Another update ! With Mayuzumi's and Akashi's past revealed, there's bound to be conflict among the two.

Beta-ed by otakufire123 3 Thank you for spending your time on looking through the messy chapter!

✿Dear, Lily. Thank you for always worrying about me, but I'm doing perfectly fine. I'm enjoying my school life. I don't have any troubles at all.✿

Her eyes saddened as she looked at her school shoes in her locker. Filled with thumb tacks and what not. It was completely covered in dirt. She was sure they were clean before she left for class, after all, she did wash them just yesterday.

"Tetsuki, let's go home," a voice broke her trance. Quickly, she closed the door to her locker, hiding the shoes from her childhood friend, Mayuzumi, who was standing nearby, waiting for her to grab her belongings.

Mayuzumi tilted his head upon noticing the bluenette's strange behavior, "What's wrong?"

She shook her head as she smiled, "It's nothing. Let's go home." She grabbed her school bag and walked toward the exit.

He blinked, "What about your shoes?" He looked at her feet. She was still wearing her uwabaki (Indoor shoes for Japanese schools).

"Well...I kind of misplaced my shoes...so I'll be going home using these." She turned around as she kept walking. She could feel Mayuzumi's eyes boring holes into the back of her head, demanding for a more thorough explanation. The moment he went up to her, an inward sigh of relief left her. She was thankful that he didn't asked much.

"Let's have black pepper chicken and mixed vegetables for tonight's dinner," he said as he took out a piece of paper from the pocket of his school jacket. "Mind if we stop by the supermarket for a while?" he asked as he scanned the list of the ingredients he wrote down for the menu.

She eyed the silver-headed boy from the corner of her eye, "Chihiro-kun, is it okay for you to be spending your money like this?"

The question made him stopped at his tracks as he furrowed his eyebrows, "Why? Are having meals with me making you uncomfortable?" Then Kuroko looked at Mayuzumi who stood rooted to the ground a few feet behind her with a rare frown on his face.

"No, I enjoy having meals with you, but I was worried that you might not have enough to spend for yourself. If you keep buying extras for me... you know I won't be able to pay you back..." she stared at the ground, guiltily.

Mayuzumi chuckled as he leaned closer and ruffled her soft teal bangs. "Let me worry about that. All you need to do is to enjoy the meals I made you," he smiled as his blank gray eyes softened.

Kuroko's large sapphire orbs met his. "Don't worry too much," he added. "Come on, let's go before it gets darker," he pulled her hand, making her follow him at his pace.

She shifted her gaze to Mayuzumi's cold and firm hands that held her' she looked at his broad back as her eyes saddened, 'Chihiro-kun...you're truly are a kind man...'

'How can I ever repay you back?'

During the lunch break, Mayuzumi watched the bluenette from afar as she carefully trimmed the branches of trees while the red head doctor was sitting nearby, with his laptop on his lap.

Then, he noticed his brother looking at him with an unreadable looks on his face before shifting his gaze from the silver haired teen to the bluenette who was approaching him.

.

.

He was reading his pocket book when he sensed a distasteful presence standing nearby his table, "I believed I've told you this before I left the mansion, I never want to see your face again."

There, next to his table, stood his older brother, Akashi Seijuro. Both hands tucked into the pockets of the white coat. He chuckles, "You never changed. Still the same stubborn Akashi Chihiro." the younger teen immediately glared at him.

"It's Mayuzumi Chihiro." he corrected the older man, with a stern voice. Then, he focused back to his pocket book.

Akashi sighed as he pulls a chair from the nearby table and sat on it as he crossed his legs while he rested his head on his left palm, "Do you hate me that much, Chihiro?" he received silence as answer. Then, he looked around the empty classroom, back to his younger brother, "Father is ill."

Mayuzumi immediately looked at the red head, "Ill? Since when?" the red head straightened his back, "Three months ago. He collapsed when he was on his trip to France. He has been staying in bed since then." then, he looked at Mayuzumi, "He wished to see you again."

The silver haired teen's lips pursed into a firm straight line, "Was this the reason you approached me?"

Akashi hummed, "Part of it." Mayuzumi eyed him. The first bell for afternoon class rang. He stood up, "Well, I just came to let you know about father's condition, regardless of whether you still see him as your father or not." Students began to fill the classroom.

Still focused on his book, "Have you changed?" the question halt the red head on his tracks.

His eyelids lowered, "I ... don't know..."

.

.

"May I know why are we doing the janitor's work again? You're supposed to be the school's doctor, right?" she wipes the sweats on her forehead. Akashi didn't show any interest in her question as he continues working on his work.

The bluenette's shoulder fell, "What are you doing?" she moves behind him as she tries to get a clear look of the doctor's work on the screen. Then, her eyebrows knitted into frowns, "This is your work...?"

"What? Can't old man like me do this?" on the screen was a game of Shogi. She sighed, seeing there's no use trying to get around this doctor, she continues trimming the branch of the trees.

Akashi who eyed her quietly from behind, he noticed the bluenette was turning pale, "Tetsuki, that's enough for today. Go home and rest." he stands up and takes the trimmer from the bluenette's hands. She blinks, "Rest?"

"Yes. Rest. You've been coughing since this morning and you're turning pale." he kept the trimmer into the storehouse. He furrowed when he noticed the bluenette still standing there, watching him.

"You're being kind today." she commented as her large sapphire orbs followed the taller figure, who was grabbing his laptop on the bench. He then stood in front of her, "I'm never kind. I just find it annoying if you get sick while doing chores for me." then, he peeked at her forehead.

"Go home. Take a meal and then sleep." he turns her around and pushed her lightly on her back.

"Well, if you insist. See you tomorrow, doctor." she bowed and left. Akashi watched her disappeared from his sight. Only then, he shifts his gaze to the teen who was watching them for the past two hours.

"Take care of her." he mouthed the words but he knows his younger brother knows how to read lips language. Mayuzumi walks away seconds later.

The weather was turning cold as the dark clouds fills the sky. Mayuzumi and Kuroko hastened their pace to reach Kuroko's house but the rain began to pour heavier. The two of them had no choice but to get shelter at the bakery.

Mayuzumi furrowed when he heard the bluenette's coughing gotten worst as he noticed she was shivering. Passerby began to crowd underneath the canopy of the bakery. "Are you alright?" he frowned as the bluenette's cheeks turns redder and her skin turns paler. She nodded.

His blank gaze roamed from store to another on the street, searching for something."Stay here, don't go anywhere. I'll be right back." he ran off under the heavy rain with only his school bag covering his head from the rain.

'Where is Chihiro-kun heading...?' then, someone pushed her from behind as she lose her footings and fell onto the ground under the rain. Slowly, she pushed herself up and try to get under the canopy.

She sighed, then her hands searched for the white phone in her bag pack. Her breathe hitched as her eyes widens. Frantically, she searched her bag, over and over.

'The phone's missing!'

Her eyes searched for her phone on the ground but there was no traces of it. Her lips began to tremble, 'No...that's the only way I can contact Lily...' quickly, she left the spot and ran under the rain.

'I can't lose Lily!'

It was 15 minutes later when Mayuzumi came back with a jacket and extra umbrella. He stared at the spot where he left Kuroko earlier. He looked left and right, then back to the spot.

'Tetsuki, where are you...?!'

Will Mayuzumi be able to find her? or will Kuroko be able to find her phone? Next chapter will focus more into Akashi and Kuroko moments :)