Chapter 4

Bullying: Professor Akashi won't stand for, sit for, or any other position for it

Kuroko almost never actually tried to use his lack of presence to avoid people's notice. He didn't have to most of the time. Whether he wanted to avoid something or not it usually didn't matter because people would forget he was there regardless.

However, on this particular morning, Kuroko made an effort to go unseen. He stayed as quite as possible, minimalizing his movements, and keeping his head down. His friends had gotten a little too good at noticing him. Kise was constantly clinging to him, Aomine was his best friend, so he usually noticed him, and Akashi had been able to see him since the first day of school.

It almost worked too. He'd made it through the morning announcements without being noticed. It was only when it came time for attendance that he got caught. Akashi was calling roll, and had to look around a second time for Kuroko. When he did, his eyes narrowed and Kuroko saw his jaw tense. "Say that you are here next time please, Tetsuya." Akashi said through gritted teeth, but resumed taking roll. Kise gaped at him and Aomine looked ready to go on the warpath when the two on either side of him noticed him because of Akashi's comment. Midorima's usual scowl was more prominent than usual, and Murasakibara actually looked up from his snack to take in what had Akashi so upset. He didn't look too pleased either.

"Kurokocchi, what happened?" Kise whispered, looking horrified

"Quite in the back row." Akashi ordered, glare silencing the protest Kise was sure to give before the other could even open his mouth to give it.

Akashi made sure everyone waited until lunch time to avoid disrupting learning. As soon as they were all seated Akashi's full attention was on Kuroko though. He'd actually had to grab the smaller boy's wrist on the way to keep him from trying to disappear during lunch.

"What happened?"

"Nothing." Kuroko mumbled, looking down to try and hide the black eye he was sporting.

"Certainly something must have happened." Akashi pressed.

"I tripped." Kuroko Tetsuya was a lot of things. A good liar was not one of them it seemed.

"Do you want to try that again? Maybe with the truth this time?" Akashi asked, his arched eyebrow missed by the blue haired boy since he was still looking down.

"No, not really."

All of the other's tried to convince him to talk, but Kuroko remained tight lipped.

So, Akashi decided to find his own answers. He hadn't gained power over the school for nothing, after all. A request for information from the first grade table behind them while everyone was still bugging Tetsuya was all he needed.

"So, apparently these two third graders were being mean to a second grader at the park yesterday and your friend tried to stand up for the second grader." They told him after a few minutes when there had been time for the question to circulate the cafeteria until someone had an answer. A little more questioning and he had their names.

After school he and the rest of his group, Tetsuya excluded, found the two. "So, I hear that you have taken a liking to hitting five year olds." Akashi said, the authority in his voice, effectively stopping the conversation the others had been having previously.

"He was bothering us." They didn't even try to deny it upon recognizing who was talking to them.

"From what I have heard he was bothering you because you were bothering someone else." Midorima said coldly. It might have been intimidating if he weren't holding onto a bright pink teddy bear. One that Kise had drawn a green mustache on.

The third graders opened their mouths to argue, but Akashi beat them to it. "Let me be perfectly clear. I could report you, but I'm sure you would only get a warning and that would do nothing to stop you. I could also threaten you physically since there are currently more of us than you, but that would be stooping to your level. I'm sure with my families connections I could have any work your parents currently have terminated, but that punishes them more than you. So, I will tell you what I will do if I hear about anything that sounds like it was even a little bit mean from the two of you. I will personally see to it that you are shunned in this school. I will find out what you don't want people to know about you and make sure that it is spread so far even the teachers hear it. I won't let anyone forget that you willing gave a five year old a black eye. And I will let everyone know that Akashi does not approve of you being hung out with. I hope you two like each other, because if this sort of thing happens again you will have no one left to talk to. Do I make myself clear?"

Aomine decided he didn't ever want to be on the receiving end of the look Akashi was giving the two third graders, and if they way Kise was clinging to his arm was any indication the blond had decided the same thing.

The two third graders certainly looked uncomfortable. Despite the height difference, Akashi was pretty scary when he wanted to be. They both nodded their understanding.

"Good. I hope not to hear anything about the two of you then." And with that he turned on his heel, beckoning the others to follow him.

"Aka-chin? Are you mad because of what they were doing or just because it was Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara asked as they walked back to the car rider lane.

Akashi paused, tilting his head slightly, a considering look crossing his face.

Caring for people was a weakness. At least that's what his father had been telling him for as long as he could remember. Tetsuya was useful, yes, but was he angry simply because it was Tetsuya? It wouldn't diminish Kuroko's usefulness. It certainly wouldn't make Tetsuya less likely to listen to him to not approach the culprits when Tetsuya had given away nothing to help him find them.

This line of thought broached the question of if he cared for the other members of his group. The thought of someone hurting any of them made him angry, certainly, but was that because he cared or because he didn't want people hurting what was his? No, it was them. He hated the thought of any of them getting hurt more than the others in the class. Aomine, Kuroko, Murasakibara, Kise, and Midormia had somehow managed to make him care for them. He didn't like it, but there wasn't much that he could do about it this far in. He wouldn't let it become a weakness.

"I don't particularly like either. However, it has brought to my attention that bullying is a problem in this school. After all, isn't that why Tetsuya got hurt? Because he tried to stand up to bullying? I'll simply have to put a stop to it." Akashi decided. "Kise, you seem quite popular. I'd like you to spread the word that any act of bullying is to be reported to me, but, more importantly, that I do not approve of it and that there will be consequences." He had to take care of what was his, and he owned this school now. That meant that he would not allow those in it to be harmed in any way.

The next day several notes were passed to Akashi about bullies in the school. He was actually a little surprised by how big of a problem it was in this school. He hadn't really seen any in his class, but he was also there to directly stop any wrong doing in his own classroom.

When it was time for recess Akashi took one of Kise's sharpies outside with him. Instead of playing basketball for the day he told them all to play tag while he worked. It was certainly an interesting game to watch. Momoi seemed to almost know what everyone was going to do before they did it and used that to avoid them. Tetsuya hardly moved at all and still managed to not get tagged. Aomine was fast enough to avoid getting tagged most of the time, and if he was he was quick to return the favor.

Akashi made himself stop watching though. He had work to do. He uncapped the sharpie and started writing on the wall of the school. The kindergarteners had the first recess, so by the end of the day everyone would have seen this.

It has come to my attention that these people are bullies. Please do not associate with any of them for at least a week to teach them a lesson. Feel free to add names if you are experiencing trouble and did not wish to send a message to me about it.

Under that he wrote the names mentioned in the notes he had received. They would all know he was the one who had written the list since Kise had spread around that he was to be given any information regarding bullies, which meant that he didn't have to sign the note to let the students know who was looking out for them, which was good seeing as he didn't want to get in trouble for writing on school property.

Over the next few days the list grew. The school tried to paint over it, but every time it was covered someone started a new one. And people with their names on the list were ignored by the majority of their peers until they started behaving better. He started getting less and less notes, and kids kept on approaching him to thank him. It honestly worked better than he intended, but that was for the best. It meant he didn't need to go to any further extremes.