(ENG) KUROKO NO BASKET ONESHOTS

KUROKO X READER - SHADOWS

Sitting on a bench beside the court, you watch your schoolmates' basketball practice. Your goal as a responsible manager should be taking notes on the players and their improvements, but lately you couldn't do that anymore. A while ago you were the precise analyst that paid attention to each and every detail and wrote it down on her white and light blue binder. Today, however, you're detached. Far away, on another planet even. And that's because the basketball club is not the same as it was.

"Hi (name-san)."

"Oh, hi Tetsu." – you greet your teammate, that has just taken a seat next to you.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you?" – he asks, reading your mind.

"If you're talking about the basketball club, I totally do." – you sadly answer – "We must do something, Tetsu. We must save our Teiko."

"You're right. It's not been the same since Aomine-kun and Murasakibara-kun have stopped practicing with us."

"Shall we confront Akashi about it?"

Your friend answers with a nod, giving you the strength you need to take this little big step. Since Akashi has grown to be so arrogant, the atmosphere has become really tense and you have wanted to discuss it for a long time; you'd have done that if only the idea of refusing Akashi's methods hadn't looked a lot like signing your own death warrant. But now, knowing that you had Tetsu's support, the idea of convincing the captain doesn't look like a mirage anymore. A knowing look and you both get up to reach Akashi, Kise and Midorima in the changing room.

"(Name-san) get out of here immediately, nanodayo! You can't get inside the men's locker room!"

"Calm down, Midorima-cchi, if (name-cchi) is here there's surely a valid reason." – Kise says.

"Exactly. Tetsu and I would like to talk to you and Akashi."

"To me?" – the magenta-haired boy asks.

"Yes. We'd like to discuss the club's principles." – Kuroko answers.

"Why? Is there something you're not fine with?"

"You know Akashi, you can see a lot of things from the bench. I've always loved being a manager and working with you to lead the team to victory, and I've loved doing that because I could give my best while having fun. But I haven't felt that happiness in the last few months – and it's not just me and Tetsu, it's the whole Generation of Miracles. Aomine and Murasakibara have stopped training and only play during matches, and who stayed did that for duty's sake and not for pleasure: but that's not how it should be."

"Entertainment doesn't count, (name). Winning does: winners write history, losers are wiped from it. That's how it works, and it's written nowhere that victory implies fun."

"Winning isn't more important than having fun, Akashi-kun. If victory were the only thing that counted, I wouldn't be here today: I would have quit right after noticing my poor skills as a traditional player. But I held on, because in spite of all those missed shots I had fun playing basketball, practicing made me happy. When I got into first string and I had both pleasure and success... I had never been happier. Now I have crushing victories but fun is inexistent, and I don't think it's worth it."

Midorima and Kise look at you stunned, while Akashi doesn't seem to give up on his ideas.

"Akashi, I understand your desire to win. Everyone here wants the same, don't get us wrong. But the last two years, in which we had fun, we still won every match! Why can't things go on as before? Kise, Midorima, you too Akashi: do you really want to give up your smiles for a goal that you could achieve while maintaining them?" – you ask emphatically.

"Smiles here, happiness there... I've got enough of this nonsense. A smile never defeated anyone, there's not a single person that has entered history because they were smiling. If this club doesn't meet your taste anymore, then leave: you would only be an obstacle for those who want to work hard."

"Akashi-kun, are..."

"...are you serious?" – you ask, completely stunned, completing Kuroko's sentence.

"I don't think you've ever seen me joke, especially not about basketball. When victory is at stake, I don't look in anybody's face."

"Akashi-cchi, aren't you exaggerating?"

"No, Ryota. I'm not. Or you wish to join them, maybe?"

The blonde takes a step back: neither you nor Kuroko feel like blaming him for his choice, though. You leave the changing room, saying goodbye to the two players that chose to accept Akashi's rules. As you walk through the hallway tears stream down your faces and you instinctively grab each other's hands. You can't speak for a while but you both know that you made the right decision. It hurts, it really does: no one teaches you how heart-breaking it sometimes is to do what's best for you, you only figure it out when you try it on your own skin. Nonetheless, among the tears creeps a promise.

"Let's wait for high school, Tetsu. And let's show Akashi how wrong he is, together."

"Yes." – he says in a determined tone, returning your fist bump.

***

(Timeskip)

"I am a shadow."

Kuroko's phantom shot reaches Kagami's hands perfectly and he dunks the ball in the rim with all his strength. As the siren's sound echoes in the building, you and the whole Seirin team stare with your eyes wide open at the scoreboard: 106-105.

"We made it! We made it!"

"Hurray!"

"We've just defeated Rakuzan!"

"Good job guys!"

Deafening screams from Seirin's bench flood the court, the audience is in raptures and colourful confetti are thrown everywhere. On your face, the brightest of smiles. Still overwhelmed by your emotions you rush to your now boyfriend Kuroko, that's celebrating with his light, and you crush him with a hug. There are no words to describe such a moment: the championship's victory, your basketball style's victory, fun's victory. As soon as you let go of each other, Akashi reaches to you in tears and extends his hand.

"You've won, Seirin. Thank you."

Rakuzan's captain has lost today for the first time, yet he's smiling like he has never done before. That's it, the real victory.

And that's the second oneshot of this collection! I've always wondered  what could happen if Akashi kicked out of the club those who refused to accept his ideals, and this story stems right from this reasonings. I don't know if the "anime Akashi" would go this far, but it doesn't seem impossible to believe it. Basketball requires five athletes, you can't play alone, but for Akashi winning and "writing history rising above a bunch of deadbeats that hinder your goal" are his only aims during the Teiko years, aren't they? Anyways, let me know what you think!

Song: Shadows - Stefanie Heinzmann