A/N: Thanks, Tok. Terish and Anime Lady PIMP! I really appreciate your reviews. I'd also like to thank the others who read my story. Finally, I really want to thank Enji86, who gave me the feedbacks for the second time. Well...I think Ai is not the type of girl to approach any guys easily. For the story's sake, let's leave it at that Ai still likes Conan. I'll try my best to post and update faster. This chapter also happened to be easier to write, so I'm posting it faster than I promised. Reviews are always welcome.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC. It's all Gosho Aoyama's. blah. blah.

Chapter Four

Nostalgic Holiday

We cry the most on holidays. Ironic.

-0-

(Ai's POV)

I stared at the door. I slowly bent myself to pick up the spoon again.

No way.

How can this happen? How can Kudou Shinichi possibly disappear, and Edogawa Conan…remain? And her? He can't have given her up…Just what is the matter with him? He won't go back. He refuses to return to his previous life. Why?

I want to know the truth behind his actions.

Then, I realized that the pot of curry was groaning. I hurriedly turned off the fire before it could screw up. Just when I washed my hands and the spoon and went out of the kitchen, the kids came.

"Hi, Haibara-san." Mitsuhiko seemed to be a bit nervous.

"Whoa, it smells awesome in here!" exclaimed Genta.

"It's curry, right? Ai-chan must be a great cook!"

"Thank you, Yoshida-san, although I'm not sure if it will taste as good as it smells."

"It does!" Hakase appeared out of nowhere. It looks like he already got his serving secretly. He was holding a large plate of rice with curry.

"Hakase…!" I glared at him, while he flinched and quickly ran over to his computer. Soon, it was very noisy.

"Wow, this tastes fantastic!" Of course, Genta was the fastest to get himself a second helping.

"Jeez, Genta-kun, slow down a little. You are even going to eat others' helpings." Mitsuhiko was still happy to teach Genta about manners, then.

"Conan-kun, eat some more! There's a lot."…And Yoshida-san…still with the crush on Kudou…or Edogawa-kun whatever. Haha. Everything was exactly the same as it was 10 years ago. I couldn't help but to smile. Then, my smile disappeared when Genta spilled his curry on the floor while trying to steal Conan's.

"Don't be so greedy, Genta. You should clean this up." Conan's eyes narrowed. It reminded me of the times when I used to tease him about his relationship with his…girlfriend.

Sigh. Even him…He hadn't really changed at all. Everyone is just the same except that they are in a different space and time.

I want to decide. Do I need to continue being me from 10 years ago?

"Hey, guys! Don't waste your time anymore. We need to study for the finals, remember?" Conan shouted over the three kids who were arguing about Genta's appetite.

"But I finished my homework!" yelled Genta.

"Genta-kun…you still have 30 more questions to go." Examined Mitsuhiko.

"Sigh…Maybe I need to get some dessert before I start." Wow.

"Genta-kun!"

"Alright…"

I couldn't really concentrate on my studies yet. So I just read a magazine while talking once in a while. Then, Conan whispered,

"Oi, Haibara. How come you stopped communicating with me 3 years ago?"

"I was gonna commit suicide, but I changed my mind at the last moment."

"WHAT? Haibara, you can't-"

"Just kidding. Stop shouting. You hurt my ears." I rubbed on them, while continuing, "I finished creating the antidote back then. I wanted to make it a surprise for you, that's all."

"But why stop communicating?"

"You're a detective, after all. And I couldn't trust myself enough that I wouldn't tell you."

"Jeez, you made me worry!"

"Well, I personally think it was time that you should have stopped treating me like a child."

He gave me a look that said, here we go again. And he went back on studying.

It took some time to realize that I didn't really get irritated when he said he worried about me.

Silly.

-0-

The kids were gone, and he remained to 'help' me. I just told him not to bother me while I cleaned everything up. I doubted he could even wash the dishes correctly. When I was rinsing the dishes, I suddenly wanted to ask him something.

"Hey, Edogawa-kun…"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think…I changed?"

"Do you want to?"

He waited, but I couldn't answer.

"I did." I looked at him.

"I became more gentle…perhaps?" He smirked. "Anyway, even if you do change, it doesn't necessarily mean that you become a different person, right?" While I tried to think over it, he added, "Well, I lost my keys to my house the other day, and I had to climb over the wall and all. Then I found them under my bed."

"Moron." "Haha…"

I noticed that he tried to distract me on purpose. It still didn't change, the soft part of him. Just like they say, even though the outer part may be easy to change, the core, the inside, the personality of one is extremely hard to shift completely.

But something had happened to me. I do not know when, or why. Something in my heart changed deeply, and it still hurts…

Whatever it was, something felt certain to me.

Perhaps this was my place. Perhaps I have to stay here. Perhaps this is the place of my destiny. Walking away, it would only be a temporary trip away from here. Like a horse tied to its stake, there is no point. Perhaps I do belong here.

And there was a whole new view to the world.

-0-

(few months later)

Thump.

Diing Doooong~ Diing Doooong~~

Thump.

"Alright, class! Settle down! The exams are about to start now!" Yelled the teacher.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Whew…" I sighed.

Jeez, Why am I so nervous? It's just a high school test. I took this once already. Calm down, Haibara. Calm down…

This is all because of you, Edogawa-kun…

.

So this…thing started when he came to hakase's as always for dinner a few weeks ago. I prepared him dinner and sat down on a couch to read a magazine. After eating two helpings of cream spaghetti with hot-sauced potatoes, he walked over to me.

"Oi, Haibara. How come you're always either watching TV or reading a magazine? Aren't you even worried about the finals?"

"Mind your own business." I said blithely.

"Hey, you've gotta be concerned about your grades, now." Then he grinned mischievously. I didn't like that look. "I got an idea! Let's bet on who's gonna get the better scores on the test. If I win, you'll have to spend the Christmas Eve with me."

"What? Why?"

"I'm gonna do anything to make you study, even if you dislike it."

"I will never do it. Besides, what do you care about my grades?" I threw a glare at him. He didn't even flinch.

"It's for your future, Haibara. Or maybe you're just afraid…that I'm smarter than you?" He was so taunting, with that annoying smirk on his face.

I was pissed off. "Fine. Let's do this. And if I win, you will do the dishes for a month."

"Okay, it's a deal."

I'll show you, Mr. Wise-ass.

.

At first, I thought it'd be easy to handle with, to win a stupid detective in terms of intelligence. But, when I thought about it after he was gone to his house, I realized that it was really unfair. Since I studied high school subjects at America, I wasn't that familiar with the ones in Japan. But him…He was. So, next morning,

"Edogawa-kun. This is unfair. You already are familiar with Japanese exams, while I'm not! This bet is off." I spit out the words as harshly as I could.

"Well, you should've thought about that before you agreed to it." With that, he walked away.

"Hey! Wait! I'm not done!"

I tried several more times to talk to him about the bet, but he simply avoided me whenever the subject surfaced. Grr. That stubborn brat. Nothing could change his mind. So what could I do? I tried to concentrate on my studies ever since.

Another problem was, ironically, myself. Sometimes I didn't want to concentrate. Sometimes there would be a weird feeling. Sometimes, I really felt like...I actually wanted to...lose.

The test paper came to me.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Gosh, that bet was really getting on my nerves.

How come he gets to have everything he wants?

And what's wrong with me? Actually...hoping for something? Did I even study correctly?

-0-

…And two weeks passed. Quickly. It was already the last day of school.

The teacher came into the class. Many of the girls squealed. My stomach suddenly wasn't feeling well. I wasn't confident, somehow. Maybe I should've studied more. Then, it felt a bit hot, realizing what would happen if I lost the bet. Making me feel worried...stupidly waiting...every day. When the teacher called out my name to give me my grades, I thought my heart would rip out of my body.

Let's see now…Slowly…

I breathed in and out several times before looking at the contents of the paper.

7 subjects…100…100…94…97…100…94…91…If I add them up…676…and divded by seven is-

"Ninety-six point six."

"Huh?" I turned my eyes away from the paper. Edogawa Conan was sitting two chairs ahead, looking at me.

"Your grade's average. It's ninety-six point six."

"Kind of you to read my grades for me." I was annoyed.

"I didn't." He answered. Oh, right. He is all the way over there…then?

"How the hell-"

"It's a simple bit of mind-reading." He smirked at my expression. "People normally mouth the number they are thinking when they calculate. A while ago, you mouthed the number 76. I know you, for one thing, that you would get nothing like that on any kind of test. So I guessed it was the sum of your grades. I also thought you wouldn't get eighty or seventy in average, so I simply put in the number six on the hundredth number and divided it."

But I was still a bit surprised. "You did all that in a few seconds?"

He was pleased. "You still don't know me." He stood up and walked to my desk.

"So, who won the bet?" I asked, already a bit hopeless.

"Looks like I did." He grinned at me, while I was horrorstruck. "My average is 97.4. Then, you have to spend the Christmas Eve with me!"

"He-Hey! Wait a second!" I could barely make out the words, while I felt blank. "This-This is not right! We are not kids anymore, you know. Wha-"

Before I could go on, he sighed and slid down to his knees.

"Well, sorry if it was too childish, then." He said the words bitterly.

"…I guess it wouldn't hurt, then, to go Christmas shopping together."

It was surprising how he suddenly stood up and said, excited,

"Really? Thanks!" And he walked out of sight.

I was staring at the class door, my mouth still a bit open. Then I realized that I fell for his trick. It was so unlike him. To be…obssessive with such a stupid bet. What the heck is wrong with him? It was…It was…

Pathetic.

-0-

It was snowing.

Christmas Eve approached in a daze.

I made myself a cup of coffee, and sat down on a chair next to the window, making sure to be able to catch the great scenery. White snow covered up the dull city colors, every roof of the cars was engulfed by the white color, and children and dogs were playing altogether. Hakase brought me a cinnamon roll, and I was deeply sinking into the coffee aroma, enjoying breakfast. Peace, could be so small, yet so sweet.

Until he broke into the scenery, that is.

He was just outside the window, with pink cheeks, body covered with a little bit of snow, wearing a blue wool hat. He wrote on the window, "I'm cold." I made an expression at him, and opened the door.

"Ready, Haibara?" Shoot.

I sighed. "In a minute."

I went into my room to get dressed, while I let Edogawa-kun to tell the story to the confused hakase.

.

(Conan's POV)

So this was supposed to be a joke. One day, I wanted to get her annoyed for any kind of stupid thing, which included myself. Then, I came up with a brilliant idea. But I never expected it to turn out like this. I mean, seriously. Haibara? The genius scientist? Losing to a detective? I thought it'd be near impossible. But those weeks back then, I really wanted to beat her. So I just studied a bit more than usual, and bada-bing. What. The. Heck.

I thought I'd just tell her that it was nothing but a joke. But when I saw her again…I changed my mind for some reason. I don't know it myself. I began to feel excited for the stupid bet I suggested. Even if it were to be something as cheesy as Christmas shopping, it was with a…friend? Partner? Or someone that I haven't been with for 10 years. Somehow, I was actually feeling up for it.

I still don't get why, though.

Anyway, Christmas shopping is a lot of work. I thought it'd be simple, just buying some presents for the people we know. I didn't know Haibara would buy the decorations now! Why did she leave everything for today? I looked at her. My face should've been reflecting my thoughts, because she said,

"If you're tired, Edogawa-kun, remeber; This is all your fault."

"Still. Why did you have to buy so many things today?"

"Dunno. I haven't shopped in a while." Liar. It's revenge, right? I glared at her. She then suddenly seemed to be very interested in a coffee mug.

Finally, the shopping trip ended in 7 hours. It was weird that I wasn't really angry or tired of being with her for such a long time.

"Whew…" Looks like she was tired, though. She leaned against the door while I opened it. She sat down on a couch, as I did too on the opposite side. When I was about to shout "We are home, hakase!", she tossed something at me.

It was a red box tied by a golden ribbon.

"What is this?" I said as I fiddled the thing over in my hand.

"Sort of like an apology…for 3 years ago." She wasn't looking at my direction. Looks like she had to force the word 'apology' out. Of course. But it was seriously surprising. Haibara. Giving me a present as an apology.

"So, meitantei. Are you not opening it because you already know what's inside it?" She smirked.

I don't know why, but I was nervous. I even felt like I was blushing a little. What is this gonna be? Is this…really just as an apology? I slowly opened it.

The thing blew up in a small puff and the flour covered my face. I blinked a good few times to see her on the floor, laughing like hell.

Ha…i…ba…ra…You…

"What the hell was that for?" I muttered as I went into the bathroom to wash my face. Ugh. I remember the first time she did this trick on me. The only difference was that she used a gun to creep me out.

Jeez. Should've thought of that. Really, what was I expecting-

"Thanks, Edogawa-kun. It was fun." I popped my head out of the towel. She was at the bathroom door, still snickering away. I was about to open my mouth and protest, but she added, "But you didn't see the bottom of the box, did you?"

Curiosity burned throughout my body again, so I just said, "You will pay for this.", and quickly walked over to the opened box. She rolled her eyes.

Inside of it, was a…golden oval locket. Hand-made. Fancy. I opened it, and there were the words, 'a true partner.', along with a picture of me and her at a fishing place.

I liked it.

-0-

-End of Chapter Four-

A/N: Although this chapter was long, like I said, it was pretty easy to write, so I'm uploading it ASAP. Again, any kinds of reviews are welcome. They mean a LOT to me! See you in chapter 5.