EEEEEKKKK! Thank you all so much for all the love!
It inspires me ;)
I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own KnB
The next afternoon, Kuroko went to the GOM house with a smile with his face. He really felt that he was bonding with the high schoolers - like they were becoming friends. His life was going rather smoothly of late, and Kuroko felt at peace.
Kuroko was busy pulling weeds from the yard, when he felt someone's eyes on him. He wiped his sweat and looked to the fence and found none other than Haizaki Shougo. "Long time no see, Kuroko" Haizaki smiled with a small wave. "You got rid of the cornrows" Kuroko tilted his head to the side. "I did." Haizaki nodded and ran a hand through his long grey hair. "It looks good. Those cornrows made you look like a delinquent" and in a second, Haizaki's smile turned into a scowl.
During afterschool practice, Kise was swinging he legs while he sat on the benches. "Ne, Rikochi…Rikochi….RIKOCHI" Riko sighed and rubbed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, "What do you want, Kise…?"
"You were ignoring me" Kise whined nudging Riko with his elbow. "Yeah, your voice was annoying me so I tuned it out" Riko shrugged looking through her clipboard at all the statistics Momoi had written for her. 'That kid can be useful sometimes' Riko smiled, scribbling notes next to the numbers. "Ne, Rikochi?"
"What, Kise-kun? I'm busy. If you're bored why don't you give me 40 laps?" Riko sighed. "That's not it, Rikochi…I was just wondering…who is Haizaki Shougo?" Riko froze, her body trembled, the pen in her hands slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor with a soft clink. "Riko?" Aomine asked, turning his attention to his coach. "Y-you…how do you know that name?" Riko asked, eyes wide. "The other day he stuck a note on our door" Midorima replied adjusting his glasses. "Is he a friend of Kuroko?"
"The note was addressed to Kuroko-kun?" Riko asked, shaking. "Yeah, why?" Akashi raised an eyebrow. "W-w-what….what did the note say?"
"I'll see you soon" Akashi replied. "N-no…no way…why is that guy still…" Riko shook. "Rikochi?" Kise tilted his head to the side and watched as Riko turned pale. "Whats-" Riko cut Kise off by blowing the whistle around her neck. "Practice is cut short today! Go home!" Riko dug the keys from her pocket and threw them at Akashi. "Please get everyone out of here then lock up the gym"
"Wait, Riko, what's going on?" Aomine asked, but Riko was already almost out of the door, cellphone to her ear, "Kagami-kun, Haizaki's back and it looks like he's still after Kuroko-kun. Please get to the GOM house as fast as you can….I know…calm down! This time…this time we will protect Kuroko-kun". Riko ran out of the gym as fast as she could. Akashi turned his attention to the rest of the team, a smile on his lips, "Everyone will get out of here in 20 seconds…or else". The team gulped – the gym had never been cleared out so fast. The GOM began to run in the direction of their home, quickly catching up with Riko. "What are you…did you lock-"
"I did, but now... Atsushi" Akashi looked at the giant. "Hai~" Atsushi swiftly scooped Riko in her arms and continued to run. "Wah..what are you.."
"Explain who Haizaki Shougo is." Akashi ordered. Riko gulped, her body still shaking, "That guy….that guy is a demon…."
Back at the house, Haizaki had moved to stand directly in front of Kuroko – a sinister smile playing on his lips. "Its good to see you again, Haizaki-kun" Kuroko said, his eyes blank. "Don't do that Kuroko, don't pretend like you're not afraid" Haizaki smirked looking down at the blue haired man. "But I am not afraid" Kuroko replied, "How have you been, Haizaki-kun?" Haizaki growled and grabbed Kuroko by the collar, "Don't pretend like you care, Kuroko. That really pisses me off about you"
"What do you want, Haizaki-kun?" Haizaki threw Kuroko away, causing the smaller man to stumble to stay standing up. "What if I said I want your life?" Haizaki asked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an army knife. He smirked as he tapped the latch, the blade came out of the handle with a soft click. "I would appreciate if you didn't" Kuroko sighed. "Will you scream, Kuroko? Will you cry? Will you be able to maintain that annoyingly empty face while you're laying a puddle of your own blood? That face...full of agony and despair...I want to see it again" Haizaki approached Kuroko, swiping the blade across one of Kuroko's cheeks. Haizaki smirked and licked the blade. "I'll do to you what I did to Ogiwara" Haizaki touched the blade to Kuroko's neck. Kuroko's eyes darkened as he looked up at Haizaki- unyielding and unafraid.
"Who is this guy?" Aomine asked as the group continued to run. "Bad news" Riko mumbled. "Yeah, we got that already" Aomine growled. "He...He used to be a part of the Seirin team with Kuroko. He was always a trouble maker but he and Kuroko were good friends. Then one day out of the blue, Haizaki injured a fellow player. Kuroko tried to help Haizaki...and his kindness just got him hurt" Riko's eyes narrowed at the memory. "Hurt, how?" Midorima asked. "We weren't fast enough last time" Riko ignored Midorima, "Please...run faster"
"I'm sure that Kagamichi is already there" Kise offered, panting. "Isn't that him over there?" Murasakibara asked nodding in front of them. "You're not at the house yet?" Riko yelled when she saw him. "Tch, they wouldn't let me leave the station, so I had to bust out" Kagami replied, panting slightly. When the group was close enough to the house to see it. They saw a man with dark grey hair standing in front of Kuroko. Kagami charged in front of the others and punched Haizaki in the face at full speed. Kagami looked at Kuroko and immediately noticed the blood trickling down his shadow's face. "You bastard!" Kagami grabbed Haizaki, who had not fully recovered from the punch. The rest of the group caught up, Riko immediately jumped out of Murasakibara's arms and ran to Kuroko. She inspected his cheek, then held him defensively, "Why are you back, Haizaki?" Riko growled. "Hahh….I just missed you?" Haizaki laughed, blood trickingly down his nose. "Don't fuck with us, Haizaki" Kagami growled. "Its not like you're the one I want" Haizaki chuckled, eyes traveling to Kuroko. Kagami growled and tightened his grip on Haizaki's shirt. "Don't look at him! Scum like you doesn't deserve to look at Kuroko!"
"Oho, I did miss that passion, Kagami. Are you and Kuroko dating now?" Haizaki laughed. "If I see you anywhere near Kuroko again...I'll kill you. I promise you that" Kagami shoved Haizaki away. "That wasn't a no" Hazaki smirked and dusted off his shirt. "I'll definitely see you again, Kuroko"
"I'll be waiting, Haizaki-kun" Kuroko replied calmly. Haizaki chuckled as he walked by the GOM, an evil glint in eyes. "I'll see you kids soon too"
"Why didn't you call us?!" Riko yelled when Haizaki had disappeared, "And why didn't you tell us that he had contacted you?!"
"It didn't seem all that important at the time" Kuroko shrugged. "You idiot! Of course it's important! Do you want to get hurt that badly?! Do you want to end up like Ogiwara-kun?!" Riko screamed, her eyes tearing up.
"...I believe you know better than to say something like that, Riko-san" Kuroko lowered his eyes. "He was our friend too, Kuroko-kun! Don't act like you were the only one that was heart broken that day!" Riko bit back.
"We just don't want history to repeat itself" Kagami sighed. "How can you be so calm and gentle to him?! He was wrong not to tell us!" Riko barked at Kagami. "I'm not calm. I'm not trying to be gentle" Kagami glared at Riko, "I'm so angry I throw my fists through a wall, but Kuroko is Kuroko...Ogiwara was our friend but Kuroko was the closest to him. Of course Kuroko wanted to handle this himself - he's that kind of man...and I'm trying to be understanding of that"
"Still!" Riko yelled, "I just- I can't..."
"I get it. I'm sorry" Kuroko took Riko's hands in his, "I'm sorry to have worried you so"
"Good!" Riko barked, quickly taking her hands away from Kuroko - not wanting to forgive him just yet, "Now get in the house and get yourself some first aid!"
"I can help" Midorima adjusted his eye glasses and took out a first-aid kit from his bag, "My lucky item for the day"
"Ho-o-ly crap, Ohsa-asa actually pulled through for once!" Aomine yelled in surprise, earning him a swift kick to the balls by Midorima.
Inside the house, Midorima and Kuroko were in the kitchen as Midorima helped Kuroko tend to his wound. In the living room, Riko and Kagami sat with the rest of the GOM - both the adults unwilling to leave Kuroko alone. "Care to tell us what that whole business was about?" Akashi asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands folded in front of his mouth. Akashi's heterochromatic eyes baring down on the adults. "It's not your business is it?" Kagami sneered. "I think it is. That Haizaki Shougo had the nerve to attack Tetsuya in front of our home"
Riko looked up and Kagami, who looked away. "They deserve to know - especially if Haizaki plans to come after them as well" Riko said softly. Kagami folded his arms in front of his chest and continued to stare at the wall. Riko nodded and sighed. "As I said...Haizaki was a trouble maker. He was known as a delinquent the minute he came to school. He had no friends and he made enemies of everyone. Then one day, Kuroko brought him to basketball practice. We tried to protest, but Kuroko was stubborn - he was completely convinced that Haizaki would be a good addition to the team...and for a while...he was" Riko looked down at her hands, "but we didn't realize how psychotic Haizaki truly was and...". Riko faced the GOM with tears in her eyes, unable to form the words.
"Then that bastard hurt one of our own" Kagami finished. "I imagine it was this...Ogiwara?" Akashi asked. Riko nodded. "What exactly did Haizaki do to him?" Aomine asked. "There's a bunch of different stories..." Riko started again, wiping the tears from her eyes, "It was the school festival during our second year...the basketball club was putting a display together. Ogiwara and Haizaki were in charge of constructing the booth and...there were these planks...huge giant planks that were leaning on the wall..."
"...and Haizaki pushed them on top of Ogiwara" Kagami finished as Riko covered her face with her hands. "As we said...they were huge and heavy. Ogiwara suffered some intense damage. He was bleeding internally, his arm and both his legs were broken. And on top of all of that, he had suffered a major head injury...but that Ogiwara...he was a fighter. But the doctors here couldn't do enough for him. So they flew Ogiwara to a specialist in the States. None of us have seen or heard of him since that day" Kagami stared at his feet.
"...after that...Haizaki showed his true colors. He went ballistic...he went back to his hyper violent ways...we tried to keep away but he kept coming back. Only Kuroko believed in Haizaki - Kuroko always believed in Haizaki...and then..." Riko shook her head, "During our third year, after we had won the winter cup...after our very last practice as the Seirin Champions... Kuroko stayed late to practice some more...someone should've stayed with him, but we were all busy and...as we were walking home together...we got this phone call from Kuroko...saying that he was locked in the gym and...then...he said Haizaki was with him. We went to Kuroko as fast as we could...but by the time we got there the doors were opened and Haizaki was gone... he beat Kuroko to an inch of his life...when we found him...he...Kuroko was..." Riko yelled in frustration, "and even as we rushed him to the hospital, Kuroko still defended that bastard..."
"Haizaki-kun is not evil" Kuroko added, coming into the living room. "You're still saying that?!" Kagamki and Riko stood up. "That guy hurt Ogiwara! He hurt you!" Riko yelled.
"He became the villain everyone expected him to be" Kuroko shrugged.
"He's the villain we all know him to be" Kagami bit back. "They're right, Kurokochi...this guy sounds like one rotten apple"
"You don't know him, Kise-kun"
"He cut you, Tetsu! Even if that's all we knew, it would be enough to know that guy is an ass!"
"You can't save everyone, Tetsuya"
Kuroko stayed silent for a moment, "Haizaki didn't hurt Ogiwara-kun on purpose. That was an accident"
"Of course he did! Haizaki is insane!" Riko replied.
"He never said he did it on purpose"
"He never said he didn't!"
"You treated him like a monster after that"
"Because he was a monster!"
"The school didn't expel him til much later"
"Because you defended him!"
"I believe in him" Kuroko said, his face as emotionless as ever. "I dont, Kurochin. If he comes after you again, I'll crush him into dust" Murasakibara munched on his snacks.
"That's sweet, but I will handle Haizaki. I would like some answers"
"He's a wolf in sheep's clothing only to you - everyone knows what a demon he is!"
"Or maybe he's a sheep in wolf's clothing - and no one knows how good he is"
"Enough, Kuroko-kun! He will kill you, you realize that?!" Riko yelled.
"Don't be so dramatic, Riko-san. Haizaki-kun won't kill me"
"This is getting us no where! What if Haizaki comes after the Miragen?!" Kagami barked.
"Oh...that is of concern..." Kuroko thought for a moment.
"Finally..." Aomine mumbled, "you're not gonna face Haizaki alone, right?"
"No. I think I will just quit"
"You what?!" The GOM, Kagami, and Riko yelled in unison. "Un. I think that fixes the problem doesn't it? Well then, thank you for your care until now. I hope to see you again soon" Kuroko bowed and headed out of the house.
"Hey wait...Kuroko!" Kagami yelled, chasing after Kuroko.
"I-I...we will handle this" Riko said to the stunned GOM before she also went after Kuroko.
"That...it can't...Kurokochi...just quit...didn't he?" Kise whispered, his eyes wide in shock. "It's a bad joke...Tetsu wouldn't just..." Aomine mumbled.
"Why is Kurochin trying to protect us? We're much bigger than him. We should be protecting him" Murasakibara muttered into his bag of chips. "That idiot..." Midorima said shoving his hands in his pockets and walked to his room.
"He'll be back" Akashi said, "Tetsuya will definitely come back"
...but even Akashi had to fight back to the panic rising in his heart.
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE the drama~
But yes - that happened
Anyways, thank you for reading!
Review if you would like ;)