The stars were shining in Tokyo by the time Kuroko left the gymnasium. He locked the door behind him and exhaled, watching his breath become mist in the cold air.
"Hi, Tetsu."
Kuroko turned at the sound of his name, surprised to see a familiar figure approaching him.
"Momoi," he replies straightly, "What are you doing here?"
She stops before him and reaches for his hand. Her knitted gloves felt warm to the touch.
"Could we talk?" she asks simply. Her cheeks were flushed with a fair pink, and her nose was as red as a reindeer's.
Kuroko hesitates for a moment, but he nods slowly. He lets Momoi wrap her arm around his as they start walking down the empty streets of Tokyo.
"I just wanted to see how you were doing," Momoi said softly. "I know we haven't talked much recently."
"I've been fine."
Momoi notices that Kuroko is a bit stiff and doesn't seem to be completely comfortable with her touch. He tries to maintain a safe distance between them, even though she still has her arm around him.
Momoi sighs softly, "I'm sorry, Tetsu." She stops walking and looks up at his face with a bitter smile. "How I would've loved to see you every day..."
Kuroko stays still and observes her; her teary eyes, her quivering lips, her furrowed brows, her pink hair that sways elegantly in the wind. He feels a little guilty for the hurt he might be causing her, but still...
"I really did want to go to your school, Kuroko," she states. "I miss you."
As she says this, Kuroko feels a sudden surge of emotion. He wants to comfort her, but something inside him is telling him he can't be the one to make her feel better. Instead, he swallows hard and nods slowly.
"I... miss you too, Momoi," he says quietly.
They stand there in silence for a few moments, both lost in their own thoughts. Momoi's arm finally drops from Kuroko's arm, and she takes a step back. Her eyes are still filled with sadness, but there's also a hint of resolve.
"I'll try to understand," she says, looking up at him. "Thank you for at least giving me a chance."
Kuroro is then attacked by a fierce hug from the front, followed by a light sniffle and a bright smile.
"Goodnight... and goodbye."
As Momoi walks away, her steps a bit lighter despite the sadness still lingering in her heart, Kuroko watches her go with a mix of emotions. He feels guilty for causing her pain but is also grateful that they were able to have this conversation.
...Or was he?
As Kuroko stands alone in the empty streets of Tokyo, he can't help but feel a sense of unease creeping up on him. The stars above seemed to mock him, their twinkling light making it seem like everything was just fine.
But he knew better.
He takes a deep breath and steadies his nerves... then he runs faster than he's ever done on the court.
Kuroko sprints through the silent streets, his breath coming in sharp gasps as he pushes his body to its limits. The cool air whistles past his ears and the sound of his shoes striking the pavement echoes in his mind.
"Momoi!" he calls out.
The woman stops in her tracks and turns, confused by the sight before her. That blue-haired boy she thought she'd let go of was here again, sweating, panting, having run what was probably two whole blocks.
"Kuroko!" Momoi gasps, taken aback by his sudden appearance. "What is it? Are you okay?"
Kuroko slows down to a stop, his chest heaving as he tries to catch his breath. He looks at Momoi, his eyes pleading with her to understand.
"I need..."
Momoi pulls out her towel and begins to wipe the sweat from his face.
"That stuff can wait, okay?" she smiles, "Jeez, you're soaked."
Kuroko nods gratefully, the cool air feeling refreshing against his heated skin. He takes a moment to catch his breath before speaking again.
"Momoi, I need to ask you something."
Momoi tenses slightly but nods for him to continue.
"I..." He swallows. "Why me?"
Momoi frowns slightly, a little taken aback by the question. But she replies immediately.
"I've always been watching you, Kuroko. I've spent an abnormal amount of time with you, it's actually dumb. You like bubblegum-flavoured popsicles, you like reading instead of music, you like the feeling of the breeze after a good training session, and you love the swish of the net and the feel of the ball. I like you because... you're Kuroko Tetsuya." She gives him a confident smile. "And there's only one Kuroko Tetsuya in this world."
Whatever she said seemed to have majorly stunned Kuroko. He watched her face for anything at all - lies, deceit, dishonesty - but there was nothing there except... adoration.
"...But I'm a shadow," Kuroko murmurs.
Momoi's eyes widen at his implication. At once, she crosses whatever is left of the gap between them and envelops him in a tight hug.
"Don't ever put yourself down like that, Kuroko," she replies earnestly, "You are not a shadow."
Kuroko remains silent as he processes what she has just said. He could feel the tension slowly drain out of him and be replaced by a calm sense. Finally, he took a deep breath and nodded slowly.
"Back in the first year of Teiko, I think I did like you," Kuroko confesses, much to Momoi's unpreparedness. "There weren't many people who didn't, but..."
Momoi doesn't say anything. Her arms simply tighten around his torso.
"But after I thought I'd finally found my style of basketball, it became my identity, my way of thinking. You were always on the verge of breaking that, though, and during our third year, I thought maybe it was okay for me to change since you were serious about following me into Seirin."
Momoi frowns. "But I didn't."
"No, you didn't," Kuroko agrees softly. "So I thought maybe I was right all along... but I guess I wasn't. I was too caught up in my own thoughts that I never truly looked at you, but you were always looking at me, Momoi. You were there all along, and I just couldn't bring myself to see that. I'm sorry."
Momoi frowns for the nth time this night.
"You're... you're apologising?" she asks, hope fading from her eyes.
"I'd like to start setting things right from now on," he replies resolutely.
Kuroko pulls Momoi away and looks at her face, his eyes filled with a burning fire. Her eyes reflect the starry sky above, and her face flushes a brilliant red in anticipation of his actions.
"I love you, Momoi Satsuki."
Momoi's entire body stalls at his confession. It takes her a moment to find her voice. "Kuroko... I..."
But before she can say anything else, Kuroko leans in and presses his lips against hers.
For a moment, they stand there, frozen in time. Momoi's heart beats wildly in her chest as her mind is overwhelmed with emotions - shock, surprise, excitement, gratitude. Nevertheless, she takes in his lips and smiles in victory; her arms wrap around his neck and down to his back like a serpent that had caught its prey. But in her heart, she's squealing like a little girl.
Kuroko and Momoi pull away from each other after a long, passionate kiss. Their faces are flushed and their breaths are hot. Momoi's eyes sparkle with unshed tears as she looks up at Kuroko.
"Kuroko..." she mutters.
He takes a step back, his hand resting lightly on her cheek. "I know I've made a mess of things, and I'm not sure how to fix it all, but I'm willing to try."
"That's all I want," she giggles. "Now," she reaches her hand out, "let's go home together."
Kuroko tilts his head. "I don't take the subway."
Momoi feels the sudden urge to hit her new boyfriend. "Then just walk me there, idiot."
Kuroko chuckles softly and nods, taking Momoi's hand in his own. Together, they begin walking down the street, their footsteps echoing against the quiet night. Despite the late hour, both of them are as restless as ever.
The day after, Kuroko was back at the gymnasium, practising with the rest of Seirin. He moved fluidly, his fingers dancing across the ball as he dribbled and weaved through his teammates. His passes were excellent, his shots were textbook form, his steps were light and so was the mood enveloping him.
"You're in a good mood today, Kuroko," Riko smiles, "What happened?"
"I'm finally setting things right."
After the match, Kuroko watched the clock. It was just past seven; Momoi should be arriving soon.
"Coach, could I pack up now?"
Riko turns. "Oh, sure, go ahead."
Kuroko nods and starts packing his things, trying not to look too eager. The seconds feel like hours as he waits for Momoi's arrival. He hears the sound of the door opening and his heart skips a beat. His eyes meet hers, and she smiles at him, a soft blush on her cheeks.
"W-what are you doing here?" Riko glares at Momoi. The rest of the team takes notice as well.
"I have a date with Kuroko," she hums, waving to everybody.
Everyone falls silent as they watch Kuroko take her bag, sling it onto his shoulder, and take Momoi by the hand.
"Have a safe trip home," he bows to everyone. The gym door closes soon afterwards, leaving everyone else baffled.
"Let's grab something to eat," Momoi smiles.