Queen Of Cards || Akashi Seijuro x OC

Chapter 24

Airi watched as they warmed up, not missing a single layup. The fact that they were playing their finals today hadn't hit her until she watched them line up in the centre to begin the game.

Crushing Seirin now would be the most optimal play. Akashi was 100% sure he could do it. All the while, Airi had this sinking feeling in her stomach. Something big would happen this game that could cost them.

She would stop it.

She didn't want to lose.

~

Eyes wide, Airi stood up from her seat on the bench and watched Akashi lose his concentration and cool. His emperor eye, which he had claimed many times was and would forever be victorious, had been defeated.

"Coach, call a time out."

"We have to wait until the next dead ball."

"We can't wait that long!" This must be the thing she had detected the whole time. Her uneasy feeling was from her underestimation of Kuroko Tetsuya.

"Kotaro! Eikichi! Reo!" she shouted form the sidelines. The three uncrowned kings looked over at the sound of their names being called.

"Let them score a 2. Please." Kotaro, who was dribbling the ball up the court, looked at her wide eyed. He didn't trust Akashi to bring the ball up anymore and had taken ball carrier as his duty now.

Airi could feel tension and panic grow inside her and she knew this moment would be vital for their victory.

"JUST THROW IT AT THEM!" she screamed.

In wild panic and surprise, Kotaro fumbled and threw the ball directly at Seirin. Hyuga was the one who caught the ball. Kagami, in his everlasting glory, bolted down and dunked the ball, causing the spectators to go wild.

Turning to the scoring bench, she called a time out with the scores rapidly closing in but still in Rakuzan's favour at 84-92 at 7 minutes remaining.

Rakuzan returned to the bench. Akashi's lack of control and bewilderment was evident to her, though  she could tell the team was unsure of what to do or say.

She needed to pull him together now or they would lose.

Coach Shirogane stood up and was about to say something but Airi cut him off...

with the loudest slap to the captain's face she could muster.

The redheaded captain stared at Airi in shock, a red handprint on his cheek.

"In all honesty, I want to bench you." Airi paused a little since she wasn't sure she had the authority to do that. Looking at the coach, she saw he nodded and she took it as her signal to continue.

"The arrogant Akashi that everyone knows actually has this little tolerance for defeat. I'm disappointed and I'm sure the team is too."

Mayuzumi chimed in, "did you expect us to comfort you? Airi-chan is right. I'm disappointed. You're nothing like the man I met on the roof. In fact, who are you?"

Silence. The captain merely looked down, holding his water bottle.

"Who am I?" Akashi said, more to himself. He stood up, putting his bottle down.

He made eye contact with Airi and she couldn't hold in her surprised gasp. Ruby eyes shining, the confident captain declared,

"I am Akashi Seijuro, of course."

~

The final buzzer went off, stands erupting in cheers and screams as confetti was thrown everywhere.

"RAKUZAN DEFENDS THEIR TITLE WITH A SCORE OF 105 - 104!"

Holy crap they won. Airi could feel tears of joy flowing down her face, though she tried to deny it. Eikichi gave her a hearty slap on the back that she was not expecting, sending her flying into a sweaty Kotaro who screamed "we won!" over and over again. Reo and Mayuzumi were smiling, laying on the floor and cooling down.

But where was the captain?

Akashi stood under the stadium lights in the centre of the court, sweat dripping as a small smile rested on his face.

She watched in surprise as he walked up to Kuroko and offered a handshake, to which the bluenette accepted teary eyed but graciously.

The giant gold trophy was held up as the team posed for their photo that would eventually end up on the cover of many magazines for the coming weeks.

Airi was blown away by Akashi's new zone. It was completely different to his solo play-style mere minutes before his old self's reawakening. She didn't think her ranting would make his old self come out again, but she was glad.

"Let's go to a buffet!"

"Let's go back to Kyoto so I can sleep without Nebuya waking me up with his obnoxious snoring," Reo grumbled as they walked out the stadium.

"We check out at 11am tomorrow, baka. One more night here then we go back home."

~

9pm at night. Akashi's leg was shaking anxiously. His girlfriend was missing. Again.

"Where's Airi?"

"Probably at the stadium. She said she was missing her purse so she went back to look for it."

"That was at least 1 hour ago."

"Should we look for her?"

"Well, last time she came back with a black eye."

"But everyone is asleep."

"Then it will be just us 4. We can leave a note."

~

"Airi?"

"Ri-chan? Ri-chan?"

The Rakuzan uncrowned kings and their captain wandered around the dead stadium, looking for any signs of the silver haired girl.

Akashi's sharp eyes picked up a hint of silver going around the corner and he immediately headed in that direction.

Upon rounding the corner, he saw Airi standing at the end of the dead end alley, back towards them.

"Ri-chan? Did you find your purse?" Mibuchi asked.

At the sound of their voice, her head whipped around. The expression on her face was one that he would never forget in a million years. It was one of pure terror.

"Why... why did you look for me?" Her small voice cracked. "Run! Please leave!"

"What? Why?" Hayama asked, a little scared.

She grabbed them and pushed them to the end of the alley.

"It's too late. They're here."

"Who..."

As soon as the words left Akashi's mouth, a group of girls wearing the same red uniform came around the corner.

One had blonde hair, almost white, tied in circles around her head and an icy blue shade of lipstick. Another had a mask on, with the same shade of hair let down. However...

Akashi swore his heart stopped when he saw that one pointed a shiny silver revolver right at his girlfriend's head.

A/N Shit is going down muahahahaha also I won't update for a few days since I'm flying. Sorry for the disappointment but the next chapters are exciting hehehe promise 🫶