This is fanfiction work on Kuroko no Basket. I do not own the anime nor the manga, but I do own my OC(s), including Shirosaki Ichiro, and the ideas I come up with in this fanfic are mine. I also have no claim on any of the media used throughout the story.
I heavily suggest that any readers have watched the anime before, or at least have a basic knowledge of the plot because there will be spoilers.
ICHIRO IS 4 WHEN he first holds a basketball in his hands. He remembers shooting at the basket. And missing by quite a margin.
He falls in love almost immediately, and his passion for the sport only grows from then on.
His father, an ex-basketball superstar, watches with a proud smile as his son takes bigger and bigger steps into the domain of basketball. Shirosaki Hiroto is quick to support his son's growing passion and Ichiro's mother watches with a fond smile as father and son begin to grow closer and closer as they spend time together on the court.
It's soon obvious that Ichiro has a special affinity for basketball, and having a pro as his coach only broadens his potential. By the time Ichiro turns 10, he has already become extraordinarily good for his age. He can shoot three-pointers with incredible accuracy, and his father can easily imagine his son following in his footsteps, going pro with a basketball in hand.
...
His parents die in a car accident a few months later. Ichiro survives, and he begins to understand that life isn't just sunshine and rainbows.
He moves to Japan to live with his paternal aunt. She is in her late twenties, lives in Tokyo, and is a lawyer in a prestigious firm. Her boyfriend breaks up with her when he learns that she has taken custody of a child that is not her own and Ichiro pretends not to notice when he hears the wrenched sobs late at night.
His aunt Miya does her best to make him feel at home, even though it is obvious she has no idea how to treat a young boy who has just lost his parents. Ichiro is thankful for her kindness, but he isn't sure how to express his gratitude. He finds it so hard to smile when the only thing he sees is the warm laugh his mother had given him only seconds before the accident.
( "Did you see that new kid? He never smiles. Such a freak.")
It's such a weird thing, how cruel some children can be when they don't know any better. Ichiro stands out like a thumb in his new school. While he isn't bullied, he is ignored by the other kids, who find his white-hair weird and are intimidated by the way he does not smile nor laugh at anything. A part of him says that he doesn't care, but then why does he catch himself looking so often at the other children laughing as they play and tease each other?
(He ignores the little voice that whispers about the times he used to laugh and grin, jump and smile. That part of his life is over. Maybe it really was just a dream.)
While he doesn't have any friends to speak of but his aunt (and does family even count?) Ichiro doesn't mind being alone. At least, not to speak of. Ichiro wants to be free, and basketball is his escape. It's as simple as that. If they can't accept him for what he is, then so be it, he will stay away. Loneliness is worth it if he is able to stay true to himself, and the only thing his soul craves is basketball.
Eventually, Ichiro loses himself in basketball and forgets about making friends. He goes to school and tries to ignore everyone around him, running to the basketball court as soon as he can, because it is the only place where he will not be afraid, where he can finally be himself.
He later joins the ongoing street basket matches and talks his way into the teams. His talent for the sport grows leaps and bounds and he quickly becomes a popular player whom captains will endeavor to get on their team.
Whether his team wins or loses, it brings him joy to challenge himself against middle schoolers. There's just something about the way his heart beats louder after scoring points against people that are both taller and stronger than him. As the months fly by and he spends his time on the courts, he begins to slowly heal.
( He never feels more alive than when he plays basketball. )
His aunt always waits for him, ready to scold him for staying out so late. But Shirosaki Miya always stops herself when she sees the smile on her nephew's too solemn face. A smile that has begun to appear more and more frequently. It is the reason she stays silent and fusses over his dirtied clothes and an empty stomach because she is very glad that Ichiro has found it in himself to be happy again.
Ichiro makes his first dunk when he's 13 and just about to enter Junior High.
He is participating in a street match, nothing unusual, and there is a new feeling in his chest that day. As if something is telling him to let go. He tries to do a layup, but he ends up flying through the air and it only feels natural for him to slam the ball in his basket.
( He almost feels as if there are wings on his back, helping him soar higher than any 13 years old has the right to. )
When he lets go and the players on the court all erupt in cheers and whistles, he feels lighter than he has been in months. The weight on his chest that has been here ever since the accident is finally gone. He takes a deep breath, and then he's ready to take on the world.
YOU ARE READING
The 7th Miracle ( New Update! )
FanfictionTHERE ARE FRIENDS. THERE IS FAMILY. AND THERE ARE FRIENDS WHO BECOME FAMILY. Shirosaki Ichiro is a basketball addict. Born in America, he dreams of following after his father's footsteps by becoming a professional player until a tragic accident sen...
