There was something strange on Kuroba's face, so fast he might have missed if it he weren't used to attempting to pick up clues from the Kid's expression, before it fell into a bland mask of nonchalance.

Creepy. This was definitely rated high up on the bizarre situation he was been mixed in to interactscale.

"Do you think you could drop it? The smile. As a personal favour?" The tone was wistful, but there was a 'before I have to hurt you' part of the statement, which was no less valid.

Hakuba recognized Kuroba’s words as Kaito going into Aoko-protective mode. His friendship with both Kuroba and Aoko was nowhere near stable and the last thing he cared to do was alienate either of them, but this was going out of hand. And he really didn’t want them to end like Irene and him. Hakuba usually wondered why he cared at all, he could live without a heart after all.

The detective looked around room with his hands in his pockets in what could be interpreted as a too innocuous to be believed gesture.

“Maybe, maybe not.”