A smirk. “My, my, detective. Cat got your tongue?”
Teasing was probably unwise. His expression softened. Did he manage to break Hakuba? This was very un-Hakuba-like behavior, gaping mouth and silent, with no barb or retort. “…But, really, I warn you that this whole affair is such a mess that I shudder to think of it. I’m just at the periphery of all of this, so I cannot tell you much.
“…Are you okay, Hakuba?”
Hakuba barely heard Kaito over the roar of words within his head. The hand over his mouth moved to his forehead and he hesitated, trembling. Already, he was mentally combining case files and merging the complex timelines together and
it
all
fit.
The detective swayed here he stood, bringing his other hand to join the other, now covering his eyes as he attempted to grasp the gravity of this discovery.
“I.. ah, just.. need.. a moment, Kaito-kun,” he managed with some difficulty.