Chapter 2: Background 1

"Hey Ku– OOF!" Heiji glared at owner of the skinny elbow that had just knocked the wind out of him.

"Idiot!" Conan growled at him under his breath with an irate frown on his face. "What kind of a detective are you, if you can't even keep your tongue from wagging out of control?"

Ran turned and looked at the two suspiciously. Conan hurriedly spun around and gave her a broad, innocent smile. "It's been so long since I last saw Heiji-niichan," he exclaimed brightly before adding somewhat apologetically, "I guess I was a little excited." The surreptitious glare he levelled at Heiji, however, was anything but.

"Hehe . . ." Heiji laughed a trifle nervously, "I was just going to say cool . . . err . . . ummm . . ." He wished he could throttle that smart-aleck of a boy for his previous comment, but Ran's sharp stare was making him sweat buckets. Damn that Kudo – always wearing the same blue jacket and that garishly red bowtie of his . . . nothing new or worthwhile to comment on. Worse, his fashion sense was probably about as warped as that of Kaitou Kid in his absurd white tuxedo. A soft snicker escaped him. There had to be something about first-rate minds that drove them to all that frippery. Oh shoot, wait a minute . . . his mind suddenly yelled at him to cut the rope before he hung himself.

Ran was still looking at him.

"Cool . . . umm  . . . day?" he finished lamely. Urk. He smacked himself mentally. Cool DAY? Geez . . . Great Detective of the West indeed . . . can a cover-up get any weaker?

Ran looked like she had something to say about that, but –

"Ran-chan!"

Ran spun around at the sound of that voice. "Kazuha-chan!"

The girls squealed as they gave each other a big hug.

"It's been a while! I'm so glad you could come to Osaka!"

"I know. I can't believe our luck! Professor Agasa's meeting coincided perfectly with both our vacations!"

As the girls' conversation exploded in a swirl of giggles and an inordinate amount of laughing and blushing, the pair of boys rolled their eyes (women!) and made themselves comfortable on a nearby bench. They were silent for a while as they idly eyed the other people strolling in the park.

"So the Professor is going to the Academy's meeting, huh?" Heiji turned to speak softly to the boy next to him. "You?"

"Nah," Conan replied dismissively as he stuck his hands into his pockets. "Nothing too interesting about a bunch of old geezers getting excited over dancing atoms and glowing bacteria."

 "I suppose not," Heiji couldn't help grinning with suppressed excitement, "but how about if I tell you that Dr. Edelstein, the world-famous forensic scientist, is going to give a talk on the latest advances in forensic medicine?"

Conan's ears certainly perked up over that. "Are you serious? I didn't bother to look over the programme that the Professor had."

"They have a whole panel, apparently. There's even some entomologist talking about the waves of bugs that show up at different stages of decomposition."

"Hmmm . . . that could be really useful, although you'd really have to tailor that knowledge to whatever region you're working in . . ." Conan said pensively.

"You know, we're probably cramping the girls' style . . ."

"They could use a day on their own."

"Yeah, they're probably dying to share the latest dirt on you and yours truly."

"And shop."

"Huh. I'd be willing to bet we're not going to get out of that. They're going corral us into it, without a doubt."

"Just you. I don't have to lug around Ran-neechan's shopping bags," Conan said with a satisfied smirk, "Sorry my friend, but you're going to have to do all the sweating and grunting."

Heiji grinned tightly. "Let's see you talk oh-so-smugly when they start trying to dress you up at the kids' clothing stores. I'd gladly carry those bags. Kazuha's probably dying to see you in a Superman outfit. Or Superboy, rather." He added the emphasis on 'boy' with a certain wicked delight.

As Conan glared daggers, he went on without missing a beat, "Even with the same clashing colour scheme, the screamin' red cloak and underwear worn on the outside, I think that would be a great improvement on your wardrobe.

Conan sniffed disdainfully. "I'd say you're the one with a weird fashion sense if you prefer a superhero outfit to a suit. You sure you've hit puberty? I can get Haibara to make you a pill if you think you've outgrown your brain. In any case, don't project your insecurities on me, Hattori – I understand life can be tough for someone who dresses like a homeless tramp."

"Oh, you're the one to judge. Living like a sneak in your girlfriend's home . . .  tell me you're not homeless and a tramp to boot."

"I have a home, therefore I am not homeless," Conan retorted drily, "I didn't think the Great Detective of the West would miss something so simple. As for acting the tramp, how about the time you –"

"Are you boys ready to head off? We should probably get something to eat." Ran's voice was surprisingly near, and Conan nearly jumped out of his skin. He whirled around to face her, eyes slightly wide, hoping fervently that she didn't just hear him bantering unreservedly with Heiji.

"Uh … yes, Ran-neechan! We'll be right behind you!"

Heiji flashed a grin at him and whispered, "Heh, we'll save that argument for later, pipsqueak." He only barely managed to dodge the soda can that flew straight for his face. He squawked a protest, expecting Ran to turn around and give the saucy brat a good hiding. Unfortunately, she was already deep in a new conversation with Kazuha, and all he got was a tongue stuck out at him by Conan, who decided that, sometimes, being a kid could be quite a good thing.