Drawbacks of a mind that remembers

Kuroba Kaito

The family of three gathered in the library. The documents that Yukiko gave Conan were tucked under his right arm while the parents stared down at the boy in worry.

Yusaku observed Conan, making his guesses as to why his son had suddenly asked for his birth documents. "So what's going on?"

"Your son asked if he had a brother," Yukiko replied. Yusaku lifted an eyebrow, surprised. 

"How come?" He asked. Yusaku knew his son is a very rational person, and he would look for clues before coming to a conclusion. Something must have triggered him to ask such a question. He may have seen someone that looked exactly like him–a doppelganger, for example. However, such a thing could not have stirred him to make questions like these. He stared at his son, waiting for answers. 

Conan gazed at his feet, organising his thoughts. Would his parents believe a word that he said?

As if reading his thoughts, a warm hand rested on his knee. He looked up at his mother, who was giving him a reassuring smile. He took a deep breath. 

"I kept having the same dream over and over again. Then, I saw the same few people in my dreams at the Kaitou KID heist I attended a few days ago. It all started after meeting Tsunayoshi-kun. The same nightmare repeated in my head. It was all in my point of view, and I stood in the middle of a sea of blood," Conan recounted calmly. His hands shook at each memory. Yukiko took his hands into hers, rubbing soothing circles on the back of his hands. Whatever plagued her son for him to react worse than when he was shrunk had to go.

But they could not pinpoint what was troubling him. 

Suddenly, Yukiko remembered a boy from a long ago-the child of his disguise mentor. She paused in her ministrations and glanced at Yusaku. He stood up to go get what she needed.

Yukiko started, getting Conan's attention. "My teacher has a son who looked just like you. If not for the way his hair was styled, I would have thought you followed me out. He was an energetic boy! And I distinctly remember he called me an auntie! An AUNTIE!" She lamented while falling into Yusaku's lap dramatically. 

Conan just stared. Yusaku coughed and then handed the photo album to him. 

"The boy is Kuroba Kaito. Look! Doesn't he look like you?" Yukiko squealed, recovering from her earlier exasperation towards the same boy she pointed out.

Conan looked at the little boy standing next to this man who he assumes is his mother's teacher. However, it did not look like Conan. 

It looked like that person in his dreams. 

In shock, he dropped the photo album and covered his eyes. He could not believe it, but no matter what he did, he saw that man again and again. He pushed the album away with his feet, jumping away from it as if the album was an accursed object.

Yusaku quickly picked the album up and placed it out from Conan's sight while Yukiko wrapped her arms around him, whispering soothing nothings in his ears. Whatever he saw had shocked him, and they knew never to show it to him again until he was comfortable. 

"Was that who you wanted to see?" Yusaku asked softly. 

"...Dad, what's wrong with me?" Conan asked, ignoring his father's question. There was a moment of silence. "I don't see the boy you mentioned, but that person in my dreams–a younger version of him."

Conan breathed slowly, trying to compose himself. The more he did it, the more he felt like a stretched rubber band being pulled apart. It was so confusing–he had no idea what is going on. He had so many questions, and he had to meet this person he saw in his dreams.