Disclaimer: Detective Conan and all other copyrights mentioned in this work, directly and otherwise, don't belong to me.

Notes: Some of the scenes in this sappy story were heavily-inspired by various books, manga and shows I've revisited, and my personal desire to actually experience a nabe party. I used a lot of Japanese terms, particularly the ingredients and traditional Japanese stuff that work better untranslated, but I left some context clues if you don't feel like searching for them.

If you wonder why the rest of the Tantei-Dan aren't invited this time around, it's simply because nabe parties are, traditionally-speaking, a family gathering. Slight(?) ShuShi implications as the story progresses. Thank you for reading!

"It sure has gotten really cold," comments Professor Agasa, rubbing his palms together to keep them from numbing while he's in the middle of installing an electric burner on the underside of a kotatsu table.

"Has it? I thought you'd feel warmer... Considering how much you've gained after the recent wave of Christmas parties you've attended," responds Ai, seated nonchalantly on the couch, her eyes not leaving the winter fashion catalog she's been skimming through even for a second. A chilly afternoon is perfectly fine for her.

All the professor could do was titter over his own indiscretion.

It is the second Saturday of January, and in almost every part of the world, that's just about the time when the cold season is at its peak. In Japan, particularly, it is also the time of the year when families break out their kotatsus, traditional robes and donabes for a hearty nabe dinner. Having lived on his own for so long, today will be first time Professor Agasa's going to observe this informal tradition in the comfort of his own home. And while it was easy for him to get a burner ready, being the inventor that he is, he had to borrow the table from the Kudous next door since he had pretty much burned out most of last month's holdover budget to order a new one online, what with the investment he made on his Christmas trinket that didn't pay off as much as he had hoped, and the New Year's otoshidama for each of the Shounen Tantei-dan's members, with Ai getting the biggest share of course.

Acclimated to the ways of the west, the Kudous haven't used their kotatsu for almost a decade, Conan Edogawa bored them, or more specifically Haibara, when he dropped by in the morning to grant the request, admitting that the last nabe party held at their mansion felt too out-of-place that the family decided to just book a Japanese-style room at a hotel whenever the mood sprang for them ever since. The furniture, along with a fancy-looking clay pot from Iga, was brought to the professor's place a couple of hours ago, fresh out of the storage by puny Kudou-kun himself, Professor Agasa and Subaru-san bunking next door.

"Say, Ai-kun...," Agasa starts, already finished wiring the burner and is now testing it. "What kind of nabemono would you like for later?"

But Ai does not respond, well-aware of the course this particular conversation's taking.

"Actually, I was looking up some recipes online last night and..."

And she was right. After all, it's an old, crud stratagem of the professor's, much like most of his pop quizzes and some of his inventions.

"...And I found one that looks quite promising. What do you say we try that one?" Agasa finally comes out with it in the most appeasing way he could manage, expecting an answer that, at the back of his mind, he knew he wasn't going to get.

"I say you focus on making sure the burner won't break down later," Ai confirms his subconscious hunch imperatively, tossing what turned out to be an unimpressive selection of garments down the table. "I'm going to the supermarket to buy the ingredients we'll be putting in the pot, so please hand me the budget later."

"By yourself?"

The little scientist walks off to her room to get ready, leaving the shamefaced inventor to put two and two together.

A trip to the supermarket can be liberating in its own, simple way. That's what Ai had come to conclude since she first tagged along with the professor to keep him from burning a fraction of their household budget on snack cakes and chocolate chip cookies. A place that allows customers, at least those intending to buy groceries, to leave behind everything that's bothering them for a few moments so they could channel all their powers into the important task at hand. There's not much room left in the mind for problems anyway, taking into account all the toils a shopper must go through to make sure that it goes off without a hitch – trying to get everything on the grocery list, doing the right math, thoroughly inspecting and comparing products, and making adjustments based on what's available and what's on sale while remaining true to the original plan being the focal points.

With all the processes and variables involved, grocery shopping could very well be considered a science experiment. And Ai Haibara is very good with science experiments. She probably wouldn't exist if not for one.

Ai could feel the full brunt of Beika Supermarket's air conditioning through her brand-new gull gray wool jacket - a matching beanie hat, a red plaid buttoned shirt, dark jeans and a pair of brown ankle boots completes her look - as soon as she steps in. Probably because there aren't enough warm bodies wandering about. Not many people shop as early as two-thirty in the afternoon, but that's merely the proverbial calm before the storm that will come an hour and a half later. And a violent storm it will be, particularly at the Time Sale counters. But since there's only so much she could carry on her own, she'll probably be done shopping before the housewife hysteria begins.

While fetching an empty basket abandoned by the checkout, Haibara immediately sensed a pair of eyes quickly taking interest in her. A plump, middle-aged woman holding a basket, the shrewd little girl confirmed when she tilted the corner of her eye over to the aisle where the observant stands. "A store detective," she guessed. It can't be helped though; a little girl doing the groceries by herself, as sweet a gesture as it promises to be, will certainly turn heads, especially one who looks as conspicuous as her. Just for fun, Ai walks over to where the woman was, passing behind her while looking left and right like an innocuous child looking for the first thing on her list, but before their eyes could meet, the woman recoils nervously to examining the first item she could get her hands on, in this case, cup noodles. Exactly what Ai predicted she'd do. "Hmph... Typical," Ai thought, smiling mockingly to herself. Reaching an intersection, the little half-Brit takes advantage of a cart coming from her right to lose the snoop.

"I should probably start with the vegetables," Ai confers with herself while treading a row of potato chips that are definitely not gonna be in her basket by the time she heads for the checkout. She had already thought of ingredients to buy when she checked their fridge before she left, and optimized it on the way to the grocery. Not a very complicated list since this isn't going to be the regular grocery shopping day, but one that's a little costly since the items they have at home aren't exactly nabe-material: a pack of tofu, carrots, mushrooms, some greens to supplement the ones stocked in their crisper, starch noodles, granulated dashi, and if the budget would still allow it but optional nonetheless, a pack of seafood. Just enough for three to five people, even though its only going to be the two of them this time around. Then again, the professor usually equates to two or three bellies so it should be alright, and its not like they can't use the leftovers for another dish.

Crossing out the carrots and scallions came handily. However, the chemist stumbled upon her first real hurdle when she reached the leafy vegetables section. The kikunas were at the topmost shelf. "Putting a popular ingredient for nabe up so high. How convenient," Haibara grumbled, pondering whether to skip it for now or just omit it while (mentally) cussing whoever thought of this arrangement. Worse thing is, since vegetables are among the products bought at one's own discretion, not a single staff was around to aid her. Well technically, there's that store detective who finally managed to catch up while she just stood there, staring curiously at the peak she obviously couldn't scale even if she stood on her toes. But asking her is probably not a very bright idea, not after Ai tried to ditch her minutes ago. The last thing she wants to do is something that would provoke the authority into taking her to custody, either as a shoplifter or a lost child, more likely the latter.

Getting frustrated over this quandary by the second, the shrewd girl trains her attention somewhere else, more specifically a young couple with child on her far left by the dairy products, the parents in their mid-to-late twenties while the child, roughly four or five. It was the first peculiar thing that came to view, and she was in no mood to be picky. Each of them wearing glittering cheerful faces, the father lifts his baby boy up to grab some butter from a high shelf while the mother looks on, and after getting all cheery for such a small achievement, puts the child down the cart along with their meager groceries, driving him around the supermarket like they were at the park riding one of those animal cars. A perfect image of an unembellished family. Ai couldn't deny the slight envy she felt upon seeing it all unfold before her, well-aware that she had never experienced this sort of thing even in her days as a toddler barely able to store memories in her ample mind. She could do well enough without being pushed around in a cart and the lifting though.

Lamenting on what never was didn't keep Ai distracted from her surrounding for too long. Almost immediately, she noticed a man's figure looming behind her from the shadow it projected, dwarfing her as it reaches for a bundle of that damned kikuna. She realized who this particular customer is the moment he laid the greens on her basket.

"What a troublesome little girl you are, always making others worry by going through such dire lengths for their sake," says Subaru Okiya, clad in a coal-black coat, a faded blue scarf, gray trousers and brown leather shoes, his voice soft but quite reproachful.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Ai quipped. By now, she's quite used to his surprisingly convenient appearances during her times of struggle. It wasn't a very astonishing feat for a man of his skill to elude her radar, but what surprises her is that she could barely feel the ominous pressure from him nowadays, like it has been reduced into a fluctuating current that isn't even enough to jolt the rest of her senses. From a distance, she heard a husky voice from long ago say "that's always been your problem", as if compounding Subaru's admonition. "Anyway, did you follow me all the way here on your own or did the professor put you up to it?" she changed the subject rather sarcastically, refusing to admit to herself that she's finally starting to warm up to him for reasons she wasn't sure of yet.

"Believe it or not, I originally planned to spend the rest of my day knuckling down on one of Kudou-sensei's rare tomes, until Agasa-san came by and asked me to accompany you," explained the soft-spoken man. "More importantly, why didn't you agree to have the professor take you? You know how dangerous it is for children your age to be out on the streets alone." He flaunts a foreboding look at her, a sign that his words held a deeper meaning.

But Ai returns the gesture with a steely gaze, conveying just how well she understands the risk she had taken. "With your sleuthing savvy, I'm sure you'd come to agree that he'd be better off getting the kotatsuready for tonight than trying whatever they have over at the free taste kiosks. Besides, I don't intend to buy more than what I could carry." Quick to realize that the conversation is starting to rove out of context, Ai decides to switch gears, particularly one that is favorable to this annoyingly good-humored shadow she seems to be dragging behind. "Oh well... Since you're already here and it doesn't look like you're going away anytime soon, might as well make yourself useful." Ai extends her sparsely-filled basket towards Subaru, but retracts it the instant he reaches for it. "But only on one condition."

"And what is that?"

"Under no circumstances should you ever put me on a cart. Its very lame, not to mention embarrassing."

The bespectacled man lets loose a good-natured chuckle. "Fine by me. Though it seems that would no longer be necessary even if you said otherwise." Upon his allusion, Ai noticed that the detective has finally left her trail and now has her sights set on a teenage girl in a pink fleece jacket over at the fruit stands. "So, shall we?" Subaru offers to carry the basket once more.

Finally handing him the reins, Ai couldn't avoid touching the surface of Subaru's palm. It felt strangely gentle, yet she could attest to how firm his grip can be when he's serious. Another one of his many contrasting qualities that invoke her contrasting views of him. If there's one thing for certain though, it is that it annoys the hell out of her.

Once the basket's secure in her neighbor's decisive grasp, the snobbish girl curtly pulls her hand back and walks ahead, too distracted by sudden flashbacks and trying to hide a fine-drawn blush to come up with a response of some sort.

"Would you mind if I asked something personal for once?" Haibara asks Subaru flatly while he checks the seafood section for a pack of coho salmon fillet on her behalf. Knowing that she has to coordinate with him, she was able to temporarily dispel the awkwardness that still keeps them apart. And without that wall, they were actually getting along pretty well, their conversations centering mostly around exchanging tidbits about vegetable varieties (he's one of few people who could actually keep up with her) and trying to get everything done. When she couldn't decide which of the crop is fresher even after a thorough inspection, she'd resort to his opinion. And when the item's far beyond her reach, she would have no qualms in having him get it for her. However, it was only a matter of time before she grew weary of all the triviality, hence the more forward question. After all, a lecture about vegetables isn't what she wanted to hear from him.

Subaru looked dead serious for a moment, like a person put under the spotlight on short notice - getting all worked up even before the real question is asked. Exactly the kind of reaction she was aiming for. As good as he is at keeping his poker face though, her advantage didn't last very long. "Not a problem. But if its something along the lines of a past lover or an embarrassing moment, I'm afraid I can't oblige you," he replied half-jokingly.

"Well, if you want me to trust you, I suggest you go along with me a little more," she demanded, crossing her arms impatiently. "Besides, why would I be interested in your love life? Should I be?"

"Alright, alright... I understand what you're trying to say..." He smiles at her apologetically. "But what is it that you want to ask anyway?"

Relieved that they didn't have to argue about it further, Ai takes a deep breath before asking. "Have you ever had a nabe party with your parents or relatives before?"

"Not since I moved to the city to study, which was... Almost ten years ago," answered the Sherlockian after a few seconds' pause.

"Why don't you come back home then? I bet you have enough time to spare for a visit...," she continues to grill, totally unconvinced.

"Hmmm... You see, my folks weren't exactly... Keen on my decision to study here. We've been at odds ever since, and I don't think time has fully healed the wounds yet. I'm sure you'd understand that much." Subaru's face transfigures into an earnest expression. Whether he was simply trying to win over her sympathy or is hinting at something else, it was hard to tell. What was easy to tell however, was that she had lost her leverage before she got something close to credible out of him.

"...Of course I do," bitterly replies Ai. "Unless you're saying I'm insensitive."

"No, I'm not implying anything of the sort." Subaru adjusts his glasses as he turns back to the seafood, finally finding the salmon fillet. "How much do you need?"

"Two packs would be plenty enough."

"Two packs it is..." He grabs the specified amount and lays them carefully beneath the greens. "...If don't mind me asking in return, why the sudden interest?"

Ai looks away glumly. "...Nothing. It just occurred to me. Like the professor said, this will be the first time we're having a nabe party." Of course it didn't just occur to her. While it is true that she's never had anabe party before tonight, she mourns over not being able to enjoy it with her dearest sister and their parents. If only her situation was as easy as Subaru's story, or whatever it is he just told her. That she only ran away from home after a heated dispute with her folks. That anytime, she could come back to make amends and everything will be alright again.

But no. She could hardly remember what her parents look like, much less the last time they were complete as a family. Heck, she's not even sure if there was ever a moment when all four of them are together in the same room. All she knows is that she left "home" intending never to come back there again for as long as she breathes, loathing the people responsible for this misfortune.

At the very least, Ai found it comforting to assume that Subaru understands her sudden melancholy, refraining from delving further or making additional remarks for a while. He should, if he's the man who she believes him to be.

"If that's the case then," he finally says, crouching down as if to meet her halfway, flourishing that warm smile once again. "Shouldn't you be making tonight's dinner extra special? For instance, adding another variety of meat into your nabe..."

Ai looks back at him with eyes slightly widened, surprised not at his suggestion as much as herself for completely agreeing with it. "If I have enough money to spend around, do you seriously think I wouldn't think of that?" Returning to her sardonic ways, the former chemist ditches her (unlikely) companion yet again, still refusing to openly give him credit. "What are you waiting for?" She looks back at Subaru after a couple of steps. "I'd like to get home before sunset you know..."

"Right after you," he affably responds, stretching his back and limbs as he gets up like he couldn't keep up with this child even though he's in tip-top shape and she isn't all that energetic.

Once the perishables have been dealt with, the rest of Haibara's grocery shopping went like a winter breeze. And just like a winter breeze, it was also cold and nearly soundless. Not much was left to talk about when they started roaming the aisles for the canned mushrooms and some granulated dashi. At least nothing that Ai would find more interesting than Subaru's true identity. There was the occasional referral for particular brands or varieties, but other than that, both of them remained awkwardly unsociable.

Drowsiness was beginning to gain on Ai when they finally reached the mushroom shelves. She couldn't help it, not after missing yet another four hours of sleep last night. The air conditioning isn't helping her cause either. Unable to fight the urge, she covers her lips for a subtle yawn, but it still failed to escape Subaru's sights.

"I may have to put you on a cart if you suddenly fall asleep on me," he joked.

"Try that and I'll kill you when I wake up," she responded with a shifty gaze, which only brought more amusement to the man in clear lenses, laughing modestly while grabbing a can of shiitake mushrooms. Somehow, the exchange gave her a mild sense of deja vu, but it had little effect on her torpor if any, still feeling too draggy to think further of it.

Feeling a desperate need to stay conscious for at least an hour longer, Ai rolls her eyes towards the nearby shelves, searching for something, anything at all that could keep her mind active. She found her diversion soon enough in the form of a sallow-faced man in a shabby brown heavy coat, a basket in hand, browsing over at the canned sardines shelf less than ten meters across to her left. A boy was grabbing the edge of his coat, approximately seven years of age, wearing a jade sweater and loose-fit jeans that sags a little below his waist, most likely his son. The man's likely a single father since these particular chores, grocery shopping and babysitting, are usually left to mothers.

She couldn't hear whatever they were talking about from where she stood - not that she intended to eavesdrop anyway, but from their body language alone, it seems that the father, his hand already extending towards the cans, is either waiting for his son to say which one he likes best, or is already looking for what his son had chosen beforehand. Whatever the real score is, it doesn't really matter to her, for the particular sight, for the second time today, only reminded her of what she never had: a simple memory with either one of her parents that she could cherish for the rest of her life, something that no cassette tape could ever hope to replicate. Grief was beginning to fight its way back into her heart once more as she watched them from afar, resenting her misfortune for being born in the wrong family at the most inappropriate of times, and with the curse of being a prodigy no less.

That is, until the man tipped a can right down his sleeve while his son looked on with much enthusiasm, as though he was watching a magician make a random thing vanish into the chilly air. It all happened in a hurried sequence, but not quick enough to deceive her eyes.

Reality struck Ai wide awake the moment the father-and-son tandem revealed their true motives. "Shoplifters," she muttered, contempt evident in her face like it was painted all over it. She had been wrong to think even for one second that she was unlucky to have Dr. Atsushi Miyano and the infamous Hell Angel, Elena as parents. She may not have known them as well as Akemi did, but at least she knows how much they regretted having to put her up to the infernal life she had forsaken since her sister's death, even if its not really their fault to begin with; how much they loved her through those heartfelt messages her mother left especially for her, recorded during such a dark time. But this man, he's actually showing his son how to steal like it is an important skill to learn. And judging from how confident he is in lowering his arm to pat the child's head and how the item didn't slip down when he did so, he must've sewn secret pockets underneath. Only a veteran shoplifter would customize a coat that way. It is also probable that they've taken other items before the pilfering she witnessed.

Upon this realization, Ai felt the blood rush up to her, provoked not only by the disgust she feels towards the man for deliberately turning a child into an accomplice to a crime, but also that sense of justice instilled within her by those momentous adventures she's had with the people that now surround her. But since she isn't as forward or as resourceful as they are in situations like this, the only thing she could do is to resort to someone who fits that description flush. "Hey," Haibara whispers, tugging the cuff of Subaru's coat. "There's a shoplifter taking some sardines." At the time, he was reading through the expiration dates stamped on the cans.

"Yes, I've noticed him with my peripheral vision," he said.

"What do you think? Should we confront him now?"

"Hmm..." Subaru takes one good look at the situation, making up his mind in under two seconds. "We should probably leave this one to the authorities." His ardent gaze directs her further across the aisle, where she spotted the unmistakable build of the store detective who had been trailing her a while ago, and judging from her vantage point, it was impossible for her not to have seen the pair's suspicious movements.

"But-" she snaps back, but he interrupts her by handing back her basket, now with a can of mushrooms in it.

"I believe we have everything you need. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to buy some items for myself. Do enjoy your nabe and have a safe trip home."

Before she could look up to expound, Subaru had already disappeared, his swift movements eluding her yet again. She was supposed to say the child would most likely be brought to a children's home if the police apprehend his father, and she was confident that he'd know that much even if she didn't warn him about it. And yet he just upped and left like he didn't care at all what would happen to a criminal's child. Much like what "that man" did to her and her sister. "Tch... This is so like you...," Ai resentfully said to herself, engraving a mental note never to make the same mistake for a second, or perhaps third time. Putting any ounce of faith in him, that is.

Trying not to dwell on his abrupt departure anymore, Haibara cocks her head back to where the shoplifters were, only to find out that they too were gone, and for that matter, so was the detective. "Very funny..." Ai sighs glumly, her breath condensing into a thin mist. She was still adamant with stopping the culprits before they try to leave the supermarket, but with her buzz killed on sight, her only opportunity gone the second Subaru shunned her and her high hopes on him crashing down like a wooden house infested with termites, she didn't feel up to it anymore and decided to heed Subaru's advice. As harsh as it is, he does have a point in letting people do what they're being paid to do, and if sentimentality didn't influence her line of thinking earlier, she'd probably agree with him anyway. After all, Ai's still not the type of person who'd stick her nose around wherever it smells, or try to sniff wherever she goes despite being branded as one of the five detectives in campus.

Condemning that four-eyed neighbor of hers for the severe blow her conscience had to endure with this apathy, the perm-haired child storms off as well.

Ai Haibara tried to follow Subaru Okiya's advice alright: the advice to add another fish variety to the nabe, that is. After doing an estimate on her comestibles and seeing that she still has enough left to splurge a bit, she opted to stick around and return to the seafood section before heading home just to say she really considered it.

"...Who am I kidding, really...?" Deep in her heart, she knew this was only an excuse to try to get back on the shoplifters' trail. She worried too much about the boy's well-being, especially if the detective does call for security and he gets sent back to his relatives or an orphanage as a consequence. More times than not, kids like him will have a pretty rough treatment from his peers and even some adults once they find out that he used to tag along with his dad whenever he steals. Even his relatives could potentially abandon him in order to protect the family's name. And if worse comes to worst, he might grow up a thief just like his "hero", or get caught up in some gang, committing large-scale heists or other serious crimes.

A number of miscreants recruited by the Black Organization for "errands" have had similar backgrounds as well; it was printed on their files when they were sent to her department as "volunteer test subjects" once they've served their purpose or failed of be of any use, their tragic stories still buried deep down a crevasse in the former chemist's memory. Living puppets disconnected from society one way or another, easily disposed of without a trace... Without anyone making a fuss... "...I must be reading too much into this...," Haibara mumbled, unable to concentrate on the glaring price tags before her. "...Not that its improbable though..." In the end, she left without adding anything to her shopping list.

She was already bound for the checkout to pay when finally, she spotted the thieving parent and his kid "looking" at some chocolates. She was skeptical for a moment, noticing how conveniently vacant some of the counters were, but her curious conscience won her over eventually. Yes, she wanted to see if Subaru called it right, but more than anything, she wanted to see to it until it meets a conclusion of some sort, still holding on to a flimsy thread that somewhere along the way, the father would realize the massive effect this one mistake will have on his son's future before its too late. But if he's really intent on marching down this path with his son, who would hold on to his coat and innocently follow him anywhere, they would have no pity from her whatsoever.

Haibara hides behind the edge of the sweets shelf, this time close enough to see the milk carton and the bag of chips in their basket - obviously the dummy for the checkout, and hear what they're talking about as well. Seems the father teaching his son the basics of taking items from a shelf, using the chocolate as a sample target. Things that no child should learn about. Goes to show how little his father's love for him is, or how corrupted that love has become due to necessity, or whatever it is that's strong enough to drive them to this. A couple of minutes into it, she gave up listening and leaned woefully against the cold metal shelf, taking long, deep breaths to compose herself. "...This is more trouble than what it's worth...," she muttered, reminding herself that she is not a saint like Ran-san or her sister who would try to save everyone at her own expense.

However, her reprieve wouldn't last long as a familiar voice startles her, saying "give it up, you've already been caught" so firmly it was like he's making an arrest. "That voice-! It can't be-!" Ai snaps back to the scene, finding the man being confronted by none other than mister we-should-leave-it-to-the-authorities himself, Subaru. For a second, she thought she heard Dai Moroboshi's voice, but perhaps she had only mixed it up with her recollections.

"W-what are you talking about, good sir?" the man asks backs, trying to feign ignorance.

"A can of sardines, a can of straw mushrooms, a packet of sliced marbled beef, a pack of dried kombu, four pieces of potatoes and a chocolate bar for the little boy which you're supposed to give him whether he succeeds in seizing one on his own. I may have missed some, but I'm sure you have those items in your coat." Haibara couldn't deny how amazed she was as she tuned in to his deduction, realizing that he was already aware of their operations long before she had a grasp on it.

"H-hey... A-are you accusing me of something?" the shoplifter stammers in denial. Contrary to his actions though, his son shivers behind his leg as if admitting their guilt.

"By now, they must have noted some items you've stolen. Once you try to get through the checkout, security will intercept you right away unless you pay for them. I'm sure you already have a clue what happens to you and the child when they do."

"B-but..."

"If you don't have enough money, I'd be happy to lend you some just this once," the mystery lover offered. "So please, don't do this to yourself. Don't do this to your son."

"Y-you don't understand! A-a nicely-dressed guy like you would never understand!" the man finally snapped, exhausting the fervent angst he seems to be withholding until now. A pitiful scenario that Ai has seen dozens of times. "I got laid off from the factory right before Christmas! I've worked so hard to become semi-regular for almost a year now, gave up sleep and time with my son, b-but just when I thought I could finally turn our lives around, they cut me off so they could give themselves a bigger bonus! Thanks to those goddamned slugs, I couldn't afford that kotatsu I promised Naoki!"

Suddenly, the compassionate look on Subaru's face was replaced with a deploring one. "But does that justify the life of crime and hardships you're subjecting your son into?" he scolded. knocked some sense to the shoplifter, unable to keep a straight face and eventually crumbling to his knees on the porcelain floor.

"...N-no... No, it won't...," he said almost sobbingly after a minute. Naoki tries to console his despairing father, who in turn hugs him tightly while uttering apologies over and over, pleading for him to forget everything he heard today. Pitiful, thought Haibara.

As altruistic as he presents himself to be, Subaru reaches out to him literally with his left hand. "Its not too late to pick yourself up once more and live the honest life you wish for Naoki-kun. So please..." When the man finally regained composure and accepted his help, he took his wallet out and produced some cash as promised, looking over his shoulder to make sure the detective wasn't around to see. Both the ex-factory worker and Naoki gratefully bowed to him many times before unloading the coat of all the goods they tucked in there. The only thing Subaru missed earlier was a tube of toothpaste, but that's understandable since they didn't explore that part of the supermarket. "Now do go trying to steal things anymore, alright?" the bespectacled bachelor says with a smile, receiving an emphatic bow from the two before they set off for the checkout, leaving a promise of an honest future.

Watching the ideal conclusion she sought for unfold before her very eyes, Ai smiles contently, taking back all the cruel things she may have said, or thought, a moment ago. It may not speak for their... Affiliation as a whole, yet, but today, he had earned more of her respect and faith. She was about to close this chapter on a pleasant note by leaving discreetly, but...

"You can come out now, my little spectator," the Sherlockian dared with amusement, looking over to where she had concealed her presence. Of course, she expected no less of him on this matter, guessing that he was hiding on the other end of the shelf all along, taking action only when he confirmed she wasn't going to make a move.

"Hmph... So much for leaving it to the authorities and getting something for yourself," Ai jeers, crossing her arms as she reveals herself, flaunting that haughty smirk of hers while eyeing his empty hands.

Subaru straightens his lenses with his index finger while approaching the permed girl. "You might know this already, but robbery is one of the most common crimes a juvenile delinquent could get involved in, second only to assault. I only did what any concerned citizen would do."

"That's exactly what I was telling you earlier, but as always, you just had to irritate me with all that crap," she stressed grumpily while extending her basket to him, which he promptly took upon recognizing what she's hinting at. "So tell me... Why didn't you confront him when I told you about it?" she asks, starting for the checkout for real this time.

But he didn't follow her lead at once. "I'd be happy to answer, but can I get my wine first? I was supposed to get some when I stumbled upon them."

"Just between you and me," she stops, turning her shifty eyes back at him, "there are times when you're an extremely horrible liar."

"Is that so? Perhaps I should think of better excuses next time." Subaru chuckles, pacing towards Haibara. He only needed a few strides to get beside her. "The answer's quite simple, I must say. I didn't want the store detective to suspect us as his accomplices. I had to lose her first before I could do something."

"Hmm..." Her arms still folded, Ai sizes up her companion as they walk side by side. "Well, you certainly look suspicious enough. But... Me? A shoplifter's accomplice?"

"You remember she had her eye on you before I approached you, right? She was actually hot on their trail then, and it was only a coincidence that you were there as well. But if she saw us talking to them, it would have given her the impression that we were really working together to throw her off," he explained. "I'm sure you'd appreciate not having to spend the rest of the afternoon at the management office or the police station."

"...Considering her skill level, I guess I shouldn't be so surprised," she mocked.

They fell in line at a counter with only one customer ahead of them, a teenager buying carbonated juice, two bags of potato chips and a box of gum. In about a minute, they were up. "I assume you noticed them taking the meat and some potatoes when you met up with me, hm?" Ai quizzes Subaru as he lays her groceries before the cashier one by one.

"Exactly. As for the others, I only noticed them over the course of our rounds, like when we passed them en route to the mushrooms."

"We passed them...? …Guess I wasn't paying attention then..." She would remember why she didn't see them a couple of seconds later as her eyes start to flicker anew.

"Feeling sleepy again?" Subaru asked, sounding all concerned.

"...Can't help it now that the fuss is all over...," Ai answered after a yawn.

"But that's a good thing, isn't it?"

"...Yep."

Ai paid for her groceries as planned, but she made Subaru carry them on the way out. She was a little curious as to where he got the money he lent the shoplifter, but eventually decided she'd rather not know. He deserves some relief from her scrutiny with his latest achievement. Just when she thought it was a bad idea to trust him, he surpassed her expectations yet again. Today, she was even more convinced with his earnest intentions, even admiring him for the way he handled it. But she wouldn't tell him that. Not until he tells her who he really is. Or for that matter, confirm the hunch she's withholding...

Light snow had begun to fall by the time they got out of the supermarket, making the afternoon seem a lot bleaker than Ai imagined hours ago. "...Its snowing... How rare...," she said, smiling meekly as she looks up the gray sky, catching a droplet with her bare hand.

"I should've brought my car anyway. Wait a minute, I'll just get a cab," said Subaru. But as he turns to the road...

"...I wouldn't mind... If you piggyback me home...," she uttered like she didn't mean for him to hear it at all. He still did though.

"Hm? Are you sure you're fine with that?" he asks, giving her an odd look.

True to form however, Ai retorts with heavy sarcasm. "What? I've been walking for two hours straight and I'm very sleepy. Besides, its not as embarrassing as riding a cart, not to mention more practical than getting a cab for just a couple of blocks."

"I understand. I really have no intention of suggesting, but now that you've asked, I guess I don't have much of a choice." Subaru kneels in front of Ai, letting her wrap those tiny arms over his shoulders while her legs cling on his side one at a time. Once she was secure in his back, he pulls himself up, the grocery bags hanging on one arm. "Well then, just hang on tight," he told her before moving along with the rest of the crowd. When he didn't get an immediate response, he assumed she had fallen asleep, using his scarf as a pillow. But as he weaves cautiously through the first wave of evening shoppers, Ai suddenly spoke...

"...Being a nice guy... It doesn't suit you... Akai hito..."

Utterly surprised, the bespectacled Sherlockian looks over his shoulder, only to find the hooded little girl sound asleep. Taking the case as it appears to be, he simply grunted wryly.

Ai wakes up at the comfort of her own bed at around six in the evening, still dressed in her outdoor clothes save the jacket, the hat and the boots. The lights were on so her eyes took a while to adjust as it roamed the room, but she didn't need to be fully conscious to recognize Professor Agasa's stoutness as he obscures her workstation, apparently tidying up a little. As expected, Subaru was nowhere to be found. Not that she cared about him anyway.

"Oh, pardon me for waking you, Ai-kun," the professor greets apologetically when he finally noticed her. "Why don't you catch some more sleep? I'll wake you up once dinner's ready."

"Nevermind," she replied, picking herself up. "Knowing you'll be the one cutting vegetables, I'd probably have nightmares about a nabe with shuriken-shaped carrots and tattered fish floating on it."

"Err... Well... About that-"

"You sure plan to go all out with this party," she interrupted, eyeing the purple dotera that has taken the place of the professor's usual labcoat. He's obviously more excited with the hotpot dinner than she is, thought the half-blood girl.

"I borrowed these doteras and tablecloth from an old friend," Agasa explained, grabbing the smaller-sized robe he just prepared on her desk and showing it to her. "Ta-da! Quite a shame we couldn't invite everyone tonight since Aizawa-kun has lots of sizes and colors, but we'll have other opportunities next time now that we have a functioning kotatsu."

"Speaking of which, are you sure the kotatsu's foolproof?" Ai approaches the inventor as she asks, allowing him to slip the padded kimono over her shoulders. "I don't want to have to worry about fires while I'm eating," she adds while checking the robe's fit.

"Of course! Who do you think I am?"

"Hmm..." With half-lidded eyes, she looks at her guardian from head to toe. "I'd rather not say." Stretching her arms, Ai languidly wills herself towards the door. Still a little sleepy, but she didn't want her firstnabe party to be ruined by the professor's ineptitude in the kitchen.

"Well, we can call tonight's dinner a test run to see if the burner's working fine," he said after a sheepish chuckle.

As Ai makes her ascent to the main room, with the professor following right behind, events from a few hours ago start to come back to her, particularly the last part when Subaru carried her home. Or rather, that she asked him to carry her home. Not that it was more significant than the crime he prevented, but it was definitely more peculiar for the little scientist. Logical reasons aside, she still has no decent explanation as to what urged her to ask that from him, but looking back, it was definitely the most embarrassing moment of her life since she lost her wool sweater a couple of weeks ago. No, the two events were of equal grandeur, but on different notes. She can just see him gloating over the idea that she's finally starting to like him, wherever he is right now. She would have to go a lot harder on him next time so he remembers where he stands. However, he surely got to talk to the professor when they arrived... "...Did he... Did he say something to you when we got home?" she worked up the nerve to ask.

"Subaru-kun? Yes, yes. He said you were like a walking fireball earlier, running around the supermarket until you got tired. I was really surprised when I saw you asleep on his back. I guess it was a good idea to have him follow you after all, seeing that you two are finally getting along." There was a hint of teasing on the last part, but the professor quickly drops it when Ai averted her eyes scornfully at him. "But why do you ask? Did something happen? Wait, did you two encounter a case while you were out? I'd be happy to listen to it over dinner."

Ai was relieved that he decided to keep that tiny detail to himself. She felt a little nostalgic though, probably because she was with him for the better, more eventful part of the day. His solid shoulders... His scent... His voice... All those sensations somehow lingered in her system even if she was too sleepy to note any of them... Or maybe she's just mixing his information up with someone she once knew... Again... "We did, but you probably should ask him about it when he drops by again... Nothing too serious or clever though...," she said glumly when they reached the top of the stairway.

"Huh? But-" Professor Agasa decided not to continue when his ward opened the door, allowing her to figure things out for herself.

"Oh... You stayed... You actually stayed...," Ai uttered almost voicelessly as if her lips only moved on reflex, taken aback by the sight of the enigmatic man who brought her to her room standing behind their kitchen counter, donning a padded robe just like her and the professor and the apron he always uses whenever he cooks for them, deeply immersed in cutting flower-shaped carrots.

"I was going to tell you a minute ago that I invited Subaru-kun over for dinner as thanks for accompanying you, but it slipped my mind when you noticed my dotera," Agasa explained, scratching his cheek lightly.

Seconds later, Subaru finally turns his attention to them, putting the knife and the vegetable he's reshaping down the chopping board. "You woke up earlier than I had anticipated. I still have a lot of slicing to do," he said, but upon noticing Ai roll her eyes in annoyance, he follows it up with, "but if you prefer to have a little more privacy with your nabe party, I'll leave the rest to you. I understand that this is a-"

"No. The professor's right. Stay...," the typically-skeptical girl insists confidently, much to the surprise of the two bespectacled adults. "B-but don't get me wrong. I just need someone to watch over the nabeand tell me what to put in it."

"Like a nabe master, you mean?" Subaru asks, beaming at the girl.

Ai smirks back. "Exactly."

"By the way, while you were sleeping, the professor and I went to the marketplace and scored closing-out deals on some shrimp, clams and red snapper slices. Will it be alright if I add them all?"

"I don't mind. Like you said earlier, tonight's dinner should be extra-special."

Finally catching on with what the unlikely tandem's conspiring about, Professor Agasa chimes in, his temples already drenched in sweat. "H-hey, you two... D-don't tell me-"

"Don't worry, Agasa-san. I'll follow your nutritionist's word to the letter," Subaru promised the dispirited inventor.

"You brought this upon yourself, Professor," adds Ai while smirking puckishly, looking forward to what promises to be a sumptuous nabemono party. It may be far from the ideal family dinner she longed for, but for a rag-tag substitute, this is more than enough.

The End.

written by akaisherry47