Chapter Four: The Unknown Call

Shinichi's POV

"Hmph. Shinichi left me again. How rude," she complained. Her cheek was on her hand while lookinng at the opened window of the agency. Uncle got to bed early. "He left me again." There's a hint of sadness in her voice. "He said he will come back but I will not hope anymore. Not anymore."

It's been a week since the incident to The Red Invitation happened. I really must leave fast to the scene when I finished talking to Inspector Megure to make sure Ran and the others won't suspect anything. Heiji helped me escaped but Ran suddenly blocked us from leaving.

A week ago, The Red Invitation...

"R-Ran," I stuttered as I looked at her. Her hands are both on her waist as she glared at me. It made me really nervous.

"O-Oi, Kudo. How do we passed your lady?" Heiji whispered to me.

"I don't know," I said and cleared my throat. "R-Ran, I have to go."

"Where?" She frowned. "You could stay for long."

"I can't," I said quickly.

"Why not?" she asked curiously, eyes are turning into slits. Those eyes are maming me much more nervous time by time.

"K-Kudo had some important things to deal with," Heiji said, making me sigh in relief.

"Huh? I thought you are now living peacefully in your apartment, Shinichi. You told me you finished your case."

"Mom just called me. She sent me something for me to encode," I lied.

"Oh. Could you do that here? I wanted to see your detective skills again," Ran said excitedly, eyes filled with pure amusement.

"I-I can't."

"What now?"

"It's a private one," I said. I put both of my hands on her arms. "Remember this. I will left you again but always stick to your mind that I will always love you even though we're far from each other and wait for me even years passed, okay?"

"Shinichi..." Tears are forming to the corner of her eyes. "I don't want to lose you again."

"You'll not lose me, Ran. I'm here..." I pointed to her chest. "...and also here. I'n living with you, Ran. Don't forget that."

~~~

In Hakase's house, The day after the event...

"So.... How's your night? Did the prototype of APTX 4869 worked well?"

"Yeah, no burning fueled in my body last night.," I said and looked at her.

Her back is facing me. She is wearing a white robe, protective glasses, and gloves as she puts up and puts down the tubes, as if observing them with her naked eye.

"The incident did really happened but me and Hattori were both having the wrong assumptions."

I saw Haibara stilled and glanced at me. "Hattori Heiji? He is there?"

"Yeah. Ran, Kazuha, Sonoko, Sera, and Makoto is also there. Even Kid's girl is in there. Also Inspector Nakamori is there," I answered.

I saw her smirked and she continued her previous work. "Looks like all the people you've known are in there, even Mouri-san."

I shrugged my shoulder. "Well, I didn't expect we could meet in the same place at once," I said and crossed my arms. "What are you doing anyways?"

"Testing something to make medicine for myself. The prototype you are using had been making several side effects to me so I need a prototype for my body to stimulate."

"Huh?"

"It was mine after all so I will not tell you any further details about ir," she said and put the tubes on the tube holder. She turned and was now facing me with her back leaned on the table and her arms crossed to her chest. "So, about Mouri-san."

I frowned. "What about her?"

"Be careful, Kudo," she said, warning is in her tone. "If you keep on seeing her as Shinichi and keep lying to her all the time, she might have gone suspicious about you. Ogling yourself might cause you to get caught in the amidst of your plans. You need to get ready once she knew that Edogawa Conan, the kid who she knew for almost three years, is only the famous high school detective, Kudo Shinichi."

"I know that," I said and leaned to the wall. "I am keeping an eye on her."

"Also, we knew the reason why she shouldn't found out your identity."

"Because her life would be in danger and she might be the one who will be targeted and not me."

"Exactly."

I snorted. "Exactly, my ass, Haibara. I told you, I'm keeping an eye for her all the time."

"What if there's someone who could catch you off guard?" I froze on what she said. "Don't be too boastful, Kudo. Expect the unexpected. Don't let your hopes get high just because you knew you are always there for Mouri-san. No. Mouri-san's will be in line soon if you don't take your action to be Conan. Remember, you're not in Shinichi's body anymore so don't act like him, act like a kid like what Mouri-san first saw you in that body. Act like Edogawa Conan, Kudo. "

~~~

Act like Edogawa Conan... That statement of hers had been stuck in my mind ever since but still, I'm trying to be Conan as possible as I can.

This is really hard. For the eighteen years, I'vd been living in the Earth, I never thought the day would come that I will act like a kid and it is in front of Ran and everyone to hide my true identity.

I sighed as I watched Ran watching the stars in the middle of the night. "It's pretty." Her eyes were shining bright as she looked at the stwrs up above.

I jumped out of the couch and pushed the chair beside Ran and climbed it. I looked at the stars. "Yeah. It's really pretty like Ran nee-chan."

Ran's POV

My head snapped to Conan-kun. Did he reaally say that? I'm confused.

Ever since Shinichi left me again, Conan's behavior had been really weird. It was as if Shinichi was in him. But that's impossible. Conan-kun and Shinichi are two different people, right?

That question had always been my question ever since Conan-kun started to look like Shinichi. His attitude, his form of act, how he takes care of me, how he always hang out with me when I asked him, how he always comfort me without any reason to tell why he wants to stay. It was all Shinichi's and I have been missing the way Shinichi did that to me.

Of course I knew they're relatives. Maybe it's in their blood.

"Conan-kun," I called to him. He looked at me and our eyes met. His eyes were like Shinichi's too. "Did you ever like someone?" I saw him stilled. I looked at the sky. "It's okay if you don't answer. I know you're still a ki--"

"Yeah." I forze to his answer. I looked at him unbelievably.

"Really?"

"Yeah," he asnwered.

If his tone of voice is not serious right now, I would've laugh so bad. But no, Conan is too serious to laugh at. His tone of voice was deep.

"Who?"

He looked at me and I was shocked as I saw pure sadness in his eyes. "The person who beside me," he answered.

My eyes widened as I felt my heart beating fast. "C-Conan-kun, I think you should sleep now. Maybe you are just too tired that you are saying nonsense thingd like that."

"No, I'm not. It's true. I liked you, Ran, and I love you. No, I'm in love with you. I'm high over heels in love with you, Ran."

Those words strike me in a bullseye. My heart is beating fast as my breath hitched. It was like Shinichi said that to me. But Conan is right in front of me. Why am I feeling this way?

"C-Conan-kun, I'm much older than you. You can't call me 'Ran'. It's 'Ran nee-chan'. And you can't like or love me because I'm in love with someone else."

Conan-kun's head looked down. I felt a sudden guilt. How could I say such things?

"Conan-kun, I'm--" Before I could finished my sentence, Conan jumped down the chair he was standing on and walked towards the agency's door.

He opened it and was about to leave when he stopped. He glanced at me and smiled before he closed the door with a bang.

I stared at the door as my head was spinning in too much confusion. What's that kid's problem to me?

Suddenly, I heard a vibration near me. I turned to look and found a red cellphone on the wooden table. Conan-kun must have left it there.

I picked it up. I frowned as I flipped his phone to see the number of the caller but I saw no name. It was only a number.

Who is this?

I answered the call and put it in my ears. "Hel--"

"Hello, Metantei. Are you ready?" The voice gives me chills. He chuckled so deep. He was like a devil. "Kudo Shinichi, we will track you wherever you are. Once we killed you, it's game over." Then, the call ended.

I stared at Conan's cellphone screen as fear and confusion crept into me. Shinichi? Why does the caller called Conan's number? Was it mistaken? My eyes widened as I came an idea came into my mind. Could it be...

"Ran nee-chan!" Before I turned to look, Conan jumped and grab his phone from my hand. He glared at me. "Did you saw anything?"

"N-No," I lied and nervously smiled. "Your phone just vibrated. I guess it only lagged."

Conan's eyes are looking at me like a hawk. It made me nervous. He was like trying to rip my brain to see the truth inside.

I sighed in relief when Conan turned his back on me and left the door. Maybe, he's still annoyed by what I said a while ago.

My mind came back to what the caller said. "Kudo Shinichi, huh?" I took out my phone and type a message to him.

To: Shinichi💕

How are you there? I've been missing you.❤️

If Conan-kun is Shinichi, then my suspicions will be right all along.

I sneakily opened the agency's as I hit send to my phone. I saw Conan is standing right where the door was.

His phone vibrated. I formed a smile on my lips. His frowned for a second but then, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Ah, it's Haibara!" he said and walked up the stairs as he put his phone to his ear. "Moshi moshi? Yes. Okay. I'll be going there tomorrow. Bye."

When I heard the door closed, I opened the agency's door wide as I looked at the door where Conan got in.

I hold my cellphone tight as I wait for Shinichi to aswer. A messaged suddenly popped out of my phone's screen.

From: Shinichi💕

I've been doing fine. I've been missing you too. I love you. ❤️

I smiled and looked to the door again. You can't fool me once more, Shinichi. I smirked. I'll prove to you that I could catch you off the bait as you being Conan.