𝐀 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟹

The next day found the Seirin team hanging around Kagami's classroom as much as possible. Kuroko had responded to the roll call again that morning, but none of the team ran into the boy despite having spread out in all of the first-year areas.

With a collective sigh, the group left the main building as a unit, only to stop midway through the courtyard. Kogane pointed out an imposing figure in grey walking towards the main building.

Kise hesitated in front of the building. Momoi had begged him to head back to the school immediately and find the blue-haired boy for her in return for divulging the school in the first place, going so far as to cite every favor the blond had owed the manager.

The campus wasn't as large as his own and it was easy to find the separate buildings compared to Teiko and Kaijo, but Kuroko could be difficult to find, even when you knew where to look for him.

The model noticed the Seirin basketball team gawking at him from the corner of his eye. They wouldn't be useful in finding Kurokocchi, but they could at least help him figure out where the first years would be.

As Kise walked towards the group, Kagami shuffled around looking for the book he had found earlier. When the blond was close enough, the redhead cut the ace player off by shoving the book in his face, opening for the ownership to be read.

"Is this your 'Kurokocchi' guy?"

Kise blinked before taking a step back and pulling the book to a better distance for him to read what was in front of him. The blonde's face lit up. "Where did you get one of Kurokocchi's books? He almost never lets them out of his sight! Do you know where he is? Momoicchi wanted me to check up on him."

"Momoicchi?" The Seirin team mumbled amongst each other in confusion. "Who's Momoicchi?"

Rolling his eyes, Kise figured he could humor them if they got him to Kuroko faster. "The manager for the generation of miracles, of course. Strategy specialist. She worries a lot." Lowering his voice, as if he were sharing some conspiratorial secret. "She likes to say she's Kurokocchi's girlfriend."

After more shocked and confused murmurings from the Seirin team, Kise continued. "Since you have his book, can you help me find him? I'd hate to leave without seeing him again."

At the prodding, Kagami spoke up. "Actually, I need to ask you what he looks like. He sits behind me in class, but I haven't seen him. I knocked his book off his desk after school yesterday and since he wasn't there I was going to try and get it back today. He answered roll call, but I haven't even seen him yet."

Kise spluttered in front of the group. "Y-you just took Kurokocchi's book? You probably took it from right in front of him if you haven't even seen him once these past two days!"

Kise snatched the book from Kagami's grasp and gave him a withering glare. "Is there a lost and found? Kurokocchi's probably there, then."

"Hey! I was trying to give it back to him! Not my fault if the kid ditches class."

As Riko and Kagami began to lead Kise toward the lost and found area, the rest of the Seirin team slowly followed. The model snorted at Kagami's implication.

"Please, as if Kurokocchi would ever break a rule. Kurokocchi has a larger sense of propriety than Midorimacchi and Akashicchi! He refused to call any of the miracles by our first names even though Aominecchi and I insisted. And he always showed up to practice. He'd do everything the miracles had to do even if he wound up throwing up."

Kise continued to reminisce some of his fond memories of having Kuroko as a mentor as they walked through the halls. He missed the confused looks as the Seirin team learned more about the mysterious Kuroko. The miracles were on first-name terms with the boy they were looking for.