Firstly, thank you ALL very very much for the very very sweet reviews! To answer the questions:ungu- petite:The story takes place after Shinichi returns.. that means they are around 19/20or olderand I dont think that is too young to marry,what doyou think?To everybody else: SORRY about the cliffhanger but I can not help it and SORRY very much for taking so long! But school is just murder...Please be patient with me... Kisses to everybody and a big fat one to the girl this story is for (küsschen Maus) Apropos, Cherry: "Thank you... lalala" ;)


Chapter four

One surprise follows the other


Heiji walked around his room with the note in his hand. He had by now read it about twenty times and was still brooding over it unvoluntarily. He had not officially decided to solve the unknown mystery but he did have to admit that some part of him was already trying to solve the question After all, he had been bored to tears only a few minutes ago.

"Ride a circle down and up, to reach the stars above… hm.. stars, what could they mean? Circle, what is round and huge as you can reach the stars…? Or maybe you only THINK you can reach then? Hm.."

He paced up and down the room, thinking very hard about it until he had an idea.

'Could it maybe…?'

Heiji was looking up the huge moving circle. He was looking around for any sign of something unusual, not knowing exactly what he was looking for.

"This is insane!" he murmured, not sure at all he had picked the right place described in the mystery. He turned left and right, looking for a sign. A sign he had no idea what exactly it was. It was almost impossible to find something here, in this crowed place.

He looked up again and all the lights of the houses and rides around him caused Heiji to shut his eyes for a second. Was the amusement park really the right answer? Although he was still full of doubts, he had to admid his detective intuition had almost never failed him before. But where to search? He had no idea and there was no other clue hidden in the paper he was still holding in his hands.

'Hm.. the place of bliss and love?' he could not imagine what kind of sense this was. Sighing he decided to walk around the Ferris wheel. After all, he had nothing better to do and he wanted to find out the mystery behind this riddle.

Looking up at the lights the wheel was producing, he had to grin for a second. An image of him and Kazuha in teen age came into his mind, from the last time they had been here together, riding exactly this Ferris wheel. It had been a great trip and he had enjoyed being with her all day. Back then they had ended their little trip here, up in one of these cabins, admiring the beautiful city by night.

Suddenly a white thing tore him out of his day dream. He looked closer and found a letter attatched to the cabin where you got to pay for the ride. He looked around once more, finding nobody was paying any attention to this letter.

'Is this indeed…?"

With shaky fingers he reached out and took it in his hands. Opening it carefuly, another piece of paper fell on his hands.

Not bad, that you have obviously found your way till here,

I am really proud of you, can you hear my happy cheer?

But to reach your secret goal

You got to think about it hard.

You have to look inside your soul,

And find out where real life began to start

Thats all there stood. Heiji raised his eyebrow. This riddle was getting weirder with every minute. He was about to trow it away but somehow he could not seem to do so. He was already thinking about the possible places the mystery could mean.

'If it would be: where life begann.. that would mean hospital, obviously. But what do they mean with REAL life?'

He walked out of the amusement park, around the city where it was not so loud and he could think more. Looking at the dawning sun he realized it was already late afternoon. He had been busy with this 'thing' for the whole afternoon! Heiji had to find out what lay hidden behind it because otherwise he would lose his reputation as the great detective of the west. Not to mention that he was curious to find out this secret for himself.

From the lyrics till here he was sure a girl or woman must have written it for men really did not use this kind of lyrics in a riddle or anything like that. But thats all he knew. Ok, back to the note itself. The paper was ordinary, you could buy that everywhere just like the envelop. It was not hand written but computer or machine written and it did not smell other than any other paper. No stamp means no DNA analysis possible. He could do nothing else but solve the mystery to find out more about it.

'Real life… real life… where does real life begann to start?' Heiji wondered. It was almost pityable, the way he was murmuring to himself while walking through the city, a little pissed and exhaused from the lots of walking he had done.

He reached a bench in the park and sat down on it, stretching his legs out. 'Real life… real life, dammit where could that be? Wait, what else did it say? I am to look inside my soul? Stupid, somehow, but gee, why not try, though! Hm…'

Heiji closed his eyes and stopped thinking for a moment. He pushed all his thoughts out of his brain and tried to search for something that was supposed to help him with this case. He waited and waited but nothing happened. He waited and after getting slightly impatiend wanted to stop this stupid experiment as he suddenly heard something.

"Please mommy! Peaseeee!"

"Alright my Yumi- Chan. You may take your new bag tomorrow in kindergarten. Just dont lose it and try to not get it dirty!"

"YEIIII! Thank you, mommy!"

Heiji opened his eyes and looked around. His gaze fell upon a mother who was holding the hand of her child, both were smiling and had just walked by his bench. Heiji looked after them.

'Kindergarten?'

In the meanwhile, in an other part of Osaka, the inventor of the riddle was walking up and down the room, really nervous.

'I wonder if he will be able to solve this mystery. After all, the hints are very vage. But on the other hand, he is always saying hes the greatest detective."

The person was looking out of the window then went back into the room.

'I should go on with the preperation for if he will work it out the way I think he will, he should be here in around two hours.'

Walking back into the other room, he or she was going on with his or her work, a slight smirk on the face.

"Now, my dear super detective, lets just see if you can figure out this mystery."

"Is this it?" he wonder aloud.

Heiji looked over to the huge building that was dove in complete silence at this time of day. He was staring at the building of his old kindergarten. He did not know why he had come to this one. Osaka had a lot of them. Why had he come to this one instead of checking up on each one?

Simple. It was the mystery who had told him to for it told him black on white to look inside his soul. Every other thing he could have done instead would have made no sense. It had been quite some time he had last been here. And as he looked at the building that was full of memories he wondered why.

Immediately millions of scenes of his past crowed his head. His first day in kindergarten, his first attempts to write his name, the one time he tried to explain to his fellow children in his group how to properly catch a thief…. Suddenly the memories got clearer as he remembered more scenes, only this time including his childhood friend. Kazuha chasing him because he had killed her doll, them playing hide and seek, her crying because she had injured her knee and him cheering her up, going to the teacher to ask for a band aid to wrap her leg up with it and more important and most clearly he could remember her grateful smile.

His gaze softened and his heart warmed up in a second.

'Kazuha.'

Somehow every thought he was thinking end up with her. Every time. It happenes more often recently. Heiji smiled at the memory of his childhood. No matter on which period of his life he was reflecting about, they all included Kazuha. He had never really wondered what his life would have looked like without her in it. Alone the thought made him shiver in disgust. He knew he could not imagine it and most importantly, he did not want to. Not at all. Heiji Hattori would not exist the way he does without his childhood friend. Who knows what he would be like today if not for her bringing him down back to earth here and then?

He would not trade these memories for nothing on earth. Much like he would trade her for nothing. It has been some time now he realized she was not to be replaced by no treasure on earth. That his existence was worth nothing without her. That he would endure every pain and go through every hell for her sake. He would rather die than see her hurt, he knew that and he had even proved it. More than once.

An image of a cliff came into his mind, with two teenagers hanging on it, only hold a branch. Heiji shook his head, rejecting these memories and shivering at the pain they brought along. He could have lost her. He shook his head again, this time harder.

He did not want to think about this time his childhood friend would have died for his sake if he had not saved her. He really did not want to think about it.

'Kazuha…' he thought sadly. Though he did not want to admid it, he had missed her today, on his birthday. Had she maybe forgotten it? He held his cellphone tighter in his pocket.

While thinking about her, he walked to the entrance door of the kindergarten and saw another note pinned on it, this time without envelop. The note read:

Congrats, congrats, I am very delighted

For I was not sure if you really would make it!

Now, all you have to do for your goals reach,

Is to turn and walk over the very old bridge.

And when you are finally there, its no more far

Cross the street and pick up the white rose on the yellow car.

A little hope flamed inside Heiji. He was almost done with this riddle and soon he would know the answer to all his questions. Plus, the writer most obviously knew him for the way he or she was talking to him was personal and somehow… maybe not actually familiar but… sympathetic and welcomed.

He was running down the street to the named old bridge, the only in one kilometers reach and the oldest in Osaka and was soon on the other side. Turning left and right to find maybe another hint of the mysterious writer of these poem riddles who may be observing him but he gave up and walked on, down the street which he soon crossed.

He had to look very closely at the cars because it had already dawned and it was pitch dark outside. After two minutes he delighted found the right car. There was truly only one yellow car in this street and he discovered the rose that was placed on the front of it.

He could make out in the dark that there was another, probably last note attatched to the rose. Next to the relief he felt, there was as well regrets. This little hunt had truly been something else than always this murder cases and thiefs and liars and murderers. And it had been so much fun. This had been for sure one of his most interesting birthdays so far. He knew that he would really have to thank the anonym inventor of all this.

Heiji walked around the car and took the promised white rose in his hand. It smelt sweet and somehow fresh. Opening the note, he murmured its content.

Am so exited,

I just cant hide it.

And now my detective ahou,

You may even have a clue.

So, you think you can guess who I could be?

Or are you as lost as a cat in the deep, blue sea?

Just turn to the right door, ring the bell and see what I have for you,

and for me its time to say goodbye, and happily sing: Happy birthday, to you.

Heiji read the note three times and could still not comprehend the whole meaning of them.

"What? Turn?" he turned around and discovered in shock that he was standing hundred meter away from the back door of Kazuhas house.

'Whats going on here?' he wondered with wide eyes.

It was already dark but there was a light on the door. Slowly, very slowly and confused he walked to the door, being attracted to it like flies to light in darkness.

He walked through the backyard, slowly, every step felt hard to do, and as he approached the door, the automatic light went on, lightening his last steps towards his destination. At least it felt really much like his destination.

He stopped in front of the closed door, and saw another note pinned on it. He read it:

"Congratulations for coming till here.

Now the question is: Do you dare?"

He blinked once, twice then slowly, without thinking, moved his hand up to knock on the door.

He waited.

Slowly, with a quiecking noise, the door opened, revealing a girl, looking stunning in her black evening dress with shaghetti straps. She had her hair pinned up and a few white pearls were pinned in it. The dress was reaching to her knees and the black high heels had cordes that were wound a few times around her ankles.

His chin dropped open as he started at Kazuha. And stared, and started… she had to giggle at the picture he made. As he didnt seem to be able to stop staring or close his mouth or even form a word, she took over.

"Hello Heiji, whats up?"

He started moving his mouth but no sound was coming out. He looked more than ever like a fish and all she could think was that it was not often you could see the great detective like that.

"Would you like to come inside?"

He babbled something, not sure if even he himself understood anything, but he gave up and nodded.

She stepped aside and he slowly moved inside, having managed to close his mouth by now. He stopped after she closed the door and she took his hand, leading him further inside and over to the living room. His mouth opened once again as he saw the room beautifully lit with candles and the table set ready with all kind of different and delicious food.

He turned and looked at her questiongly. She smiled and walked over to the table, opening a bottle and puring the content in two glasses. Then she gave him one and held hers high.

"Happy birthday, Heiji!"

He grinned as he understood and even smiled as he raised his glass in return.

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

They drank a little and she pushed him over to the table, seating him down. Smiling she walked over to her chair and sat down herself.

"Kazuha?" he asked her everything he wanted to know with this one word.

"Well, I see that you are surprised! Thats what I wanted, yuhu! I prepared this mystery and dinner since its your birthday, dummy, remember?" She smiled at him and he grinned back before his face changed as he remembered something.

"But, what about my mom.. she wanted to coo-"

"Taken care of! We spoke about everything."

Heiji looked once again buffed at her. Her smile simply brightened. He slowly started comprehending all the facts and began smiling brightly as well.

"Thank you, Kazuha! Thats so great!"

She smiled contently and looked down.

"You are welcome."

There passed a few minutes with neither talking before she could gather herself enough to speak.

"So, arent you hungry? Ive never seen you sit this long beside a table with food without touching it."

He blushed and looked a litte annoyed at her.

"Hey!"

She giggled and even laughed as she heard his stomach rumble. He blushed deeper.

"Lets start eating, shall we?"

"YEI!" he smiled brighty. No need to tell him THAT twice! And with that he started devouring her self made cooking with a passion that he usually only showed while engaged in some murder case, which was alone enough to make her really proud.

After the dinner, they moved to the couch where they sat down and looked at each other in silence.

"Thank you, Kazuha, the meal was great! Did you really do it yourself?"

"Yeah!" she blushed contently and looked down at her hands.

"Wow, never knew you were such a great cook!"

She just smiled and looked still at her hands with rosy cheeks. She did not know if she had the power to go on with her plan. She could not do it, could she?

Suddenly an image creeped into her mind. An image of her and Heiji in their mid- seventies, still waiting for the other to make the first move.

Horrified she looked up into is eyes, really and deeply looked at them.

"Heiji.."

"Yeah?" he was staring back at the great picture she presented.

She hesitated, a lot. Kazuha was getting more and more uncertain with every passing second.

"You… you look really great, Kazuha!" Heijis words made her look at him in shock.

'What did he just say?'

"Really… maybe you should wear your hair often like that! And that dress is amazing."

She blushed and looked again down at her hands in her lap.

"Thank you… Heiji, I…"

'There goes nothing. Ill just say and come out with it or else I am going insane!'

"Yes?"

"I… I have another present for you…"

"Really? What is it?"

She blushed but managed to remain sane enough to go on with her plan. She stood up and walked over to the curious Heiji, then sat down on his lap, cheeks burning. He immediately went as red as her dress and started protesting as his body tensed.

"H-hey, Kazuha, what are you-"

"Your present is me!" she said while wounding her arms around his neck and after having said these words to the stunned Heiji in a low voice, she bend down and kissed him right on his lips. His whole body immediately went ragid.

After some time with their lips pressed together he gently pressed her away. With tomato red head she looked at him, already a little more uncertain but she went on with her plan.

"Heiji.. you… you should know that I.. I do lo- … what I mean is, Heiji, I lo-" just the moment she was about to say the words, finally say them, his finger on her lips made her shut up. He gently shook his head.

"No Kazuha, dont."

She looked stunned at him, feeling her heart tear in million pieces. She tried to keep her selfcontrol to a level that allowed her to keep herself from crying.

She nodded and stood up off his lap, his hands falling on the couch. She immediately missed his warmth but ignored the feeling, much as she ignored the tatters of her broken heart and the pain that made it difficult for her to breath.

"I understand."

"Kazuha, I.."

"No, its okay. You are done here, you can go home now, Heiji. Happy birthday!" And she turned and ran away from him, up the stairs and into her room. Before she had disappeared he had seen the tears ran down her cheeks and it hurt. Hurt him deeply, the pain in Heijis heart at the sight of her.


I know, I know I am EVIL! I am sooorrryy! This Cliffhanger is even worse than the last one, I know! GOMEN! But I dont think I willupload if I do not get enough opinions about this one, so tell me how you liked it please?