For a while now, something had been bugging Kaito about his surroundings. It was only after his third sweep of the room that he realized that Ryudo's desk was empty.

Ryudo Issei, who never skipped class, went on vacation early, or even fell sick, was absent. The student council president would have attended class even if the building were on fire. Something was definitely wrong.

"Oi, Aoko. Do you know why Ryudo's out?" he asked casually.

"Eh, haven't you heard?" came the reply. "Ryudo-kun is in police custody right now and can't make it to class."

...The same person who lectured people for walking too quickly in the hallways or not showing up to class with a pencil was in police custody? "...What?"

Aoko sighed. "It's hard to believe, but they have him there because of his suspicious behavior. They think he's Kid."

Oh, that made more sense. It was all just a big misunderstanding, since Kaito knew for a fact that he was Kaitou Kid. "Eh, there's no way that stick-in-the-mud could be a criminal. They'll let him go by tomorrow."

"Father says that he's just digging himself in deeper, though." Aoko hmmphed and turned away. "Nobody should support that guy but him, so I won't be surprised if they really arrest him for it."

...That would be bad. "Do you know if they're allowing visitors?"

"They should be, why?" she asked.

Kaito smiled lopsidedly. "I was thinking of showing some class solidarity. Wanna come with?"

"No way! If he really is Kaitou Kid, I don't want to be in the same room as him!"

"Suit yourself."

When Kaito entered the police building, a handcuffed Ryudo was still protesting his innocence. "I-I'm not Kid, for the last time!" he stammered, red-faced. "I'd never be able to pull off the amazing things that he does!"

Now Kaito knew what Nakamori-keibu meant by 'digging himself in deeper'. "You know praising him just makes you sound more suspicious, right?" he asked.

Ryudo looked over at him. "Oh, Kuroba. You came to visit me? How kind of you to do so."

Kaito shrugged. "It's nothing. Now, if you really wanted to get out of here, you'd be insulting Kid left and right."

"But I could never do that!" Ryudo protested with wide eyes. "I, I do admire him greatly, and lying only brings pain upon oneself and others."

"That's a rules stickler thing to say." Kaito shouldn't have been surprised. "Well, why do you admire him so much? He's a thief, he lies and breaks rules all the time."

"But he's a good person," Ryudo answered, turning slightly more red. "Rules are in place to help keep people from becoming bad. If someone can be a good person even while breaking them, isn't that more worthy of admiration?"

Kaito sighed. "How do you know he's a good person."

"I-I just do! A monk's instinct about a person should always be right," Ryudo explained, "even if they're only in training."

It looked like he wasn't going to get out of here without outside help. Luckily, Kaito was in just the position to help. "See you at school tomorrow," he said, turning and heading for the door.

Ryudo blinked. "But I haven't been released yet-!" he called out as the door shut.

An hour later, a slip of paper wafted down from the ceiling. Nakamori caught it. "Tonight, when the moon reaches the two lovers, I will steal the Green Marble from the Ekoda Gallery. -Kaitou Kid?!" He turned to glare at Ryudo accusingly.

"A heist? B-but I'll have to miss it, how terrible..." Ryudo murmured, before realizing that the police were staring at him. "D-don't look at me, I'm not nearly talented enough to put out a note in handcuffs, let alone hold a heist!"

The heist went off without a hitch, or so Issei was told when he was released. He was just upset that this whole misunderstanding had prevented him from attending. How could he ever have been the great Kaitou Kid? It boggled the mind.

His walk home was uneventful. A few students greeted him and asked how it was being on the wrong side of the law for once. He chuckled, continuing on to the foot of the stairs that led to his temple.

"Ryudo-san."

Above him, a vision in radiance stood: a man clad in a white suit and hat, cape fluttering in the wind. Kaitou Kid.

"K-Kid," Issei breathed, aware of the heat rushing to his face. He took a few steps forward, enough to see Kid properly. "W-w-what brings you to my home?"

"I had heard that a fan of mine was so devoted that even when his own freedom was at risk, he continued to praise me. How could I not drop by?" Kid asked, smirking slightly.

"Y-you are by far too kind." Issei's blush deepened further. "Any of your admirers would do the same."

"Perhaps." Kid's expression turned curious. "I've noticed that you call me Kid, rather than Kid-sama like many of my followers do. It isn't because you admire me any less, so why?"

"Th-that's because..."

"Thank you for inviting me out," Issei says, setting down his chopsticks. "I truly enjoyed our date."

"As did I, Ryudo-san," Kid answers, smiling genuinely.

"Ah, Kid, if you wouldn't mind... you may address me as 'Issei' if you like," Issei tells him, blushing. "Our relationship should be close enough that such would be natural, shouldn't it?"

"Of course... Issei." Kid leans closer to him, and Issei unconsciously leans in as well. "Then, doing this should be natural as well-"

"Ryudo-san."

Startled out of his fantasy, Issei shook his head. "I-I'm sorry, but what was the question?" he asked, still blushing.

Kid's expression had turned unnerved. "So that's why you were so suspicious..." he mumbled. "I knew my fangirls felt like that, but my fanboys too?"

Issei blinked. "D-did I do something wrong?"

"Only a little." Kid tipped his hat slightly forward. "Thank you for your defense of me, Ryudo-san. Please enjoy the rest of your evening; I'll be taking my leave of you now."

"W-wait!" Issei cried, but Kid was already zooming past him on his hang glider. "...I didn't even get a chance to touch him..."