Betrayal In Its Most Simplest Form

Chapter 6

"You are sure he will be there?"

Both players, one tall and one short, traveled through the busy streets. They had been crossing streets and skillfully avoiding bumping into people for the past twenty minutes. Midorima's legs were already tired from the hilly streets and the constant maneuvering around little kids and adults who didn't watch where they were going. Apparently, Akashi's definition of 'a short walk' was different from his definition.

"Yes, he'll be there," Akashi said absent-mindedly. "I'm always right."

Midorima rolled his eyes.

Five minutes later, they stopped in front an old, rundown café. The building looked as if it would collapse at any time, and only a few people entered and left the coffee shop. Some scratched wooden tables were set in front of the building. An annoying sign blinked the large Japanese characters repeatedly: 四季. He immediately translated it into "Shiki" or "Four Seasons".

Akashi checked the time on his phone. "We are late," he announced. "He should be in there by now." He motioned his head for the green head to enter. A melodic chime rang when they opened the door, alerting the waitresses of their presence. Only two tables were taken, one by a couple and another by a young man. The man turned to stare at them.

"Is that him?" Midorima murmured.

"Yes."

"Table for two?" A waitress asked with a polite smile.

"No. We are actually with that man." Akashi pointed to the tall person who was still staring at them.

The waitress looked at the direction of his finger and nodded. "Of course. Please help yourself to a seat."

The two basketball players walked toward the table, Midorima hesitant while Akashi was confident. A feral smile played onto the red-head's lips as they neared the now nervous man. Teiko's number-one shooter surveyed him quickly. He was obviously tall, even while sitting, with short, teal-colored hair and brown eyes. A crisp, blue button-down shirt accommodated the professional black pants. Midorima could see his hands fiddling in his lap.

"Good day, Kuroko Haru-san," Akashi greeted formally.

"Ah, you must be Akashi-kun, right?" Haru scrambled up and gave a small, polite bow. Both raised an eyebrow but bowed back. Kuroko must get his manners from him, Midorima observed.

When they were all seated, and Akashi ordered coffee for the green-head and tea for himself, Haru immediately brought up the topic they were there for: "Where is Tetsuya? Is he hurt badly?" he asked, panicked.

"He is fine," Akashi assured the man. "He is currently resting in my home. His injuries are starting to heal."

A huge burden had obviously been lifted from Haru's shoulders. He slumped down in relief; the anxiousness that had been present on his face disappeared after hearing the news. The blue-haired man ran a hand through his hair. "That—that's good," Haru said. "I was worried when I came home to find Tetsu not there. I'm glad he found his friends." He turned his gaze toward Midorima. "Ah, you are . . . ?"

"Midorima Shintaro," he answered stiffly.

"Midorima," Haru rolled the name off his tongue. He furrowed his blue eyebrows for a couple seconds before realization came onto his face. "Oh! You're Midorima-kun. I've heard much about you."

The shooter raised an eyebrow at that. Kuroko talked about him?

"Haru-san," Akashi reverted the attention back to him. "We need to talk."

A shadow came over Kuroko's father's face. "Yes," he said quietly. "I'm aware you want to talk about . . . Tetsu's mother."

"Kuroko Ibuki," Akashi confirmed. "Haru-san, we are all aware she is the cause of Tetsuya's constant injuries."

Haru looked off to the side, his hair falling into place in front his eyes. His hands were clenched angrily at the thought of Tetsu's wounds inflicted by his wife. He swallowed hard, his self control fighting with himself. At that position, Midorima had a hard time contrasting the differences between the mini Kuroko and the adult Kuroko. "I see," the adult Kuroko whispered.

Rakuzan's ace sipped his tea calmly, but Midorima could see the mixed emotions raging in the hetero-colored eyes. He kept silent and unconsciously squeezed his Hello-Kitty plushy. "We'll go straight to the point: We do not want to have Tetsuya suffering any longer. In any way possible, we want to rid Tetsuya of Ibuki." Akashi set his cup down. Pale, slender fingers tapped against the side of the tea cup. "However, we will need your cooperation."

Haru looked up in surprise. His brown eyes were now wide open, his mouth set agape as he processed the words. It was obvious the man thought he wouldn't be any help when it came to Ibuki. Honestly, Midorima didn't know how he would be of help, either. His previous captain had refused to answer his questions about Kuroko's father during their long walk here.

"Me? I," adult Kuroko hesitated, "I can't do anything to Ibuki. If I fight against her in court, she would take custody of Tetsu." He ran a hand over his face. "It would only get worse from there."

"I am fully aware of Ibuki's power," Akashi said. "Shintaro, give me your bag."

The red-head had made Midorima carry a heavy bag that contained unknown objects during their trip to the café. When he was handed the bag, he didn't dare question why couldn't Akashi himself carry it.

The shooter obediently bent down and scooped up the black bag with a grunt. He handed it to Akashi who thanked him. "Your job might be . . . difficult emotionally, but it is fairly easy in terms of capability." The backpack was unzipped and out came a large camera and multiple memory cards. He put them in the middle of the table for all to see. "It will be hard on you, but I do believe you can do this best."

Haru looked at the camera suspiciously. "What do I have to do?"

For the next twenty minutes, Akashi explained Kuroko's father's job fully with details, dates, times, and instructions. As time passed by, Midorima could see Haru's face growing more horrified, and he was sure his face was, too. It was a cruel, unusual job, unfitting to ask Kuroko's father to do it. Yet, he did agree at the same time. Only Haru would have the capability to carry out his task, no one else.

Nothing much was said after the young man, albeit hesitantly, accepted the job. With Akashi sipping his tea, Midorima nervously filing his nails (a habit Akashi had tried to break him out of), and Haru simply looking out the window, a somewhat comfortable silence fell upon them.

A loud cell phone ring had everybody but Akashi jumping out of their seats. The said teen pulled out his phone, checked the caller ID, and then answered it with a frown, "Daiki."

"I can't find Tetsu!" Aomine cried through the line. "He's gone! I checked everywhere. And he left his phone!"

Akashi narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean he's gone, Daiki? Were you not assigned to look after him and make sure he was not to go anywhere?"

"H-he was sleeping, I swear! I only took a short nap, but by the time I woke up, he was gone! Your basketball shoes are missing, and—"

"You took a nap?" Akashi yelled angrily. The people in the café looked at him in alarm. Midorima widened his eyes, shocked that their composed captain would actually yell in anger. Aomine must have messed up big time, and he could guess accurately what he had done.

"I t-thought it was ha-harmless," the tanned teen stuttered. "Tetsu usually doesn't do these types of things; you have to agree with that! I mean, no one would think he would actually sneak out!"

The short yet dangerous player covered a hand with his face. "Aomine Daiki," he threatened quietly. "You have Hell waiting for you." Then he hung up. "Shintaro, get ready to go." Akashi stood, his jaw clenched in an irritated manner. Midorima quickly did as he was told, putting away the camera and memory chips and filer. "Haru-san, if you would please come. Your son is missing," Kuroko's father bulged his eyes, "but I have an accurate prediction of where he might be."

~Setting Skip~

The basketball flew passed him at an alarming speed and bounced off the gym wall uselessly, its speed decreased considerably as it rolled back to Kuroko's feet. He blinked, wondering when they had passed him the ball.

"Kuroko!" Izuki complained. "That's the ninth time!"

"Yeah, what's going on, Kuroko?" Teppei frowned. "You're usually not distracted.

"Get your head in the game!" Kagami said loudly and slapped the small boy's back for encouragement. Unfortunately, it did the opposite as Kuroko stumbled forward with a whimper, his back renewed with the burning pain. He flinched when he heard a high-pitched chuckle from behind him.

Kuroko Ibuki watched from the sidelines, her eyes boring into her son's head. What's her motive? Kuroko thought wildly. Why is she watching me? Why is she doing nothing?

This was the main reason why the teal-haired boy was so distracted. His brain kept on screaming fear, and he could hardly move in the mock games without goose bumps running down his back. Also, his injuries were starting to open up. Just as Akashi had said, his wounds weren't ready to take on vigorous exercise.

"Take it from the top!" Riko ordered. "Kuroko, pay more attention!"

"Hey . . . Coach?" Koganei, who was benched for the mock matches, leaned forward to whisper in Riko's ear. "Is it just me, or is Kuroko slightly limping?"

Seirin's coach looked at the court; more specifically, at the shortest boy. Now that it was mentioned, Kuroko was limping, and he wasn't running as fast as he would to pass. How come she hadn't noticed it before? "That's—"

"Excuse me." A woman's voice interrupted the both of them. Koganei and Aida turned around to address the teal-haired woman. Riko automatically detected the overly-sweet, fake smile the lady wore. For some reason, the coach was cautious around her. It seemed too unreal for a mother to be that different personality-wise from her son. "Can you please pause the game?"

"Pause the game?" Riko raised an eyebrow. "We can't pause a game."

"Pause it, please," the woman said again, this time with a warning tone.

Aida twitched her eye in annoyance. Well, you have to listen to the parents, she thought, even though the idea irked her. "Stop!" she yelled at the players. Everyone froze in mid-position.

"Why did we stop, Riko-san?" Kuroko asked calmly, but fear flashed in his blue eyes.

Ibuki stepped on the court with a smile. Her son unconsciously took a step back. "My apologies, everyone, but I'd like to take Tetsu home now."

"Hah?" Kagami protested. "You can't just take him home, now! Practice isn't even almost over!" Ibuki shot him a dangerous glare. He quieted down. There was something off about her that made Seirin's ace wary. It was almost as scary as Akashi, but it came off as a different vibe.

"O-Okaa-san?" Kuroko timidly spoke. "I'd like to stay until the end." Stall. Don't go home, his common sense ordered him. Someone will come.

His mother's sweet face turned sour. Her eyes became wild, and the smile she gave off to everyone formed into something feral. "You dare disobey me, Tetsuya?" she threw her head back and laughed. It was a laugh that made everyone want to run and escape. "That's right. You missed your lesson in manners when you ran away from me the other day," her tone lowered that sounded more humane, but angrier, "Don't worry, Tetsuya-kun. I'll make sure you won't miss the lesson when I get you home."

Kuroko stood frozen in the middle of the court. His eyes were fixed on his mother's face, wide and radiating fear. The small teen's frame shook horror at his mother's words. Tears of panic pricked at his eyes. Flashes of Ibuki's past "lessons" overtook Kuroko's brain. He could hear the screams, feel the pain, smell the hatred, see his broken bones; the screaming, the insults, the desperation, the agony, the torture, the bruises, the weapons, the blood. He started gasping, his mind transfixed on the past: His tears, his abhorrence, his cries, his yells, her hate, her eyes, her hands, her feet, her disappointment, her anger, his need for help, help, help, help—

"Kuroko Ibuki." The loud, commanding voice snapped the panicking teen back to reality. In fact, it seemed to snap everybody out of a trance. All of Seirin and Ibuki turned their heads toward the interrupting voice. His heart leaped to his throat when he saw Akashi, along with Midorima and his father. They're here. I'm safe, was the first thing he thought.

Akashi surveyed the silent basketball team, gave Ibuki a short glance, and then turned his stare to Kuroko. It looked as if he had come on time because the teal-haired boy looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack. Akashi noticed he was standing in a strange position, favoring the left leg more than the right, and his back was hunched a bit to relieve the pain that had started ever since he started playing basketball. He shook his head in disapproval.

"And you are?" Ibuki was angry at the fact a boy her son's age would address her by her first name.

"That information is not necessary," Akashi replied indifferently. "Tetsuya. Go to Shintaro. Now."

Kuroko found his body moving at the command. He limped behind Akashi to the waiting shooter. Midorima immediately grabbed him by the shoulders to steady him when he started to sway. "I have the first-aid kit. Let me tend to your wounds again," he said quietly in the ear of Kuroko. He received a nod. Since it didn't look like the short boy could walk anymore, Midorima bent down and picked up Kuroko as if he weighed nothing (which was almost true. His weight was nothing for his age). He and the injured passer walked back to the benches, away from the hated mother.

"Haru, what is the meaning of this?" Ibuki demanded. "Tell them to give Tetsuya back. We're taking him home."

"Ibuki," Haru said quietly. "I know you're upset but—"

"Tetsuya will be staying at my house," Akashi announced. "We have a project to work on. It would be much more convenient if he were to stay." The lie came out so smooth, so convincing that it was hard not to believe him. It didn't even matter that Seirin's basketball team knew Akashi went to a different school than them.

Kuroko's mother glared at the daring teen. "Tetsuya did not inform me about this. He never received permission."

"No . . . but he did tell me," Haru bluffed as well. "I gave him permission."

"Then I'm taking that permission back!" Ibuki raised her voice hysterically. "I make the rules. Tetsuya needs to go back home."

Akashi tilted his head. "And why does he need to go back?"

"He needs to be with his family!"

The red-head's face darkened. His voice changed. "If you say the word 'family' again," he murmured, and a small smile came onto his face. "I will not hesitate to hurt you."

The aura Akashi emitted had even Ibuki stepping back in fear for a second. But then she reminded herself he was only a teenager, and she, who was an adult and had the most influence in Japan, outranked him. "Give Tetsuya back to me."

Rakuzan's ace pretended to think about it. "No."

"Enough of this, Ibuki!" Haru said firmly. "Tetsuya's education is more important than anything else. If he has a project to do, he has the right to do it."

Hyuuga, whose suspicions were confirmed about the woman being crazy, stepped in and said, "Yeah. The project is practically half of our grade. Let Kuroko do it."

"What's wrong with letting Kuroko stay at his house?" Kagami asked, glaring at the woman.

Kuroko's mother shot death glares to everyone in the gym. "You will all regret this," she hissed. She grabbed her purse and stalked out of the building, the gym door slamming behind her dramatically.

Haru let out a sigh of relief.

Seirin's basketball team were only confused and happy that the hysterical woman was gone.

Akashi, however, didn't feel a single bit of relief as he turned around and started to walk toward the injured boy being tended by Midorima. His shirt had been stripped, revealing the bruises and infected gashes that had been reopened on his back from the strain he put on it today. The captain loomed over the whimpering boy, watching the teen deal with the stinging pain Midorima added when applying the disinfectant.

"A-Akashi-kun," Kuroko managed to say.

The said teen knelt down to be face to face with the number-one passer. "You disobeyed me, Tetsuya."

Kuroko looked down, frustrated with himself that he had made such a stupid decision. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"This had better not happen again," Akashi warned. He grabbed the pale boy's chin and tilted it up. "Now you know why I didn't let you go. Not only did your mother find you, but your wounds are now reopened and infected. You have no one to blame but yourself."

The tears that he had been fighting to keep back overflowed and spilled over his cheeks. He attempted to wipe them off, but the droplets kept coming. "I-I'm sorry," Kuroko tried to say. "I will repay b-back any inconvenience I've made on Akashi-kun and M-Midorima-kun."

Akashi seated himself on the bench. With a sigh, he gently took in the smaller boy into an embrace, careful not to interrupt Midorima's aiding. Kuroko made no move to clutch onto his holder, but he did accept the warm body and leaned his head against the muscular chest.

A loud gasp came from behind them. Riko Aida looked at Kuroko's injuries with a hand over her mouth. The basketball players looked on with wide eyes. "Oh my gosh," she cried. "What happened to him?"

Akashi's arms tightened over the stiffened Kuroko. The red-head knew he didn't want more people to know about his family. He immediately came up with a lie and said, "This is the result of bullying. A coward came up to Tetsuya the other day," he looked at them through his red eye. "I took care of it." Seirin shivered.

"All this from one person?" Aida asked in disbelief. "How awful! What did Kuroko ever do to him?"

"No wonder he was acting weird today," Kagami said, upset he didn't know his own partner was injured. "And he was limping. Damn it, I should have noticed sooner!"

"Indeed you should have," Akashi said. "As teammates, you should know when another is hurt. If ties between teammates are this weak in Seirin, you will not become strong."

Teppei protested, "Hey! We were all focused on practicing for Kaijou's match. Kuroko hid it well from us."

Midorima tied the last of the bandages around Kuroko's leg. His head bandages didn't need to be changed, but Kuroko's right leg was not healing properly as he had thought. "It doesn't matter if he hid it from you or not," the green-head said. "You should have at least noticed how much that woman affected him."

Akashi adjusted the teal-haired boy in a much more comfortable position. He had fallen asleep during his crying and now slept with a more peaceful look on his face. "But, wasn't that Kuroko's mother?" Koganei asked, confused. "Why would he be scared of his mother?"

"That is not your business to know."

"Hey!" Kagami glared at the former captain of Teiko. "Kuroko is on our team, so that means he's ours. We have the right to know!"

"You're wrong," both Akashi and Midorima said. "He's not yours. He's ours."

(Reviews please! Thank you so much for your support!)