Rebound (Kagakuro)

Chapter Nine

Kagami

The day was going so well, until that dark-headed guy decided to show up. Kise and I tried our best to cheer Kuroko up, but he seemed to be a sobbing mess, and I strongly doubt he could hear any of our comforting words.

"I'll have a word with him later," Kise sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't cry now, Kurokocchi. He's already gone."

Well, it wasn't Aomine's fault for appearing out of nowhere to grab some dinner, so Kuroko can't really blame him. I sat there quietly with a frown on my face as I looked around, hoping he wouldn't come back here and make things worst than it already was.

"I don't want to see him ever again." The boy next to me whimpered, harshly wiping away the falling tears.

"We know." Kise answered, then gently ruffled Kuroko's hair.

After walking him back home, I was officially stuck with the blond. I didn't mind being alone with him. We already got along well before Aomine appeared at the diner. But something wasn't right. The familiar aura I received from him wasn't there anymore. Kise was angry.

"I guess I'll head home too." I blurted before walking away from him.

"Kagamicchi."

I stopped, turned and flashed him a disgusted look. "Please, Kise, you could call anyone with the cchi  at the end, but not me."

He smirked, then chuckled a little. "I call everyone that's my friend with a cchi behind, Kagamicchi."

I shivered. "So you thought of me as a friend now?"

He only nodded his head in respond before catching up to me. We walked towards the station in silence, and if he were the same, we both had Kuroko on our minds.

"Was Kuroko always like that?" I asked.

"Like what?"

"Breaking down and such."

Kise shook his head, and started telling me how Aomine was the reason behind all this. Kuroko was a regular basketball player, the only difference was he couldn't play at all. But thanks to the dark-headed guy, Kuroko improved slowly, and managed to join the team in the end.

"About me making him upset," I sighed. "I did, and I'm sorry. I asked him about... You know."

"Yeah, well, I pretty much guessed it already," Kise smiled at me. "You seem like the curious type after all. You met Aominecchi before, right?"

I glanced at him for a few seconds, a confused look plastered on my features as I did so, then I nodded my head.

"We didn't get along, though, unlike how we are now. We were constantly bickering and arguing about how things work."

Kise laughed. "Sounds like him to me!"

The silence came again and before I knew it, we've arrived the station. A few people were already getting off the train, and some just entering it. I realised it was already late at night, and I wondered how long it took for us to convince Kuroko to head home.

"You remind me of him, to be honest," Blondie confessed. "He was so like you before he changed. You said you don't get along with him because of the arguments and such, but maybe that's it. Maybe that's how you two get along."

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't quite get it."

Kise chuckled and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You'll understand what I mean soon, Kagamicchi."

A familiar dark-headed guy caught my attention, and I pointed at him to Kise.

"It's Aomine, isn't it?"

He groaned.

We then jogged towards him, gently pushing passed office workers and waitresses along the way. I was right. It was him, drunk and lost.

"Aominecchi," Kise sighed heavily. "What happened to you? Where did you get that beer from?"

"Someone... Someone gave it to me." Aomine slurred in reply, angry eyes glaring into mine.

"You," He growled. "Kagami Taiga, you stole Tetsu from me."

"What are you crapping about?" I snapped. "You left him! You dumped him when he was in school! I heard you, bastard!"

"Agh shut up!" He retorted. "I wasn't right on the head, and I'm regretting it now..."

"What's done is done, Aominecchi," Kise answered for me before attempting to lift him up from the sidewalk. I helped him wrap Aomine's one arm around his shoulder, and they were good to go. "You can't blame him."

"I hate you, Kagami." The dark-headed mumbled, his angry eyes turning into sad ones, and for once I felt bad for him.

"See you, Kise." I excused myself, then made my way towards the train without looking back.