#yooooo did anyone think it would turn out this way
The whole three months were quiet for Ran. All she did was attend her clinical rotations, read up her books and go on outings with Eisuke-kun. She called them outings because she felt that calling them dates would be a disservice to actual romantic dates. The distinct lack of any kind of tension clued Ran in what would happen to her marriage with Eisuke-kun.
A friend. That’s what she would call Eisuke-kun and it seemed like Eisuke-kun had caught up on how she felt about him, when he had gently probed her with a “You don’t feel it either, huh, Ran-san?”
All Ran could do was offer him a sheepish smile and answer no. No, she didn’t feel like Eisuke-kun was the man she would spend her life with. She didn’t feel like it was a waste of time for her though. When she had previously thought that any good, smart, kind man would work out well as a husband, she came to realize that she had preferences. She snorted to herself. What was the use of having preferences when she couldn’t meet a man who met them?
Thankfully, Eisuke-kun didn’t feel that their time together was wasted either. He was gallant and had teased her about how now he had a reserved date and wouldn’t have to resort to asking out one of his colleagues for parties. They had agreed to be just friends and when Eisuke-kun had offered her to not tell their fathers about their decision, Ran had felt a bit melancholic. Here was a man who was an actual good person and any girl would be lucky to have him as her significant other but all she could muster up at that moment was gratitude.
Gratitude that he was willing to help her keep up appearances. They had gotten close in the past three months and Ran thought of him as a very dear friend and she had decided to lay out her insecurities bare in front of him. About how she thought it was difficult for her to have romantic feelings for anyone. How deficient she felt because of that. How she worried that she was missing something fundamental that everyone had. And Eisuke-kun had listened to her patiently and consoled her by saying that she hadn’t met her person yet. In lieu of baring their walls down, Eisuke-kun had admitted to her that he had loved another woman but their relationship had turned so toxic, that they almost destroyed each others’ lives and how lost he had been after; trying to stand up on his own and how hopeless it seemed to live. He went on to say how a homicide detective, his colleague now, had helped him find a purpose in life. How much he had helped him to gain a sense of his worth.
While he had been lost in thought, reminiscing about his past, Ran just looked at his face and started naming the emotions that were running though her.
Affection.That he had survived such a hardship and been able to turn into such a wonderful man.
Pain.For what he had to suffer through.
Empathy.For the sense of loss he felt.
And so, she came to a conclusion. Eisuke Hondou was a wonderful man but he wasn’t her person. She didn’t love him like a woman loved a man. She loved him like a friend loved her friend and once, Eisuke-kun was out of his thoughts and saw the sad yet determined look on her face, he knew what she was going to say.
After a brief hug and a “Wish I could have felt something more for you” they decided to be friends.
Ran was curious though. “Who was the person who helped you out, Eisuke-kun?”
Eisuke smiled fondly at the thought of his saviour, mentor and best friend and said, “Shinichi Kudou.”
