Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK

Sky Colored Eyes

33: Masks and Faces

"You seriously had a real, antique table just sitting around in your house? Why didn't you just tell me from the beginning?"

"Pretty much. And because it wasn't necessary. The table was a gift from one of Dad's fans. If it weren't, we would've gotten rid of it ages ago. It's this huge ugly monster of a desk. Mom's always complaining that it takes up too much space and doesn't even have the decency to be easy on the eyes. So I asked if she'd mind if we sold it, and she said great, but if it sells then she gets a fifty percent cut of the profits."

"That's…fair…?"

"Yep. And here we are."

Shinichi looked up. They had come to a stop in front of a rather large and unattractive building. The place's appearance suggested that it was a warehouse of some kind—or at least had started out as one. He'd never seen a warehouse with its name in lights above the door though.

"Mako's," he read aloud. You couldn't tell much from a name like that. "What is this place?"

"This, my dear detective, is a treasure trove." Pushing open the door, Kaito all but dragged Shinichi inside.

The detective stumbled a little, not expecting the two downward steps on the other side of the door. The sudden decrease in illumination didn't help. The dim, almost miasmic glow emanating from the collection of mismatched lamps scattered throughout the building somehow managed to make the shadows blacker without adding much at all to visibility.

"What is this place?" Shinichi asked again, only this time his tone was rather more wary than curious.

Sensing his friend's discomfort, Kaito halted by one of the lamps—a tall, skinny one with a single large, round head that made it look like an iridescent lollipop—to let Shinichi reorient himself. "This is the biggest thrift shop in Ekoda. You can find almost anything here if you're patient. I come here a lot for props and inspiration. Stay vigilant, and you can pick up some really good stuff for almost nothing. Of course there's a lot of junk to wade through, but it's worth the effort."

As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, Shinichi could begin to make out the bulky shapes of racks heaped with clothes. There was barely enough room between them for a single person to walk without brushing the merchandise to either side. In the distance, he could just make out the more regualr silhouettes of dozens of tall shelves. Just looking at the ocean of disorderly stands and overburdened tables was enough to give him a headache.

"Now," said Kaito, releasing his hold on Shinichi to gesture at the masses of stuff. "Let us begin! Who do you want to be for our meeting tomorrow?"

"I think it would make the most sense for me to be a friend you recruited to help you move the table around," Shinichi replied, hand rising to his chin. "Maybe a former college roommate?"

Kaito beamed. "Good. I'm glad you're getting into this. I say we were both in the same club too. Any preferences?"

"Not baseball."

"Okay. How about bowling? And we still meet up every other week for a game or two."

"That was a bit random, but okay."

"So what's your name?"

"Uh, Kenji…?" Shinichi hazarded. "Sawashiro Kenji."

Kaito hummed thoughtfully then nodded. "Right then. So since my grandfather collected antiques and was on good enough terms with me to leave them to me, I'm probably doing pretty well for myself. If they ask, I'll say I majored in business. Now I work for a rapidly growing company dealing in tablet and computer games. How about you?"

"But I'm just the tagalong. Does it really matter what I do?"

"Come on. It's for the character."

"Well… I guess I'll be an assistant editor at a mystery magazine then."

"And your field of study when we were in school? Seeing as that's where we met."

"Linguistics and Japanese history."

"Cool. Now comes the fun part. Picture what kind of person would fit the parameters we just set. His family background, his personality, his goals and aspirations—keep all that in mind while you look around here and see what catches your eye. We want a complete disguise. Don't worry too much about finding something specific. Just look around and see what feels right. If you find something suitable, pick it up, and we'll meet at the changing rooms in the back in an hour to go over it. Then we can see who we really are."

"So in an hour in front of the changing rooms. Got it."

"They're in the back corner that way." Kaito pointed across the cavernous store. "Just keep walking that way, and you won't miss it. They mark all the signs with glow in the dark paint."

With that, they parted ways. Kaito disappeared into the maze of clothing racks in less time than it took Shinichi to blink. Left alone beside the lollipop lamp, Shinichi took a moment to do as Kaito had suggested and picture his character.

The man would be in his late thirties if he was a college friend of Taoki's. Shinichi would be more comfortable with a character who wasn't so different from himself as to be awkward. So perhaps Kenji should be…quiet but intellectual. That sounded easy enough to manage. He would be the kind of man who was always thinking about a story or looking for one to read. It would be nice if life was that simple. He might come across as a bit absentminded around strangers due to being preoccupied with the latest magazine submissions but not to the point where he would seem unfriendly. He admired his former roommate's energetic approach to life and his ability to just go at it whenever he wanted to do something. For himself, Kenji just wanted things to continue on as they were and read and spread good mystery stories to the rest of the world. He doesn't mind that he isn't particularly high ranked at the publisher's. He loves being able to read new work and work with authors on refining their craft. It's low pay, but very rewarding on a personal level.

With Kenji's thoughts buzzing around in his head, Shinichi made his way around the warehouse, letting his hands brush across the fabric hanging from the racks. He found himself pulling out a mouse gray suit. It ought to fit him quite well. It was soft and comfortable in a worn but well loved kind of way. It was missing its top button and had a small tear in the sleeve that would need to be mended, but it was still very much presentable. Next he got a pair of scuffed dress shoes to go with the slightly worn out suit. He dithered for a while over the many displays of ties, wondering why almost every single one was so gaudy. Eventually he gave in and plucked a pearl and cream feather tie out of the ranks. It looked like a plain, ivory white piece from a distance. It would have to do. Perhaps it was a prized possession from given to him as a gift by a loving sister. Ran's face flashed across his mind's eye. His hands tightened around the tie. Not now. There was more he had to find. He needed…

Blue eyes brightened. There, sitting on the top of a heap of books, notebooks, binders and planners on a table beneath a fan-shaped lamp was a soft, leather notebook with a red silk ribbon bookmark and pages edged in gold. The old fashioned aura it gave off was elegant and enticing. He'd always loved notebooks. And he had a sweet spot for these sorts, the ones that really tried to make the words written upon their pages look like the treasures that they were as opposed to the kind that looked like they were just waiting to be thrown away after they were used.

He picked it up. It had a coffee stain on the first few pages, but he didn't really mind. Then he picked up two more like it. One had a blue ribbon bookmark and a pattern of cranes pressed into the leather cover. The other had a violet ribbon bookmark and a cherry blossom tree stitched into its cover with bronze thread and little stone beads.

It turned out Kenji was a collector of beautiful notebooks and pens.

He carried them in a large and not overly aesthetic sort of backpack, all square and plain and an unremarkable black all over. It was a practical bag though, full of compartments and layers and little hidden pockets and sleeves.

On the other side of the warehouse, Kaito had, much to his surprise, found an authentic Italian suit that almost fit him. With a little work, it would fit him like it had been made for him. It wasn't in the best condition, but it was nothing he couldn't fix. It was sleek and black and just the kind of outfit you didn't mind walking into meetings in. It was just a bit boring though, so he opted for a colorful tie, all gold and green and white like clovers blowing on the summer wind through sunbeams and shattered dewdrops. Taoki may not be one of the game designers, but he had a passion for the flash and flare of entertainment, and he was of the opinion that even the more mundane types of work required a dash of fun in order to be completed well. Creativity was the heart and soul of success. It was meant to shine. He added a hat because he loved hats. They were just so very useful in so many ways. A lapel pin wouldn't go amiss either if he could find one of a suitable design.

Meandering his way towards the changing rooms, he picked up several other items—some for his Taoki disguise and some for future use. By the time he reached the rendezvous point, he was pushing a small cartload. Grinning gleefully at the excellent haul, he stepped into the much more brightly lit hall where the changing rooms were situated and stopped dead in his tracks.

Shinichi was sitting on one of the benches opposite the row of stall doors with a small, neat stack of items on the bench next to him. The sight that caused Kaito to do a double take, however, was the accessory he was pushing up his nose. The blue-eyed teen had found a pair of fake glasses. Once again, Kaito was struck by just how much Shinichi looked like Tantei-kun. It was uncanny.

Sensing eyes on him, Shinichi glanced up, gaze focusing on Kaito before moving to the overburdened cart beside him. He gaped. "That's…a lot of stuff. Do you really need all that?"

Recovering from his moment of shock, Kaito smirked. "They're not all for tomorrow, if that's what you're wondering. As for need~. Let's just say good props don't grow on trees, and I like to be prepared."

Shinichi didn't look convinced, but he made no further comment on the matter. Instead, he stood and picked up his own small pile of items. "I found some things I think might work, though I don't know if they're what you had in mind."

"Go put them on then and we'll see. I'll do the same."

A few minutes later, they stepped out of their respective changing rooms and turned to face each other. Kaito eyed his counterpart up and down. His lips quirked.

"It looks like we have more in common than we thought," he observed. "Could explain why we've stayed friends all these years. That sleeve is going to need some mending by the way."

"I can do that later. It shouldn't be too hard."

Kaito nodded. "We'll need new faces to go with the clothes, but I can deal with that tomorrow. Your mother was an actress, right? How are you at acting?"

"I'm good with accents and speech styles," the detective replied. He'd gotten plenty of practice as Conan. "Other than that… My mom tells me I get distracted too easily." Though personally, Shinichi didn't really think that was his fault. All considered, wasn't it only natural to get distracted from a mere act when faced with a serious puzzle or possible crime?

Kaito nodded thoughtfully, staring hard at Shinichi's face as he mentally sifted through possible adjustments. It would probably be best to keep it simple, he mused. A disguise was only as good as the acting that went with it. The best disguise for Shinichi, he decided, would be one that was just enough like the real him that it wouldn't be odd if he let any of his own habits and tones slip in. He nodded to himself. They needed to come across as natural.

Shinichi shifted uncomfortably under the magician's intense scrutiny. He could feel himself beginning to blush. "Um, Kaito?"

"I think I've got it."

"Huh? Got what?"

"Your face for tomorrow."

"…It sounds really creepy when you say it that way."

Kaito blinked then burst out laughing. Flushing a shade darker, Shinichi retreated back into his changing room, grumbling something about crazy people.

By the time they left the thrift shop, the sky had already faded into a deep, dusky purple.

"How about we drop this stuff off at your place and go get dinner?" Kaito suggested.

"You're not going to make us get dinner in character, are you?" Shinichi asked suspiciously.

"Nah. We've done enough work for one day. We can do the dress rehearsal over lunch tomorrow before we head to the meeting."

"All right then. I don't feel like cooking today anyway."

Kaito gave himself a mental high-five. So it seemed he could salvage at least some of his original plans for the day.

X

"So do you have any plans yet for after graduation?"

The detective chewed and swallowed a bite of pasta before looking across at his dinner companion. They were currently ensconced in a booth for two in a small but bustling pasta place that Kaito had picked for them. Having developed a healthy respect for the magician's tastes in food (that did not involve chocolate, where his rule of thumb seemed to be the more the better), Shinichi hadn't put up much of a fuss even though he hadn't thought he'd be in the mood for the richer flavors that were common in pasta dishes. He'd decided to go with the macaroni Kaito recommended mostly because it had looked the most normal. One bite had swept away all his reservations. It was a pleasant surprise. He hadn't expected it to turn out so—memorable. There had to be multiple types of cheese in the dish, he speculated. Their texture and flavors complimented each other and brought out the best of each of them in a way any team would be proud of. Who knew macaroni could even taste like this? He wondered if it would be difficult to emulate.

"Earth to Shinichi, are you in there?"

"What? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't catch that." Shinichi smiled sheepishly.

The magician gave him a mock wounded look. "Am I really that boring?"

"What? No! It's nothing like that," the detective protested, blushing. "I was just surprised by the food. I've never had anything quite like it. Usually when I think macaroni and cheese, it's kind of melty and soggy. But this…isn't."

"Yeah, it is pretty brilliant," Kaito agreed. "Though I wouldn't have brought you here if I'd known you'd end up ignoring me."

"I said I was sorry," Shinichi grumbled. "So what were you saying?"

"Well," the magician leaned back slightly against the padded back of his booth chair. "It's nothing big really. I was just asking if you'd decided what you were going to do after graduation yet."

Shinichi froze for a moment, mouth continuing to chew on autopilot. Then he set his fork aside and reached for his coffee mug. It had already been refilled twice that evening.

"I wouldn't call that nothing. Considering graduation is just around the corner, I'm guessing it's on a lot of people's minds."

"Yeah, you're probably right about that. I just figured it wouldn't be as big a deal for you."

Now Shinichi frowned. "Why would you think that?"

The magician shrugged. "You're already a famous detective. I'm sure the police would welcome you with open arms if you wanted to join them. You could also start your own detective agency or go to university."

"I guess…"

Indigo eyes sharpened. "Hey, what's with the long face?"

"It's nothing."

"Riiiight. And Hakuba's a champion ballet dancer."

Shinichi couldn't suppress a snort of laughter. "I can't even picture that."

"Nor do I want to," Kaito agreed with a grin. "But don't change the subject. You still haven't answered my question."

Shinichi's breath left him in an almost inaudible sigh. "I'd like to go to university first, though since I'm missing two years' worth of grades, I'm not entirely sure how that's going to go. I'm hoping that good scores on entrance exams will be enough. As for after that… I used to want to start a private practice, but lately I'm not so sure anymore. It's a bit vexing, to be honest."

"So you think you might be starting to prefer the idea of working for the police?"

"Maybe. I don't know. There are pros and cons to both options."

"Well that is how these things tend to go, you know. Life is full of mislaid plans."

"That's not exactly encouraging, is it?"

"I didn't mean it that way. It doesn't really matter anyway. Plans are made to be changed. I should know. That's why we have contingency plans."

"What about you? If you're going to ask about my future plans, it seems only fair to share some of your own."

"I'm going to be the best magician the world has ever seen. I though that was obvious."

"…"

"I'm going to go to university and brush up on my physics and chemistry, and maybe my electrical engineering too so that I can make sure I don't have to outsource too much for important work. With all the new technology rearing their sparkling neon heads, there are more possibilities for us showmen than ever!"

"You don't have to do everything yourself though. Don't most magicians have a few assistants?"

"Are you volunteering?"

Shinichi spluttered. "No, of course not. I just meant that it isn't practical to try and do everything yourself."

Kaito pushed aside his now empty plate and propped his chin on one hand. "You know, it's a little surprising to hear that coming from you."

A wan smile crept its way onto Shinichi's face. "It's something I've been constantly reminded of. If I recall correctly, you were one of the people who did the reminding."

Kaito chuckled. "That I was. This is different though."

One dark eyebrow rose. "Is it?"

Shinichi didn't expect the shadow that fell across Kaito's face.

"My father died on stage because someone messed with his set."

Shinichi's eyes widened. His breath hitched in his throat. The magician's tone was dead serious. His face too had gone still, the lines and angles hardening as indigo eyes darkened. The expression didn't last long, but even that fleeting glimpse was enough to send chills down Shinichi's spine.

"I made a promise to myself that I will never give anyone the chance to do to me what they did to him. But I guess I'll consider hiring assistants someday if it seems absolutely necessary," he continued, tone making an abrupt switch back to bright. "They'll just have to be people I really trust."

Shinichi nodded mutely. He still couldn't get that moment out of his head. Kaito's eyes had been so cold at that moment—like the eyes of a completely different person. At the same time, he found himself feeling strangely touched that Kaito had felt able to share this side of his thoughts with him. He had been granted a glimpse of a part of Kaito that he suspected very few—if any—others had been allowed to see. At the same time he had to wonder how anyone could switch between faces the way Kaito did—like every one was the natural one. It was almost frightening.

They ordered dessert because Kaito claimed that no meal was complete without dessert. Naturally, it arrived in the shape of a chocolate cake. Shinichi took a quarter and let Kaito devour the rest.

"I'm sure you'll appreciate it more than I would," he replied when Kaito asked if he was sure.

The bells over the shop door jangled as they left. The murmur of human voices vanished to be replaced by the rush and rumble of city traffic. They were waiting on the corner for the light to change when Kaito's keen ears caught a mumble from beside him. He glanced down at Shinichi.

"What did you say?"

The detective didn't look at him. Instead, his gaze remained fixed straight ahead, though this time, when he spoke, the words were much clearer. "I said that I…I think that what I really want is to be a better detective. I want to be the kind of detective that can actually change the world for the better. I know it sounds cliché, but so many people out there do awful things because of things that weren't said—things that were covered up or misplaced. Matters that could have been dealt with peaceably often end up pushing people over the edge because they were shoved under the carpet and left to fester. I think that when things happen, someone has to be there to bring the truth to light not just because the truth is important but because it helps people to move on unfettered by their own and others' mistakes. That's what I would like to be able to do." He trailed off, face and neck going hot. "I'm sorry. I know that was sudden. But when you told me about your father, I just… I guess it reminded me of why I want to do what I do… Thank you." Not entirely sure what to expect, he was somewhat perplexed when Kaito said nothing. Why had he just blurted all that out? It must have sounded pretty weird if even Kaito didn't have anything to say about it.

A calloused hand caught his, and Shinichi started. Turning, he met Kaito's indigo gaze.

"You're going to do great," the magician said simply with a sincerity that made the statement sound like a fact rather than mere encouragement. The accompanying smile made Shinichi feel warm and fluttery inside, and he had to look away.

"Um, so…we'd better head home then. It's getting late, and we still have that meeting tomorrow. We'll want to be awake for that."

Kaito laughed. "Definitely. People don't make good deals when they have one foot in dreamland."

"Are you going to insist on walking all the way back with me this time too?"

"Of course. What kind of gentleman doesn't see his date to the door? It would be most impolite and possibly dangerous too. Who knows what unsavory things could befall you en route?"

Shinichi snorted. "You don't have to be so dramatic."

Kaito laughed. "You realize you're talking to a performer."

X

It wasn't until he was halfway home that Kaito realized he had completely forgotten about the dinner with his mother and Jii. And that, he thought with just a touch of chagrin, said a lot about how distracting Shinichi was starting to become. He was going to have to be more careful about that in the future.

His mother didn't usually care if he was out at odd hours, but it was a different story when he'd made a promise to be home for one of her special meals (something about not appreciating her hard work and letting good food go cold—something which the cook in his mother considered a monumental crime). With that in mind, he took a quick detour to pick up a cake on his way. Hopefully the peace offering would be well received. Otherwise, he was going to have to find his meals away from home for the next few days.

TBC

A.N: I've had a headache for the last three days. It's starting to drive me a bit crazy. -_- Er, anyway… Hope you enjoyed.