Side Story: Yuuto's Request

Haibara Ai was a mystery for every single entity at school. All girls her age and their emotions were basically mysteries to every boys and teachers, but she was much more than them all.

From the outside, she looked like a seventeen years old; a third year in high school, albeit she acted like she was a twenty-something. She never made any troubles for the teachers which earned her respects from them, she was smart, she wasn't the socially popular type either but there were a lot of boys who had a crush on her because of her upbringing– just like Mitsuhiko years ago. Even the girls also idolized her for her queenly manner.

Only one thing that she never did and that was smiling. Everyone at school knew she never smiled to anyone she didn't close to. Occasionally she did, but the true privilege befell the detective boys, especially Ayumi. While everyone else only got to see her smirk.

Yuuto, the popular soccer captain of the school, was no exception. He was interested with Ai since the start of their high school year. It wasn't that kind of interest though. He was interested with her as a human being. He just didn't try to approach her because it was too hard to get close to her. Until he saw her unusual face that weekend.

Now he was really curious about her.

His interests on her grew even more when he saw how her cold mask faded in front of his eyes on the day he and the detective boys tried to trail her.

What more, it seemed the only person who could invade her true nature was the famous detective of the East. He witnessed it twice. He somehow had a hunch that she and the detective weren't just neighbours, and she wasn't simply running errands for him.

Well, there was another one too but Yuuto never saw him so he eliminated the latter for now.

Hence, he tried to get closer to Ai ever since that day.

"Haibara-san, let's have lunch together!" Yuuto shouted cheerfully as he barged in into the classroom.

It wasn't surprising to the students in the classroom anymore if he went in uninvited. The same scenario had been replying in front of them for days now.

"I've finished mine." Ai replied plainly without looking at him at all while taking the last bite of her bread.

The cool soccer captain had became a joke now since he kept being rejected by the strawberry blonde.

The detective boys could only watch them from aside in concern for Ai's mood while they tried to hold their laugh. They knew Ai was uncomfortable with this, however she would do nothing harmful either toward the boy. She would just let him tire himself out and get over with it on his own.

But few weeks had passed and there wasn't any sign of him quitting.

If he didn't succeed using the lunch strategy, he would go for the after school ones. Although it turned out it didn't make any difference. He kept being hushed away by her.

"Don't take it to heart, Yuuto-kun." Ayumi consoled the boy.

"She was scary at first." Genta said.

"But Haibara-san is actually a kind person." Mitsuhiko continued. "She notices you even if she declines you."

Yuuto was smiling with teary eyes upon listening to his friends' empathy.

Oh, that reminded him.

"Teach me how to get closer to her, Tsuburaya-san." He pleaded.

"Eh?" Mitsuhiko was confused.

"I heard you had a crush on her once, didn't you?" Yuuto explained. "So teach me how!"

Mitsuhiko's face was getting hot now. How in the hell did someone know about his old crush for the strawberry blonde? He blushed madly but said nothing to the boy while Ayumi and Genta were holding their laughs. In the end, they couldn't hold it and laughed to their lungs out.

.

.

.

"Hey Ai, the second half is starting." Shinichi tried to wake her with his softest voice.

His hand was stroking her head while finger brushing her hair lightly once in a while.

"Hm?" She replied lazily.

She cuddled to him more instinctively instead of opening her eyes. She also tightened her hug on the cushion she held.

His shoulder and arm were too comfortable for her.

"Hey Ai–"

"I think I've enough with soccer boys." She mumbled.

Shinichi didn't get what she meant. Looked like she was saying nonsense in her sleep. He then observed her sleeping face attentively. Had Ai always been this cute? He blushed as he tried to set the thought aside. He realized it himself that it was getting harder for him to hold back his urges these days.

Of course he won't attack her when she was sleeping. It would violate his consciences.

He watched her again and smiled. She looked so sound and comfortable. He put his head on hers and closed his eyes.

Her soft hair was too comfortable for him too.

The sound of a whistle was heard from the TV. It marked the start of the second half of the midnight match between Tokyo Spirit vs Big Osaka. But the two fans didn't seem to budge at all and fell asleep in each other presence.

Author's note: She was getting tired because there was Shinichi who was skillful with soccer, then her idol Higo who was a professional soccer player, and Yuuto the school's soccer captain (haha).

Disclaimer: All characters of Detective Conan are belong to Aoyama Gosho. I don't own any single of them.