Vicious || Aomine D.

Seventeen

[ I'll owe you a favor ]
_____

He had no right.

Aomine had no right to be angry with her. No right to get offended by who Riyo chose to live with. She was still simmering from yesterday and had been irritable all day. She'd woken up at dawn and taken Iverson out for a long walk. The cool morning air, the golden shimmer of the sun, and the birds singing their first notes of the day hadn't lifted her spirits. Even Iverson had given her a wide berth, mostly ignoring her and focusing his attention instead on sniffing the different scents that undoubtedly floated in the streets.

When they'd returned, Riyo had called the person she'd missed out on talking to at the arena. And now she was waiting for Kise in front of a small convenience store. Riyo glanced at her lock screen, where a picture of Iverson, soaking wet after a swim, and the time 6:20 pm stared back at her... He was running late.

Riyo was contemplating calling him to ask if he'd forgotten or had to cancel when a head of green hair caught her attention. Midorima stalked toward the store with his gaze glued to the ground. He didn't seem to notice her and walked right past.

"It's kind of rude to just walk by without at least nodding at the people you recognize, you know, Shin-chan," Riyo crooned.

His back stiffened before he turned to face her. There was something different about him. His razor-sharp gaze was dulled somehow. And he seemed tense like he was on edge.

"There's a new... technique I've been trying to perfect. I was running through different scenarios of it in my head," he explained, hesitating for a second.

Of course. Basketball.

"I wasn't ignoring you, Miyoshi."

"Sure, sure." Riyo waved a hand and he shot her his I-mean-it look. "Well, I guess it's not so hard to believe that you and the other monsters would walk around with your heads on the court. You used to do it all the time at Teiko."

"Hmph."

"Is this play really bothering you that much?" Riyo asked, folding her arms over her chest.

His reply was a curt, "Yes."

An older lady crossed the street with her large, gray dog, by the looks of it a Great Dane. He was almost bigger than his owner. Yet, so well-mannered he didn't attempt to pull his leash once. If he had, the lady probably couldn't have done anything to stop him. Riyo wished Iverson would've still had the strength and energy to try and pull her around like he'd used to a few dozen times whenever he'd gotten excited.

She rubbed the back of her neck before half-mindedly offering, "Would like some help with it?"

"Help with what?" Kise interjected.

Riyo hadn't noticed him arrive. He was wearing his typical grey suit but his hair was more in place than usual and he was wearing some makeup. He must've had a modeling gig.

"Nothing," Midorima replied.

"It's good that you invited Midorimacchi too," Kise said to Riyo. A brilliant smile lit up his face and his golden eyes were so sincere that her heart ached for the past. "Now we can all catch up."

He was about to throw an arm over Midorima's shoulder but the green-haired boy dodged him before shooting Kise a death glare. Riyo had to bite down her smile.

"Actually, I didn't," Riyo admitted.

"I'm going to get soup," Midorima stated before striding into the store they were standing in front of.

"Eh?"

Kise was left staring after him. "What's with him?"

"He's already preparing for the Winter Cup," Riyo said glancing at the 6'5" shooting guard searching the shelf for canned soup. The top parts of it anyway. Riyo's gaze caught on the red label on the bottom shelf. "I think he's a little stressed."