It was a horrible feeling. They were all shocked as the buzzer beeped signaling the end of the Winter Cup basketball tournament. The game had ended after four quarters of grouping plays. There were cheers from the Rakuzan team members. Their heartfelt cries of victory were joined by those on the stands. It had been an incredible game. Akashi smiled at his teammates as they picked him up. He was happy, but most of all he was proud. He was absolute.
On the other side of the court stood the Seirin team. Their heads were down to hide their faces, some were crying while others were desperately trying to reign in their tempers. Kagami was one of them. He was mad, no, beyond mad. He was in a state of rage. How could they have lost? To him this wasn't possible. They had practiced long and hard for this day. For this game. They fought their way through thick and thin. They beat almost all of the generation of miracles. The entire team practiced from dawn to dusk. He knew it was true since he was there with the team. Well, not the entire team.
Thinking about it now, he realized that his shadow, Kuroko, hadn't been there all the time. In fact he had disappeared for a month before retuning to them. Not only that, but when he returned his passes were somewhat sloppy, easy to intercept, well not all of them but too many for his liking. Similar to this game.
His rage stopped for a moment as he thought back to those practices, more specifically Kuroko. He was slower than normal, his passes were sloppy, he was weak.
Kagami's anger came back ten fold as he went over this game in his mind. All of Kuroko's passes were intercepted, he was too slow, he was pathetic. How had he been so stupid? To think that Kuroko could actually his shadow. To think that pathetic weak little man could make him the strongest in Japan. Ha, what a joke.
In those moments the entire team came to the same conclusion as Kagami. To them this lose was Kuroko's fault.
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The tension in the locker room of Seirin's basketball team could be cut with a knife. Kuroko sat in a corner with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. A small towel cover his face as his shoulders shook slightly from his silent sobs.
The teams was depressed, but not only that they were entirely pissed off. Riko stood with her arms crossed a scowl on her face as she looked at the team. They were a sad bunch to look at, but they were an angry bunch. She was mad, yes, but she knew this could have happened. this was a possibility and it was her miscalculation that led to this. She should have made Kuroko sit on the bench, but he insisted and she understood why. He had worked incredibly hard for this, but he wasn't ready. This was too soon. Too early, and now she could only reap what she sowed.
Kagami slowly stood from his position next to Kuroko. His muscles were taunt much like a tiger's is when he is about to ambush a prey. The anger radiated from him in waves. "This your fault," he whispered looking at Kuroko, "This is your fault, you son of a bitch, Kuroko!" Everyone's head whipped to him as he panted.
Kuroko's form stilled and tensed. "You said you would make me the number one in Japan. You, and your godforsaken passes. Well guess what? You can't even win the Winter-fucking-cup than how do you think you can make me number 1 in Japan. You little pice of shit! This is all your fault," he spat looking at Kuroko's still form. "You think I didn't notice you were gone for a month, or how after that your passes got sloppy, how got weak? Well guess what! I did! Everyone did! You know what that means?" He waited for an answer but when none came he spat on the floor. He leaned in close to Kuroko's ear. Then with all the venom and loathing he could put in his voice he said.
"We don't need you."
Kuroko flinched, that brought a smile to Kagami's face. "We have surpassed you. You are no longer needed, you pathetic pice of shit. You are worthless to the team. No, scratch that, you are worthless to every team." Kuroko flinched again, but didn't say anything.
Kagami straightened up and looked at the shocked faces of his teammates. They couldn't believe that Kagami actually said that. If anyone would have said something like that, they would have never thought it would have been Kagami. Since it is Kagami, Kuroko's light and best friend. They did every thing together. They were inseparable. They were one entity. Shadow and Light.
"What? You were all thinking it." Kagami said after seeing the on their faces. It was true they were thinking it, but nonetheless they were shocked.
"Well, that's true but still..." Teppei said looking at Kagami from his sitting position besides Hyuga, who refused to look at anyone.
"Oh shut it, someone had to say it," Kagami said, as the others nodded, "Besides, who cares? That little pic of shit needs to learn his lesson." By that point Hyuga, who had been silent and still had enough, he quickly stood up scaring the team and making Kagami step back.
He fized his glasses before saying, "I've had enough of this. Everyone pick up your things, we are leaving now." He took his duffel bag from the ground and walked to the door holding it open for the team members to pass.
Kagami stood in his spot looking at Kuroko, who hadn't moved at all. He shook his head, spat at him, took his things and left the room, never looking back.
Hyuga sighed looking at Kuroko, he was angry. Not as much as Kagami, but still. To him this is were their paths separated.
"Kuroko, you should quit basketball." With that he left the room.
Riko was too shocked to comprehend what just happened. She was sitting in the bus when it all came crashing down. What the team did, what Kagami said. It was all wrong, so so wrong. Without realizing it tears started streaming down her face.
Kagami was the first to notice going staright to their captain's side trying to console her. Then came Hyuga followed by Teppei. They pulled her into a hug saying it was all okay, not to worry they would win the next year, but that just made her cry harder. She shook her head from side to side, trying to get the words out.
"You idiots!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "My god, how foolish you are! What have you done?" She was now boarder line hysterics. "What do you mean?" Teppei said, looking at her.
"What have you done to Kuroko, you bastards? Why did you do that? Do you have any idea what you just did?" They shook their heads. The rest of the team came closer to listen to what their coach was saying. It scared them the way she was reacting. Everyone thought she was crying because they lost the game, not this.
She took deep breaths trying to control herself. Then in a low voice she said, "It's all my fault. I'm the one who made the mistake. I knew Kuroko wasn't ready. He was still recuperating, but he just kept looking at me with that face begging me to let him play. How could I say no?... I should have said no."
"What are you talking about, Riko-chan ?" Kagami asked. "That month that Kuroko didn't come to practice wasn't because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't. He was hospitalized that entire month, because he started having heart problems. It was an after effect of using his misdirection so many times in this season. His body wasn't ready for the overload Kuroko put it under, so then all of a sudden his body crashed in order for it to heal. He was in a coma for two weeks, and after that he was in rehab. Even so his doctors told him to take it easy, but he didn't. He kept trying to come to practice and putting his body under more pressure and stress.
After he told me this, I wasn't going to let him play in this game, but he kept insisting. He even told me that the doctors gave him the okay, but he still wasn't ready. His body has yet to completely recover. I know it hurt him, I saw him a couple times rubbing his chest but he told me he was okay. This is all my fault." She was still sobbing when she finished talking.
Kagami's face truned pale. "Oh god." He whispered.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Hyuga said as he ran his trembling hands through his hair.
"Kuroko asked me not to tell you guys since he didn't want to worry you." She whispered her energy leaving her, she was so tired. This had gone too far.
Kagami sat down with his head in his hands whispering "Oh god," over and over again. Then all of a sudden he sprang up and ran out of their bus into the stadium. He ran as fast as he could, pushing people out of his way, passing the Rakuzan team that was coming out the door and pushing through them. They were about to scream at him, but when they say his sorrow and panicked stricken face they stopped. Akashi was confused, not only did he see sorrow in Kagami, but also pain, anger, resentment, but most of all uncontrolled panic. Not five seconds after Kagami passed did they see the rest of the Seirin team running the same way Kagami went. They all had the same expression. Pure panic. A chill went down Akashi's back. This is not good, he thought before going after them.
Kagami was out of breath when he slammed into the locker room only to fall to his knees. His body was wrecked with sobs. It didn't take long for the team to get there. They were all breathless. Tears were streaming down their faces. Hyuga walked in only to punch a locker until his knuckles bleed. Teppei wasn't so good either.
Akashi was surprised to see the entire Seirin team in such a shape. He saw Kagami on the floor, Hyuga punching a locker, Tepppei looking at a corner with his head on the wall. The team was in chaos, crying and muttering things he couldn't hear.
"What is going on here?" Akashi said his voice demanding an answer. His eyes racked the room from one side to the other looking for a specific bluenet. "Where is Tetsuya?" He asked with confusion.
"He's gone." Came the silent whisper. He didn't know who said it but in that moment, the entire Generation of Miracles, except Kuroko, felt a chill run down their backs.