DB
When Aoko came to school the next morning, she knew that it was going to be a difficult day. Because inside the classroom, the girls were clawing for the top of the chalkboard. And perched on top of the chalkboard was Kaito.
And the girls were livid.
"Oi, oi, it isn't my fault that the smoke bombs exploded," Kaito said in a calm, rational tone. He easily dodged to the side as one of the girls – Tanaka-san – made a feeble attempt of whopping him with the mop.
"Yes it is!"
"Be a man and face us, Kaito-kun!"
"Get down from there!"
"Tanaka-san, what is going on?" Aoko asked, walking over to the angry group of girls. At the sight of her, they all visibly lit up. Kaito paled.
"One of Kaito-kun's smoke bombs somehow placed in our locker room exploded while we were changing yesterday, and it dyed all our stuff pink!"
Aoko pursed her her lips and darted a glare at Kaito, who straightened up and braced himself – the mocking grin remaining intact.
"Tanaka-san, please lend me the mop," she muttered.
The bundle of birds perched on the windowsill squawked and fluttered, a bustle of hectic feathers, when something inside the classroom boomed and banged.
"This is so unfair,"
Sitting lazily on the teacher's table, Kaito picked up a chalk and balanced it on top of his nose. Classes have already ended minutes ago, and the two were stuck to clean up the mess they have made. "Why do I have to clean up? I didn't break anything. Unlike Ahoko – Woah"
He dodged to the left, chalk landing on his lap, and reached his palms out to the front of his face to catch a candy wrapper being hurled his way. Aoko frowned at her failed attempt of injuring her best friend with an obviously head-damaging weapon, before slowly putting an arm down. "Such a baby,"
"Am not!" Kaito cried, attention quickly shifting to the candy wrapper at hand. He absentmindedly folded the piece of cellophane smaller and smaller until seeming to make it disappear in a bright burst of confetti. Aoko stared after the mini show for a second, before stomping over to the young magician.
Mop-empty hands on her hips, she hovered over him. "You help out too!"
"But I'm not that one woman force of chaos who couldn't keep her mop in place!"
"And I'm not the bumbling buffoon who can't stop turning everyone and everything pink!"
"And I swear, teachers that need to deal with you two deserve a sharp salary increase."
Kitsimura-sensei, the english teacher, stood tiredly by the classroom doorframe. She glanced around the place that had once been a well-kept classroom – now a pink, messy clutter of chairs, tables, and a cracked chalkboard. Then, she averted her gaze to the two high school students.
Aoko Nakamori and Kaito Kuroba's mop chases and silly antics have become daily occurrences in their beloved High School. They never got punished for it. Not until today, that is, because the two were exceptionally bright students. Bright students tended to know their limits. But as it turns out, even bright students may cross the line.
"Ah, sensei," Kaito said, prancing over to the teacher's side and producing a rose out of thin air. With the air of an obnoxious gentleman trying to piss off a certain Aoko Nakamori, he says, "perk up! A tired look doesn't suit such a pretty face!"
Another reason that they managed to stay unpunished for such a long period of time, however, is the measly fact that Kuroba has this tendency to swoon the female teachers but...it's not something that Ekoda High would like to admit, so forget that I ever said that.
"Kuroba-kun..." Kitsimura gasped, cheeks growing hot.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I, Kaito Kuroba, must take my leave." Then, without so much as childishly sticking his tongue out at his childhood friend, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Aoko stared at the empty space, mouth blubbering curses in her blatant indignation, while the woman beside her slowly clapped her hands.
"He's so talented, isn't he?"
In the end, Aoko had to fix the rest of the room herself.
"Nakamori-san, don't forget to close the doors before you leave, okay?"
And man was she mad. Her polite "okay" and steady footsteps did not reveal that she was seething and more than willing to shove a fish into Kaito's mouth. She marched down the street and around the blocks – strides increasing – before a thought of the kidnapping swiftly crossed her mind.
She held on to it, realizing that she still didn't know how her father was doing. And then, all of a sudden, all thoughts about Kaito was thrown off the window when the idea that her father never once spoke to her after Kid's heist struck her.
It could mean so many things. Kid escaped, and he cannot face her. Her father found leads, and was putting himself in danger. Kid decided to help him, and they were figuring things out (though Aoko highly doubted this option).
Well, whatever it was, it was serious enough to keep him from scrambling like a headless chicken in the morning, and actually leave the house with a somber look on his face.
Shoes chafting against the pavement, she made a turn that lead to her father's office, rather than to their home. She should ask him there herself if she wants to sleep well that evening. After all, who knows if he'll be up enough when he gets home to tell his little ol' Aoko about trivial matters she shouldn't even stick her nose into?
Typical!
"Oh, Aoko-san!" one of the older Task Force officers familiar enough with the system to know Nakamori's daughter greeted as she entered the office. "If you're looking for your father, he said he was going to Haido. I don't know where exactly, but he did have an awful lot of files with him."
Aoko cocked her head to the side. "Files? About what?"
"People that Kid's stolen from in the past twenty years," Nishimura – Aoko recognized him – said from across the room.
"I think that he's trying to figure out who's trying to snipe the Kid," a newbie sitting across Nishimura said.
"Why would he do that? The Interpol is already working on that, right?"
The officer to greet the young girl placed a finger under his chin. "I'd like to ask him that myself, but he's been real busy running about the office and staring at his phone all day to actually answer."
"I get the feeling that he's keeping something to him—ah! Aoko-san!"
Aoko left the office in a hurry, quick legs leading her to Haido even if she knew from the bottom of her heart that she'd have no idea where to go when she got there.
However, there was no denying the giddy beats of her heart. He's figured something out, she thought. The tranquilizer gun and my sack must've worked!
Minutes later, her shoes left a small trail of dust as she expertly skid across the pavement to make a sharp turn at a blind corner – face dropping when she saw four heads bob up and freeze at the sight of her.
"Oof!"
Next thing she knew, she was kissing pavement – a large little boy sprawled beneath her. His face was a mixture of shock and disbelief, just like the three other children who managed to dodge before the impact.
"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!" she cried, standing up to dust her pleats before gently offering a hand to the child. He didn't respond. He just stared and stared, not unlike the others. This worried Aoko. "Are you okay?"
Then, "Ran-neesan?"
Aoko turned around and found that the person who said that was a dark-haired little girl. She cautiously took a step forward, a freckled little boy following not too far behind.
Before she could open her mouth to say anything, however, the children were suddenly frantic – jumping up and down and screaming!
"Where have you been, Ran-neesan?"
"Conan-kun's been so worried!"
"Why are you wearing that?"
"Were you kidnapped?"
"Did you karate chop the bad guys?"
"Maa, Aoko, I leave you for a minute and you decide to go whopping innocent kids. What is wrong with you?"
Everyone turned to their heels – Aoko a little faster than the rest.
Kaito was standing next to the stoplight pole, his satchel (bulkier than it had been compared to this morning, for some odd reason) slung lazily across his shoulder.
Again, the children stood frozen. And before they could raise another clamor, the other little girl cleared her throat.
"He isn't Kudo-kun," she stated.
So, the kids paused. They leaned forward. They stared and narrowed their eyes. Then, they squeaked.
"It's him!" the large boy Aoko had bumped into cried, his statement earning him a confused look from the little girl.
"You know him, Kojima-kun?"
"Yeah! It's that guy we saw at the island! The one with the fake jewels and gunmen! Remember? We told you about him!"
"Oh?"
Kaito flinched, for some odd reason, before the accusations started to unfold.
"He's the one who tied up the crocodiles' mouths with rubber bands!"
"Yes! He helped us run from that angry pig!"
"Not to mention that scary trolley that had broken rails!"
"Niisan, aren't you the guy who doesn't like fish?" the dark-haired girl finished, flashing Kaito a sweet, kind-hearted smile.
Aoko's breath seemed to catch in her throat, and she turned to Kaito so fast, her head might've snapped.
"What have you been doing?"
"It wasn't me!" Kaito cried, waving his hands in front of him in a defensive manner. "It must've been a mistake! A mistake! Or you children must have some pretty wild imaginations, huh? Ahaha...ha...ha..."
"We're not lying!" the large kid – Kojima, was it? – yelped in defiance.
"I get you. The fish part is pretty fishy, after all," Aoko drawled.
"Stop saying the name of those finny critters!"
"Well then explain, Kaito. Now."
The young magician shrugged. Poker face. Poker face. "It must've been that Kudo guy," he finally said after awhile. "Geez, Aoko. I'm not the only person in this world who's ichthyophobic!"
"Ichthyo...what?" the dark-haired girl murmured.
"Ichthyophobic," the other little girl started, making Kaito freeze, though Aoko couldn't tell why. "A person who suffers from ichthyophobia, fear of fish. Now who would've thought...that you of all people would have this kind of condition?"
Aoko eyed the child in awe for a few seconds, wondering how such a little girl manage to pull off a more intimidating aura than her. Then, as if sensing the stare, the child turned to her and smiled. "I saw it on tv the other day!"
"Oh, is that so?" Well, whatever. Little girls are little girls. She glanced at Kaito, who was sweating by that time. "You know him?"
There was a tinge of amusement coloring her tone. "I might, if my suspicions are correct."
What?
"I don't know you!" Kaito suddenly spouted. "I don't know any weird, evil-eyed demon spawns!"
"Shut up, Kaito! You don't say that to little girls!"
"Well at least I don't run over little boys, white-pantied Ahoko!"
"Who said that you could look at my panties, Bakaito!"
"White-pantied Ahoko!"
"Loco monkey Bakaito!"
Their banters have escalated to its usual glory by then, complete with the confetti bursting at some point, and the resounding echo a mop slicing through air. By that time, the little girl looked extremely shocked and amused.
Then, Aoko decided to put the mop – which was conveniently placed inside a nearby house's gate – down to face the children. It was then that they realized that the three kids were absolutely floored.
"Hey, niichan! Are you a magician?" Kojima gasped.
Kaito paused for a moment, eyes darting to the 'evil-eyed demon spawn' every once in awhile. Then he replied, "Not really."
"Kaito, what is wrong with you?!" Aoko hissed, causing the boy to stiffen. Magic was his world. She didn't understand why he'd suddenly stoop himself to low pedestals when it came to the one thing that he was absolutely passionate about. "You've turned the entire school into a messed-up fiasco because of your magic! You've been gloating about it to me all your life, for goodness sake, and then suddenly, you're saying that you're not really a magician?"
The little girl raised her brows.
"This is just like the day I first realized that you were afraid of fish! Even after all the fuss that you made, you still refused to admit that you were scared!"
"How bad is his ichthyophobia?" the little girl asked.
"Very bad," Aoko smiled, tone and expression lightening up in that split second. She ignored the freaked-out yelps Kaito was making behind her and continued, "One time, when he flipped my skirt up and saw that I was wearing fish-printed panties, he started screaming like a little girl and he couldn't do anything after that!"
"Hm," she eyed him. "Gentleman, huh?"
"Aoko! You're giving her too much info!"
"Ooh, this reminds me of the time I dragged him to the aquarium back when we were young. Kaito was so adorable, crying and sniveling like a scared llama. You never told me why you pulled down the fire alarm, nee, Kaito! If only you said that you were scared, then I might've—"
"Aoko!"
She poked him teasingly on the cheek. "Aww, not so cool now, are we?"
"You have no idea," the little girl huffed beneath her breath.
Kaito grumbled a flurry of death curses which Aoko decided to ignore, before turning towards the children. That's when she realized that it was getting late, and she still hasn't asked her father about Kid.
"I'm really sorry about bumping into you," she gently smiled at Kojima, causing her childhood friend to roll his eyes.
"He'll be okay. We're sorry we said so much after you apologized, neesan," the skinny one said, bowing.
"That's okay. It was a misunderstanding."
A grim look crossed over the children's faces just before Aoko could turn to walk away. Then, deciding that it wouldn't hurt to linger just a little longer, she asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, neechan. You just look like someone who's been missing for awhile," the dark-haired little girl whispered.
Aoko's heart seemed to clench. "H-hey...has she been missing for three days? Including today?"
"Yes," the girl whom Kaito did not like said, an odd look suddenly flashing in her eyes.
Aoko swiftly glanced at Kaito and gave him a curt nod. "What's her name?"
"Ran Mouri, daughter of Kogoro Mouri. She lives at Beika, it's not hard to find," she replied, voice devoid of any emotion.
Kogoro Mouri! Aoko thought, internally gasping! He's that great detective! They took his daughter in my place!
"Thank you," she stammered, bowing at the four kids before quickly turning to her heels. The children stared curiously at her retreating back – one of them with a look of concern, not quite of a child's, coloring her face.
Kaito's footsteps padded softly behind her. "Aoko! Where the heck are you going?"
"Detective Mouri's agency!"
"But remember what the criminal said! Get the police involved, and deal's off!" He sounded desperate by then, Aoko noticed. Still, she trudged on.
"We're not getting the police involved! Mouri Kogoro is a private investigator! And besides, he deserves to know where his daughter is!"
She rammed down a staircase, Kaito easily keeping up.
"You do realize that they don't recommend investigators to work on personal matters!"
"Well then what do you want me to do? Go all the way to Osaka to pick up the Great Detective of the West? Or maybe call on the Great Detective of the East, Shinichi Kudo, was it? Well he's been missing for a long time, Kaito!"
"Aoko, what I'm saying is—"
"—that I should sit back and do nothing while my dad and Kid work on this case?" She snorted. "No way!"
Kaito suddenly stopped in his tracks, and Aoko did so too to stare back at him. Then realization hit her like a tidal wave.
"Oh, you probably didn't know," she whispered. "I heard that my dad is suddenly acting strange and...well, it's a long story. But I suspect that he managed to convince that crook to help him out."
"Really?"
"That's right! And this time, I refuse to sit still and do nothing!"