Winding Road
KNB Fanfiction
Summary: To some, forgiveness is a conscious act of letting go of past grudges. To others, forgiveness helps them to move forward and obtain peace. Kuroko Tetsuya has never experienced any of these. How could he when forgiveness no longer meant anything to him?
A/N: I never liked how little we know of Tetsuya's background hence this fanfiction was created.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke. A few parts of this story were inspired by real life events. There will be OCs to construct Kuroko Tetsuya's background.
Triggers: hints of hyperventilation and flashbacks.
Chapter 01
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The first time Tetsuya felt something other than fear and emptiness was a bittersweet pain that erupted in his heart. There was no warning, no foreshadowing and it left him so startled that he rolled from his bed onto the hardwood floor in his room.
Spare!
This word resounded repeatedly in his head. His entire body trembled furiously as tears leaked from his eyes. He could not stop crying.
He sat there helplessly, bawling his eyes out as he grasped for air after every cry. When the door to his room slid opened, his teary eyes glanced to the left and saw -
4:00 am
"Tetsuya!" The familiar warm and gentle voice shouted worryingly and his safe person embraced him into her arms.
His cries were muffled as he plunged his face onto his grandmother's shoulders to hide from the world and felt the soft fabric of her robes. His breathing quickened as his hands stiffened and curled towards his wrists.
"Tetsu-chan! Breathe slowly! 1, 2, -"
Kuroko Hotaru embraced her grandson with her left arm and ran her wrinkled right hand through her small grandson's hair to calm him - and herself - down. She continued to recite the breathing rhythm that was drilled into her head by his therapist.
Her thoughts began to wander as she fell into the habitual soothing of her grandson.
Hotaru carried a lot of regrets. She regretted not spending enough time with all of her grandchildren. She regretted not being assertive enough. She hated herself for not saving her grandsons in time.
Tetsuya's soft sniffles and hiccups brought her attention back as she moved onto patting his back gently.
"Shh… It's going to be okay." She whispered.
Tetsuya whined at the soreness in his wrists. He hated the aftermath of hyper- hypervento- hyperventolition. It was not the right word but the insistence of his mind to focus on something else distracted him from the soreness.
His body trembled as Hotaru hoisted him onto his feet and hugged him. The warmth permeated through his body reminded him of the cold he had yet to beat.
"Let's have some tea." She whispered.
The dull throbbing sensation in his head protested at the thought of drinking but the distraction from this embarrassing moment was more attractive and he hummed shakingly in agreement.
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Orange. So orange. Tetsuya thought as he stared at the television. His blue eyes darted left and right, following the people running back and forth for an orange ball.
It was fascinating.
People in the same design wear with different numbers worked together furiously to stop people from the other side - he assumed - from getting the ball.
The lingering emptiness slowly washed away as Tetsuya immersed himself into the show and a seed was planted in his heart.
For once, he trembled not in fear but in excitement.
The corners of his lips twitched upwards as he stood up to mimic the poses he saw from the television. This moment of silliness continued until soft giggling came from his right and he blushed.
"Obaa-sama!" Tetsuya whined when he saw that his grandmother had caught him posing.
"Oh, Tetsu-chan! Don't mind me." Kuroko Hotaru smiled. Seeing Tetsuya smile was such a rare sight, she'd hate to interrupt what made him do so. Seeing him smile, being so excited over watching a basketball game on the TV, brightened her day considerably.
"Come now, I won't laugh. Let's watch it together, Tetsu-chan."
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Kuroko Hinako was a little worried. Hotaru-sama hadn't greeted her at the entryway and she had made sure to do it every other time she had come over. Was there some emergency with Tetsuya? Did he have a panic attack again?
She eventually found both of them in the living room. "Hotaru-sama…?" She called in concern as she entered.
Her words seemed to startle both Hotaru and Tetsuya. While Tetsuya shrunk back a little, Hotaru just smiled and gestured to the TV. Hinako took a quick glance to catch the ending moments of a basketball match before it cut out to the sponsors..
"Please, come in. I will be in the library if you need me." Hotaru invited her in, giving her a gentle hug before she quietly left..
Tetsuya hunched his back to make himself smaller on the sofa when he realised he was left alone with their guest.
"Hinako-han."* He whispered so softly that if Hinako was not paying attention, she would have missed it.
Kuroko Hinako's heart twisted painfully at his attempts of erasing his presence from the room. She pursed her lips and straightened her back with determination. She was not here as his second cousin once removed, but as his therapist.
She took out a small notebook and glanced fondly at Tetsuya as she remembered what he was watching before she came in.
"Hello Tetsuya-kun. Were you watching a basketball match?" She sat down on the sofa, opposite from Tetsuya, before taking out a pen to write on her notebook.
Tetsuya tilted his head at the question. "Basketball?"
Hinako hummed encouragingly at the response instead of the usual silence for the entire session. Today must be a good day. She thought as she explained briefly about basketball.
An unknown feeling sprouted in Tetsuya's heart as he fiddled with his fingers. He was brimming with all sorts of questions about basketball but the lingering phantom pain on the back of his legs held his tongue back.
Hinako's keen eyes noticed how Tetsuya kept on shifting discreetly on the sofa and the frequency of fiddling with his fingers increased.
"Tetsuya-kun, do you want to play basketball?" She relaxed and stared at her notebook in an attempt to calm him down.
Tetsuya inhaled sharply and paused at twisting his fingers around. A sudden urge to cry came to him and he sniffled. Play? He willed the tears to go away as he looked hopefully at his therapist.
Hinako continued to stare at her notebook, hummed and smiled. "I have an older cousin who lives and breathes basketball. If you are interested, he can play with you."
Jackpot. Hinako thought when Tetsuya's eyes lit up.
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Harasawa Katsunori knew he had led a good life. Being the only child, he was well loved by his parents and was allowed to pursue what he wanted in life. From the mischievous boy who loved golf to his brief stint as a bartender in his teenage years to being part of the national basketball team.
Even now, he was walking out of Too Academy after signing papers to accept the job offer he received weeks ago mysteriously without him sending any application papers.
Opportunities came knocking on his doors… or so he wished.
He knew that many eyes were on him when he was born. His parents tried to explain the ridiculously long and complicated history of the surname his cousin carried. Admittedly he had daydreamed during that but still! It was way too troublesome to remember.
The only thing he remembered was that his freedom came with a price. A price that had fallen on his baby cousin's shoulders to carry. He loved his baby cousin too much to let her go through this alone.
He owed her.
That was why he was rushing to the address given to discuss the possibility of him coaching a young boy in basketball. Him? Kids?
Katsunori sighed and jogged to the address. When did life become so complicated?
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The address turned out to be a small quaint cafe tucked in between modern eateries near his apartment.
Katsunori huffed in exasperation when he was ushered to a private seating room where normal customers would not be allowed in.
"Hina-chan… Is this going to be on my tab?" He drawled when he realised Hinako had already ordered before him. The exquisite desserts on the table will definitely put a hole in his wallet.
"Yes…?" Hinako rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment at the excessive amount of desserts ordered while dwelling on her recent therapy session with Tetsuya.
Katsunori took off his shoes before stepping onto the slightly raised tatami platform and sat on a cushion opposite his cousin. As usual, he was silently thankful that despite being part of that family, Hinako had black hair and brown eyes, saving him from thinking about those people. Worry trickled into his heart at her haunted expression and hunched back.
A mischievous smirk snuck onto his face before he snatched the cake Hinako was eyeing and devoured it within seconds in a way that would annoy her.
"Katsu-nii!" Hinako pouted. She snatched the cup of tea he was reaching for, gulped it down in an unladylike manner and stuck her tongue out at him playfully.
Katsunori snorted at her act and smirked in satisfaction when the haunted expression left and she sat up straighter.
"So… Hina-chan, what's wrong?"
There was a minuscule pause when Hinako reached into her bag. She knew that her request would put Katsunori into a bigger spotlight and under greater scrutiny than before. A shiver went down her back at the possible consequences for them if this failed.
She swallowed the irrational fear down. She needed to do this for Tetsuya who was finally responding to her. The young boy who looked at her with such hopeful eyes.
"I… have a 10 year old under my care." She placed two photos faced down and slid it over to Katsunori before fixing her eyes blankly at the tall window that had a good view of a beautiful small flower field planted by the owner of the cafe.
Katsunori had a grim look on his face and clenched his fists. He never liked hearing these cases from his cousin, especially ones with children. Bastard. He cursed internally at the scum who had hurt this child to the point where he or she needed therapy.
He nodded curtly in response and flipped the photos over. At the first glance, the first photo looked like a normal family picture and the second one was a portrait view of a young boy wearing a yukata. He looked at it again and inhaled sharply in shock.
Hinako fidgeted silently on the cushion and bit her lower lip in anxiousness when Katsunori's hands trembled. She jolted at the heartbroken gaze he gave her and her heart dropped when he avoided her pleading eyes.
"Katsu-nii…" Her lips wobbled.
Katsunori's mind went blank once he noticed the trademarkhair and eye colours in the photos. He felt so betrayed. He was not expecting to be reminded of something so painful.
How could Hinako do this to him? She knew of the humiliation and pain he went through when his grandfather sent him to a summer camp in Osaka, at one of the estates owned by the Kuroko's family.
Too rebellious. He scoffed at the remarks given to him by his grandfather. Excuse him for being daring enough to dye his hair at 13 years old.
Katsunori remembered all the horror tales told by his grandfather as bedtime stories. Of how a Kuroko member would kidnap him away from his parents if he misbehaved. He never liked living with his grandfather. He rejoiced when his father punched the crap out of his grandfather for sending him to that camp.
His hands trembled slightly, remembering the cramps and blisters his hands went through after being forced to hold the heavy puppet up and to perform a simple gesture with it. He rubbed his thigh subconsciously when he remembered the wooden stick the sensei used to beat the shit out of him when he made a mistake.
Resentment seeped into his heart. His parents warned him to stay away from any Kuroko members but he refused to leave Hinako who begged and begged for -
An overwhelming feeling of gratitude and love washed over him instantly when he remembered the sacrifices Hinako made to protect him during and after the camp.
Hinako heaved a sigh of relief when Katsunori finally looked at her with a questioning gaze. She pointed to the portrait photo and whispered.
"He is Kuroko Tetsuya. The second child of Masami-sama and Tadashi-san." She looked at the photo lovingly but continued to fidget on her cushion.
"Katsu-nii, I cannot tell you why he is in therapy. It's been months but he has never once responded to me until… basketball." She confided in who she considered to be her older brother.
"He was watching a basketball match for the first time and I think it caught his attention. Katsu-nii, I'm not asking for a miracle but -"
Katsunori held up his hands to halt Hinako's rambling. He knew she would ramble on and on if no one stopped her.
"Hina-chan, what can I do?"
Hinako huffed in annoyance at herself for rambling again. "Katsu-nii… you can teach him the basics of basketball." Her lips turned down. "It's to get him out of the house. He hasn't left since he came to Tokyo."
Katsunori raised his eyebrows at that. "Any triggers?" He was not so dumb as to go into this blind.
Hinako sighed. "He has a lot… The only thing I can say is to go slow and have patience." She took a bite out of a tart in irritation at the information she was allowed to share. Or rather, the lack of it.
"That's… awfully little to go on." Katsunori's mouth thinned.
Hinako let out a few garbled sounds of frustration and tugged on her hair. "I know, I know!" Her eyes widened, surprised at the dialect that came out from her mouth - she had not spoken in that dialect for years.
Katsunori smirked in amusement. Oh, it has been awhile since I heard that. He paused in his thoughts and processed the information he had been given.
Second child… Masami… Oh dear.
Katsunori sighed internally, shifted out of the cushion and put on his shoes. "Just send me the details of when and where. I need to go now."
Hinako sat up in glee that her cousin had agreed to help! "Of course! Katsu-nii! Arigatou!" She whooped in joy.
Wait… The tab! For the desserts!
"KATSU-NII!"
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"Cheers!" Multiple voices and clinking sounds echoed in a spacious room filled with workout equipment.
"Tora! I can't believe you own this place!" Takeuchi Genta, a young man with a slight paunch, teased as he gulped the sake down in one shot.
"Hmph! To think Tora had this place and didn't tell us." Araki Masako, a rather tall young woman with a short ponytail, harrumphed.
Shirogane Eiji, the former captain of these brats, swirled his cup of sake in annoyance at the noise level. "Have some respect for Tora. He worked hard to create this training centre."
Kagetora beamed at Eiji.
"Despite his one brain cell." Eiji smirked.
"Eijiiii!" Kagetora groaned at the unfair treatment he received from his ex-teammates. It was true that he had the worst grades among them in high school but still! He took out a photo of his daughter and hugged it dramatically.
"At least my Riko-chan looooves her papa!"
All of them burst out laughing at Kagetora's usual antics, even Katsunori who laid on his back snickered.
"It's a shame that Maasaki couldn't make it today." Genta hummed disappointedly.
"Ma-boy's daughter has the flu so he had to take care of her." Kagetora smiled goofily as he finally got to use the nickname. He pointed abruptly at Masako.
"Masa, what about you?" Kagetora wriggled his eyebrows. "Any boyfriend?" He teased.
Masako's eyebrows twitched in irritation and focused on the sake.
"The last I heard… you chased Genta away on a bike!" Kagetora laughed obnoxiously, unaware of Masako's rising annoyance.
Masako reached out and gave Kagetora's back a tight smack with her right hand. Kagetora yelped in pain as he was toppled over by her strength. He hissed and rubbed his back pitifully.
"Don't think I'm weak without my shinai!" Masako shook her fist at Kagetora who stuck out his tongue at her.
Genta, Kagetora and Katsunori shivered as they remembered being chased around by her, waving that damn shinai at them. Eiji smirked and snickered at their reactions. Brats.
Kagetora poured more sake in his cup and drank it. "So… I know I am the best sports trainer in this area. What about you all?"
Masako snorted. "I teach physical education at Yosen High - " Before she could continue, Kagetora screeched in horror.
"Those poor students!"
Masako growled and waved her fist at Kagetora who once again stuck his tongue out at her. "Should have brought my shinai here!"
All of them jumped when a sharp clap sound echoed through the room. "Tora!" Eiji scolded. "Do you want to run until you drop?"
Kagetora shivered, mimed zipping his mouth and shook his head furiously.
Masako snickered at him. "As I was saying… I'm thinking of becoming a coach for their basketball team."
Genta nodded in acknowledgement. "I will be transferring to Kaijo High next month as their Japanese History teacher and the coach for their basketball team."
"Why?" Eiji tilted his head. The last he remembered, Genta was working at a printing company with a fairly decent pay.
Genta grimaced and rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Heh… I missed playing basketball… " He had hoped to avoid explaining himself because -
Kagetora's eyes lit up. "Ehhh, Gen Gen wants to play basketball again?"
Genta blushed. "Kagetora!" This was why he avoided most gatherings hosted by this stupid Tora.
Eiji hummed. "As you all already know, I am still working at Rakuzan as their World History teacher." He thought of his 9 year old fraternal twins. "My daughters are still 9… Won't be coaching anytime soon."
Masako nodded in respect to Eiji who placed his family first and the only one who can control these boys. She glared at Kagetora and jerked her chin towards Katsunori.
All of them, except Katsunori, caught her action and looked at Katsunori who was still on his back. They knew that Katsunori had always been someone of a few words but… this silence was concerning.
Kagetora frowned. No matter how much they teased Katsunori about being uptight and his basketball skills, he was the baby of the team. It was a hot topic back then when Katsunori transferred to their school into the 10th grade when he was only 14 years old.
"Ne… Katt-chan! What about you?"
The buzzing from the alcoholic drinks kept Katsunori's mind from wandering deeper into the emotional wounds that were ripped open by the meeting he had with Hinako. He tried to keep up with the conversation his ex-teammates were having but he was worried.
He kept on thinking of the consequences Hinako would face if he failed. What if he messed up and that Tetsuya kid became worse? What if he had to go back and meet those shitty dudes in Osaka?
Katsunori sighed and sat up, groaning in irritation, only to see everyone staring at him as though he was about to die. He grunted. "What?"
Kagetora frowned. "Katt-chan… are you okay?" He leaned forward in concern.
"Hmm…" Katsunori thinned his lips in annoyance. He was not annoyed at his ex-teammates. He was annoyed at being reminded of the wounds in his heart again.
Masako felt a twinge of hurt at Katsunori's reluctance to share. Despite her vocal dislike for Katsunori, she still cared for him like he was her annoying younger brother.
Eiji downed another cup of sake and prompted again. "Katsunori… what's wrong?"
"Is it your grandfather?" Genta questioned worriedly.
All of them knew of the bad blood between Katsunori and his grandfather. They knew if Katsunori would have his way… nobody in the team would even know he had a grandfather.
It was an accident, an awful memory that was imprinted in everyone's mind. On that day, Katsunori stomped out of the gym in school after a phone call. Out of curiosity, the team followed and was horrified to witness an older man punching Katsunori in the face. It turned into a physical fight when Katsunori retaliated.
"I…" Katsunori hesitated. It was not easy to fight against the ingrained habit to withhold all information related to any Kuroko members.
"I…?" Kagetora clicked his tongue impatiently. "Come on, Katt-chan! Tell us!"
"Tora, have you coached any children in basketball before?" Katsunori sighed and relented in the hopes of getting some advice.
All of them were taken aback by the seemingly random question. Kagetora tilted his head. "The youngest I have is 11 but… my daughter is the one training him." He beamed with pride.
Genta choked and spluttered. "Isn't your daughter too young for that!?"
Kagetora shook his head dramatically. "Gen Gen! Riko-chan inherited my talent!" He boasted.
Masako cleared her throat to stop their nonsense and looked at Katsunori. "And…?"
Katsunori sighed. "My cousin -"
"Cousin!?" All of them, except Eiji, exclaimed in shock. This was not what they were expecting. How could they when Katsunori have never shared anything about his family?
Kagetora pointed a finger accusingly and pouted at Katsunori. "Katt-chan! Who is this cousin? A girl or boy? How old is your cousin?! Why are we hearing this for the first time? I thought we were friends!"
"Not just friends! We've known each other for more than 20 years!" Genta exclaimed and coughed when a hard smack landed on his back.
Masako was beyond annoyed at all these interruptions. "Shaddup! Let Katsunori continue! Or else!" She glared at these goons, except Eiji of course.
"... My cousin asked me to coach a 10 year old child in basketball." Katsunori mumbled and drank a cup of sake again.
All of them knew that when you put the words 'child' and 'Katsunori' together, there will always be someone - namely the child - in tears.
"... Eh? Ehhhh!?" Genta and Kagetora exclaimed in shock.
Masako bit her tongue to stop any snarky comments from leaving her mouth. She had witnessed it first hand when a kid cried from Katsunori's stare when they were leaving the gym! Who on earth is crazy enough to ask Katsunori to coach a kid?
Eiji almost choked on his sake. It was not an exaggeration to say that all of them have learnt quite well to divert any young fans of Katsunori away. The complaints they received from the fans' parents were a nightmare to deal with!
"Hey! What's with the reactions!" Katsunori glared at them.
He was well aware of the fans who left crying after meeting him. It was not his fault that they were afraid of his eyes! He pouted internally.
Kagetora cleared his throat and frowned. "Katt-chan! Why? Is your cousin or grandfather threatening you!?"
Genta, Masako and Eiji stared intensely at Katsunori. Kagetora made a good point. Why would Katsunori accept this frankly impossible request if he was not threatened?
Hina-chan… threatening me? An image of angry Hinako with puffed red cheeks, like a hamster, came into Katsunori's mind and he burst into laughter.
"Haa… " Katsunori wiped a tear that slipped from his eyes and snickered. "That was hilarious… Tora, my cousin did not threaten me."
Eiji heaved a sigh of relief and refilled the empty cups on the floor with sake. Genta and Kagetora stared wide-eyed at each other.
Masako's right eyebrow twitched. They were so worried when Katsunori bowed over and started trembling. To think it was from laughter?
"So… who is this cousin?" Masako grunted out in slight annoyance.
Katsunori sighed reluctantly. He hated this. The disappointment in his ex-teammates' eyes was not something he looked forward to. A flash of resentment towards the geezers fluttered in his heart and his lips twitched downwards.
"Na-chan… is Na-chan."
Before anyone could press for more details, Katsunori poked Kagetora for more advice hesitantly. "Tora… What should I focus on for a 10 years old?"
Kagetora huffed in annoyance at the distraction but smiled fondly at the youngest in the group. He believed in Katsunori and hence, allowed himself to be distracted by the change in topic.
Noise started to pick up and filled the room again as all of them joined in on the conversation and reminisced about the past.
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"Across the sky of a clear summer night, the Milky Way… " Nostalgia flooded Hotaru's heart as she recited the Tanabata* story from memory. She gazed fondly at Tetsuya who was moving his body and the 'Mikeran'* puppet fluidly to her voice.
She remembered the sweat, tears and pain that goes behind every performance. The joy that burst in her heart when her 10 year old self was selected for the role of 'Tanabata-sama' as the omo-zukai*.
Summer was the season of reunion and the updates of progression for all. The time of friendly banters for the children and the rite of passage for some. It was the most important season for the Kuroko Family.
The 'Natsu-Bunraku'* was one of the sacred and important traditions in the Kuroko Family. This was when all 10 year old children from the Kuro-Bunraku School*, would be given an opportunity to perform on stage at one of their private entertainment centres.
Hotaru never regretted continuing her studies in Bunraku. She loved every moment on stage, even if she was just holding a prop of a tree. The exhilaration and satisfaction of evoking emotions in peoples' hearts through the performances kept her going.
She missed it.
The day she was arranged to wed Kuroko Akira broke something inside her heart. Akira treated her well and she eventually loved him but… she loved performing more. Her lips twitched downwards at the memories of hanging up her performing robes permanently.
Ah, How time flew… I'm a grandmother now…
"Obaa-sama?" Tetsuya questioned worriedly as he wiped away the sweat from his forehead.
"Ah… Where were we?" Hotaru gave a sheepish look and reprimanded herself internally. It was not a good time to be distracted by her memories.
Tetsuya lowered the 'Mikeran' puppet and recited softly. "Before 'Mikeran watched helplessly… ' and after 'I'll be waiting for you, my love'."
Hotaru shifted herself to a more comfortable position on the floor cushion and nodded at her grandson. "Let's continue. 5, 4, 3… "
The rusting of fabrics and soft pounding on the floor brought a smile to Hotaru's face as Tetsuya rushed to be in position for this upcoming scene.
"Mikeran watched helplessly as Tanabata ascended higher and higher… "
The practice of the Tanabata story continued for Tetsuya at their house. With each round, his movements became more elegant and his mistakes were replaced by perfection. It was like watching a recording that was on a loop. Tetsuya practiced each scene from start to end with Hotaru reciting the Tanabata story again and again.
The loop came to an end when Tetsuya stumbled a little at the last scene of the story. Tetsuya placed the puppet down gently before collapsing on the floor, panting and heaving deeply to catch his breath. The drenched performing robes was evidence that he had been at this for quite some time.
Hotaru stood up slowly, knees cracking at the motion, and shifted closer to Tetsuya who continued to lie on the floor. Despite the sweat dripping from the ends of his hair, Hotaru ruffled his hair gently and spoke with pride.
"Tetsuya, you did well for today. Your movements have improved but… " There was no passion in the performance.
Tetsuya heaved a sigh of relief that the practice had come to an end. He grimaced at the unspoken critic from his grandmother. His heart sank heavily at the reminder of what he had lost.
Love and passion for this art.
Once again, his emotions took a deep dive into a pit and his lips wobbled as tears slowly formed in his eyes. He quickly covered his eyes to hide his tears from his beloved grandmother but his sniffles gave it away.
"Oh… Tetsuya. Shh… " Hotaru wiped his tears away sorrowfully. She allowed Tetsuya to weep for a few minutes before bringing a piece of good news to distract him.
"Tetsu-chan, do you know what Hinako told me this morning?" Hotaru continued. "Her older cousin, Harasawa Katsunori, has agreed to coach you in… basketball!"
Tetsuya removed his hands from his eyes immediately and looked at his grandmother in shock. "Eh?" He could not believe his ears. "H-how?"
Hotaru smiled pleasingly at the response Tetsuya was giving. Hinako was right. Basketball might be what Tetsuya needed.
"Magic!" The wrinkles on her face became more profound as she winked mischievously at him. She laughed at the deadpan stare given by him in response.
"Akira has agreed to let you try other activities but you must keep up with your studies and Bunraku. He has decided to keep this decision a secret first." Hotaru whispered.
She could already foresee the incoming conflicts and objections from the rest of the Family if this were to be revealed. Despite their love for one another… It is not easy to change the obstinate ways from the older generations hence the need for this secrecy.
The beaming smile from Tetsuya washed away all of her worries and gave her the confidence that the right decision had been made.
Hotaru grasped onto the hope that blossomed in her heart that Tetsuya would be healed, and perhaps find his love for Bunraku again.
Little did she know… of the pain that basketball would bring to her grandson.
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[Explanations of *]
Hinako-han: This is not a typo. It is to showcase the Kansai dialect as 'san' is usually replaced with 'han'.
Tanabata: This is a celebration of a romantic story of two lovers represented by the stars who are only allowed to meet once a year as long as the skies are clear. Tanabata is also the name of the maiden who fell in love with Mikeran.
Mikeran: This is one of the main characters in the Tanabata story, the young male who fell in love with Tanabata.
Natsu-Bunraku: Natsu means Summer and Bunraku is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre, founded in Osaka. This just meant 'Summer Bunraku', a fictional event in this story.
Kuro-Bunraku School: This was a school for the Kuroko members to learn about Bunraku from a very young age. There are schools for Bunraku, and the pattern of the puppeteers' hoods depend on their schools. This is a fictional school in this story.
Omo-zukai: There are usually 3 puppeteers in Bunraku for mot main characters. The Omo-zukai is the main puppeteer who controls the right hand and head of the puppet.
Some of the information might be inaccurate but all have been researched from a storybook of Japanese folk tales and Google.
Started: 02/04/2021
Completed: 26/04/2021
Beta-ed by Draco Lupus