Undercover

Kaito's father once told him a great magician should never show what's behind his Poker Face to anyone, and even till this day, Kaito kept those words close to his heart. So when he found his fingers fidgeting together and bringing his weakness to a painful light, he grabbed a spoon from the utensil basket and began stirring inside the glass of complimentary water the waitress served to him a while ago; A secondary disguise for his emotions.

Now he felt much better.

From the corner of his eyes, Kaito saw the waitress approaching him yet again for the third time. "Mister?" She stared down at him over her nose. "Would you like to get something? A cake? Coffee?"

He waved her off. "I'm fine with water." He continued stirring.

The waitress nodded and left, not without mumbling some incoherent words Kaito thought sounded like curses. But he couldn't care, not when his full attention was all on the booth situated by the window, where two people were sitting in and filling the cafe with laughter.

He pressed a palm into his face, feeling the rubbery texture of his disguise as he continued clanging the spoon loudly against the glass. He didn't care if Aoko turned to look at his direction. She wouldn't be able to recognise him anyway when he was now disguised as a random teenager he remembered seeing on the streets yesterday. He might have gotten the shape of the nose wrong, but perfecting his craft at this moment was the least of his worry now—

Again, another chortle.

If Kaito had to admit… Aoko's laughter was always contagious. That is, if she was laughing with him. Now that she was chuckling with that stupid Kudo Shinichi, who was sitting opposite of her in the booth, the only thing Kaito could muster was a frown.

A huge damn frown.

But he wasn't alone.

Kaito glanced at the table beside him and stared at the two women hiding behind their menu. Despite their efforts, their presences were obvious, thanks to the loud whispers and exaggerated reactions that mostly came from the woman with short brown hair—Suzuki Sonoko. Sitting next to her was another woman, Mouri Ran.

"Why are they laughing?" Sonoko scowled behind the menu in disgust. "What's so funny about? The weather? Murders? Japan's history?"

"Most likely Sherlock Holmes," Ran muttered.

Sherlock Holmes? Kaito recoiled. What the heck?

Sonoko chuckled. "Not sure if I should pity the girl or not now."

Kaito frowned. That's so unfair for Aoko.

He glanced at the booth, his eyes continued to narrow at Aoko and Kudo Shinichi's favourable conversation.

All the nerves in his body was begging him to do something.

And hell he did.

"Excuse me." Kaito cleared his throat towards the table next to him.

The two women turned in surprise, their eyes wide and unblinking at him.

"Can I help you?" Ran asked

Kaito shifted his table closer to theirs, which they watched in silence; Sonoko looked flirtatious while Ran was dubious. He knew what the both of them were thinking, but either way it wasn't related to the idea that had sprouted in his head.

After moving closer to them so they could hear even if he spoke in a low whisper, he gestured his head over to Aoko's booth. "Sick of seeing your boyfriend hooking up with another girl?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" and "Oh yes, Ran totally is!" were said at the same time. Before Sonoko spoke again, Ran gave a pleading look, but the former didn't mind.

"What do you know?" Sonoko looked at Kaito up and down. "And who are you?"

"I know more than you will ever know" Kaito stretched out a hand towards them. "I'm Kaisuke, a high-school detective," he said, and applauded himself inwardly for not cringing.

Sonoko rolled her eyes. "Another detective freak. Great."

"Nice to… meet you?" Ran nervously shook his hand. "But how does this relates to anything?"

"I'm not just any detective." They released their handshake as Kaito explained, "My area of expertise is rather specific; I act undercover and catch cheating spouses."

Sonoko blinked. "That sounds like what Sera-chan does too."

Kaito shivered at the name, but if they both noticed it, they didn't show it.

"But hang on for a moment!" Ran blushed. "Shinichi isn't my spouse and we're not together so he's not exactly cheating—"

"Sooner of later he'll be!" Sonoko urged.

Kaito laughed dryly in his head. He wasn't sure which part Sonoko was referring to but that was fine. He couldn't care less anyway. "My job doesn't end at catching. I know how to stop them too."

"Stop?" Ran blinked, looking more interested now.

"Now we're talking." Sonoko nudged Ran playfully and nodded enthusiastically. "We can't hire Sera-chan and we'll be easily recognized by Shinichi-kun. We need outside help."

"But why?" Ran asked Kaito skeptically. "Why are you helping me- us? What's in it for you?"

"Nothing. Not really" Kaito shrugged half-heartedly. "I understand your desires and know ways to fulfil it. But I'll still need your help, as an ally and accomplice of sort. And if you allow me, I have a brilliant idea I'll like to share with you."

Ran bit her lips, contemplating.

"So." Kaito—Kaisuke—smiled. "Do you wanna hear it?"