Hey y'all, I'm back for more, but this time it's a bit different. Eloquence is key in this story! I'll try my best!

It was after school on a sunny, but crisp autumn Friday. I shuffled my way across the school to the home of the Classic's Club, the Geography Prep room, in the Specialist Subjectwing. The sun was particularly bright today (that, or I hadn't really noticed it yesterday) and had me puzzling over my shadow. I didn't think about it too much, in fact, my interest was really only at a mindless staring level. I glanced out at the scenery: a cloudless blue sky, red and golden-leafed trees, students bundled up, leaving school like I should...I would try to get out of it if I knew that that intransigent little Missy weren't there. Sighing, I let my brain wander until I reached the clubroom.

I was the last one to show. I didn't mind, and neither did the others, with the exception of Chitanda. However, she only said anything if she had something on her mind. Today I was fortunate enough to discover her as her usual cute self. She was opening up a box of cookies as if she had just arrived. Satoshi was intently reading a newspaper and Mayaka, across from him, was reading a book, with a bored and disinterested face. I walked casually over to my spot at the table, and sat down inertly, dropping my bag next to my chair. I pulled out my latest novel and continued my venture into the realm of fantasy.

It was about at that point that Satoshi, apparently tired of the idyllic scene, spoke up about meaningless stupid stuff. "You know who we haven't heard much from?" he brought up, glancing at Chitanda and me. That look in his eye told me he was up to no good. "That high school detective that used to be in the newspapers all the time."

Chitanda looked thoughtful then nodded. "Kudou Shin'ichi, right?"

Satoshi nodded in reply, giving me a look once again. Stupid idiot, sparking up her inherent curiosity of things. Why do you insist on torturing me?

"Yeah, it's been several months whereas he used to be in the paper every other week. I think it's a bit...curious, don't you, Hotarou?"

"Not at all."

Chitanda looked at Satoshi then at me, her eyes beginning to light up. I refused to research or even think about anything having to do with anything involving a missing person; waaay to much energy. "Oreki-san, I'm..."

"Yes, curious. I know. But frankly I'm not. So let's drop it and let other people figure it out. That's what the police are for."

"But Oreki-san, what if the police don't even know that he's missing?"

"I would assume that a teen who works so closely with the police would be known to be missing by them, you know?"

Chitanda puffed out her cheeks in frustration. I chuckled quietly to myself.

"But it goes the same way, Hotarou, wouldn't the police have found him by now?" Satoshi added, increasing my irritation.

"Not necessarily, Fuku-chan," Mayaka cut in, suddenly interested. "People can be missing for a really long time, even if the police know that they are gone."

I was glad for the argument that took me out of the center ring, but I already knew what this would precipitate into. I could see it on Chtanda's pouting face. I began to lament the day I fell into that hypnotizing stare; day I broke my energy conservation policy; all the times I indulged Chitanda's spur-of-the-moment whims: I groaned over it all quite often. I waited for the inevitable.

"...And that's why we should give a contribution to society!" Satoshi had finished his rant. "Now, Hotarou, I bet we could find some information on that Kudou fellow...let's see..." he pulled out an all-too-convenient laptop computer. I heard him tack away on his keyboard, praying he wouldn't find anything. I heard the typing stop and the clicking start.

"It's amazing how many fan blogs this guy's got," Mayaka noted while glancing over Satohsi's shoulder. Chitanda stood on his other side, eyes gleaming with interest.

"Here we go!" Satoshi crowed. "It says no news has been heard of Kudou-san for xx weeks. It is said that he may have died during a case, others think that he has gone into hiding for unknown reasons. His parents, famous novelist Yuusaku Kudou and world-renown actress Yukiko Kudou seen to be ignorant to the fact that their son has disappeared and have seemingly been without contact with him for quite a while...blah, blah, blah."

"So he's literally disappeared off the face of the Earth?" Mayaka pondered. "Now I'm a little curious myself."

"It says here that someone might know of his whereabouts, but he's all the way in Ôsaka."

"Ôsaka? Who would that be?" Chtanda queered.

"Kudou-san's other half, the 'Detective of the West' it says, his name is..."

"HATTORI HEIJI AT YER SERVICE!" the cheerful detective beamed at us. He had dark skin which was very unusual, and happened to look even more odd as he stood next to the porcelain white doll that was called Chitanda.

I now begin my internal soap box. Coming here was so much energy and not only energy but money as well...I suppose there's no way to save anything on this case. I sighed forlornly. In hopes that others could hear me and would go home. I wasn't feeling well from the ride, I have a tendency to get car-sick easily and being on a train wasn't helpful in the slightest.

"It's jist great ta have ya ask fer me all the way from the Gifu prefecture! But ya know, I coulda come to ya, I have some people I can stay with ya know..." he looked slightly confused as to why our group, whose average age was the same as his own, had come this far to talk to one person. But it was quite ostentatious that he was flattered to have five people come to see him.

"Oh, no! We wouldn't want to burden you," Chitanda waved her hands to emphasize her point. "Besides, it's been quite a long time since I've been to Ôsaka! I really enjoy coming here!" Speak for yourself.

"That's great! Well then, why don't I give ya a tour while ya explain yer case ta me, huh?"

"Really?!" Satoshi and Mayaka chimed.

"Sure! First we'll stop at..." he wandered off with the others following suit. I grumbled to myself and moseyed a distance behind the others, hoping to not look like a tourist.

After about an hour of walking we decided to stop in a cafe. I was very grateful and ordered myself a large smoothie, sipping it sulkily in the corner.

"Well now. What's yer request? We neva really got to it whiles we were walkin'." No kidding. You kept blabbing the entire time. Hattori pulled out his notepad like a real detective would.

"We were curious about a missing detective," Chitanda began. "you might know him." Hattori's placid expression disappeared. "Kudou Shin'ichi-san. Do you know him? The internet said you were his counter part and that you two were good friends."

"Ha, ha!" Hattori manifested a panicked countenance. "Kudou, sure I know 'im! But why would I know where he is?" By the way he was acting, I was sure he knew something about this whole occurrence of Kudou's disappearance. But because I still hadn't regained my full supply of energy, and was also lacking in information about our detective, I held my peace and refrained from involving myself just yet. "I'm not sure if I can offer ya my services to look for a person who's been missin' fer so long. He might be kidnapped, or even, ya know, dead. Both aren't uncommon for detectives, ya know."

"But you must know something!" Myaka inserted. "If you knew him, certainly you did some research to try and find him, unless you're like Oreki here and are too lazy to take the time and energy to look for your best friend." Excuse me! Rude much?

"W-who said he and I are best friends, huh? I would hope that ya smart people would know that not everything on the internet is true!" Hattori looked quite befuddled, this even obvious by his lack of polemic refutes. I felt a touch a pity for him.

"We know that's true," Satoshi included. "We'd just like something more to work with than what the internet has to offer, then we can get Hotarou to work it out."

"Hotarou...san... is he a detective as well?" Hattori looked at me with curious eyes, to some extent begging me to call off the dogs of curiosity.

I sighed. "I'm not much of a detective. But I can figure things out...I suppose. It's okay if you don't know anything at this point. We can work with you to figure this disappearance case out." I looked back at him to see his reaction to this. He didn't like the idea, I could tell. "I'm sure you're curious about this too?" I'm sure in his mind we were pinning him down and torturing him. This information wasn't so important to me as to really put much meaning behind my words, but I knew Chitanda's vexing grip of curiosity would tighten until the truth was found. I'm sorry good detective, my apologies.

I hope you've enjoyed this thus far! sorry for any grammar errors, I read it out loud, but you can always miss things. :D