Just a Fairytale [Kuroko Tetsuya x Reader x Nijimura Shuzo]{KnB}

[H.39] High School: Diary Entry Thirty-Nine

Assimilating to a school has never been an easy feat for you. People stare and comment on your appearance which you always find hard to ignore. Having Riko in your class certainly mitigated what was said about you. She holds a level of respect in her classroom, and when she tells people to lessen up on the prodding, they do as told.

You walk beside her in your sailor uniform. The school's colors differ greatly from your other school; white and pink dyes are now deep blue and green. You wear your hair in a high ponytail with a matching blue ribbon tying it up. It's what you wear during practice as you tend to Seirin's basketball group.

At the sight of Kuroko in the gymnasium, you let out a sigh of relief. "Tetsuya!" You don't hesitate in heading to his side as your fingers interlock with his. "Good luck with practice today."

He smiles yet it appears forced. You understand his hesitation as the rumors of your sudden change in schools has finally reached the student body. People have been bombarding you and him with questions, all of which you ignored. It took Riko's yelling for it to quell, yet the lingering eyes still remain. 

"Thank you," he responds, "you have a lot of work today?"

"Just some reorganizing!" Despite your troubles, you plan to move forward as best you can. You notice the stares of the others, and you send them a small bow. "H-Have a nice practice, everyone."

They all give their thanks, but you scurry off before you can hear any. The moment you leave, Junpei speaks up as he faces Kuroko. "People are afraid of talking to her now. I don't know why, but she hasn't really made any friends outside the team."

Kuroko turns his head to watch as you bustle around the gym, preparing the area for the practice match. Another team should be arriving soon, and though it brings a wave of anxiety for you, he knows you are going to try your best.

[___]

You watch from the sidelines as the practice match ensues. When people are substituted out, you ran to their side to hand them a towel and a prepared water bottle. Once they were taken care of, you'd return to recording the game on your notepad. 

"Hey, [Name]." Riko walks up to you as the match enters its halftime period. "Can you get some more towels from the clubroom? These guys are sweating up a storm and I thought we had enough."

"Of course!" you chirp, wasting no time in running outside towards the clubroom. You feel a presence follow you which brings pause to your travels. Glancing over your shoulder, you spot a familiar boy from the match. Given that he's in the basketball team, he boasts a significant height and a buzzed head. 

When you catch his gaze, you panic and begin running towards the clubroom. Your heart pumps adrenaline at the fear of his pursuit. Why did he follow you outside the gym? Maybe he wants to find a bathroom?  Maybe he didn't follow you?

Another sharp turn and you slam the clubroom shut. You hurry in finding the extra set of towels and carry them in one fell swoop. With your foot, you push the door slightly and peek your head outside. Seeing no one in the hallway, you breathe out a sigh of relief and begin your travels back to the gym.

However, that relief washes away the instant you see the same boy waiting at the entrance of the gym. You steel your nerves, knowing that no harm can come to you in broad daylight. The gym is flooded with people and one scream is enough to bring instant help.

You stride over and try to pass him, but unfortunately, he speaks up. "H-Hey! I just want to talk to you!"

"I'm busy," you state, giving him no leeway to dispute.

Yet he tries once more, this time he reaches out and holds your arm tightly. Memories of that incident flood your mind and you freeze in place. "I was just watching you all game, and I have to say you're really gorgeous."

You say nothing as you feel a cold invade your system.

"And I just had to pluck up the courage to ask if you wanted to hang out sometime. Alone, of course," he adds as his face twists with embarrassment. 

'No. No. NO. NO! Don't touch me! Don't TOUCH ME!' you yell internally as you try to pry your arm away. He doesn't relent and strengthens his hold on you.

"Um... Your answer?" 

"K-KUROKO!" you scream at the top of your lungs. 

The sounds of sneakers skidding halt before a plethora of them run in your direction. The doors fly open and the entire Seirin team stand before you. Their eyes immediately fall onto the boy's hand that holds your arm, forcing you to stay beside him.

When the boy notices their stare, he lets go of you with a clueless expression. "W-Wait, if you had a boyfriend, you could have said so."

Kuroko can guess the gist of your troubles and stomps over to your hand; he brings you around the gym to privately assess the situation. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I don't... know." You place your head into the crook of his neck. "I blanked out the moment he grabbed my arm. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for causing trouble."

Kuroko scratches the back of his head as he ponders on a solution. "You know it's never trouble for me, [F.Name]. He definitely shouldn't have grabbed you."

"I just... Ikeda-sensei pulled me like that when it happened. A-And... Why... Why do people think it's okay to touch others like that?" you say against his shirt.

He wraps two arms around your body to pull you close to him. You ignore the sweat and musk from his body and melt into him. Comfort overwhelms your senses, a feeling you always enjoy in his company.

"E-Excuse me?"

You freeze at the sound of the familiar boy. You look up to see Kuroko glaring at him, and you feel safe under his watchful vigilance. As you peek over, you see a red handprint on his cheek. Confusion pecks at you, and you turn to face him.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for touching you like that." He mopes while his eyes are downcast. "It's my first time confessing to a girl, and I didn't want you to leave again without telling you my feelings."

You notice Riko behind him along with the rest of the group, giving him glares to say his peace. 

"I didn't mean you any harm. I promise," he finishes. 

For the first time, you understand a boy's perspective. You aren't sure what is different from the other times; maybe the fact that you are being guarded, you can relax enough to heed the boy's explanation. You can't quite put your finger on it, but you know you feel empathetic enough to receive his apology.

"O-Okay," you sputter out. "Sorry for overreacting."

He sends you a sad smile before running off to his group. A sense of relief washes over the group and you feel a need to speak up.

"Thank you for helping. I'm sorry for any trouble I caused," you bow your head once more. 

"Don't mention it," Riko hums, "but that's how you resolve your problems! Just tackle them head on and you should find these situations quite easy to kick."

You know she means literally, and a chuckle rolls out your mouth. Kuroko observes your interaction with the group as you return to speaking to them freely. A smile pulls at his lips and he knows that keeping you near was the right decision.

[_____]

A/N: Small update before the last chapter for the High School arc. Due to the college arc being mega stuffed with content, chapters will kinda be longer. 

But yeah, like the reader is changing a bit for the better... but she's got that nasty habit again of relying heavily on others. She is especially reliant on Kuroko and he's become her crutch. Which isn't good. Don't worry though, we have someone that will break that habit of hers coming really soon :,)