"I joined Teiko's basketball team." He said.
She stared blankly at him before nodding. He knows she hated basketball, but he liked it. She was in no place to stop him from doing what he liked.
"I joined the Literature Club by the way." She answered...
Shinako tilted her head up to the sky. "Hmm, fate is really cruel."
↯
"All the best, guys," Shinako said with an encouraging smile. Usually, she'd tell them to win and crush the other team. But, this time, she wasn't so sure about their victory.
She sat down silently on the bench, studying her opponents. But instead, her gaze was burning holes through the captain of Rakuzan's head. A.k.a., Akashi Seijuro.
He changed so much yet didn't change at all.
Oh, the irony.
He doesn't even remember what we had, Shinako thought, fiddling with her hair. Yes, it hurt. It hurt so much. But she couldn't do anything to numb the pain. All she could do is stare at him in hopes of him remembering.
She watched as Shintaro and Seijurou stood in front of each other, having their own conversation.
Something about Seijurou's eye gave her the creeps. It was like, there was another person controlling his body. And the old Seijurou was simply... dead.
"Then we will now start the 1st match of Winter Cup semi-finals. We will commence the match between Rakuzan High School and Shutoku High School."
Shinako spaced out as she thought about the worst scenario. They lose. Seijurou doesn't return back to normal. She slapped herself before her imagination could go further and her cry. No. We'll win. We can do it. But somehow, she felt as if she should stop lying to herself.
Right after the tip-off, the ball was given to Kazunari who passed it to Shintaro, getting the first points for Shutoku.
We can do it. I know we can.
↯
"I will gouge out both of my eyes and give them to you."
Shinako grimaced at his words. The way he said sounded as if he would really do it. If he would, Shinako didn't know. She didn't want to know. She couldn't believe the person -monster- Seijurou had become.
It seemed so fictitious. If she told this to herself two years ago, she would've thought the current Shinako was crazy. But it isn't. It's the real world. And her Seijurou was gone.
↯
"Top four, huh. Well, I was expecting something like that. We did pretty well against that Rakuzan."
Usually, Shintaro would tell Kazunari to shut up but this time, he was silent.
"Eh?" Kazunari said, turning around to look at Shintaro. "Is Shin-chan heartbroken?"
Silence.
"But sorry," Kazunari said, turning back around. "I can't really comfort you now."
"Hmph. I would think so."
Shinako walked towards the first years, already finished hugging the rest.
"But, me too. It's really frustrating... losing."
"Come here, nii-chan," Shinako said with a soft smile, already hugging Kazunari who was sobbing softly on her shoulder.
She hugged both of them, trying desperately to keep her own tears in as she heard their sniffles and their tears soaked her shirt.
"You'll get him next time," she said, not knowing what else to say.
↯
"Excuse me. Can I talk to Sei -- Akashi?" Shinako said quick to correct her mistake.
The tall basketball player turned to look at her, his hair swaying dramatically making Shinako frown.
"Sei-chan?"
Shinako nodded, fiddling with the tip of her hair.
"Oh? Sei-chan! There's someone looking for you!" He 'shouted' - it didn't sound like a shout because the volume of his voice was the same. He turned back to her with a smile, "Just a second."
Seijurou appeared behind the bus, his face emotionless as if the victory was nothing to him. Like it was just a part of his daily routine. Maybe because it was.
"Midori, it's good to see you after so long," Seijurou said with a smile, making her cringe.
Mibuchi took that as a sign to leave, a small smirk on his lips.
"Nice to see you too, Akashi-kun," Shinako said, not liking the way 'Akashi' tasted on her tongue. She wanted to call him Seijurou but she knew she couldn't. She didn't know him well enough anymore.
"Why did you call me out here?" Seijurou said, going straight to the point.
"I-I-I..." Shinako stuttered.
She didn't even know why she was here. Why was she here? Her mind was wiped blank upon gazing at him.
"If you have nothing to say, I'll be going."
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As he walked away, Shinako grabbed the sleeve of his shirt, stopping him from going further away.
"Akashi. Do you remember me?"
"Yes. You are Shintaro's sister," he said bluntly, staring into her light green eyes with his mismatched ones.
"What happened to you, Sei?" She whispered, staring at him. Trying to find the real Seijurou beneath the wall he put up.
For a second, his eye flickered and they were red again.
But when Shinako blinked, they were gone. Replaced by his yellow soulless eye.
"Nothing," he stated. "Nothing at all."
She looked down, trying to prevent the tears from escaping her eyes. "Oh. Then, I'll be going now. Goodbye, Akashi."
She turned away and walked quickly. But as she walked, there was some part of her hoping that Seijurou would stop her.
