"Thank you for taking us back Sonoko~"
After getting off the car, Ran waved goodbye to Sonoko, saying, "See you at school tomorrow~"
"Yep, see you tomorrow~" The garden also waved and bid farewell to their friend with a smile.
At this moment, only the two sisters, Sonoko and Ayako, remained in the car. Senichi had already been sent back to his place before accompanying Ran and the others.
"Ah~ We had so much fun~" Sonoko exclaimed while slouching on the seat without any grace.
"Yes, it was indeed a nice vacation," Ayako said gently, watching her lazy sister beside her, without lecturing her but instead giving a warm smile.
"But it's a pity," Sonoko said, looking disappointedly at her older sister. "We didn't make any progress on the purpose of our vacation!"
Hearing her sister's words, Ayako blushed slightly and then whispered with a hint of embarrassment, "Actually... there was some progress..."
"Huh... huh? Huh!!!!!!!!"
Sonoko immediately jumped up from the seat upon hearing this, hitting her head on the car roof, and then holding her forehead in pain, causing a moment of panic.
"Sonoko, are you okay?"
Despite the pain from hitting her head, Sonoko paid no attention to it because of her sister's revelation. Instead, she looked straight at her sister and repeatedly asked, "What did you just say!? Am I hearing it right?! There's progress!?"
Facing Sonoko's questioning, Ayako felt a bit embarrassed but still nodded.
"What's going on!! When did this happen!! Why didn't I know!?"
Seeing her older sister confirming it, Sonoko was even more excited than Ayako, bombarding her with questions.
"Well, it's when Conan dragged you to chase after Ran..." Ayako whispered.
"What?! What happened? What happened next? What's going on?" Sonoko instantly became energetic upon hearing this and grabbed Ayako's arm, bombarding her with questions.
"Watch a movie?!" Sonoko exclaimed in surprise upon hearing the private conversation. "And it was Detective Senichi who invited you?"
"Sonoko, you're too loud!" Ayako embarrassedly covered Sonoko's mouth, trying to make her lower her voice.
"It's okay, it's okay," Sonoko waved her hand. "You see, the soundproof partition is closed properly, right? The driver in front can't hear us, so don't worry, sis."
"But I really didn't expect it," Sonoko pinched her chin in surprise. "I thought you took the initiative, but it turns out the other party made the first move... That's truly unexpected. I thought Detective Senichi, despite being sharp and decisive at work, would be somewhat slow and timid in daily life, like one of those 'deduction maniacs' I know. But it's surprising to see such courage."
"Because everything was revealed..." Ayako thought to herself, feeling a bit shy.
As Sonoko looked at the night scenery outside the window, her voice gradually faded into the background and became a mere murmur, while the memories of before became vivid in her mind once again.
....
Izu.
Under the brilliant sunshine, the waves turned golden as they reflected the sunlight. The sea breeze occasionally blew, causing people to involuntarily squint their eyes.
On the outdoor table, with everyone else gone, only the two of them remained.
"Um... Ayako-san, if I remember correctly, you were in the film research club in college, so you must like watching movies, right?"
After a moment of silence at the table with only the two of them left, Senichi was the first to break the silence.
"Movies? Of course, I like them." When it came to a topic she enjoyed, Ayako regained her composure and smiled.
"Then I wonder if there are any good movies recently?" Senichi asked, "I feel like I haven't had any personal time lately, and I'd like to find some time to relax and watch a movie. Do you have any recommendations, Ayako-san?"
"I haven't been to the movies in a while either, so I'm not sure what's currently playing," Ayako apologized.
"Well, if you don't mind," Senichi smiled faintly and extended an invitation to Ayako, "how about we go see a movie together after we return to Tokyo? I'll make the arrangements since I'm not sure if any urgent situations might arise. And as for the movie choice, it's up to you."
"Huh...!?" Ayako's voice sounded slightly flustered. The sudden invitation caught her off guard for a moment, but she quickly composed herself and nodded, softly responding with a gentle "Um."
"In that case, let's schedule it for next week. After all, I don't know if any emergencies might come up at the last minute, so I'll set the time. As for the movie, it's up to you to decide," Senichi said.
Senichi smiled and said, "But I have one request: please don't choose a horror movie. I can't handle that."
"I understand," Ayako replied, hearing Senichi's usual words and recovering from her shyness. She nodded with a gentle smile.
Senichi looked at Ayako and said, "Did you just have thoughts like 'So Senichi-kun is afraid of ghosts' in your mind?"
"No, no," Ayako waved her hand and then sheepishly said, "It was just a little surprising, that's all."
"Well, I just don't like them," Senichi shrugged helplessly. "My work is already serious enough, and I don't want to add a gloomy atmosphere by watching horror movies."
During their casual conversation, after one topic ended, Ayako remained silent for a moment and couldn't help but ask, "Senichi-kun, I have a question for you..."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Why did you... invite me to watch a movie?" Ayako hesitated for a moment and gathered her courage to ask, with a mixture of slight nervousness, shyness, hope, and an indescribable emotion.
"You've probably heard a story like this before," Senichi didn't answer Ayako's question directly. Instead, he began telling a clichéd story.
A boy and a girl liked each other but couldn't gather the courage to speak up and take the first step. Eventually, as time passed, they drifted apart.
Years later, when they met again, they already had their own lives. They exchanged smiles, greeted each other, and then passed by each other. They never saw each other again.
Sometimes they would wonder, if they had gathered the courage to take that step, would the outcome have been a sad one or a lifetime together?
But it all remained imagination because the step was never taken, and in the end, it couldn't be taken anymore.
"So if someone gathers the courage to take the first step, how can I let her continue stepping towards me?" Senichi's eyes carried a gentle smile. "This time, it's my turn to take the step."
...
But how could Ayako find the courage to speak about this situation to her younger sister? She would surely be teased mercilessly, and with Sonoko's personality, the whole family would probably find out within two days.
So no matter how much Sonoko inquired afterward, Ayako maintained a smile but remained silent, leaving Sonoko's curiosity unsatisfied. It was like teasing a cat, but eventually, Sonoko had to give up helplessly.
Looking at the ever-changing scenery outside the car window, the corners of Ayako's mouth involuntarily curved upwards.
It reminded her of the first time they met.