Chapter 28


Himuro, Atsushi and Yuri were going to Tokyo on their day off. Of course it was Yuri's suggestion as she wanted to watch Himuro and Atsushi play together in an actual match.

"Atsushi did you know Tatsu's mother is famous?"

Himuro twitched in irritation. For the last three days Yuri hadn't stopped talking about his mother. She picked any empty moment or connected events to his mother and continued. Atsushi had given up listening to her blabber and Himuro too was tired.

"Will you stop talking about her?! What about you? You're rich. How much money do you make without working at all every month?"

She put her arms behind her neck.

"Heh. What does money have to do with it now?"

"What does my mother have to do with us?"

"She's just a nice woman."

"I know how nice she is!"

"Why can't you be like her?!"

"I am like her! I am nice! Give me back the waffles I made you this morning. Did you even count how many you ate?"

"It's your fault for making them so delicious. And count? That's so cheap."

"There! there! That's exactly what a rich person would say!"

The fight continued through the entire journey and Atsushi tuned them both out. It was already decided that Atsushi wouldn't play, much to Yuri's disappointment and Himuro was the only one to get registered.

"Street ball. Will you win Tatsu?"

Himuro looked at her expectant eyes and a smile appeared on his face. He couldn't refuse her when she looked at him like that - not with those eyes. He placed his hand on her head affectionately and answered.

"Of course."

"Win for me?"

"... Yes."

"Say it Tatsu!"

He sighed but it wasn't a sad sigh.

"Yes, Yuri. I will win for you."

"Awwwesome! Atsushi! Watch and learn."

But Atsushi only shrugged in response and the two stood to watch as he joined four other boys for a game.

"Oooh. Look Tatsu, your opponents are a high school team."

He picked up a bottle and drank from it before he looked where she pointed.

"It doesn't matter. Just stand here and cheer for me okay?"

She nodded enthusiastically and he made his way to stand with his team. They weren't even close to being good players but he liked that. It would mean that he could single handedly win and he wanted to do just that.

The match against Seiho High went better than he had expected. The team's movements were a little hard to get used to, they were nothing like the usual. But Himuro managed to pull up ahead and then, it was destruction.

Himuro wasn't even giving it all his concentration. His attention was more focused on Yuri who followed his every movement and reacted to all of it. She had the loudest cheer, the hardest clap and the biggest smile when he finished off with a winning score of 51-32.

Everyone around stood shocked as he made the final shot and Yuri was the first to start cheering. It was because she started cheering even before he released the ball.

She supported him, believed in him and only wanted to see him win. His heart swelled as he realized this and he ached to tell her what he'd been holding in for way too long.

'Today', he told himself.

The cheering continued as he reached for a towel to wipe the sweat off but Yuri grabbed his shirt and began pointing at something. He turned in the direction and saw the red head he was all too familiar with.

"Atsushi is lost... I'm going to bring him here."

He nodded unconsciously as his attention was elsewhere. He dropped the towel and moved with his team to speak to his next opponent- Taiga Kagami.

...

"How can you get lost so easily idiot?"

The giant looked at her with a helpless expression as she led him in the right direction. She was more dragging than leading but Atsushi managed to maintain his desired pace.

They reached the court to see the game that was just about to start. She easily recognized the Seirin team and Himuro on the other side. She saw the look on his face and knew he was all ready to go. She reached for her friend's arm but he had disappeared.

"Huh? Atsushi?!"

She looked around her and turned to the court to see him walking to the middle and place candy on top of the ball at tip off. She smacked her head, now furious at him.

"Aatsushi!"

He ignored her voice completely and stopped the game from taking place. Yuri had barely managed to convince Himuro to break the school rule and play the match today and Atsushi was ruining it all. She stood helplessly as the boy greeted Kuroko and annoyed him instantly. But she was surprised by the red haired boy's quickness in understanding the trick to getting Atsushi to play and succeed. Himuro searched for her in the crowd and she gave him a thumbs up but he didn't acknowledge her like he usually did.

She felt uneasy when the uncrowned king Kiyoshi openly challenged Atsushi before the game began.

It was the mirage shot that distracted her and made her forget everything else. The rain came as a blessing and for the first time in her life, Yuri was thankful for it.

"Murasakibara-san hasn't changed at all, has he?"

She jumped at the voice that interrupted her thoughts and spun around to see the familiar light blue head.

"Tch. Sneaky bastard! You still can't make a normal appearance, can you Tetsu?!"

"I apologize for startling you, Yuri-san. It is nice to see you again."

His emotionless face annoyed her even more- something about the boy just annoyed her to no end.

"I wish I could say the same about you."

"The rain ruined a good game huh?"

She turned to the voice and she was glad to see its origin. She smiled warmly at the boy she was always glad to see.

"Teppei! What's with you challenging Atsushi like that? I see you're as reckless as ever."

"Yea.. And I see you got rid of those glasses- that's a good sign."

She nodded and smiled as the boy continued.

"The player Kagami seems to know-"

"Tatsu is a very good player. Its why I look forward to a game between the two of you."

Kiyoshi smiled at the girl. Despite her always being around the GoM, she had taken interest in getting to know him and supported his spirit.

"Alright.. I think I'm going to get going now. I suppose the next time I see you will be at the winter cup. I'll cheer for you and your school Teppei- but that's just because you go there."

He smiled warmly as she turned to leave. She had first found him when he was in his middle school after facing a loss so bad that he wanted to quit basketball.

"The fact that you didn't give up till the end proves that you're different. The fact that you got Atsushi's attention proves that you're different. The fact that he wanted to crush only you, proves that you're different. You're playing for your team, to win this championship. But is that what kept you going today? It contributed but the real reason is your love for this game. Its what has given you this team you love, the drive to win this championship and everything else. So when all is gone, your love for the game will still remain, won't it? That's why you played till the end, didn't you? Now can you ever give up this kind of love?"

He had seen her with the Teiko team and when she had come to him, he had expected her to mock him but she had surprised him.

Kiyoshi realized that sometimes when you're on the ground, the person you expect to kick you down just might be the one to lend you a hand to pick you up.

She reached in time to watch Himuro make the mirage shot again as a parting gift for Kagami.

"Yuri-san, how do you manage that? Staying with him and still being this person?"

She turned to the boy next to her again but the surprise wasn't as bad as the last time.

"Because who you are doesn't have to depend on anyone."

"But I'm a shadow.."

She put his hand on his head to convey her affection to him, something she had never done before.

"Tetsu, you are a shadow and depending on your light is like a feature- it isn't who you are. Who you are, is what you're doing right now.. I'm not going to cheer you on, because I don't like you and I love Atsushi. But it doesn't mean I don't support what you're doing."

The boy thought over what she said before replying.

"That's a surprise Yuri-san. Because I've always liked you..."

She ruffled his hair and turned to run towards Himuro. Kuroko saw her join them and thought about the girl he had been observing from his first days in middle school. She was similar to the GoM with her overwhelming talent but she was again, too different. Even as she spent all of her time with them, she played for wholly different reasons. She had always teased him and he couldn't understand why she didn't like him but it didn't stop him from admiring her. Because he knew, even in her dislike, while she may never support him, she would definitely support Seirin as a team.

...

"This is why I fucking hate the rain!"

Himuro looked at her refusing to stand up. She had slipped and fallen but she was taking her anger out on the road and the rain and other things instead of getting back up.

"Yuri... Get up. We're getting wet!"

She had been wearing a sleeveless tee with cargo pants but Himuro was the first to notice it wouldn't do too well. As soon as she had joined him, he had handed her his white full sleeve for her to wear. She had looked at him questioningly and he had pointed to the sky and then her thin tee.

Now wearing the oversized jersey and refusing to stand back up, he had to pull her off the ground. But as soon as she did, she yelped in pain.

"Oww ow! No no."

"What's wrong?!"

"My leg is broken! I will never walk again! I will never run again! I might as well just sit here for the same fucking rain to end my life."

"Enough with the exaggeration. Can you walk?"

She cautiously added weight on her right leg but that caused a series of more yelps as she shook her head in defeat. Himuro sighed and asked her to hop on. His mind was still full of things that revolved around the red head he had met earlier today. He had managed to score easily, assuring him of his victory.

"Tatsuya..."

"Sayuri...?"

"Why do you call me that at times?"

"Because I like it better."

"Then why not always?"

He searched his mind for an answer but found none to give without revealing everything he wanted to. He chose to just shrug.

"Tatsuya..."

"Mm?"

"Blue is a very nice colour on you."

"Thanks."

"This outfit agrees very well with you."

"Mm."

"Tatsuya...!"

"Don't scream in my ear, I'll drop you."

"Will you?"

"No."

"Tatsuya..."

"Mm?"

"I love it when you make the mirage shot."

"I love making it even more."

"Taasu..."

"Now that's just stupid."

"I know. I love Tatsuya best."

"Mm."

"But Tatsu is also very cute."

"You finally said cute."

"With you, I can say anything. You're that perfect."

"Mm."

"Tatsuya..."

"Mm?"

"I love your new shoes."

"Yea. You brought them for me."

"Yea. But it looks good on you."

"Mm."

"Tatsuya..."

"Mm?"

"I wish we could keep going like this forever."

"I don't think I could carry you."

"What will you do if you get tired?"

"I'd take a break."

"And then?"

"I'd continue to carry you."

"Until when?"

"However long you thought of when you said forever."

"But I meant forever when I said forever."

"I meant it too."

"Tatsuya..."

"Mm?"

"I love you."

"Good. Because if not, I'd be the only one."

"You'd never be the only one."

"That's nice."

"Tatsuya..."

"Mm?"

"We passed by my house a long time ago."

He stopped in his tracks and looked around. Sure enough, he had passed the road to both their houses and come really far.

Because its that easy to go on forever with you.

He turned around and began walking back. He became quiet for a while after that.

"Tatsuya..."

"Mm?"

"The rain doesn't seem as bad with you."

"That's nice."

"The snow is going to be the best ever with you."

"That's really nice."

"You seem distracted."

"Maybe. But I'm listening."

"Tatsuya?"

"I'm listening."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty damn."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Completely?"

"Definitely."

"You look really sexy today."

And then he did break his word and dropped her.