Those Heterochromatic Eyes (Kuroko no Basket - Akashi Seijuro Fan Fiction)

Chapter Thirty Six

She ran through the rowdy hallways of the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium at full speed, disregarding the annoyed grunts and the death stares she received from accidentally bumping into people's shoulders.

"He went outside and... he didn't look too well,"

Reo's words echoed in her mind as she scanned the outside of the gymnasium, hoping to spot a familiar redhead.

She looked through every corner, breath shallow from the sudden burst of cardio but the captain was still nowhere to be found.

She was beginning to get extremely worried until she saw scarlet at a distance. The name 'RAKUZAN' was boldly written on the back of a jersey, clearly indicating that it was most definitely the redhead she was searching for.

Without wasting any time, Sayuri ran towards his direction, dragging her worn-out legs until she could no longer feel them anymore.

"Seijuro!" she called out, as she finally reached him. He was leaning against the railings that overlooked the Shibuya river, his back facing her.

"Sei..." she whispered, reaching out to him cautiously. She couldn't even imagine just how devastated he must feel.

It's one thing to lose against your rival due to your own shortcomings, but it's another thing to witness your own teammate sabotage your team's hard work. He must be carrying tremendous guilt considering he was responsible for accepting Kaito into the first string.

She placed her hand on his shoulder, "Hey, are you okay? Talk to me please," she pleaded. His head was hung low and his hands were clasped together as it rests on the handrail.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, his natural reaction from feeling her warm touch, but he directed his attention back onto the calm river once more.

As she noticed the slight tremble in his hands and the pinkish tint in his golden eyes, she immediately knew that it was taking him everything to keep his composure.

She felt a sharp sting in her heart as she continued to observe the emotionally fragile boy, and she decided to push aside all of her hesitations as she pulled him into a warm embrace.

"It's okay, you did so well," she whispered, as she rubbed comforting circles on his back, "It's not your fault, Sei. It's really not."

Upon hearing her words, he pulled her closer to him and rested his forehead on the top of her shoulder. The way he held her in desperation said no many things about the intensity of his pain, and she couldn't help but hold onto him tighter, hoping her comfort would reach him better than her words.

She placed her hand on top of his head and stroked his hair gently, allowing him to calmly melt into her arms. It's definitely been a long, long time since she last witnessed Akashi bear this side of himself to her.

More often than not, she would be the one in tears, sulking over something that she couldn't control while he supported her from the sidelines; always making sure she didn't feel alone.

So seeing him so fragile and so defeated now broke Sayuri's heart to pieces, and she couldn't help but feel her blood boil from the thought of Kaito.

She knew Akashi long enough to know what would be going on in his mind by now; losing was never something he could take very easily.

How could he when he was brought up in an environment where perfection is absolute? Where good grades, good athletic performance, and excellent people skills were a definite must to even be considered an Akashi.

Many people misunderstand him thinking that he's just another rich boy who can't accept defeat, but they couldn't be more wrong about him. Despite finding out about his father's affair at such a young age, and being threatened to keep his silence, Akashi still grew up to be a kind and compassionate boy.