Looking for a Miracle
Chapter Thirteen
Welcome

The following day, the day of Kuroko's trial, arrived quickly. I wandered into the gym with Momoi, the two of us talking in earnest about the biology test our year had sat that day, going over questions and answers. I felt rather confident with my results, and it sounded like Momoi had done really well also. It was weird to admit I had actually enjoyed a test, but the topic we'd covered had been so interesting that I'd studied hard for it; having an easy test made things a bit more enjoyable, I supposed.

We barely entered the gym before Sei called me over. I sent one last smile Momoi's way before she left to help out with manager business, and I hurried over to my friend. "What is it, Sei?"

"Akane, can I request something?"

"Of course. Anything."

"Would you mind coming to Kuroko's trial?" he asked. "Having a familiar face there might put him at ease, and we can't let Aomine abandon practice to watch a game."

My heart soared. I had instantly presumed that I would have missed Kuroko's performance, since I held no leadership position within the team. To think I would be there to support him made me smile.

"Sure," I exclaimed at once. "I'm curious about his play style, too." Aomine and I hadn't been able to figure much of Kuroko's new style out, though we'd noticed he'd started to observe people more and more often, and with greater attention. Somehow, he was becoming even harder to spot as well. He was often the one who had to alert me to his presence before I'd notice him in the school halls.

"That's good." He checked the time. "The trial will be starting shortly, so we should leave."

The two of us left the gym, with me calling a quick goodbye to Momoi before I disappeared; everyone had been caught up with practice and wouldn't have noticed. Side by side, Sei and I made our way toward the second string gym, where the match would take place. I couldn't stop grinning. Kuroko could be joining us after today. My circle of friends really would be fully brought together if that happened.

The squeak of gym shoes and dull thuds of basketball hitting the floor met my ears when I stepped into the building. I frowned as I was met with the sight of many heads, and tried to scan them for Kuroko. It was just as bad as the school corridors.

Even with his lack of presence Kuroko wasn't entirely invisible, and I was eventually able to spot his mop of light blue hair. "Kuroko!" I yelled, jogging toward him.

Kuroko looked up from where he'd been adjusting his number bib and smiled. "Akane-san. Hello."

I grinned. "Are you ready for this?"

"Yes." To my surprise, Kuroko didn't sound nervous at all. If he was, he was masking it very well; he looked just as calm as always to me. And why shouldn't he be? He's practiced so much. He'll definitely do this.

I gave him a thumbs-up. "You're going to blow everyone's socks off," I said earnestly. "I know you'll do great."

He smiled. "Thank you."

"Excuse me Akane, can I talk to Kuroko for a minute?"

I looked over my shoulder to see Sei had approached. I nodded once. "Of course, Sei." Before I left, I pulled Kuroko into a quick hug. "Good luck, Kuroko! Though you won't need it. I know you can do it."

I found Nijimura standing by the edge of the building. Knowing that Sei would probably end up standing beside him as the vice-captain, I ambled over to him. "Hello," I said, and fiddled with my hair. I hadn't interacted with Nijimura on my own too often, but I did immensely respect him.

"Akane, hello." Nijimura frowned at Sei, where he was still talking with Kuroko. "Kuroko Tetsuya was his name, right? Akashi has mentioned you know him."

I bobbed my head. "Aomine and I often go to the third-string gym after practice and play with him."

The captain hummed under his breath. "So do you have any idea how his play style?" he asked. "Akashi hasn't mentioned anything. And I hate to admit it, but his physical build isn't impressive."

I winced. Nijimura did speak the truth, but it was a harsh one, which only made things more difficult for Kuroko. "You're right," I hummed. "But I can't tell you any more than what Sei already has. I honestly have no idea what Kuroko's going to do." I pursed my lips. "He did pick up a book about directing lines of vision a month or so ago, however. I'm not sure if that'll have any influence over his style, but you never know."

"Lines of sight, huh?" Nijimura repeated thoughtfully. He glanced back at my two friends, and for a moment I was sure, when he thought I wasn't looking, that I caught a small smile on Nijmura's face. "Sei," he mouthed, shaking his head in amusement.

I blinked, unsure what to make of that reaction, but shook myself and returned my attention to the court, where the game was being called. Sei joined us by the side, and we watched the game unfold.

I hadn't been sure what I was expecting, but it certainly hadn't been that.

I blinked, trying to make sense of what I was seeing, trying to ensure that what I was seeing what actually what was going on. I had seen many incredible players (I was manager for Teiko's first string, after all), but I had never seen anything like this.

Kuroko disappeared from sight. Passes made it through to other players with impossible ease and timing. I tried keeping my eyes on Kuroko but it was too hard; he continued to slip in and out of my vision, making impossible passes as he did so. My mouth fell open as I watched him. The third string was leading the second string, and it was all because of Kuroko's incredible passes.

"Wow... I don't believe it," I breathed, holding back stunned laughter. Kuroko, you're incredible!

Even Nijimura was taken aback. "Hey, what is this? Sure, his pass is surprising, but even so, no matter how little of a presence he has, how could we lose sight of him in the middle of s match?"

"Misdirection," Sei said, narrowing his eyes in thought. "It's a technique that people use when performing magic trick to manipulate the audience's gaze."

Nijimura raised an eyebrow. "Magic tricks?"

Sei nodded. "For example, if they make flashy movements with one hand to draw the audience's attention towards it, they can prepare for their next trick with the other hand," he explained. "These techniques aren't necessarily limited to magic tricks either. The human eye has a variety of quirks as well. If something moving fast and something moving slow enters our field of vision, we'll naturally follow the faster one. If a person in front of us suddenly looks somewhere else, we will also turn in that direction." I blinked. How does Sei know all of this? "Misdirection is the general term that refers to taking advantage of these slips to control how the opponent sees. He has applied this to basketball. The example, right before he makes a cut, he uses the movement of his own eyes and body to shift his marks attention to the ball or other players. The final result combined with his own lack of presence makes him seem to disappear on the court like a phantom."

My eyes bugged, and I returned to see the court with new awe. Kuroko really had outdone himself to come up with this new style. I shook my head, making a note to congratulate him, and take him out for one of his favourite vanilla milkshakes. He deserved that, at the very least.

"I see... so, you already knew that it would turn out like this?"

"Not exactly. He went in the direction I had predicted, but I didn't think he would incorporate misdirection." A small chuckle escaped him and I started, ogling my best friend. I hardly ever heard him make that sound. "He went beyond my expectations."

*          *          *

Since I had to stay behind the next day to talk to my English teacher about a question I had for our upcoming assignment, Momoi was the one who went to fetch Kuroko from the third string gym. The coaches had considered Kuroko and agreed to let him join the first string as the team's sixth man, if he could prove himself.

I entered the gym just after Momoi called, "Excuse me, I brought Kuroko Tetsuya-kun."

"Ah, thank you," Nijimura called.

I looked around, and saw Aomine was grinning. "You finally made it, Tetsu!"

I caught Sei also sending a smile Kuroko's way. "Hey, I was waiting for you. Welcome to the Teiko basketball club's first string."

I giggled at how overwhelmed Kuroko appeared at that moment. Before he had a chance to truly comprehend what was happening practice was called, so I merely wished him luck before I returned to my usual manager duties for the day, keeping an eye on training as it progressed.

I had hoped that Kuroko would easily be able to fit in, keep up with the training, and be truly able to enjoy his entrance into the first string. I hoped the other members would accept him easily, and that Aomine, Sei and I would be able to get the others to easily include him.

The exact opposite happened.

From the get-go, it was obvious to everyone Kuroko was struggling to keep up with everyone. On top of that, his abilities were far lower than anyone else's here. I heard whispers from other members begin to spring up as they glanced warily at Kuroko, wondering how he had even managed to walk through the doors to the first string. Aomine was a constant pillar of support for Kuroko, and I sent a glare at anyone I caught whispering about Kuroko, but the general idea about our friend was obvious to anyone: the club didn't think he was worth their time. 

But they haven't seen him play! I agonised, fidgeting as I watched. If they had been there for the trial yesterday, they'd be welcoming him with open arms. Kuroko might not be a prodigy like my friends, or as skilled as the others, but he still had his own deadly set of weapons that could unleash havoc on court. They'll all be singing a different tune once Kuroko is able to participate in a match. Which, with the upcoming tournament, should be relatively soon.

As soon as the break was called I ran over to Kuroko, his drink bottle in my hand. "Hey, Kuroko, are you okay?" I demanded, hovering over him.

He nodded faintly. I winced, noticing how white he was, like he'd pass out at any minute. His chest was heaving and he was gulping in air like there wasn't enough of it to go around. "Of course. I'm fine..." His eyes widened and he clapped his hands around his mouth, his body convulsing.

I practically shoved the bottle into his hands. "Drink this. Quickly."

Kuroko took the bottle with a shaking down and almost downed the entire thing in one gulp. I bit my lip, staring at the empty bottle as I took it back, then winced upon hearing coach call everyone back to practice. I wanted them to wait a little longer to give Kuroko more of a chance to catch his breath, but knew they wouldn't allow another five or so minutes just for one member.

Instead, I merely gave Kuroko a fleeting, supportive hug, not caring he was practically drenched in sweat. "Keep at it," I murmured, and watched him head back out to court.

Things only deteriorated for him; Kuroko pushing himself so hard that he reached his limits and started to throw up as a result. I was by his side in an instant, demanding to know if he was okay, rubbing his back and pulling him off court as other cleared up the mess on the floor.

Momoi ran over to help as well, and together we ensured Kuroko got water back in him and recovered. The coach also came over to inquire about his health, though I could see the annoyance in his eyes. I tried to ignore that and instead focused all my attention on Kuroko.

When he was able to breathe easily again he was sent back on to court, though I warned him not to push himself too hard again. 

Kuroko was able to complete the rest of training, even though he almost staggered off court at the end. His hair and face were completely drenched in sweat and he paused, leaning against the wall briefly as he drew in ragged breaths.

"Hey, Tetsu!" Aomine called, when Kuroko straightened himself once again. "You're staying behind after practice today too, right?"

I spluttered and rounded on my friend, hands on my hips. Can he not see that Kuroko is at his limits?

"I'm sorry, I think I'll go home today," Kuroko said quietly. He didn't even sound ready for any more physical exertion today, let alone actually do more of it!

Aomine froze, most likely stricken by how pale Kuroko was. "Okay. Go rest up," he said tersely.

Before Kuroko left, I caught his arm. "Have an early night and get as much rest as possible," I told him gently. "And carbs. You need to eat carbs to begin recovery, so have a lot of pasta or something similar. And make sure you drink plenty of water, too, and stretch your muscles out."

Despite his exhausted state, he managed a small smile. "Thank you, Akane-san."

"Take care of yourself, Kuroko." I squeezed him on the shoulder before I let him go and get changed, though I watched him leave to ensure he didn't collapse or start throwing up again.

While the others stayed behind for extra practice I barely paid attention to what was going on, too caught up in my concern for Kuroko. I took a seat by the wall and stared into nothingness, wondering about the next day and how Kuroko would cope, and how he would be able to try and find acceptance with the others until he could prove himself. I hoped that time was soon. 

I only came out of my thoughts when Sei approached me and told me it was time to go. He offered a hand to help me up, which I accepted.

We walked out into the night air together. Winter was slowly starting to let itself be known. It wasn't as warm as it had been, and the nights were beginning to fall earlier. I shivered, cringing at the idea of winter. I wasn't able to handle the cold well; I would need to bundle up in scarves and thick jumpers if I would be able to make it through the winter nights okay.

"Do you think Kuroko's going to be alright?" I asked presently, after a brief moment we spent walking together in comfortable quiet.

Sei looked across at me. I wondered if my worry was all too evident, for his expression softened ever so slightly. "He'll be fine," my friend said reassuringly. "He'll get used to it pretty soon."

I bit my lip. "You sure?"

Sei nodded. "He will. He just needs to prove himself in a match to the others. Then they'll all accept him."

That would be the upcoming tournament, which I would be managing. I recalled what Sei and Nijimura had told me earlier about this tournament, which was held annually in the district with the top ten schools from that year competing in it. The games were heated and, to keep things interesting, Teiko often took out strong players or placed limits on them. The challenge this year was first years only, and when Nijimura bluntly stated that if seniors had to come on my friends faced possible demotion, my stomach twisted. That seemed a little harsh to me, even if I did understand Teiko's all-encompassing quota of victory, and nothing less.

It was during that tournament Kuroko would be playing as the sixth man, but he too would be demoted if he couldn't prove of use. That thought made me more worried than ever. Kuroko only had one chance to make this right... One accident could see him return to a lower string, and that would just crush him.

Just thinking about it, picturing Kuroko's devastated expression made my heart ache. "I hope you're right," I murmured. My eyes drifted down to my feet, watching as my black school shoes walked over the grey cobblestone path. 

"I never asked you," Sei said presently, after a moment of silence. "How did you find the biology test yesterday?"

I managed a small smile at the reminder. "Funnily enough, but I actually liked it! I found it easy."

He smiled knowingly. "I knew you'd do well."

I could feel my cheeks begin to burn, so I let my hair fall in front of my face. "You have too much faith in me," I muttered, though I was smiling.

I heard the exasperated sigh pass his lips, a sigh I heard so often when Sei was around me, and I could picture him rubbing his forehead as he did so, perhaps shaking his head a little. I had seen it so many times that it played out like a movie in front of me. "You need to place more faith in yourself, Akane"

I flushed, and quickly sent back a witty retort, and soon the two of us engaged in conversation like always, and my mind was effectively taken off Kuroko.

And walking the streets together, debating and poking fun at each other was something so normal, so much a part of who we were, that I couldn't imagine anything else. It happened so often, I couldn't see it happening any other way.

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IS ANYONE ELSE FREAKING OUT OVER EXTRA GAME CHAPTER 5 AS MUCH AS I AM BECAUSE I AM STILL FREAKING OUT I AM STILL HYPERVENTILATING WHAT WITH AKASHI AND KISE OH LORD SAVE ME I'M IN TOO DEEP

anyway! sorry for the delay with updating, things have been busy with school starting again! kuroko's now in first string; the tournament will be next, so he'll truly get to let himself shine! also a bit of seikane in there as well!

just so you all know, updates are going to be put on hold for a while. i have exams in about four weeks, so i'm going to start devoting my time to studying. until then updates will probably stop unless i can scavenge some free time, but idk. i hope you can stick with me during that time :D