If there was anything that Kagami hated, it was getting late for school. He tried everything to have a clear record of attendance: he stayed in a dorm, and set the alarm clock two hours earlier than sunrise. But he had woken up late that morning, and so he ran as fast as he could, hoping that the first period teacher ran into something so he wouldn't show up.

"Why can't I – avoid getting – late?" he was panting while he was talking to himself as he was scaling the stairs three at a time. It was a pity that class 1-C was somewhere close to the farthest side of the building from the second floor stairway. He had to run faster.

"Me too." A soft voice unexpectedly replied.

Kagami almost tripped in surprise. He had not noticed Tetsuna running alongside him. Well, almost. The frail girl was breathing heavily and sweating, having a hard time catching up to him.

"How long have you been running?" Kagami could not resist asking.

"I've been running beside you ever since you came running inside this building." Tetsuna answered.

They both skidded to a halt when they reached class 1-C. The doors were closed, and the hallway was entirely quiet. The classes have already started. Kagami could only swear under his breath.

The redhead opened the door and came in. The first period has already begun. He could feel the eyes of the teacher and the other students at him.

"You're late, Kagami." The teacher said.

"I know." Kagami bowed from his waist. "I'm sorry."

"Go sit down. I'll continue my lecture…"

Kagami sat down at his desk, abashed, and frustrated for some unknown reason. Then he remembered something. He looked behind him, at Tetsuna. The teacher did not enlist her as late.

How unfair.

.

.

.

Tetsuna was having an unlucky week. She was mandatorily given the position of the female class representative, and she almost got into trouble when she tried to rescue a puppy. Today she was running late, all because some jerk bumped into her family's limousine. Ryou was left to handle the situation, but she had to run all the way to Teiko. Luckily she ran into a classmate along the way, but when the two of them reached the classroom, the teacher was already there.

"Kagami, you're late." The teacher told the tall red haired guy who was with her.

Tetsuna listened to the teacher as he scolded Kagami. She was also waiting to be told off, when she heard someone psst her way. She glanced at where the sound came from, and saw Aomine gesturing to desk stealthily.

Sit down, the teacher does not notice you. That was what he was obviously trying to say.

Tetsuna frowned, piqued by guilt. She could not bear leaving Kagami under fire all by himself. But Aomine glared at her and pointed at her chair insistently. Tetsuna thought twice about it and finally decided to use her lack of presence to her own advantage. She still felt bad for Kagami, nonetheless.

Kagami also felt bad; not because he was listed as late. He actually felt bad because he got listed and Tetsuna wasn't. Of course he did not feel so bad about it – it would be so childish of him to do so. He was just frustrated that the teacher only saw him when there were actually the two of them that came into the room late.

His bad mood went on, even during lunch break. He pulled a long face, his chin rested on one cupped hand while his elbow rested on the desktop. He was grumbling but referring to no one in particular. He kept on ignoring Tetsuna, despite the efforts of the girl just to get him to talk to her. In the end, she simply left to buy lunch. When Tetsuna was out of the room Kagami suddenly felt bad about ignoring her.

How stupid of me to be angry at her, he thought.

It wasn't like her ability to not get noticed was her fault.

So he tried to think of something to make up for his bad attitude towards Tetsuna.

.

.

.

The canteen was alive with activity during lunchtime. The vast room was occupied by a lot of students, most of them either did not have a homemade lunch or were dorm residents who cannot cook for themselves. Thankfully, Teiko was a grand private school with ample facilities. The cafeteria could supply food for everyone at anytime of the day.

The cafeteria could have put any first class restaurant, or world food fair, into shame. It was complete with appetizers, main course dishes, soups, desserts, and drinks. They come in a wide range of prices, so any student could afford to buy something to eat.

Unlike classy restaurants, however, the students had to wait in line to get food. So Tetsuna stood behind a long line of students, and waited to get to the counter and buy some food.

After more than half a minute of waiting, Tetsuna finally got some food. Just a piece of sandwich and a cup of milkshake. It was hardly what people would call lunch, but Tetsuna simply could not eat more than half a full course meal.

She faced another problem after she left the counter. The school cafeteria was spacious, but there were not enough tables for all of the students. Teiko was obviously not ready to accommodate the female students in the cafeteria. All the tables were occupied.

Tetsuna frowned. She had to find another place to have lunch.

She decided to get out of the cafeteria, and searched for a place where she could eat lunch in peace. Class 1-C was full of noisy students, and the rooftop was also occupied. The sports field was vast, but dangerous because of the football players practicing – she would not want to get hit by a soccer ball. In the end, she went to the school's botanical garden.

The school garden resembled a park, complete with benches and a marble fountain. The plants were groups according to their species. Tetsuna chose to sit on a bench in the area for flowering plants.

Look on the bright side, Tetsuna thought optimistically, I can have lunch here, where the ambiance is so much better.

"Wow, this place is great!" spoke a giddy voice.

Tetsuna glanced to her left and saw a tall, handsome blond guy holding a sandwich.

"So beautiful." He said when he glanced at her. He seemed to be in a dream.

"Don't you think?"

At first Tetsuna was not sure if the guy was talking to her, so she simply nodded in agreement. The blonde went to sit beside her.

"It's a great place to have lunch." The guy said. "Right, Kurokocchi?"

"Kuro…kocchi?" Tetsuna raised an eyebrow.

He gave her a charming smile. "You're Tetsuna Kuroko, right?"

"Yes, I am. How come you know my name?"

"Well, we're classmates, remember?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

The guy slightly scowled, stung at her blunt response.

"You don't know me, do you?" He asked.

Tetsuna stared at him, hoping to recognize the guy. Tall, athletic, handsome, with blond hair and amber eyes.

Nope, she did not know him at all.

.

.

.

Sorry this chapter took so long.