CHAPTER 10:

That's the Way It Is

It has exactly been two weeks since Kise stopped hanging out with them and, with Imayoshi's warning, Aomine never bothered to look at the blond nor did he tried to call out to him. It's not because he was unbelievably convinced by the bespectacled man; with Aomine's stubbornness and willfulness that would be too far-fetched. It was rather the cause of Aomine's rare use of rational reasoning and the reoccurrence of his wariness to survive in this prison that the former police was able to pay no heed to Kise. Although, whether he denies it or not, Kise taking no notice of him created a pang in his chest. The only thing he could do in order to continue to overlook anything he is feeling right now was to focus on the job Sakurai recommended him and earn a good amount of pay to compensate his medical fees; and right at this moment, Aomine was with the timid man, walking towards the kitchen, on the first day of his work.

Aomine couldn't say that he was nervous but neither could he say that he was relaxed at all. He just doesn't know what to expect and what to exactly do at his job. He has little to no experience with inventories and such, since the only things he's good at are basketball and police duties; however, with Sakurai guiding him, he has nothing to worry about.

They passed through the kitchen area with different kitchen staff cleaning up and washing dish trays and utensils that was used a while ago during breakfast. Aomine noticed that their work looked hectic with all the rush and the huge amount of things they were taking care of and from then, he felt luckier that he has landed his hands on an easier job. After passing through the kitchen hall, the two men stopped in front of a small room at the back of the kitchen area and Sakurai, who has been leading the way since a while ago, started making short knocks at the door. He didn't wait for someone to respond before turning the knob of the door himself and entered. Aomine, of course, followed Sakurai inside and was surprised when the small guy blithely greeted indicating the disappearance of the timid man he always knew he was.

"Kaji-san, good morning!" Sakurai may not be as vivacious as Kise who Aomine knew was the most energetic person he has ever met, but looking at the small man now will totally fool anyone that he wasn't as shy as he really was in front of most people.

"Oh, Ryou, my boy! Morning. I see, you are as energetic as usual." An old man with a raspy voice came to greet. And if Aomine was surprised of Sakurai's unusual energy, the sight of the old man surprised him more.

Despite his old age, the man has an amazingly beefy body and a brusque aura around him. He had this semi-shaved white hair and an old scar on his face that matched his grumpy look. He was wearing the common orange boiler suit with a white inner tank top that fit his well-built body; and, even though he greeted back Sakurai in a suitable manner, his gruff appearance made so much sense as he looked at Aomine with a dubious eye.

"Who's the kid?" The old man nodded once towards Aomine's direction.

"Oh, this is Aomine Daiki-kun. The new man I've told you last time, Kaji-san. I recommended him to the boss and will be working with us from now on." Sakurai answered and continued speaking as he introduced the old man to the former cop, "Aomine-kun, this is Kaji Jirou-san. He's assigned on preparing meals so we will be working alongside of him every day."

Granted that Aomine didn't like the look Kaji directed at him, he still gave him a smile – yet superficial – and greeted him as a sign of respect and formality. "Nice to meet you. Please, take care of me."

Kaji, as blunt and as uncompromising as he is, didn't return even the slightest of his smile; though he didn't have any ill intentions towards the blue-haired guy. He just gave a monotonous, short laugh and spoke frankly. "You had such an uninteresting and irascible expression, I don't think I'll get along with you; but whatever. Good luck with the work."

Aomine almost rolled his eyes. Not like you aren't one, he thought. He may be short-tempered and all but Aomine could sense so damn well how the old man is just the same as him. Kaji had no room to tell him that. On the other hand, Sakurai diffidently scolded the old man, feeling conscious of how Aomine will react; however, the dark-skinned man just ignored Kaji's words and asked the bashful Sakurai a question to divert the topic. "So… for starters, what shall I do?"

Sakurai was easily taken aback by the question and quickly responded, "Ah! R-right."

He took a few steps towards another door nearby and Aomine quietly followed. He opened the door with a key he got beforehand from a wooden key holder and they both stepped inside. The room was enclosed in a small space but packed with shelves that contained folders and files.

"These are the inventories and budget plans made for the past years." Sakurai started, "On the left side are the inventories and on the right are the plans. Every week we need to check the inventory of each item, whether there's still enough ingredients for every meal based from the budget plan. And this budget plan shall be created every month in order to utilize a sufficient amount of money for the usage of everyday meals of the prisoners."

Leading the way once more, Sakurai went on the left side of the room and grasped a random folder from one of the shelves. He showed it to Aomine and began explaining, "This is an example of the weekly inventories. So, all you need to do is count the number of ingredients in the stock room, record it on the printed list, and then please give it to me so I can compile it and submit it to the boss before the week ends. You can find the printed lists on the small drawer outside."

Aomine remained silent, but he made sure he was being attentive to every word that came out of Sakurai's mouth. He continued going behind the bashful man as they walked on the other side of the room and, as the guy took another folder on one of the shelves on the right, he carried on explaining again. "This is a budget plan I made three weeks ago. Every month, the government hands over some fair amount for the whole prison's food supply. From that amount, we will set out a plan on how to prepare the budget from the money obtained and thereby buying the ingredients needed for the everyday meals for the whole month. This also includes the formulation of everyday menus that the kitchen cooks will prepare for the prisoners."

Aomine inspected the constructed budget plan in front of him. He noticed the little quantity of money indicated on the budget given by the government and stopped wondering the reason why there's a poor quality of food given to inmates like him. He commented, "I see why the food is always substandard."

"Yeah." Sakurai quickly agreed with a small pout on his face. "The government isn't actually giving enough and that's actually the hardest part of our job. We need to make a proper meal enough for 500 prisoners every month with that inadequate amount."

"Well, I guess, we cannot do anything about that."

"Y-you're right. Anyway, Aomine-kun, do you perhaps have any questions regarding our work here?"

Aomine thought for a few seconds and then gradually shook his head.

"Great!" Sakurai smiled and looked above to see the clock hanging on the wall, indicating that it was already ten in the morning. "Hmm… I think we should start doing the stuff now before the kitchen cooks do their work for lunch time later. We need to quickly record the number of ingredients in the stock room before they began getting some."

"H-how's your injured arm, Aomine-kun?" A hesitated question shyly came out of Sakurai's mouth. Aomine thought that it was pretty unexpected knowing that they aren't that much close; but with the silence enveloping the small office they are in, just for some amount of idle time at work, the blue-haired man understood Sakurai's question that intended to break the awkward silence.

Aomine noticed that it was the old man Kaji who always amazingly gave Sakurai the doubtful energy a while ago. When those two were together, it would be filled hustle and bustle and now that Kaji is not around, it was to be expected that quietness will bloom between the two of them.

Aomine, trying to keep up with the shy man's courageous whim, managed to answer back as he sat up straight on the chair he was currently lounging at. "Oh, uh, it's fine. The swelling's almost gone. Though it still hurts a bit when I move my arm, it's pretty much okay now."

With an awkward smile, Sakurai replied, "I see… I'm glad it's not your dominant hand that was injured or you wouldn't be able to take the job."

"Yeah…"

Aomine was never good with conversations. He appreciated the fact that Sakurai is making efforts to have a good conversation with him; but he was never the type to say something just for the sake of elongating a certain talk. It was a good thing then that Sakurai is persistent in breaking the silence and kept on opening up questions to different topics to him.

"Y-you… didn't get offended by Kaji-san, did you?" Sakurai asked with evident anxiety.

Aomine just gave a quick laugh at the man's worries and deliberately shook his head with a "No". He may have, at some point, wanted to roll his eyes at the old man, but he can say that he was pretty much used to these kinds of response. Before he entered Teikou, and even before he started his training in the police academy, a lot of people hated Aomine's conceited personality. Way back then, a couple of men would throw a glare at him and not even once did Aomine bat an eyelash over it. He knew he shouldn't be affected by mere words as such weren't necessary for him at all; thus a simple bluntness exhibited by Kaji was easily disregarded by the former cop. In the first place, he went with Sakurai with the aim of working for his job and getting paid and not of dealing to an old man's straightforwardness.

"Are you sure, Aomine-kun?" One last confirmation was requested by Sakurai.

With a firmer voice, Aomine replied with a "Yes."

"That's great. I thought you were so pissed at him." A sigh of relief came out of the shy man as he was convinced by the other's certainty. He looked as though a weight had been lifted out of his fragile shoulders after carrying the world he wasn't supposed to with him.

And with that look, Aomine realized then why Sakurai kept on initiating a conversation, aside from the awkward silence covering them. He didn't have to guess though why the man was badly affected by it. With his consciousness and timidity, it was no wonder he would be like that. Msaybe Aomine, being infamous for his short-temperedness, gave Sakurai the impression that he would go berserk anytime – which is actually quite possible to happen – and it made the timid man uneasy and panicky in the aspects of dealing with him. But Aomine wouldn't deny that he was pleased with Sakurai, having the guts to recruit him regardless of his nervousness over Aomine's tendency to become impatient.

Sakurai's personality prodded further into Aomine's mind. Well, not to the point of him being pre-occupied by the bashful man that his thoughts of Kise was thrashed in the corner. It just honestly made him recognize Sakurai's good nature and he wondered how this guy just ended up being thrown into prison. It might be his first time to begin a conversation with Sakurai, but it wouldn't hurt to ask a question to him just to satisfy yet again his simple curiosity.

"Hey." He casually approached. "You… how did you end up here in Teikou?"

Quite surprised of Aomine's question, Sakurai stuttered. "H-huh?"

Aomine didn't bother reiterating the question. He knew that Sakurai wasn't asking to repeat it and was just startled of his sudden inquiry. But Aomine didn't have to wait long as the timid guy slowly moved his mouth to finally answer.

"W-well… I got hooked up with a friend's idea… and got caught swiping the money off my b-boss's vault..." He shyly replied but it was apparent enough for Aomine to notice that the man was stating words without a hint of bitterness. He guessed that Sakurai had either got over it fast or he had already been way past his resentful times that any tinge of bitterness cannot be found on his voice. The first assumption is pretty much impossible as getting over your resentments is definitely not easy at all and the latter one is more imaginable; but it may only mean that Sakurai had been in this prison for more than a year or probably half the years of his sentence.

"So, you mean, embezzlement?" Aomine knitted his brows together. Getting hooked up by a friend's idea may mean that the timid Sakurai was deceived and, truthfully, it wasn't that surprising; but, if he's going to consider his second assumption and suppose that Sakurai had been in this prison for more than a year, then it means that the man has embezzled a big amount enough to be accused of felony and not just an act of misdemeanor? Because if it wasn't that big, Aomine was sure he would only be put into jail and get sentenced for only a few months; and with Sakurai's personality, it's quite unlikely of him to do such grave crime. Unless this so-called 'friend' has so much of an influence to him; or Sakurai, himself, is as gullible as he could be.

"Y-yeah."

"For how long are you sentenced?"

"20 years."

Aomine stuck a finger on his ear as if cleaning it, wondering if he had just misheard Sakurai. "Huh? 20?" '

"I… I was also convicted of second-degree murder. I did it to the friend."

"Oh…" Was the only word Aomine could say. It almost shook him to his core, as he wouldn't have expected that the ever-so-timid Sakurai Ryou have such intentions. But, well, this is a prison, what else should he expect?

And yet again, the awkward silence popped up like it was inevitable at all. Though it wasn't expected, it was Aomine who started a topic again. The action might have been surprising enough, but the topic he opened up is something to be more startled for.

"What…" He hesitated at first. "What do you think about Kise not hanging around with you anymore?"

"Huh?" Was what Sakurai said. Aomine wondered if it was because of his surprisingly unexpected question or if it was because of how awkward – at least for him – he uttered it.

He immediately reiterated the question for better understanding. He began with, "I mean, how long have you been with Kise?"

"Since I've got here two years ago. I was requested to be his cellmate the moment I set my foot in Block B."

Aomine furrowed his brows. His intention of restating his question was put to an end when his attention was shifted to what the other man said. "What do you mean?"

"I was supposed to be Imayoshi-san's cellmate. That is why we know each other even though we really don't look like the type to get along…" He chuckled, remembering some past of his own. "It was like a few days after I stepped inside Teikou when I courageously went inside Block B, trying to look for him. I knew he was illegally selling stuff around the whole prison – after all, that's how he introduced himself to me…"

Aomine remembered that, that is also the same way the bespectacled man presented himself to him, and that somehow made him smile a little as it was kind of funny to see how Imayoshi wisely gathered possible customers for his illegal business venture.

Heedless of Aomine's thoughts, Sakurai continued. "I looked for him there and found him selling his usual stuff inside a cell big enough to be mistaken for a master's bedroom. It was Haizaki-kun's. I don't know if it was because of my frail-looking body or timid personality that the moment he set his eyes on me, he made a naughty smirk and quickly introduced me to the naked blond on his wide bed. On the next day, I found myself in a new cell in Block B with the same blond guy named Kise Ryouta."

It was supposed to be Sakurai who would have a big realization on this – was what Aomine intended to do; however, it was actually the former police himself who had made sense of something. Aomine lost the thread of his own conversation and unknowingly followed Sakurai's.

"You see, Aomine-kun. Before I even met Kise-kun, it was Haizaki-kun whom he had been with first. So, Kise-kun not joining us every meal time and just being with Haizaki-kun is just…" This was the time that Aomine realized that Sakurai actually understood his very first question. What made the shy man say huh was the fact that Sakurai – just like everyone else – thought it was a weird question, since Kise being with Haizaki is actually… "…normal."

It was nothing to be asked about.

"It was normal." Sakurai repeated as though he deliberately wanted to point it to the blue-haired man even if it wasn't like that at all; nonetheless, this was tattooed inside Aomine's mind. "Given that that's how the way it is in the first place."

Digesting the single phrase like it was a hard gum – tensile enough to be chewed for several times and tough enough to become an undigested matter – Aomine fell into silence once more. He didn't have any more questions he usually would have whenever he's in a state of curiosity and one way or another, Sakurai felt a little troubled by it. He distracted the former cop by saying, "A-Aomine-kun! I think you should retire for now. You should take a rest in your cell for your injury. We don't wanna worsen it. Anyway, it's already 5 o'clock in the afternoon, so, I guess it is fine for you to go back. I'll take care of the matters here and catch up to you later at dinner time."

By Sakurai's fidgety movement and nervous laughter, Aomine knew that the shy man was troubled by his expression. He could say that he somehow knew him after a while of being with him during meal times and the nervousness that he's emanating is understandable knowing the kind of man Sakurai is. And so, pretending he didn't notice, Aomine just stood-up, said a casual good bye to the other man, and made his way out of the kitchen area.

The hall connecting the kitchen and dining area to the block A of the prison is straight and narrow; at the same time, it was left dark and unlit as it was only used by few prison staffs who are also inmates like Aomine and Sakurai. The logic that it was waste of money to even buy a piece of fluorescent lamp for an empty hallway that was rarely used by people caused Aomine to simply heave a sigh. It was pretty tiresome to complain, anyway. In the first place, he can't do anything about it when the prison administration itself made the stupid decision.

He was lost in his own unspoken frustration that he didn't notice when a pale pair of hands grabbed him by his wrist into a quiet, empty chamber.

Expected Update: January 9 (or earlier)