*time skips to the next morning*
I woke up earlier than planned this morning. It's a Saturday, and next to me are Ryouta, Daiki, and Atsushi. Sleeping over since last night's supper.
-Flashback-
"Uwaaaah~ I'm so full! Thanks for the food Akari-cchi! The food was great-ssu!" Ryouta was leaning on the couch holding his stomach as he was really was satisfied by it.
"Akari, do you have any interesting movies?"
"They're on the rack beside the TV, Dai-chan. Check them out and play one of them on the TV afterwards! Acchan, catch!"
Atsushi looks at me from the living room, and held his hand up to catch a Maiubo box I sent flying towards him. "Haaaaaai~ Arigatou neee Akari-chin~"
He turns towards the TV once again. Once I'm done with the dishes, I joined the three of them in the living room. Daiki seemed to have picked a scary movie. What the heck is it doing in this house! Papa must know very clearly that I don't really enjoy scary movie!
Ryouta moved from the chair to seat on the floor, telling me to rest on his shoulder, and so I did. Atsushi was lying on the couch Ryouta was sitting in that barely fit him, his legs hanging by the end of the chair. His hand was on my head while the other hold the Maiubo that I threw him earlier. While Daiki is resting his head on my lap, after removing the table that disturbs his view of the TV. I grabbed hold of Daiki's hair tightly after I saw a disturbing scene that I hate, causing him to say "Ita-ta-ta-ta! Itai yo Akari!" ah gomen.
And that was how the day ended, we fell asleep right after the movie finished the credits. Well, I think Atsushi fell asleep halfway through the movie, and I soon followed after. Ryouta and Daiki still enjoy the movie till it ends.
-End of Flashback-
Ryouta is resting his head on top of mine, and I still feel Daiki's soft hair on my damaged hand, while Atsushi's were on my shoulder. I rubbed on Daiki's hair when he smiled and grabbed my hand and put it on his own hands. Holding it to his neck, he snuggles his face on to my hand. I did remove my bandages when I changed my clothes earlier. He traces the scars on my hand with his fingers, it's like he's embracing them. I smiled to it.
Ryouta's holding my other arm in his own and placing it on his lap. He started playing with my fingers soon after I realize he's holding my hand. Atsushi's hand starting to choke me when he turns, and then the doorbell rang and I had to get up from the position I was in. Trying not to wake up the three who are still sleeping peacefully, I got up from the floor after putting a pillow for Daiki, replacing my legs that he slept on.
I went to the kitchen to drink water and put bandage on my left hand before grabbing the door. I saw Shintarou after I opened the door and beside him was Akashi. How did he know where I was living?
"Ohayougozaimazu Akari."
"Haa, ohayou Shin-chan, Akashi. Dozo." I let them enter the house.
Akashi walked in and woke up Ryouta, Daiki and Atsushi all together with a single command 'wake up'. The three of them instantly wake up and sat straight while still yawning and embracing whatever dreams they might have seen before Akashi woke them up. I served drinks and snacks, leaving Atsushi with extra serving before he even asks, and joins them in the living room. I sat between Ryouta and Atsushi, while Daiki seats besides Ryouta and Akashi was on the other side of the table. Next to Atsushi was Shintarou.
"Ne, Tetsu. Don't just stand there, sit down here too, there's a place to sit beside Akashi."
"Ah? Oh hai."
"Kuroko-cchi?" "Tetsu?!"
Ryouta and Daiki said in union after I told Tetsu to sit down rather than just standing by the wall. Besides, he came with Shintarou and Akashi, I wonder why Daiki and Ryouta was so surprised. Atsushi was too busy tending to his snacks rather than reacting towards Tetsu's 'sudden' appearance. "Kuro-chin… Ohayou…" Atsushi said lazily.
"Ohayougozaimazu, Murasakibara-kun." He replied shortly.
"Sa te, Akari. Would you care to explain about the situation you're currently in?" Akashi asks.
"By situation, you mean my hand?" I said while keeping hold of my left hand. The air got heavy and I feel their eyes were on me.
Ryouta takes out my hand and started removing the bandages around it. Prevailing my badly scratched hand along with the large cut on my wrist. Akashi stayed still, giving no comments, paid attention to my hand held out by Ryouta.
I turned my head down for a moment, swallowed my own breath, and begin explaining about the incident that happened just one year ago.
-Flashback-
"I hate you!"
"What are you doing, showing off your basketball skill, Akari? We know you're the daughter of the famous basketball coach, Masada-san, and the WNBA Japanese-born legend, Misuru-san. But don't get cocky with your skill!" I can feel her shoving me, making me fall down afterwards.
"Ugly Akari!"
"Ew, just die!"
"What's with your left hand anyway, let's just damage it and leave her be."
One girl from my old junior high school in USA grabbed hold of my left hand while grinning madly. She was in my basketball team back then, to be exact, she was the captain of the team. Her name is Shizuka, but we called her Chiza for short. There was an event where our entire team was invited to train with Papa's team. Meeting with Luke-chan, Ken-chan, and Robin-chan really brightens my day. We exchanged hugs and hellos, and then it started.
She started calling me names after the practice on Papa's court was over. She said that I was showing off my skills to them, being Papa's daughter and all. Then I got that call from the USA basketball team, telling me to come with them for an international championship, and of course I said 'yes', there's no way that I would want to turn down such an offer. We played the whole series and came up as the winner of the championship; acquiring the title I have now, 'The Far Shooter'.
They started to take close attention to me, the media, I mean. Publishing out articles that made me proud, yet really turns my life 180 degrees to the bad side. Press started attending my club's basketball practice, ignoring the rest of the team except me. This made Chiza hated me even more.
That day, Chiza was holding a big knife, and her friends were holding my body so I wouldn't run. Two of them were holding smaller cutter. They started cutting the skin on my left arm. I screamed out in pain, but then no one came to my rescue because it's in the school storage. Away from all the noise and the life inside the school. She didn't seem satisfied, that's why she put her knife against the skin on my wrist. Dragging it towards my vein, cutting half of my upper wrist open. She left me there after she was satisfied in damaging my left hand. Saying that I wouldn't be able to play basketball again after this.
After bandaging my hand with my sweater, I ran home, finding the shock on Mama and Papa's faces. They drove me to the nearest hospital to get my arm treated. They held several operations just to get my hand as they were before this happens. The doctor told me that I would be able to play basketball again, just not as I were. I had to restrain myself in playing basketball, especially in doing the three-point shots that I was proud about.
For once, I hated basketball. It's hard to hate something that you love, to hate something you cannot live without, to hate something that defines who you are.
I got back up, doing rehabilitation and such just to add more power to this damaged hand. In time, I was able to play 30 minutes of a game doing as much threes as I can. But right after 30 minutes… I wouldn't be able to play anymore. But I weren't able to enjoy it as much as I did before, there was something missing. That was why the offer to go to Japan, Mama's home country was like a dream come true, to start over. To regain what I have lost in basketball, my heart.
- End of Flashback-
"I had to go MIA in the basketball world back then because I didn't want to cause any more trouble, for my family, my friends, and myself. But Luke-chan, Robin-chan and Ken-chan know about my story, I didn't told them her name. You are the only ones who know the whole story, though. Hehe, sorry for dumping this all on you guys…"
The six of them listened intently when I'm telling my story. But I can feel hostility from them, especially from Shintarou. "That happened to you?"
Shintarou asked just after I laugh my story off and I nodded. He sighed, fixed the position of his glasses, and said, "You're one tough girl-nanodayo."
Shintarou smiled painfully, as if he's trying to make me share the pain with him. I smiled to him, while Daiki just lost it, "What the hell, Akari! I can't believe you befriended people like that! It's because you don't want to hurt other people, right?! It's because of that?! Then fuck off the idea! You would've lost your hand! You could've just run from them, can't you?!"
I smiled at him, "Dai-chan, the past is the past. Thinking about the past and moping about it won't do me any good… And… I'm okay right now… Kind of…" I tried to hold in my tears that are threatening to pour out if I say another word. I looked at my left hand.
"Akari-chin~" I looked up to Atsushi who just called my name. Feeling something shoved into my mouth. Maiubo… I started sobbing as the flavor of the snack went around my mouth, I can't hold it anymore. Never have I cried about this, and never was there someone to listen to me intently like this before. Atsushi put his huge hand on my head, "Naitemo daijoubudesu… Cry on me, Akari-chin…"
Ryouta pulled me close to him as he says, "Cry on me too, Akari-cchi… I'm here for you too-ssu…" I can feel my tears make their way out of my eyes even heavier now that Atsushi and Ryouta said that.
"It's not just them, Akari-san…"
"Tetsuya is right, all of us are here for you, and we will always be here for you. Whenever you need us."
Akashi… Tetsu… I looked at each and every one of them and smiled while still in Ryouta's arms, crying my heart out for the first time. Then, I fell asleep.
The hostility rises again after I'm asleep. The first one to say anything was Akashi.
"What do you guys think about her story?"
"Kanashiidessu…" Ryouta spoke. "I hated the feeling of not being able to do anything-ssu. Not that we've been with her long enough to know about these things, but I feel kind of angry, at myself, and our meeting with her."
"I'd kill the ones that did this to her." Daiki commented shortly.
"I cannot comprehend the fact that there is someone who tried to ruin somebody else's future because of fane reason-nanodayo." Shintarou added.
"I'm angry." Tetsu, who rarely comments on anything and always keeping a straight face, now had a terrifying look on his face. His tone was harsh and cold that it could kill someone.
Atsushi stayed by my side near the couch where he put me to sleep earlier, he mumbled to me, "Daijobu… Ore to kimi ga mamoru, Akari-chin…" then said to the other guys sitting by the table, "Korosudayo… Anyone who tried to do things to her again…"
Akashi reigns over the conversation again after glancing at my sleeping self. "Saa, I'll try to get more information, but I know of a certain someone in our school who has been eyeing on Akari since the very first day she's here."
"Dare?!" Daiki raises his voice.
"Sssshh Mine-chin…" Atsushi's hush calmed Daiki a little, and then he continued to pat my head.
"I'll keep an eye on her-ssu"
"We all will do it, won't we, Akashi-kun?"
Akashi's lips curved upwards a bit, and said, "Yes Tetsuya, we all will. But I need you to find out about this person."
"Boku ga?"
"Yes you, you had the advantage that everybody here don't have. You're a shadow."
"Hai."
I woke up pretty late in the afternoon. I opened my eyes to see Akashi and Shintarou playing shogi on the desk, Ryouta and Daiki were playing my PS3, Tetsu was reading his book on a seat across my seat, and Atsushi was asleep, holding my hand. I said to them, "Ohayou."
Their heads turns in synchronization, and Atsushi woke up from his sleep. I had a Maiubo on my hand, is it from Atsushi? I opened the Maiubo and split it in half. Shoving one on Atsushi's mouth while the other on my own. He hugged me and got up to find another stack of snack.
"Are you feeling better, Akari?" Shintarou asked.
"I'm better now! Let's go play basketball!"
"Iya…" Akashi answers me.
"Nandeee?" I muttered. "I ordered something and it should arrive soon, so we should wait for it. We can go later."
"Ah so? Okay! Ummm…" I mumbled. "What's wrong Akari-cchi?" Ryouta asked.
"What are those?" I said, pointing at a stack of bags in the corner of my living room.
"What? That's our bag of course." Daiki answers.
"What bags?" I asked.
"I'm going to stay at Akari-chin's apartment for a while~ I wanna~ Can I? ~ I can deshooo?"
"All of us want to stay here, so, Akari, can we?" Daiki asks.
I grinned as wide as I can, "Of course you can! I'd love to have a lot of company here!" There's a lot of empty rooms here, 4 empty rooms, and 3 bathrooms. So I would love to have them here to fill it. They decided that they would occupy only 2 rooms, making one of it a small office for Akashi and Shintarou, and leaving the other one empty.
They smiled, "So, what did you order, Akashi?" I asked Akashi when the doorbell ring.
"I'll get that." Akashi said. Soon afterwards, there were workers putting new furniture, mostly beds. 4 new beds and 4 large set of sushi servings. After the worker were done with setting up the bedrooms, Akashi returns to the living room and said, "Let us eat, it is to celebrate our moving in."
"Uwa! Akashi sugoi! I love sushi~" I said after Akashi sat down and join us.
"Glad you like it, Akari."
Thus, my days with the Generation of Miracles residing in my place started.
-chapter 7 end-
The truth behind Akari's left hand is...? How was it? LOL
