(I do not own Detective Conan or Magical Kaito. Plot bunnies attacked, I was helpless… I'll update my other stories soon. But recently I've been grounded. Yuck.)

"Bye, bye!" the young girl waved goodbye to a boy with unruly hair. The boy snickered to himself, as the girl ran off. The girl he knew as Mouri Ran. She had accidentally run into him at the shopping center causing him to drop all his Christmas shopping objects, and as in apology she offered to buy him lunch. While there they got to talking and soon she was telling him about her father and a little boy that was staying with them. The whole incident made the boy smile as it played over in his head…

"Gomen! Gomen, gomen!" a girl with brown apologized frantically as she tried to help the boy gather his gifts again. "I really… Sh-Shinichi?" She blinked in disbelief. The boy blinked back.

"Ah… no… my name's Kuroba Kaito. And about the gifts, it's okay really, there was nothing made of glass." He stood up as she did.

"But I was so careless! You have to let me buy you lunch!" Kaito blinked and then recognized who he was talking to. "I'm Mouri Ran." She remembered to introduce herself. Kaito nodded.

"A pleasure, but really, offering me lunch is too much."

"Oh! But I have too! How about I buy you something else like a drink or something?" Ran offered, in attempt to uphold her honor. Kaito shook his head.

"No, not necessary, really. However I will join you for a drink."

"Honto?" Ran smiled.

"I'll be paying for myself." Ran's face faltered.

"Demo…"

"No need to make such a fuss Mouri-san, no damage right? So you shouldn't have to pay for anything, now, how about that drink?" Kaito smiled reassuringly at her. Reluctantly Ran agreed. Kaito walked with her to the food court where the two sat at a table near a window where they could look out. Kaito drank his orange juice in silence as Ran watched him closely.

"I-is there something on my face?" Kaito asked. Ran blushed and shook her head.

"Forgive me for staring, it's just… you look so much like a friend of mine." She explained. Kaito blinked.

"Shinichi, ne?" Ran blinked and nodded.

"Ah… hai. But I haven't seen Shinichi in such a long time. He's been off on a case. Kaitou knew very well who Shinichi was but Kaito didn't, sure he had heard of him but he didn't know him personally.

"Shinichi? Maasaka, koukousei tantei Kudo Shinichi?" (Could it be, high school detective Kudo Shinichi?)

"That's right." Ran nodded. "I was just buying his Christmas present but I couldn't find anything he would want. So I was going to get it when I got Conan-kun's!"

"Conan-kun?" Kaito had to ask. Ran nodded.

"Conan-kun stays with me and Otousan, he's very into mysteries just like Shinichi!" She explained happily. Kaitou had never realized until just now how talkative Ran was.

"How old is he?"

"He's seven. I was going to get him a new mystery book that I know he'll love! Otousan was going to go with me to get it tonight."

"Was?" Kaito inquired, noticing the past tense.

"I couldn't find anyone to watch Conan-kun so I can't go."

"I could watch him." Kaito shrugged. In his mind he was thinking about how fun it would be to boss Conan around.

"I couldn't ask you to do that Kuroba-kun! I already ran into you!" Ran objected. Kaito yawned.

"You aren't asking, I'm offering." He said simply. "I have nothing better to do tonight, how about it?" Ran looked skeptical.

"Conan-kun, can get out of hand."

"I can handle it."

"Oh… alright." Ran pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled the address on it along with the phone number. "Can you be there at five?" She asked. Kaito nodded.

"No problem."

"Ah Arigatou!" Ran stood up. "I should get home to tell Otousan we can go tonight after all. You're a lifesaver Kuroba-kun! Bye, Bye!" she quickly left.

Now Kaito was going to baby-sit Edogawa Conan. How hard could babysitting a seven-year-old who was really Seventeen be? Kaitou smirked. This was going to be easy… or so he thought….

(Prologue.)