Hullo Minna-san, I'm back with a new chapter~~~
My apologiez for the lateness. Really, I only had a time to update now, since my sickness really hold me back. I hope you can forgive me.
I hope you like this new chapter.
Happy reading, Minna-san.!!
.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke, sadly.
.
.
-Seirin High School, Gym-
PRIIIITTTT.!!!
The sounds of whistle echoed loudly around the Seirin's Gym. All the players immediately stopped their movement and staring at their third-year, brown haired girl, coach.
Aida Riko, the Coach sighing tiredly and staring sternly at the sky blue haired player in the court. "Kuroko-kun, what happened.? Today you make many mistakes, and it's like you're not focused on the practice." She asked softly. Irritated, but also concerned.
Kuroko Tetsuya could only sighing in frustration, harshly combed his blue hair with his fingers. He couldn't deny Riko's words, because she's right. Today he can't focused on the practice. He makes too many mistakes. His passes missed the target, his Invisible Drive failed more than once, his Ignite Pass weaker than usual, and many more.
"I apologize, Coach. It seems there's too many things I thinking about, that I could not focused solely on the practice today." Kuroko murmured lowly, bowing at his Coach.
Riko just sighing before nodded. "Just go, then." She said calmly.
Kuroko widening his baby-blue eyes at her. "W-what.?"
Riko crossed her hands under her chest. "Just go. It's useless for you to continued practicing if you can't focused. Go somewhere or go home, clear your mind, and come back tomorrow after you calming down." She said calmly in understanding.
Kuroko slumped down and eyed his Coach in gratefulness. "Thank you, Coach." He said while bowing, then walking toward the door, exited the gym. If only Kuroko glanced back, he'll see how the others eyed him in concern and understanding, while Kiyoshi staring at his back in sadness and regret.
Entered the locker room, Kuroko slowly walked toward the bench, where his placed his bag before.
Opened his bag, Kuroko take out his white phone and opened it. His eyes staring in sadness at the wallpaper in his phone.
"It's today..." He whispered sadly, fingers playing with the basketball keychain in his phone. "Is this all because that final match, Hime-chan.? That's why you go. Are you still playing basketball.? I hope... I hope you didn't hate it like I am before." Kuroko whispered sadly.
"Happy birthday, Hime-chan."
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
-Shuutoku High School, Gym, Tokyo-
Takao Kazunari, second year and the new appointment Captain of Shuutoku Basketball Team, couldn't believe what he saw now.
Alone in the middle of the court, stood the green haired, tall teenage boy, with many basket balls around him.
Well, that's not unusually to saw Midorima Shintarou alone in the gym after practice ended just to practicing his shoot. He even always practicing alone when they didn't have any schedule to practice, like today.
No, what very unusual was Midorima himself.
Midorima practicing his shooting skill as always. But his shoots today's not as swift as usual. The ball always touched the ring before entered the net, and once or twice even bounced away from the ring. Midorima himself openly showing the frustration and anger in himself.
For almost one years Takao knew Midorima, he never saw Midorima as openly as now, nor he ever saw the ball that Midorima shoot's missed or bounced on the ring like now. One time he saw Midorima like this was a year ago, when...
Takao immediately take out his phone and checked the calendar.
Today's that day, huh.? Her birthday.
"How did you know.?!" Midorima's cold and harsh voice interrupted Takao's internal musing. Snapped his attention toward the green-haired shooting guard and new vice-captain, who's now glaring at him.
Take a step back in surprise, Takao staring back at the now blazing emerald eyes. "W-what.?"
Midorima clenched his hands tightly into a fists, eyes narrowed sharply and teeth gritted hard. "I asked, how did you know.? That today's her birthday." He said coldly, almost snapped at Takao.
'Ah... It seems I'm saying my though aloud.' Takao internally cursed his own mistake.
"Answer my question, Takao Kazunari.!!" Midorima hissed, almost losing his temper. He tried to forget about what day today's, but suddenly Takao comes and make him remember.
"Of course I know. I playing against your team and her two times in middle school. Many of us know when your Miracles' birthday." Takao answered when suddenly he realized something.
Last year in Inter High and Winter Cup, he meets the other Miracles and playing against them... except her. He never saw her since in Middle School.
"Wait, Shin-chan. I just realized this now. But... where's she.? I didn't saw him even once last year. What High School she was in, anyway.?" He asked quickly before Midorima have a chance to snapped at him.
Midorima gritted his teeth and looking away from his partner. "That's none of your business." He said coldly.
"Why.? Everyone knows where you miracles is, beside her. But why no one knows where's she.? She didn't even appeared in the Inter High and Winter Cup last year." Takao still pressed on, his dark eyes narrowing. "Surely you Miracles know where is she.?"
"THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS BECAUSE NOT EVEN US KNOW WHERE SHE WAS NOW.!!!" Midorima shouted, finally losing his temper.
Takao taken aback at Midorima's anger, blinking in shock as he finally registered what Midorima says. "Wait... W-what.? You... didn't know where's she.?"
Throw away the ball in his hand, still blinded by his own anger, Midorima spun around and quickly thundered his way out from the gym without saying anything.
"W-wait.! Shin-"
"Leave me alone.!!!" Midorima shouted before closing the gym's door hard, leaving a loud -BANG!!- sound behind.
Takao stared in shock and confusion at the place where Midorima was just now, before move his gaze toward the bench in the side of the court. There, stood a small ceramic statue of Fallen Angel.
"He even forgot to bring his lucky item..." Takao sighing out in confusion. "What happened.?"
"Damn it.!!!"
In the locker room, Midorima punched the Wall hard, didn't even care about the fact that he injured his own hand.
Moved his gaze to his now, open locker, his eyes fixed on the green phone that laying still inside.
Walking toward his locker, Midorima take his green phone out. For a minutes, standing still he focused his gaze to the basketball keychain that dangling in the side, before flipped the phone open.
His hard, blazing eyes slowly softened and dimmed as the emerald orbs traced the picture intently.
"I'm sorry... really sorry. You... still angry at us, right.? That's why you suddenly disappeared without telling us anything." Midorima whispered softly, voice thick with regret.
"...Happy birthday."
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
-Rakuzan High School, Student Council Room, Kyoto-
Mibuchi Reo, third year and one of the Uncrowned Kings, eyed the President of the Student Council and Captain of the Basketball Team intently.
That morning, in the regular team's usual morning practice, he know that something bothered the red head greatly. Heck, even Kotarou and Eikichi could saw it clearly.
Today Akashi Sejuuro looks like he was not himself.
That morning, in the locker room, Akashi didn't bother to reprimand Kotarou and Eikichi when they argued loudly instead of changed into their training gears. Akashi didn't even threatened to quadrupled Eikichi's training regiment when the later eat too much before the training began.
In the morning practice, all his move was not swift and perfect as it's usually. His moves' distracted and all his passes was very careless.
All in all, it was all just like in the Winter Cup's final months ago against Seirin, when Kuroko stopped his movement using the Quasi Emperor-Eye and slap the ball from his hand. Akashi even ended the practice early than usual.
Now, in the Student Council room, as usual sitting beside the window, with the Shogi board in the table, in front of him. But instead playing Shogi by himself like he always do, instead Akashi just sitting while playing with the Queen piece, eyed it with intense, but empty gaze. His ruby orbs full with sadness and grief. His other hand playing with the basketball keychain that attached to his phone.
And Akashi seems like he didn't even notice Reo's presence in the room.
Akashi never told them what bothered him. But didn't like Kotarou and Eikichi, Reo actually know what happened to Akashi today.
Today's 3 March.
Her birthday.
Reo didn't know what happened between the Miracles in their last Middle School's years, but he can guess what is it.
He remembered about the rumour, that the Miracles involved in a big fight with her in the stadium's locker room, right after their final championship's match. All who's near their locker room could hear the loud voice of her screams and banged sound.
And after that, no one ever saw her again. Even until now, one and half year later, no one knows where she was.
No one ever saw her again. Not even in the Inter High and Winter Cup last year.
The rumour said that she leave right after that. To where, no one knows.
"You're thinking about her aren't you, Sei-chan.?" Reo decided to break the silence.
Akashi actually jerked in surprise, that the phone in his hand almost slipped out from his grasp. Akashi snapped his gaze to Reo, his ruby eyes visibly widened in surprise, before he composed himself back into his calm persona and narrowed his eyes.
"What are you talking about, Reo.?" Akashi almost hissed.
In another time, maybe Reo will flinched away in afraid and said nothing, but now... he didn't know why he want to pressed Akashi to at least talking a bit at him. So with new founded bravery and determination, Reo also narrowed his dark orbs in challenge.
"You know what I'm talking about, Akashi. I know today's her birthday. After all, I know her too. I'm playing against her once in Middle School." He said in serious tone, even calling Akashi with his last name, to show the red head how serious he was.
Akashi almost flinched at Reo's tone before sighing dejectedly and slumped a bit. "Even if it was, there is nothing you need to be concerned about, Reo. It's only the problem between us the Generation of Miracles." Akashi murmured lowly.
Reo sighing before take a seat across Akashi. "I know that. That's why I didn't asked or said anything about it before. But it's been one and half years, Akashi. You shouldn't have to drowned on your past and guilt." He said softly.
Akashi glared at Reo, but the later still staring calmly at him. "You didn't know anything, Reo." He hissed in anger, hand clenched hard around the Queen piece.
"The last, final championship between Teiko vs Meiko, score 111-11."
Akashi flinched as that words came out from Reo, who still staring at him calmly.
"No one who didn't know about that match. Many says that was the most tragic match in a decade. With that and the rumour about your fight along with her disappearance after that, it's not hard to connect the dots and conclude about what happened now, why no one ever saw or know where she is now." Reo continued, ignoring Akashi's reactions at his words.
His gaze now moved towards the blue sky outside. "But that doesn't mean you have to drown by the guilt like this. You have changed now, for the better. Instead of do nothing like this, why didn't you do something's good and try to fix your mistakes in the past.?" He still continued while standing from his position and walked calmly toward the door.
Reo opened the door, and almost exited the room when he decide to glancing back, and saw Akashi still staring at him with unreadable gaze.
"Just think about it. What she will do or said to you in this kind of situation.? You Miracles surely know her better than anyone else." And with that parting words, Reo stepped out completely and closed the door behind him, leaving Akashi alone.
.
Akashi sighed sadly as he move his gaze toward the sky outside. Reo's words burning in his mind.
"The most tragic match in a decade, huh.?" He murmured softly, chuckling humorlessly, voice thick with anger, sadness and regret.
His red orbs staring intently at the picture in his phone while his fingers traced the basketball keychain, while his other hand clenchen tightly around the Shogi's Queen piece.
"We- I hurt you so much, aren't I.? I know that your and Kuroko's friends are in Meiko team, but I let them do something like that. We blinded too much by our powers, changed for the worse. What will you do if you're here now.?" Akashi whispered softly. "If we didn't changed, maybe now you're still here with us. But that's impossible. Maybe now you still angry at us, at me."
"Where are you now.?"
Leaned back at the chair he seated on, Akashi close his eyes, bitting his lower lip as the image of her flashing in his mind. "I'm sorry, really sorry." He whispered to no one, before opened his eyes and staring at the picture in his phone.
"Happy birthday, Hidenka. I hope someday we could've meet again with you."
.
.
.
Pheww... Finally.!! Writing like this tiring me out for real, but I love it nontheless.!!!
I hope you all like this chapter.
Please leave the review for me, Minna-san.!!!
