swan_forest | Unrequited Love?

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kise ryouta

Unrequited Love?

Kaijou and Seirin had just had their first practice match, which was shaping up to be a tradition of sorts. This time, Kaijou had gone to Seirin. The gym was nice, newer then Kaijou's but maybe not as big.

He was breathing heavily, but smiling broadly. It always felt good to play, even if it was just a practice match and they weren't going all out. After all, he wanted to keep some of his new tricks up his sleeves, just like he was sure Kagami and Kuroko were hiding some of their new tricks too. This year's match had ended in a draw. Better than last year's practice match, which had ended in Kaijou's loss by two points.

Just thinking about Kuroko made Kise look over to the Seirin team, focusing in on the smaller boy.

For awhile now Kise had realized that he had feelings for Kuroko. Kise had looked up to Kuroko for awhile, but it wasn't really until after the Winter Cup that Kise realized he was probably in love with Kuroko.

He took a towel that one of the first years offered him. "Thanks," he said absently. He scrubbed at his face, his thoughts racing. He had been thinking about Kuroko a lot lately, and seeing him only brought those thoughts back to the surface, only pushed aside when the game had begun. Now with the game over he couldn't focus. The warm glow in his chest that came whenever he thought about Kuroko was back with a vengeance.

The Kaijou team was gathering their things and getting ready to board the bus. He told the first year that he'd be along in a bit and began to head over to the Seirin team.

"Kurokocchi~" he called out. No time like the present, he thought. He didn't know if Kuroko would return his feelings, but he was hopeful. The time Kuroko had cheered him on while he went up against Haizaki stood out in his mind.

"Kurokocchi! You got a minute?"

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The days pass by quietly with first semester exams coming and going at the end of the June. Kuroko is eager to help Seirin craft a more intense training program now that exams are behind them and Interhigh looms on the horizon. It'll be the first major tournament they play without him and it's a little painful, but he hopes he can help lead the team to victory, even if it's from the sidelines.

Even with all the hubbub of drawing up exercise programs and new strategies, he needs to find time to visit his prospective schools. His mother was the one who thought it was a good excuse to tie both his visit to Ryuuzaki University with a sidequest to the famous Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival.

The weekend of Tanabata starts off sunny and pleasantly warm and is the perfect weather to tour the university in. Kuroko makes sure to send off a text in the morning that details the time and place they should meet later in the evening. Later in the day, he sends off another text: Sorry, my parents will be joining us briefly at the start.

When the appointed hour rolls around, Kuroko is waiting across from the intersection where the festival starts, dressed in a white yukata with a simple pattern, tied off with an obi that matches his hair. He is flanked by his parents: his father, a side-swept gray-haired bespectacled man who is only slightly taller than he is, wrapped in a dark navy yukata in a white obi. His mother, a petite woman with a bob the same color as Kuroko's, wearing a white yukata decorated in sweeping visuals of indigo spider lilies. Her obi also matches Kuroko's, but it's tied elaborately in the shape of a flower.

Don't apologize! I've been wanting to meet them!

Kise's yukata was a cute thing, a birthday present from his sisters, who for some reason decided that he needed penguins.

He beamed at the Kuroko family when he saw them, waving his hand. "Kurokocchi!" he shouted as he headed over. "Over here!"

Kuroko raises a hand in greeting when he hears Kise's shout. His father seems to shrink into the background as he nears, while his mother beams at the blond's arrival. "Ah, finally, the infamous Kise-kun! Tetsuya so rarely brings his friends over"

"Mother..." Kuroko looks a little exasperated, but she ignores it entirely and gestures at herself.

"I'm very excited to meet you in particular! I'm Kuroko Sumire, this is my husband, Yoshifumi." He gives a simple nod of acknowledgement.

Kise bows to Kuroko's parents. "It's nice to meet you!" he said, beaming at them both. Probably a little too much for Kuroko's dad. "And I know! I've already invited him to my place, and I've been bugging him about inviting me over to meet you!"

He grins at Kuroko, all teasing. "Did you already visit the University?" he asked.

Sumire perks up. "Yes, I've always said Tecchan should bring his friends over more often. Kagami-kun is very sweet, but I feel like he spends more time over at his place than at home."

Kuroko will resist the teasing and scolding!! "I have to prioritize team meetings until the end of this month, Mother." He turns to Kise. "But, yes, we spent the day there - The literature department was very nice and I enjoyed touring the campus."

"Kagamicchi is noisy though, so Kurokocchi is probably sparing your ears."

And Kise is already bonding with Sumire. Kise has this effect on older women. He puts on the charm for them. It's automatic.

"I'm glad!" he said, turning his attention to Kuroko. "So, what's your guys' plan for today?"

He answers with a simple, "I had planned on breaking away as soon as we arrived, but..."

"This is such a rare chance!" Sumire protests and motions at the festival. "Come now, I've heard the lines are quite awful here - how about my boys go ahead and buy some food for us while I go to secure a table with Kise-kun?"

Kuroko looks like he wants to protest, but Yoshifumi claps a hand on his shoulder and nods. "We'll be back before you know it. Come, Tetsuya, the sooner we finish..." Kuroko gives Kise an apologetic look before disappearing into the crowd.

Sumire happily starts walking towards the seating area. "Apologies about stealing you away, Kise-kun, but Tecchan can be so reticent about his school life. I won't keep you long, promise!"

"That sounds good," Kise said, looking at Kuroko. "Here, let me give you some money. You know what I like."

He pulled out his wallet and handed Kuroko some bills. "You know I eat more," he said before the other boy could argue.

He watched as Kuroko as and his father went, then aimed his smile at Sumire. "I won't tell you his deepest secrets," he said. "But I'll answer what I can."

Kuroko will definitely find a way to slip this money back to him without noticing.

Sumire starts with a deep bow. "Firstly, thank you to you and your agency. I suspected his injuries a few months ago had been related to the photo, yes? But he was refused to elaborate - the school's report as well was rather vague and tried to ascribe blame to both parties, but Kagami-kun tells me it started because the other boy had made unsavory comments about you in particular."

Edited 2023-07-05 19:53 (UTC)

"Ah," Kise began and looked to the side. "You don't owe me any thanks for that, since it was my fault."

He doesn't know what else to say about that. "Kurokocchi didn't tell me about it eather, Kagamicchi is a better source of information on Kurokocchi than Kurokocchi himself."

"I wouldn't say it's your fault at all, Kise-kun! I thought it was a very heartfelt image, but it clearly was taken without your permission."

She will be firm about that as she continues weaving her way through crowd with him in tow, placing a hand on her cheek as she tilts her head in thought.

"Tecchan has always been quite a serious child, but I feel like he's closed himself off a little more since middle school... I figured it was just part of growing up, like a rebellious teenager phase?"

Kise doesn't look convinced, but he knows better than to argue with a mother.

"Kurokocchi is a serious person," he agreed.

He didn't know if he should comment on Kuroko closing himself off since middle school. He knew they had hurt him. He tries to understand exactly what happened, but it was better not to touch it for now.

"He's been serious. He didn't hold back when he taught me basketball."

"Yes, I remember those times. He complained about you often, but also praised you in kind. I think he rather enjoyed being your mentor. You might be his favorite."

Kise pouts. "I'm pretty sure Aominecchi was his favorite. But Kurokocchi was mine."

He looked over to where Kuroko and his father disappeared. "But I do think he's a good teacher. I thought he'd be a good coach one day."

She laughs.

"His relationship with Aomine-kun is different, no? He likes you a lot, too."

Sumire mirrors his pout at that comment. "I thought so as well! He's very good with kids, I thought he'd be well-suited to be teacher or coach!"

"Yeah," Kise said. "He's my best friend."

"But he did say you wanted him to be a teacher, though he said he wanted to make his own path. I'm kinda thinking he'll end up a professor of literature at this rate, but who knows how it's going to go? A lot of people change their minds about things between starting and graduating university."

He hummed again. "I don't even know what my field of study will be. I know I'll go to a school in America, and I'll play basketball; I've already got offers, but I don't know about my 'major' yet."

"I know I shouldn't pressure him, but he would really be wonderful at it..." She sighs. "But it's not like I disapprove of the path he's choosing to take. His grandmother has really cultivated a love of reading in him. It makes a lot of sense."

She taps a finger to her chin. "Luckily, you do have time to explore your options. Are you interested in the other side of basketball? Perhaps sports medicine would be up your alley."

"I don't think sports medicine would be a good fit," Kise said. "I'm very bad at math. I have worse grades than Kurokocchi."

He bites his lips. "I don't know what I'd do outside of basketball. Before, I thought I'd stay a model and maybe take up photography. But I don't particularly care about cameras. I know how to take good pictures, though.

"But the best basketball players stay active well into their thirties. The oldest to retire was forty-five, but most retire at forty. I can't imagine being that old. That's more than twice how old I am now."

"Do you enjoy the act of being the eye behind the camera? Or do you prefer to be in front of it? I think that makes a great difference."

Sumire laughs a little at his comment about age. "That's true, it does seem rather far off, doesn't it. It's very cliche to say, but pursue what makes you happy. You clearly love basketball - there will be ways to continue that, even if you are no longer an active player. Life is not a set path and things will happen that will change even the most stubborn of your own internal rules."

"No, not really," Kise said after a moment to consider. "I like being the center of attention."

He pouted a bit at the laugh. It is hard to think about! "It's hard to think about it," he said. "But I do know I'll do it as long as I can."

"Maybe you need a subject or muse to unlock a deeper interest in photography. Try taking pictures of things or people you like."

She claps her hands together. "Of that I'm sure! Tecchan will be happy to hear - he's working very hard at English nowadays so he can keep up with you all."

"I'll think about it. I guess I'll just have to discover it by accident."

Kise shrugged again, a fluid careless motion, mostly to convince himself he was okay with it. And mostly, he is. So long as he doesn't think too hard about it.

"I told him he's free to crash at my place when ever he visits."

"Thank you for that!" They finally make their way over to the tables and she situates herself at an empty one, patting the spot next to her. "I was very worried for him when he was younger, I felt bad he inherited my terribly low presence - he was so shy and oft overlooked. He only really had Ogiwara-kun before they moved away, so I'm glad Tecchan has so many caring friends surrounding him now."

Ogiwara was the boy Kuroko was friends with and their last opponent in middle school. He remembered that.

Was that why Kuroko hated that game so much? They hadn't really done anything different from other games. He understands that way of basketball was toxic. But he never understood why Kuroko chose that game to make a stand about. He still doesn't understand.

But he hasn't thought about it much. Just learned to better.

"He does," Kise said with a smile. "A lot!"

"I think he focuses too much on supporting others and does not allow people to do for the same for him. So, please, continue to take good care of him." Sumire trusts Kise, especially, with this task!

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