Stay! By My Side

Chapter 27

Shinichi's POV

The weather was not very nice in the moment I stepped out of the front door, and a heavy heart is surely not helping either. I headed towards Mouri agency with a clouded mind and uncertain step. I would never want to face Ran with this mood before, but I couldn't shove the view of Haibara's eyes easily. For the first time in my life, I'm running away from a silly unsolved matter.

The moment I arrived in front of the agency, I was just standing outside in the cold for minutes. And when Ran found me and dragged me inside the agency, my face has reddened because of the cold.

"Conan-kun! Look at your fingers, let's put them on the warm water. Why didn't you put on a warmer clothes either?"

I didn't answer her rants, not a single word came out off my mouth. She has taken care of me for a long time now, but tonight is the first time I feel guilty about all that. Like Haibara said this noon, Ran's waiting and will always waiting.

A few moments later, I found myself a lot warmer in front of a grant set of meal.

"Looks delicious, Ran-Neechan. Why are you cooking a lot? Are we having another guest?"

"We're celebrating our first dinner together after a long time and I can't help but cooking so many dishes at the same time. It's all your favorites, Conan-kun"

Meanwhile, uncle Kogoro glued his eyes to a recorded horse race from this afternoon. I'm certain that he missed the race because he was drunk last night and was sleeping until afternoon today.

"You're being unreasonable again, Ran-Neechan. We wouldn't able to finish these much food."

"It's okay, we could share this with Professor and Ai-chan later."

"Hm. They must have been having their dinner by now"

"I was thinking you would bring Ai-chan tonight, since you wouldn't take your eyes off her. But I'm surprised when finding you in front off our house alone"

"Ah, you should've told me earlier of having that idea in mind, Ran-Neechan"

"Dad! Let's have dinner and turn the TV off!"

For some reason, I've lost my appetite. I feel bad for Ran for not able to enjoy the dinner at the fullest. So I just continue to eat in silence.

"Conan-kun, is everything alright?"

"Yes of course, why did you ask?"

"Nothing, you seem out of this world. Are both of you having a fight?"

"Not a serious matter"

"So you are having a fight then"

I don't even know how to pretend now.

"It's okay, Ran-Neechan. You don't need to worry, I'm gonna talk to her again later."

"So you really do have Ai-chan in mind right now. I didn't even mention her name from the first time."

Damn!

"Ah, didn't you? Ha ha I'm sorry. But as I said, it's not a serious matter."

"Shinichi said Hi"

"He did? Did you call him again at last? Tell him I said Hi too, then, please."

"Again? At last? How do you know I haven't called him until today, Conan-kun?"

Damn! Okay, no more mistake for tonight. Let's end it here.

"Sorry, Ran-Neechan. There's so much going on today so I'm not in the right mind right now. I just mixed it up with you calling me this afternoon and I'm just very confused right now so I don't know what I'm talking about."

She didn't respond and keep digging on her meal. After a few moments of silence, she began to ask another question.

"What is Ai-chan to you, Conan-kun?"

"What do you mean? Ah.. you must be having a wrong idea about us. She's a good friend of course"

"How good is good?"

"Um.. I don't understand you, I'm sorry."

"Fine. Take this for example. If ever Ai-chan was nowhere beside you, how would you feel? What are you gonna do?"

"I wouldn't feel anything, Ran-Neechan, because she's not going anywhere. As Shinichi-Niichan have told me, we only go for the fact. So if the possibility is zero, we would get rid of it immediately."

I'm not gonna take any conversation related to Haibara-is-leaving again. Which brings back memories the other day when she told me to get her inside the team. If it's all what it takes to keep you here, Haibara, then let's do this your way.

"I understand then, Conan-kun. See, whatever it is that happened between you and Ai-chan today, I hope you could solve it soon."

"Thanks"

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Ai's POV

He's not coming. The couch by the window is empty the moment I opened my eyes.

I fell asleep.

The house is quiet, looks like everyone is going out. Quiet is nice. Solitary is all you need when things went complicated. Then for an instance, his face from this afternoon ice cream is taken over my mind with no spare. And I can't help but crying again.

I decided to go out in the balcony to clear my mind. It's chilly, but the solitary is very nice. How much times would it take until I would breath the true freedom? How much longer until the day I could walk the street without being alert?

And at this moment I realized, I want to see that day so much that I wanna scream. I want to embrace the open air so much that I feel my heart can burst anytime soon.

I want that freedom.

______________________________________

Not so far away from where the tea coloured hair girl breathe the chill air peacefully, a slim figure is hiding under the shadow up in a very big tree. The figure is smiling to this lovely view of the girl through something that looks like a binocular.

In the figure's left pocket, lay a handful sized gun with its trigger still being locked on. The figure didn't have a plan to use it on the girl from the beginning, after all.

"I believe you will make a wise decision by coming to our side, Sherry."

After another hour passed, the girl was being dragged inside her bedroom. Another smirk is carved in the figure's face from watching this scene.

"Silver bullet. You just couldn't stop yourself, could you?"

The figure then jumped off the tree and soon left and dissapeared into the dark of the night.