Here's the latest chapter! Finally!, I know. ;w;

Also, there's a review (the last one) that had a question about this fic. I wanted to reply all those months ago when it was sent but I decided to answer it and all other future questions in a new chapter or omake like what I did to my first KNB fic. So here it is. I'm really sorry for the late reply!

Review from Laudi14 - ' Inner Burden ' is mostly about friendship and bonds but you can view it however you like. 'Reader's impression' is your call! :)

Disclaimer~

All Characters from Kuroko's Basketball belongs to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-san!

The young heir woke up to find nature's light; young and aglow, was illuminating through the only set of curtains within his dark room with some soft chirping of the early morning birds. Their melodies drifted quietly in the air and its calming listening to them as he gathered himself from the lull of sleep.

Akashi kept in mind not to rouse the currently dormant pain when he straightened up and did some mild stretches. He then walks over to the curtain covered windows of his reading nook, passing the small transparent table. With his left knee resting on one of the seats, he slightly leans over and gently pushed the curtains back. As a result, the cold but warm sunlight immediately engulfed the room.

He blinked at the scenery he's used to see every morning; the garden in the backyard. The view stayed the same as they were maintained by the household staff. Nothing changed aside from the flowers and plants; the wilting replaced with the new. He had known every single species and types of plants kept within the garden and some convenient places of the mansion, as it was relevant to acquire knowledge of the household's furnishings. Their origins, the place they were bought, the material used to care for them and so on. It was only common for the family heir to know about such things, even to the littlest detailed information.

Akashi turned towards the clock by his right bed side table. With the assistance from the sunlight, he could decipher that it was a minute before seven, exactly, from the clock's needle arms. The young heir usually starts the day before dawn but he had overslept.

A knock later on his bedroom door sounded right after the clock strikes seven. Knowingly, he allowed the person from the other side of the door to enter. They first excused themselves before entering the young heir's room.

The head butler greeted and Akashi replied back. At the usual, during the weekdays, Akashi wouldn't be meeting the butler until he was dressed and downstairs for breakfast. In the weekends, it was practically the same. The routine changed due to his current condition.

" How are you feeling young master? "

" I'm alright, Rikichi-san. "

The head butler nodded. He then proceeds to inform that breakfast will soon be ready. Preparations had started later than normal. It was done to especially keep the food warm for the young heir. The menu was different but necessary. As Akashi had requested, he would be having his breakfast downstairs in the dining room as usual, despite the fact that he could have them taken upstairs to his room.

Akashi was either consciously or sub-consciously intending to keep to his usual routine as much as possible without giving himself too much leisure time, even if he needed it. It's most probably being the latter.

Although the young heir compromised a major amount of the recovering procedures, a fair amount of his regular schedule remained - those which didn't require much effort, physical activity or multi-tasking. The young heir will diligently see it through despite of everything that has happened due to his illness.

It was thought and drilled into him for so long that it has become second nature.

The head butler along with the rest of the household servants respected the heir's decisions. The cooks were especially intent and enthusiastic. The head butler overheard their discussions on servings for their young master's meals that would be nutritious, comforting and helps in regaining their young master's health sooner than later.

Before excusing himself, the head butler collected the medicines including the notes which were neatly kept in a medium sized pouch. The pouch was given from the family's doctor as a 'get well' present which could safely transport the medicines.

The head butler awaits the heir from the outside as he prepares for the day. As a precaution, he was to accompany Akashi downstairs. The head butler had assisted Akashi ever since he was very young, when the master wasn't at home or when the master has no need for him in that particular hour. It wasn't regular but it wasn't beyond the norm either.

Akashi got prepared for the day like how he usually does, except for a warm shower. Instead he washed himself with a towel dipped in extra warm water. Akashi gave no exception for his hair though, like last night. So he went and lightly washed his hair with the same warm temperature. But, quietly, like how it began yesterday, the pain lowly flared up, stopping the red haired in his ministrations. It then slowly, within seconds after it appears, retracted into subtlety.

The young heir lifted his head and was met with his reflection in the mirror. A young teenager with wet crimson hair stared back at him with similar crimson eyes. The water was dripping from his hair and cheeks down to his chin and into the sink. His complexion is visibly pale.

Akashi quietly signs to himself as he rubbed the back of his head. It was an obvious relief when it disappeared as soon as it came. He won't allow it take over early in the morning again. His fever remained a bother though and the on and off headaches but nonetheless, it's manageable.

After neatly dressing himself, he went out of his room and is immediately in the company of the head butler. The walk downstairs was silent, as it always has, with a few muttered exchanges of the day's schedule. The Butler, positioned from the left side, saw how frail Akashi seemed from behind. The first dose of the medicine last night and a night's worth of sleep did however enable Akashi enough to walk on his own although it's mildly strained.

When they reached the dining room, a few of the maids, butlers and the main cooks greeted their young master before the chefs began serving his breakfast. Akashi discreetly ate at his usual steady pace. The head butler stood nearby with the medicine pouch in hand.

The butler often felt sympathetic towards Akashi, not only as the heir but as a young and growing teenager. It was relatable and upsetting, since he had grandchildren back in his home town and most were younger, with the oldest being closer to his young master's age. But as usual, he couldn't say nor do anything about it.

All the household servants could do was to help him in any way they could.

Awhile later after breakfast, Akashi carefully measured the medicine's doses before propping them into his mouth then gulping down with a warm glass of water. Once the red haired finished, the maids poured into the room to clean after their young master. Akashi asks one of the older maids to send his gratitude for the meal before he stood to return to his room, earning quiet smiles from the other maids.

The red haired would usually be having private lessons with high classed tutors and mentors after breakfast and throughout the whole day but was since cancelled to let him rest and recover. To pass the time, Akashi did his School work. He was given some assignments yesterday and due to the labor of his illness, he obviously couldn't finish them right away. He had his textbooks and notes on the small table while he sat on the comfortable seats of his reading nook, filling in the given homework within minutes.

Working on them doesn't take much effort since he practically didn't find them difficult to begin with. In the mean time, his headache was lying dormant. All that troubled him was his fever. He'd made sure the night before that 'fever cooling patches' were within his easy accessibility. (Author's Notes:- The ones with the jelly like cooling material you stick on foreheads to relief fevers.) The red haired was currently wearing one as he weaved through the questions from his textbook.

The head butler came after with some Japanese and English novels from the family's library which Akashi specifically requested since he'll be done with his assignments within the hour. It's just so that he had progress with his duties as a student, though that wasn't hard to begin with. Student council matters are one of them and he'll get to the papers from yesterday's meeting after dinner tonight.

It seemed like a lot of work for an average pre-teenager especially when they're sick to begin with but what was impossible for a major of the norm, in the mindset of an Akashi heir, it's made possible. In terms of efficiency towards their duties, despite an ill condition and at the same time maintaining them along the way had a range of bitter differences from how those of the heir's age could handle.

The tradition to strive for victory was inevitable.

Thus Akashi's morning consisted of reading and heightening his knowledge while taking it easy. Once his headache started up, he'll take a few minutes to rest his head within the duration of the pain. In some episodes, it took longer…

The calm waves of his consciousness beckoned relaxation and inside the dark but soothing space…he finds himself floating…Floating…Endlessly floating in peace.

However beyond the darkness, the static pulses of the pain had revealed its awakening presence but it's far off that he paid little attention to it. It may have been the cause of the peaceful waves or that the pain was calming down.

Either way, it wasn't a bother….for now.

[...]

The head butler was working through paper work of some of the Akashi family's business associates within Japan when he received a call within his little butler office. He perked his head up from the papers and stared curiously at the phone placed neatly in front of him to the left.

He wondered who may be calling the residence at this particular hour. He finished the business calls a few hours ago. They may have called back to discuss the matters earlier. Of course, he's to accept however many calls they gave him. All in all, the business calls were quite normal, especially during the weekends.

The master will personally deal with his associates when he's in Japan but he'll hand the transactions onto the head butler when he's away overseas. One of the master's commands was not only to report them to him when he returns but to also report and educate the heir, giving him necessary knowledge of the family's business which is one of his duties as the heir.

The butler rearranged the papers and placed them to the side before gently lifting the telephone's receiver.

A soft inaudible voice echoed from beyond the darkness. It's warm, welcoming and the general aura felt familiar. As it slowly clarifies, the voice seemed to pull his consciousness further into another one of the lighter dimensions, as if he was slowly drowning into a sea of light…

…into a memory of the past…

" Sei… "

The voice…

It's tone calling gently…

" Seijūrō-chan… "

The light beamed and no trace of the dark lingered.

The memory began unfolding around him.

He…saw a much younger version of himself, perhaps in his first year of Elementary School. He was leaning against a large comfy chair in the family's library and is reading a thick and heavy looking book placed on his lap. He perked up when the voice, his mother, called from the doorway.

" Oh Mother! "

His mother slowly smiled back as she entered. She quietly crouched next to him by the chair and leaned in to see what he was reading, a book that hardly any of those his age could understand. In a way, a difficult book meant for teenager or adults.

Nevertheless, she reached out and pats the back of his younger self's head.

" My~ how remarkable Sei. You can understand this? "

He nodded.

" Yes! It's been difficult at first but I'm doing my best to make both Mother and Father proud that I can! "

The edges of her lips curved into her gentle smile again.

" That's very admirable, Sei. "

He in turn smiled more brightly.

" Mm! Thank you very much Mother. "

Her smile then fades away as her demeanor somewhat changes. He didn't understand it nor caught on to it back then but there was sorrow in her eyes…

" But, you know… ", she began as she turned towards him.

" Don't push yourself too hard ok? "

[...]

Akashi's slow return back to consciousness began with confusion as he opened his eyes; the novel that he'd been reading lay nearby and unopened. After summarizing his studies for the day, he went over to the transparent table, picked up the first novel from his requested stack of novels and went to his bed to read as he rests. The red haired had propped his pillow up so that he was in a comfortable sitting position.

The red haired carefully picks himself up as he wondered when he had fallen asleep. Judging by how the light from the window shines through in a specific angle, he immediately concluded the time, being the 'middle' hour of the day, the afternoon.

The heir felt tired and groggy when he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. That could have been the side effects of his medication. After he went into a relaxed peace of mind, sleep overtakes him.

Akashi signs as he caressed the back of his head. With sleep, the pain ebbed but it remained being known and felt, however faint it was.

The knock on the door was heard and he obviously knew who it was. He then calmly gave the usual permission to enter. The head butler excuses himself before opening the door. He bowed before announcing the reason of his given presence. It might've been that lunch is ready to be served.

" Good afternoon, young master. I apologize to have disturbed you but… "

The butler shifts his position to the side, positioning himself in front of the large door. He gestured to the open space, " …you have some guests. "

Akashi blinked in confusion. He's about to ask what the butler meant when a figure came into view, filling in the open gap.

" Yo Akashi! How're you feelin'? "

The said red haired eye widened at his senior who stood next to the head butler with a grin and his hand rose in greeting. What follows after is another familiar face popping up from above the older teen's head, " Ah! Aka-chin!~ Yah-ho!~ "

By then, Akashi is unable to comprehend the unexpected situation he finds himself in.

This may be a bit short, in a way. I've did a lot of plot re-arranging and editing during this chapter which explains why this chapter's late.

Because of that, I'll be editing the early chapters and omakes from here on out. There'll be slight changes too.

Until then, Stay tuned!~ and I hope you guys like this chapter!~

Please Read and Review!~

HIJAMIYA, Out!