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]
2
Burning
Akashi P.O.V.
I was waiting for Hayami to get out of her appointment. Two hours a week of therapy for both of us seemed to be working. I no longer felt like I was breaking and Hayami also seemed stable although I still made a point of asking the servants not to leave sharp objects in her sight.
Hayami said I didn't have to wait for her if I didn't want to, but I wanted to. After therapy I used to walk alone for a while, no longer full of thoughts, but feeling like there was less weight on my shoulders. With Hayami things hadn't changed much. We weren't much of a talkative type.
The waiting room was private and comfortable, with armchairs and sofas and a window that I had already checked was well reinforced. You could sit here and reflect watching the sunset as long as you wanted.
Sometimes I felt more comfortable there than at home.
When the door leading to the waiting room opened I knew it was Hayami looking for me. Usually she didn't say anything about what she talked about inside and agreed to accompany me on a walk, but this time her eyes were red. She had cried.
- Ha-chin! - I got up hurriedly. I used the nickname Atsushi had given her on purpose.
For some reason Atsushi seemed to put Hayami in a good mood, but I think it was something to do with Suki, who had become her best friend.
I had learned not to rush into touching Hayami, so this time I let her come to me and it worked. She leaned her head on my shoulder and I could smell the floral perfume in her black hair up close. Hayami wore a hair clip on the left part of her head that kept her hair in place. We had to be discreet when coming to places like these because of our families, so Hayami had chosen a sober short shawl to wear over her outfit.
- Let's go - Hayami said, still leaning on my shoulder. She was still crying.
- You need to calm down first.
Hayami nodded. She didn't look at me, but her breathing got deeper until her tears stopped. Hayami's skin was very pale, anyone could tell that she had cried, so I wiped her tears with my fingertips.
It wouldn't be very good for us to go home now, and I don't think she'd want to wander around aimlessly. I tried to remember something I liked to do and realized that we hadn't eaten anything yet.
- There's a Maji Burger at the end of the street - I said - do you want to go there?
Being surrounded by other people smelling of frying seemed to be the right decision, as my mood and Hayami's improved as soon as we entered Maji Burger and chose a table near the window. There was an issue of Zunon Boy magazine lying on the table with Kise's face on the cover.
Hayami took off her shawl and was left with just the loose white shirt that she had chosen in a hurry that morning. She wasn't wearing her Pokémon necklace, which made me hopeful.
We had chosen simple burgers and decided to share fries, but Hayami also wanted a vanilla devoured the burgers in silence, then started snacking on the fries. I tried not to stare at Hayami's arms so often, although they looked much better, and the cuts were now nothing more than pink scratches on marble.
She had told me that she would try not to hide her arms all the time anymore, at least not in front of me. I should be happy about that, shouldn't I?
My phone started ringing and I put it on the table, Hayami leaned forward to see the messages. I think Aomine was babbling about his girlfriend again.
- Miragroup - Hayami smiled - that's cute.
The phone rang again and this time I didn't ignore it.
- It's just Reo - I sighed, as I knew I hadn't completed a task yet - he wants to know if I've already chosen a candidate to be manager of the basketball team.
- I thought you were doing well without a manager - Hayami said, she was mixing the fries into the ice cream.
- And we are doing well, but the coach is not adapted to the technology and we need to film our new training sessions - I pretended not to care what she thought, but the opportunity was perfect - and you know, we're going to Tokyo in a few weeks, facing Kaijō High in a friendly match.
I pointed to the magazine that was next to Hayami's hands.
- Kise's team! - She said. Hayami smiled for a moment and now I could barely notice that she had cried moments before.
I nodded, she was almost taking the bait. I knew that Hayami had traveled a lot to Akita in the past few months just to meet Suki, but her father stopped her from traveling alone again. So she couldn't meet the other guy in Tokyo, at least not alone.
- The manager will be able to travel with us - I said.
Hayami seemed to think a little, had she realized my intentions?
- But isn't it a lot of work? What does a manager do? - She took her cell phone out of her bag and started typing - I think I'll ask Momoi.
I took advantage of Hayami being distracted to send a message to the group chat:
Akashi: How can I confess to Hayami?
Again, they were quick to respond:
Kise: Akashicchi, just say what's in your heart!
Atsushi: Write a love letter, Su-chin loves that
Kuroko: I don't know how to solve this problem
Aomine: Huh, aren't you two together?
They were really good friends, but Shintarō's answer was the one that impressed me the most.
Midorima: You better not do that
I laughed, he really thought I would back down.
- Momoi is sending me a long text now - Hayami sighed - but she said that a good manager should like the sport and not join the team because he or she has a crush on a player.
- Are you scared that another girl will like me, Ha-chin?
- Half of Rakuzan has a crush on you, Seijūrō.
"And the other half in you", I thought, but I couldn't say it out loud. Imagining that other guys felt the same way I did about Hayami seemed irrelevant. Kotarō gave up on her too easily.
She said it like she didn't care, but I wondered how she would act if I gave someone else a chance. Hayami started flipping through Kise's magazine, there was an advertisement with athletes from the hundred meter race.
- I won't accept the offer - Hayami said, pointing to the magazine - if the national team comes after me, I mean, my dad said he's sure they'll come.
- But Hayami... - I said, I stretched out my hand to hold hers, then I stopped, but Hayami let me catch her - I thought you liked running.
- And I like! But if I start doing this seriously, my father will start demanding medals and titles and I can't take it anymore... - Hayami shook her head, there was indeed fatigue in her expression - But you're different, Seijūrō, you're stronger than me, I can already imagine what my father will say when I refuse the offer!
Hayami let go of my hand, she pointed her finger up and tried to imitate her father's serious expression.
- So at least get pregnant soon with an Akashi heir!
I knew Hayami was taking the situation as a joke, but suddenly I felt all the fries I ate coming back down my throat. I coughed so much that Hayami lent me her vanilla shake to make me swallow it all again. I suddenly remembered what Kise had typed, "speak what's in your heart". I had almost vomited all over the table.
I couldn't face Hayami after my coughing attack, so I laid my head on the table and stared at the window, until we saw a child running past with a blue Pokémon plush.
- It's a Vaporeon! - I heard Hayami whisper in wonder.
Apparently there was a store full of claw machines nearby. It was my chance to redeem myself.
- Let's go.
We arrived at the store which was full of children and there was indeed a machine with the plush that Hayami wanted.
- I think I can get one - she said, analyzing the plush situation on the other side - no, it's full of things in the way.
- I think I can get one - I said.
- Seijūrō, he's very hidden... Let's try another machine.
- No, I'll make it, do you trust me or not?
Hayami and I stared at each other for about ten seconds until she gave in. It was obvious that she didn't trust me, not like she used to, but she wanted to see how far I would go for her.
I was completely defeated by that stupid machine, but at least I gave Hayami a good laugh. We just couldn't understand what kind of Pokémon I had caught, it looked like purple goo with a bizarre smile.
Hayami didn't want to take a car, so we went half the way by bus and on foot, but I think she just wanted to stay out of the house longer.
- Thank you for accompanying me today, Seijūrō - Hayami said, then pointed to the purple plush goo - and for this little guy.
It was already evening, we needed to get ready for dinner. Knowing she was going to take a shower made me have strange thoughts again.
- Did something arrive for me today? - I heard her ask one of the servants, but the housekeeper replied that today was not mail day.
I let Hayami go up first and waited until she was far away.
- If anything arrives - I said - give it to me.
- So, Sei-chan! - Reo was the first to bring up the subject in training the next day - Have you already chosen our new manager? I'm sure I chose the best candidates for you to decide.
Eikichi was busy eating the contents of his lunchbox during break while Kotarō avoided looking at me and was distracted by the new first-year students who had joined the team.
- You only chose girls - I said.
- There's nothing wrong with having a pretty girl around us - said Reo.
- As if you care about pretty girls - I rolled my eyes - Higuchi wasn't a girl and he did a good job.
I looked at the clock at the top of our locker room, soon the coach would arrive and wait for my decision, but I wanted to wait until the last second...
Suddenly someone knocked on our door. It was Hayami. She elegantly introduced herself to the new players.
- I'm Hayami Inoue, I'm here to be the new manager.
- You? - Reo looked at her suspiciously, but I smiled - You didn't fill out a form.
- I told the coach that the position was already hers, if she wanted it - I said, making Reo furious, but he wouldn't say anything out loud - we will need all the help against Kaijō and Shūtoku.
It was painful to see the light in Hayami's eyes slowly fade away, but that was necessary.
I would face Takao Kazunari personally.
- You did that on purpose - Hayami said to me after we left Rakuzan.
- What? I said we would face Kaijō.
- You omitted the match against Shūtoku... - Hayami's voice trailed off, and she held the blue necklace instinctively - Don't be mean to him because of me, Seijūrō.
It seemed like fate, but we ended up taking the same car that day and Hayami got as far away from me as she could in that small space. She went straight to her room when we arrived at my house and I didn't stop her.
When I was alone in the room, the housekeeper came to me and handed me a small envelope addressed to Hayami. It was a gift from Takao. Another one.
I read every word in the letter and postcards, as well as the new cards he had sent. Then went to the back of the house, away from Hayami's bedroom window, and watched the envelope burn slowly.
Every word of affection he had for her would soon vanish.
ps: The Pokémon that Akashi caught for Hayami is a Ditto.