So, I just wrote this right now, today only, because while I was focusing on another story (which I will talk about in the end), I really wanted to update this one because it's been forever since I did. I think four months. Damn. I apologize greatly.
I hope you really like this (Note, this may be a filler with a few new things added), but I highly recommend you read the ending. I don't know what happened and suddenly, I've written something massive.
Back to what's been going on, there are two things to talk about.
1. This story I'm writing that I mentioned in the beginning. That will be told at the end, so please read the author's note!
2. I have made an AO3 account. Apparently, there have been several sites that was stealing of Fanfiction's works, and i was one of them. I talk about this on my profile, but basically, my friend and I decided to move my stories to AO3 for safe keeping. I'm still writing here (because I love this site) but just know that I'm also going to post on AO3, too. I have the same account name, so if you want to check it out, be my guest. Who knows, maybe I'll post something there that I won't post here (*cough* A Phan story that's been on my mind lately)
Enough with this blabbering.
So, without further ado, here's the next chapter!
(Note: This chapter has been edited)
A few answers for my lovely reviewers:
SimplyRandomStuffz: Is this going to be Akakuro as the final ship or nah?
A: I thought it was going to be just an implied harem, but looks like it won't be like that anymore, since I wrote something in the last part of this chapter that prevents me from doing so. The thing is, I'm more of of a KagaKuro person but I don't think I'm going to have any relationships in this story. Sorry!
~.~
lovelydragonfly: I guess kurokos dad caused her blindness?
A: Eh, I ain't telling :)
~.~
awefanfic: will seirin be beaten or will they come out as champions in the winter cup?so far so good?will kuroko remember what happened in the incident?will everyone and i mean every single team find out about kuroko's disability and that she is female?
A: First question answer is that I will follow the manga (mostly). Second question answer is yes, so far so good. We're doing completely fine. Third question answer is that yes, eventually, Kuroko will remember. How, though, will remain a mystery. Fourth question answer is to read chapter 8 :)
~.~
slayer of the wind: Are you planing to ever write a chapter (or two) on the Teiko days and how the GoM found out about Terumi?
A: Definitely
"I want to get stronger." Kuroko Terumi's words rang in Kagami's head after they bid each other farewell. It was becoming a habit for Kagami to walk her home now, more for his peace of mind than hers, and none had minded. There was a lot to talk about.
This time, it was about her past with the Generation of Miracles. Her voice was still monotone, but she sounded bitter and slightly guilty, which Kagami had no clue as to why. She told him why she chose him as her partner, how she was sorry for lying to him, and how she wanted them to acknowledge her style of play.
Kagami, like the idiot he was, smacked her on the head when she said that and immediately realized his mistake when Kuroko fell to the ground from the impact.
"Fuck, sorry Kuroko." Kagami said in panic but Kuroko was already up as if nothing was wrong.
"That is ok, Kagami-kun." She deadpanned, but Kagami could hear the slight rage. He gulped and his hand hovered over her head, wondering if he should just leave it or pat it.
"Well, we're going to show them." Kagami then said after a period of silence. Kuroko tilted her head for more elaboration. "We'll win."
Kuroko was silent for a second. They were almost at her house. When they got the front porch, she grabbed the sleeve of Kagami's shirt and he stopped instantly, looking at the smaller girl curiously.
"I want to get stronger." She said before bowing and entering her home. he could vaguely hear the sound of Nigou barking in utter delight.
Kagami smiled as he knocked on the door. It didn't open, as he expected, but put his hands on his head casually and leaned against the door. "Hey, I don't know if you're listening, but I'll get stronger, too. Don't waste time, though, or I'm leaving you behind." Kagami called out against the door. And as he started walking back, the door opened quietly and Kagami felt something hug him from behind.
Kuroko buried her head onto Kagami's back, which made him stiffen for a second, and with both barely moving, Kuroko whispered, "We'll both get stronger quickly."
Kagami smiled victoriously, as if Seirin had already won the Winter Cup. "We'll show them in the winter." He said. "The reborn Kuroko's basketball."
Now, as he was walking back to his own home, he couldn't help but think how she would be able to manage such a thing. She probably must've had her own style of play since middle school and she was disabled as well. Old habits died hard, which Kagami knew so well, so he wondered how she would be able to develop a new style of play with various factors going against her.
Then, a smile emanated from his lips as he hit himself mentally. This was Kuroko he was talking about; she had already accomplished the impossible by playing (marvelously, he should add) basketball even with her blindness. If there was anything she set her mind to, she could definitely do it.
As Kagami entered his home and launched his basketball sports bag onto the couch, his face suddenly burned up. Kuroko had hugged him, and while he hadn't seen her face while she did so, he could definitely imagine it, a beautiful girl, barely half the size of him, struggling to wrap her arms around his stomach. He imagined her face buried against his back, slightly trembling but also blushing from the bold act, and Kagami had to smack himself very hard to snap out of it.
There was no way he was getting feelings for her. No way at all. But then, the image of her arose once more, and Kagami groaned loudly, having a terrible feeling about this.
"It's summer vacation, people! Look alive, this time we're going to hold two training camps, one at the beach and the other at the mountain!" Riko shouted as everyone gathered around the Seirin gym. She looked extremely happy, but the others looked tortured, as if they had already died from the nonexistent training.
"We're lacking members compared to other schools, especially the powerhouses, so not only are we going to be focusing on each and individual skill, but also your stamina, which we'll increase through a lot of jogging around the camp."
"We have to make full use of our vacation time!" Hyuuga jumped in afterwards. His voice was powerful, full of energy, and just the type of sound you wanted to hear from a captain. "Dismissed!"
Everyone scattered, starting to put everything back into place. Kagami stood, picking up the basketballs that were thrown around previously, but felt something push his back and turned around to see Kuroko pushing the scoreboard.
"Oi, watch where you're going!" He unintentionally said and blanched as the others heard him clearly and gave him judging looks.
He panicked, looked back at Kuroko, who didn't show anything on her face from his comment, and he quickly took the scoreboard from her.
"I'll take that! You pick up the balls or something!" He yelled as he hastily took the scoreboard from her. Kuroko blinked behind her bangs, wondering where the scoreboard went from her hands, and was about to reach out to Kagami, telling him it was ok, but he was already gone.
Koganei and Izuki snickered. "Wow, Kagami's an idiot." Koga commented.
"A Bakagami, if you will." Izuki provided. Terumi did nothing for a moment, then sighed as she started to pick up the rest of the balls. Somewhere, Kagami was cursing himself for being a complete idiot.
The day ended like that, just like always with Seirin making as much mischief as they could, unintentionally of course. This time it was the team finding out two things: Riko's horrible cooking and Kagami's hidden cooking talent, and with that, their first training camp began.
"The beach!" Koganei shouted in glee as Seirin got out of the bus. The wind was blowing, the sun was shining, and there people everywhere, enjoying the vacation they planned. Most wanted to go swimming, though they were stopped by Riko and Hyuuga, and when they were reminded that this was a basketball training camp, they found two basketball hoop stand at the edge of the pool.
"Lay a hand on my daughter and I'll murder all of you." Riko's father, Aida Takeda, said as he glared at the men. Scared, they all shuddered and saluted him like military soldiers. With one more glare, Takeda rolled up his car and slowly left the scene.
"Jesus, he scares the crap out of me." Hyuuga commented and Izuki nudged him on the shoulder.
"Good luck!" Izuki winked and Hyuuga, who knew exactly what Izuki was hinting out, blushed slightly and proceeded to hit his friend.
"On what?" He asked in embarrassment and before Izuki could say more, Riko led them towards the hoops.
"What we need now is to work on everyone's individual strengths. But don't misunderstand, for the sake of winning, we need to united. We'll be focusing on your legs, mostly, which is why you'll be playing basketball in the sand."
Kagami looked very doubtful as his bare feet lifted from the sand. "Won't that take too much of our strength?"
Riko smirked as she took off her uniform blouse to show a lifeguard swimsuit underneath. A perfect attire for a day in the beach. "Let's start our training camp of hell!"
They all rushed to the middle of the hoops, and the first thing Kagami noticed was how hard it was to move from one place to another. It was as if the sand was sinking their feet in and preventing them from moving. They immediately started sweating in the blazing sun and some even started to take their shirts off from the heat.
The next thing Kagami noticed was how they could only pass. The sand was not a good plain for the ball to touch. It obviously wouldn't bounce back up like in a basketball court, so they had to rely on passing.
The last thing Kagami noticed was Kuroko herself. She was absolutely useless in the sand. She couldn't feel anything with the sand blurring her vision and couldn't move for the first half of their practice. Whenever she tried to move forward, she would trip, and Kagami or anyone near her who noticed her presence had to help her up before she did the same thing over again.
Riko was about to call her out and give her special training instead, but the girl looked determined, and after a while, Kuroko figured out a way to fight against the sand. She couldn't 'see' with her feet but she could definitely hear the whizzes of every pass in every direction. She used that to her advantage as she predicted where the next pass would be and ran towards that direction to catch the ball and throw it at the direction where one would predictably be. It wouldn't work sometimes as she would miscalculate where they were, but slowly, they were able to match her tempo and be there wherever she threw it at.
Kagami failed his dunks, Hyuuga insulted everyone around in annoyance, and they felt all their energy drown. And yet, they found themselves getting stronger and stronger, their movements more accurate and precise.
When they moved back into their resting area, they entered the gym, put on their basketball shoes and immediately began another practice match. Everyone who played in the sand noticed the subtle differences in their feet and hand movements. It was as if their path had been clear of fog and could see everything around them ten times clearer than before.
They could even see Kuroko's improvement. She could now 'see' where everyone was, yet she at the intended place even faster, and her predictions were more accurate by the second. her ears twitched, listening for the passing winds, and was already waiting by the time anyone wanted to pass to her.
And when Kagami went for a dunk, his eyes widened, as did Kuroko's, and changed into a lay up instead.
"What's the matter Kagami? You had the perfect timing for a dunk!" Koga shouted but Hyuuga had a different idea in mind.
'Didn't he jump a bit too high? Is that even possible?' He thought in awe. Terumi could only imagine what could happen in the near future.
The practice match was an eye-opener for everyone as they retired for the night and headed to the main lounge where they had to start stretching their muscles to prevent any harm or cramps from occurring.
Kuroko was immensely flexible, Kagami noted as he pushed her back easily and she went down to her legs like a gymnast. When it was Kagami's turn, however, he began complaining at how much it hurt.
"Jesus Christ Kuroko, that's too much!" Kagami yelled and Kuroko's hand left Kagami's back.
"Oh, I apologize." Kuroko said distantly and Kagami pouted.
"Something on your mind?" When Kuroko said nothing, Kagami had to guess. "Is it about your new basketball style?"
Kuroko jumped slightly. "Yes, it is. I seem to be in a stump. I have no idea what to do. I'm missing one more point."
Kagami sighed as he ruffled Kuroko's hair. She froze for a second, and her mind flickered to him. "You'll get there. You always do."
Kagami rubbed the back of his neck as he brushed his teeth. His body hurt all over the place, his back especially from sleeping on the floor with only a thin mattress to support him, and wondered whether he would die at a rusty place like this.
He gurgled and spit, and was immensely surprised to hear another spit coming from right next to him. He turned around slowly and found himself next to Kuroko Terumi, who had slept in the other room with Riko. Her hair was in a skillfully made bun and her bangs, which normally covered her milky blue eyes, was held in place with a bobby pin.
Kagami couldn't help but admire them. They were captivating, to say the least. He had never seen a blind person's eyes, he admitted, but that wasn't what drew Kagami to her eyes. It was blank, yet full of determination. It was lit with fire and they looked beautiful with her small, petite frame. He wondered what they would've looked like if she weren't blind but quickly discarded the notion. Even without working eyes, Kuroko Terumi was still beautiful.
Kuroko turned the sink open and water poured out, cool and refreshing. She began to cup her hands to gain the water and splashed her entire face while Kagami watched unconsciously. Every movement she made was graceful, even when she tried not to be, and Kagami couldn't help but imagine again if he liked her.
She then turned off the sink, and searched for the towel that she had laid at her side when she had come in. Kagami reached for her and for a moment, it looked like he was hugging her from behind. He immediately retaliated, not before getting her towel and throwing it over her head, and begged the gods that she didn't notice his suddenly racing heartbeat.
"God, this place is so old you'd think we'd see a ghost by now." A new voice suddenly rang out and Kagami turned around to see none other than Midorima Shintarou, the green haired Generation of Miracle. Midorima noticed Kagami was well, as did Takao, the one who mentioned the ghost, and for a split second, the tension rose to a significant level.
Then, "Midorima-kun? Takao-kun?" Kuroko's small voice asked and the guys all directed their attention towards the girl. Her bangs were back in place, the bobby pin gone anther eyes once again covered.
Midorima and Takao's faced reddened when they saw her attire. Since it was summer and excruciatingly hot, she had shorts that didn't even cover half of her white thighs, and she was wearing a big, almost half her size white t-shirt which tips barely grazed the shorts. It was as if she had slept in a guy's shirt, and it made it look like she had a nightgown.
"Kuroko, what are you wearing?" Midorima couldn't help but shout as his face reddened even more. Takao's eyes widened as his words but didn't even have his working braincells to call him out on it.
Kuroko merely tilted her head. "Clothes?" She said in confusion, obviously not detecting the embarrassment of the high schoolers.
"No, I mean - I meant to say -" Midorima stuttered, trying to find the right words, when suddenly, Takao pointed to her in surprise.
"Kuroko, you're not wearing your wig. And Kagami's here. With the rest of the team here, I'm pretty sure. Aren't you supposed to act like a guy?" Takao asked. Midorima and Kagami looked at each other simultaneously, and Midorima hastily turned back.
Kagami's eyes raised. "Hey, you knew she told us." He stated instead of asking. Kuroko turned her head towards Midorima.
"Midorima-kun? How did you know?"
Midorima became spluttering. "I didn't! I just -"
"Shin-chan, you knew she told her teammates?" Takao paused and looked at Kuroko. "Wait, when did you even tell them?"
Kuroko looked uncomfortable with the attention was getting. "When my mother passed away." She said awkwardly, holding her arm loosely.
Takao immediately smacked his lips with his hand. "Fuck, sorry. I didn't know."
Kuroko shook her head. "It is ok. You couldn't have known. I never told you."
Takao nodded but then turned to Midorima. "Wait, then how did you know, Shin-chan?
"Yeah, I'd like to know that, too." Kagami added and Midorima couldn't help but shift around a bit fro the unsettling eye contact from everyone, especially Kuroko's. Even though they were covered, he could still feel her intense stare.
He sighed. "Aomine, Kise, Momoi and I were there in the hospital. I'm sorry we didn't tell you before." He apologized and Kuroko's eyes widened slightly. Then, her face grew a small tint of red, which surprised the three students.
She immediately covered them with her hands. "I showed such an unsightly view of me. I apologize, Midorima-kun." She bowed formally.
Kagami raised his eyebrow while Midorima spluttered helplessly. "Why are you apologizing, Kuroko? I was the one who spied on something that was private!"
"Wait, so you're telling me that everyone in Seirin knows now? Wow, that must be big burden off your chest, right Kuroko?" Takao congratulated.
"Oi, you idiot, you've just made a girl bow to you!" Kagami immediately reprimanded, forgetting that he had once been in the same situation.
"What in the world are you guys screaming about? Everyone's already at their tables. We need to eat breakfast. Are you coming or not?" A girl's voice resonated from behind and everyone, minus Kuroko, turned around to see Aida Riko with a big butcher knife covered in blood. Her apron and face was also stained with the same substance.
There was a small silence before the Shuutoku duo and Kagami exploded.
"What kind of school do you go to, Kuroko?" Midorima shouted.
"Seirin High, Midorima-kun."
"That's not what I meant!"
"Fuck, did your manager just kill someone? I don't want to be next!"
"Oi, she's our coach! And I'd like to know as well! Coach, what the fuck, who did you kill? Izuki-senpai? He was a harmless person; he just had too many puns!"
"Huh, Shuutoku? What are you guys doing here?" Riko asked before turning to Takao and Kagami. "Hah? Are you asking for a death wish? Do you think I actually killed someone, you idiots?"
"Yes!" They both said at the same, which thus earned them a hit to the head.
"Well, isn't this just a magnificent opportunity to have?" Riko said while smiling like the devil itself. The members in Seirin all shuddered at the sight of it. "We're having combined training with Shuutoku from now on!"
Everyone was evidently surprised by the sudden meeting between the two schools and had to take some time before each and every one of them calmed down. Terumi, who had gotten her cross-dressing materials just in case, was now dressed as a man once more, with her wig and bind chest.
Kagami was just about to go into the game as well, but Riko stopped him at the last second. "Kagami-kun, come here for a second."
Kagami hesitated slightly, which Riko noticed and had flames behind her back while still smiling like a fallen angel. He gulped before running to her.
"What's up, coach?"
"I need you to go to the convenience store to get us some drinks. It's just 500 meters away." She said nonchalantly.
"What? Why?" Kagami shouted in confusion.
Riko provided no explanation. "You'd better hurry fast. It's a 1km run back and forth, and you're going to have go there a few times because the drinks are kind of heavy."
"Wait, but I still don't understand why I have to do such a thing!"
"You'd better go now before the matches end." And with that, Riko left to tend to the practice match and Kagami left the place grumbling about how insane his coach was.
The match was close, which surprised not only the players but the coach as well. One of the most surprising things that happened during the match was that halfway through it, when Kuroko was passed the ball, she, instead of tapping it to the next person, held it close to her. Midorima, who had been in front of her, looking befuddlement.
"Wait, is Kuroko going one-on-one with Shin-chan?" Takao commented loudly and the freshman next to him, Furihata, was surprised as well.
"Kuroko, what are you doing?" Midorima asked in confusion before pushing the ball out of her hands. He felt guilty for doing such a thing to a blind person, but he had to remind himself that Kuroko definitely hated being viewed down upon, especially if it was for her disability. She was already an accomplished basketball player as it was.
Midorima shot a three-pointed easily but instead of going back to defense, he went to Kuroko, who felt him coming and faced him head on.
"What's going on, Kuroko? You're not one to be so sloppy." He commented and Terumi's fists clenched slightly. Midorima noticed and looked at her curiously.
"It is not being sloppy. It is just that… I want to become stronger. That is all."
Midorima couldn't help it. He had to say it in the meanest way possible to keep his internal reputation. "Don't make me laugh."
Kuroko looked at him, her bangs parting slightly so that he could see her blind eyes. He cringed when he began talking so rudely. "I don't know what losing to Aomine felt like, but it clearly shows your limits in strength. You left halfway through the match but even with your help, Seirin couldn't catch up to them. You may have done your best, but you can't possibly think that there's all there is when it comes to winning."
Kuroko suddenly remembered a purple haired giant saying the same thing. Her eyebrows scrunched at her middle school memory and something stung her head. She ignored it because she knew Midorima would go into a frenzy had she held it. She tried to remember. It was still blurry. There was something missing in that piece of memory.
"A lone fighter can't get stronger. Especially for someone who needs to have support to be good at basketball. Don't get ahead of yourself." Midorima finished and walked away, leaving Kuroko to her thoughts.
Takao slapped him on the shoulder. He turned to him and glared. "What do you want, Takao?"
Takao merely put his hands on his shoulders. "You know, that is a horrible way to give someone advice, especially for a girl who has a disability."
"She can take it. Don't immediately assume that a girl has a weak heart, Takao. She may be stronger than all of us combined."
"I know that." Takao corrected himself. "But damn, it looked like you just wanted to break her spirit, not give her advice. You really should keep a notch down on your tsundereness, Shin-chan. You're never getting the girl if you keep that up."
Midorima's face reddened and he tried to cover it by pushing his glasses up. "What are you trying to say here, Takao?"
Takao rolled his eyes. "I'm saying you'll never be able to ask Kuroko out if you keep pushing her down like that."
Midorima spluttered terribly. "I am not doing that!"
"Not doing what? Stopping your tsundere tendencies or asking her out on a date?" Takao asked and with the look Midorima had, Takao started to laugh as he shrugged his shoulders up. "Good luck anyways!"
Later, when they were in the baths, Midorima and Takao began to talk about the mysterious, teal-haired girl.
"You know, if she wanted to be stronger, she could always take her invisibility to another level." Takao started after he arose from a dunk inside the sauna pool. "Like an invisible dribble! An invisible drive! How awesome would that be?"
Midorima shook his head. "That would be impossible for someone like Kuroko. She doesn't dribble."
"Doesn't?" Takao raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I thought it was because she couldn't."
"No, she has all the basic skills. Akashi made sure of that." Takao gave him a sideways glance at the mention of the previous Generation of Miracle captain. "She doesn't dribble because she can't have any attention to her."
"What?"
"In a game of basketball, that orange ball is like our life existence. If you lose sight of it, it's the same as losing sight of life. If Kuroko were to hold it, that would mean all eyes would go to her, and if that were to happen, she would immediately lose her misdirection, the sole purpose she has in basketball."
He then grew silent, which Takao grew curious about. "But then again, if she were to conquer that aspect, if she were to use her misdirection for something like that, it would become a truly unbeatable style."
Takao's head raised as he glanced at the foggy ceiling. He began to muse. "Exactly who is she?"
Midorima answered the question in an equally dazed tone. "A girl who loves basketball. Who else can she be?"
Takao wasn't convinced. "It's just… Very unexpected. That someone as disadvantaged as her would be able to play basketball, skillfully in fact. It's as if she's from another world."
Midorima chuckled. A rare sight for Takao Kazunari. "She mostly likely is."
"So, I finally saw her without drag." Takao said with a smile. "You were right, Shin-chan. She really is pretty." Midorima felt extremely proud at that. "Was she always that cute in middle school?" Takao asked, directing his eyes to the green-haired student.
Midorima didn't know what to say. "I don't know."
Takao smirked mischievously. "Well, since you did see her naked…"
"Takao, shut up!" Midorima roared in embarrassment and Takao couldn't help but laugh immensely loud, so loud that it made some of Shuutoku's teammates enter the shower place in panic.
A few days past, and Kagami had no chance of even being in the same place as Shuutoku. No matter how many times he tried to escape Riko, she was always there, asking him to buy more drinks.
He was getting frustrated, and the only way he could vent it out was playing basketball in the streets with the one basketball hoop standing at the edge of the parking lot. He was too focused on making a dunk that he didn't notice Riko behind him.
"How devoted." Riko said with a smile and Kagami jumped slightly at the voice.
He put his guard up. "I don't have to run another kilometer to the store, do I? Because if I do, I'll have you know they closed about an hour ago!"
Riko started laughing. "No, you don't have to run to the store again."
"You do realize that I've been running around the beach alone for the entire training camp? I have literally made friends with complete strangers because they asked why they see me every afternoon running to the same place every single time."
"Oh jeez, you're a true Bakagami, aren't you?" Riko commented, which made one of Kagami's vein pop out. "Haven't you realized it by now?"
Kagami tilted his head. "Eh? Realize what?"
Riko sighed. "Guess I'll just have to tell you myself." She walked up next to him, arms crossed and stance ready, and she smiled. "Try to jump."
Takao, who had been walking from another convenience store with drinks and a few chips, suddenly saw Kagami jumping and hitting the board behind the hoop with his right hand. He yelped in surprise and then hid behind the bushes. He saw Riko and Kagami talking to each other, and he glanced at the board. There was a handprint above the ring.
'His jumping strength is insane.' Takao thought as his eyes narrowed. 'I can't believe he jumped higher than the net.'
"Now, try the other side." Riko commanded and Takao's face scrunched up in puzzlement.
'The other side?'
"Don't you think Kagami has a great jumping ability?" Kiyoshi asked as he took a sip of his tea. Hyuuga shrugged as he took a sip of his own.
"It is."
Kiyoshi pushed on. "But don't you think it's a bit irregular?"
Hyuuga looked at him for a second before thinking back on all the dunks that Kagami had made in the past. "What do you mean? I see nothing wrong with it. He just jumps really high. What's irregular about it?"
"He dunks with his right hand, but he jumps off with his left foot more." Kiyoshi explained and Hyuuga nodded at him to keep going. "But there are times when he jumps with his right foot. And that's where his jumping potential comes out the best."
"Eh?" Hyuuga asked as he tried to process Kiyoshi's words.
"In other words, he jumps his highest when he jumps with his right foot."
A penny that was change from the store fell out of Takao's pocket. Noticing it, he moved a bit to the right to grab it while still crouched down.
Then, Riko screamed out, "Too strong, you idiot! Too strong!" And before Takao knew it, the basketball stand fell right where he had been a second ago. He jumped at the sudden sound and the missed possibility of his getting crushed by the stand, but as he regained his composure and looked at the fallen stand before him, his eyes widened significantly.
Because on the board, where the first handprint above the net had been was another handprint, even further upwards than before. It was practically on the highest point of the board.
Kagami was sprawled on the bushes after falling to the ground with his powerful jump. Riko stood above him with her hands to her hips.
"Do you get it now? Your greatest weapon is your jumping potential but you haven't mastered it yet. For now, you need to train your body to make use of this talent. We can think about the future afterwards." She began to walk away. "Oh, and remember to put the stand back up, will you?"
Kagami was lost in thought soon after the coach left. He raised his hand towards the air and glared at the night sky.
'An air battle, my only chance to beat the Generation of Miracles.'
"Hello, Takao-kun. What are you doing here?" A sudden female voice said behind him and Takao jumped as he saw Kuroko Terumi, still in drag, walk up to him. he greeted her with a wave but soon realized she couldn't see it.
"Hey. What are you doing here?"
"I was taking a walk. It is soon going to be dinner time."
"That late? Well, I guess I should -" Takao glanced sideways and pushed Kuroko's head down to a crouch. "Duck!"
"Takao-kun? What are you -" She then felt a person walking past Kagami but then stopping at the last second.
"Geh?" Midorima and Kagami said at the same time, angry tick marks appearing in both of their foreheads.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Kagami asked as he stood up from the bushes and put the basketball stand back to where it was.
Midorima held his drink. "I went to buy something." He then glanced at the two handprints on the basketball board and made a mocking sound.
"What are you laughing about?" Kagami said in anger.
Midorima gave him a sideways look. "Do you honestly think that you can beat the Generation of Miracles through aerial battles? Just because you jump high doesn't mean you'll win every match nor every fight you're put up against."
"Hah?"
Midorima grabbed the basketball from the sideline and held it to his side. "You're still only halfway through. Your talent isn't worth calling a weapon yet."
He then threw the ball to Kagami, who caught it in surprise. "10 shots." Midorima said. "If you can score once, you win. I'll show you how cheap your conclusion is." And just like that, Midorima blocked every single shot Kagami tried to make.
Takao looked Midorima in awe. He had no idea that he would be so good a defense. Terumi, on the other hand, knew exactly where Midorima was going with this.
After Kagami's 10th shot, Midorima stopped. Kagami, however, wanted to keep going. "Bastard, keep going!"
"Don't you realize that no matter how far you jump, you're not going to be able to make a shot?" Midorima glanced at him slightly. "No matter what you do, you always go a for a dunk without fail. That's how I was able to predict you so easily."
Midorima began walking away from Kagami. "Takao, let's go. I'm done with this bumbling idiot." He said and Takao, who flinched slightly at the name, stood up from his position and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Hey, Shin-chan. How did you know I was here?"
"Anyone with half a braincell would have known." Midorima grunted and then looked at Kuroko, who was just getting up from her position as well.
"Don't disappoint me in the Winter Cup. Show me how strong you'll get."
Terumi nodded and in a small, but determined voice, she said, "I will."
"Kagami-kun." Kagami heard someone next to him say and he jumped in surprise. "Please run slower. I can barely detect where you are because of the sand."
"Kuroko, what the - When did you get here?"
"I was following right behind you, Kagami-kun. Right after you had your match with Midorima-kun." Kagami cringed at his name.
"You saw me? Why are you even here then?" Kagami asked.
Terumi kept focusing on running. "I thought I would cheer you up."
At that, Kagami couldn't help but laugh. He lowered his pace so that he could have talk with Terumi. "You don't need to do that." His face grew determined. "I already know why I lost. I need to have more control over my own skills. I need more control over my left hand."
"Are you going to master aerial battle?" Terumi asked while tilting her head. Kagami thought it was unbelievably cute, and then immediately slapped himself mentally.
"I will. I'll train myself with countless of jumps to be able to to move freely in the air. It's the one thing I can count on."
It was then that Terumi finally had it. Her eyes grew wide at the realization. The missing piece to her new style of basketball. "A drive."
"What?" Kagami asked as they stopped.
"A drive that will only work for me and me alone."
Kagami processed Kuroko dribbling a ball. He had never seen her do that before because she would always pass the ball as soon as it reached her. He wondered how she was going to do that. Then he smiled and ruffled her hair. He realized that she was still in her man clothes. Impulsively, he removed the wig from her head and untied the bun to let loose her long, beautiful hair. In the moonlight, her teal-colored hair shined majestically.
"Kagami-kun?" Terumi questioned as she felt the midnight breeze touch her scalp. She quickly took off the bobby pin to let down her bangs as well, to cover her face, but Kagami immediately pushed them out of the way. He tucked the strands of hair behind her ear and took a step back.
He tilted his head. "You look better without your bangs covering your face." He said, feeling bolder than usual. Was it because of the mood they were in? Or was it because he came to realize just how special she was to him?
Terumi didn't believe that at all. She lowered her head and the strands of hair that was tucked fell back out. "Kagami-kun, you really shouldn't mock someone on their appearance. It is mean."
"Who said I was being mean?" Kagami said in a soft voice and took a step closer to the petite, beautiful girl. He bent his neck slightly so that he could be at eye level with her. He then cupped her face and lifted it so that he could tuck her bangs away one more time. "I wasn't kidding when I said you look better without covering your face. What makes you think I'm lying?"
Terumi struggled to keep in the present. There was a face that kept threatening to emerge between them. "Kagami-kun, what are you trying to say?" Terumi asked but this time, she left her hair as it was and merely looked at Kagami. Not at his chest, as she would normally do, but to his face. She had lifted her chin a bit, as if she wanted to see Kagami's face. Kagami suddenly had the strange urge to grab her hand and direct to his face.
That, however, was something he refused to do. He wasn't that bold, which made him want to laugh a few days after the incident happened.
"I'm trying to say that you look beautiful." He finally said in a whisper and the only thing that was between them was the night sky, shining with her hair and the stars. The wind began to howl slightly, and they could both feel relief from the summer heat.
Kagami waited for her response, not at all worrying about the rejection he might get, and after a while, Terumi smiled, which astonished him. It was gorgeous, her smile alone, but it had an air of sadness to it.
"I'm sorry, Kagami-kun. I believe I cannot agree to what you said." Kagami's face fell as he tried to understand why. He even voiced them out.
Terumi slowly untucked her bangs and they fell ungracefully to the front of her face. Her eyes were soon covered, as well as the rest of her face. It was as if she was trying to become a actual shadow in the dark. The moon and its stars dimmed along with her, and Kagami found it difficult to find her, even though she was right in front of him.
"I don't even know how I look like. I don't know if you're telling the truth. No matter how much I want to see myself, I won't be able to. So please, don't talk to me about my appearance. I'm fine with not knowing."
Kagami suddenly felt a rage surging from his body as he heard the doubt in her voice. He grabbed Terumi's hands and grasped it with his. "Didn't I just tell you you were beautiful? Kuroko, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Who told you you weren't beautiful?" Terumi said nothing.
Kagami sighed as he ran a hand through his blazing red hair. In the distance, it looked like a warm fire flickering in a campsite. "I'll describe your face for you if you want."
The question astonished the female basketball player. Why couldn't she keep the past at bay? She didn't want to know. She didn't want to hear the same description again. The word, disgusting. She refused to hear it again.
But even so, she was desperate to know. She was desperate to hear something else. She asked in a timid voice, "Would you? Would you really?" She whispered in a small voice. She was trembling, and Kagami realized that she was just another person who was self-conscious of their body. Kuroko was just another person who didn't know what to do with society's pressures on appearance.
"You," Kagami began to say, "have a small, heart-shaped face with a small nose and white skin. Sometimes, when you blush, which is rarely ever, it makes your whole face shine. No blemishes, no bruises, it's almost as if you're a porcelain doll. They match you personality, aloof but determined. It's as if you were born to surpass anything." He said with a soft smile on his face. He touched each part of her face lightly and began to push her bangs away. Her eyes were in full view.
"And your eyes, they're -"
Kuroko suddenly stopped him. She immediately closed her exposed milky eyes to prevent it from tainting the world further. "Please, don't. Not my eyes."
Kagami's eyebrows furrowed. "Love yourself." He said. "Love your imperfections, Kuroko. You can't keep running away from something that you'll always have."
And with those words, Terumi started crying. It reminded her of her mother and when she used to say the same thing, every day, when she came home crying because someone had seen her milky white eyes and told her they were disgusting. Her mother used to recount her childhood stories all the time in the hospital. She had never asked for them, but when her mother talked about them, she had realized that she had no clue as to how her childhood was even spent.
Kagami hugged her fiercely and a small, wet patch began to form on his chest. He kept holding her, however, and with a small, almost unnoticeable voice, she said, "Please, keep going."
And Kagami did. "Your eyes are one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen." Kuroko made a small yelp, the comment surprising her. "They almost match your hair color, sky blue, teal, whatever you want to call it, but it's mixed with more white. It's really milky, but it makes you want to drown in them. In the moonlight, it really makes them shine."
"They're not… disgusting?" Terumi asked with a trembling voice and Kagami, hearing that, released her from his grip and put his hands on her shoulders, as if to reassure her. He bent his knees and even though he knew she couldn't see him, she could definitely feel the intensity of his stare.
"They're beautiful. Just like you." And Kuroko suddenly saw herself at a children's park, Aomine Daiki by her side. They had been on top of the monkey, thanks to Aomine's help, and they were side by side, hands barely grazing each other and not caring about the kids that were running around and screaming.
"Let me see your eyes, Tetsu." Aomine had said as he looked into the sunset. She could feel the heat slowly dissipating from her skin. This wasn't the first time he had seen her milky blue eyes, but even then, she refused to show them to anyone again.
She had vigorously shaken her head. "They're too disgusting to look at." She had retorted but Aomine wouldn't take a no for an answer.
"For me? Please?" It was always unfair for her when he used that kind of voice. It was the voice that she could never reject.
Sighing, she had pushed her bangs away and she could hear Aomine gasp lightly.
"I told you it was too disgusting." But she could literally see Aomine shaking his head in complete disagreement.
"They're beautiful. Just like you." And then Aomine would swoop down and steal her away into the sunset, into the sunset, into Neverland where they would not leave unless someone brought them back by yelling at them, by reminding them that this was children's park and as middle school students, they needed to focus more on studying than maintaining a relationship.
And now, Kagami was doing the same. He swooped down and stole her away; this time, to the moon, to the never ending battle between light and dark, light and shadow. Neverland seemed close, but still so far. And while she didn't reciprocate, neither did she reject it. She stood still, tears still streaming down her face, and waited for Kagami to bring her back down, to separate from her and to lead her back home.
'Do I trust him? Can I trust him?' She thought as Kagami departed from her but grabbed her hand firmly.
"Don't give me an answer yet. You can tell me when you're ready. I'll wait for you." Kagami said boldly, confidently, and slowly, they continued their walk against the moonlit night.
Terumi wondered, and soon she dreamt. She dreamt of Kagami's face, of his features and his smile. Would it be just like Aomine's? Or would it be his own?
'Am I ready to ask? Am I ready to trust him? Or will he leave me behind?'
And then Terumi tried to remember a past that she, no matter how hard she tried, couldn't remember. It was lost, forgotten, and at the same time, still there, just waiting to be reborn again.
"I didn't think I'd make it out alive!" Koganei expressed as they bid farewell to the run down training lounge. They all began to walk to the sidewalk when RIko suddenly stopped them. She was at the other side.
"Where are you guys going?" She asked.
"Eh? To the station? I thought we were leaving to our houses." Hyuuga provided and Riko shook her head in disbelief.
"Why do you guys think I chose this place as our first training spot?"
"Because you wanted to kill us a thousand times over?" Koga whispered to Mitobe and Riko, who had heard, gave him a devilish smile. Koga gulped in fear.
"It's being held here this year." She said vaguely and Izuki realized what she was trying to say. He took out his phone and began to check something.
"Ah, today's the quarterfinals, isn't it?" Izuki said and everyone's attention peaked. He scrolled down as he tried to find who was up against who this time. Everyone gathered around, curious, and soon they were all in frenzy once they saw.
Today's Quaterfinals: Kaijo High School (Kanagawa) VS Touou Academy (Tokyo)
"We're going to watch it now, the national tournament." Riko said with a sideways glance at her team and they all looked at each other once before following their coach.
... Yeah, even I don't know what happened at the end there. I was just writing, trying to figure out a way to make this filler chapter a bit more exciting and the next thing you know, it looks like I'm going to be writing a full on romance story (which, by the way, might never happen)
I really hope this doesn't turn more romancy than I intend it to be because I really just want to focus on Kuroko. This is her story. Although, if you liked it, please comment and tell me and maybe, I'll do something like this in the near future (or something like this, but not the same). I still have a few more characters to introduce, so it might be a valid option.
Did anyone notice the sudden change of style I had? We're reading Beloved by Toni Morrison in English and I freaking idolize her now. She's a fucking genius, a goddess sent down from the heavens to save literature or something because this work is completely out of this world. I think I was influenced by her or something because that romance part is not how I normally write. I kind of like it, but if you think differently, don't be afraid to tell me :)
So, next chapter will focus more on Kise this time, and I hope you guys like a bit of KiKuro!
~.~
Anyways, now that that's out of the way, it's time to talk about the story I mentioned in the beginning.I am now writing a zombie apocalyptic AU story! I've always wanted to write one of these and this time, I'm going to write the ENTIRE thing first before publicly uploading it to Fanfic. Reason being I really love this story and I want to have it at its maximum level. I will be editing it out like crazy and the only way to do that is by writing the whole thing first. So, please understand that I won't be able to upload as fast as before (school is killing me as well) and expect this story to come out sooner or later (probably later).
A bit of background without spoiling it too much: It's a MidoTaka story as they try to go to the safe haven, which is Hokkaido, and along the way, they meet people who are either good or bad.
That's pretty much all I can tell (and I won't tell you guys the title either :)) so I hope you'll like it as much I do when it comes out!
That's it for me and I'll see you later :)
Peace,
FlyAndDontLookBack