The Wager (Kuroko no Basket)

Phase 13: Jealousy

I sigh as I walk to school. The leaves have all changed to vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. I suppose time passed much faster than I was expecting it to. It's nearly winter already. "Winter Cup, huh...?" I mutter to myself. I grin. "Let's do this." A challenge is always fine by me. I'd better get back to analyzing those other teams. Maybe I'll go scouting again...

"Good morning, Kimikocchi!" Kise exclaims cheerily. He smiles brightly. "You're looking happy today."

"Happy certainly isn't the right word, but something like that, I suppose," I reply. "I'm ready to outsmart some people." I smirk.

He laughs weakly. "Haha... You've got this really evil look in your eye right now, Kimikocchi." He adds quietly, "It's kinda scary..."

"Is that so?" I reply. "Maybe because I've put so much time into this."

"Flirting first thing in the morning huh?" Moriyama comments as joins us suddenly.

"Who's flirting, huh?" I reply.

"Could you have been waiting for me to make a move, Kimiko?" Moriyama replies.

"Keep dreaming, Senpai," I reply.

"Speaking of my dreams," Moriyama begins.

I fold my arms. "How much money would I earn if I bet that you were going to pull another cheesy pick-up line on me right now?" Another thought comes to mind. "What if I say it word for word? It's probably something like, 'I feel like I've been seeing you a lot lately, because you're the girl of my dreams,' right?"

Moriyama laughs. "Your predictions are getting more and more accurate," he replies. "Anyways, the team was thinking about team bonding activities the other day. It's just an excuse for us to kill some time, but we were wondering if you'd like to come, Manager-san."

"Hanging out with a group of guys out of my own free will?" I say, "Pass."

"Even though it would be like being in a reverse harem?" Moriyama asks.

I give him a deadpanned expression. "If anything, that weakens your argument. I'm entirely disinterested now."

I head off on my own, but I don't get too far because the next line catches my attention. "What if we make a game out of this?" Moriyama asks.

"I'm listening," I reply.

"If the starting team can beat you on a test, will you come with us? We'll all take the same test and the starting team will put in one grade for each subject and then compare to your score."

"First of all, that is completely constructed in your favor. Secondly, you're challenging me to a test?" I ask. I laugh. "Fine. I'll agree to that because it's interesting."

"You will?!" Kise exclaims.

I nod. "Strange events like these are what keep things interesting for me, after all," I reply. Besides, at worst, I'll just tie. There's no way that I'd actually lose something like this.

____________________________________________________________

After class ends, I head to the gym to take the test as promised. As soon as I open the test, I realize that each section is one of the each person in the starting team's best subjects. One math, two physics, one English, and one world history section. This was not only rigged, as I had thought, but entirely crafted in their favor. I guess it doesn't matter though because as I go through the questions, I know that I won't be getting a hundred on this. I might just have to agree to hanging out with them after all.