Hello, I am a huge Kurobas fan and a huge KiyoRiko shipper. I had the idea for this fic while reading character trivias, and I found out that Teppei and Riko used to date before the series started. This is my version of what happened between Teppei, Riko, and Hyuuga, also with character studies of the three of them because I think their developments and trivias throughout the series were really interesting. Enjoy, and constructive criticism will be very much appreciated.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kurobas nor any of its characters.
"So, we probably won't make it will we? I'm really sorry, Riko," Teppei made a sad smile to his girlfriend slash coach from the hospital bed.
"No, it's fine really, I'm sure the boys will bounce right back up and train hard, especially when you come back next season. I'm honestly more worried about someone that'll confess bare naked tomorrow in the last ga-"
Riko stopped mid-sentence as she saw Teppei's expression saddening even more at the mention of his best friend slash captain.
"Tep-"
"I understand Riko," he smiled again, genuinely, "you are not exactly 'worried' about Hyuuga's naked confession tomorrow, rather, deep down, you can't wait for it," he took a deep breath, "I love you enough to know that."
Silence fell. Slight tears were welling up Riko's eyes.
As Teppei and Riko stared into each other's eyes, a silent agreement was made, as they are close enough to understand each other without words.
Riko's voice cracked, "so, we also won't make it, will we?"
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"By the way, wish me luck, Riko, I'll meet you up in the front gates if you don't want to watch me humiliate myself, but I'm kind enough to let you have the honor of obtaining blackmail material for your best friend if you want to stay and watch," Hyuuga laughed and started walking down the back alley of the arena, it's quiet there, all the players and spectators are going out through the front gates.
Riko just stood there watching her best friend's back, her body completely still. He called out to the dim alley, "Akiko, I'm sorry I have to call you here, I know this looks wrong but trust me I don't have bad intentions, I just-"
Then everything became numb, the voice of his confession became more difficult to hear, the view of him taking off his clothes started to blur from her tears. How could she not realize, she thought, all his stories about Akiko, his classmate which has the first highest score in the school beating Riko who placed second, the girl who taught him maths when Riko was busy helping her father coach the neighbourhood children basketball team for a charity tournament.
And she ran.
She ran despite the confused and worried shouts from her players trying to stop her; ran despite passing the front gates where she was supposed to meet him to walk home together; ran despite his father saying words of encouragement to forget basketball losses, completely misunderstanding the situation; ran until she falls face first on her bed.
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"So, how did the confession go?"
Riko was honestly not too surprised at his ex-boyfriend's bluntness as she walked into the hospital room. In fact she already prepared an answer.
"Well it happened and I decided to tell him that we'd rather be friends," she said in a rehearsed manner.
Teppei put a convinced look and nodded.
"The same goes to you, Teppei. I think it's best if we continue to just be friends, and keep everything professional. I don't want Hyuuga to confess naked for a second time because romance distracted us from becoming number one in Japan!"
After Teppei made a mock salute and smiled, Riko made a sigh of relief.
They talked about his recovery, about the team, about world history, about puzzle games, about their families, and the conversation continued like a calm stream of water.
Nothing had changed really, just no more mentions of love, nor holding hands, nor kissing foreheads.
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"You know that I always try my best to have a big heart. So, you know that I will never be angry to you for losing in basketball, because i have faith that whatever the results are you did everything you could."
Teppei let out a heavy sigh, Hyuuga ducked his head a little more.
"So please understand that this is for an entirely different matter. It's difficult for me to say this, but as I think of it again, if i don't say this, it means I don't have a big heart for Riko."
Then Hyuuga's head was fully hanging down, and Teppei became certain of his deduction on Riko's answer yesterday.
"You really are an insensitive jerk Hyuuga."
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"Stay here for a while, Riko. I need to see your face to get better," Teppei's voice was tired from all the screaming that he did from Riko's massage to recover his physique after reaching his limit against Yosen.
Riko was then flustered and angry, but as she heard Teppei explain that the team won't be needing her that much right now as they got Kagami and Kuroko, and how he needed to fully recover to go against Murasakibara and for Seirin to win, her shyness and anger started to dissipate, into sadness and guilt.
Teppei just continued with his relaxed stare into her eyes, with one of the happiest smile she had ever seen. He didn't know that Riko knew. Riko is perceptive enough to realize that Teppei is a perceptive person. Although he acts like the normal kind Teppei, she noticed how in quiet moments during practice, during the trio's outings to Maji Burger, he secretly stared at Riko and at Hyuuga with emotions that you would expect him to have if he knew the truth about the confession, concern for Riko and a pissed off look for Hyuuga.
Although she knows that she is not fully at fault, she is not fully innocent either. She dumped him, and lied to him, and pretended everything was fine while it was not. Sometimes she thinks that if she was Teppei, she would also be angry at her, not only at Hyuuga. But still, as she looked into Teppei's intent recovery gaze in the locker room, she understood one thing.
He really puts his all in loving her.
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"Get it together coach, don't cry, you know more than anyone how strong Teppei is."
During a quarter break in the Winter Cup final against Rakuzan, Hyuuga noticed how Riko cried seeing Teppei forcing himself to play through his injury, risking his basketball career for this one match. Riko only nodded at Hyuuga's advice, her mind only concerning strategy right now.
"You know, I've never really said a proper apology for what happened last year, you know, the confession, I-"
At that Riko's face reddened furiously. "Shut up Hyuuga! This is not the time, we're going through our strategy in approximately five minutes, use your rest well."
"You know Riko," Hyuuga changed the way he addressed her, completely ignoring her anger. "I will always cut your hair if gets too long like today, comfort you when you cry, shop with you, and I know you will always yell at me, pat me on the back, and give great insights every single time I'm about to give up."
Hyuuga and Riko realized that some of the other players are starting to listen in to their conversation so they move to another bench and the boys get the signal to mind their own businesses. Thankfully Teppei was sitting far from them and was completely shutting down to conserve the little energy that he had left.
"But I think we got it all wrong," he stared forward to the court. "Who you love is someone who puts his all even without you having to always be there to push him. Who I love is someone who is energetic in pursuing her dream even without me having to be a big part of her dream."
Hyuuga turned to Riko and looked at her in the eye. Riko understood him. As long as she sees him romantically as the boy that always puts his all, she will always be stuck in making sure that he always puts his all. As long as he sees her romantically as the energetic girl that pursues her dream, he will always be stuck in making sure that he is a part of that dream to motivate her.
The ticking time bomb that has exploded again and again, of him quitting basketball that made her give up on him, of her dating Teppei that made him give up of her,of him confessing to Akiko that made her give up on him yet again, it will be stuck like that as long as they persist to create this concept of romantic love.
"You and me, we complete each other, but only our current selves. True love, Akiko for me, and Teppei for you, they don't make you worry about your current image of love, but make you think about what's ahead."
Akiko with her energetic dream of making her science projects funded by the government to help people around the world, Teppei with how he put his all in love and basketball, the initial images of love for Hyuuga and Riko do not need to be fabricated by themselves. They can now, move on, and find new small reasons to love everyday.
Riko was quiet for a while, closing her eyes. When she opened them, she pats Hyuuga lightly on the back.
"Very good analysis, captain!"
She then turned around to the rest of the team.
"Okay boys break's over, now, strategy."
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"You know, I overheard your conversation with Hyuuga during the break. I think it gave me a solid boost to grab that final rebound."
As the whole Seirin team celebrated their win over Rakuzan, with Teppei's rebound to Kuroko and Kagami's alley-oop over Akashi ending the game, Teppei lifted Riko into the air, both of them laughing.
They both realized that they both knew now. And just like at the hospital more than a year ago, through their gazes, they make a silent agreement.
Love confessions, promises, acts of affection, all are being carried only through their eyes. Because that's how close they are, they understand each other without words.