Hello together! I apologize for taking so long to update but school is killing me, slow and painful but here is the next part! Written with lots of love and thought behind it. Because of the spoilers... not yet. You should maybe know Vol. 18 with Asami but the rest spring off my mind and I hope very much that you like it because I was VERY uncertain with this one! So please, every feedback is apreciated! This is part one and to not confuse you: They are sharing a dream of their past together. Its chronological written and.. you will see :)Will be continued in part II. Sorry that I got no space left for dedications but please know that I love you all!(huggs) Feel directly spoken to, you ALL, kay? Thanks very much!
Chapter eight
You are not alone, Part I
"Pleaseeeeeee! Please, please pleaseee!" she begged him with big eyes, her hands crossed in front of her face in a pleading pose.
"But… No!... Oh come on!" he tried to persist, really not wanting to move today anymore.
"But they are our friends! And we havent seen them for a long time! Please dear, do it for me!"
"Oh but…but… you know we had hardly sleep last night because he was being so loud!"
"You can not blame him! Hes just a baby!"
"But Yukikooooo, I am soooo tired! Please dont do that to me!"
"Yusako, darling, I promise we wont stay for long, okay? Pleaseee! Pretty please?"
He sighed loudly, knowing he had already lost the battle before it really had got started. It was so unfair! She always won when it came to things like that! Every damn time!
"Fine!" he breathed out long and defeated.
"Yuhuuu!" she cheered, jumping a few times and gave her husband a kiss. Then she turned around exited and smiled brightly.
"Did you hear that? Were going to visit aunty and uncle! What do you think?"
The little being just looked confused up from his toy and up at her with his huge eyes, turning his head a little to one side in puzzlement.
"Oh look, hes already totally exited!" she smiled proudly, then bend and picked him up.
"And of course youre going to meet their baby girl for the first time. What do you say, Shin- chan?"
"Guuu?" the baby looked at his mother as he held on to her blouse.
The joy of both families was great, seeing each other again after a long time. Actually the joy of the women could not really be concured with by the mens, for they remained cool and untouched by the laughers of joy their wives were producing and instead sat down to drink something.
"So this is Shinichi? Oooohhhhh, he is so sweet! And so cute! He has got your eyes, Yuki!" the other mother said, heaving the boy a little up and down in her arms and spinning him around a little, eliciting little squeaking sounds from him.
"Hah, I know! Hell become a little heartbreaker! And where is your girl?"
"Ran, you mean? Right, you havent seen her yet! Come!"
Eri carried the little boy in her arms and walked across the room.
"Ran- chan? This is your aunty, Yukiko and this little boy here is Shinichi!"
"Aiiiyaaaa, she is soo cuutee! She definitely resembles you, Eri, and that almost completely!" Yukiko said, kneeling down and greeting the baby, ignoring the death glare she received from Kogoro.
"Thank you!" the proud mother said, beaming at the compliment.
Kogoro and Yusako were sitting on the couch, drinking coffee and talking about the latest football match on TV which their team had won in an absolute magnificent way.
Eri put the little boy down on the carpet where the other baby was sitting and still playing.
"So you two, play together nicely!"
"I wonder if they will like each other!" Yukiko asked, standing back up and next to Eri.
"Lets just figure that out!"
The little Shinichi looked confused up to his mother, then back to the foreign being in front of him, standing a little unsure and uncertain of what to do next. The babies stared at each other for quite some time, puzzled and fascinated.
Then he let himself fall backwards on his bottom, his diaper producing a dulling sound as he looked around with huge eyes. Sitting there he soon rolled his weight and turned on his hands and knees, crawling around and behind the babygirl. She only turned around to watch him better, curious what he was doing. Then she started crawling over to him and, still on all four, reached a hand out, touching his face. Her thumb and middle finger landed a little uncoordinated inside his mouth and he shook his head, her hand falling back to the ground. She turned her head to the side but soon offered him a toy she had grabbed. He took it and together they started playing. Soon, laughers could be heard and two babies communicating happily with each other in their own language.
"Aawww! Isnt that sooo sweet?"
"Yes! Those two definitely will become good friends!"
"Definitely!"
"Gugu gahagua bluurrhi?"
"Gagguu ohiohaahu!"
"Hahahahahahahaha!" both babies laughed and went back playing with the toys around them.
"Welcome, welcome my dears. My name is Miss Hino and I am delighted to welcome you
here to your first day in Kindergarten! You will see, we will have lots of fun together! No need to be afraid! So, the first thing today would be to make little groups, and then each group will get a special thing to play with. Then well exchange the things among the groups. Later, we will sing a song together. Please, form now little groups of two or three people!"
She clapped her hands a few times and the kids started walking, partly running, around wildly, making lots of noise.
One girl stood a little away from the whole group, uncertain and afraid.
'What do I do? I am so afraid and so alone! I know nobody here. I bet they dont like me. I dont like this place, at all!' were Rans thoughts as she looked fearfully around, near tears.
"Hey, wanna be a group?" somebody behind her asked.
Startled she turned around, a quiet scream escaping her lips, but she soon relaxed and even smiled a little.
"Shinichi!" she beamed. She had totally forgotten today was his first day, too.
"Yo! Come on, lets go. Over there is still a free place."
He walked ahead and she followed him. Her heart felt lighter as she looked grateful at the boy sitting on the blue and white colored carpet next to her, examining a little helicopter they had as toy exactly and with knowing eyes, turning it over and over.
'At least I know him. I am not alone!'
"Look, we got a black helicopter and two policemen! Lets see what we can do with them! Maybe theres a treasure hidden somewhere in that book shelve and the policemen have to find it!"
"I see! And if they dont find it in time then.…" Ran suggested and reached over, taking one man in her hand.
The three year old started imaging an exiting case on which the policemen were playing the main parts, imaging an evil frog monster in the hills, which was the book shelve, with a treasure hiding in the cave.
And together they started playing on their first day in Kindergarten, with little policemen and helicopters and a lot of fantasy. Together.
"Come on! Lets go!"
"But I am so scared! Its so dark in there, Shinichi!"
"Please, Ran! You promised you will play 'famous- detectives- discover- long- forgotten- places' with me!"
"But the forest is really dark! What if somebody comes and kidnaps us?"
"Aaahhhh, dont worry! I will protect you!" he held his stick up proudly and was threatening an invisible, evil opponent.
"R- really?"
"Of course! Id always protect you! And Holmes was never afraid of anything, just like me! Now come on, Watson!"
"O- okay, Holmes." He took her by the hand and they started walking into the forest quietly.
"Hey, kids, what are you doing here?" a tall man suddenly asked them, stepping out from behind a tree, wearing a long, black robe.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" they screamed and ran away from him as fast as they could and deeper into the forest.
The man just looked after them, scraping the back of his head.
"Whats wrong, honey?" a voice from behind him called.
"Nothing dear, just two little kids playing. I only wanted to see if they are lost but they ran away."
"Aaahhh you know how kids are! They have got always playing in their mind, with their huge fantasy. Now come in, tea and cookies are ready!"
"Already? Ah, you are the greatest!" he walked inside and kissed his wife.
"Shinichi!"
"What?"
"You can absolutely not do that!"
"Humpf!"
"I am serious! We are guests here! It is not polite to look through the things of others!"
"But I am sure they are in here! Ive read this in a book!"
"THERE ARE NO DRUGS INSIDE THIS DOLLS!"
"Humpf! I will prove it to you! As soon as I get this stupid head off!" he answered, fighting still with the head of an old doll.
"Shinichi! You are impossible! You should NOT be doing this! You will break something!" Ran was talking to Shinichi enraged and pissed, as the fife year old sat on top of a shelve full of old, Japanese dolls, trying to open one.
Their mothers were standing at the open door, watching the scene with great amusement.
"Haha, just look at them!"
"They are so cute! Already just like a real married couple!"
"Yes Yuki, maybe theyll even get married one day!"
"Hihi, you mean our families will be joined then!"
"Exactly!"
The two women looked at each other and started laughing, clapping their hands together.
"How did you find me here?"
"Oh come on, it was not really hard to find for me! This is the place you always run to when you are stressed or want to be alone!"
"Yes! A-l-o-n-e! You know what that means?"
He did not reply, just continued looking at her.
"Why?"
"…" No response.
"Why did you follow me, Shinichi?"
"I was worried about you."
She could not reply to that.
"What is it?"
"Its nothing."
"Do you think I am blind?"
"…"
"I am not, to your information! I AM a detective, you know"
"Just leave me alone!" she had stood up from the ground and was running away from him.
"Ran…" he ran after her and caught her hand in his, forcing her to stop.
"I am serious! I dont want to see you, or anybody else!" angry she turned around, tears were gathering in the corners of her eyes. This shocked him slightly but he remained silent. After some time of absolute silence, he timidly asked her.
"Do you want me to go?"
"…"
"Your parents are worried. They said you just walked away and they can not find you."
"Pfff! Like as if they are worried about me or about how I feel!"
"But they are! They are your parents, after all!"
"So?" she asked back in a bitter voice.
"Please come home with me." Shinichi tried. He was beginning to get nervous, not knowing how to handle Ran when she was like that.
"Did they tell you why I ran away as well?"
"… no…"
"…"
"Why did you run away?" he asked her, looking in her eyes but she soon broke eye contact.
No answer from her. He did not let it stand like this.
"Ran?" he tried again. She sat down again, sitting on her legs and looked down at her hands which she had folded in her lap. He did the same, sitting down as well.
"Its… over… between them…" she quietly started.
"Your parents?"
Ran nodded.
"But… what gives you the idea?"
"I heard them talk… fight about it…"
"You mean they are getting divorced?"
"I dont know about that… but they are separating for sure. You know, after this whole thing that happened in the police station… And after she returned from the hospital only today, too. They had this big fight…right after dinner……and her leg is still hurting… but the way they were screaming today… "
Silence fell upon them as silent tears of horror ran down Rans face, constantly increasing in intensity and volume until she was sobbing heavily. All the fears and sad emotions their fight had caused in Ran, were put into her tears.
Fife year old Shinichi had no idea what to do with a crying girl, so he just did what his father did every time his mother was sad. He hugged her, though he was a little clumsy in the action.
At first, Ran did not respond at all, did even try to free herself and persist his tries of comfort, but his compassionate little heart told him to hold on to her tighter and he did just that. She soon collapsed against him and started crying and sobbing heavily.
He did what he believed would calm her, letting her cry against him, hugging her strongly to give her some of his strength and told her words of comfort.
"Its gonna be alright. Really, come on, Ran. You are a strong girl. And who knows, maybe its even better this way. I mean, they were fighting often lately, werent they?"
"Y- yeah…(snif) but…(sob).."
"Who knows? Maybe they just need a little break from each other! Maybe they will get back together after some time for themselves. This is not so unusual."
Rans eyes opened slowly. She had not thought of that. It could be true, after all.
"Now, you must be a strong girl, too. Maybe they will even find back to each other because of you? Because of their strong daughter?"
His works were slowly comforting her heart and that surprised Ran but she said nothing. Slowly her stream of tears ceased. She cleaned her face with the back of her hand and slowly pulled back.
"You really think so?" she asked him with shaky voice.
"Of course. And you wont be alone, Ran. Even if everybody leaves, at least I will always be there for you, okay?"
"… d- do yo-..… promise?"
"Yes!" he said, sure of himself. His certainty swooped slowly over to her.
She raised her pimky and he followed her example. Entwining their pimkys, they sealed their promise and Ran felt like as if a weight as heavy as a rock had been taken off her heart.
"Now lets go back. They are certainly close to calling the police by now!"
She giggled as he imitated the sound of a police car. He smiled at her giggle and handled her a handkerchief. She accepted it and cleaned herself off completely.
"I am afraid." Were her only words as she looked at him, a little ashamed.
"I will come with you!"
Shinichi took her hand and together they walked back to her house. She was still afraid of what was awaiting her back at home, but she had Shinichi. As long as he was there, she could bear everything.
"Thank you." She told him, meaning it with her whole heart.
"It was nothing."
They arrived and Rans parents were so happy. They really had been close to calling the police, telling them their fife year old daughter was missing! The more grateful they were towards Shinichi.
Shinichi was allowed to sleep over at Rans because she insisted, deep inside fearing being alone this night. So they put a futon next to Rans bed for Shinichi and the little children slept in her room.
A loud thunder woke Ran up in the middle of the night and she was upright in her bed in no time. She was shivering all over and hiding under her blanket which she had pulled over her head.
Shinichi awoke short after because of a whimper. He looked around to look for the source and found something huge hiding under Rant cover, sitting where Ran was supposed to be laying. He stood up and slowly pulled the cover off her head, revealing a wheeping Ran.
"Ran, whats wrong?"
"I.. I a- am so scared!" she whimpered some more.
"Dont be, its just strong rain and a few thunders. They cant harm you in here! Dont cry!"
She looked at him with teary and scared eyes and held the blanket up to her nose, shivering.
"Okay, how about I sleep with you up here?"
She nodded slowly and scooped over to make space for him. He crawled under the blanket and, seeing she did not move, pushed her shoulder gently to make her lay down again. Then he pulled the cover up to her chin and over himself, also laying down. He noticed she was still shivering a little.
"Still afraid?"
He felt her slight nod and heard her whimper.
"Okay, look!" he said quietly and reached for her hand. "Ill keep holding your hand, ok? So when something happens, you will just have to pull and Ill wake up to protect you, understand? But I highly doubt, somebody will cause you pain while I, the greatest detective right after Holmes, am here with you!" he said, totally sure of himself and in a purposely funny voice.
Hearing her giggle, he let out a silent sigh of relief.
"Okay!" She said and held his hand tightly. Then she closed her eyes and was finally able to sleep peacefully, knowing there was nothing that could happen to her this night.
Relieved he could manage the situation and make her feel better, and certain no monsters or no criminals were in the room, little Shinichi, too, closed his eyes and fell asleep, holding on to her hand protectively.
Only once she jerked a little, because of an extreme loud thunder, but feeling his hand in hers she was soon back in dreamland.
The next day her parents announced they need a break from each other and that Eri would move out for an "unknown while". Even though it broke Rans little heart, she had promised herself not to cry anymore because of this. Because she was not alone! And she held on to this promise, just like she had held on to Shinichis hand that one night.
"Ran? Is that you?"
"Yep!" the little girl had just entered the house and was rumoring through the drawer in the bathroom.
"About time you get home! Hey, what are you doin?"
She had found what she was looking for and was already heading towards the door.
"Where are you going again?"
He stood tall between her and the door and was looking down at her, his arms against his sides.
"Paps, please let me go. I need to go to Shinichi!"
"Why? Out again? This boy is really having a bad influence on you!"
"HE IS NOT! But he got injured while we were playing in the playground, so I gotta go and look after his wounds."
"You are too young for such things!"
She rolled her eyes.
"Paaaapsss! I am already six! And its not like I have never done this before either!"
"HA! See, he is so bad for you! Now you even gotta play nurse for that troublemaker!"
"Paaaaaaaaapsss!" she said in an annoyed and serious voice.
"GEEZ! Fine, fine! Go before he dies! Just dont come home late, you hear me?"
"Yeah! Thanks! Byyeeee, love yaaa!" Ran screamed as she was already out of the door.
Kogoro looked after her, his hands still on his sides.
"He is definitely a troublemaker! Tsssshh, I know it! Someday Ill get narcotic because of this kid, I just know it! Remember your words, Kogoro! Already six, she said, pah..…" He muttered and grabbed another beer. 'At least I can drink one more beer now!'
"Oh and paps.." Ran said, sticking her head inside the door a last time. "Stop drinking and clean your desk and the living room table! Maybe Mom will come back to you then! Byeee!"
Kogoro looked after his daughter in awe, the beer still in his hand.
"Geez, first you think there is finally nobody there anymore to command you around when you want to enjoy a beer, or two… and then she grows up to be like her mother! Oh man! What did I ever do to deserve this?" he said loudly into the empty room.
"Shinichi?"
"Here!"
"Ah yes, hi!"
"Hi! What took you so long?"
"Paps!" were her only words as she started cleaning his wound.
"Oh geez!" he giggled. "That old ma-AAU! That hurt!" he complained loudly.
"Sorry! You should just have been more careful!"
He grumbled but did not reply, knowing she was right. As it stung again, he hissed and bit his lip. She stopped and looked at him with a concerned gaze. Seeing him close his eyes, she quickly went back to his wound, cleaning it as fast as she could and wrapped his knee up with a small bandage.
"Done!" she said happily.
He opened his eyes and looked down at his knee.
"That looks great! And it…" he bend his knee, "hardly hurts anymore! THANKS!"
She smiled. "Welcome!" and stood up, placing her stuff back into her bag.
"Can you stand on this foot?"
"Ill try!" he said and accepted her hand as she pulled him up to his feet.
"Yep, its alright! Great, great, great! Now, wanna go back to that cave? We still did not find out if there was any treasure!"
"You mean now?"
"Yeah!"
"But what makes you think that there is any!"
"Detective intuition! Come on!" he said and took her hand, pulling her after him.
"Why does this smell like trouble?" she breathed out and walked along with him, glad she had her first- aid- kid already in her bag.
"Aaahhh I just dont get it! Thats so difficult!" the eight year old said, letting his pencil fall on the desk annoyed and put his head between his hands in anger.
"Dont be like that, its not that difficult!"
He looked to his left with one eye and a very doubtful expression, raising an eyebrow.
"Dont look at me like that! Look, its easy if you think about it properly. See, like this…"
She leaned over and started doodling with her own pencil on his sheet, explaining him the problem the way it was the best for him to understand.
"So, what do you say?"
"You… you mean when I do this like that and take care of the little part on the back of the problem, it will be solved from the right almost of its own?"
"Exactly!" she smiled at him proudly.
"Can it possibly be that easy?" he wondered, looking at the problem again.
"Of course!"
"Oh thats so great! Thank you, Ran! I would not have understood it without your help!" he beamed at her, happy about the easy solving.
She smiled at him contently and warmly.
The moon shone prone and full down on the empty streets of Tokyo. Usually it was not that quiet but at this late hour this was normal routine. Nothing was moving outside. Not even the leaves on the trees.
In middle of this scene, a mansion stood tall, seeming somehow ghost like in the faint moonlight. But although it was scary to watch, one would think it a rather peacefully scene out of undescribable reasons one can not explain but feel.
Inside this mansion, there was a boy in his bed, sleeping with a girl in his arms.
Shinichi was laying on his back, his left foot was peeping from under the cover and his left arm was hanging down the bed. He had the cover messed and it was now only half on top of him. His right arm was trapped underneath a warm weight. It was the girl he had fallen asleep with which he was still holding on to. His head was turned to the right, nestled on top of her head comfortably.
After just returning, he had confessed his love to her and was now holding her in his arms.
He had spend a great deal of the last night, watching the marvellous being in his arms, not being able to comprehend his luck deep down his brain. He had observed and memorized every inch of her beautiful face, so that he would never forget this perfect moment where she had been sleeping in his arms for the first time. For the first time the way it was supposed to be of course, past childhood sleep overs and him in wrong body not counting.
Eventually sleep had taken him to dreamland.
In his internal eye he could still imagine the face of Ran, eight years old, smiling at him contently and warmly right after helping him understand the math problem. Shinichis eyes raced underneath his eyes, reliving his past with Ran.
A mosquito landed on his nose and Shinichi brushed it away with his hand. He opened his eyes a little bit, looking from Rans smiling face into the dark of the room. With half closed eyes he looked around a second, a little dizzy and confused, then down at Ran. She was still sleeping, cuddled to his side. He moved his head the tiniest bit, kissing her on her forehead, smiling down at her, before laying it on top of hers and hugging her closer with both arms.
He closed his eyes again, content, sighing and almost immediately found himself looking back into the face of the smiling, eight year old Ran.
"Good mooooooorning!" Young- Sonoko screamed as she saw her best friend enter.
"Mooorning!" Ran greeted her and the rest of the girls, entering the classroom.
"Oh look, she has come with her husband again!" a guy screamed as they saw her come in with Shinichi next to her and everybody laughed.
"Oh just shut up and grow up first!" Shinichi retorted, cheeks a little rosy.
Ran blushed and parted from Shinichis side, walking over to the girls while he walked over to the guys.
Since kindergarten they were used being called like that. They have never talked about it, nor paid them much attention when they were teasing them for always hanging out together. For them it was natural to go to school together, and that no matter what anybody said. Just like it was natural that they would walk home together after school.
"Did somebody understand the English homework?" some girl asked and the other girls turned to her, shocked and horrified.
"W- we had homework?"
A young boy and a young girl were standing on the visitors balcony of the huge airport in Japan, waving.
"Are you sure about this?"
"I know you dont want to leave him alone. But believe me, hes strong and old enough. You know how stubborn he is. After all, it was him who insisted he wanted to stay in Japan no matter what, even though we have an urgent business in America."
"I know. But maybe we should not leave him all alone! Hes only 13!"
"Dont worry about him." The man said in an certain voice.
They sat down in their seats in the plane, looking at the great deal of visitors waving goodbye to their relatives and friends.
"Are you alright?" she asked him.
"Yes." he said after taking a deep breath, looking at the plane.
She was sensing it did matter to him that his parents were leaving him back all alone, even though he kept a brave surface. He always kept the surface but she could look behind it easily. She took his hand, squeezing it in support and he squeezed back, grateful she was there.
"Come on, lets go, Ran." He said, giving her a smile.
"Okay. And today, I will cook! Hehe!" she giggled and he could do nothing but giggle along with her.
"I cant wait!"
The two kids left the balcony and went on their way home.
"He is not alone!" Yusako told his wife as he watched his son walking back inside the airport, hand in hand with his childhood friend, giggling.
He smiled a little, knowing it would have been pointless to have forced their son to come with them, because his heart would have stayed in Japan. With her. It would have been cruel to separate them. And right now, she needed him way more than they did. And he needed her, he knew that.
Soon after, the plane departed.
"So, Shin- chan, these are all your news?"
"Yes, Mom. Everything is alright and Professor said hi to you and Dad."
"Oh thanks, say hi back! Say Shin- chan, what time is it again in Japan? This immense time difference is really amazing! Already years that I am here and I still find it amazing! Ill just let you go back to your book afterwards!"
"Yeah. And its now… wait… half past nine. So, Mom, see y- OH NO! DAMN!"
"Shinichi? What happened?"
"OH NO NO NO I AM SUCH AN IDIOT!"
"Shin- chan?"
"No Mom, sorry, but I really gotta go now! Say hi to dad, see ya! Oh damn, shell kill me…"
"But Shin-" he had already hung up. "-chan…" Confused, Yukiko hung up as well, shaking her head in amusement.
The moon shone brightly this night. The streets were silent and nothing was moving outside except a cat or a dog here and then. A cloud pushed itself in front of the moon, darkening the streets but the cloud soon passed by, revealing the bright moon once again in an endless play.
Suddenly a heavy panting was ringing through the silence of the night. Now something else than an animal was moving quickly through the streets. A young man was running like the wind through the streets. The light of the lattern were illuminating his way.
'She is going to kill me! Damn! How could I only forget it? This damn book I was reading which enchanted me so much and then Mom who called… aarghh I should not have forgotten it! She will kill me! Why am I even going? I am sure she has left already! Why would she wait for two whole hours? Man I am such an idiot! Baka, baka, baka!'
He ran until he reached a huge villa with a huge garden around it and an even huger fence. Panting he came to a halt, leaning his arms against his knees in order to not fall backwards.
"Who is there?" a girls voice asked.
He realized he must have been in the shade, so he stepped one step closer since it was too hard for him to speak, being too occupied with trying to catch his breath.
"Shinichi!" her face and voice lit up as she recognized him.
"Sorry Ran! I forgot about the appointment!" he folded his hands and begged her for pardon, head bend downwards, still sweating lightly, already preparing himself for insults or kicks. Maybe both.
But nothing came. She simply closed her eyes and smiled at him in a very warm way.
"Great that you came! I have been worried about you!"
He looked at her with big eyes.
As long as he was coming, she will feel delighted. Because then, she knows nothing had happened to him. And that was enough for her to be satisfied.
"So, since it is too late for the movies now, what are we gonna do at such a time?"
He thought for a moment and eventually came up with an idea.
"Well, we could watch a video in my house and Ill make some pancakes, what do you say?" he looked at her uncertain, still feeling guilty for making her wait so long for him.
"Thats a great idea!" she smiled at him. "Lets go!" she blinked at him with both eyes and walked ahead.
He stood for a moment and watched her walk, her arms behind her back holding one hand in the other. She seemed content and relieved. She must have been really worried about him.
'I promise to myself, right now, I will do my best to not make her ever wait for me again! Not on purpose! Not if I can help it.'
"Shinichi, arent you coming?"
"Am right behind you!" he screamed back and ran to her. He walked on her side and together the teenager decided on a movie that would please them both, which was a difficult thing to figure out that dured the whole way back to his house.
"AGAIN!…… YES!…… LIKE THAT!…… YOU CAN DO THAT BETTER!" the coach of the teitan high school screamed, walking around the young players of his team.
"Kudo, try that again!" Shinichi listened to him and walked over, shooting again in the direction of the goalkeeper who held his ball.
"That was nothing! Try that again, m boy! I know you can do that better!"
Shinichi swore inwardly. Today was really not his day! He even forgot his umbrella this morning and it just started to rain. He would be very glad, when the day finally was over. He ran over to one of his friends and got in line to do that shooting again. To his luck it had started to rain stronger. His swearing got harder as he kicked the ball as hard as he could.
"Ran! Dont be stupid! Its raining! Lets go home!"
"Go ahead, Sonoko. I want to wait here." Ran stood with her schoolbag in the one hand, her red umbrella in the other, in the rain, looking down the little hill at the football field of the school.
"Ran! Come on!"
"He also has no umbrella with him." Was all Ran said as she looked back down at the figures moving and running behind the ball.
"But Ran!" Sonoko said, not understanding her. Seeing Ran was already far away with her thoughts, she started moving ahead, a look of puzzlement mixed with annoyance in her gaze as she looked back to her friend who was still gazing down at the field with a smile.
She observed the training which was over after some time and the figures were all moving now inside to shower and get dressed. Except one. Ran watched with a smile as Shinichi sat on the ground, looking totally exhausted up at the dark sky, leaning on his arms which he had steadied behind him, his football suit wet and dirty with mud.
She stood simply there, watching him sitting on the ground, panting a little. After some time, he looked up, seeing her and smiled. He stood up and walked over to her.
"Hey, what are you doing? Arent you done with classes for today?"
"I am. I just thought I d wait for you… you know, its raining and all."
"Yeah I realized!" he grinned as he looked down on himself and she giggled.
"And I forgot my umbrella!"
"I know!" she giggled and smiled at him.
"O- okay, great! Then I´ll just go shower and dress and be here in a few minutes, okay?"
"Thats fine!"
"Thanks! Ill hurry!" he said and already ran to the showers, Ran looking after him with a warm smile.
"GO RAN! GOOOO! BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF THIS TWO METER GORILLA! YOU ARE WAY STRONGER! AND BETTER! YOU CAN DO IT! RAAAAAAAAAAANNNNN!"
"Excuse me, Miss. But could you be a little more quiet? We are trying to follow the tournament!"
"Well, great! So am I!" Sonoko said and turned around again, totally ignoring the older couple sitting behind her.
"YEAH RAN! RIGHT! JUST LIKE THAT! YYEEAAAHHHHHH! THAT WAS A GOOD ONE! YUHU! RAAAAAANNN! GREAT!"
"Did anybody ever tell you, how embarrassing you can be?" the guy next to her said. He was almost sank in the chair completely out of embarrassment because Sonoko was screaming like crazy the whole time!
"Just coz you are too cool to scream for support for your girlfriend does not mean I am not allowed to!"
He turned around to her annoyed and was about to reply as she started screaming again.
"RRAAANNN!"
Shinichi turned back to the tournament and watched Rans fight with a tall opponent. His hands were balled to fists as he watched concentrate the way she fought and every time he hit her his fists clenched a little tighter.
But in the end, Ran won and her opponent was laying flat on the ground.
"YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH RRRAAAAANNNNNNN! YOU DID IT YOU DID IT! HAHAHAHAAAAAAA HAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU DID IT!"
Sonoko jumped a little, startled in surprise as Shinichi had jumped on his feet, almost throwing his chair to the ground and started screaming loudly and jumping up and down. She almost got a heart attack from the sudden movement and was about to scream at him as he already had run to Ran and hugged her tightly, screaming the whole time that she had won and beat the others.
Sonoko smiled, shaking her head and ran after him, waiting her turn to hug and congratulate Ran, who was laughing and smiling at Shinichis outburst.
'My heart is beating like crazy. Oh I hate math! The only thing I hate more than math, is a math exam! Honestly, there is nothing worse on earth! Oh geez, I feel like I know nothing anymore! This question is so difficult! Help! I want out of here!"
The high school students of the Taitan high school were having their final exams. Everybody had been very frightened and nervous about them and today was the day of the math exam, the most feared subject.
'Why am I so frightened? As I learned with him again, I could solve everything!'
They were sitting in class, the teacher walking around in control, writing their exam while the warm sun shone inside the window, as if wanting to torture them even more. You could hear the byros scrabbling over the paper quickly.
Ran was sitting in the among them, on the window side. Her heart was beating quickly as the math problems presented her difficulties. She was swearing a little inwardly.
Instinctively she did something she did not quite understand. She turned her head around to the place two lines behind of her, where she knew he was sitting.
She looked at Shinichi and he, sensing her gaze, drew his head up, looking back at her and gave her a fake- hunted, tormented look and then a smile.
Ran felt like as if her heart had just skipped a beat and her insides warmed up a little.
She returned the smile and looked for another moment into his endless deep eyes as she heard the teacher approaching.
Turning around in a hurry, she took a moment to take a deep breath. She realized later, that she had been smiling to herself. Taking another breath, Ran started solving the rest of the math problems, feeling somehow refreshed, encouraged and strong. She knew she was not the only one hating these things. Not the only one having to do them. She was not the only one. And she was not alone.
"Go Shikotama, GOOO!"
"Sonoko!"
"YEAH RIGHT, SHIKOTAMA, GOAL, MAKE A GOAL!YOU ARE SO GREAT!"
"SONOKO!"
"WHAT IS IT?"
"On whose side are you, anyway? We are supposed to scream for OUR team! Shikotama is NOT in OUR team!"
"I know! But look at Shikotama from the neighbors school team. He looks so hot! Our guys all look boring!"
Ran turned and watched the opponent team, then their own team. Her cheeks colored slightly.
"Thats not true! We have SOME handsome guys, too!"
"Oh right, I forgot that your husband is playing, too!"
"My wh-.. SONOKO! This is about the best team! The team who can play the best football, not about the best looking guy!"
"Oh well, who cares? Do you think anybody would watch football, if the guys were not wearing shorts?"
"GGOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL!" Ran screamed suddenly as she jumped up high in the air, screaming loudly. Standing, she was jumping constantly up and down, hugging Sonoko and screaming over and over again in her loudest voice, joy overwhelming her.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH DID YOU SEE THAT? DID YOU SEE THAT? SHINICHI MADE A GOAL! AAAAAAHHHHHHHH! SHINICHI DID IT! WHAT A WONDERFUL GOAL! YEAH! WE WILL WIN, WE WILL WIN! YEAH! GOALLLL!YAHAHAHOA!"
Sonoko could do nothing but scream along with her as Rans enthusiasm and heart touching happiness.. well, touched her heart.
"Shinichi?"
"Yes?" He turned around to face the person calling him and smiled as he saw who it was. "Oh hi, Asami! Whats up?"
"I wanted to congratulate! Great match, really! Here, I brought you a towel."
"Thank you! We were really good!"
"Yeah I saw! Amazing goal! There… there is also something else I wanted to ask you… or rather, something I have to tell you…"
"Well, go ahead and spill it! We gotta go celebrate with the team!"
"Y- yeah.. its just that…" she paused for a second, now uncertain.
"Shinichi, Ill just come out with it…"
"Aha?" he waited and looked puzzled and curiously at her.
"I love you!" her cheeks reddened.
"Nani?"
"I.. wanted to a- ask you if you want to… to go out with me?"
He looked at her with big eyes, considering the chances that she was just joking but found she was totally serious. His cheeks reddened as well his expression became a little embarrassed. However, it turned certain and an arm went behind his head as he softly replied.
"I already have a girl I like… Weve knows each other since we were little kids, you know. She is strong and stubborn, but gentle and sensitive. She has just everything in her…"
Asami looked shocked at Shinichi, her mouth dropped open. She had always been the one who the guys were after, but never before had she been r- rejected… never before! She could not believe it!
"I… I see…."
"I…am sorry, Asami. There is nothing I can do, except be your friend. She is just…"
"SHINICHI!" a loud voice called him and he turned, his face lightening up a little more.
"Hey, Ran!"
"AAAAHHHHHH WE WON, WE WON! YOU WERE SO AMAZING, THIS GOAL!"
She screamed, overwhelmed with happiness and as she reached him, she hugged him around his neck, still jumping a little up and down out of joy.
He looked surprised, then tender down at the happy girl and hugged her back for a moment, before she pulled away and looked at him with big and overwhelming happy eyes.
"Congrats, congrats! You have been great! Everybody has been great!"
"Haha, yes. Thank you!"
"Come, the guys are waiting! They are going to celebrate and Sonoko is already going with them. Come on! I gotta make sure she wont follow this guy from the opponents team instead of our guys!"
She took his hand and started pulling at the amused Shinichi who thought for a moment about Sonoko with the other team. He hesitated a little and turned his head.
"What about you, Asa-" but she was gone. He looked around but nothing.
"What did you say?" Ran asked, turning as well.
"Uhm.. nothing. Lets go." He said, smiling at her and was now holding her hand back.
"Yep!"
Together they started walking to the after- match party, talking about the match in exitement.
"You must be really exhausted!" she suddenly said.
"Huh? Why?" he looked confused at her and she just looked up at him.
"Well, your cheeks are red. I understand, after all you ran a lot!"
Shinichis cheeks reddened a little more. He knew the reason for his red cheeks exactly, but found he could not tell her.
She smiled at him with closed eyes and let the topic drop. His heart started to beat a little faster, one eye looking down at their joined hands. He smiled warmly to himself.
'I will tell her. Just not now, but someday I certainly will.'
"Yeah, you did it, what a great goal! Yes, Shinichi!" a girl murmured in her sleep. Then she let out a soft moan and turned her head to the right.
A sudden movement awoke Ran from her pleasant dreams. She slowly opened her eyes, looking around confused, intending to find out what had caused this movement as her puzzlement grew.
She was not in her own room! Puzzled and surprised she opened her eyes the whole way and started to sat up as something kept her down. She dropped back to the bed and looked at her left, looking right into the sleeping face of Shinichi.
She probably was about to fall off the bed and he had held on to her, saving her.
Remembering the events of the last day, she leaned her head back down on his arm and studied his face, which was illuminated by the moon. His hair were a little messy and all around his forehead, his mouth was slightly open as he breathed evenly, his eyes closed tightly but she could see them move underneath his eyelids.
Her heart filled once again with love towards the man she was laying in the arms of. It still felt to her like a dream, an absolute miracle, that she was allowed to be this close to him. That he had found the way back to her, and mostly, that he loved her. He loved her as much as she was loving him. Had been loving him for years now! And he was here, with her, and would not leave that fast again.
Tearing her gaze from the face of her beloved, Ran turned her head and looked at the watch, seeing it was only past midnight. She turned her head again, looking back at her boyfriend, joy and love filling her being once more. Boyfriend! What a great sound. She could say it over and over again and it still made her insides tingle in a pleasant way.
Observing him, she drew her hand up slowly, and gently brushed his bangs out of his face. Then she caressed his cheeks tenderly, gently stroking them and smiled as she felt him lean into her touch. It reminded her on a cat, and in his case, a graceful jungle cat. She blushed a little at the comparison she knew he would not like.
Slowly and carefully, Ran traced her thumb over the contoures of his lips. His lips! They were perfect in her opinion. Not girl like, but manly and smooth and very good tasting. She could not resist as she leaned over a little and kissed him gently on his lips, just tracing her lips over his, only wanting his taste and not to wake him up.
It made her smile as she saw him smile in his sleep, wondering that he was still asleep. It shocked her slightly, hearing him say, not really SAY but kind of moan, out her name after she had pulled her lips away from his.
"Ran!" it was so quiet, you could have missed it when you were too far away from the bed. But she heard it clearly, being deliciously connected to him to talk now only of the physical connections. The pleading voice of Shinichi, calling out her name.
"Yes?" she asked in return, not able hiding her smile.
"Kiss me again!" he pleaded, his eyes still closed. She only grinned broadly, wondering whether he was still asleep or not. The more she was surprised seeing that he really was still sleeping.
She bend forward and gave him another kiss, this one a little more passionate and he responded this time, and that just as passionate, leaving both breathless.
Pulling away, she smiled at him, checking his state and still found him asleep, only with a huge content, smile on his face. Pressing another quick kiss on his lips, she snuggled back under the cover and against his side, her head on his arm, one arm around his waist, holding herself on to him closely. Feeling him tighten his grip around her, and place his head back on top of hers, she closed her eyes, content as well and wriggled her nose against his chest, breathing his scent in deeply, savoring it and memorizing it just as well as this moment she wanted to last forever.
Before falling asleep, she spoke softly up, her eyes too heavy to open them.
"Shinichi?"
No response. She tried again, not giving up.
"Shinichi?"
"Yes?" he quietly responded in his sleep, his voice a mere breathing.
"I love you!" she whispered, hiding her face deeper in his chest and holding him tighter.
"I love you, too!" he whispered back as he held her closer to himself as well.
She sighed contently once more and sleep overtook the girl with the smile on her lips, not long after. Soon, she had found back to this unbelievable and interesting dream she was having. A dream that showed her her past and made her understand a little more why she was feeling the way she was towards a certain detective.
If you would have been in this room this very moment, in the house of a certain famous story writer in Beika street, with the moonlight shining into the windows and the stars beaming outside, one brighter than the other as if they were having a competition, looking at this couple that was so obviously in love, entangled……
…believe me, you would be as touched by this scene as I am. And,THAT has to mean something!
end part one
Everything I wrote I absolutelymeant with my whole heart. So, what do you think? Was this okay? I am very anticipating your replies to this! Thank you very much for reading!
(A/Note 1:The scene with little Shinichi and Ran and the dolls is takenfrom a picture ofthe Conancalender 2004.So funny and sweet! Know it? If not, just ask me:)
A/Note 2: The scene with the wet Shinichi on the field and Ran waiting is also from a clenderpicture of 2003 I guess but SO beautiful! Just ask if you want it in case you dont know it yet!)
