This is a very special story to me, and probably to all The Teacher fans out there. One of the few Shiho X Shuichi stories out there. This is before the setting of The Teacher. Grins By the way, I just set up a new website for fanfiction. Please visit it if you have the time. Just go to my profile and click on the homepage. Please sign my guestbook and vote in my polls! Okay, now that I've finished advertising, please continue with the story. Please read and review.

STORY

" Is there anything between you and Akai Shuichi?"

Here we go again.

Shiho raised her eyebrows restlessly at the six girls who had cornered her in the girls bathroom on her way to Biology Class, creating a human wall around her, looks of accusation almost imprinted on their faces. " There's nothing between me and him." she said lazily. " My answer's not going to change from Physics Class to Biology Class. Now would you get out of my way? I'm going to be late."

" Don't act cocky just because you're the bloody teacher's pet, Miyano." the girl closest to her said warningly, prodding her in the shoulder. " We aren't going to let you get past us until you start telling the truth."

" When I first saw you I thought you were a guy." Shiho said bluntly.

" Not THAT truthful," the girl snapped, cheeks reddening.

" Come on, Miyano!" another female who was on the other end of the six girls said. " It's so obvious that the two of you are together! Ever since he beat the guy up in the cafeteria for messing with you, the two of you are seen together almost all the time! Lockers, lunch rooms, class rooms, toilets. . ."

" I don't believe I've ever shared a cubicle with Akai before." Shiho said.

" Whatever!" the girl said. " We know you're just trying to play us like fools! But we're not easy people to lie to, Miyano!"

" So I've heard." Shiho said tiredly. " Are you done? Can I go now?"

" No." the six said spontaneously.

" And what would you do if I said that me and Akai were dating?" Shiho said. " Does that make any difference to you? What if I said that I'm his wife and we have three children together? What are you going to do? Slash my wrist? It's of no concern to you of any sort, so please just get off my back, and- - -"

" What's going on in here?" came a voice at the door.

They spun around and there stood Miss Yomei, her eyebrows raised at the scene before her. Cursing and grumbling, the six girls gave finals glares and silent threats to Shiho before leaving the bathroom. Yomei sighed and crossed her arms across her chest. " How many times has this happen in that last few days, Shiho?"

" Six, Sensei." Shiho said. " But who's counting?"

Yomei grinned before walking out. Shiho stepped past her nonchalantly and made her way to the Biology Classroom. As soon as she got in she sat next to Shuichi, who was already in the process of dissecting the frog on the table. He ignored her when she came in, and it was only when she dropped her bag on the floor and pulled on her work gloves when he spoke to her. " Where were you?" he muttered. " I practically had to cut this green idiot's stomach all by myself."

" Got stopped." she snapped. " Give me the worksheets for today's assignment."

" Get it yourself." he said.

Glaring at him, she snatched the notes that were beside him.

" Good girl." he said, smirking.

" Shut up." she muttered.

" Miss Miyano, are you late again?" Mister Maki said, approaching their table, an accusing air almost basking out of him. " I already told you that if you came late to my class again, you were to go straight to the Detention Room."

" I asked her to help me get my books from my locker, sir." Shuichi said plainly before Shiho had a chance to speak. Maki turned to Shuichi with raised eyebrows.

" Is that right?" he said, looking unconvinced.

" Do I look like the sort of person who would lie to a teacher?" Shuichi said quietly.

" N. . .No." Maki stuttered before regaining his composure. " Very well, Miyano. I shall forgive you this once. Just don't come late again."

" I'll try, sir." Shiho said.

Maki gave a fearful look at Shuichi before tottering off to inspect the tables of the other students, who had all gotten straight back to work after the little "show" on Shuichi's table.

The two of them stood there, Shiho looking at the table below her with fake interest, Shuichi busy cutting open the frog's stomach nonchalently.

" Thanks." she mumbled.

" For what?" he answered, jotting down notes.

She gave a small smile before looking away.

" Nothing." she said.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Shuichi opened his locker, and started to place books inside it calmly when he noticed a fellow student standing next to him with an apple in his hand, smiling. " Hello, Akai." he said cheerfully.

" What do you want, Tori?" Shuichi asked him tiredly.

" It's Yakosuke now." Tori said, taking a bite into his apple. " The last name is currently under the identification of the FBI. A female cop called Jodie is looking for me now. I did nothing serious; just feigned to help the Black Organization with a couple of things so they could give us suitable information about Vermouth."

" And did it work?" Shuichi said dryly.

" Got my cover blown as I was making my way out of their car." Tori said, shivering as he took another gnaw into the fruit. " Cut myself in the shoulder but managed to hide myself in the crowd in time. So my name's Yakosuke now."

" Damn, how many times do you want to change your name?" Shuichi said, scowling.

" As many as necessary. Hell, I still blame my mother for not giving me a name when I was born." Tori said, finishing the apple and tossed the core into a nearby trash can. " I was thinking of calling myself Yoro the next time round, so if you want to look me up, be sure to check under that name."

" Don't wait up for that." Shuichi said flatly, slamming his locker shut.

" Yeesh, that's cold." Tori said, grinning. " I just wanted to inform you that Shishio wants to see you as soon as you get back. He wanted to talk to you about something. . .I'm not so sure about what though. He seemed pretty damn serious about the whole thing though."

" Isn't he always?" Shuichi said, and Yoro grinned back.

" That's true, I guess." Yoro replied. " He's waiting for you in his office. By the way, how are you and Shiho going? The last time you guys had an intimate situation was more than a month ago, and the only reason why you touched her was because I pushed you in her direction with all my might."

" Oh, shut up." Shuichi said, slinging his bag onto his shoulder, stuffing his hands in his pockets. " I actually have plans for her tonight. And NOT the Tori kind." he added menacingly, as Tori's face split into a mischievous grin.

" It's Yakosuke now." Tori reminded him, lips twitching.

" Oh. Right." Shuichi said, rolling his eyes. " How are you handling relationships?"

Suddenly Tori seemed to stiffen. " I'm alright." he said sullenly.

And Shuichi left it at that.

The two of them walked the remaining distance in silence until they reached the front gate, where they saw Shiho walking alone from the gymnasium to the front gate of the school sullenly. Tori gave Shuichi a hearty wink before stepping away from him, turning his heel and put his hands in his pockets. " I guess I'll see you tomorrow, you little softy." he said, grinning at Shuichi's blushing face. " Aw, is Shuichi-wooishi getting the blushies? You look like you've just stepped into a makeup shop."

" Oh, dig up a bone." Shuichi snapped, flushing. But by the time he had turned around, Tori had disappeared from sight and he rubbed his sore temples tiredly.

" Akai?"

He looked up at there stood Shiho, staring at him in confusion. He gave her a small smile before walking past her. He had been walking as slow as possible in hopes of her catching up, and. . .

Silence.

Damn, was she behind him at all?

He turned around, and there she stood, smirking.

" If you want me to walk with you, just say so." she said.

He turned. " Idiot." he muttered.

Yet still he walked as slow as he could until she caught up. Even as she walked right alongside with him, neither of them said a word to each other. It was only as they passed the sidewalk when Shuichi finally spoke up. " What were you doing in the gymnasium?" he asked her.

" Ayako-sensei asked me to help her teach several of her students mathematics, don't you remember?" Shiho said listlessly.

" Vaguely." he said. " How did it go?"

" It was alright." she said.

Silence again.

" You would make a good teacher, you know." he said casually.

" You think so?" she said non-commitedly.

" I guess so, anyway." he said plainly.

Silence once more, the third time running.

" You think you can walk on by yourself from here?" Shuichi said, when they reached a stop.

She paused and looked at him questioningly. " I guess so, anyway." she said, and he smirked. " Where are you going? Do you have undercover work to do today?"

" No, it's not that." he said. " I have someone important to meet."

" Oh." she said. " Alright then. I guess I'll see you in school tomorrow then."

She made motion to walk away when she felt his hand grasp hers, and pull her towards him. She barely had time to snap at him for being a jerk when she felt his lips press gently against her cheek. Her eyes widened as he pulled away, a true smile on his face; one that she had not seen for quite some time now. " I have some important news I have to tell you tonight." he said confidently. " You'll keep your phone on, wouldn't you?"

" I guess." Shiho mumbled, feeling numb, her hand unknowingly grazing the cheek that he had kissed.

" Great." he said, smiling at her.

And soon there was a smile on her face as well.

" Goodbye." she said. " I'll call you tonight."

" Alright." he said, grinning. " I'll stay up as long as I can until I receive your phone call."

" See you." she said, turning her back at him, a grin creeping up on her face. He watched her walk away before running off.

As his figure disappeared into the distance, Shiho turned around and smiled.

" And I'll be waiting for you to answer." she said softly.

END STORY

Sorry for those who don't know nuts what this story is about. That's probably because you haven't read The Teacher yet. Please read if you have the time! Anyway, that's pretty much the scene right before Shuichi couldn't meet Shiho ever again. Pretty tragic, when you think about it. Well, that was the only way Shiho and Shinichi could end up together, right? Sighs Still, I think the couple Shiho and Shuichi would be pretty nice and sweet. What did you think of this story? Please read and review if you liked it!