It was the Fall Festival at Kaito's Elementary school that day.

The magic table, top hat with the secret compartment, the handy-dandy box that stored all the tricks the children could ever imagine at their age... Little Kaito's booth was all prepared to go. Seats were placed neatly in rows to watch the performance, but no one was there.

Because no one was at the booth either.

Kaito was sitting behind his booth, his knee tucked against his chest as he quietly stared at the ground. His mother used all her energy to send him here to school to prepare this mini-stage for him, leaving with the teachers to their meeting room to discuss about the future and plans they had in store for Kaito afterwards.

Counselling?

Medications?

For this poor, broken-hearted child who lost his father, to something he loved?

Magic?

Kaito's dull eyes continued staring at the ground.

"There you are!"

He instantly recognized the voice that blasted near his ears. He briefly watched Aoko standing before him, looking monstrous and demanding like she always was. She was wearing an apron, with some weird black stain smudged all over it. Kaito could sniff out a faint burning smell and he instantly knew what the cause was.

"Did you lose that baking competition?"

Aoko stuck out her tongue. "The results aren't out yet."

"Soon enough."

"Why aren't you doing anything?"

"There's nothing to do."

She huffed. "Your mom had set up your booth! Come on!"

Kaito glanced away and pouted.

He wasn't sure if Aoko understood his message when she suddenly left him alone and went away. For a weird moment, he felt cold and lonely without her around him, even if he suspected that she had cooties once in a while.

All of the sudden, he heard loud flapping and a soft shriek.

He flew up from his position and went to the front of his booth, to see Aoko trying to catch a couple of doves that escaped from the secret compartment of Kaito's magic table. He quickly whipped out some snacks for the birds and eased them before sending them back to their position under the table.

After clearing up Aoko's mess, he turned to see her messing with his box of tools instead. She pulled several pink bombs and roughly threw them onto the ground, to which Kaito yell a "Stop!" but it was a second too late. The entire stage was a pink, smokey mess

"What are you doing?!" He coughed, and waved the smoke from his face.

A crowd had started to gather in front of Kaito's booth, giving a few snickers here and there and some even shouting encore. Aoko still continued her silly plan and twiddled with the magic rose, which burst into cloud of smoke after accidentally and luckily triggered the secret switch under the stem.

"If you guys want to see more, please sit down!" Aoko yelled, her face was dusted in pink and her hair was in a complete mess, yet she didn't seem bother by it.

Interestingly, the kids and some of the adults did obey her words and find their seats. Kaito stared in dismay.

"However, please wait for a few minutes as the main magician prepares the final showdown!" She added quickly.

With that, Aoko started pulling Kaito off stage and behind the booth. She picked up the top hat from his mini-backstage table and placed it on his head, to which Kaito let her grudgingly.

"I don't even want to-"

"Your magic will get rusty if you continuing like this!" Aoko snapped before she lowered her eyes innocently. "And I don't want that."

Kaito sighed and stared at his hands. Indeed, it had been a while since...

"Anyway, what do you mean by showdown?" He shook his head. "Are you going to challenge me?"

"Of course not! I'm afraid of your silly doves. You are going to show them your nice showdown!"

"You mean performance?"

Aoko stuck out her tongue. "I just copied the lines I heard on Television." Before she pushed him back on stage, she grabbed the tie that Kaito previously took it off after her mother helped him with it.

"You need this." She hung it around his neck and began tying.

"Do you even know how?"

"I've done this for my dad a million times, trust me."

And there, two eight year old kids standing behind a tall booth. One tugging onto the tie, while the other was starting to notice the pink smudges on her forehead, her deep blue eyes, looking so focused on nothing else but his neck...

"L-Let me do this myself." He pushed her hands away, but she remained firmed by pulling him closer, as a form of warning to not interfere with her job. For Kaito, all it did for him was to make his heart skip faster than any other time of his life.

As young as 8, he had trained himself enough to keep that poker face intact, though inwardly, his heart still wasn't beating at a normal pace.

"Why are you even doing this?"

"Silly Kaito." She finally finished the tie and gently pat his neck, turning him around and gave him a encouraging push. "Because you're my best-est friend."

He entered the stage with an impressive entrance that got the crowd bigger than all the other booths and stalls in the Fall Festival within seconds. When his mother saw him on stage in the middle of his show, she burst into embarrassing and happy tears that made him cringed a little. At least the constant loud applause managed to cover that moment well enough.

But he didn't do it because he wanted to confirm he was still Toichi's prodigy son, or the glory and recognition of his talent, or to show his mother that he forgave the magic that got his father killed.

Selfishly, it was for his silly best-est friend, who had been clapping till her hands looked like tomatoes during the entire time.

In certain good dreams, the older Kaito would remember this pink-dusted bubbly face and Aoko's famous black-stained apron on her body. And that was enough memory for Kaito to smile till his jaw hurts like hell.

.o.

This, was one of the rare times he had the dream again.

Kaito's slowly opened his eyes, his cheeks twitched when he noted the surrounding was too bright for him to handle. He blinked a few more times, getting more accustomed to the lights as he observed what was above his head.

White ceilings, as expected.

He smelt the faint and familiar chemicals and wrinkled his nose. Kaito twitched his toes, and tried moving the rest of his body. A sharp pain stung his abdomen, but other than that, there was nothing else wrong with his body-

A frown appeared. He couldn't move his left arm.

Kaito glanced over, eyes widening at the reason for his numbed arm. One side of Aoko's cheek was lying on it, a soft snore coming out from her mouth. He stared for a minute before he was satisfied that it was not a dream.

She's here. Still here. He closed his eyes and his head fell back onto the soft pillow. He didn't realize he was so tense that he had raised himself from the bed. Aoko was here, and it certainly meant something. He wouldn't dare to think it was forgiveness, but he hoped it was something close to that meaning.

He stared at her for a while more, until out of the blue, he felt a tingle of pins and needles running through his left arm. He would choose to ignore it and watch Aoko's sleeping form for the rest of the day, but the numbness of his arm was getting too annoying to ignore. Kaito carefully moved his fingers slowly, hoping the small movement would get rid of the feeling and wouldn't wake her up at the same time, but it failed in the end.

Aoko stirred in her position, her brows furrowed together and she yawned. Straightening her posture, she rubbed her eyes and blinked wearily before she snapped her full attention on Kaito.

"You're awake!" She exclaimed.

He managed a small smile, one that he wasn't sure if Aoko would appreciate seeing for the misery he caused. But she didn't seem to care.

"I'll call the doctors!" She sprinted to the door before he could say another word.

She came back with a doctor and nurses and they started checking up on him while Aoko waited behind his curtains. They deemed him to be on a verge of recovery and that he was just in a comatose state for two days because he was tired, and not because of anything life-threatening. Kaito wasn't sure what to reply.

After the doctor and nurses left, Aoko returned back to the small stool beside his bed and sat there in short silence.

He thought he should start the conversation.

"Thank you." Awkwardly, the two words were the only thing his dried mouth could say.

"Jii-san was the one that helped you, not me." Aoko replied softly. "I was scared out of my wits, Kaito. I thought you were dead. If Jii-san didn't arrive and get you to the hospital, I'm not sure what I would do."

"I-"

"There's something else I think I have to tell you-" Aoko bit her lips, clearly contemplating her decision and Kaito waited patiently. She finally gave in. "Jii explained to the Kaitou Kid Squad, including my father, that you and him witnessed the car collision outside the building you were hiding, that's why you got hurt."

"So that's the planned story." He looked back up at Aoko and realization dawned over him.

She had just helped to cover his identity.

He lowered his eyes to his feet. There were so many things he wished he could avoid, and this was one of them. Aoko hated lying. Having to hear the conversation between Jii and her father must have been a turmoil. Since he woke up in a normal ward and with her by his side, it was easy to guess that she had kept quiet the entire time.

This is so-

"Kuroba Kaito."

The said man blinked and stared at her in response. Aoko's face was totally hardened with determination, and it scared Kaito a little. The last time she looked like this, it was when she decided to kick a senior that was bullying Keiko when they were just freshman.

"Y-You said you-" She coughed again. "You-you lo-lo-"

Oh boy. Kaito gulped.

"Yeah, I did." He scratched the side of his cheeks and mildly glanced away. Kaito knew what Aoko was referring to, and before he even hear that word, his chest was so feeling so warm and tight, as if it could explode any second. But it was a good tingling sensation that Kaito didn't mind having.

But Kaito wasn't prepared for this scene. The script he had in mind didn't involve him sitting on the hospital bed and a wound in the stomach. It was supposed to be, perhaps, under the clock tower, with a rose- no, a bouquet of roses, and maybe a puppy. Yes, a puppy would help to lessen the awkwardness. Then he would tell her about Pandora, about everything and then he would confess-

He sighed inwardly. That was definitely not his main idea either. He was so busy with the planning of the last heist that he never really consider about how he would explain and confess. He thought of giving himself a short break in between and think of something fanciful before finding Aoko. Not right now.

And God, of all places, I just had to confess in that pile of shit and mud. Kaito grimaced as he recalled the smell. He remembered a short (teasing) conversation between Hattori and the brat about the latter's confession in London. What a move.

Life's just got to be unfair.

She shyly rubbed her thumbs against each other and cleared her throat after the long silence. "You said it was fr-from a long time ago. When was that?"

He cracked a smile. "It sucks when you have such a good memory."

Aoko scoffed, something Kaito was more familiar to hear her do. "Same goes to you."

He could recite his mother love story all over again if he bothered to. And from what he knew, her mother fell in love with his father when they both kissed, while falling off the Eiffel tower. (He was suddenly reminded of his terrible luck and the gross shithole he was in when he confessed again)

"Yes yes, I've understood that your heart was about to burst out of your chest, even though you tried to act all cool like the Phantom Lady you are." Kaito drawled.

"You clearly don't understand." His mother scorned into the webcam. "For a person who is still a virgin."

He slammed his computer shut the next second.

So when did he fell in love? Perhaps it all began from that tiny attraction he had when he noticed the lonely girl under the clock tower. His heart didn't exactly burst out of his chest at any sudden point of time when he was being all close to Aoko, saved for the those incidents when he hurt her and how it hurt him back. It was something small, just that specific moment when his heart thumped a little harder and faster because of something that didn't involve magic.

And sure as hell it had been a long time ago, that dream, that very day when Aoko pulled him a tad bit closer to her face, just to tie his tie on the Fall Festival ten years ago.

"It-It-" Now he was getting tongue tied. Kaito wasn't sure if he should exactly admit this moment that happened so, so long ago...

The door to his room suddenly swung open.

Their blue eyes moved to the entrance, and came stomping into his ward was none other than the Inspector that had been chasing Kaitou Kid for all his life.

"Dad!" Aoko groaned.

"What? Did I interrupt something important?"

Aoko face palmed as Kaito afforded a soft chuckle.

Lucky timing.

"It's nothing important." She muttered.

Oh hell, Kaito knew this was definitely important to Aoko. He would save it for later, or next time, or maybe never. He already promised himself he had a lot of explanation to do to Aoko, about Pandora and the lies and hurt he created. But regarding this issue, Kaito was awkwardly... embarrassed to talk about it.

"I've heard from the doctors that you've woken up so I've came down. Your guardian, Jii had finished his witness testimony long ago, regarding the car accident outside the construction building, but he said he had lost his glasses and couldn't see a thing at that point of time." Inspector Nakamori sighed heavily. "Your statement is important for us."

His daughter crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "As you said Dad, Kaito just woke up."

"It's alright, I'm fine to do the statement. The doctor did say it beforehand." Kaito informed.

Aoko gave a quick glance at him and stood up from her seat. "Then I'll be going first." Her tone didn't sound angry, or disappointed and it made Kaito wonder why. He was hoping she would sound at least irritated. All he could do was to make a guess that she wished to avoid everything and her feelings about the lies he was going to come up with now.

"Actually-"

She quickened her steps.

"Aoko."

She halted and turned a little. Inspector Nakamori raised an eyebrow.

He took a deep breath.

"Actually," Kaito moved his gaze away from Aoko and then onto her farther. "Actually, I'm Kai-"

"Kaito!" Aoko suddenly exclaimed. "Kuroba Kaito of course!"

There was a silence.

Aoko returned back to Kaito's bed side. "He's Kuroba Kaito!" She yelled again.

"What the hell is going on with you two?" Inspector Nakamori frowned. "Of course I know he's Kuroba Kaito."

"I'm just reminding this idiot, in case he forgets."

Their eyes met for a brief second before Aoko turned away and left the room.

When the door closed behind her, Inspector Nakamori took his seat and flipped through his notebook. "Pardon my daughter, she's cranky when she doesn't get enough sleep." He paused. "She had been by your bedside since you admitted into the hospital."

"I would have known." Kaito gave a weary smile.

"Anyway, one of the cars involved in the accident belonged to a dangerous organization. But because Kaitou Kid was implicated as well, I'm required to take down your statement."

His ears perked up. "The dangerous organization-?"

"All the criminals are handed over to a much higher department of the police force, nothing a squad for catching Kaitou Kid could do. By the way, they'll be coming down to take your statement later, regarding the main accident." Inspector Nakmori muttered. "And I can bring you the newspaper about the latest news of the organization, if you're interested."

"I see." Kaito heaved a sigh that he couldn't hide. He expected this turnout, but it felt better to hear and confirm it. "And about the newspaper, that would be good."

"Back to business, on the night of the accident, what had you witnessed? Take your time to recall the details. How did Kaitou Kid escaped? Where did he go?"

Kaito bit his lips and fist his hands under the sheets. He closed his eyes, pretending to be recollecting the incident when he was contemplating what to say. Of course Kaito wasn't interested in being in jail, but that moment when he watched Aoko leave, he thought he shouldn't lie anymore. Not in front of her, or behind her back. And especially towards her father too, who had been chasing foolishly for Kaitou Kid when the thief was just living in the same street as him.

"He's Kuroba Kaito!"

But her words were telling him otherwise. The Kuroba Kaito he was now, Aoko wouldn't want him to change, or to be known as the person she hated, even if she had to pretend and forget what she knew...

Now is not the time.

"I saw Kaito Kid escaped just in time before the collision. He skidded away from the main road and..."

.o.

It had been three days since the downfall of the Black Organization and three days since he was Edogawa Conan. This was the first time the antidote lasted for so long, yet Shinichi was wasting his time in Professor Agasa's empty house when he could be by Ran's side, be in his own school, leading the ever normal life that was supposed to be his. But he was afraid once he stepped out of the house, he would revert back to Conan, and all this hope would end up becoming a disappointment.

That, was what he originally thought.

When Haibara returned back home from the little getaway with Professor Agasa, which Conan specially planned to get them out of the entire plotted plan, he was finally told the truth.

"What did you do to the antidote?" Shinichi mumbled. He would have acted more nicely, if he hadn't waiting for two days for their return, just to receive an answer for this question.

"Hmm?" Her eyes were stuck on the TV screen once she entered through the front door. Professor Agasa was too busy unloading the souvenirs and goodies from the trunk of his car.

"I'm still Kudo Shinichi."

Haibara looked at him. "Of course. I've given you the final cure."

"What?"

"I didn't borrow the Pandora from Kaitou Kid for fun." Haibara drawled. "I've finished the prototype way before the showdown. I wouldn't want to admit this, but I was quite confident with the plan to bring down the Organization..."

"So you've decided it's time to give me the final antidote."

"..."

"You're not lying right? In the next minute, I'm not going to turn back to Conan, right?"

Haibara sighed. "If you don't wish to believe me, suit yourself."

"Then why... You didn't eat the antidote?"

"I'm not intending to return back to my old body, for now." There was a short pause. "There's nothing for Sherry to return to."

Shinichi didn't know what to say.

"Well, now you've got your answer, you should hurry and do what you need to do." She returned her attention on the television. "You've wasted enough time, I assumed that was what you're thinking the entire time."

"Just another hour wouldn't make a difference." Shinichi casually rested his legs on the table, making himself comfortable on the couch. "Let me sit here and you can pretend I'm Conan and reminisce about the old days for the last time."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"In case you misses me."

"Disgusting."

Shinichi sat upright and frowned at himself. "I think I've spent too much unhealthy time with that thief."

Pushing back the memory, he picked up the newspaper that was placed beside him on the lonely bench.

"Biggest Raid against Largest Criminal Organization since decades!"

Wanting to pass time, he briefly scanned through the paragraphs, even though he clearly knew what was written inside the news. Illegally manufacturing of un-known drugs, illegal drug trafficking, illegal weapons, records of illegal human tests subjects... the word illegal had been used nearly a dozen of times, and it was clear to Shinichi that today's newspaper was not enough to cover the entire case of the Black Organization. This might even last more than a week.

After tons and tons of research, the three detectives and one lonesome thief managed to locate each Black Organization's warehouse and its individual purposes. There were all kinds of illegal activities, you named it, and the Organization had done it. The biggest shit they had done were the different types of drugs they were trying to create and sell to the black market, and even to a handful of powerful people that belonged in the government sector.

Immortality.

It was all thanks to Hattori and Hakuba's father and their connections with the prefectures of Japan, things became easier to handle. With Kuroba and himself being the main star in the city area, Hattori and Hakuba took the chance and sent the needed back up to the warehouses that were located in desolated area. With the dangerous and troublesome people being distracted by Kaitou Kid, it was easier for the other two detective to make the raid turn out to be a successful one.

Everything had went well so peacefully without a hitch, like it was too good to be true. The Black Organization was taken down, Conan turning back to Shinichi and finally being able to get back his life he longed for everyday... It was like he had just woken up from a dream, but at the same time, he felt like he wasn't ready to leave everything behind so abruptly. The Detective Boys, the small yet earnest relationship he had with everyone as Edogawa Conan. Those were things he could never have as Kudo Shinichi, and he would miss it a lot. Truthfully.

Then again, there were many things he couldn't have as Edogawa Conan. Definitely a long list... such as-

"Shinichi."

The said man looked up from his newspaper and stared at the figure approaching him. Right there, was the first thing on the list that Kudo Shinichi missed the most as Edogawa Conan.

Ran.

He stood up from his position and set the newspaper aside. They began walking towards each other and their pace gradually grew faster and faster and-

"I missed you." Shinichi whispered into Ran's ears once they wrapped their arms around each other.

"I missed you too." He heard her speak hoarsely into the crook of his neck.

They stayed in that position for a while, and for how long, Shinichi wasn't sure. When they mutually broke the hug, Shinichi solemnly fished out Edogawa Conan's spectacles from his pocket and began fiddling it with his hands.

"That's-" Ran widened her eyes.

"Yeah. It belonged to Conan."

"Did...Did something happen to him?" Ran cupped her mouth.

Shinichi pulled her to the bench to sit. Making themselves comfortable, he intertwined his hand with hers and set the glasses on top of the newspaper.

"There's a long, long story I want and need to tell you." He squeezed her hand. "I hope you'll hear me out."

.o.

"Here's two hot chocolate."

"Thank you." Aoko chimed, while Hakuba, who sat opposite of her nodded in acknowledgement of his drink being served to him. They wanted to continue the conversation, but their eyes moved to the waitress as she was still standing by their table without moving away.

"Is there something wrong?" Aoko inclined her head.

Narumi, the waitress that had been mostly serving Aoko whenever she visited moved towards her ears and spoke in a harsh whisper. "Did you break up with your magician boyfriend and found a new one?"

"What nonsense-" Aoko exclaimed into Narumi's face, while the latter stepped back in shock. "Hakuba is just a friend, nothing else. A-And no, Bakaito is not my boyfriend, I thought we've talked about this a thousand times over."

"So he's single?" Narumi gestured her head over Hakuba and gave a wink over at the blonde. Aoko sighed while Saguru politely smiled back like the gentleman he always was. Aoko quickly shooed the waitress away before more damage could be done.

"Excuse that terrible moment."

"It seemed you and Kuroba-kun hung out a lot."

She gave an awkward laugh and sipped onto her drink just to prolong the silence. "You can say so. But not so much now."

"Even after his night-time hobby?"

Aoko blinked.

Hakuba raised an eyebrow. "Kuroba-kun told me that you knew."

"Yeah, I do." She wrapped her hands around the warm glass. "Though I tried to pretend I don't."

It was hard to imagine the charismatic man that rested his wings on her balcony, saved her from dangers and being so delicate and sensitive to her feelings... to be Kuroba Kaito she known for her entire life. The more she tried to think, the more confused she got every time. The two were complete opposite, saved for the love for magic. It had been so long since she discovered the truth, yet this weird, puzzling feeling about the whole matter wouldn't go away.

"I bet you're confused about his other identity, or something along that line."

She wearily smiled. "Is my face that readable?"

His lip tugged into a smile. "It's obvious you cared a lot for him. If you're not confused, that would be a problem."

Aoko wondered if it was just Hakuba's detective skills or was it just a natural thing people would comment over two best friends. Even though it was the truth.

"...What would Kaito's sentencebe if he was found guilty for whatever he did?"

"Sad to say, I'm not an expertise in that field. It depends on how his lawyer would justify his actions for him. It could range from a few years to twenty, in fact."

"But what he did was for the good, right? Whatever the organization you guys have taken down, it should be great enough to offset his crimes."

Hakuba gave a weak smile. "The law doesn't work this way."

She slumped back onto her seat and muttered. "He's such a jerk. A troublesome jerk who I have to worry again and again."

"I'm feeling rather pathetic to say this, but if it could give you the slightest comfort... He already decided to retire. If he kept to his promise, it would give no chance for Kaitou Kid squad to ever catch him. Up till now, he left no clues or traces that lead the police to suspect it was him." Hakuba quickly raised a hand. "Of course, I've already decided to close an eye, for the sake of the reasons behind his acts."

Aoko gave a wry smile. "Leaving no traces, huh? For tricking me for so long, he's either one lucky smart ass or I'm just a blind idiot."

"You're smart." Hakuba interjected. "Dangerously smart, as quoted by Kuroba-kun."

"Dangerous because I always hit his head with a mop?"

He chortled. "It would be nice if that's the only case." Hakuba's face suddenly fell lax. "When he was absent from school, he asked me to look out for you. Turns out I was a step behind him, despite his lack of presence around you. He mentioned you were doing research."

"Because he's a creep who drops by people's balcony without permission."

"Ah."

"I just wanted to find answers myself, since he refused to give it to me."

"He wants to tell you someday."

"I don't have a lot of patience."

"So have he told you everything?"

"He asked me out tomorrow."

Hakuba blinked.

"I-I mean, for him to explain. He's busy for the past week, with his recovery and matters regarding his other identity."

It wasn't like she really needed a fully detailed story. To be honest, she was more concern about that confession than anything else. Her own research had brought some light to certain questions that she needed to know; About Kaitou Kid, about Kuroba Toichi. And with so many news article about the criminal organization that Kaito and the rest brought down, things were becoming clear on its own.

Nonetheless, whatever Kaito was going to tell her, Aoko felt that she would automatically understand.

She just needed a simple reason.

"That's good to hear. Finally, he's doing what he should do. I think I've said it before; he cares a lot about you too."

Aoko narrowed her eyes. "Now that I think about it, did he send you to me to tell me that?"

"Of course not. I have better things to do than to even see or listen to him after our collaboration. I have enough of those weeks staying up at night with him and looking over documents and computers." Hakuba shivered at the memory. "I just thought you should know. In case you think otherwise."

She blinked and scratched the back of her neck sheepishly. She always thought otherwise, till the day Kaito finally confessed to her after so long. This matter hadn't been told to anyone yet, and recently, she was worried if that moment was all just a dream or a fantasy she came up with. Aoko nervously glanced at Hakuba, wondering if she should speak up but she sealed her lips.

It's embarrassing. She retorted in her mind.

At that moment, it suddenly hit her that until now, she didn't reply, or directly confess her feelings for him at all.

Aoko frowned to herself. Was her actions so obvious to Kaito, making him confident that he didn't have to hear it? This thought infuriated her for some reason.

"Are you alright?"

She blinked, and was snapped back to reality. She awkwardly drank her hot chocolate to soothe her nerves. "Yeah." Her lips twitched.

Hakuba quirked an eyebrows, clearly unconvinced.

"Then tomorrow; what are you going to do?"

Her eyes moved to the windows and stared out onto the busy street.

"Forgive him." Aoko sighed, as a form of relief that those words came out of her mouth more naturally and easier than she thought. "What else can I do anyway?"

It had bEEN SO LONG I'M SORRY. No excuses this time, but here is the second final chapter. Thank you for enduring the long wait, hopefully there is someone out there that is still attached to this story OPPS.
Last chapter/epilogue will be coming as soon as possible!
Reviews are always dearly appreciated hehe.