Kuroba Kaito had been having a particularly tough time lately.
Especially after being forced to jump into the sea by Kurosawa Hoshino. With his arm injured, he had almost drowned. By the time he swam to shore, he had swallowed a bellyful of seawater and could barely crawl out. He lay on the shore for a long time before recovering.
Now, he was paying extra attention to Kurosawa Hoshino, always thinking about getting revenge when the chance came.
At noon, he had overheard Aoko on the phone. Especially when he heard the name "Kurosawa Hoshino," he gritted his teeth.
So after school, he followed Aoko to Beika Station. He waited for a long time at the station entrance and finally saw Kurosawa Hoshino.
But he hadn't expected—
Outside a dessert shop, Kuroba Kaito had only been observing the crowd for a short while when he saw Kurosawa walking straight toward him.
Oh no. Why is he coming here?
Kaito's first instinct was to run. The cruise ship experience had left a deep impression on him. But then he thought: the other man didn't know him. If he suddenly ran away, wouldn't that seem suspicious?
With that in mind, he obediently stood still, assuming Kurosawa was just passing by.
Unexpectedly, Kurosawa actually stopped in front of him, looked him up and down, and spoke casually. "From Ekoda High School?"
Kaito wanted to retort. He realized Kurosawa was really looking for him. To avoid arousing suspicion, he glanced at Kurosawa's school uniform, puffed out his chest, and asked in return, "From Teitan High School?"
"Is Ekoda High School in Beika Town?"
Kaito was speechless. He regretted his earlier actions. He should have run the moment he saw Kurosawa approaching.
Kurosawa said calmly, "I saw you at Beika Station earlier, and now I see you here again. You came with Aoko, right?"
This guy noticed me before? Kuroba Kaito was startled. He truly lives up to his reputation as a famous detective. His observation skills are incredibly sharp.
"Ahaha." Kuroba Kaito deliberately laughed, then feigned a shy expression and said hesitantly, "Um, classmate, please don't tell Aoko that I was following her. Please."
To anyone else, this expression would clearly mean a boy had a crush on a girl and didn't want her to know.
Kurosawa smiled. "You don't recognize me?"
"Huh? Classmate, you—" Kuroba Kaito wanted to continue pretending, but looking at the other's ambiguous smile, the words he was about to say remained unspoken.
"Whether you know me or not, I actually know you. Kuroba—"
Hearing those two words, Kuroba Kaito's heart finally settled. This guy really knows me. But when the rest of the words came out, his back was almost soaked with cold sweat.
"—Kuroba Toichi's son, Kuroba Kaito. Coincidentally, your father died in a performance accident eight years ago, and Kaito Kid disappeared that same year. However, Kaito Kid has recently reappeared. They are both formidable magicians."
"Ha... haha." Kuroba Kaito laughed awkwardly, his eyes darting around. Cold sweat already beaded on his forehead.
Why did this guy suddenly say that?
Why did he suddenly mention my dad and Kaito Kid together?
Did he discover my identity?
Is it really that exaggerated? We only met once on the cruise ship, and he already knows my identity?
Damn it. I shouldn't have come here. This guy is a bit strange. It seems I'll have to avoid him from now on.
Kuroba Kaito trusted his sixth sense very much. Kurosawa gave him a very dangerous feeling, and he had already made up his mind that he would never see Kurosawa again. What he hoped for most now was that Kurosawa hadn't discovered his own identity—only knew his father's identity and happened to know him—and that the other party would leave quickly so he could slip away.
"Hey, classmate." Kurosawa patted Kuroba Kaito's shoulder and said with a faint smile, "You seem to be sweating a lot. Are you feeling weak?"
Kuroba Kaito was silent for a while, then nodded vigorously. "Yes, classmate. How did you know? I am indeed a little weak."
Kurosawa looked at this guy. He really can be flexible.
Back in his past life, his friends could say whatever they wanted about them—except say they were weak. Otherwise, they'd immediately turn on him or even put on a show to prove they weren't.
"Goodbye." Kurosawa waved and turned to walk toward the dessert shop entrance in the distance. He'd teased enough. No point in teasing any further.
Kuroba Kaito wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, turned, and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Half an hour passed in a flash. Kurosawa held the dessert menu in his hand, flipping through it countless times to kill time.
A few more minutes passed. In his line of sight, three bright and lively figures appeared at the mall entrance, chatting and laughing, carrying pink paper bags.
"We're done shopping." Ran was the first to see Kurosawa and greeted him from afar with a particularly bright smile.
Kurosawa walked up to them, waving the menu in his hand, and said languidly, "If you guys had come any slower, I could have memorized all the desserts on this menu. I could even apply for a waiter's job here for an hour."
"I told you to go home early, but you didn't." Sonoko slapped his arm. "Let me tell you, if we hadn't known you were still waiting outside, we would have gone to a few more shops instead of just two."
"Alright." Kurosawa turned and walked to the entrance of the dessert shop, pushing open the glass door, making the wind chimes tinkle. He stood to the side of the door, making an elegant "please" gesture, his tone slightly teasing. "Three beautiful ladies, you must be tired after shopping all day. Please come in and try our desserts. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
"You're quite sensible." Sonoko joined in the fun, making empty gestures with her hands as if lifting her long skirt, and gave Kurosawa a haughty nod before stepping inside.
Aoko couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Wow, is this your daily routine? I'm so envious."
"No, they're just fooling around." Ran took her arm, and they walked into the store together.