Mask
He wears masks every time. The mask named Edogawa Conan. But this time, he was forced to wear another mask -literally- when he was facing a bank robbery that "coincidentally" happened when she was also there. Will he unravel the mask? Or will he let the mask covers him, not only his face but even his heart?
-oOo-
God's Plan
Nothing called a "Perfect Plan". No matter how perfect you planned it, there will always a cracks on them. And a detective job is to unravel those cracks. Even a coincident is part of the plan; a God's plan.
BANG!
The bullet fled from the revolver in his hand. Not even a slight of hesitancy showed from his face. Only a look of disgust, anger, and a cold eye that pierces through heart.
No one dares to even breath at the sight. Until blood staining the wall behind his target.
"Game Over" he said, while tilting his head with a smirk of amusement.
Turning his back from the unconscious bloody man over the wall, he glances at a certain girl that laying still on the floor; with a shocked, widened eyes and a faltering scream hanging on her throat.
"No... It can't be... You would never...!" comes a trembling voices from her blood-stained mouth, with a disbelieve look coloring her teary eyes.
"NO! SHINICHI...!"
flashback
- Friday, 10.00 A.M. Kudou Residence -
"You sure about this?" said a pretty, long-haired woman in her early thirty to her only son hesitantly.
"Well, it's risky. But we have to try this first before our planned day comes" he said with a reassuring smile while looking into the big mirror in the closet in his house.
"I'd said, why wouldn't you join us with such as good skills of yours, ma'am?" said a man wearing a black turtleneck without holding back his amuse look, inspecting a younger man from head to toe.
"Oh, I'd love to!" with an overly cheering attitude while clapping her hands –which some certain guy will consider it as flirting, though- and continues "But that will require permission from my husband, and I'm not sure he will grant it" she said while sighing.
"He won't! And neither will I" he cut her while waving his hand in the air, going straight to the door gesturing the conversation is over.
"Too bad" the turtleneck man shrugged.
"Say, you didn't look confuse or even shock seeing him at all. Have you even guessed it this far?" asked the older woman curiously.
"…"
"Well, I'd hope no less from our scarlet agent, though" she chuckled and followed her son to the living room.
In the living room, stand an elder man with big, round glasses wearing a lab-coat coming over to the guy, rushing with his belly-bottom shaking from the rush.
"Shinichi-kun! Is this really you?" said he with overly gleaming eyes.
"Keep it down, Hakase! We don't want her to suspect any of this trial, do we?" he shushed him glancing to his neighbor house where a shrinking scientist were busy with her new blood sample in hand, calculating every aspect of the drug's contents with current state of her living specimen named Kudou Shinichi.
"Do we have everything prepared, Shin-chan?" she asked while coming down from the stairs.
"Yeah, it should be done by now. And don't call me that!" he sulked.
- Friday, 9 A.M. Mouri Tantei Jimusho -
A loud knock on the detective office's door wakes the middle-aged detective up with a drool on his jaw. "Who the heck?!"
"Se ya, Se ya! Wassup, oji-han?" came a loud Osaka-ben's morning greetings from the dark-skinned highschool detective, Hattori Heiji.
Sigh… "What are you doing here, you brat?" a sarcastic greetings with annoyance shot back at him.
"Where's Ku, err, Conan?" he asked ignoring the glare.
"Asking another annoying brat, huh... He's out" he said uninterested.
"Out? Where?" he asked again consistently.
"Why would I know where that brat going? Probably playing detectives with his group somewhere out there" he said again while shooing the curious Hattori away.
"Huh? Conan-kun's not here? Then, where is Ran-chan?" now asked a pony-tailed woman while scanning the room.
"Ran's up stairs" he indicates with his fore finger.
"We'll go up then" said the guy while dragging his childhood friend back to the door "Neechan will definitely know where he is" he mumbled.
"Ara, Hattori-kun! Kazuha-chan!" the long, black-haired woman smiles the minutes she opened the door.
"Ran-chan!" said the pony-tailed woman, clapping their hands and smiling brightly to one another.
'woman... exaggerating as always' he thought while shaking head.
"Long time no see, Neechan! Do you know where Kuuu…oonan is?" he asked correcting the names
'Kudou is gonna kill me each time I mistake his alias. Lucky he's not around now, though'
"Conan-kun is out camping with professor and the detective boys since it's a long weekend holidays. He said he'll be back on Sunday, though" Ran explained patiently.
"Damn! I want to surprise him with our visit. Now I'm the one surprised" sighing, he feels dejected.
"Now, now, Heiji. It's your fault 'cause you didn't inform him earlier" said Kazuha.
"I'll just call him now and make him go back here" he didn't even listen.
"You can't just do that, you ahou!" she warned him.
"And why can't I?" he shot back.
"You egoistic, ungrateful ahou! You can't just order people as you wish"
"Of course I can! I'm his best buddy"
She snorts.
"Why this little…!" blood vein popped up on his forehead.
"Just you look! KUDOU will definitely come here!" he shouted out to her without even thinking.
"Huhh?! SHINICHI will?" Ran asked, confused with a slight hope crept up.
'Ooooppsss…' he froze on the spot.
- Friday, 10.30 A.M. Beika City Street -
On a nice Friday noon, three young people walking down the Beika city main street. The paving block and English-style street lamps along with the wooden street bench make it much more elegant, with Sakura tree lining up neatly on both side of the street. On the right side, a Greek's architectural style building looks very gorgeous standing between Beika Center Station and Beika Office Building. It is a top-notch shopping district filled with a high-end brands of fashion. There's also luxurious restaurants narrowing along the street that known as Beika Center Business District, offering a taste of best culinary restaurant from a traditional Japanese to list of world-renown culinary. In the end of the street, stand a long, red-bricked building known as Tokyo Station, packed with flow of peoples roaring around it.
"Woah, Tokyoite sure got great fashion taste. I have never seen that one around Osaka" Kazuha chirped cheerfully while pointing towards one of mannequin displayed inside a glass shop.
"Do you want to see it up close?" asked Ran
"I'm afraid my pocket money couldn't afford that one" she replied sadly
"Heh, even if you can afford it, it wouldn't look good on you" he snarled
"What? How could you say so when you haven't even seen me wearing it?" she became furious at his comment
"No need. I can just imagine how strange you will look on that. And besides, its not quite my taste, too" he deadpanned her
"What is it going to do with your weird taste, anyway?" she humphed
"Now, now, stop it you two" Ran beginning to sweat drop at their bickering
"Ran-chan, do you think Kudou-kun will be happy seeing you in that outfit?" Kazuha suddenly became curious
"Huh? Shinichi?" she looks like thinking quite hard before answering "Nah, Shinichi will make the same comment as Hattori-kun, I bet" she waved her hand
"Then, why don't we try it. You can mail him your photo afterwards and ask his opinion" said Kazuha enthusiastically
"Huh? But, I…" she trailed off but too late because Kazuha already drag her towards the shop
"Really, Zuha?" said Heiji while rolling his eyes
'Man, what do I got myself into? After blabbing about Kudou coming over, is this how am I gonna repay my mistake?' he sighed and tailed the girls into the shop while remembering his previous blurting out Kudou's name
flashback
"Erm, I mean…" god, help me!
"I did ask him earlier, since we're best buddy… but…" what to do now, genius?
"What I mean is… that… Kudou will be glad to come, but apparently he couldn't. Well, something about his case and all…" he nervously blabbing to Ran
Big sigh from Ran, with downcast eyes…
'This isn't good. Kudou will kill me for sure'
"You owe Ran apologies now, Heiji!" Kazuha whispered to him
"Yeah, I'll do anything to lighten up Neechan's mood" he sighed
And, this is where he stuck. Shopping with two girls that regards him as a shopping-bag porter, their exclusive photographer, and of course, a living cash bag for their upcoming lunch along with dessert.
'I gotta make sure not to blurt out Kudou's real name, EVER again'
- Friday, 11.00 A.M. Bank of Tokyo, Beika City -
Ping!
New mail.
From: mouri_ran .jp
Subject: Shopping
Text:
How do you think?
- Picture attached –
Ran
He chuckled. And begin typing.
The queue starts to flow again, he steps forward.
A blush creeps on his cheeks. Fortunately, he wears glasses and a scarf. Safe.
Mail sent.
- Friday, 11.05 A.M. Beika Shopping District -
Ping!
New mail.
From: shinichi910 .jp
Subject: Re:Shopping
Text:
Where do you wanna go wearing that?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Cute, though
Shinichi
"Kyaaaaa!" came Kazuha's squealing
"Ka… Kazuha-chan..! Mou!" protested a blushing Ran covering her ears
"He said cute! CUTE!" she said in euphoria
"WHAT?" screamed the dark-skinned teen looping his eyes on screen "Kudou said those?!"
"Well, I can't believe its Shinichi who said it myself, I mean wrote it" Ran stuttered
"Heeee… He has become much more open this day, huh?" he smugly said while touching his chin, thinking 'what was the cause? The confession back in London?'
"Geez! Learn something from Kudou-kun, will ya, Heiji?" Kazuha glared at him
"I'm not a sweet-talker, you ahou!" he defended himself
"Neither did Shinichi" she feels the need to defend her boyfr… erm, childhood friend
"I mean… It's kinda hard to do the thing you didn't used to out of place" he is sweating
"Shinichi managed somehow. Go ask him how to" she elbowed him in the stomach while winking teasingly
'Ha...ha...ha... Should I shrink too? So that I could muster up my courage'
- Friday, 11.20 A.M. Bank of Tokyo, Beika City -
He is constantly checking his phone by now.
'How come she hasn't reply yet? Did I do something wrong? Is it too out of character for me? Or… did I gross her out?' siiiiigghh…
'Woman. Especially her. One thing I would never come to understand completely. And you told me to crack your heart? Geez!'
"What are you sulking yourselves at?" asked Kudou Yukiko to the pale looking guy who stands beside her
A bit startled, he profusely shrugs "Nothing" he turned his head
"It's our turn now. Get moving" she remind him
"Yeah, yeah" he shrugged it off
They make a transaction with the teller. With some form filling and a bit of sign here and there, they finally got the envelope in their pocket. Just then, his phone ringing. Looking at the caller ID, he looked a bit tensed before finally answering it while walking to a corner of the big aula where less people gathered around. He made sure to tell his companion to go ahead to the parking lot by hand gesture.
"He... Hello?" he said, a bit awkward
"Shinichi? Are you free now?" asked the girl
"If not, I wouldn't answer your call" he tried to calm himself down
"That's good, then" he could imagine her smiling
"So? What's up?" not working, though. His heart beat refuses to calm down
"Umm... about the dress…" she said uncertainly "Do you really think its cute on me?"
He could feel his heart leaps from its place "Ye… Yeah… Maybe…?"
"Is… Is that so?" she said with a slightly trembling voice
"… Ran?"
"Ye, yeah?"
Clearing his throat, "You do know how hard it is for me to say those… well, wrote those, don't you?" he asked
"Yeah, I know" now she is chuckling "I know you never lie about your feelings, Shinichi" her smile is as bright as sun light now, if only he can see it
"Well, it's true" he knew that if he's the one to say those things, she won't make it light
-Silence-
"So? You bought that?" he tried to lighten his blush, to no avail…
"Like I could afford it. It's five digits! only for a dress" she said in unbelievable tone
"Then why go for the trouble as to trying?" he shakes his head
"Well... Kazuha-chan drag me into the shop and shove it to me, I can't just say no. Besides…" she trails off
"Besides?"
"Besides, I want to know your opinion" she finished with a blush
'Geez! You wanna make my heart numb, are you?' he scratches his head
"My opinion wouldn't matter" he really is trying to sounds calm
"Well, sorry. It matters a lot for me, though!" she successfully makes his heart flattered
'What kind of magic are you using? Only by some words, now look at what happens to me'
"I… I see…" he can only mutter that words
-Silence-
"Well…" he stuttered
"Well?"
Feeling like a complete fool, why not dive into the water now, eh?
"You know, you mean a lot to me as well" he barely loses his composure by now, with furiously blushing cheeks to boast
"Shinichi…"
-More silence-
'Ugh, this is killing me'
"Now that you know, I gotta go. Call you later? If you don't mind, though" he doesn't even know what he's saying anymore
"O… Okay" she nodded
"Kay, bye" he nodded
"Oh, Shinichi!"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks… And, call me later?"
"Yeah. I will"
With that, he heaves a big sigh. But soon a smile crept into his face 'Not bad, me!'
He just began to walk out of the aula to the door, when his eyes bump into a familiar couple.
His heart skipped.
'What are they doing here?' he thought in a shock.
