(sorry, I'm not familiar with Japanese names…You'll see. )
That Shrinking Feeling (Chapters 10-12)
Chapter 10 – Name Game
Conan and Ai just finished their walk home from school, and now stood outside Agasa's house.
"Oh, before you go in, there was something I wanted to get from my house" Conan said, indicating the Kudo family's mansion behind him. "Could you wait out here? I'll only be a minute or two."
"Alright, fine, I'll wait" said Ai, sitting down on the curb while Conan ran to his house. A few minutes later, he returned.
"Luckily my parents were packrats, they kept everything" Conan said, smiling. Ai got up, and the two of them entered Agasa's house.
"I'm home, and Kudo-kun is here as well" Ai called, casually, as she and Conan took off their shoes.
"We're in the basement" Agasa called out to them, so Conan and Ai headed downstairs.
"What are you doing?" Ai asked, finding Agasa and Heiji at the computer, looking on the internet at a list of baby names.
"Trying to decide a fake name for Heiji" Agasa said, turning around on his wheelie chair, while Heiji, whom sat in the chair next to him, nodded.
"I was thinking earlier, if you could get a boy's name from Ellery Queen's name…She is your favorite author, right Heiji?" Conan asked.
"Well…one of my favorites" said Heiji.
"What about 'Eric'?" Ai suggested. "Sound's foreign, but we could make up a background story to cover that."
Heiji nodded. "Sure…I like it."
"Eric it is then" said Ai, as she turned, and headed upstairs.
"I'll head up too, the computer's available for your use, boys" smiled Agasa. Then he too headed upstairs.
--
Chapter 11- Forgotten Needs
The two boys looked up at the basement door as it clicked shut, and they heard Agasa walk away.
"Today was so boring at school" Conan yawned, as he sat on the computer's wheelie chair. "How was your day?"
"Slept most of it" said Heiji, still a bit shy about his new voice. "I couldn't sleep last night. Ai didn't bother trying, she just worked down here." Heiji said, as he looked around at the science equipment.
"Oh, I brought you something" Shinichi said, as he reached into his school bag; he purposely brought it down to the basement with him.
After digging a bit, Conan pulled out some infant and toddler clothes.
"These used to be mine, but you can use them for now" Conan said as he piled them on the computer desk. "At least until you can buy more."
"Thanks, Kudo!" said Heiji, as he looked at some of the articles of clothing. Heiji was still wearing the same sweater that Conan found him in.
"Are those the clothes you shrank in?" Conan asked, and Heiji nodded, embarrassed.
"Yeah, they are. My pants didn't fit at all; I couldn't move around with them on, hence my wallet getting left behind. I didn't think to take it with me. Plus, I couldn't return home, not in this state, so I went directly to a nearby postal truck that was parked on the street. I found an empty box, wrote your name, address, and that code on the sticker, and climbed in. Before I knew it, I was at your place."
"That was some quick thinking" said Conan, impressed. "It took me several minutes before I even realized I had shrunk."
"Luckily, I quickly figured out what happened, because remembered what happened to you and Ai….Anyways thanks for the clothes" said Heiji. "I'll go put on a pair in the upstairs washroom."
Conan nodded, as Heiji picked up the clothes, slid off his chair, and started to head up. Seeing the trouble Heiji was having with the stairs, Conan picked him up and carried him.
"Sorry about that" said Heiji, as Conan walked up the stairs.
"Nah, don't worry about it" said Conan. "I couldn't even enter my house when I first shrunk; the gate handle was too high."
"How have you been getting in since?" Heiji asked.
"Added a string, so I could lift the handle up." Conan said.
"Good idea" Heiji said, as they entered the upstairs hallway.
--
Chapter 12- Pajamas
Heiji knocked on the door from the inside of the washroom, and Conan opened the door to let him out; as Heiji was too short to reach the handle.
"How do they fit?" Conan asked.
"Pretty good, actually. Quite comfy too" said Heiji, now wearing soccer ball pajamas in his size. "Knowing you, it's gotta be soccer" said Heiji, and Conan laughed sarcastically.
"It's weird though, that there are Organization members in Osaka. I thought they mostly stayed in Tokyo" Conan said.
"They did mostly stay in Tokyo" Ai said, as she walked out of the kitchen. "But recently, they must have decided to expand their turf to other cities in Japan as well."
"Perhaps to expand their control to other parts of the country, they do a lot of illegal business deals, right?" Heiji asked. "More money coming in if they were to spread out."
"It's possible" said Conan, as he walked towards the front door, getting his shoes on. "I should get going; Ran will want me home soon. Have a good night Ai, Heiji. Bye, Doctor Agasa!" Conan called, as the Doc was upstairs at the moment. "See you guys tomorrow."
"See ya!" Heiji called from Ai's arms, as she had carried him to the doorway.
"Shh" she whispered to Heiji. "Babies don't talk."
"I thought some did" Heiji said, confused. Neither knew much about young children.
"Well, I guess some do, when they are…How old?" Ai asked Heiji, but he shrugged.
"I don't even know how old I look." Heiji said.