A/N: This fills the 'No Childhood Friends AU' prompt of this year's ShinRan Week. Also, my cover of Amazing Grace is available on Soundcloud with the ending /frost-611540839/amazing-grace if you would like to listen to it while reading this one-shot.
It was a glimpse across the room at a party she wasn't supposed to be at.
"Stop complaining," Sonoko murmured out of the corner of her mouth. "I belong here. You're my plus one. You have every right to be here."
Ran shifted awkwardly in her layers of fancy fabric. "You can keep saying that, Sonoko, but it won't change the fact that I feel so out of place here!"
Sonoko scoffed. "Excuse me? You look stunning in that dress. I'd wear that dress myself if you hadn't snapped it up yourself while we were shopping. But you fit it better, anyway."
She pouted. "Like most things."
Ran blushed fiercely.
As the daughter of the Suzuki conglomerate, Sonoko was required to attend a function hosted by her family. Sonoko had not shared many details with her, claiming they weren't important. From what Ran had gathered from the snippets of conversation as they hovered about the canapés, it was some sort of gathering for celebrated authors. Ran was not that much of a reader herself, so she had no recognition of the names being dropped. Murakami-san, Miyabe-san, Hirai-san…
Yes, she had no idea.
"Oh, great," Sonoko muttered, "he's here, after all."
"Who?" Ran perked up, her eyes following Sonoko's line of sight.
He had an easy smile on his face as he chatted with some middle-aged male. He looked about their age, tall with the barest hint of corded muscle beneath his pant legs. The tilt of his head was confident, verging on arrogant, and his eyes were the bluest she had ever seen.
"Who's that?" she asked.
Sonoko let out a noisy breath. "Only the son of the most celebrated Japanese author in this day and age. And his mother is an internationally renowned actress, retired early after taking the world by storm. A football star, aspiring detective—no, full-fledged despite his assiduous youth—and the most charismatic man under the freaking sun."
Ran blinked.
"In other words, someone who could match you toe to toe in genuine prowess and reputation?"
Her best friend placed a quivering hand on her heart. "Ran, you wound me! Me? The lovely, beautiful me, upstarted by some geeky, lanky kid who thinks kicking a ball around is fun?!"
"It sounds to me more like you're actually fond of him," Ran observed, bemused.
"Perish the thought, my dear Ran."
Then the boy was in front of them, and Ran had no idea when he had crossed the room to meet them.
"My rambunctious Suzuki-san. You are looking absolutely drop-dead gorgeous today." He cracked a smirk as he lifted Sonoko's hand to kiss it. "And I mean that literally."
"And you are looking more like a stick by the minute," Sonoko said dryly. "Now stuff it with the pleasantries."
He straightened abruptly and dropped Sonoko's hand like a hot potato. "Gladly."
What was even happening?
He turned slightly, and they locked eyes.
"Kudou Shinichi, at your service." And he swept a perfect bow.
"Ah," she stammered, "I'm Mouri Ran!"
Kudou-san's movement paused. "Mouri… Do you, perhaps, have any relation to Mouri Kogorou?"
"Why—yes. He's my father." How did he know her father?
He caught the look on her face. "Please don't be concerned. My own father is on good terms with Megure-keibu and his team; as I understand it, Mouri-san was a valued member. How is he doing these days? Well, I hope?"
His eyes narrowed between one moment and the next. "Or perhaps not. He's quite the avid smoker, is he?"
It was all she could do to gape at him. She had washed her clothes as thoroughly as she could and had taken a long shower before preparing for the party. How…?
"Shinichi!" said Sonoko.
It was Kudou-san's turn to blink now. "Oh. Was that too much again?"
Sonoko's eye twitched. "It most certainly was," she assured him heatedly.
He winced. "Then, my apologies, Mouri-san. I hope you will forgive this transgression of mine." And he went to kiss her hand.
Ran let him, too flabbergasted to do much else. "It's… fine?"
"Excellent." His smirk returned.
Then he was gone.
"That jerk." Groaning, Sonoko rolled her eyes. "Never knows when to keep his mouth shut."
"What was that about?" Ran wondered. The blue lingered in her mind.
"I said he's a detective geek, right? That's a taste of his nerdiness. Just wait until he gets into full-on detective mode. Doesn't know how to pull the punches. Doesn't know when not to throw them at all. Drives me nuts, it does. And he's such a murder magnet, too. Either he goes to the murders or the murders come to him. It's never-ending. I hate it when he comes because we never get a relatively peaceful party when he's around—eventful in all the worst ways. At least his mother's a blast to hang out with."
A slow smile spread across Ran's face as her best friend went on and on about the guy. "You called him by his first name, though. So that must mean you two are on good terms," she pointed out.
"Pfft. The day I call Shinichi-san without an honorific is the day I… I… I said his name without an honorific just then, didn't I."
"You did."
A muscle in Sonoko's cheek began to spasm.
"He seems a pretty nice guy to hang out with," Ran said. "And he apologised quickly when he realised he'd gone a tad too far."
"Hmm yes, I suppose I can give him that much. But he doesn't compare to my Makoto-san," Sonoko replied dismissively. Unless—ohohoho, Ran, you have your eye on him?"
"I don't!" she defended. "Just—oh, forget it."
Sonoko cackled. "We'll find a man for you yet, my dear Ran! Even if it does have to be that poor annoying dummy who ends up being basically my brother-in-law! Well, if there's anyone who can straighten him out, it's you."
"I—Sonoko!"
There was something about his eyes. It wasn't just the colour. There was something in his gaze, something intense and… world-weary.
Ran wanted to know what kind of life he could have led.
A/N: Unfortunately, this is my only entry for ShinRan Week this year. Life got way too busy. Perhaps next year I will be able to continue this story with other prompts. I hope you enjoyed this story even with how rushed it is.
