He hadn't wanted to believe it when Riko told him Kirisaki Daiichi was a dirty team. But faced with the facts and tangible proofs, there was no use running away from the truth, his brother's team was the type he loathed the most.

They had no respect for the sport and players, didn't know the first thing about sportsmanship, and worst of all, had no qualms flaunting their devious strategies to their faces.

He gripped his hands in two tight fists, his blue eyes were strained on the floor as reality slowly sank into him. They were a team that played by making fouls and his brother, Akihito, hadn't said a word.

It wasn't that Tetsuya expected Akihito to tell him. He wasn't asking for so much, after all, he himself didn't tell Akihito about Seirin's playing style. What hurt Tetsuya the most was how Akihito didn't protect him in the face of such obvious fouls.

He thought that Akihito would ask them to put a stop to it and that if he couldn't, he would at least quit the team.

"'You okay, Kuroko?" Kagami asked his Shadow as he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Tetsuya took a deep breath. He lifted his head to look up at the redhead, carefully nodded to dismiss his worry before flicking his gaze to Kirisaki Daiichi's team.

Tetsuya was far from blind, with one simple glance he could read his brother's feelings, even more, when they were so genuinely plastered over his face, all masks of faked composure and compassion discarded.

Akihito was smiling, lightly so, chuckling, ever so softly, joking around with his team. With the people who hurt his Senpai as if it never happened. As if they hadn't sent Kiyoshi to the hospital once, last year.

As if all that happened on the court, seconds before, was just but a dream. An illusion, a mirage, a trick of the light. Something his mind had created out of sick entertainment.

He was lost. His world was crumbling, his bond with his brother broke and the nagging feeling in his heart when he introduced the blue head to his team revealed itself.

That foreboding feeling deep in his guts, a warning, like blaring sirens in his mind. It all came crashing back at him.

For a moment, he wondered if Akihito knew. If he had anticipated his reaction, if he had hoped he would agree to their means, or if he had guessed how revolted he would be but still went forward at the price of their relationship.

He wished it wasn't the latter.

It was all a bad dream, he would wake up soon and then once they played Kirisaki Daiichi it would be in all fairness.

But it wasn't, and Tetsuya wasn't cowardly enough to believe it was.

Because they were brothers, Tetsuya knew Akihito best— though did he really, now that he saw him talking to the Kirisaki Daiichi players?

Akihito was slow, that was a fact. He wasn't quick to the uptake whenever something concerned him, but he was far from dumb, only socially awkward.

If Akihito hadn't protested after staying with the team for more than a year, it wasn't because he was blind to their tricks and doings. It was because he didn't find any fault in their practices.

He approved of them.

He vetoed their playing style.

He put his analysis skills at their disposal.

He let them trample and break other teams with no qualms.

Tetsuya didn't know if he was more disappointed in his brother's morals and behavior or hurt by the fact that despite being family, he hadn't tried to stop Hanamiya and the others from trying to hurt him.

It was an uncomfortable blend of sadness, confusion, and betrayal.

Tetsuya took a large gulp out of his plastic gourd before roughly wiping his forehead off his sweat. He blankly looked at the bench for a few seconds, as if to compose himself and chase the useless thoughts out of his mind.

Now wasn't the type to get emotional, they had a game to win. He couldn't let himself get overwhelmed by his problem and drag the team down.

He slapped both his cheeks, the loud slapping noise surprising more than one of his teammates, as he psyched himself up.

They would win.

Tetsuya carefully inhaled and exhaled, emptying his mind, once he snapped his blue eyes open they were unbelievably clear, devoid of any ripples and impurities.

His blue eyes flickered to Kirisaki Daiichi's bench one last time. He met his brother's careless gaze. Gripping his hands in tight fists, he silently relaxed his grip, merely answering Akihito's probing glance with an indifferent nod.

He wondered if the disappointed light, a blend of sadness and excitement, that flickered through Akihito's golden irises was an illusion, a trick of the light.

He shrugged it off.

The buzzer sounded, announcing the beginning of the next quarter. They would show Kirisaki Daiichi what real basketball was.

::

"'Seen anything interesting, Akihito?" Hanamiya questioned as he drained half of his water gourd before putting it down on the wooden bench.

Akihito blinked, his gaze went back to their usual lackadaisical light, he lightly hummed. "Nothing, I was just looking at Tetsuya," he developed, picking his notebook and flipping the pages until he reached his desired section.

In beautiful calligraphy, the name Kuroko Tetsuya proudly stood atop of the page. A multitude of paragraphs, remarks and doodles covered the entirety of the page and a few that followed.

Akihito's eyes gently dulled, his mind went back to the way Tetsuya had acted upon realizing Kirisaki Daiichi's play, he refrained himself from smiling. Gently, he twirled the fountain pen between his fingers before uncapping it and recording his thoughts on the slightly wrinkled paper.

Hanamiya threw a curious glance over his friend's shoulder, noticing the object of his focus he snorted. For a moment, he wondered if he also had a whole section dedicated to his person in Akihito's notebook. The idea felt oddly pleasant and he told himself to ask the male once the game was over.

Hanamiya smiled to himself, the expression something slightly different from usual— milder, more docile until he heard the buzzing sound that announced the beginning of the quarter.

He gave Akihito a complicit glance before he jogged back to the court.

Akihito gazed at the game, his back slightly hunched as he kept a close look on the notebook that rested on his lap. The more he saw, the happier he felt.

The more they tricked, the more excited he felt.

His gaze trailed on one particular figure, his eyes flashed with appreciation and admiration, tinges of excitement easily blending in.

There was a ghost of a smile over his face as he thought back on their impromptu talk in the bathroom.

He felt happy, accomplished.

If they had time, he would invite him out for a drink later on.

His eyes flicked to Tetsuya, gently narrowing. He wondered what the boy would tell him once the game was over.

He was a bit excited.