The Darkness Inside
Chapter 4 (Not) Clueless
They met again a few days later to discuss all the possible places which could be attacked during the next year.
"Ne, Aoko-chan, to be honest I couldn't find many places which would fit. There will be a lot of festivals which will host a lot of people, I'm sure. I found a few long-awaited concerts and a few buildings will be finished and opened but I'm not sure if that is what we're looking for."
Sighing in disappointment, Aoko took Ran's list and looked it over. "Well, I mostly came up with the same results. They could bomb a festival, a lot of people will be gathered at one spot. Though, if I were to bomb some place I'd rather bomb a building, right? More damage and stuff. An opening would be a great opportunity since it's often packed with people. So, if you were to bomb the lower parts you'd successfully destroy all the exits and then what? Mayhem would occur."
"You're scaring me, Aoko-chan."
Aoko chuckled. "I'm just trying to find out what they're thinking, you know? I mean I could be wrong. Maybe it's a festival after all. It wouldn't be the first time but who knows? Well, but I guess this won't get us any further actually."
Aoko sighed and slumped in her seat. They met in a rather run-down manga café so that no one would find them if someone were looking for them and no one would bat an eye at the topics they were discussing.
Aoko compared her list to Ran's and found only minor differences in places which could work for a possible bombing.
"Are we regarding this as something serious now?" Ran asked quite confused and Aoko nodded absentmindedly.
"I think we should. We should really forget about the possibility of it being a prank and take it as seriously as possible. Let's prepare for the worst and prevent it."
Ran nodded. She had similar thoughts and was glad that Aoko shared the same opinion. They should stop wavering and consider this as something that was dangerous and needed to be stopped. If it wasn't they could still backpaddle but if they did nothing now and had no time later, that would be disastrous.
"Well, if we cannot circle down the list then we have no choice but to hope and wait that soon we'll get a location. Maybe they don't know yet themselves. I've been thinking and came to the conclusion that maybe the place wasn't decided yet. Maybe those criminals are waiting just like we are. Maybe they don't know the targets yet because it hasn't been decided, either. One way or the other, they are waiting for something. I mean I have no idea if assassins got all the information right away or bit by bit like in our case but it seems likely the info isn't available yet and that's why it wasn't distributed."
"You're right. Or maybe they simply don't want to share the information because it's not time, yet? I don't think we should take knowledge from Hollywood movies into account how these things work, I actually never thought those things were really real but I guess I was wrong."
Aoko smiled softly and nodded. Ran was one of a kind. Of course, there were assassins in this real world and of course there was a lot of criminality planned far ahead. It wasn't just Hollywood movies but both of them grew up rather sheltered and never had to deal with such a thing.
"So, what will be our next step?" Aoko inquired. They had no new input and besides waiting nothing came to her mind.
Ran looked at her, looking absolutely lost. She had thought going through places would get them somewhere. Something they could work with but nothing really looked like it was the place they were looking for. There was not going to be the event, either, which was quite the bummer. It couldn't be a small event because why would they engage assassins if some small criminal could do the job as well? Then again, maybe it was a high-ranking person that was supposed to die and only an assassin could make sure the job got done? There were a thousand possibilities how it could work.
"I don't think we can do anything right now. Though, we should start planning what we'll do once we have a location and a name. And we need to find out who is behind all of this. It's still three major points we need to take into account."
Ran nodded. It felt strangely exciting talking about all of it. There were no corpses and this was simply a puzzle, nothing more and nothing less. Something that could be solved. She didn't need the pressure of people's lives but the hunt was quite exhilarating.
"Once we have a location we'll need to stake it out. Get the construction plan, find the most likely positions for placing bombs to achieve maximum damage."
Ran nodded. "Also, we'd need to know all the exits, and find out what event will be held there. We'll need to know how many people will be there."
"Structural engineering calculation, Ran-chan, we'll need to make sure we know the Structural engineering calculation of the building. How much weight does it hold, is the earth flat or tilted, anything that could get the building instable by blowing of a few bombs."
"To be honest", Ran objected. "I don't think a bomb wouldn't flatten a building."
"Well, not necessarily, right? But you do need the right spots to destabilize it accordingly. Anyway, so we'll need to know everything about the building. We'll have to break in a few times, I guess. We'll need to get accustomed with all the rooms."
"Breaking in, Aoko-chan? I don't like that."
"I don't either but how about we cross that bridge once we're there."
"Good idea." Ran let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Already this was becoming something more than dangerous and she liked it every minute less.
"So, once we'll know who the targets are we she should observe them and find out why someone would want to kill them. I'm sure that's how we're going to find the mastermind behind all of this."
Ran hummed in agreement. "How will we take them down, though? Do you know how to fight, Aoko-chan?"
Aoko grimaced. "I know how to use a broom. But anything beyond that. And I actually don't want to think about taking someone down, as of yet. We should cross that bridge once we're there. Can you fight, at least, Ran-chan?"
"Yes. I've been doing Karate for a few years so I think I should be able to take care of that."
Aoko beamed. "Wow, that's amazing Ran-chan. Then, when it comes to fighting, I'll leave everything in your hands."
Ran sweatdropped and laughed nervously but accepted the idea. She was good in fighting and she was confident she would win no matter the opponent.
"Now that we have a general plan of action let's do homework. I got detention last time since I completely forgot about it. Otou-san wasn't pleased." Aoko grimaced in remembrance of his disappointed face and how could she just forget to do homework? He felt guilty and blamed himself because he was seldom home (and Aoko agreed with him) but it wasn't like he changed his pattern so his guilt was for naught.
"Ne, Aoko-chan. May I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
They have been doing homework for some hours now. Ran had trouble with math and Aoko gladly helped her with the problems, explained how she did it and smiled at Ran's elated grin when she finally understood what she had to do. The English report Aoko had to do gave them a lot more trouble but after a few hours of excruciating pain they were done and Aoko quite proud of the result.
When Ran asked her, Aoko was reading the novel they had to finish until next week for Japanese literature. She didn't look up but listened intently.
"Well, do you think people can shrink?"
Aoko looked up and wondered what made her ask that. She raised a single brow and Ran blushed in embarrassment.
"It's hard to believe, I know. Impossible, I should say, but do you think it is?"
Aoko shrugged. "To be honest, yes, it's crazy to believe someone could shrink but hey, I think I've seen some strange things myself so maybe it's not that impossible, after all. All things considered, it should be. A person cannot just shrink, the human body doesn't work like that but – why do you ask?"
"Ah, you see." Ran fuddled with her thumbs and bit her lip. "It's just that, as crazy as is sounds, when Shinichi, you know – Kudo Shinichi, disappeared this child appeared and he's just like Shinichi. He knows stuff he shouldn't know and he knows Shinichi but until then Shinichi never even once mentioned him. It's just weird, you know?"
Aoko sympathized with Ran and closed her book. She clutched her hand in comfort.
"Did you ask him?"
Ran nodded. "I did. Of course, he told me that it wasn't true. But I-", she stopped and sighed. "I want to know. Is it Shinichi or is it not? Why can't he just tell me the truth? I don't understand. There are just too many similarities. There cannot be a child that smart, so unafraid of corpses!" She snorted in dry amusement. "Maybe I'm just losing my mind. I mean he told me he isn't but can I really trust that? There were so many instances I was so sure that the kid is actually Shinichi."
"There is someone who I suspect to be Kaitou Kid." Aoko revealed and Ran looked at her sharply. "But to be honest I don't want to know. I mean, of course I want to know but then I wonder if it's really a good thing to know."
"Why?" Ran asked in confusion.
"Let's say we have A and B. Let's say A is B and you know or not, it doesn't matter. But now, let's imagine A has enemies and those enemies kidnap you and me or maybe your father or someone else – it doesn't really matter who. And now imagine those enemies want you to tell them who B is – or A. They threaten you to kill the person who's with you. Now, if you don't know that A is B you could lie but you could also tell them right that – that you don't know. They'll most likely murder you and the person but at least you didn't kill anyone, right? And now imagine that you know that A is B – it will be your decision who dies – A or the person. Because you can either tell them the truth that A is B or you can lie and kill the other person. The outcome is most likely the same but in one case the option is yours and in the other it isn't. I know that I couldn't choose someone so I'd rather not know."
When Aoko looked up again, she found Ran pale as a sheet and frowned. "I didn't want to scare you and maybe those scenarios are unlikely but I know that Kaitou Kid has enemies and if a person can shrink then there must be some evil people involved, right? To be honest, I don't think it would come down to kidnapping. I think those people would kill and ask questions later, no matter if you knew or not. But I still think that sometimes not knowing is the better choice."
"I guess I haven't thought about it like that. But if it's true and there are evil people, I'd rather know and help."
Aoko looked up from her book again, watched Ran for a second and then started reading again.
"I don't want him to suffer alone anymore. If he just told me I could help him. I-"
"You know I never said not to help. I never said not to get involved. I just said it's wiser not to know. But as I said I have my own suspicions, right? As long as he doesn't outright confirm those suspicions I'll never know for sure and thus I don't know."
Ran looked baffled for a second. "So, in reverse, you're trying to say I should help him, anyway?"
"What I'm saying, Ran-chan," she looked her sternly into the eyes. "is to make sure you understand what could happen. What you do or do not is your own thing. I'm saying that shrinking is quite impossible but maybe not impossible enough to be really impossible. Maybe this project will give us an opportunity to find out for sure. But I want you to know what knowing for sure implies."
Ran nodded. "I see."
"Still, shrinking – I don't know, Ran-chan. I don't think you're crazy but somehow it does sound crazy, right? Maybe, you know, if you still want to know, you should go a roundabout way. He obviously doesn't want you to know. So, don't ask him anymore, instead, just observe. Find out, what happened and how it did. Observe him interacting with different people, maybe there are some he told the truth and don't ask them either, not outright, at least. Try asking questions which will lead you to the truth but don't be impatient."
Ran was baffled. "You really gave this some thought, didn't you?"
Aoko laughed dryly. "Well, before I decided I didn't want to know, I had wanted to. I came up with all the ways to find out for sure but when it came to actually going through with it I decided against it."
Ran sighed. "Well, I guess, I could try it."
Aoko nodded. "Do that. Let me help you if you ever need it."
Looking up in surprise, Ran frowned. "Why? I think you don't want to know."
"We're in this together. What is one more secret, huh?"
It was true – what Aoko told Ran. She had her suspicions that Kaito was Kid. Ever since they both got trapped in the maze she was even pretty sure that Kaito was Kid. She had de-masked him. What more evidence did she need? But there were also those people trying to kill him and she was scared that she were to get into a position where she had to decide over life and death. That's why – and because Kaito wouldn't tell her the truth anyway (most likely) – she never asked and didn't want to know.
There was a difference between being sure and knowing. As long as she was just sure and didn't know she'd be fine. (That's what she told herself, anyway.)
(He had flinched when she held tight while on his motorbike.)
She had always had a lurking suspicion but it was easier to ignore it than think about it. That's why she never did, that's why she hated Kid and loved Kaito. To her, they were A and B but never A=B.
Still, ever since Aoko was sure about Kaito being Kid she spent every heist at the scene, she didn't even bring her anti-Kid posters, anymore.
She was sure something changed, back then. Kid (Kaito) had protected her, he got hurt in her stead and she hated owing anyone and even more so if it was the internationally wanted criminal. That's why she wanted to take care of him now, not like becoming his partner in crime or anything absurd like that – but if he was ever in a pinch and she was around, she'd help him. Just to wash her hands of her guilt, of course. Kaito or not, Kid was still Kid and a criminal her father was doing his best to catch. She couldn't simply stab him in the back and wander over to Kid's side. No. She wasn't like that. She couldn't.
That's why, right now, she was on her way to the next Kid heist. It was a few days after she'd met Ran and they'd meet next week the next time since there was no need to meet any sooner. They'd discuss their plan and mostly chat and do homework together because they had nothing better to do and they quite enjoyed each other's company.
Ever since that day in the maze Aoko made it a challenge to find Kaito in the masses. He could disguise as anyone but his eyes would always be his and those eyes – she'd never forget them. It was what gave him away. When she had taken off his hat she saw his face, a face that could have been a mask but those eyes weren't. And she got scared finding out the truth, so she blubbered something about how Kid was once again using Kaito as a disguise. Thankfully, he believed her.
It was fun, trying to figure out which way he'd come, what disguise he'd use, how he'd escape and more often than not she enjoyed the hunt. Hakuba was mostly away and her father was sometimes easily confused and he'd chase a dummy or a doppelganger. She wanted to make things harder for Kid while at the same time take care of him (and to be honest it was the only time Kaito truly ever acknowledged her nowadays).
Today was once again taking place at the Tokyo Tower and it awakened a few not so nice memories she had of the last time she'd been there. She didn't remember much, she was supposed to be with her father (Kid in disguise) and then she was chained and she didn't know much more before she woke up in her bed. Her father didn't know anything about it when he came home back late and drunk once again. Kaito was a true pervert, she could only hope he didn't do anything perverted while she was unconscious.
But Kaito was also a coward when it came to those things so she was mostly sure that he didn't do anything.
Looking up at the heavily illuminated tower, she sighed in remembrance. Already, there was quite the queue but being the Keibu's daughter had a lot of advantages and so she got in rather easily and found her father screaming at and pinching everyone's cheeks.
She smiled in humor at the scene and went to greet him. "Hello, Otou-san."
"Aoko, what are you doing here?"
The girl shrugged and walked up to the glass case containing the ring with the brilliant which was today's price. "I was bored so I decided to visit you."
She would have loved to add how he never was at home anymore and she felt lonely and sad but she didn't. All the officers were there to listen and she didn't want to make a scene, besides, she didn't want to make him feel guilty. He was simply doing his job rather passionately, after all.
The glass case looked like a simple case but it couldn't be, right? She was about to touch it, before a hand shot out and stopped her. Gasping, she jumped in fright und turned to the officer who held her hand. He had azure colored eyes.
Aoko gasped.
Kaito.
"Careful, Nakamori-san. There is an electric current plugged into the case."
He let go of her hand and she blinked. He had his typical Kid-smile but it was gone when he noticed her confused look. "Are you ok?"
Aoko shook her head to clear her mind and nodded. "Yes." She bowed a little and excused herself. The officer whose name she never got watched her with a careful look.
She went to stand next to her father and observed Kid out of the corner of her eye. In another ten minutes he'd strike and she was somehow disappointed to have found him out so fast. He seemed to be suspicious of her, going by the amount of times he turned towards her to watch her. He was supposed to be watching for Kid (evidence that it was Kid in disguise) and not her – he was being careless.
It was weird how he was the only one who stopped her from getting hurt. It somehow made her feel special – he was taking care of her even while being on a heist and not himself. She wondered why he was so different by daylight because whenever they were at school he looked like he couldn't care less about her.
In a way, it was thrilling, to be here, to test him, to be protected by him. It was the only time he'd acknowledge her which was sad because wasn't he supposed to be her best friend? Well, whatever reason he had to make sure she was okay while being Kid and ignore her while being Kaito, she'd still do everything she could to protect him from his enemies, as well.
Maybe that was them, after all. Still watching out for each other even if they weren't speaking, were arguing or whatever situation they were in right now.
Aoko started to observe her surroundings. What would he do to get out? Rooftop? Possibly but not necessarily. How would he get the ring? Well, she didn't think she wanted to know and had to giggle quietly when she realized that no security would ever be good enough if her father always told him how it worked. It was really amusing and so infuriating at the same time that the best systems wouldn't work if the one who those systems were supposed to keep away was the one to say if they were foolproof or not.
Maybe Kaito had mostly used her to get to the heist places beforehand to figure out how to countermeasure the security. The thought hurt but then again – he was here right now, too. He got here without her help so if he ever tagged along it was simply convenient for him, right? But that wasn't the reason they were friends, right?
Sighing, Aoko tried to rid her head of those thoughts because they were dangerous and she didn't want to go down that path. She'd been there and she didn't want to go back, not ever. At least not now where people watched her – like Kaito, he had his eyes set on her like an eagle on his prey and she wondered why. She wasn't a threat to him, her father wasn't either and if he ever got close to getting captured, well, she'd be dammed if she let him (and found out the truth, the undeniable painful truth which would break her and tear her apart and she was sure she was choking on air and how was that even possible) but then – no, she didn't want to go down that path, either. He was an internationally wanted criminal and for all she knew he might be a fifty-year-old pervy geezer who was also a criminal.
But there was no one else with such azure colored eyes. No one.
She exhaled slowly and tried to figure out how he'd leave. There was no rooftop but he surely could escape from up somewhere. But it would be a hassle, right? So, it'd be easier if he took the stairs or disguised as another officer and left with everyone and changed back once he was outside.
When Aoko looked back in Kaito's direction, she found him missing. Suddenly, in typical Kid fashion the lights went out and the show started. Chaos broke out, glass broke and Aoko was roughly shoved to the ground. She hit her head on something, hit it pretty hard and she wasn't sure if it was the darkness in the tower or if she blacked out for a second but when a splitting headache broke through she felt wide awake, adrenaline shooting through her body – but instead of making her jump on her feet and take action it froze her to the spot.
There were shouts and she heard and felt people mingle about but then a hand grasped and dragged her off somewhere.
Aoko cried out in pain when the hand grabbed her rather forcefully and pushed her into another room.
"Aoko!" she heard her father scream before all sound was barred and the lights were turned on abruptly. She snapped her eyes close, blinking furiously to get used to the light as fast as possible to assess what kind of situation she got herself into.
"Out of the way", a voice growled next to her and Aoko shuddered.
Looking up, she found a man with a gun holding her arm and froze in fear. It was one of them, right? One of those people who tried to kill Kid, right?
She watched the man frightfully and cursed herself. Why were her legs shaking so much, why was she feeling faint, why the hell was she scared like that?
"Most definitely not. Let the girl go."
Aoko's head snapped upwards to find Kid blocking their path down the hall and she felt like crying in relief to find him there, protecting her once again (later, she'd curse herself for relying on him instead of protecting him like she had promised herself).
The man dressed all in black cocked his head in her direction and put the gun to her temple. Aoko's mind blanked. If that was fear, she'd never felt it before. She felt like dying a few times before, like the world collapsed around her and she was choking, all the time choking, but right now, being at the mercy of some criminal felt mind shattering.
Kid scowled, for the first time ever she found Kaitou Kid scowling. She knew Kid as the carefree criminal, always a cocky smile, confident grin on his face or sometimes a little scared when things got too close for comfort but usually he was full of confidence and nothing else – arrogance but that went hand in hand.
Scowling, though, was nothing like Kid and Aoko realized what kind of situation she got herself in. She was scared beyond belief, her mind empty of any thoughts, ideas, anything that could help him and her. Nothing.
"Let her go", Kid growled and took a slow step ahead, towards them.
"Stop right there, you thief or I'll blow her brains out."
Aoko must have stopped breathing because she was sure she could hear a needle fall. Everything felt surreal and when he started dragging her forward, Aoko couldn't help but follow, only her legs didn't want to comply and all that held her upwards was that man's grip but just as her legs gave out, he lost his focus on Kid and turned his head towards her. Kid being Kid turned the situation into one he controlled once again by striking quicker than she could follow. She heard a sound, it was probably his gun and then she was let go only to be grabbed by another arm, another body pulling her towards.
"Now, the tables have turned. Leave!" Kid grumbled and held her tight.
Aoko didn't dare move and kept as silent as possible. It was one thing to find herself in a foreign place, only with a criminal who could very well hurt her (but Kaito never would) and having someone point a gun to her head and meaning to actually pull the trigger.
She heard footsteps and a door opening and closing, probably, she couldn't say for sure. Her ears were still ringing and her head hurt a lot and she wasn't sure if she wasn't shaking like leaves in in the wind.
She felt Kid take a few deep breaths, she wondered why, he was usually so suave, so composed, relaxed, prepared.
He then gently grasped her by her shoulders and shoved her away a little. Looking up shyly, Aoko gazed into his blue blue eyes and she didn't doubt for a moment that it wasn't Kaito.
"Are you alright, Nakamori-san?" For once, Kid didn't just look worried, he also sounded very much like it.
She wanted to nod, to verbally confirm that yes, she was still alive and probably well and alright but she somehow couldn't. She opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out so she closed it only to reopen it again like a fish and she wondered if he got scared of her because he got scared of fish and wouldn't it be bad if he got scared now?
"You're bleeding", he said absentmindedly and touched a spot on her forehead tenderly, making her flinch in pain. She closed her eyes and grumbled, swatting his hand away – she found it streaked with blood. Her blood (she hoped because she couldn't take it if he got hurt because of her again).
"I-", she gasped, closing her mouth again, having no idea what she wanted to tell him. Was this what they called shock? Was she in shock?
It didn't take long for her father to burst into the room and find Kid long gone – when he did that she couldn't say.
Her father was fuming, of course, he was but he was not very angry with her, at least. There was an ambulance downstairs and she got the laceration on her head treated and was sent home. She wished her father would have come with her – she didn't want to be alone.
Everything had gone so fast, it went in a flash and she had a hard time to wrap her head around today's events.
She lied down on her bed and closed her eyes, she felt like on drugs or on alcohol as everything was spinning. That was a bad sign, right?
Her limbs hurt and she was incredibly tired. But she was sure that sleep wouldn't come to her easily tonight. Closing her eyes, she found herself back with the man holding a gun to her head and she shuddered, tear forming in her eyes. It was close, wasn't it? She didn't think he was bluffing but what did he want with her in the first place? Why would he try to kidnap her?
She realized, while sobbing silently, that she never found out if Kid got the ring and if the glass breaking was on him or not.
She felt cold, colder than she ever felt going back home and finding herself once more alone, wishing to just disappear. She was surprised that dead wasn't something she actually wanted to be. Or maybe it was just the situation making her cling to her life.
She was shaking, keeping her eyes closed shut and sobbing into her pillow when she couldn't help but think about the events today – the thoughts simply didn't want to stop. They wouldn't leave her alone and she hated it. But she also hated how her mind shut down and she couldn't move. She hated that faint feeling, hated how her legs gave out on her – she should have been able to do something. Hadn't she promised herself to help Kid if something were to happen? Wasn't that one of those instances where she wanted to help him?
She still remembered how her heart was hammering inside her chest, how sweat had broken on her skin, drenching her.
She'd never felt more relieved seeing that thief – in fact, she'd never felt relieved at all when she encountered Kid. If she wasn't sure that he was Kaito then she'd feel ashamed to have been happy to see him. But he was Kaito, right? So it was alright.
Shaking her head in despair, Aoko tried to get her sobs under control. This couldn't continue like this. She was trying to solve a dangerous case with Ran and if that was how she reacted to danger, she'd never survive and probably kill everyone else, as well. This couldn't continue like this.
She hated it, hated how she froze in fear. Why was she scared, at all? She could have hit that man, anything, really, long before he had pointed the gun to her head. She should have – but there was no point in regretting her actions now. The only thing she could do was stand up again and be better next time. Maybe she should, in fact, attend the heists more often and get into dangerous situations, so that once she was alone with Ran and got into that kind of situation, she wouldn't actually freeze again. She really needed to work on it or they were as good as dead.
If there were really people trying to bomb an event, then there was no way that they'd place the bombs and leave – they'd stay and make sure everything went according to plan until the very end. Ran and her would have to make sure they got around that security. It probably also involved knocking people out and if they had to face them first …
Aoko shuddered at the thought and hatred filled her like liquid poison. Were they really able to pull it off?
Suddenly, her window opened and she jumped into a sitting position, her heart beating wildly in her chest from fear. With wide eyes she found Kid standing on the window sill and she didn't relax until he started speaking.
"Are you alright, Nakamori-san?"
Aoko hastily wiped her tears away and tried to make her look at least a little presentable but she was sure that she failed miserably.
She nodded, having finally found her voice again - "I think so."
Kid nodded and sat down on her window sill. He looked like he tried to get a little comfortable, like he intended to stay a little while which baffled Aoko to eternity and back.
"Wha-what are you doing here?" she stuttered faintly.
"I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I'm surprised you're not running to get a phone to call your father or the squad to lock me up."
"You saved me", she blubbered. "Again and again and I don't understand. I owe you so probably the only thing I can do to pay the debt off is not to call Otou-san."
Kid frowned and shook his head. "You don't owe me anything, Nakamori-san, if anything it was my fault you got roped into this in the first place."
Aoko wanted to object but couldn't find the words. Instead, worry overcome her. "Are you alright, though?"
Kid's eyes widened in surprise until a smile bloomed on his face and she'd never seen anything as beautiful (she did, she loved Kaito's smile, his sparkling eyes whenever he presented her another new trick he was so proud of) – it made he feel at ease. She slumped slightly, leaning on the wall and watching him.
"I am, Nakamori-san. Do I assume correctly, Nakamori-san, that you don't hate me anymore?"
She spluttered, her eyes coming to life, filling with emotions once more. "Of course you're wrong. Don't get me wrong, just because I worry about the human behind the mask doesn't mean I hate you any less or accept you being a thief in more than one ways."
"Oh, in what other ways? Did I charm you into losing your heart to me?"
Aoko blushed furiously, her heart going doki-doki, because well, technically he wasn't wrong but she didn't lose her heart to Kid – it was the man beneath all the masks. "Of course not!"
Kid laughed in mirth at her misery and Aoko fumed on her bed. "It does sound like a lie if you ask me."
"Well, no one is asking you. You stole Otou-san. Otou-san! Not my heart, jeeze!"
Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Aoko turned her head away from him, still listening to his quiet chuckles. If it was Kaito she'd turn around and smile fondly at him but he wasn't. It was Kid and she was alarmed at how comfortable she felt around him nowadays. It had to stop.
She turned her head towards him and watched him seriously. "Look, I'd rather you didn't come here anymore, Kid. Those people are dangerous, right? I couldn't even move so I'd rather not have them come here and kidnap me or anything just because someone saw you inside my window."
It shut him up really quickly and Kid angled his face in a way she couldn't see his eyes, his expression anymore. "You were really scared, weren't you? I apologize and promise not to come here again."
"I won't be scared next time, I promise."
Kid looked in her direction again and tsk-ed at her. "I'd much rather there was not a next time and fear is what keeps one alive, Nakamori-san. Don't ever get rid of it."
"Were you scared?" she asked tentatively.
They were both silent for a long time, staring into each other's eyes, trying to uncover some truths both were seeking – but Aoko found nothing and she wondered if he found anything.
"I was. I am a thief but I am not a murderer. You're the daughter of my favorite Keibu – if something were to happen especially to you – what would it do to him? Things would become really boring, I'm sure."
Aoko scowled. "I hate you, Kid. Only worrying about me because you might get bored otherwise. You know, I worry about you because I am not a monster. I hate you but I don't want to see you dead. And now I think you overstayed your visit."
Kid watched her for a while in contemplating silence, until he nodded and turned around. "Very well. Make sure you don't get hurt again, Nakamori-san. Sleep well."
With that he leapt off and Aoko sighed, the cold creeping up again.
If she was honest, she felt a little better, at least. But that arrogant, self-absorbed, stupid thief. He could die for all she cared (but not Kaito, never Kaito, he wasn't allowed to die).
You guys! Thanks so much for the reviews! They really keep me going :D
Unfortunely, there probably will not be anymore updates until October since I need to finish university now and then I'll be off to Japan :D But once I'm back you'll get more chapters! :)
Well, if you review I might find time in between and update before October, after all :D