Hi guys! I haven't posted a one-shot in a while, so I thought I'd write my very first Magic Kaito one. This is a possibility of might happen when Kaito finds Pandora. Some of the words I use will be in Japanese, so check the bottom for translations. Enjoy! Here are their ages:
Kaito Kuroba – 17
Aoko Nakamori – 17
Saguru Hakuba – 17
Akako Koizumi – 17
Ginzo Nakamori - 41
Konosuke Jii – 61
Conan Edogawa - 7
Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Kaito 1412 or any of the characters
Immortal Passion
"KID!" Inspector Nakamori roared, struggling to move. Upon entry, KID had stolen the Emerald Princess and covered the entire floor in glue, sticking Inspector Nakamori and the rest of the task force to it. KID stood on the display case, an amused expression on his face, as he watched his beloved task force try and fail to catch him.
"The gem is now in my possession and so I shall take my leave. Ja ne!" KID replied as he bid Inspector Nakamori farewell and disappeared in a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared, both KID and the gem were gone, leaving a seething Inspector behind.
"Get him!" Inspector Nakamori bellowed.
"Haha, that was too easy. Nakamori-keibu is going to have to sharpen up his skills if he wishes to capture me." KID commented. "Not that he ever will," KID added, quietly. Taking the gem out of his pocket, KID held it up to the moon only for his breath to hitch. Inside of the green jewel, a smaller gem lay hidden that began to glow red under the moonlight. "Pandora…" KID breathed, eyes widening as his mouth fell open.
"KID!" Someone shouted, startling him. Regaining his composure, KID lowered the jewel as he turned around to face his opponent with a smirk on his face.
"You finally made it, tantei-kun." KID responded.
"You won't get away," Conan growled as he bent down and powered up his kick shoes.
"As much as I'd love to stay and chat, I have other things to attend to, but you may have this back." KID told him as he tossed Conan the jewel before tipping his hat and jumping off the roof. Catching it with ease, Conan looked at the gem but frowned as he realised something. Looking up, Conan watched KID glide away with confusion and curiosity etched across his face. Glancing back, KID smirked as he took the same jewel out of his pocket.
'Gome tantei-kun, but this is one jewel that I can't return.' KID thought to himself as he flew off to his next destination.
Aoko was sitting in her bed, reading, when she heard a knock at her bedroom window. Turning off her nightlight, Aoko got up and was taken aback to find her childhood friend standing on a tree branch outside of her room.
"Kaito, what are you doing here?" Aoko asked as she opened her window and let Kaito inside.
"Sorry, I know it's late, but I have to talk to you," Kaito answered, a serious tone in his voice.
"What is it, Kaito?" Aoko inquired, worried, surprised when Kaito took hold of both her hands in his own.
"Aoko, it was fate that brought us together all those years ago when we met in front of the clock tower. Since then, we have grown up together, side by side, and gotten through whatever life has thrown at us. During that time, I've come to know you as person and you've become my best friend. You're smart, you're beautiful, you're adorably childish and you're also impulsively violent, but that's what makes you, you. Meeting you was not only the best thing to ever happen to me, but it also changed my life for the better and just like it was destined for us to meet, it was also destined for me to fall in love with you." Kaito confessed, sincerely. Aoko gasped as she felt the heat rise to her cheeks.
"Kaito…" Aoko breathed as she smiled warmly at him. "Aoko loves you too." Aoko revealed as she wrapped her arms around Kaito's neck, making him blush.
"Really?" Kaito said, in disbelief. "Did it sound okay? I just spent ages practicing that in my room, so that I wouldn't be such a nervous wreck," Kaito admitted, sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck before wrapping his arms around her waist.
"It was perfect," Aoko murmured as she leaned in towards him. Their lips were mere millimetres away from each other when…
"Matte." Kaito interrupted causing Aoko to pull back in confusion. "There's something else that you need to know, but I'm afraid you're going to hate me," Kaito muttered, sadly.
"Bakaito! How could Aoko hate you?" Aoko responded, tilting her head to the side in confusion. Kaito sighed as he clicked his fingers and enveloped himself in smoke. As the smoke cleared, Aoko gasped in shock as she stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief.
"…because of who I am." Kaito finished, taking off his top hat and monocle.
"Kaito…you're…you're Kaitou KID." Aoko realised
"Yes, but please hear me out." Kaito started causing anger to swell up within the temperamental brunette.
"No! Aoko needs to call the police." Aoko told him as she picked up her phone and keyed in 11 before her phone was snatched away. "Hey! Give that back!" Aoko demanded.
"Not until you let me explain." Kaito refused.
"What's there to explain!?" Aoko shouted. "You dress up like this just so you can show off and make fun of tou-san. Is this some kind of joke to you!?" Aoko questioned.
"No, of course it isn't! Just let me-" Kaito protested, but was cut off by Aoko.
"Shut up! Aoko doesn't want to hear one more word out of you!" Aoko yelled, pointing a finger at Kaito, making him fall silent. "You know how Aoko feels about KID. Tou-san spends all his time trying to catch him that he's hardly ever at home. Aoko's already lost kaa-san and now Aoko's losing him too. You of all people should understand yet you're the one who's taking him away!" Aoko accused.
"Hey! That's not fair!" Kaito cried.
"Not fair? Not fair!?" Aoko hollered. "Aoko will tell you what's not fair. Tou-san putting his heart and soul into catching you when you've been right under his nose the whole time. Aoko forming a detective team in order to catch the phantom thief, all the while knowing that he never would be." Aoko stated. "All this time, you've just been laughing behind my back. Naïve Aoko, stupid Aoko…" Aoko trailed off as her eyes welled up with tears.
"Aoko…" Kaito whispered, reaching a hand out.
"Don't touch Aoko!" Aoko growled, slapping his hand away. She gasped as she realised something. "That's why you always came with Aoko to visit tou-san whenever there was a heist. You just used Aoko as an excuse to get closer to tou-san and get inside information." Aoko surmised. "Aoko's just a tool to you, isn't she?" Aoko concluded as a single tear slid down her cheek.
"That's not true and you know it." Kaito replied, hurt that she would think such a thing.
"Really? Because Aoko doesn't think she knows who Kaito is anymore." Aoko managed to get out before more tears began streaming down her cheeks. Kaito's heart broke at the sight in front of him. Aoko's eyes were glassy and her face was stained with tears. All because of him. He never came here with the intention of making her cry, but he knew that he would never forgive himself for doing it. "Why, Kaito? Why did you do it?" Aoko queried. Kaito opened his mouth to speak, but his voice got caught in his throat. There was so much that he wanted to say, needed to say, but words refused to leave his mouth. Sensing that she wasn't going to get any response, Aoko let her head hang and turned her back to him. "Just go. Aoko's too tired to deal with this," Aoko sighed.
"Oyaji…" Kaito breathed, so quiet that Aoko almost missed it. Aoko snapped her head up at that and turned back around to see Kaito staring at the ground with a sorrowful look in his eyes. "Remember that magic accident that oyaji died in eight years ago?" Kaito started. Aoko nodded her head in response. "Turns out it wasn't. About a year ago, I discovered that oyaji was the original Kaitou KID, but not only that, I also found out that he was murdered by Snake. Snake is an agent who's part of a secret organisation that are looking for this." Kaito informed, taking the emerald princess out of his pocket. "Pandora is a jewel hidden inside a larger jewel that will glow red under the moonlight. It's said that if Pandora is held under the moonlight at the time of the Volley Comet, which passes close to Earth every 10000 years, then the gem will cry tears of immortality." Kaito explained, holding the gem up to the moon.
"Kirei," Aoko murmured, in awe.
"No, it's not," Kaito muttered, curling his fingers over the jewel. "The organisation heard about Kaitou KID and asked oyaji to find Pandora for them, but when he refused they killed him and staged it as a magic accident. All because those selfish bastards wanted immortality! We all have one life for a reason, but they took oyaji's away!" Kaito yelled, clenching his fists, as his body began shaking. "Oyaji was a good person, Aoko! He was Kuroba Toichi. The world's greatest magician who performed amazing magic tricks that confused, yet delighted his audience. His mere presence would brighten up any room and he was the best dad a boy could ask for. He didn't deserve to die!" Kaito exclaimed, distraught. "So, why did he…" Kaito managed to get out before he looked down and a single tear slipped out of his eye causing Aoko to gasp in shock. Kaito was crying! Kaito never cries! Letting her comforting side take over, Aoko walked over to Kaito and held him, allowing him to cry on her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her mid-section, tightly. As his cries subsided, Kaito took in a deep breath and pulled away, rubbing his eyes, furiously. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Aoko, but you understand now, don't you? You'll forgive me, right?" Kaito asked, hopeful, making Aoko look at him incredulously.
"Oh my god! Did you actually just give Aoko a sob story so that Aoko would forgive you!?" Aoko cried, in disbelief. "That's just low, Kaito," Aoko spat.
"What!? No! I-" Kaito responded, but stopped short as he felt the frustration bubble up inside of him. "You know what, I don't get you! First, you get all upset because I didn't tell you the truth and then when I do, you think I'm trying to emotionally blackmail you into forgiving me!" Kaito barked.
"What did you expect!? That you were just gonna say 'I love you, Aoko. Oh, by the way, I'm Kaitou KID.' and it would be all sunshines and rainbows! Well, Aoko's sorry to disappoint you, Kaito, but that's not how life works! Maybe in that stupid head of yours where magic can fix everything, but not in the real world!" Aoko hollered.
"At least I'm not some ignorant little kid who thinks that some third-rate cop is gonna catch all the bad guys and throw them in jail because she'd rather live in the dream world than in the reality of her own sad, pathetic little life!" Kaito roared before his eyes widened in realisation. Taken aback by Kaito's harsh comments, Aoko crossed her arms and looked away.
"Get out, Kaito." Aoko ordered.
"Aoko, I didn't mean-" Kaito tried to apologise, but was cut off by Aoko.
"Aoko said, get out." Aoko repeated, glaring at him full force. Sensing that he wasn't going to get anywhere tonight, Kaito sighed and walked back to the window. He looked back, but Aoko refused to look at him so he silently slipped out of the window. As silence filled the room, Aoko turned around and stared at the window that her supposed friend left through only moments ago. Deciding to sleep away her troubles, Aoko walked over to her bed and noticed a white rose with a card lying on her pillow. Picking up the card, it read:
I'm sorry. For everything.
"Aaah!" Aoko screamed as she scrunched up the note and threw both it and the rose across the room before collapsing on her bed in a fit of sobs.
It was a lonely walk to school that following Monday morning because she was missing the one who brightened up her day, the one who cheered her up when she was feeling down. She was missing Kaito.
"What!? Why would Aoko miss that lying jerk!? Of course Aoko doesn't!" Aoko told herself. She continued with her self-conflict all the way to school until her friend Keiko walked up to her.
"Ohayō, Aoko!" Keiko greeted.
"Huh? Oh, Ohayō, Keiko." Aoko replied, less enthusiastically, causing Keiko to frown.
"Are you okay?" Keiko questioned, concerned.
"Of course! Why wouldn't Aoko be?" Aoko lied, pasting on a smile.
"You look troubled, that's all." Keiko commented. "Where's Kaito?" Keiko inquired causing Aoko to wince at said person's name.
"We're uh…not talking at the moment," Aoko murmured, awkwardly, looking down.
"Did you have another lover's tiff?" Keiko remarked, missing Aoko's tone of voice, as she nudged her with her elbow.
"Of course not!" Aoko cried, blushing.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you two will be friends again in no time." Keiko reassured, with a wink, before going over to talk with one of her other friends.
'If only it was that simple.' Aoko thought, smiling sadly, as she opened her locker to get her indoor shoes. Blinking in surprise, Aoko reached in and took out the bulbous plant that was laying atop her shoes. It had strap-like leaves and a compact spike of purple bell-shaped flowers. Looking around, Aoko tried to find the anonymous sender, but didn't notice anyone acting out of the ordinary. Slipping on her shoes, Aoko continued to puzzle over the pretty flower as she headed straight for homeroom.
As she entered class 2B, Aoko spotted a particular blonde detective sitting at his desk with a book in hand.
'Hakuba-kun! He'll be able to help Aoko!' Aoko thought, happily, as she made her way over to him.
"Ohayō, Hakuba-kun." Aoko addressed.
"Ohayō, Aoko-kun." Hakuba responded, looking up from his book.
"Hakuba-kun, you know a lot of things being a great detective and all, right? Can you tell Aoko what this is?" Aoko queried, handing the flower to Hakuba.
"It's a purple hyacinth." Hakuba answered, handing the flower back to Aoko. "Why do you ask?" Hakuba questioned.
"Someone left this in Aoko's locker." Aoko recalled.
"Then that someone could be trying to relay a message to you." Hakuba deduced.
"A message?" Aoko repeated, confused, as she cocked her head to one side.
"Yes. You see, flowers themselves are their own language and each one has their own meaning. For example, the purple hyacinth means 'I am sorry' and 'please forgive me'." Hakuba informed causing realisation to spark within Aoko.
"Is that so?" Aoko replied, glancing back at a certain messy haired brunette. "Arigatō, Hakuba-kun." Aoko thanked him as she nodded at him and he nodded back at her before heading to her seat. Settling down at her desk, Aoko played with the flower and took a quick look at her childhood friend. He was sitting at his desk with his head buried in his arms.
'He must be tired after last night's heist.' Aoko thought, her eyes softening, sympathetically, at the sight. 'Wait, why should Aoko care? Remember everything he did! You can't give in after one night.' Aoko reprimanded herself as she crossed her arms and looked away, placing the flower down on her desk. Lifting his head up, Kaito peeked at Aoko through his arms and smiled.
The next day panned out just the same as the first. Aoko walked into class 2B with two flowers in her possession and a small smile on her face.
"Two flowers today?" Hakuba noticed, putting his book down, as Aoko approached his desk. She was holding a plant with sword-shaped leaves and showy purple flowers as well as a plant with yellow cup-shaped flowers. Aoko shook her head in response.
"One from yesterday when Aoko left to go home and one this morning." Aoko corrected, handing him the flowers.
"Well, the first one is an iris which means 'your friendship means so much to me' and the second one is a yellow tulip which translates to 'there's sunshine in your smile'." Hakuba told her, the last one bringing a lovely pink blush to Aoko's cheeks. Thanking him once again, Aoko sat down at her desk and stared at the pretty flowers only to be brought out of her trance by her teacher entering the classroom. The rest of the day continued to be quite peaceful and uneventful.
On the third day, Aoko performed the same routine as she had done previously and as she reached Hakuba's desk, she opened her mouth to speak when she was cut off by the detective himself.
"Pink camellia meaning 'longing for you' and primrose meaning 'I can't live without you.'" Hakuba interrupted, not looking up from his book.
"How did you know which flowers Aoko was holding?" Aoko asked, surprised,
"My mother absolutely loves flowers and often buys them, so I can tell them apart by smell as well as appearance." Hakuba said, nonchalantly. "Anyway, from the flowers you've been receiving, seems like you have quite the admirer there, Aoko-kun. I suspect that certain someone messed up and has some apologising to do." Hakuba concluded, making Aoko flush red, as he smirked at his rival with a smug, all-knowing look. As their eyes met, Kaito quickly looked away, gritting his teeth in annoyance.
At the end of the third day, Aoko opened her locker to find a single fully bloomed red rose sitting in there. Now that was one flower that she already knew the meaning of. Intent on finding her secret admirer, said person whizzed past as he dashed out of school, cackling all the way, with a certain half-brit detective on his tail.
"Kuroba!" Hakuba roared, his hair spiked up in all directions and dyed neon green. Thinking about the past few days, she realised that Kaito hadn't pranked her once. This had to be the longest he's gone without checking the colour of her underwear. It was nice because it meant he was trying. Giggling, Aoko put her outdoor shoes back on and followed after her two classmates.
"Catch me if you can, Hakuba!" Kaito taunted, glancing at him over his shoulder, before suddenly tripping over something. Standing up, Kaito came face to face with a beautiful, purple-haired witch. She stood with her hands clasped together behind her back as she pulled her foot back. "Akako!" Kaito shouted, irritated, brushing the dust off of himself.
"Losing your touch, Kuroba-kun? Catching you will be no fun if you make it too easy," Akako teased causing Kaito to huff in annoyance.
"Kuroba, you are so going to get it," Hakuba threatened as he caught up to Kaito, absolutely seething.
"Oh yeah? What are you going to do?" Kaito goaded, a challenging look in his eyes.
"When I slap my cuffs on your wrists, then we'll see whose laughing." Hakuba promised.
"For the last time, I'm not KID!" Kaito yelled, vexed, causing both Akako and Hakuba to look at him with 'How stupid do you think we are?' looks before their expressions changed into ones of surprise combined with shock as they looked behind him. Blinking, Kaito slowly turned around just in time for him to see Aoko drop the rose she was holding as she stared at him with a mix of emotions.
"Aoko…" Kaito breathed, wide-eyed. He opened his mouth to explain, but what Aoko did next left him dumbstruck. Stamping on the rose, she twisted her foot from side to side, furiously, turning the once beautiful flower into a broken mess.
"The flower's dead now." Aoko pointed out, looking down at the crushed plant before lifting her eyes to meet Kaito's. "Like you are to Aoko." Aoko stated, walking off. With Aoko's words finally sinking in, Kaito quickly pulled himself together as he chased after her.
"Aoko! Aoko, wait!" Kaito called, finally catching up to her. She stopped, but didn't respond. "I know how it looks, but you don't understand!" Kaito hurried to explain, but Aoko was in no mood for his excuses.
"Oh, Aoko thinks she understands perfectly well. You think that Aoko's such a liability that you'd rather tell your secret to the detective who's trying to catch you and the girl who you claim to hate than your own best friend." Aoko surmised. "How that makes any sense Aoko has no idea, but then again this is you we're talking about," Aoko muttered.
"No! You've got it all wrong!" Kaito cried, but Aoko was past caring.
"You know, the funny thing is, Aoko's actually been guilt-tripping herself these past few days for being too hard on you, and for what? Only to have her feelings toyed with and her heart ripped out once more." Aoko informed, laughing dryly. "Aoko was actually dumb enough to think that we would be able to sort things out because she thought that there was too much history between us to just throw everything away on a stupid argument. She thought that our friendship meant more to you than that. Aoko guesses she was wrong…" Aoko trailed off as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.
"Our friendship does mean a lot to me, Aoko. You mean a lot to me," Kaito murmured, cupping her left cheek, but Aoko pushed him away.
"It's too late, Kaito." Aoko told him, turning away.
"No, it's not-" Kaito protested, but was cut off by Aoko.
"Don't ever talk to Aoko again!" Aoko exclaimed, running off.
"Aoko, please!" Kaito begged, silently asking for another chance.
"Shine," Aoko spat, viciously, glaring at him with eyes full of hatred, betrayal and hurt before turning the corner, leaving a devastated Kaito standing alone in the street as rain started to pour down, heavily.
The following days, after that eventful Wednesday, were the most painful for Kaito. If Aoko didn't despise him before, she most certainly did now. He tried every sweet gesture that he could think of, but no matter what he did, nothing would change Aoko's opinion of him. Every flower that he gave her was ripped to shreds upon first glance, any chocolates he would send to her she would palm off on some other girl and when he tried to talk to her she would not even so much as look in his direction. Aoko practically ignored his existence and that was something that Kaito could not deal with because he was Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire. He demanded attention. He craved it, but if he was completely honest with himself, hers was the only attention that he ever truly wanted to grab. Foolishly, he got too arrogant and full of himself to truly appreciate her presence, but now that he'd let her slip through his grasp, he would do anything to get her back. At this point, he didn't even care if all she wanted to be was friends so long as he could laugh with her, have fun with her and just be with her again, but it seems that Aoko really meant it when she told him she wanted nothing more to do with him. With every passing day, Kaito sunk deeper and deeper into depression to the point that even his teacher was worried. After that Wednesday, Kaito had stopped playing pranks all together. On the first day, his classmates thought that maybe he was having an off day, but after the second and third, everyone began to think that there was something seriously wrong with Kaito. The bell had just rung for lunch, a week after the worst day of his life, as Kaito got up and headed straight for his new spot to eat lunch. Watching Kaito go, Hakuba sighed as a sympathetic expression filled his features before being replaced by one of determination.
'You can do this. Just go over to her.' Hakuba told himself as he got up from his seat and walked up to a certain purple-haired classmate of his. Coughing, so as to catch her attention, Akako turned around to face him with a curious expression.
"Koizumi-san, you've observed Kuroba-kun's recent behaviour as well, haven't you?" Hakuba said.
"Ah, you mean how Kuroba-kun's been walking around with a kicked puppy look on his face? How could you not?" Akako responded, uninterested.
"Exactly. I never thought I'd say this, but I guess I consider Kuroba-kun as my friend and as his friend I think we should help him out with Aoko-kun. I can't help but feel partly responsible for his predicament." Hakuba suggested, still guilty about the previous week. Akako narrowed her eyes at him in annoyance.
'Why would I help Kuroba-kun get back with Nakamori-san?' Akako thought, disbelievingly. 'Wait a minute. This could work in your favour.' Akako thought as a plan came to mind.
"I think you may be right, Hakuba-san. What do you suggest?" Akako inquired, feigning a look of care and interest.
"Well, I think that we should talk to them separately. Since you are closer to Kuroba-kun than I, you speak to him and I will speak with Aoko-kun." Hakuba proposed. Akako nodded and went to look for Kaito, but not before looking back.
'Oh, I'll help him all right.' Akako thought, deviously, smirking at Hakuba's back as she slipped away. Aoko was talking with Keiko when Hakuba tapped her on the shoulder.
"Aoko-kun, may I speak with you for a moment?" Hakuba requested as she turned around to face him.
"Oh, sure." Aoko agreed as the two of them walked to the back of the classroom. "What is it?" Aoko queried.
"I need to talk to you about, Kuroba-kun." Hakuba answered. As soon as his name left his lips, her innocent expression changed into one of fury as she crossed her arms and looked away from him. "I think you may have misunderstood Kuroba-kun's situation." Hakuba suspected.
"Aoko knows everything she needs to, thank you very much!" Aoko spat, angrily, as she dropped her arms and turned to leave.
"Matte." Hakuba called, grabbing her wrist. "Just hear me out and then if you don't like what I have to say, I'll leave you alone." Hakuba compromised. Knowing she had nothing to lose, Aoko pulled her arm out of his grip and turned back to face him with her arms crossed and an expectant look on her face. "I'm guessing that you found out about Kuroba-kun's secret." Hakuba concluded, gauging this from Aoko's recent behaviour towards the magician.
"Not before you though, it seems," Aoko muttered.
"He didn't tell me, if that's what you think." Hakuba replied, hurriedly, quick to quash that theory. "I'm a detective. It was only a matter of time before I found out." Hakuba remarked, slightly smug.
"Look, it doesn't matter anymore. It still doesn't change things." Aoko replied.
"You don't know, do you? What really goes on at his heists." Hakuba realised.
"What's there to know? He dresses up as the moonlight magician, steals jewels and mocks Aoko's dad and the task force in the process." Aoko listed. "You know, Aoko's surprised that you'd even try to stand up for him. He does the same thing to you too." Aoko pointed out.
"It's not all fun and games, you know. He's in danger," Hakuba stated, seriously. Aoko snorted in response.
"Of what? Being caught? Oooh, Aoko's sure he's so scared," Aoko mocked, laughing bitterly.
"No. Of this." Hakuba told her as he took out his phone and showed her a news article with a picture of an averagely built young, foreign man with long blonde hair.
"Gunter Von Goldberg II - 'The Best Illusionist in the World'" Aoko read. "What does he have to do with this?" Aoko questioned.
"Gunter Von Goldberg II is merely an alias that this man undergoes. His true name is Spider and he's a trained assassin." Hakuba informed.
"Assassin!?" Aoko cried, shocked, making her classmates turn towards the two of them. Hakuba held a finger up in front of his lips causing Aoko to slap her hands over her mouth. After a few moments, their classmates returned to what they were doing.
"Right. I've been after this man for a long time, but recently his target has become KID which is one of the reasons why I came to Japan." Hakuba added.
"T-target? Y-you mean…" Aoko trailed off, fear in her eyes.
"Yes. KID's life is being targeted, but as far as I'm aware, he is unaware of KID's real identity," Hakuba reassured, trying to give her some sort of comfort, as Aoko placed a hand on her heart and gave a small sigh of relief. "That's all I know, I'm afraid. I have yet to find out why Spider is going after KID, though." Hakuba finished.
"Aoko thinks she may know the answer to that, but it's not her secret to tell." Aoko said. Hakuba nodded his head in understanding. "Hakuba-kun, you understand Aoko's behaviour, right? Aoko knows that she was really harsh on Kaito and that she may have come across as cold and heartless, but Aoko's hurting too," Aoko hurried to explain, her tone taking on a sad note at the end.
"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Aoko-kun. I understand why you would react that way and deep down I'm sure that Kuroba-kun understands that too. He's just feeling extremely guilty about hurting you because he's scared." Hakuba responded.
"Scared? Of what?" Aoko inquired, confused.
"Losing you," Hakuba murmured in a soft voice causing Aoko to gasp as a violent concoction of emotions swirled up within her chest once again.
"What do I do?" Aoko whispered, feeling lost.
"I have an idea." Hakuba suggested, giving her a small smile, as he whispered it into her ear.
"Let's do it." Aoko decided, a determined expression on her face.
Meanwhile, our favourite messy-haired magician was sitting on the school rooftop eating his lunch. Alone. Over this past week, it had become his place of solitude. A place for him to relax and forget about reality for a bit until he had to go into the classroom and face the problem all over again. While he never exactly enjoyed coming to school, she was always the one who made it worthwhile, but now she was out of his life he didn't know how long he could keep this up. With every passing moment spent without her, he was slowly dying inside and he wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. Too caught up in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the sound of the rooftop door opening.
"Wallowing in self-pity again, Kuroba-kun?" Akako observed, startling Kaito out of his thoughts.
"I'm not in the mood, Akako," Kaito sighed.
"Surely you should have known this would happen once you told her." Akako reminded, taking a seat next to him on the ledge of a small wall in front of the roof's edge.
"Doesn't mean I wanted it to," Kaito muttered, sadly.
"Forget her, Kuroba-kun. She was unworthy of your affections anyway." Akako advised, sparking anger in Kaito.
"Oi! Don't talk about Aoko like that!" Kaito shouted, glaring. "Aoko is the gentlest, kindest, sweetest, most understanding person I know and I won't have you talk bad about her." Kaito scolded.
"Understanding, is she? So she's willing to forgive you for being Kaitou KID?" Akako queried, crossing her arms and giving him a disbelieving look, causing Kaito to blink as he let his head hang. "You don't need her, Kuroba-kun. Just because Nakamori-san doesn't care about you, doesn't mean I don't. I can be there for you in ways that she can't." Akako purred, seductively, flipping her hair back.
"So that's why you're here. You see me at my lowest point and decide to take advantage of my vulnerability. Classy, Akako," Kaito remarked, snorting in disgust.
"Well, what do you want me to do!? I've made many subtle advances towards you and you just don't seem to get the hint!" Akako screeched, throwing her hands up.
"Have you ever thought about the fact that maybe I was just ignoring your advances to try and spare your feelings?" Kaito asked.
"My feelings?" Akako repeated, confused.
"I know all about your tricks, Akako, with the chocolate and the sticker, but I'm afraid to say that all your efforts have been futile." Kaito answered, honestly.
"Futile! I'll show you who's futile!" Akako cried, furious, making Kaito chuckle as he shook his head in response. Kaito held her hands in his and looked her straight in the eye as she blinked, owlishly, at him.
"How can you steal the heart of someone whose heart's already been stolen?" Kaito posed causing Akako to gasp as she sat there in stunned silence. He smiled sadly at her as he squeezed her hands before jumping off the wall and leaving the rooftop, passing Hakuba on his way down. Hakuba stepped out onto the roof and walked over to her.
"How did it go?" Hakuba questioned, but got no response. "Koizumi-san?" Hakuba said, reaching his hand out towards her.
"What?" Akako growled as she turned around and glared at him with fire in her eyes causing him to flinch.
"A-are you okay?" Hakuba inquired, tentatively.
"Well, you tell me. If you just found out that the feelings you harboured for a certain someone were unrequited, would you be okay?" Akako returned, bitterly.
"You like Kuroba-kun," Hakuba concluded as he felt his heart plummet into his stomach.
"What does he see in her!? She's clearly not as beautiful as me and she acts like such a child! Plus, if that's not enough, she's always acts like my friend even when I don't want to be hers! It's so irritating!" Akako ranted, breathing hard, as Hakuba silently sat beside her and listened. After taking a few moments to collect herself, Akako sighed as she looked down. "Hakuba-san?" Akako whispered, making Hakuba turn towards her. "Is there something wrong with me? Don't I deserve my own happy ending?" Akako queried as she looked up at Hakuba with glassy eyes.
"Hey, don't cry," Hakuba murmured as he rubbed his thumb under her eyes. Regaining control of her emotions, Akako pulled back, slightly, and blinked rapidly in order to prevent the tears from falling. "There's nothing wrong with you, so don't you dare think that, okay?" Hakuba reprimanded, lightly. Akako nodded her head, meekly, in response, unfamiliar with all this gentleness. "Of course you deserve to be happy, Koizumi-san. You and Kuroba-kun just weren't meant to be, that's all." Hakuba told her. "Things like this happen, but don't let it stop you from finding your own happiness. There is someone special out there waiting for you who will love and care for you like you deserve. You just have to look." Hakuba reassured as he leaned in and placed a tender kiss on her cheek before getting down from the wall and exiting the rooftop, leaving Akako alone with her thoughts. Akako sat there, blushing prettily, as she lifted her hand and gently touched her fingertips to her cheek.
'I wasn't even using my magical charms that time.' Akako thought as realisation struck and she looked towards the door with a genuine smile on her face.
"Maybe I already found them," Akako breathed.
Later that night, Kaito visited Jii at the Blue Parrot and sat at the bar, drinking away his sorrows. His left arm was folded in front of him, with his head resting behind it, and his right arm was holding onto his half-filled glass of vodka.
"Bocchama, I know you're old enough now, but I don't allow you come here just so that you can get drunk and forget about your problems. What would Toichi-sama say?" Jii rebuked.
"I've only had half a glass, Jii-chan, don't worry so much." Kaito replied, finishing the rest of his glass.
"Kaito-bocchama, I know that things between you and Aoko-san aren't looking all that good right now, but keep your chin up. You've found Pandora now which means that soon you'll be able to bring down Toichi-sama's murderers." Jii reminded, in an attempt to cheer Kaito up a bit.
"What's the point, Jii-chan? I know that I became Kaitou KID to catch the people who killed oyaji, but that wasn't the only thing that kept me going. Being the magician under the moonlight, facing danger from all sides, gives you a little perspective on things. Never take life for granted because you could have everything in one second and then nothing the next," Kaito muttered as he grabbed the vodka bottle and poured himself another glass. "I had it all planned out, you know. Find Pandora, confess to Aoko, take down dad's murderers and then live happily with the love of my life, but what did I do? I screwed everything up, Jii-chan. Aoko's never going to speak to me again and dad's murderers are still out there. I'm a failure. Oyaji must be so ashamed of me," Kaito finished, sadly, as he downed the glass of vodka in one and slammed the glass back down.
"Bocchama, you have always been the apple of Toichi-sama's eye and he would never be ashamed of you even if you couldn't put away his murderers. If anything, he would be ashamed of this pity party that you've started. Feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to get you anywhere," Jii scolded. "Think of your problems as a magic trick. If you were performing and something went wrong, what would you do?" Jii asked.
"Make sure not to draw attention to it, whilst maintaining my poker face, as I move onto my next trick." Kaito responded, automatically, before his eyes lit up with realisation. "Not to draw attention to it…" Kaito repeated, making Jii smirk as he nodded at him.
"Exactly. So, what do you plan to do next?" Jii questioned.
"Fix things with Aoko." Kaito stated. "I'm going to apologise and confess to her all over again, but I'm going to do it differently this time. After all, never repeat the same trick twice." Kaito added with a wink. "First, I'll ask her to meet me at the clock tower because its holds special memories for the both of us since it was where we first met. Then, I'm going to tell her how sorry I am." Kaito described. "That I'm sorry for all the lies, all the hurt and all the betrayal, but I did it to protect her. If she got involved with KID then the organisation would try to use her against me and if something happened to her because of me, I would never be able to forgive myself. She means too much to me to let her get hurt. Aoko's an extraordinary person. She's the perfect balance of sweet and gentle with a fiery temper and just the right amount of mischief. Enough to keep me on my toes, at least. Although she may act and dress like a child, Aoko wouldn't be Aoko without that quality. With anyone else it would seem immature and silly, but with her it's cute, even if I do claim it to be annoying. It really hurts, though, when I see her compare herself to others. She has such a low opinion of herself, but I want her to know that she's beautiful to me. Both inside and out. I know I don't exactly help by teasing her all the time, but I guess it's my way of showing affection. When it comes to love, I'm a total idiot. Plus, being Kuroba Kaito, I never could do things the conventional way, could I? Nevertheless, I'm completely and utterly in love with her. So much so that if I had to, I would give her up because I love her enough to let her go." Kaito admitted with a small smile as Jii discreetly tapped a red button on his phone, which he was hiding behind the counter. Looking up, Kaito noticed Jii looking at him with an all-knowing expression causing him to blink and cough awkwardly as he blushed heavily. "Tonikaku, I need to go home and write this all down before I forget it. Oyasumi, Jii-chan." Kaito said as he left the bar. Jii simply shook his head and chuckled in response.
'It'll all be okay soon, Kaito-bocchama.' Jii thought.
Kaito went to school the next day with renewed determination to fix his relationship with Aoko, but there was one problem. He couldn't talk to her! No matter how many times he tried, something at the back of his mind kept stopping him from doing so. Presently, it was lunchtime and Aoko was talking with one of her friends whilst Kaito sat at his desk, willing himself to go over to her but to no avail.
"Aaaah!" Kaito groaned, frustrated, as he mussed up his already messy hair and dropped his head onto his desk. Muttering to himself, Kaito was brought out of his thoughts as a hand tapped him on the shoulder. Lifting his head up, he spotted the blonde brit standing in front of him. "What do you want, Hakuba? Come to accuse of me being KID again?" Kaito grumbled, leaning his head on his palm.
"Actually, no. You seemed troubled, so I came to see what was bothering you." Hakuba answered, making Kaito blink as he narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't be so suspicious. I am capable of turning off detective-mode and being your friend." Hakuba replied, chuckling.
"Friends? Since when have we been friends?" Kaito pointed out, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I guess we haven't, but that doesn't mean it's too late to start now." Hakuba returned, perching on his desk. "So, what's got you all out of sorts?" Hakuba inquired. Kaito sighed in response, knowing he wasn't going to let this drop.
"You're going to laugh at me," Kaito murmured.
"I assure you that I won't. Just tell me." Hakuba insisted.
"Promise?" Kaito asked causing Hakuba to sigh.
"I promise." Hakuba vowed, placing his right hand over his heart.
"I want to talk to Aoko, but whenever I try to my body just refuses to work the way I want it to. Either my legs turn to jelly or my throat goes dry. It's stupid, I know, I mean, I used to talk Aoko all the time with no problem at all. So what's wrong now?" Kaito wondered.
"Kuroba-kun, it's not stupid. In fact, it's perfectly normal." Hakuba informed.
"It is?" Kaito said in disbelief.
"Yes. You and Aoko-kun had an argument far worse than any of your previous ones and it affected the two of you in unimaginable ways, both emotionally and mentally. The events that occurred have put a strain on your relationship and, as a result of this, the lifelong bond that the two of you shared has been broken. It's only natural that the two of you cannot communicate as easily as before." Hakuba explained.
"Man, I feel like I'm talking to a psychiatrist. Did you study psychology when you were in London or something?" Kaito remarked causing Hakuba to laugh.
"No, I'm just good at reading at you. After all, I have only been your classmate by day and your pursuer by night for about a year now." Hakuba reminded.
"Like I keep saying, I'm not-" Kaito started, but was cut off by Hakuba.
"…you're not KID, I know." Hakuba finished with a snort.
"So what do I do? I'm too nervous to go over there." Kaito admitted, looking down at his desk in embarrassment and shame.
"Nervous? You're telling me that, you, Kuroba Kaito, a compulsive trickster who tends to get into trouble with the ladies for his perverted habits, is too nervous to talk to his own childhood friend?" Hakuba questioned, incredulously. "If that's so, then I guess I got you all wrong." Hakuba commented.
"What do you mean?" Kaito inquired, confused.
"Well, after observing you, I thought you were a popular and confident yet rather cheeky teenage boy. Someone who isn't afraid to stand up for what he believes in and do what he thinks is right. Someone who seeks to bring fun and happiness with him wherever he goes, so he can share it with the world. Someone who always gets what he wants, no matter what." Hakuba described. "Always." Hakuba repeated, leaning in, slightly. "But, maybe my deductions were off this time." Hakuba surmised as he pulled back and turned away, crossing his arms and closing his eyes in the process.
"Like hell they were!" Kaito cried, suddenly, slamming his hands down onto his desk, making others turn and stare at him. Kaito apologised as he rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly, before turning back towards Hakuba who was smirking with one eye open. "Look, you were right, okay? Kuroba Kaito is not someone who runs away when the going gets tough and he is not going to start now!" Kaito stated, clenching his right fist in determination.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Hakuba queried, holding his hand up to his right ear as he leaned towards Kaito.
"You should've been listening the first time because you're not going to hear it again." Kaito returned, making Hakuba chuckle.
"I'm glad you've taken on board what I said." Hakuba responded with a small smile.
"You know what, I'm going to go talk to Aoko right now!" Kaito decided as the bell for class rang. "Or, maybe I'll wait until school's over." Kaito relented as he sat down with a sheepish chuckle before Hakuba stood to head back to his own desk. "Hakuba!" Kaito called over his shoulder.
"Yeah?" Hakuba replied, turning back.
"Why were you being so nice to me? All I've ever done is annoy the hell out of you." Kaito pointed out.
"While that may be true, I know what it's like to be in love, Kuroba-kun." Hakuba answered as he turned back around and continued on his route to the back of the classroom.
"Kaito." Kaito corrected causing Hakuba to stop in his tracks. "Call me Kaito. If we're, you know, gonna be friends and all." Kaito told him, making Hakuba smirk as he carried on walking.
"Aoko!" Kaito shouted, catching up to her in the school grounds just before she left through the gates. Quickly saying bye to her friends, she turned around and crossed her arms, staring at him with a bored expression on her face.
'At least she's not ignoring me.' Kaito thought, staying positive.
"Can I talk to you?" Kaito requested.
"About what? How sorry you are, that you want Aoko to forgive you or the next KID heist?" Aoko wondered.
"The what?" Kaito said, confused.
"Oh don't give Aoko that. You know exactly what Aoko's talking about." Aoko claimed as Kaito took out his tablet and searched on the internet.
"KID's next heist target, The Angel's Eye, is being displayed at Ekoda Museum this week." Kaito read. "I swear, I have nothing to do with this." Kaito promised.
"Yeah. Right," Aoko deadpanned as she turned around and walked off. Conflicted, Kaito stood there for a few moments before he decided on his next course of action.
"I need to talk to Jii-chan," Kaito mumbled to himself as he ran off in the opposite direction to Aoko. Halting her steps, Aoko turned around as she smirked at Kaito's back.
"Jii-chan!" Kaito yelled as he burst into the Blue Parrot, startling Jii awake. "Jii-chan, have you seen the news?" "Kaito asked as he ran over to the bar.
"No, why?" Jii questioned.
"KID sent another notice!" Kaito informed, handing Jii the tablet.
"Nani!?" Jii shouted, looking at the news. "What are you going to do, Bocchama? You said you weren't going to pull another heist until after it was announced that the jewel you returned was a fake." Jii reminded.
"True, but you know that I can't just sit back and let someone else tarnish my name." Kaito responded. "Besides, pulling off another heist will wave away the organisation's suspicions, for now, which gives me time to get the rest of my life sorted, first." Kaito added. "The only thing is, with mine and Aoko's friendship in pieces, it's going to be difficult to get a look at the heist notice." Kaito realised as his phone buzzed. Blinking, Kaito took his phone out of his pocket and looked at the picture of the envelope on the screen. "Mēruda?" Kaito whispered, confused, as he opened it and read its contents. "It's from Hakuba!" Kaito cried, gratefully, without thinking before he blinked and looked over at Jii who was giving him a strange look. "Uh, long story," Kaito murmured, laughing awkwardly. "Anyway, he sent me a copy of the heist notice." Kaito finished, placing his phone on the table. The heist notice read:
'On the eve of the Sabbath day, when the forces of the North and the West stand tall, I will steal heaven's gemstone and summon the wings of white.'
The notice was signed with the signature Kaitou KID doodle except the hair was made longer, so that it looked similar to a girl with her hair brought onto one side.
"You go and plan the heist and then I will make the necessary preparations." Jii instructed after they worked out the details of the note.
"Arigatō, Jii-chan." Kaito thanked him as he smiled and nodded at him before leaving the bar. As soon as he left, Jii picked up his phone and dialled a number.
"He's taken the bait. Everything is going to plan." Jii told the person before hanging up.
"Alright, KID will be arriving at 9pm, so stay alert. The time now is…" Inspector Nakamori trailed off as he looked at his watch.
"Saturday, April 24th, 2015 AD, 20:55:37:06. 04:22:04 until KID's scheduled time." Hakuba answered, annoying Inspector Nakamori with his attention to time. He was dressed in his usual inverness costume.
"Keibu, are you sure that KID will come? You said it yourself that it was a fake notice, after all." One of Nakamori's officers pointed out.
"KID will turn up whenever his name is used, so stop asking stupid questions!" Inspector Nakamori roared, scaring the officer as he ran back to his post. "There's no way KID will get past my new security system." Inspector Nakamori announced, proudly. "The jewel is sealed away in a steel box which is then locked inside five other steel boxes. The boxes are then wrapped up in chains and the locks used can only be opened by this key." Inspector Nakamori explained as he showed everyone the key that he was holding tightly in his fist. As Inspector Nakamori did last minute checks, the lights suddenly blacked out. 10 seconds later, the lights came back on and all the boxes were left open with the chain lying on the floor. Calmly walking over to the boxes, Hakuba reached in and took out the note as he read aloud:
'The empyrean jewel has fallen from the celestial city and into my hands.' 'Kaitou KID'
"Nani!?" Inspector Nakamori bellowed as he snatched the note from Hakuba and reread it before crumpling it up and tossing it aside in anger. "Go after him! He's out there somewhere!" Inspector Nakamori ordered, pointing towards the exit.
"Hai!" The officers replied as they ran out of the building with Inspector Nakamori right behind them. Once they were gone, Hakuba looked back at the upper level staircase and smirked.
'It's all up to you now.' Hakuba thought as he placed his hands in his pockets and leisurely strolled out.
As soon as Kaito stepped out onto the rooftop, he spotted the imposter leaning, casually, against the railing with their long dark hair and cape blowing gently behind them.
"I see you figured out the meaning of my heist notice." The imposter observed.
"Of course. The Sabbath day is Sunday which is seen by Christians as a day of rest. Therefore, 'the eve of the Sabbath day' would indicate Saturday. 'When the forces of the North and the West stand tall' refers to the clock face when the minute hand is pointing north and the hour hand is pointing west which means the time is 9pm. As for 'summon the wings of white' that could be interpreted two ways. The first being that Inspector Nakamori would read it and believe that I was trying to trick them into thinking I would fly off on my hang glider, so he would look into other means of escape. The second, and actual meaning, being that you wished to speak with me in the one place you knew the police wouldn't look. The rooftop." Kaito deduced, making the imposter smirk.
"Then I'm glad you accepted my invitation." The imposter responded as they turned around. Kaito's eyes widened and his jaw fell slack as he drank in the appearance of his attractive masquerader. The Kaitou KID lookalike wore the same upper body clothing, but instead of trousers she wore a white skater skirt with a blue frill hem accompanied by a pair of white knee-high, high high-heeled leather boots with a blue rim. The white top hat lay atop her head and the monocle covered her right eye, but her face remained concealed by the dark shadows of the night. "Like what you see?" The imposter purred as she slowly began to approach Kaito.
"No! I was just surprised to see you were a girl that's all." Kaito responded, slightly flustered, turning his head away.
"Well, now you know, what do you say we have some fun?" The imposter proposed, coming closer still.
"No. I can't." Kaito said, head still turned to the side, jumping when he felt her breath on his skin.
"Sure you can. I won't tell anyone," The imposter whispered, seductively, into his ear as she placed a hand on his chest and leaned towards him causing his cheeks to flush.
"No." Kaito repeated, more firmly, as he grabbed her shoulders and pushed the lookalike away until she was at arm's length, taking her by surprise. "I'm sorry, but I already love someone else. She's the most amazing girl in the world and I was stupid to let her go, but one thing for sure is that I'll love her 'til the day I die and I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to her if I have to." Kaito confessed, making her smile.
"Then it's a good thing that she's already forgiven you." The imposter informed as she removed the top hat and monocle to reveal her true face.
"A-Aoko…" Kaito breathed, shocked. Smiling, Aoko held out her arms causing the rest of Kaito's resolve to crumble as he stepped forward and took her into his arms, holding her tightly as he nuzzled his face into her neck. In response, she looped her arms around his neck and buried her nose in his hair. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry," Kaito mumbled.
"No, Aoko's the one who's sorry. Aoko knows how hard it must have been for you to tell her the truth about Kaitou KID, but all she did was shout at you and throw you out." Aoko apologised, making Kaito pull back.
"Aoko, you have nothing to be sorry for. I understand completely why you reacted the way you did and I assure you that it was fully justified." Kaito told her, looking her straight in the eye.
"But, Aoko knows that Kaito no tou-san was very important to Kaito and she should've at least given you the chance to explain." Aoko protested.
"It's fine, honestly. If I was in your shoes, I probably would have reacted the exact same way you did, if not worse." Kaito reassured, rubbing her upper arms in a comforting manner. "I guess I just stupidly believed that you'd forgive me and then we could be together," Kaito murmured, looking down as he dropped his arms.
"It wasn't stupid, Kaito." Aoko replied, lifting his chin so that his eyes would meet hers. "Aoko does forgive you and do you know why?" Aoko questioned.
"Why?" Kaito wondered.
"Aoko loves you and unlike Pandora, her love for you will never die." Aoko declared as she removed his top hat and monocle before cupping both his cheeks with her hands.
"Kaito loves you too. More than you could ever know." Kaito revealed, smiling, making Aoko giggle for copying the way she speaks. "Aoko, can I ask you something?" Kaito asked.
"Sure." Aoko agreed.
"Is this a dream? Because if it is, I don't ever want to wake up." Kaito queried.
"Aoko doesn't know, you tell her. Does this feel like a dream to you?" Aoko inquired as she shoved Kaito up against the rooftop door and forcefully pressed her lips against his. Taken aback, Kaito froze, but after a moment, reality caught up with him and he responded eagerly. Kaito deepened the kiss as he wrapped his arms around Aoko's waist and pulled her flush against his chest. In response, Aoko threaded her gloved fingers through Kaito's hair when she felt a wet sensation sweep across her lips. Parting her lips, Aoko moaned as she felt Kaito's tongue glide over hers and fisted her hands in his hair causing him to groan. As the fervent moment between them prolonged, the two adults pulled into each other, close enough to form one being, scared of what might happen if they let go. The fierce vortex of emotions, incited by dangerous secrets, intensified the kiss by immense magnitudes as the pair restored their unbreakable connection and filled it with unspoken promises and revived passion. When the need for Oxygen overcame the ardent feelings of lust and desire, the two of them broke apart and rested their foreheads against each other.
"Whoa. I was not expecting that," Kaito breathed, panting hard. "I always thought our first kiss would be more shy and nervous." Kaito admitted.
"So did Aoko, but you try going cold turkey from the main constant in your life and then having to keep your raging hormones in check." Aoko returned as she felt the heat rise to her cheeks.
"Speaking of hormones, you've certainly got mine going," Kaito remarked as he pulled back and leered at her causing Aoko's cheeks to flare up in embarrassment. "You're going to have to wear this outfit more often…" Kaito trailed off as he leaned in towards her. "KIDette," Kaito whispered, huskily, as he squeezed Aoko's butt causing her to squeak in surprise.
"Pervert!" Aoko shrieked, slapping his arm.
"True, but I'm your pervert." Kaito commented with a wink, making Aoko roll her eyes.
"That you are," Aoko sighed, fondly shaking her head, as Kaito remembered something.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention it earlier, but that heist notice of yours was pretty well done for your first try." Kaito complimented.
"Well, Aoko's glad that you finally took notice of her intelligence…" Aoko started as she crossed her arms and closed her eyes, proudly, but then dropped them as she averted her eyes. "…but, Aoko may have had some help from Hakuba-kun," Aoko finished, sheepishly, as she scratched her cheek.
"Hakuba again?" Kaito questioned. "That guy's been helping me out a lot recently and considering what I've done to him in the past, God knows I don't deserve it." Kaito recalled. "Oh man, I'm going to owe him for the rest of my life." Kaito realised, dropping his head onto Aoko's shoulder.
"Actually, Aoko realised that too and asked Hakuba-kun if there was anything she could do for him, but all he said was that he didn't need anything because helping Aoko out would provide him with the chance to be with the object of his affections." Aoko remembered.
"Object of his affections?" Kaito repeated, confused. Aoko nodded and took his hand as she dragged him over to the edge of rooftop, pointing down below. Peering over the edge, Kaito spotted a certain blonde brit who was enthusiastically conversing with a particular purple-haired beauty who was giggling with a faint blush on her cheeks. "Akako!?" Kaito cried, incredulously.
"Yep! Aren't they just the cutest couple!?" Aoko cooed, clasping her hands in front of her.
"Cute? More like weird," Kaito muttered, making a face. "He has to be insane to go out with her! I mean, does he even know that she's a-" Kaito pointed out, but managed to stop himself before he blurted out her secret.
"That she's a what?" Aoko asked.
"That she's a psychopath!" Kaito answered, mentally berating himself.
"Kaito!" Aoko shouted, disapprovingly.
"Sorry. A crazy psychopath." Kaito corrected.
"Kaito, don't be mean to Akako-chan," Aoko reprimanded. "Aoko thinks Hakuba-kun and Akako-chan will make a great couple. Hakuba-kun's a complete gentlemen who will love and care for Akako-chan with all his heart. As for Akako-chan, she may look like she enjoys all the attention that she gets from boys, but really, all she wants is for one person to make her feel special." Aoko explained, making Kaito smile. "What?" Aoko queried, tilting her head to the side, innocently.
"You always like to see the good in people, don't you? I missed that," Kaito murmured causing Aoko to blush before a distressed look crossed her face.
"Aoko, what's wrong?" Kaito inquired, his eyebrows knitting together in worry, as Aoko suddenly found the floor to be very interesting.
"Kaito, remember when you told Aoko about the people looking for Pandora?" Aoko whispered, shuffling her feet, awkwardly. "If you have Pandora, does that mean those guys are still out there?" Aoko wondered, looking up at him with a wavering gaze. Feeling a wave of uneasiness pass through him, Kaito stepped back and turned away from her.
"That's not for you to worry about, Aoko," Kaito stated, firmly, as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"But it is, Kaito!" Aoko protested as she leaned her face on his back and hugged him from behind, catching him off guard. "Aoko knows that you don't shoot anyone because you don't want anyone to get hurt, but not all criminals are as considerate as you. Please, Kaito. You don't know what it's like, sitting and home and waiting for tou-san, not knowing whether he's going to come back or not. Aoko's already gone through that with him, she can't go through with you as well." Aoko pleaded. Shocked and thoroughly moved by her words, Kaito sighed in defeat.
"Alright, you can help," Kaito surrendered causing Aoko to pull back with a smile on her face. "But, only from the sidelines, you hear. I'm not going to risk losing you again." Kaito told her.
"Aoko understands, but don't worry, Kaito, you're not going to lose Aoko." Aoko reassured as she gave him a comforting squeeze.
"You're damn right I'm not. After everything that's happened, I'm never letting you go again." Kaito informed as he wrapped his arms around her, tightly.
"Kaito," Aoko sighed, giggling.
"Aoko, I know I've probably said this a thousand times already, but I really am sorry for hurting you, it's just that-" Kaito began, but was cut off by a voice.
'When it comes to love, I'm a total idiot.'
Aoko stopped the recording and smirked, knowingly, at him as Kaito realised something.
"Jii recorded that!" Kaito cried, flushing in embarrassment. "Give that to me!" Kaito ordered as he made a grab for the phone.
"No way!" Aoko refused, holding the phone out of his reach. "Coming from you, a confession like this is priceless!" Aoko remarked, laughing. "You know, even though Hakuba-kun says he doesn't want anything, Aoko's sure this would be payment enough." Aoko added as an afterthought causing Kaito to gasp.
"You wouldn't," Kaito muttered, narrowing his eyes at her.
"Oh, but Aoko would," Aoko responded, teasingly.
"Come here," Kaito growled as he surged forward, in an attempt to get the phone, causing them both to fall during the struggle. Faces only inches apart, their breaths hitched as their pupils dilated. Fully comprehending their position, the phone soon became the last thing on Kaito's mind as he grinned, predatorily, before claiming Aoko's lips with his own in a fiery kiss, leaving them both gasping for breath. As he pulled away, a mischievous grin played on his lips. "You know, seeing as we're alone, what do you say we have some fun of our own?" Kaito proposed, walking his fingers up and down Aoko's right thigh.
"Oh no, you're not getting full body access until after we're married." Aoko stated, as she pinched his hand and pushed him away from her.
"Are you being serious!?" Kaito exclaimed as Aoko stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes.
"Dead serious." Aoko confirmed as she began walking towards the rooftop door, picking her hat and monocle up along the way.
"What about half access?" Kaito compromised.
"Nope," Aoko sang as she left through the door, making Kaito groan.
"Aoko, wait! Let's talk about this!" Kaito called as he grabbed his own monocle and hat and ran after her.
Hope you enjoyed it! This took quite a while to write. Please R&R! Here are the Japanese translations:
Ja ne – See ya
Keibu – Inspector
Tantei-kun – Detective-kun
Gome (short for Gomen'nasai) – I'm sorry
Matte – Wait
Tou-san/Oyaji – Father
Kaa-san – Mother
Kirei – Pretty
Ohayō – Good morning
Arigatō – Thank you
Shine – Die
Oi – Hey
Bocchama – Young master
Kaito-Bocchama – Young master Kaito
Tonikaku – Anyway
Nani – What
Mēruda – Email
Hai – Yes
xBandanaRosesx