--------------Chapter 9: Snowy Morning--------------
The morning came brighter than normal, with a couple rays of sunshine pouring in through the detective agency's window. The extra light came from the sheen of the blanket of snow covering the ground. Shinichi woke up and squinted his eyes, which were not yet adjusted to such brightness. He put his hand up to block the light from hitting his eyes too strongly, as he glanced over to Ran. She was still sleeping with her hands over her mouth, just as she had fallen asleep last night. He let out a sweet smile, wanting so badly to hug her.
Kazuha was still in the same sitting position she was in last night- beside the window, asleep. Ran on the other hand, was beginning to wake up.
"Mmm..." she said as she opened her eyes and saw Shinichi. She closed her eyes again, still with her hands to her mouth. "Shinichi, why you looking at me like that?" she whispered, opening an eye, waiting for a answer.
Shinichi jumped back into the seat. "Ah, ahh, looking at you like what? I wasn't looking at you like anything! I was waiting for my eyes to focus, heh heh." He waved his hand back and forth, his cheeks a light pink.
Still half awake, she didn't say anything more. She closed her eyes again and curled up in ball even more then she was before. Kazuha walked downstairs, yawning. "Ran, you're still not awake?" She put her hands on her hips.
"I'm awake," Ran yelled out to her from the couch, almost slurring her words.
Kazuha rubbed her own back. "I'm going to take a shower," she said, as she closed the bathroom door behind her.
Shinichi sat up, watching Kazuha walk away. He then looked down to his hands, resting on his lap. He started to wonder, "It's already been 24 hours... How much time will this new drug give me?" He turned his head back up to the hallway.
In Conan's room, Heiji made a big stretch and yawn. He looked over to where Conan's make-shift bed was. "Hm. I wonder how Kudou's doing..." He stood up, wavering from side to side in his morning semi-slumber. He reached into his bag for some clothes and got dressed, before walking out of the room and into the hallway. He looked up to see Shinichi watching him. He smiled. "How's it going, Kudou?"
Shinichi returned the smile, "It's all right, Hattori." He looked back to the sleeping Ran. Heiji heard the shower water start, noticing he will have to make his own breakfast today. He went into the kitchen to prepare some toast.
Ran rose up, rubbing her eyes. Hearing the bathroom water go, she walked towards the bathroom and knocked on the door. "Kazuha, don't use all of the hot water like last time, okay?" she said with a fake smile.
Kazuha yelled out, "But, without hot water-!" before she could finish, Ran had opened up the door. "Cold! Cold! UGH RAN!" Ran had flushed the toilet purposely.
"Don't-use-all-of-the-hot-water," Ran stated as she crossed her arms. She walked out, "Shinichi, are you hungry?" She closed the bathroom door behind her.
Shinichi stood up, "Yeah, I could use a little food." He took a few steps toward her, when he looked down and realized that he was wearing the same clothes as from yesterday. He blinked, then turned towards the kitchen. "Hey Hattori! I umm..." he glanced at Ran, "I forgot to pack extra clothes... heh.." he turned back to the kitchen, "Can I borrow something clean for today?"
The toast popped out of the toaster and Heiji put it on his plate. "No, you can't!... Nah, I'm kidding, go ahead. In fact..." he walked over to the hallway, the toast on his plate, "How about you give one of these slices to Conan. He must be hungry by now." Shinichi perked up, remembering that Conan was supposed to be feeling better by now.
"Uh, I can't. Before anyone got up this morning I saw him go out the door. He said he was going to the Professor's house for a bit." Shinichi replied nervously.
Ran tilted her head disappointedly, "Aw, really?" She felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, Kazuha was wearing a towel. With door slightly opened, she pulled Ran back and slammed it shut. Kazuha had a grin on her face, "What is it now...?" Ran asked.
Kazuha pinched her cheeks, "That was the coldest shower I have ever had!" She continued pinching her cheeks, "You're lucky you're cute, Ran-chan."
Ran's eye brow twitched. "Feh, your da one whooo takes all of da hot water." Ran said as her cheeks were still being pulled. She put her hands down. "But now I can take one," she said, jumping up.
Heiji stared at the bathroom door, his mouth hanging open. Shinichi noticed him and laughed. "Don't get too entranced, now."
Heiji shook his head and looked to him, "Well maybe that's easy to do for someone who's had a bath in a hotspring with his girlfriend before."
Shinichi turned bright red, "T-That- Don't bring that up! Besides, how many times do I have to tell you, she's not my girlfriend." He looked away and started towards his room, to get changed.
"I beg to differ, my friend!" he called, picking up a piece of toast and munching on it.
After showering and getting dressed, Kazuha and Ran were still in the bathroom. Kazuha ran her fingers through Ran's hair. "How about a pony tail?" she said with a bright, curious smile. Ran looked at her hair in the mirror.
"Mmm, do you think it'll look good?"
Kazuha nodded frantically. After putting her hair into a pony tail, she had put a small spiral at the end of it with the curling iron and a black bow to keep it from falling out.
Kazuha pinched Ran's cheeks again. "So cute!" she squealed. Ran looked at her hair in the mirror, squinting her eyes and tilting her head. She looked back at Kazuha.
"Do you think so?"
Kazuha jumped up, "Mmhmm!" Ran sighed as she walked out of the bathroom, with Kazuha behind her. "We should go play outside in the snow, Ran!" she said, running towards the window and looking out.
Ran followed her. "Play?" she asked, looking at Kazuha.
Shinichi walked out of his room, in fresh, clean clothes. He quietly stepped up behind Ran, "What? And not make any breakfast for a dear friend that you haven't seen in a while?" He stepped back with a cheesy smile.
Ran twirled around, "Oh right!" She quickly went to the kitchen and put her white apron on as she fried up some eggs. Kazuha was still looking outside. After frying the eggs, she walked out into the living and set the plate of eggs, fried rice, and some fruit in a bowl out onto the coffee table. She looked at Kazuha, "I forgot to ask if you were hungry." She was about to walk back into the kitchen.
"No, no.. I'm fine," Kazuha said with a smile.
Shinichi sat down on the couch, the food in front of him. He smiled, "Wow, thanks Ran!" as he dug in.
Heiji stood in the kitchen doorway, watching him, cleaning the last few crumbs from his mouth. "Aw, and none of that for me. You're lucky that Ran knows how to cook. It's unfortunate that some of us don't get treated like that..." he glanced at Kazuha quickly.
Kazuha puckered her lips. "Gee, thanks," she said, rolling her eyes back to meet with Ran's.
Ran laughed nervously. "I'm not THAT good of a cook, Heiji," she insisted.
Kazuha had a fake smile. "No no, Ran you truly are a magnificent chef," she said, shooting a look at Heiji.
Ran took a took a step back. "Uh, I'll be in the kitchen cleaning," she said as she quickly disappeared from the scene.
Heiji put his dish away then came back, leaning against the wall behind Shinichi. Shinichi ate rapidly, surprised at his own hunger. He cleaned off his plate in record time, as Heiji simply stared. "Hungry much?" he asked.
Shinichi turned around and laughed, whispering to Heiji, "Well my stomach's not so little anymore. I guess it missed being properly full." He winked, before setting off to the kitchen to put the plate in the dishwasher. He went up to the machine, just as Ran stepped next to him. He stood for a moment, admiring her from his own height. He was able to see her freshly-dried, ponytailed hair shine in the sunlight. He couldn't help but watch her.
Ran looked in the corner of her eye back at Shinichi. She noticed he was staring at her. She continued putting the dishes away. "Are you still hungry?" she said, trying to catch his attention. She closed the dishwasher and looked up at him smiling, "or are you still tired?"
Kazuha sat down on the couch. "I can cook.." she muttered to herself. She puckered her lips and crossed her arms.
Heiji raised his hands in front of him, palms outward, "Ha, I-I never said you can't cook! Your cooking is very good! I was merely saying that umm.. That your cooking could never rival Ran's! Heh heh..." He nervously stepped away from the couch.
Shinichi watched her lips move, but the sound was delayed. Only after a few seconds did his brain register what she said. "Oh! Ah, no, I'm fine. I was just thinking, why don't we go out into the snow for a bit now? It seems like a good idea.." he glanced out the door, "It looks like those two need a change of subject anyway."
Kazuha got up, she looked down at Heiji. "PFFT," she hissed as she walked off.
Ran giggled, "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
Kazuha was already outside, all of the sudden, BAM! A snow ball hit her on the side of her face. Ran was giggling as she was clumping up another snow ball, ready to hit Kazuha again. Kazuha got up, quickly tackling her to the ground, "Ran-chan!" she said smiling. Kazuha had pinched her cheeks again.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," Ran slurred.
Kazuha giggled, "Like I said, you're lucky that you're cute." Ran shoved a snow ball in her face. Kazuha fell back.
Ran got up, "Ah HA basic maneuver #2!" She took a step back as she slid on the sidewalk, then falling on her butt. "Ow, ow..ow." Kazuha was laughing her head off.
The boys puts on jackets and walked out the door. Heiji slipped on some gloves, picked up some nearby snow, and lobbed it right at Kazuha's head. "Hehe!" He quickly ran around the side of the house to hide from her, leaving Shinichi standing there. Shinichi looked around, then down at Kazuha.
"It wasn't me, I swear!" he put his hands up and backed to the wall.
Ran was giggling. Kazuha got up ,"Oh really.." She held a ball of snow behind her back.
Ran got up, noticing the snow ball. She took a step forward, "It was really-" she began to slide on the ice beneath her towards Kazuha, Kazuha looked over, seeing Ran gliding like a figure skater going 50 mph. Ran fell over Kazuha, then, sliding down the sidewalk, she did not realize that there was a hill going down. Ran covered her eyes as she basically jumped the air, then landed down the hill and glided.
Shinichi ran after them, finding them sliding and gently rolling down a hill. He couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. Heiji came out from the corner, "What's so funny?" He peered down to the girls, and started laughing as well. Shinichi put out an arm and rested it on Heiji's shoulder, trying to stay standing.
"You girls are such klutzes!" he managed to wheeze out. Heiji nodded in agreement, looking at their wind-chapped faces.
Ran took her hands off of her eyes, she looked around then at Kazuha. Kazuha fell back on her head. "Ran, you're the klutz," Kazuha said as she looked over at her. Ran's cheek became a soft pink from the snow. Getting up she grabbed ahold of Kazuha's arm to keep steady. They fell back down. "It's just slippery..." Kazuha muttered as she gave a look at Heiji. Ran began to giggle. Kazuha tried getting up again, then Ran wrapped her arm around her legs, bringing her down again. Kazuha raised her arms high in the air, "I give up." Ran laughed.
The boys relaxed and walked over, feeling pity. Shinichi held his hand out to Ran, while Heiji held his own out to Kazuha. Both had warm smiles as they looked down.
Getting up, Kazuha fell back down, still holding onto Heiji's hand, making them both fall. "Uwah!"
Ran got up, looking down at Kazuha, and giggled as she put her hand to her bottom lip. "Oh," she quietly said, as she blushed and smiled cheerfully.
--------------End Chapter 9--------------