsukiko questioned.

“I believe it was during the annual reunion of our families” Emiko pointed out, remembering the date that’s being asked.

“Reunion?!” Tsukiko’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That was 10 years ago! When I and Tetsuya were six and you were five!”

Kagami face palmed and the other just sighed. “Well, it’s either we sleep her or sleep at the slumps” he said putting his hands on his hips.

“I prefer the slumps…” Aomine muttered. Tsukiko knocked on his head in annoyance.

“Oh, Master, Mistresses, it’s been a while since you visited” a voice made them all jumped as a short old woman appeared at the front door, looking like a ghost. Tons of wrinkles appeared around her skin, he eyes were almost closed and her hair was as white as the pale faces they had when they saw her.

“Tanukibaba!” the three cousins chorused.

“Tanuki…what?” Kise murmured in confusion.

“Oh, young mistress Tsukiko” Tanukibaba had an old raspy voice, and she could barely talk because—maybe of her “rusted vocal chords”—the way Tsukiko describes it.

“Tanukibaba! We have some friends who are going to stay in our province for the whole summer! Is it okay if they stay here?” Tsukiko asked permission as Tanukibaba nodded.

“It’ll be my pleasure, Tsukiko-sama” the old lady agreed as they all smiled at her.

“Arigatou gozaimasu!” they bowed as she led them all in.

“Eh? How about the broken door, Kuro-chan?” Aya asked, stopping.

“Don’t worry Aya-chan, Tanukibaba will fix it” he assured.

“SHE CAN DO REPAIRS IN THAT CONDITION?!” they all thought with disbelief expressions except the three cousins.

“Shall I show them to their rooms?” the old had offered but Tsukiko held out a palm.

“It’s okay Tanukibaba-san, we’ll show them” she said. “Why don’t you cook dinner for them instead?”

“Anything you say, young mistress” Tanukibaba bowed and disappeared of to the kitchen.

“How on earth is she going to fix that?” Aomine questioned staring back at the door. “The door size is trice as her!”

“Hey, don’t underestimate Tanukibaba’s skill when it comes to maintaining this inn!” Tsukiko warned pointing a finger at him.

“I don’t see any evidence that she has any skill!” Aomine retort and heard someone was walking upstairs since the floors creaked whenever someone steps on the old wood.

 He went closer to Tsukiko, slightly scared.

Afterwards, all of them had picked their bedrooms. Momoi was roommates with Aya since she didn’t want to sleep alone in that inn. And the rest of the guys were alone, since the rooms there were plenty. Tanukibaba was currently preparing dinner for them when Tetsuya and the two other girls decided to leave with the rest waiting for Tanukibaba to finish cooking their supper.

“Eh? Already?” Momoi pouted.

“Sorry, we still have to meet up with our grandparents, we promised to show up before seven and have a talk with them at dinner” Tetsuya explained as they nodded in understandment.

“We’ll see you guys tomorrow! We’ll pick you up!” Tsukiko waved goodbye and walk off with her two cousins.

“I still feel this place is haunted” Kise whispered over to Murasakibara who was busy eating his snacks and just nodded his head.

“Daily Horoscopes says, that--” Midorima was cut off by Aomine yelling at him. “Stop with that crap already!” he demanded.

Aya sighed and stood up sliding the door that revealed the outdoor. She smiled at the fresh air and thought that she heard someone twigs break. “Eh?” she saw two figures who ran towards the trees that led to some secret passage but she didn’t know.

“Sorry for the wait” Tanukibaba arrived with their food and showed it to them. Their eyes widened seeing the dish that was served to them.

“IS THIS SERIOUSLY HOW SHE COOKS??!!”

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kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! I'll leave you guys with this for now! i hope you like it! <3 vote and comment pls! ^_^