A/N: Hey, there! Here is the first chapter of the sequel. BUT, I will only update it once a week because … of classes. XD. I hope you guys will enjoy this sequel installment. XD
CHAPTER 1: THE BEGINNING
Yuki closed the book; Mathematics had become easier day by day and while the teacher was still explaining the equations and methods to answer the questions, she had already finished the book for her grade – she kept the answers at home that when she needed to submit the paper, she could've sent the finished one instead of doing the same thing twice. The summer tournament match up was already up – they had four months to go for training. The preliminaries games would start in May until July – then the tournament cup. St Pete Elementary was a seeded school- they didn't have to go through preliminaries to be registered inside the tournament.
Kate had been quiet after the fated one on one, following her submissively. The pride induced girl had finally kept herself quiet during the team's strategy discussion – it was annoying when she tried to act like she was a know it all. Yuki had gone to her locker; the moment when she opened the door, love letters tumbled down onto the floor. She sighed and picked up the letters, stacked them neatly and kept them in a plastic bag she had left behind in preparation to bring home something like this. Even though she didn't like the attention, Kise had taught her to appreciate letters from fans- read and answered them all.
The brunet haired girl was tying the end of the plastic bag when she heard footsteps running down the hallway. Leona, the power forward of the team, was waving her hands at her. "Yuki!" She called out to her. Leona stopped in front of her; Yuki gave her a smile (that looked like a smirk to everyone else).
"Did you hear?" the blonde haired girl asked.
"Hm, I have not heard anything", said Yuki, unsure where this topic was leading to.
"We are going to get a new gym teacher! He's a Japanese man and I heard he's handsome. Fuku…. Riku…. Fuhata? Sounds about right?" the blonde haired girl touched her chin thoughtfully.
"It's Furihata Kouki", another voice that belonged to an adult said. Yuki directed her gaze at the brunet haired man – he waved at both of the girls, his other hand tucked in his pocket. Yuki thought she had recognized the face somewhere, he looked familiar but she didn't dwell on it too long. Leona's face was flustered to her ears; Furihata Kouki was a handsome man just like in the rumours.
"G-Good evening, sir", Leona stuttered while Yuki bowed her head in greetings.
"Well, I was just walking by when I overheard your conversation. I couldn't help but to have a little chat with the two of you", said Furihata.
"Um, are… are you going to be our gym teacher?" asked Leona. Yuki let the other girl took the control of the conversation- she was always on the reserved side; that was also the reason why these attention filled letters made her annoyed.
"Yes but I am in charge for year 3 and year 4", Furihata answered. He wanted to hear Yuki said something but the girl was letting the conversation go. Please say something…
"Sir, do you know how to play basketball?" asked Leona eagerly.
"Oh, yes. When I was younger, I used to play it- had won the National cup two times – I am still playing one on one with my husband sometimes. He's an extremely good player too. He used to go to the best ranked school among all of the seeded schools – Rakuzan High. I went to Seirin but we're pretty good too".
When Rakuzan High and Seirin High were mentioned, Yuki's eyes glinted in excitement. She had sometimes watched with her papa his tournaments in the past. Out of all the tournaments' replays she had watched, the game that stood out the most to her was the final between Rakuzan and Seirin. Her papa said that when Seirin, a dark horse of the cup, made it through their first Winter Cup and won, it was the biggest blow to Rakuzan High after defending their ranking for years.
However, her attention was focused on a red haired teenager who had defended his team's basket on his own nearing the end of the final quarter– he was agile and papa said, his specialty was the Emperor's eyes, the eyes that could predict the movement of the players on the court. She wanted to be like him – strong and dependable when she had to. She wondered how his back would look like when defending the court by himself.
There was also Kuroko Tetsuya who became her role model in training to get better – she had met him in person when they returned to Japan for Winter Holiday – they celebrated New Year every year in Tokyo. Kuroko had given her a few tips how to get better at using Emperor's eyes; she had to watch the previous tournaments of the rivals and observed their movements to predict their next moves on the court. When she was given the tip on last year's New Year, she remembered staying up late watching videos of her previous recorded tournaments since she was eight that her parent had been worried and her papa had to confiscate her laptop to make her go to sleep.
"Aw", Leona made a disappointed face, "Why are you married, sir? Now I can't try to win you over", she pouted. Furihata chuckled; girls nowadays really grew up too fast. Just ten and they were already thinking about relationships. He checked his phone clock – Akashi would be picking him up from his new headquarters in ten minutes. He had to be at the gate by then or they would be late for the opening ceremony.
They (Akashi and Furihata) were going to win their daughter's affection but they hadn't planned to take her away from Kise and Aomine either. (They hadn't told Kise and Aomine about their move to America). She had grew up in their constant presences and they had raised her with the same love her real parents were craving to give. That was why, Akashi and Furihata made the final decision to stay in the same city – they had cleared all the troubles of the past for the last five years, now turning over a new leaf. He had applied for a job to be a school teacher but he had never thought he would be working in the same school where Yuki was studying. He was lucky, that was all he could comment on the current outcome.
"I have to go. I'll see you girls soon", said Furihata. He left the place, jogging to the front gate. Yuki shut her metal door closed.
"Hey, Yuki, what do you think about the new teacher?" asked Leona.
"Nothing special", Lies. The fated encounter was a special opportunity for her to know more about the strong Rakuzan Point Guard she had seen on the replay. She could ask Furihata-sensei about the captain since his husband was from Rakuzan too and they might have played in the same game; she remembered that there was someone that looked like sensei but younger in the replay. She never told her papa whom she admired the most in the tournament – she liked to make the man believed that he was the best that everyone (including her) should just love him and him alone on any court. Her daddy had called him a hopeless narcissist whenever papa said that about himself.
"Aw, I thought you would look up to him since he knows how to play basketball".
"I don't have to hail everyone who could play", she kept her calm, though inside, she was squealing that she would be able to listen more about the red haired Rakuzan Point Guard. Leona didn't have to know that side of her or she would have the trouble to keep everyone in control. As a captain, it was preferable that they obeyed their captain – it made winning easier.
"Geez, you're no fun, Yuki!" the other girl pouted.
"Walk fast – the training is about to start".
Pedaling her bicycle at the break of the first light on the next day, she cycled to her school using the usual route. Going up the hill was the most difficult task – she stopped cycling once she was on the highland. Yuki grabbed her bottle, drinking the water from it – her attention was caught by a black Audi Spider model parked next to the open community basketball court. Yuki came close to admire the car. She turned her head when she heard the dribbling sound of a basketball ball infusing with the wind.
Yuki hid behind the car, peeking a little to see who was playing early in the morning. There were two men, one sitting on the bench with a sandwich bread in his hand while the other was standing in the middle of the court. She recognized the one sitting as Furihata-sensei – if that was the case than the man in the middle of the court must have been his husband. (Anyone could piece the puzzle together).
She watched in amazement when the red haired man played against an invisible enemy – his movements were clean and quick as he shot an elegant score. Yuki knew the movement – she had looped the replay video tapes of all of the Rakuzan's games so much that she had the image burned in her mind.
"It's him", she whispered softly. She was so absorbed by the play that she leaned too backwards and lose her balance, her bicycle gripper scratching the Audi spider. Her yelp was heard and Furihata ran to check on the source of the sound. His eyes widened when he saw Yuki looking at him with embarrassment. A fan girl like her should just dig a hole and hide. This way of meeting had too much awkwardness that she didn't know where to begin.
She saw the scratch. Apologetically, she looked at Furihata, hoping that the other would forgive and forget. Furihata saw the mark too but he wasn't angry (well, Akashi wouldn't too). They understood that it wasn't being done on purpose.
"Don't worry about the scratch", he said finally.
"Uh, I'm sorry, sir", she apologized.
"It's fine".
"But…" it was an Audi Spider. Are you sure you want to just let the incident go?
"Have you had your breakfast?" Furihata changed the topic. His heart leaped – he prayed for the girl to accept his invitation.
"I-I have had", her stomach rumbled and she turned away in embarrassment, "my breakfast but it must not be enough… I mean, I have a packed lunch and I can eat it if I'm hungry but that means I have to queue in the long cafeteria line during lunch…" she frowned as she predicted the steps she had to follow if she had to buy her lunch. She wasn't exactly a people person – the cafeteria was probably the place she despised the most in the school besides the assembly hall.
"Why don't you come with me? I have extra sandwiches that you can have", he said, chuckling at her adorable way of responding when she was nervous. She had some of his traits too so it seemed but not many knew this part of her since she acted indifferently at school.
"Uh, um, okay", she said, standing up and brushing the dirt of her gym shorts. The fall had been gentle despite of its suddenness- she didn't receive any injury. She went to the pipe to wash her hands – still anxious if she was going to get the scolding about the scratch on the car. When she sat next to Furihata who had given her the sandwich (that tasted really nice and strongly-flavoured), the red haired man she had been looking up to all her life approached the bench. He didn't say anything… but she recalled having seen the face somewhere… The bicycle shed.
"Hm? I thought I have seen you somewhere before", said Akashi, acting like he had forgotten intentionally.
"… At the bicycle shed. You were standing next to the vending machine", Yuki said, amused that she had actually seen her idol previously – and now she was having a conversation with him. I want to squeal…but can't. I'll do that at home tonight.
"And may I know your name, young miss?" asked Akashi, putting up a blank face.
"I-I… It's Yuki Airi Aomine … Everyone calls me Yuki". Akashi had known that there would be a day her own daughter would have to introduce herself but it left a bitter taste listening to Aomine's surname instead of Akashi's. He kept his cool. This circumstance was what they had expected – there was nothing to regret about since they were the ones that had made it happened to protect Yuki.
"Yuki Airi is a beautiful name", said Furihata.
"Um, I'm sorry about the scratch", the brunet haired girl said, "I'll pay up… somehow. But I am just a grade-schooler. Where am I going to get the money? Eh, it will take a long time to save for the bill…"
"Do you know how to play basketball?" asked Akashi although he knew very well she could.
"I, I can play basketball", she admitted.
"I will consider your debt paid if you play three rounds of one on one with me. I need an opponent right now – you would do", Akashi said, his smirk adorning his face. Yuki looked dumbfounded. Are you sure it's okay to let the scratch incident go? It's an Audi Spider… Even papa and daddy can't afford that kind of luxury…
"Okay", she agreed since it was her only choice.
"But if you lose, you'd have to come and play one on one with me every morning around this hour".
"… It's a bit one-sided, isn't it?" Yuki pouted.
"Are you giving up?"
"No, of course not! I will send you crying to your mummy. Just watch me", she said, pursing her lips in annoyance. Furihata watched in fascination as the father and daughter interacted even though the daughter didn't know she was talking to her real father. The brunet haired girl and the red haired man stood face to face.
"Since your height is below average", Akashi said, grinning when he saw how she had tried to refrain herself from protesting about him teasing about her height, "as long as the ball make contact with the basket's pole above my head, I will consider it as your win".
"Okay", she nodded when Akashi gave her the ball. She bounced the ball lightly, watching his movement closely – she moved her weight on the other leg and dribbled to by –pass Akashi but the red haired man had seen her movement that he stole the ball easily and shot a score – Yuki watched in admiration as she observed his elegant form of shooting a three pointer – his legs bent then elevated and straightened in the air- it was beautifully done that as a child of ten, she could already see the art in his movement.
"What is your name, sir?" Yuki asked after the one on one. She had put up a good fight, surprising Akashi with her still in creation random movement method. Akashi sat on the bench, hardly sweating (but he had fun), drinking water, then answering, "Akashi Seijuurou".
"I have watched…" she jumped before she could finished her sentence when Akashi's message ringtone resounded.
"I would have to leave now. You too for your school", said Akashi. Yuki read the time on her watch – oh, no! She only had fifteen minutes to make it before the bell.
"See you tomorrow, Akashi-san!" she cried, running to her bicycle, pushing it and hopping on it while it moved. Akashi waved back – he hadn't felt this jovial ever since the time they had to give her to Kise and Aomine. Furihata smiled softly too. It brought him back to the time when Yuki was a toddler – Akashi had been attached to his daughter to the point that the girl couldn't sleep without having her father around. Even now, they became acquainted quickly.
"She's still the same, Kouki", said Akashi, "her pouts are just like how I remembered".
"You're right, Seijuurou-san", walking to the car with his husband. The scratch would permanently remained – Furihata's instinct was saying that Akashi would not repaint the door as long as he lived to remind him the day when he talked to her again.
"She's still our baby", Furihata added.
Ten years, four months and a week ago…
Masamura descended into the clear water – the hotel's pool was generally empty on working days. He hadn't been able to take a long holiday; his job as an information broker required him to be updated regularly- being on the move constantly was a tiring job but he loved it.
Masamura had an older twin brother, Akito. Unlike him, Akito was a medical laboratory member. His older twin brother led a cleaner life than him – an innocent man like him should remain in the surface and he who had crossed to the darker side would become his protection wing from other evil.
Akito had planned the sibling's hang out to see his brother. It had been a few months since they last saw each other - Masamura would usually travel for his job that he had to cancel most of the planned meetings for the two of them. They were orphans – there wasn't any other people to be invited except each other. Masamura waited in the pool for his brother who came bouncing after buying a drink from the barista. He had tossed the empty plastic cup into the nearest trash can – accurately enough that it bounced into the trash can's opening.
"Hey, Masa!" Akito cried, running then propelling himself into the water. Some of the water splashed to the dry floor while its surface inside the pool resonated into circular waves at the impact of the body.
"Can you calm down? You're an adult now. Control yourself", Masamura said, scolding his older brother. His twin brother stifled his chuckling, drifting on his back on the calming water. "Nope, can't do! I am so excited right now. Tomorrow is my big day after all".
"The meeting with the head of the Scientific Community?" asked Masamura curiously.
"Yup! Y'know~ it's a shame if it's not shared! While we still have time, we should study every details of the odd occurrence".
"Oi, oi", Masamura stopped his brother from continuing, "Odd Occurrence? What's this about?"
Akito's haughtily looked at his younger brother. "It's a hospital confidential but I can't seem to let it go like that. They can tell me to keep quiet about it but if there is a use to it, I don't see the problem with sharing the knowledge with everyone".
"… You'd be in danger if you do that, Akito".
"I won't", the older twin replied confidently, "I've made sure that no one will discover about our meeting. I'll keep my identity anonymous".
"Are you sure?" After all, the web threaded in the underground was bigger than everyone living in the white lies would imagine.
"Don't worry about it, Ma-sa-chan", Akito said playfully. Masamura heard the ringtone of his phone blaring from the lounges where he had kept his belongings on. He swam to the edge, climbing out from the pool to answer the phone. On the screen, an unknown number was displayed. It wasn't unusual for him to receive an anonymous call – his line of business involved contacting individuals he had never known or heard of before.
The young informant slid his finger on the touch screen.
"Oh, hey, are you Masamura-kun?" asked a female voice from the other side.
"Yes, beautiful. How may I help you?"
"Oh, you flatterer! Masamura-kun, I was hoping I could get some information from you".
"Anything for a good price", Masamura looked at his brother who was swimming from one side of the pool to the other. His voice echoed inside the closed swimming pool – he decided to move the conversation somewhere else. He had a long conversation with the woman, exchanging deals between them and setting a place where they could meet and converse about the information she wanted. Once the call ended, he went back to the swimming pool. The swimming pool was quiet – there was no sign of anyone except for himself. He went to the lounging chair, thinking that Akito might have gone to their hotel room. He was walking past the swimming pool ladder when he saw an object floating near it. Masamura went to take a look; he dropped the items in his hand when he saw what… who it was that was drifting near the ladder.
Masamura reached out for the body inside the pool.
"A-Akito…" his voice trembled as he pulled his twin brother's body outside from the pool. The body lacked of any warmth – there wasn't any pulse either; his brother was no longer alive. He saw a strangulation mark around Akito's neck. Murdered…. Someone had murdered Akito while he was out from the vicinity. Masamura cradled the body with killing intent, staying static in his position until the cleaner came and called for help at the reception.
The hospital that had admitted the body was the Osaka General Hospital where Akito was working at. When the report about his brother's death was delivered to him, he noted how they had only marked the cause of death with only 'drowning'. The strangulation cause wasn't even mentioned anywhere on the paper. Did they think Masamura was stupid? He was an information broker! Cause of death was something that he worked with for a living!
"I won't ask why. I know why. Secrets may lead to one's end if not careful. I know that. But whoever they are, they killed my brother. For that I won't forgive".
Avenge. He wanted to avenge. Masamura walked alone in the cold night on the empty street of Osaka's darkest lair where the dogs lurked- the informant was determined to sniff his way to the source and eliminate it.
