Hey, hey, hey!

Last year, the creator of Kuroko no Basket published art of the characters in an Isekai (magical) world as a prank for readers. Well, I used this photo as inspiration for this story.

The female characters are the same as in Ideal Type (because I'm too lazy to create new ones), but don't worry, this is a new story and they will all be introduced in due time as the story progresses.

This will be really fun.

See you all next saturday and, please, leave some comments!

ps: I'm also on AO3

[Kuroko No Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki]
[English isn't my first language, so please be kind]

1

Ordinary Girl, Isekai World

Sana P.O.V.

The sun was already high in the sky when my brother ran into my room, stepping on my blanket and closing my nostrils until I finally woke up.

- What are you doing?! - I stood up at once, scared and nervous, but Sota wasn't intimidated. Despite being my younger brother his thin figure seemed to make him even taller.

- You've already slept all day, lazy - said Sota, sticking his tongue out at me - mom needs help.

- You don't have any respect for me, do you?

- Not much - Sota yawned. He was a brat, but he woke up early every day and always helped our parents when they needed it - Kagami will come today, did you know that? I'm going to send him up here and see you all ugly...

I threw one of the pillows at Sota, but he was faster than me, running out of the room and closing the sliding door at once, forming a barrier between us.

I sat down on the blanket again, still sleepy, trying to remember a dream I had the night before about a yellow fox, so I got up and started folding the blankets and looking for a good kimono to wear.

"I need to look like a respectable lady!", alarm bells were going off in my head as I tried to arrange my hair into a tight bun, but I didn't feel like trying too hard. I gave up halfway through and ended up braiding it.

I didn't know how to do the extravagant hairstyles that the travelers who showed up at the inn did, nor did I have the red rouge that they put on their cheeks and lips. Looking pretty shouldn't be that difficult, but I thought it was, at least I knew how to dress well.

I went downstairs as slowly as I could, because Sota was right, I was lazy and didn't want to work today, especially without having food first, but as soon as I arrived at the breakfast room I realized that we were really crowded. My mother went from one corner to the other and even Sota was helping to serve the morning soups.

"Ugh, I really overslept."

My mother didn't even have time to greet me, she threw me a scarf to cover my hair. I picked up a tray and decided to use the fake smile I had trained on serving guests. Sota said my face automatically looked angry and I was encouraged to prove him wrong, but it was difficult after seeing so many people without eating first a piece of bread or fish, or at least a simple omelet.

- Why are there so many people here? - I asked my mother when we had a five-minute break and returned to the kitchen - I'm sure it wasn't like this yesterday.

- I think there's a festival in the neighboring town and we were lucky to be on the passing road.

I wanted to complain more, but my mom seemed excited that we had so many customers. Our village was quiet, but we always had customers because we were located between big cities and forests with interesting stories.

- Those men over there say they're going to try to see the forest oni! - Sota ran into the kitchen to return some bowls of soup. He loved horror stories.

- This doesn't exist, Sota - my mother said with a smile. She always spoke to him gently and sometimes I wanted her to speak to me like that too. Maybe she did it because he was a perfect boy. Because he's a hard worker. Because he's a boy.

- You should go - I replied, I had already lost count of how many travelers passed by here saying they were going to travel through the forests furthest from the village looking for the demon of a legend - they say that the forest oni is cruel and noisy, he must probably be a teenager .

- Don't say that kind of thing, Sana! - my mother overreacted, of course. I could never joke about the fact that Sota could be torn apart by onis, how annoying.

I looked like her, I think, we had the same thick dark hair, too wavy for the village standard, and the same brown eyes, though mine were rounder. Sota had all of this, but these characteristics worked on him, perhaps because he was still growing and showing signs that he would be taller than all of us.

I really wanted to eat something sweet to feel better.

No one needed to announce Kagami's arrival, as I stood guard at the exit of the kitchen, watching for my father to enter, followed by a tall young man with reddish hair holding an axe.

I didn't want him to think I was spying on him, so I took a few minutes and let Sota greet him first and make it look like I casually showed up. I had chosen a yellow kimono, one of my favorites, because that way Kagami could look for me and find me easily among the guests.

- Good morning, Taiga! - I had forgotten to take the scarf off my head, but maybe it wouldn't have been so bad, it would have made me look like a serious, hard-working girl.

- Oh, good morning, Sana - Kagami replied, placing the ax on the floor, leaning against the wall.

Kagami lived with his father in the center of the village, they didn't have to worry about money and they had moved here a few years ago, but Kagami didn't like sitting still and ended up helping everyone with random tasks. My father ended up calling him to help chop firewood for the guests, an activity I loved watching him do.

- The inn is full today - he looked around - you must be tired.

- Very much - I sighed - but I must not complain.

- Humph - my brother grunted - don't act like you didn't just wake up.

Kagami smiled. That should be a good sign, right? He didn't smile much and was always focused on whatever task he was doing. Suddenly a strand of my hair ended up escaping from the scarf, but Kagami reached out and helped me put it in place.

It was only a moment, but our fingers touched and I had to have a lot of self-control not to faint. It wasn't like I hadn't spent a few sleepless nights wondering what he could do with those hands.

- Are you okay? Your face is red.

Damn it. My body betrayed me.

- I'm completely fine - I tried to hide my face a little with the help of the tray - come back here later, I'll give you fresh water.

I ran back to the kitchen and hid near the cabinets.

"It was close," I thought. Then I couldn't contain a little scream of excitement that came from the depths of my soul.

- He touched me! - I was wiggling my feet before I knew, but managed to get back to normal.

I just needed to appear busy with something random so my mother wouldn't put me to work upstairs at the inn. Usually my father and Kagami would go and chop firewood in the forest near our house. The road to the next town was close by, it wasn't that isolated and we only took what we needed. Sometimes wild animals would appear, but if we didn't disturb them they would soon leave.

- Sana! - my mother returned to the kitchen before I had a plan, but luck was on my side: - I need you to go get water from the stream, your father and Kagami will be thirsty when they get back.

- Yes, mother!

I got up immediately, to her surprise, and picked up the two empty buckets we had in the kitchen.

The inn had been built there by my grandfather a few years ago because it was close to the forest and a stream. In spring the village was filled with flowers and the petals flew here with the help of the wind, in winter the snow accumulated on the roof, but it was fun to make dolls with Sota. Now it was almost autumn, I could tell by the color of the leaves that the seasons were changing again.

It's not that I didn't like living here, but there had to be more to it than that, more than waking up early, working hard and hoping for something exciting to happen.

I was already of marriageable age, in fact there were already some girls in the village at my age who were already married, but I never liked anyone enough. When Kagami arrived in the village I immediately knew he was my 'enough'.

The stream had several diversions, so I followed the trail my father and Kagami took and hid among the trees just to see the young man with reddish hair. Apparently my father had gone further into the forest with Sota, leaving Kagami to chop wood alone. He had gotten rid of the top part of his clothes, leaving only the gray pants of his set. Kagami had a very beautiful body, sculpted not through vanity but through hard work, and the fact that he didn't need to do that was what made him even more impressive. I enjoyed watching Kagami work and move the ax with ease.

We got along well, he didn't seem interested in another girl in the village, he liked my food, I had already made him try it. The country was at peace, he wouldn't have to go to war, he could stay with me.

Why couldn't he just ask me to marry him?

I wanted to spend more time looking at Kagami, seeing how the sweat took over his body, but it would soon get late and I needed to get water.

I sighed and headed towards the stream.

I placed the buckets in the water, the current would fill them on its own, I didn't need to do anything. I took off my sandals and put my feet in the water, my stomach was churning with hunger, but at least I could rest a little here, alone.

The ends of the stream were covered with small rocks, and the trees bent toward the water. The leaves, once green, were already turning orange. The fabric of my kimono had leaves like these, how beautiful.

When the buckets were full I took them out of the water, but I still didn't want to go back, so I remained sitting with my feet in the water. I heard the sound of light footsteps coming from the other side of the stream, and soon I saw the yellow eyes of a small fox watching me from the other side.

- Hello - I waved to the fox. This one was different from the others that sometimes passed through the region, its fur was more yellowish than normal.

The fox seemed to understand me, because it crossed the stream, stepping elegantly over the stones that were above the water and stopped right in front of me. It was the first time I was so close to a fox, but I didn't feel scared, as these animals meant good luck.

- I don't have food to give you - I said, slowly reaching out my hand to reach the fox head - can I touch you?

The fox allowed it, lowering its head so I could touch it. This one was really different from the others, as it seemed to understand what I was saying, his eyes and stretched lips made it seem, in some way, that it was smiling at me.

The fox's fur was soft, and its appearance made me smile, as it looked like a docile and gentle animal.

- You better go now - I retracted my hand, and made small gestures to push him away - there are many travelers in the inn today and some may be hunters.

I got up and wiped my hands on my clothes. I picked up the buckets and started walking towards the inn, but suddenly I had a feeling that I should look back. The yellow fox was still in the same place, on the stones of the stream.

- I hope we see each other again.

When I got back, my mother boiled some of the water to make tea, and I finally managed to eat a plate of hot curry and rice. I ended up repeating the dish since I hadn't had breakfast that morning, devouring every piece of meat and vegetable that my mother had made.

When Kagami and my father returned, Sota helped them stock firewood and my mother served him food. Not the curry I'd had, but a nice plate of meat and roast potatoes since he'd worked so hard. Before sitting down to eat I helped Kagami clean his face with the help of a wet cloth. I no longer wore the scarf on my head, so I hoped he liked seeing me so close to him.

I needed to stand on my toes to help Kagami, so he leaned towards me a little to help me.

- Aren't you going to grow up, Sana?

- If my husband is strong to carry me, I won't need to grow any more.

Kagami looked surprised. His eyes were pointed and narrow and his eyebrows are quite thick and split in two, but I thought it was cute.

Finally part of the day's travelers left while Kagami was having lunch. Sota wasn't lying when she said they were going to the oni forest, but they seemed more interested in the part of the legend that said there was a beautiful girl living in the middle of the forest.

"Maybe the girl is the oni", I thought, but quickly pushed the thought out of my head.

I watched Kagami leave the second floor of the inn, I wanted to say goodbye properly, but I couldn't escape work anymore. At least Kagami seemed to realize I was watching, as he stopped in his tracks and waved in my direction.

When I went to sleep that night, after a long day of work and daydreaming, there was a pink peony in my window. I didn't know who put it there, but I slept holding it, hoping it was Kagami.

Kagami didn't return to the inn for the next few days, and I looked forward to the day my mother sent me to the village to go shopping. It was a calm day, so I skipped work and went back to the trail my father used to rest by the stream. Maybe I would even see the fox again, I don't know, but I felt like something good was going to happen after finding the pink peony in my window.

It all happened so quickly, one moment I was walking with a smile on my face, and the next I was running towards the stream, as the fox I had seen the other day was lying in the dirt, its yellow fur stained with blood that was running down of its wounds.

I couldn't help but scream, but I was too far into the forest for anyone to hear me. The poor animal seemed to be in pain, but it was still breathing. I couldn't leave him there, of course not, because the hunters who did that would follow his trail. I picked up the fox on my lap, as it was small and light. Blood stained the fabric of my clothes, but I didn't care, I didn't want to leave him here to die alone.

We had a small stable at the inn, used only by travelers arriving on horseback. It hadn't been used since the large group had left, so it was empty. I figured it was those men who had probably tracked and injured the fox.

I laid him down in one of the cleanest stalls I could find, and then took a sheet that was propped against the wooden wall and placed it under his frail body. There was also a trickle of blood running down his head and I didn't know how deep the cut was.

I wasn't a doctor, but my mother taught me how to care for wounds. I ran back to the inn, entering through the kitchen door that was only used by the family, to my regret everyone was tending the tables, so I grabbed some water, clean cloths and the first aid kit that my mother always kept close because Sota kept getting hurt.

I placed the bucket of water next to the fox and washed my hands first, then I opened the first aid kit, there was a small bottle and from the smell its contents must have been alcohol. I poured some on the wounds and the fox writhed in pain.

- I'm sorry, I'm sorry! - I repeated, crying along with her.

Those wounds were made with a sharp blade, but they hadn't been deep. We still had some of the homemade ointment my mother made for wounds. I didn't know if it would work, but it was the only thing I had. If I went to the village carrying an injured fox, they would probably say there was no way to save it and would take its body to remove the skin and fur.

I didn't want such a beautiful animal to suffer until after death.

When I finished covering the wounds with the medicine, I covered them with some clean gauze. The fox had stopped twitching, but its crying was still present.

- It's going to be okay - I washed my hands again to get rid of the blood from the medicine - you're going to get better!

I said that without being sure that things would be okay, but I hoped that they would be enough.

I covered the fox with a clean blanket and went home to get rid of the blood-stained clothes. I would try to remove the stains hidden from my mother, but I don't know if I could.

I ate little that night, much to my father's concern, but managed to maintain an expression that everything was fine although everyone noticed that I had changed my clothes.

When it got dark, I couldn't sleep, even though I still had the withered peony in my room, so I went back to the stable where the fox slept and sat down beside him, with one hand resting on his head.

I didn't even realize that I had fallen asleep, nor that I had spent the night in the stable, but when I woke up, I was lying on the wooden floor, my skin was cold, except for the pieces of me that were close to something warm and hard.

A human body.

When I looked down I realized there was an arm holding me below my chest and a leg wrapped around mine.

I turned to face the person, who still didn't let go of me, and my head started to spin when I realized that it was a boy, a young man with yellow hair who clung to me as if we were old acquaintances. His long eyelashes framed his face even with his eyes closed, and he breathed calmly beside me in a deep sleep.

But that wasn't the only strange thing.

The fox was gone, I knew that because I was supposed to be lying next to it, but when I looked at the top of the man's head, I came across two fox ears sticking out of his yellow hair.

I was about to scream for help when the young man woke up, and stared at me with the same golden eyes as the yellow fox I had saved.

- You're awake, Sanacchi.

I didn't know how he knew my name or what that nickname was, but his voice was pleasant and sounded like honey, but the smile he showed me was even more beautiful. He pressed his arms against me even tighter as he leaned forward to give me a good morning kiss.

I really needed to get away from here.