Disclaimer: You know that i only own my oc's, the rest aren't mine.
Hey guys, sorry for updating so late but the good news is that i got a beta reader by the name karmamikulova and she is just amazing :D thank you so much for all those who reviewed, favourite and followed
OtakuOnna2000: Len is a half Russian, the other one will remain a mystery but it was largely hinted in the first chapter
Lieutenant Akira: I'm sorry to inform you but this is a slash story, however, there can be a brotherly sisterly relationship between them
AnimeLover: Yes, you are right. Jackpot
Thank you for those who have reviewed, if there's any specific questions just pm me! HOpe you enjoy this chapter!
"Your past leaves shadows that haunts you."
Chapter two: Shadows in Spring
April.
The sky was such a beautiful shade of blue, almost teal, making it hard to believe that it was spring. Teiko Middle School is a prestigious elite school with a high reputation. The courtyard was full of students in white uniforms as the older students tried to persuade the freshmen to join their clubs. Sometimes he was grateful, because if it wasn't for him being prodigious he'd never make it through. Knowledge is a blessing and he'd gladly make use of it for good in this new life.
Tasogare Len tugged at the pristine white sleeve of his uniform, trying his best to conceal his tattoos that will definitely get him expelled if seen. It was strange; Len didn't feel accustomed to being surrounded by this many people while not trying to kill them. Everything felt so incredibly brand new, the smiles on people's faces were painfully innocent. Innocence was something very hard to come by, especially in a world filled with terror. These people are incredibly lucky—sure, he can bet that there would be the occasional bullying but other than that? What? Have they ever seen corpses? Pleading? The sight of your very comrade dying in your hands?
Len rubbed his temples and sighed, trying to keep a straight face, Len walked through the crowd and every so often, he would smile softly and decline whenever an upperclassman offered him to join a sports club. He halted when someone was just about to bump into him, blinking he had to look slightly upwards and saw powder blue hair (just like the sky, he thought) picking up his book, the person looked at him as if he was expecting Len to ignore him.
Len politely cleared his throat, "You should not read while walk." He mentally shrugged; the white haired boy didn't care whether or not his Japanese is bad.
Powder blue eyes widened as the other halted as if not expecting a greeting at all, "Ah…you can see me…" the boy whispered making Len raise an eyebrow, "I'm sorry for nearly bumping into you, my name is Kuroko Tetsuya."
Len gave his signature smile, "Tasogare Len, nice to meet you Kuroko-san and, please, call me Len."
The two began walking and Len couldn't help but feel slightly nervous, this was the first time he had ever talked to someone his age. Well, he thinks that Kuroko is his age due to only being a few centimeters taller than he is. Len rubbed his left thumb against his index finger, call it a comforting habit. The paranoia of being so humanely, morally, close to someone is incredibly nerve wrecking, especially when he isn't after his neck.
He thickly swallowed, "So what class you in Kuroko-san?"
"1-D and if you want you can call me Tetsuya Len-san, it is only fair."
"Shame, I in class 1-B—"Len frowned before becoming silent as his eyes widen at the sight of a purple haired boy standing in the middle of the crowd, he was gigantic! He mentally pouted, why was everyone his age so tall in Japan? Well, taller than he is to be exact and the hair colour, sure, he has white hair but that's still genetically possible. He looked over to Kuroko, remembering that he too, has abnormal hair colour. His mouth twitched downwards when Kuroko's attention shifted down towards his book. He shoved his hands into his pockets, feeling the comforting cold steel of his knife and other useful devices.
"Waaah, he tall don't you think Tetsuya?" Len asked, not bothering to put any honorifics.
"Hm."
"By the way what club you join? I heard it mandator-""Kyaaaa! Isn't that guy really hot?" "-y."
Len winced at the high pitched soprano. Because of his previous line of work he needed to have sharp ears and squealing preteens literally made them bleed to death. From the corner of his vision he could see a slightly attractive looking boy with blindingly bright blonde hair that towered over the other girls around him but he wasn't as tall as the purple haired boy Len saw before. He came to a silent stop when Kuroko all of a sudden stopped walking. A determined, kind smile, something that shone so brightly it reminded Len of the times when he met that person.
"Basketball," Kuroko said in triumph, "I'm joining the basketball club."
'Basketball huh? It sure is a popular sport.'
After the opening ceremony Len had to say farewell to Kuroko. He was currently sitting in his class, in the second last lane just by the window. His sunset coloured eyes scanned the room; most of his new classmates either had black hair or brown hair, excluding the two oddities; a boy with dark blue hair and a girl with bright pink hair. Again, what was with the hair colour these days? The boy's hair could be a trick of the light but the girl's is definitely or at least has to be dyed. The whole class were now playing a game of 'name and two truths one lie' to try and lighten things up since the students just moved from elementary school. The teacher, Tanaka-sensei, was a jolly man with a grandfatherly smile that made the atmosphere welcoming.
"I guess I should start first," he said, "My name is Tanaka Hiro. I used to play basketball back in the days, my favourite colour is green and I had a grandmother who was French. Guess away."
"Playing basketball!"
"The French one! You look Japanese sensei!"
"I agree with the French one!"
"Naah I think its basketball."
Len narrowed his eyes, though Tanaka-sensei has a pot belly he was tall, around six feet. Not to mention that the way he stood had a slight bend to it, something most basketball and volleyball players unconsciously do. His hands were large and he had a slight slouch meaning that he did play basketball. And the book he held when he went into the classroom; In Search of Lost Times by Marcel Proust, a French book. And he had it in the French copy, plus his eyes were a dark grey with hints of blue indicating that he had some European ethnicity. Not even after all that analysing Len chose to be quiet, it was better to stay hidden and not attract attention.
"Come to a conclusion for a lie?" he asked.
"You're grandmother isn't French!" the class chorused.
Tanaka-sensei chuckled, "I'm afraid that's wrong, my grandmother was from France and I did play basketball. And no, my favourite colour isn't green, it's blue."
"Awww man! I would've never guessed that!"
"That was a hard one!"
"Next person, we'll go row by row."
Everything went smoothly, there were a few jokesters that made some laugh but after the third row, Len couldn't help but stifle a yawn. And finally, when it was his turn Len stood up just like what the rest did, he gave them a fake thoughtful look. Honestly, information is powerful in the underworld and when it leaks it can put a life on the line. So Len couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable with sharing information, even if it was just a playful game.
He gave a bright smile and said, "I am Tasogare Len." Lie "I am a Gemini," lie "I love natto," lie, Len absolutely hates the disgusting thing "And I…have a crush on someone named Nijimura." Lie.
A chorus of chatters erupted in the room; most saying natto and the majority of the girls were talking about this 'Nijimura'. Len continued to smile, lying is surviving and surviving is in his nature, he wouldn't care later on if they truly found out about him (which they never will) and feel betrayed. He would have to kill them and escape once more, leave no traces behind and reach for freedom.
His life is surrounded by lies, a wise man once said that lying is a coward's way out but is it really?
"Okay, this time let's have one person give there answer what about…you Aomine-kun."
Len, still standing up, stared at the dark hair boy who stared back at him with only one eye open, "All of them are lies."
What?
Could it be that someone had already caught up to him? Ready to take him back and use him like a weapon, making him murder so many— too many? Len could feel his eyes widening for a fraction, he needed to find out more about this Aomine Daiki. And if he was a threat, Len had no other choice but to kill him. For now, however, putting his signature smile on, Len scratched the back of his head, "What? No, no, the only lie is that I love natto!" he ignored the whispers of 'cute' and 'adorable'.
Aomine gave him one last long stare before shrugging, "Meh, guess I was wrong."
Moreover, it is not as if he is ever going to see Shuzo again, right?
When Len said that he would stay low, he really did mean 'stay low' translating to no friends which will equal to no pictures that will be updated to any social network. Maybe, before he came to Teiko, he should have dyed his hair black and wear thick framed glasses. The periods have already passed and it was lunchtime, he was planning to go to the rooftop or up a tree branch to silently eat. Instead, he was bombarded with questions. And if he ever answered truthfully it will immediately jeopardize his safety.
"How old are you? You look so cute!"
"13 though I am turning 14 very soon."
"Where do you come from?"
"Abroad, but I'm part Japanese."
"Cool! That explains your last name!"
"Have you ever thought of being a model?"
Hell no due to many reasons. Models are supposed to be defined as incredibly beautiful creatures with the perfect everything. Len on the other hand has scars, shameful tattoos, and uneven skin tone in some parts of his body. Plus models meant exposure and Len hates the very thought of exposing anything about him to anyone,
"Unn…no never came to my mind, well I need food, pleasure talking to you all."
"Do you want us to come?" asked a girl, Mika Nohara. A pretty-in Japanese middle school standard- brunette with light brown eyes, painted nails and eye makeup.
One who has controlled the art of patience is the master of everything, and in Len's previous line of work, patience is key. There would be no use on lashing out in anger nor would there be any use if he were to send out killer intent, no matter how annoying. The people questioning him are not enemies; they are classmates, young people who will probably never see his view of life. And they didn't have a twisted hidden agenda, they were just trying to get him into a group and Len didn't mind that. For most of his life Len lies to save himself. It sounded terrible really but lying is what kept his comrades alive. After that he would just kill, kill, kill but these people were not the enemies and he didn't need to kill unless necessary. So here comes the remaining option of 'patience is the key' but he still lies because everyone lies daily.
Everything was going smoothly, and then he came.
Aomine Daiki
He needed information about him as soon as possible; the very boy could as well jeopardize his life. It was either that they found out where he was, Aomine had some type of involvement in the underworld or plain sheer luck. It confuses him, and Len hates it when something confuses him. It made him agitated; it makes him want to be like that person again and just—
"Ah, it's fine. I will go 'lone."
They all frowned, "Are you sure?"
"Yes." He paused in mid step and turned around to look at them, a blooming smile on his face, "Thank you though."
Now, to get more information about Aomine Daiki.
Len leaned against the fence as he chewed the melon bread in one hand and holding a tablet in the other. His eyes scanned the info:
Name: Aomine Daiki
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Height: 175 cm (5' 9")
Weight XXkg
Birthday: August 31st, Virgo
Place of birth: xxxxxxxxxx
Blood type: B
School: Teiko Junior High
Father: Aomine Daisuke
Mother: Aomine Kyoko
His father worked as a Lawyer while his mother stayed as home mum. Nothing interesting there, Len's eyes widens at the next information and he grins. Now his grandfather, that's a whole different story. Aomine Takeshi, a retired yakuza member who was once well known in the underworld, commonly going by Ao Oni, translating as 'Blue Demon'. He killed many notorious high-ranking members only to disappear just around the age Len turned four. Takeshi was a legend, not as ruthless as Len, though certainly more skilled; his grin grew wider. No wonder Aomine could spot him even if he slithery lied like a snake. The question is; should he kill Aomine? The boy had potential and that could either be a threat or an opportunity. If Len was to kill him, the police would get into way, meaning the news, television and finally them. So it is settled, he won't kill him for now but if it's necessary for his escape then he will.
He leaned further onto the fence, wasn't Japan supposed to be a country of redeeming?
"STOP!"
"Catch him!"
"Don't let him get away!"
Len immediately tensed, the memories flying through his mind, he immediately grabbed the tan wrist before encircling strong arms and placing both his thumbs just below the Adam's apple. Len's molten eyes locked on with deep, azure blue—
"A…Aomine-san…?"
Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
Realizing their position, Len quickly jerked upwards and stood up, "I'm so sorry-"
"What the hell are you thinking!" the taller shouted, grabbing Len by his shoulders, coming dangerously close. Len felt a bit unnerved by those deep expressive eyes, a rarity for him to see something like that, "Why are you throwing away your life like that!? Think about your family! You're still young and it'd be a waste! So don't you ever do that ever again! You scared the crap out of me!"
Len processed the words into his mind; he blinked and gaped, "U-un Aomine-san you got wrong!" He frantically waved his hands in front of him, only to stop when the tanned teen held his shoulders, a dead serious look on his face, Len gulped for real before giving an awkward smile, "You see I was admiring the view, I wasn't about to commit suicide!" Anyways, Len wasn't throwing his life away. He'd survive a fall like that with the right twists and turns, albeit injured. And he doesn't have a family, a bitter feeling built itself up in Len's stomach at the very thought of family.
Hearing this Aomine let go and felt relieved, "Thank goodness, I thought you were- hey, you're in my class right?"
It was like a ton of bricks fell upon the sky; didn't he figure out that Len was lying just a couple of hours ago? He resisted the urge to sigh and smiled, "Properly introduce myself, I am Tasogare Len. Please call me Len."
"Aomine Daiki, you can call me whatever."
Len pulled himself next to the other, the two sat on the concrete floor. The white haired boy's calloused hands dragged itself against the gravel, "Hey," Aomine began, "are you really part Japanese."
"Yes," Len answered, "why you ask?"
The bluenet shrugged, "You don't look Asian at all."
"By the way, why you think I was lying before, at homeroom?"
"Meh, I just guessed. Intuition perhaps. So you goin' to join any clubs?"
Len had a thoughtful expression on his face; Aomine Daiki is dangerous. And he'll have to lean on his luck that the boy won't tell his Uncle about him. That, or he has to meet the feared Aomine himself and strike a deal. And activities, he needed to avoid ones such as sports, music and dramatic performances because they all held public shows. So perhaps something not to eye-catching, he needed to brush up on both the Japanese language and culture. So it's either tea ceremony or..."Ikebana."
"Pffft," the taller boy snickered, "Never thought you'd actually do something girly."
Len pouted, "Unnn, it's not girly! I just need to get a better hand in the Japanese culture."
"Why not kendo?" Aomine suggested.
Len chose to ignore the comment, "So what club you doing?"
A bright grin (eerily similar to Tetsuya's) climbed its way onto his face, "Basketball!"
Passion is what drives a man. Whether it's something simple like a hobby or something extravagant such as a man risking his life, passion is what keeps them moving forward. The burning will he saw in Teppei's eyes, the determination in Tetsuya, the love in Aomine and the light he'd always see in that man's eyes in what they do. It was simply amazing. Len also has a passion, not for something like tournaments, he strived to escape, and he would do anything to be free. Passion is important to man, because it brings them hope.
He smiled, a true from the heart smile. It wasn't bright like his usual ones, instead it was quiet and had an enigmatic radiance to it. The other could feel the pull, the attraction coming from him, "Don't ever lose that passion, Daiki. Never forget your love for basketball."
For some odd reason a red hue overwhelmed Aomine's cheeks, Len raised an eyebrow, maybe he was sick, "A-ah, of course I won't idiot!"
"Good. Now treat me to lunch!"
"Tasogare-san please translate this sentence into English."
"Yes sensei," Len took a deep breath in and exhaled, he half opened his eyes and began to talk "She leaned down and looked at his lifeless face and Leisel kissed her best friend, Rudy Steiner, soft and true on his lips. He tasted dusty and sweet. He tasted like regret in the shadows of trees and in the glow of the anarchist's suit collection. She kissed him long and soft, and when she pulled herself away, she touched his mouth with her fingers...She did not say goodbye. She was incapable, and after a few more minutes at his side, she was able to tear herself from the ground. It amazes me what humans can do, even when streams are flowing down their faces and they stagger on..."
Flashback
It was oddly silent, even with the staggered breathing no one uttered a word. Len could feel lithe fingers on his cheeks, wiping away the non-existent tears. Because no matter what; Len will not cry.
The two were young, much too young, as the girl pulled him down. Their lips touched innocently, softly and light as a feather. Both their lips were chapped and she tasted like iron and vanilla, an odd combination. Len froze when he saw her eyes. They were not of pain and torture, instead it was happiness and relief. It was the first time, in Len's life had he seen her so blissful. It amazed him what dying can do to a person.
Flashback end
"-you may sit down Tasogare-san."
"Ah, yes sensei."
He ignored the light whispers that were directed to him and caught Aomine's slightly worried gaze. Len tapped his fingers onto the wooden desk and gazed at bright blue sky above. Speaking of blue, Len hadn't seen Kuroko at all this lunch time and wondered where he could be. And that memory...Len clenched his fists. Never in his life does he want to ever recall that memory ever again. He mentally laughed, maybe he did need therapy sessions from that person.
"Daiki! Where are you going?" Len asked.
Aomine yawned, scratching the back of his head, "It's basketball tryouts remember?"
"Un, that's right!" Len gave him a big smile as the two began to walk, "I hope you'll make it through."
"Don't worry, I will. You sure don't want to join? I mean, you could always be a manager or something."
Len stopped walking, "I'm sure Daiki, I go to check the Ikebana club."
"See ya."
The white haired boy tip toed and kissed the other three times before waving and running away, leaving yet another gaping teenager. Admits all the chaos there were people pointing and whispering; some in disgust, others in fascination. But Len chose to ignore this. They were all so close-minded.
Now, to the Ikebana club.
The Ikebana club looked very sophisticated. The location was a good couple of metres away from the main building. It has its own little house with tatami mats and traditional Japanese paintings to boot. The atmosphere was calming and the smell of tea and flowers were in the air. The club only had five members but it was a good number. They now all sat around the foldable tables with tea and flower shaped sweets in front of them. The president, Konoe Kikyo, is a regal Japanese young lady with a noble aura around her. She has introduced herself in front of the club. Konoe had long black hime cut hair, light brown eyes and pale skin.
"H-hello my n-name is Ayukawa H-hitomi class 1-C. P-pleasure to meet you all." Ayukawa, Len noted, is the complete opposite of Konoe even in terms of appearance. She had short light brown hair and dark eyes with a timid aura.
"My name is Jun Minami 2-A," she gave a light bow "I hope will get along." Jun wasn't as regal as Konoe nor was she timid like Ayukawa. She seemed sharp and straight to the point. Her dark brown hair was tied into a tight pony tail and she wore glasses.
"Hey! The name's Ienaga Kanon 2- B nice to meetcha all! I like the colour red and I hate pickles!" Ienaga is definitely a spitfire with short curly strawberry blonde hair and hazel eyes.
"I am Tasogare Len 1-B. Please take care of me." It was then that Len realised he was the only boy in the club.
"You are too cute!" yelled Ienaga. Throwing herself at the boy, nearly suffocating him.
Len straightened his jacket, he was never a narcissist but his tutor always told him to look his best. He tugged his shoes on and opened his umbrella so no cherry blossom petals would land on him and make a mess of his image. It was getting late, the sun was nearly setting. The white haired boy didn't even realise that he was at Ikebana for such a long time and well—flower arranging is so much harder than he thought, while Len is a precise person, he'll never understand Japanese culture.
He was sure that by now, most of the students were already heading back home. Only people who has sports as their after school activity stayed this late due to cleaning up. He glanced at his watch, maybe he should go ahead and see both Aomine and Kuroko—Len blinked. A blush rose to his face, is this what they mean by 'friendship'? But it couldn't be because he was sure that friendship means a person trusting each other and Len is sure that he has none of that.
He rubbed his face, leaning the handle of the umbrella on his shoulder. He was tired, so tired and it hasn't even been the first year of being in Japan. Walking over to a tree, he scraped his back against it as he feel onto the grown, taking a seat under it. He embraced the warmth blooming in his chest, maybe, this once…could he be happy?
"Len-kun?"
Shit.
He looked up to see a prominent tug at the lips, narrowed eyebrows and cold steel blue eyes glinting a light grey. In all his glory stood Nijimura Shuzo, wearing the Teiko School Uniform. Len mentally groaned, why did he have to say Shuzo's name during his introduction? His tutor was right, lying will bite you back in the a**; hard. He stood up, wiping off the imaginary dust of himself, offering a slight smile and wave.
Nijimura's face brightened, "It is you Len-kun," he walked over to him, though not smiling, his lips gave a faint quirk upwards, not something that could be passed off as a smile but certainly a smirk, "I didn't know you go to Teiko."
Len shrugged, smiling wider, he felt his lips strain in discomfort, "Never asked, it great see you again, Shuzo, small world is it?"
The black haired teenager gave a nod, "Indeed it is, so you're a freshman huh?"
"Yep," Len rocked on his heels, rubbing his thumb against his index finger, "So how are you?"
"I'm good, hey I'm about to head home," Nijimura scratched the back of his head and looked away slightly, trying to avoid eye contact, "Do you want to head home together? I don't live that far away."
Warning bells went off in Len's mind but he ignored it and nodded, "Of course, I live couple blocks from here so it be fine."
The two stopped at a small, comfortable looking convenience store. A small, automatic ding echoed throughout the room as they stepped inside. Not many people were there, except for the elder in one corner, a mother and a child and finally the teenager in his late teens sitting by the cashier register. Len headed to the ice cream section and pulled out a strawberry flavoured while the other got a chocolate one. Splitting the money, they paid for the ice cream before heading back outside.
Nijimura seemed hesitant but gave a small, almost unnoticeable, smile, "So what did you have today?"
"Ikebana."
The senior raised an eyebrow, "Really, well I shouldn't be surprised since you fit perfectly for that."
Hearing this Len puffed out his cheeks, "What you mean by that?"
Nijimura gave a teasingly smile, "Oh nothing, don't worry about it Len-kun," he said as he sped up the pace of his walking. Len stood still, blinking once, then twice.
"Waah! What do you mean by that, Shuzo!?" Nijimura grinned and ruffled his hair before bending down to his ear and whispered, "Don't worry about it Len-kun."
Len furrowed his eyebrows, he hated feeling weak, and he hated it when others were dominating. He shifted his body, pulling Nijimura by the hair, forcing him to bend down, his lips ghosted over the taller boy's ear. He smirked and took a bite. The senior immediately pulled back, face flushing red, hand over his right ear, "You taste salty."
"Wh-what the hell!?"
The petite boy gave an innocent face, "Oh, it's not like first time someone's done that to you is it, Shuzo?"
He stayed silent.
"My, oh my," Len chuckled, "It is isn't it?"
Shuzo looked away, "Q-Quiet."
Len looked at him for a moment, "Well this is my turn, see you Shuzo."
"Bye," he said as he tried to ignore the white haired boy. Len only shook his head, tip toed and gave a hug.
"Sorry about that Shuzo," not giving a chance for the other to reply, Len quickly ran away.
Len tensed.
His hands quickly reached for the gun hiding against his abdomen only to halt at the sound of a click. Nevertheless, he ducked, unsheathing his knife, grabbing the person's wrist, making him throw the gun off to the side, while swinging a deadly roundhouse kick. He stopped though, at the sight of light grey hair and narrowed down eyes. The man wore a pristine suit and radiated a calm aura. Though the light sweat on his hands said otherwise, along with the twitch in his fingers. Instead, he placed his foot on the man's neck banging him against the wall.
"What are you doing here?" Len asked in Russian. The man puts his hands up in the air as a sign of defeat but Len only pressed harder.
"I come in peace," he replied in Japanese, "Please, listen to me, Len."
"Make it quick, Kozo," this time he replied in a thick accented Japanese. But he didn't let go of the man's neck once.
The man visibly swallowed, bobbing his Adam's apple, "I heard that you were here and I just…" he wheezed, "Wanted to make sure."
"Why?" Len asked, "So you can blackmail me?"
"No," the man gritted through clenched teeth, "So I can help you."
"You want something in return though," Len glared at him, "What's stopping me from killing you right here, right now?"
"Your identity, please Le-"
The white hair boy choked him harder, "Don't you dare call me by that name Shirogane Kozo."
"Len…let me explain," he pleaded.
The boy narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists before kicking the man across the head. A thump resounded in the silent hallway. Len took a deep breath in and mentally banged his head against the wall. Gosh, why was he so incredibly stupid? Shifting his bag the small boy dragged Shirogane into his apartment, as well as the gun, of course. He threw the man on the hastily made futon. He disinfected a needle and strings, wiping the scratch on the man's temple with a cloth before stitching the skin back together. He uncapped the salve and gently wiped it over the forming bruises around the neck.
Len sat at the other side of the room, he sighed, only time will tell the consequences of striking the Silver Wolf; Shirogane Kozo. It had been a long time since he saw him, the man would visit every so often when he was younger, almost taking the role of a caring Uncle. He snorted, caring my ass. Yes, Shirogane taught him, took care of him from time to time but so did other members in the so called 'family'. The grey haired bastard left him and that person in the time of urgent need; he betrayed them. Len felt spiteful, bitter, emotions raging in a turmoil. He bit his lip, pulling himself up, going to a cupboard, he pulled out a melon bread and took a bite.
He turned the oven on, Shirogane would be waking up soon, why not make tea?
And as if on cue he heard a groan, "Len?"
The boy didn't even bother to turn around, "You're awake try anything funny and I swear I will kill you."
Shirogane chuckled, getting out of the futon and massaged the bridge of his nose, "You wouldn't."
Len tilted his head, mouth twitching upwards, "Dare to try?" he watched as the flames heated up the steal, "So how'd you find me?"
The older man shrugged, "I'm a teacher at Teiko, you don't mind if I take a smoke do you?" Len waved his hand. Shirogane shoved out a cigarette and a lighter, inhaling the toxic into his lungs, "You've gotten a bit messy you know, left some trails and didn't even bother to use a disguise."
Len's lips settled into a thin line, "Why are you here?"
"To strike a deal, want a cig? No? You're-"he coughed "-lost," Len scrunched up his nose in distaste at the familiar smell. Shirogane leaned against the cracked walls "Horrible place you've got. So how are you, Len?" the boy stayed silent and turned off the stove, pouring the hot water into a cup and putting the tea bag inside, seeing this, Shirogane raised an eyebrow. "Giving me the silent treatment, huh?" he asked, "I know it's hard to get rid of that person's death but you need to move on or else you'll never be free."
Freedom.
Len placed the cup of tea on the low coffee table, taking another bite of his melon bread "What deal are you talking about?"
"Aomine, the older one, know that you're here. So do I and some others, you may be great at killing but, kid, you're lacking skills in espionage. Good enough for someone your age and a few decades older but nothing compared to a veteran's. We came together and decided to protect you from him," he explained.
Len leaned his chin against the palm of his hand, "In return?"
"We want you to do several things actually, nothing too hard, trust me. Just simple things," he gave a dramatic pause and placed a couple of pictures on the wooden table. The first was a boy with short blood red hair and matching eyes, the other was, unsurprisingly Aomine Daiki, "If danger would so happen to arise, these two are your top priority," risk his life and kill the threats didn't sound too hard, "The second is to leak out information from Yakuza in the area," he almost laughed, hacking was a piece of cake coding is literally his second language, "I heard about your spectacular hacking skills and lastly, I want you to train my Basketball Club."
Len felt his eyebrow twitched, "What?"
Train 'basketball club'? As in meeting people, talking to them, making a public appearance and endangering his life and—he gulped—making new acquaintances? Getting to know people his age? Unless they were the children of high ranking bosses he was told to kill, Len has never, ever spent time with anyone his age. Occasionally the people he worked with brought their children to train with him but other than that, nothing. He has always been alone and he will always will be.
"You're going to risk—"
Shirogane cut him off, "I want you to train them behind the scenes, improve their statistics. I'm not going to publicise you but I want you to watch our games in disguise, to also improve your skills. The others didn't ask for this, I did, for your benefit. Please, Len."
He looked at the taller man with wide eyes, licking his lips in anticipation.
"Give me time on that one."
.
.
.
.
.
Insecurity can get the better of you...
To be continued
How was it? Please let me know, by the way there's a paragraph from the book thief which i do not own.
Cya!
