(I posted two chapters this week, this one and the last. Be sure to have read chapter 15 before proceeding).

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or any of its characters. But boy if I diiiid (insert music reference).

Warning: cuteness overflow (too much to handle).

Chapter 16: Cutting It Short

Tetsuhi knew something was wrong the moment she saw Haizaki entering the gym for their daily basketball practice. The Spring Tournament's preliminaries had ended last weekend and, had it been anyone else, it'd have been natural to see a regular coming to practice with the rest of the team.

But not Haizaki Shōgo, resident troublemaker.

"Hah?" made Aomine when he entered the gym a few seconds later, "Haizaki is… training?"

Tetsuhi would have laughed at his gobsmacked if the situation wasn't so serious. It sounded overly dramatic even in her mind, but the small second-year was aware of how troublesome things could turn with Haizaki and them – mainly Kise – inside the same building. Most of the time, they avoided the grey-haired player, only seeing him passing through the corridors or during official games. As long as the boy kept scoring his quota, the regulars didn't have anything else to say to him.

Soon enough, the rest of the first string arrived. Each one made a double-take at Haizaki's presence, but said nothing. Seijūro narrowed his eyes briefly, decided to let it pass, and ordered everybody to run laps.

"Urgh, I hat running laps," murmured Aomine beside Tetsuhi. The dark-skinned boy was faster than anyone running in front of them, of course, but since the regulars were assigned more laps than the rest, it was wise to conserve energy.

"Mine-chin, you're slow ~," commented Murasakibara, who was running a few steps in front of them. The group of friends had agreed to call each other by their first name, but pre-established nicknames such as Mine-chin were hard to forget.

"You–" The blue-haired ace started, before remembering why he had been running so slowly. "Sorry, Tetsu."

The girl shook her head, strands of blue hair flying around in a neat ponytail (definitely much better when her older brother made it), "It's ok – I know how competitive you guys can get. Go win or whatever."

Aomine smiled so wide that his cheeks might as well tear and started running to win a silly race against the purple-haired giant.

"Tch, so childish," said Midorima, though Tetsuhi noticed how the green-haired shooter picked his pace up.

She smiled softly. They were all so funny.

"Ryōta-kun, why are you running so slowly?" Reprimanded Tetsuhi, looking at her student.

The blond let exaggerated tears fall down his cheeks, "Himecchi is so cruel~! I just wanted to run beside you!"

The girl forced her face to stay blank, for she could feel it warming up.

"If anything, you have to be the fastest here," she commented. The copycat smiled hugely before whopping and running toward the rest of their friends.

"Wait for meeee~!" He complained, silly as he was.

Tetsuhi watched him go with a smile. Blood was desperately pumping in her veins, her competitive streak just as strong as her friends', but with her poor stamina she'd never be able to finish their assigned laps if she kept up with them. Fast she might be, but not tough enough.

The blue-haired glanced at Haizaki, who was running somewhere between her and her friends (who were childishly provoking each other into running faster), but couldn't see him doing anything wrong. Seijūro was busy assigning the just-finished first stringers exercises, so it was her duty to pay attention to their group of regulars.

She gulped down her uneasiness and continued running.

"Tetsu-hime," her brother called, somewhat worriedly. He had been calling her the last minute and his baby sister just kept staring at space.

The blue-haired girl looked up from her school books, "Huh? I'm sorry, Onii-san, what did you say?"

The older half sighed.

They were in their room, busy minding their own business. It was after dinner time already, but Tetsuhi was still busy studying for their mock test tomorrow. Basketball practice as well as ballet class had kept her occupied during the afternoon and evening, and she finally had a break to study.

Seijūro knew that, even with her language classes practically cut from her schedule, her sister was still buried in homework and duties. He himself wasn't any different – between school, basketball, managing their friends' weird tendencies, political and business management classes, and horse-riding competition, there wasn't much free time. About his body, however, he could be sure. He didn't want to start annoying his twin with his worry, but her body was frailer than his.

"Perhaps you should rest a little, imōto," he suggested, though already knowing what her answer would be. His little sister was just too stubborn for her own good.

She shook her head, "I have a lot of work to do before I can sleep, Sei-nii."

The redhead sighed once again, deciding to just push the chair from his own workbench to sit beside her. While the tiny girl finished revising their Japanese History lesson, the older of them kept playing with strands of her baby-blue hair.

"It's so long now," Seijūro noted, letting his fingers pass through what appeared to be silk.

Tetsuhi didn't bother looking at him, "I was thinking about cutting it short – it's past my waist already."

Seijūro stopped his caress, too stunned to speak for a few seconds. He gathered all the strands in his hands and twisted them in a low bun, just for the joy of doing it.

"You shouldn't do it," he disagreed, almost disapprovingly.

This time she turned her head, big eyes blinking bewildered at his frowning face.

"But it's bothersome doing a ponytail for me every day, isn't it? Also, summer is coming; it's going to be too hot to handle it."

Seijūro softly grabbed her chin, making her head turn back to the front. With a gentleness that only his sister knew he had, the redhead twin started twisting blue strands of hair into a French braid. If only people were aware that almighty Akashi Seijūro could braid.

"People would die to have your hair, Tetsu-hime," he argued with no bite in his voice. "It's silky, not to mention straight at the top and curly at the end."

Tetsuhi considered his argument for a moment, "Maybe. What about getting rid of my front bangs, then?"

Seijūro let his lips curl up, "You won't let go, will you? You're adorable as you are. Too adorable, if I may say."

The younger half pouted.

"I'm not adorable."

"Cute."

"Babies and puppies are cute."

Seijūro laughed and Tetsuhi couldn't help but smiled.

"You're my baby, then," her brother counter-attacked a few minutes later, French braid finished.

Tetsuhi looked up from her History book, "Onii-san!"

Surely enough, Tetsuhi's uneasiness piled up for the next three days as Haizaki appeared to practice. She couldn't fathom why the boy bothered to do so now out of all times. The girl seriously doubted he had acquired enough sense to come just because of the upcoming competition. Official matches started next Monday and Haizaki's daily appearance was as welcomed as it was worryingly.

Tetsuhi didn't let her eyes wander from the grey-haired troublemaker any time, ready to act if he showed the minimal sign of doing something wrong. She was especially worried about Kise, not managing to be sure if the bullying had ended after her interruption last time.

"Alright," Seijūro called at the end of Friday practice. The entire first string reunited in orderly lines. "We're finished for today. There will no training tomorrow, except for the regulars, of course. Good work, everybody."

"Thank you very much," the club members bowed to their captain and vice-captain, before turning to the changing rooms, chatting animatedly about this weekend's plans. Tetsuhi wondered how well they had gotten over the soreness of not being regulars.

Seijūro addressed said regulars, "Tomorrow, 2 o'clock," was all he said, before turning around to inform the coach that practice had ended. The head coach, Shirogane-san, had been busy trying to up the second-string's routine and let training in the capable hands of the twins.

Tetsuhi felt skinny arms hugging her shoulders before Momoi's voice invaded her senses.

"Tetsu-chan!" The taller girl greeted excitedly. "You were so good today!"

The tinier girl smiled at her best friend, "Thank you, Satsuki-chan."

"Waaah, kawaii!"

Aomine rubbed his ears, "Goodness, Satsuki, tone it down, will ya?"

The pink-haired girl just glared at her childhood friend.

Murasakibara, who had been busy collecting his towel and water bottle, came to then in his usual slow pace.

"Ne, my candies are finished," he complained like the big kid he was.

Tetsuhi patted his arm good-naturedly.

"We can buy more on the way home, Atsushi-kun," she assured the much, much taller second-year. The purple-haired giant nodded happily and it was such a silly sight that even tsundere Midorima had to smile.

"Shōgo-kun," a girly voice called from the door.

The group of second-years observed as Haizaki walked toward a pretty brunette. Tetsuhi also took into account the way Kise's eyes widened and a small hurt filtered them.

"Are you done with practice?" The girl asked. She was tall and almost as curvy as Momoi. Definitely pretty. "Kyaa, you're all sweaty."

Haizaki laughed and Tetsuhi pondered if the girl could tell how insincere it sounded.

"My bad, my bad," the grey-haired boy apologized. "I'll just take a shower and we can go."

The girl smiled deviously and nodded.

Midorima frowned as the pair went out of the gym. With his words, he confirmed Tetsuhi's negative impressions.

"Isn't this Ryōta's new girlfriend?"

They turned to Kise, but the blond had already masked his shocked expression. He waved nonchalantly, "Don't mind them, either way. She was a bother."

Satsuki nodded enthusiastically, lacing her arm through Kise's and dragging the poor boy with her.

"That's right, Ki-chan," she agreed. "Come buy ice-cream with us, it'll me much more fun!"

The blond nodded, his happy-go-lucky mask put over his face. Tetsuhi admired it for a moment, impressed with the way the eye hole fit perfectly and how the painted lips twisted in a way that let no other impression other than pure bliss. Yes, Kise's mask was still as untouchable as it was before they met.

Her friends went to the boys' changing room, but she stayed still for a few moments, incapable of not looking at the door that Haizaki had went through minutes earlier. Her lips twisted in a snarl and she wondered why anger bubbled so fervently inside her being.

The girl's pretty face was strangely marked within her mind.

"Eh, why are you patting your bangs, Himecchi?" asked Kise, later that same day.

Tetsuhi looked up at his face. His eyes were carefully transmitting nothing more than curiosity and his mouth was open in an "o" of doubt. She had forgotten how good he was at faking.

"They're too long," she replied truthfully, seeing no sense in lying.

Both of them were outside the convenience store, waiting for the rest of their friends. Seijūro was making sure that Atsushi didn't buy an absurd amount of candy, while Shintarō was searching for tomorrow's lucky item. Daiki had gone God-knows-where inside the store and Satsuki had spent the last two minutes searching for him.

"Cut them shorter," Kise suggested cheerfully. He was like a bird chirping.

The petite girl answered after taking a bite of her popsicle. The blond grimaced, wondering how she could bite something so cold.

"I want to get rid of them and for that they have to grow – in the meantime I get annoyed by it, though."

Kise looked thoughtful for a moment, before fishing something inside his school bag. He held his popsicle with his mouth, teeth chattering, and busied himself with Tetsuhi's hair. Seconds later, he hurriedly took his ice-cream out of his burning-cold mouth and gestured to the way her fringe was tied.

Tetsuhi tapped her head, feeling hairclips holding her bangs sideways.

"Ryōta-kun, what is that?"

The blond smiled, "Silly Himecchi, they're hairclips, of course."

The girl rolled her eyes, "But why are you giving them to me?"

"You said your bangs are too long, right? Use the hair clip to keep them away from your pretty eyes. And this way you can remember me!" He cheered in a way only he could.

His acting his skills was really marvelous. No wonder he fit so well in the modelling world.

"… I think it's difficult to forget Ryōta-kun, anyway."

"Is that so? Yay~!"

"Ryōta-kun is too annoying to forget."

"Mou!"

The girl sighed, asking him to crouch down a little. He did so, just enough for her to pet his head full of blond hair and air.

"Himecchi?" The boy questioned, confused.

Tetsuhi's eyes softened, "Silly Ryōta," she imitated. "You can be sad in front of us, you know."

The blond's eyes widened and he looked away, feeling somewhat ashamed.

"It doesn't matter, really. Hoshimi-san was vain and it's not like I dated her for very long, anyway. I'll be better off with someone else."

Tetsuhi patted his head one last time, because Kise was a surprisingly sensitive boy despite his over-dramatic crying when things didn't go his way. And if something dripped to the ground a few times, it was just rain.

Wow, guys, two chapters in one week? You're going to get spoiled if I manage to keep this up. Think of it as a way of apologizing for taking so long to come back :D

I love your reviews, people – even though there were soooo few last chapter ò.ó (Thanks to those who bothered commenting… and those who bothered following and adding as a favorite…. and those who read, really).

Until next time, sweethearts, haha!

Amy.

(Oh, yeah, special thanks to Anime fan KNB and Kohanita, who obviously read my Author's Note and saw my stupid struggle with the ONLYphrase in Spanish I had to write. Thanks, guys!)

*Imōto means little sister

*¿Qué debo hacer? means What should I do? (I forgot to put this last chapter. Haha, not everyone can somewhat understand Spanish and other languages originated from Latin, sorry).