KudoEdogawa presents...

""Always""

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Chapter 7::

"Kudo Shinichi!!" Heiji ran towards his friend. "There's no escaping now Kudo. You're coming with us to meet Ran." He grabbed on to Shinichi and forced him to leave.

"Let go of me you big loser!" He managed to free himself. "Who are you and what do you want?!"

"I want you to come with me to recover your memory!"

"You can't force him!" Shiho interrupted. "He's very disturbed right now!"

Heiji stared at Shiho. "It's okay, Shiho," Shinichi said. "I think he knows me..., I want to talk to him, alone."

Still slightly worried, Shiho left, leaving Shinichi standing there with Heiji, and Kazuha still waiting in the car.

"Can you at least tell me who you are?" Shinichi questioned.

"I am Hattori Heiji," Heiji replied, annoyed. "I am the most famous detective in the west, also the second most famous detective in all of Japan, or even, in the world."

"Second? Who's the first?"

There was a brief silence...then...

"......, you are." Heiji said. "You, Kudo Shinichi, are the world's greatest detective. About four years ago, you encountered the most dangerous underground crime ring. They fed you a drug that was supposed to kill you, however, instead of dying, your body rapidly devolved yourself into a seven-year old.

"For two years you hid your true identity and hoped for clues of that organization, hoping to find an antidote to bring your old self back. Then two years ago, your chance came, the organization's activity increased highly. With carefully plotted plans, you, a seven-year old, was able to completely mess up one of their most dangerous experiments. Their base was destroyed, along with their leader, and the few survivors were arrested. You were able to retrieve a permanent antidote and turn back into Kudo Shinichi.

"Then, a week ago, you came to England, hoping to find some evidence for the case that you're currently working on. However, you were involved in a car crash and lost your memory."

As Heiji's talking, Shinichi could see more images in his head. There was a boy, clothed in blue with a red bow tie, surrounded by other kids: a girl, a boy, and another boy who was kind of fat. The image shifted to two cruel-looking man in black, one of which had blonde hair and laughed menacingly. He could see the red ruby ring, slowly fading into images of the car crash, and the picture being blown away.

"Kudo! You have to come with me! We can help you!" Heiji shouted and attempted to grab Shinichi.

"No!" Shinichi yelled and struggled with Heiji. "No! No! No!" He grabbed his head again in agony. "Who are you?!" He shouted at the image inside her head--the girl with the brown hair, always waiting for him. "No!" he said again. "I won't go with you! I can't go with you!"

Heiji was stunned, and after a while, he said. "You're having feelings for that Shiho girl, aren't you?"

Shinichi's eyes widened, and a feeling so familiar, yet so foreign came in his heart. What is this feeling? Adoration? He's pretty sure he's felt it before? But how? When? How can he have had this feeling with someone else before? There is no memory of such person who is so sweet and kind and helpful to him that can make him feel this.

"No!! Stop it!!" Shinichi grabbed his head again and ran away.

"Oy!! Kudo!!!" Heiji yelled, and started to chase after Shinichi.

"Stop, Heiji." Kazuha said from the car. Heiji walked slowly back to the car.

"I tried, yet I failed." Heiji said sadly as he sat down on the driver's seat next to Kazuha.

"It's alright," she said, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Give him time, he just needs some time alone to really think about it. I bet you soon he'll be back with us." She gave Heiji another kiss and they drove back to the agency, thinking that they might as well stay in Tokyo to see how things turn out.

~*~

Shinichi ran the whole night, and finally stopped until the crack of dawn, he came to a place--Mouri Detective Agency--it looked familiar to him, but he really don't have anymore energy to think about it. There was a cafe beneath the agency, he decided that he'd have breakfast there.

He sat alone at his table, slowly sipping a cup of coffee. He watched as a woman walked past the window and came in the cafe. She had her hair tied up in a bun, holding a briefcase, and looking very superior, Shinichi thought that she must be a teacher or a lawyer or something. Eri walked into the cafe, looked around...

"Shinichi-kun!!" She shouted. Shinichi looked up, it was that woman, she knew him! An automatic feeling of fear and rejection struck Shinichi, however, he did not hide from her, somehow he know that that she is wise, and she may be the person that can actually help him.

"Shinichi!!" Eri said again, walking towards him. "I would like to talk to you." That unknown fearful feeling about this lady made Shinichi gulp. "I know you have a lot of confusion." Eri said, sitting down opposite of Shinichi. "And I know what happened. The Osaka teen, Hattori Heiji, dropped by last night and told me what happened. I will help you."

~*~

Ran was wandering around her hometown. Somehow, without Shinichi, nothing feels right. She decided that she would go to the shopping mall...coincidentally, the blonde girl also had the same idea.

Ran wandered around the mall the entire morning, and then deciding that she's hungry and went to the food court. She sat at the food court alone, eating her lunch, until a pretty, blonde girl came up to her. "Hey, hey!" Shiho said in a cheery voice. "Mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

"Not at all, go ahead." Ran said, glad to have some company. They ate lunch together and got to know each other.

"My name's Shiho, I just came from England." Shiho said while biting down on her chicken sandwich.

"Really?! I just returned from a trip to England as well!" Ran replied.

"Cool! Why did you go there?" Shiho asked.

"Well, um, I was just touring." Ran lied.

"I see. Well, what's your name?" Shiho asked.

"Ran, Mouri Ran." Ran said, dipping her fries into ketchup.

"Nice to meet you, Ran!" Shiho offered her hand.

"Nice to meet you, too!' Ran shook the hand.

They spent the rest of the day together, shopping for clothes and complimenting on each other, offering to pay for each other, and talking about their hobbies. They parted by sundown, each feeling more cheerful despite each of their events the previous night. They gave each other their phone number, ready to become great friends, and unknowing that they will be fighting for their love against each other really soon.

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