Chapter 17

It was a bit embarrassing to let Hakuba help him out of the car. Kaito-kun, who had visited him in the hospital every day, was with him and handed him his walking cane that the doctors wanted him to use. They were being kind, he told himself as he limped his way to the house. It wasn't condescending, they just didn't want him to fall.

Still, Hakuba didn't have to open the door for him and Kaito-kun didn't have to brace his shoulders as he walked through the door—

"SURPRISE!"

Shinichi reeled back and probably would have fallen if not for Kaito-kun. Inside Hakuba Manor, every single member of their homeroom class had gathered. A table had been set up along the far parlor wall and above it was a banner that read "Welcome Home, Lupin-kun!" His eyes darted around the room, locking eyes with Nakamori-san and Koizumi-san. "What's—" Shinichi swallowed—"What's going on?"

Nakamori-san bounced up, an excited grin on her face. "It's a party, Lupin-kun! We wanted to welcome you back from the hospital!"

"I was against the idea at first," Hakuba commented. "But after Kuroba-kun suggested the idea, Nakamori-san wouldn't be deterred… Still, I suppose this wasn't the worst thing to happen…"

Shinichi turned to Kaito-kun. "You planned this?"

"I suggested it…" Kaito-kun rubbed the back of his neck. "Aoko was the one who really took to the idea."

Shinichi smiled. "Thank you, Kaito-kun."

Kaito-kun's face paled significantly. "I-It wasn't a problem, Shinichi-kun. Though, really, it was all Aoko, she gets like that—"

Nakamori-san appeared behind him. "Stop selling yourself short! He was really worried about you these past few weeks, Lupin-kun; I've never seen him so troubled before! It was like he thought you were going to die—"

"No one cares, Ahoko!" Kaito interrupted, pushing her behind him. "Really, I want to talk about you; bright pink Pokka-dots? It's not nearly as risky as you usually wear, were you feeling shy this morning?"

Shinichi tilted his head in confusion as Nakamori-san froze, her face a bright red. She clenched her jaw, scowling. "Bakaito…" she growled, taking a single, threatening step forward.

Kaito bolted, with Nakamori-san close behind him welding a mop. That seemed to break the spell over their silent classmates and they all began talking to each other, ignoring the two causers of chaos.

"Huh…" Shinichi and Hakuba watched as she chased Kaito around the room. "I wonder if she's ever taken kendo classes. She looks like she'd be good at it."

"God, I hope not; she's too proficient with that thing to begin with. I don't think our classroom would survive if she got better." Shinichi nodded in agreement. He'd seen Nakamori-san crack the floor with her mop. "Though, after the party, could we talk, please? There's something that I've been meaning to discuss with you."

That piqued Shinichi's interest. Something Hakuba wanted to talk about? And he couldn't do it during the party? A coil of anxiety tightened in his gut. He smiled. "Of course, Hakuba. I'm always open to conversing with you, you know that."

Hakuba nodded solemnly. Now Shinichi knew something was up. "Thank you, Lupin. I'll leave you to your party."

Hakuba left him and Shinichi spent his time mingling among his classmates, thanking them for coming and chatting casually about their teachers and school. These people barely knew him, but they bothered to check up on him? Nothing… nothing like that had ever happened to him before. He'd never had casual acquaintances before.

It was… kind of nice.

As Shinichi was walking to the snack table, a manicured hand grabbed his forearm and pulled him away. It was that girl from before… Kaito-kun called her Akako? She smiled at him. "I see you've survived your enemy. Congratulations."

Oh, yeah, now he remembered. She kept speaking in riddles and had a friend named Lucifer or something. "Thank you. Though, I don't understand how you knew about her."

"Future scrying is one of my many talents," she purred, rubbing her hand up and down her arm in a way that made Shinichi uncomfortable. He tugged her arm from her grip. "But be aware; your trials are not finished yet, dear sparrow, but I'm confident that you will succeed."

She turned to leave, but Shinichi said, "Hey, can I ask you a question?" Akako raised an eyebrow. "Are you a wiccan or a pagan?"

"I—excuse me?"

Shinichi rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just, you wouldn't be the first witch I've met; while traveling with my family, we've met several, but they're usually either wiccans or pagans, and I wanted to know which theology you fell into."

Akako gave him a look he couldn't read. "I do not understand you, Lupin-san," she said at last, preparing to go. "…I'm a pagan."

Shinichi smiled to himself as she left the party, happy that he'd actually gotten her to express part of herself. Maybe, if he tried hard enough… they could be friends? That would be nice—sure, Kaito-kun didn't like her much, but he didn't have to hang out with both of them at the same time. Or did he? He still wasn't sure about all the rules to this friendship thing, was having two friends that hated each other taboo?

He shrugged, putting the subject out of his mind. It wasn't like he and Akako were friends yet anyway. Wandering through the crowd, Shinichi turned on the TV in the front parlor. The TV in the hospital had always played old American westerns no matter how often Shinichi asked the nurses to change it. He flipped through the channels to find the news. Ah, finally—

Oh no.

It was like he'd fallen through ice; all warm feelings the party inspired instantly evaporated at the sight of the "Breaking News" headline:

[News from Grimway Maximum Security Prison: Lupin III, Escaped!]