"You know… one of these days you'll grow out of doing that." Aoko twitched, her eyes on her friends hands as they reached for her skirt. Thankfully, the sentence made him stop and look up at her with all too innocent eyes.
"I'll only grow out of it once you allow me to do it in private versus public." He smirked, flipping the navy skirt to see the white lace she was wearing. As could be predicted Aoko stood still for several moments, her face growing red as she thought about what Kaito said, and what he had just done.
"Kuroba Kaito! You pervert!" She yelled angrily, nabbing a mop from who knows where and trying to squash the thief with it. Kaito immediately ducked and moved out of harms way as she raised the weapon again and made to smash him.
"Come one Aoko, it was just a joke." Kaito offered, rushing to the other end of the classroom, the furious mop wielder right on his heels
"That was perverted!" She countered with ease, holding the mop up to him as he attached himself to the ceiling and stuck his tongue out at her.
"It's normal." He spat back. "I'm boy."
"Even then there are somethings you shouldn't tell a girl." Kaito blinked, suddenly seeing her in a whole new light.
"You're a girl?"
Despite what she could have said as come back she didn't even try just threw the mop like a javelin and stormed out. The mop hit him hard in the stomach and he fell to the ground.
"At least… she missed her only chance." Kaito stood up slowly. Thankfully only a small minimum amount of damage was done. He heard the door opening and moved to his seat, grumbling in pain at the injury he'd sustained from a mop being thrown at him.
The newcomer looked around the room carefully and noted the mop on the floor, next he noted the cringing and grumbling Kuroba Kaito and lack of one Nakamori Aoko.
"Did you hurt her feelings?" Hakuba asked, sliding into his usual seat behind Aoko's desk. Kaito rolled his eyes.
"No, but she hurt me." He exclaimed, making himself sound like the victim. Saguru rolled his eyes in return and glanced at the board to get the day's assignment.
A few minutes before the bell rang Keiko and Aoko stepped into the room. Keiko slid into the seat Aoko usually sat in and Aoko slid into Keiko's.
Kaito blinked and twisted around to face Aoko as she was now behind him.
"I'm not talking to you." She answered the unasked question. Kaito sighed and turned back around.
Hakuba glanced at Aoko, he could practically see her anger and decided it was better not to ask. He pulled out his own notebook and jotted down a few notes.
The teacher stepped in and blinked as all her students were quiet, Kuroba and Nakamori included. She looked at the mop on the floor and shook her head, figuring out what must have happened.
"Good morning class!" She announced cheerily. The class echoed back the sentiment in dull tones.
"As you all know, our class project and trip is coming up in just a few weeks!" She went on, cheeriness undisturbed. "This trip will be a boating trip! You will pair in groups of two, boys and girls together, please, and we will have a scavenger hunt."
"….Is it just me… or is our teacher trying to force everyone to walk in a straight line?" Keiko whispered to Kaito as the teacher went on about the trip. Kaito blinked, he hadn't thought of that. Of course Keiko would, she was into yaoi and shounen ai.
"I… now that you mention it… it does seem like that…" he said thoughtfully, thinking back to the ski trip. Only pairs were allowed and they had to have been boy and girl.
"Wow. I can't believe I didn't realize how stupid this teacher is…"
"Honto!" Keiko agreed.
"Pairing boys with girls is just asking for trouble." Keiko blinked, thinking about it and reaized. 'oh my God, he's right.'
"Sensei!" One girl raised her hand. "Can we pick our own pairs?" She glanced back at Hakuba who jumped slightly and looked down, pretending he hadn't noticed, causing Aoko to giggle.
"No…" The teacher shook her head. "Unfortunately, there's an odd number of students so I had to have one group of three." She pulled the list out of her desk drawer and cleared her throat.
"Hakuba Saguru, Kuroba Kaito, and Nakamori Aoko will be our group of three. If only to keep Nakamori-san from killing Kuroba-kun." She shook head, a little less cheerful before perking up again and reading off the groups.
"What?" Kaito sat up. He didn't mind being paired with Aoko, in fact, he would have asked her anyway, he did not want Hakuba in the group. Lousy detective would ruin everything.
"Wot!?" Hakuba slipped in English. He didn't mind being paired with Aoko, in fact, he would have asked her anyway, he did not want Kuroba in the group. Lousy thief would ruin every thing.
Aoko sighed. Sure Hakuba could keep her from killing Kaito, but she wouldn't be able to stop Hakuba from doing it for her. The teacher really hadn't thought this through.
"You are all to be here tomorrow at six a.m." The teacher was saying. "meet with your pair by the flag pole, this it who you'll be sitting with on the bus.
"Ano… what about rooming?"
"Obviously, same genders will be staying in rooms together."
"Well… at least she got that part right, or else the whole school would wind up punished.." Kaito muttered, Keiko nodded.
"Punished?" Hakuba blinked. Aoko blushed hard and wrote it down on a piece of paper. Hakuba read it over and felt his face heat up.
"I-I see…" he handed the paper back. "Well, I assure you, you needn't worry about it, I would never and should Kuroba even entertain the thought, I will stop him."
"….I never said I was worried about that." Aoko blinked and then turned back to listen to the rest of the teacher's lecture.
"Now! Since you all have some packing to do, I suggest you go home and use the time wisely, no other classes are being held for juniors today."
"Now that's good news." Kaito said happily, leaning back in his seat. Hakuba glanced at Aoko, she was fast at work on something, and let out a small sigh. It was a step in the right direction, at least.
-
Hakuba arrived a little early, as he usually did, and awaited his group at the flagpole, thinking about how much of a disaster this could turn out to be.
He looked up as he heard Kaito and Aoko approaching, or just as they were approaching, neither were saying a word to each other, which was strange.
Good morning Hakuba-kun!" Aoko said cheerily as she joined him by the flagpole. Hakuba smiled back, nodding in greeting.
"Morning Aoko-kun."
"Oh sure, you'll talk to him!" Kaito interrupted what could have been a pleasant conversation.
"He didn't say anything mean to me!" Aoko stuck her tongue out.
"No, no I didn't, I don't think there is a mean word I can say about Aoko-kun." Saguru glanced at her, causing a bright red blush to erupt from her cheek.
"See how nice he is!?" Aoko turned to Kaito.
"He's not being nice, he's flirting." The thief looked at Hakuba a minute and then back to Aoko. Saguru rolled his eyes.
"Regardless of that, he's still being nice." She stuck her tongue out again.
"Kuroba-kun? Could you please stop instigating Aoko-kun?" Hakuba requested, keeping his annoyance in check.
"She's the one not talking to me."
"Like I said-"
"Oh thank God, the bus is here." Hakuba stood up and moved to get his bag, blinking as all the other students showed up at about the same time as the bus.
"I don't know what you're excited for, We have to sit together."
"…I will take the window seat and Aoko-kun can sit in the middle."
"Maybe I want the window seat!" Kaito objected.
"Then you can have the window seat, I'll take the aisle."
"Fine."
"….what if there isn't enough room from me to sit in the middle?" Aoko voiced. Kaito thought about it for several seconds.
"Easy, you'll just sit in my lap."
"No!" Aoko denied, blushing again. Kaito shrugged it off like it was nothing and headed for the bus.
"I doubt it comes to that, but you'd have to sit in someone's lap." Aoko fumed silently and muttered something about it being safer to sit in Hakuba's lap, which he heard, and blushed hard.
Luckily the bus seats were big enough for Aoko to sit in the middle and Hakuba sighed in relief. He didn't want to have to explain THAT.
The bus trip wasn't so bad, Aoko and Kaito bickered back and forth, but that really couldn't be helped. They all decided on boat numbers while on the bus and given a map and list of things on the scavenger hunt as they got off.
The teacher gave them instructions to be back at the docks before dark, and at the hotel rooms by ten, on that note she left them to the boats.
"…Doesn't seem irresponsible to leave a bunch of teenagers alone with a boat?"
"We do this every year before summer break, this is actually the first year we don't have to go with an adult." Kaito grinned, helping Aoko in as the boat's attendant stepped out.
"Well, I have to warn you three, the boat was acting up a bit earlier, so if run into problems use this to contact someone." She indicated to the radio. "And we'll send someone to find you." She was pretty, blue eyes and rose-red lips. Her hair was a light brown and slightly styled. For some reason, she looked familiar, but Kaito couldn't quite place her.
"Are you sure it's safe to take then?" Aoko voiced her concerns.
"Of course, and like I said, any problems and you can use the radio." She gently helped the girl into the boat, passing her to Hakuba who soon after sat down.
The lady offered a kind smile and started the boat up for them.
-
"We've been going in the same direction for awhile now, I think it's time to change directions." Aoko told Kaito, who was in charge of the motor on the boat.
"Sorry, this is what the map says." He stated holding it up. Aoko snatched it up and glanced at it.
"Kaito you idiot! We were supposed to go east about twenty leagues ago!" She threw the map at him. "Turn around!" She dived for the motor to fight him off.
"You can't just-Oi!" He watched as the map caught the wind and flew out to sea. "Good going Aoko." He glared and then forced her away from the motor and into Hakuba.
"W-wot?" Hakuba stammered as she fell on his lap, causing the boat to rock. "Careful!" He snapped, helping Aoko back to the other side.
Kaito rolled his eyes and resumed his job.
"We have to turn!" Aoko said angrily, shoving Kaito, nearly pushing him off the boat.
"Stop it woman!" Kaito snapped, shoving her away again.
"Guys…" Hakuba started.
"You are so stupid! We're gonna get lost all because you couldn't read a map!" Aoko shouted at the thief.
"You're the stupid one! Trying to commit mutiny! I know what I'm doing, so shut up and just relax."
"I'm not stupid Kaito!"
"Could have fooled me." He retorted, not noticing the boat was speeding up.
"Guys.."
"I bet we're miles off course!" Aoko shouted. "you're gonna get us all lost! I vote someone else takes over the-"
"GUYS!"
"WHAT!?" Kaito and Aoko turned to face the detective.
"Turn the damn ship around or break, we're about to crash!" Saguru dove for the breaks but was horrified to see they were broken.
"The break's not working!" They were fast approaching a large rock, speeding towards it. Hakuba grit his teeth, it was over, it was all over. He was going to die because Aoko and Kaito couldn't just get along.
"It won't steer!" Kaito announced pushing the lever. Hakuba grit his teeth and kicked the motor hard with both feet as he sat down to shove it off, Kaito joined him and with a combined effort both got it off, watching as it sunk down. Aoko stood, heart pounding as she noticed they had gotten it off just in time.
The two boys were quiet awhile, just breathing. Aoko watched them and then turned to the radio.
"…Should we call and tell them we need to be picked up?" He pulled the transceiver up to her mouth.
"Yeah, might as well, I don't think we're getting that motor back." Kaito shrugged, resting.
"H-hello?" Aoko asked hesitantly. Kaito laid there, thinking about the lady and where he'd seen her before. She looked so familiar! And what had she been doing before giving the boat to them? Messing with something beneath the seats. She was so familiar! He remembered names and faces, why wasn't he remembering her?
…maybe he hadn't seen her, merely heard her. He paused. Who all's voices had he heard?
"Yes, the motor, something went wrong and we nearly crashed. No, everyone's fine…" Aoko was chatting with who ever. Something was a miss. Something was wrong and he could feel it. But what was it? Where had he seen or heard her voice? At a heist?
"In five minutes?" Aoko blinked. "But, I'm not even sure where we are. I think we're more then five minutes from shore, we went straight the whole time…"
Heist… someone he'd heard but hadn't seen. But he'd definitely taken note of. Rose colored lips… Rose colored socks… Rose… ROSE!
"Aoko! Hang up! Get off the boat!" Kaito suddenly sat up, looking serious. Hakuba blinked, sitting up as well.
"Wot are you going on about?" He inquired, blinking at the sun as his eyes had been closed.
"Both of you! Get off!"
"S-sorry, my friend, he's having a bit of a ..fit or something."
"AOKO!" Kaito barked. "I'm not kidding! Get. Off. The. Boat."
"Kuroba-kun, chill out." Then he heard it. A soft ticking, the same sound he'd been trained as a detective to look out for, soothing if you weren't thinking about it, and nerve wracking if you took a second to think about what could make a ticking noise that sounded like a digital timer.
He gulped and glanced over at the seat he'd been sitting on, not that he could see under it, he noticed a bomb innocently counting down from three minutes and forty-five seconds. "Oh…" He paled and stood up. "A-Aoko-kun… I think Kuroba-kun is right… We should abandon ship."
"Gimme that." Kaito snatched the transceiver from Aoko. "Fuck you!" He turned to his friends and tackled them around the middle, forcing them into the water.
"W-what's going on?" Aoko blinked, after the three resurfaced for two seconds.
"Swim!" Kaito urged, grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the boat.
"Kuroba, we can't get that far away, dive down, it's our best bet." Hakuba explained, swimming after them.
"Right." He took a breath and hoped Aoko had too as he pulled her down, swimming in a downward slant as far down and away from the boat as he could.
Eventually, They all needed air again and had to risk the surface. All at once they came up from under the water and took several breaths. Kaito glanced over to where the boat had been and saw a smoldering piece of plastic or whatever it was made with. Was that what was left of the boat? He wondered as flames danced on the remains.
"W-was…" Aoko stared at it as well, something clicking into place in her head. "Was there a-a bomb… on the boat?"
"I think so." Kaito nodded solemnly as he treaded in the water.
"S-sou ka…" she felt sort of dizzy and felt Hakuba come up behind her, holding her up so she could freely faint on his shoulder.
"Good news is, there's an island just over there." He pointed to it. Kaito sighed.
"Let me guess. The bad news is that it's not marked on any maps?"
"You guessed it." Hakuba nodded and then glanced at the island they were going to have to call home for awhile, at least. "Help me get her to shore."
Kaito took one last glance at the –used to be- boat and nodded, treading over to Hakuba and the unconscious Aoko.