Disclaimer! This is a work of fiction and all rights of Kuroko no Basuke belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi. Any medication/medical procedures performed in this one-shot is obviously fake. Also, I was inspired by another Timer!AU, but I can't remember from which website. Please know that I have not stolen their work, and this has come from my own imagination.
There will be two points of view and four parts; either set in Kuroko's or a third person's point of view.
Warnings: OOC characterization, Fem!Kuroko, not much mention of basketball in general
P.S: Everyone is currently 21 years of age in this one-shot
I'm not sure about the rating, if you think it needs to be changed, please tell me.
MISCALCULATION
PART I [Kuroko's POV]
I stacked one last box, making sure it was sealed shut before lifting them up. The three boxes towered over my petite height, but it was nothing that I couldn't manage. I hurried out of my room, heading outside and stopping to make my way carefully down the stairs. A few men stood around the back of an open truck, waiting patiently for me as I handed the cardboard boxes to one of them. I thanked them as they all climbed into the front of the truck and started the engine.
As I waved them off, I couldn't help but sigh in relief that all the packing was over and done with. Heading back up to my shared apartment, I hesitated from a few steps away. I could already feel Momoi's menacing aura from where I stood.
As I rounded the corner to the hallway of our – now just Momoi's – apartment, I flinched at the glare she gave me.
"Y-Yes? Satsuki?" I looked down toward the ground, fidgeting with my fingers.
She stood there is a white blouse and pencil skirt – ready for work. Her arms were crossed, emphasising her already well-endowed assets. She glared down at me, making me want to curl into a ball. "You!" she jabbed a finger at me, "You haven't told him yet! You're leaving tonight!"
I blinked, knowing she was completely and utterly right. I just didn't know how he'd take it… if I'd told him I was leaving for overseas.
I inwardly sighed, "Okay, I'll call him now to meet up with him…"
Momoi nodded her head all knowingly, "Good, good. Make sure he actually knows why you're going. You've known him for 5 years; don't keep him in the dark. He's your 'light' after all." Her voice wavered at the end.
I merely blinked, recalling the way that Momoi had reacted when she'd found why I was leaving. Luckily I'd managed to make her promise to keep it a secret. The only others who knew were my parents, Aomine – who was the peach-haired girl's soulmate, and Akashi – who'd figured it out straight away. It was true, I was 21 now, and 5 years ago I'd met Kagami.
He was wild, loud, and passionate as a teenager. Almost too much for me to handle, but I'd never minded once after we'd become fast friends. Especially through basketball.
My best friend broke me from my thoughts as she threw herself upon me, squeezing me so tight I almost couldn't breathe. "I-I…" she sobbed, ruining her makeup, "I'm going to miss you so much. But you're strong. You'll make it; I'm sure. I'll meet you in America one day. With everyone else!"
I awkwardly patted her back, knowing she was trying desperately hard not to break down too much. To remain positive for me. We stayed this way for almost half an hour before she calmed down. I quickly helped her re-do her monstrosity of makeup and sent her away before she was late to her job.
I sat on the couch and withdrew out a gum-like package from my pocket, taking out a strip from its contents and placing it in my mouth. I sat there for a while, maybe even for an hour before I finally picked up my phone. I pulled up my sleeve, revealing the clock imprinted on the middle of my forearm.
00000D.00H.00M.00S
Forcefully shoving my sleeve back down, I unlocked my phone and dialled Kagami's number. It rung for only mere moments before the man picked up.
"Testumi? What's up?" his static voice spoke through the speaker. It sounded as though he'd just woken up; which I was probably right about as he didn't have university today.
"I was thinking we could meet at Maji Burger in, say…" I checked the clock, "20 minutes?"
"Hmm? Okay, yeah sure. See you." He sounded a little confused at the sudden request. But then again we hadn't seen each other for over a week due to me being busy packing and cleaning.
Although it wasn't rude at all and I didn't mind, Momoi had politely asked if I could clear all of my stuff out when she'd first heard I was moving – before she knew the details. It was so that Aomine could move in without any extra hassle. I was, of course, happy to comply.
Leaving the house, I brought my keys with me, knowing I'd be heading back one last time after meeting up with Kagami before going to the airport. Walking down the familiar streets, the large sign of the fast-food joint appeared in my line of vision, and I quickened my pace a little. My breath quickened along with my pace, my stamina having dropped by a lot from the lack of basketball after high school.
Arriving at the diner, I headed in to see Kagami already there, having saved a table for us and ordered my precious vanilla milkshake. I slipped into the seat across from him and gave a small smile.
"Hey." I began casually.
"Tetsu. He nodded his head in return, and then taking a large bite from his burger. He still had a bottomless pit, but at least his eating habits had become more refined with his age. "How've you been?"
"I've been well. And you?" I spoke vaguely, trying to find the right time to tell him.
"It's been great. And this season at Tokyo uni…" he slipped off into a ramble, talking about his university courses, and how basketball was going, especially that he and Aomine were still on-going rivals. Not to mention the other Miracles too.
We changed topics various times, talking about whatever just to catch up on the times we missed together. But to no avail, I still didn't have to heart to tell him of my leave.
"So, how's your clock ticking?" he spoke.
I smiled lightly, "It's still going. There's still a few years left." I lied. I never showed anyone my clock, wearing a simple sweatband over it during my school days, and sticking to long-sleeved garments no matter the weather. "Have you checked yours recently?"
He nodded, pulling up his sleeve, "Yeah, I'm still-" Kagami stopped short.
I cocked my head to the side, "Taiga? What's the matter?"
The split-browed boy almost punched me in the face as he hurriedly showed me his clock. He began to get fidgety, tapping his foot in an annoying manner.
00000D.00H.03M.07S
Internally, my heart broke into two, but on the outside, I softly smiled, "Well isn't it great I called you out today?" I joked.
"W-What do I do?" he began to blush, "Do I look okay?"
I tried not to roll my eyes, keeping my usual passive expression. "You look fine."
He stood up anyway, murmuring something about going to the bathroom and leaving me alone for a minute or two. I turned my head to look outside – it'd begun drizzling. I waited there patiently – I was happy for him. After 21 years, he'd finally meet the one and only in his life.
The doors the Maji Burger slid open after censoring someone on their way in. It was a girl of average height, she was pretty, I'd admit. She was someone who'd definitely suit Kagami well, and I knew that they were destined to be together. I began to stand up, hearing footsteps coming toward me from behind.
I watched as my best friend and the girl made eye contact – and right on the dot most probably. They walked toward each other, mesmerised as I stood on the sidelines and let my heart be taken away from me.
"Hi… I'm Kaigawa Chiiyuki."
She even had a pretty name.
"K-Kagami Taiga."
They stared at each other for eternity before Kagami snapped from his daze. He looked around, spotting me and waving me over, and I was surprised he even remembered I was there.
"This is Kuroko Tetsumi. She's the one who got me to come here today…" he trailed off.
Kaigawa smiled brightly and bowed, "Thanks so much… for bringing us together."
I waved my hand nonchalantly, already taking small steps toward the exit. "No worries. You guys should stay and get to know each other. I have to be somewhere soon anyway." I looked at Kagami, "It was nice to catch up again."
He nodded, "See you some other time. Thanks."
I bade goodbye and brushed past his soulmate as I went. "Take care of him. Please." I whispered quietly.
Inside my heart was exploding. Inside, my heart was telling me to go back; and tell him about my clock. Inside… my body screamed at me for doing all the wrong things. For letting Kagami go. But at the same time, I felt it was only fair. Life was always unjust.
As I left the building, the weather held no sympathy for my troubles, the sky opening up and pouring down with rain. I wrapped my drenched sweater tighter around me, grateful I'd left a spare change of clothes out for my flight. Walking down the familiar path back to Momoi's apartment, I realised that I'd never managed to tell him I was leaving. For good.
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PART II [Kuroko's POV]
It was a sunny, bright morning; a perfect spring start to the new school year. I was excited, not only was I starting fresh – away from the Miracles and their overwhelming egos – but also because my clock was finally down to its last hours. I'd barely slept the night before.
00000D.02H.18M.56S
I'd felt nervous, maybe it was because I was still so young. But in mere hours, I'd meet my other half, an amazing feat, as my own parents hadn't met until their mid-twenties. I got ready and had made my way to school in a daze. Walking through the front gates and weaving through all the students at Seirin High. Absentmindedly, I signed up for a manager's position in the basketball club, probably as something in the back of my mind was nagging me to do so.
I could barely remember anything that happened during the opening ceremony. It was getting to class I was worried about. I was overly conscious of the time ticking down on my arm. The hairs on my body stood up and my senses felt as though they were on overdrive.
My eyes kept darting to the door and back, wondering when my soulmate would arrive. The people who were already loitering around the classroom simply ignored me, already forming friendship groups as I sat in the corner in anticipation. Subtly, I lifted my sleeve to check how much time was left.
My eyes widening, I pulled the sleeve back down and calmed my frantic heart.
5…
4…
3…
2…
The door slid open, revealing a boy of a tall stature. He looked straight at me, eyebrows furrowed.
0
I kept on staring at him as he made his way over. He split eyebrows intrigued me already, and his multi-toned hair suited him extremely well. His whole look was very befitting.
When he was steps away, I opened my mouth to speak, feeling unusually confident for once, "Um, hello…"
His eyes widened for a split second as he took a defensive stance and stepped back, "GAH!" he cried out, finally noticing my presence. A moment later he relaxed, "Whoa, sorry I didn't notice you there."
The boy didn't say anything else but instead, took off his blazer and slipped into the seat in front of mine.
There was a moment of silence before he suddenly turned around, a small blush adorning his cheeks. "I'm Kagami Taiga, sorry about before."
'This is it.' I'd thought, 'This is the moment.' He stuck out his hand, gesturing for me to shake it. I reached mine out to meet his, but caught sight of something on his arm. It was his clock; still lively and ticking. I tried not to let my disappointment show. But it had to be him, as no one else had caught my eye at the same time, and no one had walked into the room with the boy.
"Kuroko. Kuroko Tetsumi." I introduced. Deep down, I knew I was already hurting. But I pushed the feeling away. I must have been a mistake; maybe I was yet to meet the real 'guy'. They just miscalculated it all.
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PART III [Third POV]
He couldn't quite pinpoint it, but he was surprised when Kuroko had suddenly called. Her usual monotone had an under layer of sorrow underneath it. When she'd called him, she'd acted as if they hadn't seen each other forever, or that it was going to be their last time to meet. Although having just woken up, he took the fastest shower possible and made it to Maji burger in record time.
But that was three months ago.
And he hadn't heard from her since. He'd spoken to Aomine and Momoi – the people closest to her in the Miracles. They just shook their heads sadly and said nothing. He then went as far as to ask Akashi – because he knew everything.
All he got was the same reply.
He was definitely worried, and even Kaigawa was concerned – as she was hoping to once again meet with the girl that had fatefully brought them together. But it was like Kuroko had just disappeared off the face of the Earth, pulling one of her famous vanishing tricks; only to never return.
He and his soulmate were walking casually hand-in-hand around the park. Somehow, Kuroko had managed to worm her way into the conversation again. Everyone was genuinely worried about her after all. "But she never said good bye. I guess that's what's making me mad the most."
"Maybe she found her own mate?" Kaigawa suggested thoughtfully. She tucked and auburn stand of hair behind her ear.
Kagami nodded, "She did say hers was still ticking the day I last saw her. She didn't talk about it much." He paused, reminiscing, "I don't even remember if I've ever actually seen her clock."
The couple fell silent, continuing their walk. They quietly enjoyed each other company for the next few minutes, relishing the good weather until they came upon the basketball court. The one that he and Kuroko would practice at. The two had stopped walking, watching the younger children play.
"Eh? Taiga?" a deep, rumbling voice sounded.
"And Chiiyuki-san." a feminine tone spoke, surprise coating the sweet voice.
The pair looked over to see Aomine and Momoi stood side by side; the latter holding an almost finished ice cream and the tanned man drinking from a can of soda. They made their way over, stopping before the two other soulmates.
"How have you both been?" the peach-haired girl asked. She was wearing a casual dress with a grey bolero around her shoulders, as it was beginning to get chilly. After Kuroko's mysterious departure, they'd all somehow grown apart little by little; Aomine and Kagami only seeing each other once or twice for a few basketball games with some other Miracles and their friends.
"We've been well!" Kaigawa said cheerily, "And you?"
"Fine, fine~." Momoi seemed to wave her hand carelessly, more interested in the blossoming relationship of the two standing before her. She hadn't seen both of them together yet, so it was a great chance to ask for details. "So, what was it like meeting each other for the first time?" her eyes shined with curiosity.
They looked at one another, then turned away with light blushes coating their cheeks. "Erm, wouldn't you already know? Aomine-san is your own soulmate, isn't he?" Kaigawa asked, avoiding the question.
Momoi let out a chiming laugh, gesturing for the girl to sit down on the bench, as their boyfriends had gotten into a heated argument before walking off to play some ball. "Well, I don't remember what it was like; I met Aomine when I was three. I can barely even recall my clock ticking." She held out her arm to emphasise her blank timer.
"Ahh…" the girl mused, placing a hand across her own. She frowned slightly, the expression marring her pretty features, "Say, what was Kuroko-san like? Kagami talks about her a lot. I just…"
"Feel a little jealous?" the busty girl finished. By the look on the other girl's face, she knew she was right. "It's okay! I felt that way back in Teiko; Dai-chan and Tetsumi were really close. Even though I knew Dai-chan wouldn't leave me, I couldn't help but feel as though Tetsumi had taken my place. So with her going to Seirin along with Taiga, they grew very close. I guess Tetsumi just has an appealing aura about her; everyone wants to be her friend."
Kaigawa nodded seriously, "She must have been such an enigma in your lives." She sighed softly, "I know there's something you won't tell him. But please, don't leave me out of this too. If anything, may I have her address? I just wanted to say thank you."
Tears prickled at Momoi's eyes at how genuine the other girl was. She sniffled and hesitated with her words. "L-look, I'm really sorry." She whispered, her bangs shading her eyes. "But I can't tell you anything… I mean, I promised and I-"
She immediately cut herself off, clamping a hand over her mouth.
"Satsuki-san?"
"Sorry, I've said too much." The girl looked away.
"No…" Kaigawa shook her head, "please, tell me if you know something. After that first day I met Kagami, he's been somewhat lost when Kuroko-san never picked up her phone."
The other smiled lightly, as if remembering something important, "I guess it was to be expected. They were almost each other's other halves in their first year of high school."
"Eh?"
"Not soulmate-wise, of course. But rather, they were just there for each other through thick and thin – best friends."
"OI! Satsuki!" Aomine ran over, tugging gently on her arm, "We gotta go, there's only another five minutes and we'll be late!" the boy was unusually uncharacteristic. He must've felt Akashi's imaginative condescending stare.
Momoi hurriedly stood up and brushed herself off, bowing deeply and muttering yet another apology. The two hurried away, Kagami making his way back to Kaigawa with his hands buried in his pockets. He looked confused.
"Do you know what that was about?" he asked.
The girl shook her head no. In return, the boy sat down on the bench next to her, raking his hands through his hair.
'Kuroko…'
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PART IV [Kuroko's POV]
It was extremely quiet, and also a little lonely. Six months had passed, a repeat of the same day over and over. It had been a long time since I'd spoken to my old friends, and the thick American accents all around left me an outsider – or more than I already was. Secretly, I was glad that Momoi, Aomine and Akashi had stayed true to their words – I didn't want everyone to see me as weak… or weaker than I already was.
A simple knock at the door startled me from my thoughts. Looking over to the entrance, a familiar man stood there in a white coat.
"Dr. Jacobs." I greeted, in a broken English accent.
"Tetsumi. It's time to get you prepared. Are you ready?" he walked over and placed the clipboard in his hands down onto the table beside my bed. With a small affirmative nod, he called in the other nurses and doctors. They all helped pull me up onto another bed, leading me out of the room and toward the back bay of the hospital.
Time seemed to drag on as the slowly made their way through all the hallways and corridors; some empty and some with people loitering around. A nurse kept talking to me, asking questions about random things and I answered them to the best of my ability.
"Okay Tetsumi, we're reaching the surgery room, so we're going to put you under anaesthetics now." The nurse told me. I nodded once again, and a mask was placed over my mouth and nose as she began to count down. "Everybody, she'll be out in 5… 4… 3….. 2…."
...
[TEIKO DAYS: END OF THIRD YEAR]
"I'm sorry to have called you out today. I know you had an important match to attend."
I shook my head, "No, it's okay. Momoi will be there in my stead. I'm merely the sub-coach… not a player." The lie slipped through my teeth. It really wasn't okay; Aomine had long ago let our friendship fade, everyone had become so self-centred that they probably wouldn't even realise I was missing from the game.
Nonetheless, even without my help, they'd still win. They had long ago stopped needing any of my coaching tips.
"So, Waka-sensei…" I paused, drawing a small breath, "why have you asked me to come out today?"
He cleared his throat, immediately getting to business. "So I've run some tests with the information I was given, and unfortunately..." he trailed off.
I blinked owlishly – this was going to be bad news.
The doctor took a few moments to decide how he wanted to word it and tell me in a gentle way. But for some reason, my patience for the day had run thin. "Just tell me." I tried to make my tone none too forceful.
The older man sighed, "Kuroko-san, you've been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis… or MS for short. You're still young, but in a few years' time, your body won't be able to function by itself anymore due to rapid deterioration in your nerve cells. For now, we can slow down that process with medication… but at the moment, there's no cure."
I let the words sink in, and to his surprise, remained quite calm. "How long will I last if I don't take this medication?" I questioned.
"At most, probably two years. If you do take the meds though, you might have a maximum of six, depending on how well your body responds to it."
"…Okay."
...
[SEIRIN DAYS: AFTER THE WINTER CUP]
"Akashi-san."
"Kuroko."
"Why did you call me here?" I cocked my head to the side.
He had his arms crossed, and his posture straight in a sad attempt to make himself appear much taller than me. I would never tell him that it barely made a difference though. We stared at each other for a good amount of time. It was unnerving.
"That day back in Teiko, in the finals. Why weren't you there?" he asked – though the undertone was more like a demand.
I sighed, knowing nothing would get past him, "I was visiting the hospital."
"And whatever for?"
"Because Akashi-san, I've been diagnosed with MS."
"Hnnn."
I pressed my palms together and bowed deeply, "Please…. don't tell anyone about this."
...
[SEIRIN GRADUATION DAY]
~*RING*~ ~*RING*~
"Hello?"
"Hi! Tetsumi, is it? I'm Doctor Simon Jacobs from America… I'm sorry to speak in English, but I hope you understand."
"Yes?" I switched to his native language, picking up key words and phrases of what he was saying before piecing them together, "May I ask why you called?"
"Ah, that's right. I'm conducting research on MS… and I've reached a conclusion for a possible cure through surgery. Of course, the machinery won't be ready from maybe another three years. But I'd heard about you from my partner in Tokyo Central Hospital. Are you willing to give it a try? From what I've gathered… this has a possibility of a 65% success rate."
In my mind, I contemplated the idea, "How much would this operation cost?"
"As the first patient… free of charge. I'm afraid that since it'll be the first attempt through surgery that it may fail with other… consequences. But I also forgot to ask… have you met your soulmate? Or rather, has your clock reached zero yet?"
I touch my arm absentmindedly. From the thought of it, there really wasn't much to lose. And my clock had reached zero, but it was just a miscalculation. "Okay, I'm willing to try. And yes. My timer is at zero." I nodded although he couldn't see.
"Really? Thank you very much! I'll e-mail all the documents to Waka, so you can grab them off him."
"Sure, thank you."
"No, thank you. I'll keep checking up on you every so often until the time comes for you to fly over here to America."
...
[AGE 20]
"Tetsumi! What is this?!"
I looked up at what Momoi was holding; it was a letter that had already been ripped open. I felt myself paling. "Ummm."
"H-How come you never told me about this?!"
…
"I'm sorry, Satsuki. But I'll have to ask you to keep this a secret. From everyone."
"As much as I'm against this… okay. I'll keep it a secret. But not from Dai-chan."
I huffed, "Fine, but only him."
A tear trailed down her cheek, "I can't believe it… surgery to cure MS by turning back your soulmate clock? That's impossible. You haven't even…" she gasped, "Or have you been lying? Who is your soulmate anyway?"
"Satsuki! Please, I can explain!"
The peach-haired sat down on the couch almost immediately, crossing her arms and looking impatient. "I don't have all day." Her features were struck in disbelief.
I sat down beside her, wondering how to put the explanation into words. I contemplated speaking some gibberish, and telling her that the surgery would be a definite success. But I really couldn't lie to her; after everything she'd helped me through. And of all things… after 5 years, only I was the one who still knew of my soulmate problem. Taking a deep breath, I decided to tell her about the surgery first. "Well, our clock is considered to be part of us… it's our 'Soul-Timer' after all. The doctors are saying that if they can reverse it, then my body changes back to what it was like before the MS. Added on with medication and a proper recovery, there's a chance that it won't come back afterward."
"Huh? Is that even possible?" she sounded incredulous.
"I don't k– Ugh…!"
...
*Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep*
"Doctor! We're losing her!" a nurse called out frantically, "There's not enough oxygen getting to her brain now; it can't cope with her timer suddenly experiencing rapid changes!"
"Get an ECMO in here, pronto! We have to keep her alive!" things were beginning to go from smooth to frantic.
"If the operation fails we'll be back to square one!" Doctor Jacobs then turned to the person lying on the operating table solemnly, "And this girl would be giving up an unfulfilling life. She's still got a lot ahead of her."
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[SEIRIN DAYS: FIRST YEAR]
The two of us were walking side by side – Kagami was busily recalling all of the moments during our match against Yosen. I could barely pay attention to his words, I was too focused on making each step. Left, right, left, right... maybe the medication was not working after all? I breathed heavily as Kagami continued his face-paced strides, a grin on his face when he began to talk about how he managed to get back into the zone again and face off against Murasakibara.
"Kagami-kun… you and I, we'll always be friends, right?" I interrupted, carefully looking up at the towering American.
He ruffled my sky blue hair and grinned widely, "Of course! We'll never forget each other, yeah?"
I smiled back, "I promise! Not until we've grown old and frail, and can't remember a thing!" I spoke seriously. Even though he may not know that he was my other half – this friendship would be enough for me. I was his shadow – and he was my light.
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The surgeons and everyone else in the room breathed heavily, watching as the timer slowly faded away from where it would usually be imprinted the young girl's arm, "We… we've failed."
'Taiga… I'm sorry.'
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Done! Please let me know what you all think. I might also continue this and make it into a short story if you enjoyed it. This story has been filed away for a few months now... I practically forgot about it (T_T|l) ehehe