The 7th Miracle ( New Update! )

06 - Teiko

ICHIRO'S OTHER AUNT, Natalia Kratov, is a beautiful woman who recently turned 19 years old. She and Ichiro share the same turquoise orbs and pale skin. So when Ichiro finds himself engulfed into a hug, breathing in a powerful perfume and enveloped into a haze of ash-blonde hair, he immediately sinks into the embrace. Before the accident, Natalia and he had been as close as siblings, really. Their age difference made it very difficult for him to see her as his aunt, after all.

"My goodness, Ichiro! I missed you so much!" She exclaims in English. "You've grown so much! You are so tall, soon you'll overtake me!"

"I missed you too, Nat!" Ichiro finds himself chuckling. "I missed you a lot."

"You'll have to tell me everything about Japan! And your school!"

"I will. But most of it revolves around basketball."

Natalia's gaze softens as she thinks about the sport, about her late sister and brother in law. It still hurts to think about them, but the mere mention of basketball suffices to drown her in those bittersweet memories.

Since it's Saturday, Ichiro had to skip the morning practice, although he did warn Akashi and Nijimura that he wouldn't be at the school. They were quite intrigued, since he never before skipped a basketball practice, but didn't voice their inquiries.

Thus, Ichiro is having a free day, and because his other aunt is off to work, he brings Natalia around Tokyo, showing her some of his favorite spots. They go to the arcade, the mall, and the food court. It's relatively peaceful and he loses himself catching up with his American aunt.

Natalia has never visited Japan before, so she takes in the Land of the Rising Sun with belated awe and interest. Her Japanese is very shaky, so Ichiro does most of the speaking, and she admires how her nephew is so at ease in that environment. She remembers a few years ago when she had seen him last, quiet and withdrawn, just after the accident that changed their lives.

She joins Ichiro and Miya for dinner. The two women are familiar with each other, but not overly so. They met a few times and are decidedly friendly with each other, however. But there's a tiny, teeny bit of tension between the two that Ichiro can sense in the air. It's vague and insignificant, but it is present.

The argument starts about an hour after Ichiro went to bed. He knows what it is about, of course, but he really, really doesn't want to be listening to it. Maybe that's selfish, or maybe that's lazy of him, but he simply sneaks out of the apartment and goes to the nearby basketball court.

Nobody's there, and Ichiro likes it so. He doesn't feel like having company tonight. He just wants to let go again. Of his problems. Of everything. He thinks there's just so much a 12-years old can take before he explodes. And explode, Ichiro does. He relentlessly attacks the hoop. Dunks after dunks, until his hands begin to hurt and he can barely stand. 

( He just wants calm. He just wants quiet. He just wants peace. For his mind, for his body, for himself. )

The Kise twins invite him to go karaoke the next day and he readily accepts. It's been ages since he has spent time with them, what with the Nationals and his inner troubles. For now, the blondes are the only ones in his life who don't have a connection to his troubles, to his past. They don't care about basketball, and some parts of Ichiro can't help but find it freeing.

In addition to the Kise, there's a bunch of other girls coming along. When Ichiro joins the group and greets them all, most are beyond chocked. 

Even Ichiro isn't aware of his popularity. But then, he barely spends time with anyone outside of the basketball club. The thing is, Ichiro is a good looking teen. He has good genes, pretty eyes, and soft hair. His skin is flawless and pale. He is tall, lean, and well-muscled. On top of it, he is a member of the first string while freshman and a rising basketball figure. People know him, they recognize him, and they even admire him.