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

Part 34:Chase him to Paris

Stepping out of the dry cleaner's, Kuroba still didn't trust the suit the organization had given him. So, he had it thoroughly inspected and cleaned by a specialized tailor. Passing by an Italian gelato stand, Kuroba Kaito couldn't resist stopping.

"Chocolate and vanilla, please."

As he licked the gelato, he studied the code that Rum had scribbled down for him. If Kuroba's deduction was correct, this must have been the information the Black Organization retrieved from Hirano's body before the FBI could get to it.

A torn-open letter, with the postal code ripped off, revealed only that it had been sent from Paris, France.

As for the specific district, Kuroba Kaito had swiped an employee's badge during his morning rush to work, disguised himself as an unremarkable old man, and snuck in, quickly donning a reversible jacket to blend in as a backstage worker. In the span of a tea break, Kuroba accessed the online database, finding an address—likely where the informant had sent the letter.

Looking up at the Eiffel Tower against the evening sky, Kuroba pondered how many people dreamt of this as a pilgrimage site, imagining his parents passionately in love in this picturesque setting. They must have had many night outings, but now, all of that was only a memory. As he wandered, he eventually arrived at the university in question, following the increasing address numbers.

"No way?" Kuroba finished the last bite of his gelato, confirming once more the postal code he had tracked down—sure enough, it was the University of East Dawn Paris. Students walked in small groups, chatting as they went. Kuroba Kaito, familiar with French, roughly understood their conversation. With Kuroba's keen hearing, he caught a few key words: exchange program, Harvard University.

Tossing his trash away, he jogged up to them, speaking fluent French. "Excuse me, do you know where Professor Gabriel's lecture hall is today?"

"Professor Gabriel?" One of the young men stopped. "Sorry, we don't know."

"My apologies, my apologies. It's my first time at this university. I came from America to attend your seminar... and it's already this late. I'm doomed. The lecture is at seven tonight—if I don't find it soon, I'll..."

"Oh, so you're an exchange student? I don't know the exact location of the lecture, but there are school ambassadors stationed at the west gate these days promoting the sister school programs. You could ask the staff there."

Kuroba Kaito thanked the young man, realizing that gathering information now depended solely on himself. A phone call to Terai would undoubtedly put the old man under police scrutiny.

"Oh, by the way..." A hand touched Kuroba Kaito's shoulder. He turned to see the young man he had just questioned, now catching up with him, a backpack slung over his shoulder. "Sorry, I just noticed the Japanese writing on your keychain. You're Japanese, right?"

Kuroba nodded slowly.

"Then you must know about your Harvard Medical School's distinguished alumnus, Hirano Shusuke!"

Hirano Shusuke?!

"He was quite renowned in our medical school's academic circles. Although he later returned to Japan to take over his family business, during his studies and surgeries, he co-authored numerous medical papers and journals with many of our alumni. Do you know him?"

"Of course. Coincidentally, I'm also a medical student, and Mr. Hirano was a legend at our school too. But how did you come to know about him? He should be about 5 years older than us, right?"

"Our university, University of East Dawn Paris, allows graduate students to access and browse our database for journals and magazines. If you're interested, you might want to visit our main library. I recall they have printed versions as well; you could take a look. Oh, and by the way, we're actually headed to the library ourselves. Why not join us? I assume exchange students haven't received their library cards yet?"