MiRACLE (KnB Fanfic)

8.

"Are you excited to go to school?"

When his father asks that, Aisaka actually laughs. If he'd been asked that back in the other world, he would've rolled his eyes and scowled, saying something sarcastic.

He's surprised to find his heart telling him to say yes .

Yes, I'm excited to go back to school .

It's kind of stupid, really.

He jumps, leans back, and lobs the ball in the direction of the net. The mobile hoop in the apartment building's garden isn't quite the right height, but it works. He hears the swish as it goes in, and he breathes in the serenity of it.

He feels sonder, loving every bit of the excitement, the disappointment, and the thrill of the game. So long ago these wouldn't have come to him so easily.

Now it's different. He's Aisaka Hiroto now.

And he'll fulfill that dream this time.

-

"Ai-kun, you passed the test too? That's amazing!"

Momoi's very generous amount of female chest buries into his arm, so Aisaka stills, but doesn't panic. No adult gets flustered by a barely-thirteen's bosom, even if he's physically thirteen now.

"Yep!" Aisaka holds up the letter of acceptance in one hand, a V on the other, "with flying colours. Now I'll get to play with you on a team!"

Aomine stares dubiously at the letter, as if he can't believe that one plus one equals one.

"Me, a team with you?" he can't hold back the excitement in his tone, so he rushes forward and pumps a fist, beaming, "that sounds incredible. We'd never lose!"

Aisaka tries not to beam right back. He fails.

"We can conquer the whole world if wars were fought with basketball!" he boasts, overexcited, "now that we're a team, we're unstoppable!"

Momoi nods with an audible hum, still attached to Aisaka's arm.

There's a freeze. Then a dry laugh.

"But of course, first, we'll have to actually get in..." Aisaka realizes, a little embarrassed. He takes a step back a shrinks, "and, y'know, I heard their club's really big so we'll have to work our way up to first string..."

In a world as illogical as this one, surely it's not that easy to break the first string barrier, especially alongside a handful of other complete cheats.

Aomine stares at him like he's acting like a fool. Aisaka shuffles under the look.

"Don't be dumb," he actually says it, knocking Aisaka once over the head with a sharp knock of knuckle against temple. "Of course we're getting into first string. It'll be easy for both of us!"

The way Aomine says it makes it seem so simple, it makes his worries seem so trivial and needless.

Aisaka smiles, and somehow, he thinks that maybe it'll all go well after all.

"You're not allowed to lose to anyone else, now that I'm with you!" Aisaka grabs Aomine by the wrist, grin toothy, "I'm the only one allowed to beat you!"

Aomine yells loudly, "I'm not going to be beat, not even by you!"

"Oh, wanna go?"

"I sure as hell do!"

-

KUROKO:

I passed.