Detective Conan and Magic Kaito characters, settings, and ideas do not belong to me but to Aoyama Gōshō.
Gestures of Kindness
By Taliya
Epilogue
Panic—and pain—were probably the best descriptors for that night. That one night that changed Kudou Shinichi's life entirely, in ways that he had not thought was possible. The evening had started off well enough—his best friend Mouri Ran had just won first place in the Metropolitan Karate Championships that afternoon, and to celebrate the pair had visited Tropical Land. Then came the murder on the roller coaster, followed by his curiosity getting the best of him and sending him tearing after the two suspicious men in back—which then led to him being shrunk from a sixteen-year-old teenager into a six-year-old boy.
He had panicked, fleeing the park and blindly running home in his oversized clothing as rain began to fall from the heavy clouds above, which compounded with the throbbing ache of his head, only worsened his mood. Along the way he had tripped on his hem, and only then, when he caught his reflection in a window, had his situation truly set in. And now he somehow had an oddly helpful, internationally wanted phantom thief who specialized in disguises in his home.
I've seriously lost my fucking marbles. That or that guy hit my head harder than I thought. He regarded the phantom thief, watching his body language for signs of deception, but failing to find any, headed upstairs to change clothing and find a first aid kit. His head still pounded furiously. He returned to the library and allowed the thief to dress his wounds. Shinichi noted how KID carefully kept from leaving any trace of himself in the home. When the phone rang, the detective knew instantly it was Ran; no one else would call him at this hour. Instinct had him running to answer it when arms clapped around him, keeping him from reaching the phone. He panicked, knowing that once the call rolled over to the answering machine, his identity would be handed to the thief on a silver platter.
"You're supposed to be dead, remember?" KID whispered, and all the fight bled from Shinichi's small body. It was over. The answering machine played his prerecorded message, and Shinichi had never so much wanted to wake up from this living nightmare his life had become. He docilely allowed KID to tend to him, all the while numbly acknowledging that KID now held all the cards. When the thief had finished wrapping his head in gauze, KID stood across from him, head tilted in curiosity. "So what's your verdict?" he asked gently. "I will, of course, never reveal your identity regardless, as I assuredly do not want you dead." He sighed, frowning. "I got you wet again," he muttered dejectedly.
Resolve strengthened within him, forming an iron backbone for him to use. "You know who I am now," he stated, taking a deep breath. "A name and a face." He would settle for no less.
KID regarded him solemnly. "You're sure? You can, even now, find someone else to help you, and I will forget you ever existed."
Suspicion curled within him. No one was that altruistic. No one. "You know already, and at this juncture I think it's best to keep that number as low as possible."
The thief gazed at him before replying, "Fair enough. You promise to keep my identity secret and won't turn me in? I have a lot more to lose than you do, being an internationally wanted criminal and all." His eyes hardened. "You would be considered an accessory after the fact."
Shinichi clearly understood the warning, and despite himself felt touched by KID's consideration. "I understand," he replied, his resolve unwavering. "But I am also not stupid enough to bite the hand that feeds me. It's definitely the lesser of evils, at any rate." Simply because you aren't a known murderer. Hopping off the couch, he took a deep breath. There is no going back after this, even though Kaitou KID knows my identity. Staring the thief in the eyes, he stated clearly, "Kudou Shinichi, detective."
It had been a shock to see Kaitou KID's true face, but everything paled in comparison to the sheer terror he felt upon hearing Ran's voice in echoing in his home's hallways. Kuroba Kaito had flown into action upon hearing her voice, hauling him outside and taking care of any evidence of their presence in the house. Shinichi barely remembered anything about the trip to Kaito's home, beyond exhausted from the events of the evening. Upon waking Shinichi had discovered that he was no longer allowed to drink coffee—upset did not even begin to describe how he felt.
"I have to—wait what?!" Shinichi shrieked, fully waking up after processing Kaito's comment. "Why do I have to give it up?"
Kaito continued watching the crêpe batter on the griddle. "Normal six year olds do not drink coffee, much less enjoy black coffee the way you do. If you were closer to fifteen or so, it'd be reasonable since that's when students have to start worrying about entrance exams for high school. Then they start cramming to boost grades and use caffeine to stay awake. But at six years?" Shinichi felt his stomach sink in disappointment. "And to be frank, we've no idea how long you are going to be in this situation. You're going to have to figure out another way to get your morning jump start, Shinichi-san."
The detective let loose a torrent of words that were, in many ways, anatomically impossible, and the magician whistled. "You hang around Nakamori-keibu often? I can't imagine that you'd learn that anywhere else," he remarked with a grin.
Shinichi sorely wished he could strangle his host at the moment. "Shut up," he snarled.
"Che," the magician scoffed. "You know, you're making it rather difficult for me to remember why I'm bothering to help you in the first place…" Kaito set the crêpes on the table, along with strawberries, powdered sugar, and chocolate syrup before reaching for the detective's head. "Hold still, I want to check your head."
Once Kaito had sat down, Shinichi watched in amazement and disgust at the sheer amount of sugar he piled on his crêpe. "You're going to go into diabetic shock," he muttered, eyes glued to Kaito's concoction. "Either that or you're going to get extremely fat."
Kaito scoffed before winking. "High metabolism. That and a lot of running around helps keep my girlish figure."
Discussing Shinichi's past had been… traumatizing, to say the least. The phantom thief had given him a no holds barred questioning that had him by turns shocked, embarrassed, annoyed, and offended, amongst other reactions elicited by Kaito's questions. But seriously, he groused, did he really need to know if I've slept with anyone?
Kaito had begun lecturing on the finer points of disguising. "Aspects of your personality that are hardwired and not easily changed—my personal definition, at least. For instance, your insatiable need to investigate everything under the sun if it happens under your nose; your desire to protect others at the expense of your own health; your obsessive love for all things soccer and Sherlock Holmes; your curiosity turning your normally logical self into someone impulsive and even reckless; your longstanding crush on Mouri Ran-san that sometimes turns you into a blushing idiot—"
"Oi!" I do not turn into a blushing idiot around Ran! … do I?
"—your inability to sing despite the fact that you have a decent ear; you know, things like that," Kaito continued with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Those are things I need to take into consideration and work around in order to build your disguise. So, what name would you like to go by?" He grinned sneakily, and Shinichi felt nothing good could come from that smirk. "I'll even be nice and let you keep your gender."
"What?!" He was kidding. He had to be kidding. Gods, he hoped the thief was kidding!
Kaito shrugged. "Your disguise would separate you that much more from Kudou Shinichi if you could pretend to be female. But as your acting ability is far from satisfactory, I'm letting that option slide. Though, you have a surprising flair for the dramatic—probably from your mom. I'm thinking a somewhat distant relative to Kudou Shinichi. Any surnames off the top of your head from your family tree?"
Shinichi shook his head. "My parents were both the only children of their parents. So as far as I know, I don't have any cousins."
"Excellent. That makes it a lot easier for me, then," Kaito said.
This can't be good. "You?"
"Yes, me. How else would your new alter ego exist without the appropriate paperwork?" he asked with a chuckle.
"You're going to forge official documentation?" I am not allowed to murder him.
It killed him to think that he could have passed for a nearly identical twin to Kaitou KID. It rankled even more to be passed off as KID's younger brother.
"Will you stop that?" Shinichi—now Conan—snapped as he tried to fix his hair once again.
"We're supposed to look like we're related," Kaito said nonchalantly, redistributing the shopping bags. "Having hair that resembles mine will reinforce that image."
He glared at the magician through his glasses. "I get that, but I don't want to run around looking like a 'Mini-Me' of you!"
"Oi!" Kaito said, though he imitated Dr. Evil's infamous gesture, "I'll have you know I cut a rather dashing figure, if I do say so myself. You should be thankful that you'll grow up to look like me, Conan-kun!"
Conan gagged. "Gods, you are so full of yourself, Kaitou-nii-san. How do you ever manage to stay upright with a head as big as yours?"
Kaito smirked. "You're one to talk with your ostentatious deduction shows, Meitantei-san," he remarked softly.
The comment instantly brought his situation to the fore. "Don't," he snapped, feeling his heart clench in his chest. "Just… don't. That's not who I am… not anymore."
Kaito swiftly steered him off to the side of the pavement and knelt before him. "Don't start Shinichi-san," he said softly but sternly. "Don't start thinking you'll never get back to where you used to be. If you allow yourself to lose hope from the very onset, you've lost the war before it's even started."
Shinichi knew he was right, but could not yet face the facts. Not yet. "Look at me," the magician gently commanded, and the detective hesitantly obeyed. "Shinichi-san, keep in mind that by all rights you should be dead. But you're not. You've been de-aged, true, but you're still alive. You're still here, and therefore you still have a chance to expose them and take them down, right?"
"Yeah," Shinichi agreed, seeing the determination in Kaito's eyes. "You're right. I just… I should know better…" I just need to treat this like another case, except… the victim is me this time.
"It happens to the best of us," Kaito said kindly. "You're in an unprecedented situation; it's expected that you would react somehow to it. But just… don't lose sight of what you still have, yeah? And besides," he added conspiratorially, "since you've teamed up with the internationally infamous Kaitou KID, it's possible the impossible can become possible—ne, Conan-kun?" He finished it off with a wink.
"You are impossible," he said wryly, his mood grudgingly perking up.
"I aim to please," Kaito sang. Straightening, he said with an extended hand, "Come on. Let's find a snack to eat, my treat. What would you like? Personally I like ice cream, the more chocolate the better."
"I don't really like sweets," Shinichi absently replied.
The detective was jerked to a halt. "You… don't… like… sweets…?" Kaito asked, horror on his face. "You don't like sweets?! How could you possibly even say such—such blasphemy?! Wait, how am I even related to you again?!"
I should have known Kaito would be a veritable drama queen, Conan thought, wishing in his mortification that he could sink into the ground. "Nii-san," he murmured, feeling his face flush under the stare of passersby, "would you mind stop making a spectacle of yourself?"
"But you don't have a love of all things sugary and sweet! Why do I have a younger brother who doesn't like sugary confections?" Kaito groaned dramatically.
Need to make him stop! Something sweet, something sweet… "Lemon cake," Conan blurted out, and to his relief Kaito immediately stopped. "I like lemon cake, don't you remember?"
Shinichi watched as Kaito's eyes lit up. "How could I have forgotten!" he crowed, slapping a hand to his forehead. "Well come on then! I know a bakery that I've heard has exceptionally wonderful cakes!" He grabbed Conan's hand, humming a jaunty tune as the shrunken detective struggled to keep up.
Seriously, is he like this day in and day out? thought Shinichi exhaustedly. No wonder his mother packed up and left…
"Hakase," Shinichi said after explaining his situation in detail, "KID-san saw everything that happened at Tropical Land from the moment I chased those two men. He knows who I really am, and has sworn himself to secrecy. As it stands I am completely in his debt, since he knows those men meant to kill me and that should he leak my identity I could very well and truly disappear."
"So that's what really happened? The drug those men in black tested on you had a unique side effect and it made your body shrink." The older man stared thoughtfully at nothing in particular, chewing over the new information.
"Apparently. But you can help me, right, Hakase?" He would help—he had to help, otherwise Shinichi would lose hope entirely. "Would you know how to make an antidote for this poison that would restore me?"
The inventor sighed, a frown on his brow. "That'd be difficult, Shinichi. I would need some of the original drug to identify the chemical basis, with because without it I wouldn't have the faintest idea of where to start."
"Then, I'll find where those people are, get the drugs, and give them to you!" Shinichi's hands curled into fists. He would!
"Just like that?" KID asked flatly, and the detective felt irritation flare within him.
"What do you mean?" the shrunken teenager asked defensively.
"Do you think that you can seek and find a hidden criminal organization designing experimental drugs, amongst other things, in the guise of a six year old?" KID asked neutrally. "Who, might I remind, cannot tell anyone else that Kudou Shinichi-san is alive, and who also needs to enroll back in primary school in order to stay off their radar?"
Shinichi bit back a snarl even as he rose to his feet. "But I can't stand around doing nothing! They need to pay for what they did—not just to me, but to the countless others that they have harmed or killed!"
"I never said anything of the sort," answered KID, and Shinichi felt his pulse throb in his temple. "I promised I would help you, and I will—you will find them, and they will fall in the end. But, you need to once again be reminded of the circumstances you are now in. You need to understand your mobility now is greatly limited by your age, as are your physical abilities and credibility. No one here knows who you are; they will all think you are just one particularly bright kid who recently moved from overseas. That being said…" KID turned to address Agasa, "Shinichi-san will still be Shinichi-san, and he will continue his sleuthing, I presume." Shinichi sulked as he settled on the couch once more, mentally damning KID for knowing him too well after that blasted question and answer session. "Considering his seeming penchant for sniffing out perilous situations, it would be advisable then, to provide him with some means of protecting himself tailored to his current form. I will leave that particular aspect of his disguise in your capable hands. It should be readily apparent to you that Shinichi-san's identity must be kept secret—the fewer who know, the easier it is to keep and the safer he will be. I've already suggested his parents for legal purposes, but I think beyond that, I would highly not recommend it."
"What about Ran-kun?" Agasa queried with worry in his voice.
"She—she can't know," Shinichi replied softly, his heart aching at the idea. "She absolutely cannot know that Edogawa Conan is Kudou Shinichi. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to her."
Kaito had finally settled himself on the chair, chest heaving and sweaty from performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Conan discretely wrote into the thief's waiting palm. Thank you for keeping the crime scene as intact as possible, the child fingered into his hand. It'll make the investigation go that much smoother. You scared me shitless when you began CPR after being told he might have been poisoned orally.
"Attention to detail is but one of the many characteristics that define both great detectives and great thieves, ne Meitantei-san?" asked Kaito in KID's lilting tone. The pair observed the policemen at work before the magician asked, "So what do you think?"
Shinichi scooted so that he would not be overheard as he leaned towards Kaito's ear. "I don't think Kaneda-san was poisoned despite the obvious evidence of his having taken a single bite of the anpan. If he had been poisoned, he would be clutching his throat, I'd imagine, and you would also be dead. But instead, he was grabbing his shirt right over his heart. I would theorize that he suffered a heart attack, and coincidentally bit the anpan right when the attack happened."
"A sound theory," Kaito answered quietly.
Aggravating, flippant bastard. "I hear a 'but' somewhere…"
"Who knows?" he whispered innocuously, and Shinichi violently suppressed the urge to strangle Kaito then and there.
The detective glared blackly at the phantom thief. "Have I mentioned I hate you?" before tacking on, "You do realize I could have you arrested for the obstruction of justice, don't you?"
Kaito rolled his eyes. "You really think that particular charge is going to move me when I already have grand larceny, forgery, impersonation and cheating, offenses against the administration of public justice, firearms and offensive weapons, and harmful or dangerous drugs charges already listed against me?" The magician's voice grew noticeably colder. "If this is an attempt at blackmail against my civilian persona…"
Shinichi sighed, leaning against the thief's chest, suddenly tired. "Fear not, Kaitou-san, I've given you my word, haven't I?" They remained silent for a while before the boy picked up the conversation again. "What bothers me is that the whole thing is too coincidental, with Kaneda-san taking a bite of the anpan just as he happens to have a heart attack. Then there's the fact that he had a heart attack. Most heart attack victims still have a pulse minutes after the attack because the heart doesn't actually stop beating during or after the attack—but you said there was no pulse not even a minute after he collapsed, which implies sudden cardiac arrest as the cause of death instead. It's possible he had preexisting health issues regarding his heart that could have led to cardiac failure, which means he if he did he probably was taking at least some sort of daily medication. Maybe the drugs interacted negatively?" I don't know enough yet to draw the proper conclusions!
"Perhaps, Meitantei-san, perhaps." And Shinichi heard the hope in Kaito's voice that begged him to solve the case.
And I'm relieved you're not dead too.
"Do you intend to deprive me of all my secrets, Meitantei-san?"
Shinichi swore that his heart had lodged itself momentarily in his throat. "You trying to scare me to death?" he squeaked, then scowled and muttered, "Barou," when Kaito laughed at him. When the magician's laughing spree was over, he asked, "So where did you disappear to? You were gone for over an hour, and I searched the entire house looking for you."
"Oh, worried about me?" Kaito asked coquettishly.
You disappear for hours after a murder—what do you expect me to think?! "Excuse me for caring then."
Before Shinichi could stomp off, Kaito halted him with a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry," he said contritely. "I'm just not used to having someone looking out for me in that way."
Shinichi noticed the thief's attempts to hide the fact that he had been crying, and his irritation bled away. "It doesn't hurt any less—watching the loss of a life that you could have saved, but it gets easier to bear with time."
When Kaito fell to his knees and hugged him, Shinichi's first instinct was to free himself. But when he felt the warm wetness of tears dampen his shoulder, he stilled, understanding flooding his mind as his heart broke for the thief. "Was that… was that the first time someone died while you were trying to save them?" Kaito nodded once, and Shinichi sighed despondently. "At least people listen to you and follow your directions when you say something. As I am now, I am all but useless."
The next thing he knew Kaito had scooped him off the ground and deposited him on his bed, the magician flopping down beside him. Carefully, the detective scooted back until his lower back rested against Kaito's chest, and they stayed, wordlessly offering each other support.
"The worst possible outcome I can envision," Shinichi whispered, "is when a detective who uses his deductive powers to corner a suspect then does nothing to stop them from committing suicide. All it means is that if that ever happens, then I am no better than the murderer himself. I hope I never encounter a situation like that."
Kaito heaved a silent sigh. "And what does that make me? Does that also make me a murderer, Shinichi-san, since I failed to save Kaneda-san's life?" Shinichi heard the despondency in his words, and his eyes stung in sympathy. "Was it right to try to save him, knowing that I could have blown both of our covers and therefore exposing your identity to the Black Organization?"
Shinichi absorbed Kaito's words, mulling them over before he answered. "In a situation like that, Kaito-san, no one would ever accuse you of being a murderer. It was a rock-and-hard-place type of decision. You assessed the situation and acted accordingly. I'd say you reacted better than ninety-fine percent of the population, considering you are a bit more… used to making spur-of-the-moment, high-impact decisions—wouldn't you agree?" He tried to inject some humor and hoped the thief caught it.
He did. "Kami-sama, what a pair we make."
"Right?" he agreed sardonically, slowly leaning back until his head rested on Kaito's stomach, and they both stared at the ceiling, their thoughts far, far away.
"Shinichi-san."
"Yes?" He looked up from his web browsing on Kaito's tablet.
Kaito deliberately set aside any form of distraction, and the detective responded accordingly. "What happened that day… that deduction was nothing short of impressive, Shinichi-san," Kaito started, picking his words carefully, and Shinichi felt dread curl in his gut. "However, you developed tunnel vision with regards to the murder, where you were completely dedicated to solving the case. I applaud you because that is something most people could never do, but you're going to have to learn to tone it down by a lot, Shinichi-san." Kaito's eyes screamed his apology. "You're not sixteen years old anymore."
It felt like a punch to the stomach. He's bringing it up. He's forcing me to confront it because he knows I've been running from the truth. And isn't that funny, since isn't the truth what I always sought? "I know that," he gritted out, feeling the words scrape across his tongue like glass. "I know that I'm not sixteen anymore," Shinichi repeated, releasing his hold on the sheets to extend one hand before him. "How could I forget, when my perception, my voice, everything I say and do, everything I wear, is a constant reminder?" His vision clouded, and the boy pressed his eyes shut to keep the tears from falling.
And then he was pressed against Kaito's side with an arm wrapped protectively around him, and he felt his tentative hold over himself shatter. "Why?" he breathed, feeling his chest constrict as he fought not to cry. "Why did this have to happen? Why did I have to follow those two men?"
Kaito rubbed circles on his back. "You can cry, you know."
Shinichi choked back a hysterical giggle. "Barou, I'm sixteen, not six!" he managed to squeeze out past the tightness of his throat.
"And yet you saw me crying Sunday evening," the magician said causally. "It's okay to show emotion, Shinichi-san. It doesn't mean you're weak, despite what social norms dictate." Was it truly okay? Would not being strong just this once destroy him because he then wouldn't be able to pull himself back together again? "Oyaji once told me that if you find you can no longer feel happiness, anger, sadness—if you can no longer feel anything but numbness—then you aren't living. When you feel it—when you laugh, scream, and cry—you know then, for sure, that you are alive, and that cannot possibly be considered a weakness." Shinichi lifted his eyes cautiously to meet Kaito's, and the thief only smiled gently. "So cry."
The phantom thief's gentle command seemed to have suddenly released the dam, for without Shinichi's conscious consent, he began to sob, harsh, jagged cries that expressed his fury, his frustration, his desolation at himself and at the Black Organization. Kaito held him the entire time, saying not a word as he waited out the storm of tears, and Shinichi had the fleeting thought that Kaito was truly a one of a kind friend.
"Covered by the faces of the white marauder,
The access to the world's favorite game
Can be found only by asking the source."
The riddle was nothing short of baffling. "The world's favorite game is soccer. But what does me asking you about access to soccer have anything to do with Kaitou KID?"
Kaito transferred the yakimeshi onto a plate from the wok with a small chuckle. "Give me a moment to finish up here, and I'll show you your prize. Do you know what's so special about today, Shinichi?" They set the table and sat down for the meal.
"It's Citizen's Holiday?" Shinichi answered, confused.
Kaito laughed and held out cupped, empty hands, which were suddenly full after a puff of pink smoke. The box was large enough to cover Kaito's hands and was wrapped in gift-wrap paper covered in Kaitou KID's smiling signature doodles.
Shinichi burst out laughing—he could not help it. "Egocentric much?" he chortled as he inspected the gift.
"Open it," Kaito said, and Conan tore into it with glee, revealing two slips of paper—tickets to today's match between the Tokyo Spirits and Big Osaka.
Shinichi blinked. "Kaito?" he asked.
"Happy birthday, Shinichi," Kaito congratulated softly. "You've had one hell of a shitty week, despite it being Golden Week and all. So to help cheer you up a little, I decided to get tickets so we could watch the game to celebrate your birthday. The game is for today at three. Let's eat and get ready so we can get there early. I'll warn you ahead of time that I'm not a soccer fan, and won't have any idea what's going on besides the goal of kicking the ball into the opponent's net."
"I—" What could he say to a specially-tailored gift like that?
"And you won't have to act like Conan while we're there. Attending the game today should be about just enjoying yourself," Kaito continued.
"Kaito…" Shinichi tried to interrupt, but the magician blithely ignored him.
"I tried to get good seats, but had no idea how expensive soccer tickets were! So I apologize if these aren't the best seats in the stadium—"
"Kaito…" he tried again.
"—but my nighttime job doesn't exactly pay well and has distressingly few benefits and no hazard pay, so I—"
"Kaito!" he nearly shouted, startling the gentleman thief. He smiled widely, hoping his appreciation was clear. "Thank you," he said. "Really, Kaito."
"You're welcome, Shinichi," Kaito replied, grinning.
"Kaito," Shinichi said, catching the thief's attention.
"Yeah?" he asked.
The decision had been difficult, but it really was for the best. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome, Shinichi," Kaito said. "Just glad I could help—though what's with the long face?"
Shinichi stared at the ground. "I've been thinking… We both have secrets that could get us killed. I know you don't want to be a liability to me, and I certainly don't want to be that for you. Maybe it's better if we—" Say it. "—forgot about each other."
There was a pause before Kaito replied, "A logical course of action."
"I don't want to," Shinichi forced out. You've become too much of a good friend for me to want to do this willingly! "I don't think I could, even if I wanted to. You're too memorable for that." Kaito grinned, though the expression flickered and died almost immediately. "You've helped me too much for me to forget."
"I still stand by what I said the first night. I can forget you ever existed, if that is what you want," the thief offered.
Shinichi ground his teeth in frustration at Kaito's blasé attitude. "But that's exactly it! I don't want to lose someone I can talk about this to, but I also don't want to do anything to further endanger you."
"Shinichi, I've been at this for quite a bit longer than you." The detective looked at his friend with worry, and Kaito smiled disarmingly. "I think I'll manage, but thanks for the consideration."
"I'll repay you someday." I'll do it if it kills me. I owe you at least that much. "I'll help you catch the men who killed your father."
"Why don't you worry about your organization first, since you've yet to figure out how to deal with them?" he said, and Shinichi accepted the rebuke in the spirit it was given.
Once they reached Shinichi's home, Kaito disappeared and Kaitou KID took his place. When they reached the gates to the Agasa home, they paused, regarding one another. "I don't imagine crossing paths often, if at all. Besides, grand larceny the way you perform it usually does not coincide with homicides." He tried to inject some humor but felt that his attempt fell flat. "But all the same, maybe we'll meet again in passing. Thank you for everything, KID-san." Stay safe. I promise I will help you.
"Take care of yourself, Chibi-kun," KID replied with a grin and a bow. Then he was gone, and Shinichi entered the Agasa property, ringing the doorbell. A last glance at the yard proved that KID had disappeared for good, and Shinichi stepped out of his outdoor shoes as the professor helped with his belongings.
There were so many ways that night could have gone, and so many ways it could have gone badly. But out of anyone he could have encountered straight after running out of Tropical Land in his shrunken state, he was infinitely glad that it had been Kuroba Kaito.
Author's Note: It's finally DONE! Egads, that was long. Much longer than I anticipated and I'm a little sad that it's over, but at the same time I'm glad it's over—I feel rather accomplished! I felt that I needed Shinichi's thoughts to round out the whole thing, hence his point of view in this last little bit. I don't think if I'm going to continue this, but if I do, be forewarned that it might take a LONG while before I post because I won't post an incompletely written story—drabble series notwithstanding—I wrote this story out in its entirety before the first post. So, I make no promises of a sequel! Thank you for staying with me to the end and stay tuned for an extra little present from me! I hope you enjoyed it.
Completed: 28.06.2015
