A/N: Just a short FAQ section about this story before I start.

Is there a fixed pairing for this story?

Yes. I have absolutely no intentions to change the decided pairing – it is final, and the plot is already concluded.

Are you planning for a second book about their high school lives?

Yes.

…Those were two questions that seemed to be in every single review for every chapter, so I'm just answering them before people start raging.

Also, thank you for the 100+ favorites and 150+ followers.

Enjoy.

Chapter 7

"If I was a monster, will you love me the same? If I was a ghost, can you still love me the same? If I wasn't who you expected to be, is this going to end?"

Spring.

That's right – time had passed, the seasons have changed, and now it was back to spring.

Kise Ryouta personally hated spring – the season of new life. It was also spring, when all the tragedies began. When everyone was enjoying themselves, celebrating the fact that a new year had started, the blonde was just there, worrying over the amount of money he had to pay back for the month.

Well, it was true that his modeling fees had increased. He didn't need to work part-time again like his freshmen year, or to work full-time during weekends. He was free for a while, and he hoped it would remain that way.

"Shogi club!"

"Baseball club is back with new facilities to present to you!"

It was that time of the year, where it was rowdy and noisy everywhere. Clubs were all in morning practice, and members took turns giving out flyers. It was that time of the year where for once, all the first to third string players would come together to form a large group of nothing, where they simply got no work done and left everything to Nijimura and the vice captain.

"There anyone that looks talented this year?" The vice captain, Fukuba (A/N: I do not know whether this was the real name of the vice captain before Akashi was chosen.), asked, leaning in to peer at the papers. "I'm leaving after today, so I just. You know. Wanted to look at the new stars that enter for the last time."

Kise glanced over as he heard overheard the conversation between two upperclassmen. He had an empty application form. He could apply for any club he wished to be in. For once, he had his freedom – and he wanted to make good use of it. Sports are boring, though. Being skilled at every single type of sport, the blonde had never found any physically straining activity entertaining. I guess I should think about it a little –

"Aomine, pass the ball!"

Aomine? He turned back. There was a tanned male, laughing in pure joy as he dribbled the ball and swiftly dunked it through the hoop. His graceful form, joyous grin, and satisfying expression all together created spark of flame in Kise's heart. He gulped in anticipation. His pulse sped up in excitement, and the blonde clutched the form tighter, slightly crumpling it in his hand. I guess it might be worth a try. As if lured by the glowing aura of the latter, Kise moved toward the court, past Nijimura and Fukuba.

He stared at the pass-plays between the Generation of Miracles that seemed to be near-perfection. Aomine was at the center of everything, obviously playing the most crucial part of the team – the ace. But there seemed to be something rather odd and peculiar about the whole game. A connection existed – the invisible glue that stuck all the moves together.

Just when Kise was about to find out the truth behind the mystery, a hand wrapped around his shoulder, "Hey." Kise jumped and freaked out, his attention immediately concentrated on the person who had interrupted his moment. It was Nijimura, the captain of the club. "Are you going to join or something? Or just looking around?"

"Oh," The blonde laughed nervously, "I'm joining. Uh… Do you have a pen?"

Nijimura pointed at the desks. "Forms go over there. Should be a pen there, too."

The model nodded, and headed to where the captain had pointed. He really had no interest in clubs. Yet, there he was, signing up for one – a basketball club, too. Placing the paper on the thick stack, the blonde left the court silently, as if he wasn't there.

"Hey, Tetsu." Aomine called out to the girl, who turned around. Her hair had grown quite a lot throughout the year – when she first joined she had shoulder-length teal hair, and now it went all the way to a little above her mid-back. "Did you hear that Kise joined the team?" The girl's eyes widened in slight surprise, then returned to its normal size.

"No, I haven't."

"Well, apparently he has. Pretty late to join a club to be honest, but at the same time, I guess nothing's too late. I hope he moves up to first string, eh?" Kuroko nodded in agreement, as she passed a ball that flew in her direction toward Akashi, who casually threw it into the nearest hoop. "I'm actually really excited for his arrival, y'know? If he's good, that means I finally have someone that I can fight with all my will."

Coach Shigehiro clucked his tongue and grasped the boy's shoulder. "Don't be so full of yourself, now. There's always someone better than you, Aomine." He spoke in a reprimanding manner, and the indigo-haired male grunted.

"Yeah, there are – just that they are all on the same team." The male looked up at his Generation of Miracle members and rolled his eyes. The coach shook his head, and put both of his hands behind his back and cleared his throat.

"I'm not only talking about Teiko, or our opposing schools. I am talking about this world, Aomine. This world is gigantic - though, also as small it seems at the same time. There is always someone above you, and someone beneath you in terms of abilities. That is why it is way too early for you to boast about like you are the best, Aomine." He paused. "You're just like a frog dwelling in its own well. You need to see how great people outside can be."

Both Kuroko and Aomine didn't say anything at that. The coach walked away to inspect other members on the court, and the two just stared at each other for a while. It was then, when they decided to continue practicing in silence. The words echoed in each of their hearts and minds in different ways, leaving a different memory and lesson for their respective futures.

After practice ended, all of the first to third string met at the same court again. Kuroko could see Kise in the line for second string, standing out the most out of all – not because he was a model, but his aura was just naturally attractive and was an ideal attention-gatherer. Her eyes locked on the talkative blonde for a while, until the captain tapped on the microphone.

"Microphone check… Oh, good. Well, we have some news to deliver today. Our senior and vice captain, Fukuba Jirou is leaving the team and moving to Okinawa. Therefore we will have to choose a new vice captain for the team, who will eventually be the next captain when I leave Teiko. Today we are here to choose as a group, from first string to third, to decide the future of this team. I will have no part in this, and the coach will approve or disapprove of your final decision. I do not care how this is done, whether you guys decide to nominate someone, or volunteer. We just need to get it done by today."

The court instantly grew noisy. Haizaki just chewed on his piece of bubblegum, already dressed in his school uniform. The Generation of Miracles all didn't really seem to care – although, being second years, they didn't really like interfere with any of the backside business of the team, except for Akashi who liked to meddle with all the schedules.

"Won't Akashi be a good vice-captaim?" A voice shouted from behind. Nobody knew whom, but it created a great uproar within the members. The red head seemed startled, not expecting for anyone to nominate him.

"Yeah, if it's Akashi…"

"Akashi? I guess it's better than anyone else in first string right now…"

"I would think Midorima's pretty suitable, too."

"Midorima? Nah, he's better off becoming the next vice captain when Akashi becomes captain."

Everyone's opinions started centering around Akashi, until it seemed to be final. Nijimura picked up the microphone and glanced over cautiously at the coach. Coach Shigehiro presented a warm smile at the point guard. Akashi twitched with discomfort – he didn't exactly want to be a vice captain, or the next captain to lead such a giant team.

"So, are there any other names apart from Akashi Seijuro?" The coach made the last call, and nobody said a single word. "Then Akashi it is. Akashi, please come up here. You should at least introduce yourself to the newbies." Coach Shigehiro handed the microphone to the red head that awkwardly walked up to the stage; though it was simply just an elevated wooden floor, he could feel the pressure and intensity of Teiko as a whole group.

Opening his mouth slowly, Akashi started. "My name is Akashi Seijuro. I will try my best to serve as Teiko's vice captain, being Fukuba-san's replacement." A round of applause went off for about ten seconds, as Akashi remained onstage. Everything all seemed foreign to the red head. He believed that he wasn't exactly suited for such a position. A position of authority was something he'd always not wanted to place himself in. Authority tainted people.

"Well, sounds like you'll get busy, vice captain." Aomine snickered on their way home. Akashi had decided not to take his car back, just to drag time on. He nudged Aomine's sides, as the latter released a pained groan. "I actually think I'll enjoy you being vice captain, though. I mean, what's the bad in it? You get to order around the seniors, too!"

Akashi heaved a sigh. "That's not the reason why I accepted the position, Aomine."

"Aka-chin will do well. I think there isn't anyone here apart from you that can fill in the place of our previous vice captain." Murasakibara said encouragingly as possible – though, his voice was still monotone. A certain shooting guard seemed to agree for once, as he fixed the placement of his spectacles.

"If you say so, Murasakibara." The freshly appointed vice captain shrugged, as it was rare that the purple head left such commentary. The placidity of the giant often gave comfort to the tense Akashi – perhaps that's why they were so close, though not possessing much of a developed friendship.

Kuroko brought up another topic into the conversation. "You'll have a pile of work to do from here on out, Akashi-kun. There's the upcoming training camp for juniors and seniors, and preparations for the Inter High tournaments and nationals. Data collecting for matches will be essential, and –"

"Now, now, don't put too much on his shoulders when his job hasn't even officially begun yet." Aomine chuckled, curling his arm around the female's shoulders. The contact of skin was so natural, so ordinary, that the two didn't notice how unusual it looked. To others it would've seemed like a friendly action – to the Generation of Miracles, it was a new realization. Seeing the two ignited slight jealousy in Akashi's heart – an unknown sensation to the male. He never got a chance to have a friendly conversation often with Kuroko during the past year. Yet Aomine was doing it so easily, in public, too.

The nuance disturbed Akashi.

"Akashi?" Midorima called his name. "Is something the matter?"

Awaken from his trance, Akashi shook his head. "No." Then he noticed the Akashi residence's gate standing right next to him, proud and shining from renown and success. Only if success did so much, Akashi thought. He waved to his teammates and stepped inside, instantly greeted by maids and butlers that were rummaging through cabinets and shelves to clean up.

"Welcome back, young master." One of the butlers smiled, and Akashi gave him a curt nod. Taking off his school jacket and handing it to one of the maids, the redhead turned around to proceed into asking questions.

"Did father ask for my assistance or presence in his office?"

The usual inquiry that the trained workers were required to answer didn't surprise the butler in front of him. "No, young master. I believe he only told me to pass on a message relating to your most recent grade reports. It turns out that you have lost about half a point from a perfect average – 99.8, if I recall. He said quite viciously that you should work on your studies instead of your club activities." The butler winced painfully, as the average was already quite perfect to an ordinary person's standards.

However, Akashi simply nodded. "I understand. Thank you for passing on the message."

"My greatest honor, young master."

The redhead entered his large room, and sat down on his leather couch with the least amount of enthusiasm. Grades – it was that again. The Asian stereotype, it was. "What an exhausting day…to be chosen vice captain in this situation is quite devastating." Having basketball club work, as well as having to take care of school education was quite the task.

To be extremely honest, Akashi was uninterested in the sport. He didn't find joy in participating – he himself had not the slightest idea of why he bothered to continue. As soon as he attended to this thought, the unwavering image of Kuroko appeared from the back of his mind. He gritted his teeth – not out of frustration towards the female, but the simple feeling that managed to destroy him – it agitated Akashi. Squeezing his fists as he clenched them tight, the male breathed in the heavy air of his residence.

Forget it.

~TLTS~

"You are mad." An empty voice whispered in the dark. "Worse than an insane man." Aomine thrashed his arm above his head and released a heavy sigh. He was keeping the lights off in his room, the curtains closed. His eyes glowed in the pitch-blackness, as he closed them and proceeded to think about what happened during the summer – it all seemed like such a distant yet close memory.

"Because I like her too."

"… What?"

"I like Kuroko Tetsuya. I am going to be at her side until the very end."

Haizaki had made himself very clear that he felt great affection towards the female. It angered Aomine. It made him jealous. Kuroko wasn't his – the final decision will always be hers to make. But even so, Aomine wanted her – she was an essential life source to him. Without her, Aomine couldn't stand a day. He didn't care if people called him clingy or overly attached – she was his light, his hope.

Over the past year, Aomine's feelings grew firm and a new resolve formed from the bottom of his heart. He wished he had enough courage to ask the female out, even if she refused him. He didn't expect in the slightest bit that she was going to accept his confession, more or less say anything about it.

"I hate myself." Mumbling in regret, Aomine tossed and turned in his bed. He looked to the side and saw a photo that was faced down on his shelf. It had been like that for a few good years, as the male couldn't bring himself to put it upright again. The wooden support flung upward in midair, waiting for someone to fix its position. Inside there was a family picture – him, his mom, and his dad.

There was a time when the Aomine household was noisy. There was a time where someone was always waiting for his arrival in the living room, when he returned from school. There was a time when there was a man who would proudly tell about his tales of youth and sport.

There was a time when Aomine Eiichiro was alive.

His dad had always been his role model. He was a former member of the national team in Japan, and was always known as the legendary power forward. Even after he had retired, his popularity was evident in the media and magazines. As a result, his father worked as a coach for the national team after he quit playing. He would always tell Aomine that it was his dream to see Aomine play basketball, just like he did. But the man never forced the sports career on Aomine. He let the boy do what he wished.

Perhaps, that was the main reason why Aomine regretted learning basketball at all. He despised his talent, his ability. He had raised useless hopes in his father's heart, when he wasn't even able to see Aomine win a single tournament anymore – especially when he was now in Teiko, the ultimate basketball school. If he weren't good at the sport at all, his father wouldn't have thought much.

It was all an accident. The driver was drunk, stepped on the brakes too late, and his father just so happened to be crossing the road. It was ridiculous. The cause of death was so cliché that it all seemed preposterous – but again, when someone dies, the cause doesn't really matter anymore.

"I should sleep…"

"Midorima Shintaro."

"Present."

"Madoka Junpei."

"'Ere."

Kuroko Tetsuya stared at Teiko Junior High that was outside the window. They were taking an attendance before leaving to their one-week training camp. She had heard all about Teiko's hellishcamps, and how they trained all night at times, if the coach thought the members were being indolent. She was sitting next to someone she didn't know, the reason being that they were sitting in alphabetical order.

"Well then, that's everyone. We'll go now!" Nijimura shouted, as he sat on the front row. The coach, captain, and vice captain were all required to sit at the front of the bus. Kuroko caught a glimpse of the red hair, and looked away quickly as Akashi turned to face the back.

The camp was pretty far from where they were – it was all the way at Hakone. Hakone was a good place to train, because all the mountain trek courses as well as the large fields that remained unoccupied. This is pretty boring… She yawned, and leaned on the window. The bus was shaky, but it didn't really matter. The senior next to her seemed pretty worried about her head, though – he handed her his comforter. Kuroko thanked him and used it all the way there.

When the bus came to a stop, it was already two hours past noon. The seniors lined up behind the juniors, and Nijimura and Akashi stood in front of the whole group as they prepared to give instructions. It was a large group, since all the third to first string members were present.

"You guys will all have thirty minutes to unpack your things and return to this exact spot. If you get lost, too bad. The keys are at the counter, so pick them up. We'll have afternoon training, and then dinner. Go!"

Kuroko went to the counter and got her own keys. As the female managers all had their own friends to sleep with, she had the room all to herself. She was pretty happy about that – a king sized bed at a hotel, with only her using it – she thought that was a pretty good deal for a lot of training.

When she looked at the clock after changing, there was still twenty minutes left. Just when she was thinking about resting alone, the doorbell rang, and Kuroko sighed. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Aomine."

The female's heart jumped a beat. Suddenly she was aware of how messy her hair was, how clumsy she looked in a white sweatshirt that was a tad bit too big for her, and old shorts that were now worn out. She thought of changing all over again, maybe to something more decent, but it was already too late. Since the door was unlocked, the male opened it and entered. "Hey. Did I bother you?"

"No, not at all." She said coolly, trying to act natural as possible. "What brings you here?" The male flopped down on her bed and let out a relieved groan, digging further into the futon and cushions.

"My room is so boring, you see." He drawled, "We did choose our roommates, but still. Having Midorima, Murasakibara, and Akashi in your room is just… I don't know, torturous. Murasakibara was being nice, though. He never shouts at me for not cleaning up my stuff on the floor or anything. But it's still boring. I can't sleep."

Kuroko chuckled at the tale. "We need to go in fifteen minutes, you know?"

Aomine turned on the bed. "Yeah, I do. Wake me up then." Before anyone could stop him, the male was fast asleep on the her bed. The teal-haired girl just smiled, sitting next to the male as she stared at him. It was an odd sensation, how they were so used to each other, even though it had just been a mere year since they had been acquainted. She indeed felt more closer to Aomine than any of the other Miracles.

But then, she was considerably close to Akashi as well; they had been talking a lot nowadays, about Sherlock Holmes mystery novels. Midorima was in her class again for the year, and Murasakibara was always going around helping her shoot balls.

And then there was Haizaki.

Kuroko wasn't certain whether she hated the male or simply wasn't on good terms with him. At first when she entered the team, her feelings were as hard as rock towards the silver-haired athlete, but as time passed, she had came to realize that he could be likeable when he wanted to be. He was a troublemaker, but did no harm to other people. Well, maybe except Nijimura – he had a difficult time trying to control the latter.

While she was lost in her thoughts, they had five minutes left. Kuroko poked Aomine, and they both went down to the meeting place together. They didn't utter a single word, but both of them were aware of the fact that a conversation wasn't necessary. The comfortable silence only symbolized the harmony between them, and how they were perfectly fine with nothing going on – just walking together was okay.

Luckily, they weren't the last to arrive. Nijimura cleared his throat, as Akashi held a small portfolio that contained their schedule in his hands. "Well then, we'll start our summer camp." He looked around to see if all of them were paying attention. "For this camp, we changed up the program a little, grouped all of you into pairs with someone in your string. If you aren't with somebody you want, then that's unfortunate but suck it up."

Akashi continued. "Each pair is required to show unity and teamwork in all they do. If you fail to show cooperation between the two of you, then you will be disqualified for that session and will have to redo it later on in the day."

"Then, listen up for your pairs…"

Pairs of names were called, and all of them divided up.

And then finally…

"Kuroko Tetsuya, Haizaki Shogo."

Kuroko's eyes widened, as Haizaki just looked over and scowled in discomfort.

Aomine and Akashi simultaneously thought:

You have got to be kidding me.