Chapter 4 "A Celeb From The Past"

Taiga watched Tetsuya as the new passer of the team was changing to his casual clothes.

Tetsuya Kuroko had an absolute fragile outlook and a very small built for a basketball player but of course he had muscles thanks to the sport, still he was the shortest on the team. He had light blue hair he styles to his left. His big eyes were incredibly blue and he generally had an innocent, blank gaze. His skin was fairly pale and looking really smooth to Taiga.

Tetsuya took off his black sweatband and his white basketball shoes with blue streaks too. Then wore his school uniform; the standard Japanese gakuran. The top piece of the gakuran's was black, had blue trimming on the sleeves and vertically in the middle. He also wore his regular black pants.

When the blue haired boy looked back at Taiga, red haired teen turned his head right away and slightly blushed. Tetsuya tilted his head.

They got out of the gym.

"Let's go to some diner." Shinji offered.

"Yeah, I'm hungry too." Junpei agreed and all of them nodded.

They went to the same burger place which Taiga and Tetsuya had a real conversation for the first time. Before they got in the diner, the two of them looked at each other and turned their heads as soon as their eyes met.

They got a big table which everyone on the team could sit without a problem.

"Let's make a toast to our newest teammate!" Shinji cheered.

"Orange juice, of course." Riko added.

"To Kuroko!" Teppei Kiyoshi raised his glass.

"TO KUROKO!" everyone cheered and toasted.

"Kuroko?" called a guy on the next table. Kuroko turned to the guy and raised his eyebrows with surprise. The guy smiled widely and reached for Kuroko;

"Kurokocchi!" he hugged him tightly as everyone on the team looked at the stranger with wide eyes. When the stranger backed away a little, Tetsuya said;

"Hello, Kise-kun."

Taiga looked at this 'Kise-kun', apparently known by Kuroko.

He had blonde, medium length hair, long eyelashes, a piercing in his left ear and golden eyes. He was wearing a school uniform which was consisting of a white shirt, loose black tie, gray vest and formal gray pants.

"Did you say 'Kise-kun'? As.. Ryota Kise?" Riko asked.

"Yes." Kuroko answered and Ryota smiled charmingly.

"Do you wish for an autograph, darling?" the blonde boy asked and then signed the tissue in front of him and winked at her while handing the tissue to Riko.

"U-uh.." was all Riko could say while everyone was looking at Ryota Kise with shock.

"Kise-kun, please stop."

"I love my fans, Kurokocchi or did you get jealous?" he said and threw his arms around Kuroko. The blue haired boy didn't even flinch;

"What are you doing in here?"

"Oh! I was here for a business meeting. They want me to pose for their new brand of sports shoes and be the face of their energy drinks. And if they offer me more, I'll say yes. And my first photobook will come out at the end of the month!" he explained cheerfully.

"That is great, Kise-kun."

Kise curled his lips downwards and said;

"Same old expressionless Kurokocchi, can't you just feel excited?"

"I am excited." Kuroko answered, deadpan. Taiga smiled at Tetsuya's expressionless face then turned to Ryota Kise;

"And who are you exactly?"

"You don't know me?" Kise asked obviously surprised, his eyebrows raised nearly to top of his face.

"He is Ryota Kise. We played together in Teiko Middle School."

"You mean he is one of the players in Generation of Miracles?" Kagami couldn't hide his confusion. What kinda freaks that Generation of Miracles had exactly?

"What do you mean by 'playin together', Kurokocchi!? We were best friends!"

"No, we were not."

Ryota cried comically.

"You are so mean Kurokocchi!"

"How come THAT guy can be a Miracle?" Junpei asked to no one specific. And with that, Ryota Kise put a serious look on his face;

"And who were YOU to say that?" Kise smirked but scarier than ever.

"My name is Junpei Hyuga. I'm the captain of the Seirin High School Basketball Team."

"Seirin?" Kise repeated, then continued;

"So YOU are Seirin. I believe you already know but my team, Kaijo High School Basketball Team, and Seirin have a practice match in 3 days. We will see who gets to talk then, yeah?" after he said that he turned into his cute (normal?) version and looked at Kuroko;

"Kurokocchi~, you play in Seirin?"

"Yes."

Ryota curled his lips again;

"I can't believe Kurokocchi dumped me like this!"

"Don't say it like that Kise-kun, people will get the wrong idea."

"I don't care if it's an amazing player like you, Kurokocchi~" he replied and once again he hugged Kuroko.

"Why are you so fond of Kuroko?" Shinji asked. Junpei hit his head and said;

"Others' private matters are not your business, idiot!"

"There is nothing private, Hyuga-kun."

"Kurokocchi was my personal instructor in Teiko."

"Personal instructor? Like a-a.. personal coach?" Riko asked.

"More or less." Ryota Kise agreed while he was half-hugging Kuroko and Seirin was looking at Kuroko with a great amazement. Then continued to talk, only looking at the blue haired boy;

"Nee~, Kurokocchi, why don't you come to Kaijo? Let's play together again. I missed playing with you and you didn't even call me after Teiko. I- I know it must be hard after-"

Suddenly Taiga grabbed Kuroko's arm and pulled him to himself before even Kise could finish his sentence. Everybody, including Taiga himself, was surprised by the action. Taiga felt even more surprised by seeing he managed to break Kuroko's expressionless face.

"He is MY shadow now. From now on don't come after him." Taiga said with a deadly look on his face. Ryota seemed scared for a brief second but immediately kept himself together.

"So you are Aominecchi's replacement?"

"I'm Taiga Kagami and I'm the one who will crush all of you Miracle players."

Ryota scanned him quickly before he said;

"I don't think you can survive from being Kurokocchi's light, not because the Miracles would push you to your limit but because you basically won't be able to keep up with Kurokocchi's own power unless you have a special ability. Or else, you'd do nothing but drag Kurokocchi down with you." then turned to Tetsuya with a sincere smile who was currently in giant, monster-like Taiga Kagami's arms, mostly on his lap;

"Guess I should go back to my meeting." he pointed the two elderly men who just happened to got into the diner, "But don't think I'll give up. See you around, Kurokocchi."

After Kise left, Tetsuya looked at the boy whose lap he was sitting.

Taiga Kagami was very muscular for a high school freshman. He was very tall which was giving him an overwhelming aura which some could say was like the intensity of a wild tiger. He had two toned deep red and black hair and red eyes. His eyes were pointed and narrow. He was wearing his school uniform which he was keeping his gakuran unzipped while wearing a white shirt underneath and there was a shiny metal necklace with a ring on it. Some could say he was scary just by judging his hard look but Tetsuya'd never thought he was scary. People who don't scared of Taiga could see how good-hearted and equally handsome he is.

"I didn't like this guy. He was too clingy." the red haired boy said almost to himself.

"Kagami-kun? Can I get back to my seat?" Tetsuya asked. Taiga who forgot Kuroko was on his lap because of the boy's low weight, suddenly startled and threw Tetsuya off his lap.

"I never said you can sit on me!" he yelled.

"You pulled me to yourself." he stated, deadpan but then without anyone could noticed he turned his blushed face away.

To Be Continued~