The 7th Miracle ( New Update! )

08 - Teiko

EVENTUALLY, THE WEEK of the final exams comes and passes by in a flash filled with maddeningly written papers and flushed red eyes from late-night cramming.

In celebration of surviving the 'Week of Hell', Aomine decides, of course, to invite everyone for a basketball game. Everyone acquiesces, eager to let off some steam and energy after all these hours stuck inside...

"It's raining!" Aomine pouts as he stares at the downpour currently occurring from where they have taken refuge at a nearby convenience store, "Today of all day!"

( he's not pouting. of course not. )

"Can't be helped," Midorima says as he readjusts his glasses. "Since we cannot possibly play basketball in this weather, I'll be taking my..."

He's stopped by Aomine, who has thrown an arm around the shoulders of a suddenly very stiff and uncomfortable Midorima.

"No way! Even though we can't play basketball right now, we have to celebrate! Let's all hang out at my house!"

Surprisingly, Midorima is the first one to nod his approval, although that might be so the navy-haired ace has no more opportunity to hound him. Kuroko, Momoi, and Akashi are next to agree, before Murasakibara and Ichiro follow suit and quickly nod their agreement to the plans.

Arrived at Aomine's house, the group of friends gathers in the tanned boy's room, which is just about as messy as most of them expected. There are no moldy socks or uneaten spoiled food laying around, but it's obvious the owner of the room is someone who's not so focused on tidiness as much as basketball and the likes.

Unlike their study session before the exams, this visit is filled with much more enthusiasm. They watch a movie, play Monopoly (Akashi wins), and eventually end up playing games and talking. Aomine ropes Ichiro into a car racing game while Akashi and Midorima enjoy a game of chess. Murasakibara eats his snacks while listening to Kuroko and Momoi talk about the incoming school year.

"Darn it, Ichiro," Aomine yells, immersed in the game. "How are you so good at this?"

"I've been playing this particular game a lot lately," Ichiro remarks as he takes first place once again. "Another friend of mine is obsessed with it." He says, referring to Kise Ryouta.

"Friend?" Aomine exclaims, "Do we know him? Does he play basketball?"

"Him?" Ichiro says as he arches an eyebrow. "What makes you think it's not a girl?"

Aomine sputters and Momoi laughs.

"In any case, you probably don't know him. He isn't into basketball."

Ichiro is 100% sure that Ryouta would be an excellent player if he ever decides to try his hand at it. But as it turns out to be, Kise and Ichiro's basketball team are pretty much two different worlds, and the blonde has expressed zero interest in basketball, still thinking that the sport will eventually become boring due to his insane copying talents.

Ichiro often sighs about how stubbornly troublesome Ryota is, but it's become even more so now that his modeling career has shot through the roof and his popularity has increased. Ichiro's goal to introduce him to basketball has become a very petty game of the blonde avoiding every single attempt of his friend at showing him the wonders of the game.

( Because what a sight it would be, him and Ryota together on the same court, playing basketball together. A terrifying sight, that is. )

...

"C'mon Tetsu! Don't they look great on me?"

"Aomine-kun. Those sneakers are worth almost twice as much as the ones you usually buy." Kuroko replies as he watches his friend doing jumps and whatnot with the flashy, limited-edition sneakers he'd insisted on trying on.