All right, I think I need to clear up some confusion regarding the ages of the KnB cast as well as SAO cast. With the start of this chapter, Tamaki and co. are supposedly in their second year of high school, with Kirito supposed to be starting his freshman year in high school. As for Shino (Sinon), I'm tweaking her age a little—thus in this story, I'm making her in the same year as Kirito.
Heads up here—a few OCs will be entering this story from this point onwards as this is the start of the new school year, and hence, there will be new members in the Seirin basketball club. They will be deeply developed OCs however.
Pairings: Shigehiro/Tamaki. Kirito/Asuna. Furihata/Shino.
Warnings: AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Minor character bashing.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and Sword Art Online or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me
Chapter Ten: Vice Captain
"Make it to the finals this time." - Akashi Seijuro
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It feels almost awkward for Kagami nearly two weeks into the new school year—having returned to Seirin as a second year. And as luck would have it, he shared the same class with Fukuda that year, with Furihata and Kawahara sharing the same class like they did during freshman year—only without Fukuda. Asada Shino whom Furihata had introduced as his childhood friend to the basketball team during one of their practice sessions during the school holidays had entered Seirin as a freshman that year as well. The girl was really shy though, and spent most of her time sticking to Furihata's side.
Recruitment drives for the various clubs in Seirin were set up once more—just like how it had been for them the previous year when Kagami and the others were freshmen. But just like how it had been before, the Seirin basketball team is a relatively new team with not much reputation to their name. Thus, the only new members that they could get that year are just three freshmen.
The second week of the new school year could however find Kagami one Saturday in Tamaki's now vacant house—using the spare key that she had given him so long ago when she had taken ill to let himself in, bringing some cleaning supplies with him the way he always do weekly to clean his best friend's house.
Kagami gave a small smile as he eyed the photo of the Seirin basketball club resting on the surface of Tamaki's desk. This particular photo was taken nearly a month after Tamaki, Kagami, Furihata, Fukuda and Kawahara have joined the basketball club, and all of them were dressed in their basketball uniforms, smiling at the camera.
"You're really here, Kagami." A vaguely familiar voice reaches Kagami's ears just then, and the redhead jumped slightly and turned around only to see a shorter redhead entering the house after removing his shoes, a solemn look on his face. A familiar black and white husky followed at his heels, yapping happily—going to a corner of the house where a dog basket is, nesting in it happily.
"Akashi." Kagami greeted his best friend's cousin with a polite nod of the head. Though he considerably gets along better with the famed captain of the Generation of Miracles better than the rest of his teammates, they aren't exactly friends per se. Maybe more like rivals in a way.
Akashi said nothing for several moments as his eyes raved over the condition of the house, impressed that Kagami could do some decent housework. Honestly, as the redhead lives by himself, he isn't all that surprised. After all, Kagami has to learn some skills in cooking and cleaning in order to survive long.
"…I heard from my mom that you come to clean Tama's house once a week." Akashi said at last after peeling his eyes from the photo of the Seirin basketball club on the surface of the desk. Akashi managed a small smile at Kagami. "Thank you for that. Neither my mother nor myself could really find the time to do that. My mother is always busy at the restaurant, and she could barely find the time to visit Tama even. And I attend school in Kyoto, with the only time I'm able to return being the weekends. So thank you for this."
Kagami didn't know what to say in response to that. He had seen how stressed and distressed that Yuki-san had been during the early days of the SAO incident, and even the days after that. Tamaki usually helps her at the restaurant during the days when she doesn't have work at the florist's. But when she had became an SAO victim, she couldn't really do that anymore, and thus, Kagami had pitched in at the restaurant whenever he could. When the rest of Seirin had heard about it, they have pitched in to help whenever they could as well.
Yuki-san had been appreciative of their efforts, and had often talked about Tamaki with them—including what she's like as a child.
"Well… I couldn't exactly let Tamaki come home to a dirty house, could I?" Kagami said at last awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.
There were several moments of silence between the two for several moments before Akashi broke the silence once more, looking at Kagami. "So how's the new school year faring for Seirin?" he asked curiously.
Kagami shrugged. "All right so far," he said. "We got a few freshmen in the club. I don't know much about them, as I hadn't interacted with them much. Furihata and Fukuda are mainly the ones in charge of them for now. But I heard from Coach that they got some serious potential. As things stand, we might just stand a chance at going to the championship league this year."
Akashi made a non-committal noise in his throat. "I heard about it from one of the new freshmen that had joined Rakuzan this year," he said, turning towards Kagami. "I doubt that you're aware of it yet, but no doubt that your coach is. One of the new freshmen that had joined Seirin this year is a former Teiko alumni." Kagami's head snapped towards Akashi at that comment. "He had been the vice-captain of the team after we have graduated. Yamada Kotaro." Akashi added wearily.
"The vice-captain?" Kagami echoed, his eyes wide. "Then that means…?" He trailed off slowly, and Akashi nodded.
"He's Tama's protégé—her successor to the title of vice-captain of the Teiko Basketball Club." Akashi answered, raking his hand through his hair. "She trained him in basketball ever since he had been a freshman. The kid has some serious potential." He admitted.
"Is he good?" Kagami asked with interest.
He knew what Tamaki is capable of—having seen her back Kise into a corner during the Kaijo versus Seirin practice match last year. Her title as the Number Two Player of the middle school basketball circuit as well as the vice-captain of the Generation of Miracles isn't just for show after all. And from what Kise had announced to the world at least a hundred times each day, Tamaki had trained him for nearly a month when he'd first joined Teiko. If Kise is this good in basketball after being trained by Tamaki, then how good will this Yamada Kotaro be?
"Tama trained him after all—he's bound to be good." Akashi said simply, and Kagami sweat dropped. He knew that already without Akashi needing to say it! "She trained Ryota too, and you saw how good he is." Akashi then looked at Kagami. "Yamada-kun plays the position of Point Guard, but he can play the position of Small Forward too. He's pretty much an all-rounder—Tama made sure of that. Before we became the Generation of Miracles, all of us are pretty much all-rounders too. At least until we started dominating the basketball circuit when we started blooming into our abilities."
Akashi sighed, remembering how stressed that both he and his cousin have been during their final two years, with the number of problems in the club that they have to handle. He was silent for several moments, recalling Tamaki's pride in her newest protégé, and how jealous Kise had been for several months when he'd learned that Tamaki had taken in a new student, with the childish blonde not liking the fact that he isn't Tamaki's only student. He had actually sulked for months after that, much to the regulars' amusement.
"Yamada-kun is a powerful player. If he had kept up with his training regimes, and even the way that he had trained like a madman even after we'd graduated, no doubt that he'll be on par with the level of the Generation of Miracles by now." Akashi said at last, much to Kagami's surprise. "He's your complete opposite." He told Kagami. "Your value power on the court. But Yamada-kun is more like Tama. She trained him herself—teaching him everything that he ever knew about basketball. He is bound to take on some of her traits—even incorporating some parts of her style into the way that he plays basketball." Akashi's lips quirked, remembering how the once shy and timid freshman had idolised Tamaki. "Much like Tama, his main weapon is his mind." He tapped the side of his head. "Like Tama, he is a tactician—a strategist. He incorporates tactics into his basketball style. Not as good and complex as Tama could definitely, but he is still pretty decent as a strategist. Probably on par with Satsuki's skill."
Kagami's eyes widened. Tamaki's protégé joining Seirin the year that he started high school? Just what are the odds? And why would a Teiko alumni—a student from the top middle school in Japan join a new school like Seirin who had been barely around for three years?
And then again, if this Yamada Kotaro did indeed join the Seirin Basketball Team, and if he indeed is Tamaki's protégé—having learned everything about basketball from the teal head, he might just be one of Seirin's main players in the future. Seirin will have a powerful trump card this way. They might just stand a chance at fulfilling their promise to Tamaki—the one that all of Seirin had swore last year, swearing to bring back the championship trophy to the teal head.
Kagami was silent for a long time. "Akashi," he spoke at last, and the shorter redhead looked at him with a raised brow. "We'll win this time." He promised, a determined look in his eyes. "Seirin will go to the championship league this time! We'll make it to the finals and win the championship cup for Tamaki! I swore it to her last year!"
Akashi's lips quirked slightly. "…Yeah, I'm looking forward to it," he said. "Make it to the finals this time, Kagami. You and Seirin. Show me what Tama had seen in Seirin that she is willing to bet everything that she had on them."
XXXXXX
"Yamada Kotaro, huh?" Aida Riko mused in the basketball clubroom, looking over the registration forms of the new basketball players that had joined them that year.
There are only three freshmen who had joined them that year—or at least, those that have passed Riko's final test aka shouting from the top of the rooftop—much to the amusement and semi embarrassment of the current second and third years—recalling the occasion when they have done it as freshmen.
One of the new freshmen had zero experience in basketball—having originally been a member of the kendo club when he was in middle school; the second had been a decent player in the second string of a middle tier basketball club. The last had been a shocker when Riko had first seen what he had put in his registration form: regular and vice-captain of Teiko.
Riko had probably stared at his form for nearly ten minutes without saying anything when Izuki had first handed the new registration forms of the new members to her—as if hoping she is reading wrong. Hyuuga, as the Seirin basketball club's captain had been with Riko when they were looking over the registration forms of the new players was gobsmacked as well. As Seirin is a pretty new team, they weren't expecting for any famous players to join them.
Seirin had gotten lucky when Tamaki had joined them. Now they got another Teiko alumni joining them? Just what are the odds?
"Teiko's vice-captain after Tamaki, huh?" Hyuuga murmured, feeling rather downcast upon the mention of their only female teammate who is currently still in the hospital due to the SAO incident. Everyone is slowly losing hope of the SAO victims ever waking from their 'comas', especially with the number of casualties occurring for the past year. Hyuuga looked at Riko. "Do you think…?" He trailed off slowly.
Riko nodded, having came to the same conclusion when she'd first seen Yamada Kotaro's registration form. While Yamada doesn't have as great a reputation as the Generation of Miracles, or Tamaki even, he does have some reputation amongst the middle school basketball circuit for the past year along with the next captain of Teiko after Akashi Seijuro when the Generation of Miracles have entered high school.
"He's Tamaki-chan's successor to the title of the vice-captain of the Teiko Basketball Club." Riko concluded. "Most likely, he's her protégé—her student."
"Riko…" Hyuuga murmured.
"Let's have a chat with him, shall we?" Riko asked with a small smile on her face. "I'm kind of interested to hear about what Tamaki-chan is like during her Teiko years. She is so tight lipped about her Teiko days when she'd first entered Seirin." She stacked the stack of documents together neatly as she said so. "I got a pretty good idea what had happened however." Riko added.
XXXXXX
Yamada Kotaro isn't too tall for a basketball player—probably reaching to Furihata's height at most, who at present, is the shortest player in the Seirin basketball club, excluding Tamaki who had been out of commission for a little more than a year. He is handsome in a way of speaking, with sleek black hair that falls by the sides of his face perfectly, with unique silver-blue eyes.
Riko and Hyuuga have both called for a club meeting the following Monday after the first week of the new school year when classes were let out for the day. All the members of the club were present—both current and new. Just like the previous year, this meeting is like an ice breaker kind of thing—to let the new members of the team know their seniors and vice-versa.
The other two new freshmen to the team—Fujisaki Sora and Nase Ichiro were both Yamada's classmates as well, and were naturally curious about their classmate and new teammate. While Ichiro isn't exactly familiar with the basketball circuit—having formerly been in his middle school's kendo club, Fujisaki is familiar with the basketball circuit, and had heard of Yamada. And even if he hadn't, who in Japan hadn't heard of Teiko Middle School?
"Well, I'm sure that everyone is curious about this…" Riko said after all the introductions were made all around. As one, every single pair of eyes in the gym turned towards Yamada, who much to his credit didn't so much as flinch. Not for the first time, the seniors of the team were reminded of Tamaki, and how she normally wouldn't react to anything. "Yamada-kun, you stated in your registration form that you were from Teiko Middle School, and had been the vice-captain of the basketball team?" Yamada nodded solemnly, meeting Riko's eyes. The brunette coach sighed. "I think you know what I'm going to ask you next," she said at last. "Did you come here…joining Seirin…because of Tamaki-chan? Kuroko Tamaki." She added, sounding really sad when their female teammate's name passed her lips.
The seniors of the basketball team looked upset at this point whilst Fujisaki recognised the name immediately—with the teal head having been the source of rumours and all ever since the Generation of Miracles have debuted during their second year when Kise Ryota had joined their team.
Yamada nodded solemnly, meeting Riko's eyes without any hesitance and fear in them. "I've heard of what had happened to the Vice-Cap—no, to Kuroko-sempai last year," he said, changing his form of address for his former vice-captain. "The SAO incident…" He trailed off slowly, and looks of realisation soon dawned on the looks of his fellow freshmen—the two realising now why their seniors looked as if a bucket of ice cold water had just been dumped on them.
"It was all over the news. The list of SAO victims was released to the public—and Kuroko-sempai's name had been amongst the list of the 10,000 victims trapped in the game. Everyone in Teiko learnt about it the moment that the government had released that bit of information—Kuroko-sempai, along with the rest of the Generation of Miracles and Momoi-sempai have been relatively famous and popular amongst the Teiko students." Yamada fell silent for several moments before opening his mouth once more. "You're right. You've probably deduced it by now, Coach. I'm the vice-captain of the Teiko basketball club after the Generation of Miracles have graduated and moved onto high school." He met Riko's eyes fearlessly, and the brunette coach then decided that she liked what she saw there. He reminds her of Tamaki—of her fearless and stubborn attitude, and that strong will. "I had been Kuroko-sempai's successor to the vice-captain position of the Teiko Basketball Club. I was her protégé—after Kise-sempai."
Kagami looked at Yamada.
When he'd first heard from Akashi that Yamada Kotaro had been his best friend's second student after Kise, he had been curious about the freshman definitely. The kid had reminded him of the teal head. His mannerisms were vaguely similar to Tamaki's—including the way that he always added a suffix after someone's name, and is so overly polite that it sometimes makes them uneasy. Only difference is that Yamada is more expressive, and he doesn't have that haunted look in his eyes that Tamaki had when she'd first entered Seirin—of a look that reminds Kagami sometimes of cracked glass. And unlike Tamaki, Yamada Kotaro doesn't have all that emotional baggage locked up inside him.
Emotional baggage that goes by the name of the Generation of Miracles.
"Why did you come to Seirin then?" Kagami asked gruffly, and his teammates looked at him with surprise. The redhead had been really silent during all past basketball club meetings and practices. The second years and third years knew why however. It had been nearly an entire year since the SAO incident, and everyone is slowly losing hope of ever rescuing the SAO victims, what with the list of casualties growing longer each day. "You're like Tamaki—a Teiko alumni, having hailed from the top middle school in Japan. You could have your pick of any top high school in Japan. I've heard of you before. You're not as well known as your seniors, but you still had some reputation to your name, being the vice captain of the Teiko Basketball Club after Tamaki. 'Magician' Yamada Kotaro. Any basketball team that had some reputation and fame to their name will be fighting tooth and nail to get you. Why did you choose Seirin, a new team and school that had been barely around for three years? And I seriously doubt that you had the same reasons that Tamaki did when she'd first joined Seirin."
Yamada was quiet for several moments as he surveyed Kagami. 'So this must be Kuroko-sempai's best friend,' he thought to himself, having noticed from the start that this redhead seems to be the most affected by Kuroko-sempai's condition than any of the others in Seirin. 'He reminds me a bit of how Aomine-sempai used to be like before he started growing tremendously in skill.'
Yamada was a little upset at remembering how upset his mentor and senior had been when Aomine-sempai had started growing so arrogant during the later half of their second year and the entirety of their third year, and didn't even care how much he had hurt his teammates in the process—particularly Tamaki and Momoi.
"…Momoi-sempai came to Teiko with Kise-sempai for a visit nearly two months after the SAO incident last year." Yamada answered at last. "She told the basketball team and Coach Kashitori what had happened to Kuroko-sempai. Kise-sempai even mentioned that Kuroko-sempai had attended Seirin High when Akira-kun—the captain after Akashi-buchou had asked." Yamada stared down at his clenched fists. "That's why I came here. My best friend—Nishi Akira had been Akashi-buchou's successor to the title of captain. He attends Rakuzan now—having won the only scholarship offered last year. I…just wanted to attend the same school that Kuroko-sempai did. That's all."
"It's your first time visiting Tamaki in the hospital then?" Kagami asked nearly an hour later after the team have decided to make their usual visit to their teammate. The remaining two freshmen have decided to tag along as well after hearing about the entire story from their seniors.
Kagami and Yamada have taken the rear of the team as the Seirin team as a whole took the bus that would take them to the Midorima Municipal Hospital where Tamaki is currently hospitalised, along with nearly two hundred SAO victims.
That had been the maximum number of SAO victims that the hospital could take in, as they have to worry about other patients too. Hence, the Japan government had to use several abandoned buildings that used to be hospitals or even schools and give it a full makeover to open it as rehabilitation centres and even hospitals for the SAO victims.
Hence, medical personnel and even computer experts have been pretty much in demand in Japan for the past year due to the SAO incident. Game creators have also been roped in to help the Japan government to figure out how to rescue the SAO victims or even shut down the NerveGear safely, but there hasn't been much luck as of yet.
Yamada nodded his head. "I didn't know where she is hospitalised," he admitted. "Furthermore, at that time, myself and Akira-kun were a little tied up with cleansing the basketball club. There was a huge mess left behind when the Generation of Miracles have graduated—and both Akira-kun and myself have decided to make good on our promise to Kuroko-sempai and Akashi-buchou to cleanse the club. Kuroko-sempai and Akashi-buchou did the best they could when they were still in Teiko—especially after the fiasco that had happened at the championship league, but there are way too many problems for them to handle." He admitted. "Honestly, I have no idea how they've done it. And I have no idea how we've even managed to iron out all the problems within the club in a year."
Kagami was quiet. He didn't know the full details of what had happened back in Teiko, and why the Generation of Miracles have fallen apart the way they did, but he had a pretty good idea what had happened from what little he'd heard from Akashi, Kise, Midorima and even Momoi who have also been regular visitors to Tamaki's ward.
"Tamaki trained you?" Kagami asked curiously, not noticing that the rest of his teammates in front of them have slowed down their pace in an effort to eavesdrop from the first moment when his best friend's name had passed from his lips. "What was she like in Teiko? She was never really all that forthcoming about her days in Teiko and as part of the Generation of Miracles." He added, sad, reminded once again of the fact that he really didn't know much about his best friend at all.
Yamada's lips quirked slightly. "…I entered the basketball club during my freshman year," he begun. "To start with, I only joined because of my best friend—Nishi Akira-kun. We were childhood friends, and I decided to follow him in joining the basketball club when he'd expressed an interest to join, especially after the news about Teiko emerging as champion of the three major basketball tournaments the previous year came out. But as I have no experience whatsoever in basketball, I was relegated to the third string whilst Akira-kun was placed in the first string. I was never really all that athletic and strong to begin with, and thus, I have difficulties trying to keep up with the harsh training regimes that Teiko had for their sports clubs, particularly the basketball team."
"Sounds a little like Tamaki." Koganei whispered to his teammates, all of them hanging onto every single word that Yamada had said, and the rest of Seirin nodded.
All of them were straining their ears in an effort to learn more about their teammate's past. It isn't just Tamaki who isn't all that forthcoming about her Teiko days—all the Generation of Miracles were suspiciously tight lipped about their middle school days—or at least, the members of the Generation of Miracles whom they have met thus far.
The ace of that monster team—Aomine Daiki hadn't shown his face even once all year. Seirin knew that Akashi had been really angry about that, and if he didn't have enough to worry about—what with Tamaki in the hospital and all, the redhead would likely go to Touou Academy and hunt down his former ace.
"Anyway, at some point, I was just ready to quit the basketball team and go back to being a violinist." Yamada smiled albeit sadly. "Akira-kun had been trying to persuade me for months. But during one of our discussions after a late training session, the Vice-Cap—Kuroko-sempai chanced upon us using the fourth gym." Seeing Kagami's puzzled expression, Yamada explained, "Teiko had four gyms alone for the basketball club. The first through third strings generally uses the first three gyms. The fourth gym is usually left vacant—save for the few occasions when the regulars use it for their own private training sessions. Anyway…" Yamada brought the topic back at hand, "It was about a week into the start of the Inter High when Kuroko-sempai chanced upon me in the fourth gym with Akira-kun. As the vice-captain, she had the responsibility to lock up all the gyms and the clubroom and make sure that no one is left behind. It is probably part of those duties that had led her to chancing upon me in the fourth gym when I was just about ready to quit the team." Yamada paused. "I don't know what she saw in me—a lowly third stringer who barely knew the differences between a dribble and a pass, but she took me on as her student and trained me—teaching me everything that I ever knew about basketball. I was…her protégé." He admitted, a small smile tugging at the ends of his lips. "I had been her student after Kise-sempai."
"Is this after Kise had completed his training under her?" Kagami asked with interest, recalling a few of Kise's numerous comments about how Tamaki had been his personal instructor before he had become a regular.
Yamada nodded. "It was around a week or so after the Inter High had begun," he said. "And as the vice-captain as well as the trainer for the non-regulars, Kuroko-sempai is bound to be busy with helping with the training regimes as well as her own training regimes with the rest of the regulars. I don't know where and how Kuroko-sempai found the time to train me, but she did—despite the hundreds of things that she is busy with. She's…a great teacher, and the best mentor that I could ever ask for—despite the harsh training regimes that she made me undergo. I can understand why Kise-sempai is so obsessed with her when I'd first started training under Kuroko-sempai."
"Yeah, along with his super obvious crush on Tamaki." Izuki whispered to Tsuchida who snickered.
"Under Kuroko-sempai's tutelage, I got promoted to the first string in just two months." Yamada said with a proud smile. "She helped me to find my own style, and to also hone it. Due to the fact that she'd actually taught me everything that I ever knew about basketball, some parts of my style is actually a tad bit similar to the 'Mirage' style that Kuroko-sempai uses. I had been…a tactical player—a strategist."
"Like Tamaki." Kagami realised.
Yamada nodded. "Due to the Generation of Miracles' overwhelming power, no one else had the chance to stand on the same court as them for the three years when they were in school," he said. "Kuroko-sempai and Akashi-buchou realises this. That…is probably the reason why they've started training certain first and second stringers that they saw with potential, hoping to prepare us to take over for the team once they've graduated—to keep up Teiko's winning streak. But…" He hesitated. "Things started going wrong during the second half of the year when the Generation of Miracles started growing too powerful."
"Yeah, I heard about it from Tamaki." Kagami admitted, recalling the little that Tamaki had actually told him. "She said that it's because of them that Teiko started becoming as feared as they are now."
Yamada nodded his head solemnly. "Even after Kuroko-sempai and the others have graduated, that fear had never diminished in the least," he said. "Honestly, the events that had occurred at the championship league match when both Akashi-buchou and Kuroko-sempai have sat out of that game due to a head concussion that Kuroko-sempai had suffered from during the semi-finals game is the last straw. I feel that if the club and the team haven't needed Kuroko-sempai as much as we did, she would likely have walked right out of the club after the championship league."
By this time, the bus had arrived at their destination, and all of Seirin alighted, heading straight to the pure white building that is the Midorima Municipal Hospital. All of Seirin—save for the three freshmen—knew just where to go, having visited their teammate so many times throughout the past year. The CDC wing of the hospital had now been renamed as the SAO wing, currently housing nearly two hundred SAO victims—all currently linked up to a life support system to keep their bodies alive by inserting the necessary nutrients into their bodies.
Only the certified doctors and nurses were allowed to care for the victims, trying to keep them alive as long as possible until the players could somehow beat the game or the Japan government's SAO Task Force figured out a way to rescue the trapped players—whichever comes first.
The nurse in change of the visitor check-in counter knew all of Seirin by now, particularly Kagami who had been a frequent visitor—coming to visit his teammate and best friend every single day—rain or shine, and she smiled at them as Riko wrote in their names on the visitors' log, including the ward room number and the patient whom they would be visiting.
The route towards Tamaki's ward room was then filled with silence until they stopped in front of a room with the name plaque 'Kuroko Tamaki' hanging on the wall beside the door. Kagami paused before sliding the door opened and entering, being followed by the rest of his teammates—with the three freshmen right behind the rest of them.
"Tamaki, I've brought the rest of the team with me today." Kagami approached the lithe figure lying on the bed—his tall figure preventing the three freshmen in the team from seeing their senior for now. "It's the start of the new school year. The basketball season is beginning soon."
"Well freshmen…" Hyuuga sighed heavily, even as he slid the door shut behind him—with the thirteen basketball players trying to take up as little space as possible in order to fit everyone in the room. "This is your senior—the only one whom you hadn't met yet. If things have been different, she would have been the one training you freshmen—the way that she did for the team last year."
Kagami turned his head over his shoulder to face the rest of the team, a small sad smile tugging at the ends of his lips before he then stepped away, allowing the rest of the team—including the freshmen to see their senior.
Yamada's eyes widened a slight fraction in shock, along with his two fellow freshmen.
There, lying on the bed is Kuroko Tamaki, but there is a vast difference from the teal head that they've seen in the team picture of the Seirin basketball team taken last year, as compared to the person lying in the bed now. Kuroko Tamaki had always been petite and small in size, but right now, the person lying on the bed looks so frail and almost unhealthy.
The nutrients that were fed to Tamaki via the IV tube in her arm helps to keep her body alive. But going for nearly an entire year without sunlight and solid food, and even without the necessary exercise had caused the muscles that she had developed from basketball training to deteriorate. Whatever that they could see of her face beneath the NerveGear was pale, with her cheekbones almost hollow. Her once shoulder length teal hair had also reached down to her hips by now. The bones of her fingers could almost be seen. In fact, the teal head looks almost like a skeleton masquerading as a human being.
Yamada gasped, not really prepared to see his mentor and idol in this state. Sure, he had heard of how bad that things have been for the SAO victims from the news and even from articles on the Net, but this is still the first time that he is seeing the state that the SAO victims are in for real.
"Kuroko-sempai…" Yamada murmured, shocked.
"This is horrible…" Fujisaki whispered, staring with wide eyes at what would have been their senior and mentor in the Seirin Basketball Club if only the SAO incident hadn't occurred.
The second and third years said nothing, exchanging upset looks with each other before turning their eyes back towards the bed where their teammate is lying in. Just how long had it been now? Has it really been an entire year since Tamaki and the other 10,000 players have been trapped in the game? Just when was it? When was it when they'd started to get used to Tamaki not being around?
Furihata felt a pang in his heart at that, seeing the forlorn look in Kagami's eyes. Anyone could have easily mistaken Kagami for being in love with Tamaki, but all of Seirin knew better. The two were best friends—despite only having known each other for a few short months. But it's like there is this chemistry between them. The two just understood each other so well. Hence when Tamaki was trapped in the game, Kagami had looked as if the world had just come to an end—hearing that his best friend and sister was trapped in a death game.
Heavens knows how many times that Kagami had cussed out Kayaba Akihiko every single time that the SAO incident was mentioned on the news or even in some magazine and newspaper. But after several months, that boiling rage and anger had turned to desperation, sadness and even loneliness.
Losing their matches and then getting themselves kicked out of the Inter High last year didn't help either. It wasn't until near the end of last year when all of Seirin had swore to avenge their loss at the Inter High this time, vowing to bring back the championship cup to Tamaki, and to help her fulfil her promise to beat the Generation of Miracles when Seirin had seen that fierce fire in Kagami's eyes once more.
Then the news about the SAO forum reaches their ears, and all of Seirin had eagerly checked Tamaki's member page every single day. She doesn't often post anything—but the few times when she did post something, Kagami had treasured it, and had read each word carefully—almost savouring each word that the teal head had written.
"We'll fulfil our promise to you. Definitely." Kagami swore, his eyes burning with that familiar fire even as he dropped down into the visitor chair by the bed, taking Tamaki's thin and frail hand with his own large ones, careful not to tug on the IV line. "We'll bring back the championship cup this year. We'll beat the Generation of Miracles for you."
"Tamaki-chan, these are the new freshmen that had joined the team this year." Riko stepped up next, a sad smile on her face.
All of them knew that there is no way for Tamaki to hear them—this isn't like a patient in a coma when they are still aware of the world around them, like what Dr. Midorima had said once. The NerveGear over their head blocks out all the signals, transporting their mind and soul into the world of the game itself. Whilst they're within the game, they're literally dead to the world. Oh sure, their bodies are still functioning, but that is as far as it goes.
"We only got three new freshmen this year, but they got some serious potential." Riko continued. When had it begun? When have they started talking to Tamaki whenever they came for their visits like how Kagami did? The redhead had stubbornly continued his one-sided conversations with Tamaki, stating once that he won't pretend that Tamaki isn't here. "You should know one of them as well." She smiled at Yamada. "We were shocked too when we heard that a Teiko alumni had decided to join Seirin too. And here we thought that you're the only one crazy enough to do that."
"Fujisaki Sora." Fujisaki murmured, feeling rather awkward at introducing himself to a supposedly comatose patient. "Nice to meet you, sempai."
"Nase Ichiro." Nase murmured from next to him.
Yamada stepped up next, his eyes fixated on Tamaki's prone form, looking as if he is about to break down at any moment. "…Kuroko-sempai, I've joined Seirin," he begun, feeling a lump form in his throat. "I…really want to attend the same school and team as you—just like back in middle school. I…" His lips trembled before a fierce determination entered his eyes once more. "I'll make another promise to you—as myself and Akira-kun have both fulfilled our promise to you and Akashi-buchou to cleanse the Teiko Basketball Club. I'll help Seirin to the best of my ability. I'll bring Seirin to be Number One in Japan."
The eyes of the second and third years widened when they heard that strangely familiar statement.
"I'll bring Seirin to be the Number One in Japan!"
Yamada smiled sadly. "I only wish…that you could have seen me grow as a basketball player, sempai," he murmured. "To see how much I've grown from that time when I was a freshman, and you had taken on a freshman with zero knowledge and experience in basketball, training me to take a place in the first string in just two months—even naming me as your successor to the vice-captain position—trusting me to lead the club in your place. The team that you and Akashi-buchou have built up with your own hands. I… I'm not as skilled as you as a tactician, Kuroko-sempai. But I swear to you. I'll do my best. I'll bring Seirin to the top in Japan, if it's the last thing I do."
XXXXXX
Kise Ryota came to visit that very Saturday, bringing with him a bouquet of Siberian squill—short April bloomers with cobalt blue hanging flowers. Nestled amongst those pretty blue flowers are various iris cristata, blue phlox and even several white forget-me-nots nestled in the center of the bouquet.
The blonde had gone to visit the florist's where Tamaki used to work. Upon hearing whom the bouquet is for, the shop owner had immediately made up a bouquet consisting of various blue and white flowers, selling it to Kise at a discounted rate.
Visiting hours had just begun for the day, though Kise knew that he would likely find either Kagami or Akashi already in Tamaki's room. His former captain would all but camp in his cousin's room whenever he returns to Tokyo for the weekends. It had been way worse last year during the early months of the SAO incident however. And if not for Mibuchi Reo and Yuki-san, Akashi would likely work himself until he collapses.
The blonde raised an eyebrow as he spotted two vaguely familiar teens in the waiting area just outside of Tamaki's room, talking in low tones with each other. The blonde then blinked as he neared them, and the two obviously younger teens looked up.
"Yamada-kun? And…Nishi-kun?" Kise asked unsurely, recognising the two as Akashi and Tamaki's successors as the leaders of the Teiko Basketball Club when they've graduated.
Nishi Akira, a handsome male with sleek black hair that looks almost midnight blue and gray eyes nodded to Kise politely. "It's been a long time, Kise-sempai," he greeted politely. "We've just visited Kuroko-sempai ourselves. We'll leave you and Akashi-buchou to it." He then bowed to Kise politely before leaving the hallway with Yamada following his best friend.
Kise stared at the departing backs of his once juniors before sliding the door to Tamaki's room opened and entering. As expected, Akashi is already present, sitting in the visitor chair beside his cousin's bed, telling her about how his week had went, and what is going on in the real world now.
"Akashi-cchi." Kise nodded to Akashi politely before placing the bouquet that he had bought with him into the flower vase on the nightstand next to Tamaki's hospital bed. "I've just met Yamada-kun and Nishi-kun outside. Never thought that I'll see them here." He admitted, sitting into the chair beside Akashi and gazing forlornly at Tamaki's prone form. What is going on in the game now?
"Akira is a new player in my team this year." Akashi said. "He won the only scholarship offered by Rakuzan. And from what I know, Yamada had joined Seirin this year. I'm not really all that surprised." He chuckled. "He had idolised Tama so much—even back when he was a freshman in Teiko."
Kise fell silent. He didn't know what to say for several moments before something came to the fore of his mind just then—of a message that he'd seen posted by one of the SAO victims trapped in the game in the SAO forum.
"I've seen something posted on the SAO forum last night." Kise begun, pulling out his tablet from his bag, and Akashi turned his attention towards the blonde with that comment. The blonde was busy with his tablet for several moments, bringing up the page from his bookmarks and passed the tablet to Akashi who took it curiously. "It was posted about two days ago. Several others have made mention of the same incident. Seems like one of those 'red players'—Laughing Coffin or something had made an attack on a guild leader." Kise read the words posted. The blonde then eyed Akashi carefully as his face darkened considerably. "The guild leader of Phantom Blue, Tsuyu. It's Tamacchi. But she is still alive clearly."
"…Says here that some of the other guilds are talking about their leaders getting furious because of this attack on Tama." Akashi said after a long pause, trying to get his anger under control, reading some of the comments, and even some of the other posts by the SAO players. "There is talk about going after the Laughing Coffin guild." He frowned. "Let's hope it doesn't backfire in their faces." He murmured before flicking through the various posts in the SAO forum absently, going to Shigehiro's member page.
Akashi's eyes then widened when he saw a few photos posted by Shigehiro since the last time that he'd visited his page. One is a photo probably of their entire guild, as apart from Tamaki and Shigehiro, he doesn't recognise the rest of their faces. His eye then twitched as he noticed that Tamaki seems to be the only girl there. And then, he saw the latest photo—just posted several hours earlier. It is a photo of Tamaki and Shigehiro—both were smiling at the camera—identical silver rings gleaming on their fingers.
Akashi read the rather long post by Ciav—Shigehiro, and he then managed a small smile. "About damn time, Shige," he murmured. "Can't say that I never saw this coming." His smile then turned extremely frightening, causing Kise who is beside him to let out a squeak of fright. "But you have a lot of explaining to do once you're out of the game."
XXXXXX
At least I can say that I'm the only teenager in Japan who had probably fulfilled his childhood dream of marrying his childhood sweetheart—at the age of sixteen—in a game. Seijuro, before you kill me, I do have plans of asking for your permission when I asked Tsuyu out, but it really isn't really possible right now.
But you know me, and you know that I would never hurt her. I'll sooner cut off my own arms before I do that. Once we get out of the game, I'll ask your permission for real. You've probably heard already from several of the other posts on the forum, but there had been talks of a raid group being formed to hunt down Laughing Coffin to prevent any further deaths in the game.
I'll protect Tsuyu, I swear. I won't let anything happen to her. I don't think you have anything to worry about anyway, as Tsuyu isn't that weak. She is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She isn't our guild leader for nothing.
We haven't given up yet, Seijuro. We're still searching for a way out. All of us are aiming for the top. We're coming home. All of us.
I promise.
Posted on 21 April 2024 | 03:23AM | Poster: Ciav
A/N: This is one of my longer chapters, and has more of a focus on Yamada and Seirin. Yamada is not going to replace Tamaki in Seirin, fear not. He is not going to take her place in their team—in their hearts. And neither is he going to be Kagami's best friend. I'm still thinking of what to do with him in future chapters. Next chapter had a little of a stand down between Tamaki and Heathcliff, and also maybe the raid on Laughing Coffin.
Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!