DISCLAIMER: I don't own KnB.
"Why do you suddenly left me here? Dammit!" Kagami growled.
A laugh. "What? You're not really alone. Also, all of you are around the same age. That should have make you－"
"No! It's more like I'm their mother making them food or something," he complained.
"At least you put your culinary degree into use, don't you think?"
Kagami sighed. "That's not it, Dad. It's just that...there's something not cool about being at home and not having some action."
"That degrading to be called a househusband?" there was another bellow of chortle that followed.
"You're enjoying this, don't you?" The redhead mentally mourned. "Whatever. I'll be going now. I'll be ringing you again soon."
"Don't be so pitiful of yourself for your current situation. You don't know it, but you're already doing something big for their sake." There was a pause. "Send my regards to the others. Have fun, Taiga."
After the call ended with a click, Kagami visibly sagged in front of the apartment building his father was supposed to be staying over. He regretted not believing what Akashi said when he found the unit empty.
He could have told me beforehand, right?
He sulked. The only thing he was looking forward to was meeting his old man again after the past few years, merely communicating through phone. Hell, he wasn't even present when Kagami graduated from college. He held no hard feelings though, maybe only missing him that much.
Not that he would admit it out aloud.
Besides, if there would be anyone who misses his dad very much than him, it would be his mother. Good for them to be together again.
Not planning to let the day go to waste, Kagami proceeded to take a trip to the supermarket.
"This is?" Midorima picked up the manila folder from the table.
"The next on our list," Akashi replied solemnly. "According to our informants from Teiko, this man travels to one country to another, offering different kinds of drugs. He only arrived last week, and is yet to make his movements."
"That's rather peculiar of you. Are you perhaps concerned about the drugs he is offering?"
"That's one. Also..." The redhead paused. "If he had been across countries, it makes me wonder how he can make his products enter different nations without being caught. And so far, there are no cases of drug mules internationally for a while. Assuming those are already here for a long time is not plausible. They should have been at the hands of known syndicates operating if that's the case."
The bespectacled man did not answer, memorizing some important data.
"He would be at the Tokyo Port tonight at eleven. We got wind of the information about a trade between this man and a few people－five or four the least－from the bottom of the Seiho Group."
"That's odd." Midorima frowned. "Why from the lower ranks? And only a few at that?"
"That's what I also want you to find out. Knowing Seiho, they do not tolerate activities such as this. Most likely, these people from the bottom are those who are planning rebellion." Akashi closed his eyes. "It is probably related to the uproar currently happening at the higher ranks. There has been a confusion whether who will replace the head. His son appeared to be reluctant to take it, while the second-in-command is a promising candidate himself."
"To simply say, you want me investigate the exchange that will take place tonight. Without doing unnecessary actions for now, I presume?"
"Yes. We'll be hearing your report tomorrow morning."
After Kagami's trip to the supermarket, he loitered around the nearby park for a while. It was only an open field, actually, but at noon, many were under the shades to picnic. Also, a good spot for children to roll on the ground, and a lot of kids ran here and there. He settled himself and the paper bags in an isolated bench to enjoy a take-out lunch.
Now what?
There was no one else he could get in touch to－he lost contact to his female mentor and his surrogate brother. All he knew was that they went in the country. Where in Japan, he has no idea. Heck, he wasn't even sure if they were still here at the moment.
Especially his brother. Him who used to jump east to west of the globe. Kagami wondered when did he become nomadic, always using the excuse to study. And as much as the redhead and his parents wanted to adopt him to their family, the man politely turned down the offer.
Reminiscing about his brother and their childhood at States took him in a brooding state, making him completely unaware of his surroundings.
Until a dog bark shook him from his reverie.
"Fuck," he hissed at the small dog with cerulean wide eyes barking up happily to him. Kagami instinctively tucked his legs at his side. "Go away! Shoo! Shoo!"
It seemed that the dog had taken a liking on his distressed expression that it was also jumping (Kagami was horrified) high enough, almost reaching his knees. Kagami thought he was being mocked by the little devil when it wagged its tail, panting in joy.
"Oh, God, you're probably happy to torture someone like me, huh?! You little shi－"
"Excuse me," a voice rang near the redhead. "That dog is mine."
At first, he saw nothing but thin air beside the canine. Although when he did a double take, a silhouette began forming, and a pale thin guy was crouching down at his pet to pick it up.
"S-Since when have you been there?!"
"Truthfully speaking, for a few minutes now."
The taller man blanched. First a dog, then its owner was a ghost.
It was double the terror for Kagami.
"Sorry for having Nigou disturb you." The guy was polite enough and bowed down apologetically. "But I've never seen him reacting to a stranger like this before. He likes you very much." Now that Kagami noticed it, the pet and the man have the eyes of the same shade of blue.
Kagami, by now, had no idea where to be terrified first－the two closely resembling each other or a demon spawn (Nigou) had taken a liking to him.
"Well, I don't care!" Kagami reacted rudely, barely masking his fear. "Just keep it away from me, dammit!"
"Excuse us then." Once again, the other bowed.
When the latter was out of plain sight, Kagami let out a breath he did not know he was holding.
Okay, maybe it was bad of me to fend them away like that... Still! He felt kind of guilty lately for his actions.
Ah, he would never grow up from his phobia.
The initiation went in a blur.
The only reminder of it to Kagami was the bitter after-taste of the sake he and Akashi shared from the same cup. He was now officially part of them.
Apparently, all the members were present, except Midorima. Kagami did not inquire about him though.
Somehow, he couldn't quite shake an eerie feeling. It began when he went back to the rest house. He first saw Aomine lounging at the garden, an erotic magazine occupying his attention. He briefly saw Akashi through the ajar door when he passed by his office. Then there was Murasakibara scavenging the refrigerator for snacks (Kagami learned he has a large appetite for junk foods and sweets). He did not catch sight of the green-haired man.
The odd feeling worsened when he was washing the dishes. The green cup he was currently soaping had slipped and was smashed broken on the floor.
Kagami wasn't one for superstitions, but he was sure of the gnawing at the pit of his stomach.
Murasakibara happened to hear the noise. When Kagami asked about Midorima, the giant remained his lazy expression.
"Mido-chin?" He shrugged. "Aka-chin said he's on an errand."
Kagami just hoped his intuition wasn't correct this time.
TBC