Eh? Ah, Sou. [Kise R.] ✓

「 二十三 」

「 二十三 」 Can you kill a secret?

Kise wasn't too fond of hospitals. Then again, who was?

White walls that were far from comforting and not exactly white, yet not exactly gray (maybe a limbo that was almost sickly gray) linoleum floors coupled with stark white fluorescent lights didn't make for a "warm" or "healing" environment in Kise's eyes.

Thankfully, after being here for an hour and a half (most of which had been spent in a waiting room with seriously uncomfortable chairs listening to seriously irritating elevator music on loop), he was free to go with a "don't stress you leg too much". It was a very much routine checkup after that not so pleasant leg injury he had sustained in the match with Aomine. With a new match approaching in just days... well... he wasn't taking any chances at the Winter Cup.

Holding his breath as he skirted around some kid who was coughing and sneezing without covering his mouth, Kise sidestepped and "pirouetted" on his heel to avoid crashing into a man with crutches and ended up face to face.... well... face to chest? face to air?... with an oval shaped face, striking silver eyes and a mouth that seemed in an eternal scowl.

" Kise? "

The golden boy blinked once and then again. " Huh? " He blubbered, stupid (arguably) for a moment. " Nijicchi? " He blinked once more before it sunk in. " Oh! What are you doing here? You're not hurt, are you?! " He gasped, grasping the girl by her shoulders and shaking her violently.

Yohime scoffed and slapped him away from her. " No, chill (But also no chill). " She snapped, rubbing the back of her neck (in much pain from the violence of the whiplash-inducing shaking). Faltering, she looked away from Kise's earnest and soul-searching eyes she dragged out her words: " I'm... "

" Yohime? " Both teens turned away from each other and to the newcomer. Kise's head tilted to a side and his eyebrow was raised in contemplation, while Yohime looked minorly phazed- but was really screaming on the inside.

" Nii-san... " She uttered slowly, clutching the juice box that she had purchased seconds ago tighter. Internally cursing her want to drink grape juice at that moment. Watching as Kise's mouth fell into an 'o' and her brother's eyes narrowed at her proximity with Kise...

... she didn't think this was going to end well.

" Ah... " Kise stuttered, stepping back away from Yohime, suddenly very very self-conscious. " Good evening... N-Nijimura-san...? "

Nijimura Shūzo drew up to his full height and crossed his arms. " Kise Ryouta, right? " (Yohime rolled her eyes at his use of his "karate captain" voice.)

" Y-yes..? " Kise stuttered again, shifting from one foot to another uncomfortably.

" What is your business with- " Yohime let out a breath of relief when her brother was swiftly cut off by the appearance of yet another member of the Nijimura clan: their mother.

" Shu-chan? Yo-chan? " The mother called, noting the tall blond, she turned her curious gaze to him before sweeping it to her children. " And who's this? " Yohime gestured to Kise with a limp hand and a bored tone.

" Ah, this is my classmate and friend from school, Kise Ryouta. "

The blond cleared his voice with an awkward cough. " Nice to meet you Nijimura-san. " This was more than sufficiently awakened on the part of all parties- save for the Nijimura mother, who was all but oblivious to how shifty Kise was, as well as how Shūzo stared daggers at the male and Yohime promptly wishing to bury herself alive.

" Ah, Aunty is alright. " The woman said with an enthusiastic wave, before tentatively adding in a careful voice. " ... Would you like yo join us for some tea? "

" Oh! I mustn't intrude! I- "

" Please? I don't get to hear much about Yohime's school life or meet any of her friends... "

" ... Alright. "

Kise was quite seriously regretting saying yes.

After half an hour in a car with Yohime's older brother throwing death glares, and Yohime's mother asking minorly invasive questions ("What middle school did you go to?" "How many siblings do you have?" "How old are they?"); not to mention Yohime's aura getting darker and heavier and more demon-like by the second. Kise scarcely wondered if he'd survive the night. Thankfully, he got some semblance of a respite when the vehicle finally stopped in front of a modest apartment block in a relatively modest suburb in Tokyo.

Upon entering the apartment, the Nijimura boy had disappeared off to his room, presumably to plan Kise's death, and his sister had moved to do the same (if only to save herself from the pain of awkward death) though she was stopped by her mother.

" Yohime? Get your friend a drink, will you? " The lady requested (ordered).

She sighed, nodding lacklustrely. " Yeah... ok... " At least she got a break from the awkward air that her mother seemed completely oblivious to. Kise himself sat rigidly on the couch, biting his lower lip and looking from side to side nervously. By this time her most definitely regretted with the utmost vehemence saying yes.

The woman had waited for her daughter to disappear behind the door to the kitchen when she turned her attention back to the blond. " How... is Yohime in school? " She asked tentatively.

" She's fine! " Kise replied, though in a higher pitch than his usal voice- though not due to lying. " Really good, in fact! Top of the grade! " Nijimura-san smiled softly and nodded.

" Oh, I know she's smart, but I mean does she have lots of friends? " The worry in her tone softened Kise, who paused, pensive.

" She... " He murmured. "... has a lot of people who depend on her and hold her dear. "

" That's good then... I was very worried about her. Yohime used to be very outgoing and happy all the time, and would have a birthday party to attend every week because that was how popular she was... but... " the woman paused, swallowing thickly " ... after her father got sick- " Yohime interrupted before her mother could finish.

" Is a milk box okay? I wasn't sure if you'd want green tea because it's bitter, and you're a child. " A milk box was tossed lazily at his head at the end of the statement- which he had barely caught.

" Hey, Nijiccccchhhiiii! Even children drink tea-ssu!! " He whined, albeit fakely. " Itadakimasu... " His mind was more focussed on the words of her mother.

---

" What's with you and that blond? " Shu had asked his sister later that night during dinner, long after Yohime had kicked Kise out.

" That idiot? " She inquired.

" Yeah. I've never seen you so comfortable with another human being. Ever. " He remarked, his eyes boring into his sister's over the rim of his miso soup bowl.

" He's like an itch that won't go away. " Yohime replied without a second thought, but without a hint of malicious intent in her voice. " He kind of grows on you... " She admitted a few moments later. " ... I guess. "

" Hmph. " Shūzo scoffed. " 'Grows on you'? "

///OMAKE\\\

" The only thing that would be growing on anyone is a bruise on that pretty boy's face if he so much as touches my little sister! "

" Shu-chan, please don't kill your baby sister's friend. She doesn't have many. "

" I have friends, mom. "

" Friends that I know exist. "

" Yeah, he's the first and only one I've actually seen, kid. "

" Does she even have any other friends? "

" ... Now you two are just being mean. "