But that didn't matter right now! Especially as the other teen seemed to finally begin to look around for who he had probably come to see. Something had to be done. Now. Standing his ground, and gaining the captain's attention again, he yelled the first thing that popped in him mind.

"GO WITH ME!"


Furihata felt his face flame even as his completely un-thought-of words ricocheted around them in the darkness, the humming, flickering light the only sound in the air. Confused and somewhat wide eyes of shimmering rubies and golden flakes were staring at him silently and he felt the red hot burn of his flush across his cheeks.

"I-I mean on the court! In the game!"

More confusion showed and Furihata wondered if his face could get any hotter than it currently felt as his blush traced down to his neck.

"A-at the Winter Cup!" He elaborated, trying to keep this racing heart beat to himself and his shaking legs steady. "Go with me. On the court."

A flash of understanding lit within those eyes of precious stones and Akashi's expression seem to still, becoming a scarier version of a statue. It might've been Furihata's imagination but he could swear that the Rakuzan Captain's eyes were glowing.

Keeping his panic from breaking through, Furihata widened his stance and drew up on all the strength he had gained from his teammates over the last year.

"I'll block you." That wasn't quite right. Scouting for the right words, Furihata let his words choose themselves again, this time hopefully with the right results. "We'll stop you! Seiren will stop you!"

Turning on his heels after he yelled words he would never have said a year ago, Furihata turned and tried to run into the night like a champion...

Or dash into one of the dark alleys that that were rendered missable by the single light that illuminated the night dark street. Trying to calm his slamming pulse and his high, jittery breaths, Furihata placed one trembling hand on the cold brick and edged out to take a careful look out into the street.

The red headed captain was looking around the street, a frown was settled upon his young features as if he had been robbed of something he had been looking for, a hunter deprived of his hunt. And he had one person to blame.

Furihata could see it in the ways the eyes that were once of glossed rubies and smoothed gold became immediately of blazing hues of red and smoldering flames of gold.

A hunter indeed.

Renewed chills of high adrenaline and fear made his palms sweat even against the cool wall of the alley. He could only watch in trepidation as the unsatisfied hunter looked around the now empty street once more, gaze searching for his target to lock on.

Blowing out a sigh once it was clear it was fruitless, Akashi slipped his phone from his pocket and placed it to his ear and even as he turned and stared directly into the mouth of the alley where Furihata had ducked back into once again as soon as he'd seen the glowing eyes look toward him. Staring for a moment, Akashi let his gaze drift away as whoever he has called apparently answered.

Walking away as he began speaking, the emperor took his leave.

Furihata waited, his heart slamming against his ribs. He felt as if he were in the hiatus in a scary movie; the victim hears the other person leave and assumes it's safe— but then the killer reappears and everything hits the fan. And people die.

So yes, call him a coward, but Furihata stayed put; his breath misted in the cold darkness. The flickering street light filled his entire world, the only illumination he had as the night stayed so silent.

So very silent.

And then someone grabbed him from behind and he screamed.