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There was literally no reason for the police to call him at 2 AM. Sure, he offered to help them a while ago if things got out of hand, but that doesn’t mean they can’t just inform him in the morning instead. It honestly sucked. Waking up in the middle of the night and getting ready to work? After an already tiring day? Just to work more? That sure helps his insomnia! Shuichi was a workaholic, but this was outrageous.
3 missed calls.
‘There really is a problem, huh?’ he thought after finally getting out from under his blanket and picking up his phone. The distressed voice of the chief officer didn’t make him feel any better, either.
“Hello?” Shuichi rubbed his eyes, trying to not fall asleep again.
“Hello, Saihara-kun! I apologize for calling you at such an ungodly hour, but we would really appreciate your assistance. Would it be a problem for you to come to the art gallery near the police department? We could really use the help of the former Ultimate Detective,” he sounded excited and frustrated at the same time.
“Which case is this for?”
“The phantom thief one. We’re positive he will attack here in about an hour. That information is not enough, though. We need you to catch him because, apparently, our skills are not nearly enough for it. Due to your title, we believe it should be a piece of cake for you.”
It was funny that the police refused his help a while ago, saying they could solve it without any problem. At the time, they were basically banging their chest. Like it could boost their ego more. Looks like this one particular criminal was different. Slipping away every time with only a few witnesses and a calling card at the location that challenged the police for another game. And it wasn’t like the thief was a careful person. Oh, no. He loved taking risks. Shuichi has been following the case for a while now. He didn’t try to solve it or even help the police. It was just intriguing in a way. It made the gears in his head turn every time he saw another one of the heists in a newspaper or on the internet.
“I accept. How much time do I have to get ready?” He answered without a second thought. At this point, he really wanted to meet this person.
“Wonderful! We would be grateful if you got here in... about 30 minutes? If I remember correctly, you live fairly near, correct?”
“Yes. I’ll be on my way. Thank you for the opportunity, goodbye!” he hung up, not waiting for a response. The detective got out of his bed and quickly put on some clothes before running to the kitchen. He definitely needs coffee if he wants to stay awake and catch the thief. And he needs a lot. Oh, to hell with it, why not pour an energy drink in it too? He doesn’t have that, though. Simple coffee should do the trick.
Only when he put the drink in a travel cup did he notice how icy cold his hands were. He has to put on that cliché trenchcoat if he doesn’t want to freeze out there, waiting for the criminal to strike. He hurried to the front door and hopped into his shoes. Bolting out of the apartment while locking the door was a challenge that he still doesn’t know how he managed to do.
He ran as fast as he could. Also, note to himself, don’t drink while running. Swallowing in the wrong way is not fun. The small coughing fit slowed him down a little, but he still managed to get to the art gallery in less than 30 minutes. He looked like a mess by the time he got there. Looks like those workout sessions with Kaito and Maki didn’t prepare him for this. His panting was heard by the chief officer, who immediately went up to him.
“I’m glad you could make it! When you calmed down, I want to inform you of some things that might help.”
“Okay, just… give me a minute… to compose myself...”
“Sure thing, Saihara-kun. We should start with the calling card.” the officer handed him a small object. It was decorated with a purple floral pattern on the back. The other side had the hint written in a fancy font. No doubt about it, this has to be the place the thief strikes at. Shuichi nodded, confirming that their assumption is most likely correct.
“Can you tell me more about the appearance and behavior of the thief? To spot him more easily.”
“We don’t have much to go off of. From what we heard, we just presume he’s a man with a short figure. You should be able to take him down with ease. He doesn't seem strong.”
“I’m not going to fight a child.” bad timing to attempt humor, Shuichi. But from that description, it could easily be an intelligent twelve-year-old. Wait a minute- “Anything else?” he asked nervously, trying to not think about the developing hunch at the back of his head.
“He also wears all white – well except for a black cape – with a weird and eye-catching clown mask. Kind of surprising, if you ask me. It doesn’t make sense if he wants to stay hidden. Maybe he wants attention. And from the messages we got, he can be very arrogant. Huh, you are right… he is pretty childlike…”
‘Sounds awfully familiar.’
“I’ll make sure to keep an eye out for him.” But it won’t be necessary. Shuichi can spot him from a mile away probably. And from what he knows already, he has a pretty good idea as to what is expected from the infamous phantom thief. “Hey, what is the biggest attraction of the gallery nowadays?”
“It’s a painting of a crying woman on a flower field. I don't know the title of it. It should be on the second floor. Why do you ask? Wouldn’t he go for the most valuable one? That one is located by the stairs on the first floor.”
“From what you said earlier, he wants attention. He wants the public to talk about him.” Shuichi simply stated, not willing to argue. He was the Ultimate Detective for a reason, for God’s sake. The anxiety problem from high school wasn’t fully solved yet, but he was doing better now. It won’t drag him down this time. He won’t allow it. Not now.
He exchanged more information with the chief officer before going inside to find the painting. Guarding it and just standing nearby didn’t seem like a good idea. Maybe hiding would be more effective.
After finding the perfect spot, he waited. He waited for what felt like hours, sheer anxiety fogging his mind more and more every passing second. By the time the clock hit 3 AM, he started fidgeting with the plastic buttons on his coat. The thief wants to kill him by making him worry himself to death, isn’t he? It would fit the characteristics.
As if the universe had become bored with his worrying, the unpleasant main attraction of the show turned up. He jumped from the staircase and landed with a flourish, his cape swooshing behind him like in some sort of action movie. He snatched the painting with a swift movement, turning on his heels and bowing to the non-existent audience. Well, almost non-existent. When he noticed Shuichi, he froze. Due to the lighting, he couldn’t make out the detective's features. Wow, a rando just caught him in the act. He should run. He should run but only if his body let him. For a second, he stood there petrified, still in the bowing position before he came to his senses and bolted up the stairs. Not before leaving the next calling card and a white rose at the scene, though.
Shuichi didn’t have time to process things logically. He just started running after the phantom thief. He should’ve called backup. Well, that’s the problem of future Shuichi, not his.
This kind of running felt liberating. It wasn’t like running to not be late. Or just simple exercise. He felt free. He had to catch a well-known criminal, yeah, but that doesn’t stop the rising adrenalin in his body. He enjoyed this. This was fresh and new. This helps with making his monotonous life have some excitement in it. It would be absolutely worth it to wake up in the middle of the night once a week for this. Because he didn’t feel this thrilled in a long time. Who cares about catching the thief? He could just extend this little game a bit longer. If that got out, he would be in big trouble. But it won’t. He’s trusted with his work. They will trust him with this white lie. The thief started returning the stolen goods, anyway, and he's not even dangerous. There's nothing wrong with entertaining the thought.
The gallery echoed with both of their heels hitting the ground, creating a chaotic rhythm. Their hearts pounded against their chest profusely. Another corner, and... The chase ended abruptly. They both ran up to the roof, so then why? His thought process was quickly interrupted by a sharp inhale from behind him.
“I know you’re there, come out!” he raised his voice to catch the thief’s attention. He didn’t turn around. He knew the other was there, listening carefully to every word he said. Shuichi heard an exaggerated sigh.
“I wanted to wait a little longer, but…” he paused for dramatic effect, just enough to tease his opponent. “Fine… I’m gay.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.” The thief snickered at that. “Do I have to search for you myself, or will you cooperate?”
“Use your detective intuition or something, Mister. I’m trying to escape here,” he said with a joking tone. Shuichi immediately acknowledged that it was a lie. He didn’t try to escape that hard if he was talking and giving up his position. “Though I didn’t think I was so great that those good-for-nothing police officers had to ask the Ultimate Detective to catch me.” The thief came out from his hiding spot, and Shuichi found himself in front of a ridiculous clown mask. He really tried not to laugh. He did. It was just a difficult task to do.
"Why am I not surprised that it's you?" he felt a smile creep up to his face.
Silence.
“You haven’t changed in those two years at all, did you?” the detective smiled at the other.
“Hmm, what makes Saihara-chan think that he knows me? Also, I have changed a lot, thank you very much” he held the painting in one hand and put his free hand’s pointing finger to the clown mask. Shuichi could almost see the smirk on his lips.
“Ouma-kun, please stop fucking around, I’m tired from waking up and running,” he whispered with a troubled look.
“But I’m telling the truth! Everyone changed in those two years. I mean, look at you, for example. You became much more attractive, gotta appreciate that, y’know.”
“Yeah, I still don’t think you changed a bit. You didn’t even grow an inch, did you now?” it was the detective’s time to smirk at his snarky remark.
Kokichi lifted his mask and pouted. “That’s mean! Also, I thought I could fool you. You don’t even look the tiniest bit shocked by this huge revelation… ugh, boooring” he threw his head back and dropped the painting to the ground. It landed in a dull thud. The thief didn’t even look at it just inspected his nails like they were the most interesting thing in the entire world.
“At least spare the poor artwork,” the detective chuckled. He inched closer to Kokichi and cupped his cheeks, then hugged the boy in front of him. He waited for a moment to savor the feeling. “Oh, and you’re in big trouble, I hope you know that.”
“Doing so much just to meet my high school crush again, and these are the things I get? Aww, so unfair.” Kokichi tried to sound offended, but he couldn’t hide the big grin plastered on his face. He hugged the detective back and listened to his still rapidly beating heart that only seemed to become faster the instant he said those words.
“Was that a lie?” Shuichi had a deep pink hue spread across his whole face. He pushed Kokichi away from himself to make eye contact with him.
“Obviously, would I go through all that troub-“
“Yes! Yes, you would!”
They stared at each other so intensely that time seemed to stop right there and then. The rich purple of the shorter boy’s eyes reflected the stars in such a way it looked like an entire galaxy was hidden in them. Shuichi could look at it forever. By that point, the former Ultimate Supreme Leader also had a light blush on his cheeks. They felt warm against Shuichi’s palms.
“Are those feelings reciprocated?” his voice was softer than the detective has ever heard before. What could he do in this situation? He searched the other’s face for answers. Could he even put that answer into words? He probably couldn’t. Actions always say more about a person anyway, right? The butterflies in his stomach didn’t lie. He knew what he wanted. There was no place for his anxieties. That’s why he locked his vision on the pink lips in front of him. Caressing Kokichi’s cheek with his thumb, he leaned down. The thief’s breath hitched, but he quickly recovered and snaked his hands around Shuichi’s neck, pulling him even closer.
Their lips met halfway. As soon as they did, the two boys melted into each other's touch. They desperately tried being closer and closer to one another, even when they couldn’t anymore. It wasn't exactly a long kiss. But that doesn’t invalidate how much it meant to them.
“You’re still in trouble.”
“Oh, come on, don’t ruin the romantic mood, beloved. Also, you can simply bail me out of jail, can’t you?”
“I will not!”
“Well then,” he slipped away after giving Shuichi a small peck on the lips. “See you next time, Mister Detective! I really hope you’ll enjoy our little game! Arrivederci!” He was ready to flee, completely forgetting – or deliberately leaving – the stolen painting behind.
“Entertain me then…” the detective smiled, also turning away and picking up the painting to retrieve it.
‘Will do, Saihara-chan.’