Written:July 2005
Disclaimer:I'd have eaten it by now if it were mine.
Author's note:Just a little idea all these dramatic ten-years-later fics had been giving me.
Dedication:To sister's plays him now in practice for a friend's wedding.

As she leaned forward into my arms, I looked up at the setting sun and let it warm me too.A hard, playful kiss was placed on my cheek before she turned and mounted her bike."See you tonight, Conan."

Sometimes I wondered if she called me that just because she had to or if somewhere in her mind, I was still her little mind I had gotten taller than her, but I knew it wouldn't be the end of the world if she quietly called me by my name in public.

I began to think that maybe she still wanted both Conan and knew she could only have one, but this way, it seemed more like she got her if she went to such lengths to protect my identity in public.

So really, she didn't care as much about my name leaking out as much as she wanted a sweet little boy to watch over her.

But then she got her boyfriend back later, when we spent time alone and in any issue or notion of Conan flew out the I watched her ride away and to our home, I just least she was happy.

"C-Conan-kun?" a woman's voice said from behind glaring windows of the shops next to me had me squinting as I spun to face her.

All right, a girl's voice.

"Ayumi?"

I supposed we'd be around eighteen; I hadn't been keeping track since I told and I studied together after that, her letting me do the same homework she brought home from high school until she graduated.I planned on enrolling in college as soon as I got to my second time then.

"I thought I'd never see you again when you stopped going to school," she started, looking down at the sidewalk and pushing some hair behind her fell just to her shoulders now, barely brushing bangs reached the middle of her wore a crisp white sundress with dark blue patterns of either flowers or Indian-style sat well on her thin frame, which was not too thin, but still her shoulder, she carried a bohemian red silk bag with a beige corduroy jacket on top of its contents.A series of square edges poked out at the bottom, indicating books.

I quickly removed my left hand from its pocket and ran it through my hair, making a point to unintentionally let her see my ring."It's great to see you!"Immediately, I stepped forward to briskly hug seemed to drop her rigidity and melt into my hardly a second, she was the one to pull away.

"You too," she shyly muttered, looking down at the sidewalk at first."Hey, do you...Do you want to have dinner with me or something?"A strained smile met me as she raised her pretty head, cocking it.

My ring must've gone course the easy way out hadn't I could stop to think of something more comforting to do or say, I shook my head with a smile."I'm sorry, Ayumi," I told her, pushing my glasses up on my had gotten narrower, but the frames remained were older."I'm engaged to Ran, and I'm running errands for her.I'd love to, but I really shouldn't."

Her heart didn't seem to bleed or break right there, but I did catch her slight wince.A forcedly cheerful nod, bobbing her hair about as she made a small noise."Mm-hmm."Her eyes stayed on me, amazingly.

"Maybe some other time, okay?"I placed my hand on her shoulder, then ran it up and down her upper smile probably became a smirk; I didn't have the heart to tell her who I , though, I think she already knew."I'll see you later, Ayumi.I promise."

I turned and began walking the other way."Bye, Mister Detective," she whispered.