Trigger warnings: Murder, Implied psychological and emotional abuse, suicide, grammar errors
They are words they'd never expect to hear from Akashi Seijuuro. They almost sounded so foreign, so surreal. Kuroko wonders if he was dreaming or in a cheesy soap opera Murasakibara likes to tune in every night.
But this is no soap opera. This isn't a manga. This was real life, and those words weighed heavy.
There is no trace of amusement in Akashi's face. No intention of ridicule. He is serious. This is serious.
"Are you sure about this, Akashi?" Midorima asks, and soon, Kuroko realizes, they won't be able to call him 'Akashi' anymore.
"Yes Shintarou. I've made up my mind." Akashi says, and everyone knew that his words were absolute.
There was silence, almost awkward, almost unsettling, until Aomine scratches his head in frustration. "There's no turning back, y'know?" he says, uttering the words no-one wants to say, but needs to be said. They aren't still not sure if Akashi is really intent on doing this, even if this is Akashi and Akashi doesn't fool around. Especially on matters like this. "You know what this means, right?"
"Of course I do," Akashi answers, as if he has expected those very same words from the very same person. "I've weighed my options. And I don't intend to choose the other." Then he paused. "But I don't expect you to help or support me. This is my decision, and I don't intend to bring all of you in it."
"I volunteer," Murasakibara speaks up. "I want to help Aka-chin."
"Me as well!" Kise pipes up, and Aomine steps forward.
"It will be hard to deal with this on your own, so I will help as well." Midorima says.
Kuroko notices how Akashi's red eyes brighten, and the blunette takes it as a sign that everything will all go well (for now).
"You can stay with me tonight, if you'd like," Kuroko says. "Though I wouldn't mind if we live together. My apartment has enough space for the two of us, and Nigou."
Akashi smiles. "Thank you for your hospitality, but I wouldn't like to abuse your kindness. I plan to find a place of my own, in the near future."
"I see." Kuroko tries not to sound disappointed; this is expected. Akashi has always been an independent person. "Well then, let us help you with that. Searching for an apartment nowadays are difficult, I'm afraid."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, unfortunately," Kise speaks. "But I know some places where you can find affordable but spacious studios here!" And the blonde takes Akashi's side to talk about apartments. Kuroko opens the door for his visitors, and they merrily go inside.
Kuroko bends to pick up Akashi's suitcase, but Murasakibara beats him to it. Kuroko glances at Murasakibara's face and frowns. "Are you worried?"
"I'm just thinking how long this will last," Murasakibara says. "I know Aka-chin can take care of himself, but, his father..."
"I know. But when the time comes, we'll have to protect him, won't we?"
Murasakibara slowly nods. "Yeah..."
"Oi, you two, what are you doing outside? It's freezing there!" Midorima shouts from Kuroko's living room. "Come inside!"
"Coming~!"
Once all of them are inside Kuroko's small apartment - free from the prying eyes and the freezing snow - Kuroko notices something. Akashi isn't wearing any thick winter clothes save for a thin jacket and a red muffler.
An old, red muffler.
It seems that it isn't only Kuroko who took notice.
"Oi, Akashi, aren't you wearing too thin clothes for the winter?"
Akashi shrugs and takes his muffler off. Kuroko notices how careful and delicate Akashi touches the old fabric. "It was the only thing I could hold onto before I left the mansion."
And they leave it like that.
Living with Akashi is rather splendid.
Akashi will cook breakfast, lunch and dinner, and sometimes, if he felt like it, he'll prepare dessert. They split the chores, but Kuroko always does the grocery shopping while Akashi will feed Nigou when Kuroko is at work. Every Friday night, the rest of the Miracles would visit and they'll have a mini drinking party, and Aomine ends up passed out on the coffee table while Kise shares his woes. Most often, they tease Midorima about his engagement with this lovely lady who thinks Midorima's lucky items are adorable, and sometimes, Murasakibara will open up about how taking care of children is a pretty hard job (he is careful not to mention anything about his wife, even if this woman was Aomine's childhood friend). Then, in the weekends, all of them will try to clean up after the messy drinking party, and on Sunday nights, Kuroko and Akashi will sit together on the couch and watch movies that were popular during their middle school days. Kuroko wishes that he could bring Akashi to a movie theater to watch these, but these movies have already phased out years ago.
But, Akashi will smile and say, 'this is fine. I'm glad to have watched this now.' because everyone knew that Akashi never had time for arcades and movies and just having fun like a normal middle school student should have.
In rare moments, Kuroko will come to see Akashi sleeping on the coffee table, his laptop and notebooks splayed on the open. An empty word doc is open.
"Oh Seijuuro," he sighs, because he can't call him 'Akashi' anymore. Akashi is dead and Akashi is a name of a person who was miserable and sad and lonely and abandoned.
Kuroko retrieves a blanket from Akashi's makeshift room and gently places it on Akashi's body.
Aomine hates it when he has to answer the email from Akashi Masaomi. He is never good at writing letters, ever since he is assigned to write a letter addressed to anyone and the whole class laughed at him when he wrote a letter to Detective Konan to find his missing basketball, and everyone laughed at him. Jerks. What's wrong asking for help to find something so precious to him? It's not like the letter should be a serious assignment anyway. But, that's besides the point.
He hates answering the email from Akashi Masaomi because he has to be extremely polite and respectful to a person he'd like to cuss in front of the entire police department, and be careful not to arouse any suspicions from Akashi's father -which was stupid, because Masaomi was the suspicious one, and no-one bats an eye because he's an Akashi. Stupid people. Masaomi knows who Aomine is - "you're Aomine Daiki, aren't you? My son loves talking about you. Congratulations on being the Chief of Police. I never expected someone of your caliber to be assigned of such an important position." - and Aomine sure hell knows who Masaomi is, and this stupid coincidence apparently convinces the retired Chief of Police to assign him the mission to find Masaomi's missing son before the former gave his position to Daiki. It took Daiki every ounce of discipline not to flip his table. He wanted to punch Masaomi, not help him.
But, he has a job to do, and this job was as important as basketball to his middle school self. Which makes it difficult because he knows where exactly Akashi Seijuuro is.
Sir Aomine Daiki,
How is the search for my son? Have you found any clues which will point his location?
Regards,
Akashi Masaomi
Aomine grunts. The stupid emblem of the Akashi name pisses him off. He types.
Sir Akashi Masaomi, (he wanted to gag when he typed this)
We've interviewed his closest companions in Rakuzan and even Tokyo University. They've said helpful inputs which narrowed the potential locations where your son could be living in. However, your son recently terminated his bank accounts and credit cards that you've mentioned before, so the investigation might be prolonged later than usual. But this also gives us the hopeful conclusion that your son is alive. We are trying our best to find him.
Regards,
Chief Aomine Daiki
As soon as he leaned back to his chair, his computer beeped. A message from Masaomi.
- Are you sure? Because it sounded like you have not contacted my son's closest companions. Are you even trying, Inspector Daiki? You of all people should know that my son's closest companions do not come from the same high school as him. Daiki almost blew a fuse. He began to type.
- I understand your frustration, Mr. Masaomi (you ass), but the entire police department is doing their best, and I can assure you that we are looking over this case 24/7 as this concerns civilian life and security. If there are any clues or inputs that you can give us that will help the investigation, please let us know immediately.
- Thank you for your hard work. And I apologize if I sounded frustrated. It was not my intention. Please continue to look over this case. My son is very important to me.
"Important as what? As a toy? As a piece? You make me sick," Aomine says, but the subject of his insults is not here. Tucked in his foreign silk sheets and pampered by miserable, highly-paid servants.
"Dealing with Mr. Akashi again?" one of his subordinates pipes in. A warm cup of coffee is in his hands. "Here, to calm you down."
"Thanks Tanaka." Aomine takes the mug and gives a hearty sip. Ahhh, he can feel calm already.
Tanaka leans on Aomine's desk as he takes a sip of his own coffee. "You know, you're like the former chief sometimes. Almost grumpy and stuff. Wrinkly. And always frowns when the Akashis are mentioned."
"I am not wrinkly!" Aomine retorts. "Wrinkles are for old men like you. And I just don't like one Akashi. I think some Akashi are okay." To be honest, he just likes one Akashi. And that Akashi gave up being an Akashi. Which doesn't make sense because he isn't 'Akashi' enough to be one. The remaining Akashis are uptight, old-fashioned whiners, though. "Besides, who could like a murderer?"
Akashi is suffering from a writer's block and Kise filed a two-day leave after that whole fiasco in the airplane. Honestly, it riles the blonde up when some person who tries to be funny tries to joke around about bombs inside the plan, of all places, and he'd have to make an emergency landing and restrain the person himself. Honestly. Aren't there any sane and good people in the world?
But, he'd been thinking how humour works. How some people find it funny to make memes about terrorism and bombings when a whole city crumbled under tyranny of a terrorist group. How some people will find catcalling funny and others offensive. How one could laugh at a post of a depressed person who tries to cry out for help through funny memes or become worried of the mental stability of the said poster. He remembers Kuroko saying that humour is relative, and some people will find it funny and others won't. That's how most of the things work, his former mentor adds.
Kise guesses that's why Akashi has writer's block, despite the latter's exquisite skill and rich creativity.
"I'm writing humour," Akashi says the morning Kise drops by Kuroko's apartment to visit his two favorite people. Unfortunately, Kuroko is out and will be coming back after his kindergarten students leave school. Kise is left under the care of the (less) intimidating Captain of the Miracles. "Or I'm trying to. I didn't think it would be difficult."
"I see," Kise says as he puts two cans of cold pepsi on the table. It's hot and the aircon's off and Akashi wears the same red muffler every time he tries to visit. Honestly, does Akashi feel cold every time? "Well, humor is relative after all. It must be difficult trying to write something funny enough to capture most of your readers' funny bones." Because not everyone can find something funny. Someone will always think it's not. "Why are you trying to write something funny anyway? I thought you're writing a mystery novel?"
Akashi only started to write a short series to be published in a small segment of Zunon magazine - courtesy of Kise's connections - and suddenly, it skyrocketed and became a novel of its own. "The Lost Color" is what it's called, published under the pen name Mishima Aiko; a young boy who's hair turned white after a strange phenomenon in the sunflower fields, and the young boy's friends are trying to return his hair color back without knowing the dangers lying around their attempt. Everyone in their circle reads it, even Aomine who hates reading. It was obvious to everyone that the characters were based on them.
"I am, but there's something lacking. The story is far too dark at this point. It needs a silver lining," Akashi explains. "I've always imagined Ryouko as a humorous character, but it seems I'm not doing her character enough justice."
"Well I think she's funny enough!" Kise hopefully adds. "Besides, if you make your novel too funny, it would make the mood weird."
Akashi pauses typing, and nods. He brings his hand on his chin. "Perhaps you're right." and Kise beams. Akashi's face is more relaxed now.
"Anyway, I think you need some rest! How about a walk to the park, hm?" Aomine has warned them about frequent walks outside, but screw him. Akashi needs some sunlight too! And it's not like there are cops around searching for Seijuuro.
"I would like that. It's been a while since I've taken a nice stroll outside." Akashi says as he stretched his arms. Kise watches in a morbid fascination and horrifying remorse, as horizontal scars stretched along the red-haired's wrists until his elbow, mocking Kise like the first time the blonde saw them. Akashi, without fail, takes notice and looks at them. He chuckles. "Horrible things aren't they? They never fade even after all these years," Akashi muses. "Maybe I should've listened to Shintarou and bought that scar ointment, don't you agree?"
So many emotions are bubbling inside his stomach: fear, anger, regret - he doesn't fail to smile, however. He doesn't fail to show that there's nothing wrong and that he finds it un-offensively funny too. Kise agrees that maybe Akashi should've bought that ointment, but all Kise wants to say is that scars don't heal and it's not funny and I won't let anyone hurt you again, that I promise you.
Humor is relative, but sometimes, everyone has to laugh along even if it isn't funny.
As of late, there's an increasing trend of condolence cakes and death anniversary cakes, and it leaves bakers such as Murasakibara stumped on how to make them. Cakes are sweet and sweets are bubbly little things of happiness, and then there's death and death isn't normally associated with happiness.
Murasakibara's little secret is making these cakes plain and pure. He remembers the silent death of his brother to cancer, how he held that body which slowly turned cold, how the whole room spun and blurred into white. That's how he imagines these kind of cakes to be - white, subtle, and plain, with small lilies on the side and the words 'Condolences'. Sometimes, he'll put crosses or religious symbols depending on the order, but all of them would taste the bittersweet of vanilla and coffee or bourbon, because Murasakibara doesn't remember how much alcohol he'd ingested when his brother died. Honestly, he'd become popular because of his 'artistic' skill of baking cakes - and his trademark condolence cakes are one of his popular works - and to be honest, he doesn't want to be made popular for a cake for the dead. Dead people don't eat cakes after all.
"Murasakibara! There's another order of a death anniversary cake! Pick it up in the counter after you're done icing that, alright?" his boss shouts from the doorway.
"Alright, alright," he answers, grumbling in his breath about doing that stupid death cakes again. Honestly, it was so easy to refuse doing things before, but now he has responsibilities and a family to feed, and stupid death cakes do rake a considerable amount of income. After finishing icing the wedding cake (who knew his former captain was going to get married?), he goes to the counter and reads the order.
Name: Akashi Masaomi Event: Death Anniversary
Any specifics you would like to add: 'For my wife, I am sorry.'
Hm. Who knew this man still has a heart.
In his boss' office, he overhears a conversation, hushed and silent, but dripping with animosity and toxicity. It reminds him of a group of gossiping ladies who are friends with the villain in the soap operas he likes to watch, and this makes it look like Akashi Masaomi is innocent man subject to poisonous rumours and lies.
But, if one knew what it was about, the whole situations changes entirely.
"Did you hear? I heard Akashi Masaomi killed his wife!"
"Seriously? That's impossible! Akashi Masaomi is a decent man, he even asked Murasakibara to make a cake for his dead wife!"
"That's true, but look at what he wrote. 'I'm sorry'! That should mean something, right?"
"Enough with your gossips! Akashi Masaomi is a decent man and that's that. If you ask me, it's the son you should be suspicious of. That kid of his isn't as 'normal' as he would seem."
"What do you mean?"
"Well for one thing, that kid -"
A large 'splat!' followed by a chorus of complaints echoed throughout the kitchen. An angry baker marches inside the boss' office. "Mahiru! Look after your cakes! The top tier of your birthday cake has fallen off!"
"Ehhh! Oh no!"
The boss sighs. "This is what you get for gossiping. Clean that up! We're on schedule!" As the boss goes out to the kitchen to investigate the commotion, Murasakibara calmly wipes his hands with a wet towel and goes back to work.
Midorima is the last of Akashi's circle to give Akashi a housewarming gift. Akashi has successfully moved out to an area not far from Kuroko's and Aomine's place, and has been living the life of a successful novelist who owns a pet goldfish. Midorima has estimated that goldfishes live for only a bunch of weeks, and as a gift for the acquirement of this new place and an apology for being so late - it's hard to prepare for the wedding; his fiance is going ballistic over it - he purchases a quality goldfish and a first aid kit, a Capricorn's lucky item.
Which proves to be quite needed, when he finds Akashi on the floor with pills in hand.
Honestly, he has never been scared so much for his life.
Thankfully, Midorima finds that Akashi didn't ingest enough pills to kill himself - if the wrappers are a testament to that - and shortly after he catches Akashi's pulse, Akashi's eyes flicker open. "I feel sick..." he starts, and Midorima wastes no time to help Akashi over to his bathroom where Akashi can relieve himself of those toxic substances. Once Akashi is done and okay and Midorima knows that Akashi will not die, he can't help but be filled with rage.
"What do you think you're doing?" Midorima shouts, and honestly, he knows he shouldn't shout. He has dealt with suicidal patients before, he knows the protocol, but damn, Akashi was never one of them and he hopes to the very bottom of his soul that Akashi will never be one of them. "Why...how... Who are you doing this for?"
"Myself," Akashi answers. He appears to be so weak as he is put under the spell of sleeping pills and depression. Midorima has never seen Akashi like this: vulnerable, tired, clueless, like the goldfish swimming aimlessly without the knowledge that it is trapped inside a plastic bag. "I cannot bear it any longer. The truth sets you free? No, no it doesn't. It puts you in so much pain and suffering." Akashi gives a bitter laugh. "I could've lived without knowing the truth."
"Akashi..."
"Stop. That is not my name."
Midorima pauses. "Seijuurou, then," When Seijuuro doesn't respond, Midorima continues. "What do you hope in accomplish this?" Because, honestly, Midorima is prepared to beg Seijuuro to save his life, because Akashi or not, Seijuuro is a friend and it doesn't matter if the color of his hair isn't the red of the Akashi family. He'll try and dissuade Seijuuro over and over again, come over with a goldfish and play shogi like old times.
"I killer her, so I need retribution." Seijuuro mutters, like a practiced line. Midorima has always been so amazed when Seijuuro is interviewed by people from basketball monthly because his lines are always superb and crisp and something to quote from in motivational speeches. But then, he is less amazed and more horrified to learn that even that kind of skill is taught to him, crammed into his tiny brain when he was a child. Like an actor being told of what to do and what to say. Seijuuro is nothing but a puppet in strings. "I must die."
"No, no you don't," Midorima answers. "Because you're not the one who killed her. You're not Akashi Seijuuro," Seijuuro flinches, but Midorima does something out of the ordinary and gives the red-haired man a hug. Grown men hugging, Aomine should be laughing at this (instead of working for that asshole of a father, but it can't be helped).
"Then why should I live?" Midorima almost couldn't hear it because of how faint it is.
"Because you're our Seijuuro. Live for us by living for yourself."
Midorima feels something wet on his doctor's coat, and the fish has at least the sense of respect to look away when a human is crying.
Satsuki almost stumbles in her heels when she learns that her Dai-chan is now the Chief of Police. But, now she comes in the police department for business and there's no Dai-chans and Satsukis here. Just Mr. Aomine Daiki and Mrs. Momoi-Murasakibara Satsuki for a little chat about a certain case of hers.
She almost swoons in pride when she sees Aomine in his uniform, all prim and proper and sitting with his back straight and his legs on the floor. He doesn't show any emotion, and neither does she, but she does give that subordinate of his a small smile and Tanaka, his name, almost falls on his chair. When she sits inside his office and the door is clicked shut, Momoi relaxes a little and lets Aomine run over the Manila folder she brought with her today.
"I thought you're the lawyer of the Akashi family," he says, as his blue eyes perk in a wild interest when he browses each file. "Why are you giving this to us?"
"You should know that, Officer Aomine," she says, slyly. "I didn't study law school just so I can work under a prestigious family that still thinks that their influence is the same as in the Tokugawa era."
Aomine smirks. And that all too familiarity of childhood sweetness has come back. "Never knew you had it in you, Satsuki. You're the mole!"
"And you're the chief of police! I'm so proud of you Dai-chan!" she squeals, and for this short moment, business is forgotten and they're friends again. She hugs him despite his protests, but she knows that Aomine misses this closeness. This touch. All too forgotten when they all graduated from high school and basketball is nothing but a hobby. Except for Kagami, who went back to America to become the pro-basketball player he was fated to be.
"God, stop being so loud! My workers might hear you, dummy." Aomine grumbles. "Thanks to you, we have enough evidence to convict the Akashis of murder. Though are you sure you're ready to show all of these? We might have to ask you on the stand as witness, y'know?" There is the underlying danger of being a whistleblower of the Akashi family. She knows very well of that fact and Aomine certainly knows the floating rumors; Hanada is still not found.
But, she went so many years of studying and reading and sucking up to the worst of people just to get here. She's been so blind of what's happening until Aomine told her, and she never knew that all of them were protecting Seijuuro while she does nothing, and she can't stand that. Seijuuro is a friend and a person who believes that she can do so much of her skills, and she can't help but be haunted by that image of the man who used to gather data with her in a tub full of blood. It's too much.
"I'm ready. I've gone through the numerous possibilities and counter measures. I know what I've signed up for," When Aomine sees the determination in her eyes, he knows that she has made her decision.
"Alright. I'll be listing you under the witness protection squad. Who knows what those bastards will come up with..." Aomine grumbles.
"How's Sei-kun, by the way?" I heard he tried to kill himself again, is on her tongue.
"Recovering. But, he's fine. He might go for a book signing event at a library near his place, and Kuroko's been thinking of hosting a picnic," A pause. "You should come. Seijuuro misses you."
Momoi smiles sadly. "I don't think he'd like to see me after..."
"Oh please! That shrimp already knows what you're up to. He's too smart for his own good," Aomine says. "Everyone knows you're doing this for a reason, even if you never told us about anything. Or your husband."
"I guess you're right."
"'Cause Dai-chan is always right."
"...Ugh. You're still as annoying as ever!"
"I've been thinking of changing my name," Seijuuro speaks up. It's winter and it's cold, but he's warm as he is wrapped around a brand new blue muffler. He watches Midorima's child, Kazunari - named after Takao Kazunari much to the hawk-eye user's delight - play along with Murasakibara's twins, alongside Midorima who seems to be showing the signs of being a new father in his face. His friend even changed his glasses - must be the eyesight.
"Really now?" Midorima replies. "Will you be replacing 'Seijuuro'?"
Seijuuro shakes his head. "I think I like that name. But not the 'Akashi' part. I'd like to have another last name."
"I see."
Kazunari squeals as he climbs on Momoko's shoulders, while Muri complains that this act is considered foul in basketball. Seijuuro smiles at the sight.
"I think I can finally say that I'm adopted," he pauses. "And that they tried so hard to make me into 'Akashi Seijuuro'. But, I'm not him, I'm not his mother's killer, and I'm not his father's victim."
There is a comfortable silence, before Midorima wipes his glasses and smiles. "It's good to know that."
Seijuuro nods and ignores the fact that Midorima is crying before him. "It is."
Soon, Kise and Aomine come and ruin the basketball game that the children are playing, and Kuroko throws a ball at them to scold them for being nasty adults. Murasakibara and Momoi arrive with a bag of snacks and refreshments at hand, and a news that Kagami is coming to Japan to visit greets them.
"I also think I now know how to end my novel," Seijuuro speaks.
"Really? Do tell."
"He gets his original hair color back."
"After all this time? Finally," A pause. "What color is it?"
Seijuuro chuckles. "You'll have to find out by buying it then."
Explanation: The true Akashi Seijuuro is a mentally unstable child who was shunned by the whole Akashi family (except for his mom, Akashi Shiori). In a fit of rage, he kills Akashi Shiori. Akashi Masaomi goes ballistic and kills Akashi Seijuuro. To cover up with both of these deaths and to save the Akashi name, Masaomi adopts a child with red hair (our Seijuuro) and teaches him everything that is Akashi Seijuuro and covers up Shiori's death by claiming that she died out of sickness. However, Masaomi thinks that this adopted child, Seijuuro, is the true Akashi Seijuuro, so he blames Seijuuro for the death of Shiori, when Seijuuro was just adopted. Seijuuro goes in a depressive episode and an identity crisis and stuff happens, so he runs away.
The reason why Momoi is a hush-hush topic for everyone because she works as the Akashi's family lawyer, though what the Akashis don't know is that she's been trying to find evidence that can prove that Masaomi psychologically and emotionally abused Akashi. But then she finds something more, and that's when she went to Aomine, the Chief of Police, to show the evidence and convict Masaomi once and for all.