Ran couldn't get the image out of her head. The way they stood so close together, lips over lips within an inch apart. And I just like a random stupid girl spoiled their sweet moment. The look he gave Ryouko was such intensive with undivided attention. In turn, Ryouko looked up at him with equal passion and adorable innocence. The scene looked like magic as in every Ran's dream but sadly, she was not the main character.
Cracked. Broken. Scattered.
It was the price she had to pay for disobey her mother's word 'Love is the light of your soul. We 're dark inside out". Living in the dark for too long, you will find light too glaring
She should have restrained from him
She should have exercised extra caution.
It all started from the beginning she was forced into the same group with him in chemistry class. Although the plan didn't turn out as Ran expected but she still managed study group for herself, Shinichi and Shiho. Of course, its purpose was to bring Shiho and Shinichi together and it worked. During the study session, he and Shiho talked a lot. They keenly engaged in highly advanced topic conversation that Ran felt completely unfamiliar. She felt like a student listen to two scholars discussion. Her affection for him grew from her admiration for his savvy and profound knowledge. It rare to find people that have the same wavelength with Shiho. Even Shiho was taken aback and respect him so Ran found her attraction to him was normal and didn't consider it as a threat to make her fall. Ran didn't aware that she looked at him intently while he was reasoning, presented his point. She started to like chemistry and did some research on what they had discussed. She loved seeing his determined bright eyes, hearing his clear masculine voice.
Everything would stop at admiration if he didn't come for her in the empty sport hall that day. He blew her mind away by his deduction and melted her heart by his generosity. Ran didn't expect he would notice an ordinary person like her. Everything about him was special. He could show deduction for everything and she was glad to be one of many objects in his observation.
Not only did his intelligent amaze her, his physical charms also irresistible. The moment Ran aware that all of her sense was full of him. Her curiosity got the best of her. She forget mama said it was a dangerous sign of falling in love. She always remind herself Shinichi was not for her and she didn't plan to win his heart.
It was just the first time she expose to this sensation. It's was fresh and foreign to her. She loved it. Contended, blissful and secured in his arms. Ran trust him as much as she trust her mother but it bear the difference at the same time. In her mother's shelter, Ran felt blessed as her life was well-kept away from harms. In Shinichi's embrace, she felt safe even if her life was obviously endangered. It's the protective side of him engulfed her in peace and serenity. No one ever did that to her but he must have done it for everyone. She was very certain she was not the only one. If so, could she …
Could I cling to it for a little bit longer?
Could I indulged these feelings at least once in life?
Living as Cherry meant her life could be stolen anytime. Fail an assignment or being discovered might lead to fatal punishment. She just want to experience the crystal of happiness before death stopped her. Is it too much to ask for?
She pampered her heart responding to his touch. Ran realised her increase heartbeat in elation for the very first time instead of in fear as in the past. Her blood ran vividly through her vein every time his hot breath on her skin.
She knew it wasn't love. How on Earth he fell for her? Just a thought made her intimidated. Impossible. A false feeling of being love when she with him at the cinema. But it enough to satisfy her little heart. If the feeling was mutual, wouldn't it be the most jovial? Why mama told her keep away from it?
It had to wait until her heart painful to beat and her lung struggled with breathing as her eyes caught his sight with another girl, then she knew her mama was right.
Loving someone meant you allow him to hurt you.
Shinichi with someone else was a matter of fact. She fully acknowledged that but she couldn't imagine it was too arduous to face it.
How to get her out of this?
Stop loving him, silly girl.
/
/
To end this suffering, finish the assignment and leave this strategy.
However, her first step to approach the heiress and tag a hearing bug on her hadn't made any progress yet. Ran couldn't get acquainted and be friend with her as described in the instruction. As usual, she would consult with Champaign but the first thing he would ask was why the instruction has failed. And Ran couldn't honestly told him it's because of Shinichi. Thus, she had to deal with it alone this time.
Ran, be creative
She couldn't just randomly meet Ryouko while wandering around school. The only place Ran could stay in closest proximity with her was Teitan Grand Opera House- Panto theatre and the only thing nearest to Ryouko was the piano. If Ran could conceal hearing bug somewhere on the piano, it will attach on Ryouko when she practised playing.
Good, Ran
But she needed material to camouflage the hearing bug. It should be something similar pattern with the piano skin or the sitting bench. The thought led her to the art storage. There was numerous equipment randomly laying on the floor and sloppily piled up on the shelves, invaded all the aisle for walking. Ran struggled with steps by steps moving in the dust-filled space. All her senses had been knocked out by the thick layer of grime dancing over the place. Ran had to narrow her eyes to avoid the floating particles from getting into her vision. Breathing became difficult as Ran coughed intensively. One hands clutched tightly to her chest, the other blindly searched for something to hold on and stabilise herself. Her fingers touched a rough and firm texture, just when she intended to grasp on it, a force launch in between her and the rough texture. She heard loud noises of many heavy things falling down.
After all the chaos, the first thing Ran recognised was a very familiar scent. Timber hood and peppermint. The aroma lingered in all her dreams recently. Could it be...?
As if being turned on by a switch, her mind quickly registered what just happened. Ran was shielded behind Shinichi's back from the collapsing piles of equipment. He standing there, his back facing her, one of his arms held up as if an armour restraining the crash of the equipment, the other spread open in attempt to protect her.
But instead of gratitude, Ran build up antipathy for him. How on Earth he appeared from nowhere and ruined her plan. Why didn't he continue to ignore her and stay with his scarlet sweetheart? Why bother to save her? She didn't need it. If he was good, she didn't have to come to this place to carry the plan. If he was good, she would have achieved her goal in an easier way. Where was he when she felt forsaken and intimidated?
The warmth of his hand wrapped around hers sent Ran a mixed feeling. Bothered, fluctuated yet astounding. When she get out of this dark filth room, she would yell at him. She couldn't understand his hot and cold attitude. Sometimes very caring, the other times, so disdainful. She couldn't bear it anymore. All the raged swirled up inside just waiting to burst out, sudden got caught in her throat. She couldn't utter any sound. Words left her when she saw streams of blood running along his temper.
She looked at him dazzlingly, her hands gradually held up, her little fingers tried to reach him.
Shinichi. I'm sorry
But his arms were quickly, his palms cupped her cheeks, gently wiped the tears away.
Ran! He flashed her a loving smile, enjoyed the contact of her hands on his cheeks
I'm Ok. He brought their heads closer. Their forehead touched.
Her eyes looked at him, as if giving up to her own sensation. Her brain stopped fighting, allowed her heart to live a moment of its dream.
"Shinichi!" Sound of running steps approached them.
Ran closed her eyes, woke up from her wild dream, and slowly detached herself from his grip.
She forced a weak smile "Thank you, Shinichi"
See you later. He mouthed the word to her as if not to disturb the moment.
Ran quickly make her leave.
Shinichi turned to his friends.
Two guys came to him first.
"Kudo, you lost us" the dark-skinned handsome guy said between his breaths.
"Who's that girl?" it's seem the most concern of one of his best friends who cladded in white suit at school
"Heiji, Kaito don't bombard him with questions, get him to the clinic first" finally Ryouko arrived, suggested the most important action, regarding his wounds.
/
Ran stayed in class. Her eyes glued to the open notebook on the desk, tried to withdraw the early incident. But her ears listened intently to the smoking hot news her classmates was spreading around. Shinichi, the valorous hero recused his beauty Ryouko, and as reciprocal, his scarlet was treating his wound. Everyone was hoping for a happy ending of Teitan High fairy tale, Shinichi would soon confessed to his princess.
Her head got dizzy, spinning in vain. They all got it wrong. She was the one he recused from the musical storage. She should be the one treating his wound. She should be the one beside him right now. She should be…!?
.
Ran, there's no "should" nor "shouldn't" here.
Whoever he saved didn't matter, the one who well-matched and deserve him definitely not you.
Remember the reason why you left him at the first place?
Exactly. Accept it. Don't let jealousy get in your way. Don't make yourself an ugly person.
Do you demand from him too much?
Am I demanding too much?
Blaming you, loving the one you shouldn't love.
.
Now Ran realised how she let despair and sorrow swallow her bright spirit. She just focus on how he indifferent and arrogant toward her.
He didn't act as cordial as she expected.
.
Get the fact, Ran.
You couldn't expect him to treat you specially. You are not special to him.
That's the way he treats girls in general. You wasn't the girl in need anymore.
Don't be carried away by emotion. Don't indulge yourself in faux impression.
Wake up! Stop dreaming.
What he made you feel are true but what you though he felt are false.
Ran, you couldn't be loved!
Instead of drowning yourself in despondency, sparked a light in your dark tunnel. Cherish the moment when you still live with him under the same roof. You should happy that he considered you as his home mate. You should satisfied that he still care for you every now and then. You should content with what you got.
Don't demand to be loved
Don't let your own affection fool yourself
It's easy to get carried away and forget who you are, where you come from, why you are here and what your purpose is.
Finish this assignment quickly and came back to where you belong.
Where everything was kept in check, understood for you. Where your emotion would be stable like a straight line, horizontally with the x-axis, not fluctuated going to the peak then dropping down to trough like a sinx graph.
.
Ran felt ashamed with her own fantasy, didn't know what the heart put her brain going through. Unaware that how she let it go that far.
This evening, she determined to start again, adjust her own feeling. Establish the normal atmosphere with him. Luckily, he didn't know what's going on with her.
Luckily, he didn't care.
Ran felt happier than the past few weeks. She aware what caused her negative thought and unhealthy sensation. She need to get rid of her unrealistic desire.
To obtain happiness, you either maximise your means or minimise your demand.
It's so true.
/
/
Shinichi come home late this evening. Ran heard the front door cracked open.
She looked herself in the mirror, inhaled, exhaled. She needed to act as if she bump into him in the kitchen by chance as she refilled her water jar. Couldn't let he know that she had waited up for him.
Quickly Ran or he would go to bed.
Ran made her way downstairs. Relieved seeing him looked for something in the refrigerator, Ran couldn't utter her prepared line greeting him. It caught in her throat and she didn't know why her heart beat faster and her cheeks got redder by the minute.
"Ran" he called her as seeing her standing frozen at the kitchen threshold.
"Hi Shinichi… you're home."
"Yeah…"
"…"
"Are you coming for the water?" he gestured to the jar in her hand
"Oh yes" Shoot me, how on Earth you forget your skit?
Ran made her way to the water station in the kitchen. Pouring water, she kept thinking how to continue the conversation, how to keep it normal and naturally. If she didn't speak up anytime soon, he would said good night and both parted for bed.
"Shinichi…"
He looked at her.
"Thank for saving me this afternoon" she turned to face him.
"That's nothing. You're welcomed" he smiled
How to make the conversation going on? She didn't want to say 'good night' yet.
"Your injury? Do you feel hurt anymore?"
"Don't worry, Ryouko did a good job"
"Yeah, sure" Definitely, how would she forget it's his sweetheart treating the wound for him.
She gave him a best smile she could at this moment and returned her focus on the water. She had to end this conversation as soon as possible. It's enough for now. But she had to congratulate herself for doing a good job as well.
"The jar is full of water…." Ran kicked herself. He didn't want to know that triviality thing, wrapped up said goodnight and headed for bed, silly.
"Oh if you have finished…" before Ran could open her mouth, Shinichi was more quickly
"Yes?" butterfly erupted in her stomach, didn't know what happened next.
"Could you mind replace the bandage for me?"
She couldn't believe in her ears. Wh—what?!
"Sure, no problem…" she successfully put the jar down without breaking it. "I'll get the first-aid"
Shinichi settled down on a couch, waiting for her. His mood was so relaxed and couldn't get any better.
Ran came back, settled down next to him. She cleaned his wound first. And proceeded to wrap bandage around his head when Shinichi suddenly stood up.
"Ran, I got a phone... maybe an urgent one from…Ryouko"
"OK, I nearly finish…" bewildered Ran looked at him clueless. Tint of hurt flash in her eyes but she quickly concealed it.
"I can manage it later. Thanks, Ran. Night" He quickly walked out of her sight.
Ran still couldn't grasp what happened but she didn't care any less. It's not her business, it's about him and his sweetheart.
Anyway, she felt light-hearted now as if withdraw a heavy stone on her chest.
Back to normal, back to her place. If the heart always obedient and listen to her brain, it would be so much easier for her.
/
A/N
Hello, sorry for the slow update.
Filled up with joy due to the latest chapters of Shinichi boy and Ran girl, revealing the story on how the two first met. I've got so excited. I'd love to imitate him tell a story in Ran and Shinichi different perspective as well. This chapter is Ran's perspective, the next one will be Shinichi's.
I'm still selecting the scenes to portray Shinichi's POV. Let me know if you have any particular scenes in mind? Or should I just continue the story as normal for quicker proceed?
Thank for your reading and comments
Twink, xoxo
