Hi again, thanks for the follow/fav/review especially last chaper's reviewer:
Spade-san (guest) :
Here'll you know just who the intruder is xD And unfortunately this chapter end in another (semi) cliffhanger, but I'll try to update on time so I won't leave you that hanged ^^
And I haven't reread this one cause I've been such in a hurry, so I apologize for mistakes beforehand and please tell me so I can fix it.
And so, without further ado, here's next chapter~
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Words count:2634
Rate: T, possible to change as the story develops.
Warning: typo(s), grammar error(s), possibly OOC; alternate timeline; chara(s) death; possible BL/shonen-ai
Summary: His eyes widen. Like a dream come true, the person he misses and wishes to see is before him. The one he wishes to keep smiling, or yelling at him like always. But… What happened? Is it his ears that played on him? Or is it his eyes betraying him?
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Disclaimer :
Detective Conan and Magic Kaito fully belong to Aoyama Gosho
This story belong to reiei
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Now, let the story begins…
o.O.O.o.o.O.O.o
Chapter 4
- 4th Crack-
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Drenched and felt cold, Shinichi tries to reach the keys in his pocket with trembling hands as fast as he can. But when he is about to unlock the door, he feels something is wrong. He glances at Kuroba, apparently the ex-thief find it strange too. He's sure he already locks the door before, but now it's unlocked. That means there's somebody inside. The question is, who?
Once again they face each other, giving silent agreement. They sneak inside, being as quiet as possible. Light in the living and the dining room that had been turned on only further their suspicion. But, so far, nothing seems out of place. Things stay the way they were left before, so are the valuable books that placed on the shelf surrounding the place. Didn't the intruder come here to steal? Or maybe he is just uninterested in this room?
Shinichi frowns. They go deeper inside, searching for the intruder. Kaito follows a step behind, no less alert than the detective. He throws his gaze around, tries to spot anything out of place. Even if he's no detective, he's still an ex-phantom thief, and he knows what thieves do when they sneak around. Maybe he stayed there only for some mere days, but he's familiar enough with the house – or at least he remembers what was where – and he hasn't seen anything strange so far.
When they go forward yet again, they've finally found – or heard – something suspicious; a footstep. Somebody's stepping down the stair. Both young man tensed right away, ready to ambush the intruder anytime, or so they've thought, until they hear the intruder's 'voice'.
"Are? Did somebody come in? Aaah, don't tell me Shin-chan's already come home?" female voice is hear followed by faster footsteps. She popped up from behind the wall that separate the stair and the hallway where they're standing, the blond hair stand out through the dim room where the only lighting is a floor lamp beside the stair.
"Mo-Mom?!"
"Shin-chan okaeri!" and with that the blond female, that is none other than Shinichi's Mom, jumps into his son with a crushing hug that almost make both young man fall down. Almost. Because Shinichi was be able to balance himself, barely. And Kaito can only sweatdrop.
"I can't breathe, Mom!" Shinichi grumble, but the youthful ex-actress ignored his son's pleading. She just hugs him tightly, sometimes saying how she misses him and how he has grown up so fast while she's away.
Kaito can only smile bitterly. No matter what parents affection is something he can no longer have.
"Okaeri, Shinichi," a man just come out of the kitchen.
"Dad, you're home too?"
"Yeah, it's been a long time since my last time in Japan anyway, I think this is a good change of pace. We're here to meet Kaito-kun as well," the world mystery novelist throw a warm smile at Kaito.
He gladly answers it with another bright smile. It feels like it's been forever since he saw true smile thrown at him, not to mention that kind, warm, parent-like smile. For a moment he feels a tad jealousy toward Shinichi.
"Kuroba Kaito desu. Nice to meet you and pleased to be your acquaintance." He said with a bow, "I'm sorry to trouble you and Shinichi-kun. I'm so thankful of your help, thanks for giving me a place to live even though I'm a mere stranger…"
What he was saying is not just some kind of compliment, that's truly how he feels. He's grateful for Shinichi's sudden invitation, saying that it was his mother who keeps persuading him, and for Kudo-san too for accepting him to live with his son. Even though they know he was a criminal, but they welcomed him, when he doesn't have a family or home to go back.
"Don't say it like that, Kai-chan," scolds Yukiko, hand in hips, "This is the only thing we can do for Toichi-sensei's family."
Her motherly smile reminds him of his own mother, a smile tucked in his lips.
"Thank you, Kudo-san."
"There're 3 Kudos here, you know, Kaito-kun," Yusaku said, all tease.
"A-Ah, right – I'm sorry," Kaito said right away, realizing his mistake. "Now I don't know how to call you guys…"
"Then just call me Onee-chan, Kai-chan!" Yukiko answers, beaming brightly.
"Mom still acts out of her age," Shinichi mumble quietly. Well, not quiet enough, seeing Yukiko glare at him.
"What did you just said, Shin-chan?" Yukiko smiles at his son, giving out murderous aura while at it.
"Geh – N- No, it's nothing, maybe you misheard something?"
Yusaku just laugh it out, like it was perfectly normal for them. Kaito is also smiling, inevitably drowning in the overflowing family warmth they produce.
"Maa maa, just call us Yusaku and Yukiko if you want, Kaito-kun," Yusaku finally decided to intercede, "And no need to be shy, please make yourself at home."
He nods his head, "Aa, once again, Thank you so much, Yusaku-san, Yukiko-san."
"There's really no need for you to thank us, Kai-chan~ By the way, where were you two? Coming home all drenched." Yukiko, that seems have just realized their dripping wet clothes, frown.
"Do you just realized that now, Mom? Even though you've been hugging me while I'm still wet?" Shinichi grumbles.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I've been asking Shinichi to accompany me to pilgrimage," Kaito confess while glances apology at Shinichi.
"Aaah, is that so…," Yukiko nod away, seems to understand it enough with no further explanation needed. "Then hurry up and take a bath, before you guys catch a cold."
And without wasting anymore minutes, Yukiko drag them away to the bathroom, ignoring her son and Kaito's protest in the process.
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When the two finished take turns in baths and changed clothes – where Kaito borrow Shinichi's yet again due to lack of clothing – the four of them then gather in the dining room, savor dinner that have been prepared by Yukiko.
"How long will you stay this time, Dad, Mom?" Shinichi asks before spooning a mouthful of karage into his mouth.
"We'll stay here only for a week, and then we'll fly to France," Yusaku explains.
"France?" Shinichi raise an eyebrow, "How unusual. What gives?"
"Yusaku is invited to one of novelist award there," Yukiko answer cheerfully, "And it's been a long time since last time we visit Eiffel anyway~"
"Oh," was only Shinichi's brief responds, while Yukiko still blabbing away.
"That's why we're sorry we can't accompany you longer Kai-chan," Yukiko throw guilty gaze at his teacher's son.
"Ah, it's okay, Yukiko-san. I'm used to it. My Mom used to travel all the time too back then," said Kaito with a smile, hinting not to be bothered by it too much, even if he fail to hide his sadness at talking about his mom.
"Ah, Chikage indeed loves to travel around, isn't she?" Yukiko said with a broad smile in her face, reminiscing of her once-best friend.
"Yukiko-san knows my mom?" ask Kaito with a hint of surprise. He remembers that the ex-actress was one of his father disciples, but he didn't know that Shinichi's mother were friends with his mom too.
Yukiko merrily nod, "Of course. When I was still learning from Toichi-sensei back then, we're chatting now and then. Even after that we're still exchanging emails," she explains, "We too have met before aren't we, Kai-chan?"
"Eh? Really? I-I'm sorry I don't quite remember," Kaito said sheepishly.
"Well, it's to be expected remembering how small you were, Kai-chan," Yukiko smiles away even though there's disappointment clearly there. So she hurriedly changed the topic of their talk.
"How about you Dear? You often meet with Toichi-sensei, aren't you?"
"Hm? I guess so…"
"Ne, Kai-chan, maybe the one who give him the name Kaitou KID was Yusaku, you know!" Yukiko said cheerily with broad smile. "It was because Yusaku misread the code 1412 into 'KID', and then the media started to call him the Kaitou KID, hahaha."
Kaito successfully gives a long 'oooooh'. He didn't know that even after owning the name of Kaitou KID all this time.
"Ah, but too bad Shin-chan have never has the chance to meet Chikage nor Toichi-sensei before…"
"I've met him once before, the first Kaitou KID I mean," he says with a shrug.
And that successfully perked up Yukiko and Kaito's curiosity.
"I've met him when I was only a grade-schooler…," and Shinichi tell them his little adventure with Ran, of course without 'unimportant' embarrassing details. Once in a while he glances at his father, who seems to grasp big picture of the story right from the start. And he feels dumb yet again about how he misinterpret the last hint. But, hey, he was a grade schooler.
"But it's interesting isn't it? How Yusaku was the former KID's rival that was Toichi-sensei, and Shin-chan is the current KID's rival which is Kai-chan. Maybe it's because 'fruit fall not far from the tree'? Or maybe you two are soulmate?" Yukiko laugh, the other simply smiles knowing their simple-yet-complicated relationship.
Then the four of them spend the night chatting and exchanging stories, reminiscing their past and catching up to past events where they were busy with each troubles in their own places.
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One week passes by so quickly. Shinichi goes to work like always, leave in the morning and come home at night. He's lucky there's nothing big happening that week so he won't have to work overtime. In the afternoon, Yusaku visits his old friends, God know how long since they last meet each other. While Yukiko decided to stay at home with Kaito, chit chatting each other with range of topic that changes every hour. The blond haired woman even shares her collection of photos of Toichi and Chikage with Kaito, who accept it gratefully knowing he doesn't have even a single photo of them because of the fire.
When the night falls, the four of the will gather in the dining room, spending time to chat while enjoying delicious food served by Yukiko. In those quality time Kaito can't help but long for his own family. His father, mother, Jii… all of his closest peoples that have left him years ago. And that's when he'll wear his most cheerful smile and trying his hardest to push back the overflowing tears that threaten to spill out.
When Yusaku and Yukiko took their leave, maybe the one who felt most lonely was Kaito, but he refuses it to shown. Even if they're so kind to him, they're not his family. They're Shinichi's family. Or that's how he tried to convince himself. So keep quiet and walk on his days as normal as he can.
And before he knows it, it's Monday. That day he decided to go out, familiarize himself with his surrounding and do some shopping – with Yukiko's 'allowance', and he remind himself to go get a job soon and return it – for some clothes or something because he'd been borrowing Shinichi's all this time.
He enters one shop after another, interacting with various people on the way. Gradually he feels more like himself, with all the charming sweet talks and ever reliable poker-face on. However, he still feels a gaping hole. Maybe he can accept the death of his mother and Jii, but he can get a certain girl over his head. That noisy girl who usually stay by his side all the time. His childhood friend that happen to be his first love as well.
If only he prevent her from going into his house at that time, then she'll–
And his eyes widen. As if his imagination take a shape in reality, in front of him stood the one who's he been missed, the one who he hopes still be able to smile and yell at him like always.
When she's about to turn around and leave, without thinking whether it's only a sick game of fate or God really granted his one hope, he hurried and go to her side.
"Aoko!" Kaito shouts while raise an arm, attempting to grab her hand before she leave, gone from his side.
She stares at him with shock in her eyes, then she frown, hinting that she feel troubled with what he do. "I'm sorry, how do you know my name? Do I know you?"
A second. Two seconds. Kaito still froze, just stare back at her with dazed eyes. He's left speechless. His brain short-circuited.
Is it his ears that played on him? Or is it his eyes betraying him? No, he's sure that this face and voice is indeed belong to the girl she missed. But that words and confused gaze that speak as if she didn't know him…
"Kuroba–," he hear someone calling his name, but not from the woman in front of him.
He forced his gaze to follow the source of overly familiar voice. That's when he realizes there's someone who had been standing behind Aoko, a manly blond-haired man that seems out of some classic fairy tale.
"Hakuba…," he choked, he don't think he'll meet one more familiar face and not even in his wildest dream he'll found the two of them together. And apparently Hakuba also didn't think that he'll meet Kaito here.
"Oh, is he your friend, Saguru-kun?" her question just answered by tense silence between both young man in front of him.
When Kaito can only stood there in shock, in the corner of his eyes he can see how their fingers entwined each other, then it all become clear to him.
"Oh…," he murmured. That exact moment he hands off Aoko's hand and force a smile to his face. A smile that fails to hide his bleeding heart.
He turns around, attempts to go away from there, leaving them. Before Hakuba place a grip on him.
"Kuroba, wait, I can explain–"
"No need to," he cut him off, "I hope you two are happy now."
Kaito tries to say it sincerely but it still heard as sarcasm even in his ears.
"Oi, Kuroba, don't you want to know what was happened?!" Hakuba tighten his grip on him, but Kaito break it off harshly. Hakuba stare at him, disappointed. But then, he can understand the way Kaito react, "Meet me here when you've changed your mind," said Hakuba gently as he slip in a name card into Kaito's jacket.
But Kaito just play off coldly. Without saying any other word, he steps away from there, while hoping that all of this was just a mere nightmare.
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To Be Continued
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Another cliffhanger, I know, bear it with me till next Saturday XD
Matta ne~