Author's Note: Yay for a new chapter! To be honest, I'm on the brink of a writer's block here. OwO;; This be bad. Don't worry, I'll figure something out. Happy holidays!
PART 11
Ring, ring.
The ringing of the phone echoed across the empty hallway that night. Slow footsteps followed as they headed for it. It was already on its fifteenth ring before a hand reluctantly picked up the receiver. "Hello…"
"Nice trick back there."
The person who had answered the phone stood still for a second after he heard the phone. Finally, Kaito sighed, leaning against the wall. "How did you get my phone number? Kudo."
"Phone book," Shinichi replied on the other end. "It isn't hard to find the right Kuroba. Care to explain the trick?"
Kaito kept quiet. Shinichi got the message.
"It's all right. I got it figured out anyway. I found the little device you used from the dummy you set up. It was really clever. Almost had me fooled. They didn't know it's a dummy, do they?"
Kaito answered that. "No…I made sure."
"Well, I exposed the dummy for you, in case they come back or something."
"Okay…Thanks…"
There was an awkward silence. Kaito didn't feel like talking now. He was about to put down without saying goodbye, until Shinichi spoke up. "So, is that it?"
Kaito put his ear to the receiver once more. "…What?"
"Is that it? The end of Kaitou Kid. There's no use being Kid again. They think you're dead, and the gem's nowhere. They won't be looking for you anymore."
Kaito looked down at the floor. "…They'll still be looking for me."
Shinichi was skeptical. "What? You mean, they know about the---you said---"
"They didn't know it was a dummy, but I expect they will by now, because the gem I gave them is a fake."
There was no answer immediately. Ten seconds later, Shinichi finally said, "But…they don't know it's really you---I mean, like, you, Kuroba Kaito. And you aren't going to be Kid anymore, right? …Right?"
Kaito did not answer. He didn't want to. Or maybe he just didn't know what his answer was. But he opened his mouth.
"…Kudo, can you leave me alone?"
Shinichi hesitated. He really did not want to do that. It was obvious that Kaito was troubled, and he wanted to help. But knowing Kaito, he would not be able to do anything about it. He sighed.
"Okay, Kuroba. I'll leave you alone. But please, think carefully before you do anything. It's for your own good. And remember, I'll always be there for you---"
"Kudo." Shinichi had barely finished his sentence before Kaito interrupted. "You can't help anymore. It's over. You can't do anything else. I'll be fine. Just…forget about me and get on with your life. Go back to your girlfriend. Don't let me trouble you again, and I won't bother you either. Kid won't bother you anymore."
"But Kuroba---"
"Sayonara, Kudo." He hung up. This was it. That was his last conversation with Kudo Shinichi. He was not going to bother the detective again, never. Not Nakamori-keibu, not Hakuba, not anyone. Kid had retired. Or it would be better to say---dead.
But did he want this to happen?
His fist met the wall. He bit his lip, stopping the tears from flowing out. He drew in deep breaths, calming himself. He would not think about it. Thinking about it would only lead him to a breakdown. He still had his life. He had to get on with it.
A hand to his head, he started to walk up the stairs. But before he reached the top, he found that he was not alone.
Ryouko watched from above, looking very anxious. It seemed like she had heard everything. Kaito lowered his head, eyes not looking at her. He walked past her. "Daijoubu desu, Okaa-san," he said softly. "I'm fine."
Then he went into his room, closing the door behind him. Ryouko turned around, mouth opened. But no word came out. She just stood there, worried. She wanted to help him. But what could she do? She was no part of anything concerning Kid, other than the fact that she was related to him. But there was nothing else she could do.
There had to be someone who could help…someone…
---
"What is that, Otou-chan?"
"That is a gem, Kaito…the Pandora Gem. It's said that people can live forever with it."
Young Kaito let out a little squeal of excitement as he leaned forward more into the newspaper his father was reading. The gem looked beautiful. "If we have it, we'll live together forever then?" he asked.
His father smiled. "Living forever isn't true happiness, Kaito. And it's important to prevent others from having that state of mind. There is much evil out there…we don't want evil to rule us. That's why this thing should be destroyed…"
Kaito watched as his father's grip on the newspaper tightened a little.
Otou-chan…
Kaito turned the gem over and over in his hand on the desk absentmindedly as he stared out into the night. The memory of his father flooded in every time he held it. He could not destroy it now…he could not.
---
"…Haibara."
Miyano Shiho did not turn around from her work with the chemistry set. Shinichi put on an annoyed look. That was the third time he had called her, but she was not answering. He had no idea why she was so in depth with chemical---it was not like she had anything to work on anymore. Or maybe that was the point. Because she did not have anything to work on anymore, she was working to find out what to work on.
But that was not a reason on why she was not replying.
"Oi! Didn't you hear me calling you?" he called in slight frustration. "I'm talking to you, lady with the chemistry set!"
"I don't know this Haibara whom you're calling," Shiho replied, shaking the vile lightly and examining the change.
"Then what do you want me to call you, Sher---"
"Don't call me that!" she snapped, turning around very fast. She saw that Shinichi had his arms folded and his face twisted in seriousness. She sighed, putting down the vile. "Okay, what do you want?" she asked calmly.
"I just need someone to talk to," Shinichi replied, walking over to the table. "You see, I have a friend---"
"Kaitou Kid," she filled in.
He looked at her for a second. "Yes, Kid. He's in trouble, and---"
"And you want to help but he doesn't want your help, so now you're worried," she finished for him.
He quirked an eyebrow at her. "How do you know?"
"We've been through a lot, Kudo. It's not like I don't know your personality anymore," Shiho replied as-a-matter-of-factly. "We may have escaped from 'their' grasp, but we've known each other for quite a long time that it's impossible to deny our relationship…as companions in similar troubles," she added the last bit to avoid misunderstanding. "Including the fact I'm still living in this broken house of the professor."
"Okay," Shinichi said slowly. "So what do you suggest? Is there any way I can help him out of his trouble?"
Shiho picked up another vile and looked at it for a moment before she finally spoke. "Do you know what's troubling him?"
"Of course! He's scared of quitting. He has quitted being Kid but I know he doesn't want to, and---"
"Are you sure that's only it?"
Shinichi hesitated.
"You may be a great detective, Kudo, but you aren't a psychologist," Shiho told him. "Only the person himself knows his troubles. But---I can't always be the bearer of bad news for you." She turned to him. "Some troubles can be found through deduction. You just have to observe carefully. Isn't that right…great Detective of the East?"
Shinichi blinked at her. He had been so worried about Kaito that he had never thought about deduction anymore. It was weird---and the weirdest part of all, was that Shiho was giving him the best advice so far. He smiled, and was going to say something when Shiho cut him off, "Don't need to thank me, you were just being mindless for a while."
Shinichi chuckled. "Right. Well, I'll see you around, Haibara." He began to head for the door.
"I told you I'm not Haibara anymore."