smokebombsandmirrors:

“Oh Marion, I know, I know. If Toichi wasn’t so insistent on us living in Japan I would have had us live in Europe, or the States. As for his love life have you ever thought about giving him a little nudge? I know I’m about  ready to kick Kai in the butt to get him to move.” Chikage sympathized then smiled at her longtime friend. 

There was a helpless shrug and Marion resisted the urge to complain, yet again, about stubborn Japanese men, as they’d done many times in the past, instead turning her full attention to the issue at hand. “Yes, oh yes, I’ve nudged him several times. Nagged him, even. He claims that he just isn’t interested in anyone, that he has his career to think about, and that he’s coming back home after high school, so he can’t get invested…”

After a derisive little laugh, Marion leaned back again. “And then he goes off and applies for Keio University. He’s just so shy, but his actions speak volumes, don’t they?" 

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“By the gods! So Kaito now has his Burberry and was probably walking around wearing it.” Chikage sighed to hide the school girl squeal she wanted to do. “Gods that is so cute. These two! Marion are they just going to keep doing this?!”

“I really can’t say… Saguru’s so tight-lipped about his love life, and so very reserved about his feelings in that regard. You know, I didn’t even know that he’d had a girlfriend at all until a almost a year after the fact? And I only learned he’d had a boyfriend when Baaya told me about it, also after they’d been broken up for nearly a month." 

She sighed, setting the teacup down again. "And neither of those relationships lasted longer than a month. Still, he hasn’t been interested in anyone half as long as Kaito-kun, I’m certain. I wonder if that’s why he’s so hesitant… I mean, other than the whole living in Japan issue. My poor darling… he may have lost his spots, but he still acts like a frightened fawn." 

smokebombsandmirrors:

“That sounds like them …” Chikage laughed weakly. “And what is this about … ‘Scarf Scandal’? What do scarves have to do with it?”

She perked and wondered about the nice one wrapped around Kaito’s neck.

“I guess he felt bad about pestering ‘his classmate’ and put the scarf around them as sort of a joke, but was so embarrassed after the outburst that he left it behind and is too sheepish to ask for it back." 

This came with peels of laughter as Marion reached for her tea again. "Baaya kept after him about it, ‘where is your burberry?’ but he persisted that he lent it to someone, and then bought himself a new one while he was here for Christmas." 

smokebombsandmirrors:

Chikage opened the email and scrolled through the photos. “That is … It’s Kaito! Why an alley way? Come on Kai I thought you so much better than that.” She huffed and scold her only child that wasn’t around to hear it. “But I don’t get it, if they’re that close why does it feel like nothing has changed?”

“Well, according to his agent, the whole ‘Scarf Scandal’ was the result of an argument between himself and a classmate, but Saguru wouldn’t say who. I’ve been wondering, but he refuses to give me any information other than it was a ‘crime of passion’ and that he’d been ‘in a mood’ that day.” Marion couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her, biting her lip afterward. 

“I’m sure they’re both simply mortified that they let their feelings show.”

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“Nothing right now, I’m just going to have to drag it out of him sooner or later.” She pouted. “DO you have something?”

Chikage didn’t really know what told her that the other might have something but she got the feeling that Marion might. It was that or the hopes that there was something.

“Well. Just between us, I got a very disturbing email from Saguru’s agent a while back, and I believe that I’ve just now figured out who the other guilty party is…” Marion knew that this was crossing some boundaries, and that her son would never, ever forgive her if he found out, buuuut…

The gossip was just far too good.

She took out her phone and quickly dug through her folders, finding the email in question. “I’m going to forward this email to you… There we go, sent. Tell me, does this look like anyone you know~?”

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“Oh, you have my word that Kaito will be admitting that he actually cares for the other, at lease as a friend.” She huffed.

“Oh really? Do you have some evidence to back up this claim, Kage-chan~? Has something happened to make you think that some sort of confession is forthcoming~?" 

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“I really should record Kai-chan so you can hear him. He’s stuck on him and doesn’t want to admit. He complains and complains then out of the blue he’ll be fine with him and even going as far as to compliment him.” She laughed and waved her hands. “He’s so stubborn, he needs some one like your boy who will continue to get under his skin and pursue him.”

“They’re such a handsome pair, too. I’ve seen secret photos. But it’s always, ‘Kuroba-kun did this,’ and ‘Kuroba-kun did that,’ along with frustrated ‘He’s so irritating I can hardly stand it!’ and yet…” Marion laughed again. “Oh, dear, they’re so darling. One of these days they’ll realize that they need each other…" 

She sighed, leaning back in her chair, smile fond as she thought of it. "If he ever mentions a fondness to me directly, I will encourage relentless pursual, you have my word." 

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“They’re a mess aren’t they.” Chikage sighed as well and rested her hands against her chin. After a few moments of silence to their pain she grinned. “They really deserve each other don’t they~”

It only took half a second before Marion burst into a fit of giggles, having to set her tea cup down on the table to avoid spilling it. “Oh god, Kage-chan! You should hear the way Saguru complains about him! It’s so charming! Baaya tells me that he reports to her every time she picks him up from school." 

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“Now, Now, Oxford is a lovely place and would suit Hakuba-kun very well.” She giggled and longed to pat her friend’s hand to sooth the sting that must have brought.

Chikage went wistful and dewy eyed and the mention of Toichi. “Kaito will  be Kaito, he wants to be a stage magician and is certainly practicing nonstop at perfecting his talent. You should see him Marion, he’s a completely different person … well I shouldn’t say different. He’s himself when he performs.”  

There was an unspoken but in her words that held the fear only a mother would know.

“Oh, my dear Kage-chan…” Unspoken, yes, but certainly understood. 

It’d been so long since they’d last seen each other. Months. But it had done nothing to lessen their bond. If anything, Marion found it easier to talk to Chikage than any of her local friends, simply because she, too, understood so many things that only came from similar experience, Japan being just one of a very long list. 

“Well. I’m certain that I’ll get to see him soon. I’m coming for the graduation ceremony, and I expect that you’ll let me know the moment he has his first big show, won’t you?” The smile she put on faded as she continued to mull over her friend’s words, and soon she fell back on it, voicing her sorrows absently with a quiet sigh.

“Oh, our poor, sweet boys…" 

smokebombsandmirrors:

“Delighted and not yet, he seems to be leaning to do something else with his life. Although right now he seems to have his hands full. Has Hakuba-kun?” Chikage laughed and tucked a stray hair back behind her ear. She wonder how horrified her would be if he knew she was speaking to his detective’s mother.

Likely as horrified as Hakuba would be if he knew that his mother was talking to the thief’s. Marion sighed, putting on theatrics as she raised a hand to her forehead. “Alas, no! I know he’s done entrance exams for some, applied, had interviews… But he hasn’t decided.

"I, of course, want him to go to Cambridge, my alma mater, but he’s leaning more toward Oxford University– my rival, of all things! Though, at least that would be preferable to Keio… did you know that he was considering staying in Japan? My god! Leaving England! For Japan!” 

The woman huffed and took another sip of tea. “I think, if he’s having such a difficult time deciding, that he should take a GAP year, but he insists that he needs to graduate as soon as possible for… some reason or other… I swear, he’s just like his father.”

A pause.

“What is Kaito-kun leaning toward? Please tell me he plans to be a stage magician like his father!"