take me home || akashi seijuro

chapter eleven

"What happened?"

That was how everyone welcomed me when met up with the basketball team a week before the Winter Cup. Everyone was present except for Kagami.

"How did it go?" Riko asked with a concerned look on her face. They seemed to be cautious in asking. My puffy eyes had probably something to do with it.

I admit, I was still hurt. My best friend just turned her back on me. She hates me and she had changed. Her harsh words were like a knife. It was a lot to take in so don't expect me to move on anytime soon.

"She's in Rakuzan." I whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. My voice trembled for some reason. "She's the manager."

"What?!" Riko exclaimed," Then... does that mean..." Her eyes wandered over to Kuroko who was spacing out.

"Yeah, I met them." Kuroko looked at me so I stared back. "Including Akashi."

"She doesn't want to come with you?" Kiyoshi asked which I responded with a nod.

I forced a smile on my face. "It's fine! I mean, it's natural for friends to drift apart for some time." I trailed off, looking down at my lap to avoid their eyes. I don't want to lie to their faces. "Besides, there's no need for me to mope around! I need to cheer for you guys!"

All of them stared at me for some time, deciphering my emotions, I guess. I kept the smile on my face to atleast assure them that I was fine. "Aria's right." Koganei-senpai chimed in and smiled back at me.

"Besides, Touou is your first opponent! You should focus on that!" I added. They mumbled words like yeah and right, agreeing with me. I raised my glass and yelled. "For Seirin!"

Everyone raised their glasses with big smiles on their faces. Of course, no one can miss the determination in their eyes. "For Seirin!"

I only remember some parts of their game against Aomine's team and I knew they would win. I just hope no one would ruin it. If Gabriel's warning was true then I should stick to being away and so should Dani.

After eating, we said our goodbyes to each other and gone our own ways. I was with Kuroko since he will be going the same path as me.

It was times like this I realized that it was always Kagami and I that would bicker and Kuroko would only jump in to break us apart.

"How's Akashi-kun?" He finally blurted without looking at me.

I turned to him but he kept looking forward so I stared ahead while I remember the encounters I had with Akashi. "He seems fine, I guess." and he's a fine man. I quickly erased that thought.

He nodded understandingly. From the corner of my eyes, I saw him turn to me with a smile. "I'm surprised you didn't clash."

Oh, if you only knew, Kuroko. "No, I'm sure he hates me and the feeling is mutual. He's the type of guy I wouldn't befriend especially with that attitude of his." That was half-true though but when flashbacks about my last day in Kyoto haunts me, I felt like I was lying. It doesn't seem right to say that I wouldn't befriend Akashi because, honestly, I know deep inside me that I like him to be my friend. I don't know about Akashi though. He don't seem to see me as a friend. Heck, I don't think he has a friend.

"He wasn't like that before," He mumbled. For some reason, I sensed the melancholy in his tone. He diverted his attention back to the front.

I did see parts of what happened to them before and how Akashi is in the present but my memory was muddled after seeing Dani. My eyes focused on Kuroko. He seems to hold the memories in Teiko in his heart and I felt glum. "Do you think he'll ever change?" I asked out of curiousity.