A/N: Ah, weekends. They always allow you to do things that you normally couldn't since work/school take up the day most of the time. …and yet…people are still out at night for the majority of the weekend. Truly, it baffles me.
*cough* ANYWAY, in this chapter a few of you guys will personally appear. Now, to start off, I'll apologize if you seem out of your character, but I've done the best I could with the information in front of me. So…yeah, hope you enjoy. Oh yes, Negima Uzumaki, I forgot to ask, but I wasn't sure which of the names was the family name, so I guessed. If the guess is wrong, please tell me and I'll fix it immediately.
For any wondering, the answer (quoted from Negima Uzumaki since he put it quite clearly) "The Episode name is 'Flames Of Confusion', it's when Conan points out all the Clock faces in the pictures to Richard that he gets suspicious of Conan." Thank you for your answers and time~ =D
This chapter has been laid out since chapter 23 when I accidently said 28. We then discussed what should happen in 28 and…yeah. xD So, the title has been in my mind for a while now.
MOVING ON.
Marie Ravenclaw – The name Smithy arrived near the end of chapter 20. Writing the last chapter reminded me of episode 51 (eng) in the library with the murderous librarian. …I hated that guy. D:
DaGras – I can feel you…you're here! D: Just kidding. But I AM writing the chapter (well, was writing) so there's nothing to worry about. Sorry 'bout that, I love me my cliffhangers. :B
Pretztailfan95 – Why is it that abuse of loved characters is so…enjoyable? Really, the human mind is a strange thing indeed. NOES, I'VE BEEN FOUND OUT. …Well, it wasn't really completely intended. Between those two in this fic, I'd like to form more of a…family relation rather than love, if you know what I mean. I'm not sure whether it'll be good or bad in your eyes. xD Guess we'll have to find out, ne? I love it when people put a bunch of random letters: I always try to find words. :D
Cheery Wolf – Glad you like it! X3 As said above it was 'Flames of Confusion' that I was talking about. Of course, I haven't actually watched those two in a while, so for all I know you could be right. xD
DetectiveConanFan13 – That assumption you made is definitely amusing. xD I don't know how Shinichi would get out of that one. Most likely he'd be knocked out by a confused/concerned/angry Ran.
Pandakitty – Once again I'll say: it's weird when you're reading a chapter in the same room as me. xD Sometimes my idiotic comments IRL make it hard to tell if you're laughing at me or the story. (Technically both would be laughing at me, but eh) Kazuha couldn't just disappear. She's too awesome to have left forever. :3 It's so weird when you hate something, yet you enjoyed it. :/ Oxymorons at their max, right there. NEVAR THE GREAT aka RICHARD *shot for insider jokes* Ah…so many confusing moments… *Karol talks* "…CONAN'S there??" OTL …something…cute? I can…try? *despite what you said, I honestly don't know what you're expecting* Don't get too excited, I'll try but I dunno how it'll end up. :|
DfK – For the 'idea' you gave me it was actually Kazuha's appearance in general. Up until that point I hadn't had any serious plans for her, so now she's been included. :D I don't know the Ranma ½ series, but after all this I think I'll definitely check it out. From what I've heard/seen/etc it seems to be a very good series. …You DO have sight! xD Sorry D: In the midst of all this, I was only trying to think of a question that wouldn't be easy to cheat on. *coughWikipediacough*
Mel72000 – Unfortunately, the Furui Islands will be in the next chapter. As for the MIB…That, would also be answered in the same way as your previous question. *DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNN*
Miyanoai – Yay! It was supposed to be suspenseful. =D Don't worry, the resolution to what happened is right below. ;D Glad that the ghost/demon was scary…or rather suspenseful. It's good to know I'm getting the results I'm aiming for. X3 No, that hasn't been mentioned, and its funny since the 'bromance' as you call it is unintentional by me. xD''' But I can see it if I squint. :3
nequam-tenshi – The reasoned he screamed is the paragraphs directly below this. X3 As for the Black Organization…I definitely have plans for them, and you should be aware that those plans are quickly approaching.
StargateNerd – Agh, it always sucks when there are computer problems. (Like mine! NOO) D: Lol, glad that Akako didn't only trick the Detective Boys and the girls. xD He screamed…well, below is the answer. xD Sorry, but the episode is actually based off one of the chapters. …I actually it was in chapter 11 page 13 or so. xD
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Pretty Face
A rebound – a skinny, curved waist, large busted, cute-eyed rebound. One missed word had caused the catastrophe; one missed word had transformed him into a woman…an extremely cute and sexy woman, no less. The most frightening aspect of all was that his appearance hadn't changed that much; he could still see some of his normal traits among the moe mass that faced him.
Completely shocked by his failed spell staring back at him, Shinichi lost any further words as he had heard his own scream. High pitched, weak…nothing like his old self. However, the shriek definitely suited the female beyond the glass. She was afraid and confused – she wasn't Shinichi. She couldn't be; he wouldn't let her be. But despite his denial, the truth displayed itself through the buttons popping loose over his chest: his chest which had grown several sizes within a few seconds.
Unable to break free of the rebound's terror, Shinichi couldn't think. Even if he had managed to calm himself, he wouldn't have had the time to contemplate anything. Footsteps pounding ever closer to the door, they had arrived only seconds after Shinichi realized yet another of his errors.
He had screamed; he had screamed loudly. Inside of the house as he had yelped was Ran… within hearing vicinity of the scream. Rushing in a panic, Shinichi found himself facing her as she had burst through the door; the door which he hadn't bothered to lock. Running up to the room, she had yelled out in concern, "Are you alright!?" Like Shinichi however, she was at a loss for words as she saw him.
Much like two contradicting waves, both of his horrors clashed, ultimately allowing Shinichi to think clearly. Unfortunately, the matter in which he had to comprehend was not an enjoyable one: how was he going to explain his being there? At that moment, he appeared to be a complete stranger. Somehow managing to 'break' into Agasa's home, this stranger had screamed at the top of 'her' lungs…while wearing men's clothing. If there was some reasonable explanation that could explain each and every one of those complications, Shinichi felt in his gut that it was a rare creature. Even if he could think of a lie, it'd take a miracle to completely fool Ran into believing him. She was gullible, but not that gullible.
Silent for a good minute, Ran finally broke Shinichi from his thoughts. Awkwardly, she blinked as she stuttered over the words, studying the unfamiliar figure before her, "U-Um…who are you…?"
The dreaded question.
Straying from the wall, Shinichi attempted to answer, "Oh…I'm, uh…"
Blanking out for a short moment, the next thing he realized Ran was steadying him. He'd almost fallen over from the exhaustion of the spell. It may have ended up a rebound, but just like the practice session it felt exactly like the aftermath when he made a clone. '…a…clone…?' As sudden as his blackout, an idea sprung forth in Shinichi's mind.
Moving away from Ran's concerned grasp, Shinichi stood tall and confident. Speaking in the unnatural female voice, Shinichi ignored it as best he could as the lies rolled out, "M-My name is Rampo Irene. I came here looking for my cousin, Doyle-kun." Ran nodded, believing the explanation. Smiling with the added assurance, Shinichi went on, "I went to their new house here, but it seems they went on vacation. I knew that a lot of the time Doyle-kun would stay behind so I asked around to see where he could've gone. I-I tried knocking, but no one was home. I was curious and when the door turned out to be open…" running out of excuses, Shinichi took the easier route out, "I-I'm sorry! I know I shouldn't have come in here like this!"
"No, no, I understand!" Waving her hands, Ran went about her usual comforting attitude. "Considering the Rampo family hasn't been mentioned by Agasa-hakase – the owner of this house – I don't think Doyle-kun is staying here. He must've ended up going on the vacation with his parents."
Miracle – truly a miracle. On that day, at that moment, Shinichi wouldn't be fazed whatsoever if the moon was blue that night. …hell, it could look like a disco ball and he wouldn't notice. The lie and excuse were being woven together beautifully.
Offering innocently, Ran asked, "Since they're out of town you'll need a place to stay, right? Why don't you come over to my place? There's some free space in my room."
In front of him was the masterfully interlaced plan, but only then did Shinichi notice the deep needle points in his fingers. "…ex…excuse me…?"
Oblivious to what Shinichi's true reaction was, Ran acted on her first guess. Flustered a bit, she scratched her head, "O-Oh, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked you that so suddenly. I mean…I haven't even introduced myself!
"I'm Mouri Ran. It's very nice to meet you, Irene-chan." …chan. It was appropriate, but it felt so wrong.
Walking up to take Ran's extended hand, Shinichi only then realized he was slightly shorter than her…another wonderful development. Letting go after a couple of shakes, Shinichi was surprised to find Ran's hand clasp around his wrist. Pulled along with her playful force, he finally managed to stutter, "Wh-Where are we going?"
"To my house." Noticing 'Irene's' look of terror, Ran explained herself. "O-Oh, no, I'm not forcing you to stay there, it's more of a tour than anything. Besides," awkwardly, she glanced at Shinichi's newly developed chest, "I think you might need a change of clothes."
As yet another button began to loosen, Shinichi nodded his head. He could feel he was going to be 'Rampo Irene' for awhile; he might as well find a good base of operations first. The Mouri Detective Agency had been his home for a good while now, it wouldn't be too shocking to once again rest and think for awhile.
…Evidently, he was wrong.
Following Ran as she opened the door, Shinichi took on the impression of a shy girl and waited for Ran to introduce him before walking into Kogoro's view. That was his first miscalculation.
Somehow, after spending minutes, hours, days, weeks, and months with the guy, Shinichi had forgotten about Kogoro's interest in the opposing sex. Well, he hadn't forgotten so much as he didn't think it would ever apply to him. 'Transformed into a woman' was not the term he used to describe the event; 'A deception spell gone horribly wrong via rebound' was his only thought on the subject. Hearing the whistle that accompanied Kogoro's infatuated stare, Shinichi switched 'horribly' with 'catastrophically'.
Watching in terror as Kogoro got up and straightened his tie, Shinichi slowly slipped behind Ran. Smiling with a sparkle in his eye, Kogoro asked, "So, who's this cutie you've brought home, Ran?"
'…dear Lord, if a pinch wakes you up from a dream, somebody punch me: this is a nightmare…' Shinichi thought, sliding ever so further behind Ran for protection. He could only laugh awkwardly; if Kogoro wouldn't allow it, he'd have to stay somewhere else for the foreseeable future. That, Shinichi decided, was not an option. Even just imagining all of the laughter was embarrassing, he refused to live through it. Kogoro, however, put up a good argument for Shinichi to deal with the chortles.
As Ran finished explaining the situation (the made-up one, of course) Kogoro's grin widened. "Hm, if that's the case…I have some free space in my room where Irene-chan can stay~"
With the words drilling through his mind, Shinichi was left speechless. '…forget the punch, someone knock me upside the head.'
Ran was ready to fulfill Shinichi's wish, but only Kogoro's head would be damaged. "Father…she'll be sleeping in my room." Anger evaporated almost instantly, she was once again flustered, "I-If that's okay with you, Irene-chan."
To personally describe the matter at that point the best Shinichi could come with was: Inside of a hole that has a 'hard place' at the bottom with a rock about to fall. As it stood, his options were 1) becoming a laughing stock at Agasa's and never, NEVER live it down, 2) Stay in Ran's room, possibly (hopefully not) on the same bed and 3) Stay in Ran's father's room: the ever so horny Kogoro. Kogoro was the rock: definitely. So that left Agasa's – the hole of embarrassment – and Ran's room – the rough tile floor that nearly killed him from the fall into the hole. After some quick thinking, Shinichi settled on his decision.
"…Thank you for the offer, Mouri-san, but I think I'll just stay with Ran…chan."
Picking the rock – Kogoro – he would've been killed by weight squishing him. Picking the hole – Agasa's – he would've fallen into nothingness for eternity. Picking the 'hard place' – Ran's room – he might've fallen and broken his nose, but he'd still be alive. That was all that mattered…right?
Hearing Ran's door click behind him as she allowed him space to change, Shinichi soon realized that being proven wrong had never been so embarrassing. Prodding at the clothes Ran had picked out; Shinichi spent the bulk of his time staring at the light pink item at the far left: a bra. Nothing before had quite delivered the message before the undergarment came along. Shinichi – a male – would have to change…in the body of a female. It'd feel so wrong to look…but he had to. How in hell would he get the clothes on otherwise? Slowly slipping off the suit jacket he had borrowed from a closet not even ten meters away, Shinichi reluctantly began to undo the buttons of the shirt that had managed to hold. Unbuttoned he let the shirt remain hanging over his shoulders as he reached for the undergarment. Twitching slightly as he held it up, Shinichi softly muttered, "…maybe I can put it on while still wearing the shirt…"
Unfortunately, the heavens seemed to frown on this idea as Ran called out, "Are you done yet, Irene-chan?"
There was no direct link to the statement, but the small question meant only one thing to Shinichi: he needed to hurry or it'd be suspicious. Lacking the time needed to try the scheme, Shinichi threw the shirt onto the bed over the suit jacket. Focusing only on the frilly piece of underclothing, he continually chanted, "Just put it on, just put it on, don't look, just put…it…" pupils shrinking, Shinichi came across yet another obstacle. "…How do I put it on…?"
Bras weren't his specialty – he knew as much about them as the next guy. He knew the basics around them, but never once would he expect to wear one. Nervously he fidgeted as he searched for the latch. Finding it, he slowly spoke over the situation to himself; a way to calm him. "Th-There…now…the latches are hooked at the back…so…" With difficulty, he began to maneuver the hook about until he finally observed it was easier to do in the front then slide it around. Not looking once, he finally managed the task. "A-Alright…now…bring it up over…the shoulders, and it's on." Attempting the last step, Shinichi quickly felt a small burn as the strap pulled up under his bust. Ignoring it, he tried again. It burned once more. Trying over and over, he was finally frustrated. Glancing down, the blood rushed to his cheeks. …or was it his nose?
His 'shoulders' were too large.
Knocking sounded from behind him. "Irene-chan? Cover up; I'm going to come in." Before Shinichi could realize just what she had said, Ran opened the door. Eyes instantly locking on the straps pulled against their might, Ran blurted out, "Oh no! The bra doesn't fit?"
Like a dog to a whistle, Kogoro's footsteps sounded down the hallway. Noticing his approach, Ran slammed the door before he reached it. Blocking it from entry with a chair, Ran went about aiding Shinichi – lost in the world of women's underwear.
Scrutinizing the bra, Ran then walked over to her dresser. "What's your size? Maybe I have one."
"My…size…?" Obviously not knowing the answer, Shinichi lied, "I-I'm not all that sure. With the kinds I buy, the sizes usually range." 'Yeah, from invisible to non-existent…'
Rummaging through the drawer, Ran sighed as she came up empty. It seemed she was going to turn and say something but she was interrupted. Hearing a knock at the door, Kogoro's voice came through, "Ran, your friends are here." He sounded slightly annoyed, but he went on, "It's Sonoko and Kazuha."
Brightening at the names, Ran went for the door. "Okay, Irene-chan. For now just leave the bra. I know it's a bit awkward, but we'll get you one that fits, don't worry."
With that, Ran left 'Irene' to get changed. Other than the bra, Shinichi had been lucky; jeans, a jacket, and a non-too-girly sweater. Even if the entire ensemble had been pink, Shinichi wouldn't have cared. All he had prayed for was no skirts. Not only did he not want to put one on, he was wearing men's underwear. Ran hadn't pried much about the clothes, but there'd definitely be some questions about that.
Just as he had finished pulling the sweater over his head, the three girls barged into the room. Each looking extremely delighted, their smiles were wide and white. Their happiness sent a chill down Shinichi's spine, "H-Hello. Um…what are you doing?"
"We," Sonoko announced with confidence as she took hold of Shinichi's hand, "are going shopping~!"
Dragged through door after another, Shinichi could feel the temperature rise. The fires of Hell were approaching.
-
As if he hadn't been tortured enough by one bra, now the three girls were forcing him to look through more. Stating that they'd buy a few for 'her' on them, they had led Shinichi to the section of a familiar store that he never once thought he'd ever walk into: women's undergarments. Bras, panties – they were everywhere. Expected seeing as they were the merchandise, but the continuing sight of them was too much for poor Shinichi to bear.
For better or for worse, Shinichi wasn't sure, but the girls happened to notice his dislike of scanning through the underwear. Each picking out two, they handed them over to Shinichi. He would've just accepted them and dumped them later, but Sonoko – always a thorn in his side – suggested he pick one to wear right then. Putting it on after purchase in a change room wouldn't be a crime, and she was sure the manager would understand. Unsure of which one to pick – they were all horrible, really – Shinichi's decision was surprisingly made by Ran. "I like this blue one that Kazuha picked out. It's so cute."
'Cute' was definitely not the word Shinichi would've used, but he went for the blue one anyway. Hesitating toward the change rooms, he hid the bra from sight as he walked over. No one would know he was actually a guy, but it was still completely embarrassing. Making it through what seemed to be the longest stroll of his life, Shinichi took another look at the piece of clothing meant to…go around his 'shoulders'.
Frilly and blue with little bows about it, the bra was practically a present. Not understanding the point behind the decorative nature of the undergarments, Shinichi complained as he put it on, "They're not meant to be seen, why are they so…fashionable…? …Women, honestly…" Bringing the straps over his shoulders, he was ecstatic that they fit.
Surrounded by them, Shinichi ended up glimpsing a mirror before he picked up his shirt. Moving about, he glanced at the piece from different angles. "I-I guess all the extra additions aren't that bad…" Posing for the mirror, he instantly froze. 'What the HELL am I doing!? That's ME I'm looking at!!' Pounding his head relentlessly, he finally stopped when his skull was partially numb.
Pulling on the shirt that Ran had lent him, Shinichi was glad; at least the horrid experience known as shopping was over. As he exited the change rooms he noticed their approval; they must've been done for the day. Oblivious to female standards, however, Shinichi was none the wiser as Sonoko blurted out, "Now that that's done, we can get on with the real shopping!"
Flinching, Shinichi muttered, "R-Real shopping…? What are we going to get?"
Blinking as if it should be common knowledge, Sonoko began her speech, "Purses, jeans, jackets, accessories, tops, shoes, etcetera, etcetera! Whatever the case is, we'll examine it! On sale and cute? Buy it! Expensive? Buy it! Rare and can't be found anywhere else? …need I even say? On a normal occasion the circumstances would've been a bit different, but since you're visiting from out of town Irene-chan…" placing her arm on Shinichi's shoulders, Sonoko caught him in a headlock, "…we'll show you all of Beika City's best! …and by that, I mean best stores!"
"Wh-What?" Shinichi managed to stutter. Breaking loose from the headlock, he waved his arms about, occasionally brushing his…developed chest. "Haven't we been here for a while already? What would Mouri-san say, Ran…chan?"
"My dad? …He wouldn't mind." Checking her watch, Ran added, "Besides, it's only been about a half-hour, Irene-chan."
'H-Half-hour? I could've sworn it'd been at least three times that!' Looking upon his mistake as Ran and Kazuha dragged him by the hands, Shinichi sighed in defeat. '…Fine. If this is how it's going to be…
'I might as well try to enjoy myself.'
So far, any of his non-girlish actions had amounted in shyness, but Shinichi knew that shyness would never stop a girl from browsing through clothes. He wanted to do it about as much as he wanted to be a thief – not very much. But, like his Kid Kaitou job, it had to be done. In order to lessen the anguish of the task, as Shinichi went about the clothing, he picked out anything he'd like to see Ran in. To him it felt a bit risky with her standing barely five feet away, but she'd never know what he was actually thinking as he stared at the clothes: she'd only think he was taking them into consideration for himself. Using this tactic, scanning through the clothes was nearly enjoyable…until Sonoko – apparently only good for torturing him – opened her mouth once more.
Pointing at the outfit in his arms, she stated, "That's really cute! …You should try that stuff on!"
Eyes shining, Ran nodded her head. "I agree with Sonoko! That would look great on you, Irene-chan!"
'…It was supposed to look great on you…' Shinichi whimpered as the girls pushed him towards the change rooms once more.
Although he hadn't noticed the first time, Shinichi then caught sight of yet another development sprouting from his feminine situation: men. From almost any corner of the store, the 'opposite' gender would stop anything he was doing to stare. Left to right, they were everywhere. Each and every one of their faces was either shocked, enchanted, or…resembling Kogoro's. Some even took their eyes off what they were doing, only to run into another person or a display in the store. Shinichi hadn't wanted attention, not from Kogoro, not from the girls, least of all from every man. Unfortunately, 'Rampo Irene' seemed to constantly be the center of attention.
Escaping the growing number of eyes wanting to take a glimpse at his feminine body, Shinichi slid voluntarily into the changing booth. He had went inside to be concealed from the public, but only as he looked down at the bundle in his arms did he realize he'd went there to change into – what had looked to be hot on Ran – clothes. Normally he would've just found an excuse to avoid changing into any clothing, but since he was in there it'd be highly unusual if he came out in the same guise he had while going in. Deciding to be a man (yet ironically being the exact opposite) he sucked up his pride and went about sorting through the ensemble he had picked out.
First off, he'd get the tops over with. Made of light yet strong fabric was the blouse. Meant to hug just under the shoulders, the sleeves extended almost past his hands with their slight frill. It was pink in color, no patterns whatsoever. Next was the red scarf. Blotched with different shades of red, it almost seemed to parallel blood. That however, wasn't a concern for Shinichi. What was a concern was the last item he had picked out. He hadn't thought he would be wearing the outfit he had pictured on Ran, so he hadn't avoided the one clothing enemy he absolutely did not want to see: a skirt.
With a purposeful tear at its side, a checkered pattern lined the edge of it. Wearing the skirt he'd have to change into some of the underwear the girls had bought for him. He was completely against the thought, but it was all he could do. At that point, he hoped if enough commotion was caused by his first change of clothes, he could get out of any further experiences in the booth. Closing his eyes as he slipped on the underclothing, he quickly donned the skirt to cover them. Completely black other than the fringe, the skirt tightly hugged the waist and legs; unfortunately for Shinichi, this gave off a very…alluring effect.
Magic was a powerful thing indeed – Shinichi hadn't seen better looking legs in his life. …he also was never as scared in his life as he realized just what he had thought. 'For the love of Conan Doyle, even I'm gawking at myself!'
Taking a deep breath, he faced the door. It wouldn't be that bad; it couldn't be that bad. There'd just be the girls and a couple guys there, nothing more. Sure, the slobber from all those men would be…disturbing, to say the least, but as long as they were drooling it'd be a viable excuse as to why he should never try on another article of clothing. Reassuring himself of the positives, he left the small booth.
In an instant, he made a mental note to never take that long to get changed…ever.
Having been given the opportunity, any of the men that had gathered must've phoned, texted, and/or brought their friends over to the women's changing rooms. Entering to change there couldn't have been more than fifteen guys, twenty tops; but as the door revealed the outside, Shinichi was shocked to see numbers growing to nearly one hundred. For a terrifying second, Shinichi realized that it was possible his appearance wasn't the only effect of the rebound.
It had been a while back, but Akako had mentioned something about an infatuation spell. When Shinichi had brought up the question revolving around her own little fan-boys, she had reluctantly answered, "O-Oh…yes…I've used the spell before…but as you can tell…it doesn't always work. R-Right now I haven't been using it a lot. T-There are other things to do…like your lessons." She had seemed flushed at the time, but Shinichi hadn't known why. From what he could tell, she enjoyed the attention…unlike him.
Cell phones surfaced all around, countless buttons pressed as each man got their own picture of 'Rampo Irene'. Pushed away by men who 'wanted a better shot' Ran and the other girls were forced to the back of the group, leaving Shinichi without his vital support. If the photo montage wasn't bad enough, soon to come were the questions; the endless questions.
"N-No! I'm not a model! …I-I won't work for your magazine! …Y-You can't put that picture on the Internet! …I don't know you, I-I can't date you!" Inquiry after inquiry spat out, leaving Shinichi little opportunity to answer, let alone escape. The last straw was the only remaining as Shinichi slowly repeated, "…Who just asked if I 'want to make some extra money'…?"
From embarrassed to disturbed, Shinichi began to get frustrated. His frustration morphed into a merciless anger as his last straw burned. Completely horny and thinking with another part of his body aside from his brain, one of the men in the crowd strolled right over to 'Irene' and blatantly placed his hand on the pink blouse, just over the red ribbons on the blue. Squeezing slightly, he dug his own grave as he spoke what Shinichi dubbed to be his last words, "They're so soft…" Many noticed the event, but none could act before Shinichi himself.
"KNOW," With a force no less than that of an enraged elephant, Shinichi smashed the man's left foot with his heel, immediately causing his grip to let go.
"YOUR," positioning his weapon more to his left, Shinichi swiftly sacked the pervert in the groin.
"PLACE!" empowered only by anger, Shinichi threw the man into the crowd using the centrifugal force created as he had swung in a 360 with the guy forcibly riding Shinichi's extended leg.
Silencing the entire crowd with the display, Shinichi let down his leg slowly. Bangs shadowing his eyes, he cracked his knuckles. The crowd all ears, he spoke, "I'm all ready to deal with any more asses that need to be kicked, so…if anyone else has a death wish…feel free." No one said a word.
Satisfied with the reaction, Shinichi went back into the booth the change into his – or rather Ran's – clothes. All appeared to be clear as he left, but from the corner of his eye he noticed some movement. Getting the message, they were staying back, but obsessively they still followed the group, each eyeing 'Rampo Irene' from afar; some still equipped with their annoying cell phones, constantly snapping shots. Realizing it was the best he'd get; Shinichi sighed and did his best to ignore the ragtag group.
The task was easier than he had expected it to be due to other distractions: mainly the girls. Walking on to the next store, they had been unusually quiet before Ran finally spoke up, "I-Irene-chan…what you did back there…"
Caught up in the enragement of the moment, Shinichi had been completely oblivious to his actions. Suddenly realizing the lack of feminism in his display, he began to stutter, "O-Oh, t-that. I-I, well, y-you see…that w-was…" He couldn't finish, but the girls could for him.
Surprising him to say the least, they shouted out, "Awesome! That was awesome!"
"…Wh-What?"
Clenching her fists to add to her act, Sonoko proclaimed, "What do you mean 'what'? You put the 'kick' in 'kickass'! That'll show that pervert never to invade a women's privacy ever again."
"Exactly!" Nodding vigorously, Kazuha added her opinion, "Back there, you were almost as powerful as Ran-chan!"
"…'almost as'? Try 'more'!" Ran laughed as she patted her hand on Shinichi's shoulder. "Hey, Irene-chan, are you in karate?" At Shinichi's shake of the head, Ran seemed somewhat shocked, "R-Really? Then…where did you learn what you did back there?"
Answering as honestly as he could, Shinichi muttered, "I suppose…I do play a lot of soccer…"
Simultaneously, the three girls asked, "Soccer?"
Too vague to be of any use, Shinichi expanded on his answer…with yet more lies, "O-Oh, well you see, at the schools I've attended there's never been a girls' soccer team. With my extreme love of the sport, I finally managed to convince the coach of the boys' team to let me play. Playing with all those guys, I guess I picked up a few…'maneuvers'."
"Is that so?" Chuckling, Sonoko put her hand around Ran's shoulders. "You're lucky Shinichi isn't here, Ran, it sounds like Irene-chan here would sweep him off his feet."
'Not likely…' Shinichi thought with his own small laugh. As Ran went on to deny her feelings towards him, Shinichi noticed the opportunity ahead of him and decided to act on it. Making sure to avoid any wrong conclusions, he asked, "…Who's this 'Shinichi' person?" Innocent, to the point…no love, no nothing: perfect.
Surprisingly, the 'wrong conclusions' had formed in Kazuha's mind, rather than the obvious answer: Sonoko. Slyly smiling, she glanced at Shinichi from the corner of her eye, "Oh, we'll tell you about him, but first: you've got to understand that he already forever belongs to Ran-chan. 'kay~?"
Blushing along with Ran, Shinichi managed to nod. Giving the majority of her attention to the flustered Ran, Kazuha didn't notice the red tinge in his cheeks. Smiling widely, she went on with her explanation, "Well, I haven't met Kudo-kun all that much, but I have heard a lot about him. From what I know he likes soccer, reads a lot, and overall is kind of quiet, but definitely has a nice personality." Hearing her honest opinion, Shinichi was slightly at a loss as to what to say. He didn't know Kazuha wasn't finished. "…Of course, on the downside, he's a mystery otaku like Heiji."
Over the embarrassment, Ran promptly agreed, "No kidding. If there was some giant crime organization out there breaking law after law, there'd be no doubt those two would head out to catch it." Ran and the other girls laughed, but Shinichi only flinched at the accuracy of the joke.
Halting in the middle of her laugh, Sonoko put her hand to her chin in thought, "Wait a minute…Irene-chan doesn't know Hattori-kun, does she? …That example was pretty much worthless then…"
"Then let's make it worth something!" Kazuha smiled brightly. Grabbing Shinichi's wrist once more, she went ahead down the mall's corridor. "I bet that Heiji is back at the hakase's by now!"
Heiji – Hattori Heiji, the Soul Smith. Able to see Houseki floating behind him, Hattori would be able to identify him instantly. He desperately wanted help, but even more so Shinichi desperately didn't want to be mocked for his blunder. Before he made any plans of action in regards to the rebound, he had promised himself at least an hour of careful thinking. Up until that point, there hadn't been a minute for him to think things through. Meeting Hattori at that point wasn't an option.
Breaking free from Kazuha's grasp, Shinichi went about his excuse, "U-Um, I'm sorry Kazuha-chan, but I'd rather not. …right now, I-I mean. You see…" rapidly searching for a viable reason, Shinichi tumbled across one. "…I was hoping to buy enough clothes here to last the week since my luggage was ransacked by a dog I happened by on the road."
"Wait…is that why you were wearing men's clothes at the hakase's?"
"Y-Yes…" Connecting the dots as best he could, Shinichi continued to lead his pencil on, "Along with my bag, the dog bit at my clothes, too. I wasn't hurt in any way, but there were so many tears in my clothing…as soon as I got in the house, I saw some clothes lying out so I subconsciously put them on." 'Sorry, Ojiisan, your suit's gonna have to belong to Hattori now…'
"Huh, that makes sense." Sighing in relief as Kazuha said this, Shinichi's worry about the lie was replaced by a different torment, "Hey! Why don't we see if Irene-chan can come to school with us tomorrow?"
Immediately agreeing, Sonoko went on to stare at Shinichi with a somewhat concerned face, "We can't leave Irene-chan alone with Ran's dad after all…"
"Th-That is true…" Ran admitted. "Well, Irene-chan? Do you want to come to our school tomorrow?" Noticing the slight repulsion in Shinichi's face, Ran reworded, "O-Oh…do you want to come watch us at school tomorrow? …It's not like you'd have to do any work."
Taking the second chance, Shinichi thought over the situation: To be at school, to be amongst his former friends once more, to get a small taste of his normal life back… Slowly, he nodded.
"I would love to."
--
Heiji was distressed. The day before Kudo had sent out Agasa and Haibara to get some parts for a new gadget he had wanted Agasa to design. Ecstatic that his inventions would be of use again, Agasa promptly agreed, dragging Haibara along with him. Kazuha had spent the night at Sonoko's, so Heiji had the house to himself. Agasa had asked for Heiji to accompany him and Haibara to the store, but Heiji declined. There was something else he needed to do.
Kudo had specifically planned it out; he wanted to arrive at Agasa's when everyone was out. It would've been perfect, but Heiji was going to stand in his way…or, he thought he was going to stand in his way.
Quickly getting bored at around 9:45 a.m. Heiji went about practicing with the feathers once more. Since Friday he had fiddled with the magical pathways using different tactics. So far he'd transformed one of them into a wand (much like Koizumi's), caused one to levitate slightly, and another had resulted in a – luckily small – fire spell. The results were hard to come by, but as Heiji stumbled across them, they were permanently documented in his skull for later use. Unfortunately, as Kudo was approaching the house, Heiji happened upon another outcome from manipulating the paths.
Placing the remaining feathers together on the floor, he copied the path of a circle that had popped into his memory. As long as they were handled with care, the spell wouldn't go off; of course, that was the tricky part. Forming the circle, Heiji went about positioning the other paths into an eight pointed star. Resembling a compass, Heiji stared at the creation before him. "…Just what does this one do?"
Curious as to its effects, Heiji activated it. To his surprise, nothing happened. Laughing a bit at his own ignorance, Heiji grumbled, "Hah, I shoulda figured this much. Kudo might be able t' perform spells, but-"
Suddenly, the circle shimmered. Causing its own magical wind, it began to make a mess of the room. Shining ever brighter, Heiji had to cover his eyes with his arm. This was a mistake however, as it delayed his realization that the circle was pulling him in. Only as he noticed the light was approaching did he see that he was partway into the floor. Before he knew it, even the floor was above him.
Floating in a magical space for a few seconds, Heiji found himself landing with a small thud on a rough hardwood floor. Although landing on his behind, Heiji rubbed his head. Eyes slightly heavy from the strange phenomenon that had just befallen him, it took a while before Heiji bothered to open them. As he did, he was shocked at his surroundings.
Only next door – he was in Kudo's library.
Confused at the events, Heiji stood, glancing around with wide eyes. Following a feather as it fell from his jacket, Heiji quickly understood. A teleportation spell, that's what the circle had been.
Amazed at his own ability to in some way use the arts, Heiji had barley noticed the sound of footsteps above him. Before wonder could completely settle in, he realized what – or rather who – they were. Creating his own padding noise, he went for the lone desk in the room, sliding the chair in front of him to further conceal himself. It wasn't the best hiding place, but what could he do? Unlike Kudo or the many ghosts he'd seen, he couldn't turn invisible. He also was unable to warp back to Agasa's; he only had one feather.
Normally the situation would've seemed dire – and it was – but Heiji's inability to escape allowed him to stumble on some information: shocking information.
Arriving in the room, Heiji heard Okiya mutter "Must've been my imagination." After a slight pause, without an indicator, he spoke again, "Oh, no. I thought I heard something in the library. It's nothing."
The phone; he must've been talking on the phone.
Naturally one of an intense curiosity, Heiji felt no guilt as he eavesdropped. In fact, he felt it was almost like his duty: this man was living at Kudo's house, yet they knew barely anything about him. Heiji knew that it was the time to finally learn something about Okiya Subaru. Making as little noise as possible, he waited.
"…Oh yes, that interesting development I mentioned. Well…" Heiji could hear the smile in his voice. "…it seems the Kudo family has some weird books around here. Around a month ago, I found one on the floor titled, 'The Dangers of Rebounds and How to Correct Them'."
Breath stopping and eyes wide, Heiji felt the sweat rolling down his cheek. The Dangers of Rebounds and How to Correct Them…it had been one of the books that he, Koizumi, and the Kudos had grabbed while Okiya was out. In the rush, it must've fallen. …but how were they to have noticed? They had so many books at the time; missing one wouldn't have been all that noticeable. But for whatever it lacked in the conspicuous department, it made up for in importance. That book could be their downfall.
Slightly closer, Okiya spoke once more. "No, I've never met any of the Kudos. …Then how am I living in their home? I've already told you that. …Yes…
"Shooter." Muffled slightly by the desk surrounding him, Heiji was almost convinced that he had missed something. 'Shooter'…what was that supposed to mean? Feeling that it was irrelevant, Heiji went on listening in silence.
"I haven't learned much." Okiya finally let out after a long pause in which the other one on the phone was speaking. "Apparently he's – or rather, used to be – the high school detective of the East. Quite sometime ago, he seemed to have disappeared from this world. …The only information that seems to pop up is 'he's off on a difficult case'. No specific spot, no specific 'case'… Personally, it sounds as if he's dead."
There was another pause. Heiji dared not to breathe; not only did he want to avoid being heard, he didn't want to miss any of the words coming from Okiya's mouth. He and the other on the phone were discussing Kudo, and Heiji was determined to hear the conversation through.
"…You're right. I suppose that thought slipped my mind. So then…what are your thoughts regarding Kudo Shinichi…the 'dead' high school detective?"
Silence consumed, causing Heiji to twitch uncontrollably. Vital information was at his fingertips, he'd have to hear it; he'd have to tell the others. Okiya Subaru…he definitely wasn't who he seemed. So far there hadn't been any evidence that he was specifically an enemy, but Heiji had to be cautious. For all he knew, Okiya had a gun.
Waiting for Okiya's words, Heiji instead heard a scream softly emanate through the walls. It sounded like a woman. Before he could wonder just what had happened, Heiji was occupied with a different development.
Slamming his hand onto the desk above Heiji's head, Okiya mused as he heard Heiji's small startled yelp, "Well, well, it seems there's an unwanted bird here…listening in on the ever-so private conversation."
Frozen in his spot, Heiji couldn't move. He wouldn't have been able to think, either, but one of Okiya's words set his mind's gears in motion. As the footsteps slowly rounded the desk, Heiji heard Okiya's chuckle as he saw his feet by the chair. Briskly pulling the seat out of the way, he peered into Heiji's hiding place.
His eyes widened as he saw the wood of the desk. Little did Okiya know his eyes were focused on the objects behind Heiji; he was staring straight through him.
Avoiding the near-death experience the previous day, Heiji was slightly out of wits the next. It didn't help that it was Monday, the worst day of the week. Heiji made a promise to himself as he tumbled on the way to school. 'While tellin' Kudo about what happened…I'll need t' thank him.'
If it weren't for the feather, Heiji was confident he would've been in serious trouble. His own escape had depended on his ability to switch the paths to the intangibility spell, but he wouldn't have been able to do so if he hadn't of had the magic needed to do it. As he thought about it further, Heiji realized he wouldn't have been in any danger in the first place if it weren't for those feathers. Restating his promise, he thought as he entered the classroom, 'I'll have t' tell Kudo 'bout that phone call…'
Barely able to walk in, Heiji was surprised by the amount of people gathered there. A majority of them being men, there were many phrases flying through the air.
"Can I have your autograph?"
"Please, can I take a picture with you?"
"C-Can I hold your hand?"
"Could you say 'Chyuu~' and wink?"
Listening to the completely odd statements, Heiji's only opinion was that some female pop star had arrived in the room. Maybe Ran asked Kogoro to invite Okino to the school? …No, Ran wouldn't do that. Unable to stand the curiosity, Heiji slowly made his way through the crowd. Finally able to see the center of attention, Heiji's eyes widened.
There was no female pop star; no, far from it. That would've been an insult to the person before the group. Definitely; they wouldn't have been amused by it, they would've frowned. There was only one word – one name – that could possibly describe the newcomer in the classroom.
…Aphrodite.
--
Waving off the endless sea of lovesick questions, Shinichi was relieved to finally spot a familiar tanned face among the crowd. As he got up, Sonoko and Ran went about clearing a path. Walking straight up to Hattori, Shinichi went over the conversation one more time in his mind. Staring straight into Hattori's wide eyes, Shinichi went about utter humiliation; all to seem less suspicious. "…You're Hattori Heiji, right? I've heard so much about you~"
His pupils small, Hattori swiftly shook his head from side to side, looking about the room. As if he'd lost a few brain cells, he muttered, "M-Me?"
Walking up to his side, Ran stated bluntly, "Of course you. She said 'Hattori Heiji' right?" Her smile was tinted with a small pity.
Careful to act as if they'd just met, Shinichi extended his hand, "Well then, that confirms it. Nice to meet you, Hattori…kun."
Only after some awkward silence and a helpful shove from another guy did Hattori take the extended hand. All around there were statements such as "Lucky!" and "Aw man, why not me?" As he had learned at the mall, Shinichi ignored these phrases. He couldn't afford to listen to them, either.
The hand shake hadn't only been a friendly gesture; it was also the chance to see if he could still hear the thoughts of other people. He knew very well the telepathy spell was prohibited, but he had to wonder if the 'ear for thought' was canceled as well. Grasping the darker hand, Shinichi unfortunately found out his talent was indeed blocked out. Of course, it was probably for the better since he would've heard, 'She's…she's so…cute…'
Forcibly tugged from the handshake by Ran's pull at his shoulders, she reminded him, "Irene-chan! Don't forget what we told you! Hattori-kun is Kazuha-chan's!" The comment was a whisper, but it still sent a perturbed chill down his entire being.
Faking a smile, Shinichi answered back, "I-I know. D-Don't worry…I definitely…um, don't think he's my type." '…he's not even the right gender.'
Breaking through the crowd of students, the teacher waltzed in and immediately took control. Sending back any who didn't belong in the room, they went about the attendance before introducing 'Irene'. "Class, as you've probably already figured out what with all the commotion this morning, this is Rampo Irene. She's visiting from out of town. Now, she'll be sitting quietly at the back of the room, out of the way, behaving well as I'm sure she will. …On the other hand…the rest of you are to continue on as if it's a normal day. You may feel free to speak with Irene-chan at the breaks, but she won't be held responsible if you slack off on your work. Have I made myself clear?"
Unenthusiastically, a simultaneous "Yes, sensei" filled the room.
Seated at the back of the room, Shinichi watched as the class – his class – went on in front of him. Although still easy for him, the questions being asked actually required some thought, unlike Elementary school. He didn't have to do any work, but after being gone so long, he almost felt as if he wanted to.
Pestered continuously at any breaks in between the classes, Shinichi constantly declined the oncoming men and instead sought out Hattori. By that point, Shinichi expected him to be over the shock – and possible laughter – of Shinichi's situation, so much so that he'd be able to offer some assistance. However, as he hovered over the other detective seated in his old desk, the Osakan's eyes were as wide as ever. With a slight hesitation, he said, "H-Hi, Rampo-chan."
Shinichi had to admit; Hattori put on a good show. Amidst all of the possible eavesdropping ears, Hattori continued to play the dumb act. 'He's even pretending to be embarrassed that I'm talking to him. Clever…'
Of course, Shinichi wasn't one to know what else Hattori had learned while experimenting with the feathers: how could he? Instead, completely confident that Hattori knew of his identity, he bent over slightly. Determined not to lose in the acting game, he got in touch with his more feminine side – however difficult that was. "Hattori-kun, I was wondering: if it's okay with you, would you mind hanging out with Ran-chan, Sonoko-chan, Kazuha-chan, and myself after school? I'd like to get to know you better~"
Smiling sweetly, Shinichi felt a part of his manhood dying. 'Damn it Hattori…you just acted oblivious to make me do something stupid, didn't you?' There was no answer from the still blank face; only a nod.
-
After somehow managing through the googly-eyed men parading on with their requests and pictures, Shinichi finally walked out of the school. With Ran, Sonoko, Kazuha, and Hattori behind him, he felt a new confidence for the rest of that day. Maybe he'd be able to figure out something about the horrid rebound affecting his life in a worse method than Apotoxin could ever hope to achieve. That was a big maybe, but with Hattori's abilities as a Soul Smith, he could probably fix the path that had strayed while he had completed the spell.
Unfortunately for Shinichi, Hattori couldn't see those paths at the moment. Working for hours on end with the feathers at his disposal, Hattori had managed to figure out how to obscure his abilities at will. Not wanting to see ghosts in every second of every day, Hattori had concealed his powers at that point; causing him to be unable to see Houseki. Of course, Shinichi didn't know this.
Any confused remarks or blank expressions Shinichi had amounted it up to be Hattori keeping the secret or just being stubborn. The latter of those options slightly annoyed Shinichi. 'Great, as if being a woman isn't bad enough, he's got to go pretend like I'm not a man… I'd rather he laugh his ass off.'
Talking to Hattori in private proved to be a great challenge. At any point that Shinichi attempted to make an excuse that would involve Hattori coming along, one of the girls – usually Kazuha – offered to come as well. Having not been effective the first few times, Shinichi gave up the idea completely. He'd rather wait out the effects of the rebound than to be considered 'interested' in Hattori. Unfortunately for Shinichi, a girl and a guy talking in private could never elude the conclusions of a 'relationship'. To this information, Shinichi could only whimper. 'My only chance is to get him away from the others and with no one noticing…' That option had its risks too: mainly, if caught, there'd be no doubts that 'Irene' 'liked' Hattori and that…was a great risk indeed.
Approaching the agency to relax for a while, the teens were nearly run over as Kogoro darted down the stairs. Dodging them just in the nick of time, he ended up falling over. Quickly getting up and brushing himself off, he headed for the side of the road and began to wave for a taxi. Distracting him from that, Shinichi asked, "Is it a case?"
Turning away from the street, Kogoro missed his chance at a passing taxi as he went about bragging. "Why yes. I'm sure you've heard of me before. From murders to theft, I've solved hundreds of difficult cases with ease."
'…Sure you did. …and by "solved" you mean "slept through"…' Although not speaking his thoughts, Shinichi remained on the topic of sleep. "Right…you're the Sleeping Kogoro, right Mouri-san?"
"Indeed I am. …Maybe after this job you'd like to hear the details of some of my past works~?"
"U-Um…Thanks but…no thanks."
Laughing awkwardly, Shinichi noticed Sonoko dialing a number on her cell phone. Before he could ask what she was doing, he heard the answer from her lips. "Yeah, Daddy? Can you send a limo to Ran's place? We need to get a ride to one of her dad's cases."
Noticing the look of denial on Kogoro's face, Sonoko went about using her mastered arts of persuading the man, "What's with that look? Wouldn't you rather show Irene-chan your skills than let her read some boring case files? This way, we'll all be able to go!"
Still unsure, Kogoro had to be further persuaded by Shinichi, much to the poor boy's distress. "Oh come on Mouri-san, please~?"
"W-Well, I…" he cleared his throat. "I-I suppose I could make the exception…just this once."
'…Just this once…? You dragged "Conan" to plenty of cases before, Ojiisan…'
Although the girl herself was highly annoying, Sonoko's taxi service never failed to arrive on time. Traveling in comfort as well as style, the group soon found themselves in front of the client's home. Averagely sized, but still quite exquisitely decorated, before them stood the house of the Akari family.
Stepping down the path towards the entrance, Kogoro was surprised as the door opened before he had the chance to ring the bell. Wearing some flashy jewelry to most likely bring out her youth, a woman of at least forty appeared in the doorway. Strained eyes smiled as she took in Kogoro's clichéd clothing that went with his job. "Ah…you must be Mouri-san. My name, as you know, is Akari Reidou. Please, come inside."
"Thank you, Akari-san." Taking off his shoes, he apologized while slipping on the indoor footwear. "I'm sorry for bringing all these kids, but I couldn't keep 'em at bay."
"Oh, no. It's quite alright. I have children, Mouri-san; I know what it's like." Hearing several pairs of feet, Akari added, "Oh…speak of the devils…"
First to arrive from the group of 'devils' was a young blond. With a combination of the colors blue, green, and grey, her eyes shimmered with anticipation. "Hello, my name is Akari Chosha. It's nice to-" Looking over the guests, her eyes instantly widened when she reached Hattori. "Aiko! Aiko! You'll never believe who's here!"
"Yeah, yeah. The great Mouri-san has come to our little abode, right?" a somewhat sarcastic voice sounded from around the corner. "Listen Chosha, I already told you we should've found a way to hire…" much like her sister, Aiko instantly terminated her speech as she laid eyes on the Osakan detective. Somewhat short, the teenage brunette ran up to the group, eyes never straying from Hattori. "H-H-Hattori Heiji…you…you're him, aren't you!?"
Shifting his eyes, Hattori stuttered, "U-Uh…yeah."
"Whoa~! I can't believe it! I…I'm meeting you in person!" Obviously a fan, she made a motion backwards as her mother reminded her of introductions. "M-My name is Akari Aikousha, but you can just call me Aiko-chan~" Stepping forward once more, she stood before Hattori with her hands clasped together; almost as if she were praying to some god. "It is such an honor to meet you, Heiji-sama~!"
Chuckling quietly, Shinichi couldn't help but enjoy the display. 'It's about time someone else got some fan service…'
Dreams somewhat short lived, Shinichi heard yet another voice emanate from the living room area; this time it was a man. "Now, now, Aiko. You don't want to freak him out with all of your squealing."
Appearing in much the same fashion as his sisters, a male in his early twenties rounded the corner. With crystal blue eyes clashing with his dark hair and skin, he was no doubt a sight to behold – Shinichi knew this as some small gasps sounded from behind him and Sonoko commented, "Wow~ …he's quite a find." Shinichi was also interested in the man, but – obviously – not for the same reasons. His main point of intrigue came from the cross-shaped scar across the bridge of his nose extending slightly onto his cheeks. What could've caused that?
Looking in Shinichi's direction, his expression slightly changed. He looked somewhat baffled. Forgetting all about the possible infatuation spell in place, Shinichi was immediately taken aback. Hattori might've gained a fan, but Shinichi felt he might gain another. To his relief – and surprise – the man wasn't focusing on him.
"Huh, so you're the high school detective of the West, Hattori Heiji? Funny, I imagined you to look slightly…different."
Shrugging with a slight annoyance, Hattori replied, "Well, sorry t' disappoint, but this is the way I look. …Won't change too much over time either, I'm afraid."
"Oh, I apologize. I didn't mean anything by it." Smiling simply, he went to stand by Chosha.
A few moments passed before Akari sighed, "My, it seems only Chosha has any manners around this house."
Taking the hint, the man did a somewhat sarcastic bow as he stated, "Sharing the Akari name, I differ only by my first: Ginji. It's a pleasure to meet all of you. …and I do hope you can help dear mother with her problem."
"Ah, yes." Coming back to her, Akari began to explain the situation as soon as she led the crowd to the living room. "Well, you see…yesterday this house was broken into. As far as I can tell, nothing was stolen…only a few of the rooms were ransacked and some of the windows broken."
Unable to resist the natural detective looming inside him, Shinichi couldn't help but ask, "Then why did you phone Mouri-san? If that's the case, it seems more like something the police would deal with."
Leaning over the couch behind him, Aiko answered, "Oh, that's because of the weird message in Ginji's room."
"A weird message?" Hattori blinked, "You mean like a code?"
Piping up at Hattori's attention, Aiko gained a new energy, "Yep, yep! Come on, I'll show you!"
Following behind as Aiko dragged Hattori along, each one of them stopped to stare at the disaster beyond Ginji's door. Blankets off the bed, pillows torn, and books thrown about…it looked as if a hurricane had passed through. The most dominant feature of all, though, was the previously mentioned message. Etched into the wall were words. Slowly, Shinichi read them aloud, "'Love dies…but the pact remains'…?"
"Yeah…" Chosha spoke up softly, "It's kind of creepy… I mean, what's it supposed to implicate?"
Having taken the opportunity, Aiko was latched onto Hattori's arm, "I don't know…but Heiji-sama should be able to easily crack the code, right~?"
Wriggling free from the grasp, Hattori laughed ineptly, "I-I'll try…" About to scratch his head, he instead reached it out behind Shinichi, "O-Oi, what're ya doin', Rampo-chan?"
Standing amongst the clutter, Shinichi glanced back with a slight irritation. Putting on the innocent act for the others, he forced himself to say, "I'm just looking around for any clues." As Kogoro slowly approached to most likely explain that she couldn't just go 'play detective', he walked past him and approached Akari. "Excuse me; was this the only room that was broken into?"
"No…I believe my room as well as Chioya's room was infiltrated."
"'Chioya'?" Ran repeated the name, "Who's that?"
"Most likely the father in this family, right?" Hattori answered with a question of his own.
It was directed at Akari, but Aiko responded instead. "That's right~ Elementary for the amazing Heiji-sama~"
Aiko obviously thought very highly of Hattori's abilities, but Shinichi's own were about to shine brighter. Although still partially drained from the deception spell, Shinichi hadn't put his mind to work in ages. Contrary to what others would think, starting his brain up again made him think with the utmost accuracy, and with a sudden idea hitting him, he had the message figured out. Still facing Akari, he politely requested, "Akari-san, please…could I see your left hand?"
"Oh…why…yes." Lending her palm to the young detective, Akari was slightly nervous. "…may I ask what you're doing…? Irene, was it?"
Unwilling to give away the information just yet, Shinichi pulled out a few lies. There was no worry; he had plenty at his disposal. "Yes, Rampo Irene is my name. …I'm sorry…I was just looking at your rings. …They're gorgeous, really." The last line was forced, but it seemed the right thing for a girl to say.
Taking in the details of the room, Kogoro turned and swept his hand over the air, "Sorry, but the rest of you will have to leave me to my investigations. Akari-san, would you mind staying to answer some of my questions?"
"No you don't!" Aiko shouted. "You can't just leave Heiji-sama out of this! He's a detective, too!" Supporting her opinion, Hattori began to walk into the room. Before he completely entered, Shinichi overheard Aiko whisper, "Go on, Heiji-sama. Show him how it's really done!"
Leaving Hattori and Kogoro to investigate the room, Shinichi went about his own examination. His first priority was to speak with Ginji. Unfortunately, the girls already covered that option. Aiko was too busy swooning over to Hattori at that moment to be of any help, and Chosha…had seemed to have disappeared. Curious as to Chosha's whereabouts, Shinichi donned his jacket and went about looking outside as he noticed a pair of slippers – Chosha's slippers – had been placed by the back door.
Snow lightly dusting the backyard, its white fought with the black of night for dominance. The sun hadn't fully set, so the snow shone with a light orange glow. It was brilliant really, in more ways than one. Not only a sight to behold, it also emphasized the new prints made in the snow. Following them as quietly as possible, Shinichi found himself staring at Chosha as she knelt behind a tree, shovel in hand. Digging at a set pace, she hadn't noticed him behind her. Not one to hide his obvious presence, he grinned, "Hi-yah there, Chosha-chan."
Jumping to her feet in shock, Chosha only stood to fall over once her foot slipped on the ice buried in the snow. Brushing herself off, she finally managed, "I-Irene-chan…what are you doing here? …You…You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry, sorry." Giggling as innocently as possible, Shinichi set his sights on the hole she had dug. "What's that?"
Covering up the work she had quickly done, she shook her head along with her hands. "I-It's nothing, believe me. …Just some stupid promise I made to myself."
From her tone of voice, Shinichi could tell that was all the information on the topic he was going to get. Refusing to give up there, he decided to pry for any other information he could scavenge from the girl. "So…Chosha-chan…Chioya was your father's name, right? What was he like?"
Leaning against the tree, her expression was distant. "Well…he's kind…I love him so much. We all do. Of course…mom doesn't show it that much, but…" her words slowly died. Staring at Shinichi with a small look of wonder, she asked, "Wait…you said 'what was he like'…how…how did you know he…" she couldn't manage the word.
"…died?" Shinichi finished quietly. "…Just a guess. Anyway…your mother and father…they had problems?"
"Yes." It pained her, but Chosha went on. "Dad didn't think that mom wasn't budgeting the money well enough. He was always saying that she was greedy, always wanting more. They weren't always like that, though. In fact…dad even bought her the most beautiful ring for his proposal. It was an antique: priceless, rare…really hard to find. …but he got it for her anyway."
Piecing together the facts slowly in his mind, Shinichi went on to try and get more information. Playing his role vividly, he trilled, "Aw~ That's so sweet. I couldn't ever imagine a couple like that breaking apart. It must've taken some time, huh?"
Shaking her head, even the mist from her mouth dulled as she replied, "No…only eleven years into the marriage they got a divorce. Aiko, Ginji and I stayed with dad. We've hardly ever seen mom until now. She had to return since Ginji couldn't manage to take care of us himself; especially with his long-distance courses that he's taking. …It's hard to believe it's been over ten years since then."
'Ten years ago…' Tying into place nicely, Shinichi felt that Chosha had given enough information for the time being. Suggesting that they go back inside, Shinichi lead her back to the house.
Warming inside the heated home, Shinichi was delighted to see that his original source for information was free to talk to. The girls had wandered into the living room to speak amongst themselves. As Chosha went to join them, Shinichi approached Ginji. Careful to play the right role, he asked as if ignorant, "So, how exactly did the thief manage to get into your room and destroy it without you noticing?"
Seemingly unaware of the question that had been asked, it took a short pause before he answered, "Oh, I wasn't here at the time. I was at the library doing some late night studying."
"Late night? How late was that?"
"I'd say around…1 a.m." Seeing the shocked look on Shinichi's face, he chuckled. "I have a friend that works there; he lets me in sometimes if I'm really in a fix; which I was. The internet is great, but sometimes there are things you can only find in a book."
Placing his hand in his palm, Shinichi feigned a small bafflement, "I guess that explains why you didn't hear anything, but…I'm surprised Chosha and Aiko weren't alerted that something was up. I mean…there are some heavy sleepers out there, but to sleep through windows being broken and rooms being torn apart…?"
Laughing a bit, Ginji said, "I wouldn't doubt Aiko, she sleeps like a log sometimes. But you're right; no one could sleep through that." Thinking himself, he let out a small deduction, "I'm positive this thief specifically targeted this house at that time. It was too perfect: Chosha and Aiko were at a friend's, I was working on my essay, and mom was finishing up some of her papers at her workplace. To try something like that on a Sunday night…there's no way they could've expected to get away with it unless they were sure of the circumstances."
"You're right." Smiling, Shinichi's confidence grew even further. 'Alright, those are the "alibis"… now…time to find some pro-'
Suddenly yanked by the shoulder, Shinichi soon found himself facing an irritated Sonoko. Pulling him a ways away from Ginji, she hissed, "What are you doing, Irene-chan? I was going to try and get him!"
Realizing the jealousy in her voice, Shinichi decided to take the safe route, "I-I knew that…that's why I was talking to him. I was trying to sneak in a few compliments about you while casually speaking." Noticing that the plan had worked, Shinichi added one last line, "Camouflage the attack and they won't see it coming."
Snapping out of her daze, she gave Shinichi a light whack to his behind. "Right you are! That's my girl!" Running off to Ginji, she left Shinichi wondering just what he had done to deserve the slap to his rear end.
Changing focus once more, Shinichi decided to forget the lost cause of Ginji and instead question someone else. Occupied by Kogoro and Hattori, Akari was a no-no. However, young teenage Aiko, locked out from the room, was a definite candidate. Approaching with a benevolent smile, Shinichi was about to speak when Aiko squeezed her words out first, "Oh, good. I can ask you first."
Slightly off balance from the sudden comment, Shinichi replied, "Ask me…what?"
Fidgeting with her fingers, Aiko had to force the question, "You…are you…
"…are you Heiji-sama's girlfriend?"
Shinichi could've fallen over. Instead, unable to reply, he merely gaped. Forget daggers, the word could've been a gun: a machine gun. Said, it shot his entire being from existence. Slowly, awkwardly, his inner soul cringed.
Silence didn't help, though. Forming a conclusion, Aiko silently blurted out after a gasp, "You-You are, aren't you!"
Feeling as if he had been struck physically by the accusation, Shinichi finally managed a word. Over and over again, he stated it – at different volumes, at different intervals, held for different amounts of time – he practically made a musical out of the two lone letters: N and O. "No…no, no, no. NONONONONO. …no! N…No! No…no…no…N-N-NO. N…N…N…No. …N…o…NO, NO, NO. N-"
"Wh-Whoa, I…I get it." Placing her hands on the heavily breathing shoulders, Aiko laughed awkwardly. "Um…sorry. I just wanted to know…I didn't know you felt so strongly about…uh, not being his girlfriend."
"N-Not is right." Still twitching from the horrifying thought, Shinichi cleared his throat and changed the topic as quickly as possible. "S-So…did you find anything strange after the crime?"
"Strange?" Much to Shinichi's relief, Aiko instantly went for the bait and switched to his topic choice. Also giving him hope, she pounded her fist onto her hand in realization. "There was that!" Running down the hall, she turned back for a split second. "Just wait, I'll be right back!"
True to her word, she was pacing back down the hall within a matter of seconds. Somewhat out of breath, she held out some black gloves. "H-Here…I found these near the front entrance. They were lying on the ground like someone just threw them off to the side."
Examining the gloves, Shinichi noticed a tear in one of the fingers. The conclusion surging through his mind, Shinichi asked one last question, "Aiko-chan…Who was the first one to see that the house had been robbed?"
"The first one to see the break-in?" Pondering for a moment, she finally answered, "That would be mom. Why do you ask, Irene-chan?"
"You'll see." Taking the gloves into his pocket, he headed for the back door. Before he was too far, he asked for one last request, "Aiko-chan, get everyone into the living room! I'll be back in about five minutes!"
-
Walking back in from the backyard, Shinichi could hear the voices sprouting from the living room. One question that he had heard clearly was, "What is Irene-chan doing?" He couldn't tell who, but it was one of the girls. Carefully going over the case and evidence, he took one last breath before entering the living room.
First to spot him, Kogoro asked, "Alright, Irene-chan, what's the meaning of this? I'm quite a busy man you know."
"Well, I won't stall. I'll just be blunt with you." Pausing, he gathered his confidence. "I've figured out this case."
At a loss for words, Kogoro went through the somewhat familiar speech, "Listen…Irene-chan, I know you want to help, but you should leave it to the professionals-"
"Even professionals hear people out when they'd like to be heard." Stating it blatantly, Shinichi felt he'd have to force his opinion if he wanted to solve the case. "Anyway, just please hear me out with this."
Blinking, Hattori put his hand on his chin in thought. Although Kogoro was still protesting, Hattori spoke up, "Just a sec, Ojiisan. …Why don't we at least hear who she thinks the culprit is? We can work backwards from there."
'Finally. It's about time you lend me a hand, Hattori…' Noticing that all the eyes were on him, he cleared his throat. Raising his arm, he went about lowering it towards the suspect. "The culprit…
"…is Akari Reidou-san."
A shocked silence hung in the air along with Shinichi's extended finger. Much like any criminal he'd encountered before, Akari began the usual spiel of denial, "Wh-What are you talking about Irene-chan? Why would I rob my own home?"
"Sometimes its anomalies like that which prove to be the best cover for a crime. As for the answer to your question…it's simple: there was something you needed to find that your children possibly knew the whereabouts of, yet if you asked about it, they wouldn't have told you a thing." About to cross his arms, Shinichi instead decided to place his hands on his hips. It was still awkward due to the new slenderness of them, but at least he wouldn't brush anything. Quickly focused once more, he went on, "This is the reason behind the code. You wanted the kids to figure it out so they would go and retrieve the item you were looking for, in fear of a thief."
"B-But Irene-chan…" Ran stuttered, somewhat baffled by the sudden intelligence from 'Irene', "If that were the case, why would Akari-san hire my dad? Wouldn't that just complicate things?"
Crossing his arms, Hattori had caught on. "Not necessarily. Since nothin' was actually stolen or too badly damaged, she coulda convinced any detective she had hired that it was just a bad prank with enough persuadin'. All she needed was for someone t' find out what the message meant."
"So, what does it mean, Heiji-sama?" Bending over his shoulder, Aiko beamed with curiosity. "Well~? You should know~"
"A-Actually…" Somewhat embarrassed, he avoided eye contact. "I…don't."
All eyes off the Osakan, they each shifted back to Shinichi at the center of the room. Waiting for both their eyes and ears to be at attention, he explained, "…'Love dies but the pact remains'…I have to admit, I wasn't sure what it meant at first, either. But, in a split second, it hit me. To be honest, when you think about it, it's simple really. Akari-san…your message was well thought out, but…if it were to be deciphered; it would clearly point to you as the culprit."
"I-I'm not sure I follow." Laughing nervously, she still played the innocent act. "…Just what did this 'deciphered' code say?"
"I'll run through it slowly: if 'love dies' represents the recently deceased Chioya-san, then what does the 'pact' imply?"
First to catch on, Hattori blurted out, "…the ring…It means the weddin' ring!"
Gasping in realization, Kazuha blinked in Shinichi's direction, "Then…Irene-chan…when you were looking at Akari-san's hand…"
"…I was looking for the wedding ring." Pointing at Akari's left hand, he stated his findings, "As I had suspected, there was none. Speaking with Chosha-chan, I then found out that they had had a divorce ten years ago. I also learned that the ring Chioya-san proposed with was an antique: priceless, rare, hard to find…worth a large sum of money."
"This is all very interesting…but it's all speculation. Anyway, I came back to the house after working a late shift. Yes, no one happened to be there with me…" she paused, "…however, there's no evidence that I did this."
Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out the black gloves. "These probably look familiar to you, Akari-san; of course, you'll deny that at all costs. …I must say, I'm surprised that you didn't manage to depose of this crucial evidence. See this tear?" Leading the eyes to the rip in the fabric with his finger, Shinichi then pointed back at Akari. "…It was a coincidence, but…while looking for the wedding ring on your hand…
"I noticed a small piece of black fabric stuck under one of the other rings."
"…S-Stop!" from over Sonoko's shoulder, Chosha shouted, "Please…I know mom is a bit greedy, but there's no way she'd go through all of this! She used to love dad, she really did! I don't know exactly why they got the divorce, but I know it wasn't just her money issues!"
Shaking his head, Shinichi went on, "Yes, I'm aware of that. I believe something else caused the divorce…I never got the chance, but I believe it has something to do with Ginji-kun's scar."
Hand to his own face, Ginji's eyes were wide with recollection. "The…the accident?"
"Yes, Ginji, the accident." Filled with a light sorrow, Akari seemed to give in. "I was always warning that idiot that he shouldn't bring you into his science labs; that something could happen. …But did he listen? …No. If the odds would've been in my favor, I would've taken custody of you…but I just didn't have the financial back-up to support you."
"But mom…" tearing up, Chosha wiped away any forming drops. "…You know as well as anyone that the accident was just that: an accident! Why did you separate from dad then? …Why…?"
Distant from the rest of the room, Akari muttered, "Sometimes…love dies."
"…but the pact remains." Having disappeared for a short moment, Shinichi came back with a new item in hand. Hidden behind him, he waited for the right moment. "…I'm not sure if you were quoting your message or not, but it's true Akari-san; the pact, or the ring, was still here after all these years." Revealing a small box, he held it out for them to see. "…amongst other treasures from the past."
Straying from beside Hattori, Aiko ran up to the box. "I-It's…it's our time capsule…from ten years ago."
"Yes," Condolence in his eyes, Shinichi went on, "I believe your father put the ring in here to signify something that had once held dear, hoping to remember it when the box was to be opened once again in ten years."
"No." Shaking small tears from her eyes, Chosha smiled. "It wasn't ten years that we decided on opening it…It was when mom finally came home again."
"I remember…" nostalgic, Ginji let the words come out slowly. "…the capsule…wasn't it dad's idea to make it?"
Silence fell in the room; the only sound that pierced it was the sobs from Akari Reidou's heart.
--
That Monday had been more on the hectic side; especially with that fan girl of his. It was definitely a new experience for Heiji: girls had sometimes swooned over him, but not at that degree. He couldn't quite grasp the mysteries of the other gender; especially one Rampo Irene.
Slipping away from the other eyes, she had wandered off and found evidence and clues that Heiji didn't know to have existed. Solving the code and prying with ease, Rampo was no ordinary girl. If Heiji had been stunned by her seemingly perfect atmosphere before, coupled with her intelligence the young Osakan didn't know what to think. There was a suspicious air about her, but on the other hand she seemed to emanate with the personality and looks only befitting to a goddess. Heiji had never felt that way before and the emotion confused him. It wasn't normal: just like Rampo. There was something behind the two.
Irene hadn't shown up the next two days, much to Heiji's dismay. …It wasn't as if he wanted to see her, there was something he needed to check. Of course, ignoring the jokes made by his fellow classmates, that 'something' did not involve measurements in any way. Heiji was sure of that much, but if asked what that 'something' was, he couldn't have answered: he wasn't sure himself.
Forgetting about Rampo for the time being, Heiji had went about his other plans immediately after Wednesday's classes. Dialing on his cell phone, Heiji put the speaker up to his ear only to hear the out of service message. "Damn it, Kudo. Why'd ya turn your phone off at a time like this?"
Ever since the information he'd overheard from Okiya's mouth, Heiji had constantly attempted to contact Kudo. Each and every time, however, the other detective never had his phone on. 'Conan's' phone was always in service, yet he never bothered to pick up. Completely frustrated, Heiji stopped at a payphone and dialed the smaller version's phone. "I swear…if he's not pickin' up just 'cause it's me…"
Listening to the rings, Heiji waited. 'Let's see…his answerin' machine is set t' six rings…Four…five…s-'
"H-Hello?" the voice was out of breath. Most likely to have heard the ringing from a fair distance, he had run to catch the phone before the caller hung up: a normal situation that happened often.
…of course, for the voice to be of the opposite gender of the phone's owner was not normal. Neither was the fact that that voice happened to be the one of Rampo Irene. More awkward still was that she hung up almost instantly as soon as Heiji had muttered, "R-Rampo-chan?"
The only thing she had squeezed in was, "Meet me at Agasa-hakase's, make sure Kazuha-chan and…anyone else don't show up!"
Standing in front of what had been his home for a month, Heiji never felt the same level of apprehension he did then. Irene, the girl that caused his senses to pike, wanted to talk to him – alone. There had been hints at a private meeting for a while, but never once had Heiji really noticed them. Having been told up front, he could only gulp as he approached the door. Unsure, he rang the doorbell.
Somewhat baffled as she opened the door, Rampo's shoulders slouched, "What are you doing, you idiot? Don't you - well, for the time being – live here?"
At a loss of what to say, Heiji only blinked. "O-Oh…yeah, I do, don't I?"
Exasperated, she sighed, "Well, anyway, come in. We've got some things to discuss. Oh, and you need to get your new suit."
"…My new-" thrust in front of him was the suit. Looking as if it had been worn already, Heiji took it with a slight reluctance.
Obviously showing on his face, Rampo gave an answer for his confusion, "I had a little trouble and in the end…it turned out this needed to belong to you." Crossing her arms, she looked incredibly irritated, "Anyway, it's about time you help me out of this mess."
"Help you…? …This mess? This…suit?" glancing down at his apparent new guise, he said, "I-I'm not sure I understand, Rampo-chan."
Glaring instantly as the name left his mouth, Rampo moved her hands down to her hips. "Ha-ha…You can cut it with the act already, Hattori. There's nobody else here. I know you're having your fun, but I can see right through you."
'…what…what the hell is she talkin' about…?' Unable to say it aloud, Heiji instead scratched his head and muttered, "You're acting a bit…strange, Ra-eh, r-really." Careful not to say the name that had caused the glare, Heiji waited for her reply.
It definitely wasn't what he was expecting. "Acting strange? …Oh, let me guess: you just said that so you could lead up to 'like a girl, ha-ha! Bask in the Osakan wit!' Well, to that I say pppth." Sticking out her tongue, she stepped closer to Heiji; far too close. "Come on. Let it out already. You know you want to. You've been waiting to, haven't you?"
Suddenly invading his personal space and speaking with threat underlining her voice, Heiji began to worry just what this 'it' he wanted to 'let out already' she was referring to meant. Not wanting the suggestions from his dirty minded classmates to actually come to being, Heiji shook his head, "U-Uh, n-no! I-I can't do that!"
"What? Are you afraid Houseki will beat you up or something?" Scoffing, Rampo went on, "Well, you probably don't have to worry about that, but my foot might make a few dents in your cocky face."
"W-Wait! I'd never-I-I don't even know what you're-" Completely terminated in speech and thought, Heiji froze. Barely able to move, he could only manage to mumble, "…What did you say…?"
Taken slightly aback, Rampo repeated with a puzzled look, "Uh…'but my foot might make a few dents in your cocky face.'"
"B-Before that…"
"…'You probably don't-"
"Before that!"
"…'are you afraid Houseki w-'"
"There! What…what do you mean by that!?" At wits end, Heiji didn't want to believe the information coming at his ears.
"Um…Houseki. …You know…" Waving her arms about, she wailed, "Woooh~ Ghostly~"
Coming to the absolutely horrifying conclusion, Heiji covered his eyes as he went about the procedure to unlock his powers. Constantly hearing Rampo's voice saying his name, Heiji peered through his fingers.
…only to find evidence that 'Rampo' was definitely not 'Rampo'…or a woman.
-
Seated on the couch for a long period of time, neither of the teenage detectives said a word. Sitting in the silence, they hadn't looked eye-to-eye yet either. They knew it was only a matter of time before someone was to walk in and they wouldn't be able to discuss matters, but at that moment, they didn't feel like talking.
Finally unable to take the quiet any longer, Heiji muttered, "…I can't believe you're a woman…"
Avoiding eye contact along with the Osakan, Kudo replied, "…I can't believe you fainted…"
"H-How else was I goin' t' react!? I mean, I just found out that some girl that I-I-I…just met was a guy! …and a guy I've been tryin' t' contact for three days!" Stuttering as he let it all out, Heiji slouched into the couch and covered his face with his hands. "I can't believe I actually…and Rampo-ch-AGHH!"
Hands tearing apart his hair, Kudo could tell if Heiji said anymore he might go bald. Worrying a slight bit with what Heiji had said, Kudo questioned, "You were trying to contact me for the entire time I was…then…you…you didn't…?"
Glancing off, Heiji grumbled, "N-No…I didn't. But before I evaluate on that, let me get this straight…
"As the smaller you, ya came here t' return t' the normal you, only t' transform into the female you…who just so happens t' be the cousin of the clone you." Exasperated, Heiji sighed, "Why don't we just throw in Kid Kaitou, too? …you're practically performing a one man play!"
"I know, I know!" somewhat flustered, Kudo pouted. "It's not like I wanted it to end up this way. …Anyway, how come you weren't able to see Houseki?"
Scratching his head, Heiji let out the explanation, "Ya see…those feathers I borrowed…Interestingly enough, I found out how t' control my powers so I don't see ghosts all the time. I thought it'd be so great…
"…and then I end up…FALLIN' IN LOVE WITH A GUY!"
Blurting out the words in utter frustration, Heiji didn't realize just what he had said until it was too late. Covering his mouth, he swore the words could've been the equivalent of Apotoxin – he was shrinking inside. Knowing full well that looking at Kudo would make it even more awkward; Heiji instead stared at the door, away from the other detective.
Waiting and waiting for someone – anyone – to come through the door and break the silence, Heiji flinched as Kudo took on that job himself. "T-That must've been because of the rebound. N-Not only did it make me a woman, it caused there to be an infatuation spell in play, too."
As the two words locked into Heiji's mind, he was able to recall something else he had seen besides Houseki. Magical particles – different than the norm – had been floating freely around Kudo. Heiji hadn't noticed at the time, but at that point he saw that the differing sparkles were latching onto him, almost like ever-so-annoying cat hair. Curious, he brushed them off and - as he thought - 'Rampo Irene' suddenly didn't seem to be of the same caliber of 'beauty' as he had first thought. Gleeful at his discovery, Heiji went about disposing of any of the other particles affixed to him.
No doubt wondering what Heiji was doing, Kudo managed to hold back that question behind another one, "S-So…do you think you can fix it? T-The magical path, I mean."
Turning his view away from the door, Heiji never got the chance to reply. Just as he had forgotten about his wish, the door had granted it: six bodies walked through. Low to the ground talking about Kamen Yaiba was the Detective Boys, Haibara beside them, and above were Agasa with Kazuha chatting on her phone. Saying a quick good-bye, Kazuha ended the call. With a look of suspicion, she asked, "Heiji…what were you doing with Irene-chan here all alone?"
Attempting to fit into the conversation, Ayumi exclaimed, "You weren't going to take advantage of her, were you Heiji-niichan!?"
Frozen on the statement, Heiji couldn't form a reply. All he could manage was to mentally repeat the comment, '…take advantage…of…Kudo…of…of a guy…why…why me…?' Heiji wouldn't even think it, but if anything Kudo was taking advantage of him; of his abilities as a Soul Smith.
Somewhat protesting against their opinions on the matter, Kazuha heard a new one as Haibara spoke up, "If that's the case, since Kazuha-neechan and Heiji-niichan aren't a couple, does that mean you two are?"
Staring petrified at her small smirk, Heiji wasn't sure of just what she was doing: she either knew, or was just poking fun at him. Neither of the options changed the awkward air over the couch; neither Kudo nor Heiji had anything to say to the accusation…except for one word.
"NO." Simultaneously, the syllable left their lips; simultaneously, they began another 'musical' much like the one Aiko had experienced. This time, it was a duet.
After some frantic shakes of their heads and some of the beats becoming repetitive, Kazuha finally calmed the two. "O-Okay! W-We…we believe you!" Sighing in relief as the two previously in denial caught their breath, Kazuha asked a simple question, "S-So…what were you guys doing before we got here?" adding on to avoid an encore, she guessed, "…watching TV?"
"Yes!" Harmoniously saying the contradicting word to the one that had previously formed their speech as a whole, Kudo and Heiji took the chance before them. Nodding with approval of the idea, Kudo went about explaining, "Y-Yeah. We were watching a soccer game, but then it got boring so we changed the channel. Since nothing was on, we turned off the TV. …Weirdly enough, you happened to walk in only seconds after!
"A-Anyway, I should get back to the agency. I only came here to drop off something." Kudo laughed as he stood.
Closing the deception, Heiji added, "Oh, right! Thanks for my suit back!"
A small "No Problem!" emanated from the door before Kudo had disappeared. Heiji hadn't had the chance to tell him about Okiya, but he knew that could wait. It couldn't wait long, but stalling wasn't as bad as unwanted ears overhearing. Heiji was sure that Okiya hadn't seen him so there wasn't a worry there, but being next door to the man…wasn't very assuring.
Waving Kudo off with the others, Heiji immediately began planning. Not only did they need to meet to fix the rebound, Kudo needed to hear the information. He knew more about the Organization than Heiji, so he'd be able to point out anything that could possibly link Okiya and Them. Haibara knew more, but Heiji felt it wasn't right to tell her. If Okiya was indeed one of Them, her worries and concerns would only deepen. That would just cause more problems.
No, only Kudo would hear.
--
Barely managing with his excuse, Shinichi ran out from the detective agency counting his blessings. Going back to Agasa's to 'look for any luggage she might've forgotten there'; 'Rampo Irene' arrived minutes later once she had called a taxi. Hoping that Hattori had managed to at least get Kazuha out of the house, he slowly walked up to the door. Ringing the bell, he waited.
Cautiously peering around, Haibara swung the door completely open once she saw the person on the other side. Crossing her arms and smirking, she stated, "Aw, what's with that outfit? I know it was better yesterday, but…
"I've always wanted to see you in girl's clothing, Kudo-kun~" Sarcasm leaked from her feigned smile.
Determined not to give her the satisfaction she was looking for, Shinichi pulled off his jacket with a look of indifference. "I suppose that would only be fair, considering a lot of times you act like a man. Of course, I've been acting like a woman, so I think the deal's been set." Smiling down at her small scowl, Shinichi pressed on to the basement.
Over the phone, the two had agreed that Hattori was to go about fixing the path in the basement. This way, anyone coming in wouldn't see them right away, not to mention they could lock the door. There was also a bed, something Hattori had pointed out Shinichi might need. When he asked why, Hattori had answered, "What do ya mean, 'why'? …I don't know how ya feel, but ya looked completely exhausted."
Understanding what Hattori had meant, Shinichi lagged as he went down the steps. At the door he had covered up his lack of energy; he didn't want to worry Haibara. Previous days hadn't been that bad, but that was only due to Shinichi getting used to the fatigue. Being Thursday – five days after the rebound – the magic loss was getting worse. Almost on the verge of collapsing, Shinichi inclined himself against the door before entering.
Cut short in his greeting, Hattori rose from his seat and quickly ran over to help balance Shinichi. Pushing away the supportive arms, he half limped to the bed. Legs giving out from beneath him, Shinichi partially fell onto it. Not needing the concern, he was glad that Hattori hadn't noticed; he had been locking the door. Looking back as Shinichi had managed to straighten himself, Hattori stated, "Alright, let's begin."
Closing his eyes, Hattori brought up his hands – much like Shinichi had told him to for the 'put 'em up' trick – with his pinkies extended. Bringing them to his face, he traced his eyelids with the fingers. Wondering just what Hattori was doing, Shinichi got half his answer as Hattori's eyes opened, glowing light blue in color.
As far as Shinichi could tell, Hattori had never done that before. Naturally curious, he asked, "How…what did you do?"
"Just an experiment." Hattori extended his pinkie once more for his explanation. "Like your pop said; magic gathers inside my body heightenin' my senses. I just transferred the magic from my little fingers t' greater add t' my eyesight. I don't know what spell you were usin', but before I could only see the infatuation spell. Now," he extended each of his fingers, examining the hand as a whole, "I can even slightly see my own magical paths.
"Anyway, I can see the problem now." Stepping closer, presumably to fix said problem, Hattori suddenly scooted back, flushed. "O-Oh… Uh… Well…this...problem is kind of…in an…awkward position. I-If ya want me t' fix this, you've gotta promise not t' blame me if I…touch…places. …B-By accident, obviously!"
Unable to think of a reply, Shinichi merely closed his eyes. Feeling flustered, he stuttered, "O-Okay…whatever it takes. …I-I'm ready."
Hearing the small breath made by Hattori, Shinichi then felt his hand. It was definitely near an awkward position. Dealing with it, Shinichi constantly reminded himself, 'If I get through this, that awkward position won't exist anymore…' Of course, that didn't change the atmosphere.
Waiting patiently, Shinichi spent all of his energy holding back any comments or actions that would naturally sprout as Hattori brushed certain areas. He was just doing his job, Shinichi knew that, and he was doing quite well at it too – Shinichi could feel the spell wearing off – but nothing could hold back the twitches that arose anytime Hattori had nervously muttered, "S-Sorry."
After many apologies and light surges through his body, suddenly Shinichi's eyes opened by instinct. Glowing brightly, he saw Hattori back away from him with his arms covering his eyes. Pulsing, he let out a small scream…in his own voice.
Light calming and the magic subsiding, Shinichi stared down at his hands. They weren't blocked by any unwanted additions. Smiling, he gradually lifted his head to see Hattori – Shinichi assumed – returning the magic from his eyes to his fingers.
Glad of his achievement, Hattori spoke, "Man that was quite the mess of paths. Most of them were on track but…I guess rebounds can do that, huh Ku-KUDO!?"
Hattori shouted again, but it was harder to hear – partially because of the sheets covering one of his ears, and also his lack of consciousness.
-
"…K…Ku…o…do…Kudo…Kudo!" With Haibara at his side, Hattori smiled down as he bent over the bed. "Finally! I didn't know how much longer I could convince Ai-chan here that ya weren't dead!"
"Ha…ttori…?" Bringing his hand to his head to rub away the headache, he stopped halfway. The sleeve…the sleeve was hanging freely off his hand. Coming to an assumption, he quickly rose to find evidence behind it.
Clothes oversized, bed three times as big as him, Haibara his size while Hattori was a giant – Conan: he was Conan again.
Baffled as to why he had returned to his child form, Haibara offered an explanation. "Hattori here told me what happened. Apparently some of your magical paths were damaged causing you to black out."
"S-So…when you fixed them, I reverted back?" Conan squeaked. In retrospect, at least Irene's voice had some maturity behind it. Conan…Conan's just sounded like a mouse.
Shaking his head, Hattori took the lecture torch, "No. Before I could fix 'em, I had t' cancel the deception spell. It was actually the reason the paths were damaged in the first place. I'd say they had too much strain on 'em." From concerned to irritated, he added, "…Just so ya know; it was a pain in the ass t' figure out how t' cancel that thing."
"…And I greatly appreciate it." Conan laughed. Glancing around, he asked, "So…has Kazuha-chan or Agasa-hakase gotten back yet?"
At the question, the two became silent. Always the blunt one, Haibara was the one to answer, "I suppose you could put it like that. But Kudo-kun…Kazuha-chan hasn't gotten back from school yet."
"School?" puzzled by the statement, Conan frowned. "When I left, classes were over already."
"Thursday classes were over." Those words were all that he needed, but Haibara went on anyway, "Friday's classes – today's classes – were let out only minutes ago."
"I…I've been unconscious for a whole day!?"
Nodding, Hattori took on a stern look, "Yeah, but you've gotta think about it Kudo…before you were out for nearly two weeks. One day is nothin' compared t' that. …Especially since I was able t' completely fix that path. Any further damage…and I think it coulda been permanent."
Taking in the information, Conan was silent. Staring at the bed, it gave opportunity for Hattori to speak again. "Anyway, so far we've been able t' keep your bein' here a secret from Kazuha. We'll try t' bring ya some food every once in a while, but ya gotta understand…that Kazuha is persistent."
Showing that he understood, he watched as the two left the room. Locking the door behind them, they quickly ran up the stairs. Left in isolation, it gave Conan time to think. 'The rebound…it was most likely because I never said "Demeanor, Lock"…' Lying back down on the bed, he stared at the ceiling. 'That morsel I experienced from my old life…I lived through it in yet another persona and because of that…I couldn't do what I had initially gone out to.'
Faintly, he smiled. 'But…that'll be different tomorrow.'
---
(January 15th)
DADA~ Well, that was fun. xD
Hopefully those who won the contest (Negima Uzumaki & Pretztailfan95) don't mind the way their roles played out. I wasn't sure about the family thing, but I think it worked out nicely. As for the third sibling…look up the name and it should give you a hint as to who that was. (Or maybe it's so blatantly obvious you don't need a hint)
Anyway, because of finals next week, a new chapter might take a while. …there's also another reason too…
MY INTERNET IS DOWN. AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. *kills it*
*cough* Anyway, Rit-Rit (the mastermind behind Kaito-Fish) was Heiji's savior in this. …well, technically it was a coin, but here's an edit that I spoke with her about which didn't end up in the final draft.
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"…and then I end up…FALLIN' IN LOVE WITH A GUY!"
Blurting out the words in utter frustration, Heiji didn't realize just what he had said until it was too late. Covering his mouth, he swore the words could've been the equivalent of Apotoxin – he was shrinking inside. Knowing full well that looking at Kudo would make it even more awkward; Heiji instead stared at the door, away from the other detective.
He then realized that was his second mistake of the day.
Similar to the two detectives on the couch, Agasa, Haibara and Kazuha stood immobilized at the door. Each painted with a shocked expression, their faces were pale and their mouths hung open. Dropping her cell phone from her hand, Kazuha pointed, her arm shaking, "H-Heiji… you… so… you're… in love… with a guy…?"
Wanting to disappear like the many ghosts he saw everyday, Heiji's shoulders slouched. Mouth bobbing up and down, no words made it to the exit. He merely sat there, petrified.
Practically like a sword (but almost worse) Kazuha spat out another comment, "It…its KUDO, isn't it!?"
-
…yeah. xD
I'm guessing if this is up at all right now, Pandakitty is to thank. Using memory sticks and such, I probably uploaded it onto her comp and just posted it from there. So…APPLAUSE FOR PANDAKITTY. BOOS FOR MY INTERNET.
Hopefully my dad can get the internet fixed, until then…
Ciao~
