OF MUSIC AND BASKETBALL
Summary: After realizing that life was too short, Tachibana Akira goes back to Japan to fulfill a promise. What the music prodigy didn't expect was to meet a bunch of talented, idiotic basketheads along the way.
Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke belongs to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei. (Though, I'm still hoping... *sobs*) I only own the plot and my OC(s). ^_^
A/N: SHOUT OUT TO THE PEOPLE WHO REVIEWED FOR THE FIRST CHAPTER! NeitherSaneNorInsane, lostinthefridge, AnimeLover0000 and aly. Your reviews motivated me to write the second chapter so, thanks! :D
This story is unbeta'd so please excuse my mistakes. Thank you and enjoy~
CHAPTER TWO: Franklin
"Going back to get away after everything has changed.
Could you remind me of a time when we were so alive?
Do you remember that? Do you remember that?"
- Paramore
I sighed as I pulled the school's standardized skirt southward for the umpteenth time this morning, still wondering why the hem's closer to my hips then they are to my knees. Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating (a bit), but honestly speaking, I really dislike wearing skirts—especially ones as short as this. Call me boyish or whatever, but you can't make me wear a skirt unless it's for a really important reason (or when threatened by brute force).
Staring at the floor length mirror, I began ticking off my mental checklist: hazel contact lenses, check; sailor uniform, check; light blue cardigan, check; black knee-length socks, check; white-and-blue Converse hi tops, check. Deciding that leaving my hair down for today was for the best, I picked up my book bag and rushed downstairs, grabbing the toast I made earlier.
I looked around the living room for a moment, trying to remember if I forgot anything, when I spotted my guitar. I left it on the sofa prior this morning after playing it for a while. I've always been an early riser, but even I could say that waking up at 4:30 AM was too early for an 8:30 class. Nerves, I guess.
Fingering the steel strings of the acoustic guitar [1], I wondered not for the first time this day if I should really bring it with me.
Oh, to hell with it. Before I could change my mind again, I quickly placed the guitar in its bag and hooked it on my shoulders, nodding my head in satisfaction. You can do this, Aki. This is just phase one in completing your mission.
Stepping onto the pavement, I felt my phone beep, signaling the arrival of a mail.
.
From: Oba-chan
To: Akira
Good luck on your first day! I know it's a lot different from America, but I hope you enjoy it here. Make sure you eat lunch later, okay? I'll call you when you get home.
P.S: Don't panic when you meet Etsuko-san later, okay? She'll be your housekeeper [2]. Don't worry, though! She'll only be there twice a week.
.
I blinked before letting out a small smile. It's been a while since someone's been this concerned about me. It feels nice.
Locking the door behind me, I slowly walked towards the direction of Seirin High School. First day of school, huh? I mused. Oh, dear. Here I go.
"Are you interested in rugby?"
"Have you ever played shogi?"
"You've got to play baseball if you're truly Japanese!"
"Swimming! Don't you think it feels great?"
I stared at the mass in front of me in slight awe. Sugoi. Is this what a battlefield looks like? I thought to myself idly as I saw the manic seniors fight their way through the crowd, all for the sake of recruiting potential members for their respective clubs. All that's missing is a couple of senpais arguing about which club is better in front of a freshman. Oh, wait. There's one in the corner.
Shaking my head, I tried to sidestep the throng of bodies in front of me, not noticing that some eyes were following my movements, when I saw a blur of brown hair flash by before I got pulled to the right.
"Ne, ne. Is that guitar on your back? How'd you like to join Seirin High's music club?" A brunette asked me excitedly.
"Um…" I trailed nervously.
She gave me a piece of paper. It was a flyer. "Since the school is just new, we'd really appreciate new members. We currently have eight, so far. Would you like to tryout? Our club room is right beside the gym, so you won't get lost. We can actually use the gym for practice, too—except during basketball practice. We practice every day after school. So, what do you say? The club sign-up form will be available during auditions. Would you like to join us? It'll be fun!"
I blinked at her. I can't believe she said all that in one breath. She's got hell of a lungs, I'll give her that.
Suddenly, she looked sheepish. "Sorry. Was too much? I tend to get over-excited about these things. I'm Fujioka Atsuko, by the way. I'm from class 2-B," she added as an afterthought.
Snapping out of my trance, I gave her a slight nod. "My name is Tachibana Akira [3]. Nice to meet you."
I glanced at the flyer on my hand. It has a picture of a big microphone on the side, kind of framing the flyer, I guess. It says, "Do you love music? Join SEIRIN HIGH SCHOOL'S MUSIC CLUB and be a member now!" and various other details about the club.
I look up to see Fujioka-san looking at me with an encouraging smile. "So? How 'bout it, Tachibana-san?"
I nod at her once. "I'd like to join, please."
Phase one—complete.
After assuring Fujioka-senpai (as she'd like me to call her) that I'd be auditioning for the music club sometime this week, I continued my trek towards the school building, wondering where it is.
It's got to be around here somewhere… I thought, looking around me for a moment. Swimming club, chess club, math club, art club, rugby club… AH! There it is!
"Basketball! Basketball club! How'd you like to join the basketball club?"
I steeled my nerves before approaching the spiky-haired brunette whose lips are formed like that of a cat's. Is that genetic? I wondered absentmindedly.
I cleared my throat. "Um, excuse me?"
He jumped a bit as he turned to me, his face slightly reddening as he looked at me in surprise. "H-Hai?"
Ignoring the curious looks the two guys with him are throwing us, I spoke with conviction. "I'd like to join the basketball club, please."
He blinked at me, as if in a daze. "P-Pardon?"
"W-Well, as a manager," I added.
For a split second, I thought I was dreaming. Are those sparkles in their eyes?
"R-Really?"
"It'd be a great help for you to help us! [4]"
The tallest of the trio only nodded at me silently.
O-Okay…? "So, am I in?"
Just as the brown-haired senior was about to reply enthusiastically, the shorter of the two black-haired guys placed his hand on his mouth to stop him from speaking. "Well, you should probably head to the basketball club booth to confirm with the coach and our captain. Ah!" he exclaimed. "Let me bring you there."
Nodding, he directed me towards the booth as a certain cat-faced senior grumbled a string of curses under his breath while the other guy comforted him silently.
"So, what's your name?" he asked.
"I'm Tachibana Akira, senpai. What's yours?"
"My name is Izuki Shun. It's nice to meet you, Tachibana-san." He looked at me thoughtfully. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you want to join the basketball club? We don't get offers, after all," he added.
I contemplated. Should I tell him? "W-Well—oomph!"
"T-Tachibana-san? Are you okay?" Izuki-san asked worriedly as I tried to orient myself.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. Are you hurt?" a soft voice asked me. Looking to my right, I saw a pale guy with light blue hair who looks about my size staring at me blankly. He was holding what seems to be a novel on his hand, a bookmark peeking out from the middle.
Wait a minute. Has he been there the whole time?
As if to answer my question, he nodded. "Yes. I've been here the whole time."
Woah. Talk about mind-reading. Or maybe the question was just so obvious on my face. Shaking my head slightly, I answered his previous question. "I'm fine, thanks for asking. I apologize as well. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings."
He gave me a slight nod. "Okay. Well, I'll be on my way then," he said, moving away from us.
I blinked. I swear, if I couldn't see his striking hair color in the crowd, I would've thought he just vanished into thin air [5].
Turning to my companion, I called him. "Izuki-san?"
He was staring incredulously at the spot where the blue-haired guy had been, jolting from his reverie when he heard his name being called. Clearing his throat, he gestured forward.
Noticing that he looked a bit troubled, I asked him what was wrong. "O-Oh, it's nothing," he said, his cheeks slightly reddening. Huh? "I've been wondering about something, though…" he trailed.
At that, I just mentally shrugged. Seems like everything's fine.
Reaching the booth, I can see a short-haired brunette girl in a dark blue cardigan talking to a dark-haired guy who was wearing glasses. I narrowed my eyes. Hold on. Earlier, they told me to get the approval of the coach and the captain, right? Also, Izuki-san said that they've never had offers for the managerial position before. So, if that guy's the captain, does that mean that she's…? [6]
They looked up when Izuki-san called them. "Izuki-kun?" the girl inquired. "What's going on?"
Aforementioned guy only gestured towards me, silently asking me to speak. I cleared my throat again. "M-My name is Tachibana Akira, senpais. I'd like to join the basketball club as the manager," I said, bowing slightly before straightening. I was met with silence as they only stared at me intently with unreadable expressions. Embarrassed by the unexpected attention, I blushed.
"KYAA~!" I only had time to brace myself before I was attacked by the girl. "Finally! A girl! A beacon of light in the darkness of a cold forest! A flower among the thorns! An innocent deer among hordes of wild, disgusting beasts—!"
"OI!" the two guys yelled in unison.
I only looked at her, perplexed. "E-Eh?!"
SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON?!
Noticing my stiff reaction, the girl let go of me, not looking guilty at all. "Sorry. Let's start over. My name is Aida Riko, the coach of Seirin High School's basketball club. It's nice to meet you," she said, smiling confidently.
Coach, huh? Just as I thought, I mused, unsurprised.
She grabbed a piece of paper from the table and gave it to me. "Please fill up this form, Tachibana-san, and we'll consider you. Though, it really is just for formality," she assured me.
"Okay. Thank you, Aida-san."
"No, no. That won't do," she replied, shaking her head.
"Eh?"
She smiled creepily, her eyes glittering. "Call me Riko-chan~"
.
.
.
EHHH?!
"Ah. She snapped."
"Whose fault do you think it is?!"
"T-Tachibana-san? Can you hear me?"
I can vaguely hear them arguing as I was moved somewhere else—not very far as I can still hear the coach's voice. Then I felt someone tapping my shoulders.
"Tachibana-san?"
I woke from my dazed state and looked at Izuki-san, who was staring at me worriedly. He sighed in relief when I responded. He asked me if I was alright.
I cleared my head. "I'm fine, Izuki-san. I was just, uh… kind of surprised."
When was the last time someone was that happy to see me?
He nodded sympathetically. "I understand. Here," he gave me my form. "You can fill it up whenever you're ready. I'll just, uh… try to diffuse the situation over there," he said, slightly sweatdropping at the escalating scene.
As he tried to calm the two down, I filled up the form.
.
Club Sign-Up Form
Boys' Basketball Club
Class 1-B Student ID [7]
Name Tachibana Akira
Middle School Maryland Academy for the Arts [8]
Reason for Joining
.
I stopped there. I don't really know what my student number is since I'm a transferee, so I have a valid reason for not answering that part. The last one, however…
I looked at the table, surprised to see them assembled already. (Wait, isn't that the cat-faced senior earlier? What's he doing on the table?) Sitting in front of them is a tall redhead crushing a cup before standing up and leaving—but not before shooting his garbage without even a backwards glance. Interesting…
Gazing at my form once again, I let out a sigh before writing an answer. This will have to do.
For now, at least.
THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW
Koganei sighed in despair as they walked to their respective classrooms. "I still can't believe how terrifying that freshman is."
"Yeah, I saw him carrying you," Izuki said. "How'd that happen, anyway?"
Seemingly avoiding the question, Koganei immediately brightened. "But we finally have a manager! I never thought this day would come! Right, Mitobe?"
Mitobe only nodded happily.
Aida, on the other hand, was not paying attention. She was staring intently at the new girl's sign-up sheet.
.
Club Sign-Up Form
Boys' Basketball Club
Class 1-B Student ID
Name Tachibana Akira
Middle School Maryland Academy for the Arts
Reason for Joining
To be the manager
.
It was such a bland answer for someone so resolved to be the manager of their basketball club. If that was her only reason, why would she even join in the first place? Not to mention, she was carrying a guitar earlier, implying that she does have something else to do at this school. No one wants to be the errand girl of a team filled with sweaty boys willingly, Aida thought. Something tells me that there's more to her than her cute awkward disposition.
Noticing the Aida's silence, Hyuuga turned to her. She looked like she was considering something. "Coach? Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong." She shook her head, an excited grin gradually making its way on her face. "In fact, everything's just perfect."
This year will certainly be interesting! I can't wait!
End of Chapter Two.
E/N: Finally got chapter two out of my system! WOOHOO! *throws a mini party* No flashback this time, though, but I hope the additional scene at the end made up for it. Anyway, I don't know if I'll be able to post this fast for the succeeding chapters, but I will try my best. Also, for the readers of "The Teacher's Apprentice" (my Twilight & Blue Exorcist crossover story) who are reading this story as well, chapter 9 will be out real soon! So, stay tuned~ ^^
So, for the notes:
[1] I don't really know how to describe a steel-stringed acoustic guitar. I hope this suffices. *makes a peace sign*
[2] Yes. A 16 year old girl has her own housekeeper. Weird, right? But this is not just because her aunt's worried about her and stuff. I implied in both the previous chapter and this chapter that Aki's family are kind of, uh… rolling in dough. (Example: Aki's abrupt move to Japan without her parents batting an eyelid, the super quick fix of Aki's house despite being unlived in for the past ten years, etc.) If it wasn't obvious enough, I apologize. ""OTL
[3] Tachibana, her last name, means "wild orange," while her first name, "Akira," means bright or clear.
[4] A play on the word "help."Again, I apologize for the lame pun. *sobs in a corner*
[5] & [6] Hinting on Akira's special abilities. CAN ANYONE GUESS WHAT THEY ARE? *wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge*
[7] I just guessed about this one. In episode one, Kuroko answered that part with a couple of numbers while Kagami wrote nothing. I just assumed it was due to the fact that Kagami's a transferee. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks! ^_^
[8] Kind of a tribute to the Step Up movies. COOKIES TO THOSE WHO GOT IT! XD
So, did you guys enjoy this chapter or was it not good? Please leave a review for comments and suggestions. Thank you! ^^
CHAPTER PREVIEW
Here it is.
"Oh. It's you again."
"Have you ever heard of 'anger management'?"
I feel like I just stepped in a whole new dimension.
"You can be kind of scary, you know that?"
"Don't think I haven't noticed that non-answer on you form, Akira-chan."
"EHHH?!"
What are they even talking about?
"Why are you asking me? I'm a transferee like you."
"I don't agree with your opinion."
Chapter Three: Believe in Dreams
Stay tuned for chapter three! :D