Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Well, maybe I do but not this anime/manga.

Author's Notes: The style of this fic is written in a way that it is told at times from the first person POV and at other times, an omniscient POV.

Normal font = First person, the protagonist.

Italicized font = Dream sequences or thoughts, usually in first person POV

Bold font = Omniscient POV

Prologue: Obsession

My okaa-san finds my fascination with the infamous bandit, Kaitou KID, quite odd.

"Megumi-chan, Kaitou KID is a thing of the past," she told me one time. "He hasn't appeared for almost eleven years! Besides, he was just a low-life thief with nothing better to do. It's not good that a young, smart girl like you idolizes such a character!"

I was about to retaliate by saying that Kaitou Kid wasn't just a thief but a magician and artist as well, but I decided that I wasn't in the mood for a debate. So I left her with a frown and a shrug. And she seemed contented.

A day after her slander against my idol, okaa-san's favorite mop went missing. Otou-san was happy, of course. At last, he could stop worrying about okaa-san running after him with that mop. (She usually does this whenever otou-san plays a trick on her.)

"I guess I have to thank you, Meg-chan," he whispered that night, when okaa-san was doing the dishes.

I frowned at him.

"What are you thanking me for, otou-chan?"

He winked at me.

"You know what I mean, princess. I know that you hid your okaa-san's mop," he said.

I gaped.

"How did – ? I mean, Of course, I didn't, otou-san!"

I let out a feeble, nervous cackle that gave me away.

"Why would I do that to okaa-san?"

Otou-san let out a rather boyish laugh.

"What did your okaa-san do this time to make you hide her most precious mop?"

I bit my quivering lip and decided for a second if I should tell otou-san. Knowing that he's more open-minded than okaa-san, I sighed and told him everything.

I started with how we discussed Kaitou KID in our Japanese History class. I then told him that I got oddly attracted to the thief and even researched for old files, articles and information about him.

"Grandpa was very helpful, of course," I told otou-san as he listened intently to my story. "He told me stories of when he was still chasing around KID-sama and stuff like that. I never told him the real reason why I was asking for info, though. I lied that we had a project for our History class."

"A wise maneuver," said otou-san.

I beamed at otou-san's approval and continued my story with how okaa-san discovered my peculiar inclination with the jewel thief.

"HE READ MY DIARY, OTOU-SAN! When I came home from school the other day, she told me that she found all my researched things about Kid under my bed… and she burned them all! She even berated me for idolizing such a 'low-life thief'! I can't help avenging KID-sama…"

Otou-san looked as though he was about to laugh, but when he sensed that I didn't find the situation the least bit funny, he patted my back and told me to close my eyes.

"Meg-chan, now that I've heard everything, I'll make you a deal."

"Nani?" I asked, opening my eyes.

"Wait! Don't open your eyes just yet! I have to be sure first."

I nodded and closed my eyes again. "What's the deal, otou-san?"

"Give your okaa-san her mop back. Heaven knows that her chasing me around with that mop is good exercise – "

"And what would I get in return?" I interrupted before otou-san would start his usual rant.

"Very pragmatic, princess. Let's see – from now on, I'll entrust this room to you!"

"What room?"

"Open your eyes."