A/N: Hey, all! This is a KagaKuro multi-chapter entry for a contest going on at Wattpad. If you're able to, please go vote for this! (Links are on my profile page)

Thank you for your support! This will be seven chapters long and I should have it all posted by the time the voting period ends for the contest (May 27 or later). This is inspired by and loosely based off the manga i am here! by Ema Toyama. It has genderbend Kuroko as the main character in an AU-setting.

I've been waiting for so long...

Under the sunny day of the hot summer month, there was a little girl who stuck out on her own, yet was always overlooked.

"Are you ready?"

"Not yet!"

A little girl dressed all in light blue crouched beneath the large shade tree. Staying there in the shadows for the best hiding spot.

"Are you ready now?"

The sound of running footsteps had the small girl ducking her head and placing a hand over her mouth as if to hold in the sound of her breathing.

"Found you, Taka-chan!"

"Aww!"

The continued sound of children laughing and playing around her had the little girl in blue anxious and wondering when she may be found.

In my world of darkness...

"Found you!"

The little girl looked toward the light and smiled at the person who found her.

For someone to find me...

Diary 1 - A Shadow Among The Light

"Hey, did you watch the ending of KnB?"

"Yeah! It's all anyone can talk about!"

Gossiping teenagers stood around a desk as a group of friends discussed their favorite series. It was a mundane Monday morning for Seirin High School, and the sunlight peeked through the blinds of the classroom.

Kuroko Tetsumi walked into her classroom. She was a freshman at her new high school, and although they were into half of the school year, no one ever seemed to really notice her.

That's how it always was, everywhere she went. It was like she was invisible, a ghost even.

She had long light blue hair and equally light blue eyes - something that should stick out, but didn't. She was of average height for a Japanese highschooler, and was very pale on top of that. The rest of her bodice was extremely average, but that was okay to her.

She knew herself well, having to spend time alone a lot... She learned to love herself, even her flaws. A person who didn't love their self could never be truly happy anyway...

"Um, excuse me?" Her voice was soft, monotone sounding. It just never seemed to reach anyone's ears so she was left ignored a lot of the time.

Kuroko sighed. It wouldn't be so bad if the group of girls weren't crowding around her desk...

"Could you please move?" Kuroko spoke louder, lightly tapping one of the girl's shoulders.

It was an instant reaction when they all noticed her. They shrieked like she was some ghost ready to take their souls away - wait, that might be a reaper then.

"Wh-When did you get there, Kok-Kokoro-chan?" The girl's wide brown eyes stared back at her with fright.

This made Kuroko sigh softly to herself. When they did talk to her, they always got her name wrong... "I was here the whole time. I sit here, could you please move?" she asked politely.

"What?!"

"For real?"

"Kokoro-chan sits here? Ah, sorry!"

Kuroko didn't even try to bother correcting them on her name, they never remembered it. Once they moved, she sat down at her desk. It wasn't long before the group of girls completely forgot about her, moving on to the topic of the new shoujo manga they all followed.

Kuroko, whether she liked it or not, was an expert at not standing out. It led to unfortunate events such as not getting noticed by waiters at restaurants, or being left behind on school trips back in middle school and elementary.

When high school started, she wanted to turn over a new leaf and start standing out more to at least make one real life friend.

But then on the first day, she noticed a small husky puppy crossing the road and noticed that it was only half-way across when the signal changed.

"Wait!" She had shouted, running out to the puppy as a car came. "This puppy is crossing!" She stopped in front of the puppy, waving her arms and looking frantic. She had breathed a sigh of relief when the car stopped in time, but that quickly changed when a biker hit her.

The biker said he had only seen the dog (and avoided him thankfully), but because of that accident, Kuroko had to spend two months in the hospital.

She remembered watching the cherry blossoms bloom from her hospital window as she healed and always wondered how her classmates would be like.

By the time she was able to return to school, everyone had formed their own cliques and only gave her a glance when the teacher introduced her. After that, she wasn't noticeable anymore. It wasn't like they deliberately did it, so she wasn't mad or upset.

She knew who she was, and that was a person that stayed in the shadows.

I sit here almost everyday, alone and to myself as I stare at the thin light escaping through the blinds on the window. Kuroko got out her books needed for class and situated them just right.

It's not like she liked being alone, it was just something she grew accustomed to. She was a shadow to the light of everyday society. She stayed in her dark, unattainable world and looked at the brighter world from the outside. She wished she could join them, but she also feared rejection.

A tiny part of her wanted to be noticed by them, by anyone really. Just to have a friend.

But... she did have those... online.

The light bluenette smiled slightly when she pulled out her phone to use the school's wifi. Kuroko Tetsumi ran a blog online called "The Shadow's Blog." She wasn't really creative with it so she stuck to a penname of just Shadow. She started it up years ago when she received her very own phone. She really liked taking pictures of all sorts of things that interested her, so she made the blog to post them.

Later, it became sort of like a diary to her. Even when no one came on or even viewed it, she still wrote what she was feeling on there. She would talk about the photos she posted, and after a while, she felt like no one would come on to say something...

But that's when Tiger Light came on and brightened her day with a simple message. It let her know that someone out there noticed her, liked her enough to leave a comment.

Tiger Light was the first person to join her blog, and he always posted a comment on whatever she blogged. It was so nice to talk to someone, that it thrilled her to see a message.

Now, there were others on her blog. The other two main ones were Lucky Rabbit and Cute Copycat. Every now and then others would pop up, and she was familiar with three others when they did decide to leave a comment.

She turned off her phone when there was an uproar in the class, and just then the two most popular boys of their year came in.

Kagami Taiga and Kise Ryouta. Both were aces of their school basketball team and led Seirin High to victory time and time again. They were practically superstars of the school and well-liked among their classmates.

"Oh wow, Kise-kun you're looking so stunning today!" A cheerful girl said in wonder, and the blond flashed her his trademark smile that seemed to make all of his fangirls swoon.

Kise was actually a part-time model on top of being a basketball player. He had nice shiny blond hair that girls both admired and envied, as well as smooth ivory skin. His face was handsome, that was a given, and his eyes were like honey... Or that's how the girls described them. Both athletes were amazingly fit for their age - Kagami even more so.

"Kagami-kun, have you been practicing hard?" One of the girl's surrounding Kagami asked, most of them starstruck around the tall power forward.

"Eh, yeah I have." Kagami got out, he always got slightly nervous when around a bunch of fans. Kuroko noticed little quirks like how he rubbed the back of his head as a nervous gesture.

Kagami was actually half-Japanese, half-American. His skin was slightly tan and he had two-toned dark red hair that was short and spiky. His eyes were red too, which Kuroko found complimented him. He had strange forked eyebrows but she learned that you got used to seeing them after some time.

Kuroko continued watching them silently, most of the class drawn to the two and talking to them. She would like to join them, but...

Suddenly, she realized she was looking into a pair of red eyes and noticed Kagami had looked at her dead-on. Startled, she looked away and felt her heart race. He looked at me...?

She looked down at her notes, feeling a sense of fear at looking up again.

That was the first time she caught his stare.

It was nerve-wracking, new, exciting.

When she chanced a look back up again, she caught the teacher coming in and everyone had to take their seats. Kuroko sighed quietly to herself when she only saw the back of the popular boy's head - who sat in front of her.

. * .

The day continued on like normal until Kuroko got some time to blog a bit on her phone.

So this morning one of the popular boy's in my class stared right at me. It was kind of terrifying because I wasn't sure what to do...-Shadow

She could always talk about anything on her blog, and almost right away she would receive a response from someone.

Like, right now.

Why were you so terrified by a stare? Was he really staring at you or past you? -Lucky Rabbit

Don't be so scared Shadow, it's good that he noticed you at least! :) -Tiger Light

Kuroko couldn't help but smile softly at her two responders, and especially to Tiger's response. He always seemed to be the one to uplift her the most. Rabbit could be harsh, but honest, with his words...

Thanks, Tiger-kun. And yes, I had been observing the students as usual when our eyes locked with each other and I realized he was staring right at me. -Shadow

The light bluenette watched students right now as they walked by, talking and eating snacks on their break. She sipped at the apple juice pouch and waited for a reply. She was sitting to herself as usual, not being noticed on the white picnic table.

Did you wave or smile at him, Shadow-chan? -Cute Copycat

Ah, that was another regular commenter. Copycat was also pretty nice, sometimes too nice. He regularly gave her encouragement and really wanted her to make a friend outside the blog.

No, I looked away. :( -Shadow

What?! But Shadow-chan that could have been your chance on getting noticed! -Cute Copycat

I agree, you should have taken the chance. -Lucky Rabbit

I'm sorry, I panicked. That's never happened before. -Shadow

She hung her head then. Kuroko had been too nervous when the stare had happened...

You guys should lay off her. It's already happened, she can't change that. Stop making her feel bad. It's okay Shadow, just try smiling or waving at him next time if he or someone stares, okay? You got this, I believe in you. -Tiger Light

Kuroko's heart beat faster at that and she couldn't help but hug her phone to her chest.

"Thank you Tiger-kun." She whispered softly, smiling and feeling cared for. Tiger always had a habit of defending her, even when he thought she was being hurt and didn't necessarily say it out loud. They were just internet friends, but they had such a strong bond...

Okay, okay! Jeez, I'm sorry Shadow-chan. (人) I didn't mean to make you feel bad... Gosh, Tiger is like an over-protective kitten! xP How cute! -Cute Copycat

It was not my intention to make Shadow feel bad, in fact I was just trying to help... -Lucky Rabbit

Who are you calling cute 'Cute Copycat'? And I'm not an over-protective kitten! -Tiger Light

You certainly behave as such sometimes. -Lucky Rabbit

Stay out of this, Rabbit! -Lucky Tiger

Hey, I know I'm cute! ;) Just face the facts Tiger, you're a tiny tabby in disguise! -Cute Copycat

Kuroko laughed to herself as she kept refreshing to see their banter. She could always picture them in a pin together - a sophisticated-looking rabbit, a cute cat, and then a gentle tiger cub. The cute image of them playfully fighting was enough to melt her inside. Kuroko had a soft spot for cute things.

"Uh, excuse me..."

A sudden gruff voice caused the light bluenette highschooler to look up and she instantly froze. Her breath caught in her throat and the wind suddenly blew against her back, long strands of light blue tangling around her.

It was the popular boy from before, Kagami Taiga. He was right there standing beside the picnic table, his attention directed at her even though he was somewhat looking away. A hand was rubbing the back of his head and there was a blush decorating his cheeks.

Why was he blushing? Could he be... embarrassed to be talking to Kuroko? But why would that be, no one noticed her...

"You're, um, Kuroko Tetsumi right?" he asked her, his red eyes still not looking at her and Kuroko found that odd.

"Yes I am." She answered him softly. How did he notice her in the first place?

"I was told to come get you from our homeroom teacher, she wants to talk to us or something like that..." He continued scratching the back of his head but then his eyes met hers that was staring straight at him.

"Okay, Kagami-kun." She responded, rising up and placing her phone in her sweater pocket. She always got cold easy, even if Spring was closing out.

The dark redhead was jostled a bit and looked at her, astounded by something. "You know my name?"

Kuroko blinked her eyes at him and tilted her head slightly. "Of course I do, everyone in Seirin knows who you are. The ace of our basketball team, Kagami Taiga." Honestly, there probably isn't a student at their small school that doesn't know who he is. Did he really not know that?

His eyes widened in realization at that, and he turned away. "W-Well we should go on to homeroom then."

Huh, the guy was acting really weird than what she always saw of him in class. And were the tops of his ears really red too?

Kuroko couldn't help but smile softly to herself and follow after the taller boy.

They reached their classroom together, Kagami having to look over his shoulder a few times just to make sure the pale girl was following him. Kuroko was just too quiet...

"I got her for you," Kagami told the teacher once the two walked into the empty classroom.

The older teacher turned to look around Kagami some until she finally spotted Kuroko and smiled. "Oh, yes. Thank you so much, Kagami-kun."

"What did you need me for, Nakamita-sensei?" Kuroko asked politely, walking to stand beside Kagami.

"I actually need you both for something!" The orange-haired teacher smiled, clapping her hands together once. "You see, we all know Kagami-kun here is a big-shot at basketball."

The tall athlete twitched slightly at that, but the teacher just continued.

"But, well, his grades are not good. And the principal told me that if Kagami-kun's grades doesn't improve then he unfortunately won't be able to play in the upcoming tournament." Nakamita looked apologetic, and Kuroko could tell it was sincere.

"What?! But, but-"

"Ah-ah, no 'buts' Kagami-kun." The teacher told him with a pointed finger and he shut up with a groan. The teacher turned green eyes to the smaller girl now. "The best thing I can do is assign a tutor to help Kagami-kun improve his grades by the next exam week before the tournament begins. If you pass all of your tests, then you can play. If not, then you're out." She sighed, "Which is why I would like Kuroko-chan here to tutor Kagami-kun."

"W-What?" Kagami gasped, surprised, and Kuroko found herself surprised too.

"But, Nakamita-sensei, surely there's someone more suited to the job. My grades are only average at best." Kuroko mentioned, and the teacher smiled sweetly.

"I chose you because you have a strong drive to study. I figured it would help the both of you to raise your grades together. So how 'bout it?"

Kuroko and Kagami looked at each other, and Kagami blushed slightly, scratching his head again. "Uh, I don't mind."

The light bluenette shrugged her small shoulders. "I do not mind either."

"Great! Then it's settled, from here on out Kagami-kun, spend your breaks and any off-time with Kuroko-chan. Don't worry about basketball practice, your Coach will understand." Nakamita winked, but it was lost on the two. Their homeroom teacher had always acted like that.

The two walked out of the room together after that, quiet.

"Um, so..." Kagami started at the same time Kuroko did with, "Kagami-kun."

They instantly looked at each other and stopped, awkwardness hung heavy in the air between them.

"You first," Kagami told her, not able to look at the blue girl.

Kuroko looked down at her shoes. "I was just going to say that we should set up a schedule, for tutoring."

Kagami nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good..."

Kuroko peeked up at him and asked, "Would you like to start tomorrow? On first break in the library?"

"Uh, y-yeah..." Kagami rubbed his head some more before looking at her. "Listen, I can understand if you don't want to help me... It wasn't fair to you to get roped up into this."

Kuroko blinked, confused. "That sounds stupid." Ignoring Kagami's outburst at that, she continued. "Of course I would want to help Kagami-kun. Playing basketball is important to you, right?"

He stopped at that, and looked at her with wide eyes.

She smiled softly, "I always see you practice in your spare time, even on the street court close to Maji's... I can always count on hearing the sound of the basketball thumping against the court as I walk back home after errands. Kagami-kun isn't afraid to show his love for the sport he plays, and that's admirable."

Red eyes glistened as he watched the girl offer a raised fist to him, causing him to blink in utter confusion and wonder.

"So then, let's both do our best so you can continue to play the game you love."

Kagami gazed at her some more before grinning brilliantly. "Wow, Kuroko you're really amazing!" And then he bumped his fist lightly with hers.

Kuroko felt a tremble go through her from the act, the words, his smile. It was a beginning, and she fervently hoped she could help Kagami.

. * .

A/N: Please let me know what you think! And please go vote for this in the Multi-Chapter Entries and Cover Entries if you can! =D