Before You Go (2/2)

When Kaito first joined the KID Capture Brigade, the last thing he expected was sanity from the club. / "We're going to match-make Nakamori-san with the one she's meant to be." / See? Wasn't he right about everything?

"That was a brilliant and convincing act; Okada was totally zoned out. He walked into a pillar and even apologized to it." Akako chortled behind her hand, her laughter mixed with amusement and glee. It was ninety-percent triumph, since the phase three worked, obviously.

"Did he?" Aoko gave a soft chuckle in return, all traces of emotions from before were gone. It was as though Kaito had imagined them all from the start. Seeming to notice his gaze, Aoko glanced at him and he instantly looked away, his attempt to detect a crack in her facade failed.

"Now it's the time to wait." Akako cackled once more, and Kaito felt the temperature in the science lab dropped by a few degrees.

Hakuba nodded in agreement before eyeing over at Kaito. "Someone's grumpy."

"No one's grumpy." Kaito scowled, and he shut up just in time before he felt himself starting to stutter.

Akako cleared her throat. "Anyway, the meeting's over for now. There's nothing much we can do anyway until Okada makes a move." She stood up from her seat and everyone slowly mirrored the same, except for Kaito. He was the fastest.

"You guys head on first. I'm going to the library to borrow some books for an assignment." Aoko waved her goodbyes, and she didn't really stop to give anyone, or even Kaito, the chance to offer company. Not that he would or could either. There was this unseen force that was making him unable to look her in the eye, no matter how skilled his poker face or acting was.

He simply watched her go.

After Aoko disappeared down the corridor, Hakuba crossed his arms before casting the usual irritating, pitiful smile at Kaito. "Do you need me to send you home?"

"I have legs. I can walk."

Akako casually strolled towards Kaito and hushed not-very-softly. "You can always call me if you're feeling lonely."

"Or me." Hakuba grinned.

"I'm not lonely." Kaito gritted his teeth and rubbed the ear Akako whispered into like it was infected.

Once Kaito reached home and slumped onto his chair in his quiet and sparse bedroom, it didn't take him long to take back what he had said.

.o.

There was no queue at the bread shop, but Kaito was going to use it as an excuse for not going back to class for lunch.

He had enough of Akako and Hakuba hoarding around his desk, treating as if he was some bonfire during winter. Hakuba's pitiful glances were annoying enough, but Akako made it all worse with her breathing down his neck as she read out the tarot card she picked for him that day. She'd done it thrice after she claimed he wasn't listening for the first two times. Indeed, he didn't, but that didn't mean he was going to allow for the fourth time to happen.

And so, despite Aoko being in class, he came out and bought the bread he wanted before going to school's backyard to enjoy his peace. He sat down on the curb of the flower garden and unwrapped his sandwich, the pungent smell of ham and cheese filled his nose. If Aoko questioned the truth on whether he really ate his lunch or skipped his meal, he supposed he had a powerful burp to mark as proof later

"Hey."

Kaito nearly choked on his bread. His eyes widened as the man, who nearly killed him with the surprise, trudged over to where he was with a can of drink in his hand.

"Why are you here?" Kaito said after swallowing his bread, eyes slightly narrowed when Okada stopped in front of him.

"I spotted you while you were buying bread." He pointed at the evidence in Kaito's hands. "So I bought myself a drink and followed you here." He glanced around and eyed at the empty spot beside him. "It's a nice place for a quiet lunch. Can I sit here?"

Quiet, yes, but not anymore. Kaito yawned, his jaw popped. He wasn't keen in beating around the bush. "Aoko's in class."

"I know." Taking it that Kaito didn't reject him, Okada settled himself next to him and cracked his can of drink open. "But the one I'm looking for is you."

It wasn't surprising. Of course Okada would look for him after yesterday's incident (to check up on your opponent, perhaps). But for the sake of the act, Kaito raised his eyebrows. "For?"

"About Aoko-chan." He said suavely.

"Ah, yeah. Why did I even ask."

"Pardon me for being straightforward, again." Okada squirmed uncomfortably in his seat and looked at him seriously. He was waiting for Kaito to respond, to give some kind of acknowledgment that he was prepared for whatever thing he was about to hear. So Kaito simply gave a half-hearted nod and Okada took it as a signal to continue. "I'd unintentionally eavesdropped your conversation with Aoko-chan yesterday. I know it's wrong, but I couldn't help it."

It was stupid, but since he'd already started, he might as well act it all out. "Really?" Kaito feigned a mildly composed yet startled look. "So you're also the one who stepped on the twig?"

"You have good hearing skills." Okada widened his eyes as an indicator of impressed. "And a good memory too."

"So what about it?" Kaito yawned again. He hadn't slept well since last night, obviously. "Are you here to announce the date of your confession or something?" His heart was used to the heavy feeling that it didn't bother him much anymore.

Okada scrutinized Kaito, and under his watchful gaze, he gave a small smile. "You looked like you have more things to tell me instead."

"No. I don't."

"Yes you do." Okada paused, as though reflecting on his words. "Perhaps an advice for me? About Aoko-chan."

"... Huh?" What the hell is he talking about?

"You know her more than me." Okada relaxed his shoulder and gave Kaito a knowing smile. "There's bound to be things to share about; Things I should know about her."

Kaito took a bite off his bread, just to stall time and process what he should say. "Does that mean you're going to confess to her?" He repeated, since he didn't realize, until now, that Okada hadn't replied his question previously.

"I'll tell you later."

Kaito could imagine Hakuba saying it with a wink, but Okada didn't. And for that, Kaito disliked him a tad bit lesser.

And now... about the advice he was supposed to say... What could he even say? Something for Okada-whoever to use for chasing Aoko? The thought suddenly made sense in his head.

"Do you know what Aoko likes?" Kaito began.

"What... she likes?" Okada blinked and considered for a moment. All these while, Akako had been setting them up only with things that were of Okada's interest. Of course he wouldn't know what she liked, unless Aoko told him. And judging from his expression, it seemed she didn't.

"I can tell you, if you're keen."

Okada stayed silent, prompting him to continue.

"She likes horror movie, but she's too scared to watch alone." Images of Aoko sitting beside him as she dug her face into his sleeve and chanted math equations flashed across his mind, but he pressured himself to focus. "If you ever watch one with her, do it in the afternoon. Afterwards, take her to an ice cream parlour. She needs it, even if she won't admit. And most importantly after all, initiate a text conversation or call her before she sleeps, and make sure you talk to her until she does." Kaito's lips couldn't help but tugged at the memory. He even screenshot some of their conversation because it was too funny and ridiculous, but mostly funny because of her dramatic replies about how she thought her lamp by her bed moved or something. But as quick as it came, he brushed the memory away before continuing.

"Cakes and sweets are her weaknesses. Especially cakes." He confirmed with a nod. "Take her to a new cafe once in a while and she'll be really happy. Just make sure to find one that serves other drink options besides caffeine. Aoko is okay with it, but she wouldn't be able to sleep when she has it. And she-" Kaito casually looked up, but instantly stopped his sentence and frowned when he realized Okada was gaping at him, his mouth hanging open in astonishment.

"I'm sorry." Okada rubbed the back of his head sheepishly after knowing he got caught for staring. "It's just that this is the first time you've spoke so much to me. I've heard things about you from many people, but it's refreshing to have my own impression on you too."

"So instead of listening, you're analyzing me?" Kaito scowled.

"Of course not!" He laughed quickly to dispel Kaito's contemptuous doubts. "I did truly listen and remember every single thing you said."

Kaito scoffed and finished the remaining chunk of sandwich in one go. "I'm done anyway." He said with his mouth full. It was a lie; he had tons of things to say about Aoko, but he had enough looking like an idiot. "Since you get it, you should go and find her instead of wasting time here."

"You can't be expecting me to say thanks and leave, not after seeing you say all that with that kind of expression."

The back of Kaito's neck prickled and grew warm. His instinct became doubly attentive and face instantly guarded. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm not stupid." Okada sighed. "I have eyes to see and a brain to think."

"The last time I remembered, like fifteen seconds ago, we were talking about Aoko, not me."

Okada shook his head, a slight twinkle of amusement filled his eyes before his face fell lax. "Aoko-chan is right about you. You really don't like to talk about yourself."

"Yeah, she is right." Kaito mumbled and felt something in his chest squeezed. It was ironic, really, that he lied to her more than anyone else in the world, yet somehow she could understand him more than most people in his life did.

"Fine. Then I'll start talking about her, if that's what you want." Okada was quick on his feet, as though he knew Kaito would react this way. "I did intend to tell Aoko-chan how I feel about her after yesterday, the day when you two... fought." He looked distant for a moment before he returned to look at Kaito. "I saw her at the library, and I thought it was my chance to do it right there and then. But I couldn't."

Kaito froze. Something at the back of his head, or the strung of his heart, knew the answer before it was clarified.

"I couldn't; because she was crying." Okada finally said.

He could already imagine it even when Okada said nothing to describe it. The tall shelves that surrounded her like walls, keeping her enclosed and safe from the world as she quietly stood in a corner, clutching an open book and hiding behind it while her hot tears flowed down her cheeks. The book couldn't trap the sound of her hoarse sobs, and being guilty for the disturbance, she would hold her breath to stay silent and count to five before letting it go. And it was a cycle again.

It was weird how he managed to imagine it all so perfectly, and he wondered if it was because he dreamt of her crying before. Maybe. Maybe that was why.

"One part of myself told me it was a good opportunity. I could offer her a shoulder to cry on, you know, those kind of thing you extract out from a romance novel." Okada laughed before it died down to a croak. "But another part of myself told me the person she wanted it to be wasn't me."

This was the first time Kaito find it hard to keep up with his nonchalance. He rubbed a tired eye and he felt his fingers turned slightly moist. It must be from the couple of yawns, although his heart answered otherwise. "So... you didn't do it?"

"No." Okada continued before Kaito could narrow his eyes. "It's sort of heartless of me to walk away, but I don't want her to start imagining me as you. It won't do any good for the three of us."

"..."

"If time repeats again, I'll still do the same thing." Okada chugged down the remaining of his drink and exhaled a sigh as he glanced over at Kaito. "What about you? If time repeats, will you do the same thing?"

There were many things; the fake break-off, the summer festival last year... but Okada sounded oddly specific, as if he knew something Kaito didn't. "What thing?"

"The thing that is stopping you from liking Aoko-chan."

Being Kaitou Kid was the first and only thing that popped in his mind. Kaito stared down at his hand and images started flashing across his mind. Instead of the sandwich wrapper in his hand, it disappeared to become the jewels he'd stolen, the locks he'd picked, the bombs he'd dropped... all the times when he was doing what he thought was right ended up being...

"... Kuroba-san?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kaito crushed the wrapper in his hand and swatted the bread crumbs that fell on his thigh.

"Yes you do." Okada abruptly stood up and eyed him from the corner of his eyes.

This was the first time someone rebuke Kaito's fake obliviousness. Instead of arguing back, he stayed silent, giving away nothing. In fact, there was nothing to give away.

"It's always interesting to talk to you, Kuroba-san. I'll see you around."

Kaito watched Okada as he tossed the can into a nearby bin and left. He didn't know how long he had sat there, dreaming about things he couldn't understand, until the school bell rang, indicating the end of lunch break. It was only then he found the will to trudge back to class and face the aches in his body again.

.o.

Kaito had originally planned to fix his tools and practice on his shooting after he came back from school, but he was too tired to do anything as of late. He only changed out to his home clothes, plopped onto the bed, and four meaningless hours magically passed as he watched the ceiling turned from sun-set orange to nigh-sky dark above his head. It was funny how time could fly so fast when he was doing absolutely nothing (besides thinking, wondering, and contemplating the what-ifs and could-have-beens).

He was hungry, he thought, and his stomach grumbled on the cue. But he remembered he hadn't gone to the shopping mart since, like, three months ago. He doubted the milk or bread he stocked up then were still edible. Besides, Aoko probably threw it out for him already, in fear that he was too lazy to read the expiry date and ate it all (and it did happen before).

His phone suddenly buzzed on his bed, lighting up the screen in his dark room. He raised his head and took a peak, checking the message and the time. Great. It's already nine. He was starving and useless today.

Also, taking note that the message was from Jii, he rubbed his eyes and brought the phone closer to his face, the light glowed and made his eyes squint.

"I've got the updated list of the Big Jewels that are coming into Japan."

"Great." Kaito pushed himself out of his bed and grabbed his jacket from the chair. He quickly tapped his reply "I'll come over now" and skipped down the stairs.

It seemed he would only be starving and not useless today. At least there was also something to keep distract him from these recent things now.

He hastily slipped on his shoes and stomped out of the door, not wanting to waste any more time. The cool, night breeze immediately slapped him even more awake, but something else did better to stun him in his tracks. Something, shaped as a human named Nakamori Aoko, was standing a few metres away from his gate and distractedly staring upwards at...

"Aoko...?" He whispered to himself. After a few tentative steps, he walked out of his gates to confirm again. "Aoko?" He called out, loud enough for her to hear.

The said girl jumped, her eyes darting around to find the source of his voice before she looked at him. He could see her face flushing despite the lack of light. "K-Kaito?!"

"What are you doing outside my house?" He glanced up to his bedroom window, which he noticed was what Aoko was staring at the entire time. He fixated his gaze back at her. "Are you spying on me?"

"I'm n-not! I'm just passing by here and saw your lights were off; it's weird since you don't sleep so early. So it's because you're going out." Besides anger and annoyance, her third most used emotion was being embarrassed by his teases, and he liked the way she flustered while trying to deny whatever she thought she was accused of. It was cute. "Where are you going at such a timing?"

"I can ask the same to you."

Aoko didn't bother playing the I-asked-you-first game. She showed him the books she was hugging onto the entire time. "I'm going to Sayaka's house to do some research for the Math club." She looked him up and down and quirked an eyebrow. "Then, what about you?"

"I've left something at Jii's bar and I'm going over to get it." Despite being the cause of all these... aches, he didn't mind seeing Aoko. But this time he wondered if he'd regretted seeing her, since saying another lie made him feel worse.

"Oh I see." Aoko nodded. "Tell him I'll visit soon and drink some of his ginger ale!"

"You and your ginger ale..."

"What? It's one of the greatest drink!"

He started walking and she followed after sticking out a tongue, their steps fell into sync naturally. He had no idea where Sayaka's house was, but there was only one path down the street and it would take a while before the road splits into different directions. He tugged his hands into his pockets and shuffled his feet as he walked, kicking some dead leaves and fallen branches while he was at it. "Anyway... is Okada-whoever there?"

"Nope. It's just Sayaka and me."

Kaito wondered if her lack of emotion in her voice was as simple as it seemed. "Did anything happen between you two?"

"No, he didn't confess to me."

His heart skipped a beat at the thought. "Not that. I meant in terms of other things."

She glanced at him, eyes curious. "I don't get it."

"Maybe you insulted his favourite cactus, or he discovered you betrayed cats because you love dogs more."

Aoko rolled her eyes. "You and I know that there's no such thing."

"Right." Kaito muttered. "But it's been nearly a week."

Her soft laughter faded as she lowered her gaze to her walking feet. "To me it feels like it happened just yesterday."

Kaito felt the same, but he was a bit better at hiding it and kept the thoughts shut in his head. "Then what is he up to anyway?"

She was silent for a while, considering if she should say whatever she wanted to say. In the end, she gave in. "Don't tell Akako-chan or Hakuba-kun about this."

He looked up sharply. "What?"

"Actually Okada... He's been avoiding me as of late."

"If time repeats again, I'll still do the same thing."

Kaito frowned at the memory. Is that ass-hat serious? He gave a quick glimpse at Aoko. "Why?" He said when he realized he hadn't replied.

"I don't know. He didn't tell me anything." She shrugged, tired and careless. "I guess it's always easier for everyone to push me away than to talk about it."

The end of her sentence led Kaito to stop dead in his tracks. Aoko continued a few steps further before stopping too. She turned, her hair whipped across her back and some of it fell over her shoulder. He didn't say anything, and neither did she, but some parts of her features gave it away. The slight distress in her wavering blue eyes and her pursed lips showed the regret she felt for letting those words slip out. And she had no idea how to retract it back.

He wasn't going to let her anyway.

"About what you said that day..." Kaito squeezed his hands that were hiding in his pockets into a fist. "Was it true?"

"I've said quite a few things." She reminded him and hugged the books tighter to her chest.

He knew everything was true, except for one that he wasn't sure about. "You said I've pushed you away." He didn't know, much less realize he had ever done so to Aoko. Those mocking teases about her butt size, yes, but he never thought he, as himself, would hurt Aoko that way. The way that made her miserable and lonely; those were the things he had already done as Kaitou Kid.

Aoko glanced away for a millisecond. "I can't remember what I exactly said. Maybe I did."

"So was it true?"

"None of it was real." Aoko couldn't perfect her fake laughter and began walking again. "It was all an act, remember?"

Kaito's legs were faster and longer, so without having to try, he jogged effortlessly and easily cut her path within a second, and she stopped just in time before she crashed into his chest. "Then let me ask you again, seriously, for real this time." He didn't allow her to regain her composure and continued. "Tell me the things I don't understand."

"What-"

"Tell me everything that I need to know," Kaito squared his shoulders, mustering every courage in his nerves to speak the next. "Things that are hurting you." So you don't have to go hide behind walls and cry behind books anymore.

It was one of the rare times Kaito was being frank with his words, and he definitely said them with no intention to injure. But Aoko looked at him, unguarded for a moment, and he saw that she was hurting. Her eyes were filled with a kind of uncertainty and confusion that pained Kaito to see. He wondered, whatever emotion that made Aoko show such expression, must be even unbearable for her to feel.

"I don't think this starts with me." She broke the eye contact, her eyes glistered before it was gone when she rubbed them. "It starts with you."

"Starts with me?" He tried his very best to pretend those weren't tears, though it would only fool the blind.

She looked at him again, with a gaze that jolt his body still. "You should be the one telling me what I should know."

What...?

"Aoko-chan!"

They both turned. There, standing in the middle of the path was the same girl Kaito recognized in the cafe during their make-Okada-jealous date.

"Sayaka?" Aoko gasped and stepped out of his shadow.

"I was wondering what took you so long so I came out to check." Sayaka trudged towards them, seeming to know fully well she had just disturbed something she shouldn't, though it was too late to rectify it. "Are you both... okay?"

"We're perfectly fine." Aoko answered for the two of them.

"He's that guy at the cafe, right?" Sayaka jabbed an elbow into Aoko's ribs teasingly. "The one that likes you."

"Sayaka..." Aoko groaned.

"Do I need to give you two another ten minutes?" Sayaka whispered not-so-subtlety again. Kaito guessed she didn't understand what the concept of whispering meant.

"There's no need." Aoko tugged onto Sayaka's arm and turned to Kaito, showing no signs of what she felt during their previous conversation. "We'll go now. See you in school tomorrow."

"Uh, yeah." He gave a small wave as he watched Aoko go. She was smiling at whatever Sayaka was saying, but her slow, unsteady footsteps told him otherwise. He stayed at his spot until they made a turn at the intersection, disappearing behind the tall walls.

Thinking about it, Kaito was partially glad for the interruption. Until now, if Aoko was still looking at him with her hardened gaze and waiting for his answer, he'd still have no idea what to say.

.o.

"So, what are your plans now?"

"... My plan is to spend my time being useful as a member of the KID Capture Brigade, until you came and ruin everything."

"Glad to know I'm capable of doing that, but I'm not referring to the heist or the jewel." Hakuba stepped away from the case that trapped the prized Golden Flower, which Kaito had been staring peacefully until Hakuba came to interrupt his thoughts. "I'm talking about Aoko-san."

It was the only topic Kaito was willing to touch upon with Hakuba. "What about her?"

"You didn't react when she told us the news this morning; about how she and Okada are going to remain as friends." Hakuba crossed his arms, his eyes observing. "I was expecting you to show some elements of surprise or happiness."

"Your point is?" Kaito drawled. He hadn't once look away from the glass case.

"It means Aoko-san told you beforehand, didn't she?" Hakuba continued before Kaito could deny. "So what are you going to do now?"

Kaito straightened and glanced across the museum hall, which was bustling with policemen and guards, until he noticed Aoko standing at the corner of the room with Akako and admiring some ancient sculptures on the wall. "Do what?" He glanced back at Hakuba, bored.

Hakuba smirked. "You really don't understand, do you?"

Something about Hakuba's words were painfully familiar. Kaito narrowed his eyes in a warning manner.

"Perhaps you also didn't notice since you're so busy being someone else," Hakuba continued. "But Aoko-san's been slightly off for quite some time, especially during your heist—"

"You mean Kaitou Kid's heist."

"— And you should take note." Hakuba finished.

"What do you mean?" Kaito seriously asked. There was no sarcasm or mockery in his tone. And perhaps Hakuba could sense it too, so being sympathetic, he explained without a hitch.

"There's always a loophole in the plan to capture Kaitou Kid, and he is not entirely credible for that."

If Kaito had to choose, he'd rather believe it was Akako pulling strings and tricks. Aoko couldn't have possibly created any loopholes when the last thing she wanted was for Kid to escape. He scoffed to himself. "So? Are you trying to say it's Aoko who planted those loopholes?"

"Not in a direct way." Hakuba tightened his arms around his chest and cast a sidelong glance at the other two female members across the hall. "At least she knew about the loopholes, but pretended to not see it." He muttered, almost too softly for an obnoxious detective to say.

The conversation was getting too random to believe. Kaito returned to view the Golden Flower again. "You're going around in circles. First you're talking about Okada-whoever and now you're talking about Kid. So what's the main point anyway?"

"It all leads back to the same thing."

Instead of rolling his eyes, Kaito gave a smile, the kind that was stuck between peaceful and wanting to punch a wall. "And what is it?"

Hakuba pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a resigned sigh. "She's expecting something from you."

Expecting... something? The thought did bring back the memory of the last summer festival, where there were tons of moments that Aoko must have expected but he didn't make it happen. But this time... did he really miss out something important? His frown deepened. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sorry, I've forgotten, again." Hakuba raised both of his hands and gestured two quotation signs. "Because you wouldn't understand that sort of thing."

Kaito scowled, blatantly and officially triggered. He swore to himself he would go to Hakuba's house and put fart bombs into his schoolbags tonight.

Two hours later, Kaitou Kid was standing on the roof and shining the Golden Flower under the moon. The yellow gem was reflecting the light beautifully, but it didn't do what it was supposed to do to prove that it was Pandora.

He kept the jewel in his suit, leaving it till tomorrow to decide how he'd return the jewel. For now, the only thing that was bugging him was the lack of running and chasing for today's heist. It had already been a full five minutes, but no one had bothered to come and check the rooftop, where it was the most obvious and common place to make his getaway. If it was in the past, he would already be facing at least a dozen of policemen, while being prepared to change his disguise after being pounced on.

Was this the loophole Hakuba was talking about?

Even if Akako did help him, she would make sure he'd know he was in her debts. And Aoko... Aoko hated him. There was zero chance.

He reckoned it was because Hakuba's words had poisoned his mind. It just couldn't be. Perhaps it was all that smug-ass detective's plan; to confuse and distract him.

Having no more reasons to stay, he readied his wings and took flight (and towards Hakuba's home for the fart bomb plan). The police cars blasted their sirens and started to chase after his tail not long later, and it was enough to convince him that he was simply overthinking, and that everything was still the same.

.o.

"In case you've been doubting me, I'm a fair and trustworthy leader."

Kaito, while in the midst of helping the drama club to paint some fake trees, turned towards Akako, who he couldn't believe had said that. He stared at her for two seconds before returning to paint the brown cardboard green. "Are you reciting your script? I didn't know an old maid have such lines. Are you acting as a rebel and going against the kingdom?"

"I'm the queen." Akako snarled and dusted her jewel-infested dress for emphasis. She glanced around, watching other drama members preparing the props on the stage before casting her gaze back on Kaito. "And that's not the script. I'm talking about the KID Capture Brigade."

"Uh huh." Kaito dipped his brush into the green paint and splatted it heavily onto the board, a few specks nearly landed on Akako's face. He was inwardly glad it didn't, even though he did do it on purpose. He wasn't sure if his wrist would survive.

"I haven't got the time to whip up something nice for you, but here it is." She showed him a piece of pink wrapped chocolate resting on her gloved palm.

"My mom told me not to take any candy from a stranger."

Akako rolled her eyes. "This is your promised welfare."

"Not that I care, but how is the treatment fair?" He plopped the paintbrush into the tin and pointed at the pathetic chocolate. "We'd spent more than a month getting Okada-whoever and Aoko together; even though it failed. And all I got is a chocolate."

She smirked in a way that made Kaito regret he had ever complaint. "This isn't just a chocolate."

Kaito stared at it askance, before looking away. "No thanks."

"I'm not finished."

"Me too." Kaito elaborately waved at his fake tree. "I'm not finished either." Damn. He shouldn't have let the drama club president convince him to help, just because he was one of the few people that didn't have much commitments in school (Being Kaitou Kid wasn't part as school activities, sadly). He'd forgotten Akako was involved in the play as well.

"This chocolate is special." Akako continued

"That's already enough reason for me to not take it."

Akako didn't listen, or care. "Name one thing you wish to forget and this chocolate will grant it after you eat it." She waved it playfully, as though she was trying to entice a child.

Kaito scowled and swatted her hand away. "Why would I need that?"

"So you can forget the pain and hurt that Nakamori-san brought to you." Akako stepped a little closer, her dress brushing against his legs. "It's for your sake."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kaito pulled the 2D tree five steps away from Akako and resumed his painting. "Anyway, I'm legitimately very busy. Because your stupid castle is so bloody big, I have thirty-two more trees to paint. So if you'll excuse me."

At the greatest moment, the director suddenly yelled from below the stage. "Koizumi-san! Can you come over for a moment? There's a slight change to the script!"

"Sure." Akako gracefully shouted back and Kaito noticed half of the people in the hall swooned to her voice. She chortled, since she noticed it too, before her batshit-crazy red eyes suddenly flickered towards him like a raging fire, but it was gone once she proceeded to walk down the stairs.

Although there wasn't a single wind, Kaito legitimately shivered.

.o.

"This is your prize for being so nice today!" Aoko blurted and set two plates of (his favourite) hamburger steak onto the dining table. She was about to go back to the kitchen to grab the utensils when Kaito pulled her back to her seat and went to get them instead. He could feel her eyes on him as he moved across the cabinets, her gaze was fond enough to warm the back of his neck.

He returned to the dining table and pass her the fork and knife. "By the way, I'm always nice."

"No, you're not." She took it and gave him a mild, withering look.

"I'm hurt." Kaito theatrically placed a hand over his chest and slumped onto his seat beside her.

Aoko scoffed, but her eyes softened when she watched him begin eating. "Keiko told me you behaved well today, too. No pranks, no games. Nothing. And you even helped to paint the clouds."

"It was easy anyway." He said, with his mouth full. He didn't know all those painting could get him to be so hungry.

"Maybe you can consider joining the drama club's props team." She started on her food too. "They're lacking manpower recently."

"I'm too busy for that." He said mindlessly before realizing he shouldn't have took this route and used it as an excuse, even if it was true. Besides things that weren't part of Aoko's knowledge, what could he even be busy about?

But before Aoko could argue or say anything about it, she paused and pointed at his shirt. "What's that thing in your front pocket anyway?"

Kaito raised his eyebrows and looked down to his school uniform. Indeed, there was an odd bulge in his chest pocket. He didn't remember putting anything in there, and the weird thing was he didn't realize it until now too (that was actually the most troubling factor). He tentatively felt the hard object before giving up on his empty millions guesses and fished it out of his pocket-

It was the goddamn chocolate.

Aoko lightly gasped and dropped her fork to admire the shiny pink wrapper. "It seems expensive."

"It's mine." He set it aside, far enough for Aoko to not reach.

"I didn't even say I wanted it." Aoko scowled, her features scandalized.

"You didn't. But you looked like you do."

Her scowl deepened. "Where did you get it from?"

"Someone from the drama club gave it to me because I'm too kind and pure-hearted." Another lie, but what else could he really say?

She rolled her eyes. "It's bad when people starts complimenting you. Your ego is five levels above the rest."

"But I still got a chocolate and you have none." He said it out like a song.

"Prick." Aoko stuck out her tongue and grabbed the remote next to her plate to switch on the TV just opposite their dinning table, letting it be a good distraction to her agitated mood.

The first channel that lit the screen was the news.

And to Kaito's greatest luck, it wasn't something he was keen to see at the moment.

His eyes twitched at the bolded red letters; Kaitou KID's heist is coming in three days! above the reporter's head.

He had almost forgotten today was the day he tasked Jii to drop his heist note into the police HQ's mail box. Maybe Jii had texted him about the success of the mission, but being too busy all afternoon, he didn't have the chance to check his phone or reply. He licked his lips and took two silent breaths to calm himself down. This wasn't the first time he watched the TV broadcasting about Kid with Aoko anyway. Hell, he'd even done it before with her dad right beside him. No biggie.

Aoko left the TV on.

"Just a few hours ago, Kaitou Kid sent a note to announce his next upcoming heist." The screen turned black for a millisecond, until it showed the enlarge scanned image of the said letter. "On this Thursday at 7pm, I will come to retrieve the Emerald's Heart. - Kaitou Kid" The screen suddenly turned back to the reporter again. "Let us now hear what the director of the museum have to say..."

Kaito turned away disinterestedly and glimpsed at Aoko from the corner of his eyes. She didn't have much reaction and was already poking into her steak.

"Your Dad's gonna be busy again." He broke the silence, just for the sake of it.

"Yeap." She answered plainly, and it was hard to notice any crack of emotion in her voice. But she was poking into her steak again, flipping it like she was intending to cook it for the second time.

He looked away, deciding he wouldn't be able to keep up the apathy-pretence if he continued to stare. His gaze settled onto the chocolate on the table, his eyes focused at it, as if it held the answers to the universe.

"Hey," He reached out for the chocolate and started twiddling with the wrapper. When he knew he had Aoko's attention, he continued. "Let's say there's a spell casted on this chocolate; If you name one thing you want to forget, the chocolate will grant it after you eat it." He then showed it towards Aoko. "What will you do if someone gives this to you?"

Her curious eyes blinked at him, and then at the chocolate. "What will I do...?"

"What do you want to forget the most?" He corrected and specified his question for her.

Aoko let out a breath that resembled a laugh. "What makes you think I'll choose to eat the chocolate?"

He shrugged and placed the chocolate back on the table. It was his turn to poke his steak. "I thought you would. There's bound to be things you want to forget." His eyes moved to the TV screen. "Like Kaitou Kid."

She straightened in alarm, her grasp around her utensils loosened. "Kaitou Kid?" She repeated, like the concept of Kaitou Kid was suddenly foreign and new to her. "What about him?"

"I mean-" He wasn't sure on how to react to Aoko's tense posture as he quickly gathered his thoughts and found an easy answer. "You hate him."

Her shoulders slacked and there was a second when he thought she was avoiding his gaze. "No. That doesn't mean I'll want to erase him from my memories."

"Why not?" He said in a heartbeat.

"It's partially because of him than I've become who I am today. If he's gone from my memory, than who will I be?" Aoko explained naturally, as though she was reading her answer off a memorized script. Kaito didn't have the time to fully register what she said before she spoke again. "Then what about you?" She asked and tilted her head. "Do you want to eat the chocolate?"

It was as though time stood still as Aoko looked at him with that genuine puzzlement in her eyes. The slight static and soft mumbles from the TV saved the room from enveloping into a cold silence, but their sync heartbeats, soft breaths, and every words that echoed in the house were more than enough. His fingers twitched, and he looked down to see their plates and hands resting on the table, almost touching.

No matter if he was running away from Aoko's mop in his school uniform or running away from Aoko's rage in his white uniform, both were irreplaceable moments. Even if she caused him any kind of pain, be it physically or mentally, there was no way in hell he would want to forget it, even if Akako thought it was better for his sake.

Likewise, he was who he was now because Aoko was there in his life and mind, too.

"I wouldn't, either."

The short silence was interrupted as Aoko exclaimed "Then I can have it then!" before stretching over the table, her fingers nearly touching the chocolate. He snatched it right in time, breaking her chance.

"No." He glowered back.

"Why can't I eat the chocolate?" She pouted. "It's not as if it's really casted with a spell."

You wouldn't want to know that, Ahouko. "I already said it's mine."

They returned to bickering over pointless things again. And it was always these pointless things that brought them closer than they were before.

.o.

Kaitou Kid sighed and stared at his watch.

It was five minutes past eight at night. The sky was too dark to determine how long the rain would last, though it didn't matter to him when he was already drenched from head to toe. His soaked suit was getting heavier and the wind was freezing his bone to its core, but he couldn't leave the dark, unsheltered alley to take cover, not until when he got the jewel out. Kid sighed again and rummaged through his tools before whipping out two screwdrivers.

Thinking his hang glider could overcome the drizzle, he escaped via flight and succeeded for a few kilometres before a sudden wind forced his wings to misbehave and the gem to slip out of his grasp and down, now stuck between two walls. It was glistering as raindrops hit the shiny, hard surface, as though taunting him for trying to steal it. He would have abandoned it and get some righteous policeman to discover the gem, but he hadn't checked if it was Pandora, so there was no other choice but to do the hard work himself.

He squatted down and began chipping the wall, the rain rinsing the dust and muting the knocking sound effectively. The cold made him sneeze once or twice as he grudgingly continued with a few sniffs.

Today just wasn't his day.

"What are you doing?"

Kid froze. He slowly turned to the entrance of the alley, where the familiar voice spoke. He had already passed beyond the highest level of surprise to achieve a complete shutdown of indifference and calm state.

Aoko was standing there, no longer in her raincoat, which she had used during her chase. She was donned in her normal attire, but now with a purple umbrella over her head. She looked at him, eyes curious for a second until everything dawned upon her when she spotted the jewel that was stuck between the bottom part of the two walls.

"I guess even a phantom has his own bad days." She remarked wryly.

"You shouldn't be here, Nakamori-san." Kid said, as well as representing the thoughts of Kuroba Kaito. "I'll be bad if you catch a cold."

"That goes for the same as you."

Knowing fully well that he wouldn't win over her stubbornness, he changed the conversation. "So, how did you find me?"

Aoko stared up at the sky and didn't answer until after a long while. "Instinct."

Right on the cue, the sirens of a few police cars grew louder as the wheels started passing puddles of water. When the sound of the splashes died down and the cars were far away enough, everything turned oddly silent, saved for the rain. Kid guessed Inspector Nakamori or Hakuba had blocked off the road of the streets, where he made his dive down to retrieve the jewel. Just great. He hoped no one else would find him here. He had enough trouble at hand, with the trapped jewel and Aoko.

"Are you going to turn me in?" He said as he thought of three escape plans while continuing his work with an air of nonchalance.

"No."

The amount of determination from her reply was the last thing he expected, accompanied with her answer, too. He couldn't keep his shoulders from tensing in surprise. "No?" He echoed lamely and scrutinized her from under the shadow of his damp hat.

She stepped forward and stood right next to him, so close to the point he could feel the heat coming from her. This was the first time he ever felt wary towards Aoko, and he couldn't understand or shake this feeling away. She knew what he was capable of, and he knew she wouldn't dare to pull a trick on him when her strength and stealth could never overpower his, but something... just didn't feel right. Was this what Hakuba meant? About Aoko being off during his heist?

The rain suddenly stopped. No, not because of the fabulous mother nature. He looked up to see the cause, to find the purple umbrella tilted over his head and sheltering him.

He peered at her with his mask of stone. She returned the same look.

"What are you doing?" He muttered, voice as cold and dry as ice.

Pitter-Patter

"No." Aoko's voice echoed in his mind as he recalled the conversation they had during their dinner a while ago. "That doesn't mean I'll want to erase him from my memories."

Pitter-Patter

"Do you even know what the hell you are doing?" He dropped his tools and stood up, his hat knocking the underside of her umbrella as he stepped away from her.

"I know." She finally replied, oddly unmoved.

Something sparked within him, giving him a rush of adrenaline. He didn't like the way Aoko was being so close to him, to Kaitou Kid. "You should leave if you're not going to catch me."

Another car swoosh past, its siren dying down again.

"Why? Because I'm boring to you?" She challenged. Now, a part of the feisty Nakamori Aoko he knew was back, but he still wasn't comfortable with her current presence. "What if I've decided to turn you in now?"

He looked at her as drips of water dropped from the brim of his hat. "You can try." Was all he said.

Before he was about to squat back down and continue his work, her eyes flickered to the gem before glancing up at him again. The slight hesitance in her steps made him wonder if she was really thinking of trying to stop him, until she suddenly shoved the umbrella's handle into his chest and ran away in the rain.

Too stunned to move, Kid watched her go, and his stupid, useless heart made one final plea before splitting in half as she was gone.

.o.

In the end, the jewel wasn't Pandora, not like Kid was anticipating it to be. He hadn't set his hopes high in a while.

He dumped his suit at Jii's bar, leaving his advance high-tech washing machine to deal with the mess. The rain hadn't died down, not a single bit, but Kuroba Kaito was now walking home, dressed in his new set of clothes while carrying the purple umbrella over his head, the only thing he didn't left behind as Kid.

Instead of prioritising his schedules and plans on the next gem he was going to steal, he thought of what happened an hour ago.

His grip around the handle tightened. What the hell was she even doing? Running in the rain like that and possibly catching a cold. That idiot. He considered visiting her later, as Kaito, with an excuse for borrowing her science homework to copy. It wasn't that late yet, and he guessed after that incident, Aoko couldn't have slept either. In fact, he guessed she hadn't been sleeping well in a long while.

He closed the umbrella, shaking it dry at his front door as he proceeded to unlock the door with his other hand. He hadn't thought of a proper way to dispose the evidence yet, so before that, he decided to keep it in Kid's secret room. Yes. That was what he should do.

The door swung open as he kept his keys inside his pocket as he entered his home. After the door slammed shut behind him, his house was soon trapped in its usual darkness and silence. But for the first time, Kaito found it more comforting than lonely. He hadn't felt like this in a long while, but no matter how great the feeling was, his sense of alert rose and his intuition was blaring red. He stopped in his track, hands by his sides and no longer reaching out for the light switches.

Why was there such a difference? Was there something, or someone in his-!

All of the sudden, the lights turned on, nearly blinding Kaito. He blinked rapidly and raised his arms in a defensive stance, preparing for the sudden attack until he stopped and-

"Aoko." He whispered, the same, unachievable calmness instantly took over his entire body. He lowered his gaze to the purple umbrella in his hand and with quick speed, hid it behind his body before looking up, wide eyes, scared, and-

"Don't bother, Bakaito." Aoko said, her hand falling back to her side after switching on the lights. She had changed out her clothes too, and her wet was still damp from her possible shower. "I know." She finally said in a steady breath (and he wondered if she had been practicing it for a while).

Kaito felt the back of his throat squeezed as his skin crawled in panic. Flashes, images, everything started obscuring his visions. What? How? When? Why? Many things and questions were exploding in his head, and Aoko, though, was patiently waiting for him to find back his voice to speak.

"H-How long," His grip loosened as he let the umbrella drop onto the ground, defeated. "How long since you'd found out?"

"It isn't a one, sudden thing." She released a heavy breath. "I just pieced many scattered moments and memories together and knew."

"So... all these time? You knew... Yet..." Kaito closed his eyes, wanting to just jump into a hole and never come out alive. He suddenly remembered the conversation he had with Hakuba quite a while ago, about how Aoko was expecting something from him. So all along, she was waiting for him to tell her the truth...?

He couldn't believe Hakuba realized it before he did. It was bloody pathetic.

Just how much and how long had he been lying to himself instead?

"It took me very long to accept everything." Aoko took a step closer towards him and the next. He didn't dare to move. "But I still want to know why; why you're doing all these." She glanced down and cautiously reached out to his stomach. Her fingers lingered over the exact place where the scar was, the scar he got when he jumped into the trap hole and saved her from getting stabbed by the shards of glasses. "Because I know you'll never hurt me, unless you have a damn good reason for doing so."

She was waiting for an answer and Kaito nodded, because that was all he could do to reply her. He turned his head and dropped his gaze.

"At first I was really angry at you; for pretending like nothing was wrong when you knew how much I hated Kid. But then it started to pain me instead, to know how it must have hurt you too," Aoko looked at him, eyes droopy and watery. "Why didn't you want to tell me?"

"I thought you'll leave." This was the first sentence he didn't stutter.

Her lips quivered when she heard what he said. "The only one who thinks it was okay for you to just up and leave... was you." Aoko took his hands and gave a squeeze. Her touch made his belly flutter, like a butterfly stretching its wings for the first time. "You thought I hated Kaitou Kid enough to leave. But you didn't understand how I love Kuroba Kaito more than enough to stay."

His heartbeat quickened.

"Kuroba Kaito, I love y-"

He didn't wait for her to finish as he plunged his lips into hers. He slowly twisted his hands till both of theirs intertwined together perfectly, like it was all meant to be.

The only reason he broke away was to catch his breath. "I wanted to do this since the last summer festival." He didn't hesitant to admit.

Aoko laughed, her voice sweet and honeyed, like her lips. "I know."

"You know?"

"I know." She repeated evenly.

"And you know that I love-?"

"I know." Aoko sheepishly pecked her lips onto his, her cheeks bloomed as red as a rose while she was at it. "Right now, I want you to go dry your hair before you start to tell me everything."

But he didn't move. Instead, he slowly wrapped his arms around her and laid his head onto her shoulder. "Give me three more seconds, like this, and then I'll go." He muffled into her collar.

She knew that he was cold, which was probably why she allowed him to nuzzle his face into the crook of her neck, even if it was all just an excuse to pull her closer to him. And she didn't mind, because to the both of them, it felt wonderful, this togetherness; everything.

Everything felt right.

They held each other for more than the promised three seconds, the neighbourhood girl and the magician thief, and many unsaid things passed between them; his secrets, her understanding, his daydreams about her and her wishes about him, all laid out like a jigsaw puzzle, ready to be pieced together once they decided to do.

Whatever that lay ahead in their future, Kaito had no idea how he would face them. But if Aoko was by his side, then that was all that mattered.

.end.

A/N:
awesome thief and adorable neighborhood girl... I like the gist of it hahaha
All I wanted was another Aoko-suspect-Kaito chapter and so I fulfiled my own wish by writing this 22.5k crap fic. The hints might be too subtle, so please forgive me and my puny brain that only knows how to write romance but is shitty with good plots.
Hope you guys like this *sweats nervously*