40Someone Out of Town
A dream is just a dream; it means nothing and has no relation to the real world. That is, if you aren't dreaming about someone else's memories. SoulMate-ish!AU
Oh my god, I see you clearly now.
In my dreams you're here with me somehow.
Call my name and I won't make a sound.
I'm in love with someone out of town.
- Yuna , Someone Out of Town
Aoko knew what she had signed up for the moment she first joined Kudo Shinichi's Special Task Force to put down the Black Organization. The legendary detective, after all, had been constantly urging anyone who couldn't afford to sacrifice their time and life to leave the squad until the big operation was over. Although he didn't go into details about why they were dangerous, Aoko knew it since the day Kaitou Kid died under the hands of the same Black Organization three years ago.
Her stakes were high.
As the sound of running footsteps steadily became louder and louder, Aoko shifted her weight between her legs, toes numb and dangling over the ledge of the roof. Her head was empty with no ideas of escape, but at least she knew how she was going to die; Either with shattered bones at the bottom of the building or a bullet through her skull. Different ways, but same outcome.
Death, was the only way out—
—Until when she suddenly felt a hand grabbing her waist and pulling her into a side hug. The tight grip around her body only gave her the freedom to move her head, which she did as she turned to glare at the culprit of her surprise with wide, blue eyes.
"You-!"
The man, nonchalant to her piercing gaze, only pulled the brim of his black cap down to hide his features for Aoko to see.
Even though he was donned in the signature colour, Aoko's instinct told her he wasn't related to the Black Organization. But still, she couldn't determine if he was a friend or a foe based on that. She tried to struggle out of his grip. "Let go of m–"
He was too strong for her meaningless effort. "You can thank me later."
Aoko would have laughed if her heart wasn't about to jump out of her mouth right now. "I won't thank you for anything-!"
Before she could finish her sentence, he jumped, and the only thing that welcomed her next was darkness.
.o.
"We'll continue to monitor her until tonight." The doctor switched his torch off and slipped it into coat's pocket. Aoko rubbed her eyes, seeing stars in her vision. "If all is well, she can be discharged by tomorrow."
"Thank you doctor." Her father bowed and made way for the doctor and nurse to leave the ward. The door hadn't closed for two seconds and he turned back to Aoko, with a gaze that only she recognized as warm. "Do you want anything to eat?"
"The nurse said she's going to bring me some bread."
"The bread here tastes like rock. I'll go buy some food for you." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned to Shinichi, who was quietly standing at the corner the entire time. "Look after her for me."
"Yes, sir."
With a few quick steps, her father was out of the ward.
Aoko looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. "Isn't the trial today?"
"Yeah, in two hours' time. I'll leave by then." Shinichi said coolly and grabbed a nearby stool. He sat heavily on it, almost like he was attempting to break it. "Besides, your dad told me to look after you. I want to keep that promise after breaking it the first time."
"I'm fine."
"Are you?" Shinichi said solemnly and gestured a wave over her bed. "I did say this mission might risk your life, but it doesn't mean I'm sending you in to kill yourself."
"I–"
"At least you're in one piece." He sighed, catching Aoko off guard (She was expecting a longer lecture). "And that's all I care about, including the twenty-page report you'll be writing in to me by the end of next week."
"Twenty pages might not be enough."
He raised an eyebrow.
"A man saved me." Aoko paused, trying to read Shinichi's features as he stared back at her impassively. She was hoping for a flinch, or any tiny movement, just so to prove her theory right. But judging from his body language, it was as though he was expecting this, along with the next question she was about to ask: "You know him, don't you?"
Shinichi sighed. "I thought you forgot to ask."
"You were hoping I wouldn't ask." Aoko said. She didn't know where her courage came from to bluntly state her observation, but she continued like nothing happened, while pretending to not notice Shinichi slightly widened eyes too. "He's not like any police officer I've met. Is he an undercover?"
"He's not a friend, but not an enemy either." Shinichi let the silence linger, allowing Aoko to register his words into her brain. "And that's all you need to know."
Aoko understood Shinichi's implications. She knew the rules and whatnots of confidentiality and secrecy issues in the Force, and pressuring for an answer would just lead her to nowhere.
Giving an inward sigh, she decided to trust Shinichi and his judgement. After all, the reason why she was alive was thanks to the very judgement Shinichi had towards that guy.
"I thought I could thank him." Aoko's stomach gave a funny lurch at her own words, but she continued before giving her feelings much thought. "Even though he forced me to jump off a building, he saved me."
The corners of Shinichi's lips tugged, and Aoko thought she caught some sign of relief in his eyes. "As for that, I can transfer the message for y–"
The door suddenly slid open, cutting Shinichi's words to an end. They both watched her father marching into the room with a take-away bag before Shinichi stood up from his chair, helping to pull an overbed table for her father to settle the packed food before her.
"There's nothing much in the canteen, but I guess this is the best option." Her father said, his tone conflicted between proud and hesitance as he passed a spoon to her. "Rice porridge."
"Thank you for the food." Aoko said and dug in, her mouth nearly bursting from her first, big bite. She was honestly too hungry to care about her image in front of the two men she had high respect for, but when her second scoop of porridge contained a weird-looking white substance that slowly fell off the spoon and into the bowl, she gulped and turned away, much to her disgust.
"What's wrong?" Her father asked in mild concern.
"Is this..." Her throat squeezed as the next word came out with a squeak. "Fish?"
"Yeah." He frowned and looked over at the bowl of rice porridge.
"I-I don't want it." Aoko pushed the bowl away and leaned back against the bed, her appetite gone like magic.
"You don't want it? Then what do you want to eat?"
Fish was one of her favourite food, but even thinking about the scaly thing in her head made her as uncomfortable as standing in a pit of lizards. It was that horrible. "I'll just have the bread."
"Are you alright?" Shinichi raised an eyebrow. Even the blind could sense her discomfort.
"I'm fine." She forced an reassuring smile and turned to her father, though her efforts faltered by the next second. "I'm sorry for the wasted trip."
"Doesn't matter. I'll save it for my dinner later."
Aoko nodded reluctantly in reply. She gave one last look as her father packed the food before glancing away, her chest feeling uneasy again. It wasn't just the guilt of rejecting her father's effort; there was something more to it, but she couldn't figure out what it was.
Maybe it had to do with the hit on her head.
.o.
"Hmmmmm... Hmmm..."
This song, which Kaito didn't know where he heard on earth before, had been stuck in his head since this morning.
It could be from a passing radio or somebody's ringtone, but the tune was distinct in his mind, as if he'd listened to it for a thousand times. His foot tapped with the beat as his body started to sway with his humming. His cup noodle was cooked perfectly, all the stray cats responded to his calls and he had enough loose coins to buy his favourite ice cream. Everything was great today, and naturally, the song came to him.
"I'm surprised."
Kaito glanced over his shoulder, watching Shinichi walking across the roof and towards the ledge where he was leaning on and admiring the view since ten minutes ago. He waited for the detective to reach his side before proclaiming his curiosity. "Surprised for?" He drawled, while hoping Shinichi didn't hear his embarrassing humming just now. He intended to leave with a good reputation.
"Surprised that you're not dressed up as a woman today." Shinichi gave him a once over. "I noticed you have a fetish for that."
"I don't dress up as any woman, if you noticed too." Kaito winked under the disguise of a middle-aged man. And being in that form, the wink was mildly disturbing. "Your wife's great skin complexion makes it easier for me to mould the wax." He continued.
Shinichi's glare could almost burn through Kaito's mask. Heaving out an irritated sigh, Shinichi gave up the stupid eye-contact contest and took out a bulky envelope out from his inner suit.
Kaito gloved his hands and took the envelope, flicking the seal flap open to look inside. At the bottom of the envelope was the promised jewel; its shiny surface radiating a special kind of pinkish red light, acting as if it was protecting the jewel from danger. He had held over a hundred of heists, and this was the first time he came across a jewel that could do such a thing.
After all the research and confrontation with Snake, he didn't really need the moon to confirm if it was what he wanted.
"Is it the one you're looking for?"
"You should be worrying about yourself instead." Kaito sealed the envelope and waved it for emphasis. "Aren't you risking your career for this?"
"I think you're the only appropriate person who knows what to do with it." Shinichi gave him a knowing look when Kaito tried to feign oblivious. "And it's quite a fair exchange, given that you risked your life for this operation, and even saved one of my subordinates."
With the mention of that feisty woman, he thought it was finally appropriate to ask the question he had been thinking about after he left her under a tree without sounding like he cared, even if he really did (Not very reputable for a man who claimed to hate any ties). "How's she?"
"Already back in the Force."
"I see." He unconsciously relaxed and stuffed the envelope inside his jacket. Falling was his forte, but his landing sucked. He wondered if that woman received any bruises too, although he probably suffered more when he shielded her from hitting the trees at the bottom of the building.
"She wanted to say thank you." Shinichi added.
Kaito lifted an eyebrow. "Really?"
This was probably the only mystery Shinichi couldn't solve by himself in his life. "Why would you doubt that?" He asked, puzzled.
/ "I won't thank you for anything." /
Though Kaito didn't have a chance to take a good look at the woman's face, he was pretty sure her voice and tone sounded nothing close to gratitude. The thought of their short conversation still amused him till today, but it shouldn't matter to him anymore. Or at all. "Nothing." He shrugged.
"Then..." Shinichi cleared his throat and gave him a quick glance. "Is Kaitou Kid officially retired?"
"Kaitou Kid died three years ago." Kaito said flatly. He didn't like saying it, much less thinking about how the real one did die, but more than a decade ago. Besides, he had already decided to quit playing around with his alter ego because–
"Then what about you? You, as in you." Shinichi pointed at Kaito, as if that would make his reference a bit more clearer.
"What about me?" Kaito tilted his head, looking admirably innocent at it.
"Considered carving a new career?" Shinichi said casually. "Your skillsets are a perfect fit for an undercover–"
Kaito laughed. "No thanks. And I doubt your human resource department would appreciate my resume." With that, he slipped a smoke bomb and disappeared after Shinichi's fits of angry coughs.
This was probably the last time he could enjoy hearing them anyway.
.o.
"Hmmmmm... Hmmm..."
Only a week had passed since Aoko came back to work and she'd been to more press conferences than the number of times she ever did after joining the Force. The success of the operation had really changed the world and saved more lives than she ever expected, and she couldn't be more than happy everyday, even if she had to sit through hours and hours of babbling journalists and never-ending trials.
(It was like a domino effect. Once the first and biggest threat toppled, the rest followed the same; They managed to sniff out a couple more smaller criminal organization that were lead by the Black Organization, and all of those were wiped out too. One of it, Aoko remembered, had to do with smuggling and stealing of Big Jewels from all over the world).
"Hmmmmm... Hmmm..."
"What's that song you're humming to?"
Aoko nearly jumped. She turned and blinked at Shinichi, who was looking at her with a fond smile before tapping his pass over the printer machine she just finished using. She shuffled her freshly-printed papers embarrassingly, hoping to hide the small blush on her cheeks.
Besides the joy that came from the BO's downfall, her toasts were perfect, her bus was on time and the rain only started the moment she entered the headquarters. Everything was great today, so naturally, her choice of song to play in her head would be something uplifting and one of her favourites too.
"I'm in Love with a Girl by Big Star." She finally regained her composure to answer. "It's quite an old pop music."
"Ah, I see." Shinichi nodded his head and pressed a couple of buttons before the machine roared to life. "Didn't know that he's into old pop music." He muttered, almost to himself.
"Who?" Aoko tilted her head, almost sounding and looking like an owl
"An acquaintance of mine." An amused look settled in Shinichi's eyes. "I caught him humming the same song as you the other day I met him."
Aoko wasn't sure what to respond. The fact that knowing someone hummed to the same song was already surprising enough, but to also get caught by Shinichi while doing so? She wasn't sure what to call this besides a bizarre, silly coincidence.
"It's hard to find someone with similar music taste these days." She casually commented, and continued before she could register the words that left her mouth. "I hope I can meet him one day."
(In all honestly, she had no bloody idea why she said what she'd said, but seeing how Shinichi returned a smile, she was relieved from the thought that she was being... weird)
"Maybe you already did." Was all he replied as he collected his printed paper before leaving the very dumbfounded-looking Aoko standing by the printer alone.
.o.
Apparently, Kaito's plan for retirement wasn't going as well as he thought.
As he swerved his motorbike to the right and into a narrow alley, where the large jeeps and cars that were chasing him couldn't access through, a bullet hit his windshield, shattering the thin glass to bits. Kaito growled under his breath. He cleaned it just this goddamn morning.
He reached the other end of the alley within seconds and was on the main road again. The jeeps and cars were nowhere to be seen, but Kaito dared not take the risk. He continued at high speed, and made a couple of complicated twist and turns around other cars to make sure he shrugged off all the pursuers.
"Where are we going?" Hakuba, who was sitting behind Kaito during the entire commotion, yelled over the loud wind.
Kaito looked over his shoulder and gave a millisecond glance at Hakuba's bloodied arm. He turned back to the road.
"To the hospital, where else."
"You don't have to." From the corner of Kaito's eyes, Hakuba's raised arm pointed at an empty underpass just ahead. "Just drop me off in front."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
After Kaito slowed the motorbike to a stop under the underpass, he leaned its weight slightly to a side so Hakuba could get off. He remained in his seat with his helmet over his head. He had no intention to stay long anyway.
"I thought you wouldn't come." Hakuba said, pressing a hand over his blood-stained sleeve as a small smirk danced on his lips. "It felt like a gamble with death when I sent you the text message."
"I don't want Akako to hex me."
Hakuba chuckled. "You should really consider my proposition."
Kaito's eyes flickered to Hakuba's arm again before looking at his shattered windshield. "No."
Even though he was thankful that Hakuba kept to his promise and didn't expose his identity to anyone else (especially Shinichi), he wasn't going to consider it a debt that needed to be repaid. He had already made it clear to Hakuba about his zero interest in helping them full-time after he threw the shattered pieces of Pandora into a fire, and he wasn't going to say it again.
No one seemed to understand how much damage he, as Kaitou Kid, had done.
"You can send me the bill for that." Hakuba said, breaking the short silence as he gestured his head at the motorbike.
"I will even if you didn't ask." Kaito sneered and looked around the quiet and empty street. "And are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"
"I've contacted a subordinate to pick me up here." Hakuba explained. "I think you wouldn't appreciate getting yourself questioned by the staff about the gunshot wound on my arm, right?"
"Yes. You understand me so well." Kaito's fake smile didn't last more than two seconds. "If you can contact your subordinate, why did you contact me?" He scowled.
Hakuba sighed and sent a brief, withering look to Kaito. "Because, tragically, you are the only one capable to reach the fastest, even if I texted you last out of everyone."
"I'm sure Akako is faster than me."
"Oh yes she is." Hakuba nodded proudly. "But I don't want her hurt, you see. Though she's powerful, I love her very much. And I–"
Kaito almost wanted to take his helmet off to show how disgusted he was. "I don't want or need you to describe your love story." He retched.
The smugness on Hakuba's face looked a lot more intended than it seemed. The only thing that distracted Kaito enough from plotting Hakuba's death was the sound of a car approaching towards them. Kaito half-turned, his feet hovered over his motorbike pedal and just a step away from speeding off.
"My ride's here." Hakuba said.
In a second after the unfamiliar car came to a stop behind Kaito's motorbike, a frantic, young-looking man leapt out of the car and ran over to Hakuba, his face contorted with worry.
"Sir! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Just a minor hiccup during the investigation." Hakuba reassured, while ironically putting pressure onto his arm to stop his blood from flowing.
The rookie was obviously not convinced, but his concerns were forgotten as he observed Kaito incredulously. "This is...?"
Before Hakuba could reply, Kaito started the engine, his motorbike roaring to life as he sped off without waiting for Hakuba's answer or biding a goodbye. He had no interest in doing those two pointless things anyway.
A good ten minutes of driving down random streets later, Kaito changed his motorbike plate number in a secluded alley he found, a systematic habit he cultivated since the day he got the motorbike for his night job. Though a hassle, it was necessary, if he wanted to drive back home with a peace of mind that his pursuers wasn't going to knock on his door with guns and knives.
He parked the motorbike in his garage and entered his house, kicking his shoes into the cabinet and tossing his helmet onto the couch before heading up the stairs.
The first thing he did after entering his room was to slump onto a chair and stare out of his window, allowing his intricate mind drifting to a blank. The sky was filled with grey clouds, and a faint, sweet aroma of the ozone filled his nose. He should take a hot shower or continue his tricks' practices (which he was in the midst of doing before receiving Hakuba's emergency text), but he had no mood for either. His weariness alone was enough to knock him into a deep sleep, and the weather was a good bonus for it.
Yes. Sleep was better. It had always been better.
He dug himself deeper into chair and closed his eyes, listening to the howling wind hitting his window like a lullaby.
.
Two legs were stretched out on a bed.
A bunny soft toy was placed by the side, leaning on peach-coloured walls.
Long, slender fingers reached out for the bunny.
Fingers slowly curled around and stroked the ear.
'Pitter Patter'
Heavy rain was thumping against a large window across the room.
A lightning strike in the distant.
Cold.
A hand grabbed a yellow blanket.
Blanket pulled up to chest.
Still cold.
A sniff.
A glance across the room.
Empty and cold.
.
Kaito flung open his eyes.
The jolt almost sprained his neck, and he gave a low groan as he rubbed the pounding soreness at the back of his head. He massaged his neck for a few more times before turning to stare at the rain hammering against his glass pane.
For the first time, the therapeutical sound of rain didn't comfort him as much as how it once used to do. The drowsiness was long gone, and his sense of alert was as high as his ceiling, but he couldn't understand what was making him wary.
His eyes slowly travelled past his room, taking in the surrounding as if he just saw his room for the first time; His walls were white, his blanket was blue and he had never put soft toys on his bed in his life. Nothing in his room looked like what he dreamt, yet there was something similar to it...
It was empty, and cold too.
.o.
Aoko was very sure she'd never been to this part of the town before.
No, she wasn't lost, but just bewildered at how her thoughts had stretched to not realize she'd walked so far. It was supposed to be a short night stroll, but judging from the navigation app she installed in her phone, the district she stumbled upon was at least a few streets away from the ramen restaurant she ate at after work.
The street was quiet despite it being half past seven in the evening, though it didn't take Aoko long to realize why. There wasn't much attractions and shops here, compared to the other part of the town, where all the clothes stores, arcade and restaurants were (It would, perhaps, get popular and busier within an hour or two, since the only thing that lined down this street were pubs and clubs).
But for some reason or another, she felt as though she'd been here a thousand times in her life; The crack lines on the ground looked familiar, and she managed to skip just in time to avoid a hump she didn't know existed. Her instinct was pestering her brain to turn back and get out of this unknown place, but her body wasn't acting accordingly.
And as if things couldn't get any weirder, her feet suddenly stopped on its own. She looked up, wondering what to expect of her surrounding, until her attention fell upon a small and least eye-catching bar next to her.
the Blue Parrot.
Though the name was quite interesting and out of the norm, it wasn't enough to garner the desire to get a drink. Even if she was thirsty (which she was, with all the walking), she would rather get mineral water from some vending machine. But something inside her reacted again, and simultaneously, her possessed legs shuffled forward and pushed the glass door open. The bell twinkled to announce her arrival, and she nearly jumped when she heard a voice.
"Welcome." An old man, probably age nearing seventy, said and gave a nod behind the bar counter. He set a wine glass down before taking another to clean.
Though she rarely joined her colleagues to go to bars for drinks, she'd raided enough to know how it should look and smell like. But it wasn't close to what she imagined. No scent of spilt beers or smoke. No fancy lights and racks of expensive wines bottles for show offs. It was simple, clean, and everything that Aoko liked it to be (She was finding this place nearly as comforting as her home. Nearly).
She tentatively trudged inside, her eyes glancing past a few men playing billiards among themselves at the other side of the bar. Her legs were acting up again, and she found herself propped up on a highchair by the bar counter in a matter of seconds.
The old man still had a gentle smiling look on his face. His spectacles made him look wise, and his hair was grey and thin. For some unknown reason, her heart gave a tiny squeeze, and it was the first and only thing she recognized and remembered having before; it often happened whenever she visited her father and saw the faint wrinkle lines on his forehead...
This was getting out of hand. Though Aoko knew it was pointless, she slightly shook her head, trying to get rid of the random and probably irrelevant thoughts.
"Miss, are you alright?" The old man asked, noticing her odd behaviour.
His voice was calming enough to sooth the edginess within her, but it ironically made her anxious again. She had spent three years honing her skills to keep her guard up, yet all her trainings seemed to have gone down the drain right now; She was unnaturally comfortable with a man she barely knew, and the odd familiarity of the surrounding wasn't helping to ease her tension.
Instead of coming up with a response that fitted his question of concern, she asked:
"Have we... met before?"
The question definitely came out of the blue, and she wasn't surprised to see the slight confusion in his eyes. But she willed herself to not take back the question and waited patiently for the old man to regain his composure to answer (Maybe she had accidentally come in here drunk before. Maybe she had raided this bar a long time ago before. Just any reason that could solve the head-aching confusions would be good enough).
"I can't say so." The old man finally responded and scratched the side of his face sheepishly. "Because even if we did, I can't really recall. My memory isn't good these days, sorry."
Aoko quickly waved her hands. "Oh it's perfectly alright! I should be the one apologising for that random question." She tried to sound as chirpy as possible, to prevent her disappointment from slipping inside her tone.
His smile was warm. "I'll make sure to remember a fine lady like you from now on."
Compliments about her looks were hard to come by; Aoko didn't have the time to care about her appearance when the Black Organization was still active. But now things were less busier... She wondered when was the last time she had a good hair treatment, or went to buy clothes that weren't meant for work. Right at the thought of it, she glanced down at her pants and shirt.
Quite pathetic, really.
"I'm not talking about your attire." The old man gave a soft chuckle, breaking her thoughts. Aoko lifted her head, cheeks feeling slightly hot as she wondered if he knew what she was thinking. Before she could speak, he continued. "It's more than that."
Now she had no idea what to say.
"What would you like to have?" He asked, saving Aoko from bearing the silence that was growing awkward due to her sealed lips.
"Um-" She squirmed in her seat, having no idea what to order. She glanced across the bar counter, trying to find a menu but there wasn't any. Before she started to get flustered over her silly ignorance, her mouth moved on her own. "Tequila Sunrise."
"Sure." The old man departed to the other side of the counter to start on her drink.
Wait. What? Aoko blinked, and blinked a few more times. What the hell did I just order?
She didn't have the chance to change her order to something else like chocolate milkshake when the old man was already in the midst of making her drink. In mere minutes, he was done and back with a tall glass of orange-coloured drink. The beautiful layers of orange shades resembled a sunrise, and she then spent the next full minute staring at the creation in awe. Her curiosity for its taste was shelved aside for the moment; She couldn't bear to stir the drink, in fear of mixing the colours to a mess.
"Not quite to your liking?" The old man prompted as he eyed at her untouched drink peculiarly.
"N-No!" Aoko blurted. "It looks too nice to drink it."
"Why, thank you." He cracked a light chuckle. "That's quite a compliment."
It was lucky a group of loud men suddenly entered the bar, their laughter echoing and distracting the old man enough to not notice Aoko's slight blush of her random admittance. The old man chimed his greetings as the men crowded over the bar counter, discussing about their orders and the rental of a pool table.
In the midst of the thankful interruption, Aoko finally willed herself and stirred her drink, the different shades swirled and became a full body of bright orange.
She took a sip.
Not that bad after all.
.o.
Kaito couldn't remember the last time he'd been into Akako's house (thank god actually), but he always pictured her rooms to look like death; dark, ominous and a bit of dread (With, of course, a couple of potions shelves, magic mirrors and a bunch of old cauldron pots).
So the moment when her butler lead him to the room where Akako supposedly was, he almost thought he had entered a different witch house.
"What the hell is this?" Kaito cringed, his eyes darting over the hearts wallpapers and pinkish-red lights shining down on the furniture. He was too busy being disgusted to spot Akako, until she sipped her heart-shaped teacup with a deliberate loud slurp and unnecessarily smiled in a manner like she was about to bite his head off.
"A room specially to welcome you over, Kuroba-kun." Akako set the cup on the heart-shaped table and rest an arm on her heart-shaped sofa. She pat the empty seat beside her. "Take a seat."
Kaito pretended to think about it, out of fake respect for the witch that almost killed him a couple of times. "Thanks, but I'll stand." He answered as politely as he could. "And how did you know I was coming? Did you spy on me through some smoke from your magic pot?"
"You know me so well." Akako smiled, in a way that would make hundreds of men fall on their knees, but not for Kaito. "Do you want some tea?" She offered.
"I didn't know witches do tea-appreciation." Kaito spoke as he swiftly gave a second glance at the decorations. "Hakuba's habits have rubbed off on you."
"Are you jealous?"
"You don't have to worry about that for another thousand of generations." Kaito smiled courteously when Akako glared. "Anyway, I'm only here to ask a few questions, that's it."
Akako scoffed, sweeping her silky hair over her shoulder. "What's the matter?"
He took in a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Did you recently play around with your potions?" Kaito quickly continued when he noticed Akako's puzzling frown. "Or maybe, just maybe, you accidentally chanted a few spells wrong and put a curse on me?"
"What are you talking about?" She scowled.
Kaito blinked, unsure all of the sudden. "I–"
"Are you accusing me?" Her veins was starting to pop on one side of her temple.
"I'm not." He said hastily. He remembered that last time when she looked this angry, he couldn't use his bathroom for three days because she made the door disappear into thin air, literally. "I'm just asking. In case you did and– uh, forgotten to undo the curse?"
"I've stopped reading and practicing curse spells since years ago." Akako spoke informatively, for reasons that Kaito already understood.
"I get it."
"You get it?" Akako narrowed her eyes. "I'm no longer doing harm to people."
"I know."
"Then?" She snapped, her bad mood still unchanging.
Kaito raised both hands to calm her down, and to also subtlety act as a barrier for his body if anything happened. "Then... I assume I'm just being me." He finally concluded aloud.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Akako studied him with a mix of annoyance and confusion.
He sighed wearily and reluctantly sat on another heart-shaped couch across her. His stupid story-telling might take a while and his feet were starting to ache. "Well... there's been a couple of weird things happening recently."
"Example?" Akako cast him a hurry-up-and-say-it-already look.
"Just yesterday, I went to the supermarket and know where the eggs are without looking at the signboards." Even recollecting these memories made him shake his head in disbelief at himself.
But Akako begged to differ. She stared at him, a little unimpressed. "Is that supposed to mean something?"
"It's impossible for me to know." Kaito gritted his teeth. "I haven't been to that supermarket for nearly a year. And that moment when I found the eggs wasn't a coincidence. I found them because I know where they are."
She blinked, her face still blank.
"Shit, now I know what's the thing that's bothering me the most." Kaito pushed a hand past his head and gripped the end of his hair in shocking realization. "The fact that I actually went to a supermarket to buy eggs. That's the problem. I don't even remember why I wanted to buy eggs."
"Right..." Akako slowly stirred her tea, as though she didn't just talk to a lunatic that just escaped from a mental hospital.
"I'm not finished." Kaito growled. "I've been having a few weird dreams."
This slightly caught Akako's attention. "Dreams?"
"I feel as if I'm dreaming as a person, but I… I know that person is not me."
The interest in Akako's eyes slightly faded. "That doesn't mean anything. Anything can happen in a dream."
Kaito pursed his lips. Now he sort of understood why detective loved evidence. At least there were backing to their sayings when no one bothers to believe in you. "But the thing is I remember them. Like I've just finished watching a movie I acted in and remembering it for my entire life. It's as if it's all..."
"All?"
"All..." He lowered his gaze, his brows almost merging. "It's as if it's all... part of a memory."
Akako took another sip of her tea and leaned back on her sofa, close to nonchalant. "I'm not a doctor to decide if what you're experiencing is a form of stress or anything related to mental illnesses. But I can tell you, as a powerful witch, you're not cursed; I don't sense any black magic spells on you."
Kaito tapped his fidgety feet on the ground, his doubts still unclear. "Really–?"
"If you have nothing else, I'll be leaving; I'm going to visit Saguru." She shooed him off, but paused as she eyed him with an amused look. "Unless you would like to come with me?"
He managed to hold back a look of disdain. "No."
"Goodbye then." Akako snapped her fingers, and the next thing Kaito knew, he was standing in the middle of his bedroom, mouth half-open in a rebuttal form that came a millisecond too late.
Love sure changes people. Kaito thought dryly. If it was Akako from three years ago, she would probably strand him on top of the Touto tower or something.
.o.
"Your bruise still looks the same as the last time I saw it."
"Technically, you came over to my house just yesterday." Aoko distractedly glanced over her sleeveless shoulder and returned to her ice cream feast, her eyes now glued on the TV screen. "I guess it'll take another week to heal."
Keiko slumped next to her on the sofa seat with two narrowed eyes. "I like how you can act like nothing happened when you almost died a month ago." She drawled sarcastically.
"That's exactly what I'm doing." Aoko waved her spoon in the air, smiling.
"At least worry about the what-ifs and could-have-been!" Keiko exclaimed. "You're still a virgin!"
"Keiko! That's irrelevant!"
"I know it's your job and that's what you signed up for." Keiko sighed, ignoring the overly-flustered Aoko stabbing the ice cream with the spoon. "But shouldn't you try to care about–"
"Like Al Baker once said: Don't run away before they chase you." Aoko cut in. "You can't expect me to be crying for my life before or after every assignment. I don't have the time and energy for that."
The only think Keiko cared about from Aoko's so-called speech was: "Who the hell is Al Baker?"
"He was a famous magician from New York in the early-mid 1900s." Aoko furrowed her brows when Keiko still looked confused. "He was also the Dean of Society of America Magicians before his passing too."
"That's…" Keiko brows competitively merged better than Aoko's. "… very informative. But how did you know all that?"
"Uh," Aoko paused, her voice caught between her throat. She wanted to cook up some excuse to dispel Keiko's wary look, but how could she do it when she couldn't even convinced herself? She didn't remember reading anything about Al Baker or hear his name before, at least not until the moment she said it out herself.
"You're acting rather weird today." Keiko said, quirking an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"
Unconsciously, Aoko lifted her hand to massage the bruise on her shoulder. "I'm fine." She managed a near-perfect laugh (She might be getting use to this façade).
"Don't you feel like you're a little different?" Keiko said, and within a second, she sent Aoko a pointed look as she gestured frantically over the TV screen. "This is exactly what I mean."
"What's wrong?" Aoko didn't get it.
"Why are you on some Spanish channel?!"
"It's French."
"My point still stands! Do you even understand what they are saying?"
Aoko bit her lips and stared at one of the actress on the screen, who was currently crying and muttering out her sorrows. Now that she was focused and taking in the words, she couldn't understand at all. But for the past fifteen minutes before Keiko arrived, she didn't think the language was a problem and was actually enjoying the show...
"See, aren't I right? I think your job is stressing you too much." Keiko sighed, pushing herself off the couch to go to the kitchen. "In the past, I couldn't comprehend why you were so worried about you father when he was chasing Kaitou Kid. But now, I honestly do."
The ice cream's sweet after-taste didn't seem all that enjoyable anymore. Aoko dumped the spoon inside the tub and switched the channel to something else; something she could understand. She tossed the remote aside and let the voices fill her hollow mind.
After Kid died, the Task Force was disbanded and her father resumed his position as the inspector of the Fraud's department, receiving a raise and at the same time working less hours than before. But he wasn't happy. He couldn't be happy, when the man he had been chasing for years disappeared again, and permanently. And he couldn't complain or wish for Kid's return when his life was exchanged for his daughter's–
"...ko? Aoko!"
"H-Huh?"
Keiko shook her head and sipped the glass of water she poured for herself. "I guess you didn't hear a single word I said when I was in the kitchen, did you?"
Aoko gave a sheepish chuckle. "Sorry."
"I said it's been three years." Keiko mumbled, watching Aoko sitting stiffly from the brim of her spectacles. "Three years..."
"Three years since Kid died." Aoko elaborated when Keiko seemed to be having the trouble doing so.
Keiko sat back on the couch and took one of Aoko's cold hands, squeezing it like how the nurse from three years ago did when she came to tell Aoko everything would be okay. "Aoko, it was never your fault–"
"He was trying to save me- Us. The hostages. Everyone." Aoko rambled, the tub of ice cream nearly fell off her knees.
Even though three years had passed, it might as well be three seconds; Everything about that night remained fresh in her mind and she almost felt like she was there again, strapped to a bomb vest and tied around the pillar, crying and hyperventilating because she thought she was going to die.
Until Kid came to rescue them all.
Aoko took in a steady breath, making sure her lips wasn't quivering as she continued. "And Kid-"
"And then you spent the next three years abandoning your dream to catch your kidnappers. The Black whatever people." Keiko snapped. "And, again, you almost died because of it." She blabbered on, and pushed a finger into Aoko's bruise.
"That hurts!" Aoko yelped, swatting Keiko's hand away with a growl.
"But not as much as how my heart hurts when I see you like this." Keiko sighed out what seemed to be an air filled with worry and grief. "Not to mention your dad too."
At the mention of her father, Aoko wistfully looked down, her jaws clenched and hoping her tears could defy gravity. "You know, my dad sometimes thinks I hated him." Aoko muttered and squeezed Keiko's hand back. "For missing mom's death anniversary, my birthday and every other things for his job... maybe I did hate him, but I guess I transferred most or all of my hatred onto Kid instead. He's a criminal, so it's right to hate him. It's not right to hate my father."
"Aoko..."
"But- But even though I wanted him to disappear, I never mean it in this way." Aoko grabbed her shirt to wipe her ugly snots away. "And what's worse was I told him I hated him, all while when he was detonating the bomb around my waist."
"You were scared."
"Maybe," Aoko sniffed and squirmed in her seat, trying to buy some time to regain her composure. But Keiko didn't give her the need.
"I know why you're doing this. Your dad knows too, that's why he didn't persuade you otherwise when you said you wanted to become a police officer." Keiko spoke slowly, as if she was trying to explain algebra to a five year old kid. "You are smart, you can be anything you want to be. But this guilt has changed nothing except your entire life. Kid... Kid is still dead."
The last four words instantly unlocked the dam in Aoko an she burst, the tears she was struggling to control came rushing down her cheeks like waterfall. It was too late to regret bringing up the subject about Kid, but she never thought she would react like this. It had been three years, and the Black Organization was done and dusted, but despite all that, nothing really changed. She was still the same, old Aoko from three years ago.
Broken.
"I-I just want to tell Kid that I'm sorry." Aoko sobbed, her heart twisting so painfully that she couldn't breathe for a few seconds. "I'm sorry for getting kidnapped. I'm sorry for those hurtful words. I'm sorry for running too slow. I'm sorry f-for everything. I don't know what else to do but t-to be sorry. "
"He'll know, somewhere and somehow." Keiko whispered as she cradled Aoko in her arms. "And he'll forgive you if he knows."
.o.
.
Dark night.
Bright city lights in the distance.
Loud cheers.
White shoes tipping forward on the edge of a roof.
A large crowd was gathered below the building.
Glance away.
The sky.
The sky was pitch black, except for the big moon in the sky.
Gloved hands tucked inside a pocket.
Gloved hands took out a big, palm-sized sapphire.
The sapphire was hard and heavy.
Raised it to the sky.
Under the moonlight.
It glinted.
Breath hitched
A minute passed.
Nothing happened, only the cheers from below continued.
A sigh.
.
It wasn't a nightmare that would wake Aoko up with a start, but she would rather have that if it meant she didn't have to wake up feeling so oddly lethargic and disappointed, even though she couldn't understand why she would be at all.
Aoko groaned and wiped a hand down her face before plopping her arm back on her bed to stare at her ceiling. Comparing it to the whiteness of Kid's shoes, she realized the ceiling she always thought was white had slightly faded to light grey now.
She didn't take more than a brain cell to know the dream was related to Kid. The cheers were from his fans. The gloved hands belonged to his. And the gem was what he had once stolen and returned in the end. The only thing that made her rack her brain to a headache was the absurdity of dreaming it from his point of view.
But why should she care about what the dream meant? No matter what happened, shouldn't dream just be a dream? Even if she recognized the gem, even if she almost thought she saw herself in the midst of the crowd and waving an anti-Kid sign, the dream meant nothing, and there was no relation to the real world.
It couldn't be anything.
It couldn't have been either.
Aoko blamed last night conversation; it got to be the only reason for the dream anyway.
.o.
Kaito grabbed a spoonful of sauce and mixed it into the eggs in the bowl, continuing where he left off before he went to open the door for his visitor. He actually intended to ignore the bell, but the ringing didn't cease even when three minute passed. For a man who was calculative with time, the detective sure had lots of patience.
Hakuba sauntered past the kitchen counters and scanned over the ingredients and equipment until his eyes laid upon the bowl of Kaito's creation. "What are you doing?"
He considered a sarcastic reply but decided against it. The true answer might be more surprising than a fake one after all. "Making tamagoyaki."
Like expected, Hakuba's eyes widened in pure shock. "And why?"
"Because I feel like it." Ignoring the blonde's perturbed gaze, Kaito continued whisking the eggs almost professionally (He didn't even know his house contained a whisk, much less used it before, but it felt almost as natural as how he handle his favourite card gun).
And it seemed Hakuba noticed too. He watched Kaito's steady whisking for a few more seconds before clearing his throat. "You're especially good at it." He said carefully, and not in a manner of a compliment.
Kaito face fell after he poured the egg mixture into the pan, the loud sizzle filling the short silence. It was also, at that stupid moment, when he realized he had let Hakuba enter his house a good five minutes ago. His head was getting really messed up these days.
He set the bowl onto the side of the pan and scowled. "Why the hell are you doing here?"
"I'm here out of casual concern." Hakuba smirked. "Unlike someone ungrateful, who doesn't even visit a friend when he got shot."
"We aren't friends."
"I didn't say that ungrateful someone is you, did I?"
Before Kaito could argue, Hakuba cut in and waved a circle in mid-air. "I supposed this is what you meant when you said weird things kept happening to you?" Hakuba gestured a hand over the messy counter. "Like doing things out of your norm... for instances, cooking? Sometimes I do wonder if you eat air for a living."
Kaito frowned. "How did you–"
"Akako told me about your visit."
"I don't like how you and her discussed about me." Kaito unconsciously shivered, feeling the hair standing on his arms.
"So besides this whole being different thing, what are the daydreams about?" Hakuba continued, as if he didn't hear Kaito's last comment.
Kaito broke that eye contact to gently flip the egg mixture. The silence continued to stretch, partially because Kaito was still mulling on whether he should tell Hakuba the truth, and partially to test low long it would take before Hakuba's patience broke. But even after a long while, the blonde's face still remained just as serene-looking, and Kaito couldn't help but feel that he had lost a competition he didn't sign up for.
He sighed, half in defeat and half in annoyance. "It's quite... bizarre."
Hakuba chortled. "Will it be any more bizarre than knowing your classmate was Kaitou Kid? Or knowing a jewel that could bleed tears of immortality? Or knowing that your girlfriend is a witch?"
Or knowing there's a pill that can de-age you. "Maybe not as much." Kaito muttered.
"So," Hakuba cast him a pointed look. "I'm all ears."
Flipping the last layer, Kaito switched off the stove and slid the tamago onto the plate, the sizzles and steam covering the silence he was trying to drag. After the egg was set, he cleared his throat, hoping to erase all hesitancy in his voice.
"I've been... seeing things from someone's point of view, like I'm reliving her memories inside of her." He lifted a hand and flipped it from side to side when he knew Hakuba was about to question the plot-hole. "I can tell that it's not mine but a woman's memory. When I move from places to places, I can occasionally see her hands. Her fingers are small and thin."
"You do like to dress up as women from time to time." Hakuba casually inputted. "Couldn't it be the cause? Maybe you got too immersed in one particular role?"
Kaito narrowed his eyes.
"Pardon me." Hakuba showed an apologetic smile, though Kaito wasn't sure if he meant it or not. "So do you know who that person is?"
"I don't think so"
"Any hint? There must be something in those visions that might give her identity away."
This, was the part he wasn't ready for. "I saw me, once." He continued before Hakuba's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "Me as in Kaitou Kid."
"What happened?"
"Nothing much. Just standing with the crowd and watching me doing a few somersault. It was quite an old heist actually, back when I started out and didn't know of Snake's existence."
"Given the number of fans is nearly the same as Japan's population, I don't think that information helps." Hakuba spoke.
"She's not an ordinary fan." Kaito gave a crooked smile. "I think she hates me."
"You think?"
He lowered his gaze to the plate of tamago. "I feel some kind of dread when I saw me." He mumbled.
Kaito wasn't egoistic enough to think everyone loved Kaitou Kid, but it was still a little scary to think someone held such emotions towards him. He remembered waking up on his bed after the dream, feeling suffocated and a strong urge to yell. Although it couldn't be compared with how he felt towards Snake and his shit organization, it wasn't all that great either.
Hakuba took a step closer, oblivious to Kaito's inner turmoil. "You can feel in the dream?" He asked, his face intrigued.
"Yeah." Kaito paused, trying to confirm with himself again. "Not just emotions. There's some effect on my five senses too."
"Interesting." Hakuba stroked his chin, his eyes distant. "Did something happen before these odd things started? It could be a trigger to these weird events."
It was a good question, but it was also something Kaito had been asking himself since forever and had no answer to it. "All I can say is it started this year." He replied lamely. "There are times when I can differentiate those weird visions from my normal dreams, but there are also times when I can't too. It's hard to keep track."
"Then there are no leads."
"I know."
Stuck at a dead end, Hakuba's eyes lowered to the plate of steaming egg and surveyed it like a prized artefact in a museum. "There's another thing," He said in a slightly uplifted tone, which he always used when he found a new evidence to a worrying case. "Your weird behaviour."
"What?"
Without battling an eyelid, Hakuba spoke. "Have you considered yourself possessed?"
Kaito blinked. "...And you considered yourself a detective?"
The said detective looked offended. "Do you want me to show you my badge?"
"It's just weird to hear it coming from you." Kaito drawled. "Isn't it always about evidence, evidence? And now you're talking about supernatural."
"I'm engaged to a witch." Hakuba reminded him dully.
"Oh. Right. How can I forget?"
"Is that the reason why you consulted Akako?" There was a flicker of understanding in Hakuba's eyes, and his smile grew more crooked and amused as the seconds ticked. "Because you thought the same as me."
"Don't lump you and me together." Kaito cringed. "Besides, your witch fiancée says it wasn't the case; or at least that's what I inferred from her statement when she said I'm not cursed."
"So I guess you're not then, given that you're still the usual jackass I know too."
"Yeah, yeah. What brilliant deduction." Kaito rolled his eyes as he picked the plate of tamago, while the other hand grabbed the handle of the pan, and trudged to the sink. "I would love to give you an applause but both of my hands are so busy, as you can see—"
"What are you doing to the egg?" Hakuba interrupted.
Kaito glanced over his shoulder. "Why? You want to eat it?"
"No, I just—"
Setting the dirty pan into the sink, he grabbed a pair of chopsticks from a drawer and shoved both the plate and the chopsticks into Hakuba's chest. "You can try it."
The blonde watched the plate and chopsticks in mild concern.
"It's plain and purely tamago." Kaito said, in the most earnest voice he could muster when he recognized the doubt in Hakuba's eyes, one that he often see during their old, high school days. Besides, it was really a genuine offer; He wasn't hungry, and giving it to Hakuba was the same as leaving it in the fridge and letting it rot for the next five days.
For some reason, Hakuba shrugged off his suspicion and compiled without bothering a second attempt of rejection. He accepted the plate and chopsticks from Kaito's hands and began his tiny feast. As if his usual poise and manner of speech wasn't enough to show his good up-bringing, he exhibited his excellent etiquette by taking a small, polite bite out of the egg.
Charmingly, Hakuba chewed once, but he stopped the next second. His jaws seemed to constrict, and they were clenched so tightly together that the muscle on his cheeks popping out. After a long while, he finally managed a swallow, and looked like he just released ten years' worth of constipation.
Kaito didn't need to think to know it's not a good sign.
Without a word, Kaito tore off one chunk of the egg with his hand and shoved it down his throat. And it was an instant bad move. He choked, and rushed to the sink to spat it out before gargling his mouth with tap water the next ten seconds.
"Why the heck is it so salty?" Kaito grimaced as he grudgingly washed the disgusting yellow substances down the drain. He glanced back at the quiet Hakuba over his shoulder, who was looking at him with a slightly pitiful smile.
"It's not that bad for a beginner." Hakuba offered.
Kaito wanted to throw back a sarcastic comment, but to think that Hakuba actually forced himself to swallow his horrendous food instead of mocking him made Kaito reconsider his choices. He switched off the tap once his sink was cleared and sighed.
Hakuba set the plate onto the counter. "At least you flipped it well enough to make it look like a tamago."
"Okay stop. Your comments are getting a little disturbing."
"It must be hard on you to know that there are some things you can't do." Hakuba gave that same, pitiful smile again. "Thought I could give you some bit of encouragement."
"Just so to be clear," Kaito eyed Hakuba with a narrowed gaze. "Your bootlicking isn't going to work on me. I'm not going to change my mind about joining your—"
"I know. And that wasn't my intentions anyway." Hakuba smirked. "I just want you to be alive and well for my wedding."
Kaito gave scoff. "I'm perfectly fine. I won't die from such setbacks."
For some reason, Hakuba's knowing smile was particularly annoying. "I hope not." The detective said with a grin.
After chasing Hakuba out of his house, Kaito spent the next hour scrubbing pans and bowls. Like he said himself, he wouldn't die from such petty setbacks. He knew his weaknesses, like the fear of fishes and how he terribly sucked at ice-skating, and he wasn't going to change himself just so to prove he was god-sent and had no fears and excel in everything. He didn't need that title. He wanted to be a normal human.
But there was something particular about his failure today. He was so sure that the tamago would turn out right. It did. He knew it did. The fact that it managed to look like a tamago already spoke volumes, but there was still something missing. Something he had forgotten. Something he should or shouldn't have done...
And the fact that he couldn't remember it was what irked him the most out of everything that day.
.o.
.
There was a stool on the kitchen tiles.
A woman with dark brown hair was standing beside the stool.
Two child-sized feet clumsily propped onto the stool.
'Thank you,' the woman took the salt-shaker from two tiny hands.
She gave eight shakes of salt into the bowl of yellow substances.
'Now you can try it.' The woman passed the bowl.
Two small and nervous hands took the bowl.
'Don't whisk it too hard. Go in one direction.'
A pair of chopsticks.
Whisk. Whisk. Whisk.
'Faster. Yes. Just like that.'
Hands were starting to ache.
'Okay, it's done enough.'
Nervous hands slowly tilted the bowl of yellow substances onto the pan.
The pan sizzled.
'Well done.' The woman smiled. 'Not so bad for your first try at making tamago, isn't it?'
Happy.
Happy.
Happy.
.
After cleaning his kitchen mess, Kaito holed up in Kid's secret room and practiced some tricks till near dawn before going to bed. He barely had three hours of sleep, and even when he peeled open his eyes, the next thing he wanted to do was to shut it again. But he forced it open, staring at his ceiling as he tried his hardest to remember the dream he just dreamt.
Or a memory.
He didn't know what to call it anymore.
But there was something more to it. He slowly snaked his hand up his body and rested it on his chest. There was this weird, tingling feeling that he couldn't explain, but he liked it. He liked it a lot.
Happy.
Happy.
Happy.
Kaito allowed himself to close his eyes for a few more seconds before flinging himself off his bed to go to the bathroom. After washing himself up, he didn't head to his secret room to tweak with his toys like what he usually did. Instead, he dashed down his stairs and pulled open his fridge door, revealing three remaining eggs in the carton.
There was only one try left.
He began rolling up his sleeve.
.o.
"Hmmmmm... Hmmm..."
Kaito caught himself humming the same song again; the one when he accidentally did while waiting for Shinichi on the roof months ago (Though until now, he still had no idea where he heard the song before to memorise the tone so well).
Today had been a good day so far. His motorbike's windshield was repaired, his neighbour's cat didn't shit on his front doorstep, and he miraculously had just enough ingredients for his second try at making tamagoyaki. He wasn't sure if his good mood was relevant to his instinct to suddenly hum this particular song, but he couldn't care less about such details.
"Hmmmmm... Hmmm..."
After parking his motorbike by the pavement, he killed the engine and got off his seat with a jump before skipping a few steps to Jii's bar.
When the bell chimed on his arrival, Jii looked up from the counter, his grey eyes brightening up in surprise (Kaito noticed there were a few extra wrinkles since the last time he saw his favourite bartender in the world, though he decided to push those thoughts to the back of his mind).
"I wasn't expecting you." Jii commented, watching Kaito walking towards the counter with his motorbike helmet under an arm while the other hand was carrying a bag.
Kaito glanced around the bar after he settled himself on a high chair. The regulars he always saw at night weren't around; the pool tables were occupied by a few younger adults, and he didn't need to realize why when he saw the clock hanging at the corner of the bar, the hands showing half past four in the afternoon.
(It was a definite that Kaito would stay inside Kid's secret room for at least a dozen of hours after he entered, so by the time Kaito finished his work and headed to Jii's bar for a quick catch up, it was always close to midnight. But the chores of cooking had distracted him enough to not even glance at the door of the secret room once, and he didn't have the urge to touch any of his tools today too...)
"Anyway, I want to ask you something."
"Yeah?" Kaito perched a hand onto the counter, eyes raised at Jii's solemn tone.
"Did you..." Jii cleared his throat. "Did you bring your girlfriend here before?"
Kaito would have choked on his drink if he was drinking any. He stifled the cough that was hurting his lungs and stared accusingly at Jii. "What's w-with that question?"
"So you did?"
"No." Kaito spat. "In case you didn't notice, I'm too busy clearing mess after mess to have a girlfriend."
Jii considered a moment, seeming as if he was doubting Kaito's words (which he couldn't understand why when that was probably the truest thing he had ever said). "Have I been mistaken...?"
"What happened?"
"There's this young lady that came here around two weeks ago, and she asked if we met before." Jii shook his head, his brows wrinkled in mild confusion. "I told her I don't remember who she was. But when I think back about it, I actually do find her familiar."
A loud chortled echoed in the bar, and a few customers' heads turned over to look at Kaito's direction before turning away disinterestedly.
"Ohmygod did you just got hit on?" Kaito gasped in between his breaths while whacking a hand on the bar counter so hard his hand instantly turned red. "F-For all you know, it could be a pick up line." He said in between his snorts and restrained laughter. After so many things that happened, he hadn't had such a good laugh in a long time.
Jii sighed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "She doesn't sound like she was joking."
Kaito took in a deep breath to calm his nerves. "What's her name?"
"I didn't get to ask."
"Then we can't get anything out from that." Kaito gave a carless shrug. "And it won't matter anyway, even if she's actually someone you used to know or not."
"I guess so." Jii mumbled, though his eyes were still downcast and worried. It was always typical for Jii to fret for things that shouldn't have mattered, but that was also half of the reasons why Kaito was still alive today (thanks to the backup plans that ultimately saved his ass).
But Kaito also knew how to keep his favourite old man from worrying too; With all magicians' best technique, the art of distraction.
Besides, it was also the main reason why Kaito came over to visit too.
"I have something for you." Kaito took out the box from the bag he brought and placed it before Jii.
"A new trick?" Jii eyed the box curiously.
Kaito knew he had always been a workaholic, but not to this extent. Well, action always speaks louder than words. He leaned forward and lifted the cover of the box.
The way Jii widened his eyes almost made Kaito laugh.
"You... made tamagoyaki?" Jii whispered unbelievably, his enlarged eyes staring at the sliced pieces of said food in the box.
"Yeah." Kaito nodded. "Try it."
He watched Jii take a piece like a hawk, his blue eyes surveying every inch of Jii's face as he took the first bite.
"How is it?" Kaito leaned forward, lips pursed (He hadn't tried it yet because he wanted Jii to taste it first, be it if it was successful or not).
"It's nice." Jii replied with hesitation, and gave a thumbs up before going for the next bite. "I like the bubbly texture. Quite a unique twist to it."
"Really?" Kaito's face lit up, but it didn't stay longer for two seconds as his eyes turned wary. If Hakuba could lie, Jii could do the same, and the latter had much more reasons to do so too. Kaito reached out for a random piece, but instead of chucking it into his mouth like what he stupidly did before, he took a careful bite in the corner and chewed.
It was... exactly like what Jii said.
Kaito blinked in amazement and pushed the entire tamago into his mouth.
(He had certainly outdone himself this time)
"Did you really cook it yourself?" Jii asked with a smile. There was no doubt or insincerity in his tone, and it made Kaito feel a lot more guilty than necessary if he were to lie.
But, well... if picturing a memory and copying the steps of making it while magically gaining a skill (like flipping the egg with a toss of the pan) was considered as I cook it myself, then it wouldn't be a lie if he said yes. Besides, Kaito still did all of the work after all.
"Yeah." He said with his mouth half-full.
"It's good." Jii complimented again, his head slowly nodding up and down. "It's really good."
Both sides of Kaito's lips curled up into a bright smile. He always performed magic tricks to make people happy, but he never knew cooking for someone else could make people happy too. Even if those dreams and visions disrupted his sleeps and always made him wake up feeling weird and fuzzy, he was slowly considering and accepting it as a blessing in disguise. Besides replacing his old nightmares, he was gaining new perspectives.
/ 'Well done. Not so bad for your first try at making tamago, isn't it?' /
"Do you want a drink?" Jii asked.
Kaito blinked like he just came out from a trance. "Yeah. The usual; Tequila Sunrise."
Jii gasped, his shoulders tensed up. "Tequila Sunrise." He repeated.
"...What?"
"That lady ordered the same as you too."
Before Kaito could think of a reply, a loud 'boom!' erupted outside the bar, and Kaito swore he saw the wine bottles behind Jii shook during the impact. A series of car alarms could be heard faintly behind the glass windows, and not long later, a dozen of people were screaming and dashing past Jii's bar and towards the opposite direction of the supposed explosion. The customers in the bar reacted to the shock with shouts and worried yells too, but Kaito's composure didn't waver. He met Jii's eyes, and through silent thoughts, they sprinted out of the bar. Kaito took his helmet along with him.
They stood by the motorbike he parked outside, watching a burning building just the street ahead. Like what he observed from inside the bar, many people were shouting and running away from the building, and it was only when a passer-by knocked into Kaito then he realized what he ought to do. His grip tightened around the edge of his helmet.
"I should go and check it out–"
Jii grabbed Kaito's shoulder in a tight grip, the force nearly toppling him back. Despite his old age, there were times when Jii could surprise Kaito with his strength, like now. "The fire–" Jii stopped and stared at him with concern, his glasses nearly falling off his nose. "It's dangerous. You should just–"
"Don't worry," Kaito smiled before putting the helmet over his head. He understood Jii's implication even without having to hear it. "I'm not dad."
With that, he jumped over his motorbike and sped off, leaving Jii standing by the pavement, his grey brows still furrowed.
"Kaito-botchama..."
.o.
"It's going to be okay... I'm going to bring you to your mom." Aoko stroked the back of the little girl she was carrying, her steady steps walking past the damaged roads and shattered debris. Her soft humming, which she started to comfort the child, stopped, and was replaced with a merry chime. "See? Your mom's there."
The girl's face left the crook of Aoko's shoulder to see where she was pointing. It was the first time the girl stopped crying. "Mommy!" The girl jumped off Aoko's body and waddled to where her mother was.
"Oh thank you! Thank you so much!" The mother, who was sitting on the pavement due to her fractured ankle, exclaimed as she spread her two arms out before pulling her daughter into a tight hug. The mother continued to thank Aoko in between her sobs, but Aoko barely had the time to afford a smile back as she returned to the fire scene.
When there were unfinished cases in the police force, off-day was just a short term for 'you-can-sleep-a-bit-longer-than-your-normal-working-days'. There could be sudden call-ins, sudden meetings, sudden anything that would send you packing up and running back to the office (perhaps there was a new clue found in the crime scene, or a new witness that wanted to testify something). But just five hours before the start of Aoko's off-day, she had successfully solved a week-long murder case with another colleague. And that was why Aoko thought today would be a real off-day for her, because the next time she wore her working clothes would be the day of the trial.
Aoko originally wanted to watch a movie with her favourite and home-cooked hamburger steak, but she had a better idea for relaxation. Donned in a floral sundress she bought just recently, she headed towards the Blue Parrot, wanting to enjoy another round of Tequila Sunrise (It was her first, and probably only drink she would dedicate her life drinking).
And then an explosion happened right where she was passing by, just a couple of blocks away from her destination.
She was luckily far enough to be hit from the blast, but near enough to quickly assist and direct people away from the raging fire. She was halfway leading an pregnant lady to the other side of the street (all while chiding herself for not wearing jeans) when a woman hobbled painfully to her side, her ankle twisted and purple.
"Pl-Please! My daughter is around here somewhere! Please help me find her!"
And Aoko did just that.
The fire had spread from the first floor to the second, and there was nothing that could be done beside leaving it to the firemen, who had yet to arrive. Most of the people who didn't need the paramedics' help had already fled the scene, while those that needed the attention were sitting on the opposite side of the burning building, resting quietly or groaning in agony, whichever that helped to ease their pain.
Though Aoko had done what she needed to do, she continuously look around, trying to see if there was anyone else she could help–
'Dad?'
A shiver ran down Aoko's spine as she turned, but there was no one beside her. She frowned, inwardly swearing she could hear the voice like it was speaking right next to her ear–
'Dad?'
What? Aoko spun in her position again, her eyes darting left and right. She spotted a couple hugging by a pavement, two female high-school students crying in each other sleeves and a few other adults here and there, but there wasn't a boy, or anyone, near her to be the source of that confused voice.
'Where are you?! Dad?'
Her hand slowly reached to her chest, feeling her heart aching in a way she couldn't comprehend.
Twisted... and very heavy...
'Dad!'
Then another thing happened. There was something ticklish on her face, and without giving much thought, Aoko brushed the other hand over the tingling spot on her cheeks. Besides the dirt and dust she had rubbed off, she found her hand damp too.
Damp with her tears.
Aoko stared at her hand.
Why am I...
A faint sound of sirens could be heard from a distance, and the crying and yelling around her continued on like nothing had changed. But there was this uncanny and terrible feeling swirling in the pit of her stomach, and something within her was compelling her to turn towards a particular direction. She did as what she felt, and the first thing her eyes laid upon was a man wearing a black helmet and jumping over shattered walls and rocks with ease.
Her eyes blankly followed the helmet man as he did his stunts, but as he was about to approach the burning building, she thought she saw something else beside the helmet man. Something–or someone–was running too, and that person slowly merged into the same figure-shape of the helmet man, becoming one.
Someone...
Like...
'Dad! Don't go!'
Her instincts flared just as bright as the aflame building before her.
"Don't go!" She screamed, her hands effectively cupped around her mouth as her voice directed at the helmet man.
Despite the chaos around them, the helmet man miraculously stopped, his feet just a few more steps to the blazing building (She was surprised he heard her, and actually bothered to listen to her).
"Don't go in!" She yelled again when he was giving no reactions beside staying rooted to the ground. "Get away from the building!"
The helmet man slowly turned towards her, and–
A second blast suddenly erupted from within the building, sending more debris and flames flying out in rapid speed. The strong wind and impact knocked Aoko back as she staggered, and the last thing she remembered was feeling herself falling backwards.
And then everything turned black.
.
A/N: This was supposed to be a sweet, loving SoulMate!AU fic with all the cool transfer of abilities and memories, but I ended up writing something that's totally off with all the KID drama and I don't even know anymore? And now I've outdone myself and it's too long so I gotta split this fic up UGH WHY
I'm not very sure about this, but hope there's someone out there who happened to like it :')
