Chapter 1

Kagami Taiga couldn't tell what was louder: The sound of an airplane's engine rumbling in the background or the sound of his mother fretting anxiously in his ear. Mrs. Kagami had a tendency to become high pitched and screechy whenever she was unnerved. "Now you listen to me Taiga," She said for the twentieth time since the phone call began ten minutes ago. "You're all by yourself in a new country, and I know things will probably be hard. But you have to remember to take proper care of yourself. Don't forget to eat three times a day, and don't overload on the convenience store food. Be sure to brush your teeth and take a shower daily…"

"Mom!" Kagami groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand as he listened to his mother's voice filter through the phone. "I get it, I get it! Jeez, I'm twenty four now! I can take care of myself!" Not to mention that you've been saying the exact same thing for like, the past ten minutes. He left the thought unsaid.

"I know that Taiga." His mother calmed down slightly and took a deep breath. "I'm just really worried about you. Will you promise to call at least once a week?"

He almost felt like refusing. Even once a week sounded ridiculous. But then he thought about his mother and how hard this decision must have been for her. It'd been a relatively easy choice for him, to pack his bags and throw them on a plane back to Japan. But his mother couldn't do the same. She had a steady, well paying job in America. She couldn't uproot her life to follow him. And he was rather touched by her enthusiasm. Even if he'd never admit it. "Alright Mom, you got it. Once a week. Hey, I gotta run now. It's almost 11 at night in America, isn't it? I don't want to keep you up any longer."

"Alright Taiga, I'll call you again before I head off to work." His mother said uncertainly. There was a pause. "Oh, Taiga, before I forget! I packed your underwear for you. It's in-!"

"Mom!" Kagami complained, blushing bright red. Even though no one in the airport could hear their conversation, he still felt embarrassment sinking in on his face. "You don't need to tell me that! I'll find it myself!" He glanced around wildly, looking for some excuse to hang up. Suddenly, the airport intercom blared. "Baggage claim for American Airlines Flight 678 is currently going on in Lane 2. Baggage claim for American Airlines Flight 678 is currently going on in Lane 2."

Thank God. Kagami thought, breathing a sigh of relief. "Hey, sorry Mom, I gotta run. My bags are waiting for me." Before she could protest or try to drag on the conversation any longer, Kagami pushed the end button and heaved a sigh. He'd been in Tokyo for only half an hour, and his enthusiasm was already being dangerously depleted. He shoved his phone into his carry-on bag before having the first proper look at his surroundings.

Tokyo International Airport was, for lack of better description, huge. Huge and pristine. The floor had been scrubbed to an immaculate shine, and there was hardly a crumb to be found. Not even on the chairs, where so many little kids spilled food while roughhousing around. Shops lined every single inch of the terminals, selling everything from newspapers to souvenirs. A flock of people of all nationalities passed him at that moment, chatting to each other in English, Japanese, and countless other languages that he couldn't name. He hadn't realized until then just how many people there were in the airport that seemed to span endlessly. Feeling slightly overwhelmed, Kagami spun around a few times. Exactly how the hell am I supposed to find my luggage in this mess? As he looked around in confusion, he finally spotted a sign with direction arrows. For a moment, he had no idea what it said. Dammit, my kanji is horrible. He then saw the English words 'Baggage Claim' and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Taxi! Hey, taxi!" Kagami sighed as he watched yet another one of the cars hurtle by. It'd taken him two hours to get everything in order, but he was finally standing outside the airport terminal with his suitcases piled up behind him. It was past noon, and even underneath the shade of the terminal awning, Kagami could feel the sun's heat radiating down. It was unbearably hot. He wiped the sweat away from his forehead, hoping that whatever taxi cab he finally managed to hail would have air conditioning in it.

He waved his hand again, and one of the cabs finally braked at his command. The cab driver, a respectable looking man with thick glasses and balding hair, clambered out and wordlessly began to help Kagami with his luggage. Once the suitcases and carry-ons were all settled into the trunk, Kagami ducked down and slipped into the passenger seat of the taxi. He breathed a sigh of relief when a blast of cold air hit him. Finally, air conditioning.

The driver made sure everything was secure before getting behind the wheel and igniting the engine. For a few moments, they rode in silence. As soon as they were out of the terminal and away from all the other taxies though, the driver shifted his gaze towards his passenger. "Where are you headed?"

Kagami reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled slip of paper that had his new address in Akihabara scrawled on it. The driver immediately raised his eyebrows when he heard the location. "You sure about that, kid?"

"Yeah, of course I'm sure." Kagami narrowed his dark red eyes and twisted against his seat belt to look at the driver. "Why?"

The driver shrugged his shoulders while keeping a firm grip on the wheel. "Things have been getting messy around there recently. Some gangs or something of the other have taken over. It's a dangerous place, even for a young man like you. Since you haven't heard about it though, I guess you haven't been here for a while?"

"No, the last time I was in Japan was when I was a kid." Kagami acknowledged, taking in the scenery that was outside the cab window. "How bad is it down there?"

"Well, it's been a constant news topic for the past year or so." The driver swung a left onto a street. "It was pretty bad in the beginning, with all the drug trafficking and violence. But more and more gangs kept showing up there, so it kept getting worse. Now there's like, a murder every week down there. Not to mention all the prostitution and drugs and gambling." He suddenly laughed. "I'm not scaring you off from there, am I?"

"Nah, I'm not that soft," Kagami chuckled. All this talk about gangs was unnerving him slightly, but he figured that it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He experienced some of the same things in America. Though he'd never been comfortable with the things the people were doing, he'd also grown used to tuning them out. "I've seen my share of that in America."

"Oh, so you've lived in the States!" The man was pleasantly surprised. "What's it like there?"

They slipped into easy banter about America and sports, gangs and violence briefly forgotten. To his surprise, they even started talking about basketball. Apparently his cab driver had been a point guard back in the day before his vision started deteriorating. The two were talking about Japan's national team when the driver suddenly screeched to a stop, throwing both of them forward. Kagami yelped in surprise before looking around, wondering what had caused them to brake so suddenly.

The car was sitting in a small, one way road with a bad cement job. There were visible cracks in the black ground, and dirty patches of moss and weeds were growing freely in the inch wide cracks. The sidewalk was in even worse shape than the road, with visible spots of the cement actually caving in at some points. Each apartment building was a monotone red brick color, identical to its siblings that flanked it on both sides. Vines grew freely on the sides of the buildings, spiraling upwards towards the sky.

In the middle of the drab monotone was a vibrant streak of color. Yellow crime tape was strewn everywhere, flashing off a warning sign to stay clear. The tape wrapped itself around the front door of a building, sectioning off the small staircase. There was something lying on the cement in front of the door and Kagami leaned forward to get a better view.

Just then, the driver rolled down his window to talk to a passing police officer, and Kagami gagged at the sudden rancid and sticky smell that filled the car. Blood. Putrid blood. His stomach churned, catapulting the remnants of his lunch back up his throat. He kept his mouth shut and pinched his nose, trying to keep himself from hurling. Despite all his efforts though, his red eyes remained locked on the scene in front of him with disturbing fascination. He couldn't make out much because of the officers crowding around, but when he leaned in further, Kagami caught a glimpse of a black braid lying limp on the ground amidst a pool of some dark red stain. He knew then where the blood was coming from.

Kagami sagged back into his seat, suddenly feeling defeated and incredibly tired. He'd come to Japan with enthusiasm, but he could feel it leaking away by the second. Beside him, he could hear the cab driver talking with the officer.

"Not another one?"

"Looks like it. Some civilian found her when he was talking a walk this morning. Completely hacked up, limbs and blood all over the place. Feels like a loony with a chainsaw got her. I just don't get it though. This is the third one this month that's died this way."

"Sounds like a bad horror movie."

"I wish it was a movie." The officer sighed, taking a step back to take a few notes on the scene. The driver wound the window back up and slowly eased the car away from the scene. "Sorry you had to see that. But if you're going to live around here, you'll have to get used to it." Kagami's face went slightly ashen when he said that, and the red haired boy turned towards the window just in time to see the name of the road go by on a rickety sign. Great. So this really is my new neighborhood.

It might have been about five minutes later when the taxi cab screeched to a stop again, this time in front of one of those monotone red brick apartment complexes. The driver turned off the engine and looked at his passenger. "Well, this is the address." Kagami nodded before both men got out of the car and began unloading the luggage.

"Hey! Need any help?"

Kagami looked up and saw a very tall and muscular young man around his age walking out of the building. There was a slight limp in his gait as he made his way towards the street. Having already experienced the horrors of the neighborhood, Kagami wasn't exactly sure what to expect out of this newcomer. But his tension was slightly eased when he noticed the welcoming smile on the other man's face.

"Yeah, sure." Kagami returned the smile before gesturing towards some of the bags. He wasn't sure if the other boy could handle the weight, seeing how weak his leg seemed to be, but the brunette picked up two of the bags without a problem. Still slightly suspicious of the other's intents, Kagami made sure he could see the boy out of the corner of his eye as he turned towards the taxi driver. "Thanks for all your help."

He reached into his wallet and gave the man a proper fee. The man accepted and reached out to shake Kagami's hand. "No problem. Have fun in Japan. Oh, and be careful!" He waved a goodbye before clambering back into his car and suddenly blazing away as fast as he could. Kagami couldn't exactly blame him for wanting to leave the carnage behind.

Kagami then turned back towards his bags and grabbed the remainder of them before walking towards the staircase. The man from earlier was still waiting.

"So I guess you're moving in?"

"Yeah."

"What room number are you?"

"323."

"Oh, I'll help you take your stuff up there then."

The man guided Kagami over to the side of the building where the stairs were. Kagami couldn't help but look at the person who'd volunteered to help him. He seemed friendly enough, and he certainly had a light tone when he spoke. But after what he'd seen…could he really trust this guy?

"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi Teppei. Nice to meet you!" He reached out to shake Kagami's hand, suddenly forgetting that he was carrying a few bags. They dropped to the floor. "Huh?" Kiyoshi stared at them blankly. "Wait, whose bags are those?"

"Mine…" Kagami replied, wondering exactly what was wrong with this guy. He was so overly friendly. And forgetful. Maybe his knee isn't the only thing that's injured?

"Huh? Oh, right! Whoops, totally forgot man. My bad." Kiyoshi laughed and rubbed the back of his head before reaching down and picking the bags up. "What's your name?"

"Kagami Taiga. It's nice to meet you, Kiyoshi-san." He wasn't exactly sure if he really meant those words yet.

"Oh, don't be so formal! Just calling me Teppei's fine!" They reached the stairs then, revealing an unsteady, rickety and rusted contraption that visibly rattled when Kiyoshi put his weight onto the first step. Kagami hesitated for a moment. Is this thing really safe?

"Kagami-kun, come on! You'll left behind if you wait longer!"

Knowing that Kiyoshi was right, Kagami took a deep breath and placed a foot on the metal step. To his surprise, it didn't cave underneath him. Maybe it wasn't too bad after all. He then moved upwards, one step at a time, careful where he placed his weight. He was too busy concentrating to realize that Kiyoshi had stopped-until Kagami slammed right into his back.

"W-What the hell?" Kagami snapped in surprise, rubbing his face and staring at the boy who was standing on the step in front of him. "Why are we stopping? Is something wrong?"

For a few moments, it seemed like Kiyoshi was in deep thought. "…Sorry, I forgot. What floor are you on?"

Jesus Christ, this guy's an idiot! Kagami thought, resisting the urge to facepalm. He took a deep, steadying breath before he replied. "Third."

"Oh, right! Now I remember." That's because I just told you, you nitwit! Kiyoshi was cheerful as always as he continued up the stairs. He even started whistling. Kagami followed him, keeping a wary eye on the other boy just in case he forgot again. He found it hard to believe that someone this dense could be living in one of the prefecture's most dangerous sections. How the heck does he survive out here?

When they finally arrived outside the door of his new apartment, Kagami's shoulders were screaming in pain and his hand felt ready to cramp. Much to his annoyance, Kiyoshi didn't seem bothered by the weight at all. Or at least, he wasn't showing it. The other man set the bags down in front of the door and announced cheerfully, "Well, here you go Kagami-kun!"

"Thanks." Kagami muttered, reaching into his pocket for the keys. He finally found the small metal contraption and fit it into the lock. Kiyoshi stood there, watching him. Kagami wondered exactly how much longer he was going to stand there. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Kiyoshi opened his mouth to talk. "Hey Kagami-kun, mind if I give a word of advice?"

"What?" Kagami was too distracted trying to get the key to fit into the lock to pay attention.

"You've probably already realized, but this is a dangerous neighborhood." Kagami paused when he realized that Kiyoshi's way of speaking completely changed. His previous lighthearted drawl morphed into a serious and almost cold tone. "Here's a word of advice. No matter what you see, stay away from it." He turned away and began walking back towards the staircase. His last words before he began to descend brought a chill down Kagami's spine. "You seem like a good guy Kagami-kun. I'd hate to see you as a body on the street."

It almost feels like he's threatening me. Kagami thought, suddenly aware that he was clenching the doorknob with a death grip. He looked down in surprise and saw that his hand was shaking. He'd like to believe it was just a friendly warning, but there was something about Kiyoshi's tone that unnerved him. He let out a long, trembling sigh before twisting the lock and opening the door to his apartment.

He must have fallen asleep while unpacking because when Kagami opened his eyes again, the first thing he noticed was that the apartment was blanketed in darkness. It had seeped in without his notice, casting an eerie light on all the stacks of boxes that were lying around. His neck was cramping up, and he realized that he'd slept for roughly eight hours without a pillow. Groaning, Kagami sat up on the old leather couch and rubbed his head. On top of his stiff neck and stiff limbs, he also had a terrific headache. It felt like someone had taken a hammer to the inside of his skull and was still ruthlessly pounding. "Damn, that hurts…"

Stupid jetlag must have messed him up. Kagami knew that it wasn't a good idea to still be running on his American time schedule, but it was going to take him a while to get used to the thirteen hour time difference between the two countries. He groaned and got off the couch, stretching as he did so. It took him a few seconds of fumbling around in the darkness to find the lights, but his fingers finally brushed the switch and a bright yellow haze finally bathed the room in a much more welcoming light.

Suddenly aware that his tongue felt like sandpaper and his throat was burning, Kagami walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. It was pretty much empty save for a few bottles of water and some bags of chips that he'd bought at the airport terminal. He hadn't exactly had time to go out and buy some food. To his surprise, he realized he wasn't hungry either. Damn, that jetlag really did screw me over. He took one of the half drunken bottles and popped off the cap, chugging down the rest of the water in a guzzling waterfall of relief. He breathed a sigh of relief as he swallowed, the liquid creating a soothing coating in his mouth. It even reduced his headache. If only just a little.

A few minutes later, Kagami stepped out into the night air and locked his apartment door behind him. The sun had finally set over the prefecture, leaving a slightly more tolerable temperature in its place. The humidity was still lingering in the air like an uninvited guest though, and every breath seemed like a chore. A part of him was apprehensive about roaming the streets at night, but he had noticed a convenience store a few blocks away and decided to go and buy something. He didn't want to wake up in the morning hungry without anything in the fridge.

The metal staircase made visible clanging noises as he jogged down the steps. He passed by a few apartments and spent a second wondering which one belonged to Kiyoshi. Then again, why did it matter? He probably wouldn't be seeing the guy much anyway. And there was also that bone chilling warning. Kagami didn't know exactly what was making him so frightened, but common sense told him to avoid contact with that guy as much as he could.

His foot finally hit solid pavement and he looked around. Darkness was still descending, but there was enough light outside for him to notice a few silhouettes lingering around the apartments on the other side of the street and near the trash cans. They slumped up against the walls, or sat near the curb with their legs dangling outward. One of the men was smoking something. The gray fumes were visible in the dark sky as they danced around in the wind, enjoying a tango before disappearing into the vast expanse of the horizon. Another man was toying with something. Kagami was too far away to see the device, but his gut feeling told him that it might have been a gun or weapon of some sort. It doesn't matter. I have to stay away. Even though the temperature was suffocating, Kagami started shivering. Without sparing another look at the people across the street, he began walking quickly towards the store.

When the inviting lights of the convenience store finally came into view, Kagami had already grown used to the sight of seeing people on the streets smoking and doing other illegal activities. It was amazing how quickly someone could adjust to something and accept it as the new normal. He entered the store and began browsing through the aisles to find some sort of food. His mother wouldn't be happy with the fact that her son was choosing fast food over something nutritious, but he didn't exactly have the luxury of travelling to some fancy supermarket this late at night when anything and everything could happen. Best just get something edible and run home before it got even darker.

He was walking through the snack aisle when he suddenly felt himself colliding against something. "Woah!" Kagami yelped, taking a few steps back as he tried to brace himself from the unexpected impact. When his eyes adjusted, he found himself staring down at a young man with pale blue, almost white, hair and oval shaped blue eyes. Hold on a sec here! I'm pretty sure this guy wasn't here when I first walked in! The aisle had been completely empty from what he'd remembered. The blue eyes continued staring up at him and after a moment, Kagami began to feel extremely awkward since the other made no move to apologize. In fact, the shorter man seemed completely emotionless. There was nothing in his eyes or his expression that betrayed any sigh of surprise, embarrassment or even annoyance over the fact that he'd just ran right into someone.

"Err…sorry…about that…"

The eyes continued staring at him for a few moments, the emotionless tact still displayed. Finally, the stranger dipped his head and looked away. "No, it's alright." He then focused his attention on some vanilla flavored cake as though nothing had happened. Kagami looked at him for a few more seconds, wondering if there was anything more to be had from this thoroughly awkward conversation. But since the other man looked more preoccupied with snacks than anything else, Kagami decided to turn away and go back to his business. Seriously, everyone I've met today has been a complete weirdo! What the hell is wrong with this place?

He was about to leave the aisle and get rid of Mr. Appeared out of Nowhere when a woman walked in from the other end of the aisle. Her brown hair was cut short like a boy's, barely even grazing her chin. She was wearing all black, nothing too show-offy. In fact, the only thing about her that seemed to make a statement was the plainly visible tiger head tattoo inked on her leg right above her knee. "Kuroko?" She called out, scanning the lane full of merchandise. Her eyes completely skipped over the man beside Kagami and flitted over Kagami himself without a second glance. "Kuroko, where are you?"

"Riko-san, I'm right here." Kagami started when the man beside him spoke, turning around slightly to face the girl. Riko almost jumped out of her skin at the sight.

"W-Wait a second! What? When? W-?"

"I've been here for the past five minutes." Kuroko spoke those words with a sort of practiced ease that suggested he had to repeat them frequently. Kagami suddenly understood why the man had barely reacted when he'd been practically run over. It must happen to him so often that he just never bothered with it anymore. Kagami almost felt sorry for him.

"Really?" Riko walked over, still not giving Kagami a single glance. She casually slung her arm over Kuroko's shoulder and looked down at what he held in his hand. "Ugh, not more vanilla flavored crap? Seriously Kuroko, don't you ever get tired of these?"

"No. They taste good."

"Hahaha, whatever you say. Now come on, let's leave. I need to find a good spot to smoke." She began dragging him towards the door.

"But Riko-san, Hyuuga-san told us to come back immediately."

"Screw what that bastard says. If he's got anything against it, he can answer to my fist."

"…I don't think it's a good idea to hit Hyuuga-san."

"Then he shouldn't be arguing in the first place."

"…"

The duo walked out without sparing Kagami another glance, Riko still making lighthearted chatter. Kagami watched them for a few seconds longer. Is everyone around here so strange? There was something really weird about Kuroko that he just couldn't pin down. As for Riko, gut instinct told him that he should never get involved with her. There was something about the way she slunk around dishing out threats that unnerved him. Suddenly not in the mood to stay around in the store any longer, Kagami grabbed a box of sakuramochi and moved to the checkout line. It was only while he was watching the cashier ring up the box that he remembered he didn't even like sakuramochi.

A piercing scream penetrated the air.

Kagami was strolling down the street back towards his apartment when he heard the terrifying noise. It was a petrified keening, long and shrill. It sounded like an animal about to go under the butcher's knife. The sound came again, even louder this time and infinitely more disturbing. Kagami's instinct kicked in before common sense and he started running towards the sound. Part of his mind was yelling at him to stop and reconsider. What do you think you're doing? Trying to be some hero?

It was too late to stop though. His feet carried him blindly through the streets towards the sound. He wondered how a human being could make such an animal like noise. What was going on? As he ran through a darkened alleyway filled with the smell of stale cigarettes and other drugs, his sneakers kicked up puddles of water. Or at least, he hoped it was water. He tried his best to not let his imagination wander.

He skidded at the end of the alleyway and was about to turn right towards the sound when he froze completely. Now that his vision wasn't flying all over the place in a desperate attempt to locate the distress signal, he realized where he was: Right in front of his own doorstep. Or rather, a few hundred yards from. But though he wasn't in front of his apartment, someone else was. A few people in fact.

Sitting helpless on the base of the staircase was a young woman, college age at best. Her arms had been bound behind her and there was a dirty rag stuffed into her mouth to keep her from making any more noise. Her shirt had been rolled all the way up, revealing the tender white skin and breasts underneath. Her skirt was pulled down below her knees and there was a man in front of her forcing her legs apart. One of his buddies was fondling with her and the other was standing a few feet away laughing his head off. It was too dark for Kagami to really tell what they were doing, but he had a good idea.

A wave of rage washed over him and for a moment all he saw was red. Bile rushed up his throat and he felt tempted to go walk over and kill the men for doing something so despicable in plain daylight. Before he could even take a single step out of the alleyway, a hand suddenly placed itself on his shoulder.

Kagami recoiled immediately at the touch and was about to scream when another hand wrapped itself around his mouth and stifled him from making any more noises. He struggled wildly, determined to get away from his assailant. A few hundred thoughts flashed through his mind at once, but the most prominent one flashed vividly in his head. Bite his hand. He was about ready to when he was abruptly released. He staggered forward, attempting to find his balance amidst taking wild breathes to refill his lungs. When the world finally stopped lurching around and everything fell back into place, Kagami turned to glare at his attacker…and stopped.

A pair of very familiar, oval blue eyes stared back at him from a few inches below. Kuroko's shock of blue-white hair had a stark contrast to the dark black alley around him. The boy stared at Kagami for a few moments before finally saying, "Don't do it."

"Don't do what?" Kagami's mind still wasn't working properly from the sudden assault.

"Don't run out there and try to stop them?"

"Ha?" It suddenly came back to Kagami in a rush of blinding fury and his vision started to turn red-rimmed again as he turned his gaze to find the men. They were still standing at the base of the staircase. Still raping the girl. Still laughing stupidly as though it was the most enjoyable process in the world. He rounded on Kuroko in anger. "You expect me to stand back and watch this happen?!"

"Yes."

The fact that the answer was given in such an emotionless tone angered Kagami even more. "Yes!? But this is wrong! Don't you see this is totally wrong?"

"I do." Kuroko deliberately turned away from the ugly sight. "This is a lawless neighborhood. But there is one rule that everyone follows: No matter what you see, stay away from it." That was the second time today Kagami had heard those words, yet they sounded very different coming out of Kuroko's mouth. When Kiyoshi had said the exact same phrase, it almost sounded like an alarm bell going off and warning him from meddling. Kuroko actually genuinely seemed like he was trying to prevent Kagami from doing something stupid.

What the other boy said next though, really surprised him. "Of course, that is just bullshit. I don't really believe that. And neither should you." A pair of bright blue eyes flickered up towards him. "But if you want to stay alive, conformity might be the smartest path."

The words caused Kagami to step back. He had immediately assumed that Kuroko was one of the gang guys, even though he didn't quite seem like one. Just seeing him with Riko had been enough to put that thought in his mind. "W-Wait just a second. Who are you?" He stuttered out.

"Kuroko Tetsuya, detective with the Japanese police force. Though that last part is meant to be secret."

Whaa?

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys, thanks for reading the first chapter of my first ever Kurobasu fanfiction 'The Caution Game'! I apologize for the length but if you guys are patient I promise it'll be worthwhile to keep reading. I do have to caution on one thing though: I update only occassionally. I'm a student with a lot of work on her hands. Fanfiction is something I like doing in my spare time. Which I don't have a lot of. So if you could be patient with me, I'd appreciate it!

Hope you enjoy this chapter! Oh, and some of these things aren't accurate at all. I've never been to Japan. I don't know how things work. Do take it with a grain of salt?