It was Monday afternoon, 2:48pm to be exact, October 22. It was Mitsuhiko's 18th birthday, and he sat in the club room, patiently awaiting his kidnappers. It was a Shounen Tantei-dan tradition, ever since Ai's 9th birthday when Aya decided that if Ai didn't want to celebrate then we would make her celebrate, and celebrate they did, by ambushing Ai in the middle of the night and dragging her blindfolded to the pet store and bought her a black kitten. Every year since then, the birthday tantei-kun was somehow kidnapped by various means: trapped in sheets, darted unconscious, blindfolded, and a memorable locked closet; until the surprise could be presented. It was only a matter of time before they came for him.

Sudden movement.

The door opens, just a crack.

Mitsuhiko leaned back in his seat, clenching his schoolbag / slash / future possible shield tightly in his fists.

A silver canister rolled through the crack in the doorway and the room was bathed in darkness.

"Shhh, he's waking up."

Mitsuhiko slowly stirred, carefully sensing his surroundings. He was sitting up in a leather car seat with a thick, dark hat pulled down over his eyes. The car, make that his car, for he was the only Tantei-dan member with a car, or rather van, was moving but not swerving or spinning uncontrollably, and he wasn't hearing any cries for mercy, so it must be Ai driving. Thank god. He could feel what was unmistakably Genta sitting on his right side, and what he supposed was either Aya or Ayumi on his left. His fellow passengers were quickly became quiet now that he was sitting up and moving around. Now I just need to know where it is they're taking me.

Mitsuhiko's van shuddered to a stop in the parking lot of a high-rise on the edge of Tokyo. The group exited the van, Genta carrying the still blindfolded Mitsuhiko like a sack over his shoulder. They preceded to enter an elevator and ascend, what to Mitsuhiko, sounded like fourteen floors. Walking down a short hallway, the group suddenly stopped and the hat was torn from Mitsuhiko's head.

Instantly turning and rounding on the group, "Was there really a need to hit me with sleeping gas?!" Mitsuhiko glared sternly at Aya.

Eyes widening at the accusation, "What makes you think it was me who tossed that!" staring innocently upwards into his stern glance.

"Really?" The sarcastic response came from all sides.

Smirking, "Well then, smarty-pants." Aya nodded to the door behind Mitsuhiko, "Are you going to open it or not."

Turning away from the group, Mitsuhiko faced a black door claiming 'Sundew Apartments, Room 1313'. Glancing back to the group, he noticed the brass door key Ayumi was holding out to him.

Gingerly taking the key, he took one good look back at his team before pushing the key into the lock and pushing open the heavy black door.

Mitsuhiko walked into the apartment, leaving his shoes at the stand set up next to the door. The rest of Shounen Tantei Dan surged forward, pushing Mitsuhiko past two closed doors and into the center of the apartment. To his right was a small kitchen, closed off from the rest of the room by an island extending from the opposite wall. While to his right, was a small living room / slash / office with two couches and a desk pushed to opposite ends of the wall.

"We figured you would enjoy something more practical for your birthday." Eisuke began.

"And you've been saying how we need a more professional office than Hakase's spare room." Genta flopped down onto the couch.

Mitsuhiko bent down to look inside the bookshelf built into the outside of the island, it had been filled with the Tantei Dan's case reports.

"And with all the cases we've been solving, along with some generous donations from a few special Oniisans, we had more than enough to cover the cost." Aya grinned from her perch atop the island.

Ai passed by on the way to the window over the desk, staring out over the top of Tokyo.

Ayumi continued, looking anxiously up at Mitsuhiko, "There's even a full bath down the hall and the door next to it leads to bedrooms for each of us so we can all move in and stay together."

Ai turned around and smiled at him.

Staring back for a moment, Mitsuhiko looked at the hopeful faces around him. "You guys do realize that you are the best people in the universe and I will never be able stop thanking every single one of you." Mitsuhiko beamed.

"Ohh!" With a cry, Aya launched herself off the counter, attaching herself to Mitsuhiko's side, quickly followed by Ayumi and Eisuke. Genta got up, pounding Mitsuhiko on the back. While Ai, she gracefully slid over, grasping his right hand tightly in her own.

The festivities ending, the group gathered up in the van again, having not fixed up the bedrooms in the apartment quite yet, and Mitsuhiko began the trip of dropping off the Tantei Dan members off at home.

Having dropped off Genta and Ayumi respectively, he let Aya and Eisuke off outside the Kudo Mansion, expecting Ai to get out as well. She however remained in her front passenger seat, motioning for Mitsuhiko to pull into Hakase's driveway.

In a daze, he parked the van and followed Ai into the house and up the stairs.

Glancing around, "Where's Hakase? Isn't he here?"

Ai responded, "No, he's out at a science expo in Sapporo."

Ai led him down the hall, turning right into her room and shutting the door.

Mitsuhiko looked down into her face, illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the window.

Ai stared up into his eyes, "I have another present for you." She leaned up into him.

Then they kissed.

Leading into the night that would forever change their future.