T.A series volume 1: The Extinction Heist

Chapter 17 - A nest of Hornets

When most kids head to Haido mall, they wouldn't think shady crap happens.

That was going through Shinichi's mind, as he and Ranran happen to be at a restaurant with drinks on their table in a mall, where patrons are about doing their thing, some carrying heavy bags of shop goods, some kids and teenagers hanging out at the bench, along with the music playing in the background. It was a lively atmosphere.

Well, not for Ranran to say the least.

Ranran is sitting opposite Shinichi in silence, stirring her drink while he sips his, observing their target. A little boy in their sight, the one whom they know as 'Watanabe Botan', is passing out flyers where some shoppers ignored him, while some take it as he made sure his bag is beneath his leg. From an outsider's perspective, he seems to be a hard worker.

But the Kudo children know otherwise. Staring at the bag, Shinichi knew that bag is worth 100,000 yen, something that the Watanabe family can never afford."What was the reason behind the feud?"

"Eh?"

He turned back to Ranran's unexpected question, she is still staring at Botan."Between you and Ran."

Silence."W-why do you ask?"

"I had to deal with your fangirls this morning. If I am going to take you in as my apprentice, I need to know what I am up against since you telling them off, not to mention, the public humiliation you did to her did little for them to go after me."

"Right..." Shinichi paused then took a deep breath."We argued.....because I confronted him for tempering with my soccer practice schedule. "

"Ok."She places both her hands in her skirt, no longer toying with her drink.

"He has been making up lies about the stuff going around in soccer club. When I found evidence......he twisted the truth to such an extent...Ran didn't believe me."

Ranran didn't give him a look of sympathy as she scrutinised his expression, detecting no lie, before she said,"......must have been rough."

"It got worst."He ponders his situation, "When Okasan noticed I wasn't hanging out with them anymore.....she started to set me up with other play dates."

"Wait, she is still doing that?"Ranran turned to him, a little taken aback by the situation. As far as she had known the family, before moving here, Yukiko tend to do that for Shinichi since the age of 3. So far, he hadn't made a single friend through those playdates for some reason according to the grandparents. Though Ranran thinks his personality is enough of a red flag for those kids.

"Still is. All these years."

"Can't you just tell her no?"Ranran doesn't get Shinichi, he just needed to say 'no' to get on with life, that is how Ranran has been living. How hard can it be?

"Ranran, if you even know how my life was before you came, you would say otherwise." Shinichi hissed with a dark glare.

Ranran smirked while lifting an amused eyebrow, "Karma does exist in mysterious ways, huh...." as she wonders, "now I see why Ran has a hard time believing you, as well as the entire soccer club."

Shinichi huffed in irritation as he scowls at her.

"Look, I'm not trying to point out your flaws, Kudo, but it seems like you keep getting pushed around in all forms, letting others take over control over your life, you barely did a thing to take control of the situation and tell them off."

"You speak as if you been in that position before?"

"I know someone who used to live the way you did."