Strangers

002

"I will not go to Japan. No way." Shiho firmly stated as Geneva convinces her to go.

"Oh come on, Hailey! What are so against of in going? That is your home country!" her friend countered as she slumps in the bed and pouts at her. They were at her room. "Besides, you get to tag me along. I wanted to go there for so long now!"

"Right." The scientist mumbled as she meets her eyes. They were pleading. "Still no, though." She continued, and she saw how Geneva's eyes flicker in disappointment.

As much as she wanted to not disappoint her only friend in this foreign country, her fear of the past is much greater. She doesn't want to go back to Japan now. She was afraid she will see him, considering that the event was something that involves the mind. There was a chance of an encounter with him and she does not want to risk it.

"What will I do to change your mind?" Geneva asked.

"Nothing." She answered immediately, her voice with a hint of annoyance to her friend's persistence. "Nothing will ever change my mind, Geneva. I'm sorry." She added as she stood up to mark the end of the conversation.

Geneva sighed. "What are you so afraid of, Hailey?" she whispered as she watched her head outside. She can feel that there is something that is bothering her. Oftentimes, she observed her looking at nowhere in particular, and the expression on her eyes just speaks sadness, and longing. She wanted to help her. But Shiho never lets her in.

She sighed. There's a lot of persuasion she needs to do.

***

"Come on, Hailey. Let's just go. Haven't you heard the dean's offer? He's going to grant you the scholarship and the chance to go to the annual scientist convention you so wanted to attend!" Geneva insisted. She has been persisting her ever since they came back from school, and Shiho was getting tired of it.

"I know, but my answer is still no." she sternly answered much to Geneva's displeasure.

"Why?!" her friend demanded.

"It's just..." Feelings of longingness at the chance of seeing him was slowly resurfacing. She wanted to get rid of the feeling. She bit her lip in annoyance.

"Hail..." Geneva called as she noticed that conflicting look in her eyes. "Is there something wrong?"

Shiho looked at her friend. There was confusion in Geneva's eyes. She clearly wanted to know what is going on her mind.

"N-Nothing...Gen." she answered and she saw how her eyes flickered in disappointment. She really wanted to tell her everything, but she just doesn't have the courage to face her past, and let it all out in the open. It's just wasn't her character.

She sighed. Geneva gently holds her arm as she looked at her in the eye. "You know you can talk to me, Hail."

Again, she sighed. 'Will I tell her?'

***

She eventually did. She told her almost everything. Well, not that part about them shrinking, but she mentioned the existence of the organization.

"So, uh...just to sum it all up. You like this Kudo guy, right?"

She nearly choked in her own saliva. "W-what are you talking about?! I don't like him." She denied, though she can feel her cheeks warm a little.

"Oh really?" Geneva showed her a knowing smirk.

"Of course." She answered, very quickly that her friend just raised her eyebrow, much to her annoyance.

"Then there's really no reason to decline the offer to Japan!" she exclaimed, and Shiho eventually knew she screwed up.

'There's no defeating this girl.' She thought as she took a deep breath and speak again. "Geneva, there's a reason why I grabbed FBI's witness protection program. I want a new start, and he also wanted his. It would be unfair for him if I barged into his life again."

Geneva stared at her. "Shiho."

She sharply looked at her. It was the first time someone called her with her true name, and there was an unexplainable feeling rising in her stomach.

Geneva continued to look at her, like she was reading what she was thinking. She avoided her gaze. She knew she had a talent of hiding her emotions, but Geneva still got to know her thoughts. Maybe that's why they became friends.

She heard her sigh. "You're not doing it for yourself. You're doing it for him."

"W-what?"

"You believe that you need to disappear for him to start over again. Just like how his world is before you met him... That's not right, Shiho."

She stared at her.

"You're just hurting yourself."

"B-but..." she wanted to argue but she can't come up with a good argument.

"But at the same time, you wanted to save yourself too. You don't really want to watch him go back to his world without you, do you?" she whispered, as she looks at her inquisitively.

She felt her heart stir at what she said. It felt...true.

"Geneva..." she can't seem to meet her gaze.

"Do yourself a favor, girl. Hailey...." She hesitatingly stopped, unsure of what to call her ",,,or Shiho or whatever you want to call yourself." She chuckled for a moment before she looked at her in the eyes, as she said the words she so wanted to avoid.

"Face your fears. Do not run away, Hail."

***

The image of him saying almost the exact same words flashed before her eyes as she heard what Geneva had said.

'Don't run away from your fate, Haibara.'

It's the ultimate déjà vu. It was as if he was ghosting her of the past.

'Am I really just running away?' she asked mentally, as she stared at her friend.

"You know what, there's a way." Geneva said.

"What?"

"A way to go back and confront your feelings while not confronting him." She said knowingly.

Shiho just stared at her in confusion.

"You're Shinoba Hailey now, remember?" she reminded with a smirk.

She sighed. "Geneva, have you also forgotten that he is a detective, and he might recognize me right away despite the name change?"

She doesn't seem to mind the frustration in her voice. "Well, we can change HOW you look, and become a completely different person just like what you needed to be in this WP program!"

She stared at her disbelievingly. Her friend just answered her with a wide grin.

And just like that, Geneva Sanders convinced Miyano Shiho to go back to Japan,

...and get a makeover in the process.

***

A/N: i updated bcause i don't know when will i be able to again. I live in the middle of nowhere, you see, and there is no internet connection there. Hahaha comments?