"Ran-chan! Come, take pictures with us!"

"Hurry up, Mouri!"

"Ah, wait!" Ran hurriedly went to her classmates' place, all the while plastering a convincing bright smile.

It was Graduation Day. Three years in high school were over, and she was going to either university or searching for a job. Both her father and mother had attended university, and she will attend just because her parents did. While her father had attended Beika University, her mother was Tōkyō University, which was the university she will be going to.

At first, with Shinichi situations and all, she didn't have the will to even think about university. Her childhood friend since kindergarten was gone forever, and it took a long time for her to rise and think that she had to move on. Well, it's not like if she didn't attend university, she would be in trouble. Ran was confident that she could find a job even if she hadn't a degree. After all, she could win Karate competitions and earn money that way, or maybe enter a law school and be her mother's secretary or something. She could even go overseas.

After the photo shoot with all her classmates, unlike her, Sonoko was mingling with the others while she stayed back. Clenching her fists together in anticipation, Ran let her eyes wander. No normal Shinichi in sight. Of course, he wouldn't be here. He was expelled as soon as the third year of high school started. Yet, somewhere in the back of her mind, she wanted to see him attend.

"Ran," her mother came, it seemed she was done thanking her now former teachers.

"Okaa-san," she smiled weakly, despite feeling bleak. Shinichi wasn't here. Kudou Shin'ichi, her first boyfriend which had become her ex-boyfriend in mere months. Their new relationship was so short that all she had done with him was a peck on his cheek as an answer to his confession. Nothing more.

Ran remembered it all clearly. It was on a school trip in November. Because it was Fall season, where red and yellow leaves were everywhere, that had made it all seem more romantic than ever. After all, she had answered his confession at the Kiyomizu Temple, right at its stage. After kissing his cheek, Ran had asked him by email if they were a boyfriend and a girlfriend now after her answer. That jerk replied back with an 'of course we are', which had made her go giggly and red-faced for a whole week.

But look at her now. Just two months after that, which was in February, he called in saying he couldn't return. Forever.

Just what happened?

Ran could still remember that day. She said over and over at he must be lying. He replied with a firm no each time. That day, she cried silently in her room. When she woke up in the afternoon, she found that in her shock and grief, she had destroyed her phone ― which was a gift from Shinichi.

She soon brought a new one but the thought of crushing Shinichi's last gift, along with the straps, made her ill. Boyfriend or not, he was her best friend. Always.

"Congratulations, Ran," her mother smiled at her, "You will be fine," Eri took her hand and grasped it, "You'd passed the entrance exams, right? Now, all we have to discuss is your living arrangement. Where do you want to live? Your father and I are going to rent you an apartment. Both Beika and Haido city are far from Tōkyō University, so you need..."

Smiling, but didn't put her heart into it, Ran tuned out her mother who started to talk about her future plans.

Breathing in deeply, she held in her tears. She wouldn't cry. At a day like this, the tears she were supposed to shed was happy tears.

Ran breathed in and thought to herself that she was moving forward, unlike that mystery otaku.

Like her mother had said, she will be fine.

Glancing down, her eyes met with Conan-kun's. His expression was unreadable, yet, if she looked more, it looked so heart-wrenching it tugged her conscience to just forgive his lies. Being here, she knew he was only torturing himself as his hunched back made it seems like he was losing something important just by standing there beside her mother.

Ran knew that was his own fault, but she couldn't reveal the truth from him. For one, she didn't have the strength to be accused like she was insane. She knew that her heart was screaming at him for being so stupid and cruel. For keeping things from her like this and yet, still in front of her, only with different size.

I believed in you, Shin'ichi, Ran whispered inside her head, but I'm sorry. From now on, you'll be only my childhood friend. Nothing more, like you, Shinichi, said you want us to be.

He had told her not to wait anymore. And she would do what she was told.

Even if she knew that Shin'ichi hadn't meant it, she just wanted to be selfish.

For once, Ran didn't make any attempt to smile.

Shin'ichi... I'm sorry.

He thought that with Aoko hanging out a lot with Hakuba, there was nothing worse than that. He was obviously wrong. Yes, he was wrong by a long shot.

This was the worst.

"Aoko always says she hates Kaitou KID."

That sentence sent a chilling shiver down his spine because it was uttered to him who currently wasn't wearing his alter-ego costume.

Aoko had said that to him, Kuroba Kaito. With a tone so firm yet so soft that made him trembling already from agitation and dread.

"Aoko," he began with a small smile, "what of all sudden? Did your dad ―"

Eyes staring down not meeting his, Aoko stated weakly, "Aoko found Kaitou KID hidden room."

He should have known earlier on that Aoko finding out about KID was just a matter of time. He should.

"... Aoko?" he called out to her lowly, afraid to start her.

"Yesterday when Kaito's sick, Aoko was about to clean your room and then behind the portrait, there was..." Aoko shook her head, and soon continued, "Ne, Kaito. Can you... can you leave Aoko alone?"

Freezing for a moment at that, Kaito breathed in. He was about to place his hand on her shoulder when she shook her head.

"Aoko is just...! Aoko needs time," the girl, still with her head and gaze down, exclaimed loudly, "Please understand, Kaito."

Both hands dropping to his side, Kaito felt numb. He didn't want to leave her, Aoko who was both dear and wonderful to him. Yet, for her, he was going to comply. He knew a long time ago that if she found out, she wasn't going to take it easy with her strong sense of justice.

"As you wish," he announced, before turning his back and sprinted away from Aoko's home.

As his home was beside hers, it didn't take long to reach his bedroom.

Punching the wall beside his father's portrait, he fell down to his knees. Why did this portrait have to be in his room? Why did his father's hidden lair have to be behind this portrait? Why did Aoko have to find this out?

Kaito could only chuckle bitterly at himself.

That day, he knew. Everything wasn't going to be the same anymore with his childhood friend.