When Ran and Conan's plane finally landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport it was 5:45 p.m Friday. They were awestruck by the density and incoherency of the mob that crowded the airport as they left the plane. For them that was a good thing because it meant Heiji probably hadn't made it out of the airport yet. Not to mention the jetlag he was definitely suffering from, there was no way he had made it too far. Or at least that's what they were hoping the case would be. As they sifted through the crowd as best they could, Ran was growing increasingly irritated by Conan's refusal to hold her hand.
"Conan-kun grab my I don't want to get lost in this big crowd" she shouted maternally, trying to make her voice known over the roar of the crowd around them. He simply continued to look forward, completely ignoring her and walked ahead. She grunted angrily to herself but decided he was a capable child and he wouldn't let himself get lost.
Conan, meanwhile, had been unable to shake the dreary thoughts that had plagued him for twelve long hours. Even in the small spaces of time when he managed to fall asleep, dreams of Ran and her tears plagued him. The guilt that had been building steadily since the day he created the bastardous pseudo-identity Edogawa Conan was now banging at his ribs, demanding relief. All the emotion that was hidden behind his ever-hardening persona was becoming too much. Every time Ran touched him or even looked at him he felt as though he had committed a heinous and malicious crime that he needed to atone for. Nonetheless he resolved that this was not the time for his self-loathing, but rather the time to help his deluded friend before he made a mistake that could end the relationship he had just recently sprouted with his childhood friend.
As they finally reached the main exit of the airport, Ran checked her watch, which, thanks to recent technological advances had already converted its clock to U.S Eastern Standard time. She mumbled grumpily to herself, already stressed by the airport and the jetlag and the situation itself
"Its 6:26 Conan-kun" she started hurriedly "Kazuha just responded to my mail message, she said her date is at 7:15. If we can get there before she and James-san do then we can keep a look out for Hattori" Conan nodded in agreement
"But wait, Ran-neechan does Heiji-niisan even know where Kazuha-neechan is going to be?" Ran grasped her chin, thinking hard
"Now that I think about it, I don't think he does. I mean, he would have had to ask either me or Kazuha herself, and neither of us would have told him so…" suddenly her eyes shot open in conjunction with Conan's
"Toyama-keibu!" they both screamed in unison.
Hattori Heiji was currently using his very well groomed English to explain where he needed to go to the cab driver as he hung up the phone.
"I need to get to the Empire State Building. I will give you an extra $30 if you can get me there before 7:15" the cabby waived a friendly hand back at the obviously foreign teenager
"You got it kid, you're ridin' with Frank Salini, the fastest cab in Manhattan" he winked at Heiji via the rear view mirror and they were off. Heiji smirked confidently as he relaxed in the back of the taxi 'It's a good thing Toyama-san picked up the phone and knew where Kazuha would be tonight, otherwise I would've had to sit and wait at her house. Come to think of it, I'm not even sure where she lives. I know she lives in Manhattan, but nothing more detailed than that. You'd think that Aho would at least mention where she lived' he crossed his arms in front of his chest and sneered angrily at the thought. As he continued to think, he heard a vaguely familiar voice ring in his ear
"Hey kid, I know ya' not from around heya' so what's ya' business?" the cabby asked roughly but non-threateningly
As Ran and Conan boarded the tram in front of the airport, she continued to analyze the map she was holding intently.
"Okay" she started, taking a deep breath "We should be able to take this rail to here" she pointed to a spot on the map near Atlantic Avenue "Then we get off and switch to" she pointed to another rail "the Jamaica line. That should take us to Kips Bay" she pointed to a large body of water that separated two parts of the city "From there we take a water taxi, then take a taxi to the Empire State Building" she finished arrogantly, putting a fist on each hip
"Ran-neechan" Conan whispered nervously
"What is it Conan-kun, confused by my great plan?" she smirked with seemingly unshakeable confidence
"No…but we could have just taken a taxi the whole way" he shuddered as she froze and glared down at him. He laughed half-heartedly "that is, if it wasn't for Ran-neechan's super smart plan" her glare lingered for a few seconds, then she once again took a hero's stance, staring out into the imaginary distance
"That's right!" Conan chuckled to himself 'since when are you so cocky?'
"Uh…." Heiji fumbled with words, as he tried to retain a degree of composure "W-What do you mean sir?" because Heiji's English was taught exclusively in a classroom, it had no really dialect to it. He sounded very proper and almost robotic when he spoke
"Well kid ya' English is a little on the straight lace side, and around heya', you either sound lika New Yorka or you don't. You, friend, definitely don't." Heiji swallowed hard. It was ironic really, he has always been easily recognized by his Kansai dialect, but here he was recognized because of his lack of a dialect.
"You are correct. I am from Osaka, Japan." The cabby looked at him again using the rear view mirror
"Ay kid'" he said, a little more forcefully "that waddn't my question" he glanced at the road in front of him then back to Heiji "I asked ya' what ya' business was here in Manhattan" Heiji twiddled his thumbs for a second, embarrassed by the topic and the taxi driver's unwavering curiosity
"It's actually a very long story" he said robotically, still managing to transmit a combination of frustration and melancholy in his words
"Kid, we got at least anudda half owa til' we get the Empy State Buildin' so why don't ya' lay your story on ol' Franky" Heiji thought for a moment before addressing the cabby's eyes via the mirror
"Okay, if you insist I will tell you." and Heiji proceded to tell a complete stranger all the ups and downs of the last week.
Meanhwile, Ran stood quietly, holding a handle that hung from the roof of the tram while Conan sat in a seat in front of her. They had been relatively quiet since she had put the map back in her pocket. Conan was still feeling guilty and being forced to sit a foot away from Ran was not helping it at all. Every minute or two their eyes would meet and she would smile at him. He would feign a smile and look away promptly. Ran had begun to notice this and was growing concerned.
"Conan-kun" she addressed him nervously. He looked at her trying to appear cheerful
"Ne Ran-neechan?" When he met her eyes he noticed she was making no effort to even pretend she was happy like she usually did in his presence
"Conan-kun, are you mad at me?" she asked innocently, her eyes huge and honest. He stumbled on his words, unable to think coherently with her staring at him
"N-No why would I be mad at Ran-neechan?" he said hesitantly
"You don't have to lie" she said coldly, averting her eyes away from him toward the ground "its okay if you are, I…I'd just like to know what I did…" the guilt and anguish that had been on his mind and heart was now erupting with a vengeance. 'How could she possible feel like my mood is her fault? She's always doing that, blaming herself and crying over other people, why does she do that to herself'. He thought intently on her comment, then jumped of his seat and walked in front of her, forcing eye contact
"It's not you" he said shyly "It's that Shinichi-niisan, he's always making you sad. I saw you crying on the plane, and I knew it was because of him" he tried his best to sound both serious and childish
"Conan…" she trailed, stunned by his omission. She held back her tears for fear of public embarrassment and knelt down in front of him, bringing her face within inches of his
"I just don't like it when you're sad Ran-neechan" this sounded much more childlike than his previous statement
"Conan…I know it worries you when I cry, but the tears aren't always sad ones" she smiled while her lips quivered from the tears she was holding back "when I have really bad days, I can think back on times when he was with me and I feel better. Sometimes our memories make me cry because I remember how happy I was…how happy we were." She stopped talking abruptly rose up, placing her face in the crease of her right arm. Conan could only watch as the tears she tried so hard to keep bottled up ran down the crease of her arm and splashed harmlessly on the floor of the tram. He felt all his will power shatter within him, just as it had on the plane. He wanted more than anything to do something to relieve her pain. Anything that would make her tears go away and make her smile again, like she had so often when he was there.
"Ran-neechan I need to use the bathroom" he spat the words out as he ran away, trying to lose her in the crowd of people so as not to be followed. When he saw her stiffly clinging to the handle she was holding and reach a hand out, putting forth no visible pursuit, he slowed down and walked casually through a few more cars until he reached the end of the tram. He found the dingy bathroom and entered, locking the door behind him. He pulled out his phone and dialed the first number on his speed dial.
"So there it is. My story and the reason I am here" Heiji said, sighing a breath of relief. It had taken fifteen minutes of solid, one-sided talking to portray the whole situation. When he had finished, the cabby continued to watch the road but seemed to be thinking critically.
"So lemme' get this straight, ya' finally make a move on that girly of yours, then her pops decides to move em' here?" Heiji nodded "Then you find out from some four-eyed kid that lives with ya' gal's friend that she's been sneakin' round' behind ya' back?" Heiji nodded again, this time with an obvious expression of disdain for the recitation of that particular detail " and now ya' tryin' to catch em' in the act so you can put a serious bruisin' on that guy uh hers?" Heiji nodded a little more enthusiastically with a maniacal grin "Hmm…" he began to think again "Okay, so say you do get there in time to catch em', and ya' show her man what's what, whatdya gonna' do then?" Heiji, being a detective usually prepared for any possible situation, but he had never been a master of foresight. He wasn't widely acknowledged as a "hot-blooded" teenager for no reason.
"Uh…well I just…" the thought of talking to Kazuha about the whole situation had been so emotionally straining for him that he had completely blocked the thought out. 'He's right' Heiji thought nervously to himself 'so what if I beat up that gut she's with, what then? Does she even care about me anymore? Is there even a point to me being here?' As pessimistic conjecture continued to swirl around in his mind, the cabby had cracked a small smirk
"Kid, you're not the first to tell me a story like that" Heiji's eyes darted up and met his in the mirror "and ya know what usually happens?" Heiji sat on the edge of his seat anxiously awaited the possible outcome of his situation "Nuthin" the cabby finished plainly, moving his eyes back to the road
"W-What do you mean" the fear Heiji was feeling was not hidden by his robotic English
"Kid, when a man sees his girl out with someone else, there's almost nevuh any anger" Heiji was now thoroughly confused but nevertheless continued to listen intently "there's only hurt. No mattuh how much you wanna lay that sorry son-ova-gun out, you won't. You'll see em' and you'll walk away with your hands in ya' pockets and go home. That's what most of the guys that pass through here do" He finished solemnly, sounding almost paternal
"So…so there's nothing I can do" he muttered to himself in Japanese
"There's always something you can do kid" the cabby responded in English
"W-W-What? You understand Japanese?" he asked dumbfounded
"Kid, ya' gotta undastand ima cabby, I've learned a few tricks in my time" he grinned "Besides, we get alotta Japs comin' through here. I picked up a little of their speak, not much though" Heiji reclined in his seat again, his curiosity satisfied
"So then…what do I do?" he asked helplessly
"You don't pay any mind to that punk she's with. Remember, you're there for her, not him. Most guys let the anger run em', you gotta be smarter than that. You gotta care more than that kapeesh?" he gave Heiji an encouraging smile through the mirror
"Yes…I understand" he said softly as he turned his eyes toward the window. Suddenly a tall structure, illuminated by thousands of miniscule lights all along the outside of it caught his attention "Frank, is that-"
"Yessir my friend, that's the pride of the city, our Empy State Buildin" Heiji was ecstatic and yet full of fear. He felt a strange mixture of looming danger and irrepressible excitement. But above all, one thought was more prominent than any feeling 'I'm ready to see her' he clenched a confident fist on continued to gaze at the architectural marvel
Meanwhile, Conan was visibly irritated. He had run off to call Ran and reassure her of his affection for her and apologize for all the pain he caused her, but as he dialed her number the tram they were on came to a stop and the people began to flood out. Ran quickly found him and led him off the train. Once they boarded the next train, she refused to release his hand for his 'safety'. So the entire tram ride he stood, stupidly holding Ran's hand, unable to break free for even a second. After they exited the second tram that let off at the water taxi pick up, he found a shining opportunity to re-enact his plan
"What do you mean there's a fifteen minute wait for the water taxi!" Ran said with a steadily increasing level of frustration
"Uh ma'am I'm sorry we're still waiting for the last taxi to return, when it does you'll be able to leave" the attendant at the pick up station was completely mortified by the teenage girl in front of her. She was obviously a foreigner, because her accent made her English all but unrecognizable. To make it worse she was speaking quickly and she was on the verge of screaming.
Ran huffed away from the pick up station and sat down on a bench a within earshot of the attendant. She crossed her arms and continued to glare angrily at whatever unfortunate person happened to come into view. Conan found this opportunity too perfect to pass up and, taking advantage of her being distracted by her own emotions, slipped away from her side and made his way to a secluded area behind an equipment shed. Then he, once again, fished out his phone and dialed Ran's number.
Ran, whose mind was still clouded by her obvious frustration, felt her phone buzz in her pocket and answered it just as one would expect an angry woman to answer it: angrily.
"What?" she shouted ruthlessly at the phone, unconcerned with the identity of the caller
"Ran" was all she heard before her mind was cleared and reality brought its heavy hand down on her
"Shinichi?" she asked in disbelief. He chuckled at the mystified expression on her face that he could picture vividly in his head
"Yeah Ran, how are you?" As was commonplace with these conversations, she began to whimper as tears formed in her eyes
"Shinichi where have you been? Its been over a year since you left and I've only seen you a few times and you only call every so often….Shincihi I'm worried about you" silence fell on both ends
"Ran-" he was cut off by a now more emotional Ran
"No Shinichi! I know you're just going to say 'don't worry, I'm fine' but you can't be fine or you wouldn't be gone. If you were really fine you'd have come back already" once again her words left him unable to respond. 'What do I say to that? She's right, if it wasn't this stupid "case" I would be there' He was caught in a thought when he heard her voice whisper faintly "I want you to come back". He was suddenly red-faced and cottonmouthed by her remark. She had told him indirectly how much she missed him but to hear it from her while she was actually talking to him, was something completely different. He coughed, trying to verify his vocal chords were still in tact and then began to speak
"Ran, I called because I need you to know something. It's something that I've tried to tell you in the past but something has always gotten in the way." As he spoke, his tone was undeniably serious which made Ran blush furiously. She had an idea what he was trying to say but she had never imagined the words actually coming to life
"W-What is it? Shinichi tell me" she said softly but firmly
"Its just that…Ran I-"
"Ma'am your water taxi is here are ready to g-"
"No!" she screamed instinctively. She blushed at her outburst "I mean, I'm sorry, can you give me a minute, this call is kind of important" she plead with her eyes as the worker looked down at her
"We'll hold the boat for five minutes" he said coldly
"Arigato" she said enthusiastically. Meanwhile Shinich had officially begun to hyperventilate. He had been so ready to tell her his true feelings and ease her restless mind, but now he was all of the sudden cripplingly nervous "Shinichi?" Ran asked, confused by the odd pattern of breathing she heard through the phone
"Ran I uh… I just…" he was dead in the water. He had already led her on and now she wanted to the important thing he had to say. But no matter how hard he tried the thoughts in his head would not materialize into actually words. He felt a firm resolve build in his chest and he straightened up, taking a full and hearty breath of air "Ran" he said more firmly now, which startled her on the other line "I called you tell you that everyday I'm gone and you're not with me I wish you were because I'm happier when I'm with you" he released all of the unused air in a huge exhale of relief. Meanwhile the other end of the line was completely silent. To say she was in a complete state of shock would be a grand understatement. She hardly knew where she was or why she was there and her body was limp. She could actually see the ground disappearing under her and the world was suddenly a glorious place. However, in her inaudible moment of joy and ecstasy, Shinichi had been left to hear dreadful silence after his omission of love for the one he valued most in the world. "…..Ran?" Shinichi asked sheepishly
"Baka" she said affectionately "I've missed you since the day you left. I think about you more than anyone else" her voice was just barely above a whisper
" I-Ijust wanted you to know….that I really do miss you and I….I uh-"
"Shinichi" she interjected shyly "You should visit sometime soon so we can talk more. There's something I really want to tell, but not over the phone" she smiled to herself blushing at her own words
"I promise, Ran, as soon as I can I'll come see you. I have to go now, but…" he paused and contemplated his next words carefully "you should call more. Bye" and he hung up. He pressed his back to the shed he was hiding behind and slid down it, thudding hard on the ground. He had already been tired from the flight and the feelings he'd been having all day, but that last phone call had completely drained him. Somehow he managed to lift himself up off the ground and walk back toward Ran. He smiled contently when he saw her pirouetting around the bench she had been sitting on with a huge smile. He couldn't remember the last time she'd been that happy. When he walked up and addressed her, she, without missing a beat, lifted him off the ground and lifted him in the air, spinning him around with her. He looked down into her eyes and reveled in the sheer joy he had given her and realized just as quickly that she'd given it to him too. 'But' he thought to himself 'what was the important thing she wanted to tell me in person?' he mulled the idea around in his head as he and Ran walked onto the ferry that was to take them across Kips Bay. As the boat left the dock, Ran, having calmed down a little, leaned over the side of the boat and marveled at the sight of the city they were approaching. Conan looked up at her and followed her line of vision until his eyes landed on the view she was enjoying. He took a moment to appreciate the approaching landmass, which, although he had seen it before, he felt as though he was seeing it differently. He smiled at the prospect and then walked the across the deck to further ponder the question that had bothering him. Ran had no idea what he was thinking about, she only heard quiet mumblings of 'important to say' and 'what could it be' but didn't really pay him much mind. In fact, at the moment she wasn't really paying much attention to anything. Her mind was currently preoccupied with more important matters, mostly the permission she'd been given to call the one she loved as often as she pleased.
"Well kid, good luck to ya" Franky said with an encouraging grin "I know you'll do just fine." Heiji smiled back at him gratefully
"Thank you for everything, Mr. Solini" he smiled back
"Please kid, please, call me Frank" they shared a small laugh
"Thank you, Frank" As he pulled away, Heiji couldn't shake the feeling that his talk with that cabby was far too insightful to have been a mere coincidence. But he shrugged off the thought for the time being "Okay" he said aloud to himself "It's 7:12. Frank wasn't kidding about being the fastest cab in Manhattan. That guy really did drive fast though" he opened the doors to main entrance of the intimidating building. He took a seat on one of the lounge couches
"Excuse me sir" the secretary at the front desk said "Are you here on any business? Because loitering is strictly prohibited here"
"I'm waiting for someone. Or rather, two people." the secretary thought to herself for a moment
"Sir, if you're looking for people, I might be able to help. I'm great with faces. Just describe them to me and I can tell you if they've been here" Heiji pondered the opportunity
"Okay, i'll describe the girl to you. She's eighteen, Japanese, she has brown hair, green eyes, she usually wears her hair in a ponytail with a bow in it."
"Stop" she said abruptly "she was here no more than five minutes ago. She and her date just headed up to the observation deck. I believe they were planning on eating somewhere nearby afterward. If you want you c-" she was cut off by the sound of his feet hitting the tile as he ran down the hall toward the elevator. He pressed the button indicating "up" at least forty times before the doors finally opened. He pressed the button that indicated the observation deck. As the elevator began to move he felt a sudden surge go up his spine. He didn't let it faze him and kept his eyes directed at the doors of the elevator. Soon he would see her and...him. He took a deep breath and unclenched his fists as snippets of what the wise taxi driver had told him during their drive flashed in his mind's eye. He took another deep breath. The elevator kept moving. He was close, just a few more floors. He took another deep breath. A few more floors to go. He took one last deep breath.
This is the longest single document I've ever wrote. I personally think it's one of my better sections of writing. Give me feedback if you'd be so kind, the climax of the story is on the horizon so keep reading. I'll try to have this story closed out by the end of the weekend. Thank you to all of the consistent readers of this story and my other material:
flowernerko
jon holliday 16
nightfalcon26
and
salimaran08
I don't do shout outs often, so bask in my appreciation :)