notsosimple | [Please Please Me] Prologue (Reply)

Prologue

September 15. 9:03 P.M. Shibuya Crossing.

Helicopters hovered over Shibuya, lights sweeping over the crowd that gathered in the center. There were hundreds of people at the famous intersection, although unlike most days, they didn't cross to get to the other side. They simply stood and waited for the clock to strike 9:05.

The screens at Shibuya flashed a neon countdown as if it was New Year's in the middle of autumn. Salary men huddled around taking their phones out like video recorders. Cabaret girls clicked their heels as they swayed impatiently while waiting for the main star to arrive.

One would easily think a celebrity was coming although it was hard to say with the large spotlights focused on a bust on a pedestal. Over the bust was a necklace dotted with white diamonds as big as raisins. At its center, a large shimmering blue diamond. The jewelry was called the Pacific Drop, a special piece designed by Junichiro Iida, the owner of the prestige Takashiyama hotels and department stores. The necklace cost more than an entire garage full of Ferraris.

The young owner stood at the guarded perimeter of the bust, his face smug, if not, arrogant. However, no one paid attention to him. Not even to the diamond. All of them looked towards the clock and for a sign. Any sign for the Night to arrive.

9:04. The crowd started chanting “Knight! Knight! Knight! Knight!” A couple of girls held banners saying “Marry Me!” and “Steal my heart!” Quite suspiciously, some men also held those banners.

15 seconds before 9:05, the cheers grew louder and the crowd became rowdier. Excitement was in the air that anyone who passed by who didn’t know what was happening would probably join in the party — except for one.

Shou Sasaki stood at the corner of one of the buildings, under the lights of a horizontal news ticker that stretched from the second floor and up the roof. He’d seen this before. In fact, he had read this before. He had advised against this whole display however the young Iida was unmovable. The hotelier was out for vengeance. The humiliation of the last heist was unforgivable. He would not let his guard down. Not even after a shot and a cloud of smoke started to cover the entire area at exactly 9:05.

Oh god. Now the theatrics began.

There was panic at the center, with girls (and boys) rushing forward to catch a glimpse of what they had been waiting — a tall slender man, clad in a cloak of crimson red. Underneath was a black suit — over his head was a toyo hat. On his face was a classic aviator sunglass and thin crisp smile. The crowd roared (if not squealed) at the sight of the elusive thief: the Baron Night.

Shou looked at the center with particular disinterest before entering the department store. He’s had it with that show off.

At the center, the Baron stood tall over the pedestal, holding the necklace on his hand.

“My, my. You sure got a pretty one here, Iida.”

“DON’T YOU DARE—” Iida jumped and reached for the necklace only for the Baron to hold it up and away from the hotelier.

“C’mon, Iida. I’m sure this is better on a neck of lovely girl than on a lifeless bust.” The girls screamed unanimously at the remark. A manly voice contested from afar, saying it actually looked better on him.

The police clamored to get grip of the Baron only to receive a kick of his polished Italian leather shoes. The Baron was surely a fashionable man, and he saw great pleasure in imprinting leather on the coppers’ cheeks.

Iida took a step back, arms crossed with little care of the mess the policemen were making.

“You seem to be forgetting one thing, Knight,” he said with arrogance as he raised his arms to show the constructed netted walls around the intersection. “There’s no way out of this one!”

“Hou~” The thief looked around, his lips pursed, if not a little amused. “You sure got me in a pinch, Iida-kun.” Once he kicked the last of the police by his foot, he crouched a little and set his gaze straight at the hotelier. “But I’ve still got one way out.”

“What-!?”

“I’m sure you’ve heard of teleportation.”

“Eh?”

“Beam me up, Scottie!” The Baron raised his hand to point up in the sky before another bang was heard in the crowd and smoke filled the entire area. Iida leaped forward only to find the pedestal empty of the Baron’s body. He turned to look at the crowd but it seemed the man had indeed teleported.

The smoke cleared and there was still no sign of the thief. Not a sparkle of a diamond or a hint of red were seen in the crowds. Everyone turned and looked at each other, some even pinched their company’s cheek, but none of them seemed to be the Baron who, at the cue of another shot, emerged from the rooftop of the building with the horizontal ticker.

“I told you, Iida! Teleportation works!”

“Enough of your tricks, Baron.” The Baron stood still at the click of a gun, licking his lips before biting it.

“Is that you, Sasaki? Or should I say ‘Inspector Sasaki’?” He asked in amusement.

“Drop the necklace.”

“But it’s so shiny~” His answer merited a shove of a gun.

“I’m not here to play your games, Night.”

“Do you know it excites me when you actually pronounce my name right?”

“Drop the necklace.”

“Oh man, I really thought you wouldn’t notice the trick, Sasaki-chan.”

“I said, hand over the necklace.”

The Baron turned his head slightly to catch the inspector’s infuriated face.

“Who knew you were a big fan of Kaitou Kid?” He purred silently as his lips curled into a smile.

The officer was clearly not charmed by his company.

“Stop these childish games and surrender.” Somehow, those words left no impression on the Baron. The thief laughed, his voice amplified by the evening wind. Everyone from below could hear him and cheered at the sound of his voice.

“I SAID SURRENDER, BARON NIGHT!” Sasaki pushed the gun down the thief’s neck only to find the wind work against him. The Baron’s cloak fluttered in between them, forcing the officer to take a step back. As soon as he moved away, the thief turned around, lunged forward, and swept the officer into his arms.

“I should say the same to you, Sasaki.”

Caught in the sudden closeness, Sasaki could not say anything else beyond a confused ‘eh?’ The Baron smiled, finding the officer’s response too cute and adorable. What happened next was something new to Sasaki. Never did he think the Baron would do this. Never did he think he would be affected by it either. As soon as the spotlights focused on where they stood, the Baron stole Sasaki’s lips.