Chapter Twenty-Two

OH MY GOD, I AM SO SORRY GUYS. I intended to get this out about Friday, but my internet wasn't working! And then we had a terrible electrical storm on Saturday that killed my internet completely up until earlier today! I'll start working on the next chapter immediately and send it out ASAP! I'M SO SORRY!

"Chance is always powerful. Let your hook always be cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be fish."

-Ovid

"How would you like to go with Sonoko, Conan-kun, and I to the pool this Tuesday?"

Ruri read the little message on her phone, thrilled to be invited to something.

"Oh, and Conan-kun says that a friend of his will be joining us"

A friend? Could it be Ai?

"I'd be honored to go" Ruri typed.

Ran's reply was almost immediate.

"There's no need to be so formal! We're friends!"

"Oh, sorry, Ran-san"

"No problem see you at 9?"

"9"

With the invitation taken, Ruri smiled and almost skipped in happiness.

Ruri stood near the train station with her duffle bag slung over her shoulder.

"Ruri-chan!" Ran's familiar voice made Ruri look around.

She spotted the girl waving and began to make her way over.

"How was the trip from Ekoda?" Ran asked after the two girls hugged.

"Rather uneventful, thankfully," Ruri smiled.

"I know what you mean," Ran agreed, nodding.

"Ready to head over to the pool? Sonoko and the others are already there."

Ruri nodded, readjusting the strap draped over her shoulder.

They headed for the bus that would take them to the pool.

"Ran!" Sonoko's voice pierced Ruri's ears more than necessary when the girl spotted her brunette friend.

"Hi, Ruri!" the blonde greeted when the girls all came together.

"Hello, Suzuki-san," Ruri bowed.

"Just call me Sonoko!" the girl waved the politeness off.

"Sonoko-san," Ruri corrected.

Sonoko grinned. "Better!"

"Shall we get going? The boys are waiting for us inside," Sonoko jerked her thumb towards the entrance of the pool.

"Boys?" Ruri asked, blinking.

"Mmhm," Sonoko hummed, already making her way to the entrance.

The three girls paid for their tickets and walked to where Conan was waiting.

The little boy was standing next to a taller tanned boy and seemed rather peeved.

Is that...?

"Conan-kun!" Ran called, making the boys turn around.

Yup, that's Heiji.

"Ruri-chan!" Heiji smiled and waved when he spotted the aforementioned girl.

"Hello, Hattori-san," Ruri smiled and waved.

"Ruri-neesan, you know Heiji-niisan?" Conan asked, tilting his head.

"That's right. He helped me out when I was lost in Osaka," Ruri told the younger looking boy.

Conan glanced over at Heiji who began to chat with Ruri.

"Well, we need to go put our swimsuits on, so you guys wait here, ok?" Sonoko told the boys.

"What do you think of Ruri?" Conan asked, once the girls were inside the changing room.

"Ruri?" Heiji looked over at the other detective.

Conan nodded.

Heiji thought for a moment. "She's a good kid."

"You don't think she's connected to them do you?" the Osakan asked after a second.

"...I don't know," Conan sighed.

"I don't think she is."

Conan looked at him in shock. "And why do you think that? We have no evidence proving that she isn't."

"We have no evidence pointing that she is, either," the tanned detective pointed out. "Don't stress over it too much. Besides, I'm almost 90% certain that she isn't."

Conan huffed. "And what makes you so sure?"

"Gut feeling."

Conan's hand slapped against his face. "Why did I expect anything different..."

"Look, Kudou, it's not like you to be this hot-headed," Heiji squatted down to the shrunken detective's level. "That's my job. Until you find evidence against her, Ruri's just another friend, ok?"

The Heisei Holmes took a moment to realize that Heiji, Heiji, had been the voice of reason. He really wasn't himself today.

"You're right, as much as I hate to admit it," the boy turned away.

"What are you two talking about?" Sonoko's voice shocked both boys from their talking and they turned around to face her.

Sonoko had her hands on her hips, wearing a very flashy, and kind of skimpy, orange bikini.

Ran wore a blue bikini with a black fish on the top part.

Ruri had a simple and modest dark blue one piece on.

"N-Nothing!" Heiji stuttered.

Sonoko narrowed her eyes. "Really?"

Conan nodded. "Un!"

"Ne, Ruri-neesan?" Conan walked up to the girl.

"Yes, Conan-kun?" Ruri squatted down into the water.

"Can you tell me more about the person you admire?"

"Eh?" Ruri blinked. "Well I-"

"Please?" Conan begged.

Ruri noticed he was still in his child "mode".

"Um, ok," she smiled.

"Yay! Can we talk over there?" Conan pointed to their little site where their bags sat.

"Sure."

She followed the boy as they made their way to the towels.

The teenager turned child let out a big sigh as he plopped onto his small white towel.

"So," he sat up, his voice dropping a few registers.

"The person I admire, right?" Ruri smiled.

Conan blinked. "Sure."

"Well, I already told you that he's a magician and he's always making people happy… Did I mention that he's probably the biggest prankster I have ever known?"

Conan's eyes widened.

"He once taped a classmate to the ceiling for stealing his newspaper," Ruri giggled, remembering the hilarious sight.

"He sounds more insane than anything," the boy snorted.

"Probably," Ruri laughed.

"How come you don't question it?"

Ruri stopped laughing. "What?"

"Even though I obviously change personalities, you don't ask," Conan stared at the girl, hoping for something that might give her away.

Ruri didn't answer for a while and looked away.

"Because you have your reasons," she finally said.

Conan blinked.

"You're obviously a lot smarter than others, so you must have some reason for doing this," she turned back to him.

Conan noticed she didn't say kids.

"Everyone has their reasons for doing certain things. Be it someone who is rude and never smiles. They maybe had a traumatic past that makes them put up a shield in order to not get hurt. Everyone has reasons and I'd rather not dig. I'll just offer them the same kindness that everyone deserves. Of course, it's up to them if they decide to take it."

The girl smiled. "The same goes for you, Conan."

The boy turned away. He felt embarrassed to have even thought that Ruri was a member of the Black Organization.

"...thanks..."he mumbled.

"Don't worry about it. So, are we friends yet?" Ruri laughed.

"Sure," Conan smiled.

"What are ya two talking about?" Heiji walked over to the detective and girl.

"Nothing much," Ruri told him. "I was just telling Conan about the person I admire."

"And what're they like?" Heiji asked, plopping down onto his own towel.

"He's a magician and a HUGE prankster," Ruri giggled.

"Really? Sounds like my kinda guy," the Osakan laughed.

"I'm sure you'd like him. Actually, you've already seen him."

"I have?" Heiji asked.

"Remember my friends that came into the police station back in Osaka?" Ruri asked.

Heiji nodded.

"The boy with the wild brown hair was the one."

"The one with the wild hair... oh!" His eyes lit up. "I remember!"

Ruri smiled.

"He was the one that looked ready to blow up!"

"Ah," Ruri fell over a bit. "Aha... that was because he was just worried."

"Huh..."

"Hey! What're you doing, just sitting there?" Sonoko yelled from her spot for guy watching.

"She's right! We have a chance to be at the pool, so we should use it!" Ruri stood up, pulling Conan's arm so that he was also standing.

"How about we go to that big slide over there?" she asked, pointing to a big spiraling yellow slide made of plastic.

Conan looked up at the girl with big inquisitive eyes.

"I know you may not want to go, but just humor me for a little bit!" Ruri pouted.

He sighed. "Ok."

"Yay!" Ruri cheered.

Heiji laughed.

"Can I come with?" he asked, getting up.

"Sure!"

The sun was setting on another summer day, but Ruri didn't have those pesky feelings of not having done something. Instead, she felt insanely tired.

Playing with Heiji was WAY more tiring than she ever would have thought.

He sat next to her on the bus as they headed to the train station.

"Are you feeling ok?" he asked when he noticed Ruri's drooping head.

"Yeah… just tired," she told him.

"I know what you mean," he laughed, stretching.

"So how do you know Conan-kun?" Ruri asked.

"Hm? Well… It's a long story so I won't bother you with it. But, basically, I heard about a really good detective and wanted to challenge him. That's when I first met him," Heiji scratched his cheek.

"Oh."

An uncomfortable silence settled between them.

"Hey…" Heiji started.

"Yes?" Ruri asked.

"Um, well… will you please look out for Ku- Conan with me?" he asked, clapping his hands together.

"Of course."

Heiji looked at the girl.

"That's what friends do, right?" she tilted her head.

"Ah… yeah…" Heiji was dumbfounded.

Ruri had barely hesitated in giving him her answer. While Kudou had his reasons for being paranoid, Heiji brain began to tell him to be cautious around her while his gut screamed "Trust her! She's not a bad person!" It was an odd feeling.

"We have arrived at Beika Train Station. All passengers leaving, please have a wonderful day," the intercom crackled as the bus stopped and the doors opened.

Ruri and Heiji grabbed their bags and stepped of the bus.

"You're going back to Osaka, right?" Ruri asked as they bought their tickets.

Heiji nodded. "Yup."

"And you're going back to Ekoda?"

"That's right."

"Well... have a safe trip back, ok?" Heiji told her.

"Of course. The same goes for you, Hattori-san," Ruri smiled.

Heiji felt his heart practically pound against his chest. "H-Heiji is just fine..." he mumbled, looking away.

"Heiji-san."

The Osakan felt his heart jump and his face heat up. What was wrong with him? He had Kazuha...right?

"Well, I have to go, so stay safe, ok, Heiji-san?" Ruri told him before running off.

"Ah...yeah..."

"So, were there any cute boys?" Aki asked as Ruri set her duffle bag down.

"There was a 6 year old... does that count?" Ruri countered.

"A 6 year old?"

"Yeah. One of the girls is taking care of a little boy for his parents in America."

"America?!"

"Yup."

"Were there any boys there around your age?" Aki sighed.

"One."

Ruri's mother's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Was he cute?"

"He was from Osaka."

"An accent! How interesting!"

"Really?" Ruri looked over at her mother in confusion.

"Don't worry about your mother too much. She's just crazy," Tomoharu walked in and ruffled his wife's hair.

"Oh? Says the man who was quite crazy just-"

Aki was cut off as Tomoharu's hand snaked around to cover her mouth, effectively cutting her off.

"Anyway, Ruri, Aki and I have something important to tell you," Tomoharu cleared his throat while retracting his hand.

"What is it?" Ruri asked.

"Well... we'll be going to America for the unforeseeable future," he said.

Ruri dropped her duffle bag.

CLIFFHANGER~ Ok, so as promised, next chapter will be the start of a murder mystery! And as for which murder... well, I decided to go with episode 527: The Malice Behind The Masque. So, I guess look forward to that...?

NEXT CHAPTER: THE MALICE BEHIND THE MASQUE (PART 1)

DFTBA EVERYBODY!