The strawberry blonde was sitting alone by the window in the classroom, boredly staring at the moving cotton-like clouds up there while listening to the chattering group of girls near her seat. Not that she wanted to, but they were just too loud for anyone in the room to not hear them talking.
Those girls were forming a small circle few rows in front of her; some were sitting on the chairs, some were leaning on the desks or the wall. They sounded excited, squealing while exchanging stories about their spent break.
Right, the very last summer holiday for the third years had ended.
"How about you and your boyfriend, Mi-chan?" Ai heard one of the girls asked the other. "You guys went on a trip together, didn't you?"
"W-Well." The said girl was blushing, a bit embarrassed to answer her friend's question. The other girls were waiting with anticipating eyes.
"So you finally did it with him, eh?" The asker concluded based on her friend's shy stuttering. A sudden outburst of excitement filled the group. They were getting loud at once, throwing the girl some more questions like 'how did it go' and 'how it felt like' or 'was he being gentle with her'.
Do you really need to brag about such a thing? Ai rolled her eyes and let out an inaudible wry laugh. Teenage girls these days.
"Y-Yeah, he was lovely and gentle." She told her group. "He also gave me this ring. I don't know how he knows my size but it fits perfectly on my finger."
Once again, the girls went on an outburst at that, gaining some attentions not only from the other classmates who were just coming in to the class, but also from Ai– the thing that the girl said was the one that caught her attention, at least. It reminded her about her own wedding ring.
She smiled at the recollection of the night when she slept with her band on.
Compared to that girl's cheap promise ring which her boyfriend bought probably at the night market, her gold wedding ring was much more the real deal. Although it served only as a compulsory to their mariage blanc at first, yet it truly sealed their commitment now that they had consummated it over the summer break. Heck, no one would ever call it a marriage of convenience any longer.
It was a pity she couldn't wear the ring so freely like that girl.
Damn, what was I thinking again? She shook her head.
Another thing about summer break, there was also that one incident with the soccer guy that revealed their secret marriage. Ever since then, both Shinichi and Ai understood he had purposely avoided them. He even rejected Ayumi's invitation to the study group– or more like rushing to get their homework done– on the last weekend of their holiday.
Perhaps Yuuto knew that the detective boys would one-sidedly decide to have the study session at Shinichi's house. After all, they would need a lot of help from the detective if they ever wanted to finish their homework in time before the school term began. And he, after getting his heart broken, wasn't ready to get involved with Shinichi or Ai yet.
True enough, they intruded the household until quiet late in the evening, going home only after dinner and some dessert cakes Ayumi had brought.
"It's like a late birthday celebration for Ai-chan, isn't it?" The sweet girl reasoned.
"And a celebration for finishing our very last summer homework." Mitsuhiko continued.
Everyone laughed at that.
Even so, it looked like they were doing it intentionally for the former, for each one of them had brought their gifts for the shrunken adult too that day. No candles were blown or party poppers were pulled, but they were all having fun, especially Chiharu who loved the merry atmosphere so much.
"Good morning, Ai-chan!" Ayumi hugged her best friend in a burst, waking Ai from her dilly-dally thoughts. Mitsuhiko and Genta followed her from behind calmly, greeting the strawberry blonde as well.
"Morning." She smiled, greeting them back.
Before they could continue their talk, the front door to the classroom was slammed open all of a sudden.
"Alright class, get back to your seats! We'll start the homeroom now!" Their homeroom teacher shouted as soon as she entered the class.
"Awwww…" All the students sighed in disappointment. They hadn't recovered enough from the summer holiday mood to start the first day of the class.
"Lucky we're just in time for the class." Genta sulked.
"Well, see you later." Mitsuhiko said some parting words to the girls while pushing the plump boy to move his legs to their own desks. Ayumi whose seat was just beside Ai gave them a nod.
"You're third years now, so no slacking off before you are so sure that you'll pass the university entrance exams. Got that?" The teacher sternly reminded them, which earned her another protesting sighs from the class. "And for those who haven't decided, please do so before the parent-teacher conference by filling in the academic form I distributed to you last time."
By this time, she took a glance at Ai who already turned her eyes back to the window. The strawberry blonde seemed like a bit too ignorant about all this, while she hadn't turned in her form yet. Little did the teacher know though, that it actually almost slipped out of her mind if no one reminded her about it. That could only mean she treated it below her other priorities.
I need to talk to her privately about this. She sighed inwardly before she went on and on with her lecture regarding her students' future. It bored the students to death.
"Psst, Ai-chan." Ayumi whispered from her desk.
"Hm?" Ai turned her head in response. She already guessed what the girl was going to ask, and she was right.
"Have you decided on which university you're going to enroll?" She asked.
"Not yet." Ai shook her head.
"Me too. Honestly, I have one or two in mind but I'm not too sure either." Ayumi replied, while losing her confidence all together. "I'm afraid my score is not enough to pass their enrollment tests."
"But you'll never know until you try it." Ai encouraged.
"True." The latter smiled sheepishly. "I wish I were as smart as you, Ai-chan. Any universities would definitely grant you their admissions without any second thoughts."
Ai smiled softly in return.
It was unavoidable since this was her second time going through school years and would be her umpth time studying university courses. Moreover, she really had her brain to begin with, even way before she was reliving her childhood. It was proven by the fact that she began working for the organization at the age of thirteen, and fully developed a perfect killing drug at the age of eighteen despite the incompletion of its original intentions.
And because of that, she was facing a crisis here; she just didn't know what she wanted to do this time for her future career. Although it was clear enough she wasn't going to follow her previous career path, yet what other expertise could she do besides science?
My future, huh? She said to herself.
It was something she never really thought about in her old life since everything was already decided by them. Now that she had the freedom all to herself to decide, she felt lost.
Besides, such a distant word sounded lonely to her ears somehow.
Perhaps watching the detective boys finally growing into fine young adults was the cause. Would they stay together or would they go on their separate ways? Would they stay the same or would they change? There seemed to be so many uncertainties once their high school years ended, but still so long to go in life.
"Let's go to the lab together, Ayumi-chan, Haibara-san." Mitsuhiko and Genta approached their seats once the homeroom was dismissed.
"Sure." The sweet girl replied, picking up some books from her school bag. "Let's go, Ai-chan."
Ai could only smile before she stood up and followed the others. Guess, she really needed to think about this decision thoroughly.
.
.
.
"Damn, we have chemistry for our first subject." One of the guy classmates grumbled as he took some of the chemical apparatus from the cabinet at the back of the lab.
"I envy the class next door. They are having P.E. right now." His teammate also wailed beside him. "All the fun on the first day of school, huh?"
"Come on, you guys. No slacking off." The science killer teacher suddenly appeared from behind them, startling the two boys.
"Y-Yes!" They spontaneously ran back to their table with the apparatus on arms.
"Hey, don't run inside the lab!" The teacher scolded them but it was too late.
The sound of glass clanking and students discussing things filled the school laboratory. Everyone was busy setting up the lab equipment for today's class experiment. Some of them were excited to have the practical exercise rather than the boring lecture on the theories, whereas some others were dwindling by taking things too slow in preparing the tools.
"Ai-chan, is this how you set these things up?" Ayumi asked.
"Almost. This tube should go here and put the Erlenmeyer flask under the burette instead of the beaker." The strawberry blonde explained so calmly.
Even though this wasn't the first time their class did a laboratory experiment, yet for those who hadn't gotten use to it, setting up the apparatus could be tricky. Deciding which tool was for which would be confusing as well. Everything looked just the same because at the end of the day, they were just mixing liquids.
"Always be careful when pouring in the hydrochloric acid." Ai warned while pointing at the filled beaker. "Make sure not to ge–"
But before she could finish her sentence, they heard their teacher's loud scolding from the back of the lab and saw two running boys passing near their table. With very little caution, a tripod slipped out from one of the boys' hands and landed on top of the two girls' table. Dreadfully, it flew too forcefully that it toppled the filled beaker near Ayumi.
Ai immediately shoved her to the side and steadied the knocked beaker up with her bare hand to stop the chemical from spilling down the table– she winced once her skin came in contact with the acid, while Ayumi squealed in surprise. Everything went so fast that everyone's eyes were on them now.
"Ah, sorry." The boy apologized, yet he was greatly horrified by the killing intent and the death glare Ai threw on him. The teacher who just came to the site was also stupefied at how the honor student looked.
"Who ever told you that a lab is a playground, hm?" She said so angrily.
S-Scary! She's so scary! Everyone shouted in their heads except for the detective boys who often saw that scary face of hers over the years.
"Are you alright, Yoshida-san?" Ai turned her head to the girl with concern. Oh, she better be. Those two boys would see their ends soon if she wasn't.
"Y-Yes, thank you." Ayumi replied. "But Ai-chan, your hand–"
"It's okay. This is just a second-degree burn." Ai coolly remarked as she brought her left burnt hand under the running water. Her skin was so used to getting in contact with some chemicals when she was still learning years ago after all.
"Sensei." Ai's cold tone made the science teacher flinch. He instantly resurfaced from the stupefaction. "Would you excuse me for going to the infirmary?"
"S-Sure, Haibara-san." He stuttered. "Make sure your hand gets treated."
"Let me go with her, Sensei." Ayumi plead.
"I can go there by myself, Yoshida-san. I won't be long." Ai assured, earning her a nod from the sweet girl.
Getting the permission, Ai went her way to the school infirmary. The tension in the class subsided once they all heard the door close. They never knew until now that the cool and mature Haibara Ai could get so pissed off when it came to Yoshida Ayumi's safety.
.
.
.
There was no one in the infirmary when Ai came in. She found a note on the desk though, saying the nurse was on a meeting with the nursing association. She would be back in the afternoon, so it was a self-service until then.
Knowing so, Ai opened the medicine cabinet and tried to find the respectable remedies for her left hand. Afterward, she bandaged it to cover the blisters preventing the wound from getting dirty. Unlike her previous scratch on her arm, she was lucky she could bandage this one by herself.
"Sensei, could I get a plaster or something for this?" A boy with a familiar voice suddenly barged into the infirmary. He was stunned once he found no one but the strawberry blonde in the room.
Ai looked up to see who the boy was and kept her mouth shut when she caught his face into her view. It was Yuuto.
"I-I'll just come again later." He was going to walk away, unable to stand the awkwardness that was surely to come. After all, this was the first time they faced each other after the day he confronted Shinichi and her.
"The nurse will be back later in the afternoon." Ai stopped his track without leaving her spot. Her tone and expression were as cool as the summer wind outside. "I could help treat your wound if that's okay with you."
Yuuto hesitated, although he agreed in the end as he sat on a chair. It was only for his bruises, he reasoned. Ai rummaged through the cabinet again, taking some cotton balls and plasters as well as disinfectant. She sat on the other chair in the room and began treating his wounds.
He couldn't help but to observe her working in silent. Not letting his guard down, he forced his eyes to wonder everywhere around the room. Yet, they were back again at the strawberry blonde, spotting her bandaged left hand.
His heart twisted instantly, realizing his crush whom he tried to forget had hurt herself.
"Um, your hand…" He started.
"Just a little accident at the science lab." She answered plainly.
The room fell into a dead silent once again.
"How do you get all these wounds again?" Ai finally broke the stillness.
"Oh, um, our class is having soccer for today's P.E. lesson, then I got scratched when I did the tackling." Yuuto told her nervously. "And this wound here was from when I tried to save the ball I dribbled."
He went unknowingly on and on about how he got the other bruises. It was all due to his soccer practices. His love for the sport slowly conquered the perplexing atmosphere in the room as he started to grin and smile, excitedly telling Ai about his soccer matches.
The fake teenager tried to stay cool, but she failed the moment a pure sweet chuckle escaped her lips. This guy reminded her so much about her husband– both of them were so passionate when it came to something they really loved.
Witnessing her genuine smile, Yuuto blushed. He was getting embarrassed and self-conscious of his unstoppable blabber. On the other hand, realizing that her guard was slipping off, Ai coughed to recompose herself. Even so, he felt that the discomfiture in the air seemed to clear up after he saw her acting so indifferently despite him knowing her secret.
Because of this, he couldn't stop himself from getting his hope back.
"Okay, all done." She said, sticking the plaster to the bridge of his nose. She then started to pack the things she took from the cabinet back to their respective places.
"Um, thank you." Yuuto said as he was getting entranced observing her. Although it was hard to tell, but there was just something about her that made his heart swell.
"You're amazing, Haibara-san." Yuuto uttered lowly; jealousy and shame were mixed in his tone. Ai halted her moving hands, questions were all over her face. "You are so collected when you discuss things with Kudo-san, and the doctor praised the first aid you gave me when my parents dragged me to have a check up. Not to mention the teachers in our school have their respects on you."
She could so easily twist almost every adults around her finger, let alone those around her age. He was somehow envious of her confidence, but amazed at the same time.
Ai laughed wryly at that. The case with Shinichi was indeed special when he put it like that. Yet to begin with, it was perhaps her inborn intellectual that she was forced to grow up in an environment full of adults in spite of her young age. While it shaped her mature upbringing, she also learnt how to gain control over everything around her so no one would take her words lightly.
It wasn't something to be amazed for if he knew it. For a child to be stripped off of her innocent nature was just too cruel.
"Haibara-san, I–" Yuuto began his sentence, but he was cut by the school bell ringing. The first period had ended.
"I have to get back to the lab." Ai said as she continued putting the medical tools back and closed the cabinet.
"R-Right." The soccer guy could say no more and watched her walking out from the infirmary.
He sighed heavily. Why did he have to meet her this way? It had only been few weeks since his lame heartbreak. And when he thought he had almost recovered from it, he had his hope up instead.
Damn it.
.
.
.
The rest of the day went quiet normal afterward. With Ai's school new term started and Chiharu was back in the day care once again, the Kudo household went on the same old routine like a month ago. Except that Ai excused herself from picking the little girl up today.
It wasn't that surprising since she informed Shinichi over her lunch break that she needed to stay for an after-school hour. Still, it took him by wonder that something came up to her so suddenly while it was only her first day of school. She even went home with a bandaged hand, which bothered him so much. What had she done at school, really? And why did it always her lefts that were harmed?
"What happened to your hand?" Shinichi lowered the book he was reading and glanced at his wife with concern. She was sitting on the floor, rebandaging her left hand.
"Just a little accident during a class experiment." She calmly said as she packed the first aid kit back to the box.
"Hmm." He took her answer without further questions even though he was a bit doubtful about that. As far as he knew she wasn't a beginner working in a lab, so how–
His train of worrying thoughts was cut short as he felt her sitting beside him on the sofa and resting her head on his shoulder.
"Sorry, I couldn't pick Chii up from the day care today." Ai sighed, shutting her eyes.
So much was done at her school today. Not to mention, the baby girl had gotten too excited from meeting with her friends again that it was harder to get her to sleep tonight. It drained her energy so much.
"It's okay. I was out early anyway." His eyes followed her. "Was there something wrong at school?"
"Not really. Just an after-school one-on-one lecture with my homeroom teacher." She replied lightly.
Shinichi turned quiet for awhile, thinking of what to reply. There were actually so much he wanted to ask while trying not to assume things between the little accident in the lab and the after-school lecture. But seeing how tired she was, he understood she didn't want him to pry on this further.
"So, there now comes a time when a model student like you gets a detention on the first day of the term, huh?" He sneered in the end.
"Who says it was a detention?" She scoffed. "And just because I'm a bit well-behaved than the rest doesn't mean I'm a model student."
"A bit, eh?" Shinichi chuckled as he adjusted his sitting posture so he could get a better view of the girl beside him. Feeling him making a shift, Ai opened her eyes and raised her head to questioningly see him. He smirked at her. "Could a high school student who keeps so many deep secrets still be called well-behaved even a little bit?"
He closed the gap between them, bringing his hand to gently hold her nape to prevent her from backing herself out. His sudden touch sent an electrifying signal to her nerves, waking her up from all her tiredness. She knew what he was trying to do, but she let him. Instead, she smiled when his lips touched hers lightly.
"Perhaps?" She cheekily said. Circling her arms around his neck, she leaned herself forward and initiatively deepening the kiss which he received gladly.
"Rebellious, aren't you?" He joked in between their kisses.
Shinichi extended one hand to put his forgotten book on the coffee table as he let their bodies fell against the sofa. He took his time to savor her flavor fully while she growled softly at the back of her throat.
"If this goes on." He said when their lips only an inch away for some air. "I don't think I'd need to wait for another ten years to make you a mom to our– ouch."
"Keep dreaming for that one." She blushed, pinching his cheek before he could finish his sentence.
He cupped her hand that was on his cheek and grinned before he kissed her again passionately.
"I still love you even so."
Seeing how they were getting more intense by each day with their making out sessions, it might be sooner than she thought for the thing Shinichi mentioned to be true. Sure he was being cautious right now since Ai was still in her third year, but would he still care that much once she graduated?
It reminded her of the things her homeroom teacher talked about during the one-on-one session. As expected, the teacher was concern with her overdue submission of her future plan form. According to her, Ai should've went for the science major at the top-ranked university. Yet again, she suggested for her to decide based on what she liked and what not.
That was why, a sudden thought came into her mind.
A full-time housewife? She cringed at the thought. Nonetheless, it was the most convenient choice for her current situation.
By not attending college, she could focus more on taking care of Chiharu, observing her growth, and settling more into this new family of hers especially when Shinichi wanted to have another one of their own. So, what purpose would a degree serve?
Without her working, they would never run out of gold anyway.
Even so, staying at home, doing nothing aside from house chores and babysitting while waiting for her husband to come home every single day was just too bland for her.
In the end, such things were never her cup of tea. However, if it came to nothing, she would probably consider putting that choice on the very least of her list.
Author's note: Oho! Would Yuuto be back in the game? (haha). Anyway, planning for a future is surely difficult even for an adult, isn't it? In the end, life is always full of uncertainties. I guess, children has it easier when they have to decide things for their dreams.
And as always, please give me your comments and reviews. Happy reading!
Disclaimer: All characters of Detective Conan are belong to Aoyama Gosho. I don't own any single of them.