Chapter Twenty: A Hundred Love Letters I

Ran's POV

My phone rang that night and I picked it up. "Hello?"

"Ran-san. This is Rei Furuya."

"Rei-san. Why did you call in the middle of the night?"

"I saw Kudo-kun went in the Poirot Cafe with a girl," he said.

I felt my heart ached in pain. "Can you tell me what does she look like?"

"Blonde girl. Looks like from another country. Stunning looking, I may say with beautiful face."

I sighed. "You have any pictures?"

"I have stolen a few," he said and sent it. I looked at it and I saw the familiar face of the girl.

"It is Shinichi's ex-girlfriend, Hayley Ford."

"Oh, she is? That's why I saw them fighting."

"Fighting?"

"Yes, it looks like they fight about you, Ran-san," he replied.

That made me feel kind of grateful. "Are they? But I didn't even tell a single thing to Shinichi about it."

"About what?"

Oops! My tongue slipped. "N-Nothing. Anyways..." I sighed. "Please tel me some information about him if you ever saw him with that girl."

"Copy that, Ran-san. Then, have a good night."

"Good night," I replied and tap the end button.

~~~

T

he next day, I heard someone slamming my door in the early morning. My face scrunched and I sat up timidly as I wiped my puffy eyes.

"Who is slamming my door in the early morning?" I asked to myself as I slowly crawled down the bed and put my sandals on my feet.

I yawned as I was walking slowly to the door. I opened it and saw Dad in front of me.

I was about to ask him what was happening but then, he said, "There are hundreds of letters from the detective boy in the office. The mailman wouldn't stop bickering at me until you picked it all up."

My eyes widened in surprise but then, I frowned as I felt a little bit of curiosity in the sudden mail. "Why would Shinichi sent me one?"

"I told you, it's hundreds," Dad said and turned his back on me. "Change clothes and go downstairs. Ask the mailman why he sent us hundreds of letters from that detective boy. I'm pissed. It was too early but someone's now disturbing my peaceful day," he complaint and rubbed his nape as he walked away from my position.

I sighed and did what I was told. I'm still curious. Why does Shinichi sent a hundred letters?

I changed my clothes into a floral dress with matching white long sleeves inside and a pair of sandals. I tied my hair into a messy high bun before I got out of my room and went downstairs to Dad's agency.

As what Dad said, a mailman was sitting on the couch, facing his back on me. I noticed a big blue box beside him with thousands of letters inside. I saw Dad in the corner with his feet plopped in to his desk again, eyebrows knitted as a light cigarette pursed in his lips.

I walked to Dad and snatched the cigarette away from his lips and torn it into two. He has that shock in his face but later then, he stood up and looked at me with those rage eyes. I matched his and put both of my hands on my waist.

"I told you not to smoke because you're going to be an old man but you won't listen. No beer for you today, Otou-san," I said and his face changed into a puppy one.

I ignored him and looked to the mailman who stood up and bowed respectfully at me with a smile over his ears. "Ohayou," he greeted.

"Ohayou," I greeted back and walked near the box. "Is this the mail?"

"Well, a client named Kudo Shinichi-kun came to our office to ask us to deliver these letters to you. Mouri Ran-kun, right?"

I nodded and answered, "Yes." I looked at the mail again and took one, flipped it over and read the name to make sure it was from Shinichi. It was his handwriting. I thought as I saw the scribble right away. "Is this it?" I asked the mailman. He nodded. I smiled at him and nodded back. "Well then, you may go, Sir," I replied.

The mailman disappeared from my sight as soon as I told him to go.

I stared at the scribble and read it with my eyes:

Kudo Shinichi

For my love, Mouri Ran

Read this when you're alone.

"Dad, please tell my assistant in London and in here to cancel all my appointments to the clients. Say that I am doing something important," I said before leaving the agency with the blue box in both arms.

It was lightweight so I could carry it easily. I put it down the floor and locked the door before plopping down the floor beside the blue box.

I opened the first envelope I took and took the folded paper inside. I unfolded it and what I first read was: 'This is from your boyfriend who loves you, Ran'.

I laughed as I can't contain the happinness in me by his most corny line. I continued reading and I felt every emotion he put in there. I felt crying as I was reading the sentences.

'This is from your boyfriend who loves you, Ran.

I'm sorry if I did something wrong to you. I love you, really. Much more that I can't keep myself sane. I miss your lovely compliments and words, I miss your cooking, I miss your smile, I miss your beautiful face, I miss your jolly side, I miss your-- I don't know what to miss. I miss everything about you.

I will tell you a story about what I did this day and I don't know if you'll be jealous or not but still, hear my story as you read every word in this letter.

In the middle of the afternoon, June 23rd of thid year, Hayley called me through the phone to ask me on a date. I knew she wants us to get back so I agreed meeting up with her but little did she know I have another plan.

No, no! Don't cry if you read this. Please, Ran. I' begging you. Don't think anything, just hear me out.

I meet up with her in the Poirot Cafe. She is looking beautiful as always. She's wearing a lavender dress and her hair was in braids but there's nothing I'm glad for as I saw her shining smile.

As I walked to the cafe, one of the bartenders that I heard the old lady called him 'Rei' was looking so weirdly at me. He has those doubt in his eyes, suspiciously looking at me like I am doing something wrong.

Do you know him? I felt like he's someone I knew.

I talked to Hayley after that and ignored his presence but never his doubtful look at me.

Me and Hayley fought. Why? Because of the fact she hates you as my girlfriend. And I am hating her attitude.

Who would have thought that the girl's crush of many man in our school before has this ugly personality?

I hate the way she keeps trash talking you like she's better than you.

You're my childhood friend and even though my memories are not yet completely came back, I may say you're a good person.

I rejected her when she keeps saying she loves me. Not as if I want her to be gone completely out of my life, I just don't want her to keep bothering me anymore.

And I don't want her to keep on talking some trash words to you that never fits you.

You're the opposite of what she's saying and I'll take my belief as proof.

I love you, Ran. <3'

So he noticed Rei-san... And the description about Hayley was right too. I thought and took one envelope again, and read it silently.

'Hi, Ran. This is your boyfriend who really, really misses and loves you always.

This morning, Haibara came to my house to make me food but I always crave for your food. It's not that Haibara's food I like but it's still yummy and good for the tummy, no poison yet involved.

P. S. Don't tell Haibara. I might get killed.

-June 25th, this year.

I felt the cold air slapping on my face when I was looking through my bed's window, imagining how are you when you're alone, or are you eating well in the agency.

I'm going insane, I know. Just by thinking of you worries me so much. It pains me when I remembered seeing your room without any signs of you, dull and empty was the perfect way to describe how your room looks like when I saw it.

I still perfectly remember when Haibara suddenly slipped out the topic about it and what's behind why you suddenly left.

It was Hayley, right? She threatened you and you just obliged. You have no wrong in here but it still pains me because you leave me without saying a proper goodbye.

I saw your letter left in your clean bed and i read it. Tears flown down my cheeks that time as I read your goodbye letter a few more times.

Haibara came to my house that time and make me calm by striking me with a stun pen. I was going insane that time, a little bit lightheaded.

If you're worried, I'm fine but my knuckles aren't. I just punched the wall because I can't believe your gone. Haha, funny, right?

I was in frenzy mode. Hakase didn't even bothered to stop me when he saw me gone insane, tossing books right here and there inside the library.

I kept calling your name and crying night by night, asking for you to come back.

I'n writing this letter to tell you how much you are to me and I can't stand you for just being away from me.

I love you.'

The whole day, I was reading the letters. I don't skip lunch and dinner, of course. I continued reading all the letters until I fell asleep in my bed with all the letters around my room, in mess.

Shinichi's POV

"You really sent it to the agency? Like how crazy are you on her, huh?" Haibara shouted at me the next morning.

"I don't know," I said and shrugged my shoulders.

"You don't know?!" She rolled her eyes. "As if I'll believe you," she said as one of her eyebrows were raised. "So... What are you going to do now?"

"Court her," I replied.

"COURT HER?!" She exclaimed that made me roll my eyes.

"What is it again?" I asked while feeling a little bit frustrated by the tone of her voice, like she was stopping me.

"Don't you have a little bit consideration to yourself? She left you but you still want to take her back? Are you really out of your mind?"

"Taking back your love isn't that crazy."

"Love really takes a person in nuts," Haibara said and rolled her eyes. "Don't call for help if something happens to you."

I smirked. "Try me."

She scoffed and walked towards the main door. "Just do it quick," she said before leaving the door.

Haibara's POV

I watched Kudo-kun go out of his house with flowers in hand. My heart aches as I saw him walking coolly with a smile on his face, ready to court his special person while I, watching him from afar, was just a friend to him without any reason for me to be special and waiting for him to love me like he is loving Mouri-san right now.

I shook my head and wiped my tears that I had felt falling as I gain back my consciousness from my rendered thoughts and go down to cook curry for Agasa Hakase. He's in the laboratory right now to invent a new thing of his.

While cooking in the kitchen, I heard three knocks coming from a door and the only door who could be knocked by someone was the main door. I stopped working for the curry and go towards the door to open it.

I saw a woman with a blonde hair and blue eyes standing in front of me as I opened the door. A sweet smile plastered on her face as she looked at me with an opposite emotion to her expression.

"Hi, girl! Can you make me a potion, please?" she asked. What a way of greeting someone. I thought with sarcasm.

"Why did you come here?" I asked her. "I never called you nor Hakase. Kudo-kun isn't here to for you to come here so why come here now?"

Her smile faded. Her sudden expression suddenly changes in what seems like a devil aura, so dark that you might not take it all in. Her head scoot back as a burst of evil laughter got out of her mouth.

"So, you feel what my intention here is, Sherry?" she said.

My eyes widened as I felt my whole body run cold. "H-How did you know my--"

"Research," she replied without even make me finish my whole question. "My brother helped me a lot on finding you. I thought you might be a good help when I heard from my mother you're a scientist to our organization who just escaped from being killed." She suddenly pulled out a gun out of her back and cast it and put it right over my forehead. "Now, do what I say or you'll going to die here and now, Sherry."

I felt my hands shaking as my body trembled in fear. This is no different from what I encountered those past few years with Gin and the other Black Organization members.

I clenched my fist as I tried to fight my fear inside me. I have to deal with this myself. I thought.

"I won't do anything," I said.

"Acting tough, huh? Some brave girl is now in here, not what mother and father used to see. Hmm... Quite bit of a change, Sherry, but not enough to convince me," she said and push the nose of the gun to my forehead. She has those lurking eyes of a beast ready to pounce to her prey. "Maybe I should kill you as what Dad wanted you to be killed like your sister."

My heart pang in pain as I reminisced the time I saw my sister fell in the floor. It was the Black Organization who killed her.

"What is your prize if you killed me?"

She frowed. "Huh?"

"I said what is your prize if you killed me? Does it give you gratitude and satisfaction if you killed me right here, now? Does the everyone in the Black Organization will praise you for being a good member of the group? 'Yay! You killed the traitor', they will say? Don't you think it'll be the opposite?"

She clicked her tongue. "Shut up! Just shut up!" she exclaimed and glared at my eyes. "You don't know every single part of my life, Sherry, so just shut up and make the antidote I want you to make for Kudo-kun fall in love with me."

"I won't do that," I replied solemnly.

Her forefinger is just right off the trigger and anytime, she could pull it over to shot my head in an instant. "So you want to die right now?"

"Nope. I won't choose that either," I answered.

She looks frustrated. "So what?"

"I don't want to make an antidote for you because I don't want to risk something that could hurt both of my friend and my love."

"Love?" She frowned but then, her eyes glistened in realization and smirked. "For him? I see... If you love him, why don't you make an antidote for him to fall in love with you in the first place?"

"My answer is the first question I answered. Two options would be made if I do it: First, I'll make an antidote for myself and make Kudo-kun fall in love with me so that I could be happy but Mouri-san would be in pain horribly or I won't make any antidotes for Kudo-kun to fall in love with me and just decide to let him free to do what his heart leads him to."

"So you won't risk anything?"

I shrugged my shoulders, not minding the nose of the gun in my forehead. "I just think it logically. I could be happy without him. There's still many fishes in the pond, I can still catch one if I want."

To my surprise, she pulled away the gun on my forehead and burst into a pit of laughter. I was stunned in the moment I saw her like that.

"Clever girl, you really find an easy way to escape fate, aren't you?" she said and composed herself. She put back her gun on her back and flipped her hair. "Well, you convinced me on not killing you." That gave me relief but her next statement prove my relief wrong. "I'll give you a week to make the antidote. In those seven days, I'll not take advantage of killing you but if you can't make the antidote for a week and gave it to me for the seventh day of the week, you and Hakase will die," she warned before turning her back at me and left Hakase's house.

That's when I just felt my body weakened. I hold onto the door's knob as I felt the aftertaste of her dark aura. Her words still rang in my mind several times, that I was like completely hearing it.

I won't let Hakase get involved with this. I won't let her do what she planned to do.