Chapter Text
“Did you hear? That high school detective did it again!”
“Kudo’s feats are all over the news!”
Her lips quivered as murmurs reached her ears.
“Look! It's Kudo-senpai!”
A bubbling feeling rose within her chest.
“Wow… she is so pretty… How can she be so gorgeous?”
“I'm going to send a fan letter!”
“So cool…!”
A television nearby was airing a feature on her and announced, “We can surely call her the Savior of the Police Force!”
Kudo Shinichi was bursting with pride, so much so that she couldn't hold her lips back from stretching into a wide smirk. She was the talk of the town! Praise kept on flowing in from all sides and Shinichi couldn’t be more satisfied.
Suddenly, a bundle of cloth came swinging at her face. Shinichi swiftly stumbled back to dodge before giving the perpetrator the stink eye. Without a gleam of guilt, the culprit, Mouri Ran huffed, “What's with that annoying smirk…”
“What are you mad about, Ran?” Shinichi pouted, giving the karate bag the stink eye. “Don’t tell me… your dad still hasn't gotten any work?”
“Hmph!” Ran turned her nose away.
“Hey, there's nothing I can do about that, you know?” Shinichi shook her head. Her childhood friend Mouri Ran lived with her dad who quit the police force and became a detective. But the old man could barely get any cases unlike herself. “It’s not my fault your dad is just not—”
Ran’s fist to a now-crumbling concrete pole cut her off. The other girl sweetly laughed, contrasting her earlier action, “I said it was nothing.”
“Ah, yes, right.” Shinichi sweated as she stared at the threat. She got the message and shut up on the topic. Quickly, she distracted her friend on another matter. “So, do you know what you want to try at Tropical Land?”
This topic instantly got a rise out of Ran. Her childhood friend recounted all the research she had done thus far for their trip tomorrow. It was a celebration for Ran’s achievement at becoming the champion of the latest karate championship. Originally, there were supposed to be three of them going, but their other childhood friend, Suzuki Sonoko, couldn't make it because of a family matter. So, now it was just going to be the two of them.
“How about you, Shinichi?”
“What about me?”
“Do you have a ride you want to try? Or an attraction you want to see?”
“Hmm…” Shinichi mulled over the park’s attractions she had seen through research. There wasn't any particular one she had her eye on. But there was one that had an interesting name—at least to her. “Maybe the mystery coaster?”
“No way! Doesn't that have ghosts in it?!” Of course, Ran immediately denied the idea. She was always squeamish about those sorts of things.
“Don't worry, Ran! There's no such thing as ghosts.” A mischievous smirk spread on Shinichi's lips. “But there will probably be some of those scary animatronics. It is an amusement park ride, after all.”
Shinichi could see Ran imagine it as she paled. Really, she was too scared of those things. However, when she saw the smirk on Shinichi's face, Ran realized she was just being teased. “Oh, you!”
Shinichi laughed as she ran ahead, dodging the flying fists and kicks aimed at her—lightly swung by Ran’s definition, but packing more than a punch under Shinichi's. The detective was athletic, but she couldn't dream to compare with the karate champion. Besides, she was a firm believer of fighting with her wits as a great detective rather than physically. Hence, another reason she chose soccer over fencing or kendo or some other martial art. Thankfully, that helped her dodge Ran’s playfully lethal lunges by a hair.
With amazing athletic ability that helped her take down fleeing culprits and a keen mind that deduced the truth in a flash, Kudo Shinichi made a name for herself.
The Great Detective of the East;
The Savior of the Police Force;
The Heisei Holmes—
—those were the names she was called. Befitting those titles, Shinichi solved cases in no time and with a dramatic flair.
The case at the mystery coaster was no different. Shinichi gathered the clues diligently, saw past the fake evidence (the bloodied knife), and deduced the true culprit: the gymnast lady.
Solving mysteries, chasing criminals, and uncovering the truth were a thrill for Shinichi. The high school girl felt so alive in those moments. She could never stop being a detective.
To Shinichi, being a detective was her life.
That was why she didn’t think twice about leaving Ran behind, sneaking after those suspicious men in black, and watching the sketchy deal one of them was making with some businessman.
Just who are these people…?
“Your detective game ends here,” A chilling voice creeped up from behind her.
Before she knew it, she had been knocked to the ground and a pill (Poison? She vaguely heard the words, “new poison”) down her throat.
Pain was what brought her back to consciousness.
Her body was burning like it was on fire.
Her bones felt like they were melting.
She clawed at the grass in an effort to stay awake. She couldn’t let those guys get away. She couldn’t die like this.
But the pain was too much for her brain to handle.
Her vision blacked out.
When Shinichi next opened her eyes, a bright light made her immediately shut them again. There were two people in front of her—security guards, she realized.
Her head ached hard, making her reach up to feel it. It didn’t take her long to recall what had happened: the men in black, being hit on the head, forced to take poison, and left to die.
But I didn’t. Guess that experimental drug wasn’t so lethal after all, heh.
But something was off. Shinichi couldn’t quite understand what though.
“I’m protecting an injured young girl.” The security guard spoke into his radio, reporting about finding Shinichi. Young? I’m not young enough that I’d be called that over a teenager— “No, it’s an elementary school student.”
An elementary school student?! That’s when it hit her. Her clothes were hanging off her—too big.
Something was very wrong.
Shinichi ran.
In the dark, she pulled up her pants, rolled up the bottom of the legs as she tumbled forward. When that wasn’t enough, she tied her jacket around her waist to keep it from dropping as she stumbled out of the amusement park. She raced through the dark streets in a panic. For some reason, it was hard to breathe even though she had only run a short distance to escape.
More and more evidence lined up as if she needed anything else to tell her that the impossible had happened. Shinichi had shrunk, somehow (the poison), and surely now looked like a child that had been in an accident or incident (which is the truth).
Shinichi inhaled and exhaled. This was no time to panic. She had to get somewhere safe.
Would there be anywhere safe for her to be though?
Shinichi shoved the questions down, focusing on what was before her: reaching her house, convincing the professor that it was her, and getting into her own house. After all that was settled, she could at last get cleaned up. She desperately wanted a shower.
The warm water poured down on her, helping her body relax. If only the stream could wash away her worries as well. But, no, if anything this space allowed her mind to return to its original faculties.
Those men in black… just who were they? A criminal organization? Yakuza? No, they didn’t seem like that… Plus, what yakuza developed drugs like that?
Shinichi shook her head. This required more investigation. She needed to find those men and get that drug or an antidote if they have it.
But how? How am I supposed to investigate when I look like a grade schooler?
Shinichi glared back at her reflection. Her hair that had been long hair as a teenager was not just as short as it was when she was a kid. She appeared to be about seven-years old, give or take a year. She would need to compare her appearance with some albums to know for sure where she stood in age now. Regardless, she had approximately de-aged by ten years. She was so short she needed to find a stool to even use the sink.
Shinichi buttoned up her clothes. She had chosen one of the suits her mom kept from when she was in grade school. It fit perfectly, much to Shinichi’s displeasure.
“The one thing I miss from this time though…” She mumbled, patting her chest. “... is that I don’t have to deal with my breasts.” She snickered sardonically before returning to her reflection.
While Shinichi was quite proud of her grown up figure, sometimes she found her chest inconvenient. For example, she couldn’t just throw on any top when she chose her outfit. She had to make sure that the top did not look weird around her chest.
There was a time in her life that she wanted to dress more like a boy out of convenience. It was frowned upon to get dresses and skirts dirty, but boys could play and get dirty as they liked. So, as a kid, she had begged her mom to buy her boy’s clothes. Her current outfit was from one of those shopping sprees.
“I was quite silly back then,” Shinichi huffed as she tilted her head from side to side. “If I just cut my hair, then I could’ve passed for a boy too.”
Wait… pass for a boy?
“Professor!” Within a second, she shouted for the man and dug through the drawers for the haircutting kit.
What better way to hide that the girl detective became a kid, then to become a little boy, right?
“Listen, Shinichi,” As she was trapped in a chair until Agasa finished cutting her hair, Shinichi was forced to listen to the man lecture him. “If those men in black know you’re still alive, they’ll definitely come back to kill you.” He warned with good reason.
Shinichi stayed quiet and listened, focusing on staying still so the professor didn’t mess up. She wanted her hair short, not bald.
“We must keep this a secret between you and I.” Finishing up, Agasa set down the scissors. “You must not tell anyone.” Then, he grabbed Shinichi’s shoulders and sternly emphasized. “Not even Ran-kun!”
“Shinichi!” As if summoned by her name, Ran’s voice echoed through the house. “Are you home?”
“It’s Ran!”
“Oh no! Quickly, hide”
“How?! I’m still full of hair clippings on me!”
“Just clean it up later!”
The two scrambled in a panic as Ran’s footsteps got closer and closer to the study.
“If you’re back, why didn’t you answer my call?”
Shinichi finally got the bright idea of hiding under the desk right before Ran entered the room.
“Huh? Professor Agasa? Where’s Shinichi?”
Behind the desk, Shinichi saw them: her dad’s glasses. For some reason, the drawer was open, but at least that came in handy. Shinichi picked up the glasses and put them on hastily, forgetting that her father wore prescription glasses.
The instant she put them on, she got dizzy and hit her head against the table.
“Ow, ow…” Shinichi mumbled, blinking her eyes to recover. She had to take out the lenses first before she could wear them.
“Wow, aren’t you a shy one?” Ran’s voice was right behind her just as she put the lens-less glasses on. A hand on her shoulder startled her, making it impossible for her to reject being turned around. “Come on! Look here!”
Shinichi was stunned. Her brain was whirling for excuses, ways to get over this sudden obstacle for all that she and the professor had just discussed seconds ago. However, there was no way glasses and a haircut could hide her identity—not from Ran.
They have been best friends since childhood. They have been through thick and thin together! There was no way, Ran would not recognize her just because of a little haircut and glasses! She knew what Shinichi looked like as a kid after all!
“This child…” Ran stared into her eyes.
This was it. Shinichi had no choice. She had to give in and tell the truth. That was the only answer. Maybe she could at least keep it vague so that Ran wasn’t in danger—
“... is so cute!” All of a sudden, Ran hugged her tight like she was some stuffed toy or something.
Never mind.
“What’s your name?”
Just as relief had washed over her, panic returned. “My name is Shin—”
No, I need something else! Her large eyes scanned the books around her before they landed on the ones behind her. She locked onto the words “Edogawa” and “Conan”.
“Conan!” Shinichi exclaimed, “My name is Edogawa Conan!”
“Conan?” Ran blinked, taken aback. “What a strange name.”
Well, sorry my naming sense is weird.
“It’s because my dad is a fan of Conan Doyle’s novels, so…” Shinichi spat out lies as fast as she could.
“Somehow, you look a lot like Shinichi…”
Shinichi felt herself sweat and sarcastically retorted internally at those words. At least you have some awareness.
Not being found by Ran might have failed. But, at least, not being found out as Shinichi was a success.
As a bonus, Shinichi secured a method to investigate the men in black that shrunk her. The professor’s bright improvisation led to her being taken in by Ran. Incompetent as he was, Ran’s dad was a detective. There was a possibility that information might flow in that would lead to those men. Or she would be able to make some police connections without alerting anyone that she was Shinichi, then they could investigate on her behalf.
At least, that was how Shinichi tried to convince herself that this was a good idea.
Shinichi really could not believe the gall of this man, Mouri Kogoro. Not only was he incompetent, messy, and a deadbeat—but he was also an utter idiot as well. How did he even make it through the police academy with deduction skills like this?
On top of that, he didn’t even appreciate it when she tried to help lead him to the truth! When she asked the right questions, instead of listening as he should, he took it upon himself to punch her in the head! This was child abuse!
“Otou-san! What are you doing hitting a little girl like that?!” Ran snapped at her father before kneeling down to check Shinichi’s head.
She noticed?! That was more shocking than the aftereffects of Kogoro’s punch.
“Are you alright, Conan-kun?”
But she’s been calling me with “-kun” this whole time. I thought she thought I was a boy…
“LITTLE GIRL?!” Kogoro released an offending screech. “Who? This brat?!”
The older man paled considerably at the revelation, leaving Shinichi peeved. What? Then, is it alright to hit a little boy instead?
Shinichi set her disgust aside. There was nothing rebelling over that would do. Instead, Shinichi focused her sharp mind and senses. She needed to solve this case fast for the kidnapped little girl.
Thankfully, Shinichi’s quick thinking led to her saving the little girl and then being subsequently saved by Ran who fought off the culprit.
“The kidnapper has been caught by me, the Great Detective, Mouri Kogoro!”
Of course, the old man took the credit for all of their hard work though.
Shinichi resigned herself. She had a feeling this was going to be her life for now—
—At least, until she managed to get a cure to return to her old body.