Weeeeell... this is... different. I guess? Sometimes it felt really good writing it, but now I'm just anxious about it.

Also, it annoys me to no end that I cannot answer guest reviews. I understand why, but I'm still annoyed.
So, dear Selbram, I'll have to reply here... To be honest, I've never heard of that story before (but thank you very much for the link, I'll check it out! ^^). It started with some silly FB post about what would happen if the pocket sized version of your favourite character accompanied you everywhere and commented on the things you did or something like that. Then we started brainstorming with my kouhai, and eventually the story of pocket Shin-tan started. (Though originally it would've been Kid who would've become smaller, but I changed my mind ^^")

So, umm... Please enjoy!


It appeared that the case of Edogawa Conan's disappearance has reached a disappointing end. Three weeks of excitement and mystery for the public – his clothes found next to a dumpster and the suspicious red blots on the concrete had everyone on edge. Then suddenly the boy appeared in a hospital. The people around him refused to speak, that was nothing new, but even those police officers who were willing to talk before stayed quiet this time. The reason was quite simple: the little boy didn't tell them anything –amnesia, his doctors said. The only thing he was willing to talk about was that a young businessman saved him, whose identity was shrouded in mystery. Eventually the name "Yamada" slipped through closed doors, but it wasn't a big help. Still, several businessmen named Yamada received suspicious, doubting, or curious looks, mostly in Tokyo.

This didn't bother the police. What did, though, was that they barely knew more about Yamada than the public. They knew how he looked like, where he lived (a small apartment in Shibuya), and his full name, since he appeared to them a few times – "appear" being the best word for him. He was practically unreachable to the police, but he always seemed to show up when they needed him. There was something eerie about him, and no one could find out exactly what it was.

There were only two people who knew the truth about him, and three more who thought they knew. Yamada Shuuzo, currently standing next to a hospital, staring at one of the windows, wanted to keep it that way.


Silver moonlight slipped into the small hospital room through the windows, making the floor glow. In the corner, on the bed, Shinichi sat and stared into nothing. He might've looked like some puppet, hanging from a loose string, but he was tense and anxious – he was waiting. Everytime the curtains moved, he turned to the windows with a hopeful look, only to continue staring into nothing in the next moment. Every little noise made him jump and gasp, and filled him with hope at the same time. He wanted to laugh at himself, because really, how ridiculous it was of him, to wait anxiously like some lovesick schoolgirl, and for someone who might never come…!

He heard a sound again, this time from the door, and he turned so quickly that his neck started to hurt. Did he come back?

"You look awful, Kudou-kun."

He tried, really tried to hold back the sigh that escaped him in the end. "Thanks, Haibara, you always know how to cheer me up." he grumbled, stubbornly not looking at her.

"Well, I saw how you were pining away like a lovesick schoolgirl, so…" Shinichi winced – so she reached the same conclusion. "I came here to check up on you."

"How nice of you…"

"Also, I wanted to ask a few things."

"Whoa, who would've though…?" Shinichi turned back to her with an unamused smile that died from his lips the moment he saw the unimpressed look she gave him. No one should be able to look this unimpressed. No one.

"I though you would appreciate it." she said lightly as she pulled out a chair for herself. "Now you don't have to worry about the others at least. Not your girlfriend or that Osakan."

"And the professor?" He looked at Haibara warily, but she only shrugged.

"He's at home, snoring. Sleep pills do wonders."

"Oh."

"So you see, I was wondering about him for a while now… Your mysterious saviour." She paid no mind to his gasp, just went on, as if she was talking about the weather. But her gaze was piercing, and Shinichi found it difficult to breathe. He should've expected this. He probably did, but he wanted to ignore it. "You seem to trust him so much, even though you met him only a few weeks ago. And you told him everything about yourself too. Why? Why would you do that, when you refused to reveal yourself to your girlfriend, whom you've known for years?" They watched each other in silence for a few moments. Shinichi wanted to pretend that he didn't remember, that his head hurt, that he was panicking, but he knew it wouldn't work. Not on her.

"I was at his mercy, Haibara." he started after a weak sigh." He could've killed me for all I knew! If I didn't give him what he wanted… I could've angered him, and then…"

"Oh yeah, he clearly took care of you only to kill you later. Logical."

"I didn't know what to expect from him!" He tried to defend himself. It felt like he could do nothing against her, because everything he could say would be just thrown back at him. Was he that obvious? He probably was, he admitted to himself, but it didn't stop him from trying. He remembered the little card still hidden under his pillow and what it meant.

"So you've just told him everything about yourself. I see. Now, remind me, what was the excuse you used for this new identity of yours?"

"Excuse? What are you talking about?"

"The reason why you created Edogawa Conan. Why did it happen? Oh yeah, because you didn't want to put your loved ones in danger. But what about this stranger? Wouldn't you put him in danger this way? Or it doesn't matter as long as you don't know them?" Haibara's lips curled into a cruel smile.

"That's not what I-"

"Well, the truth is that it doesn't matter, and you should know that by now." The smile disappeared, and her gaze got even icier than it was. Shinichi had to wonder, when was the last time he was that scared of her. "You've seen what the organisation can do, right? If they want to get rid of someone, they will. Whether your loved ones know about you, this little act of yours, and them, it doesn't matter. If they had ever cared about Kudou Shinichi, you'd be dead already, along with everyone else around you. Lucky for you, they never did."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"I'm fed up with this act, this joke you like to play, the poor little amnesiac boy. It must be comfortable, pretending to be the victim and having your girlfriend fussing over you, really. But we know you're hiding something."

"I'm not hiding anything. What are you even talking about? I… I don't remember anything from the past three weeks. I only know that when I woke up, it was-"

"It was dark and scary, right? Oh, of course. Since you're just a poor little boy, right? "I was so scared, Ran-neechan!" Right? Say, aren't you disgusted with yourself?"

"Hey, who gives you the… the right to…!" He growled, but Haibara stopped him.

"The right? I need permission to tell the truth or something? You're such a coward, seriously. Even if I needed it, what makes you think I'd ask you of all people?"

"Did you come all the way here to tell me this? Because if that's the case, you might as well sneak back. I don't need this." Anger was bubbling up inside him. He didn't even want to consider that she was right, because his wounded pride was screaming inside him. Who are you to judge me, he wanted to ask. Who are you to tell me I'm weak? You don't know anything!

"Oh no, you're not going to get away with playing the victim again. I still don't know what is between you and your "Yamada-san". And I'm going to find out." The icy words she spat at him dragged him back from the furious haze his mind was in, but it did little good to him. Shinichi was still stubborn – and he had a good reason, he told himself.

"Right, you wanted to ask me about him. You were so busy with telling me how horrible I am that I almost forgot."

"Save your snarky remarks for later, and for someone who actually cares." She narrowed her eyes. "So, why is it that you told that man everything when you don't even trust the girl you love with it? Who is he to you?"

"What makes you think that I'll answer you anyway?" He crossed his arms and looked at her defiantly. The cold smile he got in return made him shiver.

"Because it would be such a shame if your girlfriend had to find out through someone else who you really are."