And another chapter of the Book of Knowledge!
THANKS TO ALL REVIEWERS!
Disclaimer: Standard
Onto the chappie!
Over the next few weeks, book sellers constantly ran out of the Secret life of Conan Edogawa.
Rachel was distracted throughout the remainder of the summer holiday by thoughts of Jimmy and his strange confession that left her wondering: ws that just to stop the mob, or did he really mean it?
And Conan was hounded by people who knew him, about the book.
Chapter 2
The school year came as quickly as one can imagine for a student. Amy, Mitch, and George were again put in the same class as Conan, who was secretly happy about that.
Conan hadn't read the books for himself, seeing as he'd lived them, more than anyone could imagine. But he'd gotten the gist of it from the raving and ranting public citizens and police officers who recognised him.
It was the truth.
His own father had printed the truth about him, as a fictional story.
And of course, he had used the name Conan was living by, seeing as the name was fictional anyway. However, all of the other characters had been given different names.
Of course, to people who knew him, the characters were easily identifiable.
Raya Morgan... Rachel Moore
Robert Morgan... Richard Moore
Sera Sweetnam... Serena Sebastian
Amanda Yosaka... Amy Yoshida
Michael Tsubara... Mitch Tsuburaya
Gregory Kazuhara... George Kojima
Jimmy Kuzishi... Jimmy Kudo
Conan Edogawa... himself
There were many other made-up names that weren't so obvious, being that they were people associated with the crimes and not many people could recognise them as criminals listed in the paper.
And of course, the romantic tension between Conan and Raya...
'Dangit,' Conan thought on his way to school, 'He had to use my name. Does he know how horrible this could end up? Finding my journal... that must have taken him a while. But I did keep a detailed account of all my cases in there. That's where his material is coming from,'
"Conan!" came a shout from behind the school gates. Amy had come to greet him on the first day of school.
"Hey, Amy!" Conan said.
"How did you like the book?" she asked immediately.
"Oh, I didn't read it. I lived it after all," he said.
"That's a good point," she said as he walked around the other side of the gate, finally face-to-face.
Conan was then astounded by the quiet that surrounded the schoolyard.
Everyone had their noses in a book.
The same book was in Amy's hands.
"Wow, I didn't actually think the book would be this popular,"
"Hey, Conan! Did you see this!" Amy pointed to the book in her hands, opening to a page, "Mr. Kudo even wrote us in! Look! Although, he did make me your girlfriend,"
"He did what!"
"Oh, relax. It's only... kinda. You see, in order for you to like me, you'd have to give up Raya, so it increases the dramatic tension! Instead, I only like you and call you my boyfriend, although..." she trailed off.
Conan, anxious to get away from the subject, "Where are Mitch and George?"
"They're finishing reading. Honestly, those two couldn't read a children's book as fast as a dog!"
"I thought Mitch was good at reading," Conan said, surprised at Amy's sudden outburst.
"He is, George isn't. And George has been bugging Mitch to help him read it, but don't tell them I know. George bribed Mitch to keep it a secret," she said, putting a finger to her lips.
"Right," he said.
"Alright, class. The school board has decided to change the reading criteria for this year. Instead of reading, Where the Blue Violet Grows, we'll be reading the new popular book-"
The class emitted a loud groan.
"Please don't say The Secret Life of Conan Edogawa, volume 1!" a student cried.
"Well, I figured you'd already read that, so I asked Mr. Kudo specially to send us something," she pulled a leather-bound book out. "This is the first chapter of Volume 2, children,"
The class gasped with excitement.
"We've made copies of all the pages. Mr. Kudo said he'll send us a new chapter every week, so that we'll know what happens before anyone else!"
They cheered.
"Uh, Teacher? Do we have to read it?"
"Why wouldn't you, Amy? What gives you, Mitch, George, and Conan immunity?"
"Er- The fact that we lived it?"
The class gasped again.
"You mean you really are the guy he based this off of, Conan?" someone asked.
"Er- well they're my adventures, but there's some of Jimmy's in there too. And that part about me being Jimmy is fictional!" he said, trying to get out of the mess his father had gotten him into.
"And we're the Amanda, Gregory, and Michael in it!" Amy said happily, pointing to each in turn.
The class chatted and broke out into whispers at this news.
Conan rolled his eyes. They really didn't have to make this big a deal out of it! He glanced out the window.
And his eyes went wide.
Running over to the windowsill, he took off his glasses and cleared his eyes.
No, he wasn't seeing things!
"Conan?" Teacher asked.
"A-A-Amy?" Conan stuttered. "Please come over here and tell me that there aren't two men in black coats, glasses, and hats outside the elementary school,"
"Sure, Conan!" she said, thinking it a joke. Coming over to the windowsill by him, her face went rigid.
He was right. Outside the Titan Elementary school gates were two men. Both were in black hats, glasses and coats. One had long blonde hair, and the other's hair (if he had any) was indistinguishable. And finally, both were looking up at the classroom they were currently in.
"C-C-Conan... you don't think that they think you're actually Jimmy, do you?" Amy asked tentatively. "And you don't think they're from an actual crime syndicate, right? Right!" Amy asked frantically.
'NO! NO! NO! How did they find me! I hid this so well! And then my father-' he cut off his thoughts.
"Conan!" Amy shouted, apparently not at all eased by his silence.
"Wha?" Mitch said, "You mean there really are two men out there?"
He came over to the windowsill, shouting as he saw what Conan and Amy had seen.
"Very funny, you three," Teacher said. "Now let's get back to class,"
"But Teacher- there really are two men out there, see?" a girl said.
"What!" Teacher asked.
"Yeah! I see 'em too!" someone else joined.
"What if it's a real crime syndicate?"
"That's so cool!"
"Conan is awesome!"
"I wonder what they want,"
"Amy," Conan said sternly, holding the whole class's attention. "You, Mitch, and George stay here. If they're here for anyone, it's me,"
"But Conan!" Amy tried to dissuade him, pulling him back into the classroom. "You don't really know if they're from a crime syndicate! They could just be... evaluators or something!"
"Yeah! Evaluators!" Mitch agreed.
"They aren't," Conan shot down.
"What?" Amy said.
"How do you know?" Mitch tried.
"Because I recognise them,"
The silence that followed pierced the ears of all of the students.
"C-C-Conan?" Amy asked.
"They poisoned me," he stated simply, and left the classroom.
Rachel Moore had been very distracted lately.
Even those who didn't know her well knew that something was up.
Her thoughts lately were filled with Jimmy, Jimmy... and more Jimmy.
'He said he loved me...
But he had to leave...
He looked like he meant it...
But we did have a horde of fangirls chasing after us...'
Rachel emitted a loud groan, which caught the attention of several people in the classrom. It was a break between classes, and Rachel was sitting at her desk, thinking.
"Rachel!" Serena said, waving a hand over her friend's face.
"Huh? What? Oh, hi, Serena,"
"Jeez, Rach, you're mighty distracted... Is it about a boy?"
Rachel didn't answer.
"Is it about Jimmy?"
Silence.
"Did he really confess that he loved you in front of a horde of fangirls?"
"Whaaa!" Rachel asked, wondering how she knew. She herself hadn't told anyone, not even Conan, who she really couldn't keep a secret from.
"Oh my gosh! I knew it!" Serena said, punching the air.
Rachel quickly covered Serena's mouth with a hand.
"Shhhhhh!" she prodded. "How did you know?"
"Well you know me, gossip girl! I talked with some of the girls in that mob chasing you. They said it was so romantic!"
"Shhhh!" she said again.
"Jeez, Rach! No need to worry! You two have acted like you were married since... since..."
"Second grade," some guy piped up, the conversation had certainly not gone unnoticed.
"No, I remember them before that!" a girl said, "I think it was kindergarten!"
"No, no no," Serena finished. "I remember them from Pre-K," she finished. "Now that I think about it, it's kinda cute!"
"Actually, I think it was before Pre-K," a girl named Yokino said. "We were in day care together. My mother has video tapes of them!"
"Video!" someone said, "I gotta see that!"
Rachel put a hand to her forehead. She should have known it would be like this. Like any news would go more than a month without circulating through the whole high-school population.
"So, Rach? You gonna give us the inside scoop? Or are we gonna have to pry it outta you?" Serena asked, knowing she had won this battle.
"Sit down, Ms. Sebastian," Jodie Saintmillion, their english teacher said, enterring the classroom.
"But Sensei!" Serena blurted.
"Please!" she said sternly, "I don't think everyone needs to know about the Angel's private life with Cool Guy, now if anyone else has anything to say?"
Rachel blushed madly and staggered back to her seat.
"Ms. Moore?" Jodie asked, "Are you alright?"
"I... think so," she said.
"Well, I don't," Jodie said simply, and pointed toward the door. "To the nurse's office. Now,"
"Yes, sensei," she said, picked up her bags and left.
She made her way in deep thought down to the nurse, who immediately classified her as sick and told her to go home as fast as she could.
But Rachel couldn't go home.
Not yet.
She couldn't put up with her father right now.
He wouldn't understand anything.
The one who would...
...Conan...
...was currently in school.
But still, she found herself walking toward where he was, as if drawn to him in some way.
Turning the corner, she saw Conan's face disappear from his classroom window. Had he seen her? No, he wasn't looking this way. What was he-?
She saw two men in black coats standing in front of the school, looking up at the same window.
She recognised them immediately.
"Hey! You're the guys from the roller coaster!" she shouted, not able to help herself.
"Rachel?" a child's voice came.
"Conan? What are you doing out of class?"
"Er- Teacher wanted me to come and see what these guys wanted. Do you know them?"
"I met them once, in passing," she said, trying not to remember that day.
"Oh,"
"Well don't keep the kid waiting! What do you want?" Rachel said, trying to take her mind off the coaster.
"Er- Just checking out the school, ma'am," one man said.
The other, with the long blonde hair, spoke up, "Hey, aren't you supposed to be in school?"
"I- was sent home, for your information!"
"Nee-chan? Are you sick?" Conan asked, concerned.
That was just like him to be concerned for her health.
"No, Conan. I'm fine,"
"What's your name, kid?" the blonde man asked.
"Conan," Rachel answered.
"Last name?" he asked, glaring at Rachel.
"I'm not allowed to give my name to strangers," he said.
"It wouldn't happen to be Edogawa would it?" the blonde smiled evilly.
Both Rachel and Conan froze, not sure of what to do.
Rachel knew these men were no good. And how did they know this boy was Conan Edogawa?
"Well, that's a definate 'maybe'," the other man joked.
"Come on," the blonde said, smacking the other guy in the head. "Let's go,"
They turned away.
Rachel and Conan watched until they turned the corner.
"Nee-chan? Would you like me to come home with you?" Conan asked, apparently conxerned.
'Yes!' Rachel's mind screamed. "Uh, no, Conan. I can't keep you from your education," she said. "See you after school!" she strolled along.
'You wanted him to come. You know you did. But you can't pin all your troubles on him. Just because he looks like Jimmy, talks like Jimmy, has a knack for finding mysteries like Jimmy, gestures like Jimmy... oh stop! He is not Jimmy!...
...At least I think so.
I've told him everything. And he's always been there. There wasn't even a slight reaction to anything I ever said to him about Jimmy, nothing to indicate that he is Jimmy, no evidence at all!
Then why do I still believe in my heart that he is?
I mean, it is strange that he would be there when Jimmy wasn't. When Conan disappears, Jimmy reappears. Just an unlikely coincidence, that's all!
But still...
It's impossible! How can a seventeen year-old shrink into a seven year-old? It's scientifically impossible! It would make a good fiction novel.
WAIT!'
Finding herself in front of a bookstore in the middle of downtown, Rachel couldn't bring herself to go any furthur.
'A good fiction novel...'
Making up her mind, she went into the bookstore.
The lady manning the counter was surprised to see a high-school student in her shop during school hours. The girl didn't look like she was someone who would skip school.The ladywas even more surprised when the girl came up to the counter and bought a children's book.
"Amy," Conan said, watching Rachel continue down the street.
"Conan?" came a crackling noise from a badge he wore on his lapel.
The badge sported the name: Detective Boys. It was created for the Jr. Detective League by their main benefactor: Dr. Agasa. The badges served as a two-way radio and tracker that could broadcast within 20 miles.
"I'm going after them,"
"What! But Conan-"
"I can't let them get away, Amy! Not again!"
"If they were bad then why didn't they do anything to you?"
"Rachel came along. They didn't want a high-school student mixed up now with the syndicate. They prefer to kill off their victims when they get some, but more than that, they don't like to involve any outsiders,"
"...Jeez, Conan. You know a lot about these guys,"
"I've been collecting information through Detective Moore for months,"
"...Wow, Conan! You're just like a real detective! Kinda like... Jimmy Kudo," she finished.
"Thanks, Amy. As soon as you can, head over to Dr. Agasa's and-"
"Conan Edogawa! You get your third-grade butt back here!"
Apparently, Teacher had grabbed the badge from Amy.
"Sorry, no-can-do, Teacher. They're responsible for- for the car crash that my parent's almost died in!" he made up.
A collective gasp could be heard over the radio as the class heard the news and stuck their faces to the windows of the classroom.
Conan bent, twisting a knob on his shoes. Then he jumped.
"Amy!" Conan shouted, once he was over the other side of the fence.
"I'm here, Conan!" she said, either grabbing the radio back form Teacher, or making George or Mitch get out theirs.
"Get to Dr. Agasa's house as soon as you can! This radio is a tracker, remember? You can use it to find me!"
"Right!" she said.
Conan broke the connection.
Everyone in the classroom looked at Teacher.
"Miss Yoshida," she stated. "You'd better get to that Dr. Agasa's house, dear,"
"Yes!" the whole class shouted.
TBC!
Hehehe! Hope you liked it!
Next Chapter: Conan follows and Rachel learns
THANKS TO REVIEWERS!
REVIEW AGAIN!
animebookworm44