Disclaimer: I own nothing
Year 3
"You need to get some medical attention," Momoi held onto Kuroko to keep her from leaving.
"Let go of me," Kuroko pulled herself free and looked down to her bleeding hand. "I'll wrap it up on my own. I just need to get out of here."
"Tama-chan," Momoi gave Kuroko a hurt look. "D-Don't you want to be part of the ending ceremony? Or be in the picture?"
"No. I don't care," Kuroko shook her head. "I'm done with this team."
"B-But…"
"Look, I need to be alone right now," Kuroko walked away. "I'll text you later."
Momoi wanted to reach out to her best friend but stopped herself, "I-I'll see you next week."
She wouldn't. Kuroko didn't plan on interacting with anyone involved in basketball ever again. Pulling out her jersey, Tamaki pressed it to her bleeding knuckles. With her normal stoic features back in full force, she slipped out of the stadium and into the crowds. Everyone ignored her, just like always. Once again, she was nothing. This time, though she didn't even have dreams for the future to keep her going.
Kuroko's eyes darted over the book in her hands. Nodding, she put it down on the floor and picked up the basketball at her feet. Taking a deep breath, she dribbled to the basket. Her focus spread through each individual muscle. Her body leapt up for a layup. Once the ball drifted into the basket, she landed and checked herself. No heavy breathing. No sweat. No burning muscles. Good start.
"Body control?" Akashi's voice sounded from behind her.
Kuroko turned to see her captain holding her book, "I wish to contribute more. If I can find ways to burn less stamina, then I might be of use longer in games."
"I see," Akashi eyed her. "Is that why you're practicing on a rest day?"
Kuroko nodded, "If I stop training, I'll weaken. I need to keep practicing in order to keep up with you and the others."
"You're as dedicated as always," Akashi approached the girl.
"Only because of you," Kuroko noted.
"Oh?"
"Yes. If you hadn't approached me, then I never would have achieved so much. I never would have gained the friends and memories of my time on the team," Kuroko bowed. "I never said it before, I think. Thank you very much."
Akashi let out a breath, "You don't need to thank me. You did all the work."
"Hai, but you gave the guidance," Kuroko gave the brightest smile that he had ever seen on her. "You were the first person to every believe in me, Akashi-kun. I will never forget that."
Akashi had a small tint on his face, "You know…you could call me by my first name. We've been friends for years now, yet the only people you address by their first names are Daiki and Satsuki."
"True, if that's what you want, then okay," Kuroko gave the lightest of giggles. "Please take care of me this year, Seijūrō-kun."
Akashi smiled, "Tamaki…there's something that I feel the need to tell you. You see, when I first came to you—"
"Akashi-kun!" Momoi rushed into the gym.
The two occupants of the court turned to look at her. Akashi spoke, "What is it, Satsuki?"
"T-The director has collapsed."
"It's not life threatening," the assistant coach explained to the Generation of Miracles. "He's recovering at the hospital right now. Nijimura and the others already went to see him."
Murasakibara frowned. "What a shock…"
The assistant coach nodded, "It's unfortunate, but he won't be returning to his position as head coach."
"What?!"
He went on to explain that while the director had been sick for a long time. It interfered with his work time before, now it was too serious to remain in a stressful position. As such, he would be the new head coach. Ten of the second string players would also be moved up to replace the leaving third years.
"I'm sorry to place so much pressure on you, but it can't be helped. Regular practice will continue tomorrow."
Aomine rushed down the court. The defenders moved to stop him, but he easily slipped by them. In a show of disinterest, he passed the ball to Marasakibara. Said giant spun around at speeds unnatural for a man his size and dunked the ball with easy over his defender.
While the center seemed nonchalant about the ease in which he conquered his foes, Aomine grew irritated. Looking to his guard, he snarled, "Hey! Don't let me through so easily! Try harder!"
The newbie stepped back in fear, "I-I'm trying my best. Y-You're just too fast."
"What?! That's…Tch!" Aomine turned his back in frustration.
Kuroko watched him go. She tried to reach out to him but stopped. No, it wasn't ready yet. Soon, though. Soon.
"That was an impressive shot. Half court and it was still perfect"
Midorima jumped in surprise. He turned to see Kuroko looking at her, "Kuroko-chan! How long were you there?"
"Only just now. I came to ask for a favor," Kuroko stepped up to the ball and passed it back to the spectacled man. "Could you please take the shot again?"
Midorima did. It was just as perfect as before.
Kuroko once more retrieved the ball. This time, though, she walked it back and handed it to him, "As I thought. You can repeat it. Perfect, I wish to try something. Could you do it one more time?"
Midorima nodded. He readied for his shot. Kuroko stood in a relaxed stance in front of him. Just as he was about to take his shot, she reached her hand up. His eyes flickered to her without his consent. Like normal, it flew in a perfect curve. This time, it bounced off the rim and away from the basket. He gasped, "What?!"
"I see," Kuroko seemed pleased. "If it can work on you, then it will work on anyone. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this."
"W-What did you do?"
"Nothing. I just drew your attention at the right time."
"Give them special treatment," the principal stated, referring to the Generation of Miracles.
"I…Very well," the coach nodded.
"Oh, and the girl on your team," the principal looked down at the paper on his desk. "Kuroko Tamaki. Make sure to keep her around. The press is gushing about how progressive we are. You won't believe the influx of female applicants we have. Many of them wish to start a girls' basketball team of their own."
"Well, that's understandable," the coach admitted. "I doubt that I could get rid of her if I tried, anyway. You have nothing to worry about."
"Good. Good," the principal tapped his finger against the desk. "Make sure to try and play her every game."
The coach's eyes widened, "E-Every game?! Sir, with all do respect, that's just not possible. She's skilled, but her physical abilities don't allow her to keep up with the others for long amounts of time. If she doesn't drastically adapt, there could be lasting damages. She could have knee problems as soon as high school."
"She signed her wavers."
"Sir!"
"Like I said. Put her in every game. Just like the others," the principal stated. "It's a perfect opportunity to show that we're an equal opportunity school."
"You…just want to use her?"
"If she didn't want to be played, then she wouldn't have joined the team in the first place."
"That was an excellent dunk, Atsushi-kun," Kuroko noted as they retreated to their own end of the court.
"Really?" Murasakibura watched their opponents trudge tiredly after them. "Well, I'll take your word on it."
"Murasakibura," Akashi spoke in a stern tone. "It's fine this time because you made the shot, but there were two people marking you. It would have been safer to return the ball to me."
"Huh?" the giant condescendingly looked down on the captain both physically and emotionally. "But I did make it, so it didn't matter."
Kuroko's eyes widened. No one ever talked to Akashi like that. She knew that Murasakibara was getting a big head, but she didn't think that it was this bad.
"I'm surprised that the coach put me in," Kuroko noted tiredly. "Atsushi-kun was on a roll today."
"He must be acknowledging your hard work," Momoi suggested.
"Maybe, but it's nothing compared to Atsushi-kun," Kuroko frowned. "His progress is a bit terrifying. It reminds me of Daiki-kun."
Momoi stared at her friend, "Have…have you spoken with Dai-chan recently?"
"Not yet, but soon," Kuroko noted with a clenched fist. "Despite coming to practice, his frustration only continues to grow. It's only a matter of time until he boils over. When that time comes, I have a plan—what's the problem, Satsuki-chan?"
"Tama-chan…" Momoi weakly held onto her friend's sleeve. "We'll always be together? Right?"
"Huh?"
"Everyone still loves basketball," Momoi gave a desperate look. "We'll still be able to have fun together, right? We won't just…fall apart will we?"
Kuroko started at her friend. She tried to find the right words to comfort the pinkette. Of course, they wouldn't be always be together physically. They would all likely go to separate high schools, but that's not what she meant. Tamaki smiled and did the only thing that she could do, "Yes, we'll always be together."
She lied.
Aomine freaked out on the weaker teammates again. In anger, he stormed out of the gym with the coach right on his trail. They were quickly followed by Kuroko. By the time she found them, she was shocked by what she heard.
"If you don't want to…then you don't have to attend practice anymore."
"What the hell are you talking about!?"
Both men jumped. They looked at the approaching Kuroko with complete shock. No one had ever heard the girl snap like that. The seething girl marched up to the coach, "You call yourself a coach? You're supposed to keep people in line, yet you tell him that he can just skip practice."
"Kuroko…" the coach muttered.
"Leave," Kuroko turned her back on him in disgust. "If you couldn't handle the position, then you shouldn't have accepted it."
"Tamaki-chan," Aomine looked down to the girl. His eyes widened when she grabbed him by the ears. "Ow! What are you doing?!"
"You're going back to practice," Kuroko ordered.
"Like hell!" Aomine pulled himself free. "Do you know what it's like!? Why should I practice when I don't need to?! Why go out at full strength when I'll crush everyone in front of me!?"
"I…I understand."
"No you don't!" Aomine argued. "How could someone normal like you understand?! You can't do anything on your own! In any one-on-one situation, you'd be destroyed! Let alone an entire team! It's the exact opposite of me! You need people, but I don't!"
Kuroko stared stoically at him. Raindrops began to fall from the heavens. They landed on Kuroko's cheeks to give her the appearance of tears.
"I envy you!" Aomine laughed. "If I were as weak as you, then at least I would have goals."
"I…" Kuroko felt her heart breaking. Was this how Aomine really felt? "How about a bet?"
"What?"
"You want a challenge, no?" Kuroko's eyes were pure ice. "I bet that you can't beat me."
"Five minutes," Kuroko placed down the timer and stepped onto the court. "If you can score five times on me in five minutes, then you win. I'll never say anything to you about practice ever again. If I win, though, then you'll show up to practice tomorrow."
Aomine scoffed, "Fine, but Satsuki can't annoy me either."
"Deal."
The entire team watched from the sidelines. They were all surprised by the shocking scenario. Kuroko and Aomine got along better than anyone. Yet, they were giving each other death glares right now. Common sense dictated that Aomine would crush Kuroko. Something about the situation made them all feel at unease, though. The look in Kuroko's eyes could flash freeze boiling water.
"Go whenever you're ready," Kuroko took a defensive stance.
Smirking, Aomine rushed drove towards the basket. Kuroko had the picture perfect defensive movements. She managed to stay in between Aomine and the hoop. When they got to the free throw line, she rolled her shoulders as a subtle signal of where she wanted him to go. Daiki followed the flow of her shoulders and threw the ball up to score. Kuroko moved away from him just as the ball hit the ring and bounced away.
It landed right into Kuroko's waiting hands. The entire gymnasium looked on with dropped jaws. Only the sound of the ticking timer signaled that time was still moving forward. Tamaki began to dribble the ball.
"Well? You have four and a half minutes left."
The timer ran out. Kuroko instantly knelt over and gasped for air. Sweat poured from her skin. Exhaustion made her legs feel like clay. She trudged over to the timer to silence it. With that, the match was over. Neither one of them scored.
"What was that?!" a slightly sweaty Aomine demanded.
"That was me keeping you from beating me," Kuroko noted.
"You didn't win!" Aomine shouted.
"I never said that I could beat you," Kuroko explained. "The deal was that you had to beat me in five minutes. That's as long as I can keep up with you one-on-one."
"How…" Aomine questioned. "I kept…missing."
"Yes. Think about it. We can play again tomorrow. You now have a goal," Kuroko gave her former partner a stony look. "Congratulations, Aomine-san."
With that said, Kuroko turned to leave. Practice was over now. She ignored her teammates when they asked what she did. Too tired to explain, she continued on her trek to the locker room. They could figure it out on their own.
Her secret was, as always, misdirection. It was something incredibly difficult to do. The only way she could pull it off was by using everything which made her invisible on the court. Her lack of presence, her small stature, and even her status as a female caused everyone to overlook her as a threat. Even those that knew her couldn't avoid falling into the trap.
A quick, sudden movement on her part would bring attention to her for a split second. It was as if a ninja appeared in a puff of smoke. Her enemies couldn't ignore it even if they tried. If she did at the exact perfect time, she could take advantage of her opponent's opening during offense. Their full attention moved to her and ruined the arc of the shot. Thus, she just caused her foes to fail by simply existing. As long as she was in eyesight, no one could score before her.
That was the first catch, though. If she was out of sight, the technique was useless. It was also pointless if she didn't have perfect timing. The final weakness was that the amount of focus and energy it took to keep it up was staggering, especially on a one-on-one scenario. There was no physical way for her to keep it up for more than five minutes without resting.
Aomoine quickly figure it out and tried new tactics, like over the back shots. Kuroko knew him better than anyone, though, and could predict his movements enough to always be in his line of sight. He had yet to score more than five points despite playing her every day for the past week. Things continued like until an outlier showed itself.
"I have a question," Murasakibara stated one day. "Why do I have to stay for practice?"
Everyone looked to him in shock.
"Mine-chin only stays because he refuses to lose to Tama-chin," Murasakibara noted. "I don't care about that, so why do I have to come to pointless practice?"
"Atsushi-kun…" Kuroko stared at the giant.
"Enough," Akashi spoke up. "I'm tired of this attitude. No one is skipping practice."
"Oh? I don't remember asking you," Murasakibara looked down on the other man. "The coach already said that Mine-chin could skip, so why not me? Is he special and I'm not?"
"Are you talking back to your captain?" Akashi glared at the center.
"Ha? Some captain you are," Murasakibara mentioned. "Tama-chin is doing more leadership than you. Maybe she should be in charge? Because I refuse to take orders from someone weaker than me."
Akashi's eyes sparked with rage, "Very well. How about a similar deal to the one with Tamaki and Daiki? One match. You and me. First one to five points win. I win, and you stay for practice from now on with no complaints. If you win, you get to skip practice whenever you want."
"Seijūrō-kun," Kuroko muttered.
Akashi smiled, "Don't worry, Tamaki. I won't lose."
Murasakibara was ahead four to zero. Akashi could do nothing against his foe's far greater size. He was dominated. For the first time ever, Seijūrō was going to lose. Sneering at his 'captain,' Atsushi rushed in for the kill. It would be over with one last basket, or it would have been if Akashi didn't snap. He stole the ball with ease. The center fell over without the shorter man even touching them. Within minutes, Akashi scored five points in a row to secure victory.
Frustrated, the giant kicked over the bench and moved to leave. Momoi called out to him, "Muru-kun!"
"Don't worry!" he called back. "I'll come to practice like a good boy. Just like I promised."
"No…that won't be necessary," Akashi surprised them with his team. "You don't need to come to practice. You can do what you want as long as you help us win competitions."
Kuroko's eyes widened, "Seijūrō-kun?"
"The same goes with Midorima, Kise, and Tamaki," Akashi stated. "As long as we win, I won't say anything."
Everyone stared at him in shock.
"During our game, I realized that practicing is pointless," Akashi smiled. "We are too strong. It's impossible to achieve unity again. Our performance will be much better if we act on or own."
"What's gotten into you?" Kuroko shook her head. "Don't listen to him, Atsushi-kun. I'm holding you to the original deal."
"Is that for you to decide?" Akashi tilted her head.
"Apparently," Kuroko narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to keep this team together whether you're willing to help or not. Everyone comes to practice."
Akashi chuckled, "You'll see soon enough. Teamwork within the Generation of Miracles is impossible. Trying to force it will only hurt you, Tamaki-chan. Just accept it. We are on a different level."
Kuroko stared at Akashi in disbelief. She didn't recognize him in that moment, "Who are you?"
"Huh? That's a weird question. I'm Akashi Seijūrō."
Kuroko had went through pure hell in her first year in middle school. She worked herself to near death to secure her position. It wasn't something that she would readily force herself through again, but there was one benefit for that time. The only person that she had to look after was herself. Hell, she also had people to help support her.
Her current situation was the exact opposite. She was running herself ragged trying to support the entire team. Every day, she pushed herself to her limits with training. Then, she also had to play against Aomine. Not to mention that she had to confront Murasakibara to keep him motivated, constantly bring Midorima to keep him from practicing his shots on his own, and repeatedly encourage a depressed Kise. Plus, the new Akashi didn't help.
In addition, the coach seemed determined to play her in every single game. Not just first string games, but second and third string matches as well. Both her physical and mental stamina were being pushed to their limits. Every day proved to be harder than the last with no end in sight. It seemed that Akashi was right once more. She truly was killing herself trying to keep up the teamwork of the Generation of Miracles.
"You're going in, Kuroko," the coach stated.
Sighing, the tired Kuroko pushed herself up from the bench and took off her warm up jacket. Momoi noticed her friend's fatigue, "Coach, please! We're ahead! Please give her a break!"
The coach clenched his eyes shut. He took a shuddered breath, "It's been decided."
"It's fine, Satsuki," Kuroko muttered. "I'm fine."
As soon as she stepped onto the court, Kuroko felt the fatigue rush over her. She struggled to keep up with the flow of the game. When on defense, she stopped every attempt of her enemy to score by using her Misdirection Block. On offense, she used her usual screens and passes to score quickly. None of her teammates acknowledged her work. She didn't blame them. Not only was she unnecessary, she didn't even want to be on the stupid court.
Boxing out one of her opponents, she reached for the ball. Her enemy went for the ball as well but completely blanketed her in the process. The referee signaled for a foul as she expected. With a sigh, she moved out of bounds to pass it back in to Akashi. As the point guard moved to their own side of the court, Kuroko followed. She trudged to the half court line then stopped.
From her position in the middle of everything, she watched her comrades work. Murasakibara easily scored. Only when the other players moved back to her did she move. On her defensive side of the court, Kuroko stood at the center of the box and waited. One of the other players shot the ball. A whip of her hand drew his attention to her and forced him to miss the basket. Aomine received the air ball and rushed down the court. He was followed by everyone…except Kuroko.
"Tama-chan?" Momoi stood up from her seat.
The exhausted looking girl stoically stood in her spot. She watched as her former partner scored. When the others returned to her, she didn't react. All she did was repeat the same process as before. By the time that Tamaki stayed back for the third time, the entire bench was standing and asking if she was okay. Kuroko's eyes darted to give them a dead look before turning away.
"No…" Momoi began to cry. "Tama-chan…no…"
The coach's voice hitched in his chest as the message became clear. Kuroko was fine physically. She just refused to do more. The emotional core…the only reason the team had even a spec of unity…had given up.
"You were right," Kuroko spoke to Akashi as they returned to the locker room. "As always, your judgement is best."
Akashi nodded, "I knew that you would see the truth eventually."
Kuroko turned her head up to Murasakibara, "I won't hold you to your deal with Akashi-san."
The giant looked away.
"Our deal is off," Kuroko muttered bitterly to Aomine. "Do what you want. I don't care anymore."
Aomine opened his mouth to say something but ended up closing it. Kise, however, was not one to hold in his comments, "You can't be series, Kurokocchi! You're not going to be skipping practice are you?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Kuroko shook her head. "My training schedule will remain the same, but I'm done trying to keep track of you all. I'm tired of it. You're big boys. Just show up for the games, and I won't say anything."
Midorima frowned, "Is that your decision?"
"Why are you arguing?" Kuroko walked ahead of them so that her back was turned to them. "I thought this is what you wanted?"
"I heard that you gave up trying to keep your teammates in practice," the coach noted as Kuroko took a seat on the other side of his desk.
"Yes," Kuroko nodded. "I have too busy of a schedule to have an unpaid babysitting job as well."
The coach grimaced at this, "I…I've never known you to give up on something."
"I realized something during our last game," Kuroko had no emotion in her eyes. "I wasn't the one who gave up. This team gave up on me. If you want the others to come to practice, force them yourself. I'm done doing your job."
He flinched at the show of disrespect. Kuroko now often looked at him like he was scum, not that he could blame her, "Will you remain on the team?"
"Yes, I still have a reason to stay," Kuroko explained. "The reason that I started in the first place…"
"You know," the coach mentioned. "We have a female team now…"
"I'm aware. They tried to recruit me. I said no. I can't accomplish my goal on their team," Kuroko's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why? Are you trying to get rid of me? Is that why you were running me ragged?"
"No…I…"
"Well, I don't care anyway," Kuroko sighed. "If you're going to put me in second and third string games too, then I'll make the most of it. Next year, the Generation of Miracles will be gone. The younger players need to be ready. I'll make sure that they're fit for victory."
"You will?"
"Yes, as long as they don't fight me, I'll drag them up to a national level," Kuroko looked away in thought. Perhaps she could regain something of a real team with the lower players. "They won't be able to fill the shoes of our five starters, but they'll be more than enough for next year."
Aomine trudged down the halls after school. Practice would be starting soon. Instead of moving down to the ground floor, though, he was heading up to the roof. He planned to cloud gaze while the others trudged away in the gym. As he moved, he never noticed the cold blue eyes watching him move. Like everyone else, Tamaki was now invisible to him.
Kuroko watched him head up the stairs. She expected a strong desire to call after him, but there was no such feeling. Instead, her chest was hollow as Aomine stepped away from her without even noticing her presence. Eyes sparking with a frigid disdain, Kuroko turned away from her former light. She wouldn't ever search him out again.
"Kurokocchi!" Kise stepped beside the girl as she sat at her desk. "Let's have lunch together!"
"Okay," Kuroko didn't look at her former student. Her eyes were focused on her notes. "Pull up a seat."
"Nice!" Kise sat down at the desk next to hers. "What are you doing?"
"Looking over the notes I made on the second and third string players," Kuroko mentioned. "I'm crafting specific training regimes to help them improve."
"Just like you did for me," Kise smiled. "You're so reliable, Kurokocchi!"
"If you say so."
"Hey! Why don't you help me improve too!?" Kise suggested.
Kuroko shook her head, "That's impossible. You're past the limits of what I can improve."
Kise deflated, "Oh…"
"But I could use you," Kuroko mentioned. "Second string should get a firsthand experience on who they will be compared to next year."
"Well, that makes sense…I think."
"Hmm," Kuroko continued to work on her notes.
"What do you have on your knees?"
"Ice packs. I wish to avoid straining my joints too much, so I constantly nurse them," Kuroko explained.
"Woah…I guess you work harder than I thought."
"Hmm."
"Err," Kise rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, Kurokocchi, do you want to go on a date with me?"
For the first time since lunch started, Kuroko looked up from her notes. She stared emotionlessly at her teammate, "I'm sorry, Kise-san, but I don't want to date anyone on the team. I think that we should all remain professional."
"Oh," Kise looked away dejectedly. "O-Okay."
Midorima was studying in the library. His spectacle covered eyes darted over the pages of the text. He released a sigh of boredom before looking up. The seat in front of him was open, and he doubted anyone would be moving to occupy it any time soon. Within the silence of the tomes, he sat alone without anyone with whom to spark up a conversation.
His eyes darted to the ragdoll on the desk. There were times where lucky items were recycled. Today was such a day. The stoic appearing doll stared at him uncaringly. With a sigh, he began to pack up his stuff. He had to go buy next week's lucky items, not that they would do any good for what he wanted.
Murasakibara held a milkshake in his hand. He patiently waited on the bus for the others to board. Tama-chin was the last one to get on the vehicle. Her empty hands mocked his grumbling stomach. The giant of a Japanese man looked away from the only female member of the team as she walked down the aisle. With his eyes looking directly out the window, he listened to her footsteps. They drew close to him, and without the slightest hesitation, moved past to go further down the bus.
Biting his lips, Murasakibara fought the urge to look back to see who she chose as her sitting partner. It was probably Momoi anyway. Giving a grunt, he spread his legs out to take up the entire seat. Keeping his eyes firmly glued outside the window, Murasakibara brought the milkshake up to his lips and began to drink.
It tasted awful.
"Tamaki-chan?" Akashi approached the girl as she left the locker room.
Kuroko looked to her captain, "Can I help you, Akashi-san?"
Akashi frowned, "I told you that you could call me by my first name."
Kuroko stared at him, "Yes, you did, Akashi-san."
"Oh. You're upset with me," Akashi noted. "I thought that you realized the truth."
"I did, that doesn't mean I have to like it…or the new you," Kuroko kept her features emotionless. "What do you need, Akashi-san?"
"I was wondering which high school that you were going to attend."
Kuroko looked away, "I haven't decided yet."
"Oh?" Akashi smiled. "May I make a suggestion? Come to the same high school as me."
Her gaze darted back to him, "Excuse me?"
"Come to the same high school as me," Akashi repeated. "There is a high chance that the others will go to different high schools, but I want to be in the same place as you."
"Why?"
"Because I want you to be my side," Akashi reached up to gently place his palm on her cheek.
Kuroko eyed the arm currently touching her, "I see. Let me respond to your request with a question. Why in the hell would I want that?"
"Don't you want to be on top of the world?" Akashi questioned. "Together, we will dominate the high school league and who knows what else. People like us deserve to be above everyone else."
Kuroko scoffed, "People like us?"
"Yes. The gifted. The elite. The winners. That's who we are."
Kuroko smiled condescendingly, "You know that's not who I am. I was a scrawny little thing at the beginning of this. There was not even an ounce of talent in me. All of my skills come from hard work filled with blood, sweat, and tears. That's how I'm different from you, Akashi. You've never known defeat, but I've never known an easy victory. A real victory, at least."
"But I was the one that put you on the path to become this, no?" Akashi noted as he leaned into her face. "I approached you because I saw your potential. I knew that you could become great. The perfect phantom player. Without me, you would have never gotten to these heights. The Queen of Miracles. Just the person that I always envision by my side."
Before his lips could touch hers, she disappeared from his grasp. Her misdirection allowed her to slip behind him so she could whisper directly into his ear, "And that's why I hate you."
Akashi lowered his hand. He glanced over his shoulder to meet her gaze.
"Do you think that I enjoy this? That I'm satisfied? Because I'm not," Kuroko spoke just loud enough for him to hear. "You may have been the one to spark my rise, but you were also the one to take away my footing for the fall. All this could have been prevented, you know. If you worked together with me, then we could have kept the team united. We would have been together and content. Now, we're alone and bitter."
"Is this not better than what you were?"
"At least when I was weak, there was hope," Kuroko argued.
Akashi turned his eyes away from her, "So you wish that none of this ever happened? If could you could change things, would you keep me from ever speaking to you?"
"If I could change things, then I would keep you from becoming this," Kuroko took a step back. "You used to be kind, Akashi-san. You cared, but now everyone is just a tool to use. Even me. That's not how it used to be. Even when you approached me for the first time, you spoke to me as a player. Someone that could be your teammate. You even ignored your attraction to me because of it."
"Oh? So you knew?"
"Not at first. No boy ever found me physically attractive before," Kuroko sighed. "After I learned to read body language and learned from Satsuki-chan about things involving romance, I began to realize that I wasn't as invisible as I thought in that regard. It was actually flattering, especially with you. I figured that you kept silent because of team unity and your respect for me as a player, but you know…if the old Akashi approached me only a year ago as a man approaches a woman, I would have cried yes."
"I see…"
Kuroko turned around so that they were facing away from each other, "The place in my heart which once held love, now only seems to contain hate."
Her breath came out in a controlled exhale. She was aware of every bead of sweat which rolled down her brow. Her focus shifted among all of her muscles in order to control her stamina output. Kuroko's cold eyes moved across the court to observe the rushing players. She locked gazes with her team's point guard. Before the boy could even realize what he was doing, the ball left his hands just like she wanted.
Upon getting the basketball, Kuroko flowed into a shooting stance. Her opponent's ingrained muscle memory forced him to leap up to try to block her shot. With the boy high into the air, Kuroko dribbled around her current defender to meet the enemies within the box. They turned their full attention to her. A wall of long arms appeared before her and the basket.
Without changing her expression at all, Kuroko swung her arm around to pass the ball around her foes. The ball bounced right outside the line and into her teammate's hand. Kuroko shouted out for him to shoot before the enemy finished turning around. Knowing what would happen based on everyone's position on the court, Tamaki moved to box out the enemy right behind her.
Just as she knew would happen, the ball bounced off the hoop and towards her waiting hands. Like most people she blocked, the boy behind her tried to reach for the ball and ended up basically covering her. Only the sound of the referee signaling for a foul prevented her from getting crushed under her foe.
"Quit fouling her!" the opposing coach exclaimed.
Kuroko couldn't blame him. She had forced her opponents to foul enough to get bonus free throw territory. With the current rate of fouls, she would be getting plenty of free throw points while her opponents got into foul trouble. With practiced ease, she sunk her free shots. She then turned to idly jog to back into a defensive position
"I-I'm sorry, senpai," the teammate which missed the shot muttered to he when they made their way back to their side of the court. "I should have made that shot."
"Don't worry," Kuroko muttered uncaringly to the boy. "Now we know something to work on during practice."
The boy seemed reassured by her response. He rushed to his man while Kuroko faded into the background once more. Her eyes glanced to the timer. She would get pulled out soon by the coach. That was a good thing. She was really bored at these second string games.
Momoi sighed as she looked in the mirror. While her top and skirt were cute, she didn't feel the normal buzz of pleasure associated with shopping. Instead, her mind drifted back to problems involving her friend.
"Are you alright, Satsuki-chan?" Kuroko's voice drifted from the changing booth. "That's the fifth time that you sighed like that, and it's not your normal 'this is cute' sighs either."
"Oh?" Momoi turned to look at the door which hid her companion. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about how much this will hurt my wallet."
Kuroko's next words were laced with amusement, "Then why did you drag me shopping?"
"I thought it would be fun to hang out together," Momoi noted. "Don't you want that too, Tama-chan?"
"Of course, but we could do easily do something less expensive."
"True…" Momoi stifled her sixth sigh. "I guess that I just wanted to bring back some old memories. You used to be so shy when I dragged you to try on more flattering clothes."
"We all have to grow up eventually, Satsuki-chan," the door hiding Kuroko swung open. "What do you think?"
Momoi's eyes widened. Her friend stood before her in a form fitting black dress. Years of a strict healthy diet and harsh training had helped the once tiny girl grow into a stunning woman. A figure which could rival Satsuki's own body was only emphasized by the dark cloth. Kuroko's long, silky blue hair rolled over her smooth shoulders like running water. Her stoic features gave her a royal feeling of being untouchable. Even the beautiful Momoi was floored by the sight.
"Woah…"
"I take it that's a good reaction?" Kuroko stepped in front of the mirror. "Oh. It looks better than I thought it would."
"That's…not your normal style, Tama-chan," Momoi muttered.
Kuroko turned to examine herself from the side. She noticed how the dress emphasized the soft flesh of her breasts and rear before ending to show flawless calves built from years of sprints, "No, but I was curious. I wanted to see what the big deal was. Now I understand their thought process now a bit. This is what they see. If I wore this, I think that my lack of presence would be shattered."
"Umm…yeah."
"Then I'll put it back," Kuroko moved back to the changing booth. "I prefer looser clothes anyway. Besides, I can't think of a scenario where I would wear this. It's good to experiment sometimes, though. Now I know something that I didn't before."
Momoi reached out to grab Kuroko's toned arm, "Tama-chan…"
Kuroko gave her best friend a confused look, "Yes?"
"W—" Momoi paused as she thought about which question to ask. When did you grow up so much? What did you do to become like this? Why do you feel so unreachable? There was no point in those questions, though. She already knew the answers to them. "Um, I'm sorry."
"Sorry? For what?"
For looking down on you when we first met. For not supporting you enough. For not controlling Aomine. For letting you suffer. For being a bad friend.
"F-For not saying how beautiful you look in that!" Momoi smiled. "You should buy it! When something fits perfectly like that, you can't just let it slip away."
Kuroko cutely tilted her head, "You have a point. It may sit in my closet and just be a vanity item, but sometimes we need things like that."
"Exactly!"
"Alright, I'll trust your judgement, Satsuki-chan," Kuroko nodded. "Let me change out of this so I can pay for it."
"Right," Momoi released her friend. Once the bluenette closed the door behind her, Satsuki placed her hands over her mouth to stifle her sobs. Tears quickly dripped from her clenched eyes. Regret lingered in her heart. It seemed like all of her friends from the basketball team had outgrown her, and all she did to try to fix it was rely on Kuroko.
'I'm so sorry, Tama-chan.'
"Shigehiro-kun?" Kuroko held her phone up to her ear.
"Tamaki-chan! It's good to hear from you! I think that this is the first time you called me out of nowhere like this."
"I just felt like calling an old friend," Kuroko lied. She stared numbly out of her bedroom window. "How has your year been? How is your team doing?"
"We're doing fantastic this year. Your team should look out, because we'll be the ones to defeat the Generation of Miracles."
"So you remember our promise?" Kuroko's voice sparked with hope.
"What?! Did you think that I would forget about it?"
"Never. It's been on my mind for a while," Kuroko gained the smallest of smiles. "It will be fun to finally play a match with you. I doubt that I'll start, but I'm sure to be in the game by the second half. The coach puts me in every game."
"I've heard! It's over every newsletter about your school. They don't mention your name or show a picture, though…"
"That's by design," Kuroko noted. "I don't care about any sort of fame. I just want to fulfill my promise with you, Shigehiro-kun."
"That's the Tamaki that I know. It will be great. Make sure that your team doesn't hold back. I'd hate for you to use that as an excuse when we beat you."
Kuroko pursed her lips together, "Are…you certain? My team can be quite brutal."
"Hey, we're big boys! We can handle it."
"I will keep that in mind, Shigehiro-kun."
"…Kuroko, what are you doing?"
"Reading," Kuroko stated without raising her eyes from her book.
"And why aren't you paying attention to the game?" the coach questioned. The eyes of all the other bench players and managers turned to the phantom sixth member of the Generation of Miracles.
"Are you putting me in already?"
"No…not yet."
"Then it is not necessary for me to pay attention," Kuroko turned the page of her book.
"And why is that?"
"Because I know what will happen," Kuroko sighed. "Aomine-san will get the ball next. He'll pluck the rebound right from Murasakibara-san's grasp."
Her words were proven right when that exact sequence happened.
"After he does an over the back shot for two points, Murasakibara will be irritated that his points will be stolen. He'll slam down the opponent's next shot and then rush down the court to score a dunk which will send his guards tumbling."
Once more, she was right.
"Kise-san will be upset that he's behind on his points, so he'll beg Akashi-san to give him the ball. Akashi-san will comply to let Kise go in and copy Aomine's move. They'll then bicker enough to let the other team score their first points. Midorima-san will be upset by this and score a half-court shot as revenge."
The exact sequence happened as she predicted. Everyone looked at her in alarm. Momoi spoke, "H-How did you do that?"
"No one knows those five better than me," Kuroko once more turned the page of her book. "When they are on the court, no other factors matter. The outcome is predetermined. My participation in any way is unnecessary. So until you decide that one of them needs a rest, then I want to do something productive."
The coach frowned, "Don't you think that ignoring the game is bad for team morale?"
Kuroko finally looked up from her tome. Her gaze made ice look hot in comparison, "Team morale? Is that a joke?"
Her coach went silent. Shaking her head, she went back to her book. She continued to read until she was sent into the game. Once she was later benched, Kuroko immediately went back to reading. This time, no one said anything to her.
Kuroko ignored her bickering team. Like always, they were comparing point scores. While Akashi and Midorima cared little for the in team competition, the remaining three took the challenge very seriously. Usually Murasakibara or Aomine won, but Kise got close many times. Not that she really cared. Her book was far more interesting than their predictable arguments.
The entire team were all moving away from the stadium. Kuroko trailed in the back, out of sight and mind from the rest of the world. She continued to read as she trailed her group. Only when she felt eyes on her did she look up. Surprisingly, it wasn't her own team that was looking at her. Instead, it was a rather tall high school student. Well, tall by normal standards, not Murasakibara standards.
It seemed that they were passing an incoming high school team who was on the way for their own game. Oddly enough, the entire team only looked a year older than her. She didn't recognize the school name either. They did look extremely intimidated by Teikō. Kuroko didn't blame them, though. She doubted that most college teams could keep up with the Generation of Miracles.
Only the one tall guy from this Seirin school seemed to not be scared at all. He also seemed to actually notice her too. Perhaps she helped defeat him in the previous year, and he actually remembered her. Or he was a super pervert that could sniff out an attractive girl no matter what. Kuroko turned her attention back to her book. Whatever the reason was didn't really matter to her anyway.
Kuroko continued her trek with her team for a while until she accidentally stepped on something. A look down revealed a student ID from Seirin. Sighing, she reached down to pick it up.
Midorima noticed her halt, "What's wrong?"
"It appears that someone from that team we passed dropped their ID. I should return it to them," Kuroko noted.
Akashi looked back to see what she was talking about, "That's acceptable. We're having a meeting later, so try to make it back as soon as possible. Momoi, please accompany her."
The pinkette nodded, "Hai."
"Remember to call if you get delayed."
Together, the two young women made their way back to the stadium. Upon entering the building, they noticed that their target was already on the court. Kuroko gazed at the basketball game with sharp eyes.
"Oh, the game already started," Momoi let out a breath. "In that cased, let's give the ID to management. They can give it back to the owner."
Kuroko was silent.
Momoi looked to her friend curiously, "Tama-chan?"
For a brief moment, Kuroko remembered why she loved basketball. The Seirin team was not dominating. They were also not trailing in a useless struggle. There wasn't even just one person carrying the team. Instead, the entire team was struggling together in a hard fought match. They used team plays to emphasize their individual strengths in the maximum way. Her face twisted with longing.
"They look like they're having fun."
Momoi bit her lip upon seeing her friend's pained look, "Yeah. They do."
"It looks like they really love basketball."
Momoi nodded, "Yes. I would think so too."
Kuroko looked like she wanted to say more but couldn't find the words. With a shuttered breath, she forced herself to turn away from the beauty of which basketball should be, "You're right. We'll give the ID to management. Let's head back."
"Hai."
Kuroko remembered her other two times at the Nationals. Her first experience was filled with excitement and fear. The second year was mostly a joyful celebration of their hard work, excluding Aomine's crisis. This third year, though, was only filled with burning apathy. As she blended in at the center of her much more eye grabbing teammates, she once again kept her eyes settled in a book.
People shouted all around her. Flashes came from all directions from cameras trying to get pictures of the Generation of Miracles. She could make out questions being thrown to Akashi about their strategy. Kuroko couldn't help but scoff. Strategy? Their strategy was to crush everyone before them until the enemy just gave up. It was a cruel fate, but Kuroko had grown numb to the disgust after seeing it so many times.
The outcome of every game was already decided. She didn't even want to be here. Hell, she hadn't cared about being on the team for a long time. Only her promise with Shieghiro kept her going. This would be it. Everything she went through and endured would finally be justified. When she finally got to play against her childhood friend, then maybe she would get that feeling again. Maybe she would finally enjoy playing the game again.
"No matter what happens, give your all."
Kuroko looked up from her book. Did the coach actually just say that? Shaking her head, the young woman turned back to her tome. Well, it wasn't her business until she was eventually put in the game.
The end score was 198 to 8. It was a pathetic display. Kuroko would compare it to a toddler trying to fight a fully grown martial arts master. Their enemy was crushed. They were bored. The crowd was hushed in shock.
"Telling them to go all out was dumb," Kuroko noted to the coach without looking up. "What did you expect to happen?"
"I…"
Kuroko sighed, "At least give our opponents hope in the next games. Otherwise, this will be a boring tournament for everyone."
Kuroko got her play time of course. She didn't really care, but she refused to not play when on the court. Not with Shigehiro so close by. With her long hair pulled into a pony tail, she stepped into each game with a stoic expression. For the most part, she stayed back in defensive position. Not one on the other team scored when she was on the court.
In one game, their opponent specialized in drives. Kuroko smacked the ball out of their hands a total of thirty-four times. By the end of the game, a few of the players started cursing her out. They got thrown out of the game. Not that she cared. It wasn't fun at all.
At another game, the new enemy learned from the last team. They tried sending up as many shots as possible. Not even one basket was made. During the rebound, Kuroko knocked the ball into whatever teammate was close and let them rush down the court to score. It wasn't fun at all.
From there on, the games just blurred together. Her mind buzzed with boredom in each match. She constantly looked at the clock and waited for time to run out. While she could get her own points in the games with fouls, Kuroko decided not to do that. Free throw shots stopped the timers after all. Doing that would just make the games longer. Throughout each match, she didn't once smile like she was enjoying the game.
"Looks like our match for the finals will be some team called Mikou," Kise noted as they watched the semi-final game before their own.
"Huh?" Murasakibara continued to eat his snacks. "Well, in the end, it doesn't matter, does it?"
Kuroko ignored them. Instead, she clenched her fists in victory. Shigehiro's team was in the finals. Just one more game, and she would finally be on the court at the same time as him. She would finally get the one thing she wanted since the start of middle school.
Soon.
Teikō's own semi-final game was against the team with the twins. Kuroko remembered them from last year, and based on the glares, they remembered her. They probably thought that she would be Teikō's ace against their foul tactics. She almost laughed at the thought. The phantom sixth player of the Generation of Miracles hadn't been necessary for a year. This game wouldn't change that fact.
While two of the starters were benched to save their stamina, three of the Generation of Miracles was more than enough to dominate. Like always, Kuroko Misdirection Block worked wonders as her teammates continued to dominate. The score quickly moved up to fifty to zero close to the end of the half.
Frustration quickly showed on one of the twins' face. He started swinging elbows to the one target which held his rage for a whole year. Kuroko scoffed at his predictable move. Leaning back, she dodged the strike and stole the ball in one motion. A quick pass to Kise scored them another two points.
Looking the coach, Kuroko stated, "If you want me to have enough stamina for the next game, I'd take me out soon."
He nodded and subbed someone in for her. As she sat on the bench, she went to reach for her book. She paused when she felt eyes on her. Following the feeling, she saw Shigehiro staring at her. He appeared disturbed by something. Kuroko forced a smile and waved. He shakily returned the gesture.
"Next," Kuroko mouthed to him. Yes, they would finally play each other in the next game.
"I want to be put in the game as soon as possible," Kuroko bowed before the coach.
Her entire time looked at her with wide eyes. It had been a long time since she actually asked to play.
"Why?"
"My childhood friend is on the other team," Kuroko came up from her bow. "We promised each other that we would one day play at this level. I won't ask to have my name announced as a starter, but I want to play as soon as possible and for as long as possible."
"Oh yeah," Aomine scratched his cheek. "I remember you saying that before. It's why you joined the boys' team in the first place."
"Sure, Kurokocchi!" Kise smiled at being able to do something to please his former teacher. "I can sit down a minute in or so."
Midorima frowned, "That's not your decision to make. Let the coach decide."
The coach sighed. He looked to the captain, "What are your thoughts, Akashi?"
Akashi looked to Kuroko. A shiver went down his spine upon seeing the passion in her eyes. He hadn't seen her this passionate in close to a year, "I think that it would be a fair. She is a member of the Generation of Miracles, after all. We can all rotate every few minutes."
"Meh," Murasakibara gave Kise a side glance. "This means that you'll miss out on chances to get ahead in the scoring game."
"Wha?" Kise deflated. "That sucks."
Aomine grunted, "The game's boring now anyways."
"Please don't involve your stupid game in this," Kuroko's voice was laced with ice. "I get that you don't care much about this anymore, but this is important to me. If there's any part in you that still gives even a little bit of a damn, then you'll take this seriously."
"Tama-chan," Momoi fidgeted. "Remember when they were serious before?"
"Shigehiro told me that he expected us to go all out. If we do anything less, then he will be disappointed," Kuroko clenched her fists. "I won't let him down."
"We're finally here," Kuroko stood before her childhood game during the pre-game warmup.
"Yeah," Shigehiro rubbed the back of his head. "It's been a long time coming."
Kuroko's lips twitched downward, "What's wrong?"
Shigehiro looked away, "You didn't seem happy. When you were playing before, I mean. You didn't smile once."
"I don't smile a lot."
"You know what I mean."
Kuroko took a deep breath. She forced a smile to her face and lied through her teeth, "I was just getting impatient. You don't know how hard I worked for this. This is the climax of everything. It's like…when you're reading a good book. I was almost to the best part and wanted to skip a few chapters."
"Oh," Shigehiro blinked. "That makes sense."
Kuroko held out a hand. "Let's have a good game, Shige-kun."
Shigehiro smiled as their palms met, "I look forward to beating you."
"You wish."
A minute into the game, the coach spoke up, "Kuroko."
For once, Kuroko did not have her book. She practically leapt out of her seat and pulled off her warmups. Moving to the check in, her mind buzzed. It was finally time. Pulling her silky hair into a tight ponytail, she moved to the desk to announce her entrance into the game. When given the chance, the referees allowed her to switch places with a waving Kise.
Upon stepping onto the court, Kuroko smiled. Memories from the past three years rushed through her mind. She suffered so much for this moment. Her body seemed to hum in anticipation. Her muscles gained a pleasurable burn. Everything seemed to slow down around her. Yes. All the suffering was worth it for this one perfect game.
Her passion for basketball lit to life. Physical boundaries were shattered. Her skill level multiplied several times over. She felt more alive than ever as electricity streamed from her eyes showing that she had just entered the Zone.
'I won't let you down, Shigehiro.'
Time marches onward always. Pain slowly gets numbed away. Open wounds become jagged scars. The female member of the Generation of Miracles once again faded into the background. With no longer having any reason to be on the basketball team, Kuroko moved away from being associated with her former friends. With expert skills, she avoided speaking any of her previous teammates for the remainder of the year. Part of her desired to quit going to school, but she didn't want to be left without any reason to get up in the morning.
Her last middle school days slowly began to drip away. Out of habit and boredom, she often found herself running and doing sprints. There were many days in which she found herself staring at park basketball courts. Any desire to even shoot around quickly sunk into a boiling pit of disdain which filled her stomach. Despite her desire to be alone though, there were still some obligations which she needed to fulfil.
"High school, huh?" Kuroko stared out the window of the meeting room.
"Yes," the recruiter nodded. "I'm sure that you've thought about it. With your incredible sports credentials, there are plenty of schools which would love to have you. I would like to offer—"
"Please, let me stop you there," Kuroko sighed. "I agreed to this meeting because you were already here, but I have already decided which school that I'll go to."
Her guest raised an eyebrow, "You have?"
"Yes. I wish for a completely clean slate, so I will be attending Seirin High," Kuroko noted. "It's a completely new school, so I will be able to make myself into whatever I want."
"B-But wouldn't being in a better known academy help you to acquire more university options in the future?"
"More college options?" Kuroko sighed. "I don't care too much about that. I wish to go into teaching. That's something that I have skill and experience in. Most likely, I'll want to work with children. I don't see the need to go through more than what would be required for that."
"Well…it's good to know what your career will be, but what about basketball?"
"I have no more interest in it."
"None? Your record says that you dedicated the last three years of your life to it. I could understand not wanting to be on a male team anymore, but we have a strong female division that you will surely dominate."
"No. No female team. No male team. I don't want to play basketball ever again," Kuroko muttered bitterly. "The time I spent on it these past three years were a waste."
"Tama-chan!"
Kuroko stopped her retreat from the middle school graduation ceremony. She turned to see her former best friend, "Satsuki-chan, how can I—"
Momoi silenced the other woman with a slap to the face. Kuroko's head whipped to the side. Her body did not move in the slightest. Like always in the past several months, her stoic expression didn't move to show anything but indifference. As the bluenette moved her head back, only the red skin on her cheek remained as a sign of what happened.
"Do you feel better now?"
"Feel better?!" tears began to stream from Momoi's eyes. She reached forward and grabbed her friend by the shoulders. "Like something so simple would fix this! Do you know how long I've worked to corner you?!"
"Yes," Kuroko nodded. "And it only happened today because I allowed it."
"Why have you been avoiding me!?" Momoi tightened her grip. "The others, I can understand, but me?! What did I do?!"
"Nothing, Satsuki-chan," Kuroko stated. "You were the perfect friend to me."
"Then why?!"
"Because it was too painful," Kuroko explained. "We became friends through basketball. I wish to purge everything relating to it out of my life. You were the hardest thing to give up, but I can't be by your side anymore. Doing so would be too hard."
"So you're just giving up our friendship?" Momoi questioned. "You're going to forget everything? All the time we spent together? All the secrets that we shared?"
"You'll be fine without me. There are far better friends than me," Kuroko noted.
"Shut up! I hate that about you!" Momoi openly began to sob. "Why don't you see yourself the way others see you? You're not replaceable, Tama-chan! Just fading away won't solve anything."
Kuroko looked away, "It's all I know, though."
"You promised," Momoi relaxed her grip on friend to wipe her eyes. "We would be friends forever. You can't back out of it. Daiki already has turned his back on me. I can't lose you too."
"Do you know how it feels?" Kuroko whispered. "Do you know how it feels to grow to hate everything that you ever loved? That's how I feel everyday. Everything which once gave me meaning now disgusts me. I…don't want to grow to hate you, Satsuki-chan. Please forget about me or grow to hate me, because that's far better than losing the one set of memories that aren't tainted."
"Idiot," Momoi stepped back. "You're so stupid. I can't hate or forget about you. Not when your eyes look so sad, Tama-chan. I'll find some way to help you, I promise."
Kuroko sighed, "One promise has already been broken. You shouldn't make a second one."
"That's why you called me here?" Kuroko glared at Akashi. "You used up your last favor to try to convince me to be in your stupid competition."
"It's not stupid, Tamaki-chan," Akashi smiled. "The Generation of Miracles is separating. Next year will be a battle between us to decide which one of us is the best. No matter what, one of us must win the Nationals."
"There's no point to this," Kuroko shook her head. "I'm quitting basketball permanently at the start of high school."
Aomine's eyes widened, "You are?"
"Yes," Kuroko nodded. "I've accomplished everything that I desired to in this sport. There's nothing left for me."
"This is out of character for you," Midorima adjusted his glasses. "You dedicated yourself to the game more than anyone."
"Perhaps, but there comes a time when things have to change," Kuroko mentioned. "A girl couldn't play with the boys forever."
"Ah…" Murasakibara snorted. "Hearing words like that from Tama-chin is funny. Next, are you going to tell us that you want to become an idol?"
"I'd rather that than to play against any of you," Kuroko turned away. "It doesn't matter. From here on out, the Generation of Miracles is over. The phantom sixth player will fade away to be only a memory. Then a myth. Then a joke. As it should be. It was all big joke. Have fun ruining other people's sports experiences, because I wouldn't play this stupid sport again for anything.
She began to walk away from them. The completely shocked and hurt Kise called out to her as she opened the exit to both the gym and their lives, "No! This can't be! Kurokocchi loves basketball more than anything else! She would never abandon it or us!"
Kuroko stopped. Turning around, Tamaki looked to every one of her teammates. She recognized the looks in their eyes. It was the same emotion that she saw in the mirror every day now, the pain of losing what you loved the most. Shaking her head, she spoke to five of the most important people in her life for what she hoped to be the final time. Her words echoed heavily across the gym before the door slammed shut behind her.
"Sometimes, the things you love will never love you back."
The End.
Yep. That's the ending that I envisioned. As of right now, I have no plans for any follow up. Knowing me, if I start telling a story about Kuroko's time in Seirin, then it will become some huge project. So I'm going to leave it here for now. The way I see it, there are two options of what would happen next. One, Momoi and Kise go on a mission to bring Kuroko back into basketball using the Seirin team as temptation...or the Seirin team never gets to meet Kuroko. She fades into obscurity. Unless I write something more, the second one is the canon ending in my mind.
If you liked this story, consider looking at my other fanfiction. If you're a fan of my work in general, please consider going to FictionPress to read my original work. Five different stories are being updated on a weekly basis. All summaries and links are on my profile page.
P.S. If you go read my original work, I might be more inclined to do something to continue this story. Just saying.
Thank you all for reading and please remember to...
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