Kaito kept his attention fixed on his power as he breathed calmly, steadily, using each exhale to hunt down another volatile swirl in his reiryoku; there wasn't much he could do about the disturbances for the moment, but even finding them was an important step, according to Ukitake. Once he'd come to know the new shape of his power, then he could start to master it.
Or so Ukitake promised.
(Well, it made more sense than what his father had tried to teach him, at least.)
(Even if they had gone through four other methods before he found one that actually worked for him.)
Ukitake's reiatsu brushed soft-warm-kind against Kaito's senses, drawing his focus away from his power and towards Ukitake. "I think that's enough for tonight," Ukitake said, his warm-gentle-steady voice breaking the final thread of Kaito's concentration. "You've made admirable progress already."
Kaito pursed his lips and looked away, uncertain how to take the compliment; he didn't feel like he'd made much progress, but… maybe he had? He couldn't sense a change in his powers or his projection — and honestly hadn't expected to after only one session — but maybe that wasn't how Ukitake was measuring 'progress'?
(*We did manage to find something that mostly works for each of us,*) Ichigo pointed out thoughtfully. (*I… think Shiro and I will have to take control to get the most out of our method, since we need to be moving to do it—*)
(*You should all probably take control while practicing, at least at first,*) Kaito interrupted his friend without hesitation. (*That's the cleanest way of separating our powers out, and until we're used to knowing how our individual powers work, we… can't really work on, well, working together, can we?*)
(*That's… true,*) Ichigo reluctantly agreed. (*I just… it doesn't… seem right—*)
Kaito scowled at the ground, infuriated by how uncertain-awkward-hesitant Ichigo was about coming forward for himself; as far as Kaito was concerned, Ichigo deserved just as much of a chance to improve and interact with others as he did.
(He just… had to figure out how to convince Ichigo of that.)
(*This is our body, and we each need to know how to manage,*) Kaito tried, reaching for whatever words came to mind first. (*When the rest of us were unconscious, Shiro took over and got us to safety. If that happens again, I'd rather that we all be comfortable and in control of our individual powers, because Shiro's proven that we have individual powers! I can't open a garganta any more than he can use a bow, and we all need to have a handle on what we can and cannot do!*)
Ichigo sighed and pressed close, brushing understanding-reluctance-acceptance against Kaito's mind before retreating once more.
Kaito huffed and rubbed at his eyes, willing to accept a temporary truce before their emotions got the better of them.
"Kaito-kun?" Ukitake asked cautiously. "Is everything alright?"
"We're fine," Kaito mumbled, then hastily covered his mouth as his words morphed into a huge yawn. "O-oh. Sorry."
Ukitake chuckled and made a shooing gesture. "Off with you," he said almost teasingly. "Get some sleep and make sure to rest tomorrow."
Kaito grimaced at Ukitake's words and said, "I'll try," as he pushed himself to his feet with a wince. He rubbed at his thighs, waiting for the sensation of pins and needles to fade, and used the moment to observe Ukitake from the corner of his eye.
He hadn't expected control to be just as exhausting to learn as combat, but it certainly felt like it was, especially with Ukitake leading him through it. The man was just as thorough and meticulous as Kyoraku when it came to teaching, which Kaito appreciated, but…
Well, they both seemed to have a talent for pushing him just shy of his limits.
(He was certainly going to sleep well tonight.)
(That was… good.)
Hanataro's hand settled on the small of his back, and his friend glanced up at him questioningly.
"I can make it back," Kaito reassured Hanataro with a tiny smile, then wavered and cast a thoughtful look back at Ukitake. He should… probably thank the man; Ukitake and Kyoraku had both tolerated his bluntness and suspicion without batting an eye, despite both their age and rank entitling them to at least a pretense of politeness. That they'd trained him despite that — and despite his… circumstances — was frankly a miracle.
(A Shinigami willingly teaching a Hollow…)
(How many times did he need his faulty assumptions shoved in his face before he learned to stop assuming?)
"Is there something you'd like to ask?" Ukitake prompted gently.
Kaito swallowed and looked away from Ukitake's even gaze, tucking his hands into his sleeves and gripping his arms as he did. "Thank you for… teaching us," Kaito forced out, the words awkward in his mouth, and gave the man a shallow bow. "I — we — appreciate it."
"You're quite welcome," Ukitake answered. "Whenever you're up for another lesson, feel free to come visit."
Kaito frowned at Ukitake in confusion, then grimaced and turned away, unwilling to question why a Captain would give the son of an exile an open invitation like that. "I'll think about it."
And before Ukitake could say another confusing word, Kaito escaped.
He darted down the path, fleeing the Ugendo and not stopping until he was standing on the other side of the gate that marked the entrance to Ukitake's property.
He promptly slumped against a pillar and ran a trembling hand through his hair, cursing himself and his nerves and his inability to deal with people.
(One day he was going to offend someone he couldn't afford to, and then what?)
(Damn his awkwardness!)
The sound of footsteps broke through his thoughts, but the brush of Hanataro's familiar reiatsu kept him from tensing.
"Is… is Kaito-san a-alright?" Hanataro asked softly.
Kaito sighed and dragged his hand over his face. "I will be," he mumbled. "They're just… too much, sometimes. I don't understand them, or… or their interest in teaching me. It feels so unreal."
Hanataro hummed and stepped closer, pressing against Kaito's side in reassurance. "Th-they, uhm… they l-like teaching. A-and K-Kaito-san h-has two blades like them, too."
"Is it really that simple?"
"W-why sh-shouldn't it b-be?" Hanataro asked.
Kaito mulled the question over, trying to figure out a way to put into words all the fear-confusion-doubt tangled up in his mind. Nothing quite felt right though, no matter how he tried to phrase it, so he just shook his head and looked away, staring up at the darkening sky.
Hanataro leaned in a bit more and took his hand, lacing their fingers together and letting the silence stretch between them as they both watched the colors fade from the sky.
Exhaustion dragged at Kaito's limbs the longer he rested against the pillar, the last of his energy fading with the last of the daylight.
(He… really shouldn't have stopped moving.)
"K-Kaito-san is really t-tired," Hanataro said as he straightened up, amusement lacing his voice. He stepped back and tugged lightly, saying, "C-come on. Let's g-go back t-to the F-Fourth, o-okay? We'll g-get s-something to eat a-and… and th-then rest."
"That… sounds good. Thank you," Kaito murmured as Hanataro led him away from the Ugendo, not questioning as Hanataro turned down a smaller street.
(The sooner they returned to the Fourth, the sooner he could sleep.)
(And the closer he was to going home…)
(But first, sleep.)
Kaito woke to warmth at his back and a hand combing slowly through his hair. It was… nice. Comfortable.
(He didn't want to move.)
"Good m-morning, Kaito-san," Hanataro said softly.
Kaito hummed an acknowledgment and turned his head a bit, enjoying the moment of peace. He didn't need to be anywhere, didn't need to do anything—
Except he did.
(Damnit!)
(He had to—)
(Ishida needed—)
"Shh, shh," Hanataro murmured as he leaned over and wrapped his reiatsu around Kaito, blanketing his senses in warmth-safety-calm. "Y-you're alright. You're s-safe."
Kaito grimaced. Twisted around. Grabbed a handful of Hanataro's uniform and clung, clung to his presence, to his reiatsu, to his stability. He clung, clung and grounded himself and tried to focus on breathing through the rising panic.
"It's a-alright, you'll b-be a-alright," Hanataro continued to repeat softly, even as his reiatsu slowly, carefully wove its way into the edges of Kaito's own.
He took a shuddering breath and pulled Hanataro's reiatsu closer, tying them more firmly together until the press of warmth-calm-care began to seep into his soul and sooth the ragged edge of panic.
Surprise-happiness-warmth rippled through their connection, settling deep in his bones like the heat of a long, soothing bath.
He took a deep breath.
Pressed his cheek against Hanataro's thigh.
Relaxed.
"Good, j-just like th-that," Hanataro praised, fingertips scraping lightly over his scalp. "J-just breathe, it's a-alright. Y-you're a-alright."
Kaito huffed a sigh and tipped his head a bit to give Hanataro more access. "Sorry."
"N-no, it's okay! K-Kaito-san has… i-it's been a r-rough f-few days," Hanataro reassured him without hesitation. "Can… w-would you… do y-you want to t-talk…?"
He swallowed and beat back his initial urge to deflect, giving the offer the consideration it deserved; he didn't want to talk about any details — not when he'd have to go over it again with Ishida — but… he could still say the conversation ahead concerned him, couldn't he?
(Maybe Hanataro would stay with him if he asked.)
(…could he ask that of his friend?)
Hanataro waited patiently, hand still combing through Kaito's hair and his reiatsu presence steady as a rock, letting him make up his mind without prodding him further.
(Hanataro was a godsend.)
"That conversation I promised to have with Ishida," Kaito began slowly, then grimaced and lifted a hand to rub at his face. "I… it's… not going to be an easy one."
"Ah," Hanataro murmured, a wealth of knowledge wrapped up in a single sound. "Kaito-san… Kaito-san was, ah…"
"Not… not here," Kaito deflected quickly, not wanting to accidentally reveal that this Kurotsuchi had never seen him before the execution; let Hanataro fill in the blanks with whatever assumptions he'd like. That was about the only way to keep his absurd situation secret. "But I… he is…" he trailed off with a grimace, uncertain of how much was too much for a theoretical escaped-experiment to know.
(This was going to come back to bite him, he just knew it.)
"He h-has a r-reputation," Hanataro said with a small nod, then cleared his throat and shifted to press more firmly against Kaito. "I could… warn Ishida-kun of… of that? S-so Kaito-san doesn't… doesn't have to do it h-himself."
"No. He… I…" Kaito swallowed and pressed his hand across his eyes. "I don't… Ishida is a Quincy. He needs to… he needs to know…"
Hanataro's breath caught in his throat and his hand stilled in Kaito's hair as he whispered, "S-Shiro, Ichigo, a-and… and Zan. T-two blades a-and three spirits. Is… is Kaito-san also…?"
Kaito flinched and started to pull away, started to brace himself, and—
Hanataro's reiatsu flicked across his senses like a light cuff across the head as he pulled Kaito back. "I d-don't care," he said firmly, reiatsu taking on an edge of sternness that Kaito hadn't expected. "It just… just m-makes s-sense, is all. B-but… how does… why does it matter…? A-and why d-does on-only Ishida need to… need to know?"
"Kurotsuchi was… is…? Fascinated by Quincy," Kaito explained softly, then froze at the curl of anger-protectiveness-determination that settled across his senses; he hadn't expected Hanataro to react so strongly, to care so much, but the sense of it, the strength of it, was a balm against his mind.
(Someone cared.)
(That was… he'd never expected…)
(Would others have…?)
Kaito sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to shake off the melancholy and self-recrimination; he had his reasons for never mentioning Kurotsuchi's words the first time through, and only part of it had to do with the loss of his powers. He knew better now, knew that silence and stubborn pride did nothing for him, knew that people needed to know even if he didn't quite know how to bring it up…
Hanataro cleared his throat. "Would… would K-Kaito-san like me to… to c-come with him?"
"That… yes. Please," Kaito forced out around the lump in his throat, relief crashing through him like a wave.
(He wouldn't be alone.)
(He wouldn't be alone!)
"Th-then I will," Hanataro said firmly, then smoothed his hand over Kaito's hair again. "N-now come on, y-you sh-should eat at l-least a little bit b-before we go."
"If you insist," Kaito grumbled as he reluctantly pushed himself upright.
"I do," Hanataro said, voice warm-fond-amused as he leaned into Kaito's side and sent calm-care-reassurance through their woven powers.
Kaito rolled his eyes in mock exasperation, even as he brushed relief-thankfulness-appreciation against Hanataro's senses in return; he'd never expected to find someone like Hanataro in Seireitei, but he didn't think he could have made it so far without him.
(He really hoped Unohana allowed Hanataro to visit.)
(That would… that would be nice.)
(Well, he'd find a way.)
(He would.)
Kaito followed Hanataro through the halls of the Fourth, ignoring the various Shinigami they passed in favor of tracing Ishida's reiatsu; Hanataro thought the teens would be near their rooms, given Kaito's promise to speak with them in the morning, but Kaito wasn't sure. Still, it was a good place to start their hunt.
(Not agreeing upon a time and place to meet was definitely an oversight.)
(He didn't entirely regret it, but… it certainly made things more difficult.)
Hanataro nudged his side and nodded down a nearby hallway, saying, "Th-that's where their r-rooms a-are."
Kaito hummed and oriented on Ishida's reiatsu again. "I think you were right," he admitted as they turned to walk down the hallway. "It certainly feels like he's nearby."
"Th-then let's check," Hanataro said with a faint smile, then gestured towards the end of the hallway. He bypassed door after door without a second glance, honing in on a handful of identical doors and glancing between them thoughtfully, before finally picking one to approach and rapping on the frame.
Kaito stepped up beside his friend, frowning at the door as he reached out with his senses; Ishida was nearby, he knew it, but Kurosaki's reiatsu was making it difficult to pinpoint any of the teens' locations. Whether or not it was this room, they were definitely close by, which meant… which meant…
"K-Kaito-san w-will be fine," Hanataro murmured, glancing up at Kaito and sending reassurance-calm-confidence through their entwined reiatsu. "I'll be… I'll be r-right here."
"Thank you," Kaito said, then swallowed and forced himself to remain still as he heard someone approaching the door.
It slid open and Kurosaki blinked at them, before his normal scowl softened a bit in welcome. "Morning," he said with a nod, stepping back and gesturing for them to enter.
"G-good morning," Hanataro returned as he stepped into the room.
Kaito just grunted and slipped past Kurosaki, suppressing a flinch as the door slid closed behind him.
(He wasn't trapped.)
(It was alright.)
(He wasn't trapped.)
He gave himself a mental shake. Leaned into Ichigo's strength. Drew Hanataro's reassurance closer. Reminded himself that Ishida needed to know the danger he was in. Scanned the room to make sure—
All of the teens were present, Kaito realized with a start, his gaze darting from Sado to Inoue to Ishida and then to Kurosaki as the teen passed him to sit at the table with the others. He hadn't… he hadn't planned…
(But could he really justify leaving them out?)
"Senpai?" Ishida prompted, eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he looked between Kaito and Hanataro. Whatever he was seeing or sensing, he apparently decided it wasn't worth commenting on, because he cleared his throat, met Kaito's gaze, and asked, "You said you'd tell me your reasons for avoiding the Captain of the Twelfth?"
"I did," Kaito replied, trying to order his thoughts as he moved to sit across from Ishida. He still had no idea where to even begin the conversation, if he was being honest, and that uncertainty kept him silent as he folded his arms in his sleeves and stared at the tabletop.
(He was such a coward!)
(Why couldn't he just… find the words?)
Ishida huffed a sigh. "If you don't want to talk about it—"
"Kurotsuchi is a dangerous man," Kaito declared, cutting off Ishida's attempt at giving him an out.
(If he didn't have this conversation now, he'd never have the strength for it.)
(He knew it.)
"We figured as much," Kurosaki said easily, calmly, like they were having an ordinary conversation instead of… of whatever this was. "You said that all Captains were dangerous—"
"Not like this. There are…" Kaito grimaced and shook his head, clamping down on the urge to run a hand through his hair. "There are differences. Kyoraku, Ukitake, Unohana… all old, powerful Shinigami that you'd all do well to be wary of but still… mostly reasonable people. The Soutaicho stands alone—" searing heat and unwavering determination, an uncaring apocalypse shaped like a human— "but the worst he'll do is have us killed."
From the shock-horror-disbelief that rippled through the teens' reiatsu, 'the worst that he'll do' was plenty terrible in their minds.
(If only he could still see death as a worst-case scenario…)
(He'd never think that way again.)
"The younger Captains like Kuchiki or Kenpachi — or even the Second's Captain — aren't as powerful, but still very dangerous. Time and training and willpower makes them that way," Kaito continued, thinking on what little he knew of the other Captains; he'd met so few of them last time, and spent even less time around any of them this time, that nothing truly stood out. They were Captains, were dangerous, but… the worst sin he knew of was blind adherence to the law.
(He suspected Kurosaki would start breaking many of them of that soon enough.)
Kaito glanced up at the teens to take in their expressions — small frowns and puzzlement and a touch of growing concern — and then looked back down at the table, unable to keep eye contact. "Of the traitor Captains, Aizen's the most dangerous for… many reasons, but the other two shouldn't be dismissed. Even with Aizen's zanpakutou smoothing the way, it still takes skill and cunning to avoid detection for so long."
Kurosaki snorted. "Doesn't matter how dangerous they think they are, we'll take them down if they come after us."
Kaito grit his teeth, biting back the urge to shout, to scream at Kurosaki for his overconfidence, his hubris. The same hubris that had gotten Ichigo killed. That had almost gotten him killed.
Zangetsu crowded closer, pressing calm-patience-steadiness against Kaito's senses until it started to bleed through his emotions, quelling the fear-driven rage back to a familiar simmer. At his side, Hanataro leaned in and sent his own quiet calm through their woven powers, pulling at the edges of Kaito's fury until it started to unravel.
It was enough.
(Barely.)
"Hopefully it never comes to that," Kaito forced out as soon as he was certain he wouldn't lash out at Kurosaki for his careless words.
(Hopefully he could take Aizen out before any of the man's plans came to fruition.)
(Hopefully—)
(No.)
(He would.)
(He had to.)
"But it doesn't matter right now, because we're not talking about the traitors," Kaito continued before the teens could say something. He grimaced and freed a hand to rub at the side of his nose, trying to bring his thoughts back in order; he really needed to stop dancing around the subject, no matter how uncomfortable the topic made him. "So. Kurotsuchi is one of the younger Captains, having… having gained the position when my father was exiled—"
"Wait, your father was Captain of the Twelfth?" Kurosaki interrupted in confusion. "I'd thought… well, you did say your father was deadly, and you… didn't really seem to mind being recruited like that once you'd fought it out with Kenpachi, so…" he trailed off with an awkward shrug as Kaito stared blankly at him.
(Urahara Kisuke, Captain of the Eleventh?)
(In what universe would his father have ever lead a division dedicated to brute force?!)
(That… he couldn't even imagine—)
"More importantly, your father's successor is the one you're warning us away from," Ishida continued in Kurosaki's stead, eyes narrowed and something dark-sharp-deadly in his voice. "Senpai…"
"I'm in little danger for the moment," Kaito snapped, tipping his chin up to glare at the two teens. "I am well able to avoid the mon—man, and need no assistance in the matter, from you or anyone else. You all, however… and especially you, Ishida-kun, are in significant danger from him."
Inoue gasped at his words, then demanded, "A Captain would use hostages?"
"Would the other Captains even allow that?" Sado asked with a thoughtful frown, glancing between Kaito and Hanataro as he did.
Kaito started to shake his head in denial, then paused to give the questions a bit more thought. "Well… Kurotsuchi might try it," he said slowly, thinking back to what he'd seen of Kurotsuchi. With the way he'd tortured that Arrancar, and the things he'd said about his experiments when Kaito had fought him during the original invasion… well, 'hostage taking' might indeed be on the table. "Though I don't think the other Captains would allow it to happen to any of you… if they catch him at it."
"N-no one r-really kn-knows what he… what he does a-all the time," Hanataro offered when the teens only looked more confused. "He's… he's a… many of our, uhm… a lot of r-recent inventions a-are from ei-either Kurotsuchi-taicho o-or Urahara-taicho. But… but people s-sometimes go m-missing or… or are d-different a-after g-going into the Twelfth."
Kurosaki's scowl darkened. "Why is his still a Captain, if that's the case?"
Hanataro blinked and tilted his head a bit. "W-why w-wouldn't he b-be? Captains can… they can, uhm… their Division is theirs, a-and no one c-can interfere."
"So there's no oversight at all," Ishida said, his brows furrowing with anger-annoyance-frustration. "Does no one see the problem with that? Three Captains are traitors, a fourth is some sort of… of boogieman that terrifies everyone, and the only thing you can say is 'no one can interfere with how a Captain runs a division'? No wonder this place is a mess!"
"Wh-what do you w-want us to do?!" Hanataro protested sharply, reiatsu bristling at the accusation in Ishida's voice. "C-Captains are… they're unbeatable unless y-you're as s-strong as one! H-Half of us d-don't even have shikai, m-much less b-bankai! We can't just… we're just insects t-to them, h-how are we s-suppose to remove them?!"
Kaito settled a hand on Hanataro's back, attempting to lend his friend support. "It doesn't matter," he declared, glowering at Ishida until the teen huffed and looked away. "Kurotsuchi has been careful to appear to toe the line ever since he took over from my father, and that's why he remains a Captain. A handful of human teens won't change a thing, so leave him alone. Because if he catches you, if anyone catches you, I will not be able to protect you." He took a breath, trying to calm his racing heart, and looked up to meet their gazes as he said, "Kurotsuchi pretends to be a scientist, and he likes unique things."
That made the teens stiffen and glance at each other warily, before looking back at Kaito in concern.
"Unique things," Kurosaki repeated slowly, his shoulders tense and his gaze sharp. "Kaito…"
"You're all unique too!" Kaito snapped before Kurosaki could say anything else, then leveled a finger at the teen. "Human with Shinigami powers," he spat, then moved to point at Inoue, "human with unknown powers—" then to Sado— "human with another set of unknown powers—" and finally to Ishida— "one of the last surviving Quincy." He grit his teeth and swallowed back the rest of the furious words that wanted to escape, scrubbing at his face until his skin stung.
(Damn them, damn them all!)
(He needed to get himself under control!)
Hanataro pressed warm-steady-safe into his side, once more helping to bleed away the fury that ate deep into Kaito's soul.
(Kami, if Hanataro hadn't come with him—)
(No.)
(It didn't matter.)
Kaito took a shaky breath and let his hand drop away from his face, giving the teens a narrow-eyed look as he did; they looked shaken by his words, uncertain and uneasy and awkward in a way that meant he was getting through to them about Kurotsuchi's danger.
(He hoped.)
(Still…)
(Maybe he should add just a little bit more?)
"Until I met Ishida-kun, my mother and I were the only Quincy I knew of," Kaito lied, dragging up the fake history that he and Urahara had crafted. He fixed his gaze on Ishida as the teen considered that, and said, "Shinigami don't care about us, especially when we're here in their domain. We're just troublesome souls with powers, often relegated to the outskirts where Shinigami presence is practically nonexistent and food even less so."
Ishida paled, his hands tightening into fists and fury beginning to spark in his eyes as he said, "And where no one would see, or care, if we disappeared."
Kaito grimaced at Ishida's words, but nodded all the same. "I… doubt that was part of it in the beginning," he admitted. "I think it started out as more of a way to get us out of the way and, ah…"
"Leave us vulnerable?" Ishida suggested tightly, lips starting to curl into a snarl. "They've already shown their disregard for living Quincy— Senpai? Senpai, what's wrong?"
Kaito shook his head, lips pressed together as he tried to force aside the memory of his grandfather dying by Kurotsuchi's careful manipulations; Ishida didn't need to know the hows or the whys, didn't need to know the torture his — their — grandfather suffered at that monster's hands. "Nothing I wish to discuss," he forced out, knowing exactly how poorly the teens would take those words and hoping that they wouldn't do something rash because of them. "I need you to promise me that none of you will approach him, or let him approach you, for any reason. I need you to avoid him like your life depends upon it, because it does."
Ishida and Kurosaki exchanged looks at that, something passing between them that Kaito couldn't quite decipher, before turning back to him and nodding.
"We won't go near him," Kurosaki said. "But if he did something to you…"
Kaito scowled darkly at Kurosaki, ignoring the warm-steady-reassuring press of Hanataro's reiatsu against his own. "Whether he did or not doesn't matter," Kaito said as he forced his voice to be even, to be steady, despite the lurking memories of being pinned down, of pills being forced down his throat, of pain—
Zangetsu slid forward. Cut across his senses. Settled steady-calm-confident into shared front and helped even out their breathing.
(*Thank you,*) Kaito murmured as he looked away from the teens and folded his hands into his sleeves again.
(*You're welcome,*) Zangetsu replied as he settled more firmly into place. (*We'll get through this.*)
Kaito gave a jerky nod, then exhaled and glanced back at the teens, already dreading what he was going to see.
And sure enough, they all looked worried, with Kurosaki having a particularly mulish edge to his expression.
(That was concerning…)
(Hopefully the fool wouldn't go back on his word!)
Kaito glowered at Kurosaki for a moment, then huffed and turned his glower on the other three as well. "We're outsiders here," he told them firmly. "There's nothing we can do about him without getting into trouble that we can't escape from. Kuchiki Rukia's sentence might have been the result of Aizen's manipulations, but execution isn't uncommon here. Even without the phoenix, they still have plenty of means of carrying an execution out," he explained as calmly as he could, hoping his words would get through their stubborn, stubborn heads. "Just… avoid him. Stay around other Captains if you can't and do your best to never acknowledge him. And never, never answer anything he asks. And don't show off your skills where he can see them. Any of you."
And before any of the teens could react to his words, Kaito pushed himself to his feet, nodded once, and fled the room.
(He couldn't deal with them anymore.)
(He just… needed a break.)
(Please let them not get into any trouble for the rest of the day.)
(Please…)
