Undeniably Yours

21: Scenes that are unknowingly hurtful.

*****

"Shinichi?"

It was Ran.

"H-Hey Ran." He answered awkwardly. After all that he had done to her, he can't seem to meet her eyes. He felt ashamed.

Ran smiled in understanding. She approached him slowly.

"Hey Shinichi!" She exclaimed, and threw a slight punch on his shoulder.

Shinichi was taken aback. 'What is this sudden change in attitude, Ran?' he silently asked with wide eyes. Though he was thankful, he was also puzzled.

She smiled knowingly before speaking, "I am watching you Shinichi. You seem out of it. Is there something wrong?" She said, as she looked at what he was looking earlier.

Shinichi followed her gaze, and saw the two persons he was observing earlier.

"Oh..." she smiled bitterly. "It's her, right?"

He reluctantly nodded, his eyes apologetic.

"Don't worry about me Shinichi. I'm a strong woman. I can handle this."

Shinichi smiled awkwardly at her. He took a step towards her.

"Ran..."

She stared at him. "Go to her Shinichi. Don't you dare hesitate now."

He glanced at them with the corner of his eyes. "But look at her. She's... happy." He said slowly in a whisper.

"What happened to that confident detective? Go get her! You will never know Shinichi."

Shinichi stared at her as he contemplates what she said. 'You're really an angel Ran.'

He held out his hand to reach hers. He's really thankful she was his childhood friend. She smiled. He smiled back. Then he nodded his head and grinned. "Okay. Got it."

"Now that's the detective I know."

He looked at them again. But this time, his grin slowly faded.

They are gone.

*****

At the same time...

Shiho and Nicholas were talking gleefully. Nicholas was acting stupid again, and Shiho can't help but smile. He had insisted they visit all possible booths there is, and much as she protested, they went anyway.

Although she hates to admit it, she was enjoying herself. When was the last time she had this kind of fun?
She remembered the times she was with the kids. Those times they were camping, and she and Kudo-kun had to pretend they were kids. It was undoubtedly tiring, yet fun. She smiled as nostalgia swept over her.

"Shi?" she snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Nicholas called her.

She looked at him. "Yes?"

"What's wrong? Tired?" worry was evident on his voice.

"No. I just remembered something."

"Something...or someone?" he asked meaningfully.

She looked at him. There was really no hiding from him.

"Is it him?"

She smiled. "N-no. Really...I just remembered the times when I was still with them."

"Well, you can still be." He said seriously.

She sighed as an answer. "No. I cannot."

"You can, if you just let yourself. Are we going to talk about this again Shi?"

She was about to protest when she caught a sight of him. She opened her mouth, but no voice seems to come out. Her eyes were wide with shock,  then she unknowingly frowned. Nicholas looked at him weirdly.

"Shi?" He worriedly asked before he followed her gaze. He cussed at what he saw.

It was Shinichi Kudo, with his childhood friend, Ran Mouri.

He took her hands that seem to wake her up from her trance. He stared at her uneasily before asking, "Are you alright?"

It took a few seconds before Shiho's face turned emotionless. "Of course," she answered seemingly unconcerned.

But Nicholas knew better. He knew that Shiho was again showing her façade. He sighed as he secretly clenched his fist.

'I thought you are not going to hurt her again, you bloody detective.' He cursed him in his mind.

"Let's go." He heard Shiho whispered as she took a step away. It took him a few seconds before he glanced back at Shinichi and Ran talking before he followed her.

'What the bloody hell are you doing, stupid detective? I've kept my part of the bargain... now it's your turn to keep yours.'

*****