Coming Back [Kuroko no Basket]

Who's Kiyoshi?

Silence engulfed the team as they sat in the locker room, depressed from the loss they just experienced. Trying to get them back on their feet, Riko reminded them that they still had two more games against Meisei and Senshinkan.

"We don't have time to be sad!"

As everyone filed out of the locker room, Kagami stayed back to talk to Kuroko while Nakamura sat next to him, wanting to comfort him. 

"Hey.... This might be our limit."

Surprised that Kuroko kept his poker face after hearing that, Nakamura could only watch as he continued to stare straight ahead at the lockers in front of him.

"I thought we could have gone further. But look at us.......... In the face of overwhelming power, I don't think we can win just by working together."

Kuroko finally flinched after hearing that, dropping his act, and turned to face Nakamura after she touched his shoulder. Staring at each other, neither moved until Nakamura wrapped her arms around Kuroko, bringing him in for a hug. She knew he was at a loss now, seeing his basketball didn't work against Aomine, and didn't want to hear him lie saying that he was okay. Easing into the hug, Kuroko wrapped his arms around her waist, tightening his hold as he buried his face into her shoulder. He didn't know what to do now, because Aomine was right about his style of basketball. You haven't changed at all since middle school, meaning you haven't improved. Akashi was right after all. Your style of basketball will never win. Nakamura tightened her hold on him, hoping that she was somehow easing his pain and that Kuroko would figure out what to do.

With the remaining two games left, Kagami was forced to sit out on them by Nakamura and Riko and everyone on the bench watched as Kuroko's passes got more and more inaccurate. Losing both matches against Meisei and Senshinkan, Seirin had lost their chance at the Inter-High. Bringing Kagami to a hospital, Riko stood and listened as the doctor told him that he needed two weeks of complete rest if he didn't want to destroy his body that was still developing. Thanking the doctor, they took their leave and met with the rest of the team outside, Riko repeating what the doctor had told her. As they all headed home, Riko stayed at the back of the group, which was unusual to see for Nakamura, and noticed she was texting someone. Not paying any more attention to it, Nakamura turned around to face forward, only to have her eyes land on Kuroko's back.

~The Next Day~

Nakamura was amused to see Riko giving an innocent smile to the team members as she suggested that they multiple their practice by three times more than usual. As everyone tried to tell her that they would actually die, especially when they had just finished a match, Riko just gave another innocent smile as she held up four fingers, asking them, "What was that? You want it to be four times more than usual?". Everyone immediately turned around, pretending that they didn't hear her say that, and got ready for practice. 

Nakamura watched as they got ready to start the practice match, seeing Tsuchida and Koganei get together and claim that they were going to stop Kuroko today. Laughing a little to herself, she watched as Tsuchida and Koganei couldn't handle Kuroko's unexpected passes, seeming to act like themselves, but she knew that it wouldn't be easy for the team to rebound from their loss so quickly. Especially Kuroko. Watching him during the practice match, she noticed that his heart wasn't into it. Although his passes seemed accurate, his eyes seemed a little lifeless to her. Trying to get the team to get over the loss, Riko blew her whistle and told them to gather around her.

"Everyone, do you remember what you said when you joined the team?"

The team froze as they remembered what Riko had told them when joining the club, that if they failed to meet their goals, they would strip down their clothes and confess to their crush naked.