Never Say That I Was False of Heart
Chapter II: Valentine
Miyano Shiho aka Haibara Ai looked at the food on the table in front of her. It was a set meal consisting of béchamel pumpkin gnocchi and salad from Poirot Cafe, courtesy of Kudou Shinichi.
"Ai-kun, can we eat now?" Professor Agasa who looked like he couldn't wait, asked impatiently.
Shiho sighed. "Yes, Professor." There gone the diet menu for today.
"Itadakimasu."
Shiho had to admit that the meal was really delicious though.
A few days later, Kudou appeared again with food. This time, it was gnocchi Bolognese with salad. Professor Agasa, of course, was very happy to accept the offering.
"Azusa-san ordered the wrong number of pumpkins for Poirot Cafe," Kudou explained. "They're making main dish made of pumpkin to use all the inventory."
"So, you're helping them," she muttered. "How very noble of you."
Of course, Shiho knew the real reason behind Kudou's generosity. It was none other than Bourbon. The man's presence was the reason as to why Kudou's patronize the cafe so often now. Shiho had heard of him before during her time in the organization. He was an operative who specialized in deduction and intelligence gathering. Someone with excellent information gathering skills and keen insight. Gin even went as far as to call him a great detective like Sherlock Holmes. It was enough testament of Bourbon's ability, cementing him as formidable enemy.
During their confrontation on the mystery express train, Shiho was really worried. At one point, she even thought that she was going to lose her life. Fortunately, Kudou's plan succeeded and they managed to fake her death. She thought it would be the end. But no, Bourbon stayed at Poirot Cafe, and she did her best to stay away from that place and from him. Not long after, Kudou told her that Bourbon was actually a member of Japanese secret police who infiltrated the organization.
Her first reaction was relief, because that meant one less enemy for her and also Kudou. After that however, she noticed that Kudou seemed to be way too enthusiastic whenever he was talking about Amuro Tooru, the alias Bourbon was using now.
Shiho had attributed that to Kudou's excitement of finding someone who could appreciate him. He was a genius, who could teach his high school teachers things as Shinichi Kudou, and now he was stuck as seven years old child. Living as second year elementary school student must be a hell for him.
She lived with Professor Agasa and she could become herself there, there was no need to act like kid. She and professor could talk normally, like two adults. But Kudou was different, he lived with the Mouris and he had no one around.
Kudou tended to act more like himself around the Detective Boys even to the point that they found it odd when he acted like a child around adults. But he never need to do so around Amuro, or so she heard from Ayumi and the others who were around them.
Currently they were both living a double life, or triple life for Amuro, due to certain circumstances and because of those said circumstances they must keep their identities hidden. Another similarity that drove them closer. And speaking of the distance, the fact that Poirot Cafe was just located below Mouri Detective Agency was a plus point, because now Kudou only needed to walk downstairs to see Amuro. However, Shiho thought that this would pass as soon as the exciting phase wore off.
She was wrong.
It intensified to the point that they were spending time outside of Poirot Cafe.
And one day, Kudou dropped a bomb.
"Do you want to play football tomorrow Conan-kun?" the detective boys asked when they were on the way home after school.
"I'm sorry guys but I'm going to Sherlock Holmes exhibition tomorrow." Kudou replied.
"Eh?" Genta was surprised.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Mitsuhiko protested.
"We also want to go." Ayumi said.
"Sorry but the tickets are limited." Kudou said. That liar. "We can play football next time. Beside that, it's still a bit cold now."
"Yeah, luckily it doesn't snow here in February."
"I saw on news about snow storm in Sapporo!"
The kids attention was easily diverted. They were busy talking about snow and other things.
When they parted ways, Kudou followed her to Professor Agasa house, since he wanted to check on his equipment's.
"Sherlock Holmes exhibition?" she asked once they entered the house. "And I suppose you're going with him."
"We're dating now." He let it slip so casually.
Shiho's brain short-circuited. After a long time, she finally responded. She hit him, hard.
"Ouch! Why did you hit me?" Kudou grumbled, rubbing his arm.
"You got the nerve to ask that. Have you gone mad?" she hissed out.
Of all people out there and Kudou chose to date undercover agent in the organization. But, wait...
"He knew," she whispered and it was a statement. Because it was impossible for them to be dating if Amuro didn't know about Kudou's real identity.
"I didn't say anything. He found it by himself," Kudou defended.
Shiho resisted the urge to hit him again.
"You really like to live dangerously," she muttered in annoyance, eyeing him speculatively.
Opposites may attract if you're working with magnets. However, with people and relationships, it could be more complicated. The age-old saying 'opposites attract' existed. However, 'birds of a feather flock together' had also been used for years. People were pulled to those who they shared similarities with.
Amuro possessed mind as sharp and as calculating as Kudou's own, and she was certain that that was where the attraction had started. The fact that he was a very good looking man was also a plus point.
xxx
Time went by and it's already the second week of February. Shiho was bombarded by pink decorations and chocolate great sale everywhere. Valentine's Day was popularized in Japan during the 1950s through sales and marketing campaigns. During that time, selling heart-shaped chocolates, and hosting Valentine's Day sale events became something of a trend that caught on well across the country, and continued to occur to this day.
Many local supermarkets, department stores, and patisseries were full of chocolate products every year from late January to February 14th. The Valentines advertisements and gift wrapping were decorated in red and pink heart shapes.
Valentine's Day in Japan was becoming an opportunity to express various forms of "affection" with a gift of chocolates. Honmei choco which was given to someone whom the giver has romantic feelings for. Giri choco which was a chocolate gift of courtesy. Tomo choco which was a chocolate gift for friend. This was a friendship gift. Women and especially teenage girls give chocolates to each other as proof of their friendship.
And even at their school, they were going to bake chocolate dipped butter cookies during home economics class.
"Students, are you ready?" Kobayashi sensei asked from in front of class. Wakasa sensei stood next to her.
"Ready sensei," the students answered in unison.
"Please check if all ingredients are ready. We're going to use unsalted butter, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract, all purpose flour, salt, milk and melting chocolate. For topping you can use your favourite sprinkles or chocolate chips or nuts." Kobayashi sensei continued.
She and Wakasa sensei walked around to check the students, making sure everything was ready. The next hour was a chaos as the students tried their best at baking.
"Pipe the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet. You can create your cookies in a variety of different shapes," Kobayashi sensei showed them how to do it.
The class erupted into enthusiastic chatter.
"Look! Look! I have star cookies."
"This is sunflower."
"I'm going to make heart shape."
"I have robot!"
In Shiho's opinion, that robot shape looked like big blob. She of course, chose simple classic shape. And so did Kudou, who was next to her.
After baking and cooling, the last part was dipping the cookies in chocolate.
"Dip about half of each cookie into the chocolate and then shake off the excess. Place the cookies on parchment paper to dry and add your favourite sprinkles."
"Sensei!"
Kobayashi sensei's attention was diverted when Genta raised his hand.
"Can we eat the cookies now?" Genta asked her.
"Once the chocolate has set on your cookies, you can taste your own cookies," she replied, smiling.
Loud cheers welcomed Kobayashi sensei announcement with Genta being the loudest. That boy wasted no time to bit into his first cookie, and then the second and the third with no sign of stopping.
Shiho doubted that there would be cookies left after this class, except for her and Kudou.
Apparently Kobayashi sensei realized it too because she hurriedly said. "You can save at least a few cookies, because they taste even better after sitting overnight. Just store them in an airtight container on the counter."
Kudou, who didn't bother to eat his own cookies, went to get the container. Shiho followed his step.
"Eh, aren't you guys going to try it?" Ayumi who joined them looked confused, seeing their trays that were full with uneaten cookies.
"Didn't Kobayashi sensei say that the cookies taste better tomorrow? So I will keep it," Kudou said.
"Ai-chan too?"
Shiho nodded at her but she looked at Kudou thoughtfully. When they made cookies earlier, she saw that he used Godiva 72% dark chocolate and macadamia nuts. For someone who didn't like sweets, there was no reason to use premium ingredients. Except if he was planning to give those cookies to someone else.
The next day, the detective boys planned to go to Poirot Cafe after school. Shiho of course wouldn't step her feet into that place as long as Amuro was there, which was a pity since she was going to miss the show.
"Do you know that Poirot cafe has put a sign that the employee can't accept Valentine chocolate from customer?" Mitsuhiko said.
"Eh? Really?" Ayumi asked.
Mitsuhiko nodded. "I heard it from my sister. She and her friends want to give Amuro niichan chocolate."
"Poor Amuro niichan." This came from Genta. "Imagine all the chocolate he's going to miss," he said dreamily.
Being the super popular part time employee at cafe mostly patronized by girls and young women certainly had it consequence. Many women come to Poirot simply to be served by Amuro. And during this time of year, that man had become a hot commodity.
"Why don't we give Amuro niichan something?"
"But why?" Kudou spoke for the first time since they threaded into this topic.
Genta, Mitsuhiko and Ayumi stared at Kudou. "So poor Amuro niichan won't be left out while everyone is eating chocolate."
Genta's reply left Kudou speechless.
Mitsuhiko and Ayumi nodded in agreement.
"But he isn't allowed to accept gift from customer," Kudou tried again.
"It's okay. We give Amuro niichan friendship chocolate, right?"
Kudou was beaten by their children's logic. Not only that, they even dragged him to nearest convenience store to buy the gift and when they had to pay, Kudou was forced to bill majority of it.
Shiho was really enjoying this farce.
Unfortunately, she had to part way with them. But, she could always hear the story from Ayumi and the other tomorrow.
The next day, as she predicted, they wasted no time to tell her about their visit to Poirot cafe.
"Amuro niichan's really happy to accept the gift from us." Ayumi told her.
"He treated us to a cheesecake and drinks." Genta added happily.
It was a pity that the story stopped there.
"Really, since when do you care about Valentine so much? You do know it's a ploy from confectioners to sell their products." Kudou muttered in annoyance once they were seated on their own desks.
"I need to get my entertainment from somewhere," she replied, smirking knowingly. "Besides, that didn't stop someone from giving his boyfriend his own handmade chocolate cookies."
Kudou gave an exasperated sigh but he didn't refute her.
Author's Note:
In this universe, Shinichi pretends that he leaves for schooling in the States, so case with Shinichi such as London and Kyoto trip never happen. He is shrunken to six years old and one year has passed, so in this story he is seven years old and a second year elementary school student.
Next chapter will be from Shinichi's pov.
The title is taken from Shakespeare sonnet 109: O! Never say that I was false of heart.
