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The sun was setting, and the bright blue sky faded to a light red with a brush of golden. The Detective Boys took that as a sign to go home. Mitsuhiko carried the soccer ball in one hand as they walked down Beika’s street, chatting away as they always did. As they turned a corner, Ayumi found herself staring at a figure in the distance, she thought he looked familiar. He wore a cobalt blue blazer with matching pants and a brown bag tossed over his shoulders. It was only when he looked to his right had she managed to figure out who he was.
“Ah!” Ayumi said, her finger pointed at the high schooler walking ahead of her, Genta and Mitsuhiko’s gaze followed her finger. “It’s Shinichi-niisan!”
Shinichi stopped in his track and turned back at the sound of his name, he looked around him and as soon he saw the Detective Boys running up to meet him, his expression softened. Well, most of the Detective Boys anyways, Ai had followed behind them at a much slower pace.
“Hey! How are you guys?” Shinichi said with a grin, as they managed to reach him.
“We’re doing well!” Mitsuhiko responded eagerly before looking around. “Where is Ran-neechan? Aren’t you walking home together?”
Shinichi shook his head. “She has practice today, so it’s just me. What about you guys, are you going home? Or are you going somewhere?”
“We’re on way home!” Genta answered. “Oh- Shinichi-niisan- I almost forgot- we solved a case yesterday!”
Ayumi puffed her cheeks. “No fair Genta! I was going to tell him this time!”
“Now, now.” Shinchi kneeled down to them, “how about we walk home together, and you could all tell me about it as we walk? But, Ayumi can start though!”
Ayumi’s managed to perk up right away, her eyes lit up and before long, they were walking alongside as she explained what had happened. She told him about how they managed to help Officer Takagi catch a murderer who was running away from the crime scene. Genta and Mitsuhiko pitched in to add the little details Ayumi had forgotten to mention but, overall, they let her take charge of the discussion.
Ai walked at a much slower pace behind them, she watched the high schooler who listened, nodded and occasionally he asked his own questions to which all the Detective Boys would try and answer. Sometimes, he would propose hypothetical scenarios of what they would do if something else happened than what had originally happened. To this, they would eagerly reply with their own solutions and when they all had answered, Shinichi would explain what he would have done were he in their place. Watching such a conversation unfold ahead of her, Ai couldn’t help but smile to herself. Whether he was Kudou Shinichi or Edogawa Conan, the childlike wonder he had towards cases had never faded. Some stuff even age couldn’t truly hide.
The Detective Boys discussed it a little more, asking the high schooler specific questions about investigating which he would clarify to them. But eventually, they had to part ways with Shinichi. Near the crosswalk, they all bid Shinichi goodbye and thanked him for all he taught them today. He laughed it off, told them it wasn’t much, and they were always allowed to ask him about whatever they wanted. He then waved to them, and they waved back, then Ai and him walked together in the opposite direction.
His attention shifted to Ai who had a big smile plastered on her face, he wouldn’t have minded that smile were it any other child, but this was Ai. “What are you smiling about? It’s creepy.”
“Excuse you.” A frown quickly settled in place of the previous smile; Shinichi was much more used to that. “Actually, it was just that I noticed something.”
“Noticed what?”
“You,” Ai answered, “just how no matter who you are, Shinichi or Conan, you never really change. You are always so excited to talk about cases especially with the Detective Boys.” Ai smiled when she looked up and saw Shinichi’s surprise. “When you told me that you wouldn’t tell them about going back to Shinichi, I was afraid that would somehow drive them away from you. It actually feels nice being proven wrong.”
They hadn’t talked about the possibility of driving the Detective Boys away, but they all had thought of it. When Conan had indirectly asked Ai if he could tell other people about his real identity after taking the antidote, Ai advised him against it; the fewer people that knew the better. There was still so much to do even after taking down the Black Organization's boss and disclosing their identities to the world may still be dangerous to them and to the people around them. So unless completely necessary, they weren’t planning to disclose it to anyone other than those involved, this meant that only a select few such as the Mouris and the FBI. Unfortunately, this meant that the Detectives Boys were not part of that ‘select few.’
Sacrifices had to be done, if it meant he would ensure their safety then that was good enough for him. And so when he went back to Shinichi, he had fully expected the possibility that this may drive the Detective Boys away. That fear was completely unfounded, they had taken a liking to him the first time they had met him (in the middle of the case (of course)) and after they had seen his deduction skills in action, they immediately had assigned him as the ‘Detective Boy’s advisor.’ And, of course, he had no say it. Ironically, he had left the Detective Boys so abruptly but, just as abruptly, managed to be roped into it once more. The world worked in mysterious ways.
“I mean, sure, but they still don’t know I was Conan,” he shrugged. “So, it really isn’t the same, it feels like I’m starting over with them as a complete stranger.”
“I wouldn’t say ‘a complete stranger’. They barely knew Shinichi for a month, but they treat him as they knew him for more than that.” She explained. “I think although you and Conan look different, your personalities are the exact same. And so, they became friendlier with you much quicker than they usually would. But they aren’t conscious that the reason you guys clicked so easily is because of who you were.”
“So, they know me, but they don’t either?” Shinichi summarized, it sounded like plausible reasoning, not that he had thought of it before. Ai was watching from both the Detective Boys and him, so he trusted that this was true.
“Precisely.” Ai responded.
But Shinichi hadn’t said more than that. He suddenly fell quiet, when Ai turned to see him, she noticed him staring ahead of him and with his free hand stroking his chin, he looked like he always would when he was in the middle of case; he was in his own world now.
“What are you thinking of?” Ai asked, that jolted Shinichi back to reality.
“I was just thinking that…” Shinichi stopped himself, he wondered if he should just wave it off as nothing serious. But the way Ai nodded at him, nudging him to continue, he realized perhaps dismissing it would have been a worser idea. She may let him slide by now, but she would find a way to bring the topic up again at a later point. And with a sigh, he gave in. “It’s silly but, I was just thinking that, maybe, if the Detective Boys still remember Conan in a few years’ time, once we tie up all the loose ends with the ‘Black Organization.’ Maybe I can tell them… about everything.”
The words sounded so nice when uttered out loud. He found himself almost believing it, he yearned for a day where he could, without a care, talk to his friends not fearing that he would accidentally spill any part of his secret would endanger their lives. At first, he had lied to Ran and he thought, once he turned back it meant no more lying. But for the same exact reasons he lied to Ran for, he had to lie to the Detective Boys as well. And now, with what he told Ai, he realized he was also lying to himself about a future that may not exist.
Ai nodded, not asking him to clarify any further, he didn’t need to explain what she already knew. She knew how mentally taxing it was for Conan, to the point he had desperately begged her for an incomplete antidote at multiple occasions. These occasions appeared to be a silly excuse to her like a field trip or a school play, but to him, she knew it would allow him to regain control of a life he no longer has control over. She gave him the antidote, out of guilt, pity and understanding. She had no reason to return to Miyano Shiho, but if her sister had been alive and she had to lie to her about her identity, she too would be searching for any excuse to use an incomplete antidote. And now, when he thought it was over and he had finally regained his life as Shinichi, he lost the life as Conan, and in turn lost a lot more than he thought he would. She could see the frustration.
Shinichi sighed. “But it’s likely they will forget about Conan over time, they are kids. They will meet new people and just get new friends. So, I guess, it’s a secret that I would take to my grave.”
Ai stared at him dumbfoundedly, not because of his uncharacteristic pessimism but because somehow, this time round, she wasn't as pessimistic as she would have usually been. After a moment of hesitation, she responded with her true thoughts: “I don’t think they would truly forget Conan, but I also believe that they will figure your identity out over time.”
“Oh yeah?” Shinichi snorted. “What makes you think that?”
“A couple of things,” she said, “first of all, they are smart kids who have a good detective ‘advisor’ teaching them. Secondly, Conan was a vital part of forming the Detective Boys to them. So, as long as the Detective Boys exists, you will always have a special role in that group, and they won’t truly forget you.”
After a moment of thought, he nodded to her reasoning. “Fair. Not realistic, but fair.”
“Perhaps just a little more ‘optimistic’ than I usually am.” Ai smiled. “But let’s say you got proven wrong, what’s in it for me?”
He raised a brow at Ai, it was funny to suggest making a deal with him considering they may easily forget this deal by tomorrow. But he decided to humor her. Partly because it would be worth it if he was proven right, he could rub his victory in her face and tell her ‘I told you so.’ The sweet feeling of victory and a sweet reward from her would be-
“Now I understand what you meant when you said my smile creeped you out, because now that smile on your face is creeping me out.” Ai interrupted his thoughts. “Spit it out, what are we betting on?”
“Ice cream.” Shinichi blurted, he immediately cursed himself for not thinking much and choosing something so stupid. He could have easily asked for something he wanted, but it didn’t matter now, he said it and there was no going back. “If I win, you treat the Detective Boys and me to ice cream. And if you win then it’s the other way round- deal?”
“That’s cheap.” Ai muttered, she, too, wanted him to buy her something bigger than that… but she admitted ice cream was quite a nice reward and if she were to lose, she wouldn’t have to curse her past self for raising the stakes too high. “But deal.”
The conversation moved from that to other topics very soon after that, such as what she had planned for dinner, what was on TV that night and so on- mostly mindless stuff. Though they had just betted on something that may not occur until the far future, they decided not to discuss it any further that evening. But both of them planned to keep that promise in mind. Secretly, they looked forward to the day where they would find out who had guessed it right. But for now, there was no way of knowing.
And only time will tell.