Hello~ it's me again~
sorry for the belated update. yay, I'm currently in my Ramadan break, meaning I'll have three weeks worth of school's day off. yattaaaa! this is the longest Ramadan break I get, perhaps. happy early Ied Mubarak, everyone~
and thank you for the reviews~ I'm glad I didn't disappoint everyone that much heheh
Kuroko No Basket (c) Tadatoshi Fujimaki
Twins (c) TunaForDesert
"Oi, don't puke here!"
The rashest training in Teiko Basketball Club third string had taken its toll on Tetsuya's natural fragile body. He fell on the corner of the third string gym, totally resisting the urge to throw up everything he ate for lunch—which contained a small portion of tuna sandwich and a small box of vanilla milk.
"Kuroko-kun, are you okay? Let me help you to go to the bathroom." Iwajima, a member of the third string and also Kuroko's classmate, approached him.
"Don't worry… I am okay."
"Well, if you say so…" Though the face of Iwajima did not betray the worry he had for his classmate.
Tetsuya sighed.
"Hello… dear brother. It's nice to see you here."
Tetsuya strenghtened his fists.
"I did not expect to see you here, nii-san."
Seijuro raised both his eyebrows, amused. "Of course you would not expect, after you heard me telling father that I'm joining shogi club. But later I beat everyone in the shogi club before the school year even started, and after I told father no one in the shogi club are worthy to be my opponent, he allowed me to pick whichever club I wanted."
Tetsuya looked displeased at this. "I thought allowing you to play a ball around with body drenched in sweat is not father's thing."
"Not until he heard Teiko's Basketball Club had been claiming its victory in the national competition for two years in a row. And I'll make it three." Seijuro smirked.
"Very well. I don't even know you can play basketball."
"And I don't even know you cannot. This is verily the first time I have ever seen someone, who is serious about something, yet has no fruits to show for their labors."
Tetsuya glared. "And what do you mean by that, nii -sama?" He insulted.
"It means what it sounds like, Tetsuya." Seijuro insulted back. "I don't think I can make the other first stringers wait in our own gym, so I excuse myself."
And before he go, Seijuro let out another small note.
"For now, I am the winner, and you are the loser. Winners are validated and losers are denied. Remember that."
Seijuro left Tetsuya standing still. One could tell Tetsuya was beyond pissed by observing his blank face.
There he was, tripped on the third string, whilst his older twin brother entered the first string on his first try.
"Take a five minute break!" Commanded the third string coach.
"Yes, Sir!"
Iwajima went to Kuroko with two bottle of Pocari for the two of them, and asked Kuroko to sit with him on the edge of the court.
"Thank you…" Kuroko accepted the pocari and drank it empty.
Iwajima laughed. "You must be tired, Kuroko-kun."
"Very," Kuroko said shortly.
"Me too… but I can't wait to be stronger." Iwajima grinned.
"Stronger?" Kuroko blinked.
"Yeah! Just because we are kicked to the third string, doesn't mean we can't make it to first string, right? We just have to practice hard, be stronger, and pass the periodical test they will give to us so that we'll make it to the higher strings." Iwajima boasted.
"That… doesn't sound bad."
Right. His mind was filled with the thoughts about his brother. About how his brother always surpassed him. About how his brother managed to placed himself as the king on the chess, in which he could make him to become one of his pawns.
And because of that, never once crossed his mind that there was still a way to defeat his five minutes older brother…
…by being equal as him…
…by struggle so hard to climb and stand at the very same place as him…
…he never figured that.
"Thank you, Iwajima-kun."
Iwajima gave a confused look. "Huh?"
Tetsuya smiled. "From now on, let's work together and aim the first string, okay?"
Iwajima did not get the sudden mood and radiance that came from the bluenette, but he smiled back anyway. "Yes!"
"I am home."
Tetsuya entered the Akashi residences. He was then greeted by some maids and butlers who bowed down to him.
"Welcome home, Tetsuya-sama." Said all of them.
"Master is waiting for you in the dining room." Said one of them.
"Is that so… and I was thinking about skipping dinner."
The maids frowned. "No, Tetsuya-sama, you can't. You will get sick from the lack of nutritious consume. I believe a bite or two won't do any harm to you."
"Yes, Tetsuya-sama. And tonight, Jinko-san made your favorite salmon so you will eat dinner tonight." One of them spoke, mentioning the name of Akashi's main chef.
Tetsuya sighed. "Since she had been bothering herself to go through such thing, despite being told that it will be a waste… I'll eat it." He smiled.
They all smiled as well. "That is for your own good, Tetsuya-sama. Come on, Master is already waiting for you, together with Seijuro-sama. You cannot let them wait until the food going cold."
The bluenette's smile fell. "Nii-san is home already?"
"Why, yes. He arrived at home about ten minutes ago."
"Oh… okay, then."
Thus, he left, to the dining room, leaving some curious look that sent from various pair of eyes.
"I wonder what's happening between Seijuro-sama and Tetsuya-sama." One of the maid sighed. "In their younger years, they did not behave like this."
One of the butler said, "Isn't it obvious? Both Seijuro-sama and Tetsuya-sama refused to be Master's heir. Seijuro-sama is chosen as the heir right away, and it seems that he wants to make Master to rethink his decision and choose Tetsuya-sama instead."
"That is unlikely… Master has been spoiling Tetsuya-sama a lot since her wife deceased. If Tetsuya-sama is against it, he will let it be."
Another maid clapped her hand. "Now, now, let's just go back to work. I believe Seijuro-sama and Tetsuya-sama wouldn't like to hear your conversations."
"Riiight…"
"So you are finally home, Tetsuya."
There he was, Akashi Seishiro, the head of Akashi branch, sat gracefully before the dining table that was filled with variety food made of salmon. His fiery red hair and a pair of burning red eyes were the brightest of the entire Akashi family's, or so one might say if they judged by such powerful aura Seishiro held within him in 47 years of his life.
"I am sorry, father. I was on cleaning duty in my club activity."
"So I assume you and Seijuro joined the same club?"
Tetsuya nodded, without even sparing a glance on his brother. "Yes. Nii-san and I joined basketball club."
"So how's your first day?"
"It's quite… fine. Nii-sama entered the first string and I only made it to third string."
Seishiro smiled warmly. "You will have to work harder to equal your older brother, then."
"Hai."
Tetsuya won't bother to look at his nii-san.
Yes, he had to work hard to be in the same place where Seijuro standing at, while the person himself did not need to break a sweat to enter the highest rank.
But Tetsuya won't bear a jealousy.
This is fine, as long as he held his freedom.
"Then, let's start eating."
How Tetsuya wished to skip dinner and go to bed right away to avoid the disturbing thoughts.
Earlier that night…
"I am home."
Seijuro entered the Akashi household. Some maids and butlers greeted him.
"Welcome home, Akashi-sama. Master is waiting for your presence at the dining room.
"So father is home?"
"Yes."
"Alright."
In five minutes, Seijuro and his father already stood by the dining table.
Every time the father and the son sat together in one room, every workers in the Akashi household could see the fascinating view before their very own eyes—two Akashi sat gracefully, facing each other.
There was one time when the father and the son had a small argument. They did not use incoherent tones nor inappropriate manner, yet, their calm voices and the prideful way of speaking they gave to each other was like two bright burning fire clashing to each other, as if not tolerating any kind of the opponent's dominance in the argument. However, the older Akashi always wins. It still took another hundred years for the younger Akashi to win against his own father, whose traits of absoluteness he earned from.
And Seijuro noticed, the dining table was filled with Tetsuya's favorite food. Salmon.
"How is your school?"
"It is fine. I joined school organization and entered basketball club. The lesson is yet to start since today is still the beginning of middle school year for us freshmen."
"I see."
Silence.
It had been always like that, when there was only two of them, Seishiro would like to ask Seijuro about the son's day. If nothing interesting uttered from the son's mouth, then the conversation was ended. Especially in the mention of a day in school without learning something valuable—in short, time-wasting.
But now, something was different.
"Did Tetsuya join the basketball club?"
If the conversation continued, Tetsuya's name would be brought.
"He did."
"So you were playing basketball together with him?"
"No. He is in the third string, and I enter the first string."
"I see." Seishiro said. "You have to help your younger brother to improve, then."
"Yes, I will." Like hell.
And in another five minutes, Tetsuya was home.
"I am sorry, father. I was on cleaning duty in my club activity."
"So I assume you and Seijuro joined the same club?"
"Yes. Nii-san and I joined basketball club."
"So how's your first day?"
That was how's your first day, not how's your school. Seishiro asked about Tetsuya's day, not Tetsuya's school. And Seijuro noticed.
"It's quite… fine. Nii-sama entered the first string and I only made it to third string."
Seishiro smiled warmly. "You will have to work harder to equal your older brother, then."
And Seishiro did not smile like that to Seijuro.
"Hai."
How Seijuro wished he could skip a dinner or two, like, now.
Almost midnight.
Feeling thirsty, Tetsuya woke up from his not-really-nice sleep. He quit his bedroom, entered the kitchen in the first floor, and drank a glass or two of mineral water. Later, he walked back to his room.
But he stopped in front of a slightly opened door, right before the stairs, to the room in which her mother's altar was placed. He saw a figure of his father sat before the altar. He took a peek.
No, that was not his father. That was his older twin brother.
And that was interesting, since it was rare to see his nii-san to have a conversation with their late mother.
"…that I really love you, mother, and I wish you were here now."
Tetsuya listened to Seijuro.
"So I can share my sorrow, I can share my boast, about how I enter the first string easily… unlike Tetsuya."
And he stopped.
It ticked Tetsuya enough. He did not need to hear any words of his older brother telling his obvious incapability to their mother. Tetsuya walked away. He decided to not care about the view he just saw.
But, if only Tetsuya had cared enough to stay a minute longer there, he would see Seijuro lift his chin to their mother's photo, and his stiffened shoulders.
"But there's times… where I hate you most… because didn't give me such look. A look that looks identical to your face… to your appearance… but you gave them to Tetsuya. That is unfair, mother… from the tip of his hair, to the tip of his toes, those are the traits you gave to him."
Seijuro smiled sadly.
"If only I have something, anything that proves me I'm your son… even if it's only the eyes, or the hair, or anything… father will care me so much, just like he do to Tetsuya."
He laughed.
"I am sure Tetsuya is loved very much by father… because he has the similar face with yours. Why can't I have it… either your face… or father's love.
"Never once he asks me what I want to do for living, but he let Tetsuya do whatever he wants. He let Tetsuya go to school and go back home together with his friends, by walking. But I was demanded by father to go by car. He doesn't know my favorite food, yet, tonight, he told our chef to cook Tetsuya's favorite salmon."
Seijuro stood up.
"Happy birthday, Haha-ue. How I wish you still here, for you are the only pillar that keeps me standing."
And he left, completely failed to notice the butlers who overheard his conversation with the late mother.
A wa wa wa what did I write