Chapter Ten: Reminiscing Memories (Fight)

Ran's POV

"So, are you trying to explain to us that Shinichi nii-san can't remember us? What the hell?!"

We covered our ears as soon as Ayumi-chan shouted. Gosh. This nineteen-year-old girl has a loud scream.

"Can you calm down, Ayumi-chan?" Mitsuhiko said and sighed. "If Shinichi nii-san was really out of his mind--"

"Can't remember only, Tsubaraya-kun," Ai-chan corrected him.

"--can't remember us, I mean, what will we do now?" Mitsuhiko asked as he looked at all of us worriedly. "We can't just stand here waiting for him to get an unknown girl."

"Actually, he did have a girlfriend," I said, making their eyeballs almost popped out of their eyes sockets.

"What?!" they exclaimed.

"So... How does he have a girlfriend?" Ai-chan, who doesn't exclaim, looks like she doesn't care about Shinichi's girlfriend. "It looks like there's a reason behind it, right?"

At last, I have someone by my side who understands me.

I sighed. "He had an accident in America. Someone took advantage of his health back then and Hayley suddenly appeared and became his girlfriend, as what Yukiko-san said," I told them.

"So, Kudo-kun's mother doesn't agree with their relationship then?" Ai-chan asked.

"No, no! She agreed but I don't think she just did that to make Shinichi hidden from what the real scenario happened to him in America," I said.

"Aww~ Poor, Shinichi nii-san. Why does he undergo this such cruelty?" Ayumi-chan said in a cute voice. "We must take Shinichi nii-san's memory back then!"

"That's what I was going to tell you." I sighed. "I informed Yukiko-san to tell Shinichi about that. I told her to lie that there's a case to the Tropical Land so he could go there."

"Will he does not call the police?" Mitsuhiko asked.

I shook my head. "Not in my watch," I said. "And of course, I have known that detective jerk. He'll just go all by himself when there's a free case roaming around."

"Now, it's clear... Ran nee-chan, what are we going to do?" Ai-chan asked and everybody looked at me.

Before I explained, Ayumi-chan interrupted. "Wait, this has been bugging me. What's the name of Shinichi nii-san's girlfriend, Ran nee-chan?"

"Hayley Ford. The only information I know is that she became Shinichi's classmate from the same university he's in on America."

"Oh..." Ayumi-chan muttered. "O~kay. Now, back to the topic. What's the plan, Ran nee-chan?"

"Do we have a bowl of eel rice in the fridge, Haibara? I'm hungry right now," Genta suddenly said, making us facepalmed our faces.

"I'll go get it for you," Ai-chan said and looked at me. "Continue the meeting without me. I'll be able to catch up in just a few minutes." Then, she left.

"So... What's the plan?" they all asked.

Shinichi's POV

"Jimmy dear!" someone shouted near the doorway.

Ugh! That voice again...

"I'm here!" Hayley suddenly appeared in front of the living room and ran towards me. She sat beside me and joyfully snaked her arms around my arm. "How is my boyfriend going when I was gone?"

I looked at her unbelievably. "You've been gone from morning 'til afternoon and now, you're asking me how am I doing? I can't believe you've became my girlfriend."

"Why? Are you saying you don't like me as your girlfriend?" she asked as she looked at me with rage in her eyes. Uh-oh. She's mad.

"Hayley, I have no meaning other than--" I stopped as I saw her looking at me with those dagger-looking eyes. I sighed. "Look, I'm just joking around okay? No need to be mad? Control your temper. I do not like it."

"And I do not like what you said to me before," she said. "You know I am our girlfriend but you still have the guts to tell me that."

"Look, I'm sorry. Can we just put an end to this? I don't want to fight with you."

"Well, you started it. I'm just continuing it, idiot."

"I'm not an idiot. That's why I'm saying sorry."

"Don't talk to me, knucklehead," she said and turned her back on me.

I massaged my temple. She's really a mad girl right now. What a pain in the ass, really.

"Look, I'm so sorry what I just said before. Can you forgive me, Hayley? Please, baby?"

She looked at me with no emotion in the eyes. "Then, let's go on a date."

Wait, what?! "W-Wait, Hayley. I can't go. I have another--"

"Then, don't talk to me," she cuts me off and turned her back into me again.

I facepalmed myself. This is not going to look good. "Hayley, you can't just call on a date so suddenly."

"Why not? I'm your girlfriend. I have rights."

"But I will deal with something tonight. Sorry, but whether you like it or not, I can't go on a date today. I have an appointment today and my plate is already full. No reservation."

"Ugh! I really, really hate you right now, Jimmy!" She stood up and looked at me in the eyes. "You walked out on me this morning when that stupid girl went out of the house and now, you're telling me you have an appointment with something so you can't go on a date with me? How stupid are you, Jimmy?! Can't you just cancel all your plans today and treat me like your princess for a moment?"

I sighed. I'm getting frustrated by any moment. I stood up, towering Hayley. "Look. I wanted to hang out with you and all but this isn't the right time to be frustrated. There's a case rolling on and I have to--"

"Wait, what? A case? Again?" She looked at me with her eyes widened. "I can't believe you, JImmy. You're telling me now that you have a case rolling on? Is that the appointment you're telling me right now, Jimmy?"

I sighed heavily. My head is slowly getting cloudy in frustration. I licked my dry lips. "Look, Hayley. If you aren't going to say important, you may just go out of the house, will you?"

She scoffed. "Are you telling me to leave?" She looked at me unbelievably. "Jimmy, I just asked you to be with me on a date. A date, Jimmy. A FREAKIN' DATE. And you are saying that I have nothing important to tell you? What makes you think I'm here?"

"Hayley--"

"Why are you being like this to me, huh?" Her eyes are becoming glassy. One tear slowly goes down her cheek. "Don't you love me?" My lips came in a thin line. "Jimmy, why are you silent? You did love me do you?" Her keen eyes turned into slits.

I looked down and massaged my temple. My temper is running thin. This woman is my girlfriend but I don't know why I'm being frustrated so easily.

"Answer my question, Jimmy," she said, her voice is so low that it screams danger. "Do you love me?" she repeated.

I sighed heavily and turned away. "Look, Hayley. Just go out of the house."

"Answer me first, Jimmy! Do you love me?!"

"No! Now, go out of the house!" I shouted as I pointed the main door at her.

She froze in her position, tears coming down her eyes as she looked at me with sadness in her pupils. "You...do not love me?"

I stilled in my position. Wait, did I just answer her question? I sighed again. This conversation is getting deeper and deeper if this continues.

"The time is ticking, Hayley. If you don't get out of the house right now, I might tell you more hurtful words more than that," I said as I looked at her with no emotion involved at all. I don't know what's happening to me. I'm just not in the mood to play some feelings with my girlfriend. "Get out. Now."

"But you said was more than enough to hurt me, Jimmy!" she shouted as her tears keep streaming down her eyes. "I hate you! I really hate you!"

Then, she punched me on my chest before she turned her back on me and left through the main door.

I sighed heavily and I put myself down the catch as I processed everything. I raked my fingers through my hair and tugged it. "Ugh! This is not good."

Suddenly, my phone vibrated on top of the wooden table across me. I took it frustratingly and saw it was a call. I ended the call even though I do not know who the caller is. I don't care who is it.

I threw the phone back in the table but a few seconds later, it vibrated again. I took it frustratingly again and this time, I answered the phone call.

"What?!" I shouted.

"Woah, Shinichi. Calm down. It's Ran," the caller said on the other line.

I stilled and sighed. "Sorry. I am just stressed about something."

"Oh, okay. I've been waiting outside your house. Are you ready yet?" she asked.

I froze in a moment to process what she said. "Y-You're outside the house? My house?" I asked her.

"Yes," she answered.

I blinked a few times before taking a couple of breaths to calm my heart that was pounding so fast.

"Give me a few seconds," I replied and ended the call.

As if it was magic, my frustration became a confusion. What the hell does that woman do to me? Am I under Ran's spell or something? If so, how could she even do that with just a simple talk to me on the phone?

I shook my head and took a few breaths before going out of the house. I was stilled in the spot when I saw Ran waving outside the gate with two-- No, there are five other people with her.

I continue to walk and got out of the gate before looking at them. I immediately spotted a blonde-haired girl. "Sonoko," I called.

"Oh! So you still remember me from the last time we met? Amazing!" she said.

I rolled my eyes. Same old Sonoko, still the bubbly girl I knew from high school. Wait, why did I just think that she is a bubbly girl? Never mind.

I looked at the other people with Ran. There are two girls-- one with the short dirty blonde hair and the other with the short dark brown hair-- and two boys-- one who is thin with freckles in his face and one chubby boy with a round face.

"Oh, I guess you can't remember them," Ran said. "From left to right, we have Ai Haibara-chan, Yoshida Ayumi-chan, Tsubaraya Mitsuhiko-kun, and Kojima Genta-kun," she introduced.

"Hi! I'm Ayumi. I got a big crush on you before as Conan-kun, you know," she introduced.

I frowned. "Conan-kun?"

"You can't remember it, Kudo-kun," the girl named Ai Haibara said. I turned to look at her. She's pretty as I say. "Edogawa Conan. Ring a bell?"

I frowned as I looked at her with confusion. I raised an eyebrow at her. "Excuse me?"

"Well, well. Don't force him, guys. He doesn't seem to know all about his past life if we tell him all at once. Let's take it slowly," Sonoko announced.

Ran looked at me and smiled. That smile held something...

"You said there's a case going on. What is it?" I asked her.

Everybody suddenly looked at me with that expression as if I said something weird. I began to feel uncomfortable.

"Ahm, guys. Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked them.

They suddenly burst with laughter, the most were Ran. "Shinichi, we're not here for you to follow us on a case."

I frowned. "Wait. I'm confused. Mom said that you wanted me to help you go on with an unsolved case in an amusement park."

"She lied to you, Shinichi. We're going to have fun," Ran said with a smile. "Take a break in your cases." She suddenly held my hand and intertwined it. I looked at it. It feels warm. "We'll go to an amusement park called Tropical Land. Ring a bell?" I just looked at her. "Of course, you won't remember. Let's go."

She suddenly ran and pulled me with her that I almost tripped down. All the ones who were been left followed through and we stopped at a bus stop to wait for our bus to come.

Well, Ran was right. I couldn't agree more but to take break on my stressful days.

But the question is, why am I really going with her and ignored my girlfriend even though she invited me on a date?