It was Parents Day at the Tokyo kindergarten class and Kuroko-sensei treated it like any other day despite the crowd of moms, and a few dads, standing at the back of the classroom. He taught his class of 5 and 6-year-olds normally, but he could tell they were more excited with their parent or parents watching them learn. Some kids were more behaved than usual while others were a bit more distracted.
"Alright, everyone," Kuroko called to the lively class. "Shall we show our mothers and fathers how well our reading has gotten? Who would like to read from our story first?"
A majority of the students' hands shot up, waving as they wanted to be first and show off to their parent. One by one, Kuroko picked his students to read a few sentences, helping once in a while if they stumbled.
As more and more kids had their turn, Kuroko scanned the class to see who was left. Aimi, Akashi's daughter, was one of the few who had yet to read. Kuroko noticed the child constantly turning to the back of the room where the parents stood. The only one he noticed there for Aimi was Nijimura.
"Aimi-chan," Kuroko called, gaining said child's attention. "Would you read the next part, please?"
Aimi stood, as everyone else did before, and fluently read. Kuroko didn't expect anything less from Akashi's daughter.
Little Aimi sat back down after reading. She glanced back towards the door, then her dad. Nijimura gave her a proud smile, but even he knew she was still down.
"Wonderful job, everyone," Kuroko complimented when everyone finished reading together, the parents clapping. "Let's go out for recess time and play outside with our mothers and fathers." He didn't need to say that twice, the children jumping up and rushing to their parents.
Kuroko was just going to grab a light coat when he felt someone tugging on his apron.
"Hurry up, Dad!" little Kazuki, Kuroko's own child, said.
Kuroko let out a light laugh. "I'm coming. I'm coming."
"Not quick enough!" Kazuki huffed. "We can't let time with Dad go to waste!" he added, talking about his other dad.
"No worries, Squirt," Aomine said, ruffling his son's hair. "Any time we've missed here we'll make up later."
Kazuki smiled brightly, nodding his head. He then ran over to his best friend Aimi, rushing her along. "Come on, Aimi!"
"In a second, Kazuki-kun," Aimi repeated, slowly putting her book away. She was still glancing back at the door.
"But we only have a second to play outside," Kazuki exaggerated. He then headed towards the door himself, taking his taller dad's hand into his. "Meet you there?"
When Aimi nodded, Kazuki took off with Aomine in tow.
"Woah there, Squirt," was the last thing to be heard from Aomine before the two were outside.
Aimi stood just as slowly, still staring out the door her friend just dashed out of.
Kuroko, noticing his student's small pout, kneeled down to Aimi's height. "Is something wrong Aimi-chan?"
Aimi turned to her feet, shaking her head.
"She's just a little bummed Sei's taking a little longer to get here," Nijimura explained. He kneeled down to his daughter's height as well. "Don't worry; Papa promised he'd be here. Papa never breaks his promises, right?"
Aimi looked up, a more hopeful look in her eyes. She shook her head again. "No, Papa always keeps his promises."
Nijimura smiled. "Good girl. Papa's going to want to see you smiling and having fun when he gets here, right?"
Aimi started smiling now, nodding her head. "Mmhmm!"
Nijimura ruffled Aimi's short hair. "Great. Want to go outside now? We wouldn't want to be leaving Kazuki-kun alone, right?"
Aimi's happy smile dropped to a worried look. She hectically shook her head no before starting to head out. "Come on, Daddy!"
Nijimura laughed, he and Kuroko standing. "Right behind you," he called after Aimi.
"Akashi-kun usually makes it to these kinds of events," Kuroko started, heading out with Nijimura. "Is there a problem at his company?"
Nijimura sighed, pulling out his phone. He showed Kuroko a message he received from Akashi saying that the meeting he was in got extended do to 'childish, idiotic disagreements.' "Aimi knows he's going to be late, but still."
"Well, at least you are here for her, Nijimura-senpai," Kuroko tried to reassure, he and Nijimura looking over at their children and Aomine playing once outside.
"You know you don't have to call me 'senpai' still, Kuroko," Nijimura said with a light chuckle. Looked like Aimi and Kazuki were going up against Aomine in basketball.
"Habits are hard to break," Kuroko responded with his own smile.
"Daddy!" Aimi called over to Nijimura. "Kazuki-kun doesn't think we can beat him and his dad!"
"My dad is the best basketball player ever!" Kazuki responded to Aimi.
"But both mine were captains!"
"Mine was ace!"
"Alright, alright," Nijimura called with a laugh. "I'm coming."
The recess continued like so. Kuroko was busy talking to parents and making sure his students were behaving and safe while Aomine, Kazuki, Nijimura, and Aimi were playing against each other. The dads were light with the game, not wanting to go overboard on their kids, while the kids treated the game like a death match. It ended with a tie by the time recess was over.
"If my other dad was playing with us, we'd totally win!" Kazuki boasted as he and Aimi headed back inside side by side.
"That means my papa would play, too, and he's the best! Our victory would be absolute," Aimi responded.
"A lot of the time, I don't see Akashi in Aimi," Aomine started in a whisper to Kuroko behind the kids, "but moments like this..."
Kuroko swatted Aomine away before walking up to the front of the class. "Settle down, everyone. Shall we begin?"
"Yes, sensei!" the students cheerfully called back to their teacher.
Kuroko began teaching his students more words and reading again. All went well until he allowed the kids to go learn beside their parent. Everyone was so excited, except for Aimi.
Sure Aimi was happy to get to spend time with her dad, but her papa was still nowhere in sight. Her smile faltered.
"He'll be here," Nijimura said to Aimi, sitting down beside her.
"It's okay," Aimi softy responded, looking down at the thin reading packet on her lap. "Papa's work is very important. He doesn't need to come if he really can't."
Nijimura bit the inside of his lip, keeping down his frustration. He hated seeing his little girl sad despite being so understanding. He didn't blame Akashi at all, but those 'childish, idiotic' business associates on the other hand...
A buzz from his pocket alerted Nijimura of a text message. He pulled out his phone, smiling at the message. "Look, Aimi." Nijimura showed his daughter the message despite her not being able to read completely. "Papa just left and is on his way."
Aimi's face lit up. "I knew it! I knew it!" she cheered.
Nijimura laughed. "Yes, and now that Papa will be popping soon, why don't we start working? Show Papa how smart you are when he gets here."
Aimi showed intense determination in her scarlet eyes, nodding her head. She went right to work, reading aloud what she understood and filling in answers to the packet. Knowing Akashi was on his way, Aimi's smile never faltered. Not even as time past and the waiting continued.
An hour before school let out, Nijimura double checked his phone. Akashi had sent another message to him not long after his first message about an accident on a busy road piling on traffic. He could tell from the text that his husband's other personality was making an appearance...
Nijimura glanced back up at his daughter. Aimi was still smiling, making Nijimura feel even worse. Akashi said that he'd be even more late, but Nijimura knew there was no way Akashi was going to make it. Putting up his own smile, Nijimura made his way to Aimi.
"What're you drawing there, sunshine?" Nijimura asked, kneeling down to his daughter's desk. The class was coloring and drawing pictures with their parents.
"You, me, and Papa," Aimi answered, scribbling more. "I can't wait for Papa to see!"
Nijimura's jaw clenched as he continued his forced smile.
"Where is your dad?" Kazuki asked, somehow covered in marker stains.
"He's coming," Aimi answered. "Any second."
Nijimura shared a glance with Aomine, having shared the message with the cop and Kuroko. Aomine could only offer a supportive smile.
Taking a deep breath, Nijimura began breaking the news to his innocent, hopeful daughter. "Aimi–"
"It's almost 2 o'clock, everyone," Kuroko announced, cutting Nijimura off. "Time to clean up so we can go outside for the parent-child activities. We'll be joining Satou-sensei's class."
The children started cheering before cleaning up their art supplies.
Because of the distraction, Aimi forgot to turn her attention back to her dad. "Let's clean you up, Kazuki-kun," Aimi said, taking Kazuki's hand and dragging him off to the sink. The other boy only laughed at his mess and how badly he did need to get cleaned off.
Back with the parents, Aomine placed a supportive hand on Nijimura's shoulder. "We can't make it to everything."
Nijimura scowled at Aomine. "You used your police siren to get to their play on time last month."
Aomine pulled back his hand, shutting right up.
"Daddy."
Nijimura and Aomine turned down, seeing Aimi looking up at them.
"Can we leave a note for Papa? What if he comes and doesn't see us here and doesn't know where we are?"
Nijimura took another deep breath, kneeling down again. "Aimi," he started up. He was going to tell Aimi the truth, but then seeing her big scarlet eyes looking back at him... "That is a great idea," Nijimura ended up blurting. "We'll put it right on your desk."
Aimi smiled brightly. She then went to grab paper and a crayon, quickly scribbling a picture for Akashi. Nijimura wrote that they'd be outside by the drawing.
"Nice job," Aomine sarcastically said as everyone was lead out.
"Shut it," Nijimura grumbled back.
Out in the courtyard, many games and activities took place, including a parent-child relay race. With Nijimura's and Aomine's basketball background, they left the other parents in the dust when handed a baton from their children. It was Kuroko who had to put a stop to their competitive behavior that even the students could consider childish.
"Dad, you were so cool and fast!" Kazuki awed, gleaming at Aomine's speed.
"It's okay, Daddy," Aimi comforted her sulking dad. A senpai losing to his kouhai... "Second place isn't bad. You were still really far away from the other mommies and daddies."
"Besides," Kuroko added, joining in helping save Nijimura's pride, "there's an intelligence relay planned. You'll definitely get farther than Daiki there."
Aomine twitched from his spot. "Tetsu!"
"Oh, Papa could do that one!" Aimi cheered. "Papa's super super smart!"
"B-but Daddy needs to redeem himself, Aimi!" Nijimura quickly responded.
"But Papa and Kuroko-sensei haven't played yet," Aimi countered. She began looking around the crowd. Hard with how little she was. "Is Papa here yet?"
"Why don't you and Kazuki get ready for the jumprope contest, Aimi-chan?" Kuroko interrupted.
"Okay," Aimi cheerfully answered, trotting over to her best friend again.
Kuroko turned back to Nijimura. "You didn't tell her? She'll be more disappointed when she finds out herself."
"It's hard to tell kids bad news!" Nijimura groaned.
"Nijimura-senpai, I'm a teacher. Part of my job is telling kids bad news for a living," Kuroko deadpanned. "If I can do so daily to at least 10 kids, you can tell your daughter."
Nijimura scowled back. Looks like it was now or never. Unfortunately, it seemed like the world decided 'never' for Nijimura.
Every time he tried to tell Aimi Akashi wasn't coming, something got in the way from another event to a false bee scare, accidents with water tables to small trips and cuts. While Nijimura's time at the elementary school was hectic, things on Akashi's side wasn't pretty either.
Akashi's fingers were drumming against his crossed arm. He kept his breath even, trying to keep his composure. If it wasn't for that infernal meeting. In a perfect world, he would cut ties with those insolent business associates immediately just for keeping him from his daughter's school event. Heck, in a perfect world, that meeting wouldn't have cut into his daughter's school event in the first place.
"I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience, Akashi-sama," Akashi's driver apologized, nervous with Akashi's withheld displeasure.
Akashi took in another breath. "It can't be helped." Hours in a car because of a stupid traffic jam.
Akashi double-checked the time on his phone. He let out a sigh. It was impossible to make it to the elementary school. "Just drive me home," he gave in, sending Nijimura another disappointing message. Their home was closer than the school at this point. Nijimura received the message during his victory boast against Aomine.
"Children," Kuroko deadpanned. "Your fathers are children."
Aimi and Kazuki giggled.
"Come on," Kuroko started to the kids. "We need to help the school clean everything up since they planned this fun event for everyone."
"Yes, Dad!"
"Yes, Kuroko-sensei,"
Kazuki and Aimi simultaneously said, leaving their dads. As they left to help clean up, Kuroko had Aomine and Nijimura by the ear, pulling them along to help clean as well. It wasn't until after clean up when Nijimura noticed Akashi's final message.
'Tell Aimi I'm sorry for not being able to make it to Parents Day and that I will make it up to her when you two return home.'
Nijimura sighed, looking up at Aimi from his phone. There was no avoiding it now.
Nijimura made his way to Aimi, who was doing a drawing collaboration with Kazuki. He called for her, pulling her daughter off to the side for a moment.
"Aimi, Papa's not going to make it after all," Nijimura finally confessed.
Aimi stared back at her dad. "But he said he would."
"Yes, but–"
"You said he was on his way."
Nijimura's heart felt stabbed when seeing his daughter's pouty lip quiver. "There was a lot of traffic on the way here. Papa's waiting for us at home though."
Aimi looked down at her feet. She was silent for a moment, contemplating something to herself. "Right now?"
"Yes," Nijimura answered. "And he promised we'll all do fun things together to make up for today."
"Okay, Daddy," Aimi responded, not showing much emotion. She was calm when she went back to her seat with Kazuki.
Nijimura watched Aimi clean up her things since class was beginning to wrap up, bothered. His daughter seemed to be growing upset previously, but now...
The dismissal bell rang and the room erupted with excitement. Children all rushed to their parents, saying goodbye to Kuroko-sensei on their way out. It didn't take long for it to just be Nijimura, Kuroko, Aomine, Kazuki, and Aimi left in the classroom.
With the classroom empty, Kuroko began his after class routine. He would stay behind to clean the room a bit more with Kazuki's and Aimi's help on a normal day before taking the kids home. Since Aomine and Nijimura were still present, they helped sweep the floors and scrub the table tops as well, speeding up the cleaning process.
"And you have to do this everyday, Kuroko?" Nijimura asked in disbelief after their extra clean up. He and the other two adults were putting the cleaning supplies away for the day. "I thought kids manage their own classrooms."
"When they're older," Kuroko answered. "Right now, it's merely putting things back nicely in the right place. The children are just kindergarteners."
"Tetsu and I handle the most dangerous members of society everyday: kids and criminals," Aomine joked.
Nijimura rolled his eyes before calling to his daughter. "Aimi, it's time to go."
Aimi, from her spot at her desk, shook her head. "Papa said he was coming, so he should come."
Nijimura furrowed his brows slightly. He made his way over to Aimi. "Papa's waiting at home. We can tell him all about today when we see him."
"No," Aimi huffed. "It won't be the same. I want Papa to see how good I am in school, so he can be happy like you when you saw me. Papa has to do everything with us, too." She turned up to Nijimura.
"We don't use a car to get to school from your house," Kazuki said, he and Kuroko picking Aimi up for school every morning. "So Akashi-san doesn't need to drive in a car either, right?" He turned to Aimi, helping his best friend voice the idea she shared with him while the adults were cleaning. "It's still Parents Day if we're still here and all."
Nijimura stared back, wide eyed, at the two kindergarteners. He then turned to Kuroko and Aomine in hopes of backup because he wasn't quite sure how to respond.
"Seems like a good idea to me," Aomine said.
"I don't mind staying late for Aimi-chan and Akashi-kun," Kuroko responded with a kind smile.
Nijimura smiled back before turning to Aimi, ruffling her hair. "Alright. I'll go call Papa."
Aimi's face lit up even more, happy and relieved. When Nijimura stepped to the side to make his call, Aimi and Kazuki were left cheering together.
A few rings after dialing up Akashi's number did the line on the other end of Nijimura's phone pick up.
"Shuuzou? Are you and Aimi almost home?"
"Not quite," Nijimura answered with an awkward laugh. "We stayed back to help Kuroko with some cleaning, but listen, you got to make it down here."
There was a pause. "Pardon?"
"Aimi really wants you here. You're home right?"
"I just got into the house."
"Alright look, Kuroko's cool with staying over a while for us, and I can meet you halfway–"
"That won't be necessary," Nijimura heard through the phone with an added door closing in the background. "I'll be there no later than 10 minutes."
The line went dead before either of them could say goodbye.
Nijimura looked down at his phone, staring at the flashing 'end call' on the screen. He smiled as he pocketed his phone. Akashi really did always keep his promises one way or another.
It didn't take too long for Akashi to arrive. As he said, no later than 10 minutes. However, when Akashi arrived, he was slightly out of breath at the door having sprinted from their house. He was still even in his business wear.
Upon hearing the door to the classroom open, Aimi's head instantly spun to the source. Tears slightly formed at her eyes when seeing her papa before she bolted over to him. "Papa!" she called, jumping into Akashi's arms as he kneeled to her height.
"I'm here, Aimi. Papa's here," Akashi said endearingly.
When Aimi struggled out of Akashi's tight hug, she instantly pulled her papa towards her desk. She started their makeup Parents Day first by showing off her drawing. Then Kuroko had reenacted his class lesson, Kazuki joining and acting as if it was a school day all over again.
After the quick lesson and Aimi could show off her kindergarten intellectual skills, the six of them went out to play. There was a plan to redo all the activities Akashi missed, but they ended up with nonstop basketball play, 3-on-3.
"Papa! Papa! I wanna dunk, too!" Aimi cheered after seeing Akashi dunk, amazed.
"Dad, can you do that, too!?" Kazuki asked in awe. His dad and Aimi's papa were similar in height. He didn't seem to notice his shorter dad's dejection.
"Sorry, Kuroko," Akashi said with a light laugh. He didn't mean to outshine him in front of his son.
"Papa! Papa!" Aimi repetitively called, holding up her arms.
Nijimura was the one who calmed her down, ruffling his daughter's hair. "Maybe when you're older, sunshine."
"I still can't believe you dunk," Aomine said to Akashi.
Akashi raised a brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
While Aomine shut his mouth, Kazuki answered obliviously, "You're small, Akashi-san."
Akashi stared blankly down at Kazuki while Nijimura stifled a laugh behind his wrist
"Don't laugh at Papa," Aimi scolded her dad, hands on her hips. She then turned to Kazuki. "And my papa's taller than your dad, Kazuki-kun."
"Hey, I didn't say my dad was that tall either," Kazuki nonchalantly responded.
Aomine joined Nijimura in trying to hold down laughter.
"Kazuki, Aimi-chan," Kuroko started to say with a false sweet tone, kneeling down to the kids' height, "wouldn't you think it'd be very exciting to see me and Papa go up against and beat Dad and Daddy?"
Kazuki's and Aimi's eyes widened in awe. Nijimura didn't seem too convinced of that happening, but Aomine remembered a time when they were younger; he and Kagami went up against Kuroko and Akashi, and everything was just shameful...
"I think it's getting late," Aomine made up.
"But, Dad!" Kazuki whined.
"Come on, Squirt," Aomine brushed him off, picking up his son and throwing him over his shoulder like a flour sack.
"Dad!"
"Well, I would consider this Parents Day rather successful," Kuroko said to the others. "Wouldn't you, Aimi-chan?"
Aimi smiled brightly, nodding her head. She took both her fathers' hands into each of hers. "Daddy and Papa came! I can't stop smiling, Kuroko-sensei!"
"Your cheeks will start to hurt if you really can't," Akashi said endearingly, Aimi only giggling even more. He turned back to Kuroko. "Thank you again for staying back."
"It was my pleasure, Akashi-kun. There's nothing in the world better than the happiness of our children," Kuroko responded, glancing over to Aomine and Kazuki messing around with matching smiles.
"Agreed," Akashi concurred before feeling a little tug from Aimi. Looking back down, he saw her arms raised up again.
"Papa!"
Akashi smiled, instantly giving into Aimi's request of being carried.
"I'm so happy you came, Papa," Aimi said sweetly.
Akashi's smile only grew, agreeing with his daughter as well.
Third story of my KnB Kiddie collection! Also for NijiAkaWeek2k16! Sorry for any OoCness and inaccuracies; idk much about Japanese Parents Day ehhehe...