Love Is Pink Under The Moon

Chapter Seventeen: The Third Act

I could barely keep a straight face as I waited on top of the bank. Once again the phantom thief left their trademarked card, only this time there was only one location in the letter.

This was weird for the thief but I guess he needed to help with this operation yet still wanted to play his games. This letter though...was strange. It wasn't in his usual handwriting, or cut out letters, using an actual pen for once and was in my house rather than the police station.

That...and last night.

I shuddered, I'm still not sure whether or not that was a dream, the girl with the red hair had nearly stabbed me but instead stopped and made a run for it. The only clear signs this wasn't a dream was the knife she left behind and my broken window.

I for some reason, that I don't even understand myself, didn't tell my coworkers and decided instead to keep working on what was going on and find that particular mystery later.

Along with getting better locks.

I paced the roof more when I heard someone with boots climbing up as the thief stared at me...surprised?

His eyes widened as he finished climbing up before giving their signature mischievous grin, but they didn't look healthy. He was far skinnier than usual and even paler. His hair was oily and though I couldn't see much of their face I could tell they had heavy bags under his eyes.

He looked tired...sick.

It sent a shiver down my spine.

"Well looks like my beloved detective couldn't get enough of me!" The thief claimed, "I thought you sent the letter....?" I asked confused as we began the familiar dance of pacing around each other, both having our guns ready on demand.

"Not this time! You must be imagining things!" The thief said cheerfully, their voice was dry. I raised an eyebrow "and the assassin you sent after me?" I asked and the thief stopped.

"What?" He asked, "the person who attacked me in my bedroom? The red haired girl?" I asked and the their froze in their tracks as if petrified.

He laughed then, as if to shake me off "aw seems that they failed! I'll have to try harder next time!" The thief sang out as I stepped closer to them.

"What're you doing?" The thief asked serious. I kept stepping closer to the thief. They were shaking, I could see their knees shaking as they continued to back away from me.

"Why? Why do you do this?" I asked. The thief stared at me confused, "you dont seem like a bad person, you've never hurt anyone with your group...so why are you doing this? Why do you play these games with me?" I questioned.

"I might be the only person who will ever have any sort of need to understand you...so please tell me" I pleaded as the thief kept backing away.

We were dangerously close to the ledge now.

"Isnt that your job to figure out?" The thief asked laughing quietly as they stared me directly in the eye. They never seemed to falter for a second.

"But-" I started when the thief started coughing. Soon enough that small cough turned into a full on attack as my eyes widened as blood was spilled across the rooftop along with...petals.

My eyes widened as I stared back at the thief who looked at me tiredly, swaying as finally their eyes closed and they started falling backwards I ran up and just barely caught them by the hem of their shirt.

"Hey!" I called but the thief was passed out, their head felt boiling hot as I moved them back onto the roof, they were struggling to breathe and grasped onto my shirt tightly in their pain stricken face.

I glanced down at the mask, as I hesitantly removed it to confirm the aching suspicions I had for weeks now. The face of the phantom thief that had been famous for the past quarter year I've been here...

The thief that had started to capture my heart entirely...the one that played so many games....wasn't a stranger.

He was Kokichi Ouma.

My friend from high school.

I stared at the boy curiously before picking him up bridal style as he still seemed to cling onto me like a sick child. I sighed, "you always had a flair for drama...didn't you...?" I teased as I headed to climb down the roof with the sleeping boy.