Burning Ice (A Haikyuu AU)

32. Plan

(3rd Person Pov)

"So... do you have a plan? Or have you only thought ahead to when I get kidnapped?"

"Shut your mouth." Cassy very nearly sighed. "Can you take him down to the basement?"

"Watch the steps." Kuroo warned. 

"Awfully nice, aren't you?" Kenjiro said, and started down the stairs with ease, his fingers brushing against the wall. They had trained like this back in his recruit days, because Suga was relentless on them being able to fight without sight.

"Shirabu, just stay quiet and we can all be friends." Cassy called.

"That's rich coming from you." He called back. "With me blindfolded and all."

"I can see how he's going to be a problem." She said, quietly. "I was hoping to get his sister." She spared a glance at Atsumu. "Tsumu, we won't hurt him."

"I know." Was all he said, before he pushed past her and set off down the stairs as well.

"Oh. Okay then." Bokuto said cheerfully, also skipping down the stairs. "Come on. Samu promised to make soup."

"Right." Cassy reached towards her phone, but thought better of it. Don't feel guilty. She would do the same. 

No she wouldn't. Remember how she warned you about the police station fiasco?

So much for not feeling guilty.

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After Kuroo had left him in the brightly-lit basement, Kenjiro finally got to take his blindfold off. It was red (of course it was red) and made of a velvety fabric that was smooth to the touch.

Interesting. Where did they get such high-quality fabric?

His brief time in silence was interrupted by the sound of a key being turned and the door opening. Ombre hair greeted him, before the boy did. 

"Hey." Semi grinned, letting himself in with a careful precision like he expected Kenjiro to attack him. "Would you like tomato soup?"

He offered the bowl in his hands, which Kenjiro mildly contemplated throwing in his face. Meh. Too risky. He stayed in his place in his corner, sitting with his knees drawn up.

"No?" Semi shrugged and sat down too, back to the door and cross-legged. "You should have it before it gets cold."

Eat before it gets cold, Kenji-kun. Vio's doing much better than you! Kenjiro blinked at the sudden recall of Maika's voice. It seemed like years ago since their visit to the orphanage, and looking at Hana's room.

Wait, this could be useful.

"Do you know a girl called Hana..." He searched his mind for her last name. "Hana Fujito?"

Semi leaned back. "Why?"

"Do you?"

"Let's say I do." He paused, and clasped his hands together. "Why would you want to know about Hana?"

"Do I have to tell you?"

"It'll be an exchange of information."

"She's ---" Kenjiro wondered how best to phrase it. "She's someone I knew."

"Obviously." Semi said.

"She was at my orphanage."

"Oh." The grey-haired boy blinked. "Well, in answer to your question, I do know a girl called Hana."

"Is she alright?"

"That, I can't tell you." He stood up again and picked up the bowl, placing it closer to Kenjiro but still a safe distance from him. Semi pulled out a spoon from his pocket. "You should really have the soup before it gets too cold."

With that, he was gone again.

Kenjiro eyed the soup with distrust. It looked fine. He picked up the spoon cautiously and took a small sip.

Tasted fine too, which should mean that everything was all good --- unless it's rohypnol, in which case he was a goner already. He just wanted to trust Semi Eita, even if he gave him no reason to.

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"He asked about Hana." Semi reported, the small, curled up figure haunting his mind. 

"That Hana? Hana Fujito?" Daichi asked, twirling his soup spoon. "Why?"

"He didn't say." Semi didn't hesitate with the lie, though he probably should have told the truth. But the information seemed too personal to disclose.

"Okay. Think they're onto us?" Iwaizumi asked, scooping himself his third helping of soup. 

Semi shrugged. "He's not very cooperative."

"As expected." Cassy sighed, rocking back onto the back legs of her chair, swinging back and forth drunkenly.

Silence descended, soft like the first rays of moonlight, shining through the 'basement'.

This was not a basement.

Kenjiro traced his fingers along the metal bars in front of the window. Very dusty. Hasn't been used for a very long time. He tested the strength of the bars. Probably not breakable with a metal spoon.

A basement doesn't have moonlight shining down into it. But he distinctly remember going down, meaning this is underground... but not. 

His eyes widened with realisation.

It's a hill. And what's the only hill in Flames territory? Sunflower Hill, knowing for being wild and uncontrolled, with hundreds upon thousands of sunflowers blooming during the last days of Summer. The hill where he lost ---

"Thinking about escape so early?" Deep in his thoughts, Kenjiro didn't hear the creak of the door. Semi Eita stood, leaning against the doorframe, looking more relaxed than he was last time. "Most people would at least sleep."

"While you have the key to the door?" Kenjiro snorted. "Not a chance."

"Ouch, that's hurtful." Semi grinned, making his sharp and defined features softer somehow; he looked younger. How old was he? Shirabu wondered. 

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"You'd like to know more about Hana, I'd like to know more about Matthew Carter. We can both gain from this." Semi sighed, and flicked his hair out of his eyes. Very classy, very bad-boyish, and Kenjiro was not staring. "Well, shall we start?"