MiRACLE (KnB Fanfic)

24.

Murasakibara sighs for the third time in that hour, and Akashi is visibly getting irritated. It's not helping the grim mood of practice.

"Murasakibara, get up and practice or get out," Midorima chides. No one mentions that Midorima has missed about five shots since this morning.

"It's only Tuesday, you can't be tired already," Aomine groans, wiping off some sweat with his arm, "if you don't have individual practice to focus on, go help some of the seniors with defense drills."

Murasakibara only pouts at that, sinking his face deeper into the gaps of his knees.

Kuroko sits beside the purple giant, ("Tetsu, when the fu--?!") and they sigh synchronously.

The scene was only getting weirder to witness. Haizaki stared at them, and affected by the sheer grim atmosphere, he could only sigh as well.

"They're radiating depression," Aomine makes a very keen observation, "what do we do, Midorima?"

"Throw Aisaka at them," Midorima says, then corrects, "or so I would like to do, but that's currently impossible."

And this time, Aomine and Haizaki sigh in unison.

"This isn't going well at all," Akashi speaks up, arms crossed and giving his own sigh of utter resignation, "it's Tuesday after all."

"What does it being Tuesday have to do with--" Midorima stops, and finally, he too sighs. "Oh, because we don't get Aisaka's Home Ec snacks anymore."

There's a moment of silence, then they all sigh again.

"Where are the rainbow morons?" Nijimura walks into the gym, and the moment he sees the group, he snaps, "not again!"

-

"Aisaka isn't around anymore, you know."

When Nijimura says that, it's like he's picking a fight. He really isn't trying to, but when Haizaki hears it, it feels like an insult to his very core.

"Fuck if I care about him."

Everything hurts. His head is ringing and pulsing in waves of agony-- he touches his temple where a sting is burning and he sees blood. He swears again. There are too many new bruises on him and he thinks that ache at his side might be a broken rib. There's a big tear in his jacket and he knows his mother is going to be cranky about it.

"Even if you do this, he's not going to come back to pick you up."

And Haizaki all but screams, "I said, shut the fuck up!" His fuse is shorter than ever before, "I'm not expecting anything from him and you can screw off and mind your own goddamn business, Nijimura!"

Nijimura sees it very clearly from where he's standing, even in the dim lighting.

Head wounds bleed the worse, and with how the boy cringes at every move, he probably needs a hospital. When doesn't he need a hospital, really? How did Aisaka always deal with this?

"We're all angry that Aisaka left, so--"