A/N: Hey guys! This is my first fanfic for Kuroko no Basket, I usually write Fairy Tail, but I really couldn't get this idea out of my head and cause I'm struggling with my current story, I figured I could get this out there and see how it goes. PLEASE review as it helps me see what I've done good and what I've done bad. Thanks, and enjoy! :) xx
She stared on, hiding behind the backs of the leaping, cheering crowds. Her wide hazel eyes locked onto the players, taking in every nuance of movement, every drip of sweat, and every glance of the eye signalling the next pass.
Within what felt like hours, the game was over. The crowds were screaming, chanting their names; five out of the six anyway. That's the way it always had been, and always would be. Kuroko, the invisible sixth player in the Generation of Miracles, went unseen by those on and off the court.
Smiling slightly, she backed away from the onlookers, and seemed to vanish with a flick of chestnut coloured hair behind her shoulder.
As she walked down the empty corridors, her footsteps echoing and bouncing off of the metallic walls, she could still hear the roars of the crowd; the stamping of feet, the clapping and remarks of surprise at the talent they held.
But she knew all this, was used to it. She had seen every game, analysed every play, and observed them grow into the monsters they had become.
Stopping suddenly, she smiled sadly as memories of Aomine Daichi when he first arrived at the club resurfaced; his obvious love for basketball that shone from his soul when he played. She remembered when all of them had arrived, because she'd always been there; unseen. Even Kuroko barely noticed her. But that was the way she liked it.
She was the type of girl who hated the spotlight, the attention. She hated being looked at, and hid behind her bangs if someone tried to meet her eyes through the thin frames of her glasses.
However, she loved basketball. She adored watching the team, watching them practice and work through the walls they came up against. She loved watching them overcome their weaknesses, yet now that strength had changed them.
They'd lost the light that had bought her admiration in the first place. The basic enjoyment and pure admiration for the sport was gone. All that was left was a knotted bundle of mixed emotions; rage, hate, boredom. Except for Kuroko, the invisible player, they had become husks of the men they once were.
Yet, she had become invaluable to the team, whether they knew it or not. When she'd raised the subject of leaving with Momoi, the pinkette had begged her to stay, but it was too late. The transfer papers had been posted and she was leaving the next day.
She sat down in a corner and stared at the floor, unnoticed by the hundreds that walked past her, till a familiar voice called out.
'Ri-chan!' The girl looked up, her long, thick bangs concealing her face apart from her small smile, as Satsuki bounded up to her with a grin.
'Hello Momoi-san.' Momoi Satsuki pouted and crossed her arms dramatically, garnering the attention of passers by.
'Ri-chan! I told you to call me Momo-chan!'
'Gomen…' She hunched over and pulled her bangs further across her face to hide the intense red flush that marred her skin when the eyes of people settled on her.
'Ri-chan. Are you sure about this?' Momoi had sat beside her and spoke quietly, understanding the girls overwhelming terror at being the centre of attention.
The girl, Shori Nakahara, jerked her head in a small nod, making Momoi sigh in frustration.
'They might not notice you're gone, but I will. You did far too much for them, and never spoke a word to any of them. They'll notice the little things that aren't the same, but won't think to ask why. I'm sorry about that Shori-chan.' Momoi was serious now, staring at the ground as Shori fidgeted next to her.
'I… I don't mind… I don't want them to know…' Momoi let out another sigh and threw her head back to stare at the ceiling.
'Daijobu, I won't tell them. Where are you moving to? You're going straight into high school aren't you? Seeing how you took exams early.' Shori nodded and looked up, her bangs falling away from her face in a rare moment of distraction. Momoi smiled at the sight, knowing that Shori would be a heartbreaker if she had the courage; she was beautiful beneath the hair and shyness.
She had delicate cheekbones, and her nose turned up just a little bit at the end. Her eyes were a vibrant brown, streaks of green bringing them alive in a way that many peoples don't. Another thing was, her hair was incredible. It was a mixture of red, chestnut brown and strands that were almost black. Momoi had frequently tried to convince her to get a haircut and break away from her fear, but it had only ever resulted in Shori running away. The only time Shori ever came out of her shell was when she spoke about basketball.
'Seirin. It's a new school, but they have a great team, I think they could go the distance. I have a good feeling about them.' Shori's smile was beautiful in that moment, and Momoi wished she could capture it forever, but as soon as she realised her bangs had fallen away she huddled back behind the curtain.
'That sounds cool; and your gut feelings are usually correct when it comes to basketball, I'll admit that. You gave a good shout about Kuroko when he first came to the club, so I won't doubt your instincts here either. I'll probably end up following Dai-kun, he wouldn't be able to tie his shoes without me!' Shori smiled as Momoi suddenly sank into a loving spiel about the brilliant Kuroko.
Noticing the crowds thinning out, Shori stood and smiled as Momoi cut herself off and stood in front of her.
'I have to go now Momoi-chan.' Momoi smiled sadly, her eyes betraying her as tears gathered, before she threw her arms around the small, thin girl.
'Don't you dare lose touch with me Shori Nakahara! Or I'll come find you, okay?' Shori blinked in surprise, before hesitantly returning the hug, breathing in Momoi's sweet smelling perfume that reminded her of candyfloss at a fairground.
'Hai.' With that, Shori Nakarhara slipped out of Momoi's embrace and disappeared into the stream of people like a ghost.
Momoi stood still, tears flowing down her face as she sniffed sadly.
'Oi, Satsuki, what's the crying for?' Momoi turned and glared at Aomine Daichi, before huffing and walking away, leaving the emotionless man to raise a confused eyebrow, before he shrugged and headed towards the changing rooms.
I sighed as I unlocked my bike from the stand and quickly straddled the seat, before peddling carefully away from the building.
Momoi's hug had left me surprised. I'd never known she'd liked me so much. It felt nice though, being held like that.
I felt myself smile happily, before my thoughts were once more overtaken by the idea of a new school.
What Momoi had said about my having already graduated from junior high was true. When I wasn't doing things for the basketball team, I was studying, and because of that my teachers had allowed me to take my exams early. Now I had weeks with nothing left to do but prepare for Seirin.
It had been hard, choosing which high school to go to, but as soon as I saw some old footage of the Seirin team my decision was made. The current players were incredible, but somewhere deep in my stomach I knew Seirin would achieve things beyond anyone's imagination.
Smiling broadly at the thought of a new team to observe, I didn't watch where I was going, and before I knew it I crashed into something solid and was falling to the side. My eyes locked on the pavement, and my body tensed reflexively for the impact, but it never came.
Instead, two large hands had grabbed me by the shoulders and held me above the ground.
'Hey, are you alright?' A deep voice seemed to echo in my ears, and my body shook as I stared down at the paving stones. 'Hey, are you okay?' The voice was softer, and the tight grip on my shoulders loosened slightly, yet still held me comfortably and with ease.
Slowly, I lifted my head, my hair falling back as I looked up and up at one of the tallest men I've seen. I blinked up at him, taking in the dark red hair, and the captivating red eyes to match. His skin was tanned slightly, and around his neck hung a chain with a small metal ring attached to it.
He blinked down at me, before blushing bright red. Noticing how close we were, I squeeked and pulled away, stuttering.
'G-g-g-gomen'nasai!' I looked down and pulled my hair back across my face as he stepped away.
'No! I'm sorry, I wasn't look where I was going… are you alright?' His voice was gruff, and I peered up through the strands of my hair to see he was still blushing, and a toned arm had lifted to scratch the back of his head.
'I-I'm fine… arigato…' I mumbled, unable to make my voice go any louder.
'Good. Be careful riding around, not everyone might catch you.' He grinned at me and winked, sending blood rushing to my face. It was then that I saw the thing he'd dropped on the ground when he caught me; a basketball.
'Do you play basketball?' I asked, my eyes wide as I once again assessed him. He was tall enough, and had the build for it. His arms were muscular, and the grip of his hands on my skin had been both firm and yielding simultaneously. The perfect grip for the ball.
'Yeah, I was just going home from practice. You a fan?' He said, a smile stretching across his face as I stared into his eyes.
'What position do you play? How tall are you? How high can you jump? What's your favourite shot? Do you have a specialty? Where are you going to high school? How old are you? You look older but that could just be your height-' I suddenly stopped talking when I realised I'd walked closer and closer to him so he was now backed up against a wall and was looking down at me with shock, surprise and a bit of fear.
I felt my eyes widen in shock, and quickly backed away, pulling my stupid bangs forward once again.
'Gomen! I just… like… basketball…' My voice had quieted to a whisper and I knotted my fingers together in embarrassment, before a laugh split through the air.
'I can tell! Okay, I play power forward, I'm 190cm tall at the moment and I can jump higher than you can imagine. Basketball is my specialty, and I'm 16 so I do go to high school. I've registered for one in the area and will be starting there next term. Now, can I ask you a question?' I blinked owlishly up at him as he smiled slightly at me. 'What's your name?'
'Shiro.' I muttered, still taking in all the facts he'd reeled off at my command. He smirked and pointed a thumb at himself.
'I'm Kagami Taiga. Now, how about we get out of here and I get you a drink? You look a bit pale.' I stepped back as he stepped towards me, and picked up the bike I'd discarded when I started my interrogation.
'Umm… I'm okay… that is… I've gotta… Gomen!' I shouted, my heart beating out of my chest as I threw myself on the bike and sped away, ignoring his shouts.
Damnit Shiro! Why did you do that?You can barely talk to Momoi who you've known for three years and yet you're up in this guys face after minutes of meeting him? What was going through your head? Ignoring the thoughts whirling through my mind, I instead focused on getting home and what I would cook for dinner. Also, I had to find out as much as I could about the current Seirin team before I actually attended the school as a student. It would be easy for me to get on campus, but finding out when they practiced and where would be a bit of a challenge; but nothing I couldn't handle.