●A Silent Detective●

18~Checking Progress

It was a few days after Shinichi and Kaito left the card on Nakamori-keibu's desk and they have heard that the police found it and are determined to solve the riddle that the detective and magician had prepared for them. Unfortunately, the police thought that the card that the Black Organization gave is also a part of the riddle.
Nakamori-keibu and the other police officers tried their best to solve the riddle but failed before they called Hakuba to solve it but he couldn't solve the riddle as well. The disguised magician smirked with satisfaction as he saw the officers struggling with the riddle before walking out the station and quickly taking of his disguise and went to Shinichi's place.

~Kaito's POV~
(I have got to tell Shinichi about this!)

I rang the doorbell as I patiently waited for someone to open the door.
The door opened, I looked at the person who opened the door and was surprised when it wasn't Shinichi who opened it but Ran-chan.

(Crap. What is she doing here?!)

I tried to keep my pokerface from breaking apart as I calmed myself down and kept a steady gaze at Ran-chan.

" Oh! Kaito, what are you doing here?" Ran asked with wide eyes.

" Oh...um.."

(I have to think about something, fast!)

" I-I was just wondering if a certain detective lives here...." I replied to her sheepishly.

" Oh, you mean Shinichi. He is at his library...again." She said in a lively tone.

" Well, whatever business you might have with him...just be sure to be patient with him since he can be....harsh sometimes."

And with that last words, she left through the front gate.
I sighed as I entered the house and went in the library room and saw an exhausted look on Shinichi's face as he was slouched down on the couch.

" Well, it seems that you're in your original body now."

He only took a glance at me as he sighed deeply.

" Let me guess, it's about your friend Ran-chan." I said to the tired detective with a grin.

He shot his head up as he stared at me, surprised and worried at the same time.
He quickly stood up and started to pace back and forth around the room with panic.

" Was she suspicious of  you? Did she ask you why you are here? Did she ask how we know each other? How we met? Why you casually just went to my house when I have never even introduced you to her?!" Shinichi frantically asked me as I was struggling to keep up as to what he was saying.

" Shinichi, calm down. She didn't ask me anything that can reveal my identity, you being Conan or about our plan...even about our platonic relationship with one another." I said to him softly as I gestured him to calm down.

He slowly composed himself as he slowly sat back down on the couch.
I sat beside him as I looked at the window.

" So, why was Ran-chan here today at your house? Did she want to talk about something with you?" I asked the detective as he furrowed his eyebrows.

" No, not really. She just came to check up on me since she was really worried about my well-being." He sighed and sat comfortably on the couch as he stared at the ceiling of the room absent-mindedly.

" You know...you are really very lucky to have Ran-chan around...she clearly cares about you Shinichi, you should take her words and actions to heart..." I mentioned to Shinichi softly as I looked at the ceiling as well.

" I know, I know...even when sometimes she is pushy and stubborn...she is still a caring person.." He said quietly.

I was about to say something but hesitated at the last second and sighed.

(...I wonder...)

" Hey...you like Ran-chan...right?" I asked Shinichi with uncertainty.

The detective looked at me with a sad smile and sighed as he looked down on the ground.

" Well...yeah, I did like her..."

" Did..?" I asked once more as I looked at Shinichi worriedly.

However, he didn't respond.

" Shinichi...is something wrong?"

I looked at him again as I waited for an answer.

" I liked her before...but I like someone else now.."

My heart skipped a beat as I heard the words he said and started to wonder as to who the detective likes.

" A-anyways, why are you asking me about this things?" He asked ,e with curiousity.

" O-oh...nothing." I replied nervously as I  averted my eyes from him.

" So..why did you come here today? Was your initial intention of going here is to just have a conversation with me?" He asked with a cheeky grin on his face.

(Oh, here we go again with your sarcastic attitude, Shinichi.)

I chuckled as I sat closer to him.

" Well, I visited the police station and found out that they have discovered our heist card." I mentioned with confidence as I played some tricks with a coin.

" Oh, is that so?" He said with a smirk.

" Yep, but they have seemed to be troubled about it because of the card the Black Organization gave to or sent to them. They even tried to make Hakuba solve it but he just coudn't crack it."

" So what are you trying to say here?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

" What I'm saying is that sooner or later they will need you to solve it. I mean, you are The Great Detective of the East after all." I replied with a bright smile on my face.

Shinichi chuckled and rolled his eyes as he put a hand on his cheek.

" That's highly unlikely since they would probably call Mouri Kaogorou ro solve the riddle than me."

" But you are the only reason why he is well-known. That is because of your extraordinary observation and deductions, not to mention the way you present all of the evidence and scenarios as to who is the culprit is quite entertaining and it is worthy of a magician's praise." I said to him with honesty.

Shinichi averted his eyes as he showed an embarrassed expression on his face.

(So cute.)

" I appreciate it Kaito but we need to wait for a while before I can go there and solve the riddle since it would give us more time to prepare for the heist."

" Alright, just give me the OK signal whenever you're ready to go to the station."

He nodded and continued reading like he usually does as I took my time to look around the library since I never really took the time to explore the place.

(This place is quiet...yet comforting.)

" Hey Shinichi, what's your parents like?" I asked him in a low voice.

He looked at me worriedly as he closed his book.

" They can be a handfull sometimes but they are the best parents I could ever wish for."  He replied with a gentle smile.

" That's...nice..."

" I know that your dad was a great magician...and I'm sure that he wishes a happy life for you." Shinichi mentioned as he comforted me.

" Thanks, Shinichi. I really appreciate it..."

After that, we talked for hours about our parents and the hopes that we would wish to happen when the time comes.