A/N: Here we go, my first AU. It's based off the Charlie Bone book series by Jenny Nimmo, however I tweaked quite a few things.
I do not own KNB, nor do I own the Charlie Bone series.
It isn't like Kagami isn't used to switching schools; because of his dad's job, he's done more than his fair share of school hopping. No, that isn't why he's nervous. The teary goodbyes and parting reassurances from Alex and Tatsuya respectively aren't what have him so put off either. Teikou Academy exudes a powerful, intimidating aura, and it puts the redhead on edge. He hasn't stepped inside the building yet, and already he's instincts are screaming at him to turn back. He doesn't belong here. A foreboding feeling permeates from the grand entrance. He blames his shivers on the cool fall breeze sweeping over the campus.
The beautiful front courtyard is flooded with students, all dressed in the pristine, white uniforms of the school and cloaked in either purple, green, or blue capes—though he sees one or two students with gold capes that seem to shimmer in the sunlight. Kagami clutches at his own blue cape, having not bothered to put it on yet. He didn't actually think anyone wore them, and now he looked strange for being the only student without a cape.
The redhead isn't excited about living here. Boarding school was the last thing he wanted; a boarding school full of stuck-up, rich geniuses was his worst nightmare. He knows he's only here because of his newly-discovered… ability. He isn't academically inclined, nor is he a genius in the arts. His scholarship here was extended to him solely because of this unnatural power.
Recently, he'd discovered (by accident) that he can conjure fire at will from the palm of his hands. At first, it had been kind of cool—until he had almost burned his house down over his math homework.
To think, he'd been just an average teenager until last month.
"Yo, Kagami!"
Kagami turns, seeing a familiar face rushing towards him with a tall green-haired boy in tow. They both don blue capes, the same as Kagami's. The excitable teen waves, whereas the other looks utterly annoyed. "Looks like I caught you just in time!" Takao—the boy who had spent the last month teaching him piano and preparing him for his new life here—grins. "This is Shin-chan—if I'm not around to help you out, he will!"
"Hmph," The guy straightens out his uniform before offering his hand to Kagami. The redhead notices the other's hands are tightly wrapped in pristine white medical tape. "I'm Midorima Shintarou. Welcome to Teikou Academy."
Kagami shakes his hand. "Kagami Taiga, thanks."
"You should put your cape on—it's mandatory to wear it during classes." Takao says.
"What are they for, anyway?" Kagami asks as he lowers his bag to the ground to settle the cape around his shoulders.
Midorima adjusts his glasses as he answers, "Each color represents a different department. Blue is for the music department, green is the art department, purple is drama, and gold is for the new dance department."
"There's dance, but no basketball? How unfair," the redhead mutters to himself. Takao snickers.
"Dance is also an art," Midorima defends. "The students here are good enough to entertain visiting celebrities and world leaders."
"Shin-chan is very defensive of his senpai." Takao nods.
Kagami frowns. But he's in the music department…?
"We'll walk you to class. Since it's a half day, we have to go to the main music room for the assembly. Afterwards, we have a music lesson, and then our academic classes. On normal days you'd spend all class periods before lunch studying academics, and then after lunch you work on the classes for your division." He gestures towards the hulking double doors at the entrance.
Kagami nods as they walk into the baronial building, dodging other bustling students. They cross the threshold into the academy building, and he feels like he's stepping into another time period. The walls are built with dark stone, and the paintings lining the walls look like they'd been there since the fourteenth century (which was entirely possible). The front entrance gives off a cold, uninviting feeling. Kagami stops dead in his tracks, and feels another body collide with his own.
"Oof!"
He turns and sees a blond boy in a purple cape on the ground, his bag and its contents scattered across the floor. He grins sheepishly up at the redhead. "Hah, you're solid—you didn't even flinch!"
"Oi!" Another voice echoes through the entryway, and the blond winces.
"Ah, shit…"
A dark haired boy wearing blue comes marching towards them, scowling down at the blond. "Did you really think you could run, Kise? The head of the Disciplinary Committee would like a word with you."
The blond sighs in annoyance, standing. "You know, you could just call him by his actual name like everyone else does. His name is more intimidating than his title."
To Kagami's surprise, the other teen kicks him. "Back-talk will not be tolerated. Come along." He shoves the taller teen off in the direction he came from.
"But what about my stuff?"
"Shut up already!"
Takao rolls his eyes, packing up the blond's stuff in his bag and walking towards the large oak door with the golden crossed trumpets. Kagami and Midorima follow him. "That was Kise Ryouta. He's fairly new, as he transferred here late last semester, but he's always in trouble. The other guy is Kasamatsu Yukio. He's on the Disciplinary Committee, and is usually the one to deal with Ryou-chan." Takao tells the redhead.
"How harsh is the punishment for breaking the rules?"
"Obviously it depends on what he did. Kasamatsu-san has a soft spot for Ryou-chan, so if it was just his usual mischief, Ryou-chan will probably only walk away after getting a quick lecture from him and maybe a few more kicks. But if the head of the Committee wants to see him, he'll probably end up with detention and have to stay at school until Sunday. Ryou-chan generally doesn't get along with that guy."
"They take away the days you get to come home?" That seemed a little cruel. Takao only shrugs.
"The idiot deserves what he gets," Midorima says. "If he was a normal student, he would have been at least suspended by now. But he's endowed, like you and me. Don't assume that gives you a free pass to break the rules as you choose, however."
"He and Shin-chan are part of the Generation of Miracles," Takao adds. "They're a select group of endowed students with insane abilities."
"Yeah?" Kagami says, turning to face Midorima. "What's your endowment?"
He adjusts his glasses. "I have psychometric powers. By touching an object, I can see the memories imprinted on the object. Sometimes I can feel strong emotions and sensations impacting the object. I mostly see the memories associated with the direct owner of the object, but some memories left by passerbys are strong enough for me to see. If I concentrate enough when making contact with a person, I can see a good amount of their life, though I don't receive emotions or thoughts."
"Is that why you tape your hands?"
He nods, glancing to the side. "More often than not, the memories are… painful, to say the least. When I discovered my ability, I was at my father's hospital, holding a scalpel." His eyes gain a faraway look, and Takao lays a reassuring hand on his arm. The taller shudders, snapping out of his reverie. "In all honesty, I'd say my endowment is more of a curse than anything. But other people find it useful… I've been detrimental to several missing persons cases."
"At least your ability has practical uses," Kagami offers weakly. Midorima regards him silently before turning and leaving in the direction of the music department's assembly room. Kagami winces. "I didn't mean to be insensitive," he tells Takao.
"I know," the raven haired teen says. "Shin-chan doesn't like to talk about what he sees and feels." He offers a weak smile, and gestures down the hall where the green haired teen left. "Come on. You don't wanna be late on your first day."
They walk into the room and find two empty seats between Midorima and a dark haired boy with an unfriendly face. The guy stares up at Kagami, and the redhead returns the look. He glances away, and Kagami sits down beside him.
Up on stage, several men and women stand, each wearing their own blue cape. A dark haired man with a blank gaze and deep frown lines steps forward. He heaves a sigh and walks up to the mic. "Hello, students," he drawls, tone almost lazy. "Welcome to the new semester here at Teikou Academy. As you already know, my name is Nakatani Masaaki. I am the head instructor of the music department." He takes another deep breath through his nose and briefly closes his eyes. "As is tradition, the high school students will continue preparing for the winter showcase at the end of the year. The rest of you will continue honing your skills. Work hard this year." And with that lackluster speech, he steps back, and dismisses the students.
Takao turns to Kagami, "You've got piano lessons. Shin-chan will take you there. I've got a strings lesson." He smiles and takes off into the hall.
"Let's go," Midorima says, leading the redhead to their classroom. "Nakatani-sensei teaches piano. Despite outward appearances, he's a brilliant teacher."
Kagami's not sure about 'brilliant', but the man definitely knows what he's doing. As the other students are on a much higher level than Kagami, Nakatani-sensei gives them a piece to warm up with while he situates his new student. The man speaks with few words and sighs a little too often, but he's efficient and patient. When the lesson is over, Kagami feels as though he has a better understanding of how to play the instrument—which isn't saying much, all things considered, but still appreciated.
Takao meets them outside their classroom at the end of the lesson. "Now we've got to leave our capes in the coatroom and go out to the garden for a run." He tells Kagami. "The staff says it's so we can get fresh air, but it's more likely for the students to work out their extra energy before classes." They hang up their capes and leave for the garden.
The garden is the most disappointing aspect of the campus. While the front courtyard was beautiful and well-maintained, the garden is more like an empty, unending field. Kagami steps out the door and into the warm spring breeze. Not paying attention to where he's going, he bumps into someone and sends them both stumbling. "Sorry—,"
Pale blue eyes meet his own, and he startles. Where did he come from? "It's alright. I'm used to it." The boy says. He's much shorter than Kagami, appearing younger as well. If he had to describe the boy in one word, he would say the other is pale. Pale skin, pale hair, pale eyes—he'd almost venture to call him colorless, but his hair and eyes are a very distinct (very pale) blue.
"Where did you come from?"
The boy blinks. "I've been here the whole time." He says. "You're the one who bumped into me."
"Kagami! Come on!" The redhead turns and sees Takao waving at him, with Midorima standing stiffly beside him.
"Uh, hey, sorry about that. What's your…?" When he looks back, the pale boy is gone. Confused, Kagami slowly makes his way over to his friends.
"Who were you talking to?" Takao questions.
Kagami frowns, rubbing at the back of his head. "I, uh, dunno. He disappeared before I could ask his name."
The raven haired boy lights up. "You must have run into Teikou's resident ghost—also known as the phantom sixth man of the Generation of Miracles! I've never talked to him, but Shin-chan knows him." Kagami glances at Midorima for help, but the glasses-wearing teen doesn't offer any words. "I'm sure you'll see him again, as he's also endowed."
"So will I get to meet the rest of these 'Generation of Miracles' guys?" He asks as they begin their jog around the garden.
"I'll try to introduce you," Midorima offers, "but you'll likely regret it. The lot of them are insufferable—especially Kise and Aomine."
"Kise's the guy we saw in the hall earlier, right?"
"Yes. He's the intolerable idiot of the six of us."
"So what are you?"
Midorima pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Kagami figures it must be a subconscious habit. "The only rational one," If that's true, he doesn't want to think of how crazy the others must be.
They only get fifteen minutes outside before they have to go back in for classes. True to what he'd said, Takao shares the rest of his classes with Kagami. The rest of the school day ploughs along without incident, and afterwards it's time for dinner.
"Unlike breakfast and lunch, at dinner all the divisions eat together," Takao tells him. "The staff eats with the students as well—even Akashi-sama."
Akashi Ichirou, one of the wealthiest men in Japan and current director of Teikou Academy. He was intimidating at best, downright malicious at worst—or so the whispers told. Kagami had, of course, never met the man. He only knew the Akashi family was revered as gods among mankind. It would be an understatement to say Kagami was nervous to be in his presence.
Beyond the smaller Blue Cafeteria, the three of them wordlessly make their way to the gargantuan dining hall. As it turns out, the dining hall is underground in what could be considered the basement of the school (although Takao informs him that's not quite true, and the real basement is even lower). As they get closer, Kagami notices more and more students with green and purple capes (though he has yet to pick out a gold cape from the sea of teenagers). "Where's the dance division?"
"I told you, hardly anyone is actually in that division. It would be more accurate to call it the 'overwhelming ballet division'. Hardly anyone gets accepted, and fewer still are able to withstand the strict conditions. As such, they share the Purple Cafeteria with the drama division." Midorima tells him. "Only one of the endowed students wears a gold cape."
"I'm sure you'll meet her soon—especially if you're going to hang around Kuroko-kun and Aomine-kun." Takao tells him. "Now come on, let's get our seats."
The cafeteria is huge, as he expected. There are long tables and round tables arranged oddly symmetrically. At the front of the room is a large stage where the faculty sits. At the head of the table is Akashi-sama. As he stares up at the intimidating man, their eyes meet for a split second. Kagami shudders and directs his gaze ahead.
The three of them seat themselves at a round table with five other students already seated. The three older students regard Kagami silently whereas the younger two offer quick waves. The girl smiles, "Is this the new student you've been tutoring, Takao-kun?"
Takao nods, "Yeah, this is Kagami Taiga." He turns to the redhead, "These three guys," he says, gesturing to the three older teens, "are our dormmates and senpai."
The male with dark, gelled up hair stands, and Kagami sees he's wearing a gold cape. Now Midorima's comment from earlier makes sense. "I'm Ootsubo Taisuke, third-year and dorm leader." Kagami nods, shaking his hand. Ootsubo gestures towards the girl with dark hair and short pigtails wearing a purple cape. "This is my younger sister, Tae. I hope you enjoy your time at Teikou."
The brunet teen with a purple cape grins. "I'm Miyaji Kiyoshi, and this guy here is my little brother Yuuya."
"Don't call me little," the younger teen with his hair slicked up away from his face and a green cape mutters. Tae giggles softly, and he blushes.
The guy with dark, close-cut hair and a purple cape shakes his head. "I'm Kimura Shinsuke. If you ever need anything, feel free to ask any of us."
"I'll keep that in mind," Kagami says, appreciative. He sits beside Takao and Ootsubo. They make quick small talk, the other students asking where he's from, if he's liking Teikou so far, what his old school was like, et cetera. They talk until all of the students are seated, and then Akashi-sama stands and silence quickly falls over the room.
"Good evening, students." The man starts. "I hope you all had a welcome start to the new semester and are preparing your pieces for the winter showcase. We are expecting great things from all of you." He gives them a dismissive nod and sits down. Almost immediately after, a waiter stops by their table and sets down plates in front of each of them. Kagami blinks in surprise; he didn't expect to be served directly.
As if noticing his reaction, Takao says, "They only serve us like this for dinner. Breakfast and lunch aren't this formal. You'll get the full experience tomorrow." Kagami's not sure he's ready for a full day here, but it's not like he's got a choice.
Changing the subject, he asks, "So what's up with this 'winter showcase'? Akashi-sama and Nakatani-sensei both mentioned it."
"The winter showcase is when each student shows off their talents and what they've learned during the year." Ootsubo tells him. "The music division performs a few songs, with the best musicians having their own solos. As you're new, you probably won't have to worry so much about it. They'll likely give you a smaller spot."
"Starting in high school, the endowed kids all have their own showcase. But no one outside of the faculty and the endowed know what that is." Takao says.
"Speaking of which," Midorima interrupts, "on Friday, instead of study hall in the King's room, we'll practice how to use and control our abilities. I imagine you'll be in a lower level class, possibly with the middle school students. However, I'm sure you'll catch up fast. People who gain their abilities late seem to have their powers mature faster."
The redhead mentally attempts to file away all of this information. It would have been nice to have been told these things before he'd been dropped off here, but he supposes that would have ruined the mystery. Nonetheless, this was a lot of information to hold onto. He was feeling overwhelmed, and this was only a half-day. The sooner he can sleep, the better.
During dinner, Kagami feels as though someone's watching him. He glances around over his shoulder, but he doesn't catch anyone's gaze. He brushes off the feeling as just being paranoid. There isn't a reason for anyone to watch him—he's probably still feeling disoriented from being thrust into this new situation.
Before Kagami's finished eating, Midorima stands. "Come on. We have to leave thirty minutes earlier than the other students."
"But I'm not done," he points out weakly.
"You had an hour and a half," Midorima tells him. "You don't want detention on your first day, do you? Seiichi-sama won't appreciate that sort of argument." The redhead grumbles, but follows him anyway. Takao gives him a cheeky wave as they leave; Kagami only frowns in response. Midorima takes him back up the dim corridors, but instead of walking back into the Blue Cafeteria, he turns and enters a small hallway. They walk up a set of stairs. Whereas the redhead reaches for the handrail, Midorima keeps his hands close to his sides. Kagami supposes it's a habit formed by the other's ability.
A handful of other students join them at the top of the stairs. He doesn't recognize anyone from his classes, which isn't especially reassuring. Of the more interesting people he sees, there's a purple haired giant with a green cape munching on maiubo as he plods down the long hall. The girl with the gold cape Midorima and Takao mentioned is arguing with a boy with dark blue hair and a green cape. The unfriendly guy from the assembly joins the small group. Although he looks, Kagami can't find the pale guy from outside. He feels mild disappointment, but supposes he'll see the kid when they get to study hall. He thinks Midorima mentioned they'd be in the 'King's room'. It sounded interesting, to say the least. He wonders why the endowed students have to be separated from the regular students; he supposes it must have something to do with the class Midorima told him about. It must be easier to section them off all week instead of just one day (or something).
There's a flash of yellow in the corner of his peripheral vision, startling Kagami out of his thoughts. The redhead turns, and sees the blond from earlier jumping back to his feet from where he'd apparently fallen. The boy pouts at Midorima. "That was rude, Midorimacchi. I just wanted a hug! Didn't you miss me over the break?"
"Not at all," Midorima says dryly. "Besides, I've told you plenty of times not to touch me."
"Right, sorry, I forgot how sensitive you are." The blond rolls his eyes, looking vaguely annoyed, but more amused than anything. He glances over at Kagami, and his eyes light up. "Hey, you're that guy I ran into in the front hall! Kagami, or something, right?"
"How'd you know my name?"
He brushes off the question, "Kazunari-kun told me about you. I'm Kise Ryouta—it's nice to meet you! Now I won't be the new guy anymore." He gives the same cheeky grin as Takao, and Kagami feels a bit of inexplicable unease settle in his stomach. Nonetheless, he shakes Kise's outstretched hand. The blond's eyes widen and he hisses in pain. Kagami glances up at his face in concern when the other hurriedly pulls away.
"What's wrong?"
Kise backs away from him, friendly expression replaced by shock. He gazes down at his hand, and Kagami swears his heart stops in both panic and shame when he sees the entirety of Kise's palm is burned. "Oh shit—I didn't think that'd happen—,"
"It's fine, fine," Kise tells him hurriedly, and before the redhead's eyes, the burns disappear. "It's my fault. I wasn't expecting that from you." He says, briefly glancing towards Midorima. The green haired teen sports a confused frown. When Kise looks back at Kagami, he's smiling again. "I look forward to getting to know you better, Kagami-kun." With that, he passes them and ducks into a large set of grand wooden double doors—the same doors Midorima directs him into. There's a large crest above the doors, and Kagami assumes it's a coat of arms for the Akashi family. The crest is a deep crimson red, depicting a white rose crossed with a gold sword.
The room inside is much larger than he expects. He's not sure what he expected from the 'King's room', but he wasn't expecting a library. The walls are lined with bookcases filled with leather-bound books. A long table sits in the middle of the room, twelve plush, straight-back chairs placed around it. Lamp-like lights hang like diamonds from the arches, emitting a soft yellow glow. Intricate designs are etched into the wood beams along the high ceiling. A large stone fireplace is set into the back wall, a half-circle of chairs and sofas facing it. An aging painting of a regal knight hangs over the fireplace. The knight stands in full armor with a red cape draped over his shoulders. In his hands, he holds the sword from the crest over the doors.
Kagami can't tear his eyes from the painting until Midorima nudges him. "Take a seat." He murmurs, setting his books down on the long table. Kise's already seated at further down the table, beside the pale haired boy from earlier and the girl with the gold cape. The giant sits near the head of the table, digging through a bag of snacks. That can't be allowed, Kagami muses to himself. Most schools didn't allow students to eat during classes; he wasn't about to question the other boy, though. He didn't look like someone he should make enemies with.
A few other students file into the room, taking their seats at the table. A guy with a smile that makes Kagami uneasy sits across from the redhead. "Ah? So you're the new endowed student here at Teikou." His eyes open into small slits, and Kagami's not sure which expression is more off-putting. "I'm Imayoshi Shoichi." He offers his hand.
Kagami reciprocates the handshake. "Kagami Taiga," he introduces.
"Oi, Imayoshi, don't scare off the new guy already," The blue haired teen says, leaning over the table. "You don't have to prove your creepiness right away."
Imayoshi pulls a mock-offended expression. "Me? Creepy? You wound me, Aomine."
"Play nice, you two." A tall brunet passes by the blue haired teen, ruffling his hair good naturedly. The other scowls, immediately raising his hands to fix his hair. The brunet laughs, settling down on Kagami's other side. "Hi, I'm Kiyoshi Teppei. Don't let these guys bother you. They mean well."
"Yeah," is all Kagami can think to say. He doesn't think he's ever met so many strong personalities in one place. It's only his first day, and already Teikou is shaping up to be the weirdest school he's ever attended (although all things considered, it's not that surprising).
There's an echoing, ominous click of a lock being turned, and Kagami glances over to see a redhead striding over to the head of the table. A red cape sways behind him, and Kagami frowns as he watches it. Takao and Midorima hadn't told him of a fifth department, so what's the red cape for? Actually, the redhead looks kind of familiar, now that he thinks about it…
The other students stand from their seats and bow to the boy. Kagami quickly follows their example. The purple haired giant stays seated, however. The red haired boy frowns at him in disdain. "Don't tell me you forgot the rules, Atsushi."
The other teen simply dips his head. "Good evening, Seiichi-sama." He says in a lazy drawl. The shorter boy sighs. His wide, alizarin gaze catches Kagami's own, and a chill passes down his spine. There's something unfriendly in his eyes, and something about him screams at Kagami to stay away.
A/N: Please bear with me concerning Seiichi. There's a reason for the name change, I promise.
Should I continue? Please tell me your thoughts :)