UPDATE! Signal Part 6 (Aka/Furi, Kaga/Kuro, Ao/Ki, Mido/Taka, Mura/Himu; Pg-15)

[lunaryu]

Signal
Fandom: Kuroko no Basuke
Rating: Pg-15/T
Genre: Drama/Family/Romance (no humor this time, sorry! >_<)
Pairing: Akashi/Furihata-main, Kagami/Kuroko, Aomine/Kise, Midorima/Takao, Murasakibara/Himuro

Summary: There's a reason why Kagami was sent back home to Japan. Akashi pulled some strings? Or was it his family? Why does Furihata get involved in this craziness? Will Akashi give his blessing to all the GoM members' new 'partners'? This is the conclusion. Akashi's 'eyes' are there for a very important reason, not just for basketball.
Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke belongs to Fujimaki-sensei. Luna only plays with the characters~
Warning: AU, slight oOC, language, yaoi, OCs alert (for the family members), Akashi (and his family *lol*), etc…
Beta: tora-chan38. Thank you very much for the help as always! I can't to do this without you, dear!
A/N: Okay, sorry for taking so long in updating. Had lots of things to do to prepare for a tournament, so… Ah, thanks for the reviews in previous chapter, oh! And of course for faving and alerting this story! XD Now, please enjoy the new chapter!

Signal

Part 6



Akashi stayed calm in easy silence as he was brought all the way to the Akashi Family main house despite the driver trying to engage him in a conversation. He wasn't in the mood to talk, so he ignored the man completely.

"It has been awhile since you came home, Seijuurou-sama," the driver said with an empty smile, his face reflected on the front mirror. "You must be quite excited."

Hn, as if-Akashi thought, stubbornly keeping his quietness despite his urge to at least complain about certain things.

It was true that Akashi no longer lived in the main house since entering middle school, and he would only go home to the main house on special occasions, like New Years, his mother's birthday party and/or his parents' anniversary, but that didn't mean he had to be eager to be home as well.

Honestly, Akashi didn't like staying in the main house for too long with his own family, especially when his mother was there.

As hard as it was to believe, it wasn't because Akashi disliked his mother. It was more because of the nature of his family… yes. It was more complicated. He despised his mother in one aspect, but he loved everything else about her. In short, he didn't get along well with her, despite loving her.

Akashi wouldn't admit it out loud or to anyone else, but for him… his mother was like his natural nemesis.

Because we are so alike-Akashi concluded. He was glad that she was there because she was the only person in this entire world who could catch on to whatever he was planning. The unexpected of what she could do entertained him sometimes, but at the same time, he wanted her to withhold her capabilities as well since she was prone to disturbing his plans.

Akashi sneered slightly as the limousine stopped in front of a big gate of a traditional Japanese style house.

"We are here, Seijuurou-sama," the driver informed, though it was quite obvious.

Akashi closed his eyes before opening them again and sighed. He didn't want to admit defeat (because he wasn't, seriously), but he would humor his mother once in awhile, just to show her that she couldn't get in his way without permission.

Akashi was annoyed that Kurenai always had a knack to bother him one way or another even though he didn't want the distraction at all.

Maybe talking to her will somehow tone down her urge to trouble me continuously-Akashi pondered as he got out of the car and walked down to enter the gate.

Immediately after the wooden traditional gate, which was crafted with an elegant peacock design and presently opened from the inside, some people were lined up on the side of the main path that led to the front door of the main house. They also bowed 90 degrees while shouting "Welcome home, Young Master!" as a greeting in unison immediately.

"Hn," Akashi sighed slightly before greeting back, "I'm home." He then stepped inside the gate and walked towards the front door at an even stride.

"How is your day going, Young Master?"

"Do you enjoy your school in Kyoto?"

"Are you going to stay in the main house for the winter break?"

Some of the men asked while he was walking, but Akashi just ignored them and faced straight forward.

"Ah, Seijuurou-sama is so cool today as well!"

Well, apparently they misunderstood. Akashi actually ignored them on purpose because he didn't want to deal with them, but they conveniently mistook it as a cool gesture.

Well, it couldn't be helped. Akashi was quite well known as a cold hearted young master that wouldn't trouble himself with people that were less powerful than him in the family. But that wasn't his intention. He just didn't want to get involved with them generally because…

"Heeey! Young Master is back! Hurry, inform Big Sister immediately!"

Akashi twitched slightly as scary looking men in suits scrambled around here and there, dutifully greeting him (some of them actually did that on their knees, seriously) as he entered the house.

"Seijuurou-sama, welcome!"

"Welcome home, Seijuurou-sama!"

Akashi was getting annoyed at their loud voices. "Be quiet, you imbeciles. Your voices are grating my nerves," he finally said something while looking down on them in irritation.

The men gasped before they stared at him as if they were love-struck instead of offended.

"Wow, Master is so awesome!"

"Ah, that deadly glare~! Big Sis will be so proud!"

A bead of sweat rolled down Akashi's cheeks as he let out a long suffering sigh at the enthusiastic reactions. Really, they were such masochistic bastards. Akashi was kind of worried that his elegant and gentleman personality would turn into the worst while dealing with them.

"Is mother around? I'd like to greet her and speak to her privately," Akashi huffed. He didn't intend to stay longer in the house more than necessary. If he was called to go home to speak with her, he would just do that and then leave immediately.

"Ah, Kurenai-sama is in the tearoom. She is playing Shogi right now. Does Young Master want to accompany her?" One of the men asked politely and Akashi nodded. "Then, let me escort you there!"

"Aah! Not fair, Aniki! I want to escort Seijuurou-sama too!" a younger one protested to the older man, pouting at him while making 'boo-ing' noise.

"Shut your trap, brat! It's ten years too early for you to complain to your big bro!" the man retaliated as veins began to dangerously throb on Akashi's temple. He was trying to control of his temper, but hearing those ugly men bicker gave him a headache.

Akashi actually waited for a good three minutes, letting them bicker over who would escort him until he snapped. "Forget it. I can go myself," he almost hissed at them as he resumed his walk.

"Ah!" the two guys blanched as they saw the angry glare from their Young Master. "We're very sorry!" they immediately bowed very repentantly.

Akashi ignored them as he left, not wanting to entertain the idea of maiming them half-dead for ignoring him as a good idea. Akashi found his way to the main hall soon after and turned left to go down the stairs, entering the lower chamber that held some ceremonial rooms. One of them was the tearoom that faced the backyard garden directly.

Kurenai loved flowers. She forced all her children to learn Ikebana (1) for her amusement. But of course she did that in a very sly way, with her tears and her pleas, and no men in their right mind would be able to turn down such request.

Akashi had just thought he loved ikebana as well until he realized that he actually did it to please his mother. Flowers didn't hold any special meaning for him; they were just a way to get her approval. It somehow sounded ridiculous coming from him now, as he had done exactly what she did to him, but to his minions to get what he wanted.

Akashi was raised that way. He learned about the world through his mother's way of thinking, much to his dismay. His father's more… naïve and honest way of thinking never got past the barrier his mother had set up to guard his mind since he was little.

Don't get him wrong. Akashi's father was a very brilliant businessman. He was charismatic and many people adored him as a very successful and great person. Moreover, he was generous and friendly, but that's it. He was naive and sometimes downright too sympathetic when he was dealing with humans in general.

He was an easy prey for many low-lives living among the human race. That's why Kurenai was there beside him. She could see those low-lives who tried to sabotage his business or just plainly use him for their own benefit.

Before they could do something harmful to her husband and her precious Akashi family, Kurenai would destroy them first. That's why the Akashi Family was so powerful in Japan, both financially and politically.

Akashi stopped in front of the tearoom, sat down formally, and took a deep breath before knocking twice on the wooden sliding door. "Excuse me, Mother. It's Seijuurou," he said in a clear short greeting.

There was a faint rustle from inside the room before a soft voice answered, "Come in."

Akashi slowly slid the door open, stood up, and entered before he sat down again and slid the door close. He bowed slightly to a very beautiful red haired woman, dressed in her extravagant flaming-red Kimono, in front of him with so much respect and politeness that people would hardly recognize him as Akashi Seijuurou for actually looking up to someone else in that extent.

"It's been awhile, Mother. I came to see you," Akashi said calmly before he straightened his body again and leveled his gaze at the woman with an eye patch on her left eye, a faint smile adorning his expression.

"Welcome home, Seijuurou-san. It's been eight months since the last time I saw you in the main house," Kurenai replied, giving him a small smile back, but her visible golden eye looked at him rather calculatingly. "You were not trying to avoid me, were you?"

Akashi almost winced, almost, but he could still maintain his smile nicely at the slightly inquiring (or accusing) tone. "Well, I never intended to avoid you purposely, Mother. It just happens sometimes. Basketballs and school activities tend to rob my time from thinking about anything else," he answered slowly and surely. He didn't need to lie either because that was true anyway. Commuting trains from Kyoto to Tokyo all the time was impossible with his school and basketball practice schedules.

"Hmm… you always have way with words, Seijuurou-san. I see… you kept yourself busy for the entire time so you did not have to think about the family matter," Kurenai chuckled and Akashi might have sweated a little at how good she was at reading between the lines.

There was a brief silence after Akashi chuckled as well, mimicking her action, somehow rather amused despite the increasing pace of his heartbeat for some unfathomable reasons. He then looked upward at Kurenai again before deciding to ask, "How is everyone doing, by the way?"

Kurenai's smile widened slightly. "Changing the subject so you do not have to answer, nice move," she praised, looking impressed by the subtle hint.

"I didn't mean to change the subject. I didn't think I need to answer your question because you already know the answer," Akashi said in his defense even though he didn't actually need to do that. He just didn't want her to get the wrong idea that she was pressuring him.

Kurenai looked slightly skeptical, but she seemed to relent afterwards, her smile never leaving her expression. "Alright, if you insist," she chuckled again. "Everyone is doing well on their part. There's nothing wrong in my little kingdom," she said, looking happy and content.

Yes, Kurenai was like this. She saw everything under her wings as her personal kingdom. Everything she did and wanted to do was based on her calculations seen through her Emperor Eye; about the things she expected to happen, about reactions she expected to emerge from a series of certain events that she had arranged, etc. She always took pleasure in confirming that everything she thought of was right and according to plan.

Akashi took Kurenai's way of seeing the world as his own. He was so alike to her it was almost ridiculous. However, one thing that he couldn't accept was…

"So, have you decided to take my place when I retire?" Kurenai asked now, still smiling so fondly sweet that Akashi thought she was playing him as well.

That wasn't going to happen though.

Akashi smiled back. "I already told you I wasn't interested in 'this side' of the world, Mother. Why didn't you give that role to Soujirou? He already showed his interest in expanding territory by doing a lot of suicidal actions that forced me to clean up his mess just because I don't want him to stain Akashi Family name with more blood than necessary," he said, honestly annoyed that he was steered to this conversation again.

"That is the point. You clean up so brilliantly. A quality befitted of a leader," Kurenai insisted, her smile never faltering.

Akashi heaved a long sigh. "I'm a capable leader, but I don't wish to involve myself further in 'this world' because I have my own life to live," he explained. Why couldn't she see that he wouldn't succeed her place as the 'shadow master' no matter what?

"Soujirou is more infatuated with you than with me. He wishes for you to succeed soon," Kurenai said again, seeming to disregard his reasoning. However, there was a difference in how she spoke this time. Her smile was intact, but there was an edge to her voice that Akashi had never heard before from his mother.

"Mother…?" Akashi was a little bit caught off guard with her intonation before he registered what she had just said. "Wait, Soujirou? What are you talking about?" He was rather confused now.

"That boy… his actions are getting out of hand," Kurenai said, reaching out her hand. "Come here, Seijuurou-san. Let Mother have a good look of your face," she requested suddenly, to Akashi's utter puzzlement of the sudden change of subject.

Akashi didn't question her as he slowly stood and approached his mother before sitting in front of her more closely. Kurenai reached her hand to him and then put her palm on Akashi's cheek. "Ah… it's been awhile indeed. You've grown so much in the past year," she said stroking his cheek softly.

Akashi twitched lightly. He hadn't grown a single inch since last year. He really wanted to retort, but he needed to be patient with his mother. He could always vent of his stress over his height on other people. There were plenty in this world he could demolish or simply cut with his scissors.

Kurenai was off limits. After all, if it weren't for her, Akashi wouldn't have been born in this world.

"Mother, about Soujirou…" Akashi tried to coax her into spill more information, since that matter was still hanging and she was rather distracted at that moment.

"Ah, yes… Soujirou… it is," Kurenai shook her head slightly before saying, "He is… how do you call it? Undergoing a rebellious phase, I believe," she chuckled at that. Akashi wanted to say that he himself was as well, but thought better of it and just raised his eyebrows, urging her to continue. "He is getting very unpredictable, his behavior, I mean. He never does what I expect him to do… I must say, as much as I am ashamed of it, I cannot control him anymore," she admitted, sighing and frowning slightly as well.

"Well, he does get too violent sometimes. It's worrying," Akashi understood immediately what she was implying. He didn't care if she wanted to get rid of Soujirou. It didn't concern Akashi at all. "So, what does this have any to do with me succeeding?" he asked, frowning.

"I told you. Soujirou is smitten with you… from the very beginning the way I see it. He really adores you, his older brother, very much after all," she smiled in amusement.

Akashi went rigid at that. "I didn't remember considering him as my little brother. I have no brother that I acknowledge," he said, turning serious.

"Except Kuroko Tetsuya," Kurenai repeated the words he said two years ago, before the accident happened. He widened his eyes slightly before immediately narrowing them at his mother's golden colored one. Her eye was brimming with mirth as he stared harder.

"What is your point?" Akashi lowered his tone, almost downright growling in anger at the 'threat' implication.

"The accident when you got 'The Eye'," Kurenai whispered, worming her finger closer to Akashi left golden eye. "Was it Soujirou's doing… because one of your 'generals' troubled you with his action, who was it again… Aomine Daiki?"

"It was according to my plan," Akashi said coldly.

"A plan you made on the spot just before Soujirou decided to destroy that ace's basketball career," she 'corrected' it while lifting his chin to look into her mesmerizing eye. "A very good plan, indeed… since the opportunity just came to you, so you could have this," she smirked, stroking the area around his Akashi's left eye with her thumb. Her rose colored nail dug slightly in his skin, as if she were about to gauge it out once again.

Akashi remained silent, only looking at her in the eye, expression turning perfectly impassive, so Kurenai wouldn't see how his inner self was conflicted at her words. Kurenai smiled again gently. "Soujirou is threatening to destroy your 'little perfect world', Seijuurou-san," she continued, backing off slightly to give Akashi his space as she seemed to realize that Akashi didn't even flinch, lest crack at what she was doing to him.

"Well, Soujirou did it out of love though… stupidly, infuriatingly, because he couldn't stand seeing your suffering from wishing and yearning that your generals would stick together no matter what," she looked another way, looking forlorn for some reason.

"I felt no such thing," was Akashi's even reply, denying and possibly not understanding what she said.

Kurenai smiled. "Humans… are creatures that cannot live in solitude, no matter how much they wish that they could survive alone… it is just not enough," Kurenai closed her eye now, looking so serene and ethereal that Akashi couldn't help staring at her openly.

"What are you implying, mother?" Akashi hated it when she spoke in riddles. Despite his brilliant mind, it was hard to decipher her words sometimes. He wished she could just tell him straightly.

Kurenai opened her eye and turned to face Akashi again. Her gaze somehow looked rather sympathetic and that irked Akashi slightly. "You might not realize it yet Seijuurou-san, but your world… is not just yours anymore," she said slowly.

"Huh?" Akashi was plainly bemused now.

"For you it might look like an absolute world… but I can assure you. It is imperfect. As one of the Akashis, I have raised you so meticulously well that sometimes you just cannot see what is too obvious. I had taught you to read the actions behind the words, to read the intentions behind the actions, but I never really considered that this could be your downfall as well… trapped inside your little 'ideal world' that is not perfect at all," Kurenai put both her palms on Akashi's cheeks, looking at him so sadly and heartbreakingly that Akashi was slightly disturbed.

Moreover, Akashi still didn't understand a single word she was saying.

"Mother…?" Akashi tried to push her away lightly, but her hold on his face was too firm.

"My miserable child…" Kurenai whispered before giving Akashi a soft gentle kiss on his forehead while holding him close. "I will always protect you, even if I have to cut all the ties you have with the world outside mine, as long as you can remain unharmed, then… I will do it."

A very unpleasant shiver ran down Akashi's spine as he heard those words, words that screamed 'You are mine' in such a diabolic way that nausea instantly hit Akashi. He would have hurled if it weren't for his iron self control to remain calm with a poker face.

It lasted only for a moment in actuality, but for Akashi, it almost felt like a lifetime before she released him. "Soujirou listens to you. You can control him. He will not go astray if you come back to succeed quickly and end your foolish belief in your basketball circle. You will not even play that game forever, Seijuurou-san," she said, smiling again pleasantly while Akashi was still trying to fight the queasiness in his stomach.

Akashi glared at Kurenai in dissent. Considering his basketball as foolish was going over the line. Even if it was Kurenai, Akashi was feeling angry with her for that one comment.

As if she could read the remonstration at the tip of Akashi's tongue (wrong, she definitely could), she quickly added, "Listen to me, Seijuurou-san. If you stubbornly want to keep that 'little world' existing, let go of it and watch it from afar. Soujirou is not as tolerant as me. He does not listen to me anymore. What do you think he will do to your 'generals' when he knows you do not want to come back because of them?"

Akashi actually gritted his teeth at that. "Is that a threat?" He couldn't believe this. Was his mother really that desperate that she even used a threat on him?

Soujirou's matter is indeed worrying, but he has no brain to pull such things without risking getting caught by the police…-Akashi knew better than taking what Kurenai said as a warning. She was threatening him that she would even use Soujirou to destroy the Generation of Miracles if he didn't accept the succession.

"Consider it as you like. You just have to remember that this is for your own benefit, my dear, dear beloved son…" Kurenai smiled again at Akashi, who chose to cease all of his expressions and stay silent about the matter.

It was at a time like this that Akashi wished his mother to disappear. He wished he hated her so that it would be easier.

Why… you asked? That's because…

Because…

Just like Akashi had mentioned a few times back, over and over only so he wouldn't forget.

Akashi… and his generals were like Shogi pieces.

Akashi was the King on the chessboard.

Akashi's life was a chess game.

And Kurenai, his mother, was the player of that chess game.

~Akashi x Furihata~

Monday rolled around quite calmly despite the event that happened the previous day.

Murasakibara and Himuro decided to stay in Kagami's apartment for another night after Himuro contacted their other teammates, captain and coach that they had to skip school and practice for family matters.

Aomine and Kise did the same thing, but in Aomine's case, Momoi did the contacting with whatever she came up with as the reasons for them skipping school and practice. Kasamatsu yelled at Kise through the phone that this was the last time Kasamatsu would be on the Kaijou basketball team and after that day he would resign because his time was up and if Kise would be alright not being able to play with him anymore. That's why, on Monday morning Kise immediately said good bye to everyone and went back to Kanagawa only to attend the 'last minute' practice before Kasamatsu officially resigned from the club.

Aomine wanted to go with him, but Kise told him to stay beside Momoi because she needed more protection than he did. "And stop treating me like a girl, Aomine-chi. I'm a man just like you. I'll be okay. Besides, Kanagawa is a faraway place from here," the blond huffed at him at the station.

"Not far enough. You heard what Setsuna-san said yesterday," Aomine said stubbornly, looking displeased at having to part with Kise when the situation was still undoubtedly dangerous for them to act alone.

Kise rolled his eyes. "Aomine-chi, trust me. I will be with senpai and the others all the time. I'll make sure not to walk alone," he said reassuringly and Aomine could only sigh in defeat at the confidence Kise showed him.

"Alright," the tan ace said, throwing his hands on the air in a surrendering gesture, "But you have to text me every hour to check up," he added gruffly afterwards.

"Two hours," Kise chuckled and shook his pretty blond head at Aomine's paranoia.

"Fine, every two hours," Aomine agreed, albeit reluctantly.

On the other hand, Midorima and Takao decided to go home Sunday night and keep going to school the next morning.

"If I let him bother my everyday life to the point where I can't even go to school out of fear of his threat, I wouldn't have survived living as his friend for the past three years," Midorima scowled, as he opened his front door, only to be surprised when Takao suddenly showed up with a cheery grin at his doorstep.

"I'll stay by your side all the time, just in case," Takao said after waving 'hello' to Midorima's mother and father as they went to school together.

"You don't have to," Midorima was annoyed even though there was that surge of warmth in his chest at Takao's thoughtfulness.

"Well, I just want to look cool in front of my Shin-chan," Takao grinned mischievously and Midorima flushed before scolding him to stop being so embarrassing in public.

Takao seemed to know that Midorima was quite happy though, so he just hugged Midorima's arm and Midorima let him despite the odd stares some people threw their way.

Meanwhile, Kagami and Kuroko were in school, practicing with the rest of the Seirin team after Riko interrogated them about the text message Kuroko had sent her about Akashi Seijuurou being in town the day before.

"How do you think he will react when he knows who I am?" Kagami asked absentmindedly as he was shooting the ball from the free-throw line.

Kuroko was practicing his drive against Mitobe when he heard the off-hand question. He stopped his movement long enough to glance at the redhead before continuing. In a split second he disappeared from Mitobe's sight to run past him and shoot his phantom shot against Hyuuga's mark.

"Damn! I can't see the ball!" Hyuuga cursed, but he was smiling for some reason when the ball swished inside the basket a short time later. He must have been quite proud and impressed at Kuroko's progress during this point.

Kuroko jogged to Kagami's side as the redhead turned around slightly to face the bluenet. "Do you plan to tell Akashi-kun about your relation with him?" he asked slowly, his curiosity somehow clear in his sky-blue eyes despite his deadpan expression.

"After what we heard yesterday, there's no way I could just leave him be, right? If he was forced to do that kind of thing by his 'family'… no wonder he was so adamant about making you guys 'his'," Kagami was rather affronted as he spoke, slightly pained even.

Kuroko looked down, looking rather disheartened himself. "All I want is just… for Akashi-kun to be free…" he whispered it so quietly that Kagami had to strain his hearing just to catch his toneless words, but he could read the strong emotion in it, and that caused Kagami's heart to ache a little.

Kagami was about to pull Kuroko into a reassuring hug when Riko blew her whistle, epically interrupting the moment. "We'll have the mini game between the first years and the second years! Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun, stop getting distracted. Sheesh, even if you guys met Akashi Seijuurou yesterday, that isn't a reason for you to disregard your practice. Look at Furihata-kun! He was captured by him yesterday, but he's fine and even worked up now," the brunette pointed at Furihata who cringed at that.

"That's because Coach threatened to triple my training menu if I slacked off today, right…?" the boy literally sobbed as he passed the ball at Kawahara.

Fukuda patted his back while smiling, "There, there…" with a tinge of sympathy in his tone.

Kuroko and Kagami looked at each other before they turned to stare at Furihata who was now being tortured by their coach for daring to talk back at her with his mumbles. Kagami was quite baffled and Kuroko seemed to be mystified. They agreed silently to ask some questions about his encounter with Akashi the previous day, later.

Part 6B

Part 5