Chapter 3: "Dodge and Play"

Ryuuji knelt beside Taiga, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder, eyes filled with concern. The room was quiet, save for the soft rustle of the wind brushing against the windows. Taiga had stopped crying, but the silence between them was thick with unsaid words.

"Taiga… what happened with your mother?" Ryuuji asked gently, his voice probing but careful.

Taiga stiffened at the question, her fingers curling around her knees. She had been dreading this moment, the inevitable confrontation. Her gaze dropped to the floor as her mind raced for a way out.

"It's nothing, really," she mumbled, her voice low and unconvincing.

But Ryuuji wasn't backing down. He leaned closer, his brow furrowed, trying to catch her eye. "You've been acting off ever since you came back. Did something happen when you were living with her? Did she—"

"No!" Taiga interrupted, her voice sharp. She quickly composed herself, realizing how defensive she sounded. "I mean… it's not what you think. It's just… complicated."

Ryuuji wasn't satisfied. He could feel the tension in her words, the way she was dancing around the truth. His heart clenched at the thought that something could've gone wrong while she was with her mother. "Taiga… you can tell me. Whatever it is, you don't have to carry it alone."

For a moment, Taiga remained silent, the weight of his words pressing against her. But instead of answering, she suddenly turned to him, her eyes narrowing mischievously.

"Ryuuji…" she began, her voice soft but curious. "What if I asked you a question?"

Ryuuji blinked, caught off guard by the shift in her tone. "Huh? A question?"

"Yeah," she continued, leaning back against the wall, her arms still wrapped around her knees. "If you could change one thing about our time together… what would it be?"

The question hung in the air, startling Ryuuji. He wasn't sure where this was going, and it completely defused the intensity of the moment. He opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out right away. Taiga's sudden shift threw him off balance, and he couldn't tell if she was genuinely curious or just trying to change the subject.

"Wait, what? Where did that come from?" Ryuuji asked, his brow furrowed, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"I dunno," Taiga said, shrugging with feigned nonchalance. "Just popped into my head." Her eyes glinted with something playful now, the tension between them starting to ease.

Ryuuji's face softened, his intensity melting away into something more lighthearted. He scratched the back of his head, thinking. "I don't know if I'd change anything. Even the bad stuff made us… us, right?"

"Really? Even the part where I kicked you in the face when we first met?" Taiga teased, a smirk crossing her lips.

Ryuuji chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, even that. I mean, I didn't enjoy it, but… if it hadn't happened, who knows where we'd be?"

Taiga's smirk widened, and for the first time that day, she felt the tight knot in her chest loosen just a little. "You're such a sap, Ryuuji."

"And you're impossible," Ryuuji shot back, though there was no bite in his words. He reached out and ruffled her hair, knowing full well she hated when he did that.

"Hey!" Taiga swatted at his hand, pouting, but there was a spark of amusement in her eyes. "Don't mess with my hair! Do you want me to kick you again?"

Ryuuji laughed, holding up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! I'll leave the 'Palmtop Tiger' alone."

The playful exchange shifted the mood entirely. Taiga's heart was still heavy, but Ryuuji's teasing helped her forget, even if just for a moment. She shoved him lightly with her shoulder, and before either of them knew it, they were back to their old dynamic, trading jabs and dodging each other's prods.

"So, about high school," Ryuuji began, once the laughter had died down. "What's your big plan? You never told us what you want to do after we graduate."

Taiga hesitated for a second but, catching his eye, shrugged and went for nonchalance again. "College, I guess. Who knows? Maybe I'll become a famous novelist or… a superhero."

Ryuuji snorted. "A novelist, huh? What's the first story gonna be? How to kick your best friend in the face on the first day of school?"

"Shut up," Taiga grumbled, elbowing him in the ribs, though she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure you'll be great," Ryuuji added, more earnestly this time.

Taiga glanced at him, feeling that familiar warmth of their bond. "And what about you? You're always so serious, Ryuuji. What do you wanna do?"

Ryuuji's mind wandered again, and his imagination got the best of him.

"Well," he began, grinning to himself, "I could be a world-renowned chef, creating the finest gourmet dishes while you and the others fawn over my culinary genius."

He imagined himself wearing a comically large chef's hat, stirring a giant pot as Taiga, Minori, Kitamura, and Ami applauded his masterpiece.

"Or…" he continued, his voice growing more dramatic, "I could be a pro-wrestler, slamming Kitamura in the ring while Taiga cheers me on from the sidelines as my 'manager.'"

In his mind, he pictured himself in a ridiculous wrestling costume, Kitamura getting body-slammed while Taiga waved around a tiny flag.

Taiga giggled, shaking her head. "You? A wrestler? I'd pay to see that."

Ryuuji laughed too but paused for a moment, a darker thought creeping into his mind. "Just as long as I don't end up doing what my dad did," he muttered, half-joking, half-serious.

Taiga's laughter faded slightly, but she quickly recovered. She could see that even Ryuuji had his own worries about the future, but he hid them well behind his humor. She admired that about him.

Ryuuji and Taiga sat together on the floor, side by side, the silence between them no longer heavy or awkward. For the first time in a while, it felt easy. Peaceful. After everything that had happened, after all the confusion and tension, this moment of quiet companionship was exactly what they needed.

The conversation slowly shifted to lighter topics, breaking the stillness.

"Hey, did you see the new menu in the cafeteria?" Ryuuji asked, leaning back against the wall. "They've added something called 'mystery meat surprise.'"

Taiga raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Mystery meat? Sounds like they just throw leftovers together and hope we don't notice."

Ryuuji laughed. "Yeah, but what if it's some kind of magical combination? You never know, Taiga. It could be the best thing we've ever tasted."

Taiga gave him a deadpan look. "Ryuuji, the last time you said something was a 'magical combination,' I ended up eating fish-flavored pudding. I don't trust your judgment anymore."

"Hey! That was an experiment," Ryuuji defended, trying to hold back his laughter. "You never know what might work until you try it. Besides, pudding goes with everything."

"No, it doesn't," Taiga said flatly. "Pudding is for dessert. Stop pretending you're a mad scientist in the kitchen."

Ryuuji snorted, imagining himself in a lab coat, stirring a giant pot of pudding while Taiga stood by with a clipboard, shaking her head. "Fine, I'll keep my experiments under control. But if mystery meat turns out to be good, you owe me an apology."

"Deal," Taiga said, smirking. "But if it's terrible, you're buying me lunch for a week."

Ryuuji chuckled, nodding in agreement. It felt good to joke around like this, like old times. He could almost forget that something seemed off with Taiga earlier—almost.

As they continued to chat, Ryuuji shifted topics, trying to keep the mood light. "Okay, how about we find a new hobby? Something weird and fun to do for our last year of high school."

Taiga blinked at him, intrigued. "Weird? Like what?"

Ryuuji pretended to think hard, scratching his chin dramatically. "We could take up pottery. Imagine it—us, making bowls and vases, becoming pottery masters."

Taiga burst out laughing, the image of Ryuuji covered in clay popping into her mind. "You? A pottery master? You'd probably end up making a lopsided vase and calling it modern art."

"Hey, that's called being innovative," Ryuuji retorted, grinning. "Art is subjective, Taiga. Maybe my lopsided vase would become famous."

Taiga giggled again, the lightness in her laugh making Ryuuji's heart lift a little. "Yeah, sure, Ryuuji the Pottery King. You'd make the weirdest stuff and claim it's worth millions."

"You'd buy it though," Ryuuji teased. "Because you're secretly a fan of my artistic genius."

"In your dreams," Taiga shot back, rolling her eyes. "But okay, maybe pottery's not so bad. It could be fun to mess around with."

They both laughed, the conversation flowing effortlessly, as if they hadn't spent months apart.

Taiga leaned back, looking up at the ceiling for a moment, and then, out of nowhere, she spoke—something a little more serious, but still in her usual blunt way. "You know… we've been dodging this, Ryuuji."

Ryuuji blinked, caught off guard. "Dodging what?"

Taiga turned her head to face him, her expression more thoughtful now. "This whole thing. You know, us being… together again. It's like we're pretending things aren't different now."

Ryuuji blinked, a little surprised. He hadn't expected Taiga to bring it up so directly. "Different? How?"

Taiga sat up straighter, waving her hands in the air dramatically. "You know, now that we're like… together-together. It's weird, right? We spent so long dancing around it, and now, we're just… here." She shrugged, looking almost sheepish.

Ryuuji felt a little warmth rise to his cheeks. He hadn't realized it, but she was right. They'd been dodging the fact that everything had changed between them. The awkwardness, the hesitation—it wasn't because they didn't care about each other. It was because they were both so used to pretending.

"Yeah," Ryuuji said, chuckling softly. "I guess we have been dodging it. But I mean, that's us, right? We've always been terrible at talking about the big stuff."

Taiga smirked. "I guess. It's weird, though, isn't it? Like… what now? Do we just keep pretending everything's the same?"

Ryuuji thought about it for a moment, then smiled. "Nope. From now on, we talk about the big stuff. Even if it's awkward and weird."

Taiga raised an eyebrow. "Big stuff like what?"

Ryuuji grinned mischievously. "Like what kind of ridiculous future career we'll have together. Come on, Taiga, you have to admit—if we ever opened a restaurant together, it'd be the best one in town."

Taiga snorted, shaking her head. "Yeah, if by 'best,' you mean 'total disaster.' You'd burn everything, and I'd yell at the customers."

"Hey, I'm a great cook!" Ryuuji protested, feigning offense. "And you'd be an adorable little waitress, scaring off all the rude customers with your death glare."

"Now you're just making stuff up," Taiga muttered, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "But fine, if we're talking weird future dreams, I'd totally be a martial arts master. Just picture it—me, teaching self-defense classes to terrified students."

Ryuuji laughed, already imagining it. "They'd be so scared of you, no one would dare to question your techniques."

"Exactly," Taiga said proudly, puffing out her chest. "I'd be the best, and everyone would fear the Palmtop Tiger."

They both laughed, the conversation playful and ridiculous, but it felt good—like they were finally back to being themselves again, without the awkward tension hanging over them.

"But seriously," Ryuuji said after a while, his voice softening. "Whatever we end up doing, Taiga… I'm just glad we're doing it together."

Taiga paused, her eyes flicking over to meet his. For a moment, she didn't say anything, just letting the words settle between them. Then, she shrugged, trying to play it off, though the corners of her lips curled into a soft smile.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get all mushy on me now," she muttered, lightly punching him in the arm. But there was no bite in her words—just warmth.

Ryuuji grinned, rubbing his arm where she'd hit him. "Alright, no more mushy stuff. But seriously, Taiga, whatever happens next… we're in this together."

Taiga didn't respond right away, but she didn't need to. The comfortable silence that followed said everything. They might have been dodging their feelings for a while, but sitting there, talking about their ridiculous dreams, they knew—things were different now, but it wasn't bad. It was just… them.

As the conversation drifted back to more playful banter, Taiga felt a little lighter. For now, she could keep what was really bothering her to herself. Ryuuji didn't need to know everything—not yet. She'd figure it out eventually. But until then, she was content to just enjoy this moment with him, laughing and teasing, like nothing had changed at all.

As the evening grew darker and it was now time for the two of them to return home afterschool now, a comfortable silence settled in. The earlier playful banter had given way to a peaceful calm. Ryuuji glanced at Taiga, who had her eyes half-closed, leaning back slightly. She looked...content. He felt his heart race a little, and before he knew it, his mind began to drift.

He glanced at Taiga's face, illuminated softly by the streetlight. Her eyes fluttered open, and she turned her head slightly toward him, her expression softer than usual. The night was quiet around them, and for a moment, it felt like the rest of the world had faded away, leaving just the two of them.

Ryuuji swallowed nervously, unsure of what to say. "Is she... about to say something important?" His heart picked up speed.

Taiga leaned in closer, and before Ryuuji knew it, their foreheads touched gently. Her eyes lingered on his, warm but unreadable. The closeness between them felt different than usual—more tender, more real.

"Taiga...?" Ryuuji's voice was a soft whisper, unsure of what was coming next.

She stayed there, her forehead resting against his, her lips curving into the faintest of smiles. It wasn't mischievous like usual, but sweet—genuine. For a moment, Ryuuji's mind raced, thinking maybe she was finally going to say something about them—something about how things had changed, about how they felt about each other.

But then, just as he was about to say something himself, Taiga broke the silence with a playful grin. "You know, you've got a really big head."

Ryuuji blinked, thrown off by the sudden shift. "Huh?"

Before he could fully process what was happening, Taiga bit his nose, catching him completely off guard.

"Ow!" Ryuuji yelped, pulling back, his hand flying up to his nose. "What the heck, Taiga?!"

Taiga let out a soft giggle, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Gotcha! You looked so serious, I couldn't resist!" She laughed, though not the usual uproarious kind—this time it was softer, lighter, as if she was teasing him but also keeping the moment gentle.

Ryuuji stared at her for a second, torn between feeling relieved and utterly flustered. He let out a small chuckle. "That was totally uncalled for!" He rubbed his nose, shaking his head but smiling despite himself. "How do you go from being so sweet to biting me?"

Taiga grinned smugly. "What, were you expecting something else?" she teased, still giggling as she stood up and stretched.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean—ugh!" Ryuuji stood up too, shaking his head in mock frustration. "You're impossible."

"And yet you still hang around," Taiga shot back, sticking her tongue out playfully.

As they made their way home, Ryuuji tried to shake off the lingering embarrassment from earlier. But he couldn't resist pushing Taiga's buttons a little more.

"Hey, Taiga," he said, glancing at her sideways. "You know, walking home together like this—it's almost like we're a real couple now. Everyone's going to think we're all lovey-dovey."

Taiga instantly flushed and narrowed her eyes at him. "Shut up! I don't care what people think. You're lucky I'm even walking with you. If you keep this up, I'll—" She suddenly paused, coming up with an idea that made her grin in that terrifyingly devious way Ryuuji knew all too well. "I'll beat you home and lock you out so you can explain to your mom why you're sleeping on the porch!"

Ryuuji laughed, knowing full well Taiga didn't scare him anymore. "Oh, is that a challenge?"

"You bet it is!" Taiga shouted, already starting to jog ahead.

"You're on!" Ryuuji yelled back, taking off after her, both of them racing through the streets like kids. Taiga's indignant shouts filled the air as Ryuuji teased her, trying to get ahead.

"Hurry up, dog!" Taiga called out over her shoulder. "You're slow!"

Ryuuji grinned, pushing himself to catch up. "I'm saving my energy for the final stretch! Don't worry, you'll lose soon enough."

But before Ryuuji could make his final sprint, Taiga did something unexpected—she stopped in her tracks, turning around and pretending to wind up a punch.

"Don't you dare!" Ryuuji yelled, instantly stopping and turning the other way. "I'm going! I'm going!" He took off in the opposite direction, feigning terror.

Taiga burst out laughing again, watching him retreat before continuing at her own pace, her shoulders relaxed, feeling lighter than she had in a while.

As she neared Ryuuji's house, Taiga slowed down, her mind wandering to thoughts of seeing his mom again, feeling that strange sense of warmth that always came with being around his family. "It's almost like I have a second home," she thought, her expression softening.

But before she could get lost in those feelings, she heard footsteps approaching from behind.

"Taiga."

She froze at the familiar voice. Turning around, she saw Minori standing there, her usual bright expression tinged with something more serious. It had been a while since they had spoken one to one, and their last conversation before Taiga had left, hadn't exactly ended well.

"Minori..." Taiga muttered, unsure of what to say.

Minori walked up to her, her gaze steady but soft. "I've been thinking a lot... about what happened between us."

Taiga's chest tightened. The last time they had really talked, it had been about Ryuuji—and Minori's decision to step aside for Taiga. There had been a lot of hurt, a lot of unspoken emotions that lingered in the air between them ever since.

Minori smiled, but it was a sad smile. "You've always been so strong, Taiga. But I never got to tell you how much that hurt me, y'know?"

Taiga looked down, guilt creeping up inside her. "I didn't mean to—"

"I know," Minori interrupted, her tone gentle. "I get it now. We were all tangled up in things we didn't understand. But, Taiga..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I just want to make sure you're happy. That's all that matters to me. So, are you?"

Taiga blinked, surprised by the direct question. Was she happy? Her mind flashed back to the evening she'd just spent with Ryuuji—the laughter, the teasing, the way they'd been so comfortable with each other.

She looked up at Minori and nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah. I think I am."

Minori's expression brightened, her usual energy returning as she punched the air lightly. "Good! Because if you ever mess this up, I'm coming for you!" She winked, her usual playful tone back in full force.

Taiga chuckled, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. "You're on, Minori."

As Minori waved goodbye and walked off, Taiga stood there for a moment, watching her friend go. Things were far from perfect, but it was a start. She turned back toward Ryuuji's house, a warm feeling settling in her chest as she realized—despite everything, maybe things were starting to look up after all.

As Minori waved goodbye and walked off, Taiga stood there for a moment, watching her friend go. Things were far from perfect, but it was a start. She turned back toward Ryuuji's apartment, a warm feeling settling in her chest as she realized—despite everything, maybe things were starting to look up after all.

But as she approached the building, something felt off.

The apartment was dark—too dark. The soft glow that usually filtered through the curtains from Yasuko's late-night TV shows was missing. It wasn't like them to leave the apartment completely dark, especially if Ryuuji had beaten her home like he said he would. 

Taiga frowned, her heart beginning to pick up pace. She hurried up the steps, her footsteps barely audible in the still night. When she reached the door, she knocked softly, expecting Ryuuji to answer or to hear Yasuko bustling around inside. 

Nothing. Silence.

She knocked again, harder this time, her voice edged with concern. "Ryuuji? Yasuko-san?" Her words were swallowed by the heavy quiet, the only sound being the faint rustle of the wind. Taiga's fingers curled into a fist as she banged on the door once more, worry creeping into her chest.

Still, no answer.

She pressed her ear against the door, listening for any sign of life inside, but it was as if the apartment had been abandoned. The silence hung thick, unnatural, like the place had been left behind. Her mind raced. "Did something happen?" she whispered, her pulse quickening.

Then, just as she was about to knock one last time, she felt it—something wrapping around her from behind.

Two strong arms abruptly slid around her arms and body, her arms restrained to her sides. The unexpected touch made her let out a small fearful gasp.