The piano wobbled precariously, the men moving it shouting warnings to bystanders. Daisuke sprinted forward without thinking, diving to save the little girl in its path.

"Stop! Watch out!" the movers yelled, but it was too late. Daisuke pulled the child out of the way just as the piano tipped and crashed to the ground, narrowly missing them both.

The girl's mother rushed over, her face pale with worry. "Miho! Are you okay?"

"Thank you!" she said breathlessly to Daisuke, bowing deeply.

Daisuke smiled weakly, brushing dust off his pants. "No problem… but now my legs won't stop shaking."

XXX

At home, Emiko wasted no time inspecting Daisuke for injuries.

"You were lucky, Daisuke! That piano could have crushed you!" she exclaimed, patting him down for scratches.

"I'm fine, Mom. It's just a few scratches," he said, squirming away from her fussing.

Emiko folded her arms, her tone sharp. "If you're getting hurt, it means you haven't trained enough! And if you're not around, Dark won't be able to appear, either!"

Daisuke sighed as he trudged up to his room, Wiz scampering behind him. "Hey, Wiz," he muttered, collapsing onto his bed. "Do you think Mom cares about me… or is it just Dark she's worried about?"

Wiz tilted his head, blinking sympathetically.

"She's always been a little… different," Daisuke continued. "But I guess that's part of being the mother of a Phantom Thief. Still, sometimes it feels like she forgets I'm her son, too."

XXX

At school, Kuri leaned casually against the desk, her golden eyes flicking toward Daisuke.

"Dark hasn't shown up recently," she mused aloud, her tone wistful. "It's so boring without him."

Takeshi overheard and grinned. "Hey, younger Hikawa! Want some pictures of Dark? Special edition!"

Kuri rolled her eyes. "Not interested, Saehara. Besides, I'm not giving you my notes in exchange."

Daisuke, meanwhile, seemed lost in thought.

"What kind of gift makes a woman happiest?" he blurted out suddenly.

Takeshi raised an eyebrow. "Wow, Niwa, didn't think you were such a playboy. Who's the lucky girl?"

"It's for my mom's birthday," Daisuke clarified quickly, his cheeks flushing.

Kuri tilted her head, her expression softening. "That's sweet, Niwa. Most guys don't even think about giving gifts to their moms."

Reiko chimed in, smiling. "There's nothing wrong with being kind to your mother."

Daisuke's heart felt lighter at their encouragement.

XXX

Later, Daisuke arrived home to find Emiko standing in the living room—wearing her old high school uniform.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Daisuke asked, aghast.

Emiko spun around, beaming. "It still fits! Isn't it incredible?"

"You're too old for that," Daisuke muttered.

Her smile faltered. "Too old?"

Daisuke waved his hands frantically. "No! I mean, you're young! Really young! You could totally pass as a high school student!"

Emiko grinned. "You know, in my youth, I was incredibly popular. There were always letters in my shoe locker, and boys waiting for me after school."

"Really?" Daisuke asked, raising an eyebrow.

Her expression turned wistful. "But they all ran away after I asked them to father my son."

Daisuke nearly choked. "You what?"

Emiko laughed. "But your father, Kosuke, was different. He asked me why I wanted a son and listened to my reasons. That's when I knew he was the one."

Daisuke smiled faintly. "So I guess I'm like Dad, huh?"

XXX

The following day, Daisuke spotted Kuri sitting outside, deep in thought. Summoning his courage, he approached her, holding a small, carefully wrapped box.

"Kuri," he began, his voice trembling. "I want to give you—"

But Kuri shook her head, stepping back. "Daisuke, wait. I… I love someone else."

Before he could respond, she turned and ran, tears glistening in her eyes.

XXX

Later, Kuri sat quietly in the shadows, watching Dark, now in Daisuke's form, move through the school with his usual confidence. Her emotions were a whirlwind—regret, guilt, and something deeper that she couldn't quite name.

When she saw him cornered by Satoshi, her instincts screamed to intervene, but Dark handled himself as always, slipping away with his characteristic smirk.

Later, Dark found Kuri in the hallway, his violet eyes sharp as they pinned her in place.

"Trying to capture me again, Kuri?" he asked, his voice low.

Kuri's gaze didn't waver. "Fine. I was. What do you want?"

Dark stepped closer, his smirk fading into something more serious. "You said you love someone else. That was a dirty trick—you really hurt my tamer."

Her heart clenched at the accusation, but she held her ground. "It wasn't a trick, and it wasn't a lie. I never meant to hurt Daisuke."

For a moment, Dark seemed at a loss. "Then who?" he whispered, almost to himself. "Who is it you love?"

Kuri didn't answer, vanishing into the shadows before he could press her further.

XXX

The next day, Daisuke collapsed in the nurse's office, his energy drained. Kuri, invisible, entered the room, her heart heavy with guilt. She reached out, touching his forehead, her soul slipping into his mind.

Inside Daisuke's consciousness, she found Dark waiting, his expression furious.

"How dare you step into this space!" he growled.

Kuri's voice was calm but resolute. "Because this chaos is my fault. Daisuke's heart isn't confused—it's torn between his own feelings and yours, Dark."

Dark clenched his fists. "Stay out of it."

But Kuri stepped forward, meeting his anger head-on. "Daisuke's first love isn't his only love. And Dark, you know it's true—your heart doesn't belong to Reiko or anyone else. It's mine."

Dark froze, his fury melting into something more vulnerable. "You…"

Daisuke's presence began to fade, the mist around them clearing as he returned to reality. Kuri smiled sadly. "Go home, Daisuke. Reiko is waiting for you."

As Daisuke disappeared, Dark remained, his violet eyes locked on Kuri.

"Why did you come here?" he asked softly.

She didn't answer, vanishing before his eyes.

XXX

Later that day, Daisuke found Reiko and confessed, his heart finally clear.

"Reiko, I like you," he said simply.

Reiko's tears turned into a smile as she embraced him. "I like you too, Daisuke."

Meanwhile, Dark sat alone in the night sky, his thoughts consumed by Kuri's words.

"Her love…" he murmured. "It's always been mine."