Kaito grinned. He was tickled. “You flatter me, Baaya-san.”
As he passed Hakuba he looked up to the detective and gave him a true smile. “Thanks for inviting me.”
The blond nodded, swallowing, and forced a polite smile. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Hakuba was so, so very nervous. “You’re welcome, Kuroba-kun… again, I’m just pleased that you could make it.”
Baaya did her best to avoid causing her master any further pain by heading into the kitchen, leaving the two boys alone. She thought she could trust Hakuba to manage getting them to the dining room, at least.
“We can, ah, put your helmet over here…” he said, gesturing to the small hallway for guest coats and the like, lined with hooks and shelves. “And then, the dining room is this way…"