That's wrong, he thought. He understood it in his head. And yet — why did his chest feel so heavy? Kudou Shinichi gazed absently out the study window, watching the gray rain wash over the streets of Beika Town. His white uniform shirt was already unbuttoned. On his desk lay a half-read mystery novel and a reply message to Ran that he'd started and deleted over and over. About a year had passed since the Black Organization was destroyed. His body had returned to normal. He was living an ordinary life as a third-year high school student, Kudou Shinichi. Next door lived Agasa Hiroshi and Miyano Shiho. She had once been a scientist for the Black Organization — codename: Sherry. APTX4869. The poison Shiho had created, the one Shinichi had been forced to swallow. Without it, his days as Edogawa Conan would never have existed. "...Conan, huh." He murmured it to himself. The version of himself Ran didn't know. The one who had shrunk down, wormed his way into Ran's house, and stayed by her side all that time. But he could never tell her the truth. There was no way he could have. Most of those days as Conan, he had shared with Shiho. A secret held by only two people in the world. The sensation of having slipped through deadly danger together. Memories of discussing the Organization behind the science lab. Ran — he still cared about her deeply. His childhood friend, who had waited for him all this time. Strong at karate, a bit of a crybaby, the one who called him "Shinichi." Hearing her voice always put his heart at ease. But. There was a version of him that only Ran didn't know. And the one who knew every part of that version — was Shiho. *What a selfish thought*, he told himself. But once he'd thought it, the idea piled up in his mind like the falling rain. *(It's just trust in a comrade.)* That's what he'd always told himself. But then, what was this restlessness in his chest whenever he looked at Shiho's profile? The sound of rain grew louder. Shinichi exhaled deeply and placed his phone face-down on the desk. --- That evening, Shinichi came up with a flimsy excuse — "Just checking how the professor's inventions are holding up" — and visited the Agasa residence next door. When he rang the bell, the professor's cheerful voice answered immediately. "[laughing] Oh, Shinichi! I just happened to be making beef stew. Won't you stay and eat?" As he stepped inside from the entryway, the rich aroma of meat and red wine drifted from the kitchen. The professor's portly silhouette stood stirring a large pot with a wooden spatula. "[serious] No, I'll be heading right back. I just came to check on your inventions." Even as he said it, Shinichi's gaze naturally drifted toward the living room. Shiho was there. She sat on the sofa, an old foreign book open in her hands. Her long silver-gray hair cascaded from her shoulders down her back. Her pale blue eyes, clear as ice, moved slowly across the page. She wore only a thin cardigan — a simple, unadorned look. His heart gave a small, sharp thump. "[gentle] How's it going?" He called out to her. Shiho slowly closed the book. Then she stood and walked right up to him. As she drew near, he caught a faint scent of shampoo. "[whispers] ...Come to my room tonight. There's something important I need to tell you." The voice she whispered into his ear was quiet. But it trembled, ever so slightly. Shinichi's chest stirred with unease. Shiho's eyes weren't looking directly at him. They had fallen to a single point on the floor. Her profile was the same as always, but her voice alone seemed to be desperately hiding something. "...Got it." That was all he could manage to say. --- When he returned to the Kudou residence, the rain had grown even heavier. He entered his room and picked up his phone. On the screen, a message from Ran. *'How was your day? Can we meet tomorrow?'* Unable to bring himself to mark it as read, Shinichi set the phone back on the desk. Only the sound of rain hammering against the windowpane filled the room. Ran had done nothing wrong. She was simply waiting for him, single-mindedly, with unwavering devotion. And yet — where was his own heart turning? *(I just shouldn't go.)* He thought it. But he couldn't follow through. That trembling voice wouldn't leave his mind. *(What does she mean, something important?)* *(She's not the type to sound like that unless it's something serious.)* *(I'm just worried about her. That's all.)* He masked his guilt toward Ran with the word "worry." It made him feel deeply, profoundly underhanded. But. Before he knew it, he had grabbed an umbrella and stepped out the front door. Rain pounded against the umbrella. Cold spray soaked his shoes. His feet, without hesitation, carried him toward the Agasa residence next door. --- A little past ten at night. Shinichi stood before Shiho's room on the second floor of the Agasa house. A faint light seeped from beneath the door. He took a single deep breath. *Knock, knock.* The door opened immediately. "...Come in." Shiho's voice was even smaller than it had been during the day. Inside the room, only indirect lighting was on, casting a dim orange glow across everything. Outside the window, the rain lashed relentlessly, as if the world had shrunk to just this room. The bookshelves were lined with technical books and paperbacks. On the desk sat a laptop and — for some reason — a fashion magazine left open. Serious, yet with a slightly girlish side. This was her room. Shiho still wore her thin cardigan, her long silver-gray hair let down. She was usually so crisp and sharp, but tonight there was something soft about her. "[serious] Sit there." Shiho pointed to the edge of the bed. She herself sat down a short distance away. Silence. Only the sound of rain filled the room. How long did they stay like that? A minute? Ten? Slowly, Shiho opened her mouth. "[sad] ...My sister, Akemi. The Organization killed her." Shinichi listened in silence. "[sad] The APTX4869 I created. So many people died because of it. My sister... and others. I always believed my hands were stained with blood." Shiho's voice trembled. But she wasn't crying. "[whispers] As Conan and Haibara, you and I slipped through deadly danger together. Running from the Organization, hiding, terrified... but because you were there, I somehow managed to survive." Her pale blue eyes looked straight at Shinichi. "[sad] But I always thought... it felt like I was the only one who survived. That I had no right to stand beside anyone." Shinichi's throat tightened. He knew he had to say something, but the words wouldn't come. "[whispers] ...But." Shiho's voice grew even smaller. "[crying] You... you were the only one. I've always... loved you. Since a long time ago. Not you as Edogawa Conan. You as Kudou Shinichi." A single tear fell from her eye. "[crying] So just for tonight... Shinichi, I want you to touch me." In that instant, Ran's face surfaced in Shinichi's mind. But — faced with these tears, he couldn't bear the thought of being someone who could do nothing. Before he knew it, his hand was on Shiho's cheek. Her skin was cool, and yet so soft. Shiho slowly lifted her face. Her pale blue eyes, wet with tears, reflected him. And then, she was the one who pressed her lips to his. Soft, trembling, but unmistakably real. Every last hesitation vanished from Shinichi's mind. *I'm sorry, Ran.* He apologized just once in his heart, and then he wrapped his arms around Shiho's slender shoulders. --- "[whispers] Shinichi..." Shiho's voice was hoarse, feverish. Shinichi reached for her thin cardigan. Shiho's body stiffened for just a moment, but she quickly relaxed. "[gentle] ...Are you scared?" "[whispers] ...If it's you, I'm not scared." The cardigan slipped from her shoulders. Her white skin emerged, illuminated by the orange light. The line of her collarbone was breathtakingly beautiful. Shinichi brought his lips to the nape of her neck. Shiho let out a small, sharp breath. "...Ah." That sound made Shinichi's chest burn even hotter. As Shiho lay on the bed, her hair spread across the sheets like a ring of silver light. Holding her shoulders, Shinichi kissed her again and again — her neck, her shoulders, her collarbone. Her hands wrapped around his back. "[whispers] ...More." Shiho's voice — he couldn't tell if she was crying or rejoicing. Probably both. Shinichi unfastened the buttons of her blouse. One by one. White lace underwear appeared, and beneath it, the swell of her breasts rose and fell with her breathing. *(Beautiful.)* With trembling fingers, he shifted the lingerie aside. Small, perfectly shaped breasts emerged. Shinichi touched them gently. "...Nn." A breath escaped Shiho's lips. When his fingertip touched her nipple, her body gave a small jolt. The pale pink bud gradually grew firm beneath his touch. "[scared] ...Shinichi, be gentle." "[gentle] I know." Shinichi caressed her breast with the pad of his finger, tracing slow circles. The soft sensation, punctuated by the occasional firmness of her nipple, felt exquisite against his palm. He brought his lips close and gently sucked. "Ah...!" Shiho's back arched like a bow. Her fingers clutched tightly at Shinichi's hair. That reaction sent heat surging through Shinichi's lower body. He could feel his penis hardening inside his slacks. He straightened up and reached for Shiho's skirt. "[whispers] ...Is this okay?" Shiho nodded wordlessly. Her eyes were slightly glistening, her cheeks faintly flushed. When he removed her skirt, her white thighs were revealed. Her underwear was the same lace, and he could see it was already a little wet. Shinichi gently traced his fingers toward her center. "...Ah—" Shiho's legs tried to close, but Shinichi gently held them open. "[gentle] Relax." He shifted her underwear aside and touched her exposed secret place. Beneath the soft pubic hair, she was already meltingly wet. He slowly pushed a finger inside. "Hyaa...!" Shiho cried out. Inside, her vagina was hot, tight, clenching around his finger as if clinging to it. Her love juices trailed down his finger, wetting his palm. Shinichi moved his finger slowly. "Ah, aah... Shin-ichi." Shiho called his name in a sweet voice. That sound melted away what was left of Shinichi's reason. He shed his own clothes and pressed the tip of his rigid, erect penis against her entrance. Her slick love juices touched the glans. "[whispers] ...I'm putting it in." "[crying] ...Okay." He pushed his hips forward, slowly. "...Ah, aaaah!" Shiho arched back sharply, crying out. Her vagina clenched tight around his penis. When he reached her deepest point, her body trembled in small shudders. "[gentle] Are you okay?" "[whispers] ...Move. Shinichi, please." Shinichi began to move his hips, slowly. Wet, squelching sounds mingled with the rain, echoing through the room. "Ah, ah, Shinichi... Shinichi." Shiho called his name over and over. Each time, her vagina tightened with a squeeze, drawing him deeper and deeper inside. "[crying] ...I love you, I love you... always, always only you." Tears streaming down her face, she was even smiling. Shinichi kissed her lips once more. "[gentle] ...I've probably loved you too, Shiho. Since a long time ago." Once he put it into words, everything clicked into place. The feelings he'd been pretending not to see now had a name, and they took firm root inside him. His thrusting grew faster. "Ah, no, I can't... I'm going to come...!" Shiho's voice grew louder. Her vagina spasmed, clenching hard around Shinichi's penis. "...Me too." The moment he thrust deep inside, the sensation of ejaculation exploded through him. "Ngh...!" Hot semen pumped deep into Shiho's vagina. Her body jerked, and she let out a wordless cry of climax. "Aaaah...!!" Both of them breathed raggedly. Only the sound of ra