Written December 28 2021
Posted on Wattpad January 15 2022
Posted here July 11 2022
NEXT UPDATE is on July 25 2022
The next morning had Kaito trying to just stay in bed and have Lapin go to school without him. It didn't work of course, there'd be no reason for the shrunken sleuth to go out if he was staying at home. So Kaito ended up getting ready for school, with great reluctance of course. He'd known that his plan would most likely fail, so he'd gotten up early enough for them to be able to beat the crowd. Just because he wasn't self conscious about his wheelchair, it didn't mean that he appreciated traversing the bustling halls of a high school with it.
Indigos eyed Lapin, gaze softening a bit at the other's excitement. The sleuth was the only reason why he was actually going along with the trip. He still had a few more weeks before he really needed to go to school.
They were all in the van, Aoko was sitting up front with her father while Lapin and himself were in the back. With the time they were making, they'd arrive at least a half hour before the halls started to get more full. That would be plenty of time for him to get to his first appointed class with ease despite it being on the second floor.
"I was sick just yesterday" Kaito complained, resting his chin on his hand, elbow propped against the van's window.
"And you're not sick today" Aoko rolled her eyes, Kaito's fever was gone so it was probably more stress induced than an ailment that he'd caught. Kaito developed short term fevers more often than most people "If you're still unwell, then you'll probably still be unwell for tomorrow" The girl added with a smile.
Kaito sighed "Fine" He didn't want to push off the small surgery.
"Socialization is a vital part of growing up" Lapin stated with a small smile of his own. Kaito was a recluse, more so than he himself was. It was unexpected, but it made him feel better about himself. Ran had no right to scold him, Kaito was worse than he was.
Ginzo sighed "You can head home after lunch if you want" Kaito was going to possibly be miserable for the next few days starting tomorrow depending on how Pandora's magic decided to react to the surgery. The first half of the day should be plenty of time for whatever Danashi's surprise was.
Lapin wilted a bit "Could I stay with Aoko when Kaito leaves" Calling them by their first names still felt odd, but it was apparently best for him to just call them that instead of switching it up depending on the company around them. It was like how none of them had referred to him by his real name, even within the safety of their house. Even the professor hadn't done that.
"Of course, losing out on your education isn't good" Aoko breathed. The guy was already around a month behind. Sure she knew that Lapin was smart, but missing so many classes had to be hard for him.
"He could just self study and graduate later" Kaito retorted "Sure it can't be put into the system yet, but editing his files when everything's over should be easy. It shouldn't matter so long as he gets the tests correct"
"Some people actually like the connections that school gives us" Aoko sighed. She really wished that she'd been able to control her friends better when Kaito had first started school. Back then, Kaito had been curious and cautiously excited at the prospect of going to school like a normal person. Then her friends had pestered him too much and had driven him to graduate early just to get away from the chaos that was school.
Lapin hummed. He liked the idea of graduating early, except then he would have spent less time with Ran... Though that really wasn't a factor anymore since he couldn't be around Ran anyways. There was also the problem of his physical age. Unlike with Kaito, it would look extremely weird if he were to graduate early. Child genius or not. He could get away with skipping grades, just not graduating high school just yet. The rest of the drive had both Kaito and Aoko bickering with each other.
When they arrived, Kaito glared at the unkept wheelchair ramp. It was covered in branches, some of them too big for him to just roll over "This is a sign saying that I should go home now" Kaito sighed. The principal had been informed that he'd be attending classes today.
Aoko just sighed, disappointed "No it's not" She started to pick up the sticks, Lapin hurrying to help her "They just forgot about your wheelchair" It wasn't a good excuse, but it was true. The principal had nothing against Kaito and had been sad to have him become just a rare addition to classes.
Kaito huffed, mood already sour as he directed his wheelchair inside "The lift is probably still broken..." He wanted to go home "I doubt that it's even worth checking it" The odds of it working were slim.
"Indeed, I was disappointed in the school's integrity when I checked it out"
Jolting, Kaito's attention snapped towards the male that'd just come around the corner. It was Saguru! Why was Saguru here?! He was supposed to be in England. A small blush tinted his cheeks. Saguru had grown up nicely, very tall and pleasing to the eye. Contact between them had been sparse, mainly gifts at Christmas. The blond also assumed that he was the son of the Kid that he'd met.
Aoko glanced at Kaito with confusion then met Saguru's gaze "Who are you?" Kaito obviously knew him.
A pleasant smile made its way onto Saguru's face "My apologies, my name is Hakuba Saguru, a detective from London" He paused "And Kuroba-kun's acquaintance"
Kaito snapped himself out of his surprise, shooting Lapin a quick glance. He wanted to be friends with Saguru, but good friends didn't keep important secrets... "Hey Lapin, you can trust him"
Lapin frowned, confused "Huh?" Kaito's comment was random.
"I want to tell him the truth about me" The 'And you' was silently implied.
Gold eyed the two in confusion.
