Disclaimer: I don't own anything in Kuroko no Basket.

Summary: When the doctors told Kagami Taiga, the best high school basket player in Japan, he could never walk again, he accepted it and moved on. He never expected to be given a chance to change everything. The catch? He has to make sure the Generation of Miracles won't become monsters this time around... Damn. This is going to be harder than he thought. Time Travel

Note: Okay, this just came out of nowhere. This is the first fic I've written for this account, and also the first Kuroko no Basket fic I've written since I've only started watching the anime recently. So if my characterizations of the characters seem off, please review and tell me. Also, this is an AU possible future for Kagami, so it is inevitable that Kagami will be different due to certain circumstances. This is just a warning.

Chapter 1

"Kagami-kun, we're going to be late."

"Oi Kagami, don't dissapoint me at the game tomorrow. Touou is taking the Winter Cup, you can bet on that."

"KAGAMI-KUN! KAGAMI-KUN!"

"Fuck! What do you mean we can't go in there?! I'm his damn senpai!"

"I-I apologize. But nobody is allowed to go in the emergency room at the moment."

"Oh God... Hyuuga, he's going to be fine, right? This is Bakagami we're talking about!"

"N-No! There must be a mistake! Kagami-cchi-!"

"Please repeat what you said. Now. Or would you like to speak with my lawyers for giving false analysis about a patient?"

"There is no mistake. I cannot refute my statement. You're friend's injury is irreversable."

He will never be able to play basketball again.

-A-

Kagami groggily opened his eyes, squinting at the sudden bright light that was assaulting him. Eye twitching in irritation, he glanced at the digital clock and groaned when he saw the time. The number five blipped in reminder, as if mocking him for waking up so early.

Seeing no point to going back to sleep, Kagami reluctantly sat up and threw the warm covers to the side. Looking to his feet, he absentmindedly watched his toes as he flexed them repeatedly. It has become a habit over the past year for him to check every morning, as if reassuring himself that he really was able to do this action.

He knew it was silly to worry, but after what he went through, he didn't think it was unreasonable.

It's been a whole year since he had shot up from his bed, panting and sweating like crazy with his mind completely disoriented. Being so out of it, it had taken him a moment to realize he could feel his legs down to his toes again, a sensation he hadn't felt in years. Registering this, he had desperately clung on to his shaking legs, sobbing his heart out like a newborn baby because damn it, it worked.

He had traveled to the past and was given another chance to do things right.

It had taken some time to get used to the idea, along with using his legs. He'll never forget how many times Alex had teased him over those first few weeks as he tried to walk without tripping.

He's sure his teacher has enough blackmail material to last a lifetime, a small price to pay for his troubles. Tatsuya was no better.

Of course, he still hadn't told them why since he had made an oath to the man- no, deity, not to.

It made sense. He has read and watched enough movies to figure out it would be complicated for anyone to know their own futures. He didn't even want to think about the repercussions that could have on the timeline. His brain was hurting enough as it was already.

After getting over that hurdle, he immediately had asked his teacher to privately train him. He needed to get better before he returned to Japan if he wanted to beat the Generation of Miracles again. Only this time, he wasn't going to wait until high school.

It had surprised his teacher but she had agreed readily enough, though her contemplating gaze had sent an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.

The moment she agreed, she had made sure training would be hell on Earth. Even Riko's practices looked meek in comparison.

Shot after shot. Match after match. It was an unending circle of exercises and games against street players and even high school basketball clubs Alex managed to find through her vast connections in the basketball world. Since it was LA, those connections were pretty impressive.

As for the matter with Tatsuya, Kagami had managed to come up with a somewhat shaky truce with him. It had taken a few months, especially since Kagami had become rapidly stronger due to the extra training he was putting up with.

The black haired teen had told him outright after Kagami had won against him that he wanted to be rivals, giving the same stupid reason he had given the first time around.

Kagami had flatly refused.

Last time this happened, Kagami had been afraid of saying anything in fear of angering the boy he looked up to as an older brother figure. Now, he had absolutely no problem in telling him that what he said was stupid, pointing out they could be both. Tatsuya had predictably been furious and frustrated by his answer and had stormed away.

It wasn't until he had somewhat calmed down after a few weeks did he quietly say he'll think about it. Months passed until the teen had slowly warmed up to the idea and finally agreed, smiling a bit as he did a fist bump with Kagami in the end.

Kagami was happy and relieved about this development, since it meant at least one of his worries was gone from the equation.

Now he just had to deal with the Generation of Miracles, which was sure to be a downright headache.

After stretching out his long body on the bed, he got up and headed for the bathroom, planning to get ready to go out. After washing up and changing into a black t-shirt and short pants, he hopped himself to the kitchen while still in the process of putting on his socks with a jacket slung over his shoulder.

He made his way into the spacious, clean kitchen and began to fry three eggs and five pieces of bacon, two slices of bread also in the toaster. He didn't really feel like making something elaborate.

It took him less than ten minutes to inhale his food and to wash the dishes, years of doing it on his own coming into play. When done, he grabbed on to a worn out basketball that had been next to the front door before slipping on his Michael Jordan sneakers and heading out.

The apartment he was living in was paid off by his father, who was away on another business trip for a couple of months. The place wasn't as big as his old apartment in high school, but it was still pretty expansive for a ninth grader. The best part though, was how close the public basketball court was, something he was sure the old man had been aware of when choosing the location.

Jogging toward the court for a few minutes, he couldn't help but smile. Even after all these years, he's still the basketball loving idiot everyone had mocked him for. Just thinking about playing made his blood pump in anticipation.

When he reached the court, he started to stretch out his arms and legs, kicking in the kinks. After the brief warm up, he started to slowly dribble the ball before quickening his pace, trying to envision an imaginary enemy in front of him. His mind immediately supplied Aomine, his forever rival. In his old life, even after the incident had happened, Aomine had been one of the few who hadn't treated him like an invalid, something Kagami had appreciated. And even without basketball in the equation, they had argued and fought over everything, bantering without care as each tried to one up the other.

Picturing the player wearing a cocky, taunting smirk, he sped up and tried the best as he could to recreate one of the many practice matches he had in the past with him. It was stimulating, not to mention difficult with how many moves the bastard can make with his formless play.

By the time he felt winded from the intense, one sided battle, the sun was peaking higher till it was in the sky, warning him that the rest of the human population was waking up. Glancing at his watch, he cursed at the fact it's been two hours since he came here, making him dangerously late for his first day of school.

Grabbing his things, he sprinted home. It was a breeze for him to tackle the stairs with ease when going up the apartment, the elevator too slow for him to take. Bursting in, he hurriedly took a shower, changed into his uniform, and grabbed his bag on the way out in records time, hastily locking the door as he left.

'After years of being a coach in high school, you would think I would learn by now not to lose track of time and be late.' He wryly berated himself as he ran.

Spotting the bus stop, he wanted to snarl at the fact that the bus was leaving without him.

Like hell he was gonna let that happen.

So without hesitation, he widened his strides until he was next to the bus that was slowly speeding up and jumped, using his ridiculous athletic ability to close the gap and managing to bang against the side of it like a lunatic. He was sure it left a dent, but he didn't really give a damn.

The moment he did that, the bus instantly stopped with the tires sliding at the sudden hard pull of breaks, the sound making Kagami wince. Maybe what he did wasn't a good idea.

The thought hardly had time to flicker through his head when the door of the bus slid open with a portly middle aged man popping out, his eyes dangerously narrowed.

Shit.

"What the hell were you thinking you crazy nut?! Do you want to get yourself killed?!" the man roared, advancing on him like an angry bear.

Kagami sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, inwardly slapping himself for his impulsive move. Though really, it wasn't his fault the metal was weak enough for a middle schooler to be able to damage it. Seriously, if he could do it, he didn't want to imagine what a car could do.

He glanced up and nearly groaned when he saw a bunch of students he recognized from their uniforms as Teiko, staring and pointing at him from the windows. Terrific. Now the whole friggin school is going to probably gossip about this and label him as a weirdo.

Not that he really cared about his reputation. It just would've been easier not to get noticed so early on.

'You're 5'8 with red hair who has a tendency to get into trouble, intentional or not. Going anonymous is Kuroko's job, since you sure can't to save your life.'

'Shut up brain.' he mentally grumbled.

"I can pay for the damages." he offered. He gave a low bow and hoped the man could sense his sincerity. "I'm really sorry oyaji-san."

With his head down, he didn't see the man's face turning even redder from the improper language.

"Oyaji?! I'll have you know I'm in my thirties thank you very much!" the man huffed.

'Yeah right.'

"Sorry. Won't happen again."

The man eyed him for a long moment before finally sighing, scratching his bald head. "Fine, okay kid. You can get in the bus," His gaze sharpened. "After you pay double the fee."

Since he had damaged the man's vehicle, Kagami knew he was getting off lucky. Oh the advantages of being a reckless teenager again. "Sure."

After paying off the hefty price, Kagami climbed up the stairs with the driver closely behind him, mumbled complaints barely audible. Looking around, he was relieved to find there was a seat in the back that was open next to the window. Ignoring the heavy stares, he strode over to the seat and plopped himself down. The basketball practice along with the run had tired him down somewhat, though not enough to affect him later.

He closed his eyes. A nap seemed like a good idea right now.

Unfortunately, the moment of peace didn't last long.

Five minutes since he started to doze off, he heard someone's voice.

"Uh… Excuse me."

Irritated, he instantly glared at the nervous looking second year who flinched at the scalding, red eyes directed at him. The kid had mousy brown hair and wide, forest green eyes, his face structure childish. Kagami couldn't tell what height he was, but could guess that the guy wasn't that tall from the way his neck visibly strained when his chin was resting on top of the back of his seat. He grudgingly admitted to himself that he had some guts to be talking to him from the way the younger man seemed to gulp down his fear before he spoke again.

"Are you from Teiko? I noticed you're uniform so I wanted to ask…" the untold message that everyone else was thinking this was clear. Kagami grunted.

"Yeah. What of it?"

"Well, uh, I've never seen you around, so I was wondering whether you were a new transfer student."

Kagami raised an eyebrow. "I'm from the states. Just got back less than a couple of weeks ago." He knew the grape vine was going to eat this up, but it didn't really matter. It wasn't like he was going to keep it a secret, not to mention that the fact was probably going to be announced when he got to his classes. Just the thought of having to stand in front of people and introduce himself made him feel annoyed.

The new revelation seemed to erase some of the trepidation the other student felt. "Whoa! Really? That's pretty cool." He said excitedly. "Hey, is it true that the basketball players there are really tall? Like, over six feet I heard!"

That perked Kagami's interest.

"You play basketball?" he asked, not letting his interest show through his nonchalance. The kid shook his head.

"No, but Teiko's basketball team is amazing this year." His voice held a note of pride. "We have the Generation of Miracles on our side."

Kagami didn't react to the name. "Generation of Miracles huh? What are they like?"

While Kuroko had told the Seirin team years ago about the story behind the geniuses, it still wasn't enough for Kagami to picture what they were like as middle schoolers. He knew Aomine had been similar to him back then, unlike his future grumpier, more cynical self, but it wasn't enough to go on. Fishing for info was a good way to get a feel on how he should go about approaching them.

The kid shrugged. "Well, all of them are pretty weird to be honest. The captain Akashi is a perfectionist but he seems to be the most normal."

Kagami wanted to laugh outright from this. His experience with psycho Akashi begged to differ.

From the way the kid raised his own eyebrow, he seemed to have sensed Kagami's disbelief. Thankfully, the guy brushed it off and abruptly stuck out his hand in front of Kagami's face. He gave a bright smile as the red head blinked.

"My name is Amaya Masato. I hope we can be friends." He said the last part warmly, causing Kagami to scoff.

"Oi, you shouldn't say something like that right off the bat. People can take advantage of that." Kagami smirked. "However, I always like a direct intro. Kagami Taiga." He shook his hand and gave a crooked grin. Amaya grinned right back.

"Huh. You're actually a lot nicer than you look." he chirped as he let go.

"So I don't look like a delinquent ready to set this whole bus on fire? Gee, that's a surprise." Kagami said flatly.

Amaya guffawed.

"Well, you did ram the bus while it was still moving. That tends to give off a bad impression for the lot of us." Amaya pointed out. "Besides, other than the funny eyebrows, you're red hair really sticks out."

Kagami scowled, which seemed to increase the second year's amusement. "I noticed."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, Akashi has red hair too. And the rest of the Generation of Miracles have odd hair coloring. One guy even has purple hair. And he's 6'1."

Kagami gave a non-commented noise as Amaya glanced outside. "Oh, we're almost there."

Sure enough, only a few seconds passed before the bus stopped at a bus stop just near the school gates. Kagami leaned away from the seat and stood up along with Amaya, making the teenager's eyes bulge.

"Wow, you're pretty tall." The guy sounded impressed. Just as Kagami predicted, the top of the second year's head only managed to reach Kagami's shoulders. "Wait, do you play basketball?"

Kagami nodded. Both got off the vehicle, Kagami avoiding the driver's glare, and walked toward the school.

Amaya looked frighteningly delighted.

"Really? Then join the basketball club-"

"No thanks."

The second year faltered in his steps, looking at Kagami stunned.

"What? But, why not?" he demanded.

Kagami sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He had been conflicted with this issue a while back when he had decided to enroll in Teiko. The reason behind it was simple. If he joined the club, there was no way the feeling of rivalry would fester between him and the group properly, which was something that needed to happen.

As for the reason why he chose Teiko in the first place, there were several.

One, he didn't want to go through the hassle of finding a way to somehow meet the Generation of Miracles without fighting the whole team on court. He definitely had confidence in his abilities through Alex's training, but there was just no way he could beat the team on his own. Maybe with the uncrowned kings, but even that was unlikely, not to mention all of them went to different schools. So beating them at their own game in a school tournament was crossed out.

Second, not only did he have to beat them, he also had to befriend them. Surpassing the geniuses was one thing. It was quite another to get them to listen to reason to not smash their opponents' moral and treat them like trash. Getting closer to them can give him more insight on how they turned into monsters the first time around, and give them support if they needed it.

Sometimes, an outside point of view is necessary in order for them to know what they should and shouldn't do. Something that had went wrong with Kuroko since he had been a part of them, along with Momoi who had been their manager.

Third…

Well, personally, he just really wanted to see them as soon as possible.

It's been a whole year since he had seen any of his friends, especially Kuroko. Tatsuya had lessened the feeling of loneliness, but it hadn't been enough. He missed being with his old friends in Seirin. He even missed picking fights with the Generation of Miracles who needed to have their heads bashed sometimes to lessen their ego. Sure he hadn't been able to play basketball for years, yet that hadn't weakened the bonds he had with them, or the warm feeling he got when he knew he had people he could count on. And now…

All of that was gone.

He'd be damned if he wasn't going to get those bonds back.

Instead of saying all this, Kagami just said, "I have my reasons."

Amaya looked like he wanted to argue, but didn't get the chance when they reached the gates.

The school looked like something you'd see off a brochure. The grass was green and neatly mowed, the walls didn't look faded from age as if the school was still new, and everything from the windows to the non-littered grounds was spotless. Kagami had half expected it, yet it still startled him how impeccable the school image was. Kuroko hadn't been kidding when he said Teiko was elite. It almost made the grueling, torturous school exam he had to take worthwhile. Almost.

Amaya must've noticed him staring because the kid had the balls to jab him in the stomach to snap him out of it. He looked annoyingly humored, as if he knew what he was thinking.

"Come on. We got to get to the board to see what our classes are."

Kagami grumbled but followed the shorter teen to where most of the students were gathered, all trying to move past the crowd. With one, intimidating scowl, most of the students scampered out of the way as he passed easily by.

Looking like a delinquent had some uses.

Amaya followed his lead and stayed close behind, eyes wide as if marveling over Kagami's power over the mass.

When they reached the board, Kagami looked carefully at the list, turning a blind eye to the people pointing at his looming figure. When he managed to find his name, he resisted the urge to bang his head against the wall.

Underneath the number 3B, was his name in clear, unmistakable print.

Kagami Taiga-3B

To his aggravation, there was a name all too familiar a couple lines down.

Midorima Shintarou-3B

He reread the list several times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating before he slumped his shoulders in defeat. He should've expected this, yet had naively hoped that he wouldn't have a class with one of them. It would make things much harder for him to pass by unnoticed until he had time to plan.

Instead, he now had one of the sharpest minds of the Generation of Miracles in his class who would definitely not pass him as someone normal. The rumor mill wasn't going to help either.

Someone up there must really hate him.

Thankfully though, the other Miracles including Kuroko (which sucked because he was the one person who he didn't mind sharing a class with since Kuroko probably wanted to be overlooked too) were all in different classes, some isolated completely and some paired together. He noticed Momoi was completely separate like Akashi from the others. Tucking the knowledge away for later use, he absentmindedly noticed Amaya looking at the board intently before beaming and throwing a fist in the air.

"I got Room 2B! That means my room is next to his!" he exclaimed.

Kagami furrowed his brows. "'His?'"

Seeing his confusion, Amaya waved a hand dismissively. "A friend of mine is in 2C, so that means I can check up on him any time I want." he rolled his eyes. "He's really lazy when it comes to school work, so I help him out sometimes. I never let him cheat off my homework or something like that, but I'm always half tempted to. He's completely hopeless when it comes to his own education."

Kagami flashbacked to how many times Kuroko had gotten frustrated over his lack of understanding in any subject other than basketball. His blank expression may fool everyone else, but Kagami had long become immune to it and saw the outward signs of Kuroko getting close to ripping his own hair out.

Kagami shook off the nostalgia and instead instinctively patted Amaya's head.

"Good for you. Maybe I'll get to meet this friend of yours one day."

For some reason, the kid's cheeks turned red before he slowly nodded under Kagami's lowered hand. "Uh, sure, why not."

Baffled by the reaction but uncomfortable to ask, Kagami awkwardly gave a last pat before slipping off. Maybe he had acted too comfortably. It was an old habit he used to do to people shorter than him.

"Right, well, I guess we should go to class." Kagami glanced around to see that the students had managed to get near the board enough to see their own classes, though a wide berth was still around the red head. Shaking his head at this, he slapped Amaya's back in a friendly manner and started to walk away from him toward the school. Without turning around, he raised a hand over his shoulder lazily, waving slightly.

"See you later Amaya."

He could almost hear the smile in the shorter student's tone when he talked back.

"You too, Kagami-san."

-A-

Finding the classroom in the gigantic school had been surprisingly easy. He only had to ask someone in the hallway to direct him to the correct classroom and lead him there. Though the sneaking glances the girl kept doing was kind of bothersome, he managed to ignore it, something he was doing a lot today.

Nodding thanks to the stuttering girl when they reached his destination, he was surprised to see he was one of the earliest arrivals, only a few people waiting as well.

That was a first.

Shrugging, he was just about to enter in when he felt someone bump next to him at the doorway, not even pausing to go to his seat. Just when he was about to snap at the rude student, he froze when scarlet eyes met impassive green that was seen through a thin layer of glass.

"Pardon me."

His voice was cold and neutral and so different yet the same to his much more human future self that for a moment, a thirty year old version of Midorima Shintarou overlapped his vision. He could almost smell the antibiotics the doctor was always surrounded by at the hospital.

Right until a now slightly frowning teenager snapped back into place, sending bitter disappointment in his heart.

"D-don't worry about it." he inwardly winced at the stutter while Midorima simply gave a curt nod and went to his seat. Still feeling somewhat ashamed of his reaction, he sat at the back well away from the green haired student. He wanted to bury his head in his arms because he probably made a terrible impression on the Miracle and he was severely regretting it.

How the hell did he lose control over himself like that? That hadn't happened before with Tatsuya or Alex or even his parents.

'You know why.'

Clumping his hair with his fingers, he thought about how much effort Midorima's future self had helped him in the hospital. In his awkward way of caring, he had brought medical books way too complicated for Kagami to understand and had explained what exactly happened to his spine when the car had hit. He didn't have to do it, yet he had still plundered on in a clinical tone, sometimes stopping to make sure Kagami was following.

Kagami had been aware that the tsundere probably got teased for visiting from Takao, which would've no doubt provoked the man.

Yet he still continued. For him.

And as girly as it sounded, Kagami had been touched by the gesture.

Only this wasn't the same Midorima he was going to have to deal with from now on. This wasn't the man he had known for nearly fifteen years.

Suddenly, the idea of making friends with the Generation of Miracles looked harder than he initially thought.

"Kagami Taiga?"

At the call of his name, he jerked his head up to see a woman standing in front of his desk, looking anxious. Startled by her sudden appearance, he schooled his expression to not show how unnerved he was.

"Yes?"

The woman looked relieved.

"Oh thank god! Why didn't you immediately come to the teacher's lounge? I was waiting there with your schedule and everything!"

Kagami visibly quirked up one split eyebrow and summoned said schedule out of his jacket pocket. He was unfazed by the woman's growing blush that was furiously burning her cheeks.

"Already have it. I had a meeting with the principal during the weekends and he gave it to me. Didn't he tell you?" he questioned. The one advantage of having an adult mind and being used to paperwork was how ridiculously simple enrolling and setting himself up in Teiko was. His father hadn't even been involved in the legal process of it.

He watched with some bemusement at the flustering teacher before finally taking pity on her. She must be new to the job.

Also, he wasn't unaware of the curious audience that was unabashedly listening in on the conversation. The room was half filled since he sat down.

He also didn't miss that Midorima was watching them too with narrowed eyes, though he was a lot more discreet at it than the rest.

Kagami stood up and grabbed his bag. "Why don't we talk about this somewhere else? I'm sure the principal hadn't explained all the class rules you probably know."

The woman vigurously nodded. "Y-Yes! You're right." he felt uncomfortable by the relieved expression on her face. She was looking at him as if he was a messiah. "Just follow me."

Trailing behind her, they left the class in a fury as the students began to conspire together over the mysterious new student who has transferred to Teiko Middle School.

-A-

"Hey, did you see that guy with the red hair? He looked like some kind of gangster!"

"No way! Seriously? Wish I could've seen that."

"That's why you shouldn't have been late!"

"The way he handled the teacher was really rude! Who does he think he is?"

"It's decided. He is definitely my new crush this year!"

"With those eyebrows? You must be joking!"

"Oh come on! You know I like strong, tall men. It's the reason why I watch basketball in the first place."

"What about Midorima-san?"

"What about him? He's just plain weird."

Midorima's eye twitched repeatedly from the growing loudness that was spreading in the classroom. The last comment just added to his annoyance. Even during his last two years in Teiko, he had never seen the classroom so lively as it was today.

All because of Kagami Taiga.

With his sharp, red eyes and almost predatory aura, the name suited him.

Midorima briefly frowned again as he recalled how the transfer student stared at him as if he was a ghost, face pale. The reaction bothered him for some reason, no matter how many times he tried to convince himself otherwise. It was both nagging and intriguing; a combination he did not want to get close to yet was drawn in by. Clutching onto the small, stuffed teddy bear that was the lucky item for Cancers today, he was shaken out of his musings when he heard the school bell ring with announcements.

They still weren't back yet.

After a few minutes passed after the morning news which Midorima for once didn't listen to, he saw the door open as the two entered in.

The teacher seemed to have calmed down from her earlier frantic behavior while Kagami stood next to her with an utterly bored expression that could rival Murasaskibara. He had his bag sloppily thrown over his shoulder, earning a point of disapproval in Midorima's books.

The way he held himself was a puzzling mixture of slouching yet not arrogant looking while doing so. And while he honestly did look uninterested at first glance, his eyes had briefly flitted around the classroom as if taking category of the students, pausing at Midorima for only a second.

Strange.

"Hello class. My name is Honda Chiharu and I will be your sensei this year. I hope we can get along!" she greeted. All the students murmured back a greeting as she gave a tentative but hopeful smile. Looking towards the student next to her, she put a hand on his shoulder in what Midorima assumed to be reassuring.

"This is Kagami Taiga. He is a transfer student from the states who has moved back to Japan." whispers filled the room at this piece of information. Honda-sensei continued. "Kagami-kun, could you please introduce yourself properly to the class?"

Kagami gave a curt nod before stepping up, straightening his slouched position.

"My name is Kagami Taiga and I'm from LA." he gave a short but proper bow. "Please take care of me."

There were some mutters of confusion over the 'LA' part, which Midorima understood as Los Angeles, California. With just knowing that, Midorima could already conclude that he had grown up in a city like environment, which might make him less ignorant than others unless his personality differed from this conclusion.

"Right," the teacher clapped her hands, catching everybody's attention. "Since Kagami-kun is new to this school unlike the rest of you, it is only appropriate for someone to show him around if possible until he gets the hang of things."

A flash of a grimace passed Kagami's face at these words. Clearly he disagreed.

"Would anyone like to volunteer?"

A few of the female population shot their hands up eagerly while none of the boys did. This time, a real glower etched on to the red head's features at this development.

"Anyone? No?" the teacher repeated. She had obviously seen how Kagami had reacted when the girls volunteered. "If that's the case, I will have to pick a person myself."

Midorima was quickly losing interest to this topic. With a quiet huff, he pulled out his notebook and pencil case from his bag, readying himself for class to start once all this absurdity was over. Little did he know, that plan was soon going to crash.

"Midorima-kun? Is it okay if you could do it?"

The whole room seemed to come to a grinding halt as everyone whipped their heads around to see how Midorima would respond. Anyone who knew the green haired student's reputation would've never asked that. He was known for his cold and factual disposition that went along with his sharp, meticulous mind. Unless one wanted to be downgraded to someone with a five year old mentality with only words, it was best to just leave him alone.

Apparently, the new teacher never got the memo.

Kagami jerked his head so fast to Honda that Midorima almost thought he snapped his neck. He looked alarmed.

"And why should I waste my time to do such a thing Honda-sensei? While you may not be aware of it, I have better things to do."

"So does everyone else." she surprisingly agreed. "However, from what I've seen of your grades, you are in the top three when it comes to education, which is a sign you will not slack off at the task I am giving you. Also, since the classes are much more difficult in Teiko than a normal high school, Kagami-kun is going to need help to adjust. Not only that, since he is from the states, he is not as familiar to the Japanese language and will need some help to translate words he won't understand. I have heard you're the best next to Akashi Seijuro in English."

Though his face gave nothing away, he was inwardly cursing.

From the looks of it, she had probably chosen him from the start and only went through the motions in order not to be accused of doing so. She had definitely done her homework.

Seeing the challenging look with a hint of triumph on her face, he had clearly underestimated her.

He pushed his glasses up. "I'm too busy since I'm a regular in the Teiko basketball team."

He knew he was just giving excuses now. She knew it too.

"Your grades prove you'll manage." she pointed out.

Midorima closed his eyes. Damn.

Seeing the defeat on Midorima's face, Honda beamed.

"Since Midorima-kun has an empty seat next to him, why don't you sit over there Kagami-kun?"

Midorima opened his eyes just in time to see a flicker of panic pass Kagami's face for a second, enough for him to think he almost imagined it.

Kagami slowly walked towards him wearily before he took his seat, dropping his bag carelessly next to him. Their seating arranged with Midorima having a window seat while Kagami's desk touched right next to his. The tables were wide enough so that each could have their own personal space, a fact Midorima was quite thankful for.

He saw Kagami glance at the teddy bear but the red head didn't comment at all from this and turned his head away.

Midorima suddenly realized he never introduced himself to his new charge, which was not acceptable. They were probably going to interact a lot with each other, so it was only logical.

With that in mind, Midorima stiffly stuck out his hand to Kagami while looking away, adjusting his glasses as he did so. Kagami's eyes widened.

"Since we'll be working together for some time, I will introduce myself as we are now acquaintances. I am Midorima Shintarou."

Because he had turned away, Midorima missed how Kagami's eyes were no longer wide but instead full of exasperation and fondness.

Kagami shook his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you Midorima."

After the formal greeting, Honda loudly announced that class was in session and for everyone to pipe down and sit in their seats. Midorima turned away with every intention to ignore the transfer student while fully expecting not to succeed.

To be honest, Midorima had pegged Kagami as someone who wouldn't be able to stand being ignored for long periods of time. From the way he had acted towards the teacher, he had been sure that the red head was going to be a handful. His clear lack of respect for authority mirrored Aomine's, which Midorima had personally despaired at. Surprisingly, he had been wrong.

During the whole duration of class, Kagami had not once tried to interact with him. As if sensing Midorima's reluctance to talk, he quietly took notes as Honda lectured the class and didn't even glance at him as he worked. It was a pleasant development that he for once was glad to know he had been wrong at.

As the two of them jotted down Honda's verbal teachings, Midorima felt his mind uncharacteristically wonder about the person next to him. Usually, he never took interest in other people excluding the Generation of Miracles who had a presence that was impossible to ignore. It was too much of a hassle and he disliked people in the first place, so why try?

Kagami Taiga, however, was an exception.

Midorima, who was more aware than others about Teiko's school system, knew that getting into Teiko when from a foreign country was extremely difficult. The entrance exam the student had to take was actually more difficult than the normal exam one would take to get accepted in their first year. The context of language used was easier, but the actual problems were actually up to a high school level. The school board purposely did this to ensure only the best of the best would be accepted. The motto, "winning is everything," was applied to everything in Teiko, not just basketball.

So the fact that Kagami had been accepted either meant he was from a well to do family, or was actually smarter than Midorima gave him credit for.

His academics, however, wasn't the only interesting thing about him.

With his height and build, Midorima was half tempted to ask if he played any sports. It wouldn't be at all surprising if he did. He was actually around Midorima's height, a trait not many could achieve.

Thoughtful, he vowed to himself to question the red head later on this subject and maybe help him join some clubs at school. After all, he was supposed to help him adjust and socialize with his peers. He didn't miss the irony that he of all people was stuck with this particular task. His diligent attitude however wouldn't let him do anything less when it comes to completing his duties with hundred percent swiftness and efficiency.

Hours passed like this until the lunch bell finally rang, immediately causing the students to leap out of their seats to leave. The material they were reviewing may be easier than they were used to since it was only the first day, but that didn't change how boring it was to sit around and pay attention to subjects they had no interest in.

Midorima calmly stood up, chair screeching as he did. His back was still straight as a pole, appearance impeccable unlike the yawning students who were eagerly leaving. Looking to his charge, he waited patiently as Kagami stretched in his seat, legs spread until it touched the back of another student's chair. His white suit uniform was a bit wrinkled but other than that, he looked completely unruffled.

"Is that the lunch bell?" Kagami asked, still not knowing all the rules to Teiko.

Midorima nodded.

"Yes." he answered. "It's a thirty minute break."

Seeing Kagami nod in understanding, Midorima glanced at the red head's bag and realized that he couldn't see a lunch box anywhere in sight.

"Did you bring lunch today?"

Kagami blinked and nodded.

"Yeah." He jerked a thumb towards his bag. "It's in there."

Midorima stared at him and then the bag, which he noticed was actually bulging out oddly. Which was weird since he shouldn't have brought many things due to the fact it was only the first day.

Kagami, who saw the questioning look on his face, gave a small smirk before opening the bag up and taking out his lunch.

It took a moment for Midorima to process what he was seeing before he gave the red head an incredulous look.

"This is your lunch?" he couldn't help but sound the sure disbelief he was feeling.

The packed 'lunch' was actually more than one. Three large, wrapped up subs that were as long as half his arm, two snack bars, an apple, and a can of juice was sitting innocently on top of Kagami's desk, taking up more than half the surface of the table.

Midorima stared and stared at the impossible sight before shaking his head. The amount he was seeing was absurd. It was even more than what Aomine brought. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if Kagami could beat Murasakibara in an eating contest!

Then again, he might be just overestimating Kagami's abilities due to shock.

He turned his head to see Kagami giving him a slight grin, as if he was amused by the perfectly normal reaction Midorima was exhibiting. Glaring at him through his glasses and feeling a bit embarrassed over his moment of lost composure, he simply looked away and grabbed on to his clearly smaller lunch bag and teddy bear before marching out of the classroom.

"I will be eating in the courtyard." He announced, still avoiding Kagami's amused gaze. "Since you still do not know the school grounds, I suggest you follow quickly if you don't want to get lost."

He didn't even check to see if Kagami was following him as he left, though he was able to identify heavy footsteps behind him.

Midorima tried his best to dismiss the pointing and stares that was for once not directed at him, but Kagami. Anyone with half a brain would think it's weird to carry that much food. Midorima kept expecting one of his teammates to spot him due to how many people were whispering and gawking at them. Fortunately, they managed to get outside without much interference.

The location he picked was a nice and private place that only he and Akashi knew. It was in the left courtyard where the trees were, giving shade and able to hide people from the view of others. He and Akashi often played Shogi under one particular cherry blossom tree that was by far larger than the rest. It made him slightly uncomfortable to bring Kagami to the dwelling, but unless he wanted to be hunt down by the other Miracles, this was the best place to not be disturbed. Akashi would probably guess he was here, but the captain was respectful enough to not interfere in Midorima's business.

Kagami's red head contrasted with the surrounding green, like a small fire wandering around a forest. It made him easy to track every time the new student paused to look around their surroundings.

"Are all of them sakura trees?" Kagami didn't seem to notice he muttered this out loud as Midorima gave a curt nod.

"Correct. Since its April, it is likely they will bloom soon in the next few weeks."

Kagami hummed in agreement, arms jostling from the weight of the food he was carrying. He looked fairly ridiculous as his face was almost obscured by one of the subs, red hair poking out in Midorima's line of sight.

He almost smiled at the image.

They finally came to a stop at the usual tree Akashi and him sat around and looked to Kagami who halted as well.

"We're here."

Kagami only needed those two words to carelessly drop to the ground floor, not seeming to care that his pants would probably suffer from the sudden action. The packs of food bounced from the impact as Kagami put the food next to him. Midorima was much more cautious and slowly sat down, not wanting to leave dirt on his black pants.

Carefully placing the teddy bear away, he opened his lunch bag and took out a plain looking sandwich and took a small bite, not really giving it any attention as he watched the spectacle in front of him.

Kagami had nearly ripped off one of the wrappers to the sub as he gave a large bite, chomping it down like a pro. The lightning speed he was eating was both amazing yet disconcerting, like a show you watch at a carnival where the man easily swallowed fire like magic. In minutes, one sub was already finished which made Midorima wonder where the hell it all went. Like Houdini, it just seemed to disappear in the bottomless pit known as Kagami Taiga.

He must've stopped eating at one point because Kagami actually screeched to a stop to look at him, swallowing down the last of his three sandwiches.

"Something wrong?" the teenager questioned, as if he hadn't just eaten three enormous subs in under ten minutes as if it was easy as breathing.

"Other than the fact I have no idea how you were able to eat all that, no. Nothing at all." he stated flatly.

Kagami shrugged, nonchalant. "I have a big appetite."

"That is not enough to explain how it is possible to have a black hole for a stomach."

"It was only three sandwiches."

Midorima gave him a look.

Kagami huffed and grumpily munched on to one of the snack bars. "Stop being so uptight and just eat your lunch."

Midorima's glare was frigid. "Do not lecture me."

"Yeah, yeah."

Irritated, Midorima bit into his lunch and silence reigned between the two for a moment. After finishing his lunch without interruption, Midorima remembered the questions he had meant to ask during break and turned to face Kagami who was by now languidly drinking his juice.

"Kagami-san-"

"Kagami."

Midorima blinked. "What?"

Kagami raised an eyebrow. "Call me Kagami. All the formalities and stuff is kinda stuffy to me." He smirked at Midorima knowingly, which instantly irked him. "Besides, I can tell you're not the type that's polite to others either."

It startled him a bit that the red head was observant enough to spot this. He didn't expect that from him. Seeing the stubborn look on the red head's face, he sighed. "Fine, Kagami. I have been meaning to ask you something."

"Yeah?" the red head leaned against the tree casually. "Well spit it out."

Biting back the urge to tell him to watch his language, he spoke. "Since I am in charge of your stay here until you get adjusted, I am inclined to ask you if there are any school activities you might have an interest to."

Kagami cocked his head to the side thoughtfully for a moment before shaking his head.

"Nope. None whatsoever."

Midorima narrowed his eyes, sensing there was more to his casual answer. He was definitely hiding something. Before he could question him even further, Kagami abruptly cut him off.

"Are you in any clubs?" he questioned. Midorima had to swallow the urge to call out on Kagami's change of subject but decided to let it go. It wasn't like he could force the student into doing anything. Joining a club was voluntary after all.

"The basketball club." he said. Kagami slowly nodded.

"You're part of the Generation of Miracles, right?"

Midorima was too late to cover up how startled he was by the point black assumption. His gaze sharpened as suspicion overtook him.

"How did you know that?"

Kagami wasn't fazed by the icy tone.

"Well, I heard it from this kid at my bus that the Generation of Miracles all have really weird hair color. So I took I guess when you said the basketball club. It wasn't a big leap."

Midorima wanted to ask who exactly made such an imbecile comment, but didn't. It was unlikely he would ever encounter this 'kid' anyway. Glancing at his watch, he was surprised to see lunch was already almost over. The conversation must've gone on longer than he thought.

Standing up, he neatly pushed his glasses up and carried his lunch bag with his other hand.

"Lunch is over. We must return back to class."

Kagami nodded in agreement and gathered up the wrappers and empty juice can before he also got up. As they walked back, Kagami suddenly spoke.

"By the way, I meant to ask. What's up with the teddy bear?"

Midorima had half expected this question and was more surprised by how long the red head took to finally ask it.

"It is a good luck charm for Cancers today from Oha Asa." He said stiffly, preparing himself for the inevitable skeptic reaction. He hoped Kagami wasn't the type to laugh though or else he really might just go up to Honda and demand her to switch babysitters.

"Oh, okay."

… What?

Midorima physically stopped in his tracks to stare at the red head. "What?" he repeated verbally.

Kagami looked at him as if he was the one acting strange. "Okay." He said slowly, as if he was some kind of neanderthal. "You're into that kind of stuff. Big deal."

Midorima rapidly blinked at him, not really sure how to react. Nobody has ever brushed it off like it was nothing. He had no clue how to feel about Kagami's abnormal response.

"I… see." he almost didn't recognize his own voice by how uncertain it sounded. Kagami actually had the gall to grin at his tone as he clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Look, I've met some pretty weird people in my life, so what you're doing doesn't really bother me. As long as this hobby of yours doesn't make you look like a complete idiot or something, I'm not gonna say anything about it." his grin widened. "Besides, what's life without a few interesting people in it?"

Midorima stared at him before he shook his head, shaking himself out of his funk. Putting up a glare, he slapped the red head's hand away and walked right past him.

"Don't say such nonsensical things. I will not tolerate you hindering me any further."

He heard Kagami shuffle next to him, a smirk playing on his lips.

"You're the one who stopped walking in the first place."

Midorima decisively did not comment at this accusation. He was too busy trying to fight down the small smile that was threatening to take over.

Maybe this situation won't be so bad after all.

-A-

"Ah man! Where the hell is that Midorima anyway?"

"Perhaps Midorima-kun had to talk to the teacher today."

"On the first day? Maa, the teacher must be pretty harsh if that's the case. I feel kinda bad for Midorima-cchi."

"I wonder if there are cookies today in the cafeteria…"

"Oh! Oh! I actually did see something like that Muk-kun! I'll check the school lunch menu to be sure."

Akashi resisted the urge to sigh at the rowdy group's manners. He was thankful that they all decided to eat on the roof today since it wouldn't give students the chance to approach them.

…Well, almost all of them.

The captain frowned as he checked his watch again just to be sure. It had been twenty minutes since lunch started, and still no sign of Shintarou anywhere. It was uncharacteristic for the shooting guard to desert the group without an explanation, no matter how much he wanted to. It was a bit worrying, but maybe he was just overthinking things. Out of all the Miracles other than Tetsuya and Akashi himself, Shintarou was one of the more responsible members of the group. He's sure to have a good reason not to show up.

Daiki, looking peeved, turned toward Akashi.

"Hey Akashi! Did Midorima mention anything to you?"

Akashi closed his red eyes and shook his head. "No, but I am certain he has a good reason for skipping." Akashi's face darkened slightly.

'He better have.'

The group shuddered from the sudden loss of temperature, making Momoi laugh nervously.

"W-Well, I can always check to see why if you want." she smiled and gave a small wink.

Akashi nodded. He was confident in her ability to gain that information easily. It's what made her so useful to the Teiko basketball team in the first place. When she left, everyone waited for her return until she did a few minutes later, bursting out through the door out of breath.

Daiki growled slightly.

"So? What did you find Satsuki?"

Gulping in a deep breath of fresh air, she nearly burst when she said her next words.

"Midorin is babysitting a transfer student in his class!"

There was a long stunned silence before the group erupted simultaneously.

"WHAT?!"

Momoi nodded, a bewildered expression also on her face, showing she was just as confused as them.

"According to a third year in Midorin's class, the teacher somehow roped Midorin into looking after a foreign exchange student from the states until he got adjusted. Apparently, from what the spectators said, Midorin didn't have a choice in the matter."

Atsushi actually paused in his snacking to give Momoi a curious look.

"How did the teacher manage that?"

Despite the situation, Momoi actually gave an evil smile. "She forced him. Apparently, her reasoning was enough to stop even Midorin."

Ryouta looked impressed. "Whoa, I wish I could've seen that!"

"Then where is Shintarou?" Akashi cut to the chase.

"The students say they were heading for the courtyard, but not exactly where."

Akashi narrowed his eyes at this as he crossed his arms. So Shintarou had led the new student to that place. He must've wanted to talk to him badly if he had been willing to do that.

"Who's this transfer student then?" Daiki questioned. There was an hopeful gleam in his eyes. "Does he play basketball?"

Tetsuya looked to his best friend flatly. "Aomine-kun really is a basketball idiot."

"Shut up Tetsu!"

Momoi frowned. "I don't know yet. But I'm definitely going to find out." There was a determined, steeled look on her face as she said this. Akashi gave a curt nod.

"If it's not much trouble, could you directly come to me when you do?" a light smirk danced about on his pale features.

"I'm curious to know who seemed to have caught Shintarou's attention so much."

Thank you for reading. If the characterization was off, tell me. This is my first time writing a KnB fic.

Please review on the way out.