Why did Shuichi agree to this?

The boy could clearly remember this morning's conversation with a friend of his. Kaito Mamota had come to him with an issue; he was going to be away all day and the girl whom normally babysat Kokichi for him called in sick. Shuichi knew that Kaito's cousin, well half-cousin, was living with Kaito's family for the time being. He didn't know the specifics, just that it had to do with the boys parents. He deduced the most likely option to have been a divorce, but he didn't want to pry.

Kaito didn't have time to find another babysitter, and his usual choice, Maki, simply could not stand his cousin for some unknown reason to the other boys. Shuichi didn't have anything else planned. How hard could it be to watch a toddler? Besides, he would be helping his friend! He knew if it were him, Kaito would definitely help. So he agreed without missing a beat!

He'd only seen the toddler a few times, and on every occasion, the child seemed to flat out ignore him. Shuichi, didn't expect the kid to suddenly start responding to him now, and he was right. He had not anticipated that Kokichi would be so devious!

Shuichi could barely take his eyes of the child for a second, or he immediately start crawling towards the exit! He grabbed everything he could reach and chewed on it. The boy detective knew that was normal for a teething toddler, but what was not normal, was throwing the objects he could not eat! In some cases it almost seemed as if the child was trying to intentionally cause him grief! He knew the kid was barely even two though, there was no way he could intentionally be that malicious.

Only an hour into the day however, Shuichi made his first crucial mistake. Kokichi just suddenly burst into tears! He couldn't understand why, trying to make the kid stop, and failing. The child just kept crying, and asking what was wrong didn't seem to work either. Kokichi just didn't seem to talk at all, or even try to. He could only assume he was hungry. So, put the toddler into a play pen so he could head to the kitchen and make him a snack of some kind.

'What do toddlers even eat?', Shuichi thought. Just to be safe, he tried to find something the kid wouldn't have to chew. Luckily, he found a tub of yogurt in the refrigerator, perfect! He put some into a small bowl, setting it on the counter as he went to fetch the toddler for his snack. There was just one issue however.

Kokichi wasn't in his pen anymore. Did he climb out? He couldn't be far, it's not like the kid could open doors. Searching around however yielded no results. Where could he have gone? Shuichi wasn't in the kitchen for all that long, and there were not many places Kokichi could have hidden! He checked behind the couch, under the coffee table, even under every blanket and pillow. Yet the small child was nowhere to be found!

Worry was beginning to take over Shuichi's at first calm demeanor. Where could that kid have gone? He couldn't have gotten upstairs, right? Yeah, even if he could manage to scale the stairs, the door was still firmly shut. Unless he could close doors behind him... No, that would be ridiculous! This was a two year old child! It wouldn't cross his mind to play tricks on Shuichi. He was likely just curiously exploring. But still, how could Shuichi not find him? His mind was going in circles. Where could that kid have possibly gone that Shuichi has yet to check?

Despite his restless search around the house and growing concern, it was no amount of his own effort that caused him to find the toddler. Rather, it was the kid's own error. It was Kokichi's own incessant giggling that gave him away. After discovering the child's location, Shuichi realized several things, incredulously. He first realized that there was no way he would have found the child if not for his slip up, next that he was right for worrying, third that perhaps he should pay more attention, and last but not least, that he should not have ever doubted the kid's capabilities! He had many questions, but one stuck out most of all. How was he going to get the toddler down!?

Much to Shuichi's disbelief, he found the kid on top of the fridge! How someone, much less a toddler managed that, he had no idea. He didn't know why Kokichi would even want to get on top of the fridge in the first place. All he knew was that there was a small two year old in a checkered onesie who was sitting high atop the refrigerator, manically giggling at his own confusion and shock!

Shuichi had to get him down somehow. If he fell he could really hurt himself! Not only that but, he couldn't even imagine what kind of trouble he would be in if the boy's family found out. However, the detective had never been known to be very tall, and just trying to reach up and retrieve the boy was more likely to hurt them both somehow.

So, he pulled over a chair, and stood on it to grab the kid. Though Kokichi squirmed in Shuichi's grasp, making it hard to hold him, he never stopped laughing, or even showed any other signs of objection. Exasperated and tired, Shuichi set Kokichi down into the baby chair by the table, and put the yogurt in front of him, sitting at the table and watching him closely. Though he expected the naughty toddler to fling the food at him at this point, like the toys he had done so with earlier, to his astonishment, the kid actually started eating the food. Mind, it was with his hands rather than the spoon he had provided, but it was still much better than he expected!

Shuichi sighed, glancing to the stove top for the time. It had only been around and hour and ten minutes? What had he signed up for...

"Ank yu!"

The detective turned immediately in confusion to grinning toddler. Did he just... Kokichi can talk?

This was going to be a long day...