Disclaimer: Detective Conan and all its characters belong to Aoyama Gosho. I only own this fanfiction and my OCs.

Chapter 11

The Transfer Student (2)

"Inaba didn't say anything wrong. We do know nothing about Kudo and if Sera wants to know more about him, indeed it will be better to ask Mouri and Suzuki instead of us," Asagi started. "Inaba's right, but it doesn't change the fact that it was us who reminded the students to be quiet about Kudo, not the teachers. It was also us who proposed to add more rules due to his circumstances, not the teachers. If one day our proposal is established as official rules, I'm sure she'll be curious. She'll question us, wondering how much we know about Kudo. When that happens, even Mouri and Suzuki won't be able to satisfy her. They don't know much about us. And even if we tell her that all we know is that Kudo's been working on a seemingly dangerous case, I doubt she'll readily accept our answer without more questions. There's a possibility she'll keep suspecting us. After all, she's a detective."

As he explained, Asagi silently kept reminding himself that even though the other student council members only knew a little about Shinichi, he as the president knew much more about him, even more than Ran thanks to the manga he had read in the real world. It was him who should be wary, not them. It was him who should be careful to avoid letting anyone notice that he knew much more about Shinichi. However, in case he made a blunder in front of the student council, he needed to remind them to be careful as well so that the information would stay inside the student council. He also needed them to remind himself to be careful so that he would not make any blunder.

Asagi was aware that in the student council, he was the most mature and the most powerful due to his real age being an adult and his position as the president, but he also knew that he was not invincible. He could make mistake and once he made it, there would be no plot armor to guarantee that his mistake would not have any consequence since he was only an extra who was not even supposed to be in this world. Asagi was well aware of how weak he actually was. He was weak, so he still needed others to keep him in check. That was the reason why he explained all this to the student council even though to them it might seem unnecessary. He could not allow himself to make mistakes. He should not make any blunder if he still wanted to live in peace.

"Even if she keeps suspecting us, she won't get anything since we really know nothing more about him, so I think we don't need to worry too much," the vice president said again, only making it clear that this topic was unnecessary to him. It might be unnecessary to him, but not to Asagi. To him, this topic was important, so he replied by showing him and the others that it might not be as unnecessary as they thought.

"Yes, we may not need to worry too much, but there's no harm in being careful. Also, please remember that even the innocent can be framed and made into a criminal," Asagi emphasized. "You truly know nothing more, so act accordingly. Don't be nervous around her. No need to act smug either. It will only make her think that he's right to suspect us if we act smug or nervous when she asks us about Kudo. Remember she's a detective. Even if she's an amateur, we all have to assume that she still has the basic skill in prying info from others or even manipulating others. Don't be fooled by her. Especially you, Yoshino, since you're her classmate."

"What do you mean by manipulating, President?" Asakura asked.

"She may be able to manipulate other students into thinking that we know much more about Kudo. If that happens, it won't only be her who suspects us. The entire school will also suspect us. They may even antagonize us for various reasons."

"Such as?"

"Such as the misconception that we're keeping secrets about Kudo. Mouri and Suzuki will be the most furious ones in this case since they are Kudo's childhood friends. They will think that they deserve to know more and we have no right to keep Kudo's secret from them when the truth is we really know nothing about him. Some people may also think in a negative way that we want to get authority over students by hiding information about Kudo, which we indeed will get once our proposal becomes official not because we want to dominate them, but because once that happens, it will be our duty to oversee them."

"You mean that if our proposal becomes official, it's obvious we as the student council will be responsible for monitoring the students, but some people may not necessarily think that we simply do our job as instructed," Inaba muttered, frowning deeply as he thought hard. "Some people may think that our aim from the start is to control them. Even if it has some truth in it since we need to control them to protect Kudo and our school, some students may think badly about this…. Wow, that sounds way too bad. Are you serious this is going to happen?"

"Depends. It may happen if we aren't careful. That's why we can't be fooled by anyone, not just Sera," Asagi replied, silently surprised when he realized he could make those kinds of possibilities from a single premise: the student council keeps secrets about Kudo. Perhaps this was the result of his continuous effort working as a novelist for years.

"But will she really do that to us? We're her schoolmates. I am her classmate," Yoshino doubted.

"Why not? Detectives are curious beings. They will do anything they can to solve their case. Sera is still young and not a professional, so there's a high chance she hasn't understood yet about detective's code of ethics, which means the chance of her manipulating people to corner us is even higher," Asagi answered. In his mind, he recalled how Sera sometimes acted impulsive and careless when solving cases in the manga. There were times when she drew the wrong conclusion and made a wrong deduction. There were also times when she acted as if she was trying to blow Shinichi's cover. Asagi also recalled the case when she pressured Ai to make her confess her identity. Since she did all that in the manga, clearly it was not impossible for Sera to try pressuring the student council just so she could obtain more info about Shinichi. Again, Asagi reminded himself to be careful around her since he really knew much more about Shinichi.

"Kudo is also young and unprofessional. Does this mean you also think he's capable of doing those kinds of things?" Asakura asked after listening to his reply. Hearing that, Asagi blinked. He had never thought he would be questioned about his opinion regarding the protagonist by someone in this world.

"This is out of topic, but yes, I think Kudo is also capable of doing those things," he answered. In fact, he knew very well Shinichi had been doing that kind of thing as Conan. He technically had been using and manipulating Kogoro all this time to investigate the black organization. "However, since usually he's always under the police supervision, the chance of him committing those kinds of acts is lower, unlike Sera who probably still knows no one in the police force since she just arrives here from America." Inwardly, Asagi added that as Shinichi, the protagonist might not be able to commit such wicked deeds due to the supervision of the police and public scrutiny, but as Conan, he definitely could.

For a while, nobody was talking. Asagi was silent, so were his three friends who seemingly were drowned in their own thoughts. Perhaps it had never crossed their minds that it was possible for detectives like Shinichi and Sera to commit a wrongful act like manipulating others. Perhaps it had never crossed their mind that the pride of Teitan High might not be as great as what he seemed to be. When Asagi looked at their face one by one, he realized that his guess was right. His friends were clearly shocked and confused after listening to him speaking out about Sera and Shinichi.

They're still green. I shouldn't be surprised, Asagi thought as he watched the others' reactions thoughtfully.

Every profession had its own code of ethics. Without it, it would be easy for anyone to fall into the path of evil. A scientist without ethics would be no different from a murderer with no sense of humanity, treating all living creatures including humans as experimental objects that could be disposed of like a tool once it had no more use. A magician without ethics would be no different from a conman who tricked people against their will. A detective without ethics would be no different from a stalker who probed others' personal information for their own selfish interest. Judging by their expression, it was clear his teenage friends had yet to have any awareness of the code of ethics. They all thought that Shinichi was amazing for being able to solve many crimes at such a young age, but they failed to notice that behind that amazing achievement, Shinichi could also turn into a threat to society if he acted without the code of ethics.

"Guys?" after being trapped in silence for too long to his liking, Asagi decided to speak. "Are all of you still here? Hello?"

"Oh, sorry," Inaba quickly recovered from his own shock. "I was just surprised that you think that Kudo's capable of doing such things, but… well, maybe you're right."

"Yes! It's the first time I heard someone commenting Kudo-kun like that, but I totally can't refute," Yoshino said, looking dazzled and stunned at the same time.

"It's our fault for not considering the importance of ethics before," Asakura admitted and no one seemed to disagree with her. "It may deviate a bit from our main discussion, but it's an eye-opener for us. Before this, I personally thought that you worried too much about Kudo and Sera, President, but now, I think your worry is pretty reasonable."

"Yeah, I'm sorry for looking down on your opinion," Inaba apologized sincerely before sweeping his gaze over all of his friends. "Back to the topic, now we are all aware of Sera's threat. I take it that all of us agree with the president that we must be careful in handling her. Just like Nagayama said, even an innocent can be framed."

The girls nodded simultaneously, totally agreeing with the idea. Asagi was relieved after winning the argument and getting all his friends' support. He could feel a bit safer now that the student council would act more carefully around Sera. Sera would certainly investigate Shinichi by asking the students of Teitan High. It was likely she would ask the student council about him as well, but now that the student council had been warned by him, hopefully, Sera would not stick too long to the student council just to get info about Shinichi. He hoped she would just go back to bother the protagonists and leave the extras like him and the student council in peace.

"To put it simply, we just have to be ourselves, right?" Yoshino concluded the discussion.

"And while being ourselves, we also need to be cautious," Inaba added. "Right, President?"

Asagi nodded. "Right. Thanks for agreeing with me."

"No problem!"

After that, the four of them somehow ended the formal discussion and started to talk about casual things. Yoshino was mesmerized with Asagi's novel collection and started asking him about his reviews while Inaba was disappointed after discovering that there was not anything sporty in the president's room. At the same time, Asakura was calmly eating potato chips like a noble lady without leaving any crumbs (yes, potato chips! Asagi never thought that potato chips could be savored in such an elegant and noble manner!), sometimes glancing at her three friends amusedly. The room was filled with a merry atmosphere until dinner time arrived. The four of them went to the dining room after Akari happily called them again. The little girl looked very excited and impatient, wanting to play with her brother's friends as soon as possible.

"What about Otou-san?" Asagi asked his mother when he helped her set up the table, noticing that his dad was not at home yet and there was not enough portion for his dad.

"He said he would work overtime. He might not be able to come home tonight," his mother answered.

"Is there a sudden big news?"

"Yes. Apparently, there's something big going on in Detective Mouri's agency," she said, then she suddenly looked as if she just remembered something. She hurriedly told Asagi's friends, "You kids, when you go home, don't choose the road at Block 5. There is a bombing threat there. The road is blocked by the police."

"Eh?!" They were all shocked. Inaba even gaped after hearing that news.

"A bombing threat? Seriously?"

"Is this true?"

"Kaa-san, you told me something happened in Detective Mouri's agency," Asagi said to his mom under the watch of his curious friends. "You mean the bomb is there?"

"Yes, together with the bomber. That's what your father told me. One of his reporters is currently standing by near the blocked road."

Asagi hurriedly turned on the TV, searching for the news about the bomber threat. It did not take long for him to find it. There was a live broadcast reporting a suicide bomber inside Detective Mouri's agency. It also informed that Detective Mouri was currently trying to persuade the bomber to cease his threat. The reporter was standing near the road of Block 5. Behind the reporter, Asagi could see police troops guarding the area, but they were not ordinary police that they could see anywhere on daily basis. They were Special Investigation Team!

A suicide bomber in the agency… SIT… don't tell me…!

Asagi was stunned. He recalled this case. It was the case where the bomber threatened Kogoro to solve his sister's death and if he did not remember wrong, Sera was also involved in this case.

"Woah, thank God we didn't go to Poirot," Inaba blurted out after seeing the news. "I can't even imagine what would happen if we were still there when the bomber came."

"Yeah. I'm so grateful we listened to President this time," Yoshino said, still looking surprised while Asakura silently nodded in agreement. Even Asagi was silently grateful that he really did not bring his friends to Poirot. He was grateful that his decision was right.

"But the bomber is in Ran-chan's house. I hope she'll be okay," the secretary continued worriedly. Hearing that, all of them fell into silence. It just crossed their minds that their schoolmate was currently in a dangerous situation. If Detective Mouri failed to persuade the bomber, it would be up to the police to neutralize him, but if the police also failed, there was no doubt Ran and her dad would literally be blown up to pieces. Compared to the murder at the school festival, Ran's death due to the suicide bombing would be a far worse tragedy in the history of Teitan High School.

It was right after that the reporter updated the news, informing that aside from Detective Kogoro, the bomber, and three women, there were also two minors inside the agency: Detective Mouri's daughter and her schoolmate, confirming Asagi that Sera was really there. The reporter did not disclose who Ran's friend was because the police refused to tell the reporters to protect the privacy of the said student, but after listening to that news, the student council aside from Asagi wished the reporter would tell them who that student was. They were becoming even more worried and tenser now after knowing that two students from their school were under the threat of a suicide bombing.

"Maybe it's Sonoko-chan?" Yoshino guessed. "She often visits Ran-chan, so maybe it's her?"

"I doubt that. Suzuki-san is already famous as a rich heiress and it isn't her first time getting involved in Detective Mouri's case. There's no reason for the police to have to hide her involvement this time," Asakura argued.

"Then who?" Yoshino was still curious. "Oh, should I ask Ran-chan?" she said as she took out her cellphone from her blazer's pocket.

"I don't think she'll answer. Currently, she's under the bomber's threat, which means she's basically a hostage now. She won't have the freedom to call others," Asagi told her, but he did not tell anyone that he knew who the student was. Since he left the school, he was always with the student council, so it would be suspicious if he knew who that student was when all his friends did not.

"Yeah, besides, even if we know who the student with her is, there's nothing we can do to help them," Inaba added. "The only thing we can do is to wait and pray for their safety."

The four of them fell into silence again until Asagi's mother called them to eat dinner together. The table was set and the little girl had already taken her own seat, eagerly waiting for the teens to join her. She was completely oblivious to their feelings, but that obliviousness also managed to lighten their mood somehow. In the end, the high schoolers decided to momentarily set aside their worry for their schoolmates and even turn off the TV so that they would not spoil the atmosphere during dinner.

After dinner, Asagi's friends did not intend to stay much longer. They chatted with Akari for a few minutes before deciding to go home. The night was not late yet and the city was still as lively as during the day, so the three of them were confident to go home by themselves without the need of Asakura calling her family's driver. But just to make sure, Inaba and Asakura decided to accompany Yoshino to the bus stop first before they went home. They were worried the bus schedule would be affected by the incident in Detective Mouri's agency. If the worst case really happened, at least the two of them could help Yoshino either by calling a taxi or borrowing Asakura's driver.

"Be careful, guys," Asagi said to his friends in front of the door. "And please notify me once you arrive at home since it's quite an unusual night."

"Sure. Thanks for today," Inaba responded, but strangely he also looked hesitant. "Erm… and Nagayama, you know… that…"

"What?" Asagi prompted curiously.

"That… Sorry about before," he finished awkwardly. "You know, that time at school… I was being a jerk to you."

"Huh?" Asagi was perplexed, but not long after, he understood what the vice president meant. He was talking about his anger towards him at the library. "Oh. It's fine. I was at fault too for making all of you worry. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, no problem," the vice president smiled. "So, are we good now?"

"We are always good though," he smiled back. "See you later, Inaba."

Asagi watched as his friends walked out of his home one by one. Only when his vice president was already reaching the door did he suddenly have an idea. Pushed by his desperate situation, he had no other choice but to call out to him.

"Wait, Inaba, are you good at science?"

~o0o~

The suicide bombing case is featured in DC manga chapter 771-774.

Thank you for reading. Please do not hesitate to leave a review. See you again next chapter!