Visibility

By: Aviantei

Chapter 21: Marvel

Akashi finally stopped walking once they were inside of Tetsuya's bedroom, and the latter closed the door behind him. Part of him wanted to object to the forced privacy—really, at the very least Airi should be involved if the conversation was about her family, if not both of the Watanabe twins—but he didn't out of habit. No matter how much time passed, Tetsuya had the feeling that he would always respect Akashi as his captain, and his wishes as a result.

That didn't take away his nervousness, though. Still, Tetsuya wasn't sure what to expect from Akashi. Kaizuto had seemed to be doing fine, but that could only be indicative of so much. Seeing the Rakuzan captain in person didn't change much; somehow, Tetsuya couldn't tell just who Akashi was. He wasn't the person Tetsuya had won against at the Winter Cup, but the redhead wasn't the same as he had been in middle school, either.

"Akashi-kun," Tetsuya said, not knowing where else to go from there. Other than the message Akashi had sent him earlier, there hadn't been much one-on-one communication between the two, and most of their conversations were in group threads shared by the Generation of Miracles. Tetsuya's throat tightened a bit.

This had used to be so easy.

"Tetsuya," Akashi supplied. Unlike the boy in question, though, Akashi didn't falter with his next words. "I understand that this privacy may be unnecessary, but I was hoping to have a conversation that didn't gain any unnecessary interruptions." Tetsuya realized that maybe this was for the best—Youta didn't exactly know how to keep quiet when asked, and while Airi would, she could just as easily complicate matters. He nodded. "I'm glad you understand. You see, I wanted to confirm a few things for myself."

"What kinds of things?" Tetsuya asked. The words sounded stiff and unnatural, but he was trying. At least he had managed to ask what he had meant to.

Akashi gave a short exhale that wasn't quite a sigh. "Just some simple things. Megumi told me what she saw about your and Airi's relationship. I wanted to confirm that for myself before I made any rash decisions."

Tetsuya's curiosity peaked up a little. How had Kaizuto seen them during that short encounter in the hospital? It didn't really matter much, though, so Tetsuya kept the thought to himself. "Then did we meet your expectations?"

Akashi chuckled a bit, the sound somehow light. Again, it wasn't the same as before, but it was something. "As usual, you seem to find ways to pass my expectations, Tetsuya," he said, the corners of his lips turning up a bit. For a moment, it felt like they were alright. "Even so, I still have some questions I wanted to ask, just to make sure."

"Alright," Tetsuya agreed. He didn't quite know where this arrangement was going, but he knew it had to have a point. With Akashi there was always a point.

The redhead nodded his approval. "Like I said in my email and I had Megumi tell you beforehand, I'm willing to offer my help to the Watanabe family so they can continue to live here. However, my friendship is with you, Tetsuya, so it's really your relationship that's driving my interest. While it wouldn't be a major loss either way, I don't feel like I should offer assistance for something that could so easily break."

The thought hit Tetsuya like Nigou jumping into his bed in the mornings, an unexpected impact against his chest. Things had been going so well with Airi besides the outside drama that Tetsuya hadn't even considered the mortality of their relationship. He hadn't even thought that far into the future yet. Still, while part of Tetsuya wanted to believe that he and Airi would stay together—they had made it through this much, so surely—the fact that they were just a high school couple was suddenly obvious to him.

Akashi's hesitation was well-warranted.

"What I'm saying, Tetsuya," Akashi continued, "is that I want to believe in you from what I've seen, but in the end, you'll have to deal with the consequences if the relationship doesn't work out. I'll in no way pull out my assistance over something so trifle, and Airi still has the benefit of being able to continue with her dreams of becoming more independent regardless of if she's involved with you. You, on the other hand, don't have as much of a benefit.

"So in the end, I'm asking if you're willing to deal with that or not."

Leave it to Akashi to look at every possibility that Tetsuya, Youta, and Airi combined hadn't even considered. While they were busy clamoring about the present, Akashi was free to consider things in the long run, a viewpoint probably only possible because of his position as an observer. Thinking about it that way, putting forth the effort to keeping the Watanabe twins at Seirin ran the chance of not being worth it.

But what if it would have worked out, and Airi-san and Watanabe-kun just leave? I know I said that I would come for her, but there's a chance we'll change our minds by then. But still, isn't not trying much more of a waste?

"I would rather know for certain than take guesses, Akashi-kun," Tetsuya answered. "While there's a chance it may not work out, right now it's my honest desire to have Airi-san stay here. I would rather invest in that feeling than worry too much about the future. Regardless of the consequences, I'll accept them."

Even though he wasn't smiling, Akashi looked pleased. "Just as I would expect from someone that used to be my subordinate," he said. "In that case, I should be able to settle things with a few talks with Airi and Youta's parents."

The words came as an immense relief, and Tetsuya could feel himself smile without meaning to. There was no need to ask the details right away, since that sort of thing would best be handled in front of everyone more effectively. After all, Akashi wouldn't have proposed a plan in the first place if he wasn't certain of its success.

Tetsuya did have a nagging feeling though. Asking such questions wasn't something Akashi usually did—he possessed an inborn ability to read those sorts of things from people after all. Was there something he was trying to understand beyond what his words had suggested? And furthermore—

"Akashi-kun, about Kaizuto-san," Tetsuya said, not quite sure where he was going. What did he intend to ask, anyway? What good would it do now of all times, when he could be telling Airi and Youta the good news, when they could be solving their dilemma?

Akashi waited for a response. "About Megumi?" he prompted.

"You and Kaizuto-san," Tetsuya tried again, unable to avoid a gap between his words, "you two should visit together next time. It'll be nice to be able to talk together when there isn't an emergency going on."

Even though Akashi could easily read the words as not what was intended, he accepted them anyway. "That would be nice," he agreed. "If we happen to find some time, we could do that. Perhaps after the Inter High is over." Tetsuya nodded. "That can wait until later, though. For the matter at hand, though, your messages failed to indicate any exact time limit for the move. Is there one?"

"It didn't sound like Airi-san and Watanabe-kun's parents gave any exact time on when they would move back. We've merely been working on an 'as soon as possible' time frame," Tetsuya answered. "So, if you could, I would like to ask that you possibly finish things up today, Akashi-kun."

"That was my intention." Tetsuya didn't doubt it. "With that being said, it will be to our benefit if we head out as soon as I can have us picked up."

As always, Akashi moved without hesitation, leaving Tetsuya to follow in his wake.

It took less than ten minutes for Akashi's car to pull up—frickin' limo, really, with a driver and everything—and soon they were taking the relatively short drive to Youta and Airi's house. Other than the statement that he would take care of everything, Akashi hadn't said anything else, and Tetsuya and Airi were exchanging whispers that Youta didn't feel like it was necessary to listen in to.

Really, everything about the drive made Youta feel uncomfortable. This car was easily worth more than the three houses he had lived in over his lifetime and then some. It didn't help that motor vehicles gave Youta a sick feeling in his stomach ever since the accident. The final factor was that he didn't feel ready to confront his parents, even if Akashi did, and walking would have taken longer, and thus would have given Youta a chance to prepare himself.

Still there wasn't much he could do about it except go with the flow. For better or worse, there was going to be a conclusion after this conversation, and it didn't make sense to spend too much time planning for one of the outcomes with they were both equally possible. His brain hadn't fully recovered yet from his run, anyway, so thinking on the part of the older Watanabe twin at this point in time was useless.

He wasn't completely out for the count, though. Since looking at Akashi and the inside of his car was intimidating enough as it was, Youta's eyes dashed around for a bit, not really seeing anything. While the car stopped for the moment, probably at some intersection or another, Youta managed to notice the small shopping bag Airi was holding on her lap, her hands covering up the logo. They had rushed out of the house so quickly the other day, and all the money they had had on them was reserved for feeding themselves. Whatever Airi had, Tetsuya must have bought it for her.

Youta swallowed without meaning to. Really, he hoped that Akashi's mysterious plan worked.

When the car stopped in front of the Watanabe house, Akashi took the lead, stepping out of the car without hesitation. Tetsuya followed him, the connection between his and Airi's hand causing the girl to follow. Only Youta was left in the car, and he hesitated before getting out himself. By the time he was standing on the sidewalk again, Akashi was already opening the door.

"Ai-chan," Youta said. Airi stopped walking, turning her head over her shoulder, and Tetsuya's gaze followed. "I know I already said it, but we are gonna be okay, right?" It was stupid. He was supposed to be the strong one, and here he was asking for reassurance. His voice was already strained, too. "I'm sorry, I just…"

Airi handed her small bag to Tetsuya, both of her hands finding one of her brother's. "Yeah," she whispered, sounding a bit weak, too. "Somehow, we're gonna be okay. No matter what happens." Youta nodded. They just had to stick together. That was all they really could do.

"I don't want to interrupt, but we should follow Akashi-kun," Tetsuya suggested. "He's not likely to hesitate, and I think it would be best for everyone if we were all present, your parents included."

Youta grimaced. He didn't enjoy the idea of Akashi and Eiko having a stand-off and breaking down negotiations. With that thought as motivation, Youta ran ahead into the house, and Airi and Tetsuya's footsteps followed. They came to a stop at the living room, where Akashi and Eiko were standing amidst stacks of boxes from the move.

"And there they are," Akashi said, not even looking back to visually acknowledge the cluster forming in the hallway. Eiko's expression twisted through several emotions, but Youta was too nervous to read them properly. "As I was saying, I am Akashi Seijuro, a friend of Tetsuya's. While I'm sure there are several things you would like to discuss with your children at this point, I'm requesting that you listen to me first."

It didn't sound like a request, though. Youta had heard the tone of voice from leaders enough times to know what it was. No matter how much Akashi could disguise his intentions behind exact wording, it didn't make what he was saying any less an order.

Youta realized just how stupid this was. Coming home unannounced, not giving any explanation, running away in the first place, then having a stranger barge in to negotiate. Why hadn't they talked things through properly? Tetsuya and Akashi had had a short talk, though that really meant jack for the rest of them. Even if it was a surprise attack, there was no way Eiko was going to go along with this.

Then he got a better look at his mother. She was tired, bags under her eyes darker than usual, especially without the use of make-up. Youta and Airi had caused a lot of trouble by avoiding the house, and their parents had probably panicked as a result. It made Youta wonder if Eiko had the day off or if she was staying home regardless.

His mother took a short glance in Airi and Youta's direction, let out a sigh, then turned her gaze back to Akashi. "I'm listening," she allowed.

Youta could have sworn his heart really did stop in that moment. Airi gasped softly, trying to cover up the sound with her hands.

"I understand that I may sound like I'm intruding where I don't belong, but as far as I'm concerned, since this involves Tetsuya, I'm involved as an extension. I also understand that there are other factors at play in your decision, but money is one of them?"

Eiko stared for a moment before nodding. "Your point being?" she prompted. There wasn't a hint of agitation in her voice, but Youta knew there was a time limit to his mother's patience. As to confirm his thought, the woman raised one of her eyebrows. "I understand that you kids are all just trying to help, but there's not much that could help right now short of a miracle."

Despite the stern tone in Eiko's voice, Akashi didn't seem deterred. "While your skepticism may be warranted, there's no need to hold onto it anymore." The Rakuzan captain took in a short breath, and it made Youta realize he had been holding his own air supply in suspension. "I'm certain someone in your line of work has heard of the Akashi name before. As it is, I don't exactly exert direct control over any of the assets in my father's business, though I would say I have enough influence to offer you a better job than you have now."

Okay, Youta felt even more lost now, which was saying something since this was the first time Akashi was giving out information for him to use. Youta had never known much intricate detail about his mother's job—she was a businesswoman that mostly dealt with architecture layouts and building contracts, and worked in an ordinary office. What Akashi had to do with any of that completely bypassed the older Watanabe twin's sense of comprehension.

Youta tried to think about it, though—maybe Oka-san said something once?—but came up blank. Then again, he had always associated the name Akashi with basketball, so attempting to cross-reference wasn't going to get anywhere. Still, the part that Youta did get was that the Rakuzan captain had just offered his mother a job. No, a teenager had just offered his mother a new job.

Really, it just sounded like some joke.

Eiko seemed to share the same sentiment, a crease starting to appear between her eyebrows. However, there was a familiar light of recognition in her eyes, signaling that the Akashi name did mean something to her. The Watanabe matriarch's frown didn't fade. "Forgive me if I think this is too good to be true."

And really, it was. More and more this seemed like the miracle solution Eiko had mentioned, like it was big and flashy and unbelievable. It gave off the impression that Akashi may have been trying to show off his status. Youta started to wonder when he would wake up, because this had to be a dream.

"I figured you may say as much," Akashi responded. He reached into one of his pockets, extracting an envelope, which was shortly handed over to Eiko. "You are overqualified for your current position, Watanabe-san. This offer is much more suited to your talents and easily will amount to two—ah, no, three times your current salary."

Three times. Youta didn't know his mother's exact income, but that had to be enough. No, it was probably more than enough.

Inside the envelope was a sheaf of papers. There was silence as Eiko read them. Youta wanted to glance over to Airi to see how she was doing, but found that he couldn't. He was too tense to even reach his hand out for hers. Once Eiko had finished looking the papers over, she took a deep breath, hands shaking as she put the envelope and its contents to the side.

"I… I need to call my husband," she said, voice weak. No, it was quiet but not weak. Eiko's fingers brushed over the ring she wore on a necklace, both presents from Noboru when they'd gotten married. It was her only nervous tick Youta could remember. Dismissing herself, Eiko headed down the hall towards the bedrooms, giving her children a short glance in the process.

Akashi finally turned around, facing the trio waiting for him. His expression hadn't changed in the slightest. "I'll stay around in case she has any further questions," he said. Much like his attitude, the redhead's voice indicated that the scenario was no big deal to him, despite what it meant to Tetsuya and the twins. "Though since she'll more than likely be accepting this offer, I do have a few phone calls to make. If you'll excuse me."

Akashi reached for his cell phone, passing the trio as he went towards the front door. "Akashi-kun," Tetsuya said, breaking his silence and bringing his former teammate to a stop, "thank you very much for your help."

"Y-yes, thank you!" Airi stuttered. There was a sharp pitch to her voice, and Youta realized that he and his sister were on the verge of crying. "Thank you so much…" She took a deep breath, burying her face into her hands afterwards, not quite able to cover up her tears.

Youta took a deep breath of his own, hoping to iron away the traces of tears in his voice, then dropped down into a perfect ninety-degree bow. "Thank you very much," he said. He probably should have added Akashi's name to the expression of gratitude, but Youta wasn't sure of the proper way to address him—-san? –kun? Nothing at all?—so it was probably better to avoid getting it wrong and it just leave it out.

"As I said, Tetsuya is my friend. This is something mostly for his benefit," Akashi said. His gaze met up with the boy in question. "Do not forget what we discussed, Tetsuya. As long as you remember what you said, then I have no need to worry about my assistance in this situation."

"I won't forget," promised Tetsuya. Youta was too worn out to be curious about what they were referring to.

Akashi nodded once, resuming his walk to the front door. This time, neither Tetsuya nor the twins stopped them. Youta wasn't sure if he could process what had just happened, and he was sure it was the same for Airi and her boyfriend. Eiko hadn't said no, which was a good chance that she would consider the situation thoroughly and even accept Akashi's terms.

They had done it. It wasn't set in stone, but it really felt like they had done it.

There were tears of relief running down his cheeks before he knew it, and Airi took hold of his hand on one side, taking Tetsuya's in the other. She was still crying, too, but there were the faintest traces of a smile on her lips. Happy tears. Youta supposed that as long as Airi was smiling, her tears weren't so bad.

Tetsuya was the only one not crying, but it was obvious he was relieved. His shoulders were slumped far more than usual, and the tension that he must have been carrying was now only clear in hindsight. He was starting to smile, and while it wasn't as bright as Chinatsu's, it was definitely the biggest grin Youta had ever seen on Tetsuya's face. In some ways, it suited him.

Airi's sobs were starting to lessen in frequency, and they didn't show through in her voice when she said, "I guess… it really was a Miracle that saved us..."

It didn't even count as a proper pun, but Airi giggled at her own words. Youta made a mental note not to let her have too long of a conversation with Izuki Shun, but snorted anyway. Tetsuya shook a bit in silent laughter, and that served as the catalyst until they were all laughing, a mix of pitches and tones. Youta threw his free arm around Tetsuya, pulling the blue-haired boy closer until all three of them were pressed together in one messy group hug, unable to breathe from a combination of bad senses of humor and relief.

And even if it felt impossible, Youta was okay with calling what had happened today a miracle.

Tada, here I am.

Thanks to darkxXxflames, thetrieuth, Unnamed Guest, CherryPop0120, LeoInuyuka, aniqa1234, Tamani, aquaphir, Kezman1993, A Silent Echo, crystal. thao. love. anime, and TheEccentric1 for your respective favorites, follows, and reviews, its your support that's brought us this far into this story.

To Guest: Glad you're enjoying the story. Writing Akashi is a lot of fun for me, so I couldn't resist adding him in. Thanks for the support, and I hope the rest of the story is as enjoyable to read. Writing omake isn't my strong point, so I'm glad they were enjoyable, too!

But, seriously, we've made it to the end of this thing. I'll save all the sentimentalities for next time. For now, I want to know your guys' thoughts on the conclusion. Sometimes I get caught up in writing that i fail to think critically, so feedback is appreciated, and will help me write out better stories in the future!

Well, that's about it from me. See you guys in two weeks for the epilogue!

Next time, Visibility comes to an end. Please look forward to it.

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