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THEN

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGRRRRHHHHHHHHH!" Anna cried as tears streamed down her eyes as Francine had frantically flew down the spiral stairs in worry to see the young mistress in tears.

"Anna?! What happened?! Is everything alright? Are you hurt?!" Francine fretted in french in such a tone it seemed like a nightmare had come true.

"Kaguya," Anna cried as the governess raised a brow as Anna held up her long time cat lying lifelessly as the feline was cradled in her hands. Francine only sighed in relief as she switched her demeanour to a comforting one from the one she was convinced Anna was hurt.

"oh, dear," Francine have a gentle kiss on her forehead and hugged Anna from behind. "Kaguya has lived a good life, it's master has treated it with love and respect, as well as the best of care."

"B-but, Kaguya should have lived longer!" Anna wailed.

"Kaguya lived way past it's lifespan due to your care," Francine conceded in a honeyed tone as she tried to wipe the tears rolling down her face. Thinking on her feet, Francine smiled as she then suggested: "why don't you go over to Akashi-san's house, hm?"

Anna only wiped her tears as she nodded silently.

"I'll give the head maid a call," Francine chuckled as she headed to the table across the otherside of the room. On the line, the brunette gazed at the young Anna crying as she only let out a small smile.

"This the Hirose residence, Umisaka-san?" she switched effortlessly to Japanese, "Is the young master at home, Hirose-chan would like to see him... oh he's not home? Business with his father, I see..." she trailed in complete worry for Anna who was still mourning on the floor.

"Ok, thank you," Francine ended the call as she gulped in fear.

"Is Sei at home?" Anna inquired still holding her cat in one arm as she wiped her tears with her spare hand.

"I'm sorry Anna, but Akashi-san and the young master is at business brunch," she answered.

"Oh," her tone dropped.

"Is there any other place you want to go-, or any other place you want to see?"

---

"OH MY GOD, WHY ARE YOU CRYING ANNA?! WHO HURT YOU?!" Aomine frantically exclaimed when he opened the door only to see his best friend in tears as his body rushed in panic.

"My cat died," she put up her dead cat as Aomine almost fainted at the sight of a dead animal in front of him, then quickly letting her inside into the lounge room as he stood dumbfounded with what to do with a crying Anna.

"Where's Akashi?" Aomine inquired trying not to panic at the thought of the Teiko captain chopping his head off.

"He's on a business brunch or lunch or whatever," Anna wiped her tears, watching Aomine attempting to hide all of his dirty magazines, "Where are your parents?"

"My mum is a nurse so she practically works all day, dad is one of those service operators," he explained, going back and forth from his room to his bedroom with his mature magazines. "Alright," he clapped his hand looking at a despondent Anna, "Yeah I've got nothing."

Anna only looked around, spotting a magazine and then pulling it out as she put her cat on it.

"WAIT! Don't put your dead cat on my magazine!" Aomine badgered.

"Why are you even looking at women in bikinis?!" she deflected.

"Because-, because I'm honomal!"

"You mean hormonal?!"

"Just get your dead cat off my magazine!" he argued.

"Stop saying my cat is dead!" Anna teared up.

"But it is dead!" he gestured barbarically to the lifeless cat as deadly silence followed his last statement. "Oh dear..."

Anna only burst into tears as she cried resulting in Aomine in freaking out, making him pace around the room with his hands going through his hair.

"Oh my god stop crying I'm trying to think!" Aomine prattled.

"You insulted my cat!"

"BUT YOUR CAT IS DEAD!"

"I KNOW THAT, BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO RUB IT IN!"

"WELL STOP BEING EMOTIONAL IT'S JUST A CAT!"

"I'M NOT BEING EMOTIONAL! KAGUYA IS NOT JUST A CAT, IT'S BEEN MY BEST FRIEND SINCE I WAS YOUNGER-"

"YOU'RE CRYING! AND THAT THING HAS A NAME?!"

"YES IT DOES HAS A NAME THANK YOU VERY MUCH! AND I'M CRYING BECAUSE YOU INSULTED MY CAT!"

"IT'S JUST A CAT!"

"YOU'RE A CAT!"

"WHAT TYPE OF INSULT IS THAT?!" Aomine rambled as Anna only sobbed more, with Aomine only banging his head on the wall. Why did Momoi have to be out with friends today? Dammit, wait a minute... Kuroko!

---

"Hey Aomine," Kuroko greeted at the door of his apartment with his bag, without a response Aomine only dragged his friend to the lounge room and pointed a crying Anna.

"Fix that," he motioned his statement to Anna.

"Aomine, what did you do?" Kuroko frowned looking at his tall friend only gasped in response.

"You really think I would hurt my best friend?! I mean I joke around but I would never make Anna cry! I don't want my head chopped off!" Aomine shivered of the thought of an Akashi hidden in the dark with his eyes glowing viciously like a lion about murder its prey.

"Good point. Akashi is going to murder you," Kuroko replied and made his way to his friend, giving her a hug from the side. "Are you alright?" he asked as she was trying to wipe away her tears.

"Aomine was so mean to my cat-" Anna sniffed.

"Hold on here-!" Aomine interjected in the background.

"-I mean how could he say such things to Kaguya!" Anna held up her cat in front of Kuroko as his eyes trailed at the dead feline. Oh, dear...

Kuroko only fainted on the spot, rolling off the couch in the process with his face and stomach flat out on the carpet. Anna continued to tear up.

"KUROKO!" Aomine yelled, now stuck with a sad Anna that would end in dire consequences if he didn't fix, and his only hope passed out on the floor. Pacing around the room, running his hands through his hair frustratingly he then stopped in his tracks with another idea popping into his head as he grabbed his phone and frantically jabbed the numbers to call Midoriama...

---

"Oh... my... goodness..." Midoriama stood frozen at the sight of the chaotic scene that stood before him. "Aomine! I wasn't prepared nor equipped for this!"

"I TOLD YOU IT WAS AN EMERGENCY!" Aomine fired back.

"THIS A DO OR DIE SITUATION AOMINE! ARE YOU THAT STUPID OR DESPERATE FOR YOUR HEAD TO BE CHOPPED OFF?!" Midoriama fumed.

"WHAT IS IT WITH MY HEAD BEING CHOPPED OFF?!" Aomine cursed back.

"DON'T BE SELF-CENTRED YOU DOPEY GORILLA! WE'RE BOTH GONNA GET OUR HEADS CHOPPED OFF!"

"I KNOW THAT! SO HOW ARE WE GONNA FIX THIS?!" Aomine aggressively swayed his hands to gesture to Anna and Kuroko.

"Stop shouting! My cat is dying!" Anna cried.

"Your cat is already dead!" Aomine shouted as Anna only burst into tears.

"Why did you say that?!" Midoriama fired.

"OH FOR THE LOVE OF-, Aomine get a mop and water so we can clean Kuroko's blood from his fall, I'll pull him into a more comfortable position," Midoriama pushed up his glasses as Aomine sighed.

Getting the mop cart, Aomine filled it with water. Carrying it to the lounge room, Aomine only saw Midoriama trying to pull Kuroko by the ankles.

"Jeez, Midoriama he's not that heavy," Aomine sniggered.

"Shut up," he glared.

"Where do you want me to put this?" Aomine asked.

"Just hold it! Dammit!" he snapped back.

"Jeez, grumpy much?" Aomine commented, watching Midoriama grunt in trying to pull Kuroko. After a few attempts, Midoriama finally managed to pull him around the table-, yet with a grunt and a struggling Midoriama, he bumped into Aomine due to the impact of his efforts making Aomine drop the bucket of water as it landed right onto Anna.

"Holy shi-" Aomine trailed as Anna's shirt was now wet, along with her skirt, dimly revealing her undergarments-, a black spandex bra.

"AOMINE WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!" the green-haired male exploded in fury still holding Kuroko by the ankles. Aomine only stared in silence, processing what he had just done.

"AOMINE IT DOESN'T FVCKING HELP THAT YOU'RE STARING!" Anna covered her chest with a pillow embarrassingly.

"Aomine stop staring you pervert, now is not the time nor the person!" Midoriama back slapped him as Aomine jerked.

"Can we call the others?" Aomine turned to Midoriama.

"That's the smartest thing I've heard from you," Midoriama exasperated.

---

In the past two hours was utter anarchy, the moment Murisakibara walked in with his snack bar and Kise strutted in, the two were not prepared either for the battlefield they were called in for. The blonde model gasping at the sight of Anna dried-teared in Aomine's old Teiko jersey from last year -he was growing at an unnatural rate- that Kise ran to her, only to slip on the water from the floor from the event before their arrival.

Kise had fallen face planted, resulting in him having a small scar and bump on his forehead that caused his panic due to him having an important upcoming photoshoot the next week. When asked why was there water, Midoriama explained the cause-, which now explained why Aomine and Kise were at each other's throats in front of the table; both trying to strangle each other and pull each other's hair.

Midoriama had somehow gotten into a fight with Murisakibara after spamming Akashi with urgent texts to come to Aomine's house, describing why there was a broken vase in the corner. Anna had fallen asleep, arching her body around her feline still on the magazine whilst Kuroko was still passed out next to the table-, oh and the blood was still wasn't mopped.

It was only then a blood-curdling knock came from the door. Everyone froze from their positions -Kise pushing Aomine with his hand with Aomine mirroring so with his hand pulling Kise's hair, and Murisakibara pulling Midoriama's collar- as they all exchanged glances.

"Do you think..." Kise trailed nervously.

"yeah ..." Midoriama gulped.

"I mean it could be Momoi?" Aomine sheepishly smiled as another knock came from the door.

"Midoriama-kun, Aomine-kun. Let. Me. In. Murasakibara-kun and Kise-kun I know you're there," Akashi's voice sent a deathly wind to the room.

"Aomine, you get the door," Midoriama snapped.

"No way! You called him," Aomine shouted back in a hushed tone.

"I'm going to kick down this door if you don't let me in," Akashi impatiently said making them all gulp in fear.

"He can't actually do that... right?" Kise inquired.

" I don't want to find out," Midoriama chastised, stomping to the door. With a sharp inhale of courage, the moment he opened the door Akashi had slammed the door open squishing his vice in the process. Caring less Akashi stood in the lounge room with a petrifying aura surrounding him... and everyone felt it.

Inspecting the room, a fool could tell that the four (conscious) boys were all terrified at Akashi's abrupt presence.

"Why is Kuroko have a bandaid on his forehead and is passed out and why-," Akashi narrowed his eyes that Kise squeaked making Aomine give him a questionable brow. "Why is Anna in your jersey Aomine?! It's showing her cleavage-!"

"I can explain!" Aomine cried waving his hands in defence hysterically as Kise was hiding behind Murasakibara.

"I will hear Anna's side first," Akashi gritted, "All of you wait in Aomine's bedroom."

"But-,"

"I'm not in the mood Aomine," Akashi glared as the three boys -and Midoriama who was rubbing his nose from the door colliding onto him- rigidly saluted as they ran to Aomine's bedroom. Aomine had picked up Kuroko, throwing him on his shoulder, as the rest of the convoy followed Akashi's orders. Sighing, Akashi made his way to the couch, sitting next to her.

"Anna," he said gently, moving her hair out of the way and behind her ear.

"Mnmm," she groaned in response not bothering to open her eyes.

"Anna, its me," Akashi chuckled as Anna finally opened her eyes.

"Hey Sei," she smiled.

"Good afternoon Anna," he greeted.

"You're here," Anna hugged him with Akashi immeadietly enveloping her too.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come," he leaned on her head, "But I came soon as my father's brunch was over," he reassured.

"That's alright, the others... looked after me," Anna trailed.

"indubitably," Akashi scowled looking around the room's mess.

"In they're defense I was being a bit of a cry baby," she chuckled as she looked down at her clothes and gave a slight blush at the low neckline on the jersey.

"Don't worry, I'll buy you new ones," Akashi prodded, "Besides the jersey looks disgusting, I doubt Aomine didn't even wash that."

---

"Here lies Kaguya-" Anna began tearing up dressed in a black dress, blowing her nose as Akahsi patted her back.

"I can't believe this," Aomine sighed also dressed in black - a shirt and shorts - as he stood with the rest of his teammates all dressed in black standing around the small buried sight of Anna's deceased cat in the park.

"I agree, it's just a cat," Midoriama responded.

"-who was always there for me-" Anna went on.

"It was quite ugly anyways," Aomine said watching Anna trying to carry through.

"Aomine-kun! Don't be so mean!" Momoi slapped his shoulder making jerk.

"-we hope you rest peacefully in cat heaven-"

"We look so weird," Midoriama looked around in the public space.

"Neh, are we even allowed to bury a cat here, it's public property," Kise chimed in.

"The Akashi's basically own this park, it's within the radius of the Akashi's Tokyo building," Midoriama explained as they all looked at the front to see Anna breaking down. "All for a cat."

"Be nice, Anna-chi has always been there for us," Kise said.

"True," Aomine shrugged.

"Hey, can we get Maji's after this?"

NOW

Clad in a linen shirt and a white shirt layered with a chocolate brown single, the moonlight haired female only watched Kagami dexterously handle the basketball with his non-dominant arm, the ball spinning on his finger than bouncing it with his wrist.

"Whoa, you're getting better with your left arm, Kagami," Kawahara said watching next to Furihata as Anna sipped her ice tea.

"Yeah, it's even been easier to eat with this hand lately," Kagami smirked with a smug look on his face.

"Don't get arrogant," Anna irked as she slapped his back hard making him lose control of the ball.

"Hey!"

"So, you still can't sleep the day before a tournament, huh?" Furihata commented as they all looked at the red lines still prominent in the Seirin's ace's eyes.

"You look terrifying," Kawahara added.

"When does he not?" Anna sniggered.

"Like you ever sleep either Heichou," Kagami fired as they recounted Anna almost falling asleep in class from staying past one from the quotidian routine of studying, stressing, eating, constipating and complaining. "Why can't you look like Kiyoshi-san?" Kagami gestured to the blinding smile radiating off the second year as the captain was mocking it.

"Why can't you shut up baka?" she chided back.

"We better get going, is everyone here?" Riko called out as everyone look around.

"I think so..." Anna trailed.

"Eh, we're still missing one, Kuroko?" Hyuga turned around.

"I'm here," chimed Kuroko as everyone frantically pivoted to the back.

"You were here the whole time?!"

"Yes, I've been here the whole time," he nonchalantly replied as Kagami and Anna zoned in on him.

"That's a lie!" they shouted in unison as Kuroko looked the other way. "You barely made it on time!"

"Alright, that's enough. Let's go," the captain called out, "We haven't forgotten anything, have we?"

"Taiga's brain," Anna snickered as Satoshi and Mitobe were dying of laughter next to her.

"I heard that you little-!"

"Bakagami! Stop being a nuisance!" Riko called out as before the red-head could say anything the female coach interrupted him: "Besides, what made you think we forgot something? We're on our way now... to go get it!" she exclaimed as the Seirin team all smiled with determination.

---

Anna had parted ways from the team, residing her view of the match from the upper level; leaning against the railing as she waited for the two teams to come out. As Anna fished out a brochure of the team Seirin was up against.

"Josei high," Anna read about the school's basketball team, "They're regulars of the top five of inter-high. Their captain is Kawase Yōhei."

Looking back down Josei's basketball team had finally made their appearance. Within the small moving sea of yellow jersey's, it seemed one of the members -the captain- had recognised the ex uncrowned king.

Down at the court, Kuroko and Seirin's ace only gazed their attention at Kiyoshi's recognition. "I guess you could say I feel at ease with him on the court, I don't think we'll lose," Kuroko commented.

"Let the Winter Cup preliminary game between Seirin high school and Josei High school begin!"

Aligning with each other face to face with Josei and Seirin's new team, all eyes were on the new star rookie from Josei Narumi Daisuke who was sniffing up, causing questioning looks from both Anna and the teams.

"What's wrong Narumi?" the captain asked.

"you're so mean captain," he answered sluggishly as if he had been hit by a bullet. "Why would you do that?"

"A girl."

"Huh?"

"What?"

"You said the coach of the other team was a girl," he explained. "I was expecting something more exciting but-, she's not sexy at all!" he cried like a child as he pointed to Riko as cold chills were sent through every Seirin player. "Give me back what you stole from me!"

All of Seirin's lineup jaws dropped in shock as Kuroko still kept his blank expression as he looked up at the others.

"Maybe he just mistaken Riko-san for Anna?" Kuroko proposed.

"Kuroko that's not helping!" Hyuga bickered looking around and seeing Riko giving a horrific unnatural smile.

"Go. Slaughter. Them." Riko made a gesture of slitting their throats as she was fueled in fury.

With the referee in position, the ball toss is only in favour of Seirin as the captain passes it to Kagami who dribbles just before the free throw line as he was stopped by Josei's number five and another player.

Passing it to Izuki, Izuki only passes it to the captain who side passes to Kagami only to be double teamed once more. Anna furrowed her eyebrows, it was good pressure for this stage in the competition, enough in fact for Kagami's brain to conjure. Anna only chuckled at her last statement.

Josei's number seven manages to get the ball off his hands by his distraction surprising Kagami greatly in the process.

"White ball!"

"Damn it!" Kagami bitterly snides.

"Kagami-kun, calm down," Kuroko says.

"Shut up! I'm calm!"

Dipshit is never calm Anna remarks-

Kiyoshi large hands pat the ace's head roughly catching him off guard.

"Kagami, you look terryfing. Let's take it easy," Kiyoshi smiles.

"That hurts! You hit too hard!" Kagami chastises rubbing his head in the sore area making him only chuckle. "what are you going to do if my head caves in?"

"What are you talking about? Heads don't cave in that easily," Kiyoshi's demeanour changes into a serious one.

"I know that!"

"What should we do now? They're a rougher team than we anticipated on," Izuki says to the captain.

"Yeah," he agrees then looks to Kiyoshi, "You shouldn't be telling people to take it easy, come on now."

"It's been so long, my instincts-,"

"-Hey!" Hyuga irks.

"Relax. Give me the ball, this game is just getting started, let's have some fun right?"

---

Within the last few seconds of the final quarter left, Kagami dribbles towards the goal but is marked instantly by Narumi. Yet-, if only the Narumi knew the awakening of a new prodigy. Anna felt the chills-, she had seen it and witnessed it with her past teammates. It was only time if the door would let Kagami through or if he had to continuously struggle to let himself in.

Jumping at a preternatural height and length from the free-throw line-

It was about time Anna smiled-

-Kagami's hand had slammed the ball into the hoop-, yet instead of grabbing onto the hoop his hand slipped from the edge only to fall flat on his bottom then back.

"Again?!" Seirin's basketball team expressed.

"He made it this time though!' Koganei added.

"We'll get there," Anna sighed with a light chuckle escaping her lips.

"Game over!"

Getting up as she picked up her bag, Anna made her way to the exit only to bump into someone.

"Ouch," Anna muttered dropping her bag.

"Geh! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" A worried-sicken boy around her age with brown hair and large brown eyes, clothed in what seemed to be a navy blue school uniform.

"It's alright," Anna smiled making the boy blush.

"Oh, your bag!" He picked up the bag and gave it to her.

"Thanks," she replied, "Watched the game?"

"Yeah, me and my senpai did," he looked around.

"I see, what's your name?" Anna inquired.

"Sakurai Ryo," he bowed, "I'm a first-year at Tōō academy,"

Her emerald eyes widened, "Tōō?"

"yeah?"

"Sorry, I have a friend that goes there," she chuckled, "Well I better head off now, it was nice seeing you-, oh by the way it's Hirose!"

"See you later Hirose-kun!" Sakurai waved.

"Sakurai, there you are. Who were you talking to?" Imayoshi inquired walking up to him.

"I was talking to that pretty girl," he pointed.

"Do you know her?" the Tōō captain said a bit surprised.

"Uh, I just met her now, her name was Hirose," Sakurai said.

"Hirose?" Imayoshi eyes widened.

There weren't many people's last names called Hirose-, no it couldn't be that Teiko manager. Heard she left in her second year of middle school.

"Imayoshi-san?" Sakurai snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Nevermind, let's go."

OMG, I FINALLY UPDATED!

DID YOU MISS ME?! IT WAS A SLOWBURN WRITING THIS, ONE MINUTE YOUR MOTIA=VATED THE NEXT YOU'RE NOT. I MISSED YA'LL!

NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HORRIBLE WRITING IN THIS CHAPTER.

PLEASE COMMENT AND VOTE!