Chapter 2- Lunch Alone
The school bells chime interrupted the loud classroom and ended the boy's conversation. Kuroko walked towards his mother to say goodbye for the day.
"See you mother." Kuroko murmured quietly.
His mother leaned down and promptly kissed him on the cheek. "Have a great day Tetsuya. I spoke to your teacher and he is very nice. Did you make some friends?" She asked glancing over at Kimura, Kobayashi and Nakamura bidding their own mothers goodbye. Kuroko shrugged his shoulders and his mother gave him a half smile, disproportioning one side of her face.
"Well, see you this afternoon!" She leaned down to tightly hug her son, then proceeding to travel out of the classroom chatting with a woman he did not recognise.
"Hello class! I am your teacher for this year. You may call me Mr Takeda." the elderly man at the front of the room announced.
The first item Kuroko noticed about the teacher was the thin cane within his wrinkled fingers and Kuroko humorously imagining the old man hitting students who misbehaved. Mr Takeda's wrinkled, kind face was framed with his short grey hair and he had a small, dumpy stature.
"You may now select a desk which you will have for the rest of the year."
His new classmates flurried around him like leafs whizzing through an autumn breeze, and Kuroko concluded that he did not know any of them apart from the three boys from earlier. He tried to not let this unfamiliarity bother him, and floated towards a desk near the window. He felt the wooden surface under his fingers, and seated himself onto the erect chair which uncomfortably straightened his back. The window overlooked the prosperous cherry blossom trees and the vast mountains in the distance. Hazy and mysterious.
Looking away from the window, he glanced at his new class. Everyone was chatting and laughing, and Kuroko could not help but feel like he was trapped outside their bubble. However, he was not the only one. There was a boy situated at the back, arms crossed and bored expression plastered on his face. It could have been mistaken for a carefree or lazy sort of expression, but what revealed its intent to Kuroko was the superior glint present. The boy had vivid red hair with ghostly pale skin and an immaculate appearance. It was almost as if he was an illusion, there was an unearthly quality about him.
"That's Akashi Seijuro." A girl whispered to her friend, both looking at the boy and catching Kuroko's glance.
That name rang a loud bell within his ears, and he remembered that it was the boy Kimura mentioned earlier, who received one hundred percent on the entrance exam. Kuroko showed no visible expression from the girl's comment, but politely replied "Oh. How do you know him?"
"I don't, "the young girl confessed "But I've heard of him. He is the heir to a huge million dollar company! Genius y'know."
Kuroko glanced back at the Akashi in the back row, feeling thankful that he was not noticed regularly. Suddenly her friend from the desk beside her leaned in. She had short brown hair and honey brown eyes.
"Mum and Dad told me to stay away from him, you should too." She whispered, cautiously glimpsing back at the boy, however, Akashi noticed and met eyes with the girl.
"Why?" The girl sitting in front of him addressed her friend.
"They didn't say. But I know...He's not normal," the girl said simply, then she realised how awful that sounded and attempted to make amends. "Akashi is strange, but very polite and charming… and super intelligent."
"But?"
"Well… I don't know. There is just something really off about him. Doesn't react- -"
She was cut off by the teacher's hushing. "Ok class. I will be marking the role so pay attention."
Kuroko wandered out of the classroom for lunch. Class had not been as exciting as he had anticipated and already felt himself adapting to the environment. Luckily, his teacher did not notice him and did not ask him to answer any questions.
The small boy looked around awkwardly. He did not know anyone and none of his acquaintances noticed him standing there. He felt lonely being in such a big setting with many people; their large presences made it impossible to gather enough confidence to approach them. So he found a nearby tree and ate his lunch in the peace. Listening to it's rustling leaves and chirping birds instead of conversation.