Oh boy...where do I start? This is kinda hard.
First and foremost...OMG YOU GUYS! YOU ALL MADE ME CRY! SERIOUSLY! I didn't expect so many of you would review! It was honestly surprising. That said, I felt guilty for not replying to most of you. Again, I felt awkward and shy for no reason at all. Anyway, as always, thank you so much for all the reviews and favorites and followers. There can be no words to express what I feel about you guys. I swear. I love you all.
Next thing, I must apologize for the long breaks between each chapter. I think I said this before(?) but I can only write whenever I have time and I've been so busy lately. I'm going to graduate college next year! (if all goes well and I actually finished my PBL/capstone/thesis project or whatever you call it last term. Later this year, I will be an intern. Hooray for me! (I'm nervous as hell though). Wish me luck!
To summarize, I love all of my readers but I'm busy this year so while I'll still be writing...updates, again, are slow to come.
The Fall of the Emperor
Chapter 2: If Only He Had Noticed
He felt frustrated. Nothing he did seemed to have worked. At this rate, he was going to lose.
He didn't want to lose.
He refused to lose.
He couldn't lose.
He mustn't lose.
He needed to win.
He must win.
Kise stomped his way through the white hallways, trying to prevent himself from outright running out the hospital. He could hear Aomine calling his name but he opted to ignore that. He didn't need him coming after him. He needed to get away. He couldn't stand that suffocating atmosphere inside that room. It wasn't as if Akashi was dead, they didn't need to react as if he was—it didn't need to feel like he was.
Kise stomped his way through the white hallways, trying so hard to prevent himself from outright running out the building. He could hear Aomine call his name as he passed by the main entrance but he ignored that. He didn't need someone coming after him. He needed to get away, preferably far, far from here. He couldn't stand that suffocating atmosphere inside that room. It wasn't as if Akashi was dead yet they all seemed to react as if he was—Akashi wasn't dead.
Akashi was better than that—than him.
Why did he ever think that today was a good day…?
Kise was on his way to school, his cellphone in hand. He chuckled softly as he read all the tweets his fans posted about him. He couldn't help but admire how passionate they could be at times. Although, they do tend to terrify him a bit.
As he approached the crosswalk, the pedestrian light turned red. He couldn't help but sigh and accept that he would be late again to class when his phone vibrated in his hand, flashing Midorima's name on the screen. He couldn't help but smile since Midorima didn't generally send him messages, it was usually him who sent one. Pressing the read button, he wondered if this was just another one of the teen's horoscope announcement which was clearly his tsundere-way of caring, but apparently, he couldn't be more wrong.
The pedestrian light turned green and a rush of people passed him by from both directions, but Kise didn't seem to notice as he carefully read Midorima's message, his smile slowly dissipating with each word that registered in his brain. For a moment, he thought Midorima was joking but then he remembered that Midorima didn't joke. His hand fell to his side and for a moment, he just stood there frozen as the world rushed around him.
It was a full minute when he snapped out of his stupor and turned around, running towards the nearest train station. He was on the way to Tokyo. Apparently, Akashi was in the hospital? An emergency? Why on earth would Akashi be hospitalized? As far as he could remember, their redheaded captain never got sick nor injured. He really had a bad feeling about this.
Kise arrived at the hospital, half running, half-walking towards the entrance when he bumped into someone making him stumble to the side.
"Ah! Sorry!" Kise said and turned only to face a certain tanned male. "Eh, Aominecchi?"
"Yo." Aomine greeted lazily.
"Did you get Midorimacchi's text too?" Kise asked, finally straightening himself up.
"Yeah, I wonder what this is about." Aomine grumbled. "I have a bad feeling about all of this. I mean, Akashi's in a hospital? And we need to be here?" He frowned before shaking his head as they started walking to the entrance.
Kise furrowed his brows. "I'm sure whatever this is couldn't be that bad, Aominecchi." he let out a smile, trying to lift the mood.
Aomine shrugged as he opened the door, going inside while Kise followed him from behind. Kise blinked as he a guard stopped them for a security check—an incredibly thorough security check. Kise caught Aomine's eyes and knew that they were both thinking that something weird was happening. This was a hospital, a private one but still a hospital so why was the security uncharacteristically tight?
After the security was done, they were allowed to continue. Kise bit his lip before voicing his thoughts. "Ne, Aominecchi, am I the only one—"
"No," Aomine cut him off. "Something definitely weird is going on." He frowned before taking off to the reception desk.
Kise lingered behind with a frown. Aomine could be so rude at times, but he couldn't help but agree with him. He heard someone shout and immediately snapped his head to the source just in time to see Aomine smack his hand on the receptionist's table. He immediately ran towards him with the intent to calm him down.
"What do you mean Akashi isn't here?! That's impossible!" Aomine growled. However, the receptionist didn't show any sign of it bothering her. "I told you I got a text that told him he was here from Midorima himself!"
"Please calm down, sir, you're bothering the patients." The receptionist told him in a rather cold tone. "Like I said, sir, we have no records of any Akashi Seijuuro being admitted to the hospital. I'm afraid you're mistaken."
Kise frowned, furrowing his brows as he tried to hold Aomine back. Akashi wasn't here? What was going on?
Just then, the receptionist suddenly widened her eyes and lifted her gaze. Kise followed her stare up behind him and saw purple. "Murasakicchi!"
Murasakibara ignored him—how rude—and merely stared at the receptionist with that bored and rather dead-eyed look as he munched on some chips. "Ne, where's Aka-chin?"
The receptionist seemed to be feeling intimidated by Murasakibara's build and height as she let out a stutter. "A-Aka-chin? I'm sorry, sir, but there's no Aka—"
Murasakibara glared and came closer to the receptionist. Kise and Aomine could only watched as Murasakibara practically stuck his face as close as he could with the receptionist. "I asked where Aka-chin is."
The receptionist seemed to be completely clueless and scared witless as she looked at them for help. Aomine smirked. "He meant Akashi. I suggest you tell us now before he snaps." Kise looked at the poor receptionist guiltily.
The receptionist gulped and sighed in defeat. "Please quiet down, sirs. I'll explain."
Murasakibara let up and was now back to eating.
"For security reasons, we are to deny any questions about Akashi Seijuuro no matter what." The receptionist said quietly. "Fortunately for you, Midorima-sensei's son has informed me that if I ever see a purpled-haired giant we are to allow him and his friends access."
Kise and Aomine sweatdropped. Purpled-haired giant?!
Aomine shook his head and decided to get to the point. "What's with all this anyway?" He referred to the tight security.
"Unfortunately, I don't have the authority to say, sir." The receptionist flinched as Aomine glared. "I apologize but I'm just doing my job." The receptionist said as she straightened up, composing herself as she resumed her stoic expression. "Akashi Seijuuro has been assigned to room 404." She informed them with a cold tone. "Please go before I have to call security."
"W-We understand, thank you!" Kise said as he pulled Aomine and Murasakibara away before things escalated. "Let's go, guys." He tightened his grip on both of their arms as a warning, dragging them towards the elevator in a hurry.
If Kise knew what awaited them, he wouldn't have hurried.
But, he didn't.
And now, he could only listen in horror as he found out what happened.
"Akashi tried to kill himself!"
Midorima's voice rang in his ears, loud, clear, and laced with pain and guilt. Midorima never joked, but right now he wished he did because Akashi attempting to kill himself was a joke—a lie. Akashi would never do that and yet… Kise stared at Akashi, who was lying on the bed looking so peaceful as if nothing was wrong—as if everything was alright, as if he didn't try to kill himself—end his life.
He stared and stared and stared…
He heard something fall.
He glanced down to see Kuroko, trembling, and eyes wide.
He could hear someone crying.
He turned to see Murasakibara breaking down in tears, murmuring Aka-chin over and over again.
He brought his gaze back to Akashi and wondered why he wasn't crying. He wondered how he could just stand there and stare. He wondered why he wasn't feeling anything. He—
Kise jerked as he felt something touch his arm. It was Aomine, he was staring at him, looking so worried.
"Kise, are you alright?" Aomine asked as if Kise was the one who should be asked that. It wasn't him who tried to kill himself, it wasn't him who cut himself all over his body until he bled and bled, it wasn't him who gouged out his own eye, it wasn—
Strong arms enveloped him and he found himself buried against broad chest. He could here Aomine's voice whispering it was going to be alright—everything was going to be okay.
Kise shook his head willing the memories away.
It had been three days since Kise had reality slap him in the face. He had been waiting, staring at Akashi for something—anything at this point just to break the silence, just so he could pretend that Akashi would wake up any moment now, stare at them with those piercing eyes, and scold them for ever doubting him. It was easier that way but life wasn't easy.
Kise scoffed to himself, a twisted sense of bitterness coursing through him. This was probably life's way of punishing him, spitting on his face a retribution for ever thinking of ending his own life back then before basketball—a time when monotony was synonymous to his life and it was all because he was able to pick things up faster than anyone he knew. If he was interested in something, he would be able to learn it faster and easier. The best thing was, he even got better and beat everybody at their own game. It was great!
Until it wasn't, not anymore. Soon, he found himself living his life by going through the motions all while feeling cold and numb inside. He wanted something that would interest him, something that would make him feel alive. And the next thing he knew, he was carving lines deep within his thighs, trembling as his heart pounded against his chest, the sudden rush coursing through his veins leaving him in a state of euphoria…
…but even that got boring after a while.
So, why not just kill himself?
It was just a passing thought or well, it was supposed to yet somehow it got stuck at the back of his head and he kept wondering in interest what it would be like to die…then he got a basketball to the head and the rest was history.
He met Aomine, Kuroko, Momoi, Murasakibara, Midorima, and Akashi…
When he first met Akashi, he immediately understood why he was the vice-captain despite being in the same year as him. Akashi was, in a word, perfection. He was grace and beauty and power and strength. He had that charisma that made everyone respect him, made everyone want to follow him which was why he, along with everyone else, wasn't surprise that Akashi became the next captain. He was a born leader, it was only natural that he would be the one to lead them into more victories.
Kise turned around a corner, almost bumping into another person. He muttered an apology before resuming his walk.
Akashi had helped them all throughout the years. He helped them with their problems no matter how superficial it all seemed. In fact, it was Akashi who noticed his 'habit', it was Akashi who confronted him about it, and it was Akashi who let him cry on his shoulders as he poured out all his frustrations about his job, his family, and all the expectations everyone had for him. Akashi took all of it with an understanding smile as he rubbed his back with all the love and comfort that he didn't know he could receive.
How could he? How could he not notice when they were both the same? For someone who had great eyes, how could he be so blind? All this time, Akashi was hurting and unlike him, there wasn't someone who noticed and comforted him and rubbed his back and made everything feel better. All this time… Akashi had been alone.
Kise slowed down and found himself standing in the middle of the sidewalk, tears finally falling down his eyes. He gasped as he hastily wiped his eyes with his hands in a useless attempt to stop it. His lips trembled as he sniffled. Ah, it wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop. His knees felt weak and as he was about to fall, an arm enveloped him from behind, supporting him.
Slowly, he turned his head and saw Aomine and for a while there was silence.
Kise opened his mouth to say something—anything, when Aomine spoke first.
"Let's go, Kise."
Kise blinked before he found himself burrowing his face into Aomine's neck as he cried, his body shaking with each harsh sob. He felt Aomine tighten his hold, silently comforting him as he led him away.
And later, when Kise was coherent enough to recognize his surroundings, he found himself in Maji Burger with Aomine by his side, seemingly nonchalant as he took a bite on his teriyaki burger.
Woah...Kise, I didn't even plan that...way too heavy
Honestly, the chapter feels too short but I don't want to force myself to write it longer than it should be because that would be just...no. And I know that I said I would continue Midorima's chapter but I realized that the timeline would be too confusing so I scratched that.
And yes, the bold part at the start were Akashi's thoughts. I hope that was clear...if it wasn't well now you know
Again guys, feel free to review! I hoped you all like this chapter just like I did. If you have any questions, just ask!
