This chapter would be better appreciated after re-reading Volume 44: Files 7-10 (Chapter 453-456), especially File 10 (Chaper 456) since it is where this chapter takes place. Actually, I implore you to read this chapter and the manga together.

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"Trust me on this. Last night, I thought up a great plan!" Suzuki Jirokichi said, trying to assure Inspector Nakamori to go along with his plan without too much fuss.

"Uncle Jirokichi! Are you going to transport the sculpture somewhere else?" The little brat looked up at Kaito and asked in his sickeningly sweet voice. Conan does a really good impression of an innocent kid, Kaito admits. But knowing that it isn't his actual voice made the act look exceptionally repulsive to listen to. Too bad he was still the old man, so he'd have to suffer through this tedious act.

Maybe when he and the kid are alone, then he'd be able to get him to drop the facade. There was no way Conan will pass up the chance to accompany Jirokichi for an opportunity to catch KID.

"May I pleeeaseee go with you? I want to witness your great capture of KID!" Conan continued speaking, with a guileless expression on his adolescent face, his arms flailing excitedly.

Kaito chuckled inwardly, while Suzuki Jirokichi's face was schooled into an expression of delight. "Bahahahaha! Of course, of course! I'd need a good witness for my magnificent plan, my boy." Kaito answered in a perfect imitation of Jirokichi's loud booming voice and intonation. This was the perfect opportunity to be alone with Conan.

The boy was such a manipulator, making use of the old man's love of recognition and flattery. No doubt if the real Suzuki Jirokichi were standing here, he'd give Conan the same response.

'As expected, you really can't let your guard down with this kid.' Kaito thought to himself. If he was so insistent on following Jirokichi, he must at least have suspicions that he was an imposter.

He deliberately walked ahead of Conan when leading him to where the old man's motorcycle was in order to hide his face from view. Despite the confidence he had in his Poker Face, Kaito was really quite afraid of slipping up in front of the mini detective. That deadpan manner that the boy looked at things and people may make him seem detached or bored. But Kaito knew (from experience) that that wasn't the case at all. Now every time he saw the boy looking at him with that blasé stare, he had this unsettling feeling that he was seeing through whichever disguise he has donned.

That gaze put him on edge like nothing else would. More than an angry Aoko with a broom. And more than those fi-fi-finny things.

No. Wait. Kaito had forgotten. There was another who had made him this excited before. That one time, rather long ago, at a certain clock tower... That high school detective!

Never had Kaito expected that not only one, but two people in this world could upset his composure to this extent. It might've made him seem a little pathetic and less capable as a magician. Yet, knowing that there were people capable of unsettling him didn't make Kaito feel down at all. In fact, he was exhilarated.

His delusion of infallible human beings existing was shattered a long time ago anyways, when Dad... He has long accepted that no one can be perfect. Any such expectations will only hurt both the person expecting and the one expected to be such a ridiculous thing. That's why Kaito was quite happy to have what others might've called weak points—

No, these two should be called his... rivals?

"Uncle Jirokichi!" Conan whined uncharacteristically, "Your legs are too long, I can't keep up with your walking pace! Anyways, the car park is that way."

"I've got to retrieve the sculpture first, boy. You wait here. I don't want to attract too much attention with a kid around." Kaito turned back to speak to Conan before briskly walking away. Of course, making sure that his gait was one of a rich old geezer like Jirokichi.

Kudo Shinichi, if you don't appear soon for another duel, you're going to be replaced by a child.

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When Kaito got on the highway on Jirokichi's Harley, he let out a hearty laugh. The Task force just made it so easy. He'd have to treat Jii to dinner sometime since he did most of the work today and—

A boyish chuckle.

It couldn't be.

And all the trouble Kaito took to leave the brat behind.

A small pair of googles poked out from under the heavy tarp covering the sidecar of the Harley. Then, the tarp was removed and Conan sat up of the sidecar seat. He even stretched and yawned as if this was all in a day's work, little munchkin.

"What's so funny, Mister Thief?" Conan said in mock nonchalance.

The game was up. Not that Kaito was surprised, anymore anyways. He said his denials regardless, to give his now proclaimed rival a chance to explain his deduction. He had to look like he put in some effort, or else the little detective might feel a bit slighted. This one seems to love explaining his thought processes just like Hakuba. Some sort of detective tendency? Or a habit from being surrounded by idiots that need everything spelled out for them?

Kaito's mind wandered to the mischievous smirk Conan wore on his face. He was still listening to the boy talk of course, nodding and replying whenever necessary. He was a gentleman thief after all (and pretty good at multi-tasking). But he knew the boy would be impeccable in his deduction, this was something he knew for sure despite the limited meetings they had, so he let his thoughts run as they pleased. Now wasn't the time to be on guard, that would come a bit later, after the talking ended.

Just a casual observation, but from the time at the Magician Lovers Club and at the Sunset Mansion, Conan seemed to have this mischievous smirk on his face whenever he figured out something important. Who knows? This little piece of information might come useful in their next encounter.

Oh, looks like playtime is over. Trust the boy to pick up on something so small as googles. There was no need to hide anymore, so Kaito ripped off his disguise and put on the very googles that gave him away.

As soon as the mask was gone, Kaito found himself at the end of Conan's tranquilliser dart-watch thing.

"No wonder it's called 'Blue Wonder'! It helped me escape from the blue sky." Kaito said with a grin on his face. He knew Conan wouldn't let his guard down no matter what he said. That wasn't Kaito's intention. He just wanted to speak to the boy some more by delaying the inevitable.

And when he suggested that the blue of the ocean, where the name 'Blue Wonder' came from, is the same as the sky, Conan's response was immediate.

"Stupid. The sky is blue because of light waves, not because of the sky." All the while the watch face pointed at Kaito's exposed neck. Gosh, the kid was so cute at times like this. Kaito would've laughed out loud if he thought the kid wouldn't feel offended. Conan looked at Kaito as if he was saying 'Shame on you, a world-renowned thief. How can you not have a basic understanding of physics?'

"Fish tank water not being blue proves my point!" Conan continued his explanation. He's even giving examples as if Kaito didn't believe him! Oh how Kaito would love to continue teasing him if he didn't need to escape being thrown in jail by a 7 year old. Although he felt a bit bad for doing this to a kid, he had no qualms that Conan would be able to avoid getting mauled by the detachment of the sidecar. It was the only way he could think of to escape anyways.

"Goodbye Detective! Keep the jewel for now. Actually I didn't really want the jewel. I just wanted to have a duel with you." Kaito said his farewell as he watched Conan struggle with the now mono-wheeled sidecar (just in case the mini detective couldn't get away safely).

Drip. Drip. Drip. Oh no.

"Goddamned brat." But Kaito said those words with a small smile on his face.

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Thank you for reading, especially if you've gone through the trouble to re-read the manga chapters. The line break jibberish is actually a simple code. Those who can solve it and tell me from where the answer came from will get... er... recognition? Also, thank you very much for the reviews and follows/favourites, they are responsible for my fast updates.