A/N – Apparently, Haizaki only calls Murasakibara, Kise, Aomine, and Kuroko by their given names – and that's why Haizaki won't call Akashi 'Seijuro', or Midorima 'Shintaro'. Just a small note.

And by the way, if there are gazillions of mistakes in this chapter, it's because the author is currently on the way to hell's double doors after a hellish 4-hour session of community service. (MY BACK IS LITERALLY BREAKING IN TWO LIKE OH MY GOD)

Also, the italicized font in this chapter is either thoughts, or Akashi's inner self talking. Just in case some people can't tell what they are.

Enjoy.

Chapter 17

"You never, ever have to say sorry to me. Not because I don't need it, but because I..."

She sure is taking a long time…

Glancing restlessly at his cheap leather watch, Haizaki bit his bottom lip as he waited for the usual female to arrive in front of the school gates. The rain was pouring harder and harder, each drop falling harshly against the murky soil that was forming brown puddles that reflected the thundering sky.

"Fuck it all." He clutched his umbrella tightly and ran towards the first gymnasium – where the basketball club always practiced, precisely the first string. As his footsteps hit the ground faster and faster, his concerns grew and eventually almost imploded within his mind. The fact that she wasn't even messaging him like always when she wasn't available, or how the sky wasn't clearing for hours, or how the female always seemed to forget her umbrella on these days – something didn't sit right for him, and he didn't like it.

As he edged closer to the gym, he gradually slowed down his pace, only to see Kise Ryouta, leaning on the quite moist walls of the gym, his expression dull and containing no emotion.

"Ryouta," the called blonde raised his head upon heeding his given name, "did you see Te –" Haizaki paused for a while, lowering his hand as the left corner of his lips curled up and went back down in discomfort. "Did you see Kuroko?"

Kise, for the first few seconds, frowned in confusion, many thoughts enrapturing his mind. But eventually, he smirked. "You don't need to act all foreign and formal. Everyone knows that you're close to Kurokocchi nowadays. Nothing to hide – in front of me, out of all people."

Haizaki irked, the base behind his hesitation revealed. "Why are you out here?"

"I ran away."

The other blinked at Kise's terse response. "What?"

"I ran away." The new small forward smiled at the former one, repeating his reason. "It's too overwhelming for me in there, you see." He pointed his thumb jokingly at the double doors to the gym. "Murasakibaracchi provoked Akashicchi. And now…" Flipping his bangs over to the side, Kise didn't continue. "Aominecchi is gone. Kurokocchi followed him."

Just when Haizaki was about to ignore the first portion of the blonde's explanation and run after the said directions, Kise opened his mouth again.

"You know, Haizaki." His golden eyes flickered dark brown under the shadow of the roof. "I envy you."

What's this bull shit now? Haizaki scowled, not particularly interested in what Kise had to say. "Why?" But since the blonde seemed all fucking sentimental, he decided to hear what he had to rant about. He never witnessed such a dejected state of model – so why not? Just… listen in a little, and then leave to see Kuroko. Sounded good.

"You're…" Kise gripped the flat surface – the ungraspable surface. "You're a part of the old generation. The old Generation of Miracles." He forced a bitter smile on his handsome face. "A period I wasn't a part of."

"And so are you." Putting one hand in his pocket, Haizaki frowned, puzzled. "You're a part of something I'm not. The current Generation of Miracles."

The so-called current Generation of Miracles chuckled, as if this was all good humor. But Haizaki knew too well, that that kind of chuckle was not the usual happy-go-lucky kind. It was a cover. A well-made façade, crushing. Crushing under an unknown pressure – a pressure that had slowly built up, and annihilated his state of mind, his conscience.

That kind of chuckle.

It was disturbing. Haizaki despised it, as a matter of fact.

"That's a great point," inhaling, Kise continued, "but not a point I was trying to make."

Impatiently, Haizaki tapped his foot on a puddle, the water splashing up and down according to the rhythm. "Well, I'm not clairvoyant. Say what you gotta say, and I need to go."

"I'm saying," Kise rushed a little, at Haizaki's words. "That maybe, just maybe, I would've been able understand better… what was going on, and everything. Kurokocchi, Murasakibaracchi, Akashicchi, Midorimacchi, and Aominecchi – they're all like strangers to me, just because I missed out that single year. And now I have nearly no clue what is going on –"

"But what is going on?" Haizaki intercepted, realizing that he was running out of time. "Ryouta, look. If you're jealous of me because you think I am able to comprehend that shit that Akashi and Atsushi are going on about, I don't know. And trust me, it's not worth fussing over. If you're not involved, stay the fuck out of it. That's all I can say." With that, he ran, and Kise presumed he was rushing towards Kuroko.

It's not worth fussing over, huh. Kise blankly spread his hand out towards the rain. The icy droplets created a small water show on his palm, the liquid bouncing up and down, wetting his fingers. "Am I really worrying myself over this too much?" He whispered to nobody in particular. "Is it wrong that I am?" Clenching his saturated palm, the blonde breathed in the damp air. "Am I meddling with something I can't handle in the first place?" His voice seemed to tremble with a low vibrato, his inner self not wanting to accept the truth.

But reality attacked him, bit him, and devoured him anyway.

He was useless.

"The Generation of Miracles, they say." Laughing with empty comicality, Kise covered his eyes as he slumped down on the slightly moist floor. "They're not even close." His breathing hitched, as he attempted to fake his falling tears as rain beneath his fingers.

"Not even close."

"Fight me."

The whole court rung with tension. Some doubted their ability to hear, while some quietly watched the whole scene as mere bystanders. This was Murasakibara Atsushi challenging Akashi Seijuro – an occurrence nobody imagined, except maybe a few. No – even the closest of people didn't understand what was going on, except the aloof Midorima Shintaro.

"What's the point?" Akashi demanded, his voice still raspy. He was quite drained already from the previous altercation he suffered with Aomine. Surely, he was not expecting the purple-headed giant to suggest this unfavorable situation.

"I'd call it a deal. A fair one."

The red head was not willing to heed this 'challenge' further. The odd voice that was speaking to him in his brain, Aomine's accusations and lies – he had a sufficient amount of conflicts with people. But he replied anyway. "Let's hear it."

Murasakibara leaned down a little to match Akashi's ear. At first, the red-haired boy perceived it as mocking form of action because of their immense height difference, only to realize that Murasakibara didn't want their so-called 'deal' to be announced to the world.

"Don't interfere with Kuro-chin's life."

The words hit him in quite an unimaginable fashion. Interfere? With whose life?

"Murasakibara –"

"Don't hurt her like that." He went on, as if Akashi was already a nonexistent figurine in this conversation. "Promise me that you won't hurt her again if I win this match." His face shifted to be directly in front of Akashi's astonished one. The purple orbs in front of him held no jest in the slightest. For a challenger's eyes, Murasakibara Atsushi's seemed more nostalgic and despondent rather than fierce. "Please." He added weakly, a flash of moroseness fleetingly hovering over the surface of purple. The taller boy squeezed Akashi's shoulder. The red head wasn't able to understand the hidden meaning behind that squeeze.

"That's an allegation." The point guard said, inhaling the air of the rubbery court. "What kind of proof do you have to support your claim?"

Murasakibara twitched, his left eye wincing for a millisecond. "You…" made her cry.

"Why are you excluding Aomine from this?"

"He's a different matter. It was… inevitable." Running four fingers through his hair, the giant's thumb massaged his temples. He no longer cared whether his words made sense – he just wanted everything to stop. He wanted Aomine to stop being so insensitive, he wanted Akashi to stop being so insecure, he wanted Midorima to simply be annoying like he always was, not agreeing with him on odd terms, he wanted Kise to just be happy-go-lucky, not having to worry about their troubles that he wasn't a part of, and Murasakibara himself just wanted everything to go back to normal, and finally…

He wanted Kuroko to be happy.

Akashi was silent for a while. "… I accept. What do I get if I win, instead?"

The sluggish male turned his back towards the latter, walking towards the opposite side of the gym. "I'll stop pestering you about this matter. I'll never bring it up again, and I swear it will stay that way." Pausing for about two seconds, Murasakibara twisted his head to look back at Akashi. "How does that sound?"

"Good." Signaling to Midorima, Akashi caught the basketball that was thrown to him. Only the rhythmic sound of the round object bouncing up and down was echoing throughout the atmosphere, as everyone soon became an audience, and the starring actors being Akashi and Murasakibara.

You'll need me.

"Please, do me a favor and shut up." Akashi whispered, but the voice kept talking back to him.

You're too weak right now. You don't even have the resolve to awaken me… I hope this match becomes a helpful catalyst to the beginning of the fire.

The ball felt heavy as he dribbled it with the tip of his fingers. He subconsciously bit his bottom lip, attempting to calm his nerves, thinking of a way to resolve this deal peacefully. His sane mind was whispering to him that this must've been a misunderstanding, that he couldn't have been playing a discreet part in 'hurting' Kuroko, that Murasakibara was to be proven wrong, that-

But is it really so?

Amidst his small daydream, Murasakibara was in front of him, ready to steal the ball. Instinctively, Akashi lowered his knees and pushed the ball to his left, only to realize that Murasakibara had already caught it and scored. His eyes widened in disbelief, staring at Murasakibara as he landed on the ground with a 'thump'. The other player's expression held no triumph, no sense of victory.

He was serious.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Akashi's not standing a chance…"

"Dude, Murasakibara already scored three points…"

"What was the deal?"

"I don't know, they were whispering and all…"

Akashi panted, his right hand- no, was it his left? Did it really matter? One of his hands was clutching chest, his head ringing like crazy, and his 'opponent's' gigantic shadow was looming over him.

He was being cornered.

He was being beaten.

He…

Was…

Losing.

See? I told you, you'd need me.

"I don't."

No, you do. You're losing terribly. Can you believe it? Four to zero! Terrific, don't you think?

"Shut the hell up." Akashi exhaled, his breath hot and staccato-like.

I really wonder what father would say. That you're a failure? A mistake that is too late to even be corrected? Ah, well, I suppose that's a little humiliating on my part too, since we are considerably the same-

"We are not." Akashi trembled. What was this emotion? This unrecognizable feat? Fear? Animosity? No, this was…

Relinquishment.

In the shadows, the two meet. One is Akashi Seijuro, and the other too, is Akashi Seijuro. The one that was always covered in darkness is now under the limelight, standing. The one that was always shining is now cowering under the invisible pressure. His role is done here. Their fingers intertwine, and the new Akashi Seijuro pushes forward…

A new aura surrounds the red head. The atmosphere is different.

"Atsushi."

Murasakibara flinched at the new sensation.

"Don't underestimate me."

The 'new' Akashi Seijuro is nothing but a flash upon his eyes, as he surmounts his ability in a mere second, as Murasakibara drops to the ground, shivering.

"For I," A smile. An unusual smile.

"Am absolute."

It was the first page of a new era.

"Tetsuya!"

Haizaki Shogo shouted under the rain. For some reason, the situation of the downpour was not improving, but worsening as minutes went by – as if to describe an unheard sorrow. And Haizaki knew exactly what 'unheard sorrows' were, and what they could do to people. He didn't like them.

Damn it, where is she… He clucked his tongue – it was practically useless carrying around an umbrella as he was half-saturated with rainwater from running around at this point, but he didn't know when he would ever need it. He dialed her number once again but it went directly to her voicemail, and nobody from the club knew where she was. "Tetsu –"

That's when he spotted a petite figure crouching beside a bridge, sitting on the grass as she hugged her knees close to her chest. Her hair was drooping down, her shirt was long wet, and she was just sitting there, not even bothering to avoid the rain. Haizaki dashed towards her side – something was not right, and he knew it.

"Tetsuya, what are you doing here? Are you insane? You're definitely going to catch a cold after this, and I'm not going to be responsible for it." He put her umbrella over her head that was buried in her arms. She wasn't responding. Her whole body was still and lifeless, as if she had lost all motivation to do anything. "Tetsuya, you know I can't possibly carry you. You're too heavy." He was joking, of course.

But the girl remained motionless. The weight on Haizaki's shoulders increased at the dull reaction. He bit the inner part of his cheek in slight panic and fear. His hand inched closer to her body. It was cold. "Tetsuya." He spoke, this time a little more softly, a little more sincerely. "Look at me." Gently cupping her ear, Haizaki tried to get the female's attention.

The girl didn't look up, but her fingers trailed up to clutch Haizaki's wrist that was in contact with her skin. The small fingertips were shaking, and the boy was certain that it couldn't just be because she was freezing. Her breathing was now more audible – it was almost as if she was having difficulties trying to keep everything under control.

No, Haizaki corrected himself, she can't keep them under control. That's what it was.

He pulled her wet, shivering figure closer to his warmth, and took off his uniform jacket and wrapped it over her shoulders. Then with ease, he pushed her behind him and gestured her to get on his back. "Let's go home. I brought your stuff."

She hesitated a little, and glanced at him. "… I can walk."

"Any average being can walk, Tetsuya." Haizaki rolled his eyes, tapping his hand on the ground, urging her to get on. "I'm not that much of an asshole to let a crying girl walk in the rain with a male friend when she's soaked already. Come on, my knees are aching."

With another second of reluctance, the teal-haired girl made up her mind and got on his back. She was lightly lifted off the ground, as Haizaki gave her the umbrella to hold over the both of them, as Haizaki had his own bag and Kuroko's belongings to carry – along with the girl herself.

The two 'friends' shuffled along in silence, none of them willing to break the ice. Haizaki wanted Kuroko to have some time clear her clouded thoughts, so that she'd actually know what to say when he asked her a decent question. Actually, it was fine if she didn't know what to say. The crucial point was that she was actually saying something.

When they were about halfway there to reaching her apartment, Haizaki's lips parted to speak.

"So… what happened?"

Her feet dangled next to his legs as he trudged through the rain. "… I… talked to Aomine-kun." The words were muffled, as she was talking against his neck. The contact of skin tickled, but he could care less as long as she was fine.

"Oh yeah?" He tried to sound engaging – and yes, he was very concentrated on every single action of the girl. The way of how her uneven breaths changed from a staccato rhythm to a more relaxing legato, or how she would occasionally tap her fingers on his shoulders, and then clench them again, as if she was desperately searching for emotional reliance. He could picture her expression, even without having to turn around and actually look at it. Her eyes would be slightly watery, but still very gloomy. Her lips would be dry despite the dampness surrounding them, and her skin would look dark under the shadows, although sickly pale at the same time.

She'd be having that exact same face when she was thinking about Aomine Daiki.

"I asked him whether he remembered how to catch my passes, whether he remembered our memories together, whether he remembered us eating ice cream after school, and…" He could tell what was coming next. Funny, because he wasn't supposed to be clairvoyant, according to what he told Kise. "And I asked him whether he remembered liking me."

A poison arrow pierced a small area near his heart, forcing upon an agonizing 'pang' to hit his chest. He lowered his eyes, her hair tracing various watermarks on his bare skin. Hold yourself together, Haizaki Shogo. His tongue rubbed painfully against the sharp edge of his teeth. This isn't about you, but her.

"And what did he say?" Oddly enough, he felt like he knew the answer to this too.

"He said no."

Something bubbled inside of him, as he tightened his grip on the girl's legs. "To which one?"

"All of them."

He stopped moving. It wasn't because he was particularly startled or shocked. In fact, it was exactly what he had expected and hypothesized of what would've occurred. But that was also exactly why he was experiencing the stirring of something beneath the surface of his sanity – the fact that he was correct. That Aomine said fucking no to everything, that he probably would've said it with his nonchalant, arrogant tone of his, his expression unchanging, his fucking tanned hands in his pockets, leaving the girl shattered into a trillion something pieces with knowing perfectly well that he did.

Everything about it pissed him off.

But he continued walking. He was now at the front gate of the apartment. The security guard let them in without a single word, only eyeing Kuroko worriedly as he opened the gates. Haizaki would've nodded assuredly at him or something – only if he wasn't so damn infuriated right now.

He didn't dare to utter another word until he reached her house. Kuroko's parents weren't there – again. After her grandmother returned to the countryside, the times of where the girl was alone at home increased a huge amount. He dropped her bag on the counter, and put her down near the couch. "Stay here." He mumbled, and stumbled in slippery feet to grab a towel and some dry clothing. "Wear that. I'll brew some hot coffee – you like it sweet, don't you?" She gave him a curt nod, as she received the clothing and towel without another sentence of complaint.

Despite the quite disturbing yet comforting point that this wasn't his house, Haizaki pretty much knew it as well as his own. It's been nearly a year since he started visiting daily, after all. His parents and Kuroko's parents contacted each other often, so Kuroko's parents miraculously did trust their daughter to be with him, setting aside his uncanny reputation.

He poured the black instant coffee into the cups, adding three extra cubes of sugar into Kuroko's. He didn't like it too bitter either, but he was in the mood for it.

When he was back in the living room, Kuroko had already changed into the clothes he randomly chose and threw to her. The towel was hung over her head, as if she was too worn out to even dry herself off properly. He could easily deduce this from how the water was clearly dripping from her hair. He sighed lightly, as he yanked the towel off her head and rubbed it one more time against the roundish surface.

"Am I your mom, or what?" He grumbled, although he actually wasn't that annoyed to begin with.

"… Haizaki-kun, I'm sor –"

Just when she was about to apologize, Haizaki wrapped his hand around her mouth, the soggy towel still in his hold as he clamped it to her lips. "Don't say that cursed word." She blinked. "I hate it when you say that to me, you know." Lowering the cloth, he flung it to the side.

"Then at least let me thank you." She insisted, but the male didn't even budge.

"I'm doing this because I want to. I don't see the reason why you need to show gratitude for what I want to do, Tetsuya." He pressed the cup as it glided smoothly on the glass table towards her, Kuroko's gaze still on his every movement. "Drink up. I don't want you to catch a cold."

Her attention shifted to her coffee, in which the sugar had already mixed in with the bitter substance. Sipping the beverage with caution, Kuroko brushed her hair behind her ear.

"Haizaki-kun." Her voice was groggy – he was stunned that he didn't notice it earlier. Was it because of the rain? "Was I playing around on the dance floor by myself again?" Setting the cup down on the table, Kuroko hugged her legs again, just like when Haizaki found her alone, next to the bridge. He didn't respond, but just listened. "Was I…" Her syllables became shortened; she concealed her teal orbs beneath her hands that seemed like it belonged to miniature doll. "Was I the one at fault again?"

His lips twisted in ridicule. "What did you say?" He was not feeling this extreme amount of lividness because of Kuroko – it was because it merely angered him and pissed him off so much that Aomine Daiki (that fucking asshole) was causing the girl to think like this. The girl shouldn't be blaming herself for all the nonsense that had been spurted from the tanned ganguro. She shouldn't. Ever.

Her fingers dug into her scalp. "I was waiting. I knew it was absolutely hopeless that he would ever like me back, but somewhere deep inside, I was hoping he would come back to where I was waiting in his place, to where he said he would be waiting a few years ago, waiting for me, and no one else. Idiotic, isn't it?" Her broken laugh punctured Haizaki's state of mind. "Even right at this moment, when I can't think straight, I know that somewhere inside my haphazard conscience that I am hoping and holding onto that spurious dream that he'd like me back, like I wished someday. He never liked me. He never, he never… hah…" She was fighting back her tears as she exhaled that excruciating breath. Haizaki could see it. She was trying so hard, but he could see it anyway.

"Tetsuya." His voice was deep, and painted with concern. He was glad that his clothes were somewhat dry, too. "Nobody's here, but us." He made sure that his touches were gentle, so that it'd almost go unnoticed. Then quite roughly, he brought her head to his chest, and once again, for the third time, wrapped his arms to provide the least of comfort to the girl. His strong, willful body would be her personal haven, and he would be her first and final guardian of this haven.

At first, she didn't say anything. Haizaki went on.

"Let them fall, Tetsuya." His fingers ran through her smooth, silky hair that cascaded down her back. "You know I wouldn't mind."

It began with short sniffles. Then choking whimpers that gradually became restrained sobs, and then finally agonizing cries. Her thin pair of arms wrapped desperately around his upper torso, as she clenched his shirt, weeping loudly. He drew circles on her back with his palm, closing his own eyes as he buried his face in her shoulder. Her cries were always so reserved, so restrained, still holding so much emotion and wounded pride, that he always felt like crashing down, barely containing enough energy to stand himself – to support her.

But this one was different. She was literally breaking down mentally and physically in front of him, bawling and crying her heart out. Her sobs held so much pain, and they were so sore and so regretfully bitter; that he felt like it was destroying him – obstructing his stability from the inside. His igniting anger towards Aomine was swept aside for the moment being, as he focused on holding the girl in front of him with all his might.

"It's okay," he said shakily, although he knew that it wasn't. "It's okay, Tetsuya." His sturdy physique trembled under her piercing voice that was starting to crack. His beloved, his crush, the girl that was currently his most important person in the entire galaxy was crashing and burning into ashes, and all he could do was caress that ash and hold it dearly, desperately begging the heavens that even that pile of ash wouldn't vanish right into nothing in front of his eyes.

"Haizaki-kun," her arms moved down, still hugging him tight. "Please promise me that you won't leave me alone…" His eyes widened significantly at her plead. "Even if this whole world turns their backs on me, please stay by my side…" He doubted that she was aware of what she was saying. She was probably just desperate for somebody to lean on, somebody that she could reach for help when needed. There was no romantic feeling of any sort involved with this, and he already knew that deep down to the bone.

But it was okay.

"I won't leave you." I won't leave you for shit, Tetsuya, ever. He held her even closer. "I promise."

Then after a few seconds, Kuroko spoke again. "Thank you, Shogo-kun." Her voice slightly wavered, as her fingers wrapped around his sides once again.

Haizaki breathed in the smell of vanilla from her hair, as he opened his eyes were slightly, and then closed them.

"Don't be."

A/N: … HaiKuro for more than 2,400 words… wow.

But finally, the climax of this story has begun. Akashi's other self has awakened – look forward to how different this Akashi is going to be from the actual Akashi I had portrayed and showed for the past 16 chapters.

This first book is almost done. I think I only have about five or six more chapters to go…

And will Haizaki stick to his promise?

Hm…

Anyway, reviews are welcomed!

Meiko Atsushi