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Akashi knew that he was perfect for Kuroko. From the moment that they crossed paths for the first time, he could feel his heart light up- after so many years poking and prodding it, waiting for something to happen. And his heart starting working- for the very first time in his life.
And, with that, Akashi Seijuurou was in love. A winding, sinking, consuming kind of love. He had even begun to love the things that his love left behind- but he didn’t leave behind much. He always cleaned up after himself. It was the small things like that that made Akashi fall even farther into love with him.
He could only collect small things, such as a dropped pencil or piece of discarded paper.
He always kept a sharp eye on his love.
He didn’t want his love to run away from him, into someone else’s arms.
One day, oh that day, he pieced together that Midorima Shintarou was getting...too close to Kuroko. He had been watching Kuroko for as long as he cared to remember, but what had...changed between had been what had clued Akashi in. Their interactions would seem harmless if you were not looking closely.
Which is just what Akashi had decided to do when he was watching them in the library as they shelved books. It was after hours on a Friday afternoon, and since they were both on the library committee, they were working in the library together. As they were working, Akashi was watching Kuroko, as he had been doing for several weeks now.
He liked Midorima- they had become good friends during their time in high school together, getting acquainted with each other before Midorima had unfortunately had to switch classes. Well, as good as friends as you can become when your heart can’t feel.
The green-haired male just seemed intent on helping Kuroko, but that was it, just helping...until Akashi noticed the glances that Midorima was shot Kuroko when he wasn’t looking. They were glances full of words that wanted to be spilled.
So Akashi started watching Midorima. Which led him to here, hiding in a library while he watched Midorima interact with Kuroko, red hot rage pumping through his blood with every glance that Midorima shot him, eyes surely twitching in their sockets, one shining gold, the other one shining a blood red. But, at the same time, despair shot through his veins, colder then any ice, because...Kuroko sent those looks back. Neither of them noticed the obvious mutual attraction between them, which Akashi thought that extremely tangible and thick enough to cut with a knife.
When it turned six o’clock, time for both males to leave, as Kuroko grabbed his bag and started walking out of the door, Midorima reached out for him- and nearly touched his shoulder - as if he was trying to pull Kuroko to him, before he reached back- Don’t touch him, don’t you dare try - suddenly, as if he just reconsidered a badly thought out plan.
“Are you coming Midorima-kun?” Kuroko called out, swiveling around to look at Midorima as he did so.
Midorima shook his head rapidly, and Akashi noticed the slight blush on his cheeks, “You can start making your way home without me. I just remembered that I had something else to do and I wouldn’t want to hold you up.”
Kuroko tilted his head slightly- knowingly - before he turned back around.
For a second, their eyes met.
Akashi stayed perfectly still, refusing to breathe. Kuroko looked away from his hiding spot in less than a second, but that second was glorious. Akashi could feel the fireworks exploding inside her head, igniting all of his nerves, setting him on fire- a feeling that he always denied himself when he was being watched.
The euphoria still lingered before Midorima walked into his field of view, quiescence instantly disappearing as the green-haired male walked out of the room. As he walked out, a poorly shoved planner fell out of his bag, hitting the ground with a small thump- which was unheard behind the already closed doors.
Akashi waited, one minute, two minutes, four, until he was sure that Midorima wasn’t coming back for the planner before he crept out his hiding place, snatching up the book. Rage bubbled up inside of him as he touched something that was owned by someone so...detestable.
He flipped through the planner quickly eager to get it out of his hands, until he got to one page which only had one sentence written it it. This week’s plan.

Friday: Profess love- affection might have better results- to Kuroko Tetsuya.

No. Akashi’s blood boiled as he shoved the book into his bag, stalking out of school as he ignored the few people that he came across. He can’t do that . Akashi snapped to himself as he made his way home on foot. While he did so, he kept on flipping through the book idly. Most of the pages were filled with what you would find in a planner. Dates when homework was assigned, dates were Midorima thought the homework should be finished. Although, for the past couple of weeks, there was only one things in them, on Friday, but they had been scratched out.When Akashi got home, he burned the notebook in the fireplace and began to plan.
Monday:Over the weekend, Akashi used all his time to figure out what could be done for Midorima- or rather, how to do it. What he was going to do was decided the moment that Midorima reached out to touch Kuroko- or maybe it was the first time that Midorima felt affection for Kuroko, or so he called it.
Akashi felt more than affection and wasn’t afraid to show it at all. In fact, he was honored that he felt strong enough for Kuroko that he would go to such lengths for him.
Shintarou is a creature of habit . Akashi thought as he reviewed what he knew of Midorima’s schedule. It was the same everyday, first he would go to his classes, then to lunch where they- he, Midorima, Takao, and Kuroko- all ate together, then to his classes again, then after he was done, he would proceed to the library.
Akashi finished writing everything that he needed in his planner- from Midorima’s schedule, to the location of his house and so on and so forth- just as he got a text on his phone. It vibrated softly, grabbing his attention for a second, eyes bleary from the lack of sleep throughout the weekend.
It had a high chance of being Hayama, asking him something or other. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the fact that the chirpy boy was willing to send a whole stream of texts if Akashi didn’t reply in ten seconds, Akashi wouldn’t even bother to answer.
As he picked up the phone, Akashi noticed that the call wasn’t from Hayama, but from an unknown number.

Unknown number: Akashi Seijuurou, isn’t it?

Unknown number: I saw you stake out your classmate’s house.

Unknown number: Midorima Shintarou, was it?

Akashi: And what of it is your business?

Akashi: I would recommend that you leave me alone. I don’t think that it would end up well for you if you don’t.

Unknown number: I notice a lot of things that you do.

Unknown number: Such as the looks that you shoot Tetsuya when you think that no one is looking.

Akashi: Do not call him that. Ever. Again.

Unknown number: Don’t get snappy with me.

Unknown number: I have a proposition for you.

Unknown number: You do the tasks I tell you to, and I don’t tell anyone about this conversation.

Akashi: What would you have me do if I was to agree?

Unknown number: Small things, like peddling cigarettes around or spreading rumors.

Unknown number: Things that can be easily explained away.

Unknown number: Nothing that would permanently damage your rep.

Akashi: And what else will do you do for me in return?

Unknown number: I can track people using their phones.

Unknown number: You can use me to find your target.

Unknown number; I assume that we have a deal?

Akashi: Yes we do Info-chan.

Unknown number: Don’t go congratulating yourself yet, it was easy to find out my alias.

Unknown number: And I can see that you haven’t gotten out of your house yet.

Unknown number: Get going.

Unknown number: You’re going to be late soon.

Akashi looked at his phone for a minute more, waiting for Info-chan to say anything else before he erased the conversation from his phone and traveled to school, choosing to eat in the limousine and being on time over eating at home and arriving late to school.
Info-chan was somewhat of a legend at Teiko High. A person, behind the scenes, who had power behind everything. No one ever saw their face, but everyone had a good idea of where she worked. On the third floor, there was a room that had curtains covering every window, but whenever someone looked inside, they could see lines of monitors on the desk.
They never saw Info-chan theirself, however.
Akashi told his driver to drop him off around the corner of the school, stepping out and closing his phone as he did so, having looked at the app that had just downloaded into his phone. It looked like a simple map app, but as Akashi poked around, he found that there was a ‘target input’ option. He typed in Midorima Shintarou, and there was a marker that was instantly placed over the school.
This promises to be helpful. Akashi thought before his eyes drifted to the time on a clock in front of the school, his transportation long gone. His shoulders lifted and he let out a deep breath to calm his nerves. He was just under one hour early, unlike Info-chan had said.
He gritted his teeth and walked forwards as he did so, placing his bookbag in his locker. As his phone buzzed, his hand snapped down and opened his phone.

Unknown number: You fell for it.

Akashi deleted the message and instead of crafting revenge for Info-chan, decided to spend his time searching the school and find easy ways to get rid of
Midorima. There was an incinerator outside, and it was on at random hours during the day, so no one would bat an eye if it was on...but it was surrounded by the school delinquents, who were willing to get into fights with anyone that wasn’t one of them.
Since Akashi had recently had a falling out with their leader and subsequently got him suspended from school, they were sure to beat him down on sight.
So that option was out.
Akashi glanced at one of the art club members as he walked up the stairs. They blocked all of the hallways on the second floor, so that was out of the option as well.This first floor storage closets were frequented by various members of the science club, so hiding a body there until he was able to take it to incinerator was out of the option as well. Though there was an abandoned instrument case in one that could be used to store a body…
But that would be difficult and left too much to chance, so his main options for places to get rid of Midorima were: the roof where he was out of sight, or the third floor, which had the science club classroom. There was also the fountain which resided in the complete center of the school, but it was always surrounded by group of talking students, at least when school was in session.
Akashi winced to himself as he scoped out the roof. To his...disapproval, it wasn’t empty, even if school started in another half hour. I will have to use...unconventional methods to get rid of Shintarou . Akashi thought as he made his way back down the stairs. As he did that, he ran into one of his classmates, Reo Mibuchi, who seemed to have curlers in hi-her hair.
“Sei-chan!” She chirped as she hugged Akashi, elongated eyelashes in today, “You’re early today!” Akashi let out a small smile, his genderfluid classmate always knew how to cheer him up if he was in a black mood.
But it wasn’t as if he was in a black mood.
“I assume that I adjusted my alarm too early-”
“Did you stay up all night again Sei-chan?” Reo interrupted, bobbing Akashi on the nose as she leaned forwards, until she and Akashi were face to face, “You know that that’s not good for you!” Akashi swatted her hand away.
“I’m fine. I got some more sleep than usual over the weekend to make up for me skipping sleep tonight.” Akashi lied smoothly, checking his phone for the time. Now he only had ten minutes before school started.
“Oh, that’s good Sei-chan!” Reo chirped, patting Akashi on the shoulder before turning back around, pulling the curlers out of her hair as she went, “School starts soon so make sure that you’re ready~”
Akashi let out a breath that he hadn’t known that he had been holding. Reo had an uncanny ability to see through people, and Akashi knew, now more than ever, that he did not want to be seen through.
“Oh, hello Akashi.” Akashi turned around as he heard a very familiar voice. Midorima was barely five steps away from him. Akashi’s blood boiled at the sight of him. I wonder hard how it would be to wrap my hands around his throat and choke him out right here, until his brain loses oxygen.
“Hello Shintarou.” Akashi snapped as him, easing down his glare so that he wasn’t making the other male take a step back, “It is early isn’t it?” Midorima looked away for a second to check his phone.
“Not for me.” He replied, “I’m right on time. I usually arrive a bit early so I can shelf some books that come in over the weekend.”
The bell rung just as Akashi was about to reply. Both men said their goodbyes- or in Akashi’s case: dismissals- before they went their separate ways to their classes.
“Akashi!” Hayama bounded up to him and nearly knocked him over, “It’s Monday~”
“I hope that knowledge is widely known…” Akashi noted as he walked over to sit in his seat, focusing on his teacher as Nijimura Shuuzou walked in.
“Good morning class.” Nijimura greeted.
“Good morning sensei!” They all responded before they got to work with their lessons.
Lunch was torture. Completely pain, no pleasure.
Akashi silently screamed as he sat beside Kuroko, who kept shooting glance at Midorima, who did the same, both thinking that neither of them noticed. They ignored that fact that their table was completely silent and instead thought to think of their lust for each other.
Akashi was disgusted.
While they sat down to eat, Akashi moved his attention from Kuroko, to watch Takao, a close friend of Midorima. The raven-haired male was eating his food quietly, sending annoyed and desperate glances at Midorima while he did.
Akashi held his smile inside. Oh so Kazunari has a crush on Shintarou? Thad explains the rickshaw. Now, to get them apart long enough to get rid of Shintarou.
“Is everything alright Kazunari?” Akashi asked as he ignored Midorima and Takao as he leaned forwards to talk to Takao, “You seem...off today.”
Takao shot him a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “I’m fine.” He tilted his head, probably hoping that the movement would hide his insincerity, “Nothing’s wrong.”
Then he shot Midorima a look and a dark shadow spread across his face.
Just a little more. Akashi thought as he took a bite of his food, I have a week after all.
“Goodbye class. I hope that you have a good afternoon.”
“Goodbye Nijimura-senpai!” They all chanted. Akashi packed up his stuff, waiting for everyone else to leave before him before he glanced around the classroom, and, seeing that no one was there to follow him, went to one corner of the classroom, checking out the chemicals closet.

There are some caustic acids in here...but Nijimura-senpai would know if something was taken for sure.

I need a container.

Akashi closed the closet and grabbed his stuff, walking out of the classroom with a faked air of ease.
I need to make a plan. He thought as he went down to the library to watch Midorima and Kuroko, to make sure that neither of them were making any moves on each other.
Tuesday:
Akashi woke up to his phone buzzing.

Unknown number: I have a job for you today.

Unknown number: You’re going to be peddling cigarettes for me.

Unknown number: Look outside the school, around the back.

Unknown number: There will be a packet of cigarettes on the ground.

Unknown number: Deliver them to Aida Riko.

Akashi waited a couple more seconds before proceeding to delete the message.
What time is it? He thought to himself as his eyes flicked up towards the time, at the top of his screen. Same time as yesterday...but I can’t peddle cigarettes in a school full of students. Akashi slipped out of bed, took his shower, and dressed himself.
After that, he ate breakfast- eggs with buttered toast, before walking out the door, telling his driver that he was going to school. As he arrived, he let the driver drop him off in front of school, knowing that no one of any importance was at school at this hour.
Akashi passed by the sakura trees that lined the ground leading up to the school, and instead of walking inside the building, took a sharp left and made his way around. There’s no one at the incinerator at this hour… . When he reached the back of the building, as Info-chan said, there was a packet of cigarettes on the ground. Maybe I can visit the third floor today.
Aida Riko was a teacher at Teiko High. And cigarettes are not allowed on school grounds, Akashi thought as he made his way back into the building, you could get expelled for that. He peeked his head inside the teacher’s lounge, question in mind if it was occupied, but it was empty.
Aida Riko always sits...here, wasn’t it? Akashi opened the drawer, but before doing so, posted a sticky note saying ‘Aida Riko’ on it, and dropping the cigarettes inside, making his way out of the room quickly.
Since he didn’t have Info-chan’s number, he couldn’t simply tell them that he had done it. I guess it’s time for my visit up to the third floor. As he walked up the last steps, he nearly knocking into Wei Liu, the leader of the Science Club.
“Hello Akashi.” He greeted, “How art thou?” He had the appear of mild distaste on his face, as usual, but since Akashi knew it was just his regular face, he didn’t take any offense.
“I’m fine, but I do have somewhere to be at this moment.” He sidestepped the taller student and kept on walking, carefully listening for any footsteps behind him. As he heard none, he continued on to the north wing, peeling back the curtains from a covered room.
“Go along now. There’s nothing for you here.” A voice said- but Akashi didn’t know if it was male or female, Akashi squinted through the window. It was hard to tell, but it looked like a girl with red hair, not unlike him, “I know what you have done for me, now go along now.”
Akashi closed the curtain after a few more minutes went by and she didn’t say anything else.

So that’s what Info-chan sounds like. Interesting.

After checking the time, Akashi quickly made his way to his classroom, the school quickly filling up. He slipped into his class just in time, held up several times by his fellow schoolmates that decided that now, two minutes away from class starting, was a good time to start saying hello and good morning, and such.
“Sei-chan!” Mibuchi chirped, no eyelashes or lipstick on today, he put his hands on his hips, “You were nearly late!”
“What were you doing?” Nebuya asked, flexing his muscles as he did so, “You’re never late.”
“As you might remember-” Akashi snapped, lowering his eyelids to glare at them, “I am not late. School had still yet to start-”
“Good morning class.”
“Good morning Nijimura-senpai!”
Akashi spent his lunch talking to Takao again. If he wanted to get Midorima alone, he needed to widen the gap between the two of them, enough so that something can happen to one of them without Akashi needing to kill the both of them.
Takao shot rueful looks at Midorima, even through the time that Akashi was talking to him.
Akashi smirked to himself as he kept on letting lies flow through Takao’s ears.
“I saw Midorima and Kuroko walking home last Friday. Is that why you didn’t go with him? Because he didn’t want you there?”
“I thought they weren’t going to be here today, I heard them making plans to eat on the roof. I wonder if it was…well, whatever reason that they had, it isn’t important.”
“I wonder if Midorima believes in the myth of the Sakura Tree. Confess to someone that you like under it, and they’ll accept your confession- no questions asked. He’s been looking there more than normal after all.”
By the end of lunch, a dark shadow had covered Takao’s face, and he refused to say anything else to anyone, throughout the whole lunch.
“Goodbye. I hope you have a good afternoon class.”
“Goodbye Nijimura-senpai!” The class responded, packing up their stuff as they left the room. Akashi left with everyone else this time, flanked by Hayama and Nebuya.
“I have to leave now.” He announced, stopping while they walked out of school, trying to shout over each other. Both boys said their goodbyes as Akashi turned around and walked back to the library to watched Midorima and Kuroko.
Both boys were there for hours as Akashi watched them, shelving books and sharing glances. Once, Kuroko nearly looked at him. Akashi would have loved to hold the stare, but he was sure that Kuroko would never talk to him again if he knew that Akashi was watching him with such a strong intent.
Once they started to leave, instead of following Kuroko to his house- which was the much more preferable option- he followed Midorima- who seemed very confused when Takao wasn’t there with the rickshaw that they both used.
Thankfully, since Midorima was on foot, he was much easier to follow then he would have been if Takao was carting him around on a rickshaw.
Midorima lived in a manor, the land belonging to the Midorima’s ever since they settled in Japan. As Midorima walked through the gates, Akashi used the pathway that he had used the last time, I need to make sure that no one can do this to us. I need to talk to Father about that when he gets home, he thought as he moved some bricks at the back, making a hole that was big enough to slip through.
Thankfully, the house had vines growing from that back that only had an unoccupied forest to watch him as he climbed up and looked through Midorima’s window.
Midorima was sitting at his desk, thankfully not facing him, and neither did his bedroom door, so it anyone was to walk in, all they would see was a green-haired male, not a redhead looking through a slightly ajar window, holding on to some trailing vines.
Just as Akashi had had enough and was about to let go and see if Kuroko needed some help with anything- his mother came in.
“You child!” She said, face taught with anger as she shook her finger, “Didn’t your father and I tell you to come down at five to eat, you worthless thing!
“You think that you’re so smart,” She ranted, as Midorima’s face crumbled, “Has all the praise that we’ve given you gone up to your head?” Midorima looked tortured as his mother screamed at him. Tear him down. I want to see him destroyed.
Akashi smiled as Midorima’s mother screamed at him until her son was so beaten down that tears were running down his face. Oh, I didn’t know Shintarou could cry- nevertheless that much. I wonder if he would cry if I killed Takao in front of him? Would he jump off his roof?
“Shintarou dear.” Midorima’s mother suddenly stopped her rant, “Wipe your tears, your sister is coming up.” Faster than Akashi thought she could move, she had turned Midorima around so the both of them were facing the desk, not the door.
“You’re doing so well Shintarou.” She chirped, glancing behind her for a second, “I’m so happy that you’re so smart. I hope your sister will get better at school and by just like you! Don’t you Shintarou?” She asked, placing her hands on his shoulders.
Midorima took a couple of deep breaths in, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to flow.
“Don’t you?” His mother hissed, and Akashi watched as she let her nails curl into his skin when he didn’t reply fast enough.
“I do.” He muttered as his chest heaved.

So this is Shintarou’s home life. I wonder what Kazunari would do if I told him about it? Would he hate Shintarou for not telling him?

Wednesday:

Akashi: Would you be opposed to meeting up with me after school. You will still have time to shelf books afterward.

Shintarou: The invitation is unexpected, but I would love to come by. What activities do you have in mind?

Akashi closed his phone and deleted the conversation, completely.
He couldn’t have anything that led back to a murder after all.
He took his time in the morning, every step made with a purpose in mind. He used a special perfume to leave on the body- taken from his mother’s room. He took his father’s leather gloves- there shouldn't be any blood on the crime scene- but water would be hard to get off the gloves.
He also took a spare set of clothes, to make sure that if Midorima spat on him- anything- it couldn’t be traced back to him.
When Akashi got to school, he got to his class just before it started again. He went through his day in a daze, anticipating the end of the day, when Kuroko would be just his again.
“You wanted me Akashi?” Midorima asked as he walked up to Akashi, who had placed himself by the fountain.
Akashi smiled at him, but Midorima looked taken aback, as if he hadn’t expected it at all. Which is expected, since he had no idea why Akashi was so happy. Not as if Akashi was going to tell him, Midorima was going to find that out on his own.
“I didn’t want you Shintarou.” Akashi whispered, Midorima walked forwards so that he could hear Akashi better, “I just wanted to talk to you about something.”
Midorima looked weary, “What is it that you wanted to ask me?” He asked tentatively.
Akashi smiled.
“Come a little closer and I’ll tell you.”
Midorima’s eyebrows furrowed as he stepped forwards.
“What do you see in the fountain Shintarou?” Akashi asked. Midorima gave him an odd look but leaned forwards nonetheless.
“Nothing. Can I-”
“Look harder Shintarou.” Midorima glanced at him again before he leaned into even close, face nearly touching the water. Akashi blood boiled when he realized that Midorima was ready.
“What are you talking ab-” Midorima was cut off when Akashi shoved his face into the water.
It took a second. For a moment, Akashi thought it was going to be easy.
But Midorima put up a fight. His hands flailed as he tried to fight against Akashi’s grip, tearing to tear his head back out of the water. He kicked his legs out and managed to catch Akashi’s crotch, giving him a few seconds of reprieve.
Midorima took the time to swirl around, eyes wide- before he even had the thought to run. His lucky item fell out of his pocket which Akashi pocketed.
“Why?” He asked, throat horse, maybe hoping to distract Akashi.
“Kuroko is mine not yours.” Before Midorima could process that Akashi had just said- Akashi had dunked him back over so that his eyes were watching Akashi’s own as Midorima drowned, no leverage to pull him out this time.
Finally, having drowned Shintarou for several minutes, he finally went into hypoxia, water finally filling up his airways and making it certain that he would never get up.
“Akashi?” A petrified voice called out to Akashi. Akashi turned around, ready, blood boiling his his veins, lighting all of his senses on fire. He had never felt so alive in his life.
It was Takao standing there. He was shaking heavily while Akashi just watched him, as calm as he could be.
Takao turned around to run- but he looked back for a second. And in that second, Akashi was on him, holding him down.
“You-You’re going to kill me to aren’t you?” Takao asked, voice almost a whisper as Akashi wrapped his hands around his throat, suffocating him, “You’re going to strangle me.” He rasped out, matter of fact, as he lost air.
“No.” Akashi smiled, eyes wide as he released Takao’s throat. Takao stared at him in horror as Akashi took Midorima’s scissors and stabbed it into Takao’s shoulder.
Takao gasped, the shock of the situation settled in as he began breathing faster.
His mouth open to scream-
And Akashi snipped off his tongue so that he couldn’t scream, cutting through thick muscle and flesh.
A river of blood filled Takao’s mouth, choking him as he finally- finally - started to fight back- but too late. Akashi got off of Takao and allowed him to stand up, uniform dampened by blood, but he only took a step back before Akashi lunged forwards and stabbed him in the stomach.
Takao fell to the ground again, bleeding out as Akashi stood over him. Gray eyes flickered to the right for a moment, before they were wrenched back forwards as a sharp pain flared through his body, starting from his head.
But that pain lasted for only a moment.
Then Takao Kazunari died.

I’m covered in blood. There’s gallons of it.

Akashi though as he raised a hand- which was stained in Takao’s blood. The other hand was still glued to the scissors that protruded from Kazunari’s head.
A violent laugh left Akashi’s mouth as he lifted the scissors out of Takao’s head, sinking it back into his chest without a second thought. Then he did it again.
And again.
And again.
Until the ground
was covered
in
the
remains
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Akashi came back to his senses slowly, first feeling the grass beneath him before feeling the blood that was clotting it.
Akashi sighed once he remembered what he had done.
I can’t hide two bodies. He thought forlorn as he went over to Midorima’s corpse, using the scissors to cut out his left eyes. Left eye, left handed. Then he went over to Takao’s corpse. Right eye, right handed.
He stuffed the eyes into his pocket quickly before he left, quickly cleaning off and changing into different clothes, throwing his old clothes into the incinerator- the delinquents didn’t care for someone disposing of something random. For all they cared, it could be a dildo. They didn’t care to report anyone to the teachers.
He also took the time to take their phones and completely erase all evidence of them meeting up. He couldn’t have this lead back to him, he loved Kuroko and if this led back to him and Kuroko would never love him.
He then beelined for the library, hoping that Kuroko was still there so that they could talk.But Kuroko wasn’t there.
Akashi searched the whole library, wondering if he wasn’t looking in the right place because Kuroko was never invisible to him like he was to other students. Thoroughly confused, Akashi started to search the whole school, before he found the blue-haired male at a door.
“Hello Akashi-kun.” Kuroko greeted, “I was just about to go look for Midorima-kun, I don’t know why he hasn’t-” Kuroko opened the door and stopped dead. That was before he fainted.
Akashi scrambled over to Kuroko, picking him up gently before dragging him away from the door, so that wouldn’t be the first thing that he saw when he woke up.
“911?” He asked as he dialed the police on his phone, “I’m at Teiko High. There has been two murders.”
I should have found a way to get rid of the bodies . Akashi ruefully thought as he and Kuroko were finally released from the police station once it was confirmed that neither of them had any part in the murders.
Kuroko stumbled into him as they walked together, still clearly in shock.
“Akashi-kun,” He dug his fingers into Akashi’s sleeve, “Take me home.” Akashi laid his head on top of Kuroko, the smile that split his face in two unseen.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Akashi walked into school with a small spring in his step before his phone buzzed. He kept on walking, all the way to the back of the school, the schedule long imprinted in his mind. Info-chan would call him, and he would go to the back of the school to do whatever they wanted.

They knew that he had murdered two people, so it wasn’t like he could get out of their arrangement. Well... not without killing Info-chan of course.

Akashi shivered as he thought of the events of last Wednesday. Takao, choking on his own blood. Midorima, all his airways blocked by water. He leaned his head back and tried to alleviate the pressure that had spread over his body.

He had loved it, of course.

But he couldn’t do it anymore. He couldn’t go around killing people. Not for the fact that it wasn’t right, but for the reason that he had no way to make sure that no one knew that it led back to him.

The police got close last night.

One he got the the back of the school, he stopped and looked on the ground, confusion spreading through his mind as he wondered why there wasn't anything on teh ground for him to peddle. His phone buzzed again, and Akashi took a look at it.

Unknown number: I need you to spread a rumor.

Unknown number: You didn’t check the text first did you?

Akashi: What rumor is it that you want me to spread?

Unknown number: There’s a new guy at school.

Unknown number: Kagami Taiga.

Unknown number: He’s a tall guy.

Unknown number: 190 centimeters tall.

Unknown number: Dark red hair.

Unknown number: He and Kuroko are close friends- since middle school.

Unknown number: I thought that you would like to know that.

Unknown number: I want you to say that he’s a great basketball player- the best one in all of Japan.

Unknown number: I understand that he had a bad history with that.

Akashi: Is he a threat?

Unknown number: I have yet to find that out.

Unknown number: He may be.

Unknown number: But the reason that a member of his old school’s cooking club is a threat to me?

Unknown number:...I can’t say that I truly know either.

Akashi lifted his head to the sky as he deleted the conversation.

How would he do it this time? Strangulation? Maybe he could push Taiga off of a roof. Maybe he could

make

Taiga jump off of a roof. Akashi shivered, anticipation of what he could do running through him as he walked back into school.

He was greeted with hello, good mornings, and such from the few people that were in school at this time. Midorima Shintarou was not one of them this week. Nor would he ever be after last week. He was met with

one

suspicious glance, but he waved it off because it was from Furihata Kouki- known for being the most anxious person in school.

He found Reo in a group of girls, chatting away.

He tapped Reo on the shoulder, “Can I borrow you for a second?”

“Oh, is Sei-chan going to come and sweep me off me feet?” Reo tilted her head and showed off her eyelashes.

Akashi crossed his eyes, “No.” Reo seemed to deflate, “But I do have some of the newest gossip for you.”

Reo lit up again, “Boy or girl, I love gossip. What is it Sei-chan?” She chirped as she pulled Akashi to the center of their circle, everyone’s eyes on him.

“We have a new student today.” Akashi began, “Kagami Taiga. I heard that he’s quite proficient at basketball- one of the best in Japan actually. He should be easy to identify because he’s just about 190 centimeters tall. Maybe taller.” Reo’s eyes bugged out and she shook Akashi’s shoulders.

“What else do you know?” She snapped at him, waiting for more information. Akashi did his best to get her arms off of him before he shook his head quickly.

“I don’t know anything else about him. I only know that much because I was told it myself.” Akashi put his hands up in surrender, “You can talk to him about it when you see him.” Reo opened her mouth to say something before she was stopped by Aida Riko. The female teacher tapped Reo on her shoulder twice.

Reo deflated again for a second before someone- Kasamatsu- bumped into her accidently. Before he could apologize, Reo was already relaying the rumor to him.

Akashi smirked as he walked away. The rumor would be around the whole school in minutes.

“Time for our lunch break class.” Nijimura announced as everyone slipped out of their seats as fast as they could, grabbing their lunches as they did so.

“Sei-chan…” Reo muttered as she walked up to Akashi, “Where’s Kaga-chan~ I never saw him come into school, and no one else saw him either!” She whined as Nebuya walked over.

“Is Kagami the guy that got your phone taken?” Nebuya asked as he cleaned his ears with his finger, “You were pretty obvious about it.”

Reo flung herself off of Akashi in a second, no doubt going to appeal to Nijimura to get her phone back.

“Don’t even start.” Nijimura teased as he handed back Reo her phone, “It’s been buzzing ever since I got it, and I don’t want to get distracted.” He patted Reo on the head as he pointed towards the door.

“Now get out, we’re already late.” They all walked out of the door, Nijimura right behind them to lock the door for lunch.

So I can’t get chemicals during lunch…

Akashi thought as Reo let out a little scream.

“He’s here!” Reo screeched and immediately grabbed Hayama and Nebuya, dragging them over to a group of girls that already seemed to be gossiping about him. Akashi thanked the fact that she only had two hands as he strolled over to where he normally ate with Kuroko.

To his slight- actually, he didn’t know if it was slight or he knew that it would happen all along- surprise, there was someone else at their spot today, along with Kuroko. He was very taller, with dark two-toned red hair.

If the only description you were given for the either of them was red hair and red eyes, you would have idea who was who.

But if you given even the vaguest of details about one of the other, you would be able to differentiate them perfectly. Where Akashi was average height, Kagami was much taller and towered over Kuroko, the blue haired male leaning on the taller man, as if he was going to fall over if Kagami wasn’t there.

“Hello Tetsuya.” Akashi greeted passively as he sat down, “And who might you be?” He asked Kagami as he turned towards him, raising an eyebrow as he did so. Kagami seemed to swell with anger, puffing up like an angry frog, before he responded.

“Kagami. Kagami Taiga.” He thrust his hand out towards Akashi, if he wanted to give Akashi a handshake. Akashi took the enthusiastic hand and shook it softly as he sat down.

“Akashi.” He greeted as he sat down, turning to Kuroko, “Is he a friend of yours?” Kuroko looked at him, some of the emptiness leaving his eyes as he responded.

“Yes. Kagami is an old friend of my from middle school,” Kuroko replied as he ate his food without any coaxing, “He used to play basketball, but he doesn’t anymore.”

“Oh?” Akashi didn’t bother to look surprised, Kuroko knew that he did

do

outwardly surprised, “I’ve heard from just about everyone that you’re one of the best players in this school, if not Japan.” Akashi fingered his food as Kagami slowly turned red, then white, then a nice shade of puce.

“W-what!” He sputtered, half eaten food flying out of his mouth as he spoke. He choked on something for a second, face turning back to red as he shoved water down his throat, nearly choking on that as well before he turned to Akashi.

“Where on earth did you hear that from?” Kagami sputtered as water dribbled down the side of his mouth.

“It seems to be- well a rumor as you’re saying that it’s not true- going around that says that you’re one of the best players in Asia.” Akashi blew up his lie a little bit, not missing the sideways look that Kuroko gave him as the blue-haired male sighed.

“I would not suspect Akashi-kun to be one that listened to such blow up rumors.” Kuroko noted, and Akashi didn’t know who he was talking to, him or Kagami, “As you said- that is a rumor- wholly untrue. I wonder how that information got out.” Kuroko wondered, adopting a pensive stare.

“Info-chan, I suspect.” Akashi noted as he took a bite of his food, “They know everything that goes on in this school.”

“I suppose, but why would Info-chan wanted to know that?” Kuroko directed a blue eyed gaze directly on him, and it was all Akashi could do to keep from melting into a puddle, “Whoever they are, they always seem to stay away for the people that have nothing for them.”

“Maybe Kagami has something for them?” Akashi asked, noting the confused glances that Kagami shot the both of them, wine red eyes flickering back and forth, his head bobbing as well.

“I doubt it. Kagami-kun isn’t the type of person to get tangled up with Info-chan.”

“Are you sure? You seem like you talk to Taiga every-”

“Hold up!” Kagami put his hands up, as if he was surrendering, “Hold up! Who is Info-chan?” He turned back towards Kuroko, Akashi all too aware of their camaraderie- friendship. It was friendship.

“Info-chan is the person that runs this school from behind the sidelines.” Kuroko explained as he dug into his food, with a stronger vigor than Akashi had seen in him in the two days that they had spent alone, “They are the ones which control all the cameras in the school-”

“What?! How?!” Kagami snapped, “How-”

“If you were to let Tetsuya finish,” Akashi felt his left eye twitch, “Then you would learn what you needed to know.” Kagami looked at him in horror for a second, obviously about to comment in the involuntary movement before Kuroko started to talk again.

“Kagami-kun, Info-chan set up all the cameras, whether by herself, or with some people helping her, I don't know. We aren’t allowed to tell the teachers about her, because she has already had two people expelled and one teacher sent to jail for doing just that.” Kuroko shrugged, nonchalant, “I don’t know what she wants with you, but I suggest that you just try your best to ignore the rumors. This is probably the worst that she’s going to do.”

Akashi jumped in to speak just as Kuroko finished, “Unless you have something to hide. Do you?” Akashi tilted his head, suppressing his left eye which desperately wanted to twitch.

Kagami sighed as he took a huge bite of his food, tensing slightly, “No.” He lied- Akashi saw through him with such ease, “Nothing at all to hide.”

“Have a good afternoon class. I will see you again tomorrow.” Nijimura announced as he dismissed school for the day.

The Rakuzan left all packed up their stuff and left at the same time, but before Akashi could slip out- he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

“Akashi, are you okay?” Akashi swirled around to see that the blond boy had stopped bouncing around as he normally did, and was watching him with apprehension in his eyes, “You’ve been looking out of it since last week- and I know that it’s-”

“A stupid question?” Akashi finished for him, “Yes it is.” Akashi strode out the classroom without a second glance behind him. He could here Hayama scrambling after him, calling his name, but after going up and down stairs several times for about twenty minutes, the blond boy finally left him alone.

Did he really think that bringing Shintarou up to me would be a good idea?

Akashi scoffed to himself as he tried to find Kuroko,

As far as he knows, I found hi-

Akashi cut his trail of thought of as he nearly ran into Kagami Taiga.

“Jesus!” Kagami jumped nearly sky high as he noticed that the other redhead was right in front of him, “How did you get there?” Akashi tilted his head and peered at Kagami.

“I was just walking around.” Akashi answered, giving Kagami an exasperated look, “Is something wrong with that? Do you have somewhere where you want to be?” He gave Kagami a bored glance as the taller male opened his mouth to talk, “Nevermind, I don’t want to hear it.”

Akashi walked away, leaving Kagami gaping behind him.

Though, contrary to what Taiga must have thought, Akashi didn’t turn around and go home. Instead, Akashi followed him throughout the school. Kagami was as observant as a blind man, so Akashi was able to get some information on him.

Kagami seemed to wander the whole school after the day ended by himself, avoiding every student that he came across. Akashi knew that once Kagami got used to the school, he wouldn’t keep this up this nonexistent schedule, but he just didn’t have the time to wait.

“What are you still doing here Akashi?” Akashi turned around slowly, coming face to face with Nijimura, his teacher. The older man looked down at Akashi, tapping his watch, “It’s six o’clock. Time to clear out the school.” Akashi nodded once, confused because he had lost track of time and left school quietly.

Just as he made it off school grounds, his phone buzzed.

Unknown number: I see that you left late?

Unknown number: Is Kagami Taiga still alive?

Akashi: For the time being, yes he is. Why do you ask.

Unknown number: Since I don’t want to be murdered in my bed, I’ll help you.

Unknown number: Go to the app that I downloaded for you and you’ll find a new schedule feature.

Unknown number: Not that you used that app last time anyway.

Akashi: I will use the information that you gave me to the best of my ability.

Tuesday:

Akashi woke up, looked at his phone- and felt happy but didn’t smile. It didn’t feel right when Kuroko wasn’t the cause.

He had decided what to do with Kagami Taiga.

He wanted to torture him.

Break him.

Tear him apart.

And then use him.

Akashi was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice that he was on his way to school until he slid forwards in his seat, nearly falling off. Needless to say, Akashi was confused at to

how

he got there, but he figured that it was something that could be looked at at a later date.

He looked at his phone one more time as he walked into school, still surprised by the lack of messages from Info-chan. Task or not, Info-chan always seemed to text him in the morning. Whether it was to talk about the app or to try and prank him, Info-chan always talked to him once a day.

Akashi dismissed the abnormality at the start of class, this time only a few people that he didn’t know disturbing him this time. He didn’t miss the concerned looks though- from Mibuchi, Hayama, and Nebuya. He figured that they would get over it.

“Akashi.” Kagami greeted warily as Akashi sat down in their normal spot.

“Hello Taiga.” Akashi responded without skipping a beat, “Where is Tetsuya?” Akashi asked as he sat down.

“Why can

you

see him?” Kagami grumbled as he tore into his food, “Why is it only

me

?” Akashi rolled his eyes as he waited for Kagami to stop monologuing and actually answer his question. Akashi was in a good mood today.

“Kuroko had to check some of his school materials.” Kagami grumbled after a few seconds and Akashi raised an eyebrow.

“I cannot say that I know you all that well Taiga, but that does seem like something Tetsuya would say, not you.” Kagami nodded without thinking about Akashi had just said.

“Yeah, I just said that Kuroko said- hey!” Kagami sat up fast once he realized that Akashi had just insulted him. Then he went back to slouching as he no doubt contemplated whether or not Akashi had actually insulted him. Before he had the time to repeat the motion, Kuroko walked up and sat down silently next to Kagami.

Akashi waited.

“WHEN DID YOU GET HERE!” Kagami screeched once he nearly hit Kuroko when he tried to stretch out.

“I’ve been here for a while Kagami-kun.”

(Akashi hated how at ease Kuroko was with Kagami. To say the very least, Kagami Taiga irritated him.)

“Have a good afternoon class!” Nijimura dismissed them. Before Akashi could get up, Mibuchi stopped him in his tracks, holding his shoulders down.

“You’re not going

anywhere

.” Mibuchi hissed as she sat on Akashi’s desk, “Not until you answer some of our questions.”

“Yeah.” Nebuya agreed as he pushed Akashi over in his seat so that he could sit down as well.

“You’re not well!” Hayama exclaimed while Akashi thought that he was going to blow a blood vessel, “You’re been all over the place ever since Midorima died! You’ve been avoiding us and-”

Akashi decided to put a stop to his nonsense.

“Did you not account for the fact that Tetsuya was also there when I saw Shintarou.” His accusing glare swept over all of them, “Did you not account for the fact that

he

needed to be-”

“They have people for that Sei-chan!” Mibuchi interrupted, “Therapists! So people don’t deal with that sort of stuff alone!”

“It’s isn’t good for you!” Hayama stepped into the conversation as well, “People go

insane

because of this kind of stuff. It’s isn’t good for you-”

“So you’re just going around in circles now.” Akashi pushed against Mibuchi’s hand, but the taller female didn’t let him get out of his seat.

“Sei-chan.” She warned, “Keep this up and we’re going to call the counselor and make her talk to you.”

Akashi frowned. Counselor Garcia was highly inappropriate and insensitive. From time to time, Akashi wondered why she hadn’t been sent to jail for harassment. Whether it be student or random people on the street.

“You heard her Akashi!” Nebuya shouted,

obviously

aiming to blow Akashi’s eardrums out, “We’ll do it!”

“Fine.” Akashi snapped, not trying to get out of his seat this time as he eyed his classmates, “Fine. Do as you wish.”

There goes my plan to kidnap Taiga.

“Really?” Hayama exclaimed.

“Yes really.” Akashi responded, moving to sit up against and this time Mibuchi let him, “Since you will not let me leave until I agree with you, I decided to go with the path of the least resistance.”

“Yeah!” Nebuya boomed, “We’re going bowling!”

Akashi gave his classmate a confused stare.

“Yeah! Reo-nee promised that if we got you say yes, then she would take us bowling!” Hayama jumped up pulling Nebuya off of Akashi’s seat as he did so so Akashi had the room to breathe.

Akashi shot a glance at Mibuchi, who just shrugged her shoulders as she hopped off of Akashi’s desk.

“Well c’mon!” She announced to get Hayama and Nebuya’s attention, “We have to get going now. They close at six, so if we want to get a few games in we have to hurry.” Hayama and Nebuya scrambled to get all of their stuff and then raced each other out of the door, complete with elbows.

Akashi turned to raise an eyebrow at Mibuchi, but she wasn’t there. Neither was his schoolbag.

He snapped his head around to see that she was in the doorframe, his bags hanging on the edge of her fingertips. She smiled at him just before she slipped out of the door, no doubt running after Hayama and Nebuya.

Akashi groaned and followed after them.

In the end, Akashi ended up getting home at seven o’clock.

Seven o’clock.

The bowling alley may have closed at six, but Mibuchi insisted on taking them all out for dinner. They had to go to three different restaurants because they got kicked out of the first two because they were too rowdy.

Akashi actually found that he was enjoying himself. From time to time, he even imagined that Kuroko was there with them, and that made the experience that much better. Everything was better with Tetsuya.

Akashi sighed as he laid down in bed, not ready to go to sleep yet, but he had nothing else that he wanted to accomplish. Luckily for him, Nijimura had not assigned any homework and Akashi had nothing else to do.

As of that moment, he only had two choices:

Think

Sleep.

As his phone rang, he suddenly had three choices. Think. Sleep. Look at his phone. Akashi chose the third option and opened up his phone, the glare shaking over any remains of sleep.

Unknown number: Did you have a good time today?

Akashi: What I do doesn’t not concern you. If you can ask me that, then I can ask you the same.

Unknown number: I had a wonderful day, thank you.

Unknown number: I surprised you, didn’t I?

Unknown number: It’s been a while since you responded.

Unknown number: I did, didn’t I?

Akashi: That still remains none of your business. What is the reason for this?

Akashi: Any errands that you want me to do?

Unknown number: Can I not just have a nice chat with my errand boy?

Akashi: No.

Unknown number: Fine.

Unknown number: I need you to do a sort of mixed job.

Unknown number: It’ll spread a rumor, and you’ll be peddling something.

Akashi: What is it?

Unknown number: That new student is going to mess up my plans.

Unknown number: I need his name tarnished completely.

Unknown number: Put as ‘bad’ in everyone’s book.

Unknown number: And you are going to be the perfect person to help with that.

Akashi: How?

Unknown number: I want to frame him for a murder.

Akashi: And how would that take place.

Unknown number: We both know that you killed Midorima and Takao, so you can drop that act.

Unknown number: I don’t care who you kill.

Unknown number: I just want someone dead.

Unknown number: And Kagami framed.

Unknown number: Can you do that?

Unknown number: Or do I need to call in an assassin?

Akashi: Why don’t you?

Unknown number: Why pay someone when you can just ask someone else to do it for you?

Akashi: Fine.

Akashi sighed as he turned off his phone, deleting the messages from his phone just before he did so. After that, he rolled over and went to sleep because he knew that they was no way that he was pulling off another murder without careful planning.

Who can I kill?

Akashi thought.

No one is my class for sure, they are already suspicious of me as is.

The other classes were fair game, but there was also the question on how he would get someone away from the others long enough to kill them,

and

frame Kagami.

This is going to be troublesome.

Was Akashi’s last thought before he fell asleep.

Akashi woke up with a glare in his eyes. At first, he thought it was the sun. Then he thought it was a person. Then he thought it was Shintarou.

Then he screamed.

“WHY!” Green eyes bored into him as Midorima latched his nails into his shoulders, drawing blood, “WHY!” Midorima’s eyes were laced with a rim of red which moved like a solar flare.

Midorima’s hand moved as until it was nearly a blur and within a span of a second, Akashi was on the floor as Midorima’s hands held his face down. Somewhere in the transition Midorima’s glasses had fallen off of his face and sclera of his eyes had turned a pure black.

Black, green, and red.

Midorima let out a screech as he removed one hand...only to have it drive into Akashi’s left eye. Akashi screeched back, trying to writhe out of Midorima’s grasp, but to no avail. And then, his line of sight was halved as Midorima ripped out his left eyes.

The blood covered Akashi’s right eye as well, and he slowly drowned in it as Midorima covered his nose, so that he could only breathe through his mouth, but that was filled with blood. He flailed around, harder than Midorima did- but Midorima seemed to have some sort of unnatural strength. It seemed as if he got stronger as Akashi lost strength, gagging on his own blood as he slowly died...

Akashi woke up slowly, hardly disturbed by the dream at all. He reached up to touch his left eye, and found it was still there and that he could see through it.

What a bothersome dream.

Akashi thought as he turned on the phone to look at the time.

9:30.

Akashi turned back around and went to sleep.

Wednesday:

Akashi woke up fast this time, a cold sheen of sweat covering his body as he shivered from the cold. He didn’t dream anymore, other than his nightmare with Midorima, but he still woke up in a cold sweat.

For whatever reason, he didn’t know.

Akashi slipped out of his bed and prepared for school as normal, keeping the thought in mind that he needed to kill someone

and

frame Kagami. He had barely gotten away with it the first time. And now Info-chan was asking him to do it again.

What a bother.

Once Akashi got downstairs, he decided to try out the app that located his targets. He was pleasantly surprised that it was easy to use, as well as discreet. Kagami Taiga was still at his house, apparently in his bedroom although it was way past time to get up.

Akashi explored the app as he walked out the door, immediately turning back around so that he could grab a couple of things.

Namely, a pair of leather gloves that were a few sizes too big for him, a big baggie that could be used to hold body parts, and a duffle bag that he just about managed to fit in as well. Then he left to go to school.

“Sei-chan!” Mibuchi jumped onto Akashi as he walked into the classroom, nearly knocking the smaller boy over. Akashi quickly glanced at her and noticed that she hadn’t put her eyelashes in today.

“Hello Mibuchi.” Akashi responded as he untangled them carefully, but not before Hayama had the time to run up to them as well.

“You look better Akashi!” Hayama squealed as he ran up to them from behind, this time knocking Akashi to the ground. Akashi’s bag fell out of his hands as he hit the floor, head banging against the ground. He groaned in pain as Mibuchi and Nebuya pulled Hayama off him, who was apologizing profusely.

“It’s fine.” Akashi pushed them all back as he stood back up. He had a hand that was covering his face, doing it’s best to stop the flow of blood from his face.

“What happened in here?” Nijimura walked into the door, and took one look at the scene that had played out before a smile was creeping across his face, just managing to stop smiling, “Do you need a tissue Akashi?”

“I would very much like one.”

Akashi sat down and lunch immediately got two stares directed at him. He sighed internally, waiting for one of them to speak up.

No surprise it was Kagami who spoke up first.

“What the fuck happened to you!” He screamed, alerting everyone else in the vicinity- they were on the roof which was a fairly popular spot- to the fact that something was up with Akashi.

“Language Taiga.” Kuroko noted as he ate his food, “But what

did

happen to you Akashi-kun? You look like you got into a fight with one of the delinquents outside of school.” Kagami snapped his head around to stare at Kuroko.

“There are

delinquents

at this school?” Kagami asked astounded.

“Every school has them Kagami-kun. Our school just tends to have ones that hang out outside.”

“Near that bigish structure?”

“...I’m going to let you figure out what that ‘biggish structure’ is on your own time Kagami-kun.”

Akashi watched the banter that flitted between the both of them with mild interest, but his head was in other places, mostly how he could frame Kagami for a murder that he committed. Sure, he had the

supplies

to do so but not the method.

He didn’t know if Kagami had an emotional connection with anyone other than Kuroko. So he didn’t know if he could make it out like Kagami killed them for any reason other than being a psychopath- and mental instability would get him less jail time that was for sure.

“-ey. You here with me Akashi?” Akashi was rudely jerked out of his thoughts as Taiga shook his shoulder. He peered up at Kagami through his eyelashes before he snapped back.

“Yes. What do you need from me Taiga?” Akashi asked, irate.

Kagami huffed before he answered, “I’m not asking you to do rocket physics for me. I just need a question answered.” Akashi took a moment to observe Taiga, noticing that the other male was fidgeting a lot, glancing back at the door to the courtyard. That was when he noticed that Kuroko- along with almost everyone else- had left.

“Then spit it out Taiga.”

“Isthemyththatifyouprofessyourloveforsomeoneunderthecherrybloosomtreetrue?” Kagami took in a deep breath before he continued, “BecauseIneedtoconfesstoKurokoandthatislitterallymybestshot.” Kagami took another deep breath, “I’vebeentryingforyearspleasehelpme.” Akashi blinked a couple to times before responding, carefully thinking out his answer.

“I believe so yes.”

Akashi stalked around the school, book bag slung over his shoulder, and Kagami’s shoes on his feet. He didn’t know where the cooking club was- since he had never been there- so he had to search for it. If he asked someone, then his whole plan could unravel and bring the whole search back to him.

That was the last thing that he wanted.

The thing he wanted most was Kagami Taiga’s death- but this was the next best thing.

He finally found the cooking club on the first floor- where he had his classes- tucked away in the north wing.

“Hello. Are you in the cooking club?” He asked a random student- someone with a catlike face, complete with small pupils.

“Oh, hello Akashi!” The cat-man chirped, “I sure am- do you need something?”

Akashi: Info-chan, I need you to make Kagami late. I will tell you when to stop distracting him.

Akashi looked up from his phone to show the cat-man his winning smile, “I do actually. I was looking for some supplies, Tetsuya hoped that I would be able to help Kagami.” Using Taiga’s family name felt strange on Akashi’s tongue, but he figured that the reception to calling Kagami that would make cat-man think that they were lovers.

Not that he would be alive for too long, but Akashi still liked to think that such things mattered.

Before he went through with it, Akashi still didn’t know two things. Whether the cat-man knew what a killer’s aura was. And if he had one. Not that he would ever have a chance to find out.

The cat-man ended up in pieces, shoved inside his duffle bag.

Akashi dropped his knife, the glove, and the kitchen smock that he had taken off of the cat-man, stuffing them all in the bag before he hefted it over his shoulder. He despised the shoes but made sure that he got them

covered

in blood.

Akashi: You can let Taiga go now. Make sure to delete the message.

Unknown number: What do you think I am, an amatuer.

Unknown number: Neither are you since you were able to text me.

Unknown number: ;) Our little secret.

Akashi ducked his head out of the storage closet, scanning the halls as he did so. He started to exit the room, but immediately drew back in as he saw Nijimura walk out of the hallway.

Akashi: I need you to distract all the teachers.

Akashi tapped his foot impatiently as a few minutes went by, waiting for a response.

Unknown number: You know, the only reason that you can order me around like a maid is because we will both be going to jail for a long time if you’re found out.

Akashi: If they find out about Shintarou and Kazunari, you’d be accessory to murder.

Akashi shut his phone off as he walked through the halls, stuffing the duffle bag in Kagami’s locker.

I wish that I could do something about this.

Akashi tsked to himself as he made note of his bloody footprints,

but if I did, then who would know that there was a murder.

Akashi’s phone buzzed as he was just about to walk out of the classroom

Unknown number: RIKO IS COMING YOUR WAY- HIDE!!!!

Akashi didn’t think twice before he dived behind Sensei Riko’s desk- just in time- as she burst through the door. Akashi folded himself up behind the desk, hands covering his mouth so that his breathing would alert her.

Then she screamed and ran out of the room again, most likely to find another teacher.

Unknown number: LEAVE.

Akashi scrambled out from under his spot and ran out of Seirin’s classroom, not stopping until he was halfway across the building. He leaned over, catching his breath, a smile slowly creeping onto his face.

There is satisfaction behind well thought out plans

and

panic.

Akashi sighed with pleasure as he checked his phone once more, and noting that Kuroko had left school, left as well- following in the footsteps of his lover.

Thursday:

Akashi woke up to the incessant buzzing of his phone filling his ears. He turned around to find that he had a slew of texts from two different people- Tetsuya and Info-chan.

Tetsuya.

Akashi’s heart soared as soon as he thought of Kuroko- a squeeze so hard that he thought that he had had a heart attack- so that was the texts that he went to click on instantly. Then he stopped, composed himself, and went to Info-chan’s text stream because he knew that once he was talking to Kuroko, he would never stop until Tetsuya told him to.

Unknown number: It worked.

Unknown number: Kagami Taiga is now in holding- the only suspect for the brutal murder of Koganei Shinji.

Unknown number: They say that it was dismemberment.

Unknown number: It was close.

Unknown number: But we did it.

Unknown number: Thank you.

And that was the last of Info-chan’s messages. Akashi kept scrolling down for a couple more seconds, looking for the sarcastic comment- but there was no to be found.

With that now out of the way, Akashi went into Kuroko’s own stream of text with obvious pleasure.

Tetsuya: Akashi-kun…

Tetsuya: Are you awake?

Tetsuya: Please be awake.

Tetsuya: I need to talk to you.

Akashi didn’t even bother with reading the rest of the text messages, instead just calling Kuroko instead.

“Tetsuya?” Akashi asked, panicking silently when he heard sobs from the other side of the phone.

“Please come over Akashi-kun.” Kuroko said, or Akashi assumed he said because Kuroko was sobbing too hard to be truly understood. “I need you. Please.”

Akashi didn’t even let Kuroko ask twice.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Friday:

Akashi was following Kuroko- they were both going to the same place after all. To their local prison to pay a visit to the local murderer, Kagami Taiga. Taiga was in jail for the brutal murder of Koganei Shinji. Kagami Taiga had murdered and dismembered his classmate, stuffing him in a duffle bag, which he left in front of his locker so that he could presumably take it home later.

Taiga was said to be ‘horrific’ ‘against basic humanity’ and ‘should never have been conceived’. People were calling for him to get the death sentence even though he was only sixteen years old. No one seemed to notice that a brutal murder was out of character for him. No one remembered the former basketball star that was stopped by a broken arm back in middle school when he was trying to protect his friend.

Taiga was going in be in prison for life, blamed for the murder of Midorima Shintarou as well. Well, that is- if the people didn’t take the matter into his own hands.

“Kuroko Tetsuya.” Kuroko said quietly as he introduced himself to the prison, a lady who didn’t necessarily look mean, but she did look severe. As if she was not quick to anger- only because her face could make herself look like demon of rage, “And this is Akashi. We are here to meet with the prisoner named Kagami Taiga. Can you do that for us Miss-” Kuroko shot a look at the lady’s name tag, an almost imperceptible flash of confusion going across his face- “Aomame?

“Is your name tag incorrect because-”

The woman’s face turned downwards, “Yes. My parents named me green peas.” She sighed, “I get that quite a lot. Give me a second to enter you into the database.” She looked down at the computer that was right in front of her, “You’re free to go once I get a guard for you.” Aomame picked up her radio and spoke into it, but she was talking so fast that Akashi couldn’t understand anything other than a name that she said with reverence ‘Tengo.’

“Hello?” A man with a hard face walked up, but his face lit up when he looked at Aomame. The severe looking woman’s mouth turned up a little at the corners before she said- all business- “I need you to take these two to Kagami Taiga.”- the man’s face turned up at that- “The boy with the blue hair is one of the people on his approved list. No nonsense Tengo.” She glared at the man as she said that last part.

The man laughed as he led them off through the prison. Akashi looked around as they walked, and felt the

vast

change in atmosphere as they left the main area. He was sure that it would change even more if they were to go to where the prisoners were kept.

“This is the visitor center.” Tengo pointed as they came to a sad looking room, cement walls and dirty chairs, “Kagami Taiga should be here in a few minutes.”

“Thank you.” Kuroko replied as they took Akashi’s hand and they sat down, pulling two chairs out, sitting down together as they waited for Kagami Taiga. Akashi pointedly ignored the fact that Tetsuya had willingly taken his hands, instead focusing on the movement of a swinging door.

Which revealed Kagami Taiga, a convicted murder- or so many people thought. Actually, all the people that knew about his case- except for the murderer.

Kagami Taiga himself looked gaunt, face pale- the spark in his eyes lost as he trudged towards the window that separated them, sitting down heavily, keeping her eyes on the ground, not looking up to meet his former friend’s eyes.

Kuroko was the first one to break the silence.

“Why?” Kuroko’s voice broke so the blue haired male tried again, “Why Kagami-kun? Why did you kill him?” If Taiga knew that Kuroko was talking to him, then he didn’t show it, keeping his head down, only showing the smallest bit of response from Tetsuya.

“Well Taiga?” Akashi snapped as he rapped on the glass, drawing a small bit of Kagami’s attention, “Why?”

“
I didn’t.
”

“Say again Taiga? Neither of us heard you.” Akashi furrowed his eyebrows as Kagami through his head up, fixing a glare on both of them.

“I didn’t. I didn’t kill Koganei, I didn’t cut him up-”

“But that’s not possible Kagami-kun-”

“I got a text from that Info-chan person, telling me to go outside,” Kagami’s voice shattered as he looked at Tengo, hard eyes focused on him, “A-And- And since you told me that she- that she wanted something from- from me. I we- went outside. She stopped bothering me after a while, and that’s when I came in.”

He looked Kuroko directly in the eyes, ignoring everyone else in the room, “I swear to God that I didn’t kill him.”

Before Kuroko could reply, the guard took the situation into his own hands.

“Same story every time Taiga.” He looked at his watch.

“Out you two now. Nice kids like you don’t want to associate with a murderer.”

Sunday:

Akashi was finishing off his homework when his phone buzzed. He rolled his eyes internally, thinking that it had to be Info-chan because Kuroko

never

called him during the weekend if something wasn’t wrong, and Kagami had been lynched on Friday night, which gave Kuroko a lot of time to recover.

He wasn’t wrong.

Unknown number: Are you having a nice day?

Akashi: Is there a reason for this question?

Unknown number: No reason.

Unknown number: Is talking to my assassin a bad thing?

Akashi: I would prefer you not to call me that.

Unknown number: Fine.

Akashi: What do you need?

Unknown number: Nothing.

Unknown number: I just wanted to talk to you.

Akashi shut off his phone, leaving on his desk before he went back to doing his homework. After a small amount of time, his phone buzzed again even though that he had turned it off. It was either that Info-chan had hacked his phone, or Kuroko was trying to call him. He figured that it was Info-chan again.

He was wrong.

Akashi’s eyes widened as he looked at the phone ID.

Kuroko Tetsuya.

Akashi immediately answered the call, waiting so that he could listen to his lover’s voice.

“Akashi-kun?” Kuroko asked, and

immediately

Akashi noticed how small his voice was. Like Kuroko’s spark had been put out.

“What is it Tetsuya?” Akashi asked as he dropped everything he was holding- other than his phone of course- “What happened?”

“Nothing happened Akashi-kun. Other than-” Akashi could hear Kuroko holding back a sob- though he was doing an awful job.

“Kagami-kun, was lynched, do you know that?” Kuroko’s voice broke, but he plowed on, not allowing any time for Akashi to speak, “They

stabbed

him to death. Dismembered him while he was still alive.” Kuroko took rattling breath, phone distorting the sound a small bit, “But I believe him Akashi-kun.”

Akashi nearly dropped the phone as the blood pounded in his ears. Tetsuya

couldn’t

believe him. Kuroko just

can’t

.

“Why do you say that?” Akashi asked, thanking the fact that he was able to keep his voice steady, “Kagami was the only-”

“But

he wasn’t.

” Akashi blinked as Kuroko’s emotions broke through, instead of the emotionless desperation, “

Info-chan distracted him. Someone killed Koganei, and it wasn’t Kagami-kun.

I hope the same won’t happen to Murasakibara-kun.”

Monday:

Akashi woke up in a horrible mood. Well, he spent the night in a horrible mood- he didn’t sleep at all.

He couldn’t

believe

that Kuroko believed Taiga, the notion was just insane- unheard of- believing a

serial killer

. Listening to what he said. Akashi steamed as he got ready for school. Throwing on his clothes with a strong ferocity.

A ferocity that only his victims had seen.

He only looked up as his phone buzzed.

Unknown number: Good morning my sweetie pie!

Akashi: What did you just call me?

Unknown number: Oh, so I can’t call my favorite assassin a pet name?

Unknown number: Bullshit.

Akashi: What is the point of this?

Unknown number: I thought that you would like to know that there is a new student at Teiko High.

Unknown number: Someone by the name of ‘Murasakibara Atsushi.

Unknown number: Do you know of him?

Akashi: Enough.

Akashi was still in a horrible mood by the time he made it to school, shoving open the door with a vigor- which only seemed to attract people, the opposite of what he would have wanted. People were walking up to him, saying that he looked ‘amazing’ ‘perfect for all the grief that he went through’. By the time Akashi got to his classroom, who said what was murky in his mind, and he could barely keep his thoughts straight.

“Sei-chan!” Reo chirped, and Akashi wasn’t aware enough to take in what he/she looked like, “You’re here!” She swarmed forwards and brought two other people with her. Akashi bowed under their weight, nodded when he needed to and smiled when he thought he needed to.

He was thinking again.

Murasakibara Atsushi.

How can I get rid of him?

Akashi mulled over the subject for quite a while, missing the fact that his classmates had gone quiet and were staring at him with concern, and annoyance. A lot of annoyance.

“-chan…” Akashi looked up at Mibuchi, who was glaring down at him.

“Yes, Mibuchi?” Akashi asked as he slowly backed away from the taller student, “Do you want something?”

Akashi backed up a step as Mibuchi closed in on him, worried what his elder classmate might do to him.

“Sei-”

“Do I need to break something up?” Nijimura’s voice beckoned them all to turn towards him.

“No Nijimura-san.” Mibuchi hissed through their teeth before they sat down.

As soon as class ended, Akashi made it a point to leave the classroom. He thought that he had reconciled with his classmates last week, but it seemed like he had done something wrong.

But he didn’t know when it happened.

Maybe sometime over the weekend?

He didn’t talk to them at all, so he had no idea what he could have done then, but-

Akashi’s train of thought was cut off when the tallest male that he had ever seen in his life- with

purple hair

no less- sit down right next to him. It took Akashi a couple of seconds to notice that Kuroko was right behind the tall male-

Murasakibara,

Murasaki

bara

.

His name basically means purple and he has purple hair. Along with Midorima...and me…

- who honestly looked like he was twice Kuroko’s size. Or maybe three.

Or maybe he was just being unreasonable.

“This is Murasakibara-kun.” Kuroko introduced as he sat down, no food in his hands that he could eat, “He and I are friends from…” Kuroko trailed off, obviously looking for some sort of excuse. He turned to Murasakibara, who was finishing off a bag of chips Akashi wasn’t even aware that he

started

.

“We met at a cooking class that my parents sent me to over the summer.” Kuroko concluded suddenly, and Akashi felt his eyes narrow, because he

hated

the idea of his lover lying to him- they should be

one

they should have

no

secrets from each other- it just wasn’t

right

.

“Is that it?” Akashi asked bluntly as he pushed his food over to Kuroko, glaring at him to entice him to eat. Kuroko picked up his fork with a sigh and began to eat Akashi’s food- Akashi glowed because

he had already used that fork

- with a disgruntled expression on his face. Or as disgruntled as Kuroko could get.

This time, it was Murasakibara who answered him.

“Yes. That’s it…” Akashi scoffed internally. Even

Murasakibara

didn’t know what Kuroko was talking about.

“So,” He turned to Murasakibara, ready to drink in all the information that he needed, “Why did you come to Teiko High?” Murasakibara just tilted his head curiously, taking his sweet time finishing off his bag of chips completely before answering.

“Kuro-chin wanted another friend,”

Kuro-chin?

“And my parents didn’t care if I switched schools, so I just gave them the paper and I switched schools so that Kuro-chin could have two friends.”

That’s...sweet. He must have fallen in love with Kuroko.

“I talked to Murasakibara-kun for a bit over the weekend and he agreed to transfer. So now, we have another friend.” Kuroko said quietly, drawing Akashi’s attention.

Whatever to make you happy, my love.

“I hope that you have a good afternoon class!” Nijimura chirped as he packed up his stuff, stuffing papers in his briefcase, “Make sure that you take care of all of your homework! Would some of you mind cleaning up the stuff from the lab?”

His classmates instantly descended on him, swarming as if they were a pack of bees.

“Akashi!” Hayama was the first one to him, pinning him to wear he stood with a...hug? “We’re so sorry that we had being hard on you earlier!”

What?

Nebuya chuckled a bit to Akashi’s left, “We might have kinda forgot...that Kagami was lynched just a couple of days ago. Maybe..sorta...kinda.”

Akashi turned to Mibuchi as they huffed behind him, thanking his luck because even

he

had forgotten that Taiga had been hung. Thankfully, they gave him the perfect excuse.

“Don’t worry about it.” He said graciously, “It’s nothing that you should be concerning yourself with. I’ll be out soon to talk to you.” After they all apologized profusely and thanked him with vigor, the last of his classmates left the room, leaving him alone with the chemicals.

Unluckily for him, he had brought no container for handling corrosives, but he figured that his metal water bottle would do. He just had to remember to never use it again- and he’ll be fine. He put away the rest of the chemicals as fast as he could, making sure the amount of acids that he took wasn’t something that was specially suspicious, before he hurried outside to his classmates.

The problem is,

Akashi mused as he finished up his lab report, getting home on time this time,

I don’t know if Murasakibara is truly a threat, or if he is truly just a friend of Tetsuya. I can’t kill him if he’s just a friend of Tetsuya, but I can’t let him live if he wants to take my place.

Akashi had just finished writing up his report, when he suddenly got an idea that he just

had

to follow through with.

He went back to the app that Info-chan that downloaded on his phone before going to the ‘target’ section. And just as he suspected, Murasakibara was already there. Though he lived in Akita. All the way in Akita. So he had no true way to reach the purple-haired male.

At least, using the devices that he had at the moment- and while trying to stay inconspicuous.

Akashi stood up and decided to pace through his house, instead of just standing still.

He was still yet to replace his father’s gloves, but he did manage to replace the bottle of his mother’s old perfume, the person who used it long gone now, but there were still reminders of her everywhere.

His mother had...

disappeared

several years ago- supposedly killed by something that Akashi never knew the name of. His father was always vague about this sort of thing.

When his father bothered to talk to him about anything other than winning of course.

Whenever the subject of his mother was brought off, his father gave that person a death glare before turning them away.

Akashi yawned as he got into his bed, sleep hazing his mind, he had gotten ready for bed while he was thinking, wondering.

Tuesday:

Today, Akashi woke up because his phone was ringing on his nightstand. As he mumbled under his breath, he reached for the buzzing device, slamming his hand down on it and taking the call in one swift movement.

A machine generated voice answered him, “Did you have a good sleep?” It asked, each word broken up as only synthetic words could be, “I have another assignment for you. One so sensitive that I couldn’t text it to you.” The voice paused a second, and Akashi rolled his eyes, because Info-chan sure seemed to be one for dramatic timing.

“I need you to arrange Aiji Kaugi a meeting with Yoko Kamikawa, the minister of justice. Your father has the connections, doesn’t he? I’ve already given you an excuse to be out of school for the day, so don’t worry about that.” The voice paused again, “I will have all my cameras focused on Murasakibara, so that you can rewatch all of his interactions with Kuroko once the job is done.”

“Good.” Akashi said curtly, “Exactly how am I to arrange such a meeting without incriminating me or my family?”

“You’ll have to figure that one out by yourself Aka-chan. Though I will tell you that I installed an untraceable network onto your computer. Work from there.” Akashi looked affontly at the phone, the dial tone ringing from it.

“I hope that this plan of yours is fruitful.” Akashi muttered to himself as he dressed himself thoroughly before going over to his computer, logging on with a couple of taps. Akashi blinked a couple of times as the blue light from the screen shone in his eyes completely, erasing every last sense of the tired stupor that he still had.

Akashi found the untraceable network quite quickly before he connected to it and downloaded a browser that couldn’t be traced.

It took him awhile to figure out what he was supposed to do, but thankfully for him, the minister of justice had a website. Which was connected to his bank account- and there on and therefore until they made his way into the minister’s personal email.

I wish that I could use this time and be with Kuroko.

Akashi thought as he clicked off from where the computer- network- was automatically hacking, and back into the security camera feed, rewatching every single second that Kuroko-

his Tetsuya

- was in frame. Whether it was alone, or with someone else, Akashi’s heart fluttered every time he saw him.

He watched his every interactions- whether it be with classmates, teachers, or Murasakibara. Everything was at his fingertips. Akashi would be insane to say that the power wasn’t getting to his head- he loved the idea of knowing

everything

.

With great power comes great responsibility, the saying goes. And Akashi has the greatest responsibility- keeping Tetsuya by his side. There was no greater grace.

Yoko Kamikawa: What do you want from me? I can assure you that no matter the price, I can get whatever your dirty little dreams can wish for.

Akashi smirked.

Unknown email: It is strange that you call it my ‘dirty little dreams’ when you have slept with- then paid off over sixty woman. If anyone was dirty little dreams, it is you. Though you have the truly disturbing habit of turning those dreams into reality.

Unknown email: I’ve heard that you’re even begun to have those women killed, to make sure that they’re kept quiet.

Unknown email: You’re truly a vile creature.

Yoko Kamikawa: I will repeat myself, what do you want from me?

Akashi lifted his hands to reply just as an pop-up appeared on his screen.

Someone is attempting to hack you.

Unknown email: I see that you are trying to figure out who is threatening you. You wouldn’t find out from me.

Yoko Kamikawa: But you have to know?

Unknown email: Do I? Or am I victim of blackmail just like you?

Unknown email: You are going to go to Sun, at the corner of Yamasi and Kyuubi, at two o’clock in two days. You are not to contact the authorities unless you want all of your deepest secrets
brought to the surfaced for the whole world to know.

Unknown email: So I suggest that you start rearranging your schedule.

Akashi closed the browser before waiting for a reply. He knew that he had him hook, line, and sinker so he didn’t bother to wait for Info-chan to text him before he checked back in on Kuroko, who had just left his last period of the day.

His lover nodded at Aida Riko, before he left. She didn’t notice him, of course- he was the only one who could and he was sure that that was a sign that they were meant to be together- before Kuroko walked out the door. Akashi switched cameras so that he could see Kuroko exiting the room.

Murasakibara was there, waiting for him.

Akashi watched as Murasakibara watched for Kuroko, violet eyes fixed intensely on the smaller male- or maybe it was just because Kuroko was the only thing that could catch his attention.

They both talked as they walked out of school together, their talk about inconsequential things such as schoolwork and their plans for after school- Kuroko was going to be staying at home while Murasakibara would be at his parent’s bakery for the rest of the week- before Mibuchi walked up to them, long eyelashes in today.

Murasakibara’s eyes took a bit too long to slide over to Mibuchi’s own, as if something was slowing him down- like his desire for Kuroko.

That was all Akashi truly

needed

but he kept on watching them. They continued on, as if Murasakibara didn’t already show his intent. They met up with quite a few other people, always keeping the interactions to a minimum- as if they wanted to time all to themselves.

Akashi recoiled as he felt a puddle under his hands that wasn’t there previously. Once he lifted his hand, he found that it was blood, his hand curled into a fist so tightly that he had begun to bleed without him noticing.

He wiped the blood away, spreading the red fluid across his desk before he clenched his fist again, resolving that he would not lose control of himself again. This time, while he was watching them, he made sure that he was completely under control of his body and all of his reactions.

Akashi watched, detached, as Kuroko and Murasakibara walked out of school side by side, until they were out of the view of the camera.

Akashi closed his computer before he made a split second decision, thought over it, then decided that it was a good idea.

He put on his going out clothes and left his house after a quick search for the cafe that Murasakibara said that he would be at for the rest of the week before he walked out of his house, only using his feet as a method of transportation, breaking the rules that he had previously set for himself, shattering them completely.

They were well into school now, so the weather was getting colder. He could just about smell the storm in the air, sweeping into his lungs and freezing them. He held his breath in for as long as he could, letting the air inside of him heat up as he walked, gradually getting closer to his destination. He timed his arrival to the restaurant with an exhale, the hot air rushing out of his lungs.

The doorbell rang as Akashi stepped it.

It was homely.

There was a glass case of pastries all front, and the smell was heavenly, but

everywhere

. Akashi was sure that he was going to have to tell one of the housekeepers that they needed to take special care that all the smell was erased completely.

Akashi walked up to the counter, his credit card in his back pocket, right where he had left it.

“Hello.” Akashi greeted, “Can I speak with Murasakibara Atsushi?” Akashi asked, after he took a glance behind the counter and saw that he wasn’t there. He was talking to one of his siblings- as Akashi guessed easily from the purple hair. He was taller than Murasakibara, which came with the need for Akashi to tilt his head back to look Murasakibara’s brother in the eye.

“He’s somewhere.” The brother said dismissively, “I can get Iyana for you.”

“I would like that.” Akashi snapped as he tapped his fingers on the glass impatiently, “I did come here to talk to him after all.”

“Hm…” The brother trailed off, “Oh, you’re Akashi, aren’t you?” Akashi gave the brother an impervious look before the lazy boy sighed and called back to his sister.

The sister was still taller than Murasakibara, but still shorter than the brother that was manning the counter. She was tall and langly, with long legs that would have attracted lesser men. Her hair, however, was horridly unkempt, tufts of it sticking out everywhere.

“What?” She asked her brother, though it was very blurred and ended up sounding more like ‘wat’. Horrendous.

“He needs,” He nodded as Akashi before he reached over and physical

pulled

Akashi out the way so that he could deal with another customer, “To see Atsushi.”

Iyana nodded once, before she unlatched a countertop that swung backwards so that there was an entrance to the place behind the counter. Akashi walked past it, giving both siblings as disdainful glance as the tall girl lead him around back until she opened a closet- or what seemed like a closet a first, but, upon further inspection, there was a ladder there.

Iyana climbed up first and Akashi followed, easily piecing together the fact that Murasakibara lived above his parent's bakery. The staircase opened into a living room, and there was the purple haired male that he was looking for.

“Hello Atsushi.” Akashi greeted before Murasakibara’s head whipped up, his eyes widened for a second as he realized that Akashi was actually here and he wasn’t making this up- Akashi could see it in his eyes.

“Aka-chin.” Murasakibara greeted casually enough though Akashi knew that he was still watching Akashi intently so he tried his best to conceal the recoil caused by that nickname, “What are you doing here?”

“I was wondering what I missed at school.” Akashi’s excuse was thin, but he knew that Murasakibara wasn’t going to think over it very much. The male’s eyes were on him completely, and Akashi knew that Murasakibara was hanging on to his every word.

“Y-You didn’t miss anything.” Murasakibara said, and Akashi knew that he was

lying

because he got the whole day with Kuroko. That could

never

be

nothing

. Akashi decided to store that insult for later.

“Good.” Akashi responded before he sat down next to Murasakibara, cross-legged. The purple haired male glanced over at Akashi for a second, before his eyes turned back down to his homework, an unfinished lollipop sitting on top of its wrapper, “If there anywhere for me to place my jacket?” Akashi inquired after a minute or two of Murasakibara staring down at his schoolwork.

“You can lay it anywhere that you want.” Murasakibara offered, “Actually,” Murasakibara slammed his book shut just like Takao used to do when he was done with his work, “How about we take a walk?” He offered.

“That sounds good.” Akashi agreed as he stood up, taking a second to stretch, releasing the tension from staying in that position for only a few minutes.

“Let’s go.” Murasakibara announced after he had slunk into his room and came out wearing a thin jacket.

“Shouldn’t you tell your parents?” Akashi asked as they turned the opposite direction when they got off the stairs, heading for the back door.

“They won’t care.” Murasakibara said flippantly, shrugging as he shoved his lollipop into his mouth with loud clack, “They don’t care about much of anything.” Murasakibara said, as Akashi’s mind immediately whirled around the sentence, trying to figure out what Murasakibara meant through the major grammatical error.

When Akashi finally did, he noticed that Murasakibara was staring at him.

“Is there something that you want to say Atsushi?” Akashi asked mildly as the taller boy shook his head wildly, a red tinge falling onto his cheeks.

“Nothing Aka-chin.” Murasakibara said quickly as he flicked his eyes away, “Do you want to go somewhere.”

“Nowhere in particular.” Akashi responded as his wrapped his jacket around him tightly, feeling a slight breeze.

“There’s a coffee shop a few blocks down.” Murasakibara offered, though his voice shook slightly as if he was nervous.

“As long as it’s-” Akashi was cut off by his phone buzzing. He picked it up, and read that it was his father.

Father: I heard that the servants said that you had left home. Come back.

Akashi had been about to say that if it wasn’t a Starbucks, but he knew what Murasakibara would assume.

“Sorry, but I have to decline.” He replied instead, turning around to head back home, “We might be able to reschedule.”

“How about-” Murasakibara seemed to grasp at straws for a second, so Akashi turned around and raised an eyebrow, “-Friday afternoon.”

“That sounds good.”

If I haven’t gotten rid of you by then, then you have just given me the perfect time to do so.

Akashi left after that, seeing as Murasakibara had nothing else to say.

The walk back home was significantly warmer, and he texted his father once he had gotten there.

He went through his normal bedtime routine, and fell asleep, waiting for the next day to begin.

Wednesday:

Akashi woke up on his own, nothing on the outside had the opportunity as he woke up much earlier that he normally would. He slipped out of bed, before he shook his head from side to side to wake himself up fully.

The air was much colder than he was used to, so he slipped on a bathrobe before he walked over to his laptop. When he opened it, he immediately noticed that everything that he had used the day before, such as the special browser, had been deleted.

That might have been useful

. Akashi thought to himself before he slammed his laptop closed and stalked over to his bathroom to clean himself.

When he walked out of his room, everything was already in motion, despite it being early. There were housekeepers everywhere, making sure that everything was prim and proper.

“May I have my breakfast now?” Akashi asked, tapping one of the them on her shoulder to get her attention.

“Of course.” The woman replied steadily, “Would you want it brought to you in your room?” Akashi paused for a second to think it over before he replied.

“I would like that thank you.” He responded before he turned around to go back to his room.

He opened his laptop though some frustration was still lingering. He had a few hours before school started, and since he hadn’t gone to school the day before he didn’t have any new papers to study.

He spent his time doing some more research into Yoko Kamikawa, the minister of justice.

Apparently, he was amazing at his job, and every notion that he had passed ended up with positive results. He was revered as a moral compass. Akashi found before he had to open the door to get his breakfast. He was the one that people listened to.

He was currently unmarried, but also had marriage proposals being swung at him left and right.

Akashi was careful to not knock over his drink as he submitted a comment to a website, reading: Minister Yoko Kamikawa is one of the best ministers of justice that I have ever had the honor to research. He read over it twice and deemed it fitting so he sent it.

By then, he had finished his breakfast and it was time for him to leave. He called for his chauffeur, and he drove Akashi to school. The ride was silent. No one
-
not even Info-chan had called him. Akashi didn’t know if it was a bad omen or a sign that something good was going to happen.

As Akashi walked into school, he saw a tuft as baby blue hair round a corner. He followed it and came face to face with Kuroko and Murasakibara, who broke apart from a second to glance as Akashi, Kuroko with slight excitement, but Murasakibara’s face was red, and it was only spreading.

“Did I interrupt something?” Akashi asked, as he raised an eyebrow, “I can leave it you wish.”

“There’s no need.” Kuroko said mildly, “It’s just that Murasakibara-kun wants to tell you something.”

“Well then,” Akashi began as he turned to Murasakibara, who was blushing wildly and tripping over his tongue for whatever reason that Akashi couldn’t fathom, “What is it that you want to tell me?”

“Well-um-just-well,” Murasakibara took a deep breath to compose himself, “Just that you look good today?” Akashi arched an eyebrow. He was sure that compliments didn’t end with a question mark.

“Thank you.” He said curtly before he turned to Kuroko, “Did I miss any events?”

“Nothing.” Kuroko responded, though he did look

quite

exasperated, “You should be able to catch up easily.” Akashi nodded in reply just as the school bell rang. They all scattered, going to their respective classrooms. When class started, the normal group of people weren’t there, so Akashi was able to focus on his lesson completely without Hayama bothering him the whole time.

When lunchtime rolled around, Akashi was condemned to his classroom, so that he could use the time to catch up. Even after school, he was still stuck there until six, trying to do his best to convince Nijimura-senpai that he had already gotten it, but, to no avail.

Akashi left school unburdened with any material things, but laden with thoughts that constantly whirred around his head. He had missed every interaction between Murasakibara and Kuroko, so he didn’t know if that tall male was trying to woo his soulmate. At least, that was how Akashi thought that word was used.

Akashi’s phone buzzed and he sighed with irritation before he opened it, already knowing who it was.

Unknown number: You are sure leaving late aren’t you? Teiko is just about to shut down- and you’re just leaving?

Akashi: Just where are you hiding these cameras? I cannot see any of them anywhere. I would have assumed that someone would have noticed them by now.

Unknown number: This school does not bother with any security measures, even with two deaths here. They suspect that they have caught the killer and they are lazy and lax.

Akashi: Disgusting.

Unknown number: Stop standing there and get moving. Your ride is waiting for you.

Akashi: I will have to look into you more.

And Akashi was serious when he said that. He knew next to nothing about Info-chan, other than the fact that they were able to see everything and seemingly had tabs on Akashi. So truly, he knew nothings about her.

And she seemed to know everything about Akashi.

And that was not good. Akashi ruminated as he was driven home. He needed to know something about her as well.

But, no matter how hard he tried, there was nothing to find. All that was known about her was she had tabs on just about every person in the school and only crossed those who crossed her.

Akashi went to bed with no clue with how to further either one of his goals.

When Akashi opened his eyes, there was Kagami, right on the edge of his bed.

“What are you doing here?” Akashi asked mildly as he took in Kagami’s appearance. His head was on straight, but the skin on it was purple and black, and it seemed to be sagging, as if Kagami had forced his head straight.

“What do you think?” Kagami growled, red eyes flaring harsher than they ever did in life, “You killed them, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” Akashi smirked as Kagami sputtered, “What of it?”

“YOU BLAMED IT ALL ON

ME!

” Kagami growled, his voice unearthly, unlike anything Akashi had ever heard before.

“What was I going to do?” Akashi asked as he felt around and tightened his finger around a knife. It was his dream, his rules.

His world.

“Turn myself in?” He teased as he lunged forwards, sinking the knife deep into Kagami’s chest as the other red haired male sputtered, gasping for breath, “Oh.” Akashi purred, “How I wish that I had gotten to do this myself.” He growled as Kagami’s blood ran over his arms, onto his face as Kagami’s body plunged onto his body, dead yet again.

Thursday:

Akashi cracked his left eye open, the itching coming from it nearly unbearable. He slipped out of his bed, getting ready for the day without bothering to look at the time, knowing that his body was working in his favor and that he had woken up just when he was supposed to.

Once he got out of the shower, water dripping off of him, his second alarm- the one that was only used it Akashi didn’t turn off the first alarm, went off.

Perfect

. Akashi thought to himself as he left his house, stomach full with breakfast and his mind whirring in the car.

I need to catch up with Mibuchi, Nebuya, etc. They weren’t in class yesterday. They would expect me to be worried, so I have to be worried.

Akashi thought to himself, frowning slightly,

It’s such a bother.

Once Akashi had gotten to school, he was nearly bowled over. He stumbled, trying his best to keep his balance before he finally looked over at the person that had bowled into him.

“Didya miss us?” Hayama chirped, his arms wrapped around Akashi, nearly squeezing all of the air out of his lungs. Akashi tried to take in air, but he just ended up gasping, unable to take in air.

“Let him go Haya-chan.” Mibuchi commanded quietly. The orange haired male just about skipped backwards, releasing Akashi from his grasp and allowing him to breath freely. Akashi glanced over at his savior, and saw that Mibuchi was standing beside Nebuya, the former with
long eyelashes and a handbag hanging from her hands.

“Thanks.” Akashi gasped out, “Where were you?” Is his next question. Directed at Mibuchi, who blushed slightly before looking away daintily.

“Well…” She began before Nebuya cut her off.

“We played drunk truth or dare!” He exclaimed, flexing his muscles as he did so, “And

I

won.”

“As I believe it, truth and dare doesn’t have winners or losers.” Akashi noted, raising an eyebrow, “So how exactly do you figure that you won?”

“He wasn’t passed out when his father found us!” Hayama chirped, bouncing on his heels, “Our parents made us stay home for a day-”

“Akashi-kun.” Everyone but Akashi jumped when Kuroko spoke up, “Murasakibara-kun wants to talk to you.” Akashi nodded before he looked back at the rest of them, who looked put out for only a second, before they seemed to caught a look for Kuroko and they all perked up again.

“You should go Sei-chan!” Mibuchi chirped, her hands clasped together with a sweet smile on her face, “I’m sure that he has something good to tell you!”

“Yeah!” Hayama and Mibuchi agreed. Akashi looked at all of them suspiciously before glancing back at Kuroko. He found nothing on his lover’s face.

“Fine.” Akashi agreed, and Kuroko started walking and Akashi was forced to keep up with him.

“Where are you taking me?” Akashi asked, reveling in the way that he was so close to Kuroko, almost close enough that Akashi could imagine his body heat if he truly tried to.

“The cherry blossom behind the school.” Kuroko replied, and Akashi’s heart leapt for a second before he remembered that Kuroko was taking him there to talk to Murasakibara. What could possibly be on that oaf’s mind?

“We’re nearly there.” Kuroko noted as they came close, Murasakibara clearly visible as some petals were falling to the ground, some getting tangled in his purple hair. Kuroko stopped walking at the base of the hill, leaving Akashi to walk up alone to face Murasakibara.

“Kuroko said that you wanted me?” Akashi asked as Murasakibara shuffled his feet from side to side, avoiding looking directly at Akashi, “Atsushi, please look at me.” He snapped, using Murasakibara’s given name by mistake.

“Aka-chin?” Murasakibara asked quietly, “Would you mind if-” He stopped, “I meant to say that I-” Murasakibara stopped, took a deep breath before beginning again, to Akashi’s extreme irritation, “What would you do if I kissed you?”

“Wha-” Is all Akashi had time to get out of his mouth before his hands are pinned to his sides, and Murasakibara is kissing him deeply, nearly bowing him in half with all the force that he was using.

It was Akashi’s reflex to push away from the disgusting thing that was kissing him, but he couldn’t do that with Kuroko watching him so intently.

So he kissed Murasakibara back, hating every second of it.