𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒

file 020 | evaluated relationships

"See! These are from when you won the city karate championship!" Sonoko said, pointing at one of the photos in her album with a smile. "Do you remember?"

She and the kids came over to the agency to try and help Ran get some memories back, but it wasn't going too well.

Ran shook her head. "No." She flipped to the next page and saw a picture of her, Sonoko, and Suzume.

Ran was behind the other two girls with a smile, Sonoko with an arm wrapped around Suzume's shoulders, and Suzume didn't look too thrilled but still had a smile on her face.

"She's..." Ran glanced towards the door that led upstairs since she knew Suzume was up in the room she was staying in at the Mouri home until Ran got her memories back.

"Ah, Suzume!" Sonoko hummed with a grin. "She's your future girlfriend!"

Ran blinked at that but had a warm smile on her face.

"She seems to recognize her," Haibara murmured, surprising the others.

"Really?"

Ran shook her head again with a sad smile. "No. But..."

"But?" Sonoko urged.

"I feel very nostalgic for some reason," Ran said. "I don't know why, though."

Sonoko frowned, feeling bad for Suzume. No wonder she's not here, she thought, glancing towards the door. Not even being around Ran all day is bringing back her memories... She hoped that something could happen soon, or she didn't know what Suzume would do without her best friend.

~ — — — ~

Suzume knocked on the door to Ran's room lightly and opened at Ran's call. "Bath's empty now," she told her.

"Thanks." Ran paused for a few seconds. "Tell me, Suzume-san...what is our relationship?"

Suzume blinked. "Our relationship," she murmured before a soft smile came onto her face. "We've known each other since we were four. We've been attached at the hip ever since. People around Beika used to call us the Two Musketeers because they only had to look for one of us to find the other."

Ran frowned, seeing the heartbroken look in Suzume's eyes, knowing that she was the cause of her feeling that way.

"Hey, Ran," Eri said, walking to stand beside Suzume. "Want to go to Ginza tomorrow? I get so annoyed when I'm around that man! So let's go on a shopping spree to feel better!" She looked at Suzume. "You too, Suzume!"

"I don't see why not," the Kudo said with a shrug.

~ — — — ~

The next day, the three women were at the train station with Takagi, waiting for their train to arrive. Takagi ended up getting distracted as he caught a woman who had been knocked into and had a flashback to when he had pulled the injured Sato into his arms a few days ago.

"Here it comes," Eri said, noticing their train approaching the station.

Suddenly, Ran was shoved onto the train tracks as the train grew closer. Suzume's eyes widened as people screamed. She wasted no time in jumping off the platform, grabbing Ran, and pulling them both off the tracks and under the platform's edge.

As Suzume tried to catch her breath, Ran was staring at her wide, fearful eyes. Suzume-san...

~ — — — ~

Suzume stalked out of the elevator in the hotel Sara's wedding party was at, hands stuffed into the pockets of her jacket as she moved through the halls. Ran definitely saw the killer's face. That's why she was pushed onto the train tracks. She grit her teeth and slammed her fist against the wall, ignoring the throbbing in her knuckles and the startled looks thrown her way. Damn it! She looked up and her eyes widened at the sight of an umbrella stand. Wait a second...there was... That umbrella was buttoned up, and then after, it had moved and was open! And Ran the other day...she didn't panic because of the puddle, she panicked because of the umbrella!