Periwinkle
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed and added this story to favourites/alert! A friendly reminder about the A/N at the end~Thanks!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no basket.
Chapter Four: Natsurtium
"Hyuuga-kun, barricade the front door!" Riko shouted, running down the narrow hallway.
Hyuuga ran towards the front door, bending forward slightly to prepare himself. Other members of Seirin's basketball club opened their doors wide, as to set a trap. Kagami yawned, retiring to his room for the morning. He shut his door tight, not bothering with the ruckus outside.
"Tetsuya number two!" Koganei called out, walking around the lodge cautiously with light steps. "Come out come out, where ever you are~"
Long story short, Number two had gotten excited in a new, unusual environment and gone wild - knocking things over and messing everything up. Now he was hiding somewhere, making the Seirin members uneasy.
Kagami proved useless and Kuroko, Number two's owner, was nowhere to be found.
"I should really keep a leash on Kuroko-kun." Riko said, heaving a heavy sigh.
Before anyone could comment on her frustration, Number two sped out from underneath the coffee table in the lounge, startling everyone.
"There he is!" Someone shouted, "Get him!" Another shouted.
Other teams who just happened to be walking outside, sweat dropped in front Seirin's new 'house'. Were they really one of the strongest teams who rose to the top at the Winter cup?
"Are those Seirin folks gonna be alright?"
"I hope not."
Afternoon; Main field
By mid-afternoon, all sixteen teams had gathered at the main field, where filming would start. The main field was basically where the producer would gather everyone to explain something about the show and then the MC would brief it over to the teams when the cameras were rolling.
"Everyone may already be aware, however, 'JNB Generation of Youth' is a survival basketball program where..." The MC explained the format of the show for the sake of the viewers.
"Through the preliminaries everyone here beat hundreds of other national teams, making it into the top thirty-two. However, in the survival round the number of teams were reduced to half. The sixteen teams standing here as of present, are the best sixteen in Japan!" She began, earning cheers from the teams.
"However, apart from the usual tournament layout, there are mini-tournaments. These mini-tournaments are completely random, and can be anything from quiz battles to running on ice. The winning team of each mini-tournament will have a significant advantage in the next official match!"
Loud whispers would've broken out, but cue cards behind the cameras read, 'Expressions only. No whispering or talking.'
The MC looked up to the teams and gave them a dark smile, which was also part of the script. "The first mini-tournament will be held tomorrow!" She announced, "The prize of the first mini-tournament shall not be revealed until tomorrow. However, in my opinion, it could be very useful with teams with rash, hot headed players."
Everyone in Seirin turned their heads to Kagami, who was taken aback from the sudden attention.
"W-what! Why are you all looking at me?"
Kuroko looked at him with his usual stoic expression. "Because you're the epitome of rash and hot-headed players."
Kagami hummed a low growl, unable to retort back.
"Training is forbidden for all teams until the prize is revealed tomorrow. All teams dismissed!"
As the producers went over the script with the MC, the camera and scriptwriters went around, asking one person from each team to give their thoughts on the mini-tournament the next day.
After a while, Seirin was the last to be interviewed. Although they had originally intended to get Izuki or Hyuuga to give their thoughts, the cameras went to Kagami and more surprisingly, Kuroko and Number two.
"What are your thoughts about tomorrow's opponents?" the scriptwriter asked, giving Kagami a small black mic to hold.
"Obviously, we're gonna win." He grinned, looking at the camera. "We're gonna be number one again and bury all the other teams in the dirt!"
Behind, Riko and the others faced palmed;Riko partly wondering whether she should bash up their ace on national television. She decided not to. It wasn't good for her image.
"That's not a very nice thing to say, Kagami-kun." Kuroko whispered softly, poking the said boy in the side.
The scriptwriter turned to Kuroko, who even himself, seemed surprised that he was noticed by the lady. Kagami passed the mic, as the camera looked slightly more downwards to get Kuroko's head to chest on screen.
"If tomorrow's prize is something useful for rash players, our team will definitely need to win, no matter what." His expression was the same as usual, stoic and unreadable, but somehow, slightly softer than usual. "It won't be easy, but we, team Seirin will prove our strength."
"Woof!"
o.o.o.o.o.o.o
"Guys, sit down. Dinner's almost ready." Riko called out, smiling smugly at her mountain of cooking.
Everyone froze on their spots, turning their heads to their coach.
"I-I thought we were going to go to the cafeteria for dinner." Someone said, paling. Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Eh? But my cooking is so much more nutritious and high in carb!" she whined, pouting. However, she had already set up the table for eleven.
Although the area seemed isolated at first glance, it actually had quite alot of facilities. There was a cafeteria, or restaurant which was open all hours, everyday, with staff available during breakfast, lunch and dinner. There was a tiny kitchen in every lodge, but cooking could barely be done.
"How did you even manage to cook all of that?" Hyuuga asked, "It would've been impossible here."
Riko smiled. "I borrowed the cafeteria's kitchen for a while."
Everyone hoped the other teams weren't suffering from food poising.
Other than that, there was a auditorium-like building where gatherings were held when the weather was bad, and of course, a small basketball stadium with two full courts and a relatively large amount of spectator seats and locker rooms.
Other than those and a few more, there were trees. Lots of them.
In the Seirin lodge, it was hell on earth. Riko's famous curry filled with vitamin tablets and whatnot, deadly delayed-effect stew and various other dishes which looked suspiciously ominous decorated the dinner table.
Tetsuya number two was the only happy soul, as he had simple dog food in his bowl.
Whilst Riko was looking through the mini-fridge for some ketchup for god knows what, Kuroko slipped away quietly without being noticed by anyone. He walked back to his room quietly, which was thankfully, at the end of the hallway furthest from the dining-lounge room. He could always go get something to eat early in the morning for breakfast.
Number two perked his ears up, noticing his owner sneak away. He had finished his dinner, so he had no more business here.
As Kuroko got washed and got ready to hit the sack, he lay on his back with the lights turned off in his room. He stared at the ceiling, trying to make out shapes from the shadows.
It was a nice getaway - enjoying themselves like this in a completely different, somewhat relaxing environment. It was a survival show, but it was escaping from reality, even if it was only temporary.
He lulled himself to sleep, with number two snuggled in his arms.
Early in the morning at six, Kuroko sat up in his bed and stretched. The sun was slowly starting to rise. He climbed off the bed, waking number two in the process. He passed the mirror and stared at himself for a while.
Gravity would fix his bed hair.
He let out a small yawn, grabbing black shorts and a white short-sleeved hoodie on his way out to the bathroom.
By the time he had finished washing up and his bed hair was somewhat tamed, his stomach began to growl. He slipped on his sneakers and stepped outside. Everyone was still sleeping, as expected.
The mornings were always slightly cold. Kuroko shivered as the morning breeze brushed against his skin. He hurried towards the cafeteria, hoping that no-one was there.
However much to his luck, someone was there. Not that he minded though. Really. It was only Kise.
"Kise-kun?" It was rare to see the blond up so early.
Kise, who was sitting on the edge of one of the tables in the middle of the cafeteria, spun his head around - his face brightening up like christmas lights.
"Kurokocchi!" he stood up, "Mornin'."
"What are you doing here so early?" Kuroko asked, absent mindlessly.
He noted that the blond was wearing a black button shirt with a khaki coloured fur-lined overcoat and dark skinny jeans with chains hanging on them. There were slight dark circles under his eyes and his hair was a mess, as if he had just woken up.
"I just came back from a photo shoot and live radio show late last night," he sighed, slumping back down onto his chair. Kuroko walked over and sat opposite of him.
"I left right after the filming yesterday and got driven to my schedule then back. My manager told me to eat something, but I have no appetite so early in the morning."
Kuroko felt sorry for the boy. Sure, he was a popular model and all, but in the end, he was only another normal high school student. Humans had limits.
As if right on cue, Kuroko's stomach growled.
Kise grinned, "Hungry, Kurokocchi?" he glanced down to his half-warm western-style breakfast. "You can have mine if you want. I haven't touched it yet."
"Thank you." Kuroko said softly, pulling the tray over.
Kise smiled, leaning his cheek on his palm as he watched Kuroko eat. "I never thought I'd be able to eat in a cafeteria with Kurokocchi again." he said, checking his phone as it vibrated.
Kuroko stopped eating for a moment, holding the piece of toast at his mouth. It was nostalgic. So much, that he didn't want to be here anymore. He had made a resolve to move on from the past and focus on his new, brighter future with Seirin.
But it was hard. And deep down he knew, that he was desperately longing for something else. But it was too late.
For that something, had already long disappeared from his life.
Later that morning by nine o clock, everyone was up and gathered at the main field, all visibly tired. Well, mostly everyone save for a certain dark blue haired, tanned player and a few others who weren't exactly morning people.
The MC slouched, waiting for the cameras as she fiddled with the mic on her collar with a slight frown. Minutes later, the cameras were rolling and a large, fake smile appeared on her face. Professionals were amazing.
"Alright everyone! As you were all told yesterday, today is the day of the first mini-tournament. And as promised, I will reveal today's prize right now." She paused for suspense. "The winners of today's mini-tournament will receive..." She paused, again for suspense.
Midorima scoffed silently, pushing up his glasses. "An additional foul chance."
"Huh? Really?" Takao asked, surprised, but not really surprised at the same time. "How do you know?"
Midorima sighed. "Isn't it obvious? Something useful for hot-headed, rash players. What other than a foul?"
Takao hummed in understanding.
"...plus two foul chances!" the MC announced, as Midorima felt somewhat proud of himself. "Instead of the usual five, you'll get seven chances then it's out!"
Everyone glanced over to Seirin, where Riko was making a huge fuss over something. Most likely Kagami and his recent outburst of fouls.
"The mini-tournament will begin at exactly ten to noon. So until then, everyone is free to practice as much as they can. The mini-tournament itself will not be revealed until it starts. Good luck, players."
"All right!" Riko shouted, "We have a little over two hours to get ready. Whatever this mini-tournament is, we're going to stand on top and get those two foul chances!" She was determined. It was a necessity for Seirin.
Stupid Bakagami.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o
"All captains to the front!"
The respective captains of each team went up to the front, lining up somewhat. The MC handed each of them a plain white envelope. Everyone stood curiously, waiting for the MC to tell them what the tournament was going to be.
The captains went back to their teams, holding the rather flat envelope.
"Captains, please open your envelopes."
And they did, with great curiousity. Hyuuga took out a small piece of paper from the envelope, raising a brow.
"What's this?"
"Three pig-head rocks?"
"...Lake fish?"
Loud whispers broke out, all teams questioning each other as they stared at the list in disbelief. Was this written in english or what?
"The list you see in front of you are items that can be found anywhere in this vast forest land all the way to the mountains in the north-east. One member of the team will carry a basket on their backs, which the required items will be placed in. However, that person cannot collect items whilst holding the basket. In order to win, you must be the first to return here with the correct amount of items within the time limit."
Every team received a rather large, sturdy looking basket. If the person in possession of the basket was unable to collect items, then there was only two options.
"Alright, we'll split this list amongst everyone." Riko turned to Kuroko, "Kuroko-kun, since you're the weakest, you'll be holding the basket and in charge of collecting twenty five Shiitake mushrooms and twenty five Hanaiguchi mushrooms. You'll switch with Kagami-kun afterwards."
Kuroko blinked, unsure what to say.
On the other side of the main field, Yosen had no need to decide who was to hold the basket.
"Murasakibara, you hold the basket." the captain said, handing over the basket. "We could always get the weakest person and make them hold it empty whilst the rest of us go search for the items then come back, but I think for us, this will be easier."
The MC cleared her throat. "Okay! Remember, the mini-tournament affects your ranking on the show and which teams you play against in the next quarter-finals! The time limit is until the last hour of the goat."
Everyone blinked. "...what?"
"On your marks...go!"
Ridiculously dumfounded and confused, many teams had a slow start. Goat? What?
Without a care, Seirin dashed off into the forest first, with Kuroko lagging behind. A small filming team ran after them, following them throughout the forest.
They could always figure out the goat-whatever thing later. However, as they got deeper into the forest, Izuki stopped the group.
"Wait! These are the Shiitake mushrooms." he pointed to a whole sea bed of greyish-brown mushrooms.
"...that's kinda disturbing." Koganei said, shuddering.
"And just over there- those bright orange ones, are the Hanaiguchi mushrooms."
Hyuuga and the rest wanted to ask Izuki why on earth he was suddenly so knowledgeable about mushrooms. But he was being useful. That's all that mattered.
Izuki's eyes snapped open wider. "Wait-!"
"What is it?" Hyuuga asked, perplexed.
Izuki furrowed his brows. "Mushrooms are...the tree's children. (1)" ('Kinoko wa ki no ko.')
Everyone turned around to leave, following Riko's orders to collect the items and return back to this mushroom infested area where Kuroko was to stay.
"Kuroko-kun," she called out, running backwards slowly, "Don't you dare go anywhere else." It was a threat, not a demand.
Having no option but to obey the coach, Kuroko walked over to the sea of Shiitake mushrooms and put the basket down against the tree. The cameras had gone chasing after the rest, putting him to ease. Kuroko squatted down and began picking the mushrooms carefully, counting the numbers in his head.
Unbeknownst to him, a certain figure was watching him, high above in the density of the trees.
To be continued.
A/N: Natsutritium - 'Victory in Battle, Conquest'
Next chapter - [Maidenhair] - The mini-tournament continues! The Generation of Miracles have a secret meeting, and Kuroko is torn between the past and present.
(1) - (Izuki's random pun) Sorry, I came up with that on the spot. It's no better than his steak pun. (I loved that tbh)
I apologise for the lack of GoM in this chapter! But as you can see above, from the next chapter onwards, you'll see much more of them. Thanks to everyone for reading. The GoM will turn everything upside down very soon.
Also, I thank the many guests that take their time to review. I was...quite surprised. Someone actually managed to correctly guess the course of the story. United GoM and...it's a secret. I have the whole story planned out, so hopefully I won't face any writer's blocks.
As school's back in, I don't know how often I can update. I'll try my best though. The more reviews, the more motivation I get to update faster. Ciao!