wow. I wrote it in short term, huh?

well, I don't mind at all...

please bear with it minna-san...

*pleading eyes*

okay, here chapter 2~


-ending chapter 1-

For him, winning like breathing.

A losing is losing.

Lost means death.

A loser must die.

The meaning I am, the loser, is must—

"What happened, Akashi?"

.

.


-2-

"What happened, Akashi?" a concern ask from my teammates whose has grey hair and grey eyes, Chihiro, make me jolt. His emotionless gazing emit a dull smile from me. Truly, I am disbelief that Chihiro will notice some difference of mine. Oh, right. He's like Tetsuya after all. He has a good ability to sense something wrong in others.

"Nothing." I say with no-worry expression shaping in my face.

"Liar."

"It's true."

"No, it isn't. Akashi that I knew would never have long face like that. Something is up on your mind, no?" It's out of character with Chihiro, I know that. Why is he looking at me with those eyes? An eye whose telling me that he knew something but he didn't want to tell me that he knew it unless I told him so.

Do you want to play around with me now, Chihiro? Alright then. Bring your strategy to make me spill out my mind on. I'll gladly accept your last game.

... Last, huh?

"I said nothing means nothing, Chihiro." As we start to walk toward locker room, I give him small deviling smile.

"Liar." said him monotone.

"I am not."

"You are." he still persist with what he thought.

Gah! I can feel a twitch on my vein and I am resisting the urge on my hand for not punching Chihiro hard right now. He is so annoying. He talked me back too. Do you want to get your punishment so badly, huh?

However, this time, I'll tolerate you, Chihiro. Just for now, you hear me?

"Sei-chan. He's true. What happened to you?"

"Oh, why are you following him, Reo? I already said I'm fine and nothing happen, didn't I? Why you so insist that something happen?" groaned silently, I curse them. Why the hell they are so synchronous at this time? They want to oppose or corner me so badly?

"Because I sense something bad will happen." He continues asking me as he open the door of locker room for me. "Well, you see… The fact that you said something long before, it's like indicating that you... Aren't. Fine!"

"Really?" As I passed Reo, I'm raising my eyebrows and let out a small smirk to tease him.

"Yes." Say Reo and Chihiro say in union. Face palm creates in my face looking at their synchrony. Duo Reo-Chihiro, huh? What the word could describe what I felt? Err... Creepy?

I drop my body onto long bench which build at middle of locker room after my entrance. I'm glancing at my locker for a while then I crossed my arm and my leg, waiting all member of Rakuzan High to enter this room. I need to tell them something.

My official apologies and...

... Resignation.

After all of Rakuzan's member entered, I stand up and facing them. For the first time, I bow my head to them, apologizing for our loss. I knew I was the one who need to be blamed. It was my entire fault. If since the first time we played together, of course, we will win, but we didn't.

Disbelief look pattern on their eyes for what I said. Don't they know that I can said those things? Did I do something so arrogant that make them think that I'm one from a bunch of person who didn't feel any regret for making their team lost?

Oh. I was a bad boy, huh?

"Now we can play basketball with all our hearts, right, Akashi-captain?" Kotarou, the cheerful ones on my teammates, winking his left eyes as glance at me, silently asking me to said 'yes'.

"Yes, of course." Smile and laughs echo in this room after I said that. Chattering can be heard too. Maybe they feel this is a right time for playing real basketball, with all our heart. Practice with smiles. Play with solid teammates. After that, facing the next competition with a new spirit, and with new captain, too. No more me here.

"But..." My 'but' get them in an interested state. All of the chattering ends up abruptly. "But I'm sorry. You all will go to the winner stage, without me." What I just said make them dumbfounded. Horrific atmosphere filling up locker room. The room is filled with tension.

"Mind telling us why?" Nebuya demanded an explanation from me. He is one from all of people who broke that tension moment.

"I'm sorry I can't." I speak again after keeping silent for a while.

My chest hurts so much. I want to say or maybe shout 'My father wants me to take over his business underground. So I cannot stand here again. Police, FBI and maybe CIA will gladly have me in their jail next time!' but definitely I can't say that, can I? I'm not person who wants to kill myself with my own hands. I am prepared for death, but not here.

Okay I said 'If you oppose me I'll kill you no matter who you are'. It's not quite true enough. In the fact, I never kill someone who opposes me. Yes I admit perhaps I tortured them mentally, but I never, okay never, never kill anybody else physically. At least until now I never do such a thing. Who knows tomorrow I'll be the greatest assassin or hitman in the world. I am skillful for that kind of job, actually. You won't even believe that I can use blade with two hands in the same time.

"I'm sorry for my behaviors all the time. I didn't mean to hurt you, guys. And I'm sorry I'll retire for my position as a captain of Rakuzan High right now. If I had a chance, I would never leave all of you behind, my teammates. Thank you so much for all trouble I causing you." Sincerely, I say that statement and ending it with a pleasure smile.

With that, I make a silent moment, again. As soon as possible, I take my bag from my locker and go away. I can see gloomy atmosphere created here. Gloomy and heavy atmosphere that I created.

"I'm sorry, minna." I say slowly as I close the door behind me. I feel a small drop of tear slide down from my red eyes.]]