As Kazuha stared out her window with now dry tears staining the sides of her face, she couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of peace. It was as if her intuition had told her everything would be resolved soon. As she pondered this new found solemnity, she began to hear small echoes from down her street. The tones were unmistakable to her ear, as she had heard them a thousand times before. She smiled giddily as she flew down the stairs and flung open the door. The sounds now grew even louder, becoming more distinct with every passing second. Finally, with a roar Heiji and his motorcycle came into view. Kazuha stood in the doorway, amorous and longing for his arrival. As he grew closer she felt her heart jump out of her chest. Finally after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Heiji finally arrived in front of her house, peeling out and coming to a stop just a few feet away from her. He gave her a confident smile that was trademark of him and beckoned her to jump on the back of the bike. Without any hesitation she leapt onto the vehicle and wrapped her arms around his waist. She gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek and he once again sped off in the direction he had come. Meanwhile, Mr. Toyama sat calmly inside the house, sipping a cup of tea. He wasn't the least bit worried, for over the years he too had become acquainted with the uproarious noise Heiji's motorcycle made.

As they rode into the city, Kazuha pressed her cheek to his and asked

"Where are you taking me?" Heiji smiled confidently, keeping his eyes glued to the rode

"It's a surprise" he said curtly, leaving no room for rebuttal. Kazuha accepted his reply and relaxed. She was enjoying the ride itself, feeling the wind toss her ponytail in every direction and her body sharing warmth with the one in front of her. All to soon, however, the bike came to a stop.

"Are we here?" she asked rhetorically, confused by the location he had chosen

"Yep. Hop off there's something I want to show you" As they got off the motorcycle, Kazuha was taken back by where they were entering. She stood still for a moment, thoroughly analyzing the building she was about to enter. It was a residential building, most likely a large estate. Well, it used to be. There was just enough sunlight left to tell that the building had been caught on fire. The shutters, walls, roof panels and even the grass that surrounded the structure were all charred and black. Heiji allowed her a few seconds to look in astonishment before finally taking her hand and leading her through the front door. As they entered, the interior of the house was even more eerie than the exterior. It was evident that there had been a family living in this place. There were remnants of portraits, furniture and even what appeared to be a kitchen table. From the corner of her eye she could see a few spiders scamper along the walls. She cringed and clasped Heiji's hand all the tighter. Heiji paused when he felt this and blushed lightly before finally continuing on. They approached a staircase, which appeared aged and brittle

"A-a-are we actually going to walk up those?" Kazuha inquired fearfully

"Of course Aho how else would we get to the top?" He let out a reserved chuckle as she punched him lightly on the arm. He took the first step, feeling the wood sink beneath his foot as it let out a prominent screech. He shut his eyes tightly, praying with all of his might that he wouldn't fall through the floor. After the first stair was done, he regained his confidence and continued upward, pulling his still hesitant girlfriend along behind him. When they finally reached the top of the stairs, he smiled reassuringly at her

"See, what were you worried about?"

"Aho! Don't lie and say you weren't scared that those stairs might break under our weight"

"Of course I wasn't, what kind of detective would I be if I was?"

"Hmph!" she snorted purposely in his direction "What are we doing her anyway?"

"Do you remember the fire that happened here about four years ago?" he asked sternly as he continued to pull her along

"Wait, do you mean the one that the police thought was just an accidental house fire but then said it was arson ?"

"Exactly. Luckily the mother, father and two children were able to escape without any injury, but all of their possessions were lost. When the mother and father were interviewed, they showed no signs of remorse or anger. When asked why, the mother simply said 'the only treasures we value made it safely out of the house'. That day I decided that I would make it my life goal to solve the mystery of what happened that day" as he said this they entered a room at the end of the upstairs hallway. It was pitch black until Heiji took a match from his pocket, struck it and lit a candle that hung from the wall. Suddenly the room was illuminated and a few newspapers could be seen scattered on the floor.

"Heiji…" Kazuha had no idea what to think of the situation. At first glance it seemed a little…strange

"For a year or so after the incident, I came here often and scoured the house, trying to find evidence that could lead to the capture of that arsonist." Kazuha listened intently as Heiji went on, telling his story all the while mesmerized by the newspapers that were scattered on the floor. "After a year or so, I gave up, since I had searched every inch of the premises"

"But Heiji, didn't they find that arsonist?"

"Yes, two years after the incident, a year after I had stopped investigating they found him." Kazuha looked at him, thoroughly mystified by his story and unsure of its relevance

"So…." she paused, shooting her eyes shamefully at the floor "why are we here then" Heiji to a deep breath and allowed a fairly large lapse of time to pass before answering her

"I brought you here because I always viewed this as my first and greatest failure as a detective. This place has also proved useful in humbling me. Whenever I feel overwhelmed by my success or popularity I would simply return here and bask in the shame this place represents to me" He stopped talking briefly, giving Kazuha time to notice his expression. Despite the dim lighting around his face, she could clearly see the frustration he exhibited

"Heiji, you can't feel too ashamed. Even you aren't prefect" 'despite how much your mother may disagree' she thought

"That's not why I brought you here though" Kazuha shuttered as he said this, shocked by his vulnerable tone "I brought here because I had always thought this was my first and most embarrassing failure as a detective. But the truth is," his voice softened as he turned toward her, locking his eyes with hers and causing a steady blush to come over her face " the first and most shameful mistake I made as a detective was not noticing you by my side all these years. Even back then you were still beside me through everything. Every case, every school day and every time I needed you" She began to tear up as he finished his speech with an affectionate smile. She reached out and hugged him, squeezing his torso as tightly as she could, allowing small, joyful tears to run down her face. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Heiji eased his grip on her and took a seat against the wall. She followed suit, sitting next to him and leaning her head onto his shoulder.

"Heiji, there's something I need to tell you" she whispered hesitantly, shakiness evident in her voice "I…I'm okay with leaving now" she spoke slowly, allowing every word to burn deep into Heiji's brain

"But Kazuha I-"

"Stop" she said quickly, cutting him off before he could object "I know it may be hard now, but I know that we'll be okay. I was worried at first, but I was reassured earlier today, and now I know that there's nothing to fear" Heiji stared blankly at her in disbelief. Any thoughts or theories that had been on his mind were now muted and replaced by pure, undeniable silence which filled the room. As he gazed into her eyes dumbfounded, she smiled reassuringly "Besides, if Ran-chan can wait as long as she had for that Kudo-kun, then I should be able to manage." The smile she made brought Heiji back to reality and filled him with the certainty that she had spoken of.

"You're right…" he said, trying to appear positive "besides, it'll only be a few months and then I'll come see you for summer vacation". She beamed back at him and retook her position leaning against him. They both let out a sigh of fabricated relief. The fact remained, a few months was a long time and they were not looking forward to it. After remaining in that position speechless for an hour or so, they heard the faint sound of the candle sputtering out. They looked up and watched as its wick ended and darkness engulfed the room. Kazuha panicked initially, squeezing Heiji tightly. He grinned heartily, unable to contain his amusement at the sight of her terror.

"Its not funny! Can we just go now" her voice was once again very shaky. He abruptly swung her up into his arms, and, without any breath of consent carried down the fragile stairs and through the door of the house. Once outside, he set her gently on the ground, unaware of the luminous red flush that had sprawled out across her face. She quickly turned her head away to avoid him noticing her embarrassment and ran toward the motorcycle. He ran after her, arriving at the vehicle at about the same time she did. They both jumped on and made their way back home. When they arrived at Kazuha's house, Heiji could hear her sigh against his back before hopping of the motorcycle.

"Thank you, Heiji" she said bashfully, clasping her hands behind her back. She gave him a gave him a grateful smile and turned to enter her house

"Aho!" he said arrogantly. She spun around, agitated by his uncanny ability to ruin prefect moments

"Don't 'Aho' me Aho!" she retorted obnoxiously

"I didn't say I was done with you yet, its only nine o'clock!"

"Then why did you stop in front of my house Aho!"

"Because I was going to come in and help you with your packing!" She jerked her head around, facing away from him

"Well fine then come on we don't have all night ya' know?" she chuckled as he walked his bike over to their driveway. Once he had parked the bike, he followed her inside, arms crossed and face scrunched angrily. When they arrived at her room, he noticed immediately that her room was almost completely bare. The decorations, mementos and knick-knacks that had made her room familiar were gone. All that was left were a few packed boxes, an empty dresser and some blank shelves on the walls.

"It seems like you did everything already" he said mischievously, looking over at her as she closed the door

"Oh, it seems I did. I had totally forgotten" she grinned tantalizingly, strutting shyly yet sensually toward him. When she reached him, they stood toe-to-toe, gazing into one another's eyes. Silence befell the room until finally, with one audacious and brash motion, Kazuha leaned into him, rising to her tippy-toes and bringing their lips to contact. They both jumped at first, but after just one or two seconds they were comfortable enough to wrap their arms around each other. They basked in the moment of pure bliss, pushing everything out of their minds. The next day didn't matter, the next few months didn't matter, nothing mattered. Just as it seemed as if the whole world could have melted beneath their feet, they were both yanked harshly back into reality by the smallest creak of a floor board. They both shot their eyes toward the door, which was now cracked open by the tiniest fraction. Kazuha's face glowed red with embarrassment and fury

"O-to-san!" she screamed violently, startling Heiji and striking fear into the heart of her father, who hesitated before revealing himself. He opened the door slowly, peeking his eyes around the corner first to survey the damage he had done. He raised his hands up in surrender, smiling faintly showing obvious signs of fear.

"Kazuha sweetheart I didn't know you were home"

"Liar!" she shrieked viciously "You were spying on us!" Toyama, scared for his life, rendered no reply and just sheepishly exited the room. Kazuha took a deep breath and calmed herself down. The, she turned back to Heiji who had patiently been waiting for her attention

"Its late, I should go" She looked down at her feet with a disheartened expression

"I guess so" she said half-heartedly

"Don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow" he declared confidently, trying his best to lift her spirits "Besides, tomorrow is your last day in Osaka so we have a lot of places to visit. It'll be a long day so you'll need to rest up" he smiled at her, lifting her chin to see her eyes. She smiled back and nodded in compliance. He bent his head down and kissed her passionately, taking plenty of time to enjoy it. After they kissed, they smiled contently at one another and he walked out of her room. She moved to the window and waved to him as he left the house, receiving a wave back. As he drove off, she felt her heart flutter and she slumped to the ground. Despite the great day it had been, she couldn't help but wince at the Heiji's words which repeated over and over in her mind 'tomorrow is you last day in Osaka'. She stood up, wiping a small tear from under her eye and walked downstairs to the mat she was to sleep on. Without any thought of hygiene of preparation, she fell face first into her pillow and passed on into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, back at the Hattori Residence

"Oh Heiji, how'd it go?" Shizuka asked, unable to contain her excitement

"She's leaving…" he paused, ducking his head shamefully "and I'm staying". Shizuka looked over to her husband whose expression had not changed.

"Heizo, aren't you surprised at all by this?"

"Of course not, I knew Toyama-chan would object to him leaving" he said straightly, continuing to face forward

"I didn't ask" Heizo's eyes opened as he looked over at his son in what appeared to be surprise.

"Heiji, why not?" Shizuka asked compassionately

"Before I had a chance to, she told me that she was confident that we would be okay if she left. The way she said it made it seem undeniably true to me" his expression still exhibited a degree of shame

"She's right" Heizo said, having regained his composure (which, comparatively speaking had been lost momentarily). Heiji looked at his father, searching for the confidence that he possessed which apparently was rather weak in himself. "Obviously your devotion is not lacking, so these months apart should be easily traversed" Heiji felt a slight tinge of confidence resound within him as he straightened up his posture and took a deep breath

"You're right! I'm Hattori Heiji after all; I can tackle any mystery and solve any problem!" Shizuka faked a smile as best she could, trying not to dampen her son's spirits while Heizo simply shook his head in embarrassment. Heiji left his parents and walked up to his room with a large grin across his face. Yet, as he laid down on his bed he felt his smile fade away. He could only think of Kazuha's room, barren of any item that identified it as hers. He felt the soft material of his bed on his back which only further reminded him of the unsettling truth: Kazuha was leaving in two days, and he was not.