The Wager (Kuroko no Basket)

Phase 6: First Date?

We walked all the way back to my house. The whole way, Kise walks next to me with that stupid grin on his face. I was worried that people would see us, but I think I got lucky this time around since no one showed up.

I hesitate when we get to the front door. I remember to let go of Kise's hand first. He pouts. I sigh and shake my head as I unlock the door before heading inside. "I'm home!" I call. I close the door after Kise comes. I glance around as I pull my shoes off. Looks like the coast is clear. No parents; no explanations needed. "Wait here. I'll be down in five minutes," I tell Kise. Just as I start to head towards the stairs, however, of course, my younger sister walks out of the living room and stares at Kise for a moment.

My younger sister looks up at Kise with her brown eyes and says in the most deadpanned tone I've ever heard come out of her mouth, "He looks like a girl."

I struggle to keep myself from bursting into laughter. "Pffft." My shoulders shake a bit. Meanwhile, Kise looks utterly shocked. I bet he's never heard that one before.

My younger brother peeks out from behind the door to the living room. "Who looks like a girl?" he asks. My sister, Rina, points at Kise.

My brother bursts into laughter immediately. "Ahaha! He does!!"

"What are you all laughing about?" my mom asks with a sigh as she heads out from the kitchen. She notices Kise immediately and then turns to me, her eyes wide. She doesn't look like she knows what to say.

"This is Kise, Ryouta. We're..." I hesitate. "We're acquaintances," I decide. "I'm going to hang out with him for a bit."

"Aww, you're so mean, Kimikocchi!" Kise whines.

I give him a deadpanned look. "Alright, alright. What do you want me to call you then, Kise?" I reply. "You only have a few choices- a member of the basketball team, someone in my grade, a friend, or someone I know."

"They're all equally as horrible!" 

"Aaand time's up. The default answer goes back to an acquaintance," I say with a shrug.

"Kimikocchi, you're so mean!"

I roll my eyes. "Just let me get changed." I head up the stairs and into my room. I glance at my clothes and for a moment, I consider dressing up just a little more. I sigh and shake my head. "Screw that," I mutter to myself. I don't need to dress up for anyone but myself. I'll wear whatever I feel like wearing. I dress as casually as I usually do and head downstairs. "Alright. Let's go."

Kise nods and we head back outside, towards the cafe we passed earlier.

________________________________________________________________________

I glance at Kise as I eat my parfait. I like the parfaits here since they're not overly sweet. "Your mom was so happy that you're hanging out with someone," Kise comments. I shrug. "She said that you hadn't made any friends since elementary school. She said that your only friends were Midorimacchi and someone named Masami."

"It's not like I need friends," I reply dismissively. "I go to school to learn and then I go home to study before going to school again." I sigh. "Besides, getting close to anyone would make things more difficult. I plan on leaving the country one day after all. If I get a medical licence in the U.K., it would be a pain for me to move back to Japan."

"You really don't care about leaving?" Kise asks.

"Not really," I reply. "I'd consider myself fairly adaptable. I wouldn't have culture shock for too long. Besides, I was raised by two Londoners when I was a child." I finish my parfait. It doesn't seem like I really gave him the answer he wanted to hear. I decide to change the topic. "By the way, Kise, were you doing something before I ran into you?"

"No, I was just coming back from work," he replies.

I twirl the spoon around. "Ahh, that's right. You're a model," I say. "It's a good thing you're so tall, Kise. My sister was right, if you were my height, you'd probably get mistaken as a girl."

"That's harsh, Kimikocchi," Kise says with a pout. For the first time, I think I look at him carefully.

"I suppose I can see it," I say.

"Huh?"

"I suppose that I can see why you're such a popular model," I explain. He's pretty good looking after all. I shake my head. "Well, not that it matters much to me anyhow. No matter how good looking someone is now, there's no way to stop aging. I've yet to see youthful looking senior citizens, so..." I put enough money down on the table to pay for both of our orders and start to head out.

Kise runs after me. "Then what kinds of people are you interested in then?" he asks.

I consider it for a bit. "Someone with an interesting personality who doesn't let me get bored without trying, I suppose," I reply. "It sounds like you, if you ask me, but that doesn't mean that I'll be dating you anytime soon." I smirk at him. "At least, not until you follow through and win the nationals."

 I keep walking, leaving Kise behind me. My heart feels as though it's... fluttering? I'm not sure. It doesn't seem quite right, but either way, it's a strange feeling. I'm not sure if I like it or not.