Visibility

By: Aviantei

Chapter 07: Desperation

Airi leaned forward in her seat, trying to keep her focus on the court in front of her. Despite the amount of time she had been in the environment, keeping up with the game was hard work when it was outside of practice. Not only were there unfamiliar presences on the court, the sheer number of auditory distractions alone lowered her efficiency greatly. There were just so many people in the building, all making so much noise and movement, that Airi had needed to leave the room almost as soon as she had gotten there.

It had been too long since she had been around so many people. Her former schools in Sendai had low enrollment rates, and Seirin was still a new school not even fitted to hosting a large student body. Without even realizing it, Airi had been spoiled, always being put in environments that worked out to her favor. That would have to change soon if she intended to actually accomplish her goal in the near future.

The only things she was certain of were the seat beneath her, Youta's constant presence at her side, and Tetsuya's position on the court. As much as she had tried, the other Seirin members just weren't as distinctive to her yet, only flashing in and out of her senses, with the exception of Kagami, who always seemed to be on the delivering end of the dunks that made the hoop reverberate. It was depressing that was all she could pick up from the front row, but that just meant that this was a learning experience.

And at least she had Youta. Reliable as ever, her brother would report the course of the games to the best of his ability, always recounting plays during or after their completion, as well as a constant update of the score. Airi let herself feel better that she understood most of what Youta was saying, and didn't bother to question the things she didn't, saving that for a later date.

Youta was terribly tense for some reason, practically on the literal edge of his seat every game Seirin had played through so far. He seemed to get even more so as they progressed up the brackets, and Airi was willing to bet his back was already stiff. This was only the quarter finals match, too, and she couldn't help but be worried. Youta wasn't even playing, so what was the point in getting so worked up?

Tetsuya was suddenly evident in her senses, the familiar rattle of the hoop signaling another one of Kagami's dunks before it was lost in the roar of the crowd. "Ball stolen, Kagami pulls off a dunk. 73-69, Tonishi, forty seconds left," Youta reported. There was an obvious distress in his voice, and Airi went to reach for her brother's hand, lightly squeezing his fingers.

"It'll be okay, Nii-san, the gap's not too bad," she reassured. Silently, Airi hoped that her knowledge of the game was accurate and that what she had said was true. "From what I can tell, Seirin's recovered from worse situations in the past. Kuroko-san and the others can still win this."

"Yeah…" Airi frowned a little bit more, focusing all her attention on Youta. Normally he would at least smile at her attempts to cheer him up, and more than likely he would become ecstatic at talking to her. It wasn't as if Airi thought she was entitled to making him feel better, but the lack of the usual reaction was concerning. "Hell yeah!" he shouted, the call startling Airi as the rest of the crowd cheered. "They just got a three-pointer, 73-72! Another shot like that and this game is in the bag!"

Airi wanted to add her own cheer of encouragement, but couldn't bring herself to do it. Even when he was seemingly happy, she could still tell that Youta wasn't fully convinced. His fingers were lifeless, not pushing back against hers at all. For once in his life, Youta seemed to be genuinely focused on something other than Airi.

She should be happy. This was what she had wanted, had hoped that he could get to a point where he didn't always need to be centered on all hours of the day. But when she had imagined it, Youta was off doing things he wanted to do, having fun with basketball again or maybe making friends with people that Airi had nothing to do with.

But now…it was something different. It was almost like he was obsessed with something, the answer that was something he had never mentioned to Airi. The thought was enough to send a shiver up her spine.

"Dammit!" Youta cursed just as the crowd let out another cheer. Airi could only assume that the point was not in Seirin's favor, but had no concrete details. Youta didn't provide one, only continuing to rant to himself. "How did that shot get through that screen?!" Judging by his reaction, the score difference wasn't one that could be easily recovered from in the remaining time.

It's okay, Nii-san, she wanted to say. It's just a game, there's nothing at stake here. Airi couldn't manage to let the words out of her mouth. Even if she said them, Youta wasn't likely to believe it. And as far as she knew, maybe there was something at stake, something that would cause Youta to act like this.

Soon enough, the buzzer went off, signaling the match coming to a close. The applause from the audience was deafening, preventing Airi from understanding exactly what Youta was saying to himself. Knowing there was nothing else to do, she took a deep breath before speaking. "We should probably meet up with Kuroko-san and the others, see if they're staying for the rest of the time or—"

"It wasn't supposed to be this way," Youta suddenly said, snapping out the words. Airi winced back from trying to touch her brother's arm as he stood up. "I thought that… Dammit, I don't have a choice then…!"

Airi tried to ask. She really did. But Youta was rushing away from his seat without warning. Airi tried to follow him the best she could, miraculously not tripping over anything, but unable to keep track of him in the din of the sound. She collided with one of the other passerby, and what little orientation she had of Youta's location disappeared.

"Nii-san, wait!" she called, but there was no response. "Don't leave me here…"

Airi's legs let out, and she just barely managed to grab onto the edge of a nearby seat before the sob escaped her mouth.

"Well it looks like we both lost," Kise remarked. Tetsuya shifted, only nodding in response. The rest of the Seirin representative team had chosen to either go pack their things up or stay to watch the remaining matches. "I guess I'm okay with losing, but I really wish you had won, Kurokocchi. Of course, I would have liked to play you again, too, you know?"

"I guess we'll just have to wait, then," Tetsuya said. He was doing his best not to seem too let down by the loss since all the teams deserved to win but wasn't sure if he was managing it. "I guess that means you'll just have to find some other way to try and get that girl's attention, Kise-kun."

Kise laughed, keeping the sound soft. "Yeah, that's true. Maybe my noble defeat will be enough to at least catch her eye." Tetsuya didn't exactly know how noble a defeat could be on the basketball court but decided now wasn't the time to dash Kise's hopes. "So what about you, Kurokocchi?" Kise asked, the playfulness gone from his tone. "What's going to happen to that teammate's sister?"

The consequence of losing had already been evident to Tetsuya, even if he wasn't aware of the exact details. More than likely, the Watanabe family wouldn't be able to afford the surgery and Airi's eyesight would continue to decline. Just thinking about it was enough to make Tetsuya feel worse, but he knew that hadn't been Kise's intention. The blonde was genuinely concerned.

"I… I'm not sure," Kuroko admitted. "Watanabe-san has gone through measures to adjust without eyesight, so I think she'll still be able to continue daily life but…" Youta more than likely wouldn't be satisfied with the outcome. How was that going to effect the sibling's relationship if—

"Kuroko-san!" Tetsuya turned at the sound of his name, only to find Airi running towards him. She managed to maintain a straight line well, stopping once she secured a hold on the edges of her target's jacket. "Kuroko-san, please tell me this is you!"

"Watanabe-san…" he managed in surprise, "what are you doing out here by yourself?"

"Thank goodness…" Airi said. She seemed to relax the smallest bit, despite her continual grip on Tetsuya's clothes. "Nii-san ran off after the match and I lost track of him in the crowd. I managed to make it out by following the flow of the crowd, but I still don't know where he is. I don't have a phone so I can't call him and…" The girl stopped as she had started, taking her time in turning her head in Kise's direction, as if noticing his presence for the first time. "Um, and this is…?"

"Kise Ryota-kun," Tetsuya introduced. The blonde in question was looking at his former teammate and Airi, trying to keep a straight face. Tetsuya frowned a little, but kept his voice even. "He's a friend from middle school and was participating in the tournament as well."

Airi's hands pulled away from Tetsuya's jacket, doing their best to straighten out their owner's clothes afterwards. Airi pulled her braid back over her shoulder, dropping into a bow soon after. "It's nice to meet you, Kise-san. I'm Watanabe Airi."

"I-it's nice to meet you," Kise replied, not mimicking the customary bow. Tetsuya assumed that he was still adjusting to Airi's accuracy in figuring out where he was. After a moment, Kise smiled again. "So you're the girl that Kurokocchi was talking about, huh?"

"Kise-kun," Tetsuya interrupted, "please don't say things that could be taken the wrong way." Kise pouted, and Airi giggled slightly.

"Don't worry, Kuroko-san, I know what he meant. After all, I overheard you two talking just a minute ago." Airi seemed to have regained her composure from earlier. Tetsuya still felt a little worried for her, but if she was covering it up, there was no need to ask. He was too busy scolding himself for not reminding Kise to keep their participation for the sake of Airi's eyesight a secret. "I'm guessing that this whole endeavor was Nii-san's idea?" Tetsuya nodded. "It figures. That explains why he was so worked up over the match…" Airi frowned a little.

"I'm sorry that we couldn't win for you." Tetsuya knew it was a feeble apology, but he still owed her one. It was more for his own sake than for the team, though. "We all wanted to win for you, but we just couldn't manage it. I really am sorry."

Airi shook her head, on the verge of smiling again. "It's nothing to worry yourself about, Kuroko-san. The idea of being able to see again is a nice one, but I've known for years that it wasn't very realistic. That's why I decided it would be better to live like this—" she reached a hand up, fingertips skimming over her closed eyelids "—than to pretend like I would still be seeing the same in the next few years."

Tetsuya didn't know how she could smile while saying things like that. Kise cleared his throat. "I know I don't know you very well, Airicchi, but I can tell that you're strong," the blonde said. Airi blushed a little, cheeks tinting into a light pink. "Anyone that can take that sort of attitude to something like this has to be."

"I suppose… I just thought it would be the best option is all. I don't know if you can really call that being strong."

"I think so, too," Tetsuya said. Airi turned her head towards him, lips slightly parted. Tetsuya wondered if that was what she looked like when she was surprised, or if he was just imagining things. "Didn't you say that people being able to put hard work in dedication into something counted as a form of talent? I think that being able to make the best decision, even if it's hard, can count as being strong in that kind of world, don't you?"

Airi giggled again. "Ah, you've got me there, Kuroko-san," she said. "Thank you. You, too, Kise-san. You've both helped me feel better. I needed something like that."

Tetsuya didn't exactly feel like he needed to be thanked, but felt himself smiling anyway. Kise dropped an arm around his shoulder, causing Tetsuya to scramble for his balance. "No problem at all, Airicchi," Kise responded. It only made the feeling that taking credit for their unintentional actions was unnecessary more apparent to Tetsuya. "You don't have to worry about a thing. I'm sure that Kurokocchi will be around to help you out if you need it. After all, he gave his all for you out there on the court today!"

"I really just…" Tetsuya attempted to say. Airi shook her head.

"No need to be so modest, Kuroko-san," she said. Tetsuya didn't necessarily feel like he was being modest, just honest. When it came down to it, he felt like every game deserved the players' giving it their all. This had been no different. "I'm grateful that everyone on Seirin decided to play for my sake considering the short time we've all known each other. I just hope that none of you feel obligated to do something like this again. I've already accepted what's going to happen to me."

"Watanabe-san." Airi was turned in his direction, the closest it would ever get to her looking at him. If she could see, Tetsuya imagined that her eyes would be locked on him. "Is it okay that we did this for you? I had the impression that you wouldn't approve, but…"

One of Airi's hands moved to toy with the smaller of her braids. "Well, there's no need to get angry at people for trying to do you a favor, especially if it's too late to stop them from doing so. And it's true that I really wish people wouldn't feel obligated to these sorts of things, but Nii-san's always been doing these sorts of things for me, no matter what." She shrugged. "This sort of thing doesn't really bother me at all. In fact, you could say I see it as normal."

Tetsuya remained silent. She wasn't mad at him, or the rest of the team. That was good enough for now. Although, there was one thing that was still bothering him.

"So this brother of yours just ran off?" Kise asked. He frowned. Tetsuya kept his gaze on Airi, wondering about the girls' reaction. She flinched slightly, but her expression remained the same. "Way to be a jerk! If I was the older brother, I wouldn't just leave my sister alone like that. Strike that, I'm the younger brother and I still wouldn't just leave either of my sisters alone like that!"

Tetsuya almost reached out to comfort Airi, but didn't know if she would welcome the physical contact from him. Besides, Kise would just take it the wrong way. Instead, he asked, "What do you think Watanabe-kun was doing?"

"I'm… I'm not sure," Airi said, trying not to hesitate. "I now understand that he was worked up about the match because of my eyes being on the line. That explains a lot of his behavior." She frowned, silence indicating that the girl was in thought. "However, I don't understand where he ran off to. It seemed like he had something in mind from what he was saying to himself, even if I don't know what that was. Whatever it is, I'm certain it's very important to him."

"Well there's no point in just standing around here. I'm sure he'll have to return to your room soon enough, so why don't we go back there for now?" Kise suggested. "I told my team to enjoy the rest of their stay here, so I don't have any obligations. How about you, Kurokocchi?" The boy in question shook his head. "Then if you're okay with it, Airicchi, it' s settled."

"That sounds like a good way to start." Even if she sounded confident, Tetsuya felt that Airi wasn't so certain at all. Something, he wasn't sure what—gut instinct, maybe?—was letting him guess that she was worried. "Would it be alright if I asked you to stay with me until we find him, Kuroko-san? I know it's imposing a lot, but you're the one I feel the most comfortable with besides Nii-san."

Tetsuya felt himself smiling before he remembered that it would be inappropriate in this situation. Kise didn't miss it, though, not saying anything, but giving his former teammate a smirk. The shorter boy focused on Airi instead of acknowledging it. "I'll do my best," Tetsuya said. "What exactly do you need me to do?" He had watched Youta direct Airi around so many times, but had never considered how much work it may involve. He swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat.

"Ah, I don't want to impose on you, so I'll leave it to the basics. I really don't know this area well, so if you don't mind helping me around, that would be perfect." Airi held out her hand, and Kise covered his mouth to repress a sound.

Tetsuya looked at the hand. As always, it was exactly where it needed to be, in perfect relation to the person it was being offered to. If Tetsuya didn't know better, he never would have guess at the condition of Airi's eyes.

Hesitantly, he added his fingers to hers. "It's no trouble at all."

Airi smiled, stepping closer to him. "Thank you." Kise had turned around, almost doubling over from holding his words in. "Is Kise-san alright?"

"He's fine," Tetsuya reassured. "Let's head back to the rooms, alright?"

He took a step forward, and Airi slipped into step right beside him. Tetsuya allowed himself to smile.

Her hand was warm.

Dammit… Dammit!

Youta was out of breath, which was saying something after he had adjusted to Aida's practice regimen. He had needed to get out of there and had blitzed his way back to the hotel room. His belongings were thrown everywhere, but that didn't matter. He had found what he was looking for, a small note clenched in his hand.

It wasn't supposed to get this far. But it had, so there wasn't much of a choice left. Youta's hands shook as he punched the number into his phone, somehow not ruining the process. He waited again before hitting the send button and putting the phone to his ear. Each ring of the phone only made his heart beat faster.

"Hello, Hayashi-san? This is Watanabe. About that deal we were discussing… What would I need to do to set that up as soon as possible?"

Hm, I'd say this chapter has it's own interesting mix between angst and some lighthearted things. Didn't really realize that when I first wrote it.

Thanks to CherryPop0120, Ron Line, zOMGPrincess, Eve Kagamine, Vampire Cullen Alice, Pyro Kitsune, Zen Heyerdall, waremono . Iv, akuma-chan25300, LizzieBCT, leafery, ilrab, Nadeshiko291210, Lynn D. Mariza, silent raining, and Kso12 for your respective reviews, favorites, and follows! Considering that the story is going to progress even more from here on out, I'd love to hear some of your feedback.

I've been super busy lately, but most of my schoolwork is out of the way. I didn't quite make it to my Camp NaNoWriMo goal, but I did get around forty-thousand more words than I had at the beginning of the month, so that's something. I actually made a lot of progress on this story, and hopefully I should be able to finish my initial drafting by the end of next month.

That being said, it'll probably be a few months before I post the next update to this story. It's weird to consider Visibility in arcs, but the next line of continuous action starts in the next chapter, so it's probably better to be on this semi-cliffhanger instead of others. However, if I finish up my draft, we'll see about more frequent updates until it's done.

A small request from me: last chapter and the last one were my first times writing Kise. I'd really like some feedback-how'd it turn out, is he in character, do I have the right balance of exclamation points and not, etc.? Since I would like to write Responsibility one day, having feedback would be nice.

Oh, but never fret about updates! I actually have plans to post a bunch of Kuroko no Basuke one shots in the time between this and chapter eight. There will probably be about three, and they're mostly experimentation-type things. If you're interested, I look forward to hearing from you then!

So next time, there's a gap Tetsuya must fill, Riko is less than satisfied, and some dissenting opinions are finally spoken out loud. Please look forward to it.