Strangers

016

Shinichi groaned after he wakes up from only God knows how many hours. He still had a splitting headache, but it was more tolerable now than before. He brushed his hair up and was surprised to feel a towel on his forehead. He felt strange. He did not remember putting it there. He tried to sit up on his couch. He had this dream where the scientist was in his room, which would be really weird because she doesn’t know he’s out sick and she will never visit him for sure.

He gazes around the room, as if trying to sink in its appearance. It was like seeing his room for the first time, which again was weird, because it’s where he lives. He sighed. His temperature had gone down but still above normal. He gets up and walked toward the kitchen to get some water. But he was again surprised to see some food covered in the kitchen counter.

‘Weird. Did I order some food earlier?’  he mentally asked before he leaned down to see what it was. It was chicken porridge.

He looks around observing his place for some changes. Everything else was as it seems. He went back to the living room and reached for his phone.

“Hello mom?” he asked when his mother answered his call.

“Hey, Shin-chan! How are you?”

“Have you been here in my place?” he asked, direct to the point.

Yukiko went silent for a moment before she replied, “No. Is there something wrong?”

Now it was Shinichi’s turn to become silent. “Nothing. Just checking.”

“Is everything all right?” his mother asked, beginning to worry.

“Yes. I gotta go.” He mumbled before he hangs up, not really giving his mother a chance to reply.

Now he was puzzled. Just what really happened?

***

Shiho was sitting uncomfortably on her bed whilst mindlessly browsing some fashion magazine. Almost three hours had already passed since she visited the detective, but what happened played in her mind over and over again, like a broken record. Her heartbeat had been beating quite abnormally, and honestly it was getting annoying even for her.

‘That detective…how dare he pulled that to me.’  She thought and, her right hand touched her lips unconsciously. She admits, she was still dazed because of Shinichi’s kiss. She was not expecting the detective to do that bold step. Well, who would have thought, really! That detective was supposed to be awkward and stupid!

‘Must be his fever’  she countered as she brush her hair with her fingers. Thinking of the detective suddenly made her lips dry for unknown reasons. She sighed, and continued to reminisce what happened earlier. An unknowing smile seems to be tugging at the corner of her lips, though she doesn't really realize it.

Thank the gods, the detective felt asleep instantly after that incident. She doesn’t really know how to respond to him if he asks. ‘For all I know, he must be thinking he’s dreaming.’  She tried to console herself.

Ah, how she hates uncertainty.

***

Monday
11.00hr

The detective was significantly feeling better than before. He was quickly recovering from his fever, and he was actually planning to go out. He wanted to visit Shiho’s university, and see what she’s up to.

Almost a week has passed since he has last seen her (but in reality, it's just a matter of a day, though he still did not know that...yet), and he was starting to be grumpy about it. He sighed, as he pulled out a random coat from his closet, put it on, and wrapped a muffler on his neck. The day was becoming chilly and he doesn’t want to have his fever back soon.

The university was a good twenty minutes away by car from his place, and as expected there were only few students loitering in the university’s premises. Classes must still be going on. But just several minutes later, lunch will follow. He was about to go in the university’s gates when he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. The person was exiting the university, and before he can even think he called her name.

“Geneva-san!” he exclaimed, gaining her attention.

It took Geneva a few seconds before he realized who had called her name. He walks toward her.

“Hey…” he greeted, a bit embarrassed.

Geneva showed a smirk. “Hey…” she greeted in return, but didn’t say another word. She raised a brow asking silently what the detective wants.

“I just…” he hesitated, his hand slowly found its way to scratch his neck embarrassingly.

Geneva seems to get the message. “You’re looking for Hailey, right?”

The detective nodded.

“I left her in the library.” She answered, her eyes gesturing the direction towards the library. “She said she’ll stay there for a while.”

Shinichi nodded gratefully.

“Is there anything else?” Geneva inquired as she looks at him.

He contemplated, a bit hesitant of what to say. “H-how is she? I haven’t seen her for a while.”

Geneva stared rather confusingly. “Hadn’t you seen her just the other day?”

Now, it was Shinichi’s turn to feel confused. He opened his mouth to ask what she meant but no voice seems to come out, maybe from too much confusion. “W-w—”

“She visited you the other day. You were sick, remember?” Geneva explained. “Are you fine now?”

Shinichi seems to get what she was saying. “Y-yeah. I remember.” He mumbled before nodding in agreement. “And I’m okay, thanks.”

Geneva was unsure of his response, but she let it pass anyway. She still has somewhere to go to. “Okay. I’ll be going then. See you around.” She said as she waves at him before she walks away.

Shinichi was left there flabbergasted, the cogs in his mind frantically turning trying to make sense of what Geneva just said.

***

someone's confused. will our detective realize what happened the other day?