Author's Note: Lots of changes will be made starting this chapter because as a lot of the readers have pointed out in the original version, there was a dissonance with Akashi and Kimiko's actions to their words and as The Emperor's Empress confessed to me while we were discussing about my adoption of the story, she herself felt that she rushed the story - and that she was not happy with the last few chapters that she had written. And I am hoping that I will be able to correct that.
So anyways, read on and tell me what you think!
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逃亡皇后ーThe Runaway Empressー
by Amanozako-hime
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第35章
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— 木曜日 (20xx年2月11日) —
** Wakayama, Japan **
和歌山、日本
The ball hit the side of the rim.
"Kuso," Kise cursed under his breath as he went after the ball that had rolled to a stop on the far left of the court. Sighing heavily, he bent down to pick up the ball and started to dribble it lazily with his right hand. Taking his position at the free throw line, he aimed for the hoop again.
The ball missed.
"Kuso!" Kise snarled this time, glaring at the hoop like it was the hoop's fault that he missed the shot, before dragging his feet to retrieve the ball.
Not good at all.
Deciding that he was too distracted to even shoot an easy free throw that he could land any other day even with his eyes closed, Kise decided to take a seat on the nearby bench to rest. He had woken up at five in the morning and seeing that his roommate, Kasamatsu, was still sleeping, he decided to leave a note on the bedside table to inform his captain that he had gone out to take a jog in the nearby sports facility. It was a good thing that no one was using it when Kise came in, so that no one would witness the amount of mistakes that he had made when he tried to practice basketball by himself.
The reason for his distraction was a certain golden-eyed girl who had been on his mind since last night's dinner with the Teikou team. Even though the food and the topic of their conversation were very interesting, it was not enough to keep his mind and his eyes from straying to Kimiko, who was (as expected), the center of attention that night. She was a very good storyteller, and it gave the former Teikou player a rush of nostalgia of their innocent days.
He sighed miserably..
Why can't it stay that way?
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After their match, Kise and Kuroko were greeted by cheers and praise from their kouhais in Teikou. Their game against the light and shadow duo was intense yet fun, and after Kimiko's appearance on the court, the crowd had increased considerably, hoping to get a glimpse of the mysterious model that rocked the fashion scene of Japan since the release of the magazine earlier that week, and now, it seems that she was also after the hard court as well.
"Omedeto, Kise-senpai!"
"Great game, Kuroko-senpai!"
"Kise-sama, aishiteru~!"
That loud shout was from the females in the audience, who had flocked to the venue to see their beloved idol play. As it was, every time Kise makes a shot or a steal, cheers would erupt from his fans, making it seem like Kise had brought a squad of cheerleaders with him.
Being the appreciative person he is, Kise smiled at his supportive fans and waved at them.
Cue more squealing from his fan girls.
Standing with his team, Matsuoka sweatdropped at the sheer volume of the noise. I don't know if I should be amazed or what, he thought.
As he looked on, he saw Kimiko approach the quartet and handed them a bottle of Pocari each. "Yuushou omedetou!" He heard her say to Kaijou's ace, who considerably brightened upon hearing the words. Even the blank-faced phantom allowed a rare smile to adorn his lips when the girl turned to praise him as well for the display of skill on the court earlier. Even for him who had just met the two former Teikou players, he can feel that the smile they gave to the chartreusette was not one that they give to other people.
One doesn't have to be a genius to know that the golden-eyed girl is someone precious to the Kiseki no Sedai, and vice versa.
How nice it would be to have such friendship like them, was the boy's last thought before Shirogane called them to leave already.
"Coach, let me say goodbye to Akumi-senpai first!"
Shirogane looked at him with a knowing gaze. "Alright." Really, that girl can't help but attract all of them to her, the silver-haired man thought as the four freshmen that Kimiko had mentored ran to her where she was headed to where Akashi was waiting for her, the Kaijou and Seirin quartet behind her.
"Akumi-senpai!" Matsuoka called out, skidding to a stop before the girl, his friends not far behind. Everyone was looking at him with curious eyes.
"Is there something you need from Akumi?" Akashi asked them, though not unkindly.
Minazuki shook his head. "We just want to thank her for giving us a great game to watch today. A-and you as well, Akashi-senpai," he said in a hurry, although it seemed like he just added Akashi as an afterthought, a notion that amused the redhead greatly.
"Eh, Arata, no need for that," Kimiko said with a grin.
"How about me and Kurokocchi?" Kise asked with mock hurt, which of course sent the ever polite Minazuki to offer his gratitude to them as well. Kuroko admonished Kise for playing the boy like that while Kimiko only laughed as Akashi looked on in amusement.
"Since you're leaving already, I have to say goodbye to Shirogane-san as well."
"I'll go with you," Akashi said, and Kise and Kuroko voiced their desire to tag along as well.
"Yosha! Iku zo!" She cheered, snagging Murasakibara on their way to their former coach where he stood with the rest of the Teikou team.
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Akashi glanced at Kimiko from the corner of his eye. The girl was busy cheering for his teammates who were facing the other three players of Yosen. As expected, the Uncrowned Generals were more skilled than them, but it was obvious that both sides were just playing for fun, and it seemed that nobody's paying attention to the score board. Murasakibara had joined them just as the game started, with Himuro nowhere in sight. Every now and then, Kimiko's hand would stray to the bag of chips in Murasakibara's grip, who had no problem with sharing his food with the chartreusette. He had offered some to Akashi as well, but the redhead politely declined, as he is not too fond of snacks. Akashi was mostly silent while Kimiko chatted with Murasakibara about his team and Akita.
"I want to visit Akita again," Kimiko sighed when Murasakibara shared his winter experience in his prefecture. Unlike in Tokyo where it hardly snows in winter, Akita is a snow paradise to Kimiko, who was an absolute fan of snowball fights.
Murasakibara chuckled at her. On the rare times that the snowfall makes it possible to have a snowball fight, Kimiko always drags the team out and starts a free-for-all fight (although she always recruits Midorima to her side). He remembered the first time the chartreusette orchestrated such an activity with the whole team.
It was a particularly cold winter in Tokyo, and all the students of Teikou were all bundled up in their coats and scarves on their way home. The same can be said for the basketball club. Akashi, who had gone to to the staff room to submit some files to Shirogane bumped into Murasakibara on the way to the gate, where the rest of their friends were probably waiting for them so that they can go home together.
Murasakibara and Akashi approached the gates, one of the last few students to leave the campus. Murasakibara was busy eating maiubo while Akashi was engrossed in a book (a wonder why he haven't tripped on anything yet), when all of a sudden, Akashi paused and used the book to swat at the air in front of him.
A wet splat sounded as the snowball collided with the book's cover.
Murasakibara tensed. After he and the rest of the freshmen dominated the first string and easily replaced the current regulars except for Nijimura, the senior members of their club were less than happy and some openly expressed their dislike against them. No one had dared to lay a hand on them, except for a few dirty glares and grumbles of discontent, but seeing the almost abandoned state of the campus, it would be easy to ambush them - the redhead especially, since despite being a first-year, Nijimura himself had chosen him to be his vice-captain, something that was approved by the head coach but not by Nijimura's year mates.
"Aka-chin," Murasakibara called in an apprehensive tone, seeing the tense shoulders of the shorter male as he scanned the area around them, trying to find the culprit behind the attack.
"Stand back, Murasakibara," Akashi said. He was of the same thought that the person - or persons - behind it was after him, and not Murasakibara. "Try to find the others." They had gone first, and seeing that the gate was vacated, it's either they decided to go home without them.
That or the culprit had gone after them.
Akashi narrowed his eyes. If something bad happened to them, then-
The bushes near the gate rustled, making the two of them to tense, and then a head popped out, covered by a black bonnet in the shape of a cat anime character.
Akashi almost growled at the grinning face of the one and only training manager of Teikou's first string basketball club.
The girl looked at him and loudly declared, "Omaenoaitewaoreda~ (I am your opponent~)", which elicited an exasperated sigh from the redhead. She was pointing at him in a challenging manner while she tossed a snowball up and down in her other hand.
"Akumi..." he said, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at the girl's childishness.
Kimiko laughed, and four other heads popped out from the bushes.
"Damn it, you almost got him," Aomine grumbled. "If only that book did not get in the way..."
"Akashi-kun has fast reflexes," Momoi said, writing something in her notebook and checking her watch. "To be able to react in less than a second..."
"Indeed," Kuroko said in agreement, his nose red from the cold. "I just hope that the snow did not ruin the book's cover."
Midorima pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he removed a leaf that had gotten tangled in his scarf. "The book's cover is made of plastic. You don't have to -"
-SPLAT.
"Yatta!" Kimiko pumped a fist into the air, cackling like an evil witch.
Aomine joined in her cheer. "Sasuga, Akumi!"
"Mochiron~" Kimiko smirked, her expression smug like a cat that got the cream.
Off to the side, Momoi and Kuroko cowered against each other.
"Is this really okay?" The pinkette asked nervously. "I mean, Aku-chan did hit Akashi-kun this time..."
Midorima wisely held his tongue, but discreetly started to gather snow near his feet just in case.
Murasakibara blinked at their friends who were still half-hidden in the bushes like a bunch of idiots. He glanced at his companion and almost stepped backwards when he saw the ominous aura coming from the redhead as he slowly brushed the snow from his right shoulder where Kimiko had gotten him when he had ducked a second too late.
"A-Aka-chin?"
He was promptly ignored when Akashi knelt and gathered snow in his hands, forming a snowball in each hand. Eyes on the grinning chartreusette, he slowly stood up and simply declared, "Tsugi wa..." he cocked his head slightly to the left, "...ore no ban." [Now it's my turn.]
Shocked at the redhead's use of that familiar line, Kimiko was unable to avoid Akashi's attack and was hit directly on her face. An astonished silence fell among the group as they did not expect Akashi to actually retaliate - and to think that he actually aimed at Kimiko's face! The rest of them looked back and forth between the two, waiting for a reaction from them.
Kimiko shook her head and wiped her face with the back of her hand. "Shouganee na," she murmured in an amused tone. Gold eyes glinting in the late winter sun, she fixed her gaze on Akashi's challenging orbs. "Mendou na koto naru yo~" she purred sweetly at him before turning to Midorima and Aomine. "Iku ze!" [It can't be helped. You're asking for trouble. Let's go!]
Aomine, of course, had no hesitation in following Kimiko as she jumped out of the bushes. "KURAE!" he yelled as he threw two snowballs in the redhead's direction, who nimbly dodged them, making them hit Murasakibara instead and making him drop his maiubo.
Which, of course infuriated the giant.
"Mine-chin...!"
"Shimatta!"
Seeing that Aomine was preoccupied with escaping Murasakibara's snow cannonballs, Kimiko called out to Midorima who rolled his eyes skyward, disbelief showing on his face a if he cannot believe what he was about to do before resigning himself to this... suicide mission appointed to him by the golden-eyed tyrant.
Distracted, Akashi lobbed another snowball at the chartreusette, who yelped before diving out of the way. "Heh, Akumi... Calling for back-up?"
Kimiko scooped some snow and molded it hurriedly in her hands as she glared at the boy before her. "Urusai!"
"Kuroko, with me," Akashi called out to the bluenette who was watching them from the safety of the bushes.
"Eh?"
"Zurui!" Kimiko protested as she made a hasty retreat behind a tree. "Oi, Shintarou, deal with Tetsuya!"
Soon enough, all of them were engaged in a snowball fight. At first, it was Akashi, Murasakibara, and Kuroko against Kimiko, Aomine, and Midorima. However, when Kimiko tossed a snowball at Momoi, it changed into a free-for-all snowball fight. Alliances were made only to be dissolved a moment later, although Kimiko was hellbent on getting a hit on Akashi for a second time. The seven of them ran around the area in front of the gates, laughing and shouting as they pelted on another with frozen projectiles. The sound attracted a passing Shirogane who was on his way to the administration office to speak to the principal regarding the basketball club. An amused smile appeared on the older man's lips as he stopped to observe the youngsters for a moment, paying special attention to a certain red-haired vice captain. Having known the boy for almost a year now, Shirogane had noticed that aside from being so painfully polite and formal, Akashi was always dignified and graceful in everything he does, not one to be caught off-guard that it creates the impression that he was cold and distant to everyone. Shirogane had heard of talks among the other members about how Akashi was a snob and an arrogant person, completely misunderstanding the redhead's words and actions. His attention turned to the chartreusette, who had fallen to the ground after being hit in the back of the head by one of Akashi's snowballs. Akashi had frozen in place at what happened, then when she did not get up immediately, he rushed to her side to check up on her, not noticing her hand that was sneakily molding a snowball so that when he knelt beside her, it was too late for him to avoid her hand as she smashed the balled-up snow in his face. Everyone stopped as they heard her laugh at the priceless expression on Akashi's face that was still partly covered by snow.
Even Shirogane found himself laughing as well.
Ah, theinnocenceofyouth, he mused as he went on his way. Their laughters faded behind him, although the memory of those teens will forever be embedded in his memory.
Murasakibara's reverie was broken by Nebuya's loud yell of "MUSCLE DUNK!", followed by Mibuchi's exasperated "Ei-chan, will you stop yelling that every damn time?!"
"Hm, that muscle gorilla is too noisy~" he complained, making Kimiko laugh.
"Ne, Atsushi, don't you call your captain Gorilla as well?"
Behind his light novel, Mayuzumi snorted while Akashi sighed. Just what are they talking about now?
Murasakibara lazily fished for the last potato chip in the bag. "Hm-mm. Captain is Butt-chin Gori while Aka-chin's teammate is a Muscle Gori~"
Kimiko nodded her head as if that made perfect sense to her. "Sou ka..."
When Murasakibara went off to dispose of the trash in a nearby trash can, Kimiko went with him, telling Akashi that she was going to get something to drink, and asking him if he and Mayuzumi wants something as well. Both of them declined her offer, so she shrugged and left with Murasakibara, continuing on their topic of comparing Okamura to Nebuya.
However, when the two of them did not return after five minutes, Akashi decided to look for them. What he did not expect to see was the two making snow bunnies with colored chocolate candies for their eyes and noses on the side of the road, their creations perched on top of a concrete ledge. He stopped at a distance to observe the two who were totally caught up in what they were doing.
Really, these two, Akashi shook his head when he realized that they are in fact making snow sculptures of the Kiseki no Sedai with the addition of Momoi, Kuroko, Nijimura and herself. He had to admit, he did not expect Murasakibara to be able to make elaborate snow sculptures to match those that were made by Kimiko, although she seemed to be the one to suggest on what pose to make the bunnies. Akashi almost laughed when Kimiko added an eyeglasses frame made of twigs on the bunny that was supposed to be Midorima. When they were finished, Kimiko snapped a picture of their creation on her phone. Murasakibara did as well - and only after that did they turned to get back to the court. The two stopped when they saw an amused Akashi waiting for them on the other side with an amused expression on his face.
"So that's what took you so long," Akashi said to the two who were both sporting sheepish grins on their faces.
"Snow bunnies are fun to make," Murasakibara reasoned, eating the remaining candies as they made their way to the court, where their respective teammates' match is drawing to a close.
As expected, the Uncrowned Generals won the match, and Kimiko congratulated them for showing exemplary teamwork despite the fact that Mibuchi was practically scolding his teammates the whole game. Kimiko bid goodbye to Murasakibara by hugging him, then asked for the whereabouts of Himuro, whom she had not seen since their match. Murasakibara shrugged, since he too had not seen the mirage shooter as well. Nebuya then complained that he was hungry. Checking his watch, Akashi then decided that they might as well have lunch since it was already nearing 12:oo. Kimiko engaged his team in light conversation during the meal, while Akashi opted to mostly listen to whatever they were talking about, since he was preoccupied with something else.
Sitting across the table facing the chartreusette, Akashi was secretly fiddling with the envelope containing the invitation in his pocket.
For some reason, he was feeling uncertain about asking her to be his date for the ball. Akashi could not make sense of this feeling since it's not like this is the first time that he would be taking her out, and thus, he did not know why this time should be any different.
So why is it that every time he tries to pull out the damn envelope, his hand keeps on getting stuck in his pocket?
He inwardly sighed in frustration.
What am I getting hesitant for?
You are afraid that she will say no, came the Emperor's voice.
Akashi narrowed his eyes at that. But why would she refuse?
Are you really asking me that?
But she never-
Now, you're taking her for granted, the Emperor said, cutting him off. Tell me, how many times have you asked her out to accompany you to something as big as this one? Do you think she will flat-out say yes just because you asked?
Guilt flooded his system. He'd been thinking selfishly about the invitation, not taking into consideration what Kimiko would feel about it.
However, if he decided not to ask her, he would be missing the chance to take her with him and to spend some time with her, seeing that due to the Nationals and the side jobs that his father had assigned to him, Akashi was not able to make the most of his stay in Wakayama with the chartreusette. Plus, with her presence, Akashi was certain that she would make the boring event as something that he can look forward to, since she's going to be there with him.
Akashi promptly face-palmed mentally.
Gods, how had he become so dependent on this girl?
He sighed once more.
How hard was it to ask Kimiko to be his date?
As amusing it is to watch you behaving like this, I strongly suggest that you spit out those words and be done with it instead of torturing yourself like this.
Tch. Easier said than done. Akashi felt like negotiating a business deal with a probable business partner is a piece of cake compared to this.
"Akumi," he finally said, getting the attention of the girl that was busy gorging on a slice of cake that she had ordered for dessert.
"Hm?"
Breathing deeply, Akashi pulled out the envelope and handed them to the girl. Kimiko recognized the envelope from earlier and with slight hesitation, she opened it and pulled out the two invitations inside. The look in her eyes when she looked back at him says, What am I supposed to do with this?
He swallowed discreetly before speaking once more. "Do you have any plans for this evening?"
"No...?" Kimiko answered, her mind already working.
The invitations, him asking if she was free tonight...
"Wait. You mean-" she stared at the two cards in her hand then back at the impassive redhead, "-you want me to go with you?"
Akashi nodded.
"I see," Kimiko said at length.
The sinking sensation in his gut returned. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. Just say the word."
Well, that came out a bit cold than Akashi would have wanted. It almost seemed like he was guilt-tripping her into saying yes.
Akashi was half-tempted to smash his head on the table.
"Well," the girl mused, not really in a hurry to give him an answer. She poked at the remaining cake on her plate before setting down her fork. "I would love to go with you but I don't think I have something fitting to wear for this... occasion."
"That can be easily taken care of."
"Eh, I wouldn't want to be a bother..."
Akashi scoffed lightly. "You're never a bother, Akumi. I can get someone to get your measurements and have an outfit prepared for you for tonight."
Kimiko raised her hands. "No need for that! I can just write them down."
"Very well. Give it to me so they can start preparing for it."
He gave his phone to the chartreusette who wasted no time in typing the necessary information on his phone, before handing it back to him so that he can send it to whoever was going to do the task for him. He added a picture of Kimiko as well so that they will know what colors to choose for her dress and accessories.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Rakuzan team tried their hardest not to listen in on their conversation.
Okay, so everyone EXCEPT Mibuchi was trying hard NOT to listen in on their conversation.
Doubt clouded her eyes as she looked at him. "Will it really be okay?"
"Of course."
"But I'm not-"
"It will be okay since you will be going as my date."
Nodding, she handed the card back to him, the color pink dusting the curve of her cheeks. "Okay, then. So I will be going as your.. date."
Cuuuuuuteeee! Mibuchi had hearts in his eyes.
Akashi was unsure if that was a question or a statement. Deciding that it was the former, he cocked his head slightly and said, "Yes, you will be my date for tonight."
Meanwhile, Mayuzumi was hissing at Mibuchi to let go of his hand, whom the latter was holding in a death squeeze as he tried his hardest not to squeal out loud and ruin the adorable scene before them. Even Nebuya's eyes bulged from its sockets when their red-haired captain uttered the four-letter word.
D-A-T-E.
Their captain just asked a girl – and a very pretty one at that – to go with him on a date.
To a lavish ball nonetheless.
And in front of them all, to boot.
And curse him for acting so calm about it as well – none of that stuttering and tripping clumsily over words and no blushing. Then they noticed the tips of his ears – and though no one dared to point it out – now matched the color of his hair.
Who'd have thought that out of the five – or four, if you'd remove Mibuchi from the lineup – of them, it would be their captain who'd be the first to have a girlfriend?
The shooting guard blinked. "You think that..."
"That what?" Mayuzumi snarled. "And let go of my hand. Now."
Of course, Mibuchi ignored the last part and whispered, "Sei-chan and Aku-chan, Together. As in boyfriend-girlfriend-together sort of thing."
"Ask him, not me!"
"But Mayu-chan~!"
"Shut it, Mibuchi!"
"Ano, will it... will it really be alright having me as your date?" Kimiko blurted out as she toyed with her straw, completely oblivious to the bickering pair on the other end of the table. "I mean, shouldn't you be, like, escorting some heiress or something like that?"
Akashi found himself snorting in disgust. "You're here now, so why should I?"
On their daily walks to and from Teikou, Kimiko had a pretty clear idea on how Akashi's social life as the heir works. Also, she'd listened to him complain a lot about his life, and one of those had been how he hated being around girls his age during parties and how they irritated the hell out of him. Kimiko had a good laugh over that particular tirade of his concerning the heiress of a renowned electronics company.
Akashi had been in a foul mood since Sunday evening, when he dropped by Kimiko's house after spending his weekend in Kyoto to attend a company anniversary per his father's instruction. He'd jabbed at the buzzer on Kimiko's front door mercilessly when he usually just knocks, and by the time Kimiko had gone to open it, he just huffed and ignored the confused look on her face before barging into her house without as much as a single "Hello."
With a look of bewilderment, she closed the door and followed him to the living room, where he was already settled on the couch, his jacket slung on the armrest while he sat there, his head tilted back, resting against the backrest as he stared at the ceiling like it held the answers to life's greatest questions.
And it seemed that he had taken the liberty of taking one of her french fries on the coffee table as well.
"Hello, good evening, how are you, come in, make yourself at home, have some fries, continue ignoring me, thank you!"
At her outburst, Akashi swallowed the piece of french fry and finally turned his head to look at her.
And then he smirked in amusement.
She would have smiled too, if not for the exhaustion dulling his usual vibrant ruby pools.
"Akumi," he drawled out, and he sounded tired, yet relieved. The girl took it as her cue to join him. Sitting on the other end of the couch, she beckoned to him and he responded by shifting positions, stretching out and laying his head on her lap. She played with his hair a bit, brushing them off his face as she massaged his temples with gentle fingers, smiling as Akashi let out a sigh of relief, leaning into her touch as his eyes closed.
"Was it that bad?" she asked. He'd told her last Friday of the social event that he had to attend on the weekend, and he'd told her all the details, including his date for the evening.
"The worst," he replied, not bothering to speak proper sentences like he does around his father. Inside the walls of this house, he was plain Seijuurou, and Kimiko would care less if he start talking like a cave man (not that he would, of course!), and he can do things he cannot do in public, like speaking like a commoner (her influence, really) or just plain lazing around, pigging out on her delicious cooking, or playing mundane games on her Play Station game console.
She stifled a laugh, and continued the massage until Akashi told her to stop by placing a hand over one of hers. One hand remained, though, as she let crimson strands pass through her fingers. She stopped when Akashi sighed.
"Okay, spill," she said. She's getting tired of hearing him sigh.
Akashi cracked an eye open. "I don't have anything to spill."
She chuckled. "Why is it that you can lie to everyone else but me?"
"You can't lie to me, either."
"Why would I lie to you?" she shot back.
That made Akashi finally sit straight and look at her. "When you don't want me to bother with your scores in Math."
Kimiko blushed at that. "Hey! That's a one-time thing!"
"You do it every time we have an exam."
"You're changing the subject," she pouted. Snatching a fry from the plate on the table, she was about to eat it when Akashi grabbed her wrist and redirected the food to his own mouth. "Get your own food!" she yelled as she laughed at this playful behavior from the redhead.
"Ah, but this is much better," he said.
"Hmp, for you, it is," she said with a pout, but consented to feeding him once in while. At some length, she asked, "So, was she a princess or a witch?"
"A witch," the redhead answered without missing a beat, and Kimiko laughed.
"Harsh."
"I call it as I see it," was all he replied before he yawned, the exhaustion finally catching up to him. He laid back down on the couch. "I don't understand why she had to cover her face under all those layers of make-up. I only saw such thick makeup on the maikos at Gion. Her voice is too high-pitched, and she has an unfortunate characteristic of talking endlessly about the most mundane topics. Her dress is too revealing, as well – highly inappropriate for her age. Why her mother allowed her to wear such a dress was beyond me." And so, he ranted about the ball in his tired, quiet monotone while she ran her fingers through his hair, giggling quietly at his words. A minute later, and the redhead had fallen asleep on the couch, looking peaceful and relaxed than he had when he first came in.
"If you say so." Simple as that – since Akashi said so, then it is the truth. Her doubts gone, Kimiko finished her dessert, and when everyone was done eating, they headed back to the hotel to get ready for the semi-finals later that afternoon. Shirogane Eiji called for a meeting in one of the hotel's lavish conference room, and to everyone's surprise, he asked Akashi to bring the chartreusette with him.
"Eh? But why?" Kimiko said from her bed, where she was laying on her stomach and flipping through a magazine she picked up somewhere. "This is a team meeting, right?"
"Coach wants your opinion as well, knowing how you have served under his brother in Teikou," said Akashi, already wearing his jersey under his tracksuit. "I'm not the only one who's hoping that you'd join us next year."
"We'll see about that," she said with a smile, then finally rolled off the bed to get ready as well. They arrived at the conference room together, but Coach Shirogane was not there yet so the Rakuzan team was busy chatting with one another, pausing only to greet the two when they came in.
"Sei-chan! Aku-chan! Over here!" Mibuchi waved them over, where there were two vacant seats available. The team were seated around a huge oval table, and the regulars were seated right at the front closest to the huge screen used for presentations. A minute later, their coach finally entered the room, carrying a few files and several CDs, presumably of Kaijou's previous matches.
After the greetings were done, Shirogane placed his things on the table and motioned Akashi to play one of the CDs, however, Kimiko volunteered to do it instead. It was Kaijou's game against Seirin last Winter Cup, where Kise had demonstrated just how deadly he can be as well, proving that he is worthy as a member of the Kiseki no Sedai. On Shirogane's cue, Kimiko pauses the video on the significant parts so that they can discuss it with the team. Everyone was allowed to talk, though it was a recent development for the team which is after Winter Cup, but Kimiko didn't know that. Back then, only the regulars participated in the discussion while the rest merely listened, and even then, it was Akashi who had the final say. But now –
"Kaijou has a weak bench," one of the first-string members said. A lot of the members nodded, and Kimiko herself agreed with him.
"Hm, I think they rely too much on Kise," Hayama added in a serious tone. "Kaijou loses a lot of its power without their ace, plus they're one of those balanced teams."
"But they've a lot of determination, don't you think?" Mibuchi mused.
"I'm sure our first-string can handle them easily, though," another member said.
Akashi spoke up for the first time. "True, but we should not underestimate them."
Kimiko cleared her throat from her place behind Shirogane. "If I may…?"
"Go ahead, Kimiko," Rakuzan's coach said with a nod.
"I'm afraid that Rakuzan won't be able to implement misdirection in your game plan against Kaijou. As you can see, misdirection is pretty much useless against them due to the fact that they've played against Seirin twice and are pretty much immune to it already. Also, you really should watch out for their captain, Kasamatsu Yukio – he's one of the fastest point guards I've ever seen outside of the Kiseki, plus he's quite smart, given that he was the one who figured out the secret behind Kuroko Tetsuya's Phantom Shot."
Nebuya slapped Mayuzumi none too gently on the back. "Ah, guess you'll be playing normally then."
Rakuzan's shadow merely shrugged. "I don't mind."
"About Kise's ability..." Shirogane trailed as he looked at Akashi, asking him for his opinion.
'Emperor' Akashi would've just told them that he'll handle Kise and leave it at that, but since he's no longer that, he explained his plan of action in complete detail. "Kise can copy other people's moves, so don't be surprised if he suddenly uses your own against you." The statement was directed to his team. "As for his Perfect Copy, where he can use a combination of the Kiseki's abilities, I'll be doing something similar to what Kuroko had done." His left eye seemed to brighten slightly, its color a shade lighter than the crimson of his right eye. "I'll try to stop him before he even uses it."
"So if Sei-chan will go against Kise, then how about the rest of us?"
It was Kimiko who answered then, slipping into her coach-mode like she was in Teikou. "I'm pretty certain that Kaijou will let Kise mark Akashi, so that leaves you to mark your respective opponents in terms of your position on court, except that Hayama-san will have Kasamatsu instead, since you're the only one aside from Akashi to match his speed."
"Is that correct, Coach?" Hayama verified with Shirogane. He meant no insult by that, but it was enough to shake Kimiko that she blushed and apologized for speaking without asking for permission first.
The older man, of course, would have none of that. "You don't need to apologize, Kimiko. I have explained to the members of your presence, and I did call you here to hear about your opinion. So please, for this meeting, consider yourself a member of the team, if you'd like, and to speak freely as well." He then answered Hayama's inquiry. "Yes, she is, Hayama. Other questions?"
"Do we have their stats?" Mayuzumi asked. He's not really familiar with his mark, and he'd failed to observe them closely when they were traveling together. Well, it seems that I'm growing lax, he thought. Akashi had taught him to observe their opponents to make his misdirection that much effective, but he'd forgotten all about that, it seems, because he'd been too busy talking with that Nakamura-guy about light novels and anime.
Shirogane was about to look for it in his files but Akashi has other ideas. "Akumi, if you will."
"Uhm, what exactly do you want to know?" she said with a slight raise of her eyebrows.
Shirogane paused and looked at her in an evaluating manner. His older brother had told him that the girl was a gold mine when it comes to information. He'd like a demonstration, and now was a good time to see if that was true. "Well, Kimiko, how much do you know?"
"Just tell her when to stop," Akashi said almost jokingly from his seat at the table. Kimiko glared at him for that.
"Fine. Since it was Chihiro-san who asked first, then I'll start with his mark." She turned off the video and swiped a marker from the drawer and went in front. Clearing her throat, she wrote with swift and precise strokes on the board. "Kaijou No. 10, Hayakawa Mitsuhiro. Height, 185 cm, weight, 77 kg. He specializes in rebounds, especially offensive ones. Thanks to his explosive jumping power, he can still get the ball even when you managed to jump before him. He's very skilled in boxing out his opponents in order to get the rebound, so it's a must that you restrict his movements every time he is near the basket. He has a lot of stamina as well, also, he's pretty loud -"
"Like Muscle Gorilla here?" Hayama quipped. Kimiko blinked at the interruption, but she was not annoyed by it or anything. Middle school was heaven compared to this. In fact, she grinned as Nebuya squawked a protest, and proceeded normally.
"Aa. Hayakawa-san has solid defense, and if you know that Tsugawa-guy from Seihou, his defense is on the same level. Any further questions?" She turned and looked at the phantom, who shook his head and thanked her for the thorough information.
Tsk, so I am stuck with a loudmouth, Mayuzumi sighed.
"Okay, so we'll have Kaijou No. 5–" she faced the board and started writing again, missing the awed looks on the Rakuzan players – except Akashi who was smirking proudly in his seat – as she recited all those information from memory, "Moriyama Yoshitaka, the team's wannabe cassanova. 181 cm, 67 kg – Mibuchi-san is taller by seven centimeters, an advantage. Objectively speaking, Mibuchi-san is the better player all in all, physically and ability-wise. Important thing to note is that Moriyama-san has an odd way of shooting the ball," here, she paused and made a shooting motion with her hands, "a modified underhanded set shot that gives it a high arc, though not as much as Midorima's shots, and the ball, if you watch closely, does not rotate – almost. It's what makes his shots difficult to block, but I think if you can adjust to his timing, then you can block him just like with Hyuga-san's Barrier Jumper."
Mibuchi gave her a mock salute. "Got it, Aku-chan!"
"Next is their center, No. 8, Kobori Koji. Slightly taller by two centimeters to Nebuya-san's 190 cm, but he's lighter, obviously. He's only 74 kg… I'm sure you'll have no problem pushing him back if it comes to that. His play style is mainly defensive, but look out for his screens. His specialty would be the low post – back step – shoot sequence. Again, do not underestimate Kobori-san – remember that he was able to match Kiyoshi-san during the Winter Cup semis."
"So it's like facing Kiyoshi, eh?" Nebuya asked, scratching his chin thoughtfully.
Kimiko nodded. "Yep, pretty much."
Rakuzan's center leaned into his seat and patted his belly. "Okay then. I'll eat lots later."
"You'll just burp all over the place," Mibuchi grumbled.
"My turn!" Hayama sat straighter in his seat, his attention now focused on the chartreusette. "Tell me about my mark, Kimi-chan!"
"Hai, hai. No. 4, Kasamatsu Yukio, point guard and captain of Kaijou, and also its mental pillar. One of the best players in the league – a good all-around player, if you will. Aside from his powerful drives, he is also a deadly three-point shooter, plus the fact that he's the point guard means that he is a passing specialist as well. He gave Izuki-san trouble as well, outsmarting him and rendering his Eagle Spear useless… You'll have your hands full with this one, Hayama-san."
The blonde was grinning though, excited at the thought of having such a powerful opponent. "Heh, this will be a very interesting game..."
Sou ka, Kimiko said to herself, remembering Aomine, so he's like that, as well…
"What about Kaijou's No. 9?" Akashi asked. He remembered the boy who substituted for Kise. "Do you have data on him?"
Kimiko, who was about to return to her seat, paused, then nodded. "Oh, right." As she went back to the board, she heard some of the other first-string players muttering to themselves, probably trying to remember what Akashi was talking about.
"He's the one with ash-blond hair and glasses," she supplied helpfully, and recognition dawned on them.
"Ah, the one who's always talking to Mayuzumi-san during the trip!" one of them piped up, and eyes turned to the phantom expectantly.
"His name is Nakamura. Nakamura Shinya," Mayuzumi grumbled.
"Right," Kimiko wrote his name on the board. "Nakamura Shinya, 181 cm, 68 kg, shooting guard. Specialty is pick and roll, and he is pretty good at defense. He helped in guarding Kagami during the semis, and given that it's Kagami, he did a pretty decent job. Back in middle school, he was ranked among the top ten defensive players, so he's no joke either. Any more players you want to know about?"
"That would be all, Kimiko," Shirogane told her, completely impressed. When she passed by him on her way to her seat, he added, "Kozo-nii did not exaggerate when he told me about you."
Akashi heard that, and gave a short laugh. "Coach, if you want, she can tell you about their birthdays and blood type, if you want."
A light blush colored her cheeks a light pink. "Oi, Seijuurou, quit it."
"Really?" One of the players in the back asked.
"That kind of information would be useless in a match, though," she muttered, but did not deny that she knows them. Actually, she only did that for Midorima, horoscope-obsessed that he is, until it became a habit, so there's that.
After giving them the player's information, they moved on to tactics and strategies, with everyone joining in, Akashi had joined her in front and soon the board was full of his and her diagrams on their possible plays. For a moment, Kimiko showed her ruthless and manipulative side as she tossed out plays that ends up in fouling the opponents or blindsiding them. She exposed the weakness of Kaijou's players and how to exploit them mercilessly, leaving everyone gaping at her when they were finished with the meeting.
I see, Mayuzumi thought, feeling wary of the girl who looked harmless on the outside, so basically she was like the other side of Akashi - but only to her opponent. The bitter memory of how he was used during the Winter Cup finals resurfaced in his mind and wondered if there was a connection to Kimiko's dark side to the awakening of Akashi's split personality.
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[From: Akumicchi]
02:25PM Gomen ne, Ryou-kun.
Kise blinked when he read her message. Anger, disappointment, envy – all those feelings churned inside him and slowly boiled down into one of dull acceptance.
It was a vague message, but Kise, as will everyone in the Kiseki no Sedai, perfectly understood what she meant by that apology. Of course, Akumicchi… Anything for him, right?
He didn't notice just how tight he was holding his phone until Kasamatsu called him out on it.
"Your phone will snap in half if you keep that up, baka." They, too, were in the middle of a game meeting as they figured how they will deal with Kyoto's tyrants. They'd watched the Winter Cup Finals, and even though Rakuzan lost, they're back at the Nationals with a more stronger and better team. Seirin might have beaten them, but ended up exposing everything they had. Kagami's Direct Drive Zone was the peak of Seirin's full potential as a team, but Rakuzan can be considered a wild card… Who knows what Akashi has his sleeve this time around, now that he's awakened his second skill – the fearsome Perfect-Rhythmed Play… Granted, they have Kise's Perfect Copy, but how far can it take them this time around?
Kise knows that Kasamatsu was worried for their upcoming game and there is nothing he can do to assure his captain when he himself was unsure how he could measure up to Akashi – and there's the issue of Kimiko as well.
Why does she even have to help him? Isn't he strong enough? Isn't his team strong enough? But even as he asked all these questions to himself, he realized that Kimiko never betrayed Akashi, nope, not even in the smallest of things. He fought the urge to groan in frustration. How does he do it? How did he managed to find someone so devoted, so loyal, like her?
"Oi, Kise, are you listening?" Genta asked.
"Hai, Genta-san." It was a knee-jerk response – obviously, he's busy moping to even pay attention to the intricate plays being discussed by their coach, because, really, once on the court, Akashi will just render them void and useless. Remember when he stopped Kagami's Meteor Jam on the very first move? But he didn't dare say it out loud and crush his team's morale.
As Genta's voice droned continuously in his ears, Kise prayed that somehow he and his team can make it out of the coming match alive with their sanity and spirit intact.
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After the meeting, Kimiko was about to leave the conference room ahead of them when Mayuzumi called her name.
"If you don't mind me asking, what was exactly your duties in Teikou's basketball club?"
"Information gathering, constructing training menus, organizing training camps and practice matches during off-season, and designing plays with Seijuurou," she answered in one breath. "Why?"
Mayuzumi shrugged. "Just confirming something."
"And that 'something' is?"
How can I say this without sounding rude or judgmental? "That you're not what I initially thought."
The smile that graced her lips was bitter and melancholic. "I know, right?
"Your plays were brilliant and effective," Mayuzumi blurted out, fearing that he offended her or something. He was telling the truth, not just throwing empty compliments at her. It just came as a surprise that someone like her could even cook up such a devious plan that he thought only Akashi's second personality can only concoct – only to find out that Kimiko was probably the one behind all those killer plays of Teikou back in their middle school years. Just how many players had suffered breakdowns or quit basketball altogether after facing Teikou?
"And borderline cruel, don't you think?" She seemed to be talking to someone else, what with her eyes going out of focus as she stared right through him. "They're not the only ones responsible, Chihiro-san. I'm the original game master, after all. I was the one who pushed them into becoming the monsters you all feared on the court."
It was just a practice match against one of the stronger teams in Tokyo, and Kimiko had gone and scouted the team the week before, returning with a complete compilation of information about the team, the players and their individual and overall play styles. On the day of the actual match, Shirogane had sent Kimiko, Nijimura and the rest of the freshmen to give them the experience they need before they play in actual tournaments. Inside the bus, Kimiko had reviewed the details to them, along with the plays she'd created that they'll put to use against this particular team.
Unlike Momoi, who collects data that will help her in predicting the growth of that particular player, Kimiko goes beyond that. She picks at the individual's personality as well, looking for their fears and insecurities and incorporates them into her plays. It's what makes her different from Momoi, who has clear boundaries on what to know and what was better left alone.
Kimiko has no such limits, though.
If she wanted to ruin a whole team, she can and she will, make no mistake, to secure Teikou's victory.
This certain school that they're going up against was one of those who had given Teikou troubles in the past. Nijimura had told her about it, and her mind immediately went to work. They were enough to be a threat to Teikou, and she'd made it her responsibility to eliminate all threats to her team… From her little trip she had gathered that Kinzaki Middle – that's the name of their opponent – had some pretty good members and a few promising recruits as well, three of which was just a couple levels below Aomine and might actually give her current team a bit of a struggle.
What better way to nip them in the bud before they fully bloomed?
She lingered there, listening to the players and the managers, and learned that there was actually some kind of a dispute over the position of captain going on. The previous captain had been injured in a practice accident, and his appointed successor was not approved by his teammates. Apparently, they all believed that when you're the captain means that you are the best player, and thus they were pushing someone – a second-year, to take the lead even when he's shit when it comes to leading others.
There's chaos in Kinzaki's basketball team, and Kimiko witnessed firsthand how the lack of teamwork was putting all their skills useless, no matter how good they're supposed to be. The current captain somehow pulls them together though, and that made him the perfect target in her eyes.
She drew her plan on her board and explained it to her team, who was listening in rapt attention. "...and then, Tetsuya will cut in here and draw a foul against No. 4… Okay?"
"Why the emphasis on this guy, though?" Aomine asked then, since all the plays she'd given them all involved fouling the poor guy or forcing him to make mistakes. Haizaki was the only one who has no questions whatsoever.
"He's the control tower, once he's out, then the team will break down," she explained simply as she erased all the writings on the board in preparation for the next one.
Midorima, though, was worried about one thing. "What about their ace?"
"No. 12? He's nothing without a point guard, and No.4 is the only decent point guard they have. Anyone else is a joke when they face Seijuurou."
When Teikou and Kinzaki finally faced on the court, they went with Kimiko's plan and watched as Kinzaki's No.4 broke down on his fourth foul near the end of the first half and how his team followed soon after. With the seeds of distrust already sown in their hearts and minds, they forced themselves to score once they got the ball, not passing it to their teammates even when it was the better option at the time, and by the end of the fourth quarter, Teikou had already doubled their score without even breaking a sweat.
Teikou celebrated their victory, and had forgotten all about that particular match until the preliminaries for the InterHigh began. Kinzaki was one of their first opponents, and everyone had expected a breathtaking match between the two teams who ranked first and second the previous year. Unfortunately, Kimiko's machinations had taken root – their captain had quit altogether while their ace had taken to playing selfishly while the rest of them fumbled about as they tried and failed in their pathetic attempts at teamwork – and so it was another walk in the park for the Teikou team. And in the following tournaments and the years thereafter, Kinzaki never reclaimed their Top 2 ranking and steadily fell through the ranks that year and the year after that.
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The Seirin team was lounging in the locker room waiting for their game against Yosen by five-thirty when Kuroko received a message from Kimiko asking if anyone from his team has seen Himuro.
"Eh? Tatsuya is missing."
Kuroko showed Kagami Kimiko's message. "That seems to be the case. Akumi-san is looking for him somewhere near the hotel where we were staying and she's asking me if we somehow saw Himuro when we returned earlier after the game."
"But isn't it too far from the park where the games were held?" Hyuga asked.
"Himuro-san could've taken a bus or something," Riko pointed out.
"Why would he do that, though? Did they already tried calling him?" Izuki found it weird that no one was able to locate the mirage shooter. The game ended at around 10:30AM, and now it's already nearing three in the afternoon... Where had he gone off to?
And why?
"They did, but no one's picking up."
Kagami was worried. Did something happened to Himuro? "I'll help look for him!"
"But Kagami-kunー" Riko was about to tell him that he cannot go but Kagami looked at her with eyes full of determination.
Riko sighed. "Fine. Keep me updated on your search, and be back by five, okay? We still have a game to play. I hope you find him safe and sound."
"I'll try my best."
"Okay then. Good luck and take care."
Kagami went back to their hotel and combed the alleys and even checked inside the establishments he passed by. An hour later, he stumbled across a mostly empty park, when something caught his eye.
Is that-
A figure was sitting lifelessly on a park bench, with clothes not really fitting for the season. Himuro's head was bowed, hiding his face from the world, his back hunched like he was carrying a huge burden on his shoulders.
"Tsk... What was he thinking leaving his team like that?" Kagami grumbled angrily. He'd known his older friend/brother to be nothing like him that's rash, never considering the consequences his actions may bring, but Himuroー
Cool head, hot heart.
ーHimuro is nothing like him.
He'd always been calm, not one to openly show his feelings especially that of weakness, of vulnerability, ever since he met Kagami whom he considered as his younger brother. Being Kagami's older brother means that he must be more mature, more logical, more responsible (though he had accepted the fact that Kagami is better than him in basketball). Sure, he can be selfish and manipulative at times, has no problems in beating others up when the situation calls for it, but to make his team worry and wander all around Wakayama to search for him since he refuses to answer his own damn phone (which was currently ringing inside his bag, by the way)...
"Teme waー!" Kagami began but stopped when another voice called out the raven's name.
"Tatsuya! Mitsuketa!" A breathless Kimiko came running from the opposite direction. Beside her was Murasakibara, who stopped upon seeing his partner. Himuro gave a jolt when he heard her voice, but he didn't raise his head. Instead, he fisted his hands tighter, knuckles turning white. Kimiko had stopped a few steps away from the bench, hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath, exhausted from running all over the city after she ditched the Rakuzan team to help the purple-haired giant to find the missing half of their double ace. After a few moments, she finally straightened up and almost staggered to the bench and sat herself heavily beside Himuro. "Your whole team is searching for you! Why were you not answering your phone? Your coach, your captain, minnaー myself! ーwe were worried about you!" She then noticed his lack of jacket or anything to shield the cold, and immediately her hands came up to unravel the thick, ruby scarf around her neck. "Oi, you're making yourself sick dressed like that out here! Hora, put this around your neck for the meantime until we find someplace for you to change your clothes - you brought a change of clothes with you, right? Come on."
"Kimiko." His voice was a mere whisper in the air.
"I told you to call meー"
"Shut up."
"ーAkumi... Eh?"
"Just... Shut up. Just fucking shut up," Himuro hissed, and each spoken word coming from his lips took Kimiko aback.
"Tatsuyaー"
"I SAID, SHUT UP!"
Himuro rose to his feet, towering over the shell-shocked chartreusette. At the same time, both Kagami and Murasakibara came running to them, with the latter looking like he would go berserk any moment now.
"Muro-chin-!" Murasakibara growled at Himuro.
"Oi, Tatsuya, what do you think you're doing?" Kagami demanded. He glanced at the wide-eyed girl on the bench, the scarf slipping from her hands to the snow-covered pavement. "Why are you getting mad at Akumi?"
Himuro, it seemed, didn't hear nor register the newcomers' presence. "Leave."
This infuriated Murasakibara and he took a step forward. "Even if it's Muro-chin, I will-!"
"Atsushi," Kimiko warned, stopping the boy from hurting his teammate. She bent down to pick up the scarf and stood up. Murasakibara stared at her with unbelieving eyes.
"But Kumi-chin," Murasakibara almost whined, then shot another glare at Himuro.
"Just leave, Kimiko," Himuro said. His hand shot out towards her abruptly, and Murasakibara instinctively pulled the girl to him and shielded her with his arm. With a scoff, the mirage shooter harshly grabbed his bag from the seat and turned his back to them. Before he walked away, he said in a low voice, "When you're like that, you're just making it more difficult for me."
He'd crossed the street before Kagami finally managed to shake himself out of his stupor.
"Oi, Tatsuya, what the hellー!" he yelled, running after Himuro, then almost stumbled when he was reminded of the two behind him. "Murasakibara, Iー"
"You can go now, Kaga-chin. I'll take care of Kumi-chin."
Kagami frowned at the obvious dismissal but did not comment any further. Then with a more subdued tone, he looked at the girl beside the purple-head. "Akumi, I apologize for Tatsuya's actions earlier. I don't know what's gotten into him but I promise to find out so, please do not beー"
A piece of fabric was shoved into his hands. It was Kimiko's scarf. With a shaky smile, she said to the bumbling redhead, "Tell him I'm sorry. For whatever I said or did. Tell him I'm sorryー Go."
Kagami can only squeeze the scarf tightly in his hands. "I'll tell him."
Mutely, she nodded at him. "Thank you, Taiga. Take care of him."
And so, Kagami ran like he was running for his life, eyes locked on the dark-haired figure plodding slowly ahead of him. He remembered the look of anger and betrayal on the other boy's face as he shouted at Kimiko to keep quiet. He'd seen it before, before Himuro punched the living daylights out of him for losing on purpose.
Damn it, just what the hell is going on with him?
What did Kimiko do to make Himuro so mad at her?
"Tsk, I'll get answers soon," he mumbled to himself as he finally caught up to him. "Tatsuya!"
"Leave me alone, Taiga."
Kagami grabbed his shoulder to make him stop, and Himuro would have punched him then and there when the redhead shoved something roughly at his chest, making him stumble backwards for a bit.
He looked down at the scarf but did not make a move to get it. "Whatー"
"Take it." When he didn't, Kagami sighed in exasperation. "Just take it, Tatsuya. It's cold, what are you doing prancing around town dressed in just that?" he asked, indicating at his thin shirt and sweatpants that he wore during the streetball game. When Himuro still didn't make a move, Kagami gave him a look that said 'It's-your-fault-that-I'm-doing-this' then wrapped the scarf around Himuro's neck artlessly (and almost choking him in the process).
Himuro coughed as he loosened the scarf to allow himself to breathe. He was actually going to take it off but something stopped him (and no, Kagami's glare has nothing to do with it, really). A moment of silence passed, then they resumed walking like nothing happened. They passed several stores before anyone spoke up.
"She said sorry," Kagami mumbled.
They reached the intersection and had to wait for the stoplight to turn green before they could cross the street. Upon reaching the other side, Himuro let out a long suffering sigh. "She shouldn't have."
Huh? "Then why did youー?" He stopped when he felt his companion shiver and dip his chin lower into the warmth of the scarf. Up ahead, Kagami spied a coffee shop. Nudging Himuro with his shoulder, he jerked his chin in the direction of the cafe and said, "Let's go in there so you can change your clothes already. Then we'll talk. I'll listen."
"Taiga..."
"No."
Himuro raised an eyebrow at him. Caught off-guard by his response, he can't help but blurt out, "No what?"
Kagami looked up like he was asking the heavens for patience. "No, Tatsuya. I'm not leaving you to brood over your problems alone. So hurry up so we can figure out what's making you act like a complete asshole."
"And you're doing this because she asked you to?"
"No. I'm doing this as your brother." Kagami tugged at his necklace, whose twin was hanging around Himuro's neck. "We're brothers, Tatsuya, and brothers are always there for each other... Ah, damn, that sounds too corny... Hurry up already! You're making me say weird things!"
Too stunned to react, Himuro allowed Kagami to push him from behind, with the latter grumbling about him being a slowpoke and all that. Oh well, he thought as they finally reached the cafe, there's no escaping it now.
But, can he really tell Kagami what's truly bothering him?
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Murasakibara was at a loss. He was thoroughly confused as to why Himuro behaved that way, and it angered him to see the pained expression on Kimiko's face when Himuro had shouted at her. After regaining her friendship, Murasakibara had sworn to himself that he will protect her from anyone who dared to hurt her. Had it not for Kimiko stopping him, he could've punched the living daylights out of Himuro. Teammate or not, no one is allowed to hurt the chartreusette on his watch.
"Kumi-chin," he called softly to the blank-eyed girl. When there was no response, Murasakibara did the only thing he could think of.
He hugged her.
With her height, the top of her head only reached the middle of his chest. He patted her head awkwardly as she clutched the front of his shirt as she stopped herself from crying.
"I can beat up Muro-chin for you if you want," Murasakibara offered when he heard her sniff a little.
The image of Murasakibara pounding Himuro into a pulp amused Kimiko so much that it made her chuckle a bit. "Baka," she mumbled against his shirt, "you can't do that. Your coach will kill you if you maim one of your teammates..."
"Then I'll transfer to another school," came Murasakibara's nonchalant answer. "Ne, Kumi-chin, you're going to Aka-chin's school, right?"
"What makes you say that?"
"Because Aka-chin will get sad if you transfer to some other school," he replied.
"I don't think Seijuurou will be that sad," she said, though inwardly, she agreed with what Murasakibara had said. Akashi will understand if she decides to stay in Tokyo, however, it will sadden him, given that they were already in a relationship.
Speaking of which...
Kimiko pulled away from Murasakibara, feeling a lot better, although her eyes were a bit red even though she did not really cried. She bit her lip, unsure if she will be doing the right thing.
"Ne, Atsushi," she said when they were on the bus to the gym where the semi-finals are going to be held. "I have something to tell you. But," she raised a finger to her lips, "promise me that you are going to keep it as a secret for now, okay?"
"Secret?"
"Hai," Kimiko affirmed with a nod of her head.
Murasakibara nodded as well. "Alright. I promise."
"Ano," she began slowly, "Seijuurou and I are in a relationship."
A long period of silence followed after that, with Murasakibara staring at her eyes with profound seriousness that Kimiko almost wanted to squirm at the scrutiny.
Maybe it's not a good idea to tell him after all...
Just as when she was about to give up on getting an answer from the purple-haired boy, Murasakibara finally opened his mouth.
"So, Kumi-chin, when is the wedding?"
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Akashi was already waiting for them at the lobby of the gym when Murasakibara and Kimiko arrived. For an unknown reason, Kimiko's face was slightly tinged with pink and she seemed to be sulking over something while Murasakibara was both amused and confused at her. However, when he asked the two of them what happened, they answered 'Nothing!' in unison.
He would have let it go had he not heard Murasakibara's parting words to the chartreusette, and how it seemed to sober her up.
"Kumi-chin, I'll try to talk to Muro-chin later, okay?"
"Alright," Kimiko said with a tiny smile. "Just don't beat him up, okay?"
Murasakibara paused to consider her request and gave a shrug. "I'll try~"
Once the Yosen player was gone, Akashi turned to Kimiko, who closed her eyes and sighed in exhaustion. Seeing her tired expression, the redhead decided not to interrogate just yet.
That and he doesn't have enough time to do so without needing to cut their conversation short. He had, after all, left the team just to escort her inside. Their game against Kaijou will be starting barely fifteen minutes from now.
After making sure that Kimiko was able to locate Alex, Akashi was able to go join his team downstairs but not before stealing a brief embrace from the chartreusette, who in turn gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.
Smiling, Akashi headed to the locker room reserved for their team, feeling lighter than he had in years.
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Kimiko watched the Rakuzan-Kaijou match with an apathetic face that even Alex find it eerie. She watched as Akashi checked Kise over and over again and ignored the desperation in his and his teammates' faces as Rakuzan stayed five steps ahead of them. The only time she reacted was when Kise's Perfect Copy finally ran out, sealing Kaijou's fate, and she had only clenched her jaw slightly at that.
"It's over," she murmured, like a shinigami before it claims someone's soul.
The buzzer rang. 97-75.
In favor of Rakuzan.
Akashi had approached a broken Kise and offered him a handshake, and while the blond had accepted it, his heart was not in it. Not a word was exchanged.
Kaijou never reappeared from their locker rooms to watch the Yosen-Seirin game after that, unlike Rakuzan who had joined her and Alex up in the stands just as the second half was about to start. Kimiko's uncharacteristic silence went unnoticed except by Akashi and Mayuzumi (who was feeling guiltier with each passing moment) while the rest of the Rakuzan was still drunk with their win over Kanagawa's elites.
"Is something the matter, Akumi?" Akashi asked her softly, worry reflected in his eyes.
Her eyes followed Kagami as he faced off with Himuro. "Can we talk about this later?" she pleaded.
By that, you mean 'Never'. Akashi sighed. Something was truly bugging the chartreusette. But what? She'd been so full of life earlier at the meeting, completely in her element as she slipped into the role as easily as a fish takes into water, and then she leaves his sight and she becomes this lifeless doll.
"Promise me," he insisted, and held out his pinky finger to her.
She stares at the offered appendage for a moment, and the sudden childish gesture coming from the redhead was enough to draw a startled laugh out of her. She interlaced her own with his and they shake their joined hands once, twice. "I promise."
Akashi smiled and poked her cheek lightly. "There, keep that smile on your face. You look much more beautiful with it than when you frown." Her face flared up as she looked at him, clearly flustered, and Akashi chuckled lightly.
He didn't let go of her hand.
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"The current game is much more interesting than the previous one, don't you think so, Shirikawa?" Akashi Masaomi asked his current companion as they watched from the special viewing room of the gym.
"The young master's team was too much for them, it seems, Akashi-sama."
The Akashi patriarch nodded with a pleased smile on his face. Despite being disillusioned by Rakuzan's match against Kaijou, he was not disappointed. Not when the younger Akashi was playing with such a blissful expression on his face surrounded by his trusted teammates.
Ten minutes after the start of the third quarter, he decided that he had seen enough. The team with that brash redhead and frail bluenette will win this game, and he found himself looking forward to the championship game between them and Rakuzan tomorrow.
"Let us go, Shirikawa. I still have something to attend to."
"Hai, Akashi-sama."
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Seirin did not show further development aside from polishing what they had from last year's tournament. Yosen, with their taller players and tight defense, cornered them until Kagami unleashed his Zone, together with Kuroko's Quasi-Emperor Eye. Seeing the teal-haired boy down there made Akashi smile. Even though Mayuzumi had almost perfected his own style of misdirection, Kuroko is and always will be the lone phantom sixth man. Nothing beats the original, and Mayuzumi, even with his higher specs, was outmatched by Kuroko.
"Who do you think will win this?" he asked her and was not surprised when she gestured at the team with red-and-black jerseys.
"It's a close fight, though." The gap never went beyond six points, and Seirin was doing their best to widen it or at the very least, maintain it. Yosen managed to catch up to them in the middle of the third quarter, when Murasakibara entered the Zone, and held Seirin at bay. From there, it became a showdown between Yosen's double ace and Seirin's light and shadow, with Kuroko's cunning saving them once again, as he always does.
Kagami's Meteor Jam sealed the deal – 99-98. Once again, Seirin won just by the skins of their teeth.
The rematch between Seirin and Rakuzan is on.
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