Childhood Promise (Part II)

"The time has come. Once my dear metantei has fully healed, please come to Ekoda. I'll leave a clue for you to decode. Please do get well soon."  -Kaitou Kid Sign

Reading the note Kid left last night again and again made Shinichi both excited and anxious. So it wasn't a dream after all... well Heiji did teased him for hours when they read the note but he still couldn't believe it. Its already been 4 years since the last time he saw the magician, after taking down the Black Organization Kaito Kid disappeared. He was too busy after returning back to his original body that perhaps Kid didn't want to bother him,  Shinichi thought that it's for the best but deep down he knows, he wished he could've at least say goodbye before disappearing on him like that. Yes they were only rivals but he did share a great bond with him, whether its during a heist or a case they're working together with. 

"A detective like me falling for a phantom thief like you, how ironic." Shinichi whispered under his breath. As he continues to stare at the note while laying down on the sofa of his library, Heiji and Ran watched from the slightly opened door, both worried for their dear friend's soon reunion with his beloved Kid. Ran already has an idea on another reason why Shinichi's feelings for her completely changed, she already has a hunched that someone stole his heart without the detective himself noticing it but who would've thought the phantom thief was the one who captured Shinichi's heart? Though there is something that's been bothering her for awhile.

"How about the boy he meet 15 years ago?" Ran whispered gaining the attention of the Osaka Detective next to her.

"What do ya mean by that??"

"Uhm.. you see.."

***

[Flashback]

(Elementary Year)

"Ehh?! There is someone already waiting for you? Like couple?"

"What are you saying? We're not dating! There's just.. a promise that was made so.. maybe kind of like that?"

Seeing the blushed on Shinichi's face was a rare sight for Ran, especially when all the boy had shown was being arrogant and acts like an adult. If someone else sees his expression, anyone can tell that the boy he spokes of is very special to him. Is it possible to be this attached to someone who is far away? Maybe.

"Then does that mean you like him? Like Otou-san(father) and Okaa-san(mother)?"

"B-Baro I don't know!... why are you asking me that anyway?" 

Hmm.. she doesn't know either, maybe because she wants to know more about the cause of Shinichi showing a different side of his when it comes to the boy he meet?  

***

"Ho~ so that idiot already meet someone before. Then? Did they meet each other again like back in middle school or high school?" Heiji asked curiously. If there was already someone who's waiting to take his heart away, why did he let a thief have it instead? Wait.. could it be that-

"He already forgot. A little before middle school, he slowly forgot about the boy in his childhood. I never asked anymore since the last time we talked about it he got pretty upset." Ran said while glancing at the already sleeping detective. During those times when she asked about the past, Shinichi would either act defensive when an affection was involved in the conversation regarding the boy or act like he didn't care much but when she asked again when they're nearing their elementary graduation, his responds changed.

" 'Can you please stopped talking about the past? It was just a childish promise, we were young back then...' That's what he said then after that I never once tried to mentioned it again."

This got Heiji thinking, to a 5 years old Kudo it may have been a promise he truly believed on but as he gets older he might have realized something. Lose of hope from waiting? A childish promise as he said so? Or perhaps the fear of questioning ones own sexuality? He might've started getting confused and fear got to him that he decided to forget about the boy, and what's more painful is that he finally accepts it now but had completely forgotten about the promise. 

"Even Kudo has something he's afraid of huh? It must've been hard for him back then... I wonder who that boy is though."

***

Weeks went by, Shinichi's wound has fully healed and already on the train going from Tokyo to Ekoda. Holding the code Kid had left him, it mentioned about a place in Ekoda,

and after decoding it his destination was revealed. Once seeing the place he had to go to, he couldn't helped but smiled seeing how he was right. 

"To think my hunched is right, Kaitou Kid... or should I say Kuroba Kaito of Ekoda High School." Shinichi whispered as he looked out of the train window, seeing that the Ekoda Station is already close, he got up from his seat and standby the door. Once the train door opens, he went out and headed to Ekoda High. 

The more he sees the school up ahead, the more anxious he's becoming. Will he still be the same as before? Will he finally see a new side of Kid as his persona without hiding behind Kaitou Kid's mask? Who knows.. Looking around, he was taken aback when memories from the past flashes in front of his eyes. It wasn't clear but he could still managed to make out what's been shown. Two small children around 5-6 years old are running passed him, giggling. It was him and some boy he doesn't recall, as far as he remembers the first friend he had ever had was Ran. Who... is he? Once the memory fades away, he snapped back to reality when he caught a glimpse of a white piece of paper hidden under the white railing. 

Taking the paper out, he opened it up to see a code. This made him chuckled as it reminded him of how the first Kaitou Kid gave him a code and dragged Ran and Professor Agasa to go around solving it. Like father like son, he thought. Leaning on a tree trunk, he solved the code after a minute passed by and headed to the next place. 

***

"The very first time we met was actually here isn't it?" He said to himself as he looks up at the clock tower in front of him. The place where their first duel together happened as Kaitou Kid and Kudo Shinichi. At first, he forgot about the events that took place here since he wasn't really interested with thieves but Kid was an exception. He remembered that faithful day when he started getting more involved with Kaitou Kid as the Kid Killer during his time as Edogawa Conan. Fate seems to want them to crossed path wherever they go and as cue, a memory hidden deep in Shinichi's heart was shown.

"It's a promise alright? Don't forget about it or I won't forgive you!"

"Hai hai, I'll be going now so.. see you soon?.."

"I'll come find you in Tokyo in the future so wait for me, Shin-chan!"

It was the same kids he saw back at the school, like before, he still couldn't make out on who's the boy. His eyes were cast in a shadow but he could see a resemblance with the way the child grins at him.. C-could it be?

"It's... not impossible right? " Shinichi quickly looked around to find the next code for him to decode and seeing a pole with an outline of a paper, he quickly peel it off and once he saw the code he immediately know where it is. 

"Shinjuku Gyoen."

***

How could he let this happen? That faithful summer, the promise, him..  He must've finally lost it when he heard those words back then huh? And just when he finally forgot about it, the price to pay was him.. 

***

[Flashback]

During this time, Shinichi is 8 years old and was still in touch with him through letters. He didn't mentioned this to Ran since he doesn't want her pestering him about the content of the letters. It's not like there was something that's in the letter that needs to be kept a secret, he just didn't want to share this precious moment with someone else. He even hid the fact that they're exchanging letters but of course he could never fully hide it from his dear parents. 

Getting the mail outside of the Kudo residence, he overheard the conversation a couple of ladies are having while they passed by.

"Have you heard? Our previous neighbor actually has a gay son!"

"Oh dear! Is that why they moved out last week?"

"Yes, apparently the son was seeing someone in his class and the teachers caught them kissing!"

"I feel bad for their parents, I hope the Lord will forgive this sinful act of theirs."

Something in Shinichi sparked when he heard their chattering. He felt furious that they think that being gay is a sin but he also felt afraid.. Is he.. also gay? No it can't be! He knows that he's attracted to girls-

"Shin-chan!"

...Oh. There's an exception. Kuroba-

"Kaito.." 

Staring at the letter he's holding with the boy's name on the back, he couldn't helped but be terrified. Now that he finally realized it, what will happened to him? What will happened if Kaito finds out that he's attracted to him? Will he also be disgusted? What will his parents think? Will they disown him? 

"I feel bad for their parents"

"I hope the Lord will forgive this sinful act"

".... I'm sorry."

***

Shinichi run as soon as he arrives at the park, seeing the cherry blossom around him, remembering the nostalgic memories, he frantically looked around to try to caught a glimpse of a wild haired male around his age but there was no one resembling him. There must be another code to solve in order to find him. Panting as he caught his breathe, he slowly calm himself as he takes a sit on a nearby bench.

"Calm yourself, you wouldn't be able to find him like this."

Finally calmed, he looks around once more. This was the very first time they meet 15 years ago when they were still young. Feeling a smile forming onto his face as he remembers the memory, It was during a family outing when he bumped onto a child around his age, wild haired, indigo eyes and a cute grinned on his face. Both parents were surprised on how they look like each other and it seemed like their parents were already acquaintance back then. 

"After that you keep pestering me like a lost puppy, Kaa-san felt bad that we ended up staying in Ekoda for awhile." 

"That's a mean way to put it like that, Shin-chan~"

Startled, Shinichi stood up and looked behind him to see the person he had been looking for all his life. He had grown so much but he still looked the same as before with those indigo eyes of his that can see through anything and those wide teasing grinned that he missed seeing. Shinichi can feel his face heating up and tears forming on the side of his eyes when the magician came closer to him. The impact of seeing Kaito after so long and realizing that he was his Promise Boy as well as Kaitou Kid made his chest tight yet warmth. 

"How have you been, Metantei?"

"K-Kaito-"

His words were cut off when he was pulled in Kaito's embraced. His voice, his scent , his touch.. He missed them all. Hugging the magician back tightly while staining his shirt with the tears he couldn't hold back anymore, Kaito chuckled lightly as he pats his dear metantei's head softly, ignoring the fact that tears are also already forming on the corner of his eyes.

"I found you, Shin-chan."

"Yeah.. You found me, Kaito."

***

[Back at the Kudo Residence]

"Ain't this what they call tsundere?" Heiji asked himself with his brow twitching upon reading the letters Shinichi forgotten to sent to Kaito as a child which where kept hidden in a box that was forgotten for how many years. 

"WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE YOU DOING,HATTORI HEIJI?!!!"

"Yikes the devil has returned- OUCH!! HEY THAT HURTS- Oh ya brought yer boyfriend with ya- OUCH!! NO MORE!!"

"You're still as lively as ever, Shin-chan- OKAY JUST KIDDING, DROP THE CHAIR!!"

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***