The second in the stories I wanted to write!
I wandered throughout the store for the special thing. The thing that my father would like best. But I'd practically bought him everything I thought he would like. I picked up a key chain. No, too simple, he'd throw it away. What did he like? I picked up a mug with a map of Japan on it, then another with cherry blossoms decorating the sides, I shook her head to both then looked at my watch: ten 'til eight. The flight would be leaving in an hour and half; plenty of time. I searched through the isles and found a shirt. It was nice but Dad would never wear it, he never wore shirts I or Mom picked out. He would only wear the ones he himself had decided on. I placed it back down then looked up and sighed. I wondered if I should go and try to find my classmates. Oddly, I hadn't seen any others wandering around in the shops, I'd had left the group twenty minutes ago and at that point Shinichi still hadn't arrived. He probably slept in, he's so lazy. I made my way to the front of the store and looked around. No one I recognized was around. Suddenly I saw someone blaze past me then stop. The figure turned. "Ran! You idiot! We're late! Why are you casually looking around in a gift shop, huh? Our plane left an hour ago!" it was Shinichi. I glanced again at hmy watch; the time hadn't changed. Shinichi grabbed my wrist and ran down the hall. Why hadn't I noticed my watch was broken? Now I felt incredibly stupid! But why was Shinichi late? He came in just before class started, but was never late!
The teacher put his hands on his hips as they approached. "I knew there would be stragglers, but I never suspected Kudou-san and Mori-san to be them! Anyway, your flight leaves in thirty minutes gate 4B; don't miss it!"
Shinichi plopped down with his bags. I sat next to him. "You look you just jumped out of bed."
"I did." he let out a wide yawn then rubbed his eye. "What about you? Why are you late? It's not normal for you."
"My watch was broken so I missed the flight."
"Let me guess, shopping for a gift for your old man?"
"And let me guess, staying up too late reading books?"
"Bin-go!"
We sat in silence, neither wanting to start a conversation. It had been so long since I had actually sat down next to Shinichi when I wasn't in class, and now I was frightened to talk to him. For the past few weeks he had returned he seemed changed from before when I saw him. He seemed less sarcastic and adultish and more friendly and childish, but not by much. It was something only I could really notice. He also seemed to like children more and always said hello to the group that called themselves the "detective boys." I thought this was quite weird considering that he never really liked kids before he always called them 'irritating brats'. Another thing I noticed about this was the fact that, in general, he found a lot of things more entertaining than he usually did, like he really appreciated being able to kick a soccer ball. He said he might even re-join the soccer team. He also liked being able to reach things and if something was too tall, instead of getting a chair or some kind of boost he reached for it until he got it or someone taller retrieved it. When he first returned, I heard him muttering to himself, "Wow, everything is different from up here!" or "I hit my head on a lot more things when I'm this tall, but it's not so bad!" Sometimes I worry about his sanity since he's been back.
However that's not all that's curious. Almost as soon as Shinichi arrived, Conan-kun disappeared. I was told that his parents took him to America, but I'm not sure about that. It feels like whenever I'm around Shinichi, I'm just around the cute, seven-year-old Edogawa Conan who has grown up. Now I have had a hunch, and I came right out and asked him about it at one point, but, I think that Conan is actually Shinichi and vice versa. Something must have happened with an experiment or other by Dr. Agasa and it made Shinichi shrink into who was Conan. I had this idea since the first time Conan helped solve a case. He's been the one making Dad famous but Dad never remembers. His deductions sound exactly like Shinichi's, what little I've heard of them. It's all too coincidental.
Shinichi cast a glance my way. "What are you staring at? Do I have something on my face?" Shinichi barked. I snapped myself out of deep thought then smiled weakly at him. Shoot, was I staring at him again? "Ran, are you feeling okay? You've seemed really spacey lately."
"Oh! I'm fine, really!" Shinichi's face still showed concern. He turned back and seemed to tighten up a bit. Now I wondered if he was okay.
"Ran, I...I have a bit of a weird question." I looked at him curiously. He fidgeted a little. "W-what would you say if I asked you to...to date me?"
I lost all sense. I wanted to cry, scream, punch and kiss him all at the same time. This was what I had been waiting for, and he decides to release it on me after he had disappeared off the face of the earth for a year. I stared at him again, my mind utterly broken and dissolved. He didn't make eye-contact and I could tell he was blushing very, very hard. Suddenly the image that rushed into my head was one of Conan-kun saying the same thing with a cute, blushing face. My mouth hung open; I tried to speak but nothing came out.
Our teacher walked up just in time. "You ready to go?" he asked. We nodded and he lead us to the gate and boarded our plane.
Once in, we sat next to each other not speaking. A foreigner walked up and checked his ticket."Excuse me, you're in my seat." he said in his best Japanese.
"Sorry!" Shinichi exclaimed as he shifted seats.
For the rest of the trip there was English conversation between Shinichi and man that I couldn't understand.
…
We finally caught up with our group and sat on the bus with our friends. I didn't know about Shinichi, but I was exhausted. After I got Sonoko to clam up and quit chattering about random and unrelated stuff I took a nice nap on the way to Hagi.
When I woke up, there wasn't anyone on the bus. Empty. I'd been left behind again! I stood and picked up my purse. No! Where was everyone? I slid out of the isle and looked around. The bus was a mess and in the very back of it, fast asleep with two sticks of pocky sticking out of his mouth in a walrus fashion, was Shinichi. He had a little drool oozing done his chin; gosh, he must be really tired. He looked quite a bit like Conan-kun in my mind again. This seemed like something the detective boys might do to him if he was asleep. I couldn't help but laugh. I gently pulled the pocky out of his mouth and took my kerchief and wiped up the drool. When I finished his eyes opened in a bleary way.
"Ran-neechan?" his eyes widened. "I-I mean, Ran! Hey, uh, what are you doing?"
I was confused. This wasn't the first time he called me 'neechan', he always quickly corrected myself but this only increased my suspicion of him. Shinichi quickly sat up and looked around. "They're gone again!" he exclaimed in frustration. He looked at me then at my handkerchief. "Was I.. drooling?" I smiled and nodded. He used his arm to wipe away the rest of the saliva. He laughed nervously, "Well, while we're here, we should at least look around!" he pushed past me and headed toward the front of the bus. "Come on!"
Once out of the bus was walked a little ways down the street. Then he stopped. "I don't know why you haven't noticed yet, but you have a note stuck to your head."
"What?" I scrambled to pull it off and read it. Sleeping Beauty awaiting her prince! It was in Sonoko's handwriting. Why does she insist on embarrassing me?When I looked up Shinichi was already a ways ahead of me. I ran to catch up with him then he stopped.
"Mom was asking me to get a souvenir while I was up here, might as well look around inside." he moseyed in and looked around. He picked up a wallet with an animal on it. He looked quietly for a while then turned to me, who at that time was weighing bags of curry, and said, "So, did you...think about what I said?"
I started and almost dropped the bag in my hands. I had thought about it but I never got passed the fact of calling him 'boyfriend' so I gave up thinking about it. I slowly turned to him, he still looked uninterested – he was trying to look cool. "I have and I..."
"Wait," he cut me off. "Before you say anything, I'm just as weirded out by it as you are." Somehow I doubted that. "I just want you to know that I understand if you don't want to be in that kind of relationship. I don't want to stress you out or make you cry." He seemed to gag on the word 'cry' like he was going to himself. "I don't how to put this without making awkward but, you know, I confessed to you in London. And now you know how I feel, but I think we might share that in common. But I don't know! You've never said anything...really..." I had told Conan-kun several times that I liked Shinichi, that must be why he said 'really' at the end. If felt like I was torn. How could I say yes when he hasn't told me anything about why he was gone for so long? Does he not trust me? I needed to ask him first. He waited with his eyes looking off to the side like an embarrassed little boy.
"I want to know something before I give you my answer. Where were you for the past year and a half?"
Shinichi gazed at me. "Taking care of some business with a case. Once you give me your answer, good or bad, I'll tell you everything."
I smiled. "Yes. I feel the same towards you, and I have for so long! You were always so mean and apathetic...and in all honesty, I've never been able to figure out why I even like you! You're a detective geek, you always run off on me and make me worry about you, you're reckless and irresponsible at times...but I guess that why..."
Shinichi looked utterly astonished. His face was redder than a crab and felt mine was the same way. "Now, you promised to tell me where you were for so long! I want to hear it! " I felt like I had lost my mind I witlessly grabbed his wrist and ran outside. Then something popped into my head. He hadn't strictly asked me to be his girlfriend. He had only asked if I would be okay with it. So I turned to him. "Were you meaning to actually begin dating me?"
Shinichi looked at me blankly then his normal look came back, the slightly apathetic one that says 'I'm better and I know it'. "Psh, it was just a question, don't really expect too much from it. Better yet, I don't even want to give anyone the satisfaction of saying we're dating."
I almost agreed with him. Sonoko would never leave me alone if I told her Shinichi was my boyfriend. And poor Kazuha-chan, she hasn't even told Hattori-kun about her feelings yet! She found out Shinichi confessed only a little while ago! I broke out of my thoughts to re-focus on Shinichi. He was looking across the way at something. His mouth hung open. Why would Shinichi? He looked at me. And smiled nervously.
"Did you want to ride that rickshaw?"
"What! No way, that's...that's just stupid, why would you even think of that, idiot?" he crossed his arms.
I knew that his childish side was coming out, so I looped my arm through his and pulled him across the street. I gave the man some money and told him to go as far as it would take us then we jumped inside. Then man took off at a run, pulling the cart behind him. Shinichi glowed with delight as we rode I felt like I was glowing from his glowing.
"This if fun!" I told him.
"This is more fun than bringing a murderer to justice!" he exclaimed back. "I can't believe we haven't done this before!"
I guess rickshaws bring people together. I leaned my head on his shoulder and he smiled on; before we knew it the ride was over. I thanked him again then we both turned and started walking. It occurred to me that I had no idea where the hotel was. I asked Shinichi and he didn't have a clue either. I pulled out my cell and called Sonoko.
"Where are you? I've been trying to call you!"
"I was just hanging out with Shinichi, because you deserted me!"
"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to disturb you two lovebirds!"
"Just tell me where the hotel is..."
"Well it's on Kawamura and main, but where are you? I'm out shopping so I could pick you if you'd like."
"Sure. See you later then." I clicked my phone shut.
"Shall we sit?" Shinichi motioned to the bench and we sat next to each other.
"So you were going to tell me where you were for the past year and a half..." I offered timidly.
"Ah, that." He looked at me closely. "I'm sorry I haven't told you and I still can't tell you some of it because I really don't want you to worry about it at all." Saying that just worries me even more! "For the past year and a half I was living with you and your dad." He waited for it to sink in and almost seemed to wait for a surprised expression.
"Yes, I kind of figured that out. But why?"
"You knew!"
"Of course, I can tell when someone is Shinichi or not. I'm getting better about it too. Having run into two 'other' Shinichis, one of which you were there for, I've been pretty good at identifying." he looked confused. "Not only that, but no normal seven-year-old was as smart as Conan-kun. Also, you rarely watched TV. So Conan-kun could only be the same person as Shinichi who conveniently disappeared at the same time that Conan appeared. The only time I can't explain is when you showed up and Conan was still around. I suppose that was Ai-chan dressing up as you. But beyond that, I want to know why and how! Where and when!"
"Well, uh," Shinichi stuttered. "I guess I might as well start at the beginning..."
Suddenly two girls approached us. You're kidding! Not again! They were obviously foreign and spoke to Shinichi in English. "Excuse us, you're Shinichi Kudo right? Could we have you say something in English?"
"Sure" he replied. They whispered what they wanted to him and he stood and cleared his throat. "Hello ladies, look at your man, now back at me, now back at your man, now back to me. Sadly, he isn't me, but he could solve mysteries like me if he quit sitting on the couch watching football. Look at your hand now back to me," (he pulled out his wallet) "it's a cash-filled wallet with two tickets to the thing you love most. Look at your hand, now back, they just turned into diamonds. Anything is possible when your man can solve mysteries and doesn't sit like a potato." (He jumped up on the seat) "I'm on a chair..." The girls squealed with delight and gave him many 'thank yous' and 'keep up the good works' with other things then they wandered off.
"What was that?"
"Adoring fans. Now what were we talking about?"
"You were going to tell me what happened to you..."
"Right! So, do you remember the last time we went to Tropical Land?" I nodded. "Well when I ran off, I saw these men in black doing a shady-looking deal. I didn't know who they were so I spied on the deal but one came up behind me and hit me over the head and knocked me out. He fed me some kind of drug,it made my body burn like it was melting and in reality, I was. When I woke up I found myself shrunk! I ran over to Dr. Agasa's house and he told me not to tell you or anyone else anything because if you got tangled up in it..." Shinichi hesitated.
"What?' I coaxed gently, though thoroughly eager to hear the story.
"If you or anyone else got tangled up in it, and the men in black found out that I wasn't dead, they would kill me and all associated." I almost wasn't surprised. I knew something like this would happen to him. He always stuck his nose where it shouldn't be. He sighed and continued. "That's why I went to live with you and your dad. Your father, being a detective and all (though he wasn't a very good one) would have cases and something or other would link the organization to a case and I could track them down. At the beginning it was mostly to find an antidote but then we found a connection and then she was finding an antidote that could get me back into my normal body. As you can see, she found one after a year. But I still had to hide from you.
"In all reality it wasn't bad living with you except for the times your dad punched me in the head, breathed on me with his drunk break and the spa days. While living with you I learned many things about all of you. And I saw you in a way that I didn't think I'd ever see you...at least until we were older..." You really just sounded like a pervy old man there you know..."I know what you're thinking...perverted old man...but it really wasn't necessary for me to go to a bath with you..." I gave him a look. "Hey! I was an innocent bystander! You're the one that drug me in there!
"Anyway," Shinichi tugged at his jacket. "I..."
"Wait, did Hattori-kun know about this?"
"Actually, he was the first person to find out besides Dr. Agasa. He caught on the second time we met, at the Holmes tour. My parents also knew, Dr. Agasa told them. A few other people knew too but I don't know everyone who does, but I'm sure Sera-san is one..." Shinichi's phone ran as he spoke. He pulled it out and looked slightly startled.
"Who is it?"
"Mitsuhiko...kun. Why? Can I take this?" I nodded my consent. He stood and walked off a little ways. I plucked a flower from between the pavement and started pulling off its petals as I waited. He came back with a hurried expression.
"What's the matter?"
"Oh, uh, just a case..."
"A case of what?"
"That's...classified?"
"Classified in what spectrum?"
"What?"
"Murder case, theft, gangs...a mysterious organization that shrunk you..."
"All of the above?"
"That's not true, there's never been...wait I change my mind, there have been a lot of cases like that. But is it really involving this organization that tried to kill you?"
"I don't know, but it sounds like it might. The most unexpected cases always seem to incorporate them..."
"And let me know one more thing." Shinichi looked slightly concerned. "Did those kids know who you were?"
"No. I never told them and I don't plan on telling them."
"That's mean..."
"Well they wouldn't understand!"
"Are you flying back to Tokyo?"
"I can't! Mitsuhiko said he'd get back to me with more information about the case. Also, I'm not worried because Hibara is there and she knows about the organization."
"Ai-chan? How is she connected in all of this?"
"She shrunk herself because she was working with the organization. She was trying to commit suicide, thankfully for us and her, it didn't kill her."
"Hey you guys! I found you! what's this about an organization?"
"Sonoko it's..."
Shinichi put his finger to his lips and made a stupid face, telling me not to say anything. "It's nothing."
"Oh!" Sonoko made a suspicious face. "Is it like some kind of party thing? You should bring me along and I'll bring my honey-bear, Makoto! He's in Toyko now on break, I'm sure he won't mind..."
"Nah! It's really nothing, unless you want to hear one of Shinichi's case." Shinichi looked irritated. Sonoko looked at him.
"You have fun with your cases," she told him. "I'll show you where the hotel is."
We followed her back, Shinichi and I a few steps behind her. We discussed thing further and shared stories (well, mostly Shinichi did) and had a good time. I felt for him being a child and being treaty like a child...even I did! But I didn't think I was hounding him too much. I slipped my arm around his and whispered, "I'm so glad you're back."
He sighed. I'm certain it was to say: "I am too."
…
Later that night, at around twelve or one I got up to get a drink and and my way back I saw Shinichi out on a balcony. I was going to ask what he was doing, but I noticed he was on the phone. Probably discussing the case with Ai-chan. However he seemed unusually frustrated. Then it must be the organization he was telling me about, and he can't get at them so he's angry. I decided to head back to my room, besides, I couldn't really help him at all. And besides, I know if I lingered too long I might get swept into some case then Shinichi would too and he doesn't need any more cases. Suddenly the door slid open behind me and I was swept up into a hug by Shinichi.
"W-what?" I stuttered.
"Another member of the black organization was put behind bars tonight, with Hibara and Dr. Agasa's help! It's another step towards victory! Now I can rest a little easier." He released me and quickly ran back to his room. I stood there blushing, my mind blank. The next thing I remembered was Sonoko standing next to me. "Ran? Ran? Are you okay? You've staring off into nowhere for a long time!" I snapped back into focus then nodded and smiled.
The rest of the trip Shinichi and I when everywhere together, but we stayed with the group as well. The trip was fun and I glad to see Shinichi back to his happy, sarcastic, loveable self...
And that ends that! Thanks for reading and HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHINICHI! Love ya buddy!
