A/N: Here is the link to a song I recorded specifically for this chapter: www . tinyurl [dot com forward-slash] halfofyou

As usual on this site, remove the spaces and replace the bits inside the square brackets with the corresponding symbols. I'd suggest playing once you reach the second scene if you can be bothered. Or listen to it separately, whatever you want to do.


The couple on the footpath had been together for four years. Two of those years had been spent in a long-distance relationship. They had moved in together five months ago. Meanwhile, the accountant across the street was trying to get to the convenience store before they sold out of that week's Shounen Jump magazine.

A group of university students were packed inside a minibus, attempting to leave Tokyo just before the peak rush. He could see one biochemistry textbook being perused, while another undergraduate fiddled with circuitry. Yet another stared out the window; the nails on one hand were cropped very short and were slightly longer on the other hand. From this distance, it was impossible to pick out the reddish hickey on the neck that would allow differentiation between a violinist or violist based on its size as well as the distance between it and her shoulder—

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Conan jerked around, and the jitters began again.

"Oh, Ran! You look…"

He swallowed. Ran grinned at him, expectant.

"You look good," he finally said.

"And you scrubbed up even more than usual!" she responded, leaning past him to sit in the car whose door he had opened for her.

He laughed awkwardly. "I suppose I did."

"Must be a really upscale place, then, huh? I'm glad I got out one of my best outfits."

"You're beautiful in whatever you wear."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing," he stammered, his face beet red. He closed the door and all but fled into the car.

He started the vehicle, relishing the purr of the engine and the pattern of its vibration unique to those who sit in the driver's seat. It was the fine details like this that Conan liked to savour: they were reminders that he was grown up now. Again.

"You were pretty desperate to get your licence," Ran giggled as he merged into the traffic.

Conan shrugged. "I learned how to drive that time my parents took me to Hawaii. Thought I might as well."

"Nope; you just craved independence after going through school all over again. You got it as soon as it was legal for Edogawa Conan."

"You know me too well," he replied dryly.

She smiled at him. "Yes. Yes, I do. And I don't regret it."

He returned it, albeit wryly. "Maybe I should pass the epitaph 'Detective of the East' to you."

"Hmm. That doesn't sound too bad, although it is a mouthful."

"Agreed. Who came up with that dumb nickname, anyway? Detective of the East."

It was thus that they drove to their destination, exited the car, and were seated in the restaurant, exchanging quiet pleasantries in an attempt to mask the butterflies flitting about in their stomachs.

Ran gazed all around in awe. Conan laughed at her.

"Hey, you look like you're a homeless person stuffed in nice clothes, feeling like you don't belong here," he teased. "Relax."

She flushed. "I can't help it! Even though I've been to high-class events with you and Sonoko, it still doesn't come naturally to me like it does to you two."

Conan put a finger to his chin. "Maybe to Sonoko it does; she's such a social butterfly. I had to work on it, though."

"Really?" Ran gaped. "It doesn't show!"

He grinned. "Practice. And Mum's mandatory drama classes. Also, it turns out that people's impressions matter less when you're channelling the great Sherlock Holmes. Well, I guess it percolated because I don't care much about public opinion anymore."

"That's true."

"Or maybe it's because I have you."

He could tell that she was flattered beneath the veneer of vexation. "Stop being so cheesy tonight."

"Because you aren't," he countered.

She sighed in mock irritation. "I've had too many years to get all the starry-eyed thoughts out of my system."

"I've had just as many years as you."

"But you're still physically a teenager. Hormone catastrophe times two."

"Please stop reminding me."

"And," continued Ran, "speaking of starry-eyed things, teenagers are so idealistic."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing. Idealism is good; it just needs to be tempered with reality."

"And that's how you took down one of the biggest syndicates in the world, if not the biggest. Right?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Right. But please stop trying to be sarcastic. It doesn't work for you."

Their meals arrived and the couple dug into them with pleasure. Conan was a little too engrossed in watching Ran struggle to eat delicately in the classy restaurant, but he coped somehow. Eventually, their plates were emptied, the entrées and main courses cleared away, their dessert was delivered, and Conan's heart beat ever faster.

And, at long last, it was time.

"Ran—"

Screams arose.

Conan could not catch a break, could he?

One agonising hour later, the culprit had been identified, their alibi shot through the roof, and they had been incapacitated before they could cause any further bodily harm. It had been a difficult case, and the speed at which he had solved it would have him gloating on any other day, but Conan would have been much happier if he could have simply eyeballed this one.

He finally turned back to the woman he loved. She smiled at him, and he was still flabbergasted that she showed no sign of annoyance about being swept up in a case yet again.

"Ran, I'm sorry—"

"Don't be," she interjected. "That's what I love about you, Conan. You wanted to spend time with me here; I can tell. I'm the one who encouraged you to go, because who am I to obstruct you from what's right? I'm glad that my soulmate is someone who tries his best in everything. I'm glad that I can support you the way you support me. I'm proud of you."

"Ran…" he murmured.

He loved her.

So he went down on one knee and reached for the box. Ran's eyes widened. Her hands went to her mouth.

"Mouri Ran," he said, and oh her name was sweet on his lips. "Will you marry me?"

A whole speech he had prepared about being halves of each other, of waiting and tears, quarrels and lost time—thrown to the four winds by Conan's euphoria.

She said yes.


Ran awoke one morning to an alarm that was far too early in the morning to be reasonable.

"Huh?" she mumbled as she fumbled to silence it. At last, her fingers obeyed her for long enough to mute the dastardly noise, but the backlight woke her up just enough to note the event set on her calendar.

The Day.

The Day? The day of what? For what? Huh?

"Ran!"

She was glomped.

"Ran, Ran!" Sonoko cried far too loudly. "It's here! Today's the day!"

"The day…?"

"The day! You know! Only the one we've been waiting for our whole lives!"

"Our whole…"

Realisation dawned on her.

"I'm getting married?!"

"Of course you're getting married! Oh Ran, you're really in shock, aren't you? Usually I'm the one who has to be dragged out of bed. Guess I'll have to take charge, then."

Sonoko ended up having to do most of the work in getting Ran's stark white shiromuku on (1). They had browsed the stores, looking for the perfect one to rent. At first, Ran had complained about the cost; she should have known better than to do such a thing because both Sonoko and Conan had proclaimed right then and there that money was no object.

Wealthy people.

So now Ran was here, spending hours getting her clothes just right, sitting for her makeover and for her long hair to be twisted up and braided with flowers and set with the stiff tsunokakushi, and at the end of it didn't recognise herself in the mirror (2).

"My Ran is finally getting married," Sonoko sniffed.

"Sonoko, we've been soulmates for our whole lives. How much does marriage change things?"

"It changes a lot!" she protested. "Even though you're soulmates, you don't choose the other until you get married and make your vows to be faithful and everything!"

Ran blinked.

"I should know. Even though my darling Makoto is my soulmate, when I chose him for myself on my wedding day and every day since then, I love him more and more, no matter if I'm sulky that day or something went wrong at work for him." She smiled softly. "It's different."

It was that moment, more than all the times before, when Ran understood just how much they had changed in the past decade.

Ran's mother walked in, clad in a tomesode embroidered with gold and lilac around the legs, and a rich gold obi tied with an obijime of burnt orange about her waist (3).

"Ma!" Ran gasped. "You look beautiful."

She smiled. "Maybe so, but it's your day today, and I guarantee that you'll always be the prettiest woman in the world to me."

She winked. "And to the one you'll soon call husband."

"Mum!"

"Come now, let's be off."

"Mum!"

"You've been waiting for a very long time, haven't you? Why are you stalling?"

Ran coloured, and allowed herself to be led away.

"Goodbye, Mouri Ran!" Sonoko called after her, tears in her eyes.


Ran could not tear her eyes off Conan during the ceremony.

His black kimono and haori and striped hakama accentuated his bright blue eyes. It was embroidered with the name Edogawa, and his parents had come disguised, as the Shinto priest who presided over the ceremony knew nothing of the Black Organisation.

Afterwards, she would wear her cherry blossom-themed uchikake for their celebratory family meal. They had requested a private tatami room so that Conan's parents could come as themselves before having to dress up again in Western clothing for their big reception.

But Ran didn't think about any of that. She was more or less a robot at that stage, merely following basic instructions.

Then, it was time for the san-san-kudo ritual (4).

The sake was poured into a tiny cup and given to Conan, who drank from it before offering it to her.

You share your life with me.

A larger cup filled with sake was handed to her; she sipped and gave the rest to Conan.

I share mine with you.

The last, biggest cup was presented to Conan once again, and it was repeated.

Once halved, now whole.


"Eri-chan!"

"Yukiko-chan!"

Both women had been smiling broadly ever since they had exited the shrine; Conan wondered how their facial muscles weren't dead by now.

"Eri-chan," squealed his mother, "we're sisters now!"

Eri-san looked a little puzzled. "How so?"

"Well, Ran-chan is now my daughter-in-law, and Shin-chan is your son-in-law! Doesn't that make us sisters?"

Eri-san let out a breathy laugh. "Well, of a sort. You can think of it that way if you like."

"I will! Oh, I'm so excited! Our babies have finally grown up and married each other like they deserve!" His mother was vibrating with delight.

Ran hid her face.

"Yukiko-chan, come along. You have to calm down; else you won't be able to sample the delicious dishes they've prepared for our luncheon," Eri-san said, reaching a soothing hand to her friend's arm.

"I can't eat! It's… I've been waiting for this day for so long!"

And she burst into tears.

Conan wanted to facepalm. His father stood beside him, a slight smile on his face. And Kogorou-san had no idea how to react.


"I can't believe you're getting married as soon as it's legal!"

Conan laughed. "Ran's already twenty-eight, Ayumi. I don't want to keep her waiting any longer."

"Genta and I are still waiting another few years! And Ai-chan and Mitsuhiko-kun! It's been ten years for all of us, and you're the most impatient!" she pouted.

No, that's totally not it. I've been waiting over twenty years for this day.

He laughed again instead of saying that.

Kuroba, sprawled over the couch, was laughing his head off.

Conan glared at him while straightening his tie. "Oi."

"She's got a point," he puffed between spurts of spasming.

"She does not."

"She doesn't know your extenuating circumstances."

"And it will remain that way for a while yet."

"So you say. Genta-kun knows; I'm surprised he hasn't let the cat out of the bag yet."

"Little wonder," sighed Conan. Now he was smoothing out an invisible wrinkle on his tuxedo. "I threatened not to allow the eel to be served to him."

Kuroba cackled.

"You'd better expect a phone call from Ayumi-chan when she finds out," Mitsuhiko chimed in from across the room. "She'll be absolutely livid."

"Better hope Haibara can keep her from turning you inside out!" said Kuroba with considerably more glee than Conan wanted his groomsman to express when talking about his demise.

"If Haibara-chan tells her she's the same, she'll be understanding," Mitsuhiko defended. The reliable groomsman.

Kuroba clicked his tongue. "Ah, but that's assuming she will tell her. We may have taken down the major syndicates in Japan together, but that doesn't mean she's feeling all that cooperative! As I see it, the evil-eyed yawny girl will probably just leave our Detective-kun in the dust."

"Did you just—"

"Yes. Yes, I did, Conan. I did just steal your nickname for her."

"Thief."

"Detective."

"Even so," Mitsuhiko continued, far too used to his friends' shenanigans, "Ayumi-chan won't want to deprive Ran-san of her new husband."

Conan reddened.

Husband.

The door to the ensuite opened—Genta, returning from yet another bathroom break. "Hey, Conan, someone wants to talk to you before the party."

Who? Conan peeked past to see.

His blood went cold.

"Uh, uh, Kogorou no ojii-san," he stammered, nerves propelling him into old habits.

"Save it."

Good luck, mouthed Kuroba as Conan was being led to his doom.

It was nice knowing you, said Mitsuhiko's eyes.

See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya! screamed Genta's body language.

Traitorous groomsmen, all of them. Conan consoled himself with the knowledge that if Hattori had been there, it would have been even worse.

Two minutes later, Conan stood in a deserted hallway as his now father-in-law tapped his foot on the ground. He watched as fingers crept towards the pocket where Conan knew his cigarettes lay in anticipation.

In the next moment, however, the hand snatched itself away. Conan blinked. He had gotten much better at restraining himself when it came to alcohol and smoking. Perks of Eri coming home.

People pulled themselves together much more efficiently and readily when they had something—someone—to work for.

Kogorou-san grumbled for a while. Conan fidgeted.

"Look," he said suddenly, finally, "I've had twenty-eight years to get used to the fact that my little girl was going to get swept head over heels for a guy named Edogawa Conan. So just take care of her."

Conan stared. "Kogorou-san…"

"Oi," he snapped. "Did you hear me? I said take care of her. No chasing around cases if you're going to leave her alone all the time."

Conan shook himself. "No, sir. I'll look after her, and Ran'll take care of me, just like it's always been."

"Good."

Kogorou-san hadn't gotten all worked up about… about everything.

He hadn't yelled at him!

He had only asked (demanded) him to do what he had always intended to do: love Ran.

Conan made his way back to his room in a daze and made it about halfway through the wedding reception before tuning back into reality. And with what timing, because it was almost time for Hattori's speech.

"What happened to you?" Ran asked, a faint smile on her lips. Lace adorned her white Western wedding dress, and it had an illusion neckline, accentuating her collarbone. "You've been so out of it."

"Nothing."

Ran hummed. "Well, all right. I think Sonoko was wondering if you were getting cold feet too late into the day. She's been throwing looks at you for the past hour."

He glared at said woman half-heartedly; the matron of honour was perched next to Kyogoku-san along with the rest of their groomsmen and bridesmaids and their significant others. "No way."

Beside her, Kazuha grinned and nudged Sonoko while Masumi-san gave them the thumbs up. Haibara smirked at him as though she knew exactly what Conan had been stunned about. Knowing her, she almost certainly did.

Hattori stood.

Oh no, thought Conan. It begins.

Their wedding guests hushed, save for the clinking of cutlery.

Hattori cleared his throat in the silence.

"Edogawa Conan is a murder magnet."

Laughter rippled across his attentive audience. Conan rolled his eyes.

"I mean it, though. Please raise yer hand if ya've never run inta a crime scene with Conan there."

Nobody did.

Conan facepalmed. Hattori was clearly having the time of his life. He was starting to regret asking him to be the best man.

"So, Nee-chan," Hattori continued, turning to her with a knowing look, "I wish ya all the best in dealin' with his curse. Maybe take him to a shrine fer purification?"

Ran giggled.

"Honestly, with both Conan an' me in tha hood, I'm surprised there hasn't been a case all day. Think Kuroba is offsettin' tha curse fer us?"

At the table with the rest of the bridal party sans their families, Kuroba's shoulders shook even as he winked and blew kisses at Hattori, who recoiled.

"All right, all right, I'll stop teasin' him so much," said Hattori, waving off Conan's artificial glare without even looking. "By the way, I'm Hattori Heiji in case you don't know me, Detective of the West, best detective in Japan! Et cetera, et cetera. Oh, and I'm supposed ta say how beautiful tha bridesmaids look tonight, but I dunno if I agree. Conan keeps tellin' me ta tell th' truth, after all."

Kazuha nailed him with a stare. A drop of sweat rolled down the man's cheek.

"Or well, at tha very least, my wife is… uh, not lookin' too pregnant yet?"

Conan snorted.

Hattori flailed. "Anyway! Tonight we're here fer Conan and Nee-chan! An' I gotta say, Conan is prob'bly tha best guy I know.

"I firs' met him scamperin' around a dead body, as most of us have. Thought he was this li'l bugger ruinin' the evidence! But, to my admittedly justified surprise, he beat me out in solvin' tha case. An' that was th' start of the rivalry between tha Detectives of Tokyo and Osaka!"

Here we go again… Conan thought.

But Hattori, to his astonishment, moved adjacent to that topic. "I've never known a man so bent on pursuin' justice an' truth as him. Oi, Conan, you're not gonna hear me say this again, so pay attention!"

Conan raised an eyebrow.

"Ya've taught me a lotta things. How ta be a better detective and a better friend. I stopped callin' you '-kun' five years ago because o' that. That an' Edogawa is way too long. I'm chuffed ya finally got around to graduatin' ta Heiji instead of Heiji-niichan, though. Yer 'niichans' were gettin' obnoxious and mighty sarcastic."

The two of them still called each other by their surnames with no honorifics in private, but Hattori had gotten much better at referring to Conan by his alias as time went by. Nowadays, he seldom slipped up.

"Now, I know a fair few o' ya were there ta witness Conan's brillian' proposal, but as tha best man I consider my duty to tell y'all how it went down. An' what better way than ta re-enact it!"

Applause burst out. Somebody wolf-whistled. Conan buried his face in his hands.

"Naw, I'm kiddin'," said Hattori. "Sorry, guys. But Ku-Conan, I'm still real annoyed ya didn't bring yer wingman along. This is payback.

"Fer those o' ya who don't know Conan as well as me, ya might think he's a cool kid, child genius, solves cases with lightnin' speed, whatever. Ya might think he's unemotional except when on a case. But I'm here ta tell ya: that's wrong. Conan is the sappiest brat I know."

The crowd oohed and aahed. They were lapping it all up, and Hattori was seriously soaking in it. "Oh yeah, ya heard right. Conan—get this—Conan took Nee-chan ta this fancy pantsy restaurant, got caught up in a case as usual, an' then proposed ta Nee-chan as tha culprit was bein' led away. That's what I call eager."

Conan shuddered amongst the cheers, knowing what Hattori was going to say next.

"That ain't even the best bit! Twenty years ago, another mystery nut brought his girlfriend to that same restauran', solved a case there, an' outta the blue proposed to her."

"One of the waitresses told me that one," Ran whispered. "Did you know about that?"

Out of the corner of his eye, his parents were grinning widely under their latex masks.

He nodded, mute. She clapped her hands together in delight.

Hattori wasn't finished. "So, ladies an' gentlemen, I rest my case. Because that couple jus' so happened ta be his parents!"

Ran stared at him, her eyes round saucers.

The audience went wild.

Hattori smirked.

After they calmed down, he kept going. "I might wonder sometimes why I got stuck with a best friend who's ten years younger than me—"

Said best friend's upper eyelid twitched.

"—but ya know what, I wouldn't want anyone else, anyway. There ain't many others out there who can keep up an' I appreciate it. You're th' one who got my ass inta gear ta tie the knot with my soulmate in the end. I've watched these past ten years right beside ya, waitin' for this day to come. Here it is, an' ya can finally call Nee-chan yer wife. Second chances are hard to come by."

Ran squeezed his hand. He looked up at Hattori.

"So even though Ellery Queen will forever reign supreme, I guess we can still learn somethin' from Sherlock Holmes."

Conan would have interrupted, but he was not allowed to get into an argument on his wedding day, apparently.

"Nee-chan, you're just the woman for Conan. Make sure he remembers ta eat an' pay more attention to ya over his work. Though I figure he's learned his lesson. If ya ever need a hand with tha babies, Kazuha an' I would be more than happy. We'll be here for a long while yet! Edogawa Ran is always welcome in our home!

"There's a lot more I coulda said, but Kazuha told me with that look on 'er face, 'Less than five minutes or else,' so folks, I gotta cut it short here 'cause I'm right-at-thetimelimit!"


"You look like you did ten years ago." Ran grinned at him. "Aren't you all grown up."

His eyebrow twitched. "Gee, thanks."

"It only took, oh, about ten years for you to get taller than me."

Conan's snort was pained.

"And graduate high school."

"Ran!"

She laughed. After a moment, he did, too, and sat beside her on the bed.

"I'm glad our parents liked their hanataba."

"Liked? More than that. Your mother cried when you shoved the flower bouquet in her face."

"And you cried when you read your letter out to Eri-san."

"So did she!"

He laughed again; then, there was a brief silence.

"We made it."

"We did." She tilted her head towards him. "But there's still a long way to go, huh?"

He smiled at her. Her dark hair was glossy in the moonlight, and he knew he would love her for the rest of his life.

"Don't worry, I'll rib Hattori about his asinine comments," he said.

"I don't really mind."

"You blushed hot as anything during his speech. Don't think I didn't notice."

"Ah! You got me."

"Of course I did."

"Of course you did. After all, we're soulmates."

"Like we've done for our whole lives till now," he told her, "we'll travel that road side by side. You're my half, and I'm yours. No matter what."

Ran took his hand. "From now on, as one."

She traced the grooves in his skin, fingered their soulmate rings—those red strings of fate forever tying them together. She caressed the rings they now shared.

Conan shivered. His. And he was hers.

"Ran. Let's grow old together."

She slid her arms around him. Her chin slotted into place between his neck and shoulder. Her soft hair tickled his cheek.

"Let's."


(1) Shiromuku: a white kimono specifically for the bride to wear during a shrine wedding.

(2) Tsunokakushi: a large white headdress worn by the bride during a traditional Japanese wedding.

(3) A tomesode is a black kimono with colourful designs worn by the mothers of the bride and groom at traditional Japanese wedding ceremonies. An obijime is a decorative cord used to hold obi (the sash of a kimono) in place.

(4) San-san-kudo: literally translated as three-three-nine. A Shinto purification ceremony involving three cups, three pours, and three swallows.

I'm always up for constructive criticism if you've got any! Thank you for reading!