I do not own Kuroko no Basuke neither its characters.
Alternate Universe. A Fem!Kuroko fanfiction. Slight OOC and typos. Grammar mistakes warning. Hope you enjoy this and any reviews are very welcome here.
And also I'm looking for a beta reader. Just PM me if you interested ;)
The Emperor's Bride
Chapter 1: Played by Fate
Kuroko yawned as she stretched her arms to the air. She had finished from her part-time job at the convenience store and was on her way to her home.
The salary she got from her part-time jobs was fairly enough for both her and his father needs. But still less for the debts. Even with the money which her father had earned from his pottery shop.
She sighed as she suddenly remembered the due time to pay the debts would come to an end in a week.
Things had rather became difficult for her ever since she discovered her father's illness four months ago. Thus without a choice, she doubled up the debts for her father's treatment and all without her father's knowing. Automatically she then began to work part-time jobs in different places on different days.
At first, her father didn't approve of it as he was insanely worried regarding the fact that she is a girl and still in high shool nonetheless. But time after time as she did all her methods to convince him, she had succeed in changing his mind in the end.
Didn't want to pressure herself by thinking it further, Kuroko looked up at the heart-warming orange colored sky above her. Followed with birds chirping and an echanting view of sunset, not far away from where she was.
"Orange, huh?" Kuroko murmured to herself as she stared at the sky's prominent color. Somehow, she had that kind of déjà vu digging up inside her every time she saw it. Like it was all familiar to her. But whenever she tried to remember when or why, her head would always ended up dizzy.
"I'm home, Otou—"
CLASH.
Kuroko jolted as she heard the breaking sound from her father's workplace. As if her instinct told her something bad was going on, she quickly put off her shoes and went to the place. When she was getting near it, the breaking sound came again, startling the bluenette. Then she saw the door was already opened. Without thinking twice, she entered the room.
"Otou-san!"
Her eyes widened at the sight before her. Fractions of pottery were scattered on the wooden floor as her father crouched down while shutting his ears with his bare hands. There were also three middle-aged men which one of them was holding her father's astonishing pottery.
Kuroko could have sworn she saw tears were starting formed in his father's closed eyes, must because the loud sound that breaking potteries had made. She then hurriedly ran to him and hugged him, whispering him comfort words. Her father after all was very sensitive to it especially when someone shouted at him. Unfortunately it was caused by his own illness.
Witnessing their little reunion, the man cussed under his breath before he gave the pottery to the other one that was standing behind him.
"Well, well." He clapped lazily as his smug smirk found its way to his face. "What do we have here? The lovely daughter finally came to the rescue. Too bad... she came at the wrong time."
"What do you want, Junichi-san?"
"Tch... as blunt as ever, aren't you Te-tsu-mi?" He scoffed as he walked up to the bluenette. Taking up her chin, his deadly grey iris clashed with her bluish ones. "Just like your dead mother."
Kuroko's breath hitched as she unconsciously clenched her hands. As Junichi's keen eyes caught her gesture, he chuckled amusedly as he released her chin, knowing that the death of her mother had always been the key to the bluenette's hidden wrath.
"Leave my mother out of this." She murmured softly but was loud enough for Junichi to hear.
"Just what do you want from us?" Kuroko asked, glaring daggers at the honey-haired guy which he gladly replied her with his.
"To warn you." Junichi sneered. "The due time has changed. It will be three days from now." He stated firmly, not beating around the bush.
"What...?" Kuroko froze in shock. "B-But why?"
His grey eyes went darkened all of a sudden. "That is none of your damn business," Then he took back the pottery which had been holding by one of his men and twirled it around carelessly like it was some toy in front of them.
"Look, it's not that hard is it? You want to stay in this filthy house. We want our money. If you can't do that simple task..."
Kuroko's eyes slightly widened as they locked at the pottery Junichi was holding. Until he slowly loosened his grip.
"...then you certainly know what will come after that."
CLASH.
Her father, still in her embrace, instantly quivered in fear at the sound with his tears fell down from his eyes. Feeling worried, Kuroko could only do nothing but tightened her hug. Finally accomplished their mission, Junichi then ordered their men to move out from here and proceed to their next target. They left the room in silence as Kuroko watched their backs in despair.
The next day in which Kuroko couldn't sleep last night as her mind was filled with the warning. Her focus went missing as she couldn't pay attention of any lessons in school today. Kuroko was scared in her thoughts, thinking about her father.
After he calmed down from the incident, his condition wasn't going any better either. He still needed the treatment just like Kuroko needed him to stay live with her. But he always told her to not worry as if his illness wasn't existed from the first place. And yet, she couldn't do that. She couldn't bear to do such a thing.
Kuroko let out a sigh. She had enough of losing someone that very precious to her, including her mother. If her father left her too...
"Kuroko."
She tore away her gaze from the window beside her desk and looked at her homeroom teacher that was also teached Biology, standing behind the podium.
"Yes, sensei?"
"Aren't you going to go home? Everyone has already left."
Kuroko then looked around the class she was in and found it completely empty. She smacked her temple as she hurriedly tidied up her things. She wasn't aware of the ringing bell earlier as she was lost in her mind, thinking back and forth about the problem she was facing now.
She was about to leave the class until sensei called her again.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about something," Sensei said as she started searching for something inside her bag, much to the bluenette's confusion. After a while she finally found what she was looking for, she gave it to Kuroko. It was a piece of paper.
"This is your school fee," She explained, a guilty look then formed on her face. "I know how tough is this regarding your family background, Kuroko. But if you don't pay it in time, you have to transfer to other school."
Kuroko could only look down at the paper as she felt heaviness in her heart. "I understand, sensei."
Kuroko stared at nothing as she sat on the bench in the park near her house. She went here directly after she finished another her part-time job of advertising new products. Sadly, there wasn't many costumer which in result she earned a little amount of money. But it was her fault too as she wasn't in much energy to work like she used to before.
Ever since she received her school fee from sensei, she felt like her energy got drained to the point it became lesser and lesser, making her body went lump. She then reached to her bag and brought out the paper. She looked at the cost. With the money she had now, she could pay it. But then again, the warning had to go to ruin it.
Her shoulders trembled as she felt something warm started running down her cheek then followed with her quiet sobs. Kuroko didn't realize she was crying until her tears slowly fell to the paper in her hold, forming a small—wet—print on it.
"What should I do now, Okaa-san?"
Then without her noticing, a figure walked up to the bench where the bluenette was with a shogi board securely held in his arms. Standing upright before the teal-haied girl, his heterochromatic eyes narrowed as she still wasn't aware of his presence which annoyed him greatly.
Usually whenever people passed by him, they would always acknowledge him at first glance, thanks to his intimidating aura that surrounded him. He then coughed awkwardly at her to obtain her attention but what he got instead was her sobbing getting louder.
He cringed as people who were passing by the park, watched the scene the girl had made and gave the boy a disgust look. But he ignored them since he knew that they were getting the wrong idea. Until he saw them making a group then chatted to each other which he assumed they were gossiping about them, meaning false rumors. That, he absolutely couldn't let it happen.
"Hey, you." He called the mysterious girl that had been the one who actually was creating the whole ruckus from the beginning.
Kuroko went stiff at the cold voice that came out of nowhere since when she came here, there was no one but her. Her eyes then caught a shadow of figure in front of her shoes. Kuroko hesitantly raised her head to look at the person. A red-haired teenage boy was staring at her coldly with his flaming crimson mixed with striking gold iris.
Finally achieving the girl's attention, he saw his chance to clear the misunderstanding they were having, "Stop crying. People are watching."
Kuroko was taken aback by his words but quickly regained her composure as she rubbed her tears.
"I-I'm s-sorry..." Her voice was wavered.
"You should be." He said firmly as he saw the group behind him starting to retreat, much to the boy's relief.
"Well? Why are you still here?"
"Huh?"
"That bench is my spot," He pointed it out. "I think you should leave. Now."
Kuroko swallowed. She was having a very bad day today. First, it was the warning from Junichi about the due time. Second, her school fee. And now, a stranger ordered her to leave like she was some an intruder...which was half of the truth. She did sob so loudly, shattering the calm silence in the park in a mere of seconds.
Embarassed by what she had done, she stood up from the bench, "A-Ano... I'm sorry again for what happened. I'll be leaving then."
And after those words came out, Kuroko immediately took her bag and ran from the boy.
He looked at the girl's back before turning to the bench. Until he saw a piece of paper right under Kuroko was seating. He then remembered she was holding the paper while crying. Curious of what inside it, he took the paper and opened it willingly.
"Kuroko Tetsumi. Hanazono Koukou."
