*Update in Sep.

Arishima had already expected business to go cold, especially after all these crimes and news going on. The police had sealed off half the hotel, leaving only the other wing open. But after the murders and attacks, all the guests who should have arrived tonight left, and even the current ones moved out in fear.

Arishima was, in truth, a competent manager and considerate superior. After the Black Widow incident, he dismissed the rest of the staff early and returned alone to the vast Rose Villa in Karuizawa without complaint.

In the dead of night, a cold wind burst open the doors, swirling red maple leaves and roses from outside. When a group of travelers walked in with luggage, his drowsiness vanished, his eyes lighting up at the imagined chime of a cash register.

"Irasshaimase, may I help you?"

The woman at the front removed her sunglasses, revealing clear, pale-gray eyes. "Do you have any vacancies?"

"Yes, yes... Sure! Welcome...... How many people are there? How many nights? I must warn you—there have been murders here lately, and the other wing is under police lockdown. If that bothers you, you might want to stay elsewhere."

"It's fine. My friends and I will stay tonight." She slipped off a leather glove, handing him a wad of bills. Arishima accepted them in a daze. "How many rooms shall I prepare?"

"We'll take the largest six-person suite. One night."

Arishima nodded hastily, sliding the registration ledger toward the woman. "One name will be enough."

He discreetly studied the travelers. Aside from the woman scribbling in front, there were three men and one more woman. The other woman appeared to be around fifty, shielding her face beneath the brim of a fashionable black hat. The three men stood by the doorway, none speaking. One wore a restaurant-style suit uniform; another swept an indifferent gaze around, his striking blond hair, violet-blue eyes, and the tattoo at the corner of his eye catching Arishima's attention. The last man smirked at Arishima—only then did he notice a parrot perched on the man's shoulder.

"My apologies... I wasn't aware your inn prohibits pets. But Blake is injured, and I must bring him with me. Don't worry—I brought my own cage. I won't stain your carpets. Can I keep it with me in the cage?"

Arishima forced a smile. In such bleak, uneasy times, customers were rare—who was he to quibble?
"No problem, no problem. This way, everyone."

At three in the morning, half-drowsing for the third time into the reception desk, Arishima decided to take a short break. Grabbing a ring of keys and a flashlight, he set out for one last patrol.

He had never believed in ghosts or the supernatural. He was only following Madam's instructions when he called Mouri Kogoro, then played the part of a timid, jittery manager in front of the muddleheaded Meitantei. Arishima didn't seek trouble, nor did he run from it—his sole task was to safeguard the inn for Madam. Though not a formal member, nor privy to the organization's inner workings, he was fiercely loyal to Vermouth and to hosting that seemingly important old man. Ever since Black Widow's frequent disruptions, he had decided to alert Vermouth—leading directly to the current incident.

He had helped Madam, that was all he wanted.

Lamp in hand, he climbed to the fourth floor to begin a top-down patrol, checking each room. He stopped in Room 401. From the balcony of 401, directly below was Room 301. The guests there still had their lights on. In the aging building, many connecting pipes ran vertically, allowing sound to carry between floors. So you could actually hear the soft rustle of conversation from above or below in the bathroom. Curiosity got the better of him—he sat on the toilet seat, unaware that this small indulgence would spell his doom.

"Scarlet... What a surprise. I didn't think you'd actually return to Japan. I hadn't believed those rumors about you and Scorpion, but it seems she has enough sway to draw you back." The man's voice was soft, almost gentle. He chuckled. "But it's been years since you were last here. Tokyo isn't what you remember."

"Hmph—Spider, cut the crap. Just seeing you play saint makes my skin crawl. The scar on my chest itches the moment I look at you. I haven't forgotten what you did last time. I didn't come back just for Scorpion. I imagine the only reason we're all here is that matter. Otherwise, we'd avoid each other like the plague. The last time we met like this was eight years ago. Brings back memories..." The voice was that of the man with the parrot—low, smooth, the kind of tone a father might use telling bedtime stories.

"Memories?" A rich contralto broke in. "Memories of the past? For nearly twenty years, I haven't forgotten—not for a single day. And I doubt any of you have either. It's a wound that never heals. It itches until you want to claw through flesh and muscle, just to carve the scar deeper."

Silence fell. Then a woman's voice—Arishima recognized it as the one who had spoken to him earlier.
"I'm glad you answered my invitation, Swan. I haven't forgotten those days either. I think it was here that—"

"So what is this place exactly, Scorpion?" Spider drawled, cutting her off. "Why bring us here? And where's my other brother? Don't tell me, my dear beauty, that you're still angry at Snake? It's been years..."

Another person?

"Don't mention that idiot," Scorpion snapped. "He's probably still chasing some worthless gemstone. A clown at best... And since when were you and he 'brothers'?"

Spider laughed. "Sounds like you didn't have such a smooth time in prison. Let me think... I heard from a Russian friend that you'd been locked up. I considered visiting—sorry, sorry. Too many shows, not enough time. You don't hold a grudge, do you? Hahaha..."

Scorpion's voice was cold when it came, apparently ignoring the jibe. "Twenty years ago, Sazerac gathered us here. Remember the oath we swore back then?"

Their hostility faded, leaving a dreadful silence for the eavesdropping Arishima upstairs. He almost dreaded being caught even though there's no way they could've known that easily, he knew any sound from his part spelled doom, so he didn't move one bit.

"...How could we forget? What they did to us twenty years ago... impossible to forget."

Scorpion's voice softened into something almost sweet. "Back then, we swore a blood oath—to find the culprit behind the Pandora Incident twenty years ago. They killed our families and walked away without consequence. And now they've silenced Sazerac with poison. I thought you'd all forgotten—forgotten our true purpose—but here you are."

"Except for Sazerac... and the Crow," Spider said with a smile.

"Don't bring up Kuroba Toichi," Scorpion cut him off sharply. "I want to know why Snake botched things eight years ago—why that man is still alive as Kaitou KID after eight years!! If not for him, I wouldn't have spent months rotting in prison. If not for him, I'd have beaten that bastard to kill Sazerac—and Sazerac would still be alive!"

She was no longer the cool, composed assassin—her voice rose into a furious snarl. "If not for Sazerac's order eight years ago, forbidding us to touch Kuroba's family even after Kuroba Toichi was dead, the first thing I'd have done upon release is take my sniper rifle and blow KID, his son, and that brat with glasses to hell."

Spider sneered. "Too bad you can't even find KID, and have to sit here spouting big words."

"Killing a seventeen-year-old won't change anything, Scorpion—and it seems Kuroba Kaito is not even in Japan anymore. So...... What's the real reason you called us here? Are you making your move?" Scarlet finally spoke again after a long silence, halting Scorpion and Spider's impending brawl.

"Mhm... you all know why Sazerac joined the Organization. Now I'm telling you... " The words were calm, but they carried the weight of a brewing bloodstorm.

"I've found Pandora."

Minutes passed with no further conversation. Frowning, Arishima pulled out his phone, ready to inform Vermouth of everything.

Crash.

Just as he lifted his head, an inexplicable premonition of doom devoured what remained of his composure. Before his eyes, the bathroom doorknob began to turn on its own. He stared, frozen, at the open doorway.

A femme fatale, as venomous as a serpent, leveled a gun at Arishima's forehead, while the man behind her slipped past and stepped into the bathroom.

"Twenty years ago, they opened Pandora's box, letting disease and death seep into the world. Twenty years later... it's their turn to taste the despair of dying alone."

______________________

Another corpse was wheeled into the autopsy room. A car rolled into the underground parking lot, and the man in the passenger seat switched on his Bluetooth earpiece. When his superior called, he dared not delay a second. Pulling open a hidden compartment beneath his seat, he drew out a few wet wipes, smearing them across hands still sticky with fried chicken grease, and tapped at his phone to unlock it.

"Furuya-san, per your orders I've reopened the investigation into the twenty-year-old case. I've already made some progress. As for the murder at the Karuizawa Rose Villa, I've had the matter... cleaned up." Kazami's throat was parched; he gulped down mouthfuls of coffee. This was his third day on stakeout, festering in a car parked in the basement, yet their target had made no suspicious moves.

"So you're calling about... Sazerac case? Any progress?"

"Yes. Yamamoto-san, high-ranking member of the Black Organization — codename Sazerac—was determined to have been killed with alkaloid poisoning."

Amuro Tooru, in the midst of brewing coffee, paused for a fraction of a second. Then he looked up, smiled with perfect civility, and handed the cup to a waiting customer. "Careful, it's hot. Take your time... Kazami, that's definitely the Organization's handiwork. Got the full toxicology report?"

"Yes. It's likely derived from the Japanese yew. All species in the yew genus contain the deadly alkaloid taxine. Ingest enough, and it causes dizziness, respiratory failure, and—in severe cases—cardiac arrest. We found a high concentration of taxine in Yamamoto's body, though there were other compounds as well. I'll submit the detailed report. Furthermore, the Karuizawa Rose Villa murders are suspected to involve the same toxin. Public Security has already seized all valuables from the hotel's vault for investigation." Kazami's tone was grave.

"Classify Yamamoto's case as confidential and lock it down. As for the Rose Villa cleanup, tell the others to file a report and leave it to the police. And summon the hotel manager, Arishima-san. Being personally hired by Vermouth, he certainly knows more than he lets on."

Amuro's sunlit smile returned as he saw off his first customers of the morning. Kazami's grip on his coffee tightened until the paper cup warped under his fingers.

"...Amuro-san... that may not be possible. Arishima-san... won't be answering. His body was found this morning inside the hotel. The Tokyo MPD's First Division was supposed to bring him in for questioning, but discovered he was already dead. No witnesses, no surveillance footage... and last night, the guest log shows no record of new arrivals." Kazami adjusted his glasses. "What's troubling is the audio recording left at the scene."

"Someone got to him first, and left the recording on purpose?" Amuro's brow furrowed, tight as a knot. "I want the details."

Kazami played the police file. A strange, grating laugh filled the speaker, followed by a piercing, mocking voice:

"Gaa-ga-ga... you're next, Tsukishima. None of you will escape. Gaa-ga-ga... you're next, Tsukishima. None of you will escape. Gaa-ga-ga... you're next, Tsukishima. None of you will escape."

Over and over it repeated, until the chill seeped deep into Kazami's bones. It wasn't a human voice at all—just a flawless mimicry, dripping with derision.

A parrot, chanting again and again beside the corpse, like an omen whispered on the eve of death.

________________________________________

The following day brought still no text from Ishikawa Kaito. Several classmates had already sent messages in the class group chat wishing him to recover well, but Kaito hadn't replied to any of them. Conan lingered at the entrance of the Mouri Detective Agency's living room, hesitant.

"Ran-neechan, you don't need to make breakfast, I can just grab something on the way."

Clang—

The sharp crash of glass shattering across the floor.

Conan quickly shook off the shock from the loud noise and jogged over to check the cut on Ran's hand. "Ran-neechan, are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"

Ran's face had gone pale; she shook her head. "I just felt dizzy for a moment, it's fine. Don't pick that up, I'll clean it." She tried to stand and fetch the broom, but her strength gave out all at once. Luckily, she had already been bracing herself against the chair, or she might have fainted outright. Conan couldn't bear to watch her keep working—he immediately guided her to the sofa. "I'll handle it, Ran-neechan. There's still some honey cake in the fridge. I'll pack a few slices to bring to school. You don't need to prepare breakfast."

Ran tilted her head back slightly, wiping the cold sweat from her brow, still not fully recovered from the dizziness. "Mhm... thank you, Conan. Be careful not to step on the shards. Oh, right, Conan... Dad got a request this morning—from a client who wants him to secretly protect her during work hours. There's a physical fitness test in PE today, so I can't skip class to go with him."

"Ran, just forget about it. Tell your teacher you'll take the fitness test another day." Mouri Kogoro, having heard the crash, burst through the door—one sock on, one hand still fastening his belt—stumbling down the stairs to check on his daughter. "The brat and I can just grab an onigiri on the way. Ran, what's wrong?"

Conan closed the fridge door. 'The brat'... is he talking about me?

Ran took a deep breath and shook her head, smiling weakly. "I feel better now. It's probably just low blood sugar." She turned to Conan, pressing her palms together in a slight bow. "Sorry, Conan... could you skip school today and go with Dad? He said it'd look weird if he went alone to protect the client, and I'm worried that if he'd by himself there, someone might mistake him for a creep and call the police."

Conan blinked. "A creep? Where exactly is she meeting you, Ojiisan?"

As Mouri Kogoro finished knotting his tie, he admired his reflection in the mirror and muttered, half to himself, "She called me over a dozen times first thing this morning. What the hell? Three a.m., for crying out loud." He yawned mid-complaint.

"But hear this Brat, stick close to me, Don't wander off or cause trouble, you hear? It's not safe out there."

Conan's brow twitches but instead he looked up at Kogoro with wide innocent eyes, as if he didn't know anything. "Why? Did something happen?" Besides, Beika is probably never safe for kids or ladies if we're talking about an old man who hits kids in the head and flirts with those poor ladies... Conan chuckles dryly at the thought.

Mouri Kogoro, generally never the responsible adult, looked at Conan with a rare seriousness. "Arishima-san was found dead this morning. We don't know the details."

That shut Conan up. He outwardly didn't react but a hint of solemn look passed through, eyes sharpening when nobody was watching. Yes. He had read the news online already.
"This morning, the police found Arishima from the Karuizawa Hotel murdered by some twisted thrill-killer. No witnesses, no murder weapon left behind. Doesn't seem like the Black Widow's doing—he wasn't poisoned, but gutted open instead, probably with some kind of dagger. The cut ran from the throat all the way down."

Hands slipped into the little pockets, a shadow passing through the bright wide eyed face of a kid. He too wanted to investigate it as well, it doesn't make any sense. If Arishima-san truly knew nothing then why was he silenced? Or did he found something he shouldn't have?

Ran gasped. "Oh my god, that's horrible!" A sadness passed over her features as she said softly. "Just the other day, Arishima gave us a ride home... He had been so nice to us. And now this? Who would do anything like that..."

Conan slipped away, not wanting to see her sad, but also because his focus had returned to that case, he had earlier decided to investigate it after school but this saved him the trouble. He stepped toward the TV. Just days ago, they had cracked open the Black Organization's vault, and now the next news about Arishima was his death. It reeked of the Organization—had they silenced him before the police could question him?

No... the method was too flashy. If it were the Organization, they'd have gone for poison and pinned it on the Black Widow. The police still hadn't caught her. Their style was covert, low-profile. This scene practically begged for attention from the cops and Public Security. No evidence, as if declaring "Solve it if you can".

Mouri Kogoro's tone darkened. "To be honest, Arishima and I were not that close back in high school, but... tch, that's just brutal. Conan! Hurry up and change out of your pajamas, we're heading out!"

"Wait—Ojiisan! You haven't even told me where we're going!" Conan dashed back to his room, swapping his pajamas for a shirt and track pants, then doubled back to fish a magic coin and a deck of cards from his sleepwear pocket, stuffing them into his backpack before running downstairs again.

"Brat, what's with all that junk?"

"Ha... um... new magic props. Amuro-san is helping me get ready for the school's magic show. But, Ojiisan, you have to promise we'll be done before the afternoon. I need to practice with Amuro-san—not being late!"

Mouri sighed, waving off his hand dismissively "Yeah, yeah, I got it. How can you be KID killer and still do that junk stuff like an idiot anyway?"

After calling in to report Conan 'sick,' Mouri Kogoro hailed a taxi. Ten minutes later, they stopped at a bustling intersection. Cars entering the school zone slowed to a crawl, while the streets teemed with high schoolers. But today was different—no uniforms. A giant inflatable sign at the front gate explained why.

High school? Conan narrowed his eyes.

Ekoda High School Cultural Festival.

The client's name was Tsukishima Renko, a biology teacher at Ekoda High. Mouri Kogoro and Conan squeezed past a swarm of students hauling portable gas stoves and crates of ingredients. Only then did Conan realize why Mouri Kogoro had brought him along— Oh So that's what it is, amid the sea of teenagers, they could pass for family members visiting the festival: a father and his younger brother. Perfect cover. No wonder, Ran wouldn't let me take off school any other day.

"Conan-kun should be a good kid and attend everyday!" He could almost hear her scolding voice in his head before his attention shifts to his surroundings again.

The cultural festival mobilized the entire school—arguably the most chaotic day of the year, one of those times Kudou Shinichi would actually be more involved in School because it included plays and acts and he, as the son of the famous actress, somehow always ended up in the main roles.

Some classrooms had been turned into stalls selling handmade goods or hosting flea markets; others had stoves fired up for dubious culinary experiments. A few had been cleared out entirely for haunted-house attractions. At eight a.m., right before opening, the halls were at peak chaos, students dashing in and out with props. Kogor held Conan's hand in a vice grip as they fought their way through the crowd.

"Damn... where's the biology lab?"

"Didn't Ms. Tsukishima give you the exact location?" Conan asked, just as a student carrying a bucket slammed into him, followed by a teacher in a rush who stepped on his foot.

"Of course not! She just said it's in this building and told us to ask around. Excuse me—where's the biology room? There's like a thousand rooms."

A group of male students pointed vaguely in one direction before hurrying off. Mouri and Conan followed the general lead.

"Maybe we should head downstairs to ask?"

"Guess we have to." They reached the second-floor corridor, labeled for the second-year classes. Unlike the exam-weary third-years or the green first-years, the second-years seemed the most unrestrained—chaos incarnate.

The hallway was a jumble: 2-A >> okonomiyaki stall, 2-B>> maid café, 2-C >>art gallery .......... Trash littered the floor, shrieks and chatter echoing everywhere.

"My gosh, are all high schoolers like this now?" Mouri Kogoro muttered, before his gaze locked on a particular woman. "Excuse me, could you tell me where the biology lab is?"

The girl turned, and Conan swore he could hear Mouri Kogoro's heart stop. Her narrowed eyes held a cool detachment, yet her beauty could topple kingdoms. She held a garment bag in one hand and opened a classroom door with the other, clearly about to leave—until her gaze fell on Conan.

"Aoko! Come give me a hand, will you? Hakuba seems to have run into some trouble at the convenience store, and I need to bring the catalog over to him."

"Hakuba?" Mouri grumbled, "Don't tell me it's 'that Hakuba'..."

Just then, a girl poked her head out from the classroom window along the hallway. "Huh? So sudden, Akako? Well, you go ahead and take care of it... I'll cover for you. Who's outside? Oh, it's you guys! Long time no see! Do you still remember me? I'm Nakamori Aoko, daughter of Inspector Nakamori. Mouri-san, are you here on a case?"

Mouri scratched his head. "Yeah, sorry to bother you. Uh... could you tell me how to get to the biology lab?"

Aoko stepped out in overalls, a wad of white glue tangled in her hair. She thought for a moment. "Sorry, Mouri-san, I've still got a lot on my plate. How about I get someone else to take you there? The west side of the school is under renovation, plus we've got the culture festival going on—it's not that easy to find your way right now. Which teacher are you looking for?"

"Tsukishima Renko. She's your biology teacher, right, Aoko-neesan?" Conan asked.

Aoko shook her head. "No, but I recall she's the homeroom teacher for the senior class, so I can't say for sure where she'd be. Could be in her biology lab, her office, her classroom... or even out shopping with students. That's tricky."

It was detective business, after all, and Aoko didn't want to let anybody handle this. She flung open the classroom door, stuck her head in, and shouted, "BAKAITOOOOOOO! Get out here! Yeah, you! You're the least busy of anyone—move it! Someone's looking for Tsukishima Renko-sensei."

Conan who was outside the classroom had to cover his ears with a slight grimace, Whoever that guy is must have had his eardrums torn.

Kuroba Kaito, midway through applying eyeshadow, looked utterly wronged, but he still stood up, adjusted the cat tail at his back, and stepped out. The black maid dress with white lace seemed a poor fit on him; when he stood, the fabric at the chest sagged forward. He covered his chest with one hand and pushed the door open with the other.

Thank god he dressed as a maid with cute, pink-style makeup.

.............

"Unless you'd rather go down and help Hakuba carry ice and hot water," Aoko threatened.No matter how much Kaito liked cross-dressing in public, didn't have the face to strut out of the school with a cat tail swishing—let alone cross the street to the convenience store and be teased by Hakuba.

It's just guiding the way. How hard could that be?

"Baka! Once you find Tsukishima-sensei, you'd better come right back to help, don't go wandering off, Kuroba Kaito!"

Kuroba Kaito flattened the cat ears on his head in an attempt to block Aoko's sonic assault, and led the two of them toward the stairs.

...

A 175-centimeter Siamese cat in a hot and sexy maid dress...yes, wild cat. That was Conan's first impression of Kuroba Kaito.

Sure, Conan knew the high schooler in front of him was a guy—most of Class 2-B's male students were dressed as maids, while the girls wore suit-and-tie waiter uniforms. Knowing was one thing, but after a few steps, Conan still couldn't stop himself from stealing a few extra glances.

Those long, straight legs in sheer nude stockings looked impossibly soft to the touch, paired with black knee-high boots. Conan's gaze drifted upward to the black, puffy mini-skirt clinging snugly to his hips, its hem so short it hinted at the curve beneath.

Oh shit.

Conan flushed, realizing his height advantage gave him an unfair angle— Oh Shit shit shit, Its- Its not like I am being a pervert or anything! I mean he's a guy too... its just it happened to be in line of sight. ( Um...... But reality check and Kudou Shinichi is a pervert.)

And soon enough, without even realizing, his eyes wandered upward again.

That cat tail... especially the way the orange tail swayed with each step....He really wanted to grab it. He might even look like some curious kid while doing it but hah, for some reason... His narrow eyes wandered up. I feel watched.

"Why's your school holding its culture festival on a weekday?" Mouri asked casually.

Kuroba Kaito, slightly altering his voice knowing exactly who else is right beside him to his left, acutely aware that of a pair of indigo blues on himself, replied as he glanced to his right, "This year's different. We had to avoid the sports festival dates, and after shuffling the schedule around, only today was left." He looks back ahead. "This way—the science lab and equipment room are down here."

"Whose idea was it to come up with something like this....... ?" Mouri asked.

Kuroba grinned. "Um...... Let's just say our homeroom teacher has... unique tastes and fantasies."

He knocked on each door they passed, but none graced them with reply. Perhaps locked. Conan crouched to peek through a crack. "Ojiisan, lights are off inside—looks like no one's there."

"Then Tsukishima-sensei's probably in the senior third-year classroom."

Kuroba Kaito led them upstairs. Conan deliberately lagged behind a few steps, cursing himself for being shameless, Kusou, Kusou what's wrong with me?! Am I that much of a pervert? I saw other guys for the cafe and I am almost certain I didn't stare at their tails!!

But this guy...... Conan still unable to tear his eyes from the boy's legs...Really wanted to grab that tail.

His blush deepened; Conan gave his head a quick shake to clear it.

Kuroba Kaito pushed a classroom door open with one foot. "Sorry—do you know which classroom Tsukishima-sensei is in?"

"Third-year Class D... Shit...... Nice figure, Kuroba-kun."

Conan looked up just in time to see the teenager raise his long pale leg and slam the hard sole of his boot into a fellow's ankle.

"Can you all shut up already?!"

They were all close friends from the basketball court, instantly recognizing him in the maid dress. Dropping their spray cans and grilled skewers, they grinned and offered Conan a few roasted marshmallows. "Here, kid—have some candy apples. Didn't know you had a much younger brother, Kaito-kun."

Kuroba Kaito rolled his eyes and smacked away a senpai's hand reaching for his cat ears. "Does it physically hurt you to keep your mouth shut? Careful, or I'll tell your girlfriend Keiko all about this. Anyway, thanks for the candy apples. If you swing by our café later, I'll have Aoko give you a discount."

"Oh, by the way, Kuroba Kaito" one of them called after him. "Your voice sounds kinda off today."

But Kaito was already leading Mouri and Conan away. Conan glances back at the guys, off? He doesn't look like he had a cold or anything though... But soon the Shrunken teen shrugged it off.

"May I ask what business you have with Tsukishima-sensei?" Kuroba asked casually.

"She commissioned me to protect her. Though I'm puzzled as to why a high school teacher would need a detective, maybe it is a harassment case. And somebody threatened her." Mouri added, using the moment to fish for more information about the client.

Conan looks at the older man with narrow disbeliving eyes, sighing dryly. Oi Oi, Ochhan, You sure you're supposed to tell all that to a random highschooler? Did you forget about client privacy? Moreover a lady's? Conan sighed, this old man is hopeless.

"Shouldn't she call the police or apply for a restraining order?" Kuroba countered.

Conan said, slipping back into his childish tone, "Maybe Tsukishima-san has her own reasons for avoiding the police—or maybe they're too busy to bother with a case like that."

Mouri frowned. "Still, she's just a teacher. What sort of trouble could she possibly have provoked? And she's asked me to start guarding her from the moment she leaves school today, which means she thinks she's in danger even on campus. Could it be that she's being targeted by school gangs or something?"

Conan let out a long suffering sigh. How about you give this guy her entire profile and whatnot while you're at it?

"I don't know anything about school gangs, and Tsukishima isn't my teacher... but—you said she's received threats? What kind of threats exactly?"

"Mouri-san! I've been waiting for you forever!"

They had just reached the door of Class 3-D when it swung open to reveal a biology teacher in her late fifties, hair a salt-and-pepper mix—Tsukishima Reiko. The moment she saw Mouri Kogoro, she visibly relaxed, clutching her handbag tighter with one hand while looping the other around Mouri's arm. The detective got all glittery and happy.

Conan stares at him with an unamused look all the while.

After a quick word to her students, she hurriedly pulled him toward the stairs. Conan took the chance to slip a bug into the inside of Mouri's shoe while pretending to slip.

"Hey, wait—where are you going? Miss Tsukishima, I haven't even agreed to your—hey, slow down! I can't keep up! Where are we going?!" Mouri was half being dragged, half walking, and Tsukishima showed no sign of letting go—in fact, she clung to him like an old wife to her husband.

Looks like he's finally off the high. Conan smirks slightly. Deserve.

"Some things are better discussed elsewhere. Why don't I take you to a café outside the school?"

Mouri shouted over his shoulder, exasperated: "Conan! Stay there! I'll come get you when I'm done! Miss Tsukishima, could you please let go—"

Since Aoko's request had already been fulfilled, Kuroba Kaito figured this was the perfect chance to shake off Meitantei, who cared where he was going to? Kaito certainly was not.

He returned on his heel and headed down the stairs, keeping his steps quiet. Halfway down, his step faltered. His face grew darker and he turned stiffly to see Conan behind him—fingers clamped firmly on his cat's tail.

"That's harassment you know...? Let go of my tail..."

Meeting Kuroba's gaze, Conan blinked his sapphire-blue eyes, shook his head pitifully, and tightened his grip on the tail, acting all innocent like a kid who just didn't want to let an adult go, can be any further from the truth though? Absolutely not.

He looked up at him with big puppy eyes.

"Gomen-ne... Oniisan! But... But, could I... go back with you?"

Kaito's eye twitches. This tiny actor of a detective...... Innocent act is my job, not yours, you perverted Meitantei!!

______________________________

Going back together came at a price.

Thinking that playing cute worked on everyone, Conan was in for a nasty reversal.

Kuroba did take Conan back to Class 2-B—but he led him to a corner of the classroom, crouching down with a wicked grin.

"You can—but you have to help attract customers. And not causing trouble."

"Mm... I'll behave, I won't cause any tro—hey? Oniisan......what are you doing?—Wait—mmph!!!"

Before Conan could react, Kuroba leaned forward, pressing fake breasts and long hair against Conan's face, blocking his view entirely. Even knowing it was just a male, Conan felt his skin heating—and then came the warm, damp touch against his nose.

The cross-dressing teen had smothered him with the breast into a nosebleed, leaving Conan muffled and protesting, cursing KID over and over in his head for flirting with him so many times before that he'd let his guard down completely—only to be caught by a stranger this time.

"Alright, take a look. Like it?" Kuroba finally let go, smirking when Conan shoved him away. From beneath his skirt, he pulled out a small mirror used for disguises. "Seeing you reminds me of a Scottish Fold, kittens. I think it suits you better than me, don't you agree?"

"Eh? What—"

Conan's face went pale as his hands flew to his head. Sure enough, there was a pair of cat ears.

Heat rushed up to his face, and before he could fight back, the teen leaned in again, looping his hands behind Conan. Just as Conan realized the danger, those hands brushed against his pants.

His mind went blank, alarm bells blaring in his ears. He stood frozen, letting the teen half-embrace him.

Wait—was he just... molested? By who again? A stranger?

Damn it...

His hands slid to Conan's waist, seemingly searching for the fold of his waistband. Conan didn't care what his intention was—Conan's hand was already moving to trigger the tranquilizer watch. This was a once-in-a-lifetime idiot daring to touch Edogawa Conan like this, and Conan was about to take him down for such blatant harassment. Looking is one thing, touching is entirely another.

But then, that familiar voice brushed his ear—soft, deliberate, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Put away your tranquilizer, Meitantei. Your Mouri-Ojiisan told you to stay with me. Since you came back with me, you'll follow my lead. Understand?"

So that is why Kuroba Kaito had a different voice. One of those 3rd years had mentioned it. This is not the real Kuroba Kaito, it's KID!

When Kuroba Kaito finally released him, there was now a cat tail attached to Conan's back. He stared blankly at the figure in a maid outfit—KID in disguise. Before he could yell or fight back, Kuroba scooped him up overhead, settling Conan on his shoulders like a cute kitten.

Neither of them had imagined they'd meet again here—KID dressed as a maid, Conan transformed into a kitten. But it didn't matter; right now, they were both cosplaying as something else entirely.

"KAITOOOO, go help carry ice downstairs! Hakuba-kun and Akako-chan are waiting at the front door," Aoko called out loudly from the other side of the class. Kuroba muttered a silent curse against Hakuba Saguru a hundred times over before heading down with Conan.

"Oi-Oi, KID! Who gave you the balls to disguise yourself as Nakamori Aoko's classmate and sneak into the school? Sure, you've never cared about the Japanese police, but you can't possibly have come here just to make coffee, right?" Conan had no choice but to loop his arms around Kuroba Kaito's neck to avoid falling, while Kaito supported Conan's waist with one hand.

Kuroba Kaito had long anticipated that bringing Conan back with him would be riddled with flaws, not to mention that Hakuba Saguru would certainly drop some deliberate hints. The only way to prevent all this was to make Conan believe that KID was simply disguised as a high school student named Kuroba Kaito.

"Why did you sneak in?"

Conan's gaze fell on those eyes dusted with shimmering powder, debating whether to tell the Kaitou KID about the vault and the fingerprints. No doubt, the police would investigate every one of the forty-five different fingerprints found, leaving no suspect unchecked. Which meant the day KID's true identity was exposed was not far off.

"Of course, to get near Hakuba Saguru and Nakamori Aoko." Kuroba replied casually.

Walking down the street, the two of them naturally drew attention. Some even reached out to touch the cat ears on Conan's head, only for Kuroba Kaito to block their hands with a smile.

"Has the great detective been practicing his basic magic tricks? Did your little friend enjoy the cake we made yesterday?"

"I didn't have time to read yesterday, I have my own matters to handle, you know? And KID... Ishikawa Kaito was definitely scared off by you. Haibara said he still didn't come to class today."

"Huh?" Kuroba Kaito protested, "Wait—explain yourself, Meitantei! How exactly is Ishikawa Kaito skipping school my fault?"

"I thought about it all night. Sure, I did push him in, but I don't think he was mad about that. He mentioned you picking the lock in the sealed room. KID! You must have gotten handsy with him, didn't you?" Conan narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on Kaito's collar. "Just like you were just now with me. What, you like harassing little kids?"

"...Relax, I'm not interested in kids... plus...... He's not you."

Hearing KID's offhand tone, Conan instinctively leaned closer, tugging on Kuroba's ear. "You'd better not lay a hand on him, you hear me?!"

"Oi– Got it! Now let go—you're going to turn me deaf if Nakamori-san doesn't! Oh, by the way, Meitantei.. Did you see the news this morning? That murder at the Karuizawa Rose Manor—that wasn't the Black Widow's doing, was it?" Kuroba Kaito descended another flight of stairs.

Conan licked his lips, now holding his chin in deep thought. "The Black Widow was clearly after something in Room 314, but the police had already cleared it out yesterday. And Arishima-san's cause of death doesn't match her usual method. KID, like I said last night—since you've already returned the gem, you should stay out of this. You don't know what you're getting yourself into if you keep doing this." He made the warning loud and clear this time.

In the end, Conan decided not to mention the fingerprint investigation to KID. First, even among forty-five suspects, KID could still slip away unscathed. Second, if he could get the suspect list from Public Security, he might just learn KID's real identity.

"You didn't do anything to Kuroba Kaito, I mean this high school student, did you?"

"Huh? He's studying abroad in America... so I just borrowed his identity for a bit. Oh shit, here comes Hakuba...... "

...

"Kuroba-kun, you're five minutes and seven seconds late again, and—Conan? What are you doing here and ....... your ...... you...." Hakuba Saguru snapped his pocket watch shut and pointed toward the cardboard box at the door, his attention snagged entirely by the sight of Conan in Kuroba's arms. Hearing his name called, Conan felt as if all his dignity had been stripped away, leaving only a thin onion-skin layer between him and utter humiliation, he seriously became a tomato like an embarrassed kid might.

"And why are you dressed like that?" Hakuba blinked, seized by an odd sense of déjà vu. Blushing furiously, Conan forced a nod, laughing sheepishly like a child while tugging Kaito's back hair roughly which were easily accessible when you're practically perched on the shoulder. "Hakuba-niisan! I came with my Ojiisan, but he left me here while he went to work. You look like you need help—I can carry a box."

Like a kitten, he leapt lightly from Kuroba's shoulder. Hakuba glanced at Kuroba Kaito, then at the conspicuous cat tail swaying behind Conan. The detective's mind spun rapidly, convinced he must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

When the shop first opened, business was booming. It was hard to tell if people had come for the coffee and cake, or just for the spectacle. Class 2-B was in chaos, and after Kuroba Kaito dumped Conan in his own seat, he had no time for idle chatter—taking orders, handling payments, packing takeout, and posing for photos with customers. He didn't mind the photos; after all, he'd spent plenty of time perfecting his makeup, and he took pride in it. Aoko, however, kept her fists clenched as if she might swing them at any moment.

"Aoko, where's your cake from? Did you make it yourselves?"

"Eh? I don't know, you'll have to ask Kaito." Aoko and Kuroba darted back and forth between the counter and the tables, while the other classmates juggled serving, carrying dishes, and fretting over a ruined pot of milk tea in the kitchen.

"Go back to my seat, Meitantei, why are you....."

"I can help."Conan tried to help a few times, but each attempt to jump down from his seat ended with Kuroba Kaito scooping him up. "A brat like you would just be a roadblock."

"Hey—I'm trying to help you... What are you—put me down!"

By the fifth time Conan tried to get to the register to count change, Kuroba simply hoisted him onto his shoulder again, causing a stir as people snapped photos of the little boy with his adorable cat ears and tail.

That drew even more customers into the shop.

Completely unfazed, Kuroba Kaito grabbed a long tablecloth, tied Conan to his back, and went on serving food.

"Kuroba-kun, is this your little brother? He's so cute! And he really does look like you!"

"Can I pet his head? Wow, his ears are adorable! Like a plush you'd want to cuddle at night."

Conan wanted nothing more than to strangle KID on the spot—was he being treated like a mascot now?

Clinging to the back of KID's neck, Conan watched him greet every student and outsider with the same warm smile, pouring tea with unhurried grace. The only exception was when Hakuba Saguru sat down as a customer—then Conan could clearly sense the hostility behind KID's smile.

Yes, they knew each other. Kaitou KID and Hakuba Saguru.

"Hakuba-san, what would you like to order today?"

Ordinarily, Kuroba Kaito spoke in his usual voice, definitely without the "-san", heck with it, Hakuba doesn't deserve it so whenever it came to Hakuba Saguru. He would deliberately try to get under the other's skin. Even though right now he's giving a bit of respect, even going out of his way as to put out a female's voice.

However, smiling without the slightest hint of irritation, Hakuba's hands neatly folded on the table. "English black tea. Please keep the water temperature at exactly ninety degrees Celsius. One gram of tea leaves to ninety mL of water, steeped for four minutes, no more, no less."

Kuroba was just about to use the excuse that such a request wasn't on the menu to boot this overly particular customer out, when Hakuba stood up and handed him a paper bag. Both Kuroba and Conan glanced inside.

Well, well. The man had clearly anticipated the occasion... tea leaves, strainer, even the teapot—he'd brought it all.

From an objective standpoint, Hakuba Saguru was an exceptionally handsome and refined young man. Tall, with golden hair and charming eyes, the offspring of Japanese and British lineage, his features were naturally appealing to the masses. Popular with peers and elders alike, he was admittedly a bit proud—but his pride was well earned.

Not only did he come from an illustrious family, he possessed impeccable character and keen intelligence. Everything he did was deliberate, considered, a pursuit of truth and justice rivaling that of Kudo Shinichi in his prime. In fact, since Kudo's disappearance, it could be said Hakuba had gradually taken his place.

To say Conan didn't mind would be a lie.

Even though the identity of Edogawa Conan gave him a safe harbor, he knew this was never meant to be permanent. Someday, not far off, he would reclaim the name Kudo Shinichi and take back his original life.

But until then, he had no intention of letting anyone else take over what was his. Just because Edogawa Conan was a child didn't mean anyone could steal what belonged to him.

For example...

"KID, what's your relationship with Hakuba Saguru?" He said as he rested his chin on Kaito's shoulder from behind.

Kuroba, who had been walking perfectly fine, suddenly lost focus and nearly tumbled down the stairs.

"Cough—what the hell, Meitantei? Could you talk like a normal human being? 'What's my relationship with Hakuba'? What kind of question is that? And could you not look at me like you just caught me cheating?"

"He recognized you as KID," Conan said as he grabbed the front of Kuroba's shirt and apron.

Kuroba swatted away Conan's little claws with a crooked grin. "Of course he did. The guy's like a barnacle—sticks wherever I go. But to be fair, Hakuba's actually a decent friend. At least when I'm disguised as Kuroba Kaito, he doesn't blow my cover on the spot. After a few days of being around him... turns out he's not as insufferable as I thought. Actually, he's pretty..... Hey, hey, hey—why are you biting me?! Ow—ow! Meitantei! Do you really think you're a cat?"

Kuroba had been deliberately praising Hakuba in front of Conan just to see what kind of reaction he'd get. But the "cute kitten" perched obediently on his back flattened its ears and sank its teeth into the nape of his neck, not fast either, rather deep, leaving a faint ring of teeth marks. Kaito almost lets out a sound. Almost.

Don't be fooled by how soft and affectionate this cat usually was—Kuroba knew that beneath that cute little face was a territorial beast who loved to bare its fangs.

"Don't think I don't know why you showed up at Ekoda High today. It's because of Hakuba, isn't it? Nakamori Aoko was just an excuse" His dark aura was almost undeniable at this point.

Kuroba set Conan down, tied his long apron into a neat bow at the waist, then tugged down the strap from his shoulder to check the damage from that bite.

"Tch... you didn't have to bite me, you know." He then carefully took out Hakuba's teapot, washed it several times, and carried it to the water dispenser. Conan, for his part, had no intention of admitting the mark on Kuroba's neck was his doing. He feigned nonchalance. "So you plan to disguise yourself as him, Hakuba Saguru?"

"Yep. Your father's identity is certainly useful, but he's in America now, and he's got plenty of connections at the MPD. If I waltzed in there wearing his face, it'd be screaming 'I'm Kaitou KID! Come and arrest me!' "

Conan chuckled. "Whereas Hakuba is the only son of the Commissioner General. Hakuba Saguru may not be a cop, but in a sense the MPD is his home... Still, do you really think you can get into the evidence room disguised as him? He already seems to have recognized you—why would he ever let his guard down?"

Kuroba shrugged. "You never know until you try. What... are you going to stop me?"

"...I'll help you."

That stopped Kuroba cold. He hadn't expected Meitantei, who usually wanted to strangle him, to suddenly offer assistance—not just any assistance, but help in drugging and kidnapping the General's son.

Kuroba blinked and poked Conan's cheek. "Are you sure you're really Meitantei?"

Conan swatted his hand away. "It's just drugging him. Slip some powder into his tea, pretend to help him to the nurse... I'll help you. Because in a way, I'm responsible too."

Without waiting for the still-stunned Kuroba Kaito to recover, Conan reached for the hot teapot in his hands and let out a heavy sigh, not quite sure why he'd decided to tell KID the truth. "I need to tell you something, KID... you might want to sit down for this."

......................

After the explanation, Kuroba Kaito exploded.

"What?! Are you joking?!"

"You're telling me all this was a lie you made up? You'd already tampered with the glass slipper, so the one stored at the MPD couldn't be traced back to me? And you said this just to get me to help you?!"

It should have made Kuroba happy.

But...

"And then you tell me... the police were analyzing the fingerprints from the vault?!"

"Don't yell at me like that. And that is your fault! Why did you even take off the gloves! Don't you understand that somebody wanted to use this and locked your identity?"

Kaito drew in a long breath, trying to steady the frustration churning inside him. Ultimately, it was his own carelessness—switching between adult and child bodies took too much energy, too much time, and in the chaos, things had been forgotten.

Troubles he could have foreseen and avoided had instead been allowed to grow into a noose tightening around his neck.

"KID... let me help you. Just like you once helped Kudo Shinichi. "

Kuroba Kaito knew that the biggest problem was not the fingerprints themselves. If his own prints were found on the vault's surface, Ishikawa Kaito could claim that KID had carried him to let him experience unlocking it—an absurd yet unassailable excuse. After all, neither Kuroba Kaito nor Ishikawa Kaito had any criminal record, so there would be nothing in the system.

The real, fatal risk lay in what might happen if, after returning to being Kuroba Kaito, he was unfortunately targeted or suspected by the police. Once they compared the fingerprints at that point, no matter what he said—he wouldn't be able to wash himself clean.

Better not to leave any evidence at all.

Facing a smiling Kuroba Kaito, Hakuba Saguru felt nothing but suspicion—in plainer terms, the detective's inner alarm was blaring at full red alert. KID had never treated him with a friendly face, so why was he suddenly appearing alongside the little detective Edogawa Conan, even accommodating Saguru's own unreasonable requests?

Nakamori Aoko had said that Mouri-san and Conan had come to 2-B and asked for directions, and she had pushed Kuroba Kaito out to meet them. Did that mean Conan still did not know Kuroba Kaito's true identity?

"Where's Conan-kun? Didn't he come back with you?" Hakuba asked.

"Mouri-san came to pick him up." He places the order down. "And here's what you wanted. Don't waste it, you hear me? I went through the trouble of making it for you at the water dispenser as you wanted it. Tch_ can't let all my hard work for this cafe go to waste"

Kuroba Kaito didn't waste time. If he was going to serve someone, he would do it properly. He set a clean tea set in front of Hakuba and personally poured him a full cup of black tea.

"I'll add the sugar myself," Hakuba said, frowning slightly. He couldn't tell what Kuroba Kaito was plotting, but just as he was about to take a sip, he paused, deliberately set the cup down slowly, and studied the faint unease in Kuroba Kaito's expression.

"Kuroba-kun seems very eager for me to drink this quickly."

"Black tea loses some of its aroma when it cools. I was just worried—"

"Worried I'd be picky? Or... how about you take the first sip for me?"

"That wouldn't be right..." Kuroba Kaito took a step back.

"Oh? You didn't put something in it, did you?" Hakuba picked up the cup with a smile, then stood, his height suddenly looming over Kuroba Kaito, and said in a half-threatening tone, "Good things should be shared with good friends. I consider you a friend, Kuroba-kun—surely you wouldn't refuse me this, would you?"

"..." With extreme reluctance, Kuroba Kaito took a small sip. "Happy now? You're always so suspicious, Hakuba. Why don't you take the first sip? If you're still worried, you can spit it out later."

Kuroba Kaito had a point, so Hakuba Saguru sat back down. He lifted the teacup gently, took a small sip, let the black tea linger on his tongue, and allowed it to slide slowly into his mouth. The smell...... the taste......the temperature...... nothing but a cup of perfecto. Closing his eyes, he tried to detect any hint of abnormality.

A sudden pain in his neck.

Hakuba's eyes flew wide, meeting Kuroba Kaito's mocking gaze. Darkness swept over him, and he collapsed in Kaito's embrace. Kuroba Kaito glanced at Conan, who stood behind Hakuba's chair, and Kuroba hauled Hakuba in one hand and reached out to Conan with another hand, patting on Conan's cat ear.

"It is now one o'clock, Meitantei. Ah, right on time to clock out."