Vicious || Aomine D.

Eighteen

[ Say anything? ]
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Before Riyo could reply, Kise noticed the bag in her hands. "Eh? What's that? I thought you didn't buy anything?"

"I didn't," she replied, still a bit stunned. "Shin-chan just shoved it at me."

It wasn't a very small bag either. In fact, it was pretty heavy.

"I forgot you call him that," Kise said.

Riyo hadn't even realized she'd reverted back to using the nickname. The evening was turning out all sorts of weird.

"I don't. I stopped after... You know." She cringed, trying to avoid thinking about the burning shame of realizing her friends weren't really her friends and thought she was beneath them.

Kise's brows knitted together. "After what?"

Riyo shifted from one foot to the other. She hung her head, studying the ground, and counted her breaths. How could he not make the connection? Did she really have to spell it out for him?

"The last championship game at Teiko."

The blonde was still oblivious. "What are you talking about? What happened?"

Riyo stared at him in disbelief, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to figure out what to say. He even sounded sincerely confused. How could he not remember?

She frowned at him, "You really don't know, do you?"

"Eh? I wouldn't be asking if I did!"

Needing the comfort of pacing, or just walking in general, Riyo started toward the basketball court she knew wasn't too far from there. And luckily, Kise followed close behind.

"You don't recall Akashi-kun hitting me so hard that I fell? Or you, Murasakibara-kun, Midorima-kun, and Aomine-kun telling me I was weak, and therefore worthless to you?" she asked. Her voice came out more shrill than she had intended.

Kise reached for Riyo's forearm, forcing her to halt. She almost dropped her bag. Kise's amber eyes were wider than usual as he studied her expression and frowned. Kise didn't frown very often. At least he hadn't at Teiko.

"Is this why you transferred to Seirin and why you've been avoiding Aominecchi?" he asked. Kise's gaze softened as she nodded. "You're not worthless or weak. And I'm so sorry for ever making you feel that way. You were always strong."

The sincerity in his voice threw Riyo for a loop. She couldn't understand how the Kise now in front of her, giving her a pleading look, and the one who had coldly left her lying on the floor after watching her get slapped, were one and the same.

"Then why did you let it happen?" Riyo's eyes burned and her mouth went dry. "Why didn't you do anything? Say anything?"

He was quiet for too long. Then he sighed. "I don't know. I'm sorry."

***

Different emotions from resentment to anger to disbelief and to confusion passed Riyo's features. The pieces were starting to click together for Kise. Riyo hadn't hugged him back at the Interhigh tournament. She'd transferred to Seirin and had minimal contact with Aomine, or any of the Kiseki no Sedai. And every time he saw her, she looked less and less like herself and more like a ghost. Her skin was always pale and she was skinny, too skinny. And even now, swimming with different emotions, her dark eyes were duller than he'd remembered.

"You--" Riyo started but the words died out.

Then she spun around and kept walking ahead. Kise had to take a few quick strides to keep up with her. They walked in silence, Kise one step behind, until they reached a street court. It was empty. Riyo beelined for the bench and took a seat. Kise followed suit.

"For what it's worth, Aominecchi must feel terrible," he noted.

Riyo let out a bitter laugh. "That doesn't make me feel any better."

"I know he didn't mean to hurt you. I don't think any of us did," Kise admitted.

He sure hadn't.

It was silent for a long while before Riyo let out a huge breath. She grabbed a banana milk from her bag, opened it, and took a big swig. Then she turned to him, her expression grave. "I forgive you."

It was like a boulder had been lifted off of Kise's shoulders. One he hadn't even realized he'd been carrying.

"Do you want anything?" she asked, motioning for her bag.

"No, thanks." The pastries he'd gotten and eaten at the convenience store were enough to hold him for a while. "You know, you're the strongest person I know, Miyocchi."

She waved him off. "You don't mean that."

He did.

She had put up with five morons, Kurokocchi and Momocchi for years, dealt with their nonsense, and their obsessions. And had tried to help them out with accuracy training and strategy brainstorming whenever she could. Even more importantly, she'd been a good friend to them. And they'd all let her down in the end, too caught up in basketball.

"I do. You tolerated Aominecchi every day through middle school."

Riyo laughed. It was genuine this time. Kise could tell from the way her eyes lit up, the color shifting from near-black to morning coffee. "And years before that," she reminded him.

"Exactly."

***

Forgiving Kise felt good. Like Midorima, he too had changed. His gaze held a warmth that had been suppressed under ice when she'd last seen him at Teiko. He'd been more distant and guarded, even for Kise who'd always been the most open of them all. Maybe it was Kuroko, who was finally getting through to his former teammates.

"How are you feeling after yesterday?" Riyo asked.

It was the whole reason she'd asked him to meet up with her. She'd wanted to check on him. Kise stiffened beside her.

"I hate that we lost but we gave our all and we'll do it again in the Winter Cup. We'll be better and stronger by then." His jaw was set and he had a gleam in his eye that Riyo recognized from all of the Kiseki no Sedai. The determination and obsession to win. Though this time, it didn't seem to overcome everything else.

"I'm proud of you, Kise-kun," Riyo said, the corners of her lips tipped upward with the excitement of the still-fresh memory. "You were amazing."

A light blush tinted his cheeks. "I wasn't that--"

"You copied Aomine-kun." She poked his cheek. "You've earned all the praise."

"It wasn't enough to beat him," he sighed.

Riyo leveled him with a look. "Next time it will be. If you keep working like you have so far. You were awesome. I was rooting for you the whole time."

Kise's brows rose. "Really? You weren't cheering for Aominecchi?"

"Nope. I was cheering for you."

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[ AN ]

Again, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. This chapter too underwent a major makeover. I just felt like this fits better so I rewrote it.

I hope you have a lovely day!

x Jen