All around Japan, the sakura trees were in bloom, the beautiful pink flowers bursting forth in celebration of youth and spring. For the seniors at Seirin High, it marked their graduation to new schools, new lives, new faces, and leaving behind everything they'd come to know and love at their current school. Many graduates merely accepted this sad twist of fate, that they would have to let the strong bonds they created slowly disintegrate over the time they did not see their friends. However, two seniors of Seirin's second graduating class ever were not ready to accept parting ways. Said two were sitting on the rooftop of the school they were about to leave in just few days time, eating lunch and enjoying their victory in the Winter Cup along with the nice weather. The wind seemed to blow a sense of melancholy around the rooftop.

"I still don't get how a sandwich and a milk carton is enough for you," Kagami said, restating the years-old argument of his friends undereating. "Seriously, don't you starve during games?"

"I don't get how Kagami-kun eats that much and doesn't get fat," Kuroko deadpanned, eyeing the plastic bag full to the bursting with foot-long sandwiches. "Even if you do work it off during practice, how does Kagami-kun manage to not throw up after suicides?"

"Geez, you can at least drop the -kun, you know," Kagami grunted, finishing his upteenth sandwich and reaching for another. "We've known each other long enough."

"Old habits never die, Kagami," Kuroko said, allowing a small smile to flit across his face. "'Taiga' is still a bit of a stretch."

"What ever you say, Te-tsu-ya," Kagami grinned, deliberately emphasizing every syllable of his shadow's name. Kuroko frowned.

"You sound like Takao-kun."

Kagami rolled his eyes and silence fell between the two of them. Each felt like the other had something to say but nothing happened for a long time in which both boys finished their unproportionate lunches and the wind blew harder, whipping their clothes and hair around them. Cherry blossom petals occasionally danced in the wind. The sun shone through the wispy clouds, making the light and shadow's unasked question feel heavier and heavier until they both wished the scene could just stop in time and they wouldn't have to leave each other's side.

"So when are you leaving for the university, Kuroko?"

The bluenette closed his eyes and didn't respond for so long that Kagami thought he must've fallen asleep. Just as he was reaching out to shake Kuroko awake, the shorter boy's eyelids fluttered open, his eyes strangely distant and glassy.

"A week after graduation," he muttered. "Classes start really quickly at the university I'm going to. What about Kagami?"

"What about me?"

"When do you fly over to America?" Kuroko elaborated, looking straight into Kagami's eyes, his gaze no longer unfocused but piercing and unsettling.

"Oh," Kagami said, sweating under Kuroko's stare. "I'm heading over day after graduation, so I can get readjusted to American customs and the timezone."

"Are you excited?"

"About going to play basketball professionally? Of course!" Kagami said with enthusiasm. Kuroko smiled at his partner.

"Good for you, Kagami."

"And are you excited about more studying?" Kagami teased, knowing full well the answer he would get. "I heard teaching is a hard major to pursue."

"I feel like I have the experience," Kuroko answered. "With being captain and handling the Generation of Miracles for six years. But I still wouldn't be able to pursue professional basketball, my physical build wouldn't allow for it."

"You could be on my team."

"I would just weigh everyone down," Kuroko responded like a robot, having had this argument about his future plans with Kagami before. "My misdirection has been losing its effectiveness."

"Then we would get stronger!" Kagami burst out desperately.

"Kagami, there's no point in trying to change my mind at this point," Kuroko said. "We're going our separate ways. There's no changing it."

Kagami looked like he wanted to argue back but he knew that Kuroko was right: in the end, they wouldn't be able to go down the same path in the future. He had known this for a while, but it only felt like it really sank in now. It wasn't the fact that he couldn't be with Kuroko like he had been for the last three years that bothered him but something else. Kuroko made to stand up when Kagami grabbed his sleeve. Now or never.

"Will you forget about me?"

Kuroko stared at his friend with wide incredulous eyes. Kagami wondered if he had overstepped any boundaries he was unaware of when he heard a strange but pleasant sound. It was one perplexed moment later that he realized Kuroko was laughing. With another jolt, Kagami realized that this was probably the first time he had ever heard Kuroko laugh. He would have never admitted it, but he liked the sound of the light bubbly laughter.

"Why are you laughing?" Kagami finally asked after what felt like a solid five minutes of Kuroko's laughter. Kuroko hiccuped himself into silence but the smile didn't vanish from his face.

"It's just silly," he said breathlessly. "that Kagami thinks that I would forget him."

"Wha-?" Kagami felt himself starting to burn. "Well, I'm genuinely worried..."

"Is our bond something that I could forget about it?" Kuroko said challengingly. "Could you forget about me over in America? Would you forget about me if you played for the NBA? Or am I just a shadow?"

"Of-Of course not!" Kagami said indignantly. Kuroko's smile widened.

"Then what do you have to worry about, Taiga?"

Kuroko gently detached himself from Kagami's grip and walked towards the stairs. Kagami blinked as a sense of relief and euphoria spread through his body.

Is our bond something that I could forget about?

"Oi, don't just call me by name all of a sudden!" Kagami called out to his friend's receding back. He bounded after Kuroko and the door slammed behind them as cherry blossoms flew from their branches, flying up towards the clouds and disappearing into the silvery wisps.


You can blame me watching Free! Eternal Summer. I liked the idea of all the character trying to find their way in the future, so here it is.

Sorry about late update, just being lazy like shit. :P

-Joy