Good morning everyone! I bring you a new chapter and this is going to be one of the longest of the fic. Sorry for the delays, these last two weeks I was in an important creative block, it happens to me very often, but don't worry, all the ideas that come to my mind I've been writing them down on a sheet of paper and I have an idea of how I'm going to continue in a couple of chapters.

I want to thank all of you who are following the story and favourites, and even those who only read it, I really appreciate it and I hope that from now on you will like the story a little more.

WARNING! The following story you are about to read is a non-profit fan fic that is only meant to entertain those Detective Conan fans who are looking for a good time. The rights of reproduction, characterization of the characters do not belong to me, but to the great Gosho Aoyama, creator of the series and I hope he can continue writing for many more years (Will his work surpass the masterful Francisco Ibañez's Mortadelo y Filemón in number of years? Whatever the case, Detective Conan is already in the Olympus of the best comics in history) Let's begin!

Chapter 3. The City of Memories

Memory 8. As if in a dream.

Sometimes, there is a particular moment in a person's life when someone unconsciously gives them a goal or motivation to follow in life's journey. An invisible goal that can determine their actions into something beneficial or detrimental to others.

Perhaps that little girl has become my motivation to carry on in that hell. I will never forget her name:

Shiho Miyano.

I couldn't see her face as I swooned before her, but her sweet words pierced the cold shell that had formed around my heart. No one had ever done that before, it was the first time I had ever felt someone's warm embrace, someone's words of encouragement and support come from their mouth.

That little girl awakened something new in me, a feeling I had never imagined having for another person.

Darling.

I was looking forward to waking up to find her still on the roof of the building next to me and thanking her from the bottom of my heart for what she had done and that I was willing to be her friend at all times, but as soon as I opened my eyes I was disappointed. There was no one on the roof with me, just the half-open rooftop door swaying in the night breeze, I assumed she had gone, I didn't blame her, at her age she couldn't carry me up to the rooms; but I was so grateful to that girl that I was determined to see her a second time and tell her all that.

Memory 9. How to become an excellent scientist

The first place I decided to check was room 7. Where we met for the first time, if I was lucky, I would be working there.

There was only one problem: I had to get rid of the group of scientists and they were ready to throw me in jail if I broke another of their valuable samples. So I had to find a more harmless way to excuse myself for a few hours.

I spent two days thinking, observing the environment in which they worked and I came to a conclusion: they were all serious and uncommunicative with each other. They like to think they are superior to the novices and above all they are very meticulous when it comes to mixing chemicals, in case an experiment went wrong because of a bad compound, they were transferred to the infirmary... Infirmary.

Bingo!

The key to my way out. Only with a stone in the way. The only people allowed to mix ingredients were the scientists and I was just an assistant who watched what they were doing and transported the mixed samples, I wasn't even allowed to go near the chemists. It was overwhelming, being an assistant, I was locked in from 8:00 until 20:00 in the evening. At that time I wanted to be a scientist, more than anything else to get a B pass. And then a light bulb went off in my head and I developed a foolproof plan.

"If I can't do anything as an assistant, I'll be promoted to be like these brainless scientists".

It only took me three insufferable months of pure internship where I was sucking all the gestures, actions of the scientists until the R&D supervisor gave me the go-ahead to join the staff. I wasn't happier in a long time, but the downside was that they still couldn't assign me the B pass, which left me unsettled and I went to complain to the supervisor.

And why not?" I demanded.

You're a rookie, you need at least a three-month trial before we can give it to you. That's all...

What a nuisance, I've come so far to wait another three months, stuck between mathematical formulas and polynomials, but it didn't matter for the moment, I was satisfied, besides the good news was that the infirmary was available and I will be able to carry out phase two of my plan:

The first thing I did was to approach the chemical cupboard, previously inaccessible to me. I poured various compounds into a test tube and prayed for the pain to go away quickly. I had read that if a person mixes two chemical compounds ... and ... would create a smoke effect similar to the ... and the -. A trick that would fool them all.

The reaction caused the whole room to fill with smoke and while everyone was watching the fumes, I pretended I was starting to feel sick. One of the scientists approached me with concern.

Are you all right?

I think I mixed two wrong compounds together. My first time. I'm sorry," I said, pretending to fade away.

Calm down. It's normal the first few times," he said.

I-I have to get out of here," I say, causing me to stumble over my foot, but the scientist grabs me by the shoulder.

Hey, escort him to the infirmary. - said one of the chief scientists who was trying to control the smoke, a smile of victory formed on my lips - He may not know the place.

Quiet, I've been there many times," I interrupted, "I can go alone.

Are you sure?" asked the scientist who helped me, a little worried, but just as busy as the others.

No problem," I said.

Once the doctors were convinced, I left with a victorious smile on my face. I still couldn't believe it had worked. Now, I had to move on to the last phase... Meeting Shiho. At that moment I was super nervous and insecure. What if she forgot about him? It had been three months since then and a child always forgets what he did a week ago; but it didn't matter. Even if she didn't recognise me, I had to thank her for everything she did. I owed him. Once I got to his door, I knocked, but no one answered, no one was there? I opened the door and peeked my head in, the girl wasn't there. Where had she gone?

Memory 10. The beginning of a friendship.

I went all over the 7th floor looking for any sign of her, but not a trace, until suddenly a place popped into my head. The rooftop. I opened the emergency door, but was immediately paralysed by the sight of a figure sitting on the stairs leading down to the sixth floor. My eyes couldn't believe my eyes. A red-haired girl was looking up at me with a surprised look on her face and, surprisingly, when she saw me, a sweet smile formed on her face.

It was her. Shiho Miyano. What was she doing there? Then she spoke.

Have you come to talk?

A slight affirmative nod made my head without thinking, then the girl stepped to the side and pointed to the space between her and the wall.

Then come... Let's talk-

Without thinking twice, I sat down next to him, looked at my fingers and played with them. I was so nervous and uncomfortable that I didn't know where to start. Whether to thank him or talk about whatever. After all, she was the first person in the whole fucking world who cared, what I didn't understand was why she did it? I wanted her to answer me too, but before I could start, she spoke.

You know, this is my favourite place in the world. This place is my favourite place in the world," she said sincerely, "I always come here whenever I feel sad or want to be alone. It relaxes me a lot.

-Does it bother you that I'm here?

The girl quickly shook her head with a smile

No. Not at all. I like to have someone by my side, even if it's just silently- she pulls her legs together- after all, I'm mostly alone and there are no people my age to play with- she says.

For the first time I could empathise with someone, I wanted to ask her about the reason, but we were both the same and it would be a bit weird to go into it all at once.

It's a good place to escape from the troubles of the world," I said, looking at the stairs with a certain amount of dismay, "although sometimes you make the wrong choices later on.

Like suicide," she said directly, emphasising the word suicide as if she meant me. How those little girls threw the questions around!

Er, yes," I said shyly.

Why did you want to do it?" he asked with a certain curiosity in his eyes.

Why? Suddenly memories of a few months ago came to my mind. The day of the suicide and an icy feeling appeared in my body, as I replayed the girl's question in my mind.

"Because I wanted to commit suicide?"

Suddenly, a series of images flashed through my mind:

I was not very attentive to her at that moment, but I felt her analytical gaze on me, but at that moment I did not want to pretend anything. I wasn't very attentive to her at that moment, but I felt her analytical gaze on me, but at that moment I didn't want to appear anything. At least in front of her.

From... I discovered something," I said rubbing my hands together, closed my eyes and squeezed them tightly shut as I felt tears streaming down my face, "Something that...".

Suddenly, I felt a soft touch on my hands. I opened my eyes and to my surprise, I saw both of her hands on mine. I turned my gaze towards her and could see her eyes on me. Her electric blue eyes showed seriousness, sincerity and something I never expected from anyone - concern? but what she said next made me a little uncomfortable.

You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he said, withdrawing his hands and refocusing his gaze on the far wall, as if he was longing for something or someone. I sometimes hide things I don't want anyone to know, least of all a stranger.

That gesture made me feel a little strange, wondering to myself why this girl cared about me like that? She didn't even know me and even if she had saved my life, isn't it a bit strange to tell my worries to a stranger? It had happened to me before and I didn't want to repeat it.

Except for my psychologist at the children's home, no one ever liked me, least of all the children at my orphanage, but I don't know why, but that girl was different. When I saw that distracted face, I noticed a glint of sadness in her blue eyes, which left a mark on me. Just by looking, I noticed that this girl was carrying a pain that no one could notice. A pain that has been accumulating over time. I knew then that in a way we both felt the same way. Pained, abandoned by a withered society that inevitably destined us to be enclosed within those four walls of glass and concrete. My heart was racing a thousand revolutions per second, I started to feel hurt and felt like collapsing at that moment. Without knowing why, something reacted inside me, like the cork of a bottle about to pop.

My father," I whispered, staring into the void.

What?" was his reaction.

I looked up at her and I could see that her eyes were moving on the spot, she looked like she was about to cry before she had answered. Then I had the strangest feeling that I could trust her and inevitably several tears streamed down my face.

The reason I wanted to jump off the roof was to get away from him. - I said as I slowly collapsed - but as long as I am in this world and live within these four walls. His shadow and his legacy will haunt me for the rest of my life," I said with my anguished face touching my face.

She looked at me in surprise and a lovely smile formed on her serious face, she tilted her head a little smiling.

Thank you for telling me about it.

You're welcome," I said in astonishment.

At that moment I felt my heart melt at the sight of so much tenderness before my eyes, for a moment, that girl seemed to me very strange, adorable and nice, but at the same time, she awakened something new in me.

Trust.

At that moment she looked back into the void, leaving both of us in silence and I was a little worried, I thought about how to have a conversation with her, but I was the least indicated due to my poor communication skills, but to my surprise she spoke.

Ryouri-kun said in a weak voice.

Yes? - I said surprised to see him say my name.

That day, when you saw me crying, the day we met..." he said in a sad voice, that touched my heart. I was about to know the reason: "It was because I found out something about my parents".

My heart broke, I wanted to cheer her up somehow, but since we were too much alike, it would be useless.

What happened to your parents," I asked hesitantly, not wanting to bring up a subject too sad for her, but I couldn't think of anything.

They died after I was born.

I'm sorry," I said in a faintly regretful whisper. She shook her head quickly.

Don't worry," a faint smile escaped him, "It's all in the past. Besides, no matter how hard I try, I can't remember their faces. I don't even have photos or videos of them. The only thing I know from the organisation and my sister, is that they died in a tragic accident- the tears begin to fall- Now only my sister is left, who I hardly see because of the organisation-.

I was speechless at that shocking confession and my eyes widened at the revelation and I looked at her "So she did too?" I thought.

Do you know why I saved you," he finally said.

-No-

Because for the first time in my life, someone other than my sister cares about me," she said with teary eyes and a sweet smile that was made bright by the lights on the stairs, and I want to thank you by offering my friendship.

My face lit up like never before as a faint blush coloured my cheeks. Had I just heard right? Did that girl want him and her to be friends? I didn't know how to take that, for a moment I thought it was a joke.

W... wait, are you serious?

I wouldn't lie about something like that," he said, looking serious.

I hesitated for a moment, but when I looked into his sincere, kind and happy eyes, I realised that this was no joke. Honestly, I didn't know what to say. This was the first time someone wanted to be my friend, so I tried to make up my mind, "Okay, take it easy. It's the first time it's happened. Act naturally!

Hum? Is it so hard for you to think about my proposal," he said in a mocking tone.

It's not that," I said nervously, scratching the back of my neck with my right hand, "It's just that, you see, it's the first time someone has asked me to be their friend and I don't know how it works.

I could immediately see the girl's surprised face.

Never?

You see, hehehehehe," I said, still nervous.

Shiho's face forms a half-smile.

Well, in that case let me tell you that you'd be the first one for me too," he said, lifting his shoulders and keeping his smile, "So we're both inexperienced in the social relations department," he said.

So what do we do," I asked

Really, need you ask," he said, puffing out his cheeks into a tender expression.

W...well, you started it," I said.

Don't make me say it to me, I'm a girl and younger than you, you know," she said annoyed, "Boys are the ones who have to do these things.

You'll be silly! That's what couples do when they start dating," I said neutrally.

Shiho's eyes dwarfed accompanied by a huge blush all over his face as he realised how big a mistake he had made. He blinked.

Ah... That's right.

We both looked at each other and burst out laughing like we had never laughed before, we were playing jokes and pranks on each other for several hours in that corner away from everyone.

From that day on, Shiho became the first friend I ever had and what the future held for us was a beautiful mystery that we would not hesitate to discover together.

...

Time and place unknown - Somewhere in Ryouri's mind.

Everything is dark and there is nothing around him. The only thing he hears is a constant beeping sound, he was so tired that he didn't feel like finding out what had happened. He hears a voice coming from somewhere.

"Hello?"

The voice sounded like that of a middle-aged man, but it was very distorted. As if he was trying to speak through the mirror of an interrogation room.

"Is it my conscience warning me that I'm going to die? Has my time come?" he thought, "I thought I'd have more time left".

Ryouri was not prepared for that. He couldn't die yet. He had a lot of unfinished business and one was on the bottom of his shoe; he couldn't give up now after doing what he did. He had betrayed the organisation, took an APTX 4869 to shrink himself, jumped in and climbed out of the river on his own two feet. It was too late to back out and write it all off as lost. He wanted to defy death, no matter how much he feared it at that moment; but suddenly he noticed that the light was slowly flooding into the darkness and he had an initial bad feeling.

"No. It's the famous light shining on the horizon" he thought frightened "Please, give me a chance. I have little time left and I need to find Shiho. I beg you, God!" he pleaded desperately.

Gradually the light began to fill the darkness and before his eyes he saw a sky with few clouds and a curtain of smoke that left a small plane in the sky. It wasn't dead, so was it still in the river?

10:00 a.m. (Thursday) - river

Hey, kid, are you all right," I hear a voice next to him.

"Child?" he asks quizzically in his mind. He raises his hands to the sky and instead of meeting the hands of a young adult, he sees the small, thin hands of a child on a huge T-shirt.

What did it mean?

Had he been reincarnated in the body of a child? Impossible. He did not believe in religion. He was a scientist and had to keep his mind grounded. Suddenly, the answer popped into his mind.

The APTX 4869 that had been taken before jumping.

Shiho's experimental poison. I was well aware of its effects when I worked at CELTs, but I was not aware that the transformation was this instantaneous.

That was a real problem. When he had worked on the new formula, he had never thought of accelerating the instant rejuvenation components; but it wouldn't be a real problem when he met Sherry anyway.

He heard the stranger's voice again, bringing him out of his world. He turned his face to the right and saw that there stood a stout man with some sort of fishing rod in his arm. He was leaning over Ryouri with a worried face, which immediately relaxed.

Thank God you're all right, kid," he said relieved, "And your parents? I have a phone around here, give me the number of one of them, maybe they are worried.

Don't worry," she said in a sweet voice. Ryouri put her hands to her mouth in shock. Did her voice sound so childish? How embarrassing! The man blinked in confusion at her reaction, Ryouri stood up, she had to be discreet to get out of that one. "It's just that I live nearby and I took the opportunity to walk around here.

Ahhh," the man nodded, but then asked suspiciously, "But hey, shouldn't you be in class instead of resting here so quietly?

Ryouri's face darkens "Joe for the old man".

Ahhh, you see," he said nervously as he searched his mind for a simple way to trick him, "I've got it," "My mother got sick and since it's just the two of us, I have to take care of her.

The man's suspicious face brightened a little.

I understand. So a responsible boy," he said, rubbing his head, "You do well to take care of your mother, help her in any way you can, okay?

Yessssss," he said with a huge grin on his face.

The fisherman looked at the time and was alarmed. It read 11:00 a.m. Had he lost so much time? He looked at the boy for the last time

I'll leave you. Don't be long in coming home," he said, then waved goodbye and followed the current of the river.

Ryouri smiled back at him until he disappeared from sight. Out of danger, he relaxed his body, thankful that the man was a good man and didn't take him to the police. He was afraid of having to make up an alibi as to why he was there, he wasn't going to tell them "I just happened to jump off a building taking an experimental drug that transformed me into a child, after betraying a criminal organisation run by my father" At that his mind remembered something important "The project! Will it be ok?" He quickly took off his shoes, picked up the shoe where previously in a compartment in his heel he had hidden it. She peeked before she was safe and luckily, the SD memory was intact.

"Thank goodness!" he thought as he put on a relieved face. He put it back in its secret compartment and put his shoes back on. "Okay, now I must find a place to spend the night. The river is dangerous and even more so with the organisation next door," she looked to the other side, where an imposing building over 20 metres high loomed over her head, a feeling of anger and hatred stored up all those years transmitting those concrete and glass walls "I may have fooled them. When they come here and discover that my corpse has not yet appeared, their suspicions will be that the current has swept me downstream or that I have escaped, but thanks to the APTX and its reduction, they will not be able to find me. "Ryouri's frown becomes more pronounced "However, I don't trust Vermout. She's very cunning and it's possible she thinks I'm still alive... so it's possible she's reactivated a seeker agent and a good one at that. Who knows what she's asked her to do to me!" She started breathing uncontrollably and looking around to see if anyone was watching her, it was a very unpleasant and deadly feeling, she puts a hand to her chest and squeezes it " Te...I have to get out of here and meet Shiho as soon as possible" he observes his surroundings looking for a way out, the terrain is sloping and leads to a small urban road, he thought for a moment to climb it, but immediately remembered his size. If he tried to climb that slope it would be impossible, he would fall and break his neck. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, "I should have warned him before" and without further ado began to walk along the bank, trying to get as far away as possible from the organisation's building.

...

12:00 a.m. Thursday - Tokyo Streets

Soon after, Ryouri was walking through the streets of Tokyo aimlessly. The first thing he had to do was to buy new clothes, it would be very strange for people to see a child walking around in adult clothes. Luckily, he had a credit card with him in his clothes.

He went to a fashion shop in Beika's 5th district that he knew quite well, where he hoped to find something suitable for his age; but once inside, he realised that it would be a difficult task to find everything he needed, as his size didn't help much. Before, being an adult, he had everything in sight and it was easier to pick it up than when he was small. He got frustrated, but soon a shop assistant who was passing by approached him:

Do you need help, sweetheart," he said in a sweet voice, kneeling down to the child's level.

Ryouri's ears pricked up at being treated like a child. Although he admitted it was the first time he had been treated with such affection as a child, so in a way it was new and embarrassing for him; but it didn't stop him from playing the role of a child once again.

Can you help me get my clothes, onee chan? -

Aren't your parents around? - he said looking around the shop trying to find a young couple, or at least that's what someone would think, if a child is 8 years old he is alone.

Ryouri was alarmed. If he did that, he would see that no one came looking for him, they would soon suspect him and call the police. He had to think very carefully about his actions from now on, he was no longer a 28 year old adult, he had to behave like a child to have an alibi in situations like the one he was in at that moment, at least that way he wouldn't arouse suspicion. He thought quickly and began to bring out the child actor in him.

Oooh, my parents," he said in a nervous voice, "They are running errands at another shop.

And they left you here all alone?

Yes, they say I have to learn to be independent, but don't worry, they left me their credit card, so I can't complain about the money," I lied with a big smile as I flashed a credit card.

Well, how bi...well," said the surprised woman inside, "What carefree parents! And by the way the boy is dressed, they must be going through their lowest hours...although if he has a credit card, that's something," she thought, "Then I have no problem helping you, tell me what do you need?

Ryouri's face lit up and she offered him a series of tastes: Deciding to wear something simple, unobtrusive for a boy his age, the shop assistant put a finger on his

Something simple? I have an idea, let's go to the children's section, maybe you'll find something you like.

She took him to a special section for children, it was a tiny space with few pieces of clothing, that unsettled the boy a little and his eyebrow began to tremble with a forced smile "Now I understand why few children came to this shop".

You see something that you -

He sighed, he had to settle for something and began to browse vaguely over the clothes, while the shop assistant watched him and waited for him to make up his mind, partly because he didn't want to be far away from him in case something happened to him.

He searched for a long time and managed to find a pair of long blue jeans and a T-shirt, he could hear an interesting conversation.

Have you seen that they've reopened the Beika technology museum," said one young man to another. Both appeared to be students.

- You mean the one that burnt down last year and they said they were rebuilding," said the other one, looking at the sticker price of a polo shirt.

Yes, yes, that's the one," he nodded animatedly. "Since it opened last month, they have an interesting exhibition on the evolution of technology in science. I went there the other day as a basis for a project I'm doing and it's incredible.

Really? Don't tell me!" said the other without paying too much interest to the conversation, it was obvious that those things didn't interest him, but something in Ryouri's mind reacted, tensing her body, she had already heard the name of that place before, in some corner of her memory that immediately came to light, while an intense glow reflected in her eyes.

-The... the mu... techno... technological... museum d... of Be...Beika-

...

Memory 11. Our daily life

The tranquility of a sunny day, the breeze swaying in the face of Shiho, who is next to me sleeping peacefully while some small moans escape from her lips, she was lying under a tree, next to me, in the Beika park, after we had a day off, she and I, and without a doubt, the day was worth it. That sweet scene produced in me so much happiness that inevitably a smile escaped from my lips, it seemed amazing to me that someone so small managed to change my life in a supernatural way. It had been more than three months since Shiho and I became friends, but when we started we did it with some uncertainty.

After that meeting on the stairs, we left thinking that we would both meet again, either greeting each other in the corridor or meeting on the stairs, but it wasn't that easy. The work in the lab was getting more and more exhausting every day. Every sample that was taken, we had to analyse it in flasks containing liquids, test tubes and being a scientist with a B permit, I had more responsibilities than before and we could spend up to ten o'clock at night working, a real challenge. There were times when I wished I had been an assistant, but on the other hand, I slowly began to like the work and my experience as a scientist was improving. The wonderful world of science opened up to me. But as good as it was, Shiho and I still wanted to see each other more often. One day, when I was looking for a free space, we met again on the stairs and talked about this inconvenience and devised various methods of escape for the different days without being suspected. On Mondays we would arrive later than usual, using the excuse that my alarm clock was broken, on Tuesdays, which was the day for collecting and delivering samples, I would pretend to take some flasks to room B23 on the same floor, on Wednesdays and Thursdays we would normally cross paths and Friday, Saturday and Sunday were the three days with the least amount of work and depending on whether there were things or not, they would give us a day off.

We usually met on the stairs or on the roof and talked about our things, laughed about the damned life we had to live, about our jobs. During that time, I discovered many things about Shiho that I don't think she has had the courage to tell many people, for example, her role in the company. She told me that she spent all day locked in a room secretly developing a formula that her parents had been creating and had invested millions in. At times I couldn't believe that an organisation like Karasuma Group would hire an 11-year-old girl to do the work of an adult, but I noticed that Shiho was different from the other girls. She had a very mature way of speaking, she understood difficult conversations perfectly, she had a mind that if you asked her anything, she immediately had a sentence ready for every moment; there were times when her attitude towards others was cold and distrustful, accompanied by a sarcastic and mysterious attitude; but with me she acted normal, with a smile so adorable that I felt privileged to know that I was the only person in the world to whom that smile was directed, perhaps on the one hand I felt that someone loved me. But I often asked myself the same question when I saw her acting that way: "Why is she like that with the others? Why wasn't she like the other girls?" and one day she answered me with an expression that I doubt very much that I will ever forget...

My parents died before I was born and I feel... I feel like a part of me killed them," said the weak Shiho in tears.

That gesture broke me into a thousand pieces and I immediately ran into her arms and hugged her with all my affection against my chest, letting her unburden herself. I didn't say anything, I was a useless man who feared that any word I said would end up offending her. Something hurts my shoulder

But after that, my sister and I became part of the organisation because my parents were under their yoke and we belonged there. They made me do everything. When I was eight years old, I picked up my first weapon and I started to have several teachers who forced me to learn formulas... My life is hell.

She didn't see me at that moment, but my eyes began to spark with anger at the organisation I worked for. For a moment I felt nauseous knowing that I had been working for them, even though I knew about their activity before, but when I found out how it affected my friend's life, it was the last straw, I hated them and I made a promise to myself "Don't worry Shiho, I promise I will do my best to get you back that childhood that those bastards took away from you", I did my best to make a part of Shiho happy, to make him enjoy the things that a child does, although it wasn't easy and to this day it is still difficult to make that empty head see reason, but I can say that the time we spent together, I think that without a doubt, are the happiest moments that I will keep in a long time and I hope that it can continue to be like that.

Memory 12. Day in Beika Park

Going to Beika's park, I hoped that if I found a child-friendly environment, it would be appealing to her, but when I pointed out the swings, she stared at me blankly.

How old do you think I am," she said as sarcastic as ever.

But luckily I managed to get him to play tag with some children who offered it to him, Shiho refused.

Wasn't it that you wanted to make friends your own age?

Yes. I know, P... but this is an absurd game that has no scientific basis whatsoever.

So? Not everything has to have a scientific basis, for a moment in your life, disconnect and have fun," I said, taking him by the hands.

Those words didn't change her attitude, she was more stubborn! I took her hands and I was forced to drag her to play and look how it went, she had a great time in the end. The time flew by, it was not yet dusk and we were exhausted from running, but it was worth it because when I looked at Shiho I was amazed at how she was laughing, I had never seen her like that before, so alive and full of energy that I prayed to heaven that Shiho would smile more. Soon after, we went to rest under a nearby tree and there we fell asleep until I woke up and I was contemplating her face with tenderness and affection.

I ran my hand through her red hair, pushing aside the curly strands of her fringes to look at her pretty sleeping face. As I did so, I noticed that she became much more relaxed and a sweet smile escaped from her face. I had no idea what she was dreaming about at that moment, but I guessed it must be a happy dream and she was far away from the pain she was always enduring. I wish she was always like that, happy and away from those things that hurt her and kept her from being a happy girl like the others. I did not stop stroking her hair until I heard her voice leave her lips.

If you go over the limit, I'll cut off your hand like the Arabs do.

I froze at the sound of his voice and a nervous smile crossed my face.

How long have you been awake?

One of Shiho's eyes opened while the other remained closed. This Shiho was indeed a box of surprises.

Ever since you started rubbing my hair," he said teasingly, "Geez Ryouri-kun, I didn't know that dark side of you.

You fool! I wasn't rubbing it," I shouted, then looked away completely red, "It's just that you were having a nightmare and I decided to caress it so you could dream of something else.

Ohhhh, that's all," he said in his sarcastic voice, "You didn't have the urge to kiss me either?

My eyes widened at Shiho's question, as an uneasy feeling invaded my body and even my mind began to play tricks on me, "What is this girl thinking? I would never in a million years kiss her. Wait... kissing, though. Maybe she means a kiss on the forehead, OR... on the cheek, she couldn't possibly mean a kiss on the mouth, could she? But what if she does! I couldn't do that. She's like a little sister to me. Although I can't deny that she's quite pretty... But what am I thinking? She's 12 years old! I'll never think of her that way! Never!" At that instant, my brain was cooking as a big cloud of smoke escaped, I didn't notice the big smirk that Shiho was wearing at that moment.

So you wanted to kiss me too, didn't you? I try to guess.

Hey! Don't put words in my mouth," I burst out.

She got up from the floor, put her legs together and made an innocent gesture with her fingers as she looked at them with a blushing face.

Well, I do," he confessed in a faint whisper.

I said frozen at the girl's affirmation.

I tell you, since the first day I saw you, I've wanted to try them," he said turning his gaze towards me and begins to approach me innocently, pressing his lips together in my direction.

O...hey, E...wait," I stammered, trying to pull away, knowing how it would end, but I was so still in my place, I couldn't feel my body at all. Sooner than expected, I could feel Shiho's breath inches away from my face, I felt his breath on my skin and our noses almost touched, those electrifying blue eyes occupied my whole angle of vision and in them I saw a lot of determination that intimidated me a lot. I didn't know what to do. Suddenly Shiho's lips formed a satisfied smile and unexpectedly, I felt the soft touch of his innocent and pure lips on my forehead and he pulled away from me leaving me frozen in place.

So that's what you meant by kissing, right?

Of course, when you were feeling sad, it's the best way to relax," he said.

For a moment I thought..." I stopped in thought and embarrassment.

Hm? What did you think?" he said, blinking in mock bewilderment.

N...nothing, it's the same," I said nervously with an embarrassed look on my face. Gosh, this girl is a real piece of work, but on the one hand I felt good that nothing else had happened. She's still an innocent child after all.

Ahh," he nodded.

I looked back at my watch. I noticed with alarm that it was already past 18:00 p.m. We had to be at the lab by 18:30 p.m.! I alerted Shiho and we both drove to the car park, where one of the men in black who had accompanied us was waiting. During the drive, I noticed Shiho's figure silently walking beside me, smiling, looking out of the car window, and inevitably, I caught his smile.

So you had a good time, did you? - I said

It was an interesting game," she said, trying to sound tough, but she knew she was holding back.

Come on, don't pretend," I said, starting to tickle her in the area where she had the most, her tummy. The girl laughed out loud as she futilely tried her best to get away from me. Finally she came up to me and hugged me.

Thank you, Ryouri," he confessed, "Today has definitely been one of the best days of my life.

And there will be more, Shiho, I promise," I said, closing the embrace. We both stayed in that position for a moment until he broke it and looked at me, saying.

Do you know the Beika Technology Museum?

The new one that has opened?

Yes, can we go? I'm interested in visiting the exhibition hall, plus I hear they're having a series of lectures on dark matter for the week and Stephen Hopkins will be at one of them.

Who?" I asked disinterestedly, but she ignored me.

He will talk about the black hole theory, even though it is explained in detail in his book "History of Time", but I have so many questions to ask him," he said with a gleam of excitement in his eyes.

"Sometimes I wonder if she is really 11 years old" I asked myself mentally, even though I knew the answer; but that face lit up with that innocent and adorable smile, cheered me up to such an extent that I couldn't help smiling a little. I remembered that I promised myself that I would try to make her childhood years happy; but was it a good idea? she had too much knowledge accumulated in her mind, about mathematical theories, chemical formulas, parameters and I think that letting her go would lose a day of fun; but when she looked at me with that little puppy face that by the way... she knows that she is my downfall, I couldn't refuse to make her wishes come true.

If it makes you happy, then we'll go.

Shiho's face lit up like never before and she inevitably gave me a kiss on the cheek, making me turn red again as she sat back down.

Now what was that for? - I said as I touched my cheek.

To thank you," she smiled sweetly, "for this day.

My face became tender and I couldn't help smiling.

Do you have a kiss for every occasion," I said sarcastically.

Yes, but I'm keeping one for myself.

-Save you one? What kind of kiss do you mean? -What kind of kiss?

An important one for me," she said in a faint whisper, then looked at me, "When that day comes, you'll know," she said with a mischievous smile, leaving me stunned, then the girl looked back at the window, leaving me with doubts and fear in my heart. What I didn't take into account was how important that sentence would be for me.

...

"Beika's technology museum. I remember it. It was the place Shiho asked me to go one day," for a moment I had a strange feeling, "Maybe if I go there, I'll run into her. I couldn't waste any more time.

Finally they went to the cashier and paid with the card without any problem, although the shop assistant was amazed at how perfectly the boy handled the credit card, accentuating in her imagination, the kind of parents Ryouri must have.

Soon after leaving the shop, I went to a nearby alley and put on the new clothes I had finally bought: a pair of boy's jeans with a green and white striped T-shirt and a white cap that covered my face. It was the best way to go unnoticed by the people looking for him. He set off for the museum, imagining in his head a map of the city, trying to remember the route he took the last time he went with Shiho to that Hopkins' lecture.

Well, from District 5 to the museum is just three blocks past. It's very close!

He threw the bag together with the old clothes and put the SD memory stick in his right pocket once he took it out of the compartment and began to walk slyly through the crowd.

...

12:20 a.m. Thursday - Beika Technology Museum (Tokyo)

The interior of the Beika technology museum, a huge space with a futuristic atmosphere, comprised of several galleries stretching in all directions, each with a different exhibition of valuable exhibits of all kinds: test tubes, computers from lost generations and a host of amazing gadgets that delight the eye of the beholder. At least, that's how it was for Ai Haibara, who had a special sparkle in her eyes when she saw an ion taster, a state-of-the-art computer and a motorised robot... The museum made her feel at home. This was not the case for the other children of the Teitan school, who made the most of their imagination, some believing that they were in some kind of space centre, others that the elements in front of them were definitive weapons against some enemy, each one in his own world! But on the other hand, Conan, who was next to her watching her, thought that it was all a real bore, he didn't understand why teacher Kobayashiki was so interested in visiting that museum with 7 year olds, because just like her friend Ai, she was just as excited to see a microscope through a glass case. "He looked sideways at her excited friend as she approached a huge telescope that reached up to the ceiling of the exhibition and Conan wondered how they managed to get that thing into that space, approached Ai and stood next to her.

Are you having a good time? You must feel at home today -

Ai said nothing and let out a half-smile.

I shouldn't say the same about you, Kudo-kun," he said sarcastically. "You've spent the whole exhibition grumbling, thinking you'd be better off in your mystery books, haven't you?

"It's true that it would be better, but I'd rather do that than look at a computer from '88 again," he thought nervously. Ai noticed him seriously and sighed.

You're like an open book, anyone would notice you if they paid the slightest bit of attention," he said, keeping his eyes closed.

The same to you," he said seriously, "You draw too much attention to yourself by behaving like that. If you want to look like a girl, you should start behaving like one so as not to attract the attention of..., you know who...".

Ai felt a chill at the thought of them, the men in black, Karasuma Group. In the last few days, she had been having constant nightmares of them chasing her, but most of all of this person haunting her dreams.

Don't worry, Kudo-kun, I'll be very cautious at all... times...

Ai's sentence was interrupted the moment she noticed a corridor leading to a room at the back, where she could see the silhouette of an object hanging on the wall. As if attracted, she left Conan in mid-talk and walked to the room, what she saw there made her freeze in place, speechless. Conan went after her and stood beside her, looked in the direction she was looking and her eyes widened in shock.

In front of them was a huge mechanised room, with hundreds of robotic arms on the ceiling, underneath which was an empty cage where animals were supposed to be kept, the whole room visible through double-layered glass. Conan was amazed, it was the first thing he liked about the whole museum.

Ai doesn't answer, which surprises him. AI?

She looks at her friend, who says nothing and instead watches as she slowly approaches until she touches the glass with her hands.

It's been a long time... old friend," he says as he strokes the surface of the glass.

Don't tell me you had one of these in your lab," said a voice next to him, different from Conan's.

Ai turns in surprise at not hearing Conan's voice and suddenly freezes in place, her eyes wide open as her heart aches. In front of her was not Conan, but a boy who could not have been more than 18 years old who was staring at her. She would never forget that face, those eyes, that look of the person who had hurt her so much.

-No... it can't be... you're... -You're...

Haibara," the young man said, putting his hands on her shoulders, she didn't move, but then blinking, she discovered that in his place was Conan-kun, shaking her seriously. She blinked, trying to come to her senses.

Co... conan," he said, still coming out of his trance. He looked both ways in case he could find the young man, but to no avail.

You look very pale, as if you had seen a ghost or something similar. Are you all right?

Y...yes," she said disinterestedly, still searching, this time more insistently, but she soon realised that it had been a bad memory and felt frustrated. She looks at Conan's hands and frowns, "And now let go of me...".

He roughly pushed Conan's hands away from his shoulders, who held his hands up in the air.

Calm down. You've got some nerve," he said, trying to make peace, "I wonder what happened to you to...?

That's none of your business, Kudo-kun, just... leave me alone," she said curtly with a hurt look that left Conan speechless, who understood that he had messed up, she regained her posture and left the room to return to the group of children, on the way she stopped thinking about the person she saw making her heart ache.

"I've seen him twice today. What's happening to me?"

...

12:30 a.m. Thursday - Beika Technology Museum (Tokyo)

Later, Ryouri walked through the two huge doors at the entrance of the museum, and noticed that it wasn't as small as the last time he and Shiho had visited, they had remodeled everything.

The exhibition halls used to be three, but she noticed that they had expanded the site to reveal five more rooms. Ryouri wandered through each of the rooms looking for some clue that would help her find Shiho, but deep down she felt she had come just to waste her time. She wasn't going to go to the museum every day for several months with her girlish appearance, it was impossible, but a part of him that never failed her so far felt that she should be in this place, so he continued on for a little while longer.

Soon after, he reached a dead end and decided to give up.

"I give up, at this rate I'll never find her," he thought desolately.

Suddenly, he noticed that one of the rooms extended into a corridor outside the exhibition. Ryouri was curious and opened his eyes hoping to find some answers, but instead of answers, he discovered something that brought back many memories he thought he would never see again. It was the same mechanised room that Shiho and Conan had been in a few minutes ago and like Ai he approached the glass and rubbed its surface as an emotional gleam appeared in his eyes.

-One room LR3456 -One room LR3456 -One room LR3456 -One room LR3456

...

Memory 13. Confession

I was standing in front of the door of the test lab on floor 8 with a cup of coffee in my right hand and another in my left. Carefully I approached my gaze towards the inside, there in a huge room with a glass at the back where I could see robotic arms moving in parallel, being piloted by a girl sitting in front of a command station located in the centre of the room. I smiled for a moment and sneaked up on my victim who I could see was concentrating on her operations and brought the coffee cup close to her ear causing it to pop and accidentally fuck up the operation. I swallowed and saw a very angry Shiho.

You're an idiot! Do you know what it cost me to perform that operation?

I'm sorry," I said with a little face, then I held out my hand.

She said nothing, looked at the coffee I offered her, frowned and took it from me without further ado.

I just hope for your sake that there's no sugar in it," he said, taking a sip, while adopting a disgusted expression.

Honey, I don't understand," I began with my unusual sarcasm, "How are you able to drink coffee like that?

Coffee without sugar and milk is more natural," she said, taking another sip, "plus it keeps me much more awake.

"Normally it's the other way around," I thought expressionlessly with a frown.

You're very strange, you know that," I assured her with a smile.

Look who's been talking. The lolicon who assaults girls while they work," he said with his usual sarcasm.

Lately he had started to call me in very strange ways, as if I were a criminal, but I knew Shiho well enough and when it came to jokes, he could even go to intimidating extremes, but I learned a long time ago that it was his way of expressing his feelings and affection. Something he had not received from his parents.

Hey you..." I whispered.

Suddenly, someone we least expected walked in.

We both looked back at the door and saw Akemi standing there watching the situation. Ai lit up her face and hugged her, when I met Shiho, I discovered that Akemi and Shiho were sisters and for a moment I understood where her sarcastic and serious character came from.

Akemi, you're just in time to defend me from this lolicon," he said, sending her against me and I was alarmed. Akemi sighed.

You two are at it again," she said annoyed, dodging her sister, "Please don't get me involved in your business, I have better things to do.

Our faces flushed and we reproached Akemi that we were not a couple, although somehow something had changed in the way she looked at Shiho.

Three years had passed since that day in the park and a lot had happened since then. Shiho had grown into a beautiful fourteen year old teenager and with the turkey playing with my morals (hence her sharp jokes and temper). The rocky relationship between the two sisters had disappeared thanks to me helping out a bit. From there, they spent a lot of time together to the point of getting too fond of each other, although I would say Akemi has changed, she wasn't as Tsundere as she used to be. Now whenever she appeared she always had a smile on her face and was much more friendly and funnier, what was the reason?

Well, whatever," he said, winking at us, "I just hope you won't be so cloyingly sweet on the day of the farewell.

Our faces reddened, and as Shiho again reproached her sister's words, I kept thinking that one word: Farewell. Those words were sharp needles sticking in my heart, and I remembered: in a week Shiho would leave for America to study at a prestigious academy and would not return to Japan until she turned 18 to resume her parents' research in one of the city's laboratories, and we would both be separated forever. The thought of being away from Shiho devastated me. In the last few years she had become my everything, my reason for being alive. I don't know what would become of me without her. It was all at the suggestion of those at the top, because they didn't see our relationship as appropriate, and so they thought that by moving away they could break the bond that united us and it would also be an opportunity for Shiho to study at one of the prestigious schools in the world. Shiho was not very happy with the idea, whenever I brought up the subject of America in our conversations, she would jump in with another random question, perhaps to prevent our time together from being filled with gloomy nonsense.

Once Akemi left the lab, Shiho stood motionless, watching the entrance where Akemi disappeared until she spoke.

-Ryouri-

I said

If you miss the day of my flight, I swear I will never forgive you," she said with a coldness that ran through my body, then a smile escaped me. I looked at her body, she was tense and her fists were so tight that I could hear moans coming out of her. My expression became alarmed and I quickly hugged her from behind and she turned around to lock her arms around me.

That's going to be impossible," I said, "Do you hear me? Besides, you can't leave without knowing something I have to tell you.

What?" she said hiding her face in my chest with a certain curiosity in her voice, I was glad she wasn't more relaxed.

A smile escaped me and I sighed, even though it was a good moment, I was afraid and I wasn't ready to tell her an atomic bomb that could ruin our friendship forever, I had fallen in love with her relatively recently and how do you tell a 14 year old girl that your best friend who is 20 years old has feelings for you? What's more, what I feel is an aberration of nature, an accident that happened in the least unexpected way. It was so painful and cruel, to hold the love of my life in my arms and know that there will never be anything, my idea was to tell him at the airport. If we would never see each other again, it didn't matter if he hated me afterwards. Shiho felt more relaxed, she broke our embrace, she looked at me and I could see her beautiful face turn worried.

-Ryouri-

What's going on?

You're... crying.

I brought my hands to my eyes and noticed the cold tears on my fingertips, I looked at them closely and I could feel a sense of desolation that hovered over me. They are tears of an impossible love, tears of the end of a beautiful friendship and of two paths that were starting to go in different directions.

...

Ryouri's hands slid down the glass as her legs slumped to her knees on the floor, she brought her hand to her heart and squeezed it as it began to feel like it was being compressed, as if a hydraulic press was squeezing it until it bled. It was a very painful sensation, but not a physical pain, but one that had a face, a body and a name. Inevitably he is submerged in a sea of tears that fortunately, no one was there to observe his scene.

Shortly after, he left the room, exhausted, seeing that LR made him not want to keep looking for Shiho, at least for a few hours. He wandered down the corridor to reach the main gallery leading out of the museum. He was distractedly walking towards the door, when a row of children collided with him and he fell to the ground. Two boys; a large one with a triangular shaped head and sturdy arms that gave him the appearance of an adult if not for his size, and a slightly taller boy with freckles on both cheeks, well dressed, looked at the serious boy as they walked forward.

Hey, watch where you're going," said the big guy with a serious, almost threatening expression. I stood up and watched as the two of them followed the line without breaking traffic to their other companions.

I'm... I'm sorry hehehehe...

She waited for the line of children to end, but she was in no hurry for it to end; suddenly her world began to slow down, the line was coming out of the door of the museum in a slowed down manner, as if it was a herd of snails walking, and it was at that precise moment that a red-haired girl with a serious face and blue eyes passed by her side, following the line with a distracted air. Ryouri's heart was in a fist as she slowly began to speed up, just as her face lit up like never before. After much searching and several years of not being able to see her, he had finally found her and it didn't change a bit. She had the appearance of a girl, but her features, her beautiful blue eyes, her reddish hair... it was as if he was seeing a copy of her, but at the age of 11.

There was no doubt about it.

It was Shiho.

Seeing her brought back all those memories we had, especially a special one a few days before she went abroad.

...

Memory 14. In the rain

Two days after I confessed to Shiho, she and I were sitting on the floor of the rooftop with our backs pressed against each other and our fingers intertwined as the raindrops were bursting on our bodies and specifically on our clothes while we were in a state of ecstasy; but I didn't care much about being soaked, as my mind was fluttering at the contact of my hands with the hands of the girl I liked. They clasped mine tightly, as if to prevent me from pulling away from her, but as long as I was by her side, I would never do so. It was then that I heard her soft voice close to my ear.

This is happiness," she whispered in a sweet voice full of feeling.

I was stunned, I didn't know what to answer at that moment because I could misinterpret it. Did she mean spending time with me, or being soaked in the rain? I was very happy with her by my side, regardless of the relationship we had or if we were friends for life, she was my motivation to go on living one more day and nobody could replace her...

Yes, but happiness is finite, like a rainy day or a very sunny day," I said, "the weather changes sooner or later and instead of sunshine it rains and the other way round.

I always thought it was like snow," she added.

The snow," I asked.

It's very rare that it snows in Tokyo because we are above sea level, if it does it would be once in 100 times," he said. "Happiness is the same thing, it's only present in small moments of someone's life and then it disappears and never comes back.

Isn't that a bit negative?

It's not being negative, it's being realistic," she said seriously, "in my life he was only present in three moments.

Like what?

-E... That's personal, and besides, it doesn't concern you," he said, trying to dodge the subject with some reluctance.

You idiot! It was you who started it!

And what are yours, smart guy," he said, hitting me back with the same stone.

She can't help remembering the good times we had spent together: sitting on those dark stairs that became our little corner away from the world, that day on the beach where she didn't dare to go in because she was afraid of the things that floated and I had to take her in my arms while she protested by tapping my chest without hurting me and then I went down to the bottom with her while she clung to me suffering from the cold due to the contact with the sea water, she screamed so loudly that I almost lost my right ear. What beautiful memories we have spent together and she was sad to think that in a few days, all that was going to end. So until the last moment, I would be with her.

Perhaps the only happy moments I've had in my life are the ones I've spent with you," I confessed with a heavy heart, "It sounds crazy, but in the three years I've known you, you've become very special to me," I said.

There was silence between the two of us, the only sound I could hear was the sound of the rain on our heads and the stones on the roof. I heard no response from Shiho and what was strange, I felt nothing in his hands: not a squeeze, not a caress... he simply let go of my hand and pulled it away from me, making my heart stop and a lump form in my throat. It can't be! I had screwed up! I began to feel a moment of burning pangs inside me, pangs that wanted me to cry because I was so stupid and thrown.

"She was still a child! Did you think she would reciprocate your feelings? Stop dreaming, she never will. "

For a moment I didn't feel Shiho's body, would she have run away scared? No, impossible, if I hadn't just heard her footsteps walking away towards the door, that meant she would be bent over at that moment clutching her knees and I feared the worst.

Would he be crying?

Would he be afraid of me now that he knew the truth?

The very thought of it made me torture myself, but then he spoke, breaking my mind.

Can we go in," he said in a deep voice, "I'm starting to get cold.

OK," was all I said.

My eyes opened, I took a breath and stood up trembling, I had crossed a boundary by saying that to her. I closed my eyes to avoid direct contact, and the moment I turned to face her, I felt the touch of something wet on my mouth, they were lips. They were small, thin, soft and extremely sweet like a forbidden fruit from the garden of Eden. With my eyes closed, I didn't know who I was kissing and for a moment I was alarmed. Was it Shiho? No, it couldn't be. She was still too young to know such things. Our lips were glued together for several seconds, but it seemed like an eternity to me, until those mysterious lips separated from mine, leaving me static with my eyes closed, so as not to break the fantasy of the moment, but it didn't take me long to open them and realize that there was no one in front of me, not even Shiho who had disappeared, the only thing was the rain falling and the half-open door of the roof. I was completely alone and with a pleasant feeling in my mouth.

I touched the corners of my lips with my fingertips. The kissing place was still wet and suddenly a single question was running through my mind.

What the hell had happened?

To be continued in the next chapter...


ABOUT ME

My three passions are film, literature and writing.

Cinema: I have a facebook page called "ElCinefilo: Historias que atrapan" in Spanish the title (you can look for me on facebook, blogger and website and follow me) where every now and then I upload a movie to comment, recommend and make my review about it. It's something I've always loved and I hope I can do it for a long time.

Books: I have a shelf at home full of books that I read from time to time. My favourite authors are two and I recommend many of their books such as Javier Castillo (El día que se perdió la cordura, El día que se perdio el amor, Todo lo que sucedió con Miranda Huff and etc.) and Anthony Doerr (La luz que no puedes ver) I also love reading manga, for example, I am starting to collect all the volumes of detective Conan through a more compact edition where each volume brings two inside, but it is a bit silly, because it will occupy the same and cost the same at the end of the day, you just read more. Then I have two others by two different authors like Yasuki Tanaka (Summer time Render) and Tatsuya Endo (SpyxFamily) both authors are quite good and the character design, locations and story are very attractive (the first one more than the second one), so I recommend it.

I started writing small fanfictions in notebooks when I was in high school. I think it was in third grade as a way to get out of boredom or because I wanted to write a story with my favourite characters. Later, I put fanfictions aside and started to develop my first stories, most of them short stories and a quarter of them books that are unfinished (like my fanfics) because I'm a person who gets inspiration "a few times", hence the postponements of the chapters.

Nowadays, I write scripts for short films and other media, although they are not very good and need more polishing xdxd.


What tension, isn't it? A very promising meeting that will make our protagonist take a difficult decision from now on. Thank you very much to all of you for reading the fourth chapter of this series, I hope you liked it and when I can I will bring you the next chapter. A hug and see you next time.