"Alright, alright~"
Looking at the youth who was about to blow his top, Gojo Satoru stopped teasing and quit while he was ahead: "I was just joking just now. Of course I will arrive on time."
Kuroba Kaito finally let out a sigh of relief. Although the process was a bit twisted, at least the result was good.
"Then it's a deal. Tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock, Ekoda Elementary School, Fifth Grade, Class B." He reminded somewhat uneasily: "Don't you forget it! I will wait for you at the school gate then, and we will go over together."
"Got it, guaranteed not to stand you up." Gojo Satoru waved his hand, showing his memory wasn't that bad yet.
Kaito nodded, picked up Daifu, and prepared to slip away, deeply afraid this guy would have another sudden whim and bring up some strange additional conditions.
"Wait." Gojo Satoru's voice made his steps pause: "What's wrong, Uncle?"
The smile on the white-haired youth's face faded a bit, and he looked much more serious. He walked up to Kaito, leaned down slightly, and looked at him seriously with those pale blue eyes that seemed able to see through everything: "Little Kaito, have you encountered some other trouble lately? I guess it's definitely more than just a parent-teacher meeting, right?"
Kaito froze, and his arms holding the cat tightened subconsciously. Daifu let out an unhappy mew. He didn't expect his uncle to be so sharp, or rather, to ask so directly.
That feeling of being watched over from the shadows made his heart warm, but it was quickly pushed down by his habitual stubbornness.
"No, there's nothing." He turned his gaze away, trying to hide it with a casual tone: "What trouble could I possibly have?"
"Is that so?" Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow slightly, putting his hands into the wide sleeves of his yukata. His tone still sounded casual, but carried a certain certainty that brooked no doubt: "But your mom—my cousin Chikage from thousands of miles away—specially made a video call, saying her precious son has been full of worries these past two days, and asked me to find out the reason without fail."
The slight touch that had just risen on Kaito's face vanished instantly, replaced by the big words "As expected."
"So it was Mom who asked you to check!"
"Of course not entirely." Gojo Satoru coughed and said solemnly: "Even if she didn't say it, your uncle could see it just the same."
"I don't believe you at all!"
Gojo Satoru completely ignored Kaito's stubbornness, merely rubbing his chin and beginning to guess on his own.
"Hmm... let me guess. Did you have a fight with Little Aoko? Or did your newly researched magic technique hit a bottleneck?"
Kuroba Kaito shook his head, looking down at the cartoon pattern on the carpet, his fingers mindlessly grooming the cat's soft fur. In the end, he seemed to make up his mind and let out a soft sigh.
"Actually... it's nothing big." He organized his words and slowly told what happened yesterday.
Time went back to yesterday afternoon, in the classroom of Fifth Grade, Class B at Ekoda Elementary School. After the homeroom teacher announced the news about the parent-teacher meeting, it happened to be near dismissal time. The elementary students in the classroom were packing their textbooks while whispering to each other, discussing who would come to attend the meeting for them.
Except for a few children staying with relatives, most said their fathers or mothers would come.
Nakamori Aoko propped up her cheek and chatted with Kaito.
"My mom is a workaholic prosecutor, so she definitely can't make it tomorrow. But Dad said he doesn't have any big cases lately, so he should be able to come."
Indeed, since the Phantom Thief Kid vanished from sight, the cases Inspector Nakamori was responsible for were relatively light, and he had a lot of free time. However, he himself remained very obsessed with the Kid, often talking about him at home, and saying that guy wouldn't just disappear so easily.
"Kaito, is Grandpa Jii coming to hold the meeting for you this time too?"
Kuroba Kaito made a humming sound and said somewhat vaguely: "Well... that depends on the situation."
In fact, he already planned to ask Gojo Satoru if he could come. It was just that he wasn't quite sure if the other would agree. After all, as the head of the Gojo family, his uncle was either busy with a myriad of affairs or acted mysteriously. When he finally got a break, he liked to lazily hole up at home playing games, and might not really come to attend a parent-teacher meeting for him.
The voice of his speaking wasn't loud, but it was enough for three boys not far away to hear.
Ishida, Takahashi, and Shibasaki were famous problem students in the class, and also frequent visitors to the teacher's office. Relying on being tall and strong, they loved to play pranks usually, and other classmates were often teased by them.
The trio led by Ishida had always disliked Kaito, feeling he always used magic performances to show off. He was not only popular among the girls in class, but his grades were also among the best, which was truly enviable. Since this semester, they had found trouble with Kaito several times, but were easily defused by Kaito, making them suffer instead.
At that time, the three didn't say anything, but just exchanged an ill-intentioned look.
After school, Kaito went into the restroom. Just after entering the stall and closing the door, he happened to hear those three familiar and annoying voices coming from outside.
"Hey, did you guys hear? That guy Kuroba said 'depends on the situation'?" This was Ishida's thick voice.
"I reckon no parent is coming to hold the meeting for him at all. He's just putting on an act."
"Exactly." Takahashi mocked: "Didn't his dad go missing long ago? To put it nicely it's called missing, who knows if he's dead?"
Shibasaki chimed in: "And besides, I heard his mom has been staying abroad all this year, maybe she won't ever come back in the future."
"No wonder it feels like his mom doesn't really care about him, haha! Did she treat him as a drag?"
"Isn't this just perfect?" Ishida's voice carried schadenfreude: "In the future when we do some more pranks, no matter how we bully him, no one will stand up for him, right? Anyway, he has no dad to love him and no mom to care for him..."
Inside the stall, Kaito's hand placed on the door lock slowly tightened. He originally planned to push open the door calmly as usual, using his in-control poker face to say: "Who did you guys say you wanted to bully just now?", and then enjoy the sight of them falling to the ground in fright.
But this time, those piercing words pricked into his heart like cold needles. With just a moment of dazing, the mockery, flushing sounds, and footsteps outside had already gone far away.
"...That's how it is." Kaito's tone of narration was very calm, even indifferent, but his lowered eyes still leaked his true emotion.
"Actually it's nothing, just a few boring guys saying boring words, completely nonsense. As for those pranks..." He lifted his head and smiled: "Don't worry, Uncle, I am always the one who makes others suffer. Even if they don't actively provoke me, I will find an opportunity to beat them up."
Gojo Satoru listened quietly, understanding the whole story perfectly clear. He naturally didn't worry that Kaito would truly suffer a loss; this kid was very smart, and both self-preservation and counterattack were more than enough.
However, when a child heard such excessive words, no matter how strong his psychological endurance was, he would inevitably be negatively affected.
"I believe you aren't that easily bullied." Gojo Satoru spoke up: "But if those boys think they can spread rumors recklessly just because your parents aren't around, or even double down on finding trouble with you... then they are dead wrong."
Kuroba Kaito blinked his eyes, only feeling his uncle at this moment was a bit different from usual, carrying an unspeakable danger about him.
Gojo Satoru thought for a moment, and the corner of his mouth suddenly curved into a smile that made Kaito feel a strange chill down his back: "Rest assured, your uncle has a way to make them shut up obediently, and take a detour whenever they see you in the future."
Kaito swallowed his saliva and asked carefully: "Uncle, the way you mentioned shouldn't be the kind that is... well... breaking the law and committing crimes, right?" He knew his uncle had a mysterious background, and his means were definitely beyond ordinary people.
Hearing this, Gojo Satoru intentionally put on a hurt expression: "Aiya, Little Kaito, what kind of person do you take your uncle for? Of course it's a very proper and very legal way!"
"...Alright, anyway, just don't go too far. And!" Kaito suddenly remembered something and hurriedly added: "During the parent-teacher meeting tomorrow, you are not allowed to call me 'Little Kaito' in public, nor can you suddenly pull a person out of nowhere using magic, and definitely don't say strange things to the teacher!"
"Your uncle handles things, you rest assured~ I will absolutely make you the most envied kid in the whole class... no, the whole school!"
"..." Looking at that smile on the other's face that looked like he was preparing to stir up trouble, Kaito felt even less assured.
Gojo Satoru shrugged his hands: "So, is there anything else you want to make sure of?"
The black-haired youth hesitated for a moment, asking that question again which had been repeated many times, hoping to get an answer that was no longer ambiguous this time.
"Uncle, my dad... is he still alive?"
The smile on Gojo Satoru's face froze slightly. He fell silent for two seconds, then slowly lifted his hand, pressing it against his heart, and said very deeply: "Kaito, Toichi... of course he is still alive."
Kaito's pupils shrank suddenly: "Really?!"
"He has always been living in my heart."
[Ding! Impression value from plot character Kuroba Kaito increases by 100 points, impression composition... unreliable.]
Kuroba Kaito covered his face, speechless.
"I'm going back! See you tomorrow!!!"
Looking at the cheap nephew's back leaving angrily, Gojo Satoru picked up Daifu, squeezed the small meat pads on its paws, and laughed softly: "I didn't tell a lie..."
...
The next afternoon, at the gate of Ekoda Elementary School.
Today was a special day, and the students didn't go home immediately, but gathered in twos and threes near the school gate, waiting for the parents coming for the meeting with either unease or expectation.
Kuroba Kaito and Nakamori Aoko stood close together, making anyone who saw them think of the words "childhood sweethearts."
"My dad said he's arriving right away." Aoko looked at her watch and asked curiously: "Kaito, is your uncle really coming?"
"Hmm... he should be coming, right?" Kaito looked no different from usual on the surface, occasionally bickering a few words with Aoko, but his gaze would drift toward the intersection from time to time, leaking a trace of unnoticeable tension.
Just then, three discordant figures intentionally sauntered over, precisely Ishida, Takahashi, and Shibasaki.
Ishida, leading the group, put his hands in his pockets with a slacker look, and intentionally said with a very loud voice: "Yo, isn't this Nakamori? Why are you still playing with this kind of guy who has no parents to care for him?"
"My dad is a very rich company president. As long as you join our small group, I guarantee you will have endless imported snacks every month, and the newest stationery is also free for you to use, how about it?"
"What nonsense are you guys talking! It's truly annoying to death!" Aoko's face turned red with anger, like an angered small lion, blocking in front of Kaito: "My dad is a policeman! If you talk nonsense again, I will have him lock you all up in prison!"
"Wow! Policemen are so scary!" Ishida shrank his neck in mock fear, and then laughed out loud together with the other two: "Inspector Nakamori is so busy, how can he have time to care about kids' fights? Besides, what did we say? Didn't we speak the truth?"
"Exactly, if you have the ability, have your dad come catch us right now!" Takahashi and Shibasaki also joined in the mocking.
Kuroba Kaito gave them a calm look, the corner of his mouth curving into a mocking arc instead: "Truth? What else can you guys do besides repeating some trashy hearsay words like a repeater? True, after all, with your pathetic IQ, you can only manage to do this kind of thing."
"As for why Aoko wants to be with me?" He gently held Aoko's hand that was shaking with anger, comforting her, and looked straight at those three, stating clearly: "Of course because she is kind and cute, unlike some people whose inner hearts are as ugly as their report cards."
"Kuroba Kaito! You...!"
The three were choked red in the face by Kaito's counterattack. Ishida pointed at Kaito in anger, just about to release nastier harsh words—
Just at this moment, an unusual commotion came from nearby.
"Vroom—"
The low rumble of an engine approached from near to far, and everyone's gaze couldn't help being drawn over.
They saw a sleek, shiny black Rolls-Royce, like a dangerous black beast, slowly stopping at the school gate. That low-key luxury texture formed a sharp contrast with the ordinary family cars around, making many parents' eyes glue tightly to that car, and low exclamations spread out like ripples.
"Good heavens, that's the newest Rolls-Royce, right?"
"How much money does this have to cost..."
"If I could have one, I'd be willing to live in a villa and wear famous brands too!"
"Dad, what daydream are you having!"
This wasn't the end yet. Closely following behind it were three equally black luxury sedans. The car doors opened, and more than ten men dressed in crisp suits, wearing sunglasses, and having sturdy builds quickly got down from the front and back three cars.
Just like the Yakuza, their movements were orderly and filled with chilling aura. Their sharp gazes scanned the surroundings, as if confirming whether there was any threat.
This array, this grand display... It was completely the scene of a mob boss or a super-rich tycoon appearing in movies!
"Wow, who are they?"
"Are those wearing black clothes bodyguards?"
"Could it be the parent of someone in our school? I've never heard of it before!"
"So, so scary... feels like you'll be killed if you look one more eye..."
"Eh? Is it a mob organization?"
The elementary students watched dumbfounded, whispering one after another, both scared and curious. Even the originally arrogant Ishida trio temporarily forgot to argue, staring blankly at this sudden display.
Kaito's heart skipped a beat, and an absurd yet quite persuasive thought popped up.
"No, no way... could it be..."
Under everyone's gaze, a black-clothed man who looked like the leading bodyguard walked quickly to the rear door of the Rolls-Royce. Together with the other bodyguards, they gave a respectful ninety-degree bow, and immediately pulled open the car door.
A shiny black leather shoe stepped out first, landing on the ground. Next, an exceptionally tall and straight white-haired man bent down and walked out of the car.
He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, covered with a long trench coat of the same color outside, which set off his wide shoulders and long legs, giving him a powerful aura. Small round sunglasses covered the upper half of his face, only revealing a beautifully lined jaw and thin lips. Compared with movie stars on advertisement screens, he was not inferior at all.
After he stood firmly, he lifted his hand slightly, and a bodyguard next to him immediately handed over a... well, a beautifully packaged rainbow lollipop?
Everyone: Huh? Shouldn't it be an '83 cigar?
It had to be said that this weird match added a trace of oddness to the originally chilling atmosphere.
He put the lollipop into his pocket, straightened the collar of his trench coat slightly, and his movements were leisurely and unhurried, which could be described as elegant to the extreme. Then, he seemed to be searching for something, his gaze sweeping through the crowd at the school gate through the sunglasses—and then, precisely locked onto Kuroba Kaito who was standing at the school gate with a blank expression.
"Yo! Little Kaito! Have you been waiting long?"
In an instant, there was absolute silence.
Kaito only felt a darkness before his eyes, and blurted out: "Un, Uncle?!"
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