"May I sit down with you?", Ran wanted to know. She had become quieter and wasn't exactly sure whether she could or not. Then she watched him take a drag on his cigarette and was about to answer. But she remained stubborn, or at least wanted to be, and sat down on a chair. She didn't like that he smoked, but she had been used to it and that through her father, the chain smoker was.
"You're already seated," said Akai. Normally he didn't go to a café to smoke, but at this time of day he also felt the need for a delicious coffee and he didn't want to drag Ran home with him. Also, he often sat in such places where he watched people and saw what was going on. Most of the time you got to hear the most popular news, which wasn't exactly bad.
When the waitress came and gave them the menu, he handed it back to her and ordered a coffee, black and without anything. Then he looked at Ran. "Choose something, I'll pay," he said. Today he had been generous, but maybe he didn't want a girl like her to pay himself just because he really wanted to come here.
Slowly he took a drag on his cigarette and enjoyed it before he let some of the smoke out again. "You don't mind, do you?" He wanted to know. Even if she had said that it bothered him, he would not have stopped until he had finished smoking.
"Thank you, very nice", Ran nodded and took the card with a smile. "My father smokes too, I would prefer if he quit, but well ..." she mumbled and then ordered a strawberry ice cream.
"Smoking is a habit, you shouldn't start even to give it a try," he said, looking down at his cigarette. And what a habit it was and yet he hadn't been addicted to it and didn't smoke often or much.He couldn't afford that. But Ran should know that smoking wasn't exactly beneficial for a girl, especially since it wasn't right for most of them.
It didn't take long before the coffee and strawberry ice cream were brought out. "Thank you," he mumbled softly and brought the cup to his mouth while he put the cigarette on the side of the ashtray. He only sipped the coffee, it was hot and he didn't want to burn his tongue.
"I know, I never want to start smoking either," Ran answered quietly and looked at her sundae. "Don't you want to quit smoking too?" She wanted to know.
"Nobody can change that and neither can I."
"How did you actually start smoking?" Asked the girl.
"Coincidence while I was bored," Akai added.
Today he could relax, actually even close his eyes and rest, he would get everything that was important. He could never really switch off, not even when he was at home and lying in his bed. Again and again he had one eye open or was still listening. Sleeping, more than 1 hour that hadn't been with him for a long time and yet he was still fit. He was used to it.
Well, after the coffee had drawn for more than a minute, he took a long swig from the cup and let the black drink run down his throat.
"Always drink it so black, that is, the coffee", Ran asked after she had watched him for a while.
"Yes, black as the night, the darkness and the hatred," Shuichi nodded and looked at his drink.
"I think if I had coffee I would never drink it black," smiled Ran and looked out the window. "The sun is coming back, it's getting light again," smiled the girl. Finally the rain had stopped.
"Hmm, it could be," he mumbled softly. He didn't care, the weather could be cold, maybe it would have been better because it suited him so well.Cold, just as cold he was when it came to these things. Cold and lonely ... like the wind, but you could still feel it. No, that didn't work. The wind ... it is like love, you can still feel it, even if it is invisible.
Shuichi looked back at his coffee, shaking his head, and drained his warm drink completely.
"Ready?", Akai wanted to know from Ran when he looked at her sundae.
"Yes, I'm done," the girl nodded and stood up. Only then did he get up and she wasn't sure what to do now.
"May I come with you?" She asked hesitantly.

"As far as I'm concerned," said Shuichi. He pulled out his wallet and rummaged around in it. He immediately noticed his ID and the confirmation that he belonged to the FBI, which he always kept inside. Then he took out a note, called the waitress and paid, giving a generous tip because he didn't want her to take so long to change.
"Thank you," beamed Ran.
Shuichi didn't reply. He just walked out of the cafe and put his hand in his jacket pocket, where he grasped his gun. He always had to be ready if he had to shoot. He decided to go into town, just back among people and maybe he would get lucky and meet someone Ran knew, which would get rid of her again.
"What do you actually do in your free time?" Asked Ran. She became a little more curious and interested in the young man next to her.
It was a good question from her and he didn't really know what to answer to it.
In his free time ... when did he have any again? It had been a long time, but what he liked best was shooting, if it hadn't been for his profession, then he would surely have made it his hobby, and otherwise ... he had nothing else to do with pleasure.
"Shoot," he replied monotonously, hoping she wouldn't ask any further.However, these hopes were always disappointed with a blonde colleague, which is why he did not believe that she would not ask for.
"Do you mean clay pigeon shooting? You know, my father, Sonoko, Conan and I were once involved in a case involving members of a clay pigeon shooting club. Do you shoot with a shotgun?"
"I shoot everything ... my Beretta, the Tokarew, other types of pistols, the shotgun, anything and certainly not at clay pigeons," he said. "Have you ever heard of the shooting range? I usually stay there or when I'm working," he continued and looked ahead again.
"Wow," she had been intrigued by what he was telling her and he really had to be a good shot. "Then you must be able to aim extremely well."
"I'm the best," said Akai, looking at the girl. If it weren't for him, then he would surely have taken the wrong job and besides his work as an agent, he was still a sniper and took care of these tasks.
"Your employer must be proud of you."
Proud?
His employer?
James?
Shu forced himself not to laugh, that was really the stupidest thing he had ever heard.
"Why should he be proud ... it's my job," he replied and moved on.
They passed an arcade that had just reopened and where people were crowding in, all but one person.
Jodie was one of the first from the start and went to a fight simulator that was set up outside. She took the pistol and hit the enemy, making a few moves and finally cracking the high score. She was cheered by some players and fans.

"Miss Saintemillion," Ran muttered when she saw her English teacher. She had been amazed to meet them in the arcade, even if she knew that her teacher did that often, but still it had been difficult to see the preppy woman like that."Oh Ran, what are you doing here", Jodie asked with her English accent and tried not to show any reaction when she saw Akai next to her.
"I came here by chance together with Mr. ...", now she was aware again that she didn't even know the name and looked at Akai.
"Oh, what a nice guy," joked the English teacher, winking at Ran. "I hope he isn't your friend," she said and now she thought about what Ran had told her.
"Shuichi Akai", he mumbled when he noticed that Ran was looking at him and wanted to know his name.
"My name is Ran Mori," she introduced herself and realized that it was impolite of her from the start that she didn't do it earlier.
"No, Miss Saintemillion, he's not my friend, we just met by chance," Ran said softly.
"I know," Akai muttered as he hardened her name. He was often around the detective agency and watched Ran and her father. It all started when the files on all the cases concerning him were gone. But officially he would have said that he would hear from her on the news if she won another karate tournament.
"I'm Jodie Saintemillion," the blonde introduced herself and held out her hand to Akai. This, however, did not accept it and just looked ahead.
Ran, however, was a little shocked that Shuichi didn't take her hand and otherwise behaved so rude. She had expected something similar, but experiencing it for herself was worse.
"Isn't cool kid with you?", Jodie wanted to know and tried to divert the conversation before Ran spoke about why Akai was like this.
"Conan? No, you know him, he's definitely back with Paps and annoys him a little about his work", smiled Ran. And again she noticed that Conan and Shinichi were very much alike.
"Yes, back on the road like a detective," grinned the blonde. "And what are you two going to do today?""I don't know, I only accompanied Mr. Akai a little bit, nothing more," said Ran, surprised that her teacher was interested. But she was just like that, Jodie had also warned her and Sonoko about a stalker and that she shouldn't go with strange men, maybe it was just her way again.
"Ah, I see," Jodie nodded and put her index finger to her cheek and thought. "Would you like to play a game with me, Ran?", She wanted to know.
"Playn? Oh the video game. I can try it," said the girl and looked around.
"Well, I know, I'll show you the right game," said the blonde and led Ran to a fight simulator.
"Have fun then," Akai muttered and started walking. He was glad that nobody noticed that he was now disappearing and Jodie looked after him a little relieved, almost as if she was afraid that he would blow her up.
After Ran inside, she looked around. She wondered where Akai was and wanted to see him, but he was no longer there.
"Are you looking for someone?", Jodie asked and looked in the same direction.
"Mr. Akai ..." said Ran.
"Oh, he just left. He said to me that he wasn't a fan of arcades. He's probably going home right now," she smiled.
"That may be, it's a shame," put in Ran. She would have liked to talk