Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke is not owned by me, but by Fujimaki Tadatoshi.

"Ah, if there is anything else I may do for you, please... don't hesitate to ask!" Furihata spoke, his voice eccentric. Despite seeming to have calmed down, it was clear that the man was still nervous. Turning toward Kise, he spoke. "Sir, I will be back with another tofu soup."

Kise replied with a simple 'thank you,' and with a final bow, Furihata walked back toward the kitchen.

"Tetsuya, what do you know of that Furihata? There's something...off about him." Akashi wondered. From the few moments that Furihata was around the table, Akashi perused the man, wary of all his mannerisms and movements, but could not figure out what it was.

"There is not much to tell. He is our age, still attends university, shares an apartment with his friends from high school, and works here to help pay for the finances. Also, his family used to own a bakery, which is why he has a natural talent in the kitchen." Kuroko answered casually.

Akashi looked at Kuroko suspiciously, concealing the shock he felt. He expected few, if not nothing, from Kuroko when asking the question. He learned that Kuroko dined at this restaurant enough to befriend the staff, but overlooked the possibility of Kuroko actually being familiar with the likes of them. It left Akashi to wonder how much he really knew about his closest friend and assistant. Was he not as adroit as he thought of himself to be? Kise, who sat across from both Kuroko and Akashi, seemed to be just as shocked, though the said man did nothing to hide it on his face.

"Kurokocchi, how do you know so much about that man?" Inwardly, Akashi wondered the same thing. If there was anything that irked Akashi, it was the helpless feeling of knowing nothing.

"Ryouta's correct, according to what Kagami stated earlier, Furihata's a new worker here. How do you know so much? Don't tell me you researched him, because I would have found out."

"Hm? Neither of you figured it out? As expected, Kise-kun didn't get it-" "Eh?! Kurokocchi!" "-but I expected you to figure it out by now Akashi-kun. Surely you must at least be more adept than Kise-kun here." Kuroko's voice remained monotonous, however, it was clear that Kuroko was baiting Akashi. It wasn't a common occurrence for Akashi to not be able to properly analyze a situation, and Kuroko seemed to revel those rare opportunities.

"...forget it. It's of little importance after all. There's no need for me to figure it out." Akashi replied calmly, shutting down any more opportunities for Kuroko to taunt him with. He would never openly admit defeat, for he was Akashi Seijuurou, and he never loses, no matter how trivial the situation be.

"Ah, okay Akashi-kun." Kuroko answered. There was a light humor in his voice, however, it was purposely made only to be noticed by Akashi. It irked Akashi to no end.

'No one makes a fool out of me. Not even you Tetsuya.'

Soon, a dark presence surrounded the area, seeming to originate from Akashi. "Tetsuya...you-"

"A-ahem!" Kise interrupted abruptly, stopping Akashi from recklessly vitiating Kuroko, despite being previously insulted by the man he was defending. "Akashicchi! Kurokocchi! Don't forget why we're here! W-we still have to discuss the details of our partnership agreement! That's why we're here again...r-right?"

"...hm. I suppose you're correct for once Ryouta." Akashi relented, the rational side of his mind acquiescing to the idea. However, Akashi gave Kuroko one last glare, who in return, slightly shuddered. "Don't think you're off the hook Tetsuya. I'll make sure to increase your workload when we get back."

Both Kuroko and Kise exhaled a sigh in relief as soon as all traces of Akashi's dark aura diminished. "S-so...let's start then?"

For the next half hour or so, the group of three discussed the details of their future partnership. All traces of the nostalgic atmosphere created from the reunion of the three childhood friends quickly disappeared, replaced by a more serious and professional setting. Kise, to both Akashi and Kuroko's surprise, was a lot more incisive in terms of business. Normally, Kise had a manager to deal with these situations, so his extensive knowledge in the field was quite unexpected. While still retaining his naturally bright persona, Kise showed his tact when explaining his side of the partnership, going over the basics of what he could offer, and what was expected in return. At one point, Akashi noticed that according to Kise's terms, their side of the deal was more beneficial in comparison to Kise's by a wide margin. Of course, he would refuse to say anything about it, much less object. While others may have perceived it as a form of nepotism, Akashi just saw it as another opportunity to use to his advantage.

Apparently, Kuroko had other thoughts. With a frown on his face, he asked. "Kise-kun, isn't this too generous? It's hardly fair for your side, especially in business. I refuse to take advantage over you. Surely Akashi-kun feels the same. "

Kise merely gave Kuroko one of the brightest smiles Akashi had ever seen on the man's face, and Akashi was almost sure he felt a slight tinge of guilt curl in his stomach. "Kurokocchi~! I'm so happy to hear your concern, but please don't worry for me. It's no problem at at all! I'm always happy to help Kurokocchi!" He turned to Akashi happily, though it couldn't compare to the look he gave Kuroko. "Of course, I mean you too Akashicchi!"

"You're too much, please don't be so stupid Kise-kun." Kuroko tried to hide it, but it was evident that he was flattered by Kise's statement. "Let's not get off track. Akashi-kun, please continue from where we left off."

Akashi wasn't enthusiastic about Kuroko ordering him, as he was still spiteful from their previous bantering, but complied nonetheless. As Akashi's company led one of the biggest growing hotel management chains in the nation, he constantly performed takeovers on smaller businesses to keep with the demands it held. He hoped that with partnering up with a promotional agency, it would allow him to get more than he was giving. Fortunately, Kuroko had managed to convince Kise, who was more than willing to provide his assistance. As soon as they were finishing up the details of their agreement, Furihata returned with the tofu soup that he promised for Kise, but went beyond and surprised the trio when he brought an extra for Akashi.

"I noticed how much you enjoyed it, s-so I thought I would bring another." Furihata explained, face flushed in embarrassment. "Um, I didn't mean to impose."

"...thank you." Akashi thanked him. He looked at the soup served especially for him, but made no move to pick it up. He just wasn't used to random acts of kindness; most people who served him, aside from Kuroko, always had some ulterior motive.

"It's no problem at all, sir! It's my pleasure to serve such honorable guests."

"Wah~ our waiter is too kind!" Kise was beaming at Furihata at this point. Then, looking at Akashi, he gave him a disapproving pout. "Akashicchi, eat your soup! Furihatacchi made it just for you!"

"Right…" Akashi was still clearly uncomfortable, but grabbed his spoon and began to pick on his soup.

"-cchi?" Furihata blinked in confusion, looking at Kuroko for an explanation.

"Ignore him Furihata-kun. That's his excuse for giving others a nickname." Kuroko answered him. "Anyway, we will be okay now. It is almost closing time after all. As soon as they finish up, we'll be taking our leave. I assume Kagami has already informed you of our payment."

"Yeah, we got you covered! Hope to see you later then." Furihata replied with a smile. To Kuroko's two friends, he bowed politely. "Thank you for your service, I really hope you enjoyed your meal." Without waiting for a response from the other two, Furihata walked back toward the kitchen.

After a few more minutes of finishing Furihata's soup, the three began to prepare for their departure. Patting his stomach in content, Kise sighed. "Ahhhh, I'm so full! Thanks inviting me Kurokocchi and Akashicchi! I had a great time!"

"Indeed, our meeting was quite…productive." Akashi drawled, as he stood up from his seat. After much humiliation, Akashi discovered some things about his so called "best friend." Reuniting with Kise, despite the business circumstances, was also another point he was grateful for, though he would never admit it out loud.

"Yes, if not for this, then Kise-kun may not have seen Akashi-kun for a longer while." Kuroko pointed out.

As they were about to head out the door, a deep voice called out to them. "Oi, Kuroko!"

Turning his head toward the source of the voice, Kuroko noticed Kagami waving for his attention. "Yes, Kagami-kun?"

"The Seirin guys and I were planning to have a little reunion party. Make sure you show up, got it?" Kagami said casually, a passive face gracing his rough features, however, the earnest hope twinkling in his eyes ruined his intimidating appearance.

Pausing to think for a moment, Kuroko looked up at Kagami thoughtfully before speaking up. "Ok, I will be there."

The tall man's face broke into a grin. "Nice! I'll tell the others then. Later Kuroko!" He waved the teal haired man goodbye, and nodded politely to his company before heading back to close up for the night.

"Ahhh! So Furihatacchi and that tall man must be Kurokocchi's friends from high school then!" Kise exclaimed, clasping his hands in realization.

"...it seems so." Akashi admitted, scratching his chin in thought.

'How did I miss such an obvious conclusion?'

A week passed, and Akashi continued his work without giving Furihata a second thought.

"What is this wallpaper? The design for the main room of the banquet is meant to appear revolutionary. Whatever all this," Akashi seethed, pointing at nothing in particular, "is, looks completely insipid. Fix it now."

"Y-yes sir!" The head of the renovation team complied, and quickly went to work, directing the rest of his crew about the change of plans.

"And you!" He turned toward the designer, still seething in fury. "I hired you for your professional work. What do you take me for? Do you even realize how important this is? This is the last straw, I expect better results by the time I come back again."

"Of course, Akashi-sama!"

"Idiots, all of them." Akashi rubbed his temple, attempting to soothe his headache. "Tetsuya, please look over the rest of the itinerary for the banquet. Some of the caterers we hired to assist are coming over for preparations, and everything needs to be in order."

"Of course." Kuroko reached into his bag to grab a folder, where many of their plans were held. He may have had the habit to occasionally retort back to his boss, but he always obediently followed his orders and got things done.

His eyes browsed through the paper, making sure to look through every fine detail. Looking back up at Akashi, Kuroko frowned. "According to this, almost everything else is running smoothly. Although our plans for later may have to change unfortunately."

"What seems to be the problem? If I remember correctly, it was the caterer himself who planned this date." Akashi frowned.

"Yes, things were fine earlier. However, our caterer we hired for the food is unable to continue his services, and at this point, it's too late notice to hire another one of his status."

"Hm. This is quite a predicament, isn't it? I should put that caterer out of business for comprising us like this. The idiot obviously does not realize how important this is. All of them, incompetent." Akashi grumbled, rubbing his temple. The new situation stirred an unpleasant feeling within Akashi. Despite being a genius, he was still human, and could only be prepared for so much.

Kuroko just sighed. "Akashi-kun, we have bigger problems that plotting revenge. You know that."

Mentally, Akashi was weighing what available options he had. At this point, all he was drawing was a blank, until an image of a peculiar brown haired man appeared in his mind.

"Furihata Kouki…" He whispered unconsciously.

Kuroko did not immediately say anything, but stared at Akashi blankly. "I'm sorry Akashi-kun… but what was that you just said? I'm afraid I may have misheard you."

"I do not like to repeat myself Tetsuya. I know you heard me." Akashi muttered, quite irritated that he let the thought slip from his mouth.

"I just want to make sure I did not mishear you." Kuroko avowed. "I didn't think you were serious the other night."

"I wasn't." Akashi admitted. "I do admit that he caught my attention for a few moments, but they were merely fleeting thoughts. Now I just have no more options. Furihata Kouki will be in charge of the food for our banquet."

"Just don't bully Furihata-kun, please."

As he did not have any time to look up Akashi's schedule, Akashi appeared at the restaurant where he dined with Kise and Kuroko the week before on the same day, and around the same time. Despite being here recently, Akashi was still irked by its prosaic appearance. The restaurant itself was also as empty as he last remembered.

"Oh, hello! Can I help you?" A tall, brown haired man asked, a warm smile on his face. The man appeared to be even taller than that Kagami from before.

While he did not like to be looked down on, especially because of his less than average height, Akashi said nothing about it, and cut straight to the point. "Yes, would Furihata Kouki happen to be present at the moment?"

"Yep, Furihata's here." The man just gave Akashi another smile, but did nothing more.

Akashi looked at the man expectantly, waiting for him to continue. "Well?"

"Well what?" He asked, the same smile still plastered on his face.

At this point, Akashi was openly glaring at the man. "Well, is he available at the moment? I would like to have a word with him."

"Oh!" The man looked thoughtful for a moment, deep in thought, before smiling once again. "He should be running a few rounds right now, but you can wait for him!"

"Then I will wait for him. Your name, what is it?"

"Kiyoshi Teppei!"

"I see... Your assistance was quite helpful. When he comes back, please inform him of my visit." With that, Akashi walked off toward the nearest table and took a seat, waiting for a man he knew nothing about. He never waited for others.

He wasn't sure how long he sat waiting, but he immediately looked up the moment he heard the entrance open. Fortunately, it was indeed the man he was looking for. The short brown haired man walked in with a few bags, and headed straight toward the kitchen.

"Furihata Kouki, I must speak with you." Akashi called out toward him.

Furihata, however, seemed to ignore Akashi's calls, and continued walking forward as if he did not exist. Akashi did not appreciate being ignored, especially after waiting for so long just for him.

"You! I'm talking to you!" Akashi grabbed Furihata's shoulder, gripping on to it tightly, and forcing the slightly smaller man to face himself.

Furihata's eyes immediately widened in surprise and confusion. "A-Akashi-san?"

"So you remember me?" Akashi raised an eyebrow inquisitively, his rage slowly receding. "Why did you choose to ignore me then? Although I do not remember introducing myself to you."

"A-ah, well...you see, I was talking to someone on my bluetooth, so I wasn't really paying attention." Face flushed with embarrassment, he pointed toward the small device in his left ear. "Also, Kuroko-kun comes often after work, talking about you amongst other subjects."

"Interesting indeed...I do hope he didn't say too much, and I suppose your reasoning was logical enough. But it's alright. I'll let it slide." Furihata visibly sighed in relief hearing his words. To that, Akashi smirked. "I wasn't done Furihata Kouki. I do have one condition."

"...you do?" Furihata asked nervously, biting down hard on his bottom lip. "Ok, so what is it?"

"I wish to put your exceptional cooking abilities to use. I want you to be our cater for our upcoming banquet."

"Eh?! I'm not sure... I've heard of your banquet Akashi-san. Isn't it too short notice? Also, why me? I'm not so good..." Furihata at this point looked completely confused.

"Don't worry. You may have anyone of your choice to assist you in the cooking. As this is a big event for the company, I will provide a generous paycheck." Akashi explained. "Also, I was very impressed with your cooking, which led me to you."

Furihata flushed, embarrassed because someone like Akashi openly complimented him like that. "Well, I would gladly accept, however, I know nothing of the upper world. I'm afraid I wouldn't be so good." He sighed, looking downcast.

"Oh, is that all?" Akashi asked nonchalantly, not worried at all. "You worry for nothing Furihata Kouki, I will make sure everything runs smoothly. Be here tomorrow at the same time, I will take you out with me. Do not eat, we are going out for dinner."

With that Akashi walked out of the restaurant, leaving Furihata frozen in place, dumbfounded at the new development.

"Eh? You alright Furihata?" Kiyoshi asked, appearing from nowhere with a pile empty dishes on the tray he was lifting.

Furihata took a seat, just the thought of his predicament left him feeling dizzy. He looked up at Kiyoshi anxiously. "Senpai, what should I do?"

A/N: Yo! Apologies for the wait... I wanted to update before school started, and I have excuses, but it shouldn't matter. Plus, I've been shipping other KnB pairings lately(Kuroko/Izuki & Aomine/Momoi), so it's been hard to write for these two when there were other ideas floating in my head waiting to be written... buuut, that problem is solved, so next time should hopefully not be as long to update, but I don't want to promise something I can't deliver! This chapter isn't the most exciting, but things should pick up in the next few chapters. Oh, and thanks to all who read and enjoyed last chapter. You're all so kind! For those who reviewed, I try to reply to everyone, but I know I missed a few of you, so thank you! :D