KudoEdogawa presents...
""Always""
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 10::
"Shiho..." Ran whispered in a betrayed tone. "Is he...Kudo Shinichi?"
"Oh!" Shiho said. "So you knew him...I'm sorry Ran. I didn't mean to lie to you, but there were a lot of people trying to catch him." She shot a nasty look at Heiji. "But now that I know that you knew him already, I didn't need to keep lying!"
There was an awkward silence, during which time seemed to have stopped moving. The atmosphere was so tense that it made all the people passing by uncomfortable. Ran was looking at Shinichi; she can't believe it. All these time she's been crying for him, waiting and searching for him, only to find that he's hooked-up with another girl? What is the world coming to?!
Shinichi was eyeing Ran carefully. After all this time, she happened to be friends with the Osaka detective?! He's so stupid! Why didn't he talk to Heiji longer, he could of gotten some answers about Ran. Shinichi searched his mind about this girl... and there was nothing. All he knows is that his heart is telling him that she is important to him. But who is she?
Heiji stood behind Ran, wordless. Rage surged through his body and his hands rolled up into fists.
"You little..." Heiji's fists were faster than his words, before any of them had time to identify what had happened, Heiji's punch had came in contact with Shinichi's face. Shinichi have been punched and fell on the ground, blood smearing his face.
"SHINICHI!!!" Ran had ran forward and helped him to his feet. Shiho was shocked. Could it be? Shiho had heard Ran's voice, not any voice, but a voice with a tone of care, a tone of friendship, and a tone of...
Love.
"You traitor!! You're absolutely disgusting!! PATHETIC!!" Heiji roared and was ready to strike again.
"HEIJI!!" Ran screamed as Kazuha held him back.
"ALL THESE TIME WE'VE BEEN WORRYING ABOUT YOU!! CARING, AND SEARCHING FOR YOU!! AND WHAT DO WE GET AS A REWARD?! TO FIND YOU ALL HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY WITH THIS...THIS WOMAN! WHAT ABOUT RAN, HAVE YOU-"
"That's enough Heiji!" Ran said. "He's disturbed! He's suffering from amnesia! Just stop..."
"BUT RAN!! THIS LOSER... HE MADE YOU ALL... HE..." Heiji paused, catching his breath and trying to phrase what he was trying to say. "HE ABANDONED YOU FOR THIS GIRL!!! AND HE'S PROMISED TO ALWAYS GIVE HIS LO-"
"I said THAT'S ENOUGH, HEIJI!!!" Ran walked up to Heiji and whispered. "I'd let him go..., if that's what he wants."
Heiji's eyes met Ran's determined expression. Her love to him was too great and powerful. Heiji silenced.
"I'm sorry, Shinichi, Shiho." Ran said, approaching the two. "He's just a little, um, tense. By the way, Shiho, I've got you a present." She reached into her bag and handed her the brooch. "I hope you like it..."
"Ran, this is beautiful..., thank you..."
"Well, now that's taken care of, let's tackle the coasters!!!" Ran yelled happily, her sorrow and pain hidden behind the veil of happiness.
~*~
The day was slowly coming to an end, Ran, Heiji, Kazuha, Shinichi, and Shiho stayed to watch the final parade and the firework display before heading home. There was complete silence inside Heiji's car. No one dared spoke. The car stopped in front of the agency, and it started to rain. Ran wasn't bothered by the rain, the pain in her heart was more disturbing. Heiji and Kazuha accompanied her two the third floor, where she smiled a strained smile and said goodbye to them. With heavy feelings, Heiji and Kazuha went down to the guest room in the second floor.
"Ran, dear. I've made some soup, would you like some?" Eri came out of the kitchen.
"No, thanks, Mom. I'm tired, I'm going to sleep." Ran said, hiding her face behind their Christmas tree, leaving Eri standing in the doorway to the kitchen, a worried look on her face.
Ran locked her door and began to sob silently.
~*~
Shinichi is walking all by himself in Beika City Park, still trying to remember Ran.
I'm trying, I'm trying
To remember you
Your face, your voice
Your gentle embrace...
I'm trying, I'm trying
Yet I'm still alone
Alone
All by myself
Unknowing of you...
With this mind, with this heart...
In which you don't exist.
~*~
December 25th
I went to Tropical Island with Heiji and Kazuha today..., what seemed at first a promising day turned into an unbelievable torture. We met Shinichi there, with Shiho. Just the night before, I called her and she told me that she's got a new boyfriend whose name is Hikaru. Think how badly hurt that I was when I found out that "Hikaru" was actually my Shinichi. Though she gave me a reason why she had lied, my heart, my love for Shinichi made me unwilling to forget her.
Heiji fought with Shinichi. It was terrible, I had to tell them to stop. We tried to seat them next to each other on one of the coasters, bad idea. They got off the ride with bruises on their faces. Heiji repeatedly tried to tell Shinichi who I really am...but I stopped him. I have no idea why I did that...but I've decided at the end of the day.
I love Shinichi.
And I'd let him do whatever he wants.... He is no longer mine. And I would let him go...
No matter what happens, I'll always love him, and always be on his side. I would let him go.
I've decided to get a job sometimes soon. Dad's agency's been pretty much dead ever since Conan left. Although the money Mum gets from being lawyer is enough, I don't want her to be the only one supporting the family. I'm old enough to handle serious responsibilities, just as I am old enough to make my own decisions about my love life. And that decision is that I would give up Shinichi...
A drop of tear fell from her face onto the diary, staining the paper.
Oh, stop it! I've told myself to stop crying, it's time to toughen up a bit. Ah, it's started to snow, and I thought that Christmas this year is going to be dark and miserable. Looks like it's gonna be a white Christmas after all.
There's voices outside the room, and Ran decided to join the voices. She went into the living room to find Heiji and Kazuha there.
"Merry Christmas!!" They shouted joyously to her.
"Merry Christmas, Kazuha-chan, Hattori-kun. Mum, Dad." Ran replied with a smile.
Eri carried out loads of food from the kitchen, and the five of them sat there together, talking and eating together. For that short while of time, Ran was able to forget about her pains and laugh like a normal girl would. Kazuha popped her CD into the stereo which began playing Kuraki Mai's Winter Bells, as well as other Christmas carols.
Eri held up her glass, containing her apple juice. "A toast to Christmas."
The rest of them held of their glasses and clanged them against each other. "To Christmas."
"Merry Christmas!!!!" They shouted, their joyous voice loud enough to be heard throughout Tokyo.
Somewhere in Tokyo, Shinichi lies in his bed, preparing to sleep. "Merry Christmas..., whoever you are." He whispered to the image of the brown-haired girl and went to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was going to post this chapter waaaaaaaay later...to build the suspense...but Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is coming out tomorrow, and I guess I'm going to be busy reading, so I'm posting this chapter now...enjoy!
