kids

"Nyeh! Shinobu-nee loves me more than you!"

"Why you! Shin-neechan loves me more!"

"Nuh uh! Look! She gave me this! See?  See? She loves me more!"

From the sidelines, I watched as my brother and Kaitou-chan headbutt each other. Are my eyes deceiving me or is there a lighting crackling between their eyes and behind them? I rubbed my eyes in an attempt to make the illusion disappear but it was still there.

Now, before you go and ask what the hell is going on, let's back up a bit from a few hours ago when it was still late afternoon.

°

Otou-san brought me along to the city today, just the two of us. Which made me wonder, actually. We rarely leave the house without Okaa-san, Shin and sometimes, Agasa-hakase. I peered up to look at his expression and was taken aback by the look on his face.

His expression looks like he's going to do something, well, more like to prove something to the whole world or is it just a specific person? Otou-san must have noticed me staring because the next thing I knew, he was carrying me. "What's wrong, princess?" My face was blank when he called me with that god awful nickname.

He chuckled. "Well?" I crossed my arms and looked away, pouting. "Where are we going, Otou-san?" Before he answered, he looked at his watch and picked up the face. "We'll be seeing the greatest magician and try to capture him." I tilted my head. Greatest magician? Doesn't that sound like —

"KAITO KID! KAITO KID! KAITO KID!"

— Kaito Kid, the Phantom Thief. My attention was quick to avert to the crowd forming in front of me, ignoring my father's chuckle of amusement. "Kaito Kid is the greatest magician. However, try not to imitate his thief persona, okay, princess?" I numbly nodded.

My Otou-san pushed through the crowd until we reached the front. There was police tape surrounding the museum and lo and behold, a much younger Megure-keibu appeared. "Ah, Yusaku-kun! I'm glad that you can make it!" He exclaimed and patted Otou-san, with quite a force, at the back.

"I wouldn't miss this, Megure-keibu." Then, the inspector's gaze landed on me. I shyly waved at him with a small smile. "Hello. I'm Kudo Shinobu. What's your name, Keibu-san?" Oh, how I love acting all innocent with these people. They're so gullible against children. "I'm Megure Juzo. I've heard a lot about you from your father. You've been to many of his cases, right?"

Gleefully, I nodded. "But this is the first time he took you inside the case, Ne? Well, we're looking for Kaito Kid. He's a magician but also a thief so don't imitate, kay?" I huffed angrily, surprising him. My father merely chuckled in amusement. "I've told her that earlier, too. I think she doesn't like things being repeated to her, right, Shinobu?"

I nodded at his inquiry. "Otou-san, I wanna be put down." He complied to my request, though it's more of a demand. "You can look around but make sure not to stray too far, princess."

"Haaaaaiiiiiiii!" I drawled out before I started snooping around the museum. The police force must have been notified that Otou-san will bring me because the officers greeted me and didn't kick me out. As I was walking around, I found the gem that Kaito Kid is about to steal.

It was beautiful. It was a heptagonal emerald and there were pearls decorating it, which were embedded on gold. An officer passed by me and I caught whiff of a bread from his pockets and a bit of cologne. The cologne was strong and familiar and the bread smelt like a rose bread.

The gears on my head started turning and stopped when I reached a conclusion. "Toichi-jiisan?" I peered up at the officer with an innocent look. The sound of my voice saying his name made him stop and turn around to face me. A grin broke out of my face. For a seventeen year old like me to identify him using his scent is just fantastic.

What would I be like when I'm physically eighteen then? I'm so gonna be a badass detective.

"It is you, Toichi-jiisan." There was a glint of mischief in my eyes that made him sweat. "Ne, you're not really a police officer." I stated. "Now, now, Shinobu-chan, can you please pretend that you didn't see me?" I knew he was nervous, the signs were there. I hummed. I feel so sadistic right now and I don't even know why.

"But... if you're not a a police officer and your real job is being a magician... oh, and you're supposed to be bringing back that rose bread in your pockets to Kaitou-chan... aren't you being suspicious, Toichi-jiisan?" He squirmed under my gaze, well, looking at my eyes, that is.

"Shinobu-chan, I'll treat you to anything you want if you pretend that you didn't see me." Is he... is he really trying to bribe me? Pft! How the mighty have fallen! I pretended to think about his offer but I knew my answer the moment I figured it was him.

Technically, I knew he was Kaito Kid since, ya know, from another life? Though, it's an amazing feeling how I managed to recognize him. "Hmm, I don't think so, Toichi-jiisan!" I exclaimed and made him pale and sweat buckets.

"OTOU-SAN!!! IT'S KAITO KID-SAN!!" In a robotic fashion, heads turned our way and my smile must have looked evil because Ojii-san looked like he saw the spawn of the devil. Everyone charged at the 'officer' in front of me as I waved goodbye at Toichi-jiisan who was running away.

Otou-san arrived not long after, alone. However, there was no mistake that he found this amusing. "I figure that you know Kaito Kid's identity now?" I hummed in delight and held out my arms to Otou-san. He sighed and picked me up.

"Since Megure-keibu and the others disappeared now, let's go visit Kaitou-chan and his family." There was no denying that Otou-san can be a bit of sadist. As we were walking to the Kuroba's residence, there were stalls selling Kaito Kid merchandises. A plush caught my attention and sparked an idea.

"Otou-san, can you buy me that? I want to give it to Kaitou-chan." When he saw what I was pointing at, he couldn't stop the laughter that was about to come. "Whatever you want, princess." You know what, I'm starting to like that nickname.

°

As I watch Kaitou-chan and Shin fight over who I love more, an idea that sparked up inside my mind can't be hold back any longer. I looked around and found Toichi-jiisan staring at me. When he caught my gaze, he flinched and started sweating. I gave him a devilish grin in discreet and faced the two boys.

The grin disappeared and my default expression replaced the one I had earlier. "Kaitou-chan, Shin, stop fighting. Your argument is pointless. Because..." Otou-san and Okaa-san seemed to caught guise of what I was about to do and stifled their laughter.

"... I love Kaito Kid-san more." Chikage-san choked on her water and faced her husband with wide eyes. Toichi-jiisan looked like he saw a ghost because of how pale he was. I watched as Kaitou-chan and Shin fume at the thought of me loving someone else more than them.

"Kaito Kid?! Why him?!" The two of them yelled. "Humph! I don't like him! I'll show you that I'm better than Kaito Kid!" Toichi-jiisan turned into stone and Chikage-san joined my parents in laughing. "No way! I'll catch Kaito Kid before you can outshine him! That way, you won't know how you're better than him!" And another argument commenced.

Ah, I feel so evil today.