"Mayuri! Mayuri, no—"

But the poor girl fell dead before his eyes, blood spilling out from the hole in her forehead and from the mess at the back of her head…

He hadn't wanted to use that, but he had no other choice now; he tore himself away from Mayuri's corpse and ran for the time machine. He couldn't—he refused to live in a world without her. They were going to take Mayuri away from him? He wouldn't allow it! If this was what the future dictated, then he would overwrite it.

"Kuroko!"

He ground shook beneath his feet and his body felt like it had been duplicated and smashed in between two brick walls.

And when he opened his eyes again, the world was bright and quiet…

Just the simple sound of life running through his fingertips again…

"Hey! Kuroko! Geez, what are you reading that's gotten you so engrossed?"

With a slight shake of his head, Kuroko emerged from in between the pages, his eyes slightly unfocused.

"Kagami-kun. I apologize. This is a very interesting book, so I forgot about your existence."

Kagami guffawed.

"What kind of wording is… you know what, I won't even ask. C'mon, Coach is calling… something about a mis-delivered letter or something like that…"

"Letter?"

"Yeah. Apparently, it's for you, but it was delivered to Coach's house for some reason. C'mon, she said if I didn't find and bring you in five minutes, I'd have to climb Mt. Fuji ten times…"

"I don't think Coach would be that extreme," Kuroko said with a light chuckle. Nonetheless, he shut his book with more than a few regrets and clambered to his feet.

"Seeing as it would be her last practice before graduation, I wouldn't put it past her… something like 'going out with a bang…' I can imagine her saying something like that."

Kuroko smiled. He could see that, too. As long as it wasn't him who had to climb Mt. Fuji ten times, he was alright with it happening.

"Kagami!" Riko barked upon laying eyes upon the duo. "You have exactly one second to spare, so instead of making you climb Mt. Fuji ten times, you only have to do it once."

"What?! But I—"

Riko gave him a glare that told him to shut up or he would have to climb Mt. Fuji fifteen times, so he shut up.

"I don't know why this was sent to me, but it was," she said, handing a cream-colored envelope to Kuroko. "I didn't open it or anything, so rest easy. And be sure to come to the party this weekend and send us off well, you hear me?"

"Yes," Kuroko said. "Of course."

"And practice well, you two. We seniors might be busy with entrance exams and everything, but that doesn't mean the rest of you can slack off. If I return and find that you can't run a mile under five minutes—"

"C-Coach, that's impossible—"

"I'm having all your asses for dinner. Understood?"

"Yes!"

Riko waved at them cutely before making a beeline to the library, muttering something about how Hyuuga was probably making out with his dolls by now. Kagami looked at Kuroko with a hopeless shrug before tucking his hands behind his head and sighing.

"Man, can you believe time went by so fast?" he said. "In a few months, the senpai are gonna be gone, and then it's going to be you, me, and Furihata running the club…"

"Yes, time has flown since we've joined the basketball club," Kuroko agreed. "But that's not a bad thing. There's that saying, 'time flies when you're having fun.' And it was incredibly fun, wouldn't you agree, Kagami-kun?"

Kagami grinned, and clapped Kuroko on the back. "You bet it was. Next year, we're gonna get revenge on Touou's ass… damn that Aomine, he never stops getting better…"

Kuroko smiled one of his vague smiles.

"Although I, too, want to get my revenge… it's good to see Aomine without those wrinkles on his forehead. He looks much better when he's enjoying himself."

Kagami scoffed, but Kuroko knew that he agreed.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kuroko," he said. "Stop reading and don't forget to eat lunch."

"See you."

When Kagami was gone, Kuroko turned to his letter. It was indeed addressed to him, but oddly enough, sent to Riko's house. The envelope was thick and battered all over, like it had taken a beating in the mail carrier's car. And there was something about the handwriting that was rather unsettling…

Shrugging, Kuroko turned the envelope over and pulled it open. Despite its thickness, the envelope only contained one sheet of paper.

To Kuroko Tetsuya—

To myself of five years ago.

"…huh?"

Kuroko blinked for a few seconds at the first two lines.

To myself of five years ago.

"Of five years ago…"

What was that supposed to mean? Kuroko scanned the letter incredulously; the bogus level of the letter rose with each line that looked as if it had been scrawled out by hand in a hurry. And yet, while he could not believe it, that handwriting clung to the depths of his mind, forbidding him from simply dropping the letter in the trash and walking away.

I do not have enough time. I hope you receive it on this day, January 20. If not, I apologize. It is my incompetence. I am sorry. I am sorry for many things. I do not have enough time.

My name is Kuroko Tetsuya.

I am you, five years into the future.

I know you will not believe me, but I cannot entertain you. Tomorrow, January 21, something will happen that you must prevent at all costs. So please, listen to me.

On that day, Aomine-kun will be stabbed in the spine. He will be paralyzed from the waist down.

A year later, he will take his own life.

You must find Aomine-kun after school and stay with him all afternoon. I beg of you. Believe me. Trust me. I've no time to say anything more.

Kuroko Tetsuya

The signature had been scratched in haste. Kuroko's eyes widened; that was his signature, there was no mistake about it. And now that he thought about it, the reason why the handwriting kept him reading was because it looked so similar to his own. Kuroko tilted his head. Whoever had devised this elaborate ruse had really carried it out well. To research his writing style and signature that thoroughly… maybe it had been Momoi trying to prank him.

Although, Momoi wasn't that sort of person…

Kuroko turned the letter over in his hands, wondering just what to make of it. Part of him was excited; the entire situation seemed like something straight out of a mystery novel. The other part of him was doubtful; why would something this exciting ever happen to an invisible person like him?

And the probability that Aomine were actually in danger was…

Well, what was the likelihood of something like that happening?

It was already January 21, the day 'Kuroko' deemed to be of importance. Nothing had happened, so what need was there to worry?

The paper was disintegrating at the edges. Kuroko picked at it mindlessly. You always heard of horrific stories happening to other people. Misfortune always struck leagues away from you such that they lingered around your mind for a few days but never really stuck. People who experienced such events were always the protagonists of a story. And Kuroko certainly was no protagonist. He smiled wryly. He was just a shadow, making the story for somebody else. The spotlight was never meant for him.

So he quietly folded up the letter and tucked it in his back pocket.

A group of girls ran out of the gates, their skirts and scarves fluttering in the cold wind. The days were short now and the painter of the sky started mixing colors earlier than ever to lead the sun to cross the horizon. Kuroko lifted his eyes to the blood red sky, feeling the strangest butterfly flutter in the pits of his stomach.

He had taken three steps towards the gate when he found himself rooted to the ground.

But if it were true…

If it really were true…

He walked through the gates quietly. Then, little by little, his steps picked up until he had broken into a sprint, the winter air cutting his lungs cruelly as his breaths came in short and heavy. He skidded to a stop in front of Touou academy, catching his breath as he stared at it. Had Aomine left already? More importantly, why was he here?

Did he really believe in the words of an impossible letter claiming to have come from the future…?

"Huh? What the—Tetsu, why are you here?"

Relief seeped into Kuroko's bones when he heard that voice. He turned around, face kept carefully blank—not that it took much effort—as he looked up to see Aomine. He had on a thick coat and a curious twinkle in his eye, looking as if he were about to head home. As he stared at Kuroko, a boy with a gold badge hanging off his uniform sped past Aomine, shouting a hasty goodbye, which Aomine returned.

"You here to play basketball with me or something?" Aomine asked Kuroko, a small, mischievous smile lifting his lips. It was a smile that brought warmth to Kuroko's heart, because it was so reminiscent of their middle school days.

"No. I just wanted to see you suddenly."

Aomine guffawed, choking. "What the—is that a confession?!"

"Of course not," Kuroko said flatly.

"Then why…?"

Kuroko shrugged. "Would you like to grab dinner with me?"

"Huh…" Aomine eyed Kuroko suspiciously.

"There's no trap, Aomine-kun."

With a huff, Aomine said, "Okay…" and slung his arm around Kuroko's shoulders to head off.

They fell easily into conversation, talking about nothing in particular while maintaining the air of nonchalant friendship. No matter how many times such things like this happened over the past half year, Kuroko could never get over how good it felt to talk like this.

He didn't want to imagine reverting back to estranging himself from Aomine.

Or even losing him for good.

Kuroko shook his head. That letter wasn't true. And Kuroko guessed that now, he would never know if it were true, because he was here with Aomine now, supposedly changing the future.

The sky had darkened fully now, and the street lights were beginning to flicker on. They were halfway to Maji burger. The sidewalk was sparsely populated; it was too cold to be out. Only a woman hauling a red bag and a man in a grey sweat suit walked in front of Kuroko and Aomine.

"Hey, didn't you use to go to that bookshop all the time…" Aomine was saying.

As he turned his head, a silver flash caught Kuroko's eye—

He had only caught a glimpse of it, but it was enough to make him push Aomine out of the way—

—leaving him staring at something silver sticking out of his own side.

"…huh?"

Kuroko stared at it disbelievingly, as if he couldn't understand what he was seeing. A knife in his side. Was it really a knife in his side?

"Tetsu! Oh, god, what—"

The lady with the red bag had rushed over, heels clacking against the pavement. She knelt down next to Kuroko—when had he fallen?—shedding her coat and shouting at Aomine to call an ambulance.

"You're going to be okay," she said, staring fiercely into Kuroko's eyes. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be fine."

Kuroko wanted to tell her that he was fine—he wasn't really, not with the knife's blade protruding from the side of his stomach—to tell her not to worry. But she pushed his hand aside and tried to wrap her coat around Kuroko's wound without disturbing the knife.

Her hands were turning very red—

—with what he supposed with his own blood—

"Keep looking at me. Don't close your eyes, okay?"

Her eyes were a pretty shade of hazel. But Kuroko's lids were becoming heavy.

Was he…

Dying?

There was a knife piercing through his abdomen.

Did people die from that?

He cast his mind around for a story where the protagonist might have been stabbed, but it was far too much effort… it would be so much easier to just… close his eyes.

"Look at me," the lady said sharply.

Aomine had come back, ashen faced and shaking.

"Are they coming?"

"Yeah—yeah, oh god. Fuck. Christ. Tetsu, Jesus, is he going to be okay?"

"You have to stay calm, okay, stay calm for him…"

Kuroko couldn't really hear what they were saying anymore. He couldn't really feel anything either. There was something akin to scalding iron somewhere down around his stomach, but the rest of him was numb, like he'd been sitting in ice water for hours. Darkness was descending. It must be nighttime. Or early morning? Which was it? He couldn't see Aomine's face anymore. But Aomine wasn't hurt. That was good.

That's all that mattered.

It felt like he hadn't slept for days now… maybe it would be alright to… just close his eyes… just for a little bit…

A tendril of black slipped around Kuroko's conscience and whisked it away.

What are you doing when you could be updating Sixteen?!

idk forgive me pls i did wrong :c

Based on ORANGE by Takano Ichigo about letters being sent to the past to try to change the future. This is going to be for fun (fun, she says as she writes about Kuroko being stabbed), what I'll write as I get stuck on other stories and for de-stressing purposes.