-I know this question is silly, but I still wanna ask... Shinichi, if you have to choose between one people who stayed beside you when you were a kid, went through the childhood and youth with you, and Miyano-san, who will you choose?

Ran suddenly asked that question, while they were sitting and tasting their drink in the familiar Poirot cafe. They-included Myano-san, a date of three, was kind of weird. Losing about three seconds to receive the query, Shinichi gently put his cup of black coffee down on the table and busted out laughing, requested:

-What the weird things are you talking about? There is no reason why you think that I'm not capable of protecting two of you, do you? That is in case someone who was overbold and audacious, knowing nothing about life or death, dares to touch two most important girls of this Senior Inspector Kudo Shinichi-a karate professional and a genius chemist and biologist. Oh, unless he wants to be flogged within an inch of his life and treated by medicine for free.

With a humorous and a little bit insanely self-important, Shinichi answered Ran, but not knowing that he had missed the true meaning of the query. Opposite from the senior inspector whose EQ was about to reach the line of 0, Myano Shiho was precise and sensitive. She immediately understood what Ran meant; she knew what Ran was thinking at the moment. Or even before Ran directly asked, she had known what the other girl thought.

She had always known, and the only thing was she didn't say. She was silly when she thought it would be alright if she was just a normal friend with that detective addict, it would be alright when she buried the feeling deep down inside her, it would be alright if she didn't show anything.

However, finally, Ran didn't feel secured when beside her love exist another person. And that even Shinichi had just asserted that she was important to him.

It wasn't strange at all hearing the boy she had perceived since they were so young, handsome and shining, mindlessly asserted that the position of the once-was-strange girl as important as hers, especially when that person was Shiho, how couldn't she not be irate? Worse, that was her usual unsafe the ordinary life, Shiho always understood Shinichi than anyone else, even if he only glared; she still knew what exactly he was thinking. In cases, Shiho was his excellent partner, who helped him closes difficult cases. Two of them always found the same idea, discussed about issues which Ran couldn't understand or catch up. Every time Shinichi suddenly did some jokes, Shiho couldn't hold but burst out laughing, breaking her usual frigidity.

And Ran, day by day, realized clearly the threat in her love, the threat that was scarier than ever when the two got closer.

The more she thought, the more she felt unsecured, Ran decided that she had to, together with Shiho, make their love clear; had to, together with Shinichi, come up with the final words, so as to avoid nightmares. Her hands knitted together, twisting none stop, she was too anxious that cold sweat moistened her palms.

Giving a dissatisfying smile, Shiho sipped in a draught of black coffee, bitter. She looked at Ran's glass of sweet orange juice, which was almost melt, quietly put her glass of ice coffee down on the tissue.

Soon or late, one would have to go. Shiho always perceived that, she only ignored it. She treasured Shinichi; she wanted to stay by his side, to befriend him, as carefree as the days they were still under the covers of two kids. Therefore, she always hid her feeling, she was afraid to let him know, she feared their relationship would be awkward and in stalemate, she feared that she would hurt him. But...Ran couldn't stand the days and months with the vaguely unclear feeling.

Slightly tilted her head to look at her glass of ice orange juice, Ran said:

-No, that isn't my thought. Shinichi, I wanna say...love is something which was hard to perceive, is something which can't be tied down by anything, even time, memories, promises or... Oh, I...I wanna know what Shinichi think about choosing between a person with whom your feeling has been raised since childhood and a person whom you meet later but love, uh...have feeling like that was love...

-What are you saying?

Shinichi confusingly looked at Ran, who was trying to communicate her thoughts; he didn't understand even a smallest detail of what she was saying. Shiho only quietly glanced through Ran for a while, and then turned to study Shinichi's feature. His words tangled Ran's mind, she flustered as she blinked, her hands mindlessly knitted closer and tighter.

-I mean, though years or tenths years, when that person appears, I can feel that that person belongs to me, like...what to say, like destiny. Love is unlimited, you know, Shinichi, it doesn't discriminate rich or poor, ages, ranks, or...umh, gender...

Until then did Shinichi was about to be choked by the draught of coffee which was tempting to run up his nose. He cough violently before Ran's guilty eyes, taking the tissue Shiho gave and trying to control his fit of coughing as well as his shock.

-What do you think, Ran? Why did you put the gender issue in here?

While Ran blushed fierily and tightened her fists, Shiho, who had been quiet from the beginning, sighed boringly. Letting these two solve the love problem was a terrible mistake. It looked like she had to ruthlessly help these two faces the truth. It was time for Shinichi to know her feeling. Lifting her cold hand up in order to hold Ran's warm palm, Shiho tightened her grip, she looked at Ran, smiling encouragingly, and then turned to the Senior Inspector, who was still holding a silly look on his face:

-Kudo-kun, you're important to me, so I believe you have the right to know this. Truthfully, for the first encounter, my heart had moved... But since you always have her inside your heart, you are happy when she smiles, you are miserable when she cry, your love to Ran was so clearly, she always waits for you with an unchangeable heart. I have no reason, as well as getting in the love which was as beautiful as a dream of you two. Therefore, I tried to hide my love... until I realized I was not the only one who had that feeling... Shinichi, I...

Shinichi quickly lifted his hand to obstruct Shiho and shook glibly:

-Wait, wait... How are you today? April fool's day had gone so far. And Shiho, you're scaring me to death. Suddenly, you say you love me and realize I also have feeling for you. Shiho, to you I really don't...

Ran, who was tilting her head in fluster quickly raise her head, said in unison with Shiho even though they hadn't arranged before:

-What are you saying?

-What?

Shiho doubtfully looked at Shinichi:

-There is no reason why... Don't tell me that you haven't understood anything during this time.

Swallowing the coffee... dripped from his nose, Shinichi laughed off. That was the truth.

Taking a deep breath, Ran took all of her courage so as to look right into the strong-willed eyes of Shinichi, truthfully confessed:

-Shinichi, I love Shiho.

-Ok...wait...whattttttt?

-I love Ran, either, Kudo-kun.

-WHATTTTTTT?

Ran held Shiho's hand tightly, lifted up to Shinichi's face and asserted firmly:

-We're in love.

-In...in love?

-Yes, for three years.

-Three years?

-Yes. Shiho had always hesitated; she didn't want you to know, she said you were a friend, her very important alliance, so Shiho don't wanna lose you. I also don't wanna hurt you so I agree to keep secret.

-...

Ran stopped when she said those words, the slight flush on her cheeks made she looks cute. She also tilted her head thus she couldn't see the ashen face of Shinichi as well as the "stop it" expression of Shiho

-Nevertheless, latterly, you two are too close, he time Shiho stayed with you longer, care for me less. Shinichi is also adroit, your characteristics are alike hers, you can make her smile, even I had once thought that I like you, I fear; I fear that Shiho will be enchanted by you. Every day, Shiho works with you; sometimes she even has lunch with you and misses our date. Although it is for work, I still feel jealous. Moreover, at weekends, when we rest for going out, every time, you are there. I don't have time to spend with her, how can we enrich our love? I treasure you, Shinichi, but I also have my own love, you'll understand, right? Don't be so close to my Shiho...

The inspector's head was spinning around. Shiho suddenly screamed in a terror:

-Kudo-kun! Ran, call an ambulance. Shinichi has fallen unconscious.

The end

Grey.