Handsome, Ryota mused as he stared at his dressed silhouette in the mirror. No matter the life, Gods have blessed me with good looks he praised a content look on his face as his lips curled into a smug smirk. His hair, which was now as long as his past sisters' used to be was tied in a high ponytail. A haircut he had at first strongly opposed because of how feminine it made him seem until both his company and female fans coaxed him into keeping it, now it was something he found only added to his charm and this he couldn't dislike.

After all, why refuse to be charming when your body exuded with (youthful) sex appeal? 

Combing his green locks, he twiddled with some strands before letting them go. Slipping on his school's white blazer, he adjusted his dark blue tie in a slightly loose way before taking another look at his reflection. Although his build wasn't as "bulky" as it used to be, he still had some muscles on himself which instead allowed him to have no fat excess and a pretty lean body. Unlike his previous body which could be qualified as "manly," his current had more of ethereal beauty.

It wasn't feminine per se. People didn't think of him as some weak thing they could dote on or freely bully without fearing retaliation. It only meant they weren't as guarded around him. They were easier to manipulate, to use. Sometimes a smile was enough, there was no need for flirty words, and although Ryota missed the feelings of those rolling off his tongue, he didn't particularly dislike it either. 

The experience was new and he knew that puberty had yet to hit him. He had time to turn "manlier."

After all, it meant he could discern the complete fools from the idiots quicker. He could spot the easy targets and those he would take longer to subdue. At the end of the day, to Ryota, his looks were his first eye candy of the day and his biggest weapon to have others dance in the palm of his hand and gain whatever he wanted. The way he came to Japan was the best example. Had he not had his looks, his career as a model wouldn't have started, he wouldn't have been able to transfer to the Japanese branch to join Teiko. In the end, although Money ran the world, looks in a way did too.

"Mika!" A voice, most probably Claude's as the two males were the only ones to live in the condo, called out from the living room. "Hurry I don't have all day," he shouted, his voice holding a bit of impatience. From where he was, Mikaël could imagine the man was impatiently tapping his foot on the wooden floor, his eyes glued to his ticking wristwatch.

Merely shouting an 'I'm coming' back, Ryota's golden eyes took one last glance at his reflection. An impatient grin crept up his face as he hurried to the living room, his backpack which resided at the entrance of his room now in his hand as he joined the exasperated blond by the condo's doorway. "Sorry, sorry, I was looking for my phone," he apologized with a toothy smile, his hand holding the said device up as a form of proof.

Claude stared at his charge, his blue eyes unbelieving before he let a sigh escape his lips. "Whatever, I don't have time for excuses. Hurry I have a meeting this morning, I don't want to be late," the blond reminded as he ushered the green out of the apartment. Swiftly locking the door, he handed the teen a spare key before leading the way to the car. "Be happy it's your first day, and I'm driving you."

Ryota merely chuckled, not taking the male next to him seriously. He didn't really care about getting to school on time. He only wanted to get to club activity, join the basketball team and first string as soon as possible. Lessons didn't matter to him. He had already gone over it once, and although at the time his academics were anything but praiseworthy, to get his license as a pilot he had studied everything from A to Z, not sparring any useful details. It wasn't some junior high lessons that would give him a headache, he hoped.

As the two drove to Teiko, Claude added, his eyes focused on the road before them: "Also, don't forget your shooting this afternoon, after school hours. You're new, you can't afford to be late. Rookie," he teased, one of his hand reaching to pat the green's combed hair.

Nodding, Mikaël didn't make any move to chase the man's hand away. He knew better than to bite the hand that fed him, accepting and smiling when receiving this type of teasing was only natural. What's more, he had long since learned the best way to get rid of teasing with this type of people was to let it slide. They didn't receive their desired reaction, therefore got bored and stopped the teasing. Analysis proved correct as Claude soon stopped his patting to bring his hand back to the wheel.

::

If there was one thing Ryota hadn't planned, it was the fact that maybe, just maybe, he and the members of the Generation of Miracles didn't have the same age. That was his mistake. An error he came upon when saw none of their names appear where they should have on the student list at the entrance.

He felt overwhelming despair engulf him. If they weren't here, why did he come? What was his purpose if he couldn't meet them, play with them, see them, talk to them? His world seemed to crumble as he blankly stared at the board before him, not caring how people saw him, his ears which usually were alert to any type of praise or compliment aimed his way seemed to block them all.

He felt indescribable loneliness, for the first time upon rebirth as he realized he was alone. For real, he was the only one who had died to begin with, and although the world around him was the same, it wasn't, not entirely. Not without them. His family situation, for instance, his origin, all of them were different, why did he even think about seeing them without having an ounce of doubt?

A deprecative smile started to bloom on his face, gradually replacing his excited grin as his eyes unnoticeably began to tear up. Was he destined to live alone, without them in this life? His resolve slowly dwindled as a pale indigo light in his eyes gently faded away, only leaving his eyes natural golden shine behind.

"Uhm, are you okay?"

As if it had never happened, the light in his eyes sprung back to life, deep indigo which blended with a reddish-orange practically overpowered his golden hues for a second before returning to normal. His head snapped in the voice's direction as his previously depressed thought vanished into thin air. Only the echo of the call remained in his mind as he dumbly stared at the man before him. 

"Captain?" he barely whispered out, his eyes wide as he looked up at the raven.

The raven raised an eyebrow inquiringly at the appellation. "Captain?" they mumbled back, surprise coating their voice as they took in the male's appearance. 

He didn't think they had met before therefore, the possibility of him having the green on his team was almost non-existent. What's more, the boy prided himself in his memory, he usually never forgot a face once he saw it. The male before him definitely had some foreign blood in him, despite his fluent Japanese, and counting the number of foreigners he had met he wouldn't have forgotten one. Not one as flashy as the male before him at least. 

"Do we know each other?" He tentatively asked, his eyes still scrutinizing the teen.

"Ah," snapping out of his daydream, Ryota blinked his golden eyes a few times, chasing the mistiness out of his pupils he flashed the raven a bright grin. "Sorry, sorry, I took you for someone else," the green bashfully apologized, an embarrassed chuckle slipping out of his lips as his hand went to his left ear lobe which he mechanically rubbed. A habit he kept from his past life when he had a piercing on his left ear.

Narrowing his eyes for a second before relaxing his demeanor the raven nodded, a wry smile on his face. "Well, I suppose, I have a 'common' appearance," he air quoted jokingly, successfully loosening the previously awkward mood. Seeing as he earned an earnest laugh and apologetic look from the boy in front of him, the raven estimated now was perhaps a good time to introduce himself. Most of his past friends had gone elsewhere. If now was not the time to make new acquaintances when was it? 

"By the way, I'm Nijimura Shuzo, a first-year like you."

Mikaël blinked, it really was him. His already bright grin widened if it was possible as his eyes gleamed with genuine happiness for the first time in a while when facing a 'stranger.' "Mikaël Lamarre, but call me Mikaël, or Mika. Happy to meet you, Shuzocchi!" he beamed as he extended his hand for a handshake.

Sending a quizzical glance the green's way, Shuzo accepted the handshake. "Lamarre? You're not Japanese are you?" he rhetorically asked before a slightly irked rictus bloomed on his face. "And Shuzocchi? What's that?" he questioned skeptically.

Regaining his full composure, Ryota laughed it off. "I add '-cchi' to the name of people I respect," he said, only earning a dubious look. Clearing his throat, he managed a sham blush before resuming. "I planned on calling the first person I talked to this way?" he mumbled, appearing a bit embarrassed and eliciting a short laugh from the future captain. Deeming his lie as successful, Mikaël went back to his outgoing personality. "Also, I'm French, you probably guessed from my surname though," he added with a wry smile.

Nodding in understanding. Nijimura readily accepted the other's explanation before himself taking a look at the board in search for his name and class. Following his, now ex-Senior's movements, Mikaël's eyes trailed to the notice board in search for his former captain's name. At last, he beamed, he had successfully spotted the male's name. "We're in the same class Shuzocchi! Isn't that great!" he announced, slapping the man's back affectionately.

Tottering from the unexpected impact, the raven sent the green a severe look, not used to this type of tactility he tried to ignore it by telling himself it had to do with the other's upbringing as a French man. If his mother's soaps had taught him something, it was that Westerners, especially those from Europe were keener to physical contact than them Asians.

Brushing the contact off, the grey-eyed male nodded before briefly glancing at his wristwatch and widening his eyes. "We should hurry, the general assembly is gonna start in a few minutes," he reminded before casually taking hold of the green's wrist and dragging him to the gym. There was no reason for his action, as a matter of fact, it was totally uncalled for.

The two didn't know each other at all, it was their first meeting, but deep down Nijimura felt as if it was normal. That, although he wasn't the one who usually did it, he had to. Otherwise, he felt as if the male beside him would be swept away by the preying school girls around them. Feeling their persistent and impatient stare a chill went down his spine. His steps quickened as he hurried to the gym, the green trailing behind him with a content look on his face.

::

"What a coincidence Shuzocchi, that we are both aiming to join Teiko's basketball club's first string!" Mikaël chirped enthusiastically, as he clapped his hand, his green ponytail swayed behind him as he followed the slightly taller male inside of the gym. Both were now in their sportswear as they made their way to the selection.

Nijimura barely sent the shorter a dubious look before resuming his march, humming in confirmation. He had trouble imagining the slim male play basketball, maybe not play but be part of the first string. He seemed so easily breakable as if a simple shove would send him flying to the other side of the court. Well, those were his thoughts before he spotted the teen changing. He definitely hid his muscles well under all of his clothes and now that he thought of it, the tap he received in the morning had some unignorable strength to it, those were self-sufficient proofs the teen had more cards than he displayed.

"You said you were a small forward right?" Shuzo asked as they entered the gym. His answer was a nod as the golden-eyed male took in the sports structure. Looking back in front of him, Nijimura was greeted by rows of first years, most probably here to pass the selection too. He could feel his excitation building up as he gazed at every one of them, all potential teammates and future rivals. His blood boiled with anticipation, as his face morphed into a rare excited look before settling back on his usual composed expression.

Next, to him, Mikaël felt waves of nostalgia engulf him. It wasn't the same a going back to his old classes, the gym was a place that held much more memories to the ex Kaijo Ace, and although the third-string gym wasn't where he had spent most of his time, it was in a way where it all began.

The shrilling sound of a whistle echoed in the gym, stopping all chatter and bringing the students' attention to the coach and managers. "Okay first years," the oldest man, surely the coach, began. "We're going to see what you're capable of. Give it your all!" With another blow in his whistle, the selection began.

Oh my, turns out Ryota/Mikaël didn't reincarnate in the GOM's direct generation but their captain's.  ɿ(｡･ɜ･)ɾ

Thanks for reading, until next time^^