I said I wouldn't come back this year hahaha
And here I am!
I just couldn't get Akashi and Hayami out of my head.
This fanfic will be small - if anyone has any suggestions, please send them to me.
Hope you like it.
Ps: if you are confused about the female characters that will appear in this fanfic, read Ideal Type!
[Kuroko No Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki]
[English isn't my first language, so please be kind]
1
Sharing
Akashi P.O.V.
Father loved giving speeches, and the same went for Hayami's father. So when the two of them were together we could doze off and wake up and they would still be talking.
They were celebrating another successful business at a social gathering with friends and of course Hayami and I had to be present as decorations. Not to mention that it was a good way to announce that families were becoming more and more interconnected until the official union took place.
"I should be against an arranged marriage, but I didn't care as long as Hayami was my bride", I thought. But if I said that out loud I think Hayami would get angry. I don't think she felt the same way about me, not anymore. After all, she already had a not-so-secret boyfriend now.
The thought made me unintentionally look for her in the room and I found her on the opposite side, next to a marble pillar. I had told myself that I wouldn't bother Hayami during the gathering since that kind of event was already stressful enough for both of us, but upon meeting my gaze she discreetly pointed to the door that led outside.
Hayami was a master at running away from her father since we were little, and would sometimes take me with her on her adventures through the huge gardens of her old house, which scared my mother.
Of course, she was the first to manage to leave without being disturbed while I must have spent another ten minutes shaking hands and fake smiling at my father's friends while he was still speaking. When I arrived outside, I looked for Hayami among the well-trimmed bushes in the garden, finding her among the white azaleas.
Sometimes I was still impressed by Hayami's beauty. We were tired from training that morning, but we had to attend the event anyway. Even so, Hayami was radiant. I liked her rosy cheeks and her long black hair that looked more like shiny silk.
"Rare and unusual beauty", that name really suited her.
- You are late - Hayami said, she craned her neck to look behind me to make sure I hadn't been followed.
Hayami changed since we got back from the camping trip we did with my Teikō friends during Golden Week, she looked… Happier, I think. Today she had chosen a dark blue dress as the bottom of the sea. It was different from the black clothes she usually wore when we met again, but mysterious when combined with her gray eyes.
- Here - Hayami said, handing me a silver envelope.
I wanted to say that she looked beautiful that night since we left the house, but I hadn't had the chance, and now Hayami continued to hand the envelope to me in such a hurry that I couldn't say anything.
I took the envelope and Hayami smiled. I didn't know what was inside, but she seemed excited. Very different from Hayami from our first meeting months ago, who could barely look me in the eye.
Maybe the guy she had chosen was really the best one for her. I shook my head to dispel that thought. I couldn't be so weak.
Inside the envelope was an old photo, showing my mother holding me when I was still a child, probably afraid of that new environment. Hayami's mother was next to mine, but little Hayami was standing at her feet, brave and confident.
- I never...
- You've never seen this photo before, I know - Hayami said - I found it while I was organizing the photo albums during the move, I don't trust the maids for that, much less my father.
Hayami sighed. It hadn't been long since she and her father had moved to Kyoto and now her father had begun a major renovation of the house, temporarily moving into a hotel.
- I can't believe we've known each other for so long - I said, still looking at the photo - how many people in the world can say that?
- I think not many - Hayami replied. Before she was uncomfortable when we were alone, but now she seemed to be used to being with me again - anyway, I wanted to give you this photo as a birthday gift.
- But my birthday is still far away.
- But I haven't treated you well since we met again - Hayami shrugged, her face actually seemed more relaxed - consider it a peace offering.
- I will cherish this photo forever - I kept the envelope in my jacket pocket.
Maybe Hayami thought my reaction was exaggerated, but I still thought it was too little. I looked at her arms, which she kept hidden under the dress fabric.
- I'm fine, Seijūrō.
- You swear?
- I swear - Hayami raised one of her hands in oath. Grand gestures like this made me fear for her health, but Hayami seemed fine.
With the shoes she was wearing, Hayami stood slightly taller than me, leaving her lips at my sight level.
I think she realized that I was staring at her lips, because she looked away, and soon the light feeling that surrounded us disappeared. I wanted to apologize, but then we heard a round of applause echo from the gathering we had left behind.
- It's time to go home - I said - shall we?
We went home first since the adults would continue drinking and talking irrelevant things for us to hear. Hayami had refused to live in a hotel, so of course my father offered our house to her since, according to him, she would soon be the lady of it.
This time the gathering had been in a place too far away, so we had a long way to go until we got back to the Akashi residence. Hayami was so sleepy that every time the car made a turn her head fell forward, so I made her lie down on my lap.
- Just for an hour - Hayami said. She folded her coat until she turned it into a pillow.
The hour passed and I didn't warn her, letting her sleep until we were back home.
I still hadn't gotten used to sharing the house with the girl I liked. It was different when we were kids, because we didn't think about romance, but now I felt nervous meeting her in the hallways every morning, knowing that she had just showered and that her hair wasn't completely dry yet.
It was as if I were the first person capable of smelling the scent of a rare flower every day. Not even the guy she liked had that privilege. I could barely sleep properly in the first days, and what kept me awake was the possibility of Hayami knocking on my door during the night. But of course that never happened.
- What is that? - I asked Hayami that morning, we had overslept and were late so we didn't have time to have breakfast. Which I hated, because having breakfast with Hayami was fun, it made me feel less alone. And hunger made it harder for me to refrain from touching her damp hair.
Hayami automatically touched the blue pendant that drew attention to her neck.
- It's a Vaporeon.
I blinked, still not understanding. Should I know what that was? Or was this something she shared with the other guy?
"Maybe he sent this to her," I thought. It wasn't uncommon for me to see Hayami preparing letters and gifts to send to him in Tokyo. I pretended not to care, but seeing her receive answers was painful.
Hayami was the first to go. Nobody at school knew we were living together, it would be a scandal if that happened, so Hayami went with a different driver, who took a different route, just to keep up appearances.
- I hate sharing - I said, as I watched Hayami leave.
- Are you awake, Sei-chan?
I think it was Reo who talked to me at the gym, but I was daydreaming. Today was the day we did physical preparation off the court and I was grateful for that, as this was Reo, Eikichi and Kotarō's last year on the team I needed to do well for them, so I had no excuses for doing poorly in training.
Rakuzan's gym had large glass windows overlooking the gardens and running tracks, so I usually chose a treadmill facing them. Sometimes the athletics club ran there, so I could see Hayami with her new club friends.
- I'm wide awake - I paused the treadmill to look at him. Reo held a colorful poster in his hand - what is it?
- Well, you know we're about to travel to Tokyo, right? For the friendly games before the Interhigh.
I nodded, actually my mind had been confused all day because of the necklace Hayami was wearing. I still didn't know what a damn Vaporeon was, but whatever it was I didn't like it.
- Coach Shirogane wants us to film our games until then and since Higuchi graduated we haven't been able to analyze all the data.
I continued listening in silence. Higuchi was our old manager and now he was doing well in college and on Team Strky.
The friendly games would be interesting. We didn't need them, of course, but Kaijō High basically begged for it. Either way, it would be interesting to face Kise for the first time.
- So the coach wants us to find a new manager for the team, at least to accompany us on the trip to Tokyo, so I thought about putting this poster on the notice board.
Reo showed me the colorful poster. He was good at design so it was perfect.
- Good job, Reo - I said.
- The coach said we can analyze the candidates so be prepared - Reo tossed his hair to the side, then pointed to the scene that was taking place behind me.
On the other side of the window, downstairs, the athletics club was having its usual run, but one of the girls had fallen behind.
Hayami had stopped running to meet Kotarō, who was right behind her. At least twice a week Kotarō would give Hayami a flower when he thought I wasn't around. His attitude changed when he was around her, he acted less energetic.
- Isn't she being considered for the youth athletics world championship representing Japan? - Reo shook his head in disapproval - It's not good to be attending to fans like that in the middle of training.
- Go hang the poster, Reo - I said, and maybe my voice sounded too rude, because Reo didn't say anything else, immediately walking away.
I went back to the locker room and looked for my cell phone, checking the group chat that Kise had created. The name was Miragroup and I didn't know where he got the idea, only that our first conversation was a long discussion about whether or not Kagami should be added.
Akashi: Emergency
I typed quickly in the hope that someone would respond. I usually didn't start conversations in the group so I must have scared people, because they responded right away.
Kise: WHAT HAPPENED?
Atsushi: Did someone die, Aka-chin?
Aomine: How boring...
Kuroko: ...
Midorima: You should be studying
There were several things I wanted to ask, but I decided to be straightforward.
Akashi: Someone is bothering Hayami, how do I get rid of him?
That was a half lie, I think. I don't think Kotarō was bothering Hayami, far from it. I was the one who was bothered. No, more than that, I was jealous.
Kise: Whaaaat? Akashicchi you need to act like a real man in this situation
Atsushi: Crush him
Aomine: Challenge him on court and show him who's the boss
Kuroko: Wouldn't it be better to talk to the authorities?
Midorima: Don't resort to violence
Kise started sending weird emojis, so I hung up the phone. It was obvious that none of them would be able to help me, although Atsushi's proposal was the most interesting one.
Suddenly, Kotarō entered the locker room with a wide smile on his face, which disappeared the moment he saw me.
- I'm late, I know - Kotarō started to apologize - this won't happen anymore.
But I wasn't interested in that.
- Let's go to the court for a moment, Kotarō.
- What? - He looked at me surprised and excited - Really, Akashi?
- It's been a while since I challenged you in one on one, hasn't it?
Kotarō's smile disappeared.
- Let's make a deal, best of three, if I win, you have to stop giving flowers to Hayami. What do you think?
Kotarō swallowed, and we didn't even get to the court, on the contrary, he apologized on his knees until Reo came back to say that he had already hung the poster on the notice board and that we would soon receive the applications. He looked pitifully at Kotarō.
Kotarō remembered very well the feeling of being defeated by me, and he didn't like it. An Uncrowned King was just that, someone powerless. Sometimes they just needed to remember that.
That they were weaker than me.
After I finished listening to Kotarō's lamentations, I sent another message in the group chat:
Akashi: Do you know what a Vaporeon is?
I was tired of sharing.