Prologue
The night was still young, but stars had started appearing in the sky. They glimmered like gems, further accentuating the sky's beauty along with the moon. A gust of wind passed by the busy city of Tokyo, shaking the leaves of the trees. But despite that, the people kept on doing their activities, not minding the surroundings as they only have their own schedules in their minds.
This includes a particular teen who had just entered a saloon. The bell placed above jingled when he opened the door, alerting the owner who was sitting at the cashier table.
"Good evening." The owner, a beautiful woman in her early thirties, greeted. "Here for a haircut?"
The customer stood in front of the table, pointing at what's behind her. "No, I'd like to buy a bottle of hair dye."
"Changing your hair color? Such a shame, really. I quite like the color." She eyed him enviously as she looked at her own long chestnut hair. The tresses slipped from her fingers like silk.
He nodded. "Yes, I want to dye my hair black. Just to change the atmosphere a bit." A smile. "Can you recommend me some of the brands you have?"
The lady in front of him nodded, standing up from her seat to open the large glass cabinet behind her. She took out some boxes, placing them on the table before closing it. "All of those are the brands we have here." The teen nodded, taking one of the packages and inspecting it.
"Can I ask for some recommendations?" He raised his gaze to her from their downcast position when he read the compositions of the product.
"From what our customers said, this one's the best." She grabbed a box and placed it in the middle for him to see. "I also use this product. It won't damage the hair."
He took the box, inspecting it. "I see. But how long does the color last?" He had to know since he didn't want to buy another bottle only after just a month or so.
"It depends on how often you wash your hair. But usually, it'll last for a year give or take." The woman answered truthfully.
The teen didn't respond, squinting at the words printed on the package. This, the lady found, was strange. Normally people would just buy the product. The composition would not be bothered.
"Why so confused? First time dying your hair?"
The one asked just blinked, snapped out of his own thoughts. "Ah. Yes, it is."
"Oh. Well, I can assure you that that box you have there is the best product we have here." She pointed her finger at one of her customers. "See that woman there. She uses this one too."
"Alright, I'll take it." The teen said after contemplating it a bit. He just has to believe in her. The woman nodded and typed in her computer.
"That will be seven hundred yen." He handed her the money and received the receipt along with the package already in a paper bag. "Thanks for the purchase, come back soon."
He nodded and without another word left, pulling open the door and exposing himself to the night air outside. A contrast to the warm saloon behind him just a moment ago.
Adjusting his hold on the paper bag, he briskly walked a couple of blocks. He maneuvered his body from bumping into people, doing so with ease. Not long, he arrived at his second destination. A bright optic shop a glasses symbol in the front, sandwiched by a pharmacy and a boutique.
He entered the building, letting the glass doors close by themselves as he sat on one of the chairs placed in front a row of glass windows containing various glasses frames. Calling out an "Excuse me." when he saw no one there.
"Welcome. How may I help you." A man who just came from the back greeted, having heard his voice.
The teen didn't say anything. He rummaged his pockets until his hand fished out a small folded paper. Opening it, he smoothed out the paper before sliding it to the man across the glass case. "Oh! You came to get these. Please wait a moment; I'll get them for you." The man left, taking the paper with him as he walked back to where he came from.
Moments later, the man came back with two cases. One is a contact lenses case while the other one contained a pair of glasses. The teen tried both of them on, adjusting the glasses a bit before paying for the items.
Done with his errand for tonight, he walked back towards his apartment. With another bag in his grip containing his contact lenses, glasses and a bottle of contact solution, he blended in with the sea of bodies. The twinkling street lights giving him guidance until he arrived at his door.
His pockets were rummaged again, this time those nimble fingers took out a ring of keys. They jiggled a bit before he chose a single key, holding it steadily and inserting it into the keyhole. Two clicks were heard before he pushed the door in and entered.
"I'm home." A whispered greeting slipped off his lips. There's no one there, he knew, he had lived by himself for a couple of months, but it's a habit since his childhood days and if there's something everyone should be aware of is that habits die hard.
He entered his bedroom, putting the bags on his desk as the closet was yanked open. Hands grabbing at a loose shirt and changing into it.
Next, he took out the hair dye, reading the instructions as he mixed them, the mix turning to black the more he stirred. Once done, he applied a generous amount to his hair, massaging his scalp with two plastic gloved hands as he did so. The strong scent wafted through the air, but he paid it no mind, still applying the dye to his hair again and again.
When an hour has passed, he went to the bathroom to wash his hair in the sink. The fresh water came flowing from the tap transparent and pristine and left the drain hole all dirty and black. His fingers scratched at his hair, the black water sliding to the side of his face along with suds from using shampoo. Not long, the water became clear again, telling the teen that all the dye has been washed off. He wasted no time to apply some odor remover right after before washing his hair again.
The water was turned off soon after as his hand struggled to grab the towel he left on a counter beside the sink. When the teen finally felt the soft and fluffy item, he pulled it from its perch before furiously rubbing it to his wet hair, trying to make the cloth capture the water droplets.
That done, he straightened up from his hunched form while his eyes saw the once white towel stained with black. That didn't matter. He threw the towel to the laundry basket, not needing to look or aim to know that it went in.
Next, he opened the small contact lenses case he brought from his pocket. His pale fingers gingerly took the left one and attached it to his eye. He blinked rapidly, letting his eye adjust to the strange sensation before doing the same with the other one.
When it was done, he finally lifted his head to stare at his own reflection in the mirror.
Gone were the flaming red hair that was his natural hair color, and the same thing could be said with his eyes. The teen staring right back at him looked foreign with his black hair, still a bit wet and messy along with matching eyes from the contacts. Compared to his previous self, this new him looked bleak and dull, utterly uninteresting.
Not that he was complaining. It's just how he wanted. He didn't actually lie when he said he wanted a change of atmosphere. Just that the change of atmosphere he had in mind was far more intense than that of the saloon's owner.
Typically when someone changed their hair color, that just means they grew bored of their hair, wanting a change. But with him right now, it was more like changing his identity.
He went back to his room where a school uniform hung from his chair. His hands peeled off two photos placed on his desk. A photo of himself and another one similar to him. Beside them was a letter.
A beep came from his cellphone, a notification flashed on the screen. Opening the contents revealed a simple text message, asking for his condition. Fingers quickly typed up a reply, telling the other person that everything's fine.
The message had just been sent and the phone had beeped again. 'Alright. Just be careful and make sure to call if anything happens. I've talked to the school's staff. Everything should be fine now.'
A sigh, the phone turned off. Life just got more complicated.
He walked to the balcony, eyes gazing at the moon melancholically. School starts tomorrow. The new school year where he will attend a new school as a high school student.
He'll take up a new identity, start anew because the name Akashi Seijuurou had died two years ago on that fateful day.
Chapter one - Basketball Club
Rows upon rows of tables were seen, and yells were heard everywhere, jumbled and undiscernable. Posters of various colors stuck everywhere, each and every one of them handmade and looked so bright, some had trouble telling what club they were trying to show.
Students swarmed the courtyard like ants, bumping into each other as the second and third years promoted their clubs to confused first years either with fliers or just plain persuading, trying to make them join. This could result in either success or failure as the students would either be creeped out or annoyed that they would just leave or they'd get interested, asking more about the club.
The stands of each club were jam-packed, freshmen caught in their upperclassmen's nets as they were convinced to fill in forms. Papers were stacked on top of each other, the second and third years were more than happy to have new members to add to their club. All in all, this exhibition is a success.
Well, success to almost every club.
Hyuuga Junpei watched the mess of bodies, their voices melding together making it impossible to hear anything apart from those who were giving out fliers whose voices were heard clearly as waving hands with paper would stick out from the crowd. He let out a sigh at the pitiful state of this stand he was at, the basketball club's stand.
The one beside him, a girl who has short brown hair and eyes of the same shade, whined a bit as she sorted out the forms. "A few more would be great..."
"Yeah, we couldn't even get ten." He added dejectedly, sipping on some water from a paper cup.
"Don't worry! We're a new school. Those first years would come at their own pace." She was suddenly optimistic. Well, she's not Aida Riko if not. "Especially if we win the inter-high and winter cup. Next year, this stand will be so crowded that you'll wish it was quiet like now."
"Did you just casually put pressure on the team's captain?" Because it sounded like that to him and knowing Riko, it's probably true.
"What? are you always this delicate? You're a man, right?" Damn it! He fell into her trap.
"I'll do my best..." He banged his head on the table.
A smile, then her eyes went to the crowd. "Well, I wonder how the recruitment's going. Hope they could bring some promising ones..."
"The r-recruit is here." Riko shifted her gaze to her fellow club member, a terrified Koganei who was being dragged by his uniform. The poor teen was sweating buckets.
"This is the basketball club, right?" The one who dragged her fellow club member gruffly asked. Koganei was roughly dropped beside him, the poor second year drained from his energy as he just slumped with his face on the table and the rest of his body sprawled on the ground. "I want to join."
This new recruit with red hair and same colored intense eyes took a seat. And he's tall, even Hyuuga was shocked. "Y-yes! Welcome!" She gave him a form and a pen as Hyuuga placed a cup of water for him. "I'm sure you know, but we're a new school, and our club has only second years but-"
"I don't care. I'll just write my name and leave." He rudely cut her off mid-sentence, writing on the piece of paper messily. She swore Hyuuga looked like he wanted to give him a punch to the face.
"Wait! you didn't write your reason for joining?" She asked when she saw the blank box at the end of the form.
"No need. Basketball is the same everywhere I go." And he promptly left, throwing his crushed paper cup over his shoulders as he walked. The trash went into the bin. He briefly glanced behind before whipping his head to the front soon after. Arrogant and apparently looking down on them.
"What's with that attitude? I'll make him show some respect to us seniors!" Hyuuga fumed with an overly sweet smile and a twitching eye. He grabbed the form left by the first year, almost tearing it apart if he didn't restrain himself.
"He's terrifying!" Koganei stated, face devoid of color.
"Well, he's one in a million." Their other club members Izuki and Mitobe suddenly appeared, looking at where the red haired first year disappeared.
"W-what? Where did you come from?" Koganei quickly stood up, pointing at both of them accusingly. "You went into hiding the moment he approached! You didn't even bother to help me when I screamed for help!"
"We were trying to recruit more members. Right, Mitobe?" Izuki nudged the silent teen beside him who nodded.
"You-"
"Excuse me." A silky voice prevented an incoming bickering. All eyes of the basketball members came to rest on a lithe form standing behind the chair occupied by the 'terrifying' first-year moments ago. "Is this the basketball club's stand?"
"Yes! It is. Would you like to join?" Everybody scrambled to look presentable, standing straight behind either Riko or Hyuuga.
He gave a curt nod. "Yes." He took a seat as once again Riko immediately slid a form and a pen across the table.
"We're a newly formed team as the club was formed only last year, so our team only consists of second years and first years." Riko heard the black haired teen hum a bit at her explanation as he wrote. "But we're still a pretty strong team! We managed to go quite far in last year's inter high."
"I see..." He absentmindedly said as he reread what he wrote before giving it back to her. "Thank you, Senpai. I look forward to playing basketball with all of you." With a slight bow and a push to his glasses, he left.
All of them waited until he was out of sight before excitedly looking at the two new forms from either Riko or Hyuuga's shoulder.
"Hey! Who's that terrifying one?" Koganei asked, looking at the form on his captain's hand.
"Let's see... Kagami Taiga." Hyuuga softly read it out loud. "Apparently he went to Middle school in America. Heh. He probably learned from the source."
"Really? I bet he's strong." Izuki said, earning a nod from Mitobe.
Koganei was smiling like an idiot. "Man, that's awesome!" Then he looked at the form held by Riko. "Hey, coach! who's the other one?" He moved from Hyuuga's shoulder to stand beside Riko, craning his neck to get a better view of the handwriting. The others were doing the same.
"His name's Kiryu Sei." She then looked at the previous school section. "And then he's from... TEIKO?!"
"What?! You mean The Teiko?" Hyuuga was surprised. Actually, all of them were.
"Of course it's that Teiko! You know any other schools by that name?" Riko half yelled. "He's definitely in the same club as them! Argh! I wish it's after school time already!" The girl almost ripping her hair right from her scalp.
A little further from the stand, two students walked. One with a terrifying expression as he literary stomped his way to the school building while the other was busy looking at the other stands, interest piqued. No one knew that them joining the club would bring a new change to the basketball world.
This year's freshmen members of Seirin's basketball club aren't something to sneeze at.
All members of the basketball club gathered at the gym located at the back of the school. Each one of them had changed their uniform into a plain shirt and a pair of shorts. Standing in a line beside each other as their coach stood in front of them.
"Shirts off!" Was the first thing that spewed out of her mouth.
"What?!"
"Just do what she says!" Hyuuga yelled at them, arms akimbo beside Riko.
With murmurs and glances at the others, the new recruits hesitantly took off their clothes. Riko nodded, squinting at each one of them as she nonchalantly listed off their flaws and giving them pointers as to improve themselves. The seniors could be seen chuckling at their junior's bewilderment.
Although the moment they saw Riko, wide-eyed in front of Kagami, they knew something's up.
"Oi! Riko! You done ogling that freshman?" Hyuuga snapped her out of her thoughts.
"She must've liked what she saw." Koganei added.
A shoe was thrown and hit the cat like teen square on the face. He fell flat on his back before the coach straightened herself. "Guess that's all of them. Well, except for that Teiko guy."
"What?! Teiko?!" The recruits suddenly exclaimed, shocked.
"A guy from Teiko. Here?!"
"What the hell!"
"This is a joke. A sick joke."
"I need to go to an otolaryngologist after this."
"Shut your traps! This is a gym, not a freaking stadium!" Hyuuga once again yelled. The others quickly closed up.
The red haired teen frowned, not understanding what's all the ruckus is about. As soon as the word 'Teiko' was uttered, panic bloomed.
"Hey, What's so special about this Teiko?" He decided to ask someone beside him.
"Wha- You don't know? Where do you live, under a rock?" This bastard...
"He's an American returnee." Riko intervened before Kagami could strangle him. "I'm not really surprised that he didn't know."
"So, mind explaining?"
"Show some res-" Hyuuga was pulled to the corner by Izuki who had a hand over his mouth.
"In the world of basketball, Teiko Middle School stood above all other schools." Riko began. "Their basketball team consists of more than a hundred members. But amongst all of those members, five teens known as the Generation of Miracles are to be said as the best of the best, possessing a talent that could only be seen once every ten years. During their years, Teiko's basketball club shone the brightest with them swiping three consecutive wins. Not to mention, they always either double or triple their opponents' score. This year those 'miracles' are entering new schools as high school students. You know what that means, right?"
"So we'll have them as opponents! Heh. This makes it all the more interesting! Finally! A challenge!" And the red haired teen laughed, loud and boisterous.
"Guess that's all for today. We'll start training tomorrow."
Kiryu Sei was late.
He checked his wristwatch again, scowling at the needle hands that were proudly telling him the time. Pulling down his sleeve, the teen adjusted the school bag hanging from his shoulder and his grip on another bag's straps. His legs walked faster in the hopes of bringing him to his destination faster as the sounds of his shoes' soles hitting the ground created a fast rhythm. With each step his frown deepened, brows furrowing further.
Him being late wasn't his fault.
Curse this school's administration staffs! He thought the problem was solved, but then he was called again right before the bell rang, them requesting his presence to ask for his information that they had foolishly lost in their system. It was enough that he missed practice yesterday, he's not going to let some staffs' mistake hinder him again.
If something like this comes up again, he might just press charges.
Now, the gym was within sight with its double doors slightly parted. Kiryu approached the building and slipped inside where other students have already gathered, some wearing blue practice jerseys while others wore yellow. It looks like a practice match's about to start if the basketball held by a female student at the center and the whistle stuck between her teeth were any indication.
"Is this the basketball club?" He asked the people there just for the heck of it. All eyes now settled on his form.
"Yeah. Who're you?" Someone asked him.
"I apologize for my tardiness. I'm Kiryu Sei, a new member." He accompanied his mini introduction with a small bow.
"Oh! You finally came!" The female student said, approaching him. "Where were you yesterday?"
"I had to attend to some problems regarding my administration, today is no exception."
"Alright, go and get changed."
A nod and his feet brought him to another steel door that led to the changing room. Once the soft click was heard, all that was at the gym looked at their coach. Silently asking with their eyes a single question that's been nagging them since that student came.
"I know what's in your mind but save it for later. We got a practice match here, and you can ask the guy himself if you're so curious." Riko took her place at the center again, getting ready to throw the orange sphere to the air.
And not a moment later the ball was up in the air, the sound of the whistle was heard.
Two boys jumped, the one who won the tip-off was Kagami. The teen slapping the ball to a team member. The frazzled player caught it by reflex and started dribbling towards the opponent's hoop.
He only took a couple of steps before Izuki was in front of him, blocking his path. The player stopped, looking around him before his eyes spotted Kagami and passed to him. The teen wasted no time to run towards the ring, plowing his way and dunking the ball. Two points for the first-years.
Now the ball's in Mitobe's possession. He passed it to Hyuuga who dribbled it and ran across the gym. His feet came to a halt when two first-years appeared in front of him. Having no choice, he shoot, the ball inches from the rim before Kagami's hand slapped it. He grabbed the ball and once again plowed through the second-years who were trying to block him and dunked.
It didn't take long for the first-years to create a huge score gap with Kagami as their core. Passing the ball to the red haired teen whenever possible rather than bringing the ball close to the hoop themselves. It went on like that until the seniors changed their strategy. Them blocking Kagami with two or three people, not letting him touch the ball for even a second.
"You think we're a bunch of pushovers?" Hyuuga sneered. Beside him was Mitobe.
'Dammit! I can't get pass them!' Kagami cursed inwardly, eyes following the ball which was in Izuki's possession. The orange sphere thumped on the polished wooden floor when it went through the hoop.
The score now read 15-31 the second-year's favor.
"Man. They're tough." A first-year student by the name Kawahara said, wiping his sweaty brow.
"We're never gonna win." Furihata said, panting.
"Whaddya mean we're not gonna win?! You giving up?" Kagami grabbed his shirt, pulling him up until their faces were inches apart. Rage reaching to the next level.
He couldn't believe people like this exists, as basketball players nonetheless. These spineless group, a pathetic excuse for a team. Back at the states, even the worst players wouldn't just give up like this one. This is why he didn't want to come back to this country in the first place.
With a balled fist, he was about to punch the living daylights from the teen but stopped himself from doing so when a soft click was heard. All eyes were directed to the changing room's door where the late member came out. But something's wrong...
"Wha-"
"Wait."
"Kiryu, your leg."
"I'm sorry it took so long. I need to switch out my prosthetic."
And there, instead of a right leg made out of flesh, an artificial one could be seen attached just bellow the knee.
A/N: Hello! Origami Scrawls here and thank you for wasting your time to read this fic.
I know I shouldn't be publishing another fic when I still have others to finish, but this idea has been bugging me for months. And this one was already half typed for around a month or so (along with another one), I can't help myself.
Anyway, I'm done. I apologize for any misspelling and/or grammatical error you may find. Have a great day!
I do not own Kuroko no Basket nor the image I use. They belong to their respective owners.