Author's Note: Here's a new chapter. I hope you'll like it. Teiko arc is coming soon in the anime. Idk if I could handle my feels. XD

Beta by AokazuSei

Disclaimer: I don't own KNB.

Chapter Two

Kuroko

"But I'm only human And I bleed when I fall down

I'm only human

And I crash and I break down

Your words in my head, knives in my heart

You build me up and then I fall apart

'Cause I'm only human"

-Human (Christina Perri)

As I finished rereading his work, I just noticed the red dot on my private messages. I didn't interact with anyone in the site, and aside from Akashi, no one noticed me. A glimmer of hope rushed through me as I thought it might be Akashi who messaged me, though I immediately rejected the idea, not wanting to disappoint myself in case it was someone else.

I took a breath at first before I decided to open my inbox, only for my eyes to widen and my heart thumping in excitement when I saw the name Akashi.

I immediately opened the mail and read his message.

"Before I log off, I hoped you enjoy the story. I also hope that this wouldn't be the last time we talked. Good night, Tetsuya. I hope you have a good day."

Happiness surged through me at the thought of Akashi wanting to talk to me, and the joy grew even more when he too wanted to speak more. I felt so happy that I uncharacteristically rolled on my bed with a grin plastered in my face. I clutched onto my pillow and lied onto my stomach as I started to type my reply, my fingers shaky with excitement.

"I love your story Akashi-kun, and sure, I would love to talk with you more. I'm very happy you dedicated that work to me. Good night as well. Sweet dreams." I swiftly pressed sent and roll on my bed once more. I looked forward to talking with him again. However, it was a wonder why he even noticed me in the first place. Being as well-known as him, he was sure to have several hundred readers and even more ghost readers than just me. It was strange, but I decided to drop the idea for now, planning to ask about it if I saw him online again.

A red blaring 6:00 PM on my alarm clock reminded me that I hadn't eaten since this morning, so I decided to turn off my laptop and went downstairs. As I made my way down, I heard the sound of the door unlocking, footsteps ensued as my parents came in; with the arrival of Friday was the chance that they too would come home.

My mother was the first one to see me and smiled at me. "We're home Tetsuya," she said.

I just nodded and instead of going to the kitchen, I made my way to our living room, the room as well as the house too spacious for my liking. It wasn t ugly interiors or mismatching decor, my parents hired the best designers and architects to construct the house, but our house had lost its original purpose. No matter how lovely it looked, I never considered it home.

"You always turn the lights off Tetsuya. It feels like no one's living here," My father commented as he picked up a remote control, turning on our lights. "Have you eaten dinner?"

I shook my head as an answer.

"Like I said we should have at least bought some food for him. I still have paperwork to do so I can't cook for him, and Maria's out by now," I heard my mother said as I watched her check her phone. My father did as well, placing his phone on his shoulder and tilting his head to the side to pin the device still as he loosed his tie and removed his blazer.

"Go order some food for him. I need to take this call," After a moment of silence, he readjusted the phone into his palm, about to say something else before the person on the other end of his call interrupted. He excused himself and went out of the room. Once again, another Friday left to my own devices, not that it was anything new.

"It's alright mom. Maria made something for me earlier. I'm just going to heat it up," I said softly. I didn't want to waste any of their time, and I knew, they shared the same sentiment.

"Alright, be careful not to hurt yourself," She cautioned, her tone dismissive.

I clenched my fist as I nod and walked towards the kitchen. If she didn t want to cook, I had at least hoped that she would at least offer to heat up the food for me. I looked back at her once again and watched her animatedly called someone, speaking the company s finances and the related like.

Would they someday act like real parents?

I silently walked towards the kitchen and heated the food, Maria, our housekeeper, made for me. My parents hired her to look after me ever since my grandmother passed away. She would cook my meals, wash my clothes, and do the minimal house chores since the cleaners for the house only came twice a month. Our relationship consisted of her checking to see to it if I'm alive, while I rarely spoke to Maria, aside from occasional requests.

When I heard the microwave ding, a sign that the food was heated enough, I opened it and carefully took out the heated food. I don't know what kind she made, but the aroma wafted throughout the kitchen. I took out a plate and a pair of eating utensils before I sat down and ate. Despite being microwaved, the flavor was still potent and delicious.

Maria seemed to now be aware of my small appetite, cooking just enough food for me to stomach. Did they know about my lack of appetite? No, that was a silly question; they probably knew of my appetite just as much as they knew my preferences: nothing.

I finished the food before I stood up and went to the fridge, pouring myself some orange juice. When I was done, I washed the dishes first before I left the kitchen. This was the best I could do to thank Maria for the food she made.

When I reentered the living room, my parents were nowhere in sight, but in their place were some of their belongings, a sign they were really there. I walked upstairs and noticed the door of their room, one adjacent to mine, was open. They were inside, speaking of business nothings like their deals and expansion in Asia.

This was again, nothing new, but it made me wonder. Was there ever a time they were parents? My mind drifted trying to find a distant memory, one where we were family, but that memory was nonexistent. But I can't remember, not past all of the constant calls to unknown people, faceless clients, and empty home. They weren t even trying.

It must have been quite a long while since I stood there for my mom called out.

"Tetsuya, what are you doing there dear?" she asked as she walked closer.

"Nothing, mother." I answered.

"Are you done eating?" She asked.

"Yes, I was just heading to my room."

"I see. Go to bed early then. You have classes tomorrow. Good night," she said as she pulled me and kissed me on the forehead before she walked back inside and closed the door.

I know I'm not a child anymore, but I want them to tuck me in bed or at least have a proper conversation with me. I felt tear cascaded down my cheeks, a lump on my throat as I walked towards my room. I climbed into my bed and curled up as hot tears streak down my cheeks.

Have they ever cared? My tears dried up on my cheeks.

I missed my grandmother. I thought as I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up the next day, feeling more heavy hearted than usual. The clock glared 7:00 AM, meaning that I had been unconscious for nearly twelve hours. I groggily sat up and rubbed my heavy lidded eyes. There was a soft knock on the door before it opened slowly, revealing Maria who smiled gently when she saw me.

Maria was a small petite woman around the age of fifty with a gentle personality. Her black hair, now adorned with several white strands, was always tied in a neat bun. I heard from my mother that Maria was Japanese, married to an English man, and was in extreme poverty before we hired her as a housekeeper. Maria was a good person, and I really liked her cooking, but even she couldn't compare to grandmother.

"Young master, it's time for your breakfast," she said in her usual soft tone.

I nodded slowly at her and yawned softy before I answered, "I got it. I'll come down soon."

Maria just nodded and collected all the laundry, previously in my bathroom, before she went out.

I stretched for a while before I got out of bed, putting on my slippers before leaving to the bathroom to refresh myself. When I got down, it was silent as usual, only a soft melody playing from Maria's old radio resonated through the house; my parents allowed her to play her music as she pleased, after hearing how silent it was in the house. It was an act that did not go unnoticed, and I appreciated her efforts.

When entered the living room, I saw Maria taking down the curtains, smiling at me when she saw me.

"I have prepared your breakfast, young master," she said as she folded the curtains before placing it down.

"Thank you Maria." Silently turning away, I was about to go to the kitchen but then I paused, looking back at Maria in a silent question; where are my parents?

She seemed to notice my sudden stop, "Is something wrong, young master?"

Should I ask? But that didn t matter, Maria immediately understood without the trouble of me asking. "They went out early, young master. They said they'll be out for the whole week since they need to go to some business trips. They left your allowance in your room."

I nodded once again. I should be used to this by now, but I felt so childish, to feel jealous of Maria because they spoke with her instead of me. I thanked Maria again before I headed towards the kitchen. I see pity in Maria's eyes; she probably knew what I felt but didn t dare voice it.

Other than the music playing, it was lifeless. Maria made me some eggs and bacon, a cup of hot chocolate, to which I took a sip and let out a content sigh. As I ate, my thoughts drifted, a passing thought of today s schedule, Akashi, a slight depressing thought of my parents led me back to the writer.

At the thought of him, a smile curled on my lips. I was reminded of that beautiful piece he made; one he dedicated to me. I would never forget about that.

After I finished my meal, I went back to my room and prepared for my classes, grabbing my notebooks and workbooks before waiting for my teacher in a homemade office. When my teacher arrived, class immediately started, and for the rest of the day, everything went smoothly.

Since today was Saturday, my classes ended at noon, leaving me free for the rest of the day. Maria prepared something for lunch, and I decided to eat it on my room. I sat once again on my bed, putting on my glass as I powered my laptop on. I haven't checked the site since last night, but it was a little exciting; would Akashi reply?

After waiting for the homepage to load, my heart raced, a little red dot appearing on my messages. I clicked it open and read Akashi's reply.

"Good morning," he said. I looked at the time he sent it: 10 pm. We re in different time zones, I concluded.

"Good afternoon," I typed and hit send, wondering if he was online. I nibbled on my lunch a little while I wait, but it didn't take long until a subtext below my message indicated that he read it, which also meant that he was online. A response was immediate as I heard a ding.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked.

"I did." I answered.

"Did you dream about me?" I blinked as I read his reply. I flushed red as I typed, my pulse undeniably fast. That was so embarrassing, why would he even ask?

"No way! I have a dreamless sleep."

He sent me sad emoji and a reply. "That's too bad. I would love to be in your dreams."

"I don't even know what you looked like." I countered, a smile plastered on my face.

"Well, I could still manifest in different ways. Who knows, it's your dream." I chuckled at his reply.

"You're weird."

"That's new. No one had called me that before."

"Weird."

"Is Tetsuya really your name or just a username?" He asked, the sudden question was very surprising.

"It's my first name." I answered.

"I see. It's very familiar. Are you Japanese?"

"Yes I am. And you?"

"I am as well."

"Wow, you're good at English." It was true; his fictions and messages were flawlessly written.

"English is pretty easy."

"Most of us have a hard time understanding English."

"Well, I went to one of the best schools." He said, based on that, I'm sure that Akashi was some sort of genius.

"Which one?" I asked curiously.

"Rakuzan."

"Oh it's in Kyoto, right? You're from Kyoto?"

"Yes, how about you? Where you from?"

"I'm from London."

"I see. You're very far..." he said, I didn't type for an answer when I still saw him typing. "A nine hour time difference." I could imagine him musing.

"You're right. By the way, you're still in high school, Akashi-kun? I thought you'd be in college. You sound so mature."

"Do I? Let me guess, you're in high school too?"

"Most likely, I'm home schooled," I said.

"I see. For someone from London, you speak Japanese well."

"I was raised in Japan until I moved when I was ten. Plus, I take Japanese lessons." I told him.

"No wonder."

There was a pregnant pause before I started typing. "Why did you dedicate that work to me?"

I contemplated at first before I pressed send. It took a while before he replied, making me slightly anxious.

"It's your name. It's familiar, but at the same time, not."

What made him think so?"There's probably a lot of people in Japan with the same name as me."

"That might be it. I apologize if the reason is too random."

"It's alright. I'm still happy Akashi-kun noticed me."

"I'm glad you are. We can be friends if you want."

Friends, it's such a foreign word to me. Maybe back in Japan, I had some, but even that was questionable. There was once a time I went to school over here, but nothing worked well. Because I had a hard time communicating in English, I was the center of harassment. Resistance was futile, outnumbered by my oppressors, no one wanted me. My grandmother would always cheer me up, but now she s gone.

So when Akashi asked that from me, I couldn't even describe what I felt, only my tear stained eyes and a warmth in my chest were small expressions of my feelings.

"I'd like that." I replied with a smile.

"That's good."

"Is Akashi your first name or just a username?" I returned the question back at him. Even though we haven t met in person, I could feel him smirk as I waited for his reply.

"Akashi is my last name. My first name's Seijuurou."

"You have a cool name Akashi-kun."

"Do I?"

"Yes, somehow it fits you."

"A lot of people say so," he said. "So now you know my full name, but I haven't gotten yours."

In normal circumstances, I wouldn't give my name to someone I just met, especially online, but something about Akashi made me trust him so easily. My parents would be furious if they found out I m talking to a stranger in the internet, but strangely, I didn t care.

"Tetsuya Kuroko." I answered.

"It's nice to meet you Tetsuya."

"It's nice to meet you Akashi-kun."

A smile crept on my lips as I read those lines. Who knew with such a simple greeting, such simple meeting, my life was slowly changing.

To be continued

Author's Note: Your thoughts? Leave a review if you want. I am accepting suggestions.

Love lots

Shiori