Oh my god, I never thought I would get this chapter finished. I'll be honest, I was in a complete rut on writing this chapter. So many of you wanted me to have this chapter dedicated to Seirin's and Kagami's perspective on how they reacted when Kuroko showed them her true self, and I completely understood why. The only problem came when I actually started to write it. I just didn't know how. So please, when you read this, just know it took me forever to do write.
It has been exactly three weeks since my last update, and for those who follow me, you have noticed that I once had a story called Let's Get Lost, which is obviously not here anymore. I absolutely hated that story with all my heart. I was my first attempt in writing fluffy romance (AoKise), but no matter how much I tried to change it, I couldn't get it to fit my style. In the end, I did post it but soon deleted it a few days after because I couldn't stand that kind of story being on my page. If you read it and liked it for some reason, I'm really sorry for taking it down but I really hated it with all my heart. I'm really sorry.
Anyways, this chapter diverges significantly from the manga because I've made some tweaks here and there. I mean, you can't really have Kagami and Kuroko being distant like in the manga because there was no reason to. Kagami here believes it to be his fault, for being too weak and not for being to reliant on Kuroko. Kuroko, on the other hand, wants nothing more but to reconcile with everyone, especially Kagami. So I highly recommend that you read the whole thing.
That's pretty much it for me and I've got to ask you guys your opinion on two things which are really important. I hope you guys will help me out and it'll be outlined at the end of the story. I'll even italicize it because that's just how much help I need from you guys.
So, without further ado, here is the next chapter!
A few answers for my lovely reviewers:
Popme35: "Did anyone notice that Kuroko never took Midorima's jersey off of her head?"
A: Ummm, I may or may not have forgotten to write the part of Kuroko taking off the jersey and giving it back to Midorima (whoops)
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My Lunatic Crow: "Gosh, I wonder what's going to happen to Kuroko now, I hope the story won't stray to far into her having no family... that could become a bit tedious and boring. So does this mean that the final two of the GoM will enter the story sooner because of this tragedy or will you keep their entrances similar to the manga's? I hope that you will keep it that basketball is what will return the GoM to how they used to be and not make some romance-y kind of thing up. Basketball is what connects all of them and it's a big part of the story!"
A: Well, I was originally thinking of putting in Akashi and Murasakibara in the funeral but ehhh, I decided against it. Read the chapter and see what I did. Comment if you liked it or not :) Regarding your worries, don't worry so much. I'm still following the manga pretty well and I don't like it either when stories diverge from their original purpose. Also, trust me when I say that there will be a lot of basketball in this story, I guarantee it :)
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QueenJellyKins:
"First question - What happened to NIGOU!"
A: You will see in this chapter :) (I was actually going to follow the manga's version of how they brought in Nigou but I just decided to go by it in my own pace)
"Second question - Will Kuroko get his (in this fanfic I guess I should say her) eyesight back or partial of it along with his ( I really should say her) memory of the incident ( or is it accident, I'm never really sure)?"
A: That would be a secret, but I don't mind these theoretical guesses (they're actually really intriguing and help me think of other good plots to put in this story)
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ryeonixg: "it would especially be great if you focused more on an individual thought process. For example give the thoughts of Kagami when he found out Kuroko's secret. Imagine for his point of view at the chances and close call that they would have seen Kuroko. Or the the fact that he punched her. You know, just the simple things like him noticing how she walks and how the GOM are protective over her. It would not only make chapters longer but the reader would also given a stance on the characters. Just for future references.
A: I really appreciate this review a lot. I've actually molded this chapter to this review and I really hope you of all people who read this likes it. I tried my best :)
2 weeks. Only 2 weeks for everything to crumble down for Seirin. Soon enough, they were kicked out of Inter High, not only because Kagami couldn't play anymore with his badly injured legs, but also because Terumi disappeared, both from basketball and school. Later on, the team found out that the principal of the school, who was a close friend of Terumi's mother, gave her permission to miss these two weeks of school to prepare for the funeral and her new living requirements. Thankfully, she would still be able to live at her house, but the principal would hire a maid that would make the food for her.
When Seirin lost the remaining games at Inter High, they couldn't even be sad or depressed. It was evident that they still needed to improve; after all, they were still the dark horses who grouped just a year ago. They couldn't keep relying on the dynamic duo, Kagami and Terumi, and everyone in the team knew that there would be a particular strain between them. Terumi had kept such a big secret among them, even when they all felt like they were family with no secrets. Kagami especially must've been hurt by the fact that Riko knew while he was still kept in the dark. As a partner and light, no one could blame him if his pride was completely shattered.
Kagami was given 2 weeks to heal his legs or the damage would be more than significant. During those days, he decided to stay on the rooftop with a basketball in his hand instead of practicing with the others. Riko had forbidden even entering the court, and with the horribly atmosphere they were in, Kagami couldn't say no.
He took the time to organize his thoughts, about basketball, his own limits and strengths, but most of all, Kuroko Terumi. He knew from the beginning that there was something suspicious around the petite girl, but he just couldn't wrap his finger around it. Then, when they all witnessed Kuroko revealing who she really was at the hospital, Kagami found that he could barely breath. He had no idea why, to be honest; it shouldn't have been such a surprise to him since he had known that there was something weird about his partner. He knew that there was something different around her, from her stance to her basketball skills. But he could never have imagined Kuroko yo be a blind girl with such amazing skills. It was practically unheard of, but here she was, in the flesh.
Kagami sighed as he twirled the basketball on his finger. He remembered the talks he had with Kuroko, and Kuroko's avoiding the situation skillfully but not subtly. Just why did Kuroko want to hide her gender, her disability? It wasn't long until it hit him. It occurred to him that he had done just that; he discriminated her immensely. He immediately assumed that because she was disable, and at that, a girl, she would not be able to catch up with the rest, when in reality, she might have been the strongest of them all. Kagami growled at the stereotypes running around his head. He wanted nothing more but to crush them. He felt the immense urge to find her right this instant, run through the whole school, even at the risk of Riko's wrath, to find her, hug her, and tell her that she may be the most amazing person he's ever seen. But as soon as he thought that, he hesitated.
He still didn't want to see her. Not yet. And he had no idea why.
The basketball fell from his finger and bounced off to another direction. Kagami let it go as he covered his eyes and took deep breaths to calm himself down. He was just getting angrier thinking about this whole ordeal. He didn't know why he didn't want to see her, why he didn't want to congratulate her, why he was so hesitant in telling her that it's going to be ok and they the whole team would be there for her in both high and low times. Trying to organize his brain was stressful for him and he could feel his calves twitch at the pressure he was unconsciously putting on them. He let go of his strength as he took one more deep breath and decided to think about another thing, anything.
He found that he started thinking about Terumi herself. The moment she had looked up towards them and the team had been exposed to her milky blue eyes, Kagami had felt a great sense of dread. Then, when Kuroko had taken off her wig and her long hair tumbled down her back, Kagami wanted nothing more but to punch himself and go back in time. He had hit a girl in the cheek, full force, and she was blind. No wonder Midorima barged into their conversation and looked like he wanted to murder him. He would have the done the same had he seen a man hit a woman.
Kagami tilted his head for a second. Midorima had barged in because he had hit Kuroko. Did that mean Midorima knew about Kuroko's secret? It then hit Kagami like a bullet to the head. He understood what Midorima had said to him before their match had begun. He was referring to Kuroko's being blind and a woman. Then the thought crossed his mind: would it possible that the whole Generation of Miracles knew of her secret? It would make sense, considering how Kise had acted when he had accidentally made her hurt her head, and even Aomine's subtle but noticeable acting towards Terumi. He pondered how the other two would react if they were with her.
Kagami groaned and hit his head as hard as he could. There was no way he was going to start thinking about Terumi and her now very prominent feminine features when everyone was in such a rut. There was no way he was going to think about how cute Kuroko's actions had been the past matches with her grabbing a small part of his shirt and titling her head, asking questions on what was happening. No way he was going to start thinking about how beautiful she actually looked with her milky eyes and petite form, her snow white skin and fragile yet robust stance. Kagami widened his eyes and banged his head on the wall.
He was overthinking this. He needed to cool down from this whole incident and start focusing on his limitations of his own strength. He had no chance against Aomine, no matter how much he replayed the scene in his mind. He was weak, and he had to accept that. He couldn't be the cocky bastard he was before, where he would only play by his own rules. If it hadn't been for Kuroko, he was pretty sure Aomine would've tripled the score. His eyebrows scrunched as his knuckles whitened slightly. What could he do to make himself stronger?
Back in the gym, things were still pretty down and moody, especially since Riko was merciless and gave the team its training regimen even after losing Inter High.
"She's a demon." Koganei commented sadly as they started to get ready in the locker room. "Giving her training even after losing our match."
"She wants us to get back on our feet as fast as we can. Honestly, I can't blame her for wanting to do so. I'd do the same." Hyuuga replied back.
"Yeah, I can understand that, but triple the training? Really?" Koganei sighed and looked at the ceiling. "Hey, guys?" He started to say and the others looked at the basketball player curiously.
"What's up?" Izuki asked him and Koganei scratched the back of his neck.
"I saw Kuroko today." He reluctantly said and everyone's eyes widened. After the hospital incident, no one had the time to talk about Kuroko, much less find her during her sudden disappearance, about her secret and her true identity. Actually, they were all just putting it off as much as possible because they didn't really want to accept the fact. They didn't know why they didn't want to do so, but many believed it was because of the shock and impact of it all, especially with the fact that one of their most essential players lost the only relative she had.
"How is she?" Hyuuga finally asked and Koganei shook his head.
"I'm not sure. Her eyes were covered, but she looked really tired. Like she hadn't slept for days. I'm worried."
"Did you try to talk to her?" Tsuchida asked but Koga shook his head.
"I couldn't. I tried but she stiffened and left before I could go near her. I think she felt my walking towards her."
"She didn't want to talk to you?" Hyuuga asked, surprised. Koga nodded his head.
"Apparently. Do you think she doesn't want to see us because we know her secret now? Do you think she doesn't trust us anymore?"
"Why would she think that?" A new voice said and everyone jumped as they turned around quickly. Riko stood in the doorway with her arms crossed and her face gloomy.
"She would never do that. We're like family!" Riko retorted.
"Then why would she avoid me?" Koga asked back. "Why wouldn't she tell us sooner that she disappeared because she was organizing the funeral? We could have helped her!" The others nodded fiercely.
Riko sighed. "Look, you don't know a girl's heart. And it's not even that. Think about it: if you were forced to tell someone a secret, wouldn't you want to avoid them, too? Kuroko-kun obviously didn't want to say something like this, especially since she's been doing for so long, but she had no choice because she was fulfilling her mother's final wish."
"Still, we could've helped her cope through it. She can't be going through this alone, not when she's just lost someone so close to her." Izuki said logically.
"She's not person to lean on someone else, you guys should know that by now. She's probably thinking that since it's her problem, she doesn't want us to get involved. She probably also thinks that it's her fault that we lost Inter High."
Seirin was stunned at Riko' words. Soon enough, they all exploded.
"But that's not true!"
"Why the hell would she think something like that?"
"It was no one's fault that we lost to Aomine and the other teams!"
"No one's at fault! We didn't even have Kagami to back us up!"
"Guys, shut up!" Riko yelled and everyone quieted down immediately. She took a deep breath. "Look, we obviously know that, but it's not the same for Kuroko-kun. She must have thought that we could at least not have had the other team double the score if it weren't for her. We all knew she wasn't in her game, for obvious reasons, and she must blame herself for not dealing with Aomine as she would have wanted to. She must also think that because she was forced to tell us about her mother and her surgery, we couldn't get our heads in the game either. We know that she's not the blame, but she doesn't know that yet."
"Then we should find her and tell her!" Koga pitched in and everyone agreed. Riko merely shook her head.
"At the moment, I think it's best if we just leave her alone."
"Why?" Everyone protested and Riko all glared at them to became quiet. When they did, she kept going.
"I didn't really want to say this because she kind of asked me not to, but it's obvious that you guys won't leave her alone until I tell you. i actually met up with her by accident a few days ago and we talked. She told me what had been going on the past week or so and kept apologizing to me that it was her fault that we had to deal with Aomine alone. I told her that it was fine and that it wasn't her fault but she wouldn't listen to me. When I brought up the funeral, she outright told me not to come."
"Really? That doesn't seem like Kuroko at all." Izuki said in surprise. Riko nodded.
"Imagine the look on my face when she told me that. She then realized what she said and explained that this was her problem, not ours."
"Didn't you tell her that we're pretty much like family, so we can call her problem ours?" Hyuuga asked and Riko nodded her head.
"I did say that, but she denied it. I can understand why, though, so I couldn't really say more. Anyways, she's going to organize and attend the funeral by herself and she doesn't want us to join. I think we should respect that and wait until she comes back, because I know for a fact that she will."
"Wait, coach, what do you mean you can understand?" Koganei cut in as Mitobe and Tsuchida nodded in the background.
"Riko scratched the back of her head. "Well, think about it. She had just told us one of the biggest secrets she ever kept. She literally hid the fact that she was not only blind, but also a girl playing for boys' basketball team. She's been fooling all of us from the moment we all met, so it's obvious that she's going to feel immense guilt about it."
"I still don't understand." The basketball players looked close to ripping their hairs apart. Riko sighed at the sight of it.
"In other words, she still doesn't trust us enough to call us her family. That's what I'm trying to say. We have been there for her when her mother passed away, but that doesn't necessarily mean that she's going to lean on our shoulders to cry on. She's been alone for so long, and now that the only meaningful person has left for good, she probably needs some more warming up to do. That's just who she is, and I for one am not going to change that. Understand?"
the guys slowly started to nod their heads in understanding. Hyuuga stepped up with a grim look on his face. "So, what do you we do, coach?"
"We'll have to wait. For the time being, all we have to do is to make her feel as if she has a family again. That's the best remedy we can give her."
Terumi, with the help of Ayaka, the school principal and her mother's old time friend, got ready and left her house to attend her mother's funeral. In her hand, she gripped a paper written in braille that contained her eulogy.
She remembered when her mother first got her her braille typewriter. She had been esthetic to know that she could finally learn how to read and write. She remembered when her mother spent hours trying to teach her how to use braille, even though Terumi knew so well that she was not only working herself to death as a nurse, but that she was also battling her own disease at the time. She remembered when she finally got to read her first paragraph and they celebrated with her mother's hard-earned money to get something fancy to eat even though Terumi had vehemently protested. She remembered when she could finally write her first poem to her mother, present it to class and to have the teacher burst into tears on how emotional and raw it was. And she remembered every caring touch her mother gave her every time she visited her at the hospital.
Before she knew it, she was already beginning to cry.
Ayaka noticed the invisible girl's dripping tears and stopped in her tracks to stand in front of her. She crouched down and put her arms around Terumi and hugged her tightly.
"I know it's hard, sweetie, but we'll get it through together, ok?" She comforted and Terumi, unable to speak, could only nod. They spent another moment in that stance and when Ayaka finally let go, she made sure to wipe Terumi's tears away.
"Do you think you can present your eulogy? I can do it for you if you want." Ayaka suggested but Terumi shook her head.
"I want to be the one to talk about my mother. I want people to understand that she was one of the best people to ever come into this world."
Ayaka smiled sadly. "Of course, Terumi, we'll make sure of that." She then took Terumi's hand and as they started walking, she squeezed it tightly, doing her best to convey that Terumi's grief and sorrow was not her burden to carry by herself.
There was a comfortable silence as the two walked to the funeral when suddenly, Terumi squeezed Ayaka's hand back. Said person looked down at the smaller girl.
"Terumi?" She asked.
There was no answer for a moment, but then, "Do you think my father will be there at the funeral as well?"
Ayaka's eyes widened significantly at the mention of Terumi's father. "What makes you say that, honey?" She almost stuttered but she was sure that Terumi had caught the subtle slip up.
"Wouldn't he want to at least attend the funeral of his wife?" Terumi said and unconsciously applied more pressure to Ayaka's hand.
Ayaka didn't know what to say. Terumi's memories hadn't returned, so she didn't know what happened to her father years back. She bit her lip and pondered and whether she should tell her or not, but in the end she had to nevertheless.
"Ayaka-san, you are restless. Is there something I should know?" Terumi commented and Ayaka decided that Terumi had to know sooner or later. She mentally apologized to Terumi's mother for not keeping their promise of not telling Terumi her past and stopped once more.
"Terumi, I'm going to tell you something about your father, ok? Just know that it's not your fault, and it will never be your fault."
Terumi began trembling slightly, an action that Ayaka didn't fail to notice. She put her hands on Terumi's shoulders and took a deep breath.
"I'm not going to tell you the reason because you're still really sensitive, and I won't say anything else until you gain your memories back yourself. But if you really want to know where your father is, I'll tell you."
"Is it something bad? Did something happen to him?" Terumi asked in a whisper and Ayaka couldn't help but divert her vision to something other than the small, fragile girl in front of her. She could see that Terumi was trying to hold in her emotions as much as possible but that it was slowly breaking as well.
"Terumi, your father's in jail."
"If you knew my mother, you would all agree in that she was one of the best people to have ever blessed this world. She was, in short, an angel to give us happiness, no matter how sad or depressed you were. It was her skill, her speciality, and I know this because I went through a terrible phase a few years back and it was because of her that I could get back up on my feet. She was the pillar and support to my whole life, and to not have her anymore feels as if I'm going to crumble into ruins.
But I won't get into details on that. I'm going to tell you and prove to you just how amazing of a person she was. I was told that I wasn't born blind; that there was an accident that made me lose my sight. She was, at the time, a single mother working two jobs to support her and her blind child. Even so, she never failed to teach an almost hopeless person the wonders of reading and writing. She showed me skills to develop and most importantly, hope, how losing one sense doesn't make the person any less of a person.
"She taught me that I wasn't inferior because I couldn't see, but that I was superior because I could still accomplish the same things normal people could even without my eyes. She pushed me, encouraged me, urged me to move forward with my life and try to find passions and hobbies. She told me that nothing was impossible for people, even those with disabilities, because if you just set your mind to it, anything could be achieved.
"I love basketball, love it with all my heart. I like to think that I loved it the moment I was exposed to such a concept. I don't remember when or how I started to play basketball but my mother once told me the story of how I ran home crying because no matter how much I tried, I just couldn't get the ball inside the net. She told me how she laid me on her arms and how she rocked me back and forth, singing me lullabies until I finally calmed down. She then told me that that wasn't something to cry about, that I still had all the time in the world to make that one basket. I had apparently told her that it was impossible for a blind person as I; that basketball was a sport for only the sighted people. She hushed me, saying that my ideals were completely wrong. She hugged me tightly and gave me probably the best advice anyone has ever told me. She said, 'who said that basketball was for only people who could see? You can still see, Teru-Teru, you just have a different method. Find it.' And here I am, still playing basketball with one of the best teams I have ever been in.
"To this day, I have no idea what my mother looked like. I even asked her on her death bed what she looked like, but I just felt her smile and she asked back how I thought she looked like. I told her she was beautiful and we left it at that. It's now that I realize why she didn't want to elaborate more. Appearance, in the end, is an infinitesimal factor considered to others around us. I still believe my mother was the most beautiful person on this planet, but now I add that she was not only beautiful on the outside, but also on the inside.
"There is nothing more I want to do than to rewind time to get to talk to my mother one more time, but I know that that is practically impossible. I know that no matter how much I will want it, I will never get it. I know that my mother is now gone from this world forever and never to be seen again, both by me and my peers. However, that does not mean that she is gone entirely. I, for one, am absolutely certain that she will always be with me inside and that the moment she leaves my heart is the day I leave this world and join her in hers. Thank you."
"Tetsu." She heard someone say from behind and she turned around to face Aomine, Kise, and Midorima, Momoi looking from afar.
"I did not know you would come. How did you find out?" She asked.
"Why the fuck didn't you tell us yourself? We had to ask your principal for it." Aomine replied angrily. "We're your friends. The least we can do is come and pay our respects. Why didn't you want to tell us?"
"I did not realize it would concern you." Terumi answered unintentionally coldly. Everyone caught and while Aomine was still angry, Kise and Midorima couldn't help but feel immense guilt. The two remembered middle school.
"Like hell it doesn't! Why didn't you tell me that your mother was getting worse? Why didn't you tell me that the day of the surgery would be the day of the match?" Aomine accused, which made Terumi angry for some reason.
"Why should I have told you? We lost contact after our third championship match. There was no reason for me to tell you. You have no business in this whatsoever. If you came here just to spite me and tell me I am the one in the wrong, I would rather you left." Terumi said with a fierce glare. Aomine hesitated on his next words and they soon died out. This was not the Kuroko he knew.
Kise, who had just been a spectator, finally decided to intervene. "Don't listen to Aominecchi, Kurokocchi. We just came here to tell you that we're here for you, just like in middle school. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, you know you can cry on us."
"I will not need that. I am perfectly fine on my own," Terumi said, making Kise feel even more dejected that normal. Terumi sighed when she felt that.
"I am sorry if I said something mean, Kise-kun, but I really do not need your help. I can be fine on my own. I always was and I always will be."
"No one should be so alone, Kurokocchi, especially someone like you."
"Someone like me? What did I do?"
"What Kise means to say is, you've had to go through so much alone. You can lean on others every now and then." Midorima concluded. Terumi took the words in and nodded.
"Thank you for worrying, but I will not need it. I am fine." She said before bowing and leaving the three Generation of Miracles to themselves. They all sighed as they saw the basketball player leave.
"Why doesn't she want to let us in?" Aomine said furiously. Kise and Midorima knew so well, but that was only because Terumi herself was the one to change their minds.
"That's for you to figure out, Aomine. I'm leaving." Midorima said vaguely before walking away. Kise nodded in agreement before following the green-head. Momoi walked up to him and patted him on the back.
"Dai-chan…" She started to say at the tanned man but he didn't listen.
"What the fuck is wrong with them? Why won't they tell me?" Aomine asked.
Momoi merely sighed. "It's because they know that even if they tried to explain, you still wouldn't get it. You won't be able to get it until you figure it for yourself."
"Exactly what do I have to figure out? What am I lacking?"
Momoi looked at him sadly before directing her attention to the small girl standing in front of the coffin and speaking to it softly, sadly.
"Yourself, Dai-chan. You're lacking yourself."
When Terumi got home, a ringtone she never thought she'd hear went off. She picked up her cellphone cautiously and waited a few seconds before picking up.
"Hello?" She asked.
"It took you some time to pick up. Did you do that on purpose?" The voice asked back and Terumi closed her eyes as she tried not to reminisce her middle school days.
"I did not. I had just come out of the shower when you called. I am sorry if I took so long to pick up." She replied.
"It's no matter. I'm sure you understand why I called today, right?" The voice began and Terumi dreaded this conversation to happen. It was still too early.
"Could we talk about it another time? I feel very tired and I can barely think straight."
"You cannot avoid this, Terumi." She shivered at the way he said her name. What ever happened to 'Kuroko'?
"Akashi-kun, I am sorry but I cannot talk about this now, not when the funeral was only today. I shall call tomorrow to tell you, but for today, please let me sleep."
"You told no one, not even me, about what happened. According to my sources, her death happened merely two weeks ago. Why didn't you contact me?"
"I did not think it would be worth your time, Akashi-kun. After all, you must be very busy with your being captain and student council president. My worries should be of no concern to you." Terumi tried to say as confidently as possible but she was so tired and she just wanted to rest and forget this day.
Akashi, on the other hand, did not want the same thing she did. "Terumi, just be lucky I didn't go all the way to Tokyo."
"Were you going to come here? "Terumi asked in surprise.
"Of course I was. But I figured you wouldn't want me there, so I didn't go. Instead, I'm giving you this phone call, so I expect you to answer me."
"I already answered your question, Akashi-kun."
"And I had another one to ask you. What are you going to do now?"
The question caught Terumi off guard. "Excuse me?"
"What are you going to do now?" Akashi repeated. "You're out of it and I can deduce that by just hearing your voice, but if you're still like this, what's going to happen? What are you going to do?"
"If you think I'm going to quit playing basketball, then this will be first time you will be wrong, Akashi-kun. I never plan to do that."
She could practically see him nodding. "I never expected anything less, Terumi. Remember, I am absolute; I know everything." Terumi cringed slightly at that. "You just cringed, didn't you?" He suddenly said and Terumi jumped.
"I did not such thing."
"You're a terrible liar. In either case, I'll let you off once for not telling me such an important news. You're tired and you want this to be over, I can understand that. Let something like this happen again, however, and I will not be as tolerant, understand?"
"Loud and clear." Terumi said.
"Good, I'll let you go to sleep now."
"Thank you, Akashi-kun. Good night."
"Oh, and before I forget, I sent you a gift. It should be arriving to your house by now. I hope you find it satisfactory. Good night."
"Wait, Akashi-kun, I -" Before Terumi could say more, Akashi hung up. She sighed as she put her cellphone back in place. He was still as dominant as always, just like at the end of middle school. Akashi Seijuuro, the absolute King.
Terumi was just about to go to her room to sleep when the doorbell suddenly rang. She jumped slightly and tilted her head in confusion. It was almost midnight; no one should be visiting her at such a late time. Not even Ayaka would do something like that.
"Who is it?" She called out carefully.
"Delivery man. I have a package for one Kuroko Terumi by one Akashi Seijuuro." The person outside said and Terumi's eyes widened slightly. Akashi wasn't joking?
She walked to the door and opened it just enough to let the package slip in. The delivery man then bid her a good night sleep and left without another word. Terumi closed the door and hesitantly sat down on the floor to touch the package. It was bigger than she expected and as she touched around, she felt various holes on them.
Confused, she opened the box and before she knew it, a very fluffy thing came out and jumped right into her lap.
Terumi yelped as she felt the mysterious thing on her and warily touched it once more. A barking noise came from the thing and she couldn't help but start crying with a small smile on her face as the thing started licking her face.
"Hey, there, little guy. Are you here to cheer me up?" She whispered as he held the small puppy with her hands. The puppy barked happily once more and kept licking her cheeks, simultaneously licking away her prominent tears. She snuggled the puppy to her face and loved the fluff radiating from it.
"Guess you'll be staying with me from now on, right, puppy?" She asked and the puppy licked her nose lightly. For the first time in a long while, she laughed.
"I really don't know what you look like, so maybe I'll take you with me to school so that my team can name you. In the mean time, I'll call you puppy." The dog barked once more, which somehow felt like it agreed to her words, and she smiled once more.
"Let's go to sleep, shall we?" And she led the puppy to her room. Before closing her eyes, however, she remembered she had to do something and quickly did so. In mere seconds, a reply came back.
'You're welcome. Good night.' It said and Terumi soon slept peacefully with her new companion in life.
It was well into basketball practice that Terumi finally decided to have the courage and go inside. By now, Kagami probably was playing as well, seeing as though two weeks had already passed. His legs must be fully recovered by now.
She could hear clearly the squeaking footwork of the players' sneakers, the swishing noises made from the basketball falling straight into the hoop, and Riko's whole-hearted whistle. She took a big breath, held her sports bag tightly, and walked forward. Inside her sports bag, a small dog lied down comfortably and barked slightly as if to let Terumi know that everything was going to be ok.
She opened the door to the gym and felt everyone's presence at the far corner of the court. She heard Riko starting to explain. Judging by her tone, it was something serious. Terumi jogged up to them to listen as well.
"I'm sure you all know what I'm going to talk about. It's going to be a cold winter." RIko said and Terumi felt everyone around her become restless.
"The Winter Cup! Everything will be decided there!" Riko declared.
"I see. This'll be our last chance to win, isn't it? If not," Hyuuga started to tremble, "coach is really going to make up walk up to our crushes naked." At that, everyone began trembling as well. Riko merely smiled like an angel.
"So, it's not over yet. It's just started!" Kagami roared, making the others cheer.
Furihata dampened the mood. "But it's going to be harder than the Inter High, isn't it? I mean, it's only the top schools who'll be participating, right?"
"For that," Riko interrupted, "Hyuuga-kun, he's coming back. Teppei." Hyuuga stopped in his steps at Riko's words. He turned around in surprise.
His face immediately changed into annoyance. "Really?"
"Well, that's reassuring for sure. But you know, there might be problems." Izuki said with an easy smile on his face.
"Izuki-senpai, who's this Teppei person?" Furihata asked.
"Ah, right. You're a freshman so you haven't met him yet. You've noticed that we don't have a number 7, right? That's his number. He was our ace." Izuki explained, making everyone, especially Kagami, surprised.
"I had no idea we had ace until I came in." Kagami commented and Hyuuga hit him on the head.
"Don't get so cocky, bastard! Of course we had an ace!" Hyuuga loomed, making Kagami swallow his spit in fear.
"Kiyoshi Teppei?" Terumi accidentally said and everyone froze as they turned around and saw the small girl. In mere seconds, the whole gym was in absolute chaos.
"Kuroko, where did you come from?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"
"Kuroko, you bastard, where were you this entire time? Why didn't you tell us anything?"
"Everyone, shut up!" RIko yelled and the team stopped their rambling. Riko walked up to the frozen girl and patted her on the shoulder.
"It's good to see you again, Kuroko-kun." Riko said with a smile and Terumi nodded.
"It is good to be back, coach." She said.
"Did you hear the whole speech of the Winter Cup?" Riko asked and Terumi nodded again. "Do you think you can start training with us again?"
"I believe I would not have come if I were not ready at all." Terumi replied, making Riko and everyone else who could hear her smile widely. Riko then, out of habit, grabbed Terumi's head and started squeezing it.
"Who said you could skip practice without telling us, huh?" Riko gritted her teeth with a very terrifying smile on her face. Everyone paled as Terumi started to yell out in pain.
"Coach, I'm - ow- sorry for not - ow, ow, ow - telling you sooner. But - ow - I had to deal with something that - ow - concerned only myself. Ow." Terumi could barely say and Riko finally came to her senses as she let go of Terumi's head.
She scratched the back of her head in guilt. "Ah, right. Sorry, Kuroko-kun. I kind of forgot. Well, it's good to have you back."
"Yeah, well, I'm not satisfied." Someone suddenly said and everyone jumped to see Kagami looming over the girls darkly. Riko put her hands on his hips to call him off but Terumi cut Riko off before she could do anything. She walked up to Kagami and before the red-head could say anything, she bowed formally.
"I am very sorry for tricking you, Kagami-kun. Please accept my apologies." Terumi said, making the red-head extremely uncomfortable.
"Mah, Kagami, you're really bad at dealing with girls, aren't you? You don't just let them bow to you like that. It's unmanly." Hyuuga commented as he patted Kagami on the shoulder. Others did the same while walking away.
"Wait, I didn't want her to - Oi, Kuroko, get up!" Kagami hastily said as he grabbed Terumi by the shoulders. She eventually did and Kagami rubbed the back of his neck.
"I didn't mean it like that, jeez, Kuroko."
Terumi tilted her head in confusion. "I don't understand. I thought you wanted me to apologize."
"Why, when you already did? Look, I just wanted to talk to you. I'll walk you home." Kagami said and Terumi nodded. Then, when the tension couldn't any more awkward, there was a barking noise coming from Terumi's bag. She suddenly remembered the other reason why she came here and ran to her bag, just to have Riko already open it.
Riko and everyone else in the gym saw with surprise a small black husky popping out of the bag and barking very cutely. Immediately, Riko picked the dog and started spinning it out of utter cuteness, and the others tried very hard to calm her down.
When she finally dropped the puppy to the ground, she couldn't help but coo over it. "It's absolutely adorable." She said dreamily but shook herself out of it when the dog ran over to Terumi. She picked it up and the dog licked her cheek.
"Kuroko, that dog came out of your bag. It's yours, isn't it?" Hyuuga asked and Terumi nodded.
"I had another reason as to why I came today. You see, I got this dog as a present from a friend but since I have no idea what it looks like, I cannot name it properly. Would you mind naming it for me?" Terumi asked formally as she bowed, making everyone uncomfortable and awkward.
"Sure, Kuroko-kun." Riko answered and inspected the puppy, alongside everyone else in the room. They especially looked at its unique eyes, which were a radiating sky blue. Those eyes could've been like Kuroko's had she not been blinded.
"How about Tetsuya Nigou?" Koganei finally said and Terumi looked at Koganei in confusion.
"Tetsuya Nigou? Why?"
"Ah, well, it's because the puppy kind of has the same eyes as you do, Kuroko." Izuki complied and Terumi suddenly hesitated.
"Please do not tell me it is also blind." She whispered in fear and Riko's eyes widened.
"No, it's not that, Kuroko-kun! The puppy isn't blind, it just has a similar eye structure as you do. It resembles you a lot, Kuroko-kun, so that's why Koganei-kun proposed that name. It's pretty fitting, if you ask me."
Terumi visibly relaxed. "Is that so? Thank goodness."
"Kuroko, you wouldn't like it if the dog was also blind?" Izuki furrowed his eyebrows. Terumi shook her head as she hugged the puppy harder.
"I would not be able to train it properly if it were blind as well. We would end up becoming useless to each other. Thank goodness it is normal."
Riko's face saddened immensely at the implied meaning. Her mother's death really must have taken a toll on her if she were infer that Terumi herself were useless.
"So, Tetsuya Nigou it is!" Koganei changed the topic skillfully and the dog barked. "We can call you Nigou for short!" It barked once more.
"Hey, maybe Nigou can be our pet mascot or something." Izuki joked but everyone wholeheartedly agreed to that while Terumi let go of Nigou and it started running around happily.
Riko then tilted her head as she tapped Hyuuga on the shoulder. "Ne, Hyuuga-kun, what's Kagami-kun doing there?" She asked and Hyuuga turned around to see Kagami shaking violently at the end of the court.
"Kagami, what the fuck are you doing there?" Hyuuga said in disbelief and Kagami turned around slowly, hands on his head and still trembling.
"Ah, I'm sorry, I just can't really handle dogs." He managed to say and the court was silent for a few seconds before Nigou barked and Kagami jumped in fear.
"You've got to be kidding me." Hyuuga slapped his forehead, asking himself why he had such weird, quirky teammates. "First Kiyoshi, now Kagami. What else?"
"Hey, now that I think about it, Kuroko, how did you know Teppei's name?" Riko suddenly turned to Terumi.
Terumi in turn just stood there. "We met several times at the hospital. I believe he was getting treatment for his knee. He would sometimes visit my mother with me." Terumi answered.
"How is he? This Teppei person?" Kawahara asked and Terumi couldn't help but smile while Hyuuga just got angry tick marks at the side of his head.
"He is - " She started to say when Hyuuga unintentionally cut her off.
"A weirdo." He said with a straight face, making everyone blanch. Terumi, on the other hand, covered her mouth and laughed slightly, a noise that everyone heard.
"It is true. He is a very weird person." She said with that minuscule smile still on her face. Everyone looked at her in awe. It was truly a one in a lifetime sight.
"But," Terumi continued, "he is one of the best people I have ever met."
"Now that I think about it, you never really did take a shower here, did you?" Kagami asked as they were walking towards Terumi's house.
"I learned my lesson the last time to not take showers at school." Terumi said, making Kagami raise his eyebrow.
"Did something happen? You must've been in middle school, right? With the Generation of Miracles? Now that I think about it, Kise and Midorima both knew. Do all of them know?"
Terumi nodded. "Yes, they all knew. It was unintentional, however. We were all at the wrong place at the wrong time. That is all."
"Does it have to do with your not taking a shower in the locker room?"
Terumi shrugged. "It was nothing important."
Kagami got the meaning. He decided to change the topic. "So, how are you coping? With you mother, I mean." He said, scratching his head awkwardly. Terumi stayed silent for a bit, only looking forward. Did Kagami say the wrong thing?
"I am doing my best. She had been with me my whole life that I still cannot believe she is no longer with me. It's… Difficult." Terumi finally admitted.
Kagami gave her small smile before realizing that she couldn't see it. "At least you can admit it. When my mom left, I couldn't even do that. I kept telling myself that she would come back to us, so it took me pretty much the whole middle school to finally admit to myself that she would never come back." Kagami said without thought.
"Did something happen with you mother, Kagami-kun?" She asked, making Kagami realize what he just said to her. He rubbed the back of his neck. If they were going to talk about secrets, then this would be the time to do so.
"Well, yeah. She kind of left the family when I was young and no matter how many times I tried to ask dad why she left, he would never tell me. I don't know even to this day. It was frustrating when he wouldn't tell me and I realize now that I was just hurting dad a lot by asking. I was really selfish back then."
"Maybe she had to go away to protect you from something. I was barely with my mother because she had to support both of us. Father was not around at the time."
"Where is he now?" Kagami asked and Terumi hesitated slightly. Kagami stopped as well and looked at the girl curiously.
"Apparently," Terumi began, "he is in jail."
The air got darker as Kagami processed the words Terumi had just said. He couldn't say anything in fear of offending her and both just stood there uncomfortably.
Then, "I do not know why and how he got there but it gives me hope that I may still have a family with me. My mother was a single child so I do not have any aunts or uncles from her side and I've never met my father's side of the family. I may have been surprised that my father is in jail, but it still makes me happy to know that there is another person that bears the Kuroko name."
"Thats's great, then. But hey, remember that we're your family too, ok?" Kagami said with a smile and Terumi nodded.
"Of course."
"If you have any troubles or problems, you know you can come to any of us, right?"
"I will. I am glad that I was able to reveal who I truly was. I believe I understand why my mother had begged me to do so since the beginning. It was truly burdensome to hide such big secrets from people I call friends and family. I feel a lot lighter now."
"That's great to hear. It really is. It means you can trust us more now, right?"
Terumi nodded. "Yes."
Kagami smiled big. "Good because a good team is based on good trust. Even more so for me since I'm your partner. We'll beat Aomine and the rest of the Generation of Miracles." He declared and Terumi nodded in complete agreement.
"We must. And we will."
The air between them got more comfortable as Kagami started to tell her stories of what happened while she was away from school. Then,
"i was in complete turmoil, to be honest, when we found out you were a blind girl playing for a boys' basketball team."
"I can understand that. May I ask what you were thinking at the time?"
Kagami shrugged. "Honestly, I can't even answer that properly enough. It was complete mess. My mind was jumbled and thoughts were just flying across the room. I guess I was just in shock. You're truly an amazing person though, Kuroko. That's what I can say for sure. It doesn't really matter that you're blind or that you're a girl, it's just how well you play. I respect you so much more for that, especially with the skills you have. You've saved our asses so many times I can't even count."
Terumi couldn't help but smile. "Thank you for thinking of me so highly, Kagami-kun, but I still have a lot to improve. I still cannot even shoot."
"Then, we'll just have to teach you that." Kagami declared, surprising Terumi.
"I thought you would say that would be ludicrous."
Kagami looked at Terumi confused. "Why would I say that?"
"Because I am blind and cannot even see the hoop."
"So?" Kagami asked bluntly. "You can already pass and keep up with the whole team even with your gender and disability. I don't doubt for a second that you'll be able to shoot if you're given the training regimen that's fit for you. You'll be able to do it."
Terumi was silent for a second and soon enough, they were in front of Terumi's door to her house. Kagami saw that it was very small, fit for just two people. "Thank you for believing in me, Kagami-kun. I will do my best. We shall win against the Generation of Miracles." She finally said.
"Good night, Kagami-kun. I will see you tomorrow at school." She bowed before opening the door and going inside. Kagami waited until he could hear the lock turning and started walking back to the other direction, where his house was. He relayed the conversation they just had in his mind and couldn't help but smile widely. Kuroko Terumi was truly an amazing person.
The people in Seirin couldn't help but look at their only girl player as she walked into the gym with clothes they had never seen her wear before. It consisted of mostly a white tank top with a sports bra tightly clenching her chest into a somewhat flat state. It emphasized her curves even more so. Instead of the normal team shorts, she was now wearing typical girl gym shorts, which were both tight and shorter than the average man's wear. Her legs were, therefore, exposed more, revealing very slim, almost porcelain-like legs. Her long hair, which at first was concealed by her wig, was now put into a high ponytail, which she would later change into a bun as it would keep whipping her back every chance it would get.
She, unbeknownst to the stares, started her normal stretching and surprisingly, everyone saw how flexible she was, seeing as though she could easily touch her toes without bending her knees.
"Shit, sorry I'm late!" Kagami yelled as he bursted through the gym doors. Hyuuga took his eyes off Kuroko to berate him and hit Kagami on the head.
"You idiot, what happened this time?"
"Ah, the teacher called for me to talk about something. I'll change immediately." Kagami said and started running to the lockers. However, he bumped into none other than Kuroko Terumi and both fell to the ground.
"Shit, Kuroko, sorry. I didn't see you - " His words were cut off as he saw Kuroko stand up. His eyes widened at the different set of clothing she was wearing.
"It is alright, Kagami-kun. I should have moved out of the way." Terumi said.
"Ah, Kuroko, what's with the different clothes?" Kagami asked awkwardly, though this kind of clothing shouldn't have really fazed him. He lived in Los Angeles, for crying out loud. He was constantly exposed to people who were half naked most of the time. Why was he getting hot now?
Terumi tilted her head. "These are my normal working out clothes. I could not have worn them before but now that everyone knows, I decided to work out more comfortably. Is there a problem?" She asked and Kagami shook his head vigorously. Then, when he realized that she couldn't see, he slapped himself on the head.
"No, it's perfectly fine. Just shocking since we only saw you in guy clothes the entire time. It does look more comfortable for you, I guess. I'll be right back." Kagami replied and quickly changed into his own gym clothes.
Riko came inside the gym with her clipboard and whistle once Kagami came out of the locker room. She scanned the gym to see who was missing and when she couldn't find Terumi, she called out for her.
"I am here, coach." Terumi said right next to Riko and she shrieked at the sudden appearance of the phantom girl.
"Kuroko-kun, don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Riko said and Terumi bowed.
"I apologize." She said, though Terumi didn't look like it at all. Riko was a bit surprised at Terumi's attire but shrugged it off since it was the normal work out clothes for women. Then, before she could say anything else, a pair of footsteps entered.
"Wow, this place hasn't change at all, has it?" The voice said and both Riko and Terumi's face brightened.
"Teppei!" Riko exclaimed as she turned around to face Seirin's former ace, Kiyoshi Teppei. Her face soon changed as she saw that Kiyoshi was wearing his uniform. Hyuuga, like the others, picked that aspect as well.
"Why are you in your uniform?" Hyuuga screamed and Kiyoshi, with a serious face answered, "I just wanted to raise the tension since it's been so long."
"Are you fucking serious here? Please tell me you're not!" Was Hyuuga's reply back.
Kiyoshi looked around the court and saw new faces. His smile turned mature. "Due to an accident, I've been getting treatment in the hospital since last summer and was in rehab after an operation. Now I'm back and am ready to get my body back into shape. I'm Kiyoshi Teppei, 193cm and a center. Nice to meet you all."
The freshmen couldn't help but be immensely awed at the introduction. It soon died down, however, when Hyuuga hit Kiyoshi on the back of is head.
"Idiot, go change!" Hyuuga berated and Kiyoshi, even after an attempt of giving Hyuuga his puppy eyes, eventually had to. When he came back, Riko approached him.
"Teppei, are you doing ok?" She asked.
Kiyoshi smiled. "Yup, fully recovered, but I'm a bit behind in skills. I'm sure you've already noticed, Riko." He said and she nodded.
"Did you learn anything while you in the hospital, though?" Izuki asked and Kiyoshi, with a haughty smile on his face, nodded solemnly.
"I did. Hanafuda from this old man that was in the same room as I was." Kiyoshi answered and the court was quiet for a second before Hyuuga exploded.
"So what? It's got nothing to do with basketball!"
"It was interesting to learn." Kiyoshi answered and Hyuuga was just about to rip his head apart when everyone heard small laughter emanating from the back of the crowd. Kiyoshi's smile immediately softened and he walked over to where the laughter was coming from.
"Hey, princess. Finally get to see you on the same court, huh?" Kiyoshi commented and Terumi nodded.
"I never thought the day would come, Kiyoshi-san. I mean, senpai." She said and Kiyoshi ruffled her hair. He then gave her a heartfelt hug.
"I'm sorry about your mother, Kuroko. I wish I were there for the funeral."
"It is ok, senpai. You needed to go through rehab. I understand completely. My mother would have as well. In any case, I am happy to see you here. You can finally play basketball again." Terumi said and Kiyoshi nodded.
"Yeah, it's really good to be back." Kiyoshi replied before letting go of the girl. He then turned back to the rest. "I just want to say that while I was in the hospital, I realized how quickly three years can go by, which is why we have to do what we do seriously. If you want to climb a mountain, you obviously have to aim for the top, right? Let's set our goal and reach it."
Everyone smiled, though Hyuuga rambled off on how he disliked Kiyoshi to this day. Soon enough, practice started, Kiyoshi gave up his position of ace to Kagami after a 1-on-1 match, and Terumi couldn't help but feel immensely happy that everything was going right back on track. Things were just getting started.
So, what did you guys think? Good, bad, meh? Tell me in the reviews!
God, I really don't know how you guys are going to react this chapter. I really tried my best to get into everyone's personal perspectives without diverging so much from the plot but it was really effing hard. Hope you guys liked it enough :)
I originally wanted to say a lot here about the chapter (you know, Aomine, Kuroko's dad, Kiyoshi and Terumi's relationship) and whatnot, but I decided you can ask/react to them in the reviews and I'll mention them in the next chapter.
Anyways, regarding the help I need from you guys: I'm thinking of starting another long story. What do you guys think?
The plot is this: Kise doesn't know what to expect when he meets a man who can't talk. It gets even messier when he ends up falling in love with him when he's supposed to be marrying the man's twin sister. Not only is Kise going to be trapped in spiraling twists and horrors, he'll be breaking his bones trying to figure out just why the blue-haired man can't talk. He doesn't know what to expect. (KiKuro)
What do you guys think? Will it be a success or just another Let's Get Lost story? I personally would love to write this one because it's derived from this webtoon I love (it's called HOOD) and the plot is really amazing, something you'd never expect. However, I still have about 4 unfinished stories and I kind of have a trauma with unfinished stories. Tell me if I should write it or not :)
Also, regarding my A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words story, I cannot, for the sake of my life, write another chapter. I have nothing. Absolutely nothing. I have what I need for both Seirin and GoM but the thing is, I wanted to write a few more side chapters before finally getting to the good part. It literally took me ages to write Takao's chapter and in the poll, Himuro has won. I, however, don't know what to do with him. I've been thinking of having someone adopt this story and finish it for me, but I already the plot for the most important two chapters and I really don't want to give that away. I want to write that part for myself. What do you guys think I should do? Please tell me in the reviews!
That was more than a mouthful. I'm really tired now.
Anyways, I really hope you liked it and please await the next update!
Peace,
FlyAndDontLooKBack