i am just a student? in Conan world

Hattori Shizuka watched Fujino leave the room, falling silent for a moment.

*I've never been a Hokage, but this kid seems pretty disappointed… I heard it was his first love or something?*

That'd explain it… But what even *is* a Hokage?

*I've never even heard of it!*

Snapping out of her thoughts, Hattori Shizuka slowly stood up, letting out a long sigh.

*Guess I'm just getting old—there's such a generation gap.*

*I'm finding it harder and harder to understand what young people are thinking…*

As Fujino stepped out of the room, Conan suddenly grabbed his pant leg, his voice all cute and childish: "Hey, Fujino-nii! Don't you think that Ikenami lady is kinda suspicious?"

"Suspicious?" 

"Yeah!" 

Conan nodded emphatically, shooting Fujino a surprised look.

*Hasn't this guy noticed that woman's been lying?*

If that's the case, this could be trouble…

If they don't call her out now, they might not get another chance.

Conan thought it over and decided he had to act fast. In a serious tone, he pointed out, "From the moment I saw Ikenami-san, something felt off. She said she has bad bronchitis but was knitting, claimed she's bad at cooking but instantly recognized a madai fish, and then there was that bit about iced coffee earlier…"

"Those things? I noticed them, of course." 

Fujino glanced down at Conan. "As long as it's not illegal, lying doesn't really matter. Everyone has the right to keep their private stuff private. Lies are usually just a way to cover up things people don't want to talk about. If you force someone to reveal what they're hiding, it usually ends in tragedy."

"Plus, we don't even need to ask about Ikenami-san's identity ourselves—someone's bound to tell us." 

With that, Fujino raised his head and shouted toward the doorway, "Come on out, Osaka Black Chicken!" 

"Osaka Black Chicken?" 

Conan blinked, stunned, and followed Fujino's gaze. "Hattori, that guy?" 

Hattori Heiji: "…"

He was standing just outside the Shibata household's door.

When he heard Fujino's shout, his face darkened instantly.

*And why's Kudo instantly thinking of me when he hears "Osaka Black Chicken"?!*

"Fine, I get it!" 

Hattori Heiji let out a gloomy sigh and stepped into the doorway.

Originally, he'd planned to make a cool entrance, striking a dramatic pose and catching everyone off guard.

But now…

Fujino had completely ruined it.

And kicked him while he was down for good measure.

"Yo, Black Chicken, knew it was you." 

Fujino smirked, eyeing the guy in the blue denim jacket, beige casual pants, and backward baseball cap, his skin noticeably tan.

"It's Heiji, not Black Chicken!" 

Hattori Heiji's already dark expression got even darker.

Kazuha peeked out: "Black Chicken, we've been exposed!" 

Toyama Kazuha, wearing an orange-yellow double-breasted coat, an orange-red headband, and her hair in a ponytail, popped her head out from the side, giggling as she teased him.

Hattori Heiji: "…"

*Fine, Fujino calling me that is one thing…*

*But why're *you* jumping on the Black Chicken bandwagon, Kazuha?*

*Can't you think about my feelings before playing with puns?!*

"Phew!" 

Taking a deep breath, Hattori Heiji reined in his temper and looked at Fujino, curious. "So, how'd you know I was standing at the door?" 

"Guess." 

Fujino didn't give a straight answer, just flashed a cryptic smile.

To Hattori Heiji, that smile looked downright eerie.

*What, another detective's intuition?*

Hattori Heiji scratched the back of his head, annoyed. "You're still the same, huh? Your perception's as terrifying as ever." 

"Perception… and observation?" 

Hattori Shizuka, who'd just handed over her samurai sword and stepped out, overheard and paused.

She instantly understood what "terrifying" meant.

*Oh, so that's what it was…*

*Just talking about perception and observation?*

"Hattori Black—er, Heiji, and Kazuha!" 

Ran spotted the two at the door and let out a surprised gasp.

"Hey, Ran!" 

Toyama Kazuha grinned, waving at her.

"What're you guys doing here?!" 

Ran walked over, curious, and asked Kazuha.

"Well… it's a long story…" 

Kazuha's gaze slid to the side.

"No way…" 

Conan, too, froze, looking in the same direction.

"Hey, Oba-san!" 

Hattori Heiji stepped forward, tugging at the sleeve of Hattori Shizuka's furisode. "Your job's done, right? Time to head back to Osaka…" 

"…" 

Hattori Shizuka looked at her tan-skinned son, a hint of exasperation in her eyes.

*Everyone else calls me "miss" or "lady," but this brat just calls me "auntie"?*

*This cheap son won't even call me "Mom"!*

"You little punk, how're you talking to Ikenami-san like that?" 

Mouri Kogoro, still clueless, stepped forward, glaring at Hattori Heiji disapprovingly.

"It doesn't matter how I talk, does it?" 

Hattori Heiji shrugged nonchalantly. "She's my mom, after all." 

"Huh?" 

Everyone froze, turning to Hattori Shizuka.

Hattori Shizuka gave a shy smile and nodded slightly, as if confirming Heiji's words.

She didn't really want to admit it, but this *was* her cheap son.

"WHAT?!" 

The group's jaws dropped, looking like they'd seen a ghost.

Mouri Kogoro's face turned ashen, like the world had lost all color.

"No way!" 

"But… but…" 

Ran pointed at Hattori Heiji, her face comically exaggerated in disbelief. "Your skin's so dark, and hers is so fair!" 

"I was thinking the same thing." 

Fujino, less dramatic but still skeptical, furrowed his brow. "You sure you weren't adopted?" 

"Huh?!" 

Hattori Heiji blinked, turning to Fujino, utterly speechless.

*Adopted?!*

*Ran just said we don't look alike, but you're straight-up saying I'm adopted?*

*Sure, we're still mother and son… but that's way too far!*

Hattori Heiji groaned, "I just take after my grandpa, okay?" 

"Hm?" 

Fujino frowned. "I recall Superintendent Hattori's skin isn't dark either… and Shizuka-obasan's is super fair… You're kinda an outlier here. Genetic mutation or something?" 

Conan, standing in the back, gave Heiji a suspicious look, nodding in agreement with Fujino.

The group froze again, then started eyeing Hattori Heiji with doubtful gazes.

Even Hattori Shizuka snuck a sidelong glance at him.

Sure, the sun played a part, but his base skin tone was already pretty "healthy."

Truth be told, she sometimes wondered why her kid was *this* dark…

If he weren't her own flesh and blood, she'd have a hard time believing he was her son.

Hattori Heiji: "…"

*This conversation's gone off the rails!*

"What's with those suspicious looks? This joke's gone too far!" 

Hattori Heiji's face darkened even more as he gritted his teeth. "My skin just takes after my grandpa, okay? My *grandpa*! His skin was this dark! Ever heard of generational bonding?!" 

"Really?" 

Ran, still skeptical, turned to her best friend, Kazuha.

Toyama Kazuha chuckled. "Well… I don't totally get it, but yeah, that's how it is." 

…

After the brief commotion, everyone finally accepted that Hattori Heiji was, in fact, Hattori Shizuka's son.

Now that her identity was out in the open, Hattori Shizuka dropped the act and her Kansai accent came through loud and clear. She chatted animatedly as they headed downstairs, explaining why she'd posed as Ikenami Shizuka to hire Fujino and Mouri Kogoro.

"Heiji's always so reckless, even ending up in the hospital sometimes. Last time in Osaka, he got hit by a car. He's always going on about Kudo this, Kudo that, and Fujino… something about 'terrifying.' So I got worried that Mouri-san might give him dangerous detective work to teach him a lesson, or that Fujino-kun might pick on him since he's a bit older."

"When you all came to Osaka last time, you didn't visit our home, so I wasn't sure about you two. I wanted to come see what kind of people you were…" 

Hattori Shizuka smiled warmly at Fujino and Mouri Kogoro. "Looks like I was overthinking it. You're both very professional and genuinely good people. Mouri-san's a hidden gem, super considerate to the younger generation, and Fujino-kun's a rare find… Honestly, if Heiji were half as sensible as you, I'd be thrilled." 

"Haha…" 

Hattori Heiji let out a dry laugh from the side.

*What part of this guy are you even seeing, Mom?*

Sure, on the surface, Fujino seems like a nice, upright guy.

But deep down… this dude's *definitely* got a dark side!

Though, to be fair, his skills are pretty terrifying.

"So that's how it is…" 

Fujino's lips curled into a faint smile as he glanced at Hattori Heiji. "By the way, Black Chicken, what's this 'terrifying' thing about?" 

Hattori Heiji: "…"

"Ahem." 

Hattori Heiji cleared his throat. "I just meant, like, Fujino's so good at stuff, it's kinda terrifying!" 

"Really now?" 

Fujino squinted, giving Heiji a skeptical look, his face practically screaming, *I don't buy it.*

But then he sighed. "Man, and to think I helped you set that bone last time, even perfected your disguise… What a letdown." 

Truth be told, he was a bit hurt.

Sure, there were some hiccups—like using a bit too much force or accidentally exposing the disguise.

But it was all with good intentions!

"It's true!" 

Seeing Fujino's "betrayed" expression, Hattori Heiji's mind was racing with a stampede of imaginary alpacas. He turned to Hattori Shizuka, grumbling, "Oba-san, why're you spilling everything?!" 

Hattori Shizuka shot Heiji an exasperated look.

*Who's the one always yammering about Kudo and Fujino at home?*

She could barely avoid hearing it, and now he's telling her to keep quiet…

Still, he was her son, so she changed the subject, smiling at Mouri Kogoro and Fujino. "Even though Fujino-kun didn't directly call out the fake 'missing person' case I arranged with Shibata-san or the lies I told, I'm sure you both noticed… I just didn't expect Heiji to get caught so easily. Now, I can rest easy leaving Heiji and Kazuha in your hands." 

"Huh?" 

Mouri Kogoro looked confused, clearly not following.

"Oh, right!" 

Ran suddenly perked up, noticing a pile of luggage nearby. "Why'd you guys bring all that stuff? Going on a trip somewhere?" 

"Huh?" 

Hattori Heiji blinked, turning to Conan. "Didn't this kid tell you about what I mentioned a few days ago?" 

"???" 

Conan looked totally lost.

Racking his brain, he finally remembered that thing from a few days back.

Something about going to find a mermaid together or whatever.

*Who'd believe that nonsense?!*

*Guess he didn't say anything…*

Hattori Heiji shot Conan a resentful look before explaining, "Here's the deal. A few days ago, someone hired me to go to a small island to find something. I called Conan about it, but looks like he didn't pass it on." 

"Hm?" 

Mouri Kogoro froze, then glared at Conan. "You little brat, is that true?" 

"Hahaha!" 

Conan flinched, scurrying behind Ran. "I just forgot, okay!" 

"Forgot?!" 

Mouri Kogoro's anger meter maxed out. "What if a client calls and you forget to tell me?!" 

"Alright, Dad!" 

Ran couldn't bear to watch Conan get scolded and stepped in. "Conan's just a kid. Forgetting stuff is normal!" 

"Hmph." 

Mouri Kogoro pouted. Seeing his daughter speak up, he dropped it and turned to Hattori Shizuka, puzzled. "So, about that request you mentioned…" 

"You didn't know?" 

Hattori Shizuka blinked, then clarified, "I was hoping you'd go with Heiji to that island. I'm just not comfortable with him and Kazuha going alone… Honestly, I didn't want them to go at all." 

Her expression turned serious as she addressed Heiji. "It's a shady commission, after all. If something bad happens, it could be dangerous… You're always so reckless. If something happened to Kazuha, how would I explain it to her mom?" 

"Oba-san, you're overthinking this!" 

Hattori Heiji groaned. "It's just checking out an island. Plus, with Ojisan and… Fu—Fujino there, it'll be fine!" 

"If Mouri-san and Fujino-kun are going, I'd feel much better." 

Hattori Shizuka's expression softened, and she gave a slight bow to Fujino and Mouri Kogoro. "I'm entrusting Heiji to you both."