a/n= Hello guys! Feel free to come to my house and bring a knife or a saw to cut my hands because I make you guys wait for three (or four?) weeks. I spent extra time on this chapter because it's like the peak of the climax point in this story. KMHM will still continue in slower updates, but I will try to update fast because college is being a bitch.
So please review guys! Please R&R!
Akashi never sunk into petty behaviors such as eavesdropping, but when he heard Nijimura's unusually foreboding voice from the clubroom, unadulterated curiosity hung on his chest like a load. After gaining approval from his other self, Akashi leaned his slender frame against the wall across the room.
As his eyes flitted back and forth between the clubroom and his wristwatch, the crimson-haired male tapped his foot impatiently. Kuroko and the rest of the crew were waiting for him outside the basketball court, and Akashi wasn't inclined to let one second slip from spending his time with his boyfriend.
He could always spend time with Kuroko, but he couldn't always get an opportunity to listen the conversation between the captain and the coach. The issue didn't sound light either.
"...If you're going to America, then who will replace you?" the coach's emotionally detached voice was propelled by slight distress.
Silence reigned over the room. Akashi figured Nijimura was rubbing his chin with an uncertain look on his face that only appeared during pinching situation in the games.
"Akashi Seijuuro is going to replace me, sir."
Unconsciously coiling his fingers into fist, a bead of sweat ran down from his forehead to his ear below. Akashi was expecting this. For the last few days, the scarlet-haired male was able to read his captain's movements like a book. Because of this sudden ability, Akashi was able to read his teammates' and opponent's movements as well, gaining advantage over the court.
"Do you hear that? You're going to be captain! Isn't that amazing?" Akashi's eyes dilated at the sudden unconventional anticipation in Seijuuro's voice.
"I don't like this." Seijuuro blinked at Akashi's bluntness. He was about to raise an argument, but he conceded after contemplating about it a few moments later.
"We can't help it Akashi, you're the best player in the court after all."
"I don't think I will cut out for being one though."
Seijuuro uttered a snort before his lips crooked into a smirk. "I can always help after all."
Akashi's eyes flew wide at the sudden fiery sensation bursting from his ribs, radiating towards his abdomen. Clenching his fist, Akashi resisted the heavy nausea boiling underneath. Dread and greed blended on his stomach, and Akashi took a moment to contemplate whose emotions belonged whom.
Suddenly, Nijimura's remark roused him from his trance.
"Oi Akashi, are you eavesdropping?"
The heating sensation on his stomach vanished instantly.
Blinking, Akashi replied with the slight hesitancy in his voice.
"I'm all right, captain. Just now, you and the coach are talking about-"
Nijimura cut him. "You're going to be the captain, Akashi."
Akashi fell silent.
"Don't worry, you can do it." Nijimura creased his lips into a strained smile before he breezed pass him and pressed his fingers against Akashi's tousled hair. Stroking them in a reassuring manner, Nijimura leaned closer and whispered to his ear.
"You are better than me, after all." his tone was grim.
Two days after the graduation ceremony, Nijimura disappeared to America.
By the start of the second year, Akashi Seijuuro officially became the captain for Teiko Basketball Club.
Ever-Victorious.
Those were the words that compelled the Teiko Junior High Basketball team.
Winning was not an option, it was a must. That was the tradition carried by Teiko Junior High over the years. The Generations of Miracles was able to live up its name, and everyone believed Teiko would be blessed with the chain victories for the next two years as long as the Generations of Miracles reigned over the court.
They were right, but not partially true either.
The first time Akashi realized this was when Seijuuro mentioned Aomine's sudden growth in one of their late night conversation.
"You know, that goddamn ganguro who works with your mate?" Akashi choked on his saliva and resisted his laughter. He was filling out the club reports that needed to be submitted tomorrow.
Akashi rested the pen over his notebook and heaved a sigh. "You don't have to remind me about that, Sei."
"He seems to be growing so rapidly." Seijuuro said approvingly. "I believe he can be useful in the court. Just let him be."
At first, Akashi dismissed Seijuuro's advice as one of their daily banters and let it slide. He said nothing to Aomine who was struggling to moderate his skill with other players and had a hard time adjusting to the sport he once loved.
Akashi noticed this when his lover said to him one day.
"Aomine is behaving strangely these days." a sad smile curled on the corners of Kuroko's lips. Akashi was walking home from school with Kuroko to visit Maji Burger. "He didn't stay in the clubroom too often. Sometimes, I didn't even see him smile."
Akashi wanted to press their lips together (more of Seijuuro's idea, which turned Akashi's face into a myriad shades of red like his hair color ) and wipe that scowl from Kuroko's face, but the silent agreement with Kuroko's statement coiled his heart like a vise, which pushed Akashi into his train of thoughts regarding the tanned-hair player.
Two months later, Aomine regularly skipped practice.
Kuroko still smiled, but Akashi knew it was just a facade.
"Akashicchi! I'm sorry I can't come to practice for the next three months!" Kise suddenly called him one day and bent his body that his nose almost kissed the ground. "My crew demands for more photo shoot!"
Annoyed, Akashi crossed his arms and chastised. "Can't you do something about it? At least you can come to practice once in a weak."
Normally, Kise's muscles would stiffen. The blonde would slowly steered his fearful eyes towards Akashi and stared at the captain with teary eyes for approval. But now, Kise laughed. He ran a hand through his hair and heaved a short sigh.
"Sorry Akashicchi. Basketball isn't fun anymore." he said with a weak smile.
Kise left.
With Kise and Aomine absent, Kuroko had nobody to assist him practice. Since he wasn't too friendly with Midorima or Murasakibara, nobody felt obliged to watch over him. As a result, Kuroko injured himself often. Akashi noticed this when he saw an acute scrape on his knee.
"Oi, you should have told me you're injured, Kuroko!" Hearing his boyfriend's unusual outburst, Kuroko stifled a chuckle.
"I am fine, Akashi-kun."
Even though Kuroko was smiling, Akashi could see the traces of grief in Kuroko's eyes. Usually, Kuroko's baby blue eyes were like the sea that expanded across the globe that bear thousands of possibilities, but now his eyes were more like the midnight sky that was waiting for the morning light to penetrate the impregnable darkness.
Akashi believed dawn would break one day from Kuroko's eyes, and the bluenet was going to smile and play basketball again with his friends.
Then one day.
"Eh? Aominnechin and Kisecchin never come to practice anymore?" Murasakibara's eyes skimmed across the court with a scowl and a potato bag in hand. "Then can I leave, Akacchin?"
Murasakibara left.
With the giant's absence, Kuroko approached Midorima one day with a basketball cradled between his tiny arms.
"Midorima-kun, can you help me practice?"
Midorima acknowledged him with a grunt before performing some shots with Kuroko. But their practice didn't last for long. Midorima slung his bag around his shoulders and mumbled 'Your form needs some work.' coldly before he proceeded home.
"Akashi-kun."
Hearing his name called by his lover, Akashi peered over his shoulders. Genuine shock stirred in his stomach like a swelling storm when he saw the hollowness in Kuroko's eyes.
"What should we do?"
That question punched a hole in his gut.
Akashi could solve a university-level algebra, translate war speeches into twelve languages, figure out the hypothesis to an experiment.
But he didn't have the answer to Kuroko's question.
For the first time in his life, a tight strap of helplessness blocked air from his lungs, choking his neck with overflowing anguish.
"I really don't know what to do anymore, Sei." Akashi sprawled his body across the bed. He was surrounded by handouts and photocopies of tomorrow's next assignment from the lecturers. Normally, Akashi would have finished them by now, but these papers were tainted by nothing but wrinkles plumping from the corner.
"Be patient Akashi. As a friend, all I can do is to support you."
Akashi tossed and turned around the bed, burying his head against the pillow while groaning. Seijuuro grunted at his childish behavior. "Cut it out."
Akashi clicked his tongue in annoyance and countered. "I don't know how to deal with these kind of things. I am not the type to deal with my own emotions."
"Maybe that's why you never solve things with your father."
Akashi lifted his head from the pillow, his face trapped in both slight dazed and alarmed expression. "What did you say?"
"Nothing."
"Why did you bring my father into this?" Akashi grounded his jaw and tightened his curled hands.
Seijuuro remained silent for a moment before he muttered.
"I'm just telling the truth. You keep running away from your father, even though he is your parent. I never complained because I don't have the right to. Ever since your mother's death, you have been very cold and detached with your own emotions, you only show your inner feelings to me. I want you to handle things not only practically, but emotionally."
Akashi's fist relaxed, his eyes drooped into a pair of apprehensive gaze. As Seijuuro's words played on the edge of his skull, Akashi heaved his long-held sigh and rubbed his eyelids wearily.
"I always run away from emotions, huh?" Akashi mumbled, running a hand through his crimson hair.
"Ever since your mother's death, precisely." Seijuuro answered.
Akashi's eyes widened, reflecting both confusion and anguish. His fingers crawled through his hair and grasped his skull, tightening the grip on his head and welcomed the sharpness of his nails causing the throbbing pain beneath. His lips opened and closed in a wild trembling manner.
"Hey Seijuuro, if you grow up please find a person who will love you unconditionally." his mother's warm smile basked under the serene afternoon sun drifted into his mind. Then, another image of his mother's last smile before she left, and the gentle rustle of wind by the window signaling her departure followed after that.
When his mother stroke his head playfully, Akashi giggled. When his father pulled him to the backyard garden to play some basketball, Akashi jumped and yelled his name like a mantra. When his father hit him, Akashi curled himself into a ball. When the maids brought him the wrong snack, Akashi frowned. When his mother died, Akashi cried.
When he was younger, Akashi's heart was brimmed with myriads of emotions.
But after Shiori's death.
When his father yelled at him, Akashi said nothing. When the maids misplaced his items, Akashi said nothing. When he earned the highest grade at class, he said nothing. When he received a gift from his father, Akashi said nothing.
Akashi never said anything.
But then when he was at Junior High school, the presence of Generations of Miracles- or friends, if he could call them- slowly painted his lonely monochrome days and had been driving Akashi to the train of emotions every single day.
Akashi would smirk when he saw Midorima's priceless expression when he beat the green-haired male in shogi or exams.
Akashi would send glares to Aomine when the dark-skinned male brought some nude magazines to the court.
Akashi would sigh and lecture Kise to drive his fangirls from filling in the court.
Akashi would give a friendly pat on Murasakibara's back when the tall giant said something or approving to cheer him up.
Akashi would always smile when Kuroko was around.
And Akashi would never feel lonely when Seijuuro stayed beside him.
But now everything slipped away from his fingertips, as if everything that happened corroded into a illusional dream. The walls Akashi had built for years were starting to crumble itself because of his love towards Kuroko and his comrades, but the remnants from the walls were slowly rebuilding itself again, forming an impregnable fortress, slapping him like a karma.
The Generation of Miracles was his only remedy to escape from grief.
And the world was going to take it away from him.
Just like how they took Shiori away.
Akashi's face was trapped in a frozen, blanched expression.
Please, not this again.
I don't want to feel it again.
No, I don't wanna…
"Akashi."
Akashi blinked, his train of thoughts interrupted by the sudden, new voice in his head.
"W-What do you want?"
His voice was void of emotion. Akashi was trembling.
"I'm going to help you. But in one condition..."
Nodding his head slowly, Akashi pulled the corners of his lips into a fine tight line, for he already knew the next words Seijuuro was going to say to him.
"I'm going to do it my way."
a/n= I really apologize for the very late chapter guys. Please really forgive me, because not only I am trying to tackle my college project, I am trying to balance my social life too. I'm good in conversations, but I really suck at group discussions...can I have some social tips? /gunshot
(andthefactthatihaveacrushonmysenpaidonthelpeither)
Please tell me what you guys think of this chapter! Reviews will always be fresh for me 3
Thank you minna!