Our Love Is Like Fireworks [Detective Conan Fanfic] (Rei x Shiho)

Chapter 40

Shinichi had been asking her about everything on the way home. And she is about to just kick him off onto the street. 

"Haibara, answer me-"

"No" she purses her lips annoyingly, "and stop asking". 

For some strange out of pocket reason, Kudo Shinichi had started to bring him into the conversation again, not that Shiho didn't already have the thought of him lingering at the back of her mind, but it certainly did not help that the voice inside her and outside are both yapping on about the same dude. 

"Come on," he pressed on, resting his palms behind his head in a nonchalant manner, "you're telling me nothing is happening when Furuya randomly disappeared and you pretend like you never knew him?"

"What makes you think I did in the first place?" Her tone shifted and Shinichi could sense a tint of confusion, or perhaps it was hesitance in her. She is giving herself the benefit of the doubt.  She'd rather close herself up then let herself be vulnerable again to the idea that that someone was good. 

Shiho reminds herself. 

He was the one who wanted to leave.

Shinichi doesn't say anything back, and they keep walking. Her with her hands crossed around her chest, him with his lips pursed in a straight line, maybe he shouldn't have brought it up.

But to both of their surprise, she didn't kick him off the road. 

They walk past a garbage truck and the scent of garbage cans fill up the emptiness. Shinichi scratches his brain for some joke that has to do with trash, and the only one he could think of is corny insults that probably wouldn't make her feel better. At this point, he's just thinking of any ways to cheer her up or at least do something. It was partially his fault that she mentioned it to her and now she's probably in a spiral again, but he had to know. He had to find out. 

"Heh, hey hey, you know how rich garbage men are?" he starts, nudging her lightly.

She looks up him with one raised eyebrow and an "are you serious" expression.

"Filthy!"

He is rather proud of his joke, he'd seen it a few years back on a joke website and now was the perfect moment to finally use it. Except he realises he may have overestimated his humour when all Shiho replies with is a scoff. 

"Thanks Kudo, for trying," she starts, putting her hands in her pockets, "but you are not funny". And her sarcasm is back again. 

"Oi, I was proud of that joke".

"It just wasn't funny, not my fault".

"You're just being a cynical".

"I being real with you, never say that joke again in front of anyone else".

"You know what, I'll ask Agasa the same joke bet you he'd find it funny".

"Kudo you're being ridiculous". 

"No, I know I'm funny"

"Next life maybe"

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It's 10pm and Shinichi is in his library. Head stuck in a pile of books and heart stuck in a pile of mess. What's a guy to do when he can't read his own feelings and the girl who he potentially likes is in a complicated situation with another guy and the girl he is supposed to like is distanced faraway from him and he isn't even sure if he likes her anymore?

The question is does he even like Shiho? Or is she just a rebound?  He'd think that he did. He'd think that perhaps he moved on from Ran and Shiho was just the other girl in his life that would be with him through it all. And what about Ran? Is he really over her? He is isn't he? At least that's what he told himself. But how can one get over someone who he has loved for years just in a blink of an eye?

Why are his feelings like this? 

He rests his head lethargically on the book he had picked randomly and opened. It was no use reading anyways, the words seemed to enter his eyes but not register through his brain because it was preoccupied with just, everything else. 

He wants to help Shiho. He really does. Her and Rei definitely had something and that was something even Shinichi could tell. He had never seen Shiho so, open and free with someone before. And he does not want to get in the way between those two. If anything, he wants to get them together, if that would make her happy. 

Obviously, the actual helping part is another thing and another problem. How is meant to help them realistically? It's not like he can convince Shiho to text him because that stubborn woman would rather keep her dignity than her happiness. 

With a sigh, he stands up. Packs his books away, and returns to his room so he can try to sleep the questions off.