Hello everyone! As promised, here's the newly revised chapter. I hope you enjoy this one! As for the author note, I made it go KA-BOOM as I said. Nothing much to say here :)
THANKS FOR THE FOLLOWS, FAVORITES, AND REVIEWS! I LOVE YOU GUYS! XD
Warning: OOC, Rated T for Kagami's bad mouth, chibi!Kuroko, grammatical errors, and whatnots.
Disclaimer: Dia does not own anything. (Or else, I will make Tetsu a secret agent. Hahahaha...)
CHAPTER 2:
Kagami Taiga in his whole sixteen years of life, was never one for hospitals. Being inside makes him stuffy and uncomfortable for an unreasonable degree. It might have been the medicine and the drugs reeking from every corner of the area or the life and death situation it entails daily. He isn't really sure. But, that doesn't mean that he won't help anyone. He might not be the most caring person in the world, but at least he cares. His conscience won't allow him to sleep if he ever abandoned someone, much less a kid.
A few moments later, the doctor came out from the ward and he stood up immediately. "Are you his guardian?" He asked. The man looks like he was in his mid-thirties with his sleek black hair formally combed backwards. Wrinkles were already appearing in his face as a sign of aging.
Kagami shook his head in a heartbeat, "No. I... I just found him."
"Is that so?" The doctor hummed, "Well, as you're the one who took him in, I find it right to relay his condition to you." He said. "Thankfully, it's just a fever. Very high to be considered safe, but still, he's going to be okay." He scanned through the charts in his hands and peers at Kagami. "Most likely, the cause of this is fatigue and hypothermia. And according to the check-up we made, the bruises in his body seemed to have contributed to this too. "
"The boy's is really lucky that you found him. If you found him any later, it could have been more critical." The doctor gave a small smile. "We have to put some considerable amount of medicine in his system to fight off the fever. By tomorrow, his temperature should be almost back to normal."
Kagami nods once.
"Anyways, since you're not his legal guardian, we would just leave the filing of his documents some other time."
"Okay doc. Uh... I should get going now."
"Oh yes. But may I have your name first?"
"Kagami Taiga, sir."
"Then Kagami-kun, thank you for being responsible." He said, again, with a smile. "If visiting comes into your mind, you're free to come. I'm sure the boy's parents would love to know who just saved their son."
"I'll just leave it here, doc. It's not necessary to know who helps who." Kagami said.
"If that's how it is, then it is fine." The older one said with a trace of disappointment in his voice. "Well, I must take my leave too. See you around, my boy."
Kagami sighed and watched the doctor's retreating back then to where he came from earlier. He comes out of the hospital, seeing the rain has toned down into light drizzling.
It's been a week, enough for Kagami to forget the little incident he had with the kid. After the first day, he decided to disregard the small request from the doctor to visit, knowing that his parents might already be there to fetch him. He wouldn't want to look like he was asking for a reward or something.
And so, Kagami's life returns to normal. Or should he call it normal?
However, two days back, he felt someone was watching him. Initially, he thought it might be fans following him but the eeriness just grew as he lets it pass. It was becoming more disturbing to the point that it almost made him run to his apartment and do a complete lockdown just to shoo away whoever was following him. Almost.
Long story short, he has a stalker, and he is losing his sleep. Meaning, his performance in school and practice is also reducing. He was having second thoughts of asking help to Kise since he's a model, and being a model means stalkers for fans. But knowing him, the guy would just cause more trouble than what it is worth. And Seirin...
"BAKAGAMI!"
A slap echoed in the gym, loud and clear, as it made contact with Kagami's head. Due to the lack of sleep he was getting, Kagami jerks forward at the sudden impact by none other than Riko's infamous fan. He nursed his stinging head with a scowl.
"There's many of where that came from if you don't stop slacking!" Riko growled. "Start moving!"
He grumbled something under his breath, but continues with his stretching.
Kiyoshi, the Iron Heart of Seirin, watched Kagami from his place with an arched brow. There was worried glint in those brown eyes, which Hyuuga, who was beside him, noticed.
"He's acting weird." Hyuuga whispered.
Kiyoshi nodded. "Yeah, he doesn't look like he's really with us."
"I think we should talk to him," Kiyoshi said. "Kagami!"
"Oi, Kiyoshi! Don't decide things so casually!" yelled Hyuuga.
"Senpai?" Kagami cocks an eyebrow at the approaching brunet. His smile utterly speaks suspicious. "What is it?"
"Nothing at all. It's just that," He pats the teen on his head, "Hyuuga and I just noticed that you don't look yourself. Something happend?"
Kagami blinked. Was he that obvious? "Ah, that... it's nothing Kiyoshi-senpai."
Kiyoshi hummed with a knowing look. "But it doesn't look like it's nothing if it's bothering you to this extent." He smiled.
"I'll be fine, senpai," Kagami said. "I'm just thinking of something small."
"Are you sure?" A tick grew in Kagami's temple at Kiyoshi's continuous patting. More than that, he was adding more pressure like he was doing it on purpose. He swats the senior's hand in irritation.
"Stop that! You're going to wreck my head with those large hands! Who are you, Murasakibara?!"
Kiyoshi laughed good-naturely, "I've been wanting to do that. Hyuuga always yell at me if I do that to him."
"Of course I do, moron!"
"The moron is more on—"
"Shut up, Izuki! I'm going to throw you down in a well!"
"...Meanie."
The rest of the team watched amusedly from the sidelines, glad that they aren't part of the feud. Tsuchida on the other hand, "Lie down the noise. Coach will be—"
"What do you think you're doing?" Speak of the devil. All of them froze to their feet. Kiyoshi, being the bravest among them all, goofily smiled at the female coach. "Kagami's feeling troubled and as a senpai, don't you think it's important to counsel him?"
"What?! Why me?!"
Riko smiled. Not that happy smile. That tyrant kind of smile. They don't like that... It felt like they have the female version of Akashi. "You want me to tie you in the bench, Teppei? If not, go sit down! Or else, I'll call the hospital to get you!" She barked at the tall player. "Stop prancing around! I'll double your menus!" Afterwards, she massaged her temples. "Kagami-kun, come here."
He threw a nasty glare at Kiyoshi, who in turn, idly waves a hand to him. Turning to his coach, he gulps and trudges slowly towards her.
"Spill."
"Kiyoshi-senpai is just—"
"Spill the beans, Kagami-kun. Your eyebags speaks the truth with every lie you're saying." Riko said, crossing her arms in front of her. The second time she speak, her tone lowers with a touch of worry. "I thought you're just slacking for the past few days, but even the team could see that you're having a problem. If it's a family problem, I won't pry."
Kagami sighs. "No... Coach you see..." He slaps his face in an exasperated manner. "Ugh, how can I say this...?"
His action further piques the brunette's attention.
"I don't know for sure, but I think I just earned myself a stalker and I can't shake whoever is in my back." Kagami would cry if it weren't for that fact that he's a grown male who looks intimidating.
"Pfft..."
"Coach, you're laughing..." deadpanned Kagami.
"No... I'm... not..." She said while hiding a poorly suppressed laugh. She regains her composure not a minute later, although having teary eyes. "You're very funny Kagami-kun."
"I'm not joking coach. I'm serious."
"If that's the case, have you tried asking Kise-kun? I'm sure he has a handful of experience with stalkers." Said Riko.
"I was about to but, no. As much as possible, I don't like them knowing at all." Again, he deadpanned.
"I'm sure they won't go to such extremes." Said Riko, but she isn't sure about that either.
"You don't know what kind of embarrassment they'll have at my face, coach. They're a band of misfits." Exasperated Kagami.
"Aren't you one of them?"
"I'm the most normal out of them!"
"Well, your friends aside, we'll help you with your stalker issues. I'm sure the team wouldn't mind, right?"
"Of course we won't. Seirin is a family." Kagami turns around and saw the whole team looking at them. He felt so, so exposed. Kiyoshi's smile only widens.
"You heard everything?" Kagami felt himself deflating in humiliation. Great. Just great...
"You're not very discrete, you know." Izuki said.
"We'll start our search after practice." Riko declared with a smirk in her face. Kagami wanted to feel reassurance from his team's expressions, but rather, he felt like he just doomed himself. Damn... he should have asked Tatsuya instead...
The remaining members of Seirin slumps tiredly at the bench of the street court, namely Riko, Hyuuga, and Kiyoshi. Their two hours of searching was fruitless. They found no-one suspicious around Kagami or did they feel something odd. Even with the use of Izuki's Eagle Eyes (which prove it's usefulness in this kinds of situation), it ended with a failure.
"Mou, Kagami-kun, you owe us big time." Riko said with a small pout. "I think this was just a wild goose chase."
"I wasn't literally asking for your help..."
"Shut up, you idiot. Be grateful that we even did this." Hyuuga whacks Kagami in the head and growls at his junior.
"Maa, maa. At least we had fun~" Kiyoshi said with a smile.
"You too, shut up!"
"Well, let's just assume that your stalker had become scared and that she won't follow you anymore." Riko said. "I get the feeling that this person knew that we're tracking him."
The three males nod in agreement.
"Anyhow, let's try again tomorrow. I'm sure she'll get tired sooner."
"Coach, it's okay. You should just let me handle this again." Kagami said while scratching his neck. "I... I don't want to trouble you too much..."
"If that what's you want..." Riko said, eyeing the two on each side of her. Hyuuga made a shrug while Kiyoshi just nods. "Then fine. I won't meddle in anymore."
"Thanks, coach, senpai."
"Sure, sure. But keep in mind that we are always willing to help." Kiyoshi said.
"H...Hai..."
"Let's go home. Kagetora-san would shoot us if Riko comes home any later..." Hyuuga said as he stood up. The rest of them followed and stretches. The four Seirin students walks out of the public court and turns to each other to say goodbye.
"Thanks for today. I'll be leaving first." Kagami bows to his senpais and walks away.
"He's hanging out too much with Midorima." Hyuuga murmured. "Says he can handle it, huh?"
Riko smirks again, "Still interested?"
"I'm in~"
"What choice do I have?"
He could feel that again. That person is following him again.
He picks up his pace but the feeling never vanished. Then he remembers his words with his senpais, his sleep, and basketball. Basketball.
Kagami halted his steps, an annoyed expression in his face. "That's it. I can't play basketball properly because of you! Come out, or I'll find you."
In was silent for a while and the wind was his only companion. His eyes peers around in every corner of the street. The hair of his back prickles and he turns around quickly. He saw no-one, but the feeling was nearer. She's close by.
A slight sneeze broke him out of his concentration. It was slight and almost inaudible. Kagami looks around again. Another sneeze.
The teen's brow twitched when he traced where the noise came from.
He looks down. And he looks up.
An unmanly screech reverberated under the dimly-lit sky.