Disclaimer: I was only about one or two years old when DC debuted. You actually expect me to own it?

~~~~CHAPTER 13: BOTHER TO WHAT?~CONAN'S POV~~~~

I brought Ayumi to the rooftop, thinking that it was the most private and, well, controversial place in the entire school, considering it's where that particular rumor started. Letting go of her hand, I walked over to the edge of the rooftop and looked up at the sky. "Gomen (sorry), Ayumi-chan."

"What?" she said, almost in a whisper.

"I made you cry yesterday. Gomen." This time, I turned to her, leaning back against the railing.

"Conan-kun..."

"Ayumi-chan... Listen, I..." I was gonna tell her, that I loved Haibara, that she should give up on me, that we should stop this game of so-called love. But she cut me off, refusing to listen to my words.

"Ai-chan doesn't love you! She can't love you! She promised me!" she shouted, her eyes brimming with tears. "She promised me... So just give up on her.... You have me, Conan-kun. Me!"

What she was saying was exactly the same thing I was worried about. But somehow, it didn't disturb me the way it did the night before. I took a deep breath, realizing that no matter what her answer would be, it didn't matter. "Even if she doesn't love me back... I don't care."

"Conan-kun..." She took a few steps back. One might say that she didn't really understand, but I knew better. It's not that she didn't understand, she didn't want to understand. Perhaps it was too much for her, she was only twelve after all. "Conan-kun wa baka!" With that she ran away, closing the door with a slam.

I would've gone after her, in fact I've already taken a few steps, but the nagging voice came back and it told me this. 'Leave her be.' I frowned, not agreeing. Not that I ever did, it seemed to me like all I ever did with that voice was argue. That, and nothing else.

'Someday, somehow, even if you don't do anything more, she'll understand.'

What makes you say that? Though his words were a bit confusing, they're actually making sense. But I didn't want to just agree with it, after all this time.

'She's a smart girl. She'll understand,' it repeated. 'Or... Don't you trust her?'

Well, of course I trust her. But I...

'Don't worry. Somebody will help her. That somebody won't be you, of course.'

And why won't it be? I asked, a little annoyed.

'Do you honestly think you're actually fit for the position, egotistical, cocky, selfish Shinichi Kudo?'

~~~~SIXTH GRADE CLASSROOM~3RD PERSON POV~~~~

"Mitsu-kun, dousuru? (what would you do?)" asked the tallest of the dodgeball boys, presumably their leader.

"Dousuru te... nani yo?" he replied, an annoyed expression on his face. "Never mind, I don't care. Just leave me alone."

The leader raised his eyebrow, very much like a certain shrunken scientist does. "Do you really think you have the right to be annoyed right now? Do you really think you're in any position to tell us," he mimicked Mitsuhiko's voice, in a girlish tone, "'Just leave me alone'?"

"What do you want?" he asked, glaring at them.

One of the shorter kids grinned as he leaned back in his chair. "We don't want anything, Mitsubishi-kun. We just want to know what you'll do."

"The name's Mitsuhiko," he said through gritted teeth. "And wanting to know doesn't count as nothing, pea brains."

Another kid grabbed him by collar and hissed, "We're trying to be nice to you, so just suck it up."

"Chill, man," said their leader. The kid reluctantly relaxed his grip and Mitsuhiko was able to pull away. "You, too, Mitsu-kun." He smiled, as if not sensing the tension between his group and the freckled boy. "We just want to know what'll happen, now that you've pretty much upset the three most popular kids in class."

"The three most pop-" His fiery gaze disappeared."You mean Haibara-san, Conan-kun and Ayumi-chan?"

"Yup, the three most popular kids, exactly in that order. In fact Haibara-san and Conan-kun are the two most popular kids in school." He cocked his head. "Either way, you do know you've upset them, don't you? I mean, I don't think you're that clueless."

Mitsuhiko dropped his gaze and started looking for excuses. "But-but Haibara-san... Haibara-san's not upset," he exclaimed, looking in her direction.

The dodgeball boys looked at Haibara, who was silently eating her lunch alone. They stared for a moment, thinking 'How could every move she makes be so graceful?' in their own ways. It was the leader who snapped out of his thoughts first.

"I think she is, Mitsu-kun," turning his back to the topic at hand. "She's just good at hiding her feelings. Have you ever seen her mad or upset before? Has she ever shown you a face that nobody else has seen? Told you a secret no one else knows?"

"Well... no..." he reluctantly admitted.

"What about Edogawa-kun?"

Mitsuhiko had a confused look on his face. "What about him?"

"Don't you think she has shown him her feelings unmasked? Told him things even you don't know?"

"Th-That's i-impossible!" Mitsuhiko stuttered.

"I don't think it is," the leader said confidently."They're always together, haven't you noticed? Even though they're with you, there's some kind of invisible wall that separates you and them."

"I-I d-don't believe you!" he shouted.

His shout burst the others out of their bubble and they dragged their attention back to Mitsuhiko. The second shortest one piped up, "Why do you even bother, Tsuburaya-kun?"

He regained his fiery look and and glared at him. "Bother to what?"

The kid blinked at him, being slower than most kids his age. "Bother to confess. I mean, you've been with her all this time, why wait five whole years? Do you even really like her?"

"O-Of course I do! I... I..." He seemed really confused and for a moment, a satisfied look crossed the leader's face, as if making Mitsuhiko confused was his reason for starting the conversation. He clapped the slow boy on the shoulder and said, "Come on, guys, we still have a few minutes. Let's play dodgeball!" leading them away.

As they headed towards the field, leaving him staring off into space, trying to make sense of his thoughts and feelings, Conan walked in. He didn't even notice, showing just how at loss he really is.

~~~~CHAPTER 13: BOTHER TO WHAT?end~~~~

Short chap, I know. The next one will be longer! Keep the reviews coming!

alexzhou04: Even the US millitary satellite can't track me down. haha ^_^

MEP: hmmm... I'm kinda dense, so i didn't really see any difference between the first 3 chaps and previous 2... thanks for the praise anyway. ^_^ By the way, just think of me as 'undefined'. that way you won't have to worry about the man/woman thing.

ME: whoops! sorry. actually that sentence used to be they, the whole class mad at him, but that was changed. I overlooked it. ^_^ Thanks!

lisette: I can't find your account so I'll just answer here. 'Oyasuminasai' means 'Good night.' The Professor last name is Agasa. His first name is Hiroshi. And the 'Okaa-chan...' line is said by Genta. Sorry, not much Ayumi x Conan x Ran... Don't like those couples very much : P

PREVIEW: ummm... what IS gonna happen next? *scratches head*