Note: in case you haven't already caught on, I'll be following the manga for the Teiko arc instead of the anime. Don't get me wrong, I like the anime adaptation for this arc, but it leaves quite a bit out. Because I want to write Teiko at its fullest, I'll be following the manga and using it to write scenes.

Looking for a Miracle
Chapter Eleven
Opportunity

I grinned when practice finished for the day, and everyone either went home or lingered to work on their own skills. I shot a look at Aomine, and we made our way to the third string gym, as we always did.

Just over a week had passed since Sei had told Midorima and I about his desire to find a sixth man. During that time, he still hadn't been able to find anyone that fit his vision. He wasn't worried, however, and reminded us constantly that we had first years arriving next year. Maybe one of them would fit the bill.

Still, that was his problem. I was happy enough to spend time with my friends, like I did with Aomine and Kuroko every night. 

Aomine and I arrived at the gym. I grinned and raised my hand, ready to call a greeting to our blue-haired friend, then froze when I didn't spot him.

"Where's Kuroko?" I wondered. I looked around again to make sure I hadn't overlooked him. I hadn't. "He should already be here, if third string practices in this gym."

Aomine shrugged, though he looked a little baffled as well. "Who knows? He might have gone to the bathroom or something."

"True."

I guess it will just be Aomine and me for a while. I was happy, but I wasn't as excited as I thought I'd be at the prospect. We'd spent so much time together over the past few weeks that I had gotten used to his presence; his smile didn't turn me into a blushing mess anymore, and I didn't feel like I was dying when he looked at me and joked with me anymore.

Everything felt... normal, between us. Like I had gotten so used to him that 

But I still had a crush on him, didn't I? I sighed and kicked myself mentally. I'd think about that later, when I was alone in my room and Aomine wasn't by my side, confusing me.

 Five minutes passed while we were waiting for Kuroko, and he still didn't arrive. Aomine and I exchanged a worried glance but continued to practice; he challenged me to a one-on-one which I accepted, but still lost at. I did manage to score a number of goals though, which I was proud of.

This continued throughout the entirety of our usual training time, and Kuroko still didn't turn up. I frowned. I recalled talking to him at school today, just before club activities... Maybe, he had to go home early?

I was just about to give up on seeing Kuroko for practice when the door opened. I turned, and spotted Kuroko's light blue head entering the gym.

"Kuroko!" I called, running over to his side. There you are..." I froze, standing just in front of him. "Hey, what's wrong?"

For Kuroko didn't come in with his usual smile. He was looking down, and his shoulders were slumped. He was still wearing his school uniform, too, instead of his usual practice outfit.

"Tetsu!" Aomine exclaimed, running over to join me by Kuroko's side. "Did something happen?"

"Akane-san, Aomine-kun..." Kuroko looked up, and I stiffened to see how broken he appeared; his lips were curled down in a frown, and his eyes were lifeless. "I was advised by the coach to drop the basketball club. And... I'm considering it."

I felt like I had just been slapped. What? I tried forming words, but nothing could past my lips.

Kuroko... quit basketball? Something like a croak emitted from my throat. But he's put in so much effort! If he quit after all that... My heart broke for him. To be pretty much told that all his effort was for nothing must have hurt.

"Huh?" Aomine spluttered. "Wait, why?"

Kuroko looked down. "I love basketball. But it's already been half a year since I joined the club... if I'm not suited for basketball, then I suppose there's nothing I can do. Especially here, in Teiko..." His shoulders slumped a little more. "I can't imagine I can ever be of any use to the team."

"That's not true," I said fiercely, speaking the first words that came to mind. They were probably useless and wouldn't have much effect on Kuroko at all, but hearing his voice so empty I felt like I had to say something, no matter how small and insignificant in meaning.

"There's no such thing as useless player on the team," Aomine agreed. "Even if you can never play in a match, I can't stand to think that I guy who stays later than the first string... stays later than anyone to practice is completely useless. At least, for me, I see what you're doing and respect you for it. It made me want to try harder, too." His face hardened in determination. "I won't say you'll definitely be able to do it if you don't give up. But if you do give up then there'll definitely be nothing."

Kuroko looked up. For a moment, I thought I saw a little more life spark in his eyes.

Before he could say anything, the door opened behind us and a voice called greeting. "Aomine. Akane."

I grinned, recognising the voice at once."Sei!" I called, saying his name while I was turning around. I waved when he strolled inside the gym, followed by Midorima and Murasakibara. 

"I thought I hadn't you around recently, but it seems you were here," Sei mused.

Aomine shrugged. "The other gym has too many people."

"Well, I don't mind where you choose to practice, but..." Sei blinked, his eyes darting away from Aomine. "Who's he?"

I followed his gaze, and found that it had landed on Kuroko. My eyes widened. He noticed Kuroko? True, it had taken a bit of of time, but normally no one noticed him until he spoke up.

"Oh, we always practice together, the three of us," Aomine said.

"I don't don't remember being a person like that on our team..." Murasakibara muttered. He reached into the seemingly constant packet of chips in his hands and munched on a chip.

"Well, he's not in the first string," I said.

"Huh... I see..." Murasakibara yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. "Hey, let's go already..."

"No, wait," Sei interrupted. "I'm a little interested in him. Fascinating... I've never seen his type before." He smiled. "It may be possible that he is hiding a talent entirely different from our own."

I gasped. My eyes flicker to Midorima, to conform I wasn't the only one whose mind had jumped in that direction. Midorima had been there with me when we heard Sei talk about it.

I found his eyes had also met mine, and were as wide and shocked as my own. My jaw dropped and I looked back to Kuroko.

Is Kuroko... the sixth man Sei has been searching for?

I couldn't believe it. I had been playing basketball with Kuroko for weeks, and it had never crossed my mind that he could be the one Sei was looking for, or that Kuroko could have been hiding a special talent. 

"Would the rest of you mind going back ahead of us?" Sei asked, his eyes not leaving Kuroko. "I want to talk with him for a bit."

I wanted to protest, but knew against Sei, it would be like fighting a losing battle. I sighed and started to back out of the gym, sending Kuroko an encouraging wink before I left. 

As soon as the door was closed behind us I sidled next to it, pressing my ear as hard as I could to the crack, straining my hearing to catch everything that went on inside the gym.

Midorima frowned at my actions. "Akane, are you eavesdropping?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I'm eavesdropping!" I hissed in a low voice. To think Kuroko could be the sixth man Sei was after... I need to find out more! "Surely you're at least the slightest curious about this, Midorima?"

Midorima glanced back at the other two - Momoi had run up to Aomine and was insisting that they had to return home, and Murasakibara looked like he couldn't care less. He then sighed heavily and inched closer the door and joined me as we listened in.

I couldn't hear any voices at first. There was the bounce of the ball, and the squeak of shoes, but that was it. I raised an eyebrow. Sei must have been testing Kuroko's basketball skills.

"I see." Sei's voice floated through the gym; I pressed my ear even harder to the door and closed my eyes, as if that would make the sound any clearer. "As I thought, you're very interesting. It's the first time I've ever seen someone who is so serious about basketball, yet has no fruits to show for their labours."

I winced. What a way of putting things, Sei. Great choice of words.

The words must have stung Kuroko. "I'm sorry..." he said, so quietly I almost missed it. "I'm currently not in the right state of mind to hear those words,"

"Ah, I apologise. I didn't mean it that way," Sei said quickly. "But I'm impressed. Your physical abilities are low, but your reflexes aren't bad. It's not as though you're not smart, and it seems your sports IQ is rather high. Yet, despite all of that... I don't feel anything when I look at you." Sei paused, a short, thoughtful silence falling momentarily.

"This is an extremely special situation," he continued. "Usually, anyone who plays to a certain extent and gained experiences will begin to emit an aura of strength or weakness. It's unconscious and uncontrollable. But it put it more broadly, you lack presence not only in your daily life, but also as a sports athlete." A short pause. "I'll repeat it: this is a very special situation. It's not a shortcoming, and on the contrary... this is your greatest strength. If you can find a way to take advantage of it, it will surely become a great weapon."

My eyes widened. I looked across at Midorima. I was sure the surprise that was briefly displayed on his face mirrored the expression that must be currently on my face.

Kuroko's lack of presence, being used as a weapon? The idea sounded amazing, but I wasn't sure how Kuroko would be able to utilise it. Could he suddenly appear in front of a player and scare them like he often did so us, so that player would drop the ball and allow for an easy steal?

My mind was coming up blank. Then again, I didn't have the sort of vision Sei did when it came to sports. There was definitely something I was missing, otherwise I'd have picked it up during all the times I had played with Kuroko in the past.

"Take advantage of my lack of presence?" Kuroko repeated, sounding dubious. "Is something like that even possible?

"I'm sorry, but that's all I can tell you," Sei said. "What I told you just now is not something you can find within established basketball teachings. It means you'll have to invent a completely new style. You'll have to discover it yourself through trial and error." I bit my lip. It would be great if Kuroko could be able to form that new style and get on court like he dreamed - like he deserved - but it sounded like an awful amount of work.

Then again, this was Teiko. Everyone had to work hard to get their position on the team. I was sure that went for all schools, too.

"In order to create an entirely new style, you'll have to believe in yourself," Sei continued. "Even if it was something I could teach you, you'll fail if you're only half convinced. And, well, I also have my own practicing and vice-captain duties. I don't have to time to hold your hand and teach you step by step." I sighed and rolled my eyes at this. "But even so, I honestly have high expectations for you. Therefore, I will give you some hints.

"One is, that in order to create something new, you'll have to discard established concepts. Another is that while you may have strength, that does not change the fact that you yourself are still weak." I flinched at the words but Sei was continuing, "You should use this ability not for yourself, but for the team. Ah, and one more thing, though this isn't a hint." I heard footsteps approach the door. I stifled a yelp and jumped back to a distance that would still allow me listen, but wasn't so close it was obvious I'd been eavesdropping. "Even if you come up with an answer, we probably won't be able to test its effectiveness through the regular periodic test. When you know, come to me. I'll recommend you to the coach and costs in and have them test you in a different way."

Sei stepped outside, and his eyes instantly found Midorima and I. "Akane, Midorima, I see you were listening."

I flushed. Damn. Nothing could fool Sei.

Instead of trying to deny it and making a fool of myself, I rolled my eyes and said, "Of course I was! I wanted to know what was going on since that was Kuroko, my friend..." I paused, my eyes flitting back toward the gym. "Sei, do you really think he could be the sixth man you're looking for?"

"I was curious about the guy who caught your eye," Midorima agreed. "But I still can't believe it. Do you seriously believe he can become useful on the court?"

"We'll see. I sensed some possibilities within him... but all I did was dangle a thread of string in front of him. Whether he can climb up it is up to him."

I swallowed. Sei was speaking a little off-handed about Kuroko, and it bothered me. Kuroko might be a stranger to him, but to me he had been a friend for weeks. In that short time, the bond between us had strengthened and I considered him a close friend, almost as close as I was to Momoi, Aomine, Midorima and Murasakibara.

I wrung my hands in front of me. "Sei... he is my friend," I pointed out quietly. "I just want what's best for him, you know?"

He looked across at me, and a small smile played at his lips.

"Then he should have no problem, if you're there to support him."

*          *          *

"So, how's it going?" Aomine asked one night, about a month after Sei had dropped by the third string gym and noticed Kuroko's potential. 

Aomine, Kuroko and I were walking through the streets of Tokyo after practice together. "Does it look like you'll find something? Akashi's so-called 'your own style' of basketball."

Kuroko shook his head. "Nothing yet."

"I'm not surprised..." Aomine scratched the back of his head. "What if Akashi was actually just messing with you?"

"Sei would never do that," I snapped, folding my arms. I turned to Kuroko and smiled. "Don't worry, Kuroko. Sei believes in you. He's mentioned you from time to time. Besides, he wouldn't have pulled you aside if he didn't think you had potential."

He had. A few times over the past few weeks, Sei had asked me questions about how Kuroko was progressing. 

Kuroko sent a grateful smile my way. "What kind of player is Akashi-kun?" he wondered aloud.

Brilliant, strong, really good, I wanted to say, but left to explanation to Aomine. He actually played matches with Sei instead of just playing and messing around on basketball courts like he and I did.

"Well, he's really good," Aomine said, almost instantly. "He's smart, and always sees what's going around him. I've got no complaints about him being point guard."

Kuroko frowned thoughtfully. "So I'm not supposed to aim to become a point guard... not that worked in the third string, either, it's even more unnecessary with Akashi-kun there."

Aomine and I exchanged a quick glance. "Tetsu, are you a point guard?" Aomine demanded.

"Akashi-kun told me to think about what I can do for the team," Kuroko said. "I'm bad at shooting, so I thought I should focus on passing and assisting."

And the best position for that is point guard, who mostly controlled the plays in the game. I frowned. Even if Kuroko managed his own style, I couldn't imagine Sei playing any position other than point guard, and I wasn't sure that anyone else would want to switch him out for someone new.

"You'll find your own role eventually," I said cheerily. "Maybe you just haven't looked at this from the right angle?"

"It's not like Akashi can do everything either," Aomine agreed. "There's got to be something he can't do."

Kuroko raised an eyebrow. "What, for example?"

Aomine grinned. "Maybe, some kind of awesome pass that totally bends and stuff!"

I could almost see the blank, deadpan expression on my face.

Kuroko still looked impassive, but I swore I saw him roll his eyes slightly. "I don't think anyone can do that," he said blankly.

"It's against the laws of physics," I added, shaking my head. "Unless you had the Force or could use magic or something."

Aomine laughed at this. "I didn't know that you liked those movies, Akane."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that surprising, Aomine?"

"Well, you never mentioned it -"

"Wait."

Kuroko's voice came from behind us. I blinked, whirling around. My eyes widened to find he had fallen behind us, neither Aomine nor I noticing while we talked. I could have sworn he was beside me just seconds ago, though. Is it that easy to lose sight of him if you're not paying attention to him?  

Kuroko indicated to the shop we'd just been about to pass, which was a bookshop. "I'm sorry, there's a novel I wanted."

"Oh, do you mind if I join you?" I chirped. "I finished my book today, and wanted to find a new one."

"Of course."

I turned to Aomine and grinned, raising a hand. "I guess we'll see you tomorrow, Aomine!" I knew we wouldn't be able to drag him into the store.

"Okay then."  Aomine waved. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

The two of us entered the bookstore. I paused briefly in the doorway to inhale the familiar, wonderful smell of books and pages. 

Kuroko wanted to look in a different section to me so we split up. I ambled over to the section which contained the works of an author I had recently discovered and fallen in love with. My last book had been by that author, and I had fallen in love with her writing style, and wanted to try more of her books.

I found her works, and picked out two books that caught my interest. After paying for the books I went to search for Kuroko, keeping an extra sharp eye out for him and double checking every aisle.

Eventually I found him in the sport section, looking at books on basketball techniques. He must have heard me coming, for his gaze went to me as I neared.

"So you didn't really want a novel, huh?" I mused, my eyes flicking over the titles on the shelf.

Kuroko frowned and looked at the neighbouring section, which was about hobbies. "No. I wasn't. Aomine-kun just got me thinking..." He scanned the titles in the other section.

He then froze, his eyes widening. I pursed my lips in thought when he withdrew a book, but it didn't come from the basketball section.

"Kuroko? What is it?" I asked, as Kuroko brought the book to his face.

Kuroko stared at the book a little longer. "Akashi-kun said to make my own style, I would have to abandon standard concepts," he murmured, sounding like he was speaking to himself.

I tipped my head to the side. "Kuroko? What's going on?" I ambled over and peeked over his shoulder, having to stand on tiptoe to do so, and read the title of the book.

The Art of Manipulating the Gaze.

It was a book for magicians, when they directed the audience's attention elsewhere when they performed the height of their trick. It wasn't a title I had been expecting. I raised an eyebrow.

"You know, I was only joking about using magic," I joked. "And I was talking about it more in the Harry Potter sense, with wands and all that. But..." I turned serious. "You think you can do something with that?"

Kuroko nodded, his eyes narrowing in thought and determination.

"Yes. I think I have an idea what to do."

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i had to devote an entire chapter to this trio, akskdajg i'm really falling in love with them! 

there'll be more seikane action next chapter, i promise!!