The Seirin basketball team was still at the community pool. Suddenly Momoi, the second manager of the Teiko basketball team appeared to greet them and reunited with Kuroko and you.
____________
"He looks just like you." Momoi hunched down to pet Number 2, but he only clung to your chest more.
She looked at the dog with a smile, "What's wrong? He's so cute!" She squealed even when the dog looked away from her and gave her a side-eye.
"Haha! Sorry about him. He's not good with others other than the team." You apologized for Number 2.
"Ah, it's fine. He looks just like Tetsu, I can't be mad at that face." Momoi smiled at the dog who only whined and hid under your chin.
The others went to dry themselves off as they let you and Kuroko catch up with Momoi.
"Congratulations on advancing to the championship league." Momoi congratulated the two of you.
"Momoi, aren't you going, too?" Kuroko asked her.
She grew a little surprised, "Huh? Did I already tell you?"
"You literally just said you couldn't wait until the championship league Momoi-chan..." you mumbled with a worried sweat drop.
Kuroko nodded, "That's what I heard as well."
Momoi chuckled to herself as she looked at the ceiling of the indoor pool, "Did I?"
"Yes," Kuroko responded.
"The next time we meet, we'll be on different benches," Momoi said, which made you remember you'll be each other's opponents in the future.
"Yes," Kuroko replied, you only gave a nod.
"I watched a video of your game against Midorin. It was a great game. Kagami. He plays just like he used to play." Momoi gave a smile with her eyes closed but you knew that smile wasn't reaching her eyes.
"Yeah, he does..." You mumbled, "Yes..." Kuroko also thought back to the moments when Aomine used to play then he does now.
"Watching you two play, having (Y/N)-senpai on the bench helping you by giving out strategies to you. It brought back memories." Momoi said, making you think back to the past.
(Flashback)
"Nice pass, Tetsu!" Aomine smiled at Kuroko.
"Kurochin, Minechin, you guys are as infuriatingly in tune with each other as usual." One of the Teiko played spoke.
Kise was seen beside him, "Kurokocchi, I wish you'd pass to me sometimes!" He whined.
"Tell the captain or (L/N)-san," Kuroko replied.
"After watching that play, we'll have to make this our standard course." The captain stated.
"Great job you two!" You smiled, waving to the boys from the bench with the coach.
"I really don't get it. Tetsu, we can't agree on anything else, but we play basketball so well together." Aomine smiled at the shorter male.
"I wonder why." Kise wondered.
"Kuroko is a shadow." Midorima explained, Kise was still confused, "What?"
"The stronger the light, the darker the shadow. In other words, working with a stronger player makes Kuroko's abilities even stronger. It's not as though we are not in tune with Kuroko. But Aomine is the strongest. If he works best with Kuroko, then he must shine brighter than the rest of us."
(Flashback ends here!)
"I prefer the way Aomine used to play with you. With (Y/N)-senpai on the bench cheering him on, making him even better." Momoi said, making you snap out of your daze.
She stood up from the bench, "He started playing basketball by himself. Isolated from the team, I thought losing would change him. But he doesn't lose. Even by himself, no one can stop him."
'Playing by himself...?! I didn't know Dai-kun was in that much of a slump since he's so good with the sport...' you were a little shocked.
"He's also been getting angrier and more agitated every day. He seems like he doesn't care. He's changed ever since you left (Y/N)-senpai. When you left, he's been keeping most of his emotions to himself. Though, he doesn't like talking about it that much." Momoi added making you shocked even more.
'He...That much in only months...?! B-But I thought he didn't care...Could he—No! We ended things in the past a long time ago! It was decided, we decided. It's final...Right...?' You had second thoughts on the agreement you had with Aomine in the past.
Kuroko looked into your eyes and saw the shock before seeing guilt, '(Y/N)-san...' he knows some parts of your estranged relationship with Aomine since he was close to both of you.
But he didn't know what exactly happened. Neither did the Generation of Miracles except for Momoi.
"Oh, sorry. Conversations about the past always turn dark." Momoi gave an apologetic smile to you and Kuroko.
"Will he change?" Kuroko asked, "Huh?" Momoi hummed in confusion.
If someone stops Aomine.
"What? But..." Momoi knew what Kuroko was thinking but was still hesitant.
Kuroko also stood up from the bench, facing Momoi, "Tetsu-kun...?" You mumbled in question.
"(Y/N)-san and I know Aomine's strength. But I won't be fighting him alone. I promise I will beat Aomine, for (Y/N)-san and you." He promised making you and Momoi shocked to hear that from him.
Momoi soon smiled at that while you still were shocked, "Tetsu-kun..." you stood up from the bench as well.
"I don't know exactly what happened between you and Aomine before you left, (Y/N)-san, but I want to tell you that if you'd like to have the old Aomine. I will beat him with Kagami for you." Kuroko promised.
You still stood there shocked before composing yourself, "Tetsu-kun...You really do have a way with words." You smiled a little.
Momoi looked on and smiled as well, 'She's doing well, Aomine-kun.'
"I'm going to change," Kuroko told the women who bid him goodbye.
"I see you still like Tetsu-kun, huh?" You pointed out making Momoi blush but smile.
"Mhm!" She nodded before looking, "That's why I won't give up on him even if he pays more attention to you."
You looked in surprise, "Huh?! Me?!" You pointed to yourself, "Momoi-chan! There's no way someone like Kuroko would like me romantically, haha!"
'It makes us love rivals in a certain way. But I still look up to you (Y/N)-senpai,' Momoi's gaze narrowed a little, "It may seem like that. But I knew Tetsu. We both do. People can change their minds, (Y/N)-senpai."
"True. I guess...So. Tōō Academy, huh?" You asked making her shocked.
Momoi gasped in shock, "Huh?!" She looked at you in bewilderment, 'I never mentioned the school...Did she see through my excuse of meeting up with Tetsu...? No...It can't be.' She thought.
Momoi felt your aura and it seemed more powerful than before, '(Y/N)-san has changed...'
You stood up, "You didn't come here just to meet Tetsu and me, did you? I know you both go to Touou and I know we both meet in the first match."
You gave a small smile, "You're still easy to read, Momoi-chan," you narrowed your gaze at her slightly, "after all, I am the one who taught you how to gather information in the first place."
Momoi gasped again before smiling regaining her composure, "That's true. That's why I'm not going to hold back from you or Tetsu. Since you both are my favourite people."
You nodded with a determined smile, "Then let's have a good match. But don't underestimate me and Riko-san's boys. They may surprise you even if you have data on them."
"Right!" Momoi nodded, you turned to go change but froze in your spot when you heard the next few words from your junior.
Aomine-kun is still trying to find you, (Y/N)-senpai.
You turned your head to slightly face her. Your face held a shocked but slightly fearful gaze.
"What did you just say...?" You asked, you felt shivers running down your spine.
"Not only did I want to find you and Tetsu. I mainly wanted to talk to you about Aomine and you." Momoi held a saddened gaze.
'Dai-kun was trying to find me...?' You thought, your pupils wavering in shock and distraught, "But why—He and I—We—This..."
"Ever since you left things...um, unresolved. He realized what he'd done. He wanted to tell you how he felt." Momoi continued explaining how Aomine didn't give up on you while you did a long time ago.
Hearing you being silent, Momoi pressed on, "Aomine kept on looking for you to talk things out. He's changed because of you leaving. He's changed for you—"
"Stop it!"
Momoi flinched at your tone, "(Y/N)-senpai..."
"Please...don't do this again, Momoi-chan..." you begged.
"We left things badly. We decided to not speak to each other and I left. That's what happened. That's how everyone else sees it. Just two best friends that matured and grew up. Separating from each other." You stated.
"But he realized his mistake. He saw how you cared for him and realized how much he meant to you. He wants to reconcile and apologize—" Momoi was cut off again.
"Apologize...?" You repeated, mumbling the word.
Then you started shaking, "Heh...Hahahaha...!" You started laughing slightly making Momoi shocked at your mood.
You turned fully to face Momoi, "That's rich! Aomine Daiki, apologizing?! That made me almost cackle."
Your darkened gaze made Momoi see how much you've changed, "B-But (Y/N)-senpai, he regrets what he's done—"
"IF HE DOES THEN HE WOULD'VE COME TO FIND ME HIMSELF!"
"If Dai wanted to apologize...He would've come to see me face to face instead of having you trying to resolve his problems," your fists curled up in anger.
"If Dai-kun didn't give up on me...Then why didn't he do something sooner...?!" Your tears shocked Momoi to see how you feel.
"(Y/N)-senpai..." Momoi walked up to you but you stepped back.
You shook your head, "No...I don't want this...Not like this..."
"But you can see him—" Momoi stopped talking when she saw your new gaze.
"Don't you get it, Momoi-chan? We'll be enemies on opposite benches. It won't do anything if we reconciled as long as we're on different sides." You stated, walking away.
Momoi grew sad when she heard your last words before you completely left.
Maybe we were supposed to part ways a long time ago.