Looking for a Miracle
Chapter Thirty-Two
Parting Ways

I didn't know how it happened, but the day before graduation, I was walking home with Akashi by my side.

I hadn't meant for it to happen. Class had finished, we had gone over exams, and I was striding out the door as quickly as I could to put as much distance between myself and Teiko as possible.

He'd caught up with me.

I didn't know why. We hadn't spoken properly for weeks. We hadn't spoken for ten minutes now. The air between us was heavy, full of tension and awkwardness. I had deliberately been looking at anything but the redhead by my side for the past ten minutes, to the point it was uncomfortable.

"Have decided which high school you're going to, Akane?" he asked presently. It was a pleasant enough conversational topic, but could hear something underneath the seemingly innocent question.

I didn't look at him, but remained staring straight ahead. I nodded. "I have."

"You're going to Rakuzan, I presume?"

It wasn't even a question. It was a statement. If faltered in my step.

"Why would you say that?" I asked.

"It's the best school in the country, is it not?"

He came to a stop. I followed suit, though not to follow him. It was because I was suddenly empty, unable to remember how to function.

I'd been desperately hoping for a different answer - a hint at our friendship, that he expected me to go to Rakuzan because we had grown up together, and hadn't even been separable through classes in middle school. I'd wanted to hear him say that it was because it was all too strange to think of any person but me sitting next to him in class.

But of course he wouldn't say that. He'd grown distant with everyone. I was no different.

But maybe I could see something in his eyes, that betrayed his cold response...

No. I slapped myself mentally. Don't kid yourself, Hirai Akane. There's nothing you can do anymore, except give him the truth.

Somehow I mustered the strength to meet him dead in the eye. I paused, licking my lip and steeling myself as best as possible before saying, "I'm not going to Rakuzan."

I stiffened, waiting for his reaction. His face remained almost impassive, though I detected a flicker of shock before his features smoothed out once again.

"Where are you going?" he asked, a hint of coldness in his voice.

I swallowed.

"Katayama Academy," I responded. "My parents preferred it, there's less chance I could get distracted by boys."

The lie was so much easier to say that the actual truth - that I couldn't bear to see him, or anyone else, again.

"You were supposed to come to Rakuzan."

I blinked. His voice had cracked - only for a second, right at the end, but it had still happened - proof that my Sei was still there somewhere and that even if it was deep down, he still cared.

I bit my lip. But he wasn't my Sei. He hadn't been for a year now, and nothing I could do could change that.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, eyes closed to hide tears. "But I've been accepted. I'll be going to Katayama next school year."

"Akane -"

For one terrible, heart-wrenching moment, I thought I saw both his eyes turn red. But then that illusion was gone and he wasn't Sei, but Akashi, staring at me with his heterochromic eyes. But there was something in those eyes, that looked like Sei, my childhood friend...

I wrenched my gaze away before I could kid myself that Sei was there, in a place where I could reach him. I blinked rapidly to force back tears.

"This is the end," I whispered. "Goodbye, Sei."

And before he could say anything else, do anything else, I hitched my bag over my shoulder and walked as quickly away as my legs would carry me.

*          *          *

Graduation was over in a matter of minutes

It was an event we all looked forward to, that everyone talked about and aimed for since arriving at the school. But I didn't hear most of the words. Everything happened without me taking notice or even caring.

Before I knew it graduation had finished, and everyone was standing and cheering and throwing arms around friends and family - there were tears in some cases where friends were being separated by high schools - I heard people requesting telephone numbers from people they previously hadn't been very close to, promises to remain in contact being made...

And I couldn't care less. About any of it. Teiko was a time I wanted to forget.

Without looking for my parents, I pushed my way out of the crowd, not paying attention to who I pushed out of the way.

That was, until a slim hand grasped my wrist.

I looked up, and couldn't help smiling sadly at my pink-haired friend who'd grabbed me. "Satsuki."

"Akane-chan." My best friend enveloped me in a warm, reassuring hug. "We won't be seeing much of each other after this, will we?" she murmured, still holding on to me.

I sniffed. "I'm afraid not," I whispered.

Momoi squeezed me even harder. "I'm going to miss you, Akane-chan," she choked out, voice thick with tears. "But... I can't leave Aomine... if I left him on his own..."

Her body started to shake. Now it was my turn to hold her, to rub her back, my heart going out to her.

"I know. I understand," I murmured. I stepped back, my hands on her shoulders, and sent her a watery smile. "I'll always love you Satsuki, you know that right?"

She wiped her eyes. "Of course," she whispered. "I'm going to find Gina now... I'll see you later, Akane-chan."

My heart broke when I let go of her shoulders. She was my best friend, who I had always had by my side, and the greatest comfort I could have asked for... She was the person I didn't want to see leave, the person I wanted to drag to Katayama with me.

But I knew that wouldn't happen, even if I begged. She wouldn't ever leave Aomine.

Instead of holding on, I smiled sadly and waved. "See you round, Satsuki. Thank you for everything."

She returned the wave and, and I did feel slightly guilty. It surely still caused her pain, but she was following Aomine. She was there for her friend, through thick and thin. Was that what I should be doing with Sei? Never giving up, constantly searching for a way to find him?

I bit my lip. As much as that would be the right thing to do, I had to think of myself. I couldn't chase one person for the rest of my life, especially if it would affect me negatively.

No, I was sure I was doing the right thing.

Before I left, there was one other person that I wanted to see. I sidestepped Kise's fan girls, ducked out of sight of Akashi and his formidable father, my eyes scanning the crowds for the one person I was likely to overlook.

However, I was able to identify his shock of blue hair among the crowd, and pushed myself toward him.

"Kuroko," I breathed, when I reached him.

He turned to me, mild shock on his face. "Akane-san."

We stared at each other, and then I launched myself at him and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you. For everything," I whispered.

"It's no problem," he said, squeezing me once before releasing me. "I should be the one thanking you."

I shook my head. That was the last thing he should be doing.

"Don't worry..." I mumbled, rubbing the back of my head. You're going to Seirin, aren't you?"

He nodded. "That's right."

I smiled. I was glad he was finding a path that he was happy to be on, and where he'd likely enjoy himself.

"I wish you all the luck, Kuroko," I said. "Call me often, okay?"

"I will."

But somehow, we both knew we wouldn't uphold that promise. Because phoning each other would be a reminder of everything we endured together, and that was just to painful to even think about.

*          *          *

The gym.

The place I wanted most to forget existed, but I had to catch one last glimpse before I left Teiko forever. This had been where middle school had been for me, what had made the first two years of my time here. The basketball club had been such a huge part of my life and, as much as I wanted to forget, I had to acknowledge what an impact it had on me.

I had just been strolling past, taking it in, when I caught a voice wafting out from the inside.

"From now on, we are all enemies."

I sucked in a breath. That was Akashi speaking.

My body froze and, though I knew I should really just hurry away, I couldn't resist creeping up to the door, standing by the wall hidden from view, and listening in. I already knew all of the Generation of Miracles were inside there.

"The next time we meet, it'll be on the high school national stage."

Kise chuckled shakily. "Well, that's true, but you don't need to be so hostile straight away..."

"It's pure coincidence we split up, anyway..." Murasakibara mumbled. I could tell he was totally disinterested in this conversation.

"Coincidence?" Akashi repeated - I could picture him raising an eyebrow. "I think not. Even though there are endless amount of basketball clubs, there are only a limited number of elite, national-level clubs. We should have had a few overlaps in prospective schools. But despite that, there isn't a single one of us who thought of going to the same school as any of the others.

"Let me say this clearly for us all." I was pressed so flat against the wall I might as well have been a part of the brickwork. "I assure you we all feel nearly the same way. To begin with, we despise being grouped together as the Generation of Miracles. If we fight, some will emerge more dominant than others, and we all believe no one is superior to ourselves. In order to prove that, we cannot be satisfied until we have eliminated all others. It has nothing to do with reason, it is instinct."

There was agreement from everyone else. My heart clenched at his words.

So this was goodbye. To friendship, to any acknowledgement of ever having being friends. They might as well have been enemies from the beginning.

Oh Sei, what are you saying? What are any of you saying? I clasped a hand over my mouth in case a muffled sound should escape.

"I wouldn't expect Kuro-chin to understand, though," Murasakibara said.

I gasped - the sound forint story masked by my hand. I edged even closer to the crack in the doorway.

"No," Akashi said. "Although what we seek is wholly different, it is inevitable that Tetsuya will also join this battle. It's not as though he has all of his answers yet. But even so, it seems that he has made his decision..."

I'd heard enough, and from the movement inside, and I guessed there wasn't anything else to hear. I prised myself from the wall and hurried away before I could be seen, all the while taking with me the knowledge that the five who had once been the closest of friends, were now nothing more than enemies.