Chapter Text
Shinichi wakes up with a heavy feeling on his chest.
For lack of better words, he jolts awake, eyes wide as though he’s been awake for hours. Tentatively, he sits up, looking around his room as though something in it roused him from his slumber. He eyes his digital clock, which winks at him with red numbers, telling him it’s 4:38 a.m.
Huh. Déjà-vu much?
He stares at it, eyes blinking and body unmoving. Then, he falls back, his back landing with a small bounce before he turns onto his side, sliding one hand under his pillow and resting the other on top. He sighs through his nose and his eyes fall shut.
The place between his eyebrows creases as he tries to force himself back into the state he had been in not even five minutes ago, but it’s all for naught as he finds himself opening his eyes and staring at darkness only seconds later. Shinichi realizes then that there’s almost no chance that he’ll be able to fall back asleep, which begs the question of what he’ll do until the time comes for him to actually be awake.
There’s a headache brewing like an oncoming storm in the back of his mind and he decides that there’s no point to falling asleep—at least for now. He rolls into his back, eyes half-lidded and trained on the ceiling where black shadows stretch across the surface. Shinichi sighs, shutting his eyes once more and drumming the pads of his fingers against his mattress.
For a moment, he wonders what he had been doing prior to falling asleep as he can’t recall actually climbing into bed. He remembers the tense celebratory dinner where he accompanied Ran, her parents, and Sonoko. He remembers Ran winning the tournament. He remembers...
He remembers leaving the tournament before she even won.
Yes. Yes, he feels bad about leaving, but Megure required his assistance and who was he to deny such a request? The thrill of solving a mystery and the feeling of actually being needed... Shinichi loves it. Still, the moment of pride disappears when he remembers how angry Ran had been that he had left in the middle of her match for a case.
Sure, yes, maybe he could have asked to come in later; however, the guests had to leave at some point and it’s not like he left just because he was bored or some reason equally as stupid, right? She had won—isn’t that the point? Why, Sonoko has been half convinced that she had been so angry that he had left that Ran all but pummeled her opponent.
So, in a way, she should be thanking him for leaving. Had he not, she may not have won.
And, in the end, the two of them are still going to Tropical Land later, so why should it matter? He’s still paying for her and he’s still taking her out for a day of fun. Then again, it was rather rude of him and he gave a pitiful excuse of an apology.
Shinichi hums for a brief second and turns on his side, half-burying his face in his pillow. A yawn threatens to escape his mouth and he doesn’t do anything to stop it. He closes his eyes, thinking about the day ahead of him.
Tropical Land.
It’s a place that promises smiles and memories. Perhaps if he were six again he’d enjoy the idea of going to such a place, but he’s sixteen and there are other things in life that are actually worth his time. Like mysteries. And books. His parents.
And Ran, his best friend since preschool.
He sighs into his pillow, eyes still closed. The headache has dulled to a minor throb that he can probably ignore if he tries hard enough. If he’s lucky, sleep is right around the corner because whatever energy he had woken up with has been trickling away, lost in the night. Shinichi wishes he could fall asleep before he starts thinking too much.
And sleep claims him not even a minute later.
He wakes up at 9:26 a.m., which gives him about two hours before Ran arrives so that they can have lunch together prior to their trip to Tropical Land.
Shinichi slips out of bed and ducks into the bathroom where he goes about his business and showers in twenty minutes. He returns to his room after he’s wrapped his lower half with a towel and pieces together an outfit fit for the cool temperatures that he’s sure to face if he steps outside. After changing, he decides that anything more than a cup of coffee is pointless as he’s going to be eating lunch soon enough.
In the meantime, he finds himself in his library and The Sign Of Four finds its way into his hands. He settles himself into a chair and begins to read for what better way to pass the time than a book detailing a case of his favorite detective?
It’s peaceful mornings like this where his mind is much clearer than usual that he finds some bit of solace in. It makes him a little mad, he thinks, that he can’t always settle in his safe spot with a good book and a fresh cup of coffee. There’s seldom enough time for that in his busy life as a high school detective. Still, if mornings were always like this, he supposes they’ll lose value over time.
Somewhere between Page 1 and Page 119, his mind must’ve disappeared because Ran is now inside and she’s chastising him on not answering any of her calls or texts. Shinichi has the gall to look abashed as he sets his book down (—he’ll put it away later!—) and dashes up to his room where his phone sits on his nightstand.
Without wasting a second, he snatches the object, pulling it from its charger.
(He doesn’t realize that he hasn’t thought of Kaito today.)