Haibara Ai. 16 years old, physically. 24 years old, mentally.

Genius. Considerate. Reserved. Sarcastic. Beautiful. A combination of attributes that would give rise to a highly-confident female. With godlike inventions under her belt as the creator of the APTX-4869 and its antidote, there was no one who would deny that she deserved every admiration and fear sent her way. She made her stamp in history before ever reaching her twenties. If not for the concern of the public and the possible misuse of her creation should it fall into the wrong hands, Miyano Shiho would be buried under peace prizes, medals, and interviews for her great contribution in the science field.

But she didn't want any of that. Her life as Miyano Shiho was nothing but tragic. So, she continued her life as Haibara Ai, going through the throes of puberty a second time, trying to live life how it was meant to be lived: peaceful with juvenile concerns of love and heartbreak. She had only created a handful of antidotes for those affected by the poison, the first antidote going to its first victim and her savior: Kudo Shinichi.

Finally, she was able to give him what he desired most: his old life back. She would forever feel apologetic for that one year of his life she robbed him of when she created the APTX-4869. No matter what she did, she knew she would never be able to repay him. The best and only way she could think of was to let her feelings for the young detective go, but even that wouldn't be enough to show her appreciation towards him.

So when Edogawa Conan disappeared from the Detective Boys' life in a sorrowful parting with promises to keep in touch and Kudo Shinichi becoming too busy, juggling his life in the limelight and his college life with his first love, to keep such promise, Ai thought she would do him a favor and keep his promise for him for a year or two until the long-distance naturally took over and Edogawa Conan and the Detective Boys fell out of contact as they led separate lives, childhood adventures becoming important fond memories.

Since the takedown of the Black Organization and her tormentors finally behind bars, Ai tried to live life as normally as she could. She didn't express her superior intellect in school nor did she let her grades go too far down that the teachers would notice. Although it was second nature for her reserved behavior, Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta managed well to lessen her icy façade, making her more approachable to the student body. She truly enjoyed the mundane school-life she currently led.

However, despite her friendship with the Detective Boys, which she appreciated whole-heartedly, some part of her always felt lonely, and she couldn't fathom why. It wasn't until she met Tachibana Hiro that that loneliness she felt somewhat lessened.

It was the beginning of the current school year. Tachibana Hiro had just transferred in and the entire class was instantly all over him. Anyone good-looking with physical prowess would gain the attention of those around him.

"I didn't get yours," he had responded one day after she pointed that out to him.

They were on class duty for the week and stayed after school to finish the logbook. Hiro and Ai were the only ones in the classroom with the evening sun casting an orange filter to their surroundings and the sound of the baseball club practicing faintly heard in the distance. She paused writing in the logbook to look at him, and he lifted his eyes to look at her, expression so serious that it almost made her teenage heart skip a beat.

She arched a brow at him and left him alone in the classroom.

For the first time ever, Ai cursed the Detective Boys' willingness and eagerness to befriend any new person. As she entered the clubroom, she saw Tachibana Hiro sitting at the center table, Sherlock Holmes book in hand. He looked up at her entrance. "Hello, Ai," he greeted with that charming grin of his she knew most girls loved. She closed the door, deciding to skip club activities altogether, even though she was the club president.

"Ai-chan," Ayumi lightly chastised when she refused to take Hiro's application form the next day. And so, with the encouragement from the kids, Ai was forced to accept Hiro's application as a new member of the Detective Club.

Ai found comfort in the everyday routine she has done for the past six years. What would be boring to many was oddly soothing to her. She even found peace in the complaints of her classmates about the upcoming school festival, which reminded her that she needed to talk to Shinichi on behalf of the Detective Club.

It has been a month since Shinichi returned from America. When she saw him sitting at the breakfast counter that one evening, she was admittedly stunned. After Shinichi returned to his old life, she never expected him to keep in contact nor was she upset that he didn't. But suddenly seeing him in her home brought about a nostalgia that undeniably made her heart ache.

She took in his appearance as he nonchalantly sat across the professor. Despite sitting, he looked taller from when she last saw him, albeit she was shorter herself. But when he easily grabbed the serving dish on the top shelf for her, she was fully aware of their height difference. Although it lessened a little over time, she still had to angle her head upwards to look into his eyes that reminded her of a winter's night.

His shoulders were broader, she observed. His Adam's apple was distinct and his jaw well-defined. They were so close that when she inhaled, she could smell a deep, musky, fragrant that made her aware that Kudo Shinichi was very much a man. For a mere second, she didn't mind getting lost in his scent, but just as quickly, she shook that thought from her head.

Not that she minded it, but Ai noticed her neighbor's visits were increasing by the week. He also seemed to be staring at her quite often lately. Feeling uncomfortable under his scrutiny, she tried to relieve it with humor. "You're staring, Kudo-kun. Am I that beautiful?" she asked with an air of narcissism as he watched her cook dinner.

She expected him to scoff at her vain question, or retort with a cheesy statement like "not as near beautiful as Ran," or something else. She didn't expect him to agree to the question.

"Yeah, Ai, you are."

Ai fought with tremendous strength not to blush at his words or the way he said it as if he was looking at a painting, his voice soft and pensive. With her entire will focused on keeping the blush at bay, Ai was unable to reflect on the fact he used her first name. Since then, she noticed he only addressed her as "Ai" and things were getting increasingly uncomfortable around him.

With the school festival next week, Ai needed to talk to Shinichi as soon as possible. So, she made a mental note to especially invite him over for dinner today. Needing ingredients for tonight's menu, she placed on her jacket to head to the store. As she exited the front gate, she saw Shinichi pull up.

"Supermarket?" he questioned, noticing she was underdressed for a date.

Ai nodded and wrapped her jacket around her as a cold chill went past her. She saw Shinichi nod to the passenger's seat. "Get in. I'll take you there."

With no sound reason to refuse him, she entered his vehicle. Looking at its interior, Ai couldn't help but comment on his rather mannish taste. He simply lightly chuckled in amusement as he drove towards the nearby supermarket. It was rather short drive as the store was just around the corner. Ai expected him to wait in the vehicle, so she was surprised when he alighted with her.

"What's for dinner?" he asked as he grabbed a basket before following her though the aisles.

"Curry," she answered, and Shinichi was instantly reminded of all the times he ate curry with the Detective Boys and Ai at the professor's house.

"Brings back memories," he spoke, eyes scanning the ingredients she placed in the basket.

At that, Ai couldn't help but release a solemn smile as the same memories surfaced her mind. "They're coming over tonight. You'll be joining us, right?" she inquired and turned to look at him in the middle of the aisle.

Shinichi paused to stare back at her, her eyes held a hopeful eagerness that he knew wasn't meant towards his answer to her invite. He nodded nonetheless, and she offered a small smile in response.

"You smile often now," he commented, observingly.

Ai dropped the smile on her face as if she was just caught doing something wrong. After a moment, she asked, "Do I?"

Shinichi nodded and, in turn, smiled at her. "That means you made the right decision."

Ai never thought of it that way. In fact, she never contemplated on whether staying as Haibara Ai was right or wrong. She just didn't see a reason to be Miyano Shiho any longer. If Kudo Shinichi commented that, then at least she knew she was living her life well.

He continued to follow her down the aisles until she stopped by the curry spices. He was surprised to see her pick up one very spicy-flavored curry package. From what he knew, the kids did not like spiciness all that much. Noticing his furrowed brows, she answered, "Hiro prefers spicy curry."

That made Shinichi pause. "He's joining us?"

Ai nodded, turning to him since he stopped walking. "He's part of the Detective Club," she answered and later questioned, "Is that not okay?"

It was a rhetorical question on Ai's part. After all, who was he to comment about a member of some high school club? But before he could respond to Ai's question, a loud piercing scream was heard within the supermarket. One quick look at each other and Shinichi and Ai both sprang into action.

"Ai, the doors," was all he said before Ai nodded, dashing towards the entrance to prevent anyone from leaving, while he ran towards the source of the scream.

Several minutes later, when things calmed down a bit, the crime scene sectioned off, and the supermarket doors closed shut and monitored, Ai made her way back to Shinichi, who wore a very familiar contemplative look that she couldn't help but smile at.

Noticing her presence, Shinichi lowered his hand from his chin. "What?" he questioned, seeing the amused smirk on her face.

"Still attracting dead bodies, Kudo-kun?" she returned with a raised brow, causing Shinichi to shake his head and laugh at the memories. He hasn't heard her say that in years. "So what's the situation?" she asked with a serious air, and Shinichi began going over the scene and clues he came across.

"Poison?" Ai questioned shocked, looking at the table filled with small paper cups holding free samples of a gelatin dessert. "Were they intending to poison random people?"

Shinichi shook his head. "They were specifically after the victim," he said, his face darkening in concentration.

"And were trying to frame the employee," she added with Shinichi nodding in affirmation.

"According to witnesses, those three with the police are the prime suspects as they were near the table before the victim fell." Ai followed Shinichi's gesture and saw a round woman with her hair in a tight bun, a slim middle-aged woman with a bob haircut, and an older businessman.

Knowing and observing Shinichi, she knew what he was contemplating. "Who has the least suspicious story?" Ai questioned, knowing that was their criminal, which made Shinichi smile.

Thirty minutes later, the crime was solved and the criminal caught. "Another one under your belt," Ai commented as they alighted from the vehicle and walked towards the professor's gate, groceries in hand. "With so much death around you, I seriously wonder on the safety of my life."

Shinichi arched a brow at her statement. "Says the person who created a drug that can alter a person's life," he retorted, and Ai had to smirk in response, her look reminding him of many instances in the past. Then, it fully dawned on him. If today was any indication, he wasn't aware of just how much he missed this, of just how much he missed the verbal banter between him and Ai, of just how much he missed Ai.

Every time he looked at her teenage features, he was reminded that he was the one that left and broke contact. He was the one that didn't bother popping in during the last three years. He was the one that purposefully forgot about Edogawa Conan and his friendships.

Although Haibara Ai was present in both Edogawa Conan and Kudo Shinichi's lives, it was Conan whom she constantly talked to, not Shinichi. It was Conan she constantly bantered with. It was Conan that she purposefully aggravated and mocked. Suddenly, he was fully aware of how different Conan and Shinichi's lives were. Why couldn't he maintain both simply as Kudo Shinichi?

Because Ai chose to stay as Haibara Ai, he answered. Where they're at in their current paths didn't allow for them to cross. Despite her actual age, she was a teenager in society's eyes and he a young adult.

"But you're not actually a teenager," he said aloud to her, causing Ai to pause and crease her brows in confusion at the random comment.

He let his eyes rake over her appearance. She may physically be 16 years old, but her aura, speech, and mannerisms were not. The way she carried herself was that of a young adult who saw too much death and tragedy in her life. No miracle drug can erase that. Anyone who fully looked at her could tell she wasn't just a 16-year-old.

And then his eyes caught it. They caught the slight red and purplish mark on her neck peeking out from the collar of her jacket.

Groceries falling to the ground, Ai was taken by surprised when Shinichi grabbed her wrist to pull her closer in order to move her jacket off her shoulder. "Kudo-kun?"

There on Ai's neck was a kiss mark. A sign that stupid teenagers didn't know how to control their stupid hormones. He suddenly remembered her make-out session with her boyfriend in broad daylight in the middle of the street.

He debated on whether he should wait it out or risk ruining their mood the instant he opened his door. However, his eternal debate was short-lived when he noticed the hormonal male teenager slip his hand under Ai's skirt. Shinichi immediately alighted from his vehicle and slammed his car door a bit too harshly. He saw Ai instantly push the boy off her and turned her head away from his view, although he could still see the red hue on her neck.

Finally getting a hold of himself, Hiro became awestruck when he realized the famous detective was before his eyes. "Kudo Shinichi, Japan's Holmes," spoke the male teen before introducing himself. "Tachibana Hiro," the younger boy said as he stuck out his hand, and Shinichi let his gaze slide from Ai to the male teen.

He was quite striking, Shinichi noted. He had light brown hair, a straight nose, thin lips with a square-defined jaw. His eyes were a deep green. He was of mixed blood, English and Japanese descent. The young teen possessed a well-toned body. Assessing his toned leg and arm muscles, Shinichi gathered he was a swimmer, and, from the rope bracelet that was reminiscent of Beika High's soccer club, a soccer player.

"You're not a teenager, Ai, yet you're doing stupid teenage stuff," Shinichi whispered harshly, irritated for some unknown reason.

Taken aback at the sudden change of attitude in Shinichi and the slight insult, she shrugged out of his grasp. "Stupid teenage stuff like what?" she asked for clarification, fixing her jacket.

"Making out in broad daylight with a teenage boy, Ai?" he gestured with open arms to their surroundings. "You may look sixteen but you experienced far more in life than he has."

Ai took in Shinichi's words, replaying it in her mind. Where was this coming from? "Careful, Kudo," she warned. "If I didn't know any better, you're insinuating something," she commented on his reference of her relationship with Hiro. And curious to his answer, she had to ask, "And for the sake of argument, Kudo, with me physically as a teenager but mentally an adult, who do you think I should have a relationship with if I cannot be with someone that matches my physical age?" Shinichi was taken aback by the question as he admittedly never really thought about it. She continued, "Shall I date older males with my current physique? I'm sure many men would jump to sleep with me as a teenager." Shinichi grimaced at the sudden mental image she drew. "Or shall I wait out my teenage years and forgo experiencing a teenage romance that my previous life was denied?"

"No, of course not," he responded, listening to her.

"Then pray tell, who should I be with?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Someone who understands you, at least," he automatically responded. "Someone who at least knew of everything you've been through."

Ai let his words sink in as they both stared at each other in the middle of the street. Dark blue stared back at steely gray, confusion evident in both individuals for different reasons. "And who would that be, Kudo?"

For the life of him, no one came to mind. He couldn't think of one individual who knew both of her life as Miyano Shiho and her desire to remain as Haibara Ai. And so he stood there silently and watched as she picked up the groceries from the ground. The creaking of the gate traveled to his ears as she entered and closed it behind her. It wasn't until he heard the front door of the professor's house click shut that he turned towards his house.