Hey, Mom,

How's it going? I'm sorry I didn't

send you a letter for Halloween. I

honestly forgot about the holiday

all together (they don't celebrate it

here in Kiseki). Did you and Dad

decorate the house like always?

Send pictures. Taiga.

Kagami could hardly believe that it was already the second week of November. Because of this, it wasn't uncommon for him to leave his house in clothes that were not fit for the elements, only to rush back inside and bundle up further. The boy was warm-blooded, and it was at times like this, where he was wrapped to his ears in a woolen scarf, that he missed the hot and heavy air of Los Angeles.

If it weren't for the fact that he had run out of milk, Kagami wouldn't have even dared to exit his house today. Second week of November all you want, it must have been no more than -12 degrees*. Thank the Heavens above that Tom Nook's shop had been heated, or else Kagami could have sworn he would have froze.

"Ho, ho, you don't like the cold weather, Kagami?" Tom Nook chuckled.

"I don't," Kagami replied flatly, dreading his walk towards the freezer section.

Tom Nook nodded understandingly. "I can see how someone without fur might find days such as this one to be rather unfavorable. Midorima all but goes into hibernation during this time of year. Murasakibara, too, but he's an exception. He's a bear."

"If I weren't so invested in the exploration of this village, I'd probably consider going into hibernation, as well," Kagami laughed lightly. Reaching the freezers, he opened one of the glass doors and was instantly greeted by a burst of cold air. Shivering, he quickly grabbed for a carton of whole milk and slammed the door shut. When he turned to leave, he noticed that Tom Nook had been suiting up in what appeared to be a jacket. "Oh, are you going somewhere, Mr. Nook?"

Zipping up his coat, Tom Nook answered, "Yes, yes. I have to make another special delivery."

"Oh?" Curious, Kagami persisted. "What kind of special delivery?"

Tom Nook held up a small package of medications and healing herbs for Kagami to see. "A delivery for the sick."

Kagami's eyes widened. "The sick? Who's sick? Is it Kise? Aomine? Maybe Akashi?"

Shaking his head, Tom Nook responded, "None of the above."

"...Then who?"

Sighing, Tom Nook lowered the medicine pack and looked up to Kagami with an ominously serious expression. "It's Kuroko."

There was silence. Not a single noise - other than the gentle hum from the freezers - could be heard. If he hadn't caught himself in the nick of time, Kagami would have ended up dropping his carton of milk purely out of shock. "...Kuroko?" he asked, his voice emitting air rather than sound.

Readjusting his jacket, Tom Nook nodded and affirmed Kagami's confusion. "Yes, yes," he replied, "Kuroko has come down with quite the fever and has requested some medicine. Now, if you'll excuse me, Kagami, I really should be bringing this to him."

"Let me do it."

Kagami had caught both Tom Nook, as well as himself, off guard by his statement.

"That's very generous and all, Kagami," Tom Nook smiled, "but I don't know if it's the best of ideas. After all, you still have yet to meet Kuroko in person, yes?"

Stepping forward, Kagami placed his carton of milk on top of one of the stationary tables and said, "That's true, but I have this feeling that if I don't visit him with a purpose, I'll never get the opportunity to meet him at all."

Even though he wanted to, Tom Nook knew he couldn't deny what Kagami was saying. Kuroko really was an obscurity. He had always been on the anti side of the social spectrum, but it wasn't until two years back, when he and Aomine had had their fallout, that things started getting worse.

When Tom Nook had refused for the second time, Kagami clapped his hands together and bowed his head. "Please, Mr. Nook!" he pleaded. "I'm begging you!"

Though it took a few more bows and a handful of pleases, Tom Nook had finally granted Kagami permission to deliver Kuroko his medicine package. However, the business raccoon had a few warnings to give to him first. "Make sure you don't get too excited. Don't ask him too many questions all at once. His ears are sensitive, so make sure you keep your voice down. And most of all, please remember that he's ill, yes, yes? So please, try and keep your distance."

"I will! I'll be careful!" Kagami smiled. "Thank you very much, Mr. Nook!"

"Kagami," Tom Nook whispered, fashioning a finger to the tip of his snout, "remember your voice."

"Oh-! Oh..." Kagami flushed. "Sorry."

The journey to Kuroko's cottage was absolutely brutal. From the time that Kagami had left Nook 'n' Go, the winds had picked up, forcing for the boy's scarf to flap about like crazy. "This Kuroko guy better be grateful," he muttered to himself, "otherwise I'm freezing my butt off for nothing."

Rapping his fist against Kuroko's front door, Kagami stood back and waited. Clutching a tighter hold on the medicine pack, he sighed and began to wonder if this brilliant idea of his was just that. His nerves were beginning to set in and his heart began to beat faster. When he heard soft shuffling from beyond the door, he felt as if he were about to faint. That's when the door had slowly opened, and two, pointed blue ears had popped out, a gentle voice murmuring, "Thank you for coming, Mr. Tom Nook..."

Scratching the back of his neck, or what he could reach of it with his scarf in the way, Kagami began, "Actually..." but he needn't say more, because it was apparent that Kuroko had already realized his mistake. He had slammed the door shut.

Too stunned to do much of anything, Kagami tried to process what had just occurred. 'What...what did I even do?! All I said was one word! Was I too loud? I didn't even have the chance to-!' Just as he was about to knock again, the door creaked open and Kuroko peeked his full head out through the crack.

"Is that...medicine in your hands?"

Now, Kagami had been stunned for an entirely different reason. There, right before his very eyes, was the mystery himself. The urban legend, if you will. And in all of his blushing glory, he was finally acquainted with Kuroko's ghostly presence.

After, thankfully, being invited inside, Kagami began to scope out Kuroko's living arrangements. Everything seemed very dull and quaint, almost like an elderly lady had been in charge of decorating. Removing his scarf, Kagami set it over his shoulders and handed Kuroko his medicine pack. "I hear you've got a fever?"

"Yes," was Kuroko's curt answer, as he accepted his medication.

Feeling a bit awkward, but not wanting to overwhelm the feverish feline, Kagami decided to keep the conversation light. "You know, it's kind of funny how I've lived here for over half of a year now, and this is the first time we've met, right?" Kuroko was too busy inspecting the contents of his medicine package to answer, so Kagami tried again. "Kise said that you were at Himuro's goodbye party, but I don't even recall seeing you there." Again, no response. This time, Kagami spoke directly at Kuroko, rather than about him. "You know, I got your letter. For my birthday, that is."

Giving Kagami a sideways glance that lasted for only a few seconds, Kuroko turned his attention back towards his medicine. Still, he gave a very muffled reply. "That was three months ago."

"Yeah, it was," Kagami agreed awkwardly. "I just realized that I never got the chance to thank you for it."

"Is that why you came here?"

"Huh?"

Popping one of the chewable medicine tablets into his mouth, Kuroko looked up to Kagami and repeated his question. "Is that why you came here?" Adding, "To thank me?"

Kagami shook his head. "Well, no. That's not the reason." Trying to justify why he had wanted to deliver Kuroko his medicine without sounding like a total creep, the boy responded, "I figured, well...I figured that this would be our ice breaker, sort of."

"Pardon?"

Trying to explain where he was going with this, Kagami said, "You know how, sometimes, for some people, it's a lot harder to get a conversation going than with, say...you're best friend." Kuroko remained silent, though his almost-interested expression was enough motivation for Kagami to continue his thought. "You and I, that's us. I have no idea what to say to you, because I don't know you. That's why I figured that if I had some sort of reason for visiting you, like delivering you your medicine, it would be easier for us to become friends-I mean...friendly with one another."

Kagami began to feel stupid from the way that Kuroko stared up at him, but what else was new. Then, just as he was about to negate everything he had just said, the small cat nodded. "I agree."

Blinking once, twice, then three, four, five more times, Kagami asked, "Y-you do?"

Kuroko nodded again. "I do," he answered. "Let's be friendly, Kagami-kun."

When Kuroko had suddenly been over taken by a case of the shivers, Kagami figured it was time for him to take his leave. Wrapping his scarf back around his neck and up to his ears, Kagami lifted a hand to the blue feline as a sign of his departure, before stepping through Kuroko's threshold and back into the chilly, second-week-of-November air.

He had stopped back at Nook 'n' Go to give Tom Nook a status report. When he was praised for his good deed, Kagami couldn't help but feel a bit proud of himself. Purchasing his milk and bidding the raccoon farewell, he made his way back towards his house. Quickly. However, it was just enough time for him to let Kuroko's gently spoken words play over and over in his head.

'Let's be friendly, Kagami-kun.'

"Yeah," Kagami smiled, though barely visible from behind his scarf. "Let's."

* -12 degrees Celsius (around 10 degrees Fahrenheit).

Hi there! Chappy here! (:

Wow! Kuroko finally makes his very first appearance! I hope you've all enjoyed it!

Thank you very much for taking the time to read! (:

- Chappy