Undeniably Yours

11: Date Gone Wrong

*****

Saturday, 7 PM

Ran was already at the clock tower when he arrived. He was still several meters away when she noticed him approaching. She waved a hand gleefully.

“Shinichi!” She called.

He quickened his steps and reached her in a minute.

“Hey Ran.” He showed her his usual grin.

She answered in a smile. An awkward silence enveloped the two for a minute. He faked a cough and looked at his watch.

“The movie will start in a moment. Let’s go?” he asked as he looked at her.

She nodded and walk at his side. They walked side by side to the movie house. It seems that Ran had really prepared for this. She already had two tickets purchased. To make up for this, Shinichi volunteered to buy their foods and drinks.

They entered the movie house silently. It was jam-packed. No wonder, the movie was a megahit. But Shinichi was not excited. It was a movie about romance, and he was really not a fan of genre. He prefers mystery thrillers, watching cases and solving codes. This movie was neither. He tried his best not to appear bored. He looked at Ran, and she was intently watching it, a hint of tears at the corner of her eyes. She really was a sucker for this. What is there to cry about the movie?

It was a movie about an ill-fated love. The man was from a rich family, while the woman was an orphan. They met at an event in the orphanage when the man organized a party for the kids. They fell in love, but the man’s family was against their relationship. Nonetheless, they continued to meet secretly. But the man’s father found it out, and forced the couple to separate by secretly blackmailing the woman. He made it believe that she left her for good because of money. Devastated, the son went abroad to heal his broken heart, but miserably failed. He went home after three years, and accidentally met his love on the process. She was already a successful doctor. They found out what his father did in the past, and their conflicts were resolved. Then they live happily ever after.

Boring, right?

He tried to stay awake for the rest of the movie. Ran was still crying when they went out from the cinema. He handed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

“Oi, oi…stop crying already.”

Ran looks at him. “But the movie was just so sad.”

Shinichi fought the urge to roll his eyes. Girls and their drama. “They ended up together, right? Doesn’t that make it alright already?”

Ran just gave him a glare. “But they need to overcome all those hardships. It’s just heartbreaking!” She continued to sulk again.

“Okay, okay. Got it, stop crying.” He looked around. “They’ll think I’ve made you cry.”

Ran sniffed some more, but eventually stopped. “Okay.”

“Come on, let’s eat dinner.” He grabbed her hand, and directed her towards a near restaurant. He didn’t notice the blush that crept in her face.

*****

They were seating in the table waiting for the food to be served when Ran decide to initiate a conversation about the movie. Shinichi absent-mindedly listened. His mind was elsewhere, and he was not interested about the movie in the first place. His mind once again drifted to that conversation with his new classmate days earlier. He was still puzzled.

“Shinichi!”

He was startled by her call. He looked at her.

“Yeah?”

Ran showed a look of disappointment. “You’re not listening.” It was not a question, it was a statement. She frowned.

“What are you thinking?” She asked.

“Uh..t-there was this case that---“

Ran sighed through her nose. “Cases! Cases! Again with that cases! Mystery geek!” She gave him a glare. He awkwardly smiled. She was emanating a dark aura now, ready to break his skull.

Ooops. So much making a black-belter angry. No more karate, please.

“R-ran…” He nervously called. Ran just glared at her, then after some time, sighed.

Shinichi in turn sighed in relief.  ‘Safe.’

Ran’s eyes suddenly turned melancholic. “Can we just drop the talk with cases? You’re gone for too long Shinichi because of a case which you still have not fully explained to me. I just want you to forget about cases for once.” She gently said in an audible whisper.

“Ran…” Shinichi’s gaze softened. Suddenly, he was filled with guilt.

It was true, he kept Ran in the dark about the reason why he disappeared for years. He doesn’t want to bother her. Knowing Ran, he knew she will understand but still he doesn’t have the courage to tell all the things that happened, especially his other identity as Conan.

They were enveloped in an uncomfortable silence for a minute. Thankfully, the arrival of the food distracted them from the serious atmosphere.

After the waitress leave their table. Ran spoke, he face becoming obviously flushed.

“S-Shinichi…There’s s-something that I want to t-tell you.”

He looked at her. She was fidgeting again. She was obviously nervous, her eyes was unfocused, glancing at everything but his face.

‘Is she…?’

He was busy observing Ran’s expression when his eyes caught a familiar color at the door located at Ran’s back. His eyes slowly widen as he felt his chest tighten a bit. With parted lips, he was about to stand up when Ran called her.

“Shinichi?” She gave him a look of confusion. He looked at her for a second, then quickly glanced back at the exit door. The figure was leaving.

“Sorry Ran, I…” He hesitated at Ran’s sad expression. But this is a rare chance. He let out a sigh of frustration. “I have to do something important.”

He stood up and walk in big strides, hoping to reach the leaving figure. He didn’t notice the hurt in his childhood friend’s eyes as she stared at his walking back. It took her a minute before she weakly stood up to follow him.

The food on the table, although appetizingly appealing, was left untouched.

*****