© Kuroko no Basuke

Bittersweet Shimmer

—continuous drabbles of an idiotic love story

Kagami Taiga was walking under the shady trees lining the Meguro River, his eyes to his cell phone.

It was sliding into July in Tokyo and the temperature was heating up, and so Kagami chose a simple white t-shirt and a pair of light blue jeans to accommodate to the scorching heat.

Kuroko Tetsuya, his former shadow back in Seirin days, had emailed him to come over to his workplace—a European styled coffee house called 'Hikari'. Kagami reckoned he should pay his best friend a visit to catch up on each other's news since he had some free time. He'd lost touch with all his old friends after the graduation. To be honest, Kagami had felt relief to hear Kuroko's soft voice whispering into the phone again after being separated for so long.

Looking up from his cell phone, Kagami saw the coffee house. He crossed the few feet, just to a spot by one of the high window glasses. He peered into the coffee house through the clear window and could see that some tables filled by students, but they had their heads down as they were scribbling away in their books.

Student life, he smiled at the thought. Kagami went to the door.

When the wind-bells tinkled after he'd pushed the wooden door open, he was expecting to see a slightly-older-look Kuroko Tetsuya standing behind the rosewood counter with his unreadable, blank expression.

However, what he wasn't expecting was to see a very familiar navy blue haired police officer who was leaning his side against said counter, his back to him.

"Aomine?"

The police officer glanced over his shoulder, and yes, he was indeed Aomine Daiki.

Aomine, his rival since high school, still had the very same short navy blue hair, prominent dark skin, sturdy body underneath the dark blue police uniform, and lowered brows over a pair of sharp dark blue eyes. When Aomine sidled away from the counter and planted himself firmer on the floor to glare at him, his movement was smooth like how Kagami used to remember.

"Che, it's just Bakagami."

Kagami's surprise was quickly replaced by anger at Aomine's remark. "Hey, who are you calling Bakagami?"

"Duh. You, of course. Baka~gami," scoffed Aomine condescendingly.

It seemed some things hadn't changed over time, Kagami thought; namely Aomine's asshole-ness and his own short-temper problem.

"Ahomine," Kagami shot back, annoyed.

"Baka."

"Aho."

"Says someone who can't even read hiragana."

"Says someone who can't even get one plus one right."

"Glutton bastard."

"Perverted bastard."

"Dumbass."

"Asshole."

"It's only been two seconds you both reunited after six years, yet you're already lashing out at each other," came a soft masculine voice between them. Kagami and Aomine looked down and found a pair of light blue eyes meeting their unflinchingly.

"The hell Kuroko?!" Kagami was the first to react (dramatically, too—he wasn't so happy to note that while Aomine simply cursed obscenities under his breath).

Kuroko Tetsuya kept a blank look—a perfect mirror of his innocent look when he'd first made his debut in the past—and placed the box he was carrying on the counter. He ran his fingers through his light blue hair and smoothened the creases in his barista uniform to make his appearance neater.

The scowl was back on Aomine's face. "Geez, Tetsu. Can't you grow some presence?"

"It wasn't my fault if you were too busy insulting each other," said the light blue haired barista, going to the other side of the counter.

"He started it first," Kagami pointed his finger to Aomine.

"I thought it was your name," Aomine rested his folded arms on the counter. "Baka~gami."

Kagami felt his vein throbbing. "Oh, I didn't know you've become senile and it affected your memory," his tone dripped sarcasm. "Maybe I should remind you again that my name is Kagami Taiga, senile-Mine."

"What the hell?" Aomine turned to him, going defensive all of a sudden.

"You heard me."

"I dare you repeat it, bastard."

"Oh, now you're deaf too? I feel sorry for you," Kagami pulled a smirk. He, too, readied himself for another fight, his crimson eyes narrowed at the pair of dark blue orbs menacingly.

"Children, please behave yourselves. You will disturb other customers," reprimanded Kuroko softly from behind the counter, grabbing them by the arm to prevent them from throwing punches at each other.

"Wait, what?! I'm not a child!" shouted Kagami and Aomine simultaneously.

Kuroko smiled. At least, it managed to whirl their attention away from each other. "So, prove me wrong. Stop this childish bickering."

"It was Bakagami's fault!" whined Aomine.

"Your fault!" Kagami pushed Aomine's shoulder.

"Hey—"

"You—"

"What did I say?" Kuroko cut in sternly, which earned him guttural growls from his childish lights. Kagami and Aomine looked away, pursing their lips into a pout.

A tiny smile made the corners of Kuroko's mouth curl. Being their shadow in the past; middle school with Aomine and high school with Kagami had taught Kuroko various methods to control their temper and stupidity.

"Please have a seat first," Kuroko told them. "I'll bring you coffee."

Kagami made a dark face. "Do I have to sit with this despicable guy?" he asked.

"Hey, this guy has a name," interrupted Aomine but it went unanswered.

"Please, Kagami-kun," said Kuroko, and there was a note of hope in his tone accompanied by sparkles in those light blue eyes. It made Kagami's wall crumble and he reluctantly acquiesced with a groan.

"Just stay away from me, Ahomine," muttered Kagami under his breath as he trudged to an empty table in the corner.

"You wish."

Kagami wished he could punch Aomine in the face right then.