"Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart."
-Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore-
~before, in the chapter one~
Just a simple message
A simple message that would bring back so many memories and feelings that they'd tried so hard to forget
A simple message that could change even the heart of the absolute emperor
A simple message that would bring tears of guilty pour from the people in the receiver list
A simple message that would make them felt the same like the old times, longing
And more importantly,
A simple message that would starts a chaos in the futue
At that time a message sent to 5 people from the world of basketball's prodigies
To : GoM
Subject : -
Message :
[The Creator is back]
~3rd Person's POV~
A light blue haired boy, a maroon haired giant, and a pale pink haired girl walked alongside each other with the girl in the middle after they got a pair of shoes for the maroon haired one. They walked to the nearby Maji Burger to get their late lunch. After they walked for a while they entered the same building they met before at afternoon.
"Welcome to the Maji Burger. What do you want to order?" asked a kind looking boy with black hair and cute face.
"Ah, I would like to order ten burgers, please," said Kagami.
"Te-ten, sir?" asked the boy with a shocked face. Hikari just chuckled at her childhood friend.
"Don't worry, he usually order much more from that," said the girl with cute smile plastered on her face.
"A-aah, hai," said the boy while blushing looking at the girl. Kagami just glaring at the boy with jealous look.
"I order a strawberry milkshake, by the way, thank you," said the girl kindly.
"Ha-hai, please wait a minute, your order will be here soon," said the stuttering boy while looking at the girl with blushing face.
"And a vanilla milkshake, please," said quiet voice.
"HIYAAAAAA" scream the boy and Kagami.
"Since when do you here?!" shout the black haired boy.
"I'm here the whole time," said Kuroko with stoic face that made Hikari sweatdrop.
"I forgot about you," mumble Kagami. After they got their orders and paid for it, they sat near the windows and chatted with each other.
~With Kise~
While Kise starts walking towards Kasamatsu, he asks a question, more like shouts to the blonde haired boy, "What are you doing you baka?! Suddenly running like that?!"
"I'm sorry, Senpai. I just saw someone that I knew," answered the blonde haired boy while his bangs covering his eyes.
"Someone you knew?" asked Kasamatsu while they entered the shop. "Who is it?"
"She is my former teammate."
"Former teammate? Anyway, who is the girl with Kuroko and Kagami earlier? You know her right?" asked the raven haired boy.
"A-ah she is-" Kise's sentence cut by a ring on his phone signaling that he has a call. "I'm sorry, Senpai. I had to take this" said Kise to his senpai. While Kasamatsu just nodded his head and looking at the shoes.
Kise went out from the shop. When he is out of the shop he look at his phone and answered with nervousness in his voice.
"...Midorimacchi-"
~Earlier at Shutoku~
Shutoku is having a basketball practice at their gym this afternoon. A bespectacled green haired boy was practicing his shooting while his other teammates were doing their own practice. The green haired boy was doing his practice alone in about an hour ago. He just throws the basketball balls from the center line of the court and never moves from his spot except when he gathering the balls that have been shot through the hoop.
When suddenly one of his teammates were tripped over a big frog statue near the bench and fall with his face planting on the gym floor. The other who is focused at their practice were looking at the body that faceplanting at the gym floor. Some were shocked, some were deadpanning at the sight.
"What the-WHO OWN THIS STUPID FROG?!" Miyaji, who starts to raise from his faceplanting position on the floor shout at the top of his lungs. Takao, who laughing very hard until he was rolling on the floor answered the question from his senpai.
"Isn't it clear who own that frog, Senpai?" said Takao while erased his tears that form in his eyes because too much laughing.
"Midorima! Stop bringing this kind of stupid things to the gym!" yelled Miyaji.
"I can't. That is my lucky item for today, nanodayo," said Midorima while adjusting his glasses.
"I don't care about your stupid lucky item! Can anybody give me pineapple?! I am going to throw that at this stupid kouhai of mine," said Miyaji while pointing his finger at Midorima.
"Actually Shin-chan, why is that frog is so big?"
"The bigger, the better," said Midorima with stoic face.
"Can you at least bring something that smaller than this?! I mean this is freaking huge. Who is going to bring a stupid frog statue that the height is the same height as my waist anyway?! Just because this is your lucky item" shout Miyaji.
"The bigger the item, the bigger the lucky,"
'What kind of thought is that?!' scream the other in their head.
"Someone bring me pineapple!"
"Nah, Senpai~. You don't have to. He would never listen to you anyway," said Takao.
"Urusai, nanodayo"
"Come on, Shin-chan" pout Takao. Midorima just ignored him and come back to his shooting practice. He can't help but remember the time when he was bumped to the mysterious girl at the hospital yesterday night.
'It can't be her'
'Yeah, it can't be. She would never come back after all what we did at that time'
'But that hair, that was the same like hers. A pink. A beautiful pale pink that I adored so much'
He bit his bottom lip while missing his shoot again. So many thought inside his head and that made him lost his focus even in the basketball.
"Is Shin-chan okay? It's strange that he missed his shots," said Takao to his senpai.
"Tch. Who cares? Maybe he missed his shots because this was the bad day for cancer," scoffed Miyaji.
"Don't say that. Actually, I am kind of worry too," said Otsubo.
It's not weird if they worried about the bespectacled green haired boy. He never lost his focus. Moreover in the basketball. He would always focus on the basketball even if he was sick.
His teammates were not yet to know that he was lost his focus in his precious basketball just because one girl. One girl that can make his feeling and focus messed up just by thinking of her.
While Midorima stood still in the center of the court of the Shutoku gym suddenly his phone is ringing. He is snapped out from his thoughts and walking towards his bag near one of the benches. The other member's bag were in the locker. Because earlier Midorima was late attended the practice he just set his bag near the bench and started the practice.
While Midorima scoop his phone from his bag and look at the screen he has a tic mark that appeared on his head.
'That damn Kise. What does he want this time, nanodayo?!'
Midorima just puts back his phone in his bag without reading the message. He was about to walk away but he remembered his Oha Asa's prediction this morning.
"Your day would turn upside down just because of a single message. Be careful when you get that message. You would get something that you would never be expected"
With that, he walked back to his bag and get his phone on his hand. When he read the message from a certain blonde his eyes become wide as his facial expression is utter a shocked one. Just a single message.
From : Kise
Subject : -
Message :
[The Creator is back]
Midorima just stood there with his phone on his hand with a shocked expression. He can't process what the message is talking about. No, not that. He can't believe at that. Who would actually? Absolutely not him. Midorima quickly calls the blonde with his phone and waiting for the other one to pick up. While his teammates and coach are looking at him with curiosity.
Midorima waiting while shut his eyes and bite his bottom lip while her soft voice is echoing inside his head.
"Taro-chaaaaaan!"
When Kise picked up the call he said, "...Midorimacchi-"
"Don't joke around Kise!" Midorima quickly shouts angrily at his phone. That make his teammates look at Midorima with shock.
'Did Midorima just shout?'
'He never shouts before'
'Shin-chan shouts at someone?'
'Someone bring me pineapple!'
"Midorimacchi, I'm not joking around!" said Kise. That make the green haired boy's heart beats rapidly inside his chest. Beats because he felt afraid or excitement no one knows. Not even himself.
"She would never come back after what happened!" shout Midorima.
"But I've seen her Midorimacchi!"
"What do you mean about that?" asked Midorima warily.
"...I've seen her earlier...At that shop," said the blonde quietly.
"That...shop?" asked Midorima who is trying to calm himself down.
"...Yes..."
"Are you sure that her?"
"Of course. They called her with her name"
"How come?" Midorima sighing. "Wait, they? Who they?"
"Actually she was with Kurokocchi and Kagamicchi. Maybe they went to that shop because they had Kagamicchi's shoe size"
"Kuroko? How come he'd never said anything to us?"
"I don't know"
"I see"
With that Midorima cuts the call. He sighing heavily and calming himself down oblivious to the stares that his teammates gave to him. Midorima trying to process the information that he got.
"Ne, Taro-chan. Can you teach me this one?"
He shuts his eyes.
"Is that your lucky item for today?"
He grip his cellphone.
"Woah. Taro-chan you're so smart"
He bite his bottom lip.
"Taro-chan, you tsuntsun. So cute~"
Midorima grab his bag and left the gym with his bangs covering his eyes without saying anything.
Even though he tried to cover it, his teammates still could saw it. Something that made them more shocked from earlier when Midorima shouted to Kise in the cellphone. Something that made their mouth hung open and their eyes shot wide open. Something that proved to them that the beasts from the Generation of Miracles are still a human after all.
Something that proved to them that Midorima Shintaro, the tsundere, the Devil Shooter from the Generation of Miracles has a heart.
What is that something? It's obvious. Tears.
Midorima is exiting the Shutoku basketball gym with a fast pace while clutching his bag tighter even make his knuckles go white. Midorima walking, silently with eyes that glistening with tears. He couldn't help but wonder, what the reason that bringing her back to her own hell memories. Midorima thinks that they'd break her enough that she would never come back again. He can't read her. Hell, he never succeeded to read her before, and maybe he would never be able to.
Generation of Miracles had broken her. They broke her, to the point where she was running away from them, or so they thought. They betrayed her after anything she'd done to them. She gave them anything they needed. Care. Affection. Love. But what they'd do to her? They can't even say anything to Momoi because they felt guilty. That is why Momoi doesn't know anything from your disappearance. And she felt so sad, she even less smiles and distances herself from them. And they blame themselves for that. Oh, they wish that they can return to the time before they said that harsh, heartless words towards the one that they cared so much, the one that they loved so much.
Midorima tried to thinking something besides of her. Keyword: tried. But he can't. His heart full of guilt. His mind full of her and their memories that they made together. How caring she can be. How sweet and soft her voice. Her petite yet gorgeous figure. Her bubbly and happy go lucky personality. Her childish side. He loved all of that. He loved her.
And he still loves her.
"Hikari, forgive me"
~Back to Kise~
After Midorima cut the call, Kise stands still while looking at the sky. Today was a good day actually. The weather is nice, the sky is sunny but not that hot. It's like there was nothing that would ruin a good day like this. But of course, that is wrong. Different from the nice weather, Kise felt like his heart being attacked by a storm. A huge one is that. And that made his heart and mind messed up. He felt tired, even if he does nothing and just walking around the shopping center with Kasamatsu
As Kise was walking back to the shop where Kasamatsu is currently at, his cellphone starts to ring loudly again. Kise gulps before looking at the screen of his cellphone and answered the call
"Ahh...Murasakibaracchi-"
~Earlier at Yosen~
Yosen was having a practice match against one of the neighbor school before the message was being sent. Of course, we knew that at that practice match which school that won. At the practice match, there is a giant teddy-bear-like human with a shoulder length purple hair in the Yosen basketball team that just stood in front of his team ring with a bored look. He just there while his teammates make scores again and again.
"Aaah~ I'm bored. Can I eat now~?" said the giant teddy-bear-like human with a lazy tone that makes his teammates sweatdrop.
"Murasakibara, shut it! You can eat after the match. You should focus for now!" yelled the female coach with a long black hair and strict personality.
"Eeh~ but I'm tired and sleepy," to proof the words from the giant, he was yawning loudly.
"Cut the crap! After the match, you can eat anything you like. I even bought you pocky here," said coach Araki while showing Murasakibara the sweets. But Murasakibara was staring at her blankly while said.
"But that is just one~" whined Murasakibara.
"Ne, Atsushi we can go buy a lot of foods after this," reassured the handsome shooting guard's Yosen boys' basketball club with a smile on his face. He was a boy 180 cm tall and raven hair with bangs that covered his left eye.
"Hai hai~" said Murasakibara lazily. The other players on the court just look at the scene with sweatdrops or confused faces while the basketball ball rolling on the gym floor forgotten. When Murasakibara was about to walk towards the ball, the time for the practice match has ended and all of the players are dumbfounded.
"Are? The match was ended~" said Murasakibara.
"It seems so," said Himuro with closed eyes smile.
With that, they lined on the center of the court and shout, "Good game!"
Yosen team members walk towards their coach that sat on the bench. In the end of the game, they won with score 87-0. As always, Yosen wouldn't let their opponent scored even just a single point. Murasakibara quickly grabs his snacks that hidden in his bag near the bench while his teammates and coach are discussing something about their strategies and the other things about the earlier practice match. Murasakibara is eating his chips and half listening to what coach Araki was talking about with bored and lazy looks.
"Ne, Atsushi, what should we do now?" asked Himuro to his giant friend.
"I have to buy more sweets and snacks," said Murasakibara while looking at the half full potato chips bag in his hand.
"You can't! We have to continue our practice," said their captain, Okamura Kenichi.
"Eeh~ but I'm tired," whined Murasakibara.
"Go to court! We will continue our practice!" shout coach Araki.
"Hai!" answered all but Murasakibara.
'Why I have this kind of strange feeling? Is something going to happen? What is this?' thought Murasakibara while walking towards the center of the court.
To prove Murasakibara's thought his stomach is growling loudly because of hunger.
'Nah, I'm just starving. Yeah, that's it'
They practice for a while with the team divided into two teams. One team consist of three people and they play 3-on-3 for at least a quarter or 10 minutes. When they finished the first 10 minutes, they rest for a while as the members drinking, or talking to each other, or even eating snacks. But for the latter, we all know that just one people that capable of doing it while at basketball practice. Yes, our adorable purple haired giant, Murasakibara Atsushi.
As the time for the rest is ended, they walked towards the court and about to begin the 3-on-3 for the second quarter, when someone's cell phone ringing loudly. And they who walking stop immediately and looking around with confused faces.
"Hmm? Isn't that yours Atsushi?" asked the shooting guard from Yosen.
"It is, isn't it?" said, or more like asked Murasakibara.
"I don't know! It's yours, not ours!" said coach Araki with an irritated face. With that Murasakibara walks towards his bag and scoops his cellphone out of his bag. As he look at the screen, he said with bored tone.
"Are? Kise-chin?"
He never thought that Kise would message him. I mean, Murasakibara and Kise not that close to each other because Murasakibara was annoyed at the Copy Cat's personality, or maybe even his existence because Murasakibara thinks that the blonde's just too loud and too annoying for a person like Murasakibara.
So for short, their relationship was just like former teammates and of course, Kise rarely messaged him. But Kise's messages was trash or something that didn't important. One time Kise was asking Murasakibara if he still has the lucky pencil that Midorima gave them when they still in middle school for the test if they can't answer. Even if Murasakibara still had that pencil, Kise wouldn't borrow that pencil from Murasakibara, right? I mean, what kind of dumb people that would go to Akita from Tokyo just for a stupid pencil? Maybe, just maybe that kind of dumb people that I hinted earlier was Kise.
As Murasakibara opened the message from Kise, his expression changes from the lazy-bored looks to a shocked one. And that made his teammates curious about Kise's message. I mean, it's just a message, right? Why Murasakibara shocked? What kind of Message that turns their adorable lazy ass giant became a human (even before this message was sent, he still a human) that have emotions and looks beside his lazy and bored ones?
But neither his teammates nor coach know that that 'just a message' is something that can change all of the heart from the member of the Generation of Miracles. Yes, right. Just simple words. Just a simple message actually.
From : Kise-chin
Subject : -
Message :
[The Creator is back]
After Murasakibara was snapped out from his shocked state he quickly called the blonde's phone number. His teammates even more curious and worried because of this. Why you ask? Because now they are seeing a real giant with a serious and furious looks that look like he was ready to torture and murder someone. And that someone was the ace from the Kaijo basketball team and his former teammate at Teiko Kise Ryota. Poor Kise. And this was the first time Murasakibara's teammates and coach saw this kind of expression from the purple haired giant. They even think that Murasakibara was someone that incapable to show emotions other than his lazy and bored ones.
Murasakibara tried to call Kise while he was pacing back and forth from the end of the court to the other end. He was impatiently waiting for Kise to pick up his call while gritting his teeth and clutching his cellphone with such strength that surprisingly doesn't break into pieces with Murasakibara's deadly clutch.
After a while he was tired of waiting and annoyed at a certain blonde, he cursed loudly, "Damn it!"
That made his teammates, even Himuro gasp. In that shocked state, they thought the same thing, 'Did he just cursing?!'
The earlier noisy gym became strangely quiet because all the occupants were looking at the purple haired giant that still pacing back and forth at the court. The noise that can be heard in the gym just the footsteps from Murasakibara himself. Even the basketballs are stopped dead in the track like they are had the same shocked faces like all the humans inside the gym but Murasakibara. Meanwhile, Murasakibara was busy with his own thoughts.
'It's impossible. She can't be back. Yeah, this can't be real. All this time I was dreaming about her coming back and that dreams never been granted. And this must be another dream that I create. It should be tha-'
His thought was cut off because the voice of a certain copycat from Kaijo can be heard from Murasakibara's cellphone. And that make Murasakibara shout instantly at the poor blonde, "Kise-chin, do you wanna be crushed?! Don't you dare to lie to me!"
"...are you thinking that I'm lying too? I said nothing than the truth Murasakibaracchi," said Kise annoyed.
"Too? What do you mean?" Murasakibara narrowed his eyes.
"Earlier I got a call from Midorimacchi and he shouted at me that I was lying," whined Kise.
"Of course he would be thought that you were lying. Even I thought that too," scoffed Murasakibara.
"But I said the truth! I saw her with Kurokocchi and Kagamicchi earlier at that shop!" said Kise stubbornly.
"..."
"..."
"Did you see her face?" aksed Murasakibara with eyes shut tightly.
"Hm. Yeah. She is so pretty you know," said Kise quietly.
"Of course she is. You are blind if you said she is not pretty, Kise-chin"
"Yeah. I know that"
"Is she really back?"
"Yeah, I had to ask Kurokocchi though. Why did he never say anything to us"
"You better be, Kise-chin," threatened Murasakibara before cut off the call.
Murasakibara sighing loudly ignoring his teammates that stared at him with shocked face, wide eyes and jaw dropped. Murasakibara process to grab his bag and walk out the gym lazily, ignoring the fact that they had to continue their basketball practice. Murasakibara walking with mind full of thoughts of a certain pale pink haired petite girl.
He couldn't believe that she came back. What the reason she came back after all this time. After the incident that has been damaged her heart. She cared about them. Of course, they knew that. They always knew that. But at that time they didn't care about her even a slightest bit. They were blind, just because they lose. They are monsters, beasts indeed. Because they taught to be ones. They thought that they can be happy when they won. But no. Hell, they didn't even felt happy at all. Just because of victory, they abandoned a special person for them. Special for their lives. Special for their hearts.
They said hurtful things to her and didn't even felt guilty when they said that. They thought that she can accept all of that words that came from their mouths. They thought that everything was going to be alright, that everything was going to be back to the time before they entered that court. But boy, they wrong. Again. When the game ended, when they happy because they became the victor, they lost something that more, more important than the victory itself.
They lost their caretaker. They lost someone that they love. They lost their Creator.
It's ironic actually. When they got something they really wanted, they lost something that even more important than what they got at that time. And they can't do anything about that. Because they felt guilty, sad, furious, at the same time. They felt guilty because they had been said something hurtful to her. They sad because she was gone. And they felt furious to themselves because they let that things happened.
That is why Murasakibara's tears were currently dripping down from his chin silently while the said person was walking down the empty road and whispering to the wind that blows. Praying that the words that flow with the wind can be heard by a certain broken girl with a pale pink hair and petite figure.
"Can you forgive me, Kari-chin?"
~Back to Kise~
'Today was so tiring. I want to go home and sleeping,' whined Kise in his mind while crying crocodile tears.
Cross Midorima and Murasakibara, Kise still had to put up with Aomine and Akashi's call. But the problem was with Aomine. When there is Aomine, there is Momoi. That'll gonna be tough because Momoi didn't know anything about that accident. Even Kise afraid and shivered when he think about the reaction that'll be given by his former captain, the real problem was Momoi's reaction. When she knew that her cousin was back, maybe she would find her cousin right away.
When Kise was cursing his fate because he was the one that should endure all of this, his cell phone ringing for the third time in that day. When he looks at the screen, he audibly gulped before answering the phone. Because he knows that this one will be the most troublesome.
"Aominecchi-"
~Earlier at Too~
At Too basketball gym, there were the members of the basketball team about to start their daily practice. All of them are there, the sadistic dark brown haired captain, the cute light brown haired apologize mushroom, the loud dirty blonde haired center, the quiet small forward, and the others even the male coach but a certain pervert tanned skin ace.
"Where is that damn Aomine?!" yelled the dirty blonde haired center, Wakamatsu Kosuke.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's my fault!" apologized the cute shooting guard, or the apologized mushroom, Sakurai Ryo.
"Why are you the one that apologized?" his teammates sweatdropped.
"It's my fault that he didn't come to practice. I should keep an eye on him. I'm sorry!" said the poor boy as he repeatedly bowing to his teammates.
"Is that okay, Imayoshi-san? That damn Aomine!" cursed Wakamatsu.
"Nah, aren't we used to something like this? Don't fuss over some simple things like this, Wakamatsu," said the bespectacled captain with eyes shut and calm voice.
"I'm going to find him," said the female manager with pink hair while running outside of the gym.
"I'm counting on you, Momoi-san," shout the captain.
While this happens, at the same time there was a certain tan man with dark blue hair dozed off at the rooftop with his hands behind his head and a magazine covering his handsome face from the sunlight. He has a built body, the cause of being a basketball player since he was a kid. He wore a button up white shirt underneath a dark blue blazer and the same color for his pants. He wore a black and gray necktie with red stripes. He didn't wear his uniform neatly and it looks like he enjoying his attempt to sleep and skip the basketball practice.
While he was dozing off, he heard the rooftop door being slammed open and a familiar loud voice rang through the rooftop.
"Dai-chan! You should really come to the practice!"
"It's no use, Satsuki. The more I practice, the more basketball become boring for me"
"You shouldn't say something like that!" said Momoi.
"You know that right? The only one who can beat me is me," said Aomine lazily.
Of course, she knew that. She aware of her childhood friend's strength and ability when it comes to basketball. He was amazing at it. No. Amazing is an understatement. Basically, he was a beast when it's come to the sport that they used to love. What could we say to the ace of the Generation of Miracles? The beast? Of course, it suits him well. Even Momoi uncertain that Kagami can beat the beast itself.
"Even though Kari-chan wouldn't like like that you said something like that," said Momoi quietly to herself, but unfortunately Aomine heard that.
After Momoi said that, the rooftop became strangely quiet and neither of them breaks the silence. It's always like that. When one of them bring Hikari up to their conversation, well mostly Momoi because Aomine never brings up any topic about Hikari. When Momoi said something about her, Aomine never replied and just stay silent and busy with his own thoughts.
One of the reasons that Aomine never brings Hikari become their conversation topic is because he felt guilty. Not just to Hikari, but for Momoi too. He was her childhood friend, even so, he never say anything about that incident. He never said anything because the Generation of Miracles have an agreement that no other people should know about that incident beside the six of them. Even Momoi didn't know a single thing.
Of course Hikari wouldn't like that if she knew they didn't come to practice. Hell, she'll get furious and chased them, and she would give them a special training menu that will make them absent of school the next day. And Aomine knew that, because he was the first one that tastes her special training and he swore that he would never skip training again as long as Hikari kept an eye on him.
But one time, Aomine thought that what if he didn't comes to practice, and she knew that, will she went back to him and scolded him? Or even gave him the special training? That's okay for him. If that mean he can see her face again, it worth it. He didn't mind at all. That's why he starts to miss the practice. In hope that she would go back and scolds him for doing that. So that he can see her face again. Ironic isn't it? He knew that was a useless hope. But he was desperate. He missed her, just like his other former teammates. They missed her. Because they have been fall too deep. Fall for her too deeply.
Having enough for Aomine's behavior Momoi dragged Aomine to the basketball gym and start to lecture him. Like always. Meanwhile, inside the gym the heard familiar voices outside the gym and they immediately recognize the voice from their pink haired manager and their lazy ass dark blue haired ace.
"I said that earlier, Satsuki. I'm sleepy," grumbled Aomine while they were entered the gym door that made the people inside look at them.
"Come on, Dai-chan~," said Momoi with sing song tone.
"Ugghhhh," Aomine rolled his eyes while being dragged by Momoi.
"Aomine teme! Why aren't you came earlier, ha?!" shouted Wakamatsu. Meanwhile Aomine just ignoring him and walking towards Sakurai and asked him.
"Yo Sakurai. Do you bring a bento?"
"A-ah hai, I'm sorry!" said the poor boy while bowing.
"Teme, don't ignore me!" Wakamatsu grabbed Aomine's collar. But Aomine just smirked.
"I don't need practice, because I was different from all of you. I can even beat the shit out of you without came to practice. Because the only one who can beat me is me," said Aomine smugly.
"Wha-what?! You-" Wakamatsu's words were cut off by a ring of a phone. And that made him released Aomine's collar. The gym became quiet and the people inside the gym look around looking for the source of the ring. And they looked at Aomine.
"Hmm? Oh," Aomine scooped his cellphone from his pants' pocket. When he looks at the sender of the message, he lazily returned his phone to his pocket and walking outside the gym.
"Hm? What the matter, Dai-chan? Is that a message?" asked Momoi.
"It's from Kise. He must be said something stupid,"
"Aah, typical Ki-chan," when Momoi finished her sentence, her phone ringing and she looks at her cellphone while muttering, "Hmm? Me too?"
And when she opened the message, she became stiff and wide eyes. She can't believe the message. She has been waiting for two years just for read something that Kise has been messaged, and she was at her utmost shocked state. Just because of a message.
From : Ki-chan
Subject : -
Message :
[The Creator is back]
In her shocked state, she managed to mutter something that made Aomine stop dead in his track
"Kari-chan"
Aomine then looks at her disbelievingly while Momoi looks at him with teary eyes. That made Aomine immediately scooped his cellphone and opened the message from Kise, a message that the content was the same with Momoi and instantly he has the same reaction with the pink haired manager, shock.
Of course he was shocked. Just earlier he thought about her and now, the actual her was here, in Japan. And Kise even saw her. Aomine never thought he would see her this early. God, he never thought he would see her again. Did she really back? How was she? Is she still play basketball? Did she forget about him and the others?
He was happy. No, beyond happy actually. But the bigger his happiness, the bigger the feeling of guilt crept up in his heart. How could he not? What had he did in the past can't be forgiven, at least that what he thought. But he can't believe Kise that easily, because Kise can be just joke around to lighten the mood or something.
That is why Aomine immediately call the copycat and waiting for him to answered. After a while of waiting he became impatient and in the verge of bashing his own cellphone to the ground. But before he could does that, he heard the voice that belonged to the copycat himself.
"Aominecchi-"
"What the fuck, Kise?!" Aomine shouted to the blonde. "If this was your joke, I'm going to murder you!" threatened the tan man.
"I-I wasn't joke around Aominecchi. You knew that I woudn't joke around if it's about her," Kise sighed.
"...How could you knew that she was back?" said Aomine after calmed down.
"I saw her earlier...with Kurokocchi and Kagamicchi"
"Tetsu?" Aomine confused. "Why did she-"
"I don't know. Moreover, I couldn't believe that Kurokocchi didn't said anything to us that she was back,"
"Is that really her?"
"Of course, do you think I'm seeing things?"
"Tch! I'll give it to Satsuki," Aomine sighing loudly.
"E-eh? Ca-can't you the one who explain this to her?" said Kise nervously.
"I don't want to. How troublesome," said Aomine while tossing his cellphone to Momoi.
After tossing his phone to Momoi who caught it, he walk outside the gym ignoring curious stares from his teammates. When Momoi realized that she holds Aomine's phone, she immediately asked Kise.
"Ne, Ki-chan are you sure that she is here?"
"O-of course Momocchi,"
"Is she fine?" asked Momoi quietly.
"I don't know. But she was laughing with Kurokocchi and Kagamicchi earlier.
"Is that so? I wonder what happened to her? Why was she disappeared so suddenly?" muttered Momoi.
"..." Kise can't say anything to her. He keeps his mouth shut and they didn't say anything to each other for a while.
"Ne, Ki-chan?"
"Hmm? What's the matter Momocchi?" asked Kise curiously.
"Do you inform all the members that she was back?"
"Yeah. Why is that?"
"Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"What do you-" Kise quickly stopped when he rememberd how scary Hikari when she was angry. Of course if Hikari knew that the Generation of Miracles knew that she was back because Kise messaged them all, he'll be the aim for her warth. And that was not a good thing. "D-do yo-you think I'm gonna be alright, Momocchi?" stuttered Kise.
"Good luck, Ki-chan," encouraged Momoi while cut of the call. "He won't be survive Hikari's warth. Poor Ki-chan," sighed Momoi.
Meanwhile with the tan ace that was back lying on the rooftop, he was deep in his own thoughts that he didn't realize how long he has been lying doing nothing but looking at the blue sky. And it obviously that he was thinking of her. She was the one that always encourage him to come to the daily practice. She was the one that cared for him deeply. And she was the one that he loved.
Aomine was the one who liked her first, because he was the one that knew her first due to being a childhood friend of Momoi, he knew her when they were still in the last year of elementary school. He met her when she came back from America and they have a good relationship because they have the same passion for basketball.
Aomine always thought, he was the first one that encountered her. He was the first one that liked her, that's why he became greedy because he thought that he was the one that deserve her. He knew that all of his former teammates were had the same feeling towards her, but because of denseness, none of them have yet to capture her heart fully. But now that Aomine's hope was granted, he would never going to let you go again. And that was a silent promise to himself, even if he would defy the red emperor, he didn't care. As long as you were with him, he didn't need anything else.
But, the more he thinks about her, the more he remembers the last incident that happened back then. And that made Aomine's heart felt like being crushed to pieces. But Aomine knew. He knew that she won't running away just because of a simple thing like that. Well, actually that was not simple, if it was including betrayed by your best friends, and they said something heartless and that hurt you really badly even though you believed them to the state you believed them with your heart and soul.
But Aomine knew, that Hikari had another reason why she disappeared so suddenly, leaving them behind without saying anything. He can read her like an open book, even though she was the master of emotion mask. At first, he can't. He believed that what she shows to them, the smiles, the laugh, was real. But no, after an accident that made her temporary rest from basketball, he knew that Hikari's real personality and emotions were hidden behind the mask that she wore long time ago.
He worried about her, because he loves her.
"What happened to you, Hikari?"
~Back to Kise~
Kise currently worried about his life. He didn't want to look at angry Hikari again. Hikari was a sweet girl, but they knew not to mess with her so that she wouldn't become an angry Hikari. Kise shuddered when he recalls the memory of angry Hikari.
That is why, Kise had planned to run away to another country if Hikari will be angry to him because he informed the Generation of Miracles that she was back. Because he was so afraid of Hikari, he didn't realize that there was one member that hasn't call him yet.
So Kise walks back to the shop and chooses his new shoes with Kasamatsu and goes back to their own respective house.
Later that night when Kise was about to sleep after taking a bath, he looks to his phone and a horror expression crept up on his face. Why, you ask? Because he has a lot of missed calls from none other than the absolute emperor. With that, he imagines what kind of punishment the absolute emperor had for him because he didn't answer his calls. When Kise was about to call him back, his phone ringing and he gulped loudly after knew that the caller was Akashi himself. He gather his courage to answer and his voice became an embarrassing squeak.
"A-Akasicchi-"
~Earlier at Rakuzan~
That evening the Rakuzan basketball team has a late practice without a certain absolute emperor because he had a business that can't be ditched for. And there they are, the three uncrowned kings talking to each other and didn't do their practice.
"Ne, Reo-nee aren't this girl cute?" asked the blonde, Hayama Kotaro to the raven haired shooting guard, Mibuchi Reo.
"Hm? I think this one cuter," said the ravenette.
They talking to each other and didn't aware that someone was walking and open the gym door with furious face.
"Reo! Kotaro! Eikichi! I said that all of you should practice right? What are you doing?" asked the emperor intimidating the three who were now sweating bullets.
"A-ah Se-sei-chan, we just-"
"50 laps running inside the gym in 10 minutes," ordered Akashi.
"Wha-what? 50 laps?" asked Hayama disbelievingly.
"What? You want 100 laps?" asked Akashi while clutching something in his pocket.
"E-eh? 100?" asked Nebuya.
"100 laps for 8 minutes," say Akashi with low voice.
"Aah 50 then. Come on!" said Mibuchi while dragging the poor Hayama for running because Mibuchi knew what was hidden inside Akashi's pocket.
After a long 10 minutes, the three either, sat or lying on the gym floor with sweats covering their body. Akashi was scooping his phone from his bag with his other hand grabbing loosely the red scissor he usually brings. Earlier this day, he has to do some work for the student council. Being the president he is, he is really busy. That is why this was the time for him to check on his phone if he has something important.
But what he sees in his phone caught his interest. Kise has messaged him. Akashi knew that Kise woudn't dare to message or call him if something wasn't important. But the content of the message was beyond Akashi's imagine. Shock was an understatement for what was Akashi's feeling right now when he read the message.
From : Ryota
Subject : -
Message :
[The Creator is back]
He was the absolute emperor. He was the one who can predict the future. Yet he never sees this coming. He never thought that this day would come. What do you think about this? The absolute emperor can't predict that just a simple message about her return can make a chaos to them. But I would tell you the story about the chaos in the other time because that had yet to come.
Akashi never success to read her. Akashi, the absolute emperor was failed to read someone's future. But Akashi knew, that was normal if that girl is involved. At first, he was irritated, but after the time passed, he thought that was normal because he knew what the reason behind the can't-read-her-future things. The answer is just simple actually, but it took a lot of time for him to realize that.
When Akashi snapped out from his thought he quickly called the copycat to confirm the copy cat's words. He was in a rage, because the blonde didn't pick his call even though he always warns them, or should I say threatened them, that they should pick Akashi's call immediately. So now, in the Rakuzan basketball gym, the three uncrowned kings was looking at their captain with fear and worried because they saw Akashi clutching his scissor until his knuckles were white, and phone on the other hand with strings of curses and threats out from his mouth. They silently praying for the one that made the absolute emperor that furious will be saved from his wrath.
Later when Akashi was planning to murder a certain blond haired boy from Kaijo, the one that he has planned to murder answer his call.
"A-Akasicchi-"
"Ryota!" Akashi's voice was low and life threatening.
"I-I'm so sorry Akashicchi. I just out of the bathroom," stuttered Kise.
"Are you sure she was back? You don't dare to lie to me, right?"
"Of course, Akashicchi. I would never lie to you," Kise laughed nervously.
"Where do you saw her?" asked Akashi after he calmed himself down.
"In that shop, with Kurokocchi and Kagamicchi,"
"Tetsuya?" Akashi confused.
"Yeah, I don't know though the reason Kurokocchi didn't say anything to us," mumbled Kise.
"I would ask him sometime. He should have the good reason for hiding this from me," sighed Akashi. Then he cuts the call off.
Akashi then grabs his bag and walk outside the gym while saying to his teammates, "We can call it a day. You should go home. I have something to do."
And then he walks towards the front gate where a black limousine was waiting for him. When he was inside the limousine he couldn't help but think about her. She was his empress, she was the one that worth to became the empress of the absolute emperor. That is why Akashi was always possessive towards her. Even though she was not yet to know his feeling towards her, or more like their feeling towards her, he was determined to make her his empress. And he was the emperor, he wouldn't let anyone defy him. And he always right, because he was absolute.
But he knew, every perfection has it's own flaw. And for Akashi's case, his absoluteness was imperfect, didn't flawless, because of her. She was the piece of him. The piece that made him whole, the piece that made him perfect. That is why he loves her. She was perfect in her own ways.
He couldn't help but felt different towards her. His heart beats when he thinks about her. His mouth always cracked a smile when he remembered about her. And he always felt like crying when he recall the memories of that incident. But he was the absolute emperor, he can't crying in front of other people. That is why he lets his feeling out when he was alone. His piercing eyes became dull. His intimidating aura became the broken one. And he knew that it was his fault. And their fault.
She was the only one who can change and defy the absolute emperor. Because he loves her. And he called her, his empress.
"Just you wait, my empress. I would never let you go again"
-continue in the next chapter-