The Kingdom of Teiko {Kuroko no Basuke Fanfiction ; Akashi Seijuuro x OC}

Chapter 3 - A New Lifestyle

From now onward, everything will be First Person POV(Azalea's) unless stated.

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⠀⠀⠀⠀Golden ribbons of light shone past the translucent coloured paper windows and doors, heating up the room as well as lighting it. I squinted my eyes open, vaguely making out a figure's shadow behind the paper window. I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat was hoarse and dry. My body felt heavy, my eyelids weighed a ton. I guess I'd only slept for a few hours this morning, I can't really move. My back felt numb ; the futon ached my body. A voice rung in the air, sourcing from the figure lurking beyond the paper door - a girl's.

⠀⠀⠀⠀"Azalea-san?" A soft and comforting voice echoed throughout the room. Swallowing a few times to lubricate my throat, I finally managed to speak. "Who is that?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀The paper doors slid open with a loud sound as more light poured in, hurting my eyes akin to needles being stuck into my eyelids and beyond that. At this rate, I felt like a vampire about to burst into huge flames. Ah, those old wives' tales got the better of me.

⠀⠀⠀⠀A girl with soft and long pink hair done up into a loose bun with ends hanging out stood at the door frame, clad in a kimono - which I stole last night - and had another one of different patterns in her arms. "Wake up, Azalea-san! The bath is already open and you start as a member of the Intelligence Unit today!" She beamed, crouching down and trying to yank the big piece of cloth that I used to cover my face from the blinding light. I think I'd rather die than be suddenly exposed to the sun. Then again, I remembered. I was so afraid last night that I'd sweated a lot of cold sweat. Stunned and as a force of impulse, I jerked upwards and cast the blanket aside, the sun stinging my eyes. I hissed in response.

⠀⠀⠀⠀"Mou~ Azalea-san. Let's go," she said, yanking me by the arm and closing the door behind her. I stepped out of the room and onto the wooden platform, my eyes vaguely accustomed to the brightness of the morning day. The garden where I had the match of death(shogi match with Akashi Seijuuro) yesterday was gleaming with golden light and flowers blooming under the shine. My left hand was grabbed with both that of Satsuki's and I was dragged along the narrow-ish corridor.

⠀⠀⠀⠀We soon arrived before two sliding wooden doors that ranged from below the wooden platform all the way to the ceiling of the corridor after making many twists and turns. The pinkette released my hand and slid her fingers into the small handle of the door and lightly pushed one of them to the left. On the top of the wooden door was a pink-red banner with white ink writing 'women' in Japanese. Despite it's fancy grandeur, it was just a small little room with the interior of a sauna with a huge bamboo bucket/tub of water with steam rising from the surface as well as a scooper sailing on top of the water. Satsuki walked past all of that and into a hidden door, which I followed through curiously.

⠀⠀⠀⠀The hidden room revealed to be a huge garden, with a deep 'puddle' in the centre. "Let's go, Azalea-chan!" W-Wait... '-chan'...? She pulled me over to a bamboo rack and removed her clothes, wrapping herself in a towel. Well, tightly, with that rack of hers. I mean... Nothing!

⠀⠀⠀⠀Tall, dark green bamboo plants surrounded the small bath compound, she strutted her way towards the hot springs with demure, grace and feminine, something I never had nor want. A hand upon the middle of my chest, I sighed a deep breath and quietly walked over. Never had I been exposed to this kind of thing before.

⠀⠀⠀⠀Life in the Mizuka clan was simple and majestic, everything was laid out for me, from outfits to playthings as well as from attendants to food. The second child of the family hadn't a worry in the world.

⠀⠀⠀⠀Which was something I loathed, of course.

⠀⠀⠀⠀Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike being waited on hand and foot, my every necessity being fulfilled in a flash, but everything was limited for me. Amount of time to play? Limited. Amount of books to read? Limited. Amount of time to learn to play the er hu**? Unlimited. Ever since Father brought back that Chinese instrument from his business partner, he'd been employing so many instructors from all around the country to teach me new melodies, and frankly they made my ears bleed by the time I had mastered it. Enough about that. Long story short, life was hell and heaven at the same time ; carefree yet insufficient.