Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own none of the major characters represented in this fic, nor do I have my hopes up for -ever- owning them. They are all property of the wonderfully talented Gosho Aoyama--that lucky bum.
Carpe Diem
Tick... Tock.... Tick.... Tock...
The monotonous, rhythmically predictable ticking of the clock seemed to echo through the quiet expanse of the classroom. It was just another painfully boring day in the life of a Teitan Elementary School student, and the entire class was hard at work on a test over science; or as much science as an average third-grader learns, at least.
Having long since finished the questions which he could have accurately answered in years gone by, a young boy sporting a large pair of glasses gazed boredly toward the front of the room, trying to find something--anything--to fulfill his subconscious need for mental activity. Brown cowlicks of hair were just barely hanging in his face off to the side as he allowed his gaze to wander boredly about the room, finding his quest for something interesting to be a particularly vain one.
They hadn't been allowed to talk during the test, and therefore there was little that could occupy his attention for very long. That was one of the difficulties of being shrunken into an eight-year-old body with a teenage mind. He was positive that his mental capacity would allow him to ace each grade that he was forced into--except maybe the occasional choir class--but, in order to avoid suspicion, he often encouraged himself to give the occasional incorrect answer.
In time, he finally allowed his gaze to wander apon the small group that had managed to forcefully attach themselves to him over time. At least this was enough to trigger some sort of amusement. Ayumi-chan appeared to be focusing a great deal on the paper before her, a hint of frustration mixed in with a look of concentration. It almost made him wonder whether or not she'd studied the night before; probably not, considering they had dragged him off to the park in search of a non-existent murderer.
This wasn't what struck him as being odd, though. No, there was something else that managed to snag his attention, bringing forth a grand amount of curiosity.
Despite his love of all things scientific, Mitsuhiko didn't seem to be paying any attention whatsoever to the paper resting apon his desk. There were various marks signifying that he had managed to finish at least part of it, but through the course of the test his attention had been drawn elsewhere. A look of daydreaming had appeared to have touched his features, and this was the very thing that struck Conan as being odd.
Of all the children--aside from Haibara and himself--Mitsuhiko had to be one of the smartest. He certainly wasn't prone to skipping tests or drifting off during discussions; but why would that change all of a sudden? Surely there had to be some reasonable explanation to the boy's sudden lack of interest in the primitive science.
It was only when he realized exactly who Mitsuhiko was looking at that things began to make a bit more sense.
Indeed, the science-loving boy had managed to find a greater interest than the questions printed on the paper. Pencil still resting within his firm grip, he'd somehow allowed his eyes to travel until they became stuck on one specific target. An almost vacant expression had been acquired as he stared idly at the young girl sitting a few seats away from him, a faint, barely noticable smile having managed to surface.
She was so pretty; that much he had known from the start.. The day she stepped into the classroom and was introduced as 'Haibara Ai.' Even if she seemed so cold and distant and just plain... -weird- a majority of the time, that didn't dismiss the fact that he did harbor feelings for the girl. Even if she was really almost three times his age; even if she had committed unspeakable crimes over the past years... There was just something about her that simply caught his attention and refused to release it.
Of course, it wasn't as if the naive boy was aware in the slightest of the many secrets that this 'Haibara Ai' held so close.
Even now, while she seemed to have finished her test long ago and sat gazing idly out the nearest window, he couldn't help but be enveloped with a strange sensation as he watched her. She was smart, pretty, and seemed to have a similar attachment to science, in a way..
In the end, all of these things led way to a strong sense of discomfort within his mind. The fact was that he held affections for two girls, and no matter how many times he turned it over in his head, he didn't know what he was supposed to do. It was horrible to be in love with two girls at once--HE was horrible for committing such an unspeakable sin. All the while, neither of the objects of his affection seemed to pay even the slightest bit of attention to him...
Realizing that he was being watched by none other than the boy who seemed to have stolen the affection of both the girls he liked, a faint shade of red hastily crept up to Mitsuhiko's features as he once again directed his gaze down to the paper. How long had Conan been watching? ..How long had he been spacing out like that? ...Ten questions to go, and only a few minutes until the bell would inevitably ring and send them home..
All the while, Conan watched his friend's actions with a curiously raised brow. Shifting his gaze back and forth between Ai and Mitsuhiko, he simply settled for shaking his head. If things were turning out the way he thought they were, then there would be quite a bit of confusion in the end.. Deciding not to think about it for the moment, a quiet sigh was released before he glanced over his own test paper once more.
And then the bell rang.
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"They could've made that test a little easier.. That, or gave us more time to study." The blunt whining of a young girl was spoken on deaf ears as the small group of children trudged slowly down the street. Ayumi seemed to be the only one offering any sort of speech, for the others seemed to be more off in their own worlds than usual, and that was certainly saying something.
"What do you think, Conan-kun?" She finally asked, trying to draw something out of him for the time being. It just wasn't natural when the entire group was silent.
"Well, I guess it was a little difficult," The boy lied easily, though the reply was halfhearted. It was always a hinderance to be forced into the facade of an innocent child, but without that very facade it wouldn't be long before his true identity would be discovered. Thus he couldn't afford any slip-ups; especially around this promising group of aspiring detectives.
"It probably wasn't difficult for you, Conan-kun. You ALWAYS get good grades."
The simple compliment was spoken with such admiration and affection that Conan had to supress a sigh, instead tossing a glance in Haibara's direction. As usual, she didn't appear to have much of a will to enter the conversation as of yet. Deciding it best to leave her alone for the time being, he glanced back toward the other three children, preparing to humor them yet again.
"What about you, Mitsuhiko-kun? You really like science, so I bet you got a good score, too!" Ayumi seemed to be the only one making some sort of attempt to get a conversation started.
And her attempts were failing horribly.
"Mitsuhiko-kun?"
"Hey, answer her when she's talking to you!"
Mitsuhiko was drawn abruptly from his thoughts as a large fist connected with his head, causing him to stumble, wince, and emit a slight cry of pain. Reaching up to gingerly touch the sore spot apon his head, he flashed a half-glare up at Genta before finally directing his attention toward Ayumi once more. "Y-Yeah, it was fun!"
Too bad he hadn't had time to finish the last five questions.
Attempting to change the topic of conversation, his attention soon found the sky, and a bit of concern soon arose. "Guys, it looks like it's gonna rain, and we didn't bring any umbrellas."
A unanimous groan arose from several of the children with the realization that they might be caught in the rain, but in the end it only gave them initiative to walk faster.
"Well, my house is closer, so we can all go there until the rain stops." As awkward as it still seemed for Conan to call the small apartment his own home, in a way it was. It was the only place he could really stay, and thus he had no choice. By dragging the others along, though, not only would he save them from the rain, but he also had a few other motives in store.
Yes, he was certain that Ran would simply LOVE to hear about the blossoming relationship--however one-sided it was--between child and teenager-turned-child.
Already the first droplets of rain were falling from the gray-tinted sky, and already Mitsuhiko had managed to step forth with his own jacket in a vain but thoughtful attempt at shielding the quietest among them from the effects of the weather. "Ne, you don't want to catch a cold, do you?" Have we established the fact that he's a horrible actor?
A faint, barely noticable smile accompanied by a quick glance was all that the boy received as the small group rushed onward to escape the inevitable downpour.
This was going to be a long night.
Okay; first chapter down. I'd say that's quite an accomplishment. I'm not skilled in the area of making those extra-long stories that you see on occasion around , so don't expect anything too lengthy. I'm hoping that I can do better than this; this was just the preface, after all.
I have some sort of idea of where I'm going with this, so don't expect it all to be this monotonous and boring. I'll put some sort of effort into it somewhere along the line, so don't lose hope in me yet.
WARNING: This fic is NOT for strong supporters of the ConanxAi relationship, as you can already tell, so if you happen to represent one of those people, do NOT continue. We all know that Conan is destined for Ran, but Ai deserved SOMEONE.
Flames will be used to cook smores for the children.
P.S.: I know it seems a bit one-tracked for now, but I'm hoping to weasle in some CxR moments somewhere along the line as well, considering the fact that I simply adore them.
Well, have fun, and I hope you keep reading.
P.P.S.: Suggestions are always welcome. I usually don't write much fluff, unless there's angst involved. I'm trying to make this as fluffy as possible, though, so feel free to steer me in the right direction.