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Year One
“Tetsu, Tetsu! You gotta try the popsicles here!” Aomine’s excited shout burst in through the convenience store doors. Kuroko trailed behind him.
“Satsuki and I get them all the time! There’re so many cool flavours: orange, lemon, blueberry…” Momoi comes in soon after.
“Aomine-kun, don’t overwhelm Tetsu-kun!” she chided. She was shy, avoiding Kuroko’s gaze. She was standing slightly apart from him, in the awkward way acquaintances did when they first met. She did barely know the boy Dai-chan raved so much about, after all.
“Eh, Tetsu’s cool,” Aomine says, shrugging. He spins a basketball expertly on one hand.
Kuroko peers at all the flavours, smiles, and picks the vanilla one. Then Aomine drags him to gaze longingly at all the glossy basketball magazines stacked on the shelves.
Momoi hung back, smiling her shy sweet smile, looking at them fondly. It was nice to see Dai-chan so happy with a friend. Aomine drags her over to join him and Tetsu.
“Once you get into the first string, I’ll get you a popsicle as a celebration!” Aomine promises, smiling his carefree smile. A smile full of the joys of living your passion at a young age, evident from the way he clutched the basketball in an arm.
Kuroko smiles back, but then says, “Just a popsicle? You’re cheap, Aomine-kun.”
Momoi giggles.
***
“Aomine. It can’t be that difficult to acquiesce to my request. You owe me— I have helped you multiple times, after all,” Midorima is glaring with all the vengeance a thirteen-year-old could have at Aomine.
Aomine just sniggers. “That’s a stupid request, though. I don’t do stupid things — especially not for you,” he says, putting his nose in the air. Midorima glares even more, and balls a hand into a fist.
“Both of you,” Akashi steps in calmly. “What’s the matter this time? You are making a scene in public.”
Aomine laughs outright, loudly. “Midorima wants to play rock-paper-scissors with me, can you believe that? I’m way too old to play that anymore.”
MIdorima sputtered angrily. “You think I want to play with you? Oha Asa has said rock-paper-scissors is lucky for me today, and it just so happens Virgo is ranked first. It’s just prudent to play it with Aomine!”
“Oi, Tetsu,” Aomine says, elbowing him. “You agree that I’m too mature for childish games, don’t you?” Midorima is speechless, shaking with anger. He can’t believe that Aomine of all people is actually accusing him of being childish.
Before Kuroko can reply, Murasakibara yawns loudly and places a basket overflowing with snacks on the counter. “There are more important things than rock-paper-scissors…like, which flavour Pocky should I pick this time? I already picked chocolate last time, which I liked, but then I like to try the new flavours too…”
Akashi sighs, and says, “Aomine-kun. Stop gloating and just play Rock-Paper-Scissors with Midorima-kun or I will ask Nijimura-senpai to double your training menu next time. Midorima-kun, if you want a favour you should ask nicely. Murasakibara-kun. Just get both flavours if you can’t decide.”
Then he turns to Kuroko. “Kuroko-kun, I see you’re getting another vanilla popsicle. You should consider healthier alternatives, like banana chips.”
They just nod dutifully and say, “Yes, Akashi/Aka-chin/Akashi-kun.”
Later, Midorima stiffly apologizes to Aomine, and Aomine lets him win at rock-paper-scissors, very obviously. Murasakibara allows them to share some of his snacks, and Akashi treats everyone to vanilla popsicles, including Kuroko.
***
Year Two
“Aominechii, Kurokochii~!” Kise’s excited tittering carries loudly into the store. “My treat — popsicles for everyone, to celebrate our win over Akashichii, Midorimachii and Murasakibarachii!”
“I don’t think Akashi-kun considers that a win, Kise-kun,” Kuroko says calmly. “I think it is more likely that he has won because we successfully taught Midorima-kun and Murasakibara-kun that teamwork is better than fighting.”
Kise just beams. “Ah, well, I’m just glad I got to play with you guys~!” Just then, Aomine points at a magazine and laughs. “Hey, it’s you on the cover! You look so dumb all made up like that.”
Kise pouts. Then he brightens. “Hey, hey! Want to check out B-ball Monthly this month?”
The three of them rush to the magazine stand. Aomine starts yelling about his favourite player and Kise excitedly agrees, hanging onto his every word. They both start jostling each other, Kise eagerly promising that he will beat Aominechii in a one-on-one for sure tomorrow, or the next day, or the next.
Kuroko is smiling his quiet smile, and holding a basketball tightly, lovingly, in his arms.
***
“There’d better be a good reason for you brats to drag me all the way here,” Nijimura says impatiently as Aomine and Kise drag him over to the popsicles stand.
“Farewell gift, senpai!” Kise says excitedly. “Popsicles are sort of like our thing, so we wanted to include you before you retire as our captain!”
Nijimura bonks him on the head. “You know that it’s not part of your recommended diet plan as athletes, right?” Kise rubs his head and whines. “But senpai, they’re so good!”
Akashi steps in calmly. “Nijimura-senpai. It has been an honour being vice-captain and to be led by you.” He extends a hand to shake Nijimura’s hand.
Nijimura just laughs and musses his hair. “No need to be so formal, Akashi. I’ll still be on the team, just more on the benches. And anyway, Teikou is in your good hands now.”
Aomine shoves a popsicle in his hand. “Here, my favourite flavour!” Murasakibara places an umaibo in his other hand. “I don’t like popsicles…and umaibo is better anyway…so here you go.”
Midorima stiffly passes him a small paper bag. “Captain Nijimura, you are a Cancer like myself. Here is a charm I have gotten from the shrine. It wishes you all the success in future.”
Nijimura raps them all on the head fondly. He turns to Kuroko. “What, no gift for me, Kuroko?” he jokes.
Kuroko smiles. “I don’t think any gift could be enough, but here.” He passes him a wristband.
As they leave the store, Nijimura looks at all of them. “Take care of yourselves, and each other, brats,” he says, flicking them all on the forehead before heading back.
Aomine frowns and rubs his forehead as they watch him leave. “That’s one thing I won’t miss about him.”
***
Aomine goes to the store alone. He stares past the basketball magazines, past the basketball manga, past the popsicle stand. He stares at an article with large letters: “Domination of the Generation of Miracles: Teikou’s Opponents fall over like Dominoes!”
Momoi rushes in. “Aomine-kun, there you are! You’re already late for practice, come on!” she says, dragging him out of the store.
Aomine sighs deeply before letting her pull him out. Man, practice was such a drag. Maybe he just won’t go next time.
***
Year Three
Midorima walks purposefully towards the children’s book section. He buys a colouring book. He shows momentary interest in the shogi set in the corner, and on a book on shogi strategies. Then he turns his back on them, and leaves the store. There was no one to play it with, after all.
***
Kuroko enters the store. He walks straight to the basketball magazines, buys a copy of B-ball Monthly. He reads it outside the store (Teikou’s Takeover: Slamming Team Dunks Meikou’s Dreams), then tosses it in the rubbish bin immediately after. For once, he has no basketball in his hands.
***
Aomine enters, head hanging and hands in his pockets. He buys gravure magazines. He doesn’t give a second glance towards the basketball magazines.
Momoi trails in soon after. “Aomine-kun,” she says tentatively, “It’s almost time to look at high school applications.” He doesn’t respond. She stares at his back, eyes sad.
They don’t buy popsicles as they leave.
***
Murasakibara drags his feet into the store, and buys almost all the flavours of umaibo. He doesn’t give a second glance towards the basketball magazine section, or to the ‘buy five get a free basketball’ deal on the Pocky family pack. He didn’t feel like eating Pocky today, that’s all.
***
Kise is mobbed by his fangirls during graduation, and spends hours taking pictures with all of them as they sob the inevitability of his departure. He isn’t able to make it to the convenience store for one last time before he moves to Kanagawa. Somehow, he doesn’t care.
***
Akashi drives by the store on his way back from school for the last time after graduation. He walks in and buys a shogi set. He discards the rest of the board and pieces, and only keeps the king (osho). That’s the only piece he needs.