Ogiwara Shigehiro always thought that train rides are the best form of entertainment aside from his beloved basketball.
What was there not to like? The train rocks a lot so he would never be still. The scenery outside blurs from his speed. He was running even faster than he ever could by foot or when Dad took him on a wild ride with his Honda CR-Z. Ogiwara Shigehiro loved the feeling of being fast. Charging through everything in easy grace.
And yet, he couldn't help but feel a little lonely inside when he boarded on the last train home after Kuroko's game against Rakuzan.
Mocchi had asked him five times if he was going to be okay riding home alone since his aunt insisted that he stayed the night, and Shige didn't want to impose. Normally he would have jumped at the invitation to spend the night in Tokyo, but he hadn't told his Mom that he wanted to stay over and he didn't want to worry her. He worried her enough these couple of years. She didn't need more.
Going home as late as he did now could mean two things: either he got stuck on the drunk train (where every occupant of the carriage would be so drunk they'd be rowdy or so drunk they'd be asleep) or the ghost train where nobody except him and a few sleepy businessman sat.
Shige preferred the drunk train more than he did the ghost train. Because he really couldn't bear the silence when everyone had nothing to say. It reminded him too much of himself. Of everything. Of the years he spent staring at his new phone's inbox and contact list.
Now that he think about it. That night had been a night like this. A night when the ace of Meikou ran away from the team's consolation dinner because he was crying so hard. The world blurred around the speeding train, and so did everything around Shigehiro. Tears were leaking nonstop and he couldn't see straight. He was upset, scared, and overall... crushed.
The bullet train was fast and it could blur each and every little thing Shigehiro worry about. And yet- and yet-
Shigehiro let a tear drop from his eye.
The blurry city lights outside his window brought him a memory of his best friend's cries. He had heard Kuroko's cries from across the court when the buzzer beater. The tealhead was screaming, sobbing even before Shige could comprehend the meaning of 111-11 score. Kuroko had looked at him with an expression so full of despair that Shige could only cry about it when he was on the train, speeding away from everything.
From Kuroko.
From Kuroko, who needed him the most.
The orange-haired teen frowned as he speed past the city that brought him so many memories. His love ("Thank you for being my friend, Ogiwara-kun"), his team ("You are our ace, Shige!"), his everything.
What business do you have with Tetsuya?
Is winning the only thing that matters?
A beautiful loss is a concept created by the losers to cope with their worthlessness. Losers have no place in this world, winner takes all.
What am I even... fighting for?
He shook his head and took a deep breath.
Ogiwara Shigehiro loved train rides, and yet so many feelings linger whenever he speeds away from Tokyo and left everything behind.