Accomplice__ Kudo Shinichi x Kaitou Kid, Kaito Kid x Kudo Shinichi

Part 3: It was you

[Oh my, Kudo, what's this? Are you giving up? This isn't like you at all. And you should be happy, even though I was staying late in the lab, I still know Kaito Kid's latest heist notice. It was everywhere on the news, hard to neglect.] Haibara Ai teased, while Kudo Shinichi just stared blankly out the window.

[Do you want to tell me what's really going on?] She asked.

[It's nothing.]

[Really? But your body says otherwise. You stay up all night handling cases, spend every free moment in front of the computer searching for information. Your phone and screen are on 24/7, just to avoid missing any news. Kudo Shinichi!] Haibara Ai slammed down the computer screen: [Pull yourself together, will you?]

[Haibara, right now I don't even know who I am. What if Vermouth is right? What if the one who sent out the heist letter is just another counterfeit? What if he......what if I really lost him already?!]

[Is that so?] Haibara Ai swallowed her anger, knowing there was nothing she could do.

[You've told Ran, haven't you? About your identity? I mean, directly, one-on-one, explaining everything to her, including Gin and other members.]

Of course not.

[Kudo Shinichi, you're not protecting her by doing this. Especially at a time like this, if a trust gap forms between you two, it'll be very difficult to mend later... My sister said so. Don't look at me...]

Kudo Shinichi sighed.

[Thanks for the advice, Haibara Ai. Honestly, I'm beginning to doubt if confessing to Ran was the right choice. If it weren't for me, she wouldn't be in constant danger, and turning back hasn't made things much better.]

Haibara Ai wasn't good at offering emotional comfort, so she shook her head: [Kudo Shinichi, It's time to wake up. It is clear that notice is not sent by him. So you either give up on him and move on or you get out and catch him.]

It's time to wake up. Yes, it's time to wake up. Everybody said the same thing.

Whether through common sense or logical reasoning, all the evidence pointed to that bloody truth__ Kaito Kid was dead. Opening the news, everywhere were arguments from the police or so-called professionals, debating the whereabouts of the missing, no-show phantom thief. From initially being unclear about his life or death, to now thinking he had retired. One month had passed. Soon, would it be half a year? A year? Ten years? It was said that guy had disappeared for eight years before. But by common logic, that guy probably couldn't waste his youth like this anymore. He was not not young anymore, but how could he look just like me( Kudo)?

The harsh reality forced Kudo Shinichi to confront his inner fears.

Thanks to Kudo Shinichi's blood data, new antidote prototypes have been developed one after another. It was said that Akai Shuichi's mother had successfully reverted to her adult form and had returned to the London suburbs with Sera for recovery, ensuring there were no aftereffects. Haibara Ai said she could maintain her current body for a while longer, deciding whether to revert once the drug's effects were fully confirmed.

[Great detective, isn't your birthday coming up?] Haibara Ai suddenly pulled Kudo Shinichi's thoughts back. Birthday? Yes, his eighteenth birthday.

[Here you go, happy birthday, Kudo Shinichi.] Haibara Ai's small, white hand blocked Kudo Shinichi's view, presenting a pair of glasses, not Edogawa Conan's, but Kudo Shinichi's.

[This is from theDoctor Akasa. My gift is this.] Haibara Ai handed over a printed document and a hard drive: [In this era, I'm not confident in internet security. Physical copies are always safer. Don't lose it, great detective. I tested the gloves you handed in. It was a huge effort, so you owe me.]