Deceit - The Phantom Thief

Chapter 9: A (Not So) Picturesque Predicament

It was a long time ago. Three children were in a garden; two girls, one boy. One of the girls couldn't have been older than ten, the other couldn't have been older than eight. A mere two-year difference separated them - it was the only thing that could ever separate them. The boy was only slightly older than the eldest girl, but she was the one who was responsible for the both of them like a parent.

The group sat huddled beneath a tree surrounded by tall bushes and plants in the shade as they shielded themselves from the cruel, unforgiving world around them. The boy's parents were coming to get him soon, so they all simultaneously decided to hide from them. The girls were confident that they wouldn't be found there - it was their garden after all. Who would search for them there?

The boy didn't like his parents. The girls didn't like his parents either. They were mean people who were always too busy to care for their son, always pushing him away. She didn't want them to take her friend away again, especially when they neglected him day after day. She didn't know when she would see him again after that, it could be days, weeks or even months. It all came down to whether the boy's parents had work outside of the city - the boy couldn't stay alone by himself so they left him with his uncle.

His uncle had work too, though he would bring the boy with him sometimes and teach him about his work. Other times, when his work became too stressful, he would leave the boy to play out with the girls. 

He had a bad childhood in an unloving household. She didn't think it was fair that such a sweet boy received such unaffectionate treatment; he didn't do anything wrong to deserve it!

The older girl promised that she would always take care of him, forever and ever. It was a solemn oath that she had sworn to herself. She loved the boy. The younger girl loved the boy. The girls' parents loved the boy, too. What she could never understand was why her best friend's parents didn't love him. He was the kindest boy she knew, and she adored everything about him. She wouldn't let anything or anyone hurt him. She was his protector.

"I promise to always make you happy."

-

The morning sun dashed a bright streak across the detective's face through his open curtains as his eyes fluttered open. Another boring day of his boring life. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and climbed out of bed, the dull pain in his leg scrambling up his limb pathetically. His leg was getting better, slowly but surely. 

He walked towards his desk and picked up his phone. He'd usually wake to a notification from Powwow or maybe a message at least, but today there was nothing. Not even Kokichi had messaged him like he said he would yesterday. Of course, he could always initiate a conversation himself rather than wait for Kokichi to. Maybe later.

He put the phone into his jacket pocket and left his room to go to the kitchen. He'd been sleeping in his clothes from the day before a lot lately. It was a habit he hated but he was just too tired in the evenings to bother. All he wanted was a good night's sleep. Was that too much to ask for? He opened the kitchen door and approached the cupboard where he took two slices of bread out of the bag and placed them in the toaster.

He stared at the white electronic as the bread was slowly being burnt. A lot had happened the day before. A phone call. A threat. An amazing day out. What could he do? If it was the Phantom Thief then there was no way the police could do anything about it. And besides, they hadn't actually entered his apartment. The most they did was tape a note to his door. Annoying. God, Shuichi hated that thief. He despised him more than anything else in the whole world.

The bread, now a golden brown, popped back up. Shuichi plated and buttered them both before cleaning up the mess he'd made and left for the living room.