***IMPORTANT: Before you read this chapter, you have to reread the Chapter 22: A visit from the past. I have rewritten that chapter and changed a whole lot of things that are very VERY important for the main plot. So I suggest you to read that chapter once again so that you can understand everything better.

Come on, go ahead. Reread that chapter.

I'll wait.

Done? Ok, now you may proceed with the chapter ahead.

_

My phone fell off my hand abruptly.

The noise of dropping my phone faded out in the distance along with the squeaking sound of shoes and bouncing ball on the basketball court as I slipped into the dark, deep trance of my own. As if in a split second I was transported into a different world than the rest of them; a world filled with my own misery, worry, anxiety and pure solitude. A world where no light of hope existed for me.

'What in the world is happening with me?

What is it that I have done wrong?

Who in the world would go to such lengths just to kill me off?'

No answer appeared in my mind, instead pent up frustration started boiling with uncontrolled rage. I wanted to scream; I wanted to scream out of my lungs. Why me?

All I desired was a normal peaceful life. Nothing more. Was that too much to ask for? Back then and still now... why is it that I never get what desire?

My face remained completely blank and hard like granite though, not revealing any of my inner turmoil through my expression or whatsoever.

I snapped back to reality when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I slowly looked up and saw Akashi standing before me. His other hand was gripping my phone which was lying on the ground with a cracked screen earlier.

My mind faintly tried to remind me that I could hardly manage any money this month to buy a new phone. Though the thought vanished as soon as it came. Maybe I'd worry about it later.

"Ena..." Akashi called out softly.

I looked up into his heterochromatic eyes laced with concern and something I couldn't pinpont.

"Akashi," My raspy voice was just above a whisper. "What... is happening with me?"

He didn't answer. I knew he didn't have any answer. But I still asked.

Instead his grip around my phone tightened and his gaze hardened. I knew it was not directed at me or meant for me but I still felt a cold shiver run down my spine. I was way too familiar with that cold, homicidal look on Akashi's face.

I averted my gaze behind him to see the others at the court. Apparently they hadn't notice anything, too indulged in their game. My eyes couldn't seem to focus properly, my emotions were still in disarray. I just saw some mop of colorful hairs running around the court. Though I did notice how the teal haired one stopped every now and then to stare at our way.

The text replayed inside my head, the words dancing before my eyes even when I closed them shut. The warmth of Akashi's hand on my shoulder was the only thing keeping me connected with the outer world.

'Did I ruin your moment with your ex?

Cherish your moments while you're still alive...'

The words sank in finally. More logically than before.

'Did I ruin your moment with your ex?'

And the revelation finally hits me.

Someone's watching us!

I jolt awake from my trance in an instant and look around the open court frantically. I scanned over the whole place hurriedly. My eyes didn't miss the trees and bushes around the distant garden as the court was on the other side of the yard. I looked at brick made boundary wall that surrounded the area.

There was no one. No one other than us.

"Don't panic." Akashi's voice made my eyes turn back to him. He crouched down to sit in front of me. His both hands were now on my bare knees, one hand clutching my cracked phone.

"I already informed the security and the guards. They found no one inside or outside the territory." His voice was calm and soft, so was his eyes.

"But but..." I tried to utter. "There must be someone... who was watching,"

"Probably disappeared as soon as they came," He said. "Though I wouldn't deny the possibility of you being followed."

"Wha..." I couldn't finish.

Honestly, I just didn't know what to say.

"Let's wrap up this game and get inside." He stood up from his position. I shakily stood up too.

"Everyone!" He called out loudly grabbing everyone's attention. "Wrap up the game. We're getting inside." He ordered.

Not waiting for any response- not that there was any- Akashi wrapped one hand around my shoulders and led me out of the court. Due to our close proximity, his warmth sipped into me and spread out inside my whole body. And somehow it finally calmed me down a bit.

To think that till this day, he still had this much effect on me.

_

Everyone quickly got inside following Akashi's order. Once everyone was inside the mansion, Midorima approached Akashi to ask if there was anything wrong but to my great relief, Akashi didn't reveal anything to anyone saying that it was because I suddenly wasn't feeling well. Everyone seemed to believe their former captain without any object. Though Kuroko did eye me for some time when Akashi was talking to Midorima. I avoided his gaze and he didn't approach me either.

I didn't want to make a scene right now and make everyone involved. It was already as messed up as it was.

Once we were inside the room where I previously slept, out of everyone's sight, Akashi instructed me not to go outside of the mansion for the meantime. I agreed with a solemn mind. Although it did leave a bitter taste in my mouth to stay with him, inside his house to stay safe, but I realised it was the best and only way right now. I didn't want to start a childish banter with him right now over our stupid past and whatsoever.

"It's time for your medicine." Akashi said briefly before leaving my room.

I was sitting on the bed with legs crossed staring at the floor. Suddenly I remembered something.

I quickly reached out for my phone which was lying on the nightstand beside the glowing lamp. The screen was cracked in a bad way but it worked fine enough to make calls and such.

I checked my messages and saw there was an unread text from Shu. I quickly opened it.

Call me when you get time.

Even through the cracked screen I could make out that the short text somehow seemed urgent at that moment. Shu never uses too much words in his texts so the short text didn't really surprise me.

I went to my contact list and having a hard time finding Shu's name through the cracked screen, I suddenly heard some noise.

I paused abruptly and perked up my ears to listen carefully. Two voices were arguing back and forth. They weren't very loud but considering the fact that my room and the entire second floor was eerily silent right now, I could hear their voices pretty clearly. However I couldn't make out what they were saying.

Quickly exiting my room, I slowly wandered around the corridor in silent and cautious steps. It turned out that the argument was happening two rooms away from mine. The nearer I got, the clearer I could hear the voices.

When I was in front of the certain closes door, I could hear the feud happening inside the room loud and clear. I slowly leaned and pressed my ears against the closed door all the while hoping that I wouldn't have to do anything to expose my presence to them.

Yes, if it wasn't clear already, I was eavesdropping.

"You've already done enough damage to her, Akashi-kun!" The voice was familiar. "Don't tell me you're still gonna keep Ena-san in the dark! Don't tell you're still not gonna tell her anything!" The voice was calm but angry.

"It's better this way, Kuroko." Akashi's voice calm and cold but not angry at all. "I've questioned my decisions in this matters in the past but now I know without a doubt. This is the only way I can save her."

What were they talking about?

"Do you really love her, Akashi-kun?" Kuroko's voice was surprisingly angrier. "If you do, do you even hear yourself? She deserves the truth, Akashi-kun, more than anything else!"

"If I tell her the truth, she would leave my side again. Knowing her, she would want to fight this on her own. Which she can't."

"She is stronger than you think."

"I know that. She is stronger than anyone but she still couldn't make it on her own alone with willpower."

Kuroko was silent for some time before Akashi started talking again.

"And I'm still not sure if it's my father who is behind all this. No, I still positive that it's not my father behind all this."

I heard a scoff. "I knew you would talk like that because he is your father. But that's the fact that makes him so dangerous, Akashi-kun."

"... What do you mean by that, Kuroko?" Akashi's voice was cold and hard.

"That he is capable of anything, Akashi-kun. Even though he is residing in Tokyo right now, he is capable of pulling the strings even from there."

"He has no idea that Ena lives in Kyoto. Let alone the fact that she is involved with me."

"How are so sure about that?"

"I have my own strings I can pull too, Kuroko."

The other side of the room was silent for a moment.

"I'm still suspicious, Akashi-kun. And... if you make one bad move, you'll just repeat your mistakes from four years ago."

"..."

"After all, you knew your father was behind all this. Plotting against Ena-san and putting all those false and disgusting things about her."

"..."

"You knew she never betrayed. Still you hid the truth from her, hurt her in the worst ways possible and threw her away from your life."

The other side of the room fell into deep silence once again.

And my body was slightly trembling by now. My palms were clammy with sweat and my heart was beating faster than ever as I slowly let the revelation hit me.

All this time...

All this time it was me who was kept in darkness?

It was only me who didn't know anything?

My feet slowly backed away from the closed door like it was some source of a contagious disease. I stared at the floor wide eyed, processing everything that was thrown at me in this less than five minutes.

The malicious truth that had been kept in secret from me for so long slowly sinking in, going deeper and deeper only to be carved into my soul. The bitter truth that everyone was aware of other than me engraved within my soul slowly buy surely. And I couldn't bear the pain it brought with it.

It was not only Akashi... who didn't trust me.

No one trusted me.

Not even my mother. Not even my husband. Not even the person I considered my best friend.

What should I feel right now? Surprise? Frustration? Sadness? Anger?

Anger towards whom? At whom should I direct my anger at?

It must be me...

No, it was surely me. There must be something wrong within me. There must be a fault in my code. There must be a reason, a plausible reason why they kept all these secrets from me.

There must be a reason why I couldn't be trusted. There should be.

My feet were ready to take me back to my own room before I heard them talk once again.

I must be a masochist. Even after getting hurt by their words so much I still lingered around like a pathetic fool, wanting to hear what more they had to say. As if the wounds they inflicted wasn't enough already.

Maybe I wanted to know if they had any excuse to justify their actions. If they had any excuse to feed my sorry self after everything.

Or maybe I just wanted to find a reason; a reason to forgive them.

"Tell me, Kuroko," Akashi's voice was near the door. "Why haven't you ever acted on your own feelings?"

"...what are you talking about, Akashi-kun?"

"I've been curious about this all these years... why haven't you ever profess your feelings to Ena?"

"What are y--"

"Don't you think it's too late to deny at this point? You and I both know you had feelings for Ena... no, I'm positive you still have. The question is why haven't you ever pursue your feelings for her?"

"..."

"Well?"

"... Don't misunderstand, Akashi-kun. It wasn't because my feelings weren't strong enough or I care for her like my sister or I was scared of ruining our friendship..."

"..."

"It was only because... Ena-san only loved you Akashi-kun. And I will always prioritise her feelings over mine. Even if I had to watch her from the sidelines, I will always consider her feelings first and she only had feelings for you."

After hearing Kuroko's last words, my legs that were immovable like a hard rock till now started moving again on its own, slowly taking me back to my own empty room.

Now I didn't have any more interest in their conversation anymore.

Kuroko was right. I only had feelings for Akashi.

And that was the fault in my code.

_

A/N: Liked it?? Intense right? Totally out of the blue right?

Yeah I know.

Unedited as always. Don't forget to vote if you liked it^^ And comments will be very much appreciated too ^.~ ♡

||By my leave||