Chapter Five: Assumptions (Part Two)

Shinichi's POV

After we finished the MOST boring "haunted house" in the history of the world, Ran decided to take a break.

The haunted house took our two hours in a row and all there was is a robotic while ladies, and fake scary insects.

Woo! Pretty scary, right? But anyways, it didn't called the "Most Scary Haunted House" in Tropical Land if it wasn't scary from anybody. I guess it just doesn't suit my level to be scared to death. .

Me and Ran stopped in front of an ice cream truck. She turned to me. "Conan-kun, what flavor do you want?"

"Chocolate mint," I answered as I sat on the bench across the truck.

"Hmm... That's what Shinichi's favorite too."

I suddenly stilled in positioning myself properly in the bench and looked at her. I've been mervous every time she said my name like as if she knew that I'm Shinichi by now. But no, I can't overthink yet. Like what Haibara saod, I probaly should prove first if she really knew my true identity or not.

"Here, Conan-kun." I looked up to see Ran handling me the ice cream.

"A-Arigatou, Ran nee-chan," I said and took the ice cream. I licked once to it while Ran sat beside me and licked her ice cream too.

"Conan-kun, did you ever saw your Shinichi nii-san?"

"Y-Yeah, once. Why, Ran nee-chan?"

"Does he teach you things he knew and brag about me all the time? 'Cause you know that I'm scared of ghosts."

"Ran nee-chan, most girls are scared of ghosts," I stated, which is true.

"But you can't know they're scared if they don't get to the situation first," she stated back and glanced at me. "Right, Conan-kun?"

I nodded and looked at the ice cream I was holding. This conversation is getting tough. It's going somewhere. I could feel Ran has a plan.

"Is the ice cream good, Ran nee-chan?" I instantly changed the topic.

"Hmm... It's good," she replied, licking the ice cream and smiled when she looked at me. "I missed this."

I frowned. "Huh?"

"Being here, in Tropical Land. It's been two years since I last saw this place." She chuckled. "The improvement of this amusement park is pretty amazing. There are new rides to try on too."

"I guess you want to go here with Shinichi nii-san, right, Ran nee-chan?"

"But, he's here," She looked at me intently, "right here—" I gulped as I felt the tension coming from her eyes. It was like reading my soul. "—in my heart," she added. I sighed in relief. I thought she knew my identity in a minute. "Let's finish our ice cream fast, Conan-kun. We will still try the other rides."

Even though she acts weird like she has a plan to me, I could found the excitement to her voice. The excitement is all around her, even her eyes screams excitement. My girl really has the heart of a kid.

I shook my head as I continue to eat the ice cream to clear my head out of Ran. I really called her "my girl" even though we're still not yet coupled but yeah, I still don't know if we are really or not. You know, we both clicked to each other and had both of that mutual understanding but in those two years, it's still a date and until now, it's still a date. And that's the frustrating part.

I want her to be my girlfriend but I can't because I'm stuck in a child body. It was not right to have a mutual understanding in a much older girl than you here. But I'm an exception. I'm not a kid. I'm just stuck in being a kid and I would be a kid until Haibara gets the perfect antidote to make me go back to normal.

We finished eating our ice cream and go to the next ride. It was a roller-coaster but a different theme. As we lined up to buy tickets, I looked up at Ran whose smiling all the way up to her ears.

"Ran nee-chan, you are scared of roller-coasters right?" I said, making her head turned to me. "Last time you went to a roller-coaster with Shinichi nii-san, there's a case accidentallly being invovled. Are you not traumarized?"

"How did you know that?" She frowned as she looks at me curiously but turned her head to the line. She glanced at me. "Well, it was normal for detectives magnetized in many crimes. Shinichi is with me that time, that of course, is an unexpected case but still, Shinichi managed to solve it. I was jsut terrified, not traumatized unless someone is just worried that he'll scream in fear taking high rides like roller-coasters," she teases.

"I-I'm not scared, Ran nee-chan," I denied fast.

"Eh? Really? Do little Conan-kun say his last words before the ride?"

"Ah... Er..."

"Ma'am," the lady called. I sighed as Ran walk towards the entrance booth.

"How many tickets, Ma'am?"

"Two," Ran answered.

The lady looked at me before returning hee glance at Ran. "Kids were not allowed in the ride, Ma'am. He's too little," she said.

Ran looked at me before returning her look to the lady. She held my hand. "Ah... This kid? He's my brother. I'm sure he could handle it. Ne, Conan-kun?"

I nodded. "Hmm."

"But, Ma'am--"

"I can do the ride. I'm not scared," I argued.

The lady sighed. "Here, Ma'am. Two tickets," she said as she hand two tickets to Ran. Ran smiled and said 'thank you'.

We lined up to the crowd until we got into the rollercoaster. Ran made me go first, then she sat next to me afterwards. We pulled the safety lock.

I looked at Ran to see her staring at nothing. "Ran nee-chan? Are you okay?"

She looked at me. "I-I'm fine. I'm just nervous."

Now, who's the scared one? I sighed. "I see that. You look pale, Ran nee-chan. If you're scared we could change destina--"

"No, I'm fine," she said gripping my hand tightly. "It's just... It's been a long time since I ride a rollercoaster."

"Oh, I see. Then, hold my hand tight, Ran nee-chan. If you're scared, just shout. It'll make you feel better while you're in the ride."

She smiled nervously at me and nodded weakly. I looked at the front as the train starts to go backwards slowly.

"The train will move in 3... 2... 1..."

As the train starts to move faster, Ran gripped my hand so tightly and closed her eyes. Her hands are sweating and it is ice cold. When the train goes down fast, she screamed her lungs out. I also screamed but with joy.

The ride ended after a couple of minutes. Ran looks wear-out. Her face was pale, her shoulders slumped down, and she lets out a heavy sigh. I chuckled by the sight of her. I caught a glance of her glare.

"What are you laughing at, Conan-kun?"

"You looked worn out, Ran nee-chan," I said between my laugh, holding my stomach as I felt the air suffocating my tummy. "You looked like you got stressed on something."

"I am and that's the roller coaster!" she exclaimed and pouted. "Oh, I hate roller coasters," she said and went out of the roller coaster area. I shook my head as I followed her.

Ran's POV

We got into some rides before me and Conan-kun decided to go home. It is getting dark anyways. And we're also tired so I think we call it a day.

"Conan-kun, can we go to a place before we go home?" I said as I stopped my tracks.

Conan-kun stopped walking and looked at me. He frowned. "I thought you're tired, Ran nee-chan and it's getting darker now. Let's head home now, Ran nee-chan."

"Let's walked home after we got to the last place. Please, Conan-kun?" I begged. My palms are stick to each other. This is just my last resort to prove that he's really Shinichi.

He sighed. "Fine," he said as he let out a heavy breath. He scratched his nape. "Well, if Ran nee-chan wants it, I'll have the patience to wait, I guess."

"Arigatou, Conan-kun." He just shrugged his shoulders and follow through when I started walking.

I'll be giving my last statement to him once I prove my assumptions are right.

~~~

We stopped our tracks in front of a gate. It was now rusty and the garden in front was full of leaves. The lamplight outside was blinking furiously.

The door creaked open as I slowly pushed it. When you looked up, there's a mansion standing in the center of the land. It looks old and unfashionable these days. Roots were on the mansion's outer white walls leaving a few cracks. Trees are grown big up to the rooftop. The unique designed mansion is no different from what was left off before.

We walked towards the pathway until we reached the wooden door to the front porch. It looks not being dusted by anyone. Ever since the neighbor left, the house left with no person taking care of it. It was a rumor that a ghost is lurking in the mansion but I know it's not true.

I opened the wooden door. It made a creaking noise like in the horror movies. As I opened the door, the bright light of the moon is what I first saw that cascades down the glass rooftop in the center of the room.

"Ran nee-chan, why are we in Shinichi nii-san's house?" I heard Conan-kun asked. I ignored him and walked towards the door across the main door.

I opened the door and walked in. It is the huge library that the mansion has. All novels, encyclopedias, and pieces of literature on the shelves are all in the position of the Kudo Family. I walked to the shelves as I brushed my fingertips to the dusted books. I stopped on my tracks when I noticed something.

"Edogawa Ranpo... Arthur Conan... Doyle..." I muttered. An idea popped in my head as my eyes widened but then, I smiled. "A made-up name from a London and Japanese author, huh? As always, you're good in pretending, Shinichi. You made me look like a fool, combining two authors in one name."

"Ran nee-chan?" I looked at Conan-kun, whose standing far away from me. His glasses are shining in the light of the mood coming from the big glass window. "Are you crying?"

I touched my cheek and that's what I came to realize I am crying. I wiped my tears fast and force a smile at him. I don't want Conan-kun to see me crying. I don't want Shinichi to see me crying.

I turned my back at him. "Ne, Conan-kun..."

"Hmm?"

"Are you somehow related to... Edogawa Ranpo?"

"The Japanese author?" I nodded. "W-Why are you asking, Ran nee-chan?"

"You have the same surname as him. Edogawa Ranpo... Edogawa Conan... It is the same, right?"

"I-It was a coincidence, Ran nee-chan. As what you know, I am a relative of Kudo Shinichi nii-san--"

"Because you're Kudo Shinichi, right?" There. I dropped the bomb to him.

His face was unexplainable. It was pale as he looked at me unbelievably. He smiled nervously. "R-Ran nee-chan, that isn't possible. W-Why are you--"

"Don't joke around with me anymore!" I shouted. He flinched and took a step back. "Don't lie to me anymore! If you lie again to me, I will hate you for enternity!"

I am mad, so mad that I exploded. I was finding him all the time and this is the perfect time for confronting him.

"R-Ran nee-chan--"

"Stop calling me Ran nee-chan! It's Ran! Ran is my name!" My eyes teared up. "Why? Why are you being like this? Why are you--"

My eyes widened as I felt fear through my body when I saw Conan-kun suddenly held onto his chest and groaned out loud, eyes closed and gritting his teeth.

"C-Conan-kun?" I ran towards him. I panicked. "Are you okay?" His body suddenly fell off the floor. "Conan-kun! Conan-kun!"

Shinichi's POV

My body feels hot! My heart is pounding eratically.

"Conan-kun, hold on! I'm going to call an ambulance."

My eyes became blurry. I could feel my eyelids wanting to close soon.

My body became more heater. It was like I am inside the sun. My eyes widened as I felt the striking pain in my chest. I screamed my lungs out.

I saw Ran's figure. I smiled weakly at her as I felt my body slowly weakening by any second. I felt her hands on my hand. She hold it. It's warm.

"Ran..." I muttered before my eyes constantly closed.