Disclaimer: I do not claim to own DCMK. I do claim to having bad sleeping habits, though.

Italic Passages - Memories.

Saturday.

Shinichi quietly watched the television, barely taking any of it in. Since the gemstone had been found - undoutably on Hakuba's deductions - in her uncle's possession, Sonoko got a plethora of interviews. Each was as mindless as the next, but she somehow seemed to enjoy it.

"So, Sonoko-chan, you're a big KID fan, am I right?" each one of them began.

(If only that reporter were the one to deal with her pulling them to a remote location at every ungodly hour. Then they could, presumably, be sure.)

"I'm his number one fan!"

"And what do you have to say about his recent resurgence? Any theories?"

"I'm wonderful! I'd love to see KID-sama again! I love you, KID-sama! As for theories, I think that he just couldn't stay away from us..."

Shinichi felt somewhat choked and overwhelmed that he got chosen out of half of Japan. Scratch that, nearly all of Japan. He felt insignificant and insecure... seriously, why Kaito worried over the girls at high school, the detective would never know.

He woke up earlier that day remembering that he finally figured out his sentiments. Love. Of course. Now that he thought again, it was obvious. It seemed almost somewhat inevitable that it would be either this, friendship, or brotherhood. The last two, he was pretty sure, did not involve a fluttering heart, possessiveness, and whatever else he felt.

It seemed kind of wrong to blame someone else for his dense head, but these emotions didn't really describe any kind of love he ever heard of before.

Ran and Sonoko's teen novels described something else, more full of rushing blood, rushing envy, rushing past them and almost going catatonic in conversations. That wasn't this.

His parents' love was more similar, although it was more like dancing in circles together, more mature. That wasn't this.

Hattori and Kazuha were hot-tempered but bashful. That wasn't this. All the criminals, who had committed murder and immoral deeds under its flag were obsessive, self-destructive, and wrathful. That wasn't this.

In bedtime fairy tales, it was frivolous and maddening. That wasn't this.

Then, he got a call. For one, breath-taking second, he thought it was Kaito.

"Hello?"

"Good to hear from you, Kudo-san," a cool, polite voice says on the other end. It's Hakuba.

Trying not to sound too disappointed, Shinichi replies, "And from you. Did you get it already?"

"Tomorrow, at dusk to twilight, he'll try to steal the Prince's Surprise from Cloud Tower. And you?"

"That just about sums it up. Do you mind telling the KID Force I'll be there?"

"No problem, so long as you're actually going to h-e-l-p. There was also a strange bit hidden inside the riddle you know. I'll be it was a summons from Kaito. He's KID, you found out, so that's why the two of you aren't seeing each other. Am I right?"

Shinichi doesn't get a chance to reply before Hakuba laughs and moves on.

"Of course, you've fallen in love with him Of course, it's sentiment that becomes the fly in the ointment. You would know this too from our dear idol Sherlock Holmes, wouldn't you? But Kaito is a criminal, above all else. He's a celebrity thief, but no more and no less than any other."

It's too late, Shinichi thinks, too late for that. He's already decided.

"Honestly Hakuba, you're really going to take that route again? After being disproven time after time? I do believe that you've handcuffed yourself to Kaito once during a KID heist."

A scoff is heard from across the line, then, "How disappointing. Heisei Holmes doesn't even want justice like everybody seems to think. You're not that much different from me, in that case."

While he was pondering this over, Kaito's childhood friend, Nakamouri Aoko, burst into his bedroom with a great slam! of the doors, nearby wall cracking under the force.

"KUDO SHINICHI!" she yelled, an ever-thickening miasma of demonic rage gathering around her.

She looked like Ran's reincarnation lost in time. Needless to say, Shinichi was most definitely not afraid for this life (cough, cough).

A growl bubbled up from her throat as she continued in even darker tones, "You bastard! I'll show you for playing around!"

A mop seemingly just appeared from thin air and the girl raised it. Well, that solved the issue of how Kaito learned acrobatics, at any rate.

Then she sighed, "I want this disagreement resolved within a week. If not, well... you'll know what'll happen..."

The detective nodded.

And roses glowed again, faintly but still there.

Sorry this is late! I hope you all liked this. I can't wait to write the heist! Reviews are always warmly welcomed!

Hakuba is being a bit more horrible than in strict canon, but it gets his point across that he thinks KID is just a criminal and that he investigates for pleasure.

The whole reincarnation thing is from Buddism's influence in Japan (I hope I didn't get it too wrong), the idea of being reincarnated after your death based on how your life played out. Do good things and become a human, do bad things and you'll be a lowly animal.

And I just realized. Feburary has 28 days, not 30. Goodness, I feel so obtuse.