"Well, where are we going to start?" Akashi said while walking gracefully to the nearest chair to Kuroko. All of them silently grunted feeling disappointed that Akashi's the nearest again. They didn't have a choice, so they sat at the nearest chair to them. Kuroko is still keeping his straight face, thou they could see that he's nervously playing the blanket with his hands.
"How about... with the question..." Akashi trailed off as if thinking, but they knew better "...why didn't you tell us?"
"I don't want to worry you... " he answered
"Did you really think that you could hide it from us?" He asked calmly but with a cold voice
"...i-...tried" he whispered while looking down
"..."
"Tetsu..."Aomine suddenly asked "what are we to you?" He seriously said, his eyes was hidden behind the shadow of his bangs
"..."
Kuroko cannot answer, he's just looking at Aomine, dumbfounded. He never saw Aomine that serious except in basketball
"...friends" he whispered after sometime
"Friends!? Friends!? Tetsu! Bullshit!" He stands and shouted furiously while kicking the innocent chair in front of him
"Aominecchi..." Kise whispered while on the verge of tears
Akashi didn't bother to reprimand Aomine for cursing because he knew all of them would also like to release their anger
"I'm sorry" was all Kuroko could mutter
"We could have helped you Kuroko, or anything! We could support you! We're a team!" Kagami shouted angrily 'and we're partners' was left unsaid but he knows Kuroko could hear it
"I don't want you to treat me differently" Kuroko answered, his voice, higher than usual
"Kurokocchi! Since from the start..." Kise started "... we have a-always been t-treating you differently..." his tears, is now freely flowing to his face then he continued "because...because you're very special to us! You're our only one Phantom Sixth man!" He sat on the floor while crying. Murasakibara went near him and gently patted him on his back.
Midorima suddenly stood up then started walking to the door "I'm going to the bathroom" he excused himself but when he closed the door behind him... he wiped the tears that were threatening to fall a while ago.
"Kurochin... i don't understand... i don't understand anything at all..." Murasakibara said while standing up with Kise then like Midorima, left the room.
"I need to go somewhere" Kagami lamely excused. Aomine didn't say anything and wordlessly exited the room. Akashi gave Ogiwara a meaningful look who answered with a nod then glanced at Kuroko then left.
"Now you understand?" Akashi said after a few minutes of silence
"I'm sorry"
"Tetsuya, you should have told us" Akashi said with worried eyes.
"I- i can't"
"That's why you lied to us? You really hurt them, you know..."
"I'm so-"
"Don't you dare say sorry" Akashi said firmly. Kuroko stayed quiet.
"You see..." Akashi started while adjusting his position "they trusted you"
"I know that Akashi-kun, but i don't want to be a burden" Kuroko confessed
"That's not nice, you know that you'll never be a burden, it's just normal because you're a friend, but , if you didn't tell us about something that important... that's when you'll be one. Taiga and Daiki are one of your close friends, aren't they?"
Kuroko nodded "ha-" *cough *cough *cough. Akashi frowned at the sound of the cough, he helped Kuroko reach the glass of water and gently patted him on the back.
"Arigatō Akashi-kun, I'm sorry for the inconvenience"
"Really, Tetsuya, you're still as stubborn as always" he said while standing up then arranged the wrinkles of his pants.
"You should rest, Tetsuya" he said
"Matte, Akashi-kun" Kuroko said before Akashi could finally leave. He was going to ask about the game but seems like the latter already knew it
"Ah, right. I still feel bad about losing the game but it doesn't matter now." He said while getting his jacket
"Akashi-kun, I'm sorry"
"For what? I learned many things during that match, so you don't have to worry"
"I'm just glad you're back"
"I'll beat you next time in the court, I'm still absolute, so i'm demanding you to get well, it's an order and don't you dare defy me, Tetsuya"
Kuroko was left speechless before he realized that there are tears in the corner of his eyes. He gave Akashi a sincere smile then nodded.
"I'll make sure not to disappoint you then" Akashi just replied with a small smile before going out
"You always exceeded my expectations, so don't disappoint me in this one" he whispered to himself after closing the doors behind him
"Shit!" Aomine cursed as he punched the wall in front of him
"Aomine, stop hitting those innocent things" Midorima said but it was actually for Aomine 'he's been hurting himself, since we went out'
"It's our fault, i-it's our f-fault for n-not noticing, Midorimacchi" Kise said burying his face with his hands. All of them looked at Kise then they looked down, feeling guilty. These are the few times that Kise actually cried. These are the few times all of them are very...down
"No it's my fault" a voice suddenly said, making their head turn into the source of it
"... A-Akashicchi! N-no it's not your fault!" Kise immediately defended
"It's my fault, as a captain during that time, i failed to notice it"
"Akachin it's not your fault" Murasakibara said shocked about what their heterochromatic captain just said
"It is my fault" he said sternly "i pushed him in trainings, and also in the game"
"Oi, Akashi are you out of your mind?! Kuroko never wanted you to take easy on him and I'll never forgive you if you take easy on us" Kagami shouted while fighting the urge to punch the smaller readhead
"Nevertheless, it's still my fault for dismissing all the clues in front of me" he still said with a straight face
"Akashi, what are you talking about?" Midorima said, frustrated
"Akashi, don't blame yourself, about this! Tetsuya-kun would not be happy" Ogiwara told Akashi, making him remember about Kuroko
"I'm a failure" all of them gasped when they heard that sentence
"Akashi! Don't you ever! Ever! Blame yourself!" If Aomine was angry a while ago now his beyond furious. 'Akashi was crushing his own pride!'
"Hmm?" Was Akashi's reply. Then his face became serious "then don't you ever dare to blame yourselves either" he ordered
"Eh?" All of them said dumbfounded
"...You're not blaming yourself?" Ogiwara asked after recovering from the shock
"Why would I?" He just said then he turned around and walked away
"Do think about what happened. Oh and Ryouta, Tetsuya is going to need your annoying attitude later" he said leaving the others with a dumbfounded expression
"I'm sorry about my actions a while ago, Tetsu!"
"Me too, Kurokocchi, it'll not happen again"
"I didn't do anything, nanodayo"
"Me too, Kurochhin~ i just simply don't understand~"
"It's not my fault, Ahomine started it"
"Oi! I already said sorry, Bakagami!"
"but it's true that you're the one started it!"
"Taiga, Daiki"
"W-we're sorry!"
All of them apologized to Kuroko after what happened. Kuroko gave them a small smile then replied
"No, i'm the one who have to say sorry" he said as he shifted his position a little so that he could sit. Then he bowed slightly at them, making them startled
"i'm sorry for not informing you all and for not trusting you, from this day on..." he paused "please take care of me" then he sat straight, smiling happily
"Kurokocchi~ you're so cute!"
"Tetsu" Aomine said as he raised his fist, to which Kuroko weakly returned
"Oi! No fair, I'm his current light!" Kagami sulked making Kuroko smile then he raised his other fist. Kagami grinned happily and eagerly returned the bluenette's offer for fist bump
"Tetsu, you need to get better or else I'll be able to beat you both"
"Minechin's right, Kurochin" Murasakibara agreed then added "ah, and you still have to treat me candies"
"Kuroko, today's lucky item of Aquariuses is dream catcher" Midorima said as he presented the dream catcher "with that you should get well so-" Midorima wasn't able to continue his sentence when he realized that the room suddenly becomes quiet that they could actually hear a pin drop
"I was just saying that because I want a decent opponent in basketball and I still have to beat the both of you, It's not like I actually care or anything" he finished the sentence while blushing wildly
"I understand, then, let's play basketball again, soon" Kuroko said
They all smiled. Kise is crying from happiness, Aomine and Kagami gave Kuroko a big happy grin, Murasakibara smiled then patted Kuroko's head much to the latter's annoyance, Midorima didn't bother to hide his smile, Ogiwara wiped the tears in his eyes, feeling proud of his friend. Kuroko looked at Akashi while smiling as if saying thank you, which Akashi replied with a small nod and manage to gave the latter a small smile despite the bad feeling he's getting
.
.
.
.
A bad feeling he can't rid from the pit of his stomach.
A/N: Phew! I'm very sorry minna-san! I know I promised that I'll update this after 2-3 days... and look what happened! I was already able to finished this chapter but I just can't update this because of the ******** wifi! Oh well.
Tell me how's this new chapter. Anywaysies, Expect tragedy on the next chappy since this is a kinda-happy-chappy. (though I haven't even started it yet XD) Please don't forget to drop some reviews, to follow and to add this to your favorite story to give me more boost! XP
See you on next chap!
Ja ne~