A/N: Whee, I'm so glad I got to rewrite this chapter. As you can see from here, Miyoshi changed into Mai because Tsukiko has become closer to her. And! Conan calls Tsukiko 'Okiya-neechan'. It might be weird to some but remember, he also calls Sera 'Sera-neechan' and Amuro 'Amuro-niichan'.

Chapter 16.

When one had a lot to do, time surely went forward. It was like Tsukiko had only recently been in that accident but in reality she had been in the Detective Conan world about three fourths of a year. And the half of that time she had been in coma. Of course, there also was the fact that the year would keep going on and on over and over again so in reality it was probably just a month or so…

"Let's see… 'Black Impact' was in approximately November since the Poltergeist case was in October… Then were my months in coma until the 'Clash of Red and Black'…" Tsukiko mumbled whilst scribbling some nonsense to her notebook. "Raiha Pass incident happened the 13th of April and I enrolled to Teitan High on the 16th…"

"Okiya-chan, you'll be late if you don't hurry!" Jodie's voice called from outside of the girl's room.

"If I run I can leave in five minutes!" Tsukiko yelled back through the door. In reality she probably wasn't going to run, just walk faster than usually.

"Okay, then. Don't be late!"

"I won't!" The girl continued scribbling. "Hmm… And Jodie is still keeping an eye on me… I can't wait until October the 6th so I can implement the next part of my plan."

Tsukiko got up from her chair and put her notebook and writing utensils aside. While she trusted Jodie not to go snooping through her things, she had written her notes in Finnish just in case. The girl picked her school bag from the floor and cast the last glance about her room. It was tidy enough.

"I'm going now!"

She was late. She should've left earlier. Time had escaped from her again. But now it was too late to be sorry about it. Tsukiko just had to run as fast as she could. She dashed through shopping district and the park near it. It was a shortcut she'd discovered her first week into school.

"First block… second block… third… fourth…" The girl counted in her mind. The first lesson would be Kawaoka-sensei's. She was the same one who'd made the class to change seats on the first day. She was young but very strict about the rules. And – believe it or not – she was the only person the snob club's leader Toudou Yuuko respected. And that was only because of the teacher's beauty.

"They are hopeless…" Tsukiko muttered as she reached the school gate. She was breathing breathed heavily but she'd made it just in time. A couple of minutes to spare to calm down and get the inside slippers from her locker.

"You were in hurry, didn't you?" Maii asked as Tsukiko took her seat next to the other girl. Tsukiko slumped against her desk, leaning her head against her crossed arms and sighed.

"Yeah, how did you notice?" The blonde muttered.

"You forgot your glasses." She replied and flipped a page of her book. Something about electronics…

"Ah! How…? I…" Tsukiko lifted her head and touched her face. Despite using the glasses for the past weeks, she still hadn't noticed them missing.

"And judging by your reaction, you aren't using contact lenses either." Mai concluded without lifting her gaze from her book. "I'm quite surprised about that. But considering your actions during lessons, you probably don't need your glasses as much as I do."

"Well, yes…" Tsukiko stammered, a bit loss as to what else to say. The glasses had been a spur of a moment decision in order to throw off people in the case someone was gunning for her. But the hit-and-run had been just an accident even if it had involved some of the most high-ranking and short-tempered members. Now she just continued wearing them because leaving them out would be suspicious.

"Observing and noticing things is everything you need in this class. I have been watching you during the lessons when I've had the chance. You have a habit of taking your glasses off during lessons when you are sure no one notices. And that's the reason why I also recognized you. Aside from the obvious hair color."

"Noticing… Recognize… Right."

"You look very different without your glasses. You're eyes are pretty shade of greyish blue, you shouldn't be hiding them." Tsukiko blushed slightly at Mai's compliment.

"A-Arigatou…"

"Aww! Okiya-chan! You look so cute! Do you have contact lenses?" Hanajima's voice broke the silence between the two girls. The gossiper was standing in front of Tsukiko's desk, smiling brightly, and was nothing like the girl Tsukiko had met on the first day.

"So you have accepted your role now?" Tsukiko asked, diverting the course of conversation away from the previous topic. A week ago Hanajima had officially 'joined back' to the snob club thus causing a bit problems between her and some the other people in the class. No wonder though. After all she had tricked the majority of them. Everyone except Mai, Tsukiko, the snob club and some select few.

"Yes, I have. This is much better now. I was so tired of faking." Hanajima had a cold edge in her voice that vanished quickly enough. "But tell me now whether or not you are using contact lenses today."

"Yes, I am." Tsukiko lied. "But only for this day. They are pretty hard to put on."

"I see." Hanajima smiled and retreated as abruptly as she'd arrived. "Bye, Okiya-chan! Bye, Miyoshi-san!"

"Bye!"

"…" Mai didn't even bother to answer. Only when Hanajima was back in her seat did Mai finally speak. "She is a real pain in the neck. Two-faced devil. I don't know how you can stand her."

"I know but I simply haven't had that much exposure of her. I haven't seen all of her faces like you have. The first innocent one that you must have seen when she began school here. But there still must have been something that made you reach out and try to help her." Tsukiko observed.

"…Hanajima is a lost cause." Mai answered at length. "If you want to help someone, try Namida-chan."

"Maki Namida? You mean the girl usually sitting behind me."

"Yes, she didn't come to school today and she wants to get out of the snob club. She is a good person if a bit shy."

Their chatting came to the end when Kawaoka-sensei came to the classroom. Mai got up and instructed others too as part of her duties as the class president. The morning routine that happened in all Japanese schools so to say.

"Stand up."

"Salute."

"Sit down."

After school Tsukiko headed to the bookstore. She wanted something to read. Manga, mystery novel, fantasy flick, short stories, anything. Just something to read while waiting for October.

"Hm hm hmm…" Her finger trailed backs of the books as the girl searched for something interesting. Nothing had caught her attention just yet.

"Do you always hum yourself when looking for something? Okiya-neechan?" She heard a familiar voice to ask from somewhere on her left and towards the ground. Tsukiko looked down in surprise.

"Ta-Tantei-chan?!"

"Don't call me with that nickname." Conan hissed whilst glaring at her. Tsukiko noticed a group of kids behind him. Two boys and two girls; the Detective Boys then.

"Conan-kun? Is that your friend?" The dark-haired girl with a hairband, Yoshida Ayumi, asked.

"'Tantei-chan'? Funny nickname you've got Conan." The boy who was the biggest, Kojima Genta, remarked without letting Conan answer to the first question. The situation reminded Tsukiko slightly of her first day in Teitan. The flood of questions and people wanting theirs to be heard.

"Well, we have met once before. It was kind of a case…" Conan tried to explain.

"And because he ran all around the crime scene and asked weird questions from everyone, I decided to start calling him Tantei-chan." Tsukiko concluded. "How about you guys? Are you his friends?"

"Yeah, we are Shounen Tantei-dan! We solve a lot of cases." The kids except the brown-haired girl, Haibara Ai, told in unison.

"I see." The high schooler smiled. "Nice to meet you. I'm Okiya Tsukiko."

Despite the situation and Tsukiko's familiarity with Conan, in the end the kids weren't exactly interested in her. They rather opted to read mangas, especially Kamen Yaiba. Conan in the other hand began looking around in the shop. Up until Ai placed her finger on the boy's cheek and turned his head to the right direction.

"That way. You are looking for mysteries, right?" She said.

"Right…"

Conan ran to take the last piece of the newest Shinmei Kaori's book but someone else took it right in front of his face. And that someone was…

"Eisuke?" Tsukiko said aloud, forgetting the 'kun'-honorific from his name completely. He didn't seem to notice it though; he was already surprised enough about meeting both Conan and her so suddenly. Conan was surprised too, but his attention was then drawn to Ran and Sonoko who were also in that store, accompanying Eisuke.

"Ah, Suzuki-senpai, Mouri-senpai… You are here too. Looking for something special?" Tsukiko greeted them as they'd not seen each other at school. The blonde girl had avoided as much people as possible from seeing her without glasses. Speaking of which, Conan hadn't yet commented the lack of them…

"Yes, we were actually looking for a book our teacher recommended for us." Ran answered.

"I see." Tsukiko nodded. That made sense. And fit with the manga plot too. Karaoke Box Murder Case.

"Hey, how do you know Eisuke, Tsukiko-chan?" Sonoko asked then. "Are you two dating or something?"

Eisuke blushed and began stammering something or other. Tsukiko remained calm and tried to keep her voice level despite the slight flush dusting her cheeks. "No, we aren't. Is that a question variation of which you ask everyone you meet?"

"Maybe…" The rich girl trailed of while grinning unrepentantly. "But you didn't answer to my first question. How do you know him?"

"We were in the same hospital and happened to talk a lot."

Sonoko didn't look very happy about that boring explanation but decided to let it be when Ran pointed out the book they'd come to buy.

"Hey, isn't this the book our teacher recommended to us?" The karate champion picked the book in question from the bookshelf. Using the distraction to her advantage, Tsukiko snuck a few steps closer to Eisuke.

"It seems you are finally 'out from the hospital'… Was FBI keeping you safe for a while?" She asked quietly from him.

"Yes... How about you? I didn't hear anything about you after you left the hospital." Eisuke replied back with equally quiet voice.

"I'm staying with Jodie-san and attending Teitan. She is keeping an eye on me and reporting to Black-san every week."

"Eh, why?" The boy blinked in confusion.

"I don't know… But don't worry about it: I'm sure everything will be fine eventually." Tsukiko flashed a smile at him.

"So… you are in Teitan too then?" Eisuke changed the subject.

"Yeah, almost since I got released from the hospital. Jodie-san enrolled me. I'm on class 1-B now."

"Good luck then. I've heard a lot of rumors and gossip about that class."

"Everyone is saying that to me but I'm doing fine there…" Tsukiko huffed with a slight pout on her face. She grinned then. "It's quite fun actually on that class. I'm definitely not bored while there. And I made some friends too."

"I see." Eisuke gave Tsukiko one of his smiles that made him look like a girl.

"Oh, look at that. What is that if it's not love?" Sonoko's face suddenly appeared between the two of them. They both blushed but Eisuke much more harshly. Tsukiko took quickly a half-sliding step backwards.

"Su-Suzuki-senpai! That-…"

"S-Sonoko-san, what are you-…"

"Sonoko, why don't you just leave them alone?" Ran sighed.

"Suzuki-senpai, there is nothing between us." Tsukiko tried to explain but Sonoko wasn't listening. Tsukiko had only one choice left: to say something that was true and irrefutable. "There is no use of falling in love to someone who already has someone in his heart."

That made Sonoko stop her babbling. All those teens, Sonoko, Ran, Eisuke, even Conan, were looking at Tsukiko now. The girl grinned at their faces.

"What? I'm just talking nonsense. See ya tomorrow." She turned to leave the bookshop quickly and efficiently. Sonoko was fast though.

"Eh! Chotto matte!" The girl grabbed the blonde's arm. "You are coming with us. We are going to celebrate Eisuke's coming back and since you're his friend…"

"I also got to attend, right?" Tsukiko deadpanned.

"Bingo~!"

"May I also state to the record that I really don't like how you stressed that word? Because I really didn't."

"Do I look like I care?"

"I suppose you don't, Suzuki-senpai…"

A/N: Next, Karaoke Box murder mystery. Man, I can't wait to fix it. I'll probably post those two chapters together too.