I don't own Detective Conan/Case closed in anyway. It belongs to the brilliant Gosho Aoyama. That's why I'm writing my limited-skilled fics in here. ^^ This one-shot was in my archive for a while so I just decided to upload it as a temporary goodbye thanks to all my supporters in this site since I am not going to write any other fic soon like I said before. I hope you like this one-shot. And please leave some reviews. :)
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Friends till the End
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In the mayhem around her, Chaos everywhere; everybody was chattering with each other making a nipped up sounds which would drive any sane person crazy. There, a little blonde girl stood leaning on the wall by herself. Trying to think rationally with the considerable bedlam around her, she released a stuck sigh in her throat, gazing around in monotony.
Too familiar. . .
Every thing appeared too familiar. . . The detective boys wandering around from place to another joyfully. They were rejoicing the so-called party as though there was no tomorrow. Smiling marginally, the little girl stared at the glimmering eyes of the kids shining with ecstasy. The way they looked to everything not thinking of any worries for today or tomorrow had caught her attention. How she liked that feeling. . Too far she has never tried it. The slight smile turned into a bite on the bottom lip and a slight frown, as her gaze turned toward another spot. Observing bitterly, she shifted her eyes abruptly feeling the urge to leave the place.
The latter scene she saw was nothing but a bespectacled boy, blushing faintly as a brunette girl, stepping on her knees, was hugging him in a rather brotherly fashion. Fighting the conflict gaping inside of her, Ai looked at him once more. Startlingly, his eyes spotted hers at the same time driving them to an eerie eye contact which caused her to avert her gaze somewhere else. Frowning dimly at her, the boy made his way through the crowd towards her. At the same time, she was gripped by another elated girl who called her, "Ai-chan!"
"Come on, play with us!" The girl called Ai feigned an apologetic smile, unaware of the eyes boring through her from behind, "Sorry.. I am not feeling well now."
"Are you sick Ai-chan?"
"Haibara," Another voice intervened through the short conversation causing the strawberry blonde-haired girl to turn back facing the speaker. She furrowed her brows, giving him a questioning gaze.
"Conan-kun!" The cheerful little brunette girl exclaimed.
"Ai-chan is not feeling well. Can you join us playing?" Ayumi asked hopefully, her cheeks heating up a bit.
"Sorry, Ayumi-chan. I don't feel like it now." said Conan in an amplifying childish voice.
"Can I talk to you for a second?" Conan asked Ai eventually, dragging her out of the crowd.
"What is it?" Ai asked him monotonously. She hid her curiosity beyond knowing what is so important that is to tell and made him out of her company eventually. But the overwhelming noise around them restrained her words into the world of nothingness. Conan kept dragging her along the way by gripping her wrist. Suddenly, her hand split from his making him turn around. She stopped and crossed her arm across her chest impatiently.
"What is it, Ku―" She tried to raise her voice to the fullest but unfortunately everybody seemed to silence at that very moment making her yell as if she had gone absolutely insane. Much worse, she was going to say his real name in front of everyone, which caused Conan to stare at her horridly. Thankfully, she managed to stop herself hoping that no one speculates the name.
"Err, Sorry." said Ai embarrassed as the crowd was staring at her. Sighing in surrender, she let Conan drag her hand again outside.
"Look what you were about to do! You were going to expose our identities." Conan cried out.
"So, what? It was you who dragged me all the way without saying a word." Ai retorted.
"Anyway, what did you want to say?"
"Are you okay?"
"Depends,"
He rolled his eyes irritatingly, "What's wrong with you, anyway?"
"It's nothing, Kudo. Since when do you keep asking about me?" She raised an eyebrow. He narrowed his oceanic blue eyes looking through her grayish-green mysterious eyes thoughtfully before sighing and giving up eventually.
"Did you say happy birthday to Ran?"
"Does it really matter to you?"
"You didn't even tell her happy birthday in her birthday party? Why do you always act like this when anybody's being nice to you? You should at least act as a child to get away suspects around you!" Ai raised her brows, confused by his sudden accusation outburst.
"Firstly, I didn't ask anybody to invite me to a birthday party. Professor Agasa is the one who dragged me along just like you did now,"
"Secondly, as a matter of fact, I did not tell anybody to treat me nicely."
"Thirdly, I am leaving now in order not to stimulate anybody's suspicions." said Ai keeping her cold façade.
"Goodbye, Kudo-kun." She said as she turned around leaving him. He opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it tentatively.
Turning around to get inside the house, Conann stopped for a moment and turned to look behind. Her tiny figure was fading into the gloomy darkness.
"Goodbye,"
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Ai kept on strolling around the busy streets, everywhere seemed chaos to her and it just drives her crazy watching everything in fast motion like that. Nobody understands her calm nature; they just keep thinking that she was some kind of a freak or even an autistic child. She can't blame anyone for whatever they think of her. She has always been the cold little girl who behaves icily to even older people. She had to treat this Mouri girl as though she was older than her while actually, she was the one older than her by a few months. She stifled a laugh; one bitter laugh. How ridiculous the thought just brings up to her. Nevertheless, she doesn't have the right to provoke or jitter. It was all of her hand-made Apotoxin and she is the last person on Earth who should complain. She should just shut up and put a shoe in her mouth.
Sighing inwardly, the little Shiho Miyano sat on the swaying swing by the influence of the prickling wind. It sounded so soothing to leave such a chaos; she does not belong to, behind. Moving her legs back and forth, the swing managed to sway a little further. Thinking of how she has ended in here in a place, she did not belong to and does not and will not, too, bring to her the mere bitterness. The serene breeze tickled a few strands of her auburn hair as she managed to release her suppressed smile. She closed her eyes breathing in some refreshing air for a few minutes. They passed by like quite some hours yet, it was an inspiring moment with Mother Nature; hearing nothing but the sound of the bushes rustling, the humming of the swing and her sound of breaths. ―Wait a minute, there was no such wheezing beside her. Opening her eyes all of a sudden, her eyes widened to spot the new company who'd joined her somehow.
"I see, you are awake on Earth again." The voice of her new company, who was nobody other than Conan, spoke up, a hint of teasing was to be obvious. It irritated her.
"Since when have you been here?" She tried to sound normal but her voice came a lot more of a surprise.
"I think your sixth sense is blackballing you, isn't it?"
She turned her gaze sideway to face him; a wide grin was spreading on his face. And to her surprise, he was not wearing his usual spectacles. His real face un-spectacled was so handsome, that gritty look in his oceanic eyes. She warded off her gaze, stopping herself mentally from admiring him more and more.
"Or maybe it is that you got too used to my company." It was rather a question than a simple statement. A familiar silence engulfed their surroundings. Nothing is heard except for the slight wheezing sound of the swings moving to and fro.
"You know, your smile isn't that bad. You should try it more often." His words let a smirk slip on her lips.
So, he was here from not what seemed like a short time.
"Hey, I did not mean that sarcastic smirk of yours."
"Oh, this?"
"Yeah,"
"..."
"Why did you come here along after me, Kudo-kun?" she dropped off the smirk, a serious expression filled in, instead.
She had really no idea to the fact that brought the Great Detective of the East after her along the way. It was not just to tell her that she should smile more often, was it? It is almost irrational. And the way their last conversation had gone to, was not that pleasant after all. Somehow, his behavior always has its way to make her wonder of what his mind is thinking about.
"Surely, not to test my off-guards, right?" She taunted, smirked and let her gaze slid upon him to see his demeanor. Astonished, her eyes widened seeing the serious impression in his eyes. It made him look more appealing. And she hated it.
"I came here because,"
"You are my friend, Haibara.."
"..And I care about you, despite of what you are thinking about yourself."
She looked into his eyes; they were sincere. She hadn't seen or felt this expression on him toward her before. It was a long time since someone called her a friend ―No, scratch that; it never happened in the first place. His words bored into her. Anyhow, the swing stopped its way in vacillating. And she just stood there, staring at him.
"You don't have to think that you don't belong here, Haibara. . . Whatever you are thinking, it became your home. Here." How could he feel or listen to her unspoken words; it was a thing she would never understand. Maybe, it's because he is a detective after all. Or is it that she became really his friend without noticing?
Anyhow, his words seemed to shake her internally. It meant a lot for her to see that there is somebody, there still caring for her after all.
"Thank you, Kudo-kun." She smiled despite herself upon hearing his words.
"That's what I'm talking about," He grinned pointing to her true rare smile.
"Who is that "Kudo-kun"?"
Startled, Ai turned to look at the intruder. Oh, actually the intruders; The Detective Boys.
"Haibara-san, Are you okay? You left the party before it was over!" The freckled boy exclaimed, nervously.
"Yeah. . .We were waiting till you feel better to join us in hide and seek, Ai-chan!" The little brunette girl added.
"Still who is that "Kudo-kun", ha?" A fat boy repeated.
"Kudo-kun? Who said "Kudo-kun"?" Haibara pretended, hiding a chuckle about to break down.
"You said Kudo-kun, Ai-chan!" Ayumi declared.
"Oh. . .You are talking about your boyfriend named Kudo-kun to Conan-kun!" He mouthed, sounding brilliant by his incredible speculation.
Ai stared disbelievingly at their far-fetched explanations, blushing deeply by the thought. She turned to look at Conan for help as she noticed him scratching his head, bewilderingly. His face was flushing as well.
"Haibara-san has a boyfriend?" Mitsuhiku cried out, feeling desperate all of a sudden.
"What did he do to upset you, Ai-chan?" Ayumi yelled, wrenching her fists, ready to attack the so-called boyfriend.
"Hey guys, that's nonsense you're talking about." Haibara bawled, stopping their nonstop ramblings before it goes to a further more embarrassing topic.
"You mean you don't have a boyfriend name Kudo-kun?" Mitsuhiku yelled, his face blushing madly, a joyful expression threatening to come over his face.
"No,"
"Conan-kun, why aren't you wearing your glasses? You look weird." Genta said spotting Conan without his glasses.
"Oh, those," Conan grinned sheepishly. He put back on his fake spectacles.
"So let's play hide and seek altogether! This place is just so fit in." Ayumi cried out cheerfully.
"Yeah," The two boys exclaimed, running wildly, searching for a place to hide.
Putting his both hands in his pockets, Conan smiled gently at Ai. She smiled back reassuring him, she was okay.
"Go, hurry. I will chase you if you don't." He grinned childishly.
It doesn't hurt to have another childhood with you, Haibara. You deserve it.
"Okay," She smiled, turning on her heels.
Thank you, Kudo-kun, so much.
Friendship is a great meaning, an indescribable feeling of warmth. Someone who's going out with you through the good times and the bad; they can find out your past but still love you and cherish you. Someone who is there for you, wherever you are and whenever you need.
Even if you don't get the chance to win the taken part of his heart, then fill the vacant place in it that desperately needs you.
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.The End.