A/N: So, while I was writing this, I was listening to Top Secret by SNSD (Girl's Generation) and when I heard the line, "Oh no - if you fearlessly try to know it all, you'll get hurt. Top, top, top secret!" I couldn't help but imagine Alice/Midori singing it to Conan... XDDD;; Oh, brain, why you so strange? Also, "Strange World" by Jessie Payo is probably a sort-of non-"official" theme for this, too. (Laughs) Either way, chapter fourty and something special! I hope it doesn't suck too badly. XD Enjoy? ^^ (Wow, look how far we'd made it….)
Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama.
Chapter Forty
I woke up feeling refreshed and surprisingly not in pain. I brushed off the thought, though, smiling down at Kin, who was curled up against my neck. Apparently, he'd commuted in here sometime after I fell asleep. Which is kind off surprising; usually he'd have attacked me after I got into the house. Maybe he'd been doing something? I blinked up at the ceiling, ridding my eyes of sleep and stretching slightly, feeling accomplished. Glancing over to the side table of the guest room, I spotted yesterday's heist jewel. I grinned brightly before shaking off the thoughts and sitting up carefully, cradling Kin close as he shifted a bit.
With a yawn, I stood carefully, testing out my ankle. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it didn't hurt much – in fact, it was barely a passing pain, but I was used to such things. It wouldn't bother me much – easily ignored like a paper cut. A bit bemused, I smirked. It probably had something to do with Akako.
Glancing out the window, the sky reflected back at me, clouds drifting lazily in the azure. A nice day, indeed, I mused – despite that, I frowned a bit in thought before shrugging it off. Decidedly, I grabbed my phone from the side table and walked out of the room, heading to the kitchen. Truthfully, I still wasn't exactly sure where the kitchen was, but I was following my nose, the smell of bacon and eggs filling the usually incense-smelling halls. After wandering around several – maze-like – halls, I ended up in the kitchen.
Akako was sitting at the table, sipping at – what appeared to be – tea and her creepy butler was once again cooking. I walked in, taking a seat at the spacious table and seating Kin on my lap – he looked about ready to wake up, but didn't want to. I know that feeling all too well. "Morning~!" I chirped happily, getting a smirk in return and nod before the witch went back to sipping at her tea. Shrugging, I went to eating my bacon and eggs as the butler placed a large plate in front of me. Once again, I noted Akako wasn't eating anything, but I brushed it off. By the looks of it, she'd probably eaten earlier, since the butler was immediately setting to work on cleaning a dirty dish in the sink.
I ate in silence, assessing last night's situation.
…I had seriously stolen something. It was bit disconcerting, actually. Truthfully, I had been a bit worried about actually having the guts to steal something and it was kind of hitting me full force now that I'd gone through with such a demented plan. Chuckling as I finished my breakfast, I decided that perhaps Conan wasn't too wrong about his accusation yesterday. I probably was a little bit insane. But! If I was insane, so was he! He'd deny it, but I know it's the truth.
I blinked out of my internal thoughts as my phone rang, the Mission Impossible theme echoing out in the silent kitchen. I had set specific ringtones for everyone – all of the Detective Boys ringtones were the Mission Impossible theme, Kaito's was the Pink Panther's, Erise's was the James Bond theme (don't ask…), and Akako's was the Ghostbuster's song; Conan's was the first ringtone Akako had given me and I still had yet to customize Heiji's and Agasa's– and I glanced at the flashing screen.
'Mitsuhiko' was written, flashing boldly, and I blinked. It was the first time he'd called me directly – truthfully, I think he was a bit shy around me. Probably because I acted kind of strangely, I deduced with an amused smirk. Looking down at my body to make sure I'd actually remembered to change back to Alice – thankfully, I had – and then I answered the phone, bringing it to my ear.
"Yo!" I answered, laughing under my breath as I got a sputtered reply. "A-Ah, Koizumi-san..? I-It's Mitsuhiko." I smiled, "Ah, Tsuburaya-kun! It's nice to hear you finally call. What's up?" Akako glanced at me as she finished her tea before giving me a smirk – one that sent an unpleasant shiver down my spine – and getting up, disappearing out of the kitchen. I flashed a small smile of thanks to the butler before standing as well, walking aimlessly through the halls.
"U-Uh, n-nothing really. I-I just was w-wondering if you'd m-mind giving you're o-opinion on something…," He trailed nervously. Really, Mitsuhiko was really too awkward around or talking to girls. A tad curious about what he wanted my opinion on, I questioned, "Opinion? Sure~! On what, Tsuburaya-kun?"
I could almost imagine a red flush spreading across his cheeks. "I-It's about Ayumi-chan…," Ohhhh, I see~! I covered a chuckle with a cough before saying I'd help him out with what he needed and as I waited for him to tell me what he wanted my opinion on, he instead told me to meet him at a nearby florist shop. Flowers – awww, young love~!
"A florist shop, huh? Sure – the one by the Beika station, right?" I questioned, hearing an embarrassed hum of affirmative. "Okay, then. I'll be there in…about ten minutes. I have to get ready." I informed him. "A-Ah, okay! Thank you, Koizumi-san!" "No problem." With that, the call ended and I finally arrived at the guest room once more. Somehow, I had not got lost – I think maybe I knew the trick to this house now. You don't guide yourself to the room, you think about wanting to go to the room and let yourself be guided. It would make a lot of sense, actually.
I grabbed the bag I'd brought for 'spending the night with Akako-neesan' and dug through it, gathering my clothing and heading into the attached bathroom that was in the guest room, once again taking a glance out the window.
ooOOoo
"Tsuburaya-kun, over here!" I called, waving my hand to gain the boy's attention as he looked at the commuting people. Despite having to take a quick shower and getting dressed, I had somehow arrived before him. Truthfully, I think he'd been dawdling nearby, but had been too nervous and had to gain up his courage. Through the colorful people passing by, I saw him spot me and quickly make his way over to where I was standing in front of the florist shop. Beside me was a variation of smells, ranging from sweet rose to overpowering lavender.
He arrived in front of me, looking incredibly awkward. "H-Hi, Koizumi-san!" He smiled and it looked lopsided and I quirked back a grin. "So, you want to look for flowers for Yoshida-san, right?" I asked and was rewarded with a brilliant red blush dusting his cheeks brightly. I held my tongue and continued, "You like her, right? I'm not sure if I'm the correct person to consult on this, but I'll do my best to aid you!" I announced happily, swinging an arm around his shoulders in a friendly gesture I'd always done with close friends.
If possible, his face turned redder as I led up into the open store, my nose crinkling the slightest as smells assaulted my senses – I wasn't a big flower person, truthfully. "K-K-K-Koizumi-san…," His voice wavered and I turned to look at him, noticing his uncomfortable demeanor. I stopped leading us in, smiling warmly up at him. "Don't worry – just pretend I'm not a girl. That'll make you feel more comfortable, right? From now on, I'm a guy!" I declared proudly.
His face turned a bit disbelieving, brown eyes taking in my appearance. "But, Koizumi-san…You're wearing a skort." He pointed out and I blinked, looking down at myself. True to his words, I was wearing a skort made out of jean material and had a white T-shirt with a panda design on. My grin turned a little sheepish as I looked back to him, "Sorry…It was the first thing I pulled out…," A short chuckle left my lips and I saw him give a small laugh as well, becoming a bit more comfortable.
"Anyways!" I cut in, pulling him further into the store despite my protesting nose. "Flowers for Yoshida-san should be picked out with great care! The first basics to getting a girl flowers is to know what the flower means!" The middle aged florist was giving us an amused look most adults gave to children when they were pretending to be mature as I brought us up to the roses. Several shades of said roses splashed the green scenery and I grinned once I noticed Mitsuhiko staring at them intensely.
"For roses, the different colors of the flower can mean completely different things – red, for one, means true love while burgundy means unconscious beauty and yellow can mean several things ranging from friendship to jealousy to extreme betrayal. Thornless roses mean 'love at first sight', which would be best coupled with a positive color." I explained, gesturing to the colors I'd mentioned. The florist looked surprised by my knowledge as I turned us to the next flowers nearby – forget-me-not's, daffodils, and daisies. "Forget-me-not's mean true love, once again. Daffodils can mean several things; uncertainty, chivalry, respect, 'return my affection', and unrequited love. Obviously, we don't want to send her that one, unless you're going for the 'return my affection' thing."
His face flushed a bit, but he didn't interrupt as I went on. "Daisies, in general, can mean loyal love, purity, faith or cheer, among other things. A red daisy, specifically, means 'beauty unknown to the possessor'. May be a good one, if you feel like flattering her." Nodding my head, I went on, "All in all, flowers – and plants in general – can mean a whole different slew of things from domestic economy to 'choose your destiny'. That's why you need to be careful when choosing these things." I summed up, releasing him from my hold as I put my hands on my hips. He gave me his attention, interested.
"The second thing you need to do when getting a girl flowers is to put together the flowers that transmit your intentions and look good together! Knowing the girl's favorite color also helps, because you want her to not only like the meaning of the bouquet, but to like the arrangement, as well." Mitsuhiko nodded seriously and I gave a slight smile as I realized he'd finally loosened up to the point where he didn't feel too awkward anymore.
"With things like this, you should usually choose the flowers beforehand and then ask the florist for her opinion on the bouquet arrangement." Lifting one hand, I pointed to the bundle of lilacs in the corner. "For one, I think that perhaps you should put a purple lilac in the bouquet you're going to give Yoshida-san. It means 'first emotion of love'. She's your first love, right?" I asked curiously, eyes narrowing in amusement as he blushed again. I had a feeling it was going to be something I'd see a lot more often today.
A bit hesitatingly, he nodded, face as red as a tomato. It was pretty cute, I mused with an internal chuckle. "So, that one would be good. What else do you want to express in your bouquet?"
"M-Maybe something that t-tells her that I l-like her…and something that tells her t-t-that…e-even if she doesn't like me b-back, that we'll a-always be friends." He decided shakily. My eyes softened – for a kid, being rejected would usually be a hard thing to handle, but Mitsuhiko was specifically saying that even if she didn't like him, he wouldn't mind and he'd move on, no matter how hard, and continue to have an enduring friendship with the hairband-wearing member of the group. It was endearing and a very mature thing for someone his age – I couldn't help but be a little impressed.
However, I didn't voice my thoughts, humming in thought as I brought my hand to my chin in the classic 'thinking-pose'. My mind immediately gave me several choices and I picked out the ones that would probably look the best together. I glanced around the shop, taking in everything and making sure they had what we needed before nodding. "Okay – those meanings are good to go! Do you want me to choose the flowers, or do you want to do it yourself?" I questioned gently.
"U-Uh…I-I'm no good with flowers, Koizumi-san." He laughed sheepishly, "You can choose them."
I stared a moment at him before smiling, "Okay, I'll be right back." And with that, I walked over to the florist behind the counter, who looked down at me with the same smile she'd been directing towards us before. "I'd like a bouquet with purple lilacs, gardenias, arborvitaes, and asters." I listed off, my eyes off in the corner of the ceiling in thought. That sounded about right, I decided. 'First emotions of love', 'you're lovely or 'sweet love' or 'secret love', 'everlasting friendship', and a 'symbol of love'. Sounded like a good combination. The florist nodded, smiling warmly, and my eyes drifted off to observe two people as she went to gather said flowers.
The two people were a man and a woman – the man was pretty tall and had dark haired swept stylishly to the side and the woman was pretty, wearing a deep shade of red lipstick that I absently thought looked a bit tacky with her skin color. Despite that, they looked like a cute couple in their early thirties. They were talking and I could hear them from my spot. Being nosy, I listened in. "Eh, where's your wedding ring, Yui?" The man questioned in a deep voice, looking down to his wife's ring finger.
The woman – Yui – smiled a bit sheepishly as she held up her hand. "I lost my ring earlier this week while helping a young couple with their arrangements. Could you help me look for it after lunch? I think it's somewhere in the house, but I'm not sure." She explained in an embarrassed tone, quirking a small smile. The man laughed. "Sure, I can help you with that. It's the least I can do for you." The woman opened her mouth to say something back, but I was distracted as the florist came back, brandishing the flowers of my choice.
"Here we go. Is this all?" She asked, already beginning to put them in a nice arrangement. I blinked and my eyes caught sight of blooming hibiscuses out in the front of the store. "Actually, can you add some hibiscuses?" I grinned and she nodded with a knowing smile, going to get them and coming back just as quickly. With that the bouquet was complete.
After all, you can't confess your love for someone without giving them a hibiscus. 'Rare beauty' or 'delicate beauty' is the best of all compliments, after all. And you can't do without it, either, since the third basics of giving a girl flowers, is to compliment her on the beauty only she possesses.
ooOOoo
Once the florist woman was done arranging the flowers into a beautiful display, having wrapped it up in clear plastic and tying it with a pink ribbon, I went back to Mitsuhiko. The bouquet was kind of difficult to carry, with me disliking the scent of flowers so much, but it was manageable and the look on Mitsuhiko's face when he saw the bouquet was totally worth it. He looked like he'd just won a million bucks, plus some. The fact that his face was bright red, too, just made the expression that much more endearing.
I plopped the flowers into his arms, relieved to not have flowers in my face anymore. "There ya go! With that, you'll have nothing to worry about." I grinned, feeling accomplished. He nodded brightly, "Thank you, Koizumi-san! You were a lot of help! I wouldn't have known what to do with you." He said gratefully, shifting the flowers in his arms as we walked back out into the sun. Warmth hit my skin and I hummed in appreciation, nodding slightly.
"Don't worry 'bout it! This is what I'm here for – to help!" My arm lashed out on instinct as I patted his back – a bit too roughly – and he stumbled forward with a laugh at the rough-housing. "Koizumi-san, you really do remind me of a boy." I blinked in surprise and a second later, he realized what he'd just said, "I-I mean – not in a bad way! I-I-It's just you told me to pretend you were a g-guy and, and, I mean–!"
Mitsuhiko was cut off as I gave a raucous laugh, feeling incredibly amused. "Don't worry, I get what you mean! Hahaha–It's nice to see you acting so comfortably around me!" I told him honestly with a Cheshire grin as we weaved in and out of people's legs in the surprisingly crowded place. Before he could answer, I went on. "Either way, we should get this to your house and put it in water. You can give it to Yoshida-san tomorrow." I nodded, "Then, we can go to an arcade nearby."
"Eh? Uh, sure." He answered, but his face grew a bit uncertain. "B-But, I'm a bit nervous to give this to Ayumi-chan…I mean, what if she doesn't like it…?" He trailed and I rolled my eyes fondly.
"Tsuburaya-kun. She'll love it. It's beautiful and your feelings are put into it." I bumped his shoulder with mine playfully. "Where's your Yamato-damashii?" I crowed playfully, seeing him flush before looking up determinedly. "You're right, Koizumi-san! I'll definitely give it to her." He decided with a smile.
I nodded, "Good, good. Now, lead the way~! I have absolutely no idea where your house is." I laughed.
ooOOoo
The day was overall great – I'd bonded a lot with Mitsuhiko and spent a lot of time with him; he'd eventually completely relaxed and I encouraged his behavior once he began treating me like one of his guy friends. After dropping off the flowers at his house, we went to a nearby arcade as planned and had a ball trying to beat each other in games like ice hockey, racing games, and, shockingly, first-person-shooter games; that'd been an interesting one to play, as both of us ended up being terrible shots. But, it was still incredibly fun and we'd spent about two hours just playing in the arcade. Eventually, we went to go see a new movie that both of us had been interested in seeing – it was a kid movie with lots of comedy and great animation – and then we'd gone to eat a somewhat late lunch.
That was where we parted, though, as Mitsuhiko's parents had called and asked him to come home for something. So, we'd parted with enthusiastic goodbyes – "See you Monday, Koizumi-san!" "See ya~!" – and he'd went on his way and I went on mine. The sun was still high and the day was still 'young', so to say, and I sighed contently, walking absently on my way to the Teimuzu river. Just as I was about to plug in Erise's number on my phone, the James Bond theme rang out of it shrilly, announcing that the person I was just about to call was calling.
With a bemused smirk, I flipped it open, lowering my voice a bit to sound older, as I was still in Alice's form and my voice was lighter than my usual one. "Erise-chan, great timing~!" I laughed, only to feel my eyes widen in shock as garbled, panicked, words assaulted my ears. The voice was distinguishingly Erise's and I tried to understand her fast pace – I caught the words 'fingerprints', 'culprit', 'suspect', and something about tea.
"Erise-chan! Wait – slow down, I can't understand you!" I practically shouted, brow furring in worry. Finally she silenced and then I heard her take a deep breath to calm herself. The next words were definitely not what I had expected to hear – truthfully, I don't know if anything could have prepared me for them.
"Midori-chan! You've got to help – I've been framed for murder!"
"What?!"
Review Replies:
To: DDmasters – Thank you~! I'm glad you liked it! 8D
To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – That's good. XD Ah, that sucks. . I'm glad I was able to be of some entertainment for you while you were sick – I hope you get better soon! (Sends Virtual Get Well Cards and Chicken Soup) Haha, don't worry, I don't either. XD And perhaps~! (Grins) Thank you, E-chan~! (Grins as Snowflakes Fall and Eats Cyber Cookie)
To: Iriss-sama – Yup – the second part~! 8DDDD It was really, really fun to write. XD I kind of feel bad for both, too, but I enjoy torturing them too much. XD They're probably get more torture in the future – not even probably, they will. (Snickers) Woah~! Lots of questions~! XD I'll leave it to surprise you~! XD And I'll try to do my best to write everything! 8D It's okay – I have to do that a lot, too. XD I'm really glad you enjoy this story so much~! It makes me really happy, too~! (Grinning ear to ear) Ah, I hate getting up early. . And awesome~! 8DDD Summer break is the best~! (High-Fives) (Laughs) Okay, get some good sleep! ^^ Thank you for the luck, Ri-chan~! (Stuffs Luck in jar for safe keeping) XD
-Well, bet you didn't see that one coming, huh? XD I cut it off there because I'm evil. (Laughs Maniacally) Next up is the actual case. (Nods) XD Also, I feel like this chapter had a lot of unnecessary information, but hey. Maybe you learned something? (Sheepish grin and shrug) Oh well. XD
Note(s):
Yamato-damashii: Yamato-Damashii (大和魂, "Japanese spirit") is a historically and culturally loaded word in the Japanese language. The phrase was apparently coined in the Heian period to describe the indigenous Japanese 'spirit' or cultural values as opposed to the cultural values imported into the country through contact with Tang dynasty China. Later, a qualitative contrast between Japanese and Chinese spirit was elicited from the term. Edo period writers and samurai used it to gloss the Bushido concept of 'valor'. Japanese nationalists propagandized Yamato-damashii – 'the brave, daring, and indomitable spirit of Japanese people' – as one of the key Japanese military-political doctrines in the Showa period. English translations of Yamato-damashii include the 'Japanese spirit', 'Japanese soul', 'Yamato spirit', and 'The Soul of Old Japan'. (Explanation taken from Wikipedia!)
-Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me this far! I really appreciate all my readers and just – thank you. Without you guys, this story wouldn't have made it this far. I feel like I've said this many times, but I just can't say it enough to express my complete and utter gratitude to all of you. To not end on a completely cheesy note: Every one of you is completely awesome and don't you ever forget that! –showers you with love–
"Next Revolver Hint: Fingerprints!"
(Yes, this was actually supposed to be here, but I accidently put it in the last chapter. I changed last chapter's hint. XD;;; Sorry about the confusion… (Sheepish Grin)