"You're looking for Shinichi?" Ran Mouri blinked in surprise at the dark-skinned boy standing in the doorway.
"Yeah," he said bluntly, his Kansai accent thick. "He's here, ain't he?"
Without waiting for permission, the Osaka boy strode right into the detective agency.
Ran hesitated, halfway through scolding him for barging in, when a calm voice spoke from the back of the room.
"What do you need with me?"
The Kansai teen turned, eyeing Ren Kuroda, who had just looked up from the couch. "You're Shinichi Kudo?"
"That's right," Ren said without missing a beat.
The boy pulled out his phone and flipped through his photos. "This picture—this one's you?"
Ren didn't even glance at it. "Yeah, that's me."
The Osaka teen frowned, his brows furrowing. "You sure?"
"Yeah. I used to be skinnier back then," Ren replied smoothly, perfectly straight-faced.
"…That's not you at all!" the boy finally snapped, lowering his phone in irritation. "Quit messin' with me! You're way better lookin' than that guy!"
Ren sighed dramatically. "So even that flaw in my disguise gave me away, huh? Guess I can't fool you after all."
Ran couldn't help but snicker behind her hand. Watching Ren deliberately tease the poor kid was more entertaining than TV.
Then a familiar voice piped up from behind her:"What kind of eyesight do you have?! Shinichi-nii looks way better than him!"
Ran froze, her heart leaping. "Conan—wait, huh? Shinichi?!"
She turned, wide-eyed, as Conan and a young man who looked exactly like Shinichi Kudo walked in side by side.
"Hey, Ran. Long time no see."
The real—or at least very convincing—Shinichi greeted her casually, one hand in his pocket, every movement effortlessly cool.
Ren and the Osaka boy both turned toward the door.
"Oh! Kudo Shinichi!" the Kansai teen's eyes lit up. He started forward excitedly—only for Ren to sidestep and shove him aside.
"Shinichi! Long time no see—I missed you, man!" Ren exclaimed, spreading his arms and pulling the bewildered "Shinichi" into a tight hug.
"Uh—huh?" The fake Shinichi stiffened, caught completely off guard. He looked over Ren's shoulder toward Conan, silently screaming Are we supposed to be this close?!
Conan blinked, equally confused. Since when are we that friendly?
Ren ignored them both and gave a "concerned" squeeze to the imposter's arm, thigh, then backside. "You've gotten so thin—look at these legs! You're skin and bones!"
"Ah—ahaha… casework's been rough lately," "Shinichi" said nervously, pulling free and straightening his jacket.
"You're just in time," Ren said cheerfully, steering him toward the Osaka boy. "Someone came looking for you."
"You're Shinichi Kudo?" the boy confirmed, tugging down the brim of his baseball cap.
"That's me," "Shinichi" replied, keeping his cool. "And you are?"
"I'm Heiji Hattori, from Osaka!" the boy declared proudly. "I came all the way here to challenge you!"
"Challenge…?" Conan tilted his head, intrigued. He didn't recognize the name.
Ren helpfully explained, "He's a high-school detective too—one from the Kansai region. Online, people call you 'Kudo of Kanto' and him 'Hattori of Kansai.' You two are supposed to be equals."
"Seriously?" Conan's eyes sparkled. A rival detective his own age? That actually sounded fun.
"So what kind of challenge?" he asked eagerly.
"Simple," Heiji said confidently. "When the next client shows up, whoever solves the case first wins. How's that sound?"
"I'm in!" Conan answered instantly.
"Hold it!" The "Shinichi" beside him—actually Yukiko Kudo in disguise—grabbed Conan and dragged him into a corner. "You are not doing this!" she hissed.
"Come on, Mom—please!" Conan whispered urgently. "They came all the way from Osaka! If I run away now, everyone'll think I'm scared! I can't look like a coward!"
"You can't!" Yukiko hissed, shaking her head. "Did you forget what your father said? You cannot appear in public, under any circumstances!"
"Please, Okaa-san! Just this once!" Conan begged, his voice desperate. "It's been forever since I've had a real case to sink my teeth into!"
"No means no!"
"Then don't force me to kneel!" Conan warned. "Because if I drop to my knees right here, you know I won't stop until you give in!"
"You—! Are you threatening your own mother?!" Yukiko's eyes went wide in disbelief. Since when did my son become so shameless?!
While the two whispered furiously in the corner, Ran leaned toward Ren, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "What do you think they're talking about?"
"Probably debating whether to accept Heiji's challenge," Ren said with an amused smirk.
He watched "Shinichi" carefully, eyes glinting. That soft, smooth skin when he'd hugged and "checked" him earlier—he could tell immediately this wasn't Shinichi Kudo.
This "Shinichi" was Yukiko Kudo in disguise.
And if she was here pretending to be her son… well, that only meant one thing.Her goal wasn't him. It was Ran.
So that's your move, huh? Ren thought, a grin tugging at his lips. Fine. I'll play along.
Out loud, he asked innocently, "Hey, Ran, do you know how long those two have known each other?"
Ran blinked. "Um… actually, I don't. Now that you mention it, I don't think Shinichi's ever talked about Conan before."
She frowned slightly, realizing that she didn't know Shinichi quite as completely as she'd always believed.That realization stung more than she expected.
Ren nodded sympathetically. "They act so much alike, it's no wonder they get along so well. Honestly, sometimes I feel like Conan is Shinichi."
Ran's eyes widened. "Right?! I think that all the time too!"
Ren was about to say more when he heard footsteps on the stairs.
A middle-aged woman wearing dark sunglasses appeared at the entrance.
Ren straightened and stepped forward politely. "Welcome to the Mouri Detective Agency. Please, come in."
He turned toward the others. "Hattori, Kudo—looks like your client's here."
Heiji instantly jumped up from the sofa, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "All right, ma'am! Tell us your problem!"
Conan darted over to join him, unwilling to be left behind.
Yukiko clenched her fists, face twitching with frustration. She wanted nothing more than to drag her "son" away by the ear—but there were too many people watching, and she couldn't blow her cover.
So she forced a smile, swallowed her anger, and sat back down.
The battle of wits between the Detective of the East and the Detective of the West—with Ren Kuroda watching from the sidelines—was about to begin.