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From his seat by the window in the back row, Dean Thurston listened to the faint sounds coming through his earphones, his expression calm but his mind working rapidly.
Who did Dick Grayson send to the museum…?
The question lingered in his thoughts.
Why could Dean hear Dick Grayson's conversation in the first place?
The explanation was actually very simple.
If one could precisely match the electromagnetic frequency used by Dick Grayson's communication device and combine it with advanced signal interception techniques, eavesdropping would be theoretically possible.
However, Dean had not yet reached that level of technical mastery.
Nor did he possess the equipment required to do so.
Instead, he had chosen a far more direct—and far more dangerous—method.
A miniature listening device.
Shaped like a piece of chewing gum, it was discreetly attached to the underside of Dick Grayson's desk—specifically at the corner where the desktop extended slightly beyond the drawers, a place almost no one ever touched.
This was not the first time Dean had done something like this.
Ever since the day he made his debut as Kaito Kid, he had been monitoring Dick Grayson.
Every morning, he arrived at school early to install the device.
Every afternoon, he removed it before leaving.
Bold.
Reckless.
And extremely risky.
If Dick Grayson ever noticed the bug—or developed the habit of touching beneath his desk—Dean's situation would instantly become catastrophic.
Still, Dean had carefully calculated the risk.
Dick trusted him.
They had known each other for years.
And in all that time, Dean had never once seen Dick check the underside of his desk.
Even if the device were discovered, Dean could attempt to pass it off as a childish chewing-gum prank—though he knew that excuse would be flimsy at best.
But considering Dick Grayson's identity as Robin, the potential payoff was worth the danger.
Even a small chance of gaining useful intelligence was enough.
And now, the results were beginning to show.
Who was he talking to? Dean wondered. Alfred?
A pity the bug could only capture Dick's voice, not the sound inside his earphones.
Outwardly, Dean looked like a model student—eyes forward, posture relaxed, appearing to listen attentively to the lecture.
In reality, nearly all his attention was fixed on Dick Grayson.
---
Meanwhile, inside the Orpheus Jewelry Exhibition Hall, Barbara Gordon walked casually among the displays.
To any observer, she was just another visitor, leisurely admiring the exhibits.
No one would have guessed she was on a covert call.
"You sounded urgent earlier," Barbara said softly.
"Did you already decipher the Notice letter?"
There was a brief pause before Dick replied.
"…Only part of it."
He continued, "I figured out one line."
"When Mars has passed its tenth day refers to March 11th."
Barbara wasn't surprised.
She had reached the same conclusion—and gone further.
"Mars is the Roman god of war," Dick explained. "March takes its name from him. Ten days after the start of March brings us to the eleventh."
Barbara smiled faintly.
"If you already knew he wouldn't act until the eleventh," she asked, "why did you insist I come here on opening day?"
Her tone carried a hint of complaint.
"Do you know how busy I am every day?"
Dick twitched slightly.
The way she said it made him feel as though he'd never stepped foot in a library himself.
He chose to ignore that part.
"I've faced Kaito Kid twice," he said seriously. "And I'm certain of one thing."
"Even though he appears at the announced time, that doesn't mean he only arrives then."
Barbara slowed her steps.
"Kaito Kid's actions are precise," Dick continued. "Every move has purpose. Every escape route is carefully planned. That level of preparation means he understands the terrain thoroughly."
"Which isn't something you can achieve in just a few hours."
He spoke with conviction.
"I'm convinced that Kaito Kid surveys his targets days—maybe even weeks—before the actual operation."
Barbara's expression sharpened.
"Today is the first day of the exhibition," Dick added.
"And the first day of the GCPD's full-scale deployment."
"This is when he'd start observing police positions and security routines."
"You might notice something unusual."
Barbara finally understood.
"And you couldn't come yourself," she said, "because you still have classes."
"I have three days of school before I get time off," Dick replied. "Asking for leave now would raise unnecessary suspicion."
"So you sent me instead," Barbara said with a faint smile.
"Looks like you've learned from your previous encounters."
Dick didn't deny it.
"Actually," he said quietly, "there's another reason. A more important one."
Barbara stopped walking.
"At the Gotham Hotel auction," Dick said slowly, "Kaito Kid handed me a challenge card."
"It was addressed to Robin."
Barbara frowned.
"And?"
"At that moment," Dick continued, his voice heavy, "I was Dick Grayson. Not Robin."
Silence fell between them.
Barbara's expression instantly changed.
"You mean he knows who you are?" she asked sharply.
"Why didn't you tell me something this serious earlier?"
Her thoughts raced.
"What about Bruce? Alfred? Me? Are all of us exposed?"
Dick exhaled.
"I don't know," he admitted. "At least, Kaito Kid hasn't used that knowledge against us. He hasn't threatened us, and he hasn't revealed anything publicly."
"For now, I still believe my original judgment."
"I don't think Kaito Kid is purely evil."
Barbara listened quietly.
And then, unexpectedly, a name surfaced in her mind.
"Dick," she asked suddenly, "do you know Dean Thurston?"
"Dean?" Dick sounded surprised. "He's my classmate. Why?"
"I ran into him at the library a few days ago," Barbara said.
"He was reading books on religion—Greek and Roman mythology."
She lowered her voice.
"Kaito Kid's new Notice letter is filled with Roman references."
"And Dean is a magician who became famous at a young age."
"Don't you think that's… a little too coincidental?"
Dick raised an eyebrow.
"You think Dean Thurston is Kaito Kid?" he asked, amused.
"I know him. That's impossible."
At that very moment, Dean Thurston, seated directly in front of Dick, felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.
…Probably because I've been eating too much lately.
Too many carbs. Too much fat.
I really need to lower my body fat percentage.
After silently making this entirely unrelated resolution, Dean calmly continued listening.
"I know you're close to him," Barbara said.
"And honestly, I don't dislike him either."
"I don't want him to be Kaito Kid."
"But there are too many coincidences to ignore."
She paused.
"That's why I want to give you an important task."
Dick listened carefully.
"This isn't because we suspect him," Barbara continued.
"It's because we want to prove his innocence."
Dick hesitated.
But only briefly.
Her reasoning was sound.
"…Alright," he said. "I agree."
Once Dick made a decision, he never wavered.
"Good," Barbara replied. "We won't wrong an innocent person."
She smiled.
"Oh—one more thing."
Her tone turned playful.
"Do you want to know what twenty multiplied by three equals four actually means?"