the one left behind

by pinkcorpse

Akashi Seijuurou struggles with his legacy and his life.

A pale body was lying on the tatami mat, having been pinned down roughly. He tried to resist, but to no avail–his opponent was stronger than him. His assailant moved both his wrists onto one hand, the now free hand moving to his chest, parting his thin kimono slightly, and drawing something onto his chest, all while muttering something under his breath. He tried his struggles anew, but the iron grip on his wrists never loosened.

Finally, it stopped. The assailant towering over him let go of his arms, his gaze drawn from his chest to his eyes. He laid a cold hand on his cheek.

"With this, you are mine…"

#

"Please don't follow me," a red-haired young man said, a hint of distress in his voice.

A man, clad in a black suit, followed him closely. "But young master, it is the head's orders that you–"

"What my father wants does not matter. At least let me have freedom here," he interrupted him curtly. His patience was growing thin.

"But–" Any resistance was cut off as he muttered something under his breath, never slowing down his pace, causing the man to freeze.

Stopping in his tracks, he craned his neck just enough to glance at the man. Once he was sure the person would not be able to lift even a single finger, he moved on alone.

"The spell will be undone in half an hour. Go back without me, I don't want to see any of you near the school," he said, as he left the helpless man behind.

#

At the school gate, there stood a familiar person, waiting for him.

"Akashi," the person called out to him, a bit roughly, but that was just how he was.

He kept walking until he was standing next to said person, a student taller than him with distinct green hair.

"Good day to you as well, Midorima." Midorima was frowning, but as far as he knew, that person wore a permanent frown. They walked to the class side by side.

"I presume your father is well?" Midorima inquired once they walked a good distance.

"Yes. My father recovered quickly," Akashi confirmed. "It is all thanks to your father's suggestions. Please give him our regards." Their parents had been in a good relationship and often relied on each other. It was also because of them that he and Midorima were acquaintanted.

"That is good to hear. I will make sure to tell him," Midorima answered. For the rest of the day, neither made any further attempts to talk with each other.

#

"I heard you took out the shikigami I assigned to you today," his tone was severe, but did not cause Akashi to waver in the least. Weakness was not permitted in this household.

"Yes," he confirmed with a steady voice, "Please do not send them after me anymore, I can take care of myself." He sat up straighter. A few moments passed in silence.

"Seijuurou," his father eventually spoke, "your spiritual abilities are strong, much stronger than those before you. However, as the successor, you must have an escort at all times, as a precaution against potential threats."

Akashi, however, did not agree with this. "I don't–"

But his father interrupted him. "There will be no arguments. Return to your room and reflect on this."

Knowing he would not listen, he cast down his eyes and complied. "…Yes, Father."

#

Closing the sliding door behind him, Akashi was on his way back when something out of his peripheral vision caught his attention. It was a man, plain and nondescript, even though he had unusual light-blue hair. The stranger was sitting idly on the lone bench in the garden. He was not sure how he had noticed him–he could hardly feel his presence even if he focused on him.

What he did notice, however, was that he was different. The stranger was pale, very pale, and wearing only a thin kimono that did nothing to conceal his lean frame, he looked feeble. Nevertheless… he walked towards the stranger with unhurried steps.

"Who are you? Unauthorized entry is forbidden, and I never saw you before," Akashi asked him once he was within the stranger's presumed hearing range. The entire mansion was frequented by various youkai at all times, making trespassing impossible. No matter how weak someone's presence was, it was impossible to get this far without being detected. Unless…

The stranger, whose eyes were as ice-blue as his hair, stood up languidly and gazed at him. His expression was unreadable–his eyes were dead.

"I live here."

That was all he said before he disappeared.

#

The oni thought today would finally be the day he was caught and punished for stealing and eating the food in the kitchen without permission. He stared down at the tiny and puny-looking boy standing before him.

"Murasakibara," the boy said.

"Hello, Aka-chin~ what's the matter?" He laid a hand on the boy's head and ruffled his hair.

"Who is the blue-haired man?" Either he did not mind or he did not care, it was hard to tell. This made Murasakibara ruffle his hair even more.

"Eeh... you know Mine-chin..." The lack of reaction was getting boring, so he stopped and popped some candy into his mouth instead.

"Not him. The pale transparent one."

"Ah, him. He's a spirit."

"Why did I never see him around before?" Akashi had been living his entire life in this mansion and not once had he encountered the strange man before.

"Mn? Because he's special…"

"How so?"

"Dunno. I never saw him do anything. And he's weak," Murasakibara said, eating the last of his candy, and walked away.

#

Watching Murasakibara leave, Akashi thought about his words. Something did not add up. Every single youkai in the household was powerful and had its uses. For there to be a youkai that he had never seen before and was weak was not possible. His clan valued strength above all else, so there was no way his predecessors would ever make a contract with a weak spirit.

#

"Akashi." He halted in his movements and glanced at the person standing next to him.

"Yes, Midorima?"

Midorima adjusted his glasses, quickly glancing around, but the two of them were the only ones left in the classroom. "Are you free today?"

"Ah.. I'm sorry, I have to look over papers for the student council."

"…I see."

Throwing his bag over his shoulder, Akashi gave him a reproachful look. "You are on the archery club, are you not? If you have time to spare, you should use it for practice. You have a tournament coming in a few weeks, after all, do you not?"

"…Yes, you are right. See you later, Akashi."

"See you tomorrow, Midorima."

#

If he went to the garden at around the same time as yesterday, there was a chance he might be able to meet him again. And indeed, there he was.

"We meet again," he said in way of greeting.

The stranger did not seem startled. "Hello. You are the young master, are you not?"

"Yes. My name is Akashi Seijuurou. It is nice to meet you." Something flitted across his face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance," the stranger replied, but it was difficult to read him. Did he mean what he said, or did he only reply out of politeness? "You may call me Kuroko." Compared to the others, he seemed easier to get along with.

Kuroko resumed observing the fish in the pond. Akashi watched him attentively, and eventually, curiosity won over.

"Why are you here?"

He did not glance up nor did he seem to be surprised. Had he been expecting this? "Am I not allowed to be here?" There was something in his voice that he could not identify.

"No, but it seems strange for someone like you to be here. I can feel the presence of a living being when I meet one," Akashi explained, carefully watching him. "But when I look at you, I don't feel anything at all." He gazed into Kuroko's eyes.

"Who are you?"

Kuroko stopped watching the fish and looked at him with emotionless eyes. "Who do you think I am?"

He did not know.

#

Akashi took a deep breath and concentrated. In an instant, he conjured eight shikigami at once. They spread out, destroying the targets swiftly and with deadly precision before they disappeared again. At the side, the head of his clan stood, watching him.

"Your speed has improved slightly. Keep it up," Sanada, his trainer, commented as he jotted down a few notes

"Thank you for your guidance," Akashi replied and bowed slightly.

#

For reasons unknown, his feet led him again to the pond where he had met the spirit. Akashi sat down wordlessly next to him and Kuroko merely glanced at him briefly, before returning his attention to the pond again.

"What is the matter?" Kuroko inquired after a while.

Feeling that the atmosphere would stay awkward if he said nothing, he answered, "It is nothing." He had been practicing until just a while ago and still felt a bit tired.

"I can tell something is not right."

"…"

Kuroko chuckled lightly. "They are too strict, aren't they?"

"Why aren't you leaving?" Akashi interrupted him. "I can tell you don't want to be here."

Kuroko seemed to understand and went along with it. "Because I am bound to your clan," he answered. There was something underlying his voice, but he could not figure out what it was.

Akashi raised an eye brow. "You are wrong. There is no contract binding you."

Kuroko's hand twitched. Akashi pretended not to have noticed. "Your spiritual powers are indeed very strong, aren't they? …You are the second person who knew of this."

"…Who was the first?" An useless question, for the answer was obvious.

Predictably, Kuroko did not answer.

#

"Murasakibara," someone called out behind him. He turned around, looming over the tiny boy who had approached him.

"Ah? What is it, Aka-chin?"

"What was the founder like?"

"Mn… he was very strong," Murasakibara mumbled, silently debating whether to eat vanilla-flavored or strawberry-flavored chocolate next. He picked the vanilla-flavored one.

"Is there anything else you can tell me about him?"

Murasakibara stared down at him impassively. However, unlike the previous times, the air now felt differently around him.

"…yeah. He looked a lot like Aka-chin."

It was then that Akashi realized that speaking with Murasakibara about him may not be the wisest course of action, and quickly excused himself.

#

After lessons ended, one of his classmates approached him.

"A-Akashi-kun, w-would you like to h-hang out with us after school?" He recalled her name was Sakura Mori and from what he remembered and picked up from his classmates' conversations, she was adored for her gentle personality and pretty appearance.

He smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I am busy today. Maybe next time."

"Ah… no, no, it's ok! Please excuse me," she stammered and left quickly. He watched as she returned to her friends' side, one of them placing her hand on her back and saying something to her. Once the group left, he resumed packing his bag.

#

It had become something of a habit to meet up with Kuroko now.

"Have you ever tried to flee?" The two of them were sitting idly at the pond again. For some reason, this was where Kuroko stayed most, if not all the time.

"I did. But I never got far."

"Why? Did he stop you?"

"No. He never stopped any of my attempted escapes. But the farther I went, the more difficult I found it to move," Kuroko said, and then murmured, a bit quieter, "I should have known that he would never let me go. He would always come for me, and carry me back when my stamina left and my legs failed me."

Akashi discreetly sneaked a glance in his direction. His expression was unchanged. "Do you resent him?"

Kuroko's eyes strayed to a lone flower on the ground. It was trampled. "I don't know. But I have come to accept things as they are."

#

"Eh? Sei-chan?" the zashiki warashi asked. "Why do you want to know?"

"Nobody else I had approached was willing to talk about him and I cannot ask the clan head." Akashi looked at him with firm eyes. "Please, Mibuchi, you are the only one I can ask."

Mibuchi clutched his chest. Only a child, yet his voice was already enough to move his delicate maiden heart! He was truly the descendant of his original contractor.

"Oh, Sei-chan, he was very charming! And so strong!"

"How was his personality like?"

"He was such a darling, but so difficult to get along with. He did not let anyone close to him." Mibuchi placed a hand on his cheek, reminiscing. "But he was so capable! He even managed to defeat Acchan all by himself! That Acchan, who never listens to anyone." Akashi listened attentively. Perhaps that was the reason why Murasakibara seemed unwilling to speak about him.

"He seemed to have been an impressive person."

"He was! And he was so good-looking!" Mibuchi sighed. It reminded him of the girls in his class, whenever they talked about the boys they adored. "…he looked as handsome as you do."

"Thank you, Mibuchi."

"You're welcome. Oh, it's been so long since the last time we had a good conversation, we should definitely talk soon again!"

Akashi smiled lightly. "Yes, I will keep that in mind."

#

Today, Midorima was holding something small in his hand. Akashi immediately recognized what it was. Noticing his gaze, Midorima quickly explained himself.

"This is today's lucky item, a shogi piece. I took one from my board at home. Since I have no one to play against, I thought I might as well use it as a good luck charm."

Akashi thought of his own board, an old, priceless family heirloom, forgotten and unused. He had not used it since years ago, having nobody left who was willing to play with him. They all thought he was too strong.

"I see," he said in reply.

The topic was dropped.

#

Being carried like this was highly uncomfortable. Since his mother's death, nobody had even dared to get any close to him yet here he was, being carried like a princess.

"…please let go of me. I do not wish to read about a boy who was seen floating in air." Akashi glanced down, hoping that nobody would see him.

"Sorry Akashi, your pops' orders," Aomine said in reply, wings flapping in the wind. Akashi glared at him.

"Aomine. Let go."

"Make me," he retorted. "Though, even you probably wouldn't survive a fall from this height. Also, your pops will get mad if I listened to your whims. I bet he'll get Murasakibara to follow you around instead."

Realizing he had no choice–nor better alternate options–in this matter, Akashi resigned to his fate.

"Fine. But at least you will take the way over the forest."

"Yeah, sure." And then, under his breath, Aomine muttered to himself, "Man, why am I stuck with babysitting…"

Akashi pretended not to have heard it.

#

Crouched in front of the pond, Akashi was tearing off bits of bread and throwing them to the fish to eat when a question arose in his mind. "If I may ask, how did you come here?"

"…"

"It is alright if you don't answer."

Kuroko smiled lightly. "…No, it's alright. It's been a long time since someone paid attention or even talked to me. I can tell you." Kuroko looked in the distance. Akashi laid down the loaf of bread and rested his hands on his lap, waiting for Kuroko to talk.

"…I came here to look for someone. We met by chance and he invited me to his house, and offered to assist me once I had taken a short break. I didn't think much of it, I accepted and stayed for a while… and then I was imprisoned."

"…did he treat you badly?"

"No. I don't know why he trapped me, but he never harmed me."

#

"You ranked first again. Congratulations," Midorima said with gritted teeth. His own exam, he had already stored it inside his bag.

"Thank you," Akashi replied, humbly. "But this is nothing. It was only natural after all."

#

"Ehh? Akashicchi?" Kise asked. Behind him, his fluffy tails were waggling. It reminded Akashi distinctly of a dog eager to play.

"Yes. How was he?"

"He was so scary!" Kise complained, spilling crocodile tears everywhere. Akashi was not affected by this in the least. "One time I accidentally burnt one of his letters–his stares were even worse than death!"

"I see."

"Once, he killed a devil out of a whim. I bet he drank youkai blood out of its skull every full moon."

Akashi raised an eye brow. "What makes you think that?"

Kise's tails flailed and he shrugged. "He kept a lot to himself. Often nobody knew where he went, other times he specifically ordered us not to disturb him." Akashi looked thoughtful at that.

"Is it because of him?"

"Whom?"

The kitsune's eyes now glinted mischievously. "Everyone talks about it y'know. The spirit who caught your eye. The one with sky-blue hair."

Akashi observed him cautiously. Kitsunes were mischievous youkai. If he was not careful, he could be taken advantage of.

Eventually Kise got tired of waiting for a reaction and averted his eyes in disinterest. "If you ask me, he's a toy."

"A.. toy?"

"Yeah. A toy. A plaything. Something to pass the time when it gets boring. Why else would a weak spirit be here? To entertain the others, of course."

"…Thank you for sharing your opinion, Kise. If you would be so kind and excuse me, I must go now." He had a feeling there was a reason why Kise thought of him so lowly.

Kise laughed at Akashi's back as he left. That boy.. was so much like him. He shared that weird fascination for the spirit…

#

Something peeked out from his locker. On closer inspection, it seemed to be a letter. Akashi took it out and opened it. Written in neat handwriting, the sender asked to meet up during lunch break. He tucked the letter into his bag and went to his classroom.

As soon as the bell signaled the start of the break, Akashi made a beeline to the designated place and waited. Idly, he wondered who the sender was and what business they had that they had to ask him to meet them in private. Eventually, a girl appeared. Akashi recognized her as Yamabuki Kotori, from the neighboring class. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt.

"Akashi-kun… thank you for meeting with me."

"Please, don't mention it. What was the purpose of your letter?"

She was now biting the inside of her bottom lip. "…I like you. Please go out with me." Akashi looked at her. She was blushing lightly.

"I am sorry, but I cannot return your feelings."

She did not seem surprised. Instead she nodded, casting her eyes down, and left in quiet, slow strides.

He waited until he was sure she was out of his sight. "…Midorima. It is not proper to eavesdrop." There was a loud squeak–was his lucky item for today a rubber duck?–before foot steps could be heard.

"…I'm sorry," Midorima said and Akashi nodded. Midorima eyed him.

"…You could have let her down more gently."

"Was I too direct?"

But Midorima did not answer.

#

"You really are similar," Kuroko remarked offhandedly. There wasn't any doubt as to whom he was referring to.

"Of course. I inherited his blood." But Kuroko shook his head.

"That is not what I meant. You bear more resemblance to him than your predecessors. Though.. your presence is warmer."

"Thank you," he replied out of courtesy, because he did not know how to react. But Kuroko paid it no mind and kept talking.

"…But at the same time, you are different from the ones before you."

"And why is that?"

"You don't seem like you want to inherit the title, yet you never fled. Your predecessors either were eager to inherit the title or tried to flee."

"It is my duty," Akashi answered.

"But is it what you want?" Kuroko countered steadfast.

"…"

"…I think I heard Kise-san call you just now. You should go see him."

"Yes, I will take my leave now," Akashi said as he stood up and left. Kise never called for him, and they both knew it.

#

Akashi was writing when his book levitated abruptly. He watched with light curiosity as it floated out of his reach.

Eventually deeming it was enough, he laid down his pen and spoke up. "Haizaki. Would you please return my book? I need it for tomorrow."

There was no sign of anyone in the room, but he knew he was there, and he knew he heard him. The book continued floating.

He sighed. "Haizaki," he said once again, anger creeping into his voice.

"Tch. You have no sense for humour, have you? Here, young master." The book fell onto his desk with a loud thud. Akashi inspected it for any damage, leisurely, he was not going to make harassing him easier for the kitsune. Fortunately, there was no visible damage. He picked his pen up again and resumed writing.

"Thank you very much."

"Is that it? Nothing more? Want me to rub your important back, young master?" Haizaki spat.

"There's no need to. Though I appreciate your offer." He chose to ignore the sarcasm and disdain in his voice. Haizaki's presence soon faded. He left.

Akashi let out a quiet sigh. He held no grudge towards Haizaki or any of the other servants. They all had been coerced into a contract by his ancestors and as their direct descendant who had not yet succeeded as the current head and therefore had little influence over them, he suffered the brunt of their pent-up hatred.

#

"Do you know everyone resents you?" Akashi was not sure they did, there was no concrete evidence backing up this observation, but the fact that nobody ever approached or talked about him despite having lived here so long spoke volumes.

Kuroko remained unfazed. "Of course. I am the only one who is weak in this household. Weak and powerless. Everyone here is bound to a contract and has to do to your bidding, except me. I am neither bound by a contract, nor do I have a use."

Akashi found that hard to believe. "All this time you had been here, not once did anyone ask you to do something?"

"…He never gave me an order. I do not know why, but his son never approached me either. And your predecessors tried to give me various assignments, none of which I could carry out." Kuroko glanced away. "I could see the disdain in their eyes. I could see that they thought I was useless."

"Why don't you show them they are wrong?" Kuroko's eyes landed on him.

"…You are sharp. They could not see it."

Akashi shook his head. "I can't see it either, but I can feel it faintly. You are hiding something. Something that only belongs to you."

Kuroko's expression remained the same. "There's no need. I don't care what anyone says. It won't make a difference either way."

"Are you speaking of experience?" It was then that Akashi thought he had made a mistake.

Kuroko averted his eyes and stared at the pond again. The situation felt awkward.

"The koi fish are beautiful, aren't they?" Akashi remarked, watching the fish move gracefully.

"Indeed. It is strange–your forefathers did not seem to care much about them. They never stopped here to watch them, but they never stopped tending to this pond and its fish either." Kuroko replied, watching them as well.

"Do you like looking at them?"

"Yes. It has become a habit, I suppose." Because you do not have anything else to do, was on Akashi's mind, but he could not say it. Instead he waited, but it seemed as if Kuroko had no intention of divulging more information.

"Is there anything you wish for?" He eventually asked, breaking the silence.

"Why are you asking?"

"I thought… your life here seemed a bit gloomy. Everyone is free to leave and do as they please. But you…"

Kuroko pondered over it. "I think… I would like to see the ocean."

"The ocean?" He had not expected that answer.

"Yes. I heard it's vast and full of life. It would be nice if I could go there, one day."

Akashi tilted his head in silent thought.

Later that evening, when he was alone in his room, Akashi went through his drawers. There was nothing that caught his eye, but unexpectedly enough, his gaze stilled on something particular.

#

Akashi handed him something the next day. Kuroko stared at it. It was a red pinwheel.

"I am sorry," he said, "I wanted to bring you something from the ocean, but I can't leave this place either." Akashi smiled wryly. "It is not much, but I hope at least this–" He stopped himself when he saw Kuroko's lips curl up lightly.

"No, it's enough. Thank you, Akashi-kun. I accept it with gratitude." They talked about everything and nothing that day. Kuroko held onto his present the entire evening.

#

Closing the book on his lap and laying it on his side, the man regarded his visitor. "This is a surprise. You haven't visited me since you were a child. I thought you had grown tired and fed up with my bedtime stories."

Akashi bowed his head slightly. "I apologize for not meeting you sooner, Shirogane-san."

"It's alright. I presume you are here because of the spirit?"

"Yes. Tell me…" Akashi paused but spoke up again. "How were his last moments?"

"Ah… he was a brilliant and powerful man, but so enigmatic. Though he had a family, they did not understand each other. Humans avoided him. Youkai feared him. He drew his last breath alone."

"…"

"I can see you are troubled. Though your clan specializes in matters related to death, you are too young to be already thinking about these matters."

Akashi cast down his eyes. "I apologize for my lack of maturity."

Shirogane shook his head. "Don't apologize for what you cannot control." Like an afterthought, he added, "It is a shame for your friend though." This perked Akashi's interest and his eyes flew up. "I beg your pardon?"

"Your spirit friend. With his death, his release is impossible. Once affected by a restrictive spell, only the original caster or someone of equal strength can lift it–and he was the strongest of your clan. However… you resemble him a lot. If it's you, you might be able to lift it."

"I can? Are we really so similar?"

Shirogane stared into his eyes and then he nodded solemnly. "Yes. You have the same glint in your eyes, and the same sharpness of mind."

#

Contrary to his concerns, meeting and talking to his former caregiver was not as awkward as he had thought it would be. Lost in his thoughts over Shirogane's words, he was a bit startled when he unexpectedly met with Kuroko again. He raised his head to meet Kuroko's eyes.

It occurred to him now that they had never met during the night before. Under the moon's faint illumination, Kuroko looked positively… ethereal. His skin seemed even paler than during the day and his presence appeared to be stronger as well. His eyes were unfathomable, unreadable and he wondered for a brief moment whether this truly was the person he had spent so much time with. Something within him berated him for forgetting that even though he looked peaceful and harmless, he still was a youkai. Kuroko parted his lips.

"This is a surprise. When was the last time you visited Shirogane-san…"

"You knew?"

Kuroko seemed faintly amused at this reaction. "Of course I do. Everyone in this house watches you intently, even more than the ones before you."

His father's actions now made sense with this revelation. "…I wanted to know.. how he died. Shirogane-san told me he died alone," he confessed quietly.

"He wasn't alone," Kuroko replied.

Akashi was surprised, but only for a moment. "He wasn't?"

"He wasn't. I was with him."

Kuroko's gaze drifted away from him to something unspecific in the distance.

"He was lying there alone. I had the impression humans feared death, but he did not seem afraid. I was sitting beside him the entire time."

Akashi waited for him to continue talking. He was curious and wanted to ask him for more details, but this seemed to be a private moment, only between the two of them and he did not want to intrude on this. Kuroko did not seem to want to give more insight on this either.

"It is late. You should sleep now."

"Yes. See you later, Kuroko."

"Good night."

He bade him goodnight and they separated. Nevertheless, he thought he understood now.

#

Frantic, hectic footsteps echoed in the forlorn forest as a young man was running away. With every step, his feet grew heavier, impeding him greatly. His head, he did not turn back even once, he did not dare look behind him.

"What's the matter," someone called out. Though far away from him, walking leisurely, he could still hear his voice clearly, cutting through the air and straight to his core. His feet slipped on wet leaves and he fell harshly. He tried to stand up, but he had no more strength left.

His pursuer did not move faster, instead, he took his time reaching him. When he had finally caught up to him, he knelt down so that their eyes were at the same level and only inches apart.

"Give up, you can't run from me. You are mine."

#

"I think he was lonely," Akashi said. Kuroko's eyes turned away from the pinwheel in his hand and towards him, in silent curiosity.

"Everyone at this mansion was bound to him by intimidation or a contract. Even other humans could not understand him. But you were different."

Kuroko stared down. "It is true that he did not bind me by intimidation nor forced me into a contract. Because I never yielded to him. So he.. bound me to this place. I can't leave it. I can't escape."

"Even if you resisted him, I can tell you mean no harm. …being around you is calming. I'm sure that is why he did not want to let you go. Because your existence meant something to him."

"Then..." His eyes were now on him, staring at him intently. "Did he regret capturing me? Did he feel guilt?"

He waited for a moment before he closed his eyes and replied. "Yes. He did regret it." Akashi abruptly stood up.

"I will release you."

"You can't." Kuroko retorted. Akashi finally recognized the tone lying underneath his voice as resignation. "Nobody was able to undo this spell."

"But you said I resembled him, did you not? If anyone could do it, it would be me." He took a step towards Kuroko and gazed into his eyes, waiting. Kuroko stood in front of him, motionless, and he returned his gaze, but was still hesitant. Eventually, he took a step towards him and parted his kimono lightly, revealing a seal on his chest.

What surprised him about the seal was not its existence, but its design. It was nothing Akashi had ever seen before: intricate lines, varying in thickness and form, interwoven with each other, in deep red… it was too complicated and too… artistic to have stemmed from a textbook, which had all sorts of subsequent implications about the caster and the circumstances behind the seal's creation. Yet even though he had never seen anything as complex as this before, even though the design was foreign, it felt eerily familiar to him and on second glance it did not look complicated to him anymore. He extended his arm to the seal on his chest. Tracing the lines with his index finger, he murmured an incantation to counter the seal's nature and it vanished. He retracted his arm and smiled gently at him.

"You are free now, Kuroko. Go wherever you want."

Kuroko, looking down on his chest and gingerly placing a hand on it, smiled warmly at him when he saw the seal had vanished. "Thank you, Akashi-kun. Thank you for trying to help…" he murmured with a knowing tone, and disappeared. Akashi's smile faltered.

He had been seen through.

#

"Good morning, Midorima," Akashi greeted him the next day as they walked to school.

"Good morning, Akashi," Midorima replied.

"You were playing shogi, were you not?" Startled by Akashi's sudden question, he could only nod weakly. Akashi smiled at him.

"Would you like to join me for a round this afternoon?"

#

"Tetsuya, look at this."

Kuroko stared at the red flower he held in his hand. The man placed it in his hair and regarded him.

"As I thought, flowers suit you."

"I am not something you can decorate, Seijuurou."

"Nevertheless, they look good on you." Seijuurou said, offering him his hand. He accepted it.