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

Part 65: Hickeys

Kudo Shinichi quietly glanced at the back seat, where Kuroba Kaito sat with his arms crossed, legs propped up, and eyes closed as if resting. He wanted to ask why Kuroba was wearing a scarf in the middle of the scorching summer, but suddenly remembered something, and the words caught in his throat.

In the end, this was his responsibility.

"Sorry, sorry, for the wait!" Ran called from the half-opened window, her forehead covered in sweat. Behind her, Sonoko and Aoko were panting heavily.

"I'm really... really sorry, dad just wouldn't wake up! Are we late?"

"That's fine, get inside." Hakase said.

Sonoko clasped her hands together apologetically. "Maybe I should sit in the back with Kuroba-kun. There is not enough space in the car."

They had only planned to bring Sonoko, but now three girls were coming along. Agasa-hakase's small Beetle had already exceeded its load capacity, so they borrowed a sedan from a neighbor.

Still, they were technically overloading the car, and some people had to sit in the trunk. Kuroba Kaito didn't mind, being the first to volunteer to climb into the trunk. The kids, thinking it looked fun, wanted to follow suit, but Haibara stopped them in their tracks with a single sentence: "If the car brakes suddenly, you'll fly straight into the windshield like some mashed avocado. At least Kuroba-kun's reflexes are better than yours."

The other person who climbed into the trunk was Aoko, who had just finished loading the luggage. She was dressed in a light blue sailor uniform and cropped pants. When Kuroba extended his hand to help her, she gave him a slow smile and, with his support, carefully climbed into the trunk.

"Good morning, Kaito."

"Aoko, you're coming too?" Kuroba tilted his head, showing his ever-familiar grin. Aoko hesitated for a moment before awkwardly pulling her hand back. "Thanks..."

"But I want to sit in the back too!" The kids in the back seat couldn't resist kneeling on their seats and peering into the trunk. "Kaito-nii san, did you bring any fun magic tricks or card games?"

"Aoko-nee san, did you know we canceled the camping trip at the last minute?" Genta grumbled. "I was really looking forward to it, but then they decided not to go! I wonder which annoying person suggested that."

Kudo shot the kids a quick glance. "Sorry, sorry, that annoying person would be me. Today's Sunday—if you guys get too worn out, what'll you tell Kobayashi-sensei tomorrow? That your parents had to chase you around the yard with a fly swatter again?"

"Hey! How do you know about that, Shinichi-nii san?! Ugh, I bet Conan spilled all my secrets to you before he left for America! Just wait till he gets back, I'll teach him a lesson."

"Genta, at least we're going to Kawagoe. You can still have a picnic with all those snacks you brought, and there are plenty of food stalls and restaurants nearby. Plus, they sell your favorite food ..." Kuroba trailed off, giving Genta a knowing look.

"Eel!" Genta's eyes lit up.

"Can you please not say that out loud?" Kuroba groaned, pulling out a B4-sized sheet of paper. He spread it across the luggage—it was a map. Across from him, Aoko sat cross-legged, meticulously organizing her backpack and clothes, making sure everything was perfect. Only then did she realize how nervous she was.

"What's that?" Aoko broke the silence. Kuroba glanced up. "Hmm? Oh, this... it's a map of the sights near the shrine. Take a look and see if there's anywhere you want to visit. Aoko, do you remember how we researched all those 'power spots' during our second year of high school? I thought we could visit a historic shrine while we're here. I think our teacher once mentioned that Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine was built around 1,500 years ago. But in the end, she took us skiing instead."