Weightless Phantom

Chapter 7: Taking Notice

The sounds of retching and coughing filled the small school bathroom on the second floor at the far north end for several minutes towards the end of lunch period. It was a common occurrence over the past two weeks. Then the sound of a flushing toilet mixed with a few sobs before water gushed from the sink faucet. Then it was quiet. Almost eerily quiet. A teal haired boy with a sickly greyish complexion, matching his ghostly lack of presence, and a baggy uniform would step out or sometimes stumble. His eyes were always faintly red around the edges and his cheek bulged ever so slightly from the presence of a mint in his mouth. His shoulders drooped, but only noticeable if one really looked at him, which was quite a task.

If anyone ever heard the strange noises, they didn't comment or investigate. If anyone saw the boy, they didn't mention it. But of course, no one saw him. That particular bathroom was always deserted around that time of day save for the tealnette. It was the perfect place to keep such a dirty secret.

It was dirty. It was disgusting. Although there was always a faint bit of relief afterwards, Kuroko felt repulsed by it in the end, almost as much as his body repulsed him. The fat that still seemed to cling to his bones was nauseating. Sometimes, he wished he was blind so he wouldn't have to see it anymore. Ultimately, his body disgusted him more than the purging, so he didn't stop.

He couldn't stop. Like starving, it had become a part of him....far too quickly. It took less than a week for the act to become routine. He could blame it on Akashi if he wanted to. The redhead was the one who kept personally dragging him to lunch and making sure he ate, but he didn't want to blame Akashi. It wasn't Akashi's fault that Kuroko was so weak and disgusting. It wasn't Akashi's fault that he didn't understand he was part of Kuroko's motivation for doing this, part of why Kuroko needed to starve. None of it was Akashi's fault. Kuroko's weakness was no one's fault but his own.

At least his body was adjusting. He was managing practice again without too much trouble. He had fainted twice since the first time, but he recognized the warning signs now. He could make it to a safe place before he lost consciousness, so no one was ever the wiser. His biggest issue at the moment was the fact he had only lost three pounds in the past two weeks. It was so little; it might have been water weight for all he knew.

As he walked his way back to the classroom, he let his left hand reach across till the fingers could pinch the flesh between his protruding ribs and hip bone. It had become a bit of a habit, pinching his flesh to remind himself of the fat that still clung desperately to his frame. He never pinched hard, just enough to feel the fat roll between his fingers. Just enough to disgust him and renew his resolve.

Lost in his world of self-deprecating thoughts, he never noticed the red eyes following his movements from the door of a classroom.

By the time Kuroko returned to his classroom, Aomine and Kise had returned as well. Kise stopped his usual banter with Aomine to cast Kuroko a worried glance which the tealnette ignored. Kuroko dropped his body into his seat and rested his head on his crossed arms atop the desk. His throat ached and his voice had become hoarse over the past few days so he avoided speaking as much as possible. Few took note of this however because he was never much of talker to begin with. A few less words was hardly a significant change, and with his sickly pallor, most would likely assume he had a bad bug.

Kuroko hoped class would start soon. He hoped Kise would get the hint that he was too tired to talk and keep away.

Hopes are easily crushed.

Kise was already walking towards him with the same worried look, brows slightly furrowed, eyes slightly widened, and lips pressed tightly into a thin line. The blond pulled a chair over so he could sit next to Kuroko before gently prodding the latter's arms.