Under Koizumi Akako's guidance, Yang Tao and Conan arrived at Ekoda High School, Grade 2, Class B. Standing at the classroom door, Yang Tao scanned the room and spotted Kaito Kuroba sitting by the window in the last row.
However, Kaito's eyes were vacant, staring ahead as if lost in thought.
"Kaito Kuroba!"
Yang Tao called out, but Kaito remained unresponsive, still caught in his reverie.
Conan fixed his gaze on Kaito, not for any particular reason, but because Kaito's profile was strikingly familiar. Not identical, but nearly eight or nine-tenths similar—enough to confuse even someone who knew him well.
A beautiful girl sitting in front of Kaito turned instinctively toward the rear door upon hearing his name. Conan's eyes widened in shock.
"Xia… Ran?"
Quickly, he discerned the difference between Ran and Aoko Nakamori. The woman before him had shorter, layered hair, unlike Ran's long, waist-length tresses, and her face was fuller, not as slender as Ran's.
Yang Tao chuckled at Conan's exclamation. "Looks a lot like Ran, doesn't she? Heh, wait until you see Kaito—then you'll be even more surprised."
Aoko extended her hand in front of Kaito, worry etched on her face. "Kaito, are you okay? You've been listless all morning; you didn't even hear when someone called for you."
Kaito finally snapped back to reality, scratching his head with a nervous smile. "I… I was just thinking about something. Don't worry, I'm fine."
Yet his expression betrayed his words; he was clearly uneasy.
"Someone was looking for me?"
"Yes, near the back door…"
Kaito's eyes darted to the rear of the classroom. In an instant, he leapt from his chair.
"You… you're still alive?"
The sudden movement drew the attention of his classmates. He then realized what he had to do and hurried toward the back door.
"Aoko, ask the teacher to excuse me from class—I'm not feeling well."
"Hey!"
Aoko's face fell as she watched him rush away. "Skipping class again!"
But Kaito had no time to worry about her complaints. Seeing Yang Tao, his previous concern that Yang Tao might have fallen to his death vanished, replaced by deep apprehension.
How does he know to find me? Could he have uncovered my identity?
"Hello…"
"Kaito, let's be direct. Do we talk here, or move somewhere else?"
Yang Tao's tone was straightforward; he disliked unnecessary delays.
After a brief pause, Kaito suggested, "Let's go to the school's sports field."
Yang Tao nodded and lifted the still-shocked Conan, heading toward the stairwell.
Koizumi Akako reached out, holding Kaito back. Expressionless, she warned, "This man is dangerous—extremely dangerous. I can't divine any information about him."
"I know, but I need to resolve this. Aoko, class will start soon; go on ahead. I'll handle this," Kaito replied, breaking free and quickly following Yang Tao and Conan.
…
"Hey, wake up."
Conan struggled. "Put me down first."
Once on the ground, he blurted out, "Why does that guy look so much like me?"
"You two have a complicated connection. Your mother, Yukiko Kudo, learned disguise techniques from his father, Toichi Kuroba. Also…"
"'Kaito Kid'—that name was actually given by your father, Yusaku Kudo…"
Before Conan could process the bombshell, his jaw had already dropped, and he followed rigidly beside Yang Tao toward the sports field.
"Do you want to hear another huge revelation?"
Conan, exasperated, groaned, "Another one??"
Yang Tao's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Rumor has it that your father and his father were biological brothers, meaning Kaito is technically your cousin. But that's just unofficial history—you know, sometimes the official story isn't entirely correct, while the unofficial version is always dramatic."
Although called a rumor, it came straight from the plot of Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Starlight. Yang Tao had been equally stunned when he first learned of it.
"I can't verify it myself. If you want to know for sure, you'll have to call your father."
Conan stood petrified, unable to move.
Kaito emerged from the school building and saw Conan frozen in place.
"How did you discover my identity? And what's with this kid?"
Yang Tao smiled. "It's nothing—his brain just needs time to process so much information at once."
"As for how I knew your identity… hehe, that's a secret."
"I came here for one reason. I don't have a single cent, not even enough for a bottle of water, so I'm hoping to borrow some money from you."
Kaito stumbled, almost falling.
"You're trying to extort me?"
"I prefer to call it a robbery, thank you."
Kaito: "…"
"I have no money…"
"Jewels will do."
Kaito became the second-generation Kaito Kid to lure out the mysterious organization that killed his father. He hadn't converted his precious jewels into cash.
"No, once I deal with the organization, I'll return every single jewel."
Seeing Kaito's seriousness, Yang Tao realized asking him for the jewels was impossible.
"Fine, then. Since I'm generous, just hand over all your savings and cash. Consider it hush money."
"First time robbing a poor kid…"
Kaito: "…"
Even a poor kid can escape unscathed!
Conan suddenly spoke up: "Mr. Yang Tao, I have some money here—it should cover your daily expenses. As for him, let's leave it."
Yang Tao grinned at Conan. "Alright. Honestly, I'm not interested in money, though sometimes it's inconvenient not to have any. After all, I'm not a professional bandit."
He then turned to Kaito. "I don't need money, but I'd like you to introduce me to your classmates."
"Don't worry, just a brief meeting."
…
By noon, the last morning class ended. Students streamed out of the building. Unlike back home, they didn't return for lunch; instead, they ate on campus from lunchboxes.
After eating and resting briefly, classes resumed. Though their schedule seemed strict, they finished around 3:20 PM—roughly five or six periods a day.
As Yang Tao moved through the crowd, he greeted familiar faces, rapidly increasing his world exploration progress.
45%… I wonder if next time it will hit 60%…