A/N: So, hi guys! In here is my first legit attempt at a HakuSera piece, albeit cut into two to fit the word requirement. This is written for Poirot Cafe's 6-8k Word Competition, with the theme, "Travel." For this, I resurrected Bell Tree Liner, as seen in Payback. The story takes place around five years after canon.

DISCLAIMER: Some information may not be correct. I know nothing about cruising and cruise ships. This is a work of fiction. London Bridge High School is a property of Aoyama-sensei, and Bell Tree Liner is fictional. Contains hints of KaiAo, HakuAka, one-sided KaiSumi, HakuSeraKai bromance and stuff like that. Enjoy!~

THE GETAWAY

Summary: A cruise trip to Europe is what Masumi thinks their good friend, Saguru, needs to forget his recent breakup and the stress with his parents. But their misadventures will prove to them that it takes getting lost to once again find themselves. Written for Poirot Cafe's 6-8k Competition#3: Travel

1

"So… I heard from Kaito-kun you're taking a break next semester," Masumi casually stated as she roamed around the Hakuba Manor study one uneventful afternoon, eyes glancing up to the older one's figure by the mahogany table. Tired, almond eyes, turning red along the edges, never looked up from his reading material as Saguru leaned back on the couch and replied.

"I'll be gone for a year."

The 22-year-old girl pursed her lips, preparing herself with her question.

"Is… is it because of her?"

"No. I just thought I needed a break, is all," the older one said as-a-matter-of-factly, except Masumi was not at the least convinced.

"Liar. If there are two people in this planet you can't lie to, it's Kaito-kun and me." She skipped towards the blonde, flung an arm around him and purred, "We're buddy-buddies aren't we? You can tell me."

Quite used to the physical contact by now, Saguru didn't even flinch when the eternally cheerful tomboy intentionally grazed his cheek. Instead, he gave an exasperated sigh and gingerly removed her person from him. Masumi pouted at this reaction—or the lack thereof. This trick used to work on him, especially when he and Akako were still a couple, but now…

A mischievous grin curved her features as an idea crossed her cunning head. Slowly, Masumi leaned so her lips slightly brushed against the shell of his ear, then whispered as seductively as she can.

"Sa~guru~"

This caused him to go to a state of panic, and in a matter of seconds, Saguru, cheeks painted red, already had his back on the farthest bookshelf, a hand on his chest, like he just had a heart attack and heaving like his oxygen supply got pretty thin.

"D-don't even—!" he exclaimed, an accusing finger pointed to his "assailant." The ebony-haired girl groaned at this pathetic display. In the end, she realized, the reason their friend put himself in solitary confinement was because of his recent breakup. After all, if it wasn't, he wouldn't be acting the way he did when she addressed him the way Akako used to.

Stomping towards her companion, Masumi whined, "I knew it! You still haven't forgotten her! Hakkun, don't you think it's high-time you realize Akako-san's never coming back?"

Saguru rolled his eyes upon this statement. It ticked him even more than the fact that Masumi yet again used the nickname he finds rather annoying. Of course, a part of him still believes his ex-girlfriend's coming back. He's just… giving her the space she needs when she broke it up. Is that too much to give?

"Please, a girl like you stuck with crushing on the emotionally unavailable wouldn't understand," the guy from London argued, making his way back to the couch.

"What won't I understand?" Masumi challenged, hands placed on her hips and tailing the taller one.

"She's my first love—"

"And first heartbreak. Aoko-chan doesn't count," the girl interrupted. To that, Saguru simply pursed his lips, gave Masumi a blank look, settled back down and went on with his reading like nothing happened. Masumi let out an ample amount of breath, blowing her bangs in the process. "Operation Help Kaito-kun with the Saguru Predicament" proved to be much more difficult than she thought. At this rate, Saguru's never coming out of his "hermit-crab state" until next year's semester begins.

Time to take out her trump card…

"Tell you what, let's make a wager. I'll help you forget. Let me borrow you for the next six months," said she, elbows on the table, directly parallel to the lad. Saguru tilted his head to her, a curious gaze glued to her moss-green eyes, as if urging her to go on. "We'll go halfway across the world. All expense paid—"

"By a generous sponsor, I suppose?" the Brit interrupted, one brow raised in suspicion as he absentmindedly flipped the pages of the book he suddenly lost interest in.

"It doesn't matter. The point is, if you forget her by next year, you'll have to pay me back in full."

"What if I don't?" Saguru inquired, trying but failing to sound disinterested. Typical of Masumi-kun to present him a challenge, really, just because she knows he's not backing down on such… Does she think such challenge would help him move on?

Waiting for the other's response, Saguru made the mistake of looking up at the other college student. She's no longer leaning on the table, but what bothered the blonde was her expression.

Masumi wears the carefree smile she always does, but the green in her eyes seemed lackluster somehow.

In an instant his features softened up. He knows that look. That was the same gaze Kaito—or rather Kaito as KID—used on him when he announced he'd quit being a detective. That was the gaze of one afraid to lose a friend.

It was obvious she was forcing a smile when she told him, "Then you can do whatever you want. If you want to waste the rest of your life waiting for her, no one's gonna stop you."

"Too bad, then," said he, trying his best to hide his concern by once again bringing his attention on the book in his hands. "I've scheduled a flight back to London next week—"

"Cancel it!" Masumi practically growled, as if the somber feel of her previous sentence dissolved instantly. The statement sounded more like a command than a request, and Saguru flinched from this sudden outburst.

"Going back to London won't make you forget. I've got tickets for a six-month European cruise aboard Bell Tree Liner. All I want is to take you with me. After that, you can have your life back."

"I've been all around Europe enough to learn each country by heart," Saguru reasoned, feeling a bit smug when he did. Only, Masumi pressed on.

"But I haven't, and it'll be my job to make sure you stay away from thoughts of Koizumi Akako by giving me a grand tour all over the place. Plus, Kaito-kun said the ship's docking in London three-ish months from the start of the cruise. So, what d'you say, Haku-chan?"

To this, the girl fancied herself with the couch's armrest and once again flung her arms around the other one.

"Come on, Hakkun! Let's get lost together~" Masumi urged with a gentle shake. She can feel him wavering underneath that tough exterior.

"But Baaya and Watson—"

"Will be perfectly fine without you," she finished. "And Kaito-kun volunteered himself with watching over your place."

With furrowed brows Saguru examined Masumi for a while. She wore the grin that suggests there's no way he can refuse now. A slight twitched escaped his lips, before he sighed in defeat and ruffled his hair in feigned irritation.

"All right, fine!" he barked. "But if I win I won't let you meddle in my love life again, and you won't ever use that disastrous excuse for a nickname, you got that?"

The female detective's grin couldn't have been wider as she teased, "Oh I dunno. Meddling in your love life is a job made exclusively for Kaito-kun and me, after all. As for the nickname, it'd take more than a bet to make us stop teasing you, Hakkun… or should I once again call you the way Akako-san used to?"

Masumi moved her brows suggestively at the boy in her grasp. Said boy could only pinch the bridge of his nose as a headache ensued.

"Really. Sometimes I wonder why I'm friends with you lot at the first place."

"Ah you, don't start with that. You love us," the ebony-haired lass stated as-a-matter-of-factly, giving her companion another playful squeeze before she reached for her pocket and fished out one ticket aboard the European cruise.

And so, surrendering himself to his fate, Hakuba Saguru found himself at the docks in front of the grandiose Bell Tree Liner a week later as the eternally bubbly Sera Masumi's tour guide.

-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-

"The Bell Tree Liner, owned by the prestigious Suzuki Corporation, became the stage of Kaitou Kid's Crimson Dawn heist in its maiden voyage…" the girl in light blue uniform and neon pink scarf babbled on as she led Saguru and Masumi to their room. Masumi couldn't contain her excitement as her eyes roamed around the interior of the largest ship in the world. Gold trinkets accentuated light blue and white wallpaper, and chandeliers above them sparkled like dozens of diamonds. Fuzzy, beige carpets covered the floor. The foyer alone branches to corridors connected from one area to another, in a seemingly-endless abyss of pure materialism. Their escort went on and on about the ship's facilities and equipment, the various rooms for sports, shopping, dining and other recreational activities, free to use by its guests anytime they please. Finally, about ten minutes of dragging their luggage and climbing staircase after staircase, their mid-20s guide stopped by the door at the end of the upper deck's corridor and turned to the pair.

"Purchases can be made using this card," said the staff member, raising a gold-plated piece of plastic not unlike a credit card, "which also doubles as your room's key," she continued. She then turned to face the door and demonstrated the use of the card key. A small beep sounded before she turned the door's handle and ushered her guests in.

"Of course, the card only works inside the ship. Purchases you make will automatically be accounted for in your bill once the cruise is over," the brunette gleamed at the pair. Lastly, she handed the card key to Saguru and finished, "Enjoy your stay aboard Bell Tree Liner, Mr. and Mrs. Kuroba!"

Both college students stopped short at this. The grin on Masumi's face got wiped off completely, and Saguru's almond eyes turned as big as saucers.

"O-oh, no, we're not them," the female detective stuttered.

"But your tickets say you're the Kurobas. Unless…"

The girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Her features read "This is another case of identity theft so I'll have to call the police" very clearly that the two were left with no choice but to cling to each other like magnets and try to fool her.

"Oh, uhm, hahah. O-of course that's us… r-right, Darling?" Masumi nervously interjected, squeezing his arm as she did. In the same way, Saguru awkwardly leaned closer to his companion and patted her hand.

"W-we decided to join a cruise for our honeymoon," said he. The twin fake smiles on the not-couple's faces twitched in unison. Thankfully their escort let it go just as quickly and left without another word.

As the door closed in front of them, Saguru and Masumi remained frozen on the spot.

"So… apparently we're married now?" was Masumi's squeaky comment. The superintendent general's son narrowed his eyes at the girl beside her and queried, "Where did you say you got the tickets from again?"

Masumi pursed her lips, detaching herself from the blonde and mumbled, "Kaito-kun gave them to me. I'm not aware he put them under his name."

"I knew it. We've been tricked. We shouldn't have come here. That Kurobaka set us up!"

The frustration in the older one's voice was evident now. Only, it diminished once the pair turned their backs on the door.

"Whoa. We're staying here?!" was Masumi's comment of disbelief. In front of them was a studio-type suite, twice as big and thrice as expensive as her hotel rooms. The walls and floor follow the same design as the foyer. A mini chandelier dangled above them. A mini bar is located to the left, together with a round table made of glass, a door leading to the bathroom, and a sliding glass door, parallel to the entrance, leading to what appeared to be a balcony.

"This is… fancier than I expected," said the British boy. Beside him, Masumi rummaged through the cabinet on their right, only to find a dress and a pairing suit. With it she found a note addressed to them.

"Huh. I guess it's not just Kaito-kun who planned this to happen. Look at this."

And they read:

Sera-chan! Hakuba-kun!

Welcome aboard Bell Tree Liner!
I've picked my most favorite suite in the ship especially for you two.
I hope you enjoy your all-expense paid cruise. You can thank Kai-chan later. He's your primary sponsor, after all. Do everything you can while it lasts, Lovelies!

Love,

Sonoko

P.S. Wear these for the Welcome Party happening on the first night. Oh, and don't forget to take pictures, Kuroba Couple!

The blonde, still baffled by the setup, plucked the note off the detective's fingers. Meanwhile, Masumi cringed in discomfort as she raised a pair of pumps by the strap. "She expects me to wear these?"

"You can survive a night on high heels and a fancy dress. But God, she expects us to share a bed for half a year," complained the flaxen-haired lass, a hand pointed to the direction of the offending piece of furniture. Masumi's olive eyes traveled to the direction her companion's pointing to and was, at the lack of better word to use, astonished to find a King-sized bed in the middle of the room. The girl's frustrations about the heels seemed to melt as she skipped merrily to the bed and flung herself on it.

"I don't mind. Oh God this is soft!" she purred, much to the blonde's chagrin.

"We can't do that! W-we're not even dating," he stuttered, and he'd bet his sorry hind he's probably flushing like crazy.

"It's not like we're gonna do anything here other than fall asleep."

"Even so…"

Masumi rolled her eyes at the fuss. Sitting up the bed, she told him, "Oh come on, Hakkun! We've been friends for four years! You can't tell me you're still uncomfortable with me."

"It's not that. And stop calling me that!"

"Well, if the bed bothers you that much, I can take the couch," the girl suggested, tilting her head to the direction of a black couch by the wall facing the television set, only to get another objection from her cruise partner.

"I won't let you. You take the bed."

"How about we take turns? Is that good enough for you?" she suggested again, this time with hands on her hips. Saguru furrowed his brows. No matter, the end result to this argument is he'll end up sleeping with her—just sleeping. The blonde heaved a long sigh of defeat.

"I can't win against you, can I?"

The pout on Masumi's features disappeared almost instantly, to be replaced by her fanged smile. She walked towards him, clung to him the same way she did a while back and said, "In case you forgot we're listed as the Kuroba Couple. We can fake that for six months can't we?"

"Besides, it's got a nice ring to it… Kuroba Saguru… Kuroba Masumi…"

Upon this, Saguru scoffed and said in sarcasm, "Oh really?"

She shrugged this off, saying, "What? A girl can dream…" and proceeded to exploring the rest of their suite.

"Masumi-k—"

"Oh, then I guess that means I'll have to start calling you Saguru-kun too…" said she as she slid the door to the balcony and caught sight of the pool.

"Masumi-kun—"

"WHOA! It's a pool!"

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Yeah I get it. Kuroba, taking turns, change of rooms… But Saguru-kun it's a frickin' pool! In our room! How many times in a lifetime can one stay in a multi-million dollar suite with chandelier-lit rooms and Jacuzzis and golden shower heads and a pool? Man, I've never grasped just how filthy rich Sonoko-chan is until now."

"As always, you're easily impressed," commented the blonde, to which Masumi stuck her tongue out to him and reasoned, "Nope. It just takes a lot of effort to impress you."

"So, you mean to tell me you're perfectly fine with this arrangement?"

"Yes. Aren't you?"

"It is one of a kind… and the mini-bar is well-stocked. Very well."

"And we're sharing the bed—no buts. It's the softest thing ever," Masumi exclaimed, proving her point by squealing and rolling around the piece of furniture. "Let's just place pillows or something in between if it bothers you."

The superintendent general's son gave his companion a lopsided look, not unlike the ones he's been showing when he's half-pondering, half-bothered by something.

"I got to say, you're eternally cheerful," he sputtered, even before he can stop himself. In response Masumi shrugged.

"I had to. Just how do you expect me to cheer you up if I'm not cheerful?"

With that, Saguru once again resigned his fate to whatever's going to listen to him.

-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-

The Welcome Party that night (mashed up with the ship's grand tour) got the not-couple weary about their pretend relationship, but it didn't stop them from actually preparing for it. The least they could do was to show up, after all. Sonoko-chan provided them with appropriate clothing. The heiress prepared an emerald-green cocktail dress that accentuates her silhouette, shows a bit of skin around her neck area and reaches up to Masumi's knees, paired with black pumps which, to the opinion of the tomboyish girl, can be used to poke someone's brains out. For Saguru, now the embodiment of a very gentlemanly Kuroba—minus the moustache and prickly brown hair—she picked out a black suit with a matching dark green tie and emerald-embedded cuff links to compliment Masumi's outfit.

Saguru was at the least surprised with Sonoko-kun's choice of clothing for their good friend, no. What surprised him more was Masumi, herself. More than the fact that she looked like a doll with her porcelain skin and legs that seem to go on and on, what left the blonde slack-jawed was the fact that make-up, when used right and in moderation, can make her pass as a movie star—the heroine type, not the action flick, Angelina Jolie-type they once agreed on.

"I didn't know you can use make-up," he said out of the blue, once he stopped behind her by the vanity.

"Kaito-kun taught me."

"What for?"

"We had to go undercover once. Y'know, Kudou stuff."

Masumi pressed her lips together, effectively finishing her transformation, before she spun on her chair and asked her companion. "So? How do I look?"

"Naturally beautiful," Saguru, equally dashing with the suit and tie on, complimented with a small grin. "Come here for a minute."

Before Masumi can even react, Saguru grabbed hold of a hairpin and a comb, and pulled on an ample amount of her ebony hair, much to her protest.

"H-hey, what are you doing?!"

"You're not the only one who learned things from Kaito-kun."

"Not gonna ask about that, but you can't mess with my hair!" the smaller of the two shouted, but the more she resist, the more Saguru insisted.

"Trust me. You'll look much better."

And indeed, after a minute or so, her naturally wavy mane looked more high-fashioned than ever, shocking even Masumi, herself.

"Shall we go?" asked he, offering his arm to her once she finished gawking at her reflection.

"Can you lend me your arm, though? I can't walk on these," Masumi sheepishly informed him. High heels are her natural enemies, and Sonoko forcing her on one is no exception.

With his gentlemanly gleam in place, Saguru stated with the tone that makes anyone swoon over him, "That goes without saying. I'm your date tonight, remember, Mrs. Kuroba?"

At this Masumi snorted.

"R-right."

-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-

Both Saguru and Masumi, masquerading as the Kuroba couple were, in general, having fun in the Welcome Party so far. There are fancy people and equally fancy food. By the time the tour started, Masumi's already clinging by Saguru's arm like an overgrown sloth, thanks to her (literally) "killer shoes." What made the night unbearable for the two, though, was the presence of the perverted mid-30s idiot who annoyed every girl in attendance—and yes, that included Sera Masumi, who was victimized by the guy by grabbing her butt. Not one to pass the chance of a payback, the offended jeet kune do practitioner broke the man's nose, kicked him in the nuts and dragged her out the ballroom, high-heeled shoes and all, in search of the authorities. Saguru followed suit, of course, in the guise of "making sure his wife stays safe," and helped with the police until it was settled.

On their way back to their suite, very well contented with how the situation turned out, Masumi walked around with her shoes hanging by her fingers, shouting "Case closed!" as loud as she can.

"It's a good thing that wasn't murder, huh? That would've ruined the entire trip," she added as an afterthought. To this, half-lidded Saguru can only think it's a good thing she didn't kill her attacker.

"You're awfully ecstatic," the blonde commented.

"Cos it's detective work," the girl reasoned. Saguru interjected "Oh really?" in the background as his partner continued, "We've never worked together since Tantei Koushien."

"Come to think of it… It's my first case in three years."

Masumi fell silent on this. The entire ruckus, and the way she and Saguru fixed it, made her forget he dropped the entire detective thing around the time they started college. Masumi gave an exasperated heave before she asked him, "Why did you quit being a detective anyway?"

"Mother always wanted me to be a doctor. I promised I'd stop come college."

"You'll do it anyway, right? In the future? I mean it's your nature Saguru-kun. You can't give it up."

The girl's got a point, thought the former detective. Without dismissing that possibility, he merely said, "We'll see," not forgetting why he's currently in an argument with both of his parents.

Once Saguru and Masumi reached their room, even before the lad has settled, Masumi almost literally flew to the direction of the bed, all the while complaining about her aching feet, and fell asleep, even before Saguru can offer her a nice warm bath.

The blonde ex-detective stared at his companion blankly, not knowing how to react to what he just witnessed.

This will be the longest six months of his life, he thought with a sigh… Just him and quirky Sera Masumi, sharing a suite, a bed, and a name…

But then again, he guessed it wouldn't be so bad with the future FBI agent's childlike exuberance and unpredictability keeping him entertained.

-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-

And so it was that eventually their make-believe relationship bloomed into something legitimately believable.

In a span of a week, they've gotten used to sharing a bed. Masumi's gotten used to Saguru's semi-nocturnal tendencies, and said guy's gotten used to her being a sleep-talker and an active sleeper (the pillow barriers don't do much, he realized. He'd sometimes wake up with her hair tickling his cheeks, or her breath on his neck. Worst of all was getting kicked in between the legs—it's crazy!). They've also arranged to alter their wardrobe a little, so that they'd look more like lovers than brothers. By the end of first week, they unanimously agreed they'd make believable newlyweds if they'd rehearse enough to be able to complete each other's sentences.

Week two got Saguru thinking about the differences between Masumi and his ex-girlfriend. Why wouldn't he, when in a span of three years, he'd spent an awful lot of his precious time memorizing the temptress' every move, every interest, even her sadistic tendencies; it's hard to get them out of his system? His conclusion: Sera Masumi is nothing like Koizumi Akako. This was solidified even more by the fact that, by virtue of her endless teasing, she forced him to reveal things he's never told anyone (except Kaito) before. What can he say; the ebony-haired girl is pretty persuasive in a non-seductive way. She forced him into talking about secret after secret, so long as she keeps telling him something about hers as well… under the pretense that telling secrets will not only help them learn about each other. It will also strengthen their so-called bond.

And so he listened, about why she keeps her hair short, the sleepless nights she and Kaito-kun spent to help Kudou-kun, her older brother's fake death. In turn she listened, about how he got Watson, about Baaya as his mother-figure, and, most notably, why he's currently not on terms with either of his parents.

"You know my Mother hates me, right?" he started, once he got Masumi to promise this'll be the last one before they retire to their room. Masumi slung her arms on the railings of the observation deck.

"Yeah?"

"Well, she's a very ambitious woman."

The girl nodded, silently urging the older one to continue. And so he did, uninterrupted, and all the while gazing at the sunset before them.

"Whenever she got the chance, Mother immersed me to book after book about medicine and physics… stuff like that, but the truth is I never liked them…

"Until Sherlock Holmes came along, at least. Of course, she didn't like it. I've never shown interest in her line of work, and then all of a sudden I'm tailing my Father everywhere, just to see how he does his. Bottomline, I'm nothing like her, except for my hair."

At this he unconsciously reached for his golden mane, hands eventually settling on his chin.

"Needless to say, I'm not the son she wanted. To her eyes, I'm invincible. I'm just another idiot she had to deal with."

"Then what did she want?" asked she, to which Saguru replied in monotony, a sure sign he didn't want to be him right now.

"She wanted me to be like her. That's why I decided I'd pursue a medical degree. Now, Father acts like I'm the most rebellious child on the planet. He always thought I'd become like him."

Masumi winced bitterly. Saguru's family situation's clear to her now. Two ambitious people got together, and Saguru, caught in between, was left to make sure he remains impressive to both of them. Except… they seem to have clashing ideas about what it means to be impressive. The olive-eyed girl bit her lip, unsure of what to say, until finally she settled with asking what she thought to be a relevant query.

"What do you want?"

Masumi watched as Saguru slowly turned his head to her, tired, dull eyes echoing the frown on his lips.

"To be honest, I don't know anymore. Whether or not I become a doctor, Mother will continue to pretend I don't exist, and Father will keep arguing with her about my life choices…" a long, exhausted sigh, before the blonde leaned his head to the railings. "I don't know what I should be doing."

A minute of silence enveloped them, save for the constant sound of the strong wind and the calming sea. It was Masumi who broke it first, with an exultant, "Perfect!" complete with her signature smirk.

"Huh?"

"We've got a lot of time to spend staring at the sea. You've got more than enough time to think about it… which means you'll have no time to think about Akako-san and I'm going to win this bet!" she declared with all the confidence she can muster. Contrasting this was Saguru furrowing his brows in doubt.

"You're still not letting that go?"

Her snaggletooth grin was enough reply to this. She then spun around and skipped away with the boy on his heels.

She wouldn't admit it outright, but that little moment where Saguru trusted her enough to reveal some of his secrets—secrets that prove he's a beautiful, imperfect human being—got Masumi thinking Hakuba Saguru just became her newfound crush.

No sooner that she said those words, week three made Masumi doubt she can even win the challenge. In every little thing, even as little as the pieces of parsley on last night's dinner, reminds Hakuba Saguru of Akako; it almost seemed impossible for Masumi to intervene. That was when "Do everything you can while it lasts" really mattered to the female detective, as they spent the rest of the week renting movies, playing video games, chess, tennis and football—generally being hormonal 22-year-olds getting their friendly rivalries in place—indulging in as much food and drinks as they can and, what Saguru liked most of all, spending time with the library's extensive collection of books, until the ship arrived at their first stop—Africa.

Week four bore witness to what Hakuba Saguru would like to call Masumi's "womanly urges," an extreme contrast of the previous week's seemingly-endless positive energy. She spent the last five days almost emptying the ship's convenience store's junk food aisle and consuming cinnamon-based pastries, it was as if she's a craving mother during pregnancy. Worst of all was her urge to break and/or get into fights with just about anyone or anything she sets her eyes on… and yes, that included a hair dryer, Sonoko's shoes, and an innocent piece of potato chip. Luckily, Saguru, as grounded as always, was there to calm her down with a nice pot of chamomile tea and a pretty convincing offer to use the bathtub (he later on finds out water is her natural element and uses this to his advantage).

From there, Masumi would instinctively sleep on the couch as precaution during red days. More than anything else she didn't want to cause her obviously male companion unnecessary panic if he wakes up one morning with bloodstained sheets. The blonde caught on eventually, keeping his distance so as not to fall victim to her wrath just in case. No matter how tomboyish and low-maintenance his roommate is, Masumi is still a woman, after all. And it's a universal fact that women, by default, are scary.

By the time the ship docked in Italy two and a half months into the cruise, the not-couple can read each other like they've always been connected by the hip, not unlike their good friends, Kaito and Aoko. They've also mastered the art of completing each other's sentences like what best friends do, and fooled every person in the cruise—that includes the perverted mid-thirties guy from the Welcome Party—into thinking they're hopelessly in love with one another.

Needless to say they've grown comfortable with each other's presence to the point that the nights that follow were never complete without movie marathons, tickle fights and friendly bickering. It was as if the argument about the King-sized bed never happened at the first place.

As promised, Masumi kept him distracted. The grand tour around Europe kept Saguru occupied from ever mentioning his parents and Koizumi Akako. In truth, the blonde was having the fun he's been missing for ages, indulging himself in his companion's eccentricities and overly-hyper nature, while she went around enjoying herself (and in the process Saguru's million-dollar smile of contentment), thanks to Kaito-kun's cruise pass. Deep inside, Masumi's celebrating her triumph. Not only did she manage to help Kaito-kun with the hermit-crab-Saguru problem, she also kept said boy from ever bringing up the subject of his recent heartbreak. She had to make sure to thank Kaito-kun later, she told Saguru once, before muttering things about Wimbledon's strawberries and cream and how Kaito-kun would surely like them too.

A lot of conversation about his high school classmate caused Saguru to finally bring up the Kaito-subject on the ship's way to England… Not that it meant anything, really. He's merely curious (not to mention, that blissful smile accompanied with the flushing of her cheeks every time she talks about Kaito-kun is… irresistibly cute—wait what?!).

"You know, you've been talking about Kaito-kun an awful lot," he casually stated out of the blue, and he watched as she froze right then and there, inside their room, her glass of champagne halfway up. Saguru indulged himself in a split-second, just gazing at the way she flushed and grew mute by the comment. In nonchalance, he continued, "Tell me… Are your feelings for him really that deep?"

Wait. WAIT. Wait just one second.

Wasn't it less than a minute ago when she was talking about strawberries and brand-named chocolates and souvenirs? If she was mentioning Kaito-kun all those time, she never noticed.

But-but Kaito-kun was the one who got them into this mess at the first place. She's supposed to be mad at him…

Wait, was she?

The sudden colliding of Masumi's head on the coffee table caused it to shake. Saguru gave his companion an awkward pat on the hand, even as he stifled his chuckles of amusement. In response to this she let out a groan.

Voice muffled by the glass, the ebony-haired detective said, "Don't remind me," stomping her feet as she did.

Saguru snickered at this (adorable) display. Only, if this keeps up they might end up breaking the only glass table of their suite. And so, in the hopes of making the girl stop torturing her brain cells even further, he said in undertone, "I knew it. But I understand you, though. If I were you, I'd probably fall for him too."

Those words caused Masumi to look up at him, her chin still on the table, and wearing the ugliest pout she can muster.

"I'm a hopeless case, Saguru-kun," the girl whined at him. "I keep liking people who'll never like me back."

"Well then. Maybe it's my turn to make an offer."

"But our bet…"

"You've obviously won, though," stated the superintendent general's son. "I've forgotten her in a span of three months, seventeen days, and twenty-one hours, give and take. Now it's your turn to forget."

"If, by the end of this cruise I've managed to get you to move on, I'll take you to the grandest buffet in Tokyo AND…" the blonde stressed, just as Masumi was about to interrupt. "And consider doing detective work while being a doctor."

The offer managed to shut the female detective up momentarily. Becoming a doctor-detective seems implausible to accomplish. But then again, when did Saguru-kun not keep his words anyway?

The female detective's first instinct was to accept the challenge no matter the circumstance, but as curious as she always was, she knew she had to ask.

"And if I don't?"

Without missing a beat, Saguru declared with probably the smuggest reaction she got from him as of date.

"You'll tell Aoko-kun you like her fiancée."

Masumi choked on nothing, obviously scandalized by the offer. She stood up, pounding her palms on the poor piece of furniture in front of her, and screamed, "NO! I can't do that!"

Amused by the way the girl's face turned three shades redder, the blonde casually brought his champagne glass to his lips and taunted, "What, admitting defeat this early, Sera Masumi-kun?"

"O-of course not!" the aggressive girl argued. Damn him and his persuasion tactics.

"Fine! But if I win you're taking me to Reichenbach Falls as well," she pressed, to which, Saguru smiled triumphantly, raising his glass to her with a strange sparkle in his eyes.

"Whatever you say."

-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-

London greeted them with sunshine and the fresh sea breeze. The not-couple spent the day goofing around, being the best of friends, and eating. As per their itinerary, Saguru toured Masumi around the place. More than anything else was the fact that they can be themselves without the fear of judgment. Heck, there's not a time to worry about the life they'll come back to in two more months, or the troubles that prompted them to stick together at the first place.

That was until that same afternoon, a familiar voice greeted them, as they strolled through the grounds of London Bridge High.

"Saguru?"

Said boy spun to the direction of the voice, almond orbs wide in shock and recognition.

"A-Akako-kun…"

From beside him, Masumi did the same, only, what reflected in her moss green eyes was alarm.

"Akako-san!"

Indeed, before them was no other than Hakuba Saguru's girlfriend of three years, Ekoda High's former muse, Koizumi Akako.

Not much changed with her since the two last saw each other, and this raised red flags inside Masumi's mind. Why wouldn't it? This only meant the same girl in front of them is still the girl Saguru's in love with. Which meant this venture would have all been for naught, and she failed Kaito-kun, and there's no point about the cruise anymore and—

"What are you doing here?" the blonde spoke, his voice demanding, albeit said in soft tones.

Akako's seductive smile curved in her features, as she stepped closer to the pair.

"That's not important. What's important is you're here, Saguru. Shall we take this elsewhere?" said she, almost as if she's ignoring Sera's presence completely. To this, Masumi reacted by wrapping her arms around Saguru in a… somewhat possessive manner.

"I'm sorry but Saguru-kun's with me," shaking voice uttered. It took another minute for Masumi to realize it was her own.

Akako's garnet orbs moved from Saguru to Masumi in a pensive manner. A while after, she let out a small chuckle and asked mockingly, "You can't mean you replaced me with her, right Sa~guru~?"

Unbelievable.

Utterly insulted by what seemed to be a personal attack, Masumi's glare grew sharp, hands balled to fist and teeth gritted behind pursed lips.

What the freaking hell?! You left him for another man, you slutty little—

And now one hand rested on his chest, the slightly taller girl's head tilted as if she's about to give him a kiss. Masumi held her breath, unable to do anything against this except, maybe, tighten her hold on him. At the last second, before the ex-couple's lips touched, Saguru backed away.

"That's unimportant," said the blonde, cutting Masumi off her unpleasant thoughts. "There's something I need to tell you."

Another contemplative gaze was directed to Saguru, before it once again settled on the girl beside him.

"Are you sure Sera-san should be hearing this?" asked Akako. Masumi felt Saguru tense under her hold, before he turned his head to her.

Their eyes meet, Saguru's determined almonds glued intently to Masumi's confused jade pair. Her breath got caught again as she began to shake. If she can convince him to drop this and run with just one gaze she could have. Only, she's not telepathic, and every second that pass by seemed to rob her off another year of her life until he says otherwise.

And darn it, she wants him to tell Akako they can't go back to how they've been before, that he's found someone else, that she's happy with her, and that someone else happens to be Sera freaking Masumi.

She realized, however, that he was not thinking the same thing she was when Saguru detached himself from her, gave her hand a slight squeeze, and said, "Do you mind, Masumi?"

As her vision went blurred with tears she desperately tries to hold back, Masumi's gaze went from Saguru to Akako in succession. Slightly parted lips wanted to ask why, the way she always does when she's curious. This time, though, words failed her. And even before she knew it, she's already giving her answer.

"N-no," she choked, and tried again with much effort. "No I'll—see you back on the ship."

Even before she finished her statement, Masumi, with her chest heavy, for some reasons, has already started sprinting away.

Damn, she felt so irritated, so helpless, so, so… defeated.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. This wasn't how she imagined that scenario would turn out. Saguru was supposed to turn her down. He was supposed to get mad at her for leaving him! Darn it, she broke his precious little heart in pieces, and now she's still claiming it as her own, still letting it linger on her palms, still not freeing him from the cage she built around him.

DAMN IT ALL, she wants to kick him where it hurts for letting her believe he's forgotten her!

Masumi ran as the last rays of sun disappear, not caring where her feet will take her. Right now, the fact is Hakuba Saguru is still very clearly in love with Koizumi Akako, and they'll soon get back together, and she'll be left behind the way she always was when she…

Her mind supplied the specifics like flash flood. The sudden butterflies in her stomach, the way he looked more attractive somehow, the way the days seemed better by just seeing his smile… Damn, she should have seen those early warning signs way before this, instead of letting it hit her in the face! She once again made the mistake she's been making ever since.

"Oh God. No. Not again…"

She likes him, dagnammit! But…

Normally it makes her happy seeing the person she likes happy, even if it's with someone else. This time, not only is she jealous of her cruise partner's ex, the mere thought of Saguru and Akako getting back together sent an unbearable painful stabbing in her chest. The understanding and the confusions whirling together deep inside her gut makes her sick. The uncertainty, the what-ifs, and the fact that she might never see him smile for her again, sent the usually tough Sera Masumi on her knees, hands clutched to her mouth with tears rolling down her cheeks, as one agonizing, resonating realization made her stifle a series of sobs…

I love him.

She said they'd get lost together. She said she'd help him forget. She said she'd be there to support him. Who would've thought she'd get lost in Saguru's eyes as well?

TO BE CONTINUED

A/N: So yeah. Now that I cut it like that I guess I shall add Kaito later. After all he's involved in this story more than you think he is... XD