A/N: This is an idea I've had for quite some time now. Basically I wondered what would it be like if Kuroko left Seirin the way he left Teikou; what kind of effect would it have on other team members (read: Kagami). Out of curiosity, I wrote this fic just to entertain the possibility. I haven't really know if I would continue this or not though. If you find this fic suitable to your liking, please do me a favor and review! ^^

The referee's whistle rang loud and clear with conviction as Kagami made a buzzer beater with practiced ease. As if choreographed, the ball flew smoothly into the basket, as expected from Seirin's ace.

Those flashing red numbers showed 150-40; another evidence of the famous Seirin's indestructible formation. Seirin won with staggering 110 points above their opponent's. It was rather unusual for them to not triple their opponent's point, but it didn't matter either way. Winning this match had proven that Kagami and the other seniors could finally leave the team to their juniors. Seirin's basketball team would be left on good hands.

As both teams stood facing each other, thanking their opponents for the good match, Kagami froze with his fists clenched hard as rocks. His nails dug deep into his palms, drawing warm tang of blood as he held back tears.

It was their third consecutive Winter Cup victory. They won, but he lost.

Kagami Taiga was panicked.

With his legs trembling from exertion and his face all red and sweat stained, he knew he was doomed to arrive late for class for the umpteenth time. To make it all worse, he had no idea where his classroom even was. He could feel his short, ragged breath, running like a tremor through his body after running all around the campus' corridors. His expression mirrored an expression one might have when confronted with a death penalty.

He did not at all look like a varsity basketball champion.

He'd lost count on how many times he'd come late for class. It never ceased to amaze him how his sense of time would always betray him when he played basketball. No matter how many times he would remind himself that he'd play for fifteen minutes only, he would always end up playing for a whole forty minutes.

After running and cursing around for approximately ten minutes, earning curious glances from fellow students and more than a few disapproving glares, he finally found his class. Trying to conceal his huge form, he managed to sneak into the classroom without attracting the professor's attention. That is, until a stray leg managed to trip him, sending him flying past several empty chairs, successfully toppling them down in a huge crashing noise. Combine that with the fact that it really was rather impossible to miss a six foot five giant sprawled on the floor, and he had the professor's attention almost immediately.

The professor, an old, respectable man with gray hair and wire-rimmed glasses, sighed at the sight of Kagami. He had had to deal with said student numerous times. If it wasn't for the fact that the rector himself had told him specifically not to mess with one Kagami Taiga, he would've had refused the tall student from setting foot in his class. But the rector had always considered Kagami as an asset to the university, what with his reputation as a basketball genius and his record during his high school years.

"Kagami, I suggest you find a seat immediately before I decide to ban you from my class," he sighed at the redhead, who now stood with his face only a shade lighter than his hair.

Kagami hurried and finally found a seat at the back of the classroom, next to a certain dark haired youth whose foot was responsible for tripping him, thus making Kagami the laughing stock of the class; not that he wasn't before. There would undoubtedly be words about how Bakagami had successfully tripped himself into class later.

"Aomine, you bastard-" Kagami was about to whisper angrily at the chortling youth before he realized that the professor's eyes were appraising him again, as if considering how much his tolerance for Kagami would stretch before he would actually be allowed to kick the student out of class.

"Shit," Kagami thought as he bit back his tongue to prevent himself from yelling at Aomine; he would have to deal with the bastard later. His day didn't need to get any much worse than it already was.

The class ended after the professor decided that he'd tortured his students enough. Students quickly flocked out of the class, leaving only Kagami and Aomine inside. Everybody knew that it was most likely that the two would resume their previous bickering, and nobody would want to be in the close vicinity of those two angry basketball aces. Chances were they're going to throw loads of truck-driver-worthy words onto each other, enough to make any innocent passerby's ears bleed. It never ceased to amaze fellow students that those two were teammates; or, even worse, roommates.

After grueling five minutes, the swearing match ended with Kagami on the losing side, as always. He would have to settle with beating the crap out of the tanned youth during their basketball practice later. As the two exited the classroom and headed for the campus' basketball court, Kagami wondered, grudgingly, how come it was so easy, so natural, for him to befriend Aomine. It was something beyond his expectations; even with all their bickering and taunting, he found himself enjoying their odd friendship.

"So, why were you late?" Aomine grinned mockingly; his dark eyes twinkled with mischief. "Bet you had another solo basketball session and lost track of time again."

Kagami grumbled; as usual, his teammate had it spot on. "Shut up. As if you've never lost track of time practicing before, asshole," he retorted, furrowing his thick eyebrows.

"Never did. Why bother practicing when the only one who can beat me is me?" Aomine smirked.

"You didn't say that after I beat you in our last Winter Cup."

Aomine narrowed his eyes; he wasn't one who easily gets hurt by words, but Kagami's words did sting him a little. However, he put it aside after realization dawned on him; it was rare that Kagami actually approached the subject of their last Winter Cup on his own accord. God knows how the redhead would always evade the subject skillfully whenever they happen to stumble onto it. It was something rather unusual for the redhead, for he was usually very easy to read, what with his amazing temper and all that. Aomine guessed that it must have something to do with a certain person whom Kagami had always refused to talk about; no matter how many times Aomine had taunted him about it. Kagami had always been rather unapproachable about the subject; and Aomine had once earned himself a well-planted punch for pushing Kagami over the edge trying to make him actually talk.

"That last Winter Cup was a fluke. You shouldn't have won," Aomine said with a low voice, despite knowing that he was treading in very dangerous waters. He could see Kagami tensed immediately at the tanned youth's accusation, and Aomine cautiously anticipated the redhead's physical retort. He'd grown up since his times in Touou, after all. He'd learned the hard way what he would get if he tamper with people's tempers too much; it'll most likely be a good punch or a nasty jab to his stomach.

Surprisingly enough, Kagami didn't yell or scream at him to shut up. On the contrary, the redhead only sighed and slumped a little. As they walked together, he continued staring at his basketball shoes, ignoring Aomine pointedly.

"I never won, you bastard," he whispered hoarsely, too low for his teammate to hear.

"Are you fucking kidding me? He's nowhere to be found?" Kagami practically yelled at Hyuuga, who narrowed his eyes in anger.

"Kagami-" Hyuuga was emitting his usual menacing aura. His mood wasn't that good to begin with, and having Kagami yell at him was going to force him to teach the insolent brat how to treat an alumni.

"Yes, Kagami. We've searched everywhere in the school building, but we couldn't find him. You know how he's like," Aida interjected before a fight ensues. "He's… hard to find when he doesn't want to be found."

Everyone in the locker room looked at one another. It was really unusual for their senior, Kuroko Tetsuya, to disappear before an important match, especially when it was supposed to be the seniors' last match as club members and the final match of the Winter Cup. Usually, he was the first one to be ready in the locker room amongst all the basketball club members.

Hyuuga straightened his glasses and sighed in annoyance. Considering the importance of the match, as their past captain, he had come to accompany the coach, Aida Riko, and to give the team support. That, and as good boyfriend, he'd always taken the initiative to accompany her whenever she came to coach Seirin's basketball club, just to make sure that no junior would dare to lay a hand on the young coach. To encounter such a problem was beyond his expectations, especially since the problem came from one Kuroko Tetsuya. Considering the Kuroko he'd known during his times in Seirin, he wasn't the kind of person to abandon something at the last minutes.

"Um, how are we going to play without Kuroko-senpai?" a freshman member asked timidly, as if afraid to get caught in the scuffle.

"Well, like hell I'm going to play my last match without that bastard!" Kagami barked, earning himself a good smack on the head from Hyuuga.

"What the-" the indignant redhead nearly threw himself on the bespectacled alumni out of anger. Despite his spluttering and cursing, Riko could see the apparent problem here. Kagami was panicked and terrified. His panic was like a gallon load of gasoline poured onto his flaming anger, and the female coach decided that she couldn't let this ruin Seirin's chances on winning.

"KAGAMI! Stop right now or yes, I will bench you out for the whole match!" Riko screamed at Kagami, her face red from anger. "How dare you act like a petulant child when you're already a senior!"

"But-"

"No buts! Now sit down while we discuss this!" Riko glared at the furious youth.

Everybody calmed down a little as the coach took control of the situation. But there was no denying it; the team was shaken by Kuroko's disappearance. Riko bit her lip as she tried to assess the situation. Playing without Kuroko would be hard; the calm teen's invisible presence always seemed to boost the team's confidence, and without him, it would be harder for them to play calmly.

"Now, I know this is not a good situation. We're up against a dangerous opponent, whom will sure be hard to beat without Kuroko-kun," Riko told the agitated team, despite the fact that she doubted herself. "But we've played in a similar situation before. I'm sure we can still win."

"Wait, are you telling me that we're going to play without Kuroko-senpai?" a second year member asked incredulously. Other junior members whispered amongst themselves; Riko could feel doubt spreading like wildfire in the team. To her dismay, she knew that she couldn't do much to prevent this from happening.

"Yes, Yamada-kun. Unfortunately, it seems Kuroko-kun has decided that he's not going to attend this match," Riko bit her lips and cast her eyes downward. "He's never done anything like this before, but I am sure he's got his own reason."

As Riko continued to try boosting the team's confidence, Kagami stood dumbfounded, not listening to a single word the coach said. He still couldn't wrap his head around the painful fact; Kuroko had left them. Left him, the way he had left Teikou years ago.

Kagami gritted his teeth to prevent strangled sobs from escaping.

"Why, Kuroko? Why, damnit?"

Kagami broke out his reverie when the two arrived in their campus' basketball court. It was lavish, so to say, with polished floor and brand new equipment. It was completely different from his times back in Seirin, but he knew that nothing could ever replace his times there. Nothing could replace his memories playing with Kuroko in Seirin. Basketball was different for him after he graduated; it was as if he was playing a different sport. Of course, having his former shadow leave him before his last match as Seirin's ace meant basketball would never be the same again.

With a dark grimace, Kagami recalled those grueling months he spent after he graduated from the basketball club. He couldn't even look at a basketball the way he used to; it was too painful. Looking at the ball itself would only remind him of Kuroko; of those times where they would practice together and go to Maji Burger afterward. Of how they used to trust each other; how they could communicate, even without words, using only basketball as a medium.

Kagami knew that it was odd for a person like him to be personally offended; he'd never been the type to hold grudges after all. Even back when he still wanted to defeat the Generation of Miracles, he'd never held grudges against any of them. But Kuroko was different. He thought they were best friends; he thought they trusted each other. Having the pale haired youth ditch him without a single word hurt so bad, because it made him feel as if he was betrayed.

He remembered how it took him months to be able to play basketball again. To set foot on the court without painful memories starting to flood his mind over and over again. Kuroko had once asked him if he'd ever hated basketball. He'd also told Kagami how the sixth man himself had once hated basketball, and how horrible it felt. Kagami had once believed that such an experience would ever occur to him, but it turned out he was wrong.

Thanks to Kuroko, he experienced how much it hurt to hate something he loved.

"Oi, Bakagami. Are you gonna go in or not?" Aomine's deadpan voice brought Kagami back to the present. He realized that he'd stopped right in front of the court's doors, sufficiently blocking it from his fellow teammates. Kagami grimaced as he hurriedly followed Aomine inside.

Meeting his former rival from his high school days were one of the most unexpected thing that ever happened to him. When he met Touou's former power forward under the same sportsman scholarship, he'd half expected that they won't get along; that the tanned youth's presence in his life would bring back too many memories about Kuroko. But it turned out that they got along better than he'd expected. Their university even made them share a room in their dorm, and it surprised Kagami to no end that he actually managed to keep up with sleeping in the same room as that asshole. Aside from their usual bickering, Kagami found the dark haired youth easy to get along with. The fact that he wasn't as much of an asshole as when he was still in Touou helped, too.

A harsh slap on Kagami's head brought his mind back to its rightful place. "Kagami, what the hell's going on with you? You're amazingly pensive today," Aomine grinned at the incredulous male who was rubbing on the back of his head.

"I'm not, you bastard!" Kagami lunged at his cackling teammate, earning several pained glances from his other teammates. The two aces had always been puzzling to boot; everybody knew how those two used to be rivals during their high school years. And yet, here they are now, chummy buddies and all that. Of course, being aces, nobody dared question whatever was going on inside their heads.

"Kagami! Aomine! Come here for a second and quit playing around!" the captain yelled at them, effectively stopping Kagami from throttling Aomine. Aomine cackled and broke free from Kagami's strangling hold, and the two bickering aces ran over to their teammates.

Kagami didn't really listen to the coach's explanation over their training menu for the day; it would still be nothing compared to his former coach's grueling training anyway. Aida could beat his current coach anytime when it came to the effectiveness (and torture degree) of a training menu.

As the coach blabbed on, he heard Aomine whisper behind him, "Hey, did you hear that there's gonna be some random kindergarten visiting our campus tomorrow?"

Kagami tilted his head, perplexed. "What for?" he whispered back. "You don't suppose toddlers are gonna understand what university is about?"

"I dunno, you know how kindergartens are. They like to visit random places and shit," Kagami could practically hear Aomine grin behind him, and he didn't like the feel of it at all.

"Well, then shut the fuck up."

"It's not like you're listening anyway, right?"

"Shut up."

"Kagami! Aomine! What the hell are you two blathering about back there?" the coach snapped at the two males.

"Nothing, coach!" the two answered in unison; one was grinning in a triumphant way, the other looked ready to strangle the former. Kagami didn't know why, but his teammate's words disturbed him a lot. There must be something wrong when Aomine got excited over a simple kindergarten visit. Something must've been going on inside the tanned youth's head, and Kagami couldn't guess what it was, though he could tell for sure that he wouldn't like it.

Kagami Taiga was, once again, panicked.

This time, he'd overslept quite successfully, forgetting that he was supposed to have basketball practice early in the morning. He'd spent quite some time the previous night doing his assignments and fell asleep straight on his desk. By the time he was awake, Aomine, like the bastard he was, had already left the dormitory room they shared.

Before he knew it, he had already changed into the cleanest clothes he could find and bolted off. Despite the fact that his dormitory was only five minutes away from the campus building, it would still take him ten minutes to reach the gym, which was located at the far end of the building. Their coach wasn't nearly as mean as Aida Riko when it came to punishments, but he would still be sadistic enough to at least give Kagami extra workout, or worse, a lecture on punctuality.

As he ran through the campus' empty corridors, he could hear lectures from the classrooms, vaguely seeping through the closed wooden doors. It was still early, but many classes had already begun. After two years of attending his university, Kagami had come to love the atmosphere. The early classes, the basketball practices, the lengthy corridors… He'd never thought that life could be enjoyable after he left Seirin, but he found himself slowly building his life all over again. And, grudgingly, he knew that he half owed his current comfort to Aomine. Without that bastard, his university life wouldn't even be half as fun, despite the fact that he was often annoyed as hell with him.

With his spirit slowly crawling up, Kagami ran even faster through the corridors; cool morning breeze caressing his cheeks. Then, suddenly he heard something rather out of place: sounds of children chattering.

"Must be those kindergarten kids Aomine mentioned yesterday," Kagami thought, keeping his pace. "Well, as long as they won't come to the gym and meddle around our practice, I won't mind."

The redhead had never liked kids to begin with; he would prefer if he didn't have to come into contact with them at all. Thus, he quickened his running pace, forcing himself to run faster despite the fact that his muscles had started to feel painful. At the end of the corridor, he could make out little kids, yapping like puppies with their two teachers trying to quiet them down a little.

"What a futile effort," Kagami snorted inwardly as he approached them. He avoided the little kids as they yelped and screamed at the sight of him. Being a six foot five giant had its perks; little kids would usually steer clear out of his way. Again, he snorted inwardly as he blew past them, using what little space was left in the crowded corridor to finally leave the campus' building and arrive at the gym.

As he ran past them, he noticed that there was actually another teacher accompanying the kids. He wondered how he could possibly not notice his presence. Shrugging off his confusion, Kagami continued to run and proceeded to enter the gym.

Behind him, amongst the kids, the third, previously unseen teacher stood frozen. His sky blue eyes stared at the gym door that swung closed behind the redhead's figure.

"Kagami-kun?"