Jealousy

by Schillok

Ayumi: "YAY! Summer festival is here!"

Ayumi: "Will you go to the festival with me, Conan-kun?"

Conan: "Sure. You are wearing a yukata, right?"

Ayumi: "Will you go too, Ai-chan?"

Ai: "No! Looks like I would just be in the way, anyway."

Ayumi: "What is wrong Ai? Are you mad with me?"

Conan. "Relax. Don't mind her. She is just jealous, that's all."

Conan: "Right?"

Haibara: *evil glare*

…

Conan: "Hey Haibara, are you still mad with me? Come on, that was just a joke. You can't be jealous with Ayumi-chan, right?"

Haibara: "So what if I am? Damn you! Pathetic 2-timer..."

Conan: "Ok... okay then. You really ARE jealous with Ayumi!"

Summer Festival...

Haibara had locked herself into her own room, fuming. This was just stupid...

She was looking at her own jukata, a jukata she had organized days ago just for that special summer festival for this evening. But unfortunately Ayumi had been faster than expected and had already asked Conan to go to the festival with her, before she had asked herself. And stupid Conan had agreed on her suggestion almost immediately.

Sure, she could have tagged along with the two... but that would have contradicted her original plan. The plan that was supposed to turn this evening into... some kind of 'date'. A chance for romance. Okay, it was supposed to be a date! But it would never be one if it was the 3 of them!

Things would have been fine if she wasn't so persistent in turning this evening into a date. Mitsuhiko and Genta had left with their families for the summer, so she had figured it would have been the perfect chance. But again... she did not expect Ayumi asking Conan out so quickly. And neither did she expect Conan agreeing.

Jealousy? Even if Conan had just been joking when he called her jealous, he was dead-on. She was jealous... and she did not even try to hide it from herself.

Now, off course she could just give up. Stay at home while Ayumi and Conan enjoy themselves at the festival. But... she also had the right to be a bit selfish, right? Everything is fair in war and love...

What was she afraid of? That Conan slowly felt in love with Ayumi-chan? That he might actually enjoy the evening with her and wanted to be with her more often?

She had put away the idea as ridiculous in the past... but maybe it was just her imagination, but Conan seemed to have had become closer to Ayumi-chan in the past months. She could not allow the two of them actually falling in love with each other. Losing her own love like this was not something she wanted to risk, she had just lost too many things in her life before. Even if it meant playing dirty.

"Sorry Ayumi-chan", Haibara decided to herself. "This is something I have to do. I hope you will forgive me..." She was hurrying towards the Mori detective agency. She had to stop that little date between Conan and Ayumi... and pursuit her own.

"Hai... Haibara-san?", Conan exclaimed surprised, seeing her suddenly in the bureau. She rarely came over here on her own, usually just for emergencies.

"I see you are preparing for the evening?", Haibara noted the clothes lying aside. There was only little time left before the time he and Ayumi had agreed to meet each other for the festival. Meaning there was not much time to stop their little date.

Conan seemed slightly irritated. It looked like there was no emergency after all. Which was good, but why was she here then instead?

"Looking forwards to it?", Haibara asked casually. She needed to be careful. She didn't want Conan to get the wrong idea. Or rather: Get right idea about what she was just planing to do. This was bad enough the way it already was, having to betray her friend Ayumi and all. But if he caught her trying to ruin the date of her best friend, it would have been way more embarrassing. Not to mention the damage to the trust they had developed for each other.

"A little bit...", Conan finally answered, cautionary. Looks like he was still confused on what she wanted to achieve. "Why do you ask? Would you prefer to come with us after all?"

"Just curious. If you enjoy the evening with Ayumi-chan, maybe I won't have to develop the antidote to APTX4869 anymore."

Conan was confused. Where did that just come from? "What do you mean, I still want to...", he finally tried to explain, however Haibara cut him short: "If you want to give up on Ran, there is little reason for you to return to normal, right?"

"But Ran has...", Conan stumbled for a moment. What was she talking about? "I never said I would give up on Ran!", he finally exclaimed.

"Really? You let her go to another summer festival today."

"Of course I did. Ran can perfectly take care of herself."

"And if she meets with another boy there?"

"She would never betray me with another man.", Conan retorted immediately.

"Just like you would never betray her? For example by going to a festival with another girl? A girl like Ayumi-chan?"

Conan did not even try to counter her argument. Haibara could see how his doubts were eating him alive. She smiled inwardly. 'Sorry for ruining your plans, Ayumi-chan', she thought. 'But I had to stop that date...'

"I need to go to Ran!", Conan finally... well, he finally panicked. "But what about Ayumi? She might already have left her house by now..."

"I will tell her you couldn't come", Haibara offered. "Now hurry and look for Ran before the festival gets too crowded and you can't find her anymore!"

Conan nodded, grabbed his clothes and ran into his room to change. Haibara smiled satisfied. Like always, Ran has been his weak spot. Now all that was left was running home and then hurry to get to the festival herself...

"Ayumi-chan!", Haibara called and walked towards her best friend. Ayumi had already been sitting on a bench, without a doubt waiting nervously for Conan to pick her up. In the distance the music of the festival could already be heard.

"Ai-chan?", Ayumi asked confused. "So you decided to come with us?", she added carefully. Haibara was sure to hear a slight disappointment in her voice.

"Actually, I have to tell you something", she answered, trying to keep her face straight. "Edogawa-kun couldn't come today."

"Conan-kun couldn't...?" - this time her disappointment was much more evident. Obviously she had looked forward to this evening very much. Knowing her she was probably close to start crying...

'Everything is fair in war and love...', Haibara kept telling herself. Even if it means being a betrayer...

Haibara sat next to Ayumi, waiting for her to calm down. Ayumi was strong. This wasn't the first time Conan had disappointed her, but she had kept trying and trying again. She would get over it, just like she did over and over again in the past.

Ayumi had been awkwardly silent for a long time. "That yukata looks good", Haibara finally mentioned, breaking the silence. "It fits you well."

Ayumi looked back at her friend, brushing her hand over her eyes to wipe away any possible tears.

"Thanks", Ayumi replied timidly. "Yours looks nice as well..."

Her voice was getting stronger again. Looks like she was finally over it. Haibara decided it was finally time for the deciding question: "Since we are both here and dressed for it already... Do you want to go to the festival with me instead?"

Haibara had stood up from the bench, offering her hand to help Ayumi standing up as well.

Ayumi looked at her for a moment. Finally she responded with a small smile. "I would like to."

With that Ayumi finally took Haibaras hand, the two of them going towards the source of the festival music. Haibara smiled. Conan was an idiot for letting this chance slip past him.

One thing was for sure: SHE would never let go of Ayumis hand for the rest of the evening...