File One Hundred and Ten: The Face of an Old Friend
"You don't want me to die?" The awkward, unbelieving laugh that shook her frame did definitely not help her case. "What are you talking about, kid? You can't be thinking that after killing the remaining robber, I intend to commit suicide?"
Conan stared back, unblinking. "I do."
Her mind seemed to stutter briefly before it could conjure a more-or-less coherent sentence.
"No need to worry about me, little boy. I'll be fine."
Clearly a lie, but one that Conan was not willing to point out. For the time being, that was.
But kept on observing her anyway, so intensely that forced Serina to avert her gaze, and spin on her heels to resume her way to her car. It was curious, mused the kid, for a kidnapper to fully expect their victim to follow with no threat of any kind, yet he deemed it fruitless to think about this case as an ordinary abduction case.
For starters, he was willingly following her, with no coercion of any kind.
"You're probably thinking that since I have a case of sleeping pills in my coat," she said, after an extended period of silence. "Those are pills I got since I haven't been able to sleep lately. There's not that many, not enough to kill someone. I only used them when kidnapping you since they were there…" Then finished with a smile, "Although you caught on and didn't fall asleep."
"Sloppy," Conan remarked. "All your crimes have been like that. Like, why would you place a bug inside the suitcase with your victim's body?"
Well, it wasn't like he couldn't understand that Serina likely desired to hear Kashitsuka's surprised and terrified voice when he found his partner, but at what cost? Making him cautious instead? Nope, not a good idea.
"Not to say, you had the wonderful idea of putting the murder weapon inside your glove-box, alongside another gun." The boy turned to his hand, and pretended to count with his fingers, "With those two… and the one at the agency… Ah!" He beamed, holding three fingers to her. "Three! Isn't it a coincidence? One for each robber."
The woman appeared to be too stunned by his deductions to articulate a word.
"Did you find them at Kashitsuka-san's flat?" At least this time, he received a faint nod from her. "Okay… But don't think I'm over with pointing out your mistakes!" Conan flashed her a sheepish grin. "You swapped your mobile with Kashitsuka-san's after killing him. You know that deleting your emails and address book amounts to nothing if the police contact the company, right?"
Again, she uttered no word. Conan considered that silence would answer better than any words would.
Before her eyes, the childish grin began to fade. "Your actions were so makeshift, like you had no plan at all." And a severe glint seized his gaze. "It gives the feeling that after you've got revenge on the three robbers who killed your lover, you don't care what happens."
Serina's hands clenched against each other behind her back.
"That means you don't have any attachments to this world."
At that moment, he turned to her. Serina noted how strangely piercing that blue gaze of his was ─ as if this small child could see right inside his heart without breaking a sweat. "That's why I went with you…"
A faint smile tipped his lips upward.
"So I could hold onto you."
And there it remained, unwavering despite the violent widening of her eyes. As her mouth opened and closed uselessly, the boy merely stood there, patiently ─ as if he, in some strange, mysterious way, already knew what she was going to say.
"Why?" When it finally did, it was in the form of a feeble whisper. "Why do you care so much, little boy?"
The boy did not bat an eye as he responded, "Because you deserve to live, Urakawa-san." Unlike him, however, it did take her off guard. "Your life is precious like everyone else's, even if you can't see it yet."
Just like that, he walked away, paying no mind to the woman who, shaken beyond belief at his words, had yet to move a single muscle. Therefore, it was no surprise that he reached Serina's blue compact first.
"That being said, if you promise you'll hand yourself over to the police…" the boy began, calmly climbing inside. "I'll help you get revenge."
It worked wonders to snap her out of it, reaching her car in two long strides just to stare at him, blinking, comically confused. "D-Didn't you just-?"
"A revenge called 'justice'," he said plainly.
That made much more sense, realized the woman, sort of relieved, too. She followed him inside, quietly listening to the rest he had to say.
"Well, not that you have many more options," said the child, shrugging. "And judging by what I know about your personality, you wouldn't just murder all three suspects, just in case." With a broad grin, he added, "Because that would mean getting two innocent people killed, right?"
"R-Right…"
Sitting back in her seat and taking a deep breath, the woman allowed her eyes to slide closed. In doing so, she completely missed the little boy who, keeping his gaze trained on her form, had placed a hand over his wristwatch. Watching out for any movement, as subtle as it might be.
Though he had reason to believe it wouldn't be necessary.
After a while, she exhaled deeply. "Alright. I'll do as you say." Conan found himself smiling when he heard it. "In exchange for that, can I ask you a question?"
Conan nodded. "Sure."
Serina faced him, bringing her eyebrows together. "Who is the third robber, little boy?"
"Ah, the left-handed one, of course."
The shock written all over her face told Conan he probably forgot to explain things a little better ─ or, at all.
"You saw the security footage of the three robbers, right?" Though absolutely stunned, the woman still managed a weak nod. "She might have wanted to hide it by carrying the gun in her right hand, but she's actually left-handed. In that video, the slender one put her left foot first when she tried to climb over the bank counter."
"Left-handed…" Serina mumbled, pondering over that fact for a little.
"Tokoyita-san is right-handed. The frying pan's handle was on the left while the spatula was on the right, meaning she cooks with her right hand," explained the kid. "Furuya-san unlocked the door with her right hand, remember? That leaves…"
Serina's eyes widened. "Tegawa-san, who we visited third…"
"It was clear she was left-handed if you looked at her room. For instance, her memo pad was to the left of the phone, so that she can take notes while talking," Conan said. "Besides, didn't you find it weird? While she said she was a writer nearing her deadline, no matter how many times you called her, her mobile wasn't switched on. Even though there was a landline at her place, a writer nearing a deadline would never turn off their mobile…"
Unless you were a lazy, but somehow world-famous novelist that doesn't know what the word 'responsibility' means, thought Conan, shaking his head with disgust. In that case, not only would you turn off your phone, you'd flee to an entirely different continent.
Serina was giving him a weird look, so he guessed the annoyance bursting inside himself was clearly showing in his face now.
"Anyway, she ate nothing but beef bowl takeaways, didn't you notice?" he asked instead. The woman took a moment to reply, but ultimately nodded. "You see, the serial numbers of the stolen 200 million yen were known by the police. Vending machines at beef bowl restaurants accept 10,000 yen bills, and they don't have any cameras there." The kid paused to shrug. "Not the healthiest thing to do, but I suppose it works."
"I… I see."
"So?" Conan gave her a sideways glance. His hand gripped his wristwatch tightly. "Do you really agree to give yourself up?"
Serina sighed. "Yeah, I do." Though there was a faint smile touching her lips, Conan noted. "In deference to your deduction, I'll go to the police."
Conan unconsciously let go the breath he didn't know he had been holding.
"But there's one thing you got wrong." But it froze in his lungs again when he heard that. "I only took two guns from Kashitsuka Kei's flat."
Conan's eyes flew open.
"T-Two?" he stuttered, suddenly feeling very cold. "But I saw-"
"The other one is a model that a gun fanatic I know gave me that looks like the real thing." Serina seemed to remain oblivious to the true meaning of her own words. "Though of course it doesn't fire bullets-"
"Why didn't you say it before?!"
Startled by his outburst, the woman inched back, blinking in utter confusion as the boy before her became so pale that, for a second, she genuinely worried that he would faint right then and there. But then he faced her, a wild look in his eyes.
"You don't understand!" he shouted, desperate. "If you only got two, that means-"
Naturally, it meant that the door behind him would open abruptly, and that he would be dragged against his wishes in an unwanted, deadly hug. That certain metallic cold he had grown to abhor so much was now pressing against his temple, bringing forward the obvious conclusion.
He had found the third gun. Or rather, it had found him.
Semantics, he remarked sarcastically, even though the cold sweat collecting on his forehead was prominent. More so at the realization that he could not use his stun gun, thanks for that unwelcome iron grip around his wrist.
"If you know that much…" If there was any doubt about his current predicament, the female voice sounding up from close dispelled everything. "Then I can't just let you leave!"
Conan let a shaky breath out.
Great.
"Not far now," Ai announced. "At the next corner, turn right, and they'll be just ahead."
"Understood."
We're almost there, Shinichi thought, frown still present in his face and eyes trained on the front. Hold on just a little longer.
If he was talking about his little brother, or just trying to reassure himself was a mystery, even to the high school detective himself. Were it to be the latter, however, Shinichi failed to see how it would be of any help ─ a lot could happen in seconds so, as long as Conan was with that murderer, no matter how well the kid thought he was handling the situation-
He forced his mind to cut that short. Freaking out was the last thing they needed right now. So he took a deep breath, not only for Conan's sake, but to the rest, anxiously waiting for the little boy's rescue as well.
Like his mother, for example. She had been silent for a while, noted Shinichi. A worried frown was taking all over her usually carefree face, bringing forward such an expression that her son himself had only seen a handful of times.
Last time I saw it, it was four years ago. Or was it five now? Shinichi feared he had lost track of time. That time, when Conan's death had to be faked.
A painful memory that the teenager wished he would never have to relive. But if this kid plans on making this a habit… He barely resisted the urge to sigh. Then there's barely anything I can do.
Agasa found himself staring at Shinichi. Though he was expecting to see that concerned look of his, he was surprised to find his eyebrow twitching, as if irritated. He thought of asking him if he was okay, but decided not to, and ultimately turned to glance out of the window.
Of course, Shinichi did not notice a thing.
If only he could. Just. Stay put. Just for a single second, that troublesome, little-
"Also," Subaru suddenly said. Shinichi looked up and blinked rather dumbly. "I'll say this now just to be sure. Even if we find him or else the car he is in, we shouldn't act recklessly, as we must not endanger his life."
Ai scoffed, almost offended at the suggestion. "I know that much."
Though, Shinichi wondered if the girl had noticed the flash of green reflecting on the rear mirror, in the form of an intimidating sharp gaze ─ piercing his head, not hers, for the record. The teenager shot him a rather bland look of his own, raising his eyebrow as if saying, I'm not a kid, you know.
He caught Subaru smirking amusedly. So, he opened his mouth to point out, very vocally, that the man was wrong to think about him that way-
When that unmistakable, loud sound reached his ears.
Shinichi's head whipped to the side, but saw nothing. "A gunshot!" His tone had raised a pitch higher than he'd have liked to, but he did not seem to care. Instead, he leaned forward, closer to the front seat. "I heard a gunshot-"
Subaru, who had stopped when he heard the same thing, sent the teenager an unimpressed look. The boy faltered.
A hand on his face briskly pushed him off the way. "That car!" Ai, the obvious culprit, exclaimed before he could even think of protesting. Her finger raised, pointing right to the front. "Conan-kun's in that car!"
"Eh?!" Startled, Yukiko's head snapped back ahead, and almost gasped, shocked beyond belief at what met her eyes.
Shinichi's expression became dramatically more severe suddenly, his eyes narrowing while taking into the blue compact crossing right in front of them.
Such was the case with Subaru, too. "Well, then." The car started to move again. "Please convey this to Mouri-san, Professor."
Shocked to see that he was being addressed, the professor jumped. "Not the police?"
"Just call him," Shinichi said, firmly. "And hurry."
With a muted yelp, Agasa fumbled with his phone to do as he was told.
"The car the brat's in is headed north on Oishi Highway?!"
"Aren't we on Oishi Highway?"
Kogoro nodded at his daughter, focusing back on the professor on the other side of the phone. For his part, Amuro kept himself quiet, merely allowing his eyes to narrow, and the grip on the wheel tightening ─ as if preparing himself for what was to happen.
"What sort of car is it?" Kogoro inquired.
"W-Well…" Agasa was stuttering. Privately, the professor wondered what was happening there, or why he sounded so nervous all of a sudden. "It's blue."
That was helpful, thought Kogoro sarcastically. But as soon as he was about to state it out loud, he heard some weird shuffling. The man frowned, feeling as impatience gnawed on him, even if he wasn't so eager to admit it.
But opened his mouth anyway to say ─ yell ─ something that probably was not as proper as his daughter would have preferred.
"A blue compact." Kogoro froze when he heard it. "Suzuki Swift."
That voice… wasn't the professor's.
"License plate is Shinjuku 530, Se 29-40."
Even if the urge to ask how this person had managed to get all that information so quickly was strong, another thought won out. "H-Hey, aren't you-?!" He let it known, loudly so, without doubting it a second.
His daughter had turned to him at that, but Kogoro offered no answer to those questioning eyes of hers.
"Not now, Detective Mouri!" The clear urgency tinting his tone convinced the detective that the one talking to him was none other than the missing kid's older brother, Kudo Shinichi. "I'll explain later."
But, as much as he wanted to keep pressing on, Kogoro knew the teenager was right. Right now, he had to focus on the brat ─ he could ask later, he figured.
So, he turned to Amuro. "A blue compact," he repeated. "The number is…" Kogoro paused, turning back to the phone again. "Sorry, what was it again?"
Amuro's sight caught a car zooming right past them in the opposite lane. A blue compact. His eyes narrowed at the notion, not failing to notice the bright red vehicle that drove by, right on its heels ─ was it chasing it?
It clearly was ─ meaning, it had to be this professor's car. The blonde's hands gripped the driving wheel firmly.
"Hold onto something," he said.
Barely giving the other two time to react, he made a sharp u-turn, crossing to the opposite lane in an amazing display of rule-breaking, and in no time was ready to give it the chase.
Predictably, the bike behind him skidded into a halt.
"That jerk," the driver cursed under her breath.
And proceeded to do the same thing.
In the midst of the chaotic, wild car chase, Ai felt time standing still.
There was this strong pulse, followed by a faint shiver, born on the top of her head, caressing her entire body until it died down at her toes ─ leaving her frozen solid. W-What's this feeling… Her hands instinctively came to rest on her forearms, in a sad attempt to retain the warmth that was leeching out of her body. Something…
Slowly, she began to turn.
Something's closing in!
"Don't make that face." She jumped, spooked, when Subaru casually said to her, "I won't let them get away."
Something in those words made her eyes widen in utter shock. Her odd reaction made Shinichi stare, privately wondering if there was something that he had missed. But, even though the expression she was making was highly concerning, looking as if she was going to be sick, and his mouth opening to ask, no voice came out.
Because he, too, felt it.
Icy cold blood coursed through his veins, raising goosebumps upon his arms and neck.
"Yukiko-san!" Such a strong feeling it was, he barely heard Subaru turning to his mother. "Take the wheel."
Nor did he notice the woman nodding empathically while the professor blanched in anticipation of what was about to happen. Not a chance Shinichi could care about it, when his teeth were chattering, paying no mind to the comfortable warmth of a summer night.
His eyes slid to his side, only now seeing that Ai was terrified ─ for a good reason.
You've got to be kidding me, was all that was going through his mind now.
Subaru, now having given Yukiko control of the car, opened the door. As he leaned to the side and outside, hand sliding to his jacket's inner pocket, Shinichi frowned profusely.
This feeling is-
A hand latched on his shoulder, forcefully pulling him down ─ knocking all thoughts out of his mind.
Thus, Shinichi got to see the white Mazda passing by them.
All he saw was, with an awkward twist of his own head, a strawberry blonde head up from close. Face down, all but pressing against the seat, the girl was shaking. "Ai-chan?" He tried to sit up. "What are you-?"
"Don't!" With an insane amount of strength he had no idea the little girl possessed, he dragged him back down ─ from his hair, of all things. "Whatever you do, don't get up!"
Unable to figure out what he should think about it, Shinichi stared at her.
Shiho-chan…
Subaru paused, turning to glance over to the white car, but all he got to see was a flash of vibrant blue and platinum blonde before it completely disappeared from sight.
"That car!" shouted Yukiko, outraged at the white vehicle now directly in front of them.
Her hands gripped the wheel tightly, and her eyes narrowed dangerously.
Agasa looked away from the two, crouched over the backseat, and turned back to the woman. He paled.
"No need." But Subaru saved him just in time, getting back up and recovering control of the vehicle. "Let's keep our distance."
"Eh? Why?"
She barely got her question out when a loud crashing sound made her jump, answering her question at the same time. Gaping, the woman's gaze shot back to the front, and was shocked at the sight that met her ─ the blue compact had crashed into the white Mazda which, in an attempt to stop it, had placed itself right on the front.
Yukiko got to see the blue car's passenger door slamming open. A woman stepped out, wildly looking around in both confusion, eyes brimming with anger, screaming so loudly that it could reach her ears, no matter how far she was.
In her arms, the woman spotted a little something that made her freeze.
"Conan…"
Presumably encouraged by the name, Shinichi raised himself up. Despite the small hand that relentlessly kept a death grip on his hair, he cracked an eye open through the pain and finally saw him.
Pale enough to be confused by a ghost, eyes wide and trained on the barrel pressed against his temple, his brother was there, held against his wishes by the mad woman that, panicking about the recent developments seemed to strengthen his grip on Conan's wrist ─ the same one with the stun gun, Shinichi did not let that detail escape him ─ judging by the way the boy winced, as in pain.
Shinichi felt himself growling. What can we do? He gritted his teeth, taking into the sweat dripping from his little brother's forehead. One wrong move, and Conan will-
Yukiko leaned over Subaru's space, who definitely did not expect that. Her hands latched on the wheel again and a dangerous glint took over her eyes.
"Y-Yukiko-san…" came Agasa's panicked voice. "What are you-?"
For good reason, too. Shinichi was pretty sure his mother was intending to run over the woman. And being honest, he wasn't disagreeing with her murderous decisions as strongly as he probably should.
Wait. He blinked owlishly when realization struck. "Mom, stop it!" he yelled. "You'll hit Conan!"
A smirk graced her lips. "I won't."
It was a bit scary, decided Shinichi.
Yet, for the better or the worse, she didn't get to do anything. Something zoomed right past them at top speed and only got to see it was a motorbike when it landed right on top of the blue compact's roof.
Conan's expression was priceless.
"Get outta here!" the driver screamed at the top of her lungs.
And smacked the robber. In the face. With the freaking bike.
That alone was disturbing, but Shinichi supposed that what got the cake was him not feeling any kind of pity for the poor human being sprawled all over the pavement. As long as I didn't just witness a murder, thought the high school detective, eyeing the robber for a while, and concluding that, yeah, she would be just fine.
Not right away, naturally, but eventually…
He wasn't so sure about Conan. The kid appeared to be too shaken to even think, let alone pass on any judgment, blinking at the body ─ not a dead one, hopefully ─ knocked out at his feet. He was forced out of his trance when the driver all but tackled him, suffocating the poor boy in a bear hug.
Shinichi did not know who that person was, but he was sure he saw tears collecting in her eyes as she nuzzled against his little brother. It made him slightly curious.
"I'm so glad to see you!" Sera said, hugging the child tightly. "Are you okay?"
Conan couldn't help but grumble, "Are you okay?"
On the head, I mean, went unsaid.
Watching Conan doing his best to, in vain, escape from this odd person's clutches, Shinichi could not help the smile that drew himself in his face. He guessed he would ask later.
Good to see you're doing well, Conan.
Conan's head shot up, so abruptly that it made Sera stop, confusedly asking if there was something wrong, yet it fell on ears that heard nothing but a shrill, empty noise. Her head, blurred out in the corner of his vision, tilted yet went unnoticed by eyes that could focus on nothing but that ─ what he could see on the other side of the window of that old-fashioned, red car.
Unable to believe it, he vigorously scrubbed at his eyes.
He looked again.
There was nothing in there.
His shoulders dropped. Of course. A saddened smile took over the surprise that had once reigned on his face. There's no way.
Must be tired, to be seeing things that should not be there.
"Conan-kun!"
His attention was brisked away to Ran's face right in front of him, suddenly. She kneeled in front of him, scanning him over with her eyes, presumably looking for injuries ─ only sighing when she found none. "Really, now..."
Even Kogoro, standing close behind and eyebrow raised far above his hairline, was giving him that look. He could do nothing but laugh, awkwardly.
"I-I'm sorry…" Conan mumbled.
Neither of them three noticed the blonde detective stepping away from his car, much calmer than any other. Gaze falling on the red Subaru 360, slowly driving by, Amuro felt himself frown.
Before a sly, barely noticeable smirk popped into life.
Inside that car, Yukiko felt herself sighing, leaning back into the seat. "Thank goodness," she mumbled, turning over to look over her shoulder at her son one last time, giggling. "Seems we'll have to pay him a visit later."
"He's going to the police station after this, right?" said Subaru, impassive at what had just transpired in front of his eyes. "After enduring for so long, Shinichi-kun can wait a little longer, can he?"
He glanced at the rear mirror and paused, surprised not to spot the face he expected to see. All he saw was Agasa's slightly concerned ─ scared ─ gaze, settled on something he didn't get to see from his position.
It did not take much adjusting to see the two who had been missing. Shinichi was groaning, and there was a little hand latching on his distinctive tuft of hair he had.
"What the-?" he grumbled, glowering at the small girl that kept herself ─ and him ─ down. "What was that for?!"
"'What is it for'?" She replicated that glare as she finally released him. "You felt it too, didn't you?! That presence…"
Shinichi stared for a while, before eyes widened. "Ah…"
"What do you mean by 'ah'?! You airheaded detective moron!"
"You… just called me stupid twice in a since sentence."
"Well, sit tight and hear me saying for a third time ─ you're a massive blockhead."
"... Impressive."
Hours later, Ai was still angry.
Royally pissed off, Shinichi complemented in his mind, doing his best to focus on what laid on the other side in the window and ignoring the dark aura that threatened to swallow him whole if he breathed the wrong way. What did I do wrong?
More like what he hadn't done wrong, Shinichi realized a fraction of a second later, but pushed it to the back of his mind.
Maybe she's just stressed out, thought the teenager, daring a brief look to where the girl sat, quietly still beside him. She must have been so worried about Conan.
And Akai-san should really need to stop scaring her, too. He fought down a dry laugh. I seriously need to talk to him.
Also, there's that…
Unconsciously, his hand rubbed his forearm at the memory of the icy chill that had racked his body earlier. That presence had been far too strong even to him, he couldn't even begin to imagine how it had been to her, who was clearly much more susceptible to their scent.
Someone was there. His hand went to his chin, deep in thought. A member of the Organization was nearby.
But who could it have been? He closed his eyes, trying to picture the whole scenario as well as he could. Could it have been that guy who hugged Conan earlier?
Shinichi wasn't sure. It could have been someone watching from afar, too, he thought next. Like Vermouth. She's taken a liking to Conan, so it's not unlikely…
Or that is what I used to believe, anyway… Sighing dejectedly, his eyes drifted back to the small scientist. Why did she kidnap Conan the other day?
They fell on the phone Ai was scrolling through to kill some time. He halted.
"What are you looking at?" she asked, and he flinched. The girl hadn't even looked up.
"S-Sorry, I took a glance at the time and I was a little surprised." He offered a bland laugh. She did not bat an eye. "It's late, but not as much as it was when I went into Touto Tower the other time…"
Ai raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
"Does that mean…" Shinichi said, scratching his cheek with a tight smile. "That I slept for a whole day?"
He swore her eyes scrutinized his soul for a whole second.
"That's right," she finally said, turning back to her phone.
Shinichi let out a shaky breath, stunned at the revelation.
"A whole day, and over an entire week."
She barely reacted when the teenager choked on air and calmly waited for him to recover. "You're kidding…" Closing her eyes, she shoved her phone at him, leaving the detective to blink stupidly at the date clearly displayed on screen. "Okay, maybe you aren't."
"You didn't even know that, but you still thought it was a good idea to run away from the hospital right after waking up from a coma."
Only silence met her words.
"Anything you want to say in your defense?" she added.
"I won't say a word without my lawyer."
"You're stupid, Shinichi-san. Clinically stupid, I swear."
Yet again, Shinichi was being called 'stupid'.
He didn't dare to emit any kind of comment over that, knowing well when he was defeated. Thus, the teenager gazed outside again, hoping to find something interesting enough to kill some time, but only spotting the three adults talking with each other outside. After being squished together in a small car, chasing a car downtown for what seemed hours, Shinichi honestly thought it was reasonable they would want some fresh air, at least until Conan headed out of the police station.
He sure wanted to stretch his legs, too, but he doubted the girl sitting next to him would allow it.
"You know, I'm actually rather surprised," Shinichi said, all of a sudden, gaze falling on Subaru outside. "To see you willingly being in Subaru-san's vicinity. Conan told me once you didn't like him at all."
Ai did not make a sound, but lowered her phone either way.
"You must have been worried sick about my little brother." Shinichi smirked in a way that, had the boy in question been there, would have probably earned him a soccer ball to the face. "Well, you better get used to it. He does this kind of thing regularly, sadly ─ he did get kidnapped twice in a few days-" He halted. "Weeks. Geez, that sounds weird…"
Her hand, resting atop her lap, clenched. Shinichi took note of that.
"Did you know, Shinichi-san?" she spoke, a little above a whisper. "Ayumi-chan and the others almost found him that night in Tanabata."
Certainly, he did not know that.
"It was reckless, and it could have gone very wrong. They knew, yet they did it either way." Her eyes slid closed. "Ran-san also went to Touto Tower on her own. She could've died, but her being there is the main reason you're still here…" She scrunched her eyes shut. "Everyone… Everyone did their best, but…"
Shinichi, in all his genius-level intellect, could not understand where all this was going. "Ai-chan," he said, gently, lowering a little, closer to the little girl. "What-?"
"And all the while, what did I do?" Her head snapped to him, vivid eyes falling on him and stunning the boy for a second. "I cowered away, fearing that they would come and get me while everyone was out there, risking their lives…"
It took him a little to react. "What are you saying, Ai-chan?" he said, incredulously. "You were a great help, and you know it-"
"Yes, from the safety of my house."
He watched her pause, breathing deeply, to calm her nerves, Shinichi presumed. "I'm so sick of it ─ I'm so sick of myself," she whispered, more to herself than to the teen sitting right beside him. "Running away, hiding in fear. I don't like that. That's why-"
"That's why you're here now."
Ai's head raised a little, blinking at empty air for a few seconds before turning, just to come face to face with a grin, kind and insanely bright.
That was one thing that had never changed about him. She could easily remember him smiling like that, too, when they were in that Organization ─ like a beam of sunlight, illuminating the darkest parts of her heart. That one, that was so rare in such a damned place that stuck like a sore thumb. It did not belong to such a place, yet, strangely enough, made her feel as if she belonged somewhere.
"Conan is so lucky, you know," he said, placing a hand on top of her hair. "To have such a reliable and brave partner at his side."
She did not know what kind of expression she had made, but if it caused Shinichi to chuckle like that, it must have been quite the embarrassing one. So, she scoffed and looked away, pushing the glasses she somehow was still wearing closer to the bridge of her nose. For some reason, however, it only made Shinichi laugh ever harder.
A knock on his window made both of them look away from each other and to the source of the sound. Smiling, Agasa pointed right at the front, so they looked to that place.
Just in time to see Conan skipping outside the police station, Ran and Kogoro following close behind.
"Seems like it's your time for your heartwarming return, Shinichi-san," Ai said, crossing her arms over her chest with a smirk. "So? Looking forward to it?"
"No, not quite."
Ai surely did not expect such an answer.
"If I really was out for so long-" A glare stopped him. "Because I was out for so long, Conan must not be all that pleased with me."
"Meaning?"
"He's gonna send me straight back to coma once he sees me, isn't he?"
"If anything, I'd say you will be lucky if it just results in a coma."
Shinichi shivered.
It's been such a long day…
Truthfully, Conan had hoped he would have a few days until he had to visit the police again, but honestly, he didn't know what he had been thinking. Of course, something whatever entity, which evidently did not like him all that much, that kept making his life as complicated as possible would not be so lenient, and would throw a serial killing, almost followed by a suicide, at his face the day after saving all Tokyo from a crazy bomber.
Conan sighed ─ he wanted just one normal day. Was it too hard to ask?
"I should ground you."
The hardest part was yet to come, realized the little boy right away. Surprised by Ran's words, he had spun around to see her, arms over her chest and a stern gaze fixated on him.
He stared at her incredulously, then shot a pleading look to Kogoro, who just averted his gaze, pretending he didn't notice it ─ the coward-
"But Ran-neechan, you can't do that!" he tried.
"I can't?" Her glare intensified. "I could, last time I checked."
Conan's mouth opened and closed soundlessly before he could get a word out. "What I was supposed to do?" he argued. "I couldn't let her die."
"You could've told me, Dad, or even Amuro-san." The boy blinked, freezing completely in his spot. "But not run straight up into danger. Haven't we talked about this, Conan-kun?" And was horrified to see the sadness that she was trying to hide peeking from behind those eyes of hers. "Just when I thought you were starting to rely on me a little, too…"
Finally understanding what she was getting at, he looked away guiltily. Ran glared for another whole second, before she sighed.
"Then again, I can't be too angry since you were trying to save somebody else, myself included, the first time." Conan's head shot up in surprise. "And you sent me a message telling me you were fine…"
Conan's eyes lit up. "Then…"
"I'll let this slide." The boy grinned in silent victory. His smile was gone, however, when the girl placed her hands firmly on her hips, leaning slightly forward. "But there won't be any second chances. Am I clear, Conan-kun?"
"Yes…"
At her side, Kogoro snorted. "You got off easy, huh, brat?"
As much as he desperately wanted to shoot back at him, Conan had to settle with a watered-down glower of his own, fearing that the man would suddenly remember he could ground him if the kid pushed the wrong buttons.
Hopefully, now that I have my summer vacations back, I'll be able to enjoy some well-deserved peace-
"Co-chan!"
Or not.
Followed by that came the predictable feeling of air being forcefully squeezed from his lungs. Maybe another time, he might have shouted, screamed or tried to scurry away but, this time around, he barely even moved. Instead, he let out a long, exhausted sigh, allowing the woman to cuddle with him to her heart's content.
He didn't even feel like asking why she was there.
"I see you're alright, Conan." His eyes rose a little above his mother's hair to see the professor watching him, a broad relieved smile on his features. "I'm so glad ─ you gave us all quite the scare."
Conan blinked at him, more confused than ever.
"We asked Professor Agasa to track your badge," said Ran, crouching right beside the little boy. "They've been chasing you all over town."
Chasing? Conan was confused. He clearly remembered hearing that the Beetle had broken down early in the morning, so he couldn't explain how they could have done such a thing. That was, of course, when he saw the red car parked a suitable distance away.
Subaru, leaning casually over his own car, smiled and raised a hand.
Ah, I see. He smirked, then turned to the woman still clinging to him. He sighed.
"Look, I'm thankful you came looking for me… But I kind of have to go home. It's late and-"
Even if she had not moved, Conan still felt his mother's smile. "Are you sure?" she whispered.
And, as per usual, the boy did not get it ─ apparently, neither Ran nor Kogoro did too, staring at the woman, with such a dumbfounded expression Conan doubted it wasn't in his face as well. Finally, Yukiko let go of him, allowing him to breathe freely.
Her grin was bright, nonetheless.
"I've got a surprise for you, Co-chan."
His eyebrows rose far above his hairline. "A surprise," he repeated blandly.
"Don't be like that!"
Conan barely got to register the startled yelp that crawled out of his throat when his mother, without warning, seized his hand and dragged him away. His mind asked questions, such as what she was trying to accomplish with that, but, given his position, he got to pronounce none of those.
But the way Agasa was smiling as he watched them, genuinely happy, made him all the more curious.
It wasn't until they were halfway towards Subaru's car that Yukiko halted. Conan tripped at the sudden motion, and his head raised to be very vocal with his feelings right now, but felt all that anger dispelling, evaporating and rising to the sky, to not be seen ever again.
Because the door had been brusquely opened.
"What are you doing?!" Ai's distinctive annoyed voice ran through. "Conan-kun can walk here on his own, you know-! Hey, drop it!"
A head popped right into view. He didn't see Ai's strawberry blonde hair, or her age-appropriate short height, but rather, a person ─ probably much taller than it appeared, given that he was hunched over ─ stumbling out of the vehicle. There was a scowl in his face, and was arguing rather loudly too with the small scientist that hurried outside right after him, looking even more exasperated than Conan had even seen her, which was saying a lot.
Conan's hand slipped from his mother's fingers and was left to hang uselessly at his side.
Dark hair. A distinctive cowlick and a tuft sticking out in the back. Conan's eyes began to widen dramatically, and he was pretty sure his breath had hitched while his dumbfounded brain did its best to process the information it was receiving.
The argument was cut to a halt, and the person turned to his way. Blue eyes glimmered once they met with his, and a broad, cheeky grin spread like wildfire across his face.
"Hey, Conan."
The kid began to run.
Shinichi blinked twice, watching the little boy approaching fast, and blanched. Smile fading away into nothing, the high school detective winced, as his mind graciously remembered his last conversation with the small scientist about how his younger brother would react, and that they had both agreed it wouldn't be any good.
Conan's entire expression was obscured by his bangs. Shinichi scrunched his eyes shut, awaiting the inevitable…
Arms wrapped around his legs, little hands clenching around the fabric.
Unable to stand the momentum, Shinichi was sent tumbling backwards. Next thing he knew, he was sitting on the sidewalk, blinking rather stupidly at space. What… Ai's unimpressed gaze peeked into his field of vision, offering him a nonchalant shrug before stepping away. What did just…?
Whatever the surface his hand was resting on was trembling. Looking down, Shinichi saw a mop of hair.
"Conan?" he called, hesitantly.
Instantly, Conan reacted, backing up a reasonable distance away. "S-Sorry about that," he apologized quietly, his arm rubbing roughly at his face, pushing his glasses askew. "I… I…"
Shinichi's shock increased when he spotted the thin watermarks that traced down his cheeks, and unwillingly paused. "What's wrong with me?" At least, until he heard Conan's faint, irritated grumble. "So stupid…"
Fingers curled around the boy's wrist, gently pulling it away from his face, allowing Conan's watery eyes to meet with Shinichi's gentle ones.
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with crying," whispered the older brother, soothingly, lips curving upwards. "You've been through a lot, haven't you?"
Conan's quivered ─ the more he stared at that smile, the more difficult it was to endure it. His breath hitched in a sob, and a tear finally escaped, free to roll down the boy's cheek and drop at Shinichi's lap who, rather than minding it, placed his large hand back from where it had been, on top of Conan's head.
After the first, the rest followed.
Thus, face buried in his older brother's chest, Conan wailed.
Shinichi merely held him, gazing down at him in complete silence.
"What's with that?" Shinichi looked away, easily recognizing her voice. "It's not fair."
He saw her right away, standing over him, finger wiping a tear that had escaped her. "You tell Conan-kun all that…" She was smiling despite her words. "But I got called a crybaby?"
The high school detective could do nothing but smile at her. "Long time no see, Ran."
"You stupid detective freak…"
He did not complain when she kneeled down next to him and passed her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. Not wanting to disturb the sobbing child on his chest, he placed a hand on her forearm and closed his eyes.
Tilting his head to her, feeling her hair tickling against his cheek, Shinichi felt unbelievably happy.
For once, things seemed to be going in the right direction.
Shinichi was asleep again.
It was peculiar how Conan had gotten used to this. Him sitting there, chin resting atop his crossed arms, doing nothing but to watch him. Taking into his calm expression with a frown of his own, awaiting the time he opened his eyes again. Of course, it was stupid, considering that he had been awake only hours ago, but he couldn't help it.
His hands clenched his own sleeves. What if he doesn't wake up again? Conan shook his head, trying to push that nasty thought out of his head. He knew he was just sleeping, probably like the kid should, and that he would wake up normally the next day.
Ran, the girl who was sleeping on the couch near to their position, had said so.
The doctor had told him the same thing before scurrying away with such a terrified expression on his face.
Even so, he remained rooted in his spot. Sighing to himself, he made himself comfortable in his chair before stilling again, gaze struck on his older brother's sleeping face.
"You know that's creepy, right?"
The sudden flinch his body gave almost knocked him out of his chair. He might have made a sound, or something of the like, because he heard the teenager chuckle, even though he had yet to open his eyes.
"What's with you?" grumbled Conan. "You were awake all this time?"
"No, not until a little while." He finally opened his eyes and allowed them to slide at the child sitting at his side. "Can't sleep?"
But Conan averted it. "You could say that."
Shinichi observed him for a while, the same smile still posed on his lips. "Wanna chat for a bit?" The boy blinked, watching in surprise as the teen crossed his arms behind his neck, cushioning his head. "Since, apparently, we haven't been in touch for a while."
The kid did not reply right away, so Shinichi began instead, "How's life treating you?"
A scoff escaped Conan before he could help it. "Life clearly despises me."
"That badly, huh…"
"You know, 'bad' doesn't even begin to cover it!" he said in a whisper, that might as well be a shout, shooting back in a sitting position. "After the first couple of days, Ran-neechan tried to take me to a cake buffet, but a lady had the excellent idea of throwing a guy off the sixth floor using a petty ghost story as a cover."
"Well, you have to admit that's quite the original one-"
The look Conan gave him effectively silenced him.
"And there's this high school detective, too…" Even though the boy was clearly exasperated, Shinichi felt his interest peaking. "Sera-san's… so weird! Keeps giving me those glances and remarks I think I'm supposed to understand, but all they do is make me so uncomfortable-!"
"This 'Sera-san' person…" That pulled Conan out of his ranting session. "Is the same one that was hugging you earlier?"
"Yeah."
"The same one… that knocked the robber with a motorbike."
"See? Who in their right mind would do that?!"
Shinichi did not agree so strongly as the little boy would have expected. Conan sent him an incredulous look.
"So, " but Shinichi spoke before he could get a word out. "Is that all?"
"With that case. There was also that guy that besieged the Agency with Ran-neechan and the others… And the bomb I defused at Touto Tower…"
"You… defused a bomb."
Conan winced, only now realizing what he had said. Looking back at his older brother, and noting the enormous pair of eyes that were now in his form, made him cringe even further.
"Yeah, that one's boring. No need to hear about it-" A pointed look made him sigh in defeat. "Okay, but don't be mad, okay?"
Seeing no way out, the boy took a deep breath, mentally bracing himself for what was coming next. Even if I don't tell him, he convinced himself, as he reluctantly told him, well, everything. He's going to find out anyway, isn't he?
Naturally, Shinichi was not pleased, by any means. The unnatural paleness of his skin, and that he appeared to be a moment away from jumping off the bed, were undeniable proof of it.
"You did what?!"
"I just told you. I'm not telling you everything all over again."
"I swear-!"
"Please, use your inner voice. Ran-neechan's sleeping, remember?"
"Are you out of your mind?!" At least he had lowered the volume of his voice. To that, Conan was grateful. "I turn away one second, and you run straight to a building you know is targeted by a serial bomber?!"
"It wasn't 'one second', for the record." Conan's eyebrow twitched. "And I don't want to hear that from you. What were you thinking, running away from the hospital?!"
Shinichi flinched away, gritting his teeth. His eyes had narrowed, letting the boy see anger blazing behind them, but as it was, he just glared back with a stubborn deep glare of his own, watching as bright red took over the initial paleness of his skin.
Conan saw it as an opportunity to strike again. "When will you stop recklessly putting yourself in danger like that?!"
"I don't know, you tell me. How many times do you plan to get kidnapped?!"
Conan winced, all his movements halting for the next moment. Seeing the hurt in those eyes that stared back at him, almost as astonished as he was, Shinichi froze, his brain only just processing what exactly had left his mouth.
Impulsively, he tried to sit up, "C-Conan, I-" but was interrupted by a groan, and the small hands that went to his shoulders, having just woken up from his stupor by it.
Seeing no option but to listen to his body's protests, the teenager laid back down, eyes never leaving the little boy sitting at his bedside.
"Sorry," he said. "I went too far-"
"No, it's okay." Conan offered him a tiny smile, which did not quite reach his eyes. "Since it is true."
Shinichi frowned. "Conan…"
"Don't worry. I don't plan to make it a habit, as long as you don't make getting shot a habit, too."
His eyes lowered, promptly breaking contact with his brothers and falling somewhere else. At first, Shinichi thought he had let them rest on a random spot safely away from his gaze, but upon following it, he found he was wrong. They were stuck on his side, exactly where that old scar lingered, as a reminder of that certain dreadful day.
"At least it wasn't me this time…" Conan continued in a much softer voice. "Even though it was because of me."
"Conan." He turned around to face him properly. But Conan stubbornly kept his eyes fixed on that certain spot. "Conan, look at me."
Hesitantly, Conan met with Shinichi's gaze ─ firm and serious, but the anger had diluted somehow.
"It was my decision to protect you. Mine, and only mine."
Conan stared at him long enough for the frown to return to his features.
"Can I see it?" he asked, quietly.
"See what?"
"Your scar."
Out of all things, that was probably the one he expected the least, but thinking about it more calmly, the sleuth guessed it what made the most sense. Without being fully conscious about it, Shinichi's hand went to place itself over the spot in question, almost protectively ─ just like he had done almost three months ago, the day Hattori had proved Shinichi innocent of murder, declaring that the real one would have a bullet scar. Something that Okuda Makoto clearly did not have.
A frown pinched Conan's expression, hand reaching to it in a last ditch to see it for himself. Unlike the other time, Shinichi allowed his eyes to close, so that he could not witness the expression that was sure to appear once he raised his hospital shirt.
He felt his hand freeze mid-air, as Shinichi had expected.
Before long, he heard him letting a quivering breath out. Conan's fingers were gently brushing against the faint bullet wound. They are trembling, noted Shinichi, but allowed the boy to take into every detail. It must be painful.
Shinichi knew. He knew it better than anyone else.
"I lied to you that time." Conan paused when he heard his brother talking. "I told you it doesn't hurt anymore, but it still does ─ every single day."
Opening his eyes again, Shinichi saw his brother's surprised, yet also concerned, gaze.
"Because it reminds me of that day," he confessed. "The day I almost lost you, Conan."
Gradually, the meaning filtered in the little boy's mind, evidenced by the gradual widening of his eyes that refused to leave his form. Shinichi offered him a gentle smile, and patted the spot right next to him. Conan was much slower than he would've liked to, but eventually understood, and moved to sit on the bed.
But, as hesitant as he was about the whole thing, he did not ask for permission and promptly lied down right next to him. He stayed there, staring at the ceiling with that deeply focused look of his, prompting Shinichi to wonder what he was thinking about. Eventually, he sighed to himself and turned over, facing his brother up from close.
Conan did not complain when his brother placed a hand behind his head, gently leading him to his chest. His finger was pressing lightly against his neck, the boy noticed, but didn't find it uncomfortable enough to comment on it.
After a while, the kid felt the vibration of the laughter that escaped his brother.
"It's ridiculous, how relaxing it is…" Shinichi muttered. "To feel your pulse drumming in my fingers right now."
Conan did not utter a word, but did shuffle even closer, burying himself deeper in the hug. He heard his brother chuckling, and he was suddenly fully conscious of how embarrassing his actions were, but surprisingly enough, he could not bring himself to care. He was fine just like that, listening to the rhythmic pattern of his older brother's heart against his ribcage.
"Or your warmth…" Conan felt his eyelids drooping on their own, but held on bravely. Not that he had any intention of moving ─ it was too cozy there. "Hearing your breathing, too. It helps."
With a contented sigh, Conan allowed his eyes to flutter close.
"It helps, because it's evidence. Evidence that you're alive, Conan. That's why-"
He halted. A snore so soft that he wouldn't have noticed hadn't the room been this quiet had him looking down, and his gaze softening at the sight that met him.
"Looks like I'm not the only one," he whispered, obviously to himself since the small form dozing against him was clearly not going to hear a thing.
Finishing with a good-hearted chuckle, Shinichi lied there, absently playing with his little brother's strands of hair, as he patiently waited. Once he was certain that sleep had gotten a tight grasp of him, and that the boy was officially lost in the land of dreams, he dared to move. Carefully, he plucked the glasses off his face and set them on the side table.
Next, he intended to place the covers over him and calling it a night.
But failed. A groan escaped him, seeing that Conan was fast asleep on top of the bedsheets. That, added with the fact that he could not move all that well yet, rendered him incapable of pulling them from under him. He tried, then tried again, but to no success.
Of course Conan continued to snooze, blissfully oblivious to his struggle. Shinichi glared lightly at him. That lucky bastard…
Suddenly, there was nothing left to glare at. Confused, he looked up at the figure now towering over him, and found the boy that had just left his visual field cradled into someone else's arms.
The person was Mouri Kogoro, and he was glaring down at him, almost expectantly. Shinichi finally reacted with a wince, pulling the covers back to allow the older sleuth to place the child where he had been, right beside him. Finally, he committed to what he had been trying to do all along, and paused long enough to smile amusedly at the fact that his little brother was still out cold, before glancing back at Kogoro.
"Don't get any funny ideas," he grumbled before the teenager could get a single word out, turning over his head to glance over to where his daughter slept on the couch. "The brat barely gets any sleep nowadays. Ran's worried."
Shinichi gave him a long, scrutinizing look. "I see."
"What's with that smirk, you punk?"
"Nothing."
Kogoro's raised eyebrow barely affected him.
"I'm glad that Conan has such valuable people at his side, that's all." His smile didn't fade completely, but morphed into a strange grimace. "Conan doesn't need me anymore."
"What are you talking about?" asked Kogoro, a feeling of dread settling in.
It only intensified when Shinichi looked down, placing a hand on his brother's head.
"Did you know, Detective Mouri? I'm probably gonna die soon." Mouri fell in a stunned, unbreakable silence. "The poison coursing through my body… It's not harmless. Just slow doing its job."
The face he found after raising his gaze did not take him off guard. Surprise. Horror. All at the same time ─ Shinichi expected it all.
"I didn't mind at first. As long as Conan had people like you, I thought I would be fine with it…" He paused, pursing his lips, before shaking his head. "But, at some point, I started not to be that fine with it."
He scrunched his eyes shut.
I want to be there to watch Conan grow up.
I want to return home and graduate from high school with Ran.
Shinichi didn't realize that his hold on his brother had tightened.
I… I-
"You want to live," Kogoro said, as if he was reading his own thoughts. Shinichi looked at him in surprise, and watched him scoff, turning away. "If that's all you want, there's no need to make such a big deal out of it."
The boy stared incredulously before frowning. "What?"
"The solution is simple, isn't it? If you want to live, then live."
Shinichi snorted. 'Easy,' he says, remarked the teen in his mind, but did not voice it. Instead, watched the man give his brother a rather troubled look, as if debating with himself whether to speak what he was thinking or not. Of course, being Mouri Kogoro, the decision was obvious.
"The brat thought you died, you know." Shinichi stiffened up. "It really affected him. He grabbed that criminal's gun and pointed it at him."
His eyes widened violently. "Conan did?" Looking at the little boy sleeping so peacefully next to him, the older detective couldn't even begin to imagine how that could happen.
"He didn't go through it, and even tried to save him afterwards." Shinichi felt the air he didn't know he had been holding rushing out his lungs. "But it stuck with him for a while. He didn't even want to visit you."
The worst part was that Shinichi could easily imagine him doing that. That idiot, he thought. You really went through a lot, huh? Much more than I could've even imagined…
The pain, the distress this boy must have thought, even if it was minutes, thinking that he had died in front of his eyes… I'm so sorry, Conan, came the thought before he could help it. It must have been hard.
He had sworn not to put the child through this pain again, yet he had failed and was there, apologizing for what it might have been… He let out a sour chuckle, realizing that he had actually lost count. But what was clear was that Conan had to pay for the consequences again.
If… If I were to die…
Conan's sobs against his chest from earlier today resounded in his mind. His heart ached ─ knowing well the memory would be ingrained in his head, like a scar that would never, ever heal.
But he was fine with it. Because it would remind him of his mistakes, so that he wouldn't repeat them, ever.
"So you better find an antidote for it or whatever," Kogoro grumbled. Looking up, Shinichi realized he was all the way to the couch in the other corner of the room, gently laying down his coat over his daughter. "Because, if you dare to make Ran cry, I swear I'll drag you back from hell and kill you again."
Shinichi smirked. "I'm curious how you'd make it work."
With another annoyed grumble, the man promptly left the room, closing the door a little more roughly than Shinichi would have preferred, but let it slide. Instead, he positioned himself better ─ as well as he could anyway, with Conan right there ─ and once he deemed himself comfortable, he stilled.
I can't give up ─ no, I won't give up.
As long as we're both here, there's hope. I can still fight.
Conan's chest rose and fell with each breath, and a faint tingle of happiness warmed Shinichi's heart.
I'll fight, not only for you… But also for myself. For a future where we can both laugh together.
Smile nestled comfortably on his lips, he closed his eyes, allowing darkness to claim him too.
I want to live. And so I will.
"I'm surprised to see you're still here."
Kogoro jumped, startled by the voice that had greeted him as soon as he stepped into the hallway. He spun around, hand on his chest as if physically hurt, only to find himself face-to-face with a smirk.
A smirk that remained there, even if he had almost suffered from a heart attack.
"I was certain you said you were heading home for tonight."
He stared, wild-eyed, at Kudo Yusaku for a second, before a scowl took its place on his face. "What else could I do? Ran refuses to leave," he answered, annoyance tinting his tone. "You bet I'm not gonna let your son alone with my daughter at night."
"How curious." Yusaku's smirk widened, if possible. "I believed Conan was also here."
The other man stared in turn, mouth opening as if to retort something, only for his eyes to slide away from his face, grumbling to himself in utter annoyance. Yusaku said nothing, did not move either, but for some reason, his smirk had softened somehow.
His eyes closed, and a hand slid into his pocket.
Softly into the silence, he murmured, "You have an amazing daughter, Mouri-san."
Mouri stared, dumbfounded, but he didn't bother to explain anything to him.
"Isn't it cruel to ask something like that?"
Yusaku paused, but other than that, he did nothing to show the girl how shocked he was. Instead, he observed all her movements carefully, like the way her hands, in each side of her sides, clenched tightly enough to tremble slightly, or the way she was biting her lip, as if to stop herself from saying every single thing going through her mind.
"Of course I'll watch over him, because I care about Conan-kun," she said after a while, in a soft murmur. "Just like Dad, Professor Agasa, and even Hattori-kun. There are so many people looking out for him."
The man was patiently waiting for the inevitable 'but' that was sure to come.
"But, is this really what Conan-kun needs?" Even though he was expecting it, Yusaku couldn't stop himself from being surprised. "He has the support of everyone, except for who he needs the most."
Just as he was pondering over her words, her head rose. "Conan-kun is only eight. Even if he doesn't think so, children need their parents." A frown pinched her features, making her glare even more intimidating. "Asking someone else to take care of their child and leaving them all alone… Isn't it cruel?"
Yusaku did not reply. Ran seemed particularly irritated by it.
"Not only him, Shinichi hasn't even graduated from high school and had to deal with a lot on his own!" It did not escape the man that her face was glowing red out of anger, and there were tears already peeking out from the rim of her eyes. "Leaving both of them alone and leaving the country… It's heartless."
Her hand resting on the doorknob, probably knowing it was time to pick Conan up, she averted her gaze and took a deep breath, as if to calm herself down.
Just before disappearing from his sight, however, she uttered one last sentence.
"Please, take responsibility for your own children, Yusaku-san."
"Yeah." Yusaku's eyes opened, just in time to see the broad, proud grin stretching from side to side in Kogoro's face. "I already know that."
And just like that, the plain annoyance returned to Kogoro's features, grumbling under his breath something about 'needing to take a smoke', which Yusaku paid no attention to. He observed him, stomping back to the elevator, but did not move, even minutes after he left.
Before long, he turned back to the door. Carefully, he opened just enough to peek inside.
Had anyone been there, they would have been shocked beyond belief to see the one and only Kudo Yusaku smiling so affectionately at the sight that met his eyes.
Both his children appeared so content there, sleeping while holding each other so closely ─ like they used to do, when they were much, much younger.
Conan's weight against him was still present when he woke up the next morning.
It brought the same old comfortable smile forward, even before his lungs expanded, allowing in the scent of the morning to fill his nostrils, eyes fluttering open to greet a brand new day. Maybe it would be a great one, one where they could take a well-deserved respite.
He could dream, couldn't he?
"Kudo-kun?" Shinichi looked up, surprised by the female voice that greeted him. "Good morning."
He blinked a few times at the nurse smiling at the doorway, sleepy confusion gradually fading as recognition settled in. "Asami-senpai," he said, pleasantly surprised to see her there. "Long time no see."
"Though my name is not Asami…" She winked. "I'm happy to see you well. I was concerned when I learned what happened to you."
"Speaking of which, how did you find out?" Shinichi was exactly comfortable at the possibility of his hospital stay leaking around.
"Your father told me. Since he knows I'm indebted to you for saving me two years ago," she explained. Shinichi was not surprised his dad knew it all. "The doctor that was in charge of you decided he didn't want to do this anymore. Said you're a handful."
Shinichi let out a dry laugh.
"But it's okay. Before leaving this to me, he took the time to explain how to take care of you, who I should let in, and who I can't let pass." Clipboard against her chest, the girl offered him the brightest grin she could manage. "Besides, at least I get to return the favor somehow."
Her smile seemed to be contagious.
She nodded at him and turned to the door. "If something happens, don't hesitate to call me," she said, then added before leaving, "And sir, don't bother Kudo-kun much, okay? He needs his rest."
Shinichi raised an eyebrow. 'Sir'?
"Gotcha," he heard someone say in a thick Osaka accent. "See ya 'round."
And as the door closed, Shinichi felt a chill run down his back, at the dreadful realization that it was not Hattori's voice. It was coming from his right side, and from the corner of his eyes he could see a silhouette he did not dare to face.
"Uchida Asami-san." And just like that, the accent was gone. "Died the day after she turned eighteen." The figure that had been sitting on the windowsill for who-knows how long finally stood up. "The day before she was almost burnt to death by her friend, Sawai Manabu-san, whose love confession had been rejected. You proved him guilty, but sadly, he escaped the following day, burned her apartment to the ground, then shot himself."
Unconsciously, Shinichi brought the sheets up, promptly covering Conan's face. He knew it was useless, judging by the sneer from the man who had walked closer, standing next to his bed-foot, so that he had no other choice but to look at him.
"It goes without saying, Sawai-san was getting into shady business. Poor, innocent Uchida-san found out, and sought Kudo Shinichi's help. Not knowing, of course, of the cold-blooded murderer that hid in the darkest part of his heart ─ the Organization's prodigious cleaner, Singani."
The person took off the baseball hat he had been wearing, allowing Shinichi to see his platinum blonde hair in all its glory.
"Certainly, nobody would have suspected that this unlucky literature student would wind up as a medicine intern a couple of years after that, would they?"
Shinichi felt cold sweat running down his temples, but, in an astounding amount of willpower, he held his icy-blue gaze with a piercing one of his own.
And hissed, "What do you want, Bourbon?"
The tip of Bourbon's lips quirked upward.
"Good to see you haven't forgotten it," he said. "The face of an old friend, that is."
A/N:
CherryGirl 21-6: Yeah, that's what I'm planning, anyway. And you're right, it would be really cute if that were to happen xD If a situation like that ever comes up, I'll definitely remember it ;)
About your question about movie 2… Yeah, it happened. In fact, that was the main reason I had Shinichi diving to save her instead of Conan like in the original. I wanted to leave it implicit, but didn't write it because I was focusing on Conan's point of view at the time.