File Twelve: There is No Place Like Home
His brother had been right all along.
Even though Conan's little pride would never let him admit out loud, just like predicted, his cold had done nothing but steadily get worse throughout the day. His nose was tickling and dripping, and the terrible headache now threatened to split his head open.
Not to mention, he felt hot.
The illness that currently racked his body, however, had not impeded him from noticing the small red dot at the edge of the victim's hair, the warmth of the body, or the purple tint on his lips.
Could it be…? It had not taken long for him to spot what he had been searching for. Under the table, he caught the dim shine of a needle. That's it, he had all but shouted, pleased that at least one thing had gone right while moving closer to have a closer look.
But, of course, that detective from Osaka had the same idea. Both of them had cried out in pain, having both bumped heads while trying to check it out.
"This brat keeps wandering about!" he yelled at Ran. "This happened because you aren't keeping an eye on him!"
Granted, Conan figured the high school detective had a reason to be especially annoyed with him, but flinging a child to an unaware girl's arms was definitely not the nicest thing to do.
Especially when they have a cold. Conan grunted, irritatedly, on his spot against Ran's chest ─ bless her reflexes, she had caught him just fine. Now my headache is even worse. Thanks for that.
"Besides, you shouldn't let little kids see dead bodies!"
Well, he had a point there, mused Conan ─ should I even be supposed to be fine with it all? ─ but that was hardly Ran's fault, but rather how he had grown used to it. Not that he knew that, but still.
Ran did not seem to like this guy all that much. Conan could clearly see why.
He supposed that, all things considered, he should step back and let the responsible adults do their job, but proved to be especially hard when that responsible adult, who also happened to be a detective, suggested it had been a suicide due to the lack of external wounds.
At times, Conan would wonder how he had become a detective in the first place, but then he would remember he hadn't had all that many clients before he came along, and suddenly everything would make so much more sense. In fact, Conan was pretty sure he had played the biggest part of Kogoro's steadily rising success, even if the man himself had no idea about it.
Still, as crazy as it sounds… Conan smiled to himself. I think I'll miss that as well.
Fortunately Conan did not have to point a random clue to guide Kogoro this time, because the Detective of the West stated the obvious ─ the diplomat had been poisoned. Not that it made things better, since now they had to solve a locked-room murder mystery.
Only two keys could open that door, one held by the wife, another found inside the victim's pocket.
Kogoro was visually troubled by it. "That can't be…" he mumbled, then turned to the inspector, struggling to come up with half a reasonable explanation for it all.
I knew it. The sight of it made Hattori's gaze narrow. All those cases reported to be solved by this old man weren't solved by him at all.
It's Kudo Shinichi. He's been solving all of them! This old man has secretly been contacting Kudo and getting help from him.
Probably this time, he'll go contact him too. He could not help the smirk from surfacing at the mere thought. Alright! Let's see who solves this locked-room murder first.
It's on, Kudo Shinichi!
Conan eyed the older detective for a while. "Say, Ran-neechan…" Without losing eye-contact, he gently tugged on the girl's skirt, successfully gathering her attention. "That guy's scary…"
She blinked at him, confused.
"He's laughing to himself," said Conan.
Ran did not think much of it initially, but upon looking up and realizing that, indeed, Hattori's shoulders were shaking with restrained laughter, she paused.
"That's nothing to be scared about, Conan-kun…" she said, smiling a little. "We all have our weird quirks."
Conan hummed over it, then shrugging ─ and ungracefully wiping his nose ─ turned around to check on what the police were doing right now. He did not notice the girl taking another glance the teenage detective's way and grimacing.
Scary.
The police had begun to inquire into the suspects' alibi, yet the kid doubted they would find anything of use in them. Therefore, Conan turned his attention away from them and to the crime scene, scanning everything through his slightly blurred vision, hoping to find a clue.
When his gaze fell on the CD shelf, he paused completely. Classical music. He squinted his eyes, finding it incredibly odd. I could've sworn there was opera when we came in…
Then it hit him. It was opera ─ that was disturbing, above everything else. It was absolutely necessary… He was partially aware that he was panting, but this was more important, so he brushed it aside. So that she could kill him!
Here, in front of our eyes, without us realizing it.
Realization wasn't the only thing that struck him so abruptly ─ a wave of dizziness made itself known, stirring his thoughts away from the case and to the desk he was holding onto, using it as an anchor so he wouldn't kneel over.
Okay, maybe coming here was not such a good idea, after all…
His head felt like lead as he raised it, eyes struggling to focus on the key holder the inspector had in his hand. Before long, he saw the small cavity, covered by a slim amount of cellophane tape.
There, swaying in the middle of a room that was suddenly several degrees warmer than before, Conan finally realized how the murder had been committed.
I need… I need to tell him… He staggered towards Kogoro who, forehead creased in utter confusion, remained absolutely unaware of the hand stretching to him The murderer…
Finally, he spotted him. Conan saw the man facing him, eyes becoming wide, mouth opening and closing, yet voice absolutely unintelligible through the piercing ringing of his ears.
The murderer is-
And, at the next moment, he wasn't looking at Kogoro, but at his feet. He blinked lazily, cheek resting against the pleasantly cold feel of the carpet, internally wondering when he had gotten down there so abruptly, until darkness crawled ─ swallowing his sight whole until there was nothing left.
"Conan-kun!" Only Ran's voice remained ─ loud and concerned.
Hands cradled him into a chest ─ so comfortable it was that he almost allowed his overexerted mind to float away from his body. His weak fingers held onto something, which he later would recognize as Ran's shirt, in an attempt to keep himself conscious and, in an impressive amount of willpower, cracked one eye open.
Yet, there was no focus.
"Hey, brat!" That was definitely Kogoro's distinctive gruff voice. "What's wrong with him?"
The same cold fingers made their way to his forehead. Conan thought he heard a sharp intake of air, but with the black haze that covered his senses, he could not tell.
He tried, in vain, to dispel it. He needed to focus, to speak.
They're falling for it! As much as he wanted to scream it out, the words wouldn't come out of his open mouth ─ all he could do was try to suck in all the air he possibly could. The… The culprit's trap…
Please, someone-!
"I've figured out…" Hattori's voice filtered through.
He forced his eyes open one last time and raised his head just enough to see the teenage detective standing right in the doorway.
"... the trick to the locked room and who the murderer is!"
And despite how cloudy his entire vision was, Conan got to see Hattori's lips curving into a rather arrogant smirk. Seeing it was all it took for his body to relax, slumping against Ran's grip in relief.
It'll be okay… If a famous detective figured it out…
Maybe the reason he was so convinced the case was in good hands was the face that had suddenly taken over Hattori's ─ a certain high school detective who would smirk the same way just before wrapping up a seemingly impossible case.
Blinking once, however, Hattori was back in the scene. I really do have a fever, huh, he thought, mentally shaking his head, while Ran, recovered by the initial shock of Hattori claiming he had solved the case, walked right past him and away from the crime scene. If I'm seeing him, even though he is not here…
The smile that had, without him realizing, drawn in the young boy's face faltered when he caught sight of what he was holding in his hand ─ was that a fishing line?!
He didn't! He tried to sit up in Ran's hold, only succeeding in triggering a string of vicious, painful coughs. No, no, no…. He got it all wrong!
Ran was calling for him, but her voice was fading. He… All his surroundings were fading to black, and he could not have it. He is-!
But supposed that, at some point, it had happened. Because, when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a room he could not recognize ─ tucked in a bed he did not own, struggling to take in the air his lungs did not seem to want.
"You'll be fine, Conan-kun!" Ran's face was hovering over him. "The doctor will be here soon."
As much as he knew all she wanted was to comfort him, Conan genuinely wanted to scream. This was not, by any means, time for a doctor ─ not when there was a murderer out there, about to walk out free thanks to a certain, stupid detective that had foolishly bitten her bait.
He couldn't-
"Conan-kun!"
His throat felt like it was on fire, burning with each cough that racked his entire small, frail frame. And the worst thing was that he could do nothing about it, but to keep on and on until, after a few agonizing minutes, he was free to breathe. He dropped back to bed limply, deprived of all energy ─ feeling Ran's scared gaze on himself all the while.
She suddenly jumped out of her seat. "That must be the doctor!" Dimly, Conan wondered if she had heard a doorbell or something of the like, because he certainly had not. "Hold on, I'll be right back!"
The tip of her hair was the only thing he managed to see before she completely disappeared from sight. Conan laid there, staring tiredly at the doorway where she had just been for several seconds.
He frowned.
When Ran returned not long thereafter, with the doctor following suit, she was horrified to realize that the bed was empty, and the child nowhere to be seen.
I knew it.
Conan's hand closed around the fishing line, walking ─ stumbling ─ out of the kitchen and into an empty hallway. The murderer must have been hiding those all over the house, he reflected, leaning over the wall for a moment to catch his breath, before continuing. She must be intending to incriminate somebody else.
There definitely were more out there, yet Conan had not the slightest idea of where he was supposed to start looking in such an insanely big house. Granted, his house was not any smaller, yet he had been walking for so little and he was already panting as if he had run a mile. That, and the dizziness that refused to leave, led him hard to believe he would make it without losing his way in the process.
Toilet… It could… be there…
It was easier said than done, especially when his legs felt like lead. He barely had gotten to take a step forward before he tripped on his own feet. Yelping, the boy caught himself against the wall before he could crack his skull against the tile floor.
This is bad. Conan shivered, even in the stuffy warmth that enveloped him. I don't think I can go on any longer…
The world kept tilting in front of his eyes ─ his hand, resting against the wall, curled into a loose fist. He released a shaky breath, securing the piece of evidence inside his pocket and away from his trembling grasp.
Metallic cold met his fingers, making him pause.
His eyes fixed on his phone, and a weak chuckle escaped him. Yeah, as if. But everything faltered when his vision blurred for a scary second.
Swallowing his pride and embarrassment with a sigh, he reluctantly searched ─ as quickly as he could, which wasn't much since the letters were blurring, blending with each other ─ for a certain contact in his phone's address book, pressing it against his ear when he was done.
All the while, he was mentally smacking himself for even considering it.
"Conan?" His brother's worried voice filled his ears barely a second after pressing the call button. "Conan, are you okay?"
Conan really wanted to answer, but couldn't. Dizziness had come for him stronger this time, leaving him faint, slumped against the wall. Not good… He could hear nothing but his own breathing ─ short and extremely painful ─ and an ear splitting ringing that threatened to split his head open.
"Conan." But, somehow, his voice came through. Slower, yet firmer this time around ─ he focused on it, fearing that he would lose himself if he didn't. "Do you need any help?"
His hand clenched around the phone. Shinichi waited patiently for his answer.
"Y-Yes…" the child managed to rasp out.
"Where are you?"
"T-Tsujimura… household. A… A diplomat. He lives-" He cut himself off. "H-He lived at-"
"Don't worry, I know where that is. I'll be there in a few minutes."
Conan froze, head raising to stare at a random empty spot ahead. 'In a few minutes'? It took a little too long for his brain to register those words, yet when they did, his eyes widened dramatically. Is he… actually coming?
He stood apart from the wall. I need to tell Ran-neechan… Conan thought, just beginning to move forward. Tell… Tell her that… that he…
"In the meantime, stay on the line. I want you-"
Out of the blue, he could not hear Shinichi's voice anymore. Conan blinked confusedly and slowly turned to his palm. Oh. The phone was not there any longer, but on the floor, lying a few feet ahead. It took him a while until he figured out that it had slipped from his fingers, then might have accidentally kicked it as he stepped forward.
He leaned down to gather it back.
Not that he was sure when it had happened but, a blink of an eye later, his cheek was pressing against the cold floor instead.
It feels nice…
His eyes fluttered close.
Then opened again, prompted by the distinct feeling of being lifted. They squinted, doing all they could to get his sight back to focus.
Eventually, he made out a face hovering over him ─ the same one he had not seen in months.
His face.
"Long time no see." The child managed a weak smile. "Detective-jerk."
Probably Shinichi did not expect him to be awake, hence the surprise that showed on his face. He peered down at him, and soon, an amused smirk met the child's eyes.
"You're well aware that I can drop you, aren't you?"
"Can, but won't." The reply slid out from his tongue easily enough. "Ran-neechan would kill you."
He sat up in Shinichi's arms, just enough to rest his chin on his shoulder. "Tsujimura-san has been killed…" the child mumbled, eyes slid closed in an attempt to get his dizziness under control. "And there's a lousy detective from Osaka messing up. Badly."
Followed by that, the child pulled out a fishing line from his pocket and brought it close to his brother's eyes, who stared at it in utter confusion. "When you said you needed help…" Hesitantly, he accepted it, balancing Conan's weight on one arm. "You meant a case?"
"Yeah," nodded the boy, without doubting it ever once. "Were you expecting something else?"
Shinichi watched his younger brother for a moment. "Honestly? I don't know," he finally replied with a sigh. "How are you sure this detective is messing up?" An amused smirk had found a place in his face once more. "Does that mean you solved it?"
Conan avoided his gaze. "Probably."
"Let me hear your deduction, then, child detective."
Encouraged by his older brother, the boy began telling him every single thing that had occurred, ever since he met Hattori Heiji at the Detective Agency, only pausing every once in a while to give Shinichi directions ─ truly, the high school detective was glad the kid had been at least lucid enough to remember the way back to the room he had borrowed, because he was not sure he would have been able to navigate through completely on his own.
By the time the child had finished the story, they were almost at their destination.
"So?" asked Shinichi. "Do you know who the killer is?"
Not that the teenager needed the boy to figure it out, since he had quite the good idea himself, but was interested in what kind of conclusion he had reached.
"Wife." As he had expected, Conan had gotten to the right answer ─ Shinichi could not help the proud smile that touched his lips upon hearing it. "The keyholder… The opera music… books… and… and the needle… It could've only been her. Must have drugged him, then… in front of us…"
As time passed on, Conan's voice was growing weaker, yet Shinichi could not help but be impressed. Not only did he find it hard to believe that this fragile, tiny, fever-ridden elementary school student had solved a mystery that adults and a famous teenage detective could not even understand, but there was something else.
There was this confidence, too, that accompanied every one of his words that he had never seen before in this boy.
"M-Motive-" Shinichi was thrusted out of his internal musings when little hands gripped his shirt. Conan was coughing viciously, encouraging the older Kudo to move all the faster. "Katsuragi-san… She looks a lot like Tsu-Tsujimura-san… I think there's a photo where she's much younger, but I didn't get to see it… But it should be more obvious there-"
He coughed again.
"It's alright, you did enough," said Shinichi, gently rubbing his brother's back, all but running inside the bedroom Conan had been using until now. "You have almost everything figured out."
Conan frowned from where he rested against his brother's shoulder, absolutely drained from his coughing fit. 'Almost'?
"But I fear there's something that's still missing…"
"Huh?"
"You still have yet to figure out how to take care of yourself."
"Oh, shut up."
Rather than being intimidated by the dark glare sent his way, Shinichi chuckled, leaning forward to settle gently as if he were made of glass, his little brother down on the soft mattress. Glasses were removed and set on a nearby desk, and sheets were pulled over the small form.
Weighted down by fatigue, the child's eyelids began to drop as soon as his head sank on the pillow, threatening to close against his will at any given moment.
But he wouldn't give in so easily.
Tired eyes flickered up to Shinichi. "Oniichan…" he slurred, sleepily.
"What is it?"
"Are... Are you okay?"
Shinichi certainly didn't expect that.
"You're sweating a lot… You're deathly pale, too…" His piercing gaze was somewhat clouded by the fever, noted the teen, yet the sternness remained there. "And you were… breathing heavily a few moments ago…"
Had it not been for the serious expression the youngster was sporting, Shinichi would have probably burst out laughing. He did not even know why this was surprising any longer ─ that was who Conan was, the kind that would worry about others, even if his own brain cells were this close to frying themselves.
The kid was still looking up at him, awaiting an answer.
"I'm okay." So he tried to reassure him to the best of his abilities. "I was just running on my way here."
Conan blinked lethargically once, then twice, before a frown carved itself on his face. Yet, the fact that he had said nothing despite appearing so deeply unconvinced told Shinichi that he simply lacked the strength to pursue it any further.
"Don't worry about anything, Conan. I got this." All too aware of his brother's struggle, Shinichi placed a hand on top of his overly warm forehead. "You can rest now."
With that, the little boy sighed as he let go of the thread of consciousness he had been desperately holding to ─ falling asleep long before his older brother could take his hand away. Shinichi took on his brother's peaceful expression for a moment.
A fond smile found its way to his lips.
Honestly, this kid… As fingers absently played with the little one's sweaty hair, the teenager could not help the sigh of utter relief that escaped him. He can be a handful sometimes.
"Conan-kun? Where are you? Conan-kun!"
His head shot to the doorway, just in time to spot his childhood friend running past. Shinichi froze, willing himself to stay as silent as humanly possible for several seconds. Shoulders sagging, the teen determined Ran was gone.
But her face came right into view, prompting Shinichi's body to flinch violently. She peered inside and gasped in shock.
"S-Shinichi?!"
The high school detective promptly panicked, placing a finger over his lips to shush her. Ran did not understand at first, but when Shinichi motioned to the little kid tucked in the bed, she quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
Shinichi could not decide if the fact that Conan did not even stir was impressive or extremely disturbing.
He kept his thoughts to himself and merely stepped away for the doctor to hurry to the child's bedside. Naturally, Ran's attention had long drifted away from him, judging by how she was gazing worriedly at the young boy from behind the doctor. Honestly, Shinichi felt infinitely grateful that was the case.
Maybe I can… Quietly, the teenager took a step back. While she's distracted-
A hand on his arm stopped him from slipping away from the room, along with a fiery blue gaze that made him gulp in pure fear.
"We need to talk, Shinichi."
Her tone, low and cold, had his hair standing to an end. So all he managed was a weak nod while the girl, not waiting for his consent, promptly dragged him outside ─ rather roughly so, noted Shinichi with a shiver. Once she was content with their location, Ran spun around to face him. Shinichi, instinctively, covered his head with his arms, awaiting the world of pain that was sure to come.
Nothing happened.
Yet, looking at her, Shinichi wholeheartedly wished he had received a kick in the face instead.
"Where have you been?!" Tears were collecting in his childhood friend's eyes. He hesitated. "I was so worried about you!"
Gaze softening, he tried to put on the most comforting smile he could pull out.
"Don't cry, you silly-"
"Don't tell me what to do, deduction freak! Not after disappearing so suddenly without a word!" she lashed out at him. Startled, Shinichi took a step back. "Leaving a seven-year-old all on his own, too! Seriously, how irresponsible can you be?! You… You-!"
Shinichi watched her for a while, then cracked a little smile. "I heard he's been in your care all this time, right?" Avoiding his gaze, Ran nodded ever so faintly. "Then he's in good hands. Can I trust you to continue watching over him?"
"What kind of question is that?" Ran scoffed, stubbornly wiping a tear away. "I'm not like you."
"Thank you, Ran."
She did not bother to follow him when he walked past her, knowing that Conan's health was far more important than this elusive idiot, as Ran would kindly put it. What she did not expect, however, was that he would stop mid-way, whispering something close to her ear.
"Wait for me, Ran."
Wide and watery eyes shifted to look at him. Looking at him from so close, Ran noticed, for the first time, that Shinichi was sweating abnormally.
"Soon… It'll all be over soon."
When Conan opened his eyes again, he was shocked to see he was back in the bedroom he shared with Kogoro. How did I get here? The boy could not remember.
There was a murder at that diplomat's house… He laid there, staring bleary-eyed at the ceiling, fighting to get the memories to fill his brain again. I fainted due to my cold… And then…
A certain smile flashing in his mind had his eyes snapping open, wide awake now.
Did that bastard leave again-? His head turned to the window, and was shocked to see it was this bright out. M-Morning?!
He stood up, a little too quickly, proved by the way he stumbled, mind reeling at the momentum, and all but tripped on his feet. Luckily, however, he caught himself in time.
Damn, how long did I sleep for? Paying no mind at the wet rag that had dropped to the floor, Conan took another unsteady step forward. My parents-
Eventually, he got to the door and opened it unceremoniously, yet did not get to take a step outside, having found Ran standing there, looking as if she was about to do the same thing.
Like him, Ran stared at him in surprise for less than a second, "Conan-kun!" before she snapped out of it, gently steering him away from the door. "Geez, why does this happen every single time I take my eyes off you?"
The child wanted to protest, or maybe defend himself at the accusations thrown his way, but her severe tone convinced him to cease and desist, allowing the girl to usher him back to bed without a single word.
"You might be better than yesterday, but you're still sick," she admonished lightly, plucking the rag from the floor. "The doctor said you need to take it easy for the next few days."
So a doctor had really seen him, mused Conan, sliding back under the covers. He did not dare to move again, thus he just contented himself with watching Ran dipping the rag on the small bowl filled with water that had been right next to him all along, and that he somehow had not noticed before ─ he was lucky, he guessed, he had not knocked it over. Ran certainly would not be any thrilled if he did.
"You have been under a lot of stress, too." She wrung out the excess of water. "That might have made your cold worse."
Conan blinked owlishly. "Stress?"
She gave him a kind smile ─ but there was a tinge of sadness on it, Conan could not help but notice.
"I should have realized it before. You've been through a lot lately, Conan-kun," she said, leaning forward to place the rag over his brow. "Hirota-san's case was too recent, and you've been worried about your brother, haven't you?" She sat back in silence for a second or so, before adding, "Not to mention that you're moving out soon."
Conan looked at her, incredulous. "You knew."
"Not until your parents came by last night to pick you up." At that, the boy looked away. "Why didn't you tell me?"
He offered no answer. She sighed.
"I told them I'd call them back when you're feeling better," Ran said, standing up. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything."
Conan did nothing but nod and quietly watch her leave.
It wasn't until two days later that Conan began to feel like himself again. That being said, Ran did not let him go to school that morning, even if his fever had broken the day before, just to be 'on the safe side', as Ran had put it. He did not mind ─ at least he was allowed out of bed, and that was a vast improvement in his opinion.
As it was now, Conan was content with just sitting on the couch at Kogoro's office, flipping through a newspaper to figure out what he had missed in those three days he had been out of commission.
"The diplomat, Tsujimura, murdered by poison."
Oh, nice. It's not a suicide, thought Conan, eyeing the article. The wife was declared guilty, too…
At least you did your job right. Even if he wasn't happy with him leaving again, he supposed he would give him that.
It was weird, though, seeing his attention-seeking brother mentioned nowhere in the entire article. He allowed Hattori-san to take all the credit, too…
Maybe he had to ask the police to keep his involvement a secret. He frowned, finding that he wasn't actually surprised. Suppose that proves he is in hiding.
A knock on the door had Conan's head dropping with a long sigh.
It's time, huh? As Ran went up to open it, he felt his grip on each side of the newspaper tightening. They came to pick me up.
Even though there were still a few good hours until night, when they promised they would come for him. Not that it changed anything, thought Conan, since he had already packed all his stuff this morning.
But, still…
"Conan-kun," Ran called. He resigned himself to his fate, setting the newspaper down. "Your friends are here."
Conan paused. "Eh?"
Confused, the boy turned to look at the girl, who stepped aside to let him see three smaller heads, all grinning brightly at him from the doorway. He didn't react instantly, blinking at the scene he definitely did not expect to witness, and slowly, his eyes slid to Ran's figure.
With a warm smile, Ran nodded at him.
Moments later, he was walking down the street with his three friends.
He had yet to say a word, but with them, it did not seem necessary. Mitsuhiko had taken upon himself to tell him the incredibly extraordinary story about Genta not finding his math book and being sent over to the principal office for it, only to find it later inside his lunchbox at lunchtime ─ he had been much more upset about the squashed eel than the book itself.
Mitsuhiko was having a hard time telling Conan about it because he could not stop himself from laughing. Ayumi was giggling too behind her hand. Genta did not find it so funny, however.
And Conan gazed at all of them. It was silly, and he noted that Mitsuhiko's storytelling abilities were surprisingly disorganized, making the entire thing a struggle for him to understand.
That being said, it did not fail to make him crack a timid smile.
"We were so worried!" Ayumi exclaimed, out of the blue. "You were sick and missed three days of school."
"You're so lucky you got to miss school," Genta commented. "I guess I'll try to catch a cold, too."
"Genta-kun, there's no way you can catch a cold," Mitsuhiko held down a laugh. "Like they say, 'Stupid people can never catch-'"
A blow on his head effectively shut the boy up, to which Conan could not help but grimace, having received plenty of those from Kogoro, mostly for hanging around crime scenes, so he could empathize a little.
"So…" Conan looked away, raising an eyebrow at Ayumi instead. "Mind telling me what in the world possessed you guys to visit a library all of a sudden?"
He kind of understood Mitsuhiko, but could not, for the life of him, picture either Ayumi or Genta reading anything besides manga.
"Because, while you were sick, we had a book report due and you're the only one who didn't turn it in." Ayumi grinned, glancing at the other two from over her shoulder. "So we thought we'd all help you."
Following the sentence, the chatter and laughter surfaced again, as they started to talk about what books they had chosen for that assignment. But before long, they noticed the three of them were all on their own.
They turned around. Strangely enough, Conan was standing a few feet behind, head tilted forward so that the light hitting on his senses hid his eyes out of sight.
There's no need to make that assignment. Conan's fists clenched inside his pockets. Tomorrow...
I won't be there with them, as usual, tomorrow.
Ayumi was the first to approach him. "Conan-kun, what's wrong?" she asked, visually concerned. "Do you feel sick again?"
Biting his lip, Conan slowly shook his head.
Mitsuhiko's eyebrows furrowed together. "Did something happen?" He gasped, shaken at whatever idea had just crossed his mind. "Don't tell me… Did you encounter those dangerous men again?!"
Again, Conan denied it.
"No, guys… I…" He sighed. "There's something I need to tell you."
"What is it, then?" Genta pressed him, feeling more impatient with each second. "Hurry up, you're scaring me!"
"I..."
... am leaving for America tonight.
"... saw Shinichi-niichan the other day."
"What?!"
Raising his head, Conan forced a smile. "You see," he said, starting to walk again, catching up with them in no time at all. "There's this high school detective from Osaka…"
Thus, pushing any other darker thoughts aside, he went to narrate the events from the other day, describing the case in so much detail that left his friends, listening to every word so attentively, gaping in awe and asking to know more. Naturally, he eventually got to the part where he, on the verge of passing out again but desperate to get the case solved right, had decided to call his older brother.
"When I opened my eyes again…"
Conan trailed down into silence, gaze falling back to his feet as he remembered it ─ his brother's large hand on top of his forehead, the warm gaze that accompanied him as he fell asleep…
I saw him. I finally saw him… Despite that, he frowned. But if I leave Japan tonight…
Will I ever see him again?
"At that moment…" asked Mitsuhiko, pulling him out his thoughts. "Did you see Shinichi-san?"
Conan nodded. All three gasped.
"Then, then… What did he say?" Ayumi was all but jumping on her spot, anxious about what was to come. "What happened after that?"
"I fell asleep," said the bespectacled boy with a shrug. "When I woke up again, he had already left."
Genta sighed. "Man, how disappointing…"
That left Mitsuhiko pondering, on the other hand. "So he really is running away from someone else."
"Still, isn't that mean?" Ayumi frowned profusely. "To leave so suddenly without saying goodbye."
Conan held back a wince, hoping to pretend her words hadn't stung as much as they did. Fortunately, they didn't and continued to talk about the matter at hand for the rest of the way to the library.
I might end up doing that report in vain, but it doesn't matter. I guess it can't hurt to spend time with them.
Because, after today, I might not see these guys ever again.
His smile turned bitter.
This will be the last chance I'll get to be with them.
Effectively, it had almost been the last chance he would get to be with them ─ on the land of living, that was.
Who would have thought a simple trip to the library would turn into a full-fledged horror movie? Not him, evidently, but guessed he should have seen it coming, that with his newfound murder magnetism they would just stumble right into a crime ─ a drug smuggling case and a murder case at the same time, wasn't that fantastic? With a scary, murdery librarian chasing them all afternoon and most of the night, on top of it.
That was something Conan did not want to experience ever again.
"That was so exciting!"
"I thought we were goners!"
"Stupid! Justice always wins in the end!"
Obviously, he could not say the same for his friends who, despite everything they had gone through, were still grinning and laughing together. Impressive, thought Conan, blinking at them. They are out of this world.
He opened his mouth to say something, but soon decided that it was not worth it. Even if this kind of thing terrified them out of their wits, he knew for a fact they would still get in trouble. It would seem they were learning to take care of themselves, however, so Conan figured it would be okay.
Even if he wasn't around to help them out.
It's late already, he thought, gaze raising to appreciate the night sky above their heads. I guess that means it's time…
Time to say goodbye to Japan.
Ayumi beamed. "Let's do this again, Conan-kun?"
"Do what?"
"Our detective club, of course!"
"When we all get together, we can solve any case!" Mitsuhiko chimed in.
"Alright, let's try our best next time, too!" Genta pumped his fist in the air.
The other two did the same. But Conan, rather than doing something of the sort, stared at them for a while, Next time, as the word echoed in his brain.
The boy's smile faltered, but was ultimately kept in place.
That's right… This means saying goodbye to them as well.
Meaning, he had no other choice but to say it.
His mouth opened.
Say it!
And closed.
"C-Conan-kun?" called Ayumi, confusedly, when the boy started running, passing them without uttering a single word.
That seemed to make him halt, spin around to face one last time. Smiling as brightly as he could, the boy raised his hand in the air. "See you!" he shouted right before leaving.
But the other three children did not move from their place, watching as their friend's back became smaller with each step he took, taking him farther and farther away from them.
Ayumi placed a hand atop her chest. "I get the feeling he's going somewhere far away," she muttered.
The other two just nodded, suddenly overtaken by the same feeling.
"Conan-kun!" Ran came running to him as soon as he opened the door to Kogoro's office. "Where have you been?! We were so worried about you!"
Conan had no words to reply to her justifiable worry, so he just ducked his head, showing that he was sorry, before finally allowing his eyes to rise, fixating behind Ran's body. There, in front of a grumbling Kogoro were, unsurprisingly, his two parents.
Sitting comfortably, waiting to take him away from Japan.
Kogoro scoffed. "I bet the brat found a dead body or something…"
"Actually…"
"Eh? You did?"
While Kogoro and his daughter were obviously shocked, Conan's parents merely exchanged glances and laughed quietly, amused over the fact that the same ability ─ or curse, as Conan would've put it ─ of running across crime scenes that seemed to be a common thing in the family had also been passed down to their youngest son.
Yukiko glanced at her watch. "It's late," she said. "Maybe it'll be better to have Co-chan spend the night with us at home. We can leave tomorrow morning…"
"About that…"
All gazes were suddenly on the little boy who, instead of looking back at him, was just immersed in a staring contest with the floor. "Mom, Dad…" he said in a soft whisper. "There's something I want to talk with you about."
None in the room instantly moved, blinking owlishly at the overly serious child. Thankfully, Ran seemed to get it, quickly going up to his father and forcefully pulling him off his seat.
"I need to start preparing dinner," she said. "Dad, help me out."
"Wha-? Why me?"
"Just come."
"Yes, ma'am."
In a flash, the two were gone, leaving them all alone. But the boy did not react right away and stood there in silence for a while, as if trying to put his thoughts in order, before finally crossing the room to sit across from the couple. They waited patiently, watching their son taking a deep breath, hands neatly folded over his lap, before speaking.
"I tried." Conan breathed out. "I asked you for one day to set my thoughts in order. And also, to say goodbye properly to everyone here, in Beika… I tried, but the words never really came out."
As he said that, there was a sad, yet rather tender smile painted on his small face.
"Isn't it weird? I'm supposed to return home with you, yet it feels like I'm leaving instead." He paused, waited for a reaction from his parents, which did not happen. He took it as a cue to continue. "Then, I realized how much I'm going to miss walking with Ran-neechan before school, or playing soccer with Yoshida-san, Kojima and Tsuburaya after it…" Shaking his head, the kid snorted to himself. "Even hearing Occhan screaming like a fangirl whenever he sees Okino Yoko on the TV-"
A faint buzzing on his leg had his eyes sliding to his pocket, where he kept his phone. He did not need to look to know who it was from.
"Then I saw Oniichan. It was brief, but it made me realize I might see him again if I stay in Japan." He raised his head, meeting their eyes. "I know it's dangerous, and it's true that I don't know what kind of trouble he got into, but…"
His gaze was vivid, determination burning so fiercely that even Yusaku was taken aback.
"I want to find him!" The hesitation tainting his tone was long gone by now ─ replaced by an unusual sense of confidence they barely remembered ever hearing of him. "I want to bring him home. And that is here."
Silence ensued, but, far from hindered by it, Conan stubbornly held their gazes. Yukiko, for her part, was obviously flabbergasted at the seriousness of those words. Worried too, at the implications of staying behind.
She made it known. "But, Conan-"
"Then," interrupted Yusaku. "I guess we should leave."
His wife looked at him quizzically. "What are you saying?"
"There's nothing for us to do here, right?"
With a pleased smile, the man stood up. While his wife gawked at him as if he was insane, their son sat quietly, blinking confusedly, wondering if he wasn't hearing things. When Yusaku motioned at him, however, Conan felt his body flinching violently, having not expected that.
"Have you seen his eyes?" said Yusaku. "If he's anything like Shinichi, there's nothing we can do to change his mind." Conan blinked stupidly, again, when his father faced him instead. "Even if we managed to drag him back to America, what's there to say he won't sneak back to Japan inside a random suitcase?"
Soon, the confusion faded for annoyance to take over. I'm not that small, he mentally argued though, being honest, Conan figured he could, provided the suitcase was large enough…
His mother wasn't all that happy with his explanation, but after pondering over it, she began to see there was some truth in his husband's words. Sighing, he went up to her youngest and crouched in front of him.
Her hands were placed on his shoulders. "Okay, Co-chan, we'll let you stay in Japan." Conan's face lit up. "But the moment it becomes dangerous, I'm personally dragging you overseas with me and locking you up in your room. Is that clear? "
"And I'm calling child services if you do."
Yusaku shook his head with a soft laugh, and merely made his way outside the room, followed by his wife. His son hopped off his seat, running to join them. Impatience took the best out of him, so he rushed ahead, up the stairs, and knocked.
Ran's face met his eyes as soon as she opened the door.
"Oh, Conan-kun, have you finished talking?" asked her, smiling at the young boy at the doorway. "I'll go get your things-"
"No need, Ran-chan." Yukiko stopped her, an apologetic smile on her face. Placing a hand behind Conan's head, he encouraged him to move further inside."We were actually going to ask you if you could take care of Co-chan again."
Conan's gaze dropped to the ground, suddenly shy upon noticing Ran had gone completely speechless at the suggestion. Maybe I should have asked her first, he thought, embarrassed with himself for not thinking of it before. She took care of me because Oniichan left me alone… But now I have my parents.
"What?!" Kogoro was rather vocal at expressing his own feelings. "Again?!"
"Yes, it seems that he doesn't want to leave this place..."
Ran had not replied yet, but Conan did not want to raise his head to see what kind of expression she was making right now. I should've thought about her, he admonished himself. What if she doesn't even want to have a little kid she's not even related to roaming around her house?
Maybe I should just-
The door opened fully. Conan blinked twice, then finally raised his head to spot the radiant smile carved into Ran's features.
"Of course he can!" she declared before her father could protest further. "Welcome back, Conan-kun."
Conan stared for a full second before beaming.
"What?! You can't just-" Kogoro all but screamed, but his daughter ignored him fully, focused on guiding the little boy back inside. "Ran!"
"Then, it's settled." Yusaku said with a pleased smile, prompting the other man to spin around, ready to argue.
He went silent when the novelist pulled an envelope out of his coat and presented it to him.
"What's that?" he asked, confused.
"His money for expenses," Yusaku explained. "Use as much as you want."
Conan watched the older man take the envelope, appearing cautious at first. Not that the boy knew exactly how much there was in there, but judging by the change of heart Kogoro suddenly had just by looking inside, he assumed it was a lot.
That was easy, thought Conan with a dry chuckle.
"Say, Conan-kun," Ran said suddenly. The boy looked at her, encouraging her to continue. "Are you still up to help me with dinner? I could really use a hand now."
Now, I have no doubts about it.
Conan did not hesitate ─ he nodded empathetically, happily following her inside the kitchen.
There is no place like home.
A/N:
Published: 04-05-2020
Last edited: 02-26-2022
Based on the Diplomat Murder Case and the Library Murder Case.