Chapter Twenty-Eight: Faded Memories (Solution)

Ran's POV

"The patient will be moved to Kudo-san's mansion for permanent observation and freedom of the patient but of course, don't distract yourselves with other things. The top priority is a must and that is the condition of Mouri Ran-san."

That's what the doctor said when I was being brought to Kudo's mansion a month ago.

Ever since I have the talk with Kisaki Eri-No, she is my mother as what she introduced, I never had the chancd to see her again.

So, that's the last visit.. Huh?

"Ran nee-chan, eat up. You still never lay a finger on your meal for the last three days since you moved here," the boy named Tsubaraya Mitsuhiko said to me as he puts one big pinch of rice to his mouth.

"That's right, Ran nee-chan! If you don't eat, I'l eat your food!" the fat boy named Kojima Genta said lively as his lips had a big grin and his cheeks are crimson red.

"Woi, woi, Genta-kun. You should not interfere Ran nee-chan's meal. You know her condition right now, don't you?" Mitsuhiko interjected.

"Hai, hai. I'll keep my hands on me, Mitsuhiko," Genta replied with ease and continued eating.

I looked down at the meal in front of me. It looos delicious but I don't seem to have an appetite.

I looked to the two boys in front of me. They're high schoolers but they eat lively. I wonder what makes them like that even though their surroundings can't be in a safe place.

"It pissed me off," I blurted out.

I saw both of them stopped eating and looked at me with their eyes filled with confusion and eyebrows knitted together.

"Huh? What's wrong, Ran nee-chan?" Mitsuhiko asked. I could feel his worry through the tone of his voice.

"You're pissed, Ran nee-chan? I'm confused," Genta said. He's so straightforward.

"Why are you still...eating so lively?" I asked them and their eyes widened with shock. I looked up to them. "Why are you still have an appetite when your surroundings isn't what it is before?"

I saw Mitsuhiko put down his chopsticks. Genta puts down the bowl and chopsticks he used. And they both looked at me with the same expression.

My eyes widened with shock as their eyes filled with normality. No anger, no sadness, no emotions. Nothing. It's calm but it's deep.

Mitsuhiko smiled. "We will never bring back our dead friends, Ran nee-chan," he said and that made me shocked even more. "Appetite while we are lively?" He scoffed. "Don't make a joke on us, Ran nee-chan. We just looked like it but we're not fine."

"Ran nee-chan, you're still not yourself so you are saying that words to us," Genta said. "Once we bring all yout memories back, you should be able to remember what we have been through with Ayumi-chan and Ai-kun."

"Ayumi? I never heard such name to Shinichi and others," I said.

My eyes widened as someone's face flashed through my mind. It was girl's face. No, more like a teenager. She has the most brightest smile in the world.

I don't know but my eyes suddenly becoming watery and I felt my heart ache so much, like daggers cutting through me little by little, stabbing my chest many times.

"Ran nee-chan?" I heard Mitsuhiko called me. I looked up to him to see his eyes filled with worry.

Both of them are right by my side right now, holding me in place. I found myself clenching my fists with my hair. I immediately put my hands down to my lap as I looked down.

"G-Gomene, Genta-kun, Tsubaraya-kun," I said as I felt my tears falling down. "I don't know why I'm feeling sad. I-I'm so sorry."

"Ran nee-chan, you don't need to be sorry about it. All of those memories are in the past. Those who died will be on our hearts forever so don't worry... It's fine," Mitsuhiko said.

"N-No, it's not that..." I muttered.

"Huh?"

"I-I'm sorry for Ayumi...chan," I muttered again. I can't seem to control my mouth right now. My head swirled with too much information about the girl named Ayumi.

"A-Ayumi-chan? Y-You remembered her, Ran nee-chan," Mitsuhiko said.

The other things he is saying... I can't hear it. I could tell he's talking because his mouth is moving but I don't know why I can't understand him.

And huh? My sight becomes blurry. My body feels weak and my head keeps on swirling.

I felt like sleeping. Am I dying?

Shinichi's POV

"Hayley Ford went missing," Inspector Megure announced as I stoppes to his office.

"How could it be?" I asked and sat down the guest chair.

"I don't know. The few evidences we have is their tools."

"Their? They're more than one?"

"Probably, yes. The next person who went missing at the same time with Hayley Ford is the assassin from an illegal organization, Tomaki Serio. We still can't confirm their whereabouts but we have some informations to where they went," Megure-keibu said. "Kudo-kun, the situation is getting worse. How are you supposed to plan this?"

"Megure-keibu, did you find the two men who attacked us before?" I asked and crossed my legs.

"Ah, you mean in Ayumi's case?" I nodded. "Very well. I'm happy to say that we do but they died when we infiltrated the Black Organziation's base. They're guilty but we can't revive them. I'm sorry."

I lowered my head and clenched my fist. "So... How's the case to the drugs?"

"Well, we are stilp experimenting with Agasa Hakase but we found that it could be reversed. We'll make sure to find the medicine for Ran-san."

I nodded and stood up. "Megure-keibu, inform me if there's any additional information about Hayley and her assistant's whereabouts. For now, I'll take responsibility to Ran."

Megure-keibu nodded and stood up from his seat. "I'll call you if something came up. Take care of Ran-san, Kudo-kun."

"Yeah. No need to tell me that."

Suddenly, my phone vibrated through my jean's pocket. I immediately picked it up and put it on my ear.

I know who's number was it so I answered it, "What is it, Mitsuhiko--"

"Edogawa-kun... Ran nee-chan just fell down unconscious!"

My eyes widened as I heard his reply without me, finishing my sentence. I bit my lip, holding back my shout.

"I'll go back there right away," I replied and ended the call. I looked at Megure-keibu who's been shocked as well by the call. "Ran fell. I must go!"

Megure-keibu nodded. "Be careful."

I nodded back and hurriedly went back home in a taxi.

Tsk. In all this time, why now?

Third Person's View

"Ran!" Shinichi shouted as soon as he opened Ran's bedroom. There, he was met by three pair of eyes.

"Shinichi..." Sonoko said as soon as she saw the detective. "Shinichi, Ran still isn't waking up."

Shinichi's eyes widened and his body shakes. He opened up his mouth to speak but nothing came out but a heavy sigh.

He walked towards Ran and looked up to her, checked her temperature and pulse, her mucosa and her fingertips.

"She's normal, just unconscious," he declared to them and they all sighed in relief but Shinichi was still not comfortable by the fact. He looked at Mitsuhiko. "Mitsuhiko, what happened?"

"Ahm, she happened to ask us why me and Genta-kun lived in ease even though all around us is complicated. We just answered her and then, she keeps on murmoring Ayumi's name," Mitsuhiko answered.

Shinichi frowned. "Ayumi-chan's name? Why?"

"We mentioned it to her because she was, curious but we never gave her TMI," Genta answered.

Shinichi nodded and looked at Ran. He's now becoming curious of why she is acting that way.

"Ne, Shinichi," Sonoko called out and he looked at her.

"Hmm?"

"What will you do now? Ran seems to be unstable," Sonoko said, eyes were shaking with fear.

"She's not unstable. She's just... She's just..." Shinichi closed his eyes and let out a sigh. His fists were too tight. He looked up to Sonoko and smiled. "Don't worry. I assured that Agasa Hakase is doing all he can to reverse the drug that made Ran that way."

"For how long? Days? Months? Years? Or maybe in a millennium?"

"Sonoko nee-chan!" Mitsuhiko warned but Sonoko looked at Shinichi with hate.

"I hate to see my best friend looking like this. You have the solution but you still can't provide it to my best friend. Ran is in pain, you know! How could you stil be so calm about this?!"

"Calm?" Shinichi's hands turned into fist as he gritted his teeth. "How am I supposed to calm, down in this moment? Ran's memories are gone. I'm just acting calm so don't give me that attitude!"

Sonoko's eyes widened by the sudden bluntness of Shinichi. She sighed heavily and bid goodbye.

"A-Ahm, Shinichi nii-chan. I-I think we should go too. Let's go, Genta-kun," Mitsuhiko said and awkwardly laughs before pulling Genta out of the room.

The door closed shut. Shinichi looked at Ran's body, unconsciously lying on the soft bed again.

It just occured before. Why did it happen again? Shinichi's legs weakened. His legs were trembling as he tilted his head to get a better look of his girlfriend.

"Ne, Ran," he called out. "Can you hear me?" he asked, even though he knows the situation. "I am here. It's Shinichi," he said while taking a step towards Ran's bed.

The light is shining bright through the glass window. The air seems to be alive. Trees were dancing through the melody of the wind.

Shinichi holds Ran's hand, clasping it on both of his hands. He smiled and took the back of her hand on his lips.

"I'll bring you back and end this suffer. It's a promise, Ran," Shinichi said and left the room.

He lets out a heavy breath as he thought of ways to bring Ran back.

Solution, huh? What is the solution anyways?