A/N: The reasons for the continuation of my stories to this site can be seen on my recent update, "Fragmented." I will no longer explain here because knowing readers, being one myself, you would skip the note altogether.

Disclaimer: The picture I used is not mine, I placed it as the cover image of this story so people will know who I based Akira Rei on. So no copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 2: Fateful Encounters

Kuroko walked down the hallways of his school, apprehension and anxiety pooling at the pit of his stomach. He didn't like this. He just didn't like it at all. Contrary to popular belief, Kuroko wasn't the most confident individual around. Yes, he was blunt and looked as indifferent as a rock, but it doesn't mean that he didn't get frazzled, or worse, panicked. First days of school always made his usual composure crumble.

Well, to his credit, at least none of it showed on his face, and somehow, that thought assured him that he was going to be just fine. Besides, he wouldn't be able to live it down if Kagami knew of this 'cowardice,' as he likes to put it.

Taking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and let the air rush out of his lungs in one big 'whoosh.' He clenched his fists and opened his eyes. It's fine, I can do this. There was nothing wrong. Nothing would go wrong. This was university, and he was prepared for this. And as far as he knew, everything was settled. From his new apartment to his workplace—which was luckily near his new home—everything seemed fine.

With this in mind, Kuroko found himself walking around with a small bounce in his steps. Getting over his initial reaction, it doesn't seem so bad. If anything, he was beginning to get excited. And since there was still an hour left before the freshmen orientation, he had ample enough time to explore his new school.

Tokyo University was in a word, huge. It really did live up to its name as Japan's number one university. Firstly, the school itself had about five buildings at the least, which was divided into their respective fields. One was of science; another was medicine, then engineering, music and arts, general studies, technology, etc. Kuroko was in the general studies division of the university. He did excel in history and geography in high school. He intends to further his studies in research, and hopefully, become a university professor once he graduates.

Aside from those, there was also another building separated from the rest—the main library. His eyes sparkled in delight when he saw the countless books stacked up neatly at every corner. There were about four floors in the library, and each floor had their own computer room to make sure each student was accommodated well. Of course, there was also access to the web. Wireless internet connections were very useful and nifty things, after all. The main library was also open 24 hours a day, except for holidays.

One feature that sets the main library apart from the college libraries in each building was the pod rooms. Pod rooms were small rooms consisting of a medium-sized wooden table and a few units of computers for study groups. Groups of friends are able to reserve these rooms in advance just in case they need to study for upcoming exams. Kuroko honestly liked the pod rooms, but he doubted he would be able to use one. He wasn't sociable, and truth be told, he didn't think he could befriend anyone unless they had interacted before.

Testament to that was the fact that all his friends were people in his basketball team. The generation of miracles were popular, but they were in the basketball team as well, therefore, making friends outside of basketball was impossible. But that had to change. Surely, there were other people in college that wouldn't mind befriending him. Well, if that fails, he could always hunt down his seniors from Seirin. Kuroko nodded to himself and began exploring again.

The library was a treat but he had to explore his own building. It would be very troublesome if he gets lost, which he tends to do most of the time. To his defence, he didn't get lost that often, his mind just wonders sometimes, but he was not directionally impaired. A small frown formed on his face. He'll just have to memorize the school map. Just in case.The bell rang, cutting into his swarming thoughts. Getting to know his university would need to come later. Right now, he had an orientation to catch.

...

The orientation was...how does he put it? It was completely boring. It had been two hours since he sat there on his stuffy seat along with all the freshmen of his new school, and Kuroko was trying not to fall asleep. His eyes were getting heavy and the effort to keep them open was a challenge all in itself. The fact that he didn't sleep well the night before didn't help his current predicament. But that was the least of his worries. Aside from the boredom, the temperature just made matters worse. It was hot and humid inside the auditorium.

No matter how big the auditorium was, it still felt stuffy inside. With the number of students crowding the place, Kuroko wasn't surprised that the combined body heat overpowered the air conditioners. It was a struggle not to remove the jacket he wore that day. He didn't think it would be this hot. At least, all the classrooms in every building had their own air conditioners. Blinking his eyes, he looked around, hoping to find anything interesting. Listening to the head of university droning on and on wasn't appealing to him.

Kuroko fidgeted slightly in his seat as his eyes swept across the room. There was so many of them there. Every freshman accepted to his new school was sitting quietly in their seats, though some were already sleeping. Kuroko wondered how those people do it. Could he sleep sitting like that without being noticed? Probably. He was easily overlooked anyway. It wouldn't make a difference. There was a flash of red on his right, and his head whipped towards it so quickly he almost had a whiplash. It was only a scarf, worn by a female student at the engineering students' side.

He released a deep breath. Why was he getting worked up? Shaking his head, he closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. He had made a vow that he would move on, and being paranoid like this wouldn't do him any good. His eyes shone determinedly. He needs to focus; he can't afford to be distracted now. Nodding to himself, Kuroko banished all thoughts of sleep and decided to listen attentively instead. Looking up at the podium, his breath was suddenly caught in his throat. What the...

It was funny really. He was being punked. He knew he was. It couldn't be true, but it was there. The tell-tale sign of his nightmares coming true was standing in front of him, looking over all of the students with impassive eyes. He looked as if he didn't care, and would rather be somewhere else. And Kuroko tried not to flee at the sight of him.

Yes, he looked different. He was taller now, and looked so sharp and breath-taking that Kuroko had to look away, because he knew he would be caught staring and gaping like a fish. His demeanour and aura were still compelling him to run away as fast as he can, but the charisma and power in his stare had him craving for more. Kuroko looked down at his lap, his fingers trembling slightly. It was ironic, and he felt as if there was someone up there laughing at his situation. Because it was a blow to his pride that his resolve might crumble before he could even start to live it.

He glanced up one last time before looking away as fast as he could. Kuroko just confirmed it and he resisted the urge to cuss out loud, because standing there at the podium delivering the freshmen representative's speech was none other than Akashi Seijuro. Standing before him was the formidable and incredibly fearsome captain of the Generation of Miracles. Kuroko groaned inwardly, though his impassive mask was still in place. Why the hell was Akashi so fucking smart? Damn it.

...

His first class for the day was Biology. He was a History major but it doesn't mean he was exempt from other subjects. Freshmen, as their curriculum states, had to take almost all the elementary courses in their university. Therefore, it goes without saying that he would need to take Elementary Chemistry, Physics, English, Psychology, and so forth. It was only on their third and fourth years were they be able to take the courses specialized for their major fields. It was interesting though, so Kuroko didn't find it the least bit intimidating.

The truth was his first class was Algebra I at 8 am but the orientation took up most of the freshmen's time. Now, it was two in the afternoon, meaning his Biology class would begin any minute now. The freshmen orientation was a tradition in school, and though it wasn't mandatory, freshmen were still excused from attending classes in the morning for their first day. Kuroko sighed and wished that he didn't attend. His heart almost stopped when he saw that red-headed man standing there, looking as terrifying as the last time he saw him.

It was only to his relief that Akashi majored in electrical engineering, and their building was on the other side of the campus. They would never make contact with each other, much less see each other. Kuroko sighed softly, fiddling the pages of the book he was trying to read.

Truthfully, he didn't know why he was reacting this way but really, it was making him feel irritated. Here he was, swearing to himself that he'd be leaving the Generation of Miracles from his life, in favour of moving on. But what did he get? The very captain of their Teikou team. He just wanted to bang his head on the table.

Three years of lost contact and practically ignoring each other, only to find out one of them will be studying in his new school? Kuroko groaned softly. He could already feel the throbbing in his head getting worse. He knew he was being unreasonable.

Akashi was freakishly smart—he wouldn't be surprised if he finds out his IQ was 200 or more—and he only demanded the best. Tokyo University was the top university in Japan, so why was he still surprised? A passing thought came to mind and he felt like a part of him was dying inside.

If Akashi was here, then there was no doubt in his mind that Midorima would be here as well. That seaweed haired ex-teammate of his was always an over achiever, and with all his fate crap, Kuroko wouldn't be surprised if he said something along the lines of. "Fate states that I study only where I deserve to be." God, his headache was getting worse.

Massaging the temples of his forehead, he tried not to think about the countless possibilities of seeing them there. It wasn't possible, he knew it wasn't. Midorima would most probably be in the Chemistry department or maybe Physics, but there was no way in hell would he be in the general studies' department. I need an aspirin.

"Hey, you okay there?" Kuroko looked up, surprised at the intrusion, and found himself staring into unfamiliar but intriguing ruby-colored eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine." The man smiled, and the light haired teen found the smile endearing. It reminded him of Kiyoshi-senpai's smile. This man looked as tall as him too, and Kuroko tried to quail the jealousy he felt towards his height. Instead, he regarded him with a dispassionate stare even when the unknown male sat beside him.

"You don't mind if I sit here, do you?" Kuroko wordlessly shook his head and the man offered him another smile. He watched the stranger curiously, wondering why this person was sitting beside him of all people. Not to mention, how in the world could this raven-haired man spot him?

He was called the phantom man for a reason. To Kuroko, he felt as if he was still the same invisible man of Seirin, he just didn't realize how much puberty could do to a person. He wasn't aware of it though, that how he looked now was attracting attention, way too much attention. And this new found 'friend' of his was just among the many that would come his way.

...

Akira Rei was what they call an exotic beauty. He had mildly toned skin and lush raven hair, styled to frame his masculine angled face, and accented the glower in his red eyes. He was only half after all. His mother is French and his father a full-blooded Japanese. He could easily pass as a model, and quickly rise to fame. He was smart, talented, and naturally gifted in sports. His physique and build always made him a target of talent scouts, but he turned them all down.

Stardom wasn't the key to his goal. He wanted to major in Philosophy and apply for law once he graduates. It wasn't that hard, it was quite easy actually. Studying had never been hard since even without listening in his classes, his grades still flourished. Therefore, most of his time was spent in clubs, and well, motels. Living life to the fullest was his motto, after all. Besides, having a stagnant sex life would just make his libido suffer, and with his natural charm, he attracted both women and men.

University was no exception. Going early to class was one of his many tactics to ensure he had a target for the week. It was easy, really. Looking for a prey, woo them for a few weeks or so, bed them, and move on. Lust. It was all about that, and he always made sure that his partner would know that there were no strings attached. Commitment would just suffocate him, and falling in love was bullshit so he never had to worry about that.

Well, that was the plan until he walked in. To be honest, he felt as if his eyes bugged out of their sockets when he saw the sky-haired male walk into the room. There was a distinct air about him that made his mouth dry and made his stomach feel heavy. It was strange. He had seen many good-looking men before, more beautiful and refined than this poker-faced male, but his aura was different.

Akira Rei was a very observant man and his attention to detail bordered on obsessive but it was how he found the perfect target. He loved virgins, after all, and body language spoke volumes, letting him see what he wanted to see in a person. Therefore, he knew right away that this man was a virgin, just so delicate and pure. Usually, he would jump at the chance of finding something so rare—people nowadays were too promiscuous for his liking—and put his plan into action. But he found himself rooted to his seat, forced to watch as the man took a book from his bag and began reading without a care in the world.

This man wasn't downright gorgeous, and not bloody handsome, but had a natural captivating beauty. He had a gentle face, and his every move looked graceful. The stoic expression on his face just added to the enigma this person was. He looked like a porcelain doll, so fragile that he could break with one wrong touch. Akira found him untouchable and he realized that he didn't want to taint this priceless doll.

Clenching his fists, he walked determinedly towards the lone male in the corner. His sharp eyes not missing the longing looks of the other people around him. It seems he wasn't the only one who found the ice prince to be desirable. Akira smirked lightly to himself. Sorry folks, I laid my eyes on him first. Too bad though, Akira didn't know there were other pairs of eyes that laid their eyes on the ice prince way before he did. It would just pose problems later on, not that the raven and sky knew of it beforehand.

...

"Ne~" She pouted in irritation when she was just ignored. Walking closer to her companion, she poked his left arm.

"Ne~" Another poke but the male didn't turn to her. Frowning, she poked harder and was pleased to see him twitch.

"Dai-chan~" He turned around and glared at her with all the animosity he could muster.

"What the fuck do you want?" She smiled innocently at him, her eyes twinkling in mischief.

"Let's just skip class today." He stopped his glowering and stared at her in confusion. In all the years he knew her; never had she requested something like this.

"What the hell? It's the first day, woman." She giggled softly and her eyes narrowed. He raised an eyebrow at her. He just knew that look, and he knew it all too well.

"Well...it's just that my network tells me that there's someone here that you might find worth your fancy, Dai-chan." He stared at her, wondering what she was on about. Honestly, he didn't have a clue about what she was hiding, but there was something he was sure of, she was planning something. It only spelled trouble.

"Whatever. Don't get me involved, woman." He turned around and began walking towards his building. He honestly didn't have time for this. His class stars in fifteen minutes.

"Oh well~ I wonder how Tetsu-kun's doing? Hmm..." Her back was towards him but she knew he had stopped walking away from her. She smiled to herself. Hook, line, and sinker, Dai-chan.

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Completed: October 10, 2012