Chapter Three: Hide and Seek
Bam.
Frontdoor slammed. Thump thump thump. Angry footsteps. Eyebrows raised, Nakamori Ginzo peered over the protective shelter of his newspaper, just in time to see his red-faced, red-nosed, muddy-kneed daughter storm through the front hall and thud-thud-thuding straight up the stairs.
"Aoko?"
Thwack. Bedroom door slammed.
Hic.
The sound of nose-blowing.
Setting his newspaper down, Ginzo glanced down at his watch.
5.
4.
3.
2 -
Ding dong.
Just like clockwork, Ginzo thought dryly, getting up from the couch with a weary sigh. He strolled toward the door, taking the time to relish in the mental anguish that he knew - from a reservoir of experience that was way too rich for his liking - was building up right on the other side on the porch.
He opened the door.
" Kaito-kun."
"Good afternoon, Nakamori-san." The dark-haired boy was wringing a baseball cap nervously in his hands, smiling sheepishly. "Um, is Aoko - "
"Upstairs." With a gruff grunt, Ginzo gestured behind him.
"Thanks, Nakamori-san."
The boy practically tore through the doors. Mid-way up on the stairs, Ginzo cleared his throat loudly. "Oh, Kaito-kun?"
Kaito froze immediately. "Yes, Nakamori-san?"
"Half the fun in playing hide-and-seek is the finding the other person. Do make an effort not to hide so well that Aoko thinks you've disappeared or gone home early next time, will you, Kaito-kun?"
"Yes, sir."
"Hm."
With that, Kaito was about to leap up the last flight of stairs when Ginzo cleared his throat noisily again. "Oh, and Kaito-kun?"
"Sir?"
"How good are you at dodgeball?"
"Um," Kaito hesitated. "I do pretty well... I think."
Ginzo smiled sympathetically.
"Good."