Polar Opposites

Chapter Two: Meetings of Fate

Naoko watched Kagami work the grill with ease. He was skillful, she would give him that. The amount of burgers he flip in the span of ten seconds amazed her, although she would never say that out loud.

When Kagami allowed her to try, she ended up splattering some oil on Kagami. He stared at the stain on his jacket before looking down at her. Naoko jolted under his gaze, unsure of whether he was glaring at her or just giving her a different look. "I'm sorry." She apologized, handing him back the flipper.

Kagami blinked and took it from her, quickly looking away. "It's fine, just when you flip it, make sure to do it fast otherwise the patty might break or something." He mumbled, showing her once again how he did it.

Naoko nodded and continued to observe the master at work.

As Maji Burger was closing, Naoko said her goodbyes to everyone, bowing her head in politeness. She was unsure of what tomorrow would bring, but Naoko supposed her question would get answered because just as she was fleeing the restaurant, she bumped into the manager. "Oh!" She said in surprise, staring up at him.

"I'm sorry." She dipped her head.

Fukatomi chuckled before ruffling her hair, "It's alright, Naoko-chan. How did it go?"

"Uhm, it was good. I think." The brunette replied honestly.

"That's good. Well, it seemed everyone really liked you, and you're good at what you've been doing so far," He smiled down at her and Naoko blinked, waiting for him to continue. "I guess I could let you fill the position." He finally said, touching her shoulder gently.

Naoko looked at his hand before looking back up at the manager. "O- Okay. Thank you, Fukatomi-san." She turned and walked around him. "Should I come back tomorrow?" She asked.

Fukatomi nodded, "After school would be good. Unless you have club activities like Kagami, then that is fine." He told her.

Just then, Kagami walked out holding a bag of burgers. He had one stuffed in his mouth and stopped in his tracks when he spotted Fukatomi and Naoko outside. "Mmmat monmg mon?" He asked, making Naoko cringe.

Fukatomi laughed however, "Nothing." He replied, patting the teenager on the shoulder. "Kagami, do you mind escorting Naoko home? We don't want anything… happening to her this late at night, do we?"

Kagami looked from the manager to Naoko before nodding his head and swallowing the chewed up pieces in his mouth. "All right." He shrugged, apparently having no problem with it.

"Great. I'll see you both tomorrow." With that, the manager headed back inside the restaurant, walking up to the remaining employees who lagged behind.

Kagami turned to Naoko, who looked away from him. He raised an eyebrow as he took another bite of the burger in his hand. "Where do you live?" The tall, two-toned red head asked with another mouthful.

Naoko grimaced and pointed in the direction she needed to go. "It's not very polite to talk with your mouth full, you know." She told him, keeping her eyes on the ground as she began to walk.

Kagami ran up beside her and fell into step, the sound of another wrapper opening. Naoko looked at him and for a moment wished she did not because she got to witness Kagami take a bite of practically half the burger. She shivered and turned away, suddenly wishing that she was alone.

"You remind me of Kuroko." Kagami said after swallowing the food in his mouth. "He kind of acts all proper and shit, too."

Naoko's eyes widened a fraction, hearing the swear word come from Kagami's lips. "Well, I'm sorry. But it is kind of gross, no offense." She was not sure whether she really did mean offense, or not. "… Is Kuroko that blue haired boy who sits next to you?" She asked after a moment, wanting to change the subject because she did not want to cause an argument between them.

Kagami glanced at her and nodded, "Yeah. Wait, you saw him?" He looked at her, shocked.

Naoko raised her eyebrow. "Yes." She nodded in double-confirmation. "Was I… not supposed to?" She had a brief idea that maybe Kuroko was actually a ghost, or something.

The red eyed teen shook his head, "No, well, you're supposed to. I guess. It's just he has really low presence and goes unnoticed most of the time. Then he likes to pop up out of nowhere and scare the living daylights out of you." Kagami glared, speaking from experience.

Naoko smiled, "Low presence? I wish I had that." She whispered the last part, looking off to the side of the road. They made a turn and continued walking.

From the corner of her eye, Naoko could see that Kagami was probably on his sixth or seventh burger. Eating so much fast-food at once made her stomach queasy, so she focused on the road ahead and asked, "How can you eat so much?"

Kagami stopped his chewing, staring at her blankly for a minute. He made a show of swallowing what was in his mouth before giving his reply. "I don't know." He said in all honesty.

"I just get really hungry. Kuroko says that I'm a bottomless pit."

"You mean a black hole." Naoko corrected, watching Kagami start on his ninth – or was it tenth? – burger. Kagami shrugged and they fell into an oddly comfortable silence.

Once they arrived, Naoko stopped in front of her apartment building, turning face Kagami. "Thank you for…" The amethyst eyed teen trailed off as she stared at Kagami's surprised expression.

"So that was you with all those movers…" He muttered, crumpling the paper from his burger. He eyed the building before turning his gaze down to Naoko, who looked taken aback.

"… Sorry?" She tilted her head, not sure if she had heard him properly.

He looked away and pointed up at the complex. "I live here, too." He stated flatly. The two looked at each other for a few seconds before the both awkwardly walked through the doors and into the elevator.

'I can't believe this.' Naoko thought, eyeing Kagami from her peripheral vision. 'Not only do I have to work with this- this… guy, but I have to live in the same apartment complex as him? On the same floor, no less?' The elevator stopped and Naoko went to exit, stopping suddenly only because Kagami was trying to get out from the elevator, as well.

Naoko bit her tongue and motioned for Kagami to go ahead of her. Kagami stood still stubbornly, "L- Ladies first." He uttered out, his grip crinkling the carry out bag from Maji Burger. Naoko narrowed her eyes, making Kagami glare at her in return.

"I insist." She spoke with a smile on her face; her voice however was anything but smiles.

"After you."

"Please, I'm sure that you are more than tired. So, go on."

"As I said before – ladies first."

"Tallest."

"Shortest."

"… Fine."

"Fine." They both made to exit a second time, nearly bumping into each other again. Naoko huffed in annoyance and Kagami scowled. The two-toned red head grabbed Naoko's shoulders and pushed her out of the elevator, following her out. "There, happy?"

Naoko clicked her tongue in annoyance and turned around curtly, walking in the opposite direction Kagami went. She unlocked the door and entered her apartment. She put her keys on the small hook by the door, removed her shoes and fumbled around for the light switch.

Once she got the light on, Naoko stared at her new living quarters and sighed heavily. She felt exhausted and just wanted to sleep. However, she also needed to eat as she did not eat anything since lunch time at school.

Naoko yawned and made something relatively easy to make before going to sleep.

Naoko woke up slowly. She could hear the birds chirping from her bedroom window and see streams of light flooding in through the crack of her drapes. The amethyst eyes watched the particles of dust dance through the air as she slowly moved into a sitting position. She rubbed tiredly at her eyes and glanced at her cell phone which was next to her pillow.

Her alarm went off and Naoko turned it off. She kicked the blankets off her and began her morning routine. She made her bed and made sure everything appeared neat and tidy before she grabbed a clean towel from the closet located near the bathroom in the hallway. She showered and dried herself off, walking back into her room to put on her school uniform.

The brunette left her blazer off and she headed back into the bathroom. She blow dried her hair and brushed it until it fell into its usual soft curls just over her shoulder. Naoko smiled at her reflection before walking into the kitchen. She grabbed her soft, lilac apron which had a cartoonish-kitten face in the center of it. The pockets looked like paws and Naoko's smile only widened.

She made herself breakfast as well as a bento for school. After she ate, she packed her bento away and decided to add something else to snack on as she would be busy with work. Once everything was in order, she cleaned the mess from breakfast and checked the time. 'It's only 8:15.' She thought.

School began at 9:00 and it only took her about fifteen minutes to walk, meaning she still had half an hour to kill. Naoko hummed and looked around. Everything was tidy and nothing was out of place. She stood there for at least a full minute before deciding to work on some homework that was not due until the end of the week.

When it was time to leave, Naoko made sure she had everything before departing from her corner suite.

Naoko barely made it past the school gates of Seirin High when she was suddenly tackle-hugged. Naoko yelped as she tumbled to the ground, her attacker screaming, as well. She landed in a heap of limbs and pain, groaning. "Ouch…" Naoko opened her eyes and saw the familiar blob of rose-gold hair. "Hime-chan…" She murmured in a disapproving voice.

Himeyori laughed and got off of Naoko, helping the petite girl up. "I'm sorry, I was waiting for you and when I saw you I just had to run and hug you." She explained, sticking her tongue out childishly, giving Naoko a wink.

Naoko smiled in forgiveness and dusted her skirt off. She made sure she was presentable before continuing on into the school with her new friend by her side. The two walked to their class and when they entered, Naoko immediately looked at Kagami's empty seat. 'Good, then I'll be able to see the board.'

"Are we eating together again, Nao-chan?" Himeyori asked, leaning against Naoko's desk as the girl sat down in her seat. Naoko nodded in confirmation and Himeyori gave her a grin before going to her own seat.

"Excuse me," Naoko jumped, looking to her side at the empty seat. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked to her other side, noticing the blue haired boy who sat next to Kagami. He was leaning back in his chair, arm resting on the desk behind him. "You are Usami-san, right?"

Naoko nodded, "Yes. And you're Kuroko-kun?" She asked. The blue eyed teenager blinked in surprise before nodding.

"Did Kagami-kun tell you that?" He asked with a ghost of a smile on his pale face.

Naoko nodded. "Yes." She replied. Naoko paused, tilting her head to the side. "Not to sound rude, but did you need something, Kuroko-kun?"

"Oh, yeah. I was wondering if I could borrow your notes from yesterday. I kind of dozed off and I couldn't take them." Naoko raised her eyebrow. "Once I'm finished with them I'll be sure to return them to you."

"Okay." Naoko pulled the notes from their first day out and handed them to Kuroko. Just as the teacher was about to start class, the door burst open, drawing everyone's attention to it.

Kagami was panting as sweat dripped from his head. He had a glare on his face and a look that said to 'back the fuck off'. Naoko arched her brow and looked at Kuroko, who turned his head to hide a smile.

"Kagami…" The teacher sighed. "It's the second day; please try not to be late."

Kagami looked at the teacher, his angered gaze softening as he made his way to his seat, his breathing eventually leveling out. "Sorry." He muttered, plopping himself down.

Naoko's shoulders drooped because now she could not see the board again. She sighed. When she heard Kagami whisper something to Kuroko, she looked up. As curious as she was, she tuned the obviously frustrated Kagami out, not wanting to listen in on their conversation.

When it was lunch time, Naoko stood up and stretched. She dug her bento out and turned to face Himeyori who just walked up. "Ready, Nao-chan?" Naoko nodded and followed Himeyori from the class.

The taller girl lead them to the same place they ate yesterday, outside in a field, under a circle of trees that provided much needed shade from the blazing sun. Himeyori nudged Naoko and ran forward, tumbling to the grass as she laughed carelessly.

Naoko giggled at her friend's antics before joining her on the bright, green grass. "Uhm, Hime-chan, can I borrow your notes? The guy who sits in front of me is way too tall and I can't see over him." She fiddled with the hem of her skirt, looking at Himeyori shyly.

Himeyori blinked and smiled widely, "Of course, Nao-chan! I understand how you feel, last year I was stuck behind some tall guy, as well. Luckily he traded seats with me, so that was good!"

Naoko blinked and hummed in thought, 'Maybe we can trade seats…' She shook her head, removing the thought from her head. 'That guy is stubborn and I'd rather not have to communicate with him more than necessary. Besides, he seems really close with Kuroko-kun and I don't want to separate them.' Naoko sighed, jumping when Himeyori suddenly poked her cheek.

"Nao-chan?"

"Yes?"

"The teacher actually wanted me to ask you something."

"Oh?" Naoko stared, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "Why didn't sensei just come talk to me?"

"Oh, he said it's because he's afraid he'll… make you afraid." Himeyori motioned awkwardly with her hands, making Naoko even more confused. "Anyway, he wanted me to tell you that you're encouraged to join an after-school club."

"I thought that might come up." Naoko murmured softly, wondering what she should do.

"He said he doesn't want you to be a part of the going-home club." The crystal-silver eyed second year laughed, leaning back as he took a bite of her rice ball. Naoko nodded, still in thought. "Anyway, if you do join a club, it should be something you like! I know I wanted you to join the choir club with me, but obviously you don't have to."

"Hime-chan, you're more wise than you let on." Naoko smiled, opening her bento. "I'll look into some clubs after school. I just feel bad because I just started a job yesterday and I don't want it to look bad if I show up later than normal."

"Ehh! You already have a job? Nao-chan, you are way out of my league." Himeyori pouted.

Naoko laughed softly, "The manager did say it was okay if I came later than usual because he knows I'm still in school."

"What a caring manager!" Himeyori explained, surprised.

"Fukatomi-san is a nice guy," Naoko agreed, pursing her lips. "Although he kind of gives me the creeps."

"Well, Nao-chan is a beauty." Himeyori pinched Naoko's cheek, making the girl flush from the compliment.

"N- No. I mean, Hime-chan is much better looking than I." She ducked her head, keeping her shy gaze on her bento. "A- Anyway, like I said, I'll check out some clubs and then head to work afterwards."

When school ended, Naoko did as she said she would and went around the school, looking at the few clubs that interested her; the few being the art club, book club, and gardening club. She had no experience with gardening but she remembered her grandma would always be in her beautiful garden filled with such exotic flowers and plants. It was something she took interest in.

After viewing the clubs and finding that she was still unable to make up her mind, Naoko left the school behind and made her way to Maji Burger.

Sometime during the rush, Kagami appeared in uniform, raring to go. He had a wild smirk on his face, reminding Naoko of a tiger. She shivered and turned away from him, instead focusing on helping Kurisu with her salads.

When the rush ended and when the restaurant was closing for the night, Naoko was about to head into the employee's lounge until she noticed Kagami talking to someone. At first, she did not see anyone, but then a moment later, she saw Kuroko standing there.

'Ah.' Naoko knew she forgot something. She was about to walk over but stopped, feeling like it would be rude to interrupt. She instead walked into the lounge and waited for Kurisu and Akibara to finish changing in the washroom before going in after them.

Once she was changed, Naoko brushed strands of damp hair from her face and walked to the front of the fast-food restaurant. She looked around and sighed softly, since Kuroko had disappeared.

"Oi." Naoko jolted, nearly dropping her school bag. The brunette craned her neck to peer up at Kagami who was munching on a burger. She pushed the feeling of displeasure away and waited for him to continue, as he obviously called her for a reason.

Kagami held up a pile of papers which Naoko quickly noticed belonged to her. Just as she was about to say something, Kagami cut her off. "Kuroko asked me to return these to you. He forgot to do it earlier and he was going to do it now but he suddenly got called back home. He says he's sorry."

"Oh…" Naoko accepted the papers and tucked them into her bag. "Thank you." She smiled, turning around and walking out the door.

Kagami watched her go and scratched his head awkwardly. An arm slung around his shoulder and he looked to see Yukimura grinned at him. "What?" He asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"I know you walked her home last night."

"... So?"

Yukimura wiggled his eyebrows, making Kagami even more confused. When the college student did not get the reaction he wanted, he sighed dramatically. "Shouldn't you walk her home again?"

"… Should I?" Kagami asked, making Yukimura want to smack himself. "I mean, we live in the same building…" The two-toned red head added slowly, wondering what Yukimura was trying to imply.

Yukimura stared at him, shocked. "You two live in the same building? Man, I wish I lived near pretty girls." He sighed wistfully. "I'm only surrounded by guys and more guys."

Kagami looked at him oddly, "Because you're in a boy's only dorm." He stated, as if it was obvious.

"True. But I don't think you get the big picture here."

"Not really, no."

"You're slow. Or maybe dense." Yukimura laughed, smacking Kagami on the back, nearly making him drop his burgers. "I'm just saying that you should let her invite you in so you can have your own little party, you know? Just be al–" Yukimura was booted to the ground by a furious-looking Akibara.

"Kenta, stop being a pervert!" She yelled, swatting the silver haired guy's head. Kenta cried 'abuse!' and ran off, laughing. Akibara heaved a sigh as she folded her arms over her chest. "Kagami, don't listen to that guy. He only thinks with his other head, most of the time."

Kagami nodded slowly, taking his time to absorb the information that was displayed in front of him. He watched Akibara leave the store and he followed after, walking the speed of molasses. "What did they…? Oh." His cheeks flared red. "Oh."

I'm sorry, Bakagami. But I must agree with Kenta, you are slow xD At least when it comes to things like that.

~WinterAssassin~