Chapter 1

"Something strange happened?" Akashi asked, moving his shogi piece casually, indifferent to the topic at hand as his eyes unmoved from the board. "Ah," Midorima raises his glasses in confirmation. He paused, giving way to a pregnant silence between them. However, that doesn't stop the distant sound coming from the window they were next to; clubs doing their things and students going about their day. It was the afternoon after all, the bell had just rung for a lunch break and the two of them went to their usual hang-out spot- an empty classroom somewhere on the fourth floor. Usually, students are not allowed to be anywhere they wish on the school grounds but being the vice-captain of the Teiko basketball team has its perks.

Glancing at their finished and tidied lunchboxes on the side, Midorima continues, "Yesterday, one of the second strings completely dominated in a practice match."

"That's it?" Looking away for the first time to examine Midorima, Akashi raises one of his eyebrows. "That's hardly-".

"-against Aomine" Midorima finishes, looking Akashi in the eyes. No matter how many times he had seen - stare directly at it even, it sometimes set him unease. Beneath those pools of reds lies raw pride of superiority and a warm hearth. Such is the duality of Akashi Seijuro.

Midorima could see the pieces of the puzzle falling into place as a dawning realization by the ever-so-slightly narrowing of his eyes.

Clasping his fingers together tight right before his face, Akashi inquired, "Why was Daiki-No, Why was I, not informed sooner, Shintaro?". If someone were to say they saw Midorima's legs were slightly trembling, he would deny it vehemently and silence that person by any means necessary. "Nijimura-senpai figured I was to tell you directly and such matter is noteworthy but not of importance" Midorima breathes out slowly, taking err on the side of caution as if he were in the vicinity of a beast. With Akashi though? he might as well be one.

"How's a second strong beating a first string, Daiki, a regular, not of importance?" Akashi sounded as though he was berating his friend.

'Curse you Nijimura!' Midorima cursed in his heart. 'I knew this would happen'

Vowing to take his revenge, Midorima reasoned, "It could be a fluke for all we know. It's not often that such a thing occurred, but it does happen before." Midorima adds "Furthermore, the coach has been notified and I presume he had Nijimura-senpai take the first initiative this morning." Said Intitiave was probably questioning the person for verification before a decision was made. Is he eligible to be a first-string or not? Because only those who are strong and talented are the rightful claimants to be a first string.

"His name?" Akashi finally asked.

"Ajax White" Midorima enunciates impeccably, unlike many of his peers, with no accent coloring his words. "Although, I heard his friends called him Shiro."

"Hm," Akashi hummed, hands back on the desk. Midorima could feel the tension in his shoulders that he didn't know he had eased gradually.

"Do you think Nijimura-san will ask how would this 'Shiro-kun' feel about joining the first string?"

"Most likely, yes" Midorima raises his glasses in response.

'Shintaro and his habits' Akashi muses in the depth of his mind. 'But, for Shintaro to be sure...'

A low grunt escaped from Akashi's nose, not able to contain his amusement.

"What's so funny?" Midorima can't help but ask the crack on his ever-so-calm captain's face.

Lips bending slightly upwards, eyes tinkering with mirth, Akashi explains "The words may be different, but that person will say he's not interested in joining the first string."

Unable to comprehend the unthinkable, Midorima immediately voices his thought, "That's impossible! Such is the height of stupidity. No sane person would decline the honor of being a regular of the greatest basketball team in Japan. Or is it because he's a gaijin?" Midorima contemplates at the end of his sentence.

"But such is his response. And from his high grades, second only to me, I could attest to you that he is most sane, and definitely not because he's a gaijin." At that Midorima started to brisk, looking uncomfortable in his seat.

'I'll have to talk to him again regarding this matter' Akashi filed this matter the next occasion they talked. He would not let his teammate and friend become biased because of society's view, leave that to the common folk.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, his glasses fixed, Midorima asks, "Speaking of which, you are quite well-informed about him."

"Ah, you're right. He's been on my watchlist since I was promoted to vice captain. I have gathered the essential information about him. He has the seeds of talent but without the drive to nourish it, It was bound to wither away...that is until now"

"Hm, so the question is, what changed?" Midorima held his chin to ponder. The small scrape of a chair could be heard and he could see Akashi standing in front of the opened window.

"Enough of that, we will discuss this later. Incidentally, I've been meaning to ask" Hide it all he wants, but Midorima could practically feel the smugness coming out of Akashi asking about the shogi match.

"Save it. Yes, I concede" Midorima gives an exasperated sigh. Not even today's lucky item - a Muramasa keychain in his hand, could save him from his defeat.

---

Later in the gym

The unmistakable sound of shoes squeaking against the gym floor and the characteristic loud thump, followed by the high-pitched ringing of basketballs could be heard all over the gym. Some first-string members are running from one side of the court and back, some trained their shootings from the point-three lines, and others are strewn about going about their daily practices. All of them may practice different things but are united by their goal to improve themselves at their weakest skill or their blooming mastery of their trade. All except for one dark-blue-haired teen.

"AHHH! I hearsay for a rematch! a rematch dammit! Kuh! damn you Shiro!" A teen named Aomine exploded as he held his head in his hands while shaking to and fro from the gym floor, Murasakibara just serve him a hot plate of whooped ass kicking by blocking his dunk for the nth time that afternoon. "Huh? do you know what hearsay even means, Minechin?" the purple-haired giant tilted his head in askance. "Shut up! bring me Shiro! bring me his head! I hearsay!" Aomine cries blasting, seeming to ignore the giant.

Akashi could hear the low audible sigh coming from Nijimura by his side. They were business as usual; the three of them were spectating practices from the sidelines while Midorima recounted the event from yesterday and Nijimura's; his talk with Shiro. Safe to say, Midorima 0 - Akashi 100, continuing his winning streak for being right. That has vexed the green-haired teen greatly, taking his leave to 'practice' his three-pointer shooting.

"I didn't quite believe it at first. Even after talking to Shiro. But to think it affects Aomine this much" Nijimura observed as the stickler-for-rule Midorima joined to chastise the tanned teen, more vexed by the looks of it.

Akashi had to agree with Nijimura. So, was it any wrong for him to be eager to see what Shiro was capable of?

"Stop smiling, you're creeping me out," His ever-so-blunt captain told him as matter of fact, kneading the bride of his nose - a vain attempt to forestall the rising headache if Akashi had to guess by the unchanging look from Nijimura's sour countenance.

"Was I? Sorry, sorry. That was not my attention," Akashi looked around the court, to catch a sakura-pink ball of hair belonging to a certain someone.

The creek of a sliding door sounds in the distance and the figure of pink-ball emerges.

"Eh?! Daichan!" Momoi Satsuki, the Teiko basketball team's manager, is the youngest ever to join the rank in her first year. She runs to the downed Aomine, asking him what's wrong only to be welcomed by the wailing of a child. "Satsuki! Help! I can't go on like this!"

Notwithstanding the byplay to persist any second longer, Akashi called for Momoi.

"Me?" Momoi pointed at herself cutely - though that is the opinion of what his team shares, not his. Nodding his head in confirmation, Momoi looked at the blue mess before walking to him. "Do you need something, Akashi-kun, Nijimura-senpai?"

"Ah," Akashi confirms. "Can you check on our second-stringer, Shiro-kun?"

"I did, he wasn't there. Coach Araki told me he was off for a restroom break" Momoi turned serious the moment Shiro was mentioned. Akashi didn't bother to ask why she had asked Coach Araki.

Whatever Coach Araki, playing here, Akashi wasn't having any of it.

"Then, could you search for him? Call it an educated hunch, but I suspect he's still in the school building. Me and Nijimura-san are more than overqualified to oversee this place while you're out busy looking. Right, Captain?" Akashi peeked to his side where Nijimura's eyes waiting for him.

'Really? Her?' Nijimura's eyebrows scrunched a little.

'Yes'

'Why?'

'Reasons'

'Fine'

And that's the end of their eye-to-eye argument in a second in real-time.

"Ah, leave it to us" Nijimura looking like he was done with everything, gave tacit albeit reluctant approval.

"Hm! I will!" Determined, Momoi excuses herself from the gym.

At that, Nijimura takes the figurative stick and starts herding the first strings, "All of you, line up!", especially Aomine, promising to ban him from future games should he continue to behave like a toddler.

In the school building

Following Akashi's advice, Momoi set course to Shiro's home classroom located on the second floor where all of the second-year classrooms are. Through the hallway, several students could be seen dawdling about - enjoying the moment; while some are stuck on cleaning duty, wallowing in their own misery. A few of the females roused to strike up a conversation with the approaching Momoi but were gently dismissed; saying she was on a club's duty but promises to make time for later. Hands dropped into her favorite jacket, Momoi tasted the spring cold air; brushing against her gentle complexion. White noises muted her surroundings as snippets of yesterday's game crowded her mind. The images blended together and coalesced into an intricate web of images that she could barely put the pieces together to form a coherent timeline.

It all began innocently. Bored out of his mind after completing his daily practice quote and that there was nobody had the energy to humor him for a match; a bored Aomine is a reckless Aomine which he then sneaked into the second-string gym- not that it fooled the coach, knowing Coach Shirogane, he'd probably brush it off being harmless; youth being youth not knowing how to spend their boundless vitality. Momoi followed him, making sure he was on his best behavior. Practice hour was over, so it didn't surprise her to see the gym devoid of its many residents; most of which have already hit the shower and be done for the day. A number of people were left practicing on their own and had Aomine sympathy to show he didn't care.

"Oi, you guys, let's play a game!" He asked, giddy with excitement.

"Come on you guys, it won't be long. Just one game and I'll be out of your hair, cross my heart and hope to die" He gestured dramatically, hoping to crack the stillness the gym had descended to.

Not one to bother with his rising stardom, Aomine had garnered quite an amount of fame in last year's championship as the rumored Ace of the Teiko basketball team; so it was no exaggeration to say that many of the second strings were having doubts about able to compete with such monster-in-the-making.

None dared to.

"Ah, well...sorry to bother you guys then, hope-" Disappointment entered his eyes and Momoi was about to soothe him when it happened.

"Heeh, what's a first string doing here?" A figure approached, voice laced intrigued with Coach Araki, the newly second-string female coach who was wearing a black suit, a wooden sword in her hand, followed in his wake. Dirty blonde hair sprinkled with gold dust crowned his feature; his captivating, symmetrical features, and soft-cut lips. But his most striking feature has to be his eyes; deep grey, they shifted continually like waves where many would drown to it. Ajax White or Shiro, one of the charming princes of Teiko.

"Shiro-san, um...well, Aomine-san asked us for a game. It's not possible, right? We'll be sheep to slaughter, haha." Someone joked timidly; offending Aomine would be the last thing they wished to do.

"Thoughts, Coach?" Shiro peered over his wide shoulder.

"What?" Coach Araki huffed, knowing where this would go.

"Can we play?" An eyebrow raised, Shiro asked expectantly. Judging by the slight roll of his shoulders, and deepening heave of his chest, Momoi observe Shiro was raring to go.

"One match and one match only. I have business to attend. You lot! prepare the court and the rest of you decide how you split the team. Manager Momoi, you'll be counting the scores," A swift hiss of her bokken crack through the air to enforce her command.

Coach Araki sighed wistfully, seconds after what felt like coming to a tough decision; murmuring about young brats these days.

"Okay!" "Yosh! Let's goo!"

Momoi and Aomine replied respectively; though Aomine in a much better mood and gusto.

A cacophony of sounds engulfs the gym as people start running - here and there, cleaning the used court be it small debris or slippery hazard. The ones that not cleaning, are immediately gathered around forming a rough circle. Normally it's the coach's job to assign who's who on both teams, however, since they were put up to the task and there were two prominent players; it was quickly decided Shiro and Aomine will be captains and pick their own players. If someone were to argue the teams are unbalanced; that Shiro is heavily favored, they'd be right, regardless, not a soul did, not even Aomine. He didn't care so long he play a game, really.

The players broke formation and headed to their respective positions on the court. Momoi, a scoreboard by her side, watched as both Shiro and Aomine closed on each other in the middle; anticipation brewing, ready for the jump ball.

"I'll have to thank you for that" Aomine beamed at Shiro, who matched him in height, the thought of a potential rival elevating his fighting spirit. His infectious smile was shared by Shiro as well. "Ah, but don't thank me just yet" Shiro answered cryptically. Eyebrows knitted together, Aomine tilted his head, "Huh?"

Coach Araki, after ensuring all are ready, blows her whistle, tossing the ball in the air.

"Game start!"

It was then the images became blurry; hazy, fast forward to a breakneck speed, till it snap.

But one thing was clear, Aomine's team was crushed by the end.

The way Aomine looked so mortified, so speechless, slumped on the ground and breathing as if he'd just run a marathon and there Shiro stood, casting a shadow over him, barely a sweat broken from his fair skin. Momoi felt the air leaving her lungs; legs, which she could barely feel, stay rooted to the ground as her eyes gaped in disbelief.

21 - 40

Words failed her.

Never has she ever seen Aomine gets shut down hard in a game in her fourteen years of life.

Unbeknownst to them, there's almost a flash of grey in Shiro's eyes, electrifying and brokenly static.

"..-oi-san, Momoi-san, hey, are you listening?" A voice and clicking sound jolts her out of reverie, pushing the white noise away. Momoi then realized she blanked out in the middle of a conversation; in the hallway, a girl leaned on the door, annoyance radiating through her pose; arms back crossed on her chest, tucked just under the school's signature white blazer, after snapping her fingers to get Momoi's attention while her friend, stands close behind her. "Maybe she's on mars?" Her friend placated, joking.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Momoi looked down, her desire wanting to find a hole and bury her head never had been profound. She couldn't just blank out like that, that was rude of her! She is Teiko's basketball manager, and she has an image to uphold.

"Like I said, before your pretty mind spaced out to outer space, Shiro's not here and I'd look him somewhere else."

"Really? does nobody-"

"No," Turning on her heel, the girl brushed her sleek blonde hair aside as if telling her to get lost, her friend already hot on her tail, whispering, "Nice pun! Kyouko-chan, I didn't kne..." until they were out of earshot.

'Rude!' Momoi pouts. She wasn't even trying to be rude, she was just distracted is all!

Undeterred, she continues her search for her target - unaware of the snap of a camera toward her.

Feeling lethargic and drowsy after practically combing through the whole school for the blonde, beside Kise Ryota; which she had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting, Momoi decided to wash her face at the nearby washroom. Who knew looking for a non-Japanese person, here in Teiko; a Japanese school where she could count all the people with blonde on one hand, proved to be a challenging task. Huffing her frustration out, she steps into the empty washroom when she heard a strange muffled noise.

"Ahn~-"

Momoi halts her step.

Curious and a little bit startled; much like a cat, Momoi renewed her step albeit slowly this time toward the faucet, eyes laser-focused on the row of stalls, all of which are closed and don't look to be occupied, though she wouldn't know unless she crouched to peek at the small gap beneath.

A few seconds passed and no monsters seems to be out to take a big chunk of her. Momoi snickered to herself and starts washing her face. She really needs to lay off the horror manga that her mom bought well deep into the night, especially last night since she can't impede her traitorous mind from replaying over and over Daichan's defeat. She thought she misheard it the first time, however, as she strained her ear over the falling water, she could hear the low labored, if not, haggard voice along with soft thumping on one of the stalls. Shutting the faucet tap, she make haste to the stall, one that she believed where the voice coming from.

"Hello, is someone there?" The voices stop altogether, leaving Momoi with her thoughts, debating if someone was hurt in there or if she was making a fool out of herself out of nothing - a girl on period most likely, her mind supplied.

"I know you're in there." She doesn't, not for sure. It's possible someone pulling a prank on her, someone out there watching manically at her reaction; she knows how cruel a middle schooler could be, stories her upperclassmen love to engage her during practices. It stopped when Daichan found her teared up, scared, at one of the stories.

"y-yeah, I'm here" The voice answered.

"Are you hurt?"

Silence.

"Tap once if you're hurt, tap twice if you're okay" Momoi figured if she was hurting bad, pain rendering her mute, she should give simple instructions to understand the other person's condition.

When the silence is deafening, Momoi power through her doubts, on the off chance someone was hurt, it mattered not, she will try to help to the best of her abilities.

"I'll get some help! so, you-"

"Im f-ffine, really, you have nothing to worry" the voice croaked behind the door. Momoi doubts if that was the case; she couldn't think why someone hurting refused to such length. All that fear and worry were immediately washed away when the stall door opened narrowly as a familiar face peeped out. "C-coach Araki?"

"Manager Momoi? We haven't had the chance to speak. Though, I wish it was under better circumstances." The cool beauty, Coach Araki, panting heavily; taking a lungful of air while some sweat marring her pale skin.

"Yes, I was just worried-"

"Ha ha, I appreciate your concern over my well-being, but could you please do your coach a favor and leave? It's that time of the month" Coach Araki cuts her off, a genuine smile on her bruised lips; wait, bruised lips?

But before she could take stock of the situation, like the good-obeying student she was, Momoi bid her goodbye, "Yes! I apologize for the inconvenience, I'll excuse myself."

Leaving the washroom behind, admittedly to escape the weird situation more than anything else; like why was Coach Araki there? In the most secluded part, west wing of the school? why was she not in the teacher's washroom? Is it because her period came unexpectedly? But the gym was on the opposite side of the school? And what's up with her lips? That doesn't look like someone biting their lips in pain. So many questions with no one to answer. Given she was out for a while, Momoi trekked back to the Gym, not looking forward to her supposedly failed assignment; where is Shiro anyway?

...

Moments after she left the washroom, the door of the stall opened wide, and two people, stripped part of their clothes, joining at the hips, drop to the floor; the male heaved a deep grunt.

"AHH! FUCK-!!! I'm-" Coach Akari shrieked audibly; though muffled, somewhat, by a hand from the male, circling her neck, a loosed tie in between - holding her lungs hostage.

Minutes later, which lasted like an eternity for both of them, the male prop by a weakened elbow while the other dragged his, well, seven incher unhurriedly - knowing full well what he was doing to the female coach as she moaned gutturally; her throat must've been drier than the Saharan desert. At last, with the strength of a thousand men, the most satisfying *pop* sound graced his ears; his bulbous glans, leaving the hot furnace to what she called a vagina, he'll get her to say cunt, eventually; tis a matter of when not if. His body stays slouched over her, exhaustion comes like a great fall after the highest of highs they experienced; breathing through her ruined hair, directly to her ear; their body heat in sync, probably the reason as to why they haven't caught a cold. For now, he's content leaving things as is, he's not in a hurry; he's content caressing her petite flat-as-board ass, but still, enough meat to supplement her womanly charm.

Alas, like many good things, it must come to an end, ergo, with a heavy heart; thrill from the rush, he attends himself in the mirror, fixing his gym clothes. "Fuckk me, you're more insatiable than usual. It's almost as if because someone was close enough to actually find our little tryst" He said part English, part Japanese, not done intentionally of course, but the by-product of their "bodily" engagement, leaving him lightheaded, which he found hilarious still - compared to a few weeks ago, this was an improvement, a far better improvement. He'll take the dub whenever he can, he's not vain, contrary to what many people believe.

"Y-you...we..was almost caught...and it be your fault, Shiro" Her eyes were misty and unfocused, as her head bend to the side, looking in his general direction. Ajax noticed she didn't deny his subtle remark, or maybe it was the stupid juice doing stupid things to her mind, he'll be left to wonder. Euphoria is one hell of a drug.

"Call me Ajax, Masako. It won't kill you, you know," The mirror captures Ajax's genial smile. Done with his hair, he approached the coach's body; slumped like a third-rate cheap whore that has been cast aside on the side of the road. It's a night and day difference to the former proud Coach Araki.

"D-don't get cocky...brat"

Not one to take the last word from anyone, Ajax leaned above her ear and prod her pathetic attempt of an excuse "A brat am I? Funny with how you're mewling like a kitten when I kissed you earlier. And don't make it sound like you didn't enjoy it. Who was it, the one that grinded on my hips when I give the permission to stop? who was it again, the one who lied to her student so she could fuck herself silly, the one who literally almost broke my hips in the process?" She didn't answer. But he knew the woman was not out for the count just yet; no, it'll be too soon. Defiant till the end, if by the grip of her palms; digging her nail through her skin resulting a blood to drop to the floor - is any indication to drive his point home all the more.

Ever victorious, just as Teiko's forefather's motto, Ajax smiled proudly at himself and leave the washroom.

Scrolling through his unread notifications, ranging from something about a car extended warranty, YouTube recommendations to the unread chats from his SNS, Ajax opens his recent ones, his eyes light in surprise; Interest piqued at a picture tagged with a caption.

Plainsuki came 2 class looking 4 u

Kyouko super mad lol (๑˃́ꇴ˂̀)

"Plainsuki, huh? this should be interesting," His eyes glimmered in excitement and perverse thought of corrupting the blushing virgin.