[ HIATUS ] Crossroad 『Detective Conan』

Chapter 1 - Pond of blood

   Seven o'clock, end of high school, or rather clubs. A young girl with loose brown hair was talking with her friends in front of the school. She had a camera around her neck.

   Enoshiya Kyoka, was a high school student and was in the journalist club - a club collecting interesting information all over Tokyo. Kyoka wanted to become a photographer, and she trained every day by taking pictures.
   She usually wore her hair up, except when her rubber band cracked or fell out of her hair, since it was never really tight. It also had two spikes on hair on the side. In terms of clothing style, it was not very feminine. Apart from of her uniform, she never wore a skirt. She was more into jackets and pants in general.

   The young girl stretched and let out a sigh.
   -I'm exhausted...
   -You've slept all day! scoffed Akihiko, a boy with black hair and Kyoka's best friend.
   Kyoka puffed out her cheeks and looked at her friend.
   -Go and see if I'm there! she retorted.
   This only made the boy laugh even harder, while his friend took on a sulky look.

   The two students had known each other for ten years. When his friend's parents died, the young boy had helped her through the ordeal. Since then, they had stayed together.

   A drop, then two, fell to the ground. One fell on the brunette's cheek and she wiped it away.
   -It's starting to rain... Kyoka remarked.
   -The weather forecast said it... Didn't you watch it... ?
   A nervous laugh escaped the young girl, who scratched the back of her head.
   -Hehe... No... !
   -You are unbelievable... Here!
   Akihiko sighed and took out an umbrella from her bag before handing it to her friend.
   -Keep it for yourself!
   The brown-eyed girl looked at the umbrella for a few moments before running away from her friend to encourage him to keep the umbrella for himself.
   -Oe ! You're going to come home soaking wet! he shouted.
   -No problem! If I leave now, I can get home before it starts raining too hard! What's more, I know some shortcuts! What's more, you might get sick! See you tomorrow, Akihiko!
   Without further ado, she set off running, leaving her best friend alone. The latter sighed again before opening his umbrella. He started to leave before looking in the direction Kyoka had gone.

   -I should have taken his umbrella...
   Kyoka was still running in the direction of where she lived, in the increasingly heavy rain. She decided to stop for a while in a sheltered spot to catch her breath.
   -Maybe I could take a shortcut... ?
   No sooner had she thought that than her eyes darted around her. She soon spotted an alleyway that she had already passed a few times. She resumed her run and ran into it.

   As she crossed the path, a noise made her stop dead in her tracks. Although camouflaged by the ever-increasing rain, she was able to identify that it was not so far from the schoolgirl's position, who looked around before taking a cautious step forward, her heart beating rapidly. She looked around her at every step.
   Suddenly, her blood ran cold as she repressed a scream. In a cul-de-sac were two men dressed head to toe in black. One had long silver hair, the other wore dark glasses. A few centimetres away, a pool of blood and a body.
   -These FBI insects are everywhere, aren't they, Aniki? Said the one with the glasses.
  -F... BI... ? Kyoka repeated, widening her eyes.

   The two men in black turned, discovering that someone was watching them. The brown-haired girl immediately put her hand over her mouth, having noticed the mistake she had made. She didn't dare move.
   -She's seen us! What are we going to do, Aniki? panicked the one with the glasses.
   The man with the long hair began to smile.
   -Isn't it obvious? he asked.
   He raised the weapon he was holding, pointing it at the witness with an icy stare. The witness quickly understood her situation and glanced quickly towards the other side of the alley. She could flee to this side, if by chance she managed to get to the other side quickly. And so she did, starting to run as fast as she could, clutching her camera around her neck to keep it in place.

   She avoided a shot by she knew not what chance. Immediately afterwards, she reached a busier street, mingled with the crowd and continued to run, disappearing from the sight of the two criminals.
   Even though she was now out of range and had lost the two men, she kept running until she reached her house. She opened and slammed the door of the restaurant run by her adoptive parents.

   -Kyoka-chan? Why are you so pale?
   The schoolgirl jerked her head up and saw Nishimura Akahara, her adoptive mother.
   -... What...? It's... it's... It's... it's... nothing... It's nothing...
   She needed time to assimilate what had just happened and to calm down.
   -You've been running in the rain, haven't you? Go and get changed quickly and come and help us with the service this evening! ordered the woman.

   With a sigh of both relief at being home and annoyance at not liking helping in the restaurant, she headed for the door leading to the stairs on the house side and took off her shoes. She grabbed her slippers before climbing the stairs, replacing her locks, which were dripping on the floor, as well as her clothes.
   -... I'll... do a few things and then I'll have a shower... Kyoka announced before heading for her room.

   Once upstairs, in her room, the high school girl dropped her bag and then let herself fall to her knees. She'd managed to hold on until now, but now her body could no longer support her weight.
   She had to tell the police. She had to do it and fast. But... would they believe her? What if the person killed was really from the FBI?
   Too many questions were racing through Kyoka's mind, and she could only think of one image. That man with the long grey hair, his gracious gaze, with that body behind him in a pool of blood.

   -Oe Kyoka, hurry up and take your shower!
   The voice of the girl's brother, Yosuke, snapped her out of her thoughts. He had opened the door without knocking.
   -What are you doing on the floor? Have you turned into an animal? he asked.
   -... Doesn't the floor have the right to be comfortable? she replied, relieved to know that she was now safe.
   -Oh, sorry if I've offended you! I'm going to ask Daddy to take your bed away and put a doghouse in its place! laughed the young boy.

   Enoshiya Yosuke was Kyoka's younger brother, three years younger. The two were quite close because of the death of their parents, being the only two members of the same family.

   -Well, are you moving? I've got no time to lose! Unlike you, I'm helping out at the restaurant! said Yosuke.
   -You should have gone first! replied his sister.
   -Do you really mind? Considering how wet you are...
   The two looked at each other in silence before rushing into the bathroom at the same time, the one who arrived fastest being able to occupy the premises first.
   The presence of the young boy made Kyoka forget what had happened to her.