Hakuba Saguru... the popular half-Englishman-half-Japanese detective from overseas, as well as one of the good-lookers in Ekoda High school... sat in the classroom trying to take thorough notes of the latest KID heist; note the emphasis on trying.
Once again (and probably not the last time), ignoring the fervent stares he's receiving from his... fan-club.
He understood that, due to him having mixed blood, the facial features of a Japanese with a gene dominant of giving him blond hair, causes Saguru to stand out amongst the Japanese populous; hence, becoming eye-candy for those romantics. Though he's flattered by the attention he's receiving, he didn't quite like the fact he's being seen at face-value over his talents as a detective.
But seriously, he's been at Ekoda for two years already; they should be used to his appearance and gotten over it. That way, he could put all his attention on keeping his eyes on a suspect who's Kaito KID.
'Speaking of...' the door to the classroom opened letting said suspect enter doing a happy dance (successfully ditching the angry mob of students downstairs where the art room was located). It's obvious that Kaito and Kaitou KID are one and the same: both are magicians and both can infuriate people with ease. However, there is one fact keeping Saguru from handcuffing the magician classmate...
He has no proof.
Sure, he tried to prove it once... it ended in failure as Two Kaitou KID's appeared; one is the unmasked citizen form, while the other was on the roof moonlighting with the notified steal in his hand. How that worked, he did not know... 'Unless he has an assistant,' Saguru thought only groaning as he realized (again) that there is no proof, putting him back to square one.
Brown locked with blue. The detective's eye couldn't help but twitch as the familiar gleam in the magician's eyes. He knew full well on what was going in that head of his.
'Don't start laughing Kaito. Don't think about last nights heist,' Kaito thought to himself, forgetting everything that had happened at the entrance in an attempt to hold his poker-face in place as he saw the detective.
It was during the heist, and KID was running from the police and detective. Making sure to jump and jetted over the floor he had painted with gum and did a delicate detail work to make it look like the floor. It was a sticky job but it did its trick perfectly as the first man ran over it and stopped as the retraction of the gum to his shoe. As soon as the twenty policemen understood it was too late as they were treading on the gum floor and landed face down at the sudden retraction. Saguru would have been in the same position as them if it wasn't for his fast reaction.
The Inspector, unfortunately, was not so lucky. Although he's fit, his body didn't respond like it used to when he was in his primes. So to try to do the same that the teen detective, it didn't work out leading to him coming short on his jump. Nakimori's body reacted immediately, grabbing the nearest object in order to decrease harm. And that unfortunate object happened to be... Saguru's pants.
You get the rest.
'Must. Not. Laugh,' Kaito continued to mantra thinking his mask would crack any minute.
"Kuroba-kun, hurry inside so I can start class," the teacher came up behind him quickly drowned out the urge of laughter with his sour face, much to his relief. The magician smiled at the teacher. A second later, with a puff of smoke, doves landed on the teacher's shoulder and Kaito in his seat. Unfortunately, it's in front of the detective so the whole mantra of not laughing returned, backing him onto the edge. The teacher really wanted to lecture the magician, as he went over to the windows and opened them to let the doves fly out, but he had other business to attend to.
"Alright everyone, settle down. I want to introduce some transferees from Italy. Come in!" on cue, two girls came in; one, much to Aoko's and Kaito's shock, is the girl with the eyepatch they met this morning. She stood nervously, slightly hiding behind the other transfer student.
The other, looking much younger than them, didn't mind at all being used as a shield. She looked like a porcelain doll, even with the strange yellow flower-like pattern under her left eye. With her deep blue eyes gleaming deep and clear; her long dark-green hair pulled up into a ponytail while the shorter strands crowned her heart-shaped face; At first, she seemed like a small person, but the longer people gazed at her bright friendly smile, they couldn't help to feel drawn.
"These two are Chrome Dokuro and Giglio Yuni. Giglio-san has jumped a few grades so understand she is younger so help her out," the teacher started as each girl acknowledged their names ignoring the many murmurs from his class. "You two can sit next to the two empty seats in the back."
"Thank you sensei," Yuni bowed taking the girl with her. As she passed by Kaito, Aoko, and then to Hakuba. She smiled at the Detective warmly before a piece of paper 'dropped' onto his desk as she continued to her seat. Raised brow, Saguru picked it up and almost called out to her, however, he stopped seeing his name spelled across in a neat fashion. He eyed over to the back catching her gaze once again at him with another bright smile.
He turned away to meet with another grin he knew too well on the face of the suspected thief. "What do you want Kuroba?"
"Just want to ask if you are a Loli-con. I didn't know you were into little kids," he commented back doubling the size of the grin when Saguru started sputtering in denial with a flushed face. Kaito would have continued to annoy the detective if it wasn't for his head being smacked with the backside of the teacher's clipboard.
"Face forward Kuroba-kun, and hands out of your pockets to where I can see them," he said continuing on down the list of attendances not bothering to lecture anymore when he saw the immature tongue-out from the corner of his eyes.
Saguru sighed as he composed himself again, though keeping alert for any oncoming smoke bombs or tricks from the bored magician, and put his attention towards the titled paper. Quickly, as the teacher turned away, he opened it and blinked. On the paper, written in elegant writing:
"We need your help. And it's not a choice you can make with the current circumstances. Why don't we talk?"
With one last look towards the two transferred girls, who were eagerly writing notes as the lecture began, he pushed the note into his pocket before listening to the teacher's explanation on DNA.
... After school ...
Once the bell had rung, despite his embarrassment of being watched as he did so; Saguru composedly stood up (one which would have made Kaitou KID proud) and readily waking up to the transfer students who were being surrounded by curious classmates. The said KID, Aoko, and self-proclaimed witch, Akako, watched as the British Detective cut through the crowd and spoke for a few minutes with them before they too stood up. Everyone watched as the three of them left the room leaving their bags on their desk.
"What's going on, Keiko?" Aoko asked as a girl with two tied up pigtails almost dazzlingly walking up to them.
"Hakuba wanted to talk to them on the rooftops," she said looking off to space. "I wish I was in that triangle relationship."
"What!?" one of the students eavesdropping nearby exclaimed, bringing everyone's attention to the little group. That one student ran up into her personal space. "Do they have a relationship trouble with Hakuba-san?"
"I-I don't really know..." Keiko stuttered stepping up further into the desk she was sitting on. "It's just that I saw a piece of paper addressed to him."
Before anyone could press up against her any further an explosion erupted surprising everyone with sugar confetti. "Now that's something I got to see!" Kaito yelled over the coughing students that inhaled the sweet sprinkles that had surrounded them.
"Ah, Kaito!" Aoko, who knew the smoke bomb was coming, unsuccessfully moved through the crowd, watching as her childhood friend running out of the door leaving the mess he created for them to clean up.
.... Rooftops...
"So, what is the reason for this meeting Hakuba-san?" Yuni said innocently to the pensive Saguru.
"That's what I want to ask," he said slowly lifting up the piece of paper up, making sure that the note that was written on it facing the two girls. "Giving me such a note saying, 'not a choice you can make with the current circumstances,' is not a laughable joke." He folded the paper back into his pocket. "It doesn't make any sense for you two to transfer into our school just so that you can give me a note or other purposes you have."
"But there is a reason... one of them, that are too sensitive for other people to hear," she replied not denying a single word, face serious with no hint of the child smile he had seen before this point. "And others that put many lives at stake."
Saguru's eyebrow twitched. Out of everything that he knew currently only one thing... or one notorious thief... that was considered 'sensitive' for people to hear. If they did have evidence of the magician's identity, then they wouldn't have gone through the trouble to come to Ekoda. Instead, they would have given it to the Special Investigator of the Kaitou KID Team, Nakamori-keibu, but they didn't. And for there to be anybody's life at stake, it would be the thief's who's been playing around with some snipers in recent events.
'Come to think of it,' Saguru thought, relaying the events of the heists that he had been a part of and heard from the media and the specialized inspector himself. 'When did the idiot start dancing with these snipers? Did he anger someone to the extent of wanting KID's death?' he went further to the beginning of the appearance of Kaitou KID. 'The first time he returned, after eight years of disappearance, KID came after random items. But after the 'Blue-Birthday' Heist he's been going after mostly gems. And on every case of those gems, the snipers arrive then disappear without the notice of the police.'
Suddenly a yelp from behind broke him out of deep thought. Looking up, he realized Chrome had left her post to behind him where the door was, and opened it... there, a scene that he was sure he would not forget. The usual brave like Kaito jumped outside and closing the door behind him. With the little sunlight the clouds letting through, Saguru blinked as he caught a glimpse of what seems to be... a floating fish before the door closed on it.
"N-nightmare.... Definitely an n-nightmare...." Kaito muttered hyperventilating on the wall next to the door. "F-fi-finny things... c-can't f-float in t-the air..." Both Chrome, back in her spot, and Yuni giggled snapping the frightened Kaito out of his daze replacing it with his poker face.
"What are you doing here Kuroba?" Saguru sighed, pushing the thought aside or find himself declare becoming delusional.
"I was curious," Kaito said with a grin and walking over to him, acknowledging the two girls for a moment. "I didn't want to miss out on the confession of our smitten British Detective. So," a small explosion occurred in his hand and a small camcorder appeared, on and readily pointing it at them. "I'm going to record your confession to her... umm them... and show it to everyone."
"Though I don't mind if you record, I don't think you would want your identity to be known to other people," Yuni said stopping the teen's motion to pressing the play button.
"What are you talking about Yuni-chan?" Kaito questioned innocently quickly glancing at Saguru for any signs of interest in the conversation. At first, his attention was that of a smirk, but it quickly went up a few notches to disbelief after the next sentence... even catching the British-detectives attention.
"Kudo Shinichi has also decided to attend the meeting with us early tomorrow morning since he is hiding out near the location."
"Wait, Kudo Shinichi as in the famous detective that is said to be missing...?" Saguru exclaimed looking at the girls. "He's involved in this matter as well?!"
"We cannot disclose any more info out here, but there is a place we can talk," Chrome spoke up softly, stepping up. "Only if you agree of course. I have already talked to Kuroba-san this morning about it and I doubt he will not decline this offer." The British Detective didn't pause for a second to look towards the magician's way incredulously. He looked like he was about to run up and shake the poor magician if Yuni didn't step in-between them.
"If you wish to know more then come with Kuroba to the location," she said towards Hakuba's glare. "All of your questions will be answered; as well explain what has been happening under your nose." Kaito smiled back when she turned with an apologetic smile, and eyes telling him that she knows of his uptake of the role as a thief. She turned back to the detective. "As I said before, lives are at stake, and the Metropolitan Police are not someone that my people can just come up to for help. Besides, we really can't go to them regardless since the enemy had infiltrated it."
'Should I as-'
"If you can't go to the police then who exactly are your people?" Saguru asked asking the question Kaito's been afraid of asking.
Chrome walked over to the younger girl and dropped to her ear level to speak. "What should we say Yuni-san? You know that Boss does not like forcing people. If we tell them they will feel like they can't go back."
"Though he told us not to threaten them I had to write the note in an urgency fashion otherwise the detective wouldn't come," she replied back with a well-practiced quietness that even Kaito couldn't pick it up. "If we hide who we are, we won't be able to gain their trust." The two went silent and nodded in agreement.
"Well? Who are your people?" Saguru asked again. Kaito swallowed a lump forming as his guts started churning; it was telling him that whatever is going to come out of their mouths it would be bad. And with his sensitivity to trouble as a thief this was probably worse.
"Though I look like a child, I am the boss of a Famiglia that is in an alliance with a much larger Famiglia..." Yuni said not surprised to see some form of shock on their faces; "In other words... the Mafi-" she stopped when her phones vibrations were being made in her uniform pocket. Apologizing she turned away to speak with the person on the other side of the line. Even though she didn't say the complete word the two knew exactly what she was saying.
"M-mafia... seriously..." Kaito laughed nervously mostly to himself.
"And what is the name of the Famiglia are we going to meet at this location?" Saguru questioned hoping that the most notorious in any of the authorities list was not the one, either of them, was going to mention.
"There are others there as allies, but the main one is Vongola," Chrome said taking over the explanation. "And I am one of the Guardians; the female-half-Mist Guardian."
"Well, we said everything that we wanted and I hope to see you two there along with the others that are going to be gathered tomorrow," Yuni said quickly putting the phone back to where she got it from and taking the other girl's hand towards the roof's door into the school. "I have a meeting to attend to, ciao."
The two didn't even bother to stop them as they passed and the door closing behind them. Saguru and Kaito only glanced at each other in awkward silence.
'Great... first I was dealing with Snake, secondly with meitantei; now I am being recruited into a Mafia mission... and not just any Mafia but the Vongola who has been called the Apocalypse itself. I seriously need to stop playing with that little critic with all of his troublesome luck he always gives me,' Kaito mentally complained, holding back the urge to hit his head. 'To add to my troubles, Hakuba knows that I'm involved in all of this and I have no way to deny anything.'
"Kuroba," The said thief stiffened at his name. "When should we meet?"
"Eh?" he intelligently replied as he was too shocked at the acceptance to put up his poker face. "T-Tomorrow at seven... in front of the Ekoda station... We'll be going to Beika..."
"Then I will meet you then," was all Saguru said, as he started down the stairs.
"... That's it...?" Kaito followed down the stairs and into the now empty hallway. "Y-you aren't even going to interrogate me?"
The other turned around with half-moon stare. "Would you rather have me handcuff you to a chair and start interrogating now?"
"N-no... that's okay..." the magician stuttered sheepishly stepping back.
"Thought so," he turned around and started into the classroom for his bag. "Besides, I want to hear everything and with the time we have now it's impossible. That includes your involvement to Kudo-san. I'm kind of interested in where he has been for almost two years of absence."
"Hah~ Sure you do," Kaito answered inattentively half in thought on how tantei-kun had allowed himself to ally with the mafia, a quart of it cursing him for dragging him in (not that he minded of course), and the other searching for all his textbooks. All of this was what caused his usual cool composure to lead to the spoken out thoughts.
"Especially since you have been talking to him like a little kid," he froze midway from placing his books into his bag, realizing his mistake. Though he wished the muttering next to him had stopped, the comment he just blurted out wasn't supposed to be the magic words. Turning his head slightly to the left he smiled innocently at the wide eyed British detective, "Umm... I wasn't supposed to say that yet."
"When you said 'little kid' I know of only one kid in Beika. And he lives with that Famous Sleeping Kogoro... are you saying he's Kudo Shinichi!?" he exclaimed.
"... Umm... no?" Kaito unsurely said. The British detective stepped towards him with a hard gaze.
"Maybe we should have that interrogation..."
'Oh, crap...' Seeing the danger coming he threw a smoke bomb onto the floor and rushed out of the room with all of his stuff.
"Kuroba, explain!" Saguru yelled, luckily taking his bag, as he tried to follow the now uncovered thief down the steps two at a time.
"Wait for tomorrow!" he yelled back when they finally exited the building. "See you at Ekoda station!" and with a click of a button on his shoes he rolled down the street towards home.
Saguru stopped running to catch his breath as Kaito disappeared around the corner. An image of a serious and deducting Conan, now to be revealed Kudo, came to mind.
"I have a headache... and I think tomorrow it'll get worse."