Simple yet Complicated

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Chapter Two

It was raining that day, which Ai took as gratitude. She was supposed to accompany the Detective Boys to some dumb Kamen Rider show on some dumb park after school (of course with Conan suggesting it), but the rain would prevent that from ever happening. And she thanked it.

Ignoring the teacher, she gazed out of the class room window smugly, watching droplets of water pour down from the gray tinted sky. But of course, due to her seat's position, gazing out to the window without having Conan in the view was impossible. Even though he was scribbling something on his note book and paid not attention to her, it was still frustrating. The mere sight of him would almost always send her mind reeling back to a certain event that involved drinking, a bet, a tape recorder and blackmail. Not the least enjoyable.

She let out a soft sigh. Maybe she was going to forget about it for once. The rain had such soothing feeling that she couldn't help but forget all about her problems and continued watching it fall.

Watching the rain was an old habit. Sherry would always watch the rain from her lab. It had become the only solitude that kept her sane during those times, apart from infrequent meetings with Akemi. It had, in a way, become her friend. It reminded her that freedom still existed out there and that maybe, she would experience it once again. That little dream was the only thing Sherry possessed that hadn't been taken away by the organization.

Ai was lost in her thoughts, until she realized that the torrent had become thinner and thinner, until it disappeared completely.

Oh- crap.

Maybe going to that dumb show was inevitable, after all.

---

Ai looked at the mirror and flinched. What was staring back at her was horrid. It was herself, looking like a clown. Yes, she was wearing a PINK FRILLY DRESS.

It was horrid.

It was terrible.

It was disgusting.

It was nauseating.

It was repulsive.

It was sickening.

It was appa- "Ai-chan, you look great!" Ran exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

Yeah, and you look like a super star compared to me. Ai thought bitterly, rolling her eyes. She could hear muffled laughter coming from a boy she would gladly strangle to death with the pink bow she was holding.

Her eyes narrowed into slits, "Find this so funny? Why don't you try it yourself then, Ku- Conan-chan"

He stopped laughing. It was no mere slip of the tongue when she almost exposed his identity. He understood. Any wrong move and he would certainly feel the wrath of Ran's kick.

"Uh, no," He stuttered weakly. "I think I'll just watch TV until you're done."

He slowly retreated out of the room, the cold gaze of Ai he could still feel on his back.

---

"It's not that bad, okay?"

"Not that bad? It wouldn't look that bad on you, but right now I look like a clown, or a prostitute, or a target for pedophiles."

"Would you two stop bickering? I'm trying to drive here."

The two tiny figures on the back seat went silent, obeying Agasa's demand. Conan stared at Ai, and he received a hateful glare back.

He snorted, "Keep frowning and you'll have to do a facelift when you're ten."

She acted as if he didn't say anything and instead started a new topic. "Kudou? I was wondering, what would you do once the antidote is finished?"

"I-"

"Because," she cut in, her voice soft, "It's… completed."

He stared at her wide eyed, unable to process the news. Then the confused look turned into a look of disbelieving.

"Re- really?"

She nodded.

He let out a joyful yelp and pulled her in a bear hug.

"Thank you, Haibara! You're the best!"

Ai calmly brushed him off and rummaged through her pink frilly dress's pocket. She tossed a small box at him.

He opened it enthusiastically and plopped something into his mouth without even looking at it. His observant smirked at the scene, but she quickly hid it as he turned her way.

"So, when is this going to work?"

A brief pause. "Soon, Kudou… Soon…"

---

Ai got out of the car and looked around, totally oblivious to the mini detective behind her, which didn't look very well.

She continued to stride forward, but stopped when Conan tugged at the hem of her pink frilly dress, motioning her to turn around.

"What the heck did you just gave me?" He started, clutching his stomach from pain.

Her trade mark smirk beginning to form, she answered callously, "An antidote, what do you expect?"

"But, what the hell does it has to do with stomach ache?" He moaned painfully and continued, "Have you ever invented something that's not painful?"

Her eyebrow rose slightly, hiding the fact that she was deftly enjoying seeing him suffer from immense pain. Heck, if there was a show featuring him suffering, she'd be the first in line to watch it. Not that she was a sadist or whatever; she just enjoyed watching him, and only him, and maybe some other people, suffer. "It's phase one, Kudou, it will soon end, and you will be back to your old self again."

He eyed her suspiciously, ignoring the growing pain. "Are you sure the pill that you gave me was the antidote?"

She didn't need to answer; he was already racing past her to the bathroom.

Phase one completed, and now this dress…

Ignoring the occasional glances of strangers and their remark of how 'kawaii' she was, she began to find a solution to get out of the pink frilly dress.

Step 1: Analyzing

Scratch that, already did, look like a clown.

Step 2:

"Ai-chan!"

Theory

I look like a clown. Done.

"Ai-chan!"

Step 3:

…this isn't helping.

"AI-CHAN!"

Ai snapped towards the direction of the shout, and then she saw Ayumi making her way between crowds and towards her.

Once she reached her, Ayumi immediately shouted what she knew she'd shout, "Oh, Ai-chan, you look kawaii!"

Ai bit her lower lip bitterly; being told she was cute by someone ten years younger than her was definitely not flattering.

"Yeah, not to mention that I would easily be the next target of a pedophile freak." She retorted.

"Pedophile?" Ayumi asked, wide eyed with wonder.

"Yeah, pedophile."

"I mean, what's a pedophile?"

Ai paused, this question was unexpected. She agonizingly searched for the right words to explain the term without being too explicit and harm a child's still-innocent knowledge with foul terms.

"It's, ah-" She began, this was the rare times she would actually stutter, not throwing down sarcastic comments at anyone for asking such silly question. "It's a term used to describe someone, mainly adults who have the tendency to mo- like children well bellow their age."

Ayumi's mouth formed an O, but then started asking questions again.

"My mom and dad like me, so does it mean they're pedophiles too?"

Ai was beginning to have a hard time explaining the complexity of the term pedophile. "No, please bear in mind, that your parents are not pedophiles, so do not regard them as being so. What I mean is, an adult that does not only like the child, but lusts for the child."

She realized what she had just said.

Oh- damn.

"Lust?"

It was only then that she realized how sex ed. should start from play group.

She looked around, searching for a savior that would save her from answering that question, and luckily, she spotted one. And her so called savior spotted her too.

Conan walked towards her, fuming. He had been through hell at the bathroom, and he was a hundred percent sure it was Ai's doing.

"Haibara and her idiotic, immature antics," He muttered angrily. He was about to just charge towards her and demand explanation when Ayumi blocked his way, looking as cheerful as ever.

"Ne, Conan-kun? What is lust?"

"What?"

---

Mitsuhiko stared at Ai, then blushed. He lowered his head to his bangs would shadow his face and hide his beet red face. Even though he was sure he did it quick enough that she didn't notice it, he still had a feeling that she knew.

"H-hi, you, eh, look great today…" He trailed off.

"Thank you, Mitsuhiko-chan." Then, to his surprise, she smiled. Please note, she smiled, not smirked or any other action synonymous to that. But what really surprised him, was that she called him Mitsuhiko-CHA-N. He was too happy to even notice that she had already walked past him and addressed Ayumi, Conan, and Genta with the same way she addressed him.

And he didn't notice the restraint on the last part of the name. Or how she exchanged death glares with Conan, or how Conan kept tapping his pocket with a rectangular object bulging from it. Or that her smile didn't reach her eyes.

He was oblivious.

---

At approximately eight o'clock, they parted, each one heading towards different directions, except Conan and Ai.

Mitsuhiko stole a glance at Ai as she went into the car.

"Mitsuhiko-chan…"

He noticed her change of attitude. How she called him Mitsuhiko-chan now, how she smiled more often. It wasn't the usual smirk, but a smile. And she directed it at him.

Maybe, just maybe, he would just have a chance with her…

Continued…

This is going to be an MxA story, HA…HA! Just kidding. Anyway, I somehow have a prediction, that soon, the bet will not be the main focus of the story, you guys good with that? If you don't want it to be that way, please kindly say so, and I'll uh- revert the story back to its original focus.

Mata ao ne! (Oh, and please review!)

Btw, I am an Indonesian (winks).