A/N: I wrote this chapter fairly quickly…And its pretty long, so there may be various mistakes. Please leave a review if you find any, I will accept almost anything to improve! Also, thanks Anime Lady PIMP! For leaving a kind review again! :D Reviews make my days.

Disclaimer: Gosho Aoyama is the rightful owner of DC.

Chapter Five

Sweet & Bitter

You have to eat bitter food to be able to truly understand sweet food.

-0-

(Conan's POV)

Da DaDa Da~
DaDaDa Da Da DaDa Da~

I was making some random rhythms while getting dressed up. It was New Year's in a few minutes. It snowed just like a few days ago. I halted at the memory.

That day was Christmas. I went to visit the Mouri's.

I grew up too much to be able to simulate Sleeping Kogoro. After some cases gone severely wrong, Uncle decided it was time to retire. Then, he wrote a book about being a great detective, which coincidentally became one of the bestsellers in the mystery section. (It was not really beneficial, as he got another source of money to buy beer.) His relationship between Kisaki Eri was a bit more…gentle, perhaps.

Ran was just as the last time I had seen her.

As soon as I entered the door, she hugged me. While I staggered from her sudden action, she launched into a lot of questions.

"Conan-kun! I wish hakase's feeding you all right. Do you have fitting clothes? I think there still are some Shinichi's old clothes at your house. How's school?"

Motherly and kind as always. Also, it seemed like she still didn't want to have a boyfriend. Still waiting…for me. Sometimes, I notice her looking at me as if I remind her of Shinichi. I am in the high school stage of Kudou Shinichi, after all. Seeing her, I was really guilty that I hadn't taken the antidote to get back into Shinichi. Although I still had feelings for her, the desire to be with her…I chose Edogawa Conan.

Is it worth it? I thought to myself.

"Oi, Conan!"

Then, I looked at the mirror and busied myself with traditional clothes. I finished getting dressed, and ran down the stairs, two at a time.

Yes. It probably is.

The locket bounced inside of my clothes, against my chest.

-0-

(General POV)

Genta and Mitsuhiko were waiting at the doorstep.

"Conan, you are late as always!" Complained Mitsuhiko.

"Yea! Even I skipped my late snack for you!" Added Genta.

"Sorry, sorry." Apologized Conan. "Hey, we should go quickly. There's only about 18 minutes left until the ceremony starts."

The three teenagers ran to Haido Park. Before they reached it, however, a firework went off. Mistuhiko and Genta groaned, while Conan ran faster, feeling guilty.

Many people were already crowded there, watching the fireworks. There were many fortune-tellers, astrologers, magicians, and other celebrations to bring luck for the New Year. Three boys went around together, watching almost everything. Conan found out most of the tricks of the magic, and wasn't really interested in fortune-telling, so he more or less lingered at the background while Mitsuhiko and Genta enjoyed themselves.

Then, Conan stopped walking at the sight of a sign saying, "Take a Photo of Your Future". He was amused when he thought of the looks of his actual age. He was about to make his way there, when he heard someone call out his name.

"Conan!" He turned around. It was Genta's voice.

"Conan!" Genta called again.

"I can't see you-Ouch." Conan banged his chin against someone while turning around.

"Hey! Watch it, Conan-kun!" It was a girl, who…knew him?

"I'm-I'm sorry-Ayumi?" She smiled at him.

It was hard to believe that the girl standing in front of him was Ayumi. She put on some make-up and earrings, which she had never done before, and was wearing a yellow traditional kimono tied with purple ribbons. She looked really cute. Sigh. It was a shame that I could never have a little sister…

"Ai-chan is here, too."

"Ha-Haibara? Where? But she-" His words were cut by a familiar voice.

"My, my. It seems that a great detective can solve bloody and gruesome murder cases, while not even being capable of recognizing his friends."

"Ha-Haibara?" He said for the second time and gasped. If he was surprised by Ayumi, it was a real shock to see her.

Her reddish brown hair was more sleek and shiny now, and it was tied into an elegant knot at the back of her head. The make-up made her face exotically beautiful. Her turquoise eyes shined at the moonlight and the fireworks, and she was smiling a little sarcastically. She also had the same earrings as Ayumi's ones, and her kimono was pink, strapped by red ribbons, emphasizing her thin, perfect body.

"You're staring." Added Haibara, to the gaping Conan.

"Why are you here? Aren't you the kind of person who is shut up in his room?"

"Yoshida-san persuaded me effectively, and I thought some celebrations could do some good for my mind." Her eyes narrowed, as if he insulted her. "Honestly, since the-the thing is gone, I can do whatever I want, can't I?"

"I get it…kinda. What's up with the make-up and the kimonos?" I asked both of them.

"I was bored." Haibara answered quickly, but Ayumi started to say, "Ai-chan said we could do with some nice clothing and make-up to flir-" "That's enough, Yoshida-san." Haibara interrupted, her cheeks a little pink.

"Hey, Conan! We were calling you all over the place!" Came Genta and Mitsuhiko. When they saw the girls, their mouths opened at the same time. "Whoa…"

Ayumi went over to talk to them, and Conan turned to Haibara.

"Hmm. Seems like it didn't turn out to be a disaster, though." Conan couldn't think of any other words to compliment on her appearance.

Her eyes became narrower. "You mean this?" She pointed to her face.

"Yeah, I never knew you could even be like an actual girl, doing make-up and earrings and such." Conan smirked.

Suddenly, Haibara reached out her arms at Conan's neck. Conan turned a bit red and tried to take them off. "Hey, wha-" She ignored it. She half-closed her eyes and said in a seductive voice at his ear, "Maybe this foolish detective thinks that I'm actually cute?"

Conan blushed hard. "HEY-Get-Gerroffme-"

She let go and laughed, showing her perfect white teeth. "I was just joking, Edogawa-kun. You really should've looked at your own face!" She laughed again, while Conan just stood there, looking a bit dumb.

"Jeez, Haibara! Why do you keep doing things to make me look stupid!" Conan's face was bitter, glaring at Haibara, who was still laughing. Seriously. Thought Conan.

That time, she was sorta like this, too. She became weird out of sudden, talking about how she wanted to lose her memory, and…

"I could be with you…forever…forever…just like this."

I totally froze, as if shocked by a lightening, and began to think through her life. And like 2 seconds later, she just says,

"Just kidding. Do you feel better now?"

This Haibara.

"Well, you always look smart. So isn't nice to have some change?" She said, after finally chortling down her final laughters.

"God, if it's gonna be like this everytime I try to tell you you're beauti-no, better-looking, maybe I should never even try."

"Well, then. Gomennazai." She winked at the last phrase, and turned away, smiling smugly.

She didn't notice this time, though, that Conan was dumbstruck once more.

-0-

Genta and Mitsuhiko found a sign saying, "Write your wish on your nameplate and fulfill it!", and suggested them all to try it.

"I don't need to. Cuz I don't have a wish." Said Haibara.

While grabbing a nameplate for himself, Conan thought,

Sheesh. Not even a bit cute. He thought of the things that happened a few minutes ago. They went to a place where they make you guess a drawing and tell the personalities.

Ayumi and Mitsuhiko thought it was a butterfly, and Genta said it looked like an old steak with some flies flying over it.

Conan said it was made by putting 5 to 6 drops of ink on the paper and folding it twice.

Their personalities differed slightly from each other. They all had 'kind-hearted, nature-lover, friendly'. Ayumi had 'loving, innocent', Genta had 'impatient, bear-like', Mitsuhiko had 'innocent, wise', and Conan, 'intelligent, observant'.

Meanwhile, Haibara…

"Looks like the blood of the victim splattered on the floor by a cruel murderer."

I guessed as much. "What about these patterns, then?" I asked, trying to get her off from this psychopahtic thought.

"Blood." She answered matter-of-factly. "dripped from the weapon, I suppose."

And her personality was…'cold-hearted, stressed, confused, deceiving, looking for a heart to settle in'.

And I thought she was actually cute-no, pretty-no, kind of…beautiful some moments ago.

Conan chuckled a bit at his thoughts. He used to think about her sometimes for the last 10 years, but it never occurred to him that she could be…good-looking when she came back. Mainly, he thought of Ran, and how much it would hurt her when he hadn't returned into his Shinichi form for such a long time. Never did he imagine that he would gradually let Ran go and Haibara could actually grab his sight. Haibara…cute? Really… But his mind was hazy. As he looked at her, she looked at him, and he was dazzled once again.

What's wrong with me?

-0-

"Hey, Conan-kun!"

"Huh? What?" Ayumi was shoving something into his hands. He cleared out his mind, and saw his nameplate.

"Write your wish! Ai-chan! You too! Don't throw it away!" She begged with her innocent eyes.

Haibara merely stared at the nameplate. What did she wish? What does she want in her life? To be happy? Or…to know the truth. Behind his actions. That's what she wanted earlier. Or what if my wish was the opposite? To not to know the truth. Although I want to know…I'm afraid.

"Maybe I will write it later." She pocketed the nameplate. "Hey, it's already close to 2 a.m. now. Don't you guys think we've gotta sleep? We've celebrated enough."

Genta yawned. "I guess…"

They started to get out of the park. Since there were so many people crowded at the entrance, they went separately to be more efficient.

Haibara stared at her nameplate while walking slowly.

Haibara Ai…My name. She smiled bitterly. A frog can't remember the times of being a tadpole. If I want to forget my past…would that put me in the same position as the frog?

As Haibara almost reached the entrance gate, still thoughtful, someone grabbed hold of her arm.

"Hey!" It was Conan.

"I thought I told you not to surprise me." She mumbled.

"Hmm…I just wanted to give you this." He handed the nameplate to her.

"What? Why? I don't need it." She didn't hold his nameplate.

"Just keep it. Think of it as an…only grant from me." He grinned, forced the nameplate into her hands, and they walked together out of the park. She shook her arm from his hand to take a better look at the nameplate. She looked confused as she examined the thing he gave her.

But this…doesn't have any wish written on it, either. So, what's this for?

They didn't see Ayumi staring at them.

-0-

(Ai's POV)

It was…a very odd night.

Edogawa-kun was…staring at me at times. Or was he glaring because of the trick I pulled before? I didn't get why he looked at me so many times. Maybe the make-up and dress-up really did some work. All I wanted was to look nice enough for the celebrations, though. At first, it was satisfying, to know that I could look nice to others. But now…I notice more and more that he is acting really strange. What's in him these days? The Christmas thingy, staring at me, and now the stupid nameplate.

I mean, really. What the heck is that for?

We walked up to the crossroads.

As I readied myself to part, Ayumi interrupted me.

"Ai-chan, can I speak to you privately?"

"Sure." I was a bit surprised. "See you!" I said to the others. "You, too. Edogawa-kun." I added, as he lingered for a bit.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" She looked kind of nervous about this. Why-Wait.

"Are you…" Oh no-

"-in a relationship with Conan-kun?" She voiced exactly what I was thinking.

"N-No way! Of course not!" For some reason, I blushed, which embarrassed me even more.

"Really?" She doubted my answer.

"I'm serious."

Silence.

"I think Conan-kun likes you." She treated those words very carefully. However, they hurt. My breathing slowed down, and I was calm once again.

"No. He doesn't." I was surprised by my brittle tone. So was she.

"Ai-chan?..." Her expression was unreadable. I waited.

"Ayumi loves Conan-kun very much." She confessed. I looked at her, but her face was hidden by her hair.

"Good luck." I tried to say in a reassuring tone. But I knew that he would break her heart someday. The difference of age…somehow seemed impossible to overcome. I knew, for one thing, that he would only treat Ayumi as a friend, or a small sister.

When I chewed it over, Ayumi was really quiet.

"But I don't think…that Ayumi will be enough for Conan-kun." She finally said. "I think it won't work."

What?

"Yo-Yoshida-san." I tried to fix whatever was wrong.

"Thank you." Ayumi said simply, and she ran towards her house.

However, one of her tears fell on my clothes while she ran past me.

It was a drop, but it shattered me.

Seems like it had been cracked already.

Her heart.

And I did it.

-0-

I felt bad.

Horrible.

Keeping my eyes only on the sidewalk, I slowly walked out of the alley, towards my home.

And he was there. Leaning at the fence.

I hated to see him now. I did not want to face him.

He waited until I reached him. He took a look at my face. It must've been bad, because he said, "What's wrong, Haibara?"

I didn't want to answer him. I didn't want to run into the house, either. All I wanted to do was to slap him. Make him hurt. Just like he had hurt Ayumi. But I didn't have the strength. Nor the reason. I made him into this body. I was the reason he existed near Ayumi. The reason she was hurt. It was actually me. I hated it. I hated myself for hurting her. Her pure mind, soul, it was permanently damaged by me. Suddenly, my emotions were overwhelming. I could feel my eyes sting.

No. I chanted in my head as I tried to control myself. Not now.

But I couldn't. A tear rolled down to my chin. He rushed over to me, and tried to wipe out the tear. I pulled his hand away. He waited for an explanation.

"Yoshida-san…"

"Yeah, what about Ayumi? What did she say to you?" He asked quickly.

"Hurt." I mumbled.

"What? What happened? Tell me!" He was shaking my body a little, his eyes wide open.

"My fault." I whispered, as I closed my eyes.

He touched my face and wiped the other tears that leaked out of my eyes. My legs gave out. I was falling. Both nameplates fell too, mine and his.

He caught me, and leaned me towards him. I didn't want to. But my body was detached. I couldn't feel anything as I sobbed into his chest. He held me in an awkward position, while silently stroking my back. Did he even understand? The pain he was causing to others. No. Did I understand? What I have done? I made this situation. I was the cause.

And there was no going back.

-0-

A few minutes later, I got my feelings back, so I tried to push myself away from him.

He didn't let me. He still had his arms around my waist.

"Ayumi…" He hesitated after saying the name. "She loves me, doesn't she."

It was not a question. I nodded.

"I knew that." He sighed. "Haibara…You have to know."

I looked up at him, not caring if I had my eyes all red and swollen.

"Sometimes…it is better to let go of love to create a better one. I learned it myself." He said softly. "I'm sure Ayumi will understand. She is not the type to be extremely stubborn." He paused before continuing. "I am always going to love her, and treat her as my sister. I promise."

"Fool." I finally said. "Why are you promising me?"

"Because…" He was uncomfortable. "Because I don't want you to have any kind of burden. I want to solve them. The problems you think you've made. I want to make you happy."

My eyes widened, and more tears fell from them, though I didn't know the reason. Was it…grief? Or was it…relief?

He touched my face with his right hand and wiped the tears again.

"Now stop crying, Haibara. You are ruining your make-up." He smiled, not the normal smirk or the stupid grin, but…a kind and reassuring one.

"You don't know, Haibara." He still held my face with his hand, and it made me feel uneasy. "How…how radiant you look tonight." He leaned his face closer to mine. I froze. He looked at my face for a moment, and put his head in my hair and breathed a few times. It tickled, but I couldn't move. Soon, he let me go. He picked up the nameplates and handed them to me.

"See you…tomorrow, maybe." He smiled again, and walked towards his house.

I read the name 'Edogawa Conan' on the nameplate and smiled a little.

However, I couldn't help but to yell on purpose, the wrong name, the wrong emotion, the wrong things.

"Kudou Shinichi, you idiot!"

I could see his grin even from here.

-0-

-End of Chapter Five-

A/N: So this chapter is…the longest one so far. Once I thought about changing the actual doujinshi into this fiction, the size is seriously expanding. Also, plz forgive me if the characters are a bit off. As I said, they are from a doujinshi, and for the story to continue, I have to write things the way they are. So…I'm sorry if I have disappointed you in any way, and plz leave reviews so that I may be able to improve the story.