Dream's Masquerade - A Detective Conan fanfiction

The forth Dream - Change

Conan was sitting on the couch in the agency, leaning forward, his elbows propped up on his knees.

The case had been a quick one to solve. Once the victim regained her ability to form coherent sentences, she had told the nurse about everything. The culprit hadn't even had the chance to flee. However, there was something else bothering him. That girl.

He frowned.

Where did she recognize him from? It couldn't be only that too... She knew that he was not some simple elementary student. There were only a handful of people that knew who he was and none of them would have told anyone about him. It would be too risky and anyways, he didn't know this girl. The only logical option that would connect her to him, would be his parents, since she was an English-speaking foreigner, but then again, why would they tell her? She seemed to be nothing more than a tourist. A tourist that kept secrets that is.

Ran entered the room, sitting down next to him, her face pulled into a pained expression.

"What's the matter Ran-nee-chan?" Conan looked up, frowning.

"Mirage is crying. I didn't mean to listen in, but I heard her when I came back down here. She sounded like she is in a lot of pain..."

That caught his attention. Crying? It couldn't be because she was connected to the case. The victim had claimed not to know her, neither did the culprit. The way she had treated the woman though, made it clear that she knew what she was doing. It seemed that she was used to taking care of injuries like that. Had she come across something like this in the past? It could have reminded her of something that had happened before. Something with a less positive outcome. Did it concern the case at all? Or was there an entirely different reason that the girl was suffering? On their way to the agency she didn't look disturbed at all. Perhaps slightly shaken and nervous, but he was sure that the latter was caused by his presence. He could already tell that she was a bad liar, so it didn't seem likely that she had only put up a front to make it seem like she didn't mind having seen the crime. He would have to dig deeper to find out more. Letting her go when he suspected her of knowing his secret was not something he intended to anyways.

"Don't worry Ran-nee-chan. We can cheer her up when she's back!"

"You're right Conan." She smiled down at him, before standing up again. "I'll prepare some food. That always helps." Then she was gone.

Ran was too concerned for her own good. Before he could be sure that this Mirage girl caused no trouble, he should make sure that she didn't get too close...

_____________

Something had changed.

When Mirage uneasily stepped into the kitchen, Conan could instantly feel that something was off. Her eyes were blood-shot, probably from crying, but instead of the glint of kindness they had contained when he had seen her the first time, he was met with a distant and blank stare, almost terrifyingly empty. He had come across that look many times. Hopelessness, defeat... loneliness. With as many homicide cases he had solved, there was no way that he could have avoided seeing something like that, yet it still shook him to the bone every single time. She looked like she had just lost someone important to her.

What had happened while she was gone that caused a change like that?

"Oh, Mirage! I made some lunch for us. Please, sit down. I'm sure you haven't eaten yet, right?" Ran gestured to the free seat next to Conan.

His eyes never left the girl. It had only taken a moment for her demeanor to change from a listless and lethargic nature to something more pleasant and polite. Maybe he had underestimated her ability to deceive people.

"You didn't need to. I don't want to impose on your kindness..." She looked genuinely troubled, afraid that she might be a burden.

"Don't worry about that Mirage-nee. We haven't eaten either." Conan gave her a smile. "You worry a lot, don't you?"

A sorrowful look crossed her face, but she quickly covered it with a smile herself. "I guess I do." Then she sat down beside him, uncomfortably fidgeting in her seat. "Thank you..."

"Why are you so nervous Mirage-nee?" He leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of her face.

She grew stiff, grabbing her own hand as if she was trying to hold it still. "I haven't really been socializing with anyone since I came to Japan. I'm just scared to mess up and come off as rude."

"You're very kind Mirage! You don't have to be afraid of that." Ran threw in, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Didn't you say that you've been in Japan for a month now? You didn't make any friends?"

That made the girl pause in her tracks. Her eyes went wide, her posture rigid.

Friends? Had that been to word to set her off? Conan mused, placing his hand under his chin. Why? What in the world was she hiding that made her this skittish? He didn't want to believe that she was a murderess. It couldn't be, despite her actions practically screaming it. She didn't feel dangerous at all. Just... suspicious.

"No." Mirage seemed to have relaxed marginally, the chopsticks finally placed in her hands. "I'm not that good at making friends. The language barrier only makes it harder."

"It's decided then." Ran grinned. Grinned. That could only mean one thing and Shinichi was everything but exited about what was to come. So much for keeping Ran at a distance.

"We'll be your friends."