"OKAY, THE FESTIVAL IS AT THE MONDAY OF THIS MONTH'S LAST WEEK. AKASHI-KUN, KUROKO-KUN, WE'LL BE CHEERING UP FOR YOU!"
"And he looks so cheerful." I only said, watching our team captain happily exclaim the news to the rest of the basketball team.
"Doubt it, he's so sarcastic." An upperclassman muttered.
"Yeah. Bet he's so excited to see those two kouhais to be part of the competition."
"This is his favourite part of the school year, remember last year?"
"YOU KNOW I'M RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU DUMBASSES!"
"he's so excited, every line he says can only be written in uppercase."
"THAT'S 50 LAPS AROUND THE COURT FOR THE THREE OF YOU!"
"Don't tell me 'I haven't told you so.' " One of the three upperclassmen said as he stood up along with the others.
"Hey, you're Akashi-kun—right?" The other one asked after tapping my shoulder.
"Ah, yeah."
"Whatever he tries to advice you, it's up to you to believe it. He wants the club to win so bad, he's been trying to mentor everyone who had signed up for the club this past years." He said to me, then smiling. "But good luck, okay?" He continued as he stood up with the rest, now facing the captain.
"Yosh!" The three of them said at unison.
"Let's go!" the same person who tried to pep talk me said, inviting his fellow upperclassmen to start.
"OI. WHAT'S WITH YOU TODAY, SAWAMURA-KUN? YOU'RE…"
"I'm what, Captain?" Sawamura asked as he gave him a devious smile.
"not so aggressive?"
Sawamura gives him a gentle smile. "You're so pumped up, I'd like to just stay put and watch you."
"I AM NOT!"
"oh? Being the tsundere now? How many sides of you will I see in public?"
"YOU ARE NOT GONNA SUCCEED TRYING TO EMBARRASS ME! NOW GO AND DO IT! NOW!" the captain exclaimed, commanding them aggressively. Sawamura just chuckled and turned back with the others as they made their run.
"ALRIGHT. ALL OF YOU JOIN THEM! LET'S DO THAT WHILE COACH'S NOT HERE YET!" the captain ordered as he made a run towards the upperclassmen, although spacing himself from them to run with us, the first-years.
"hey, Akashi-kun." Aomine greeted me as he ran beside me. "How you doin'?"
"fine." I only replied. We continued running.
He didn't say anything for a while.
"you had a past with Kuroko-kun?" he suddenly asked. The question was so sudden being the question itself made me stagger in surprise. Aomine only chuckled.
"nothing that may concern you." I only replied, half-embarrassed with my reaction. I don't really stagger.
"okay, that's what he said." Aomine only retorted, giving up. He then ran ahead to join Shintarou and Murasakibara.
So I was left alone. Finally. Keeping the pace steady, building up my stamina…better to keep my pace far to others. I'm tired of people going to me just to say good luck or to ask if I'm okay with it.
As if I have a choice.
"Akashi-kun!" the captain called as he now ran beside me. "you're so fast, it took me a long time to keep up with you." And he flashes a I'm-here-to-support-you-'cause-that's-what-senpais-do smile.
I merely stared at him and proceeded to running like the usual, as if he was not there. I know what this is all about.
"So, about the-"
"look, senpai. Stop it. It's about that. I'm fine with it. As if I can do anything about it." I interrupted him.
He was silent for a while, watching me.
"So I guess you're really irked up with that, huh." He said, as he barely chuckles. "But I'm not here about that. I already said my part. It's all up to you and Kuroko-kun."
"so what are you really here for?" I asked.
"the thing about the second-string."
"oh, that. I'm going. And so are the others."
"so you really are determined, huh." He only replied. Then he went back to being silent.
He talks about it as if he didn't know about the second-string. Wait—
"Senpai, is it that you knew about it this year?" I asked.
He smiled. "Yeah. Our senpais didn't even bother to tell us. And it seems like the school just took notice this year. "
"Oh," I only managed to say. So that's why he was so surprised when our adviser told us of that.
"But it's fine! That means it's not for me! Geez. But, hey—Akashi-kun."
I looked up at him.
"Make our team and school proud." He said so seriously that I only nodded at it. He then smiled again. That supportive shit again.
Then suddenly something jerked him backward, making me stop alongside it.
"sorry for the interruption, but is this old man—"
"I AM NOT OLD." The .captain replied as he tried to remove Sawamura's arm around him.
"is this old man throwing you his old sentiments? Tell me, Akashi-kun." Sawamura obviously didn't mind him.
I shook my head in reply.
"Oh, I see. I told you so, he can be very sentimental. Just don't mind him. Also, captain-"
The rest wasn't heard because he whispered the rest in the captain's ear. He then left with a chuckle.
Whatever it did, it made the captain stood still for a while. And here I am, waiting for him to run.
"L-let's go." He finally said, running ahead.
I then proceeded. I can see his face, in deep thought and-
Hold on.
Is he blushing?
"AKASHI-KUN." A soft, calm voice called my name. It made me turn my back.
And there he was.
Same sky-blue hair, eyes, and the same calm demeanor radiating off him.
"Can I talk to you?"
It was Kuroko Tetsuya.