Disclaimer: I do not own Konjiki No Gash Bell/Zatch Bell, Detective Conan/Case Closed and MIX: Meisei Story
Crossover AU: Sunverse
The hellish memories of her school years haunted Suzume Mizuno.
From preschool to her first year of high school, Suzume has always been a target of bullying. In preschool and elementary school, her peers discriminated against her unusual hair color and often made fun of her by drawing mocking pictures on her desk. In middle school, her classmates spread rumors about Suzume after she friended Kiyomaro Takamine, who was also a victim of bullying, and her crush.
Soon, everything changed when Kiyomaro suddenly became popular.
One day, he rescued a foreign child named Gash Bell from a pair of kidnappers. His heroic moment became the talk of the Mochinoki middle school via news, newspapers, and online. Suzume was thrilled and proud of Kiyomaro for his bravely. Fortunately, the bullying stopped.
However, upon entering high school, the bullying returned to Suzume when Kiyomaro rejected her crush confession in favor of Megumi Ooumi, a popular girl. When Kiyomaro formed a battery with Hiroshi Yamanaka on their baseball team and gained a boost on his reputation for being Hiroshi's excellent catcher, Suzume joined the baseball team as a manager. She still wanted to be there for Kiyomaro as a friend.
Suzume's reputation sank lower as her bullies spread rumors about her, calling her delusional for still wanting Kiyomaro's affection despite knowing he has a girlfriend already, a clumsy and ditz for dropping a box of baseball balls or tripping over something on the ground, and a worthless girl for being born with burgundy hair and should drop dead, so she's no longer a burden and an annoyance to Kiyomaro and the other popular students.
One day, when Suzume received the news about her father's job transfer, she decided to use this opportunity to change high schools. The bullying has gotten so severe that Suzume becomes disillusioned with popularity. Of course, Kiyomaro and her best friend, Mariko Nakamura, never knew about the bullying because Suzume did not want to ruin their reputations. So, it was for the best for her to leave.
Getting over her feelings for Kiyomaro was the first step.
A year later, Souichirou Tachibana's blue eyes locked on the newest baseball team's manager when she entered the clubroom, carrying a box of bland new baseball balls. She placed the box on a table and turned around to walk out. Seconds later, she returned with a 20-page report in her hand and handed it over to him.
"Miss Ooyama wants you to read this report." She told him apathetically. "It is data on the baseball team that we'll be playing against this weekend."
Souichirou took the report from her and looked at the name of the opposing baseball team. He lifted his eyes from the report. According to his stepbrother, Touma Tachibana, Kousaku Koma, and Kenji Nishiki, Suzume Mizuno was a quiet girl who focused on her classwork, drawn on her notebook during break time and ate lunch alone. Some boys already asked her out on a date, but she told them that she wasn't interested in dating right now. Souichirou can't blame the boys through; she was a pretty girl, but her glacial light brown eyes tell him a different story.
"What is it?" She asked, giving him a suspicious stare. Her eyes remained cold. "You're acting weird."
"Nothing," Souichirou turned his eyes away from hers and refocused on the report. "Did you went to Mochinoki high school?"
"Yes, I did."
"And you were the manager at the baseball team, right?"
"How did you know?"
"Sorry, I overheard your conversation with the younger Akai during lunchtime."
"Just because you're popular, it doesn't mean you have a right to creep around and eavesdropped in other person's private conversations." She toned in disgust.
"What the heck?" Souichirou looked back at her, offended by her words. "I did say I was sorry. Geez."
"But still," She turned her eyes away from his coldly. "I don't like popular boys, especially if they're a catcher."
Ouch. Now Souichirou felt hurt. Being a popular boy and the main catcher of the baseball team was the reasons why she was so cold to him? Did something happen between her and the Mochinoki catcher to cause her to fear catchers? Again, she befriended Ryou Akai, also a popular boy and his teammate. Souichirou felt it wasn't fair for her to judge him when she has given the younger Akai a chance. Hell, she also befriended Haruka and his younger sister, Otomi.
"Miss Mizuno, we need some help!" Tadashi Imagawa's voice called out from outside.
"Coming!" She turned around and exited the clubroom.
'She's Haruka all over again. Just great.'
At Sunset, Kogorou Mouri and Tooru Amuro, whose real name was Rei Furuya, were inside of a car, parked in an alley, across the street from Meisei high school's baseball field. Conan Edogawa, a young boy, sat in the back seat.
"Uncle, why are we spying on Mr. Mizuno's daughter?" Conan asked in curiosity.
"Where the hell did you came from!?" Kogorou exclaimed in annoyance.
"Mouri-sensei, there's no need for you to get upset.' Tooru smiled at Conan. "Right, kid?"
"Right!" Conan agreed, returning a smile.
"Fine, you'd better not get in my way, kid," Kogorou warned. He folded his arms and refocused on the baseball field. "I bet the girl isn't allowed to have a boyfriend, and Mr. Mizuno wanted to know if she's dating someone in secret."
"I'm pretty sure the reasoning is different, Mouri-sensei."
"Yeah, uncle! Maybe Miss Mizuno has a stalker, and her father wants us to catch the stalker in the act!"
Kogorou glanced at his apprentice and the brat, thinking that the stalking reason was more reasonable than the secret boyfriend of a high school girl.
'Amuro and the freeloader got a good point.'
A/N: Originally posted on DeviantART as a oneshot.
