Betrayal In Its Most Simplest Form

Chapter 14

Kagami scratched his head as he looked down at his vibrating phone. It was from an unknown number. He had just come back from practice—Kuroko was still missing—and was on his way home, when his phone vibrated in his back pocket. He didn't recognize the phone number, so he was hesitant in answering. But, being Bakagami, he still pressed the green button, "Hello?"

"Kagami Taiga," a familiar, cold voice washed over Kagami. He furrowed his eccentric eyebrows to remember the voice. "I am Akashi Seijuro, former captain of Kuroko Tetsuya. I believe our first encounter was not exactly pleasant."

Akashi? Akashi—that sounds familiar. "Wha—you're that scissor-crazy kid!" Kagami suddenly shouted.

"Scissor-crazy?" Akashi said dryly. "I only attempted to stab you because of your disobedience."

The tall red-head sweat-dropped. What was he, a dog? "How did you get my number?"

"You don't need to know."

Kagami swallowed and took swift glances around from where he was standing. "What—what do you want? Why'd you call me?"

"You're interested in Kuroko's past, are you not?" The question made Kagami freeze. "No, not his past, particularly, but what we're hiding from you. You've been conducting research on his mother."

"How do you know this?"

"Don't question me," Akashi cut in. "Come to this address immediately. I'll be waiting."

Kagami listened to the following address, quickly grabbing out a pen from his bag and writing it on his hand. When he took a second glance at it, he widened his eyes. "Kyoto?" he yelled. "I am not going to somewhere so far this late!"

"If you think your need to know of Tetsuya's situation is not as urgent as I had thought, then I find no need for you to come."

The red-head quieted at the words. All of his curiosity would be sated just by coming to Kyoto. Kuroko's, his partner's, situation of abuse would be revealed easily, and the scissor-crazy kid would tell him. Isn't this too easy? Just a day or two ago, Kise threatened me. It was too easy, but the urge to know what was going on was stronger than his natural instincts. "Fine," Kagami said gruffly. "I'll be on the next train."

"The next train is departing in six minutes." Akashi sounded amused.

"What? Damn it!" Kagami suddenly tightened his hold on his basketball bag and started sprinting. The train station wasn't that far. "You better wait for me, you shri—I mean, Akashi . . . san . . . please." His voice wavered at the end, remembering his 'polite words' at the last minute.

"Your manners overwhelm me," Akashi said, bored. "I expect you here by eleven at night. Any later than that, I won't permit you into my house."

Kagami was about to retort until all he heard was the dial tone in his phone. He looked at it in disbelief. "What the hell? He calls me at night, expects me to come to Kyoto in a few hours, and then freaking hangs up on me? Damn it, Kuroko." He angrily shoved his phone in his bag. "You hang out with weird people."

The sprint to the train station was short but tiring. He had to wait in a long line to buy his last-minute ticket (it was time for people to go home from work) and realized he had no money on him, except for his emergency card. With the worst luck, he had to get out of line, go to a machine to extract the money, and get back in line at the back. By the time he rushed onto the last train, the doors were closing on his heel.

Since not many people were going all the way to Kyoto at this hour, it wasn't as crowded and cramped as the other trains. Kagami dragged himself to an empty seat and collapsed tiredly onto it. His bag rested to the seat next to him. It was 7:30 in the evening right now, and it took about three and a half hours to reach Kyoto from Tokyo. He would barely make it on time.

"Stupid . . . red-headed shrimp," Kagami mumbled. He nodded his head sleepily. "I'll . . . just sleep for some." His head hit his bag.

~Setting Skip~

"We have arrived at Kyoto Prefacture. The doors are opening. Please stand clear of the doors."

The announcer's voice woke Kagami from his deep slumber. He rubbed his eyes grumpily and opened one to look sleepily around. When he saw the doors about to close, he grabbed his bag and stumbled out the door.

"Shit." Kagami glanced at his watch and grimaced. It was already almost eleven. He had about ten minutes to make it. He wouldn't really not let me in his house after coming all the way here, would he? Truthfully, he didn't want to know. Just as a precaution, Kagami picked up his pace and run out of the station.

"Taxi!" he called at the streets, waving his hand. Even when it was late in Kyoto, many cars filled up the lit streets. A white taxi car slowly pulled up next to him, the doors unlocking. The tall red-head slid in quickly. "Go to this address. I'll pay extra if you make it there fast," Kagami ordered.

The old taxi driver took the piece of paper, examined the address, and widened his eyes. Without a word, the driver shifted gears and sped down the streets toward the wanted destination. Kagami tapped his foot impatiently in the car, glancing at his watch every minute. Four more minutes until eleven. He would make it, right? The shrimp wasn't really going to lock him out for being a minute late, right?

"We're here," the taxi driver announced suddenly. Kagami immediately scrambled to get his seat belt off, threw the extra money to the driver, and rushed out of the car. He didn't even thank the driver as he slammed the door and ran toward the exact address number he remembered from his paper. It wasn't hard to find because:

One, the door was red, compared to all the regular, black doors.

Two, a familiar red-head stood with his arms and ankles crossed, his back leaning against the door frame.

"You actually made it," the red-head noted, obviously abused at how flustered the tall ace looked. "Yet, I am not surprised, Taiga."

"Don't call me by my first name," Kagami snapped.

Akashi's hetero-eyes flashed dangerously. "I will call you with whatever pleases me," he retorted coldly. He turned his back on the taller teen and walked inside his large apartment. "Well? Are you coming inside?"

The way the shrimp talked ticked Kagami off to no ends. He had seen how the former captain of Kuroko played basketball, and it was true he had skills, but Kagami was still bigger and—possibly—stronger than him (so he thought). I bet I can beat him in an arm-wrestle match, Kagami mused.

"Sit," Akashi said curtly and motioned toward his couch. "It is late. Are you hungry?"

"No." Truthfully, Kagami was hungry, but he wasn't going to trust anything Akashi gave him. "So why'd you call me here?"

Akashi grabbed his pile of notes and a notepad to bring over to the table that sat in front of the couch. "You have been interested in Tetsuya's secret, have you not?"

Tetsuya? . . . Oh, Kuroko Tetsuya. He swallowed but glowered at the smaller red-head. "He's my partner, now, and I don't give a damn about secrets when our own teammate is getting beat-up." Kagami clenched his hands. "So yeah, I'm 'interested', whatever that means. If you 'Generation of Miracles' won't tell me, I'll do the stupid research myself."

Akashi ignored his rude behavior for the moment. "You're getting too nosy," he bluntly stated, sitting across from Kagami and crossed his legs. "You'll only be a hindrance if you continue this . . . That is, if you don't help us." Akashi steepled his fingers and leaned forward. "Instead of becoming a lurking, rather annoying person, you will become useful to us."

"Useful?" Kagami didn't like the way he sounded like a tool.

"Hm," Akashi hummed to agree. "Though it's quite distasteful, you seem to be the most intelligent on the Seirin team. Having you figure out Tetsuya's situation before I explain would certainly cause problems, as you would probably run to your teammates and confess. Am I wrong?"

Kagami shifted guiltily. He wasn't wrong.

"Your motives are obvious," the red-head continued. "I am willing to tell you everything you want to know right now, however," he gave a cold smile that had Kagami stiffen. "This is to be kept confidential. You will not utter a word to Seirin about Tetsuya, understand?" There was no need for an 'or else'. It was implied.

The tall ace sat in his chair quietly, his eccentric eyebrows scrunched together in a frown. While he wanted to tell everybody Kuroko's condition since they were just as concerned as he was, he also wanted to know all the answers he had spent all of his time looking for right then and now. From past experiences, Kagami knew he wasn't the best liar. Would he be able to keep a secret if he was question? He didn't even want to imagine what would happen if he 'accidentally slipped'.

"Fine," Kagami agreed, after deciding knowing was better than being ignorant. "I'll keep it a secret."

Akashi studied him and looked for any type of hesitance in Kagami's clenched face. He found none. "Very well," he leaned back and slung his arm around the back of his chair. "I will answer anything reasonable within my limits."

Reasonable within my limits? Kagami raised an eyebrow. Might as well ask the most important question first. "Is Kuroko being beat by someone?"

"Abused is a more suitable word," Akashi said immediately, expecting this question. He leaned back in his chair. "Yes, he was and still is being abused. At the very moment, I am not sure if he is safe." He looked off the side, adding, But I can't do anything—yet in his mind.

Kagami pressed his lips together. I knew it. "Who is abusing him?" He already knew the answer.

"Kuroko Ibuki," the small captain tersely said. "His mother."

"Who is Kuroko Ibuki?"

"A rather complicated woman," Akashi answered wryly. "A woman of three identities, her information quite mysterious, and owns a psychotic personality. Thirty-six years of age, owns three of the largest and influential business in Japan. No one dares to speak up of her multiple identities . . . and there are very few that are aware of it."

Three identities . . . psychotic . . "Only a few know?" Kagami found that almost ridiculous, since if Ibuki was extremely influential and known, would it not be weird for people to find out they were talking about the same person with different names?

"Ibuki has many connections deeper than the government itself. You could say she is invincible in the political and law world."

Kagami took a moment to process this information through his thick head. "How long . . . how long as Kuroko been abused?"

The captain glanced at Seirin's ace coolly. "I was the first to observe Kuroko Ibuki's strange behavior around her son. It was easy to figure the rest when Tetsuya had a feared reaction toward her, along with his excused injuries. This was halfway of our first year in Teiko." Akashi's face tightened suddenly. "I do not know how long Tetsuya has been abused. However, I do know it has been going on for years, before I found out the truth."

For years . . . if Akashi found out in his first year of middle school, then Kuroko was even abused as a little kid? Kagami put a large hand over his face and let out a soft groan. He should have known. No, he shouldn't have taken Kuroko's poor excuses for his obvious injuries. To think my own partner was being abused before my eyes. "What happened that day, the day that Kuroko had to skip school for so long?" His voice was muffled by his hands, and he refused to look up to Akashi's piercing gaze.

"His mother severely injured him that time," Akashi replied. "More than usual. No bones were broken, yet he had many internal bruises. His ribs are barely intact. His mother had dropped—or pushed—him off the second floor."

"The second floor?" Kagami abruptly shouted and jumped from his seat. "Is that woman fucking crazy?"

"Lower your voice," Akashi said harshly. "This is my house. Behave civilly."

Feeling like he was being scolded by his mother, the enraged teen stiffly sat himself down again. "Sorry," he reluctantly grumbled.

"Hm." Akashi tapped his fingers against the chair. "Are you finished with your question?"

"One more," Kagami said. "Why do you want to keep this a secret? Shouldn't we, Seirin, be allowed to know about our teammate?"

"Seirin is a very nosy and loud team. Ibuki absolutely must not know of our plans. She is the most influential woman in Japan; she can get information anywhere she pleases. I will not risk having this case be public." Akashi's voice lowered considerably, as he murmured the next line. It was very soft, so much that Kagami could barely hear him. "It is also for Tetsuya's pride."

Kagami didn't answer. He only stared at the ground beneath his feet, processing the large amount of information that was laid out before his ears. Though he had suspected of it, no, accepted it, he couldn't help but feel guilty he had let Kuroko get hurt. He had been fed the obvious lies from Kuroko and never questioned it. Yet, for years, his shadow was being abused.

"Now that you are done," Akashi interrupted his brooding time, "It is my turn." He grabbed the notebook from the table and set it in front of Kagami, turning it to the first page. "These are the evidence, clues, and information I managed to receive of Kuroko Ibuki. Know that my father and you are the only ones who have read this; no one else. If any of this information is breeched from you, you will not like the consequences."A shiver went down Kagami's spine. "Good. You understand. Read through the notes. On the last page, write down everything you know that is not noted, yet."

"Everything . . . that I know?"

"You have been conducting research, have you not?

"Well, yeah, but—"

"No matter how small or useless the information may seem, write it down. I need to know everything."

Frowning severely, Kagami picked up the notepad and began to analyze the first page of notes. As expected, Akashi had line after line filled with information from his talent of researching and finding connections. Most of the information Kagami held was already jotted by Akashi's neat, yet hasty handwriting. By the time he finished the second page, he didn't think he had anything that wasn't already written down.

Akashi waited 'patiently'. "Well?"

"Err," Kagami scratched his head and picked up the pen. Well, there was that piece of useless information my old man told me. Would that really help? He quickly wrote down that one note his father had told him. "There's only one thing that I know but you don't have. I doubt it's helpful though."

Akashi grabbed the notepad and looked at the messy characters. 'Ibuki's parents were entertainers before their death', it read.

The small red-head smirked.

Hm.

~Setting Skip~

Kuroko lied in his bed, many pillows supporting his head and body. His blank eyes stared at the white ceiling. He didn't move. The pain would come back if he did. While staying like this all day caused him anxiety, since he couldn't get his father's words out of his head, or his actions, Kuroko refused to move.

He had tried to go to school in the morning. With his father gone and his mother still sleeping, Kuroko carefully, painfully, sneaked through his home to walk to school. However, when he made it to homeroom, his body could barely hold him up anymore. He had managed to sit in his appointed seat, noting that Kagami was missing from school.

Somehow, the teal-haired boy made it through homeroom, but by the time he stood up to go to his next class, he collapsed. His teacher, miraculously noticing him, rushed over to his side and called for the nurse. He was taken to the nurse's room, but stopped them from calling his mother or father.

"But Kuroko-kun, something must be wrong with your health. We have to call at least your father!" his Sensei had cried to him.

"Don't worry, Sensei," Kuroko said. "I am just tired. May I go home?"

With more negotiating, the teacher and nurse reluctantly sent him home. Kuroko managed to walk home without falling.

This was how he ended up on the bed for the rest of the morning, laying and staring, his father's actions repeating over and over in his mind. Otou-san did not do that without good reason, he had tried to convince himself, but to no avail.

After the act of betrayal from his father, Kuroko had carefully cleaned himself up with the backpack he had dragged with him. Akashi had provided him with everything, including bandage wraps, ice packs, disinfectant, and painkillers. He did not know if his nose was broken or not. For the whole day, he was cautious to breathe through his mouth.

Will there be a day where Okaa-san will not come after me?

A knock from his window interrupted Kuroko's thoughts. At first, it was faint, so he thought it was his imagination. However, the knock came again, this time louder. Kuroko slowly peeled off his blankets and moved out of bed like a sloth, his injuries aching more.

"A . . . knock on my window?" Who would be able to reach his window? His bedroom was on the second floor. There was a tree that stretched up to his room, but the branches were very high. In fact, the 'lowest' first branch was near his window.

Kuroko shuffled to his window and opened his blinds. His blank eyes widened a few centimeters.

There he was, Akashi Seijuro, sitting on the said branch with a red eyebrow raised in expectation. Akashi gestured toward the window. Kuroko tried his best to quickly unlock his window and lift up the glass, filling the room with cold, uninvited air. "Akashi-kun—"

"You don't need branches to climb a tree," Akashi answered his unspoken question. "I used to climb many trees from simple trunks." He showed his hands to silent teal-haired teen. "I have gloves."

Kuroko studied the sturdy, winter gloves before asking, "Why are you here, Akashi-kun? Okaa-san can come any moment."

"From my current information, your mother right now is working at the Atari Corporation. Her working hours will end in four hours. Let me in."

The small boy had no choice but obey and limped back to give Akashi room to jump through the window. Akashi narrowed his eyes at the limp, smoothly swinging himself inside the warm room. When his feet touched the floor, Akashi immediately walked forward to gently grasp Kuroko's chin. The teal-haired teen held his breath.

"You're injured badly," Akashi observed and clucked his tongue. "Your mother? Already?"

"It is not as bad," Kuroko whispered.

Akashi glared at him. "Your nose is swollen. Is it broken?"

"I don't know."

The captain sighed at his former teammate's ignorance. He reached a hand toward Kuroko's nose, ignored the natural flinch, and softly probed the outer bridge of the nose. Akashi made sure nothing unusual was inflicted internally in Kuroko's nose. "It's not broken," he confirmed. "But it is swollen and injured. You will do well to ice it."

"Hai," Kuroko said without a fight.

Akashi nodded, satisfied at the answer, and let go of the pale chin. He quickly surveyed the weak body, glad that most of his injuries were self-treated correctly. On Kuroko's cheek, there were still scratches from his mother's sharp heel. His eye was only slightly swollen, since Kuroko had made sure to ice it every fifteen minutes carefully. The starting-to-heal-bruises had turned into purple bruises once more, along with a few additional ones.

"What is wrong?" Akashi asked sternly as he saw the breech of emotion in Kuroko's usual blank eyes. "Does it still hurt a lot? Sit."

Only Akashi could come into someone's house and order them around. Nevertheless, Kuroko listened and sat down on his bed. Akashi came to join him. "You know this is trespassing, Akashi-kun," the teal-haired boy commented.

"I'm hurt," Akashi said monotonously, but replied, "You allowed me to come in. I am not trespassing." Kuroko didn't answer, so the red-head turned his body so that he was fully facing his former teammate. "Tetsuya." The firm tone had Kuroko turn to meet hetero-colored eyes. "What is wrong?" Besides the blatant abuse, something else was bothering the teal-haired boy.

Kuroko gave a light, fake smile. "I am okay, Akashi-kun."

"Are you lying to me?"

The question made Kuroko pause. His smile faded from his lips. "Ah . . ." he clenched his hands and leaned forward, his teal hair covering his eyes. His voice came out as a whisper, "Everything was . . . just a lie. Otou-san lied to me. He . . . lied," Kuroko gazed at his shaking hands. He trembled at every word. "Everyone here . . . was a lie. But Otou-san . . . Otou-san, I didn't expect-" the teal-haired boy stopped talking, not trusting himself to not cry if he went on.

Akashi listened closely to each word the boy whispered. His eyes widened at the word 'Otou-san' and 'lie'. I told him a few days.

"Quiet," Akashi hushed as Kuroko's breathing became heavier and quicker. "Listen to me, Tetsuya." The red-head grabbed his shoulders and turned him around so that the two were fully facing each other. Kuroko refused to look in his eyes, so Akashi made him by forcing his chin up with two slender fingers. "Everything is not a lie, Tetsuya," he said quietly. "Tell me; am I a lie?"

Akashi-kun? A lie? To me? Kuroko found that impossible. "Of course not, Akashi-kun," he denied instantly.

A small smirk curved onto Akashi's lips. "I will never be a lie to you," Akashi declared in an even softer voice and leaned in so that his face was close to Kuroko's. Kuroko could smell his sweet breath from the close distance. "Tetsuya, may I try something?"

Try? "Yes," Kuroko hesitantly replied.

A pair of soft, cold lips met his.

~Setting Skip~

A familiar ring went off in Midorima Shintarou's room. The rice that was held with chopsticks stopped halfway to his mouth. His green eyebrows furrowed, and he set the rice back into his bowl. No one called him during this hour, since they all knew Midorima's 'strict schedule' of calling after school. No one, but a certain person.

"May I be excused, Father? Mother?" the shooter asked.

His father grunted. His mother nodded.

Midorima stood up from the dining table and swiftly walked to his room, where his phone laid on the desk. He picked up his cell phone and checked the caller ID. Sure enough, the name 'Akashi' blinked on and off on his screen. He pressed the answer button, "Akashi," he greeted.

"Shintarou."

"Is there something you need?"

"Actually, there is. Are you free this evening?"

The green-head thought what he had to do after dinner and nodded his head. "I am free. Why?"

Akashi gave a hum of approval. "I have a job for you to do. It concerns Tetsuya."

At the sound of Kuroko's name, Midorima's attention was at its fullest. Even though he would deny it, Kuroko's wellbeing was important to the tsundere. "What it is?"

"I received—some interesting news from Kagami Taiga, Kuroko's new light it seems. I need you to look it up. I am busy tonight, and since your abilities with researching are exceptional, I need you to do it."

Midorima coughed, hiding the fact he was flattered his former captain, who was usually a criticizer, acknowledged him for something. It was true, though. Aside from Akashi, who had important connections because of his parents (not to mention that his parents were two of the best attorneys in Japan, so evidence-searching was a natural instinct to Akashi), Midorima was the best at researching. "What is it that you need me to look into?"

"Apparently, from the new information, Ibuki's parents used to be famous entertainers."

"Entertainers?"

"Yes. Entertainers. Of what, I do not know, since there were not stable clues or evidence to reach a conclusion. I want you to research the names 'Abe Miku' and 'Suzuki Akihiko' for me, especially their parents. If you could get names, that would be helpful. However, I only want what kind of entertainers they were, and if they are deceased, the date of when they died."

"That is all you want me to do?"

"That is all," Akashi confirmed. "Email me all resources you looked through and tell me anything you find out."

Midorima nodded, even though the latter couldn't see him. "I'll do it right away, tonight." There was a few seconds of silence, neither of them hanging up, and the green-head took the chance to hesitantly comment, "You seem . . . happier, Akashi. Are you in a good mood?"

"I am happy, Shintarou. Yes, I am in a good mood." Akashi hung up.

After dinner, Midorima excused himself for the rest of the day. He locked his bedroom door and turned on his computer. Closing all medical documents he had been analyzing a day before with permission, he opened up a new browser and proceeded to type in 'Abe Miku' and 'Suzuki Akihiko'.

There were many false articles or unreliable articles. Many referred to 'Suzuki Akihiko' as a 'he'. They mainly talked of Suzuki's popularity or Miku's success in expanding her business. Only once in a while would they mention her mysterious background partially, commenting on 'famous entertainers as parents' in some paragraphs.

Both identities had been said to have magicians for parents, singers, dancers, actors, or even hosts of a Japanese comedy show. There were no articles that repeatedly said the same thing. Each resource said something different.

"Is her background really so secluded and complex?" Midorima asked tiredly after hours of researching. "I don't know how Akashi managed to get stable evidence on these identities. Each one has unclear pasts."

Finally, on his last try, he typed in new key words. Only five websites popped up. The shooter clicked on the first one and read it swiftly.

'Abe Miku, daughter of a popular singer for a mother and an actor for a father, is now booming her way up the social standings. Recently expanding her business to the Americas . . .'

Midorima clicked out of the article and selected the next one:

'Abe Miku is recovering past from her parents' death. A singer and actor lost, Abe-san seems to spreading her businesses all over Japan. The funeral was taken place on December 19th, yet Abe-san was not seen there . . .'

Two articles stating a singer and actor . . . December 19th? Midorima clicked on another one.

'Suzuki Akihiko recently lost his parents in a tragic accident on December 17th. The funeral is not known. Suzuki-san's business is still growing outrageously, though, and seems to be buying the Jingun business on December 21st . . .'

The rest of the articles mentioned the same thing, for both identities. Midorima, knowing it was now true, recorded all the resources, put them on a document, and typed in the notes, including the deceased date, funeral date, and the strange up rise of business after the deaths. Names, on the other hand, were not mentioned.

He uploaded the document to his email and sent it to Akashi, satisfied he was able to do the job.

~Setting Skip~

By the time Akashi arrived home in Kyoto, it was already ten in the evening. He was planning to call his father for the night and then rest, but when his eyes caught Aomine and Kise on his doorstep, he knew his night plans would not go as smoothly.

However, he was still in his rare, good mood, and it had to do with someone. The warm impressions on his lips wouldn't leave. "Daiki, Ryouta. Why are you here?" Akashi walked up to them, raising an expectant eyebrow.

"Akashicchi!" Kise cried and flung himself forward to grip the smaller's shoulders. "You have to help them! Please! Use your connections, whatever, I don't care! You have to!"

"Calm down, Ryouta," Akashi said sharply and placed one hand over Kise's. The grip on his shoulders wasn't particularly painful, but uncomfortable. "I don't appreciate being ordered around. Why do I have to do?"

Aomine grabbed the back of Kise's shirt and tugged him off of Akashi. "He's a bit stressed," the tanned teenager gruffly said. "The information isn't sitting too well on him."

"What is it?" Akashi demanded.

"Ibuki destroyed Kise's parents' reputation," Aomine spat bitterly. "And by destroyed, I do mean destroyed. Kise's parents were completely demoted to the last ranking. And you know Kise's old man was the highest captain pilot . . . Their salaries were cut more than half."

"It's horrible!" Kise wiped his eyes with his jacket. "T-Tou-san was accused and 'proved' he was drinking and-and sneaking in dr-drugs, but he would never do that! A-and Kaa-san was blamed for the-the kitchen fire that burned a building a week ago so she can't be on the show anymore." Kise's words were no longer coherent as he sobbed into his hands. Aomine wrapped a strong arm around the blonde and held him close to his body.

"I don't know how she did it," Aomine said in a low voice, "but she managed to make 'hard-proof' evidence for these accusations. Kise's parents are in a mess right now."

"It's not fair," Kise sobbed into Aomine's shirt. "They're getting hurt b-b-because of me. I ang-angered her."

Aomine hushed him and ran a hand through the messy blonde hair. He gave an awkward kiss to Kise's head. "Shut up," the tanned teenager said lightly, never one to be too affectionate and comforting. "You're stuttering. It isn't your fault."

"Aka-Akashicchi," Kise weakly said and wiped his eyes to meet them with angry, hetero-colored ones. "You have to do something about K-Kurokocchi's mother . . . She's going to hurt everyone."

"Trust me Ryouta," Akashi coldly replied, his good mood gone in a flash. A strange glint appeared in his eyes. "I will stop her."

After Akashi got Aomine and Kise on a paid taxi to the station, the red-head entered his room and went straight to his computer. He checked his email first and noticed Midorima's email right away. He clicked on it and, ignoring the list of resources, went straight to his notes. There, dates and occupations were typed.

Good job, Shintarou. Akashi made a note to demand Midorima's captain to cut his training menu by half. "Singer and actor, hm? Why no names?" he read the rest of the notes. "Business growing just after the death? There was a deal—on December 21st. That must be the key date."

He opened up a new browser and typed in key words. His main goal was to find out a list of famous entertainers who died the week just before December 21st on the same year Ibuki made a deal. After confirming reliable resources, he only came up with seven names.

"Seven, huh?" Akashi read through them quickly. "Two of them are neither singers nor actors. This leads to five." The red-head stretched his arms and opened and closed his hands. I'll be researching every single thing about these entertainers.

He looked off to the side, where a Shogi board was set up innocently in his room, the pieces still in place from the last time he played. "Well, Ibuki," Akashi murmured.

"You've made your move. It's now my turn."

I am extremely sorry for being two weeks late. My relative was unexpectedly in an accident, so I balanced my time between my school exams (the semester is coming to an end) and to go to the hospital. But don't worry! Now that the exams are over and my relative is being released, I will have tons of time, so be on a look out for my fast updating again!

I am extremely sleepy. I was planning to finish this tomorrow, but I know you guys have been patient. That's why I stuck out until the end (It's 2 AM right now). But, I have no time to edit, so PLEASE tell me if there is some weird typo or verb confusion or word confusion somewhere. Please, I know there are some strange typos.

Well, the story is progressing! I lied. There will be more than 20 chapters. Well, more to come :) [By the way, my story is being translated into French, Russian, and Vietnamese, to those who are having trouble with English, these are the only languages that will be translated soon. If you know another language and would like to translate, by all means, do :] Just credit me, and it'll be fine.

Extra note: You have noticed I have been updating very late (Don't worry, it won't happen again, I hope). However, if it does, I want to be able to tell all my fans that. I can't put author notes as a chapter, though [and that would severely disappoint people who would think they're chapters xD], and I can't message everybody one by one. Any suggestions? Should I make some kind of Facebook/Twitter/whatever? I'm not sure. Oh, well, I promise it will not take as long to update anymore!

~Virelei