Rebound (Kagakuro)

Chapter Three

Kagami

I noticed how Kuroko was always forcing himself to be happy for me whenever I brought up the basketball topic. He would smile and encourage me, but from the hidden sadness in his eyes I knew basketball has brought him pain. It probably happened in the past, and sometimes I wondered whether he was involved too. From the last time I met him, he wasn't friendly. Not at all.

There were already hundreds of students walking around the school compound when Kuroko and I arrived. Loud callings and the sound of students promoting their clubs could be heard, each of them trying their best to get students to sign up.

Of course, the basketball club was the only one I had in mind. Kuroko and I promised to sign up together, but when I turned to check on the blue-haired boy, he was already gone.

Damn it, Kuroko, of all times!

"Basketball club, this is the basketball club! Anyone interested in joining the basketball club? There are forms where you can —"

"Hey, where can I sign up?" I interrupted the person shouting, only to earn wide eyes as a respond. I gazed at him in annoyance.

"Sorry, you're just so tall!" He laughed, then brought me to a table where a female student and another male student were seated.

"Hi, there! Are you interested in —"

"Yes. Yes, I am. Now where do I sign up?" I unconsciously cut another person off again. She didn't seem pleased with my manners, but she handed me a paper anyway.

"Sorry, did a blue-haired boy came over earlier? He's a friend and we were supposed to sign up together. I lost him in the crowd, though." I politely asked this time, hoping the two would forgive me for how I acted.

The male student shook his head. "I'm afraid not, uh," He glanced at the paper. "Kagami Taiga."

"Oh, then I guess I'll have to —"

"I'm beside you, Kagami-kun." Kuroko stated expressionlessly.

All three of us shrieked in surprise, but our reaction didn't seem to bother him at all. Kuroko remained composed, just slightly confused.

"Stop doing that," I groaned. "Where were you?"

"I got distracted, and when I came back I saw you here, so I thought this would be the basketball club."

"Yep, this is it," I smiled. "Are you gonna sign up?"

When Kuroko hesitated for a moment, I frowned, knowing I was only causing him a lot of pain. Maybe asking him to join the basketball club was a bad idea. I mean, if something had hurt you badly, wouldn't it be obvious that you'll stay away from it?

"Sure." Kuroko surprised me. He took the paper from the female student and wrote his name, a small smile plastered on his pale face.

"Thank you for signing up, we'll see you during our next club meeting." The girl smiled brightly, repeatedly thanking us for joining their club.

It took us a while to leave the table. It was still very chaotic in the compound, so Kuroko and I headed back to class first. It was much more quieter up there. Plus, I needed to ask him about something.

A few students were already in class, some eating and some just hanging out with their classmates. Kuroko was silent the whole time, so I waited till we got to our seats before saying something.

"Was it really okay, Kuroko?" I asked carefully, not wanting to hit a sensitive spot. "For you to join the basketball club, I mean."

He only gazed out of the window, and there it was, the empty-looking Kuroko that I saw from the day I first transferred here.

"I don't want the past to change me. I love basketball as much as you do, so I'm giving it a try again. With you, and the other team mates this time." He quietly answered.

I knew it was a bad idea to ask him, but I did it anyway. This thought was bothering me a lot and I really needed to know the answer.

"One more question, Kuroko."

"What is it, Kagami-kun?" He was looking at me this time, with those sad blue eyes of his.

"You know Aomine Daiki, don't you?"

An unfamiliar look flashed in his eyes for a quick second, and he quickly averted his gaze from me. That's it, I've done it this time. I went overboard. I knew I shouldn't have ask him.

"Yeah, I do know him," He was more calm than I expected him to be, but the look in his eyes earlier worried me. "How did you know, though?"

"That key chain," I glanced at his bag, which had a blue basketball key chain hanging on the zipper. "I thought it looked familiar."

Kuroko chuckled weakly. "Anybody could've gotten the same key chain, you know?"

I nodded, then unhooked it from his bag to show him. "True, but this," I pointed at the handwritten number. "This is added. He wrote this, didn't he?"

Kuroko blushed, then nodded his head.

"He was... very important to me back then." I didn't like how Kuroko looked as if he was about to break down any second. I noticed how his lips were quivering, yet he was forcing them not to. Then he forced a smile. "Oh well, things happened, don't they? The past is the past, I shouldn't be bothered by this little thing."

"This little thing, huh," I frowned. "Kuroko?"

He looked at me sadly.

"You two dated, right?"