Kuroko no Basuke/黒子のバスケ 1. Prologue

**Mischievous Fate (Kuroko no Basket: Midorima Shintarou)**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kuroko no Basket. Fujimaki Tadatoshi does.

_Introduction: With incomparable beauty, superior IQ, bountiful luxury, and flawless attitude, Chano Shizuka was renowned to be Teiko's Yamato Nadeshiko. But, despite her unmatched attributes, these didn't make her an exception to Oha-asa. Finally, after 2 years of having secret admiration to Midorima Shintarou, she confessed on their Graduation day, only to get rejected. Why? The reason is simple. Because their Zodiac Signs are incompatible._

_Having her Middle School days end with a notable rejection, Shizuka was determined to start anew in Shutoku High. However, little did she know that their paths will cross once again in High School. Indeed, what a mischievous fate._

**Genre:** Shoujo, School life, Romance, Comedy, Fanfiction

* * *

**_Prologue_**

Standing on a pathway surrounded by fully-grown cherry blossom trees, a certain hazelhead couldn't hear anything except for her heart racing in full speed. Trying to ease out, she released a deep breath and looked at the man in front of her with determined eyes.

"I like you. Please go out with me!" she said, her voice slightly quivering in the process.

After 2 long years of silent admiration, she finally stood in front of her beloved, Midorima Shintarou, and was able to properly convey her feelings.

And, as if on cue, a crowd enclosed them in a circle. Loud whistles and cooing sounds instantly broke out. But, amidst the teaseful cheers of their audience, whispers of gossip scattered like wildfire.

"Hey, isn't that Nadeshiko?" Some onlookers simultaneously muttered.

Meet our heroine, Chano Shizuka: Teiko Middle's one and only Yamato Nadeshiko. She, who possessed incomparable beauty, superior IQ, bountiful luxury, and flawless attitude, was hailed like a queen—doted by the men, envied by the women.

"That _megane_! What a fortunate bastard! So those lucky items of his weren't just for show, huh?!" A guy grumbled in jealousy.

Meanwhile, Shizuka felt her anxietly level dangerously rose as she watched the green-haired male remain unmoving and silent. _Was he displeased? _"U-Um, Mido—"

"What's your Zodiac sign?" he suddenly asked, making her flinch in surprise. The audience piped down.

"Libra, why?" she hesitantly replied. That was a weird question.

Upon hearing her answer, Midorima sighed and readjusted his glasses to the bridge of his nose. He glanced at her—his emotionless, emerald eyes made contact with her hazel pair for the first time. "I'm sorry, but fate deemed that we are incompatible for each other."

And with that, he turned away, leaving a dumbfounded crowd.

"Eh?"

* * *

The following day,

Shizuka sighed heavily as she strolled around the schoolgrounds. Apparently, her underclassmen from the Volleyball club organized a farewell party for the seniors, and the agreed venue was Teiko's third gymnasium.

Honestly speaking, she wasn't in the mood to go out, less for a party. Her mind was still in a daze for what happened yesterday. Not only was she rejected for a stupid reason, but also in front of an audience. Nonetheless, this and that were of different things. She was the team captain, and her attendance was necessary.

She was about to turn to a corner when she heard voices.

_"Say, you know Chano Shizuka, right?"_ A girl with a cheeky voice said. Upon hearing her name, she unconsciously stopped and leaned on the wall to hide.

_"Yeah, of course. She's that popular chick." _A boy replied. The girl seemed to fume about his tactless statement.

Curious, Shizuka peeked a little. Her eyes widened upon recognizing the girl as one of her classmates, talking to a guy, who was probably her boyfriend.

_"She might be popular, but guess what? She got rejected!" _

Now, that's not a very sympathizing comment. Shizuka felt her heart tighten upon realizing that someone was talking ill behind her back.

_"Really? By whom?"_

_"You know him, he's also in your club. That Midorima Shintarou, I think?"_

Her body remained unmoving against the wall. She wanted to walk away, but felt the need to know more. Maybe, about the truth: of what others really think about her. She wasn't a thickhead. She knew deep inside that she was treated differently.

After a few more minutes of talking,

_"Come on, who'd reject a girl just because of mismatched horoscope signs? He probably felt pressured because of her high standards." _The girl hissed mockingly.

_"Yeah. No guy would like to have a girlfriend, who's better than him in all aspects," _he commented. _"She's just _**_too perfect_**_.__"_

_"Too perfect? You mean, goody-two-shoes! That girl is so irritating ― hogging all the attention to herself! She's probably a bitch in a sheep's clothing. Everyone says that!"_

The strength in Shizuka's legs instantly faded, causing her to plop down the ground. She didn't know everyone hated her so much. All the smiles they shared together, was it only her who thought it was true? She felt a sharp pain on her chest, like she was being stabbed with a knife. Tears were starting to well up on her eyes, when she heard a voice.

"What are you doing?"

As she looked at the man, who was walking towards her direction, her eyes instantly widened. It was Midorima.

_Come to think of it, that guy is also in the basketball club. They probably have a farewell party too._ A thought passed by her mind.

"I-It's nothing." she replied as she rashly rubbed her eyes and stood up, facing Midorima one last time. She noticed that his expression changed, like he was startled or something.

He was about to say something when she suddenly ran away. Midorima only watched her disappear in the distance.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I just need to clear up some things. I swear that she's _not_ a Mary Sue. I think the main point behind this characterization is to address the reality that no one can be perfectly happy on their own, even the most blessed people. (Ehem, was that too dramatic?)


	2. Entry 01

**Mischievous Fate (Kuroko no Basket: Midorima Shintarou)**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kuroko no Basket. Fujimaki Tadatoshi does. Well of course, except for the OC.

_Introduction: With incomparable beauty, superior IQ, bountiful luxury, and flawless attitude, Chano Shizuka was renowned to be Teiko's Yamato Nadeshiko. But, despite her unmatched attributes, these didn't make her an exception to Oha-asa. Finally, after 2 years of having secret admiration to Midorima Shintarou, she confessed on their Graduation day, only to get rejected. Why? The reason is simple. Because their Zodiac Signs are incompatible._

_Having her Middle School days end with a notable rejection, Shizuka was determined to start anew in Shutoku High. However, little did she know that their paths will cross once again in High School. Indeed, what a mischievous fate._

* * *

**_Entry 1: High School Debut_**

Few months later,

The streets of Tokyo had, yet again, started to get busy. The first week of April was almost at its end, and most of the students had already gone back attending schools.

Amidst the morning rush, a certain hazelhead barely managed to escape the clutches of an overly-crowded train. She sighed in relief, before glancing back at the departing transport vehicle, staring at her blurred reflection.

Impressed, a triumphous smirk quirked on her lips. Chano Shizuka was in no way a narcissist; but she had to admit, she really liked her new look. There was nothing left of what she was before, except for her inborn physiology. Her _hime_ ambience was completely replaced with the girl-next-door vibes, as a result of her appearance undergoing a vigorous makeover. And surprisingly, the results even surpassed her expectations.

_With this, I can finally have a normal highschool life. _She happily mused to herself.

* * *

Shizuka glanced from paper to paper, searching for her name. She was already inside the schoolgrounds, standing in front of the bulletin board, along with some unnamed schoolmates. Upon sighting the kanji of_ brown_, she immediately knew it was hers. Really, why was her surname derived from a color?

_Class 1-B, huh? _She stared for the last time, before scooting away from the crowd.

She headed southwards, where the auditorium was located. The stroll itself was already entertaining, as she walked down a pathway surrounded by rows of breathtaking cherry blossom trees.

"Wow," Shizuka whispered, extending a hand to catch the falling flowers. "How pretty—"

_"I like you. Please go out with me!" _A dreadful memory resurfaced in her mind. Oh, she almost forgot. The cherry blossoms were also in full bloom that day.

_"I'm sorry, but fate deemed that we are incompatible for each other." _And her feelings withered like a dead flower.

"—or not." she trailed, unconsciously crushing the petals in the process. Unbeknownst to her, an aura of dread started to emanate from her figure, bringing about heaps of yelp from the passerbys.

_Midorima Shintarou. _She inwardly muttered, her tone dangerously dripping with poison. His existence proved her that even the most alluring dream could turn into a living nightmare.

In attempt to calm herself, the hazelhead breathed in and merely diverted her attention to a building on her right. Upon scanning it's delicate structure, she silently appraised. _Still, Shutoku High indeed lives up to its reputation as a prestigious private school. I like it here._

* * *

Upon Shizuka's arrival in the auditorium, which was where the Opening Ceremony will be held, she immediately searched for a good seat. 15 minutes later, the auditorium was fully occupied and the program started.

First, the principal addressed a warm welcome and commendation to the freshmen. His speech was unbearably long and boring; which was probably why (Shizuka just assumed) her seatmate already drifted off to dreamland.

She curiously glanced at him, and examined his features. It was a guy with jet black hair and creamy, slim face. He seemed to be the easy-going type, seeing that he was in a deep slumber despite the occasion, or was just plain careless. To her surprise, his mouth suddenly opened. A loud snore immediately followed after.

The hazelhead tried to ignore it, but the principal's death glares won't be going elsewhere with that. Earning a special mention was the last thing she wished for in a high school debut, so she acted fast and pinched the nose of her sleeping seatmate.

This made the guy gasp for air, instantly waking him up. He turned to her, silvery blue eyes glowering against an unfamiliar hazel pair. "What was that fo—?!"

A hand slapped over his mouth, preventing him from shouting. "Be quiet. We're in the middle of the ceremony."

The guy nodded in surrender, and that was the cue for Shizuka to remove her grasp on him. She averted her gaze to back to the stage, secretly sighing in relief.

For a while, he only stared at her in silence, observing her expression and actions. He whispered, "But hey, couldn't you have woken me up in a more graceful manner?"

She glanced at him, slightly unsure whether to ride with the conversation or not. "Sorry. I panicked. You were snoring so loudly, I—"

"I WAS SNO—?!" he almost screeched, but with a firm squeeze on his left foot, Shizuka shut him off easily. He bent in pain and muttered a few ouches.

"Please be quiet," she chided for the second time. "And yes, you were snoring."

"S-Sorry." The guy uttered weakly.

She threw him a one last glance of worry, before gazing forward. _What a weird guy._

* * *

Finally, with the speech almost over, most of the students already started to engage in friendly conversations.

"I'm Takao Kazunari. You are?" Shizuka's attention was diverted to a hand extended towards her. She looked at her side, and the raven from before was smiling at her.

"Chano Shizuka. Nice to meet you." she replied and lightly shook his hand.

_Despite his looks, he seems to be a good person_. The hazelhead pondered.

The principal cleared his throat, trying to regain the now busy students' attentions. "Moving on—I shall introduce to you this year's freshmen representative, who did not only get an almost perfect score in our school's entrance test, but also ranked 9th in the National's Highschool Assessment Examination!"

"Wooow," Takao whistled teasingly. "That person must be a total nerd. Bet he wears glasses."

Shizuka nervously laughed. Now, there was definitely no way she could ever let others know she ranked 3rd. "Y-Yeah."

_Wait a minute. _A thought flashed through her mind, taunting to open a room of sealed memories_. Ranked 9th? I do know someone who had the same achievement._

"Let us welcome," The principal trailed on. And at the same time, Shizuka's eyes widened in realization. She paled. "Midorima Shintarou-san."

Well, well. If it wasn't her living nightmare.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hello. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday! PS. Don't forget to put leftovers in the fridge to avoid spoilage!


	3. Entry 02

**Mischievous Fate (Kuroko no Basket: Midorima Shintarou)**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kuroko no Basket. Fujimaki Tadatoshi does. Well of course, except for the OC.

_Introduction: With incomparable beauty, superior IQ, bountiful luxury, and flawless attitude, Chano Shizuka was renowned to be Teiko's Yamato Nadeshiko. But, despite her unmatched attributes, these didn't make her an exception to Oha-asa. Finally, after 2 years of having secret admiration to Midorima Shintarou, she confessed on their Graduation day, only to get rejected. Why? The reason is simple. Because their Zodiac Signs are incompatible._

_Having her Middle School days end with a notable rejection, Shizuka was determined to start anew in Shutoku High. However, little did she know that their paths will cross once again in High School. Indeed, what a mischievous fate._

* * *

**_Entry 2: Coincidence or Fate?_**

After the ceremony, inside a washroom...

A sudden chill in the air caused some unnamed female students to break into cold sweat. They slowly turned their heads to check a certain cubicle; which, in just a few seconds, sent them scurrying outside.

An aura of dread could almost be seen seeping through the space between the door and the ground. Inside, a girl remained seated on the toilet's closed lid, with her head rested on her palms.

"This is absurd!" Shizuka whined in a low voice, trying to remain unnoticed. _There are over a hundred schools here in Tokyo. The chances were so little, yet we both chose to attend Shutoku?!_

It was an unexpected turn of events. Really now. Was fate pulling a cruel prank on her, or was it merely a coincidence? Either way, nothing could change the fact that she came across the worst possible scenario.

_Still, _she breathed out softly before staring off to space. The image of the greenhead addressing his speech resurfaced in her mind. She slightly growled upon feeling her cheeks heat up. _Midorima-kun is really cool as ever..._

And, at the sound of the bell echoing throughout the campus, Shizuka was taken back to reality. She immediately headed outside, and marched to her classroom.

_Doesn't really matter now. I can easily avoid him, as long as we're not in the same class_. She thought.

Upon the sight of a hanging cardboard with a neat imprint of '1-B', the hazelhead hastened to the said room and opened the door. She sighed in relief after noticing the teacher's yet empty table.

She was about to proceed inside, when suddenly, a disturbing fluff of _green_ flashed through her peripheral vision, making her retreat to the corridor. Everyone sweat-dropped when she wordlessly slammed the door close.

_Wha_—_What was that just now? _She panicked, her hand hovered above her chest as her heart raced uncontrollably.

Facing the empty hallway, she gazed at the other signboards. _We have 6 sections, all of which are arranged randomly! There's now way we would be placed in the same one! _She reckoned, trying to calm herself.

"Oh my. A shy type?" A sweet voice cooed from behind.

Shizuka instinctively spun around and found a man in a grey suit. His ebony hair was in a curly mess, while his navy blue eyes glimmered above his warm smile. She glanced at his right hand and at the sight of the binder he was holding, she immediately realized who he was: their teacher.

"It's only natural to get anxious on your first day. But, don't worry. It'll disappear through time." he assured.

She blinked, dumbfounded. "T-That's not—"

"Let's go inside, shall we? I'll be starting homeroom now~" He suddenly grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back to the room, all while humming a _daijoubu_ song.

She tried to resist but to no avail. In her mind echoed a high-pitched scream of doom.

* * *

Shizuka shifted uncomfortably on her seat. Her eyes detoured nervously from the blackboard towards a certain man.

_It really is him_! She dreaded internally. There, in the middle of the room, sat the epitome of her damnation, Midorima Shintaro.

"Isn't it amazing? To think that we're classmates, Chano-san!" A voice cut through her train of thoughts.

She curiously glanced to her left and her eyes instantly widened. She gawked slightly. "T-Takao-kun?"

_She just noticed me now?! _He protested and a drop of sweat unconsciously made its way down his forehead. "Are you okay? You've been out of it for a while now." he inquired.

"I-I'm fine. Just a little sleepy." she answered nervously, before forcing out a laughter. Takao only stared at her, unsure of what to reply.

Soon after, Shizuka went back to business. However, instead of staring into a bob of green, her eyes locked onto a bespectacled pair of the same color, almost making her choke. The hazelhead unconsciously held her breath and remained unmoving under Midorima's gaze, which seemed to observe her intently. After a few seconds, he finally looked away. She heavily breathed out.

_He looked here! Why? Did he notice me?!_ She shakily griped her skirt, crumpling it in the process, and gulped. _But, he looked too impassive. I mean, shouldn't he be surprised, even just a little bit?_

Her gaze wandered to the left while in deep thought. An idea popped into her mind as she noticed her faint reflection on the window.

_Ah, I see! _She nodded then smiled. _He didn't recognize me! I changed my appearance after all! Okay! I can still work this out. As long as he doesn't learn about my name_—

Their adviser suddenly clapped his hands, catching everyone's attention. He then stated gleefully, "Let's start then! Everyone shall take turns in introducing themselves!"

Shizuka blinked before gawking in disbelief. _Whaaaat?!_

* * *

Takao couldn't help but stare at his seatmate, who seemed more than ready to enter the gates of hell at any given moment. _Does she have stage fright? _He wondered.

A few minutes later, the raven's attention was diverted to the student walking in front, and so was Shizuka's. The classroom went silent. It was _his_ turn.

"I'm Midorima Shintarou. I previously attended Teiko Middle. My zodiac sign is Cancer." was his simple introduction.

And at that, murmuring sounds broke out. The others had a small talk about him being one of the famed Generation of Miracles, while the few remaining ones were on about the goat plushy he was holding on his left hand.

_Today's lucky item, huh?_ Shizuka mused to herself. Oh, she really knew him all too well.

"I'm so honored to have the batch's representative in my class!" The teacher chimed happily. Midorima only muttered a word of thanks, before heading back to his seat.

Half an hour had passed; and by every minute, the hazelhead only plunged deeper into despair. She had tried to think of a way to escape without literally acting on it; in other words, divine intervention. She wouldn't want to look that desperate, after all.

She was taken back to reality when a voice suddenly resonated in her ear. "Chano-san!"

"Y-Yes!" she instinctively snapped upwards, her loud reply echoed throughout the classroom. Almost immediately, light giggles and laughs followed after. Shizuka looked around her and her face heated up from embarrassment. She gave the raven, who was standing beside her, a questioning look.

"It's your turn." Takao explained between his stifled laughter.

_Geez. Now I look like an idiot._ She internally grunted, as she dejectedly walked to the front.

Facing the class, she tried her best not to look at Midorima. However, curiosity got the best of her, and she tried to steal a glance from him. Her neck almost snapped when she hastily averted her eyes away, ultimately even her head, when their gaze met.

_This is really bad. At this rate, he'll recognize me! What should I do?! Should I change my name? Ugh. But that's not allowed..._

"You can do it," The teacher whispered and discreetly pumped his fist in the air, as if encouraging her. "Just take a deep breath."

The hazelhead only stared at him in disbelief. It seemed that he still had the wrong impression of her. Still, she heeded to his words and inhaled deeply.

"I'm... Chano Shizuka. Nice to meet you." she stated lightly, as if whispering. Anxious, her gaze remained fixated on the floor.

And, there was silence. However, almost immediately, loud cheers echoed throughout the room.

"How cuuuute!"

"Ohohoho~ A tsundere?"

Their adviser clapped, a proud smile was evident on his face, before signaling a thumbs up at her. Shizuka looked at them with mouth slightly agape in confusion. They were all smiling at her, some were giggling even. Her eyes widened, glimmering in astonishment. She almost forgot her goal. High school debut—was this the start of it?

"What school were you from, Chano-san?" The teacher asked.

_Oh. I forgot to mention._ "It's Teiko Middle." she answered casually. Everyone blinked, before glancing at their bespectacled representative.

"I see! The same school as Midorima-san. Were you classmates?"

And at this, realization dawned upon Shizuka. She just revealed her identity. Was he shocked or dumbfounded? She couldn't help but feel interested in his reaction.

She hastily looked at the greenhead. However, much to her dismay, his expression barely change. It remained the same, reserved and uninterested.

The excitement in her eyes immediately vanished. Her heart beat decelerated, and the grip on her skirt loosened.

It took a while before she answered, making their adviser peer at her in worry.

"No, we were not." Her tone was slightly colder than before, but hardly noticeable. Satisfied with her introduction, he motioned for the next student.

Shizuka remained quiet the rest of their little program. She motionlessly sat on her place, while her mind flew somewhere else.

_I see. It's not that he didn't recognize me. He just doesn't care. _She lightly ruffled her hazel locks, before resting her cheek atop her right palm, inwardly sighing. She then laughed tiredly. _Seriously, what am I doing, getting all excited by myself?_

"I'm such an idiot."

* * *

**Author's Note: **

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Sorry for the late update. Hope you liked it!


End file.

Kuroko no Basuke/黒子のバスケ, Humor, Romance