The New Manager (KnB fanfic - Kuroko x OC)

Chapter 8: Change

A/N: OMG! Sorry for not updating last week! Here's Chapter 8! :)

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Chapter 8: Change

And with that, Seirin's journey in the Inter-High came to an end.

*****

The Seirin team was silent as they sat in the locker room.

"Time to go," Riko decided, opening the door. They all walked out of the door. Halfway out the building, Ayari spoke up.

"I'm sorry, but I left something back at the locker rooms. You guys go ahead, I'll catch up," she said, then she turned and left.

Kuroko stared at her receding back, wanting to follow her, but decided against it. She needs some time alone, he reasoned with himself. Although he wondered why he still wanted to follow her, even though he knew that.

*****

"So we both lost," Takao said when he saw her standing in front of him. She had appeared standing in front of him as he bought another drink from the vending machine.

"Yeah, we did," she said.

"I can't believe he came back though. It's been a while since I last saw him," he said. "He's as vicious as always."

"Yeah. He played with us during our match," she said.

"He made his team make sure that they were always one point ahead of us, no matter what," he replied. She saw that his eyes were red. He had been crying. No wonder. Basketball meant a lot to him, plus he had been one of the players playing.

She lost. She had predicted this, but she never thought that it would still hurt.

"Well, see you later Ayari-chan," Takao waved.

"Yeah, see you," she said in a small voice.

*****

The days passed after the finals, but the frustration was still there as Seirin continued practice every day. Things were pretty rough at first, but they had gotten back to their usual state. All, except one.

Ayari had stopped appearing during practice. She disappears every day after school. And Kuroko was very worried about her. Even though she still kept up her deal of making Kuroko's lunch, she always placed it down, before leaving, not like before where she would stay for the whole of recess.

He wanted to talk to her, but he didn't know how. He was never one to start a conversation. Besides, he couldn't find her anywhere.

*****

Ayari walked around the park. She had changed into her casual clothes. Ever since the Inter-High finals, she's been skipping practice. She stopped entering dance contests for the moment. The words of Dakura were still ringing in her head.

"I thought you would have been a much more challenge."

"I expected this win, as usual. I'm sure you had expected this too."

"But you had given up halfway. Honestly, I'm disappointed Ayari."

"You can't outsmart me, and you know it."

She knew it. But yet, she never knew it would hurt this much. She didn't want it to hurt. She walked past a group of thugs who were actually playing basketball in a public basketball court. She recognised them. They had been the ones who were chasing her the other day because she had thrown a basketball at them for staring at her.