MiRACLE (KnB Fanfic)

4.

"You've got to be shittin' me right now."

He leaps, and brings his arm up strong, hooking the ball toward the rim. It goes in, and he drops to the ground, staggering off balance for two steps before he scoops the ball up, bringing it down to dribble toward the other goal.

He passes it through his feet, feints past an invisible opponent, and spins sharply before bumping up for a fadeaway.

"Not just any anime, a basketball anime ? Talk about plot convenience, please let me wake up," he mutters under his breath, brushing aside an armful of sweat under his chin. "And heck, it's that one anime I hated cause it made no fuckin' sense."

He didn't even finish it. Why did he have to end up here, of all places? Well, at least he could play basketball here... wait.

"Ack!" The ball slips from his hold mid-throw, bounces off the hoop.

He rests his hands on his knees, and breathes heavily, trying to catch his breath.

"Crap, if I play basketball, I might mess up the story," he realizes, "and since I didn't finish it, I don't know shit about it and I don't know what to avoid."

Alright, step one, don't go near weirdly-coloured hair people.

A beat.

"Holy crap, my hair is indigo!! " he screams,as if he's just realized.

This day couldn't get any worse.

-

"You really need to stop playing until you collapse, Aisaka-kun."

This isn't the first time he's met Kuroko out in this same court. In fact, Aisaka is here so often, Kuroko is mildly under the belief that Aisaka lives here.

Aisaka, lying flat on the ground and breathing heavily as he stares into a streetlight, groans. Kuroko frowns at his exhausted state.

"Ogiwara's not with you today?" Aisaka asks, throwing his upper body upright. "That's rare."

He's been seeing Kuroko more often, mainly because this is the only street court that isn't always occupied by high-schoolers, and it's near to his house. Kuroko and Ogiwara frequent this very same court, and Aisaka didn't have the right to tell them to go away.

They were friends as much as they were neighbours. Not close at all, but they're decently well-acquainted due to a shared interest.

"We're not always together," Kuroko insists, "we just meet occasionally, like you and me."

"Is that so," it's not a question, but Aisaka yawns, realizes the basketball is by his feet, and scoops it up to toss at the blue-haired boy. "I'm fine. I do nothing else all day."

"That's still not healthy."

"Well I have to spend my time on something , don't I?"

"I'm rather sure 'something' can not include 'play basketball until I cannot move', Aisaka-kun."

Aisaka stares incredulously at the boy, as if he'd just been told to stop breathing. Kuroko sighs longsufferingly, the ball rocking back and forth in his palm.

Okay, so Aisaka is in an anime. He's currently looking at the main character of the show, but right now, he sucks in everything except scaring the living daylights of people. Ogiwara is probably in Level fifty-five of 'you have unlocked shadow boy's backstory', which Aisaka has conveniently not read or watched at all, and Aisaka couldn't give a shi-- okay, maybe he has to. Kuroko's a nice guy.

"Okay then, I guess we're not playing today," the blue-haired boy decides, "let's go get a drink or something."

The indigo-haired boy leaps, horrified, "but why?"

"Because you're exhausted already."

"I'm not! I can keep going!"

Kuroko hears none of it. He walks away, basketball in hand, and he picks up his bag. "Let's go to Maji Burger's for a milkshake," and he turns to leave.

Aisaka is stupefied for a horrid three seconds before he hops to his feet, scoops up a bag, and trails after the boy who took his basketball away from him. "Wait for me!"

-

Aisaka couldn't remember anything of the show, but seriously, who would've thought that was important?

But at this point, Aisaka wonders if he needs to care. Maybe he doesn't. He lives here now, imaginary or not and no matter how stupid this situation sounds.

This place was a basketball mania's epitome of hell. Overpowered characters come in hordes, and what can Aisaka, a normal, do?

No, Aisaka breaks into an amused grin as he realizes-- if anything, he's not normal. He's the reincarnation of a basketball star that took the world by flames and earned his home some fame.

He is a basketball player , and here he was, facing the desecration of the purity of this sport. Desecration may be too strong a word, but the meaning remains.

Once upon a time, he thought his life was over.

His body was shattered and his mind was broken. His hopes were nonexistent, as if the gods themselves had given up on him.

But now he has a chance. Another chance, a dream he can finally make come true, and even if it's in a messed up, ridiculous world like this one-- it's enough.

It's enough that he can even walk .

It's enough that he can stand up, stretch, and take a deep breath that doesn't hurt.

-

"Hey, Kuroko," Aisaka sips on his own milkshake-- strawberry-- and sits across from the blue-haired boy. "Where are you going for Junior High?"

The boy seems a little taken aback to get the question.

"I haven't decided," Kuroko says, "Ogiwara-kun, however, is considering Meiko."

Aisaka raises an eyebrow at that. That sounded awfully familiar, yet not at all. But he doesn't remember seeing the name of that school around town.

"Meiko?" he asks.

"It's in Kyoto," Kuroko explains, "his family is moving next year, for work."

Aisaka sputters, " what??"

"It's in Kyoto, and--"

"No, I heard that part!" Aisaka snaps, "he's moving away?"

Kuroko blinks, looking up from him milkshake, a little surprised, "...we didn't tell you?"

"No you didn't! Give me back my last three months of friendship!"

"I'm considering it."

"I have physically suffered damage. Please compensate for my agony."

"I'm already paying for your strawberry milkshake."

"Yeah, that's enough."

They stay in silence for a moment, before Aisaka breaks into laughter. Kuroko manages a smile at that.

They haven't known each other for long at all-- less than a year with only basketball to talk about, and yet-- they thoroughly enjoyed their friendship with each other.

"Let's go to the same Junior High," Aisaka decides, a shot in the wild. Because he was new to this world and, as far as Kuroko knew, he was new to the concept of school . It would make sense if he wanted a guide to lead him through his experience.

He doesn't expect it when Kuroko agrees.