Warnings is the same as the chapters before.

Enjoy!

Chapter 5

{3 hours before the 'Graduation party'.}

He ran and ran; searching for the seemingly invisible kid. This was one of the time he cursed his limited physical ability. In his mind, he cursed repeatedly with his eyes still darting from left to right just in case he'll see that teal haired teen. He is really hoping that he will be able to find that kid.

Oh, why did something like this happens on a day that was supposed to be perfect? He had found the cure for the unknown virus flu, but why did he make the idiotic decision to bring along a vial of the rejected failed cure. He knew why he did it, yet why did he do it?

He never boasted about his success, of course not, instead he stayed silent and smiled bashfully (and with pride in his expression) the whole time his colleagues congratulates his success. Then, he had let the vial slip from his grip when out of nowhere a hand clasps his shoulder (it wasn't his fault that he is easily surprised) causing the vial to break and letting the liquid inside to pour on some innocent kid. (Well, he believes that it a human, unless some ghost or unseen being had decided to walk his dog, and if the soft gasp was any indication that the substance poured on him.)

Dashing past some people, he immediately went in search for the kid, cursing all the way. If something was to happen on the kid, he chastised himself, it will be entirely his fault.

{2 hours and 40 minutes before the 'Graduation party'.}

Kagami narrowed his eyes towards Kuroko, and after a moment looked up at the clear blue sky, then at Kuroko again.

"Na, Kuroko. Did I missed the rain just now?"

"No, Kagami - kun, you didn't missed any rain today," Kuroko let out a tired sigh.

Kagami stared at Kuroko, raising his eyebrows at him, "Then, why the hell are you soaked?"

Kuroko gave a blank stare, thinking of something to explain to the taller teen. Sure, he can just tell the basketball idiot the truth (he was just walking Nigou around somewhere near a random building, when all of a sudden water came down pouring all over him), but then again telling tall tales was better. He nodded mentally.

Instead of answering Kagami's question, Kuroko just turned around intent on going toward his house, saying, "I am going back home to change clothes, Kagami - kun. Do you want to come along?" without even a back glance at his companion.

"Hey! Don't ignore my question, you bastard!" the taller of the two exclaims, pointing an accusing finger toward the teal haired teen.

Once again ignoring Kagami, Kuroko said, "I feel very sticky, I wonder what kind of liquid over me."

Sighing again at his bad luck today. Maybe he should ask for some lucky items from a certain green haired, glasses wearing teen. (Midorima sneezes loudly, which surprises Takao, who almost chocked on his middle of chewing his burger.)

With Kagami saying (more like screaming) something at Kuroko, who mostly ignores the taller teen, headed toward Kuroko's house. Both of them not noticing the decreasing height of the teal haired teen.

How?

The world has a way to be very cruel to certain people; showing her unfairness to humans just for her own amusement. (Or maybe the world just believes in the universal justice)

Like when you just decided to torment a very innocent spider by spraying all the content of the bug spray at it, just because the crawler decided to invite himself on your house wall and scared you witless. Then without you noticing your hands just started to move on its own reaching for anything to hit the little bug that just the size of your thumb (which was kind of ridiculous since the creepy crawler was the size of your palm). And at the end of the day, you realized that your house looked as if it has been visited by a tornado, and your mom was on her way towards home, and you've got nothing to blame on for the mess that was done except you and your hands.

And you can't blame the little spider anymore, since it was nowhere to be seen.

Or when you decided to finish all of your assignment early because for once you thought that maybe lazing around all day (or spends your time on the internet, browsing like an expert) is a waste of time, and you could've pass your time by doing something productive. Then the day before your due date, your finished assignment has magically disappeared. And you can do nothing except staying up all night just to finish something just anything (that may or may not guarantee your passing grade) to submit to your lecturer.

This was how the world works and Mayuzumi Chihiro knew about that.

Oh yes, he knew about that too well actually. That was the reason why he always try avoid to change something in his life very drastically. Well, he could admit that agreeing to be the new phantom man was a drastic move. And yes, he could admit that maybe that's the reason why that Seirin had won on that Winter Cup game years ago. (He'll bet his chocolate milkshake that was the reason.)

And he knew about karma as well, and also believed in it a little. Why?

Well the answer is in fact walking in front of him right now, in the form of a female Kuroko Tetsuya.

He could definitely say for certain that Kuroko Tetsuya was a victim of karma, much to his amusement. This was the cosmic justice for Mayuzumi, he liked to believed.

He may have been defeated for being a new prototype of the phantom sixth man, but Kuroko was turned into the opposite gender due to his - her - stubbornness to win at that game years ago. And, no, Mayuzumi is not the kind of person who will hold grudges over something that happened in the past.

So, yes, that's what Mayuzumi had believed when he first saw Kuroko Tetsuya as a woman three years ago.

Three years ago…

Mayuzumi blinked several times to make sure that the sight in front of him was a delusion. When he had deemed that he wasn't dreaming or hallucinating, he said something that he considered to be the most logical thing to say, "I always knew that you were too short to be a male." And received a blank expression (and a happy bark) as a reply.

Mayuzumi always made it known that he (very) dislike Kuroko. He can have a conversation with the teal haired male - err, female about their latest reading, yet other than that he will remain silent if he ever encountered with Kuroko. He refuse to talk with him - her (Mayuzumi sometimes really hate to correct himself of Kuroko's gender, adding another reason to dislike Kuroko) willingly. And yet to this day, he still claims that he doesn't hold grudges over something that happened in the past.

Right.

Current time…

"Mayuzumi-san," Mayuzumi was snapped out of his flashback moment after hearing his name being called.

He took a glance at the teal haired woman, he still snorted in amusement seeing the predicament of said woman in his mind, asking with his eyes alone about what she wanted to say to him.

"I forgot to say thank you for watching Nigou today." Kuroko then bowed gracefully at him, "So, thank you, Mayuzumi-san. I hope he didn't cause you any trouble today."

Patting her head, Mayuzumi muttered, "It didn't cause any trouble for me". Sighing mentally feeling the stare at his hand from the others that joined them today.

The grey haired man had the unexpected 'pleasure' to meet some of her friends (and his ex-captain, who he had wanted nothing to do with). And he was really hoping that it will be only him and the teal haired woman walking home that day, since one former basketball player he had played against or played with is enough to deal with. Yet, Kuroko, oh - so - oblivious Kuroko, invited the others to her house. He narrowed his eyes at the smirk from Akashi face targeted to him. Sure, there was a smile on every person that was invited there, but the smirk on Akashi's face was unsettling for Mayuzumi.

Whatever, thought Mayuzumi, it's not like he have any feelings for Kuroko other than dislike.

A/N : *Bows repeatedly* I am sorry for the really late update Yomi14. I already said I was going to update "next week" as in 3 months ago, and now it is only 3 months later I've managed to updated. I am sorry for the wait everyone.

I hope you enjoy this short chapter for today. Any mistakes and OOC - ness is my own. I'll be forever grateful for any constructing comments and well, flames are welcome also. If there are any incoming flames, thank you for your time flaming me.

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows. It seriously makes me very happy. Until the next chapter, everyone.

And before I forget.

Happy Birthday, beloved Akashi-sama! I hope Kuroko-kun gives you a pleasurable birthday present *wiggles eyebrows*.

Ja!