Almighty Zero
Warning: AU. Fem!Kuroko. Bad!GoM. Slight OOC and typos. Grammar mistakes.
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Chapter 3:
Plan B?
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"Senpai?" Kuroko lifted one of her eyebrows, wondering of Nijimura's strange behavior as he put his hands back to its place and gazed intensely at the wall behind him that was near the stairs. Like he was searching for someone but there was none to be found. But both of them was positive that they did hear footsteps running away from them.
"What's wrong?"
"Shit." He ignored her question as he cussed under his breath. Then he turned to her again. Only to make her confused more when she saw the strange expression Nijimura's eyes held to her. They were mixed in concern and fear unlike the one when she met him for the first time. Tetsumi didn't know what to say as she waited for him to explain her.
Until out of the blue, he fisted his hand and brought it to the wall beside them with a punch, suprising the girl in the end.
"We're too late," He quietly muttered. "They already found you."
Her eyes widened for a second. "They? Who?"
"Them." He grunted, resulting the girl in bewildered but he didn't bother to tell her further. "Say, Kuroko. If I say these guys who are going to bully you are all boys, would you believe in that?"
Kuroko stared at him, blinking her eyes once in a while. She must have thought he was joking or whatsoever since his question was a little bit sounded weird and most of the bully in her past experience were all girls literally but at the same time, the tone he just used was serious as ever. She didn't feel right to consider it as a mere farce.
"Maybe?" She answered him with a huge uncertainty in it.
"That's what I thought," He said as he massaged his temple. His guess was right, she wouldn't magically believe in him with a simple words like that.
"If I prove it to you and succeed in making you believe, then will you promise me that you will do anything as I say?"
Kuroko jerked at the sudden deal her senior had offered to her. She didn't have a clue of what plan he hid under his sleeve for this time but she pretty damn sure that she felt a kind of dejavu about the deal. It was sensed all familiar but she couldn't put a finger on it of when or where did she hear that before.
"I will do anything you say for a week!"
Then it knocked her. Hard. The creepy gate, the deserted main hallway, the misunderstanding, the reckless deal she made out of nowhere, and the fact that she was in the wrong building from the beginning. The nerve of that stranger who had gave her a lame nickname in their first meeting. A certain red-haired guy was now filled in her mind as she remembered the whole thing.
But now, she was in entirely different situation. She was very certained that Nijimura-senpai was not that kind of guy who would play a trick on someone he barely knows. Not when he was currently the Student Council President and the principal's grandson to the addition. Still, there was a little part of her was not very confident about trusting him or not without actually knowing the reason itself first.
"Why are you doing this to me, Senpai?" She finally asked the question she had been kept ever since the senior started being nice to her.
Taken aback at the question, he then desperately tried to arrange the right words to say, "Well... I... I just don't want you getting any hurt...?"
Kuroko fell silent afterwards as she stared down at the tiled-floor beneath them.
Feeling dumb of his lame answer, Nijimura pressed himself to continue. "It's just that since you're the only student girl in this school, it is my responsibility to protect you from any harms. Not only for school's sake but also yours, Kuroko. I'm doing this not because it's my duty as the Student Council President but as your senior."
He saw her slowly raising her head and looked up to him with an expression he couldn't read. Then a smile attached on her face.
"It may sound offended to you but Senpai, you're weird." She said bluntly, almost making the senior choked up.
Of all responds, he didn't expect to be that one. His eyebrow twitched as he could feel his cheeks heating up without him realizing it, "Are you mocking me?!"
An angelic laughter was then reached by his ears, startling him. "No, it's not like that Senpai."
"Then what is it like?"
"It's a compliment." She said calmly as she picked up one of her index finger as if she was explaining to him of something important.
"What?!" Nijimura snapped, not believing her to the slightest. "What the heck kind of compliment was that?"
"An average one." Kuroko grinned lightly. "Usually in my old school, seniors aren't that caring with the juniors since they thought it will be just a hindrance. But Nijimura-senpai is different and I'm glad with that."
He coughed awkwardly as he once more felt his face getting warm by only the nine words at the last sentence but he quickly shook it off, "Tch... Enough with that. Let's just get back to the main subject alrea—"
"I believe you." She cut him off all of a sudden.
Nijimura gaped, dumbfounded. "Huh? Come again?"
"I said I believe you, Senpai."
"Y-You do?! You actually believe me? But earlier you..." He stuttered, wasn't really sure if she was being honest or not. Nijimura then squinted his eyes. "Wait, you're not joking around, are you? It's okay if you don't believe me since no matter what, I will—"
"Yes, I do believe you, Senpai. And no, you don't need to prove it to me." Kuroko cut his sentence off again, making him a little offended by it. Her face though wasn't emotionless like before.
He sighed. "I don't know what had made you change your mind so quickly like that. And to be honest, I don't really care about that. But, good thing you did it anyway. So back to the promise, will you keep it?"
He received a nod as a reply from the bluenette.
"Alright," Nijimura smirked amusedly. "Let's go then, Kuroko. " He then pulled her wrist into his hand and walked away into the corridor which was the opposite from her new classroom where she should be in now.
"Eh? But the class is almost starting, Senpai." She protested as she took a glimpse at the silver watch on Nijimura-senpai's wrist. The one that was holding her hand.
"Don't worry about it. I'll cover you." He coolly reasoned, but wasn't enough to convince the bluenette.
"Where are we going to anyway, Senpai?" She asked as she struggled to keep up the pace with him.
"To get your new uniform."
"What!"
"You heard me." Nijimura sneered, then he took a turn to the left and down the stairs. The bluenette behind him was almost tripped if it wasn't for the senior's strong arm around her waist. The girl then turned speechless by his swift reflex. Realizing her posture, she sheepishly released herself from his embrace and mumbled thank you to him.
"Your welcome." He simply said before taking her hand again and continued the run.
"B-But the principal said it was totally okay for me to wear this since the girl's uniform was still out." Kuroko said after a moment. She was currently wearing her old school uniform which there was a few of rips on it, thanks to the bully.
Nijimura tightened his grip. "What, you want to break off the promise this soon?"
Her heart raced slightly, "Umm... No."
"Then don't question me. Just do what I say and you will understand later."
Kuroko sighed. She decided to give in, not wanting to provoke the grumpy senior upfront her any further or things may get worse than this. "Okay," She murmured. "But at least tell me where are we going to."
As if on cue, Nijimura suddenly stopped his run, resulting the girl bumped into his back. "We're here." He said, facing to a door.
Kuroko followed his gaze, "The school health unit? But I thought Nijimura-senpai want to get my uniform."
"Exactly." He smirked at her as he began to place his other hand on the doorknob. Until, he could feel an air was touching his skin instead of a cold metal, giving him an obvious hint that the door was already opened from the inside by a beautiful middle-aged woman in a costume.
A lolita costume to be precise.
"Ara~" Her greenish eyes twinkled as they clashed with Nijimura's black ones. "Shu-chan! I knew you would visiting me again."
"Shinobu-sensei!? What the hell are you wearing?" He yelled as he directed his index finger from her head to toes repeatedly.
"This? My new collection, of course. Hohoho."
"You are in school now, sensei!" He pointed out.
"Yes, I'm aware of that. But it doesn't mean that I can't wear my collection whenever I wanted to." She pouted, creeping out him in the process. Then she noticed the third person in the group behind the senior. "Ara~ Who is this lovely girl you're hiding, Shu-chan?"
The bluenette then let go her wrist from his grip and stepped forward. "Nice to meet you, sensei. My name is Kuroko Tetsumi. The transfer student."
"The transfer student? Ah yes, I've heard about it. But I never thought it would be a cutie like you." She winked at her. "You are really brave to transfer here, Tet-chan. Well then, come on in you two!"
Shinobu-sensei opened the door widely, letting Nijimura and Kuroko into the room. Kuroko looked around as she found various costumes in Sensei's wardrobe which next to her messy desk. On the desk, there were bunch of fashion magazines and her enchanting costume drawings. This woman was indeed a cosplay-maniac despite her age.
"So what purpose do you have to be here?" She asked while preparing her coffee.
"I think Sensei have known that all the students here are boys, right?" Nijimura said with his stern face. He saw her nodded and continued, "And the students who transferring into this school would always being bullied by them and ended up to move out."
"But situation is different now since Kuroko is a girl. The only girl in fact."
"What are you trying to pull here, Shuzo?" Nijimura sensed of her seriousness from the way she called his first name without an addition of chan. While Kuroko was glued in her place as she took a notice the difference in the woman's tone.
He glanced at the bluenette, "Sensei, I want you to help her."
The woman smirked as she sipped her coffee. "It's been a while since Shu-chan needed my help. And for a girl you barely know, nonetheless." She then walked up to Kuroko and took her chin up to have a better look at the bluenette. "But I understand your concern, Shu-chan. She has a very beautiful face and it's a shame if they try to ruin it."
"So, your decision?"
"The pleasure is all mine." Shinobu-sensei suddenly put off her blonde wig, shocking the bluenette when she revealed the twisted fact that the woman in front of her was actually a man with his shining bald-headed. He then stretched out his hand to her, "The name is Shinobu Kanji and I'm also a good friend of Shu-chan's father. Sorry that you have to see this, Tet-chan. Hohoho."
Kuroko took his hand and shook it, flabbergasted. "U-Umm... It's okay, I think?"
"Hohoho. Your shocked face is so cute." Without warning, Shinobu-sensei squished the bluenette with his tight embrace. "I couldn't have enough of it."
Nijimura face palmed, "Sensei, back to the plan please."
"Ah yes, that's right. We don't have much time, do we?" He went to his wardrobe and took out a boy uniform. He then gave it to Kuroko. "Here, wear this, Tet-chan."
"Huh? But this—"
"From now on, you'll pretend as a boy student." Nijimura beat her to it, much to the bluenette's surprise. "And since Shinobu-sensei is an expert of disguising, you can put a trust on him."
"Shu-chan is correct. And don't you worry about your pretty hair, I have a wig made by myself that could be a huge help."
"Wait a minute, who says I would agree with this wacky plan?" Kuroko glared daggers at the senior next to her. "Senpai! Why didn't you tell me before?"
"Because If I did, I knew you would say no." Nijimura said as he went to the door. "Remember our promise, Kuroko. Or you will face the consequences from breaking it."
"Nijimura-senpai!"
"Shinobu-sensei, I leave her in your care while I will discuss about this plan with grandfather." But before he could receive his reply, he already left the room in silence.
xxx
"Pretending as a boy student?! Are you insane, Shuzo!" The principal shouted in disbelief after he discovered his grandson reckless plan regarding the transfer student.
"I'm doing this for her own sake, grandfather. If you want to stop it, it's too late for that." Nijimura slightly raised his voice.
The principal breathed out heavily, "And she's even agree with this?"
Nijimura went stiff. He simply couldn't tell the principal about the promise he made with Kuroko. Since he knew, it would change the plan automatically. He did felt wrong to lie with his own grandfather but what choice did he have.
"Yes."
The principal let out a sigh for the umpteenth time. He felt something was off about this plan. But it was on his fault too as he didn't tell her the truth about the students in this school before she decided to transfer here. He was scared at that time that she would cancel her transferring if he did the opposite.
She was like their last hope for this school after all.
"But if her secret gets revealed whether it's intentionally or not..." He stated as he fixed his gaze on Nijimura. "You will take a full responsibility of it."
He smiled weakly, "Like I always did before."
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To be continued.
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AN: Yep. Sorry for taking you guys waited for so long. I've been busy these days and haven't much time to write. But hey! A new chapter is here. I hope you enjoy this and yeah, I decided to make Tetsumi meet the GoM in the next chapter since I made a quite changes for the story plot.