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'Yo, Kudou! See you tomorrow!' Shinichi grinned, pulling a cheeky salute in the direction of his retreating classmates. 'See ya!' He watched after them as they walked off, talking and laughing and jostling each other playfully as they went. He turned back to his bicycle, which he was getting out of its lock. He fiddled around for a bit, stepping back as the lock sprang out with a loud 'click.' He began wheeling it out of the bicycle dock.

'Hey! Shinichi!' Shinichi winced at the sharp voice coming from behind him, recognizing it instantly. It was Sonoko, Ran's annoying friend. She seemed to like flirting with a lot of his friends, but usually, she did him no favors whatsoever. If she came to him, it would undoubtedly be about some other dumb notion that had popped into her cotton-wool stuffed head. He didn't know what Ran liked so much about her. When she talked, it was either about boys, or about, well, boys. She seemed to enjoy annoying him though. And her voice gave him a headache. What could she possibly want from him?

He assumed an irritated expression in hopes that she might get the picture and leave him alone. Of course, she did nothing of the sort, Shinichi groaned inwardly as she flicked back her too-short hair, and opened her mouth to speak. Now he would have to endure another of her infamous blabbings about nothing. Don't get him wrong, he had nothing against her. As a person she was a bit annoying, but she was okay, as long as she kept her mouth shut. No, what he disliked was what came out of her mouth. When she talked, she talked. A lot. And as much as he tried to escape her blabbing, it seemed like she purposely hunted him down to annoy. She probably knew that he got super annoyed at her, and she seemed to have taken it upon herself somehow, that it was her job to make him royally pissed. All day, every day. At least, whenever she got the chance. He peered at her warily, throwing her off her delivery speech.

'What do you want?'

She frowned at him, miffed that he had deflated her glamorous entrance. She sighed witheringly, opening her mouth to speak. 'Have you seen Ran?'

'No.'

'Oh, okay then. Are you sure?'

'Yes! I'm sure!' Sonoko frowned, tapping her cheek thoughtfully. She looked at him suspiciously. 'But I saw you too at lunch time together, and in maths class. And when you were walking to school,' she added after a moments thought. 'She must have told you where she was going to be after school somewhere during that time.'

Shinichi looked ruffled. 'What are you, a stalker or something? Jeez. She didn't tell me okay?' He put on a petulant expression. 'Besides, if she had told me, would I be standing here talking to you in the first place?' Sonoko sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes in exasperation. 'Fine then. I'll go find her myself. You are no help whatsoever.'

Shinichi watched her as she marched off, relieved that she was finally leaving him alone. Jeez, that woman sure knew how to talk. And how to annoy the stuffing out of a person. He stuck his tongue out at her retreating form, the action giving him a small satisfaction. Grumpily, he unhooked his bicycle, wheeling it out of its dock, while muttering under his breath. 'Stupid woman...'

'Hey, I heard that!' Shinichi jumped at the sudden noise, his quick detective reflexes taking charge. He spun around, to see Ran looking at him suspiciously.

Now there was a person he was glad to see. He grinned at her, relaxing as she walked around his bicycle, looking at it carefully. She finished her inspection, glancing up at him with an annoyed expression on her face. 'Where were you?'

Shinichi spluttered, pointing at her accusingly. 'Where was I? Shouldn't I be the one asking you that question? I haven't seen you all day! You were meant to tell me where to meet you.' He huffed in annoyance. 'You don't know how long I've had to suffer-'

'Whatever. Shinichi, have you seen Sonoko?' Ran rummaged around in her bag distractedly, cutting him off mid-sentence. Shinichi gave a small gasp of indignation. She didn't hear, instead, she continued on. 'I need to return something to her. A book…' She pulled the object in question out from her bag, and straightened, obviously not listening to him. She craned her neck, trying to find her friend among the sea of students that were standing in small clumps around the main entrance.

Shinichi was pissed. After all the time he had spent waiting for her, and she was ignoring him, to look for that devil woman?

'Ra-an!' He pouted, mustering that best little-boy sulky face that he could. 'Can't you just come back tomorrow? 'Hmm?' Ran glanced at him distractedly. Shinichi sighed, dropping the look. 'You know I don't like her,' he muttered, his face stormy as he stared down at the ground. Ran flapped a hand at him. 'Don't be so childish. Help me find Sonoko, okay?'

'No.'

Ran paused, glancing back at him in surprise. 'What's with the sulky face?'

Shinichi pouted. 'I don't want to. Sonoko's a big witch. And besides, she hates me.'

'What? Don't be stupid. Come on.' Half protesting, Shinichi had no choice but to let himself be dragged away by Ran. Once she made up her mind, there was no stopping her. She had a had a grip of steel.

And besides, he quite liked the way she was holding onto him like that.


AN: Review please!