"Wow! I feel like this case is about to be solved!" our heroine squeals…in front of the entrance to Yagami High.
"I feel it in my stomach! This case'll be solved really soon!" Tenma squeals again…oblivious to the number of students staring at her.
"Tsukamoto-sempai?" a second-year student, who has her blonde hair tied into a bun, asks.
"Ah, Sarah-chan!" our heroine replies, "What is it?"
"Um, you do realize that most of the students are staring at you?" the second year student answers.
"Ah, my bad. It's a bad habit!" our heroine sighs.
"I'm sorry to have overheard but…what were you talking about?" the second year student asks.
"Hm…" our heroine ponders for a little, "Should I tell her?"
SukuRan is not mine! Claiming to own Sherlock Holmes is a crime! This fanfic, however, is mega mine! Stealing is a total crime!
#4 Independent Factions
(Before School)
"Tsukamoto-sempai?" Sarah asks again.
"Okay, I'll tell you!" Tenma sighs, "As long as you keep it a secret."
"Um, is it something that I shouldn't know?" Sarah asks.
"Uh…I don't think it's a super secret that people should keep from their friends so…" Tenma wonders.
"Alright, I promise to keep it a secret!" Sarah, with an elegant smile, replies.
"Okay, we're trying to solve the case about the rumor going around about Kei-kun!" Tenma squeals again.
"I see…" Sarah replies, "Hm…Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Ah, how's about you keep an eye on Kei-kun for me?" Tenma asks.
"Huh?" was all Sarah could let out before being cut off by Tenma.
"We have to know where Kei-kun is, so that we can tell him when the case is solved!" Tenma explains, "Oh, and we have to protect him!"
"Protect Yamazaki-sempai?" Sarah asks.
"Yeah, just in case someone tries to do something bad to him!" Tenma explains but uses the wrong words.
"I see…Although I'm sure Yamazaki-sempai is strong enough to protect himself…" Sarah sighs, "Okay, I'll help!"
"Yay! Yay! Yay!" Tenma squeals while jumping up and down.
Sarah smiles at Tenma before taking a look at her watch and asking "Tsukamoto-sempai?"
"Yay Yay!" Tenma obviously doesn't hear her.
"Tsukamoto-sempai? Um…" Sarah tries again.
"Yay! Yay! Yay!" Tenma is still busy with her overdone cheering.
Sarah takes a deep breath to gather her confidence…then shouts, "Tsukamoto-sempai!"
"Hm? Nani?" Tenma asks…as if nothing had happened.
"It's almost time for class," Sarah alerts Tenma about the time.
"Huh?!" Tenma takes a look at her own watch…two minutes 'til the bell rings.
"We have to hurry!" Sarah warns Tenma.
"Uh, right! Thanks, Sarah-chan!" Tenma rushes into the school.
"Mou, I thought I only spent a little time watching that anime with Kei-kun earlier! Mou! Now I won't have time to meet with Scotland Yards!" Tenma speaks to herself while she rushes to class.
(Afternoon Break)
At class 3-D, Kazenaka-sensei, leaves the pile of extra credit reports on his table and leaves the room for the afternoon break.
Haruki picks up the papers and hands everyone their reports. Once he has a hold of Tenma's paper, he calls out, "Tsukamoto-kun!"
No response.
He looks around once and finds that Tenma's nowhere to be found.
So, yet again, the amateur "detectives" make their way to headquarters.
"Okay, Watson, this time, we'll be able to get the information really fast!" Tenma, in her Sherlock Holmes outfit, giggles as she makes her way to the Conan Council clubroom.
"Yes, Sir Holmes," Akira, in her Watson outfit, states.
"Okay, here's the room!" Tenma stops in front of the Conan Council clubroom…and barges in, "Konnichiwa, minna-san!"
"ARGH!!" Adel yells in complete rage.
"Tsukamoto-chan!" even Mai is a little mad.
"What happened?" Tenma asks…since she doesn't notice the number of playing cards on the table and floor.
"We just needed to put in two more cards then the house would be complete…" Mai sighs.
"Huh?" Tenma is still clueless.
"Did you have to come into the room that way!?" Adel yells…louder than usual.
"Eh?" Tenma still has no idea.
"Sir Holmes," Akira tries to attract Tenma's attention.
"Yes, my dear Watson?" Tenma responds.
Akira just points to the floor, which has A LOT of cards scattered everywhere.
"You guys should keep our meeting room cleaner!" Tenma dumbly comments.
"WHAT?!" Adel's about to explode into even more rage.
"Tsukamoto-chan…" Mai sighs in an un-amused tone.
"Don't worry! I'll help you clean!" Tenma looks around for a broom, "Where the broom?"
"The…broom!?" Adel shows at least a little…um…restraint.
"Yeah, so I can help you clean up this mess!" Tenma cutely replies.
"THAT'S IT!!" spoke too soon, Adel's lost it. He takes the broom from the corner of the room and swings it at Tenma.
"WAA!! Adel-kun!" Tenma jumps back…a split-second late, making her cap fly off.
"Time to take out the trash!" Adel yells and swings a few more strikes at Tenma.
"WAA!! What's wrong?" Tenma rushes out of the room.
"Take your friend with you!" Adel throws Akira out of the clubroom then slams the door close.
"Akira-chan, are you alright?" Tenma helps Akira up.
"I've had worse days…" Akira gets up.
"Mou! What's Adel-kun's problem?!" Tenma yells at the closed door.
"How will we be able to continue the case, without their guidance?" Akira sighs.
"We'll be fine…" Tenma sends a fist to the air, "…for I am Sherlock Holmes-sama!"
"Tenma…" Akira just states.
"We'll go to class 3-B by ourselves!" Tenma yells then sighs, "I really hope they forgive me for whatever I did, soon…Besides, I also left my hat inside…"
With that, the two detectives rush to class 3-B. Once they enter the room, the students of 3-B have similar reactions to them as class 3-F…with the exception of one certain guy.
"Okay, we have something to ask!" Tenma yells.
The vast majority of the class is still a little shocked at the sight, so they don't respond.
"Etto…I wish to know who started that rumor about Yamazaki Keiichi!" Tenma gets straight to the point, since she's already feeling a little pressured, mostly from her wondering how long it'll take for Scotland Yards to forgive her.
"Ano…minna-san?" Tenma wonders why everyone is just staring at her and Akira.
"Tsukamoto-san," the voice of the class's dark horse snaps the rest of class back into reality.
"Hm? Who are you?" Tenma dumbly asks.
"Konnichiwa, Asou-kun," Akira greets.
"Asou?" Tenma thinks for a while, "…Why does that name sound familiar?"
"Tsukamoto-san, I'm Asou Hiroyoshi, your classmate last year," Hiroyoshi sighs.
"Ah! Asou-kun!" Tenma squeals, "I'm so glad to see another old classmate!"
Hiroyoshi just sighs, "Tsukamoto-san, if you're going to dress as Sherlock Holmes, you should act as restrained as he."
"Oh, right!" Tenma corrects herself by standing tall and using a slightly deeper voice, "I am Sherlock Holmes-sama, and I would ask that you give me some information."
Hiroyoshi can't comment.
"Information? What about?" one of the female students asks.
Tenma lowers her head slightly and gives a serious look, "About the origin of the rumor…concerning…Yamazaki Keiichi." Once she finishes talking, lightning strikes outside and gives a feeling of seriousness and/or fear to everyone in the room.
The student looks outside the window and sees the rain, "That's weird…It was sunny just a while ago!"
"Madarame-san, the weather changes quickly," Hiroyoshi explains, "Does anyone know about this rumor?"
"Ah, wait! I know!" the student quickly runs to Tenma, "I'm Madarame Kimi. Ma-da-ra-me-Ki-mi."
"Right," Tenma replies then turns to Akira, "Watson, did you get that?"
"Hai…" Akira scribbles on a notepad.
"Good," Tenma responds then turns back to Kimi, "So, what is your information?"
"Well, I heard that the one who started the rumors was a second year student!" Kimi quickly states then thinks for a while before continuing, "…or maybe it was a first year student?"
"Thanks! At least, that will narrow our search!" Tenma replies.
"It may narrow the search but not by that much," Hiroyoshi comments.
"It is alright! I just need to speak to Yakumo and her friends again," Tenma gives another serious look.
"Fine. After all, you are the master of pretending…" Hiroyoshi sighs then adds, "sort of…"
"Arigatou, Asou-kun, that's so nice!" Tenma talks in her normal way again.
Hiroyoshi just looks with an un-amused stare at Tenma.
"Spoke too soon, huh, Asou-kun?" Kimi giggles.
"No comment," Hiroyoshi responds.
"Alright!" Tenma yells really loud, scaring some of the students (pathetic) then turns to Akira, "Watson, now we must hurry to class. Students of 3-B, I thank you for your time! Goodbye!"
Before Tenma rushes away, Kimi yells, "Tsukamoto-san, watch your step!"
"Huh?" Tenma instantly stops and notices a big area of spilled paint on the floor.
"Someone slipped over it and fell on the paint right on her back," Kimi explains.
"Arigatou, Madarame-chan!" Tenma giggles then runs off with Akira.
Once they were out of sight, Kimi comments to Hiroyoshi, "I wonder if it's a game or something. First, it was that redhead and the girl in the yellow coat, which now has a huge spot of green on the back. Now, it's those two! I'm a little scared of who'll come out next!"
"No comment," Hiroyoshi responds.
Right now, those two are spending their time in the bathroom packing their costumes, since the clubroom is, well, not an option for the moment.
"Okay, Akira-chan, what'll we do after class?" Tenma rushes to take off her coat and ends up tripping on her own foot in the process…and falling face-first to the marble floor, "Itai!"
"Perhaps, we should apologize to Adel-kun and Otsuka-san," Akira, already in her seifuku, suggests emotionlessly.
"Akira-chan wa hayai!" Tenma is amazed of Akira's speed at changing her clothes and packing them into her bag so quickly then replies, "Um, I should, but I don't know what I did…"
"Try thinking like Sherlock Holmes, then you may find out what you have done. Try a flashback…without Sherlock Holmes' drug addiction," Akira explains.
"Okay!" Tenma packs her coat into her other bag then starts thinking, "Furashibakku…Furashibakku…Furashibakku…Furashibakku wa nan desu ka (What's a flashback)?"
"Perhaps, Yamazaki-kun can define it for you…" Akira responds as she leaves.
"Ah! Akira-chan, mattekudasai!" Tenma follows Akira out.
(After School)
With the class dismissed, the students are allowed to leave or talk amongst themselves, with the exception of those unfortunate enough to have cleaning duty.
Keiichi shows Kenji his paper from the pop quiz, "I got a ninety-eight. What did you get?"
"Twelve. I'm such an idiot…" Kenji hands Keiichi his paper.
"I wonder what Tenma got," Keiichi gets up and tries to head to Tenma's seat.
"Are you going to show Tenma-chan my grade?!" Kenji tries to take his paper from Keiichi.
"Relax. I'm just going to—" before Keiichi could finish, he notices that Tenma is nowhere to be found, "Tenma?"
Yeah, she's there again…no, not shopping at the super sale! She's heading to the Conan Council clubroom.
Tenma, in her Sherlock Holmes outfit, makes her way to the clubroom, "So, the rumor spreader's not a senior…"
Akira, also in her Watson outfit, just follows her without saying a word.
"Watson, why do you think a second year or a first year would want to hurt Kei-kun?" Tenma looks at the ground as she walks.
"I don't know…" Akira states, "And while you're at it: it's his reputation."
"Hm…Mou! Muzukashii yo! (Geez! This is so hard!)…Oh," Tenma quickly comes to a halt after realizing that she had almost passed the door to the clubroom. With that, Tenma slowly opens the door as she tries to concentrate as much as she can on the case, "Hm…Demo akiramenai! (However, I won't give up!)"
The second she enters the room, the two other amateur detectives glare at Tenma.
Tenma, still thinking, says, "Um, guys, I found more information about the—"
"Tsukamoto Tenma, what do you think you are doing in this clubroom?" Adel scowls.
"You have done enough damage to our time," Mai acts like Adel.
Tenma tries to reason with them, "But, Adel-kun, Otsuka-chan—"
"Stop calling me that! You are nothing but an idiot!" Adel barks.
"Uh…yeah!" Mai tries to agree.
"…B-but…" Tenma seems emotionally hurt.
"You are nothing but a nuisance!" Adel scowls, "Let us be!"
"…Uh…pass…" Mai sighs.
"What is wrong with you?" Adel glares at Mai, upon hearing what she said.
"N-nothing…" Mai takes a quick glance at Tenma before continuing, "I-It's nothing!"
"You're feeling a little guilty, aren't you?" Adel says without thinking.
"Of course, I am!" Mai yells back.
"You're such a weakling!" Adel scoffs.
"Well…" Tenma tries to enter the conversation.
"I am not!" Mai yells again.
"Otsuka-chan isn't…" Tenma tries again.
"Yeah, you're a hyper weakling!" Adel retorts.
"Ah, she is…um…" Tenma tries once more.
"I'm not a weakling!" Mai yells back.
"Um…well, yeah, she's…" Tenma tries again.
"So you admit that you're hyper?" Adel asks slyly.
"Um…Ahem," Tenma fakes a cough to attract their attention.
"No! I mean, yes!" Mai quickly replies.
"Ahem…Ahem…" Tenma tries the same tactic again.
"Faster people are usually weaker. So, being hyper makes you extremely weak!" Adel raises his voice.
"Ahem…Ahehehe— Ow!" Tenma really does start coughing.
"I am not weak!" Mai yells.
"Ahem, um…guys?" Tenma manages to get a word in crosswise…well, one that they actually heard.
"WHAT!?" they two both yell simultaneously.
"Um, well…about the case…" Tenma tries to speak up.
"Everything's just about the case for you, isn't it?!" Adel yells again.
"Yeah! You can't even see that we're arguing for your sake!" Mai lets out unintentionally.
"Yeah!" Adel agrees until what Mai said completely registered into his mind, "Mai!!"
"What?!" Mai yells back.
"Huh? What was that? What about me?" Tenma didn't exactly listen to what they said, so she's left wondering.
"Well, isn't this amusing?" Akira says to no one in particular.
"Uh…" both Adel and Mai feel as though their plan has been exposed…not like it wasn't obvious or anything, though…
"Uh…you're Sherlock. You can figure it on your own…" Adel tries to not say anymore than that, since he believes that Tenma's intelligence is comparable to that of a turkey's.
"Um…" Tenma tries to think for a while, then says emphatically, "You're arguing about the different possibilities in the case?!"
Not including Akira, the other people in the room are left dumbfounded…due to the slow processing speed of Tenma's brain.
"Well…" Mai tries to agree but is cut off by Adel.
"Baka (Idiot)…" Adel says directly after Mai tries to say a word.
"Hidoi!" Tenma quickly responds.
"You couldn't even—" Adel continues.
"But I tried!" Tenma cuts Adel off.
"Trying is not going to get you anywhere!" Adel yells, causing the girls in the room to stare at him.
Adel continues, "As a detective, you must know that every idea that you have will have a direct affect on the time it will take to finish the case! If you don't think carefully, you will never solve the case in time! Sure you may be able to solve the case, but it will probably be solved a year after you started! Of course, it would be important to the bigger cases; but a simple case, such as finding a rumor spreader has a very small time limit! Within one more week, all the possible information we can obtain will be scattered into the wind!"
After the impromptu speech, Adel ends with a scoff.
"Wow…" Tenma is bewildered.
"Adel-kun, is that really you?" Mai is also amazed.
"What?" Adel apparently has no clue that he just unintentionally taught Tenma.
"Okay! I promise to give things more thought!" Tenma says to break the not-so-brief moment of silence.
"…I give up!" Adel explodes then takes a seat, "Do whatever you want…just don't bother me!"
"Okay! Otsuka-chan, should I share the information I just got?" Tenma emphatically asks Mai.
"Um, sure…later, like tomorrow, 'cause I have to go to a super sale on manga today," Mai admits.
"I must admit that doing that would be a new low, even for you," Adel comments.
"What?" Mai responds before taking her bag.
"I mean— buying manga? How much useless can you get? Manga's just for lifeless otakus, after all," Adel continues.
"Adel-kun!!" Mai yells in response to Adel's comment.
"But Kei-kun has a lot of manga, and he seems lively enough…" Tenma cuts into the conversation.
Upon hearing that, Adel and Mai are suddenly quieted for a while.
"Nani?" Tenma breaks the silence.
"Yamazaki Keiichi's an otaku?!" Adel seems shocked.
"Come now, not all manga readers are otaku," Mai tries to reason, "Like me, for example."
"How's about we drop this and continue with the investigation tomorrow?" Adel sighs then talks to himself, "I'm working for an otaku?"
"Okay!" Tenma instantly agrees but then thinks, "What about the information I gathered?"
"We'll check it out tomorrow," Adel replies and continues talking to himself, "I'm working for an otaku…for free…no way…"
"What's wrong with Adel-kun?" Tenma points to the currently strange-acting Adel, as she asks Mai.
"He believes that anime, manga, and especially otaku are the more useless parts of Japanese culture," as Mai explains, she hangs her yellow coat on the coat hanger then heads for the door, "Mata ashita! (See you tomorrow!)"
"Hai! I wonder how Otsuka-chan's coat got that big green spot?" Tenma waves goodbye to Mai then turns to Akira, "So, Watson, am I acting more like a real detective?"
"Probably," Akira responds, making Tenma jump in joy, then continues, "or probably not."
"Huh?" Tenma sighs then looks to the ceiling and gives another speech, "I may not be a real detective, but I am Sherlock Holmes-sama! Look out, rumor-spreader! I'll never give up!"
With that, Akira gives Tenma an applaud.
Meanwhile, Adel continues his ranting, "I mean— otaku are already hated! Why would—"
Tenma: Next time on School Rumble! We're going to start our investigation with the second years!
Mai: Or first year, Madarame-chan said that it might have been a first year.
Tenma: Right! Uh, how do you know Madarame-chan?
Adel: Just focus on the case!
Akira: Next time…
#5 A Rose or a Cactus?
Tenma: He's acting even more suspicious!
Adel: Why don't you just go leave me alone and go talk with that otaku friend of yours?!
Mai: Otaku are not bad…
Random Notes:
Wow, it has been how long? Two or three months? Sorry, college life is very demanding.
I'll, uh, say that I'll submit another chapter.
I'm relatively sure that I can finish another chapter by the end of the month!
And sorry if this chapter was not worth the long, LONG wait.
For those who are still sticking by this, thanks...
