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AkaKuro 2018 - Day 3

[Target] [Intuition] [Yonder]

"I am not leaving you behind."

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Since the day Akashi told him to observe people to help him with his misdirection technique, Kuroko finds his eyes following the redhead more often than not.

"Oi, Tetsu, you're staring at Akashi again," Aomine whispers, pulling him to the side so that he can talk to his shadow without getting overheard. "Is there something going on with the two of you?"

Kuroko frowns and jabs the tanned ace mercilessly in the side before stalking back to the court to continue with practice. "I am merely observing Akashi-kun," he says as Aomine follows from behind, muttering about short people with short tempers.

"Is this for your misdirection?" Aomine asks, dribbling a ball lazily. "What do you need to observe Akashi for? He never loses sight of you in the middle of a game so you can always pass to him with no problem..."

As much as Kuroko hates to admit it, Aomine's words rang true. He does not have to spend time categorizing Akashi's actions since the redhead is the control tower - he makes all the plays and he expects Kuroko and the rest of the team to follow them. Kuroko observes people to in order for him to predict their moves and misguide their line of sight; how can he do that to Akashi who seems able to see the future and thus was never fooled?

Still, Kuroko kept up the habit, and more often than not, Akashi would turn to meet his gaze, perfectly aware of what he was doing, sending the phantom scurrying away to do something more productive than ogling their captain.

That's what Aomine calls it.

Then one day, when they were in the library doing research for their respective homeworks, Akashi decides to broach the matter.

"I don't remember telling you to include me in your observations, Kuroko," Akashi says, his voice mild and calm, yet it still made Kuroko a bit uneasy. Akashi can be scarily calm even when he's angry, that much he knew, but if so, then this would be the first time that his anger was directed at Kuroko.

"I want to understand Akashi-kun," was what comes out of his mouth, and for a moment there he saw ruby eyes widen just a teeny bit before a look of something akin to defensive hostility flashes in them and then Kuroko blinks and Akashi was looking at him as he normally does. Kuroko thinks, Was that my imagination?

"And why is that?" Akashi asks, hiding his own feeling of unsettledness behind a composed facade.

To this Kuroko doesn't really have a definite answer. He has a feeling that the other boy won't appreciate it if he told him that he finds him fascinating. It would look like Kuroko was just like all the other students out there who sees Akashi like something that the heavens sent for them to marvel at his perfectness, and Kuroko doesn't want Akashi to think of him that way. So he breathes and says, "Because I want to know Akashi-kun better."

His fingers stilled on the page of the book that he was currently perusing. Why was it that this pale boy always seem to surprise him? "To what end?" The words came out colder than he would have liked, and he hated feeling this way towards Kuroko who by far seems to be the most accepting of him among all others. Was he really? Or had Akashi miscalculated this time?

To his credit, Kuroko did not flinch or make any outward reaction on Akashi's question. Meeting Akashi's gaze, he says, almost mumbling, "Because I want to be a better friend to Akashi-kun."

Had Kuroko been looking, he would have seen Akashi's lips partly open in shock, slowly curving into a self-deprecating smile. Of course, I wouldn't be mistaken, he says to himself before once again donning his mask. Still...

He murmurs a vague sound and goes back to scribbling down notes on his notebook. Akashi finds his thoughts drifting to Kuroko's answer. A better friend, huh.

And wonders what the bluenette could possibly mean by that.

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"Ne, Aomine-kun," Kuroko says one afternoon when the the rest of the team with the exclusion of Akashi went out for ice cream in the nearby convenience store.

"What is it, Tetsu?"

"Does.. Does Akashi-kun have friends outside of the basketball club?"

Aomine eyes Kuroko thoughtfully before looking up at the darkening skies above. Being with the redhead for almost a year now, Aomine had always seen him as a very self-contained person, and while he considers him as one of his friends, he's not really sure whether the feeling is mutual. After all, as the vice-captain, Akashi is his superior in the club, and he rarely goes out with them. He's always busy doing something, even taking over Nijimura's duties sometimes. All this he accomplishes with a frustratingly calm disposition, like it was nothing when their captain sometimes would groan and complain at how fussy the paperwork for the club can be, yet when Akashi hands it to him, there was no trace of anything on his face but the usual polite smile and a soft, "Here you go, Nijimura-san." He was never arrogant, though, which makes it hard to dislike him.

Still, Akashi doesn't seem to have any friends outside of the basketball team, and even that was limited only to the first string members, Haizaki not included, of course.

"Why do you ask?"

Kuroko pauses, then shrugs. "Sometimes, I think Akashi-kun is lonely," he says softly, as if pained in behalf of the redhead. Sometimes he thinks that there is a speck of longing in Akashi's resolute gaze every time he has to decline their offers of going out for ice cream or dropping by the arcade before he goes back to whatever it is that he was doing.

"Lonely?" Doubt tinged Aomine's voice. Then again, had he ever seen any emotion on Akashi's face that hints at vulnerability? He does not think so. Akashi's always collected, holding himself with steel-like composure that it's not surprising if everyone sees him as invincible.

"Aa," Kuroko says, and the conversation was left at that.

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Months passed, and Akashi does not question Kuroko anymore about his blatant staring. Of course, due to Kuroko's low presence, it's not surprising that it was only Akashi who notices him. They enters their second year, bringing with them a welcome addition of one Kise Ryouta to the team. When Akashi assigns the hyperactive blond to Kuroko, the bluenette thinks that he had been played.

Mentoring Kise is like handling five kindergarten children combined in the form of a vain, pretty boy who thinks that his puppy eyes is going to work on Kuroko.

"Ne, ne, Kurokocchi," Kise chirps beside him, "why do you keep on looking at Akashicchi?" He follows Kuroko's gaze to where Akashi was discussing something with Shirogane-kantoku. Beads of sweat dotted the redhead's face, but unlike Kise who looks thoroughly exhausted, their vice captain was looking unruffled as usual, like he hadn't gone through Shirogane's training from hell with the rest of the team. Save for the slight flush on his cheeks, Akashi looks like he'd just sprayed himself with water and forgot to towel himself dry.

"It's nothing, Kise-kun. Go back to practice," Kuroko orders. Kise usually pouts before complying to his commands but today, Kise feels quite rebellious.

"Do you like him?" he whispers. "Akashicchi is quite handsome, but not as handsome as me, of course-Itte!!"

Kuroko glowers at the whimpering bond who was clutching his shin before turning his back to find Aomine for their passing practice. Baka Kise-kun, he mutters to himself, can't he see that Akashi-kun is better looking than him? Idiot.

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On his way to the cafeteria for lunch one day, Kuroko sees Akashi going the other way, his bento in his handand two thick folders tucked under the other. Like the redhead, Kuroko has his bento as well, but then, the team always eats lunch in the cafeteria together, though Akashi tend to be absent more often than not.

Kuroko halted his steps and backtracked to chase after Akashi who had disappeared around the corner hallway.

"Akashi-kun!" he calls out, and Akashi stops to look at Kuroko, who was standing a few feet away from him. "Are you going to the clubroom for lunch?" The redhead cocks his head to the side before nodding once. Kuroko bites the inside of his cheek then waves the lunch box in his hand like it was a truce flag and asks in a hopeful voice, "Can I join you?"

Akashi didn't answer immediately and Kuroko feared that he had overstepped his boundaries with the redhead. He was so nervous that he almost misses Akashi's nod of consent. His smile widening, Kuroko runs up to him and falls in step with him. Noticing that the clubroom was a little ways further, Kuroko offered to carry Akashi's lunch but Akashi refused, saying that he can manage fine on his own. He always manages on his own, a sad voice in Kuroko's head was saying. It made Kuroko think. Akashi was always ready to extend his help to others, but when did he accept help from others?

"What about Aomine and the rest?" Akashi asks as they stepped into the covered pathway leading to the clubroom that was located near the gym. "They might get upset if you don't join them for lunch."

Is Akashi-kun getting rid of me? "I don't think that they'll get upset over me missing today's lunch with them. Momoi-san and Midorima-kun will be there to keep the three from causing trouble." Kuroko then throws caution to the wind as he adds lightly, "Besides, Akashi-kun hardly joins us anymore."

He was confused when Akashi looks surprised at the observation, like he didn't expect anyone to notice about his absence. "I have been busy," he replies softly just as they reach their destination. Kuroko beats him to the door and pushes it open. He enters the room first, places his lunch on the table and proceeds to open the windows to let in the warm sunlight of early June.

Akashi was already waiting for him at the table, the two folders lying on the table next to his opened bento. Kuroko hastily joins him, and together, they murmur "Itadakimasu" before they began to eat. To his surprise, the redhead opens the top folder and began reading its contents, paying little attention to his food, his movements almost robotic as his chopsticks move from his boxed lunch to his lips. It seems that Akashi doesn't even have the luxury of enjoying his food.

Sensing his stare, ruby eyes slides to meet his with a questioning look. Kuroko shakes his head then sets down his chopsticks. "I am going to get something to drink. What would you like to have, Akashi-kun?"

"Just water, thank you," Akashi says, but before he can reach into his pocket for some change, Kuroko was already on his feet.

"You don't have to, Akashi-kun," the bluenette says before leaving out the door, Akashi staring long after he was gone.

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After practice that afternoon, Kuroko finds a shiny 100-yen beside his bag and he hurriedly picks it up and goes off in search of Akashi. He finds him talking to Nijimura on the other end of the court, busy with analyzing today's plays with Shirogane and Sanada. As he waits for them to finish their discussion, Kise approaches him with a wide grin on his sweaty face.

"Kurokocchi! Where were you during lunch?" he wails loud enough to make Akashi's eyes flicker momentarily in their direction.

"I had lunch with Akashi-kun in the club room," Kuroko answers honestly. "I kept him company while he was busy with some paperwork for the club."

"Eh?" Kise hums thoughtfully. "Anyway, Kurokocchi, do you have plans after this?"

"Why?"

"Uh, I just got paid for my modeling job and I was thinking of treating the team to some ice cream!" At that moment, Akashi and Nijimura passes them by, and Kise turns to them in a flash. "Ne, ne, Akashicchi! Nijimura-senpai! Let's go get ice cream later! Please~!"

The raven-haired captain laughs good-naturedly at his kouhai's excitement and ruffles the blond hair. "Your treat?" he asks with a teasing lilt in his deep voice, and Kise nods.

"Count me in then," Nijimura chuckles then looks at Akashi, who was silent beside him. "How about you, Akashi?"

"I still have to finish something," Akashi says. He remembers the other folder that he has to go over yet. He looks at Kise who was wearing a sad face. "Maybe next time, Kise."

"Alright," the blond replies, knowing that Akashi's 'next time' always translates to 'never'. Before anyone can say something, Akashi was already moving away, leaving the three to look at his receding back with varying expressions.

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The sun was already starting to set when Akashi finally comes out of the clubroom, having completed the balance sheets that his father had ordered him to analyze. The whole Teikou campus seems to be deserted, and only a few offices in the administration had their lights on. He heads alone to the gate, but to his surprise, he finds a familiar figure standing there, whose face lit up when he caught sight of him approaching.

Akashi stops a feet from them. "Why are you still here?" More than an hour had passed since practice ended; shouldn't he be home by then?

"I was waiting for Akashi-kun," Kuroko says with a smile.

"Is there something you need?"

Kuroko shakes his head. "Are you already heading home?"

"I am," Akashi says, still not seeing where the bluenette is heading with this.

"Would you care for some ice cream?"

"You waited for me just because of that?" There was an incredulous note in his voice.

"Hm," Kuroko nods almost proudly. He flips open his phone and shows Akashi the message from Kise. "Let us go, Akashi-kun?" He holds out his hand to the redhead. "Our friends are waiting."

Akashi looks at the chaotic photo that Kise had taken of the team who had gone ahead to the convenience store. Midorima having a fit over the box of snacks in Murasakibara's hands, Momoi hitting Aomine over the head with a paper fan, Nijimura scowling at the camera, while Kise's face can be seen at the corner of the photo as he stared up at his phone's camera, a bright smile on his face.

His friends.

A tiny smile appeared on his lips.

"Aa. Ikou ka."

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