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Sorry for this crappy chapter…. Please review and tell me what you think so I can change it! Also, please READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE right after this story. There's something you might be interested in that you won't regret reading the note.

"Kurokocchi! Wha-what?! When did you get here?!" Kise asked immediately, surprised to see his old teammate.

"…I've been here the whole time." Kuroko said, not facing Kise.

Kise felt a bead of sweat roll on his cheek. 'He's lying. He's absolutely lying.' He thought once he saw Kuroko let out a heavy breath and sweat on his face. "R-Right…"

Heavy silence filled the air between them.

"…So, Kurokocchi… How's it going?" Kise asked awkwardly. Kuroko didn't reply immediately, which made Kise concerned.

"It's okay, I guess." Kuroko replied, watching Kise's other teammates work on their training. Kise frowned. "Are you sure?" He asked, sincerely worried for the younger boy. "It's just… You disappeared without telling us where you went! You completely made me worried!" Kise said.

Kuroko's eyes slightly narrowed, if you squint, you could see disappointment in those blue orbs. "…Only you were worried...I see…"

'Crap, Kise! Wrong choice of words!' Kise mentally slapped himself. Kise frantically gestured his hands as if he was saying he was wrong. "A-Ah! Yeah, you made me worried, but the others too-"

"Kise-kun, please refrain from talking to me too much." Kuroko said stoically, but in a polite tone. "Your captain will be upset."

'…He doesn't want to talk to me…' Kise thought in a disappointed way. He gave Kuroko a fake, happy smile. "Ah, well, let's catch up later, okay?" Kise said, fingers crossed. Kuroko immediately noticed this and stared at Kise. After a while, he sighed and nodded. "Alright."

Kise mentally applauded himself. At least he could find a way to keep up with his dear Kurokocchi.

Kuroko watched him go towards his team's direction, and took this as his cue to do what he was there for. He turned on the camcorder Riko gave to him, and set it on the bench with an angle that can catch each player's movements more accurately. He started taking down some notes for each player, even thinking up on how to describe how their training menu is set.

-Kuroko's Notes-

Hayakawa Mitsuhiro

-17
-185 cm (6'1)
-77 kg /Judging from how much he could carry/training regimen includes lifting of heavy objects/
-August 18
- Blood B
-Power Forward, 2nd year in highschool.

-Talented at rebounds
-Has an odd habit of pronouncing 'L' instead of 'R', vice versa, player #10
-Physical Ability: 7/10
-Technique:5/10
-Stamina: 10/10
-Mental Strength: 8/10
-Special Ability: 5/10
-As long as kept from making rebounds, can be easily countered

He continued observing the player further, but after seeing there was not much to take note of, he moved on to the next player.

-Kasamatsu Yukio
-3rd year, captain of the team
-Violent
-Is like Hyuga-sempai, obsessed with respect for seniors and all that
-18
- 178 cm/ 5'10
-66 kg(other members kept flaunting the number around)
-July 29
-Has wide intellect, talented at drives, turnarounds, and three-pointers
-Physical Ability: 8/10
-Technique: 8/10
-Stamina: 9/10
-Mental Strength: 9/10
-Special Ability : 5/10
-May be a threat in future matches

"Sempai, pass!" Kise yelled.

"Who do you think you are, trying to command your seniors…"

Kasamatsu didn't pass to him, instead he shoot for a three-pointer. He kicked Kise's butt, an angry tick mark on his face.

"…Like that?!"

Kuroko watched the Interaction between the two. His eyes narrowed. That was not how a captain was supposed to treat his teammates.

'Me and that senior of his are going to have a long talk tomorrow.'

after hours of observation, Kuroko finished up with the players' information, and afterwards, he completed the data he needed to bring to the coach.

Kuroko re-watched Kise's style of play on the camera.

'I see. Kise-kun has improved over the year.' Kuroko thought. 'He might be a threat to us in the championships.'

While Kuroko was continuing to watch their practice on the recorder, he noticed Kise was the only one who kept looking at his direction. Kise made a hopeful smile at Kuroko, but the latter didn't notice earlier. He saw Kise pout at his direction before being hit by a ball to the face.

'See, Kurokocchi? I've become even stronger!' Kise thought when he saw Kuroko looking at something from a camcorder. He couldn't wait to hear what Kuroko's thoughts were about this new improvement of his.

After a few more minutes of preparing to leave, it was finally dismissal and Kuroko thought it was time to call it a day. He stood up, noticing the approaching Kise with a huge smile on his face.

"Kurokocchi! Did you see that? Did you see how stronger I am now?" Kise exclaimed like a child, making Kuroko grimace a bit at the noise. "Yes, Kise-kun. It's only been a year, but you have improved greatly."

Kise grinned, feeling happy Kuroko acknowledged his newfound strength.

"Kurokocchi…" Kise started awkwardly, the air around them becoming heavy. Kuroko merely stared at Kise, as if he was anticipating the next question.

"…How have you been holding up…?" Kise asked awkwardly. Kuroko thought for a moment. "I guess I'm fine." Kuroko answered.

Kise and Kuroko fell into silence again. "Ah, let's not talk here. The gym might get locked." Kise said with an awkward laugh, taking Kuroko's hand and walking out of the gym.

"…Come to think of it, Kurokocchi, no one knows where you went." Kise stated cheerfully. "Care to share with me?"

Kuroko didn't answer immediately as if he was thinking about it. "If I answered your question, you will bug me until I die."

"So mean!" Kise cried.

Kuroko turned away, smiling slightly. Kise never changed.

Kise's eyes shone brightly when he saw that small sweet smile grace Kuroko's face. He never thought he'd be able to see him do exactly that.

"Kurokocchi, are you still playing basketball?" Kise asked hopefully. Kuroko looked down. "…In a sense, I guess I am."

Kise tilted his head, confused at his answer, but he didn't question it. "Oh, right!"

"What were you doing here?" Kise asked, or in a more accurate sense, whined. "You never told me you were coming to visit!" He threw himself to hug the smaller boy, who gasped for air from his gesture.

"K-K-Kise-kun… Can't breathe.."

"Ah! Sorry!" Kise immediately let go. Kuroko struggled to regain his composture, and when he succeeded, he gave a sigh.

"That is not a nice way to show affection towards others, Kise-kun."

"I said I was sorry…"

"I was here because I was sent to get information about your team." Kuroko said bluntly. Kise blinked. "Huh? So that means… You're the manager?" He asked incredulously.

"Please don't sound so surprised. I am completely capable of doing what my position is set to do."

"No! Actually, I'm surprised." Kise grinned. "Wouldn't you rather be a player instead?"

Kuroko side-eyed him. "No. I quit basketball." He said bluntly.

"Eh? Quit? Why?" Kise asked, surprised. "Don't you love baske-"

"I quit ever since the Generation of Mircales found a replacement for me."

Kise's eyes widened. Kuroko? Quit because of them?

Kise was going to tell him how sorry he was right now. He can't continue facing Kuroko like this if he hadn't even apologized properly.

"Kurokocchi, did you really know how worried we all were?" Kise asked. Kuroko didn't face him as they walked along the road.

"Please do remember: I'm not part of your team." Kuroko said casually. "It was Akashi-kun's policy to not worry about non-teammates and focus merely on their own, was it not?"

Kise grimaced at the blunt statement. 'He even called Akashicchi by his surname!'

"True, but…"

"Kise-kun, if you were all really worried for me, wouldn't you have come and realize the pain you threw at me after the match with Meiko?"

Kuroko's voice cracked a little. Kise's eyes widened a bit. Whatever the reason why Kuroko sounded like that, it must have been so hurtful for him to remember.

"Kurokocchi, I'm-"

"There is no need to apologize to a weak coward, Kise-kun." Kuroko interrupted. Kise wanted to cry with how Kuroko seemingly threw around the words Akashi said to him without even batting an eye.

"…In the end, you made the right decision." Kuroko said with a smile. "Replacing me, you got to enjoy your alone time with the new sixth man." Kuroko said, his smile dropping. "How lovely."

Kise bit his lower lip. The last statement was obviously laced with sarcasm, if not for the monotone voice he used. "Kurokocchi, I never liked that guy! He… He doesn't deserve your title." Kise said, grabbing Kuroko's shoulder and turning him around. "You are the real one! He's… He's not the real phantom! He's just an imposter who Akashi dumbly picked." He said. Kise felt hurt when he saw how those blank, blue eyes become filled with tormented, unforgiving emotions. Even so, Kuroko never said a thing.

"…If your statement was true, Kise-kun, I would never have left the team for your sake." Kuroko said lowly, his hair covering his eyes.

"Kurokocchi, what do you…"

"That's the reason why you hesitated to talk to me, right? I was a weak bug. A coward who couldn't face you right after I resigned." Kuroko suggested.

Kise was frozen. He couldn't talk as he helplessly listened to the cold, painful, venom-filled words that came out of the blunette's mouth.

"That is very reason why you all forgot about me." Kuroko continued. "The reason you started ignoring my pleas, the reason you abandoned me,"

Kise weakly grimaced at the emphasis on the word.

"The reason you replaced me with someone who is just like me, but very different at the same time."

"Kurokocchi, whatever you're saying, that's not true!" Kise shouted, desperate to give the message to the boy. "We never wanted to replace you. You were one of a kind!" Kise exclaimed. He failed to see the growing frustrated look on the other boy's face.

"Everything you're saying about abandoning you, replacing you, they're not true! We regret everything. I regret I couldn't have stopped you from leaving when I had the chance." Kise almost screamed in frustration. Frustrated at himself, if needed a proper explanation.

"Whatever you're saying that no one cared about you leaving, I swear, that is not the truth!"

"Then what is?" Kuroko interrupted. Kise let go of his shoulder, seeing that he was gripping too harshly.

"To be honest… I don't know what is the truth anymore." Kuroko said weakly.

"That time, you all looked like you wanted to throw me off a cliff. You all looked so relieved when you saw my replacement. I never saw you guys that happy with me when I was around. You even looked disgusted at me whenever I try to cut in." Kuroko said, voice growing gradually louder each word.

"And now that I have left and decided I never want to remember your faces and the memories again, one of the Generation of Miracles is here, trying to convince me that they regretted the moment they threw me out." Kuroko then looked at Kise with the hardest gaze that could make anyone feel just how tortured he was.

"Tell me, Kise-kun,"

Kise didn't reply.

"Just what are you guys trying to do to me?"

Kise wanted to cry, hearing the broken tone so evident in his voice. "Kurokocchi, I…"

Kuroko felt small tears threaten to fall.

"I have to go now, Kise-kun. I have other errands to attend to." Kuroko said immediately, regaining his reserved form and leaving Kise to his regrets.

Kise never felt so guilty in his entire life.

THIS FELT SO RUSHED, I WANTED TO KILL PEOPLE.

I'M SORRY!

PLEASE TELL ME OF ANY MISTAKES OR OPINIONS

It didn't seem too rushed, did it? D':

If I get a few complaints, I will re-do this chapter instead of finishing chapter five. *cries*

Anyway, 50+ Reviews

30+ Favorites

40+ Follows

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCCCH! I'M SORRY I GAVE YOU A CRAP CHAPTER! *cries pathetically* IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN

To apologize, I will give you a little fact that you might be interested in.

IMPORTANT NOTICE, IF YOU READ THIS, SAY 'UTAU'

Kuroko Tetsuya has his own UTAU voicebank, created by someone by the username of Ponton. :D He has the covers of 'Donut Hole', 'Error', 'Deep Sea Girl', 'Poker Face(vocaloidsong)', 'Two-Faced Lovers' , and many more! Sadly, I can't find his cover of 'Coward Montblanc' because EVERYTHING IS IN KANJI

The links to Poker Face, Two-Faced Lovers, and Error are in my profile. :

I will definitely make it up to you guys! Promise!