i love myself.

[etherealxshadows]

“Because you like playing basketball with them?” Kuroko didn't think too much about his answer, he just replied to the obvious rhetorical question.

Sure, Mayuzumi kept complaining about how annoying everything related to his team was, but at the same time he was proud of them. Otherwise, he wouldn't have threatened Seirin with losing the next time they played. Right there, just the two of them: a declaration of war in a broken elevator.

Enjoying it while it lasts... There was a moment of silence on his part. Of course, Kuroko knew that his time at Seirin was limited, but he had already felt what it was like when Teiko team collapsed. He had no intention of allowing a bittersweet goodbye to happen again. “I am aware. And we will not lose.” How? Surely they'll come up with something.

It was also true that he wasn't going to be there… “You can always repeat the year if you want to be there. We will beat you again.” And perhaps Kuroko sounded more confident than Mayuzumi would like to hear. The part about repeating the year was a joke, although he didn't know how good a student Mayuzumi really was.

Something was a little off about that statement of his, so Kuroko decided to ignore the part where he said he was glad it was over.

[misanthroverflow]

Do I? Mayuzumi frowns at question, but ultimately ignores it. There were moments this past year where he... wouldn't say he enjoyed playing basketball with them, but it certainly had been interesting. However, to Akashi and the Uncrowned Kings, Mayuzumi was only welcome when he was performing well. The way they cast him aside when he was not needed left a bad taste in his mouth, to the point where he can't truly say he enjoyed it.

Mayuzumi rolls his eyes. "Akashi alone could trounce your team on a normal day. You'll have to come up with some new tricks if you want to keep up with him. He's not going to take that loss lying down." How complicated that he sounds proud of a team that doesn't even like him.

"I'm going to graduate," Mayuzumi says dryly. "And I don't want to be there. I'm sure they'll find a replacement." That is to say, he feels he held them back during their last match of the Winter Cup, but he doesn't want to admit that. "That being said, I still have loyalty to Rakuzan... and I still want them to win. Even if that team is a bunch of little shits who don't respect their upperclassmen." There was... almost something positive buried in there, maybe?

Talking about his annoying team when he had come to Tokyo to get away from them is kind of pissing him off. "...Surely you get tired of it." He stares directly at Kuroko with unfiltered judgment. "Being invisible, even on your own team."

[wingroad]

MayuAka + LoveTropes

[etherealxshadows]

“I see…” Indiferent at first, but when his senior spoke gave the impression that he had everything under control to return home. At least until he mentioned that he didn't want to meet up with his teammates. Did he dislike meeting them so much that he had come all the way to Tokyo…? “It seems complicated.” And this was coming from someone who had had to deal with nothing less than a couple former members of generation of miracles.

Meanwhile, there were no signs of movement around the elevator. No voices, no noises, nothing. It had only been out of service for a short time, so it was still too early to draw any conclusions. What could be heard, however, was the weather getting worse. Rain, perhaps?

"...You look like a cat person." He nodded, in agreement. If they were talking about appearances, Kuroko could perfectly imagine him reading with a cat on his lap. Stroking it from time to time without looking up from the book. Would he own a cat?

Kuroko could continue talking about pets / tell him more about Nigou / but the last question caught him off guard again. This senior sure liked to change the subject abruptly.

"Friendly..." Kuroko took his time to think. Team dynamics worked very well at Seirin, but the blows, scoldings from his senpais, his coach's terrifying training regimes… could they really be considered friendly? Definitely not. But the warm feeling of unity was definitely there. "Most of the time, yes. It's fun to be with them." Didn't think twice about his answer, but tried to not sound very deep either. Have you ever felt like you were being asked a trick question?

[misanthroverflow]

Is there a point to holding back? He may as well slander his teammates as much as he feels like. Kuroko can sympathize or not, it doesn't matter. "It's not complicated. They're self-centered." As is Mayuzumi, which is probably why they don't get along to some extent. "And childish. All they do is make noise and call on me when they feel like it, at their whims. Why would I go out of my way to be around any of them?"

Idly, Mayuzumi glances at his phone. Seems the weather isn't going to let up any time soon. There's only so much an umbrella can do when it's windy raining heavily. Today feels especially unlucky, even for him.

He sighs at Kuroko's words. Really, he shouldn't have even asked. It's not like he ever could have wound up at a place like Seirin. Like it or not, Mayuzumi still feels loyalty to Rakuzan. But would it have been too much to ask for, a normal team with friendly people? Not that he would have been noticed at all if it wasn't for Akashi. Maybe it is a bit complicated.

"I see... enjoy it while it lasts." Mayuzumi shrugs dispassionately. "The tricks you pulled on us won't work a second time. Next year, Rakuzan will definitely crush you." Without me. "I'm glad to be done with it all. All of them, more trouble than it was worth." It's only half true, but he doesn't want to think about the other half.

[etherealxshadows]

“I guess they'll hurry up if you call the operator…” A thought aloud, which led him to another question Kuroko hadn't consider until then. “Do you have to go back to Kyoto, Mayuzumi-san?” Kuroko wasn't in any particular hurry; his house wasn't that far away, and he could get there in a couple of subway stops. But getting to Kyoto from Tokyo was another story.

Mayuzumi seemed to have reduced his level of hostility towards him, for now. He was even willing to engage in simple conversation with him, such as asking him about Nigou. Apparently, the puppy was the most popular member of the Seirin team... or his senior liked dogs.

“Nigou?” Well, he was his official owner, if you thought about it. “I usually take him with me most of the time, but today I left him behind because of the bad weather, so he's at home.” He was usually in the school gym area, but these days they were making a small exception. "Most of the team enjoy spending time with him, so taking care of him had never been a problem." Except for Kagami, clearly, but that's a battle still ongoing! "Do you happen to like dogs?"

[misanthroverflow]

"I mean... eventually?" Mayuzumi shrugs. If he got stranded, he could get a hotel of some sort for the night. Another day of wandering around Tokyo wouldn't be so bad, and he could avoid his school for a little longer. "I'll get back one way or another." So he thinks. "Not really in any rush to see my teammates." They all want him to keep showing up to basketball club despite everything, and he refuses. Fuck that, really.

Admittedly, having a normal conversation with Kuroko isn't that bad. He doesn't give off pretentiousness like the other Miracles, at least. Mayuzumi's high school basketball career is over, so there's no reason to still cling to the results of the Winter Cup, other than pettiness. And while Mayuzumi can be very petty, it also doesn't seem entirely worth it to be angry all the time. More than anything, Mayuzumi doesn't want to waste his precious time with emotions that go nowhere, so he will try to be more polite... a little.

"I'm more of a cat person, but I don't mind dogs." Depends on the dog, really. The loud yappy ones can be a little irritating, but he already deals with one of those on his team on the regular (Hayama). "I guess it's nice that everyone likes him." Almost. "Rakuzan in general is more uptight. I don't think having a pet at practice would go over well." If anything, the team's pet is probably... no, he doesn't want to think about it. He scowls. "...Is everyone on your team friendly with one another?" No, he's not jealous, not even a little!

[etherealxshadows]

And yet you didn't realize I was here with you until the elevator stopped and we were alone. Luckily, Kuroko was good at reading the room and kept those words to himself because, indeed, it had sounded a little strange to know that Mayuzumi had been watching him closely while Kuroko didn't even know of his existence. Akashi-kun doing or not didn't change the fact, but oh well. They had already passed the stage of competing to see who was the best shadow, right?

At least his senior quickly gave him something else to focus on.

"But you are older than me" At Seirin, he already had a beloved senpai who reminded them from time to time of the importance of respecting their elders, it didn't matter the school they assisted to. If it was annoying for him then there was only one correct way. "Then, is Mayuzumi-san okay for you?" Look he remembers your name. The answer didn't really matter because he no longer had any other way to call his senior, so he had already decided that he could call him that.

Then he became proactive, right when Kuroko thought he didn't care about being stuck. "They had said they were working on fixing it." Okay, Mr. Obvious. "Doesn't that mean they know we are here?" Incredible deduction, but it was a good intention to go and try to calm his senior.

[misanthroverflow]

Well, it's not like Mayuzumi is going to reprimand Kuroko for being polite, especially not after the way his own teammates had treated him. He'll take some respect where he can get it... even if it's from Kuroko. "That's fine." At least he's not calling Mayuzumi by his first name like a certain first year (former) captain of his. (The nerve of that guy...)

"Huh? Right, I... just in case, I mean." Suddenly Mayuzumi feels a bit embarrassed for vocalizing that. Now Kuroko thinks he's anxious about the situation for some reason, while in reality he could be stuck here for an hour and he wouldn't really care as long as he had time to read. "Even if they forget we're both here, they're still going to fix it so other people can use it... so it doesn't matter." Perhaps Mayuzumi simply had the urge to assert himself despite the uselessness of doing so, just to pretend like he has some control over the situation, and by association his life. He's not going to admit that, though!

As long as Kuroko is here, there's no point in trying to relax. Just seeing his blank face puts him on edge. "...Who takes care of the dog when you're out and about?" There, see? Neutral question that can't be mistaken for caring about Kuroko.

[etherealxshadows]

“…Good afternoon.”

The presence of his new misfortune companion might have been minimal, but Mayuzumi personally was quite... unforgettable. Kuroko had been staring at him for a while, but he was noticed only when their eyes met, apparently. In less than the blink of an eye, he realized that his presence was not welcome, but just in case his senior did not hesitate to express it in words. We were in a bad mood, huh?

Anyway, shouldn't they be at least a little concerned that the elevator stopped without any apparent explanation several floors up?

Without saying anything (not that he was given much space to speak), he quietly dropped down to sit on the floor and crossed his arms over his knees. It was hard to know how long they would be there, and his stamina wasn't exactly abundant enough to just stand there.

However, it was difficult to remain silent in the face of that last comment, which, rather than threatening, struck him as… comical. Was he trying to mess with him, or was it something else? “You seem quite aware of my presence for being already invisible in your eyes, senpai.”

[misanthroverflow]

Now Mayuzumi is realizing that his comeback wasn't very effective, but it's too late to take it back and say something smarter. "You can thank your former teammate for that," Mayuzumi grumbles. "Because of Akashi, I've been forced to perceive you all year." That, at least, was honest and not a sarcsatic remark. Unfortunately, it also makes him sound like he's obsessed with Kuroko. Whatever. He can think what he likes.

Despite his attempt to ignore Kuroko, he can't help but remember that the original, old model (ugh) of the Phantom Sixth Man (so corny) is surprisingly frail. Somewhere deep down, he finds himself wondering whether Kuroko will be okay if they're stuck here for a long period, which is stupid because there is no reason for him to care at all.

"...You don't have to call me senpai," Mayuzumi grumbles, peering over his book at Kuroko. "I don't go to your school." It's overly polite and respectful, which is irritating in its own right. "...If the elevator is stuck for a while, I'll get up and call the operator." Kuroko seems like the kind of person who would wait in silence to the point where he'd get locked in the building overnight. No sense of self-respect there whatsoever. Honestly it's kind of sad.

[misanthroverflow]

@etherealxshadows

Now that his miserable time on Rakuzan's basketball team has come to an abrupt and merciful end, Mayuzumi Chihiro can do whatever he wants. That includes going to Tokyo whenever he feels like it to do some shopping and go to fan events and pop-up shops, ignoring the endless string of texts in the Rakuzan basketball club group chat from his kouhais who still constantly try to get his attention despite the way they treated him.

More than anything, he enjoys browsing through secondhand bookstores in Tokyo that may have different offerings than the options in Kyoto. One such place is his destination today, a bookstore tucked into the top floor of a giant mall.

Not wishing to climb eight flights of stairs, Mayuzumi steps into the elevator and leans against the back wall, idly scrolling through his phone (and still ignoring the group chat). The elevator rises several floors before stopping, and Mayuzumi doesn't even glance up, assuming that someone has gotten on the elevator. However, a few moments later a voice through a speaker apologizes for a technical difficulty, and Mayuzumi sighs, resigned to his fate of being stuck here while they fix the line. He has a couple books in his bag, so he can sit down and read since he's in here alone...

...or so he thought. His gaze flicks towards the opposite wall, and Mayuzumi has to hold back a confused noise when he sees that he is very much not alone, but instead in the presence of one very quiet Kuroko Tetsuya.

Had he gotten on the elevator alongside Kuroko and just not noticed? There's no point asking him how long he's been there, since he knows what the answer will be (I've been here the whole time). Mayuzumi scowls, wondering how the hell he had managed to run into Kuroko in the entire massive city of Tokyo. It's like the gods are up there somewhere mocking him. My luck is terrible.

"I'm going to read, so don't bother me." There's no reason to say hello or spout fake pleasantries, and certainly no reason to lie and say it's nice to see you. The existence of this insufferable first year is the reason the last year of his life in the basketball club has been hellish, and he's not about to acknowledge him as though they are friends. Perhaps it is their fate to cross paths, but it certainly isn't required that he engage with this fate. "Do me a favor and make yourself invisible... oh wait. You already are."

On that note, he takes out his book from his bag and faces away from Kuroko deliberately.

[basketballpoetsociety]

Title: Shadow showdown

Characters: Mayuzumi Chihiro, Kuroko Tetsuya

Challenge 41: Character Battle [Mayuzumi Chihiro]

Summary: Ok so I finally caved in and drew something for this challenge :’D I JUST REALLY, REALLY WANT TO SEE MAYUZUMI’S EXPRESSIONS WHEN HE FACES AGAINST KUROKO AHHH PLEASE FUJIMAKI-SENSEI MAKE THIS HAPPEN

[misanthroverflow]

yosukafu

❝ …. ❞ She leans closer then, not seeming to have a sense for personal bubbles. ❝ You’re right. I blew my cover. Give me your precious possessions and your wallet before I shoot you. We can do this the easy way… or the hard way. ❞ She reaches into her bag, as if hesitant to pull something out. Well, she might as well indulge his suspicions… and be more obnoxious.

“...Whatever.” Mayuzumi’s well versed enough in sarcasm to recognize it when he hears it. On the off chance she does somehow have a gun, putting him out of his misery wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. “You want my money?” He pulls a 1000 yen bill out of his wallet and tosses it at her. “Buy yourself dessert or something. Now leave me alone and let me read.”

[doublecores-blog]

[ text: Chihiro ] If you truly intend to not lose to me, I expect an overwhelming number of kisses in the near future. [ text: Chihiro ] Speaking of which, I’ve managed to find some time to spare the weekend after next. [ text: Chihiro ] I won’t trouble you too much if I spend the night at your place, will I?

[misanthroverflow]

[text: akashi] What’s an overwhelming number?! [text: akashi] Of course you won’t trouble me! [text: akashi] I mean. I guess it’s fine. [text: akashi] Nothing better come up, you got that?

[yosukafu]

❝ Ehhhhh. Why not? It’s not like I’m obnoxiously breathing. I told you to pretend I wasn’t here. ❞ She didn’t see it as a problem, so she’s not sure why he’s overreacting to such a thing. ❝ Am I gonna rob you? No. I just wanna know more about the book. ❞ Well, she could rob him, but going to jail isn’t a very wise idea.

[misanthroverflow]

“It’s obnoxious because you’re here anyway!” Mayuzumi might not have much presence, but that didn’t mean he could just will away the presence of other people. “Besides, you saying that is suspicious, isn’t it? Now I think you might rob me after all.”

[vesface]

[ar-iuk-blog]

ひだまりの

[doublecores-blog]

[ text: Chihiro ] I suppose that I am. [ text: Chihiro ] I’ve learned a lot about myself recently thanks to you. [ text: Chihiro ] You’re actually quite passionate when we’re being intimate, I can’t allow myself to lose to you.

[misanthroverflow]

[text: akashi] Not everything has to be a goddamn competition! [text: akashi] I guess I don’t want to lost to you either. [text: akashi] ... [text: akashi] Shut up.

[misanthroverflow]

Akashi: I love you.

Mayuzumi: *chuckles uncomfortably* ...I think you're telling that to the wrong person.

Akashi: No, I love you.

Mayuzumi: ... *continues chuckling uncomfortably*

[shion-uzu]

Mayuzumi & Akashi!!

[doublecores-blog]

[ text: Chihiro ] Oh? You know me so well now. Haven’t we become especially close? [ text: Chihiro ] It can’t be helped. I’ve told you a lot about myself by now. More than I’ve told anyone else. [ text: Chihiro ] I’d expect a kiss, at the very least. [ text: Chihiro ] Based on past behavior, I’m certain that your perverted inclinations would quickly take over as well. Since I also know you very well, I can say that with confidence. [ text: Chihiro ] You’re better at expressing yourself through actions over words, so I actually find your eagerness endearing.

[misanthroverflow]

[text: akashi] I’d like to hope we were close at this point! [text: akashi] Well... it’s the same for me, too. I trust you more than most people. I guess all people? [text: akashi] I’d kiss you. [text: akashi] And what’s all this about perversion, huh?! You’re just as eager! Are you calling yourself a pervert?