Chapter Text
Shit.
Holy shit.
"If I’d known I’d have to do parkour just to stay alive, I would’ve paid more attention to those Roblox obbies." Serina cursed under her breath as she sprinted down the corridor
Because if she died now, it would be entirely her fault, her own ignorance and, more importantly, that damn, good-for-nothing thief who had dragged her into this situation. First of all, what was she even thinking, trusting a damn jewel thief? She had to be out of her mind.
She kept running down the hallway as fast as her legs could carry her. The building was collapsing around her, the structure groaning ominously as parts of the ceiling gave way little by little. The air was thick with smoke and heat, and every step felt like it could be her last. Somehow—she didn’t even know how—she managed to dodge a chunk of the ceiling just before it crashed down where she had been standing. Her heart pounded violently in her chest as adrenaline pushed her forward, forcing her to keep moving.
She scanned her surroundings frantically until she finally spotted the emergency stairwell. Relief flickered briefly across her face, only to vanish just as quickly when she realized the way down was completely blocked. Rubble, twisted metal, and broken concrete sealed off the exit, leaving no possible way through. Panic tightened around her chest, making it harder to breathe as desperation began to set in.
“Ran! Conan! Sonoko! Is anyone there?!” she shouted, her voice echoing uselessly through the collapsing building.
No one answered.
The silence that followed was far more terrifying than the noise.
Swallowing her fear, Serina forced herself to think. If she couldn’t go down, then there was only one option left. Without wasting another second, she turned and began running up the stairs instead, nearly stumbling in her haste. Her legs burned with the effort, and each step felt heavier than the last, but stopping was not an option.
When she finally reached the rooftop, she pushed the door open and stumbled outside. A strong gust of wind immediately hit her, sending her wine-colored hair flying wildly across her face. Above her, the full moon shone with an almost mocking calmness, its pale light illuminating the destruction around her. Flames surrounded the building, devouring it piece by piece, while thick smoke rose into the night sky.
Drawn toward the edge, she approached the railing and looked down. Far below, emergency lights flashed in a blur of red and blue. Firefighters, police cars, and ambulances crowded the streets, their sirens cutting through the night as people shouted orders and rushed to contain the disaster. Help was there, so close, yet completely out of her reach.
A bitter realization settled in her chest.
This was the end.
And all because she had been greedy enough to show up for a free buffet, never imagining it would lead her here.
The ground suddenly trembled beneath her feet, snapping her out of her thoughts. The weakened structure groaned loudly, and before she could react, the railing gave way with a sharp metallic crack. Her eyes widened as her balance faltered, her body tipping backward into empty space.
In the next instant, she was falling.
The world seemed to flip in slow motion as the rooftop disappeared from her view, replaced by the open night sky. The wind roared past her ears as gravity pulled her down. Instinctively, she raised her arm, reaching out as if someone might catch her, someone might save her.
But deep down, she already knew the truth.
There was no one left in that collapsing building.
No one would come for her.
THAT SAME MORNING
“What?! You can’t hang out this afternoon?” Serina pulled a face, staring at her friend in disbelief.
“I’m sorry, Rina. You know how my dad is,” Aoko sighed, clearly frustrated as she rested her chin in her hand. “He never lets me leave the house whenever Kid sends out a notice of a new heist.”
Serina let out a small groan, crossing her arms as she leaned back slightly. Of course. Just her luck. Every time they actually had plans, something came up, and this time, it just had to be him. That ridiculous phantom thief with his cheap magic tricks.
Honestly, she didn’t get what the big deal was. Sure, he was flashy, and yeah, people treated him like some kind of celebrity, but at the end of the day, he was still just a thief.
“I don’t understand why they keep trying to catch him when they fail every single time he shows up,” Serina said, raising an eyebrow as she absentmindedly played with her pencil.
“They’ll get him someday, and when they do, it’ll be a national day of mourning,” Amane chimed in as she suddenly appeared beside them, dropping into the seat next to Aoko. “They’ll have captured the boyfriend of every girl in Japan.”
Serina rolled her eyes. “I seriously don’t see the appeal. Watching the entire female population of Japan drool over some wannabe thief is just ridiculous.”
Before any of them could reply, something suddenly dropped onto Serina’s desk. It looked like a crumpled piece of paper. The three girls stared at it in confusion, but before they could react, it abruptly popped open, releasing a cloud of white powder straight into Serina’s face.
She immediately started coughing.
“What the hell?!” Serina shot up from her seat, frantically brushing flour off her uniform and face.
From across the classroom, a loud, unmistakably obnoxious laugh rang out, clearly the culprit behind the prank. Serina frowned deeply as Kaito approached them, still laughing, accompanied by one of his friends.
“What’s so funny, idiot?” Amane snapped, stepping in to help Serina clean herself off.
“Ooh, scary. What are you gonna do, hit me?” Kaito shot back with a mocking grin.
Just then, Aoko grabbed him by the ear and yanked hard, making him wince in pain. “How many times do I have to tell you to stop acting like a little kid?!”
“Ow, ow! That hurts, Aoko!” Kaito complained, squirming until she finally let go, placing her hands on her hips in annoyance.
Rubbing his ear, Kaito’s gaze shifted toward Serina, who was still glaring at him while trying to brush the remaining flour off herself.
“You might wanna take off your blazer,” he said casually. “Pretty sure that flour has glue in it.”
“You damn pervert!” Serina snapped, immediately throwing her notebook at him.
Kaito dodged it effortlessly. “Grumpy witch!” he shot back, sticking his tongue out before turning and running off.
Muttering under her breath in frustration, Serina stormed out of the classroom, still brushing flour off herself as she made her way toward the bathroom. Thankfully, she had a spare sweater in her bag, so she quickly changed and did her best to clean up before heading back.
When she returned, the classroom was still without a teacher, even though nearly ten minutes had already passed.
“It’s weird that the math teacher isn’t here yet,” Amane commented, leaning back in her chair.
“Should we be worried?” Aoko tilted her head slightly.
Serina shrugged, taking her seat again. “That man wouldn’t miss class even if he had surgery ten minutes beforehand. He’ll show up.”
Another ten minutes went by. Then, finally, the classroom door slid open, but instead of their teacher, Kaito walked in, as if nothing had happened. He had been gone ever since pulling that stupid prank.
“Huh? Kashiki-sensei still isn’t here?” he asked casually, slipping his hands into his pockets as he looked around.
“Did you make him disappear, Kaito?” one of their classmates joked.
“I wish,” Kaito replied with a smirk. “That guy can’t even teach properly.”
What he didn’t realize was that Kashiki-sensei was standing right behind him, at the very same door he had just walked through.
The entire class fell silent. Serina didn’t even try to hide her smirk, he deserved that.
Kaito frowned slightly, confused by the sudden silence, until a sharp, irritated voice spoke from behind him.
“If you actually paid attention in class, you wouldn’t say such nonsense, Kaito.”
He completely froze and slowly, he turned around, only to come face-to-face with their clearly unimpressed teacher, who walked past him toward the desk.
“You’re late,” Kashiki-sensei continued. “Go straight to detention.”
“What?! But you’re late too!” Kaito protested, frowning.
“Yes, but I wasn’t wandering around the school like it’s a shopping mall,” the teacher replied flatly. “I was in a meeting.”
Kaito let out an annoyed groan but grabbed his bag anyway, heading toward the door. Just before leaving, he glanced back, and locked eyes with Serina.
With a victorious grin, she raised her hand and flipped him off.
Kaito’s expression darkened instantly and without missing a chance, he returned the gesture.
Then he walked out.
After classes ended, Serina, Amane, and Aoko walked out of the school together, still chatting about the same topic as before. Waiting just outside the entrance, leaning casually against the wall, was Kaito.
“Well, speaking of the devil,” Amane muttered, her gaze immediately locking onto him.
Aoko and Serina followed her line of sight. Kaito straightened up the moment he noticed them and walked over, heading directly toward Aoko. Without warning, he produced a blue rose from seemingly nowhere and presented it to her with a wide, charming smile.
“Seriously? That’s your idea of flirting?” Serina raised an eyebrow, visibly cringing.
“As if you wouldn’t want one too,” Kaito shot back, rolling his eyes.
“Ugh, no thanks. I’d die of embarrassment,” Serina replied, making a disgusted face.
“Well, of course you would. It’s only natural when someone as handsome as me is flirting with you,” he said arrogantly, not missing a chance to piss her off.
“You really live in your own fantasy, huh? Ever thought about touching grass?” she fired back, crossing her arms.
“Guys!” Aoko quickly intervened. “Stop fighting.”
Even then, Serina and Kaito continued glaring at each other, their silent standoff practically sparking. Still, they both backed off, only because Aoko told them to. She was the only one capable of keeping the peace between them, acting more like the exasperated mother of the group than anything else.
The three of them had known each other since they were little. They had gone to the same kindergarten, the same primary school, and now the same high school. Aoko, Kaito, and Serina had grown up side by side.
Well, not exactly.
Because while Aoko remained friends with both of them, Serina and Kaito had long since declared each other enemies. It all started back in primary school, after Kaito pulled a particularly awful prank on her. Serina, never known for her patience—and with a temper to match—had immediately declared war on him. Ever since that day, the two of them had fought like cat and mouse, constantly bickering, constantly clashing, with Aoko always stuck in the middle trying to separate them.
Amane Tanaka, on the other hand, had joined their circle later on, during middle school. As expected, she also couldn’t stand Kaito, finding him nothing more than an arrogant, immature man-child.
“So, what's with the rose?” Amane asked once they had put some distance between themselves and the school.
“I’m not sure,” Aoko admitted, glancing down at it. “But I can’t deny it’s really pretty.”
And, annoyingly enough, Serina had to agree.
The flower, a deep blue reminiscent of the ocean, was undeniably beautiful. For a brief moment, she found herself wondering where that idiot had even gotten something like that.
Eventually, the three girls parted ways at a nearby intersection, each heading toward their respective homes. Serina had just started walking down her usual route when her phone suddenly rang. She pulled it out, only to pause in surprise when she saw the name on the screen.
Ran Mouri.
“Hello? Ran? Is everything okay?” she asked as she answered the call.
On the other end, Ran’s cheerful voice came through immediately. “Yeah! I was calling to ask if you wanted to come over. Also there’s something I wanted to ask you, too.”
“Oh, sure. I’m nearby anyway, I’ll be there in a minute,” Serina replied before hanging up.
After the call, Serina changed direction and headed toward Ran’s neighborhood. About fifteen minutes later, she arrived at the Mouri Detective Agency. Climbing the stairs, she knocked on the office door, and within seconds, it opened to reveal Ran, smiling brightly at her.
“Hi, Serina,” Ran greeted, stepping aside to let her in.
“Hey, Ran. How have you been?” Serina asked as she walked inside.
“Good! Come, sit,” Ran offered warmly.
Serina made her way over to the couch, only to pause when she noticed a couple of familiar faces already there.
“Well, look who else is here, Sonoko and little Conan,” she said with a small laugh, glancing sideways at Conan, who was busy reading something in the newspaper.
“Hi, hi, Rina-chan!” Sonoko greeted enthusiastically.
Serina raised an eyebrow, but before she could say anything, Sonoko grabbed her by the shoulders and practically forced her down onto the couch. Confused, Serina looked up to see Ran and Sonoko standing in front of her, Ran offering an apologetic smile, while Sonoko wore a wide, almost suspicious grin.
“Alright… something here feels off,” Serina said, crossing her arms. “Ran? Care to explain?”
“Well…” Ran began hesitantly, but Sonoko cut in immediately.
“You have to come with us to Kid’s heist tonight at the Grand Prize!” she blurted out, practically vibrating with excitement.
“WHAT?! Me?!” Serina pointed at herself. “No way. I’m not into that kind of thing.”
“What?! Why not?!” Sonoko protested. “You have to come, Serina, you’re our last hope!”
“Why don’t you just go, the two of you? And I’m pretty sure Conan would want to go too,” Serina added, glancing at the boy with a knowing smirk.
“Yeah… he’s coming,” Ran admitted with a small laugh.
“Then why do you need me?” Serina pressed, arms still crossed.
“…Well.” Ran and Sonoko exchanged a look before both of them turned toward Conan.
And that’s when Serina understood.
“You seriously want me to come just to babysit that brat?” she said, pointing directly at him.
“I’m not a brat,” Conan shot back, glaring at her.
“Pleaaase, Serina, I’m begging you!” Sonoko clasped her hands dramatically. “This heist is super important to me! I need to see Kaito Kid in action, and Ran has to stay with me in case Shinichi shows up, it’s the heist of the century!”
“But Shinichi is ri—” Conan suddenly rushed over and clamped a hand over Serina’s mouth.
“Hahaha… you say the funniest things, Rina-chan,” Conan laughed nervously, though the sharp look he shot her said otherwise.
Serina simply rolled her eyes.
“I seriously don’t get the hype about watching a robbery,” she muttered with a sigh.
Sonoko leaned in slightly, a sly smile forming on her lips.
“The tickets we have are VIP… and there’s an all-you-can-eat buffet.”
Serina's face changed. It was as if every neuron in her brain suddenly lit up at once. Slowly, she crossed her legs, turning to look at Sonoko with newfound interest.
“And what time did you say it starts?”
“Told you it will work,” Sonoko whispered to Ran with a wink.
Sonoko knew perfectly well that bribing Serina with food was the easiest way to get her to agree to anything. After all, if there was something Serina Saito loved—right after Gojo Satoru—it was food. So the moment she heard the words all-you-can-eat buffet, especially one most likely funded by Sonoko’s ridiculously rich grandfather, any resistance she had completely disappeared.
“Honestly, you’re old enough to not need a babysitter, detective,” Serina sighed, glancing sideways at Conan, who was walking beside her.
That same night, they arrived at the Grand Prize, one of the most important buildings in Japan, as it was a branch of the Suzuki financial group. Standing before her was the towering skyscraper itself, imposing and almost overwhelming in its size. The entire area was heavily secured, with multiple police patrols surrounding the building. Behind barricade tape, crowds of people had gathered, many holding up their phones, eagerly waiting for the so-called phantom thief to make his appearance.
There were reporters everywhere—both local and international—cameras flashing, voices overlapping, the atmosphere buzzing with anticipation.
Serina blinked, genuinely surprised.
Is this robbery really such a big deal? People from other countries came all the way here just for this?
She leaned slightly closer to Conan.
“Hey, Shinichi… why is there so many people?” she whispered.
Serina Saito knew Conan Edogawa’s true identity, who is Shinichi Kudo. Their families had been close for years, which meant she had grown up alongside him just as much as she had with Kaito and Aoko. There had been countless times when her parents left her at the Kudo residence during trips, and vice versa. Through Shinichi, she had met Ran, who quickly became her friend, and who, not surprisingly, turned out to be the girl Shinichi liked. Later on, she met Sonoko through Ran, and naturally, they became friends as well.
In short, Serina had always been surrounded by people. Being naturally extroverted certainly helped.
The moment she first saw Conan, she knew who he really was so Shinichi, of course, hadn’t been able to keep the truth from her for long.
“It looks like Kid is after the Rosé Eternelle,” Conan said, slipping his hands into his pockets as they followed behind Ran and Sonoko into the building, blending in with the rest of the important guests.
“…Huh? What’s that?” Serina asked, clearly confused.
Conan glanced at her, already looking mildly exasperated. “You spend all day on your phone and you don’t know what the Rosé Eternelle is?”
“You know I’m not into this kind of stuff,” she replied with a shrug.
Conan sighed but continued anyway. “The Rosé Eternelle is a necklace that’s been passed down through generations of the Hoshine family. It’s on display here because it’s going to be auctioned soon, apparently, the family is on the verge of bankruptcy. The necklace is famous worldwide, though. People call it the symbol of eternal love… or something like that.”
Serina hummed thoughtfully, resting a hand under her chin.
“Well… I guess it’s good to learn something new every day,” she said with a small smile.
As soon as they entered the building, they headed up to the floor where the valuable artifact would soon be displayed. After stepping out of the elevator on the tenth floor, they found themselves halfway up the skyscraper.
When they entered the room, they were greeted by Sonoko’s grandfather and two police inspectors whom Serina knew very well. One was Inspector Megure Juzo, who had worked on several cases with Shinichi, and now with Ran’s father. The other was Aoko’s father, Ginzo Nakamori, better known to Serina as the man obsessively chasing Kaito Kid. At this point, he almost seemed like a stalker.
“Hello, Mr. Nakamori,” Serina greeted.
“Huh? What are you doing here, Serina?” he asked, clearly surprised. “You should be at home, not getting involved in things like this.”
Serina laughed. “A little fun doesn’t hurt. Besides, I was supposed to hang out with Aoko, but you didn’t let her go out.”
“Don’t you have exams?” he quickly changed the subject.
“Well, if it isn’t Serina,” Inspector Megure said with a warm smile. “How have you been? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you around. I’d say I see Conan more often than you.”
“I’ve been good. You know this kind of thing isn’t really my style, it’s more Shinichi’s thing. He’s the crazy one,” Serina replied with a smile.
At that moment, another woman entered the room holding a tablet. She walked up to a covered sculpture in the center and typed something. Moments later, the cover retracted smoothly into an opening, revealing the necklace.
The Rosé Eternelle.
Serina’s eyes lit up with admiration. Like everyone else, she stepped closer—just beyond the allowed boundary—and stared at the breathtaking piece. The pink gems sparkled beautifully, almost hypnotically. It was a visual delight, and for a moment, Serina could understand why Kaito Kid would want to steal it.
“The Rosé Eternelle is both an artifact and a jewel created by Hoshine, an artisan who lived in Japan many centuries ago,” the woman with the tablet explained. “The pink diamonds adorning the necklace are completely natural, they haven’t been treated or artificially colored. In fact, pink diamonds of this purity are considered impossible to find, which is why this piece is regarded as both legendary and historically significant.”
She continued, “Its meaning is ‘Eternal Love.’ It is said that the diamonds symbolize Hoshine’s first love, which was never returned. That is why she created this necklace, so that the woman who wears it might receive the love she herself longed for.”
“I’ve heard the legend,” Sonoko said, clasping her hands together, clearly moved. “It’s so sad, but fascinating at the same time. And I also read that there’s a prophecy, that if a man gives this necklace, or even one of its diamonds, to a woman, the two of them are destined to be together in every lifetime.”
She sighed dreamily.
“It’s so romantic! I wish Kaito Kid would steal it and give it to me!”
“I don’t understand why he’d want to steal such a beautiful jewel with such a touching meaning,” Ran thought, confused.
Serina listened carefully to Sonoko’s words and crossed her arms, thinking. Ran had a good point, because even though it was said that Kaito Kid stole for fun and always returned what he took, many people still wondered why he stole them… and who he might be stealing them for.
As that thought crossed her mind, a lightbulb seemed to go off in Serina’s head.
“What if the thief has a lover?” she said out loud. “If he knows its meaning, maybe he wants to show it to the girl he likes… or even give it to her.”
“Well, that’s actually a good point,” Megure admitted thoughtfully.
“Woah… is this how Shinichi feels?” Serina muttered, glancing sideways at Conan, who simply rolled his eyes.
“When did Kid say he’d come?” Sonoko asked her grandfather.
The old man pulled out the card bearing Kid’s signature symbol. On the front, only a few words were written:
“I will come to steal the Rose Eternelle on the day of its exhibition at 21:30.”
“There are exactly thirty minutes left until the exhibition,” Ran said.
“Reinforce security immediately! That damned thief will be captured tonight, no matter what!” Nakamori ordered the officers.
Serina shook her head. She knew it was impossible. It didn’t matter if they brought in SWAT, Kaito Kid was a complete mystery. No one understood how he managed to pull off his heists every single time.
“Where’s the buffet? I’m hungry,” Serina whispered to Sonoko.
“It’s two floors up,” she replied.
“I’ll grab something to eat and be back before nine-thirty.”
“Take Conan with you too,” Sonoko added.
Serina rolled her eyes but grabbed Conan’s hand anyway. He had been staring off into space, clearly deep in thought, and immediately protested as she dragged him along.
“Hey! I was in the middle of a deduction,” Conan complained.
“You can think better on a full stomach. That thief always shows up right on time anyway,” Serina said as she pressed the elevator button.
A few seconds later, the doors opened and they stepped inside. Serina briefly noticed a man carrying a box, but didn’t think much of it, just another staff member, she assumed.
All three got off on the same floor.
Serina’s eyes lit up the moment she saw the buffet.
Meanwhile, Conan narrowed his eyes, watching suspiciously as the “worker” walked into a restricted hallway.
“Woah… this is paradise,” Serina said, clasping her hands together before grabbing a plate and absolutely demolishing the buffet.
Conan sighed, watching his childhood friend behave in her way, in the Serina way. Still, he couldn’t help but smile a little. Before following her, he glanced back toward where he had seen the worker earlier. Something about that man bothered him, but Conan knew better than anyone that it's not good to jump to conclusions without evidence.
Luckily for Serina, the buffet area was nearly empty. Most of the guests were focused on the exhibition downstairs, which meant she could eat in peace without no one bothering her.
“This is the most exquisite risotto I’ve ever had in my life,” she said, holding her cheeks and shaking her head in pure delight.
“Only you would get this excited over food,” Conan teased, sipping on some juice. “Hurry up. We’ve only got ten minutes left.”
“Yeah, yeah… just let me try some dessert,” Serina replied with a grin as she stood and made her way to the dessert bar.
As she carefully examined her options, Conan suddenly spotted the same worker stepping out of the elevator onto this floor.
His expression hardened.
He had seen that man earlier, entering a restricted hallway that led to a single door with no other exits. The elevator was right in front of where Conan had been sitting. If the man had come back, Conan would have noticed. And if he had used the emergency stairs, Conan would have seen him as well, they were on the opposite side.
Which meant only one thing.
Without wasting a second, Conan ran toward the man. “Excuse me, sir. Have you already been on this floor before?” he asked.
“No, this is my first time bringing something up here. I had to get some supplies… why do you ask, kid?” the man replied, confused.
Conan cursed internally. Something was definitely off. And with that, he realized that Kaito Kid might be already inside the building, waiting for the time of the exhibition as a common worker of the building.
There were only five minutes left now so Conan sprinted toward the restricted hallway and burst through the door. The window inside was wide open, and as he approached, several pieces of clothing suddenly fell onto his face. He pulled them off quickly, only to recognize them as the exact clothes the worker had been wearing.
It was a disguise.
There was no time to lose. If he didn’t act now, that thief would get away again.
Conan dashed out of the room and headed straight for the emergency stairs. Less than a minute remained before Kaito Kid would make his move.
When he reached the tenth floor, he ran into the exhibition hall, now packed with people. At the center, on the stage, the artifact stood covered.
“Conan? Weren’t you with Serina?” Ran asked, confused. Megure and Sonoko also turned toward him.
But before Conan could warn them, the lights suddenly went out, and a spotlight illuminated the stage.
The same woman from before stepped out from behind the curtain, tapping something on her tablet before addressing the audience. “In honor of Hoshine, we present the magical artifact she created decades ago… the Rosé Eternelle. Let this exhibition begin.”
With that, she pulled away the cloth covering the display case.
The audience was instantly mesmerized by the beauty of the necklace, but the moment lasted only seconds.
A smoke bomb exploded out of nowhere, flooding the stage. Within moments, the entire room was filled with thick smoke. Unable to breathe properly, people rushed to open doors and windows.
Then, there was a sharp metallic sound. A grappling hook shot upward toward the ceiling.
Through the haze, Conan caught sight of that damn white cape. It was Kaito Kid and he was in this room with all of them.
“It’s Kid! Capture him!” Inspector Ginzo shouted at the armed officers stationed around the room.
The police scrambled, searching blindly through the smoke. But as the windows opened, the haze slowly began to clear.
“He’s here! Find him!” Ginzo barked again.
Then, there was a scream. It came from the woman with the tablet, who collapsed to the floor in horror because the display case was empty.
The necklace was gone. It was robbed by the thief.
“Damn you, Kid! Search the entire building, he couldn’t have gotten far! Inspect every single person here down to their bones! I will catch that bastard tonight!” Ginzo growled, seething with determination.
Meanwhile… two floors up, completely unaware of the chaos below, Serina sat happily enjoying her dessert. After a long internal battle between truffles and tiramisu, the latter had emerged victorious.
“I should ask Sonoko if she can gift me the chef who made this,” Serina said, taking another bite. “This is amazing! Right, Conan—?”
But when she looked up he wasn’t there. Her brows furrowed.
He had been there just a moment ago… hadn’t he? Or… when exactly had he left?
She had been so absorbed in choosing her dessert that she hadn’t even noticed his disappearance, or that the exhibition had already started.
“Shit—” she began, but before she could finish, the ground suddenly trembled beneath her feet.
She grabbed onto the table to steady herself. “An earthquake?!”
Well… it wasn’t an earthquake, but...
“A bomb?! That damn Kid planted a bomb on the fifth floor?!” Ginzo shouted, both shocked and furious.
“That’s correct, sir. We need to prioritize evacuating all civilians before the building collapses,” one of the officers reported urgently.
Ginzo ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He knew the officer was right. Right now, saving innocent lives came first, but that meant letting Kid escape.
“…Fine. Do it,” Ginzo ordered through gritted teeth.
People screamed as chaos spread through the building. Some were already injured as chunks of the ceiling began to fall due to the tremors and impact. Outside, firefighters had arrived and were working to contain the flames, while ambulances waited for the wounded.
“This way! Move!” the police shouted, directing the crowd.
Ran, Sonoko, Conan, and Kogoro rushed out of the exhibition hall toward the emergency stairs. But just before leaving, Ran suddenly froze, her hand flying to her mouth.
“Serina! Where’s Serina?!” she said, horrified.
Conan’s eyes widened. She was probably still at the buffet. He was about to run back for her when Ginzo, having overheard, turned sharply toward them.
“Where is she?” he demanded, his voice tense.
“At the buffet, on the twelfth floor,” Sonoko answered quickly.
“You all get to safety. I’ll go get her,” Ginzo said, already removing his blazer and loosening his tie.
Ran, Sonoko, and Conan all looked at him, worried, but Ginzo spoke again, firm and resolute.
“I’m a police officer. And she’s my daughter’s best friend… that makes her family to me. I won’t let anything happen to her.”
At those words, Ran and Sonoko nodded, trusting him. But Conan remained uneasy, his mind racing with questions. Ran picked him up, and they hurried out of the building.
Why would Kaito Kid put so many lives in danger?
As they reached the outside, Conan looked up at the building, anxiety tightening in his chest. He was worried about Serina.
“What the actual fuck.”
Serina froze when she saw a man step out of a restricted hallway, dressed head to toe in white. A pristine suit, a flowing cape, a white top hat, and a monocle over his right eye.
“Kaito Kid?!”
Even if she acted like she lived under a rock sometimes, of course she knew what the infamous thief looked like. Seeing him in person, though, was… something else. Surprising, and, frankly, irritating.
Other girls might have screamed, fangirled, or thrown themselves at him.
But not her. If anything, Serina instinctively took a step back. Who knew if he’d try to steal the expensive earrings her mother had given her for tonight? No way in hell she was risking that.
Kaito Kid, on the other hand, looked genuinely stunned. For a split second, his eyes widened, truly caught off guard. But just as quickly, he slipped back into character.
“Ahem. Yes, the one and only,” he said smoothly, placing a hand over his chest. “Any wish you’d like me to grant, my lady?” he said while internally, he almost cringed.
That line worked on normal girls but Serina Saito was not a normal girl.
She was his worst enemy. The same girl he’d been pranking for years.
Serina narrowed her eyes, clearly suspicious, one hand instinctively covering her earrings.
“Help! A thief!” she shouted.
And… Nothing happened.
The only people in the room were a handful of waiters and an older woman and any of them reacted, obviously afraid of the thief and their safety.
A heavy, awkward silence followed behind and Serina felt the embarrassment crawl up her spine, so she cleared her throat.
But suddenly the building shook again, it was another tremor.
That alone was enough to remind everyone what was happening, this place needed to be evacuated. The waiters rushed toward the elevator, which had luckily just arrived. They all squeezed inside, leaving space for only one more person.
Serina didn’t hesitate.
“Go ahead,” she said, smiling at the older woman. “I’ll find another way down.” The woman looked at her with concern but nodded gratefully before stepping inside.
As the doors closed, Serina turned back. Just in time to see Kid heading toward the window.
“Hey. Where do you think you’re going?” she asked, raising a brow.
“I’ve already done my job,” he replied casually, pulling out his grappling hook. “Time for me to disappear.”
Serina’s expression turned into a concerned one.
“You’re seriously leaving me here? What kind of man are you?” she snapped. “In case you haven’t noticed, because of your little stunt, people are getting hurt, including me!”
Kid’s expression hardened for a brief moment.
“And in case you haven’t noticed,” he shot back, a little too sharply, “I steal jewels, I don’t hurt people. So get that straight. This isn’t my doing.”
The tone… slipped a bit. For just a second, he sounded less like Kaito Kid and more like Kaito Kuroba.
He clicked his tongue under his breath.
“Idiot,” Serina muttered. “As if dealing with one idiot wasn’t enough, now there’s another one.” She scoffed quietly to herself, thinking of Kaito. “If you two ever met, you’d probably get along just fine, two idiots together.”
Kid exhaled, forcing himself to stay composed.
“If you take that hallway, you’ll find an emergency exit,” he said, nodding toward it. “Use it.”
Serina tilted her head, unimpressed. “And how exactly does that guarantee my safety?”
Kid glanced back at her, and then smirked.
“Just trust me.” And with that, he leapt out the window.
Leaving Serina standing there, completely speechless.
PRESENT
“Someone’s falling from the building!”
A civilian shouted from the crowd gathered at a safe distance, all of them staring up at the burning structure as parts of it began to collapse. Even from afar, he could see clearly through the binoculars hanging around his neck, he had been helping the police and firefighters just moments before.
Ran, Conan, and Sonoko turned immediately at his words, trying to follow his line of sight, but they saw nothing.
Not until Conan adjusted his glasses, one of Professor Agasa’s inventions.
And then his eyes widened in horror.
It was Serina. She was falling from the building. A sharp tremor ran through his chest, stealing the air from his lungs. For a second, everything felt… like it was too late.
Up above, Serina’s hand reached out into empty air, feeling as though her life was about to flash before her eyes. She was going to die. She knew it. And just before closing her eyes, just before letting the void swallow her whole, a single thought crossed her mind.
A final wish.
“I hope… in my next life… I actually beat the shit out of Kaito Kuroba…” A faint, crooked smile touched her lips.
But before she could shut her eyes completely, she felt strong arms wrap around her, one at her waist, the other beneath her knees. A startled scream escaped her lips as she instinctively clung to the person’s neck, her heart racing in fear.
They weren’t falling anymore.
They were gliding. It felt as though she was flying.
Her heart pounded wildly as she turned her head, and found herself face to face with Kaito Kid.
Though partially concealed by his signature attire, his eyes... god, his eyes─brilliant like diamonds and deep as the ocean—met hers. A confident smile curved across the thief’s flawless face.
“Didn’t you ask what kind of man I was?” he said with a teasing tone. “I’m the kind who always keeps his word." he continued, his smile widening just slightly. "After all, what kind of gentleman would I be if I let my lady die?”
His words sent a rush of heat to Serina’s cheeks, turning them a deep crimson. Her face burned, and a strange flutter stirred in her stomach, something she had never felt before. Suddenly nervous, she found herself at a complete loss for words.