The Adventure of Taiga and Tatsuya part 2

To retrieve the basketball left in the abandoned R School.

Tatsuya decided to execute their plan on a weekend.

That morning, Taiga, who hadn't manage to sleep a wink.

Crept into the kitchen while his family was asleep.

*stuff* *stuff*

He ate his breakfast, and prepared his backpack to stuff some foods into it.

Then he go out with a bike.

He met up with Tatsuya, who's waiting and have his hands on his pocket.

"You're early, Tatsuya! Even though I was planning to be early." Kagami said 'You got here before me.'

"You think?" Tatsuya said "More importantly, Did you tell your folks properly?"

"Yeah" Kagami said while smiling " I lied and said I'd be staying over at your place."

"What about you?"

"Of course, I told them that I'd be staying over at your place." (Tatsuya)

That was Tatsuya 'Special Preparation'. Their preparation for the possibility that operation ball collection might require the whole weekend, was to lie that they were spending the night at each other's house.

With this, the two of them would have freedom until lunch time tomorrow. Without anyone disturbing them.

"Let's go then." Tatsuya said " Taiga, did you look at the map and plan a route?"

"Uh...."

"That's worrying for the person who suggested this." (Tatsuya)

"But that's 'cuz I didn't have a good sized map..." Kagami said "Then what about you Tatsuya.?!"

"I look it up and memorized the route." (Tatsuya)

"Wow, Really?!"

"Follow me for now." (Tatsuya)

We head west

"Riding a bike feels good." (Kagami)

"Since I got here, no matter where I went. It was by car. It's been a while since I rode a bike." (Kagami)

"....I thought so" (Tatsuya)

"You thought what?" (Kagami)

"..."

"You rarely see kids riding bicycle around here, right? There's a good reason for that." (Tatsuya)

"Really?" Kagami said and look at a car from afar.

"It's true that I haven't seen many bikes but, isn't it just most people use cars around here?" (Kagami)

"Kids can't drive cars, right? Yet rather than bicycle , most kids get around by car" Tatsuya said "Why do you think it's like that?"

"..."

'He's giving me the 'think about it' look again.

Lately he's been using this round about way of talking a lot...' Kagami thought "What a pain... presenting it like a problem."

"That's bad, Taiga. You need to fix your habit of not using your head to think" Tatsuya said "That's why you get those kind of test scores"

'He's referring to my math test the other day?!' (Kagami)

Tatsuya stared at his paper with empty eyes. Seeing a score of "2 points"

*flustered* flustered*

"No...this is... I wasn't feeling well..." (Kagami)

"This is? Feeling?" (Tatsuya)

"..."

"Sorry I was playing basketball the whole time before the test..." (Kagami)

"Haaa.."

"I was practicing the technique Alex taught me" (Kagami)

'Come to think of it, ever since then...Tatsuya started talking in a round about way...' Kagami said "That was... just that I couldn't read the English in the problem."

"There are plenty of questions you can solve without reading the problem in math" (Tatsuya) "Normally, japanese kids who move here are at least good with math but, of all things, 2 points is..."

"SHUT IT!! OTHERS ARE OTHERS!! I'M ME!" (Kagami) "I CAN LIVE EVEN OF I CAN'T DO MATH."

"If you can't add properly, you'll make mistakes when counting basketball points" (Tatsuya)

"UGH"

"..." Kagami thought ' It's true that I often think ' If only I could add the points more quickly'

"Taiga, you often act first without thinking about the consequence, but it's not like you're truly, really stupid." (Tatsuya) "I thinking it's better if you study a bit more ."

"Yeah... Wait, What?! Did you just diss me?!" (Kagami)

"See, you notice things like that, so you're not stupid." (Tatsuya)

! "TATSUYA!!"

"So what's your answer to that question?" (Tatsuya) "Why are children able to travel by car?"

"...." *grrr*

*vroom* (A car pass by)

Kagami stared at the car.

"Kids can't drive, so don't the adults drive them." Kagami mutter.

"Yes, That's right"

"Eh, for real?"

"Adults are the only ones who can drive." Tatsuya said "Put it in another way, kids who can't travel need an adult chaperone."

"They are so overprotective around here, they should let kids have more freedom and play where they want" (Kagami) 'Since we moved here, even the babysitter...After arguing so much, I barely got permission to go to the basketball court alone'

"It's because that's the law." Tatsuya said "There have been abductions so it can't be helped."

"Abductions..do they happen so easily?" Kagami

"You said the same thing earlier, didn't you? Japan is japan, America is america. And taking precautions against crime is one of the rules." (Tatsuya)

"We'll...I guess that could be true... Huh, why did we end up talking about this?" (Kagami)

"..."

'Crap! I actually forgot.. What was it..?' Kagami thought ' Why did we start talking about this...'

"And...Rules aren't the only things that prevents crimes" (Tatsuya)

*squeeze* *brakes*

"Eh? What's wrong Tatsuya.?" (Kagami)

"..."

"Taiga.." Tatsuya gestured him to come over.

"What?" (Kagami)

"Look only at me. Don't take your eyes of me." (Tatsuya)

Kagami stared.

"The police are looking at us" (Tatsuya)

"Eh?" (Kagami)

"Behind you... there's a patrol car parked around the corner on the right. They're probably watching us." (Tatsuya)

Po...Police.

Why?Why? The police are the cops, right?

Am I being arrested?

They'll put me in jail....

Wait, in the first place did I do something bad?

"I said look at me." (Tatsuya)

!!!!

"WHY ARE THEY LOOKING AT US?!" (Kagami)

"I told you. It's crime prevention. If they found out we're far from home, they'll take us home and that'll be the end of it." (Tatsuya)

"Seriously?? Then what do we do...?" (Kagami)

"Taiga! Calm down. Just follow my lead" (Tatsuya)