A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay! TT^TT

And I'm sorry if Kise turned a little OOC in this chapter.

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Kise Ryouta

My training for the day was separate from all my teammates. Apparently, I was special. (As if I wasn't aware of that~!) I had to walk with the weird Keiichi-senpai and Mashiro-chan to an empty classroom supplied with a television set and DVD player. The venue for the so-called special training didn't make any sense.

I should also mention that Keiichi-senpai outshined my popularity in the school. It was pretty frustrating; I've never felt this way before! The girls would notice Keiichi-senpai first befor me. Most of the first years didn't know him, though. I did my best not to let it get to me and act really cool as always in front of others.

Along the way, I had to face the eccentricity of the Mashiro siblings. Mashiro-chan had to hide behind me and grip on my clothes every single time the talkative Keiichi-senpai would stop sharing his story for a while to look at Mashiro-chan. He'd pout out of disappointment then carry on with his story. They were amusing to watch. I've never really met a guy who has an extreme case of sister complex until I met Keiichi-senpai!

"What are we going to do there?" I asked curiously. I tried to take a peek into the bag filled with CD's that was being carried by Mashiro-chan earlier, but I still had no clue what it may have. There wasn't anything written on their white covers.

"I'll teach you a special lesson, new ace!" Keiichi-senpai, who was walking a step ahead of us, answered enthusiastically with a wink. 

 "Eh? Really?!"

He nodded, grinning. "I will still help Kaijou get its well-deserved victory!" He pumped his fist in the air, as if to give more emphasis on 'victory'. He looked back at us, more specifically, at Mashiro-chan. "Did Onii-chan look cool earlier, Yuki?!"

Mashiro-chan, who was hiding behind me, peeked at him and answered, "You looked stupid, Onii-chan."

An imaginary lightning bolt shot through Keiichi-senpai's body, and he suddenly slumped. "Y-Yukiiiiiii! Don't be so brutal to your beloved Onii-chan!"

"The truth may hurt, but it will set you free," Mashiro-chan answered nonchalantly.

"Yuuukiii!" Keiichi-senpai whined like a kid as if he wasn't in college already.

I stiffled a chuckle. Witnessing their brother-sister treatment to each other was like I was discovering a new side to Mashiro-chan. Maybe it's the side she only uses to people close to her? Somehow, it sparked a sense of achievement deep inside me. I liked watching them fool around even if I was around.

I felt her tug on my sleeve. I looked down on her, and met her golden gaze (she was wearing contact lenses as a part of her cosplay). Her eyebrows were crumpled a little worriedly, and she forced a smile. "I'm sorry for getting you involved in this... thing," she apologized.

"Ehhh? It's fine! It's fun to watch you two, actually!" I beamed at her.

 "...If you say so..." She shrugged and shot me a smile.

We soon arrived to the room. No one was inside, as Keiichi-senpai wanted. He locked the doors as Mashiro-chan went straight to the television and its respective player. I walked with Keiichi-senpai towards the front and sat on the seats nearest the television set; Mashiro-chan was already finished in preparing it.

I had a hunch that we were going to watch the latest game of our first opponent for the Winter Cup. But when the video played, my jaw dropped.

Instead of an unknown high school basketball team, what showed up on the screen was one of the last games of a really familiar middle school basketball team --- Teikou, my former team. Surprised, bewildered, and finding no sense in it, I jerked my head towards the the siblings, who were only watching the game with great interest. 

"Haaa... As I thought! The Generation of Miracles truly is amazing!" Keiichi-senpai announced, nodding his head. He then watched closely and watched one of the players. "Yuki, is that... Shigehiro?"

Shigehiro...? Ogiwara Shigehiro...? As far as I could remember, that was Kurokocchi's childhood friend he was looking forward to play with in the championships until a sudden turn of events kept Kurokocchi from playing that match. I think I remember how Ogiwara's face was filled with distraught when he found out that... Uwaaa! We only toyed with their team that time! T-That was mean!

I tried to shrug off the guilt from my chest and focus on the video. It was also the game before we went separate paths and... Kurokocchi...

 "Yeah," she answered,  "That's him... That's the game before he---"

"Yuki." Keiichi-senpai's voice suddenly sounded stern and serious. He shot her a meaningful look, to which she muttered a soft apology. Scary!

Aominecchi's play was as arrogant and egocentric as ever, but that was how everyone else played during that time. He was fast but lazy and lacked motivation. It was as if he was just playing since it was a chore. I could say the same for Murasakibaracchi, only blocking and shooting when the situation called for it. He didn't even like basketball to begin with! Midorimacchi wasn't particularly showy with his not-so-awesome three-pointers, but he was in for the competition of scoring most points between the five of us. Akashicchi was still leader-like but he seemed to stop caring that time. There was suddenly this scary aura surrounding him!

After the first quarter, Keiichi-senpai paused the video and looked at me with an expectant grin. Mashiro-chan stared at me with excitement.

I cluelessly tilted my head. Was there something I should do?

Keiichi-senpai sighed then looked at Mashiro-chan. "Hey, Yuki, is this guy an idiot?"

I know I am but you don't have to rub it into my face, senpai! I had no idea what you were expecting!

Mashiro-chan looked at her older brother as if he just grew a flower on top of his head. "Onii-chan, you're also an idiot."

"Ack!" Keiichi-senpai acted as if a large sword just stabbed him from the back. "Y-Yukiii!"

I laughed at their conversation. "So Mashiro-chan could be so brutal! Tahahaha!"

Now I was stared at by the siblings as if I grew a garden on top of my head. I stopped laughing and shot them a questioning look.

"We're both Mashiros," they told me in unison, giving me a deadpan stare and making me uneasy. They really are siblings!

"Y-Yeah?" I was suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

Keiichi-senpai pointed to himself. "Keiichi," he said, then pointed to Mashiro-chan "Yuki."

I nodded with a cheeky grin. "I know that!" It was Mashiro-chan's long snow-white hair that always reminded me of her first name.

My response however, only made Keiichi-senpai facepalm and Mashiro-chan sigh hopelessly. What did I do now?

"He's really an idiot," Keiichi-senpai muttered to himself.

"Kise-kun," Mashiro-chan called my attention as she lightly scratched her nape, "What we're saying is... you could call me by my first name."

"Oh." I nodded a little until what she just said sunk in. That'll mean... I'll be calling her on a first name basis?! I gaped at her, my jaw dropping slightly. "Ehhh?!" I stood up from my seat. "It's okay?!" Calling people by their first name would mean that you're close enough to do so. Would that mean that I'm close enough to her?

She nodded with a small confused smile as if it wasn't a big deal.

I was used to cheerfully calling people by their first names, especially because of my modelling work. At times, I even call a few people with their first names without their permission. So it should come normal to me, being the awesome and incredibly handsome Kise Ryouta! But when I was given the chance by Mashiro-chan herself, I couldn't help but feel unbelievably giddy. The feeling was like the first time I found basketball really amazing.

"Then... Yuki...chan?" At first, I was worried if it came out wrong. But what was I so worried about? It's just two syllables! I probably looked stupid so, with a genuine smile, I repeated it. "Yuki-chan~!" I grinned. "Then, Yuki-chan and Keiichi-senpai! You two also call me by my first name! Ryumi-nee's also a Kise!"

At the mention of my older sister's name, Keiichi-senpai's eyes twinkled the way Yuki-chan's eyes would at really belated times (I mean, she'd fangirl for me a few minutes after I'd do something fanservice-y. Isn't that weird?!). Yuki-chan sighed, her hand massaging her temples. She shot me a slight frown as if to say that I did something wrong. W-What did I do now?!

Two firm hands were suddenly gripping on both sides of my shoulders. My eyes soon met a male's purple ones at least two inches away from my face. At the corner of my eye, I noticed Yuki-chan cover her mouth with both of her hands and turned away, her back slightly trembling and her ears somehow turning pink. Is she okay?! My attention was forcefully pulled back to the slightly-tanned albino male in front of me who was too close for comfort. I could almost feel his breath against my face!

"K-Keiichi-senpai...?"

A soft muffled high-pitched squeal came from Yuki-chan's direction.

"YOU KNOW RYU-TAN?!" he asked at the top of his lungs.

'Ryu-tan?' "Yeah! She's my big sister..." I answered with fake enthusiasm, feeling uncomfortable with our proximity and averting my eyes.

"THE-THEN-THEN COULD YOU B---" Before he could even finish, some force dragged him back to his seat and his forehead suddenly had a large sore spot on it. Beside him was a frowning Yuki-chan, her arms crossed. "Onii-chan! Get to Ki--- Ryouta-kun's training first!"

It was as if my heart leapt out of my chest when she called me by my first name. What the heck?

Keiichi-senpai complied with a sigh. "Yuki. Tell him why I'm the Court Pierrot." He a crossed his legs and grinned as if he was ready to be showered with compliments.

Yuki-chan gave her brother a blank stare, not amused, before turning to me. "He 'plays' with his opponents. He deceives them into doing what their instinct would be with his actions, then does the opposite thing a moment after, thus gaining the nickname 'Pierrot'. His quick predictions are the key," she announced monotonously as if she was reciting a memorized passage from a book.

"AAAnd the key to predicting the most possible outcome is?" His cocky grin was growing wider.

"The art of observation," Yuki-chan answered

Keiichi-senpai stood up, now, his arms crossed, before turning to me with a proud smirk. "And that, Ryouta, is what we have to enhance in you. You proved you're already good at it with how you could copy your opponent's moves with just one look and deliver it stronger than they could."

I nodded, feeling happy that he acknowledge that I, a member of the Generation of Miracles, has the skill he also possesses. Or maybe I'm better! But it's no good being so proud of it so I just grinned at them. "Then would that mean you'd teach me how to be Court Pierrot?!" I asked, excitement surging all over my body. That would make me really stronger in this year's Winter Cup!

"What? No!" Keiichi-senpai shook his head disapprovingly. "It's my skill!" he added defensively. He let out a sigh. "Anyway, what I'm saying is, we're going to make that skill of yours much stronger."

But it's already strong! Only... I couldn't copy my former teammates' moves. But I could use other cool moves I've stocked up! "How?" I asked anyway.

Yuki-chan's eyes glittered. "Ryouta-kun, it's just the Generation of Miracles' moves that you can't copy, right?"

I nodded, feeling quite depressed of that weakness. They're just as awesome as me. Or probably-awesome-er that I couldn't imitate their awesomeness.

Keiichi-senpai's beamed. "Well..." He placed his hands into his pants' pockets. "We're going to get you to copy all their skills."