Reluctant hero

18. Interlude II (in-complete)

PLEASE READ:

First was tumblr, and probably now fanfiction... But before I leave, I'll be sharing this last message, as closure.

The dcmk fandom has been nothing but great; there's tons of talented people contributing all their fantastic works for everyone to enjoy, and because of these "standards" I've created in my mind, I wanted to be just as good as well. I write a lot, and write some more, but for some reason, things start to change, and now I'm fearful of reading/seeing/checking-up anything with regards to dcmk because it makes me depressed, thinking of how worthless my contents/stories are.

Yes, it has been a problem even before I deleted tumblr, and this anxiety has been chewing me for quite some time. Now, I've finally decided that I couldn't keep it up anymore.

Thank you all for your constant support for all my stories. There are two incomplete fics: this and Brighter than Sunshine. I'm sorry, but I'll be leaving them as it is. I was considering deleting them, but I guess there might be some people who would want them to stay.

Once again, thank you.

This chapter is incomplete, and has been for the past few months (pardon the poor grammar and sentence structure. I did not beta it). I thought I'll just post it up for you guys because I needed to deliver this message... and perhaps you can take it as some kind of a parting gift. Really sorry.

Their first meeting happened at a cafe that Hakuba must have regularly gone to, given the friendly greetings from the staffs, the special corner booth seat despite the afternoon crowd, and how his cup of tea was called the usual by the waitress that took their order. As for Kaito—Nishimoto Rei— he ordered a glass of milkshake with an extra scoop of vanilla (Hakuba didn't react to Kaito's request, at least not at the moment until he knew Kaito wasn't intending to pay the bill).

It was little funny how two men were sitting across each other in a cafe filled for best girl friends and couples to hang out, but Hakuba didn't seem to care in the least. In this booth, like a bubble he created that separated himself from the outside world, was only Kaito, his tea, and his small tablet he took out from the inside of his suit.

He cleared his throat, casting a quick glimpse at his pocket watch. "Let's begin."

When Hakuba said he wanted to talk to Kaito for an hour, he wasn't lying either. The entire hour was taken up right to the last second; nothing more and nothing less (It wasn't like Kaito could complain when Hakuba did what he promised. He just… wasn't positively sure about the future implications of working with this time-freak).

"Now it's your turn to talk." Hakuba sipped onto his tea, which Kaito was sure it had long turned cold.

"What can I say? Kaito sucked the bottom of his glass, clearing all the bubbles and foams at the bottom.

"I want to hear what you think."

Kaito stared at the tablet on the table. For the past hour, Hakuba had listed all the crimes that he suspected had to do with Spider, including the suicides Kaito had previous guessed and the case about Minister of finance's brother. But at the moment, Kaito didn't want to sound too cooperative, much less being agreeable with Hakuba.

"How do you know he's behind all these?"

It was as though Kaito had activated some kind of switch in Hakuba, and the latter pursed his lips and gone all still and cold. "I've been on his tail for the past five years. I know his marks." Hakuba said calmly (in the same manner as balancing at the tip of an iceberg).

Kaito pondered if he should move on, but decided to test how far he could go. First meetings were always fun, like that. "Wouldn't those marks constitute as the evidence?"

"No, sadly." Hakuba turned away to the glass window beside them. "Because there is no physical weapon to analysis, and no technology great enough to prove the brain's of those victims had gone through some kind of hypnotism before they decided to end their lives. Or other people lives."

Kaito straightened, to disguise the flinch that his body accidentally let slip. He was surprised—genuinely surprised—that Hakuba was so frank.

"You already know that, don't you?" Hakuba pushed his tea aside and leaned forward against the table. "Something must have happened—" He gestured a hand between them. "—to get you to come to me?"

"I didn't come to you—"

"But the point and meaning is there."

Kaito sighed. "There's nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing major." Kaito muttered, glancing away and swallowing a wince when the images of Dai's lifeless body on the ground flashed across his mind.

Hakuba smirked. "I can tell, seeing that you're still alive."

Ha. It was natural for Hakuba to think that whatever that happened had happened on Kaito, which he couldn't fault the detective for not realising. Things were easier this way, and it fitted him; being the bad man and all. He just hoped he could keep up with this front for long.

"Anyway…" Hakuba clasped his hands together to form a bridge. "Does this mean you're now keen to work with me?"

Kaito resisted rolling his eyes. Why does this feel like an interview…

"Work with you to create a fan page about Spider and listing out his daily activities?" Kaito picked the skin under his nail. "Seeing that you're so… updated about him him, I don't think you need me to give you any kind intel."

"Yes."

"Then what exactly do you want me to do?"

Hakuba glanced around the cafe before looking back at Kaito. "I want intel on your organization."

Kaito frowned. "…I thought you said you weren't interested in the organization?"

"I don't, but I need to because it ties back to Spider; I need to know more about your organization to figure out his motive of joining."

"Isn't it for money?"

"No, he's already rich enough to turn Africa into a city. Money isn't enough as an incentive to him anymore." Hakuba narrowed his eyes (and Kaito got an unexpected shiver down his spine). "The prize must be something better than money."

"So you want me to retrieve the transaction details of the—"

"I know the gist of those transactions; drugs, illegal weapons, priceless paintings, all those things in the black market." Hakuba said, his eyes watching Kaito carefully. "But there must be something more about your organization that motivated Spider to join."

Something…?

"It's the reason why your father died, Kaito."

Kaito swallowed, blocking out the echos in his head. "K."

Hakuba blinked. "That means—"

"I'll keep you posted." Kaito shifted his arms and hid his hands under the table, fighting back the slight tremor of his fingers.

Shit.

"Sure." Hakuba was too busy being delighted about his new alliance to notice Kaito's attempted calmness. "But how do I actually contact you? The only means I have is disrupting your heist—"

"Uh, no." Kaito muttered and pulled out a flip phone from his pocket.

Hakuba raised an eyebrow. "A flip phone?"

"Yes." Kaito drawled. "Because nobody would want to steal a flip phone."

"True enough… I supposed." Hakuba mumbled. He picked up the phone and inspected it as if it was an artefact from the museum.

Kaito rolled his eyes and stood up. "You can find the instructions in newest message from the inbox section." He said, checking his glass for any remaining content of his milkshake before stepping away when he regrettably found none. "K. I'll be going now—"

"Kid."

Kaito stopped and glanced over his shoulder.

"When I said I trust you back then, I meant it." Hakuba said, his hand clutching onto the phone. "Including the part about helping you and whatever motive you are aiming for too, if you allow me to know."

No cocky grin. No taunting tilt of his head.

Just his plain face stating words like facts.

It was so tempting for Kaito to pivot his way back to the table and spill everything about the Pandora and the Volley Comet, and how his father died and his plan for revenge. And all that he had done or did or was doing, was to heal a bit, even just a tiny bit, of his mother and Jii's losses and unseen wounds.

But he didn't of course. No way he would.

So in response, Kaito made a grunting noise and turned away for the door.

.o.

"…You're late by nine minutes and 38 seconds."

Kaito was too tired to even roll his eyes (It was a miracle that he managed to drag himself up from bed at all). He plopped onto the leather couch, his butt squeaking noisy against the material. A couple of guests glanced towards the direction, but Kaito couldn't care. less The only one that had a lot more pride to lose was Hakuba, not him, when the face he wore was fake anyway.

"Give me a break, time-freak." Kaito yawned. "You chose the location; I deserves at least an hour grace."

Hakuba cleared his throat. "I guess I should be glad it's less than 10 minutes then."

"So what's the purpose of this meeting? What's more in such a… fancy hotel." Kaito glanced around the lobby bar. It wasn't crowded and the atmosphere felt comfortable and chill. There even was a piano smacked in the middle, but nobody was playing it.

"I had a meeting a while ago." Hakuba replied dully.

"At a hotel? Is this some kind of scandal?"

Hakuba mustered a thin smile pulling out the table from his suit pocket. "Anyway, you do know that Spider's not in Japan at the moment, right?"

Before Kaito could answer, Hakuba showed his tablet, revealing the poster of Spider, or rather Gunter Von Goldberg's performance in Italy this week.

Even though Kaito got himself involved with Hakuba and his obsession with Spider, Kaito wasn't blindly following that path (He still kept Dai's words close to heart, as well as following his instincts and gut feelings about Spider in all context and aspects). Unless Hakuba wanted to feed him with any information about Spider, it was never something Kaito knew on his own accord. And one of that information included Spider's alter ego as a world famous illusionist named as Gunter.

What further fascinated Kaito was the abrupt difference in Spider's appearances despite just changing his skin tone to a few shades lighter. Gunter looked much more pleasant-looking, but as this was comparing to Spider, anything and anyone, In Kaito's opinion, would look pleasant than him.

Even Hakuba's ass, probably.

"I know." Kaito said before Hakuba took his tablet back. "What about it?"

"I'm flying to Spain too."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"To keep an eye on him."

"Your stalking skill sucks." Kaito shook his head. "You need to learn a thing or two about disguises."

"You sound like a pro at stalking."

Kaito gave a fake laugh.

"Speaking of which," Hakuba smirked. "I see that you like this disguise very much."

Kaito pushed up his glasses with a look of disdain. "I needed something constant."

"If you want something constant, why not your real face?"

"That's the stupidest suggestion I've ever heard."

Hakuba nodded with a smile, as though Kaito had passed a test he didn't know he had taken up. "Well, it's worth asking."

"Not worth if it makes you look stupid."

Hakuba tilted his head. "I'm stupid?"

"Stop asking me stupid questions and you might be able to change my mind."

"Why not I deduce some facts about you?"

Kaito frowned. "What for?"

"To prove I'm not stupid."

"Huh. Sure." Kaito leaned against his seat and gestured a hand over his disguised face. "Go ahead."

Hakuba set his tea on the table, his eyes scrutinizing Kaito. "You're a man. Japanese. In your early-twenties or so—"

"Wow. Such fantastic deductions."

"—You're also single. Hates the cold. Likes sweet things. Have perfect eyesight; those glasses aren't fooling me. But you're colourblind. If not, you're just poor in matching colours for clothes. And you once had a cat."

Kaito glared down at his clothes and back at Hakuba. "Excuse you?"

"These are some observations I made." Hakuba shrugged in a way of modesty but also in a way that tempted Kaito to punch his face. "So am I correct?"

"I'm not dumb enough to answer you—"

"No, wait." Hakuba raised a hand. "You don't like like sweets entirely. It's just something you need to boost your energy level."

"For this point I can say that you are right." Kaito glanced around the lobby bar to find a waiter. "Simply hearing you breathe drains me and I need an ice chocolate."

"Back to the objective of the meeting, please." Hakuba chuckled (now Kaito needed two ice chocolate). "Have you gotten any findings about your organization?"

... (Some filler discussions/more banters between Hakuba and KAito)

"Do you..." Kaito paused and sucked a breath through his teeth. "Do you believe in immor—"

(The sound of piano interrupts Kaito)

Mozart? Kaito frowned and turned to the piano at the corner of the cafe.

Dark red hair.

Her long hair swayed with the movement of her body—or the music.

... (Kaito ignored the piano lady and glanced at Hakuba, but he was gaping like an idiot he always was. Hakuba mildly comments about the beauty of the song, which Kaito replied that he doesn't care.)

... (Akako finished playing the piano in the cafe and came up to the two)

"Hello."

"Hi." Hakuba cleared his throat.

"My name is Koizumi Akako." She glanced between Hakuba and Kaito (though Kaito swore her gaze landed on him for two seconds longer than necessary). "Nice to meet you two."

"Nice to meet you." Hakuba smiled. "I'm Hakuba Saguru."

"Rei." Kaito muttered.

Akako gave a wry smile. "Rei?"

"Rei." Kaito repeated.

"I overheard a comment you made about my playing piece."

Does she have ears of a dog? "Sorry." Kaito darted a nervous gaze at Hakuba, wanting to silently ask for help, but it was pointless anyway when Hakuba was all focused on Akako instead. "Well—I'm not really familiar with these piano stuff."

"How about Beethoven?" Akako prompted

"No."

"Nothing classical, then?"

"No."

"Then what kind of music do you hear?"

Kaito glanced at Hakuba again, but for hell's sake he was still staring at Akako like she was the answer to the meaning of life. "I—"

"Pop?" Akako cackled begins the back of her hand. "I do have interest in a wide range of music too, including pop. Maybe we can talk about them?"

Ok. This woman is weird. "Uh—"

... (Akako continues asking Kaito, but he dodged the questions effectively. Finally, he dared himself to ask Akako to leave because he was having a conversation with Hakuba. Akako then asked if she could meet them and be part of their conversation one day.)

"Of course." Hakuba agreed in a heartbeat.

Kaito spun his head so fast his neck might snap. He always had many opinions about Hakuba during different circumstances, but this moment just cemented the fact that he was a goner in life.

"Do you mean of course not?" Kaito bared his teeth, and quickly continued before Hakuba could interject. "Yes. I'm pretty sure Hakuba meant of course not."

"I see." Akako sounded disappointed, but her face looked too smug for it. "Why don't I leave you my number? You can call me when you decide to change your mind?"

"Wha—"

Before Kaito knew how to respond, Akako took his hand and whipped out a pen from somewhere in her dress (which Kaito thought there wasn't any pocket) and began writing down on his palm. He wanted to flinch away, but the sharp point of her pen carved the numbers like a tattoo, and he was afraid if he pulled away, his would scar his entire hand.

Akako glanced towards Hakuba, as if she just realized he existed. "Do you want my number?"

Hakuba blinked out of his trance. "I-I would love to." (And Kaito swore he saw Hakuba blushed, which was also the moment he wished he was blind because that sight was so sickening to look at.)

Akako chuckled behind the back of her hand and picked up a napkin from the table to write He took the napkin from her with more care than any jewel Kaito had ever stolen in his entire career.

"I hope to hear from you two soon." Akako waved her manicured hand and turned on her heels.

It wasn't just Hakuba. Many eyes from different men around them were set on Akako as she left the lobby bar. Kaito had complete zero interest to know where she was going, complete zero regards in her affairs, and complete zero intention to call her, ever.

Kaito began rubbing the ink off his hand, but for some weird reason, it wasn't coming off.

He tried for a few times before giving up and slumped his arm heavily on the armrest, catching Hakuba's brief attention as he glanced up from the napkin.

"What?" The blonde asked.

"What?" Kaito scowled. "What the hell were you doing?"

"About that," Hakuba shifted on his seat and sheepishly rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "There's this… weird feeling that overwhelmed me and my head wasn't really thinking straight when I said it."

"K."

"But don't you think she's really beautiful?"

Kaito pinched the bridge of his nose. "Back to the objective of the meeting, please."

"My apologies." Hakuba adjusted the collar of his pressed shirt, his eyes still lingering at the napkin in his hand. "What were we talking about before?"

Now Kaito wasn't sure if he regretted bringing the conversation back to the objective of the meeting. Kaito sunk into his seat.

That momentum and urge to talk about it was long gone.

"Nothing." Kaito looked away.

"You talked about believing in something." Hakuba finally had the decency to look up from the note. "What is it?"

"I can't remember." Kaito shrugged. "Shouldn't be important."

Like a fool, Hakuba believed him. "Fine."

... (More banters, moving on)

—

—

Kaito found Akako at the same cafe playing piano again.

He then demands her to erase the numbers she wrote on his palm as they wouldn't go away

She said in exchange, she wants to see his face

Kaito was confused and say this is his face, but Akako reveals that she know he is Kaitou Kid.

Kaito asked if she met Hakuba, and then if he had let slip. She said no, and reveal that they if she wanted any source of information, she would seek for Lucifer and no one else. Kaito was confused.

She knows that in this world, only Kaitou Kid would refuse to have her number, and she knew "Rei" was Kid. She wants to know how he looks like, to at least gauge whether it is worth the effort to make him fall in love with her

He refused and said he wasn't gonna get tricked by such a stupid reason. He claimed he will find a way to erase the number on his palm.

Akako the reveal her power and erase half her number at ease. He was amazed and was trying to figure of what kind of trick, but she claims it is magic.

Magician?

She's referring to real magic

He say in this world there is no real magic.

Akako smirked. "You'd be amazed by the things you don't know, Kid."

He found it ironic when he knew many amazing things, like a gem stone that can shed tears. "I do know them, it's just a matter of whether I want to believe them."

He left, allowing Akako to stand there, register the words in, and make her own deduction without trying to deny anything.

This was his second mistake.

—

—

Apparently the Spain trip was fruitless. Hakuba still had gotten nothing on Spider.

Kaito then casually ask if he met Akako, which Hakuba said no. Even though he likes her, he was not sure about going developing it into anything because he's focused on Spider now, and also because she is out of his league.

Kaito thought back about Akako's words and how she knew him as Kid. He hid his palm away from Hakuba, not wanting him to see the numbers.

Keeping up with the conversation, Kaito casually commented that this is for the best anyway since Akako is weird. Hakuba asked him to elaborate but then Akako appeared

Akako asked what they were talking and Hakuba let slip that they were talking about her, and she delightfully said that now that it involved her, she has the right to join the conversation, in which Kaito wasn't pleased, of course. He wondered why Hakuba become 200% more stupid when Akako is around. Love sure makes one dumb.

Kaito was about to leave but Akako asked where is he going. He said he is busy, but then she commented how even if he is, he shouldn't waste the light from tonight's full moon because it could be useful. Hakuba asked what she meant, to which she laughed and said it was just some silly sad poem she read from the internet.

Kaito left.

He wondered if it was a coincidence that tonight was the night he was going to steal a jewel too.

—

—

After his steal, Kaito went to the roof to check on the jewel. While checking, he found Akako.

"What the- Why are you here?"

"Why can't I?" She approached him and took his hand.

The numbers were finally gone

"How-"

Same for the jewel

Akako got the jewel in her hand. She laughed. "In order to beat my enemies, I do have to know a bit of their tasteless tricks, like distractions."

"What are you talking about." Kaito growled.

"Magicians." Akako pointed at him with the jewel. "Like you, Kaitou Kid."

"Give me back the jewel."

Akako raised the jewel and kept wondering why he always do that after his heists. Kaito demanded how she knew this, which she then explained that she had the magic to spy on Kaitou Kid (the man who doesn't love her) and his every moves. He called her a bluff again, and demanded for the jewel back when Hakuba appeared.

Kaito groaned and complains about having enough people popping out from no where.

Ignoring Kaito, Hakuba answered Akako and claimed there is three possible reasons why Kid lifted the jewel to the moon.

One is to find something hidden inside the jewel.

Two is to wait for a reaction casted by the moon light.

Three is because he's an arrogant thief that wants to show the world he had gotten what he wanted.

Hakuba comically voted for the third reason, just for the sake of it.

Kaito wasn't fazed. He just demanded why Hakuba is here, and Hakuba explained that he knew something was up since the day Kaito wasn't frank about the importance of the information he didn't share.

"Huh." Kaito scoffed. "I thought you trust me."

"I do trust you. The problem is you don't trust me, that's why I'm here trying to figure out the thing you don't want to tell me." And ended up, Hakuba found an even greater secret, which was that Akako knew his identity. But Hakuba wasn't all that surprised , given how he had suspected something going on between them during their second meeting at the restaurant.

Kaito wondered if Hakuba heard the part where Akako mentioned about her magic, but she only cackled and asked if he is jealous. He blushed, and Kaito rolled his eyes.

... (more banters)

"So what is it you are looking for inside the jewel? Another priceless gem? Or some kind of thumb drive with information that can change the world?" Hakuba asked

Kaito remained silent.

Akako tried to prompt him with more snarky remarks, until Kaito became fed up.

"Do you believe in immortality?" Kaito finally blurted.

This admittance...

It was his third mistake.

—

—

Interlude III

Hakuba and Akako are dating

Spider is still killing

Kaito is still stealing

Hakuba introduced Shinichi and Heiji to help (That's how they knew Kaito's face, but no one knew his name; and Kaito kept it that way)

But things weren't going according to plan. Snake started to grow suspicious about Hakuba and Spider has taken notice of Akako.

And then a blast.

Fire.

Fire.

Kaito screamed.

It was all his fucking fault.

—

—

... Shinichi found Kaito at a port spying some shipment transactions.

"You need a break." Shinichi sighed. "You have been clearing Hakuba's cases non-stop since—"

"I'm just… finishing the things he wanted to do." Kaito rebutted. "Anyway, I've collected enough evidence to send Gozu to hell."

Shinichi continued the conversation. "You need a distraction."

"I'm doing perfectly fine."

... (More stupid banters, and they almost got caught because their banters grew too loud so Shinichi and Kaito ran away from the port. Kaito blames him, and then Shinichi brought up the favours Kaito owed him, asking him in exchange for the favour, Kaito should take a break.)

Kaito ignores him and left.

Shinichi was annoyed, but he decided to turn the course of the conversation and said he needed Kaito's help for a case. (Inwardly, Shinichi thought this case could distract Kaito away from things that revolves around Hakuba at the moment)

... "I think your expertise might be useful for this case too." Shinichi explained.

Kaito grunted. "Fine. What case?"

"Follow me."

"Where are we going?"

"To her office."

Kaito scowled. "Her? Spare me the pronoun game. Whose office exactly?"

"Nakamori Aoko."