a/n: hi, guys. this story's alive. haha. //slapped.

i hope the length and the art could compensate for the two months. (yeah. i drew that. haha. *hides in shame*

well. i hope you enjoy. ;u;

____

Mashiro Yuki

My phone's cute ringtone turned annoying the moment it roused me from my sleep. I squinted at the alarm clock on my bedside table. There was still one hour and a half before I was supposed to wake up; the sun wasn't even quite up yet. I groaned as I closed my eyes shut, reaching up for my phone anyway but swearing that I won't be in good terms with the caller for a week if the reason's unimportant. Those male characters were about to kiss in my dream! Well, my anger would be one-sided, anyway. Flipping my phone open, I brought it to my ear.

"Hello?" I greeted lazily, my voice raspy with sleep.

"Yukicchi!" boomed the caller's panicked voice, making me sit up and my eyes shoot open out of startlement.

"Ryouta-kun?" I asked out of concern, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "Are you okay? Did something happen to you?"

"Ah, good morning, Yukicchi..."

My narrowed eyes wandered to the calendar pinned on a wall of my room, just beside my Sekaiichi Hatsukoi poster. A small contented smile emerged on my lips when my fangirl gaze focused on the poster instead. Takano and Onodera... Squeee~! "Good morning...," I replied. Good morning, indeed!

"Did I wake you up?" he asked, his voice turning softer and sounding like a timid uke. It could also be heard similarly to a cry of a newborn puppy.

Y U DO DIS, I inwardly replied, just like how I typed in those fujoshi-fudanshi forums. I didn't have the heart to reply to him in a semi-mean way if he asked like that!

"Kind of...?" I responded, "But it's fine because it's you..." It's fine because it's you, perfect seke.

A loud thud was instantly heard. I called his name a couple of times, just enough for me to find out that he dropped his phone or that the phone slipped from his hand. Moments after, Ryouta-kun's not-so-manly cry resounded from the phone, before his voice went closer.

"Y-Yukicchi? Are you still there?" he stammered, his breathing uneven.

"Did something happen?" I asked in a hushed tone. "Did you drop your phone?"

"Yeah, but I'm okay!" he answered. "...but it's your fault...," he added softly.

I lay back down on my comforting bed and closed my eyes. "What do you mean?"

"It's your fault I dropped my phone because you said that!" he whined, though I didn't really understand what he meant, "My heart wasn't ready!"

Due to my drowsiness, I wasn't able to properly comprehend anything he said. "I'm sorry, then... Why did you-" I yawned, "-call?"

"Ah, I almost forgot!"

"Hm?"

"Yukicchi, please go to the convenience store nearest to your station as soon as possible!"

This time, I forced myself to focus on the calendar. It felt like there was something important today. On today's date, something in red was written just below the number on the calendar. Winter... Cup... Winter Cup! The realization had me sitting up in a jolt, remembering to cheer on both Ryouta-kun and Kuro-tan and to take note of inevitable man-to-man positions. (Wait, that sounded wrong. Or right.)

"Shouldn't you be with the team and on your way to Tokyo?" I asked warily as I walked to one of my room's windows and pulled the curtain sideways, revealing the wide gradient of blue, purple, and pink outside, accompanied by small puffs of white. I sat on the comfortable couch just beside the large window, admiring the pre-morning sky. I might as well watch the sunrise, I decided.

"It's still a while before we meet! And I promise it won't take long!" he replied. I nodded at his point. "So could you please go to the convenience store now?"

The sunlight was starting to paint the trees and the roofs in a lemon-tinted hue, and I could hear the distant melody of some of the birds' songs. "Why?" I inquired again, wanting to relish the picturesque scene seen from my window at the moment.

"Because I really want to see you!" he said almost immediately in a loud and urgent tone.

"Do I owe you something? Do you need it right away?" was the first thing that came to mind. I didn't see the reason why he'd want to see me this early in the morning.

"...I need to speak with Yukicchi..."

"But we're already talking...?"

"It's different!" he replied a bit more loudly this time, his voice laced with desperation. "I need to see your face!"

This time, I tried to think more sympathetically. The Winter Cup would start a few hours from now, which meant he could be both excited and unnerved. Knowing Ryouta-kun, it would be the former, but there was a possibility that he's also nervous. Maybe he just wanted to see a familiar face other than those related to basketball? But there's his family for that-

"I'll treat you with some hot chocolate! With marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles!" he offered upon noticing my silence.

"Meet me in fifteen minutes," I replied, my mind made up for me.

That was one offer incredibly impossible to reject.

***

Ryouta-kun's eyes widened upon seeing me enter the convenience store we set as our meeting place. He wore a not-so-stylish and not-so-Ryouta-kun-ish parka, his hood hiding his shiny blond hair. I wouldn't have had noticed him if it wasn't for his blue Kaijou pants.

He blinked a couple of times out of slight incredulity when he approached me and I tilted my head in confusion.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked him as I scratched the back of my head, just below where my hair was gathered into a careless bun.

A large grin shortly made its way to his lips. "It's nothing! Yukicchi is simply cute! That's all!"

It was then my turn to frown. If this was a joke, Ryouta-kun wasn't doing a very good job. Well, the expression on his face seemed genuine, but that definitely came from his skills as a model. Really, did he just call me, who had her hair in a messy bun, who wore her brother's over-sized hoodie and some cropped jogging pants, who had been haggardly sweating when we met this morning, and who made no effort to make herself presentable, 'cute'? My only driving force that got me where I currently was was hot chocolate. My sense of responsibility as Ryouta-kun's friend was a minor detail.

He blinked twice, then tilted his head with a questioning smile.

Since it was early morning and I wanted my hot chocolate, I shook my head dismissively then pointed to the hot chocolate and coffee machine. The morning autumn air was starting to get chilly, so I needed the beverage he promised this instant. He looked and perked up, immediately following my heed. I shot him a grateful smile as I went to an empty table for two and reserved the seats opposite each other when he glanced at me as he lined up to pay for two cups of hot chocolate. He sat on the seat in front of me after placing the cups on the table.

I wrapped my hands around the cup, enjoying the warmth it offered. I gently blew on its surface and sipped before I turned to the blond beside me. "So, Ryouta-kun..." He straightened up, as if alarmed, then looked at me with wide eyes and a small smile. "What did you need me for?"

He looked to the side then scratched his cheek, his face turning into a light shade of pink. Isn't that Kuro-tan's habit...? My heart fluttered at the idea of Ryouta-kun picking up Kuro-tan's habit of scratching his cheeks with his finger. That would definitely mean their closeness! And was he blushing because of he just thought of Kuro-tan whilst doing so? KuroKi-KiKuro confirmed! "Well, uh, Yukicchi..."

"Yes?" I took another sip of the drink, relishing the warmth that spread through my body and forcing myself not to jump up and run around to release my fangirl feels.

He now faced me properly, his honey eyes filled with seriousness. I gulped due to the change of atmosphere; who's this guy in front of me?! He closed his eyes shut, let out a deep breath, then stared intently into my eyes, his lips pressed into a tight line and his blonde eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Cheer for me."

Those three words immediately earned a head tilt from me. "But I am going to cheer for you," I told him in my confusion. He grinned for a bit until I added enthusiastically, "I'm going to cheer for Kuro-tan, too!" I noticed the sudden shift in his expression; it was like he thought he won the lottery only to find out that one digit in his entry was wrong and that he won't get anything. "Did I say something wrong...?"

"Not at all!" he replied quickly with a forced grin, casually flailing one of his hands in front of him. "I'm happy you'd cheer for me!" He turned back to his drink, and so did I with my own after having my gaze rest on him for a few more seconds. Something with Ryouta-kun seemed off today, I noticed.

We remained in comfortable silence for a short while, until he spoke up again, his tone much quieter than before. "Yukicchi, there's a favor I want to ask of you..." I turned to look at him, but he wouldn't face my way this time. His gaze was out of the convenience store, watching people pass by. Something was really off with Ryouta-kun today. Or even the other day, when he pulled me into a hug. Should I call Kasamatsu-senpai and point it out? Or even my idiot of a brother, at least? (I actually thought that he has love sickness with one of the members of the Kise Ryouta harem I invented in my mind.)

"What is it?"

"I-If we win in the Winter Cup...," Ryouta-kun stuttered as he said it in a soft voice (What the heck was happening to the world? Is that how much he's love sick?), "gooutwithme!" He turned away, and I could notice the tips of his ears turning red.

...I didn't get what he said. "Uh... Pardon?"

He merely slumped on his seat, obviously disappointed that I didn't hear him. Now that made me feel bad. What if it was his problem? What if he was asking for a favor? What if he wanted me to help him be in a relationship with one of the boys I know? I couldn't let the opportunity pass! I worriedly tugged on his sleeve. He stiffened. "Please repeat what you said, Ryouta-kun..."

"E-Eh?"

"I didn't understand." I tugged on his sleeve once more, willing his body in my mind to turn back to my direction. After a few seconds of staring, it seemed like my imaginary mind powers worked! He slowly turned towards my direction, and I saw the troubled smile on his face. Maybe the pressure's getting into him?

He looked anywhere but my direction, the smile still forced upon his face. "I'm just saying...," he scratched his nape, "...if we win the Winter Cup... Will you... g-go...," he ran his fingers through his silky blonde hair, "G-Go out with me!" He bowed as he remained seated on his chair, his hair hiding his flushed face.

I gaped at him, not really sure what to say. "Go out where?" I asked in curiosity; we already went to the train station and the convenience store together for a couple of times. Aren't those places considered 'out'?

"E-Eh?" He straightened up, wide eyed, as if he was at a loss of words. Wait, that seemed wrong. Ryouta-kun at a loss of words? Ryouta-kun's basically one of the most talkative people I know!

"Where are we going? Didn't we already go out to some places already?" I tilted my head.

He frowned and his lips formed a pout, his cheeks puffing up. Adoracutie! Wait, wait. Don't get sidetracked. Somehow, I felt like I said something wrong due to his reaction. But that's all I could think about at the moment! Maybe he meant to go somewhere farther? A sigh of defeat left his lips and he shook his head, forcing another one of those bright sunny smiles. It was hard to tell if it was genuine or he just willed himself to make it, just like posing for one of his modelling pictures even when he's dead tired from basketball practice. "Yukicchi is right. I want us to go out somewhere else," he clarified with the same smile, sipping his hot cocoa a few seconds later.

"With Kuro-tan?" I suggested hopefully, trying to hide the obvious-by-now excited gleam in my eyes. I knew that would just make me the poor third wheel, but that also meant I'd have an excuse to take pictures that would capture precious memories-

"Eh? Going with Kurokocchi seems nice too," he nodded at the thought slowly after his eyes twinkled for a second at the mention of the Phantom, his gaze falling on the light brown wooden surface of the table we were currently occupying, "but I was thinking that it could be just the two of us." He slowly grinned again, and this time, I could tell that it was real, that the idea was something he looks forward to.

I, on the other hand, stared at him in confusion. 'Two of us'? But wouldn't it be more fun with more people? The more the merrier, as people say?

It then dawned on me that it's pretty probable that Ryouta-kun might face Kuro-tan in the Winter Cup, and it would be an all-out battle. The Winter Cup meant that they'd face their former teammates, who are all also prodigies, and it might kind of strain their relationship. But then, I countered to myself, surely, their friendship wouldn't be that shallow to let a competition change it, right?

"So what do you say, Yukicchi?" Ryouta-kun called my attention back to him, as he rocked on his seat with those expectant puppy-dog eyes. "If-no-When we win the Winter Cup, we'd spend a day together! That could really boost my motivation, you know!"

Face-to-face, I couldn't say 'no' to him when he looked at me like that. I opened my mouth to speak, but I was cut off with the ringtone of Ryouta-kun's phone. I recognized it as Kimura Ryohei, a voice actor, singing the chorus of a song entitled Shalala Goes On. He told me to wait for a bit, opened his phone, and the moment he pressed the 'Answer' button, Kasamatsu-senpai's voice came blaring out of the phone's speakers.

"Where the heck are you, Kise?! We're supposed to go early for some preparations!"

Panic replaced the easy-going expression on his face and he replied frantically, "I'm just a few stations away, senpai!" He glanced at me for a moment, managed a sheepish smile, then turned back to the phone after the basketball team's captain said another part of his scolding. "Yeah! I'll be there in a bit! Just wait for me! Yeah. Bye!" Not giving the upperclassman a chance to reply, he ended the call and sighed exasperatedly.

"You should get going, Ryouta-kun," I told him, waving my hand. "Thank you for this, too." I pointed to my half-finished hot chocolate.

"But you still haven't answered my request, Yukicchi!" he protested, pouting. "You'll go with me, right?" he asked hurriedly as he glanced at the wall clock.

"Yeah, yeah." I nodded in an urgent manner, just to give him the vibe that he needed to go as soon as possible. I didn't want to put him in trouble for meeting up with me in the morning! And for buying me hot cocoa!

"Promise?" He threw me a childish look.

"Promise."

Finally, he stood up, with his sports bag slinging from his shoulder, then grinned in satisfaction. "Okay!" He pumped his fists, and I could see the fiery aura emanating from him if we were in an anime. "We'll definitely win this competition!"

"Good luck!"

He nodded at me, and quickly bent down to my level. As quick as Kuro-tan's passes, I felt his lips brush against my cheek. Surprised by his action, I turned to look at him in question, but he was already out of the store. He stopped for a moment, turned to my direction, waved with more energy than I had ever seen in him, then ran off to the train station.