What to say...Sweet greetings to everybody, especially to my reviewers! Please just enjoy this one for it's really something special. Again happy birthday to Cherry-chan, sincethe story is for her.
Song: How do I live without you- by Leann Rimes. AMAZING song, everybody should have heard this one!
Chapter ten- How do I live without you?
After four hours of train-travel, the girls finally found themselves in front of the Inn Kazuha's aunt owned. It was very beautiful, up in the mountains which was the cause of the peaceful atmosphere. Ran looked around amazed while Kazuha smiled to herself, diving into her memories for a moment. After all, the last time she had been here was years ago, with her parents and Heiji's family… Heiji…
She felt the familiar knot in her throat and swallowed a few times, trying to get it down. She quickly turned to Ran, meaning to ignore it.
"Want to get inside?"
"Oh yes!" Ran beamed back. Kazuha smiled and started walking ahead but suddenly stopped and turned to Ran a little shocked.
"Oh no! They only have rooms with a single big futon, not with two. I am sorry, I forgot to tell you. Do you have any problem with this?"
Ran smiled and shook her head. Kazuha sighed out relieved. "Great! Come, I'll introduce you to my aunt!"
It was already late and after meeting Kazuha's aunt, Hezokuji Yumi, a beautiful woman with pink hair that suited her perfectly, Kazuha told Ran about how her aunt and her uncle, his name is Hattoji, had met each other, in school and about their famous first date. After everything that Ran had heard it must have been very romantic, in the snow and everything. Soon after, they had been going out together and married right after school. Today they were still not to be separated and have a little boy.
'It is almost a story out of a fairy tale, a manga or a dojinshi,' Ran thought with a sweet smile. 'But then again, so is my own story…' the picture of a smiling Shinichi flew for a second through her mind and she smiled to herself mutely.
Yumi welcomed them and showed the kids around briefly and sat the girls in the dining area to eat something before they went to their rooms where they quickly made themselves ready for bed, deciding to call it an early night. They brushed their teeth and putt their night gowns on. They had made plans for tomorrow, since they were both very tired already. Ran and Kazuha slipped underneath the blanket and wished each other a good night.
As she lay in bed, sleep suddenly seemed very distant to Kazuha. She couldn't believe that twenty-four hours ago she has been in her bed with Heiji, feeling simply amazing. How could she let it happen that it went so far? She felt so stupid and so bad inside that the tears she had been trying to suppress all day seemed to come of their own accord.
She started sobbing as silently as she could, turning so her back was facing Ran. She didn't necessarily want her to see her crying, she was feeling way too stupid.
But before she could think any further along that line, she felt Ran press against her backside, spooning her gently from behind. She didn't say anything, only held her friend close, silently giving her as much support as she could. Kazuha could hold nothing back anymore as she let everything out, the sweet caring of her friend only causing her to cry more-. She didn't know why. Ran was a little worried about her friend and tried the best she could to calm her down, lovingly stroking over her cheek in a reassuring manner.
Kazuha leaned in the touch, endlessly happy and grateful that Ran was here with her and that she was being so sweet and caring. She really loved her friend a whole lot, she was her best friend after all, and she couldn't think of a person she would rather have with her right now.
Maybe Heiji but that was something else…
Her heart clenched again in fear and agony. And through her fear, Kazuha's heart starting singing its own, sad and miserable lullaby, for deep down, she was missing Heiji horribly and alone the thought of a life without him was… terrifying.
How do I get through one night without you
If I had to live without you
What kind of life would that be
Oh I, I need you in my arms
Need you to hold
You're my world, my heart, my soul
If you ever leave
Baby you would take away everything good in my life
And tell me now
How do I live without you
I want to know
How do I breathe without you
If you ever go
How do I ever, ever survive
How do I
How do I
Oh, how do I live
How should she go on without Heiji in her life? A real life without Heiji? That.. she couln't even imagine how that would look like and maybe that was good that way. After all, can one live without a heart? Without lungs? Not really.. how can you live if you are stolen the most precious thing you own?
Without you, there'd be no sun in my sky
There would be no love in my life
There'd be no world left for me
And I, oh Baby, I don't know what I would do
I'd be lost if I lost you
If you ever leave
Baby you would take away everything real in my life...
'Oh Heiji…' Kazuha thought desperately, wishing so much that everything was all right again between them. She buried her wet face in her pillow.
---
Heiji was lying in his bed, tossing and turning. He could not fall asleep. All he could think about was Kazuha even though he tried hard to think about anything BUT her… only, of course and how should it be otherwise, she was the most prominent thing on his mind.
He wondered how she was, if she was all right and safe. He wished he would hear something from her, even if it was only an insult. He missed her terribly and did not even want to think about his life if he was denied the chance to talk to her about everything. He closed his eyes in sudden pain. A life without her…
'No…' the prospects were simply so horrible and simply… wrong, that he refused to even think about them. What had his mother told him? He should have faith? It is a simple word and easily spoken, but it held so much more. He tried desperately to have faith in the two of them but it was so hard. He knew nothing about where Kazuha was and he was so scared that something might have happened to her. He had already seen so much.
If only he had the chance to tell her how he feels. He had already lost so many years. What if the chance never came back?
In a useless attempt to distract his mind, he turned the radio on and couldn't bring himself to change the song that was playing there, unconsciously identifying himself with it.
...And tell me now
How do I live without you
I want to know
How do I breathe without you
If you ever go
How do I ever, ever survive
How do I
How do I
Oh, how do I live
Please tell me baby
How do I go on
If you ever leave
Baby you would take away everything
Need you with me
Baby don't you know that you're everything good in my life
And tell me now
Heiji was really thinking about the question in the song. How would he go on if Kazuha left for good? How could he go on living without her? Again he tried in vain to picture a life without her, of course failing miserably. He couldn't figure out how one was supposed to life without the most precious thing ones owned, no matter what great a detective he was.
How do I live without you
I want to know
How do I breathe without you
If you ever go
How do I ever, ever survive
How do I
How do I
Oh, how do I live
how do I live without you
how do I live without you baby
how do I live...
He turned the radio off, closed his eyes slowly, hiding his face in his pillow'Oh Kazuha…'
---
As Heiji woke up the next morning, he felt full of energy, although he had had a very bad night. It was more an urge to do something. He decided to do exactly what Shinichi had suggested. Distract himself.
A few hours later, he was standing in front of Shinichi's door with his baggage.
"Hattori?" A VERY stunned Shinichi muttered as he opened his door on this Friday morning that had started out like every other.
"Pack your stuff, buddy. We're going on a weekend trip!"
"W-WHAT? You can't be serious!"
"Come on!"
"HATTORI! There is simply NO WAY in hell you get me to join you in that mad idea. Honestly, NO way! Pff, forget it!" he crossed his arms in front of his chest and turned away stubbornly.
---
Two hours later, Shinichi was still murmuring to himself, obviously pissed off.
"I can't believe he got me to do this. I simply can't believe it!" he stared out of the window and fixed on the landscape that passed quickly by, even though he was not really looking at it. He was too busy sulking. Why couldn't he say no? Why did he always let Heiji talk him into these ridiculous things? It's easy and consists only of two letters. N-O! He should practice it before Heiji came to visit next time, maybe wanting to convince him to found their own detective organisation in Osaka… Although.. he most probably wouldn't let him talk him into this one, one way or another!
How did he end up here and in this mess again?
Shinichi looked over at Heiji who seemed completely absorbed in his own thoughts. He had his chin in the palm of his hand and was looking out of the window, seeming thoughtful and kind of sad which was so unlike his normal attitude.
Okay, so maybe Shinichi did have an idea how he ended up here. He was worried about his friend, that's why. If you saw Heiji thoughtful, that is really a reason to worry. And in addition, he had been kind of lonely. Ran had not even left for a few hours and he was already missing her like hell, longing to hold his girl in his arms. Shinichi sighed. A little trip would certainly bring him new ideas.
He looked over at Heiji again, wondering for the umpteenth time what had happened that turned him like this. And, knowing Heiji, he would not spill it voluntarily. So, he took his empty plastic water-bottle and hit Heiji over the head with it.
"OW!" Heiji turned to look at Shinichi bewildered. "What did you do that for?"
"Do what?" he grinned his half corner grin back, totally innocently of course.
"You are so childish!" Heiji retorted.
"Childish? Well, excuuuuse me! I DON'T call my friends up at four a.m. and stand in front of their doors without invitation later in the morning to KIDNAP them!" Shinichi scramed back and folded his arms in a defiant pose.
"WHAT? It's not like I bound your feet and hands together and dragged you to the train!" Heiji imitated his position.
"Oh yeah?"
"YEAH!"
Both glared at each other, an icy moment passing between them. Until Shinichi burst and started chuckling. Heiji immediately joined him and it soon turned to loud laughter so that some passengers had to remind them that they were not the only people on the train.
The two young men looked at each other, smiling.
"Feeling better?" Shinichi's words surprised Heiji at first.
"Yeah. Thanks!"
"It was nothing…" Shinichi smiled at him and both settled back on their chairs comfortably. He turned his head to look at Heiji. "So, want to talk about your problem? What has happened?" he wondered why Heiji's cheeks painted darker at the simple question.
"I… don't know…" Heiji started.
"Excuse me?" Shinichi put a hand on his ear. "Could you just repeat that? Because I can not imagine that you, the great detective of the West, has just said something like that."
"Stop making fun out of it! I am serious! If I had known back then I wouldn't have a problem right now!"
"Okay, let's start this small. It's about-…"
"Kazuha-…" Heiji admitted quietly.
"Right. So, what happened?"
Heiji took a deep breath, knowing Shinichi only wanted to help him. "Y-you see, it was on my birthday. It all started with this note and…" Heiji told Shinichi everything tht had happened on this fateful day, from the mystery, over the dinner and their kiss to their confessions.
"You really…?" Shinichi looked surprised at him.
"Yeah.."
"So you finally admitted your feelings! I can not believe it!" He said teasingly. But it was clearly visible that he was very happy for Heiji. "Go on, Hattori."
"W-well… then we kind of… I mean.." Heiji quickly decided to leave THAT part out, although Shinichi probably could guess it, just from the redness of his cheeks. "I then… kind of..p-p-proposed to her and she… well, she accepted…"
Shinichi needed a few minutes to comprehend the news, all the while staring at Heiji with huge eyes. "You r-really… on the same evening?"
"Yeah!" Heiji grinned for a second. "I beat your one-week record, by the way. Muahahaha!"
"Oh please, that doesn't count!"
"Why shouldn't it?"Heiji retorted.
"Well, your woman isn't there anymore, right?" Shinichi shot back.
Heiji said nothing to this, only looked down. Shinichi immediately felt sorry for his words. "Come on, go ahead. Was that the reason she..?" he lay a hand on the shoulder of his friend to encourage him, making clear he did not intent to tease him.
"I don't know. After that we… well, we… how can I explain it…"
"I can imagine what you-… did…" At Heiji's surprised gaze, Shinichi only grinned.
"Well, I am a detective as well. Remember that phone call? You were like on a high! And when you called me yesteray evening you actually gave yourself away. In additin to that, it's not like I did not experience the same thing, you know." Heiji only nodded, contenting himself with this answer.
"And then in the morning, she was not there anymore." Heiji nodded.
"Well, maybe you did something-… wrong? Hurt her in any way?" Heiji shook his head.
"I don't remember anything wrong. It had been-… amazing and-… I thought she was just as happy and.." he blushed badly. "I really don't recall anything unusual."
"Maybe you said something stupid? Hey, that happens easily!" Shinichi tried to tease him to relax his friend a bit but that did not help. Heiji only thought about it and answered seriously.
"No. I did not…" silence engulfed them again, both thinking in record time. "M-maybe I did-… hurt her… in some way-… I don't know and that's my problem."
"I understand it. You must be freaked to death!"
"I am… what if I never see her again? What if she does not want me anymore? Doesn't want to even look at me after what I have done? I shouldn't have rushed everything…" he buried his face in his hands.
"Heiji, for such an-… act, you always need two. You couldn't have rushed her into anything that she didm't want, you know her. You know she wouldn't let you. Don't blame yourself. I am sure everything will eventually turn out good again." Shinichi tried to convince his friend with confident voice. He only looked back at his friend, miserably and unbelieving.
"You know… maybe, that's the point. Maybe, it was too much for her. You know, a confession, a proposal of marriage and… well, THAT, is a whole lot at once for a person. Maybe she wanted some time with herself, to think about everything and sort her thoughts and emotions out."
Heiji looked at Shinichi, thinking about his words thoroughly.
"Maybe you're right-…" he looked down at his folded hands. "What do you suggest that I do?"
"The only thing you can do now, is relax a little. You can't do anything anyway and I am sure that when she wants to be found and is ready to talk to you, then that's what you will do."
"You think so?"
"I am SURE! And then, when it's time, you have to fight for her."
"Fight?"
"Oh yes. Sometimes, you have to. Just think at me, I'm the best example! You know exactly what hell of a fight I had to get my real body back, and consequently, to get back to her!"
"But.." Heiji raised an eyebrow. "I see your point, but you did not exactly had to fight to get her in the first place, did you? I mean, to make her fall for you."
Shinichi blushed. "No, luckily not. But, as I remember, neither did you. She was, as you said, the first who wanted to confess, right?"
Heiji thought about it before having to admit defeat. "Your point."
Suddenly Shinichi had to grin. "What is it?" he turned to look at Heiji.
"I just had to remember, that I indeed fought for Ran."
"How?"
"Well, Kogoro nearly bit my head off when he caught us kissing!"
Heiji's eyes widened. "He caught you..?"
"Oh yes. He caught us, chased after me and nearly killed me. It was a whole bunch of work to convince him that I had serious and pure intentions with his daughter.
"Mori- san, please!" Shinichi had pleaded, hiding behind the couch and sticking only his head over the edge to talk. "Listen to me, I didn't do anything to your daughter!"
"Well, that looked otherwise!" Kogoro groaned.
"Please, I have only the best intentions in mind with her. You see-…" Shinichi ducked a flying object. "I really LOVE Ran and I want to marry her! Please hear us out!"
"YOU WHAT?" Kogoro's rage only increased. "MY DAUGHTER? ARE YOU INSANE?" Shinichi hid again behind the couch, praying to the heavens that he would survive this to live and explain to him the situation as he watched more objects flew in his direction.
Not even the thought of fighting Gin or Vodka right now could frighten him more than the act of convincing he knew he had to put on Kogoro if he wanted to marry Ran. And hell, that's all he ever wanted.
"What happened then?" Heiji asked amused, looking amused and interested at his friend.
"Well…" Shinichi grinned. "I had no sleep that night, for that's how long it took me and Ran to calm him down and convince him that we were serious and that he could not change it. I tell you, the fight against the Black Organization was nothing compared to this fight!"
Heiji was smiling by now, totally amused at the mental image of Shinichi in this fight. Especially the picture of him behind the couch with only the top of his head showing. That was so funny he wanted nothing more than to burst out laughing. He grinned brightly.
"I'm glad that I'm amusing you!" Shinichi grinned at him, glad that his friend was obviously feeling a little better. "Just wait till you have to tell your parents!"
"What?" Heiji's head shot up, shock all over his features.
Shinichi had to laugh at the picture his friend presented. "Just kidding!" he grinned at Heiji who, after calming down, joined him.
He was really glad that Shinichi had come with him. He had already helped him a lot and was right. When the moment was there, he would talk with Kazuha about everything and solve things out, even fight for her if necessary.
He leaned back against his seat, relaxing a little for the first time since Kazuha went missing.
---
Ran and Kazuha spend half of the following day with one of their favorite tasks- Shopping! After breakfast they took the bus to the next biggest city where Kazuha tried to remember everything from her last visit.
They journey from one shop to the other, having a lot of fun, pausing only once for lunch and tea before continuing their little shopping trip.
"What?"Kazuha asked Ran as she saw her friend chuckle to herself.
Ran looked at her and shook her head. "It's nothing, really. I was-… I was just imaging Shinichi's face after so much shopping." She chuckled. "He would complain the whole time and distort his face horribly to show just how much he has to suffer."
Kazuha chuckled and nodded. "You're right. Just like Heiji would if he-" she stopped herself and covered her mouth with a hand quickly.
All the pain and fear Kazuha had tried to seal away had broken through by the mention of his name, but she tried to gather herself quickly. She didn't want to worry her friend even more after yesterday's display of emotions. It was not her style, not at all, to bother other people with her emotional life, and here she had been, crying and… Kazuha shook her head. She quickly took her hand away from her mouth again.
"Have you seen this shop already? It looks nice, come on, let's go inside!" She smiled a horrible fake smile at Ran and walked ahead.
Her friend only looked after her, concerned. She wished she knew what was bothering Kazuha so that she could think of a way to help her. But pushing would not help… 'Yet!' Ran thought and sighed as she followed her friend in the next shop.
---
"Kazuha-chan…" Ran looked at her friend who seemed to relax a little in the hot water. After a long day of walking though the whole city and shopping to exhaustion, both almost sighed out as they sunk their towel clothed bodies slowly in the soothing hot water.
"Hm?" she murmured and opened her eyes to look at Ran. It was a good thing that the springs were illuminated, it had already become dark.
"Don't you think it's time?"
"T-time?" Kazuha started sweating, unconsciously sinking a little further in the water, pretending to have no idea. "Time for what?"
"To tell me what is going on!"
Kazuha broke eye contact and looked at the opposite direction. She knew this had been inevitable and she was not sure she was ready for this.
"Oh come on, don't tell me you weren't expecting me to- at least- ask!"
"I-… I know… but it's not that easy… I…"
Ran scooted closer to her and lay a reassuring hand on Kazuha's back. "I know it must be difficult but it won't get better if you don't talk about it!"
"It's about… Heiji…"
"I figured about as much… What about him? What has happened?" At this, Kazuha's cheeks darkened considerably and she turned her head slightly away. An idea crawled into Ran's mind. She looked shocked and alarmed at Kazuha.
"He didn't-... DO-…something to you, did he?"
"No-…" Kazuha shook her head gently, eyes closed. "He didn't force me, to do it…"
"It?" Ran raised one eyebrow. "What do you mean by it?"
Kazuha tilted her head slowly up in direction of her and looked miserably at her friend. At this moment, it dawned to her. "OH!"
Both looked again at the unmoving surface of the water as it emitted puffs of steam. Ran glided closer and hugged Kazuha, rubbing her back tenderly. She let her some time before asking further, quietly and consideratly.
"Is that the reason why you are like this?"
Kazuha shook her head again and looked on sadly.
"Kazuha, if I am to help you, you have to tell me what happened!"
She knew that her friend was right. Slowly she started telling Ran what happened, starting with her change of mind and her decision to do something about their situation, that something being his birthday surprise.
"I am so glad you finally admitted it!" Ran exclaimed, happy but carefully.
"That's thanks to you. Remember what you told me on the phone? That it's time for us to stop ignoring the fact that we have deeper feelings for each other?"
"I remember." Ran nodded.
"It already seems like that was AGES ago instead of a few days… Well, I took the risc upon me and… it turned out that you were right. We have this-… mutual affection for each other.."
"But that's great!"
"It was great. I didn't believe I could be any happier… until-…"
"Until what?"
"He k-kissed me…" Kazuha blushed. Ran only smiled, maybe a little knowingly, at her friend. "And? How was it?"
She smiled at the water in front of her. "Absolutely amazing. Like he would… like he was…"
"…taking the ground away from under your feet?"
"Exactly!" Kazuha beamed at Ran, glad that her friend understood her this well. No wonder. She, after all, went through the same thing.
"What happened then?" Ran wondered aloud.
"Well… then… b-before we… before we did… you know! Well, he p-proposed..to..me.."
Ran's mouth dropped open, and a beat later she drew her hands up to cover it. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Kazuha wordlessly. Kazuha blushed but was secretly a little amused at the reaction of her friend. Too bad that she didn't feel like laughing.
"So fast? W-what did you do? I mean, what did you answer?"
"It's not like… I mean… I am not even sure he really-…m-meant it and-…"
"How!" Ran exclaimed enraged. "How can one ask such a question.. THE question and not mean it?"
"Ran, please… it's not that easy…"
"Sorry. Please go on!"
"Of course I accepted-… then!…" Kazuha looked away from her again, trying hard to get over her embarrassment. "A-and everything was perfect-… well, until the next morning…"
"No-…" Ran shook her head. "He didn't-… say… something horrible, did he?" She knew exactly that it was one of the worse things a guy could do.
Kazuha shook her head almost imperceptably. "But.. what if he had? What if he had woken up and realised it was not worth it. That it had been horrible, that I have been a failure and that he doesn't want me, after all? I did everything without consideration, without really thinking about what I am doing which is so typical of me but… what if we changed everything for the worse?" Ran's eyes widened as she looked furtheron at her friend. She couldn't say anything to this, her mind working hard, only listened to her friend.
"You see… he is so important to me… so special… I am so scared that I screwed up for good now, not only because I… ran away-…"
"You went away without talking to him afterwards?"
"Yes…" Kazuha closed her eyes in shame. "I was sooo endlessly afraid of what he would do… of being left behind and alone-… I couldn't have lived with a brush off after this… What if he hadn't mean to propose to me?" a long pause followed and Kazuha felt some tears coming up. "B-but maybe it's not that bad this way… What a wife I had made.. a horrible one probably… and why would he even want me? I have nothing to give…" Kazuha was sobbing by now.
"Except yourself, which is already so much!"
"What?" She looked at Ran through her tears.
"I mean it. I am sure that Heiji does not want more than only you. You have so much to give, Kazuha, believe me. You will make a stunning wife, I am sure of it. And if Hattori-kun had thought otherwise, he wouldn't have asked you! He is not stupid- far from it, and you know it as well as I do!"
"B-but.." new tears were storning down her eyes.
"No, it's okay!" Ran hugged her friend. "Kazuha-chan, tell me, why did you accept the proposal? Why did you plan this surprise for him in the first place?"
"B-because…" Kazuha had to think for a very long moment about what exactly Ran wanted her to say. "Because I love him?"
"Exactly! And why did he respond to your love? Why did you do… it… with him?"
"Uh… b-because…" A long pause followed again and Kazuha thought hard about what to say. She wondered what her friend was playing at. Suddenly her eyes widened. "Because he loves me? And because I trust him?"
"EXACTLY!" Ran beamed down at her. "That's the point! To let him go this far you must trust him a lot. And for him to do it and propose to you can only mean that he loves you back, that he trusts you completely, and that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you. Do you know what I'm getting at?"
Kazuha looked at Ran carefully, considering her words. "Do you mean to say that… that…"
"That you should trust him again. He didn't do anything to earn your mistrust. You shouldn't deny him and yourself your happiness."
"But I am so scared that…"
"Kazuha, you are a lovely girl, pretty and with a good heart, strong and capable. He knows it because he wouldn't have fallen in love with you in the first place if it had been otherwise. Don't think that you are worth nothing or so little or that you have nothing to offer! Have a little self-esteem and confidence in yourself. You are usually such a strong girl! Have courage- one last time, and some trust, that's all."
A last question was burning in Kazuha's eyes and Ran shook her head.
"No, he won't refuse you, I am sure. You will never have to be alone, believe me. All you need is some trust. Trust in him and trust in yourself."
"Oh RAN!" Kazuha sobbed against her friend, hugging her tightly. She was so right. All of a sudden, all fears Kazuha had had seemed to be totally forgotten and so stupid. All she wanted right now was Heiji so they could make up. She had already missed him so much. How could she ever have…How would she ever be able to explain to him why she…
Ran held her back, allowing Kazuha to cry all her fears out, rubbing her back to calm her down. "Don't be afraid. I am sure he will understand. I know it's not that simple but…"she paused for a moment, searching for the right words.
"I know…" Kazuha sniffed. "Thank you!" she renewed the grip on her friend, making Ran smile warmly.
"It's nothing. Do you understand my point?"
"Y-yes…" she sniffed. "I have been so stupid… but I was so…"
"Scared, I know. It's understandable. You are also not used to this whole stuff. But that will change with the time, believe me. You don't have to mistrust people who are nice to you. I know it's difficult but believe me, there are people out there who loves you very much and expect nothing in return from you."
"Like?"
"Like your father, Hattori-kun and his family, me of course and so on!"
Kazuha said nothing, only stayed in her friend's arms for some more, hugging her tighter in a grateful manner. Ran understood and held her back, returning the gesture.
Kazuha was thinking her whole situation over. After a long time in silence, Ran felt Kazuha's giggle. She pulled back and looked down at her.
"What?"
"I just had to think about what my dad would do with Heiji if he found out we're together."
"Oh yeah, dad's can be really… difficult!"
"How do yo- RAN! Right, your father! I thought he hated Kudo-kun? How…"
"You want to know how he found out we were together?"
"Found out? You didn't tell him?" Kazuha asked surprised and Ran shook her head.
"We were a little… scared of his reaction and decided to better… wait a little longer. But one day he came home earlier and caught us kissing on the couch… oi, I have never seen my father chase after somebody at fast, even during his time as police-officer and detective!"
"He chased after Kudo-kun?"
"Oh yes, screamed like mad around about what he was doing to his daughter and so on. Took me some time to cool him down, you can believe me that. In the end he had to admit defeat, knowing he can't change anything and accept Shinichi as son in law. He probably had this suspicion already long ago, seeing me wait for him no matter what. But he put up a real fight.
See, in any case, it can't be worse for you two."
"That's good to know!" Kazuha giggled, for the first time in the last days feeling a little lighter around her heart.