Disclaimer: All canon characters and canon events belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi.

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SPARK

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It was finally the day of the final tournaments of Winter Cup. Everyone was up and getting ready early despite the game being later in the afternoon. In the kitchen, Tomoko packed the energizing snacks for her team carefully as Yuuma came downstairs.

"Today's the big day, huh?" the man said, crow's feet crinkling in the corner of his eyes. "Your mom and I will be there to cheer Seirin on."

"Thanks, dad!" Tomoko smiled as she went up to kiss his cheek. "I'm heading out now."

"So early? Are you meeting with Seirin?"

Tomoko gave the man a sheepish smile as she shook her head, "No, the team will be meeting later, when it's closer to game time."

"I see. Ah, Tomoko," Yuuma hummed as another thought came to mind. Tomoko had been distracted for the past two days and he noticed. "Did something happen recently?" he asked, taking the girl by surprise.

"Eh? Why do you ask...?"

"I've lived long enough to know," he chuckled and patted her shoulder. "And you're my lovely daughter. I can tell when you feel unease and there's only two possibilities that I can think of. It's unlikely that you're in an argument with a friend, so, did a boy confess to you?"

With a pink blush, Tomoko nodded.

"And?"

"A-And..."

"There's more than one, right?" Okuma Yuuma was always unsuspecting and easy-going, but he was in fact with a sharp mind. He had already known of his daughter's influence on the basketball team, and the teams that they faced were no different. Even at a young age, Hayama had been equally smitten with her. "Ichirou had just gotten a girlfriend, too... Both of you are growing up so fast. This is big news!"

"Dad..." Tomoko whined at the man's teasing tone.

"Just listen to your heart and don't be apologetic for your feelings," Yuuma smiled softly in response. "When I met your mother, she was all I could think about. Her kindness, her actions... Your heart will know, and you'd want to do things for the person you like even without thinking about it."

That was the same thing that Murasakibara Keiko had told her. If she found someone she loved, then her heart will involuntarily skip for them.

"Now, weren't you heading out? Don't let him wait too long."

Tomoko blinked incredulously, "How did you know..."

"You're my lovely daughter," Yuuma repeated with a chuckle. "Of course I know."

...

From: Kise Ryouta

To: Okuma Tomoko

Can I see you today? I'll be in Tokyo at xxx cafe at 11.

(09:04)

...

Tomoko stared at the text she had received earlier when she was still at home and sighed as she stuffed the the phone back into her pocket. She was a little hesitant to agree since her emotions were still in a mess, but she felt it was only fair to see the blonde. He was still injured from the last game and she knew he needed some comfort for not being able to play in the game later against Shutoku. It was certain that without Kise helping Kaijo, Midorima will lead Shutoku to third place.

It was five minutes past 11 and Tomoko pushed open the door. Warm welcomes from the staff greeted her as she looked around the cafe in search for the blonde model. Off in the corner, even with just a small ray of light reaching the seat, she could see the handsome male and he met her eyes with a warm wave.

"Kuma-cchi," he greeted as she sat down across from him. "I'm so glad you came to see me!"

"Should you be out and about? Kasa-kun's not letting you play in the game, is he?" she asked worriedly.

"He'll kill me if I play today! Nah, I just promised him that I'll take it easy while I'm out."

"That's good," Tomoko sighed. "I'm sorry you won't be able to play today..."

Kise tilted his head to the side and smiled. It was laced with sadness but he wasn't deterred, "I'm sure Midorima-cchi knows this as well... We'll just have to play at our full strength next time. Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, the real spotlight today is on Seirin and Rakuzan. Kaijo's game with Shutoku is just an opening act."

The girl couldn't help but think how mature Kise has become from when she first met him. He really was thinking as a team instead of an individual now. But it wasn't just him; the others have started to feel the same. She couldn't be happier.

"Even if you view it as an 'opening act', it doesn't take away everything Kaijo and Shutoku has accomplished up until now," Tomoko reasoned and smiled at the blonde with encouragement. "Plus, we had to push ourselves to the limit to stand up against Kaijo. You guys are awesome."

Kise's eyes watered slightly. He reached over to hold her hand, "You're the only one who can make me feel like I'm free and not tied down. You really make me so happy, Kuma-cchi."

A deep blush raced across Tomoko's face at the contact and the blonde's once-again confession. Noticing her discomfort, he immediately let go and apologize. "Ah, I'm so sorry! I know I said I'll wait until the end of Winter Cup! I just..." he mumbled. "A-Anyway, do you want anything to eat? My treat! I feel like I technically still owe you a favor."

"..." A small giggle escaped from Tomoko's lips as the atmosphere became normal again, "Is that why you asked me meet with me today? Fine, if you really insist... Then I want a steamy pork bun."

"P-Pork bun...?"

They were at a upscale cafe, and the girl wanted to eat something that was sold from a convenience store?

"It's my favorite," she supplemented.

At her explanation, Kise's golden eyes lit up and he nodded. They had some time to spare before needing to go meet up with their prospective teams. "Okay, then we'll get some pork buns!" he agreed. "Hold on, I'll call Megumi-cchi. She doesn't look it, but she's like an encyclopedia of good street food in the Tokyo area! She can't yell at me since I'm injured, so it's a win-win. We might even be able to hitch a ride from her!"

It was nice to know that they could still act normal around each other. Both of them felt that whatever happens, there wouldn't be any tension between them. Kise was a kind person once one really got to know him.

"Kise-kun..."

"Yeah?"

Tomoko smiled up at him brightly, "You're a really reliable guy."

A notable blush flashed across the blonde's face as they made their way out of the cafe.

"Kuroko!" Kagami called out to the shadow as they met up by the street basketball court. "Hey!"

"Kagami-kun, did you sleep last night?" Kuroko asked in a deadpan since the redhead had a habit of being too excited and staying up all night in anticipation of the game. Kagami scoffed with an incredulous look.

"Of course I did! Somewhat..."

Kuroko shook his head as they headed towards Maji Burger for his milkshake and Kagami for his mountain of cheeseburgers. It was such a big day for them and they couldn't stay in their house to rest mentally until their meetup time like Riko had asked them to, so the two friends decided to ease their nerves and talk about some teamwork strategies that they've been incorporating in their plays so far.

As they sat down at a table with their food, Kagami looked at the silent shadow with curiosity.

"So I met with Tatsuya earlier to settle what we have between us before the finals. What about you? Did you end up telling whatever you needed to Okuma that night?"

Kuroko blinked mid-sip and nodded slowly, "Yeah—"

"What's this about telling O-chibi-kuma something?" Aomine cut in as he slid the shadow down the booth and plopped himself on the isle seat.

"Aomine!"

"Aomine-kun."

He reached over to grab a few fries from Kagami's tray and smirked at the fuming male with amusement. "Where is she anyway? You didn't scare her away, did you Tetsu?" he asked as he chewed with an open mouth. "If you did, I'll swoop in anytime—our former partnership put aside."

Kuroko nodded slowly, "I know what I'm doing, Aomine-kun."

"Uh huh."

"Oi! Get your own food!" Kagami furrowed his brows and tried to protect his pile of cheeseburgers from the tanned miracle's wandering hands. "Why are you even here?!"

"I only eat teriyaki burgers," Aomine replied with a roll of his eyes at the male's action. "Anyway, shouldn't you guys be preparing for the game? You sure act like you have a lot of free time considering you're going up against Akashi."

"Ha? We're more than prepared, not that it's any of your concern."

"Of course it is," Aomine narrowed his eyes at the redhead with a scoff. "You guys beat me, so if you lose to Akashi so easily, then it'll be a wasted opportunity. I'd rather have myself go against him."

The miracle wasn't saying it outright, but it sounded like he had some hopes for Seirin. Of course, Rakuzan with Akashi leading was nearly impossible to defeat, especially with the captain's Emperor Eye and new personality that was so different from the early Teiko days. But Aomine had thought it impossible fot Seirin to defeat himself, and yet the team pulled through.

"So what? You just came here to say that?" Kagami grumbled.

"Nah, it's a coincidence. Actually, Satsuki was pestering me earlier so I left her and came here. If she sees me here with Tetsu, she'll be even more annoying," he sighed before giving Kuroko a look. "Some people just don't get the hint, even since middle school."

"Aomine-kun..."

"Listen. Satsuki may be a nag, but we've been friends since we were five," Aomine said with an oddly serious tone. "She cares about you a lot... But if you're not interested, then it can't be helped. Still, be kind to her about it if you have someone else in mind. You get what I'm saying?"

Kuroko cracked a small smile at his former partner's words, "Yes. Thank you for looking out for Momoi-san. She is lucky to have you."

"Heh. I don't understand how she acts like a damn mom around me but a helpless toddler around you..." he complained in a small mumble. "I just don't want to see her hurt 'cus then she'll have to come crying to me and that's a pain in the ass."

"That makes you sound like an ass," Kagami scoffed in his corner after hearing the miracle. "You're talking as if you have experience though. Heh, so even the idiot ganguro has his soft moments!"

"What the hell did you call me, you idiot tiger? Ha?"

"Did I stutter? I-di-ot!"

"You can't even beat me on a one-on-one, you ass!"

"That was last time, next time I will for sure!"

Kuroko sat silently as he sipped on his vanilla milkshake. Despite the ruckus his former and current light was making, he was calm. There was a lot to think about with Aomine's words and he knew the male was right. He might be in a similar situation as Momoi, after all, so he had to tread carefully to not hurt those around him.

But for now, the game with Rakuzan took precedent. It was almost time.

4 P.M.

"I can't believe you're watching the finals with us, Murasakibara! Is it going to snow later?" Okamura teased as his team walked towards the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium where the last two matches of the Winter Cup was being held.

"Shut up already, Butt Chin," Murasakibara droned.

"Ah, it sure is a butt chin."

"Sure is..."

At the rest of the team's agreement, the captain frowned, "Are cleft chins that bad?!"

"Muro-chin, where are my snacks?" Murasakibara asked the male walking next to him, completely ignoring the frantic Okamura.

"Ah, I was out earlier and forgot. I'm sorry."

The giant pouted but kept walking towards the gymnasium. Himuro looked at him curiously with a slight smile.

"You're here even without the snacks this time. Even you're curious about who will take the title of the Winter Cup champion, huh Atsushi?"

"Hmph."

"Seirin did defeat us, so it's natural to want to know how they'll do in the final," Fukui chipped in knowingly.

"Besides, Murasakibara's girlfriend is the manager of Seirin, isn't she?" Okamura grumbled with envy. "How does he get so lucky..."

Himuro blinked at the captain, wanting to tell him that he misunderstood but the male was too deep in his emotional self-pity to listen. Plus, the giant didn't bother to correct his teammates since he didn't care. If there was a Murasakibara that was dating an Okuma though, it was their older siblings.

"Atsu-chan~!"

Speak of the...

"The whole Yosen team is here!" Keiko grinned while holding onto Ichirou's arm. The two were both tall and striking, and they made a gorgeous couple. "Such a coincidence!"

"Whatever..." Murasakibara pouted and shuffled away quicker. He was still a little mad at Ichirou for dating his sister, after all. "I'm going inside."

"He's bratty as ever," Ichirou grumbled as the older Murasakibara laughed.

"Yeah, but Atsu-chan must be excited to see the matches, too."

The match between Kaijo and Shutoku, like some had expected, was going against Kaijo's favor because their ace was sitting out on the bench due to injury. Kaijo could hold their own and was a strong team, but they simply couldn't manage when Midorima was on the opponent side scoring three-pointers.

As the second quarter's time trickled down to zero, the score was 28 to 49 in Shutoku's favor.

Midorima wiped the sweat off his face and gathered with his teammates as they got ready for the ten minute intermission. The announcement went to Rakuzan and Seirin to warm up on the court during this time. He could tell by both team's auras that they were focused, but Rakuzan, as usual, gave off the air of superiority and skill that was unmatched by any other team.

"Shin-chan!" Takao slapped the miracle's back while he was in thought. "We're crushing it, aren't we?"

"Do not be happy about this, fool. Kaijo is simply unable to play at their full strength."

"I know—you don't have to be a stick in the mud! I was just sayin'. I want to play Kaijo at their best, too. I guess there'll be a next time."

"Hn," Midorima nodded, giving the two teams that were filing into the court to warm up one last glance before leaving. Takao noticed and grinned.

"The match between Rakuzan and Seirin... That's the real show of tonight, huh? I wonder which team will come out victorious~"

"Only time will tell."

"Eh?" the point guard blinked in surprise at the ambiguous answer. "I thought for sure you'll say Rakuzan since they defeated us. Your Teiko captain is one scary guy, after all. You're not going to spew out your usual fate and horoscope spiel?"

The miracle frowned at the insult from the shorter male, "I only say what is true."

"Hah!" Takao snickered. "Sure, sure."

"Besides," Midorima pushed up his glasses coolly. "If there is any team that is able to surprise an ever-victorious opponent, it is Seirin."

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fifty-one

his greatest strength

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In the middle of Rakuzan's warm up, Nebuya let a loud and long burp out of his mouth from eating so much prior to the match. Next to him, Mibuchi grimaced with disgust.

"That was too long! Was that your longest one yet?!"

"Yeah! I filled my stomach to capacity today. I'm facing Kiyoshi, right?" the burly male replied with a pat to his hard stomach. "We go way back. I can feel strength welling up inside me."

"What about you, Reo-nee?" Hayama piped as the tall point guard sighed in exasperation.

"Hyuuga Junpei. Country boys aren't my type, but I'll take good care of him," Mibuchi gave Seirin's unsuspecting captain a coy sideways glance before turning back to the blonde. "Anyway, I'm worried about you."

"You mean because I'm marking Kagami?" Hayama grinned playfully. "Yeah, he's tough. But it'll work out! Right, Mayuzumi-san?"

The mentioned male ignored him and Mibuchi sighed again.

"You never take anything seriously. Do you understand our situation? You're already on strike one for being so brazen to Sei-chan the other day. Don't forget that."

While balancing the basketball on his forehead, Hayama's grin didn't falter from his face but it turned darker when he thought about it. He knew what he had to do and he will carry it out perfectly. Akashi promised that he'd leave Tomoko alone, then. "Yeah. We just have to crush Seirin, right?"

"Fine, then."

"Akashi, you're starting today, right?" Nebuya asked as he walked over to their red haired captain.

"Of course. They are strong, so we mustn't let our guard down. But I am absolute and Rakuzan always wins. Our basketball is absolute."

On the other side of the court, Tomoko took note of the four key players of Rakuzan talking but her focus was on the one who her childhood friend had called out to earlier. She felt that the male seemed familiar but she couldn't quite put a finger to it. Plus she was standing further away to not interfere with her teammates' warm up so she didn't get a good look at him.

Having known Hayama for so long, though, she could sense that there was something off about him. He was always so cheerful, but today he seemed more serious and dark.

Ko-tan...

"Okuma-chan, did you notice something?"

Tomoko drew her gaze back to Riko and gave her a sheepish grin. "Nothing," she shook her head, pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind. It probably was just her imagination and general unease for Akashi, so she didn't want to worry her team unnecessarily. "We'll be out there soon, against Rakuzan... I guess I'm both excited and scared."

"Yeah, I get it," Riko nodded. "They're our strongest opponent yet."

Rakuzan was the undefeated reigning champion of Winter Cup, after all. But Tomoko knew nothing was impossible just yet.

The buzzer sounded for the end of the match between Kaijo and Shutoku. Third place went to Shutoku, followed by Kaijo in fourth for the Winter Cup. Now all that remained was the much anticipated match between the reigning champion and the rising star.

"They're coming out!"

"Seirin High... and Rakuzan High!"

As the audience roared at the two teams coming out to the court, the three second-string first-years walked up to Kuroko and presented the male with a new black wristband.

"Could you use this during today's game?" Furihata asked.

"All our spirits are in there," Kawahara explained with a smile. "We may not get to play, but we want to fight with you."

Kuroko looked surprised at the wristband but he could feel the sincerity of his teammates' wish seeped within it. "Thank you," he said and accepted the gift. "I'll wear both. Ogiwara-kun's and Seirin's."

"Before the game begins, allow us to introduce the teams. In the black uniforms, Seirin High. Their faculty advisor is Takeda Kenji. Their coach is Aida Riko."

A cacophony of surprise sounded when people realized that Seirin's coach is a highschool girl, but that only added to the audience's amazement towards the team that was quickly rising in the ranks.

"Next is their starting lineup. No. 11, Kuroko Tetsuya."

People cheered even louder after hearing Kuroko's name as he had gained popularity from his impossible-to-see passes and shots. Tomoko stood in the sidelines and mused at how far the male has come from always being overlooked to having all eyes on him. It was amazing.

"No. 10, Kagami Taiga. No. 7, Kiyoshi Teppei. No. 5, Izuki Shun. No. 4, Captain Hyuuga Junpei."

Once Seirin's lineup announcement finished, another round of cheers sounded before it was Rakuzan's turn. Tomoko's gaze shifted from her childhood friend to the red haired captain, all the while her salmon eyes held a sense of restlessness.

"In the white uniforms, Rakuzan High. Their coach is Shirogane Eiji. Next is their lineup—No. 8, Nebuya Eikichi. No. 7, Hayama Kotarou. No. 6, Mibuchi Reo. No. 5, Mayuzumi Chihiro. And No. 4, Captain Akashi Seijuuro."

That No. 5... Tomoko realized where she has seen him before and why he felt familiar. It was the same male that she accidentally bumped into that day she visited Hayama to watch his practice. The unique presence that Mayuzumi possessed came back to plague her and she felt even more unsettled.

"Good luck out there, Taiga-chan... Tetsuya-kun..." she whispered as the team got on the court.

"The Winter Cup final between Seirin High and Rakuzan High will now begin!"

As the game started, everyone was surprised that Kagami entered the Zone right away. He was perhaps too zealous to face Akashi, but it allowed Seirin to be in the lead right off the bat and take control of the flow. However, Kagami couldn't continue like this or else he would run out of steam before the end of the first half.

"Mitobe-kun, get ready to sub in," Riko called the shots as the game went on. "I'd rather keep going than try to stop him. But Kagami-kun needs to focus on offense so he doesn't run out of stamina. So, Kuroko-kun's out."

The whistle blew to swap Kuroko with Mitobe, and the shadow looked dejected as he walked back to the bench. Tomoko offered him an encouraging smile as he sat down, and all around them they could hear the crowd voicing complaints since they wanted to see more of Kuroko on the court.

"The crowd really wants to see you. Don't worry, you'll be out in no time," Koganei also encouraged. However, it was an odd feeling brewing in him since he wasn't used to so many people taking notice of their phantom player. Tomoko noticed this as well and observed on.

The score was 11 to 2 in Seirin's favor. Kagami was leading the pack and with the heightened defense from Mitobe, Rakuzan was falling behind. Yet they weren't so pressed that they needed to call a timeout. From the look on Akashi's face, it seems that he was already calculating this into his play and had something up his sleeve when he decided to switch marks with Hayama. It wasn't as if the Uncrowned Kings were performing poorly; quite the opposite, in fact, but Kagami in the Zone was nearly untouchable without some intervention.

It became clear when Akashi used his Emperor Eye, not to stop Kagami, but allowing him to pass just enough that his second Meteor Jam would miss its mark because of the tight defense space. Rakuzan was making their comeback!

If Seirin doesn't bring it back somehow, they wouldn't be able to carry on. Akashi was rushing to end the game. Left and right, Seirin was being blocked and screened, even Teppei couldn't stop the momentum that Rakuzan started and Mibuchi was able to pass the center to start a successful layup.

BAM!

The crowd roared in surprise as Mitobe came at the nick of time and swiped the ball away to prevent the score.

"Mitobe-senpai!" Tomoko cheered along with her team. "Counterattack!"

Mitobe patted Kagami on the back, suddenly drawing him out of his drive to rush into things and he slowed down to look at how hard each of his teammates were fighting alongside him. He wasn't alone, and that was exactly what he needed to stop feeling that way.

"Mitobe's saying 'don't worry about it!'" Koganei yelled in translation to the redhead, but it was rhetorical statement as everyone could feel it from the silent male.

"Taiga-chan's back to normal," Tomoko remarked with awe. Mitobe drew Kagami out of his Zone and allowed him to conserve enough energy for when they truly need it. "He's finally feeling the support that's always been there."

"We can put Kuroko-kun back in now," Riko grinned as she signaled for a switch once again. The cheers continued as people saw that the shadow was finally going to get back in action. Everyone was hyperaware of his every move—even Rakuzan's shooting guard when he avoided bumping into Kuroko after trying to step away from Nebuya for doing something that grossed him out.

"He noticed Kuroko?" Furihata whispered in bewilderment. "Normally, no one notices him..."

The unsettling feeling returned to Tomoko as well, but she drew her eyes towards Hayama as he was facing off Kagami. Like Kagami, her childhood friend gave off a 'wild' aura; it wasnt enough to stop the redhead to toss the ball to Kuroko as he came up behind them and pass to Hyuuga for his shot. Even so, Mibuchi managed to touch the ball just slightly as the ball left the captain's hands and caused the shot to miss.

There really was something odd going on.

"Tetsuya-kun's not able to shake off the defenders..." Tomoko furrowed her brows. Rakuzan's No. 5, while not yet remarkable in that he hasn't done anything extravagant to score, was able to keep Kuroko from making any sudden moves.

"Is Kuroko's lack of presence weakening...?"

Tomoko widened her eyes at Furihata's words. Something finally clicked. It should've been a clue when even the fans started noticing the overhelming presence that Kuroko exuded. His moves in previous matches had become too flashy and therefore, his lack of presence was completely erased. No one could ignore someone who stood out in the court, especially not the players themselves.

He's no longer invisible.

"Coach—!" Furihata stood up to warn Riko after realizing just as Mibuchi completely stopped Kuroko's misdirected pass. The ball rolled free and Hayama caught it to make a quick shot.

"I can't bear to watch this folly," Akashi said on the court as he passed by the shocked shadow. "How could you abandon your greatest strength? Once you reached your current style in middle school, I helped you work on pass variations but wouldn't let you shoot or dribble. Do you know why? Because I knew it would make you lose your lack of presence. The Vanishing Drive, the Phantom Shot... How could a player who uses such flashy moves not stand out? The last nail in the coffin was your buzzer beater in the semifinals. When you learned to shine dimly, you ceased being a shadow."

This is what Akashi-kun meant when he said he discovered Tetsuya-kun's powers... This is bad, Tomoko thought with clenched fists. He knew this from the start.

"No longer the Phantom Sixth Man, you're worth less than the average player."

Beep!

"Kuroko-kun," Riko called with a grim look. "You're subbed out."

"You disappoint me, Tetsuya."

-Akashi Seijuuro

You know, I love writing perverted!arrogant!Aomine, but I also love writing wise!protective childhood friend!Aomine hehe. I just love him uwu. Also, I realized how hard it is to try and fit screen time for every GOM but I hope I did well - cus now it'll be all game time.

Please leave a review!