Late January in Tokyo.
The night wind was bitterly cold.
Especially when you were standing on the balcony of a high-rise apartment smoking a cigarette, it felt as though the merciless wind was slapping you across the face.
Only after finishing his cigarette and waiting for some of the tobacco smell to fade did Ritsu step back into the warmth of the apartment.
He glanced toward Akemi, who was sitting on the sofa with a facial mask on.
'As expected... girls really do love skincare.'
Taking a seat in the armchair, he picked up the newspaper from the coffee table and casually asked while reading,
"Have you picked out a wedding dress yet? I've already reserved the rooftop of an upscale restaurant in Shibuya for the first of next month."
Akemi pulled up a photo on her phone and handed it to him.
"Let's go with this one. The fact that I'll even have another chance to wear a wedding dress... is all thanks to you, Takashi."
Ritsu was genuinely surprised by those words.
At the same time, he understood that Akemi had finally let go of the only romance she'd ever had.
Most likely after learning Akai's true identity...
Although cousin marriage was legal in both Japan and the United Kingdom, many people with more traditional values still couldn't get past the reality of being related by blood.
"So... Should I be thanking you too? I get to experience being a groom for once."
Akemi smiled.
"Don't you wear a suit every day already?"
"..."
Ritsu was instantly speechless.
She had a point.
Japanese salarymen practically lived in suits.
Looking down at the black suit he'd originally picked out, the more he looked at it, the more it resembled funeral attire.
"...I'll go with a white one instead."
"You hardly ever wear white. I'm actually looking forward to seeing that."
Ritsu was about to continue the conversation when the television's news broadcast caught his attention.
The headline immediately piqued his interest.
[Phantom Thief No. 1412, who disappeared eight years ago, has once again issued a challenge. His target this time is the Suzuki Financial Group's heirloom, the BlackStar. The BlackStar will go on public display tomorrow at Beika Museum.
We have learned that the current chairman of the Suzuki Financial Group, Suzuki Shiro, has commissioned the famous detective Mouri Kogoro to decipher the thief's calling card. This is being hailed as the ultimate showdown between a master detective and a phantom thief...]
Watching the report, Akemi commented,
"I heard this gentleman thief, despite already being over forty, is incredibly popular with teenage girls. When I went grocery shopping today, I overheard a group of high school girls talking about him."
"Really?"
'Phantom Thief No. 1412... So, Kaito Kid has appeared again?'
Ritsu rested his chin on one hand.
He was already certain that Kuroba Toichi had once been Kaito Kid. So, who was this phantom thief who had suddenly resurfaced?
'Could it actually be Toichi? Looks like I should investigate his identity.'
Then he remembered the identity he'd already prepared for this sort of occasion. To avoid arousing suspicion, he'd need to bring along an "assistant."
"Hey, Akemi. You shouldn't have school duty tomorrow, right?"
"I'm just the art teacher. I'm not nearly as busy as the others."
She smiled knowingly.
"You're interested in Phantom Thief No. 1412, aren't you? You want me to go with you to Beika Museum?"
Ritsu chuckled.
"Smart. But my destination isn't the museum. It's the Mouri Detective Agency."
"Sure. I'm curious about the phantom thief's identity too. And if we're following this case... there's a chance I'll get to see Shiho, isn't there?"
Ritsu thought it over.
Shinichi would undoubtedly be interested in Kaito Kid as well.
The person he'd be most likely to seek help from was Agasa, the one person he trusted completely and Shiho was living at the professor's house.
"...Yeah. There's a good chance."
"Then I'll make some homemade sweets. We can't exactly visit Kogoro-san empty-handed."
"Thanks."
Ritsu stood and headed for the bedroom.
There were still a few things he needed to prepare. For example, cleaning a certain outfit. And testing whether a certain piece of equipment still worked.
He opened the wardrobe and looked at the black striped men's kimono hanging inside.
After confirming the garment was still in excellent condition, he picked up a specially made black silk ribbon.
Even when tied across his eyes, it still allowed him to see the outside world.
Satisfied, he carefully packed everything into a shoulder bag.
...
At that same moment,
It was noon in England.
Lunchtime for most people.
A brown-haired young man sat elegantly beside a hotel window enjoying his meal. His attention was drawn to the news playing on the television in his room.
Methodically cutting his steak into bite-sized pieces, he placed one into his mouth.
'The meat isn't bad. The cooking's fairly precise. I suppose it earns four stars.'
He gracefully lifted his cup of black tea and took a sip.
His reddish-brown eyes remained fixed on the television.
"Phantom Thief No. 1412, I'm interested in him, but there's someone else who interests me even more."
He looked away from the television.
Setting down his knife and fork, he walked over to a full-length mirror. Attached to it was a photograph. The image showed only the blurry back of someone dressed in a black kimono.
The only distinguishable features were the general style of the clothing and a head of misty blue hair, barely visible beneath the darkness of night.
"Arsène Lupin... You've disappeared for an entire year. This time... will you finally show yourself?"
'Then again, aside from blue gemstones, you never seem interested in anything else.'
Remembering the one and only time he'd suffered defeat, the kimono-clad phantom thief in that photograph remained a thorn in his heart.
He let out a quiet sigh before looking toward his beloved pet, Watson, who was happily eating his lunch.
'I wonder when I'll finally meet my nemesis again.'
...
"Ah-choo!"
Sitting inside a darkroom, Ritsu couldn't help sneezing.
Rubbing the tip of his nose, he frowned,
'After taking APTX4869, my body should be resistant enough that I don't catch colds... Is someone talking behind my back?'
Stretching lazily, he pulled up the organization's latest intelligence.
After confirming there were no newly promoted code-name members, he closed the page with satisfaction.
Only then did he notice a new email waiting in his inbox.
[Vermouth: Augier, how's the investigation into Kudo going? Can you confirm he's dead?]
Ritsu fell into thought.
How should he answer?
If Vermouth completely trusted him, he could simply report that Kudo was dead. But if she still harbored doubts, then his reply required much more careful consideration.
Still...
From the urgency in her question, it was obvious Vermouth didn't want Shinichi to die.
'Could I use that to protect Shiho?'
He began typing.
[Augier: The investigation is still ongoing. I've entered the Kudo residence several times without finding anything unusual. However, no body has been recovered, so Kudo's status cannot be confirmed.]
A reply came almost immediately.
[Vermouth: I have a favor to ask regarding APTX4869's death list.]
Ritsu smiled faintly and typed back.
[Augier: If you're referring to changing Kudo's status from "Unknown" to "Deceased," I've already done it. Vermouth... congratulations. You now owe me one.]
As he'd suspected, Vermouth cared deeply about Kudo Shinichi. It seemed that rainy night in New York, and what Kudo and Ran had done back then had changed her more than he realized.
For Ritsu, that was nothing but excellent news.
The witch had developed a weakness. And the people she wanted to protect were sailing in the same boat as the people he wanted to protect.
If either side's boat capsized, they would both go down together.
Another message arrived.
[Vermouth: Heh. But I was the one who saved your life.]
Ritsu raised an eyebrow.
In the end, he chose not to reply. It seemed the witch wasn't used to owing anyone a favor.
But...
He intended to find an opportunity to make sure they ended up standing on the same side.