"Sei-rin?" the older of the two articulated, voice tinted with confusion as his eyes gleamed with incertitude. "You don't want to come to Kirisaki Daiichi?" he asked, his fingers silently drumming over his script.

Tetsuya shook his head. He felt appreciative of his brother's concern. It showed that they had mended their relationship the past year. Nonetheless, his decision stayed the same.

"Mhm, Seirin," he nodded. "I saw them play once," he sipped on his water cup. "They seemed like a wonderful team, I'm really excited," he declared, his face as blank as ever, and his voice monotonous. If not for the slight glint in his eyes, Akihito wouldn't have read his joy.

"Oh," the actor vocalized, his eyes strayed to his script for a few seconds. It was one he had to prepare for an audition this weekend, for a soda commercial. "How were the nationals?" he inquired, he hadn't been able to attend because of acting duty

Tetsuya's mood seemed to plummet, compared to when he spoke of Seirin, every time he mentioned Teiko, his face would turn paler, and his overall aura gloomier.

"Well, we won," he uttered matter of factly, yet his voice betrayed an ounce of pain. As if he rather they lost than came back with the title.

Akihito's eyes flashed, wasn't winning something to celebrate? Every time Kirisaki Daiichi won a match they would go out for a drink, and every time he got a new role or succeeded in his audition, his family would celebrate.

It took the older a few seconds to link the younger's despondent answer to the players. Now that he thought about it, he remembered that time Tetsuya cried after practice, perhaps it was linked.

"Ah, congratulation, Tetsuya," he nevertheless congratulated, a ghost of a smile on his face. "That makes a perfect score for your Junior High years," he reminded, refraining the bitterness in his heart when he remembered the price his brother had to pay.

Akihito couldn't yet understand why Tetsuya had forsaken so much for the sport, but since he began taking part in it, he tried to comprehend— ignore if he couldn't.

Tetsuya managed to summon a helpless smile before he hummed in approval. "Yeah," he absentmindedly answered, leaning on the quilted armchair to look up at the ceiling. He narrowed his eyes. "Three years," he whispered. He snorted. "Ever Victorious, was it?"

But at what price?

He couldn't help but wonder where they had gone wrong.

Why they had gone wrong.

How they had gone wrong.

When was it that everything changed? When was it settled that they would break apart? Was it from the moment they joined the club? When Aomine began to grow stronger? After Coach Shirogane went away? Was Akashi and Murasakibara's face off the real catalyst?

So many questions to which he didn't have an answer.

But there was no use dwelling over them, what was done, was done. Crying over spilled water was useless.

He would bring them back to where they used to be, to how they used to be. And if to do so he needed to declare war against his friends, then he would, without regrets.

Akihito gazed at his brother from the side of his eyes. On one hand concerned for his mental state, on the other he mulled over the somewhat familiar Hich School.

Maybe they had played against them once this year?

::

"Seirin you say?" Hanamiya echoed with a raised eyebrow as he looked over at Akihito from his lunch seat. He lightly furrowed his brows before a delighted smile spread over his face. "Are you interested in them too, Akihito?"

Akihito paused, from Mako-chan's answer, the raven knew them. He nodded, humming. "My little brother plans on enrolling there next year," he casually answered, taking a bite out of his lunchbox.

The tall Center yawned, showing some rare interest in the ongoing conversation he leaned closer to the blue head. "You have a brother, Kuro-chan?" he inquired. "Since when?"

Akihito raised an eyebrow at the question. "I believe Tetsuya has been around for sixteen years now," he carefully answered, a frown marring his poker face.

Seto snorted, his big hand went to ruffle the shorter's hair as he looked down on his stature with an amused gaze. "My bad, Kuro-chan, of course," he mused.

Hanamiya dismissed the interruption with a glance, taking a few more bites from his meal before resuming. "So, mini-Akihito wants to join Seirin," the raven mused, leaning back on his chair.

He calculated the pros and cons before looking back at the blue head.

"Your brother plays basketball right, he'll probably join the basketball team. You won't betray us for your brother, will you, Akihito?" he inquired, a good-natured smile on his face as he squarely gazed into Akihito's golden eyes, searching for any fluctuating emotion.

Akihito blinked as if surprised by the question before he tilted his head to the side. "Why? Family and club activities are different matters," he sincerely stated, his eyes swimming with unbridled confusion.

There was a shift in Hanamiya's expression, and for some reason, deep inside, he felt relieved by the answer. As if a weight was pulled off his chest, it suddenly was much easier to breathe.

He beamed, and for the first time, Akihito caught sight of one of Hanamiya's rarely seen genuine smiles. "Great, I thought that you would dump us here, for a second," he laughed before going back to his unfinished lunchbox.

Akihito analyzed the words, combined them with Hanamiya's behavior, and nodded. He hummed, picking up a piece of fried chicken as a light smile adorned his face.

"Wait, Aki, your brother's from Teiko too, right?" Hara questioned from his seat, across Seto and next to Hanamiya. "What string was he in?"

Akihito hummed, it wasn't something he usually paid attention to. But since it had to do with why they fought, he clearly remembered which string Tetsuya was in.

"First String," he evenly answered. "Apparently they won their last Nationals," he added, squinting his eyes. "I haven't borrowed Basketball Weekly from him yet, so I haven't checked."

Hara chocked on his rice, fortunately, reliable Yamazaki was here to pat his back and pick up from where he left. "Isn't Teiko's First String the one with the geniuses?" he voiced, unsure. "The Generation of Miracles?"

Akihito mused on the ginger's words. The nickname did ring a few bells, and if he remembered correctly, Tetsuya was friends with them. Not that he was sure, after all, he didn't like to meddle in his brother's basketball matters.

"The GOM, was it?" dead-fish-Furuhashi contributed.

The more he heard, the more irritated and amused Hanamiya felt. He snorted.

"Geniuses you say? I don't care if they're geniuses or prodigies. Break them and they're all just trash."

Akihito tilted his head aside, his eyes at lost for a second before his irises flickered with amusement. His thin lips gently curved up into a ghost of a smile, his eyes crinkling.

"Mhm, whatever you say, Mako-chan."