At The Restaurant
That afternoon, Akai met with Shinichi at a restaurant. "Akai-san, Ran met with Furuya-san a few days ago, and she's convinced it was really Furuya-san," Shinichi said.
"Shiho and I have met with that girl too, her name is Yagami Hikari. She is the youngest daughter of the Yagami Corporation owner. After meeting her, I am 100% sure that Amuro is Furuya," Shuichi Akai replied confidently.
"Yagami Corporation, alright, I will try to investigate it as well. Akai-san, how long will you be in Japan?" Shinichi asked.
"It seems like I'll be here for quite a while, at least until Sera and Hakuba's wedding. My mother wants me to help with the wedding preparations," Akai answered.
"Akai-san, I'm sorry if this is personal. Do you still love Shiho? Are you sure you want to continue investigating Amuro-san? Oh, I mean," Shinichi was suddenly interrupted by Akai.
"I will help Shiho as much as possible, Kudo-kun. Sometimes, I think that maybe if Furuya wasn't around, I could be his replacement. But look at these past four years. Shiho, if it weren't for Hiro, would probably be dead. I witnessed how empty her gaze was, and it was only recently that I saw that emotion in her eyes when she looked at him." Akai explained his feelings.
"She really loves Furuya Rei, I know Shiho loved Gin at first. I once told Furuya that he and I could never win that girl's love; her heart died with Gin. But I was wrong, Kudo-kun. I realized how devastated Shiho was when Furuya wasn't there. I am grateful for Hiro; without him, Shiho might not be with us anymore," Akai continued.
Shinichi listened attentively to Akai's heartfelt explanation. He could sense the complexity of Akai and Shiho's relationship, understanding that it was a mix of love, loyalty, and tragedy. He respected Akai's dedication to helping Shiho and admired his selflessness in putting her well-being above his own feelings.
"I can see how much Shiho means to you, Akai-san," Shinichi said sincerely. "Your commitment to her is remarkable."
''But, Akai-san, have you ever expressed your true feelings to Shiho? Maybe if she knew, the outcome would be different," Shinichi continued.
"She knows, Shiho is not stupid. In Shiho's eyes, I am just a cousin," Akai replied while sipping his coffee.
Flashback
Second birthday of Hiro
That night, Aunt Mary held a small birthday party for her grandson, Hiro. Shuichi Akai was present to meet Shiho and baby Hiro, his godson. While Hiro was playing with Ran and Sera, Shiho sat in a corner of the room, gazing lovingly at her child with a hint of sadness in her eyes.
"Hey, princess. Can I sit here?" Akai approached Shiho, who looked towards the handsome man and nodded, smiling.
"When did you arrive, Niisan?" Shiho began the conversation with the man next to her.
"Just this afternoon, I had some things to take care of earlier. That's why I came here just now. Hiro is growing up so fast," Akai replied.
Shiho nodded and said, "Look at him, Niisan. Every morning when I wake up, and see Hiro still asleep, I can't help but imagine Rei. He looks so much like him. And when he laughs, I can truly see Rei. Don't you think so, Niisan?" Shiho wiped away a tear that escaped her eyes.
Akai nodded, placing his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort Shiho.
Shiho let out a sigh, her voice trembling with sadness. "I miss him so much, Niisan. It's been two years, but the pain of losing him hasn't faded. Hiro, our son, is a constant reminder of what I've lost. Every time I look at him, I see Rei, and it's both comforting and heartbreaking."
Akai's grip on Shiho's shoulder tightened, and his own eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and understanding. "I know, Shiho. I know the pain you carry in your heart. Losing Rei was devastating for all of us. But Hiro is a beautiful reminder of the love you both shared. And as much as it hurts, he's a part of Rei that's still here with us."
"It's been 2 years, Shiho. Furuya Rei has been missing for 2 years, and we haven't found anything about him, so you must" Akai wanted to continue but was stopped by Shiho's hand on his lips.
Shiho shook her head and said, "No, don't say that; as long as Rei's body hasn't been found, I will continue to hope and pray for his safety. So, please, Niisan, don't ask me to let go of Rei; please continue to support me. Others say maybe Rei is already dead, they say I should move on with my life and open my heart to another man. But only you have been by my side without convincing me of this; you've always supported me. So, please, stay like this." Shiho continued, her voice slightly emotional after hearing Akai's words.
"I'm sorry, forgive me, I promise not to bring this up again." Akai hugged Shiho, and she cried in his embrace. Akai tried to calm Shiho, and shortly after, Hiro, who was playing, looked towards his mother. He ran towards Shiho's embrace. Shiho hugged her child and whispered, "Happy birthday, my dear son," then kissed Hiro.
Akai smiled as he watched the interaction between the mother and her child. "Furuya Rei, I never thought that even when you're gone, you would still be my true rival. I admit defeat to you in this matter. If you are indeed alive, please return to Shiho's embrace. She loves you deeply, more than she loves Gin. I will protect Shiho and Hiro until you come back," Akai said silently to himself.
That night, Suichi Akai realized that he could not replace Furuya Rei's position in Miyano Shiho's heart. Akai decided to continue guarding and supporting Shiho no matter what happened.
At Coffee Shop
That afternoon, Hiro was playing at the Akai family's house when Aunt Mary came to pick him up. The Akai family is currently in Japan, and all of them are busy preparing for the wedding of the youngest, Masumi Sera, cousin of Shiho.
Since morning, Shiho has been in her lab as she is alone at home. She decided to go to a coffee shop at the end of the alley. There, she sat in the corner while ordering a hot cup of coffee. After a while, the door of the coffee shop opened, and Shiho remained silent as she watched a blonde-haired man enter with a brown-haired girl clinging to him affectionately, Amuro, and Hikari. She felt like disappearing from that place.
"Tooru-niisan, after this, you have to accompany me shopping, as you promised, right?" said Hikari, pouting and looking towards the handsome, dark-skinned man. Amuro nodded his head and turned to Hikari, smiling. They walked towards the cashier and placed their orders for drinks.
Shiho continued to observe the couple from a distance, mumbling, "Ice Americano, two shots," before sadly smiling while looking at Amuro from afar.
"One ice chocolate and one ice Americano, two shots," Amuro ordered at the cashier. Afterward, Amuro and Hikari chose a seat and unknowingly walked towards Shiho's table.
"Oh, it's you... Hiro's mother, right?" Amuro looked at Shiho and greeted her. Shiho simply nodded and smiled. Hikari, who witnessed this, felt jealous and immediately stood next to Amuro.
"Do you know this woman, Tooru-kun?" Hikari interjected into their conversation.
"Hikari, this woman is Hiro's mother, the little child I found at the airport, Miyano-san," Amuro introduced Shiho to Hikari. Shiho extended her hand, and Hikari responded to the gesture.
"Miyano Shiho, nice to meet you," Shiho politely greeted her, her eyes slightly teary.
"Yagami Hikari, Nice to meet you too, Miyano-san," Hikari said, "Tooru-kun, we shouldn't disturb Miyano-san. Excuse us." Hikari continued and smiled at Shiho, who simply nodded, knowing that Hikari would avoid her.
"Ah, I'm sorry, Continue with your business, Miyano-san. Excuse us," Amuro said as he walked to an empty table not far from where Shiho was sitting.
"God, why do I have to meet Rei with that woman here? I know Rei has amnesia and doesn't remember me and Hiro, but why does it hurt so much to see him with another woman? Seeing him smile and laugh so freely makes my heart ache. Thank you for bringing Rei back, I am so grateful to see him again," Shiho prayed in her heart. Shiho occasionally glanced at the man she loved.
Shiho's cellphone rang, and she saw Shinichi Kudo's name on the screen of her phone. Shiho immediately answered the call, "Hello, Kudo-kun."
"Where are you? I'm in front of your house, it seems empty here," Shinichi said.
"Oh, I'm at the coffee shop at the end of the alley, what's up, Kudo-kun?" Shiho asked curiously about the purpose of her friend's visit.
"I'll be right there," Shinichi replied.
"I was just about to," Shiho started to say, but the detective had already hung up.
Amuro, who was listening to Hikari's story, unconsciously paid attention to Shiho when she was on the phone earlier. He was curious about who the woman was talking to.
"Why is my heart racing like this? Miyano Shiho, I feel quite familiar with this woman, we have only met twice. I'm sure of it, why have I never seen her smile, Her eyes always show deep sadness," Amuro thought.
"Tooru-niisan.. Tooru-niisan.. Are you not listening to me?" Hikari's voice snapped Amuro out of his thoughts.
"Ah, I heard you. Hikari, there's something I want to ask," said Amuro, staring into the girl's eyes in front of him.
"Before the accident, did we ever live in this city? You know, I've met several people who mistook me for someone else," Amuro sought an answer from Hikari.
Of course not, Nii-san. We just moved to this city recently, remember? It's because Takeru Nii-san couldn't manage his business here directly, right?" Hikari answered, somewhat unsure if her answer would be accepted by Amuro. She knew very well that this man was highly intelligent.
"Perhaps they mistook you for someone else. Besides, I've heard that humans have seven doppelgangers," Hikari continued, trying to lighten the mood with a joke while glancing at Shiho, who was still looking at her and Amuro.
Amuro nodded while taking another sip of his coffee, his eyes staring intensely into Hikari. Honestly, he wasn't satisfied with the girl's answer, feeling that something was off with her response.
Hikari felt uncomfortable being in the same place as the woman who claimed to be Amuro Tooru's wife. She urged Amuro to leave the place immediately, and they said goodbye to Shiho.
Just as the couple reached the front door of the coffee shop, it swung open, and a handsome young man appeared from behind it. The young man's eyes widened as he looked at Amuro.
"You... Furuya-san," Shinichi said, immediately stopping in front of him and gripping Amuro's shoulder. Hikari, who had been holding Amuro's hand all along, quickly pushed away the young man's hand, visibly annoyed.
"You have the wrong person," Hikari said while pushing away the young man's hand.
"Forgive me, Amuro-san, but you look very similar to someone I used to know who went missing four years ago, I'm Shinichi Kudo," Shinichi continued, smiling at Amuro and Hikari.
"Come on, Niisan, let's go. Excuse us, sir." Hikari pulled Amuro's hand as he remained silent, staring at the young man. As they walked out, Amuro held his head, feeling a little dizzy, fragments of images appearing in his mind, a little boy with glasses calling out to him, "Amuro-san, Amuro-san."
After seeing the couple leave the coffee shop, Shinichi walked towards Shiho's table, where his friend stood rigidly, staring in his direction.
"Take a seat. I'll order coffee for you." Shiho walked towards the counter, and Shinichi simply nodded and sat on the bench opposite the woman, gazing out the window, seeing Amuro and Hikari's car leaving the place.
Shiho returned to where Shinichi was with a cup of coffee in her hand. She placed the cup in front of him and sat across from him.
"Why didn't you say you were here with Furuya-san and that girl?" Shinichi started the conversation.
"I was surprised too when I met them here. Earlier, I wanted to tell you, but you hung up on me. Kudo-kun, was the man earlier really Rei? What do you think?" Shiho responded.
"Yesterday, I met Akai-san, and he is really convinced that Amuro-san is Furuya-san, as well as Ran. Ran and Hiro met him at the park, Shiho, and I'm also convinced that he is Furuya-san," Shinichi continued while observing his friend's reaction.
Shiho nodded, "Hiro didn't tell me that he met Rei that day. You know, Kudo, a few days ago, he asked me what his father is like, whether he left us because he hates him. At that moment, I felt shattered, completely shattered, seeing my child feeling like that."
"Furuya-san will definitely come back to you, I'm sure Hiro will reunite with his father someday. You're not alone, Shiho, remember that there's me, Ran, and the others," Shinichi reassured Shiho.
Shiho shed tears, quickly wiping them away. "By the way, why are you coming to my house?"
"Ah, about that. I need your help regarding this medicine. We found this medicine at the crime scene," Shinichi explained about the case he is currently working on and handed the plastic container containing the medication to Shiho. They discussed the case and talked for a while until Shiho's phone rang, Hiro asked for permission to stay at Grandma Mary's house, and of course, Shiho agreed.
Poirot café
Jodie met Shuichi Akai, the female agent who was visiting Japan. Akai told her about her encounter with Shiho and Amuro Tooru. She asked for her FBI colleague's help in investigating the Hikari family's background, as well as Yagami Corporation, which was believed to be involved in the Furuya Rei case.
"Shu, you always work so hard when it comes to that woman. Do you still love her so much?" Jodie asked, while placing a drink in front of him.
Shuichi smiled and said, "You're the second person to ask me this question this week. She's my cousin, and I want her to be happy. Life has been tough on her, and Shiho deserves to be happy," answered the handsome FBI agent.
"Cousin, which foolish person believes that you see Miyano-san as a cousin?" Jodie's voice sarcastically taunted him as she chuckled softly.
"You know Jodie? That person is Miyano Shiho, I will always be nothing more than a cousin to her," Shuichi Akai replied, his eyes appearing melancholic, as there was sadness behind them.
"And you will continue to be by her side, right? Look for your own happiness as well. At your age, I think you're ready to get married and start your own family," Jodie added.
Akai smiled, "I had originally wanted to marry you, but it turns out I've been overtaken by a camel," Akai and Jodie laughed.
"You know, for the past four years, I haven't even seen Shiho laugh freely like you just did, Jodie. She always smiles, but that smile never reaches her eyes. I can see deep sorrow in her eyes," Akai continued.
"I saw firsthand how devastated Shiho was at that moment, and if it hadn't been for Hiro, perhaps she wouldn't be with us anymore," Akai smiled sadly as he remembered the events.
"However, I can never imagine being Miyano Shiho, Shu. The man who always protected her in the organization died while shielding her in his arms, confessing his feelings to her. And then, when she was 8 months pregnant, her beloved husband also died on a mission," Jodie sadly continued her conversation with Akai.
"Furuya first met me in America when Shiho was just staying with my family, he told me that he liked Shiho. I don't know why, but I could tell that man was very serious about it, and deep down in my heart, I knew he could make Shiho happy," Akai smiled sadly.
"I, who was always the obstacle between them, always tried my best to prevent that man from meeting Shiho. I even tried to convince him to stop pursuing Shiho because I believed Shiho still loved Gin and it was impossible for her to fall in love again, especially with Furuya Rei, my rival," Akai continued.
"I never expected it, but Furuya managed to win Shiho's heart. That man is very persistent, he truly loves Shiho. I visited him when he got shot while protecting Shiho. At first, I was so jealous of them, but when I saw Shiho laughing so freely with him, I felt that he was the right person for her. When we were in America, I often saw Shiho crying in her room while looking at the necklace that Gin gave her," Akai continued the story.
"Furuya Rei. I know he loves Miyano-san deeply, and vice versa. I once had a mission with them when the FBI collaborated with the NPA," Jodie responded, and Akai nodded and smiled in agreement with the female agent.
"And now, how does she react when she finds out that Furuya-san is back with his new girlfriend, Yagami Hikari?" Jodie asked curiously.
"From the beginning, I was hesitant to tell Shiho about the girl, but in the end, I decided to inform her. When she met Hikari-san, Shiho tried to remain strong, but the girl said she wouldn't let go of Furuya. Given Furuya's current condition, it's clear that she would trust Hikari-san more than any of us, he doesn't even know us," Akai explained.