River Flows in You

Fandom: Kuroko no Basket

Pairing/s: Akashi x Kuroko, slight Aomine x Kise and Midorima x Takao

Summary:

Akashi doesn't really acknowledge haunted rumors. But rumors about that phantom boy in the old Music Room lured him in only to meet an extraordinary young pianist. Akashi never knew that this boy can change his darkened life, and give it light once more. And he never thought that music can have so much meaning in life, until he met him.

Author's Notes:

my very first fic from the Kuroko no Basket fandom... Aghhh, I had this in mind for quite a long time and then I was like, 'hell yeaaaah, imma gonna write this shizz now!', but then I got distracted by tumblr so I never had the chance to write this until now... and since I play piano myself, I can also feel what the songs stories are like, in my own words though.

i apologize when my grammar sucks and please tell me if there are spelling or grammar mistakes.

enjoy desu~

As long as you have fast and quick fingers, have the skills, and have the perfect memory, then you can play any instrument you want and be praised for it. That's what the infamous pianist Akashi Seijuuro thought. He has won awards and participated in many concertos but not once has he composed his own song. But he was only made for playing other's songs and not his own.

He lived in a simple apartment, not too far away from the city. Thankfully, his neighbors were not generic assholes and whiny bitches as his last apartment's had. He was sometimes gifted by bentos or other gift-related foods when he has satisfied a neighbor from his well-practiced songs.

He bought himself a grand piano from all his earnings a year ago. It was a fine piano, Shigeru Kawai. Made by the skillful piano artisans and it is an international brand which is for concertos or for pianists that has the most skilled fingers. One touch of a skilled pianist can make everyone's legs go weak because of the clear sound plus the composition that was made for it.

Akashi may not be the number one in the world, but he thinks of himself as a prodigy, a gift, a winner. Every time he hears other pianists play wonderfully, he will double or triple that, making him the best from both of them. He loves a good competition. Akashi always tries to find a pianist that has the same level as him, but then he practices, he learns more, or he shows more, making him level up more. His quick fingers becoming more quicker, his memory becoming more wider as he learns more compositions. He picks out the hardest ones and perfects it in a matter of days. After all, he is the best in Japan.

But then, he gets bored too. It was the same thing all over again. He wins all the time anyways, and he plays the songs repeatedly making it boring. He gets sick of it sometimes, replaying the songs again and again and again. Usually, he practices everyday, but then after a while or so, he also misses three to five days of practice, all merely because of boredom.

One more thing about him, he was never a fan of haunted rumors. But there was one rumor that interests him. He heard it once when he was on his way to his performance, waiting for a cab and his two neighbors from one floor below, beside him, waiting for someone else.

It was about a phantom pianist in the old music room somewhere in an alley. They say that when you hear a piano playing softly in the alleys of that street, then you will be cursed. You will be lured in that curse that will make you to inside the music room and be captured by the phantom. Though there was no evidences or news about missing people, there was one witness that she saw the ghost.

The schoolgirl merely went to the alley only to take a shortcut since it was pretty crowded in the roads, and that's when she heard the piano music. She just stopped and her legs won't listen to her anymore. She just went inside the music room to hear more of that beautiful music. But then she screamed when she saw a ghost playing on the piano and she escaped. She also spread the rumors about that.

But rather that Akashi being scared or careful, it made him interested and so he made an agreement that he will always pass by the alley for the way to go home. It was quite a long way, not that he minded it, but he longed for that phantom pianist.

He was walking down the alley he rarely goes to. The road was unavailable since there were too many people wandering about their businesses, so he just took the long but peaceful way. There was a breeze of sound that was heard in the other side of the alley, somewhere in the right. Akashi stopped his tracks and proceeded to hear what the faint sound sounds like.

It was a soft piano composition, with the deep of the bass that goes well with the melody. It was quite simple, but there was something that lured Akashi to go nearer that sweet, melodic, song. It was like a curse, it was like the haunted rumors that he had heard from his neighborhood. And it felt and looked exactly like what the witness said. His legs wont listen to him anymore, and his ears were in paradise.

It was such a lovely song. Quite simple, but lovely. There was something in it that made the song stand out and have emotions. Akashi walked nearer and nearer as the song is getting clearer and clearer, until he was met by an old Victorian-styled door. It was probably the music room.

Akashi grabbed the handle and opened it as quietly as he can. Stepping in, he was met by the sight of an old auditorium with few seats, a stage that looked like it wasn't used for a very long time, an old looking grand piano that despite being old, its sound is still clear and smooth, and a pale young-looking boy with teal hair and was sitting in a wheelchair pressing his small fingers in that large instrument swiftly. That boy is wearing a simple t-shirt and denim pants, and he has this black wristband on his right arm.

Akashi walked closer quietly as to not disturb the song and the boy. He was so mesmerized by the song, it was so smooth, it was so well played, it was so emotional and it made him feel a tug at his heart. He looked around, but then stopped to stare at the pale boy and then he sat in the nearest seat with a creak. Now that made the teal-haired boy stop playing. The boy glanced at the direction of the sound.

"Who's there...?" The young boy asked in his quiet voice.

'I'm right in front of him, can't he see the seats? Unless...' Akashi thought. "Ah, pardon me, I shouldn't have entered without permission. That was quite rude of me" Akashi apologized with his formal voice. The pale boy just shook his head.

"No, its fine. This place isn't mine anyways so anybody can visit. But I hope you wont run away like the others..." The boy sighed. Akashi narrowed his eyes and walked closer to the boy until he was in his side. The young boy was still looking at the direction where he was from a while ago. There was silence, until the boy spoke up, "Are you still there?"

"Yes, I'm right here, on your left." Akashi announced. The boy's shoulders jumped up a bit in surprise, and then he looked at the direction at where the voice is and frowned. "Please don't scare me like that."

"But I was just right next to you."

"As you can see, I'm quite blind."

'Ah, that explains everything.', "I cannot see since your eyes are open, and I apologize again." Akashi apologized once again and stared as those empty light blue eyes lidded in sadness. "It's fine. I'm used to it anyways."

Not minding Akashi next to him, he turned back and let his fingers touch and feel about the keys to identify where will he start. He stopped at the B key on his right hand, and at the F# key on his left. He pressed, following the other keys until he decided on a melody with an accompanying bass.

Akashi, once again felt like he was cursed, and then he felt a thousand emotions flow at him in that one simple play. He also added the thought that this boy is crippled and blind, but he has such an outstanding skill in playing piano. Akashi felt that he can't win when he challenges this boy. Because this is the very first time that he's overflowed with emotions with just merely a piano song, most likely a simple piece.

It must be the way the boy played. The boy added accent at the perfectly timed notes and he often changed the expressions, from piano, to mezzo and then forte, and the changed it once again in a different melody, or maybe even mixed it. Hell, he doesn't know, it just changed too quickly and he can't find out the tricks. He could only find out the emotions and story behind that song, despite that the story was kind of blurry in his thoughts.

He doesn't even notice the song finishing already, he was hollowed out by his own world being invaded by that music. He only went back to his senses when the little boy called him out.

"So... How was it?"

"Ah... Sorry, what was that again?" Akashi snapped out of his reverie and focused on this talented young boy.

"How was my mini-performance for you?"

Akashi could feel a spark of hope in the young boy's blank eyes, and he smiled. "It was wonderful."

"What kind of wonderful?"

"I can't explain what about it is wonderful. It's just simply beautiful."

"Thank you very much for listening to me play, it was quite a while since I played for someone." A small smile was visible in his face and he bowed a bit in appreciation.

"You're very much welcome. May I ask what your name is? I'm curious." Akashi politely asked.

"Tetsuya... Kuroko Tetsuya." Kuroko lifted his right hand to gesture a handshake at Akashi. "And your name is...?"

"Akashi Seijuuro." Akashi shook Kuroko's hand lightly and nodded, noticing the slight widening of the teal-haired boy's eyes, "I'm assuming you've heard of me?"

"Ah yes, you must be the famous pianist, The Emperor. It's an honor to meet you." Kuroko bowed once again. "But I have never heard you play before."

"Maybe once, I might play for you. But in return, I want you to play for me. Your skills are very outstanding, for me to say at least." The hetero-chromatic eyed pianist respected this boy, Kuroko. Since he made him weak on his legs and soft on his heart from that pale small fingers that seemed to take care of everything it touches. His hands were also soft on his detailed and talented ones.

Akashi looked at his watch and it was getting late, so he had to go. He really wanted to hear more of Kuroko's songs, but he just then promised to come back the next day to accompany this lonely phantom-looking boy. But when he reached the door and held the handle once again. He wanted to ask what is the name of the composition that he played.

"Tetsuya, what is the name of that song that you just played?"

Kuroko smiled. "This song is simple Akashi-kun, that even you can play it. But it needs some past stories for you to capture its true form, as a piece."

"River Flows in You"

Chapter End Notes:

a satisfying number of reviews makes me very happy and motivated to continue this story ;)

I update weekly by the way, at least one to three or if lucky, then four chapters per week.

see you next chapter :)