She couldn't evade a grief grimace. The bullet just scratched her, but her shoulder seemed on fire. She couldn't keep up for long. She needed to near the man and make him harmless, yet that was easier said than done.
She saw him drop the loader; she wouldn't have another chance.
She sprang towards him as fast a san hurt girl could, sadly it wasn't enough. When she'd reached him, ready to hit, the man had already reloaded. He was aiming straight at her forehead.
"Game over", she thought disheartened.
All happened in an instant.
She caught a white flash, then the gun flew far away from her opponent, who couldn't keep a curse. She reacted fast enough to knock him down with a well dealt kick. She sat on him to stop his movements and looked around to find her mysterious saver.
She couldn't find anyone, but a little object not very far from her.
A playing card, white with a rose printed on.
«What's in your thoughts, my lady?»
Hearing Kaito's now almost too familiar voice, Masumi shook up. She'd gone back, again, to her second meeting with the thief. He'd saved her life that time.
Lately it seemed like she couldn't think of anything else, maybe it was due to her almost-assassin's trial lasting more than she had expected. That made her more nervous than she'd be willing to admit.
Anyway Kaito's ego was oversized already, she definitely didn't want to expand it farther. To mask her uneasiness – irrationally, she felt caught on the spot – she started drinking the strawberry milkshake she'd ignored 'til a second before. She just whispered «Nothing» a san ansie before busying her mouth with the drinking straw.
In all answer, the ex Kaito Kid smiled with malice. «Looking at your reaction… Could it be you're rethinking about my heroical saving of your life? Again? I'm flattered, Masumi~».
Irritated for being so easily readable, Sera put the milkshake off.
«It's evident you're not a detective», she improvised. «I wasn't thinking about that at all».
«Oh, yeah?» he commented, an amused twinkle in his eyes.
Making Masumi Sera spring wasn't really hard, yet Kaito Kuroba seemed to be particularly good in doing just that.
Headstrong to not let him win, the girl made up a grin. «In all truth, I was thinking of that other time… You know, when I held you nailed to the wall until you didn't tell the real reason you took on the mantle for».
Kaito's grin cracked. «Oh, that» he just said. He didn't like thinking about it.
The guy, despite the detective girl's elbow pushing against his throat to prevent his every movement, managed somehow to send out a laugh which, though, came out pretty forced.
«Is that your way of thanking your saver? You're not very kind», he tried.
The girl grinned, resulting in her protruding tooth showing up.
«I didn't hand you over to the police yet, 'twould be better to talk while you still can».
"She looks like a vampire", Kaito thought on default. «We can come to an agreement…» he started, trying to keep his poker face.
Seriously not an easy task, when Sera made a hole in the whole right next to his face using just her fist. The guy strongly hoped the structure they were in was made of drywall.
«Let me remind you we've still gota n unsolved matter. Does Blue Mermaid thrill some memory?».
«Seeing you're so decided…» Kaito said, stoically managing to not show his uneasiness.
Maybe if he told her his story she'd close an eye about the small incident in which, some months ago, he'd stunned and stripped her in the men's bathroom.
«Nice times», Masumi sighed, with a huge smile printed on her face. She took her milkshake again.
Kaito didn't say anything, he made a newspaper appear "out of nothing" and started reading it.
While she finished her beverage, Sera found herself watching him.
Thinking about that, they'd met in a pretty weird way. She'd gone from willing to kick him to owing him her life, to help him with a few thefts…
«You, playing Kaito Kid? No offense, Sera-chan, but you wouldn't be very believable».
«Who decided that, you? Don't be so full of yourself, magician. No matter what trick you make, I can unveil it» she rebutted, confident. She stopped his hand. «Don't even dream about using the spray you hide up your sleeve to make me sleep, dear. I could switch from being good, agreeing with you on my role in this theft, to knocking you down and have it my way».
The nonchalance she said that with made Kaito shiver. «O, okay» he murmured, his eyes up to the heavens. «I don't even fully understand why you want to help. Now, first of all, you need to keep your poker face no matter what…»
…to love him. She wasn't sure how it'd happened, yet between an investigation and the other – those they made together weren't thefts but investigations on another Organization's branch, obviously – it simply happened.
She'd fallen in love with that irritating but brave and, in his own way, charming guy.
"A bit too pompous, too, at times", she thought, sensing the trick he was about to make.
Shortly after in fact from the girl's glass, empty at last, a red rose appeared.
«A rose? Really?» was her skeptic comment. «I was expecting something more… original, since it's our anniversary».
Kaito pouted (and put the newspaper away).
«What should I make to amaze you, bringing you the moon?»
«Nah, a bit more of fantasy'd be enough» she answered, laughing. She took out her wallet to pay.
«You sure there isn't anything you want? Today's on me» Masumi pressed, opening the wallet.
«Super sure» he answered. He seemed to be expecting something.
«If you're happy», she started saying, but left it on half. Poking among the small changes, she found something which shouldn't have been there.
A little metal ring… with an awesome white round gem. It reminded her of the full moon.
She glared incredulous at her boyfriend, finding his beautiful smile as confirmation it was his doing. Not that she could doubt it, anyway.
«It's really beautiful», she said. She put it on the table. «What does that mean, Kaito? You're back at robbing?» she tried to joke. «We've found Pandora already».
Always smiling, Kaito took the ring and stood up, taking her hand to have her doing the same.
Sera hadn't ever seen that glare on him before.
«I'm looking for something far more precious than Pandora this time», he said. «It'll be a good challenge, but you know me… I'm pretty confident».
«Will I have your heart, my dear detective?»