30 Wishes: Shinichi and Shiho
Authored By:
Miyano Ran
Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan.
Fiction Rating: T
Theme 1: Sacrifice
Chapter 1: After Happiness… Then Comes Pain
Genre: Angst/Drama
Why did you have to do that, Shiho? Why?
Shinichi was in distress. He didn't know what to do.
Shiho, his very best friend, had been harmed by a crazed madman who used a revolver with a steaming hot muzzle in shooting her.
"Kudo- …" Shiho's eyes opened slightly as she focused her vision on the lad. "…kun…"
"Shh…" Shinichi pressed his index finger against her soft lips tenderly. "Don't talk, just rest."
"I…" Her voice was weak and almost breathless. She didn't sound like her usual sarcastic self.
"Idiot, I told you, don't speak." He said to her with great amount of care. "I won't leave you."
I should be the one breathing from an oxygen tank now. You baka, why? I should be the one…
Shinichi closed his eyes; events of this morning came on his mind. He remembered.
Flashback
"What do you think I should buy for Ran's birthday gift, huh? Do you have any idea?"
The two teens were walking on the sidewalks of Beika, different shops in view.
"Why are you asking me of all people? Ask someone else, Kudo." Shiho responded.
"Um…let me think…" Shinichi said in his very sarcastic tone while tapping his chin with his index finger. "Ah…I know, maybe because…" He looked at her naughtily. "…you're a girl?" Shinichi cheekily rubbed Shiho's auburn hair with his left hand, deliberately making her hair very messy, while tickling her waist with his right hand.
Shiho laughed hard, tears in her eyes.
"Hahahahaha!! Haha! Hahaha!! Stop Kudo! Stop it! Ahhahaha!! Stop! Stop!"
Shinichi and Shiho just giggled together, happiness filled the air.
Finally, Shinichi poked her stomach, tickling her.
"Stop it! Not there! That's my ticklish part!" Shiho couldn't stop laughing, pushing him away.
"There, for the first time ever in your life, you are finally laughing!" Shinichi remarked.
"Just…just… stop it! Hahaha!!" Shiho struggled helplessly.
Shinichi finally had mercy on her and said. "Alright…alright…I'll stop."
He finally stopped tickling her and Shiho gagged for air.
"That was a very VERY bad thing to do, Kudo Shinichi!" Shiho pointed out angrily, fixing her messed-up hair.
"Oh…come on, I'm serious, I just did that because we've been walking around different shops for two hours already and you haven't even been telling me the possible things that Ran might like to receive for her birthday. What's that about?!"
"How many times do I have to ask you this?" Shiho groaned, hands on her hips, facing him. "Why are you asking ME of all people? Why not Hattori-san? Toyama-chan? Suzuki-chan? How about asking her father Mouri-san? Or how about Kitahama-sensei, our class adviser? Or why not Nakatsu-senpai, the 3rd year who has a crush on her? Why ME? Go disturb others! I told you, I have more important things to do like finishing up my chemistry research and my physics report!"
"Hey…those physics report are not to be passed until next month, what's the rush? And, that chemistry research weren't you already exempted from that because you had the HIGHEST GRADES in the whole campus?" Shinichi retorted.
"I know I'm exempted, doesn't mean I can't do it otherwise." She answered back. "And besides, I'm planning to submit the physics thing earlier than usual so that I can get started with next month's assignments."
"Fine… But, still, you HAVE to help me in this -finding a gift for Ran- thing, er…problem…Please?" Shinichi begged.
"Why the hell ME?!" She groaned in exasperation.
Shinichi sighed. "Look, first of all, I have to ask a girl's opinion, since Ran's a girl, so asking Hattori is out of the question. He might just give me katana (sword) or soccer balls or a tennis racket… a mystery novel or…or a baseball T-shirt as choices for Ran's birthday gift. Come on…they'll never work. You know how insensitive is Hattori in aspects of girls, right?"
Shiho raised her eyebrows and laughed. "Insensitive like you?"
"Am not! I'm very sweet to girls!" Shinichi replied. "So shut up!"
Shiho laughed again with sarcasm. "Yeah! Telling a girl to shut up is REALLY sweet of you."
Shinichi groaned, lost of words in defeat. "Whatever." He muttered.
"My point is, there's no way I can ask Ojii-san either! He might know everything about what his daughter likes but…still, I can't even have a peaceful conversation with him! Before I even start talking, he'll go- What do you want Detective Brat?! You have no right to talk to my daughter! Blah…blah…blah…He'll just keep on ranting until the sun goes down! I tell you Shiho, he won't even give me his time of day."
Shinichi sighed.
"I don't want to ask Toyama or Suzuki either, although they are Ran's closest friends and even if they ARE girls, I'm just not close to them and I'm not comfortable talking with them."
Shinichi shuddered.
"Especially with Suzuki-san…she's such a flirtatious and clingy girl! I tell you, that's why I like Ran so much, because she's NOT clingy at all, she's just far from it! She's so sweet!"
Shinichi groaned.
"Ughh… That Suzuki, she thinks that boys will like her once she frolics around on the beach with her bikini on, but, I tell you this, we boys are DISGUSTED with those girls trying hard to get boyfriends! It's beyond DISGUSTING! I don't want to talk to her…And, Shiho-chan, there's no way I'm asking our chemistry teacher about Ran! No way! And, there's also NO WAY whatsoever that I'm going to ask Nakatsu-kun! That guy has been my rival since my first year of high school. He's really into Ran, I can't just waltz in and ask him- hey, do you know what Ran might like for her birthday? Then…he'd go- Oh? It's her birthday? When? When? Then, for all I know, I just gave away the ticket to Ran's happiness in Nakatsu's hands!"
He pleaded.
"That's why… you're the only one I've got, Shiho!" He clasped his hands together dramatically.
Shiho sighed. "I don't really know much about Ran-san…"
Shinichi cut off her sentence and begged once more. "Please? Please, Shiho?"
"…however, I'll try my best to help you." Shiho finished her sentence.
Shinichi smiled in response, embracing her tight. "Oh thanks! Thanks!"
In spite of her jealousy towards Ran, Shiho couldn't help but form a small smile on her lips, hugging him back.
You are a really lucky girl, Ran-san… Shiho thought. Really very lucky…
"Shall we go shopping, then?" Shinichi asked cheerfully, entwining his fingers on hers.
Shiho nodded.
She suddenly paused, realizing that Shinichi already entwined his fingers against hers, said.
"Oh, and, please don't hold me." She said sarcastically while shrugging his hands off hers.
"But…why? We're just friends, aren't we? Why can't we hold hands?" Shinichi asked truly innocently.
"You don't get it, do you? Shiho asked. "People will get a wrong impression. Ran will get the wrong impression." She emphasized.
"Huh?"
Shiho looked at him intently.
"Uh--Ohhh…… Okay…" He stammered, finally understanding.
"And…"
"What?"
"Let me remind you that only the same gender as me can touch me. Unless you turn into a girl, you are not holding me. Not even a tickle, alright?"
"Ow…how harsh! Do you hate me that much?"
"Nah…not only you. I hate all men in this world."
"Really? Gee…" Shinichi's eyes were downcast.
"Kidding…I don't hate you…" She punched him lightly on the arm.
"Knew it!" Shinichi laughed knowingly.
'You were already able to touch me, not a physical touch. You touched my heart. You touched my soul…' Shiho thought in her mind. 'In fact…you are the kindest…the kindest male that I ever knew…'
Shiho bit a smile.
"So…shall we go?" Shinichi looked at her straight at the face, questioning her with his attractive cerulean eyes, smiling.
"Yeah." Shiho briefly replied somewhat monotonously, but was happy deep inside.
Shinichi grinned.
As they were entering a small store, someone caught Shinichi's eyes.
Shiho noticed Shinichi stopping on his tracks.
She looked at him. "Something wrong, Kudo-kun?"
"That guy…" He pointed the man in shades while whispering. "That guy over there…"
Upon seeing the identified man, Shiho asked. "Yeah? What about him?"
"I recognize him from somewhere…" Shinichi whispered.
"Where?" Shiho asked.
"I'm not sure, but, I have a very bad feeling…" Shinichi replied.
The man got out a riffle from his coat and suddenly started firing people everywhere.
"What the…?" Shiho was surprised at what she saw.
Shinichi held Shiho's hand tighter to reassure of her safety. "I'll protect you, don't worry."
Then, seeing the man in shades firing random people everywhere made him remember who he was.
"I remember now! I know who that guy is!" Shinichi exclaimed.
"Who?" Shiho asked, ducking from the bullets being fired.
"He's the crazed madman that I arrested form a serial killing case a year before I became Conan! He wasn't in the right state of mind so instead of putting him behind bars, we sent him to a rehabilitation center and mental hospital instead!"
"Then…why is he here roaming around?" Shiho asked with alarm.
"Well, I'd say he ESCAPED from the mental hospital!" Shinichi concluded.
"Oh no! He shot 4 people dead already!" Shiho screamed.
BANG!
"Ahh… That would be the fifth dead person now!" Shiho yelled.
BANG!
"Okay, that's the sixth…" Shiho yelled, ducking from bullets.
"He's headed our way!" Shinichi panicked while shouting. He covered Shiho with his whole body.
The madman saw Shinichi and Shiho hiding under some rubble and debris.
"Well, well, well…if it isn't Kudo Shinichi who put me in that mental hospital 2 years ago!"
He said, playing with his riffle like a circus juggling ball.
"Ogurishi Izumi…" Shinichi said, protecting little Shiho-chan. "You still remember me?"
"Yes of course." He said in a very evil and menacing tone. "How can I ever forget you? I hate you! I hate you for ruining my life and putting me in that mental center! I told you, I'm not crazy!"
"YES. YOU. ARE!!" Shinichi screamed. "You should remain in that mental hospital!"
"How dare you!" The man shouted! "I hate you! I've always wanted revenge Kudo Shinichi!"
He pointed the muzzle at Shinichi.
"NO!" Shiho shouted. "Don't kill him!" She tried to protect Shinichi.
Shinichi's face was filled with anger and apprehension. "Stay out of this, Shiho!"
Izumi was beginning to pull the trigger…
Shinichi's eyes widened as his jaw gritted with frustration. "No Izumi! Don't do this! It's wrong to kill people!"
"Whoever said that I ever have to listen to you?" He reasoned.
An evil smile appeared. A merciless smile…
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Shinichi didn't feel any pain. Did Ogurishi Izumi spare him after all?
He opened his eyes just to find out the horror that has happened.
Shinichi had blood all over him…but, it wasn't his blood.
"Well, well, what do you know…I shot someone else after all…? Splendid…"
Izumi smirked with evil eyes and evil thoughts.
"That will cause you even more pain. My job in ruining Kudo Shinichi's life has gotten even better."
He said that last phrase and left the mourning Shinichi.
A tear fell on Shiho's bleeding stomach.
"Shiho, NO!! NO!! SHIHO NO!"
He wailed.
End of Flashback
Shinichi was sitting on Shiho's bed, crying his heart out.
"Why…Why are you crying, Kudo-kun…?" Shiho asked worriedly. She suppressed a laugh. "H…Hey, I should be the one crying here. I'm the one who got hurt, remember? You have not a single scratch on you…so why are you crying…?" She asked with a very frail raspy voice.
"Hearing you sound so weak…seeing you so helpless…" Shinichi stared at her and shouted, more tears flowing. "I caused you this, Shiho! You shouldn't have had saved me! You could have just let me out there to rot and die!"
"Jeez, that's a really nice way of saying thanks to someone who just saved your life." She said madly at him.
"I'm…I'm sorry Shiho." He apologized, wiping his tears, struggling to get his manly pose. "I…" He clenched his fists. "I don't want you to be harmed…I…I don't know what to say…"
"I do…" Shiho smiled weakly, trying to bare the pain in her wounded abdomen.
Shinichi looked at her inquiringly.
"Say thanks to me." She said, then, she winced in pain when the bandage on her shoulder wound was peeling off.
"Thanks." Shinichi smiled. "Thanks for saving my life."
"Just wait. I'll get more bandages." Shinichi said kindly.
Shiho simply nodded and Shinichi headed for the door.
"Wait." Shiho called out in a very fragile shaking voice.
"Yeah?" Shinichi turned around, facing her in response.
"I don't know why…but my head stings a little." Shiho answered.
Shinichi laughed, thinking that it was nothing to worry about. "Maybe it's just nerve pain after all this stress you got." He guessed a reason.
"Yeah. You're probably right, Kudo. It might just be slight nerve pain." She agreed. "Nothing to worry about."
"Just get some rest and I'll get some vitamins for you." Shinichi told her.
She simply nodded, but she looked as if she was getting weaker and weaker. Her brows furrowed in unison, indicating pain.
Shinichi left the door, looking back at her, he felt slightly worried. He walked his way to the nurses' station.
Why would she abruptly have a headache?
Suddenly……
He heard a loud deadening shrill that echoed throughout the hallways of the hospital. The shrill was filled with excruciating pain succeeding from a long suppressed grief. It sounded like the piercing scream of pain… the scream of intense death…
Her headache…… He thought in quick cold alarm of the realization. Headache…? Why?
He felt cold chill running down his spine and he felt the world crumbled around him. He knew it was his end, it was hers as well. He felt panic; a rush of pure cold blood ran down his nerves, cold sweat mixed with his forming tears as he shouted, and running fast towards her room.
Her heartbeat was extremely dreadfully slow. Her blood pressure was unexpectedly low. She was unconscious all of a sudden as her two eyes shut.
"SHIHO!! Wake up! SHIHO!! Wake up, darn it!! SHIHO!! DAMN!!"
End of Chapter 1 of Theme 1
To be continued…
Time Started: June 11, 2008
Time Finished: August 3, 2008