Okay, okay. Okay. I want to get something off my chest immediately. I'm trying to be very personal with you all, after all. The truth is, it's incredibly hard for me to write this specific story, mainly because of its genre. I dislike writing light, humorous stories, because all the time I feel so damn insecure, I'm always getting paranoid that I'm not doing a good enough job just because of the genre, and it's eating away a lot of my nerves. I don't have this problem with any other story. I know this is a ridiculous reason or whatnot but because of this growing paranoia it's extremely hard to write this for me. But! I still continue on doing so, mainly because of you! So I just want to ask you! Please don't be too upset with me! Perhaps this paranoia of not being good enough is the result of the stress many of us face in our daily lives. So please just be patient with me! Now that both of my schools are growing to an end for me, it may get easier for me very soon. I swear, you will not have to wait too long for the next update. Please just bear with me!

That being said, I shall apologize many times if you find this chapter unsatisfactory :)) Since I have a passion for psychology, I might be looking into certain details too much or shaping them in the way they shouldn't be shaped. You see, another reason why this is so hard for me to write is because I tend to specialize in AUs where I shape the characters according to my own rules, BUT this is a completely different case, so I may be having some trouble with that :))) I am sorry, I am certainly too paranoid :)))

ALSO! This is a bit important. Um, so I managed to fck up with the timeline in the last chapter :D Goddammit, this is why I dislike writing according to an already existing plot... But anyway! I more-or-less fixed it, so right now we are a couple of days after the midterm exams. I think I mentioned this before, but I'll certainly be skipping some events and just mentioning them, because c'mon, I wanna write some original stuff. Hope y'all understand.

Ah, also, I mayyyy be looking too much into the dynamics of Oreshi and Bokushi, but forgive me, I cannot do anything else, this is just how I see it. They are both very real and very equal to me. I look into their psychology perhaps a bit too deeply, but I can't help it, this is combining two *three* of my favorite topics, so of course I'd go deep into it.

*irrelevant note, but if you want, you could check out my short stories I had written for the AkaKuro week, so yeah*

Chapter XIV – Double Time

Kuroko needed a good few seconds for the realization of this situation to sink in. He stared at his former captain with slightly wider eyes as if not entirely believing it. But the facts were undeniable. The redhead himself confirmed it. The Akashi that stood before him with that small smile on his lips was definitely not the one he had entered this school with.

And, strangely enough, at first Kuroko had mixed feelings about that.

''Akashi-kun?..'' he finally spoke, disbelief audible in his usually dull voice.

''You seem quite surprised, Kuroko,'' the redhead lightly chuckled at the teen's reaction. ''Is it that unbelievable?''

The tealnet stared at his classmate for a few moments before, without warning, stepping closer and embracing him over the shoulders. If truth be told, he was quite surprised himself at his actions, but there was no going back now. Besides, it felt strangely... natural.

Akashi was rather taken aback by such a gesture, but quickly composed himself and returned the hug, a chuckle leaving his lips.

''Did you miss me that much?'' he teased with a light smile.

''...I'm just... glad you're back, Akashi-kun,'' Kuroko answered, the corners of his lips twitching upwards.

''Mm, it's nice to see you too, Kuroko,'' the redhead gently beamed at the other. ''It's been awhile.''

The tealnet stayed silent, just quietly enjoying the moment. Honestly, for some reason this felt unrealistic. It was simply so... unexpected. Kuroko didn't understand why, but he had very conflicted feelings about this whole situation. He had yet to figure out what was causing it.

For now he'd keep his thoughts to himself.

The pair lingered in that position for a few seconds before they let each other go. Both of their lips were shaped into small smiles which reached their eyes. It had been such a long time since Akashi's eyes were full of genuine warmth and serenity, because of what the tealnet decided to push his confusing feelings aside for now. He should just enjoy the present.

''Shall we go then?'' Akashi finally broke their comfortable silence, gesturing to the entrance of the school's perimeter.

Kuroko nodded, that smile never leaving his expression, and the pair began slowly walking towards their classroom. The tealnet had many questions running through his mind, but for now he decided to keep them unspoken. There would be time for that later, but now there were some more important matters to discuss...

''You know, Akashi-kun, no one in our class knows about you,'' Kuroko spoke, casting a glance at the redhead besides him.

''Mhmm, that's true,'' Akashi nodded, a light chuckle leaving his lips. ''I honestly look forward to their reaction. 'He' had made quite the impression on ourselves after all... And formed rather interesting relationships may I add.''

''Especially with Karma-kun,'' the tealnet tilted his head in wonder. ''I'm very curious to see how the two of you will mix.''

''As am I,'' the former captain's eyes glinted with masked excitement. Not surprisingly, he had been out of touch with people for quite some time after all, of course he would be excited.

Finally the quiet pair reached their classroom, which was already occupied with students by the sound of it. There were about five minutes left until the lesson, so they made it just in time. The two teens glanced at each other once, both of their eyes displaying excitement, and opened the door.

Light chatter filled the room, each group with their own respective friends spending the remaining few minutes before class start. Both Kuroko and Akashi quietly made their way along the front of the room and began heading towards their seats in between the rows when they were finally noticed.

''Morning you two,'' Maehara was the first to greet them with the usual grin on his lips, lightly swinging on his chair back and forth. That caused Nagisa with Kayano besides him to divert their attention to the pair and say their hellos as well.

''Good morning, Maehara, Shiota, Kayano,'' Akashi smiled and nodded politely in return with Kuroko following suit.

The three students were, to say the least, taken aback by such a lovely greeting. They stared at the redhead with wide eyes as the pair continued making their way to their seats. Maehara due to the bafflement would have leaned back in his chair too much and fallen down if Nagisa hadn't reacted in time, which at least slightly took the trio out of their trance.

''Is it just me, or does Akashi seem unusual today?'' Maehara wondered in a slightly hushed voice, glancing over his shoulder at the target of their attention.

''Right?'' Kayano nodded, equally as confused. ''He had been off for the past couple of weeks, but just now he seemed even more so...''

''And he addressed us by our last names. With a smile,'' Nagisa added slowly. Not only that... There were also certain details that were different than before, for example merely his composure felt more relaxed, his pacing had changed, that intimidating aura that never seemed to leave him in the past was nowhere to be seen – or at least nearly not as vivid – and overall he just seemed more... approachable. ''But... doesn't Kuroko-kun seem a bit odd as well?''

Now that he pointed that out, the quiet tealnet was acting a tad strange as well. It was almost imperceptible, but Kuroko looked in slightly higher spirits than usual. For the past few weeks he seemed worried about his former teammate, but now all that worry (or at least what was seen on the surface) was washed away and instead a small, gentle smile adorned his lips as he and Akashi were striking up a light conversation, the latter, strangely enough, smiling as well. There was definitely something going on that no one else besides them were aware of. That thought was confirmed when the pair suddenly glanced in the baffled trio's direction, who in return quickly averted their curious gazes from them.

''Something really is off here...'' Maehara murmured while weakly shaking his head.

''Well, we'll have to investigate this later, class is about to start,'' Nagisa informed them, taking his seat.

For some reason, the lesson went on much longer than any other day. Perhaps due to the reason that they wished for it to end much more. This mystery regarding Akashi... They were so tempted to pursue it. And it also seemed that some of their other, more observant classmates had noticed the change in the redhead's demeanor as well. That was clear by the odd looks they were giving him throughout the lesson. Finally the long-awaited break had come and they could act on their curiosity.

However, a certain someone beat everyone to it, not that anyone was surprised.

''Hello, Sei-chan,'' the infamous devil of the class walked over to his desk and greeted Akashi, yet there was a strange undertone in his voice. ''You seem in a better mood today.''

''Good morning, Akabane,'' Akashi politely answered with a nod. A light, mysterious smile spread across his lips. ''And yes, indeed I am.''

Karma stared at the other for a couple of seconds, carefully observing every inch of the teen, before he without warning practically slammed his hands on the table, leaning slightly closer to Akashi while startling him a bit in the process.

''You are not Sei-chan,'' he declared with narrowed eyes, a light scowl forming on his lips. ''Who are you and what have you done to him?''

Those words immediately caught the attention of most of the class. Now that the ice was broken, the curious ones moved closer to the end of the room, forming a small half-circle around the scene. Glancing over the puzzled and even a bit wary eyes, Akashi couldn't help but let out a small smile accompanied by a light chuckle. It was so interesting.

''My, so much attention,'' he commented, and some could almost hear the tune of shyness in his voice. Casting a quick glance at his former teammate, who in return looked at him reassuringly, Akashi gracefully stood up. ''Though I suppose I can't blame you. I don't believe we have formally met, after all.''

That caused most of them to look at each other in even further confusion, even quiet murmurs went across the class. Both Akashi and Kuroko couldn't help but feel somewhat amused by it.

''Allow me to introduce myself. I am Akashi Seijuurou, former captain of Teiko basketball team, and from now on your classmate. I am looking forward to making your acquaintance,'' the redhead finished off with a small bow.

It was safe to say that baffled the class even more. Most completely didn't understand what was going on, was Akashi joking with them in this peculiar way? But that would be so out of character for him... Not to mention no one actually imagined Akashi bowing to them. This whole situation didn't make any sense to them.

''Perhaps I should explain a bit,'' Kuroko finally spoke, standing up as well. He cast a glance at his friend before continuing. ''There are two Akashi-kuns that you should know about. The Akashi-kun that you all know is the second one. This Akashi-kun is the original one that I met in my first year.''

There was complete silence as the other teens tried to understand what they had just heard. Since the pair had talked in a rather roundabout way, for the more dense ones it was a more difficult challenge. However, quiet snicker finally resonated through the room and all off the eyes traveled to Karma, who was biting his knuckle to contain his laughter. His previously wary eyes now glinted with amusement and soon enough he spoke.

''Wait wait,'' the redhead waved his hand, catching his breath. ''Are you meaning to tell me... that you have dissociative identity disorder?''

''Ah... Well, I suppose...'' Akashi answered, slight discomfort breaking through his voice as he leaned on his desk a bit, folding his arms. He tended to avoid that certain topic usually.

''And you all thought I was crazy,'' Karma ran his hand through his red locks while shaking his head, that grin never leaving his lips.

''So there's actually two of you?'' Maehara finally voiced out his confusion. ''And you're supposedly the real one?''

''That's a bit harsh,'' Akashi spoke slowly and carefully, his calculated look pointed somewhere to the floor. ''Because at this point I'm not exactly sure about our situation, but I guess you could just call me the first one.''

''That's quite confusing...''

''No, that's not the confusing part,'' Karma suddenly protested, a yet another snicker rising up his throat. ''You are literally mentally ill, you do realize that you need a psychiatrist, right?''

''Do you imagine my other self being taken to the doctor or just being given such a suggestion?'' Akashi answered with a risen brow. ''And you're the one to speak.''

''He has a point,'' Kayano nodded. ''That person would probably be thrown out the window or something...''

''Ah, so wait!'' Fuwa suddenly spoke up excitedly. ''So if you're nice, that means you have like an evil second personality! That is so cool, like from a fantasy movie!''

''An evil second personality?'' Akashi couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at that statement. ''Now that really is harsh.''

''But... there is still one huge thing that I don't get...'' Kayano once again started, her eyes glinting with confusion. ''If you're here, then what happened to your other self? Did he...''

All of their eyes were now on Akashi, who heaved a soft sigh.

''Nothing happened to 'him','' he reassured them. ''We just switched places. Or rather, 'he' finally allowed me to take control again.''

''But why-''

''I don't think Akashi-kun wants to discuss that particular topic right now,'' Kuroko finally spoke, moving a bit closer to his friend, concern slightly breaking through his usually nonchalant look. The redhead cast him a small thankful smile.

''We fully understand,'' Nagisa nodded, his voice soft. ''But... would you mind if I asked whether this change is permanent?''

Akashi mused about his answer for a short while, carefully choosing the correct words.

''I doubt it,'' he finally responded slowly. ''Unlike our first change in Teiko when I was shoved very deep inside, 'he' is much closer to the surface and therefore I believe it is possible that we may switch quite easily.''

''How fortunate,'' Karma exhaled a dramatic sigh, yet a devious grin quickly appeared on his lips. ''And I was so worried I wouldn't see Sei-chan again.''

''He is delighted to know that,'' the corners of Akashi's own lips twitched upwards in amusement.

Right after those words the teen's knees suddenly gave out and he fell down, the back of his head hitting his desk. Akashi let out a hiss of pain and grabbed the pain area, shutting his eyes in the process.

''Are you okay?'' Kuroko asked in worry, immediately going to his side to help him get up, joined by a couple of other startled classmates.

To their greater surprise, Akashi merely began laughing as he was finally lifted up to a standing position, still holding onto his pained area.

''Did he hit his head too much or something?..'' Kayano wondered out loud, sounding concerned.

''Ah, well this is an interesting addition,'' the former captain finally spoke up, that amused smile not leaving his lips. ''Remember how I told you 'he' is much closer to the surface now than I was before? Well, apparently, that doesn't come without consequences.''

''Wait, are you meaning to say...'' Kuroko started slowly, realization dawning on him.

''The fact that I just fell down was 'his' reaction to my previous statement to Akabane. It turns out being so close to the surface doesn't strip you of control completely.''

''So 'he' can still control your body to some extent?'' Nagisa asked, sounding quite fascinated.

''And he made you fall down because he was pissed at you?'' Karma added, not being able to control his devilish laughter even through biting his knuckle. ''Oh man, this is certainly interesting. How fun this could prove to be!..''

''But... isn't he hurting himself in the process as well?'' Kuroko wondered curiously while tilting his head.

''He says it's worth it,'' Akashi answered with a shrug.

'Shut up or I'll make you more than just fall down.'

''Okay, okay,'' the redhead chuckled in amusement at his other sulking self.

''You two can communicate?'' Nagisa inquired, his eyes glinting with curiosity.

''Quite so, now much more clearly than before.''

''This is so fascinating!..'' Kayano expressed he amazement. ''You really are like two people inside one body!..''

''Well, at least we know Sei-chan is okay,'' Karma hummed, tilting his head to the sides.

''Oh, I just thought!'' the green-haired girl suddenly exclaimed. ''We should give you two different names! That way, if you're two different people, we'd know which one we're talking about if we're not talking about you in general.''

''That's actually a good idea,'' Akashi looked at her intently while nodding. ''He doesn't particularly enjoy being called 'second' you see.''

''I bet, Sei-chan is always first after all~''

''Great that you agree, because I propose an idea!'' Kayano's eyes gleamed excitedly. ''I noticed that you two address yourself differently, then how about you be Oreshi and the other Bokushi?''

Murmurs of agreement passed along the teens, they hadn't initially heard that the two call themselves differently. Kayano's idea wasn't a bad one.

''We could do that,'' Akashi nodded, his lips forming a small smile.

They're very nice actually, you know.

'…'

Unfortunately, their little chat had to come to an end, since the second class was about to start. Nevertheless, this new revelation surprised them quite a bit, yet most were rather fascinated by it all. There were actually two Akashis... Two completely different people in one body. Most were beyond curious what had happened to Akashi that he split into two, and what happened now that made them switch?.. Nevertheless, the teen quite obviously showed that he didn't wish to discuss that, at least not now. It was most likely something very personal, and the class had to respect it.

Nevertheless, they all wondered: where did Kuroko play a part in this?

It was quite obvious that he did, after all, given by the way he kept looking at him.

-.-

Akashi didn't remember when it was the last time he had received this much attention. Well, he couldn't blame them. He was a new shiny jewel, after all, a strange one at that. Naturally it caught the interest of many. Usually he wasn't used to this quantity of communication, back in Teiko he only talked to a handful of people, mainly Midorima, but he was glad to see that at least Kuroko didn't leave him in this chaos. Truthfully speaking, the redhead didn't expect such a warm welcome. At first they were a bit cautious of him since they didn't quite know him, but throughout the day they acted more and more freely around him. This class was unusually open-minded and friendly, Akashi got to experience that first-hand now. Through his other self's eyes he didn't particularly understood certain matters, mainly due to the other's behavior. But now that he held the wheel, the teen discovered quite a lot. There was one certain thing that separated this class from his previous one – back in Teiko when he changed, practically no one questioned it. They just... accepted it far too quickly. As if merely Akashi's behavior changed. Perhaps such thoughts weren't correct, perhaps some did question this change, but apart from that one incident with Kuroko, no one addressed it directly with him. They took no clear interest in this situation. Whereas for this class...

''So what is the relationship between you two? Are you like brothers or something?''

It didn't held back their questions. And they were oddly open about them.

''That is hard to say...'' Akashi spoke slowly, absentmindedly playing with the food in his bento box with his chopsticks. Not even during lunch break was he left alone. ''Even if it was... it would be a very peculiar one given the circumstances.''

''But what other relationship can you have with your second personality? Can you even have a relationship? Or does the personality have to be on a whole different personality level? When is a second personality on a different level? What needs to happen for it to upgrade to that level?'' Kayano expressed her curiosity without batting an eye, gleaming with excitement with each passing minute.

''You're raising a lot of psychological questions, I don't believe they're that easy to answer,'' Nagisa commented with a small, albeit slightly awkward smile.

''But you are certainly giving me a lot to think about,'' Akashi responded with a light chuckle.

''Then what about interests?'' Sugino chimed in. ''Do you two like the same activities? What about meals? Do you like something that the other dislikes?''

''Oooh, if you do, could you eat something that the other doesn't like and would he complain about it?''

'What is wrong with these people?'

''I honestly didn't think about most of these questions,'' Akashi cracked a smile in amusement while shaking his head. ''I find it incredibly interesting how you all immediately treat us like two different people, whereas back in Teiko only a few actually understood that I didn't merely change in character.''

At that statement Kuroko imperceptibly tensed up, but continued his quiet eating without commenting. Well that certainly brought back some memories.

''But... even your eyes changed!..'' Kayano pointed out in wonder. ''How come Bokushi has heterochromatic eyes and you don't? If you only switch personalities, why does your appearance change as well?''

''Wait wait,'' Sugino suddenly spoke up again, excitement glinting in his eyes. ''Could it perhaps be somehow related to that ability of yours?.. What was it called again, Emperor Eye or something?''

''That's an interesting thought,'' Akashi nodded, quite curious about the idea. ''However, once again, I'm afraid I won't be able to answer. I came back literally today, it's a bit hard to know everything right off the bat,'' he ended with a light chuckle.

''Oh, you're right, sorry,'' Sugino apologized a bit sheepishly. ''Ah, by the way! We were talking a bit and thought maybe you'd like to join us for a basketball game after school some day? It would be fun to see how different you are in that field.''

''Oh, of course,'' the teen answered with a smile. Then, he directed his gaze to the small tealnet next to him. ''Only if Kuroko joins me that is.''

The said boy glanced at Akashi a bit surprised, but quickly formed a small smile and nodded. Truthfully speaking, he really did wish to play with his former teammate again, it had been quite awhile since last time after all.

''Then it's settled.''

-.-

Finally the taxing school day came to a close. Even if the PE lessons were as difficult as never before, the group still fulfilled their plans of a game after classes, even a couple of girls joined them. But even that finally ended. If truth be told, Akashi was indeed joyous for be able to play again, it felt rather refreshing. And his classmates were excellent playmates, well, at least in a teamwork sense. They in return were quite fascinated to learn that Akashi did, in fact, play much differently than his other self. It was somewhat bizarre, really. However, they didn't question the nature of such difference. If Akashi would ever want to tell them, he would. But for now...

Kuroko was initially a bit surprised when his former teammate asked whether he could escort the tealnet home. Of course, he agreed without too much hesitation, why wouldn't he? Nevertheless, he was a bit anxious of being alone with Akashi at the moment. His thoughts were still very confusing and quite all over the place, he didn't exactly understand what he was feeling, and Kuroko feared Akashi may just increase that uneasiness. Regardless, here they were, strolling along the quiet street in silence.

Now, there was one specific detail worth mentioning: Akashi and Kuroko weren't the most talkative people, so silence accompanied them more often that not, however, usually it was rather comforting, peaceful, but now certain awkwardness hung in the air. From the tealnet's side it was the fact that he still tried to arrange his thoughts, while from his friend's side it was quite obvious that he wished to say something, but couldn't find the right words. Nevertheless, time was running out and he couldn't fear forever.

''You seemed much quieter today than usual,'' the redhead finally broke their silence, trying to sound casual.

''Oh? I didn't notice,'' Kuroko murmured in return. ''Perhaps it's the other way around, perhaps other days I'm simply more talkative than normally.''

''The fact still stands,'' Akashi pointed out, glancing over to his companion.

''Well, you were the center of attention today, I didn't particularly have anything to say,'' he shrugged simply.

Even the smallest of details couldn't escape his keen eyes. ''You seem troubled, Kuroko.''

''Am I,'' the tealnet mumbled more to himself. After a moment of silence he shook his head. ''It's nothing to worry about, Akashi-kun. I can deal with it myself.''

''You can talk to me, you know,'' The other continued looking at him with those gleaming rubies of his.

''Really, it's not that important.''

Akashi stared at the smaller teen for a couple of seconds before he heaved a soft sigh.

''I won't push you if you don't want to,'' he informed him, finally averting his eyes from his friend. An almost imperceptible bitter smile tugged on his lips. ''I understand why you wouldn't want to talk to me about such things.''

The pair stopped on the pavement. Kuroko lifted his eyes to meet Akashi's troubled ones, who seemed to be trying not to look away to his best abilities. The sounds of cars passing by or other quiet conversations drowned into muffled noise as the pair stared at each other, each with their own problems and each aware of the other's in secret.

''Is there something you want to tell me, Akashi-kun?'' Kuroko finally spoke after such a long pause, slightly tilting his head to the side.

The said redhead was quiet for a few more moments, carefully picking his words. Somehow this was much harder in reality than he had thought it would be.

''Kuroko, I...'' He took a deeper breath, but didn't get a chance to continue before the smaller teen spoke up.

''Akashi-kun, it's okay,'' The tealnet's voice was softer than before, a tiny smile adorning his lips. ''You don't have to tell me anything right now. I believe we both need some time to gather our thoughts, there is no need to rush.''

Akashi inhaled deeply once more and exhaled, trying to relax his tense shoulders. Perhaps that wasn't such a bad idea.

''Okay,'' he breathed out, momentarily closing his eyes. ''Okay. You're right. Of course.''

Kuroko's reassuring smile widened by a small fraction. They shouldn't rush into these certain matters without thinking them through, the end result might not be what either of them would want otherwise.

There was so much to think about, after all.

Um, so I got 30+ reviews after I posted the last chapter... And since I tend to answer to them once I finish writing the next chapter, I have quite a handful now... So I thought here I'd just answer to some questions or clear up certain points regarding some reviews. I am sorry once again for my incompetence. I will try to get better. Starting today. Or tomorrow. One of these days.

#1: This story is a mess. Okay. A mess. It will have all sorts of elements, but yes, the issue with the two Akashis and certain relationships will also be pursued on a rather large scale.

#2: Yes I do like snow and yes I did mean MysticMess :D

#3: The time here, as I've already mentioned, is a bit after midterms right now, so I believe they have known each other for far more than a month. I won't go into depth here what were Kuroko's motives for his actions, but to put it simply, he is an observant muffin, alright? He sees how Koro-sensei acts with the other students and what kind of advice he gives them. Tetsuya thought he could perhaps shake Akashi a bit or enough to approach him more easily afterwards. Does it make sense? Or do I need to elaborate?

#4: Perhaps I didn't show it clearly enough, but the reason for Oreshi's return is certainly not only Kuroko's (misinterpreted) thoughts on the matter. I will pursue this topic further into the story.

#5: Again, I believe I had talked about this already, but the reason why I chose only two characters from KnB to put here is because a) the quality of the story would be better, more smooth, and b) it's less work that way :)))

#6: I AM FULLY AWARE WHAT THIS STORY LACKS. It's action, I know. Action, action, action! I don't really have anything much to say about this, only that since I'm not particularly fond of it, this may just get more and more passive with time. For the third time today, I enjoy psychology much much more. I'm sorry if this wasn't what you were looking for.

Right... I shall return soon enough. May would be preferable. June at worst. Yeah.