The Love That She Hides ~Teiko Middle School Era~

Chapter 25: Emotions (Unedited)

Katsumi POV...

"Faster! Faster! Fasterrrrr!!" Satsu-nee yells at the boys on the treadmill. Today they will be improving their stamina while wearing weights, which I included. I saw all of them sweating and it had only been an hour. They were supposed to keep this up until they reached the max speed. And when they reach that speed, they will need to run for an additional 30 minutes before they can get off.

"Aomine-kun run properly, Kise-kun straightens your back, Muraskibara-kun if you give up I won't let you have dessert." I look at them while doing the same training but the only difference was wearing more weights. 

I look at them lined up perfect;y in front of me while I ran on my treadmill in front of them. "Why *pant* do *pant* n't Kur *pant* okocchi *pant* have to *pant* do this *pant* ssu!" Kise tries to say while he pants for his life afterwards.

The wrong choice to even speak Kise-kun. I let out a sigh before looking at the far corner in front of me. I sweatdropped to see that Kuroko-kun was struggling to pull down the Lat Pull-Down machine but I like to call it LPD for short. I saw him hanging down the bar which you were supposed to pull down. All he had to do was pull it down thrice before he can leave and all he did was zero so far. I don't think he's ready for that as yet. Just then I remembered what Kise-kun had asked.

"He is not as strong as you. He's Aomine-kun's phantom and he needs to improve his passes." I said. He holds great potential. He will soon beat the GoM later on but it depends on how much he improves and the rest.

I stopped my treadmill and started to slow down my pace before getting off. I walk to Satsu-nee and whispered, 'I'll leave the rest to you.' I went to Kuroko to see him given up. He sat in a slumped position while facing the ground. He had just broken a rule of playing basketball.

"Kuroko," I said while getting into a crouched position. 

"I couldn't do it," He said with a broken voice. Then I had realised how serious it was. "I couldn't do it." He said again. I saw a tear fall down to the training room's wooden floor.

I let out a soft smile before saying," Kuroko, why do you feel so helpless?" I ask him. "Do you always think that to yourself," He slowly raise his head. "Don't you know you've broken a rule in basketball?" I look at him. "You've broken the rule of never giving up." He looks at me with tears in his eyes.

"Keeping your emotions bottled up like that is not good you know," I tried to joke hoping he will cheer up. "Come with me." I stood up and held my hand to him. He wiped away his tears and curled his lips into a small visible smile. He places his hands on mine and at that moment I dragged him out of the training room.

I made several twists and turns before stopping in front of the indoor basketball court. I pushed open the doors and dragged him inside after closing it. "Stay here I'll be back in a minute." I ran off again when I realised I had forgotten to take what I needed in the training room.

~~♡~~

I dropped the duffel bag down and zipped it open. Kuroko stood by my side looking at me pulling out boxing gloves and a pair of punching mitts. 

"Momoi-kun, what is that for?" The clueless phantom asks. I gave him the black boxing gloves and clipped in the pair of punching mitts into my hand.

"You'll see now come," I said to him. I walked to the middle of the court while getting into position. "Now lower yourself a bit more," I told him while examining his position. "Bend your knees more now perfect," I said looking at him and his confused face.

"Here is what I want you to do, I need you to punch me with all your strength," HIs eyes showed worry them. "I need you to do that while yelling why you feel useless." My blunt sentence made his eyes widen. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" He looks at me.

"Don't get the wrong idea this exercise is to release your emotions that you keep bottled up. If you never release it how will I know how you feel and to improve it," He started to think. "So I need you to punch me with all you got while yelling your thoughts." I soften my voice a bit.

"Don't worry I won't get hurt." He looks up and locked his eyes with mine. He whispers a soft thank you before he releases a punch to my hands.

~~♡~~

"I hate how I can't improve!" He releases another punch. I'm surprised to have Kuroko still going on. It has been some time now but yet he is continuing to release his emotions that are bottled up. "Why do I always have to be useless!" He shouts. He looks at my punching mitts like it was his prey.

He continues to shout and punch as I thought. He just didn't fully become aware of what he is capable of. If he does the right training them his strength and stamina will improve tremendously but sometimes, there are those people out there who are just meant to be the same.

He let go of his final punch and started to pant. Sweat was dripping down his fatigued body as he pants. He fell to the ground and sat there catching his breath. I got down into a sitting position waiting for him.

Once he finally stops, I opened my mouth to speak. "How do you feel." I lock my dark pink eyes with his baby blue's waiting for him to speak.

"I feel much better." He returned to his normally emotionless face.

"Now it's time for me to make you realise something," He waits for me to speak. "You are not useless and will never be," Everything was silent as Kuroko widens his eyes a bit. "The only people who think you are useless are those who are blinded by the fact of winning without the use of teamwork," That was true. So very true and Kuroko will realise it very soon. "But if that ever happens to you I want you to go to another team. A team where teamwork is important and where you can find your other light. I will like you to bring the other team back to the light so that they will know that winning isn't always everything." I just hope it never happens to him.

"But how will I bring them back?' The curious phantom asks.

"That is for you to know," I said before answering the rest of his questions.