Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK or HP

No Need for Magic

4: And it Never Ended

Initially, Shinichi had been more than a little worried about what the new turn in their relationship would mean for him and Kaito. What would it change?

The answer, however, turned out to be that it didn't really change all that much except that he had become more acutely aware of Kaito's presence in his life—of his smile and the way his hand always lingered when they touched, of the way Kaito always seemed to know just what to say to cheer him up and how he all but seemed to bend reality with his mere presence, filling the atmosphere with possibilities and the promise of mischief. Shinichi had long ago come to see Kaito as an important part of his life. It was Kaito who had helped him begin to accept that the wizard world was something he was part of and Kaito who had helped him see the wonder of that world and its potential. It was more than that though. Kaito was someone he trusted and felt he could rely on. Someone he could share all his thoughts with who was just as willing to learn about Shinichi's world as he was to share his own.

And as they sat together with mugs of hot chocolate up in the astronomy tower on the last night of the holiday before the rest of the students would be returning, watching the stars in the first clear sky they had seen in weeks, Shinichi knew that this was someone he really could spend his life with. But perhaps they was too young to be thinking of such things. What could they really know about love at their age? For all he knew, they would both feel completely differently in a few years. Kaito would be graduating before him, and Shinichi still intended to attend a muggle college. What would happen to them then?

The questions nagged at him. But then Kaito scooted closer and carefully slid his free arm around Shinichi's waist. The younger boy found himself leaning instinctively into the embrace and resting his head on Kaito's shoulder, first hesitantly then with more confidence. Shinichi had never been one for physical contact, but he found that he felt quite comfortable with Kaito's arm around him. Indeed, it all felt so right that Shinichi caught himself holding his breath in fear that the moment would shatter.

Unable to help it, he let out a quiet laugh at the ridiculousness of his own thoughts. Here he was, on his first date (he blushed at the thought. Kaito had insisted on calling it a date even though they hadn't been able to leave the castle. Instead, the older boy had gotten them a neatly packed picnic dinner from the kitchen elves and brought them up here for a quiet and, Shinichi had to admit, very romantic dinner surrounded by stars and the gently revolving plants around the tower's as yet fully intact galactic tree), and yes, here he was on that first date—and worrying about the kinds of things that he supposed people worried about the days before their weddings. How absurd was that?

"Care to share the joke?" Kaito prodded, smiling down at the top of Shinichi's head. He turned to nose that adorable cowlick, basking in the feeling of having Shinichi curled up against his side.

"I was just thinking," Shinichi replied, not moving from his new and very comfortable position.

Kaito chuckled. "I could tell that much. What were you thinking about?"

"Well…" Shinichi hesitated before deciding that there was no reason not to share. "I…was thinking this is nice. I don't want things to change, but, well, it just suddenly struck me that I was being rather foolish because nothing can ever stay the same."

"I don't think you're being foolish," Kaito countered, tone, for once, dead serious. "Everyone worries about change, but change doesn't have to be bad. I say we can handle it. I mean hey, we're two of the best students in the brainiest House at this school! There's nothing we can't do if we put our minds to it. We just need to set our goals and set sail!"

"So what are our goals then?" Shinichi wondered. They were getting off topic, he knew, but that was all right. There was an energy in the air now—and magic. Not the kind of magic you could make by waving a wand but real magic. The kind you could make with your heart, a vision, and a will.

Kaito grinned, and this time it was the grin of the adventurer with his eyes full of distant horizons and the sparkle of treasures untold.

"To take things one step at a time and enjoy the moment."

"That's it?"

"Yep." And suddenly they were back in the tower again and the tang of ocean winds no longer tickled their nostrils. "The worst thing we can do for ourselves is to waste the time we have now by worrying about problems that might or might not ever come up."

"You always make things sound so simple," Shinichi mused with a baffled shake of his head, though he couldn't keep the small smile from making its way onto his face.

Kaito laughed. "That's because they are. It's all about how you choose to look at things."

X

Though Kaito would have been perfectly happy to announce their new relationship to the world in flaming letters across the sky, Shinichi was rather less inclined to such public pronouncements. In his opinion, his private life was nobody's business but his own (and that of those directly involved), and Kaito respected that. He had no desire to make Shinichi uncomfortable. Best to let things unfold at their own pace. As he'd told Shinichi, they needed only to take one step at a time. Together.

Yet, although there had been very little outward change in their interactions, their friends were quick to pick up on the subtle shifts.

Then again, as Hattori idly remarked to a blushing Shinichi, "It wasn't like we didn't all see it coming."

"It was pretty obvious," Shiho agreed with a smirk that did nothing to alleviate Shinichi's embarrassment. "By the way, did he catch you with the mistletoe? I bet Francis Tuttleby three gold galleons that he would do it this Christmas. Oh, and I get an extra galleon if it was your first kiss."

Shinichi could only gape at his friends at a complete and utter loss for words.

Several minutes of embarrassed prodding and mumbling later, Shiho left to collect her gold from the unfortunate Gryffindor student she'd made the bet with, and Shinichi retreated hastily into the paper barricades of words and papers and the worlds they harbored in which he could feel at least temporarily sheltered from the outside world and the insanity of nosy friends who had apparently been making best on your love life

He wondered what other kinds of bets they had made about him and with whom. And then he decided that he would probably be much happier if he were never to find out the answers to those questions. Ever.

Fortunately, the OWL exams waited for no one, and the rush of schoolwork and pre-test jitters had everyone in his year too busy and too nervous to think about much other than studying. And the upper classmen were considerate enough to leave them to their studies.

Shinichi had been informed by the headmaster that she had made arrangements with the proctors for the transfigurations exam in light of his, ah, philosophical views on animal transformations. As such, though he was asked to transfigure some animals into other animals and back again, he was not required to turn anything alive into an inanimate object. And though he did have to transfigure a blue green glass marble into a little snake with scales that glittered with refracted rainbows, as per his agreement with the proctor, he was not required to change the snake back into a marble. The small creature ended up wrapped comfortably around Shinichi's wrist like a bejeweled bracelet.

Last but not least, Shinichi demonstrated his now mastered transformation from human to sparrow shape, no wands or potions required. This last test would earn him an animagus license—something he planned to make very good use of once he began his own detective agency in the future. But he kept that thought to himself—and to Kaito, of course.

Otherwise, the exams passed mostly without anything of note happening. All their usual friends and acquaintances passed with mostly flying colors. The school was doing well, and life truly was looking up.

Then the last exams were at an end, and once again, it was time to depart for another summer—Kaito's last summer—as a Hogwarts student.

That realization sent a jolt of irrational fear through Shinichi, but he squashed it down and pretended it wasn't there. Instead, he invited Kaito along with their other, closer friends to Japan for the summer.

One of his muggle friends' families had opened a new resort there—yes, another one—and they had invited him and said he was free to bring guests. So he had naturally invited Kaito, Shiho, and Hattori. Then, recalling Mike's fascination with comic books and recalling the comic convention that Sonoko had mentioned would be taking place at the resort sometime that summer, he also sent owls to Mike and Annalisa.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is some form of experiment you're concocting?" Kaito asked as he sat down next to Shinichi on one of the sofas in the resort's combined lounge and coffee shop. Amusement gleamed in indigo orbs as he gazed across the room to where the rest of the Hogwarts affiliates were currently engaged in a, ah, friendly exchanging of cultures. This involved a lot of enthusiastic gabbling and arm waving from Mike, Hattori and several of Sonoko's friends as they argued over the merits of this series or that while, right next to them, Annalisa and the rest of the non-comic book fans swapped ear buds and song recommendations. At some point, the conversations collided on the topic of dramatic adaptations, and the two groups became one debating actors and acting, musical accompaniment, storylines, and so on and so forth. Of course, every now and then, a witch or wizard might say something odd or ask a question that struck the non-magical people as silly or obvious, but those moments passed quickly in light laughter and explanations. In no time at all, Sonoko had unveiled the enormous, flat-screen TV on the wall of the lounge and popped in a movie—a recent one adapted from one of Mike's favorite superhero comics.

The sight was a far cry from the awkwardness it had started as.

Shinichi watched it all and smiled contentedly into his coffee mug.

"It's going well," Kaito commented, nudging him with his elbow and quirking an eyebrow at him.

"What is?" Shinichi asked, blinking big, blue eyes up at him.

The older boy only grinned and ruffled the smaller boy's hair. "Your experiment. You're not difficult to read, my dear. You wanted them to see more of the outside world. Isn't that right? Get to know that muggles are really just people exactly like the rest of us. Or maybe that should be that we're just people like they are. And they've got a lot they can share with us if we've the mind to listen."

Shinichi shrugged. "I guess. I know it's not much, but… Well, change has to begin somewhere."

"That it does," Kaito agreed sagely.

X

Kaito's seventh year was both the best and the worst year of his Hogwarts career. He was busy with all the advanced classes he'd decided to take, but that was nothing more than a minor irritant. It was an amazing year because his and Shinichi's relationship had finally settled down from that anxious and jittery period of uncertainties and maybe, maybe nots into a comfortable understanding of themselves and the ways in which they fit with one another, supporting and being supported. They studied together, laughed and played games, debated over literature and the merits of chocolate, and speculated about the future. Shinichi told Kaito about the various colleges and universities he planned to apply to and worried over his chances of gaining an acceptance, especially considering his peculiar academic record, and Kaito told him about the projects he had been working on for Clover Kingdom and his plans to travel the world in search of inspiration. Shinichi quite liked the idea of seeing more of the world too, and they spent many an evening poring over maps and travel guides and drawing up plans.

They could also often be found taking long walks together around the grounds or down by the lake. Sometimes, they talked, but, just as often, those walks would be quiet as they simply basked in the peace and the warmth of one another's company. They could often be seen picnicking out on the lawn when the weather was welcoming, and there were rumors that they occasionally snuck up into the astronomy tower at night to go stargazing together. Naturally, these rumors were never substantiated. Kaito only grinned whenever anyone asked, but their friends were of the opinion that Shinichi's blush when asked about it spoke volumes. At which point several of them, led primarily by Hattori, would get these knowing looks on their faces and begin teasing Shinichi to no end, much to the younger boy's annoyance.

Seriously, if Hattori told them not to "have too much fun" next time they sneak up into the tower at night one more time, Shinichi was going to kick a soccer ball at his head. He'd gotten a new one just that Christmas, and he was more than prepared to break it in by knocking some manners into rude and overly nosy friends.

Drawing in a deep breath of the chilled, night air, he tried to imagine all the irritation leaving his body as he exhaled. A few repetitions of the meditative exercise, and he was feeling considerably calmer and less like his face was going to catch fire.

He just didn't understand why so many people seemed to assume that he and Kaito had to be doing—things just because they had started dating. What did they take them for? Honestly, a real relationship was about so much more than things like kissing.

Yes, there was some kissing, And cuddling. But, for now, that was the extent of any intimacy, and they're both content with that. After all, they're still very young. Even if they weren't, Shinichi was still very shy about such things, and Kaito knew that there would be a right time and a right place. Whether you were working on a piece of art, a scientific experiment, or a relationship, rushing could only lead to shoddy work and unnecessary mistakes. The best things in life required patience, forethought and care. In the meantime, they had their whole lives to prepare for and plan.

Yet though the year couldn't have been any better, it was also a terrible year because they both knew that everything was about to change. And they both knew that even the best laid plans could not account for all that might go wrong.

Still, Kaito made the best of it because that was what Kurobas did.

Hogwarts didn't have much of a graduation ceremony, but no one really minded. The typical end of year feast and festivities was more than enough celebration as it was. When the glamour of it all had faded though, and they were all on the platform, waiting to file onto the train for the trip back to King's Cross, Shinichi couldn't help but feel a sudden, sharp pang of loss.

This was the last time he would be taking this train with Kaito and the rest of their friends. Most of them wouldn't be back next year. They would be headed elsewhere, taking the first steps onto the roads into an unknown future.

Would he ever see them again? Some, perhaps, but probably not all.

It really was ironic, he mused, how a place he had once wanted nothing to do with had brought him so many relationships and memories that he was loathed to lose. It just went to prove that there really was a silver lining on even the darkest clouds. It was all about whether or not you were willing to see it.

Of all the things he had learned from coming to this school, that lesson, he felt, was among—if not the—most important.

Important or not though, he was glad that he was too busy over the summer to spend any time contemplating life's lessons and uncertainties.

Kaito's parents had decided to celebrate the completion of his studies at Hogwarts with a family trip to Washington DC. And, since they had all but adopted Shinichi into the family already, they had invited the Kudos to join them. The two families had spent a very eventful week exploring the city's numerous museums and restaurants (and, in Kaito and Shinichi's case, learning multiple charms and spells for combating the city's horrendous summer heat).

The rest of Shinichi's summer was spent studying for and taking a wide array of tests whose scores, he explained to Kaito, were going to have to stand in for the academic records that he didn't have. He had also begun drafting his college application essays and compiling all the other necessary information. Needless to say, Shinichi had one excessively busy summer. Frankly, Kaito was surprised that the younger boy even found time to breathe.

"Well, this is it," Kaito said as he stood with Shinichi on the platform, waiting for the Hogwarts Express. "You gonna be okay without me?" His tone was teasing, but his eyes were not.

"Of course," Shinichi huffed, though, deep down, he wasn't as certain as he wanted to be. He had managed to avoid thinking of this moment all summer, but putting it off hadn't changed the fact that he was about to leave for his first year at Hogwarts without Kaito. "What about you? I doubt studying in your dad's workshop is going to be easy."

"But it will be fun," Kaito quipped. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes though that told Shinichi that he was up to something. Then again, the younger boy thought ruefully, Kaito was always up to something. And he wouldn't share until he wanted to, so there was no point asking about it.

There was a rumble, and the huge, red shape of the train came rolling up to the platform. Shinichi drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly in something that wasn't quite a sigh. It was time to go.

X

Seventh year, for Shinichi, was a drastic change. Without Kaito, Hogwarts suddenly seemed to have lost more than just his presence. The halls no longer rang with his laughter, and the Ravenclaw common room no longer crackled with his antics. It was all just so quiet that sometimes Shinichi thought he might want to scream. But he didn't because that would be a waste of time and energy, and he had more work to do than ever now that he would be dealing with both his NEWT exams and everything he had to compile to apply for the muggle colleges he wished to attend.

Needless to say, Shinichi spent most of his time with the books, emerging only to watch Quidditch games which were rather less thrilling without Kaito on the field and to organize a book club. It was a pet project he'd started at the end of the previous year.

Once a week, the club met in an empty classroom and discuss that week's book (alternating between muggle and wizard novels of various genres written by authors from all around the world) and the culture that had given birth to it. The club wasn't exactly big, but it was growing, and he had already picked out a fourth year Ravenclaw girl named Sally to take over managing the club after he graduated. She was one of those people blessed with the ability to be interested in any and all topics, and she had read even more books than he had. Nature had also gifted her with a nonexistent temper and a calm and friendly disposition and willingness to listen to all sides of any argument, which had been a great help the few times arguments had broken out in the club. Even the few Slytherins who had deigned to show up to the club to defend the superiority of wizard literature seemed to find it difficult to dislike the girl. She could actually make them not just talk but hold proper discussions and debates. The first time she had done so, Shinichi had had to marvel at it, and he knew that she would take the club much further than he would have even if he weren't graduating.

That knowledge lifted a weight from his shoulders that he hadn't even been aware he had been carrying. His hope to encourage tolerance and mutual appreciation through mutual education and the sharing of cultures was a task too big for one man to carry out alone. But it seemed he wouldn't have to try and do it alone. Here, he could see in this students as they analyzed stories and characters and discussed their thoughts, either from the academic viewpoint or simply from the point of view of an avid reader, they were beginning too to hear and to listen to ideas that were not their own. Betters till, they were giving those ideas due consideration. And this mindset would, hopefully, be one they would carry out into the world with them and pass on to others.

"And one step at a time, we bring the world together," Shinichi mused under his breath as he cleaned up the classroom after the majority of the book club had left. They weren't a messy club, but they did tend to rearrange the furniture so that everyone could sit more comfortably. Huge, plush sofas had to be turned back into stiff, student chairs and armchairs turned back into tables. Once everything was back in order though, Shinichi gave the room one last look and smiled—not at its immaculate state but at the warmth he could still feel in the air. He could almost hear the laughter from before the club members had left still lingering there in the air like the ghosts of merriments past.

He was going to miss them. He wouldn't be there when they really got rolling, but he would be watching, and he would be proud.

When he wasn't studying, working on something for the book club, or studying some more, the headmaster had given him permission to travel to the nearest muggle settlement with working computers and begin submitting his college applications. Yes, he knew that he could have waited, maybe even taken a year off so he could focus just on the applications while taking a break, but that really wasn't Shinichi's style. And though he now grudgingly agreed that his seven years at Hogwarts had not been a complete waste of time after all, he still wasn't eager to lose any more unnecessary time on the matter of getting himself into a good university.

His greatest hope was that he would get into Tokyo U because it was close to home and would grant him access to a wide range of resources and connections—including several friends in the metropolitan police force—that he felt would be helpful if he wanted to take the private detective route. But he also knew he needed backup plans, and both England, home to his favorite fictional hero, and America, his parents' current favorite haunt, had potential.

And once every other week, he gets an owl from Kaito with a letter commenting on Shinichi's last letter, recommending books and sharing random facts. What the letters didn't say was what Kaito himself had been up to. In that regard, all they did was hint, and it was frankly driving Shinichi crazy. And he made a mental note to give Kaito a good talking to next time he saw him about how letters should consist of more than riddles.

"I thought you liked his riddles," Sally pointed out when she caught him scowling at Kaito's latest letter and grumbling about secretive idiots.

Shinichi blushed. "This is different," he muttered. "These aren't riddles. They're him saying he's up to something, and he's not going to tell."

"Ah." The younger Ravenclaw nodded sagely, though Shinichi would swear that he saw the corners of her lips twitch. "In other words, he's doing what he always does."

And there really wasn't anything Shinichi could say to that because, well, it was true. That didn't, however, mean that Shinichi couldn't feel left out about it.

He fully intended to tell Kaito all this that Christmas vacation. The elder Kudos had invited them and the Kurobas to Hawaii for the holiday season, and both families had agreed like a shot. There was definitely something novel about a tropical Christmas. On top of that, this was Hawaii.

Kaito had drawn up a to-do list that made Shinichi's eyes bug out. They didn't have that much time, he'd argued, but what a Kuroba wanted, a Kuroba got. It was, Shinichi was beginning to learn, one of the laws of nature.

So they spent the entirety of the two week break waterskiing, hiking, scuba diving (an activity they partook of only once, and Kaito for only five minutes), watching shows, visiting the arts and cultural centers, and even learning to fly helicopters with Kudo Yuusaku. Kaito loved the helicopters, and Shinichi didn't miss the way his eyes lit up when someone they met over lunch mentioned skydiving.

All in all, it was a very eventful Christmas full of exploration and the trying of new activities and foods that left no time at all for Shinichi to ask Kaito what he wasn't telling him. In fact, it had been so busy that Shinichi hadn't even remembered that he had questions until he was back on the train headed for school again.

Annoyed at himself but still riding high on the warmth and good cheer of holidays spent with people you loved, he resigned himself once again to waiting for Kaito's cryptic owls.

The NEWT exams were harder than their OWLs had been, but Shinichi had never been the sort to be intimidated by mere written tests. The practical application sections of the exam went just as well. Some of his classmates commented on how calm he was being and wondered how he was managing it. Shinichi only shrugged and said he'd been taking so many tests this year that they'd just stopped making him nervous. The truth, however, was that wizard test scores weren't going to affect his college applications, and so, though he always tried his best, he knew that the score was more for himself—a mark of his own growth and achievements. Nothing more, nothing less.

He was rather more nervous waiting for the responses to his applications, but he tried very hard not to dwell too long on those. It didn't help that he wouldn't be getting any news until the responses arrived at his home in Beika and were picked up by his neighbor and relayed to his parents to relay again to him. At which point he would be the last to know. Considering the inevitable delays, he had left a list of preferences and instructions with his parents so that they could send replies on his behalf.

Shaking his head, he forced himself to focus back on the essay he was writing for the potions professor, who seemed determined to make sure everyone had homework to do all the way up until the very last day of their very last year in school.

X

It was the last Hogsmeade weekend of the school year, and everyone was winding down from the completion of their final exams. The weather was lovely, and Shinichi had originally planned to spend the day reading down by the lake. But the thought that this would very likely be the last time he would ever visit the village had struck a chord. He had fond memories of the place, and it would be a shame to depart without one last walk around to bid the place a proper farewell. That, and to spend some time remembering all that had happened here over the years.

He paused by the candy store, recalling the three separate occasions on which Kaito had insisted he help the older boy carry off half the store's chocolate inventory. Kaito might have carried off more if the manager hadn't put his foot down and insisted that they leave some chocolate for their fellow students. Kaito had also had a fondness for checking in on both the competing joke shops in the village, though there he generally seemed more interested in finding out what was new than buying anything. Shinichi had asked him if he was studying the competition, but Kaito had waved away that suggestion with a laugh and remark about how Clover Kingdom was about games, not gag gifts and joke props.

"Some of the stuff they come up with is still pretty cool though. So I like to browse around and see if anything inspires me."

On a whim, Shinichi walked into the Weasley's store and picked up an Inside Out Hat. According to the information board posted next to it, turning the hat inside out made it into an entirely different hat. Shinichi had picked a white and blue baseball hat as white and blue seemed to be Kaito's favorite colors. And when he turned the hat inside out, it became a top hat like that of a stage magician. Pleased, he paid for his purchase and left looking forward to giving the hat to Kaito. It was just the kind of trick prop that Kaito would like.

How many times had he walked the streets of this village with Kaito? Pausing to examine and discuss the window displays and comparing the overall ambience to that of Kaito's hometown in France before the older boy would inevitably begin pestering Shinichi to tell him more about his own hometown and about life in the big cities of Japan.

He could picture Kaito now, barging out of the Three Broomsticks with two bottles of butter beer clinking in his hands as he turned to search for Shinichi.

"There you are," the memory exclaimed, indigo eyes bright and zeroing in on Shinichi's startled blues. "Congratulations! I got us some drinks and these crazy good doughnuts from Tokyo. If you're done here, we can go eat them by the lake!"

Shinichi blinked.

The vision strode closer and leaned down to steal an entirely too real kiss from Shinichi's stunned lips before drawing back to smirk at him, one eyebrow raised. "Well? Aren't you even going to say hello?"

Shinichi's mouth moved silently for several moments before sounds finally began to emerge. "You…You're… Kaito?"

"That's me~. Really, Shin-chan, it's only been a few months. You couldn't have forgotten me that fast."

"I didn't," Shinichi exclaimed indignantly, mind finally catching up to the moment. "But what are you doing here? I thought you were in Paris?"

"I was. Briefly. Then I went to Tokyo. Saw your neighbor by the way. He showed me some of his new inventions. There's some pretty awesome stuff. You have to see him when we get back."

"We?" Shinichi echoed, still confused.

"I'll be staying here in Hogsmeade until you're officially out of school. Then we'll head over to London for a few days to wind down and relax. Then, once we're ready, we can buy plane tickets or arrange for a port key to Japan. I know it's a bit early, but I think we'll have an easier time finding a good apartment to rent if we go early. I mean, we'll want it to be close to our new campus but also close to the police station, right? So they can start getting to know you."

That sounded slightly back to front to Shinichi, but that was Kaito all over.

Kaito went on, but by this point Shinichi was only half listening because Kaito's earlier words were ringing all kinds of bells in his head. The clues were raining down on him like hail now, and he suddenly thought he knew just what Kaito had been up to.

And, if he was right, he wasn't sure whether he should be laughing or running for the hills right now.

"Kaito," he said, and the seriousness in his tone had the older wizard finally turning his full attention to him.

"What is it?"

"Would I be right in guessing that I got that admission to Tokyo U that I was hoping for, and my parents accepted it for me?"

"Yep. I did just congratulate you."

"But you've been talking about how we need to find an apartment near our new campus."

"Yes?"

"So it kind of sounds like you're going to be a new student there too."

The supremely self-satisfied smirk that appeared on Kaito's face was all the answer Shinichi needed.

Well, Shinichi mused as he let Kaito steer him back towards the castle, university was most definitely going to be…interesting. Definitely a lot more so than he had ever anticipated.

But in a good way.

It was funny, Shinichi thought. It wasn't until just now that he had realized that he had been just as nervous about how different everything was going to be and how unprepared he felt to suddenly plunge back into a normal educational institution as he had been when he'd been forced to abandon all his original plans for the future to go to Hogwarts. But it was also just now that he realized that he had nothing at all to worry about because, wherever he went next, the things he had learned and the people he loved would always be with him—not just literally but inside, where it really mattered.

First though, he should probably get started on figuring out how to make sure Tokyo U survived Kaito's attendance. Shinichi would feel terribly guilty if it didn't.

End

A.N: And that's it! I hope you enjoyed the story. Thank you for reading!