This chapter will be short and sweet… Well, not quite sure about the second one but it will most certainly be short… I apologize if you were wanting something long, this chapter was previously already planned to be really short… Enjoy!

…

Kuroko walked into the classroom rather early, messing with the short strands of hair. Even though it's been three days, he still couldn't get used to his now extremely short hair. Most of his fans had even been upset when they had seen that he had cut his hair, especially the guys. Then they went off to their own conversation about what length of hair was better to grasp while doing it, whatever 'it' happened to be. Kuroko had become lost in that conversation so he turned to a book he had bought the day before the whole event.

Back to the present, Kuroko sat down at his desk, already pulling out the book that he was a few chapters away from finishing. The case was finally coming to a close and he really wanted to know who the jewel thief was. He was near certain that it was the main character's best friend but the main character's crush was acting suspicious for the last few chapters. "Ne, Te-chan, do you know how to play shogi or go?" Kuroko looked up at the boy who had addressed him. If Kuroko remembered correctly, the boy's name was something along the lines of Sarada. He was pretty cute and he seemed to know it too. He had large reddish brown eyes and soft looking light brown hair which seemed to have natural blonde high lights, meaning he was probably part American. But the confidence and intelligence in his eyes showed that he knew how adorable and irresistible he was. Kuroko looked back to his book in disinterest.

"No, I'm sorry. But I do know how to play international chess." The disappointment on the boy's face was quite obvious, he noted while looking at the boy in the corner of his eyes. After Sarada had seemingly given up, as there was no other way to describe the look on his face, Kuroko turned his attention back to his book. Not even a sentence in, he was stopped as a hand, which looked only slightly larger than his own and probably just as soft, set itself on the top of Kuroko's book.

"You play international chess?" Kuroko looked up to the heterochromatic eyes he had been avoiding for the past couple of days – should he say a week or two? – and couldn't help the flinch he felt run through his body at the suddenness of the eye contact.

"Just a little; not enough to actually win a game." Kuroko set a bookmark in the book regretfully – after all, he really wanted to know who the thief was – and put his full attention on the red head. "I haven't played a game since I was seven either."

"That doesn't matter. If you know, I want to play against you." Akashi seemed to be determined to play against Kuroko and he couldn't help but wonder why. The red head hadn't been all that adamant about gaining his attention until now. In fact, every time Kuroko avoided him, he would always give up only to try again later.

"If that's what you want." Kuroko agreed to play, setting the book to the side. He had a feeling that Akashi wouldn't give up this time. "But how will we play? There is no chess board here." Kuroko looked around the classroom, showing what he was talking about.

"We do have a chess club." Akashi looked amused. "Go to classroom three ten a after school, I'll be waiting." With that, Kuroko watched Akashi leave the classroom. He was never really in class until second period except for that first day that Kuroko had come to school. Something about the student council president, when Kuroko had asked Midorima about it.

Even though Akashi had stood up for Kuroko to bring Nigou to school, Kuroko had stopped after that first week. Nigou didn't quite like the attention he would get from the female classmates. So Kuroko felt quite lonely at this moment. It didn't help that apparently Midorima has been sick since yesterday, being forced to skip school by his mother. Kuroko sighed, already resigned to his fate, and started getting ready for the first period of the day.

…

Kuroko had had quite the trouble trying to find this room. Apparently it was in the basement of the school along with the other clubs dealing with board and card games plus the club about natural phenomena and ghosts and such. Kuroko would have joined that club if his time wasn't taken up by his job. Kuroko hesitated at the doorway of the chess club. He knew that he and Akashi would be the only ones there since there had been an announcement to all the clubs in the basement that there would be no after school club activities. Kuroko had to wonder about why there were no club activities on this day in particular. He also had to wonder about why Aomine was leaning against the wall next to the stairs and didn't even try to talk to him, instead giving him a pitying look which only confused Kuroko even more.

"Come on in Tetsuya." Akashi's voice broke through Kuroko's thoughts causing him to step back in surprise before taking in a quiet breath and setting his hand on the door knob of room 310A, as the plaque above it says.

…

"Checkmate." Akashi said as he knocked over Kuroko's king with his queen after an hour of silently playing, only being broken once by a silent 'check'.

"I see." Kuroko looked down at the board, only three of his white pieces and six of Akashi's black pieces were left. "You win Akashi-kun, as I thought would happen."

"I was quite surprised when you managed to check me Tetsuya. You aren't as bad as you said you were." Kuroko met the dual colored eyes to see that there was a new light in Akashi's eyes, one that wasn't there before.

"Still quite bad though." Kuroko finished the unsaid thought. Akashi shook his head with a light laugh, not agreeing nor disagreeing with that statement.

"Where did you learn?" Kuroko lowered his gaze before meeting Akashi's stare.

"My father taught me whenever he was around and not overseas." Kuroko stated before picking up the King that had fallen off the table. When he looked back up, he met an unreadable gaze. Kuroko stood up and bowed politely to Akashi. "Well, it was nice to play against you. I'll see you tomorrow Akashi-kun."

Before he could leave, Akashi grabbed his wrist. "Tetsuya, you are not to ignore me anymore, nor are you to avoid me." The glare that Kuroko was receiving was a much smaller one than he had seen the red head give to other students but it still made him shiver.

"Yes, Akashi-kun." Kuroko blinked down at the slightly shorter male. It was amazing how much presence the red head had even though he was always surrounded by the other basketball players who were so much taller than him.

"Good. Meet me at the café down the street tomorrow morning." Akashi had a scheming look to his eyes. "I wish to eat breakfast with you. Seven sharp."

"Alright, Akashi-kun." Kuroko felt rather puzzled at this. He's never had someone ask to eat with him – except for lunch but that was usually a group of girls. Other than that, he usually eats alone. With that, Akashi let go of Kuroko's wrist and turned towards the chess board to put everything away. Since Kuroko had no clue where things went and he felt awkward to be around the red head as it was, he turned towards the door and left. As he ascended the stairs, he could hear an argument sprouting between two different – but familiar – voices and occasional input by another voice.

"We should go save him now! It's been a whole hour and thirty minutes, ssu!"

"You idiot! What are we going to do if Akashi wants to kill us afterwards? He said 'no interruptions' so he expects absolutely no interruptions!" Kuroko tilted his head to the side. What were they talking about?

"Aka-chin did say no interruptions Kise-chin."

"But Kurokocchi could be in danger, ssu! Isn't he more important?"

"I think I might kill you myself if you continue to talk." The second voice groaned.

"Kuro-chin is fine. Aka-chin said he just wanted to play chess with him." By now, Kuroko could see the blue, blond, and purple hair of three certain people.

"What's going on?" Kuroko asked as he went up the last few steps, seeing the two who were facing away from him jump as Murasakibara simply waved the hand that was lifting a chip up to his mouth.

"Ah! Kurokocchi! You're alright, ssu!" The next thing Kuroko realized was that Kise was hanging off his shoulders, Kuroko's shoulders being the only thing stopping him from face planting.

"Oi! Get off of Tetsu you idiot!" Aomine yelled out as he started pulling at the blond's shirt, only causing more whining about how he was stretching it.

"Kise-chin should let go of Kuro-chin. Seeing you hugging him makes me want to crush you." Kise started crying into Kuroko's shoulder about how everyone hated him.

"Kise-kun, let go." Kuroko's deadpan voice caused the tears to dry up out of shock before the blond gained a depressed air, already in a corner and poking the ground while muttering depressing sounding things. "What are you all still doing here? Didn't all club activities end about forty five minutes ago?"

"Ah well… Akashi asked me to do something and Kise saw me and started pestering me. Then Murasakibara walked by, getting dragged into this by Kise." Aomine said, scratching the back of his head in thought.

"I see." Kuroko turned towards Kise who was still in the corner. "Well, since you're here Kise-kun come with me." Kise perked up, seemingly excited to have been invited somewhere by Kuroko. "I want to get a vanilla milkshake now. Akashi-kun wouldn't let me leave to get a drink." Kise deflated a bit before following after Kuroko.

…

Huh… It wasn't as short as I thought it was going to be when I made my plans… This chapter's plans were so much shorter than any other chapter's plan so I guess I assumed my mind wasn't going to draw it out as much as it has… Surprising…

Nightmare