With the exception of the plot and the original characters that are depicted in the story, the author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended on the franchise of Detective Conan that rightfully belong to its owner Aoyama Gosho.
Once again, I would like to thank OnyxKatana, J0kersGirl, and Vivian Graythorn for all their help. I could not have finished this chapter in time without them! Now, let the thirteenth act of Paper Faces commence before our eager audience! :)
Shinichi leaned back in her chair, surveying the mess she had made on the dining room table. Papers laid scattered across the work-space, upon which margins were highlighted and glued with sticky notes. In one hand, the Detective of the East held a few sheets that contained a synopsis on her research over the last couple days, and the other was quickly typing in words on the LED screen of her laptop. After she had returned home from Beika, the dark-haired teen went straight to work on digging up any reference related to Pandora. She wanted to know more about this Organization and their men who were after this gem that could give someone immortality. The fact that KID was also involved increased her motivation, amongst everything else…
Blue orbs stole a glance at an adjacent room, memories from the last night in Beika suddenly playing in her mind like a movie. A secret room behind the bookcase in the Kudo Mansion. A large jewelry box with a letter addressed to Night Baron from someone with the initials KT. It was not hard to deduce who was the receiver, but the sender remained unknown because Shinichi did not know any of her father's friends who would give him jewelry. Especially when she knew for a fact that Kudo Yukiko was the only woman that Yuusaku had ever loved (despite her mother's occasional tantrum about her husband seeing someone else).
Shinichi then shook her head and resumed her task. Regardless, the numerous questions that ran through her mind as she thought more about what happened, coupled with the unexpected discovery just added more zest to this mystery.
The first day had been spent combing the Internet for any information about the gem with a few cross-references that included various KID heists that had recently happened and where these men from this particular syndicate had been spotted. Unfortunately, most of the data she found was redundant and unrelated. To find more useful information, the coffee-haired sleuth started mixing up her keywords on the search engine, hoping for a hit on one of the more unusual combinations. The effort yielded better results than before, but it still wasn't quite what she was looking for. It took almost all of her willpower to turn off the laptop and go to sleep at almost one o'clock in the morning.
Almost seven hours later and two cups of black coffee, Shinichi went back to work. Currently, it was midday with some progress having being made, although not much for the young woman to get further in her investigation. Any more information about a jewel that granted immortality and the Organization's criminal activity was nearly nonexistent. Haibara was not joking when she mentioned that there was a purpose behind their scattered actions.
Shinichi sighed heavily as she finished cleaning up a space used for her lunch - a package of instant beef flavored ramen and some white rice -, and was about to get back to work until the doorbell chimed. The Detective of the East had a visitor.
Surprised, she stood up and went to the door, wondering who would visit her at this hour. The sleuth certainly didn't order anything since she had been away; she lost her faith in delivery companies after solving homicide investigations as Edogawa Agatha. You just never knew if the person standing outside was someone doing their job or using it as a cover to murder.
Cautiously unlocking the door, she opened to see...a bouquet of flowers? No, lisianthus? Behind it was a familiar mop of jet-black hair.
"Surprise!"
Despite herself, Shinichi returned Kaito's goofy grin with a small one of her own before letting him come inside. Accepting the flowers, she went to the kitchen and grabbed a vase to fill it with sugar-water. The magician was right behind the young woman, closing the door behind him and sitting down on the sofa after he took off his shoes, leaving them by the entrance. When his gaze fell upon on the messy dining room table, Kaito sighed dramatically.
"Looks like Yukihira-san was right about bringing lisianthus instead of roses. You need the extra calmness to balance that habit of overworking yourself. This is summer vacation, Shin-chan! You need to relax!"
Shinichi rolled her eyes and as she finished arranging the flowers, placing them in their new home on the breakfast bar. Once that task was complete, she returned to the living room and sat next to him on the couch.
"While your concern is appreciated, and I'm very glad to see you. What bring you to my humble corner of the world, Kuroba-san?" The Detective of the East asked with a small smirk twitching the corner of her mouth.
Kaito shot a glare at her, causing Shinichi to burst into laughter at the offended expression he wore from calling him by his last name. She couldn't help it; it was too golden an opportunity to not pass up. When he puffed out his cheeks and looked away like a child being denied access to the cookie jar, Shinichi decided to let up on the poor guy. It was fun to tease him, but she didn't want Kuroba-san to up and leave because of it. Not that he would, though interacting with him had taught Shinichi that this rising magician was as unpredictable and random as the weather itself.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop. But really Kaito-kun, what brings you here? How's Aoko-chan?" Shinichi watched in both surprise and amusement as his countenance suddenly did a one-eighty, scooting closer to the sleuth with a determined glint in his eyes.
"Ahouko is fine, she's in Osaka for a week with Keiko and some other girls from our class. She texted me and said that she got your message that you were home, so I'd figured you'd you'd be holed up here, drowning yourself in pointless work that can wait until tomorrow to finish up. Therefore, I've decided that we're going out for the day. We'll get lunch and hang out somewhere afterwards. No ifs, ands, or buts; none of this is up for debate! So please hurry up and get changed so we can go have some fun! This is what summer is all about! Taking a break from studying in that hellhole called 'high school'. "
Shinichi gawked at him for a full minute before she regained her bearings. Blinking up at him, she spoke slowly.
"Kaito, you can't just ask someone to come for lunch at a moment's notice. They could have important work to be done. Like -" Shinichi floundered as she thought of a suitable reply. "Like chores! And summer assignments! Or did you entirely forget about those things that a normal person does during the day?"
Kaito just looked at his companion with an eyebrow raised that clearly said 'are you kidding me?'. He responded, and in a voice that left no more argument and aware that he wasn't buying her excuse.
"You really expect me to believe that you have urgent homework in the middle of summer break, that can't possibly be done at any other time save for now?"
Knowing she was beaten, because the magician wasn't going to let this pass, Shinichi sighed in defeat. "Alright, wait here for a while. Let me change and fix myself a little. We can't have the famous magician being accompanied by a mess." Gathering up the papers scattered across the room, she took them into the back of the apartment and closed the door, intending to change into something more presentable for another 'date' with Kuroba-san.
xPFx
Shinichi idly tapped her foot as she waited for the magician to come back with their tickets. Once he had successfully infiltrated her home, Kaito had proceeded to pull the sleuth out of the apartment complex and down three blocks were a ramen stand recently opened up. He simply could not believe that she had not tried it yet because their signature beef ramen dish was "to just die for", though he quickly added that his comment was in no relation to the Detective of the East's supposed curse.
Surprisingly, it didn't bother Shinichi as much as she would have thought and proceeded to roll her eyes at his antics. It was better to go along with whatever he wanted to do instead of arguing with him.
(Not that she would ever admit it, but Kaito had a very accurate idea of which place served the best local cuisine. Her taste buds were beautifully pampered whenever she accompanied him.)
An hour later, the two teens walked out of the establishment with satisfied appetites and decided to walk around the market for a while, trying to figure out what to do next. Kaito was the sort of person who planned things as he went along rather than having an itinerary written down to the last letter. Furthermore, it took a bit more convincing and dramatic acting on his part to persuade Shinichi to go to the movies.
Despite what he outwardly projected to the young woman in terms of cajoling her to do these activities, Kaito had actually put some serious thought into this "date". The dark-haired teen knew that the new thriller Silence of the Opera House had just been released the previous day, and it seemed to be right up Shinichi's alley with its mystery/horror genre. For once, it seemed that the detective was oblivious about his intentions. A little bit of clever manipulation on his part, and soon the two of them were standing outside of the cinema. Kaito asked Shinchi to wait while he got the tickets. There was no reason to make her suffer in line at the ticket kiosk.
About fifteen to twenty minutes later, Kaito finally returned with a pair of indigo-colored vouchers and a wide grin on his face. "Sorry it took me so long, Shin-chan! I didn't think the line would take so long but I did it!"
The coffee-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Glad to hear it. Still, I'm surprised to see a lot of people here. There aren't many movies playing right now, are there?" Shinichi asked, noticing that there were more children standing with their parents than teens their age.
Kaito shrugged. "Not really, except that Kamen Yaiba movie special that's supposed to be a two-day event at selected theaters." When Shinichi gave him a strange look, he raised an eyebrow. "What? There was an article about it in the entertainment section of today's paper! Didn't you see it?"
"I'm more interested in current affairs of the state than events I won't likely be going to."
"Well, aren't you a ball of sunshine this afternoon~!"
"I've only had two cups of black coffee."
The magician eyed the sleuth warily, a hint of disgust in his gaze at the mention of Shinichi's preferred beverage. "Do I dare ask how much caffeine you consume during the day with that - that stuff?"
Shinichi shrugged as the two of them walked up the steps to the cinema's double doors. "Four or five, depending on how my day is going and the workload I have to do that includes schoolwork." Kaito's face turned bone-white at the answer, though still kept his grip on the door when he swung it open for his female companion.
"That's too much, Shin-chan! You need to have other fluids besides black coffee! What about water? Juice?"
"And this is coming from the guy that has three hot chocolates every morning with extra cream and a few marshmallows?" The Detective of the East countered when her gaze fell upon the concession stand. "Did you want anything from there? You've paid for the tickets, I can at least get us some snacks."
Kaito frowned. "Don't try and change the subject on me! Seriously Shin-chan, you need to take your health a little more seriously! You can't properly function on a diet that only has junk food and coffee. Sounds like I'll have to ask Ahouko for her spare key to the apartment and bring over homemade food every day."
"You wouldn't dare."
"If it will ensure that you don't get sick on us because of poor food choices, then I'll gladly take a soccer-ball to the face."
"How about one below the belt?"
"Shin-chan!"
The Detective of the East ignored Kaito and just continued her trek to the usher standing near a row of movie posters. Once their tickets had been punched and given directions to where their show would be playing, the magician decided to go ahead and bite the proverbial bullet. He really didn't want to ask Shinichi about this before going to the show, but he just had to know.
"Uh, Shin-chan?"
"Yeah?"
"I...I was able to finish up that story you wanted me to read over vacation. The Witch's Banquet, right?"
Azure orbs locked onto bright blue as Shinichi raised an eyebrow at him, halting her footsteps on the carpeted floor. "Right. So, how was it? Is the plot all right or does it need some improvement before I submit it to the publishing company for a final revision?"
Kaito shook his head. "N-No, it was really good and it kept me interested until the ending! It's just...I couldn't help noticing how vivid the details were on describing the crime scene and the characters' interactions, including the protagonist. It was as if you were on the cursed island yourself."
For just a second, Shinichi's small frame became tense and her eyes wide before the shocked expression became neutral. Anyone else would have missed this sudden switch in body language, though being the Phantom Thief had taught Kaito to notice these things to a certain degree of hyper-awareness. It also helped him get out of a few tight spots with Snake at the beginning of his criminal career. Deciding not to call her out on it at the moment, Kaito stowed away that piece of information for later reference, and decided to continue with their 'date'.
A date that was going rather splendidly until an ear-splitting scream filled the air. The kind of panicked wail that usually meant someone was dead. Again.
xPFx
When Shinichi finally returned to Clyro Villa, it was almost ten o'clock in the evening. As soon as she followed the source of the tell-tale cry that someone had found a cadaver in the men's restroom, thankfully it did not turn out to be anything sinister. The executive manager of the theater had been suffering from a heart attack, and needed medical attention as soon as possible. Kaito helped keep both the middle-aged man and the small crowd that surrounded them remain as calm as he could while Shinichi dialed 119 for an ambulance.
The two of them were able to save a life, but missed about half an hour of the movie they were going to see. Just as the teens walked out of the cinema to do something else, one of the associates presented them with tickets for a later show of the film, courtesy of the company for their help. Shinichi tried to decline the offer since she was just happy that the man was all right, but the customer services leader insisted. If Kaito had not been there by her side, then she would have tried to think of another method to get away and hide in a corner. The pair took the tickets, and walked around the area until it was time to try and watch Silence of the Opera House again.
There weren't any more interruptions, and the movie was about three hours long. The plot piqued Shinichi's interest, though the way that some of the actors (who were supposed to be the local police) performed a standard procedure on a crime scene irked the hell out of her until Kaito shoved a piece of chocolate in her mouth. This effectively silenced the detective and ensured that the rest of the audience wouldn't kick them out. Not that the class prankster would let that happen, of course, but still.
Once the credits started rolling, they left the cinema and went to a new restaurant that had also just opened up. It was supposed to be offering French cuisine. What better way to subtly show off to the girl he liked than to display his fluency of the world's most romantic language to the waiter who took their orders? But on the way out, the pair came across a crying little girl who got separated from her parents in the lobby.
Kaito didn't like to see children upset, so he did what was best to dry a princess' tears: magic. His impromptu show eventually drew everyone else whom were still waiting to be seated and applauded the young man for an encore. Unfortunately, a hostess politely asked them to leave with a tight smile on her ruby-red lips. While the somewhat request/demand did not bother him in the slightest, Kaito still apologized to Shinichi with a sheepish smile. Though, much to his surprise, the Detective of the East just shook her head.
"It's all right. It was nice seeing what your 'magic' did for those kids. Half of them looked like that they wanted to run away and do something else. Can't say I blame them, getting all dressed up just to have adults talk over drinks and other topics that don't make any sense to them."
Unfortunately for the almost oblivious teen, recalling what she used to experience as Edogawa Agatha almost gave herself away to KID's biggest fan. However, Kaito made no comment on her response, which brought up two plausible reasons why: 1) He did not notice it or 2) He chose not to say anything. Being the hopeless sap that he could be for this girl, Kaito insisted on walking Shinichi back to her apartment.
When they arrived at Room 223, Kaito smiled sunnily for a moment before he pouted. When Shinichi asked what was wrong, the expression deepened ever so slightly.
"Shin-chaaannn~! What about my goodnight kiss? Surely you know the proper etiquette for a date with a moonlight walk? The maiden gives her knight in shining armor a kiss for being a good escort!"
The coffee-haired teen playfully rolled her eyes at the boy. Making the decision she would later attribute to a rare about of insanity, she stood on her toes and quickly pecked Kaito's puffy cheek.
Turning around, she pulled out her keys and went inside after fiddling with the lock for a few seconds. Just when she was about to close the door, Shinichi caught a glimpse of the dark-haired boy who was still standing in front of her door. His jaw had gone slack, and his eyes were uncharacteristically wide. Realizing what she did to cause such a rare reaction in Kaito, Shinichi's face resembled a maraschino cherry and did not die down for another half an hour. By then, she could finally fall asleep.
The next morning, after polishing off one cup of coffee, Shinichi found a cream-colored envelope underneath the newspaper at her front door. There was a pencilled message on the front. The calligraphy was written in a hand that she recognized almost as well as her own. Kaito. It read:
A friend asked to give you this note, and I was going to before I left when I had been rendered incapable of doing so by yesterday's...surprise.
Thank you, by the way :) Have a good day and don't push yourself too hard!
Shinichi's blush returned full force as she recalled what the idiotic prankster was implying. Shaking her head, the half-awake sleuth tried to calm herself down by examining the letter she received, flipping it from front to back for a moment until returning to the former. That was when her eyes landed on the red wax seal holding it closed. That wouldn't have been quite so surprising if she hadn't noticed a detail she had earlier overlooked due to not being up before nine o'clock in the morning. Shinichi was used to enough official letters with wax seals, including certain individuals who were eccentric enough to use them. Yet what made the teen nervous about opening this particular letter was the caricature of a smiling man wearing a monocle and top hat in the bottom right-hand corner of the envelope.
This letter was from KID.
KID had used Kaito to pass on a message.
Swallowing her anxiety, Shinichi removed the blood-red wax seal with a letter opener and read the contents. With each word, dread settled into her stomach. The situation was getting even more complicated than it already was. Or needed to be.
The Phantom Thief wished to hire Beika's renowned sleuth to find the KID Killer. There were two more sheets of paper, including a physical description of Edogawa Agatha and her last known whereabouts. The reason for his search was merely out of concern, but he could not proceed any further than the progress report that was in her current possession.
If there was anyone who could solve the mystery of a child that suddenly vanished without a trace, it was Kudo Shinichi. The last few sentences were what tugged her heartstrings.
There's not a day that goes by when I don't think about my little critic and worry for her safety. If you accept this job, meet me at the following location written below. There will be compensation for your services.
KK
The Detective of the East sighed heavily, leaning against the breakfast bar with a frown on her pretty face as she tried to calm herself down. How could she help anyone, much less a wanted criminal, to look for someone that was part of a life that Shinichi wanted to forget? And more importantly, how was she supposed to locate someone who didn't even exist?
It looks like the mystery continues deepen with more twists and turns, including the Phantom Thief wanting to hire a detective to find his critic, and another date for this spectacular pair on Valentine's Day! :) I can't believe it's been seven months since I've started writing this story, with the amount of support and feedback being phenomenal. I still can't believe that it has almost reached a three digit number in reviews! If Paper Faces reaches 101 reviews (I love odd numbers), that would be incredible! :) I hope everyone will enjoy the Feast of Saint Valentine with a special someone, their friends, or family!
See you next illusion. - (KID caricature)