The New Manager (KnB fanfic - Kuroko x OC)

Chapter 6: Old Friends

"I can't believe you missed that Ayari-chan. It's not like you," he said.

"Shut it Takao," she pouted. "Aw... now I can't enter, unless I find one more person."

Takao looked at her when she said that. "Eh? I never said I was-," he started, but got cut off when he and Ayari heard someone familiar from a distance.

"A dance competition? This is not where I was headed. Atsushi's drawing is worse than Taiga's," he said, looking down at a map.

"Eh? It's you!" Takao exclaimed.

"Oh, Takao Kazunari, is it?" Himuro Tatsuya said, surprised.

"Tatsuya?!" Ayari yelled.

"Ayari?" he became even more surprised.

"Wait..." Ayari said.

"You guys know each other?!" the three of them asked in unison.

"I knew her from when we were in elementary school," Takao said.

"I knew here when we went to the same middle school and high school back in America," Tatsuya said.

"And we met because we played against each other in basketball," the two said together as they looked at Ayari.

"Oooh... small world huh?" Ayari asked.

It was the truth because Ayari did meet him when they were in middle school, all the way till he had to move back to Japan. They had been in the same class, even though she was two years younger, because she had skipped a few grades back in America. When she came back to Japan, she decided to just join the advanced class.

"What are you doing here?" Takao asked.

"Atsushi wanted me to get him some candy that they were selling here today, but he got extra practice as punishment from Coach. So he sent me, not that I'll be able to get them," he said, holding the piece of paper in front of them.

It was all swirls around.

Takao laughed at that. "Hahaha, that's even worse than Kagami's," he said.

"Wait, what?" Ayari asked. For the first time, she was utterly confused. How does Tatsuya know Kagami?

"Taiga and I were brothers back in America when we started playing basketball together. Remember I told you about him?" Tatsuya said.

"Oooh. The world just got smaller," Ayari answered. But then, she perked up. "Yay! Now we can enter the competition together! There is three of us now!"

"Hey, I never said I would enter!" Takao protested.

"What are you talking about?" Tatsuya asked. Ayari pointed at the poster.

"Come on, join the competition with me! Please???" she asked with her hands in a begging gesture.

"Well, I guess, it couldn't hurt to join this little competition, right?" Tatsuya asked.

"Wait, you dance Himuro-kun?" Takao asked.

"I guess. Partly because she made me do it," Tatsuya said, pointing at Ayari. Takao had an 'oh-I-see-but-not-surprising' look.

"She got you too huh?" he asked again.

"You dance?" It was Tatsuya's turn to ask.

"She made me get into it when we were little," Takao answered.

"Ah, not surprising there," Tatsuya said.

"I know right?" Takao agreed.

"So, will you join and help your cute and kawaii girl-friend here?" she asked, two of her fingers against her cheek as she did a cute pose.