"Hakase? Where did Shin go?"

It was an hour later when Ouji-kun and I came back to the study room, only to find hakase and no Shin. "Ran-kun came and I thought it would be better if Shinichi lived with someone else. That way, the people who did this to them wouldn't immediately link Conan-kun to being Kudo Shinichi."

I was about to ask a more serious question when Ouji-kun chirped in. "Conan-kun? Where did he get that name?" Barely hiding my laughter, I ruffled Ouji-kun's now blond hair. It was a wig I found from deep within my closet. I used it before in a school play. We would have to bleach his hair later. "He probably got it from his favorite author, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle."

I let that sink in before I glanced at hakase. "Would it be possible for you to take in Ouji-kun? Yūjin and him can't live in the same house so I'm having the marmoset live with me." There was a visible pout on my best friend's lips, childishly crossing his arms. Hakase agreed with a smile. "I don't mind, Shinobu-kun but..."

Hakase sent Ouji-kun a shaky smile before looking at me. "I don't think he agrees."

I... facepalmed at the face he was making. He suddenly latched onto me with his teary-eyed expression, my face exploding in varying shades of red. Holy cheesecakes, what're you doing?! "But I want to live with Shino-neechan, too!" I didn't know if it was possible but I think my face burned an even brighter red at his cuteness...

... what the cheesecake was he doing?! His face... His face is so close to my—

"... fine."

I didn't notice nor hear hakase chuckling at us with amused eyes. I also didn't notice how Ouji-kun smirked in victory because I was too focused on calming down my racing heart. Cheesecakes, Ouji-kun is gonna be the death of me someday.

"I'm... I'm gonna pick up Yūjin from the vet. Hakase, please show Ouji-kun the guest room nearest to mine. Thank you."

"A-Ah, Shino-chan! Wait—!"

I quickly picked up my coat and left the mansion. I was sure my face was still red, not from the cold but from embarrassment. Ouji-kun was so close... I looked at the night sky, then at my wrist watch.

It was only seven and the vet closes at nine. I might as well buy dinner while I'm out. My worry from earlier completely left my mind. I was no longer in a frenzy. My heart was calm and my mind was finally collected. My thoughts were finally running in a steady flow.

Things were going to get even more difficult at this rate. Additionally, I don't know what I was going to do once Kotei-san finds out what happened to Ouji-kun. I faintly remember him mentioning how... he stalked us. I felt a shudder run down my spine at the reminder.

I was near the vet when someone suddely wrapped an arm around my shoulders. My reaction was instant. I grabbed the stranger's arm and using their own weight against them, I flipped them over me and onto the ground. The people around us stopped to look at us but I was pretty sure when they saw me, they went back to their own business.

I managed to hold back a facepalm at their reaction. "That was kinda harsh, Shinobu-chan." I felt goosebumps all over my body at his voice. Who would have thought that he would pop up when I just thought of him?

"What are you doing, Kotei-san? You startled me." He rubbed his lower back as he smiled at me. I flushed red at his expression. There was no trace of that malicious expression on his face.

That startled me more than anything else, to be honest. "You're heading to a bar without Noir. Did you get into a fight?" I blinked at his words before I glanced at the vet. Well, what I thought was the vet.

... how the cheesecakes did I mistake a fudging bar for a vet?!

I grew flustered at my own mistake. "Th-That's not it! O-Ouji-kun and I-I d-didn't get into-into any f-fights!" I squeaked out as I covered my face. Oh my cheesecakes, I'm so embarrassing!!

"You're picking up Yūjin, correct? Why don't I take you?" I instantly shook my head, turned around, and brought out my journal. The vet was near Ran's home. How did I even get here? I was four streets away! I heard footsteps following me, making me uneasy.

"I can take care of myself, Kotei-san, so please go away."

"I know but," I felt the hair at the back of my neck stand up from how close he was to my ear. "Do you really want to get lost again, waste time, and pick up Yūjin tomorrow instead?" I looked at my wrist watch. I wasted an hour out getting lost to this street. I frowned. I'll probably make Ouji-kun even more worried if I come home so late.

I still denied his offer and started speed-walking away from him. "Tsk. Tsk. You're being adorable, Shinobu-chan." I was about to retort back as soon as we turned a street when a kid riding a dog passed by me.

That had me blinking. Was that my brother just now?

My feet immediately ran after them, Kotei-san right beside me. I clicked my tongue when I lost sight of my brother when Ouji-kun's brother grabbed my hand and pulled me with him. "Wha— Where are you taking me?!"

"Heh." I could barely see the smirk on his face as we entered Futatsubashi Elementary. "You were following after that kid riding a dog, right?" Words never left my lips as we heard thuds and groans inside the warehouse in front of us. Alarmed, I broke free from his grasp and entered the building.

My blood ran cold at the sight of Shin lying on the ground with blood streaming down from his head.

Without any second thoughts, I grabbed the stranger's arms and broke his arms without feeling any remorse. There was a sickening crack echoing in the building as this man crjed out in pain and for mercy. I didn't give him any.

First and foremost, no one, and I mean, no one touches and harms my family with a few exceptions. "My, my, Shinobu-chan can be quite a terrifying woman when she wants to be." I glanced at Kotei-san and found a little girl hugging him around the waist, his hands covering her ears. Oh, I blinked.

I should thank him later for doing that.

"N-Neechan?"

I found myself glaring at Shinichi as I gently picked him up from the cold hard floor. "What were you thinking, Shinichi?" He flinched at the tone of my voice. "I just thought I lost you and now you are actually going through with it?"

"Th-That's not—" I hushed him. I caught Kotei-san smirking and I knew, then and there, that I would have to explain everything to him. Ouji-kun's gonna be furious.

"You were being stupid." He remained silent. I sighed at this. "I'm just glad that you're alright, Shin."

Someone bursts into the room, startling us. "Conan-kun!" It was Ran and her father and a... dog? She blinked at me, then at the little boy in my arms. "Shin-neechan! What're you doing here?"

"I found it strange how a kid was riding a dog in the middle of the night so I followed after him. I came just in time to get him out of a... dangerous situation." There was a moment of silence before her half-lidded eyes finally unnerved me.

"Uh-huh, and you didn't get lost following after him?" I flushed bright red. I hate being directionally challenged. "That would be thanks to me." Kotei-san suddenly appeared beside me. I noticed that the little girl was talking to two men with Ran's father. Heh, when did they arrive?

Ran looked at me, then at Kotei-san. She repeated this several times before asking, "Were you two out on a date?"

"NO!" Shin and I yelled out together, him in frustration and me in embarrassment. I huffed before handing Shin to Ran. "Please patch him up. I will go and take care of that man." Ran sheepishly smiled at me as I approached the whimpering stranger.

No one will harm my family.

I got home in the morning. We had to give out reports to the police all night and I was getting anxious as I near my home. I picked up Yūjin on the way home. Thankfully, the vet opens early in the morning I got the marmoset before going home.

... the thing was, Kotei-san decided to walk me back and Ouji-kun had been standing in front of the gates with his arms crossed and a dark look in his eyes.

I gulped.

"Pfft— hahahahahahahahahaha! Look at you, Noir! You're so cute! How did you even get this small?"

I sweatdropped at their interaction before freezing when Ouji-kun's eyes pierced right through me. "And where have you been, Shinobu?"

Holy cheesecakes, he called me by my name.

oooOooo

Kobayashi Ouji

And when he had just vowed to himself last night, Kotei had just come and ruined everything.

Why can't just that idiot stay away from his Shino-chan?

He wouldn't even stop laughing at him, calling him cute and adorable and loveable and all those stupid things. Only Shino-chan can call him that... and she hasn't called him that at all even after all those years.

He grimaced.

That was his next mission... after he got rid of Kotei anyway.