Kuroko no Basuke:
"The Heart Sees What the Eyes Can't"
~~~1ST QUARTER~~~
The Man Known as "The Observer"
"Are you interested in Rugby?"
No.
"Have you ever played Shogi?"
Yes.
"If you're Japanese, then you should play Baseball!"
…What's the connection? I would have found one if he referred to America instead of Japan.
"Swimming…! It feels SUPER!"
...This is just ridiculous.
Aida Riko was having the time of her life whenever it comes to scouting talents in basketball. She is currently seated at the registration table, waiting for people—particularly freshmen—that might be interested in joining. Although the team is still young, she is determined to bring it all the way to Nationals together with their founder. She gathered the application forms that have been submitted so far and started to count them all.
"One, two…ten people so far. Maybe we'd need a bit more…" she muttered. Riko lifted her head to scan the surroundings, spotting some of the basketball members distributing flyers and recruiting some more people.
"I wonder how the invitations are going. Do your best to bring back some promising players." she thought.
She was then startled as she turned forwards again, seeing Koganei's comically crying face. When she looked up, she saw that Koganei was actually being held at the back of his shirt by a newcomer.
"I brought back a new student." Koganei said, practically whimpering.
"Is the Basketball Club here?" the new student asked.
"Um, yeah…" Riko replied.
"'Brought back'? Isn't that the other way around?! On top of that, it looks like there's a wild tiger in front of my eyes! What is this guy?!" she thought frantically.
The newcomer dropped Koganei disinterestedly on the desk as he took a seat. Although slightly disgruntled yet excited to behold his athletic physique, Riko felt obligated to explain the circumstances of the club. However, she only received an uncaring reply.
"Give me a paper. I'll just write my name then go back." He said.
When he finished, Riko immediately read the contents and she was surprised by most of the contents.
"His middle school was in America?! Ooh, I see. He trained in the best place. Kagami Taiga-kun…no matter how you look at it, he's doesn't seem like an average guy."
Riko then noticed something missing, "Huh…? You didn't write your goals?"
Kagami did not spare her a glance and said, "None in particular. After all, Japanese Basketball…it's the same thing everywhere." The redhead managed to shoot his can of Cola into a trash bin without looking back. He was about to continue on his way until he heard a somewhat familiar voice call out.
"That's quite a rude thing to say to your senpai, Taiga-kun."
Kagami looked over his shoulder as Riko and Koganei turned to the direction of the voice.
There was a young man who looked just as tall as Kagami, if not taller by a few inches. He had shoulder-length jet black hair with white strands at the bangs. It was styled shaggily at the top with some longer strands loose and the layered setting made it look attractive and organized, even with the messy shaggy style. The bangs were parted from the left as his right eye remains covered mostly, revealing only a brilliant silver left eye. He had fair skin mostly leaning on the pale side, and his features seemed effeminate yet they remain handsome with masculinity. He wore Seirin's male uniform properly and formally with his schoolbag being held by his left hand while his right was in his pocket.
Kagami looked surprised while Koganei and Riko blushed.
The young man was very attractive.
His silver eye was cold as a vicious blizzard and Riko was tempted to shiver at the thought. He wore no smile on his face but he did not seem angry either. Kagami composed himself and commenced a stare-off with the new guy. They continued for a few minutes unblinkingly as if to size each other up before pouncing and not backing down.
After a while, Kagami smirked.
"It's not like you can do anything about it. As far as I can tell, you were nothing special anyway." He said quite arrogantly.
The other man raised a brow of mockery and amusement, "Try saying that to my face once you have beaten me."
"Believe me, I will if you just get on the court."
"You're all bark and no bite."
"Speak for yourself!"
"I just feel bad about the thought of defeating you. It would be like bullying a baby."
"What'd you say?!"
Kagami intensified his stare into a glare, but the other guy remained calm as he had arrived. With a dismissal wave, Kagami turned and walked away. The dark-haired newcomer stood still for a while as he stared at Kagami's disappearing figure. After the redhead was out of sight, he gave a forlorn sigh and turned to Riko who slightly flinched.
"Aida Riko-san…right?" he inquired politely.
"Uh, yes…!" She replied.
Without another word, he took a blank form and quickly took out his pen. He had to bend down slightly since he chose to remain standing as he filled up the form. Once he finished, he did not hand over the form immediately. Instead, he looked at Riko in the eyes and observed her for a minute. A gentle breeze flew by and Riko decided to fill the silence.
"How do you know Kagami-kun? Are you a friend or something?" she asked.
The young man blinked, "A friend? Far from it…I'm from England. When I visited America, I met him in his school. He had a lot of potential and still does."
Silence reigned once more as the tall student stared at the girl, making her uneasy. This time, he broke it.
"Is Aida Kagetora-san your father?" he asked. Riko blinked in surprise but nodded in reply.
"How do you know him?" she asked.
He closed his eyes as he handed the form, "He became one of my trainers when I once came to Japan. That's all. Give my regards to him."
Just like that, he turned around and walked away.
Riko stared at his back for a few minutes before looking down at the paper with very neat penmanship.
Name: Kuroyuki Sora
Student ID No.: 01 – XxXx
Middle School: Royal Knights' Academy (England)
Goal(s): To mark my legacy on the history of Basketball.
"Kuroyuki Sora…to mark a legacy, eh…?" Riko wondered in intrigued thought.
Koganei then brought her out of her thoughts as he complained, "S-Scary! Were those two really Freshmen?!"
Riko turned to him, "By the way, I'd like to know why he grabbed you by the neck and brought you back."
"T-That's…" he trailed off. Koganei then noticed a registration form underneath his arms and handed it to Riko.
"My bad…" she apologized.
"Kuroko Tetsuya…" she mused. "Hmm, it's been on my desk all this time…but I don't remember at all."
She then noticed another surprising detail from a Freshman, "Wait, he's coming from Teikou Middle School?!"
"Eh…?! That famous one…?" Koganei exclaimed.
Riko grabbed her head in frustration and stood up, "On top of that, if he's a first year now, then that means he was from the Generation of Miracles?! Waaahhh! Why did I forget the face of such a golden egg?!"
Koganei looked at the forms in disbelief, "And the guys from earlier were coming back from abroad…what's with the Freshmen this year?!"
Unbeknownst to them, Kuroko Tetsuya was just a few meters from the registration table and was presently staring at the casual figure of Kuroyuki Sora who is leaning against the wall while reading a novel. The shorter male was then shocked to make eye contact with the other, not expecting to be noticed. Kuroyuki glanced at the registration table before making eye contact with Kuroko again. The Phantom could have sworn he saw an amused smirk before Kuroyuki closed his book and walked inside the building.
Kuroko knew what the message the other man was trying to convey: I know you were there the whole time.
"Alright, everyone seems to be here. All the Freshmen, come this way!"
As the Freshmen lined up, they also started talking amongst themselves.
"Hey, isn't that Manager cute?"
"She's a 2nd Year, right? But that's true! If she was just a bit sexier…"
The two 1st Years found themselves getting bonked on the head by the Captain, Hyuuga Junpei.
"Ouch!"
"You're wrong, idiots!" he said.
It was then Riko took the moment to introduce herself, "I'm the coach of the Boys' Basketball Club, Aida Riko. Nice to meet you."
Of course, saying that the Freshmen were taken aback was an understatement. They thought the coach was the old man seating at the sidelines but turns he was just the advisor, Takeda-sensei. However, Riko's next words blew them of altogether:
"Take off your shirts!"
"EHHH?!"
Nevertheless, they did as they were told. After a few moments, Riko started elaborating strengths and weaknesses of each player. The Juniors just watched with a smile as they already know about the Coach's unique ability to see the stats of a person. Her father was a sports trainer and her eyes have been trained to do as such through the years. Her tone was mostly detached as she announced who made it and those who did not.
However, she stopped dead in her tracks once she got to Kagami.
"What?" he asked.
"Wha-What the hell?!" Riko exclaimed mentally. "These stats are, by far, higher than anyone else's! These aren't the normal stats of a boy in 1st Year of High School! On top of that, I can't even estimate his potential. This is…NATURAL TALENT!"
At that point, Aida Riko was practically drooling in glee.
"Coach," Hyuuga called, "how long are you going to stand there?!"
"S-Sorry!"
"Anyway, that was everyone, right? That guy was the last."
"Ah, really?" Riko paused in thought, "Were Kuroyuki-kun and Kuroko-kun here?"
"Ah, right…! The guy from England and Teikou Middle School…!" Koganei exclaimed.
Hyuuga whirled towards his direction, "Teikou?! You mean that Teikou?! Also, the other one is from abroad as well?!"
The 2nd Years started to frantically search for Kuroyuki and Kuroko, but mostly the latter. Riko wondered how she could not notice such an amazing guy. There's also no way she could forget the coldness of the other one. Deciding to dismiss them as absences, she signaled the start of practice…until a figure appeared before her.
"Excuse me…I am Kuroko."
Time seemed to have stopped until Riko snapped.
"KYAAA!" she screamed.
"WAH…WHAT…WOOH?!"
"SINCE WHEN WERE YOU THERE?!"
"I was here from the beginning." Kuroko replied calmly.
"SERIOUSLY?!"
There came the commotion as everyone started fussing over Kuroko like a celebrity. They could not believe that such an invisible guy was actually a former part of the Generation of Miracles. It was then that Riko ordered him to take off his shirt, to which Kuroko complied somewhat hesitatingly. Riko saw his stats and was rendered speechless…in a bad way. Kuroko Tetsuya's stats were much too low for someone who played in the best team! She began to contemplate the matter until everyone heard the door of the gym open with a loud bang.
There stood the other player she was looking for: Kuroyuki Sora.
He seemed detached yet still irritated.
Kuroyuki sighed almost inaudibly and massaged his nape. He then spoke calmly but sincerely, "I'm sorry for my tardiness. I got lost along the way."
"How can he get lost in finding the only Basketball Gym in the school?" everyone thought while sweatdropping.
To Kuroyuki's credit, he was already dressed for practice so Riko wasted no time in demanding him to take off his shirt once he placed his belongings aside. Kuroyuki complied, and everyone had to hold back a blush seeing him strip openly. There was still certain femininity in his attractive features, and no one could deny it even if he's still masculine. Putting her embarrassment aside, Riko concentrated on evaluating his stats and she almost had a heart attack.
Infinite…
Infinite and unpredictable numbers…
His stats were going back and forth from lowest to highest rapidly and unsurely. An infinity symbol was practically blinking like a Red Alert over the numbers. Kuroyuki Sora has indefinite prowess. Riko did not know if this was a good thing or not. If the guy was just good, the numbers would have just showed itself. However, the numbers are unsure so he might be abysmal instead. Could it be a medical condition?
Deciding to put it aside for now and talk to Hyuuga later, she started practice.
Kuroko exchanged blank looks with Kuroyuki, and they both nodded at each other in acknowledgment but still did not avert their gazes. Kagami turned towards their direction and looked at Kuroko, "What the hell is this guy…?" He then turned his gaze to the other one, "What about this one? This guy is strong, that's for sure…but he's always been elusive when I met him in America. What's he hiding? There's something strange about his scent. He's strong, but it feels as if there's a catch to it or something."
He walked to them and both looked up. He spared a glance at Kuroyuki before turning to Kuroko, "Hey, there's something I need to ask you…about Teikou Middle School and the 'Whatever of Miracles'…"
Kagami Taiga sat at a table beside the window, placing his tray of burgers on the table. He looked outside the window and gathered his thoughts regarding the information he just heard a while ago.
His thoughts trailed together with his gaze, "The 'Generation of Miracles'…if it's these guys, then maybe…"
"Hello. You are still growing up, right?"
"GWOH?!"
Kagami found himself almost startled to death by the sudden appearance of Kuroko across from him, drinking a vanilla shake.
"Where from…what are you doing here?!" Kagami exclaimed.
"Well," Kuroko replied, "I was sitting here from the beginning. Just watching people…"
Kagami could not believe that this practically invisible guy was from the best of Japan, "And what the hell did he mean by watching people?! What is he…the town stalker?!"
Before Kagami could comment, he saw another familiar figure enter Maji Burger: Kuroyuki. Seeing the redhead distracted, Kuroko followed Kagami's gaze and saw the other player that intrigued him. Kuroyuki seemed to have noticed them judging by the look he sent at the corner of his eyes, but decided to ignore them. The look lasted only a second and was almost unnoticeable, but Kuroko and Kagami's trained eyes saw it.
Kagami's brow twitched in irritation, "The nerve of that guy…!"
However, Kuroko noticed something else.
"Anyway," Kagami called, taking away Kuroko's attention, "tag along with me for a bit. I have to ask you something, just wait until I finish eating." On cue, Kagami proceeded to unwrap and eat another burger in which Kuroko had already lost count on.
Kuroyuki Sora was the kind of man who prefers to be in the shadows.
For him, it is wiser and more amusing to watch whatever would come to pass and interfere whenever he sees fit. He almost always goes with the 'Wait and See' strategy under any circumstances. He is the type of person to take action after careful analyses and researches. On the rare cases, he goes with his instincts; but even then, his mind would surpass the speed of light in coming up with different scenarios.
In other words, he is what people like to categorize as 'The Observer'.
That is what one of the reasons why he never gave a clue about his knowledge regarding Kuroko Tetsuya and Kagami Taiga. In a way, he tends to leave it to 'Fate' or 'Destiny' when it comes to encounters that he feels of great significance. He knew that after being let off early on his work today that something is bound to happen.
Now, he wonders whether Fate desires him to truly look after two certain players who are in the middle of a one-sided match in a street court.
"DON'T MESS WITH ME! Did you hear what I said?! You're seriously overestimating yourself if you think you can win against me like that!"
Kagami Taiga truly was short-tempered.
Kuroyuki continued to watch in stoic amusement as he leaned sideways on a tree near the court that hid him in the shadows.
"Isn't it obvious that Kagami-kun is stronger?" Kuroko said in a matter-of-fact tone that seriously pissed Kagami off.
"Are you picking a fight?!"
Kuroyuki wanted to laugh. He really did.
However, the conversation started to turn serious and negative soon after…
There was also the fact that he needed to keep quiet.
Meh, he can always knock them out if he is mistaken for a stalker.
No, wait…he might be charged for assault.
Anyway, getting off topic…
"Ah, forget it." Kagami said tiredly, waving Kuroko off. "I'm not interested in weak guys. Let me just give you one last piece of advice:
"It's better if you give up on Basketball."
Just like that, Kuroyuki Sora's mood made a complete turn-around.
Oh, how much he wanted to throttle Kagami Taiga for that resentful statement…!
"No matter what kind of beautiful things you say about effort, it's an undeniable fact that you need talent in our society. You have no talent in Basketball."
Kuroyuki is very much tempted to pray to Kami and Fate on letting him murder Kagami right now…or maybe give him the power to turn the redhead into a cute little tiger to keep as a pet that he could boss around. That way, he would be tolerable.
A cute little red tiger…
That seems to be a pleasant thought enough for Kuroyuki to continue listening in peace.
"I have to say no to that." He heard Kuroko reply resolutely, "To begin with, I love Basketball. On top of that, it is a matter of point of view. I don't care who is the strongest. I'm different from you.
"I am a Shadow."
That statement left Kagami bewildered.
However, after gathering his wits, the redhead dismissively turned away without another word. Unknowingly, he passed by the tree in which Kuroyuki hid under. Kuroko stared after Kagami's disappearing back in deep thought. When the latter was out of sight, Kuroko turned to the shadows through the fence surrounding the court.
"Please show yourself. I know you're there, Kuroyuki-kun."
After a minute's hesitation, Kuroyuki complied and stepped out of the shadows. He did not lose his neutral expression as he was not really surprised that he got caught by someone who is so used in being overlooked. He met the pair of ocean blue orbs with a single silver eye as if to dare or challenge each other.
Kuroyuki raised a brow of interest and spoke, "I'm impressed with your speech, Tetsuya-kun."
Blinking at the familiarity, Kuroko decided to put it aside with a shrug. Placing the ball at the bench, the Phantom gathered his belongings and pondered a bit. He gazed at his companion questioningly while Kuroyuki just crossed his arms and tilted his head as a sign to follow him. Kuroko obliged.
As they walk side by side, an unexpectedly comfortable silence reigned upon them.
"If you are the Shadow," Kuroyuki began, "would it be safe to assume that you have chosen Taiga-kun as your Light?"
Kuroko blinked in surprise and almost stopped in his tracks, but he managed to regain his composure in time to maintain his pace with the other man. Kuroyuki noticed these things but decided to not comment, and just waited for Kuroko's reply.
Looking forward, Kuroko nodded hesitantly before replying verbally.
"I still need to confirm a few things before truly acknowledging him as my Light." He said.
Kuroyuki hummed in thought while Kuroko took that chance to observe him at the corner of his eye. After several minutes in companionable silence, Kuroyuki stopped walking. Just as Kuroko noticed that, his companion spoke in an all-knowing amusement as a gentle breeze passed by.
"You say that, but in truth, your Light could be anyone…right?"
Kuroko whirled his head to Kuroyuki's direction but found the latter already turning a corner, his expression unseen by the Phantom. It seems this is where they part for their homes. Kuroko was tempted to call out to Kuroyuki but decided against it.
"Kuroyuki-kun is sure full of secrets and mysteries." He thought.
Meanwhile, Kuroyuki also has his thoughts settled on Kuroko. He knew the so-called 'Shadow' was not lying when he said he was a part of the Generation of Miracles. If there is any outsider who knew the group of prodigies, it would be Kuroyuki and he had no doubt about that. Aside from his spy network, he had countless "visions" regarding the Miracles that he knew he cannot put aside after several experiences of said visions in his own life.
By the time he snapped out of his short-lived reverie, Kuroyuki found himself at the entrance of a certain hospital. Regarding the building for a moment, he then entered to give a daily report to a specific player in rehabilitation. Unknown to Seirin, it was thanks to this player that Kuroyuki was recruited to their sides.
The rain poured quite hard. It was supposed to be another day of training for the Basketball club, but their activities became restricted indoors.
At the moment, Hyuuga Junpei and Aida Riko discussed how to proceed with the rest of their time.
"Since we can't go for roadwork," Hyuuga said, "we still have time left for training. What do we do, Coach?"
Riko placed a hand on her chin in thought, "I want to see the strength of the Freshmen." Speaking of the Freshmen, she noticed that Kuroyuki has not appeared for practice. She knew this particular player could be quite elusive with his tardiness, but there is really nothing she can do if he does not appear for club activities.
Riko focused her gaze on the court and muttered, "It might be a good opportunity."
She exchanged meaningful glances with the Team Captain and they both nodded in agreement. Hyuuga went towards the other 2nd Years and told them to start more stretches. Riko blew her whistle soon after, catching everyone's attention as she notified them about a 5 vs 5 Mini-Game.
At this, the majority of Freshmen started to feel intimidated at the thought of going against their senpais. Many heard about rumors regarding last year's achievements that made the young Seirin Team quite extraordinary.
On the other hand, Kagami Taiga looked forward to the match.
"It's not the time to be scared. Of course it's better if the opponent is strong rather than weak, right? Let's go!" he encouraged indirectly.
Just as everyone was in position, the door of the gym opened and every pair of eyes directed their gazes on the direction.
Kuroyuki Sora stood drenched by the rain with an annoyed expression on his face that was more apparent than yesterday.
Riko developed a tick on her head in irritation as she immediately reprimanded the tardy Freshman.
"You're late!" she yelled.
Kuroyuki glanced her way, "I'm sorry, I had to help a pregnant woman get to the hospital. That's why I'm late." He said it with such a straight face that everyone other than Riko—who was fuming in disbelieving anger—sweatdropped. Kuroyuki was rumored to have zero sense of direction when left on his own, and was also said to be late in practically everything while having the most absurd of excuses.
For some reason, this trait made him more famous to the point of having fan clubs.
Riko's eyebrow twitched, "No excuses! Besides, I don't believe you! As punishment, you can't participate in the game. Do triple the activities everyone did today…NOW!"
Kuroyuki blinked and proceeded to change in the lockers.
After the ruckus, the game began.
Kagami immediately led the game in his own pace. He made dunk after dunk, passing his opponents with superior reflexes and skills that made everyone speechless. Riko and the other 2nd Years watched in awe at the Wild Tiger's unpolished display of destructive power and sense of play.
"It's more than I could ever imagine." Riko thought.
"Hey, that's insane." Hyuuga muttered, wiping his sweat with his shirt.
As time had passed, the Freshmen took the lead but with only Kagami scoring. Although the redhead should be proud of his achievements, he could not help but be irritated instead because of a certain teal-haired player in his team.
"The ball was stolen…?! From this guy again?! Focus!" he heard someone exclaimed.
Not wasting another minute, Kuroko dashed. As he did so, he met the familiar silver eye that is silently observing the court with critique as he did his laps with triple the usual amount that the team does. Kuroko blinked, seeing a rather sly smirk on Kuroyuki's face as the dark-haired young man met his gaze with a knowing gleam. Bringing his attention back into the game, Kuroko continued and passed the other male.
Meanwhile, Kagami fumed at the memory of Kuroko's words last night in comparison to the latter's current performance.
"Guys who talk big despite being small fries piss me off the most!" he exclaimed in his thoughts, slapping the ball away from the opponent's hands in mid-dunk.
"So high…!"
"They can't stop Kagami at all!"
As the other Freshmen praised Kagami, Riko noticed that the ball was about to go out of bounds. Not only that, the ball was heading toward Kuroyuki who was in the middle of doing his laps and whose back is turned on the ball. The ball was heading towards his direction with great speed and power, and Riko knew no one would be able to stop it and Kuroyuki would no doubt receive a direct hit.
"Kuroyuki-kun, watch out!" she yelled in futile warning.
Everything happened in an instant.
Unknown to them, Kuroyuki expected this scenario. Although he had been doing laps, his focus was on the match. He saw Kagami sprint and stop that mid-dunk, and he knew the supreme speed and power applied would end up meeting his direction if he continued with his running speed. However, instead of just stopping short to make sure he avoided the foretold scenario, Kuroyuki found it too troublesome if he halted and opted to continue his pace.
As the ball was only centimeters away from hitting his head, Kuroyuki craned his neck to the left and dodged. With swift yet precise reflexes, he followed his dodge with the act of catching the ball with his right hand. In jaw dropping speed, he bounced the ball between his legs and passed it to his awaiting left. Without looking back, he shot the ball to the basket that was located on the crowded half of the court.
The ball went in without even hitting the rim.
With a sigh, Kuroyuki continued his laps disinterestedly. He then reached the other basketballs contained in a bigger metal basket and stopped.
"That finishes my 150 laps. Now for the stretches and dribbles…" He muttered. Kuroyuki then took a ball from the basket and was about to turn until he noticed everyone staring at him. He then looked over his shoulder, his neutral expression unchanging.
"Hn…? Are you all going to gape for the rest of practice or are you going to continue the match?"
On cue, everyone snapped out of their thoughts. The game continued and the 2nd Years played with renewed vigor, due to both Kagami's fire power and Kuroyuki's stunt.
Hyuuga smirked, "I think it's about time we calm you down."
In defense, the 2nd Years proceeded to block Kagami's attacks through a Triple Tag Team. Whenever the redhead did not have the ball, he was guarded by two players. It was a simple yet still effective gameplay; seeing that even with Kagami's efforts, all would be fruitless with the Freshmen's flawed teamwork. With that, the Freshmen were discouraged and the 2nd Years finally took the lead: 15-31.
"They're really strong after all."
"Actually, there was no way for us to win from the start."
"It's enough already…"
With that comment, Kagami's short temper finally snapped. He grabbed the last guy by the shirt and exclaimed furiously.
"'Enough already'…? What the hell is with that?!"
Unnoticed by everyone other than by a particular dark-haired Freshman, Kuroko sneaked behind Kagami and hit the redhead's knees with his own. This bold move shocked and horrified the others.
"Please calm down." Kuroko said blankly.
"You bastard…!" Kagami fumed.
Riko and the other 2nd Years watched in both amusement and disbelief. Even Riko, the game's Referee, had completely forgotten about him at some point. This thought gave Riko a certain realization: since when did she neglect Kuroko's presence all this time?
With an uncomfortable feeling in her, Riko watched in anticipation as the ball was passed on. However, in a blink, she—along with the others—already found it being shot at the hoop by a Freshman. It was in.
"I-It's in?! H-How'd it get pass through?!"
"I don't know. I didn't see."
Meanwhile, Kuroyuki finally finished his designated stretches. As he returned the ball he borrowed to the basket, he then smirked in a knowing way as the match got interesting with a definite twist. He stood up and walked towards his Coach.
Everyone bore witness to Kuroko's swift yet skillful passes, not once failing in getting the ball through to help his team.
"How the hell does he do that?!"
"Before you even notice it, the pass goes through and they score?!"
Riko was utterly speechless as she broke out in a cold sweat. Kuroko Tetsuya was already hard to notice from the start, but the game proves that he has the ability to become even more invisible. It is either that or through a mere illusion created by a magic-like technique that fools the senses of the opponent. That technique is called…
"Misdirection…"
Riko whirled her head to her right, only to see Kuroyuki already standing beside her with that neutral expression on his face. He then proceeded to speak in voluntary explanation of Kuroko's play, not a single emotion seeping through his mask.
"It is a technique that focuses mostly on passing and stealing. In a way to fool the opponent's senses, the user leads the opponent to think that another player will receive the ball instead of him. In a natural perspective, one would be led to think that the player is invisible; but, in truth, the player demonstrates a play that encourages the opponent to focus on other players than him. As a result, the player has the liberty to pass and steal the ball as he pleases without the knowledge of the opposing team."
At that point, Kuroyuki glanced at Riko in the corner of his exposed left eye before turning back into the game.
"Have you finally realized it, Coach?" he asked rhetorically.
In response, Riko turned back to the game but still listened attentively to her kohai's words.
Kuroyuki smirked, "He did not lie when he said he was a regular back in Teikou. Rather, it was because his entire existence became known as nothing more than a rumor to most people. He is the Phantom Sixth Player of the Generation of Miracles, Kuroko Tetsuya."
As the game started to flow back to the Freshmen's favor, Riko noticed another thing as she turned to Kuroyuki in accusation.
"Aren't you supposed to be doing your set of exercises?!" she exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the tall young man.
Kuroyuki merely turned his head to his Coach with raised brow, "I already finished them."
Riko gaped in shock. She turned to Takeda-sensei who became in charge of watching Kuroyuki's exercises. The old man nodded in confirmation with a smile, knowing what Riko was inquiring about. The female Coach refocused her attention to Kuroyuki who was already watching the rest of the match, his arms crossed.
"I can't believe this guy." She thought.
Driven into a corner by the combination of Kagami's skilled play and Kuroko's misdirection, the scores ended up in a one-point difference. At one point, the 2nd Years made a mistake and Kuroko took it as an opportunity to steal the ball. Left open, he dribbled the ball and proceeded to attempt a lay-up—
"Wooh…! Go, Kuroko!"
—only to miss the shot, leaving his fellow Freshmen disappointed and in disbelief…aside from Kuroyuki who wanted to laugh out loud.
"It would seem that he still had not overcome THAT particular weakness of his play." He thought aloud, in which Riko heard but kept silent.
Kagami took over at that instant to redeem Kuroko's lay-up.
"This is why weak guys piss me off. Score properly, idiot!"
With no further ado, he dunked the ball with everything he got. Kuroko gave a small smile only noticed by Kuroyuki.
Speaking of which, Kuroyuki gave an instant small smile of his own before his expression became neutral again. He uncrossed his arms and sighed, carrying his belongings.
"Did you know all along?"
"Hn?"
Kuroyuki turned around to see his Coach looking at him with a serious expression. He raised a brow of confusion although he already guessed what she meant. He was not wrong.
"Did you know that Kuroko-kun had been the Phantom Sixth Player all along?"
He blinked, and merely gave a smirk and shrug in response. He said, "The rain already stopped, Coach. I'm going ahead."
Leaving it at that, Kuroyuki Sora turned and walked away leaving his Coach bewildered yet intrigued.
"Why are you here again?"
"You are the one who came to sit at my table…and it's because I like the vanilla milkshake here."
"Go sit elsewhere."
"No."
"Don't go thinking we're friends now…!"
"Like I said, I was the first one to sit here."
Once again, Kagami Taiga finds himself at Maji Burger with Kuroko Tetsuya. Furthermore, he found the both of them sitting at the same table unintentionally.
For a moment, Kagami just stared at Kuroko with a criticizing and contemplative gaze. Kuroko just stared right back with a blank expression as he sipped another vanilla milkshake. After a minute, Kagami tossed one of his burgers at the Phantom. Kuroko caught it with a confused expression.
"I'll give you one." Kagami said, "I'm not interested in weak guys, but I'll acknowledge you're worth one piece of all that."
Kuroko blinked then nodded, "Thank you."
Without another word between the two of them, Kagami chomped on another burger from his pile while Kuroko turned to observe the passers-by at the window. However, the Phantom noticed someone approaching their table at the corner of his eyes. Kagami obliviously continued devouring another burger. However, he then looked to his left when another person sat at their table.
Kagami choked in shock when he realized who it was.
It was Kuroyuki Sora.
He wore that neutral expression of his as usual. However, his attire is composed of what seems to be Maji Burger's uniform. It was a beige shirt with a logo on the right chest area and a nametag on the left. He had black slack underneath his red lap apron and sneakers. A cleaning spray and rag hung on his left hip, and a notepad and pen on the right. He also wore a black bandanna with a red stripe at the right side, but his right eye is still blocked by the left-behind bangs.
Kuroyuki lazily slid a glass of water towards Kagami whom took it not-so-gratefully. Kuroko curiously stared at the newcomer who disinterestedly ate his fries. Once the neglected redhead finally recovered, he turned to the newcomer furiously.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" he exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Kuroyuki.
Some customers turned to them but immediately shrugged it off soon after.
Kuroyuki turned to short-tempered redhead with a raised brow, "I work here. Besides, is this not a public place?"
"Obviously." Kuroko added.
Kagami turned to the Phantom, "Whose side are you on?!"
Kuroko shrugged.
Kuroyuki amusedly waved a hand, "Maa~ I was interested at the point of conversation. Since Ruka-san gave me a break, I decided to join your table among the crowd." On cue, he waved cordially at a woman—supposedly Ruka-san—on the cash register. His attention turned back to his fellow Freshmen as he sipped at his Iced Tea quite elegantly in Kuroko's opinion.
"It must be his English/British gentleman upbringing." He thought.
Kagami frowned but decided to just continue finishing his pile of burgers. He knew he could not underestimate Kuroyuki. The redhead still remembered the other man's impromptu stunt, and he knew from experience that such speed and instincts cannot be treated as mediocre. Kuroko knew this as well, which was why he became even more curious about the mystery known as Kuroyuki Sora.
It was too bad they could not see him play in the game.
At that moment, Kuroko's bottle of milkshake made a loud slurping noise. Kuroko looked down at it with disappointment and reluctantly put it aside. He was not that satisfied with his current intake of vanilla milkshake, but he did not have enough money to buy another one. He pouted slightly before bringing out his favorite novel and reading it with his usual blank expression.
As always, Kuroyuki caught the split-second display of open expression.
He stood up with his own tray and collected Kuroko's. The other two looked at him and he stared right back with a firm look.
"Wait for me until my shift finishes." He said, walking away in dismissal.
Kagami and Kuroko blinked before exchanging glances.
An hour and a half passed by quickly and Kuroyuki emerged from the doors of Maji Burger. Kagami and Kuroko decided to wait outside to prevent any inconveniences with other incoming customers.
Kuroyuki, now dressed properly in Seirin uniform, handed a vanilla milkshake to Kuroko who blinked in surprise.
"My treat," Kuroyuki replied with a gentle gaze, "Ruka-san always sends me off with a free milkshake after another day's work."
Kuroko's light blue eyes widened before reverting back to normal. He accepted the milkshake with a small genuine smile in gratitude. His thoughts drifted as Kuroyuki said something to Kagami as well, though the redhead seemed a bit irritated and embarrassed.
"Kuroyuki-kun seems to be quite a softie inside. He acts like an elder brother." Kuroko observed.
The three young men walked away from the diner and went on home. Kuroko walked at the middle with Kagami on his right and Kuroyuki on his left.
"How strong is the Generation of Miracles?" Kagami asked abruptly, directing his question at Kuroko. He turned to the Phantom with a smirk while Kuroyuki watched at the corner of his eyes, listening attentively.
"Say," Kagami continued, "if I was to go against them right now, what would happen?"
"You would be instantly killed." Kuroko replied bluntly with no hesitation.
Kagami frowned with another tick on his forehead, "Can't you say that in a different way?"
Kuroyuki chuckled which caused the other two to turn to his direction in surprise. He glanced at them with a smirk and told Kagami, "If I were to say so, there is no other way to put it. It is as Tetsuya-kun said, Taiga-kun."
Kagami stared incredulously at the familiarity, and when he turned to Kuroko, the latter only shrugged.
"The Generation of Miracles…" Kuroyuki muttered, regaining the attention of Kagami and Kuroko.
Kuroyuki looked ahead with a serious yet emotionless expression, previous amusement and humor nowhere to be found.
"From what I have heard," Kuroyuki continued, "the five geniuses each entered a different veteran school this year. One of them is ensured to be standing at the top. You could say it is as if they intentionally did so as a promise to go against each other. Whether it is to prove that the Generation of Miracles is unbeatable by anyone other than themselves or for the mere clarification of who is the strongest, I cannot say for sure."
At the last statement, Kuroko slightly twitched but Kuroyuki still noticed it as always; and as always, he kept silent. He then noticed their redheaded companion suddenly stopped walking.
Kagami laughed in excited delight, "Nice, I'm burning."
Kuroyuki and Kuroko turned to the redhead's direction.
"I've decided." Kagami declared with a confident and pumped up expression, "I'll take all these guys down and become the Number One in Japan."
"I think it's impossible." Kuroko said after a minute's pause.
"Hey!"
"I don't know about the potential of your abilities; but with your current level, you can't hold a candle to any of them. It would be impossible alone."
Kuroko paused before looking at Kagami in the eye, "I have decided as well. I am a supporting actor, a Shadow…but a Shadow will become darker as the Light grows stronger, and it will make the white of light stand out."
A gentle breeze passed as Kuroyuki watched his two companions silently.
"As the Shadow of the main actor, I will make you, the Light, the Number One in Japan." Kuroko declared.
Kagami smirked in response, "Ha! Nice words there. Do whatever you want."
"I will do my best."
Kuroyuki chuckled, successfully diverting attention to him again.
"It is because Light exists that Darkness is sublime, and it is because of Darkness that Light is radiant."
At those words, Kagami and Kuroko snapped their heads to Kuroyuki's direction only to find him smiling with his eyes closed and his hand in his pockets.
Another gentle breeze passed by as Kuroyuki slowly opened his eyes. The breeze moved his bangs, giving Kuroko and Kagami the chance to finally get a glimpse of their companion's hidden right eye. Unfortunately, Kuroyuki had foreseen this and tilted his head to an angle that would block his right eye from view. His half-lidded eyes and confident smile gave a pleasant sight that amazed both the Wild Tiger and the Phantom.
"I wonder if I should make a promise as well…?" he murmured to the passing breeze. He then nodded as if in confirmation and declared, "From here onwards, I vow to bear witness to Seirin's path and yours in becoming Number One. I will bring you both to the seats of the strongest."
Kagami and Kuroko stared in surprise at the abrupt declaration as Kuroyuki turned away. The dark-haired player waved a hand in farewell and walked away.
"You will both go far, Taiga-kun…Tetsuya-kun…" he paused in his steps as he looked over his shoulder with another confident smirk. He pointed a finger to the night sky.
"Soar the skies and create even greater Miracles that would defeat the caliber of stars. I will guide you in every step of the way."
After that, he disappeared.
Unknown to Seirin, they had gained the most loyal member that their team could ever find in the world.
Unknown to Kagami, he will find the greatest inspiration in the person he could never defeat.
Unknown to Kuroko, his whole fate changed the moment he came to know the name Kuroyuki Sora.
Finally…
Unknown to Kuroyuki Sora, the Miracles he encouraged Kagami and Kuroko to make would make the deepest impact in his life more so than they could inflict in the history of basketball.
The Legacy has started to weave itself.
The only witness might be God alone.
A/N: That was a long chapter! I wanted to give as much detail as possible by tweaking the original chapter of the manga with Kuroyuki's presence, so I hope I didn't bore you readers too much. For the record, I'm making the manga version my reference for this fan fiction. I've also decided to give AstridClaire my reverse harem story of KnB since I'm currently in a Yaoi roll. That being said, I might neglect my Shugo Chara story for a while.
Kuroyuki might be a Gary-Stu but I made him like that for mysterious reasons that you would all come to know in due time. His 'perfection' is actually part of the plot in which the GoM and Seirin need to unravel, but his weaknesses will be revealed one by one as Seirin goes against each of the GoM.
BTW, I was thinking of leaving hints for those readers who prefer fast-paced revelations. Please tell me in the review so I could think about it for the next chapter.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke.