On his way downstairs, Kaito retrieved the paper bag he had hidden on the rooftop.
Inside were his everyday clothes. He quickly changed out of the Kaito Kid outfit and into a thick blue down jacket.
Only then did warmth finally return to his body.
At the same time, he couldn't help wondering how Lupin had managed to keep warm while wearing nothing more than that thin kimono.
Carrying the paper bag, he headed toward the underground parking garage.
The moment he spotted Jii Konosuke anxiously making phone calls beside the car, he realized he'd forgotten to contact him.
"Sorry, sorry! Something unexpected came up. Grandpa Jii, thanks for waiting."
"As long as you're safe, Young Master." Jii sighed with relief. "I was beginning to think the police had caught you!"
Sliding into the comfortably heated car, Kaito folded his arms across his chest and grumbled,
"The police couldn't catch me even if they tried. I just got caught by another phantom thief."
"Another phantom thief?"
Jii froze for a moment before his eyes widened.
"You mean Arsène Lupin? The kimono-clad phantom thief who specialized in stealing sapphires a few years ago?"
"Yeah, and he has some connection to my father. He even knows who was responsible for Father's disappearance."
"What?!"
Jii's voice rose in excitement.
"Are you saying the Master is still alive?"
Kaito wore a half-lidded expression and nodded.
"Yeah. I just don't know where he is. But as long as I keep interacting with Lupin and continue operating as Kaito Kid, those people will definitely show themselves."
"Young Master..."
Jii looked worried.
"Why don't we just entrust this matter to Lupin-san? It sounds incredibly dangerous. If something were to happen to you... I wouldn't know how to face the Master and Madam."
The instant he heard that, Kaito's eyes flew wide open.
"What are you trying to say? You think I'm inferior to him? Hmph! He didn't even notice something was off about the way I surrendered."
"Now it's time to send him a little present."
Taking out his phone, Kaito logged into a special IP address. His fingers danced rapidly across the screen.
Even while a gun had been pointed at him on the rooftop, he'd remained calm enough to conceal a tiny pinhole camera between his fingertips.
As a result, he had successfully captured footage of Lupin while his eyes were still covered.
Now he intended to make a big splash and present Yomiuri TV with a very special gift.
...
Yomiuri TV never expected to receive a submission from Kaito Kid.
More importantly, they never imagined its contents would involve Arsène Lupin, who had vanished nearly two years earlier.
The editor-in-chief, who was already working overtime covering Kaito Kid's latest exploits, nearly pulled all his hair out.
With one sweeping gesture, he announced,
"Nobody in editorial is sleeping tonight! Get Arsène Lupin's return online immediately! And rewrite tomorrow morning's news!"
"The headline will be the showdown of the century between two phantom thieves!"
...
One hour later,
After showering and changing into comfortable clothes, Ritsu sat contentedly on the sofa, sipping the hot milk Akemi had brought him.
Resting on his lap was a laptop displaying the MPD's internal system.
'January 27
The genuine Black Star pearl aboard the Sally Beth, departing from Yokohama Port, will be mine.
—Kaito Kid'
Resting his chin on one hand, Ritsu pondered how he could board the ship without arousing suspicion.
Then, an idea struck him.
He took out his phone, logged into an email account he hadn't used in quite some time, and sent a message to Shiro, the current chairman of the Suzuki Financial Group.
Apparently, Kaito Kid's latest announcement had kept Shiro awake as well.
Only five minutes later, a reply arrived.
[Suzuki Shiro: Mr. Richard, your visit is naturally most welcome. I'll inform everyone aboard the Sally Beth that neither you nor your assistant is to be stopped from boarding.]
'Done.'
Akemi had already served his glass of milk and was about to return to her room when she came back out again.
Holding her phone in front of Ritsu with a smile, she said,
"So... Kaito Kid got one over on you? He sent your picture to Yomiuri TV."
Ritsu glanced at the photo on the screen.
The angle wasn't very good.
Fortunately, it hadn't captured the pistol in his hand.
Closing the laptop, he replied,
"You think I wouldn't notice such an obvious hidden camera? I let him take the picture on purpose."
I was worried Kaito Kid alone wouldn't attract enough attention from those people. So I deliberately gave him the opportunity."
After a brief pause, he shrugged with a smile.
"Honestly... I'd been wondering how to get the media interested in me ahead of time. I even considered copying him and sending out a calling card."
Akemi had originally hoped to see Ritsu suffer a rare defeat. Instead, the one who had been thoroughly used was still that poor Kaito Kid.
Right now, that unlucky kid was probably celebrating the success of his secret photograph.
"What are you planning to do tomorrow?"
"My identity for boarding the ship is already prepared. I'm taking you with me."
"Huh?"
Akemi blinked.
"But my current identity is an elementary school art teacher. Wouldn't that be... inappropriate?"
Ritsu gently shook his index finger.
"Of course, not with your current appearance. To match the identity I've prepared, you'll need a new face as well.
As for disguises... You don't need to worry. I'll handle that. As for changing your voice, I already looked into your background.
You spent two years in the university voice acting club. You can perform voice imitation, can't you?"
Akemi hadn't expected Ritsu to have investigated her so thoroughly.
She nodded.
"I can't perfectly imitate someone else's voice but I can change my voice into something completely different from my natural one."
"That's enough."
Ritsu nodded in satisfaction.
"Tomorrow will be your first disguise. And from now on, I'll teach you disguise techniques."
Akemi hesitated before asking,
"Does the Organization really approve of something like this?"
No one understood the Organization better than Ritsu. Smiling faintly, he answered,
"As long as you're valuable, the Organization won't eliminate you. They always squeeze every last bit of value out of a person before destroying them."
"So this arrangement benefits both sides."
"You should still be careful. The Organization isn't as simple as you make it sound."
Ritsu gave a helpless smile.
"I've never thought the Organization was simple. If it were... I wouldn't have ended up where I am today."
Akemi pressed her lips together without replying.
She didn't know exactly what had happened to Ritsu all those years ago. But from Shiho, she'd learned fragments of the truth.
For example, she knew that when Akai escaped from the Organization, he had shot Macallan. That was why she'd carried such complicated feelings ever since.
Because it had been she who introduced Akai into the Organization. She'd always believed she was partly responsible for Macallan's death.
But now that she knew Ritsu's true identity, she finally understood why Akai, as an FBI agent, had pulled the trigger.
And she also understood why Ritsu had chosen to forgive him.
Because they had both been undercover agents. No one understood an undercover operative's burdens better than another undercover operative.
When you couldn't confirm someone's identity, it was better to mistakenly eliminate one person than allow the wrong person to slip away.
That wasn't merely an undercover agent's creed.
It was also the iron rule followed by the Organization.
"It's getting late. You should get some rest."
"Okay. Good night, Takashi."
Ritsu stood up and returned to his bedroom.
Lying flat on the bed, He found himself completely unable to sleep. Turning his head toward the uncovered window, he quietly stared outside.
There were only four hours left until sunrise.
'Looks like I'll be watching the sunrise again. The things you once loved... can eventually become the things you hate. People really do change.
I'm no exception.'
----
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