Disclaimer: Nothing but the story belongs to me...
The Way It Goes
By: t0ky0-chan
Chapter 1: Losing You
It took 5 years before the miraculous reappearance of Kudo Shinichi. It was as if time had stopped for 5 years, and suddenly, it began again, except 5 years later. Ran had graduated from high school and college without Shinichi by her side, yet no matter how long she waited and how much she wanted to give up hope, there was always a part of her that wouldn't step away from the hope that he might just return one day, be it on the day of her wedding.
On the his fifth year of a mysterious disappearance, Kudo Shinichi walked down the wet street, hands in his pockets, hair wet and dripping, not even giving a care that his clothes were soaked through to the blue boxers underneath. As the man walked leisurely down the street, he seemed deep in thought about Ran and what to do when he saw her. Just as he was rounding the corner of the street leading to the second story room where Ran dwelled, a shot rang out and Shinichi felt a stab of pain through his chest. He looked down and saw red. Staggering a bit, but not slowing down his pace, he reached a hand out of his pocket and touched the hole in him that the bullet had gone through. Behind him, a trail of red was left in the puddles of the street, diffusing with the muddy rain water and becoming a dark and dirty red.
Wincing in pain, Shinichi gritted his teeth and continued on toward his destination. I have to see Ran again, as myself. Just as Shinichi was going to start his ascent up the stairs, another shot rang out. But this time, Shinichi didn't feel the pain of the bullet, he slipped on the first step and fell backwards. No....not now..... Everything became dark.
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Ran gasped. Waking up from her sleep, she found she had fallen asleep at her desk, probably from the stress of her job as a model and her father's demanding attention. Ran rubbed her head, thinking the gunshot she had heard was only from her dream. Stretching her arms straight up above her head, Ran yawned. Making her way to the door of her room, she turned off the lights and opened the door. Just as she set a foot outside the doorsill of her door, she heard another gunshot. This time, it was right downstairs and definitely not a dream. Ran cried out in shock and ran out her door, out the front door and down the stairs, barely stopping in time on the second step to stare in shock and horror at what she saw.
Half of her wanted to scream and half of her wanted to cry. There, lying dead and bloody on the floor right in front of the stairs was Kudo Shinichi. The water on the floor was a dirty red and Shinichi was definitely dead from the big jagged cut on the side of his head. There was blood gushing out of the jagged wound on his head, and it continued to drip into the puddle in which Shinichi's head lay. A bullet wound through Shinichi's leg wasn't bleeding much, but it let out enough blood to dye the ground and water puddles red. The chest wound was open and still bleeding while some of that blood had already dried and turned dark red.
Ran screamed, bringing out tons of neighbors and awakening her clueless father upstairs. He rushed down to see what had happened, and found Ran sobbing next to the dead body of Shinichi. Understanding, her father called the police and the ambulance.
It was 10 minutes later when both parties arrived. Officer Megure was horrified at what had happened to the son of a long time friend and a very good partner. Takagi and Satou stood in stunned silence, which later became a hysterical screaming contest of cursing whoever committed the crime. Even Shiratori was present, standing off to the side, sorrow or anger neither showing on his calm expressionless face.
With much hesitation and sorrow, Officer Megure announced that Shinichi had first been shot through the chest a block from Ran's house, but as he continued his destination, Ran's house, he was shot again in the left leg, just as he was going to climb the stairs, causing him to slip and fall to his death by hitting his head against the cement.
"He died upon impact," Megure said, his voice quivering.
Shiratori continued, "We're going find out who did this, please don't worry."
Ran's sobbing could be heard in the background.
Kogoro ran a hand through his hair. "I never really like the guy, but Ran was his childhood friend so I didn't stop the two of them from being together. And now this happens......I really don't if Ran will be safe, Officer....."
"She should be fine. Evidently, it seems Kudo-kun knew something that those murderers didn't want us to know. That may also be the reason why he suddenly disappeared 5 years ago. I had heard reports of a 'Kudo-look alike' wandering around, so I was about to come out and find out and then your call came in, Mouri-kun." Megure looked like he had aged 10 years in the past 20 minutes.
Kogoro hesitantly nodded. "Alright, but if I feel any sign of danger, I will call for you. Please send some men to protect her."
"Will do. And try to keep the reporters from knowing anything." Megure tipped his hat and got back into his patrol car.
Kogoro watched the flashing red and blue lights disappear around the corner and sighed. Why does like get so complicated? That damn boy, if only he hadn't come back, then Ran wouldn't be like this. Kogoro glanced over at his daughter and walked over to her, taking the wet and shaking girl into his arms.
"Ran, let's go inside."
"NO! No! No, no, no....." Ran sobbed, clutching at her father's shirt.
Kogoro reached under Ran's knees and picked her up, kicking screaming and all, and carried her upstairs to the warmth of their house. Setting her down on her bed, he said, "Change into a fresh set of clothes and try to get some rest. I'm going to call your mother. I'll see you in the morning." He kissed her gently on the top of her head and shut the door softly.
For a while, Ran sat in her dripping wet clothes and shivered. Finally coming to her senses, she pulled off the wet shirt and got out a dry one from her drawers and then changed into her pajama pants. Lying herself across the bed, she hugged her pillow and whispered, "Shinichi.......why did you leave me?? And when I had waited for five years too!!" With tears falling from her eyes, Ran cried herself to sleep.
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RING. RING.
The sound of the phone sounded loudly through the spacious hallways of the Kisaki residence. A sleepy and groggy woman dragged herself out of bed and growled into the phone.
"Who's calling me at this time of the night??????????????"
"Eri."
Eri's eyes grew big and she became alert with recognition of the voice of her separated husband. "Kogoro? Do you know what time it is? I have-"
"Please listen to me."
Eri frowned. There was something odd about him.
"I need you to come home."
"Home? I am-"
"Look, Kudo Shinichi was murdered tonight in front of our house. Ran was the one who found the body and she's need a woman to help get through this. Count this as a beg or a plea from me. And I apologize for our fight which caused this all. Right now I don't care about my dignity or reputation. Ran's more important. You should understand, don't you?"
"......."
"Eri?"
"Call me a cab. I'll be downstairs in 10 minutes." With that, Eri hung up and ran off to prepare a few sets of clothes. She had a feeling this visit was going to last longer than she expected.
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Upon reaching the house, Eri immediately saw the fallen spot of Ran's childhood friend and anguish rose up in her heart. Walking up the steps, she knocked lightly on the door. A few seconds later, the door opened. Husband and wife stared at each other for a few seconds, then Kogoro moved aside to let Eri in. Taking her suitcase, he set it aside the sofa and shut the door after her. They stood staring at each other in another awkward silence.
"Thank you for coming," Kogoro said, breaking the silence. "I wouldn't know how to deal with Ran when she wakes up in the morning. She's already crying in her sleep."
"Ran.....it must have hurt her pretty bad.... All these years she's been waiting for him to return, and now....before they can meet, he gets....."
"Don't say it. I'm surprised that even I feel guilty. I admit I wasn't much about them being together, but at least it kept Ran happy and I'd give anything to see her happy again...." Kogoro shook his head. "It's late, let's turn in. You can sleep on the couch here or on the floor in Ran's room. I would believe you wouldn't want to sleep in my room....." With that joke, Eri saw a twitch of a smile at the corner of his mouth.
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Ran woke up the next morning with a terrible headache. Groaning, she realized it must have been the rain and the crying. Crying......Shinichi!! Sitting upright in her bed, she found her mother sleeping on the floor next to her. "Mom?"
Her mother didn't hear her, but from the regular breathing, she knew her mother was still asleep. Slipping out of bed, Ran grabbed a jacket and left the room. Upon turning the corner to the bathroom, she crashed into her father.
"Dddad!"
Kogoro smiled, patted her on the head and squeezed around her so she could use the bathroom. Ran stared at the retreating figure of her father, until he shut the door of his room and she turned away. Brushing the long brown hair from her face, she gazed at herself in the mirror. Her big, red and puffy eyes stared back at her. The sight of herself reminded her of the tradegy that took place last night.
Slidding down onto the floor, Ran put her face in her hands and began sobbing silently again.
"Oh, Shinichi....why did you have to leave me??"
From someone, she heard a faint whisper.
"I have not left you. I am still here, a spirit to protect you....."
"Shinichi?"
There was no answer.
"Shinichi??"
"Do not be afraid...I will always be with you, like I promised...."
"Shinichi, is it you?"
There was no answer.
"Why? Why can't you be here with me?"
"It's the way things go....I cannot change my destiny and you cannot change yours....but we can accept it willingly and make the best of it.....remember I'll be here...." The voice faded away and the presence Ran felt a moment ago was gone.
"Was....was that Shinichi?"
Leaving the bathroom, Ran decided against telling her parents the weird encounter with some 'spirit'. But in her heart, the dreadful tragedy of losing Shinichi still hung deeply in her heart. Three years ago, she had lost Conan, the dear little brother that was always there for her. He was almost like a little Shinichi there to take his place, but he had left after staying for two years, returning to his parents, leaving Ran alone and by herself again. And now, Shinichi, the one she had waited for five years, had also left her.
Ran wanted to call Conan, but she had no idea what his phone number was. Tired and exhausted, she returned to her room. Taking out her cell phone, she dialed Conan's old cell phone number. After he had left, Ran had too busy and never tried to see if it still worked.
RING RING. After two rings, someone picked up.
"Hello?" a boy answered.
"Conan-kun?"
"Who is this?"
"Conan-kun, I'm Ran."
"Ran-neechan!! Sorry I didn't recognize your voice. Wow, hey it's been three years!"
Ran smiled a bit. So he hasn't heard...."Umm, Conan-kun....Where are you? Can...can you come back?"
"Come back? I.....I.....maybe I'll have to ask. Ran-neechan, what's wrong?"
At the soothing voice of the over-intelligent young boy, Ran broke down and told him everything. "Shinichi's dead, Conan-kun.....I can't believe it....I almost thought that I'd have no one left and then I thought of you. You were always there when Shinichi wasn't so....maybe, if you could, could you come back? I...."
"Ran-neechan, I'm going to get on the next plane to Tokyo. Wait for me. I'll be there. Don't cry, please."
Ran hugged the phone, the one connection to the only person she could lean on now.
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You might be wondering why Conan's still alive when Shinichi's dead, but you'll find that all out later. I didn't plan on making anything real bloody, but if you feel I need to make the rating higher, tell me so. I promise there won't be much of that anymore...Tell me what you think. I want to write this in dedication to those who died in the tsunami. I really didn't plan on making a dedication, but I feel it fits. Please review and tell me what you think. See you in the next chapter!