Chapter Text
The rain had stopped just before dawn, leaving the city wrapped in humid summer air and streets that still shimmered beneath the pale morning light.
Towering above the financial district stood the elegant black-and-silver headquarters of Phantom KID Holdings — one of the most influential companies in Japan, famous for its luxury brands, entertainment divisions, and surprisingly secretive financial network.
Inside the building, on the twenty-third floor, worked the company’s youngest and most feared executive.
Shinichi Kudo.
At only twenty-seven years old, Shinichi was already the Head of Accounting and Financial Supervision. Known for his sharp eyes, flawless reports, and merciless honesty, he had built a reputation that made even senior executives nervous whenever he entered a meeting room.
That morning, Shinichi walked through the office corridor wearing a neatly pressed charcoal-gray suit with silver cufflinks, his dark blue tie perfectly straight despite the suffocating heat outside. A thin pair of glasses rested on his nose as he reviewed several financial documents in one hand while holding a cup of black coffee in the other.
The employees immediately straightened their backs when they saw him.
Some admired him.
Some feared him.
Most did both.
“Good morning, Kudo-san.”
“Morning.”
His response was calm and brief as always.
Shinichi’s strict personality often caused problems for the upper management. Unlike most executives, he never stayed silent whenever he discovered suspicious transactions or signs of money laundering hidden within the company’s branches.
And worse for them—
He reported everything directly to the owner himself.
Without hesitation.
Without fear.
Which was exactly why the president of the company trusted him more than anyone else.
Meanwhile, on the top floor of the building, chaos existed in an entirely different form.
Kaito Kuroba.
The complete opposite of Shinichi Kudo.
Kaito was the only son of the company owner and the future heir of Phantom KID Holdings. Officially, he held the position of Head of Creative Design — a department that strangely performed extremely well despite its leader rarely appearing at work.
Most of the employees had long given up trying to understand him.
One day he would arrive wearing expensive designer clothes with half of his shirt buttons open, sunglasses hanging from his collar, and his white blazer carelessly thrown over his shoulder.
The next day—
He would disappear entirely.
Kaito hated formal clothes.
He hated paperwork.
And most importantly—
He hated heat.
The summer weather only made his behavior worse.
So instead of wearing proper office attire, Kaito often appeared in loose white shirts with rolled sleeves, messy ties hanging around his neck, black earrings glittering beneath the office lights, and his dark hair slightly damp from the humidity outside.
Rumors followed him everywhere.
He flirted shamelessly with women.
Owned and secretly managed a luxury night bar downtown.
Skipped meetings constantly.
And somehow still managed to charm almost everyone around him.
Even stranger, despite his playboy reputation, there had never been any serious scandal involving relationships.
Kaito simply enjoyed teasing people too much.
That alone exhausted Shinichi.
Which was why Shinichi nearly choked on his coffee when he was suddenly summoned to the president’s office one rainy afternoon.
The office of Toichi Kuroba was enormous, decorated with dark mahogany shelves, expensive paintings, and large windows overlooking the gray skyline of Tokyo. Rain tapped softly against the glass while thunder echoed far in the distance.
Toichi Kuroba sat comfortably behind his desk wearing a black vest over a wine-colored shirt, looking far younger and more dangerous than most businessmen his age.
Beside him stood his loyal vice president and assistant—
Jii Konosuke.
An older man with silver hair and sharp eyes hidden behind thin glasses.
The atmosphere felt strangely heavy.
Shinichi already knew this meeting would bring trouble.
“I have a request for you, Kudo-kun,” Toichi said casually, swirling the coffee in his cup.
Shinichi immediately frowned.
“That already sounds troublesome.”
Jii’s eyebrow twitched instantly.
“What insolence—”
But Toichi suddenly burst into loud laughter before Jii could continue.
“Hahahaha! See? This is exactly why I like you.”
Shinichi sighed quietly.
“I still have unfinished audits from the western branches,” Shinichi replied honestly. “If this involves supervising another executive again, I’ll decline.”
“To be precise,” Toichi corrected with an amused smile, “you’ll be supervising my son.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even the rain outside suddenly felt louder.
“…No.”
Jii looked horrified.
“You rejected the president immediately?!”
“I’m busy,” Shinichi answered flatly. “And babysitting Kaito-san sounds exhausting.”
“Hah?! I can hear you from outside, detective brat!”
The office doors suddenly opened.
Kaito walked in while carrying an iced drink in one hand, dressed in a loose cream-colored shirt tucked carelessly into black slacks. His sleeves were folded to his elbows, exposing several silver rings around his fingers. A pair of sunglasses rested on top of his messy hair despite the cloudy weather outside.
He looked more like a celebrity than a future company president.
And unfortunately—
Far too handsome.
Shinichi immediately looked away in annoyance.
Kaito grinned lazily before dropping himself onto the sofa.
“You’re letting your scary accountant bully your own son again, old man,” Kaito complained dramatically as he dropped onto the sofa.
“To be fair,” Toichi replied calmly, “you usually deserve it.”
“Wow. Amazing parental support.”
Jii quietly sighed in the background while Shinichi pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.
“You deserve worse,” Shinichi muttered.
Toichi watched both of them with visible amusement before finally speaking again.
“Of course, I won’t ask you to do this for free, Kudo-kun.”
That sentence alone made Shinichi suspicious.
Toichi smiled knowingly.
“A paid supervisory assignment.”
Shinichi remained silent.
“With full holiday leave.”
Shinichi blinked once.
Jii looked shocked.
Kaito nearly spit out his drink laughing.
Toichi continued calmly, as if he had already won.
“You’ll also receive unrestricted vacation access during the assignment period, additional financial bonuses, and complete authority over Kaito’s schedules.”
Now that—
That was dangerous.
Because everyone inside the company knew one tragic fact about Shinichi Kudo.
He almost never took breaks.
His work performance was simply too good.
The company relied on him too much.
As a result, Shinichi possessed an absurd amount of unused vacation days, more money than he could spend properly, and a permanent exhaustion hidden beneath his calm expression.
For the first time in years—
Shinichi hesitated.
Kaito immediately noticed it and smirked mischievously.
“Oh?”
He leaned forward with playful interest.
“Are you actually considering it, Shin-chan?”
Kaito’s teasing voice echoed through the office while he leaned lazily against the sofa, one arm stretched over the backrest as if he did not have a single concern in the world.
Unfortunately for Shinichi—
He actually was considering it.
And that alone was terrifying.
Shinichi stayed silent, fingers pressing lightly against the documents in his hands while he stared at the rain sliding down the massive office windows.
A full paid leave.
Flexible work authority.
No endless overtime for once.
No executives breathing down his neck for several weeks.
It sounded dangerously tempting.
But then—
His eyes slowly shifted toward Kaito.
Who was currently sipping iced chocolate through a straw while spinning an expensive car key around his finger like a bored teenager.
Messy dark brown hair.
Wrinkled shirt.
Half-loosened tie.
That irritatingly handsome face carrying an expression that screamed problem.
Shinichi could already imagine the future headaches waiting for him.
Monitoring Kaito Kuroba would not be normal work.
No.
It would be like trying to control a hyperactive wild dog with too much money, too much charm, and absolutely no survival instincts.
A beautiful disaster in human form.
Kaito stared back at him flatly.
“…You’re insulting me in your head right now, aren’t you?”
“No.”
“You paused before answering.”
“That means everything.”
Toichi suddenly laughed loudly again while Jii looked one step away from developing permanent stress.
“You two already sound married,” Toichi said casually.
“ABSOLUTELY NOT,” both of them answered instantly.
Silence filled the office afterward.
Even Jii looked slightly startled by how synchronized they were.
Kaito clicked his tongue awkwardly and looked away first.
Shinichi cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses.
“…Anyway,” he muttered stiffly.
Several more seconds passed before Shinichi finally exhaled deeply.
The exhaustion hidden behind his sharp blue eyes became visible for only a brief moment.
Then—
He spoke.
“…Fine.”
Kaito blinked.
Jii blinked.
Even Toichi looked pleasantly surprised.
“I’ll accept the assignment,” Shinichi continued carefully, “but only under one condition.”
Toichi rested his chin against his hand with interest.
“And that is?”
Shinichi turned slowly toward Kaito with the expression of a man preparing himself for war.
“If I’m going to supervise him,” Shinichi said firmly, “then Kaito-san follows my rules completely during the entire assignment.”
Kaito immediately frowned.
“Hah?”
“You will attend meetings properly.”
“Impossible.”
“You will stop disappearing from the office without notice.”
“Cruel.”
“You will submit reports on time.”
“Now you’re just attacking me personally.”
“And,” Shinichi added coldly, “you are not allowed to flirt with employees during work hours.”
Kaito gasped dramatically before turning toward his father.
“Oto-san, your employee is bullying me.”
“That condition sounds reasonable to me,” Toichi replied calmly, though amusement was obvious in his eyes.
“Oto-san!”
“Behave properly for once.”
“Unbelievable… I thought family was supposed to support each other.”
Shinichi ignored the dramatic whining entirely.
“If those conditions are a problem,” Shinichi continued calmly, “then reject the proposal now.”
The room became quiet again.
Rain continued tapping softly against the windows while distant thunder rolled across Tokyo’s cloudy skyline.
Kaito stared at Shinichi for several long seconds.
Then suddenly—
A slow grin spread across his face.
Dangerous.
Playful.
Interested.
“Well,” Kaito murmured while standing from the sofa, “this might actually become fun.”
———
The next morning arrived with unbearably bright sunlight.
After an entire night of rain, Tokyo had transformed into a humid summer furnace. Heat shimmered above the streets while the early morning air felt heavy against the skin. Even the wind blowing between the buildings carried warmth instead of relief.
And unfortunately for Shinichi—
Today was the first day of his assignment.
Which already felt like a punishment.
Shinichi stood in front of the mirror inside his apartment, adjusting the sleeves of his white dress shirt before putting on a thin black tie. Unlike his usual perfectly layered office attire, he had abandoned his suit jacket entirely because of the weather.
Even he had limits.
His dark blue slacks were neatly pressed as always, though a faint expression of regret already rested on his face.
He still could not believe he had agreed to this.
Supervising Kaito Kuroba.
The human embodiment of chaos.
Shinichi grabbed his bag, checked the documents inside one last time, and left his apartment just as the morning cicadas began screaming from the trees outside.
Meanwhile—
Across the city—
Kaito was still asleep.
Completely wrapped inside expensive black silk blankets while cold air blasted through his penthouse bedroom.
Several empty chocolate milk bottles, snack wrappers, and unfinished boxes of luxury chocolates were scattered across the bedside table beside crumpled design sketches, poker cards, and a pair of sunglasses abandoned carelessly on the floor.
The curtains remained closed.
The room was dark.
Peaceful.
And then—
BANG. BANG. BANG.
“OI. KAITO-SAN.”
Silence.
Another knock.
Louder this time.
“Kaito-san, open the door.”
A groan escaped from beneath the blankets.
“…Go away…”
“No.”
“I’ll resign from the company.”
“You won’t.”
“I’m dying.”
“You’re dramatic.”
Kaito slowly emerged from the blankets with the expression of a man betrayed by the universe itself.
His dark brown hair was a complete mess, soft strands falling over sleepy blue eyes while the oversized black shirt he slept in hung loosely off one shoulder.
In one hand—
He was still holding a chocolate bar.
Shinichi stared through the slightly opened doorway in disbelief.
“…Did you sleep while eating chocolate?”
Kaito blinked lazily.
“…Maybe.”
“There’s melted chocolate on your pillow.”
“I was emotionally supporting myself.”
“That sentence concerns me deeply.”
Kaito glanced toward the clock.
8:03 AM.
“…This should be illegal,” he muttered weakly.
Outside the penthouse door, Shinichi adjusted his glasses impatiently.
Perfectly awake.
Perfectly organized.
And already tired of this job.
“Kaito-san,” Shinichi warned calmly, “if you don’t open this door within ten seconds, I’ll use the emergency access card your father gave me.”
Silence.
“…Oto-san betrayed me,” Kaito whispered in genuine heartbreak.
“Ten seconds.”
“Monster.”
“Eight.”
The door suddenly swung open dramatically.
Kaito appeared barefoot, half-asleep, and visibly offended by existence itself.
“You know,” Kaito complained while leaning against the doorway, “normal people say good morning first.”
“Good morning. You’re late already.”
“It’s barely morning.”
“It’s eight o’clock.”
“Exactly. Criminal.”
Shinichi pushed past him into the penthouse.
The cold air inside immediately contrasted the burning heat outside. Kaito’s apartment was enormous, modern, and surprisingly messy. Clothes were draped over chairs, design papers covered the kitchen counter, and several expensive chocolate brands were piled near the sofa like emergency supplies.
Shinichi stared silently.
“…How are you alive?”
“Chocolate.”
“That explains nothing.”
“It explains everything.”
Kaito grinned sleepily before collapsing face-first onto the couch.
“I hate mornings…”
“And yet you own a bar.”
“I hate responsible mornings.”
Shinichi placed several folders onto the table.
“Get dressed properly. We have three meetings today.”
Kaito looked horrified.
“THREE?”
“Yes.”
“I suddenly feel sick.”
“No, you don’t.”
“You’re ruining my lifestyle.”
“You barely have one.”
Kaito narrowed his eyes before suddenly smirking mischievously.
“…You came here personally to wake me up?”
“Yes.”
“That’s kind of intimate.”
Shinichi immediately looked disgusted.
“Get dressed.”
“Wow, Shin-chan. Cold.”
“Five minutes.”
“Impossible.”
“Four.”
“You’re worse than Oto-san.”
“And yet even your father got tired of handling you.”
Kaito gasped dramatically again, clutching his chest in fake betrayal while Shinichi silently questioned every life decision that had brought him to this moment.
———
By the end of the morning—
Kaito realized something horrifying.
Shinichi Kudo was terrifyingly competent.
Not just in accounting.
Not just in investigations.
But apparently—
In hunting down escaping heirs of large corporations too.
The first incident happened at 10:17 AM.
Kaito had smiled sweetly during a marketing meeting, pretended to receive an important phone call, and smoothly slipped out of the conference room while everyone else was distracted.
A flawless escape.
At least—
That was what Kaito thought.
Three minutes later, the elevator doors opened on the lower floor lobby.
And there stood Shinichi.
Waiting.
Arms crossed neatly over his chest while holding several documents under one arm.
Still calm.
Still expressionless.
Still annoyingly handsome.
Kaito froze mid-step.
“…How.”
“The emergency stair camera reflected your watch.”
“…That’s insane.”
“You’re predictable.”
“I feel violated.”
“You should feel embarrassed.”
Then Shinichi calmly grabbed the back of Kaito’s collar before dragging him back toward the elevators while nearby employees watched in absolute shock.
“OI—”
“You have another meeting.”
“I have human rights.”
“You lost them this morning.”
“Dictator.”
The second incident happened before lunch.
Kaito attempted to escape through the underground parking area this time, wearing sunglasses and a black mask like a criminal trying to flee the country.
He had almost reached his car when—
Click.
The driver-side door suddenly locked remotely.
Kaito stared.
Slowly turned around.
And saw Shinichi standing several meters away while casually holding Kaito’s own car keys.
“…How did you even get those?”
“You left them on the meeting table.”
“…You scare me.”
“You should attend meetings properly.”
Kaito groaned dramatically before collapsing against the car.
“I miss freedom…”
“You were unsupervised for years. Clearly that failed.”
By the afternoon, things somehow became worse.
Much worse.
Because Shinichi apparently decided that the best way to monitor Kaito—
Was staying beside him constantly.
Every conversation.
Every hallway.
Every meeting.
Every attempted escape route.
Kaito could not breathe without Shinichi noticing.
At one point, while Kaito was casually flirting with two employees from the design department near the office café, Shinichi suddenly appeared beside him like a ghost.
“Kaito-san.”
Both women immediately straightened nervously.
Kaito looked genuinely offended.
“…Do you teleport?”
“You’re supposed to be reviewing design proposals.”
“I was building workplace relationships.”
“You were asking for their phone numbers.”
“That’s networking.”
Shinichi stared silently.
The women quickly escaped before becoming collateral damage.
“Unbelievable,” Kaito muttered.
“You still have unfinished reports.”
“I hate you a little.”
“Only a little?”
“…Currently.”
But the true disaster happened around four in the afternoon.
Because Kaito finally snapped.
After hours of meetings, schedules, paperwork, and Shinichi’s relentless supervision, Kaito dramatically abandoned his tablet onto the desk and stood up.
“That’s it.”
Shinichi didn’t even look up from the documents in his hands.
“Sit down.”
“No.”
“You still have one final schedule.”
“I’d rather die.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“I haven’t had peace since this morning!”
“You attempted escape seven times.”
“Because captivity changes people, Shinichi.”
Then—
Kaito made a mistake.
A terrible mistake.
He grabbed his phone and immediately tried ordering iced chocolate from the company café.
Shinichi slowly looked up.
And Kaito suddenly felt danger.
“…No,” Shinichi said calmly.
Kaito blinked.
“…Excuse me?”
“No chocolate.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
The nearby employees immediately stopped moving.
Kaito stared at him in disbelief.
“You can’t be serious.”
“You ignored three schedules and attempted multiple escapes. Consider this punishment.”
“That’s cruel.”
“That’s consequences.”
“Oto-san would never do this to me.”
“Your father approved my authority.”
Kaito looked genuinely devastated.
“…Monster.”
“No chocolate until tomorrow.”
“That’s psychological warfare.”
“You’ll survive.”
“You don’t know me.”
For the rest of the afternoon, Kaito behaved like a man whose soul had left his body.
He slumped dramatically across meeting tables.
Complained every five minutes.
Repeatedly whispered about human cruelty.
And stared longingly every time someone walked past holding chocolate drinks.
By the time the final schedule ended and the office lights began dimming beneath the orange glow of sunset, Kaito looked ready to collapse.
The summer heat outside had finally softened into warm evening air while golden sunlight reflected across the glass buildings of Tokyo.
Kaito dragged himself across the office hallway dramatically, tie hanging loose around his neck while his sleeves remained rolled unevenly to his elbows.
“I want to die,” he muttered weakly.
Beside him, Shinichi looked perfectly fine.
Still organized.
Still calm.
Still carrying documents somehow.
“Don’t be dramatic,” Shinichi replied. “It’s only been one day.”
Kaito stopped walking.
Slowly turned toward him with hollow eyes.
“…One day?”
“Yes.”
“One day felt like eternal suffering.”
“You attended meetings and submitted reports.”
“I suffered.”
“You survived.”
“I saw hell, Shin-chan.”
“You saw your schedule.”
“There’s no difference.”
Shinichi sighed quietly while adjusting his glasses.
For some reason—
Despite all the complaints—
A tiny smile almost appeared on his face.
Almost.
———
By the time they finally reached the underground parking area, the office building was already beginning to quiet down.
The bright orange glow of sunset reflected against rows of expensive cars while the remaining employees hurried home after another exhausting workday.
Kaito looked half-dead.
His tie hung loosely around his neck, sleeves rolled unevenly to his elbows while he lazily spun his car keys around one finger.
“I survived corporate torture,” he muttered dramatically while walking toward his black sports car.
“You attended meetings,” Shinichi corrected calmly behind him.
“There’s no difference.”
Kaito unlocked his car and opened the driver-side door—
Only to stop.
Because Shinichi was already sitting naturally in the passenger seat, calmly reading documents like he belonged there.
Kaito blinked slowly.
“…Why are you in my car?”
“I’m supervising you,” Shinichi replied without even looking up.
“I’m literally going home.”
“And I’m making sure you actually do.”
Kaito stared at him in disbelief.
“You really think I’d run away after today?”
“You attempted escape seven times.”
“…You counted?”
“I documented them.”
Kaito let out a tired groan before dropping into the driver seat.
“…This is oppression.”
“Drive safely.”
———
Several minutes later, the car finally rolled through the massive gates of the Kuroba estate.
The mansion stood elegantly beneath the evening sky, warm golden lights glowing through the tall windows while soft garden lamps illuminated the long stone pathway leading toward the entrance.
The moment the car stopped in the middle of the courtyard, Kaito immediately stepped out like a man escaping prison.
He tossed the car keys carelessly toward one of the waiting servants without even looking.
“Don’t scratch it.”
“Yes, young master.”
Then Kaito dragged himself toward the mansion entrance while Shinichi calmly followed behind him.
The large doors opened before they could even reach them.
“Welcome home, young master.”
An older housekeeper greeted them warmly with a gentle smile.
Kaito instantly brightened slightly.
“Obaa-chan… please make me hot chocolate…”
“Absolutely not.”
Kaito stopped walking immediately.
“…Hah?”
He slowly turned around in disbelief.
Shinichi removed his shoes calmly near the entrance.
“No chocolate.”
“WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?!”
“I told you already. I’m supervising you.”
“That doesn’t explain why you entered my house!”
Shinichi finally sighed.
“I also don’t particularly want to stay here.”
“Then leave.”
“But your father offered additional compensation for overnight supervision.”
Kaito narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“…Money?”
“A limited-edition Sherlock Holmes collection.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then Kaito looked genuinely horrified.
“…Oto-san bribed you with detective books?”
“Yes.”
“And it worked?”
“Yes.”
“That’s disgusting.”
Shinichi ignored him completely and walked further into the mansion as if this arrangement were perfectly normal.
Kaito let out a long suffering groan.
“So even at home I’m still imprisoned…”
Then suddenly—
Kaito dropped dramatically onto the floor like a spoiled child denied a toy.
“Ughhhh nooooo… this is torture…”
He rolled around across the marble while nonstop mumbling complaints under his breath, kicking his legs lightly in frustration.
“No chocolate… no freedom… no happiness…”
Every few seconds, another loud groan escaped him as he glared accusingly at Shinichi with watery, offended eyes.
Meanwhile, Shinichi simply sat nearby with a completely flat expression, calmly continuing his work while ignoring the rich man-child having a full tantrum on the floor.
Completely unbothered.
Kaito slowly rolled onto his back across the polished floor before staring upward with deep emotional suffering.
Then—
Very slowly—
He turned toward Shinichi with the saddest expression imaginable.
Large indigo eyes.
Slight pout.
Pure weaponized puppy eyes.
“…One cup of hot chocolate,” Kaito pleaded weakly. “Please. I have no energy left.”
“No.”
“Just one.”
“You already ate chocolate this morning.”
“That was barely anything.”
“There were multiple wrappers on your bed.”
“That was breakfast.”
Shinichi stared at him.
“…How much chocolate do you eat daily?”
Kaito answered proudly without shame.
“At least ten packs.”
Silence.
Shinichi slowly lowered his documents.
“…How are you not diabetic?”
“I’m built different.”
“That’s not a medical explanation.”
Kaito immediately pushed himself up from the floor, his exhaustion disappearing for a moment the instant Shinichi questioned his health.
“Hah? Of course I’m healthy.”
He sat cross-legged lazily on the carpet before grabbing the collar of his loose shirt and pulling it aside dramatically.
“Look properly.”
“Kaito-san—”
Before Shinichi could stop him, Kaito rolled his sleeves higher and flexed one arm proudly like a child showing off a new achievement.
Despite his lazy lifestyle and endless chocolate addiction, his body was surprisingly well-built. Lean muscles tightened naturally beneath pale skin, visible enough from years of fencing practice, late-night performances at his bar, and constantly running around causing problems.
Kaito looked unbearably proud of himself.
“See? Perfect condition.”
Shinichi’s eyes instinctively lingered for half a second longer than necessary.
Unfortunately—
Kaito noticed immediately.
A slow, mischievous grin spread across his face.
“Oho?”
Shinichi instantly looked away and adjusted his glasses stiffly.
“That proves absolutely nothing.”
“But you were staring.”
“I was evaluating your health condition.”
“You sounded nervous.”
“You imagined it.”
The faint redness near Shinichi’s ears only made Kaito grin wider.
Meanwhile, Shinichi silently regretted allowing this conversation to continue at all. Shinichi immediately returned to his usual calm expression, completely unaffected by Kaito’s dramatic behavior.
“Still no chocolate.”
The words hit harder than expected.
Kaito stared at him in disbelief for a few seconds before slowly collapsing backward onto the floor again with all the energy of a dying man.
“…Cruel world…”
He laid there spread across the carpet dramatically, one arm over his eyes while nonstop grumbling under his breath.
“No chocolate… no cake… no happiness…”
“What’s the point of living like this…”
“Oto-san raised a tyrant…”
Every now and then he kicked his legs lightly against the floor in frustration like an upset child refusing to accept reality.
Nearby, the housekeeper watched the scene with growing amusement, clearly used to Kaito’s antics by now.
“So,” she asked gently, hiding a smile, “what would you both like for dinner tonight?”
Before Kaito could even inhale—
“Healthy food,” Shinichi interrupted instantly without even looking up from his documents. “Balanced nutrition, vegetables, proper protein, and absolutely no desserts.”
Silence.
Kaito looked genuinely betrayed.
“…You can’t do this to me.”
“I just did.”
“Obaa-chan,” Kaito pleaded dramatically while reaching one hand toward the housekeeper like a tragic movie character, “please save me—”
But she was already laughing softly to herself.
“Understood, Shinichi-san.”
Then she escaped toward the kitchen before Kaito could continue begging.
“OBAA-CHAN WAIT—”
Too late.
Kaito’s outstretched hand slowly dropped back onto the floor.
Defeated.
Completely defeated.
A few fake tears even formed at the corners of his eyes while he stared blankly at the ceiling in emotional devastation.
Meanwhile, only a few steps away, Shinichi calmly continued reading paperwork with crossed legs and a perfectly composed face, completely ignoring the rich heir suffering dramatically on the floor beside him.
Which somehow made Kaito feel even more offended.
———
After dinner, the two eventually moved upstairs toward Kaito’s bedroom.
The room was enormous and stylishly messy, illuminated only by warm golden lamps and the distant glow of Tokyo’s nighttime skyline outside the massive windows.
Kaito immediately dropped onto his bed dramatically while Shinichi calmly entered behind him carrying his work bag.
Then—
Without hesitation—
Shinichi sat down near the small lounge table beside the bed and opened his laptop naturally.
Like he belonged there.
Kaito stared blankly.
“…You’re seriously staying in my room?”
“I’m working.”
“You have your own guest room.”
“You also own a bar and frequently escape at night.”
Silence.
Kaito slowly exhaled through his nose.
“…You already planned for me trying to sneak out.”
“Yes.”
“…Terrifying.”
Since Shinichi clearly had no intention of leaving, Kaito eventually gave up arguing and instead grabbed his tablet from the bedside table.
Forced to conduct his usual nighttime bar meetings through video calls instead.
Occasionally, he glanced toward Shinichi with visible annoyance.
But Shinichi remained completely focused on his unfinished reports, glasses reflecting the laptop screen while papers and documents slowly piled around him.
Hours passed quietly inside the room.
For once—
Neither of them spoke much.
Only the soft sound of typing, distant city noise, and Kaito’s occasional exhausted sighs filled the space between them.
Eventually, sometime past midnight, Shinichi finally closed his laptop.
“You should sleep already,” he said calmly while organizing the remaining documents.
Kaito only groaned from his bed dramatically in response.
Shinichi ignored him, turned off several lights, and left the bedroom to use the guest room across the hallway.
The moment the door clicked shut—
Kaito immediately sat up.
His tired expression vanished instantly.
Like a criminal finally left unsupervised.
“Heh…”
Without hesitation, Kaito jumped off the bed and quietly rushed toward the bathroom before kneeling beside one of the cabinets hidden beneath the sink.
Click.
A secret compartment opened.
Inside—
Stacks of emergency chocolate.
Kaito nearly cried from happiness.
“My precious…”
He quickly grabbed several chocolate bars and immediately started eating them with the emotional relief of a man surviving starvation.
The effect was almost immediate.
His energy returned.
His soul returned.
His dramatic personality returned.
Kaito collapsed happily against the bathroom counter while chewing the last bite with sparkling eyes.
“Finally… freedom…”
But then—
The memories of today returned.
The meetings.
The schedules.
The emotional abuse.
The chocolate ban.
The humiliation.
Kaito’s eye twitched.
Slowly…
Very slowly…
A dangerous grin spread across his face.
“Oh…”
He stood up dramatically, shadows covering half his expression while the bathroom light flickered behind him like the beginning of a villain scene.
“If Shin-chan wants war…”
Kaito placed one hand over his face and started laughing loudly.
An unnecessarily evil laugh.
“Mwahahahahahaha—!”
Across the hallway, Shinichi paused midway through reading his book.
“…Has he finally lost his mind?” he muttered tiredly.
Then he simply continued reading.
At this point, he no longer had enough energy to care.
———
Unfortunately for Shinichi—
That night marked the true beginning of chaos.
Over the next month, the so-called “supervision contract” slowly turned into an endless war between them.
And somehow—
Kaito only became worse.
Far worse.
Instead of learning discipline, Kaito treated the entire situation like a game specifically designed to test Shinichi’s patience. Every day, he created new escape plans, new distractions, and most importantly—
New ways to torment Shinichi personally.
And terrifyingly enough—
Kaito was incredibly creative.
One day, he escaped through the office ventilation system after leaving behind a fake voice recording of himself inside the meeting room.
Another time, he disguised himself as a delivery worker complete with a fake mustache and somehow almost escaped the building before Shinichi recognized his shoes.
Once, he even hired street performers outside the office building solely to create enough chaos for him to disappear.
Shinichi nearly developed a permanent headache.
But Kaito’s favorite hobby quickly became teasing Shinichi directly.
Especially whenever Shinichi looked calm.
Because apparently, ruining Shinichi’s composure became emotionally rewarding for him.
Some mornings, Shinichi would arrive at his desk only to find all his perfectly organized documents rearranged into origami flowers.
Other days, his coffee would mysteriously become hot chocolate.
Once, Kaito secretly changed Shinichi’s laptop wallpaper into an enormous blinking message saying:
STOP WORKING AND TOUCH GRASS, SHIN-CHAN.
Shinichi stared at the screen for a full minute in silence.
Nearby employees immediately fled the area sensing danger.
Kaito almost died laughing.
Then there was the incident with the handcuffs.
Shinichi had only stepped away from a meeting room for thirty seconds.
Thirty.
When he returned—
Kaito had somehow handcuffed Shinichi’s wrist to a chair.
“How.”
Kaito looked unbearably proud of himself.
“You underestimated me.”
“You’re insane.”
“You noticed just now?”
And unfortunately—
The more Shinichi became irritated, the more Kaito enjoyed himself.
“KAITO-SAN.”
“Yes, Shin-chan?”
“Get down from the ceiling.”
“No.”
“How did you even get up there?!”
“That’s a secret.”
“There is genuinely something wrong with you.”
Their constant fighting eventually became legendary throughout the company.
Employees regularly witnessed Shinichi dragging Kaito back toward meeting rooms by the collar while Kaito loudly accused him of violating human rights.
At one point, Shinichi finally snapped completely.
After Kaito escaped three separate meetings in a single afternoon, Shinichi calmly tied him to an office chair using spare cables before wrapping him tightly in blankets, office tape, and discarded presentation papers until he resembled a human mummy.
“There,” Shinichi said coldly, breathing heavily from anger. “Stay still for ten minutes.”
The nearby employees watched in complete horror.
Kaito gasped dramatically.
“This is illegal.”
“I no longer care.”
But somehow—
Less than twenty minutes later—
Kaito escaped.
Nobody understood how.
Not even the security cameras managed to catch the process properly.
One moment he was trapped.
The next—
The chair was empty.
Shinichi stood frozen in complete silence while staring at the abandoned cables on the floor.
“…What.”
Then suddenly—
From somewhere inside the office ventilation system—
“OI, SHIN-CHAN~”
A visible vein appeared on Shinichi’s forehead.
At this point, Shinichi genuinely suspected that Kaito might secretly be a professionally trained criminal pretending to be a businessman.
———
By the end of the month—
Both of them looked absolutely terrible.
Late afternoon sunlight poured through the office windows, exposing the complete disaster they had become.
Kaito’s tie hung loosely around his neck, his hair completely ruined from running around all day.
Meanwhile, Shinichi looked even worse.
His sleeves were rolled unevenly, his shirt wrinkled beyond repair, and there was a terrifying level of exhaustion visible on his face.
Several employees silently moved away the moment they saw them approaching.
Because everyone already knew—
If those two stood together for more than three minutes, chaos would happen.
And right now—
Chaos was already happening.
“For the last time,” Shinichi snapped, voice filled with burning frustration, “what exactly is so difficult about sitting quietly in a chair and listening for ONE hours?!”
Kaito immediately glared back just as angrily.
“Because it’s BORING!”
He threw his hands dramatically into the air.
“That’s literally the most boring thing I’ve ever done in my life!”
“You’re an adult!”
“And yet somehow I’m still being babysat!”
Shinichi looked one second away from collapsing.
He went completely silent.
Then slowly—
He pressed a tired hand against his face, rubbing his eyes as though trying to physically erase the stress from his brain.
His voice came out exhausted.
“…What am I supposed to do to make you stay quiet for once?”
The hallway suddenly became silent.
Kaito paused.
Then—
A slow grin spread across his face.
A dangerous grin.
The kind that immediately activated every survival instinct inside Shinichi.
Because apparently—
This was exactly the sentence Kaito had been waiting an entire month to hear.
Kaito crossed his arms slowly, still breathing slightly heavily from all the chaos earlier. But despite the mess of his appearance, the exhaustion in his body, and the wrinkles covering his clothes—
His expression suddenly turned unbearably smug.
“Simple.”
The moment Shinichi heard that tone, his exhausted eyes immediately narrowed with regret.
He already knew.
Whatever was about to leave Kaito’s mouth was guaranteed to ruin his day.
Shinichi lowered the hand covering his face, looking completely drained.
“…What now.”
Kaito’s grin widened further.
A grin far too victorious for someone who had just spent the last hour being chased through three different floors.
Then casually—
As if he were discussing the weather—
“If you want me to behave,” Kaito said smoothly, “then become my obedient boyfriend.”
Silence.
The entire hallway went horrifyingly quiet.
Even the sound of keyboards nearby slowly stopped.
Shinichi froze completely.
His eyes blinked once.
Then twice.
His brain visibly struggled to process what he had just heard.
“…What?”
The word came out empty.
Flat.
Almost mechanical.
Kaito leaned forward slightly, resting a hand against his hip while staring directly into Shinichi’s stunned face with shameless amusement.
“I said,” he repeated slowly, enjoying every second of this, “become my obedient boyfriend.”
Shinichi stared at him in complete disbelief.
His mouth opened slightly—
Then closed again.
As if his brain had entirely abandoned him.
For a full few seconds, he simply stood there silently, trying to determine whether Kaito had finally gone insane from too much sugar.
Unfortunately—
Kaito looked completely serious.
Worse.
He looked proud of himself.
And the realization hit Shinichi all at once.
His entire face instantly turned bright red.
Not normal embarrassment red.
Catastrophic, overheating, system-error red.
“ARE YOU INSANE?!”
Shinichi’s voice echoed through the hallway loudly enough to make several employees physically flinch.
Kaito only shrugged lazily.
“Probably.”
“THAT’S NOT THE PROBLEM HERE!”
Shinichi pointed at him aggressively, hands visibly shaking from pure embarrassment.
“You can’t just suddenly say things like that?!”
“Why not?”
“BECAUSE NORMAL PEOPLE DON’T DO THAT!”
Nearby employees immediately turned back toward their computers with the most fake professionalism imaginable.
One employee even opened the same spreadsheet three times without realizing it.
Nobody wanted to miss this.
Meanwhile Shinichi looked moments away from combusting alive.
“Kaito, you absolute idiot—!”
Kaito tilted his head innocently.
“But it’s true.”
“That makes it WORSE!”
“And there’s no other solution.”
Shinichi’s breathing visibly hitched.
Because only now—
Only NOW—
Did he fully realize where they were.
The office hallway.
In public.
Surrounded by people.
People who were very obviously listening while pretending not to listen.
Shinichi’s soul nearly left his body.
His hands immediately flew toward his burning face, covering it completely as he bent forward slightly in overwhelming humiliation.
“You’re unbelievable…” he muttered weakly through his hands.
Meanwhile Kaito looked unbearably pleased with himself.
Then suddenly—
Shinichi spun around sharply and started walking away at alarming speed.
“Bakaito!!!!”
The last word echoed loudly through the hallway while Shinichi escaped with a face still completely red.
And behind him—
Kaito burst into loud victorious laughter, nearly doubling over while the entire office watched the scene in absolute stunned silence.
———
For the rest of the day—
Shinichi completely avoided Kaito.
No eye contact.
No responses.
No reactions.
Every single time Kaito appeared within a five-meter radius, Shinichi immediately changed direction with terrifying speed.
Which, unfortunately—
Only encouraged Kaito even more.
“Shin-chan~”
No response.
“Oi, obedient boyfriend candidate~”
A vein immediately appeared on Shinichi’s forehead.
Nearby employees silently lowered their heads.
Danger level rising.
Shinichi kept walking faster.
Kaito followed behind him casually with both hands in his pockets, looking entirely too entertained for someone causing emotional destruction inside the workplace.
“You know,” Kaito continued cheerfully, “running away like this kinda hurts my feelings.”
Shinichi stopped walking so suddenly that several employees almost crashed into him.
Then slowly—
Very slowly—
He turned around.
His smile looked terrifying.
“Kaito.”
“Yeah?”
“If you value your life,” Shinichi said calmly, “stop talking.”
Kaito stared at him for two seconds.
Then grinned wider.
“Wow. You’re already acting possessive.”
The hallway exploded into chaos.
Someone dropped documents.
Another employee choked on their coffee.
And Shinichi—
Shinichi finally snapped.
“KUROBA KAITO—!!”
Kaito immediately ran.
Fast.
Very fast.
The entire office watched in horror as Shinichi chased him down the hallway with murderous speed while Kaito laughed like an escaped criminal.
“GET BACK HERE!”
“NO!”
“YOU STARTED THIS!”
“AND I’M ENJOYING IT!”
At one point, Kaito even had the audacity to hide behind one of the senior managers.
“Protect me.”
The manager immediately stepped aside.
“Absolutely not.”
“Traitor.”
Meanwhile Shinichi looked one inconvenience away from being arrested for workplace violence.
Eventually—
After nearly fifteen minutes of chaos—
Kaito somehow escaped onto the rooftop.
Breathing lightly from laughter, he leaned against the fence while evening wind brushed through his messy hair.
A few seconds later—
The rooftop door slammed open violently.
Shinichi appeared.
Furious.
Breathing heavily.
Tie completely loose.
“Kaito…”
Kaito immediately pointed dramatically.
“Before you attack me, remember violence is illegal.”
“You made me run across six floors.”
“You exercise now. You should thank me.”
Shinichi looked ready to throw him off the building.
But then—
Unexpectedly—
The rooftop became quiet.
The orange evening sunlight stretched across the city, painting both of them in warm gold.
Kaito blinked slightly as Shinichi suddenly stopped moving.
“…What now,” Kaito muttered suspiciously.
Shinichi stayed silent for a moment.
Still breathing lightly from exhaustion.
Then finally—
“…You really enjoy messing with me that much?”
For once—
Kaito paused.
No teasing.
No immediate joke.
Just silence.
Then slowly, his usual grin softened slightly.
“Well,” he said lightly, “your reactions are interesting.”
Shinichi narrowed his eyes immediately.
“That’s your reason?”
“Partially.”
“And the other reason?”
Kaito looked at him quietly for a few seconds.
Then suddenly smiled again like nothing happened.
“Trade secret.”
Shinichi groaned in frustration.
“You’re impossible.”
“And yet,” Kaito replied proudly, “you’re still here.”
———
That evening—
The rooftop had already fallen quiet.
The wind moved gently through the city skyline while orange sunset light stretched across the buildings around them.
Shinichi stood near the rooftop door with one hand pressed against his forehead, looking exhausted beyond words.
Meanwhile Kaito leaned casually against the fence, still looking far too pleased after emotionally terrorizing him the entire day.
“…You’re impossible,” Shinichi muttered tiredly.
Kaito grinned immediately.
“And yet you still chase me everywhere.”
“That’s because it’s my job.”
“Mhm.” Kaito’s smile widened knowingly. “Sure.”
Shinichi’s eyebrow twitched.
Silence settled between them for a few seconds.
Then suddenly—
“…Fine.”
Kaito blinked.
“Fine what?”
Shinichi looked away immediately, jaw tightening slightly as though physically struggling to force the next words out.
“I’ll do it.”
“…Do what?”
“The dating thing.”
For the first time in an entire month—
Kaito completely froze.
His confident expression cracked instantly.
“…What?”
Shinichi crossed his arms tightly, ears already turning faintly red from embarrassment and irritation.
“You said if I wanted you to behave, I had to become your boyfriend,” Shinichi muttered coldly. “So fine. I’ll do it.”
Kaito stared at him blankly.
His brain visibly stopped functioning for several seconds.
“…Wait.”
“You heard me.”
“No, I definitely didn’t.”
Shinichi finally looked at him with visible annoyance.
“I said yes.”
Kaito straightened away from the fence so quickly he nearly slipped.
“You’re serious?!”
“Unfortunately.”
“You’re ACTUALLY agreeing?!”
Shinichi narrowed his eyes immediately.
“Do you want me to take it back?”
“No.”
Too fast.
Way too fast.
The answer came out instantly.
Kaito himself looked shocked at how quickly he responded.
Meanwhile Shinichi slowly narrowed his eyes further in suspicion.
“…Why are you so happy.”
“I’m not.”
“You absolutely are.”
“I’m naturally attractive.”
“You look like you’re trying not to scream.”
Kaito immediately covered the lower half of his face with his hand, but it was useless.
His grin was already out of control.
And that expression—
That unbearably victorious expression—
Made Shinichi internally swear revenge on the spot.
Because unfortunately for Kaito—
Shinichi was not accepting this peacefully.
Absolutely not.
If Kaito wanted to play games—
Then Shinichi would simply play better.
And destroy him psychologically in the process.