The pub buzzed with drunken jollity as people danced to the music and drank to their heart's content. The reason for all the celebration was because tonight was the night a new year would be rolling in and people would begin fresh.
Among the festivity, a young man and a woman sat in a lonely corner, sharing a few drinks together while also discussing the case the man had solved a few hours prior. It had involved a no. 2 pencil, arsenic, a overboard lover's quarrel, and a woman's thirst for revenge.
"Such a easy case," The black-haired man said after taking a sip from his glass, "What I don't understand is women and their lust for revenge? Why can't they just let it go and find themselves a true man that loves them?"
The woman across the table from him giggled lightly before saying, "A woman's urge for revenge is much more powerful than a man's. That's why it's usually not that rare and shocking when a woman commits a murder just for vengeance. I hope that answers your question or do you have more, Kudo-kun?"
For a moment he looked at her, seemingly confused, before he gave her a curt nod and adverting his gaze towards the 3 glass bottles of wine. With a chuckle, he reached for one of them and pushed it towards her.
"Care for some Sherry, Shiho?"
A unamused look appeared on her face and she pushed the bottle back to it's original place. "Your jokes are getting old, Kudo.", she retorted.
"No they're not! Heiji finds them quite hilarious."
"He's only taking pity on you and your awful sense of humor."
"You bitch..." He grumbled, a frown on his face as he took a sip of his wine, which was starting to dwindle.
"Hey, it's the truth.", she said in a cool manner as she leaned onto her comfy seat with a smirk on her red lips. This received her another low grumble of curses from the detective. She reached for her glass of Rum to take a drink, avoiding the frustrated gaze plastered on the man's face, and put the glass to her lips. Out of the corner of her eyes as she drank, the man in front of her groaned, shaking his head.
"You know what I ask myself, Miyano? I ask myself this everyday...How the hell did I end up with a woman like you?"
His words almost caused her to choke on her drink. The question he had dropped had indeed surprised her. What type of question was that? She set her glass down and looked straight at him, but instead of looking back, he looked down at the table, making imaginary lines with his finger. "I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or a insult...", she said, quietly.
He laughed, "It's a compliment, but I'm serious. Remember when we first met? You know back when we were kids and you were in the same class as me?"
"Pfft, of course I do. How could I forget? That's when I first met you, the detective who thought he was all that and showed off every chance he had."
"That's not true! I never showed off once.", the man responded with a huff and a annoyed look.
The half-Japanese, half-British woman laughed out loud, shaking her head. How she loved to mess with him. Every time she did, it brought pleasing results. From across the table, he looked at her with a frown before saying: "You just love to torture me don't you, woman? That's what you like to do to me..."
"Well, it's not fault you're the most easiest person for me to annoy. Oh man, this just brought back memories. All the times I would tease you, good times indeed."
"Hah! To you they were, but not me..."
"Aww, you're hurt? I'm sorry if I hurt your little feelings, tantei-kun.", She teased, a smirk on her lips. The man gave a weary, annoyed look before looking down at the table and letting out a defeated sigh.
"Man, despite I was the victim of all your ridiculing...Those were good times. You and me watching after those kids and making childhood memories with them. Solving cases. The times you would help me and be my partner. I miss those days. Every night I asked myself, why did you change to chemistry? You could've worked alongside me. Me and you would've been unstoppable together."
Confusion was the only way she looked at him. Her ears couldn't believe those came out of him. That didn't seem like him to say those type of words. What did he mean? She shook her head and reached for his empty glass, moving it away from. "You had enough to drink, Kudo-kun," she quietly said, "The alcohol's getting to your small head. It's making you say nonsense."
"It's not nonsense. It's the truth."
"You're obviously drunk, Kudo. You wouldn't say those type of things, that nonsense."
"Shiho, I mean what I say and I'm serious, it's not the wine talking.", the detective insisted harshly, banging his fist onto the table and causing the contents on the table to move.
The auburn-haired woman shook her head, rolling her eyes, "Kudo, I know you. I know you very well that you wouldn't say shit like that. I'll believe you if you were sober and had nothing to drink. At this moment though, I find it hard to believe those words."
"Damn you, Shiho," he growled, "That's what I hate about you. Being so-ugh I don't know!! That behavior and your words! You always declined everything and insist on doing it!!"
Her brows creased into a frown when he said that and she retaliated, "Well, I'm sorry for not being a gullible bitch. Is that what you want me to be, Kudo? A gullible bitch like your girlfriend?"
"Don't you dare bring Ran into this. She has nothing to do with this.", He warned, pointing a finger at her.
"Oh, I thought the last time I checked, you said she was involved in everything and you meant everything."
"It's different in this situation! Goddammit, I just wanted to spend a good time here before the New Year's and you ruined it, just like you ruin every other occasion with your demeanor."
"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" She asked, looking at him with a deadly look.
He laughed, not intimidated at least by her glare. "It means you're a deadbeat, Shiho! A deadbeat!"
The woman gritted her teeth, her hands were now fists as she tried to control herself. "You're a fucking son of a bitch, Kudo," she growled, "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be in that goddamn body. You'd be stuck redoing 4th grade!!"
A smile crept onto his face before he spoke the words that would change everything. "Oh, yeah...Thank you, Shiho. Thank you for making the antidote and ruining two years of my life by getting me stuck in a god-forsaken body. "
"Fuck you, you piece of shit. I'm this close to slapping you in front of all these people."
"Do it. I don't give a shit."
That was it. He did it. He threw her off the edge. Without saying a word, she stood up and grabbed her bag and got out of her seat. Quietly, she began making her way towards the crowd of dancing people.
"Yeah go away!" The man hollered, frowning at her. "I never needed you anyway, Shiho!"
Despite the loud pop music and everyone cheering, her ears were still able to hear what he'd said and she turned around to look at him with a cold-hard stare.
"You're right," she quietly said,"You don't need me."
After that, she turned her back to him and blended into the partying crowd.
Kudo Shinichi tried his best to eliminate the ball of guilt inside him after the incident at the bar, but it was hard to. The next day, he didn't remember shit of what happened until later on. The memories from last night flashed back through him like a lightning bolt. He suddenly remembered their argument, his cruel words, and her face when those final words came out of her mouth.
The first thing he did was drive to her apartment complex, the place she was staying after Hakase had passed away from a heart attack. He reached out for his phone and immediately left her a text message the minute the light turned red.
Shiho about last night im fucking sorry
I never meant what i said
You were right i was drunk
I was speaking stupid shit
Pls forgive me
I'm on my way to your apartment now
Poor lad, he never knew that night would've been the last night he'd ever seen that woman with her icy turquoise eyes, aloof-yet-charming personality, and her flowing, strawberry-blonde locks. The minute he put his hands on the doorknob to her apartment, the door immediately opened to reveal a empty, barren room. The walls were stripped from all the photo frames she has hung up. The couches she use to sit on were covered in white sheets to keep the dust away. Everything that used to be decorated by her, was gone. It almost seemed no one named Miyano Shiho had ever set foot in his house.
He looked around, trying to search if she had left him any note of her moving, but he did not find any. Neither did she ever messaged him back. She left him on read. The last message he had from her was: Okay, I'll see at the bar : )
First of all, this is dedicated to Momocicerone who inspired me with her one of her Tumblr prompts XD. Second, hope that everyone enjoyed this small angsty oneshot?? The reason for the title is because of Mother Mother's Ghosting song :) Highly recommend it.