Trouble 10-Tachibana Kaito

Kaito frowned. He looked around in confusion.

Where did his cousin run off to? He only neglected him for a brief moment, and that brat vanished like a smoke? He wanted to search for him, yet the bell rang indicated that the break was over.

Dejected, he went back to the classroom and patiently waited for his return like a well-behaved kid. Even so, he felt restless and uneasy. Definitely, something terrible had happened to that guy. Since an hour has passed, and Hikaru is nowhere within his sight!

Kaito worried about Hikaru and had the urge to run out and scavenge every nook and cranny of the school in an attempt to find that brat. Just where did he go? Did he ditch the school again?

Kaito poked the classmate that sitting in front of him. That boy turned around with his eyebrows wrinkled. Hasegawa Kazuto seemed displeased that his concentration got disturbed by someone. Had it not Kaito who poked him, he might have angrily thrown the first punch out of nowhere.

He is one of Hikaru's future subordinates. The son of Hikaru's father's right-hand man. A relatively quiet person and had a frosty expression throughout the year. Honestly, not even he had seen Kazuto's smile. However, he is very loyal towards Hikaru and the one who mostly supported him in the fight. Alas, both of them are actually quite childish. They love to pick fighting everywhere they go, and Kaito, the pacifier, is the one who peacefully settles the account later.

"What?" He gruffly said.

"Where's your boss?"

Kazuto shrugged his shoulders.

"How should I know? Boss ran off to the toilet when he saw you approached the class representative in front of the classroom."

"He went for almost an hour." Kaito scowled. "Did he actually go to fight those hooligans in the Class 3E?"

"If he went to incite a fight, there should be commotion right now." Kazuto shook his head. "Maybe he had a stomachache. Or he felt unhealthy somewhere in his body. Who knows."

"As if. That kid is the picture of health. Even with a broken bone, he could fight valiantly and secured an overwhelming victory. If he is sick, the brain is the one that has a problem. Not his body." Kaito sneered.

Kazuto frowned. He wanted to say something when the fire alarm was resounding across the school, followed by an announcement from their student committee's president.

The both of them listened to the announcement with flabbergasted faces. Which forest got burned in the fire?

Their History teacher, Miss Nakai, ushered her students to obediently move according to the instruction given amidst the murmuring of her students. Her soft voice crisply rang across the classroom, enunciating her every word with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She repeatedly asked them whether they understood her order, and the students amiably nodded their heads.

Her students motionlessly stood beside their seats, painfully swallowed their saliva. Each of them lamented in their hearts, "Teacher is beyond scary, especially when she smiled like that."

"How about Hikaru?" Kaito is still worried about his best friend's disappearance. He is unwilling to move unless he knows that Hikaru also had evacuated. But, where did he go? Is he safe?

Kazuto put his hand around Kaito's shoulders and pushed him outside. Safety is first. Boss would definitely get angry if he knew his friend was dilly-dallying amidst the dangerous situation.

"Let's go to the assembly point first. The boss should have already heard that announcement, and maybe he waited for us over there. Come on."

Kaito reluctantly lets Kazuto drag him away.

He does hope Hikaru is outside. Even if there's no danger inside the school and the fire is within control, he prayed that trouble to not seek Hikaru out. Maybe, he should probably wish that Hikaru is not the one who is actively courting death by doing the stupid thing.

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Tachibana Kaito. Hikaru's cousin and his childhood friend. Their relationship is as good as ever, and Hikaru trusted Kaito more than he trusted himself. He held Kaito's opinion better than his own family. If anyone wanted to persuade Hikaru, they should talk directly to Kaito and ask him to relay it. The probability for their demand to get through is almost a hundred percent.

Nevertheless, Kaito never took advantage of his friend's trust. He always discusses it with his friend first before making a decision.

Their houses are closer to one another, and Kaito's sister is married to Hikaru's brother and currently pregnant for five months. She is expecting her first child.

Kaito is older a few months than Hikaru. He is more mature and composed than the short-tempered Hikaru. Like a bodyguard, he followed Hikaru everywhere and anywhere. Although, his job is mainly focused on being a peacemaker, mediator, and nanny for the troublemaker, Hikaru.

If Hikaru does something wrong, he is the first person who will act. He will forcefully drag Hikaru to apologize if he is indeed on the wrong side. However, if Hikaru got blamed due to a mistake, Kaito is not the type who will sit still and let his friend's reputation smeared to black. He used anything within his power to topple the public's opinion on his friend. Kaito might not be as cunning as Sei, but his wit is worthy-praised. Moreover, he is decisive and firm when dealing with troublesome issues, especially regarding emotions.

Kaito is a bit shorter than Hikaru. He is only one head lower and at the height of his shoulder. He had silky reddish-brown hair that immaculate his oval-like shape face. His skin is fair, with almost non-visible freckles on his face. Kaito had a pair of glassy golden eyes that shimmered like a dazzling sun. The shining golden orbs could easily bewitch someone with just one casual glance.

His smile is always sincere and genuine. Kaito prioritized honesty above anything else. If you're honest and didn't have any slightest intention to betray him or his friend, then Kaito will never treat you wrong. Because in his family, betrayal is innumerable, and he had experienced it not once or twice. The person who did it was someone closely related to his family. He despised such scoundrels and loathed them. Like a scalding cat, once got hurt, they will remember the pain forever.

Kaito had a chiseled jawline and sharp features, which were delicately drawn over his tender face. There's an approachable air surrounding him, and his happy-go-lucky vibe effortlessly attracted others to befriend him. He seemed innocent and gentle, but actually, Kaito is more strict than his friends. Once he says no, the answer will be no, no matter how many times the other refuted it. He is stubborn beyond remedy. In this sense, he is the same as Yuuya.

Kaito had a lean and slender body with a healthy complexion. He loves to spend his time painting and is quite good at them. He had his own studio, which held various paintings and photographs.

Those paintings came either from the famous painters or the one he painted himself. One of his paintings got appraised by a renowned and prominent person in this field and almost got it sold for ten million yen.

However, Kaito refused the deal and just hung the priceless painting on the wall of his bedroom. His family indulged him as he was free to do anything he wanted. Since he is the youngest brother of five siblings, his family didn't oppress him to follow the family's strict requirements.

After all, his family is a direct descendent of a military commander from the past. And, until now, his great-grandfather, his grandfather, his father, and his eldest brother worked as the Police superintendents. They held authority over the police force within the country. Even his sisters served in the military and police.

Ironically, his family is in the police force, while his cousin's family is the notorious gangster's family, the Mutou Group. Sometimes, Kaito didn't know whether to laugh or to cry because of this odd entanglement of these two families. They came from different backgrounds that should repulse each other.

Perhaps, due to a coincidental encounter between Hikaru's eldest brother and his elder sister gave birth to this anomaly and instead became an enemy, Mutou and Tachibana became a huge family. Furthermore, Hikaru's grandfather is actually the half-brother of Kaito's grandmother. They had a distant family relationship. One cannot deny the same blood which flowing inside their veins. Or maybe, it is because the opposite attracted better? Who knows. But the evidence is laid in front of their eyes. Their family lived in harmony and bustling with happiness.

Even the neighbors were green in envy with their harmonious relationship. The bond was unshakeable and deeply rooted to the ground.

Kaito's motto in life is simple.

Do not court death and be happy. He willingly enjoyed his life and was unwilling to burden himself with nonsensical things. Hence, in the future, when he knows Ren's troublesome identity, he is the first person who refuses to help him. He felt that Ren's world is different from normalcy, and one without power shouldn't seek death. He tirelessly persuaded his friends to distance themselves from the supposed ill-bringer, Ren Hazama.

His effort rendered useless, though. His friends help Ren because they feel committed to helping him. The town belongs to them, and Ren is supposed to be the outsider, yet he is willing to put his life on the line to protect them.

So, their responses are justifiable.

Kaito concedes defeat. None of the things his friends say are wrong neither did Ren is the guilty party. Because he knew, Ren never had any intention to endanger anyone. Ren neither had the aim to push them to the pit of fire. He only wanted to help because he had the power to do so. At last, he accepted Ren as one of them and supported him.