Oh? His cheap nephew was here, and he'd brought his little childhood sweetheart along?
Heh, looks like the afternoon won't be boring after all.
Satoru Gojo wasn't surprised. He picked up Daifuku and began heading toward the drawing room.
Now, some might ask: when exactly did their paths cross?
Ultimately, it stemmed from the inexorable force of the original plot's progression.
Shortly after Satoru Gojo returned to Japan, he received word from Toichi Kuroba. Because Toichi had frequently disrupted the "Organization's" (Magic Kaito's "Snake" organization/The Men in Black) schemes, the extreme measures they took against him became increasingly relentless, to the point where he had to fake his death to secure a way out.
After much deliberation, Toichi informed his wife, Chikage Kuroba, of his connection to Satoru Gojo. This led to a meeting between the long-lost "cousins."
Upon learning that Satoru Gojo was doing well and had successfully inherited the leadership of his clan, Chikage was greatly relieved. She generously contributed over 2,000 Red Side Impression Points to him. Furthermore, after finding out he had a sweet tooth, she gifted him a global limited-edition VIP Black Card for a famous cake shop—it was hard not to feel fond of her after that.
Following a discussion between the Kuroba couple, they decided to find a temporary guardian for their nine-year-old son, Kaito, after Toichi's "death."
To help her husband fight the criminal organization from the shadows, Chikage needed to travel abroad to stand by his side, meaning she would have very little time to care for Kaito at home. Although their son had been smart and sensible since childhood, his safety remained a concern.
And who was more capable of protecting him than the genius Head of the Gojo Family—Kaito's own first cousin once removed?
When asked if he was willing to become Kaito's "temporary guardian," Satoru Gojo agreed instantly.
Please, a mountain of tempting Impression Points was waving at him; how could he possibly pass that up? Moreover, having the chance to tease a cute, young Phantom Thief Kid—er, take care of his dear nephew—was a rare opportunity.
And so, the plan was set in motion.
During a fire-related escape trick, Toichi Kuroba vanished from the scene, appearing to have been killed by a foul plot. In reality, it was a grand deception to allow him to change his identity and head overseas.
The most pitiful one was Kaito, who remained entirely in the dark.
As a nine-year-old kid watching his father disappear—with no body ever found—he believed deep down that his father was still alive, but his spirits were naturally very low. Less than two months after his father's disappearance, his mother announced she had to work abroad and found him a temporary guardian with a suspicious, mischievous smile...
At the time, Kaito Kuroba suspected Satoru Gojo was a scammer, or perhaps some host who had swindled his mother while she was grieving. He wasn't about to fall for the "I'm your long-lost relative" routine—it sounded fake at first glance!
However, with his own mother vouching for him and the two of them playing along, little Kaito eventually—and quite reluctantly—accepted this mysterious, excessively young "uncle."
His only act of defiance was refusing to move into the Gojo estate. He was very self-sufficient, and with the help of Konosuke Jii—his father's long-time magic assistant—to look after him, there was no need to live with his uncle.
Satoru Gojo agreed, on the condition that Kaito meet him at least twice a month to fulfill his duties as a "ward." Faced with the Gojo family's private car service, what could Kaito do except behave?
The future second-generation Phantom Thief Kid felt quite helpless.
At this time, Aoko Nakamori was also only nine years old. She was currently looking around the drawing room with great curiosity.
Ever since their first encounter under the clock tower a few years ago and discovering they lived near each other, she and Kaito had become inseparable best friends. During a casual chat recently, Kaito had inadvertently mentioned his uncle's address, and she couldn't help but ask if he could bring her along to see it.
After all, the ridiculously massive Gojo ancestral estate was famous in Ekoda, but aside from business partners or loyal followers of the Gojo Shrine, few ordinary people ventured there. Being a bit remote wasn't the issue; it was more that people heard these reclusive clans didn't welcome outsiders and that the members might be unfriendly.
Aoko had even been scared by some terrifying urban legends—stories that if you wandered into a forbidden area of the Gojo family, you might be eaten by a god-beast that looked like Godzilla, or be snatched by a strange Head of House to be sacrificed to an evil god.
But telling such things to a highly curious child usually had the opposite effect. Thus, she secretly followed Kaito on a weekend "adventure" to uncover the truth about the Gojo family.
However, the reality was the exact opposite of her imagination.
The Gojo mansion was elegant and ethereal, not at all scary like the legends. The drawing room alone was spacious and bright.
In the center of the room sat a red sandalwood table, polished to a mirror-like shine, set with a tea service featuring cherry blossom and cloud patterns. Above the table hung several powerful works of calligraphy and vibrant lacquer paintings depicting mythological scenes. Ceramic vases filled with fresh bamboo and wildflowers sat on either side, making one feel as if they could smell the dew and sunlight.
A maid nearby explained, "The drawing room used to be very plain. It's thanks to the Head of House's design that it looks like this now."
Aoko let out a "Wow" and whispered, "Kaito, is your uncle really the Head of the Gojo family? He must be someone really amazing."
"Not uncle, he's a distant cousin."
"There's not much difference. Isn't 'uncle' more intimate?"
Who wants to be that close to him anyway!
Kaito Kuroba's expression was complicated. "...How should I put it? I guess he's amazing. I don't really know exactly what he does, but my mom likes him a lot."
Aoko sat on her cushion and tasted the tea the maid had brewed. "Mmm... it's delicious! Thank you, big sister!"
Her sincere gratitude made the maid smile. "Miss Nakamori is truly cute and likable."
"Eh? Hehe..."
I really shouldn't have believed those rumors; the people here are clearly very friendly.
Aoko felt a bit shy and started whispering to the boy beside her. "This big sister is so good at complimenting people."
Kaito grinned. "But she's just telling the truth."
It took Aoko two seconds to process that, and her face turned bright red. "Kaito! You..." She wanted to say more, but Kaito had already hit it off with several of the maids, performing his signature card magic.
He held a deck of cards, a slight smirk on his lips. "Watch closely, this is a free magic show!"
With a flick of his wrist, the cards danced fluidly through his fingers, disappearing and reappearing to the amazement of the maids. Then, hiding the entire deck in his palm, he suddenly transformed them into several roses. Paired with a mischievous wink from the little boy, very few people could resist the feeling of their hearts fluttering.
"Roses suit beautiful ladies quite well."
"Oh my~ Master Kaito, really!"
Watching this lively scene, Aoko huffed and gulped down her tea, feeling it wasn't nearly as tasty as before.
"...Whatever."
Kaito, you dummy!