Okay, this is a bit later than I meant to get it out, and I'm sorry. I'm not good at basketball scenes since I've never done them before. Anyway, hope you enjoy. Also, references to my one-shot for this, Best Christmas Ever. So, um, yeah, enjoy ^.^ Also, there may seem to be some random parts... I swear they have a reason, okay? So please bear with them.

*~*~*~

Misaki was used to having eyes on her. It had actually occurred on multiple occasions in her life. However, never before had so much tension come with such silent stares. Misaki shifted slightly, but her eyes remained on the boy, a gentle smile spread across her face. When Seijuro simply examined her, Misaki suddenly wondered if he didn't recognize her. She didn't look much different, but it was a possibility. "It's me, Sei-kun. It's Misaki." To give him a small reminder, Misaki ruffled his hair. The tension actually became thicker. What was going on?

Something flashed in Seijuro's odd colored eyes, but it was too quick for Misaki to understand. Instead something else settled in. A chill made its way down her spine as Seijuro's eyes hardened, hiding any emotion that she'd seen moments before, and a small frown pulled down his lips. Misaki gulped. Not only his expression, but somehow the area around him, suddenly grew cold. Almost against her will, Misaki slid back a bit.

"You do not have permission to address me so familiarly, Kiyoshi-san. Rather you should call me Akashi-san," Seijuro corrected, his tone very clipped. "I also never said you could touch me." He reached up, removing her hand from his head.

Seijuro's skin was even cold.

Misaki blinked in confusion. "Sei-kun, what do you mean?" she asked. "It's me - Misaki, your friend."

A small movement of Seijuro's hand grasped Misaki's attention. She glanced down, and when she did, she paled. Scissors peeped out from his hand. When she once more met his hetero-colored eyes, she was shocked. Swirling below the annoyed depths was what Misaki would deem confused panic. But why would those emotions be there? Then again, why was she being given the cruel treatment she was?

When a moment passed of both simply staring, Seijuro glared. "Only those who serve me may look into my eyes. And as far as I am aware, you do not." As he spoke, he began to raise. Those same scissors were once more in his hands, just barely visible from where she was, but somehow threatening nevertheless.

"Akashi, take your seat."

Seijuro flinched slightly as Igarashi's voice rang throughout the classroom. The boy blinked rapidly before rubbing his eyes, almost as if he was coming from a daze. Rather than retort, Seijuro simply nodded before sinking back into the seat. Maybe it was only because of how uncomfortable they'd made her, but Misaki noticed a random disappearance of the cutting utensil he'd had only moments before.

"Kiyoshi," Igarashi said, his voice much softer than when he'd addressed Seijuro, though still holding its authority, "if you wish, I could have you switch with someone else."

Despite knowing she should face the teacher speaking to her, she found it nearly impossible to turn from Seijuro. He'd made it a point to face away from her, but she could still visualize the conflicting emotions that had battled so openly in his eyes when he had spoken to her. Compared to the Seijuro she knew, this Seijuro was much different. Yet even if she was greatly confused and, to a point, hurt, she found herself shaking her head. "No, Igarashi-sensei. I'll stay here," Misaki replied.

Igarashi sighed. He wasn't sure it was truly wise to leave the two near each other. Obviously there was tension between them, and there'd been a threatening manner to Akashi's movements. This was Kiyoshi Misaki, though, and Igarashi was going to try to trust her. "Okay then, take your seat. Class is starting."

Misaki nodded, finally ripping her gaze from Seijuro as she complied. Sure enough, class started right after.

*~*~*~

"Misaki-chan! You must tell me what happened." Sukisaka took a seat beside of Misaki. She had waited until Seijuro had walked away to go do whatever it was he wanted to do. It was out of the room, and despite her attempts to resist, she watched the red haired boy as he left.

Taking a deep breath, Misaki forced her eyes away from the door and to her friend. "I'm guessing you mean with Sei- I mean, Akashi-san?" The name felt wrong escaping from between her lips, as well as stung. Saying the name was just a reminder that Seijuro had instructed her to do so.

Sukisaka had been nibbling on a sandwich when Misaki spoke, so she quickly swallowed before replying. "Not only Akashi-san. How do you already know Igarashi-sensei?"

It was strange how both names brought her varying types of pain. She'd long since numbed the pain associated with Igarashi-sensei, but she was always aware of its existence. "Well, Igarashi-sensei isn't only my sensei here. He has a Karate class for middle schoolers and below from Monday to Thursday. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, though, he is the instructor for what is called the Second Karate Club because, well, he didn't entirely believe in the ideals of the original Karate Club," Misaki explained. "So those Karate classes I was taking? He was my teacher, and now he's my teacher for the club here." Misaki took a bite of her rice and a quick drink of her juice, trying to give her time before she continued on to the next part of Sukisaka's question. As much as she didn't want to answer it, she knew that Suki wouldn't drop it.

Sure enough, by Misaki's fifth bite of food, Sukisaka pouted slightly. "What about Akashi-san? How do you know him?"

"You know how I came from Teiko, right?" Very few people knew of Misaki's background. She hadn't found any real reason to spread her friendship with what she heard people were calling the Generation of Miracles. Misaki didn't want to be known just for her connection to students raising up in the basketball world. Although Sukisaka did know where Misaki had previously gone, she did not know about the friendship either. "Well, Sei-kun was my friend there." Seijuro's demand slipped her mind as she returned to that last day before she left with her mother.

Sukisaka chewed thoughtfully on another bite of sandwich. "That's very odd then. If you guys were friends, surely he didn't act like this last time you guys saw each other."

Misaki sighed, staring disdainfully at her food. Her appetite had escaped her. Maybe the building sickness at the thought of Sei-kun is the culprit, Misaki thought as she sunk into her seat.

Noticing her friend's glumness, Sukisaka quickly changed the subject. "So, what do you plan on doing after school today?"

"Um." Misaki paused. It took her a moment to recollect her mind. "I'm actually thinking about going to check out my brother's basketball team before visiting my brother," she replied. Speaking of the team reminded her of the question she'd had previously. Junpei had mentioned that a boy named Kuroko was on their team. After seeing Seijuro, was it really possible she'd even see the Kuroko from her past?

Before she could get too far into her pondering, movement caught her eyes as someone took a seat beside of her. The boy had black hair that was spikier near the front and flatter near the back. His light grey eyes stared curiously down at her. Strangely, she didn't remember seeing him in her class.

"Oh, hey, Yoshida-san," Sukisaka said, glancing up at the boy when she noticed him as well. "Misaki-chan, this is Yoshida Takeo. Yoshida-san, this is Kiyoshi Misaki. He's from the class beside ours. He's a new friend of mine because he saw me reading manga one time and asked me about it."

Misaki smiled, shaking the hand the boy offered. "Well, if anyone speaks of books in general, you seem to be instant friends." After teasing her friend, Misaki turned her full attention to Yoshida "So did you come over here to see Suki-chan?"

Yoshida gave a surprisingly nervous laugh. After he retracted his hand, he scratched the back of his head. "Actually, I came over to meet you."

The news sent Misaki's eyebrows up. Why would this boy come to see her? She had never even met him before. "Oh really? Why is that?" she asked.

"Well, I've just recently joined Igarashi-sensei's Karate club, and I heard you're one of the higher ups in that class," Yoshida admitted. "It's strange to think someone in my own grade is in a way actually my senpai as well."

Thinking of the strangeness of how she'd technically be senpai to even older kids due to being in Igarashi's classes, it almost slipped past her notice that a mixture of sadness and curiosity flashed in Yoshida's features. Misaki grew even more confused than she had been when he first walked over. "Is that so?"

Yoshida smiled, and whatever had been there previously vanished. It was odd, but when the smile graced his face, for a moment he looked familiar. "Yeah. Is it true you're already a purple belt?" he asked. "I hear that it's harder to get belts in Igarashi-sensei's class than it is in others."

"Yeah, I just became a purple belt a little before school ended last year."

"That's pretty awesome. You must have done it pretty quickly," he remarked. "I hear you've only been under him for two years after a-"

Before Yoshida had the chance to finish, he suddenly jerked forward. "Oh, sorry if I was in your way," he said as he began to turn around.

Misaki tensed when she saw who had bumped into him. Seijuro had walked passed, and to get to his desk he'd had to move past Yoshida. Instead of squeezing through, though, he'd shouldered Yoshida aside apparently. Rather than respond to the apology, Seijuro glanced quickly at Misaki before glaring at both her and Yoshida. Without a word, he took his seat.

The trio looked between each other. "Well," Sukisaka began, "that was strange."

Neither Yoshida nor Misaki argued the fact. "I should probably get back to class," Yoshida said. He started to move, but he stopped to look at Misaki once more. "If you don't mind, Kiyoshi-san, I usually eat over here with Shinko-chan, so would it be okay if I joined both of you tomorrow?"

"Of course you can," Misaki replied, slightly taken aback that he would actually stop to ask. "It'll be pretty cool to get to know someone else that will be in the Karate club since I only know the ones that are still in Igarashi-sensei's other classes."

Yoshida shot her a smile of gratitude before he finally did leave. Once more she was struck by how familiar that smile looked, but she didn't know why. Today had definitely been an interesting first day. First Akashi and then a strangely familiar boy. And to think - it wasn't even half way over yet.

*~*~*~

Once lunch had ended, the torture of being confounded by how Seijuro was acting returned. After school she even attempted to approach him, but before she could, he went to basketball practice. Too afraid to follow, Misaki instead went to a bathroom to change out of her uniform. She'd brought a change of clothes since she didn't want to go to Seirin in her Rakuzan uniform. With only fifteen minutes before the train left, she took off from school to catch it.

Thankfully she made it through the door of the train with just seconds to spare. "I was starting to wonder if you'd make this train ride," Sukisaka said as Misaki fell into the seat beside her. Although she was used to running from Karate, she wasn't used to full-out sprinting as far as she had. "I thought you were going to find Akashi-san." Her yellow eyes analyzed her friend. Misaki had apparently changed into a beige hoodie and black shorts. A dark red beanie now rested atop her head.

Misaki shrugged. "I couldn't catch up to him," she admitted. "I'll just try again tomorrow I guess. I really want to know what is going on." It had been confusing enough that Seijuro had treated her so cruelly, but what made the subject even more perplexing was that occasionally she'd feel his eyes on her. If he despised her so much, why would he be looking? "And before you ask, I changed for my trip to Seirin."

"Ah," Sukisaka said. Noticing slight movement from Misaki's hand, she glanced down. A golden chain bracelet hung around her wrist. A basketball and kanji hung from it. "Were you wearing that before?"

It wasn't until Sukisaka asked her question that Misaki realized she had been fiddling with her bracelet. "No, I wasn't." She lifted her wrist, allowing Sukisaka to see it better. The "forever" kanji hanging by the basketball figure sent a short wave of pain through Misaki. "I put it on because I remembered it when I saw Sei-kun. It was a present he gave me a few Christmas's ago, and when I moved I put it in my bag so I wouldn't lose it. I forgot I put it in there before today. My mind wasn't exactly in the best of places."

Knowing what her mother's death had done to her, Sukisaka nodded in understanding. "Think it may jog his memory?"

"I don't even know if the problem is he doesn't remember," Misaki said. With a sigh, she dropped her wrist. "It's really annoying. I just wish I knew what in the world is going on."

"Is there anyone who knows Akashi-san well enough you could ask them?"

Misaki reached up to readjust the beanie on her head, smiling slightly as she did. "I'm hoping I get to see him soon."

Sukisaka didn't understand, but she was just glad to see her friend smiling again. Deciding it may be best to avoid the subject of her Seijuro confusion, Sukisaka started teasing Misaki of all the homework she'd have do. It thankfully broke the previously serious atmosphere as they began to kid around with each other.

It was nice to laugh, and Misaki was sad when the train arrived at her stop. "See you tomorrow, Suki-chan," Misaki said as she rose to leave.

"See ya."

Misaki left the train, and once more found herself in the throng of people all heading for the exit. Crowds had never been something Misaki enjoyed. When she was in them, her mind always remained ready to switch into fight mode. It was a slightly irritating feeling since she didn't exactly enjoy her adrenaline always at least slightly pumping. The streets were also slightly crowded as students began to leave for home and some adults were getting off work. Unlike the train station the streets were open, though.

Attempting to keep her brain distracted, Misaki wondered what her brother's team was like. He hadn't spoken much about the team-mates he had had in fear of her reaction. Even if it had been a couple of years, Teppei still tiptoed around anything basketball. Maybe taking the initiative to meet the team on her own would prove to him she had mostly moved on.

The streets were beginning to clear out by the time Seirin High School came into view. It wasn't nearly as big as Rakuzan, making it far less intimidating than her school was. I wonder... What would have happened if I actually had come here? I never would have met Sei-kun that way. It was sad Misaki wasn't sure if the thought was sad or relieving. With an exasperated exhale, Misaki entered the school.

It took her ten minutes just to find the gym, though not because the school was big. She simply hadn't been able to find anyone to ask where the gym was until she found a shogi team that was meeting in one of the classrooms. Once she neared the gymnasium she'd been directed to, she heard the ever familiar sound of a basketball team practicing.

"Pass it here!"

Tall teen boy bodies raced across the gymnasium. A dark haired boy passed the ball toward none other than Hyuuga Junpei. Before it could reach its intended target, though, a hand reached out and snatched the ball from its path. Rather than follow the ball as it was passed in the opposite direction it had been going, Misaki's eyes locked on the passer itself.

Fate must have been enjoying bringing back her past that day, because just as she had slightly hoped, the blue haired boy who had received the ball was quite familiar. "Kuroko-san," she murmured.

"Good pass, Kuroko-san!" Another male ran up to Kuroko. He was a pretty tall redhead. Sweat dripped off both boys. Apparently they'd been practicing very hard. The boy jogged passed, chasing after the ball. Kuroko quickly followed, but as he always did, he found a way to lessen his presence.

"You must be Kiyoshi-san."

The new voice nearly made Misaki squeal. She turned to find a girl around her age raising an eyebrow at her. She had short brunette hair with her bangs held back by two clips. Aside from the fact it should be obvious because they were in Seirin, her uniform also confirmed her attendance. How would she know her name?

Misaki nodded. "Yes. Who are you?"

A swish of a ball through a hoop brought the girl's eyes away from Misaki, narrowing as she observed what had happened. "My name is Riko Aida. I'm the couch for this team," the girl, Riko, explained. "So that means I was your brother's coach. Your brother mentioned you at times, and Hyuuga told me you were back with Teppei."

"The coach, huh?" Misaki studied Riko once more. "Aren't you about Teppei's age?"

Riko chuckled slightly. "Yeah, I am, but Teppei still begged me to be the coach. So here I - Bakagami! Focus on the game!"

"Who are you talking to?" The boy who responded was the redhead who had talked to Kuroko only moments before. Bakagami? What an interesting and unfortunate name. "I've never seen her before."

The players slowly came to a halt as they all looked at Misaki as well. Unlike when she was in class, Misaki grinned. She gave a small wave. Without the tension that had nearly been suffocating as it had in her classroom, Misaki felt no different being stared at. "Hello everyone."

"Kiyoshi-san?"

Most of the team jerked in surprise as Kuroko spoke up. The team had stopped around him, but they hadn't noticed. This was only part of their surprise, though. A couple of the boys looked questioningly at her.

A brunette stepped out of the crowd, giving Misaki a perfect copy of a cat smile. "Kiyoshi? Are you related to Teppei-san then?" the boy asked.

Misaki nodded. "Teppei is my older brother."

"How do you know this girl, Kuroko?" Bakagami asked, zeroing in on the events from a few moments before. "And who is this Teppei person?"

Junpei finally stepped forward, the ball resting between his arm and side. "Kiyoshi Teppei is the guy who brought the Seirin basketball team together," he explained. "As for how Kuroko-san knows Misaki-san, I'm quite curious too."

All eyes turned on Kuroko. How could he know the club creator's sister? If Kuroko was aware of the eyes on him, he didn't show it. He was completely focused on the person from his past. "Kiyoshi-san is a girl that I used to go to school with, Kagami."

"So your name isn't Bakagami?" The question came forth between Misaki could stop it. Once it was out in the open, a slight blush spread across her face. Of course his name wasn't Bakagami.

"Wha-?" Kagami blinked, confused by the question. Somehow he only grew annoyed when Riko outright laughed. "Of course that's not my name."

Kuroko patted the taller boy's shoulder, then he gave Misaki a small smile. The other team-mates seemed intrigued by this for some odd reason. "I see you're wearing the beanie I gave you."

The Rakuzan student grinned. After all, the main reason she wore the beanie was in hopes of seeing her old bench friend. "Yup. I've kept all the gifts the basketball team gave me," Misaki said.

Kuroko didn't get the chance to respond. Before he could, the cat-like boy spoke up. "Please tell me I'm not the only one who feels like I'm missing something."

"Heh." Misaki laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head. "You're right. Maybe I should explain better."

*~*~*~

Misaki watched as the second hand bit by bit moved around the clock. Only another few minutes before class came to an end. It took most of Misaki's willpower not to look at Seijuro. Once the class released, whether Seijuro headed toward practice again or not, she was following him. She had to see just what Kuroko told her first hand.

Her meeting with the Seirin team hadn't lasted long. As much as she wanted to meet them, when she discovered that the Kuroko of Seirin was the same Kuroko she had known she had to talk to him. After explaining briefly that she'd been friends with most of the Teiko basketball team, Misaki quickly explained the reason for her moving. A simple skim over of why she moved back and Junpei yelling at them to not be so nosey thankfully prevented her from having to go into detail about her mother's death. Once done giving her story, she'd requested borrowing Kuroko for just that evening. Maybe Riko simply had a soft spot for her for being Teppei's little sister, but she'd allowed the request.

"A lot of things happened after you left, Kiyoshi-san."

Her gaze hardened as pieces of what Kuroko had spoken to her about came back to her. None of it had been reassuring. If anything, finding out the truth broke her heart. How could so much happen to the team she loved?

"After he got promoted to captain, so much changed. The school seemed more determined we win, and the team expected everyone to be competing against each other," Kuroko had said, taking a sip of the vanilla milkshake he had ordered. The two had gone to a fast food place Kuroko had recommended, promising they had amazing shakes. Based on the one she had - also vanilla - she'd have to agree. "Murasakibara challenged Akashi to a game because he didn't believe Akashi was on the same level as him, and he refused to listen to someone weaker. At first it appeared Murasakibara would win, but then something happened. Akashi suddenly became.... Different. There was a new coldness to him that had never been there. He took Murasakibara down. Literally."

Coldness. It had never been an adjective she'd explain Sei-kun with. He'd always seemed so warm and kind, providing her a way to smile even when she was sad. Seijuro had been like a sanctuary for her in the last few months she'd been at Teiko. Aside from Teppei, who didn't entirely count since he was her brother, Seijuro had been her longest friend. In the nine years they knew each other, Seijuro had always been warm.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Misaki rose, slipping her bag on over her shoulder. Once more it was bulging a bit with clothes she'd stuffed in it. The clothes were not for visiting Seirin this time.

"You ready to go, Misaki-chan?" Sukisaka appeared beside her, bouncing a bit on the balls of her feet. She was clutching a book to her chest as if afraid someone would snatch it away. Whatever she'd read must have given her a burst of energy.

Misaki smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Suki-chan, but I won't be joining you today. There's something I need to do before I go home today. Please don't wait up," she quickly added when she saw her friend opening her mouth. Sukisaka's mouth snapped shout before forming a slight frown. "Don't worry about it, okay?"

Sukisaka eyed her warily. "What are you planning?"

Movement beside her caught Misaki's attention. Seijuro had risen to his feet, his own bag resting on his back. If he noticed Misaki staring as he left, he showed no sign of it. "I'm going to meet up with an old friend," Misaki replied, forcing herself to refocus on the conversation.

When she returned her attention to Sukisaka, Misaki was a bit shocked to see she had also been watching Seijuro leave, her eyes narrowed in confusion. "You know, I just realized, but Akashi-san has been unnaturally quiet for the past two days," she noted. "Usually he is the star of the class. It's why so many teachers like him. Now, however, he's acting all distanty." Sukisaka sighed. "Please be careful doing whatever it is you're planning, Misaki-chan," she pleaded. "Please."

"Don't worry. I will be," Misaki assured. But she wasn't so sure how honest she was being. Rather than cause Sukisaka to grow even more concerned, though, she headed off to a restroom to change.

"After that day, he became completely different." Kuroko's expression visibly saddened. Considering his usual neutral expression, Misaki almost grew teary seeing him so miserable. "Not only did he get that strange gold eye you've noticed, but he started placing himself above everything. The only thing that mattered to him was victory. He's still like that."

Misaki clenched her fist in an attempt to stop the trembling that was slowly spreading through her body. "What caused this?" she whispered. "How could Sei-kun ever be like this?"

Kuroko shrugged. "I don't entirely know, Kiyoshi-san. But I do know that Midorima told us all something quite interesting. According to him, there's two Akashis."

Two Akashis. Those words stirred within Misaki as she switched into more comfortable, easy-to-move-in clothing. She headed in the direction she'd been informed the gymnasium was once she was finished. It seemed the closer she got, the louder both the words and her heartbeat grew. This was the only way she knew to try to reach out.

By the time Misaki reached the doors, her heartbeat overwhelmed the sound of the basketball team she knew was inside. Almost every part of her wanted to run. Key word: almost. The thought was nearly vanquished the moment Misaki thought of the little boy she'd first befriended. Misaki gulped. Mustering up her courage, Misaki shoved the doors open, determined to confront Seijuro whether he wanted her to or not.

Unlike at Seirin, Misaki wanted to be noticed. So when she opened the doors, she flung them hard enough they banged against the side of the walls. As she'd hoped, every person stopped the stretches they were doing, their gaze moving to the new person entering their area. Misaki simply skimmed over all of the other boys, though, before finally finding who she was looking for. The gazes of all the boys scared Misaki. Nevertheless, she once more steeled her nerves and marched into the room.

"Kiyoshi-san, what are you doing here?" Seijuro demanded when she stopped in front of him.

"I'm here to ask you play one game of basketball with me. Only to fifteen points. Winner gets to make any request of the other person."

Everyone had been waiting to hear what the strange girl had to say. When they did, it was obvious they were all stunned. For one, Misaki was challenging the captain of the boys' basketball team. The most confusing occurrence, though, was the stiffness that overcame Seijuro. It wasn't like the usual anger he'd emit when he grew furious. Instead there was a strange sense of urgency. It reminded Misaki of the confused panic she'd seen when Seijuro first looked at her.

One of the other basketball members laughed. "What is going on here, Akashi?" he asked. "We can easily get this girl out if you-"

A single glare shut the speaker up. "I'll be back in a few minutes," Seijuro called to his team-mates.

Even if Misaki had hoped for this answer, she was shocked by how quickly and firmly he came to it. "Oh, um, where shall we do it?" Misaki faltered over her words, shifting slightly as Seijuro's eyes remained locked on her. The only time they'd moved away was when he glared at the speaker.

"We'll go to the second gymnasium. It isn't in use today." Seijuro finally turned away, raising his hands. "Pass me the ball."

"Okay, Akashi-san," one of the boys said as he passed a basketball to him. Once more Misaki was unsure who it was because she refused to look away from Seijuro. Considering what was coming up, she needed to focus as much as possible. With one last glance over his team, he began walking toward the door. Misaki scurried after him.

The walk to the second gymnasium was uncomfortably quiet. Thankfully it was only a minute's walk. It was almost a mirror image of the other gym, only it didn't have as many bleachers for spectators. There were also a few volleyball nets pushed to the side. Seijuro flicked on the lights before walking toward the center of the court.

"Kiyoshi Misaki." He'd been so silent that as Seijuro's voice echoed through the room, Misaki jumped. "I remember you. You used to be my friend. However, there's a problem with that now."

Misaki walked over to be across from Seijuro. "And what's that?" she asked.

Seijuro bounced the ball at his side. "Is it okay if I get the ball first?" he asked. The moment Misaki was prepared and nodded, Seijuro began to move. He feinted to one side before spinning on his heel to get passed Misaki. She chased after him, managing to jump up and nearly block the ball just as Seijuro threw from the three-point line. It was less than an inch above her fingers, but she had underestimated the height. The ball swished into the basket.

"You never answered me," Misaki finally brought up as she retrieved the ball.

Seijuro smirked. "The problem is, I would never have a subordinate who would only hinder me, and friends are mere hindrances." The boy stopped near the half court line before getting ready to guard Misaki. "And at this rate, you'll be crushed before you have any chance to prove me wrong."

Attempting to hide the impact of his words, Misaki bit the inside of her lip. She could taste blood. Seijuro couldn't seriously think like this, could he? The respectful Sei-kun she knew would never sound like he believed himself so superior to everyone. Misaki had to knock her friend out of him. "I'm not done yet."

Misaki rushed forward, attempting to sidestep Seijuro. He followed, his arms spread out to prevent her from getting around. Nerves finally began to show themselves. Misaki had attempted to practice before she slept yesterday, but most of her time had been dedicated to karate rather than basketball for the past few years. Unlike Seijuro, she didn't have the greater height and arm length that separated the two genders while in the game. Her only chance was to pull at what she did know, even if that came from karate. If she gave up here, her plan would instantly fail.

Everything seemed to zero-in as Misaki moved. She stepped back quickly, taking the ball back with her. Channeling all of her energy into speed and ball control, she moved her outer leg so that she'd nearly be sideways, using her body to block the ball. The action was strange enough that Seijuro didn't have time to stop her before she shot off her back leg and sprinted toward the basket. She shot before Seijuro had time to catch up, but it was only a two-pointer near the bottom of the hoop.

"If you're going to insist on putting up a fight, Kiyoshi-san, I'll just have to crush you." To Misaki's shock, Seijuro walked right toward her. "I will make you fall before me." Seijuro began to move, every step holding a deliberate aura that made it clear he was planning something. Before Misaki could figure out what it was, though, Seijuro tensed, his eyes narrowing in confusion. His tempo was off, and when he bounced the ball, something went wrong. His focus was completely thrown off, and the ball was sent a bit to his side. Rather than pause to see what was going on, Misaki took the chance, lunging at the ball that had become free. They were still close enough to the three-point line that she instantly tossed the ball. It almost bounced out, but it thankfully fell in.

Misaki grabbed the ball for Seijuro, who no longer did anything to hide his confusion as he had before. Something was wrong. "If you're going to go easy on me, don't fake like you're going to beat me, Sei-kun."

The cold atmosphere once more surrounded Seijuro as he heard her words. He moved across the court, his speed increased so he could make his way past Misaki. Once more Misaki caught up, but it did nothing. Seijuro was definitely better at basketball compared to Misaki. He maneuvered the basketball far better than she could, giving him the ability to get passed her even when she caught up. Even when she attempted to block him at the basket, though, his height gave him the ability to shoot over Misaki.

It should have been a horrible defeat, but for some odd reason, every time Misaki had the ball, Seijuro lost his coldness and grew outright confused. One time Misaki tried to ask what was wrong, but he simply shot the ball.

The game was moving fast. Within four minutes the score was twelve for Misaki and thirteen for Seijuro. Misaski once more had the ball, the basket only a dozen feet away. Seijuro stood before her. He wasn't going to move. Misaki once more blocked with her body as she racked her brain for something to do. Hoping to fake him out due to whatever confusion was messing with his brain, Misaki kept faking the direction she was going in. It was the only thing she could think of. After about six fakes, she finally went with it instead. As she'd hoped, Seijuro's lack of focus during the game allowed her to get past and get the ball in for another two pointer. One more point and she'd win. Of course, she had to make sure that he didn't get a basket.

"Sei-kun, this game isn't fair. What's wrong with you?"

Seijuro stopped for a moment, standing at his starting place with the ball in his hand. Misaki let him, deciding there was no point rushing the game along. The longer she had to reach her friend through the sport that had brought them together, the better. "Stop calling me something as familiar as Sei-kun. I told you, you are to address me formally," Seijuro reprimanded. "And there is nothing wrong with me." The last part came out almost like a growl as his anger continued to show. "I will not lose here, so you can stop worrying that I'm going easy on you."

Misaki raised an eyebrow. "I'm not worried about you going easy on me, Sei-kun. I'm worried about my friend." Deciding to take the plunge, Misaki met Seijuro's eyes and smiled. "It's me, Sei-kun. It's 'Misa-chan.' It's okay to just be yourself," she assured. "You don't have to keep acting so cold."

His hands began to visibly tremble. A single word left his lips, but it was too quiet for Misaki to hear clearly. But she could have sworn he whispered, "Misa-chan."

A large smile spread across Misaki's face. "That's right. Misa-"

Before she could finish, Seijuro's trembling stopped. Such as he had at the beginning, he made a slow approach toward Misaki while bouncing the ball beside of him. "I told you before, didn't I?"

Realizing that the game had started again, Misaki lowered down into a defensive stance. She sensed something was wrong when Seijuro grew close. Nevertheless, she tried to block him. He stepped to the side, so Misaki countered by stepping in front of him. When he started going back, she chased. She was so sure of her actions, she wasn't sure what happened next. Seijuro moved again, but before Misaki could, her legs suddenly gave out from beneath her. Unable to catch herself, she could only fall back onto her butt. Had she grown too tired? No, that wasn't it. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew for a fact Seijuro had done something.

"Only those who serve me may meet my eyes while we speak," Seijuro continued. It was then that Misaki saw what had stopped the trembling, and it froze her to the core.

The strange mixture of emotion no longer bubbled beneath his strange orbs. They had solidified into red and gold ice. His expression was similarly emotionless. If any feeling broke through the surface, it was annoyance.

"You call me anything besides Akashi-san again, I will make sure next time when you fall, you do not want to get up. This Sei-kun you keep searching for? The weak me that you once knew? He is gone. Forever," Seijuro declared. As he continued speaking, he turned to leave, dropping the ball to the ground. "This game is over. You now know your place is on the ground. Only those who are victorious matter."

Misaki gazed after his retreating figure, the ball still slightly bouncing off the floor. It was like each beat echoed as the ball fell, shattering a small piece of her. Tremors gradually worked their way through her as she heard those cold words once more. Kuroko had given her hope that the Sei-kun she knew would be there and break free. However, the person she looked at now was a complete stranger to her. And that hurt even more than his words. As he reached the door, Misaki finally was able to croak out a single sentence. "Who are you?"

Seijuro paused. "Don't you remember?" There was a bitter humor in his voice. He let his head drop back, twisting it slightly so he could look at her from her spot on the ground. "I am Akashi Seijuro."

He stepped out, the door banging close behind him. It was only then that the tears began spilling freely down her face. Desperation clawed its way through her, bursting from her mouth in a simple cry. "Sei-kun!"

But the name couldn't reach the boy Misaki had searched for. As far as she was aware, he was gone. She had lost her best friend again.

*~*~*~

So, what did you guys think? Did you enjoy? Honest stuffs please. Also, first reviewer (that hasn't been given a dedication) will get one. Or just a random person if nobody wants to be nice and review *cries* Also, note - I know Akashi is not a scissor freak and he only used Midorima's scissors once, but they are in my cover, so I had to give them one cameo.