Aoko didn't have the extensive magician 'training' Kaito did, nor had she spent most of her free time polishing the acrobatic reflexes needed of a phantom thief. It was ironic really; her friend really did have all the making necessary for a Kaitou Kid. But, she was a quick learning, and way by no means possible weak - seriously, it took real strength to dent concrete with a mop. It was disheartening to see her childhood friend's face fall whenever she had to tell him "I have some errands to run, sorry" as an excuse to run off to Jii-san for training. Her father… well, after the 'return' of Kaitou Kid, he wasn't at home as often. And if he noticed a change in her demeanor, he never mentioned it.
One of the hardest thing to do, she found out quickly, was not block any of Kaito's pranks. After a week and a half of phantom thief training, she had the skills needed to turn the dye bombs and such away from her, if not turn them back on their sender. But that would be a dead giveaway of her secret. Kaito was many things, but unobservative was not on that list. It was still embarrassing to have to sit back and let him announce to the world what color her panties were on any given day, but she'd managed to bribe a new option from Chikage-san; Kaito's weakness.
She'd walked with Kaito to school like any normal day, and the walk had been as uneventful as it normally was. She'd even managed to make it to her seat without her friend pulling something. She school her face into a mask of innocent cheerfulness (Jii had told her that her poker face was one of the best). As she was hunting through her school bag for her first period notebook and textbook, a breeze tickled her legs as her skirt fluttered against her thighs. Inside, a grin befitting Kaito split her face.
Her friend let lose a high shriek of terror as he reeled back from her desk. She let the grin she'd been holding back adorn her face as Kaito stared at her, pale and shaking. All eyes fell on them. Kaito, the class prankster was always calm and composed, nothing ever ruffled his feathers. Until now. No one else had any idea what she could have done to terrify the magician so thuroly
"I see you've stumbled upon your surprise." She said with mock sweetness. She watched with delight as he grimaced as her sugary tone.
"A-a-a-aoko, w-w-why d-d-d-d-do y-you h-have t-those t-t-t-t-t-things on –y-you?" He stuttered.
"Oh? You like them? I got them yesterday, along a pack of them really, after I had a talk with Chikage-san."
She watched as her friend blanched in horror. Oh how sweet revenge tasted at that moment. She took a step towards him, and then another, purposely hiking up her skirt's hem ever so slightly with her thigh. Kaito bolted to his feet as her mop of choice materialized in her hand. Today was going to be a good day for her. Her fellow classmates were still watching the show in confusion, as Kaito made sure not to flip up her shirt in any way, and in fact was doing the complete opposite. Whenever she did anything that would have normally flashed, Kaito pulled a trick or two to hide her undergarments from view.
After that fateful night a week and a half ago, her resolve hadn't wavered even once. Even if her choice to become the next Kaitou Kid made her sense of justice sting, she wouldn't have it any other way. Jii had decided the next heist would be three weeks from then, the most time she could have to train that wouldn't arouse suspicion from the killers or the police. Because she already had an 'athletic' background (i.e. chasing Kaito) and decent flexibility, she'd had an easier time than most catching onto the tricks and reflexes a phantom thief needed. The magician and thief aspects were harder. Her sleight of hand was still at an amateur level, and mimicking voices, male voices specifically, was a trial and a half. It also still took her close to a full minute to get out of a disguise, even when the Kid suit was underneath.
Jii had consoled her, saying that it was amazing that she'd made it this far in only a week and a half, and thy by the due date she'd have most of her bases covered. The man's praise did lifter her heavy spirits, but didn't completely sooth her worry. She was still unsure if she'd be able to face her father like this. Even when she took the advice to thinking not like Aoko, but as Kaito Kid, her hands still tremored a little the prospect of standing before her father on the opposite side of the law.
She pushed her doubts had hesitation into a far corner of her mind. She had to do her best, she refused to tarnish Toichi-san's legacy with mediocracy. She took up the white manly to protect Kaito from the truth; so that his mental image of Toichi Kuroba would always be the loving father and great magician and nothing less. If that mean lying and deceiving, then so be it. If that meant tormenting her father and delving into the grey are of the law she'd come to finally see, then so be it. She'd catch the men who stole her dear friend's father from this world before his time and make sure they were locked away. She would also find out what it was that got the elder Kuroba killed, after all, there had to be a motive behind it all. People didn't just stage murders as accidents unless there was a reason behind it, unless there was something worth killing to hide.
She'd take up the mantle and become a thief befitting the image of Kaitou Kid the second and solve this mystery, then hang up the mantle for good. Hopefully.