Chapter Three: 6 years later…
[Edited: 02/21/15]
The wind gently blew through the field as it carried the beautiful, pink petals of the Sakura blossoms away like a dancing marionette in the hands of an unseen force, unconsciously and involuntarily catching the attention of the students watching gathering right before the gates of Teikō High. Lively conversations and shy introductions filled the entire entrance and campus of the school as the students proceeded to enter and begin a new chapter of their lives as high school students aspiring for a bright future, all but meaning and aiming to succeed for various reasons.
It made quite a refreshing yet suffocating sight, in Kuroko Tetsuya's opinion.
Having grown up with no one but Alexandra as his only companion in the past and having grown up along for the next 6 years, Kuroko was obviously not used to having someone = or anyone in general aside from the aforementioned woman who used to stand as his older sister-figure – surround or be anywhere remotely close to him with the fear of having to react violently or aggressively; an instinct that he had unconsciously picked up from six straight years of escaping from the government's sight.
Just because Alexandra had surrendered herself hadn't meant that the government would stop snooping around for any other form of evidence with relation to the incident in the Research Facility in Italy.
Sighing inaudibly, the 16-year-old teen adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder and leisurely began walking towards a much more seclude area with the intention to enjoy some time alone.
Observing might be one of his strongest points, but having to observe them so closely was not what he was willing on doing; especially at such a crowded area. The risk of his real identity being discovered was unbelievably high seeing as to how Teikō High – as an elite school with an outstanding reputation – could possibly have some students related to the government. A decade and two years might have passed, but Kuroko knew that the investigation that had started 12 years ago has yet to simple be dismissed and disclosed, most especially when rumors of the "Code 6" currently being alive has spread throughout Japan, along with the capture of Alexandra Garcia, the famed 'sole survivor' of the incident, who had been found just 6 years ago.
When the commotion and onslaught of conversations slowly died out into silence, Kuroko instinctively knew that he had walked quite a distance from the entrance of Teikō and the large crowd of students, giving him some sort of relief. He loosened his black necktie and breathed out a soft sigh as his stiff posture gradually mellowed down before dropping his school bag right beside his feet with the slightest hint of an exhausted frown marring his usually unreadable face.
You would think that Kuroko came here willingly and on his own accord, but unfortunately, that wasn't how things had played out.
A stranger – around his age, too – who called himself Takao Kazunari had one day knocked on his door with a large and indecipherable grin, all but declaring that he was asked by a woman named Alexandra to come and deliver a message to a person named Kuroko Tetsuya. Being the cautious and distrustful person he was, the first thing that Kuroko had done upon hearing Alexandra's name was to grab Takao by his neck, slam the door close, slam Takao on the closed door, and finally, push the teen into a state nearing unconsciousness in order to make him admit if he was some sort of undercover spy sent by the government.
Fortunately for Takao, he had managed to convince the blue-haired teenager into believing that he wasn't lying and has therefore been able to pass on an envelope which he claimed had come from Alexandra.
The content of the aforementioned envelope, however, wasn't what Kuroko expected it to be.
Not a letter of reassurance, not a letter of surrender, not a letter involving the research facility or Italy…
…just a simple enrollment slip.
The teen slowly sat down and leaned against the bark of a tree which shielded him from the glaring sun, his school bag resting just beside his left arm as he unconsciously drifted into a deep sleep.
Under normal circumstances, Kuroko wouldn't have been able to tolerate the notion that he would be lazing off right in such an open environment but his abrupt meeting with Takao left little for him to sleep. He had been things over ever since Takao's unexpected arrival on his doorstep, after all. Besides, he had plenty of time before the day actually starts.
And so, with those as his last thoughts, Kuroko willingly submitted to the promise of deep slumber.
However, unbeknownst to him, a pair of confused dark blue orbs was watching him from above the tree that he was leaning on.
"I have done my part, Alexandra-san." Steel grey eyes gleamed and glowed through the darkness as an amused yet mysteriously humorless chuckle escaped his lips. "What do you plan to do now?"
The sound of a soft bitter chuckle reverberated through the dark as a pair of dark green eyes narrowed in what could have been a mixture of irritation, suspicion and the same level of sarcastic amusement.
"It's all up to him now," she hoarsely murmured.
"You say that after heartlessly pushing him to study in Teikō?"
"I wouldn't word it that way, Takao."
"But I'm right, aren't I? What else was he supposed to do with that enrollment slip?"
"Just shut up."
"By the way," Takao said. "What exactly do you intend to do with that little message? I don't exactly see the point of him studying in such an open environment when he's supposed to be hiding…"
The rattling of chains echoed, and Takao stiffened slightly.
"He's human, too." She sounded tired, but confident.
"Human," he repeated. "That doesn't seem to be the case, though."
"I know."
Shoving his hands inside his pockets, Takao frowned. He just couldn't see the woman's point at all.
"How would sending him to Teikō change anything?"
Alexandra's laughter rang loudly inside the unknown place.
"It changes everything."
TBC…
