Disclaimer: Detective Conan belongs to Gosho Aoyama.

"Shiho," Shinichi placed his hand on her shoulder. "What happened? You look very distracted."

Shiho lowered her gaze to look at her shoes. Averting her gaze elsewhere might be the only way to not let Shinichi find anything out. 'Go away. Please. Not now.' It is hard enough to forget about someone important, not mentioning having to forget that person when he is just right in front of you. It is painful, it is difficult. Things were much easier when she had not been Haibara Ai. Haibara Ai made her learn, a lot of things. Things like expressing and falling in love. A vague thought, as elusive as the scent of a primrose.

Putting his arm around Shiho's shoulder, Saguru flashed a smirk at Shinichi on his already-smug face. Shinichi swayed in the sudden grip of anger. Shinichi sensed no recoil from Shiho, which he felt was weird. He looked at Shiho, he realised, since Saguru and Shiho came back, Shiho's face was as solemn as a mask.

"We're together now."Saguru announced with pride and gleam on his face.

"Together?"Shinichi questioned after being momentarily stupefied.

"She's my girl now," he took a glance at Shiho.

Shiho's face was passionless, like those by sculptors graved for niches in a temple. How long, Shinichi thought has he not seen that expression on Shiho's face. It was stinging. Her heart was icy as a fountain in the fall.

Shinichi was overcame by an access of misery and overshadowed by a fretful anxiety. Before he could respond, Ran interrupted his thoughts.

"Congratulations!" Ran cried, as if she was struck by some happy fortune. Saguru and Shiho were currently dating, helping to dissipate her every doubt and scruple.

Shiho couched in terms of feigned devotion and leaned on Saguru. She made an effort to smile. Her fleeting smile seemed alien and intrusive. Shinichi pivoted his head to look away. Fragments of Shiho smiling happily in the embrace of Saguru's echoed in his mind.

Ran had a hunch that Shinichi was going to react differently from her, and bingo. He did. She shuffled her steps towards Shinichi and wrapped his arms around herself, hungry for affection, which Shinichi never gave to her.

He had a baffled stare at Shiho. Shinichi smiled uncomfortably, guilty of his girly sentimentality. Ran, half-suffocated by her triumph, fittingly adjusted herself within Shinichi's hug. Ran evinced her euphoria with a smug grimace on her face, hardly noticeable by anyone. While his arms were around Ran, his gaze was fixed intently at Shiho who was standing six feet in front of him.

Shiho, who witnessed the snuggle of the couple in front her, swallowed, hard. "Shall we go to the arcade? It may be fun." She could feel the ironic rebound of her words. The sight of Ran and Shinichi was suffocating. Yet, she is suggesting that they continue to have fun.

At the arcade:

"I want to play Shooting Hoops!" Ran cheered. She grabbed Shinichi's arm and dragged him towards the machine.

"We shall enjoy ourselves too." Saguru suggested to Shiho.

Shiho nodded.

Unfortunately for Shiho, she could hardly score a point. Saguru stood behind her, held her waist and positioned Shiho's hands, in order for her to score. Initially, Shiho was amused by his action, but soon accepted it.

Shinichi, irritated by Saguru's pompous actions, imitated him, and did the same to Ran, in hopes to mock Saguru. Ran did not look like she needed it. She was scoring more points than Shinichi. However, Ran was delighted at the fact Shinichi tried. Shinichi took a peek at Shiho who appeared to indifferent. Her indifference saddened him.

Bitterness got the better of her. She was ashamed of herself for thinking that way. Her brain was reluctant to think straight, thus, Shiho, who was finally able to score, got utterly distracted by Shinichi was once again affected and it went back to square one.

'I'll back off. I'll back off so you can be with her. Don't ever bother about me. Not anymore. I don't want to add on to your burden. Our promise? It was a laugh. Protect me? I don't need it anymore. I'm a selfish person. I don't want to share you. I'd rather have another guy, all to myself. It's painful to see you with her.'

"Hey Shiho?" Shinichi asked, with a look of concern. The four of the them were in the arcade, playing, supposedly enjoying themselves. However, she did not look like she was having fun.

"Let's talk. Shall we?"

Shinichi and Shiho walked to the nearest café. Ran saw their back, she wanted to chase after them, but Saguru tapped her shoulder and stopped her.

"Don't."

"You don't understand! Shinichi is going with,"

"You shouldn't. It's their problem."

"Why you? Don't you like Miyano-san?"

"I do. So I'm letting her go."

"Well, I like Shinichi too. But I'm not just about to let him go. He belongs with me. We belong together. I like him, and he likes me too. We. We. We…"

"The one he likes isn't you. At least not anymore. He has got to figure that out himself. Who he chooses is after that. He may choose you. Out of pity. After all, you have waited for him for so long."

"No. I don't care. I don't care. It's not fair. I still want him, even if he doesn't like me."

"Mouri-san. You are incorrigible."

Ran bit her lips, so hard, it started bleeding. She could no longer see Shinichi and Shiho. They were out of her sight. She touched her lips. "Ah… It's bleeding," she laughed. She looked up in the sky, the clouds floating so freely.

Saguru sighed. 'It is funny how she just agreed to be my girlfriend, and then I'm letting her go.'

At the café:

"I'm with Saguru now," Shiho spoke up after a long period of meditative tranquillity.

"With?"

"I mean I'm his girlfriend."

Shinichi was flabbergasted. "Re… Repeat… That…" he stammered. He then cleared his throat, hoping that it would make him seem unimpressed and collected.

Shiho exhaled. "We're together now. I'm dating him. We are going out."

Shinichi thought he was getting on the nerves of Shiho. Shiho tried her best to seem like she was ticked off. (In fact she was being tortured and tormented inside.)

Shinichi tried his best to alleviate his anger within. "So, you are telling me. Why?"

"You don't have to keep that promise anymore."

"Promise?

'He doesn't remember.' Shiho's heart throbbed.

"Yes, promise. The one where you said you would protect me forever. It's good that you don't remember it. Because you don't have to keep it. Saguru will be protecting me."

"Wait. No. Hold on."

"I'm holding on."

"So, you are saying you don't need me anymore?"

"I never needed you. Don't make me laugh."

The two fell into silence once more. Shinichi grieved. He could not interpret. And he was supposed to be a genius with an IQ of 280.

Shiho laughed. She stood up from her chair. "I'll be going now. Take care."

'How come she sounds like she's leaving forever? No.'

Shinichi got up from his seat and grappled Shiho's wrist as she was about to leave. He secure her wrist with a constraining pull.

"Let go. Now."

"Never." He enunciated.

Shiho's expression softened. It pained her. She was trying to give up and yet he wouldn't release her.

"Look. I admit. I did like you a little. But it was a mistake. I can never like you. Please." Shiho proclaimed.

"You did?" Shinichi was confused. The girl, who never failed to make him agitated and worried, is now confessing to him. Was that even considered a confession? There's only one way to confirm it.

He drew her closer to him with the connection of his hand around her wrist. Shinichi forced his lips on Shiho and slowly snaked his other hand around her waist. Shiho attempted to resist at first, but her strength was no match for his. Shinichi found himself beginning to desire more. He stuck his tongue into Shiho's mouth. It was burning with passion within. With much affection, he went ahead to explore her inside on her mouth. It felt paradisiacal. He could not stop. More. He wanted more.

Finally, Shiho broke free from the kiss. She needed to catch her breath. Despite the halt, she could still feel his hot tongue inside her and the lingering taste of his lips against her. Her senses came clear. It was wrong.

She looked around in the café. There was no one. Not a single soul besides them. Even at the counter, there was no one. It was truly a moment only to themselves.

"That felt heavenly," Shinichi breathed.

Shiho touched her lips. Yes indeed. But no, it was incorrect. How many times have she dreamt of that. How many times have she craved for the moment. She understood, it did not belong to her.

"I get it now."

Shiho looked up at him.

"I like you."

"No. No. You like Ran-san."

"No. I understand now. I like you. Never once have I wanted to kiss her. But it's totally different when it came to you. I want to kiss you. I want to hold you in my arms."

"Kudo."

"Call me Shinichi. You called Hakuba Saguru. Call me Shinichi."

"No. I won't do that."

"I'll tell Ran. I'll tell her that the one I really like is you."

"You can't do that. Remember how when we were Ai and Conan. Remember how much you wanted to protect her."

"I protected you too."

"Yes, but it's over now. I don't need your protection. Save it all for her."

"I'm sorry. The one I choose is you. I know all this seem abrupt and all but it's 'cause I only figured my feelings out now. I have always liked you. I don't know since when, but you have been on my mind for a while now. Would you say you like me too?"

"No. My feelings for you were only a little. Almost insignificant. I can't just suddenly turn it into love."

"Stop denying. You love me. You love me too."

Shinichi pulled Shiho out of the café and went ahead to find Saguru and Ran.

A/N: There seemed to be a lot of dialogue in this chapter. I'm so sorry. I thought it would be better to express the story through dialogues since I can't really write well. And btw, sorry for taking so long for this chapter. My exams are coming. And I already written chapter 8, but the quality sucks. A lot more than this one. And Saguru seemed weird and unhot in that one. So I deleted it and rewrote the whole thing. Sorry.

Replies to comments:
YELLOW JACKET PRIDE: I'm sorry if I disappointed you with the tension part, because I'm really trying very hard. But I can't seem to write a very strong plot.

humilityhehe: Thank you. I hope I don't disappoint you.

Enji86: I won't make life so easy for him. Neither for the couple either. Things are gonna get tougher for them.

YuukiChan95: Jealousy is just so exciting, isn't it?

Andreya Halms: It's definitely Shinshi. But Saguru and Shiho just look so hot together, don't they!