Important!
I rewrote this chapter a little, since my writing has changed in the newer ones. It's still mostly the same content but with more details ;)
A/N: My first ever Kuroko no Basket story, so please go easy on me here. It's set some time after the match against Jabberwock (with the exception that Kagami never left for America)
Have fun and enjoy :D
Sometimes, days just don't work the way you want them to and sometimes, it gets even worse.
When all you've been working for is on the line and when just one decision can mean losing everything…
and everyone you care about.
Friday
It was already growing dark on the streets, the shadows devouring the dimming light of the sun, leaving an almost beautiful twilight in the midst of the late summer evening. People were busy on the streets, rushing past or standing by the store windows to enjoy the sights within, while others seemed to be glad to get home from work.
Within that busy crowd of individuals, there was an unlikely pair of teens, not even affected by the rushing stream of people passing them in their haste. At the first glance, those two seemed way too different to even stand as equals to each other, but if you looked closely, it was the exact opposite. A team which none could separate.
The redhead, who was almost 2 or 3 heads taller than the other teen, yawned heartly, stretching his arms until a slight disturbing pop sounded from his shoulders. "Ah, man." he groaned. "Couch really got us this time. I never thought I'd be that beat just from training." he mumbled, exhaustion was written all over his face. With a side glance, he looked down to his partner, who just stared blankly in front of himself. "What about you, Kuroko? You were knocked down pretty hard a few times." he couldn't help himself but feel worried a little. His shadow wasn't one to openly show much of expressions, let alone when he felt sick. But it didn't needed an observing skill like the blue headed teen next to him had, to see his exhaustion clearly on his face.
Kuroko sighed, just audible enough to be barely heard. "We have an important match tomorrow, Kagami-kun. Our Coach is just preparing us properly."
That's what he said, Kagami thought, but Kuroko doesn't really looked like he was actually believing it himself. Nevertheless, the power forward couldn't resist to smile a little and he dragged the small tealhead into a quick, but gentle headlock to lighten the rather flat mood that had appeared after they had left the school gym. With a swift motion, though, Kuroko evaded the grip around his head easily like it was nothing to even break a sweat about it and straightened his black gakuran with a small frown tugging at his brows.
"There will be scouts from the professional league, Kagami-kun. Just because we won the Winter Cup, doesn't mean we can slacken off practice." There was a light sigh escaping Kuroko's lips, when he turned his attention back in front of him to observe his surroundings.
"Yeah, I know. It's a huge opportunity for all of us to get into professional teams at some point. If we're in top form, we might even get contracts with the NBA." It was more then just obvious how giddy Kagami was about the prospect of getting the chance to be a world famous basketball player, so it was no surprise how excited the redheaded teen was.
"Yosh! Now I can't wait for the match!"
Suddenly, Kagami stopped in his tracks, making Kuroko stop as well.
"Yo, Kuroko. Who are we playing again?"
The question was so sudden, so blunt, but somehow, the bluenette knew he would be asking that. After all, it wasn't the first time Kagami was clueless of their next opponent. The slightest of smiles found its way on Kuroko's lips, barely noticeable, though it vanished just a second later, when he thought about the team they would face.
"It's Kirisaki Daiichi High. Coach told us about it during the practice 10 times now." Kuroko frowned ever so slightly, his gaze lifted upwards to his light. "I'm concerned about your memory lapses, Kagami-kun. You might want to get this checked." he deadpanned.
Kagami flushed violently and waved his hands in embarrassment. "I-I don't have memory lapses! Shut it, Kuroko!" he sputtered out and quickly turned his head away from the smaller teen, his face almost as red as his spiky hair. Kuroko smiled fondly at his sometimes not so subtle light. He had to admit, Kagami could be adorable at times.
Turning his attention back onto the street in front of him, Kuroko absentmindedly rubbed his right upper arm, knowing a slight bruise was starting to form under the fabric.
Since they knew they were up against the uncrowned king Hanamiya Makoto and his winning strategie of foul play and injuring their opponents, Riko taught her team to be as prepared as they could be. Which, in the end, meant, to try and play as rough during practice as they would dare (without actually injuring their teammates of course), to get a feeling of how to avoid it this time around.
But since Kuroko's physique was below average for a basketball player, he got bruises more quickly than the others, even without getting knocked down everytime someone bumped into him.
Kagami seemed to catch on to that thought as well, as he surveyed his shadow and his unconscious reaction. He knew, that this was going to be a bothersome match. Sure, they fought them once before, but the results of the injuries they had to endure during the match lasted longer than they had preferred them to. None of them were spared and it wasn't just the physical injuries that stuck with them.
A shiver shot down his entire body at the thought. He despised Hanamiya and his strategies, even if that kid was a genius. Kagami huffed inwardly. He would never let anyone hurt his team again, especially not Kuroko. He would protect him, no matter what would come his way.
Well. When he thought about it, he had grown way too fond of that little bluenette next to him, but he figured, he didn't care. He really liked being around him, hanging out with him. Being partners on and off the court was like a constant emotional ride, which he never wanted to miss again in his life. Though he still found himself flinch whenever Kuroko's lack of presence allows that little phantom to pop up out of nowhere and scares the living shit outta him.
Taking a somewhat deep breath to get his thoughts together, Kagami sight, right before a genuine grin crossed his lips.
"We'll win that match for sure. For the team and for our future!" Kagami smiled broadly and nudged his shadow beside him, who just rubbed the now even more sore spot afterwards.
Kuroko nodded. "Yes. We will." he said with a smile and fist-bumped with Kagami.
.
As they walked side by side, the bluenette suddenly stopped next to a bookstore, turning to his friend. "Kagami-kun. Please wait for me. I have to return this book, before I get home."
The second, Kagami turned himself around, he caught a glimpse of the cover from the book, Kuroko was holding in his hands and couldn't resist to smile, slightly amused.
'Passive self defence' with the picture of what looked like a shaolin monk or something like that. Not that Kagami had any real idea of what a shaolin monk would look like after all.
Kuroko must be preparing himself quite well for their next match. But that was the phantom 6th man for you. Doing everything he could and never giving up, despite the odds. Though Kagami never thought that his shadow would ever read a book like that. Even if it said 'passiv', they were still techniques that were used in actual combat and real fights and Kuroko was always against violence. But if he remembered correctly, Seihou High used old martial arts techniques in their movements, so it wasn't completely out of the question that it would work for Kuroko as well...in one way or the other.
Kagami nodded after a short moment. "Don't take too long. I'm starving."
And with that, the bluenette turned around and vanished inside the store. Kagami on the other hand, found a railing on the pavement next to a tall tree to lean against, while his thoughts went off to who knows where.
And so he waited...and waited…
Seconds turned into minutes, and still, Kuroko hasn't returned. Kagami's stomach was growling fiercely by now that it already attracted a few weird looks from passers-by, who seemed to pick up their paces as soon as they heard it. Mumbling about 'starving' and 'Maji Burgers', the ace got his phone out of his pocket in annoyance to look at the time. 15 minutes had already passed, since his shadow left for the bookstore. That was weird. How long could it possibly take to return a book? Sure, Kuroko was easy to miss, but he could make himself noticed if he wanted to. And that definitely wouldn't take him 15 minutes to do so.
Kagami suddenly had a sinking feeling in his guts. Unease curled up inside him and all of a sudden a restless foreboding struck his mind. Something wasn't right. It wasn't like Kuroko to make him wait like this.
Without any further hesitation, the tiger entered the store, looking around impatiently for his shadow.
"Kuroko? Yo, Kuroko?" no answer. Just a few upset and annoyed glances towards him for being too loud, but no one really seemed to care much otherwise.
Kagami stalked around the store, entering every row of bookshelves and calling out again and again for his friend, but he never got an answer. The blue haired teen was nowhere to be found and no one even seemed to have noticed him, not even the employees did. It was like he had never even been there in the first place.
Suddenly, in one of the last rows, his gaze fell upon a lonely book with it's open pages on the Ground. His heart nearly stopped at the sight and dread crept up his insides, tightening his throat. It was the same book, Kuroko wanted to return and he would never leave it like that on his own accord.
The unease he first felt, had grown into a full blown panic, that threatened to rip his heart out. He knew it wasn't the first time he lost track of his shadow, but never like this before. Never with this much dread and foreboding in his mind.
With a great leap, the tiger jumped towards the exit door and nearly slammed the glass material into someone who just wanted to enter the store, but he couldn't care less about that right now, nor the nasty insults thrown at him. It didn't slowed him down in the least and as soon as he was outside and a few steps away from the entrance, he frantically dug for his phone in his pocket and the second he found it, he dialed a certain number with trembling fingers. He didn't had to wait long, until a female, slightly grumpy voice answered.
"Kagami? I already told you-" "It's Kuroko!" the harsh shout from the redhead cut Riko off and she immediately went silent for what felt like minutes. She seemed to have noticed the panic in Kagami's voice and the unsteady and heavy breath he huffed into the phone, which was disconcerting in itself.
"What's with him?" she sounded alerted, but calm.
"He's gone. And I really mean gone. Not just his 'lack of presence and no one notices him'-gone, but actually missing." Kagami restlessly paced up and down the pavement he was currently on while fidgeting with the strings of his sports bag with his free hand.
"You sure? He vanished without us knowing a few times now. Maybe he's got some business for himself or something-"
"NO! Not this time!" the frustrated shout from their ace silenced Riko again, but this time Kagami could feel a certain dark aura emitting from the woman, even through the phone and the redhead gulped, suppressing a silent cough to calm himself down. "Sorry..." he mumbled and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Kuroko asked me to wait for him. He wanted to return a book, but never came out again. I looked for him inside but no one even remembers him. I found the book he wanted to return on the ground...He would never do that and he wouldn't just leave me standing here like this." He tried to sound calm, but he got more and more upset, that even Riko could feel unease rising up inside her.
"Alright. I'll send the boys out to look for him, too. You cover the area where you are."
Kagami nodded in relieve, though Riko couldn't even see it. "Thanks."
He knew he could count on her in times like this. He never made a real deal about something that wasn't important or needed attention to and she knew that about him. On the other hand, if he really got the feeling that something was wrong, he was most likely be right about it. It wasn't just intuition, it was instinct. And his instinct practically yelled at him that Kuroko was in danger.
After hanging up, Kagami turned on his heels and sprinted down the street. Whatever this gut wrenching feeling was, he was experiencing right now, he hoped he wasn't too late. It was his fault...he was right there to do something...but he didn't. He didn't know about what was going on or that there even was something wrong beforehand and that was the worst of it. Now, all he could do, was find his best friend and shadow, before anything could happen to him.
...if it wasn't already to late.
What do you guys think? Reviews are more than welcome.
If there are some misspellings, I'm sorry |'D
And if any character might be ooc, please tell me.
Daylight
