Turn Back Time: Perfect Future


The break finally ends and it was time for the new school year to commence. He was no longer a Junior High student. Now he was a student of Seirin High.

Kuroko's lead legs pulled him down as he walked the long-drawn path instantaneously. He was aware of the chattering teens who travelled a parallel path yet only heard the static of silence. His hollow body pervaded with numbness as his senses questioned the reality of his surroundings. Skepticism lead to the surreal deduction that it was him that was displaced.

People pretended not to see him. He knew it. Their chatter. Their gazes. It was indisputable.

His ankle weights stiffened his joints and the distance between him and the others grew.

Alone.

Behind.

It didn't matter what he left behind. A series of blinding flashes reminded him of what he left behind. Teikō. His basketball. Aomine. The Generation of Miracles. Ogiwara. His friends.

Body pulsed. Chest constricted.

He would do what he had to do.

Kuroko's world turned upon passing Seirin's gates.

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The junior high basketball national finals. Meikō vs. Teikō.

Kuroko avoided getting injured in the previous match so Ogiwara never came to visit him and Akashi never learnt about their friendship.

Meikō was overwhelmingly defeated. Kuroko didn't get to play but the Generation of Miracles went full out as if to say how little the championships meant to them.

They still went their separate ways and Ogiwara still quit saying Kuroko eye's showed something similar to the other Miracles.

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The junior high basketball national finals. Meikō vs. Teikō.

Kuroko was uninjured and was allowed to play. His original purpose was to change the flow of the game, so that's what he did. To lessen Ogiwara's burden.

The Generation of Miracles were still ruthless. Kuroko's skills were to have an immediate effect. He couldn't hold the ball. His attempts futile as his teammates scored one after another.

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The junior high basketball national finals. Meikō vs. Teikō.

Kuroko told his teammates that they had changed. Aomine already knew this as the two of them already had this conversation. The others didn't think ill of the change or simply didn't care. People rarely change fast.

A different path but the same results.

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Kuroko tried to get Murasakibara to stay in practice so his face-off with Akashi never occurs, keeping their captain level headed.

Murasakibara doesn't listen to Kuroko thinking of it as another hard work speech.

Akashi's eye changed. He was different. Things fell apart.

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Kuroko asked Aomine if they (the team) would always be together.

Aomine, of course, said yes with the biggest smile Kuroko couldn't help but believe him.

Time ran its course and the two still parted. Not even an apology. Their promise probably long forgotten to the ace.

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As Kise's mentor Kuroko tried to drill unity into the model's memory.

He just didn't think unity would be unifying to crush other teams.

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Kuroko tried to pass his mentorship of Kise off to someone else.

Akashi was insistent that Kuroko should show Kise the ropes.

A futile attempt.

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Kuroko kept trying. The seeds of failure already planted in hopes one will sprout success.

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Kuroko tried to befriend the Generation of Miracles sooner.

He and Aomine didn't have anything to talk about.

His discussions with Murasakibara was limited to snacks.

He and Midorima were incompatible.

He was no closer to Kise than the blond's other 'friends'.

He and Akashi were worlds apart.

Then there was Ogiwara. It was too late to befriend him earlier, but he tried to deepen their friendship.

Kuroko had school. Ogiwara had school. Kuroko had club activities and Ogiwara had club activities. They lived nearby but both already came home late most days. Their time together was little and almost restricted to basketball.

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Kuroko would carry the burdens if it meant the others could be happy.

Eventually, he deconstructed everything enough for them to come together.

The Generation of Miracles improved but thought of it as personal success and weren't condescending to their opponents. They went their separate ways after Teikō when recruited, but they still stayed in touch and got together occasionally. They made it a fun competition to face each other.

Ogiwara never quit basketball and still enjoyed the sport. Ogiwara never moved away and the two of them decided to attend Seirin together. Kuroko told Ogiwara about the bet of whose team would win the Winter Cup and Ogiwara said he would help Kuroko win against his former teammates.

All in fun.

The long struggle was finally over. Determination would always put Kuroko on top.

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Kuroko's lead legs were proof of the burden he placed upon himself. He walked unnoticed in a sea of students. He tapped his thigh to feel his existence.

Body pulsed. Chest constricted.

He would do what he had to do.

Kuroko's world turned upon passing Seirin's gates. Kuroko looked forward. His determination and perseverance would guide him to his desired result.


I've been working on this for a while now. There's a lot going on implicitly that may or may not be obvious—I know what I intended but not sure if others will see it that way. I don't know if anyone will read this or will even understand what truly happened, but even so it's okay. There is technically a prequel (Abnormality: Naïve Bliss) and sequel (Twisted Perfection: White Chaos) but I haven't typed them (wrote them on paper when I let my sister borrow my computer) yet.