Chapter 2: Checkered Uncle? Oh, Cool House.

"... What?"

The Checkered guy chuckled, "Oh come on now, I know you have some questions, come with me, have some fresh ramen and a home-y place?" The man extended his hand to him. Kuroko, as a mystery novel fan, slapped the other's hand and (uncharacteristically) scowled, why? he's a devoted mystery novel fan, he saw many scenes in his novels with that kind of line- mostly are saying 'Come with me'- and getting abducted(kidnapped, raped, tortured, experimented and killed-), that's why.

Also, it's raining. That kind of scenario is too cliché even for him.

"If you're thinking I'm going to accept and go with you, I'll apologize," he bowed, "I already rented a place near-"

"Near Namimori shrine, nine blocks away from Namimori Highschool, yes I know, Kuroko-kun." The guy chuckled, his round glasses gleamed, "The place you rented is your Grandma's, right? It's been five years since she left here and gone to Tokyo with your family, I've been keeping her house since. Maybe a little gratitude will be satisfying?"

The man extended his hand again, Kuroko sighed; It's almost annoying as Kise, he stopped that train of thoughts before he might feel distress, and him, accepted the hand, but a sudden violet- no, Indigo mist surrounded him as he was eaten by 'it'.

"I'm sorry, Kuroko-kun, but it must be done."

Darkness surrounds him, he can't move, can't see. He can feel he's naked right now caused by the coldness swept over him, a heavy pressure nailed down at him, with combination of cool air and smell of rotten bodies, he is totally sure he's in grave danger right now, clinking chains echoed, as a voice sliced through in,

"Who are you, boy? You're not in the Mafia, why are you here?"

The voice suddenly sounds right infront of him, "I see that you're lost."

The voice grabbed his left hand and stared, he can feel the cold hands trailed over him, then a sudden cold yet hot sensation flowed through his left hand, making the voice gasps,

"Wait, You look like him, y-you must be the..."

The voice became quiet, then a small light appeared, "... You're still not yet ready, come back when you are."

Before the unconsciousness took over him, he is totally sure he saw bandages covered the face of the man that talked to him earlier, with tophat and he's quite small, with a weird necklace of clear and colourless pacifier hanging around his neck.

"-uroko-kun? Kuroko-kun? I guess you're alright, your eyes are wide open now."

Kuroko blinked, staring right to the other's rust coloured eyes, then he gasped, reaching for some air, did he just forgot to breathe?

"... Wha-?" Kuroko croaked, then he massaged his neck, "What happened and what did you do?" Then he closed his eyes, "Just who are you?"

"I am Kawahira." The man- Kawahira- smiled fondly? "I just showed you something, but I don't know what happened for I am not with you there. Would you kindly tell me?"

"No." Kuroko answered passively, face not showing his emotion. The man chuckled and lifted a finger to his lips, "Hush now, but change your clothes first then eat. I'll answer your questions later on."

Kawahira bowed and headed outside of the room, Kuroko took it as the chance to glance around. 'Normal, too normal for my liking.'

Normal room, he's currently laying in a futon, walls coloured in coffee cream theme, and a small table at the center, 'Traditional Japanese style.' he noted, then a whiff of aroma made his nose twitch. He turned around and snorted. 'A salt ramen. He really gave me a ramen.' He noticed a pile of clothes next to the food, 'A black yukata?'

He shrugged and undressed himself, then grabbed the black yukata.

'Now that I noticed, why is he acting like he knows me?'

An impassively blank face clashed with a grinning close-eyed face. Sitting in seiza, Kuroko put down his assam tea from the coffee table in front of them. He looked at the man across him.

"So, you are my supposed-to-be... uncle?" Kuroko stated, the other just nodded. A small sigh came out from his mouth. "And my parents didn't know that you are my uncle that exists?"

"Yes, or rather they didn't know me." The other answered, smiling.

"... I see." Kuroko muttered, then asks, "How can you prove yourself that you're my uncle?"

"I'm your grandmother's best friend."

"... You're old."

"I'm older than her and her parents."

"... Oh." Kuroko then furrowed his eyebrows, "But, it doesn't make any sense to me."

"What do you mean?" The other asked him, eyebrows raised.

"That you're my uncle. You're not my Mother or Father's brother." Kuroko stated, staring directly at Kawahira.

"Don't worry, Kuroko-kun." Kawahira spoke, "Even though I'm not your uncle by blood, I can still be your uncle."

"I see. But, are you really my grandmother's friend?"

Kawahira tilted his head, "Yes I am or... maybe?"

Then their conversation ended.

"Ah. By the way, you're currently in my house. I can send you home if you want."

"Please and thank you, uncle."

The two walked down the block, Kuroko with tensed shoulder while Kawahira with relaxed posture,

"You know you can relax with me." The latter spoke, Kuroko just looked at him,

"I still don't trust you."

Kawahira smiled, "I know, and I'll make you trust me before you attend your High School life."

Kuroko nodded, "Good luck."

"Thank you. Ah, here we are." Kawahira halted, looking directly forward, Kuroko followed the older man's gaze and observed the supposedly now his house.

First, it screams 'TRADITIONAL.' when he looked at the Japanese style gate or door way, leading from the quite big two-storey house with white walls and black bricks, dark brown coloured roof and a koi pond, they proceeded to go inside as he observe the area.

It's home-y place, he must admit, warm radiating from the house, trees, bushes and flowers all over the place. They followed the stone path way leading to the said house, then Kawahira halted.

"This is where I'll stop. Oh, here's your luggage and clothes," He raised his hands and flames erupted beside him? Then there stood the wet clothes above the luggage, he glanced at it then-

"Enjoy your stay."

Kuroko looked at Kawahira again, but he saw no-one.

"... Thank you?"

Kuroko unpacked his clothes from the black luggage- he folded the clothes and put it inside of the small drawer. He's inside of his room now (he noticed, although, the house look so traditional inside, the inside looks modern enough for him.), his bedroom is neat, a carpeted-floor coloured with desert sand, walls painted with white and dark turquoise, a white king size bed with dark blue blanket covering it, beside it is the said small white drawer, across the room is a human size mirror with blue borders, also a white cabinet, two windows, there's also a cyan coloured coffee table and a blue coloured loveseat; indeed, it's really a home-y place to live in.

He brought his basketball, and an album- photo album, to be specific- he looked around the room, there he noticed a frame without a photo on it, he stood up and unhooked the frame, 'What photo should I place- ah. Here.' he pulled out a photo of the Teiko's first string basketball club, him, Momoi, Akashi, Midorima, Kise, Aomine and Murasakibara, even Nijimura and Haizaki is on the background, the latter looks like yelling while the former looked bored.

A ghost smile spreads from his lips then he put the photo inside the frame, he almost hooked the frame from the dark turquoise wall when he noticed a square shaped that looked like a small compartment where the frame was hooked on.

Curiosity reigns him as he tapped it, it echoes, 'Made of wood, not cement. Excellent work though, it blends from the wall.' he pulled the wood, and it didn't budge, 'What?' he pulled again with all of his strength, then it moves, '1.5 cm from the wall, are you kidding m-' his thoughts went cut short when he heard a click behind him, he turned around and noticed that the small drawer opens, 'What kind of phenomenon is this?'

He walked towards the drawer and observed, there he saw the small shaped circle withdrawn few centimeters from the drawer, he pulled it out, 'A key? Wait. Holy- this must be the key from the basement of Dr. Jaeger's-! No. Tetsuya? Focus, please.'

He grabbed the key and noticed a small sticky-note attached from it.

[HEAD TOWARDS THE COMPARTMENT. THERE'S MAGIC INSIDE IT.]

'...'

Nonetheless, he gone back towards the compartment.

magically, there's a key hole from the center 'How? There's no key hole on there earlie-'

Then he was smacked by the nonexistent air, he touched his cheek and there's also a sticky note glued on his face?

[just dO IT.]

He sighed and complied.

He unlock the compartment and pulled the wood. Surprisingly, it opens, revealing a small metallic chest.

He unlocked the chest with the same key and found a note, it's not sticky anymore, thank God.

[Wear it, it helps. It's stylish also. -Your Uncle]

'Damn you uncle.'

He crumbled the note and looked inside, inside of it is a ring made of iron? Silver? Maybe silver, with an oval shaped indigo gem.

'Cool, I guess?'

And so on, he wore it.

He went down from the outside of his bedroom, the second floor with balcony and strangely, four guest rooms, to the stairs(with picture frames hanging) and to the salas.

The living room is pleasing for the eyes, with dirty blue sofa and two loveseat with the same colour, there's also a white coffee table on the center. Across the room there is the flat screen t.v., and few shelves with books, oddly clean and seems to look brand new, when you look at the right there's the kitchen, neat and refreshing. The walls are patterned with dark blue and cream white colours.

The floor is tiled with black. No speck of dust can be seen, he went straight outside.

Green. As in there's grass everywhere, styled bushes, and trees, and a koi pond there.

His wooden flip flops crushed the grass as he walked, his yukata flowed gently; enjoying the breeze. Oh. The groceries. He forgot.

And so he went to the Namimori supermarket.

"Oof!"

Until he bumped into a kid. Kuroko hastily bent down, his black yukata folded from the pressure of his weight,

"Are you alright, child?" Kuroko asked the kid, he stared from a while observing the younger, big brown eyes, brown fluffy hair and slightly tanned skin. The kid stared at him before answering,

"I-I'm alright... Sir." Kuroko still observed him, 'Injuries and cuts littered from his body, some of them are even bleeding. Who are his parents? He even looks like eleven or twelve.'

"Say, where's your parents?" Kuroko asked with serenity, the child looked at him before pointing towards the supermarket,

"S-somewhere there." Kuroko looked at him confused, 'Did he lost his parents by any chance?' He stood up, offering the child a hand, "Will you accompany me then to search for your parents?"

The child nodded, while Kuroko cringed inwardly, 'He's too trusting.'

"Thank you, mister! Really, thank you. You see, Tsu-kun is really clumsy and he's still eleven, Oh! You're buying groceries! Here, let me pay it up for you as my gratitude." A lady with chest-nut hair, bowed towards him while the said child blushing whilst hiding behind the lady.

"No, no. It's fine miss-"

"Sawada Nana."

"-Sawada-san, I'm Kuroko Tetsuya by the way- I'm grateful for that offer but I must decline-"

"I insist Kuroko-san!" And she pointed a look he knew very well courtesy of Momoi. If you defy that 'look', the quotation of: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned is going to be true.

In the end, Nana bought the grocery, while Kuroko carried them, the child is clinging to Nana.

"Ah, this is my son, Tsunayoshi. Tsu-kun, say hello to Kuroko-san."

The child squirms, and hides behind his mother, "Hello, Kuroko-san."

He smiled, and spoke, "You can call me without the -san, Tsunayoshi-kun, same to you Sawada-san."

Nana hummed, "Then call me Nana, Kuroko-kun."

"Well then, Nana-san."

Kuroko settled in a couch, being the guest of the Sawada household, Nana walked towards him and placed a lemon juice infront of him.

"You are a soon-to-be Highschool student, yes?" Nana asked him, he nodded,

"Yes I am."

Nana hummed, "Do you have any plans for this vacation?"

"None for a while."

"I see, Kuroko-san, would you be the teacher for Tsu-kun for the time being? Teach him his past lessons and an advanced one?"

XEN A/N: Yep, X-Heiz here, some of the scenes are not quite described, my vocabulary are not that quite large yet. Yet.

I know there's some mistakes. Please inform me by messaging?