I'm really sorry for not uploading last week! School has been so hectic that I didn't have much time to write at all and to be honest, I didn't really have the will to write this chapter.
Then, when I remembered you guys and how you really liked this, I just knew that I had to write and not abandon it.
So, here it is! The next chapter!
I really hope you like this one because it is finally the Seirin VS Touou match. This chapter is really important to the story because it is the trigger to many things (you'll understand when you get there)
Remember to check out my other stores, my previous one called Glassy Sky would be a good pick, and also check out the poll in my profile!
So, without further ado, here is the next chapter!
No sooner had Terumi gone than Midorima got a phone call. He hesitated when he saw the call id but knew he couldn't escape it. To his surprise, it was not a female voice who answered but a male's.
"So you lost your match, didn't you?" The caller asked and Midorima's eye twitched. Honestly, at this point, he really didn't care.
"Yes, I did. Aomine. Be careful at the final league." Midorima warned.
"Huh? The fuck are you talking about? The only one who can defeat me is me!" Aomine declared confidently and Midorima's eyes narrowed. There it was. The infamous line that drove Terumi and Aomine, two inseparable people, apart.
"You haven't changed at all, have you?" Midorima sighed. "You realize your next opponent is Kuroko, don't you?"
"And you think that's gonna stop me? Regardless of whatever past we had, she's just another opponent to me now."
Midorima was silent for a moment. Then, "Are you sure?"
Aomine didn't respond for a moment. That confirmed Midorima's suspicions. Aomine was still not over the fact that Terumi had disappeared in middle school without telling him.
"I'm hanging up now." Aomine simply said and as the phone beeped off, Midorima sighed once more before going back to the lockers. He needed to talk to Takao.
"Shin-chan, you came too late. Everyone's already off." Takao complained as Midorima entered the locker room.
Midorima looked at the cheerful point guard. "Good. I needed to talk to you alone anyways." He said and he saw Takao visibly hesitate.
"What's up?" He tried to say casually but failed.
"Takao, enough with the jokes. You know what I'm talking about."
Takao got a serious expression. "Look, I get it. You don't want me tell anyone about Kuroko's secret. I'm not that stupid, you know?"
"It is not a matter of whether you will say something or not. It's the fact that Kuroko herself doesn't know. You have to tell her."
"But she doesn't want anyone to know, right? Why would I?"
"Don't you understand that she's struggling? She has problems, conflicts, all because of her love for basketball. She doesn't even know who she is anymore. Telling her that you know will somewhat relieve it, ok? She's had enough problems as it is!" Midorima roared and Takao took in his words. Then, he slowly started nodding.
"I get it. Ok, I'll tell her the first chance I get." Takao answered and Midorima sighed in relief. Now, all he wanted was for her to live her life normally.
"Shin-chan?"
"Yes, Takao?"
"What's it like? Having a girl touch your face like that?" At those words, Midorima spluttered immensely.
"Wha - How did you know that happened?"
"Ah, I was kind of spying in the background. So, how was it?"
Midorima was silent for a second, not willing to say anything about it, but even he knew he couldn't hold back the feeling he had right now.
"I felt happy. That's all."
Takao took the simple answer because he knew Midorima implied so much more. "Is Kuroko pretty? You know, when she's not in drag?"
"She is." He replied without thinking. "She's actually beautiful if you know more about her. It's hard not to fall when you get to be with her."
"Do all the Generation of Miracles know the secret?"
"Yes."
"How, though?"
Midorima's face suddenly became red, making Takao raise and eyebrow. "Nothing you should know about." He tried to cover up.
"What, it's not like you saw her naked or anything, right?" When Midorima said nothing, Takao howled in laughter.
"Are you serious? You actually saw her naked?" He said through fits of chuckles.
"She was not naked!" Midorima defended. "It's a long story, ok? I'm not getting into depth on it with the likes of you. I'm leaving." He said while taking his sports bag and leaving the locker room.
Takao, still laughing, called to Midorima. "Let's get some food, Shin-chan!"
At the same time, Seirin entered a restaurant full of people. Immediately, Kagami spotted a familiar blonde-haired person.
"Kise and Kasamatsu?" Kagami yelled out as Kasamatsu retorted with "No honorifics?"
As the restaurant was packed, the group of fifteen had no choice but to separate. Kuroko and Kagami took seats beside Kise and Kasamatsu, while the others took their spots at the sides. Silence was imminent as Kise and Kagami looked as awkward as always. Kuroko, who was sitting next to Kise, merely waited for the menus while Kasamatsu ate the remaining food.
"Oi, will you eat? The food's getting burnt." Kasamatsu reprimanded to Kise and the blonde hurriedly took his fork, jabbing some on it. He approached it to Kuroko.
"Kurokocchi, want some?" He asked, hoping she'd say yes.
She shook her head, something Kise was already expecting. "It is fine, Kise-kun. You can eat. Kagami-kun will order for me."
"Hah, that is, if you can eat before I finish it all." Kagami grinned and at that moment, the doors opened and two people entered.
"Table for two -" The person stopped talking when he laid his eyes on the table of four.
"Midorima and Takao?" Kagami shouted in complete surprise. Takao rubbed his head in awkwardness.
"Hiya!" He greeted but Midorima was already turning back.
"Let's go to another place, Takao." He said without looking at the others and Takao quickly followed. However, before they could take another step, the rain drenched them from head to toe. They immediately went back into the restaurant for shelter.
Takao's eyes widened once they went back in.
"Kasamatsu-san from Kaijou?" He asked with glee.
Kasamatsu titled his head. "You know me?"
Takao responded back enthusiastically. "Hell yeah, I do! You're one of the most repudiated point guards in high school! I want to talk to you more about it!" He took Kasamatsu by the arm and dragged him to where Seirin was, leaving Midorima to take the seat next to Kagami.
A bitter aura resonated from the ominous table of four and those who were watching couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated, though Riko was just excited.
Kagami ordered the food, something that sounded liked an incantation, and Midorima's sour face didn't leave.
"Come on, Midorimacchi, your food's going to burn." Kise said and Midorima harrumphed.
"I refuse to eat this while these two are around." He said, and Kagami rolled his eyes.
"Whatever, man. More for me, then. Oi, Kuroko, aren't you going to eat?" Kagami directed his attention to the phantom man who seemed to be at loss on what to do.
"I am sorry, I have never tried this kind of food before." Kuroko bowed, eyes invisible. Kise smiled tenderly before cutting the food up and handing it to her.
"Here, Kurokocchi. It's really good, so I'm sure you'll love it." Kise said, a smile still on his features, and Midorima's eye twitched.
"Thank you, Kise-kun." Terumi said before taking a bite. Kagami didn't seem to notice the obvious rivalry going on between Midorima and Kise.
"Oi, Kagami, switch places with me." Midorima ordered and Kagami turned to him with a face full of food.
"What?" He said with a confused look on his face.
"I said switch places with me."
"Why the fuck would I do that? Just eat your food." Kagami said, relentless, and Midorima looked like he wanted to strangle the red head.
Kise kept feeding Terumi and until the food was all finished, Midorima kept glaring at him. Kagami, the idiot he was, didn't notice any of it.
Terumi suddenly tilted her head and looked at Kise. Kise, in turn, looked back with uncertainty.
"Kurokocchi?"
"Kise-kun, you -"
"There's something different." Midorima cut in and Kise looked at him with confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Your eyes seem weird." Midorima explained and though Kise was insulted by the comment, he understood what Midorima was implying.
"Well, I'm not so sure about that, but after the match with them, I went to practice more. And recently, I started to think how much I love being in Kaijou." Kise smiled.
Midorima closed his eyes and started to eat his food. "You know what? I was wrong. You haven't changed a bit. You've just become the person you were in middle school."
"Thank goodness." Kuroko said and she lifted her head a bit so that the two basketball prodigies could see her small smile. Both hitched their breaths.
"I am glad you are back, Kise-kun."
And with that, the table grew silent and everyone ate until they were all stuffed, especially Kagami, who ate until his stomach was completely out.
As Midorima stood up to leave with Takao, he turned to Kagami with a serious look on his face. "Kagami, I have advice for you. There are two Generation of Miracles in the Tokyo district. One is me and the other is a player called Aomine Daiki. He is the same type of player as you. Be warned."
Kagami's eyes narrowed. "What, so you're just saying he's strong, right?"
Surprisingly, Kuroko answered. "Yes, he is." A darkening aura surrounded the smaller player. "But I do not like his style of play."
Kise looked Terumi with sad eyes. It had only been so long since they drifted apart. Now it seemed the two were complete enemies.
"Just work hard, then." Midorima concluded and walked towards the door. Terumi followed him and touched his arm.
She lifted her head, showing parts of her eyes and smiled. "Let us compete again." She declared and Midorima pushes his glasses up to avoid looking embarrassed.
"Of course." He answered. "But I will win next time."
"Kuroko!" A voice called out from outside and the two peered outside to see Takao.
"He wants to talk to you." Midorima whispered and walked to the corner, leaving only Terumi and Takao.
"Hello, Takao-kun." She bowed.
"Hiya." He returned as he sat on the rickshaw. He rubbed the back of his head, uncertain of how to begin.
"So, um, I guess I called you out to say I'm sorry."
She titled her head. "For what?"
"For, you know, acting like that in the court." Takao said sheepishly and she remembered when Takao had leaned in to her and whispered something that was obviously implied.
she shook her head. "It is alright."
"Well, I just want you to know that I know. Your secret, that is. Both. Sorry for figuring it out without your permission."
She shook her head once more. "I am just glad I have one more person I do not have to hide to. Thank you for telling me." And Takao could see it. He saw some of her burden lift in her shoulders, and he realized that he was glad he did this.
"Well, if you need any advice or some support, I'll always be there for you, you know? Wanna exchange numbers?" He asked casually and Terumi nodded. Takao took her phone and quickly typed it in, and with Terumi's permission, assigned his number a specific ringtone so that she could know.
"Thank you, Takao-kun. Have a good night." Terumi bowed once more and Takao waved it off.
"It's fine. Good luck on telling you teammates." At that, Terumi visibly stiffened. Takao sighed and patted her on the back. "You'll get there."
She unfroze. "Thank you." With one more bow, she went back inside the restaurant to meet up with her team. Midorima came back from who knew where and Takao smiled at him.
"You know, I think I'm getting to see the appeal to her." Takao commented. "She really isn't right for this world."
A fews days after the matches with the Tokyo Kings, Riko decided to change practice to the swimming pool. Terumi fidgeted with her hands, and when RIko saw them, she quietly asked her if she knew how to swim.
"I am sorry, coach. It seems I cannot participate in this one. My mother never showed me how to swim. I was too busy developing other skills."
Riko smiled softly to her. "Hey, it's ok. Don't look so down. I'll just double your training tomorrow."
Terumi stiffened. "I do not believe that will make me happier."
"In any case, I wasn't going to ask you to join anyways. You can't wear swimming trunks anyways. Just sit on the benches with Kagami, ok?"
Terumi nodded and walked over to the injured red-head.
"Eh? Why aren't you joining?" He asked, confused.
"I cannot swim." She answered truthfully. "Coach will double my training tomorrow." She felt Kagami's feet stir.
"Damn, she's a demon." He murmured as he saw the others start their leg training in the water.
After that, Terumi suddenly felt a familiar presence inside the pool. Her head whipped to that direction, making Kagami see what the commotion was, and saw a beautiful pink-haired girl with a bikini on.
Everyone else in the pool noticed as well and their faces were getting redder by the second. Riko, the short-tempered girl she was, all smacked them hard.
"Excuse me, who are you?" Riko said with her teeth clenched. The girl smiled as she looked over Riko's body. She, in turn, desperately tried to cover herself.
"How should I put it? I'm Tetsu-chan's girlfriend!" She declared and everyone looked at the phantom player, who had stood up in shock.
"Momoi-san?" Kuroko asked and Momoi ran up to her, or him to other perspectives, and hugged her tightly.
"Testu-chan, I missed you so much!" She screamed and Terumi had to push her away as she was suffocating her.
"Kuroko, you were in a relationship?" Everyone screamed and Kuroko had to calm them down.
"I am not. She was the manager in our middle school team."
"I really wanted to come to this school and be with Tetsu-chan but I couldn't…" Momoi said dejectedly and Terumi patted her back, knowing why.
"Momoi-san, you are in Aomine-kun's school, aren't you?" Terumi asked and Momoi nodded, her eyes turning bitter and sad.
"Coach, may I leave practice for a moment? There are some things I need to talk about with Momoi-san." Terumi requested and Riko couldn't say no. And when she looked back at the bench, she realized that a humongous red-head idiot wasn't there.
"Where's Kagami-kun?" She asked in panic, and as she asked that question, Kagami had already encountered the one and only Aomine Daiki on the basketball court outside the swimming pool.
"You're Kagami Taiga, right?" Aomine asked with a smirk on his face and Kagami looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, what of it? Who're you?" He asked.
Aomine looked at him serenely, which made Kagami pissed off. "Heh… Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to say it. I'm Aomine Daiki."
Kagami's eyes widened at the tanned blue-haired student and remembers Midorima's warning about him.
"Well, what're you waiting for? Fight me!" Kagami declared and Aomine took the ball from him and started twirling it.
"You know, I don't think you can win against me. I'm just here to test you."
"Hah?" Kagami asked angrily.
"No one is stronger than me, and I don't waste my time looking for a non-existent player like you. I'm pretty bored so try entertaining me for a bit before Satsuki returns."
Kagami cracked his neck. "Christ, and I thought Midorima and Kise were cocky bastards." He glared at Aomine with fierce eyes. "You're on another league, bastard. I'll fucking show you who you're dealing with!"
"Congratulations, Tetsu-chan, on entering the final league." Momoi said, breaking the silence between the two girls.
"Congratulations as well, Momoi-san, for entering."
"Still making those low sounds, aren't you?" Momoi shook her head with a wistful smile on her face.
"It seems I cannot stop now."
"That's too bad. I like your normal voice. Mind talking like that for me? It's not like anyone's here to listen to it. The others are in the showers and Kagami-kun won't be coming back for a while. Please? For old time's sake?" Momoi pleaded and Terumi nodded slowly.
"For you, Momoi-san." Terumi finally said with her regular voice.
Momoi smiled. "I really love your voice, Tetsu-chan. It's a shame you can't use it all the time. Have you told anyone in Seirin yet?"
"No, not yet. The only person who knows is coach."
"You mean B-cup?"
"Momoi-san, that is not nice."
"Well, it's true!"
"And I am a C-cup. That does not mean you should say that every chance you get."
Momoi sighed. "Fine. But no promises. It's fun teasing your coach."
"You acknowledge her, do you not?"
"I do." Momoi stretched her legs. How's your mother?" Momoi then asked and Terumi looked at her in surprise.
"She is doing fine."
"Are you sure? You seemed pretty surprised. Did something happen?" Momoi asked worriedly and for a moment, Terumi didn't speak. Then,
"Her condition has grown worse. She has to have another operation soon."
"I'm so sorry, Tetsu-chan. Is the date already set?"
"Yes." Terumi lowered her head. "It is the day of the match."
Momoi gasped and immediately hugged her tightly. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry." She said once more. "Are you going to the hospital?"
"I asked my mother but she told me it was fine. She told me not to worry. So, I won't. I will help my team instead."
"I saw your video against Midorin's team. Momoi smiled as she changed the topic. "Kagami-kun is really something, isn't he? He's just like Aomine-kun in the past." Momoi commented, looking as though she was about to cry.
"… You are right." Was the only thing Terumi said.
"Do you think he'll ever stop being so alone?" Momoi asked and Terumi stayed silent. "I mean, he's become like that because he never loses and is so strong at a basketball. No one's stopped him from becoming alone."
"And if we stopped him?"
Momoi turned to the girl. "What?"
"I know Aomine-kun is strong. But if we were to beat him in a game…"
"Do you really think you could do that?" Momoi asked, face hopeful.
Terumi shrugged. "I am not sure. But one thing I do know is that I am not going to fight this battle alone."
"Damn, I didn't know you were this weak." Aomine commented. Kagami stood there, huffing at the lack of stamina and his increasing anger. "Did you really beat Midorima?"
"Why you little…"
"But then again, you did have Tetsu." Aomine diverged as he easily passed Kagami and made another basket. "God, I can't even imagine the future for Tetsu if he's with you."
"Huh?"
"Tetsu's a shadow. A shadow'll become the strongest if the light is at its peak as well. But if he's with you, Tetsu'll become weak as hell."
And as he passed Kagami one more time to finish the one-on-one, he said something unforgettable.
"Your light is too dim."
The match with Touou, Aomine's school, finally came. Seirin, like always, had immense fighting spirit in them and though they were all nervous, they did the best they could to relieve it and do the best they could muster in the court. Touou, on the other hand, was extremely annoyed that Aomine had no come yet.
"Can I just beat him up?" Wakamatsu, a junior, said with tick marks on him and the captain, Imayoshi, just sighed.
"Momoi, did you call him?"
The pink haired girl was also furious. "Apparently he overslept. But he did say he was going to come about twenty minutes after the game has started."
Imayoshi sighed. "Well, until then," a smile crept up on him, "let's have some fun with Seirin, shall we?"
With both teams ready to go, Seirin moved out the locker room and Riko made a head check to see if everyone was out. Then, when she realized that someone was missing, she quickly looked back inside and saw Terumi.
"Kuroko-kun?" She asked and saw that the girl was fiddling with something.
"Yes?" Terumi asked as she hid her phone.
"Are you ok? Is something wrong?" Riko asked, concerned, but the phantom player shook her head.
"I am fine. Let us go." She said and walked out with her phone still in her hand. Riko looked at her in worry. Everything was ok, right?
She decided not to think about it too much, and followed after her. They caught up with the rest of the team and they all got prepared, both physically and mentally.
"Is everyone ready?" Hyuuga bellowed and everyone bellowed right back. "Then, let's go!"
And with that, the crowd cheered immensely for both teams and the players got ready on the court to play.
Momoi stared at Terumi and kept rubbing her arms in worry. The coach saw this and nudged her.
"Aomine's going to come. Don't worry." He said and Momoi smiled, even though the coach was wrong in deducing why she was like this.
"Right. Thank you." She answered but she was merely thinking about Terumi's mother. Today was her operation and she wouldn't blame her if she couldn't focus on the match.
To think that her mother's condition grew worse was something absolutely terrifying. She just hoped Seirin wouldn't have too much trouble.
But as the match began, she couldn't help but cover her eyes. It was happening too soon and Aomine wasn't even here yet. Touou was completely dominating the court and Seirin was doing everything they could to keep up.
Kagami was getting angrier by the second by all the blocks and the opposing team in general. Kuroko walked up to him.
"God, they're all pissing me off. How do they know every move we do?" Kagami commented furiously.
"Momoi-san is is a specialist when it comes to strategies. If she researches, she will know most of our tricks." Kuroko answered.
"Shit, I didn't know that. And you're not in your game, Kuroko." Kagami suddenly said and Kuroko hesitated slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Kagami rubbed the back of the his head. "I don't know, I feel like you have something on your mind."
"I do not. Thank you for worrying." Kuroko bowed and quickly left Kagami's side. He narrowed his eyes on the phantom player but decided that at the moment, that wasn't what he should think about. It was getting really annoying how Touou was just playing with them and he would do anything to get out of it.
The work was strenuous for Seirin but slowly, they started climbing up in the points. Hyuuga started to get used to the blocks and shot threes, Izuki used his eagle eye for strategies, and Kagami got fired up like always, giving everyone else strength. Even Terumi, who was more than worried for her mother, became invisible to steal and pass, helping the team even further. By the time first quarter ended, the score was 25 to 21 in Touou's favor.
"When's Aomine going to be here?" Wakamatsu asked annoyed.
"He should be here soon. He wouldn't miss this match, not when Tetsu-chan's here." Momoi complied.
"That invisible kid is just insane. You'd think we'd be a lot further in the points but then that kid just comes out of nowhere."
"He's amazing, isn't he?" Momoi said with a smile and looked over to Terumi's side. Riko was giving them a pep talk and a bit of reprimands while everyone else concentrated on the next strategies.
As the buzzer rang, signifying the end of the break, Kagami was more than determined. Kuroko felt it. She decided to focus as well. It was a good choice because the moment she decided to leave her mother at the back of her mind, her passes got more accurate and Kagami scored first with a powerful dunk, passing two of the defenders. The crowd cheered, but Riko sensed it.
Her eyes grew wide as she immediately shouted for a substitute.
Kagami looked at the coach in complete shock. "Wait, me?" He asked as he pointed to himself. "Why're you switching me out?"
Koganei, the substitute, patted Kagami on the back as he started walking towards the bench.
"Coach saw past your tough act, you know?" He commented and Kagami stiffened.
"Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asked as he tilted his head. Kagami cringed. He really looked like his twin sister.
He ruffled Kuroko's hair. "Sorry, I'm going to have to step out for a moment. Do good, ok?" He said and Kuroko nodded.
"Kagami-kun, your leg. You're still in pain, aren't you, from Midorima?" Riko accused and Kagami bit his lip.
"This is nothing! I can still play!" Kagami tried to persuade but Riko was having none of it.
"Not until we get you all fixed up. For the moment, rest."
"But the score!" Kagami said, frustrated. Riko just stayed silent as she started working on his leg. She prayed that the others would do ok.
Unfortunately, her prayers were not answered. The score was just growing to Touou's favor and Kagami felt more and more useless to the point where he rejected Riko's aid and started to get ready to get back to the court.
But Riko stopped him last second. "We're going to need you even more in the 2nd half of the game. You and Kuroko-kun will be the only people who'll be able to fight against their ace, and from what I've heard, he's a complete monster."
Kagami turned around and was surprised to see Riko shaking. She continued. "You have to rest if you want to use your full potential. Without you, we won't be able to use Kuroko-kun to his full potential either. So please, just rest for the time being."
Kagami sighed before giving them a smile. "Well, we're going to win anyways."
Riko smiled when she realized she lost. "Fine, go and get the points."
Kagami grinned as he got ready to get in, but someone wrapped an arm around him and his eyes grew wide as he saw Aomine.
"I've just had a really nice nap a while back! Hope the points didn't grow too much!" Aomine commented with a snarky smirk on his face and Kagami pushed him away.
"You fucking bastard." Kagami growled while the members of Touou called Aomine to the other side.
Aomine saw the scores and was shocked by the small point difference of 49 to 39. "You guys are useless, aren't you?" Aomine commented as he changed into his uniform. And he got onto the court, he spotted the smaller player.
"Sup." He said casually, though inside he felt as uncomfortable as ever.
"Hello, Aomine-kun. It has been a long time, hasn't it?" Terumi answered.
"Hope you won't get too crushed." Aomine said unintentionally.
Terumi showed no emotion. "We will win, Aomine-kun." She declared. Aomine just laughed but his eye twitched when Kagami walked next to her and ruffled her wig.
"Heh," he said, "then let the real game begin."
Everyone took their places. "I'll beat you to the ground." Aomine said as he passed him and Kagami turned around to glare.
"What did you say, bastard?"
The ball was thrown to the air and Touou got the ball, sending it immediately to Aomine.
"Let's see how you do as a power forward, shall we?" Aomine smirked and Kagami growled. He passed Kagami easily, too quickly, but before Aomine could make a dunk, Kagami caught up and smacked the ball away, surprising even Aomine himself.
Seirin took the ball and Kuroko made an ignite pass to Kagami, who also got prepared for a dunk but was stopped by Aomine.
The second quarter ended at that moment with the ten point gap and Aomine started laughing cockily.
"He might interest me for a while." Aomine commented to himself. "I'll widen the gap unbelievably!" He then declared, making everyone from Seirin want to murder the ace of the Generation of Miracles.
During the break, after Momoi and Riko's horrible sight of honey-soaked lemons, Riko began with strategies.
"Kuroko-kun, we'll let you rest for the third quarter to -" She was cut off.
"Please let me play for the second half as well." Terumi said, making Riko hesitate for a second.
"Are you sure?"
In Touou's area, Aomine went out to warm up, leaving Wakamatsu in a furious state. Momoi went after him.
"Aomine-kun! I can't believe you're late for a match like this, when Tetsu-chan's there and everything! How could you? I can't predict her at all so you've got to bring the score back!"
"Will you shut up? "Aomine said lazily. "Damn, I should have come here earlier if I knew it would be this interesting."
Inside Seirin's locker, everyone looked at Kuroko surprised.
"Are you sure?" Riko asked once more and Kuroko nodded, though RIko could still see she was fiddling with her phone.
Kagami wasn't having any of that. "Oi, Kuroko, cool your head. You're not thinking rationally. What happened to the whole basketball is not a one-man sport speech?"
Terumi was silent. Riko looked at her worriedly. "Kuroko-kun, we'll put you in in the fourth quarter, ok? But for now, Kagami-kun is right. We need to preserve your strength, ok?"
Kuroko finally relented. Riko smiled at her and soon went to the others.
"Go Seirin!" everyone shouted and Kagami walked up to Kuroko.
"Hey, you ok?" He asked and Terumi nodded.
"I have not seen Aomine-kun in a long time. He has probably improved more than Kise-kun or Midorima-kun. We just be wary."
Kagami smiled. "You took the words right out of my mouth."
And with a surprising sight of a fired up Aomine, the match commence. However, it was because of this match that Seirin was never the same.
And everything began with the one phone call Terumi dreaded to have.
Aomine was dominating the court, making impossible shots but always having them go in the basket. Kagami and the others did the best they could but no one could match Aomine's agility and versatility. He was playing with them, making feints and fakes with a lazy smile on his face, and the points just kept getting higher and higher.
Terumi, who was on the bench, couldn't stand it anymore. She felt Kagami's dejected feet and knew Aomine was crushing him. The backward throw was just another stab to their hearts.
"Come on, Tetsu. Get in the game. Let's see how well you match up with your new light." Aomine said as the game was getting ready to start again and Terumi let go of her phone.
"Coach, I am ready to get in." She said and Riko hesitated for a second. She was about to say no when she saw Kuroko's determined face. She had no choice but comply.
"Finally." Aomine breathed as Terumi changed into her uniform. Even though he didn't want to admit it, however, he missed her. And goddamn it, he was pissed that she chose this 'new light' instead of him. He was obviously better than he, so why did she choose Kagami instead of him, the better light?
Terumi lifted her head for a second and Aomine suddenly remembered the time she had touched his face. He missed the touch.
"Let us finish this, Aomine-kun." And Aomine could hear the implied meaning as well. Let us finish with our emotions as well, she seemed to say. That just made him angrier.
The third quarter began once more from the substitution and Kuroko surprised everyone when she twisted her body and threw a powerful throw to Kagami, the only person who could catch it in Seirin.
Slowly, but surely, the point gap was decreasing because of Terumi's help. Aomine just stood there, surprised.
'I didn't think there was anyone else who could catch Tetsu's passes.' Aomine thought. 'She's grown.'
"Tetsu." He called out and walked over to the blind girl. "Your new school."
"What about it?"
"I'll make sure that they'll lose all hope. You know what that means right?" Terumi stayed silent. "I'll make sure they'll never want to play basketball again."
"Aomine-kun, I thought I said that we would finish this." Terumi instead said and Aomine clenched his fists."We will win." And with she got the ball from Izuki, ready to pass. Aomine, however, was ready.
"You really think I'd let you pass me again?" He said as he began her ignite pass. Aomine caught it in the middle, surprising everyone, especially Terumi. "After all, I can still catch your passes." Aomine smirked and before anyone knew it, he got ready to make a dunk. Both Kagami and Kuroko tried to block him but Aomine overpowered them, making both of them fall to the ground.
"Kuroko-kun!" Riko called out and at that moment, Terumi's phone began vibrating. Riko took it and read the caller id. Doctor Hiroshima. With dread pooling her gut, she picked up with shaky hands.
"Tetsu, you can't finish this. Your basketball still works with mine, the best kind. The two of you can't beat me. You never can."
A whistle blew and everyone, surprised by the sudden interruption, looked at the referee who was holding the time out sign.
"Coach?" Kagami wondered and Terumi immediately stood up, surprising both Aomine and Kagami.
"Tetsu?" Aomine asked hesitantly but Terumi ignored him and went straight up to Riko. Momoi, who was watching from the other side, gripped her clipboard in fear.
"Coach?" Terumi asked, devoid of emotion but she was dying inside.
"There was a call by a doctor named Hiroshima. He - He asked for you but I told him that you were busy and -" Riko started stuttering and Hyuuga had to snap her out of it.
"Coach, calm down. What's wrong?" He asked and Riko took a small breath before turning to Terumi.
"Kuroko-kun, it's your mother." And with that, it was enough to make her fall to the ground, crumbling.
"Why did you never tell us that your mother was going through an operation today?" Riko screeched but everyone knew that she was like that because of guilt.
"What?" Izuki said in confusion. "Kuroko, is your mother ok? Why did she have an operation?"
"I - My mother, she -" But Terumi couldn't form coherent sentences. "Coach, what did the doctor say?" She then said instead but Riko bit her lip.
Then, she started to cry. "I'm so sorry, Kuroko-kun. Something went wrong."
There was complete silence as those words settled in. Then, to everyone's surprise, Kagami started packing up Kuroko's things.
"Kagami-kun?" Terumi asked lifelessly and Kagami shoved the sports bag to her.
"Go to the hospital. Your mom needs you." He answered but Terumi didn't move at all.
"Go!" Kagami finally bellowed. "You can't concentrate, even if you stayed. We'll finish it up here, so just go and be with your mother, ok?"
"I -" Terumi started to say but Hyuuga cut her off.
"Kagami's right. Right now, your mother's more important than this match. We'll try to come as fast as we can, but until then, go."
Terumi was unmoving but after a second, she finally nodded and took the bag from Kagami. She hastily bowed and began to run towards the stadium door. Kise and Midorima, who were watching from the seats, looked at each other before standing up and moving to the exit.
Aomine, on the other hand, was more than confused and angry. He marched up to Momoi, who was just about to follow Terumi, and caught her arm.
"What the fuck is going on, Satsuki? Why did Tetsu suddenly leave like that?"
"Let go, Aomine-kun! I have to go!"
"Tell me why she suddenly fucking left!"
"It's probably her mother!" Momoi finally shouted and Aomine's eyes widened.
"What?"
"It's probably her mother. Her condition grew worse and she told me that the operation was today. Something must've gone wrong. I need to go and comfort her, so let me go!"
Momoi shook Aomine's arm off easily because his whole body was marred with shock.
"Why did she never tell me then?" Aomine shouted before Momoi could take another step towards the door.
"She probably thought you wouldn't care enough to know. I have to go!" Momoi said unintentionally and ran out the door. Aomine stood there, unable to go after the pink-haired girl, and he kicked the bench behind him in anger.
"You know what? Whatever. I'll just finish this match and see her later." He declared and got ready to crush Seirin.
Terumi didn't stop running, even though she was bumping into strangers in the streets, and not even when she heard calls from Momoi to wait up. She just kept running and didn't care that her heart was close to ripping apart.
She barged into the hospital and everyone inside looked startled for a second as they didn't see Terumi for a moment. Then, the receptionist, the same one who helped her when she got injured from Kise, moved out of her place and immediately took her sports bag.
"Kuroko-chan, I'm so sorry. I'll take you to your mother immediately." The receptionist said morosely as she hustled her into the elevator and pressed the number 4.
"What happened?" Terumi could only whisper and the receptionist shook her head.
"I don't know. Something went wrong and the doctors did everything they could."
"Is she - Is she still alive?" Terumi dared to ask.
"Yes, she is. But just barely. I'm sorry, Kuroko-chan, but your mother might not be able to make it this time. Be with her, ok?" The receptionist said as the elevator door opened. They walked slowly because Terumi's footsteps were unintentionally getting dragged down to the floor. When they finally stopped, Terumi took a deep breath and touched the doorknob lightly.
The receptionist patted her back gently. "Take as much time as you need." And left the scene. Terumi's hand shook violently as she turned the doorknob and opened the door. The first thing she saw was her mother being connected to so many more machines than last time. Most of the her body was covered in a white sheet and her chest was barely rising at this point. Her eyes were closed but they opened tiredly when she heard the door opening. She smiled when she saw her daughter.
"Hey, honey. Is that match over?" She asked in a soft tone and if it weren't for Terumi's enhanced senses, she would have never heard her clearly.
"I got a call from Dr. Hiroshima, mother." Terumi started and she couldn't help but start crying. She moved forward and took her normal spot, but this time, she didn't even reassured at all. She felt so lost and lonely. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be with you."
"What's there to be sorry for, Teru? You did nothing wrong."
"I could have been with you the whole way."
"You needed to help your teammates. I was rooting for you the whole way. Did you guys win?"
Terumi shook her head. "I am not sure. I came here before the game ended."
"Oh, I'm sorry you had to abandon it."
"What are you sorry for?" Terumi roared, something she never thought of doing. More tears fell and she grabbed her mother's hand. "Don't leave me, mother, not when I still haven't even seen your face!"
Her mother, with much force, raised her other hand and wiped a tear from Terumi's face. She then guided her hand to her face and made sure to smile.
"What do you think I look like, honey?"
Terumi was at loss of words for a second. Then, "You're beautiful. So beautiful that father left to make himself more worthy. You have beautiful baby blue eyes and beautiful lips that kiss my forehead when I need it. You have everything I want you to have, mother."
"Then that's good. Remember me like that, ok?"
"You're not leaving me!"
"Teru, I'm so sorry."
"Please, don't. Not now." Terumi begged but feeling her mother's smile, she knew it wouldn't do anything to improve her condition.
Then, the door opened and she felt her whole team inside the room.
"So you must be my baby's teammates. Please take care of her." Her mother said.
"Mother?"
"I saw them through the window. I invited them in."
"But -"
"Honey, listen to me." Her mother suddenly said and Terumi waited. "I want you to show them who you really are."
Terumi stiffened. "What do you mean?"
"Please, baby. Before I die, I want you to show them who you are. You're true self." She said it. The word die.
Terumi shook her head violently, then lowered it to touch the covers. "I can't."
"Teru, lift you face." She did. "It's my last wish. Please."
And with those words, Terumi cried even harder. Her mother wanted it, so she would grant it.
She stood up and turned to the team, who was currently confused except for Riko, who was just looking at her with sorrowful eyes. Terumi, determined to make her mother's wish come true, finally lifted her head high enough to let her bangs part and let her tearful eyes show clearly. There were gasps everywhere as everyone who in the dark could finally see her milky, blind eyes.
Then, before anyone could say anything else, she took off her wig, making her long hair tumble down.
She went to the ground and bowed formally. "I am so sorry for fooling all of you." She said as her fists clenched to keep from crying more.
"Teru-Teru." Her mother called out and Terumi immediately stood to go to her mother, her team involuntarily forgotten.
She took her mother's hand and gripped it as gently as she could. Her mother then guided her hand once more to her face and she felt her cheek that was smeared with tears.
"Mom?"
"Thank you so much, Terumi. I love you." And gradually, her breathing slowed down and the machine connected to her heartbeat grew smaller and smaller until it turned into a monotone line.
The room was filled with Terumi's cries of woe and while Seirin gathered around to hug the suddenly small looking, fragile girl, three people - Kise, Midorima, and Momoi - all glanced at one another once before shaking their heads and quietly leaving the place. Kise patted Momoi on the back as she started to cry as well. it seemed Terumi's cries echoed in the hallway, making them feel even worse. The three middle school friends then saw a person running towards then and they realized it was Aomine. He look like he was in a hurry, seeing as though he didn't even have time to properly wear his jacket.
Midorima shook his head, confirming to Aomine that it was too late. Said person punched the wall angrily and screamed voicelessly. Momoi and Kise kept walking, Momoi not wanting to see Aomine at the moment, and only Midorima and Aomine were left in the empty hallway.
"Why didn't she tell me?" Aomine screamed in hurt and anger. Midorima could merely shake his head.
"No one knew except for Momoi, Aomine. It wasn't only you."
"But I was her light! Her best friend!"
"Are you sure? If you still were, don't you think she have gone to your school if you were still her light?"
Aomine couldn't say anything more. He slid to the ground and covered his face.
"Goddamn it!" He yelled and said no more.
That night, Seirin lost to Touou in an overwhelming score of 115 to 55 in Touou's favor, the team found out of Kuroko Terumi's secret, and the most important person in Terumi's life left the world to a better place.
So, how was it? Good, bad, meh? Tell me in the reviews!
I really didn't want to kill off a character in a story like this but I couldn't think of any other way for Kuroko to show her true self to Seirin. I had another idea in mind but that's for GoM (lol)
I really hope you liked it and I don't have anything else to say to this. I just really want this to be done :)
Peace,
FlyAndDontLookBack