"Heh," a voice said from across the hall, "Fancy seeing you here, hey, Matsuoka?"
Kurosaki Katsuo, kidnapper, sex trafficker and creep was in the cell opposite them, baring his teeth in a wolfish grin, with a knowing look glistening in his eyes.
Kaho immediately leaned closer to the bars of Naseru's cell, extending the distance, if even by an inch, away from Katsuo. He strode to the bars of the cell and stuck his arms out through the bars resting his elbows on a horizontal bar and his forearms drooping down toward the floor. He was wearing a jersey and tracksuit bottoms, likely provided by the officers in the department.
His nostrils flared as he scowled at Naseru.
"You're still here? I'm surprised the Lionfish haven't put a hit on you for butchering their attempt of trafficking," Naseru sneered, "Or maybe they're waiting 'til you're convicted. Less conspicuous. But then you wouldn't know about being inconspicuous."
Katsuo rolled his eyes, "It just takes a few words and you'll be rotting in a hole for GBH. Or did you forget the fight you put up down there?"
Naseru set his jaw and scowled. Kaho's eyes flickered between the two boys, both behind bars, Katsuo breathed heavily, as if the force of their pent up rage would force their cells open so they could finish whatever they'd started that day at the massage parlour.
"I'm sure the cops are going to trust a sex trafficking gang banger," Naseru muttered darkly.
"You'd be surprised," Katsuo stretched his arms over his head, "I'd be careful, Matsuoka, you've made some really powerful enemies."
Naseru rolled his eyes and glanced over at Kaho. She had all but prised the cell door open and crawled in with him. He raised a brow. Was she really that wary of Katsuo? He'd proven himself wretched, greedy and angry. Maybe he shouldn't have been surprised.
Officer Yukino, an older man with salt and pepper hair and a round beer belly strode into the hall, sucking orange 'Cheeto' dust off his fingers as he went.
"Evening, Kurosaki," he said to Katsuo, before turning to Kaho and Naseru.
"Your guardians are already on their way. Come with me, Miss. I need your statement."
Kaho glanced at Naseru. He nodded encouragingly at her and gestured for her to continue. She went with Officer Yukino, leaving Naseru alone with Katsuo.
"You know," Katsuo said, "This whole Matsuoka behind bars things suits you."
Naseru rolled his eyes, "You're really going to try and lord over me when you had twelve-year-olds, stuffed in a bathroom, blindfolded for a camera-"
"I never said I was better. I just thought you ought to be humbled," Katsuo said, haughtily tilting his chin upward.
"Why'd you do it?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Katsuo spat.
Naseru glared at him. Katsuo sighed, wrenching his arms back into his cell. He ran a hand through his hair and scowled, "Ever been lonely? Like so desperately lonely you felt like you could shrivel up and die like a popcorn kernel between the cushions at the theatre."
A glimmer of something shone through Naseru's eyes for just a moment. Recognition, maybe? It was quickly stuffed back and secured behind his mask. Katsuo scowled. He ran a hand through his hair again.
"Look. We wanted the art room. Well, they wanted the art room. I wanted," Katsuo paused, letting his words die on his lips, "Whatever."
Naseru sighed, sitting on the floor, pressing his back against the smooth bricks of his cell wall, "You really are a piece of shit. You could have been someone. You just had to be swept away with some greedy sleazes."
"Yeah, well, you do whatever when you're desperate."
"Ha." Naseru spat, "You wouldn't know desperate if it hit you in the face. Oh, wait. Didn't Watanabe do that anyway?"
"You don't know anything, Matsuoka."
Their spat was interrupted by the trilling of Kaho's sing-song voice. She'd perked up in Naseru's absence. Something that officer had said made her feel better. Good. She didn't need guilt for that. Guilt could fester, and rot a person from the inside out.
"Thank you, Officer. I'm glad we got all that cleared up!" Kaho exclaimed, striding down the hallway, "Guess what, Matsuoka? They're just gonna take a statement. No charges. Nothing. We can go home! Isn't that great?"
Naseru grunted.
"Right, Mr Matsuoka," Officer Yukino said, scratching his patchy beard with dirty nails, "Let's get your statement."
Kaho sat on the chair she'd been given, arms crossed and glaring at Katsuo.
"What exactly do you think I'm going to do?" Katsuo spat, "I'm literally in jail."
Kaho didn't relax, "What even happened to you, Kurosaki?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," he huffed a laugh, crossing his arms and slumping against the wall, curling into his knees. Kaho tilted her head and furrowed her brows, willing him to say something, anything that would help her make sense of what he did to Sayuri, to Hiroko, those boys, and Kibata Mae, who was somewhere else, still missing.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the familiar footsteps of her brother striding over. He was brisk, heavy-footed and muttering to himself.
"Kaho! Are you okay?" he exclaimed, "Mum sent me to come and get you, she said you'd been arrested!"
Kaho hung her head, and let out a long sigh, "It was a misunderstanding. I was doing what you told me to, trying to get Matsuoka to join the basketball team, and some creep-"
"Ah-ta-ta-ta! No thank you! I don't want to know if you don't want to tell. Wait, did you say Matsuoka is here?" Taiga turned his head, looking for him.
"Taiga? Aigawa Taiga?" a voice said from behind him.
Taiga turned on his heel, a grin splitting his face as his eyes met the newest guest in the local jail. A man, wearing jeans and a brown leather jacket walked over, his hands in his pocket. He had high cheekbones, thin eyebrows and narrow, steely eyes. His black hair was styled in curtain bangs and a pair of reading glasses were pinching his nose.
"Aya," Taiga said, nodding curtly, "Kaho, this is Mizutani Aya, Matsuoka's brother."
Aya crossed his arms, "That's me, now, where is my cute little nuisance of a brother?"
"Still talking to the officers," Kaho said, bowing her head, "Nice to meet you, I'm Taiga's sister, Kaho. Sorry for the trouble."
Aya tilted his head, his hair swishing and a small smile crossing his face. He eyed her tentatively like he was peeing each layer of skin back to get a read on her. She fought the urge to squirm under his eyes.
"So, this is Kaho," Aya finally said, smirking, "Nice to meet you. I'm sure you've heard all about me from this guy."
Kaho's gaze flickered from Aya to Taiga. They seemed to be having a telepathic conversation that she wasn't privy to. Kaho pursed her lips, as the two men stared at each other and their changing expressions. They'd been teammates a few years ago. Were they truly that good that they could communicate without a word?
Could the boys on the team do that yet? Did they have signals and tells that helped them? They should learn some. After all, net sports could have players gesture behind their backs without their opponents knowing what they were doing. Maybe Hanagawa needed something like that?
"Ah, Mr Matsuoka, seems your guardian is here," Officer Yukino said, giving Naseru a little shrug.
Any amusement on Aya's face shrivelled up and died when he looked over at Naseru. He raised one thin brow at his younger brother, "I thought we agreed, Naseru-"
"I didn't agree to anything," Naseru replied, crossing his arms.
"You know, Naseru, I really ought to ground you," Aya said, "But you're already supposed to be grounded, aren't you? For a certain incident involving my car?"
Naseru's eye twitched. Katsuo let out a quiet breath of laughter from inside his cell.
"Maybe," Taiga said through gritted teeth, "He needs a regimented routine at his new school. Some friends. People who can look out for him. Good kids. Ones that don't end up in jail."
Kaho fought the urge to remind her brother that she too had been taken to the station.
"Couldn't agree more. New punishment, kid. You're going to join Taiga's basketball team."
"Hell no."
"You know what?" Aya said, puffing out his chest, "I really do think the basketball team would be good for you. Put you back on the straight and narrow."
Naseru scowled, turning his gaze away from his older brother, "And if I say no?"
"Then I won't sign you out," Aya declared.
Kaho's jaw dropped. Her gaze flickered from Naseru to his older brother. They had the same angular cheekbones and that same muscular build you saw on basketball players. Naseru's shoulders were wider, but he was toned. Just like Aya.
"Dude," Taiga laughed, "You're just gonna leave him?"
"Yep. Let him learn his lesson."
Aya turned on his heel and went to walk out of the police station. Taiga raised his eyebrows and quickened his pace to catch up with him. Leaving Kaho alone with Naseru. And Katsuo, who was apparently still listening.
"Would joining the basketball team really be that bad?" Kaho asked.
"I told you when I first started at this school, I had no interest in playing."
"But I've seen you!" Kaho said, stomping her foot, "You're good! You play so well in gym class."
"And?" he said, "Doesn't mean I have to play for the school."
"But your brother is gonna leave you! This wouldn't be the first time he made a crazy decision for supposedly no reason."
Naseru barked out a sardonic laugh, "I see Coach Aigawa told you about their college championship game. He's always like this. I'm just playing his game. You can't convince me to join the team, or leave the cell. If Aya won't sign me out I'm here for the night."
"Wow," Kaho said, rolling her eyes, "Have you ever thought that maybe you could make things a whole lot easier foryourself if you just went along with what people suggested."
"Like joining the basketball team," he supplied.
"Well, yeah?" Kaho said, "If you'd joined already, we wouldn't have gone to that street and we wouldn't be here."
Naseru rolled his eyes and walked to the furthermost corner of the cell. The door was unlocked. Kaho opened it with the toe of her shoe and sighed, sitting down beside him. She sighed audibly.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Playing your game, Matsuoka. Nothing more. Nothing less. I won't leave 'til you join the basketball team or we get forcibly ejected by Officer Yukino."
"Do what you want," Naseru muttered, leaning away slightly from Kaho's observation.