from skybluescramble:
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DISCLAIMER:
Detective Conan /名探偵コナン
Gosho Aoyama©1994
::Memories in Mozaic::
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FRAGMENT #2:
Hero
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EDOGAWA CONAN woke up with a start.
"Nightmare...?"
He sat bolt up, sweating, only to find that he was still in his futon and Mouri Kogoro was sleeping on a bed beside him, snoring soundly. Nothing was wrong. He was still in his elementary grader's form, the people in Black Organization were still moving freely out there, and Haibara Ai was still desperately running from that cruel organization while trying to find the antidote.
Conan blinked.
Haibara Ai.
It was an alias for a shrunk girl who previously known as Miyano Shiho, or Sherry—an ex-member of the Black Organization and, to add more twist to his already-illogical life story, was the one who made the poison that made his body become small. He remembered once she told him the drug's name: APTX4869.
All of her family members were dead—her sister, Miyano Akemi, was killed directly by Gin and died in front of his eyes. Edogawa Conan always thought that if only... if only he was able to crack the truth faster, to solve the case sooner and found 'Hirota Masami' back then...
He could have changed the whole storyline of more than two people's lives.
Yet he couldn't.
He was too late.
Edogawa Conan was no a hero.
Neither Kudo Shinichi.
Ran always called him whenever she bumped into trouble, asking for his opinion or his way of doing things. Even now, she often did that. He knew he was depended upon, and maybe... he thought of himself as a hero. A hero who would save his damsel in distress.
His childhood friend and first love, Mouri Ran.
But to Haibara Ai... who was he?
She never considered him as her savior, he knew it. That strawberry-blonde haired girl who always made her own move, suddenly made her own decision—some of them were reckless and stupid in his opinion—and as far as he could remember, she never called him for help.
It drove him crazy.
This time was no difference. Ai caught a cold this morning and she needed a bed rest, but Professor Agasa wasn't home. He got an invitation to attend a worldwide science seminar in Nagoya and wouldn't be back before Sunday. Today was only Wednesday. There were still a few days to go until weekend but Ai acted as if she didn't need him.
Didn't she notice his signals of worry?
Conan sighed. Although Ai had already told him that she wouldn't mind being alone in professor's house, his mind wasn't at ease.
He turned his head, stealing a glance at the clock. 12:10am.
"It's already past midnight..." he muttered.
Without dilly-dallying, Conan rose on his feet and started to change. He picked a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved black T-shirt before putting on a hooded indigo parka over his shirt. He avoided choosing his favorite white jacket, because it undoubtedly would stand out in the night. '12:10am' was never a right time for an elementary grader to be out of house, after all.
When he arrived in Professor's house, Conan immediately went to the secret entrance connected directly to the basement. It was so quiet inside, even the soft sound of his slipper against the wooden floor could be heard vividly. He then proceeded upstairs, having Ai's bedchamber as his destination.
Silently, he turned the doorknob.
It wasn't locked.
Okay... this was strange. Haibara Ai never forgot to lock her door. She always said to him that it was in her nature as a girl to lock her own room—that stupid privacy's theory. So, why on earth this door could be opened a way far too-easily?
"Ai...?" he called, taking a step further. "I'm coming in."
No answer.
Conan looked at the empty bed in horror. No way!
He dashed out of the room quickly to check the living room. Empty.
Kitchen? No one was there.
Panic seeped into his veins. He entered the house from the secret entrance and he already saw no one in the basement, which now turned into a personal lab for Ai.
Where is she?
"Ai!" he called out loud in a desperate attempt of searching her. Nothing came as a reply. "Aiiii...!"
"You don't need to be that loud, Kudo-kun..." In a sudden, that soft, calm voice came from behind his back. "I'm not deaf."
Conan leaped in surprise, turning around to find Haibara Ai, cladded in white pajamas, standing up with her back leaned against the doorframe of professor's bedchamber. Her face was slightly pink because of the fever. She was sweating, too. To add more details, Conan could hear her breathing in difficulties.
"Wha-what're you doing there? You are sick, aren't you? Why aren't you sleeping?"
He was rambling. Admit it or not, a shot of huge relief washed the panic away from his mind after seeing the little scientist standing in front of him, still in one piece.
"I was having my beauty sleep until I heard someone call my name in a deafening voice," she replied.
Conan gulped, almost feeling ashamed.
"Where were you?" he asked her instead, hoping it would be effective to hide his embarrassment.
"In professor's bedchamber," Ai said.
"Eh?"
Then it clicked. He did skip professor's room; he thought no one would be there just because Professor Agasa wasn't home tonight. What a fatal mistake for a detective!
"I couldn't sleep in my own room," Ai confessed to him. "The image of someone sneaked in to kill me always played inside my head... and somehow I still cannot believe that guy whom you lend your house to."
She was talking about Okiya Subaru.
"That's why I decided to sleep in professor's room. I don't know what's got into me, actually." She ended her sentence with a small laugh. "Don't look at me with those eyes, Kudo-kun. I don't want your pity."
Haibara Ai was always like that.
How on earth did Edogawa Conan not know?
She was acting strong, pretending that she was okay... everytime she was definitely not. She barely cried—he only saw her shed tears once. She was an actress in her daily life (later Conan would love to compare her to Vermouth in acting skill... maybe).
She had been like that all the time.
But if only... if only he opened his eyes wider... he might see her subtle signs. Rare moments when she flashed her vulnerability only to him.
A small smile appeared on Conan's face with no reason.
"I'll spend the night here," he told her. "You can go back to sleep."
"I don't need you bossing me around." Ai remarked sharply though her voice was fainter than usual. As a matter of fact, the temperature of her fever when Conan measured her up this morning was 38.9°C and it seemed that her condition didn't get any better.
"Did you drink your medicine?"
Ai looked annoyed. "Yes, I did, Kudo-kun. You tell me to get back to sleep but you keep on investigating me. How funny."
"Sorry. You'll find me in the living room if you need something."
"You're kidding, right?" Ai sounded unsure. "You won't spend the night here, will you?"
"Yes, I will." Conan replied in his stubborn determination. "Don't complain."
"I don't remember calling you. Basically, you came uninvited."
Why did you come, Kudo?
"I know," he smiled. "Just sleep, Haibara."
I told you I'll protect you.
Conan watched her small figure as she shrugged nonchalantly, turning her back before disappearing behind the wooden door of Professor Agasa's bedroom. Her leaving brought back the silence, but his eyes had not left the door yet—as if he could see her through a solid object.
Haibara Ai was not a damsel in distress.
Edogawa Conan was not a hero.
Both things existed only in a fairytale, and this was a reality they were living in.
In reality, Edogawa Conan was only a detective.
And Haibara Ai was the one he wanted to protect.
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end of the second fragment.