The Ultimate Pickpocket | SDR2

Prologue: 00

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The pavement was loitered with crowds of frantic people, business workers to be exact, all barging past one another to get home. It was rush hour.

Rei watched them all scuttle past her like a cockroach infestation. As she leant against the wall, her eyes skimmed through her selection of people before eventually locking onto a specific target.

"Think 'ya will get that one, do ya?"

Rei didn't flinch at the voice and remained focused on where her target was going.

"Red, I've done this a million times. I'm practically a pro at this point." She replied with a smirk on her face and she wove her way into the flow of people.

Many knocked her shoulder while others barged into her like she wasn't there. But that was nothing. This was a buzzing city after all.

Rei dug through the crowd stealthily before eventually approaching a young business man peering down at his watch in a hurry.

She peered down at his valuables which was located in the young man's back pocket.

Steadying her focus, she waited until the time was just right.

Swerve.

He made a sharp left so that he was on the corner of the street, away from the eager citizens behind him and Rei followed behind quietly.

"Where is that blasted-"

"Excuse me, Sir?" Rei tapped his shoulder and peered up at the man with false confusion planted onto her face.

The man peered down at the short sixteen year old, impatience lingering in his eyes.

"Hurry out with it, girl. I'm late for a very important conference meeting!" He scolded, peering back at his watch again.

"I'm a little lost...Could you please help me?" Rei disregarded his snarky tone and still set track on her main objective on hand.

The man reluctantly caved in and Rei began one of her infamous charades of needing directions and 'please help this young girl get home to her imaginary parents'.

After he had finished pointing, Rei thanked the man before diving back into the crowd and heading back towards the alleyway.

Red leant against the brick wall in amusement at the young girl before him.

"Told 'ya that you wouldn't get anything from that snob." He chortled, sweeping his black mop out of his eyes.

Rei smirked. "What's this then?" She took a wallet from out of her back pocket and waved it into the air teasingly at the older boy.

"Oi, that's enough then. You still 'gotta split it with me." Red demanded as Rei shook her head with a smile on her face.

She opened up the wallet and pulled out a wad of cash, making sure that Red got his payment from her latest victim.

After the cash had been split, she took out an ID and peered down at the unsuspecting victim.

"Thanks for buying me lunch, Mr Yagami." Rei chuckled to herself as she placed the wad of cash in the inside pocket of her jacket.

"Uh, Rei?"

Rei sighed. "What now Red?" She called back, her eyes darting over to where he was stood.

"You have a visitor."

A tall man with a fedora stepped into the alleyway in slight bedazzlement.

"Miss Mikami is it?" The man inquired as he peered down at a slip of paper in his hands.

Rei looked him up and down and nodded hesitantly.

"Yes, that would be me. What do you want?" She asked him as she stepped back a couple steps and sat down gingerly on some tattered chair long abandoned by its owner.

"I tried sending the letter to your house but-"

"But I didn't have one."

"Yes, and upon research finding out that-"

"I had no parents."

"Correct, I tried sending it to-"

"My foster home but I wasn't there once again."

"Affirmative. Now, please stop interrupting me. It's been a long day for me..." He sighed as he passed a fancy looking envelope over.

Rei fumbled with it in her hands before opening it up with Red watching her in curiosity.

She slipped out the paper and began to read through it.

'Dear Reichiru Mikami,

You have been accepted into Hopes Peak Academy where many students with peculiar talents and skills attend to pursue a special and private education.

You have been enrolled as the ultimate pickpocketer. The opening ceremony will begin tomorrow at 9am sharp.

We hope to see you there.'

As she lingered over the last word, she looked over at the man in slight disbelief.

"Is this a joke? Who are you?" She clutched the letter tightly as Red approached her in a protective manner.

"What's it say, Rei?" He asked firmly as he took the letter off her,scanning it throughly.

"No, It isn't a joke and sorry I forgot my introductions, haha." He chuckled sheepishly. "My name is Koichi Kizakura, pleased to make your acquaintance as your homeroom teacher." He smirked holding out his hand.

Rei peered down at it before eventually placing hers into his, bringing them into a firm handshake.

"I hope to see you soon," He smiled before he made his way out of the alley out of sight.

Rei could only stare after him in disbelief.

Education?

Private education?

The school that's basically impossible to get into?

The fact that they accepted a literal thief into their school?

Rei smirked to herself in slight excitement.

"You get to go to a fancy school!" Red eventually exclaimed, just finishing the letter.

Reading was his weakest point as Red hadn't been properly educated since he was ten years old due to his parents unfortunate position and lifestyle.

However, Rei had dropped out of education at the age of twelve, the age when she ran away from the foster care system due to its corrupt ways.

"Hopes Peak, huh? Let's see how it goes." Rei smiled to herself as she swiped the letter back off of Red and placed it protectively inside one of her zipped pockets.

~*~