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Kuroba Kaito hadn't been alive and breathing on this Earth for very long (nineteen years to be exact), but nothing had hit him with regret quite like this before.
The Airbus he was on was battling through the heart of a thunderstorm, struggling like a trapped bird in the pouring rain. He leaned back, trying to press his spine against the seat as much as possible to stabilise himself. It was a murky, pitch-black darkness outside the aircraft window. He squinted, unable to see anything clearly, except for brief flashes of lightning between the ominous clouds.
Just ten minutes prior, the flight attendant had announced over the intercom the sudden onset of a thunderstorm over Sapporo City. Ground operations at New Chitose Airport had ceased temporarily due to the threat of lightning strikes, and their current flight was relegated to circling at various altitudes in neighbouring regions until landing clearance was granted.
Before he could even reach for the chewing gum in his pockets to alleviate the pressure and pain building in his ears, the cabin plunged into darkness, and then the turbulence began.
Honestly, he couldn't fathom why this was happening. He hadn't researched the warning signs of a worst-case scenario aboard a plane before take-off. And if even experienced ground engineers and the plane's crew couldn't prevent this perilous situation, what good would it do him to know that the plane was now unfortunately trapped in a thunderstorm, possibly on the brink of losing balance and crashing?
Now he regretted it, boarding this plane. In the past nineteen years of his life, this was the second time he regretted a decision he had make. The first time was when seventeen-year-old Nakamori Aoko stood too close to him at the Tokyo Buddha Exhibition and they both fell into the trap when the floor suddenly opened. The thought of 'not continuing the career as Kaitou Kid' had flashed through his mind very quickly as they fell through. He had tightly hugged Aoko, enduring the impact of the landing and the cuts from the shattered glass. But when they helped each other stand up again, his regretful thoughts dissipated just like Alice falling through the rabbit hole, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
As long as he was there to protect her, everything would work out to be fine.
But he shouldn't have bought the plane ticket for this Airbus this morning. He shouldn't have chosen this miniature size of a plane that could only carry a little over 150 people (though he believed there should still be a functioning weather radar such that they wouldn’t just crash into a raging storm, which was clearly proven otherwise). He shouldn't have procrastinated addressing that longstanding issue between himself and Aoko, nor should he have gone with the flow when Aoko decided to distance herself from him after their fight.
The trigger for their argument was somewhat subtle: he missed her piano performance at the New Year's concert. What he had assumed to be a foolproof excuse of being sick was debunked by their mutual friend. This "witness" promptly messaged Aoko, claiming to have seen Kuroba Kaito with a large bouquet of roses at the entrance of the downtown cinema, blatantly breaking his commitment to Aoko and attending the premiere of a rather popular actress instead.
Well, Kaito thought he could explain. He needed the roses to dress up as a zealous fan so he could sneak in and get close enough to steal that yellow gem on the actress’ necklace, or at least examine it. Sadly, it was not Pandora, and the dress-up made him an acclaimed liar and heart-breaker. But of course, he couldn't tell Aoko any of this. Not a word about the gems, his motives behind these rather strange behaviours, or his identity as Kaitou Kid. He couldn't say anything, even though they had known each other for years.
He simply couldn't muster the courage to confess, for that would feel like exploiting Aoko's kindness and empathy. Knowing Nakamori Aoko's character, initially she would be surprised at the fact that he was Kaito Kid, but certainly not furious. Because she would understand. She would carefully review all his strange behaviours over the years, including that time at the amusement park, or missing her birthday, because she was no fool. She was a very clever girl, and even worse, she had the purest of hearts. She would probably cry, give him a punch in the face, then give him the tightest of hugs.
She would ask him, “Kaito, why didn't you tell me earlier? It must have been so hard for you, bearing this burden alone. You should have told me. I would have understood.”
So when he rushed back to meet her at the concert, he could only say, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lie."
That was his first mistake. He had rushed, and Aoko hadn't even changed out of her performance gown when she opened the backdoor and saw him trying to sneak in. She was surprised, but that didn’t stop her from stopping him at the door for an explanation.
There was a flowery scent on him, perhaps of primrose, from the female movie star. There was also powder on his collar. In his defence, they had to get quite close for him to snatch that necklace for a closer look. But she, being "childish" and “Aohoko” and “just-a-childhood-friend”, did not like that. Between gradually rising voices and sharp tones, his casual remark of "I've seen your performances anyway" escalated the argument to another level.
What he truly meant was that he had been there with her every step of the way, from selecting the perfect piece to rehearsing tirelessly, even up to the night before the performance. He thought his level of involvement in this special occasion was already quite sufficient, and if he couldn’t come to this concert, he’d make it the next time because they still have so much more time shared in the future. But she only looked at him, Kaito who was still teasing and bowing and making funny gestures, and she calmed down. Aoko dropped the questions, and instead, she gave him a hurtful look that stabbed him right in his heart.
Maybe that was when the regret first started. "What I meant was..."
"You’re right," Aoko nodded, her eyes slightly swollen, and she lowered her head to rummage through her handbag, "there will be opportunities in the future anyway."
She pulled out two pieces of paper, and he saw the words "Sapporo International Ski Resort" written on them: "These were from the lucky draw after the concert, and I won first prize. Since you've seen my embarrassing skiing skills, I don’t see the point in us going, am I right?"
She stuffed the tickets back into her bag.
"Wait, I can explain. Aoko, I'm really sorry. I never meant to break my promise to come, but I've been busy with some private matters recently, nothing to do with the actress, I swear." It was an accident; letting her be aware of this. He should have known that one of these days she would get involved in the Kaitou Kid business and she, out of all those people, would be the most hurt, whether it be physically or mentally. And he couldn’t let that happen.
"I just don't understand, Kaito, it seems that most of the time your promises made don’t get fulfilled." She said, "If you're a fan of that actress, you should have told me in advance, I wouldn't have stopped you from meeting someone you truly like. Why did you have to lie? It's not right, not even with a friend, let alone with me…”
She wanted to say more, but figuring out their relationship was like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube blindfolded. Not all childhood sweethearts end up crossing the friendship line as they grow older, but with them? They've been tap-dancing on that line for ages. It felt cozy. This, whatever they had right now, felt natural. They knew each other like the back of their hands.
And if she were to spill her guts, she could practically hear the tone in which Kuroba Kaito might reject her, that slightly surprised look as if he didn’t see it coming, followed by some goofy joke with an intention to laugh it off.
Kuroba Kaito was a fickle idiot, but he could be cruel and certainly good at rejections.
"...with me, your childhood best friend." She sighed, said nothing more, and turned away.
Kaito watched her walk away, and his phone in his pocket started vibrating again. This was the third time since their quarrel started. He fished it out to find a message from his mom, who was sending him updates about jewellery sets featured at Paris Fashion Week, including one by the same designer as the necklace the actress wore tonight. She was basically telling him to go up to Europe and check them out, also to pay her a visit.
His head throbbed from what might be awaiting in France, the Organisation, Pandora and what not. He glanced up once more, trying to catch Aoko’s figure on the bustling street, but of course she was nowhere to be seen. It dawned on him then—she hadn't switched out of her heels; he had promised to bring her flats to change into after the performance. Another promise that didn’t age well.
And one evening, over a month later, Kuroba Kaito, a person who never watched his step, felt an inexplicable urge guiding him—later he described it to Aoko as "a feeling like someone had shot an arrow through my head." He lifted the doormat at the gates before leaving the house to get groceries and glanced underneath. Maybe out of curiosity. He paused for a brief moment, saw what was there, then grabbed the piece of paper and dashed back inside to book a flight online, from Tokyo to Sapporo.
That was yesterday.
On the day of their argument, he hadn't checked the date on the ticket nor knew when Aoko had stuffed it under his doormat, but it was undeniably an opportunity for him to make amends to their relationship.
Putting things under the doormat was a tradition dating far back into their childhood days. When Nakamori Keibu, Aoko's dad, was too busy with work to pick her up from primary school, he would put a spare key under the doormat outside the Kuroba house. This way, Aoko could get the key and let herself in. He figured it was safer than giving Aoko the key directly, in case she misplaced it at school
As they grew older and started playing spy games, Kaito and Aoko began leaving small gadgets under each other's doormats, in mailboxes, or on windowsills. This included but was not limited to cellophane candy bar wrappers that gleamed in the sunlight, neatly folded paper cranes, commemorative coins, and so on. From then on, the journey home wasn't just about the scent of dinner and the cool breeze from the air conditioner; it also harboured secrets between them.
High in the sky, feeling the faint ache from a bullet graze in Paris and the turbulence of the thunderstorm, Kaito reached for his phone in his backpack. If today was his last, if the plane were to crash, he knew he needed to confess all the messy, unspoken truths to Nakamori Aoko.
"Aoko, ever played 'Two Truths and One Lie' before?
There’re things that I need to tell you.
…It's not that big a deal. You're probably having dinner by now, or maybe you've finished.
To keep things light, I've decided to share three things with you through this game…I’m sure you would figure out the truths and the lie.
Number one, I'm Kaitou Kid. Sorry for not telling you earlier.
Number two, I really miss the waffles you made.
And number three, I've been in …”
I’ve been in love with you for so long.
In reality, this plan to confess was probably not as clever as he thought, because paranoia last longer than feelings of love or hate. Though he worded it as 'Two Truths and One Lie,' he actually laid out three heartfelt truths in front of her.
Suppose Aoko had believed the first statement was false. While he had cleared himself of suspicion as Kid the Phantom Thief, his confession of love had become an undeniable truth. Had it been selfish to confess his feelings to his childhood friend before his potential demise in a plane crash? Why would he burden her with words left unsaid just so they could shackle her for the rest of her life?
Now, if the second statement, "I really miss the waffles you made," had been the lie, because Aoko surely knew how well she could bake, he would have simultaneously confessed to being Kaitou Kid and his long-standing crush for her. This would have likely been the worst outcome, as she would be tormented by these seemingly contradictory statements, never finding closure. Was this what he had wanted for them?
…So, perhaps it would have been best not to phrase the third statement as " I’ve been in love with you for so long," and instead, change it to something else. Kaito stopped to think, if this was truly his final moment, Aoko would definitely blame herself upon hearing news of the plane crash and his fate for not ending their last face-to-face conversation pleasantly. For arguing with him over petty things. For saying things too intense for her normal self. She would have regretted speaking too rashly, turning their planned journey to Sapporo into him boarding the plane and facing a doomed fate alone.
He had known her too well. If someone had to regret that day, let him, Kuroba Kaito, be the person to bear it, and never Nakamori Aoko.
Damn it, was it always this hard to confess?
He found himself in a moment of hesitation, contemplating whether to reveal this final truth now or never. Suddenly, the altitude warning blared, triggering the release of oxygen masks. Before Kaito could finish typing the last line, chaos erupted in the cabin—screams filled the air as the plane veered out of control, tilting sharply to the right.
Struggling to stay on his seat, his phone slipping from his grasp, Kaito reached for the oxygen mask as luggage crashed down around him, striking other passengers. Darkness enveloped the cabin, accompanied by various yells for help, children crying, and thunderous roars outside the window. How long had it been? Thirty seconds? A minute? The plane's drastic tilt seemed far from normal. Was he going to die, right here right now?
He closed his eyes, belatedly realising that the WiFi might have disconnected on the plane in this situation. If his message couldn’t even be sent, when would Aoko learn of his unspoken thoughts? The two or three truths that he kept to himself? Would the messages be sent and cut off midway? Ah, whatever, as long as he could land safely…
He would tell them all to her, in person.
In a cozy bookstore in Sapporo, Nakamori Aoko stirred from her nap, the once-warm cappuccino now cold in front of her. It was already eight in the evening, and uncertainty loomed over whether the person she awaited would arrive. What if Kaito didn't even see the ticket she put underneath the doormat? You know, she could be the only one who dwelled on their past playing spy games…
Contemplating all his broken promises and the years of waiting, she resolved that if Kuroba Kaito didn't show up today, in the next hour or so, she wouldn't wait any longer.
Having checked flight schedules, she was aware of an incoming Airbus from Tokyo tonight, but a recent thunderstorm warning left the airport's status unknown. Rubbing her eyes, she looked to her phone, watching the minutes tick by with bated breath.
Just as her phone was about to self-lock, a notification sound broke the silence.
" New Message from Bakaito: Open to read your message. "
END.