Chapter 9. Confession.
"We're invited to the birthday party of Ikeda-san, the owner of this villa." Explained Ran. Heiji and Kazuha already heard a familiar voice laughing out loud. "Ha! Ha! Ha! It's easy for me to find the murderer every time. You can just rely on me anytime." Mouri Kogoro was again boasting on all the cases he had solved before.
"Oh they're finally back. Heiji and Kazuha are here. Otoosan, you drink again!" Along with Mouri Kogoro, there was a familiar face showing up, "Shinichi! You see who's here?"
"Hattori and Kazuha, nice to see you again! And you must be Ikeda Kazuma, the son of Ikeda Hideaki, the owner of this villa." Shinichi noticed immediately the identity of Ikeda sensee.
"Kazuha, your friends are smart, why don't you introduce your kawaii friends to me?" Ikeda was surprised by Shinichi's words.
"He's just my assistant. I'm Mouri Kogoro, nice to meet you." Kogoro was introducing himself to Ikeda, and Shinichi was obviously not too pleased to find out that he was actually 'his assistant'.
"This is Suzuki Sonoko, Mouri Ran and his boyfriend Kudo Shinichi." Kazuha started introducing her friends to Ikeda, and both Ran and Shinichi blushed immediately when she introduced them as a couple.
"Kazuha-chan, stop teasing us please." Ran started to fight back, "how're about you and Hattori-kun? I've heard that you two had been staying together for several weeks." It was Heiji and Kazuha's turn to blush this time.
"Staying together? What is it?" Ikeda was quite interested in their conversation.
"Nothing. And this is Mouri Kogoro, Ran's father, also the famous detective, Sleeping Kogoro."
"You're that 'Sleeping Kogoro'! No wonder otoosan would invite him, he has admired him a lot."
"Kazuma, you're back already. It seems that you're going along quite well with our guests. Why don't you take them to have a look around before the party tonight? I want to talk with Mouri-san a bit more." Said Ikeda.
"Okay! Sure." Kazuma was leading Kazuha and her friends around the house.
* * * * * * * *
"That's it. And this's Tsubasa's room. May be Hattori-kun could find some hints for her missing." Kazuma picked up a photo, "this is our only family photo with otoosan, okaasan, and Tsubasa. Actually she's my stepsister, my father re-married okaasan three years ago."
"Where're your mother then?" Sonoko asked curiously.
"She's dead when I was small, okaasan also died in a car accident two years ago, and Tsubasa gone missing a month after. Otoosan was very sad since then."
"Gomen ne. I hope you can find Tsubasa soon." Ran was trying to comfort Kazuma.
"Of course I'll not give up hope to find her. Don't you think that Tsubasa and Kazuha look alike? At the first time I saw Kazuha, I thought that Tsubasa was finally back."
"Let's me see." Heiji came to look at the photo, "Tsubasa is much more beautiful and mature than Kazuha."
"Heiji! What do you mean?" Kazuha was about to hit him.
"Um…the pattern of the pendant on her necklace is very special." Shinichi was observing carefully around the room already, "maybe this could help us to find Tsubasa."
"I also have this locket. It's brought by otoosan from London. It has a photo inside." It was a photo with Tsubasa, Kazuma and another boy with similar age as Kazuma. "Who's this handsome guy?" Sonoko could not wait to know him.
"Oh! He's Sugita Tsukasa, my best friend since high school. He'll be here tonight also."
"I can't wait to meet him tonight." Sonoko was very excited to hear this. "Sonoko! Don't you remember Kyougoku-san?"
"Of course I remember him, but I haven't heard from Makoto for over a week already. I don't have much patient as you, when you're waiting for your boyfriend. Moreover, how can I stand seeing you two lovebirds every day?"
"I'm just afraid that Shinichi would suddenly disappear again. I don't really want to stick to him all day long." Ran blushed immediately.
"I didn't say that you're sticking to him." Ran always lost to Sonoko when arguing topics involving Shinichi.
"Kazuha, can you do me a favour? I've an idea that can make otoosan's tonight party a memorable one." Kazuma said.
"What do you want me to do?" Heiji already had some bad feelings to his idea.
"I just want you to wear Tsubasa's dress and give a surprise to otoosan."
"It's easy. And I can wear such a beautiful dress." Kazuha agreed to help Kazuma. "Leave this to us, we'll make Kazuha looks exactly like Tsubasa." Ran and Sonoko already offered to help.
* * * * * * * *
Ran and Sonoko were helping Kazuha to make her hair. "You're so lucky to meet such a handsome guy. How're you going with him?"
"Sonoko, Kazuha already has Hattori-kun. How was your life under the same roof with Hattori-kun?" Ran stopped Sonoko from teasing Kazuha.
"Not much improvement between us. Ran, what happened to your neck with those red marks? There're some more on your shoulder and chest also." Ran's face flushed red immediately. "Nothing."
"Of course they're kiss marks from your Shinichi, you're staying at his house last night." Sonoko right away helped Ran to explain it to Kazuha. Both Ran and Kazuha blushed when they heard what Sonoko had just said.
In the meanwhile, Shinichi was left alone with Heiji at the corridor. "Kudo, what're you doing?" Heiji was curiously looking at Shinichi playing with an earphone.
"Shhhhh… I've put a hearing bug inside. I'm listening to their conversation which may help us to find Tsubasa, and also can help you to improve your relationship with Kazuha."
"You've noticed it."
"Baka. It's quite obvious that you don't like that Ikeda-sensee."
* * * * * * * *
"Shinichi told me to go to his house to help him with his homework. We didn't do anything weird, Sonoko."
"How can you explain with these kiss mark from Shinichi? Moreover, I think that Shinichi was smart enough to pick up his homework without the need of your help. This's just his excuse to have a chance to stay with you alone."
Outside their room, Shinichi was preventing Heiji to listen to his private life with Ran. "Sonoko that baka!"
To be continued……Please R & R. Next Chapter --- Shinichi's relation with Ran. Heiji's trying to confess his love?!
