chapter three

He knows Ran is able to protect herself with her karate, but he’s also well aware that most of the time she’d be too shocked and afraid to actually fend for herself; and if the attack comes from behind… Shinichi doesn’t want to think anymore.

A growl escapes his throat as he dashes down the stairs and ran on the path that Ran always takes when she goes to buy the groceries. How could he have left her alone? He thinks he’s getting more and more forgetful and scatterbrain as time passes, filled with too many thoughts about everything.

He runs as fast as his small, shrunken body allows and curses himself and the Black Organization at the same time. If only he’s still the high school version of Kudo Shinichi. Although he’s not really good with karate, at least he’ll still be able to protect her. As a prominent detective, Shinichi still comprehends the need to learn some live-saving skills against his criminals and enemies.

Thankfully, although his small body is impossible to help Ran, he still has his two helpful weapons that are more than enough for an intelligent guy like him to use to his needs. His father had taught him how to aim and shoot and everything else a detective should and shouldn’t know.

Shinichi skids to a turn and dashes pass the few people on the path way. His heart turns skips a beat and turn cold when he hears a scream that sounds eerily familiar to Ran’s; a rush of adrenaline course through his body as he increases his speed.

“Ran!”

When Shinichi finally reaches to the place where the sound comes from, his pupils dilate from the scene before him; Ran, collapsed to the ground, her face wide with fear and shock, trembles as she leans backwards, trying desperately to move away. There’s no one around and when Shinichi’s about to check the surrounding, Ran made another sound of whimper.

“Ran, are you alright?” Shinichi dashes towards the collapsed girl and asks, worried evident on his face.

“T-there…” Ran trembles, raising a shaking finger towards something not too far in front of her.

Shinichi turns to the direction Ran is pointing and finally sees what scares Ran so much that she’s unable to speak. In the park where the fountain resides, there’s a human hung on it. The upper part of the body sunk underwater while the lower part of the body is placed outside of the fountain. Where the legs should have been… Shinichi unintentionally lets out an audible gasp and immediately tries to calm himself down after hearing the hitched breath from Ran with his sharp hearing.

There are no legs because where the legs should have been had been brutally decapitated from the body, leaving a mess of flowing, fresh blood. He’s about to walk over and investigate further when Ran lets out a soft yelp and hugs him closer to her.

“R-Ran neechan, are you fine?” Shinichi softly asks, unwilling to startle the poor girl who’d already gotten enough shock of her life.

Ran doesn’t answer but burrows her head in between the crook of his neck. Shinichi sighs softly and takes out his phone, calling Mouri Kogoro.

“What is it, brat?” the annoyed voice is heard the moment the call is answered, “I’m busy on a case, alright? Don’t bother me!”

“There’s another murder,” is all Shinichi calmly says.

There are yells of incoherent nonsense before Mouri finally asks him where he is and Shinichi tells him everything that happened. He hangs up the call and hugs Ran as tightly as he can, assuring her wordlessly until the police and Mouri Kogoro reaches.

For the first time, Shinichi doesn’t do his ‘Conan-act’ and leaves the job for the police who are investigating the corpse and the surrounding; he had already known enough from simply looking at the corpse. Mouri Kogoro stands beside Ran with a worried and slightly angered face, appalled at the fact that his daughter had witness such a scene.

Kogoro brings them back to the detective agency and tells ‘Conan’ to take good care of Ran before leaving to meet with the police again. Shinichi nods his head and sees him leave before he walks towards Ran’s room. The poor girl is still trembling in fear under her blanket and the moment she sees Shinichi, her face break into a relieved smile.

“Conan-kun, can you stay with me tonight?” Ran softly asks.

“Of course, Ran-neechan,” Shinichi smiles in assurance and climbs onto her bed, lying beside her and feeling her warmth beside him. He is able to feel her trembles slowly subsides until she falls asleep, safe with Conan beside her.

However, Shinichi is unable to sleep. His mind remembers the scene a while ago and his brows cease deeply. Somehow, the back of his mind tells him that he’s missing something but he doesn’t know what. He thinks about all the cases until now and decides that when morning comes, he’ll find Ai and see if she’s able to think of something.

The fourth case, it’s been terrifying to know that Ran could almost have been the next one. Shinichi smiles softly as he stares at Ran’s sleeping face, calming himself down and closes his eyes. His dream is plagued with blood and Ran’s scream of fear.