Those Heterochromatic Eyes (Kuroko no Basket - Akashi Seijuro Fan Fiction)

Chapter Thirty Six

Sure, his perfectionist tendencies might rub on people the wrong way but he cherished his friends more than anyone else, and his deep relationship with his members during their Teiko days was solid proof of that.

Even after being promoted as captain during their first year of middle school, Akashi still tried his best to live up to the expectations placed on him.

If only the adults prioritized their team play over securing endless victories, then maybe Akashi wouldn't have to go through immense changes in his personality.

And that's what hurts her the most now. Just when he was starting to go back to his old self, Kaito decides to trample on his efforts, unaware of how much it took Akashi to finally become one with his darker past.

"I made the wrong choice, didn't I?" he began, his voice soft and despondent. "How could I, of all people make the wrong choice?"

"No, absolutely not. What he chose to do was out of your hands, and nothing you could've done would have changed his mind," she said, as she held both of his shoulders to force him to look her in the eye. "The rest of the team knows that you did everything you could on that court, and you should give yourself credit for it too."

His crimson orbs widened at her words, and she heaved a sigh of relief upon noticing the usual glint in his eye return. He shot her a small smile before reaching out for her hands. He held them in between his palms and she could feel how much he wanted to be reassured at that moment.

"I don't like losing," he said as he hung his head low.

"I know, Sei."

She placed her hands on both sides of his face and leaned in closer to him on her tip-toes, placing a soft peck on top of his forehead.

She gave the redhead a warm smile and patted his head lovingly. He looked like he was in a daze from her actions but shortly returned the smile as he pulled her into another tight hug.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?" she asked, as she looked up at him, breaking away slightly from his embrace.

He sighed, "For... for this. I know you probably don't wanna see me during my weakest moment-".

"Shut up, Seijuro," she interjected, as she faked a serious expression, "I'm literally your girlfriend and your best friend, so I've seen everything, and I know you more than anyone else," she boasted, crossing her arms in the process.

He laughed, catching her completely off-guard.

"Holy shit, did you just laugh?"

"Can you stop acting like I'm the most serious person you know?" he scoffed, intertwining their fingers as they started along the sidewalk.

"But you are the most serious person I know," she said wittily.

They nudged each other playfully as they made their way back into the gymnasium.

* * *

The next day, Sayuri was determined to confront Kaito about what he did.

The only problem was, he was pretty much nowhere to be found. After sabotaging his team in the most important high school sports meet of the year, he was immediately kicked out of the basketball team. She actually expected him to get expelled but maybe some people were just born lucky.

She looked everywhere; the cafeteria, his classroom, the courtyard, but much to her dismay, he doesn't seem to want to be found.

She walked with heavy steps along the almost-empty hallways of Rakuzan. Almost an hour had passed since the last bell and she was starting to consider to resume her hunt for the next day when a voice caught her attention.

Her ears perked up and she immediately turned her attention behind, surprised to be seeing the mauve-haired boy stepping out of the coach's office.

"You!" she screamed, as she hastily ran towards him.

Upon noticing who it was, his neutral expression turned to that of an amused grin, prompting Sayuri to reprimand him further.

She dragged him by his neck-tie to the school's courtyard, determined to get all her questions answered.

Surprisingly, he didn't show any signs of a struggle and let out a soft chuckle the moment they reached outdoors.

"This is funny to you, is it? Sabotaging your team like that?" she said, in a scornful tone.

"Oh, is that why you brought me out here, Sayu-chan?" he began, the pet-name foully rolling off his tongue.

She snickered, "Don't act so friendly with me, Nakamura. You don't get to mess with my friends and get away with it. What the hell is your deal anyway? And why did you miss that shot on purpose?"

"Woah, woah, slow down missy. One question at a time," he teased, obviously stirring away from the topic.

That did it. Sayuri was officially about to rip his head off. She harshly grabbed the base of his collar and stared him straight in the eye.

"You run your mouth so much, I think it's best you use that energy of yours to speak up," she threatened, her voice low and her eyebrows furrowed.

Something in his expression changed and for a moment, she felt familiar chills run down her spine, immobilizing her like electricity.

The intensity of his gaze was so brutal that it forced her to release her grip on him. He patted the front of his polo shirt and sneered.

His aura, his demeanour; everything about him felt different; like someone flipped a switch and suddenly he was stripped of his good-boy façade. Despite her growing apprehension, she managed to stand her ground and continued to look at him sternly.

"I'm surprised you don't remember who I am, Sayu-chan."