Finally the 25th chapter is out and I'm so sorry for the long waiting time, but I got a whole bunch of homework to do. But it's finally out and I hope you enjoy it :)
****
Kuroko cleaned the papers together, ready to go to the hospital.
"Kuroko-sensei!"
He looked behind him and saw a bunch of kids hugging his legs.
"Kuroko-sensei, are you going to the hospital?" one of them asked.
"Yes" he answered with a tired smile.
It had been a long day at work. Who thought being a kindergarten teacher would be that hard.
"How was your little sister yesterday?" another asked.
"The same as always."
"How long is it she's been asleep?"
His smile became sadder.
"Almost 9 years."
"She sound just like a princess!" a girl said.
"A princess? And why makes you say that, Sakura-chan?" Kuroko asked while bowing down to them.
"Because she been asleep for so long! Daddy told me stories about princesses that sleep for a very long time and wakes up when a prince kisses her."
"Have someone tried to kiss your sister, Kuroko-sensei?" a boy asked.
"I think it takes a bit more to wake her up" he replied and stood up. "I have to go."
"Okay! See you later, Kuroko-sensei!" the kids shouted in choir.
He waved back at them, and of he went. A single turn and he opened the door to his car. Every day he went to visit Yuzuki; with the hope of she would finally open her eyes. He missed her that it almost killed him, but he hid it inside himself. That was what Yuzuki wanted, he keeps saying to himself. After 15 minutes he came to the hospital. It hadn't changed a bit, the whole time he had lived in the town. When he came inside it was just as quiet as usual. Probably he came in late, because of his work.
"Ah, Kuroko-"
He looked to the side and saw Midorima in his doctor clothes.
"-I just thought for a second you wouldn't come"
"There's haven't been one day were I haven't come, so why should I stop now?" Kuroko said with an emotionless face.
"I suppose you right."
They both began to walk down the hall, the direction to Yuzuki's room. The room was quite big for only one person, but you could understand it when all those machines where in there. Kuroko really didn't have any problem with the machines themselves, but he just hated the view of every single of them being attached to his own little sister. He walked closer towards Yuzuki with a sad face. Even though she had been asleep for so long, it was like she became more beautiful for each day. She really looked like a grown person. Kuroko held her hand. It was warm.
"Yuzuki...." he whispered."How's her condition, Midorima-kun."
"It haven't changed" Midorima answered. "There's no sign she will wake up."
A sigh came out of Kuroko's mouth.
"I see. I suppose we have to wait a bit more."
"Kuroko, I don't think-"
"We are not going to lose our hopes now. She will wake up."
Kuroko began to walk out. Midorima gave Yuzuki a final look and followed him.
"I see you later" Kuroko waved and walked outside.
Midorima waved back, but his face remained cold as always. After all those years no one had lost hope, but they all knew that nothing would happen. Ever.
****
"How was she today?" Kagami asked and took a bite of his burger.
"The same. Nothing has changed" Kuroko replied while looking outside.
"Not the slightest?"
He shook his head. A sigh came out of Kagami's mouth, and he looked the same direction as his blue haired friend.
"I can't believe already 9 years has passed since that incident. The year we win Interhigh, you almost lose your sister."
Kuroko took a sip from his smoothie.
"You’re still drinking that?" Kagami asked.
"It's good" he answered still with the straw in the mouth.
"I guess it's true some people doesn't ever change-"
"Channel 5, come in" a loud noise shouted.
Kagami picked a walkie-talkie up from his pocket.
"Channel 5 here."
"There's a fire near you."
"Got it!"
He jumped up and took his coat on.
"I see you later Kuroko!" he shouted and ran away. "And don't worry! She'll wake up soon!"
Kuroko looked at the door, which was closing with a loud noise.
'I hope you right, Kagami-kun. I hope you right.'
****
The sky was already turned dark when Kuroko came back to his little apartment. Only three rooms or more two rooms, 'cause the third was a tiny bathroom. The door that moved out made a little creaking sound, and the first thing he sees is a dark room. That was the entrance/kitchen. Right ahead was the living room, which also was his bedroom where he usually just slept on a futon. He walked inside on the same time he was turning the lights on. The first thing he does is slipping his bag from his hand to the floor, and then he just got a bowl of instant noodles. He filled the bowl with water like you always do, and sat down by the little kotatsu table. Right in the corner of the room, a drawer with all his clothes was. On top of it, three pictures were standing. One with the basketball team from Teiko and the second with the team from Seirin. Lastly, there was a picture of one special person with a happy smile. Yuzuki. Kuroko finished the last slurp and rested his head on his hand, with his eyes looking on Yuzuki's picture.
'Please wake up soon.'
****
It was a new day, a new morning at the job.
"Aomine?"
Aomine looked behind him and saw his boss with a curious look.
"What is it?" he replied.
"I heard about your little friend" his boss said while walking closer to him. "Isn't it almost precisely 9 years she came into that coma today?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Why don't you take a little vacation from hunting bad guys and see how your friend's doing in your home town?"
Aomine's eyes widened slightly but he just looked away.
"That's not necessary" he answered and continued to take his uniform on.
"Why not? She means a lot to you, doesn't she?"
Aomine stopped and stared into his closet.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you always carrying her necklace around you. That gotta mean she's someone dear to you."
"How do you know it's hers?"
"It's easy to see it's a girl's necklace, and the fact you never wear it" his boss explained. "You always carry it in your pocket."
Aomine slammed his closet in with one hand in his pocket. The necklace was there.
"Just take a little vacation after today, okay?"
His boss turned around, but before he came far, Aomine spoke up.
"Why are you doing this?"
The boss stopped, but didn't look at him.
"That's because...I know how's it's like to lose someone dear. My only true wish....is to be able to see her again. Just once."
He started to walk again leaving a surprised Aomine behind.
"It only takes 15 minutes with plain, so I recommend you use that."
He pulled the necklace up from his pocket and pushed the little button. The old picture was still in there. He tried to hold his tears back, 'cause the sight of Yuzuki made him thinking back on all those horrible times. So much red.
"Yuzu...."
****
Kuroko hurried into the hospital before I were closed for visitors. He had been into the florist to buy some flowers. A bunch of blue flowers. He had got them for every year 'cause he meant it fitted Yuzuki perfectly. Just as he came inside he met Midorima who was talking to one of his colleagues. Something about medicine. As they were finished, he got an eye on Kuroko.
"I see you brought flowers" he said. "Blue flowers again, huh?"
He nodded.
"Dr. Midorima!!" someone shouted.
"What the matter?" he replied.
"The alarm has gone off in room 207."
"But that's-"
Kuroko sprinted in the direction where Yuzuki's room was. The alarm had gone off. That had to be a bad sign. He finally stood outside the door slamming the door open.
"Yuzuk-!" he started but stopped immediately.
He dropped the flowers and stared at the person in front of him.
"Kuroko, is she-" Midorima asked when he ran up to him, but he stopped as well when he saw the same person.
A beautiful girl with long blue hair down her back and blue eyes stood and looked up in the blue sky. Her skin was pale but it was like her skin was glittering by the suns light. She looked at Kuroko and gave a tired smile.
"Big brother, is that you?" she asked, but before she knew it he had already ran over to her and hugged her tightly.
"Yuzuki" he cried.
"It kinda hurts, big brother."
He laid go of her but smiled.
"How long have I been asleep?" she asked.
"9 years" he replied. "9 long years."
"And I suppose I'm at a hospital, right?"
He nodded. She looked behind him, over to Midorima and smiled.
"You must be doctor. Have you taken care of me all this time?"
"You don't remember who I am?" Midorima asked surprised.
"Am I supposed to do that?"
"But Yuzuki, that's-" Kuroko started.
"Kuroko, just wait a second" Midorima interrupted and walked closer to them. "Yuzuki, what do you think about basketball?"
"What I think about basketball?" she repeated. "Alright I guess, but I wouldn't know if I never played it before."
Kuroko widened his eyes and stared at her.
"I see" Midorima nodded. "Kuroko, can I talk to you for a moment?"
They both walked outside the room.
"What's going on, Midorima-kun?" Kuroko asked a bit panicked. "Why doesn't Yuzuki remember anything?"
"Amnesia" Midorima replied leaving Kuroko with a surprised look. "After so long time in coma and not to say that hit to the head, that must've caused that she have forgotten almost everything, but I think she remembers you when you a part of the family but unfortunately nothing else."
"Should we tell her that?"
"No."
"No?" Kuroko asked surprised.
"If we tell her about everything, she might not be able to handle it" Midorima answered. "She will probably blame herself for something one way or another."
"Are we just acting like everything's normal? What about the others?"
"They have right to know she's awake, but I don't think it's a good idea they meet her, cause then everything just going to be complicated."
"What are you talking about?" Yuzuki asked sticking her head outside the door.
"Nothing" Midorima replied and walked over to her. "I have to make some examinations to be sure you're okay."
She nodded and they walked back inside. Kuroko stood a bit outside, looking at Yuzuki.
'What am I going to say to the others? What am I going to say to him?'
****
"It hasn't changed a bit" Aomine said to himself.
He stood in front of the hospital with a little bouquet of white roses. With no thorns of course. He was suppose to leave the day after he got vacation. Instead he did it 5 days after and now he only got that day to go visit her. He was about to step inside when he stopped.
'I...can't move' he thought. 'Why will these stupid legs move?!'
He stepped back and looked at his feet.
'I can't do this.'
He turned around and started walking away.
'I'm sorry Yuzu, but I just can't.'
He kept walking not knowing where. He just kept walking, and before he knew it, he was standing in front of an apartment. Kuroko's apartment.
"Sigh, well maybe I can pay Tetsu a visit."
He walked up the stair with his hand in his pockets. He looked at the door with a mailbox outside, where there stood "Kuroko Tetsuya" on. He knocked on the door waiting for Kuroko to open it. Well, someone did open it, but the problem was just the person slammed it right in the middle of his face so he landed on the ground.
"That hurts!" he wined and held his face.
"I'm so sorry!"
He got a bit confused when he heard a girl's voice instead of Kuroko's, and for some reason it seemed to sound so....familiar. He looked up at the person right in front of him, and immediately he widened his eyes.
"I'm so sorry about that!" she apologized. "I'm not very used to this door yet. I'm so used to it opens in, not out."
He still didn't say anything.
"Um, mister?"
She waved her hand in front of his eyes to see someone was home.
"Oh no, did I really hit that hard?"
"Yuzu?"
The girl looked confused at him.
"Sorry, but there's no one with the name Yuzu here. Only Yuzuki."
"Yuzu?" he repeated.
"Um, I just said that there was no one with the name Yuzu."
"You......woke up."
"Yeah, I finally came out of that coma- wait, how do you know I've been asleep?"
He jumps up and grabbed her shoulders tightly.
"Yuzu it's me! Aomine!"
She looked at him with scared eyes and shook like hell.
"P-Please let me go. I-I call the police if you don't."
"What?" he asked shocked and confused on the same time. "Yuzu, don't you remember me?"
"N-No. I would never come near a person like you."
His heart skipped a beat when that sentence came out from her mouth. He slipped his grip from her shoulders and stared on the ground.
"Do you really mean that, Yuzu?" he asked empty.
She didn't answer.
"Fine."
He putted his hand in his pocket and threw something over to her.
"I kept it for you, but it looks I don't need it anymore."
He started to walk down the stairs with heavy steps that it made a metal sound for every step. Yuzuki looked at the direction he just had walked in.
"That was scary" she whispered and walked inside again.
As the door closed, she looked down at her necklace. A little button was on the side.
"That guy...I wonder if I really know him. He seemed so familiar."
She laid the necklace on the kitchen table, and sat down trying to forget what just happened. Her eyelids slowly came down and all she could see was pure darkness. But slowly something blue turned up. It looked like hair. Dark blue hair. She shook her head fast trying to snap out of her thoughts.
"Maybe I should prepare dinner" she said to herself and walked over to the kitchen.
As she was preparing dinner, she accidentally pushed the necklace on the ground. She went over to pick it up, but the sight of the little picture inside it made her eyes widen like they could pop out at any time.
"What am I doing on this picture?" she asked lost. "And that guy....he's....he's-"
She suddenly got a terrible headache. So hard like her whole brain was about explode. She screamed in pain and curled together on the floor. Pictures came back into her mind like it was searching from something. Or someone. A bunch of people were smiling and laughing, and for some reason they all were in basketball uniforms except a few. But the one that was the clearest was a tall guy with dark blue hair came into sight.
"Aomine-senpai. Coach. Everyone."
Suddenly the door opened.
"I'm back" Kuroko said when his eyes saw Yuzuki curling into a ball with widened eyes. "Yuzuki!"
He ran over to her, and touched her shoulder.
"I remember, big brother" Yuzuki suddenly said. "I remember."
He gasped and helped her to sit up.
"You do??" he asked to be real sure.
She nodded slowly.
"Can you do something for me, big brother?"
****
What will happen in the next and last chapter? Just wait and see :)