Stolen✔️||Kuroo Tetsurou|

10||INSIST

"I won't do anything with your address. It's not like I'm going to egg your house," I heard Kuroo scoff. "And if anything I should be the one that doesn't trust you."

That was the comment that impulsed me to finally shoot a glare his way. "Then stop approaching me."

"How else am I going to make sure I actually get the money you owe me?" He asked. I watched his shadow shrug, his casual demeanor made me jealous. Why could he be so carefree in this conversation while I felt nothing but panic and disturbance?

"I promise I will return your money as soon as I have it," I said.

He paused for a second, "Look at me and say that."

"Why?" The request made me nervous.

"Don't get so defensive," Kuroo's chuckle only added to my discomfort. "I just want to be able to tell if you're lying or not."

Somehow, I managed to look him in the eye, "I'm not lying. I really don't have the money."

"While you're in the honest mood," he startes, my mind began buzzing with the possible questions he could ask, "I want to know a bit more about your parents."

"Why?"

"No need to get defensive," he said again, "But you said they didn't neglect your brother, right?"

I nodded slowly, less than eager to find out where he'd going with his questions.

"That's what I thought," Kuroo hummed, "However, I recall you saying something about how they are usually busy and you have to look after him."

It shouldn't have taken me as long as it did to realize what he was implying. "When they are home they give him attention."

"But not you?" His questions continued to slap me in the face, "What, your brother is just the golden child? Your replacement?"

"Pretty much," I answered, "Once I turned seven they began missing me when I was a baby so they had my brother. Now they kind of just cling to his youth whenever they get the chance."

"But if they wanted to spend as much time with him while he's young... why do they work so much?" Kuroo questioned. "You said you didn't know what kind of jobs they had, but you got to have an idea what sort of pay they get."

"They both have to keep working in order to keep our family afloat, with some help of my job," I resisted the urge to fiddle with my fingers. I settled for putting them behind my back and hopefully out of view from Kuroo. "So to them keeping us feed and sheltered is more important than spending time with us."

"So they do neglect both of you?" He added.

"No," I took a breath, desperately trying to recall my assortment of lies before I dug myself a hole. "They are just working as hard as they can, but when they can they spend time with my brother. Other than that it's always me that looks after him."

"You mentioned you didn't know what jobs they have because they switch them so often." He waited for a nod from me as some sort of confirmation. "If they need the money why do they keep switching jobs?"

That was the line that stumped me. My stare hardened against the uneven sidewalk. That was the question, wasn't it? If they needed the money why would they keep switching? Better job available? But then why leave that? Maybe getting fired? But if your family was struggling they would be putting in a lot of effort. Laid off possibly?

"They have switched for a lot of different reasons," I began after I noticed how quiet it had gotten. "I think they switched for better pay but then got laid off a few months later. Then they both got a new job."

"So you know why they were switching jobs but not where they worked?" He began his journey of deflating all my lies. "And they... do both your parents get the same jobs or did the same thing happen to both of them around the same time?"

I closed my eyes, I didn't have an answer. He finally had asked something I could lie my way out of. Though, if he was as perceptive as he seemed then he should've realized that I had been lying this whole time.

"You've gone awfully quiet," Kuroo commented. He simply left it at that, leaving me with even less to say.

I didn't know if it was intention or not, but if it was it wouldn't be a shock. It seemed like his whole goal was to back me into a corner, surrounded by my own fibs and crimes. "I'm aware."

"Ran out of lies?" His question stopped me in my tracks. He walked a few paces forward before turning back to face me.

I kept my gaze on a weed that was growing between the panels on the sidewalk. Focusing on that was easier than focusing on the issue at hand. "I promised to give you your money back, why do you keep questioning me?" I feared that the more I revealed and the more he knew, the more likely it would be that he would call social services. Maybe then would they finally take Mrs. Suzuki's threats a little more seriously, especially in my case. I couldn't have that happen.

"I'm a curious person," was his answer. Simple and irritating.

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"But satisfaction brought it back," he finished.

My legs began moving on their own, my eyes now looked dead in front of me. I could now see I was close to Nikko's school. Children were already walking on the other side of the street which was decorated with small homes with neat lawns.

"Not if it is its last life," I stated.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Okay- another chapter! I'm kind of proud of this one.

And it never ceases to amaze how I can pole holes in lies easily but I can't see to find my own plot holes lol.

And I realized while writing this, I don't talk about their parents enough. Having someone who is supposed to take care of you walk out is horrible and it's going to have long lasting affects on both of them, especially Nikko since he's younger and can be influenced way more than Kazoku can.

Anyways thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!