They're opposing each other. They stare at each other. A hint of wistfulness lingers in their exchange; a hint of wistfulness, regret and reluctance.
They hesitate, as if they're waiting for an implicit start signal. Or maybe they're waiting for a signal – a reason – to stop. Despite the knowledge that there is no reason to stop.
It's getting harder and harder with every passing second.
Conan lowers his eyes to stare into the gun barrel's yawning blackness. He takes a deep breath. And plasters a smile onto his face; crooked, ironic and false.
He had always known that this would happen one day.
That he would die one day.
They had planned it from the very beginning, after all.
He takes another deep breath. He straightens himself. He bows his head firmly.
Do it.
Shinichi pulls the trigger. Slowly, deliberate. And then-
"Shi- Shinichi?"
Suddenly, Ran is there, right next to him. Looking at him with wide, uncomprehending eyes.
Shhh, Ran. It'll be okay.
"Shinichi, what are you doing?"
I'm eliminating a mistake.
He pulls the trigger. The pistol barks. Loudly, ruthless, with a sickening finalty, the bang intrudes his ears. Gun powder fills the air; it's dancing and glistening in the sun like dust particles. Edogawa Conan falls to the ground, dead. And his glasses, the glasses that have been his mask and shelter for months now, shatter.
Ran screams. Her scream is so loud, so all-encompassing, that he briefly wonders whether he screams, too. Whether they scream in mutual pain and whether that's the reason for the sheer volume of that scream.
"CONAN-KUN!" She's running now, towards the body; her hair whips hard into his face as she passes him.
"Conan-kun ..." She kneels down next to the corpse, shakes the narrow shoulders, strokes the pale (bloodstained) face.
Shhh, Ran. It's okay now. There is no need to cry anymore. Conan is gone. I can return to you now.
She doesn't react. She collapses next to the body, a crying picture of misery.
And then Ran is gone and the children arrive.
"Hi Conan-kun!"
"Conan-kun, there is a new case!"
"Oi, Conan! Get up, you lazy bum!"
They're surrounding the dead body. Gasping in shared horror of the sight in front of them.
"What happened?"
"There is so much blood!"
"He has a hole in his head!"
Mitsuhiko is the first to regain his composure. It's no surprise; he had always been the most promising candidate among them.
The boy's eyes break away from the corpse. His look wanders over to Shinichi, until it gets stuck on the gun in his hand.
"Conan-kun got killed. Shinichi-nii-san shot him."
Ayumi screams; her scream is so similar to Ran's, it hurts.
"Murderer!" Genta is pointing accusingly in his direction. "You're a murderer!"
Shinichi shakes his head in sympathy.
I'm not a murderer. Just a liar.