So I was reading the last few chapters I've written and to be honest, I felt like crying. I'm so sorry I haven't been writing my best... Everything just feels so choppy and boring... T_T Again, I'm sorry.

And also, I kinda changed the timing of the matches even though the sequence of which school going up against which remains the same... That being said, I'm drawing out the Winter Cup instead of letting it be around one week like my research told me it should be... My story at this point does not allow me to keep true to my researches after all... :/

I sincerely hope that today's chapter will turn out better.

- Act III -

Decisions Concerning the Truth

( Kyoto. )

Twenty one days had gone by since Kurokawa Hisako woke up from her coma.

Three weeks had gone by since she had begun her physical therapy.

Approximately fifteen days had gone by since she refused to see anyone but Akashi for some reasons unknown to everyone but herself.

That she 'needed time' was what she told anyone who asked- not that many did. She could now move her upper body with a certain amount of control but her legs still could not hold up her weight without giving way after thirteen and a half minutes of mere standing; she tried and timed herself, that was how she knew. The doctors had been furious when they heard what she did but when they sensed the desperation deep within her, they could not bring themselves to stop her.

She pushed herself hard, neither complaining nor giving up. She did more than was told and was cooperative to a fault. She refused to see another psychologist, refused to admit that she was a little depressed, refused to speak a word more than she could help it.

And other than the times when she had to go to the therapy room, she remained in her room with her door closed, typing away on a laptop she had specially requested as soon as she regained the use of her hands- that should be banned really, but being in the VIP room and her background meant that she could get away with quite a few things without trouble. Moreover, her request came with her reasoning of having 'more finger-control exercise' and no one could really argue with her about that excuse.

Kurokawa Hisako's parents never visited her again since she woke up.

...

( England. September 28th- )

Kurokawa Yoichi wiped his temples with a clean towel, taking a deep breath before picking up the water bottle sitting on the bench beside him. On the field, someone yelled his name and he waved, motioning them to start another new game without him. Having not participated in a football game for so long, his stamina and reflexes were not as good as they were before.

He leaned back tiredly as the players on the field regrouped, then raised his head to stare up at the dreary sky right above the open-aired stadium.

Everything had gone right back on track for him as soon as he arrived. And while he was almost relieved that he wasn't wrong in his assumption that he was doing great even while being away, he couldn't help the welling irritation and frustration at the lack of trust his parents shown him... Or perhaps they simply wanted to get him out of Japan.

His cell phone rang and he picked it up without a second thought at the sight of the +81 in front of an unknown number-

- "Hello? Kurokawa Yoichi speaking."

There was a brief silence from the other side of the line. But when the voice reached his ears, Yoichi knew he wouldn't be rejoining the game anymore.

...

The sentence started with the words-

- "Can I ask you a question about Kurokawa Hisako?"

...

( Tokyo. November 23rd- )

Momoi Satsuki found herself sneezing uncontrollably as another gust of chilly air blew past her. Autumn had been unusually cold this year and if this kept up, they were in for a harsh winter. It was only the end of November and she was already wearing two layers of long-sleeves plus a jacket... Momoi rubbed her face in despair and turned to glare at the person who pulled her out on such a cold day like this.

"Are you done, Dai-chan? I'm cold and I want to go home!"

Her childhood friend threw another basketball into the hoop before answering, "Are you joking, Satsuki? I just started an hour ago."

"Why can't you use the gym at school?"

"Street basketball is the way to go- not that you'd understand," He said, "And also, I don't get what you're complaining about. I'm practicing right now just as you always wanted me to, am I not? Sometimes I really don't get you, Satsuki."

"Well, I don't get you either!" Momoi retorted, "And what I mean is that can't you practice somewhere warmer? You're so ungentlemanly for making a fragile girl like me watch you in a weather like this. At this rate, Dai-chan, you'll never get a girlfriend."

"Fragile girl?" Aomine paused mid-throw to look at her incredulously, "Surely you don't mean yourself, right? Because if you do, you're even more delusional than I think you are. I don't even know how poor Tetsu put up with you all the time."

Momoi picked up the spare ball beside her and threw it at the taller teen with all her might, indignant anger burning bright in her pink eyes, "Tetsu-kun is a gentleman unlike you, stupid Dai-chan! It should be me pitying Tetsu-kun for being forced to be your partner for so many years! And to think that after everything, he came to you asking you to teach him how to shoot!"

"Considering that he's going up against Yosen soon, I'm the best he can turn to."

"Stuck-up~"

"And just because Tetsu always has no expression does not mean that he isn't annoyed."

"And how'd you know that? As far as I knew, you guys aren't even on speaking terms until you lost."

"...Stop rubbing that into my face, you woman! Don't forget that you're the manager of this team, meaning you lost too."

"Ah, but I'd gladly lose to Tetsu-kun all the time~"

"...Crazy woman."

As they bickered on, both of them failed to notice that it had been such a long time since the atmosphere between them had been so light... It was as if the years of tears and darkness hadn't been a barrier between them in the first place. But no, all of them knew better. They were slowly but surely being mended bit by bit; they were beginning to smile again, to see that despite what their old selves thought a year ago the world was not ending, and to acknowledge that if only they had been aware enough of their surroundings they'd see that they were never alone in their battles. They were young and narrow-minded, being well-above their peers had distorted their view on the world around them and in their naive youthfulness, they made mistakes.

It was all thanks to Kuroko Tetsuya that they began realising that.

Aomine himself. Kise Ryota. And Midorima Shintarou.

Kuroko Tetsuya was certainly... an incredible friend.

...

But...

In fixing them, what about himself?

...Who is going to fix him?

...

"Satsuki,"

Sitting contently inside a cafe with a hot cup of chocolate in her hands- his treat, she hummed, "Yes?"

Aomine Daiki took a sip of his drink and made a face at the sweet taste, proceeding to put it down and pushing it away from himself, "That friend of yours, how is she? You haven't been talking about her for a while now."

"It's so rare that you'd notice," She teased him, half-heartedly.

Aomine rolled his eyes, "If anyone heard you mentioning the same thing over and over again they'd notice as well. Don't try to change the topic, Satsuki, I asked you a question."

Momoi rubbed the rim of her cup with her thumb, "The only one Hisa-san is willing to see right now is Akashi-kun," She told him, "Right after I went to see her, Akashi-kun texted me saying that Hisa-san requested to be left alone for the time being. Her therapy isn't going as well as she hoped it would be, or so it seems, but even Akashi-kun thinks that she is pushing herself too hard."

Aomine grunted in acknowledgment but his focus was on a certain thought that crossed his mind, "And Akashi. What is his relationship with that girl?"

"They're classmates, first of all," At his disgruntled expression, she giggled, "Sorry, I knew you knew but I just had to see your reaction. To be honest, I don't really know what Akashi-kun thinks of Hisa-san myself- but you know how unreadable Akashi-kun always is. If I had to say, I'd say that at this point, Hisa-san is like a piece of puzzle that Akashi-kun is still trying to solve- If there is one thing about Akashi-kun that never changes, it is his need to have everything figured out."

"You don't think he likes her?"

"...I'd say he finds her interesting. But as for liking, I don't think Akashi-kun will allow himself to 'like' a girl he is unsure of."

"And what are you? An Akashi-expert all of a sudden?"

"We were friends for three years in Teiko, you know," She reminded him blankly, "Of course, I still consider him and the rest of the others friends right now."

"...'Friends', huh..."

...

I've been thinking, onii-san (and don't you dare start! I know I've been starting my diary like this a lot but what am I to do if not think?), about travelling. I know it might never be possible for me to go far but I'd really like to experience the lifestyles of people who aren't from Tokyo. I heard that Kyoto is a very beautiful place, is it true? And the Nagoya castle, I'd love to see it for myself too! Is Hokkaido really that cold?

Anyway-

I met an old man today in the gardens and we started talking. He told me that he used to be an 'adventurer' when he was younger, though he had to quit that 'job' after he got married (His way of saying this was so funny I wish you could've seen it! I know it sounds rude but he looked like a dejected puppy XD ). He told me that he went to places like Taiwan, Korea, America, England, and Australia; he found his wife in the last country, by the way- she was a Japanese who was studying abroad there. He told me so many things about different cultures and lifestyles and I can't help but imagine myself there (he's a really good storyteller too). But travelling overseas is impossible for me so I've set my goal a little low... I'd like to go to Osaka. Do you think our parents would let me if I asked? I don't think they will... But I don't blame them.

Even though he was acting as if he was mourning over the loss of his enjoyment, I know he did not regret anything though. There's just this light and love in his eyes when he spoke of his family (Two daughters and a son; two grandchildren). He later told me that he was admitted here because they detected some irregularities in his heartbeat- I could never tell anything was wrong with him! He looked so healthy!

I think we ended up talking for the rest of the afternoon. I think I've made a new friend ;) I told him I'd see him again tomorrow.

Oh, and in return of his stories, I told him a few of yours. I hope you don't mind :P

"Of course I mind," Kuroko Tetsuya said quietly as he set the well-kept diary aside.

Standing up, he stretched a little before picking up his sports bag from beside the foot of his bed. Glancing at his clock, he mentally calculated the time he had left until practice started.

After their win again Nakamiya South yesterday evening, Seirin was finally going against Yosen next week. Kuroko reflected on his journey until now and while he felt blessed to have come thus far, he knew he needed more strength, more endurance, and more skills if he were to take down these final two ex-teammates of his. Not even mentioning Akashi-kun whom he had not met at all since graduating Teiko, Kuroko knew Murasakibara Atsushi well enough to know that while the giant wasn't the most diligent of all players, his skills were far above average.

Kuroko's brows creased slightly as he recalled the many conflicts he had with the purple-haired teen since the very beginning of time, then he compared his own relationship to the teen to that of his sister and that said teen; he sighed.

"Murasakibara-kun? He's such a gentle giant, don't you think? And despite appearing to have no energy at all, I think his love for sweets is amazing."

That was what his sister had said once.

Kuroko remembered himself being the slightest bit incredulous at the faint fondness in her voice, until he reminded himself of her own love for sweets. Of course, not having basketball between them to argue about, Murasakibara treated his sister better than he treated Kuroko... not that he minded. He had to be honest, he tasted some decent vanilla milkshakes when he went out 'sweets-hunting' with the duo.

"...All this thinking is making my head ache. I'll just go practice."

( Kyoto. 3:30 pm- )

Akashi Seijurou handed the bedridden girl the pile of schoolwork and notes that was handed out this past week. The girl passed him her completed work from the week before in return after a soft spoken 'thank you'.

As usual, he took a seat in the visitor's chair, casually pulling out his own laptop to begin his own work. The clicking of keyboards were the only sound in the midst of their silence. Both of them knew that sooner or later either one of them would break the stillness, but for now, they were fine with being wordless. If there was something they established within the months of their newfound interactions, it was their mutual companionship and... hazy understanding. Compared to Akashi's initial impression of the girl, it was obvious that she changed. For better or for worse, however, he still held back his opinion on that.

A sudden stillness from her end caused him to observe her from the peripheral vision of his eyes. The girl in question was staring blankly at the screen in front of her, hands frozen above the keyboard as her lips moved soundlessly in utterance he could not hear. She had grown paler during her stay in the hospital- if that was even possible for someone who had always looked sickly- and thinner. And even though she was no longer shrinking in on herself with an unexplained uncertainty she possessed when he first met her, her silence weighed heavier now more than ever. It was as if there were words she wanted to say but couldn't, thoughts she wanted to express but can't.

And sometimes, unbiddingly, it was almost as if she had people she wanted to see but forbade herself from doing so.

Her longing, no matter how deeply-hidden, was clear to him.

"Akashi-kun," As if suddenly aware that she wasn't alone in the room, she turned to gaze at him with an inquiring look on her face, "Do you know if Fukami Chou-san has a phone? I have something I want to tell her."

At the mention of that name, Akashi raised a brow, "Fukami Chou?"

She nodded, elaborating a little more, "Brown hair, grey eyes, energetic. A member of the library committee and the gardening club. She's in our class."

When he failed to give her a reply, she turned her attention towards her screen again. It wasn't like she expected him to answer her question anyway.

"Between 'A' and 'B', can you pick an alphabet for me?" She asked in lieu, her voice a lot softer this time. When he did not answer immediately again this time, a smile crept up her lips, "Just to help me make up my mind between two options."

"'A' then."

She blinked then, and her smile widened a fraction. It was a smile that said 'I knew it'.

"For what purpose, may I ask, is it for?"

The girl tilted her head to the side, a contemplative look crossing her face. Biting her lower lip, she focused her blue eyes once again on him.

...There was the look again.

...The look that triggered some sort of memory...

"A name," She finally said, "I needed a name and I didn't know which to pick."

"For that story you've been working on?"

She binked, before smiling that same queer smile again, "...of course you'd know," She said, closing her laptop and leaning back against the headrest. She held the laptop in her hands quietly for a few minutes, then motioned him to take the device from her, "As a thanks for your help all these time, I'll let you read the story first before the others."

He accepted her offering easily, but when he made a move to open it, she stopped him-

- "Please read it when I'm not around."

Her blue eyes were piercing like his own for once, though unlike his power-laden ones, hers were pleading, filled with a sort of anticipation marred by fear but supported by hope. There was something she was trying to convey that she wasn't ready for him to figure out yet and-

- "Also, you don't have to come over anymore after today, Akashi-kun."

...

"I hope I did the right thing,"

The girl whispered to herself after her visitor left. Supporting herself up by her elbows, she gingerly placed her feet on the ground. With effort, she braced herself against the wall as she stood; it was always the getting up part that was hard.

...

( 6:15 pm- )

A tall teen with golden brown hair walked along the bustling lobby of the hospital with ill-concealed worry in his dark brown eyes. In his hands he held a bouquet of flowers that he had bought at the florist right outside the hospital; he had been too shaken to remember getting them when he received the call that his girlfriend had been involved in an accident, so much so that he had left only a brief message to his captain and his manager that he would not be at practice tomorrow and rushed over without waiting for them to reply.

His pace quickened as he neared the elevator, so blind in his worry that as soon as the door opened, he took an involuntary step forward.

He was rudely snapped out of his anxiety when he bumped into someone. Hard.

The force of this collision caused him to stumble a step back while his victim was knocked to the ground with a startled gasp. At the sight of the light-colored hospital robe, he paled in realisation of what he had done and hastily stepped forward to help, "I'm so sorry!" He exclaimed while extending a hand to the fallen patient- a girl, "I wasn't watching where I was going. Are you hurt anywhere? I can call the doctor for you? I'm sorry! I-"

Words were stuck in his throat when the girl raised her head to glance at him.

Ignoring his outstretched hand, she painfully pulled herself up with the help of the handrail along the wall. Her tightly-pursed lips were white and her brows were contorted with pain; it probably took her five minutes just to get herself back up on her feet.

When she did, she merely gave him a slight nod, "It's fine," She stated simply before slowly making her way towards the main lobby, ignoring him, ignoring his outstretched hand.

There was completely no recognition in her eyes.

And if it weren't for her black hair, blue eyes, and her doll-like features, Takeshiro Makoto, who was now a student at Touou High School, would've thought the girl he bumped into was anyone but Kurokawa Hisako- the girl who caused him all the trouble, the girl who confessed to him, the girl who tried killing herself, the girl whose parents payed him to leave Kyoto.

But it was her.

And...

...it didn't seem like she knew who he was.

...

( Tokyo. November 29th- )

Momoi Satsuki was attempting to slice an onion when her phone vibrated in her pocket. Tomorrow was Saturday and Seirin was going to compete against Yosen for a place in the semi-finals. Therefore, being the ever responsible childhood friend she was, she decided to make a lunch box for a certain idiot in case he forgot to bring his wallet again. No doubt, her food will be delicious this time! Nothing could possibly go wrong with her special katsu curry bowl... right? Oh, and she needed to get some wasabi paste later to stuff the chicken, according to the internet, wasabi was used to erase all bad smells of any food. Surely Dai-chan will have nothing to complain about this time~

"He better be grateful! I'm making curry specially for him even though I don't eat them myself."

Carefully laying down the knife, she dug her phone out frowned at the text message Akashi sent to her along with the other members of the Generation of Miracles-

- Wait, perhaps not all of them.

Ki-chan was not included, neither was Tetsu-kun or Muk-kun.

'Check your inboxes.'

A second text came in seconds later-

'As for the others, I'll inform them tomorrow after their match.'

Knowing better than to go against the orders of the former captain, she went upstairs, completely forgetting about the half-chopped onions and a pot that was beginning to bubble over.

A new email had arrived from said captain ten minutes ago. Clicking on the mail, the only thing in the content was a Word attachment without a title. She dragged her cursor over the attachment and hesitated for a second before opening it.

...

She wouldn't be finishing her curry tonight.

( Kyoto. 8:00 pm- )

Pulling up Midorima Shintarou's number, Akashi sent him a private message after the initial command he gave to the group two minutes ago.

'Shintarou, do not let your match the day after tomorrow be affected by what you're going to read right now. If you don't think you can do it, hold off reading the attachment until after your match.'

He received a reply almost instantly-

'As if I'd be affected. You're worried about nothing, Akashi. And also, my horoscope ranking is first today, so with that and my lucky item, I'm safe.'

'Don't say I didn't warn you then. Have a good evening.'

Akashi set his phone aside right after he sent that last message. Nothing he said could dissuade the green-haired teen, especially not when the latter was already fired up to go up against him next week during the semi-finals. Forget the quarter-finals, at this point of time Rakuzan and Shutoku were pretty much undefeatable.

To be frank, his mind was still reeling with all the information that had been forced into it since the day he opened up the document. Between intense basketball practices and working on more paperwork for his father, his mind was completely occupied by the truth that was still riddled with inumerous questions. What, when, why, how? He hated being uncertain, he loathed the feeling of not having things under his control and yet right at this moment, he had to admit to himself that he wasn't going to get any further answers until the other party was willing to talk. And that was surely not going to happen any time soon.

Deciding not to dwell on it too much for the time being, Akashi pulled out a thick folder from his drawer and began sorting out the documents in it- documents from his father's businesses. Now this- this- was something he was used to. This was something he was brought up to handle without any uncertainties. Arranging. Logic. Sequence. Objectivity.

Before continuing, he picked up his phone again to silence it, knowing his ex-teammates well enough to be sure that by midnight, they would be blowing up his phone with inquiries that will never be answered... if he hadn't misinterpreted her intentions.

Stumbling upon something was vastly different from discovering something.

That he just happened to stumble upon this document was what he was supposed to say. And that was what he told himself to say for reasons only known to himself.

As he continued to sort through agreement papers and legal documents, his mind brought him back to the research he did on his own the last few days at school. This past week, he had looked through the entire student record of Rakuzan, checked into the records of all existing clubs there was; of course, all these he did only during his free time- which wasn't a lot, but more than sufficient for someone like him to utilize.

Memories of that fateful day more than a year ago surfaced in his mind again and while nothing made sense for now, it wasn't impossible.

But still, undeniably, a person named Fukami Chou never existed.

( Tokyo. 12:00 am- )

"...this... this is not a joke, is it?"

Momoi Satsuki's eyes were wide with disbelief as she read the last few lines again and again. Without her permission, she found tears trailing down her cheeks once more, "How many times have I cried this year?" She asked herself, "Even a smile from stupid Dai-chan made me cry like a baby... I don't even want to cry! I-I should be happy at this point, shouldn't I? I should be happy but... but why can't I stop these tears?"

She buried her face in her hands, feeling her heart break a little even as the reassurance she felt that threatened to overwhelm her.

"But if this is the decision you made, I'll do as you wish... and I'm sure the others will as well."

...

"So goodbye... Hitomi-chan."

'...And when she remembered who she was, all she wanted was to be able to go home. Her circumstances, however, prevented her from doing as her heart desired. Day and night as she lived a life that wasn't hers to begin with, she wondered... She wondered if anyone ever remembered a girl, a girl named Hitomi- who was their friend, their daughter, their sister... The girl who died without a chance to say goodbye. Deep within her heart of hearts, she wondered if there was a place left in the world for her, if she had a right to continue living a life that once belonged to another.

But then she decided that it didn't matter. She had gotten permission to continue living on. She had decided that she will not let her new life go to waste.

She still wanted to apologize to her family and friends though.

She wanted to tell them she was sorry they had to gone through all the pain she put them through, for not telling them the truth until it was much too late, and for now selfishly choosing to show up and vanish from their world in this form.

She wanted to tell them thank you as well for all the memories they gave her, for treating her like their sister, for accepting her as who she was even if she was far from perfect. She wanted to thank them for being willing to be a part of her short life, and for never abandoning her even when she chose to abandon them towards the end of her journey.

She also wanted to tell them that right now, she was slowly learning how to be herself again. Slowly, bit by bit, it might be possible for her to start loving herself again. She wanted to tell them to rest assured that right now, she wasn't alone.

Hitomi, at this moment, is really happy.

She is happy to have been born.

She is happy to have been a part of your lives.

She is happy that miracles and new beginnings are still happening everyday.

Hitomi wishes that everyone she loves will continue smiling. She wishes long-lasting happiness to befall her family and friends.

She begs her family and friends to continue moving forward even after she ends this letter.

She is... now saying goodbye as Hitomi.

...

There is a home for every soul on this earth after all.

And she will now work hard to find her own.

The Way Home

a novel by

Muiro no Ko 無色の子 (Colourless Child)

After revealing the name of the mysterious author that caught the attention of nationwide readers alike,

the publishing house held a conference stating that The Way Home is the only story the author will ever write.

In a final ditch effort, readers tried to unveil this mysterious author-

-some said the author was a girl

-some said the author was in his or her mid-thirties reminiscing their childhood

-some said the author might be a foreigner with a degree in the Japanese Language because of the unconventional way the story was written

-some said the author was dying

Whatever hypothesis that surfaced was ignored.

And soon, the author became nothing but a mere legend.

But it was alright.

Because her message had gotten across to the people that mattered most.

And the next chapter will be the last chapter of this story. (And after the last chapter will be an extra chapter from a certain character's point of view so you'll still see me for about 10k words more)

At this point, I really don't know what I'm writing. Personally, I feel as if this story is one of my most planned out (yes, I actually planned this one out bit by bit)... but I'll write these all in the Afterword.

For now, I want to thank all of you who've favorited and followed this story! :) To my guest reviewers, thank you all so much for reviewing even if I can't reply your reviews. (And on a side note, I'll start replying to reviews from this point onwards. Since the cat's out of the bag and all) And yes, we've finally reached the point where the summary is used within the story! It took forever to get to this point- for me, at least, is what it feels like. This chapter pretty much wrote itself, to be honest (Apparently, my brain's creative side works at its best when I'm down with a flu... It's awful and I haven't been able to taste or smell anything in four days already :/ Oh well, I'll live.)

There's still a lot of things to wrap up in the next chapter so stay tuned!

Wishing you all a great day!

I do not own Knb; this plot and OCs are mine.

13th July 2016

~ Lura at 4 am XD