i o u. -ishimondo story

chapter four • rookie's first car chase

Kiyotaka's POV

I held my tray and walked over to sit with Chihiro and Taichi. Half of the workers here were on break now, and since my father was busy, Chihiro invited me to go with them.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to eat with you guys? I don't want to get in the way-"

"Relax, Taka." Chihiro sighed. "We're friends, I'm serious, we don't mind!"

Taichi nodded in confirmation. "Feel free to eat with us anytime, Officer Ishimaru is usually quite busy."

Chihiro moved over a bit to make room for me to sit next to them. I put down my tray of rice and sit down.

"So," Taichi began, "How's school going, Kiyotaka?"

"It's quite well! I've been assisting younger students in tutoring for exams. So far all of them have passed the quizzes I have given them, so I'd say they're prepared!"

Taichi seemed interested. "Oh yeah? What're you tutoring them on?"

I paused a second to recall it all. "Anywhere from mathematics to assistance in P.E. I also monitor the halls in the morning."

"That's where I saw you!" Chihiro jumped from their seat a little. "In the hallways! I think you monitor them at a different time theme when my classes are though." They frowned slightly.

"No need to worry about it, we can see each other during lunch then! We're...still eating lunch together, right?"

Chihiro playfully pushed my arm. "Of course! We can hang out after school too, as long as you're done tutoring and I don't have training."

Training?

"Training for what?" I asked.

They rubbed their arms softly. "Work-out training. I'm trying to get stronger so I found a few people to help me out! A few of them have been busy lately but next week Nekomaru should be free."

"Oh!" I shouted, bit louder than needed I'd guess. "I know Nidai, I tutored him a couple months back. Who else trains you?"

Chihiro counted them out on their fingers. "Let's see, there's Nekomaru, Sakura, Akane, Tenko, though I don't think she likes me too much. And there's Mondo! Sakura referred me to him when her and the others were busy."

"I tutored Owari last week so that may have been where she was. As for Chabashira...she doesn't want my help. And you said Owada?"

They nodded. "You know him?"

'Know' is a bit of an understatement, is what I wanted to say but I kept the thought to myself.

"I've met him once...twice, several times."

Taichi had a concerned look. "Doesn't sound like they were friendly."

I shook my head. "No-no, it's not that."

Okay, actually...

"Well, I won't say he's exactly friendly." I continued. "He's in detention every other day for getting into fights or being so late to class and school overall."