After School (Kuroko no Basket Fanfic)

Faded Grey | Chapter 1 | Haizaki

"Ah, if it isn't the little punk, Hai-za-ki~"

Only one person could be so happy while saying my name in such a stretched-out, annoying way. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to be scolded by him. "Nijimura..." I grin in a crooked way as I turn to face him. "You haven't changed a bit. Always like to open the conversation with an insult like a controlling bitch."

It didn't take more than a slap on the face for me to remember all of his scolding during middle school at Teiko. "Respect your former senpai you little piece of shit!"

"All right, all right already!" I raise my hands up in defense so that way he doesn't hit me once more. "Damn, Niji, do you always have to be so aggressive?"

"You're one to talk- tossing all of your teammates around like you always do." He crosses his arms over his chest as he narrows his eyes at me.

"Do I?" I walk over to him and I stand next to him- finding myself a few inches taller than the guy I once called senpai. "Well, I'm not little anymore. Perhaps I developed a few scolding techniques from your constant abuse."

At this he rolls his eyes. "Take responsibility for your own actions, moron. As if I'd ever unnecessarily injure my own teammates."

"Oh, so I guess I don't count, do I?" Now it's my turn to roll my eyes. I toss the basketball I hold in my hand at him and I turn my back on the conversation. "Should've known you'd say something like that."

He catches the basketball with little difficulty I notice as I crane my head to look at him. Apparently he's still got some moves- even if he quit playing basketball officially after middle school because of his sick father. "I scolded you, yes, but I didn't injure you without reason. Just because I wanted to hog all of the glory." Somehow, I feel as if he's trying to lecture me but I don't understand what he's trying to say at all.

"If you came to say something say it outright or leave." I'm beginning to grow impatient with him. He shows up to my school's gym out of nowhere during one of my solo late-night practices and he expects me to just listen to all these useless ramblings?

"After all the trouble I took to come all the way out here to visit you're just gonna turn me away?" He takes a few steps forward and, while I turn back around, slams the basketball roughly into my back.

For a moment the breath is knocked out of me and the force brings me down to my knees as I attempt to clutch at my back and breathe. When I do manage to say something it's from my crouched position on the floor as I attempt to catch my breath. "W-What the hell, Niji?!" I yell furiously.

"That, Haizaki, is what you do to your teammates every day." He looks down at me with a look that's even more terrifying than any look I've ever seen him give me. "You're tearing your own team apart with your arrogance, and that is something I can no longer stand for."

"So, what? You're just going to infiltrate my school and scold me all day until I decide to not hit one of my teammates?" I scoff, managing to stand myself back up as I rub my newly-bruised back.

"If doing so is the only way to make you see, then that's what I'll do."

Man, this guy is confident. Who the hell does he think he is- pursuing into my affairs like this? "What exactly am I supposed to see? That my teammates are actually worth a shit? Spare me the crappy lecture!"

"What you're supposed to see is that everything is worth a shit. You, your teammates, basketball. All of it is important." He continues to lecture, and I continue to ignore him. Although, the part about me was interesting. If I was so conceited and doing everything for my own glory, then why would I need to acknowledge myself?

"Why would something lame like that interest me?" I retort as I snatch the basketball off the floor and shoot from the foul point line to make a basket. As soon as my feet reach the ground again I continue speaking. "Basketball is stupid, people are stupid, connections are stupid. Life is stupid."

Nijimura doesn't move, and that look of disappointment does not leave his face for a second. Of course, that look has always been there since middle school, but it only seems to have increased since then. "If all of it's stupid, then why are you living and breathing shooting a basketball while talking to me?"

"Fine, then, I'll quit." I throw my hands into my pockets and glare at him- seriously getting angry. Why was he pestering so much about this stupid crap? "I'll quit basketball, I'll quit talking, I'll quit breathing if it makes you sto-"

But I don't get another letter out before his hand reaches up and he smacks my cheek hard enough to send me into a state of silent shock. His face is still disappointed, but layered on top is a look of complete desperation. He's not just lecturing me anymore. He's pleading to me- as if his heart was broken by my words. "Don't ever say that about yourself. Ever."

I place a hand on my throbbing cheek, however I don't get mad. He's right. I did kind of cross the line. I felt unexpectedly relieved just then knowing that someone actually cared enough to make sure I wouldn't degrade myself like that. That someone wanted me to keep striving day after day. I never expected it to be Nijimura-sensei, though. "Fine." I decide to at least reason with him on this one. "But, seriously, go home. You're way too far from home and school for this late at night."

I begin to stroll past him, but he grabs my arm to keep me in place. He still has those determined eyes of his, and I wonder if anything would extinguish the fire within them. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Seriously?" I sigh. "Where the hell are you gonna stay, moron?"

"With you, obviously." He quickly replies- as if it was expected.

"HUH?!" My mouth is suddenly agape as I stare at his confident face. "What makes you think I'd just open my door to you after you said all that shit about me?!"

"Because if you don't let me stay with you, then I'll stay with you even longer~" He gives me a sly smile, and suddenly I'm already leading him home. Damnit, why the hell is this guy so damn stubborn?!