In Shadows | Kuroko no Basket Fan Fiction

30. Long Awaited

In Shadows
Chapter Thirty
Long Awaited

Shuutoku lost to Rakuzan.

Midorima lost to Akashi.

Gina absently thought about the previous match as Seirin left the benches to continue their warmups. Ensuring that everyone had their towels, drink bottles and other items sorted wasn't the most entertaining of jobs, and the Shuutoku/Rakuzan match seemed to weigh much heavier on her mind.

Rakuzan was strong. Akashi Seijuuro was strong.

She'd only seen the last quarter as Seirin appeared from the lockers to prepare to go on court, but what she'd seen had made her heart falter, and made dread settle in the pit of her stomach.

Shuutoku had fought barely, with determination. Midorima and Takao had been particularly impressive, with their catch-shoot combination that utilised Midorima's shots and Takao's fast passes. Midorima would enter shooting motion before the ball entered his hands and Takao would pass it right into his hands as he shot. It was an impressive duo; it was like they were Shuutoku's own light and shadow.

But Rakuzan continued, Akashi dominating and leading the way. Gina had balked when she saw the use of what Kuroko said was Akashi's Emperor Eye - a skill that came from skilled observation of the smallest movements of an opponent, allowing him to see how his opponent would move in a few seconds, and allowed him to steal balls or make offensive moves based on what the opponent was doing. Gina had bit her lip when she heard that - it sounded almost impossible to surprise Akashi, who had even between able to thwart Midorima and Takao's plays. 

But what was more terrifying was the large presence he'd had on the court. He was only a first year, but no one seemed to care that he was captain - everyone accepted it, even the three Uncrowned Kings that played. 

And she'd experienced that commanding presence up close, too.

The meeting had been brief, and occurred on the ten-minute interval that marked the halfway point of the match. At that time, Rakuzan and Shuutoku had been drawn - which made the final score of 70-86 more astounding. 

When Seirin had walked on to court to begin warm ups, they'd passed by Rakuzan and, of course, Akashi.

Upon seeing Kuroko, the redhead's lips had turned upwards into a smirk. "It's been awhile since the opening ceremonies, Tetsuya," he'd said.

The tone of his voice had been sharp, and right to the point, and filled with that commanding aura that seemed to constantly hang around Akashi Seijuuro. Gina hadn't realised she'd taken a step closer to Kuroko until she brushed shoulders with him. It wasn't that she was afraid - she just had no idea how to interact with Rakuzan's captain, having never crossed paths with him until a few days ago, on the steps of the stadium. She felt safer with Kuroko, who had actually known Akashi for four years.

Kuroko's eyes narrowed as he met the gaze of his former captain, staring directly at his heterochromic eyes. "Yes, Akashi-kun."

They could have left it there, if Kagami hadn't walked up and started talking - mostly likely without thinking about what he was about to say first.

"You can't have forgotten about me," the taller redhead snapped, narrowing his eyes. Gina sucked in a breath and wished he could stop, but knew that it wouldn't happen. "Kise and you... I'll kick both your asses!"

Oh dear lord. Gina watched Akashi, and saw no obvious change to his expression, though it felt like the air had grown a little colder. 

"Of course I remember you, Kagami Taiga," Akashi said coolly. "I'll give you one warning, though. Only those subservient to me are allowed to speak without changing their line of sight." He reached out his arm and rested a hand on Kagami's shoulder. "I don't allow anyone acting against me to look down on me. Lower you head."