I do not own Kuroko no Basuke.

Bored…

Swish~

So bored…

Swish~

"Argh, I'm so damn bored!" Aomine slammed the ball into the hoop. It trembled from the force as he landed back on his feet. He let out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes. His chest felt heavy. Like there was an invisible weight that he couldn't get rid of no matter what he did. The matches… The victories… They were all pointless.

Basketball just wasn't fun anymore.

Was there really no one who can beat him?

Was there even a point to playing basketball anymore?

…Maybe he should just quit?

After all…

"The only one who can beat me is me…" He muttered reopening his eyes to the setting sun before him. The sound of a pair of footsteps made him turn around. He finds his basketball spinning on the finger of a stranger. Tufts of messy snow white hair curled out from under a short-sleeved orange hood coupled with a pair of black shorts, white sneakers, and a black sweatband on her left wrist. But the thing that caught his eye the most was the pair of shades adorning the stranger's face.

Who the hell wears sunglasses during this time of day?

However, the stranger didn't seem to be concerned with his unspoken question. Instead, they let the ball stop and settle in their hands. Holding the ball out toward him, they spoke. "Want to play?" The voice was soft and low, but undoubtedly female. Aomine frowned. With a neutral tone and a pair of sunglasses in the way, he couldn't read her at all. Seemingly undeterred by his silence, she continued to wait with her hands held out questioningly.

Well, fuck it, he decided. Guy or girl. It didn't matter. If it was a match she wanted, then it's a match she'll get. Either way, there was only one way it'll end — with his victory.

…

He turned to face her as he took his position on the court. He raised an eyebrow in confusion at the girl. "Oi…where do you think you're standing?" She had stopped a few steps short away from him. An "oh" escapes her lips as if coming back to her senses, she quickly took her place across from him.

Aomine sighed. Maybe he shouldn't have accepted this game so quickly just because he was bored. But then again, he wasn't one to turn down challenges, no matter who they were from.

He let her have the ball first, seeing as it was already in her hands. He quietly observed her form as she began to dribble the ball. Looks like she at least has the basics covered despite seeming off kilter.

But…

She took a step forward.

Too bad that alone wasn't enough.

He dashed forward easily stealing the ball from her grasp, pivoted his foot before she could react, and rushed toward the hoop slamming the ball in easily. Turning, he turned to look at the hooded girl. Her form frozen with her jaw hanging open in disbelief. His heart sunk. That weight on his chest seemed to grow heavier with every beat. It was what he was expecting, but it was still disappointing to see after all.

He looked away. Would she still want to play? He didn't even give her a chance before he took that point so effortlessly.

"—gain…"

Huh…? He looked up from the ground. His eyes widened as he caught the sight of a wide grin adorning her face.

"Again," she repeated.

Was she serious? He blinked in disbelief, waiting for her to tell him that she was joking, but she never did. Instead, she seemed to be waiting, almost bouncing on the balls of her feet with excitement for the continuation of the match. He couldn't help the small tug upward on his lips. The excitement was contagious. Feeling a bit lighter, he gave the ball back to her as he took his place in front of her. Even if the result was obvious, it wouldn't hurt to try and enjoy himself right?

...

She began dribbling the ball once more and stepped forward to advance. Once again, Aomine dove forward to steal the ball, but this time she was ready. She passed the ball to her other hand and swerved around him. She's ambidextrous? Caught off guard by the unexpected maneuver, Aomine froze for a second before regaining his bearings. He raced to catch up with her and jumped to block her shot. He easily cast a shadow over her and his eyes fell down to her figure. Her arms were bent, ready to release the ball. His arm stretched out ready to smack it out of the air.

But then he blinked and she was gone.

What? He turned his head back as he was falling from the air. His eyes wide with shock to see the ball gone from her hands, falling soundlessly through the basket. He finally landed back on his feet.

She turned and grinned at the stunned boy. "My point."

At the sound of her voice, his gaze snapped back to her smiling face. It all happened so fast. There was nothing complicated about her act. She simply ducked around him and scored a point. The issue was her speed. Aomine was known for being fast. But she was simply faster. That was it. But it was enough. Enough that she was able to score a point against him. Aomine Daiki. The ace of the Generation of Miracles.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

He could feel his heart beating in his ears. In anticipation, in excitement, and for the first time in a long time — hope.

Hope that this was what he had been searching for all this time.

Hope that he would no longer feel alone on the court with his own monstrous talent.

He watched as she picked up the ball that had rolled by her feet. She held it out to him.

"Again?"

He could feel his blood thrumming with life. His fingers tingled with anticipation. The weight on his chest feels a little lighter somehow. His mouth stretched into a wide grin that held a touch of desperation.

"Again."

…

The light had faded into night as Aomine laid on the ground. The strange girl had been dragged away by some noisy girl, most likely her sister, leaving him alone on the court. They had played for so long that he had lost track of the points midway. But it didn't matter because one thing rang true with no doubt.

He had lost.

He.

Aomine Daiki.

Lost.

And he didn't give a damn about it.

Sweat dripped down his face like waterfalls. His chest rose and dropped with every breath. He had never felt so alive. He didn't care about anything else. He didn't care about what his teammates would say when they hear of his loss. He didn't care about Teiko's motto of 'Ever Victorious.' He simply didn't care about anything except this feeling right now. Gone was the heavy weight on his chest. In its place was a pumping heart that struggled to keep up with his exhaustion.

He was alive.

A familiar ringtone suddenly played. His hand lazily took the phone out of his bag. Without looking at the caller ID, he answered.

"Dai-chan! Where are you?! What time do you think i—?!" He easily tuned her out. He was in such a good mood that even her usual nagging didn't annoy him.

"Hey, Satsuki…"

A pause.

"What is it, Dai-chan?" Her voice sounds tentative. Somewhere in the back of his head, he wondered what he must've sounded like to make her stop and listen when she usually wouldn't shut up. But at the moment, he didn't really care. All he could think about was the snowy white haired girl that brought color to his world of monotonous grey. He brought an arm over his face hoping to cover up the trail of tears that had fallen before he realized it.

"It looks like the only one who can beat me isn't just me anymore."

A/N: Hello~ Thank you for finishing the first chapter of my new story. Feel free to let me know what you guys think. :)

Also, for those who have read my other story, Fukue, I give you my sincere apologies for not updating in so long. School, graduating, job hunting, etc. have taken up most of my time, but above all that, I did end up losing my motivation to write. I'm hoping to get back into writing by starting something new. I do want to eventually finish Fukue, but I guess I'll see how this goes for now. Thanks again for reading!