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The dainty girl stood in the middle of Tokyo’s busy street alone, one that led up to the Shibuya crossing. She had on a light cargo jacket, hood down, revealing her silky midnight-blue hair that went down to her waist. Underneath the jacket, she wore a black tight-fitting tanktop and a black leather bubble skirt, and black leather knee-high stiletto boots. Her military-style jacket and attractive streetwear was a contrast to the otherwise feminine and innocent demeanor she had. Despite her youthful looks and pale complexion that stood out against her dark-colored clothing, she looked emotionless and uncaring of the busy world around her, making her look mature as a lady in her early twenties.
She had black contact lenses on, and just the right amount of make-up that allowed her to fit in as just another college student out to enjoy the nightlife Tokyo has to offer. The number of adult themed places around the street she was standing in made the place appear shadier than it actually was, as there were many respectable nightclubs around the area that catered to not just adults but also youths like herself.
She pushed herself off the wall she was leaning on, and she held up her phone to her ear.
“We agreed we will meet at seven sharp.”
“I need another hour- Something came up.”
The short phonecall was ended hastily. The girl sighed lightly and kept her phone. There was really nothing she could do in that situation. It was already risky for them to meet up. She wasn’t supposed to even exchange phonecalls with the other party, but she had been worried since the person didn’t show one and a half hour after their agreed upon time. Her breath escaped her in a visible cloud, and she eyed her surroundings cautiously again, the seventeenth time since she left her spot. She was about to find somewhere else to lean against instead of standing oddly in the middle of the bustling street, when her phone rang with a message received.
Kagami-kun (8.32 pm): Hey. Just asking. Which is better? Chocolate or strawberry?
Kagami-kun (8.32 pm): And don’t say vanilla.
She frowned.
Kuroko (8.33 pm): That is cruel, Kagami-kun. You won’t even allow me to say vanilla.
Kuroko (8.33pm): I suppose I have to say strawberry then, since it is less bitter compared to chocolate.
Kuroko (8.34 pm): If you want to buy me milkshake, please do stick with vanilla. Otherwise, I will see to it that Nigou gets a milkshake for dinner.
What was Kagami-kun doing? The question was really random. Kuroko pocketed his phone and walked in the direction of the nearby café, as his conversation with Kagami-kun brought back his cravings. Maji burger’s vanilla milkshake was economical and decent, but he indulged himself with more costly vanilla milkshakes once in a while. The warm air and the Christmas jingle playing in the fast food restaurant was a nice welcome from the white coldness that was outside – snow that was like rain, and fuzzy lights like hundreds of moons.
Kagami-kun (8.36 pm):DON’T YOU DARE
“Alright! It’s almost done!! Confetti, check! Bakagmi’s ingredients, check! Kuroko’s house key, check!” Riko bounced from toe to toe on the busy street. Behind her, her army of basketball boys were saddled with bags and bags of Christmas decorations. Never let it be said that they forget Kuroko. Especially not for Christmas! “Now all we need is just one vanilla milkshake!”
“Ah, Kantoku, there’s still the cake. What do we do about that?” Kawahara muttered.
“No worries. I got it covered. They will be at Kuroko’s doorstep by the time we get there. Now where’s that Maji Burgers outlet?”
Riko glanced around the busy downtown area, her frown deepened further as her sights were blocked by the taller passers-by that crowded the streets.
Hyuuga barked, “Kagami, make yourself useful and find the place.”
Kiyoshi laughed. “There’s no need, Hyuuga. There it is.” Kiyoshi, towering over everyone easily spotted Kuroko’s favourite hangout. No, his favourite store.
He took the lead and led the gang across the busy Shibuya crossing.
They were just reaching Maji Burgers when the weirdest thing happened. Kiyoshi reached his right hand out to push back the door for their squad when, it opened. By itself.
It was a moment when Kiyoshi had a minor internal panicking. The sensation was extremely familiar. A presence was there. But he just couldn’t see it yet.
It was a very reflex motion, for Kiyoshi to turn his head down and focus just where he knew it will be, just there in front of him.
Predictably, Kiyoshi found someone there. And it wasn’t how someone appeared out of the blue that shocked Kiyoshi, but the fact that the eyes he was looking into wasn’t sky blue, but solid black. The whole assembly scared him – the same face, but wrong colours all over. And just what’s with the hair?
Kiyoshi stumbled backwards with a hiccup, while the boy – no, girl – looked on with the same amount of shock.
The group of students stood frozen amongst the fluid surroundings, as if frozen in time.
“Oh my basuke god.” Kuroko heard his own completely deadpan internal monologue.
He looked into each and every pair of eyes staring back at him, wide open. There was no way he was getting out of this one. Just no freakkin way. His features were very different, sure. If they hadn’t seen his face straight on, he might be able to hide and slip away, and they would just pass it as a look alike. But no when ten pairs of eyes were taking him in, processing the similarities of her looks with his looks.
“… Good evening, minna-san.”
Kagami-kun went slack-jawed, and he yelled.
“Are you a crossdresser, Kuroko?” Koganei asked, completely without tact and out of the blue. Kagami had yet to settle down onto the Maji Burger chair and he tumbled onto the floor right next to Kuroko. When he was helped back up, his face was dark red from being in close proximity to Kuroko’s smooth thighs. That were in a skirt. A SKIRT.
“No, I am not. Koganei-sempai.” Kuroko shook his head firmly.
“Then why are you…” Riko urged.
“I thought I would be celebrating Christmas alone this year…” Kuroko let out a soft sigh, “so I was going to a festival in one of the bars around here.”
“HARH? You told me you were staying home!” Kagami looked scandalized.
Kuroko simply pouted, “I changed my mind. They had a dress-up theme tonight, that is why.”
“They specified that patrons have to crossdress?” Hyuuga asked incredulously.
“It seemed fun, sempai. You don’t have to say it that way…”
Kiyoshi patted Kuroko on the back, but suddenly realized it felt weird to be patting a lady on the back too ungentlemanly and hurriedly stopped. “Ah, he didn’t mean it that way, Kuroko. We’re just surprised, that’s all. You look really good.”
Kuroko’s expression were unchanged, but his eyes genuinely seemed to sparkle. “You really think so, sempai-tachi? But why is everyone out?” Kuroko scanned the people around the table. All the Seirin basketball club members were there. “Is this…”
While Kuroko was saying that, his features noticeably fell, as if realizing that his teammates were celebrating without inviting even though he told them he would be alone that night.
Furihata urgently waved his hands over the table. “No! We were going to surp-“
“Don’t say it, idiot!” Riko barked, as Mitobe covered his mouth.
Kuroko spied a glance at his watch, realising he had been gone for 15 minutes already. The oldest message he sent being –contact in 20 minutes or fall back– which was read but not responded to. He knew it was risky still letting the meet go on, but the information was critical. He needed it. If they had sniffed out the mole and gotten hold of the device, Kuroko would be walking straight into a trap.
“It’s okay, manna-san. Enjoy your night.” Kuroko’s excuse alarmed Kagami, thinking he was really misunderstanding them. “Kuroko, wait! We’re going to your house, let’s go together! Please!”
“Yeah! Don’t misunderstand, Kuroko, we bought all this food to hang out at your house. We were going to call you.” It was Koganei this time, that had a loose tongue. Well, as long as the Christmas cake is a surprise, it could still turn out nicely.
Kuroko was touched. He had really thought he was spending Christmas alone, then the mission came and he had to go through all this trouble just to make contact. As the heir to their clan, he was most reliable both in terms of skill and stature. Not to mention his disguises were remarkable. He hadn’t known that his teammates were already planning things for him.
“Alright, minna-san. Please head over to my house first. I have to run an errand before going home, but I won’t be too late.” Kuroko bowed deeply. “Thank you. I’ll see you soon.”
“Ne, Kuroko looks really good in that outfit, right?” Koganei could resist. Mitobe looked at him intensely, and Koganei grew flustered. “O-of course not!”
“But still, is it really safe letting him go about this area like that.” Hyuuga shared, which made Kagami and Kiyoshi sport concerned looks. “He does look like a girl right now, and a small one at that.”
“Mah~ He’s still got ignite pass kai, he should be fine. Just because girls are small doesn’t mean they are weak, YAHHH!” Riko rolled back her sleeves. “None of you tell anyone about our baby-Kuroko, you hear me! Especially not those miragen! And if I hear of anyone bullying Kuroko…” Riko let out her dominating aura, and let loose her evil laugh.
Two streets down, Kuroko walked towards the alleyway he had camped at for a good few hours earlier, and took off her jacket. She watched her watch closely, as they had agreed they would make contact right at the thirty-seventh second of a minute. At ten seconds before the number, Kuroko crossed the road to the opposite side, and continued down the sidewalk, until he reached a closed bakery, and on the dot, another person bumped her shoulder. Swiftly, Kuroko turned her body, and tried to catch a glimpse of the person, while simultaneously exchanging the jacket for another black one.
The girl was as he remembered from pictures, and from much younger days where he saw her in their base. Her eyes were hardened, and her features unreadable, much like his. They were most likely trained by the same sensei, after all.
As she walked away, Kuroko felt a shiver down his spine, a flash in his peripheral, and hurriedly ducked into an alley two stores away. Immediately, gunshots erupted along the sidewalk. He wouldn’t even be alive if one of the snipers didn’t make his amateur mistake of reflecting the glare of the large advertising LED screen into his eyes. He quickly ruffled through the jacket and found it empty, devoid of any clues. “Fuck!”
The silenced shootings still continued, but Kuroko could already hear passers-by screaming. From the other side of the alley, he heard heavy boots and clinking chains.
Outrun several snipers or face down sure-to-be-armed-men in the alley?
Kuroko looked around and noticed the alley being quite snug, and the second window on the second floor was open. Kuroko ran at top speed to the back of the alley, and just as the armed men rounded into view, Kuroko jumped towards them and used the first man’s chest as a stepping ground to get to the second floor. Before they could react and catch him clearly, he drew the gun from underneath his skirt and fired bullets rapidly. By the time they were able to lower their arms and take in the alley, the girl was gone.