Chapter Text
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[Previously, On '6 Lights, 1 Shadow']
Not like he could say anything. The green haired one wanted to find her just as much as the rest of them. Atsushi just grunted his acknowledgment, and Kagami couldn't contain the small grin that broke out across his face. They would find her and protect her and love her. That what soulmates are for, right? Aomine leaned back into the chair and released a bout of breathless laughter.
"Either way, it was getting a little chummy around here."
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. . . || ᶜʰᵃᵖᵗᵉʳ ⁶ || . . .
A large group of both men and women, young and old, were gathered around a wide, mostly circular table in a dark room with a light blue holographic screen floating in the middle. The atmosphere weighing heavily in the darkness was suffocating as nobody spoke a single word while they watched the black haired man sitting on the elevated part of the circle behind a podium shuffle through papers. Some of the people were looking at each other nervously and fiddling with their fingers or any nearby objects they could get their hands on.
The man suddenly placed the papers down onto the table and leaned forward in his chair, pressing his chin into the palm of his hand with a bright smile on his face and sparkling teal eyes. Breaking the tense silence, he casually remarked- "These suggestions are quite interesting, don't you guys think? I especially liked the one where someone brought up a small point on how my boldness and... incompetence... may lead this company to ruin one day." He chuckled softly and looked down at the papers in front of him, face unchanging.
The people around him shared glances at one another with pursed lips and furrowed brows before one middle-aged man stood up and faced the elevated platform with a deep bow.
"I believe I might've wrote that page, sir. I sincerely apologize for any mistakes and the misunderstanding! I did not mean for that letter to be taken in that kind of context." The others in the room began quietly whispering to each other and turning in their seats to burn holes into the man's head with their eyes. The black haired man's smile stayed plastered on his face, but his own eyes slowly began to dim into a duller and darker cerulean.
As the other man finished his sentence, he folded his fingers together and rested his chin onto them. "I have to say Mr. Hirotoshi, your writing is absolutely outstanding! And your idea was also quite creative." He gave the other man a closed-eye smile, leaning back into his chair and quietly tapping his desk, which seemed to ignite fear into the others sitting around the table.
"But unfortunately for you..." Suddenly, two men burst into the room, one with a gold wrist cuff and the other with a rusted silver one. The uniformed they donned were quite simple, loose black truck pants tucked into dark grey combat boots with metal accents and a black, skintight long-sleeved turtleneck. They also wore overtop the shirt an off-white, flat tactical combat vest with minimal but well hidden pockets and the symbol of a gold shield stitched over their hearts.
Both men sped over to grab Hirotoshi's biceps while staying unnaturally silent and blank-faced. The black-haired man slowly stood from his chair and monotonously stating to the two guards while waving a dismissive hand, "...I don't exactly appreciate insults, no matter how subtle, from people lesser than me. Prepare him for the Chip."
The guards nodded and immediately turned away and dragged the man out of the room, who was crying and begging to be given a second chance before the doors slammed shut and his screams were muffled.
The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees as every else stared at the door with gapped mouths and wide eyes. "Well then, that was fun!" The black-haired man's eyes instantly became a brighter teal again and his smile shone brilliantly. He dropped back into his chair with a plop and a soft sigh with an unnerving look on his face. "I'll miss him for now... but at least he'll be back by my side better than ever in no time! Though the process might be a tad bit painful for him..." He muttered to himself, yet everyone else was able to hear him and tensed up even further in their seats.
The man thought to himself for a few seconds before he shrugged. He tapped him fingers on his desk and rested his chin onto the palm on his hand with a malevolent glint in his eyes.
"Now then... where were we?"
. ~ .
Seijuro was slowly losing his mind.
It's been two days since he left the cafeteria after the chat about their last soulmate feeling so determined that he would be able to find her, yet as he scans through the final page of the list of students that went to this school for the fourth time, he felt his body sag a bit further into his chair in despair. Which is quite unusual for him because Seijuro Akashi has never felt despair in a long, long time.
His fellow bondmate with forest green hair entered the room with a small frown on his face, a platter of fruits and a cup of steaming herbal tea. "Seijuro." Shintarou called out to him, a tiny amount of frustration lacing his normally blank voice.
"Hmm? Ah, Shintarou. You didn't have to-" The green hair teenager carried the platter over and placed it none-too-gently on the side of his desk, not covering his work yet still catching his attention.
Shintarou stepped back to sit on one of the 6 other cushioned seats in the office as a displeased expression crossed his face for less than a second and grunted "You've been looking at the same list for 3 hours, and haven't even eaten yet. If her name was on there, you would have known by now." Shintarou folded his arms together and leaned further into the chair.
The red-head tiredly glared over at the other with no malice behind it and sighed, dropping the list onto the table and picking up the teacup. He silently watched the steam rise and felt as his cold hands began to heat up with furrowed eyebrows. "It... doesn't make sense, Shintarou." The red-head softly muttered and took a small sip of the tea, feeling both the herbal flavour and hot water lightly sting his tongue. "I've checked and re-checked the list so many times yet I haven't found any written information on her yet, let alone her name."
The other teenager goes silent for a good minute, deep in thought before hesitantly mentioning "Have you... read the inferior student's list (1) yet? Perhaps that's why her name wasn't on the one you were reading before." Seijuro's hands tensed around the cup as he slowly lowered it. "That's true... her reactions, based on what Ryouta and Taiga said, did not seem quite accepting. In fact, it sounded like she was more fearful than anything." The redhead pondered before pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why didn't I notice that sooner-!" He stated angrily and immediately stood up to speed over towards the large cabinet by the desk. The green haired teen watched in curiosity as his bondmate scoured through the files, red eyes (2) skimming over all the details with inhuman speed as he finally found the folder he was looking for.
Setting the files onto the desk with a little more force then necessary, Seijuro flipped open the list and scoured through all the names before one caught his eye and made him freeze. Shintarou, letting his curiosity overcome the thought in his head about leaving his bondmate alone, stood up and stepped over by the desk. The redhead made no other reaction besides moving away, simultaneously pulling out his phone, a pen and a writing pad.
The green haired teenager leaned over the desk and immediately noticing the exact name of the person they've been searching for as if his eyes were drawn to it by instinct. Kuroko Tetsuki. Her class was printed beside her name in small, bold lettering as well as her student ID code and birthday. He looked over to give the redhead a questioning look.
"I just informed the others of this finding, they're on their way." Seijuro replied to the silent question, placing his phone down and turning to face the other. "Though unfortunately we won't be able to act right away. Others may get suspicious and start hassling her for it." He mentions, a slight frown etched across his face. Shintarou detected the smallest hint of nerves and frustration creeping along the edge of their bond and right away sent a mini wave of comfort and determination back across to counteract it, which made the redhead relax just a tiny bit more into his chair. "You've already done enough, Seijuro. Eat and get some sleep. For now, just trust the rest of us to take it from here. We will definitely help her." The green haired teen assured gruffly, hesitantly patting his fellow bondmate on the shoulder. Seijuro just gave Shintarou a small, tired smirk and said;
"I know you guys will. You're all my bondmates after all."