"Have you memorized your lines, Genta-kun?"

"Uh…" Genta's shoulders hitch. "Yeah! Definitely. I'll be ready for tomorrow."

"Then recite Act III, Scene II right now."

"What? Can't it wait until after we eat? I said I was ready."

"It can't. You can't keep holding it off forever. Right, Conan-kun?"

Conan glances up from his phone, slowing his pace to match theirs. Apparently, Ran had heard from one of his classmate's older sisters that his cultural festival was tomorrow. He's trying to convince her against it, but it isn't going very well.

"Sorry, I wasn't listening."

"I was saying that Genta-kun shouldn't procrastinate on this. He's the secondary lead of our show. If he messes up, then—"

"I won't mess up!"

"If Genta says he'll be fine, I'll take his word for it," Conan cuts in, giving them his undivided attention as he pockets his phone. "And even if he isn't ready, we can prepare him from tonight. I've already memorized my lines. So let's just drop it for now, okay? Haibara and Ayumi-chan are still waiting for us at Danny's."

Mitsuhiko frowns at Conan. "You didn't hear that either? Ayumi-chan said she wanted to go to Poirot, so Haibara-san brought her and went back home."

Conan sucks in a sharp breath. "Is there anyone else with her?"

"Oh, right. Ran-san and Sonoko-san are with her—what's wrong, Conan-kun?"

He snaps his jaw shut. "Nothing. Let's go."

All of Conan's worst fears plant themselves on a silver platter when he spots Ayumi chatting animatedly with Ran, Sonoko, and worse, Amuro in a window-booth. Ayumi cheerfully waves them over, but when Conan and Amuro's eyes meet, he wants to crawl under a rock. He has probably gleaned more information from Ayumi in fifteen minutes than Conan has given him in the last two months.

"We were just talking about you," Ran says, making space for him to sit by her. "You're playing Flight of the Bumblebee. That's really amazing, Conan-kun."

"Isn't it?! I thought he was Kashimoto Da-da…"

"Kashimoto Daishin," Mitsuhiko finishes, and Ayumi beams at him.

"Yeah! Him! Wasn't he so fast, Mitsuhiko-kun?"

"Yes. You're so lucky to have a teacher."

Conan laughs nervously. "You're just exaggerating. I can't play it fast without sounding really off-tune."

"Yeah, right." Sonoko huffs. "You said that when you played for us, and it sounded fine. Your boyfriend wouldn't do anything halfway, right, Ran?"

She and Conan blush simultaneously, hers brighter than his, although when his eyes catch Amuro's again, his becomes brighter for a different reason. He dips his face, but Amuro has already used it in his favor.

"That must be the infamous Shinichi-kun I keep hearing about." Maintaining eye-contact with Conan, he adds, "It would be wonderful if I could meet him someday."

It's this or that, Conan sullenly realizes…

…which is why he's not surprised when he sees Amuro and Ran in the crowd the next afternoon.

He does his utmost to mess up as much as his pride allows him.