The joys of sports and school starting up again... I apologize for such a long gap in updating but on the bright side, this chapter excels 1000 words. Enjoy :)

p.s. I also don't have a functioning computer so I had to update this from my iPod Safari browser, navigating the website in desktop mode

Akashi knew what the outcome would be but arranged it anyway, even letting Tetsuya join. They'd all go to different high schools and face each other to see who was the strongest. Of course, since Akashi was absolute, it was more seeing who was after him and so forth.

His father seemed more pleased with his work than he ever had been, granted the man still had plenty doubts in his son. But Akashi was content because with every new arising problem, he knew how to live up to his father's expectations, fixing the issue almost instantly.

His new basketball team had an interesting bunch too. Three uncrowned kings and another guy with a style quite similar to Testsuya's. He couldn't be more pleased, especially when their captain stepped aside to let him, a first-year, have the position. But he had to keep tossing aside some uneasy feeling the invisible third-year gave him. A certain raven kept coming to his head every time he saw him.

They were the best team. Easily, they won the Inter-High, living right up to the school's reputation, and even higher. The Winter Cup took a much similar pace, but his game against Shintaro had proved the most fun he had in a while. He supposed that might be because he provided him with the slightest bit of a challenge. Mostly, though, he was looking forward to battling Testsuya's team (they had beat Ryouta's but that was given when he had an injured leg and could only play for part of it). He was very interested to see, to experience, what he had done with his style and how he was working with this new light of his.

Interesting.

So

Very

Interesting

The pale bluenette had surpassed his expectations, but had also failed them. His shadow was turning to light, which is exactly what he tried to warn him of.

Yet, they managed to turn the tables on his team's own shadow. Quite clever. And interesting. But they were still stronger. Still superior.

Still

His team was failing. Making so many mistakes, getting caught up in it.

Useless

Unnecessary

Disregarded pawns. But they knew this would happen if it came to this, the uncrowned kings from experience and Chihiro because he seemed to understand Akashi's personality pretty well. Despite any feelings they may have had about it, they let the redhead take over. Although, they didn't really have much choice in the matter.

It was crazy, really, to watch. So unreal, the power in it.

But they had stopped him.

And it hurt.

Impossible

But

It had happened.

He couldn't think.

I'm in control!

Weak

I'm absolute!

Another mistake. You're repeating.

No.

"Who are you?"

We are human. You were created from my weakness.

"That question is absurd. I am Akashi Seijuro, of course." And I still want to win.

But they had lost.

For the first time ever, Akashi had lost-to Kuroko no less. No. That wasn't correct. He had lost to Serin. And, damn, did it hurt. He thought he might cry, but he didn't want to do that yet. They shook hands and he was happy for his old teammate, for his team.

On his way back to the locker room is when he felt the tears, but he still managed to stay silent and he was somehow feeling content.

He shook Mayuzumi's hand, whose brow was raised in amusement at the tears. "Thanks for being a part of this team." Instantly his mind wandered to Nijimura and he found himself wondering if he had the same number. He thought his tears were falling quicker.

But that was the least of his worries right now, he realized, as he began to head home. He still had to face his father and tell him how the game had gone.

Nijimura packed his father's things numbly. His mom and sister were too much of a mess to do it and his brother could hardly stand being in the apartment at all. Granted, Nijimura couldn't touch the bed yet himself. He sighed and set another filled box down by the door, cracking his back as soon as he straightened up.

Almost everything was packed up now except for the bed. He'd have to do it sooner or later-and he figured sooner would be better because once they finished up here, the sooner they could leave, which also meant the sooner he could sleep in his own bed again. Currently he was sleeping out on the couch, his mother didn't want to sleep in her bed for obvious reasons and after everything he didn't want to make her sleep on the couch nor would he make either of his younger siblings do it. He just hoped they'd have a fresh start after going back to Japan, but he wasn't sure how the funeral would affect everyone, especially since more family would be there.

Before he could dwell on anything more as he started filling another box, he felt his phone go off with a text. Probably one of his friends checking up on him again. He let out another sigh and pulled it from his pocket, shocked to find it was Midorima. Had he heard somehow? No, that hardly made sense. As far as he knew, the guy hadn't even known his father was sick in the first place.

'He lost for the first time, but he's back.'

Nijimura seemed to completely forget about the task at hand. 'Have you talked to him? What did he lose?'

'The final Winter Cup match against Kuroko's team. It's hard to explain. I walked with him to his house after the tournament but he would only talk about shogi'

'Do you think it'd be alright if I called him?'

'You can try, but I don't know if he's talking with his father or not'

'Right that's guy's strict huh?'

'Yeah'

The raven didn't bother sending another message before finding Akashi's contact and selecting it. Just when he thought he was going to get that voicemail again, the one that wasn't the Akashi he knew, he picked up.

Seijuro didn't even have time to enjoy his dinner before his father was asking about the game. "We lost by one point."

Masaomi's hand froze above his plate, then his head tilted slightly, face contorted in complete bafflement. He shook his head and took a bite of the fish from his fork. "Who lost? Speak more clearly."

"Rakuzan. My team. Seirin managed to pull ahead in the last second." The redhead put two pieces of the fish in his mouth. He wasn't sure if he'd be completing dinner so he was going to get down as much as he could now.

The elder Akashi set down his fork and dabbed a napkin around the corners of his mouth. "And why was the score so close that that could happen?"

"They're a strong team. They were able to shut down our trump card along with other tricks."

"I don't care how strong they are or how weak your team is, you have to be the best. You're an Akashi. Any sort of failure is not acceptable."

"I'm not quitting the club." Seijuro stood, not wanting to getting invested in the conversation any more if he could help it.

Masaomi stood too and caught his arm before he could leave the kitchen. "It's a waste of your time if you're not the best. You have other things you much rather should be doing as heir. You should be happy I tolerated the club as long as I have, and you knew this would happen if you failed."

There was so many things wrong with what he had said. But Seijuro didn't care so much about how he was only seen as his heir and not his son or that he was essentially being called a failure and the blame for his team's loss. What pissed him off, even more than a disobedient dog could, was that he was calling the one thing left by his late mother's, his father wife, a waste of time, like it meant absolutely nothing.

His muscles tightened. "Mother left it behind for me," he tried urging calmly, though he couldn't help but have a little bite.

"You should have been over Shirori a long time ago."

That

Was the last straw.

The last bit of any self-control he had was threw out along with his fist into Masaomi's stomach. The man hunched slightly but still managed to tighten his grip on his son's arm as he tried heading off again. He yanked him b

ack and smacked him hard enough to make him tumble to the floor. They stayed in a tense silence for a moment, some of the staff giving worried and unsure glances, before the older spoke again. "Go to you room." He sat back at the table and Seijuro stood shakily, starting down the hall.

He was just sitting in his bed when his phone suddenly went off. He quirked his brow, slowly wandering to his desk. His heart beat arrhythmically when he saw who it was. He hastily answered.

"Nijimura-san..."