Chapter 9
Shiratori smiled at Mika across the table. They had sat at the table of an expensive restaurant, candles and flowers at it. "You look so beautiful tonight." Shiratori took sip of his red wine.
"Thank you, you look handsome too." Mika sent him a smile, hoping it wasn't an awkward smile, but as Shiratori's lips were still curled up, he must not notice how nervous she was.
"I remember, the first day I met you. You were fresh out of police academy, but you haven't looked uncertain or scared. On contrary, you looked very confident, and you've done excellent on your first case."
"Between you and me, I was scared." Scared like I am now. "But I wanted to work in the police since I was a little girl, and when I finally got my dream I knew I couldn't blow it."
"You're an excellent policewoman. I haven't told you before, but I fell for you the moment I laid my eyes on you."
"Really, I thought you had your eyes on Miwako then." Mika smirked.
"Well, I admit I felt attraction towards Sato-san, but it wasn't love. What I feel about you now is love."
Mika could feel her cheeks going red. Her heart beating fast as she observed Shiratori getting up from his chair, the hand in his jacket's pocket. He approached her and knelt on his knees.
"Takagi Mika, I love you more than anything in this world, and I want to spent the rest of my life with you." He took out a small black box and opened it.
Mika eyes widened as she stared at the ring with a diamond.
"Takagi Mika, will you marry me?"
"I-" Mika was lost with words. She just stared at the ring thinking of one thing. She wasn't ready.
Shiratori was still smiling at her, his eyes shined with hope. However, as Mika remained silent, the glint in Shiratori started fading. "I know you must not expect it, but you must know how much I love you I-"
"I can't do this." Mika blurted out. "I mean I'm not ready now."
"Don't worry we won't get married soon. I think our wedding will happen in a year time."
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be ready for marriage then. I mean I don't want to become a housewife and quit my career."
Shiratori got up, his eyes disappointed. "Do you really think I'll ask you to quit your career?"
"Eventually, yes. You'll expect from me to stay at home, clean the house, take care of the kids, and I don't want to do it."
Shiratori shook his head. "Mika, you know me for years, so you know I'd never force you to do what you don't want to do. It seems for me that you're making all those excuses, because you don't love me enough to want to marry me."
Mika snorted as she got up from her chair, almost knocking over it. "Don't love you enough? I love you, Shiratori, I love you so much, but can't you just understand that I'm not ready for the whole marriage thing."
"Whole marriage thing? You sound as it was something that doesn't hold any value. Marriage is the important part of a relationship. It's a symbol that two people want to spend their whole lives together."
Some of the customers started peeking towards their table. Even the waitresses sent them few glances.
"I know, I know, but I just don't want to do it." Mika held her tears back with difficulty.
"I see. Well, if that so, then I think we should end it."
Mika's eyes widened in shock. "You don't mean us. Look, I still want us together I do."
"Before you said you're not ready, now you're saying you don't want to marry me-"
"I meant I don't want to now, but in the future-"
"I said I don't mind marry you in a year or two or whenever you'd like to marry me, but tell me, Mika, will this time come?"
Mika opened her mouth to reply, but no answer came to her. She couldn't think of a time where she would like to get married. She just wanted to pursue her career and enjoy her relationship with Shiratori as it was now.
As she wasn't giving him any answer, Shiratori said, "Goodbye Mika."
"Shiratori! Shiratori!" she called after him, but he didn't turn towards her, instead he went towards the exit. As he walked out, Mika slumped back into her chair, her head in her hands, sobbing.
A waitress brought her a glass of water for her to calm down. It didn't help. She still couldn't believe that her relationship with Shiratori ended, and it was her fault. The most thing she hated that Shiratori was right. She didn't love him enough. She tried to vision a future with him as his wife, in their own house and kids, but she saw nothing. And she hated this feeling, because she truly wanted to see a future with Shiratori.
Akai brought Shinichi back to his parents, where he explained to Yukiko and Yusaku that his son had found out about his disguise, and hence he had had to involve Shinichi in. Neither Yukiko nor Yusaku were surprised. They only warned their son to be careful and teased him not to fall for the pretty girl's charm.
Akai only stayed there for few minutes as it was already getting quite late. He said goodbyes to Kudos and left.
As he strolled down the pavement, he noticed familiar figure.
"Uhm, Takagi-san?"
"Huh?" Mika raised her head, traces of tears on her cheeks.
"Is everything all right?"
She glanced at him, she bit her lips.
"Do you want to talk about what bothers you?" Akai asked, concern in his voice.
Mika stared at him for a few seconds when she blurted out, "Well, my life took unfortunate turn."
"I'm sorry. If you want to take out all your feelings, there's a cafe near by."
"Why do you care? You don't even know me."
"I know your name and that you treat your job seriously, which I admire." He scratched his chin. "But, you're right, I guess I saw you in distress and I got ahead of myself with offering help to you. But if you don't want talk to me that's fine. At least, let me call a taxi for you, so you can get safely home."
Mika stared at him for a moment, and then sighed. "Where's this cafe?"
Akai rose his eyebrow, and then a smile played around his lips. "I'll show you."
He still couldn't forget about Takagi Mika's resemblance to Miyano Atsushi. He had all sorts of questions. How Takagi family were connected with Miyano? Were Mika and Sherry related? From what he had seen from the last case, it seemed that Sherry had just met Mika, however even she had noticed Mika's resemblance to Atsushi. Yes, you just reminding me of someone, Sherry had said to Mika.
However, if Mika was related to Miyano, then why she wasn't part of the organisation. What she was doing as a police officer. Unless...
Mika and Subaru walked in to a small cafe. They sat in the corner. Mika ordered tea and Subaru ordered black coffee.
"Coffee? Isn't a little bit too late to drink a coffee?"
"For me every hour is good to drink coffee."
Mika nodded. They waited in silence for their drinks to be served to them. They waited maybe three or four minutes, however, for Mika it seemed longer. As soon as a waitress putted her tea down (and Subaru's coffee) she took her cup in her shaking hands, and took quite a long sip. She grimaced. She forgot to add sugar. She putted two sugars into her cup and took another sip of her tea. None of them said a word while they drank they tea and coffee.
However, after ten or fifteen minutes, Mika thought it was better to say something. She didn't want to go back home yet. She bet her parents and her brother knew that Shiratori had been going to propose to her. She wasn't ready to see their reactions, especially her parents who would be greatly disappointed in her. Wataru would be sad that Shiratori broke up with her, however he would understand where she was coming from. She could count on Wataru to support her.
"My boyfriend asked me to marry him, and I said I'm not ready, so he broke up with me."
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah."
"Do you want to get back together with your boyfriend, and married him eventually."
Mika stared into her empty cup. "He asked me when I'll be ready for marriage, and I wasn't able to give him an answer." She stirred cup in her hand. "If I must be honest with myself, then I just can't see the future with Shiratori. I love him, and I can see present with him, but just not the future. Does it make me a bad person for not wanting to spend my future with a man that I was dating for two years?"
"No, it doesn't, but why do you think it would make you a bad person?" Subaru asked with a calm voice.
"I don't know. I'm sure my parents expected from me to get married with Shiratori and start family. I didn't want to disappoint them, but I guess I don't have a choice."
"You should make choices that will make you happy, not the ones that others expect from you," Subaru said. "Besides, if your parents love you, then they'll understand."
"Yes, they love me, but they were never fully happy that I entered the police. I'm guessing they want me to get married, so I can quit my job."
"Hmm, your parents must worry about you. A job as a police officer can be dangerous."
"I know that." Mika frowned. "However, they can be too overprotective compared to my brother, and he's their real son."
Subaru stared at her for a few seconds, his eyes slightly widened, before he asked, "You're adopted?"
"Yes, I am. My parents adopted me when I was a baby."
"I see." His expression returned to normal. "I guess you don't know who your real parents are?"
"No." Mika sighed. "I was adopted through the close adoption. Well, I wish I knew who my real parents are, but I love my current parents and my brother. My brother and I were getting along since we were little." Mika smiled as she started to tell stories of her and Wataru when they were kids.
She didn't expect it, but talking to Subaru calmed her down. However, she was still worried about what next days would bring.
Takagi didn't have a heart to say to Shiratori, 'I told you so', after Shiratori had told him that Mika had said no to his proposal and that he had broken up with her.
Shiratori had called him and Chiba to meet him in the bar, where he explained to them what had happened at the restaurant. Takagi wasn't surprised at all that his sister had said no. Mika more than once had implied that she wasn't ready for marriage, however he didn't want her and Shiratori to break up.
"Look, Mika probably just need time." Takagi tried to assure his friend.
"I asked her when she'll be ready, but she didn't give me an answer." Shiratori took a sip of his drink.
"I'm sorry," Chiba said.
"Well, it's done. I guess I wasn't the one for Mika."
"You know maybe there's still a chance." Takagi comforted Shiratori.
"I don't think there is." Shiratori took another sip of his drink. He pressed his hand against his temples.
"I think you had too much of a drink," Takagi said.
"No, I can still have one."
"No." Takagi said firmly. " Chiba, help me."
Chiba nodded as he and Takagi grabbed Shiratori under both his arms and lead him out of the bar. Takagi thought it would be good for Shiratori to have some fresh air, before he would go home.
As they walked, Chiba exclaimed. "Hey, isn't it Mika?"
Takagi and Shiratori looked in the direction that Chiba pointed to them. They saw Mika and a man few metres away from them. Neither Mika or this man noticed them.
"Who is he?" Shiratori narrowed his eyes. Takagi and Chiba had to squeeze their grip on Shiratori to prevent him from charging at that man.
Takagi looked for a moment at the man, when he remembered. "We met him during the case today at the restaurant. He's a science substitute teacher at Shinichi-kun's school."
"Oh yeah," Chiba said. "I recognize him."
"I see Mika moved on already."
"Don't say that. They must bumped into each other," Takagi said. "Besides, you don't see they're holding hands or anything."
They observed how taxi arrived and Mika entered it, before giving a quick bow to Subaru. Soon after another taxi arrived and Subaru went into it.
Takagi was relieved that they had gone, because he doubted he and Chiba could hold Shiratori any longer.
"I don't care if he's a teacher, but if he'll do something to Mika, he would regret it." Shiratori clenched his fists.
Takagi wanted to believe that it was coincidence that Mika was with Subaru. Like he said before, they weren't holding hands, and they both went by separate taxis, but he had a feeling there was something more going on.
Vermouth stood in that person's office, a smirk showed on her lips.
"I know this look, Vermouth, you must have some interesting news to me," that person said as he looked bored from his chair
"I have. I think Shiho found her sister."
That person leapt off his chair, serious expression on his face. "How? Where?"
"Her name is Takagi Mika and Shiho met her during some case. You see, she's a policewoman."
That person's eyes narrowed. "A police-woman? So why do you think she could be Shiho's sister."
"Well, Shiho told me she looks like – her father." Vermouth smiled. "Of course it can just be coincidence. Do you want me to investigate it. We could find out something about Elena's background."
That person sat back onto his chair and pondered for a while, before they said. "No, kill her and her family."
Vermouth raised her eyebrow in surprise. "Are you sure, we could find out more about Elena."
"I'm sure. It would be careless of us if we start dig into police's business. It's better if we just kill that policewoman and her family."
"As you wish."
Vermouth wasn't surprised that the boss ordered the murder of the potential daughter of Elena, though she thought that maybe he would like to investigate it first. However, she agreed with the boss, Takagi Mika had to be killed and what was most important, Shiho couldn't find out about her connection with Mika and the truth about their mother.
