pullmeoutalive | Model Idol Combi: Hair

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Model Idol Combi: Hair

[ it's rare that she can garner enough time away from a packed schedule and her own school hours to drop by Kaijou, but even if it's just a practice match, Makoto likes to faithfully attend what she can. She's always liked basketball, so growing closer to Kise had only made that fondness stronger. It's fun to watch them get into the game, and it's fun to lose herself cheering for them.

But it's warmer today than it's been all week, and with the hat crammed over her head to hide her identity (she so optimistically felt), it was doing little to cool her head off. Strands were starting to stick to her neck.

... In a sense, it's a happy realization, that her hair was growing longer by the day, but for now, it was a little bit troubling. Still, she waits until the court's cleared out, enough of Kise's squealing crowd dissipating to allow her to sweep her hat off and try to salvage her hair.

It's a shame she can't see what she's doing. ]

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[ she grins, planting her feet solidly and doing a few quick twists to stretch. There's just something about a court or any sort of playing field that simultaneously comforts her and gets her all excited. ]

I couldn't believe there was someone who could play like that, back then.

Is that a compliment? But I'm not the only one. [It's Basketball Is War time.] None of them are going to go down easy, so I can't slack off now just because I'm better than average.

[He shoots the ball up into the air a couple of times, catching it in one hand easily every time it comes back down.

Just some shooting prep. And maybe this way she won't notice the subtle way he rotates his ankle; he should really be resting that after a game but haha let's just never talk about his injury how about that.]

I can't think of anyone who'd want you to.

[ she's attentive, though, and she's known of his injury. Maybe she's oblivious to her trouble with disguises or the way she underestimates her own appeal, but Makoto knows physicality. And as he practices, she keeps an eye on his leg, making a mental note not to let him push himself too much. ]

I mean, isn't it more fun when you've got a challenge?

[How does she always do that? He hasn't told her about his days before he joined the basketball club; how incredibly, frustratingly boring everything was for him. He didn't tell her about how he let himself get stagnant too, stopping himself and calling it a 'challenge'.

He wasn't wrong about her being amazing, huh.]

Makocchi...

[He passes the ball to her.]

Your turn!

[He smiles, hanging back to watch. 'Lucky' was kind of how he was feeling right now.]

Huh--

[ that's a strange look he's giving her, almost like she's gone and stunned him somehow. And Makoto wants to dwell on that, maybe lets herself think for a few seconds, but she comes up short. She'd just been honest, and that was how she generally felt about her own situation. Victory was nice, but it never felt as good as it did when you didn't have to fight for it. Even her harder struggles had been worth it, as much trouble as she'd gone through to achieve them.

She's not considering that now, though, catching the ball and working herself into a dribbling pattern. One side, then the other, through the legs, spinning to catch it as it curves behind her. It's almost like dancing with it, even though it's just a simple warm-up. ]

[That he hasn't seen her try before.]

Ooh, Makocchi you got better! Have you been practicing?

[Though he already has an inkling that she's been working hard on that.]

Eheheh...

[ she stops with the ball held firmly in her hands, rueful and a little proud. Maybe an odd combo, but she's doing it. ]

I don't like slacking off, either!

[ which means, yes, she's been borrowing the gym at school. Being naturally good at sports helps, but she doesn't like relying on that. ]

That's obvious, Makocchi is always working after all.

[Oh but wait--] You're not on a team though, are you? Is there a test coming up?

No, nothing like that.

[ and she gives the ball a quick bounce, studying the hoop but not releasing the ball just yet. ]

I just love sports, and since basketball's an important one to you, I thought I should definitely keep working at it.

For me?

[He watches her steady herself, calculating the trajectory from the way she stands. Too much power and it'll bounce right off the side of the hoop.]

You already spend a lot of time coming to my games.

[ sure enough, the shot's a little too strong, bouncing straight off the rim. Makoto makes a face and trots over to retrieve it, backing up to try again. ]

I can do more than one thing, can't I? Just doing one thing doesn't feel like enough...

[He places his hands on her shoulders when she comes back, moving her back and a few inches over from where she was standing. That looks better.]

'Course more than one thing's possible. But being an idol is what you like, isn't it?

Of course!

[ there's no hesitation, no doubt in her voice or her face when she tilts her head back to look at him. She'd worked far too hard to become an idol, and even if her reason hadn't quite worked out, she loved her job too much to ever leave it anytime soon.

Makoto turns her attention back to the hoop. Thanks to his corrections, this feels better, and she moderates her strength when she arcs the toss this time.

And in it goes. ]

I'm an idol who likes cute things and sports and Ryota-kun, so it all works out!

[... That odd feeling in his chest, like he was being closed in, lifts when she says that.

He doesn't know why he'd felt worried when she said she'd started working harder at basketball. He should have been happy... But somehow, having her like basketball and come to his games feels like enough. She doesn't need to start trying to improve her game or anything like that.

Pasting on a bright smile for her instead, he nods in agreement.]

They do say things have a way of working out on their own!

[ she studies him briefly, as if realizing she's missed something. But it's nothing Makoto can decipher without further hints or Kise outright telling her, so she smiles back and tosses the ball his way. ]

Most things, anyway, but I usually don't have to push them.

[Catching it, he gives it a whirl before going for a three-pointer. He feels like he should pretend to be Midorima just to lighten the mood a bit, but then he'd have keep up the pretense of being a weirdo.]

That's good, isn't it?

[ good, except that if she'd sometimes left things as they were, she wouldn't be an idol or they might not even be talking... it's a thought Makoto keeps to herself, though, as she watches the ball sail. ]

Mm! Well, as long as you get to the end and you don't have any regrets about it, that's fine.

[There's a swish as the ball goes through the net. Not as clean or absolute as it might've been if it really had been Midorima, but it goes in all the same.]

Moving forward with no regrets, huh. [...] That sounds good.

[ she claps, her expression that same lofty, sort of smug look she'd adopted earlier. ]

It sounds pretty inspirational, if I do say so myself!

[ Makoto, it's not like you're the first person to say it. ]

[She really isn't, but he doesn't mind.]

Princess Makoto is kind and wise, what a combination!

I thought that's what all princesses were supposed to be.

[ it's partly why she thought they were so amazing. Even if a lot of them had to sit and wait to be rescued, which she hadn't agreed with. ]

[He shakes his head, obviously exaggerating.]

There are all kinds of princesses! Makocchi just happens to be one of the rarest!

That's true... you don't see too many princesses running around in suits...

[ ahahaha... hahahahaha... ha. ]

[THAT'S NOT WHAT HE MEANT WHY DID YOU TURN IT INTO THAT.]

Eh?? Wait, Makocchi that's not true! Ah, well the suit part...

[... PROBLEM MANAGEMENT TIME.]

Anyway, you're a rare princess because there aren't a lot of girls who happen to be as nice as you! And sometimes you know exactly what I'm thinking even though I never said anything.

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