There he was there.
The wannabe magician.
Right in front of them.
Ai was sure her three friends were thinking; there is no way we will fail once more. Lose him once. This time for sure he'll stay in our line of sight.
Such innocence. Ai had to give them that.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
The thief turned. One look for him and-
Swish!
They hid. Held their breaths. Flatted as much as possible against the wall and peeked around the corner. The target was moving again. Carefree. So light. Ai was sure they thought that their target didn't see them. Hasn't noticed them at all. Such sweet innocence.
Mitsuhiko gave the sign. Follow.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
The wannabe magician stopped. Motioned his head to the side, peeking, peeking, peeking, blue eyes slowly moving towards the end of their sockets before fully turning around.
Click!
Like the swiftness of a cat; like the quickness of a leopard; like the clumsiness of a duck, they hid. It could be said it was their own work of art. The ninja like movements of the Detective Boys. Their style of shadowing, certainly unique to them, had certain flaws and Ai had no desire to witness any further- participate any further in.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Wham!
They were just too obvious. Ai slapped a hand over her eyes for the nth time. How could it be that none of them have noticed the wide smile on target's lips? The way he more often than not purposely gazes behind, gazes at them. His hesitant steps, lingering presence, aimless walking that just screamed of his knowledge. He knew. It was written over all his gestures. Thick printed. In bold. A declaration. Open fire. An agreement in which he clearly stated; Alright, okay, let's have some fun. I'll play with you.
Ai didn't know exactly what her friends were seeing but certainly the fact that he had them totally figured out went over their heads, and perhaps Ai wasn't quite ready to tell them that as they pulled her over, dragging her to hide behind large, loose leaves from pots, gazing at the target with sparks in their eyes, fists raised and pumped up through the air in muted encouragement for another. The sight alone was ridiculous enough to pull a smile from her, bathing her with her own wistfulness.
How long has it been since I played like that?
It was a second at most she allowed herself to reminisce her past. About her life as Shiho. But then- as soon as the last nanosecond ticked by- it was over, and she was back to being Ai, the child whose future wasn't dangled before her eyes, whose past wasn't printed on large files, whose future was still undetermined.
A second chance, Hakase has called it once, why won't you have fun?
A silent smile sneaked passed her defences, tugged the corners of lips down, down casted eyes gazing at her friends tapping forwards again and she followed walking with measured steps towards the table they were crawling under.
Is this what it means to be a child?
"Ai-chan!" Ayumi called, voice still lowered barely above a whisper, holding the tablecloth up. Behind her, Mitsuhiko and Genta were waiting expectantly, wide eyes fastened on her with such childish innocence, Ai couldn't help but lower down, smiling as bright as she could and yet not bright enough to match theirs.
"This is our chance!" Genta suddenly shouted, crawling out, his little legs hitting hard against the red carpeted floor, sprinting off, way too loud, too noisy, and the others ran after him, smiling bright with sparkling eyes that spoke of vivid excitement.
If that's so. . .
. . .then I might never be a child.
The thought occurred to her often than enough to know it spoke the truth. It was an act after all. A little façade. Something she constructed with her own pair of hands. It wasn't real- regardless of what Kudo-kun says. The things she feels, the things she things thinks, surely they were not meant to be.
The day she'll disappear- murdered by accident, killed at the end of a gun- by something that organisation will come up with one way or another the moment they lay hands on her. Well, that is if they catch her, her mind reminded her once more. And yet Ai knew too that running away for the rest of her life sounds more reasonable than Kudo-kun suggesting that he'll bring the organisation down by himself.
What fools, they were. Running around, trying to avoid inevitable consequences that will zoom them in sooner or later anyway, regardless how many twists and turns they run into, regardless of where they were heading off to, regardless how close they were to the finishing line. At the end it all comes down to be nothing but heaps of ashes, castles built on sand.
Nothing of this matters.
Ai sighed, kneading her forehead as they came to a halt and peeked around a corner. I don't know, she wanted to shout. To ban those thoughts from bubbling up again. To fastened a lid on them to bottle them up forever.
There was no need to remind her. She didn't fit here. She didn't belong here. She was not supposed to be here. She knew it. Knew it like the amount of times she tried to escape their grasp. Their hold on her. The amount of times she tried to abandon her friends were countable with her fingers and yet here she was—unable to set herself free, unable to untangle herself from the web they tied her in with, kept her close with and slowly made her one of their own—and yet despite this—despite all of this—
Is it okay for me to be here?
A part of her said; yes, of course. And yet the reasonable side—the side she has always relied on—argued how she could with the way things are, with the way she was. . . .
Before she knew she fell behind, her feet slowing down so much until she was left staring at their backs running off to the distance. And it took only a picture, a mental picture of a brown haired boy with blue eyes behind glasses to remind her to snap out of it. Ridiculous, she thought, snorting at herself, pulling herself of those thoughts and was about to sprint off after them when her stomach flipped.
"….a game of life and death."
Like a silent whisper it brushed passed her. So close to her ear. Fleeting, lingering, brewing troubled feelings within her, falling like cold showers over her shoulders as long forgotten words popping up in her brain, deep stored images flashing like red headlights. Ai remembered curled lips, long blond hair, ice cold blue eyes burning with hatred. Ai shuddered, counted to ten before turning around, following the voice to its owner, repeating over and over that she couldn't be here, her presence was nowhere to be felt, which meant—which meant that—
"Calm down," she muttered to herself, breathing deep in and looked around, all too aware of the thundering footsteps around her, so near, so close. And her first instinct was to run. Just in case of—of what? something will happen? Don't make me laugh!
Ai reached a hand up, lowered her bangs over her eyes for some sort of disguise. Futile. A waste of time. She knew and yet—
With a slight shook of her hands, Ai looked around, caught too people in her vicinity, their thrown out glares, hesitated looks of passer-bys that came by too often. Stared too often. Gazed here and there but never at her. It was strange. Weird. Ai's heart thumped loudly in her chest.
"Why won't you play it?" the voice spoke again, and Ai thought of trickling water from a tap, tubes clicking together, labs light's flickering on, curly lips, long blond hair, ice cold blue eyes burning with hatred, fingernails tapping across the table, glaring at her, whispering…
It's a game of life and death.
Ai whirled around, staring at dark hair, shrewd brown eyes hidden behind round glasses, smirking too wide at the male fellow standing besides her- a women nothing like the blond in her memory. "Oh, I see. So, it's like that. The big man is scared, hmm? I wouldn't be surprised. Taichi got scared too after playing five minutes in."
"Don't compare me with that chicken," the man mumbled, turning around and Ai could see the spikes of auburn hair peeking under his snapback, strands falling over narrowed eyes, "Nothing you'd say will convince me to play that video game."
"Oh," Ai breathed out and her shoulders slumped down, a sense of calmness washing over her senses, and she threw a hand over her face, felt stupid all over, what was she expecting anyway? Vermouth coming out of nowhere? That she will corner her? Threaten her?
"Get real," she muttered, gazing away, noticing with rising alarm that her friends where nowhere in sight, with a shuddering gasp Ai took off, wheeling around to catch up to them when a hand grabbed hers, halting her movements and pulling her back.
"What's wrong little girl? Are you lost?" the man was squatting down in front of her now, brown eyes fastening on her face, squinting, seemingly trying to look passed the many strands covering her face into her eyes, brows furrowed in light concern that set Haibara's alarm bells to ring loudly.
"I'm fine," the words came easy to her as she tried to wring her arm out of his surprising hard grip. He wasn't going to let go, she noticed, heart sinking to the pits of her stomach and yet his grip didn't hurt at all. It was gentle. Ai's eyes narrowed, even more conscious than before. She knew this type of men. Those that pretended to be nice and secretly are waiting for the perfect chance to strike mercilessly from the back. Her elder sister encountered enough of those men to warn her about it. She needed to get away. Now.
"Don't be scared. I won't harm you," the man murmured, lowering his voice to sound much softer as though to sooth her but she wasn't going to fall for it.
"I'm fine," she stressed once more, glaring hard. "So let go."
"I will, I will. But before tell me, are you really okay? You seem like you're not."
Ai snorted, pressed her lips into a firm line, suppressing all urges to push a finger to his chest and stab him repeatedly under the pretext to snub at him full of spite, because what did he know? Her cheeks puffed up before she knew it, reddening in the rise of anger until it deflated. Calm down, she thought, clenching her fists tightly and breathing out silently, just calm down.
She gazed up from the floor, done glaring holes at the red carpet and saw the man's lids flutter shut for a moment, features drawing in as though he was deep in thought, mulling an idea over that seemed partially unreasonable. She recognised that look, caught herself wearing it more often than not.
"What's going on?" the dark haired lady frowned from where she stood, hands perched on her hips, leaning in close but never stepped a foot forward. "What are you two whispering about, Itsuki?"
He sneaked a peek back at the woman before leaning in, holding a hand near his lips, mumbling close to Ai's ear, "Would you feel better if I told you that I'm an undercover police officer? I'm Itsuki Asuka. Junsa-buchō. Keep it a secret, okay? Just between the two of us."
Ai rose a sceptical brow, still gazing at him through suspicious eyes, defences still on and highly guarded even when he let go of her.
"Itsuki!" the lady pushed her glasses back, glaring with something akin to the intensity of the sun as she stomped over to them with such force Ai wouldn't be surprised if the ends of her heels bore holes into the ground. "What are you planning?"
"Now, now. Naomi-san, don't get mad," he held his hands up, his sheepish grin widening in hopes to be spared from her wrath. "There's nothing wrong with helping others," he stole a quick glance at Ai. "Right?"
Naomi whirled her head, her hair whipped like a lash as her eyes came to rest at Ai as though she saw her for the first time. A smile broke out on her face, seemingly as bright as the sun but Ai could pick out the foulness hidden behind the slim wrinkles induced from her smile and those from her crinkling eyes. She adjusted her glasses, squatted down next Itsuki, anger seemingly evaporated or that was what Haibara thought until she saw a hand sneaking up to Itsuki's arm, pinching the exposed skin from his rolled up sleeves and left a sore redness behind that Naomi justified with a more than just scary smile.Bear with it, it seems to say with a sharp glare.
Ai couldn't say she was surprised when Itsuki bit his lips but otherwise didn't make the slightest sound, a sole nod from him and the matter was put to the side for the time being. Ai could only secretly wish him luck to somehow manage to sedate her later.
"I'm Kurosawa Naomi." she stretched her hand with that sweet smile still present that reminded Ai of rotten apples and long expired loaf of bread. "Nice to meet you."
Ai kept silent but stared at her with cold eyes until Itsuki thrusted forward and seized the matter at hand again. "So, are you lost? Were you looking for someone?"
"I'm looking for my friends." Ai spoke slowly, levelling an eye on him before stepping back. "I've the general idea where they are so don't bother helping me out."
"Mean much, I see. Strange for a young girl like you," he laughed as though used being bombarded by harsh words and adjusted his snapback, fingers driving through his bright auburn hair. "Mind if I tag along? Just to make sure you'll be fine."
"I am fine," came her curt reply but Itsuki was already holding up his hands.
"Whoa, relax. I'm just making sure."
"Itsuki, she said she was fine. She doesn't need you babysitting her." Naomi stressed but her words went completely over the man's head as he rose up with an expectant smile, waiting for Ai to lead the way.
"Whatever," she muttered and walked off but kept a close eye on Itsuki. A distant of five steps was in between them, never breached by either of them and Ai was glad he could read into the situation. Glad that he kept his distance. But it was the lady that pushed Ai's nerves on edge.
Ai caught her more often than not exchanging glances and nods with almost every person passing by. Ai brows furrowed, finding with increasing anxiety that too many eyes were in their vicinity and glanced in their direction. Too close. Throwing glares, hesitant looks. People walked by too often. Stared too often. Gazing here and there and kept their eyes at them. But what troubled her most was Naomi's smile that she found to be a little to wide. A little too sharp. Especially when the light reflected off her glasses.
She noticed Itsuki's lingering glance at her too. Ai returned his gaze with a blatant stare of her own. But Itsuki turned away, directed his gaze forwards, a small smile on his face. Ai narrowed her eyes at him. Couldn't help but feel that she was right. That, they couldn't be trusted. Her eyes glided back to Naomi, who was probably his accomplice in some shady business. . .
But hold on a moment, didn't he say was an undercover police officer?
Ai glanced around with increasing worry when she found another man leaning against the wall with a newspaper raised up to his face, his eyes following them as they stepped passed. Ai canted her head back, looking at Naomi who looked back at the man, her sharp grin suddenly widened for a second. Alarmed Ai looked back at Itsuki but he only gazed straight ahead but Ai could see that his jaw was set tight.
That's it, she decided and walked faster to round the next corner as quick as possible. She would be a fool to bring them anywhere near her friends. Rather she'd go to the main hall and stay near Hakase or even Ran-san.
"I'm surprised. I didn't expect you to notice. Much less to understand." Itsuki spoke quietly, tearing her out of her thoughts, a slanted smile on his lips and a knowing tint sneaking into the depth of his dark eyes, rubbing off all previous connoted amusement. And belated Ai noticed that Itsuki walked right beside her. Tensing up, she threw a murderous glance at him.
"Don't get so scared," he whispered, placing a hand on her slender shoulder, ignoring the daggers Ai shot him with in return. "They're nothing to worry about. Just act normally. They won't harm you."
"What are you guys whispering about?" Naomi threw in, her loud voice echoing. Loud enough for anyone to hear with her eyes narrowing suspiciously at them, and Ai caught quick whiffs of peaches and wild berries when she started to walk beside her again. Too close, Ai noticed. Way too close.
Thud!
Ai froze and slowly turned around, only to feel burn on her lower back. She gasped silently, thrown off by the blackness growing in her eyes. Her body slumped down, hitting the floor, laying next to the fallen body from Itsuki. From the corner of her eyes she saw Noami's sharp grin widen with every second.
"Sleep tight."
The bright candle lights, artificial bursts from colours splashed dim lights on lower regions, uneven ground toppling feet twirled on, fluttering and squeezing from side to side, room to room, dancing to the diverse folds of overlapping music, hidden rhymes overplayed by the silent rhythm droning past Kaito's ears. A grin donned his lips. Just like expected the room was full. Yet, he risks to glance behind, I'm still being watched.
With a slight chuckle and a lopsided smile, he shrugged his shoulder, knowing wholeheartedly that the four little heads trailing somewhere behind him won't get far with their investigation, staring at him from under the tablecloth won't earn them much proof for his hidden agenda, nor would it uncover anything that he kept under wraps the entire day. Placing his hands in his pockets, Kaito sauntered in, roaming passed dancing pairs and sneaked a glanced at the kids following closely behind him with an easy grin, laughing quietly when they gasped loudly, their cheeks flushing red at being discovered.
He raised a hand, motioning them to follow him before he marched in further, dodging with tactful grace the many people, veering deeper into the crowd, mixing in further until- there- he laughed. Gone. The kids were nowhere in sight. Snickering he waited, his blue eyes flickering back and forth in anticipation.
From which direction would they be coming from? Would they ambush? Would they attack?
He waited and waited a minute too long.
He looked around. Nothing?
Nothing at all.
Kaito's brows furrowed. His eyes narrowed. Then widened.
Was this really it?
Have they given up?
He turned his head in all possible direction but the mini detectives were gone. Disappeared. Vanished. Kaito rubbed his eyes. Has he really lost them this quickly? Just like that? Was it even possible? Without even trying?
"How disappointing." Kaito muttered under his breath. He'd hope for a little fun before the Heist begun but that idea was thrown out of his mind since they were like that. Not nearly as dangerous as the boy in glasses. No, they were completely harmless. Sour and half annoyed, Kaito strolled back, detouring the way to his post when his phone beeped.
A message from Jii-chan.
All the necessary preparations are done.
His eyes glided over the screen word for word, flipping his mood over in a matter of nanoseconds. Then he snickered beneath his breath, I'll be starting now.
"Kaito-kun!"
The young magician jumped almost out of his skin when Nakamori's booming voice suddenly hollered for him, echoing across halls and various rooms, right into the sensitive spot in his ear.
"Coming!" He shouted back, not sure whether his voice was able to carry as far nor as loud as his superior. With easy steps he detoured just in case the children were in hiding near his vicinity, perhaps a part of him still hoped they haven't given up. With an ever present grin and a light shrug, he walked through the flood of people streaming passed him, down to the lower floor where he noticed most of them were moving towards the exist, and for a short moment he wondered whether something has happened. With little though he stepped down the stairs with more ease than he initially thought. His muscles felt lighter, the drowsiness seemed to have disappeared too. He drove his fingers over his face, glad he could still feel the swellings. Seems like the effects haven't worn off completely.
I need to get this done quickly.
Kaito walked down to the main hall in moderate speed despite the frequent energy sprouts his muscles seemed to gain, trying his best to maintain his ill act whilst adjusting to the physiological changes. He stepped into the hall, gazing around in the lookout for Nakamori that seemed to have disappeared, walking further in, looking more until he found him crowded by police officers.
How interesting. Kaito adjusted his mouth piece, breathed deep in and strolled towards them, catching the eyes of Nakamori's which then suddenly widened, and then, almost out of nowhere- but Kaito was sure he should have expected that- pointed a finger at him, quite surprised those surrounding him turned then too, looking straight at Kaito with their hawk like eyes as though inspecting something seemingly delicious to be preyed on. But Kaito just hoped it was only his imagination acting up. There's noway that could be true, right? Kaito was sure of it.
"What's going on?" he asked out loud as best as he could as he adjusted his voice near hoarse once he was in reach and was surprised to be attacked by Nakamori's hands. "Ow," he whine quietly once the officer was done painfully pulling one of his cheeks.
"Sorry. Standard procedure. It seems like you're indeed Kaito-kun. Although..." Nakamori's eyes furrowed, gazing deep into Kaito's face, abnormally close. "It's seems like you're on your way to good health. Your normal tan is starting to show under all that bluish-redness."
"Oh is that so?" Kaito looked relieved, reaching up to touch his face again, still feeling the swells, making a small mental note to look in a mirror.
If the effects vanishes too quickly it might seem odd to be healthy too soon. I might need to construct a mask for myself.
"As you might have guessed, these police officers are here to take statements. It seems that the man that shoved you over a while ago has been murdered." Nakamori begun, motioning a hand towards his colleagues from the police force.
"I would like to ask you some questions." Megure-Keibu stepped forward, "Would you be so kind and follow me?"
He didn't give Kaito a chance to response as he turned to leave, seemingly expecting the latter to follow. With a slight shrug and annoyed sigh, Kaito trailed after him, stuffed his hands into his pockets, lightly swaying in his walk whilst he was at it.
Maintain it, he kept repeating in his head, maintain the ill act.
One slight mistake and that's it.
The whole thing will be over.
Game over.
"Ai-chan!" Ayumi looked around wide eyed and worried, noticing her friends' keen eyes from her friends, along with her own, were flaring around. The target they were observing moments ago left their minds completely. They whirled their heads back and forth, left and right, looking in every possible direction and presumably came to the same conclusion; she was gone. Away. Not here at all.
"Haibara-san!" Mitsuhiko called out and cupped his hands around his mouth, "Haibara-san, where are you?"
"Can you hear me?" Ayumi called out then too, running back to the end of the hall, gazing left and right but not tracks where in sight that lead to her. "Ai-chan! where are you?"
"Have you gone missing? Are we playing hide and seek?" Genta shouted, a thick frown perched between his brow. "We'll play later! Promise! Come out now!"
"We won't be angry at you for leaving!" amended Mitsuhiko, helplessly looking around, "I promise we'll be kind!"
"We'll forgive you, Ai-chan!"
With another desperate cry, they waited in silence. Ears turned on for some kind of answer. A sign that depicted Ai's well being. But they receive nothing. Only deathly silence.
"Do you...do you think," Ayumi started with tears brimming in her eyes. "She left us?"
"She wouldn't do this to us." Mitsuhiko whirled his head quickly as though to get rid of the mere thought until he suddenly halted. ". . .right?"
"Guys, maybe we're just thinking about this too much." They looked at Genta that was staring back at them with wide eyes as he raised an intelligent finger. "What if Haibara-san was just hungry and went off to grab some food? If we look at the food stands we might find her."
Ayumi and Mitsuhiko stared at him.
.
.
.
"Maybe it's just you that's hungry. . ." Mitsuhiko mumbled as a low growl broke the silence and Genta threw in a sheepish grin as he rubbed his stomach. But Mitsuhiko ignored it, suddenly smiled himself. "I know!"
Two pair of eyes looked back at him, first in wonder then with bubbling excitement when Mitsuhiko raised his badge. "We'll contact her!"
"Huuuurraaaay!" they shouted out in happiness, at last finding a solution to get back their missing friend.
"You're so smart, Mitsuhiko-kun!" Ayumi cried out running to stand by his side. Just like Genta, who was walking towards them, muttering under his breath, "I could have come up with this idea too. . ."
But nonetheless they huddled together. Eyes directed at the badge Mitsuhiko held in his hands. Swallowing hard, they glanced at another before performing and united nod.
Mitsuhiko begun and turned his device on. "Haibara-san, Haibara-san. Are you there? Can you hear me?" uneasily he glanced at the others as only statics met him back. But Ayumi urged him on with a resolute nod and firm eyes. "Tell us your where you are, please."
"We'll come find you!" Genta suddenly cried out, steering the badge towards his face. "If you're in danger we'll come save you!"
"Ai-chan, are you hurt? If you're in trouble the Detective Boys will always-"
"Rescue you!" they raised their fists and hollered a war-cry, before bursting out in laughter until it slowly receded into faint giggles and completely stilled until dread settled in at last.
"Why is Ai-chan not answering back?"
Genta crossed his arms and looked up in thought. "Did she not get the joke?"
"What if something really happened to her?" Mitsuhiko had a look of horror that Ai-chan matched too well with her own.
"We have to find her. In the name of the Detective Boys!" they shouted and ran down the hall together with stomping feet until they halted and looked at each other with the same stricken expressions.
"But how will we know were she is?!" they cried out altogether and felt even more distressed with the lack of answer.
"We need to be calm." Mitsuhiko told them then. "We're are detectives. We can find a missing person-"
"Haibara-san is missing?!" Genta cut off in panic, but Mitsuhiko raised his hands and tried to calm them, feeling empowered by the lack of control.
"We are detectives. We can find her." Mitsuhiko repeated and felt as though each word calmed himself down further. "We'll simply retrace her steps. Okay? When was the last time we saw her?"
"When we were chasing after Kid over there." Ayumi spoke, pointing somewhere behind her. "She has been behind me the entire time."
"Then let's go there and find her." Mitsuhiko pumped up a fist, and the others followed.
"Yeah!"
Perhaps I was being carried by a soft love…
I noticed when I lost the small warmth.
Aoko strolled into the main hall with slumped shoulders and steps too heavy to be carried in a constant pace since her vague goodbye with Kaito. It was a collection of snippets that Aoko had difficulty piecing together. She remembered the painful striking of her heart when he was breaths away from her, blinding her senses with a certain light-headedness he was able to easily induce from her, not to mention the sudden sensitivity of his touches, so light and gentle as he embraced her within his arms, placed her head on his broad shoulder and the electrifying static she immediately felt rippling down to her lower back, spreading throughout her body the moment she felt his fingers tangled through her hair, brushing through it with a steady rhythm, with light caresses she wasn't sure he was able to give. She thought of it as a subtle hint for care and yet a dubious hint of affection that couldn't be trusted. It was fickle chance. An erratic outcome that she didn't see coming.
It won't happen again, she thought to herself with the increasing knowledge that for a moment their distinguishing line of friendship blurred. They created a smudge that momentary undefined them, and Aoko was too sure Kaito didn't know about it. He was too careless to look at the minor details. He must've overlooked it. That's why when Kaito unwrapped himself from her, Aoko denied herself to have felt anything, denied the inexplicable pang of yearning of a heart that simply felt too much.
"Don't mingle away from the crowd, your poor sense of direction will bring you trouble otherwise." she remembered him saying with that carefree voice of his and teasing nature as he led her down the corridor with wide steps and hand holding hers with the secret promise to never let go that Aoko wanted to believe in despite her doubts. The whole matter emitted a thick air of futility. Kaito was so far away. She has not only realised it but experienced it first hand.
Aoko now knew with certainty that she was lagging behind- somewhere in the far away distance that made the probability of her ever catching up to him near zero. A futile goal. She couldn't keep up with him. No, she didn't need to keep up with him, she thought bitterly. The idea didn't sit well with her despite the depth of honesty it contained, but she resigned to it. Silently waiting for the day he'll be so far away she lost all sort of connection to him, perhaps the day he'll walk out of her life forever is in near vicinity. Aoko couldn't help but smile sadly. She didn't want it to end.
"What's wrong?"
Aoko raised her eyes off the floor, eyes wandering around her field of vision before Keiko popped up from behind her, catching glimpses of glowing eyes narrow behind thin glasses, and Aoko looked away.
"Did something happen?" Keiko continued asking as she steps closer to her, brows furrowing deeper at Aoko's sullen expression. "Did Kaito—"
Aoko was already shaking her head, muttering again and again, "Nothing, nothing," under her breath with shoulders slumping further down, as though the very act was wearing her down further. "It's just me, you know? It's always just me that's wrong."
"What do you mean?" her brows furrowed deeper in the gist to catch the flimsy sentences from Aoko and arrange them in such away to make up the full story that Aoko wasn't quiet ready to give. At least not yet. It it seemed that Keiko seemed to have realised as she started to shake her head to rid herself of her previous notion and glanced at Aoko again with playful exasperation, seemingly trying another approach. "You have to speak in simpler terms for to understand," she says, "else what would be the point in telling at all?"
"There's nothing to understand." Aoko said and slid down the nearest wall, feeling a familiar cold crawling up again, circling around her calves and mid tights all the way up to her stomach where it squeezed tightly. "I'm just complicating the matter….like always."
"Did he say that?" Keiko tried again, the smile slowly slipping off her face at Aoko's vague answers that only confused her more in her wake of jumbled explanations.
"No, of course he didn't." Aoko turned to face her with furrowed brows, blinking away the wetness in her eyes. "But I know he meant it."
"I don't understand."
Aoko placed her head on top of her knees and pulled her legs closer to her chest, hiding her face within it before she shook her head.
Keiko sighed loudly, seated herself next to her and draped an arm over her, gently rocking from side to side in their awkward seating position, muttering, "I don't get it. I don't get any of it," whilst she calmed the light trembles beneath her arm that emanated from Aoko's shoulders.
"So what did he tell you?" Keiko tried asking but Aoko didn't answer, her lips were sealed shut firmly despite the accumulating salty water of her tears curving into her lips and the tight grip on her legs that was already reddening due the pressure from her contracting fingers silently warned Keiko not to push it, not to ask, to not remind her at all. Keiko quieted down and Aoko hoped the message reached her when she started to relax into her her embrace until Keiko spoke up again, keeping Aoko on her toes.
"Just so you know, next time I won't let go so easily." Keiko voiced out half annoyed, but Aoko knew she was trying to keep the anger out from her voice.
Sorry, she mouthed into the tiny folds of her thin sweater, knowing to have upset Keiko in numerous occasions during the last couple of months for not telling anything- for keeping secrets even though Keiko didn't keep any. I'm sorry, she wanted to say, I'm really sorry, but that wasn't possible now. Aoko didn't want to apologise. At least not yet. Apologising meant explaining her behaviour but wasn't the cause of her behaviour the very thing she wanted to hide from? She didn't want to admit. Didn't want to say that the void between Keiko and her was due her crashing friendship with Kaito. Because of Aoko's own selfishness that screams to not let it become reality. To hide it. To deny. To say it was not true. That it was all in her head. That she was misreading the situation. That her intuition was misdirected.
"I'll make you say it." Keiko's voice suddenly boomed loud and clear to her and Aoko raised her head slightly. "I'll make you say all of it," Keiko nudged her slightly as though asking whether she was listening but Aoko didn't move, held her breath instead. I don't want to say it. "And you can cry as much as you want, but I'll wring it out of you. Forcefully, if I have to. Remember that." There was a short silence before Aoko could feel her nudging her again, "You hear me?"
"Yes," she mumbled out and hugged herself tighter, but apparently her response was not coherent enough as Keiko leaned closer and asked, "What was that?"
"Yes. I said, yes." Aoko lifted her head, brining her flushed face into view, with equally red tinges on her nose and deep shaded eyes that matched all too well with the smudges of tears across her face. "I heard you."
Keiko smiled triumphantly grabbed the bag Aoko placed next to her and searched for a pack of tissues she easily found, "Here," she threw it to her, "Wipe your face. You don't want your father to see you like this, who knows what he might do in his rage. His precious angel was hurt, after all."
Keiko smiled when her comment brought a positive reaction out of her that Aoko could all too understand as she laughed quietly. "Did I really need cheering up that bad?"
"Yup! Especially when you misery caught other people's attention." Keiko grinned and looked at a particular direction that Aoko tried to follow as she leaned forward but quickly found out that she didn't need to. Said person stood right in front of her. It was little boy with glasses, asking about her wellbeing with such a cute smile, Aoko couldn't help but mirror it when she replied that she was fine. The boy's smile was really contagious she found.
"You're the little boy I have seen a while ago, right?" Keiko voiced in and ignored Aoko's confused expression. "Are you alright with running around like this? I mean, after what we've seen. . ."
Before Aoko could ask what she was on about, the boy broke out laughing, "Oh, that's nothing. When you hang around Kogoro-no-ojisan sightings like that become normal. I don't mind them anymore!"
"Poor you, what a sad childhood he must give you." Keiko frowned when the boy's expression turned sheepish.
"Well it's okay! I actually came here because I heard you talking about Kaitou Kid!" the boy smiled and looked at Aoko. "Say, Miss, do you know him?"
"Kaitou Kid?" Aoko echoed confused for a moment until a frown slipped into her features. Why would Ibe talking about Kid?
"You called someone 'Kaitou' just now, didn't you?" he tilted his head confused, blinking slowly at her.
"Yeah," Aoko swallowed and pushed her legs closer to her as though she was cold. "But it's not what you think. His name is written in a different Kanji—he's not Kid. Just a stupid childhood friend I have."
"Oh, is that so?" the boy crossed his arms and tilted his head, seemingly deep in thought. "Say, can he do magic too?"
"Well, yeah." Aoko answered and shifted, pulling her legs even closer as her eyes slightly narrowed. Silently wondering why people felt the need to force suspicion on Kaito just because of his name and hobby. It's not like it mattered anyway. It didn't prove anything. "But that's only because his father was a famous magician. It's just something you expect, to be honest." Aoko tried her best to sound casual. It wasn't like it was a big deal anyway. After all it's as they say; like father like son, right?
"Really? How cool!" the boy grinned wide and folded his arms behind his head, slightly tilting his head to the side, looking at something behind her. Aoko turned and followed his gaze. "I think I might've met him. Well, if it's that guy over there then I definitely did."
Aoko's heart skipped a beat and seconds later it was slamming against her ribcage in full speed. "What? But why?" the words came out in a rush as she moved her head to get a better look of him. Aoko really tried to make sense of the situation as best as she could but it was difficult when it was Kaito being dragged away. Her eyes trailed trailed after him until they disappeared into the crowd.
Why is the police taking him away?
The boy's voice was quiet as he looked on. "Seems like they think he's Kid too."
Aoko whirled her head towards him and stared a little too long at his little smirk, wondering what exactly he knew. She pushed away from the wall and squatted in front of him, trying best to convince him as much she was herself. "I just told you he's not. He's working with the police. They just must be discussing something really important right now."
Aoko looked back where they disappeared to and nodded firmly. That must be it. It couldn't be anything else. She held back the urge to get up and rush towards him, demanding for answers he couldn't- no, wouldn't- give anyway. Aoko bit her lips and glanced down, banned the thoughts away from her mind and suppressed the uneasiness and doubt welling up in her chest. She couldn't give in to them. Not when he asked her to trust him.
Aoko breathed out deeply and glanced around, noticing a familiar figure up ahead. It was Hakuba, and he was speaking to someone. Whom exactly, Aoko couldn't quite catch, but in a matter of seconds, as though Hakuba felt her lingering gaze, he turned to stare at her. Out of reflex Aoko ducked her head, strands of hair falling over her eyes, heart beating in the alarming rate with the notion that she has been caught.
From what though? Aoko knew she didn't do anything wrong. Her fingers clutched her hem of her shirt tightly and leaned back against the wall. A fleeting thought crossed her mind.
You're doubting Kaito.
Her breathed halted in her throat and hadn't it been for Keiko's sudden nudge on her shoulder, Aoko was sure she would have suffocated.
"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked worriedly. Aoko ignored the concerned look on Keiko and slid back down on the floor as though the sudden realisation was too heavy to shoulder.
"Don't get me wrong." Aoko heard herself mutter, ignoring the confused look the boy gave her and buried her face into her hands. "Kaito is full of ideas—full of holes. Much less his mental integrity—his idiocy his cutting him short of intelligence. Someone like him is incapable of being Kid. Someone like him cannot be Kid."
"Yes." Keiko was quick to answer. "We know that-"
"Isn't it weird? For you to continuously say that. . ." the boy spoke up, eerily quiet as though all the previous happiness was blown away by a vacuum. The boy glanced up with sharp eyes. "It's almost as if you're not believing your own words."
Aoko's head whipped back at him. Wide eyed.
You think he's Kid.
She swallowed and opened her mouth in an attempt to say something. To refute him. To laugh at him. To shoo the comment away. But nothing came out. The words stilled in her throat. And she looked down at her clenching hands.
Do I?
The silence roaming through her mind gave her no answer. She glanced up, staring at the boy in front of her whose sharp gaze sent chills down her spine. And she found herself smiling weakly, "Does it really look like that?"
"No, of course not!" Keiko pushed her glasses up before placing a hand on her hip. "We both know Kaito isn't Kid. How can a guy like that even be close to being Kid?"
"But Keiko-" Aoko started with an argument thick on her lips that she was ready to present when a rather loud voice over ruled their conversation. Keiko's expression matched Aoko's when they turned around to see the commotion, which turned out to be a woman trying to persuade her friends into staying longer. "Kid hasn't come yet!" she shouted at her retreating friends and jogged after them, gesturing widely in her wake.
"Why do we need to leave?"Another woman said to her male companion, shaking his arm rather widely as he calmly stepped passed them towards the exit. Aoko heard him faintly muttering,"Because he won't come. The heist was set up by a fake Kid. You know, the one who fell from the stairs and was taken away by the police? The real Kid would never be caught this easily. . .
Aoko blinked and looked around, her ears catching drifts of similar conversation.
"There's no way he'll come!" A girl argued with crossed arms and stared daggers at her group of friends, consistently insisting, "He'll come! Kid-sama is not a liar!"
"But that wasn't him though!"
"What's going on?" Aoko whispered more to herself but Keiko shrugged, observed that so many were leaving already. Aoko nodded, about to point out the absurdity of the situation but held herself back at last. She was in no position to argue that those people were ridiculous to believe that Kaito was Kid when she was starting to doubt as well. She turned to look at Keiko who was staring at something behind her. Frowning Aoko turned around and saw two police officers walking towards them. Their eyes fastened firm on Keiko.
Aoko's heart sank when she turned to look at Keiko, who swallowed audibly.
"Keiko?" Aoko's voice shook. "What did you do?"
"Something you don't quite need to know yet," she whispered with a firm squeeze on her arm. "I'll tell you later about it, okay?"
"What do you mean?" Aoko's brows furrowed, but Keiko was already standing up with an easy grin on her lips.
"Don't worry!"
"You're Momoi-san, am I right?" the policewomen said once they were close. "We have some question regarding the murder, if you don't mind."
Aoko looked quickly between them, eyes widening as she whipped her head towards Keiko until her eyes widened and Aoko drove her hands over face and pushed her bangs up, muttered an apology over lips that went over deaf ears.
I was too focused on Kaito. I didn't even notice that Keiko witnessed a murder—
If that was possible Aoko's eyes widened further.
A murder!?
Aoko's hair whipped like a lash. She turned towards the position she last saw Keiko at, noticing in increasing alarm that she was gone. In fact, the police officers were disappeared too. Even the little boy. . . .
Now I begin to see….
. . .the depth of your feelings.
Aoko was sitting all alone on the floor in a mass of strangers—half of which were escaping the room and passed her by as though she was non-existent.
A laugh fell from her lips, soft and quiet with an after taste of sheer bitterness as she smiled to herself in her misery. I'm all alone.
And like always, a familiar cold crept up, reaching all the way to her neck, holding firm with its grip and freezing the parts it seized, but Aoko didn't mind and closed her eyes instead, vaguely wondering, how long it would take to freeze her whole.
"Finally!"
Delight bubbled in Ran's stomach as she gripped the doorknob hard and burst the door open, only to find a small sized room with covered paintings. Her face fell, with slumped shoulders she turned around, faced the corridor with its many doors. Ran sighed and looked around, decided to walk along the corridor and turn right this time, as she wondered how exactly a walk to and from the toilet could become such a maze when a staircase came into view, its design similar to that of the main hall rather than the rusty bars she came across when she first started her search.
But her hopes plummeted the moment she arrived at the lower floor. It was almost clad in darkness hadn't it been for the small lanterns hanging on the side of the wall. She sighed and turned, about to climb the stairs back up when she heard a noise. She listened in, recognised the sound to be hushed voices. Ran moved to follow the noise, hoped whoever it was would be kind enough to give her the direction to the main hall. It had been a while since she left. Sonoko was probably worried sick already.
She sighed and wondered why she hasn't asked her friend along whilst she listened to the whispers that rose in volume with each step she took. She didn't recognise the smooth voice from the man, nor that from the woman, but the more Ran heard, the more she grew confused.
"You have given it to him then?"
"No. But I hired someone to do it."
A strange curiosity came over her and Ran stood still, continued to listen as though the last seconds were a trick of her imagination that needed verification, but those voices were still there, conversing as idly as though they were chatting about the weather when they were in fact plotting someone's death. Ran swallowed, kept still even as her heart hammered inside her chest and cold shudders fell over her shoulders. Carefully, Ran peeked around a corner only to see two women and an elder man conversing with each other.
"If things go as planned, we won't see that rich geezer anymore. And of course, the police would be blamed, if not Nakamori-Keibu directly."
One of the women said, and Ran narrowed her eyes in concentration, tried her best to memorise the white blouse she wore, the dark primed hair rolled up in a tight bun, her pencil skirt, the heels and the glasses. But that was all she could see. Would it even be useful?
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. The man moved with his crane, his widening grin sent chills over Ran's shoulder. "Excellent. I trust you on that, my dear."
Ran bit her lips. In this kind of situation. . .
. . . .What would you do Shin'ichi?
Ran closed her eyes for a moment, washed all uncertainty away before she rose, determined to ask for direction and whatever the cost, see their faces, if not gain an accurate description of them.
A name would be good too for identification. . .
Ran took a deep breath and braced herself, stepped out only to find herself held back by a white gloved hand. She was gently pulled back before she knew it and before she could speak, she was taken away with a ready smile, blinding and full of promise, and the dimly dark of the hallway receded into a sparkling blur of white and stars that swam before her eyes.
"Throwing yourself into a lions is a dangerous thing to do, mademoiselle. Why don't you dream of taking a simple walk under the moonlight with me, instead?"