A/N: Just like with the previous chapter, I also in this one despaired over Tsukiko. Because... Aaargh, what are you doing? What was I thinking? Oh, well... I tried...

Chapter got fixed dialogue and reactions and otherwise more filling from the original manga chapters and describing the situation in general.

I hope you like this.

Chapter 22.

Okay… How did she end up into this situation again? Why in earth was she here? Why couldn't she simply say 'no'? It wasn't that hard of a word to say after all… If someone had been reading or listening to Tsukiko's thoughts, they probably would have asked what an earth the girl was talking about and where exactly was she then. Maybe the person who was standing next to the blonde could tell…

"Kiddo-sama, you are so amazing!" Sonoko squealed right next to Tsukiko, making the younger girl to cover her ears. Yes, she was at Kinza crossing, watching Kaitou Kid's heist with the Suzuki heiress, Ran, Conan and Kogoro. The latter of which Tsukiko had been finally introduced to.

"Suzuki-senpai… Would please be a bit quieter? Just a smidge?" Tsukiko asked the polka-haired girl carefully.

"Why?" Sonoko blinked.

"For many reasons really. One of them being the fact that Kid hasn't even showed up yet. And your screaming is so high-pitched and loud that it'll break someone's eardrums at this rate. Or at least will break eyeglasses. Have you considered a career as an opera singer?" Tsukiko joked and pointedly removed her own glasses from her face and placed them into glasses case and then to her bag.

"You…" Sonoko shot a glare at the younger girl and was about to retort something but got distracted when the other Kid fans started shouting, yelling and squealing when they noticed Kaitou Kid flying behind the buildings that surrounded the crossing. Or at least the doll with a hang-glider and a propeller was gliding about. Sonoko joined to the choir of admirers.

Tsukiko just sighed.

"I'm going closer to that building over there. It's too stiffling here." She pointed the multi-stored building with a banderol running down one side and LED screen down the other side. "See you after this is over."

"Are you sure? You won't see much anything from there." Ran asked with a frown just before Kid appeared on the display platform.

"I know, don't worry. I just have some other businesses there." Tsukiko waved her hand dismissively and made her way through the excited Kid fans.

Kaitou Kid aka Kuroba Kaito noticed a movement from the corner of his eye. A girl turned around and heading to the opposite direction from all the other fans who in turn rushed towards the display platform. And him of course

"How strange… Who is she?" The thief pondered for a moment but shoved it aside. The heist itself was more important and some random girl who probably had an errand to run.

"Ka-Kaitou Kid-san! Make a comment!" A reporter approached him with questions.

"Ah, well then please convey this to senior advisor Suzuki Jirokichi." The thief began. "This time was a bolt from the blue, so without taking too much time, I'd like you to forgive me for not sending you a notice." He tilted his top hat at the camera.

Four giant nets were lifted to block all the entrances to the crossing, thus presumably prevent Kid from leaving too. The teenager glanced at the nets nonchalantly. It was as he'd expected when inspecting the area with Aoko.

"Kid-sama, transform into me and escape!" One of the fans said desperately.

"You can use me too!" Another added. Oh, how dedicated fans he had. It was probably supposed to be disturbing if Midorikawa was to be believed. But Kaito simply accepted the fact and moved on.

"Your concern if not necessary. Everyone… that things have come to this, it's merely a confirmation." Kid told the assembled crowd.

"Then what do you intend to do after this?" The reporter asked.

"That is… Well…" He shrugged and put the shoes with Purple Nail amethysts inside his jacket. "Since I'm done with my work, I guess I'll head home."

"How… How will you do that?"

"By teleportation." The phantom thief announced boldly and proudly. "The legendary heels, Purple Nail. I've definitely obtained them this time! Well then, til next time. In the next ten seconds, I'll go ahead through space and time." And when everyone was confused and stunned by the proclamation(except good inspector Nakamori currently trying to tackle him), dropped he a smoke bomb to vanish. With the help of black cloak concealing his white attire, Kaito rushed through the audience, towards the building with a huge screen. But there…

"That girl… Did she know I was coming here? How?" Kid stopped short, about a meter from the girl who stood in front of the building and was smirking triumphantly.

"Once eyes are opened, you are quite predictable, Kaitou-san." The girl said, her eye twinkling in restrained mirth, before she executed a flamboyant bow at the stunned thief. "I wish you luck for tomorrow."

"Right…" Kaito recovered his poker face. "Are you coming to watch the show tomorrow then, ojou-san?" Kid asked with his playful tone before taking his place right under the screen, next to the blonde girl. And was that hair color natural?

"Sure. I want to see your face if and when tantei-chan figures out your trick. Although I might already know it, I won't be sharing any tips with him. Promise." The girl winked and placed a pair of glasses on her nose.

"I hold you to that." Kid attached himself to the wire and shot the three numbered cards one by one to the audience. He then gave a signal to his assistant to jump down and thus began his ascent to the roof.

Tsukiko watched as Kid rose up to the roof of the building and 'appeared' with the assistance of yet another smoke bomb. Up there he spoke briefly with the tv crew up there before leaving the fake shoe and falling…

And spreading his hang glider just in time to get over the net.

"What a showoff…" The girl chuckled, fishing her phone out of her jeans pocket and calling to Ran's number. She looked up just in time to see a flash of black-and-white collide with Kid. Conan was pissed.

The call connected.

"Moshi moshi? Mouri-senpai? I need to get going now… Yes… I'll see you at school tomorrow… Bye." And the call was done. Ran sounded worried, as expected… Honestly, Tsukiko wasn't surprised. Her behavior gave the karat champion a good reason to mother-hen over her. With Tsukiko being suddenly so evasive and distant.

It took a while before the net was finally moved aside and away, thus letting the audience to leave. Tsukiko went along with the other spectators, avoiding the Mouri group who had presumably gone to meet with Jirokichi.

A little tink sound was heard when Tsukiko's foot hit something on the ground. The girl looked down and noticed something down there she was surprised to find that anyone else hadn't already noticed. She picked up the little item. Kid's monocle. The monocle was white and a bit dirty now, after lying on the ground and having numerous people walk past it. The lens was broken after getting hit by Conan's soccer ball but otherwise it was intact. The girl took a handkerchief from her bag and wrapped it around the monocle. After slipping the package back to her bag, Tsukiko headed home.

Next day

Tsukiko yawned and stretched. The lessons of the day had been more boring than ever before (thus far at least) and somewhat had felt slower, too. Mai smiled at her but didn't say anything. As the class's president, she had to keep up the appearance of a perfect student regardless of her personal feelings. (Not that it prevented her from using Mai-Chop on others.) Well, Mai's grades were already excellent so she in turn helped Tsukiko a lot in subjects than biology. That was the blonde's specialty. Tsukiko did surprisingly well in Japanese too. For some reason the girl was able to understand the language as well as she understood Finnish and English. Latter of which was Tsukiko's 'thinking language' though. And sometimes Tsukiko had to suppress her laughter when she listened to her classmates during English lessons: their pronucation was horrible.

Finally the bell rang to signal the end of the day. Tsukiko sighed in relief, picking up her school satchel and left the classroom quickly. Mai hurried after her.

"Tsukiko-chan, wait!"

Tsukiko stopped and turned half-way around to glance at her friend. Mai grabbed the blonde by the shoulder.

"You are not running anywhere. At least not like without saying anything." The class president stated but allowed the other girl to continue walking to the shoe lockers, falling in step with her.

"Oh… Gomen…" Tsukiko gave an apolotegic smile to the brunette.

"Where are you going in such a hurry anyways? I know you are heading to Kid's heist tonight but that's in the evening. There're hours to go."

"There is a place I'd like to visit prior that. And then I have to do my homework. I don't feel like doing them after the heist. Who knows how late that'll be?" The blonde chuckled.

"I see." Mai nodded. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then. And remember to tell me everything." The girl smirked, opening her shoe locker.

"Fine, fine." Tsukiko grinned back.

"I'm not telling everything though…"

Ekoda high school

Kaito changed his shoes and headed to the main gate. Tonight he didn't really need to plan for his heist because he was going to use the same trick than yesterday. Midorikawa had advised otherwise but Kaito had other plans.

"Breaking Thurston's principle number three… I can't wait. But…" His thoughts drifted to the girl he had met yesterday. She had waited for him and claimed she knew his trick. Well, considering that she knew exactly where to wait for him, it was possible. The only problem was that she had known the trick before it was performed. While it was possible that she deducted a possible way out just like he had constructed the trick itself by seeing the security measures at Kinza crossing… It was still seriously unlikely. "Just who was she?"

"Finally you came. Took you forever. I guess I wouldn't have needed to hurry." A girl's voice said from his left. After hearing the voice before Kaito knew exactly who it was. He turned to face the girl who was leaning against the school fence. The same girl who he had met yesterday. She let out an exaggerated sigh but smiled at him then.

"Who… you…" Kaito was speechless. Once again the girl had made him to drop his poker face. The said girl pushed off the fence and approached the boy.

"My name is Okiya Tsukiko. Nice to meet you Kuroba-kun." The girl offered her hand which Kaito took after a few seconds, still staring at her. He was studiously ignoring the western custom the girl exhibited, it only went along with her exotic hair color. Even if the name was Japanese.

"Why are you here?" Kaito asked composing himself once again.

"Nothing special. I just came to return this." The girl shrugged. She then opened her school satchel and gave a small package from there to the boy. Kaito watched at the package, then at the girl, the package again…

"It's not a bomb or anything else dangerous." The girl – Tsukiko – said impatiently. Kaito took the package and unwrapped it. The monocle laid on his palm for a second before he folded the handkerchef around it again, before anyone else could see what he had.

"But how…" How did she find him?

"It doesn't matter. Good luck tonight. I'll be watching." The girl said before turning around and leaving the confused boy standing at the school gate.

Evening

Tsukiko was there again. At Kinza crossing. She really didn't feel like being there. And why did she sound so depressed? Maybe because she knew how the heist would end and being surrounded by hyper Kid fans wasn't really improving her mood. But Tsukiko remained with the group, listening to Sonoko's hyping and Kogoro's nasty comments. They weren't even allowed to go to the area where the shoes were as the middle of the crossing was already blocked by the nets. The girl sighed. Of course Conan noticed it.

"What's up Tsukiko-neechan?" The boy asked.

"I think I'm going home now. Kid won't show up if he doesn't have any audience and people to distract officers from the trick itself." Tsukiko stated blandly. "Besides… If you are here, he won't be getting away with the treasure."

"What do you mean?" Conan frowned.

"Nothing, tantei-chan, nothing. Our hope is resting on your shoulders." The girl ruffed the boy's hair and headed away from the giant net.

She had gotten only a few meters away when someone grabbed her by arm. Due the crowd around, Tsukiko only slightly tensed but didn't make any move otherwise. Not even to turn around to see the thief's face shadowed by the black cap.

"Where are you going? I thought you 'wanted to see my face when tantei-chan figures out my trick'." A familiar voice asked jokingly, quoting her words from the previous night.

"I already know what that face will look like. After all I saw that face today during our previous meeting." Tsukiko replied easily. The hand let go of her bicep.

"I doubt that." The phantom thief slash high schooler scoffed. Tsukiko merely smirked and walked on like she hadn't even been stopped.

"Go ahead, Kaitou-san. And good luck."

A/N: Guess what? With the fixes I got approximately 700 words more to this chapter when fixing this. Yay.

And with this chapter, the re-writing is done. I might sometime check out the chapters post-restart but for now I'm happy with them.

(maybe now I can finish the middle year of Leap and then continue to the DoN sequel...)