MiRACLE (KnB Fanfic)

18.

"Tetsu, why're your results better than mine?"

"Because Hiroto-kun is very scary."

Aomine and Kuroko sits down at a table at Maji Burger's, the former wolfing down a burger and the latter sipping on his vanilla milkshake as he texted.

Aomine groans, tossing a paper over his shoulder.

Kuroko, unaffected, looks at Aomine again.

"How has Hiroto-kun been in club?" he asks, and there's worry in his tone. It's not a casual, conversation-starter-- and Aomine understands.

The tanned male straightens, a sternness in his posture. He's not sure what to say.

Instead, he asks, "what do you notice?"

And the temperature in the area falls. Kuroko's hands tighten on his milkshake, and his phone is put on the table, closed.

"He's upset about something," he says, "he's not telling me what, and he doesn't think he should ask anyone for help."

That's the kind of person Aisaka was. He hated asking for help, he wanted to be independent even more so than he was allowed to be and it was so stupid. He didn't like relying on people-- what was wrong with relying on others?

"He's not skipping practice, but he's only doing the bare minimum. That isn't like him at all," Aomine breaks it out of him, "he's... I hate to admit it, but he's gotten great enough that I can't call myself his rival anymore."

That makes Kuroko lift his head.

"Aisaka's the strongest in the club right now. No one can defeat him," Aomine says, "and I think that makes him feel lonely."

Lonely?

How on earth do you deal with a problem like this?

"He promised to wait for me," Kuroko says, sounding as if he were hurt, "do you think I'm forcing him to do something he doesn't want to do?"

Do you think Aisaka still wants to play basketball?

"It's not your fault," Aomine looks away, "it's a little hard to explain... but I think I understand what he's going through."

Kuroko pauses.

"Because, like him, you're strong and talented?"

Aomine winces. He wouldn't have phrased it that way-- it sounded much too proud of him. Kuroko was a weak player and Aomine was a strong player-- they both loved basketball and trained with all their might. The only difference between Kuroko, Aomine, and Aisaka was talent.

"Yeah," Aomine chokes out of him, his appetite lost, "Aisaka is at the peak of his talent right now and... because of that..."

Kuroko takes over. "He's drowning," he says, like it means something, "he's drowning in it."

Aomine's fist tightens.

Aomine feels it too. The sense of having everyone around him cower in despair, the realization that while he rose in the ranks, his comrades would decrease.

It hurts him already. He only has Murasakibara and Nijimura to stand up against in a one on one now. Aisaka has no one. Aomine clings to the edge of the next step, but he still doesn't have enough strength to join Aisaka up there.