The Seventh (Kuroko no Basket FanFic)

Chapter Eleven

Himeko's POV

"Kuroko-kun," I said. Kuroko turned around.

"You seem different."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You're not your usual self and it has been going on for days. I thought of you as an invisible person, not really speaking his mind. I was just wondering if I was wrong."

Surprisingly, Kuroko smiled.

Here we are in the living room. I was previously watching television, resting, and Kuroko was reading a book. My fever has gone down thanks to some chicken soup Kise-kun brought me but I was nowhere close to a full recovery. Luckily, Kuroko has been kind and patient. Now all I wanted was an answer.

"I am a shadow," he started. "A shadow always needs light to be existent. When I met you, you noticed my presence unlike how other people usually do. I saw that you were also a shadow, one darker than I, yet you resembled a light brighter than anyone else's. I didn't know which part to play, all I know is that I wanted to have a role in your life. You’re a great friend and a kind person.”

What Kuroko-kun said took me by surprise. Obviously, he very much deserved an explanation.

"I’m quite confused as well. I don’t know what part to play. All my life, I was pressured to shine my brightest. I wanted to make people happy so I shined.”

"Then why is it that you seem so depressed? Your light is dimming…"

Was I prepared to answer his question? I took a deep breath.

I was. 

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Kuroko's POV

What Miyuki-chan told me shocked me. It brought about emotions of pity and anger.

"My father no longer acknowledges me as his daughter. I am now nothing but a disgrace."

Just those two sentences brought tears to Miyuki's eyes.

"M-Miyuki-chan," I stuttered, not really knowing what to say. She sat up and sighed. I wiped her tears for her as she showed a small smile. She continued her story.

"I objected his demands, and he hated it. His stress sunk into his brain and corrupted him, and then he told me to leave the household. He even argued with my mother who just wanted to defend me. I had no choice, and neither did my mom. She was mad at my father, but she still loved him and I didn't want to make things worse than it already was so I left."

Tears kept streaming down her eyes. I hugged her and stroked her hair, trying to calm her down.

"You know the worse thing?" Miyuki-chan said. "I wanted to leave years ago. I never experienced love from my father. He never said 'I Love You' to me. Holidays were non-existent in our household. Birthdays were nothing but numbers added to our age. Yet I never left. I kept hurting and now I'm questioning myself why I never left before, or why I never even talked to him about it. I was scared - no, I was terrified. I just wanted to feel his love but everything was passive."

She lived a very rough and complicated life. Whether she was a shadow or a light didn't matter anymore, she kept growing darker and darker.

We stayed silent for a while as Miyuki-chan sobbed. I kept trying to calm her and was glad that it was working. After a few minutes, she stopped and took a deep breath. I smiled at her.

"I have decided."

"Decided on what?" she asked me and I answered.

"Your shadow will grow darker and your light will grow brighter. I'll support you and be both your shadow and light. I'll help you through this.”