Momoi rushed through the rain towards Seirin's gym with a tear-stained face before opening the metal door as Riko's attention turned towards the sound.
"What's the matter?" The coach asked in concern.
"Is Tetsu-kun. . .there?" Momoi asked in a desperate tone. Her clothes were completely soaked as her pink bra showed through the transparent and wet fabric, making the Seirin team furiously blush.
Riko smacked all of them in the head, "Go run laps outside" She ordered.
"But it's raining. . ." They replied.
"Is that an excuse?" Riko said sweetly while dark aura formed behind her. The boys didn't dare to argue as they obediently followed their orders and walked outside.
Kuroko returned to the gym with the rest of the first-years and Kiyoshi shortly after.
"Tetsu-kun!" Momoi hugged him to the ground.
"Momoi-san, what are you doing here?" He asked in his usual emotionless expression.
Everyone settled down and crowded around Momoi to listen what she had to say.
"I think that Aomine-kun hates me now" She stammered, "He found out that I told the coach about his injury during the InterHigh"
"I don't think that he hates you, Momoi-san. He's probably looking for you right now. Let's not make him worry" He said reassuringly and honestly.
"You sound a lot like her when you say that" Momoi sadly smiled.
Kuroko's eyes widened as he tried comforting Momoi. Rindou, was good at handling people's emotions as she was the one who gave a lot of mental support to the team. Instinctively and unintentionally, everyone depended on her for that; however, things got bad very quickly when she used her role against them.
"Who's this 'her' we're talking about? " Hyuuga asked.
"Is it another staff for the miracles?" Izuki asked.
"I don't remember anyone mentioning another girl in there"
"It's Rindou Kaeri, actually. She was Teiko's second manager and is now the current one" Kuroko replied.
He isn't sure about how much faith he's going to put into Rindou, and he tries not to talk about it with Momoi to avoid making her sad. She truly became someone ominous, and he wonders what the others are thinking about her as well.
"A second manager?" Hyuuga questioned.
"Yes," Momoi nodded. "Since I was going to graduate, I had to look for an underclassman to take over for the following year"
"Hey, there's one thing that I have to ask before you leave" Riko mentioned. "I heard that Akashi wasn't present during the final round of the InterHigh"
"That's right. He said that if he played, the match against Touou would've ended quickly--especially when Aomine isn't there" Momoi explained. "Therefore, the game will be more 'interesting' that way"
"Akashi-kun probably told Murasakibara to not play in the matches either" Kuroko added. "He officially wants the oath tobe settled at the Winter Cup"
"Mukkun only listens to Akashi-kun after all"
"Seriously, there is a weird system going on with these people. . ." Hyuuga sighed.
"I'll be escorting her home now. I'll be back" Kuroko said as he left with Momoi shortly after.
"Hey, do you remember when we used to walk together? It felt like it's been forever" Momoi chuckled as the two walked down the sidewalk.
"Yeah, I remember those moments rather clearly"
"I wonder if she still cares about us. . . I haven't been able to contact her through her outdated phone"
"She still cares about you. I'm not sure about the rest however. . . . It seems like she got in a feud with them before they all split up"
"I see. . ." Momoi said before giving a sad look, "Why did that year have to be over?"
"Momoi-san, now is not the time to get sad about the past. Rindou-san is doing fine back at Teiko, as the new manager. We can watch their matches and see her again" Kuroko reassured.
"You're right. It's just that--having her not around felt unusual to me"
Kuroko decided to change the topic, "Do you happen to know what she and the rest of the GoM were fighting about before graduation?"
"I wasn't aware that they fought. If she did, it was probably because of the same reason of why you want to defeat them" Momoi replied.
"I should probably ask Aomine," She added.
"Thank you. It's been bothering me why they've been acting strange lately, and I don't appreciate being left out on it."
"I want to know also, but Aomine isn't usually so secretive. I don't understand what and why he's hiding from us."
"This really concerns me, but don't let it stress you out," Kuroko faced her, "I'm counting on you, Momoi-san"
The girl's cheeks turned red as she sheepishly smiled and nodded, "Tetsu-kun is depending on me!"
"I won't let you down!" She insisted before they continued to walk.
The determination to impress her crush was strong enough to help Momoi face her problematic friend; however, things didn't change for the best within the next few days. . .
Aomine was still as stuck-up and distant than ever. He refused to give a response to anything that she asked, which began to make her frustrated.
After school, Momoi climbed up the ladder leading to the podium where Aomine often goes to escape class and basketball practice.
"Aomine, come to practice" She bluntly ordered with a dead-serious expression. She was already tired of his attitude as she's running out of patience for him.
"Don't tell me what to do, ugly. I'll come to practice once they're able to perform better than me, which will probably never happen" He stuck his pinky into his ear, twisting away and then blowing the residue off.
"Kaeriin and Tetsu-kun would never give me that stuck up attitude" she huffed and sat by the ladder as her legs hung off the edge.
At the mention of Rindou, Aomine felt slight uneasiness within his chest and he became irritated. "Do you want me to push you off this podium?" He threatened
"Why do you always act like that whenever Kaeriin is mentioned?"
"Shut up"
"Aomine!"
"Satsuki, I'm giving you a chance to stop before I reach my limit" He demanded, giving her a glare.
She tensed up in shock but quickly changed her expression to an angry one, "I hate you"
"Yeah yeah" He grunted sarcastically as she returned a scoff while swiftly sliding down the ladder without using the individual steps.
Momoi walked away from the range as she wanted to avoid being near him. He was being so rude to her ever since they enrolled at Touou.
The day after Kuroko walked Momoi home, she arrived at the gym as Aomine bluntly responded with 'oh, so you ended up coming back.'
She was so hurt, and she felt like she didn't have anyone to run to anymore. Everyone was separated from each other, even though she was closely connected to Kuroko and Rindou.
"I just need to be patient. I can't go around troubling people anymore" She thought.
Hopelessly looking up at the sky, she took a deep breath and remembered her graduation day from several months ago. It was in late March as cherry blossoms started to bloom. Even though the weather was warm, the day felt cold and empty as she only spent it with Rindou.
"Congratulations, Satsuki-senpai" Rindou calmly smiled at Momoi. The school year was over as the two 'celebrated' by eating ice cream at the convenience store.
"Thank you, Kaeriin. I'm sad that I can't get a group photo with everyone before we part ways. Mukkun is going to Akita and Akashi-kun is going to Kyoto" She said.
"You're going to Touou Academy with Daiki-senpai, right?" Rindou asked with a hint of sketcky-ness in her tone.
"Yes. I really want to go to the same school as Tetsu-kun, but Aomine-kun is going to make the worst decisions when he's by himself" Momoi explained with a grumpy expression on her face.
"I understand" Rindou brought her knuckle up to her lips, slightly covering her smile.
"Hey. . ." Rindou said to get Momoi's attention, "Once you enroll into Touou with Daiki-senpai, can you. . ." She ominously paused
". . .forget that I existed?"
It was silent for a while. Momoi stared at Rindou's bright autumny eyes as the sound of cars driving by filled her ears.
"Kaeriin! What the frick?!"
"aH HAHAHAHA!" Rindou held onto her stomach with one of her arms, trying not to drop her ice cream, "You said 'frick. . . !' Are you trying to restrict yourself from swearing because Tetsuya-senpai doesn't like girls who swear?!"
"Stop laughing! That wasn't very funny!" Momoi pouted.
"Eheh--sure sure" She grinned, "it was a pointless request; I know that you wouldn't, but, you could still pretend to forget me"
"Why though?" Momoi asked, "We've been through a lot this past year, I don't even want to pretend to forget you"
"It's for your friendship with Daiki-senpai. If you forget about me; your friendship will be assured. Remember me; you'll face some difficulties. Sounds absurd right?" Rindou stated.
"What?!" Momoi exclaimed, "what is that supposed to mean?! Is that some metaphor for something, or are you being serious?"
"I'm quite serious actually." Rindou casually replied.
"Your straightforwardness is actually terrifying. . ." the pink-haired girl sighed, "I'm not doubting you or anything, but I feel like I'd be disrespecting you if I pretended to forget you"
"Don't worry. I'm the one suggesting the idea; therefore, I wouldn't be hurt" Rindou explained, "It's alright if you're uncomfortable with the idea either way. None of those options are entirely incorrect, in my opinion"
"I'll go with the second option. I'll make sure that I can protect our friendship while still remembering you" Momoi confidently said.
Rindou stared at her with a look that seemed indifferent at first glance, "okay"
In hindsight, Rindou appeared to have already known the outcome, but didn't bother to stop it from happening.
"You knew that it was going to happen. You had it in your eyes, so why did you have to keep quiet about it?!" Tears started streaming down Momoi's face.
"It's not fair!"