The Story of My Heart

Chapter 4

Her husband's words from yesterday still echoed in her mind. It had been difficult, but he would do everything the same way again. These words brought a slight smile to her lips as she set the breakfast table. Given her lack of success in her search efforts, she concluded that her husband must have stored the remaining chapters somewhere outside their home, deliberately giving her each chapter in the correct order. Of course, it wouldn't make sense for him if she found the last chapter right away or a random one from the middle. She realized she had fallen into his trap over the past few days.

Smirking, she sipped her coffee and decided to simply wait it out.

Still a bit sleepy, her husband entered the kitchen, pressed the button on the coffee machine, and studied his wife carefully. Once the coffee was ready, he sat down next to her and opened the newspaper. "Do we have any plans today?" he asked casually.

"No, not that I know of, or do you have something planned?" she replied.

He shook his head behind the newspaper. "No, I think I'll just enjoy the day... And how's your search coming along?" As he asked this, he was glad she couldn't see his mischievous grin behind the newspaper.

Suppressing her curiosity, she responded, "Oh, you know, the previous chapters just happened to fall into my hands by chance. I think the others will too." Finally, he lowered the newspaper and peeked skeptically over his glasses at her. "What? You're not searching anymore? Yesterday, you sounded different," he asked, surprised.

Her response had had the desired effect. "Yes, that's possible, but now it's different. Besides, I have a stack of exams to grade. I can't keep my students waiting forever for their results."

When his phone rang, he sighed briefly and glanced at the display. "It's our daughter," he explained curtly and took the call. "Hi, sweetheart, how are you? ... What? You're already in Japan? ... Today? ... Sure, that's fine... see you soon."

His wife glanced at him curiously, waiting for an explanation about the call. "Our daughter just landed and is waiting to be picked up. So much for her being all grown up. So much for a quiet day—I have the honor of picking her up from the airport," he informed her, got up, and stole a kiss in passing before heading upstairs.

She noticed that he stayed upstairs for an unusually long time, but she let it go without comment. As soon as he closed the front door behind him, she went upstairs to start grading her students' exams. The red pen was already in hand. With little enthusiasm, she opened her bag and pulled out the stack of papers waiting to be corrected.

Glancing at the clock, she realized she had been working for two hours, and the pile in front of her was slowly shrinking. She set aside the last paper she had graded, and then there it was—the next chapter. She knew it! This way, the game was much more fun for her. She knew her husband just as well as he knew her.

Chapter 4 – The Search for Clues

Once again, the first page was missing. She pondered over the last chapter. It was the only complete one he had given her so far. But why was a page missing again? She inwardly cursed him for making a fool of her like this, then turned back the cover page and eagerly began reading what he had revealed this time:

The police station lay ahead of me. I was just about to enter the building when my phone rang. It was her again—Ran. I couldn't bear to talk to her right now. She made everything even harder than it already was. I took a deep breath and turned off my phone. Once Haibara was safe, I could think about everything else, but not before. Ai had nothing with her except the few things she was wearing and her small bag. As a precaution, I had taken a picture of her from the Professor, though she was as well-known here at the police station as I or my alter ego, Conan.