Chapter 11 ~ No More Excuses

(Part 1)

The first club practice after the defeat was a boring one, with pretty much everyone not giving it their all. Their spirits were crashed and all they needed was time, for the anger and the disappointment to leave their hearts.

Riko knew and she wasn't expecting much today. She was not shouting, neither telling them what to do.

Akira was also not helping much. She just sat at the bench, looking at them practicing, lost in her thoughts. All she could think about was her date with Aomine. It was truly something else. She felt like he had made her a whole new person.

She definitely was in love. She knew, since her heart wouldn't stop racing, neither would the butterflies leave her stomach, every time she though of him.

The way he kissed her was just so captivating, that she felt like she couldn't get enough. Of course he ended up giving her more than just one kiss. They kissed multiple times and he even walked home. Akira's cheeks flushed red with the thought, but soon her expression was turned on the team, since Kagami started speaking.

"Everyone...We can't keep doing this...We'll never going to win if we practice like this..." he shouted, while clinging his fists, his stare focused on the ground. He still was really upset about losing.

He had been really distant the last few days.

He was so overrun by the defeat, that he didn't show much interest in why Akira hadn't at passed the competition. He neither seemed to care as to why Akira wanted to be left alone after the match and he wouldn't have called her at all, wasn't for Akira calling him after her date with Aomine.

She couldn't help but wonder if he knew...

The guilt was now once again drowning her heart in despair.

No matter what she told herself, that she couldn't have prevented the date with Aomine, was a lie to make herself feel better. It was just wrong and Kagami didn't deserve it.

She stood up and started walking away from the gym, nodding to her sister, who didn't seem to care much about the leaving the practice.

She had to figure out everything, both about her love life and about her future and she had to do it as quickly as possible.

'This can't go on for any longer' she thought and stopped walking when she reached the music club's door.

The best place to think, had always been in front of a piano after all.

(Part 2)

After knocking the door, Akira realized that the music club was still inside. She had interrupted their practice, or whatever they were doing.

Yoshida-sensei, who had opened the door, seemed more than delighted to see her, since he welcomed her inside and introduced her to everyone, calling her "a talented young pianist".

Akira smiled when all the students stared at her, some with admiration, while others with resentment, just like Takahashi Koshouke.

Yoshida-sensei, who was carrying a pack of sheet music, started giving them off to students.

"As I was saying, everyone, we won't go for something classical this year...Instead I'd like to try something different, like Ghibli Studios music themes, which in my opinion are excellent music pieces." he started saying, continuing from where he had left, before Akira had entered the room. He turned and looked at Akira once in a while, while he talked.

"The classical music community is quite strict these days, you see...And I'd like to surprise them a bit" he said with an enthusiastic smirk pinned on his lips.

Some students seemed to share his enthusiasm, while others were confused, obviously unaware of what he was talking about.

"You'd agree with me, wouldn't you Akira-chan?" he said turning to look at her.

Akira froze. Why did he have to make her stand out even more than she already does!

"Your performance was excellent at the competition! Your interpretation better than the original's in my opinion...it gave off a much more realistic feeling" he said, looking at her with wide open eyes, while scratching the back of his head, his black curls bouncing.

'He was there?' she thought and she was pretty sure that her expression looked intimidated.

"Its a shame the judges are so narrow headed and couldn't realise...don't you agree?" he said, smiling awkwardly.

Akira nodded in approval. She agreed with him, but she had never really thought about it in depth. She knew the judges were strict, but she never tried for anything other than a perfect performance, identical to the original.

Everyone now seemed busy looking at their sheet papers. Takahashi Koshouke though, was eyeing her with a look full of envy.

"Did you think about my suggestion?" whispered Yoshida-sensei, with another weird-looking awkward smile.

'I have not...I didn't even want to be here...I just thought I'd be alone' thought Akira, internally freaking out. The piano duet with Takahashi Koshouke seemed like one of the worst ideas anyone could ever have, but as Akira was trying to come up with something to excuse herself, it suddenly didn't seem bad at all.

She'd have time to play with the music club, maybe help her discover a new path with her piano career.

Suddenly it seemed like a wonderful idea to start over, with no stress over stupid competitions and narrow headed judges. She could do what she loved, without the constant need to prove that she's the best.

"Yes...I'm here to tell you that I accept" she said and even if it wasn't the truth, it felt like it was.

(Part 3)

The hallway of the school was silent and empty. It was almost dark outside and the night sky had started taking its place over the day one, with shades of dark purple painting the clouds. Akira was walking towards the gym, hoping someone would still be there.

She wanted to talk to Kagami. Tell him about the music club and the duet with Takahashi Koshouke. Tell him about her decision to give up the competitions and of course ask him some things.

His absence was driving Akira crazy and she had to talk about it.

She opened the door of the gym only to see him and Kuroko still practicing.

The loud creak of the door made them both turn and look at her.

They waved at her but neither of them came to greet her up close.

'Here we go again' she thought frustrated. Kagami would always run towards her when he saw her. He'd hug her and kiss her, not caring that others were watching.

This time he just waved, like she was only an acquaintance of his. It felt like he had forgotten all of the moments they had spent together, like she didn't knew him at he knew about everything... Her heart broke at the thought.

'Why is he acting like that?' she wondered and started walking towards them.

"What are you still doing here? I thought you left..." he asked her confused.

"I was with the music club" she admitted, giving him a polite but distant smile.

"Oh so that's where you've been!" uttered Kuroko spontaneously.

Akira nodded and walked closer to Kagami.

"How was practice?" she asked, looking mostly at Kagami.

She didn't know why but she felt like the atmosphere was heavy. Like she didn't know what to say, without seeming awkward.

Kagami started scratching the back of his head while he was he informing her about their dull practice but Akira couldn't shake off that awkward feeling she got.

After putting away the basketballs and tidied the gym, they said goodbye to Kuroko, who disappeared from their sight almost immediately, while they remained at the school.

The atmosphere was now more awkward than ever, neither of them talking.

Akira's heart was beating really fast, adding up to the burden in her chest.

"Taiga?" she started, his name sounding weird from her voice.

He turned and looked at her, his approving look giving her the permission to speak.

"I- feel like..umm..like there's something wrong" she said in between pauses, now looking him in the eyes.

He didn't speak, he just raised his eyebrows in a concerned expression and broke the eye contact.

Something was definitely wrong. She felt it and now she could see it clearly.

"Tell me...What's wrong?" she insisted, making him focus his full attention to her.

He once again looked away but this time he managed to speak.

"Its nothing...Im just..tired" he muttered.

A lie. She knew it was a lie. He didn't want to talk about it and that broke her heart even more.

The now unbearable pain in her chest burst out and a few tears escaped her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away, without him noticing.

The urge to cry, made her want to run away and go home.

If he didn't want to talk about it, then she wouldn't ask again. That was it.

"If you don't want to talk about it, then I'll go" she uttered, turned her back at him and started walking away.

Tears started streaming down her cheeks when he grabbed her hand and stopped her from leaving.

"Wait Akira!" he screamed, his grip tightening.

Akira now looked at him with red eyes, full of tears.

Noticing, his expression softened, seeming guilty of not being honest with her.

"It's just that ...I feel like you are different, like you need time to recover from the stress of the competition, to find yourself." he said, with concern.

'That was his reason?' she thought. It was true she wanted time to recover from the failure but that was no reason for him to distant himself.

It seemed like he was the one who needed time to accept his failure and not her.

Maybe it was his absence that prompted her to make the decision to go out with Aomine.

Maybe it was his absence that she was falling for Aomine as well.

The pain in her chest was now turned to anger and she felt like her head would explode.

"Taiga...that's..."she started but hesitated..."That's not true...I'm over the failure and I've moved on..." she continued.

He stayed quit while she kept talking.

"Its been a week ever since that day...and I don't get why you remained distant even though I gave you signs that I was okay." she said raising the tone of her voice.

Her anger was now taking over and she started shouting at him, while he listened shocked.

"You haven't called me once! Its selfish saying that I need time when I tried to contact you! The one who needs time is you, Taiga!" she screamed at him.

She breathed out heavily,her heart pounding, and she looked at him.

He was speechless, shocked, realising that she was right.

It pissed her off even more, that he was clueless up until this point.

"Akira...I'm sorr-"he started but she didn't let him talk.

"Don't Im-sorry-me!" she shouted abruptly.

Kagami remained with his mouth open as she walked away from him, this time not daring to stop her.

'That last part was too harsh' she thought, but she felt like he had to know she was angry.

She wasn't the only one acting selfish , he was too. He used her as an excuse to distant himself, but she didn't need any more excuses, or useless talk...

He wasn't giving her reasons to hold onto him...

No reason to choose him instead of Aomine...

She was slowly leaving him for someone else and he didn't even try to fight for her.

He didn't give her a single reason to stay with him.