Sorry for the long wait!!!!! I've got a writer's block... I think... Tell me if this chapter is satisfactory or not, please?

Disclaimer: No, I don't own DC, but if you think I do, I don't mind. Not at all.

~~~~CHAPTER 15: A JERK LIKE ME~~~~

"What the hell does Hakase need these for?" asked Conan as he dragged two crates of highly volatile material.

Haibara smirked as she walked beside him, holding both their bags which couldn't possibly have weighed half as much as what the bespectacled shounen was carrying. "You were the one who volunteered to come along."

"That still doesn't explain why he needs what feels like ten tons of gunpowder," he retorted.

She shrugged, seemingly uncaring. "It might not explain why but it does mean you have no right to complain."

By this time, they had reached Hakase's house. Conan looked at the crates, estimating their size and said, "I don't think this will fit through the door."

She unlocked the front door and tossed her bag inside, saying, "We're supposed to put it in the garage."

They headed for the empty space where the Professor's Beetle used to be, Haibara leading the way with Conan suffering behind her. She pushed the button that made the garage's door opened and Conan went inside, practically collapsing as he put down his burden.

The miniature chemist walked towards the place where he was lying spread-eagle, breathing hard. She looked down at him as he laid there with his eyes closed.

"I won't be the one to wash your laundry if you keep resting on the pavement, tantei-kun."

His eyelids fluttered open as his breathing steadied. He got up and glared a little at girl beside him and said, "It wouldn't hurt you to be grateful for once, you know?"

"Ara, is that so?" she replied with her trademark smirk.

He narrowed his eyes at her and said, "Yes, that's so."

For a short moment, there was a small smile on her features. She lowered her voice to a whisper and said, "Arigatou, Shinichi," before pressing her lips against his cheeks.

Eh? went his mind and before he could even react, she pulled away, flashing the smirk that instantly replaced her smile before walking away.

The shrunken detective could only look at her retreating back, his hand over the cheek she kissed. If she had looked back, she would have seen the tug on his lips growing wider by the second.

~~~~THE NEXT DAY ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL~CONAN'S POV~~~

Why is it that whenever something happens between Ai and me, the next day it would seem like nothing happened? I sighed. Though she did kiss me yesterday-

'It was just a peck on the cheek,' interrupted the nagging voice, stressing the word 'just'.

I rolled my eyes. Fine. Though she gave me a peck on the cheek, she-

'Why are you complaining? Didn't you want your love story development to happen on that garden rooftop restaurant?'

Can't you let me think in peace for once?

'If I did, where's the fun in that?' it replied, its tone scorning me.

Whatever, I thought, giving up on the idea of thinking about yesterday. Instead, I turned my thoughts on how to win an argument against the voice when something burst me out of my bubble.

"Ohayou Conan-kun, Ai-chan!" called a cheery voice. It was a voice I knew all too well. It belonged to the girl I rejected less than twenty-four hours ago.

"Ohayou," the girl beside me immediately replied, as she usually did. She was acting as if all the confessions, the tension, the rumors didn't exist. As if this was just a usual day and she was saying good morning to her friend.

I turned to the owner of the voice, saw her smile, and understood that everything was alright now. No grudges, no nothing. Just the friendship we used to have before, maybe even stronger. Whoever helped her must be a miracle-worker.

'I hate to say I told you so,' said the nagging voice, 'But I told you so.'

Hai, hai, I conceded, a small smile tugging at my lips. Though I was constantly arguing with it, I had gotten quite used to that annoying voice. It reminded me a little bit of Haibara.

I turned to the real twelve-year-old and greeted her. "Ohayou, Ayumi-chan."

She stepped a bit closer to me and whispered, "Gambatte (do your best), Conan-kun." She then addressed both of us, saying "I'm supposed to feed the rabbits today. Ja ne!" before running ahead.

Arigatou, Ayumi-chan. It seems you've accepted me and...

"Gambatte with what?" Haibara asked as she looked at me with mild interest.

"What?" was my initial reaction. Then came reddening of my cheeks and ears. I stuttered a bunch of nonsense before I was able to say, "N-n-nothing!"

~~~~TEITAN ELEMENTARY GATES~MITSUHIKO'S POV~~~~

This is it, I thought, This is the time for me to apologize to Conan-kun.

I was, I guess, excited. This my chance to patch up my friendship with Conan, and being who he is, I was pretty sure he would forgive me. But something bothered me, there was a hidden fear in my heart that I was only beginning to acknowledge.

The Conan I knew before would smile and dismiss everything I've done with a smile and an 'It's okay,' but somehow, without me noticing, he's changed. He was not the Conan I knew five years ago. I can't really explain how or why, just that things were different from how they were before.

What I've done probably scarred our friendship forever and that made me falter, even just a little. But I've already decided that no matter what happens, I have to apologize. It was my duty, as a man, and as a friend.

The night before, I had written a speech of what I would say. It was long, it would probably take about five minutes to say it all, with the word 'sorry' appearing every seven seconds. I even memorized it, practicing in front of the mirror.

Waiting for him by the gate, I repeated the lines in my mind, not wanting to slip up and make a mistake. I wasn't even half-way through when I saw the familiar dark brown hair beside Haibara-san's in the distance. He was blushing and the reddish-brown haired girl had on an amused expression.

I took a deep breath and when he was close enough, I blocked his path and said, "Conan-kun."

Conan stood there awkwardly, not really meeting my eyes. "What do you want, Mitsuhiko?"

Haibara-san raised her eyebrow then shrugged. "I'm going ahead," she said, leaving the two of us.

I was thinking why he was being so awkward when my mind clicked. What am I doing? If I talk to him like this, he'll think I'm trying to start another fight! Yikes! But I can't restart now, I gotta-

I opened my mouth, got ready to recite my 5-minute long speech, when my mind suddenly went blank. I had forgotten every word.

Moments passed and finally Conan looked at me. "If you've got nothing to say, then I'm gonna go now," he said. He waited for a response. Ten, twenty seconds. Getting none, he shrugged and side-stepped me.

I turned and saw him walking away. Each step he took echoed in my ears, making me panic. No! At this rate, Conan-kun would NEVER forgive me!

"I'm sorry!" I shouted to his back. I trashed my speech and just said what popped into my mind. "I'm sorry! Everything was my fault! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had to kiss Haibara-san in front of everybody! If it weren't for me, nobody would know that Ayumi-chan cried when she confessed! If it weren't for me, things wouldn't have turned out like this!"

I said it all in one big breath, but it seems it got his attention and he turned back to me. Now I was panting, and I was scared to hear what he would say, but I forced myself to look at his face. I wanted him to know I was serious. "I'm sorry," I repeated.

His face was emotionless for a while, and I waited in suspense. A few moments passed and his eyes softened. I sighed in relief, a load lifted from my heart.

Silence reigned. Though I knew I've been forgiven, I wasn't sure if our friendship was still intact. I decided to ask.

"So ummm... are we still friends?"

Conan was smiling, the same cocky grin he had from five years ago. He said, "If you don't mind being with a jerk like me."

My eyes widened a bit, but I immediately smiled back. I stepped closer to him, held out my hand and replied,

"If it's okay with you being with a wimp like me."

~~~~CHAPTER 15: A JERK LIKE ME end~~~~

Review please! You guys are reading this, the fruit of my labor but some of you don't even bother to review... That kinda hurts my pride... *pouts*

haha ^_^ Anyway, here's the solution for the code in the last chap. You remove the el from the end of each word (?) and line the remaining letters. Then you split it up into words that make sense. So, here's the answer:

Special thanks to dragoon-zerox for his help and support! And thanks to Blood Red Topaz, ME and Blue Hurricane! Three cheers to the person who decodes this!

And since somebody actually solved it, three cheers! HIP hip hooray! hip HIP hooray! hip hip HOORAY!

starcalista: OMG, how did you know!?!?! You also read Deltora Quest?

Digital Ree: Thanks for the support! Glad you like my work. *grin*