az: R&R as usual. I tend to jump from episodes to episodes. So the order of the fic coming out are not chronological. If you'd like to see the proper list, just check out my wordpress.

Letting go

Written by Izzu alias honou-no-izumi

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I wonder... if this was how it felt like to really be mourning. This time it felt different. Compared to last time...

Perhaps because this time, it was real. This time, he knew the reason why it had happen. This time...

It wasn't a lie.

"Ainosuke-kun?"

He glanced up towards the voice as Detective Kato gave him a concerned look.

"Ainosuke-kun? Perhaps it's better now for you to let him go."

He blinked at him numbly. Let what? Let who go? Kato-san only stared at him back as he looked down on towards the form lying on a stretcher before him. Oh.

He turned back to look at Kato and finally noticed the other people waiting behind him.

"Ainosuke? Did you hear what I'm saying just now?"

Ainosuke shook his head. No, he didn't want...

For some reason, his tears started to fall again. Without thinking, he leaned forward to cradle his brother's limp form again.

"No, don't disturb his sleep. Don't... please. Just don't... Kato-san!"

Before he realised it, he could feel someone firmly pulling him away from his brother and out of the ambulance as few others of the hospital staffs took his brother's body out.

"No. Wait!"

The person who had held him earlier released him from his grip as Ainosuke made a move towards the hospital personnel. But he was stopped again, this time by Kato-san. It was only then when he had noticed the sling on Kato's arm.

"Ainosuke-kun... there's nothing that you could do for him anymore."

The moment Kato's statement hit him fully; Ainosuke felt the grounds collapse from underneath him. Before he could fall, Sayama Hitomi caught his body as both remained crouching on the ground. Ainosuke cried again.

"Ainosuke-kun!"

"I was supposed to save him, I was supposed too... I know niichan must have wished for that. So why? Why can't I save him? Why?"

"Ainosuke..."

Not even paying attention towards his surroundings, Ainosuke let out a soft sigh before everything blacked out on him.

xxx

"I hadn't expected... for things to end up like this. Really... Sakisaka, was really Ainosuke-kun's older brother? Moreover... he's behind all of the cases we've investigated all this time?"

Sayama got up on her feet as she stared at him.

"That's what I've been telling you... and that was the reason that Ainosuke had been able to have those intuitions—actually, visions—about the crimes in the past all this time. And that's why... that's why... this was very hard on Ainosuke."

Kato shook his head, still in disbelief.

"But really... I still find this hard to believe. Then again, all these times... I did used to notice how Sakisaka often exclaim how Ainosuke had amazed him. Sometimes he even said it with a very fond tone! I had always thought because he also found him to be an interesting kid. I never thought... they were actually real brothers..."

Kato suddenly frowned as he glanced towards Sayama-sensei.

"Wait... I thought Ainosuke's brother was long dead... that body before—"

"That was his assistant," Ainosuke suddenly spoke as he got up from the bed. "Brother had him killed because he had tried to steal his laptop. That was why he used the lab explosion to fake his death. That way, he can cover up the reason as to why the body's face was destroyed... making people believe that he's dead."

"Ainosuke-kun!"

Ainosuke glanced towards Kato.

"I'm okay. It's just... I really wished I could save him in time. I really wished..."

He sighed.

"Niichan was correct. It was too late to regret now. It's useless to cry. I should have expected this outcome. I should have prepared for this the moment I've decided to stop him from continuing with his plan. That by doing so, I might end up really killing him."

Ainosuke started laughing uncharacteristically as this worried Kato and Sayama-sensei.

"How could he'd be so sure? That I... would really... end up killing him without any thought. I really hadn't thought of him possibly going to die this time, when I made a vow to stop him. For everyone's sakes. I really... without realising, I really had killed him."

"Ainosuke..."

Sayama sighed as she walked slowly beside him before wrapping her arm around him.

"It's not your fault. I don't think your oniisan would blame you for this."

"I know..."

Still, that did not convince the tears to stop falling...