Chapter 4: Turmoil

Kuroko sighed. He couldn't understand the man; he was compelled to share a space with a man named Akashi Seijuurou. Kuroko realised he knew nothing about the said man. He dropped his bag in the study room and walked into the kitchen with the bags of ingredients he had bought in his hands. The chefs paled and panicked. Akashi watched Kuroko assure the kitchen crew and work together to make the dishes Kuroko had planned for tonight's dinner. With the chef's suggestions, dinner was a combination of Akashi's tofu dishes and Kuroko's usual Japanese dishes. Vanilla might have been his favourite, but Japanese meals were still his favourite.

Akashi stared at the food that was served on the small dining table made just for the two of them upon the CEO's orders. It adorned the colours of the Akashi family, crimson red, which represents triumph and victory. It was their first dinner together. There was an awkward silence, a pregnant pause between them. None of them had dared to speak, retaining their silence and their eyes glued on the food. The kitchen staff had peered through the glass door of their kitchen, and with their eyes damp with tears, they prayed for the couple's success.

"D...do you not like it?" Kuroko had spoken first, his timid voice breaking the heavy silence. He shyly turned away; his clear, pastel blue irises were fixed on the white tiles of the floor. The kitchen crew praised Kuroko's nerves of steel. His blatant, straightforward, deadpan personality was one of the reasons he was chosen as Akashi Seijuurou's mate. No one had spoken against the great young master before. And before their very eyes, just like his late mother's last words, someone who is capable of seeing who you are will appear before you.

Kuroko Tetsuya was the man who had fulfilled his requirements.

To be honest, Akashi was taken a step backwards. It had been a long time since someone had done something for his sake. He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the tofu dish on the table. A smile crept onto the smug expression. The taste of the dish brought tears to his eyes. It was filled with memories of his childhood, when his mother was still alive. Akashi was touched. "It's...delicious. Thank you, Tetsuya." He wiped away the small dew of tears that had unconsciously formed at the cornea of his eyes.

His words brought joy to Kuroko. "Really? But, why are you crying?" Kuroko questioned.

"It was a favourite dish the late madame loved cooking for our young master when she was still alive," the chef had said, serving two cups of green tea on the table. Kuroko stared at the chef and back at Akashi. Kuroko finally learnt something about Akashi. His mother had long passed away. And they had loved tofu.

Kuroko smiled. He harboured feelings of trepidation and disquietude since he started living with his professor. It was the first time Kuroko had felt at ease and reposed after being sent away far from home as a sacrifice to the Akashi family. He was alone; for the first time since leaving home, he had felt fear. He may not have displayed his feelings well; but Akashi had felt Kuroko's warmth. For the first time, who was often seen as a cursed child who was often epithetized as dispassionate, frigid, and apathetic cold towards others, Akashi felt the warmth of benevolence and ardour. Kuroko followed suit and picked up his chopsticks. Akashi and Kuroko began eating their dinner. It was a first step necessary for the pair to progress and strengthen as a pair who would spend 'forever' together to the end of their days. It was just the beginning.

Kuroko sighed. The exhaustion and weariness had seeped into his bones. He grabbed fresh clothes from his closet, peeled off his sweat-stained clothes that had stuck to him like a second skin, and stepped into the hot shower. It had been a long day. Kuroko heaved a sigh as the warm water relaxed his body. It had felt as if the water had washed away all the tiredness he had accumulated during the day. Kuroko changed into his sleepwear he had left outside the bathroom after he was done with the shower. With a towel over his wet hair, Kuroko was greeted with a pile of books and papers on his table.

Kuroko turned to face Akashi. "Honourable Akashi-sama, may I know what the meaning of this is?" Akashi was settled on the couch, a pile of books next to him. He was wearing his glasses as he typed away on his laptop, producing the tapping sounds of the keyboard. He was already done with the shower and had made coffee and laid Kuroko's homework out on the table.

"I'm not going to forgive you if you slack off on your homework, Tetsuya." Akashi had looked up from his laptop, taking a sip of his coffee. Kuroko sighed. This was a nightmare he had feared had transformed into reality.

"I just went to have a shower, Akashi-sama. There is no need for you to lay out all my homework here."

"So, you did. Now come here. You shouldn't have your hair wet like that. You'll catch a cold." Akashi had made Kuroko sit, taken hold of his towel, and began drying Kuroko's hair. Kuroko blinked. The great Akashi-sama is drying his hair. This is unbelievable. Kuroko had a blank expression on his face. Why is this man so kind to me? Kuroko had often wondered. He wasn't the man Kuroko had imagined him to be after their fateful encounter that night. He couldn't view him as his professor after it was revealed they were both students and teachers of the same school. Kuroko couldn't look at Akashi in the eye at school. People around the school wondered about their strange behaviour and it caused Kuroko problems. He eyed the pile of homework Akashi had given his students as a teacher at the university. Kuroko just had the poorest luck. He sighed as he started on his homework, with the observant eyes of his fiancé next to him. Akashi smiled in contentment and resumed his work on his laptop.

Kuroko fell asleep on the couch, curled into a ball beside Akashi after exhausting himself to finish his schoolwork. Akashi smiled at his sleeping fiancée. Glancing at the clock, he wasn't aware how late it had become. Closing his laptop, he scooped Kuroko into his arms and walked into their bedroom. Akashi laid Kuroko on the king-sized bed beside him and pulled the quilt covers over them. Akashi insisted that they would sleep together; it wasn't up for negotiations. He would slowly bind Kuroko to him; everything was according to his perfect plans. Kuroko would slowly fall in love with him; when he finally realised the dangers after everything had fallen into place, he would have been trapped in a cage of love. Kuroko was like a sacrifice offered to the devil on a silver platter. Akashi smirked as he caressed the fallen strands of Kuroko's pastel blue hair, planting a small kiss on his forehead.

"Sweet dreams, Tetsuya."

Aomine and Kise were having their breakfast in a cafe. The chef was famous for his pastries and cakes. It was their day off from school, but Kise and Aomine were idols of their nation. They are both equally busy as a national basketball player and a fashion supermodel. Their faces showed a mix of trepidation and disquietude. They weren't worried about their work. They were worried about their friend, who had been taken away by the devil.

Kise sighed, taking a sip of his Japanese green tea. "What happened to Kurokocchi? He used to send us messages every day! Daicchi, look!" Kise showed his boyfriend his chat log with Kuroko. Sure enough, Kise's persistent messages outnumbered Kuroko's. And that morning alone, Kise had sent an additional ten new messages when he was awoken from sleep.

Aomine sighed in exasperation. It was times like this that his boyfriend could drown himself in unnecessary emotions. He had ruffled Kise's neatly styled golden hair, a half-bitten salad sandwich hanging from his mouth. "Don't worry, Kise. Tetsu will be fine. I'm sure he'll be fine, even without us. He's not that fragile kid we found at the park anymore. We're already adults." He leaned in and pulled Kise into a kiss. "Aren't we?"

Kise had stopped sobbing and sniffling. Instead, warmth began to spread from his cheeks, painting the erubescence that had come along with evident colours of embarrassment. "D..d... daicchi!" Kise had protested in reticence; he wasn't ready to put on a public display. But knowing his boyfriend, he didn't mind much. After they were done with their breakfast, the pair parted ways. Aomine had basketball practice as a regular member of the national team, and Kise had a photoshoot scheduled in an hour. Both of them had promised each other their futures as halves of a pair. It was the love they had for each other that had found its way to each other.

Kuroko found himself wrapped in Akashi's embrace; the alarm Akashi set was ticking away loudly. He tugged himself free from the devil's grasps and slammed the alarm silent. Kuroko pulled the velvet curtains open, allowing the morning sunlight access into their dimly lit bedroom. Kuroko put a hand over his mouth as he yawned. It was morning. He went to his closet and pulled out a pair of fresh clothes. He stepped into a hot shower and got dressed after he was done with the shower. Kuroko may be small and delicate, but he still has the body of a man, possessing the body of a lithe figure. It was thanks to his best friends, Aomine and Kise, dragging him into the basketball club and playing basketball with them on a daily basis. Kuroko proceeded to the kitchen after he was finished dressing. He took out some milk from the refrigerator and some bread left on the counter. He turned around to reach for the toaster; he gave a small yelp. There was someone besides him, and his fiance was loitering in their residence.

Kuroko was staring at the face of the man named Midorima Shintarou. He was a renowned doctor and the only son of the Midrorima family.

"Who are you?" Kuroko picked up the bag of bread he had dropped. His observant eyes scanned the man before him. Midorima Shintarou. He was a famous surgeon and the childhood friend of Akashi Seijuurou. It was no secret that his fiancée was the first son of the Takao family, a branch family that had withheld their traditions and their long-forgotten history of the purpose of serving the Midorima family. The Midorima family and the Takao family had connections that ran deeper, richer, and thicker than blood. The Takao family would never forget the kindness of the Midorima family; they had entered into a pact, swearing the Midorima family their loyalty and never betraying them. The Takao family recognised the Midorima family as their master, the origins of the long traditions of serving the Midorima family. The Akashi family and the Midorima family were on good terms and were childhood friends since their families were so close to each other.

Midorima, who had trespassed into Akashi's residence, adjusted his glasses with a soft click. "You're Kuroko Tetsuya, aren't you?" He had questioned. He had eyed Kuroko. "I am Akashi's childhood friend. My name is Midorima Shintarou. Just like the rumours said. A delicate figure with no presence. I should compliment your looks for one. Akashi has a discerning eye for such things. It's a mystery he found you amidst all that distasteful music of noise and the crowd of people. Maybe you're the one who will become the storm that will change Akashi."

Akashi yawned, walking into the kitchen after realising Kuroko had wedged himself free from his clutches. A dishevelled figure of Akashi appeared in the doorway and settled himself at the table, grabbing the glass of milk Kuroko laid out. The toaster dinged, alerting Kuroko their toast was ready. Kuroko put the plate of toast in front of Akashi. Akashi walked into the kitchen with his awful bedhair and sleepwear. Midorima was struck frozen in a stupor and stared wide-eyed at his childhood friend. It was the first time he had seen Akashi walking around in such a terrible appearance. It's as if he couldn't be bothered by how he looked that morning and had walked into the kitchen after washing his face and brushed his teeth.

Midorima sighed. "What is the great Akashi Seijuurou doing walking around in such a pathetic appearance?"

Akashi opened a bleary eye and stared at the familiar figure of his childhood friend. "Well, isn't it Shintarou? What are you doing here?"

Midorima sighed. "Get going. Don't you know what day is today? Don't get ahead of yourself." He pulled out a wooden chair and sat opposite Akashi, joining the pair at the table, folding his lean, well-trained muscular arms.

Akashi flashed his signature smirk. He asked his childhood friend, a teasing tone was evident in his voice. "Oh? Are you jealous, Shintarou?"

"Who is?!" Midorima raised his voice in protest. "Hmph." Midorima scoffed, refusing to look at Akashi in the eye; his gaze was glued to the scenery of competing tall skyscrapers outside the window. Kuroko stared nervously at the tsundere-looking character in front of his eyes as he nibbled small bites into his toast and small sips from his glass of milk. Kuroko ignored the renowned surgeon and his fiancé and placed the dirty plates in the sink. He grabbed his bag and textbooks from the living room.

"I'll be going first, Akashi-sama." Kuroko grabbed his set of keys, put on his shoes, and left the apartment.

Akashi grinned as he watched Kuroko leave and finally clicked the door shut behind him. Midorima sighed. His childhood friend had gone nuts. Midorima didn't have any idea what he should do when the great Akashi Seijuurou broke. It was a rare sight. It wasn't every day you get to see the heir of the Akashi Conglomerate grinning and laughing to himself. "Finish your breakfast and take your shower! I'm not here to wait all day long, Akashi." Midorima kicked Akashi's shins under the table.

"You say that, but you're still here, waiting for me." Akashi had replied, massaging his poor legs. Midorima had clicked his tongue. It was an hour later, Akashi had finished his breakfast, showered, and smartly dressed. He was also a businessman, the heir to the Akashi Conglomerate. Akashi's skills were certainly excellent, exceptional enough to be recognised worldwide by famous politicians and figureheads as the youngest successful businessman who will lead the Akashi empire.