#All the gosho boys and girls arguing about it

[cartoonsbyandie]

Been listening to a bit of Game Grumps (Source) (Source)

[leonawriter]

Okay apparently I'm going to do a study on this introduction, because going back to it? Especially knowing more about Hakuba via more recent Magic Kaito chapters? Fascinating stuff.

So. Hakuba's introducing himself, and he starts out by bringing up "My father spoke of you often" and "It seems you're a very sharp detective." Both of those are positive!

Hakuba is... high society, compared to Hattori simply hanging out around high ranking people and treating them like normal. Hattori argues with Kazuha in a very down to earth way, while Hakuba knows how to drink tea and probably how to set the table with a full set of cutlery (or at least how to use them).

So, Hakuba using their fathers to introduce himself is, to him, a normal enough way to say "I've heard good things about you, we're similar, I hope we can get along well."

What's more - Shinichi realises that, pretty quickly. Even if they hadn't met previously, he'd have been able to figure out by the words being used, that Saguru's father knows Heiji's father, or that they're in the same business.

If anything, I'd say that this slight culture clash is the second step of things going wrong between Hattori and Hakuba here, right after Hakuba being present at all, since Hattori had wanted Shinichi to take his rightful place where Hakuba is currently sitting.

Strike one, strike two.

Unfortunately, it gets worse from there, and I'm gonna go into it.

But then Hakuba brings up that he's not even fully based in Japan. To which, mostly Hattori is just "wait, what?" - but although I'm sure he means it simply to be as clear as possible, that could also be read as "I would say that, but I'm actually better." As in, being smug.

Strike three.

Still with "Kudo is the high school detective of the east, that's obvious, isn't it?" and rubbing salt into the insult to Hattori's bro with "they'd have liked me to represent the east in his place" but...

Oh boy.

This... this is also where I just stared and held my head in my hands because now? Because of something Hattori's said, and what he's going to continue saying/leaning into... we need to go back in time.

All the way back in Hakuba Saguru's first appearance, the papers say "just returned from London," suggesting (as I've seen someone say before) that he'd spent at least some, if not much, of his youth in Japan.

Certainly, he doesn't seem to speak with an accent in the present day, so he can't have grown up in the UK and only sometimes lived in Japan.

In Japan, however, he is referred to as...

In Nakamori's (uncouth) words at their first meeting, "Y-you're that bastard from London!"

No mention of how he has a fully Japanese name, partially Japanese features, a Japanese father, and no accent.

His introductory splash also frames him with the Union Jack behind him, showing off his Holmes cosplay and light hair. Almost all the major characters in the series have blue eyes, but here it's rather... plainly emphasising his Western features. His non-Japanese-ness.

Now, I do have to wonder if Gosho wrote that back in 1990 and hadn't given much thought to it. I certainly don't think it was intentionally cruel.

However, by volume 40, released in 2003, he's learned a bit more about social prejudice, and shows this with the Professor's First Love story:

This shows something that happened 40 years ago in-universe, with a girl of Japanese-American descent who has light, gingko colour hair, being very aware of how different she is, and not wanting her friend to see. She calls her hair "weird" and starts to cry.

Coming back to the present - content released in 2006 - let me go back to Hakuba Saguru.

Hattori "That's obvious, isn't it? And yer not even from this country to begin with."

Oh, Hattori. Only the previous case had you seeing how words can be as sharp as knives, and can hurt people.

Saguru doesn't seem too bothered at first, however...

First off, he points out that it isn't even his fault he's "taken Kudo's place" in the first place!

They contacted his housekeeper, who he's been shown to be very close with (I'd hazard a guess to say that, having not seen his mother at all, or seen her mentioned, Baaya is closer to him than his parents are), and when she heard that her charge would only be taking someone else's place since they weren't there, she got offended on his behalf.

Saguru, who loves this woman like she's literally his nanny, could hardly say no at that point.

More to the point: how he says "But it appears I am unfit to represent the East..."

So now we have Hattori having come in wanting his best friend to be represented and not sidelined just because of circumstances out of his control, and being in a bad mood immediately because of someone else having been called in. He also possibly inflates the number of cases he worked on or solved, by including childhood adventures, leading Saguru to point out that his count is only low if you only count the ones in one country. Saguru attempts to make friends with him regardless, and that doesn't work because Hattori is still stuck on how Saguru is "taking Kudo's place" and then focuses in on how Saguru "isn't even from this country" which... starts leaning into the uncomfortable territory of "Hattori I love you to pieces but are you being racist/xenophobic right now?"

I say that in the context of how Japan has a really big problem with seeing anyone who isn't fully Japanese as Not Japanese Enough, as I went into earlier. I don't think he's aware how he's coming across, by the way; he's simply got a big case of foot-in-mouth.

So now instead of having come to this conclusion organically and naturally, Saguru is offering to take the place of "Guest Participant from Overseas" to placate Hattori.

I'd imagine he won't be wanting to tell Baaya about that, for sure.

Saguru goes on to suggest that Conan (i.e, Shinichi himself) should represent the East instead.

I reiterate: they could well have come to this conclusion over a friendly conversation, because of how they have five detectives. But instead now Saguru has ceded his position to (as far as he knows) a child. A very clever child, but a child nonetheless.

The next time we're back at the island with Hattori and the others, he's already decided he doesn't like "that smug guy."

As said before, there are plenty of things that Hattori could have picked up on that'd suggest Saguru "looked down on people" and "had a prideful way of thinking" and he certainly could appear smug in his achievements.

Hattori himself says that Saguru was "was like a copy of [Kudo]." But he has decided he doesn't like Hakuba, therefore he won't like Hakuba.

A moment of Saguru bonding with Natsuki over their natural brown hair, a shared trait - we can see him smiling after saying "But... there aren't any tv cameras yet, so you could do what you want for tonight?"

In a way I feel like I'm making too much of a big deal out of this one thing, but I'm not the one bringing attention to it - Gosho is. Gosho's the one who reminds us that kids get into trouble for their natural brown hair, and Saguru got that too.

Those who've read Magic Kaito will know that he DOES have a Japanese school uniform - but as we saw at the start of the post, when he arrived, he arrived from his school in London.

This further emphasises how he's set apart from the others.

(An aside: it's entirely possible that his "school abroad" is more likely him going to sixth form, since our Secondary schools last (or did for me) up to the age of 16, and depending on the time of year he may have transferred over to the new school year already. Or he's just finishing his last year of Secondary. We don't know.)

Honestly... I'm going to leave this at that for now, because for one thing the post got away from me a bit, and became longer than I expected, and for another thing, I've covered the majority of the first meeting and both of them getting off on the wrong foot.

In short:

Hattori arrived with an idea of slipping Shinichi into the event, and was offended and upset when someone was already in his place. He, being the loyal friend he is, wasn't willing to simply let it lie.

Instead of backing down and accepting the situation and make friends with the new detective - who Shinichi knew and was acting friendly with, and who was willing to befriend him - he let his bad mood get the better of him and made offensive remarks of his own, most of which to the others would seem entirely unwarranted.

Because of that, Hattori still has a bad opinion of Saguru, and Saguru's opinion of Hattori has gone from "my father's spoken of you [positively]" to "rude asshole."

Neither of them are innocent, but when you look at them individually and fairly, neither of them are the only one in the wrong, either.

Like... no wonder they don't get along from here on? Wow.

I did not expect there to be so much in it, but there we go.

[sternentinte]

Emogust 2019 - 07. 08.| In which character A. is searching for a cat, and character B has found a cat around their windowsill

„Let me get this straight”, Shinichi says, slowly, “you lost the cat. How in the world did you manage to lose the cat?”

“Hime-chan got scared while I was working in the lab and slipped out.”, Haibara states, “you need to get her back.”

“You lost the cat and I need to get it back?”

“We lost the cat, of course you need to get her back. You are already in disguise anyway and I need to finish this up.” She gestures vaguely around the chemicals in the room.

Shinichi gives up trying to argue. He knows Haibara adores that cat and he himself is actually kind of fond of it to—there is something about stealing a cat out of an illegal research facility both of you were trapped in that makes you like it, simple as that. That’s the short version of the story of how they adopted a cat even though they are technically still on the run.

On the run is a pretty loose term, since, as of now, they even have a (secret and FBI-protected, but nonetheless) apartment. Compared to the last five years, they are pretty safe right now—maybe not as save as they’ll ever be, not yet, but considerably safer than just a few months ago. Not quite safe enough that Shinichi could go back to his actual real identity and his actual real life. Not yet.

That is what he is hoping on though, as soon as all the loose threads are collected and, more importantly, convicted. As soon as everything gets out.

But, as of right now, he is a small boy with a silicon mask on his face that is looking for a cat.

He doesn’t find the cat. Not that day.

-

Bringing down a criminal syndicate, as it turns out, includes a lot of waiting time. It’s weird, but now, now that he has prove, now that he has done this, they actually don’t want him to finish it up.

“You’re a civilian, Kudou-kun”, Megure tells him, “You need to let law enforcement work it’s way through.”

Shinichi sighs, but only so he doesn’t scream. He hasn’t been a civilian for ages and that is his case, dammit. But he knows the only reason Megure is telling him this is that his higher ups know that Shinichi knows him, that Shinichi trusts him.

The problem with not being able to help, or at least, not being able to help all of the time, is that Shinichi has free time now, and after four years of constantly switching between running from and towards criminals, he doesn’t really know what to do with that.

It gives him too much time to think. Too much time to regret. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, it’s Haibara’s turn to be the adult of the family for this week. This way, he can’t go and do anything impulsive. Stupid, as Haibara would put it.

Instead, he looks for the cat.

It doesn’t seem to be in the immediate surroundings anymore, or at least if it is, Shinichi can’t find it. So, he does the obvious thing and makes posters. They are probably not the most effective, since, due to a total lack of pictures (“Pictures are dangerous.”, Haibara says at the back of his mind, along with his own general paranoia) he has to rely on descriptions.

Megure also gives him an exceptionally weird look when he asks him to print them at the department, but Shinichi really has endured worse. Also, if Haibara worries less about the cat, things are going to get done sooner.

He still doesn’t find the cat.

He begins asking people, children, old couples at the park, store owners. It’s risky. They might remember him and tell someone else about him, but on the other hand, he is a little kid and wearing a disguise, so there is a pretty low chance anyone could trace this back to him. But he doesn’t dare asking any of his neighbors either—better when they don’t know anything.

After a few days he’s not all to hopeful. It makes him sad in a way he doesn’t expect. He had never really thought he’d keep the cat, not even in the best possible outcome, the one that seems so close that the hope is killing him every time he thinks about it (so, pretty much all the time).

It was always going to be Haibara’s cat. But still. It was an act of being to hopeful, of trusting this to work. Relying on a future. And now the cat is gone.

Haibara is going to flip her lid, he thinks, but then he thinks better of it. If he has realised the cat is gone, Haibara’s probably known it for a while. She tends to hope less than he does.

He still doesn’t want to say it to her face.

He sighs. In front of him there’s a news parlour selling proper newspapers along with trashy gossip magazines. Shinichi steps closer and asks the boy behind the counter about the cat.

The employee leans down to him and tells him that, sadly, he hasn’t seen the cat. As he promises that he will keep an eye open, Shinichi realises that the guy is younger than him. Not younger than physical-him, of course, but still. The thought gives him a chill.

He distracts him by gazing over the shiny covers in front of him and immediately does a double take. On the cover—it’s Ran.

Its not new, not really. Ever since the band took off—Ran, Kazuha and that other girl he doesn’t actually know, Nakamori-san, Inspector Nakamori’s daughter—they’ve been in and out of celebrity gossip. Nothing particularly nasty that he heard of—but his access to news hasn’t really been all that regular at times. Also, he doesn’t want Haibara to know he’s paying attention to it—he knows her well enough to know it would only make her feel bad. But she probably knows anyway. They’ve learned to know each other way to well.

“Cuteness Explosion! Gosho Girls’ Ran-chan charms fans with new cat!”, the headline reads.

The picture has Ran posing, smiling slightly, friendlily, Shinichi with an obviously very satisfied black cat in her lap. It seems to have been taken from her social media and Shinichi wonders who took it. Maybe Uncle Kogoro or Sonoko or another one of her friends.

Maybe she has a secret boyfriend somewhere, he thinks, one the media doesn’t know about yet. He almost wishes for it, except he doesn’t, because he just isn’t that good of a person and he wants to be her secret boyfriend from back in high school forever. Well, but he also isn’t really delusional enough to hold out for that, so…

He looks at the picture again, only now really paying attention to the cat. But—How is this possible? Shinichi shakes his head and looks again. Maybe he is wrong. There are plenty of black cats around. He glosses through the article to find out more.

“According to Ran-chan, she found Maki-chan on her balcony…”

So apparently Ran found the cat, had tried to look for a former owner, but since it was neither chipped nor had a collar, she had ultimately been allowed to keep it. Of course Hime isn’t chipped. They can’t go around disclosing their location like that.

Shinichi sighs. Then he tries to look at the picture from another angle. Is it really Hime? Maybe he is paranoid.

Scratch that, he knows he’s paranoid. But this is ridiculous.

Well, there isn’t a lot he can do now. He buys the magazine.

-

Haibara is still in her lab when he comes back to the apartment.

“I’m back!”, he yells, and she answers with an affirmative.

He steps towards her and leans into the doorframe of the lab. He knows for a fact that Haibara hasn’t left the apartment in almost a week. She never does, when she is tall, too scared of being recognised.

“Any news, Kudou-kun?”

She seems almost cheerful. Maybe the research is going well.

“So…”, Shinichi starts, “I might have found the cat.”

She turns back to him, clearly surprised, but also weary. He was right, then, she didn’t expect him to find it anymore.

“But?”, Haibara presses.

“I might just be crazy.”

“Well, that’s certainly not news.”, Haibara huffs. She rotates her open palm in the air, a sign for him to just say it already.

“Look at this.”

He opens the magazine at the right page for her, but she flips back to the front.

“A gossip magazine.”, she says. Then she looks closer. “About Mouri-san.”

She looks at him. This is what Shinichi wanted to avoid.

“You know, whatever it says is probably not even-“, she starts, quickly.

“No, just look at the picture.”

Shinichi opens the correct page again and points at the cat. He doesn’t want to hear her advice. Not now. Really, he doesn’t want to need it.

“Am I crazy, or… Tell me I’m crazy.”, he says instead.

“You’re crazy.”, Haibara complies, but he can see her eyes widen at the image.

“That’s Hime-chan.”

“Are you sure?”

“Well yeah. That’s what you meant, right?” Her suspicious look is back, even though this is precisely the reason Shinichi bought the damn magazine.

He nods. “It doesn’t make any sense though, she doesn’t even live near here…”

“How do you know that?”, Haibara asks, flatly.

“Well, they put us far away from anyone who could have recognised us, remember? Also, she would probably have heard about Hime missing if she was near, especially if she asked around.”

Haibara shrugs “I guess Hime-chan is really good at running far away.” She pauses. “It’s probably for the best she is.”

Shinichi thinks of the last place all of them ran from and finds himself agreeing. “So, what are we going to do?”

Haibara shrugs again. “What can we do? At least we know Mouri-san is a good person. It’s better than Hime-chan just being a stray.”

Shinichi nods. Even though he found the cat, in a way, he feels defeated. And tired. So, so tired. He sighs, closes his eyes and concentrates on not falling apart. He’s gotten good at it, but it’s harder in quiet moments.

“Oi, Haibara!”, he calls back, “I’m gonna make some food.”

Haibara gestures him to go ahead. She’s right. There’s nothing to do but to hold out. Just a little longer.

-

“She really is cute.”, Aoko sighs.

Ran nods and pets her cat over the head. “Maki-chan.”

“Maki like true hope?”, Aoko asks.

“Maki like true hope.”, Ran confirms. “I’ve always had a thing for hope.”

——–

So this could be seen as sort of the other side to my story for the heart break prompt. (Still not sure if I’m doing the genre thing right)

@mintchocolateleaves, @sup-poki

[sherryaptx4869]

Some thoughts on Detective Conan pairings

Here I am just laying out my thoughts on the couples in Detective Conan. I just wanted to get it out of the way so I can move on with life.

There’s pretty much no point in arguing which pairing will be canon in Detective Conan and Magic Kaito (DCMK) because it is quite obvious which pairings Gosho Aoyama had set his sight on: Aoko and Kaito, Ran and Shinichi, Kazuha and Heiji, the Tantei Elem School teacher and Shiratori, Chiba and the lady patrol officer, the parents of ShinRan, you get the pattern, basically childhood sweethearts. I don’t know but Gosho sure has an attachment for the thematic childhood lovers for his pairings in DCMK.

All of which brings me to my point. I am all for shared childhood as a theme for the build-up of his pairings since it builds a connection and rapport not easily replaced by just anyone, however this paradigm, when applied to almost 75% of the pairings in the story, becomes bland, predictable and boring (except the case of Sato and Takagi, Akai and Jodie-sensei, Akai and Akemi Miyano, Sonoko and Makoto). Sure, Gosho did some twist in some childhood-based pairings like introducing a blast in the past theme in Agasa-hakase’s romance, a long-forgotten person from Chiba’s elementary school days now a colleague yet the guy is still oblivious as a rock,  and Shiratori confused a childhood flame for Sato, turned out it was the elementary school teacher instead. Now, to add some spice, he now adds Momiji as another woman staking her claim on Heiji, and he made Shinichi and Sera met 10 years before the present high school day. But in the end, we all know which couples are endgames. It’s just a matter on how they let the other know about it (because come on, the feeling is always mutual).

Shinichi as Conan has many shared experiences with Haibara who is in the same boat as him. And I don’t turn a blind eye on a potential spark brewing between them (albeit they are teenagers stuck in the bodies of first-graders). I had posted this before that what I see as canon is not just any endgame pairing (we all know Ran will be the one taking the crown), but I also take into account the history, probability, chemistry and narrative of the characters involved.  Granted, ShinRan fit all the criteria I just mentioned but I am here to argue/ justify why Conan x Haibara is a legit ship as any other. Disclaimer, I don’t hate any of the ships out there (although I have reservations in Amuro x Azusa because Zero is just my precious baby)

From the looks of it, CoAi ship has been disparaged by Gosho himself even before it started sailing. It has been implied that Haibara might be nursing a little crush harboring some feelings for Conan as there was this episode where Yukiko somehow sensed that Haibara has a crush on Conan. In the recent Highschool Trip Arc, Haibara was seen giving orders to Conan about the APTX 4869 including the “Do not flirt” clause. It might have been mentioned to prevent Shinichi from getting into trouble but I can also assume that Haibara might be a little jealous if I believe what my shipping glasses see.

I mentioned earlier the shared experiences of Conan and Haibara. It’s beyond me why Gosho did not make either one of Conan or Haibara taller than the other just like Genta or Mitsuhiko’s stature. Because their character designs in child form (ie same height) allows them to see each other face to face (unlike when Conan looks up at Ran at an angle) and they probably see some of the things eye to eye (especially when it comes to matters concerning their common nemesis- the Black Organization).

So basically, I see a potential in the interactions of Conan and Haibara which counts as more than kids sharing the same predicament and might even be shelved in the romance department for all its worth even though DC is a shonen manga/anime. But romance is a word which might connote a very mushy idea which doesn’t really suit a stuck-up girl and a boy sticking his nose on police business. When I said that Gosho disparaged the CoAi ship, I mean it. He has already blatantly rubbed it in our faces that CoAi is a goner, a no dice in the DCMK universe. I just felt that since he had already ruined decided the plot, there is no chance for any relationship development because doing so will hinder his original ShinRan endgame couple.

A/N: I’ll try to properly research the episodes where CoAi is not subdued because right now, I am only relying on my memory. Also, what spurred me to write this meta is I  was watching The Beauty Inside K-Drama series and there was this one instance where the female lead transformed into a 10-year old boy and still the male lead recognized the boy as her despite the circumstances. It’s just like Conan reversed! So I thought since Ran knew all about Shinichi practically since they were toddlers, and then she was pining for him when he has suddenly gone MIA on her, wouldn’t there be a small chance however improbable that she was suspecting Conan and Shinichi are one and the same. If Ran’s suspicions are proven true, I’m sure she would be understanding to Shinichi and would even empathize with his condition. And then if there was one person who would understand Shinichi not due to the conditional “if she were in his shoes” but because of the present progressive she “is exactly in his shoes,” then that would be Haibara Ai (Miyano Shiho). Who would better understand Shinichi than Shiho who is in the same situation? Which led me to ask the question why is Gosho downplaying the relationship development of Conan and Haibara when after all this time they were the ones supporting each other even though they might be too stubborn to admit it. (Unpopular opinion: I see some sizzle in Sera and Shinichi’s interaction in the Highschool Trip Arc!) But then again, the couple pairings of DCMK is case closed. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

[jaroslavlewis]

I've got a hard question for you! What would you say would be your gosho boys ranking from the one you like the most to the one you least like, and why? What is that you like the most and what do you not like about each of them?

Hi Anon!

Wow. That’s a really difficult question for me to answer because I love all of the Gosho Boys and I think that Gosho-sensei is just wonderful for blessing the fandom with four, smart, gorgeous dorks. It really breaks my heart to have to rank them, but here it goes…

*heavy breathing*

1. Hattori Heiji

Top spot goes to Heiji. It was hard to choose between him and Shinichi. They could’ve tied, but yeah I chose Heiji anyway. (I could imagine Heiji rubbing this in Shinichi’s face already. *Insert “WEST is the BEST” Heiji here*) Heiji won the top spot by a few points against Shinichi.  

Just an anecdote:If this question was asked like a few years earlier, I could’ve picked Shinichi. Like, when I got into the fandom, I was a bigass Shinichi-biased DCMK fan. I was around 11 or 12 that time and all I ever talked about was Shinichi. I hardly paid Heiji any attention, to be honest. At around high school up to college, I was practically gone from the DCMK fandom. Like, I did some exploring in other fandoms and I just left for a while, kind of like a really long vacation. Anyway, I came back here after college and I’ve been drinking a lot of the Heiji appreciation juice.

I think the reason for this is because of the character development I witnessed in Heiji. (I’ve already stated this in one of my blog posts, “Heiji’s Character Development” ) I don’t think I could stress this anymore. Other than this, I’m just really drawn to the KazuHei couple recently and I love how Heiji’s being such a dork about his confession. It’s awfully cute and it’s bringing out a different side of him.

Also fun fact about me, I’m not a big fan of tsundere characteres. Especially guys who are a tsundere. IDK. They’re just not my cup of tea. Most tsundere characters are just too mean and disrespectful for me (*coughs* Uchiha Sasuke *coughs* Hyuuga Natsume. I could name more, but I don’t want to make this longer).  Anyway, Heiji’s probably the only or if not, one of the few tsundere characters that I do like. Him and Vegeta (WOW THEY’RE BOTH VOICED BY THE AMAZING RYO HORIKAWA!).

Anyway, Heiji is a big exception to my dislike towards tsundere characters because even if he is a bigass tsundere, he doesn’t disrespect Kazuha. I mean, he argues with her a lot, yes. But their arguments are just about petty little things. By the end of the day, it’s just a KazuHei thing and no matter what happens, he’d always be by Kazuha’s side, protecting her always. I absolutely love how he’s protective of the women, especially when sneaky guys are trying to get their way to them. And  it’s not just about Kazuha. Heiji’s also like that to Ran as well. I love this about Heiji because he may come across as arrogant and intimidating, but really, he’s a total nice guy. He’s the ideal boyfriend and ideal brother. (I honestly want to see more Heiji-Ran moments because he’s a really great bro to Ran but sadly, their dynamics is pretty underrated.)

What I also love about Heiji is that he isn’t the “safe” kind of person. He is impulsive and aggressive. It’s a bit dangerous yes, but it makes him take the leap and take risks, which is something that I really do admire because I’m very much on the “safe side”. I’m not a spontaneous type of person and I would love change that about myself and be brave to take more risks, every now and then.

Ironically, Heiji’s impulsiveness and aggressiveness is also one of the things that I sort of dislike about Heiji. Sometimes, it’s a bit too much and he’s hurting himself. He gets injured a lot and this worries me a lot. Hahahaha Other than that, it sometimes gives him a hard shell, it conceals his soft side, which we rarely see, but yeah, it’s showing slowly. (Also see my reaction on episode 873, “Heiji’s Attempt to Confess”) Also, what I dislike about Heiji, actually, this is not  about Heiji alone. This is on the story line. I dislike how he’s taking so long to confess to Kazuha. I mean coz unlike ShinRan, they see each other everyday. But yeah, I do appreciate his efforts and yeah I understand he wants it to be perfect. So, overall, I don’t dislike this about him that much and it’s not his fault if Gosho wants to prolong that development. Hahahaha XD

Phew! I write so passionately about Heiji, I don’t know how I’m gonna get this ranking done. ^^” Huhuhu Sorry about this. Anyway…

2. Kudo Shinichi

Like I said earlier, Shinichi could’ve gone first, if this was asked years waayyy back. But yeah, I  still love Shinichi a lot. He only lost the top spot to Heiji by just a few points. (So Heiji, honey, don’t be so cocky about this. Hahaha.) The reason why Shinichi came in second is because he hasn’t changed much throughout the whole series of Detective Conan, not that he has much to change anyway. I could say, his character is a bit more stagnant compared to Heiji’s but then again, Shinichi was already perfect all throughout the beginning of the series. I honestly like and dislike this about him. Of course, I like how Shinichi’s mature and he has a lot of wisdom in him. He’s a good character. But I have to say, sometimes, Shinichi’s just too good to be true. It’s hard to see his more human and more relatable side. I honestly love imperfect characters more than perfect ones like Shinichi. As a writer and viewer I think they’re more relatable and more interesting to work with and watch/read about. Although, I honestly think that Shinichi becomes more human is when he is with Ran. He gets to be less “safe” and more transparent with his emotions. He’s so heavy on his principles and very strong about them, but with Ran he is different and for Ran, he actually does get to defy the principles he believes in and I love this about him. (Going a little off topic, but still related to what I’m talking about: This is why I love the Kyoto Arc so much because we get to see more of Shinichi being a regular teenager. I also love the episode about Ray Curtis because I got to see more of Shinichi’s emotions and we got to see how he can be imperfect at times and that because he was a big fan of Ray, he was at first being blind in his deductions because he’s biased towards Ray, but in the end, he does the right thing.) I mean, he is all about the truth but he lied to Ran, the most important person to him because he doesn’t want her to get involved with the BO. Like after the Conan thing, he was scared and we get this because it’s a life and death situation. Okay, so overall, I think Shinichi’s “perfect” character works well because he’s gonna get more interesting in the end. By being Conan, we saw him fall and all of a sudden he was less perfect than he used to be and he was more vulnerable. (OMG. I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, GOSHO! OKAY AS I’M WRITING THIS, I’M A WAVERING AND I’M CONFUSED IF SHINICHI DOES RANK AS SECOND! But what’s done is done. So… HAHAHAHA XD)

Anyway, I love how Shinichi’s more calm than Heiji. I think it balances their friendship really well. They’re like Yin and Yang. I also like how he is more softer than Heiji. I mean, with Ran he’s more transparent with his caring side compared to how Heiji is to Kazuha. I think Heiji’s more on the tough-love kind. (I think this sprung from how he is raised by Heizo. Just a little theory.) Shinichi’s more transparent with his love for Ran and he’s more sure of his feelings, compared to Heiji who took a  lot of time figuring out that he actually has feelings for Kazuha. Shinichi was sure from the very beginning that he already loved Ran from the very moment that he saw her and I think this is just cute. Also, Shinichi’s such a gentleman especially during his date with Ran on the “Desperate Revival Arc.”

Another thing I love about Shinichi is his way with words. I love how he phrased his confession with Ran and I love how he talks sense to people. I think Shinichi would’ve been a writer like Yusaku if he wasn’t a detective. Just my opinion.

I love how ideal Shinichi is. I think that his thoughts are very ideal and if people in this world think like him, the world could have been a better place. But ironically, I think that I also dislike this about him in someway because his thoughts could and have already gotten him into trouble. Huhuhuhu This world is a cruel place for you, my child.

3. Kuroba Kaito

Kaito came in third for the only reason that I’m more into Detective Conan than Magic Kaito. Since I got into the DC fandom first, I’m a bit more attached to Heiji and Shinichi than I am to Kaito. I also think that I still have yet to discover about him. But I really do love Kaito as well. I love his playfulness. I love his bright character. I also love how he’s not the conventional type of good character. It’s a good conflict to his story. (I don’t think we have to discuss this further. We all get the point right? XD) I think compared to Conan’s story which is heavy on the murder and mystery, not to mention drama everytime the culprit admits to his/her crimes, Kaito’s story is more on the comic relief and adventure.

I love his clever tricks and everything just seems so fun with Kaito in it. What I do dislike a bit about Kaito is that sometimes he gets too playful about things to the point where he disrespects the people around him. I also do not like him looking at Aoko’s panties every single day of his life. I mean, Kaito dear, let me quote your father’s words, “That is not how you treat a lady.” >.

I think I can’t talk too much about Kaito as much as I did with Shinichi and Heiji, since I feel that I still don’t know him too well and this is the reason why Kaito came in third.

4. Hakuba Saguru

I feel bad about placing him last. I think that he is the most underrated Gosho Boy ever. T.T My reason for placing him last is sort of the same as my reason for ranking Kaito the third. I think that Hakuba nad Kaito could’ve actually tied in the ranking. Kaito just scored a few points higher than him ‘coz I’ve seen Kaito a bit more than I’ve seen Hakuba. I really like Hakuba’s character. I like how he’s so sassy but still classy. He’s also really dreamy. But I feel that there’s still a lot that I should know about him. I think Hakuba needs more exposure, tbh.

I think I can’t talk too much about things that I dislike about Hakuba, since I don’t know him that much. Other than how Hakuba insulted Heiji in “Three Days with Hattori Heiji, (I’m not too salty about this. It was really entertaining how he ticked Heiji off. But yeah, he insulted my fave. Hahaha) I think there’s not much I could come up with since like I said, I still don’t know Hakuba that much.

So to sum things up, most of the things I dislike about the boys is about how they could be extreme with the distinct trait that they have (Heiji with his aggressiveness, Shinichi with his principles and idealism, Kaito with his “extra-ness” and Hakuba with his sass).  Over all, the ranking is based on how well I got attached to the character and how well I know the character, not necessarilly on who I liked best. I think they are all interesting characters to be honest. Also I think, this ranking is just temporary and I feel that it would change in time as their respective storylines progress.

I hope I made my explanations clear and I’m sorry this was really long. I tend to word fart a lot. I also hope I don’t disappoint anyone with my ranking. This is just my opinion and personal preference and like I said, this ranking could change over time. I also hope you guys know that I really do love these boys so much and it was really hard for me to rank them. Over all, I’m just really beyond thankful that Gosho blessed my life with the Gosho Boys.

[jaroslavlewis]

Beneath Cherry Blossoms in Sannouzi Temple

Title: Beneath Cherry Blossoms in Sannouzi Temple

Author: Jaroslav Lewis

Fandom: Detective Conan

Pairing: KazuHei with ShinRan on the side

Summary: She was trying to change. He acted on impulse. There they stood, in a familiar place. The place where it all began.

Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan and any of Gosho Aoyama's characters. I simply borrow them when I'm lonely.

Something had changed. She knew and no matter how hard she tried to deny it, she just couldn't shrug the thought off of her head. She tried to act as if nothing had, as if things were how they used to be but deep down she knew she had been different around him and that for the past few years she had just been pretending.

Hattori Heiji was no longer a mere childhood playmate, a best friend or as she'd always call him, a brother because he was so much more, perhaps all along he was never those things to her to begin with and it was only then that it struck her. It was an overwhelming awakening for her, liberating but also frightening.

She felt powerful whenever she was with him, almost as if she could do anything as long as he was by her side, as if she could surpass any challenge, any harm that could come her way. Heiji was her safe place, her home but that was all the more reason for her to be frightened about her feelings for him.

She thought he might not feel the same way; that maybe to her he was more than just a friend but to him, she was nothing more and nothing less. She figured she might not have any chance with him. Heiji was not only handsome, and well-skilled in Kendo he was also a renowned, brilliant high school detective while she was nothing but a plain teenage girl. Maybe her Aikido skills made her something more, but compared to Heiji's achievements, that was nothing to be proud of. Heiji would probably never see her as something more than an ahou (as he'd always call her).

She thought she could go on keeping it a secret to him, but the longer she tried to hide it the stronger she felt it, the urge to tell him the truth. There were so many instances when she tried to tell him about it, but also so many circumstances that hindered her from doing such (to which she somehow feels thankful for). The anxiety also always takes over her. Though she'd feel so determined to confess to him, in the end, she'd just chicken out and it happened countless times. Perhaps, the circumstances were just an excuse. It wasn't fate that's hindering her. It was herself all along.

Ever since she realized what he meant to her, a lot of things have been messing with her head also, with actions towards him. It used to be way less complicated back then, when she saw him as nothing more than a friend. But now, things have changed. She was more conscious of herself, of how she looked and how she acted especially when she's around him. She has been putting more effort on being more lady-like around him, even having second thoughts on continuing her Aikido training, worried that the martial art made her too intimidating.

Toyama Kazuha never cared about society's superficial beauty standards until then. She used to be fine with how she looked and never bothered being boyish around him but now, she'd always find herself browsing through some fashion magazines, looking for some tips on how she'd look more pleasing in his eyes. Most of her spare time revolved around scanning through the pages for articles on "Steps to Make a Guy Fall in Love with You" or anything of related topic. She even tried putting on light make up and styling her hair differently, a change which didn't go unnoticed by the observant young detective of the west.

"Oi, What took ya' so long? And ya' seem to still have some of the strawberry flavored thing ya' ate for breakfast on your lips, ahou." Heiji pointed out as she stepped out of her house, approaching him as he waited standing next to his motorcycle.

"It's lip tint, boke!" She retorted, clearly feeling as though her pride was stepped on and pulverized by the man who was the main reason she took an effort to look more presentable that morning.

"And for your information, it's cherry not strawberry.- Not that you'd care since ya' couldn't even tell the difference." She added.

"Pshhh and what's with your hair anyway? Where are all the ribbon things ya' use to tie that? Ya' know we're riding my bike to school. I don't want your hair all over my face when I'm driving!" He scolded, clueless about his childhood friend's intentions.

"I dropped the ribbon because it was too childish. Will ya' grow up for once, Heiji! You ahou!" She argued as she flung her school bag, almost hitting him on the arm, but missing as he stepped back, avoiding her beating. -Talk about good reflexes all thanks to Kendo. It was one of their usual childish fights. There was probably never a day that passes by that they don't have one. It wasn't Kazuha's favorite part of the day and frankly, she wished Heiji treated her like a lady and would be more of a gentleman, kind of like Ran-chan's Kudo-kun. Though she had to admit, those fights are what make them Kazuha and Heiji. It was one of the few things that are theirs and though she'd get tired of it at times, she'd never want it to change, she'd never want it to perish, whatever it was she had with him. And she knew deep down, if their relationship ever changed and if the daily quarrel with him stopped, she'd miss them, every moment she spent with him. She'd definitely miss him.

"Oi, ahou. Get on the friggin' bike, will ya'? If we run late to class, it's on ya'?" He said as he hopped on his bike and tossed the spare helmet to Kazuha and, waited for her to ride behind him.

Kazuha caught the helmet and wore it, concealing her face and the redness on her cheeks which were due to the heat of embarrassment, frustration she felt towards the same young man who has been making her heart throb against her chest and butterflies do somersaults inside her stomach. She hated how dense he was and how he couldn't even bother to tell her how beautiful she looked, always teasing her, making fun of her, making her feel even more insecure about herself. But what she hated even more was the fact that by the end of the day she could never hate him and he'd still be the one she'd want to look at her and notice her as something more than Kazuha the best friend, Kazuha the ahou.

Something was up and he was sure for he had known her long enough to know if something was bothering her. For the past few weeks, Toyama Kazuha hasn't been acting like herself. He noticed that she hadn't been tagging along him that much anymore. Just last week, she refused to go home with him because she wanted to be with her girl friends in Aikido club. At first, Heiji thought Kazuha just needed some time alone with the girls. After all, Kazuha had other friends too. The same way he liked being with his pals in Kendo club, or with people who understood his passion for the art of mysteries and deduction like, Kudo for the matter. But a day turned to two or three days of a week being out with others instead of him.

He used to spend his mornings going to school with her and afternoons going home with her but now, it's just the mornings for her and him. She wouldn't even go to lunch with him anymore, telling him that she had to be studying in the library or that she didn't want to eat anything because she was on a diet. Heiji thought it was complete bonkers. Kazuha had never been on a diet before. She didn't need to. She looked perfect.

He also noticed, she had been putting on makeup now and she also decided to wear her hair down. He thought she looked really beautiful that morning and that he was totally stupid for being an ass about it. It was just that he felt overwhelmed by how she was starting to change. He always thought she looked perfect even without make up on and that the ribbon has always been a part of her. He knew he'd never see her without one. He liked seeing her face with no obstructions on like her hair. Well, she had good hair it's just that, he loved it tied neatly, away from her face, so that he could see her clearly and look at her peridot orbs, adorable cheeks, perfectly-shaped nose and pinkish lips.

He secretly loved stealing glances from her whenever he's bored in class and he loved looking at her amusing facial expressions. He loved seeing her eyes light up as she smiles when she's interested in the lesson. He loved the way she'd crinkle her nose and pout her lips when she's concentrating on solving a difficult Math problem. He had even grown fond of teasing her because he loved seeing her adorable frown and her flushed cheeks when she's arguing with him. Heiji loved a lot of things about Kazuha and he hated seeing those things go away just because she decided to change. He didn't want her to change. But he figured it wasn't up to him. He isn't even her boyfriend in the first place.

Heiji couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there had to be a reason she was acting that way. As keen and intelligent as he seemed with his eidetic memory and brilliant reasoning skills, he figured Kazuha was one of the few things he could never figure out.

He thought that perhaps, Kudo was right after all… That no matter how good a detective you are, you'd never see through the heart of the woman you love…

"Oi, Hattori. What's up?" Kudo Shinichi's voice popped from his phone after a few rings, making him snap out from his reverie. He had to admit to himself that he felt relieved to hear his pal's voice, though he knew it would take him a long time to get used to East's Kudo Shinichi's real voice. He had always heard him with Conan's squeaky kid voice, it was different hearing him as a seventeen year old boy, but he was glad those days are over.

Growing up, Heiji never had siblings around to talk to. He always had Kazuha but at that moment, the problem WAS KAZUHA and he figured, the right person to turn to had to be Kudo. Afterall, they had a lot in common and were both hopelessly in love with their best friends.

"Any case there you want me to look into?" The high school detective from Tokyo asked when he heard no reply from his friend over the phone. It took a few seconds for Heiji to come up with a reply. It was the first time he'd actually confide to Shinichi about his love life. Usually, it was always about mysteries and tough cases and he never thought this day would come. It felt weird for him and very unnatural. He'd always put a tough act around Kudo, his pride always taking over. But this time was the right time to let that go. Kudo was his friend and he knew they shared a bond more than just solving cases. Heck, they've already gone through a tough life and death crisis when they took down the Black Organization, why should he hesitate about turning to Kudo to help him with his Kazuha Crisis?

"No… Actually… It's about Kazuha…" He stammered. He felt his face heat up in embarrassment when he heard Kudo chuckle over the phone.

"I see? Well what about her?" Shinichi asked calmly, encouraging him to go on after noticing the hesitation in Heiji's voice.

"She's been acting all weird lately…" He replied, telling him about her antics, the makeup the hair, everything. Shinichi listened fervently over the phone and thought about what might have been causing the girl to act that way and then it hit him…

"You know, Hattori… Well, this is just a speculation and this is clearly just based on your statements and what I've observed with Ran. Hmm… The first time I saw Ran dress up and put on light make up was when I asked her out on a date to the Beika Central Tower Restaurant. You don't think…"

"Kazuha has been asked out by some guy on a date?!" Heiji said, cutting him off whilst finishing the sentence for him. He felt like punching a wall for a moment, almost like when he got mad when he saw some guy flirting with Kazuha. The green-eyed monster was definitely acting up on him again.

"Look, I'm not saying that that's what is actually happening here, Hattori. It's just a speculation…" Shinichi said, trying to calm his friend down. "But you know, Kazuha's not some case you'd have to figure out on your own. If it really bothers you that much that she's changed, then why don't you just talk to her about it. I mean, you've got nothing to lose, Hattori."

"But what if… What if she finds out?" He asked worriedly.

"So what if she does find out?" Shinichi repeated, putting an emphasis on Heiji's own question. "Haven't you been trying to let her know all these years?"

"I know but it's not the right time yet. I'm not sure I'm ready to tell her yet…"

"Well, when will you be? When run into some goons and get into trouble solving cases?" Shinichi asked, giving him a little push. "Think about it Hattori or you'll regret it…"

"That's easy for you to say. You're perfectly fine with Ran now." Heiji scoffed, letting his stubborn side take over. He couldn't help but get jealous at how his friend was finally together with the girl of his dreams. He hoped he had the guts to tell Kazuha about how he truly feels the same way that Kudo got to tell Ran about his.

Kudo on the other hand, couldn't help but sigh as he rolled his eyes in frustration. He couldn't understand how the Osakan detective would bother calling him for advice in the middle of his studies (especially when he's got a lot to catch up on) and then just counter everything he's been telling him.

"Look, think about it this way… What if some guy is interested in Kazuha? What are you going to do?" He pressed, hoping that his western counterpart would take a hint.

"I don't know? Investigate and find out who the guy is?" Heiji replied, unsure of his answer.

"NO! YOU BAKA!" Shinichi scolded before heaving another sigh. "Well maybe I'd do that too, but that's not the point… What I'm trying to say is… Would you just let some other guy take her from you?"

Heiji stayed silent as his friend's words rang in his ears.

"Would you just let some other guy take her from you?"

He felt his heart beat rapidly against his chest. He wasn't quite sure if it was because of the excitement or anxiety that hit him, but he knew he had to do something about it.

"I think… I think I want to tell her…"

"Then go for it!"

"But, what do I say?"

"You'll just find the right words to say when you're there, Hattori." Shinichi said, remembering how the words just spilled out of his mouth when he chased Ran in London.

"Where should I do it? Should I do it right now or after class? Shouldn't I plan and take her somewhere special?" The detective of the west started bombarding him with so many questions.

"You just say it. It just happens. It doesn't matter where." The great detective of the east couldn't help but laugh. He genuinely smiled to himself as he recalled his confession in London, how beautiful the buildings are and the scenery was but at that moment nothing else was more beautiful than Ran.

'You wouldn't even notice or care where you are because when it happens all that matters is her and all you see is her…'

"You confessed to Ran in London." Heiji pointed out crestfallenly.

"It was a spur of the moment thing. Trust me. Planning is useless. Just let it happen."

Kazuha was shocked when she found Heiji standing by the locker room for Kaiho School Aikido Team. She noticed that he still had his Kendo uniform on and thought that he must've rushed there after practice. On the other hand, she too was still in her martial arts uniform and was thinking about changing. She hated the fact that Heiji seemed to have no clue of the concept of personal space. She hated that she had to see in her wrinkled Aikido uniform, covered in dirt and sweat, her hair tied up in a messy little ponytail.

Unbeknownst to her, Heiji didn't care if she didn't look that presentable. In fact, he even thought she looked adorable even when she was messy. He took notice of her wearing her hair up again, only to be a bit disappointed that she still wasn't wearing her signature ribbon.

"Hey, I was thinking of taking you somewhere after practice." Heiji announced as he leaned on the wall casually, briefly making eye-contact with her before breaking their gaze to look somewhere else as he felt really nervous.

Kazuha was bewildered by his sudden invitation. She didn't know what to say. She had been avoiding him for the past few weeks. She figured she needed some time away from him to sort out her emotions. Every moment she spent with him made her feel like bursting. She felt that she was not ready to be around him that much yet.

"Gomene, Heiji. I have other plans this afternoon." She replied with the littlest hint of remorse. She looked away to head straight to the girls' locker room, hoping to get away from him as soon as possible before he noticed that she was bluffing. Being a detective, Heiji had good skills in reading people. She was afraid he'd see right through her. She wasn't even a good liar to begin with.

Heiji couldn't help but notice the hint of coldness in her tone and it was then that he confirmed it. His suspicion was right after all. Kazuha had been trying to avoid him for the past few week.

Before he could say anything and confront her about it, Kazuha had already walked out on him and went straight to the girls' shower a place she knew Heiji couldn't enter. Obviously.

He muttered a curse under his breath, but decided to let it go, thinking that making a fuss about it would only be a waste of time. And so, he went straight to the boys' shower and decided to get rid of all the sweat and dirt he had from sparring, cool down and shrug all the negative thoughts he had in his head.

'Maybe I should just try another day… Maybe tomorrow before class…' He thought to himself as he left the shower running as he stood there, lost in his thoughts. He had been finished draining the excess soap from his body and was done almost half an hour ago, but his pondering kept him there.

"Haven't you been trying to let her know all these years?"

"Would you just let some other guy take her from you?"

And it hit him.

"OI! HATTORI YOU'VE BEEN THERE TOO LONG! ARE YA' DEAD OR SOMETHING?" One of his peers called out from outside his shower door.

In one swift movement Heiji turned the shower knob to stop the water from running and wrapped his towel around his waist. He got out of the shower and scrambled to get into his clothes, hoping to make it quick to Kazuha.

'Crap. Why did I have to spend too much time thinking about this on the shower?'

Heiji was lucky that girls take a lot of time getting ready. Despite taking too long in the shower, he was able to run into Kazuha in the hallway. He spotted her walking with some guy from their school's Aikido team. They were chatting as they took long slow steps by the corridor. Heiji also noticed how Kazuha would giggle and smile at him from time to time. He felt jealousy boil up inside him when he observed how the guy stole glances from her. She wasn't his but her Peridot orbs, cute little nose and pink lips were only his to look at. At least, that's what he thought so…

"See ya' tomorrow, Ryuu-senpai! Take care!" Kazuha said, bidding her colleague good bye. As the two part ways, Heiji rushed to grab her wrist, stealing her away as he dragged her with him.

"Oi! H-Heiji! What are you doing?" Kazuha asked, astounded by her childhood friend's harsh actions. His steps quicken as he continues to drag her with him. He went faster with every step he took. Kazuha almost tripped.

With all the strength she could muster, Kazuha stopped her tracks and pulled her wrist away from Heiji's grasp.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" She questioned furiously, massaging her already numb wrist.

"You told me, you and I have a bond of steal that no one's ever going to break…" He replied. She stared at him in a clueless manner with her light green orbs. Though she knew exactly what those words meant, after all she had said them to him countless times; she had no idea what they had to do with Heiji's current actions.

"I've had it with you avoiding me for the past few weeks. If you have a problem with me, Kazuha just say it." Heiji said exasperatedly as he looked into her eyes, piercing her Peridots with his Emeralds.

Kazuha felt her heart beat fast upon the young detective's sudden interrogation. She quickly avoided his gaze as she struggled to come up with a reply.

"It's like I don't know ya' anymore." He spoke when he heard no response from her.

"Heiji I…" She was at lost for words. How was she ever going to tell him?

Unbeknownst to Heiji, it broke her heart that she had to avoid him for the past few weeks. She missed him a lot. But being around him hurt her as well. She was hurt with every second that she had to be with him, suppressing her feelings for him.

Her lack of response drove Heiji to desperation. Without having anymore second thoughts…

"Look just answer me honestly." He demanded. "Who's the guy?"

Kazuha was taken aback by his boldness. She had always known him to be very straight-forward but she never expected him to have that kind of audacity to ask her such a private question.

'It's you. Ahou.'

"What the hell are ya' talkin' about. Th-there is no guy or what-so ever." She denied breaking their gaze, hoping that he wouldn't pester her anymore.

"You're not around me anymore. All of a sudden, you're wearing your hair down and you even put on makeup. You're being more conscious about how you look like or how you're acting. You think I wouldn't notice?" He deduced.

Kazuha was taken aback by the young detective's conclusion. She never knew he'd go out of his way and use his skills to figure her out. Though his intelligence and keen eye for details had always amazed her, it bothered her that he used such skills to invade her privacy. Though it seems that it shouldn't matter anymore, considering that they had known each other for years, it's still a given that they should set boundaries for each other. After all, Heiji is still a man and Kazuha is still a lady. Heiji crossed that line and it embarrassed Kazuha.

"I'm not one of your silly detective cases, Heiji…" She said in a tone almost inaudible for him to hear. Her face was flushed a deep shade of crimson from embarrassment and also from holding the tears that were right on the corner of her light green eyes. "I'm not some culprit you just corner around with your deductions…"

She mustered the courage to look him in the eye even though his gorgeous emerald orbs were so hurtful to look at, at that very moment. He had a guilty look in his face, it was hard not to forgive him right away, but Kazuha's stubbornness was strong to fight that urge. She wasn't ready to tell him. She wasn't ready to lose him.

As Kazuha turned her heel to walk away from him, Heiji felt his body move on its own. On normal circumstances, he would just let her go and let her be mad at him. But it was different, now. He had learned where he messed up. He wasn't going to let her go.

He grabbed her wrist again and made her face him. Her tears failed her and fell rebelliously from her light green eyes. She struggled to pull herself away from his grasp, but to no avail, she was drag relentlessly by Heiji until they reached the spot where he parked his motorcycle.

He sighed as he loosened his grip on her aching wrist. He lifted her by the chin and made her look into his eyes. He gave her a soft gaze and smiled at her sadly as he tucked her hair behind her ear and brushed her tears away. He took something from his pocket; a silky dark green ribbon. He leaned in towards her as he reached for her long dark brown hair and used the ribbon to tie it neatly. Kazuha couldn't help but blush at how close Heiji was too her. Her cheek was abruptly pressed to his chest and she swore she heard his heart skip a beat.

"I know you're upset." He said as he pulled away from her and took the extra helmet and gently placed it on Kazuha's head. "But there's something I have to tell you… There's something I have to do. Something I should have done years ago."

He took his helmet and rode his bike. Kazuha's body move against her will as she sat behind him, cursing to herself, annoyed at how no matter what happens she just couldn't stay mad at him.

As soon as Heiji felt that Kazuha was riding securely behind him, he took off to an hour drive to the place where he first found out that he had fallen in love with his best friend.

The sky was orange as the sun was about to set when they arrived at Sannouzi Temple in Kyoto. Nostalgia started to kick in as a tinge of familiarity hit both of them. The two know the place from a fond memory in their childhood, a memory which Kazuha never knew she shared with him. Heiji took Kazuha to a memorable spot underneath a Sakura Tree.

"Maru Take Ebisu Ni Oshi Oike

Yome San Rokkaku Tako Nishiki

Shia Aya Buttaka Matsu Man Gojou

Sekida Chara Chara Uonotana

Rokujou Santesu toorisugi

Shichijo koerba Hachi Kujou

Juujou Touji de Todomesasu"

He could remember clearly how soft her voice sounded as she sang the folk nursery rhyme, how beautiful she looked in her red kimono, how dramatic the scene was as cherry blossoms fell down on her while she stood there, immersed as she played and bounced her ball with her small hands. Ten-year-old him watched her immensely, mesmerized by her charm. He was young when he decided that she was his first love. He thought she was some girl from Kyoto and mistakenly thought that she was two years older than him. He looked for her for so many years, foolishly not knowing that she had been beside him all along.

"I promised I'd tell you until you get tired of it…" He said. "I've always stood up for the truth, but to be honest, there's something I've been keeping from you all along. I've always had the chance to tell you, but I always blew it."

Kazuha stood by, leaning against the tree trunk as she observed and listened to him intently. Heiji had always been an open book to her, but at that moment he looked just so natural and transparent. He looked more vulnerable, but more human. It was a different side of him he had never seen in her life. He was always acting so strong around her, always trying to protect her, always so confident as he solves cases and corners culprits into surrendering to the police. It was a total contrast to how he looked at that moment. There was no spark of confidence in his eyes. He was talking very slowly, even stammering in between his sentences. He kept fidgeting as he placed his hands in his pockets. She also noticed that… he was blushing…

Though the sight of him was new to her, there was something about him that hadn't changed. He looked sincere as always like when he'd call her an idiot and get mad at her whenever she'd get in trouble but his eyes would always tell her he was worried sick about her. Like when he saved her from falling from a cliff and she instead wounded him with an arrow, so he'd let go and save himself, but he didn't. Like when she almost got shot and he took a bullet for her and injured his left arm. She cried a lot but he still smiled and gave her a pat on her head. He even let her hug him tight as she cried on his chest.

"Last year, when we came here with Ran and Kudo, you asked me if I had found the mystery girl from Kyoto. I told you I did, but I never told you who she was. That's because I found out that she was you all along." He continued. Kazuha's mouth went agape at the sudden revelation.

"I love you, Kazuha. I always had, even before I knew that you were my first love. I promise you I'd tell you until you get tired and this is me, keeping that promise." He said, mustering all the courage he could use to get it all out of his chest. "I know I have been a jerk to you all your life and you probably don't see me as a man or anything. And ya' probably like someone else-"

She realized that it was her time to tell him. Driven by her strong emotions that have been longing to be set free for years, she threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around him as she rested her head on his chest, hugging him so tight as her tears soaked his school uniform top.

"I love you too, Heiji." She whispered against his ear, wasting no more time. And she figured it felt good to say it. It was new to her, but it was all good.

Heiji was still in shock, but returned her embrace and rested his head on her shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of her orange-blossom perfume.

It seemed like forever when he pulled away from her.

"But I thought… I thought you liked someone else." He said, still surprised, but undeniably happy that she reciprocated his feelings.

"It was all for you… " She answered, shyly. "Ahou. I thought you'd like me more if I looked more… I don't know, lady-like I guess."

"Ahou…" He chuckled at her foolishness. He gave her a soft smile as he lifted her by the chin and made her look into his emerald orbs. "I don't mind the changes you'd like to make for yourself. But I do love the bare face, the girly ribbons, even the boyishness… It's all you, Kazuha…"

She gave him a small smile as she nodded.

"Now, care to explain to me why you've been trying to get away from me?" He asked suspiciously as he raised an eyebrow at her.

It was her time to fidget and come up with an explanation.

"I was honestly trying to get over you…" She answered. "But I couldn't."

"Well you wouldn't now, would ya'?" He said, smirking as he leaned closer to her, her face only a few inches away from his.

"Don't push it." She warned.

"If you had told me sooner, this wouldn't have been complicated." He teased, making her frown.

"Hey! I would have told you if I had known how you feel. And how would I know? You could have at least dropped a hint!" She retorted.

And there they were again with the bickering…

"I have been dropping hints all over you! S-some hints at least! Ahou!" He argued.

"Really, now Mr. Detective? We'll it wasn't very clear to me!"

"A guy would never hang on a cliff that long with a girl who just poked his hand with an arrow if he didn't love her!"

"Oh yeah! Well that doesn't count. I'm your best friend and that was a life and death situation. Besides, you were constantly teasing me, always calling me ahou-mmph"

She was cut off when he closed the distance between them and pressed his lips onto hers. Her eyes widened in shock as she felt his lips brushed gingerly against hers. It took a few seconds for her to respond to the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Kazuha took a small step back and felt the tree behind her, leaning to it as he pushed himself closer to her and tilted his head a bit as he deepened the kiss, brushing a bit of his tongue against her lower lip, asking for access in which she granted right away.

'Yep. It's cherry alright.' He thought to himself, submitting to his error in his deduction earlier, remembering their argument about her liptint as he tasted more of her sweet lips.

In Sannouzi Temple, underneath the same Sakura Tree stood the once ten-year- old girl who innocently sang Kyoto's Road Song as she absentmindedly played with her little toy, oblivious to the world around her and to the boy who like her was once ten-years-old and observed her with so much curiosity in his eyes. So mesmerized, that he missed her when she left.

It was the same place, the same old Sakura tree that showered them with cherry blossoms as they stood beneath it, except it was different because the girl and the boy were no longer ten years old and they had found each other. In the same place where it all began, a new beginning, a new chapter was bound to unfold.

AN: 14 pages. 5,939 words. First fanfic in almost two years and first ever attempt at KazuHei. I've written some Detective Conan fanfics here when I was twelve. All of them were about ShinRan and all poorly written so I decided to delete them. Hahaha! It took me a week to finish this 5,000+-word one-shot. I had a hard time figuring out how I should end it. I wanted to make the fic romantic and sweet but the same time, keep Kazuha and Heiji's characters and maintain their "tough love" kind of relationship. I'm really fond of how they try to hide that they care about each other, especially Heiji who's got this slightly arrogant shell on the outside but is actually a shy softy for Kazuha. I hope I gave justice to the KazuHei pairing with this fic. I also hope that you guys enjoyed reading this, as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I'm really sorry if this fanfic is way too long to be a one-shot and I apologize if it bores you to death. I just really word-farted and tbh, it's all because I've written the first part with so much feelings for a guy friend that I have liked/loved for some time now. Anyway, that's a different story and it's not very much like KazuHei coz he has a girlfriend. Hence, here I am stuck in the friendzone. He doesn't know anything btw. I'm considering telling him, but I don't know. It's such a big risk and I doubt that it would be anything like this fanfic. XD Hahaha I guess, I'll just pour my heart on writing and focus my energy on KazuHei/ShinRan fanfics while I try to get over him. I don't know. Hahaha Okay, I'm word farting again. So sorry! . Anyway, hope you guys R and R! 3

Love

~J

"Watcha' doing to my Kazuha?" Was on record and was kept playing on repeat in Kazuha's cellphone while her boyfriend, sat and covered his flushed face with a pillow.

"Remind me to send Kudo-kun and Ran-chan a gift of appreciation for this fine treasure, ne, Heiji!" Kazuha giggled teasingly at her embarrassed detective of the west.

"Ahh! Stop it will you!" He complained as he threw the pillow away and tried to snatch the phone from Kazuha, but to no avail. "Delete that thing!"

"I was right afterall. You did say 'MY Kazuha'" She teased as held the phone away from him. "I'm going to make this my ringtone."

-Owari-