hey guys! as usual, I'm really sorry for the late update ;u;. School started right after new years and I'm really busy with homework and revision and shit jf;askdfj. unfortunately, it'll only get worse as the year progresses OTL

I apologize if this chapter turned out a little worse than usual or if it brought disappointment to you guys because writing with a half-dead brain honestly isn't the easiest thing in the world lol. So if this update turned out lacking in quality or whatever, I'm really sorry.

on the side note, thanks so much for the 100+ follows everyone! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST I STG fASDFKA:LSD THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT (o;TωT)o

KuroBasu isn't mine, feel free to point out my mistakes, and thanks a ton in advance for reading!

Kagami held his breath for so long, he thought he was going to faint from oxygen deprivation.

The tension in the air was so thick, he figured it wouldn't exactly make a difference if he breathed or not. The whole world seemed to stop working; making the already suffocating silence even worse. The supposedly crisp winter air felt as thick and choking as its summer counterpart, the warm sun now feeling like a glaring spotlight. Kagami felt so uncomfortable and awkward standing there that it was all he could do not to break the silence by excusing himself to the restrooms so he could be out of this.

The four of them had been completely wordless ever since Kuroko's unexpectedly calm greeting to Aomine. The pair were staring so intently at each other that Kagami wouldn't be surprised if they'd completely forget that they were standing stark in the middle of the road at the entrance of the gym where people were starting to look out in curiosity to see what's going on. Kagami felt like time had been trickling on earlier, but now it seemed to be refusing to pass at all. Somebody say something already, sheesh!

"Tetsu-kun's here to see you, Aomine-kun," Momoi said at last, probably unable to stand the silence any more than Kagami. Ah, so he was the guy Kuroko had been so damn worried about. Hearing the girl's words, Aomine's expression hardened once more, morphing back into that bored, sleepy look that Kagami had wanted to punch off his face less than a minute ago.

"Well too bad," Aomine said with slightly forced indifference. It was easy to tell he was forcing his tone thanks to the tightness in his voice. "I don't want to see him."

"Aomine-kun-" Momoi started to protest, but Kuroko stopped her with a raise of his hand before she could say anything else. When he turned back to the taller boy, there was no evident change in his expression, not even the look in his eyes. He looked amazingly calm for something who was casually turned down like that.

"Daiki-kun," he began, and this time, he was the one being cut off. Funny how it only took the tanned boy a few words to cause Kagami's temper to flare again.

"Now you look here, punk," Kagami said, grabbing the collar of Aomine's shirt and roughly pulling him towards himself. Scarlet eyes glared straight into midnight blue ones. "I did not travel a hundred miles away from home with this guy here just to discover that you're too spoilt to even talk to an old friend who'd been so worried about you that it was practically draining the energy out of him. I did not willingly take a two hour train ride with a friend who needed my help just to find the person he was supposed to see brushing him off and expecting him to go home after all he'd done and been through. I did not come all the way here just to have you treating something who cares so much about you like that. So I don't care what's going on with you and if you're going through your teen angst or whatever, but you two are going to have a talk, like it or not."

Despite Kagami's threatening tone, Aomine still had the nerve to smirk. "And who are you to tell me what I should and should not do?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he yelped in pain, tearing himself free from Kagami's grasp when he recoiled from the impact. Kagami was confused, until he saw that Kuroko had moved to stand nearer to them, the fingers on his right hand still straightened and pressed together. He'd jabbed Aomine in the side, and probably not very gently too, considering how hard the latter winced.

"What the hell was that for, Tetsu?" Aomine demanded once he'd recovered enough, his hands nursing his assaulted area. The said boy only stared back coldly at him, letting his own hand fall back to his side. He seemed to be done with the former's antics.

"You being an idiot," he answered simply. "What were you thinking when you did all those stupid things?"

"Satsuki told you everything, huh?" Aomine said flatly before looking away and breaking into a soft sigh. "Not that I expect you to understand how I feel."

"I can if you're willing to talk to me about it," Kuroko told him, and initially, Aomine was still insistent on being left alone, refusing to turn back to the former. But from where he faced, Momoi glared up at him hard, her eyebrows knitted and her the corners of her mouth turned downwards in a slight frown. She seemed to be sending him a silent message. Just do it. Just hear each other out.

"Dai-chan."

Maybe it was the tone of her voice. Maybe it was the expression she was wearing. Maybe it was just him. Aomine's eyes hesitantly flickered back to the pale boy, the fight in them gone abruptly. It was also around that moment that Kagami felt the urgent need to leave before he found himself in the situation he'd been painstakingly trying to avoid all this while. But where should he go? Maybe he should head back outside to the courtyard and sit on a random stone bench in one of the gardens while he waited? His dilemma was solved when Momoi took him by the hand, and silently motioned for him to follow her into the gym. Kagami was reluctant to do so at first - people were practicing in there, after all - but with a reassuring nod from the girl, he gave in and began to remove his shoes.

He hoped this wouldn't take too long.

xXx

Kuroko might look calm and collected on the outside, but in reality, he felt as if his heart was about to bang its way right through his ribcage and leap out of his chest.

More than anything, he was worried. Worried that he'll say the wrong thing and make things worse. Worried that he'll screw up and ruin everything for both Daiki and himself. He didn't want that. Daiki had already went through enough. Their relationship had become fragile over the years they'd spent apart. He was afraid that one wrong word would end up straining the already fading bonds between them and cause them to disappear completely.

But he mustn't think off all that now. Not now of all times.

Kuroko trailed behind Aomine as the tanned boy led them out to the main garden for more privacy. Neither fancied discussing about life with an all-too eager audience, after all. They walked all the way to the very edge of the carefully tended garden and sat down on the grass under a shady tree, side by side. Looking from another perspective, Kuroko couldn't help thinking how the school looked even bigger than before. It helped to be distracted, even if it was for little a while. It probably wasn't healthy for his heart to beat that fast for a long period of time.

"The weather's great today."

Kuroko turned back to his companion, raising an eyebrow. Daiki was commenting on the weather? He must've been even more nervous about the whole thing than him. For some reason, knowing that he wasn't the only one on the verge of freaking out calmed him down.

"It is," Kuroko agreed, exhaling a slow breath through his nose. He closed his eyes and let the breeze caress his cheeks, allowing himself to enjoy the temporary peacefulness of the moment. The familiar bitter cold suddenly felt strangely comforting. When he opened his eyes again, he realized Aomine was staring at the horizon, his gaze faraway. Up close, he looked very, very tired.

"Daiki-kun?"

Aomine blinked, then glanced questioningly at him through the corner of his eye. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

Kuroko's sudden question must've taken him aback, judging from his reaction. It was just something simple, just a mere inquiry on his wellbeing. Was he alright after everything? Was he still strong enough to handle it? It was something so simple, yet the look on his face told Kuroko that Aomine had not been asked that much all this while. Momoi might have asked a few times. His parent's might've, too. But knowing him, he'd probably distanced himself away from them and lied. He'd probably lied and told them he was okay, that he didn't need their concern. But now that that question was coming from someone he didn't expect he would meet again; someone he thought he'd left behind; someone whom he held so dear in his childhood, the walls he'd built around his heart slowly crumbled, and his true emotions gradually leaked out.

"Okay?" A mirthless laugh escaped his lips, and he raked his hand through his hair, willing himself to keep the feelings at bay. Whoa. What's this? His chest felt like it was constricting. No way. He was not going to cry. He was way too manly for that. He wasn't a kid anymore. He couldn't afford to cry over little things like this. "Honestly, no."

"It must've been painful," Kuroko said, his voice a whisper. There was a tug in his own heart. It really must have been painful. Putting up with every single thing that'd happened to him couldn't have been easy, not even for something like him. Even strong people had their limits.

"It was," Aomine admitted, settling his gaze at the tiny flowers by his feet. His hands curled into tight fists by his sides. "It was just.. frustrating, you know. I mean, what did I even do to deserve all that?"

"You didn't, Daiki-kun," Kuroko assured, resisting the urge to reach out and hold his hand. The timing just wasn't right. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"It's not like I asked for it," Aomine continued as if the shorter boy had not spoken at all, caught up in his own thoughts. Thoughts that he'd pushed to the very depths of his mind with so much effort over the years. "I didn't ask to be born looking like this. I didn't ask to be treated differently just because I look a little darker than everybody else. I didn't even ask for anyone to notice me! All I wanted was for them to leave me alone and mind their own stupid businesses." He paused, biting hard on his lower lip. The next words were difficult to say aloud. The feeling was still there; the raw, unfading ache. The gaping hole in his heart that he was sure he'd never be able to fill. Not anymore.

When he found the courage to speak again, he sounded brittle even to his own ears. Yeah, that was how he felt. Brittle. "And all I ever wanted was to keep enjoying basketball."

Kuroko took his hand then, unable to say anything more. Not after hearing that; that one single sentence that carried so much agony that all he could do was not pull him into his embrace to comfort him. Kuroko knew just how utterly precious basketball had been for Aomine. He knew. He knew how he would still manage to hold himself together and endure everything as long as the sport wasn't involved. It wasn't just painful; it had to be excruciating, to end up hating something he'd loved with all his life.

"You know what, Tetsu?" Aomine said, finally addressing his companion. Despite that, his attention did not leave the spot he'd been staring at ever since the conversation started. "There are times when I envy you."

"And why is that so?" Kuroko asked softly, unable to keep the confusion out of his voice. Throughout his whole childhood, he'd always, always admired the person named Daiki in the orphanage he stayed in. Daiki was like the ideal boy; with his outgoing personality and loud voice and overflowing energy and enthusiasm. He was everything Kuroko was not; tall, strong, talented. If there was anyone to be jealous of, it was definitely not Kuroko; Kuroko, who was not tall, strong nor talented. He, who was often compared to a girl because of his frail body, pale complexion and big eyes. He, who often wished he would grow up as tall and strong as his friend Daiki.

"Why..huh?" Aomine mused, almost laughing at the irony himself. "Because you're you, I guess. Because you hardly ever stand out. Because you're able to enjoy even the littlest things. Because you're just.. just so normal."

"It's not always fun, being me." Kuroko smiled wistfully to himself, averting his gaze. "But I try my best."

"See? You can still try your best even though you don't like it," Aomine said, then breathed a long, weary sigh. "I don't even want to try anymore."

"Don't say that," Kuroko said, frowning slightly as his gaze flickered back to the boy beside him. "Don't give up yet."

"How am I supposed to blind myself with false hopes when the truth is right there glaring at my face?" Aomine faced him at last, and at the moment when their eyes met, Kuroko could barely stop himself from wincing. Those dark eyes which were once filled with life, warmth and dreams, were now empty and anguished. Pleading. Pleading for an answer that would save him, save his heart from breaking into millions of unfixable pieces. "There's no point anymore, Tetsu, don't you understand that? I've already tried again and again." A humorless smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "You wouldn't believe it, but I'd once thought of you, Tetsu, and it wasn't just because Satsuki told me to. I thought of what you'd say if you saw me in this pitiful state. I thought that you'd probably hit me and tell me not to give up until the very end. To keep trying and hope for things to turn out." He took in a breath, and when he spoke again, his voice quavered. "But you know what? I couldn't do it. I can't feel the thrill of playing even if I use all my strength to force myself to. Everyone's just so damn weak! I just couldn't see the point of it anymore. The only one who can beat me is me. Even I know that that's a fact that can't be changed."

"But if you give up now, then you'll never be able to find someone who can," Kuroko argued, tightening his grip on his companion's hand. "It's a big world, Daiki-kun. There has to be someone out there who can stand up to you."

"How can you be so sure?" Aomine challenged back, seeming completely unconvinced by Kuroko's statement.

"I can't," Kuroko told him, in all honesty. "But being pessimistic will only bring you nowhere in life. That's what I'd learnt. Things are impossible only if you keep believing they are."

Aomine shifted his gaze again, keeping his silence as he considered his pale friend's words. Was there still hope, even for him? Will there be a chance for him to feel that flutter in his chest again? For him to actually be able to play with all his heart again? It all sounded almost too good to be true; sounded like a fairytale.

Seeing the doubtful look on his face, Kuroko desperately searched for another idea; something more solid and possible. What else could he do other than talk? Inviting him for a one-on-one would be useless because he sucked at basketball so bad even he wanted to cry when he thought of it. So no, playing against him was out of the question. There had to be something else he could do. There had to be. He'd come so far! Think, think!

The idea came abruptly, but Kuroko's excitement hardly lasted for two seconds. It wasn't enough, wasn't foolproof. There were no guarantees for success. But he had to try. He was the one who talked about how being negative would change nothing. There wasn't much time. He had to give everything a try while he still could. If that didn't work, then he'd just have to think of something else.

He had to try.

"Actually, Daiki-kun," he started, breaking the brief moment of silence that had formed between them. "I have an idea."

xXx

"You're Teikou's Kagami Taiga, aren't you?"

Kagami blinked, surprised that a stranger actually recognized him. "Well, yeah. How did you know?"

"I've seen you featured in magazines a few times before," Momoi turned to him and said with a small smile. "By the way, I'm Momoi Satsuki. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same here, I guess," Kagami said, scratching the back of his neck. He really, really hated formalities. He gazed at the sight of dozens of teenagers practicing in front of him, a figure at the opposite side of the gym catching his eye. The guy seemed to be waving at them, and Kagami raised an eyebrow. Nah, he probably wasn't the one they were trying to motion over.

"I think that guy there is calling you," he said, and Momoi let out an undignified squeak, abruptly remembering that she'd been wanted just now.

"Give me a moment, will you? I'll be right back," she told him, and Kagami was just about to say that he was okay being left alone for the rest of the time he'll spend there when she hurried off to where the waving guy was. Huh. There goes his plans for keeping a low profile. The guys playing in the nearest court were already stealing glances at him whenever they thought he wasn't looking. Kagami heaved a sigh and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. This was going to be a long, long day.

As he stood there with nothing better to do, he let his thoughts wander off. So that guy just now was the person Kuroko was looking for, was the person who gave him all those days of constant anxiety. Kagami didn't know what was the guy's -Aomine, or something?- problem, but he couldn't help thinking; was he really worth all their trouble? All Kagami needed was a ten-minute conversation with him and he'd already developed an ever-growing urge to smack that smugness off his face. Preferably with something closely resembling a brick in both shape and hardness. Seriously, that guy had some real issues.

But Kagami had caught a glimpse of another side of him too; one that wasn't masked with arrogance and apathy. It was enough to let him know that his issues had their sources, that he was how he was now because of reasons. As much as Kagami wanted to stay mad at him so that he could really hit him the next time he sees him, he couldn't. Not completely. There was just something about seeing that fractured look in the eyes of a fellow basketballer that got to him. Kagami still didn't know what was going on, but he was sure that Kuroko had made the best choice travelling so far just so he could talk with his childhood friend - contrary to his earlier doubts. Aomine sure looked like he could use some extra moral support, he had to admit.

Kagami caught himself and stopped his train of thoughts, realizing that perhaps he was getting a little too involved in the business of another. He was only there to accompany Kuroko, not to discover the past of his friends or whatnot. Another sigh escaped his lips. But really. As much as he tried to stop himself, he couldn't stop from wondering how it'd be if he had someone who cared so much about him that they'd be willing to go hundreds of miles away from their comfort zone just to see him. How did it feel like, to be genuinely worried over like that? Would he be touched? Or mad, maybe, because he'd feel like he wasn't worth the effort and time? Or would he be overwhelmed to know that there was still someone there for him when he needed them to be?

He honestly didn't know. All he knew was how lucky Aomine was to have someone like Kuroko to cherish him enough to do so much for his sake.

"Sorry for the wait!" Momoi's voice snapped him out of his reverie, and he blinked, his gaze focusing on the pink-haired girl that was making her way over. He wasn't exactly sure, but it felt like she'd only been gone for a little while, barely fifteen minutes. It didn't feel that long to him, really.

"Where were we again?" Momoi asked once she'd come to a stop, huffing once before straightening up and brushing a lock of stray hair behind her ear. Kagami didn't realize it before, but he noticed she looked pretty haggard herself; with bags under her eyes and her shoulders slightly slumped forward in exhaustion. Kagami guessed she was the manager of the club - and the only one, at that, since there weren't any other girls or people who looked as free. It must've been undoubtedly draining, to handle such a large club full of males all by herself.

"We were just introducing ourselves," Kagami said without much enthusiasm. He wasn't exactly keen on starting a potentially endless conversation because come on, they were both tired. They probably should spend some time to recover some energy before they end up collapsing later or something.

But Momoi clearly did not have the same ideas because she immediately launched herself into another talk once she remembered what she'd wanted to say earlier. "Ah, that's right! Kagami-kun's a power forward too, right?"

Too? Kagami raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Why?"

Instead of answering him, Momoi dug into the pocket of her sweater and brought out a small notebook. She rapidly flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for.

"Your physical stats and personal records are quite good," she muttered, her eyes scanning the contents of her book. Her sentences weren't questions anymore, but statements. Unnervingly accurate statements. "You're occasionally a starting member in your team despite being promoted to the first string only recently, and your specialty are power jumps and dunks. You're a hundred and eighty-five centimeters tall and you weigh seventy-seven kilograms. Your worst subject is Japanese language and despite staying in America for the whole of your life until you moved here three years ago, your English is pretty bad too. Your preferred shoe brand is Nike Air Jordan and you wear a size 27.5 -" she stopped, realizing that she was probably freaking the redhead out pretty badly by spouting all these facts out of the sudden. Judging from the way Kagami stared at her with his eyes wide and mouth hanging half open, she was a little too late.

"Sorry," she apologize sheepishly, closing the notebook and stuffing it back into her pocket. "Got carried away."

It took Kagami several tries before he could find his voice again . "How did you..?"

"Hmm? I specialize in scouting and collecting information," Momoi explained, not without a tinge of pride in her voice. "Some of it are common knowledge, while the others are just something I happened to discover when I looked up about you. It's my job as the manager to identify and know the opponents that my team would potentially face, after all."

She smiled, and it was then that Kagami had the feeling he'd just befriended someone very terrifying and dangerous. Sure, some of the things she said really were the basic stuff that one could find out easily like his height and weight and specialties, but his best subject and preferred shoe brand? And shoe size, even? He'd seen stalkers that were less scary. He'd been featured in magazines once or twice, but they were all just short interviews that didn't reveal much of his personal information. His whole life suddenly felt exposed, and unease washed over him. Was that really all she knew? What if she knew more about him than he himself ever did? The thought of it alone was enough to make him shudder.

"But honestly speaking," Momoi continued, either not noticing the redhead's discomfort or simply choosing to ignore it. There was a change in her tone now; her voice turning more serious, the cheeriness gone. Even someone as dense as Kagami could feel the difference in the air. "It's not like I'm doing this a hundred percent for the club."

"Is it Aomine?" Kagami took a wild guess and blurted out without thinking. Belatedly, he realized that perhaps that wasn't exactly the smartest move, but Momoi only averted her gaze to the side and pressed her lips together in a barely restrained grimace.

"Yes," was all she said before drifting into a lapse of silence, lost in her own thoughts. Kagami wasn't willing to pry, so he didn't. He didn't need to know about matters that didn't concern him. He'd already decided to stay out of this as much as he could help it. He didn't need to know any more than he did.

He would not ask.

The lack of words between them was just about to start making things awkward when the entrance door opened. Kagami reflexively turned to see Kuroko stepping in with Aomine tailing behind him. Compared to the time when they met earlier, the tanned boy looked more subdued, his cocky expression gone. Kagami couldn't help but wonder if the conversation between them worked out or not. It was difficult to tell by just looking at their faces.

"Tetsu-kun! Aomine-kun! You're back!" Momoi greeted, failing to keep the worry out of her voice as she hurried over to join them. Kuroko faced her, but Aomine only continued staring at a spot on the floor, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his shorts.

"Momoi-san," Kuroko said, his voice still impossibly his usual monotone. How the heck does he even do that? Kagami couldn't help but wonder. "I apologize, but can I ask for a favor?"

He lowered his voice then, and Kagami was standing too far off to hear what he said after that. The noisy environment didn't help. Kagami wouldn't even have been bothered if it wasn't for the occasional glances that were thrown his way. Were they talking about him? He had a bad feeling about this. It only got worse when Kuroko started heading his way after finishing their brief discussion while Momoi jogged off somewhere. Seriously? They were really going to drag him into this?

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko started, and Kagami braced himself - though he wasn't really sure what he was bracing himself for. The shorter boy came to a stop before him, and it was at that moment that Kagami noticed. His demeanor might look the same as it always had been, but Kagami saw something else in his eyes. He'd seen that look before; that look of silent pleading. Oh, dear. He was definitely not going to be able to refuse this.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked before Kuroko had the chance to say anything else, hoping he didn't sound too unwilling. He honestly didn't want to burden the guy with any more feelings of guilt and helplessness. The surprised look he received at first made him think that maybe he'd gotten the wrong idea and that Kuroko had just been trying to tell him something else, but the apology that followed soon after proved him wrong.

"S'okay, man. I don't actually mind that much," Kagami assured, and to his own amazement, that did not feel like a lie. He really did not mind at all. Kuroko didn't seem convinced by his words, but he forced down his reluctance, and locking eyes with him, he asked in his usual straightforward manner;

"Kagami-kun, could you play a one-on-one with Daiki-kun?"