So this was originally supposed to be a one-shot, but I was inspired by someone speaking their mind and I thought it was beautiful. Here's the second chapter to my first fic.

Kagami judged people by how strong they were. So understandably, his first impression of Kuroko wasn't the best: the kid couldn't even dribble decently. He couldn't say he wasn't let down, though; he'd just been ditched by his fraternal brother, nothing really mattered to the redhead anymore. Not even basketball. He had joined the basketball team for lack of a better way to spend his after-school time. Japan's basketball standards were low and the players were weak.

From his experience, the weak were the people who could do nothing except talk empty words. Weak people weren't the ones who struggled to the top through genuine tears, they were the ones who had to cling to the strong and leach off of their strength. The Phantom had all these fancy words, fancy words that were nothing if he wasn't strong. Kagami looked down on Kuroko.

What can the weak do?

Then Kuroko revealed his secret, the invisible pass. Seeing it for the first time sent shivers down Kagami's spine. It was like being in the presence of something ethereal, something that only belonged to the special few. The redhead couldn't quite place his finger on it, but the feeling remained, coming back every time he caught Kuroko's pass.

The feeling of the strong.

"KAGAMI-KUN!"

The familiar voice that had forever been so flat and emotionless called out to him, the sudden desperation and emotion jarring him out of his state of shock. Aomine had just knocked the ball out of his hand, proving him weaker than the other.

What can the weak do?

Seeing the ball flying at him had made him jump instinctively. Catching the ball stung his hand, but the pain brought an even bigger reality onto him: his teammates were counting on him. How had he ever played without knowing that? Kuroko had always said so; maybe he just never listened.

"JAM IT IN! KAGAMI!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Kagami could see Kuroko, the only one on either team that believed he would make the final basket; the one who made this victory theirs. That sort of belief was reckless and unreasonable, but...

The cheers of his team surrounded him. He was vaguely aware of his teammates as he watched Kuroko swerve dangerously. He reached out and caught him, taking note on how light the boy was, the boy that had pushed him to his limits with his tears. Pushed him into the Zone so that he could fight for the Phantom's goal.

...it makes this team strong.

But the game against Rakuzan also brought a new reality upon him: there are always people who are stronger.

Kagami stared down at his calloused hands. Akashi had totally shut him down, the team's final ray of hope. There was nothing he could do, nothing he could do for his team. He was weak.

What can the weak do?

"No..."

Tears. For anyone else it was as sign of resignation, but for someone like Kuroko, it was a sign of resolution. His tears meant that he had been strong for too long. Kagami was frightened and surprised by the presence of tears on his friend's face, but it shone like a light in those bright blue eyes full of the fighting spirit Kagami had lost.

"No!" Kuroko yelled, standing up with fire in his eyes. "Even if it's pointless, even if it's impossible...with this team..."

Kagami had never gotten tired of hearing how he was like the 'light' and how Kuroko was like the 'shadow'. It filled him with confidence, with the responsibility of being strong for someone else. But staring up at his friend who somehow had the mental capability to keep standing after a public execution, it was like staring head on into a the night sky: beautiful lights shining resiliently against the blackness.

"...I want to be the best in Japan!"

What can the weak do?

"THE WINNER OF THE WINTER CUP IS SEIRIN HIGH!"

The golden streamers were impossible to see for Kagami; sweat, tears, and emotion clouded his vision. His scream of triumph mixed with all the other victory cries of his teammates. And the next moment, Kuroko was flat against him, hugging and yelling and crying.

"Kagami-kun...Kagami-kun...!"

The thin arms that encircled his body shook with fatigue and Kagami had to support Kuroko to keep him from falling. But he could feel it in the sting of the final pass, the bumps of the leather the Phantom had touched. In the fistbumps, in the fabric of his jersey, and simply in his presence.

...is this what it's like to be strong?