Vicious || Aomine D.

Thirty-Four

[ A Coincidence ]
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Riyo enjoyed the warm water on her skin as she relaxed in the hot spring. It was exactly what she needed. A moment of peace and quiet, and--

There was a commotion on the boys' side, including some yelling. Riyo thought she even heard Aida's voice mixed in there. Something about peeping...?

Riyo's eyes widened. Had the guys seen her get in? She prayed on her lucky stars that they'd started their efforts after she'd been safely hidden under the water.

A couple minutes later Aida stepped into the spring and relaxed against the edge.

"They didn't see anything, did they?" Riyo blurted out.

Aida glanced at her and shook her head. "I don't think so. And I taught them a lesson on proper behavior in hot springs just in case."

Riyo laughed, imagining the beatdown from the coach. She was small but she was tough. "They can still play basketball, right? No permanent damage?"

Aida almost rolled her eyes. "What do you think?"

They shared a smile and a knowing look.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," Aida replied.

Riyo had almost closed her eyes to relax when pink caught her eye. She almost gasped.

"Suki-chan! What are you doing here?"

Satsuki grinned at her. "We came here to relax after a practice nearby."

"We?"

Her smile widened. "The entire team."

Riyo's heart fluttered and she suddenly got the urge to get out of the spring and get dressed.

"You weren't just practicing nearby, were you?" Aida asked, no more relaxed, her brows furrowed.

Satsuki shrugged and glanced at Riyo, sharing a conspiratory look.

Yeah, this wasn't a coincidence.

"We came to share the news," Satsuki said, conjuring a look of innocence. "We got an email with the tournament brackets, that's going to be officially released tomorrow. We wanted to be the first to tell you..."

Riyo barely resisted the urge to tell her friend to get to the point already.

"You and us. We're facing off in the first game of the Winter Cup."

Aida's eyes widened in surprise. They hadn't expected a match between Seirin and Touou so soon. They were from the same district, so it shouldn't have been possible. Except for the special bracket...

"Bring it," Riyo said, flashing Satsuki a confident smile. "We have a debt to pay."

Satsuki quirked a brow at Riyo. "We? I thought you might be more conflicted about where your loyalties lie, Ri-chan."

Riyo rose to her feet, ready to shower and change so she could see Aomine before they left. "You've won enough games already, don't you think? It's our turn now."

"Ha, you can always try, but I won't be holding back this time."

Satsuki's words reminded Riyo of how talented the Touou manager was and it made her feel small in comparison. Riyo couldn't help either side, no matter how badly she wanted to. She wasn't useful to them.