Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK

Sky Colored Eyes

23: The Light Inside

"You look excited," Kaito remarked as he dropped into the seat beside Shinichi's. "Has something happened?"

"Chishima-kun's mother called me. He's woken up, and he asked for me."

"Really?" The magician leaned forward. "That's good. Mind if I tag along?"

Shinichi shook his head. "I don't mind."

"I would like to come as well," Hakuba's familiar voice said from Shinichi's other side. Kaito made a face at the blonde which the British detective ignored.

"I told Chishima-san that I'll head over to the hospital after school."

Hakuba nodded then paused. "Pardon me, but isn't that the Lady's Blessing?"

Shinichi stared at him blankly. "What?"

Mutely, the blonde reached over and tapped the pendant hanging around his fellow detective's neck. Blue eyes followed the gesture then widened. How had he forgotten about the glittery accessory that had mysteriously appeared around his neck over night?

He blushed. He reached up hurriedly to unclasp the chain. "I was wearing it when I woke up this morning. Can you pass it along to Nakamori-keibu for me?"

Hakuba accepted the proffered piece of jewelry. He turned it over in his fingers, examining it with care. "It is definitely the same piece," he muttered. His gaze swiveled to Kaito. "Do you have any idea how you ended up with it?"

"I don't know," Shinichi replied. "Kaito and I went to the heist last night, but I'm pretty sure I didn't have it when I got back home. But when I got up, it was just there."

"You…went to the KID heist with Kuroba?"

"I invited him," Kaito cut in. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Was Kuroba with you the entire evening?"

"Most of it."

"So how much time would you say he spent separate from you?" he pressed.

Shinichi blinked. "I didn't really keep track. It was mostly when he went to get us refreshments."

"Was this during the heist?"

Kaito heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Honestly Hakuba, you do realize that poor Shinichi here only just got back from being horribly sick, right? And here you are interrogating him! Don't you have any manners?"

"You have no right to lecture me on manners," the blonde said dryly.

"At least I know better than to badger people who're recovering."

"You guys, please," Shinichi groaned. "Don't start. Hakuba-san, I really don't know how I got that necklace. But if I think of anything, I'll let you know."

The blonde's brows furrowed. It looked like he wanted to say more, but the bell signaling the start of class chose that moment to ring. So he cast Kaito one last suspicious look before returning to his desk.

The magician stuck his tongue out at Hakuba's retreating back before turning to Shinichi with a grin. "Hey, you know, I heard that that ruby was supposed to be good luck for anyone who gets it as a gift. Maybe now you won't run into so much trouble."

Shinichi stared at him, mouth forming a silent 'o'.

Kaito arched an eyebrow. When there was still no response, he reached over and waved his hand in front of the detective's eyes. "Hello? Earth to Shinichi, is anyone home? You better come back soon or you're going to miss the test."

"O—oh, uh, right." Flushing pink, Shinichi ducked his head and began arranging the items on his desk for the exam.

Kaito watched him for a moment longer before moving to do the same.

"Thank you."

The magician glanced around. The words had been spoken so softly that he almost hadn't heard them. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"Never mind." Kaito settled back into his seat. He knew he hadn't imagined those words of gratitude. Nor did he miss their implications. At the same time, it would be unwise to jump to conclusions. Well, this was going to take some investigating (of the kaitou brand, of course).

He grinned to himself. At the front of the classroom, the teacher shivered and hurried to pass out the tests. The sooner class ended, the better.

X

"What are you looking at?"

Hakuba looked up to find Aoko leaning over his desk. Lunch had begun a few minutes ago. He held his hand out, palm up, to display the pendant he had been examining.

Aoko's eyes widened. "Is that what I think it is?"

"It is the jewel KID stole last night."

"I thought so! But why do you have it?"

"Kudo-san was wearing it when he got to class this morning."

Now Aoko's jaw dropped. "What?"

"He said it was there this morning when he woke. Apparently he and Kuroba attended the heist together."

"Can I see it?"

He handed the necklace over to the inspector's daughter with a nod. Aoko ran the thin, gold chain over her fingers and held the jewel up to the light. It glimmered a rich, fiery red in the light pouring in through the classroom windows. She marveled at the way it seemed to glow. It really was beautiful. To think that something so small could contain so much history. It had been traveling the world before she'd even been born!

She handed it back to the blonde. "At least that means we can give it back to the owner now."

It was Hakuba's turn to look puzzled. "Don't you think it's strange?"

"What?"

"That KID would give it to Kudo-san."

"But he likes returning his heists in weird ways," the girl replied. "It's not really anything new. He does it to rile people up, the jerk."

"But Kudo-san has not been an active participant of one of his heists for years. Nor was he one last night. So why him? I imagine he would have gotten more of a reaction from someone more involved—your father, for instance."

Aoko snorted. "I'll say. Dad would've totally blown a fuse. He was already really upset about that jumping through hoops thing."

The blond detective coughed to cover the twitch of his lips. While he strongly disapproved of Kaitou KID's disrespect and mocking of the law, even he had to admit that Nakamori Ginzo had been unfortunately suited to that lion getup.

"Maybe the stupid thief was taunting Kudo-kun because it was his first heist in so long. It would be just like him."

"Perhaps…" Gaze drifting back down to the pendant swinging like a pendulum from his fingers, Hakuba turned the idea over in his head. Taunting? It was possible, but it didn't feel quite right. More likely, it had been a form of greeting. And maybe… Well, this particular jewel was supposed to be symbolic of a blessing from Lady Luck, wasn't it? So one of the Lady's favorites had stolen her blessing and given it to Shinichi. Well, Kuroba did seem to be developing a sort of protective streak when it came to the blue-eyed detective. If he looked at it that way then so many of the questions suddenly started to make sense. Except it couldn't possibly be what it was starting to look like, could it?

"They have been getting rather close," he mused out loud, raising a hand to his chin as he thought.

Aoko gave him a confused look before his words clicked. Her expression slid into an exasperated grimace. "Saguru, please. Can't you let it go? I mean, it's been three years, and there's still no proof that Kaito's KID. I know he's strange, and he does a lot of crazy things, but he's not a criminal."

The blonde leveled his girlfriend with a serious, searching look. "But what if he is?"

Aoko looked back at him with a slight frown. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe you're right. It is possible that Kuroba Kaito is not Kaitou KID." Although Hakuba would eat his boots if that ever turned out to be the case. After which he would promptly retire from being a detective. "But you must admit that he has all the necessary skills. What will you do if it turns out one day that Kuroba is the Kaitou KID?"

"I…" The hand Aoko had rested on the table curled slowly as her gaze fell. "I don't know. It's not like I haven't thought about it before, but… I mean, Kaito isn't like that. He wouldn't…wouldn't do that to my family—to me. So it can't be him."

Seeing the anguish warring with fear in the girl's eyes, Hakuba suddenly felt guilty for ever bringing it up. Proving that Kaito was KID was a goal he'd had for so long now, but, at the same time, he didn't want to hurt Aoko. She was a passionate girl, strong and fierce in her own way, but she was kind too. Too kind to believe that a friend could cause another friend such pain for any reason.

An unfamiliar flash of anger made Hakuba's lips thin. Kuroba owed Aoko at least one sincere apology, but the damned magician would never give it, and the girl would never accept it, because neither of them could admit to any of it if they wanted to hang onto the relationship they had. They had to maintain this status quo for the sake of their own peace of mind even when they knew that, behind it all, there were some truths that were lies and some lies that could be truths.

Deciding it was time to change the subject, he cleared his throat. "Where are Kuroba and Kudo-san anyway?"

"Oh, Kudo-kun needs to go turn in all that make up work he did while he was sick. Kaito volunteered to go with him."

"I see."

"Did you bring lunch? If you didn't, I, um, kind of made too much this morning. So if you want, you can help me finish it."

"I would be honored."

Aoko smiled. She loved the way he spoke, so proper yet sincere—not all twisty and back to front like certain magicians did.

X

They spotted Chishima's mother standing by the hospital door long before they reached it. She was standing in the shadow of the building with her hands clasped behind her and her head tilted back so that she could look up into the sky. Her expression was somber, showing none of the relief or joy that they had expected to see in her now that her son had finally come out of his coma. The sight made Shinichi's stomach tighten. Had something gone wrong in the few hours since she'd called him?

"Chishima-san?" he called out as they drew level with her.

The woman blinked once at the sky before turning to look at them. A weary smile clambered onto her lips. "Ah, you came. Thank you."

"Is Sai all right?"

Her brows wrinkled then smoothed away into a neutral mask. Despite her efforts, however, the corners of her mouth kept twitching downward. "I don't know. But there's no point talking about it here. You'll see what I mean when you see him." Letting her hands fall to her sides, she straightened her shoulders and stepped towards the door. "Please, follow me."

"She doesn't seem happy at all," Kaito observed in a murmur as he and his companions followed the woman inside.

"She mentioned that Sai was acting strange this morning," Shinichi whispered back, frowning. "She didn't explain though."

"What about his injuries?"

"She said the doctors believed he'd be fine."

"So it's not about his physical health then."

"Most likely."

They fell quiet as Chishima-san stopped in front of the elevator and pressed the call button. The four waited in silence. With a ding, the elevator doors rumbled open. An elderly man with a walker emerged. Once he had gone, they filed inside.

"He's on the fifth floor," Chishima-san said. It was a little unnecessary considering they had all seen her press the button for the fifth floor, but the words temporarily broke through the tension that was growing thicker by the second. By the time they fetched up in front of the door to Sai's room, Shinichi found himself expecting something truly dreadful.

The sight beyond the door, however, was not what any of them had expected.

The room itself was normal enough. Plain, white walls with a single window and a plain, white bed. The usual cabinet and sink ensemble occupied one corner. An I.V. stand stood guard by the bed itself next to one of those curtains that could be drawn around the bed if necessary to afford the patient some additional privacy. All of this was what they had expected. What they had not expected were the…well, symbols. There really wasn't another way to put it.

There were religious signs and trinkets associated with various superstitions. It was an eclectic collection. Strings of omamori, acorns, ladybugs, and other auspicious shapes and amulets festooned the walls. A large tiger poster occupied the wall by the window, and a dream catcher hung over the bed. Plaques bearing an assortment of religious signs crowded the bedside table. Tucked in their midst was a small, glass bowl in which a goldfish was swimming around and around a decorative castle (Kaito carefully averted his gaze). There was even a horse shoe hanging above the door—open end set upward to keep the luck in, Shinichi recalled.

"My mom and the nurses got everything for me."

Three pairs of eyes turned to the thin figure sitting up on the hospital bed. He was dressed in a loose hospital gown, and there were bandages peeping out from beneath his sleeves and around his head, but other than that, Chishima Sai was much the way Shinichi remembered. He watched them with curious, slightly amused eyes. "They all think I've lost my mind."

"Sai," the boy's mother said, tone stretched thin between worry and exasperation. "We just don't understand."

"You don't have to understand," he replied without hesitation. "In fact, I think it'll be better if you don't."

The woman drew herself up in shock. "But Sai! I—"

"Please, Mom." Now the boy's tone softened, and the eyes he turned on his mother were pleading and full of determination and concern. "Please, can you let us talk in private?"

The woman's lips pleated, and her eyes darkened. For a moment, she didn't move. But then her shoulders sagged imperceptibly and she turned towards the door. She left without a word.

"That was a bit harsh," Kaito commented, leaning against the wall by the door and beginning to juggle five colorful balls. "Are you sure you don't want her to be here?"

Sai looked down at his bandaged hands, the amusement draining away completely. "I don't want her to worry."

"Too late for that."

Shinichi elbowed the magician. "Kaito."

"No, it's okay. He's right. What I mean is, I don't want her to worry more. Not about this. Not about something even I don't know if I can explain right. Not yet. That's…that's why I need your help."

Raising his head, he caught Shinichi's eyes with his own. In his face, Shinichi could see fire—it was a familiar fire he had seen many times in the eyes of men and women who had discovered a truth that they had to bring to light even at the cost of their own lives. It was the fire of purpose and drive and fear of the consequences should it not be dealt with soon.

"I'll do what I can," he promised. "We all will—if that's okay with you."

A wry smile flitted across Sai's face. "I appreciate it." Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. His gaze danced around the room before settling back on his visitors. "He's standing right outside my door."

Shinichi, Kaito, and Hakuba all glanced reflexively towards the door as they thought back. None of them could remember seeing anyone outside. They tossed question glances amongst themselves before turning back to Sai. When he didn't say anything more, it was Hakuba who asked.

"Who?"

"My brother. His name is Jinta. I told Kudo-kun about him a few weeks ago. You see, he…he was—is—was my brother."

The blonde shot a look at Shinichi before turning back to Sai. "But when we spoke to your mother, she told us that—"

"He's dead, yeah. Let me start from the beginning." Leaning back against his pillows, Sai let his breath out in a slow, raspy sigh before continuing. "You see, my brother and I never quite got along. We've always been interested in different things. I liked running. He was more of an indoors sort of guy. He liked playing video games more than anything else. I used to think he was a bit annoying because he was always playing one of those handheld games when I tried to talk to him. So he never listened to what I was saying—or at least I felt like he wasn't listening. He always said he was. We argued about it a lot. I don't know what he thought about me, but, well, we were just like oil and water. We didn't hate each other or anything, we just either didn't talk or we argued. There wasn't much in between. It didn't help that our parents tended to take his side because he was younger, so obviously I was the one who was supposed to know better." He made a face at that. "But that's not really important. We just never connected. And I never thought about trying to change things. It was just the way things were."

"About two months before my eleventh birthday, we had a particularly bad row. I don't remember what started it, but it ended when I kind of said some things about how stupid his games were and how he'd have more friends if he wasn't always playing them by himself. He screamed at me about how it wasn't his fault he didn't have anyone to play them with and that it was everyone else who was stupid. Then he ran off and locked himself in his room. That was the first time that I thought that maybe he might actually be a little, you know, lonely or something. I couldn't get the idea out of my head. The more I thought about it, the worse I felt. So I ended up going to his room the next day when I heard him at his games again and asking if I could try one. We ended up playing a battle game. He totally creamed me, but, well, we both had fun. Things started to get better between us after that. I know mom was relieved. But then… It was my birthday. I remember I wanted to have a party at the park. A couple of my classmates were there too, and it was mostly just one of those for-fun parties. Nothing serious. Jinta didn't show up though. I thought maybe he'd decided he didn't want to come to an outdoor party, even if it was mine, but it turned out he went to the game shop to buy this new video game based on track and field sports. I…I think he wanted to surprise me with it. The shopkeeper told us afterward that he was there looking for it for a while, so we were already packing up to leave when he got to the park. I remember… I remember him running across the street towards me, calling my name. And then… And then the car was there and… You've probably heard it all before, being detectives. But for me, it was the first time I'd ever even thought about what it really meant for someone to die."

"They told me it was instantaneous. He was gone. Just like that. One moment there, the next…no. I—I didn't know how to react. I didn't know how I was supposed to deal with it. It was my fault he was there—it was me he was trying to get to when he ran across the street. So it was my fault too that he…that he got hit. Of course everyone kept telling me it wasn't, but it didn't matter what anyone said. I just knew. And then I met them."

TBC