Hello Minna-san~~~ Finaly.! I can update my story again. *squealed in delight*
I hope I didn't make you all waiting for too long...
I'm sorry that i can't updated my story sooner, my sickness really held me back. But~ I hope this chapter long enough for you all.
HAPPY READING.! ^^
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Disclaimer: I didn't own Kuroko no Basuke, no matter how much I want to.
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-Yosen High School, Dorm's Room, Akita-
Himuro Tatsuya, third year, was worried, really worried. Today, since morning, his purple haired, giant friend and partner, Murasakibara Atsushi refused to do anything. Literally anything. He didn't go to school, nor he come to practice.
"Come on, Atsushi. You have to eat something or you'll get sick. You didn't eat anything since the morning. Not even the snacks I brought for you. There's Maiubo and Nerunerunerune for you."
"Don't wanna."
And this is exactly, was what worried Tatsuya greatly. Atsushi who's usually can't stop eating, now refused to eat anything.! He just laying there, curled up in his bed. He even ignoring the Maiubo that Tatsuya placed in his pillow that morning.
Tatsuya knew something must be really bothered Atsushi greatly. Never, in almost one year Tatsuya knew him, that he ever saw Atsushi like now. He looks so sad and depressed, truly like a lost tried to tell his Coach, Araki Masako to persuade Atsushi to get out from his bed in the dorm room. But instead Araki just shaking her head, telling Tatsuya to just let him be for today.
It almost like she knew the reason why Atsushi behaved like this today. No, not know. But she clearly suspecting something.
And Tatsuya intended to find out what bothered Atsushi.
So, sitting in the side of Atsushi's bed, Tatsuya softly patted the purple head, like what he always do when Atsushi upset or emotional.
Atsushi stirred, and moving to glancing back at him. The reddened and glistening violet orbs greeted Tatsuya for the first time that day. And Tatsuya immediately realised...
Atsushi's crying.
His dark, uncovered eye softened more, full with worry for the purple head. "Atsushi, what happened.? Would you like to tell me.?" He said softly, hand still caressed the purple locks.
Atsushi averted his gaze away from Tatsuya's, and just now the later realized that Atsushi's hand clenched around his phone, while the other playing with the basketball keychain. "Today... is Hime-chin birthday." Came a whispering answer from Atsushi.
'Ah, so that's why.' Tatsuya said inwardly as his eye moved to stare at the picture on Atsushi's screen phone, focused only at the other female beside Momoi in that long after Seirin defeated them in the Winter Cup three months ago, Atsushi began to opened more at him. He also told Tatsuya about 'her'. What happened to their last Middle School years, and also what they do in their last final championship.
Tatsuya couldn't help but cringed, almost grimaced. He didn't know and never want to know how it feels to be in Kuroko and her places. At first he was angry, very angry. Why would Atsushi and the others do something like that.? Didn't they even trying to think a bit about her and Kuroko's feelings.? But then his anger disappeared when Atsushi told him how he really hate himself, regretted what he didn't know how to really help Atsushi, but at least he could be there with him and help him by words
"You know Atsushi, once, I too hurt Taiga." He began softly.
Atsushi perked up a bit at this. "Kagami-chin.?"
Tatsuya nodded, unconsciously fingering the ring in his neck. "Yeah... You know about our brothers bond, right.?" Here Atsushi nodded, and Tatsuya smiling sadly as his eye dimmed with guilt. "I always jealous at how talented Taiga was in basketball. No matter how many times I spend to practice, he always stronger than me, especially when Alex began to trained us. Then I... I do something fool." Here, Tatsuya's voice quivering a bit. "Just because I didn't want to be compared with Taiga, I challenged him. I told him that if he win and defeated my team, then I'll break our bond, and he couldn't call me his brother again. Taiga of course, decide to let me defeated him. I got angry, and I told him that the next time we go against each other, I didn't want him to hold back just to save out bond. Taiga didn't want that, so that's why he decided to move away from America and go to Japan. After he defeated me- us, then I realized how much I hurt him. I know I hurt him, but my jealously blinded me. I turn away from him, leaving him hurt. But instead of breaking our bond, instead Taiga going after me and told me that he never care about the match, all he cares that he didn't want to severed our bond, and he still want me as his brother." Tatsuya said softly, his voice laced with regret and sadness.
Here, Atsushi spun around so he curled up while facing Tatsuya. Tatsuya could saw how his violet eyes began to glistened and the tears spilled out again. "W-we... we hurt Hime-chin so much. I hurt Hime-chin. S-she told us... to not toying our opponents. But... but we ignored it. We hurt her and Kuro-chin too. And now... now Hime-chin leave us. Hime-chin leave us because we hurt Hime-chin so much. I... we didn't mean to hurt Hime-chin." Atsushi whimpered, hiccuping between his words as tears still flowing from his eyes while he curled up more, hugging his phone to his chest.
Tatsuya smiling sympathetically, hand still caressed the purple hair. "I know that, Atsushi. Everyone know that, even Kuroko. And no one blame you. I knew that she know this too and she didn't blame you." He answered kindly.
"But... we hurt Hime-chin. And now... now Hime-chin's gone. Even Aka-chin didn't know where Hime-chin now."
"And I know if she was here now, she'll told you that she never blamed any of you for that. I know she'll be understand, and that she'll never wanted to saw beat yourself up like this. She'll surely forced you to eat hours ago." Tatsuya said softly, while Atsushi just keep his silent still, didn't answered.
"Please Atsushi... At least eat for a bit. At least for her. She'll be very sad if she knew that you starved yourself like this in her birthday." Tatsuya said, still trying to persuade Atsushi to eat. "You didn't want to make her sad, right.?"
"No. I didn't want to make Hime-chin sad again." Atsushi whispered quickly, shaking his head.
"Then you'll eat. Okay.?"
A hesitant nod was his sighing out in relief, smiling then standing back to his feet. "Then I'll bring the meal here for you, okay.? You just need to wait here." He said kindly then walking out from the room.
Staring at Tatsuya's fading figure for a while, Atsushi then move his gaze to his phone again.
"Is Hime-chin still angry at us.? I hope Hime-chin will forgive us. I... we never want to hurt Hime-chin." He whispered softly, fingers playing with the basketball keychain again.
"Happy birthday, Hime-chin..."
-Public Court, Park, Kanagawa-
"Oi, Kise.! What the hell with your playing today, huh.?!" The now university's student, former Captain of Kaijou Basketball Team, Kasamatsu Yukio shouted in annoyance while kicking his blonde haired former Kouhai in the back, like he always do.
Kiss Ryouta stumbled on his step, winced in pain as his former Senpai kicked him, again. Kise just glanced back at his Senpai and gave him a tainted, wry smile while scratched the back of his neck. "Gomen, Senpai. I lost my focus for a bit there." Kise murmured as the answer, sighing in frustration while trying to gave his Senpai his usual bright, cheery smile.
Kasamatsu narrowed his eyes suspiciously, a bit concerned for the blonde haired male in front of him. His smiles today was not as bright as it was usually, and Kise looked gloomy and almost sad. He can't even focused in his play today, like he was distracted by something. "What happened, Kise.? You looks distracted." He asked, a bit softly than usual.
Kise just shaking his head, smiling wryly. "I'm okay, Senpai. It's not something you have to worry about."
Kasamatsu sighed, shaking his head. "Maybe it's better if we stopped our play for today. Just go home." He said.
Kise eyed Kasamatsu in surprise. "But-"
"It's clearly that you're too distracted to continue playing. Just go somewhere and clear your mind. We can continue next week." He immediately said, didn't let Kise to protest.
Kise sighed before nodded, smiling in apologetic at his Senpai. "Wakatta. Gomenasai, Senpai." He said before walking away, exited the court after snatched his bag and walking toward the restroom near the court.
All the way ignoring Kasamatsu who's staring intently at his back.
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Splashing the water to his face and hair, Kise bowed his head in dejectedly manner, sighing in his head, Kise staring emptily at the mirror's reflection in front of him.
The usually bright, golden eyes now staring back dimly at him.
Laughing humourlessly, Kise stepped back until his back bumped against the wall behind him. Letting the gravity takes him down, Kise now sitting in the cold floor of the empty restroom.
Taking out his black phone from his pants' pocket, Kise stared intently at the picture in his phone, with a touch of sadness and regret in his golden orbs. His fingers playing with the basketball keychain that dangling in the side.
"Happy birthday, Himecchi... I'm sorry.
-Touou Gakuen, Gym, Tokyo-
"Oy, Aomine.! What the hell is wrong with you, bastard.!" Wakamatsu Kousuke, third year and Captain of Touou Basketball Team shouted in anger at the dark skinned, blue haired boy in front of him, Aomine Daiki.
Since the day Seirin defeated thenm in Winter Cup, they began saw how Aomine changed for the better. He began to smiling more and more every time they playing basketball, really enjoyed it. He's not playing alone again, occasionally passes the ball to everyone, and never underestimate them again. He takes the practice seriously and never skip the practice again like he usually do in the first year.
All in all, their team dynamic get more better and better.
But today, Aomine really different. It's like the first time they meet him all over again. He didn't smiling when playing, nor he passed the ball to anyone. There's many careless moves he makes, and rewarded with many fouls.
Aomine sighing out harshly in anger and frustration, carelessly throw the ball in his hand, almost hit Sakurai who's squeaked in surprise while yelling "I'm sorry." again and loudly, Aomine immediately walking toward the exit door without saying anything, ignoring the others and didn't even look back.
"Hey.! Where are you thinking you're going.?! Come here now.! The practice's still not ended yet.!" Wakamatsu shouted again, now in anger.
"I'm going." Aomine replied emotionlessly, surprising the other with the tone.
Sakurai Ryou gulped, stepped forward and steeled his nerves. "But Aomine-san, it's not like you to skip practice again..."
Just when his dark skinned hand touched the door, Aomine stopped. His head bowed and his hands clenched tightly in a fists.
"Ryou, just... leave me alone, for now. Please. Before... before I do something I'll regret." Aomine murmured softly, but still echoed in the gym. Without waiting for an answer, Aomine opened the door and quickly thundered his steps away from the gym, leaving the stunned silence behind.
"What the hell with that Ganguro today.?!" Wakamatsu growled in anger, whipped his gaze toward their pink haired Manager, Momoi Satsuki. "Oi, Momoi-chan. Why didn't you get after him.?!"
Satsuki, who sat in the bench with a clipboard in her hands, smiling sadly. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Just... let him be, Wakamatsu-senpai. Just for today." She answered softly.
"M-momoi-san.? What happened.? A-are you okay.?" Sakurai quickly said as he saw her expression, panic in the edge of his voice.
Slowly shook her head, she wiped her eyes with the edge of her uniform. "Today's... not something we like to talking about, Sakurai-kun. Today's really an... emotional and sensitive for us the Miracles. That's why Dai-chan behaved like that today. I'm sorry, really. But... please just let us be, for today. Tomorrow we will be fine." Satsuki replied softly, smiling sadly at the other members of team.
The others, too shocked by Satsuki reaction could only nodded numbly without saying anything, before they continued their practice for that day.
Satsuki smiling nostalgically at the players in font of her. In her eyes, all she could saw was all the Generation of Miracles playing together. Tears spilled out from her viridian eyes, and quickly she wiped it away, before staring at her phone that laying atop the clipboard in her lap. Smiling longingly, her fingers playing with the basketball keychain that attached to her pink phone.
"Ohime..."
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"...where are you now.? Did you still angry at us.? At me.?" Aomine whispered softly, his dark sapphire eyes darkened with sorrow and regret, as he laying alone in the rooftop, hand clenched around his phone. "Will you ever forgive us.?"
Bringing the phone to the front of his face, his eyes staring softly at the basketball keychain that dangling motionlessly in the upper side, before he flipped it open.
His face twisted in pain and regret as he saw the picture in his phone, an image of them the Miracles in middle school... when she still with them.
"Happy birthday... Hime"
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To Be Continued
.Done.! I hope I didn't disappoint you, and that you like this story.
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