Chapter Text
Kaito would never come to a place like this with him.
Shinichi stares through the glass, placing one hand on the surface as he watches the fish swim by in this manmade habitat. Watching as they swim by, he can’t help but envy how carefree they must feel in the tranquil waters; although, he can’t envy the way that they’ve been uprooted from their home in nature for the mere purpose of human entertainment.
Upon hearing the sound of running footsteps, he pulls his gaze away from the display and sees Ran jogging towards him, looking slightly out of breath.
“Ah, why didn’t you wait at the entrance?” she asks, placing her covered hands on her knees. She looks up at him. “You’re the one who invited me here.” Glancing around, she perks up, saying, “You know, this is the perfect place to use to get my parents back together! It’s so nice and calm, right? And who doesn’t love fish?” Then, she grimaces. “Aside from Kaito-kun, that is.”
Even hearing his name sends some sort of pain that resonates from his heart all the way around to even the tip of his toes. Shinichi turns on his heel. “Sharks,” he murmurs, glancing up. “I wanted to look at the sharks.”
“You know, I’m surprised you’d want to come to such a romantic date location and with me nonetheless,” she marvels behind him. “I mean, I know Kaito-kun doesn’t like fish, but you two—”
“We broke up, Ran, and I’d appreciate if you don’t mention his name for a while.”
Before he can elaborate, a hand claps down on his shoulder and he’s spun around so fast that the room lurches around him. When he adjusts, Ran is regarding him with a fixed stare as her face contorts into some weird expression as she tries to discern whether or not he’s been serious. By the looks of it, she’s leaning more towards the notion that this isn’t a joke. They hold onto the other’s gaze, eyes searching and yet also not all at once.
Her features soften and she throws herself toward him, wrapping her arms around him as he stands, paralyzed and unsure of what to do for a moment because usually it’s Kaito giving him hugs but Kaito isn’t here right now. Tentatively, he wraps whatever he can of his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder the same way Kaito would to him. Upon realizing the unintentional parallel, he freezes and she untangles herself from his arms.
“I’m sorry,” she murmurs, looking away to give him a moment of weakness. By now, she knows that he can’t cry in front of others—he downright refuses to do so and always has. “I never thought that—well, you and Kaito-kun... you were...”
“Don’t be, Ran,” he says, ignoring the way she says his name. Shinichi inhales through his nose, letting it out in one quivering breath. At his side, his hands ball up into fists, trembling slightly as he tightens them with nails almost digging crescent-shaped divots into his palms. “I thought we were fine—better than fine, actually. He... he called me yesterday.” She makes a small noise when she realizes just why he had been acting so weird at school. “He said we shouldn’t see each other anymore.”
The girl snaps her gaze towards his face, eyes wide and mouth gaping before her face twists into some sort of scowl. He almost flinches at the expression on her face and takes a small step back when she pounds one fist into an open hand, teeth grinding against each other. Angry is an understatement, he surmises, as livid is a much better descriptor.
“I’ll kill him,” she declares, seething and attracting the attention of many passers-by who shimmy around her in discomfort. “I’ll tear him apart with my bare hands and—”
“I’d rather not have to assist the police in arresting my best friend,” he responds, managing to smile if only for her sake. All negativity melts away from her and he takes the moment to take her hand in his (—it’s calloused like Kaito’s, but for different reasons entirely—) and pulls her towards more displays. While some part of him just wants to look around at all the fish, Shinichi just wants to keep her from seeing the way his eyes water. “But thank you, Ran.”
She doesn’t say anything and instead matches pace with him so that they’re side-by-side. He angles his head to face away from her because Kudō Shinichi does not cry. Shinichi doesn’t even remember the last time he’s cried and he’s not going to make that moment now or ever.
“Have you tried asking him why?” she asks, her voice quiet and soft as though she believes any louder will shatter him; she may as well try. “Or did he already tell you?”
“I’ve tried reaching him but he won’t answer.” Shinichi ducks his head, walking faster until his legs just stop, forcing people to walk around the pair. “I think he blocked me.”
She frowns, pulling out her phone and entering her password quicker than Shinichi can comprehend. He looks at her with wide eyes, saying, “Wait, Ran, don’t bother. He probably—” when she holds up a finger and presses her phone against her ear. He doesn’t say anything more, but as much as he’d like to get some answers, he doesn’t know how to feel if it’s only him that Kaito’s unwilling to speak with.
“The number you are trying to reach is una—”
She clicks her phone off. “He’s lucky that he lives in Ekoda,” she remarks before her eyes brighten. As if her mood takes a complete turn, she beams at him. “We’re going to go to the café because I heard from Sonoko how cute it is.”
Shinichi stumbles after her until he picks up the scent of a case and whirls around to see a small crowd.
Despite himself, he jumps into action.