Operation Baked Beans

10:45 AM. The sky was cloudy, but Hitoshi’s face was darker than his. Because Sena had just dragged him on a “spy supply run” so early in the morning. Where? Of course… a convenience store! “We need to hide for this plan!” Sena said, putting on a pair of huge sunglasses. They were so big they covered half his face. Hitoshi still couldn’t make sense of it. “Why did we put eggs, duct tape, and… lemon juice in the shopping cart?” Sena whispered, “Because if things go wrong, I’ll squeeze the lemon juice in your eyes. We’ll go blind and run.” Hitoshi rolled his eyes. “Why are you messing with me? I felt like you were going to squeeze a lemon on me.” “Your instincts are so sharp,” Sena said seriously. Once the shopping was over, Sena’s plan was put into action. They would infiltrate the library where Kuro worked. Yes, Kuro was a librarian now. Silent, invisible, yet also menacing. At least, according to Sena. When they entered the library, Sena put on her large glasses and took a file folder with her. “I’m disguised as a researcher. You’re the silent bodyguard,” she said. Hitoshi raised his eyebrows. “I’m always quiet. This time, it’s not cool; it’s because of library rules.” Everything seemed normal when they stepped inside. That was until Sena suddenly leaned out from behind the bookshelves and whispered to Hitoshi, “It’s there! On the other side of the shelf! I recognize the patch on your jacket! That’s a Code: K signal!” “Code: K? Did you make that up, too?” Before Sena could reply, a sound came from the other side of the shelf. Falling books. Then rapid footsteps. “Go after him!” Sena shouted. “This is the library!” Hitoshi said. “No running!” But of course, they both broke the rules. They followed Kuro, jumping between the shelves and over the books. Kuro threw back a thick encyclopedia as he fled. Hitoshi ducked at the last moment. “Are you trying to beat me with encyclopedic knowledge?!” As Sena stumbled after him, she pulled something out of her bag: duct tape. “Catch me! I’ll wrap it around your feet!” “This isn’t a ninja technique, it’s stationery terror!” Kuro finally darted out the back exit. Just as Hitoshi was about to catch him, his foot tripped over a box—packets of baked beans spilled out of it. “What’s this?! It’s like a supermarket raid, not a library!” Kuro scooted away. Sena came to Hitoshi as he was on the ground and breathlessly said, “The plan… went a little… but at least we learned this: If Kuro’s still running, it means he’s scared of us!” Hitoshi looked up. He had beans on his face. “Or could he be running because he’s ashamed of us?” Sena laughed. “That’s a possibility too.” On the way home that day, Hitoshi was still pulling beans out of his coat. “Look,” Sena said. “We’ll try again tomorrow. But smarter this time!” "Smarter? I wonder how you can come up with a 'smarter' plan with lemon, duct tape, and beans." Sena smiled. "We'll add chickpeas tomorrow. More strategic." Hitoshi shook his head but laughed lightly. Maybe the plans were going badly, but at least he was feeling something his life hadn't had for a long time: True friendship. And laughter.

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