My Sign of Love, a kuroko no basuke/黒子のバスケ fanfic

A/N: I'm completely under pressure on my studies right now, so forgive me if I haven't updated my other fanfic, 'A Group Date with the Glamorous Generation of Miracles'. I know that my excuse is kinda typical and maybe others hate it, but I'm just a normal . . . err . . . crazy college student who has goals in life other than being a yaoi fangirl. While I'm studying hard, my stress made me very gloomy and I can't write something funny because of it, so I want to cheer myself somehow by making a sentimental story. I also like to share the story to you, guys, so I hope you'll like this (even if it's crappy, fast-paced, and jumpy, in my opinion. Haha). If some of the ideas here are already used by others, it's a coincidence, I swear.

Warning/s: AU, some grammatical errors, and yaoi.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basket and the English-translated song lyrics of Sign by Itou Kanako (I like this song. It made me cry . . . To grasp the real feeling of the story, please listen to this song).

Summary: Kise is a famous model and student in Teiko. Every day, he receives tons of love letters, phone calls and confessions from girls but he always rejects them in the end, because creating deep ties with someone is what he doesn't want to try but one day, everything changes when he met Kuroko, a mute.

~ My Sign of Love ~

'I love you.'

It's a typical sentence to say when you're about to confess to that special someone. It could also be said to your parents, siblings and close friends. Although it was so common, that sentence was full of unexplainable emotions that it could almost make anyone, who heard it, speechless yet . . . so happy.

Well, that's what a certain blond-haired guy thought . . .

"Kise-kun, I-I love you! Will you go out with me . . . ?" a petite female student with short black hair confessed bravely to a handsome blond-haired guy outside the school building. Many students, who were passing by, stopped on their tracks after hearing the loud confession. They watched the scene curiously with tense looks, even though they knew too well what would happen next.

After hearing the familiar confession, the most popular guy in Teiko, Kise Ryota, sighed tiredly . . . again. This was already the thirtieth confession today. Being famous was a torture . . .

"I'm sorry, but I can't accept your feelings . . . And, I don't even know you, so I'm sorry," he replied honestly with no intention in hurting the girl's feelings but like other girls who were too self-centered and hopeful, she cried and ran away without trying to understand or to accept his answer. The students, who were watching in the sidelines, felt sorry for the 236th girl whom he turned down completely.

After that scene, everything went back to normal as they started to walk away. Usually, they would spread the news about Kise rejecting another girl but they were already tired of speaking the same news over and over again. Thus Kise felt somewhat relieved that the students of Teiko Middle School were getting used to this kind of things. He hated bad gossips about him, after all. It felt like he was a bad guy who didn't care when he rejected every girl inside the campus, and even outside the school. They didn't know how hard it was to reject people who were trying their best to get his attention. He respected people who were honest to their feelings, but they also annoyed him the most. Why?

The answer was simple. People didn't know how important those three words were . . .

'I love you.'

He believed that people could only say those words when they finally found the person who would love them for who they are. Those three words . . . Kise wanted to hear those words someday by someone who would accept him, but sadly, those words were used by girls, nowadays, just to get the popular guys like him. Love was now based on looks, not based on feelings. But sometimes, feelings were tricky, too. The feelings of longing and lust were also the reason why girls were desperate to get him. And all of these made him sick.

As he was about to go home after his classes, love letters overflowed from his shoe locker after opening it. Kise palmed his face with a tired look. Again?

"The teachers will be angry again if they discover that girls are wasting papers for me rather than saving Mother Earth . . . ," he murmured while picking up the scattered love letters on the ground.

Suddenly, he spotted a pale hand, helping him in collecting the letters. Tilting up his head, he saw a frail-looking boy with smooth teal hair and big yet deep pair of teal eyes. He wondered why the sight of this pale boy almost made him breathless. But more importantly, the boy, who's wearing casual clothes, looked like a . . .

"A g-ghost~!" shouted Kise out of shock as he backed away instinctively. The expressionless boy stared at him while giving the other letters to him without speaking a word. Flabbergasted, Kise observed the teal-haired boy standing up weakly and staggering a bit while walking away. When his mind finally calmed down after realizing that the boy wasn't a ghost, he yelled, at least, to thank the boy, who's almost exiting the school building.

"Thanks for the help!"

When the boy didn't turn around, Kise thought that he didn't hear it. Much to his surprise, the teal-haired boy did turn around slightly to face him and smiled.

"It's beautiful . . . ," he thought when the boy finally left his sight.

Yes. That's the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen . . . His whole body became numb abruptly as if all of his strength was stolen away from him involuntarily. What on earth happened to him . . . ? He never experienced this before . . . What was this feeling?

"Who is he . . . ?"

After disposing the love letters, he left his school and was walking home while his phone kept on ringing endlessly. He took the usual route near the riverbank to avoid getting chased by girls. Even if it's a way to prevent commotion, persistent fans still continued to annoy him because they knew his phone number. Thus they were calling him and even sending text messages without an end.

"They're so irritating . . . !" grumbled Kise as he picked up his phone and threw it to the river as hard as he could.

Splash!

After witnessing his phone drowning in the water, he felt better. Well, everyone could still live without a phone. It wasn't like the end of the world when anyone lost his/her phone, right? However, he needed it. All of his schedules for his part-time job as a model were there.

He sighed heavily while palming his face. "Stupid, me . . ."

Luckily, he had a manager who's also keeping his schedules, so he would just ask for a copy. After blaming and comforting himself mentally, Kise saw again the teal-haired boy, sitting on a field of clovers by the river. The large sun, setting over the horizon, made it hard for him to observe the boy clearly, so he walked closer while covering his eyes partially with his left hand. When his golden eyes became used to the brightness, he quickly went beside the teal-haired boy, who's viewing the dramatic sunset.

Awkwardly, Kise tried to get the boy's attention since he was kind of interested to know him. Well, he also couldn't forget that beautiful smile . . .

"Umm . . . Hi, there . . ."

". . ."

There's no response, so he blushed a bit in embarrassment. It's his first time being ignored by someone. This was new . . .

"Ahh . . . What are you doing here, by the way . . . ?"

". . ."

No response again. Kise felt like slapping himself or banging his head on a rock for doing something to embarrass himself. Why the heck was he quiet?!

Desperate to know the teal-haired boy, he waved a hand in front of the boy.

"Hello?"

"?!"

The teal-haired boy jerked a bit when Kise's hand surprised him. Accidentally, the plug of his earphones was removed from his IPod. Hence the current song in his IPod was heard completely by Kise.

Feelings are reaching people,
Even so far away . . .
The answer is carried . . .
No matter how small and ephemeral the sign is.

Immediately, the frail-looking boy stopped the song and put his IPod back to his pocket clumsily. He also removed the earphones from his ears.

The blond-haired guy was astonished and speechless. It's not only because of the soothing song that caught his breath . . . The very thing that made him like this was because he saw the teal-haired boy's crying face.

"He's crying . . ."

Unsure on how to act on this kind of situation, Kise was panicking inside although he's with a total stranger. Naturally, you wouldn't care about strangers but this was different for the blond-haired guy. The moment he saw him crying alone, he felt like he was hurting, too. Wasn't crying alone kind of . . . sad?

"Umm . . . why are you crying alone in this place . . . ?" he asked softly.

". . ."

The teal-haired boy didn't reply him back but Kise noticed him blushing with embarrassment before wiping his tears with his sleeve. The blond-haired model smirked slightly because he understood well that boys hated to let someone see them crying. However he didn't like the logic, 'when boys cry, they're weak'. Not letting out of your emotions was unhealthy. That's why his motto was: 'be honest with yourself'. After a minute of silence, he got tired of waiting for a response so he spoke with an annoyed look this time.

"Hey . . . I am not speaking to a ghost, am I?"

". . ."

For the fifth time, there's no reply. Kise thought that the boy didn't reply back awhile ago because he's listening to his IPod with his earphones, but even without the earphones, the boy wouldn't say a thing! It pissed him off. When he was about to leave right away, the teal-haired boy pulled out a small notepad from the other pocket of his beige pants and started writing something on it with a pen, which was kept between the pages of the notepad. It bewildered Kise. What was the boy trying to do?

When the boy finally finished writing, he lifted his notepad to let Kise read it. The note stated:

Yes, you're speaking to a ghost.

After reading it, Kise almost screamed in fright like a girl but he managed to minimize the loudness of his shout.

"Y-you are r-really a g-ghost . . .?!" he stuttered while pointing his trembling finger towards the boy, who nodded in return.

When the blond-haired guy was almost convinced that he was a ghost, the expressionless boy wrote again something on his notepad and showed it to him.

No. It is just a joke actually.

. . . . .

Kise swore that he wanted to kill right at that moment. But he couldn't. He wondered why he couldn't bring himself to be mad or to punch the teal-haired boy. Was it because it's meaningless to fight with a stranger? Or was it because of . . . pity when he realized something about the frail-looking boy?

"Hey, by the way . . . why can't you speak?"

". . ."

Then the sun finally went down after their fateful meeting on that day.

"Okay! Photo shooting session is done! Good job, everyone!"

"Thank you for the help and hard work, as well~!"

When Kise's part-time job as a model was already done, he quickly changed his clothes and grabbed his shoulder bag to leave early. His 23-year old black-haired manager, Kasamatsu Yukio, was puzzled by his sudden change. Before, he knew that Kise would stay longer to fool around with other crew members but lately, he's leaving early to see someone. Could it possibly be that . . . Kise finally had a girlfriend?!

"Kise."

"Hmm? What is it, Kasamatsu-san?" the blonde-haired guy halted from exiting the studio and faced his manager.

"Do you already have a girlfriend?"

After he heard that, Kise laughed. "No, of course I don't have one yet!"

The manager sighed in relief but his suspicion didn't disappear. "Then who is this person you're always seeing after your part-time job? It's unusual for you to leave right away, you know. I thought that you don't like to have deep ties with somebody."

"Geez . . . Are you my father, Kasamatsu-san? Don't worry! I'm just seeing a new friend of mine. Plus, I know how to deal with my relationships with other people. I'm always making sure that I won't get involved too much with their personal lives," replied Kise jokingly, earning himself a kick on the back from his violent manager.

"I'm not convinced at all! Also, there's no way I want to be your father, you brat!"

"What a harsh father you are, Kasamatsu-san!"

"Just shut up!"

However he was serious about that. Kise didn't want to have deep ties with someone because he didn't want others to tie him down, after all. He also hated commitments since others were just acting nice and weren't serious at all when they're finally in a relationship with someone. He wasn't a fool to fall for such a thing. That's why he would keep an adequate distance between other people and himself. It's for the best, but lately his way of thinking was slowly changing without him noticing it.

While bidding farewell to the crew and to his manager, he left and went to Maji Burger with an unusual excitement, springing within him. It was weird. His life became more thrilling after meeting him.

Yes. It's already been a week since Kise met the teal-haired mute named Kuroko Tetsuya, and he knew that Kuroko was definitely different from others despite of his condition.

After buying some burgers and vanilla shakes from Maji Burger, he took the usual route again near the riverbank while carrying the takeout food with him. When he finally reached his destination, he smiled cheerfully while waving his hand in the air and calling out the name of his new friend.

"Kurokocchi~!"

The teal-haired boy, who's reading a book, turned his head to the left after hearing Kise's voice. As usual, he still maintained his expressionless face, even in front of his friend. Well, it didn't matter to Kise if that was his real self.

In return, Kuroko waved his hand, as well, as a gesture of his friendliness. With that alone, Kise felt so happy.

Immediately, the blond-haired model ran towards the spot where they always lay down. Plopping himself on the field of clovers beside Kuroko, Kise gave him a tight hug after putting down the food beside the white violin case, which belonged to Kuroko.

"Kurokocchi, you're still so cute~!"

Struggling to free himself from Kise's suffocating hug, Kuroko grabbed his book and hit the model's pretty face with it madly.

"Ouch! That hurts, Kurokocchi~! I'm a model, you know!" he wailed childishly while soothing his slightly sore face.

Then Kuroko picked out his notepad and wrote something quickly before showing it to him.

You're the one who started it, Kise-kun. And stop calling me 'Kurokocchi'.

Kise pouted after reading his note. "But we're friends now, aren't we? It doesn't hurt to call you 'Kurokocchi' as a friend, right?"

Kuroko blinked for a moment and began to write again. Then he showed his note.

I don't recall that we become friends already, and how did you come up with a lame nickname for me, anyway?

"So cruel~! I thought that we're friends already since we're always hanging out together here! And about the nickname I gave you, it's not lame! I think that it's cute . . ."

Kise's sentence trailed off when he felt himself blushing. What the hell was he saying? He was too blunt . . . Without noticing, the teal-haired boy was also blushing embarrassingly, so he turned his face away before Kise could see it. Pretending to read his book, he ignored the blond-haired guy who's trying to regain his composure. Clearing his throat, Kise began to explain again.

"By the way, I add –cchi to people's last names because that's the way I show great respect for them. Therefore . . . I respect you deeply for staying so strong despite of your state right now. For me, Kurokocchi is amazing because you can write song lyrics and can play a violin even if you couldn't speak since birth. After hearing you playing a piece yesterday, I couldn't sleep last night!"

Hearing it, Kuroko didn't budge at all, but he felt really glad. Quickly, he wrote again on his notepad and without facing him, he showed it meekly to Kise whose eyes widened up when he read it clearly.

Thank you. I appreciate your thoughtfulness as a friend. I'm glad that I met you.

A smile became visible on the blond-haired guy's pretty face. Butterflies started to flutter on his stomach. Sincerely, he ruffled Kuroko's soft teal hair and replied, "Me, too. I'm glad that I met you, Kurokocchi."

Kuroko also smiled.

Suddenly, he opened his violin case to grab his violin and bow, and also pulled out a sheet of song lyrics. Then he stood up and handed out the sheet to Kise.

Kise showed a puzzled look while looking at the sheet. "What am I going to do with this . . . ?"

Squeezing the violin and bow between his chest and left arm, his right hand pulled out his notepad from his pocket and started writing again to communicate with Kise.

Obviously, you will sing while I play the violin.

Kise gaped. "What?! It's too sudden and I'm not confident with my singing -"

After writing rapidly, a frowning Kuroko showed another note.

I thought you are my friend . . .

" . . .!"

Sighing heavily, Kise gave up and went along with Kuroko's whimsical plan. He thought that it would be a disaster . . . but the moment Kuroko began to play his violin smoothly, he felt like nostalgic since he already heard the song before. Yes, he heard it when they met for the first time. Since the song was familiar, his lips moved on their own, and he began to sing while reading the song lyrics.

The signal of dawn is echoing
The messenger of the moonless night withdraws

Just the vast expanse of earth
Penetrates the moment it emerges

Feelings are reaching people
Even so far away
The answer is carried
No matter how small and ephemeral the sign is

When the short song was already finished, Kuroko smiled at Kise again. Before writing a note, he returned his violin and bow inside its case.

You did great, Kise-kun.

Kise beamed after reading his note. "Really?"

Then Kuroko turned the next page of his notepad.

But you still need practice. Your voice is worse than a kid's.

"That comment hurts, Kurokocchi~! Of course, I'm not used to singing because I excel in posing!"

Giggling silently, the teal-haired boy went closer and lifted his right hand. He folded his own middle and ring fingers while the rest of his fingers are straightened. Kise didn't understand what that hand gesture meant so he asked.

"Kurokocchi, what is that gesture . . . ?"

Kuroko wrote again to reply.

It's a sign language, but I don't like using it since most people don't understand it.

The blond-haired guy just said, "Ahh . . ." when he finally understood it but he's still curious. After all, the teal-haired just stated that it's a sign language. He wanted to know the meaning of that hand gesture.

"So, what is the meaning of that hand gesture?"

Kuroko blushed a bit before turning around to ignore Kise's question.

"Hey! That's unfair, Kurokocchi! I wanna know the meaning~!"

Then Kuroko showed a note.

It's a secret. And I'm already hungry, Kise-kun. I want to drink my vanilla shake now.

Sighing once more, Kise gave up on asking and smirked. "Kurokocchi really likes vanilla shake, huh?"

Kuroko nodded quickly with a beautiful smile on his face again.

After that moment, Kise's bond with the teal-haired mute became stronger and deeper without him realizing it. At the end of spring, his feeling of indifference for Kuroko had turned into respect.

. . . . .

"Kurokocchi~!"

Kuroko, wearing a white parka with blue lining and black shorts, turned his head to the right. He saw the blond-haired guy (wearing a sleeveless black t-shirt and stylish jeans) running towards him. Then he gave the boy his usual tight hug. Of course, Kuroko also did the usual counterattack by grabbing one of his thick books from his backpack and smashed Kise's face with it.

"Ouch~! Stop doing that already, Kurokocchi! My perfect nose is already losing its beauty!" wailed Kise while caressing his sore face.

Kuroko wrote rapidly on his notepad and showed it to him.

You're the one who should stop hugging me now and then. And I don't care about your nose, Kise-kun.

"You're still cruel as always even on my birthday, Kurokocchi~!"

Kuroko smiled and showed the next page.

No, that's only a joke. By the way . . . ,

Happy birthday, Kise-kun.

After reading it, Kise chuckled and ruffled the teal-haired boy's hair. "Thanks!"

Yes, today was Kise's birthday and they were going to the beach since he requested it and it was already summer. Although it wasn't summer break yet, and Kuroko hated the hot season, Kise managed to convince him because the blond-haired guy promised that he would pay all the expenses. Obviously, there's no one would decline that offer! When they finally arrived at the beach and changed their attire, Kise immediately dived into the water like a kid while Kuroko just sat under a big umbrella and read his book with a cold drink beside him. Realizing that he was the only one who's enjoying the thrill of swimming in the beach, Kise (who's dripping wet) walked towards the teal-haired boy with a sour look on his face.

"Kurokocchi, come and swim with me! The water is nice and it's a waste if you don't take a dip in the water! What's the use of going here if you're not going to swim in the first place, right?"

Putting his book on his lap, Kuroko grabbed his notepad to write his reply.

I don't know how to swim. I might drown.

Kise was shocked. "What? You don't know how? You should have told me about that earlier. I could have changed the plan so both of us can have fun!"

Then he wrote another reply with a sad expression on his face.

But you're so happy when you said that you wanted to go to the beach on your birthday. I don't want to spoil that bright smile on your face.

". . ."

Kise was speechless after reading it. With an unexplainable emotion welling up inside him, he embraced Kuroko gently.

"Thank you, Kurokocchi . . . You're such a considerate best friend."

Smiling, Kuroko hugged him back.

That's right. They're already best friends. That's why Kise stayed with Kuroko under the big umbrella for awhile and then Kuroko let Kise teach him how to swim. That moment was so fun. After Kuroko learned to swim a bit, they ate lots of tropical food, made sand castles, tried surfing, collected various kinds of seashells, played beach volleyball with other people, and watched the sunset while sitting on the huge rocks. But the best part on Kise's birthday was when his best friend gave him a sunflower keychain at the end of the day.

"Kurokocchi, why did you give me this as a gift? I wanna know your reason~!"

Embarrassingly, Kuroko showed his answer.

It's because you're like a sunflower.

Then he lifted his right hand and did the same hand gesture which meaning was still unknown to the blond-haired guy. Knowing that Kuroko would just avoid answering the meaning of that hand gesture, Kise didn't ask that again and just asked another question.

"Eh . . . ? Why am I like a sunflower?"

Immediately, a blushing Kuroko left without answering him. Instead of getting mad because Kuroko just left him like that without answering his other question, Kise just tightly held the keychain close to him happily.

"Kurokocchi is so shy~!" he chuckled while gazing at the night sky full of tiny sparkling stars.

At the end of summer, his simple respect for Kuroko had turned into adoration.

. . . . .

"Hmm . . . Kurokocchi isn't here yet . . . Did he get lost . . . ?"

Kise, wearing a thick cream-colored sweater and grey pants, kept on pacing around in front of his two-storey house. He was waiting for Kuroko to arrive since his best friend promised to help him in studying for his final exams in winter. As a matter of fact, Kuroko wasn't attending any school. He preferred home-schooling and surprisingly, his tutor was from Teiko, too. But Kise didn't meet his tutor yet. Despite of his inability to speak, he was intelligent. That's why he (who hated doing things that required using his brain) was fortunate that Kuroko would help him in reviewing his subjects.

When the cold breeze passed by, he sneezed loudly. It was already the fall season, and the withering yet colorful leaves were scattered around Kise's hometown. Even if it's not winter yet, the weather was cold and cloudy. It might rain later . . .

Shivering, he growled, "Ahh . . . Kurokocchi, I hope that you're here now~! I'm freezing out here~!"

Then Kise felt something warm around his neck. Touching it curiously, he discovered that someone put a scarf around his neck. Knowing who would do such thing, he excitedly turned around and saw the teal-haired boy, wearing a white jacket, a black bonnet (which resembled a puppy) and a pair of beige pants.

"Kurokocchi, you're here~!"

Before he could hug Kuroko, the pale-looking boy already had a book prepared for blocking Kise's attack. Without any pity, he smacked Kise's face with a book once again.

Smack!

"Aw! Stop doing that kind of defense already, please!" whined Kise with a sore face yet again. He might quit his part-time job as a model if this continued. Well, he really thought of quitting . . .

Quickly, Kuroko grabbed his notepad and wrote his reply.

Then stop hugging me, Kise-kun. I hate it.

Kise froze after he read that. Although he knew that Kuroko was only joking, he felt something painful within him like there's a knife piercing his heart. Ignoring that agonizing feeling, he tried to pout cutely just like his usual reaction when Kuroko was being mean to him.

"You're so mean, Kurokocchi~! It's just a hug of great friendship-!"

Suddenly, Kuroko interrupted him when he showed his notepad close to Kise's face.

I'm just kidding. The truth is, I want your hugs, Kise-kun. So don't cry.

Without noticing, Kise was already crying a moment ago. Biting his lower lip with a joyful expression on his crying face, he cuddled Kuroko while yelling out his name gladly.

"Kurokocchi~!"

Kuroko palmed his flushed face. He shouldn't have written that note . . . but on second thought, he was glad that he wrote it.

After Kuroko complained to Kise about hugging him too long, the blonde-haired guy finally released him and apologized. Immediately, they entered the house when a sudden rain came. Luckily, they didn't get wet. After switching on the lights, he gladly welcomed Kuroko to his house.

"Welcome to my house, Kurokocchi!"

Viewing the interior of his best friend's house, Kuroko was astonished. All of the furniture and objects inside the house were expensive and flamboyant. As expected of a model . . . However the atmosphere inside was kind of . . . empty. Noticing something, Kuroko wrote a question and showed it to Kise, who's providing comfy slippers for him.

Where are your parents, Kise-kun?

While putting on his yellow slippers, Kise answered casually, "Oh, they are working abroad so I'm living alone right now."

Surprised, the teal-haired boy wrote another question.

Don't you feel scared and lonely here?

Before they went upstairs, he read the question and replied honestly.

"Of course, I do feel scared and lonely because I'm living alone. My parents only come back here once a year . . . but."

When they finally arrived at Kise's room on the second floor, Kise continued his answer with a pearly grin on his face.

"But, I'm not feeling scared and lonely anymore, because you're here with me right now, Kurokocchi."

After hearing it, Kuroko quickly hid his blushing face with his notepad. He hoped that Kise wouldn't notice it and luckily, his prayer was answered.

"So make yourself at home! I'll prepare some hot drinks and snacks for us, so feel free to roam around my fabulous room~!"

Kuroko nodded before Kise exited and closed the door. Slowly, he wandered around the spacious room. Everything was clean and it amazed Kuroko. Usually, boys were messy since they're always active and didn't like house chores. However he could see that Kise was different. Although Kise was noisy and clingy, he could see that the blond-haired guy was responsible and caring . . . Thinking him like that, Kuroko felt his heart beating faster.

It might be nice living together with him . . .

While he observed the long table near the door, he spotted some books and magazines about music and singing. He didn't expect this. He expected them to be related to modeling but looking at the books and magazines one by one, he confirmed that all of them were about music. Since when did Kise have an interest with music and singing?

Suddenly, the door opened and it distracted him.

"I already brought some snacks, Kurokocchi!" exclaimed Kise with a big smile on his face while carrying a tray of hot drinks and light snacks like cookies and potato chips. As the blond-haired model put the tray on the round glass table (which was in the center of the room), Kuroko sat courteously on the red velvet carpet near the table and took a sip of hot cocoa while holding the mug carefully.

Sitting beside him, Kise asked him while picking a cookie. "So how is it? Is the hot cocoa delicious? Do you like it?'

Kuroko nodded as he also grabbed a cookie and munched it.

Satisfied by his response, Kise smiled. "Really? I'm glad that you like it."

After eating another cookie, Kuroko pulled out his notepad and began writing something before showing it to Kise.

Kise-kun, do you like singing?

After reading it, Kise was surprised. How did Kuroko discover that . . . ?

"Yes. How did you know?"

Then he wrote his answer.

I saw your books and magazines on that table.

After showing his notepad, Kuroko pointed his finger towards the pile of books and magazines on the long table. Embarrassed, Kise scratched the back of his head when his secret was discovered. Since Kuroko already confirmed it, he tried to explain it to his best friend shyly. "Oh . . . So, you saw them . . . I guess I don't need to hide something big from you now, huh?"

Kuroko tilted his head to the left with a puzzled look.

Blushing, he continued, "The truth is, I began to like singing because you inspired me, Kurokocchi. I even planned to become a singer and to quit modeling . . ."

The teal-haired boy's eyes widened up. He couldn't move his hands.

"The music I heard from your IPod and the first song that we performed together . . . I want to do it once more with you, Kurokocchi. When you told me that you might try studying music in some boarding school last month, I started thinking about what I wanted to do with my life. I thought that modeling is meant for me, but when I imagined myself doing it for the rest of my life, it feels like I'm empty and not satisfied with it. However, when I imagined myself singing songs together with you by my side, I feel like I wanna cry because of too much happiness . . ."

Abruptly, Kise started crying when he felt heavy emotions inside him, but it didn't stop him to continue his explanation.

"Also, the reason why I want to sing is because it's your dream to sing too someday, right?"

Trying to stop the warm emotions from overwhelming him, Kuroko just nodded. Yes, it was his longtime dream. He yearned to have a voice so he could express himself freely, but unfortunately, he was one of those people who had a missing part from them since birth. It was like a curse. However it didn't stop Kuroko from loving music.

"I know that it's hard and frustrating for you, Kurokocchi. We don't know when you'll be able to speak. That's why I will be your voice. I will be the one who will interpret the songs that you wanted everyone to hear! So I'll go wherever you will go. I'll do my best on my final exams and will graduate without regrets in order to follow you!"

After hearing those reassuring words, Kuroko felt like he was so blessed to meet such a person who's willing to share his impossible dream. All along, he was fighting alone to reach his dream. However, he's not alone anymore. He had Kise. Feeling mixed emotions, heavy teardrops began to fall spontaneously from his squinted eyes while he did the same hand gesture again.

"Kurokocchi . . . please, don't cry . . . ," begged Kise who was trying to halt his tears from falling but to no avail, the tears still continued to fall.

Kuroko shook his head as he denied Kise's request. Instead, he cried together with his best friend while embracing him tightly. If he could just speak, he might tell these words gladly:

Thank you, Kise-kun.

In the end, they mostly cried on that day. However the next day, Kise did his best in studying with Kuroko's help. Kise became more amazed of Kuroko because he learned a lot from him rather than from his school. On the other hand, the teal-haired boy was surprised because Kise was a fast learner. The blond-haired guy was so serious about going to the same boarding school that he would attend in spring. With a smile, Kuroko believed that Kise would definitely graduate in middle school with flying colors while Kise hoped that he could stay with the teal-haired boy forever.

At the end of autumn, his adoration for Kuroko had turned into obsession.

. . . . .

"Eh?! You will quit your part-time job as a model after you graduate in Teiko, Kise?!" asked Kasamatsu with wide eyes.

"Yes," the blond-haired model answered firmly while compiling tons of photos of a certain person.

Struck by an imaginary lightning, Kasamatsu was speechless, but seeing Kise recently collecting random photos of a boy with teal hair, he began to speak seriously like a parent.

"Does your decision have to do with Kuroko?"

Hearing merely the name of Kuroko, Kise looked at him with sparkling eyes. "Yes! Also, did you know that Kurokocchi decided that he and I will go together to take up the entrance exams at Saotome Academy this winter?"

Kasamatsu sighed heavily and hit Kise's head brutally.

"Aw! That hurts~!"

"You already told me about that twice! Going together to the same boarding school is fine, but being obsessed with him is bad, Kise."

Obsessed? Kise stared at him with a dumbfounded look. The black-haired manager did expect that kind of reaction from the model. After all, Kise was an idiot when it came to his own feelings, despite of being sharp in observing others.

"I know that you idolize Kuroko, but idolizing him too much will freak him out. Plus, you're stalking him every day, Kise. You're so obsessed with him!"

When his manager pointed that out, Kise just denied it childishly. "I'm not a stalker! And I'm also not obsessed with Kurokocchi! He's just amazing so he deserves praise! And more importantly, he's cute and we're best friends, so what's wrong with following him every day?!"

Kasamatsu sighed again. "Geez . . . You're so immature now. I've never thought that being with Kuroko had changed you this much. I'm thankful that you become smart and more active because of him, but . . ."

A nerve throbbed on Kise's head when Kasamatsu emphasized a certain word. "Are you trying to pick a fight, Kasamatsu-san?"

Ignoring the model (who finished the third compilation of Kuroko's pictures), his black-haired manager continued seriously, "But be aware of your feelings and surroundings, Kise. You might regret it in the end if you don't realize something important right away . . . Your feelings might hurt or anger someone if you don't control and understand them properly."

Those words bewildered Kise. He didn't understand them. His feelings? For whom? And, would his feelings might hurt or anger somebody later on?

Rapidly, the blond-haired, who's wearing a black fur-lined jacket, a striped scarf and a pair of brown checkered pants, ran towards his best friend's house while panting heavily and holding an envelope tightly. When he finally arrived, he tried to catch his breath, which was visible due to the coldness of the weather, while steadying himself against the fencepost. Hearing a familiar sweeping sound nearby, he beamed and approached someone he knew.

"Good morning, Kiyo-baachan!" greeted Kise to a certain small blue-eyed old woman who was sweeping the front yard of a traditional two-storey house.

Halting from her work, Kuroko Kiyomi, Tetsuya's grandmother, smiled brightly upon seeing the blond-haired model. They're already close since Kise was visiting them often. However his best friend wouldn't let him see or enter his bedroom yet . . . It made him somewhat depressed.

"Oh~! Good morning, too, Ryota-kun! What brings you here today?" the old lady asked cheerfully.

With good manners, Kise replied politely, "I'm here to tell some good news, Kiyo-baachan!"

"Ara~? So, what is the good news, Ryota-kun?"

Showing a big pearly grin, he proudly said, "My final exams' results had been announced! All of my exams have full, perfect marks~!"

"Really~? Congratulations! I bet Tetsuya-kun will be happy to hear that, as well!"

Hearing her praise, Kise chuckled shyly. "Thank you, Kiyo-baachan. By any chance, is Kurokocchi here?"

Suddenly, the old lady showed a disappointed look. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ryota-kun. He left the house awhile ago with somebody."

"With somebody . . . ? Who?" wondered Kise with a frown. He felt uneasy abruptly. Did Kuroko hang out with somebody else besides him?

"Do you know the person who is with Kurokocchi, and the place where they are right now, Kiyo-baachan?"

She nodded. "Yes, I know. Tetsuya-kun is with Seijuro-kun. He said that they will go to the amusement park."

After he heard that, something snapped within him.

Akashi-kun, thank you for inviting me today in the amusement park. I had fun.

Kuroko, who's holding two balloons and a bag of souvenirs for Kise and his grandmother, showed his note to his tutor as he and the red-haired boy exited the amusement park. It was already dusk so they needed to go home right away.

"There's no need to thank me. You've done your best in your studies, so this is an appropriate reward for your hard work, Tetsuya," replied Akashi with a formal expression on his face. Kuroko smiled but suddenly, they stopped walking after they saw a familiar guy blocking their way.

"Get away from Kurokocchi," he growled with sharp eyes.

Kuroko's eyes widened up.

Kise-kun . . .?

"Hm? Is he an acquaintance of yours, Tetsuya?" questioned Akashi while looking at the teal-haired boy.

"Tetsuya . . . ? How dare he say Kurokocchi's first name even though he barely knows him!" thought Kise angrily before he punched Akashi hard on the face.

Kuroko was shocked.

Akashi-kun!

When Akashi fell on the ground, Kuroko, who accidentally let go of the balloons, quickly ran to his tutor and helped him to stand up while caressing the bruise on his right cheek.

Then Kuroko wrote a note with a worried look.

Are you fine, Akashi-kun?

Ignoring the pain, Akashi nodded. "Yes, I'm fine . . . , so don't worry."

"Kurokocchi, why are you helping him?! And, why are you with him?! I thought we're best friends-!" yelled Kise like a mad beast when he watched his best friend helping the red-haired tutor. Why was he feeling this? Why was he so angry?

For the first time, Kuroko gave Kise a deadly glare and punched him.

Stumbling on the ground, Kise groaned in pain while touching his sore cheek with a disbelieving look. Kuroko, who was kind and calm, punched him?

"Kurokocchi . . . ? Why . . . ?"

After writing a note, Kuroko showed it to his best friend with an unforgiving look.

I don't have a violent best friend like you. So don't ever show your face to me again.

After reading it, Kise was too shocked to move a limb. While Kuroko and Akashi were walking away from him, he finally understood what his manager was trying to warn him.

But, it was too late . . .

When the first snowflake dropped on his head, Kise slumped on the ground while crying loudly that night. The first snowfall was a bitter memory to him instead of a good one as he tried to accept the truth – Kuroko hated him now.

That's why they never saw each other again even on Christmas Eve (wherein he was supposed to invite Kuroko to have lots of fun at the amusement park).

At the end of December, his obsession for Kuroko had turned into guilt.

. . . . .

"Happy New Year, Kise!" his manager, carrying a basket of fruits and wine, shouted when he entered Kise's house, but there was no response. Plus, it was dim.

"Eh? Why is there no response?"

Carefully, Kasamatsu walked around the first floor of the house but he didn't spot the model. Immediately, he climbed upstairs and entered Kise's room with unexplainable worry. Just like what his intuition had told him, he saw Kise lying like a corpse on the floor.

"Kise!"

Weakly, Kise opened his eyelids. After blinking many times, he recognized his manager's worried look. Seeing how worried Kasamatsu was for the first time, he laughed softly, "Kasamatsu-san, it's rare to see you so worried. What are you doing here inside my room, by the way?"

"Idiot! We're in the hospital now!" he shouted angrily and smacked Kise's head.

"Ouch! What?! Hospital?!"

Gaping, Kise looked around his surroundings and found himself lying on a bed inside a white room with an IV line connected to him.

"Eh?! Why am I here?! And, how did I end up here?!" he yelled with a surprised look as he sat up on his bed.

Trying to calm him down, Kasamatsu explained, "I found you unconscious inside your room awhile ago. Man, you almost gave me a heart attack when you won't wake up so I brought you here."

"Is that so . . . ?" murmured Kise. He wasn't surprised now. It was natural to end up here since he wasn't taking care of himself properly after the shock he experienced last month. The unforgiving look of Kuroko still lingered on his mind. It wouldn't disappear. That look also gave him nightmares often. That's why he couldn't sleep normally. Maybe his stress built up too much . . .

"I know this is sudden . . . but, what happened between you and Kuroko? He won't reply my text messages back , so did you two have a fight?" questioned Kasamatsu seriously, causing Kise to tremble. That's the only question he didn't want to hear at all. The model didn't want to remember it but suddenly, he started to cry again . . . even though he cried a liter of tears already every night.

"Kurokocchi hates me . . . because I'm an idiot! I'm such a big idiot!"

Kise continued to cry while hoping that his tears would run out. Unfortunately, the tears wouldn't run out.

Like a big brother, Kasamatsu sympathized with Kise while patting the model's back.

He nagged, "That's why you must listen to the advice of an adult, you brat."

"Tetsuya-kun, why don't you want to visit Ryota-kun? He's confined in a hospital now, and his manager sent you many text messages awhile ago, too, right?" asked Kuroko's grandmother who's sipping her green tea while sitting beside her grandson on the patio. They just finished going to the temple to celebrate the New Year so they're relaxing for now after a long walk.

After sipping his green tea, the expressionless teal-haired boy wrote his reply on his notepad.

He hasn't apologized yet for what he had done wrong, Kiyo-baasama. So, I won't see him.

The old lady sighed after reading his note. "You're so harsh, Tetsuya-kun. You like Ryota-kun, so why won't you forgive him already?"

When he gazed at the blinding sun for a moment, Kuroko wrote his answer sadly.

Yes, I like Kise-kun, so as his best friend, I want him to learn how to correct his mistake.

His grandmother smiled. "You're cruel, Tetsuya-kun."

Kuroko smiled back bitterly.

"You need to say 'sorry' to his tutor and to Kuroko, of course! That's what you must do," said Kasamatsu after Kise told him what happened last month.

Kise, who calmed down a bit after crying, pouted. "But I did the right thing!"

"What's the right thing about that?! You punched an innocent person who hasn't done anything wrong to you!" his manager retorted back while giving Kise another hit on the head.

"Aw! But his tutor is trying to snatch Kurokocchi away from me! My blood really boiled up when I saw him walking beside Kurokocchi back then!"

"Huh? Normally, a best friend won't feel that . . ."

Kasamatsu's sentence trailed off when one possibility came to his mind.

"Unless you're jealous."

Kise blushed. "Jealous . . . ? Me?"

"Ohh . . . So Kise has finally fallen in love with Kuroko! That's why you're so angry when you thought that someone will try to snatch him from you! Am I right?"

When Kasamatsu concluded that, Kise's eyes widened up.

He already fell in love with Kuroko . . . ? If he thought of it that way, it would clearly explain why he acted violently last time. However, there were complications . . .

"But I'm a guy, Kasamatsu-san! And more importantly, I've never thought of Kurokocchi as a love interest!"

The black-haired manager understood his point. "I know that straight guys like you aren't used to have a romantic relationship with another guy, but let me tell you this: love is illogical."

Kise lifted an eyebrow curiously. "Illogical . . . ? Why?"

"Yes. All of us, even the scientists and believers of some religion, don't know how love exists. They tried to create explanations and formulations about love but in the end, nobody succeeds. That's why it is illogical. For me, love just comes naturally and nobody can avoid it. As a matter of fact, I've also fallen in love with a man."

"Eh?! Really?! Don't you feel sick or something?" the blond-haired guy asked with a shocked expression on his face.

Kasamatsu laughed. "Yeah, I felt sick, too when my male neighborhood who likes to flirt, Moriyama, confessed his feelings to me. But I gave him a chance to prove his love for me after pestering me every day. From the start, I thought that he will give up if I just continued to ignore him but slowly, I started to appreciate him. He's cheerful and thoughtful. Everything that he did for me is for my own good, and he didn't expect something in return. He even told me that it's all right if I don't return his feelings because he's already satisfied just by seeing my smile. So, after two years, I finally fell in love with him and agreed to stay with him in Tokyo."

"Wow . . . What a dramatic story, Kasamatsu-san," commented Kise with watery eyes.

"Thanks. You see, after falling in love, I learned that it doesn't matter if you're a guy or a girl. Everyone has the right to love somebody. Love is all about accepting someone, and giving without expecting something in return. That's why I hate some people for making various taboos about love. So if ever someone tried to criticize your love for Kuroko, then I will be there to defend you," said Kasamatsu with a determined look on his face.

"Kasamatsu-san . . ."

After hearing all those words, Kise was blushing furiously. Although it didn't matter if he had fallen in love with a guy, he wasn't still sure if he loved Kuroko in a romantic way. Well, he did love Kuroko as a best friend, but it felt weird if he treated Kuroko as a lover. Clutching the sunflower keychain from the pocket of his pants, he still swore that he would definitely amend his strained relationship with the teal-haired boy while sorting out the unexplainable feelings he had for his best friend.

. . . . .

"It's a surprise to see you, Kise Ryota," said Akashi, who was about to leave the school building after changing his shoes.

Kise, who got discharged from the hospital after a week, was waiting for him at the main entrance of the school building while ignoring the female students flocking around him.

"I want to talk to you, Akashi-kun," he replied while shoving the girls away from him.

The red-haired boy agreed with a smirk. "Sure. Then, is it fine if we have our conversation at my favorite café?"

"It's fine with me."

After they left the school campus together, they arrived at a fancy-looking café without speaking a single word. It felt awkward to Kise but he managed to keep his composure. When they found a table and took their orders, Akashi was the first one who began the conversation.

"So, what do you want to talk about with me, Kise?"

"He's not using honorifics! He seriously pisses me off!" thought Kise madly but he managed to reply calmly.

"The truth is I wanted to say sorry for punching you last time. I know that I should have apologized to you earlier but I -"

"It's fine. I already have forgiven you a long time ago," interrupted Akashi.

"Eh . . . ? Why? How can you forgive me so easily even without my apology?" asked Kise with a bewildered look.

"I'm the one who needs to be blamed. You love Tetsuya, right?"

Blushing furiously, Kise shook his head. "I'm not sure yet . . ."

Akashi chuckled coolly. "I understand but still, I shouldn't have invited Tetsuya to go with me at the amusement park. It seriously made you jealous. If I were in your place, maybe I have already killed the person, who invited my loved one out, with my scissors."

After he heard the last sentence, Kise felt himself sweating in fear. He was glad that the red-haired boy didn't kill him after punching him back then. "He's damn scary~!"

When the waiter finally set down their orders on the table, Akashi added with a smile, "You are brave, Kise. So, I don't mind if you want to go out with my cousin."

While drinking his tea, Kise choked after hearing the last word from the red-haired boy.

"What?! Kurokocchi is your cousin?!"

"Yes. Don't you know that?"

"No. No one told me about that!"

"Then, do you know that I'm going out with Teiko's top student, Midorima Shintaro?"

"EEEHHH?!"

Kise knew Midorima Shintaro – tall, cool, smart yet aloof. He was Teiko's top 1 student and the vice president of the student council while Akashi is the president . . .

". . ."

Well, he had a hunch now why the two were going out.

After spending time with the red-haired boy, Kise became friends with Kuroko's cousin. Their proof? He began to call him 'Akashicchi' while the other one decided to call him by his first name.

. . . . .

It was finally January 31 and the snow still continued to fall outside the model's house. Sitting beside a heater while covering himself with thick blankets, Kise sneezed loudly in the living room. The first month of the year, which was supposed to be a good start for all people, was his unluckiest month ever. First, he was sent to the hospital; second, Kuroko was always away from his house when he tried to apologize to him personally, so their relationship was still a mess; and lastly, he had a fever today.

"This sucks . . . Today is Kurokocchi's birthday~!" he wailed loudly. Then, he sneezed again.

It was the worst. He was thinking many negative thoughts if he didn't greet a 'Happy Birthday' to his best friend. He even prepared a birthday gift for Kuroko in order to make up with him, but he had this damn fever so he couldn't go out. Also, he saw on the news that there would be a snowstorm today. How unlucky he was!

When he thought of Kuroko smacking his face with a hard book just because he didn't come to see him, he trembled and wept like a puppy.

"Why am I so miserable . . . ?" he wondered while wiping the tears away with his hands. He never felt so depressed before in his life. Even if his parents were not here with him, he didn't feel this kind of depression and emptiness . . . ever.

Thinking back again, he was fine being with himself and was too careful in having ties with others. However his life changed when he met Kuroko . . . Yes, Kuroko became an indispensable person in his life and without him even for a second, Kise felt like he's lost. He thought that people were only getting close to someone like him because he's popular and handsome, but Kuroko was different . . . He stayed as a good best friend to him throughout the year. Moreover, Kuroko accepted him for who he was, and inspired him to dream. That's why . . .

With a determined look, Kise stood up weakly while breathing heavily due to his fever. He wore thick clothes such as a jacket, a sweater, and a coat before grabbing the blue-wrapped gift with a white ribbon tied around it. Wearing a bonnet and wrapping a woolen scarf around his neck, he staggered towards the door and opened it hastily. After exiting the house and closing the door surely, he put on his boots and made his way towards his best friend's house with a snot, dropping from his red nose. Then the snowstorm greeted him, but it didn't stop him from moving forward. As he strode against the chilly winds that were bellowing, there was only one thought on his mind.

"I wanted to see Kurokocchi . . . !"

After thinking that, everything around him went blank and quiet . . .

. . . . .

"The signal of dawn is echoing
The messenger of the moonless night withdraws

Just the vast expanse of earth
Penetrates the moment it emerges

Feelings are reaching people
Even so far away
The answer is carried
No matter how small and ephemeral the sign is

Words drown the brief rain
Everywhere, they are soaked across the stain

A rainbow suddenly appears
The sky laughs an indelible "I love you"

Wishes are burning
Even if it hurts over and over again
The door is opened
Exceeding a thousand far, far away

Feelings are reaching people
Even so far away
The answer is carried
No matter how small and ephemeral the sign is"

It felt warm . . . The soothing voice of the teal-haired boy resounded in a field of clovers near the river. With a blissful smile, the pale-looking boy gazed at him lovingly and sang the same song again while dancing around as if he wasn't exhausted at all awhile ago. He was enjoying himself . . . so Kise smiled . . . and cried in joy.

He hoped it would never end.

He hoped that he could hear Kuroko's beautiful voice forever . . .

. . . . .

Opening his teary eyes slowly, his vision was too blurry to view his surroundings. Sitting up, Kise felt like his head was splitting apart. Plus, he felt hot . . . Touching his forehead, he realized that he still had a fever . . .

So, was it only a dream . . . ? About him leaving the house? And, about Kuroko having a voice?

Even though it wasn't real, he was so glad that he heard it. Kuroko had an angelic voice . . . and it made him more attracted to the teal-haired boy . . . just like how he first met him.

It felt so strange. Back then, he avoided having deep ties with somebody . . . but now, he yearned to have a deeper connection with Kuroko. He must be glad that their relationship as best friends was destroyed . . . , but he didn't feel happy even once when they got separated. He only felt guilt and it was horrible . . . Maybe he was wrong that he could keep an adequate distance between others and himself. Even if he didn't want to get involved with somebody's life, he had already got himself involved deeply on Kuroko's life. That's why . . . escaping was not an option.

Everyone really did need someone to be close to them in order to live . . . like him, who just let a certain teal-haired boy enter his life easily.

"Kurokocchi . . ." he mumbled the boy's name sadly while wiping the tears from his swollen eyes and flushed cheeks. After that, his vision became clear and then his eyes widened up when he saw his surroundings.

"This isn't my room . . ."

He stood up weakly from the white bed as he looked around the clean traditional room full of posters about him. Wondering why he was in a different place, he felt nervous when he thought that he was kidnapped by a stalker or some sort of a serial killer. He did leave his house, after all, during the snowstorm! But he stopped thinking about it as he stared at the only thing that he recognized around the small room – a white violin case.

"That's . . . Kurokocchi's . . ."

Suddenly, the door slid open and a certain panting teal-haired boy entered the room hastily while carrying a tray of medicine and a mug of hot cocoa.

"Kurokocchi . . . ?"

Hearing and staring at the feverish-looking blond-haired guy, Kuroko almost dropped the tray as he shivered and began to cry. Worried, Kise quickly went to him and grabbed the tray to place it somewhere safe. After he put it down on a table, Kuroko ran to him and gave him weak punches on the chest as if he was angry. But Kise could clearly see how worried he was. It was clear to him that Kuroko was the one who saved him from freezing to death outside. The snow above Kuroko's head was the proof.

He was speechless after realizing what happened earlier. There were also many questions that were running inside his head. However, the most important thing that he must pay attention to was Kuroko. Wrapping his arms around the teal-haired boy, Kise softly said the words that he wanted to tell Kuroko after what happened last month.

"I'm so sorry for everything, Kurokocchi . . . I know that I'm such an idiot for acting like that in front of you. I also know that I don't deserve to be your best friend . . . but I can't imagine myself being happy without you . . . I just realized how much you mean to me, Kurokocchi! Just seeing you with someone else makes my blood boil up, and when we're apart, all I think about is you! I feel like I'm going crazy when I thought of living on my own again after you told me that I must not show my face in front of you ever again . . . After feeling those various emotions and deciding to come here despite of the snowstorm, I finally know now what I feel for you . . ."

Gazing at Kuroko's wide, teary eyes seriously, Kise swallowed hard before he could say the three words that were so important yet very common. He didn't care anymore if he would be hated or humiliated by others for being insane. No matter what, he wanted to say it. He couldn't control his feelings anymore.

"I love you."

After hearing those words, Kuroko bit his lower lip with a flushed face. He didn't have his notepad with him so he just raised his right hand and did the same hand gesture as a reply, which meaning was no longer a mystery to Kise. The model thanked Akashi mentally for teaching him sign language although it's only a little.

"I know . . . I know that you love me, too . . . You love me all along, Kurokocchi. That is your sign of love. That's why I'm going to return your feelings now," he whispered lovingly before closing the gap between them slowly.

Kuroko was surprised by his action but he let Kise kiss him deeper as he slowly eased up while crying happily. He never expected him to know that hand gesture already . . . Well, Kuroko just reminded himself to thank the person who taught Kise the meaning of his hand gesture as he and Kise fell down on the bed.

While the cold snow continued to fall from the sky silently outside the house, both of them found warmth as they passionately made love with each other. They forgot all the worries and sad memories, even today's occasion. Clasping each other's hands, Kise kept on telling Kuroko's name huskily while Kuroko just continued on kissing his face gently.

"I love you."

It was a very common sentence when you wanted to confess to that special someone. It was kind of tiresome to hear . . . but it was completely different when you tried to muster up all your courage before saying those three words sincerely in front of the person you loved so much . . .

"I love you . . . , Kurokocchi . . ."

With a blissful smile, the teal-haired boy snuggled closer to him under the thick blanket before sleeping peacefully.

I love you, too . . . , Kise-kun . . .

At the end of that wintry day, his feeling of guilt for Kuroko had unexpectedly turned into something that would forever change his beliefs and life . . .

Love.

The End

A/N: That's it! So, how is it? If you enjoyed it and still curious about the other things in this story, I might make a sequel. And also, I'm planning to make an omake since Kurokocchi's birthday was kinda short, but I'm not sure when. Sorry! About the hand gesture, our family always do it to say 'I love you' to my older brother, who is a deaf. Oh, I almost forgot! I wanted to say "thank you" to aokuro for making lots of inspiring (and amazing) KiseKuro fanfics, and to Chaikia for creating a cute fanfic about KiseKuro, too! Hope you'll review! (^_^)