Chapter Text
Kaito can’t exactly pinpoint when his jacket became a vital part of his daily look. He’s had it for as long as he can remember. His jacket is a deep and luxurious purple and reaches his knees. It’s rather plain on the outside, although that doesn’t mean it’s not fashionable. The inside of his jacket is a completely different story. There’s a reason why Kaito wears his jacket so peculiarly.
There’s a silk galaxy spread across the inside, a mishmash of blues and purples and greys and stars.
Such an awesome design shouldn’t be hidden so carelessly, hence the reason why Kaito always leaves his jacket dangling from one shoulder. Sure, his odd fashion sense sometimes earns him a couple of odd looks, but Kaito never has been the sort of person who worries about what other people think about him. Hell, he’s even earned quite a few compliments for his jacket, so that makes the strange glances even more worth it.
Kaito wears it everywhere. He wears it when he goes shopping. He wears it when he goes to class. He wears it on the way to the gym. He wears it when he heads to the library to study. Basically, Kaito wears his jacket like it’s just another layer of skin. It’s rare that he takes it off. Rare, but not impossible.
It’s a cold autumn day when Kaito’s jacket goes missing.
He enters the library he usually studies in and realises that the heating is on full blast. He thinks for the sake of looking cool, he can endure the heat. He takes a seat at his usual table, which is conveniently near a bookshelf that is filled with books on astronomy. Kaito has never had an issue with the table ever being occupied since it’s so out of the way. The tables that are usually occupied are the ones near the front of the library so students can make a quick escape once they’re done studying.
Like always, the table is empty. Kaito sits down with a sigh, wafting his jacket as he realises just how hot it is. It had been freezing as fuck outside so to step inside a building that feels as hot as the sun makes him feel almost queasy. Kaito leans back in his chair and sighs, realising that he’s going to have to do the unthinkable.
Kaito takes his jacket off and drapes it on the back of his chair.
Since he’s in such a desolate area of the library, his jacket should be safe on the back of his chair, right? That’s what he assumes as he opens up a thick textbook that covers the wonders of the universe. He has some out of this world studying to do! He ends up being entranced by his textbook for several hours and he doesn’t move from his spot once. A couple of people walk by, but he doesn’t find this unusual; he’s in a public space after all.
Day turns to night and eventually, Kaito lifts his head to look out a nearby window. It’s starting to get dark and he needs to leave so he can make dinner. He reaches for his jacket and blinks when he’s merely met with the back of the wooden chair. Kaito turns around and pulls a face as he realises his jacket is no longer where it should be. Strange, but not worrying. Maybe his jacket simply slipped onto the floor?
His jacket is not on the floor. It’s not under the table. It’s also not at the lost and found, and the extremely bored librarian at the front desk tells him that she hasn’t seen his jacket either.
In conclusion, Kaito’s jacket is missing.
It takes a couple of seconds for this tragedy to sink in. Sure, his jacket is just a jacket but his jacket is special, damn it. He skips the first stage of grief and jumps straight to feeling angry. Truthfully, his anger is mostly directed at himself for losing his jacket in the first place, but he swears he left it on the back of the chair!
He scours the table he was sitting at a couple more times in hopes that his jacket will magically appear. However, after several minutes of fruitless searching, Kaito realises that he’s going to have to admit defeat and this devastates him. His beloved jacket, his pride and joy, is missing.
Then, a horrifying thought pops into his head. What if his jacket isn’t missing? Maybe it's been kidnapped.
It’s not an unreasonable idea. His jacket is extremely fucking cool. In fact, it’s the best jacket to ever exist! Someone must’ve seen his jacket, and in a moment of madness, stole it because of how extraordinary it is. On one hand, Kaito can’t exactly blame someone for wanting his jacket. Has he mentioned how cool it is? Because it’s so, so cool. His anger simmers into reluctant understanding. His jacket is awesome, no wonder someone wanted it for themselves.
This doesn’t stop him from feeling pissed that his jacket is no longer in his possession, though. Kaito stomps all the way home with a scowl, his textbooks clutched to his chest possessively. He dumps all his stuff onto his coffee table and spends the evening angrily chopping up vegetables for his dinner.
How is he going to sleep tonight knowing that his most cherished possession is out there somewhere, missing it’s equally as cool owner? Kaito almost slices his thumb as he imagines his jacket somewhere where he’s not. No, he’s not being dramatic. He knows deep down that his jacket is missing him as much as he’s missing it. Fuck, he needs to do something, he needs to find his baby.
Maybe he should make some missing posters? The bigger the better, of course. Wait, maybe he should hire out a billboard so everyone knows to keep an eye out for his dearest treasure? He has plenty of pictures of his jacket, well, of him wearing his jacket but fuck it, Kaito and his jacket are a package deal. Two in one. Can’t have one without the other. People will take one look at him spread out on a billboard wrapped in his darling jacket and realise just how much he cares about it.
Man, he’s such a fucking genius.
He feels a little better as he slides his tray of chopped up carrots into a frying pan, letting out a satisfied hum as he hears a loud sizzle. He’s sprinkling in some herbs when he hears his phone ring, and he looks over his shoulder to check who it is.
When he spots Shuichi’s name lit up on his phone, Kaito realises just how stupid he’s been. He doesn’t need to spend thousands on a billboard when his best friend is one of the best detectives in the country! Wow, why didn’t he just ask Shuichi to help him find his jacket from the start? Shuichi is scarily good at his job. Okay sure, Shuichi is a little insecure and has the backbone of a wet paper towel, but he’s good at what he does.
Shuichi is excellent at his job and Kaito knows that if there’s one person who can reunite him with his jacket, it’s Shuichi.
Kaito puts Shuichi on speaker as he continues to cook, shimmying his frying pan back and forth as he continues to make his meal. “Yo, Shuichi! Just the person I wanted to talk to actually—”
“Hey, uh, Momota? Have you checked the news recently?”
“Eh?” Kaito raises an eyebrow. Shuichi sounds concerned. Aw man, did someone take his jacket too? Sure, Shuichi’s jacket is bland and well, boring as fuck, but maybe Shuichi also has a deep and manly connection to his jacket like Kaito has with his? Is there some sort of jacket thief haunting the streets of Japan? Fuck, that would be a tragedy. Kaito is already starting to feel empathetic towards all the jacketless souls out there.
“Just put the news on,” Shuichi says, no, demands.
Kaito almost gulps. Shuichi is using his Serious Voice, which he only uses when he’s interrogating someone. Well, Shuichi technically can’t interrogate people, more so lightly prod around for answers. Still, if you know Shuichi, then you can tell when he’s talking casually and when he’s talking business.
“Is everything okay?” Kaito asks as he fumbles around for his television remote. He has a small television on his kitchen counter courtesy of his grandpa. It’s a little old and sometimes it fills with static, but it works and Kaito comes from a family who would rather literally die than waste something. “You sound a little stressed.”
The television flickers to life and Kaito searches for the news channel. He keeps a check on his food from the corner of his eye but keeps most of his attention on the screen in front of him.
“Have you put the news on?”
“Yes!” Kaito can’t help but feel a little exasperated.
The news is currently broadcasting live footage. Kaito isn’t too surprised when he spots a camera following a figure dressed in mostly white.
Someone who claims that they're a phantom thief has been dominating the news for quite a while now, a couple of months maybe. It all started when they managed to steal an expensive painting in the middle of an ongoing auction. One minute the painting had been on display, the next the lights had been cut. When they were turned back on, the painting, which was an impressive size, was missing. The only thing that had been left behind was a singular die.
Probably all of Japan has heard about the phantom thief by now, maybe even the entire world. Kaito sure as hell knows who they are, well, not their identity. No one knows who the person behind the mask is. Perhaps that’s why Kaito can’t help but be fascinated by them every time they’re on the news.
Kaito isn’t exactly the most law abiding citizen. Okay, sure, he’ll hold his hands up. He did cut a couple of corners when applying to become an astronaut and yeah, he got into so much fucking trouble. He had been just a little too young when applying, but he swears he put the wrong age accidently. He even pinky promised, even though Shuichi had told him that means fuck all when it comes to the world of law.
Luckily for Kaito, the higher ups liked him and instead of ruining any chance of him going to space, they had told him to continue his studies. That had been a couple of years ago and whilst he’s still not at the right age to reapply, Kaito is keeping his fingers crossed that the higher ups really, really like him and do him a solid and let him start maybe two or three years early. He wonders if four is pushing it.
The point is, Kaito always teeters the line of legality. The phantom thief is in a completely different league, though. They steal priceless paintings, graffiti every brick wall they can find, parkour from rooftop to rooftop… In conclusion, they definitely deserve to be put on the naughty step. Or prison. Maybe a naughty step in prison that’s being guarded by the best of the best.
Even now on the news the phantom thief is flawlessly clearing roof after roof. They’re being followed by a helicopter so the footage of them is slightly shaky. Kaito can’t help but be impressed by their agility, by their adrenaline fuelled ability to fearlessly jump from high place to high place without faltering. They’re rather high up. One wrong move and they’ll end up splattered across the concrete pavement.
The phantom thief clearly doesn’t fear gravity, or perhaps they’re friends with it. Kaito almost forgets that he’s currently on a call with Shuichi as he watches the phantom thief make an impressive leap from a high roof to a significantly lower one. How the fuck have they not shattered their ankles yet? In the background, Kaito can hear a news reporter babble on about how the phantom thief has been coincidentally spotted by the news after they had finished reporting on something else entirely.
If there’s one thing everyone knows about the phantom thief, they actually don’t mind receiving attention. There’s a photo circulating the internet of the phantom thief posing for a picture. The photographer is anonymous, but they created an account to post the photo online. They included in the caption that the phantom thief noticed they were taking photographs and just started to fucking pose like they were some sort of model.
The photo is fairly high quality. Whilst the photograph was taken during the night, the phantom thief had been near a streetlight, so they’re fairly easy to see. They had purposefully positioned themselves to look like they’re running away, back turned to the camera. They’re holding up a peace sign and all in all, look like they’re having a fun time. This photograph in particular ended up becoming the picture the news always uses when talking about the phantom thief.
See, most criminals actively go out of their way to not be photographed. The phantom thief clearly has no fucks to give. Maybe it’s because they’re always wearing a mask so their face is always hidden. Appearance wise, the only features that are known about them is that they have unruly dark hair that curls at the tips, they like to wear white, they usually wear a white top hat, and the mask that is basically attached to their face looks like it was stolen from a circus.
There are conflicting opinions regarding the phantom thief. The older generation thinks they’re a menace and they should be locked up for life. The younger generation thinks they’re interesting and that as long as they’re not hurting people, everyone should leave them be. Kaito is in this category.
Unfortunately, the agency Shuichi works for is hellbent on bringing the phantom thief to justice. Shuichi works for his uncle, and Kaito has to admit he’s a decent guy. Kind. Good sense of humour. Doesn’t tell Kaito off for barging into Shuichi’s office even when he has confidential papers on his desk. Shuichi’s uncle always seems to be on the fence about the phantom thief. Whilst he does think they should be stopped, he doesn’t think that they should be punished too harshly.
“I’m just a detective,” Shuichi’s uncle had said one day when the phantom thief was rapidly increasing in popularity. “I just collect evidence. Capturing the phantom thief is way above my pay grade.”
It seems that there’s some sort of competition between every agency that they’re going to be the ones who capture the infamous phantom thief, which is a little weird since it’s technically the police’s job to stop them. However, with how well known the phantom thief is, Kaito can’t blame everyone for being overly zealous about capturing them. He knows that whoever stops them is going to get publicity that’ll set them for life.
Whilst Kaito isn’t exactly confused as to why Shuichi is making him watch the news, he is curious. What has the phantom thief done now to capture Shuichi’s attention, to make Shuichi use his Serious Voice?
Kaito watches as the phantom thief leaps onto a metal ladder and climbs up the side of a building. Oh, now that he thinks about it, there’s something slightly different about them tonight. They have a brand new addition to their outfit. A cape. Kaito watches as the phantom thief reaches the top of the building and stands on the edge of the roof, pausing to catch their breath.
Then, Kaito drops the television remote on the floor.
“Momota,” Shuichi says, sounding exhausted. Kaito can easily imagine him massaging his temples. “Do you want to explain why the phantom thief is wearing your jacket?”
Kaito’s jacket dances in the wind, splayed out fantastically behind the phantom thief. They’re wearing his jacket as a cape, the arms of the jacket tied snug around their neck. The silk galaxy inside of his jacket is on full display for the entire world to see and Kaito hates how glamorous the phantom thief looks.
“That bastard took my jacket!”
The phantom thief waves cheekily at the camera before dashing off. Kaito knows that the phantom thief is merely putting on a show, but he can’t help but feel that the wave was meant for him.
The helicopter doesn’t follow the phantom thief any further. Kaito watches the screen until the thief turns into a tiny blur in the distance.
“Momota, once again, do you want to explain why the phantom thief, the very same one who I’ve been chasing for months now, is wearing your jacket?”
Kaito huffs loudly. “I don’t know! I thought I’d lost it, but now I know that asshole took it!”
When? How? Why? Kaito almost spirals as several questions buzz around his head like an annoying swarm of bees. “I thought you never take your jacket off?”
“I took it off because I was hot!” Kaito whines. “You’re seriously not blaming me for all of this, are you?!”
“Ah, no, I’m not,” Shuichi sighs. At least he sounds apologetic. “Can I ask when you lost your jacket?”
“This afternoon,” Kaito responds. “Late afternoon. Perhaps evening time. I was studying in the library, you know which one I’m on about. I left it on the back of my chair because the heating had been put on full blast and…”
“It went missing?”
Kaito nods before realising Shuichi can’t see him. “I asked around and no one saw who took it. I bet the fucker stole it whilst I was occupied! Man, what an asshole, taking it from right under my nose like that..."
Shuichi makes some sort of humming noise. It’s the same noise he makes when he’s deep in thought. “I see…”
“You’re gonna help me get it back, right?!” Kaito clutches his phone tightly. “Shuichi, bro, you gotta help. That jacket is literally my baby. Make sure you add kidnapping onto the list of crimes they’ve committed.”
“Um, no,” Shuichi says. “Theft, sure. Kidnapping? No.”
Kaito pretends he didn’t just hear that. “You’ve been after them for months, right? Now you’ve got even more incentive to capture them! In fact, you should be thanking me for giving you a reason to work even harder!” Kaito grins proudly. Man, he is such a bro for helping his sidekick out.
“Momota, no offence but getting your jacket back is probably my lowest priority—”
What Kaito hears is, “Wow, thank you so much, Momota! What would I ever do without you? Don’t worry, I’ll do everything I can to reunite you with your beloved! You can count on me!”
“Shuichi, you are such a bro,” Kaito says, cutting Shuichi off.
Shuichi starts to stammer. “I… What? Momota, did you even listen to anything I said?”
“I’ll tell you what, sidekick! I’ll meet you at your office early tomorrow morning!” Kaito tells him, disregarding Shuichi’s squawks of protest. “We can work together on this! You can set the stage and pinpoint that bastard so I can take them down!”
“Momota, that is not how any of this works—”
“Goodnight, sidekick! I want you at your best so we can get my jacket back!” Kaito says before hanging up. He thinks he hears Shuichi slamming his head against his desk, but he probably just imagined it.
Like promised, Kaito arrives at Shuichi’s office very early in the morning. Since it’s cold, Kaito is forced to put on a more… underwhelming jacket. It’s not as good as his galaxy jacket since it’s extremely plain and all in all, fucking sucks, and Kaito is seconds away from burning it for it’s audacity to suck so hard.
He oh so kindly picks up some breakfast on the way because breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Shuichi’s uncle looks vaguely amused as Kaito passes his office. Kaito tries to wave despite having his hands full. He sloshes a bit of coffee onto the carpet but Kaito acts like he didn’t.
Shuichi’s office is kind of stereotypical but really fascinating at the same time. He has a door with a glass window, which is currently obscured by some blinds. Kaito uses his elbow to break in, no, enter with Shuichi’s permission. Shuichi doesn’t tell him to get out when he spots Kaito so this must mean Shuichi is extremely excited about getting down to business. Man, Kaito is so lucky to have such an enthusiastic sidekick.
The detective’s desk is covered in papers but Kaito manages to find a free spot to place down the two breakfasts he brought. He accidentally knocks over a stack of papers in the process and Shuichi takes it like a champ. He doesn’t cry like he did last time. He just puts his head in his hands and makes a strangled sort of noise. He’s probably just hungry.
“I just organised those,” Shuichi tells him.
Kaito hands him a coffee. “Don’t worry, bro. I wholeheartedly believe you can organise them even better when you have the time! Right now, your top priority is my baby.”
“You mean your jacket?” Shuichi says before taking a very long swig of his coffee.
“Yes, my baby.”
Shuichi looks like he’s seconds away from flatlining.
Kaito looks around the office curiously. There’s a comfy couch pressed against one of the walls. Kaito knows Shuichi sometimes uses it as a bed. The rest of the walls are taken over by bookcases which are filled to the brim with files. Confidential files. Kaito knows if he were to try and open one, Shuichi would slap his hands until he stops.
There’s a two sided whiteboard by one of the bookcases that Kaito knows Shuichi frequently uses. It’s full of information about the phantom thief. Well, deductions mostly. There’s red string zigzagging across it and countless pieces of paper stuck onto the board with magnets. Kaito takes a long, hard look at it and rubs his chin. Hmm, it looks like nothing new has been recently added to it.
“You haven’t added anything about my jacket,” Kaito points out. See, he likes to see the best in everyone so he simply assumes that Shuichi hasn’t got any good pictures of his jacket, hence the reason why the whiteboard is currently jacketless. “Don’t worry, bro. I’ll send you some pictures of my jacket.” He starts to scroll through his phone and definitely doesn’t almost start to cry when he sees the last ever photo of his jacket he took before it was cruelly stolen from him.
It’s a selfie of him wearing his jacket before he went to his classes yesterday. Fuck, he misses how his jacket fit him just right. He looks down at the jacket he’s got on and almost recoils in disgust. This one doesn’t fit right and doesn’t compliment him at all. Kaito decides there and then that this F tier jacket deserves a fate worse than death.
“I have pictures,” Shuichi sighs and holds up a couple of photographs. “I just haven’t had the time to—”
Kaito snatches the photos, pouting once he realises how none of these pictures do his jacket any justice. Fuck, he could print out more pictures, but that would waste time. Well, he supposes some sacrifices have to be made. He’ll make sure to apologise to his jacket when he’s reunited with it for ever taking such mid-tier pictures of it.
He bravely puts the photographs onto the whiteboard, making sure that they’re right in the middle. Kaito deserves a fucking gold medal for keeping such a cool composure. “Don’t worry, bro. Now that I’m here, you can get even more work done!”
Shuichi, who also deserves a gold medal for keeping such a cool composure, sighs once more. “I was hoping you could actually go through everything that happened yesterday again with me. If it was the phantom thief who took your jacket, that means you might’ve seen who they are without even realising.”
“Really?” Kaito rubs his chin as he sits down heavily on Shuichi’s couch. “I don’t know about that, sidekick. I mean, I was pretty distracted by my book yesterday. I know that some people walked past the table I was at a couple of times, but I don’t actually remember anyone I saw.”
“Hmm, I see…” Shuichi starts to scribble something down. “Momota, you said that you were at the library you’re usually at, correct?”
“Yeah! You’ve even been there a couple of times, remember?”
Shuichi nods. “And where were you sitting?”
“At my usual table,” Kaito answers proudly. When Shuichi raises an eyebrow, Kaito elaborates. “I usually sit by the astronomy section so I don’t have to waste time going back and forth. I think literally everyone knows by now that that table is pretty much mine.”
“So you routinely sit at a certain table,” Shuichi murmurs. His pen moves so fast that it becomes a blur. “And you say everyone knows that table is basically yours?”
“It’s like an unspoken rule that that table is mine,” Kaito admits. “Why? Wait, I’m not gonna get into trouble for claiming a table, am I? Aw man, there’s not some unspoken rule where I have to switch tables every visit, right?”
Shuichi ignores that particular question. “If you sit there all the time, that means the phantom thief might know that you have a particular routine. It’s entirely possible that they’ve been planning to steal your jacket for quite some time. Then again, since you rarely take it off, it’s more likely they saw a chance and took it.”
“I only took my jacket off because it was so fucking hot,” Kaito grumbles. “The heating was on full blast, man. I had no other choice.”
“Oh?” Shuichi looks intrigued. “So it was hotter than usual in the library?”
“I mean, yeah. I never usually have to take my jacket off,” Kaito tells him. His eyes go wide. “Wait, you don’t think the phantom thief made it hot on purpose, right?!”
“It’s a possibility,” Shuichi answers. He starts writing on a new sticky note.
“So does that mean… the librarian is the phantom thief?!” Kaito thinks about the little old lady who always sits behind the counter. Can someone as old as her even do such complex parkour?
Shuichi shakes his head with a tired chuckle. “No, I don’t think so. The controls for the heating are behind the librarian if I remember right. It wouldn’t be that hard for someone to fiddle with them whilst she’s distracted.”
“So basically, anyone could’ve changed the settings,” Kaito mumbles. “Damn it, that doesn’t help at all.”
“Actually, you’re wrong about that,” Shuichi says. “The phantom thief must be someone who frequently visits the library since they know that you have a particular routine. Granted, the library walls are made from glass so they could simply walk past to keep an eye on you, but with what we know, the phantom thief was definitely inside the library yesterday at some point.”
“So… what do we do now? Ask the librarian if there’s any security footage?”
Shuichi nods. “And we also should ask around and find out if anyone saw anything out of the ordinary yesterday. Do you know anyone else who regularly visits the library?”
“I know that there’s always at least some students studying there during the afternoon and evening, but I don’t actually know anyone personally,” Kaito admits bashfully.
“Well, your jacket is rather unique so whilst you might not know anyone, someone might recognise you,” Shuichi reassures him. He runs a hand through his hair and checks his watch. “You study in the evening, right?”
“Why?”
“There’s no point checking the library out until then,” Shuichi answers. “Since there’s a low chance anyone who will be of use will be there right now.”
Kaito clicks his tongue. “So what do we do until then?”
“I don’t know about you but I have a lot of work I need to catch up on,” Shuichi responds, giving the pile of papers on the floor a particularly defeated look. “And Momota? Please don’t get your hopes up too much. There is a chance that it's just a coincidence that the phantom thief took your jacket when they did.”
Kaito pauses before shaking his head. “Nah, something about all of this seems a little too organised.”
“Well if that really is the case, I wonder how you managed to catch the phantom thief’s attention,” Shuichi murmurs. He crouches down and sifts through the mess of papers slowly. “Honestly, I’ve been trying to figure out if the phantom thief has any particular method to their madness. This is certainly the first time they’ve stolen something on the more personal side. Usually they like to steal expensive or famous things.”
“Or maybe they saw my jacket and were like wow, that’s a sick jacket,” Kaito says. Shuichi’s words do however make him pause to think. Why did the phantom thief target him in particular? Sure, Kaito knows that he stands out, but he didn’t think it was to this degree.
Shuichi lets out a half-hearted snort. “That’s probably not the case.”
“It could be,” Kaito counters, half serious, half joking. “Either way, that asshole isn’t spending another day with my jacket. We’re getting it back as soon as possible, got it?”
“To get your jacket back we’ll literally have to encounter the phantom thief themselves, and the chances of that happening today is extremely unlikely,” Shuichi warns him. “Momota, I don’t think there’s a single person who has approached the phantom thief first. It’s always them who initiate any sort of interaction, not the other way around.”
“Well maybe it’s about time they had a change of routine,” Kaito says and knocks his fists together. “No one takes my jacket and gets away with it!”
“They quite literally already have—”
“So how about we meet at the library at around six tonight?” Kaito suggests, completely missing Shuichi’s bitter smile.
“Yeah, I can do six.”
“Good!” Kaito grins as he slaps down a hand onto Shuichi’s shoulder. “I’m telling ya, Shuichi. I’ve got a pretty good feeling about all of this! I bet I’m gonna have my jacket back by the end of the night!”
Shuichi lets out an unconvinced hum, which Kaito doesn’t take to heart. Shuichi has always been a little unsure of both himself and his skills. He just has to have a little more faith! He’s an excellent detective! Kaito knows if there’s anyone who can figure out how to reunite Kaito with his jacket, it’s Shuichi.
Kaito shoves his hands into his pockets as he hops from foot to foot. There’s a persistent breeze that rattles through Kaito’s bones. He could always wait inside of the library, but if he goes in now after standing around outside for fifteen minutes, he’s going to look weird.
He’s about to ring Shuichi and ask him where the hell he is when he finally spots him jogging towards the library, his nose red due to the cold. The detective’s face is partially obscured due to a navy blue scarf he’s wearing.
“Dude, what took you so long? It’s fucking freezing out here!” Kaito complains as he ushers Shuichi inside.
“Sorry, I had a lot more work than I thought,” Shuichi mumbles as he tries to walk and take his gloves off at the same time. He looks around the library quietly. “I remember when I used to study here before I was given an office. Looks like it hasn’t changed a bit.”
“I quite like the library as it is,” Kaito says. They pass the front desk, where the usual old librarian is sitting. She doesn’t say anything as they both pass. “Tch, I don’t think she’s ever greeted me once. Can’t tell if she’s just being rude or if I’ve accidentally pissed her off somehow.”
“You do talk quite loud,” Shuichi points out quietly. He follows Kaito as he guides him to his usual seat. Shuichi examines the area wordlessly. “So this is your usual table?”
“Yeah!” Kaito feels like a child proudly showing off their favourite toy. “I told you it’s right next to the astronomy section!”
“I, ah, believed you when you said that the first time,” Shuichi reassures him. He checks out the nearby tables. Most of them are occupied. Some of them only have one person sitting at them whilst some have larger numbers. Shuichi unravels his scarf from his neck as he continues to look around. “So does anyone in particular stand out to you?”
Kaito puts a hand on his hip as he looks around. He wants to be helpful but to his growing dismay, not a single person stands out. Curse his enthusiasm to learn about space as quickly as possible! Every time he comes to the library he always makes a beeline to his usual table. If he doesn’t have a book with him then he sometimes switches things up a little and goes to the astronomy section first.
“Ah…” Shuichi looks sympathetic as Kaito starts to frown. “I wouldn’t worry too much. We can still ask around anyway. Like I said, it’s probably more likely that someone recognises you rather than the other way around.”
“Oh!”
Kaito blinks as someone heads towards him. They have shocking white hair and bold cyan eyes. They’re clutching a pile of books to their chest. They stop in front of both Kaito and Shuichi with a polite smile.
“Momota, right?” The person says.
“Uh, yeah, that’s me!” Kaito responds. “Do I know you?”
The person shakes their head. “No, but I think I know you. You’re the one who requested more astronomy books, right?” They gesture to the pile of books in their arms. “We just got a new delivery a couple of moments ago!”
“Really?!” Fuck yeah, the library actually listened to his request! Kaito almost drools as he counts book after book in the other person’s arms.
“Do you work here?” Shuichi suddenly asks.
The person nods. “Well, I’m technically a volunteer. You can call me Kiibo. It’s, ah, a nickname, of course. That’s not my actual name.”
“Kiibo, huh?” Kaito rubs his chin. “Can’t say I’ve seen you around before.”
Kiibo looks genuinely surprised by this. “Really? Because you actually sit near the table I usually study at.” He gestures towards a table that’s maybe two or three tables away from Kaito’s. Sat at the table is a girl wearing a hot pink jumper with a large hole just above her chest. Wow, maybe she should get that fixed? Kaito doubts the jumper is keeping her warm. Next to the girl is someone with their head on the table, their dark hair spilling over their folded arms. With how lax their body looks, Kaito assumes that they’re fast asleep.
Shuichi raises an eyebrow. He’s probably thinking Kaito is an idiot for not noticing such an unique group of people. “Do you and your friends study here frequently?”
“Am I, um, being interrogated or something?” Kiibo asks nervously.
“N-No!” Shuichi’s cheeks flush darkly. “Um, sorry, it’s just—”
“My sidekick here is a detective!” Kaito tells Kiibo as he hooks an arm around Shuichi’s shoulders. “And he’s helping me look for my jacket!”
“Oh!” Kiibo’s shoulders slump in evident relief. “Have you checked lost and found?”
“Of course I have!” Kaito huffs. “And I already know it’s not there! The fucking phantom thief took it! They were wearing it last night on the news!”
“The phantom thief?” Kiibo winces. “If they’re the one who have it, there’s a good chance you’re not going to see it again—”
“Nah, Shuichi is totally going to get it back for me!” Kaito insists. He squeezes Shuichi a little closer. “Right, sidekick?”
“I’ll try,” Shuichi says before turning to Kiibo. “The thing is, it’s looking likely that the phantom thief stole Momota’s jacket whilst he was in the library. I was wondering if you saw anything unusual yesterday evening, especially during the time Momota was here.”
“My jacket was on the back of my chair,” Kaito adds because he’s extremely fucking helpful.
Kiibo shakes his head with an apologetic smile. “Honestly, I was rather occupied yesterday helping Miu with her project. I also don’t remember anything too strange happening either. I did think it was a little warmer than usual—but that’s about it.”
Shuichi nods. “Do you know who has access to the heating controls?”
“Well the dial to change it is behind the front desk,” Kiibo says. “I noticed it had been put to the maximum amount whilst I was helping clean yesterday. I asked the librarian about it but…” He lowers his voice. “To be honest, you won’t get much information from her. She spends more time sleeping on the job rather than doing any work. It’s likely that she could’ve caught the dial since she has done that a couple of times in the past. However, if it wasn't her who caught it, then…”
“It could’ve been anyone,” Shuichi finishes. “Ah, so we’re back to square one again.”
“I’m sorry for not being much help,” Kiibo apologises.
“Well, actually, I was wondering if you could give us access to last night’s security footage,” Shuichi says. “You do have cameras in the building, right?”
Kiibo’s smile tightens. “We do but the thing is, well, they’ve been broken for quite some time. The library has failed to get any funding to fix them. They’ve all been turned off for a while now, but we tell people that they’re working to deter them from doing anything stupid.”
“Seriously?” Kaito shakes his head with a sigh. Aw man, they’re hitting dead end after dead end. Even Shuichi looks put off by Kiibo’s words. The detective starts to chew his lip.
“We’ll just have to rely on eye witnesses, then,” Shuichi says, turning to Kaito. “And we’ll have to hope that someone saw something.”
“I really am sorry that I’ve not been much help,” Kiibo says. “But, um, it was just a jacket that was stolen, right?” He looks at Kaito’s disappointment of a jacket he’s currently wearing. “Surely you can just replace it—”
“My jacket isn't just any old jacket, it’s one of a kind!” Kaito stresses. “I’ve had it, like, forever!”
Kiibo nervously starts to step backwards. “Ah, I see…”
“And it’ll piss me off if I let the phantom thief keep it,” Kaito continues. “Which is why Shuichi has promised that he’ll definitely get it back for me!”
“I don’t remember any of those words coming out of my mouth at all—”
“What’s the name of your friend again?” Kaito asks as he looks for the blonde with the pink jumper. “Maybe she saw something!”
“Miu?” Kiibo says. He stammers helplessly as Kaito marches towards her table. “I, uh, don’t think she’ll appreciate being disturbed right now, so maybe—”
Miu is furiously writing down some complicated looking equations when Kaito reaches her table. Her hair looks messy, like she's been repeatedly running her hands through it. Kaito raises an eyebrow at the goggles that are barely visible on her head. Huh. They look unique.
She doesn’t acknowledge Kaito at first. Neither does her friend, who is still seemingly sleeping. From the steady rise and fall of their shoulders, Kaito quickly jumps to the conclusion that they’re in a deep sleep. Luckily for them, they’re not the sort of person who snores, so no one has any qualms about them sleeping. Kaito hovers awkwardly, ignoring Kiibo as he makes funny shapes with his mouth as he tries to figure out how to stop Kaito.
Miu eventually must sense that someone is looking at her since she lifts her head up. There’s an extremely pissed off looking scowl on her face as she looks Kaito up and down quietly. Either she’s sizing him up or checking him out. Kaito doesn’t know which one is worse.
“The fuck do you want?” Miu eventually asks. “Fucking standing there like a creep. What? Run out of books on Uranus to jerk off to?”
Kaito instantly starts to splutter as Kiibo lets out a heavy sigh. “I do not do that!”
Miu smirks. “Sure, whatever you say. I’ve seen your face when you get really into reading. I mean really, really get into reading. I bet that’s why you always sit in the corner on your own so no one knows what a dirty little freak you are.”
Shuichi blinks silently and even ducks behind Kaito as Miu’s gaze lands on him. “Um—”
“Miu, for goodness sake,” Kiibo grumbles. Miu pouts as Kiibo shakes his head. “You do know I’ll have to kick you out if you keep talking to people like that?”
“Tch, killjoy.” Miu drops her chin into her palms. “But seriously, what the fuck do you all want? I mean, I know I’m gorgeous but I’m hoping mister astronut over here has enough brain cells to know that gawping at a beautiful woman like me in public is fucking creepy.”
“I was waiting for you to finish what you were doing,” Kaito grumbles. “I know I’d get pissed off if someone disturbed me in the middle of an equation.”
Miu hums, a haughty look in her eyes as she leans forward. “Oh, so you do have a couple of brain cells rattling around in there. Good for you.”
“Miu,” Kiibo once again sighs.
Surprisingly, Miu flushes at Kiibo’s disappointed glare. “F-Fine, I’ll turn it down a notch.”
Shuichi takes this as his cue to stop hiding behind Kaito and steps out, clearing his throat. “Kiibo mentioned that you usually sit at this table? Would you say that’s accurate?”
“Can’t get any fucking peace at my apartment because the neighbours are noisy assholes,” Miu grumbles. “So Kiibs and I usually study here most nights.” She narrows her eyes. “Why the fuck do you want to know anyway? Do I even know you?”
“Oh, um, I’m Shuichi Saihara,” Shuichi says, introducing himself. “I’m a detective and I’m currently gathering information for a case I’m working on. I would really appreciate your full cooperation.”
“My full cooperation, huh?” Miu starts to drum her fingers against the table. “And what are you gonna do to make sure you have my full attention, hmm?”
“Uh, nothing?” Shuichi blinks. “It’s your choice if you want to cooperate or not. I can’t technically make you do or say anything.”
Miu huffs. “Tch, boring prude.”
Kiibo’s disappointed glare doubles. Miu curls in on herself.
“We’re currently looking for Momota’s jacket,” Shuichi says as he points at Kaito, who waves. “We’ve recently discovered that it was taken by the phantom thief.”
“Like, the phantom thief?” Miu winces sympathetically. “Ouch, that’s rough, buddy. No fucking way you’re seeing that jacket ever again. I mean, that’s probably a good thing anyway. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a dumb looking jacket before.”
“Are you always so unnecessarily mean?” Kaito grumbles.
“Do you always look like you’ve been dressed by a child?” Miu counters.
Shuichi and Kiibo look at each other, both of them wearing twin looks of exhaustion and exasperation.
“We have reason to believe that the phantom thief was here last night,” Shuichi presses. “Any chance did you spot anything weird? Anyone hovering near Momota at all?”
“Well I don’t watch people like a creeper,” Miu says. She twirls a strand of hair around her finger. “And I was balls deep in some engineering work. The world could’ve fucked ended and I wouldn’t have noticed, that’s how focused I was.”
“Ah, right…” Shuichi thins his lips. “And what about your friend?”
“My friend?” Miu raises a brow as she looks down at the person who is sleeping next to her. “You mean Ouma? Hah! That asshole isn’t my friend! He’s just a little parasite who started sitting at our table and refuses to fucking leave!”
“They’re both actually friends,” Kiibo quickly interjects. “He’s my friend, too. Whilst it is true that he started to sit with us randomly one day, he has been doing so for a while, and most of the time he just does his work.”
“Does he usually fall asleep in public?” Shuichi asks. “And sorry, I don’t think I caught his full name.”
“Oh, it’s Kokichi Ouma,” Kiibo answers. “And I’d say he falls asleep maybe once or twice a week when he’s with us.”
“He just collapses onto the table—and then bam! He’s flat out,” Miu says. “Sometimes we stack things on top of him until he wakes up. The most amount of shit we’ve gotten on him has been about maybe this high.” She stretches her arms out wide.
“You’re the one who stacks things on him,” Kiibo sighs.
Shuichi covers his mouth with his hand, deep in thought. “Do you think he saw something yesterday?”
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Miu asks and before anyone can stop her, she roughly shakes Kokichi’s arm. “Oi, dipshit. Someone actually wants to talk to you willingly.”
Kiibo looks like he’s given up trying to get her to talk nicely. He shakes his head with a quiet sigh as Kokichi slowly raises his.
“Oh? Have you disgusted someone so much that they’d rather speak to a sleeping person than you?” Kokichi asks, his voice heavy with sleep. As Miu squeals, Kokichi rubs his eyes and reaches across the table for a pair of glasses, which he slips on with a yawn.
Kokichi’s dark hair is tied back into a small ponytail and there’s a purple scarf looped around his neck. His eyes are wide and owlish, a clear sign that he really has just woken up.
“I’m going to put these books where they belong,” Kiibo mumbles, giving up playing referee.
“T-Those virgins want to talk to you,” Miu whimpers as she points to Kaito and Shuichi.
Kokichi looks intrigued as he turns to look at them. He blinks before a very cat-like grin spreads across his face. “Hey, spaceman. Finished that book on Uranus yet?”
Kaito groans as Miu smirks. “I’ve already made a Uranus joke.”
“Woah, seriously?” Kokichi’s smile turns into a pout. “But I wanted to tell a joke using the funny planet first! Aw man.”
“There’s nothing funny about Uranus,” Kaito says sagely.
“Can I ask some questions before this conversation becomes unsalvageable?” Shuichi asks, sounding a little too desperate.
“Oh?” Kokichi’s brow arches as he spots Shuichi. He drums his fingers against his cheek, chin cupped in his palm as he looks the detective up and down. “Huh, you’re a detective, aren’t you? I think I saw you on the news once.”
Shuichi’s ears turn red. The only interview he's ever done on live television resulted in him stuttering for ten minutes straight. He never did another interview again after that, despite Kaito reassuring Shuichi he hadn’t sounded that bad. “That’s right, I’m a detective—”
“It’s been my lifelong dream to be interrogated by an actual detective!” Kokichi reveals, bouncing his fists up and down. He then abruptly stops. “That's actually a lie. I actually long for complete world domination.”
“Uh… okay, cool,” Shuichi says slowly before clearing his throat. “Since you called Momota spaceman, I assume that you know he usually wears a jacket which has a galaxy pattern on the inside?”
Kokichi nods eagerly. “Yep, yep! How could I miss such a hideous jacket! I actually needed to buy glasses after seeing it for the first time.” His lip starts to wobble. “Momota is such a meanie for almost turning me blind with his horrific fashion sense!”
“My jacket is not hideous!” Kaito says with a sniff. “My grandma says I look very manly in it.”
“Excellent defence, Momota-chan,” Kokichi responds. “I can now see the error of my ways. If your grandma thinks you look very manly in it, that must mean your jacket is the manliest jacket in the entire world!”
Kaito narrows his eyes. “You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?”
“Seriously?” Shuichi sighs quietly. He turns to Kokichi once more. “I’m not sure if you saw on the news last night but the phantom thief has taken Momota’s jacket—and it’s extremely likely that they took it whilst Momota was in the library. You didn’t happen to see anything strange yesterday, did you?”
“Hmm…” Kokichi taps his chin. “I remember that it was really hot yesterday and that had made me really sleepy. I’m pretty sure I slept like a baby on this very same table all day.”
“So basically, you didn’t see anything,” Kaito sighs.
“I wish I had,” Kokichi grumbles. “Did you know it’s my lifelong dream to meet the elusive phantom thief? I’ve heard that they’re very sexy and I need to confirm this with my very own eyes.”
“I thought your lifelong dream was complete world domination?” Shuichi asks.
Kokichi clicks his tongue. “Keep up, detective! I literally just said that it’s to meet the phantom thief! Sheesh, and the news had the audacity to call you Japan’s upcoming best detective.”
“You’re the one who keeps changing your damn mind!” Kaito huffs. He doesn’t care if Kokichi messes with him. His sidekick, however? Now that’s crossing the line.
Shuichi quietly keeps eye contact with Kokichi before sighing loudly. “I think we’ve heard enough from these two. Let’s question some other people before it gets too late.”
“What? You’re going already?” Kokichi leans over the back of his chair with a pout. “But I was having sooo much fun talking to you both!”
“We’re extremely busy,” Shuichi responds, using his Serious Voice. “So unless you have something important to say, please leave us be.”
“You’re putting a lot of effort into finding a mere jacket,” Kokichi suddenly says. He starts to check his fingernails almost absentmindedly. “Hey, spaceman? Does your jacket actually mean that much to you?”
“Dude, my jacket is literally my most prized possession,” Kaito answers. “I’m getting back even if it’s the last thing I do.”
“I, um, doubt that you’re going to have to die to get your jacket back,” Shuichi tells him.
Kokichi pauses before smiling. “Kinda funny how the phantom thief took your most prized possession, isn’t it? I wonder if they knew that it meant so much to you, or just thought it looked nice?”
Kaito quickly realises that he’s not sure how to answer that. “I… suppose we haven’t really thought about why they took it.”
“Ouma might be right that they just took it just because they liked it,” Shuichi says. He wrinkles his nose. “But usually criminals have some sort of motive when committing crimes. It is rather peculiar that they took Momota’s jacket in particular—and then didn’t bother to try and hide that they had it on the news. It’s almost as if… they wanted everyone to see that they had his jacket. Or is it that…”
“Huh? Did you figure something out, sidekick?”
Shuichi hums quietly. “Maybe your jacket wasn’t the phantom thief’s main goal, maybe it’s your attention in particular that they want to steal?”
“My attention?” Kaito is caught off guard by Shuichi’s suggestion. “But… how does the phantom thief even know who I am?” Better yet, out of everyone in the entire world, why has the phantom thief targeted him?
“I’m not sure,” Shuichi admits. There’s a small smile on his face. “But it honestly doesn’t even surprise me that you managed to attract the attention of someone like them."
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!” Kaito asks. As Shuichi chuckles and walks away, Kaito juts his bottom lip out. “I’m serious, what do you mean?!”
Kaito chases after his sidekick as Kokichi lowers his head back onto the table.
They unfortunately don’t secure much more information. Since people go to the library to study, a large majority of people they had questioned said they had been too occupied to notice anything unusual.
“It was a longshot,” Shuichi had told him as they left the library. “What most likely happened last night is that the phantom thief walked past your chair and swiped your jacket. Something like that would’ve only taken seconds to do. I’m not surprised no one saw anything.”
Kaito ends up on the rooftop of the apartment complex he lives at. It’s a beautiful night. Since there are no clouds in the sky, the stars are in full view. Kaito watches them twinkle softly as he dangles his legs over the side of the building. It has crossed his mind a couple of times that there should be some sort of railing or fence on the roof, but either the owner of the building doesn’t care or doesn’t have the money.
He wonders how the phantom thief would cope if every building had railings on the roof. It would make it a lot harder for them to get around.
He’s disappointed that his jacket is still missing. Maybe he had been a little too ambiguous about getting it back so quickly. That doesn’t mean he’s not going to get it back though; he was fucking serious when he said he would get it back even if it’s the last thing he does.
Kaito wonders why the phantom thief has picked him in particular to mess with. What has he done to warrant such cruelty? Kaito likes to think that he’s a decent guy. He helps old ladies cross the street, and pays his rent mostly on time. He thinks back to what Kokichi said. Huh, maybe the phantom thief just wants his attention.
But why?
Oh fuck, what if the phantom thief wants Kaito’s help with stealing something space related? Holy shit, maybe the phantom thief wants his help to steal something like a planet?! Damn, Kaito doesn’t think he can help if that’s the case. He wants to visit every planet possible, but he definitely doesn't want to steal them. Maybe he’d steal a rock from each of them, but if he starts moving the solar system around then that’ll end in disaster.
Aw man, is Kaito turning into an old person? Only the elderly want the phantom thief to be caught, and now Kaito is starting to think that way too so the solar system stays intact. Damn it, not only has the phantom thief stolen his jacket, but also his youth.
“The stars look rather pretty tonight, don’t they?”
Kaito is jerked from his thoughts as he realises that someone has just sat down next to him. “They sure do.”
“They’re not as pretty as me, though. Or the fancy new cloak I’m wearing.”
Kaito finally looks away from the sky to look at the stranger who is next to him. He blinks once, twice, before lunging forward, gritting his teeth as the stranger leaps out of the way.
“That is not a cloak!” Kaito angrily points out as he pulls himself up. “That’s my jacket!”
“Is it?” The phantom thief puts a hand to their mouth, well, tries to anyway. The mask they’re wearing covers their entire face. “Nope, I’m pretty sure this is my snazzy new cloak that I rescued. It had been cruelly abandoned—”
“It was on the back of my chair!” Kaito retorts.
“Details, details,” the phantom thief says, waving a dismissive hand. “What’s with the pissed off look on your face? You should be grateful that I saved it! I thought you had just left it for dead, you cruel, cruel monster.”
Kaito’s opinion of the phantom thief drops dramatically. He hopes that they’re locked up for life. “You’re the monster for kidnapping my jacket!”
“Kidnapping?” The phantom thief plucks the bottom of the jacket and examines it closely. “Huh, I didn’t know your jacket was sentient. Wow, if I knew that then I totally would’ve stolen it sooner!” They drop the jacket. Kaito watches as it shudders back into position. “Spaceman, I think the word you’re looking for is stealing.”
“Oh, so you’re acknowledging that you did steal it!” Kaito huffs. “Okay, you’ve had your fun, but it’s time you fucking give me back my baby—”
“Sheesh, I think you need to learn some manners.” The phantom thief clasps their hands over the jacket, as if covering its non-existent ears. “And you shouldn’t swear in front of your baby! Now it’s going to grow up thinking swearing is okay! You’re a very bad influence, spaceman. It sure is lucky that I saved your jacket from such a terrible fate of being brought up by you!”
Kaito’s patience fizzles and he lunges for the jacket once more, growling when the phantom thief side steps away a little too easily. There’s something oh so taunting about his jacket being so close yet so far away from him. Up close, he can see that his jacket looks okay. Kaito supposes he’s grateful that the phantom thief hasn’t torn it. Yet.
The phantom thief cackles as they take a couple more steps back for good measure. They’re rather light on their feet. To Kaito’s frustration, he knows that if he lunges again, they’ll easily dodge him.
He never thought that his first ever interaction with the phantom thief would include him trying to grab them. Tch, of course out of everything they could have stolen, it just had to be his jacket. They even look pleased that Kaito looks so pissed off. They carefully tighten the sleeves around their neck just a little tighter.
Maybe Kaito would’ve felt sympathetic if the phantom thief had told him that they stole his jacket because they were cold. However, Kaito doubts that’s the case since they’re wearing a black and white scarf under the jacket. No, it’s becoming increasingly more and more obvious that the phantom thief stole his jacket not because they were cold, but because they’re a dick.
Kaito peers over the edge of the roof. Hmm, one wrong move and he’ll fall like a shooting star. Kaito can’t afford to injure himself. If he starts shattering his bones, he can kiss his chance to go to space goodbye.
“You’re not scared, are you?” The phantom thief asks after noticing the slight frown on Kaito’s face.
“What? No!” Kaito heatedly defends himself.
“Huh…” The phantom thief clasps their hands behind their back as they look Kaito up and down slowly. “Hmm, I don’t know whether that makes you incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. I mean, one wrong move and you’ll end up as a spaceman shaped pancake on the floor.”
“Well you could just give me back my fucking jacket,” Kaito points out. He feels a slight breeze and shivers. The moment he returned home from his trip to the library, he had banished his other jacket to the worst place possible: the back of his wardrobe where it’s doomed to be forgotten about for all eternity.
“You’re right, I could,” the phantom thief agrees. “But I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a thief who willingly gives back the things they've stolen. I mean, that would be extremely counterproductive. That’s like an office worker deleting all of the work they've done at the end of their shift for shits and giggles.”
“C’mon dude,” Kaito sighs. “You literally know that jacket is mine.”
“Well, if you want it back so badly, why don’t you steal it from me?” The phantom thief asks. They spin around, causing the galaxy fabric to swirl entrancingly. “You could grab it right now, you know?”
So Kaito tries to grab it. The phantom thief takes another step back with a cackle.
“Dude—”
“I didn’t say I’d let you take it just like that, though.” The phantom thief starts to stroke the jacket sleeves playfully. “And I’m growing awfully fond of it too…”
They’re teasing him and it’s fucking working. “You’re an asshole, you know that?”
The phantom thief sniffles. “And you’re really mean.”
Kaito thinks he deserves to be a little mean since his dearly beloved, dearly cherished, dearly dear jacket was cruelly ripped away from him without any warning. “Why’d you steal my jacket anyway? You could’ve stolen literally anyone else’s jacket or, you know, bought one yourself like any other normal person.”
“Ah yes, because thieves regularly go out of their way to buy things,” the phantom thief says dryly. They tap the area where their chin is. “And to answer the question of why I took your jacket, well, it’s a rather boring story actually. I saw it, and decided that I just had to have it. I knew a jacket as unique as this one could only be one of a kind.”
Damn, they’re right. The jacket never originally came with the galaxy pattern, that was something someone in his family had stitched in themselves. Fuck, this entire situation is just one big tragedy. Kaito should’ve known his super cool jacket was always going to be at risk of being kidnapped because of how amazing it is. Now he has to deal with the consequence of letting his jacket leave his sight for a couple of hours.
“I mean, you could’ve just made your own cape,” Kaito grumbles. “Or steal an actual cape.”
The phantom thief gasps. “Are you encouraging me to commit even more crimes? Mister spaceman! How could you?!”
Great, now the phantom thief is making him sink to a brand new low! Damn it, is this what it’s come to? Does Kaito have to encourage crime to get his jacket back? Fuck, he’s going to be a changed man after all of this. His jacket isn’t going to recognise who he is anymore once he gets it back.
As Kaito goes through his first ever existential crisis, the phantom thief starts to slowly creep backwards. It isn’t until they’re right at the edge of the roof that Kaito finally snaps out of it enough to realise that they’re about to escape.
“Hold on a second! There’s no way in hell I’m letting you leave with my jacket!” Kaito follows them, moving purposefully slow as if approaching a spooked animal.
“Really?” The phantom thief sounds intrigued.
For a second, Kaito thinks that maybe they’ve had a sudden change of heart since they don’t move. They wait until Kaito is in reaching distance before bolting past him. Kaito watches as they leap onto the neighbouring roof, landing with a crouch. The phantom thief turns around and bows. Kaito wonders if they’re expecting a round of applause.
“I’m not seeing much enthusiasm, spaceman,” the phantom thief calls from the other roof. “If you want your jacket so much, why don’t you come and get it?” And with that, they’re off.
Kaito isn’t a stranger to exercise, he knows that if he wants to go to space, he has to be as fit as possible. Kaito also likes to think he isn’t an idiot either. The distance between the two roofs isn’t the biggest, but it’s also not something to scoff at either. He thinks if he has a running start then he could clear the jump easily, but he hasn’t done something this reckless before.
To his surprise, the phantom thief is actually waiting for him. They’re perched on the opposite ledge and although Kaito can’t see their eyes, he can definitely feel them. Are they actually waiting to see if Kaito will chase after them?
Kaito swallows and thinks fuck it, his jacket is his number one priority. He runs and prays to whoever the fuck is listening that gravity is on his side. When he reaches the ledge, he leaps as carefully as he can. His breath catches in his throat and it feels like everything is going in slow motion. He can see as he jumps from one roof to the next how far away the ground is. His apartment complex isn’t the highest building in Japan, but it’s still rather tall.
He sucks in a sharp breath as he lands, tucking himself into a crouch and almost stumbling onto his palms and knees. Oh fuck. He did it. He just jumped from one building to the next. He feels his heart racing and blood pumping in his ears.
Then, he hears someone clapping. He lifts his head up and spots the phantom thief clapping their hands together vigorously. Kaito wonders if he’s impressed them or if they’re mocking him.
“Impressive, spaceman! I can’t believe you actually did that!” The phantom thief, to Kaito’s bewilderment, offers him a hand, which Kaito takes. He blinks as he’s pulled to his feet. Kaito sways ever so slightly. “With enough practice, maybe one day you’ll be good enough to keep up with me!”
“I…” Kaito pants as he tries to catch his breath. “I won’t need to practice if I get my jacket right now—”
The phantom thief chuckles as they twirl out of Kaito’s reach, the galaxy fabric of Kaito’s jacket fluttering around them. They look like they’re ready to win best dressed at a masquerade ball. Kaito sighs. At this point he isn’t too surprised that the phantom thief is making sure that they’re always just out of reach. If he has to be honest, it makes him all the more eager to catch them.
“I hope you’re not already tired,” they say and before Kaito can stop them, they jump onto yet another roof.
Kaito, being the competitive person he is, takes this as a challenge. He’s no longer scared as he follows them. He lets out small grunts and victorious yells as he follows the phantom thief from rooftop to rooftop. For the first couple of roofs, the phantom thief waits for him. After Kaito builds up a steady rhythm, the phantom thief stops waiting and expects Kaito to be behind them.
After maybe the tenth roof, Kaito has to remind himself that he’s chasing the phantom thief because they have his jacket—and that he's definitely not having fun. Even so, as he jumps onto the next roof that’s a little higher than the one he’s currently on, there’s a large grin on his face. If he lets his imagination run wild, he could pretend that he’s jumping from planet to planet instead of roofs. With the starry sky acting as the perfect backdrop, Kaito almost imagines this scenario flawlessly.
Since it’s late out, the streets are empty. There are a couple of lit up windows, but Kaito thinks that himself and the phantom thief might be the only two people haunting the streets. Kaito grunts as he lands a little too heavily onto the next roof. His ankles protest but he pushes on. He spots the phantom thief checking on him from over their shoulder, causing Kaito to grit his teeth. He doesn’t want them to think he’s incompetent!
He watches as the phantom thief runs a little faster before making their next jump. Kaito wonders if they’re trying to actually run away. He’s more than shocked when he realises that he doesn’t want that. Then, to his horror, he realises that he doesn’t want any of this to stop because he’s having fun.
Kaito jumps and it’s only when he’s in mid-air does he realise that the distance between the building he was on and the next one is significantly bigger than usual. He feels his stomach drop and his heart lurch into his throat as the realisation that he might not actually make this jump hits him.
He slams into the building and his elbows hit the edge of the roof harshly. He barely has any time to scrabble at the ledge before gravity rears its ugly head. Kaito thinks this is it, this is how he dies. He’s going to be discovered in the morning scattered against the concrete floor. Jacketless.
Something warm wraps around one of his wrists. It takes a couple of seconds for Kaito to process that he’s dangling mid-air. He slowly cracks an eye open. The first thing he sees is the pavement below him, so far away that it looks like a smudge of grey. The bins that line the alleyway walls look like distant blurs.
He looks up as something grabs his hand. Perched on the edge of the roof is the phantom thief, who looks down at Kaito silently. Their mask hides their face perfectly so Kaito isn’t sure what sort of expression they’re wearing. A slight breeze brushes past them both and Kaito watches as the thief’s hair hits against their mask, as his jacket gently sways along with the weather.
They both wordlessly look at each other. Kaito suddenly realises that if he reaches his free hand up, he could easily take the thief’s mask from their face. Kaito doesn’t reach for the mask or his jacket. He’s quiet as the thief slowly helps him onto the roof. The phantom thief doesn’t let go of his hand until they’re done looking Kaito up and down. It takes Kaito a second to realise that they’re checking him for injuries.
Something in his stomach twists.
“Sheesh, spaceman,” the phantom thief mumbles. “If I thought you were going to fall for me that hard, I would’ve found some lower buildings for us to jump across.”
Kaito lets out a startled laugh. It’s loud and nervous. “I, uh, guess I didn’t realise how big the gap was.”
“Geez! And here I thought you were smart!” The phantom thief crosses their arms and lets out a dramatic sigh. “I bet you don’t have to worry about this sort of stuff in space, huh?”
Kaito nods and hopes that the phantom thief doesn’t hear how shaky his next breath is. “You, uh, managed to get to me rather quickly.”
“Well of course I did! I’d been keeping an eye on you the entire time, spaceman,” the phantom thief sighs. “I bet this is the first time you’ve jumped across buildings before.”
“Hah! Yeah, it is,” Kaito agrees. He clears his throat awkwardly. “So…”
“Eh?” Kaito can practically hear the pout in their voice. “Are you not going to thank me for saving your life? You now owe me your life, spaceman! That’s a very serious debt, you know?”
“I’m not giving you my life,” Kaito grumbles. “In fact, I’d say we’re even since I never reported you to the police for kidnapping my jacket!”
The phantom thief chuckles. “Is that so?”
Kaito nods firmly. “Yeah!”
He could snatch his jacket right now. The phantom thief seems distracted and Kaito is literally standing right in front of them. All he has to do is grab the sleeves and they’ll unravel easily. He looks at the sleeves quietly. Surely by now the phantom thief has figured out Kaito can easily grab his jacket, right? Are they waiting for him to make the first move?
The two continue to look at each other quietly. Kaito doesn’t know why he’s fucking hesitating. His jacket is right there! He’s never going to get a chance like this again so…
…Why isn’t he doing anything?
The phantom thief clasps their hands together by their chest. “Well, tonight has been super fun, spaceman! However, I am unfortunately a very busy thief, and there are a lot of unstolen paintings out there calling out my name!”
They start to walk backwards, their hands tucked behind their head. With how slow they are, Kaito thinks that there might be a chance they’re waiting for him to say something.
“You… still have my jacket.”
“Yes, I still do have your jacket,” they say. “Whatcha gonna do about it?”
Kaito clears his throat before knocking his fists together. “Well, the next time we meet, I’m definitely going to get it back! Mark my words!”
“Next time, huh?” The phantom thief sounds surprisingly pleased. “Well, I’ll look forward to that, then! Seeya later, spaceman!”
They jump onto a significantly lower building. Kaito peers over the edge, watching as they run off into the night. It takes a while for him to register that his cheekbones are starting to ache. It takes him even longer to realise that he’s grinning.