me: I wonder who I should talk to this time...hmmm...Kaito or Aoko?

Kaito: You can talk to Aoko's mop! *hands mop over*

me: Aren't you afraid that the mop will attack you?

Kaito: Nah, we already made a compromise. As long as I feed and clothe it, nothing's going to happen. *waltzes away into the distance*

me: Okay...wait, how can you feed and clothe a mop? (to mop) How can Kaito feed and clothe you?

mop: ...

me: Heeellllooo?

mop: ...

me: Anyone home?

mop: ...

me: Okay, that was a total waste of time. *throws mop aside*

mop: OUCH! What'd you do that for? I don't talk to idiots, you moron!

me: *falls to floor in shock* What? Mops can't talk! Wait a minute...you talked to me. And you don't talk to idiots. So that means...that I'm not an idiot? But then you called me a moron...hmm.

mop: ...

me: *sighs* I just don't get mops. So touchy.

oOo

Agasa's house, 8:15 P.M.

"Do you think it's them?" Conan stood behind Haibara, his small frame casting a shadow. "Hey, Haibara, answer me!"

Haibara's eyes were wide with shock. "I...can't say. It's like them...but not like them. It doesn't have the scent...but it has the style. It is, but it isn't."

Conan raised an eyebrow. "WHAT?" he asked incredulously. "'It is, but it isn't'? What's that supposed to mean? Did they plant the transmitter or not?"

"Hey, Shinichi," Agasa whispered, "If she doesn't know, then we can't push her. Give her some time."

Conan heaved a huge sigh. "Okay," he muttered as he followed Agasa back into the house.

oOo

On the way home, 4:45 P.M.

Heiji kicked the leaves on the sidewalk and watched in surprised delight as they settled in his hair and clothes. "Yippee!"

Kazuha shook her head. He's never going to grow up...but I like it that way.

Heiji had been trying to gather up the nerve to ask Kazuha all morning. Ask what? Why she was on that poster, of course. What else?

But what exactly could he say? You can't really say, "Oh, hi. I'd like to know why you're a model now," and then, once they tell you, tell them, "Don't be a model." And then Kazuha'd surely ask, "Why?" and then he'd be stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Nope, can't exactly tell her, "Oh, by the way, your boss may be part of the Black Organization." But if he didn't tell her, he was in for a round of "Ahos!"

Heiji decided that "Ahos!" sounded better.

oOo

In front of the Toyama residence, 4:50 P.M.

"Why? Can't I?"

Heiji sputtered. "Aho! You don't even tell your best friend?"

"Do I have to?" Kazuha glared at Heiji. He couldn't respond. "Thought not," she said coolly.

"B-but, you CAN'T! It's DANGEROUS!" Heiji immediately covered his mouth. Stupid, big bad mouth. Now what are you going to do? Sarcastic Heiji remarked.

Daijoubu. Hattori Heiji always finds a way out. ALWAYS, Huge Ego Heiji reassured Worrywart Heiji, who was huddled up in a corner with a blanket.

Heiji Heiji had no time to react as Kazuha turned around and spat, "What do you mean it's dangerous? I never knew Mr. Detective actually cared."

"Ah...ah...ah...AHO! You can't go because...you're...uh, not pretty enough! That's it...um, you can't be a model because you're not pretty enough! Aho!" Heiji finally finished. Too late, he realized when he saw the hurt and shock on Kazuha's face.

She couldn't say anything and felt tears well up. She reached up to brush them away, but not so fast that Heiji missed the glimpse of the clear droplets streaking down her face. Kazuha turned, ran into her house, and shut the door. Click, went the top lock. Creak, went the bottom lock.

That was it. Hattori Heiji was officially locked out of Toyama Kazuha's house for the first time.

Heiji banged his head and fist against a hard oak tree and succeeded in making them both bleed. "Aho, what kind of a friend are you?" he whispered to himself. "Oi, Kudo, turn back soon."

Kazuha never saw Heiji gulp and try to hold back his tears. Because no matter how much his head and hand stung, nothing hurt more than his heart. He had hurt her, and Heiji wasn't sure she would forgive him. Ever.

oOo

Mouri Detective Agency, 10:10 P.M.

"Mou, Conan-kun! It's already 10 minutes past ten o'clock!" Ran scolded as she fussed over the blushing young boy.

"Gomen nasai, Ran-neechan. Agasa-hakase had a new game he wanted me to test out," Conan explained.

"That hakase, always inventing games. Well, what was it about?"

"Ah..." Conan hesitated. He wasn't really playing a game. "Um...Kamen Yaiba! And he was fighting monsters! It was SOOO fun!" he ended his childlike speech with a laugh.

"Is that so? Well, Conan-kun, it's getting late. Oyasumi." Ran turned to walk to her room. "Don't forget to brush your teeth!"

Ran stopped short. "Oh, Conan-kun, can you go to the hakase's tomorrow, too? Araide-sensei invited me over for dinner," she explained with an apologetic smile.

"Araide-sensei? Oh, I want to go too!" Conan wailed. That Araide...trying to get close to Ran, is he? Over my dead body.

"It's okay, Conan-kun. We'll talk about it with Otou-san in the morning."

"Noooo! I-WANT-TO-GO! Onegai, Ran-neechan! I'll be good and do the dishes!" And with those words, Conan zoomed into the kitchen and began finishing up the dishes. When he was done with that, he started vacuuming the floor.

Ran scooped Conan off the floor. "Conan-kun, that's enough! Let's get some sleep, okay?" She carried a protesting Conan to bed and tucked him in. "Goodnight, Conan-kun."

oOo

Same place, the next day, 7:30 A.M.

"A new day is here again..." Ran stretched her arms and started making breakfast. She stopped. My throat...it hurts when I swallow.

"Ohayo, Ran-neechan!" Conan-kun stood behind her, bright and cheerful. Ran suspected him of not sleeping again, judging from the dark bags under his eyes. But at least he was putting on a show for her, and Ran was too tired to object.

"Ran-neechan?" Conan peered up at her, worried.

Ran opened her mouth, but no words came out. She tried a second time. "I'm fine, Conan-kun," she managed to say, her voice dry and sick-sounding.

Before she could stop him, Conan had grabbed a chair, stood on it, and pushed her bangs back to check her temperature. Just like Shinichi...minus the chair.

"Ran-neechan! You're sick! Call Araide-sensei and tell him you can't go."

"I'm okay..." Ran grabbed a chair and sank down on it.

"No, you're not." Conan picked up the phone and called. "Araide-sensei? Ran can't go. She's sick." He then proceeded to hang up. "See? Everything's fine, Ran-neechan. Ayumi-chan and the others are calling me to play, so stay in bed and don't get any sicker!"

Ran stared. "O-okay..." He called me Ran. No one calls me Ran. But...Shinichi and Conan...that's impossible. And he didn't want me to eat with Araide-sensei...is Sonoko right?

Hot tears coursed down her face. No, I don't want to know. "Ne, Shinichi, how many secrets can one person have?" she said out loud, not bothering to wipe her tears.

"Depends on the person."

Ran turned around. Standing there, leaning casually against the doorway, as if he belonged there, was a young man of seventeen years of age, with a messy mop of black hair and thrilling blue eyes. She'd known him all her life.

Because that person was Kudo Shinichi.

oOo

AN: Thanks to Kuroba's Pet Fish for being the first to review! Also to Akai Hoshi Neko for reviewing twice, and Sock Monsta for reviewing three times! Yay for reviews! Please review this chapter, too.

Well, that's it. Til next time!