Chapter 3: Are you in love with Kudo?

Disclaimer: I don't own any Detective Conan/Case Closed characters.

A new chapter! And it is a really long one. I hope you like it! Please review. Would like to know how would you want the story to unfold from this point on. More romance? Some deduction? Let Hei-Kazu get together quicker? Or give them more time? Please review!

"Toyama-san, are you and Hattori-san dating?"

Kazuha's newly acquainted girl friends asked her intently. There had already been many rumors going on these days over the frequent, intimate interactions between Heiji and Kazuha. Not to mention other things, just the fact that Kazuha rode on the back of Heiji's motorbike every day had already drawn quite some jealousy from both genders. However, people also witnessed them fighting physically and bickering verbally everywhere around the campus. The actual state of their relationship was indeed quite confusing to outsiders.

No wonder both Heiji and Kazuha had already received this question a million times since Kazuha's return.

"No!" Kazuha shook her head instantly.

How many more times do I have I to answer the same question? Are they not tired?

Kazuha let out a long sigh, remembering making the same denials during their elementary and middle school days.

"Don't misunderstand! We are just childhood friends."

She had to deny once again, and the answer had not changed at all after three years.

Maybe she should make a poster saying "Hattori and Toyama are just childhood friends. Period." And hang it in the most conspicuous place in Kaihou?

But … do I really want to do that?

Kazuha was really confused.

Well, Kazuha was certainly not alone, because at the meantime, Heiji, while being bombed with the same question by his guy friend, just made the same denial:

"Don't misunderstand! We are just childhood friends."

And also at the same time, Heiji was as perplexed as Kazuha, if not even more.

On the one hand, he hoped something could change between them, since he really did not want their relationship to stay "just childhood friends." To say the least, a "just childhood friend" could not rightfully keep Kazuha away from those perverts who drooled at her beauty.

But on the other hand, ever since last time's baseball incident, he was also afraid of anymore changes between them that would threaten their intimacy as childhood friends. What if there were no reciprocal feelings from Kazuha? Would their current close friendship be ruined?

To change or not to change. That is a question.

Or, in other words, how to turn my childhood friend into my girlfriend without potentially undermining our friendship?

Heiji desperately neededsome advice.

And fortunately, he knew a person who had precisely this type of experience.

Kudo Shinichi, looking at the caller ID and the clock, really wanted to throw his dark-skinned friend under the bus.

"Hattori, you better have a very good reason to call me at 1 am."

"Don't be so cold, Kudo…" Heiji felt a little bit sorry when he realized how late it was. He completely lost track of time while his mind was fully occupied with Kazuha.

But who cares about time! My problem is too important to be further delayed! - Heiji thought to himself.

"Do you remember my childhood friend Toyama Kazuha? We talked about her recently …" Heiji cleared his throat, trying not to further irritate his half-sleepy friend, "She came back from America!"

"Really?" Shinichi now got less sleepy and more interested, as he sensed the love life of his friend was about to change for good. "Have you told her that you like her?"

Heiji's face blushed instantly and he denied without second thought, "Who said I like her! Who would like that stupid woman!" Well, it seemed that the denial had already been coded into his body that it would be blurted out without going through his brain.

"Ok Hattori, if you are calling me at this hour just to tell me that you don't like a certain stupid woman, then good night and sleep tight." Shinichi's eyes turned half-moon.

"Ok … you got me …" Heiji mumbled, reminding himself that he really needed advice from his experienced friend. "Kudo, here is the thing …"

"Kudo, I know you have the experience to deal with girls, especially childhood friend type of girls." Clearing his throat one more time, Heiji finally asked his real question: "So … when you confessed to Ran-chan, were you afraid if she didn't feel the same way about you?"

Shinichi grinned, feeling like teasing his dark-skinned friend a little bit: "Hattori, remember I am the best detective of Japan …"

As expected, the hot-blooded Great Detective of the West was instantly provoked: "Who said you are the best? I am the best!"

"I will hang up …" Shinichi grinned, feeling amused that his friend fell for it just as he predicted.

"Ok let's talk about that later, sorry buddy …" Heiji's tone instantly softened. But he secretly cursed his best friend: Kudo, just wait, you will have your payback time …

But Shinichi was not done yet: "Hattori, as a good detective, although not as good as me …"

"Kudo!"

"Ok I will skip that …" Shinichi really enjoyed teasing his best friend.

Clearing his throat, Shinichi finally got to his point: "As a good detective, you, more than anybody else, should know the importance of looking for evidence that will lead to the one and only truth. Try to apply the same methodology to figuring out girls, aka, try to look for clues to see if your girl also feels the same about you."

"Clues such as …" Heiji saw Kudo's point, but he needed his friend to further elaborate.

"For example, does she secretly steal glances at you? Does she blush while talking to you? Does she ask things about you from others?"

Heiji felt he need to take out his detective notebook to write down what Shinichi just said. Feeling overwhelmed, he couldn't help but to complain: "Why are women so complicated!"

"Hattori …" Remembering how long he had actually spent gathering all those "clues" before confessing to Ran, Shinichi really sympathized with Heiji. "Hattori, you know, it is hard for men to figure out what women are thinking and we detectives are no exception …"

"Kudo, if even you say so …" Heiji felt quite insecure: "I am a little bit scared …scared of being rejected by her …"

Shinichi had never heard Heiji saying the word "scared." Now, seeing the vulnerable side of his friend, the good friend-in-need Shinichi felt the burden was on him to give Heiji's love life a jumpstart.

"Ok, Hattori, this is what I will do." Shinichi comforted Heiji, "In the morning I will tell Ran about your girl and we will come down to Osaka this weekend. We can talk more in person. And there is a good chance that Ran and Kazuha-chan will become good friends so Ran can ask Kazuha-chan what she is thinking."

"Kudo, I love you!" Heiji felt like hugging Shinichi from the other side of the phone. How come he is so understanding!

"Hattori! You idiot!" Shinichi almost fell from the bed, "Save that line to your girl!"

After Shinichi told his girlfriend about Kazuha, Ran got really excited and couldn't wait to meet Heiji's childhood friend.

"Shinichi, I am so happy for Hattori-kun! I have a hunch that he and this girl will start dating someday, just like us!"

"Well Ran, although I hope for the same, I have deep concern over our favorite idiot …" Although he was half-teasing, Shinichi actually did worry about his hot-blooded friend.

When they arrived at the Shin-Osaka Station and saw Heiji and Kazuha, Ran felt instantly that she liked this girl. Although the Tokyo couple were initially stunned by the Osakan duo's never-ending bickering and "ahou" calling, they soon got used to it as they found these two idiots would make up before they knew it.

Ran felt that in Kazuha and Heiji she could see herself and Shinichi before they confessed their feelings to each other. Both felt deeply attached to each other, but both were too timid to take the first step to tell the other person. They were shyly dropping subtle hints here and there, and at the same time looking for the tiniest clues from the other person. She was happy that Shinichi finally took the initiative. Otherwise, for a girl as shy as herself, she wasn't sure how long it would take them to be a real couple. And now that she had met Kazuha, she sincerely hoped that the same could happen to this jovial girl with ponytail.

Kazuha was also excited to finally meet Ran. In the brief updates that Heiji had given her about his life in the past three years, the Detective of the East Kudo Shinichi featured very importantly. Kazuha was quite envious when she heard that Kudo and his childhood friend became a real couple. She also couldn't wait to know Ran as she felt they must have so many things in common and Ran would understand her.

"So, Kazuha-chan, do you like Hattori-kun?" Ran didn't want to hold back her curiosity so she was right on the point.

"Ran-chan!" Kazuha blushed instantly. She was about to deny like always, but somehow Ran felt different and she really wanted to confide in her. So she admitted with a light nod.

"But …" Kazuha still wanted this to be a girls' secrete between herself and Ran, "Ran-chan, please don't tell Heiji …because …"

Feeling shy and uneasy, she turned back a little bit to steel some quick glances at Heiji who was walking behind and talking eagerly with Shinichi. Wearing a slim fit denim and his signature SAX cap, Heiji looked as handsome as ever. Kazuha, while deeply attracted by her childhood friend's masculinity, also felt deeply insecure.

"Because … what if he doesn't feel the same about me?" She looked at Ran, feeling so unconfident and insecure.

While the girls had their small talks, Heiji and Shinichi who were trailing behind shared their men's conversation.

"I told you she is pretty, right, buddy?" Heiji nudged at Shinichi, feeling proud while looking at Kazuha's dancing ponytail from behind.

"Agreed. She is quite a catch." Shinichi nodded. As much as he loved Ran and was loyal to Ran, he felt there was nothing wrong to make fair comments about other pretty girls.

But with a smirk, Shinichi reminded his dark-skinned friend: "But Hattori, remember she is not yet your girlfriend, so there is nothing you can brag about, my bachelor."

"Kudo!" Heiji's eyes turned half-moon, "I am not inviting you to Osaka to mock me!"

"So …" Shinichi grinned, "Do you want me to tell her that you like her?"

"No! Kudo!" Heiji immediately covered Shinichi's mouth with both hands, "I need to confess to her myself! And you, Kudo, don't even dream of stealing my moment!"

"Ok, ok, calm down Hattori." Shinichi removed Heiji's hands, which almost chocked him. Coughing lightly for the sudden lack of oxygen, he patted on Heiji's shoulder: "I am just kidding, buddy. You know I just wanted to help you getting there quicker."

"Kudo, I need your advice, but I don't need you to act on my behalf!" Heiji, squinting at his naughty friend, grumbled with grievance. Turning his gaze back to Kazuha who was walking in front of them, Heiji thought it was better to concentrate on looking for the "clues" that Shinichi had taught him last time.

Meanwhile, seeing Kazuha's hesitation, Ran tried to cheer her up. She held her hand and gave her a sweet, encouraging smile: "Kazuha-chan, you need to be confident about yourself. I am sure Hattori-kun likes you just as much."

"Ran-chan …" Kazuha looked at her new friend appreciatively. But soon her eyelids lowered. "You know … before I left, he was just a mystery loving geek who spent days and nights reading Ellery Queen. But when I came back, he is already the Great Detective of the West and I have missed all that … Three years ago, I would not have imagined that he would be so popular with girls."

Turning back again to steal another secret glance at Heiji, Kazuha let out a long sigh: "everyday there are love letters dropping from his locker … and there are always so many girls making bentos for him and he never says no to those bentos …" Her eyes turned half-moon, thinking about the line of girls giving Heiji bento boxes at lunch time, "… and there is no way he could finish all, so his guy friends and I end up eating a lot. And because of that I have gained a lot of weight since I am back …"

Picturing the scene with Kazuha eating lots of Heiji's bento boxes with grudge, Ran burst out into laughter.

"Ran-chan!" Kazuha felt shamed by Ran's laughter.

Still giggling, Ran gently patted Kazuha on her back: "Kazuha-chan, trust me, it was the same with me and Shinichi before. He also receives tons of love letters from his fan girls and I was as pissed with him as you are with Hattori-kun now."

"Really?" Kazuha's turned back again, but this time her gaze was on Shinichi. True, that's a handsome and attractive guy as well. She could imagine the situation being very similar to Ran, worrying about her childhood friend being too popular with other girls.

"What shall I do then, Ran-chan?" Kazuha fidgeted uneasily.

"Etto … Kazuha-chan, I have the hunch that Hattori-kun will confess to you soon." Ran winked at Kazuha, "Shinichi … confessed to me first, you know …" She blushed while recalling the happy moment when Shinichi first told her about his feelings.

"Kudo-kun must be a really romantic guy." Kazuha's eyes were still on Shinichi, imagining how he confessed to Ran and at the same time secretly wishing Heiji could do the same to her. The thought made her blushing terribly.

Maybe I should hint Heiji to act more like Kudo-kun? - Kazuha thought to herself.

"Kazuha-chan," wanting to cheer up Kazuha, Ran pointed to an ice cream shop ahead of them, "Shall we get some ice creams now?"

During the ice cream break, Shinichi finally got a chance to ask Ran for some update. He lowered his voice and asked his girlfriend inquisitively: "Ran, did Kazuha-chan tell you anything? Does she like Hattori?"

Ran frowned at her boyfriend: "Shinichi! This is girls' secret! I am not telling you anything!"

"Come on, Ran, please!" Shinichi tried to bribe his girlfriend, "I will buy you another cone if you tell me …"

"No." Ran was determined not to betray her new friend.

"Ok …" Seeing there was no way to get Ran talking, Shinichi decided to take things into his own hands, "Fine, I will go ask her myself."

Winking at Ran, Shinichi ran to where Kazuha and Heiji were standing before Ran could stop him. He really couldn't wait to find out if the feelings between the two Osakan teenagers were mutual. His instinct told him yes, as he had already caught Kazuha stealing glances from Heiji in several occasions. Her blushing also didn't escape his eyes. As a detective, what he needed now was confirmation. On this rare day without dead bodies dropping around him and Heiji, figuring out Heiji's love life became the most interesting case at the moment.

"What? Wait! Shinichi!" Ran cried out, trying to stop Shinichi, but her curious boyfriend already ran quite far. Looking at her boyfriend angrily, Ran crossed her arms.

"Hattori, can I borrow Kazuha-chan for a second?" Grinning at Heiji, Shinichi quickly grabbed Kazuha's arm and dragged her away.

"Kudo …" Heiji had no idea what's going on, but before he could protest, Shinichi and Kazuha already ran out of sight.

"Kudo-kun?" Kazuha was even more confused than Heiji. What did this pale-skinned detective want to do to her?

Seeing it would take Heiji a few minutes to find them, Shinichi stopped and whispered to Kazuha blatantly: "Kazuha-chan, you like Hattori, right?"

"Kudo-kun! How rude!" Kazuha's face turned scarlet within a split of second. How could this guy be so blatant? They just me today and he already started to probe into her secrets?

But somehow, Kazuha did not fight too hard to resist the idea of telling Shinichi. After all, he was Ran's boyfriend and Heiji's best guy friend.

"Kudo-kun … please don't tell Heiji!" She nodded and lowered her head to hide her blush. Come on, within less than a day her secret had already been leaked to two people!

"But …" She looked up at Shinichi, her eyes begging for some reciprocal information, "Kudo-kun … Did Heiji tell you anything about …about how he feels about me?"

"Etto…" Now it was Shinichi's turn to blush. He remembered what Heiji just asked him not to act on his behalf. Although Kazuha's begging eyes were hard to resist, he managed to keep his mouth tight.

Seeing Shinichi's ambivalence, Kazuha sighed with disappointment, "Ok, I shouldn't have asked …"

He must know … but he doesn't want to tell me the truth to hurt my feeling … - Kazuha thought to herself quietly, feeling really sad.

"But Kudo-kun," She looked up at him again with the same begging eyes, "Can you promise not to tell Heiji that I … that I …"

"I promise." Shinichi let out a sigh of relief. He felt really bad to have said no to her previous request. But this one, he could comfortably say "yes."

"Real promise?" Kazuha was not convinced. She realized how close these two detectives were. What if Heiji bribes Shinichi to tell him?

"Real promise." Shinichi smiled at her and nodded.

"Etto …" Kazuha still felt a bit unconvinced, so she extended her pinky to Shinichi: "Pinky?"

"Pinky? …Ok." Amused by Kazuha's childishness, Shinichi smiled gave her his pinky as well: "Kazuha-chan, it is a pinky promise."

When Heiji finally found Shinichi and Kazuha, what he saw was the two blushing at each other and sharing a pinky.

His eyes narrowed.

What are they doing!

"Ah, Hattori," Seeing Heiji coming over, Shinichi smiled and pushed Kazuha to him, "I am done talking with her. She is yours now." With that, he ran back to find the still angry Ran.

Heiji felt his brain was about to explode! What did Kudo just do to Kazuha? Why so secretive? Why are both of them blushing? And what the hell was that pinky?

"Kazuha, what did Kudo and you just talked about?"

Thinking about what they just talked about, Kazuha blushed even more. She dared not looking at Heiji, afraid that he would read her mind easily.

"We … It is a secret!" She mumbled in a low voice.

"Fine, I will ask Kudo." Heiji got really, really angry. He had to find out what these two just talked about!

"He won't tell!" Scared that Shinichi would tell Heiji if being forced, Kazuha grabbed Heiji's arm to stop him: "Kudo-kun made a pinky promise with me!"

"Pinky?" Heiji felt he wanted to hit Shinichi, "How old are you guys ahou? Five?"

"You are the ahou …" Kazuha mumbled, still dare not looking at Heiji.

Before the Tokyo couple left, Heiji still didn't manage to get a thing from either Kazuha or Shinichi. He felt defeated.

He wanted Kudo and Ran to come over to help his love life, but it seems things are not going the way he hoped for!

"Heiji, Kudo-kun is really a nice guy. I bet he is very romantic." Bidding farewell to the Tokyo couple at the Shinkansen station, Kazuha spoke to Heiji with her eyes trailing off the speeding bullet train.

"I really envy Ran-chan, she is so lucky to have Kudo-kun …" She sighed, thinking how lucky Ran was to get her childhood friend to confess to her.

"Heiji, when will Ran-chan and Kudo-kun come to visit again?" She tilted her head and looked at Heiji. Her emerald eyes almost drowned him but all he heard was Kudo, Kudo, Kudo …

"… Not any time soon, I think." Looking at the direction that the bullet train went, Heiji grinded his teeth and cursed his friend. Damn it, Kudo!

"Then shall we go to Tokyo next week to visit them? I really like them!" Kazuha certainly didn't notice how furious Heiji was, and her innocent question and statement only exacerbated her childhood friend's anger.

"Kudo!" Heiji called Shinichi the first thing after he dropped off Kazuha at her house.

"I ask you to come here to give me love advice. I didn't ask you to seduce my girl!"

"Who seduced your girl?" Shinichi, still on the train, was completely confused.

"You!"

Shinichi felt his eardrum was about to break.

And his dark-skinned friend continued grouching, "You told me about those clues, and Kazuha hit all the points with you!"

"Wait, Hattori, calm down …" Shinichi was pretty sure something got screwed up in the head of his hot-blooded friend.

But how could Heiji calm down? "You tell me, you great detective! Today my Kazuha stole a lot of secret glances at you, don't think I didn't notice! She blushed like a fool while you two were talking about your little secret and making your disgusting 'pinky promise'! And even after you guys left she couldn't stop talking about you in front of me!"

"…" Shinichi finally got where this was coming from. Recalling what he and Kazuha actually talked about, he tried really hard to hold back his laugh. But first things first, he wanted to calm down his friend: "Calm down, Hattori, calm down. I promise you this is not what you think … Wait, Hattori!"

Well, the furious Heiji already hang up on him.

Looking at his phone, Shinichi scratched his head and sighed. Well, the trip was still worth it because both Ran and himself found out about Kazuha's feeling for Heiji. But his idiotic friend's misunderstanding … how could that be fixed?

The next day, Heiji felt it was necessary to have a heart-to-heart talk with Kazuha. There is no way he could allow her to fall in love with his best friend.

"Kazuha." Looking into the emerald eyes of his girl, Heiji decided to be straightforward: "You are in love."

"… How do you know?" Kazuha flushed and flustered. Did Shinichi or Ran tell him?

"Of course I know!" Heiji's fists hit the desk, "There are clues written everywhere on your face!"

Clues? Am I … so easy to read? Feeling embarrassed that her secret had already been revealed to Heiji, Kazuha lowered her and bit her lips.

"Kazuha, tell me …" Heiji's voice softened. He was actually very scared, to be honest. Now Kazuha's reaction further confirmed his worst fear. But he still had to ask the question:

"Is it … Kudo?"

Damn it, Kudo! - Kazuha grinded her teeth. - I know you won't keep you promise! Not even a pinky!

"What did Kudo-kun … he tell you?" Already cursing Shinichi a thousand times, Kazuha still dared not looking up at Heiji.

Oh gosh, it is true! - Heiji felt his head spinning fast. "I knew it is Kudo! Kazuha you ahou! How can you fall in love with my best friend? You know he already has a girlfriend!"

"…What? What did you say?" Kazuha raised her head and frowned at Heiji with a perplexed look.

She felt lost. Did he just say … she is in love … with Kudo-kun?

"You want me to repeat it?" Heiji was already pulling his hair, "I said you can't fall in love with Kudo!"

"…"

After about thirty seconds of silence Kazuha burst into a big laughter: "Heiji, you are the biggest ahou I have ever known!" She laughed too hard that her stomach started to hurt. She had to bend down, but still couldn't stop laughing:

"Hahahaha …"

Heiji was quite taken aback by Kazuha's loud laugh, "Why are you laughing …" Now it was his turn to be lost.

"I am laughing because you are such an idiot!" Kazuha laughed her tears out, "How come you would think that I am in love with Kudo-kun? Hahahah …. Heiji you are …. You are …Anyway, I cannot believe that's deduction of the Great Detective of the West Hattori Heiji!"

"So … you are not in love with Kudo?" Heiji's eyes narrowed, still couldn't believe that his deduction was wrong.

"Ahou! I told you I am not!" Still laughing hard, Kazuha gave Heiji a punch on the shoulder.

Looking at the girl laughing almost out of control, Heiji felt totally lost.

So, after all, the clues were … wrong?

Hattori Heiji, the Great Detective of the West, felt he was dealing with the toughest case he had yet to face.

To be continued ...

This is a long chapter and I hope you like it. What will happen next to poor Heiji? Please read and review!