OooOoOooO
[Chapter 3: I Won't Trade It for Anything I]
"Riko, I don't think they'll appear out of thin air if you stare that much at the road," Hyuuga deadpanned as he stared at Riko who was standing at the middle of the road. "Besides, it's not even ten yet. We were just too early because of you," He couldn't help but complain as he stared at the hunched form of Kagami who was still very much sleepy.
"Oi, Kagami," Koganei poked the redhead. "Don't tell me you didn't sleep again. This isn't a match, you know,"
The others stared at the redheaded first year while Mitobe nodded silently in agreement.
"Waah," The redhead swivelled his head to them slowly, dark bags underneath his eyes. "I'm just too excited, I guess. I've always asked Kuroko to hang out at his house several times but the idiot's always declined. And he always changes the topic whenever we get to talkin' about his family," He admitted as he yawned.
"Why am I not surprised?" Izuki sighed to himself. "But, I guess I'm worried, too. While we finally know what happened back in Teikou for Kuroko to get so determined about defeating his former teammates, we don't know anything about his home life. And there's just something wrong about someone not wanting to talk about it. Even Kagami's given us more than what Kuroko told you," He shook his head almost exasperatedly.
Kagami scowled.
"What does this have to do with me?" He grouched at them moodily.
"Maa, Izuki meant that at least, while you're embarrassed about it, you aren't exactly disinclined to talk about your family," Kiyoshi placated good-naturedly. "I mean, you told us that you learned to cook from your mother and you have a small diner back in America. You even showed us a picture! Your father is a business tycoon and he only isn't here with you because his deal in Japan got cancelled. Did I remember everything right, so far?"
"Are you trying to make a point?" Kagami questioned blankly. "Because, somehow, you knowing about this doesn't exactly make me feel better," He muttered under his breath.
The tall center ignored him.
"And Furihata, how's the University treating your mother?" Kiyoshi directed to the brunette next who jumped in surprise. "And your dad's clinic?"
Furihata fidgeted.
"She says that her students are fast-learners," He shyly revealed. "And the clinic's fine,"
"Kiyoshi, stop that!" Hyuuga snarled as he smacked the tall brunette on the back of his head. "We already see your point, damn you! You don't have to sound so creepy about it! And, put a lid on it already, aren't we on our way to meet our kouhai's family?" He demanded with a glare.
"Hyuuga-kun's right!" Riko exclaimed enthusiastically. "And, there's a red van on its way here!" She pointed to the oncoming vehicle.
Indeed, there was a red van making its way on their spot. All of them scrambled to stand up as they peered curiously at the van. Looking at his watch, Hyuuga discovered that it was a mere minute before ten. Honestly, he wasn't making as much of a big deal about Kuroko's home life. While he was disappointed that the first year was uncomfortable talking about it, he respected the fact that Kuroko was a private person. After all, it took them reaching the finals of the Winter Cup before the teal haired teen revealed what happened back in Teikou.
Still, he honestly wanted to get to know Kuroko better and Hyuuga was certain that this was the first step in further breaking that wall between them.
When the van finally managed to park itself right in front of them, the bespectacled second year also noticed that it was a little larger than the average van that he had to deal with. He reckoned that it was brought for the purpose of accommodating the whole team in one go. He inwardly admitted that they made quite the crowd.
Though, none of them were prepared when the driver stepped out from the van. They all gaped as Kuroko strode towards them nonchalantly, dressed in a simple long-sleeved gray hoodie with khaki pants and white sneakers. There was also a pair of brown sunglasses perched on top of his head. If it weren't for the white knitted scarf wrapped around his neck, Hyuuga would assume that the teal haired teen was more prepared for summer than winter holidays.
"K-Kuroko!" Koganei exploded as he gawked at the first year. "Y-You drive? Are you kidding me? Are you even legal to drive?"
"Yeah, isn't there an age requirement or limit? Is that van even yours?" Kagami questioned sceptically as he glared at Kuroko. "I mean, things are quite different in Japan from America," He grumbled to himself as he picked up his bag.
"It's one of my godfathers'," Kuroko answered dryly. "And this is a privilege that I would like to stay between all of us," He answered vaguely.
"Do you even have a license?" Hyuuga demanded as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Hai," Kuroko nodded as he reached over the window of the front passenger seat and grabbed a leather casing. He casually tossed it to his captain and Hyuuga fumbled as he hurriedly checked on it.
All of their eyes sparkled in awe as they stared at Kuroko's license. Age 15 was when it had been issued. Though, at the bottom was a peculiar signature–
"Why does it say M-Grade Authorization?" Riko questioned in confusion.
"It's something about my godfather's involvement regarding acquiring that license," Kuroko sighed as he opened the door to the van. "I'm sorry if I'm inconveniencing you but we need to hasten because the family's waiting back at the residence as we speak. My parents are quite… eager to meet you," His lips quirked down a little.
"You don't sound too happy about that," Tsuchida couldn't help but remark.
"I'm sure that Kise-kun had told you some peculiarities already," He deadpanned at them.
"Y-You know about that?" Riko questioned with an uneasy chuckle.
"He called," Kuroko merely answered.
The drive to Kuroko's house was a short one. The house wasn't too far but wasn't nearby either. Though, while the idea that Kuroko could drive hadn't really sunk in yet until the teal haired teen had commandeered the wheel quite skilfully, Kagami wasn't actually prepared for another surprise. What greeted them wasn't simply a house. It looked more like an estate–a large garden that took a two minute drive from the gate.
At first, it appeared to be a huge traditional Japanese home with shoji doors, tatami mats, and paper walls. But as the van circled around the residence, it dawned on Kagami that the front might be some sort of dojo or housing but the real place was a three story house in the modern Japanese architecture with obvious touches of western culture. In fact, the garage where the van was parked was a testament to that.
Still, while he knew that Kuroko was well-off, considering he got to get the money from somewhere for all the milkshakes that he always bought, he never pegged the other to actually be rich. Now that he thought about it, Akashi was the same. Kuroko's family got to have some higher-class status to be acquainted with that psycho redhead's family.
As they got off the vehicle, Kuroko wordlessly motioned for them to follow.
The second years did as he said without much fuss, considering that they were still too awed by the large residence. Kagami, himself, was the same but he instantly placed himself beside his shadow as they trotted a little further from the house and out into some grassy field. Like some sort of extremely huge backyard.
"My father's in the back," Kuroko mentioned as he walked, fixing his scarf.
"You and your father the only ones here?" Kagami questioned gruffly. "I mean, this is a big house," He commented rather lamely, if he said so himself.
The teal haired teen shook his head.
"My grandfather also stays with us but he sometimes has to go back to look over the Sushi Restaurant in the family's hometown from time to time," Kuroko explained as he put his hands in his pocket in an effort to staunch the cold. "And, most of the time, my godfathers or my father's friends are around to settle for a week or a month. Also, whenever my mother's in the country, she always has a room reserved for her," He elaborated impassively.
"Was that a dojo earlier, Kuroko-kun?" Riko cut in eagerly as she bounced by the other side of Kuroko.
"Hai," The first year confirmed. "My father's family are traditional practitioners of the way of the sword," He explained with a small quirk of his lips.
Kagami's eyes widened.
"Eh?"
"You mean Kendo?" Kiyoshi put in with a thoughtful look.
"Hai," Kuroko nodded.
"That's so cool!" Koganei gushed as he slung an arm around Kuroko and looked at him with sparkling eyes. "So, does that mean you also know Kendo? I didn't actually expect your family to be so traditional. Though, considering how you're so formal, I shouldn't be surprised," He shook his head with a wry grin.
"My grandfather taught me," Kuroko shrugged as they reached where they were obviously headed. "Ah, we're here,"
What they saw was a tall man standing in the middle of the field with a baseball bat in his hands. In front of him was a pitching machine that released balls at an almost lightning speed. If it weren't for the resounding thwack that met their ears, they would've thought that there weren't any balls at all. Though, they all watched in varying amount of amazement as they saw how the baseballs hit flew far into the woods.
The man was dressed in a simple long sleeved gray shirt, black sweatpants, and white sneakers. He had a slim and athletic build. In fact, Riko was wide-eyed as her eyes read what she could even with the clothing.
"Kuroko-kun," She breathed out. "Just how strong is he? His numbers are off the charts!"
Kuroko shuffled his feet.
"My father's proficient in Kendo and martial arts," He merely answered but didn't actually give anything away as he approached the man.
"Oi, wait a damn second–" Kagami tried to warn but the teal haired teen was already within the man's range.
"Tou-san," Kuroko greeted politely with a small bow.
The man wasn't startled, which was a relief, he just continued to hit another baseball before bringing out a remote control from his pant pocket and turned off the machine. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm. Even though he was perspiring, he didn't look the least bit tired. He turned around to face the teal haired teen and instantly brightened.
For Seirin, they were dumbstruck.
Kuroko's father had dark hair that spiked out wildly, friendly amber eyes, and a light tan that contrasted his son's pale skin. Not only did the man look young but he also had Kuroko's face. No, that wasn't right. Kuroko had his father's face. Only made softer by youth. Now, it was confirmed that Kuroko got his overall colouring from his mother.
"Tetsuya!" The man called happily as he neared the boy and ruffled his teal locks affectionately. "So, are these your friends?" He asked light-heartedly as his eyes shifted to observe them.
"Hai," Kuroko nodded before facing them. "Seirin, meet my father, Yamamoto Takeshi," He gestured to the man beside him.
Kiyoshi blinked.
"Yamamoto Takeshi?" He questioned in confusion. "But, Kuroko Tetsuya–"
"My parents aren't married," Kuroko revealed quite blandly and too casual to their opinion. "I took after my mother's name," He explained almost exasperatedly.
There was an awkward silence on Seirin's part.
"Maa, it's not a big deal," The man–Yamamoto–chuckled lightly. "Besides, I'm really glad to meet Tetsuya's friends…" He trailed off as he tilted his head.
Apparently remembering Kise's words, Hyuuga straightened and stepped forward.
"I'm Hyuuga Junpei, second year!" He introduced firmly with a formal bow.
Yamamoto raised an eyebrow and stared at his son who merely shrugged in reply. They watched as the others followed after Hyuuga's example, though, not as firm as Hyuuga's introduction. In fact, Kagami's was quite gruff and bordering on rude until Riko smacked him behind the head. The redhead watched as Kuroko's father grew amused at their antics.
We're missing something here…
"Ha-ha," Yamamoto laughed as soon as Kawahara finished introducing himself. "Your friends are funny, Tetsuya!"
"Wha?" Kagami scowled.
"Kagami, is it?" The man smiled at him. "Tetsuya talks a lot about his team, Seirin. In fact, he mentions you a lot. Particularly, about how you didn't seem to like Nigou-chan very much," There was an undertone of amusement in his tone.
Kagami's expression darkened.
"Ku-ro-ko…!" He growled as he glared at the teal haired teen.
"It's true," Kuroko agreed bluntly.
Before he could deliver any punishing blow, Yamamoto slung an arm around the redhead's shoulder and pulled him to the direction of the house. Kuroko strode beside the man and the team scrambled after them.
"Man, you remind me of Hayato," He observed with wry amusement and a little bit of astonishment.
"A-Ah," Kagami shifted awkwardly in the man's grip. "Y-Yamamoto-san, can you please, I dunno, let go–" He tried to pry off gently without seeming to be rude or disrespectful. In fact, even with his effort, he could already feel the glare of Hyuuga burning a hole at the back of his head.
"Nonsense!" The man waved off with a grin. "After all, I would really like to know Tetsuya's best friend better,"
Kagami couldn't believe he blushed.
"Tetsu-chan!"
Kagami jerked in Yamamoto's hold as a teal blur of a flying object connected with his teammate. In fact, Hyuuga was outright gaping. They all stared as a tall teal haired woman glomped their youngest friend. The redhead knew without a doubt that this was Kuroko's mother.
"Kaa-san," Kuroko called quietly but his voice had a hint of annoyance.
"Mou, I'm just so glad to see Tetsu-chan!" She gushed excitedly as she hugged the poor boy to her chest.
She's nothing like Kuroko at all! Kagami's mind was reeling.
Then, to his horror, wide powder blue eyes that eerily reminded him of Kuroko zoomed in on him. For some reason, the woman's eyes were sparkling as they gazed at him. Maybe, there was even a spark of recognition. The next thing he knew, he was out of Yamamoto's hold as he flinched back at the force of the tackle. Kuroko's mother had tackled him.
"Kagami Taiga-chan!" She exclaimed happily. "She wasn't kidding! You're more adorable than what I'm told! Alexandra has told me a lot about you and Tatsuya-chan! What a coincidence that you've befriended my beloved Tetsu-chan! I can't believe it!" The woman squealed happily as she proceeded to subtly wring his neck, in his opinion.
The others were trying to hide their snickers. This was the first time they had heard someone describe Kagami as 'adorable' or even call him 'Taiga-chan'.
"Kaa-san, you're choking him," Kuroko deadpanned.
The woman blinked and yelped when Kagami was starting to turn blue in her grasp. Then, she let go of the redhead and proceeded to walk over to Kuroko and hug him as if she hadn't done anything at all.
"Senna…" Yamamoto sighed in exasperation.
"Sorry, it's my maternal instincts," Senna waved off with a sheepish smile. "It always makes me so happy to meet Tetsu-chan's friends!"
"Y-You know Alex?" Riko ventured hesitantly, stance defensive just in case she was 'hugged to death' as well.
Senna tilted her head as she gazed at the only female member of the team. She let go of Kuroko and proceeded to circle her, a half-smile playing on her lips. Though, before anyone could speak, she had proceeded to take the brunette into her arms into a surprisingly gentle hug. Riko blushed and shyly returned the hug.
"You must be Riko-chan!" Senna cooed almost affectionately. "You're so cute! I'm glad that Tetsu-chan still has female friends! Especially when Satsuki-chan is now going to another school," She pouted as she held Riko by the shoulders, staring at her with glowing eyes.
Riko twitched at the mention of the busty manager of Touou.
"And I used to go to the same University as Alexandra back in America," Senna revealed with a wide smile. "She was such a darling. Always going on and on about basketball one way or another. I would've introduced Tetsu-chan to her but I lost contact with her after I got my job and she became part of the women's basketball league. But I met her again on one of my excursions back in California last month," She elaborated as she hugged Riko once again before she carried on to observe the other members of Seirin team.
"Mou, they're not as colourful as your other friends from Teikou," The teal haired woman pouted.
"Oi, what the hell's the noise all about?" A low voice growled and Seirin collectively shivered at the real promise of pain behind the tone.
There, standing on the doorway, was a newly awakened Gokudera Hayato.
And he was not very happy to be greeted by Senna's face so early in the morning either.
"So, stay in Tetsuya's room while we prepare lunch," Yamamoto beamed as he pushed Seirin into his son's room. "Don't worry, Senna's not touching the kitchen,"
"B-But, that's not the problem," Hyuuga insisted. "We should help–" He tried to cut in.
"Of course not!" Yamamoto denied with a serious glint in his eyes. "You're guests," He merely stated as if that explained everything as he shoved the teens inside the room before closing the door with a resounding slam.
"Your father is…" Izuki trailed off uncertainly.
"What happened back there?" Furihata mumbled out loud as he stared at the door. "And who the hell was that?"
"That is my one of my godfathers," Kuroko suddenly cut in, surprising them since they had forgotten about him. "Gokudera Hayato-san," He answered impassively as he removed his scarf and hung it on the pin by his cabinet.
Kagami frowned.
"Just how many godfathers do you have?" He asked somewhat incredulously.
"Just two," The teal haired teen tilted his head. "They are my father's best friends since middle school. Though, I apologize for the abrupt incident a while ago. You see, Hayato-san doesn't get along with my mother," He revealed quietly, not sounding bothered.
"Well, what an understatement," Izuki grumbled under his breath.
"What the hell are you doing here, you crazy BITCH?" The silver haired man snarled as he crouched, as if he was gearing for a fight.
To their surprise, so was Senna.
Thankfully, Yamamoto was able to push them to the stairs before they witnessed how it escalated from there. Though, Kagami knew that he hadn't imagined it when he saw the teal haired woman bringing out a dagger from out of nowhere–
"Well, no use in dwelling over it," Riko sighed as she finally turned around and saw Kuroko's bedroom.
The room should at least be the size of two classrooms by sheer size alone. The walls were painted in a soft baby blue that was easy to the eyes. But, it wasn't bare by any means. There was a bookshelf located by the left side and it was full with hard-bound books. Beside it was a study table and organized on the red carpeted floor were some magazines and basketball equipment. There were several framed pictures hanging by the wall and there was a wide flat screen television, DVD player, and game consoles situated in front of the queen sized bed.
The tall mahogany cabinets were connected to the wall and there were several coats hanging by its handles. And to the far side of the room opposite the doorway was a balcony with sliding doors. And there was even a small living room set from where they were standing made of light blue beanie bags and a black rectangular table by the center. A white pillar divided the room into two and looking over the steps, they also saw a doorway to what must be a large closet and another to the bathroom. There were even tables and chairs situated there.
"T-This is–" Koganei gaped.
"Like a mini-apartment," Kiyoshi whistled in awe. "You're parents surely loves you, ne, Kuroko?" He smiled at the teal haired teen who nodded as well.
"My mother is rather lavish and has gone overboard," Kuroko merely responded as he sat on one of the beanie bags.
The day hadn't even started yet but things were already chaotic.
"What?" Hayato exploded as he held Takeshi by the shoulders. "Isn't it enough that that bitch is here?"
Takeshi frowned.
"You shouldn't have made that spectacle in front of Tetsuya's friends," The dark haired man admonished with a frown as he removed himself from the other's hold. "Is that an appropriate example you show to Tohru? No wonder Haru's always at your case," He shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Fine, I'm sorry, but I was barely awake," He grumbled sulkily. "And Lambo told me what she pulled during Tetsuya's middle school graduation. Then, she's the first thing I see so early in the morning," He growled as he fought the urge to bring out any of his dynamites. "Where the hell is that damn cow anyway?" He demanded angrily and looked down when he felt something furry rubbing against his leg. It turned out to be his godson's pet dog, Nigou.
Wordlessly, he picked up the puppy.
"Oh, he went with Tsuna," Takeshi answered patiently.
"Eh?" Hayato's eyes widened. "With Juudaime? Then why the hell didn't you wake me up?!"
"Well, Tsuna's just worried about you since, apparently, you've overworked yourself with the case with Felino Famiglia which had gotten a little out of hand back in Italy. Besides, they're on their way back with Kyouya and Ryohei, so you better prepare yourself. I heard Mukuro and Chrome will be here this afternoon as well," Takeshi commented lightly as he strode towards the direction of the kitchen.
Hayato's countenance darkened.
"Let me get this straight," He gritted his teeth. "Not only did you invite Iesato's brat for lunch, Senna is also here, but now you're telling me that that fucking Mukuro is on his way here? With Kyouya in the house? Are you pulling my damn leg?" Hayato growled at him as he followed after him into the kitchen with Nigou whining in his arms.
"Well," Takeshi hummed, unbothered. "That about sums it up,"
"You know, I am now starting to pity your son's friends," Hayato sighed tiredly.
Nigou barked as if in agreement.
Omake: Grand Visit (part i)
"Oi, are you sure about this, Tetsu?" Aomine grumbled as he gazed at the large estate in silent awe, trying not to be intimidated by his friend's obvious fortune.
"Well, Aomine-kun is refusing to offer his place," Kuroko answered quietly as he walked beside the other. "So, I got permission from tou-san to invite you here. Be mindful of the fact that you're the first person from Teikou that I invited over. So please watch your manners. My godfather is rather short-tempered for a person," He advised softly as he went back to reading his book.
Aomine gulped.
"Hah?" He drawled, trying to appear unbothered. "My house isn't available because my mother's got her friends over. And, trust me, you don't want to be there whenever they're in the house," The tanned teen shivered as if remembering a rather unpleasant memory.
"You sound rather petrified," Kuroko deadpanned.
"W-What?" Aomine's cheeks reddened. "Of course not!" He denied rather strongly.
"We're here," The teal haired boy commented as they reached the front doors.
The tall ace stared at the large house with wide eyes. Earlier, Kuroko had shown him the dojo. His smaller friend had told him that the house wasn't as big as it was now. His mother had interfered with the renovations, it seemed, and had spent quite the fortune into making the house into what it was today. Kuroko had jokingly (or did he?) commented that it was one of the reasons why his godfather couldn't exactly kick his mother out of the house no matter how they couldn't get along.
"Tetsuya," A dark haired man greeted as soon as they stepped into the living room.
"Tou-san," Kuroko bowed a little.
"O-Ohayou!" Aomine greeted loudly and awkwardly followed after his friend's example. "I'm sorry for the intrusion," He rubbed the back of his neck a little self-consciously.
"Aomine," Takeshi nodded with a smile. "It's good to see you again,"
This wasn't exactly the first time that Aomine had met Kuroko's father. After all, whenever they had to play on tournaments, the man was always there to watch and support his son. In fact, to Aomine's belief, the man hadn't missed a single game yet. The man was likable enough and Aomine knew where Kuroko got his mad observational skills and determination. Though, it was still a little unnerving since he couldn't also tell what the man was thinking behind the laidback personality. Just like Tetsu sometimes with his stoic face.
"Hai," Aomine scratched the back of his head.
"We'll be up in my room," Kuroko cut in with quietly. "We'll be down by dinner time,"
"Of course, just be sure to keep it down," Takeshi grinned and ruffled the teal haired boy's hair. "Hayato's working on something very important," He winked at them.
When they got to Kuroko's room, of course, the first thing Aomine did was plop down on the carpeted floor and laze.
To his friend's slight horror, he brought out one of his gravure magazines from his bag.
"Aomine-kun…" Kuroko stated with a hint of warning in his voice as he brought out the textbooks necessary for their homework.
"Don't worry, Tetsu, it's just for motivation," Aomine waved off nonchalantly. "It isn't like anything's going to go wrong. I'll make sure to keep them out of sight from your family," He placated with a yawn.
He would regret those last words.
.
.
.
TBC.