AquaJet: So I haven't been on fanfiction in forever. I may delete my unfinished works (cause I forgot what was supposed to happen.) Somehow I got talked into writing again and this is what happened. I hope you all enjoy it. Thanks in advance for all reviews.
When a person noticed something, they tend to stare into it forever until the interest is lost. Maybe curiosity drew one to the object or person in question but one can always decide to shut out curiosity in anything that doesn't concern their lives. There have been people who kept their interest: the observers.
Kurata Katsue noticed the small things that average people miss out of habit. Her friend, Saki, had a hamster when they were little and Katsue happily watched the creature as it cleverly climbed its cage and broke free. Her parents thought she was an absent-minded child when, in reality, she concentrated her focus on one interesting object and left out anything else. Currently, it was too tiresome to focus on something for so long so she never focused intensely on anything ever again but she still noticed things.
The first thing, actually person, who caught her attention since her childhood days was a strange boy. His hair, the shade of a nice blue color, caught her eye. She couldn't get it out of her mind since then. How could she not notice someone with a beautiful shade of blue? Sure, she wasn't actively looking for people with blue hair in her high school but you couldn't miss it.
She made an effort to find the boy and, as some weird twist of fate, she was placed in the same class as him. Her efforts were wasted when she found the boy to be not as interesting as she originally thought. She did find out that he lacked presence and she liked his eyes for some strange reason. Other than that, he offered her nothing else so she would simply look at him from the corner of her eye so her observing skills wouldn't fade.
Luckily, she found someone ten times more interesting when she was looking for the blue haired one. There was another boy, one with red hair and an intimidating face, which was near the smaller boy. The red hair boy was very tall and his eyebrows were oddly shaped. She quickly got past his intimidating aura and found him to be amusing because he was very expressive. When the boy was working on the class work, he started off mildly worried then slowly changed to horror when he found out it was due at the end of class. He also slept during class with his mouth opened.
"Pst, Saki," Katsue poked her friend and then pointed to the red haired boy. "He's eating lunch instead of reading."
Something clicked with Saki. She twirled her long brown hair and smiled. Her brown eyes sparkled when gazing upon the boy. "Katsue…he's so…hot."
Katsue nodded and was glad that her friend agreed that the boy was pretty funny…
Wait.
Katsue's brain processed what her short friend just said then her head twisted ninety degrees and she smartly asked, "Whut?"
"Katsue, please tell me you see how charming he is."
"Uh…he is kind of handsome and funny…"
Saki dramatically placed her hand over her mouth and gasped. "Look at those eyes, Katsue, LOOK AT THEM. They have this fiery intent to them…"
It was only because the boy was angry that his eggroll fell so he glared at the floor where it lay. He was five seconds too late to take it back.
"And he is so wonderfully tall, dark, and handsome…Look at those sexy muscles."
That was due to genetics and possibly sports.
"Not to mention, he looks like a bad boy. That is so hot." Saki giggled.
Katsue thought that part was just a load of bull. She sighed and let her friend continue with her flamboyant and imaginative story of how they were going to suddenly become friends when they find something they have in common, find out that they like each other after some drama, get married on an island with a beautiful sunset, and have five kids. She was very detailed and picky—said that she had to have twins twice then a girl or all boys. And after getting married, they had to ride off into the sunset on a unicorn (how she would obtain one was left vaguely for Katsue to wonder).
By the end of class, she noticed that both the blue and red boys left immediately without warning. The teacher frowned and looked around for his students. "Can someone find Taiga Kagami?"
"What for, sensei?" Katsue asked. She sensed her teacher might want help with the way he rubbed his thumb and his pointer finger together—the habit she noticed earlier whenever he needed help.
"You see…" he fumbled with some papers. "He forgot his printout. Someone else did too but I don't know who."
"You mean the blue haired boy?"
"Blue haired…?" The teacher looked through his records of student picture IDs. "Oh…right! Tetsuya Kuroko-kun. I almost marked him absent today."
There she had it. Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun were their names. No more identifying them with their hair color. "I can take it to them." She took the papers and then set off on a journey to find the invisible boy and wild tiger. She first looked at the floor because she remembered Kagami-kun's shoes were slightly muddy. She carefully followed the tainted floor but sometimes moved in the wrong direction because someone else' foot smeared the original mark. She eventually found a fork in the hallway. Literally.
The fork was in between two different hallways and was the point where the muddy prints faded away. The hallway on the left led to the boys' bathroom and the other led to the basketball courts. Katsue contemplated which way the boys could have gone. Maybe they went to the bathroom because everyone needs to go once in a while? Or maybe Kagami-kun was really in sports and played basketball? He certainly had the height for it.
"Katsue~! What are you doing here? Are you boy-hunting?"
Katsue had no excuse to give to Saki as to why she was near the place where she could possibly see a lot of boys. She hated being on the spot because her brain doesn't think properly. "Well, you see…I was dared to go inside the boys' restroom."
Oops.
"Okay let's go together."
Before Katsue could protest and take back what she said, Saki dragged the girl into the boys' bathroom. They both stared in awe of what they saw.
"They really do have urinals!"
Katsue had nothing to comment on. Since no one was around, she just dragged Saki out of the bathroom before anyone could see them and headed towards the basketball courts. The shorter girl complained about wanting to see Kagami-kun and asked where he was. Katsue scratched the top of her head and then stared at the tips of her dark hair till she could see all the changes in tint color from every single strand—she prepared herself for concentration. She focused on the image of Kuroko-kun's nice blue hair. She assumed the two were pretty good friends since they conversed with each other during class and thought that maybe they would be together.
Oddly enough, she spotted Kagami-kun first on the court (she didn't mind but somehow she was disappointed she couldn't spot Kuroko-kun). She decided to stay behind and watch the matches but Saki had to leave because of her club. "It's so heart-breakening, leaving my prince. Please watch after him for me!"
So now Kagami-kun is Saki's prince. The short girl made fake sobbing noises before leaving. Katsue then watched how Kagami-kun played which in a way was kind of boring and interesting. She found his play to be very straightforward—steal the ball and then slam dunk it. She did find him to be the epitome of strength and fierceness. The way he dominated the court was amazing to her but she wondered if she was missing something because the ball always fell into Kagami-kun's hands even if he didn't try to steal it.
Instead of watching Kagami-kun, Katsue followed the ball until eventually she saw a shadow of a person with blue hair, changing the direction of the ball's course. She shifted her focus away from the ball and then to the shadow. She had found Kuroko-kun and when she did, her grey eyes never left him until the match was over. There was something very graceful and cool with the way he passed the ball. His nonchalant expression, along with his intense and calm eyes, sent chills down her spine.
She never paid much attention to basketball. She didn't enjoy sports that much but the way the two played and how they complimented each other on court had her heart racing in excitement. After the match was over, Katsue quickly approached the two boys with their printouts at hand.
Kagami-kun drank his water and then bumped into Kuroko-kun without realizing he was there. "Dammit! Watch where you're going!"
"It was due to your carelessness. I was standing here for a while."
"Don't give me that load of bull! You're doing this on purpose!"
Kuroko-kun's face remained calm and unchanging in his expression. He simply flicked his wristband at Kagami-kun's face and then dodged his punches.
"Um…excuse me," Katsue broke in. She had no other way to get their attention.
"What the hell do you want?" Kagami-kun asked with a hostile glare aimed at her. Katsue's mouth opened a little and her eyes widened in shock. His face was a hundred times scarier when angry but she tried to imagine his derpy sleeping face from class where his mouth was wide opened and he liked to talk nonsense. A small smile formed from her mouth and she lifted the printouts for them to see.
"You forgot your printouts." She handed them their respective papers. Kuroko-kun opened his mouth to say something but Kagami-kun spoke first.
"You actually noticed him too?" He asked, pointing his finger at Kuroko-kun.
"It's rude to point." The shorter player stated.
She laughed and then looked at both of them. "May I play basketball too?"
Kagami-kun stared heavily at Katsue from head to toe. He sighed and said, "Your aura is too weak. I only want to play against strong people."
"Is that so…?" She felt a bit disappointed and a little surprised. She thought that Kagami-kun would play basketball with anyone regardless of skill level.
"Were you asking me too?" Kuroko-kun finally spoke. She nodded her head and smiled but thought that the boy might not be interested either.
"Then I'll play with you." He said.
Wow. She didn't expect that. Katsue stopped assuming things and followed Kuroko-kun. As they walked to a nearby street court, Katsue wondered why she lost some of her interest in the boy earlier. She also found it surprising that the said boy wasn't a waterboy but an actual player. His role in the game was a strange one—not in the spotlight like Kagami-kun but his supporting role. She kind of wanted to root for him because he worked so hard and also admired him for it.
When they got to the street courts, and played together, Katsue quickly realized that Kuroko-kun was very weak. She had no skills but was still a bit athletic. Kuroko-kun knew all the basics to everything; the problem was his lack of power and speed. He was pretty slow while dribbling the ball, his throws lacked the extra power to reach the hoop, and since it was a one-on-one match, his passes were sealed. Even Katsue got better as she played with Kuroko-kun and then in just an hour, she could get a lead. It wasn't something she was particularly happy about because she missed his excellence on court.
"You know," She said, "You're so amazing as a supportive player for your team."
She almost missed Kuroko-kun's lips parting slightly—maybe he was surprised?
"You saw me?" He asked, still pulling his well crafted poker face.
"I did. I thought you were very cool." She smiled.
Then his eyes fell to the floor. Maybe since people never noticed the little guy, he wasn't really used to someone, excluding other players, acknowledging him. "Thank you." He said finally.
They continued their game. She discovered something new—basketball and how she felt an adrenaline rush while playing. "Kuroko-kun, do you like basketball?" she asked while the two were running towards the hoop. Kuroko-kun stopped with the ball on hand and said, "I love playing basketball."
His face remained unchanged but his voice and the way he said it made up for his lack of expression. Katsue regretted ever losing interest in him. He shined so brightly in her eyes but that was probably it—only her eyes would be able to see him. In these small exchanges of moments they spend together, she was captivated by his determination and how he genuinely played.
She likes him. Maybe she could play basketball with him more and watch his progress. Then when the sky got dark, the two grabbed their stuff and went their separate ways. Katsue thought that they might never get the chance to play together again. "Kuroko-kun!" She turned around. "Can I play with you tomorrow?"
Kuroko-kun looked at the sky to see if the twinkling stars had the answer for him. He nodded.
When Katsue reached home, she took a shower instead of a bath. The running stream of water helped relax her body and calm her mind. While washing her hair, she thought of Kuroko-kun and wished she could see him again but she was too tired to continue. Maybe if she started training she could build up some more stamina. That would make two of them since Kuroko-kun took quite a few breaks. Either way, she felt incredibly giddy for tomorrow.
Scratch that, her body ached all over and she wished that she stayed home. But she felt okay when she saw that Kuroko-kun also dragged his feet to class. "You too, buddy?" She gently touched his shoulder.
"That hurts a lot." As always, his expression didn't change but his legs were shaking. She didn't expect him to be so fragile.
"Sorry," She smiled meekly.
Of course, when they settled in their respective seats, their more energetic friends decide it's the perfect time and day to smack them in the back as the morning greeting. Katsue almost screamed but bit her lip and grunted. Her head met the desk right after. As for Kuroko-kun, he actually fainted.
"This is a bad joke…oi." Kagami-kun shook the fainted boy.
"You're right, how'd you find out?" Kuroko came alive again though it really wasn't that different since he was never really the life of the party in the first place.
"Why you…" Kagami-kun's blood pressure rose, Katsue could tell. Kuroko-kun slipped back into his fainting state. "Hey, don't pull that again!"
Meanwhile, Katsue tried to convince her friend that she didn't go on an adventure yesterday and rode off with a boy on a unicorn. She was beginning to suspect that Saki was getting an obsession with unicorns. And like many teenage obsessions, eventually they all come to an end and the said teen will reflect on it.
During lunch, Katsue drank her coffee milk happily and stared at her riceballs when suddenly, Saki flailed right into the classroom with her meatbuns and melonpan. "I got to see Kagami-kun!"
Katsue continued drinking her coffee milk calmly as her friend talked about how cool her wonderful prince looked as he walked, no actually strutted, down the halls while sparkling. Katsue giggled but then after a few seconds of thinking, she asked, "Hey, why do you like Kagami-kun?"
Saki took a small bite of her meat bun. "I don't know why. I just do. I don't know if I can say I like him when I haven't really tried to talk to him so I guess I'm just crushing on him."
"Why don't you try talking to him?"
"I did!" Saki added quickly. She frowned before continuing, "I stuttered like an idiot." Then her face turned into a nice pink shade. It was a bit odd seeing her upbeat friend turn into a shy little girl right before her eyes and it was all due to one boy.
"Maybe you can write him a love letter. That's still pretty popular despite how old-fashioned it is. Kagami-kun seems to be an old-fashioned type."
"No! I should confess!" She slapped her cheeks and grunted—her sign of determination.
Katsue wondered how long it would take.
Days turned into weeks of no confession. Saki had accomplished talking to Kagami-kun but their conversations never really got anywhere unless they were about food or basketball. Luckily, Saki's father loves the sport otherwise she wouldn't know much about it. She finally stopped stuttering around him (it dropped quickly when Saki realized that Kagami-kun was a good person, so she said.)
Saki claimed that Kagami-kun was stealing more of her heart every day. "I walked to the vet with my gerbil and I saw him! I swear I didn't plan it! But it was awesome cause William Ivan Liver Lan Irving Sandicheeks the third—"
"Just call him Willis."
"—actually likes him!"
"Whut."
William Ivan Liver Lan Irving Sandicheeks, or just W.I.L.L.I.S., never liked anybody but Saki, Katsue, and the previous owner. Usually, the gerbil would bite any unfamiliar hands and squeak to prove its dominance because Willis was just that aggressive.
"Kagami-kun seemed to like him too. He muttered something about 'better than dogs'! Do you think he hates dogs?"
"If he did then he can't marry you. I want a dog—a huge dog."
"If you loved me then you'd make this small sacrifice!"
"The dog will love me more."
Saki pretended to sob again. Katsue was glad her friend cared about her so she had no tolerance for anything but the best for Saki.
She had finally done it. It was the biggest relief when she said her feelings but they were soon replaced by fear—intense fear of rejection. Kagami-kun's shocked face didn't help at all. In fact, Saki grew even more nervous. Kagami-kun then blurted out the first words that came to mind, "basketball is the only thing on my mind."
Saki understood. She didn't throw a fit or make a dramatic sob. She just bowed, settled for being friends, and calmly walked away.
The sky started raining and Saki walked around without an umbrella. When Katsue found her, she grabbed her and found shelter inside the school. "What's wrong?" she asked.
It took Saki a while, like she forgot how to speak and then slowly remembered how. "I was rejected and I don't know why…it was only a simple crush. I know I sometimes exaggerate and say he's like the Romeo to my Juliet but…" She sniffed and moved closer to her best friend. "Maybe it's like symbolism or something? Like we're not meant to be, huh?"
Real, salty tears fell from her eyes and into Katsue's shoulder. Katsue placed her hand on her friend's head and slowly hummed an American song she heard her mom listen to.
"Cause when a heart breaks, no, it don't break even."
The next morning, Katsue slammed her hand on Kagami's desk. He glared at her and asked, "oi, what the hell was that for?"
"Please have a match with me."
He seemed almost confused and puzzled as to why she would request such a thing but said, "I told you I don't play against weak people."
"Just this once," she stared at him straight in the eye and smiled, "or are you a coward?"
"Alright then! When and where?" Kagami wasn't going to let himself be called a coward, and by a girl much less.
"After school today on the street courts." She walked out but then said one last thing, "Be there or be square."
Kagami was confused again. "Who the hell even uses that anymore?" Kagami raged about it further. Kuroko had to throw an eraser at him to calm him down. He fumed on for a minute longer and then calmed down.
Katsue didn't once look at Kuroko. It almost made him wonder if she too didn't notice him or she simply was too focused on something else. Both thoughts made him feel a bit lonely either way.
It was expected that she would lose. She didn't expect to win anyway. She just wanted a release of her negative emotions and she wanted to do it safely without hurting anyone. She had changed into loose fitting clothes suited for basketball. When Kagami arrived, he was in his basketball clothes and ready for the game. Kuroko was there too but yet again, Katsue didn't seem to notice.
When the game started, Katsue started with the ball due to the coin toss. They would keep going until the first person completed ten shots. Kagami already made three in five minutes. Katsue was more determined than ever because her goal was really one shot. She knew it was unrealistic to get to ten shots being a beginner and all but it was enough to give her time.
She finally obtained the ball once more and aimed for a three-pointer but it missed by a whole foot. Kagami suppressed his laughter. She sulked but claimed the ball once again and attempted to shoot again at a closer distance. The ball bounced up from the rim but bounced outward toward Kagami instead. He scored his fourth point.
Just one, she thought. All she wanted was one.
Then without warning, her style changed. The ball Kagami held in his hand had been stolen from him. He knew she was vaguely nearby so she didn't use misdirection like Kuroko did and it was different. She got better at stealing the ball from him which was strange. Kagami's body was much larger than hers and even his limbs were long. He was also much stronger and more skilled. He made his seventh point because of all that.
She tried to drunk this time. She was a bit tall (taller than the average female) but she could reach the hoop by pushing herself. She ran towards the hoop and bent her legs for a high jump. It hurt a little but her hand was so close to the hoop. She didn't jump high enough or maybe she wasn't tall enough but she fell back down. When her feet touched the ground, Kagami slapped the ball out of her hands. He reached his eighth point right after.
"Katsue-san."
Then she noticed the boy—his blue hair was like refreshing water. "Yes, Kuroko-kun?"
At first, there was a silence like he expected her to say something but she didn't. He flung his wristband at her forehead. She rubbed the spot where it hit her—somehow it had a relaxing effect. She didn't know what to say. He picked up his own wristband and handed it to her. "I'm rooting for you."
It touched her. She had been so absorbed in winning over Kagami with just one point and she completely forgot about her friend who was cheering her on. "I'm sorry and thanks." She smiled.
She wore the wristband on her left arm when she returned to the game. Kagami scored his ninth point and after that, they both stole the ball from each other continuously. He finally noticed that Katsue used her slim, quick hands and her deadly eyes to follow the ball. When she found a gap or opportunity, she exploited it to reclaim the ball. Kagami couldn't do much about it other than let her take it and try to steal it back.
Just one point. It was her last chance to gain that one point. She no longer wanted to get back at Kagami for her friend—the reason seemed childish. No, she wanted to win a point for Kuroko, Saki, and herself. For the last time, she held the ball in her hands and made her shot. She hoped she would make it and then she could go back to playing a fun game of basketball with Kuroko. The ball hit the rim again but it rolled in the hoop's circular path—unwilling to show her if it will move in or out. The ball finally slowed down and then Katsue's heart soared. The ball went in.
Kagami claimed his tenth point soon after, leaving the score ten to one. Katsue bowed. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier and thank you very much!"
Kagami grumbled. "Thanks for the match," he said. "It was fun." He couldn't stay very angry at someone who tried their best.
With that Kagami left Katsue with Kuroko. She returned his wristband and gently ruffled with his hair. "Thank you very much, Kuroko-kun."
"No problem."
"Do you want to play with me next?"
"No."
"Huh?" She was suddenly worried. "Why not?"
"Your legs are shaking a little. You might start cramping."
"How do you know?"
"Coach told me that's what happens."
"Oh then…" She scratched her head thoughtfully. "How about I treat you to something? I'm sorry we didn't get the chance to play today."
"Will you buy me a vanilla shake?" He asked. His face was straighter than usual so she assumed he was serious. She nodded and the two headed off for vanilla shakes.
The next day in the afternoon, Kuroko questioned his friend for once. "You went easy on her."
"I went easy on who?"
"The girl you played against yesterday."
"Oh…" Kagami scratched the back of his head. "What makes you say that?"
"When she tried to get points, you didn't interfere until after she failed. And even though you guarded yourself pretty well, when she stole the ball, you were pretty slow in taking it back. You weren't that rough on her either."
"Oh?"
"It was weird seeing you try to be gentle."
"Sorry for being weird!" He huffed. He settled down pretty quickly. "Actually, I saw her friend lean on her shoulder and uh…you know…tears made me nervous."
"Should I cry too?"
"I'd be happy to see your tears." Kagami glared and grit his teeth.
"How rude." Kuroko sulked.
"Anyway, I felt like I wanted to help compensate, you know. Her friend is the only girl that liked me and the first to confess to me." Kagami then thought about it a little. "She was nice to me…" He went back to eating his food again. Kuroko didn't say anything after.
"Are you feeling any better?"
"Yeah, I think so."
After Saki ate forty pounds of chocolate in the form of ice cream, cookies, brownies, and cake, she settled down quite significantly especially since the girl was a wreck upon entering Katsue's house. Katsue didn't need to do much to soothe her other than to listen to every word of her ranting with only a slight turn of the head for a response and Disney movies. Usually after all the drama has been dealt with, the dramatic person then focused their energy on their friend's drama.
"I forgot to ask you. Do you have anyone you like?"
One boy popped into Katsue's mind. "I don't think you even know he exists."
"Oh come on! I wanna know!" Saki whined.
"I'll give you a hint." Her friend softly smiled. "If your Kagami was the sun, then he is the moon."
Saki thought very hard about it. After thirty seconds, steam came out of her ears due to overuse of her brain. She was never good at connecting concepts and ideas. "But there's no one who could be the moon! Kagami is too dazzling!" Saki pouted. "Give me another hint!"
"Well…" Katsue grabbed her blue dinosaur plushy and snuggled with it before continuing, "He's like a new moon to everyone else."
"He might as well not have been there! Don't tell me he's an imaginary character from some sports anime. You really should start liking real people."
Katsue laughed. "Still, he's my little invisible boy. He's very real to me and I hope I can see him smile one day."
Saki still believed that her friend lied to her since she refused to give a detailed description of how hot the boy looked like but then made her own little story. It went something like this:
His nickname was BO which stood for Brilliantly Obnoxious. He stood thirteen feet tall with sharp killer eyes and a raging devilish smile. He carried around a dinocorn (the hybrid of a dinosaur and unicorn which happens to love corn) as his pet and went hunting with it on Saturdays. He was incredibly buff with a dominating presence. His hair and eyes were blue. The only reason no one ever saw him was because he carried an invisibility cloak. And Katsue could only see him because she was a witch.
Both girls burst out laughing but Katsue's laughter lasted much longer. There was only one true thing about her whole story and the correct one was one of the reasons why he caught her eye.
She then remembered the first moment she spotted his hair color and the first time she saw his intense eyes that claimed her interest again. Then the moment she realized that she had left him lonely where she paid no attention to him at all.
Then she thought, this couldn't continue forever. One day, her feelings might burst out in a messy and desperate cry for his love, and she didn't want that.
Kuroko looked out the window to see a clear sky with a bright full moon and smaller twinkling stars. The boy opens his letter from his friend and reads it.
Hey Kuroko-kun!
Watching more of your matches makes me so excited for the next one. You and Kagami-kun are a great pair. It's like you guys are the sun and the moon. Most people would probably be looking at you two during the day where Kagami-kun is at his brightest, of course you're somewhere in the sky too but you aren't noticed a lot (see what I did there?). But don't worry! You shine the brightest at night along with all the little stars. Even if it's only one, I hope I can be a star in your night sky.
—Kurata Katsue
The corners of the boy's lips moved up and a warm, happy feeling came over him when he looked at the sky again. There was the moon and one star shining brightly beside it.
She didn't expect anything in return but when she found a letter in her shoebox, anxiety filled her heart. Yet the best way to rid of such feelings was to open the darn thing and lose the mystery that the letter contained. She waited until she was home, alone and unmolested by anyone. She opened it and started reading.
Hello Katsue-san!
She could tell he forced those exclamation marks in there to match hers. She laughed.
It seems like my friends looked over my shoulder and saw your letter. I apologize. They believe that your words mean you are implying that we should be together.
Oh. Kami-sama. "They…saw…?" She squeaked. Her face flushed in embarrassment. She wasn't trying to imply that they should be together or anything like that.
If you weren't implying anything like that then let me ask you if you want to go out with me.
-Kuroko Tetsuya
P.S. Basketball takes priority over dates.
P.S.S. everyone but mostly coach helped me write this. Except the last line was really from me.
Kuroko had also made an attempt to draw his face with a peace sign (actually, on the side, it read Coach Aida did this). She laughed, she never felt so amazingly happy in her entire life.