Nishinoya Yuu was an optimistic person. Then again, keyword: was. Now he's a realistic one, and he doesn't even know what to think with what he heard just fifteen minutes ago.

"Stage II, Nishinoya-san. We're so sorry."

Yuu left the room in despair. Or, almost. In fact, he felt just a bit comforted when he saw Kenma Kozume, his superior, waiting in front of the door.

Not just a superior. Kenma is the leader of their family. The one who made sure everyone is alright. Strict yet gentle, and not mentioning his patience. Yuu truly respects him, and that's why he also trusts him.

"It's done?"

Yuu nodded, and gave Kenma a polite smile, before the two of them made their way towards the parking lot. They entered the car, and as Kenma began to drive, Yuu couldn't help but to sniffle.

"What did they say?"

"It only got worse."

"... You'll be alright. I believe in you," Kemma reassured.

"Thanks..."

It was silent for a while, the only sound could be heard was Yuu's slightly raspy breathing as he leaned his head on the window, watching as tiny drops of rain began to fall.

"Please don't stop me from going with you all," he whispered.

"As long as you don't push yourself. You sure you want to move?"

"Yeah... I prefer living alone rather than burdening them more. Besides, the Bungalow's not a bad place. It's nostalgic, so I won't mind," Yuu explained, as he coughed a little.

Kenma let out a soft sigh, "You're not alone. Hajime moved there, too."

"Eh? But why?"

"Busted by Oikawa. He had to leave, or else it will be more complicated."

"I see..."

"Is it okay if I tell someone else about this? Just for precaution, so someone could take care of you."

"... Just Hajime-san and Keiji-san. Don't tell anyone else, especially Ryu."

"I promise."

"Thank you, Kenma-san."

Kenma nodded, as he stopped in front of a tall, abandoned building. It looked like an office or a department building, but in fact, it was empty and mostly unused. After a mass murder inside it years ago, no one used it and the owner sold it to the gang.

"Still as haunted as ever," Yuu commented, trying his best to look a bit happier, as he let out a small chuckle, "Gonna have to get used to it."

"It's creepy from here, but once you get inside, you'll feel at home," Kenma replied, before he drove inside, into the indoor parking lot, "We never have meetings here anymore, but Keiji use this place to store our weapons. I did my researches here, too."

"With the White Crows watching us, maybe this place will be our official hideout again?"

"Most probably," Kenma stopped the car, turning off the engine and walked out.

"But I plan to trap them here."

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Kuroo walked out of his office with a small huff, as he loosened his tie slightly. The rain had stopped recently, and the cold air somehow calmed him down. It was a tiring day, and he was grateful it wasn't for nothing.

They already found one of the members. Iwaizumi Hajime, used to be a fireman, lived in an apartment with Oikawa Tooru. Kuroo already investigated his old home, but he never expect what he faced.

Slums. Iwaizumi was born and raised in the corner of the town, inside the dark, dirty slums.

Now the strange thing is, Aoba Johsai is expensive. Only the rich could go there. So how is it possible that Iwaizumi went there? Where did he get the money? From the gang? If it's the fact, then what did the gang do to have that much of a budget?

Kuroo was so lost in thought, that he didn't realize how he had bumped into a stranger. A young man with a small figure, wearing a raincoat, jeans and sport shoes.

The next thing that he noticed was the blue PSP in the puddle of water on the ground.

The stranger slowly raised his head, and Kuroo's breath hitched. A pair of sharp, hazel eyes were glaring at him, and to say that he was shocked was understatement.

Kuroo felt threatened.

And to say that he was a leader of a special force in the military, this one is definitely rare.

"Sorry!" he exckaimed, as he picked up the PSP, "Is it broken?"

The stranger, ever so rudely, snatched his PSP and began to click on he buttons, but the device didn't respond. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, and growled slightly, "Yes."

Kuroo flinched at the harsh tone.

"A-Ah, I'm really sorry. W-What can I do?" Kuroo took a deep breath to calm himself down, "How about I treat you something? We can find a café and it will be on me. I can also try to fix it."

"...That will do."

Kuroo sighed in relief, "My name is Kuroo Tetsurou. You can call me Kuroo."

"Kozume."

Soon, Kuroo found himself following Kozume's silent steps through the town. They entered a small café and sat inside, and he found the stranger quite... particular.

"Apple pie," is what he ordered. Most people would choose cake or just coffee at this hour, so it was a pretty strange choice.

While Kozume ate his dessert, Kuroo tried to fix the blue device out of guilt.

"Do you work in a service center or something?" Kozume asked. Kuroo chuckled slightly, shaking his head as he used his pocket knife to loosen another screw.

"No. It's just that I think I used to fix something like this for a friend."

"You think?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Kuroo admitted, "When I was young, I used to have a close friend. We were separated for years, and well, I don't remember much about him anymore."

"That was so unfortunate. But it sounds interesting, if you don't mind telling me more?"

"It's alright," Kuroo could hear the sound of rustling fabric, and he supposed Kozume was taking off his soaked raincoat, "I remember him being a shy kid. He looked small and weak, but in truth he's so smart. And his eyes were just-... I've never met anyone with his eyes. Golden, sharp, and always analyzing his surroundings. He was special."

"Do you remember his name?"

"...No. But I know he had the same initial like me, and so was my nickname for him," Kuroo muttered, "By the way Kozume-san, have you ever heard about The Golden Cats?" he tried to change the topic.

"I have."

"What do you think about it?" he asked, tightening the few last screws of the small device.

Kozume shrugged, grinning mockingly, but Kuroo didn't notice the gesture, as he was too focused on the broken PSP in front of him, "I'm not bothered with their existence, to say at least. Why do you want to know, Tetsu-chan?"

Kuroo froze at the nickname. He didn't want to look up, as he couldn't believe his hearing, but he knew he had too.

Kuroo raised his head, and he almost choked on his own spit.

The man in front of him had a smirk on his face, a pair of golden eyes were staring into his soul as if searching for his weakness. While his expression showed malice, his outfit told Kuroo to chase him.

Black jacket with a pair of golden cat ears on the hood, The Golden Cats' symbol printed at the top left, while on the right side was a large number '1'. There was a black handkerchief tied around his neck, and some strands of golden hair could be seen peeking from behind the black fabric.

"... Neko..." Kuroo whispered out of shock. Kozume grinned even wider, snatching his PSP from the table and stood up.

"Thanks for repairing this, Tetsu-chan. Next time, watch your step. I'll be leaving now."

He calmly began to make his way out of the café, and luckily for Kuroo, he soon was snapped out of his daze, and quickly rushed towards the smaller man, chasing him through the alleyways.

"There won't be next time, Neko! I'll get you!"

All that Kuroo could hear, was the echo of Neko's laughter.

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