A scream tore through the peacefulness and quietness of the atmosphere in the posh sophisticated restaurant.
The young teen didn't stop once in his conversation, though it was obvious that he was getting restless. Fidgeting, his eyes occasionally averted to the source of the sound.
The girl, right across him, smiled. She understood perfectly what he was going through…
They had known each other since childhood…
All the way until now…
Who could have known him any better?
Sure she was dying to know what he wanted to say…
But…
She knew what he wanted to do right at the moment…
With a slender arm, she propped her head up, and her glossy black hair shimmered under the lights. Lips formed a knowing smile and large blue eyes twinkled.
"Go… I know your mind is on the case right now…
I won't run away…
I'll be here…"
The boy got up from his seat and murmured apologetically. How many times had he done this to her?
"I'm sorry Ran, I'll be right back!"
The girl looked at the boy's diminishing figure as he disappeared down a hallway…
I'll just be waiting right here…I've waited so long for you already…
What more are a few minutes?
Just promise me, Shinichi, promise me…
That you'll make my waiting worthwhile…
Come back soon…
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Meanwhile, in another part of the restaurant, the same boy who occupied the girl's thoughts at the moment, was wrecking his brains hard for answers to the crime…
Yes…That had to be it!
That had to be the way he had killed him!
He must be the killer!
There can only be one truth…
Unconsciously, he raised one hand up to the side of his face and brushed the beads of perspiration away…
Why was it so hot in such a classy air-conditioned place?
----------------------------------------
The image of him surfaced in her mind once more…
There was never a day that she had stopped thinking about him…
So what was the important thing he had wanted to tell her?
The appearance of the waitress interrupted her thoughts momentarily, and small talk between the two soon led to a revelation of a secret…
"Be prepared… 20 years ago, after solving a case, a man had proposed to his girlfriend right at this very table! Good luck!"
Winking, the waitress left the table, leaving a very confused Ran all alone, waiting for Shinichi to return…
Shinichi wasn't going to propose to her…
Was he?
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The evidence had finally been found!
The boy's lips curved into a knowing smile…
So that was how he had done it…Yes… He could finally solve the case and produce the substantial evidence to support his deductions…
Just a few more minutes and he would be back with Ran…
But…
Why was it so hot?!
A searing pain tore through his insides, rocking his entire body, causing spasms of pain to jolt him in numerous places. With one hand pressed hard against the cold hard wall of the hotel, Shinichi clutched his stomach with the other, in a futile attempt to ease the pain.
Déjà vu… No!Not now!
He could not shrink now!
Not at such an important moment!
Not before he could see Ran in his real body one last time!
Not before he let the chance to tell her his true feelings slip again…The urgency of the situation demanded him to solve the case immediately before he shrunk right before their eyes. As usual, the people around were astounded by the flawless deduction skills of Shinichi Kudo. Amazed and bowled over to the point that they were speechless at perfect how the pieces of the puzzle fitted, the people took some time to digest what he had just said, and when they had finally gotten over it, he was gone…
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Unknown to them, the high school detective was in the Gents, looking into the shiny surface of the mirror. Looking at his reflection…
The image of Shinichi Kudo…
Please…
Please!
Don't let me become little Conan again!
She's still waiting for me!
Not now…
The pain finally exceeded his threshold of it and blackness filled his vision as he slowly slid onto the floor of the Gents…
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"Have you heard? The case is solved! You'll be seeing your other half soon!"
The excited waitress, a hopeless romantic giggled at the protests of the girl. Yet in the midst of her protests, the girl stopped.
"Conan? Where's Shinichi?"
The little boy, half panting, opened his mouth. But even before his next words came out, she knew what he was going to say…
She knew what had happened…
Shinichi had left her again…
All alone…
She had waited…
He never returned…
"He'll come back…"
"No! I don't want to listen…
… to any more excuses…"
Hands clasped over he ears, Ran felt her heart breaking, as a surge of emotions, strong like waves of the ocean broke over her. Tears formed a thin moist layer over her large blue eyes.
Why?!
Why must he do this to her?
Didn't he know how hard it was for her to wait for him all this while?
Was her waiting even worthwhile?
Would he ever return and stay forever?
The little boy looked at her.
He didn't want this to happen either…
It was beyond his control…
What could he do about it?
He never wanted to return to this child like body ever again!
He was left without a choice…
The look on her face made his heart break.
He didn't want to hurt her like that.
He was a seeker of the truth. Yet here he was… Lying to her, deceiving her…
Making her wait for him without knowing for sure if he could ever return to face her as Shinichi Kudo…
Breaking his promise to her…
I'm sorry Ran…
"He'll be back… He promises you that… Even if he dies, he will still come back…
He wants me to tell you… that until his return… you must wait for him…"
Promise?
Wait for him?
How many promises have you broken Shinichi?
How much longer must I wait?
Her lids covered her teary eyes, hiding her emotions, closing the windows to her soul…
I'm sorry Ran…
I didn't want things to turn out this way…
I'm very sorry…
But that's the only I can thing do…
Wait for me…
I promise you…
That I'll come back…
Just…
Wait for me…
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Disclaimer: This belongs to Gosho Aoyama. I don't own any of the characters or whatsoever.
A/N: This is a part taken from book 26. I've just rewritten and translated it, emphasizing on their feelings rather than the events. Please give your comments and review. Thank you.