CHAPTER 12
" Mee. Ya. No. Sensei."
" Oh shut up." she snapped. " And get back to your seats already."
Around six girls were surrounding her table while the other students piled in, ready to congradulate her, huge smiles on their faces. " You won the balloting, sensei!" a girl exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. " That stands you in the top spot for the auction."
Shiho shuddered. " Would the lot of you just quit called it an 'auction'? It makes me sound like some sort of painting."
" Well, if you were, we wouldn't mind a nude picture." came a cheeky voice.
She turned around, ready to give the person who said it two tight slaps when her eyes widened at who it was. Shinichi stood there, a meat bun in his hands, winking down at her. " Ohio, Miyano-sensei."
Her face hardened. " You're receiving two weeks detention because of that." she said, and the girls behind her giggled, sneaking glances at Shinichi, who was now in conversation with Shiho. Even Shinichi laughed, and Shiho felt her face redden. But she shook herself and snapped out of it.
" Oh, come on, Sh- - -Miyano-sensei." he said, correcting it in time at the sight of Shiho's raised eyebrows. " I was just stating the fact that was on every guy's mind."
" Kudo!" one of the girls said playfully. " I take it that you have a thing for Miyano-sensei?"
" I'd have to be gay not to." he said, laughing, the girls joining in too.
Yet they couldn't see the full formed blush appearing on Shiho's face. Sure he had meant no harm in saying what he had said, and it probably was just some strange, twisted joke that he always told. But to her it sounded almost like a. . .
Proposal.
" Alright, back off, all of you." she snapped to them, getting to her feet, and even the playful schoolgirls knew when to quit it. Sure, Shiho was not as stone cold as she used to be, but when she drew her line to something, people knew what to do. Shinichi nodded at her before walking off. She watched his back for a moment, before smiling softly to herself.
" Hey, Kudo." she called out.
He turned, looking slightly hopeful.
" Yeah? Miyano-sensei?"
" There's a downtown parking lot found near the middle street of Japan." she said, crossing her arms mockingly, aware of the other students who were listening into their conversation. " A boy found himself in the third level near the second lift where a bookshop were. A woman with a ladel would be there serving spagetti at three o'clock. A woman approaches them asking the boy for a free meal. The boy says yes."
While the eyebrows of the other students were inching higher and higher, Shinichi just smiled.
" Alright." he said, and walked off.
Shiho just smiled softly and started the lesson.
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Shiho just stood at the entrance of a food court at the end of the day, crossing her arms. Then her face was adorned by a soft smile as she noticed Shinichi walked over, a grin on his face. " Really, Miyano-sensei." he said. " I can't beleive that you thought of such a good riddle on the spot. Were you into this sort of things when you were younger?"
Shiho just smirked and opened the car door and let him enter. " My fiance was a FBI agent." she said, getting inside also. " And you can call me Shiho when we're outside of school. . .just so you know."
He grinned as he followed her inside. " So I guess you want me to treat you to a meal?"
She managed a small smile. " I thought you understood the message."
" I did." he said, his hands in his pockets. " I just thought you were joking."
She rolled her eyes as they stood in front of a pasta stall.
" When you said bookshop you were inferring to 'teach' weren't you?" the grinning detective asked. " And ' teach' meant that you were planning to ask me about the 'lessons' you were giving me, weren't you?"
Shiho ignored that sentence and nodded at the assistant at the storetable. " Yes, can I have two of combo 5?"
" Right away, ma'am." the assiatant said, running off to prepare.
The two of them just stood there in silence for a minute before Shiho opened a new line of conversation.
" Oi. . .Kudo. . ." she started.
" It's Shinichi, remember?" he said.
" Right." she said sheepishly. " Shinichi. Do you mind if I ask you a question?"
" Shoot." he said, accepting the two plates of food, and placed them on a tray nearby.
" Why did you want to take part in my lessons?" Shiho asked as Shinichi paid the manager.
He blinked and turned around, not bothering to take his change. " Why ask me that all of a sudden?"
She shrugged. " Just a question. You're forgetting your change, by the way."
Taking his money back from the store owner and stuffing it into his pocket, he followed behind Shiho to get their seats. " I thought you already knew this." he said, laying the tray on the table that Shiho had chosen. " I wanted to win back Ran."
" I know THAT." she said tiredly, picking up her chopsticks. " But why did you allow yourself to be taug ht by me? I was a total stranger to you at that time, if I were you I would have been suspicious and half-hearted if some unknown teacher came up to you and had a strange deal with you."
He smiled as he started to eat. " I felt like I met you before, that's all." he said.
Her eyes widened.
" I know it sounds weird for me to say that," he said, giggling at her expression. " But ever since I met you, I felt this warm presence of someone I knew. . .someone I knew so vaguely secret."
She just gazed at him for a moment before getting down to her own food.
" I guess that was what you were to me too." she said.
" I was the replacement of Shuichi wasn't I." he said.
She looked up, expecting to see cold and harsh eyes staring back at her. But she saw none of that; instead he was smiling at her peacefully, and she couldn't help the heat rising up to her face.
" It's okay." he said, drinking the coffee that had come along with the meal. " It was an honour, in a strange way."
She blinked. " How can you say that?" she asked.
He smiled cheekily. " He was good enough a man for you to love wasn't he? Don't I have every right to feel honoured?"
A full-fledged blush appeared across her face.
Then she smiled tenderly at him.
" Yeah." she said. " I guess you're right."
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Shuichi smiled to himself as he stood at the rooftop.
It was Monday; the weekend had passed like water, and before he knew it, it was time for school again. Not for himself, but you know. He was expecting Shinichi to come meet him any minute, and was killing time by munching on a chocolate bar in his hands. He was at the school rooftop, looking down at the streets below, one of his hands in his pockets, the other holding the candy bar.
He was just halfway through it when he smirked and stuffed it back in his pocket, and let out a long, low whistle.
" How long has it been since we last met, Miyano-san?" he whispered.
A very stern looking man glared back at him.
" What the Hell are you doing here, Shuichi?" the principal asked him.
Shuichi turned, smirking. " I'm not here to try to get your daughter back, you can just relax for that. I'm just here to meet up with an old friend of mine."
The principal frowned. " And who might that be? And please address me as Kinoyama. . .the students know me to that name, anyway."
" Why did you change your name, anyway?" Shuichi said, not showing a shred of respect to the senior.
" To conceal my identity." Kinoyama said. " I beleive you changed your name to ' Saito' too?"
" Ah, yes, you did your homework." Shuichi said, bringing a cigarette to his lips. " Do you have a light?"
The principal seemed to ponder on that for a moment before he reached into his pocket and tossed a lighter at him, in which he caught it and swiftly flicked it at the cigarette, lighting it immediately. " I should be lighting your hair on fire, considering on what you did to two of my agents."
" They were spying on me," Shuichi said, tossing the lighter back. " I'm sure you already knew that seeing that you were the one who sent them."
They just glared at each other.
" Ass wipe." Kinoyama muttered.
" Dickhead." Shuichi growled back.
" In any case," Kinoyama said. " I suggest you leave the premisis as soon as possible, or I would have to send an ambush attack on you near the break of dawn."
" Just like three years ago." Shuichi said, smirking. " Where I burnt the faces of eight of your agents."
" You- - -"
" Akai-san?"
The two of them spun around, and met face-to-face with a very confused Kudo Shinichi. He seemed to notice his principal's presence, and bowed quickly. Kinoyama nodded swiftly at him before glaring at Shuichi. " I assume that you would be leaving here as soon as you and Kudo-kun have your talk?"
" As soon as possible, sir." Shuichi said, suddenly polite, smiling graciously at him.
Kinoyama smiled back.
They were almost as good actors as Shiho and Shinichi.
" Goodbye, Kudo-kun." he said, leaving through the door.
Shinichi raised his eyebrows as he left before blinking at Shuichi. " So?" he asked. " What did you want to see me for?"
Shuichi nodded to himself and sat down. " Did you ever have a brother?" he asked.
Shinichi just stoned out for a moment before shaking his head. " No. I'm a single child."
Shuichi smiled and tossed a bag at him, and he caught it. Shinichi looked at it for a moment before turning his attention back to Shuichi, who was smirking up at him. " Er. . .is this a present?" Shinichi asked.
" Just open the bag." Shuichi said.
Shinichi opened it, before his eyes widened. " This. . .This is. . ."
Shuichi smirked.
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" Nee-san. . ." Shiho whispered.
Akemi smiled at her sister as she dangled the dress before her for every single person in the staffroom. " Isn't it beautiful?" she said. " I wanted to wait for you to come back home before showing it to you, but I just couldn't wait."
" I'm glad you couldn't." a teacher who sat not too many tables away from Shiho said, walking up to them. " That dress is beautiful. You're planning to let her wear it for the auction night, aren't you?"
Shiho flushed. " It's NOT an auction."
" Are teachers allowed to auction too?" Baki-sensei said cheekily. " Because if Miyano-sensei is going to the dance in THAT, damn, I'm going to try my chances on her too."
Shiho pursed her lips. " Can you please stop calling it an auction?"
" Why?" Mizakan-sensei asked, coming over. " Students are paying to go on a date with you, aren't they?"
" Yes. . ." Shiho said, biting her lip. " But still. . ."
Ayako smiled softly at her. " You're afraid of getting paid by some pervert, aren't you?"
Shiho flushed to all colours of red.
" That'll be dreadful!" Akemi said, gasping.
" Don't worry." Mister Mizakan said, a knowing smile on his face. " I have a feeling that I know who would win you over."
Shiho blinked.
" Who?" she was about to ask, but he had already left the office, shutting the door behind him.
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" A dance?"
Shuichi grinned downwards at Shinichi, being met with an appraised expression. " I thought that you would have known by now; what with you and your friend with all the connections all over school." Shuichi said, folding his arms. When Shinichi's expression turned into a confused look, he just shrugged it off. " That Sonoko girl. I thought she would have told you about it."
Shinichi sighed. " No." he said. " She's been ignoring me a lot lately."
Shuichi's lips twitched. " She confronted you before you and I first met, right?"
" Yes." Shinichi grumbled, pouting. Then his eyes widened. " Wait a minute. . .how did you know about the dance then? You aren't even part of the school!"
Shuichi winked at him. " I'm from the FBI, Kudo."
Shinichi smirked. " Must be good for you, right?"
" Mm." Shuichi said. " So anyway. . .who are you bringing to the dance?"
Suddenly it dawned upon him.
" Oh right. . .I have to bring. . .a GIRL don't I?"
" You could bring a guy, if that's fine with you." Shuichi said tauntingly.
" Idiot." Shinichi said, blushing. " I was. . .hoping. . .to bring Shiho."
Shuichi whistled. " Shiho?" he said, playing with the words. " When did it change into that from Miyano-sensei?"
Shinichi looked up at him abruptly, expecting to see him glaring down at him, but was surprised to see him smiling down at him. " It's alright, Kudo." Shuichi said with a small grin. " I've totally given up of the hopes of me and Shiho coming back together again anyway. I want her to be happy. . .and I think that you would be the one most suitable for it."
Shinichi's face reddened.
" Akai. . ." he started, eyes softening.
Shuichi
sat down next to Shinichi. " So you're going to ask her out, aren't
you?" he asked, taking out a cigarette and placed it between his lips.
Shinichi nodded silently. Shuichi smiled warmly.
" But what if she
rejects me?" he asked himself out loud. Then after a short moment of
silence he looked up at Shuichi for advice, who was lighting the
cigarette which was in his mouth with a dark blue lighter. Shuichi took
a puff and put in his pocket while Shinichi waited for him patiently
under watchful eyes. Shuichi pulled it away from his lips and smiled
confidently at Shinichi. " It'll be alright. She won't."
Shinichi raised his eyebrows. " How are you so sure?"
Shuichi smirked and got up. " Well, I have to go soon." he muttered. " I'll talk to you some other time; then you can tell me if she rejected you or not."
Shinichi nodded mutely.
" See you later." Shuichi said, before making his way to the stairway. He was just about to wrench open the door handle when he stopped. He glared at the long stack of chair which was piled up not too far away from where they were talking. He frowned, and was about to walk over to it when he stopped. A small smile played on his lips before he spun around and walked down the stairs.
Shinichi blinked and watched him go before sighing and following behind him.
But he failed to notice what Shuichi had seen.
He disappeared behind the door, and two sounds of sighing came from behind the chairs. Sanshriyuki turned to Sonoko who just grinned at him. " I almost throught Akai saw us." she said.
" Looks like he's not so sharp after all." he replied.
Silence.
" So what do I do?" Sanshriyuki asked.
" Ask her before he does." Sonoko said matter-of-factly.
" Right. . ." he said slowly.
Silence.
" What the Hell are you still doing here?" Sonoko snapped. " Get on it!"
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Shiho sighed and opened of the teacher's lounge for her sister. " See you later, nee-san." she said, leaning against the door as her sister walked out, a grin on her face. " You too, Shiho." Akemi said, turning around to walk away when she stopped. Shiho blinked.
" What's wrong?" she asked.
" I was wondering. . ." Akemi said. " If two people walked up to you and asked you for the dance. . ."
" I'm not going." she said abruptly.
" Oh yes you are." Akemi said, and Shiho silenced. " If two people walked up to you at the same time and asked you to the dance," she repeated, ignoring Shiho rolling her eyes. " One of them being Shinichi and the other being some really really really really REALLY. . ."
" I';m begging you to stop." Shiho said.
" Okay. . .Really good-looking guy. . .who would you pick?"
Shiho bit her lip. " That's a stupid question, nee-san."
" Just answer it." Akemi said, winking at her. " Shinichi, wouldn't it?"
" Not exactly." Shiho said, crossing her arms across her chest. " It depends on who asks me first. If there's the case where I would be going to the dance with someone or at all, I'm going with the one who asks first."
Akemi chuckled. " That's so much like you." she said. " I'll see you at home."
Shiho nodded , and raised her eyebrows at who was rushing towards her, panting heavily.
" Hey, what's the matter?" she asked in concern.
" Never mind that." he muttered. " Miyano-sensei, I have to ask you something."
She raised her eyebrows. " What?"
Just behind her, another person ran up, breathing heavily, staring at the other person in awe.
" Will you go to the dance with me?" the person facing her asked, face flushed but confident.
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Shuichi got into his car, sighing.
" Sanshriyuki and Sonoko just never learn their lessons, don't they?" he whispered, taking a puff of his cigarette. He smirked to himself as he drove his car out of the parking lot. " But no matter. Shiho and Shinichi will end up together. . ."
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Shiho's eyes widened, a tinge of blush appearing on her cheeks.
Then she shut her eyes and licked her dry lips.
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" No matter what happens." Shuichi finished confidently.
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" Yes." she whispered.
END CHAPTER 12
Ahhh! Cliffie! Please read and review and chapter 13 will be up pronto! Can you guess who she said YES to? Shinichi or Sanshriyuki? Take a slab!
ReAdEr ReSpOnSeS
Vah- - -Yep. Thanks once again.
Adilla- - -Thanks for the praise. :)
ConanYLX- - -Awww, shucks. Thank you.
Kayla- - - Whoa, that's demanding. Lolz. I'll try my best though.
Lynn- - -Yeah, sighs. A part of me wants Shuichi and Shiho to end up together too. Maybe I could have a sub-ending, I dunno. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
... - - -Nope, common mistake. Shuichi never answers a question directly. It's like your mom asking you " Have you eaten?" and you say " I went to McDonalds." Somethings along those lines, I guess.
wayupi- - - -Haiz, don't remind me. They deleted it for some reason.
joeshen- - - Yep, Shuichi's one nasty bugger.
YumeTakato- - -LOlz. Yeah, I love that TV show. Kaito Kid? How can I? Unless something happens on the dance night, lolz. But that's probably not going to happen.
Fanfic Maniac- - -Manga scans eh? Hmm. . . Do you have any good sites to recommend me?
SN 1987A- - - Lolz, ah. . .Galatea. I still want to praise how you made the confession so sweet, yet so mature. OTHER READERS CHECK IT OUT! Hope you don't mind me advertising. Lolz. Thanks for the review and keep updating Galatea.
Crystal Snowflakes- - - -Thank you. Lolz. Why aren't you updating your version of this story?
anime-obsession260- - - -Yep, I love you readers too. Hahaha. . .Shuichi kicks butt, that is true.
Ms. Starry-eyed- - - -Yep. Short? Really?
tantei- - - -Glad you all are so glad that Shiho won.
Yamin- - - -Whoa, thanks for the compliment. Lolz.
ShinichixShiho- - - (Grins maniacly.) Thank you. Don't worry, something will happen betweem the two of them.