A/N: Since I had time today, I decided to take care of this chapter too. One less thing to worry about later. And seriously what was I thinking earlier. OMG, Tsukiko are you insane? Okay, in the end it wasn't as bad as I feared but originally Tsukiko was... a bit too rash in her almost attempt of blackmail...
Chapter 21.
"Quite an impressive collection of books." Tsukiko said when the two of them stepped into the library of Kudou residence. It seemed like an appropriate place to talk, being partially a living room and an office and all. Even if the amount of bookshelves and the books in them were distracting.
"Don't change the subject." Subaru crossed his arms and gave the girl an annoyed look as much as he could give with those glasses and squinting eyes.
"Well, where should I start then?" Tsukiko sat down on one of the sofas nearby and leaned back. "Even though I know a lot, I still don't know everything and I'm definitely not a mind reader. For example I don't know what you already know about me and what do you want to know."
"I know the things you have told me but that's it." He walked to the desk and leaned his hip against it. "But for the starters you could tell me who you really are."
"Yeah, knowing the identity of one another is the first step to the trust…" The girl hummed, nodding her head slowly while deciding how to go on about the matter. "My identity is actually pretty funny thing because I really don't have a proper one. At least not in this world." She shrugged. "I'm being serious though. I don't belong to this world. For me this whole place is originally just a good manga, born from the imagination of a man named Aoyama Gosho. I'm sure you have never heard about him."
"And I'm supposed to believe that?" Subaru kept frowning while the words of Hibiki told him to keep an open mind.
"Well, I'm not going to force you to but… Can you imagine any other reason for me to eavesdrop the conversation you, tantei-chan and Mizunashi-san had at the hospital? Or how I was able to tell you that we'd meet today for sure? Or that there would be a case before we could talk? Or how I was able to draw a picture about your ex-girlfriend Miyano Akemi-san without ever meeting her?" The girl arched her eye brows and gave a challenging look at him.
"… Alright. Let's assume then that you are from some other world and you have read everything going on here from some manga–" Subaru began. Could an explanation like that also be the reason for Hibiki's behavior? They both had a mental calendar where they kept tally on things that had happened and was going to happen?
"That manga is named Meitantei Conan if you really want to know. Because tantei-chan is the protagonist for a reason I shall not divulge to you." Came the interruption, causing the man just sigh while the girl turned her gaze to the ceiling as she bent her head back to rest on top of the backrest of the sofa.
"Why are you here then and what is your goal?"
"I have no idea. I just appeared here and ended up getting hit by a car. Imagine my shock when I saw the driver and thought it was some deranged cosplayer…" Tsukiko drawled before blinking at the latter part of the question. "My goal… is to live my life and go home someday if possible. But I have no idea how I came here and I'm not in any immediate danger, I'm not in hurry." Not to mention that because the timeline looped, it was doubtful Tsukiko would age either. Hey, maybe she could help in taking down the Organization and only then go home?
"What kind of back story you have told to Jodie? I understood you are still living with her."
"I told my parents are travelling around the world, mixing their jobs and holidays together, and my brother has left home to live in Tokyo while studying there. I also said that he was moving again to another apartment but because of his absent-minded personality he forgot to tell me his new address and cell phone number."
"Cell phone number, too?"
"Yes, a habit of changing his cell phone number along the place of living." Tsukiko smiled at the high ceiling. "The idea was that I was on my way to help him to move but got into the accident. And because I hadn't told him I was coming he had no reason to worry or try to contact me."
"And everything that because no one tried to contact you when you were at the hospital?"
"Correct." The girl nodded. "Oh, and okaa-san's family is from Kyoto. Mostly because I have a feeling I might slip into a dialect resembling Kansai-ben."
"What's your real name then? I guess that 'Okiya Tsukiko' is not your real name."
"…" The girl grinned at the man, lifting her head up in the process. "Yeah, that's definitely not my real name. The name 'Tsukiko' was just my username on several forums in my own world. As for the family name then… I randomly picked it up before falling asleep. I was quite disoriented when waking up at the hospital…" She trailed off. "But if you really want to know, my real name is Jade. Pronounced as 'Yah-dey', not 'Zdeid'."
The conversation flowed on from there. A bit stilted and awkward at places because neither of them was ready to share all the details of what had been going on lately but it went on anyways. And Tsukiko made clear how she had planned everything in advance at the hospital. Eavesdropping, the note with a drawing, a conversation back then there and…
"A recording?" Okiya repeated.
"Yup! I recorded our conversation when Jodie-san had left and Black-san was elsewhere. I wonder what would happen if I give it to her…" Tsukiko smirked. "Just kidding. I have no intentions of telling her. But I was prepared to blackmail you just in case. Thankfully there is no need for that though. We both need someone to keep each other's covers up and it's easier if it's from mutual decision, not coercion."
"How many people know the truth about you? If I can even call it a truth." Subaru asked.
"Only you." Tsukiko got up from the sofa. "We are sort of accomplices now then. Of staying quiet about big things… This won't be easy, right?" The girl sighed.
"No, it won't." He agreed.
"But to nicer things now. It's so wonderful to have a brother! Back home I have a younger brother but I've always wondered what it's like to have an older one." Tsukiko smiled at the man. He was definitely surprised about the sudden change in attitude. That didn't surprise the girl though. She had acted so mysterious and cryptic and evasive earlier but now let her guard down and was cheery and mischievous.
"You are a strange girl." Subaru stated, walking towards Tsukiko. He placed his hand on top of her head. "Make sure you won't talk too much and take care of yourself, imouto."
"No worries, Subaru-niisan!" Tsukiko grinned once the shock of the sudden acceptance vaned. "I'm good at keeping secrets!"
"I've noticed."
"Nee… Don't your eyes hurt when you wear those glasses? I have to take these ones off sometimes because my eyes hurt." Tsukiko tilted her head and allowed Subaru's hand to drop off.
"I'm already used to them. Why are you using glasses anyways? You shouldn't have any reason to hide."
"Well…" The girl scratched the back of her head a bit embarrassedly and turned to face another direction. "It was just a strange feeling that told me to keep a low profile and hide. And I happened to have these glasses, which belonged to a friend of mine, in my bag. And now… we look alike enough when we both wear glasses and are more or less blonde." She grinned then, making the man sigh deep.
"You really are one of a kind..."
"Yep! Annoying, cheeky, curious, I don't really listen to others – no matter whether am I talking or not – and I really like enjoying the time by myself. Those characteristics are all quite important to know about me." The girl probably would have continued on the same vein if her cell phone hadn't rung just then. Jodie was calling.
"Moshi, moshi?"
"Tsukiko-chan, is the case already solved?" The woman at the other end asked her.
"Well, yes… I'm coming back soon. It took longer than expected and then something else came up."
"Okay, good to know. I just wanted to be sure. See you soon."
"See ya." Tsukiko hung up and turned back to Subaru. "Two more things before I leave. I prefer being called by my first name and I'd really appreciate if you wouldn't say any word about this arrangement or my situation to tantei-chan."
"Maybe I can do that much." The man replied dryly and took a cell phone from his jacket pocket. It was the same one Tsukiko had given him at the hospital. "I don't need this anymore. I'll give you my own number."
"Alright. Good." She nodded, taking the cell and putting it to her bag she had carried with her the whole day. "Speaking of telephone numbers… Jodie-san has changed her own. She bought a new cell a bit after your death. But otherwise she is doing quite alright now. And Mizunashi-san has warned her about the organizations new member… This Bourbon is some kind of detective or so I have heard."
"Did you really hear about it or know in advance?" Subaru smirked knowingly. Tsukiko grinned after making a mock-wince.
"Ouch. I knew yes… But I also heard the phone conversation."
"Mizunashi contacted me a couple of days ago about that Bourbon but couldn't say much. She is still under their surveillance."
"Something we all expected." Tsukiko nodded thoughtfully. "I'll take my leave now. See you someday, Subaru-niisan! Make yourself at home."
"How was your day?" Jodie asked when Tsukiko came home. The girl took off her shoes and walked to the living room, smiling all the time.
"Pretty good. And this might sound weird and unbelievable but I found my brother during that case!" She grinned.
"Really? What happened?" Jodie gaped and leaned forward, eager to hear the story. And Tsukiko indulged the woman, starting to explain the case the kids solved and how 'her brother' had been one of the suspects.
"But weren't you worried? That your brother might have been the one who burnt the house down?" Jodie asked mid-way through the explanation.
"Not really, no. It wouldn't fit in his character and he didn't have any motive to burn down a house where he's living at. Especially without saving anything from his apartment before the fact…. So no. That's not him at all. Anyways…"
The girl continued how Conan offered 'Subaru-niisan' a place to live and how the 'siblings' had talked through all that had happened during the past months. Tsukiko was surprised how easily the lies came from her mouth during the conversation and how Jodie actually believed all that…
"Tsukiko-chan? Are you alright? You became suddenly so quiet." Jodie's voice made Tsukiko blink from where she had trailed off at the end of the explanation.
"Ah… I'm fine, just a bit tired." The girl smiled tiredly and lifted her glasses off her face and rubbed her eyes in order to wipe away the little tears that had appeared. She hated lying. She really, really hated it. But she didn't have much choice in order to go on about her life.
But at least she had a confidante and an ally now.
A/N: And of course this chapter got a bit more substance aside from the dialogue. And changes to the content of dialogue but that all was just expected, right?