The Melancholy of Spring

[Edogawa Conan]

Conan sighed, sticking his hands in the pockets of his sweater as he idly looked around at the many people bustling about. He personally wasn't a very big fan of festivals -- too many people walking and shoving (mostly into him, which was really annoying given his short stature), and not nearly enough interesting things to do. He would much rather be at home reading a book, but alas, he was dragged here and forced to come along.

He and his mother had come to Osaka per Hattori's request, and eventually they had decided to come to the Plum Blossom Festival at Osaka Castle Park. Turns out they came right at the perfect time of year for viewing, so it should have been obvious that they would inevitably make their way here.

"Okay," he said once he was done surveying the area. "We're here. Anything you guys want to do first?" The faux child gestured towards the many stands ahead with a sweep of his arm.

[Kudo Yukiko]

Yukiko couldn't recall the last time she was in Osaka, and the fact that Heiji had invited her and Shinichi over was a surprise. Due to her own personal reasons, Yukiko didn't invite Kaito to tag along with them, and she had a hunch that he would be just as relieved as it meant spending time with detectives.

Yukiko blinked when she heard her son speak, looking down to him. "Why don't we leave that up to Heiji-kun, Shin-chan?" Yukiko said contentedly. While she would have jumped at an activity if she had seen something that grabbed her interest, Yukiko hadn't gone to a Japanese festival in a long time—three years, in fact—and she was a little unprepared for this one with Heiji's sudden request to attend.

"But say Shin-chan, how'd you manage to convince Ran-chan to let you come alone?" Yukiko inquired, and then turned to Heiji, "And Heiji-kun, are you sure your parents are okay with us staying with you for the night? Because I can always get Shin-chan and I a hotel room!"

[Hattori Heiji]

"Well there are game stalls to play, and the good ol' Osaka festival foods to try. Otherwise we can always walk around the park ya know? It is a blossom view festival." Heiji said pointing out the different venues as he called them out. Osaka castle loomed over head of them. It was were the local stalls were in order to attract the tourist that were viewing the castle. "I live this each year so what ya two wanna do I'm fine with."

"An I'm sure it's fine. Dad usually works late an' I'm sure Ma is a fan of yours Yukiko-han. I'm sure she'll be overjoyed to have ya. And it's a big place." Heiji said with a shrug. Unlike the Kudo Manor back in Tokyo, the Hattori household was more traditional Japanese. Heiji knelt down to Kudo's level and put a hand on the shrunken detective's head. "This guy should know, he stayed there once. Told me my soccer skills sucked."

He ruffled his rival's hair with a mischievous smirk on his face.

[Edogawa Conan]

Conan shrugged, signaling that he was fine with whatever Hattori chose to do. He didn't particularly care where they went to or what they did, as long as he could still have some free time at the end of the day to read.

"I told her that Heiji-niichan," he looked at Heiji and smirked, speaking the name in his absurdly high pitched childish voice just to get on the Osakan's nerves, "Was going to take me somewhere to eat lots of delicious food! And that it's just a guy only thing, so no girls allowed!" He crossed his arms with a huff. Sure, he hated playing the small and innocent child, but if it got on Hattori's nerves then sometimes it was worth it. It was his fault they were even there, anyway.

And, his mom had asked how he convinced her. That was how.

He thought over Hattori's suggestions and shrugged, speaking in his normal voice. "Not up for games, and I'm not very hungry. I don't mind just walking around. What do you think, mom?"

But then suddenly Hattori started ruffling his hair, and Conan swatted at him irritably. "Oi, oi! Quit that! Your soccer skills do suck! You had to have a seven year old show you how it was done!"

[Kudo Yukiko]

"Walking around sounds fine with me!" Yukiko said contentedly. It was the mention of Heiji's mother and father that Yukiko was surprised on, although she couldn't help but be a little relieved that someone in his family was a fan hers! She also wondered if that maybe, his father's work might have been another reason as to why he was able to freely travel to Tokyo whenever he wanted; and if his father and mother made a lot of money, then the house size further explained it.

"Heiji-kun, what do your parents do for work?" Yukiko asked, tilting her head, but she only began to laugh when Heiji began to ruffle Shinichi's hair. She moved to pick up her seemingly small son, embracing him once he was within her grasps.

"You know, that's not a wise choice of words to say to Ran-chan if you let me tag along!" She grinned mischievously, looking down at him.

"E-Eh? Heiji-kun plays soccer too?" Yukiko asked, baffled. It was a no wonder why those two got along so well, they had a lot in common. "Did you get him into soccer, Shin-chan?"

[Hattori Heiji]

Heiji visibly cringed when Kudo started to use the 'kid voice'. He knew it was pay back but well it seems with Yukiko here the detective of the east was outnumbered. He also his ego would have been slightly wounded at Kudo's comment but knowing who the kid really was and how well renowned for soccer he was it didn't hurt at all. Just learning from one of the best he supposed. The Osakajin started to laugh when Yukiko picked up her son.

"I'm into Kendo, Yukiko-han. So all that fancy footwork with a ball I leave to your son." Heiji said as he started to move his feet towards the many paths throughout the Osaka castle park. He shoved his hands into his pockets out of habit. Today the kendo captain was wearing black trousers and a red shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

"An Dad is the Superintendent Supervisor of the Osaka prefecture Police Headquarters. Mom usually stays at home or teaches Kendo."

[Edogawa Conan]

"H-hey!" Conan flailed as his mother bent over to pick him up into a hug, pushing her away in his attempt to escape. "Put me down! You aren't carrying me! Mom!"

It was always a hassle trying to get her to not handle him as if he were an actual child; it was annoying and a severe breach of his personal bubble whenever she cooed and hugged and kissed him and eugh. He couldn't even imagine why actual, real children liked having such close contact with their parents. It was so embarrassing.

"I didn't get him into anything," Conan huffed. "Except maybe Sherlock Holmes," he smirked as a memory of their second meeting popped into his head. "He's the one who took and passed a Holmes quiz to get to a place where a bunch of other Holmes fans would be, hoping to find me. A quiz that only dedicated fans should be able to pass, at that" He ignored the implication of what that said about him. "Aside from detective work, then yeah, the only thing I know he's actually into his hitting things with sticks."

He looked around, seeing all the people walk around in contrast to them just standing there -- or carried, in Conan's case. "Can we go now? Preferably before people start to look..."

[Kudo Yukiko]

"Shin-chan's still capable of using soccer to his advantage?" Yukiko looked down at her son, keeping a firm grip on him despite his struggling.

"Now calm down, Shin-chan! Everyone around you thinks you're a little boy, there's no harm in receiving a mother's love is there?" She gave him a look, one that she frequently used in order to get her way. She loved his tiny size, it made her feel so young!

"But I'm surprised you're into Kendo, Heiji-kun."

However, it was the mention of his father's rank in the police department that had her taken aback. "No way! That's really high!"

When Shinichi began to speak again, she looked down at him. "Oh? He wasn't into it before?" That was a surprise, coming from a detective. Most detectives that she had known were big fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, even her own husband. Although she hadn't read too many mystery novels in her lifetime, Yukiko was all too familiar with Sherlock Holmes from the two men in her family.

She frowned at his next remark, though. "Leave, as in leave the park? We just got here, Shin-chan. But if we don't find anything of interest, then fine." And that would have been a real shame too, having drove all this way to Osaka in order to attend the Plum Blossom Festival. She briefly wondered if it was just an excuse to get them to come to Osaka.

[Hattori Heiji]

Heiji chuckled as he continued walking along the paths of Osaka Castle park. He looked around the plum blossoms as mother and son had a conversation. Listening with half an ear until he heard Sherlock Holmes. He snapped his head around and glared at the small brat in Yukiko's arms.

"Now listen here! The quiz ta get on the trip was easy if ya read the books once but I am not a Doyle fan. His work is good in all but nothin can compare to Ellery Queen!" Heiji said puffing up his chest much like a bird would to show off plumage. He was a proud Ellery Queen fan. He then rounded in on Kudo when he insulted Kendo of all things.

"Hittin things with sticks?! I can't believe ya Kudo! Kendo is all Japanese nothin like your Soccer! It's about balance! Technique and mastery of a deadly weapon! We use wood as to not cause serious harm. Unlike ya with those super shoes of yours. Yer little ball has nothin on shinai and doesn't even rank with real Japanese steel!"

Heiji took some deep breaths to calm himself. Honestly he thought Kudo would have more respect then that! That brat! The Osakajin then turned his attention back to the trail ahead.

"An if ya used yer so famed 'deduction' then ya would have noticed we have moved away from the main festivities."

[Edogawa Conan]

"I'm more than capable," Conan muttered around his mother's arm. He still struggled weakly to get out of her grip, but a lot less fervently due to that look she had shot him. Although she was jovial and kind and overexcited most of the time, he had to admit that she could really glare. It was one of very few things that honestly scared him.

So he gave up and allowed her to carry him, much to his embarrassment.

He sighed and crossed his arms. "No, he isn't a true Sherlock Holmes fan; he's a poser. All just to find me. So that makes him a creeper too. Ellery Queen can't even be properly compared; Holmes blows everything else out completely out of water." It really was just to rile the Osakan up; if Conan had to be handled so aggressively by his mother, then he sure as hell wasn't going to let Hattori enjoy the moment.

"So what? My soccer skills have saved my life at times," he countered. "And they haven't killed anyone! Maybe they've given some people concussions, but as long as they recover just fine, it's fine, right? It's reliable, and it's stopped countless criminals from getting away. They get more practice and use in the real world than your Kendo skills."

Conan blinked and looked around; he'd been so occupied with riling Hattori up that he really hadn't noticed they had been moving the entire time. Oh well; he still didn't really care for the festivities. As long as the other two didn't force him into participating in the various stalls with them, he'd at least humor them by not complaining for now.