A/N:Wow, my doc manager sure has a weird habit of underlining every anime character's name I write. Here are the funniest examples which I will share with you:

Higurashi=Thrashing. (Wait, what?)

Keiichi=Chicken. O.o I didn't know Keiichi was a squawking bird. I must not have been paying attention.

Watanagashi=Washingtonian.

Shinichi=Shininess. O.O Shinichi is a gay vampire? NOOOOOOOO! (In case you didn't notice, I am NOT a Twilight fan. No offense to readers who like the series.)

Haibara=Hairball. O.O No comment.

Sonoko=Songbook. XD

Mouri-san=Missourian! XD Is my manager on acid or something?

Uchiha=Chihuahua. O.o

Anyhow, enough of the funniness. Time to go on to the chapter.

Chapter 4 The club

Kaito watched over the detective closely as the two of them headed to school together. Well, not really for educational purposes, since there was an underlying motive as to why they were headed there. After all, there was a mystery involved in Hinamizawa, so he knew the detective would have been unable to say no. "Shin-chan sure is smart, but when it comes to mysteries, he doesn't care about anything else." He muttered softly, so quietly that the young man almost didn't hear him.

However, Shinichi did hear. He turned around abruptly, staring intently at Kaito. The intense gaze in his blue eyes was frightening...creepy, even. He supposed all that the young detective had gone through over the past two years had made him completely wary of everyone...even his own friends. "What was that?" He remarked sharply, a look of annoyance present on his face.

Whoopsie...did I touch a nerve? SUCCESS!

"Hey, meitantei-san, did I snap you out of your grouchy mood?" Kaito taunted, sticking out his tongue at him playfully. Kaito did not like seeing people unhappy or sad, dangit! All he wanted was for Shinichi to at least smile or smirk instead of always being so quiet and withdrawn. It didn't suit the detective to be all sullen and pensive. That title belonged much more to Koizumi Akako.

And sometimes, that kind of nature or mood fit Kaito, too. He was so used to wearing a happy and cheerful mask that many people had fallen for it and believed his true nature to be that of a prankster and a good-natured guy. However, it was nothing but a mask that concealed his depression, his problems, and his true feelings. He had grown accustomed to wearing masks since his father had died, and ever since he had become KID, masks were part of him. However, he could be serious when he wanted to be at times, and that was how he knew that he could read people almost as well as, if not better than, the detective could at times.

He knew Shinichi fairly well, and obviously he was worrying about the Black Organization again. Ever since he had gone through that experience, he seemed to be more mature and less friendly.

Almost like a miniature Bruce Wayne

Kaito thought and laughed. Shinichi was nothing like the Caped Crusader, though maybe he was the one who was more like Superman, trying hard to help and save everybody no matter what the cost was. He knew the detective despised killing and murder as much as he did, but he didn't always have to be so serious all the time. He needed to try smiling for once.

"Shut up, you annoying idiot. Why do I even bother in coming along with you? At the very least, Ran would have been much more helpful..." Shinichi grumbled, continuing along in a sour mood.

Kaito frowned. "Hey, meitantei-san. I need to know something. Have you been having those nightmares again?" He asked pointedly, knowing exactly what his friend's response would be. The latter froze up again and looked away before replying.

"Maybe." He muttered softly. "It's just...being with these kids again reminds me of...that incident. The person I failed to save." He explained quietly, his gaze directly down at the ground.

"That death wasn't your fault, Kudou." Kaito explained quickly. "You can't always prevent bad things from happening. You just have to do your best."

"You idiot. You don't understand. You haven't been there, seeing someone lie dying in front of your eyes. I don't want to get close to people, because then they'll end up dead." Shinichi hissed harshly.

"Kudo!" Kaito yelped, surprised by the detective's callousness. Usually, there would be some kind of jocular tone in there. "Is the real Shinichi dead, or replaced by a clone?" He asked, ruffling Shinichi's hair, much to his disdain.

"Yamero, Kuroba. That's an annoying habit. You know I don't like it, so why do you do it?" Shinichi moaned.

"Because...I know you don't like it. I want you to know I exist, instead of spacing out and looking so depressed all the time. Smile, Kudou. You don't have to be totally honest with these people, but you can be friendly and let them in." Kaito advised.

"Kaito..." Shinichi trailed off.

"You can't be alone all the time. It's no fun when you're by yourself, because loneliness eats you up from the inside. Even if you think it's good at first, eventually it will erode your self-esteem away. Open up some more, meitantei-san. I'm sure the kids will accept you." Kaito said.

Shinichi stared at him in silence for a few moments, then he smiled softly. "You're right." He said, and they continued on. The rest of the trip was spent in silence, but it was a comfortable silence-the kind that is achieved after one has done something good or meaningful.

Rika and Hanyuu got up early again, in preparation for school. However, their minds were both focused on the new students. Both of them were unable to think on anything else, since a welcome change in their eternally long and tedious lives had forced them to rethink how this life would be carried out.

"Will we make it through, Hanyuu? Or will these two-Kudou and Kuroba-turn out to be burdens that drag us down?" Rika said softly.

"I don't know, Rika." Hanyuu admitted. For once, the young girl had no idea what might happen to them in this world. That was both a relief and a curse. For one, she had no idea who those boys really were, and whether or not they were really good people. Another reason was because she knew that in the previous world, they only had had two weeks. Now, she supposed the time was even shorter. Each time she used her power to bring Rika back to life, she always ended up draining some of her power away. Eventually, they would die, and nothing would come of their death.

Hanyuu knew this was inevitable, however she did her best to remain positive, for Rika's sake. The last world had done enough to improve Hanyuu's spirits and reassure her and Rika into hoping for a better tomorrow. There was a new change in the way she viewed things now. She wanted to do her best for the sake of her friends and Rika. She no longer was invisible and see-through; now she was able to interact with all of her friends. Also, she could try and change everyone's futures for the better. She couldn't help but smile to herself.

"Hanyuu, what are you thinking about?" Rika asked the purple-haired child, her violet eyes full of concern as she stared at her closest friend. She usually could read the girl's mind pretty well, however she was again spacing out...about something. Rika knew Hanyuu well enough to tell that when she was quiet, something was wrong.

"Hau...nothing, really. I just wonder how this world will turn out." Hanyuu whispered, though more to herself than anyone else. She herself had completely changed her tune from pessimistic to hopeful and happy since she had become visible. The goddess had never believed it to be possible that her fate could be controlled by just her.

"Hanyuu! The bath is ready!" Satoko's impending voice called. "I just finished! You can have one before Rika!" She called.

Rika scowled. "I got up first, why can't I get a shower first? Satoko, this isn't fair..." She frowned, and sulked. Hanyuu didn't even pay attention to Rika's little tantrum and instead decided to go and take a bath. At least then she would be away from the cranky Rika.

"Rika, don't complain." Satoko's nagging voice responded from the hallway.

"Nipah. I was merely joking, nano desu." Rika lied. She was partially jealous at the treatment Hanyuu was getting, but she supposed Hanyuu was getting excused for things due to the major, apparent fact that she was a new student, and that she was cute. Without those things, she would never be able to get away with privileges. Rika made a mental note to get more spicy liquor. She could always use more, after all...

That afternoon, Shinichi was awakened when a person slammed their fist onto his desk, which jolted him upright. "Who's there?" He exclaimed.

"Sonozaki Mion!" The voice screamed. "Don't sleep during class, Kudou-san!" The obnoxious voice continued, as the witch accused him of various bad things that she proclaimed that he either had done, or hadn't done...Women. Either they loved you to death, or else they tried to kill you. Why did things always have to work that way?

He suppressed those dirty feelings for now, and looked up into the blue eyes of Sonozaki Mion. "I wasn't sleeping! I was only...uh, resting my eyes." He lied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Really? You were asleep." The brown-haired girl, Rena added on his right. Her blue eyes were looking at him in curiosity. "I hate liars..." She whispered.

"I'm not lying..." Shinichi began, but it was ultimately Kaito who joined the role of tormentor. "Kaito...help me." He whispered.

"Nah, it's better to watch ya suffer." Kaito joked, eating a bag of popcorn as he said this. "This looks quite interesting, folks. What'll Kudou's reaction be to how-"

"How'd you blackmail them into giving you popcorn?" Shinichi cracked, a soccer ball suddenly appearing out of seemingly nowhere and heading towards Kaito, who abruptly yelped and dove under the table to escape its wrath. The black-and-white ball bounced all around the room, while all the club members and Hinamizawa kids watched on in shock.

"Nipah, that's a soccer ball, isn't it?" Rika asked childishly.

"It sure is!" Keiichi exclaimed, watching Kaito run from Shinichi's soccer ball. "He sure is talented with a soccer ball! Watch that other baka go!" He exclaimed, laughing.

"HELP ME, YOU GUYS! HE'S GONE CRAZY!" Kaito screamed.

"By the way, there's a lot of...fish in this." Shinichi exclaimed, reaching in his pocket and pulling out some dead trout and threw them at Kaito. The results were a huge crash and a bunch of girly screams.

"My image of Kuroba-san changed completely in the past five seconds." Satoko muttered to herself, smirking upon seeing the cocky boy lying knocked out on the ground with fish on his head.

"Mii-Kudou-san susre is interesting." Rika admitted.

"This old man here was surprised too at his skill with a soccer ball. He'll be perfect for joining our club." Mion whispered.

"What club?" Shinichi asked in confusion.

"The Hinamizawa After-School club!"

Oi, oi. This reminds me of the Detective Boys...