Note: For those who are only familiar with the English dub, read the end notes.
Quest for All Truth?
Taking care not to step too loudly or softly as she crept down the hall, a young woman wrung her hands in frustration. Her mission would be far from easy, she knew, and the risks far outweighed the certainties—but she had to do it. Ran only wished she was capable.
A loud tapping from behind made her freeze. She whipped her head from side to side, searching for the source of the noise. She only saw pale shafts of sunlight peeking through the tall, thickly curtained windows that ran along the eastern wall of the corridor. Nothing.
Tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear, Ran breathed to still the jitters of her stomach as she listened. Keep walking, she thought, and blend with the natural sounds. Shin'ichi once told her the easiest way to attract attention was not so much by making noise, but by causing unexpected sounds—and that included silence.
Replaying these thoughts as a mantra, she recalled what caused her fearful hiding in the first place. Questions floated through Ran's mind once again, persistent questions about a certain detective.
She felt like such a fool after all these years, avoiding the inevitable—in other words, avoiding what she was doing right now. But there was only one truth about this detective, and she would find it.
There! Ran thought, ducking as she rounded a corner. I've almost made it.
An intimidating set of mahogany doors, only a few meters to Ran's left, separated her from her goal. Peeking around the corner she had passed, a twinge of anxiety overcame Ran.She thought she spied a crouching figure, beside a Chinese vase, slip into the shadows—or was it her imagination?
She almost changed her mind and ran away, but paused, shaking her head. If Shin'ichi was in my position, she reasoned, he wouldn't back down for anything. But remembering Shin'ichi filled her with more worry, despite her newfound resolution.
Inching, step by step, her back pressed against the wall, Ran finally reached the doors. After grasping the twin brass handles with a whisper quiet turn, she was inside.
Bright sunlight filtered into the tall, cylindrical room. Rows upon curving rows of shelves filled her view; within them, she knew, waited the information that she had sought for so long.
Rubbing her sore, tight shoulders as she stifled a sneeze in the dusty room, doubt again crept into Ran's mind. Maybe—maybe I shouldn't, she thought. Closing the doors until only a crack remained, she peered into the shadows one last time. But I have to know.
Ran spied a sliding iron ladder from the corner of her eye. Her decision made, she sped to the ladder and climbed it; and then, she skimmed volume after volume under every imaginable label, but could not find the one that would supply her with answers. She was so absorbed in her search that she failed to notice the door silently swing open.
No, that's not it—here it is! thought a jubilant Ran. Clutching her find, she descended the ladder as fast as she could and held the book aloft. It was large, walnut brown, and leather bound; though the leather felt soft, the yellowed pages still turned easily in her excited hands.
Ran held her breath. The moment of truth—what's there to be afraid of? After all, Conan—
Suddenly, an arm held her fast as a hand covered her mouth, stifling her scream.
"Don't move," a deep voice whispered in her ear, before Ran could hide the volume in her shaking grasp. The man spun Ran around to face him; a grin played on his face as he spied Ran conceal the book behind her back. "Just what are you doing?"
"N-nothing," she lied, her eyes widening with anxiety.
The man laughed. "Oh, really? People usually go to libraries to do something," he added, peering over her shoulder, "like reading."
In a flash, Ran aimed a roundhouse kick at his head, which the man effortlessly avoided as he grabbed her waist.
"You know," he said, with another laugh, "I've had to build some defense skills to keep up with you, Ran."
Ran turned up her nose, again hiding the book behind her. "And I've had to build some defense skills for your snooping, Mr. Detective."
Shin'ichi arched an eyebrow. "Speaking of detectives," he said, as his wife cringed, "it looks like you've finally decided to check out the greatest one of all."
Biting her lip, Ran produced the copy she so valiantly had tried to conceal: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. With a groan, she replied, "Dare I ask how you knew?"
His eyes gleamed with amusement. "Elementary, my dear Ran," he began, with a wink. "First, when you told me you were going to dust the study, the twitch in your smile was a dead giveaway that you were hiding something; also, I found it odd that you didn't bring any duster, cloth, or wood polish."
Ran blushed at her blatant error.
"Then," Shin'ichi continued, "I decided to follow you, which you made easy by wearing your slippers with the black, imitation rubber soles—they always leave scuffs on the floor. When you passed the study, the scuff marks led toward the only other major room in this wing: the library."
Biting her lip again, Ran stared at her feet. Here it comes.
"Once I knew where you were going, it was obvious what kind of book you were looking for—because, as you well know," he concluded, "there's only one kind of book in this library."
Of course, Ran thought, her blush deepening.
Smirking, Shin'ichi leaned forward. "Which brings me back to my first question: what are you doing here?"
Ran's heart skipped a beat. "I just decided to—to look at a book, that's all," she said, faking a cheery smile.
"If that were true, you wouldn't have snuck away. There's some reason," he added, with a sidelong glance, "that you're not telling me."
Holding her chin high in a last ditch effort, Ran countered, "Maybe I just felt like reading a good detective novel?"
"Again, that doesn't explain the sneaking around," Shin'ichi said, chuckling as he crossed his arms. "So—what happened to not wanting to become a detective geek like me?"
Ran sighed in defeat. "Alright," she said, her resolute expression softening. "You want the truth?"
His face inches from hers, Shin'ichi nodded.
"Now that these books are also mine," Ran explained, gesturing to the massive library, "I figured I should finally read them and see what the fuss was about."
"Mmm hmm," Shin'ichi agreed. "But why this book?"
"Well, you've called Holmes the greatest detective," she replied. Then, her face flushed deep crimson. "I also figured it would be neat to read Conan Doyle because, well," she faltered as she stared at the floor, "someone I know thought well enough of him to—borrow his name."
To Ran's surprise, however, Shin'ichi neither teased her nor gloated about his victory. Instead, he circled his arms around her waist, leaned forward and, without warning, caught her lips in his.
Eventually releasing her, Shin'ichi strolled out of the library with his hands behind his head—leaving a stunned, blinking Ran in his wake. Grinning as he disappeared through the doorway, he said, over his shoulder, "Though it's not my favorite, that book is a classic."
Ran glanced at the volume in her hands. A smile played on her face as she spun on her heel, climbed the ladder, and returned the book to its shelf. Withdrawing another, she leafed through the pages and soon found what she wanted. Then, Kudou Ran wandered to a cushioned chair behind a nearby desk and, with a sigh of contentment, began to read The Sign of Four.
Author's Notes: Again, if you're only familiar with the English dub:
Kudou Shin'ichi: Jimmy Kudo
Mouri Ran: Rachel Moore
As you found out, I had them married in this story, which is why I gave Ran his last name.
On a side note, this story popped into my head and would not go away until I wrote, finished, and posted it. If it's necessary to make changes, I might remove and repost it at a later date.
Hope you enjoyed this! Please review!