Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK

Sky Colored Eyes

48: Back to Beika

"Do you ever sleep?"

"Well that's an interesting way to say good morning."

Shinichi glowered at the magician standing on his doorstep. Considering the fact that he was still wearing his pajamas and could barely keep his eyes open, however, the expression was more comical than anything else. But Kaito knew better than to laugh—not out loud at any rate. "Aren't you going to let me in?"

"I'd rather not," the detective grumbled, but he shuffled aside anyway. "Why couldn't you just let yourself in like you usually do?"

Kaito drew himself up, indigo eyes dancing with mirth. "Why, a proper gentleman should knock at the door of his date, of course."

"A proper gentleman shouldn't have a criminal record," the detective retorted. "And we're not dating." He shut the door a little harder than was strictly necessary and proceeded to shuffle towards the kitchen. "Just so you know, when you do get a girlfriend, I highly recommend you not ring her doorbell at six thirty in the morning."

"But I brought breakfast," Kaito countered, following Shinichi into the kitchen where he produced a paper bag with a puff of smoke. Out came two wrapped breakfast sandwiches. "Fresh from the oven too."

Shinichi mumbled something incoherent that nonetheless managed to sound supremely unimpressed. This early in the morning, the only thing he could see clearly was the coffeemaker. He sighed, listening to the sweet melody that was the coffeemaker percolating. Everything else faded away. Soon, the kitchen was filled with the heavenly aroma of fresh coffee.

Kaito observed the odd communion between detective and coffeemaker in bemused wonder. If he ever shot a coffee commercial, this was what it would look like. Well aware that Shinichi wouldn't be up to much until he'd had at least a cup or two, Kaito seated himself at the table and unwrapped his sandwich.

Shinichi joined him soon after with a massive, steaming mug cradled in his hands. The next few minutes passed in companionable silence.

"You should eat your sandwich before it gets cold."

Shinichi stifled a yawn but obeyed. "There's more coffee in the pot if you want any."

"Do you have any cream?"

"Fridge."

Kaito tossed his sandwich wrapper in the trash bin then moved to pour himself a more reasonable mug of coffee.

Now slightly more awake, Shinichi watched the magician helping himself to the contents of his kitchen like he lived there. It was strange but, after the initial annoyance at being dragged out of bed at this dreadful hour on a Saturday morning had subsided, he found himself thinking how peaceful this moment was. It was…comfortable. It wasn't like the feeling he usually had when entertaining guests. It felt natural.

Then again, with how often the magician saw fit to invite himself over, maybe that was no surprise. Still, it was…kind of nice. It was as though, with every visit by Kaito, Aoko and Hakuba, a little more life was breathed into this apartment. This life.

Yet somehow it didn't feel entirely real. He closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of coffee and trying to clear his mind. His thoughts always wandered in those minutes between waking and true clarity. More often than not these days, it tended to wander down paths of thought he would prefer to avoid. Thoughts like how he was only supposed to live here until high school was over. Then he'd be going to college, after which he would likely move back to the Kudo Manor where, if he was lucky, his old shadows would have faded away enough to leave him be.

The prospect filled him with a sense of dread he didn't want to contemplate.

He sighed and took a long swig of his coffee. "So why are you here so early?" he asked, turning his gaze to the magician seated across the table.

Kaito shrugged. "Well, you told me that the arts festival was starting at seven. I figured we'd better head out early in case of traffic. I was expecting you to be ready to go when I got here,"

"But the play doesn't start until eleven," Shinichi pointed out. "I know I told you that too."

"You did,." The magician agreed amiably. "But it's a festival! You don't go to a festival just to watch a single show. You go to see the sights! Play the games, buy stuff, show off, listen to music, try new food—you know, everything! And the only way you're going to have enough time is if you get there right at the get go."

Shinichi opened his mouth then closed it again with a groan. "This is going to be a really long day, isn't it?" he murmured into the depths of his mug. "I should have learned my lesson after that trip to Chiba, but no. I had to go and agree to attend a festival with a morning person."

Kaito only laughed. "You better get changed. Unless you were planning on attending in your pajamas?"

Fifteen minutes later, a still slightly grumpy Shinichi was being handed the same motorcycle helmet he'd worn not all that long ago on his way to a KID heist. He stared at it for a moment, recalling that night and the conversation he'd had with the thief on the balcony. It felt surreal to look back on it now, knowing that Kaito had been KID all along. It wasn't exactly surprising, but it felt like it should be. He still didn't understand why the magician had gone out of his way to talk to him in costume. It seemed like a lot of risk for no reason, but Kaitou KID didn't take pointless risks.

"Shinichi? Are you okay?"

He looked up to find Kaito looking at him with concern.

"You're not getting sick again, are you?"

Shinichi shook his head quickly and strapped on the helmet. "It's nothing. Just thinking."

Sharp, indigo eyes studied him a moment longer before the magician's usual grin settled back into place. "Well, if you're sure, we better get going."

X

The Beika Arts Festival had been organized by several arts associations, vendors and local authorities. What had been meant to be a single day of fun had grown during the planning stage into a week-long series of events culminating in a final festival centered around but not limited to Beika Park.

Since they weren't meeting up with the kids until almost noon, Kaito insisted that they explore the more commercial parts of the festival, claiming that his mother had tasked him with bringing her souvenirs (as compensation when he'd insisted she not tag along. Not that he told Shinichi this).

"If I don't bring her back at least one gift, she'll be all sad and say I forgot about her," he explained. "Then she'll make me eat fish for dinner." He gave an exaggerated shudder at the thought.

"So what kind of things does she like?" Shinichi asked, casting an eye over the many tables and stalls that had been set out all over the street. No cars were being allowed through for the day, meaning there was all the more room for aspiring vendors. The whole street was bursting at the seams with color.

"She's actually pretty into history," Kaito replied, pausing to admire a stand selling works of blown glass. "And magic, of course."

Shinichi was of the opinion that that went without saying. The woman had married a magician after all. Considering her family and history, she probably also harbored an appreciation for art and mystery.

Lost in thought, Shinichi bumped into a girl dressed in a festive kimono.

"Sorry," he said quickly then stopped. "Ran?" he gasped. And it was. The girl in the peach blossom kimono was Mouri Ran. She even had a paper peach blossom pinned in her hair.

"Oh, Shinichi!" she gasped upon seeing him. Then her gaze met Kaito's, and she hesitated. "Um, Kuroba-kun, right?"

"Just call me Kaito," he replied, sweeping into a short bow. "Buying clothes?"

"Oh." Ran looked embarrassed. "Uh, actually, this place does photo shoots for people who want to dress up," she explained. "Though you can purchase the outfits along with the photos afterward if you want to. They've been offering special discount rates this week because of the festival. Sonoko signed up for the two hour group deal a few days ago."

"That does sound like something she'd do," Shinichi said wryly. He shifted his weight to his other foot, casting about for something else to say. "Are you going to watch the play?"

"You mean the one Ayumi-chan and the others are doing, right?" Ran smiled. "We'll be there."

There was a long pause.

"So where is Suzuki-san?" asked Kaito. He made a show of scanning the crowd around them even though he'd already ascertained that the petit girl wasn't there.

"She's inside. There were a few more people who were supposed to join us, but they haven't arrived yet. I came out to see if I could find them."

Shinichi paled. He grabbed Kaito's arm. "We'll see you later at the play then."

The magician arched an eyebrow. His silent inquiry was answered by a tug on his arm.

"Just—"

"Ah ha!"

Shinichi froze.

Suzuki Sonoko appeared before them like a vampire rising from the grave. She was grinning, looking very much like the aforementioned vampire. Even Kaito felt the sudden overpowering urge to back away. Unfortunately, the fiend had already wrapped her bony fingers around his and Shinichi's wrists.

"Just what we need. Come on. We'll get you dressed."

"We're not—" Shinichi protested, but his protests fell on deaf ears.

Soon, the two boys found themselves herded into something that resembled a playhouse dressing room. The place was packed wall to wall with clothes and accessories ranging from traditional Japanese garments to bodysuits that would have looked right at home on a science fiction movie set.

"We didn't come here to cosplay," Shinichi tried once again to argue, but Sonoko ignored him. She had somehow managed to grab several items from the hangers and push the two boys towards the changing rooms at the back of the shop at the same time.

"We need two more people to make it work," she said briskly. "Hiroshi-kun and his cousin were supposed to be here, but they just called to tell me they have a family emergency. I'm not letting all my planning go to waste. So hurry up and get dressed or they might give our slot away." That said, she shoved a pile of clothes into Shinichi's arms and pushed him into a changing stall.

Then she turned on Kaito, her expression morphing instantly from brisk to hopeful. "You don't mind lending us a hand, do you Kaito-kun? It would really mean a lot."

Kaito returned her smile, though on the inside he was marveling at how abruptly the girl could switch gears. "I'd be happy to. But could you tell me what exactly it is you need help with?"

She beamed. "I'll explain while you two change."

Listening from inside the changing stall he'd been forced into, Shinichi allowed himself a groan (though he didn't dare do so loud enough to be heard). To make an unnecessarily complicated story short, Sonoko had decided that she wanted to do something to commemorate her last year in high school. She'd considered a variety of options until, one day, inspiration struck in the form of a classmate who had brought a professionally printed booklet of photos of herself. 'Normal' photos like those found in fashion magazines wasn't, however, quite unique enough to Sonoko's way of thinking. After all, her boyfriend was in town. Then she'd spent a day watching reruns of romantic dramas, and she knew.

"I've scripted a story and everything," she said smugly. "It's a dramatic love story about a princess—that would be yours truly—and her staunch defender, Sir Makoto. The two are deeply in love, but the princess's father refuses to let his daughter wed someone not of noble birth. So he sends her beloved to fight a battle he is sure to lose against an enemy lord. However, the princess's best friend and confidant, Lady Ran, catches wind of the plan and, with the help of her brother, devises a plan that helps the brave Sir Makoto win his battle. Unfortunately, they also had to fake his death because of the assassins the princess's father sent to make sure the warrior didn't return on the off chance he survived the quest. After that, the three of them work together to sneak back into their home city where they discover that a tournament is being held to determine which of the princess's many noble suitors most deserved her hand in marriage. Of course, they all knew that Sir Makoto could win if he participated, but he couldn't enter without an invitation. While they're trying to find a way around that, they meet one of the other contestants.

"He's the son of the lord of a neighboring land. He came to win the princess's hand, but he falls in love with Ran instead. So they disguise Makoto as him, and Makoto wins the tournament. Then, after the lord lauds his virtues in front of all his people, there's a big, dramatic reveal! And since he would look stupid if he took back all his praise, and because Makoto won fair and square, proving his skills, the lord finally allows his daughter to marry her beloved warrior, and they live happily ever after."

Shinichi sighed. This was going to be a long, long day.

"So who are we then?" Kaito's voice asked from the next room. He sounded honestly curious, Shinichi noted. Then again, Kaito was a born showman and a highly skilled actor to boot. This sort of thing should be right up his alley.

"You're the lord who falls in love with Ran," Sonoko said immediately. "The detective geek can be the brother. He's supposed to be a nerd anyway, since he comes up with all the good strategies."

Shinichi couldn't tell if the girl was trying to insult him or compliment him, but he was relieved. For a horrible moment there, he'd thought she was going to try to match him and Ran up again like she would have in the past. That would have just made things awkward again.

Kaito stepped out of his changing stall. Sonoko looked him up and down then grinned.

"Perfect! Everyone else is already getting the sets ready upstairs. We have the last room at the end of the hall on the second floor. It's the biggest. Head up there and start learning your roles."

"Sounds easy enough," Kaito murmured, striding to the back door. "But we're not students from your school. Well, not anymore, in Shinichi's case."

"It doesn't matter. We're shorthanded, so you'll have to do."

X

Hattori Heiji was a man on a mission. It was not a particularly complicated mission. All it really entailed was locating one Kudo Shinichi and dragging some answers out of him.

The reason for this mission was a nagging, half-baked thought that had been born a few weeks ago after his last phone call with his eastern counterpart. At first, he'd only been annoyed that Shinichi had basically fallen off the face of the planet after they'd finally seen the end of the Black Organization. The last time Hattori had seen his friend had been the night three days after the case had officially been closed. Technically, he could have headed back to Osaka right after he'd given his statements to the appropriate authorities to await the day he would have to testify in court. But he had decided to stay the extra days because he knew that Shinichi would be taking the antidote. And, being the good friend he felt he should be, Hattori had insisted on staying.

In a way, he had felt like the case wouldn't truly be over until Shinichi returned to his proper age again, and Heiji had wanted to see it through to the end with him. He knew he couldn't exactly help, but he could be there. Besides, he knew that, sometimes, being there was the best kind of help a friend could offer.

He'd sat in the Kudo living room that day and listened to his friend's screams of agony, audible even through the walls that lay between the living room and Shinichi's upstairs bedroom. The transformation had been worse that last time than any of the others. And he had found himself thinking for the first time about just how much his friend had suffered during his ordeal. How much he had endured. The realization had been a sobering one, but he had assured himself that it was all behind them now. Life could finally return to the way it should be, and they could all move forward again.

Satisfied with that thought, he had returned to Osaka. One week passed without any news from Shinichi. Then two.

Then he'd heard from Kazuha, who had heard from Ran, that Shinichi had moved. He'd waited a little longer for Shinichi to call and explain that unexpected decision to him, but the call never came. Fed up with not knowing, he'd taken it upon himself to call his eastern counterpart.

That particular conversation had left him feeling odd—like the world had tilted itself a few degrees to the side. Why, however, he wasn't sure. Shinichi had sounded cheerful enough. Still…

The more he'd thought about everything, the more it had irked him. Shinichi had insisted that he was fine, but Shinichi would insist that all was fine if a man had a gun to his head. That was just the way Shinichi was. He never asked for help unless you forced him to.

If he was as fine as he claimed then he wouldn't have had to move, school issues or not.

Suspicious and concerned, he'd done some more poking around before finally calling Professor Agasa. That was when he'd learned that the antidote Shinichi had taken hadn't cured him of all his ailments like he had been led to believe.

That discovery had been the last straw. He'd bought a train ticket for Tokyo that very night—

And been met at the station by Kazuha.

"It's been ages since we went to a festival," she'd said, face bright with enthusiasm. "It'll be great!"

Which was why Hattori Heiji was here now, loitering on the landing of the second floor of a cosplay studio of all things while Kazuha bustled about, helping the Teitan High students prepare several sets around the large room at the end of the hall. He himself had been ordered into a samurai outfit complete with real sword. It wasn't a very high quality blade, of course, but it was real enough to make him shake his head at the proceedings. He could sympathize with a desire to commemorate the time you spent with your friends before you had to graduate and part ways, but this seemed just a little over extravagant. It was also time consuming. And what was the point if you recruited random students from other schools when some of your actors didn't show?

No one in the room had welcomed his reasonable observations, and he had been exiled to wait on the landing for further instructions.

Rolling his eyes, he turned and tramped down the stairs with half a mind to find Ran and tell her he was leaving. Unlike Kazuha or that harpy, Sonoko, Ran would probably let him leave.

Probably being the key word. She had put quite a lot of effort into helping Sonoko organize the event.

He grimaced. Maybe he should just resign himself to his fate and go search for Kudo tomorrow.

It was as those thoughts dithered in his mind that he had arrived on the ground floor in the hall behind the changing rooms just as the door into those rooms opened and out walked Kudo Shinichi.

TBC