hey, I finally decided to divide the last chapter in three short chapters because I didn't know how to join the three scenes I wanted


"This is not easy," thought Tetsuya, struggling to find the words. Tetsuya met his teammates at the same staircase as right before the Winter Cup; but this time, he is the one who summoned everyone. He counted the fact that all of them came at his call as a small victory. He closed his eyes and inhaled and exhaled, then he opened them again and looked them all in the eye. "I reunited all of you today to talk about something none of us want to, but we must. We cannot keep brushing this under the rug. I called you here to talk about Teiko, about what it did to us and about what you- we did to so many people."

The miracles tensed at the mention of Teiko. None of them wanted to talk about it, it was a delicate matter. They were perfectly happy to brush that subject under the rug forever. But Tetsuya wanted to talk about it and they knew he would so they would listen to him, it was the winner's privilege after all. Everyone except Midorima and Akashi - who didn't know the details but figured it out by himself - got curious when they heard they'll finally know what they did to make Tetsuya angry. They stayed in silence waiting for Tetsuya to start, but he looked at a loss, it was obvious he didn't like to talk about this either. He stayed still in front of them with his eyes closed for a while. Until he inhaled and exhaled again and opened his eyes.

"In our second year, we were happy at first, we enjoyed playing basketball. At least I have precious memories from that time. But, since the end of the second year… Things went wrong. You got too strong, and the school didn't do anything to help you. Instead they used you for their benefit, they didn't care about the emotional repercussions. That's why you started to get bored of playing. You discarded team play, and with that… me. I wasn't fine with it, but it was bearable thanks to Shougo. That's not why I'm mad at you, I understand why you did what you did. You were lost, hurt and sitting on thrones you weren't emotionally ready for. It destroyed you, and I can't begin to imagine how you must have feel. But that doesn't excuse what you did to so many people. I'm not just talking about how Akashi threatened Shougo with the ones he loves to make him leave the team. I'm talking on how you treated our opponents. I understand they weren't a challenge for you, those were facts. But looked down on your opponents, made them feel like they were worthless. Yes, you did, you did tell people they were nothing. you fooled around with your opponents, making them feel insignificant, what you did was… disgusting. What you did to Meiko, Ogiwara-kun's team… was cruel and disgusting. Do you… you know how many people quit basketball after playing against our team? Do you know how many… how… how many suicide attempts and… successful suicides happened? This is partly our responsibility. I'm as much as guilty as you, because I didn't tell you to stop. I just gave up with you. It took you hurting a person I cared for twice for me to decide to do something. That's why this is my responsibility too, it was my responsibility to take you down of your thrones and make you understand the consequences of your actions." Tetsuya let out a big breath. He did it, he told them all. He looked at them, they were shocked, broken. He didn't like that, it hurt him to see them like that. But they needed to know, needed to understand what happened.

"We… killed people…" said a speechless Murasakibara. With tears in his eyes, he suddenly looked very small, like a little kid.

"We were just kids. Kids that were made that way by the adults that were supposed to help us grow up as persons." It was all the comfort he could give them.

"We… we don't deserve to play basketball anymore."

"Aomine-kun, don't say that."

"Why? It is the truth Kuroko."

"Don't say that too Akashi-kun. It is not true. Besides, what good would do if you stop playing? That would just be the easy way. A way for you to feel better with yourselves, but it won't stop the pain these people suffered." Tetsuya regretted his harsh words when he saw them flinch in unison. Maybe he should have said it another way, But it was the truth, he couldn't do anything about it. He wouldn't let them quit basketball for this.

Tetsuya didn't know how much time they spent in silence. Aomine punched the floor until his knuckles bleed, nobody stopped him. Akashi and Midorima looked like they were about to vomit. Kise did vomit. Murasakibara cried until his eyes were red and puffy. After what seemed like an eternity, Aomine let out a shaky laugh.

"Names?"

Tetsuya looked up in surprise. "I do have them, but may I ask why do you want them Aomine-kun?"

"Isn't it obvious? I have a lot of people to apologize to." His face was serious and solemn.

Tetsuya looked startled but smiled, proud of his ex best friend. The rest looked surprised too, but nodded and looked determined to do it as well, if a bit afraid of their reactions. But they knew they deserved whatever reaction they got, and they'd receive their punishment in silence, whatever it was. Tetsuya gave them the list but refused to let them go alone, insisting he was just as responsible for what had happened. The rest of the miracles didn't think the same, but they let Tetsuya go with them, his presence was comforting and reassuring.

They traveled across Japan apologizing to each one of them, having their home addresses and transportation thanks to Akashi. It took them the rest of their entire holiday's free time and a bit of the weekends until they started their second year, but they managed to apologize to everyone. Most of them hadn't wanted to see them and had closed the door in their faces the moment they saw them, sometimes they didn't even let them apologize, they had to leave a letter for those cases. But a lot of them did let them explain and though most of them didn't forgive them, some did. And that was more than enough. They visited each grave too, praying for the dead and apologizing to them. The last one was Ogiwara, he looked shocked to see the miracles including Tetsuya at his home, but he let them explain themselves and accepted their apology. Tetsuya and Ogiwara exchanged numbers. Tetsuya had renewed hope, maybe he could have his friend back.


I'll post chapter 8 once I have an idea of what to do with chapter 9

Thanks to my wonderful beta Darkwoods~