Vindicate (Chp.4)

After the festival, Furihata didn't get to see Akashi again as the latter was suddenly ordered to go to Tokyo the following day. With the spade and rake nested familiarly against his hands, he had returned to his schedule that he had received from the Akashi butler on the first day he arrived. An odd, resigned feeling took root in Furihata's chest and refused to leave. He scratched the area below his heart, but the emptiness stubbornly clung into his body. The cicadas hiding in the midst of the trees seemed to screech to agree. After the sun had climbed onto its peak and began to crawl down, Furihata's eyes shifted unconsciously from the grass he mowed to the basketball court of the Akashi estate. So that was why he felt so off today. At this time of the day, Akashi would've dragged Furihata from his work and forced him to play a one-on-one against him after the redhead finished his duties for the day. He waited until the feeling to wait for someone drifted away and quietly dragged the lawn mower back to the garden shed. He didn't feel like working anymore, not especially after realizing Akashi had dominated most of his life during the summer.

Furihata heaved a sigh after he switched on the lights to only find bland hotel-like furniture welcoming him. Before, he used to worship the feeling of comfort that engulfed him after his regular tiring days of work. Now, his room was merely what it was: a beautifully designed place for lodgings. He ignored the little annoying voice in his head reminding why he felt so strangely compared to most days. Maybe this feeling would be gone after he returned home to Tokyo, he hoped. The player sighed again; four days to go until the end of summer break. Furihata promptly took a quick shower and drifted to bed.

Furihata slowly walked into his first basketball practice of the year. The shiny wooden floors, newly changed basketball nets and the ever-present musty sweat smell only served to bring him a sense of contentment, even though he knew there'll be a ton of strenuous practice waiting for him. All in all, being back in Seirin's gym felt like coming home. He dropped his bag on a bench and started to do his stretches. Unbeknownst to him, a blur of spiky brown hair hurriedly zoomed over to where Furihata was standing.

"Furi-chan! It's been so long!" Koganei dragged the younger player onto the floor he was sitting on next to Mitobe.

"Oww…It's only been a summer, Koganei-senpai!"

"Still, basketball camp doesn't feel as fun when there's someone missing, right Mitobe?"

"See? Mitobe says so to-whoa! What happened to you, Furi-chan?" Koganei's eyes boggled as he finally got a good look at Furihata, "Hey guys! Furi-chan's back with a new look!"

Furihata confusedly stared as he watched as the rest of the basketball team rush over to him, excitedly welcoming him back, varying from ruffling his hair (Izuki-senpai) to a deceptively bone-crushing hug (Fukuda-kun).

"Ah! Coach!" he stammered as he saw his commanding basketball coach walk towards him, "I'm sorry I couldn't make it to basketball camp this year…"

At Furihata's statement, Riko paused. She glanced at his figure from head to toe and smirked. "Well it seems that Koganei-san is right, your gardening job helped you. Not enough for basketball though, so get ready to run 10 laps around the school in 15 minutes."

"Ehhhh?! 10 laps already?! Also, Fukuda-kun, what did Koganei-senpai and Coach mean by a new look on me?"

Fukuda let out a short laugh and dragged Furihata into the men's locker room and stopped him just in front of the mirrors.

"Here, can you tell the difference now?" he asked.

Furihata glanced at his reflection in the mirror, unsure of what to say. Fukuda disappeared for a moment and came back with a photo in his hand.

"I found a picture of us right before you left for basketball camp in my locker. Compare yourself in this picture to yourself right now."

"Uhh…okay? I don't really see the difference…" Furihata's word trailed off as he compared his reflection to himself in the picture. While there weren't any startling or drastic changes, Furihata noticed that he looked pale and skinny in the photo of him before the summer, but as he stared at his reflection in the mirror, Furihata realized that he had actually grown taller. Not only that, he looked tanner and fitter than he ever had before this summer. Furihata looked-dare he say it?-better. The gardening job really did pay off, more than basketball camp ever did.

Fukuda must've caught on at Furihata's amazement, because he quietly plucked the photo from Furihata's hands and ushered him back outside for basketball practice, smirking the whole time.

As Furihata dazedly walked back to the gym, thoughts flickering about his new figure, he noticed a very familiar tall redhead shooting layups at the hoop.

"Hey Kagami-kun! It's been a long ti-AH!"

"Hello Furihata-kun. How was your summer?"

"Kuroko-kun! Stop scaring me like that!"

"I was there the whole time though…"

Furihata slowly put down the hand that was clutching his heart and turned to face Kuroko, who was determinedly staring at his mobile phone. Kagami stopped his layup practice and headed over to the two people.

"Don't worry about Kuroko, he's been like this the whole day," Kagami sighed.

"Staring at his phone?"

"Yeah, apparently someone important is coming to Tokyo and visiting our school soon. I tried asking who it is but Kuroko wouldn't tell me. Anyways how was that gardening job? You look so much fitter after that," Kagami punched Furihata's arm lightly.

"It was actually pretty nice, but really tiring though. I spent a lot of time under the sun so I guess that's why I got really tanned. Hey, I forgot to tell you, but guess who I met over the-" Furihata's words got cut off as Riko yelled at him.

"Furihata! Your 15 minutes are up! Go and start running now!"

"Ah-yes Coach!"

As Furihata reluctantly jogged to the gym door, he didn't notice Kuroko greet someone coming in and the rest of the team falling silent at the visitor.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Kagami's words cut through the sudden silence.

"I am merely coming over to visit my friends. Did Tetsuya not tell you that I was visiting today?" Another redhead's voice echoed throughout the gym, stopping Furihata in his tracks. But before he could say a word, Riko interrupted him.

"If you're here to spy on us too, well I'm sorry, there's nothing to see here," she spoke coolly, "and if you want to speak with Kuroko-kun, I guess you'll have to wait until our basketball practice ends to do so."

"Well then, I will make my meeting as short as possible then so that you may work on your basketball skills," Akashi replied, "Meeting Tetsuya is not the only intent of this trip, after all."

Before Riko could reply, Furihata jogged over to Akashi, greeting him with a casual pat on the back that the redhead deftly moved to become a pat on the shoulder, as if he had done this many times before.

"Akashi-kun! I haven't seen you in ages! How was the rest of your break?"

"It was quite busy actually. My father took me around the country to show me all the branches of the Akashi Corporation, in preparation of my inheritance of the head position, of course. I'm sorry I left quite abruptly without informing you about my whereabouts."

"Haha, that's fine!" Furihata scratched the back of his head, "I was just worried you disappeared off the face of this Earth, that's all!"

He suddenly noticed the deafening silence in the gym. Furihata looked around just to see the rest of the Seirin basketball team staring at the two people, jaws dropped in surprise.

"Right! I completely forgot!" With his arm casually strung around Akashi's shoulders, Furihata gently veered them so that the two faced the team. "Guys, I think you all know who Akashi Seijuuro is. I met him over the break because my gardening job was at his estate!"

"EHHH?!" The group let out one large consecutive shout with the exception of Kuroko, who merely uttered a quiet squeak of surprise.

"OUR Furihata and THAT guy are friends?!" Kagami shouted scandalized.

"...Furi-kun and h-h-him?!" Koganei gaped.

"I certainly didn't expect that this was a reason for Akashi-kun to visit Seirin," Kuroko noted wonderingly.

As the rest of the team muttered among themselves, Furihata turned to Akashi.

"Haha," he laughed sheepishly, "My teammates are really overdramatic, in case you haven't noticed." However, Akashi wasn't paying the other boy any attention as he was rummaging around his bag.

The conversation between Seirin began to dwindle down, and Akashi wordlessly held out a leather belt to Furihata's hands.

"By the way Kouki," he spoke loud enough to gather the attention of the others, "You forgot this back at my place. I must take my leave now, see you all back on the court." With a smirk on his face, Akashi exited the gym.

"...Why would you have a belt in Akashi's home?!"

"No-"

"It can be strategic to be fraternizing with the enemy, but don't get too close to Akashi. He seems like the unpredictable type, Furihata."

"Hey wait-"

"Ah, I didn't know that your relationship with Akashi-kun went this far, Furihata-kun."

"Kuroko, you know that's not-"

"Furihata! Remember, you are with Seirin, not Rakuzan! Seirin! Right, Mitobe?"

The volume of the conversation between the team rose once again, as they pondered over the nature of the relationship between the unlikely pair. Meanwhile, Furihata sprinted after Akashi, belt in tow.

"Hey! What was that thing back there about?!" he shouted towards the redhead.

Akashi stopped in the middle of his gait and turned to face him, smirk still on his face. The Seirin player was puzzled; Akashi never acted like that to him before. Why would he do so now? And in front of the rest of the team?

"Just telling the others who you actually belong to," he walked towards Furihata and extended a hand to place on the other's shoulder.

"Wh-what do you mean, you're mine?"

An unreadable expression crossed Akashi's face, one Furihata had never seen before. However, the look was quickly replaced by the same smirk he had on earlier. The captain slowly walked towards him, closer and closer until Furihata could feel Akashi's cool breath on his face.

If Furihata's senses weren't on overdrive due to the embarassment from the scene earlier and Akashi's sudden proximity, then he might not have noticed Akashi's face looming closer to his, and a sudden pressure and slight tingle on his lips. As quickly at the kiss came, Akashi was back to his usual distance from Furihata.

This wasn't something Furihata would've expected. And out of Akashi, of all people! Akashi, someone he befriended over one summer break and the only heir of the Akashi Corporation. Akashi, captain of Rakuzan High basketball team and unofficial sworn opponent of the Seirin High basketball team. His eyes flickered back to focusing on the redhead, who had the unreadable expression Furihata just saw back on his face.

"I-I-" The Seirin player faltered, unsure on how to react.

Furihata peered over Akashi' shoulder, and he felt as if his stomach dropped to the floor. Eri-chan was standing by the gates, mouth shaped into a perfect 'O'. With a sinking feeling in his gut, Furihata knew that she witnessed the scene between him and Akashi. The door to the gym slammed open.

"Yo Furihata! You still talking to Akashi? We need you back for practice right now!" Kagami called out from the entrance.

Furihata shook back to reality at the mention of Akashi's name. Suddenly, he felt everything that just happened starting to sink in. Feeling overwhelmed, Furihata ran to the gates where Eri was standing, and ignoring Kagami's startled cry, he grabbed Eri's wrist and ran back home.

He didn't look back at Akashi. Not even once.