Chapter Twenty-Two:

In one swift movement I slipped off Akashi's back, hastily rearranging my uniform and coming to stand beside him. My uncle watched the whole thing with wide eyes, as if he couldn't quite process what he was seeing. I swallowed. "Oji-chan, what are you doing here? I thought you went away for work this morning…?"

He didn't reply for the longest time, switching his gaze between Akashi and I. I squirmed uncomfortably, unable to meet his sharp stare. Meanwhile the receptionist lady was scowling intensely at Akashi, but he seemed to be completely absorbed in something to her left. If I had a knife right now…

My Uncle chose that moment to speak, although his voice was notably strained. "Situation's changed. I don't have to go away for the time being."

I frowned at that. After all the conversations he and my aunt had had about income… "Are you sure that's a good idea, Oji-chan?" Something clicked in my head then; I inched closer so only he could hear me mutter, "If it's something happening at home, you know you don't need to worry. I can handle it."

Some of the tension left his features at my words, and he gave me a small smile. "That's not the case, Setsuna-chan. I received a call earlier this afternoon; it seems the client I was scheduled to meet has had an unexpected set-back. I go back to meet with him in a week."

I nodded as I processed this new information. A week… That will leave me alone with Oba-san this time next week. And since she was utterly smitten with Akashi anyway, there would be no questioning of my whereabouts when I faced off against Chinami. Perfect timing.

"That's great news, Oji-chan."

He smiled a little, obviously pleased. "Indeed it is. That means I'll be here for your birthday in three days' time!"

Oh… Right. I forced a smile, trying to match his enthusiasm. "Yes. That sounds great, Oji-chan –"

"Pardon me for butting in," Akashi suddenly interceded. I cast him a surprised glance, but his focus was solely on my uncle. "May I ask what business you do, Kurosawa-san?"

My uncle visibly tensed at being addressed so directly, and he seemed to straighten before he replied tersely, "I'm in real estate."

Akashi nodded. "I see. And a good profession to be in at this time. I hear the business market is booming again for the first time in five years."

"… Yes." My uncle studied him for a moment, as if trying to figure out what his play was. Yeah, good luck with that. "We have leasing contracts coming up from a range of diverse businesses."

I rolled my eyes. He was being blatantly aloof with Akashi, as though this were some kind of petty contest.

Akashi smiled, and I couldn't keep my jaw from dropping. What is this encounter I'm witnessing right now? "Indeed. Is this looking to be a promising sale?"

"Hmm… Well, as is the case with some companies – such as law firms and government-funded departments – it's quite touch-and-go a lot of the time. I've little experience with these kinds of sales; mostly I stick to construction companies and shares in others."

Akashi's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as he spoke, and again I wondered what he was playing at here. "A law firm?"

My uncle shrugged. "That's what I said."

This time I took it upon myself to catch his eye and give him a warning glance – which earned me a 'stay out of this' scowl – but Akashi hardly seemed to notice. "And out of town… You wouldn't be referring to Yoshida's, by chance?"

My brain began ticking at the mention of that name, at the same time my uncle smiled shrewdly. "Ah, yes. I suppose you of all people might pick up on that, Akashi-kun." I nearly winced at that careless use of honorific – across from me, I saw the receptionist shoot a scowl at my uncle. Oblivious, he continued, "Indeed, it's your father I am scheduled to meet next week to discuss a possible sale. But that is all I will say on the matter."

There was a moment of awkward silence at the abrupt end in conversation, and me being me, I immediately began searching for a new topic of conversation. But the receptionist beat me to it.

"Akashi-sama, I believe it is about time for you to be off. We have wasted much time here already." She turned and motioned to the limo, where a driver sat patiently staring straight ahead and seeming oblivious to the whole exchange – if you didn't notice the slightly cracked passenger window.

"Would you mind staying for a moment, Akashi?" My uncle piped up. "I wanted to ask a few questions about Setsuna's studies. Would you say she has improved enough to achieve the marks she hopes?" I blushed furiously.

The lady visibly tensed, and an impatient scowl contorted her features as she turned to face him. "Akashi-sama should be spending time focusing on his own studies, not wasting time on such negligent things as someone else's educational successes." She made a shooing motion with her hand. "Please continue on your way, and do not bother Akashi-sama any further."

My uncle and I stood, astounded at her rudeness, as Akashi turned and made his way to the limo. She watched him until he was safely inside the vehicle, and it had pulled out onto the road to merge with traffic, before turning and marching back into the school administration building. The silence left behind was almost deafening.

"Oji-chan, I –"

"Who," he began, "Just who in the world do those pair of stuck up peacocks think they are? Who do they think we are?" He huffed and planted his balled-up fists on his waist. "I'll have you know, if Masuru-sama doesn't seal this deal with me next week, he'll be up to his neck in financial trouble –!" He caught himself, realizing what had come out of his mouth, and his face turned sheepish.

I seized the change in topic. "Financial trouble? Why? Is he in debt to the banks?"

He sighed wearily. "No, Setsuna-chan. It's none of either of our business. Let's just go home and surprise your Oba-san, alright?" He smiled suddenly, all the tension leaking from his face as he did, and despite my disappointment, I realized that I had forgotten how much I loved his easy smile. "Actually Setsuna-chan, I came here this afternoon to take you birthday present shopping. I… may have no idea what you want for your birthday this weekend."

I frowned at him, crossing my arms. "I thought I made it pretty clear what I wanted for my birthday? A week of no chores, remember?"

His smile became strained. "Yes, I remember… It's just that… well… I spoke to your Aunt about that earlier today, after I got home from the airport."

"And?" I made sure to keep my tone even, not betraying the weariness I already felt. Because I knew what the answer was going to be even before I saw the regret in his eyes.

"Oba-san… She really needs your help around the house, Setsuna-chan. I'm afraid that's not going to change, even if it is an important time of the year. But that's why I'm here," he continued on without pausing. "So I can take you to the mall and we can get you a proper present. No chores for a week is a terrible idea for a birthday gift anyway, wouldn't you agree?"

I sighed, resigned, and then an idea occurred to me. I smiled evilly. "Well, there is one thing…"

Later that afternoon we arrived home, me humming contentedly and my uncle shaking his head fondly at me. "I should've known you'd find a way to get the upper hand."

I grinned up at him as we walked into the living room, shaking the box in my hands meaningfully. "This, Oji-chan, is what you call compromise."

He rolled his eyes. "Somehow, I have to disagree. Because to me, buying a robot vacuum cleaner is the same as not doing the floors at all."

I wagged my finger. "Nuh-uh. It's called multitasking. Innovation. Proactivity. We live in an age where anything is possible, but best of all, it's affordable. And if I can afford to buy a wonderful robot vacuum that will help me with my chores, if it's possible, then why wouldn't I choose to be more proactive?"

Again with the eye-rolling, yet he couldn't help but chuckle at my antics. As he did, I saw my aunt come strolling towards us through the hallway, but she stopped short when he entangled me in a bone crushing hug. In a booming voice, he declared, "If it makes you happy, Setsuna-chan, then who am I to deny an innovator on her birthday?"

As he swooped me up, I saw her eyes dart to the package on the ground, then back up to me. I swallowed at the look she gave me, and I could almost hear her thoughts as though she'd spoken directly. 'Ungrateful. Lazy. Spoiled. Always looking for ways to get out of your work.' I met her eyes squarely – or as much as I could whilst being careened around – refusing to be cowed by her evident disapproval.

She scowled, then turned on her heel and briskly walked back the way she came. I released a breath, silently applauding myself for my small victory. But on the heels of that came another disturbing thought.

Is it really a victory if I don't know who I'm fighting against? These days, I couldn't be sure. Was it Chinami? My Aunt? Akashi? Myself?

Who was I really fighting?

I walked briskly to the corner of the street, ignoring the way the morning chill seemed to seep into the exposed skin on my legs. It was six a.m. on a Saturday, and I had bags under my eyes dark enough to make me look like a racoon. My destination was dead ahead, yet I felt more tired than when I'd started my trek.

Why, you might ask?

For the second time that morning, my phone buzzed insistently. I checked it once, then rolled my eyes. Deciding not to reply, I instead continued straight ahead towards the school, slipping through a side gate that I'd been told would be left open. Luckily, it was.

Two minutes later I was in the gym and standing there in the middle of the court was the familiar red-haired figure I'd come to meet. He turned as I approached.

I waggled my phone. "Really, Akashi? I'm two minutes late and already you're chewing me out."

He studied me coolly, unphased. "We agreed six o'clock. I expect you to be on time."

I glared at him. "You messaged me at five thirty to be here. I'd appreciate a bit of notice if you're going to spring something like this on me."

"And I'd appreciate not getting caught up in your drama, yet here we are."

I crossed my arms. I wasn't liking where this conversation was headed so early in the morning, so I elected to change topic before he got any drastic ideas. "How'd you get my number anyway?"

"Irrelevant," he said, waving a dismissive hand. "We need to concentrate on your offense, since you've proven you have a sound ability to defend." I couldn't help but grin a little at the praise, but before I could think too much on it he was gesturing to something set up behind him that I hadn't noticed before. I swallowed apprehensively as I assessed his handiwork.

"I've taken the liberty of putting together a small obstacle course that will help you stay light and quick on your feet. I've noticed that since we began your training you have not improved in this area much at all. Well," he said thoughtfully, "That, and your three-point shooting, which we will attend to afterwards."

I made a face at that; not because it was a nasty thing to say – and let's be honest, if I wasn't used to that by now I would've thrown in the towel long ago – but because it was true. For all the progress I'd made, it wouldn't get me far against an experienced pro like Chinami. And if I were being extra-honest with myself… three-pointers might be the only advantage I'd have against someone who was bigger, faster and more tactical in the game.

Nodding, I took off my sweater and beanie, and made my way to the center of the court to stand before him. "Where do I start?"

Seeming pleased with my countenance, he gestured to one end of the court, where eight long, thin poles had been stood up in a row. "You will start here, dribbling the ball around the poles. As you can see, they've been set up quite precariously, balancing on a weight at the bottom. Touch one, and it will topple over, and you start again." I grimaced at the task, but he continued on. "Next, you will bounce your ball on top of the six balls on the ground in quick succession –"

"Wait a second," I interrupted, earning me a warning look. "You want me to maintain control of the ball while bouncing it on top of another one?!"

"Six," he corrected. "And in immediate succession."

"All that's going to do is shoot it off to the other side of the court! It's an impossible task!" I exclaimed.

"No Setsuna," he began in a chiding tone, as though speaking to a child. "Challenging someone on Chinami's physical level was impossible. Now you must work impossibly to make it possible. Do you understand?"

Akashi-logic. That's what this is. Making the impossible possible… Unfortunately, it was sound logic. "Yeah, I understand."

"Good. Then at the end, you will face me and attempt to pass my guard."

Something I'd done before. Which made it possible. I see what he's doing here. "Alright. Let's do it, Akashi-san."

"This is impossible, Akashi!"

"Yes, I know. You must make it not so."

I threw my hands up at him. "That's the whole point of it being impossible! It is not possible! Cannot be possible in this entire universe!"

He turned thoughtful. "Hmmm, perhaps not this one. But another…"

I held up my hand. "Nope. We're not confusing science with sports right now. In this version of reality, this is impossible."

"So you agree with the parallel universe theory?" He seemed genuinely curious about my answer.

I braced my hands on my knees in defeat. "If it states that every version of myself in those universes declares this task impossible, then yes, I agree with it."

He sighed, thinking me melodramatic, and tried again. "This course will teach you self-control, ball-control, and control over your opponent. If you can master these three things, you will ultimately control the outcome of the match."

Because I was already testy – and also because what he was suggesting didn't sound impossible at all – I thought it a perfectly sound idea to say, "And which one of those three did you lose control over when you lost to Kuroko-san?"

Crickets. I could actually hear the crickets outside, given that it was still early in the morning. Funny, I never noticed how loud they could be when they all chorus together that way, I thought dazedly. Guess they're trying to fill the silence, which they're doing a really good job of, by the way –

A small, barely-there 'Hmph' came from the entrance to the gym. I turned, and there stood Midorima Shintaro in all his tall, green, distracting glory.

I smiled, relief painted in every contour of my face. "Midorima-san –"

"To lose one victory is to lose all victory," he said with a small smirk. "That's what Seijuro-san would say. But based on my own estimation… I would say it began with the third option."

I nearly died from embarrassment, but Akashi chose that moment to speak up. "Shintaro. Thank you for coming."

The number-one shooter shrugged. "You requested my presence," he stated simply. "So, I am here."

"Hey, Midorimacchi!" A put-out voice sounded from behind him.

He rolled his eyes. "We are here."

My brows almost raised into my hairline when another member of the Generation of Miracles entered the gym. Smile nearly as bright as his hair, he exclaimed in a lively tone, "Morning, Akashicchi! I made it here on time too, ya know!"

Glancing back at Akashi, I noted he didn't react to Kise at all. Instead, he turned to me and asked, "Are you ready, Setsuna?"

I straightened uneasily, my gaze switching between the three former Generation of Miracles. "Ready… for what?"

For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Akashi's face stretched into a smile that only served to amplify my apprehension.

"For the next part of your training."

Swallowing, I turned to face Kise. "What is he talking about?"

"Hmmm…" He assessed me as he strode forward into the gym, taking in the obstacle-course-of-hell and dozens of basketballs lying around. "I think you'll be facing me one-on-one, Setsunacchi."

"W-What?!" I whirled on Akashi, advancing in a panic. "You – you want me to go one-on-one with Kise?! Do you have any idea how crazy that sounds?"

Akashi crossed his arms, looking down at me with that 'you're so inferior right now' gaze. "I thought we agreed that at this crucial time, there is no such thing as 'crazy' or 'impossible'. If you want to win one-on-one against Chinami, you will learn best playing against Kise."

I shook my head. "But I've gotten past you one-on-one before! And you're Akashi Seijuro! If I can do that, then –"

"You stole past me the first time because I had to restrain myself. If I had gone any harder, you would've given up after the first five minutes." He gestured to Kise. "Ryouta will be more effective in working with your weaker body."

One minute, Kise was smiling pleasantly – the next, pouting sullenly. "Akashicchi, what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Midorima interceded while pushing up his glasses, "That you will play defense whilst also taking note of Setsuna's form and play-style. Obviously, that is why I am here."

I glanced at Kise – only to find he was already looking at me. We both turned to Midorima with invisible question marks over our heads.

He sighed. "Honestly, am I the only one that actually uses my brain?" He gave us a look of disgust. "Kise, you will defend while I instruct Setsuna in perfecting her three-point shooting as a tactic to score points without risking a close one-on-one encounter against someone of your level. Isn't that right, Seijuro-san?"

Akashi only nodded once in confirmation. But Midorima seemed discontent, frowning in thought as he assessed his former captain. "But… something isn't making sense to me. Kise will be defending, and you'll be observing the play. You know I'm not good at one-on-one gameplay, so long-distance shooting is the only technique I can teach Sestuna-san – since she clearly didn't observe closely enough last time." I scowled at him, but he continued undeterred. "But when it comes to the former… What are you planning to do to take care of that, Seijuro?"

Snatching a discarded ball from the ground, he turned and tossed it to me so quickly I almost missed it. "Don't worry. I have someone in mind to assist in that area."

I frowned. "Who –"

"Ah, I see now." Before me, I saw both Midorima and Kise tense. Slowly, they turned to face the newcomer. "You set me up, Akashi."

I turned last to see who Akashi had arranged to 'teach' me one-on-one, looking up at him – and up, and up. When I finally realised who it was I was looking at, I didn't process it at first.

Akashi set me up with this… this monster –

Akashi acknowledged him with a nod. "Kagami-san. Thank you for coming."