I had this chapter written out ages ago! But I reread and reread it, and now I think it's okay enough to post! I hope you like it! yeyyy!
~Little Strawberry
Chapter 7: Summoned
"Oooh…"
She wasn't wearing anything that noticeable, but the people's eyes still followed her as she entered the school. Not that it bothered her, if anything; she was used to it... the girl looked up at the familiar buildings.
It hasn't changed… She hadn't visited for a while, and thank goodness the security was still lax. She got in without any problems. The actual problem probably lied with the Generation of Miracles' Phantom Sixth Man.
Would she be able to get him to follow her? She couldn't exactly say the reason for him to do what she needed…
But she had been told… no, ordered might be the more appropriate word for that. She had been ordered to get Kuroko-san and bring him to the mansion. If not…cold shudders ran down her spine. She doesn't know how, but she had to. That,or face the eternal wrath of the ex-captain.
"You're getting better and better, Tamiko." She was given a pat to the head, nothing too damaging to her hair, thank goodness. Kuroko gave the tall brunette center an amiable nod, tapping the ball to the captain this time. He notices it coming to him just in time, holding out his hands. Tsuchida-kun braces himself, guarding the captain.
"Yosh—"The captain fluidly jumps, shooting it into the basket flawlessly despite Tsuchida-san's efforts of marking him. She catches the ball. A whistle goes off, and they all look at their coach.
"Alright, 10 minute break!"
Tamiko chooses to spend hers outside the heat of the gym and the laboured breathing of her teammates. Training was still tiring as ever, but thanks to it and the gymnastics lessons—she didn't like it much but it helped her balance somehow—she was getting closer to her old standards. Meanwhile, she was thinking of ways to improve her old style, because she couldn't do anything physical about it yet—she needed to be in her old standards first.
Today's training revolved around Tamiko continuously moving around the court and pairs composed of different members of the club. She would randomly pass to one, and they have to shoot to the nearest court while being marked by their partner. It was hard for the members—especially since they weren't used to Tamiko's misdirection as much as they were with the other her. Her misdirection was a bit slower than 'Kuroko's', as well as her speed, so she had to make some adjustments in her movements so that the desired effect would still be take place. But because of this, the rhythm at which she executes her passes and movements is different, making it harder for them to react to her sudden passes and presence. Their predictions at where and when she should be, which would normally be right if it was Kuroko, were completely off.
But, she had only tripped one time today, and also after executing this particular exercise for over a few days, no one pass passing to vacant spaces anymore, nor was anyone fumbling for the ball. She was definitely getting better.
"Oi." She tenses and turns around. She hadn't expected anyone to be near.
"Kagami-kun." The tall redhead didn't look tired at all, despite all the sweat and training they've had. Tamiko must have given off a gallon of water already and was ready to fall over, but Kagami-kun looks calm and composed as he could ever be.
"Please don't do that. It's not nice."
A nerve sticks out of the redhead's temple. "That's what you and your brother do all the time, idiot!" He throws her a bottle of cold water, which she looks at curiously. Over the few days of continuous training, Kagami-kun had become gradually nicer to her, if only just a little bit. It wasn't like before, and she knew that he would never treat her like that anymore, even if she tries to get him to.
This was still a bit surprising, though. He didn't have to follow her outside and give her water. Did coach make him do it?
"…Arigatou, Kagami-kun." He ignores her and goes over the faucets to splash his face. "I'm going to head back now." He tells her, ruffling his hair and splashing a few droplets of cold water around. She nods, though he doesn't see with his back turned to her.
"Un." He left.
The redhead had actually taken to sending her home every other day, as well as Kiyoshi-kun. The latter had said something about not wanting to third-wheel with the captain and the coach, but when they had followed the two, they just got traumatized by their plans to turn the members of the team into Bulky McBulks.
What Kiyoshi-kun implied about the two may be possible, but neither Hyuuga-senpai nor Riko-san are doing anything couple-y at the moment. Not that she knew much about being couple-y to be a good judge.
Walks toward home with Kagami-kun were silent. Silence was something she was used to, except not coming from the redhead giant. He was usually a loudmouth, and the silence present with him actually troubles her sometimes.
With Kiyoshi-kun, however, it was the entire opposite. He would spend the entire walk asking her about strange things, like how to braid hair (she didn't know how), or how or why girls use makeup (she didn't know either). It wasn't annoying, but the questions weren't something he used to ask before. So many changes are coming with her gender. Who knew Kiyoshi-kun was this curious about the opposite sex?
A group of girls pass her, not noticing her being there at all. They all were speaking with hushed voices, and one of them was even poking her forehead, as if trying to remember something.
"Did you see...?"
"I think I've seen her somewhere before…"
"…looks familiar…"
'A visitor?' Seirin wasn't really a popular school, so visitors came in rare. When they do, however, they are immediately noticed and gossiped on by the students.
PFFFTTT!
"Ah." She blinked and started returning, the visitor fading into the back of her mind. She did not want to be tasked with a harsher training menu for being late. While it would be good for her to practice all her basics, she might not last through the day. Riko-san can be a monster sometimes.
Said monster glances at her with a withering look as she enters the gym. She bows her head apologetically, seeing all the other members already inside. The coach then directs her attention to the rest of the club.
"Alright, let's play a mock game! Kuroko-chan, you won't be in any team. But, you'll change the pass course randomly to mix things up. Cause as much problems as you can." The brunette coach says. She nods, adjusting her wristbands, tuning out the brunette's division of teams.
Kagami-kun was looking at her—no… at her hands. Her wristbands. He had been staring at the bruises—which have turned yellowish at the edges—in guilt until the flash of black in her wrists made him notice the accessories.
She had actually forgotten about it—and she was far into the habit of using the wristbands and tugging at them to remember that this action resembled the habits of her other self too much. But she didn't have the heart to remove them. It reminded her of her goals… and much more.
She had used long sleeved shirts these past few days to hide her bandaged arm, consequently also hiding her wristbands. But Kawahara-kun had let it slip to Kagami-kun yesterday her injured hand, so she thought that it would be of no use hiding it anymore. She decided to wear a common white shirt, never thinking that anyone would notice that 'Tamiko' uses the same wristbands as 'Tetsuya' and tugs at them the same way.
"…"
She returns the redhead's stare, and predictably, he becomes too uncomfortable to keep maintaining eye contact for long. The redhead turns away, and participates on his teammates' gathering.
The tealette wasn't going to justify all similarities she had with her other self—they were 'twins' anyway. She had already forbidden herself to drink her favourite milkshake when she was with them, so now she could only drink that during weekends and when Coach would bring some for her at home. The alternative Strawberry Milkshake that Kagami-kun persisted in ordering for her just yesterday as a peace offering for her arm only felt like an insult to her favourite drink. It just couldn't compare.
Her wristbands were far too important than the Vanilla Milkshake, and she already loved those. She wasn't going to give it up.
PFFT! She straightens up and enters the court, positioning herself on the court of Kiyoshi-kun's team.
The game began. The first time, she missed the ball completely, and cursed herself. She just had to stop seeing things as her other self until her speed can match up. Thank goodness no one noticed—misdirection has its perks, after all. She looks up—the captain had stolen the ball and was heading towards her.
Hyuuga-senpai 's eyes glanced to the left, towards Koganei-senpai. She got in between the two silently, just in case. Kagami-kun was marking the captain, so a pass was probably going to happen, considering the redhead's jumping abilities. Hyuuga-senpai jumped, Kagami-kun jumping at the same time to block the shot, but the bespectacled man's hand predictably moved to the left.
"Tch." The redhead ace grumbled, having only realized the play at that moment. Furihata-kun, who should have been marking Koganei-senpai, was nowhere near. If they get this ball, the first point would end up with Hyuuga-kun's team.
The ball approaches her and Koganei-senpai, and he hasn't noticed her at all, even though she was right in front of him. She taps the ball down to the floor and it bounces to the left. Her cat-faced senpai makes a bewildered sound. "Eeeek!? Kuroko-chaaaan! Help our team!"
Izuki-senpai had caught the ball and was laughing. She felt her mouth twitch upwards.
The game continued.
Riko watched as the game unfolded, many members groaning as the passes they sent ended up going the other way, or to the possession of the other team, or high up in the air, where they had to wait and fight for it. It was entertaining to watch—Hyuuga-kun looked particularly annoyed when Tamiko had stolen the ball from him—but she knew that continuously running all around the court to follow the ball was going to tire Tamiko out much faster than usual. Her stamina is still lower than before, so game had to end sooner.
She let them play for two quarters, taking note of aspects she wanted to improve, especially with their only girl player. She already knew what she had to make Kagami-kun do, and Kuroko probably had made him realize this already, during the beach training with Shuutoku. Kiyoshi-kun was already strong and he had his own style, but she knew that he could still improve something, though she didn't know what. Maybe she could ask her father for that.
Izuki-kun and Hyuuga-kun needed to train the aspects they weren't good at more. They were already good at their respective areas of expertise, but they were mediocre at best in other aspects of basketball. Some polishing and practicing in their fields would also do a lot good. The others had a lot of areas to improve on as well.
Mitobe-kun could use up some more speed training and something for defense… Koganei-kun could polish his defence more, but his reflexes were remarkable. The other freshmen had a lot of areas to improve on, but for now she was going to try to have their stamina keep up with the rest. So far, they're the ones lagging behind. Kuroko, despite his incapability to increase his stamina was keeping up; long used to the harsh training she had gone through in Teiko. Kagami-kun just passed through everything like a breeze.
She was editing some parts of the training menu in her whiteboard when the nearby door made a sound, making her look up.
A blonde girl the brunette did not know entered the gym, eyes fixed on a point in the court. She wasn't wearing the school's uniform, only stylish civilian clothes. She didn't seem to be from Seirin. A visitor? What was a visitor doing in the gym? No tours ever routed to the inside of the gym, as far as she knew.
"Kurokoc-S-san!"
Eh?
Who was she? Some members who were playing have heard her, and were getting distracted. Izuki-kun had already shot the ball twice without anyone marking him.
She stops the game, intending to talk to the girl. "Excuse me, but training is ongoing—"
The familiar looking girl looks at her, and her mouth shuts itself for no particular reason. There was something disturbing about the flustered girl, something she couldn't quite put a finger on. "Who… are you?" She hears Hyuuga-kun say behind her, having moved to support the coach. The other members have also gathered near them, looking on.
The girl shakily opened her mouth, looking panicked and confused, but it was another voice that speaks.
"Kise-san." Tamiko had walked forward, and the two girls faced each other, one on the court, and another outside of it.
They all gasped. Kise-san? This girl was… related to Kise? Riko glanced at the poker faced tealette. Did she know this girl was coming? It didn't seem like something she would do.
She would have told Riko. She wouldn't have wanted this to disrupt training. If anything, she would have probably excused herself earlier to meet with her. Kuroko may have a lot of problems, but as much as possible, she wouldn't want it to disturb other people, especially her teammates.
Kuroko didn't expect this girl, then. Then what?
The brunette never thought Kise had a sister… or another female relative. But the girl certainly is related to the blond miracle. Now that she's taken a good look at her, she did have this certain cheery aura around her reminiscent of Kise, and her looks can definitely match that of a models'.
'Ah, mou! Why is it that all the girls I meet have big breasts, is good-looking, or both?'
"Kuroko…san. Eto… you are needed at the mansion… and you have to go there now with me. Please." The female Kise said, bringing both her hands against each other.
If Kuroko heard her, the only indication would be the blink sent her way.
The phantom girl knew exactly who the beautiful blonde was, and even then she couldn't get her mind wrapped completely around it. She had thought about this a lot—enough to keep her up at night and wake her up on the ungodly hours of the morning—ever since she had seen her brother and Midorima-kun resting on those hospital beds.
She had hoped that only those two would turn. She had wished that the others would not follow after the three of them.
She thought that in some way, this was her fault. There wasn't any other explanation other than she, by some means, brought her condition onto her ex-teammates. Somewhere, deep inside her, she had always wanted the others to experience her pain. And now, they're suffering the same condition as she is.
What an awful person she is.
Her eyes wandered to Seirin, and they all looked confused, even Riko-san, who knew about her 'turning'. But even she did not know the turning of the other two, as it was something she had kept secret to herself. The Coach still wasn't aware of anything that had happened the day of the Kaijou-Touo match.
"…Kuroko-san?" Kise was staring at her, also looking at a loss. She must have expected to see her as Kuroko Tetsuya, only to see a girl who looks exactly just like him playing with his teammates. But why was she here?
The mansion…
Only three people in the world would call Tamiko to her past home. One was automatically eliminated. Her father was not in the country right now. He hasn't been home for almost a year, and his calls were rare to come by. There was no way he could have come to Japan without her knowing.
Her mother could be another person. Arisa Kuroko had always loved spending time with her children on the rare occasions that she stayed in Japan, so it would be possible that she was the one calling for her.
But her mother knew only Midorima-kun enough to ask for a favour from him her. She knew the rest of the members by name and face, but she wasn't as close to them to ask for favours. She couldn't have sent Kise-kun here.
Which leaves her to the last person who would call—summon—her there. Only one person could have that foresight to tell Kise-kun not to call her 'Kurokocchi' and yell out their secret in front of the whole Seirin team. She only knew of one person would completely disregard the fact that she was in training and summon her for a sure to be uncomfortable encounter. A person who can, in fact, reduce Kise-kun into the frightened mess she is now.
Her older brother—now sister.
If Kise-kun has turned into a girl, then it wouldn't be a long shot to assume that the others have turned as well. If that's so, then the blonde was sent to confirm that Kuroko was also under the same circumstances as them. That would also mean that Akashi-kun had recognized her secret, and something—most probably punishment—was probably awaiting her at the mansion, especially since she had hidden this fact from her sibling at their past meeting.
Even in his current…state of mind and personality, she had to admit that he had retained his over-protectiveness, especially of things important to him. Ah, but she was getting ahead of herself. Akashi-kun could just let her go after this, not giving any punishment or reprimand about keeping secrets. She'll let herself just feel a tiny bit happy once he had shown that she was, in fact, valuable to him.
"I'll go with you!" Both Miracles looked at the coach, who had her arm raised up high, as if asking for one of them to acknowledge her. She must have figured it out, then. The look on her face says so, and her gaze at Kise-kun puts a knowing glint in her eyes.
Meanwhile, Kise's face was turning redder at the moment, and she had to look at Kurokocchi, her eyes seeking help.
The tealette seems to understand her plea, and places herself subtly in front of the blonde. The members of the Seirin team all turn their gazes at Kurokocchi to ask questions, and that was a good thing, because Kise was restraining herself from talking at all.
She did not know what to say—if she reveals anything, then she would die for sure. Akashicchi had specifically told her not to blurt out or reveal anything about them. If her former mentor hadn't interrupted her, she would have said something stupid, like how cute Kurokocchi looked as a girl. That would ultimately be letting them know that she was Kise—they had already explained to Kagamicchi about her ways of nicknaming her friends.
The Seirin's basketball team have kept quiet for as long as they can, watching the exchanges between the three women. They seem to be approaching their limit, though—especially a certain red-headed ace. Nothing had been making sense for a while, and that was just annoying to whole lot of them.
"Oi, can somebody explain what's happening?" Nobody answers the redhead. Kise-kun teeters by the door, seeming to want to go already.
Kuroko also wanted to leave immediately to avoid any more complications and questions like that, but if she had any choice, she did not want to bring Riko-san along. Her sudden appearance will only aggravate her sister, and she did not know how to deal with that at the moment. They weren't even on peaceful terms. But by the look on the older girl's face, she would not take a no for an answer.
Kuroko had already tried breaking through her stubbornness before, having done so with a lot of alike people, but coach was among the most stubborn people in the world—probably on par with Aomine-kun, who was still sticking to his 'the only one who can beat me is me' idealism.
"Riko—"Kiyoshi-senpai had tried to intervene, but the girl just planted her whiteboard to the Crownless General's chest, saying something about following the instructions there, or they'll have to do triple training the whole week.
Kise gulps, and finds her voice. She was under a time limit, too. "We have to go—"
"I want to go." Kagami-kun suddenly cuts in, looking determined.
"No." All three girls say simultaneously, and Kagami, not used to being bullied by girls, shrunk.
"Bakagami!" Riko huffs, crossing her arms.
"I don't think that's possible, Kagami-kun."
The redhead was curious not only because of the blonde girl, even though as she was Kise's relative, but also because Tamiko was related. If Kise's relative and Kuroko's sister is involved, then this has to be something related to Kuroko or the Generation of Miracles. Kagami and Tamiko weren't anywhere near close and the redhead still isn't comfortable with the girl, but if he can learn something about Kuroko, then he wanted to go with them.
Ah, he was just really curious at what going on, dammit. But based on the harsh and unified no just given to him, it seems like he wouldn't be able to. He had a feeling that would happen though, so disappointment wasn't so detrimental.
"We should really go now." Kise-kun says, looking back at Kuroko. She nods and starts walking after her. Riko turns to follow them.
"Riko!" The brunette pins the captain with her gaze. "Hyuuga-kun, I trust that you'll be able to handle training for today?"
The dark-haired man pauses, and sighs. "Yes." Riko's eyes soften and she feels a little bit bad for leaving them just like that, but this was an important matter and they can manage without her—especially with the reliable seniors.
But she probably wouldn't be able to explain what happened today, and she didn't like it.
"Sorry."
"Don't worry, Riko. We'll be fine." Kiyoshi says, smiling. Riko returns his smile, feeling grateful for such a reliable friend. "But please bring back food. We're starving. Though it's better if you don't cook it." Or not.
"Fine, fine. I'll be back soon."
The three of them file out of the gym, Kise looking more and more panicked as Riko doesn't give any indication of leaving them at all. "I don't think y-you should go… Riko-san…this is important and secret b-business." The brunette smiles as she sees this new, anxious side of the blonde. "I know about it, Kise Ryouta-kun. Don't worry."
The change in the girl's expression was immediate. "Eh?!"
Kuroko overtakes them, taking the most direct path towards the school gate. "Please be quiet, Kise-kun. Summer classes are on-going."
"EH?!"
Kise gets a left behind as the two walk forward, ignoring her and her melodrama.
Kuroko stares straight ahead, not noticing the gaze of her coach trained on her, nor Kise's whining behind them.
Akashi-kun must have all of them in the mansion right now, and she would want to discuss future plans if they were to still compete in the Winter Cup. Deep inside, they were all basketball idiots, so that was the utmost concern.
She wondered if they were having a hard time—Kise-kun didn't seem to have much difficulty moving her limbs. She looks behind her, and sure enough, the blonde was even jogging a bit to catch up to them. "Kurokocchi! So mean! Don't leave me behind—ssu!"
Even as a girl, Kise-kun still looks like a model. Tall, fair-skinned, without a blemish to her face. She still smiled like an idiot, and her voice was still loud as ever. It was still the same Kise-kun, yet no one recognized who she was until Kuroko had said her name. But her movements were perfectly normal and smooth, unlike Kuroko during her first week as Tamiko Kuroko or Katsuko Teryou .
"Kurokocchi?" She blinked, eyes focusing on the girl who had appeared in front of her. "Why are you looking at me?"
Her hand was waving at her face, and she slaps it gently away, ignoring the blonde who follows her closely behind, humming happily. "Ne, ne, am I pretty?" Kuroko doesn't falter in her step, and the reply was immediate.
"You still look like an idiot, Kise-kun." Riko-san giggles as Kise-kun' eyes brim with tears almost immediately.
"So mean!" This was common occurrence. It wasn't secret to anyone except the blonde that Kise's crying face had something appealing to it—they all bullied him when they could.
Nevertheless, this doesn't keep the blonde from talking, and Kuroko knew that it wouldn't. They are bombarded with questions about Kuroko's 'turning', how Riko had known about it, if Seirin knows, how Kuroko is coping, even how it felt to wear a girl's bra. Riko had answered Kise-kun's questions the best she could, then karate-chopped Kise's head for that last question.
"B-but I haven't even gotten girl clothes yet! It's hot to wear three layers of clothing!"
They ignore her. Thankfully, they reach the main gate before Kise could encourage the Coach to beat her up more. It was for her own good.
A shiny black car was waiting for them right beside the gate, and while she and Kise-kun entered the vehicle right away, Riko-san had to stop and gawk at the car. She looks up at Kuroko with wide eyes. "Is this yours? No, wait; is the mansion we are going to your house?"
Tamiko sees Kise-kun turn to her with question in her eyes. "Kurokocchi has a mansion?"
"…" They both wait for her to respond.
She only looks out of the window, both hands settling on her lap in response. "…No. We are going to Akashi-kun's mansion. Riko-san… please sit inside." Both her companions respond with silence, but the brunette follows her request, not asking anymore. Kise-kun, long since used to her questions being ignored, only proceeds to make conversation with the Seirin coach.
"Is this…Akashi-kun your captain?"
"Hai, hai! Akashicchi is very scary though…" Their conversation trails off in Kuroko's ears.
Nobody from Teiko knew about the relationship between Akashi-kun and her, with the exception of Midorima-kun, whom they have both met since they were young. Because of this, nobody knew that Kuroko was as rich as Akashi-kun, and that they both live together in the huge mansion that the Miracles used to spend time in after some of their weekend trainings.
They have actually acted like siblings during their first weeks in Teiko, but Tamiko has long since stopped calling him 'oniisama' ever since getting into the third-string. Akashi-kun and the rest have gotten into the first string effortlessly—of course he wouldn't have liked getting compared to her, the lowly third-stringer who was asked to quit the club because she was hopeless, nor the forever third to her brother and Midorima-kun in terms of academic prowess.
The habit of not calling him her older brother just stuck even after being included in the first-string. She also did not have a heart to tell Aomine-kun, who had become her best friend and trusted in her, that she had lied to him about not knowing Akashi-kun.
After the events of the last tournament, she couldn't even call him 'oniisama' anymore without being forced to.
Her head lets itself lean on the cold window, and the scenery blurs as her mind replays her memories with her older sibling. They had the same father, but their mothers were different. Akashi-kun had first arrived in their mansion when he was nine, and Kuroko was eight. But despite meeting somewhat late, they both got along so well that it seemed like they knew each other since forever.
How wrong she was…
"Oh, look! We're already here!" Kise-kun says, and her brain focuses on the image her eyes were seeing. The estate. The Kuroko family owns a huge land just at the edge of the prefecture, and they have built a mansion in the middle of the forest encompassing most of it. This is where the family members usually reside if they are in Japan.
This was the place where Tamiko and Akashi-kun had grown up together, getting lost in the huge lands, playing as kids.
It looks the same. The gates look imposing as ever, but beyond that, the immaculate gardens meticulously managed by their gardeners were still as they were during her last visit... about eight months ago. It takes them about five minutes from the gate to get to the main building, and Riko's eyes have widened to an impossible degree by the time they were allowed to get off the car.
"He has his own lake. I can't believe he has a lake inside the property…" She was fanning herself, looking scandalized. "Just how rich is this guy?" Kise laughs.
"He's very rich, Rikocchi." The coach nods, and then emits a choking sound. "R-rikocchi?"
"Kise-kun adds a chi to the name of the person he respects." She says almost mechanically, having done so for a lot of people. She was the first person to have his name tweaked, after all.
Riko blushes, glancing at the smiling blonde at the corner of her eyes. "I did wonder about your nicknames for your friends… wait, you respect me?" The blonde gives a huge nod, and the two Seirin members thought they saw her sparkle just as she did that.
"Kuroko-sama, Kise-sama…welcome back. Sei-sama is at the receiving room with the rest." A kindly maid bows to them as they arrive at the front door, but she looks quizzically at Riko-san. Kuroko steps forward.
"She is with us." The maid smiles and opens the door for them. "Thank you, Fuyumi-san." Kise-kun looks at Kuroko as the front doors close again, and when Fuyumi-san had disappeared. "Kurokocchi is amazing! I forgot her name already…"
"You are an idiot, Kise-kun." She wouldn't forget the name of a person she had been with since her childhood.
"Uwa—Kurokocchi is so mean to me today!"
"Please stop yelling, Kise-kun."
Riko doesn't speak, but follows the two as she gawks at the splendour of the mansion. Countless painting and vases were arranged in the hallway. A lush black carpet adorns the floor. But Kuroko and Kise doesn't look any bit awestruck by the whole impressiveness of it at all—they must have been here countless of times.
Kuroko feels a sense of nostalgia fill her as she walks the familiar hallways, but she calmly leads the two to the receiving room. She could have time to walk around later, but for now, her brother… sister is waiting.
"You are late, Kise." A figure was awaiting them right in front of the doors they were headed. Riko gasps as she sees the Shuutoku shooting guard. Kuroko had seen her just after she had turned, and she already knew that Midorima-kun, like Kise-kun, also looked good as a girl.
Her straight hair flows until her hips, and the long eyelashes that have always framed the underside of her eyes seemed longer. She looked every bit as elegant as a princess would be. Though, that image was ruined by the scissors in her hand, which was obviously her lucky item for today. How many times had she bought dangerous objects to important meetings like this? She couldn't remember anymore.
"Eh, gomen, gomen, Midorimacchi! I forgot where the Seirin gym was, so I went into the main building and asked—ssu." Kise-kun scratches the back of her neck sheepishly and the other Miracle's eyes narrow.
"You have still exceeded the 30 minutes given to you by Akashi. Kuroko." The elegant looking girl greets her, and she responds with a slight bob of her head. Midorima-kun suddenly looks away, her face turning red.
"Midorima-kun?"
"I know, Midorimacchi! Kurokocchi looks so cute, ne, ne?" Kise-kun moves past them and elbows the blushing shooter, who only responds by pushing her glasses up her nose. "She doesn't… look bad."
"Midorimacchi is such a tsundere." As Midorima-kun starts insulting and yelling at Kise-kun, Kuroko turns to her coach, who just observes them. "They do seem like friends, don't they?" She says, looking down at her. She bobs her head once.
"…But the others..." Kuroko looks down, but Riko-san looks like she understands.
Ever since Kuroko had beaten these two, their personalities have gotten better, and they have lost their tenseness around other people, particularly with Tamiko. It's like a barrier has lifted, and something that was broken has been fixed again.
But these two are the only ones. She understood that once those doors are open, the atmosphere will probably become strained again, as it was before with Kise and Midorima. Especially with the terrifying captain of the Generation of Miracles, who might or might not get mad at her sudden presence.
Midorima clears her throat, having yelled at Kise enough. "Let us go now. Akashi is waiting." She pushes the door open with her shoulder, and they all walk in.
"Eh, you have a chaperone, Tetsu…?" A tanned girl with short dark blue hair—it was so dark it was almost black—said, her form draped over a sofa. She looked tired.
"Mine-chin, Sacchin is here too." There was a giant woman looking outside a floor-to-ceiling window, eating something that must be a lollipop. Riko knew she have never met this person, even as a boy, so she could only be Murasakibara, the center of the Generation of Miracles.
"It's different!"
"Aomine-kun, stop talking! You're still weak!" The pink-haired girl Riko was already acquainted with scolds the tanned girl, putting a folded towel on her head forcefully. Momoi notices her with shock and smiles at her uncertainly, and she returns it, despite remembering the girl teasing her about her sizes.
"Shintarou. Ryouta. And…Tetsuya. You have turned as well." A sharp voice says, and the coach's eyes are drawn to a figure sitting cross legged on an elaborate seat—it almost looked like a throne.
No, she made it look like a throne. The redhead girl had waist length hair, but her heterochromatic eyes were charismatic and at the same time piercing. She looked as if she was scanning your whole being. If Midorima gave off an air of a princess, then Akashi was certainly a queen.
"It has been a while." Kuroko greets her old teammates, not even a single bit deterred by the intimidating aura the whole room was plunged into. Kise and Midorima both seat themselves on either of the couches adjacent to Akashi, leaving only the two Seirin members by the door.
"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Akashi stands up, and crosses her arms. "And how all our appearances have changed. You look good, Tetsuya."
"Why did you call me here, Akashi-kun?" The redhead smiles at Kuroko's last word, but it was a smile that froze people out of fear. Riko felt the girl's eyes glaze towards her, and she straightens up unconsciously. "Ah, I would like to talk about this matter, but it seems like someone came uninvited. Don't you think so, Tetsuya?" In the corner of the brunette's eye, she sees Kuroko's hands twitch.
But her eyes move forwards again. Akashi was moving towards her. "Shintarou, may I borrow your scissors?"
"What for?"
"I just wish to trim my hair. It has gotten very long, hasn't it?" She releases a dark chuckle, and this time, Kuroko's hands turn into fists, but she looks on ahead, right at her ex-captain. The girl moves forward again—but she was moving with her eyes on Riko, not Kuroko.
She felt a foreboding feeling overcome her, but all she could do was look at the girl. What… is happening? Akashi was near enough for her to see the colour of her other eye clearly. It was molten gold, maybe a little bit darker than Kise's.
The scissors the redhead was holding looked ominous, and she could see the glint in the blade clearly. It looked deadly sharp. For some reason, she felt her knees shake at the thought.
"…..sama." The girl freezes, as well as the other members of the Generation of Miracles. Kuroko had said something. But her normal blank expression couldn't be seen from behind her fringe, which had hidden her eyes.
"You said something, Tetsuya?"
"…I said, 'Please stop, Oniisama.'" Akashi beams, and turns away from the two of them. She breathes, and realizes she hasn't been breathing this whole time. The redhead hands the scissors back to a sighing Midorima. "I think that trimming my hair would wait, then. Let us start, Riko Aida." Riko jumps. She knew who she was?
"I am allowing you to stay. You may give you input if you like. Sit down." Akashi glances at the rest of his ex-teammates, whose eyes look confused and even lost.
"I believe you have questions."
Kuroko pulls her gently towards the couch where Kuroko stays in between her and Midorima. That was good, because she wouldn't have been able to move from her spot. The stress just from what just happened was enough to make her legs tremble. She clenches her hands, and sets them down over her skirt.
She got scared by that—Kise wasn't lying. But now she could see how the Generation of Miracles stayed like this together even with all their personalities. It was nothing short of admirable, even though the redhead had just nearly scared her to death.
Aomine sits up, startling Momoi, who was sitting at her feet. "What did Tetsu mean, 'Oniisama'?" Riko wanted to know as well. Kuroko hadn't shared anything about a sibling.
Akashi rests her head on her hand. "She simply means what she had said. But I think Oneesama would be more applicable, don't you think, Tamiko?" Kuroko doesn't flinch at the mentioning of her current name, but her eyes have a dark look to it, and Riko actually feels the hairs on her neck rise at the sight. She had never seen Kuroko like this before.
"Sei-neesama is my half sister, Aomine-kun."
"WHAT?" "Eh?" "Kuro-chin and Aka-chin are half-siblings?" Three of the Miracles say simultaneously, with the exception of Akashi, Midorima, and Kuroko herself. Riko still is scared by her team mate's expression. Who knew that such a blank look could look so terrifying, just when she had met their ex-captain—who may or may not have possibly threatened her with scissors.
She puts a hand on top of the tealette's, and squeezes it gently—a reminder for her to calm down. She did not know if it would work, just as her hug had placated the hysterical tealette during the training camp.
Kuroko's eyes soften, and she responds by taking Riko's hands in both of hers. Her grip is hard, but it seems to drain Kuroko of the coldness that she was giving off. Riko decided to just listen in, and accept the fact of Kuroko's relationship with the redhead.
"…Hai. We are related by blood." Kuroko's hands were cold around hers. "…But there is something we need to discuss first. Something more important. Please—"
"How can you keep this a secret—" Aomine stands up, hands drawn into fists. Kuroko looks up at her.
"Aomine-kun." The tanned girl glares at Kuroko, who only returns it with her blank gaze. It was a stare-off for a few seconds.
Aomine sits down angrily, and Momoi gives Kuroko a pained glance. "Please think rationally. This is just a simple matter. But if we still want to compete during the Winter Cup, we have to talk about our 'turning', and I think that we have to consider a lot of things."
Akashi, who seems satisfied with the reactions about Kuroko and her relationship, starts to talk. "It would simply be too much work, not to mention almost impossible for any of us to hide our genders and continue as we have been. It would be better if we follow Tetsuya's approach—making a new identity for herself."
"Tamiko?" Akashi nods at Midorima. "She had re-enrolled herself in Seirin with the assistance of Riko's father, under the name Tamiko Kuroko and that she is the twin sister of Kuroko Tetsuya." Riko did not miss the redhead calling her by her first name again, but she chose not react to it. Neither to the fact that Akashi knew what she had asked her father to do.
"How did Seirin accept you, Kurokocchi? I don't think they would play with you like that so fast…" Kise says, looking serious for the first time since Riko had seen her as a girl.
"…I told them that I went to Seirin as replacement for my 'twin brother', who had urgent family business in America." Akashi nods. "Then it would be better if we just follow Tetsuya's reasoning."
"But we can't all have the same reason." Midorima says, crossing her arms. "Everyone will notice that they are all exactly the same."
"We can, Midorima-kun." Kuroko says, and Akashi looks impressed. "I see, you have understood what I am saying, Tetsuya. Imagine; the rest of us have also sent replacements because 'we' would in America with Tetsuya. The reason he had to leave was something all of us are concerned. Of course, the basketball society will not take this easily, as well as our teammates, so we would have to prove that our 'replacements' are as good as us."
"But, Aka-chin, if the replacements are as good as us, then that doesn't make us the 'Generation of Miracles' anymore." The tall woman says, facing her whole profile towards them for the first time. Murasakibara always had long hair, but her hair looked thicker and much more feminine in her softer face. But even then, her expression held that of a bored person.
"We were never prodigies at the start in the first place, Atsushi. We could say that; at any moment, even from our second year in Teiko, we could be called to America and Teiko would be without its first string. So we trained someone close to us—in Tetsuya's case, his twin sister—to be able to stand in for us if ever that moment is to come. "
Riko clears her throat softly, not wanting to butt in without permission, though the redhead had already said that she was free to input anything. "You may speak, Riko." Akashi tilts her head, and all eyes turn to her.
It gave her a little bit of pressure, especially since all of the Generation of Miracles was looking at her for something important. Kuroko gives her hand the lightest of squeezes, and she finds the courage to speak.
"In general, the females' statistics are lower than mens', which is why all of the teams we have played against so far had no female players. That is also part of the reason only few female players whose teams have entered the InterHigh. As girls, even if you train to the maximum until before the Winter Cup, you still might not be able to reach what your male counterparts should have been able to assume with only regular effort. As I can see at this moment, the only one of you whose statistics has not changed much is Aomine. She has almost the same statistics before, and even then, her muscles are strained, particularly in the arms and legs. Do you find it hard and painful to move, Aomine?" The tanned girl lays herself down the couch.
"Yeah."
Akashi glances at her intriguingly, a smile blooming on her face.
"An interesting ability…" She blinks at the compliment. That was a compliment, right?
CRASH!
The sudden loud noise had the Momoi squeaking and Aomine jumping from her lying position by the couch—which had her groaning from the sudden movement. The rest looked towards the source of the sound.
"S-Sumimasen!" Kise puts his hands together and bows repeatedly, leaning down to pick the shards of the glass she had just broken. "M-my hand slipped…" Aomine grasps her arm. "Don't touch it—"
Too late. As Kise's hand grasps a particularly large shard, her hand suddenly tightens its grip. Red fluid immediately gushes out of the blonde's hand. She whimpers, but her hand doesn't let go.
"Let it go, baka!" Aomine pries open her hand, and the glass falls to the floor into tiny pieces. The door opens, and the maid that greeted them a while ago enters, with three maids following her. "What seems to be the problem, Sei-sama?"
Akashi waves her hand at the direction of Kise and the broken glass.
"Fuyumi, please escort Ryouta to the sick room and have this cleaned." Akashi says politely, sitting down on her seat once again as Fuyumi-san bows. Aomine suddenly stands up, never taking her glare away from Tamiko.
"No, I'll go. I need some medicine and painkillers anyway." She takes the arm of the whimpering blonde and drags her out of the room stiffly. The three maids stride into the room, cleaning the mess and wiping the blood of the floor, while Fuyumi-san follows the two so they won't get lost.
"...N-not that I'm worried about Kise... but we have to address about our difficulty managing our bodies." Midorima says, staring at a random shard with blood. They have all seen Kise's inability to control the motions in her hand.
"I can help with that." Riko speaks once again. Akashi raises an eyebrow. "Riko? What makes you think that neither I nor Momoi can do that by ourselves?"
"I have experience with rehabilitation patients. And because of my ability, I know which areas of your body would need to be worked on, even though they don't seem like its not being controlled properly. We don't know the exact areas you all need to practice control, and it would be better if you can all work with your body as well as you can before you start training for the Winter Cup. I don't mean to say that I'll work alone. You and Momoi can supervise me." Akashi nods after a bit. "Do you agree, Satsuki?"
Momoi had been quiet the whole time, tending to Aomine. Akashi-kun never really talked to her about anything after splitting up after middle school. She wasn't a player or anything, so she did not expect to be addressed. When she was, however, it was with a jump.
"H-hai!" The redhead took no notice of her surprise.
"Very well. I will set something up for the rest of us, then. We will have to discuss one more thing: our new identities—and the things we have to avoid to duplicate our old habits."
"Take care, Tetsuya-sama." The driver tells her as the tealette gets off the car in front of the school gates. "…Arigato, Tsushiyo-san. But I think Tamiko would be more applicable." He nods. "Then, take care, Tamiko-sama. I shall fetch you later near the train station, as promised."
"Please do." She watches as the car drive away, and turns to walk to the gym as it disappears.
It was already sunset when she had arrived at Seirin, and the coach and whoever was to send her home was probably long gone now. Both of them have been held back at the mansion by Akashi-kun herself, but Riko-san had been sent home first than her. She didn't know what Akashi-kun wanted to talk about with the coach, but her attitude must have impressed her sister.
Coach was obviously scared at first, but after a while, she had confidently answered and told them her thoughts. Akashi-kun had even complemented her ability, something she doesn't do very often.
The lights of the gym were almost all closed, though the lights to the hallway of the locker rooms were open. She opened the door to the guy's locker room. No one was inside, but two identical bags sat side by side on one of the benches. Sounds came from the shower room—Kagami-kun. It was his turn to send her home today.
Tamiko sits beside both bags and rests her head on her knees.
Today had been tiring. Kise-kun had left with Aomine-kun and Momoi-san, crying about her stinging hand. Her hand was bandaged up, and to make her feel better, Kuroko had patted her head. She was hugged to death for her efforts by both Momoi-san and Kise-kun herself, and then the trio went home, driven by one of their cars. Aomine-kun refused to even look at her.
It was okay. She didn't mind. She knew the consequences of lying to her best friend, and she still went on with it. It was wholly her fault, so she did not have the right to feel sad about Aomine-kun's treatment towards her.
She didn't mind.
Murasakibara-kun was fetched by someone from Yosen, as the guy's cap had said, and there was something about him that bothered Kuroko. She didn't know what, but the guy was polite and had already earned Murasakibara's nickname for him, 'Muro-chin,' so she let her suspicions go.
Midorima-kun was fetched by her father, and they went home just before Murasakibara-kun's departure.
Footsteps from the shower room make her look up. Kagami-kun had just finished showering, and he was walking towards her with his towel slung over his shoulder, massaging his neck. He doesn't seem to have noticed her yet.
He was already almost to his locker when he feels her presence, his eyes finally not moving past her.
"Gah—"His towel immediately covers his lower body, and his face glows as red than a tomato in a matter of seconds.
She tilts her head. "Hello."
"GET OOOOOOOOOOOOOUT!" And he proceeded to push her out of the locker room, getting her shirt wet with his hands. She was reminded that she had not changed since training a while ago.
"…But I need to change—"
"HERE'S YOUR BAG!" He throws her bag at her, and she almost wasn't able to catch it, but by the time she looked up to thank him, the door was already slammed to her face.
"…So impolite, Kagami-kun." She moves to Riko-san's locker room, intending to have a short shower for herself.
"YOU DON'T GO INTO THE SHOWER ROOM JUST LIKE THAT!" Kagami-kun was yelling at her, his face still like an overripe tomato. It was amusing, but they were disturbing some of the people they were passing by.
"But I didn't go into the shower room, Kagami-kun. It was the locker room." The redhead splutters.
"THEY'RE THE SAME THING!"
"…No they're not."
"IT IS! AND WHY AREN'T YOU EVEN EMBARRASSED BY THIS? WHICH GIRL SAYS 'HELLO' AFTER SEEING A NAKED GUY?!" Kagami-kun's ears were blowing off steam, and he had become a human kettle. Tamiko was trying not to smile.
"What was I supposed to say, Kagami-kun? Did you want me to say, 'Oho~ nice!' And whistle at you?"
"D-D-dddd-" Kagami-kun has turned illiterate, and was now incapable of making sense. She was trying harder to hold back that smile as she whistled. She did not know how to, but she managed to give off an airy high pitched one that alternated between blowing air and actual whistling.
"Oho, nice." Her compliment sounded dead even to her own ears, but the redhead's mouth still popped open, and his ears released a huge amount of steam.
"TA…MI…KO…!" She looked up. They have arrived at the intersection she had run on and scraped her knees before, and every person around was looking at Kagami-kun. It was sad, but it looks like she had to cut her fun now. She dusted her hands against each other.
"Kagami-kun." The redhead looked down on her, ears still blowing off steam.
"WHAT."
"…Did you know that if your hand is the same size as your face you will get cancer?" Kagami-kun turns to attention, looking down on his hands slowly, curiously, and reluctantly puts it against his face.
Perfect.
"My hand is almos—TGWOH!"
Tamiko gives a sudden (but not that strong) ignite pass against the back of his hand, and Kagami-kun experiences the pain of facepalming. She leaves with the group that was passing the road to escape the wrath of the American tiger, and by the time Kagami-kun had oriented himself, she was already on the other side, waiting for him.
"OI!" He crosses the road to her, stomping all the way angrily. It didn't scare her. "WHAT WAS THAT, HUH?" He says menacingly, but at least he looked normal now, just a bit angrier than usual.
"Facepalm." She tells him calmly. "THAT WASN'T FACEPALMING!"
This time, the smile she was holding back painted itself on her face. "…It was." She turns to the road, waiting for a response. So far, Kagami-kun was acting as if she was Kuroko again. It made her happy.
She must have jinxed it. For some reason, Kagami-kun doesn't say anything more, and they spend the rest of the walk in silence. As usual.
That is, until an image of a necklace with a ring as a pendant flashes across her mind. She stumbles in her step, and Kagami-kun immediately offers his hand to help her up, which she takes. But her eyes were on the redhead's neck, where a familiar accessory resided. The redhead had worn the Seirin Gakuran over a white shirt, and the silver ring was very much in view.
"Oi, be careful." He inspects her knees. "Good, you're not scratched anywhere. You're knees are just healing—look at where you're walking or you'll hurt them again." She doesn't respond.
"HEY! Listen to me for once!" She wasn't.
That was what was bothering her about that guy. She had wondered a lot before about the ring Kagami-kun had always worn, but she had never asked about it.
"…Kagami-kun."
"What?"
"That pendant…" The redhead looks down on his necklace. "Oh…This?" He plays with the ring on his fingers, looking nostalgic. "This was… given to me." He says, looking down at her passively. She waited for him to continue. If didn't want to share it… then it was fine.
"…By my brother." She blinked. He said it. He really told her about something as private as this—she had never seen him without that necklace outside of matches. It must be very important.
"…I never knew Kagami-kun has a brother." He nods. "He's not my real brother. He was just the one who first encouraged me to play basketball back there in America, and we were together for the whole of my childhood. We had a lot of memories." The tealette wanted to mention about Murasakibara-kun's Muro-chin, but she did not know a lot about him to tell Kagami-kun. She barely to get a glimpse of him under his cap, and she did not even know his full first name. If it wasn't him, it would only disappoint the redhead.
"Then one day, when the tally of our matches against each other reached 49-49, he said he didn't want to lose to me. If he lost to his younger brother, then he didn't want to be called my brother. We had a match. It… didn't end well."
"…What happened, Kagami-kun?" The redhead and she continue walking.
"I… we were winning. I just had to make that final shot. But Tatsuya was trying so hard—and he was injured…" Kuroko saw him close his eyes, as if remembering something unpleasant. Then she understood what he had done. The tealette feels her face frown, and she slaps Kagami-kun's head, none too harshly.
"Hey! Why did you—"They have arrived at her house, and Kagami-kun sits down on the step at her gate. She stays standing up.
"That was stupid of you, Kagami-kun." The redhead's eyes focuses on her for real for the first time since they have ever met. "I understand that he is your brother, but no one wants their opponent to go easy on them…" As she said these words, she could not help but remember what she had said to Aomine-kun before. "…in the game they love."
"But if I won…" Kagami-kun looks at his neck, where the necklace he had never removed resided.
"I know. You wouldn't be able to call him your brother anymore…" Her partner snaps his head up, and she felt walls coming down in between them again. She didn't know what to say, and it was obvious that he felt that.
"That's enough. It's over, anyway, so let's just not talk about it. We're here." she just nods and walks slowly over to her front door.
Kuroko felt like she could sympathize with both Kagami-kun and his brother. After all, she has a brother too, and they don't get along as well anymore. Even if the circumstances were different, maybe the feelings behind them weren't so.
"Did you know Akashi before this?"
"I am afraid I don't know who he is."
"Do you have any siblings?"
"…I don't."
"Kagami-kun!" He hasn't walked away from her yet. He looks at with question in his fiery eyes.
"I do not know what to tell you, Kagami-kun, but I am sure of one thing."
"One thing?" He looks sceptical.
She moves forward until she was right in front of him and ruffles his hair. "I am sure Tatsuya-kun also wants you to stay as his brother."
"…Huh?" Kagami-kun doesn't move even as her hand messes up his fringe. Her feet ache from tiptoeing, but she continues on. Sometimes, even guys—not excepting big, tough guys—want to be comforted like this. She knew. She was a guy at first, after all.
"You loved him enough to throw a game of basketball for him—and I'm sure he loves you as well, even more so than you think. Maybe he does not know it himself. But if he has to take so long and work so hard to hate you, deep inside, he also doesn't want to lose his brother."
The redhead eyes look at her, looking like a child. For once, Tamiko didn't tease him for looking so confused and lost. He looked like he wanted to believe her words so much. She removes her hand.
"Even though his jealousy is real, that doesn't erase any of the memories you two have shared. It may cloud his emotions, but it will never remove his joy of having you as his brother. So when you face against each other on the court again, face him straight on and with everything you have. Don't repeat your mistake, Kagami-kun."
He blinks and nods, as if in a daze. "That's better. I don't like it when you're indecisive."
She turns away from him. She did not know if it helped him, but what she had said was true. At least for her, it was. She may have not liked her brother—or her past teammates for what they have done, but that doesn't change the fact that she missed having to spend time with them, and playing basketball with them. She still loved them all, even though she hated their basketball.
"…Tamiko." Kagami-kun was calling her.
"Eh?"
"Thank you…for listening. B-but I don't understand how you two can say such embarrassing things without flinching!" The giant was looking away, his face flushed.
"…"
"Stop staring at me with that face! A-anyway, I'll go now." She watches him leave, heading inside her home as his figure rounds the corner and disappears.
"Kagami-kun is an idiot." She says as she chooses a duffel bag from inside her room to pack her clothes. Nigou must have already been fetched, because the husky was nowhere to be found. She packs his favorite dog food and milk.
She had thought the redhead was beginning to see her as 'Kuroko' again. But then he just had to liken her to him once more. She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. Stupid Tamiko.
The walk to the train station was uneventful. She did pass some shady looking men, but their gazes move past her—they didn't even take notice of her presence. When she arrived at the train station, Tsushiyo-san was already there, waiting for her. Nigou was napping in the back seat, but he woke when she sat down next to him, immediately climbing her lap, his tail wagging.
Arf! She looks at the familiar teal eyes of her adorable dog.
"We are going to oniisama's mansion, Nigou." She rubs her hand on the dog's head, glancing out the window.
Arf! Arf! She locks eyes with the dog, smiling a bit to give him attention.
That was how she spent the start of the ride, having small conversations with the husky, all the while rubbing his soft fur. She had always had a soft spot for animals, even the dangerous looking ones.
But soon enough, a yawn had her head against the cold window, and her eyes close almost immediately.
"Kuroko. Wake up, child."
He woke up leaning against a soft couch. What? A woman sat in front of him, sipping tea. He couldn't see her face. He only knew that she was wearing robes of pure silk, softly glowing in its amethyst color. They seemed to be sitting in a pure white room.
"Hello." The woman laughs. "It's always been hard to put expressions into your face." He doesn't reply to her. Yes, he was curious, but he was feeling content at the floaty feeling he was experiencing.
"I believe that you now know of the conditions of your past teammates." He nodded. Now he knew who she was. She was the woman that spoke to him in his dreams. It had never been like this, where he could freely speak. Was she waiting for him to discover that his ex-teammates have Turned?
"Why did you include them in this?" He said, sounding indifferent. She smiled. He didn't know how he knew that, but he just had a feeling that she was smiling.
"Your monotone never fails to amuse me, child. Though I must say that I had no hand into them Turning as well. That was the intended effect."
"…I don't think I understand." She crosses her legs. "I made the change possible, but the wish was not made by myself. I simply followed it."
"Who?" She smiles again, but he felt that it wasn't in mirth. "That is what you have to figure out on your own, child. The person is just painfully near, though he or she may not know what they had done. My blessing usually works that way." He blinks.
"Ah, another thing. It is simply becoming too hard for me to talk to you in your dreams. You have started going far too deep into sleep for me to slip into your consciousness. I believe that it would be better to provide a constant means of communication. Do not worry, only you and those directly associated to me will see it." Her tone made him feel like the conversation was coming to a close. So fast?
But he still had a question. "…why would you help me, if that would mean undoing the wish that had made us Turn in the first place?" For some reason, when he looks back at her, she had stood up with her back turned to him. She was walking towards a door, but she turned to him for his question.
"I never said I had a good reason, did I? After all, I like causing a little bit of trouble. That way I could do some work to put things into balance again." He stares at her, and she laughs.
"Don't be impatient, my child. You have experienced countless heartaches and misfortune in your life, ever since you were just a child, and until now. You had paid the price with your sadness and tears, thus earning my blessing."
"…blessing?" She turns away again, towards the door.
"I am showing you the way to turn back to what you really were, as well as you friends. It is not yet the time, but don't fret—it would coincide with your goals. Goodbye, Kuroko. Sleep well." She goes out of the room, and he feels his eyes close against his will.
"Tamiko-sama."
Arf! Arf! Something wet touches her hand, and it takes a while for her to open her eyes. It was dark already. Tsuchiyo-san was shaking her shoulder. "We have arrived. Your baggage was already sent to your room." She looks around. Indeed, they were already in the mansion, and Nigou had been licking her hand to wake her up. She lifts the dog up to her chest. What had she been dreaming about again? She felt like it was important.
"Akashi-sama is waiting for you in the study." She blinks back to reality and nods, thanking the driver. Fuyumi-san opens the door for her again.
This time, as she works her way to the said room, she pauses to show Nigou the mansion. Not much had changed, only the flowers contained in the vases. She walks the familiar halls to the study, where her brother usually spent her time in, if she wasn't in her room.
She still didn't know how to address her teammates. It seemed more unreal with them also turning into girls. She was also having difficulty calling her brother sister, or even just refer to her as a girl.
The door opens even before she could knock. Akashi-kun gazes at her with her usual mysterious smile. "Welcome home, Tetsuya." She enters after the redhead.
"Akashi-kun." Her brother—erm, sister—sits down on one of the desks, facing her. "I believe you are here for your punishment."
"Hai." She sets down her dog, and it immediately sets off to explore the room. Akashi-kun's eyes trail after the animal. She suddenly remembers her sibling's annoyance with disobedient canines.
"Nigou is well-trained." She says, just so the glare wouldn't be lifted off her poor husky. As soon as she says this, her brother removes her gaze from the dog, settling instead on her.
"I still believe that this is a childish punishment." She speaks again. The effect was immediate. The girl in front of her laughs, and crosses her legs.
"It is of no matter if it is childish or not. You are to stay here in the mansion, and be a proper brother to me, as I see fit. It is fitting, isn't it? You have lied to me, denied our relationship, and lied to everyone about it. And now you have to go do the very opposite."
"… It is." She couldn't deny that it did sound very uncomfortable for her. "Honestly, I don't see how it would benefit you, Akashi-kun." The heterochromatic eyes glance at her sharply. A warning.
"…Oniisama." A satisfied nod was sent to her direction.
"And why would you think that having my brother back is not beneficial to me? I am your brother, after all." She felt her eyes narrow as irritation rises.
"…I was under the assumption that my brother had disappeared when you have taken over. My brother will never do what you did." She searches the room for Nigou. The topic had turned to somewhere she did not want to go, and she needed to make her escape.
"How naïve, Tetsuya. I have always been around, and I know that you have seen me, at least once in a while, in your brother. After all, you are far more observant than many give you credit for. Am I wrong?"
She did not have to give an answer. The redhead knew the answer, anyway. That is her method of intimidation, and she was far too used to it to try resisting. It was only futile effort.
"As for what I had done… then would you deny that the rest are not your teammates—friends as well? That we have become monsters, and have wronged you and others? Don't forget, Tetsuya, that until your friend had faced us, you turned a blind eye to the others we destroyed. Until you had seen his face that day, you silently followed after us every day, trained with us every day. Doesn't that make you one of us? The monsters?"
The redhead walks toward her, so sure of herself, and she could only look away. She knew that. She had done something so utterly wrong herself and that was no excuse for her treatment towards her ex-teammates, especially her brother. Her actions, or lack thereof, had also helped shape them into what they have become. It was as much as her fault as it was theirs.
"So you see?" Akashi-kun had stopped behind her, putting her head over her shoulder. "You have no excuse for your behaviour."
I know.
"…I know." Her words seem to have surprised her older sibling, because she kept quiet; only listening to her intently. She turned to face her, her eyes showing her determination despite her calm expression.
"I know what I did. That's why I fight. I helped make you like this—I have contributed in making you hate basketball. A sport where you never lose, where you have to think of something so that it wouldn't bore you. I know, because I hated it as well, for ripping us apart. But it's the sport that brought us together, and it's what I will use to bring the old us back." There was a small book in one of the tables, and she picks it up absentmindedly.
"I participated in the oath because I thought that I could make all of you trust in me again, have fun with me again if I had beaten all of you—and shown you how strong I am. But now I have realized that I had it all wrong."
She remembers Kagami-kun. She wanted to apologize to him, because it was only her selfishness that pushed her to become his shadow at first.
But now? She absolutely, definitely loved Seirin. Their basketball pushed her to strive her hardest, and even the others they have beaten as well. Long before, she only wanted them to win because of her selfish reasons, but now, she also genuinely wanted them to reach the very top. They were the ones that made her love basketball again, bit by bit.
She sets down the book on the desk, turning her eyes to her brother's.
"I did not need to bring back your trust, because it was never lost. You all still believe in me and in my ability, it's just that you trust in yourself more. Because of that, you started hating our sport. Basketball was never meant to be a sport you play alone. But if I wanted to bring your love for basketball back, then I'll have to show you that your basketball is wrong. And only then can I fully forgive myself for never doing anything to stop you becoming what you are now."
Silence. Something nudges her leg, and she picks the husky up, for once not noticing the dog licking her chin. She had said what she had wanted to say—ever since Kiyoshi-kun had first talked to her, ever since she had that falling out with Kagami-kun, and she had realized so many things about Seirin, about her partner, and how she did not want their relationship to end like it did for her and Aomine-kun. When she realized that she cared for Seirin as much as she cared for her ex-teammates.
It was amazing how two people have changed her views just like that, really.
"I will be going to my room now… oniisama." As she passes by, her brother finally finds her voice. It comes off still as calm and composed as ever, and even when she couldn't see, she could hear her smile in her voice.
"I see. You've never shown this much conviction Tetsuya, even when I had given you your test to elevate to first string. I must confess that it has surprised me. If that is your stand, then I welcome it. Show me. Show me that you can reach the very top with your basketball. Prove to me that your basketball can win."
Kuroko paused. She had known that her brother had told Aomine that her basketball was incapable of winning, and at that time, she had actually thought that he might be right. But they weren't the one deciding her limitations. That was her and her job alone.
"Don't worry, oniisama. I will."
And then she was gone.
WOHOOO this was a long one. I hope you liked it! thoughts please? I welcome criticism, but I can't promise not to be hurt. Hahaha help me be a better writer, please!
Oh, and just saying, I'm sad. I wanted to confess to a guy I really like but he sort of brushed me off before I can. What to do... oh well.
I'll update soon! I've written the next chapter's first part, and now I'm thinking about writing the second part tomorrow. Hopefully I finish it at the same day! =))
