Author's Note: Well, I got this done long ago, but still writing on Part 4. Thanks for the reviews! To PRIVATE: Matsu means Wait, according to the dictionary ;) All other questions concerning Ayumi will be answered in Part 4, unfortunately, so stay tuned!
PART 3
"Ka-Kaito?" Aoko stammered.
She was staring at Kaito, who was lying on the bed, still pale from his misfortune. But his eyes were opened, and he was smiling weakly at her. "Aoko…"
"Kaito!" Aoko bit her lip. "You had me worried! But…I'm glad you're fine…"
"I-I'm sorry, Aoko…" Kaito croaked. "I'm afraid…I won't live long…"
Aoko blinked. "W-what do you mean?"
Kaito continued to smile tiredly. His breath was getting raspier by the second. "I'm dying, Aoko…my heart will stop beating in a short moment…"
"D-don't joke with me, Kaito!" Aoko exclaimed frantically, grasping his hand. "You can't die, you can't! Tell me you're joking!"
"I'm not joking…I'm sorry, Aoko…I really am…"
"But---but---don't leave me, Kaito! Kaito!"
His eyes closed, and he lost strength in Aoko's grip. Tears ran down Aoko's face.
"KAITOOOOO!"
"Aoko-chan! Aoko-chan!"
Aoko's eyes flew open. She got up very fast, gasping. She blinked as she stared up at the kind face of Mrs. Kuroba. She was on a chair in the hospital corridor, facing Kaito's ward.
"Daijoubu ka, Aoko-chan?" Mrs. Kuroba asked kindly. "You were struggling in your sleep, so I had to wake you up. Seems like you had a nightmare"
"Oh." Aoko rubbed her eyes as she stood up. She glanced through the window into the ward. Kaito was still on the bed, the heart monitor still working.
It was a dream…
"What's the time now?" Aoko asked, running her fingers through her hair to untangle the knots.
"One in the afternoon. You must have been here all morning. How about going home? We can have lunch at my place first?"
Aoko nodded. "Okay. When did you come?" she asked as she followed Mrs. Kuroba to the elevator.
"An hour ago. I decided not to wake you up. Are you here alone?"
"Keiko-chan left before me."
"I see."
Aoko looked at Mrs. Kuroba after they had stepped off the elevator. "Um, I'm sorry about Kaito, Kuroba-san. I-I didn't imagine this would happen."
Mrs. Kuroba sighed. "It's okay, I had expected it. Nobody is forever lucky, you know." She smiled sadly. "You must be heartbroken, Aoko-chan. I know it's difficult to take this. Kaito has always been a good boy…"
"He's an idiot," Aoko said, biting her lip.
"I know how you feel, Aoko-chan. That's the way things go with life." Mrs. Kuroba patted Aoko's shoulder. "He'll be all right. I know it. Don't worry."
Aoko just nodded.
When they got to Kaito's home, Mrs. Kuroba immediately headed for the kitchen. "I'll prepared lunch. You don't have to help, don't worry. Just make yourself at home."
Aoko nodded as she watched Mrs. Kuroba disappearing. She walked up the stairs to the first floor landing, looking around. He found the large man-size portrait of Kuroba Toichi, Kaito's father. Aoko stood in front of it, staring at the glamorous picture. She remembered…
---
"That's Otou-san!" Kaito said gleefully, pointing up at the stage.
"I know, you told me millions of times already," Aoko told him, rolling her eyes.
"Isn't he cool? He's the best magician in the world! He's my idol! When I grow up, I want to be a famous magician just like him!"
---
"Kaito!" Aoko panted as she caught up with Kaito, who had finally stopped. "What's wrong with you today? Kaito?"
Aoko's eyes widened to see tears in Kaito's eyes. "Otou-san died," he choked. "Okaa-san told me yesterday. He died during a magic show."
"I-I'm sorry, Kaito…" Aoko whispered. "I know how you feel…"
"No, you don't know how I feel! It's hard to lose someone whom you admired all your life! You'll never understand!"
"B-but, Kaito---"
"Leave me alone!" Kaito ran off, leaving Aoko helpless on the pavement.
---
…"Poor Kaito," Aoko whispered, putting her hand on the portrait.
Suddenly the portrait sank into the wall under her hand. "Ehhh?!" Before she knew it, she fell through.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Kuroba, who was in the kitchen, looked up when she heard some noises above her. Her eyes narrowed.
She found it…
---
"Ouch…" Aoko picked herself up from the floor, rubbing her shoulder. Where am I?
She heard a slam. She looked behind her, and gasped.
That---that's Kaito's Otou-san?!
She gazed at the portrait of Kaitou Kid the 1st in disbelief. She did not know whether to scream or cry. She just stared at Kuroba Toichi as if it were a ghost. Her mouth opened slightly, but no word came out.
After recovering from her shock, she shook her head. Okay, calm down, Nakamori---be positive. Kaito likes Kiddo, doesn't he? He's a fan of that thief. These might just be where he kept the fan stuffs…
She wandered around the small dark room, only a single light bulb lit above her. It was very dusty, but it looked as if someone had been there many times. The first thing Aoko did was open the cupboard. Her eyes widened.
There was a set of Kaitou Kid's clean suit hung neatly in the cupboard.
Aoko fingered it gingerly. It felt real. She chuckled though not convincing enough. He even got himself an identical suit like Kiddo's. How childish.
She closed the cupboard doors and turned her attention away from it. She spotted a small case on the table. She took it and examined it. Nothing special on the outside. She opened it.
Kid's monocle was lying on a cushion inside it.
Aoko chuckled again, this time less convincing than before. It's not like there's only one monocle in the world, right?
She put it down and noticed a box. Curious, she opened it. She gasped.
Jewels were piled in the box. Authentic jewels. Most were not gleaming (probably because they were ancient), but others practically shone at her face. Aoko took some in her hands and gazed at them. Are---are the Kurobas rich? No, wait---these look like the jewels that Kiddo stole either recently or more than eight years ago.
Aoko bit her lip. But---but---that doesn't mean anything…right?
She dropped the jewels and pushed the box away. She noticed a smaller box next to it, and peered into it. Jewels again. But they looked different from the authentic ones. Aoko took some and studied them.
All of them had Kid's signature on them. They were fake jewels---made by Kid. Aoko quickly looked through the rest. They all had the signature.
Aoko pushed the box away as well, unable to take it. It can't be…it's impossible…calm down, Aoko! There MUST be an explanation…
Then she saw a wastepaper basket. There were crumpled papers in it. She bent down and picked them up. She opened them one by one, reading speechlessly.
There were Kid's messages. Half-finished messages. There were crosses and more, as if he had been trying to think up a riddle or something.
…I'm dreaming.
He can't be Kiddo…HE CAN'T BE.
But the truth is staring at you…
Kaito…
How COULD you…?
Aoko's hands tightened on the papers as teardrops fell.
Then she heard a creak. Without wiping her tears, she turned.
Mrs. Kuroba stood at the secret entrance, where light shone in from behind her. She had a pitied smile on her kind face.