Modern Thief III

Modern Thief: The magician's challenge.

Ina Akira: 1.4.2018.

"Please go out with me!"

I moved my hand to my mouth--to be honest, I was not surprised by his confession at all. He had hinted that he would when inviting me to the lonely science club. They all have done the same. Oh gosh, I sound full of myself just now, so sorry.

"I--I'm sorry, but I am not looking for a romantic relationship," I told him.

The confessed boy had his sport's wear on--I thought they were all expensive! He had a good style...er he never told me his name. He looked up at me in desperate eyes.

"But please!" he said. Then he stepped forward, pulling his hand toward.

I hated this. Some confession was easy to get through, but one that like this--was hard. I'm glad my parents threw me into a dojo, if someone trying to attack me I can flip them over.

But before I have to use my strength, the door opened. A person who was ten times stronger than me appeared. We both looked at our approacher. I smiled but the boy frowned.

"Well, you heard what she says, boy." said my friend Clara.

The boy asked the girl, "who are you?"

Clara pointed at me, "her girlfriend, you can call me that. And if my girlfriend said she is not searching for another romantic partner, then you have to go. So maybe you want to withdraw that hand of yours.."

The boy scowled and left the science room with heavy footsteps.

"Jerk," Clara said.

I laughed, "Oh, Clara. You found me at the right time when I need your abs."

I once found it weird for a girl to have abs--but who knows it could intimate some people for protection.

Clara smiled, "you should work out then. Neither your abs and boobs could intimate people."

I pouted to show her how offended I was, but as usual, Clara would laugh at my reddish face. "There is it again, Octopus Ina! So cute."

I shook my head and stop being angry--being angry just meant being cute to her.

Clara explained, "well, I come here to ask you for a short date."

"Short date?"

Clara nodded, her red bangs bouncing. "Let's go watch some magician show. Oh, don't just refuse yet. What if I tell you, this concern for our famous transferred student?"

I gasped, "Amelia Holmes!"

"Yeah, that's her."

"What happened?"

"I heard that a magician declared a challenge to her. Telling how he can prove magic is real."

"That's against logic!"

She raised her eyebrow invitingly, "how about we find out then, darling?"

"you abs-solutely talking like a real boy."

She shook her head. Didn't she get my joke? Clara grabbed my arm, "I'm taking you there like one then."

She didn't have to, I was also interested in the challenge. We walk to the first floor. And standing in front of the crowd of students, I looked at the room sign. Programming Club.

The crowd realized I was behind and almost immediately moved to make a path. It was always like this but I still feel unworthy. I was just a normal student--why am I being called a princess of White Book's Pigeon?

Clara tched, "No abs. No Boobs. But a cutie. I feel inferior."

I laughed dryly, knowing she doesn't really mean it. We used the path to get to the front.

"There's our challenger," Clara pointed at the blue-robed guy. He had a smile etched around his demeanour. Under his hair was a cyan masquarde mask. And between his neck and chest, I noticed the grey colour of our school uniform.

I look around the room. I could say, it smelled of data and wires. Weirdly, there was a blue drape covering a little area behind the magician. I also noticed a depressed-looking boy sat on the corner.

When we met eyes, he looked amused. I then realized that he was a stalker who frequently watched me at the library. 'One day I have to confront him.' I thought.

My eyes tried to locate someone.

But as much I looked around she was not there.

Clara called me out, "your shoulder slumped like an octopus again…is it because Ame Holmes is not here."

I forced a smile, "maybe…yes."

Just as Clara comforted me, the magician shouted with brimming enthusiasm.

"Good scholar of White Book's Pigeon. It seems we have it ready. I was informed that Amelia Holmes, unfortunately, couldn't be with us today. But she did accept my challenge. As a substitute, her assistance, which also a well-known shenanigan, will be her eyes today."

Shenanigan held his phone up as if recording the scene, "thank you for mentioning everything, magician." his monotone voice filled with sarcasm. "Do your thing."

The magician smiled and nodded, "With no further a due, I will explain what I will do now. As you know, Amelia is the online famous detective from the Holmes bloodline! A true logician. But their kind would never believe in…" he showed his hand, clapped, and a rose plucked out, "magic.

"So today I will prove to her nothing is impossible. But I will not do such easy magic like this one."

He threw the rose--or rather shoot it to the shenanigan phone. He didn't seem to mind.

"But I will teleport."

The room gasped, including the shenanigan. But I didn't think his gasp was genuine. He said, "hear that Ame? He will teleport after he went to hide behind those drapes. What is it now, twins?"

The magician smiled at him, "that's the problem. Unbeliever would think we use something like a twin or there's a secret behind these drapes." he opened the drapes and pointed at the yellow wall, "as you can see, there's nothing like a door for me to escape. And what about the twin? I could prove I will do no such a trick."

The magician's eyes stopped at me, "Ah, Princess Ina. It's quite a miracle you're here. Could you help us?"

I thought he wanted me to get inside the drapes and got teleported. Though it sounded thrilling, I refused it politely.

"Oh, maybe you misunderstood. You don't have to help us by disappearing and appearing somewhere else. I only ask for your…" the magician pulled a piece of paper and a pen, "your signature."

Clara interrupted, "can't you ask the other?"

But I touched her shoulder and shook my head. "It's okay, Clara. I could at least do that."

I went to take the paper and pen. I signed it using the wall, carefully before submitted it to the magician.

"Oh, thank you, Princess Ina."

I nodded and sniffed a familiar smell coming from him…a paint scent.

"Now," said the magician, "I hold unto this signed paper. And I ask you all after I closed my drape please count to five. If this works, I do hope so, I will disappear behind the drapes. And make your way to the next room, I should be there, reading books."

The next room was the library. My shift was on Thursday and Friday, so I was glad this happening before my shift. It'd be a bumper if I have to choose between the challenge or responsibility.

He executed his words, getting behind the drape with my signature.

We began to count slower than a beat of my heartbeat.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

"Five," the shenanigan said.

Bang!

A loud booming sound made me jumped and blinked.

Then a guy leapt forward and swayed the drape as he stuck his head inside. I don't see anyone through the gap.

And then he made a run to the next room. I had the urge to check the drapes but Clara grabbed my arm.

"let's check the library!"

We ran to the library. Xioa, a friend of mine who was on her librarian shift that time, sweating and telling the sudden rush of students to line up.

No one did. Including me, though I tried to but Clara wouldn't let me.

But it paid off.

There, leaning on a bookshelf, was a blue robbed magician. He waved a paper signed by me. We closing to him and I noticed the same way our school uniform hinted over his chest…and he smelled of paint! I confirmed that his height and size were actually the same.

"Damn, it's the same signature!" "Awesome, how did you do it?"

The magician smiled…and ran up to a window. He opened the lock, jumped over it, and once again…disappeared.

We froze on the spot except for the shenanigan holding his phone and Clara. They tried to follow the magician. Clara was faster so she stuck her body through the window first. Shenanigan appeared quite annoyed as he told Clara to move.

Clara shouted, "damn he disappeared again!"

The shenanigan sighed, "I guess so then…"

That day, the magician teleportation act was around every conversation. Some people made a couple of believable theories. But it was not for them to do so.

This was supposed to be a challenge for Ame Watson.

The school ended, I went inside my dorm room with Clara.

"Hey, at least take off your stocking first…Ina?" she shouted.

But I couldn't wait for her. I was a bit late and scared that I missed Amelia's stream.

I opened my laptop and went into Amelia Holmes channel: AmHoms. She was streaming. Fortunately, Ame has not touched the challenge topic. After a good laugh from her old habit stories, she mentioned the challenge.

"My assistant recorded it good enough. Let's see what this about."

The scene played exactly as I remembered. The magician introduction, shenanigan sarcasm, and proving they can prove doubts.

When I appeared on the video, Amelia commented. "Ah, the great beauty of White Book's Pig. Though she has a lack of boing boing, her whole existence is dumbly cute."

I bit my lips…being happy to be mentioned.

The magician closed the drapes. And five seconds later. Bang! The camera shook. And then the declaration of the magician had disappeared behind the drapes.

When everybody else ran outside, the shenanigan recorded around the drapes. He opened the drapes…there was no one.

"Did he ran?" said him.

The chat appeared annoyed, calling the shenanigan stupid when there's clearly no window or door that can make the magician disappear.

Ame stopped the video, "all right I'm finished here. It's clearly just a big show to promote whatever he's doing. I give him until tomorrow, the magician will claim himself to be in a part of a club. Hahaha, maybe. This's but a guess. We'll see it tomorrow."

The chat asked her what she thinks about magic.

"Magic? Truly you guys don't believe it is. Awww, so you all did. I had to tell you, it's all just a trick. One, disappearing behind the drapes with a bang, is an old fashioned trick. Two, it's not him who 'teleported' but the…" Amelia stopped and smiled mischievously as always, "why don't I leave this to you detectives? Whaaaat, a hint? Okay then, think of a secret door that can't fit him."

I looked up the ceiling, wondering what Amelia Holmes meant. How can he use this secret door then…if it can't even fit him?

I grabbed a pen and my black notebook.

Clara asked, "another mystery?"

"Yeah," I replied and began to write.