Chapter 3 –The Rumor

(Inside Teitan High 2-B classroom)

Instead of the usual stares to nothingness, today, students are all sitting upright with contained anticipation to quench their curiosity about the story of the two young detectives who just returned from a long trip to London. Mouri Ran, despite being trained with discipline, could not help but steal quick glances of her best friend, Kudo Shinichi, every now and then. Kazuha, too, was getting dehydrated from having to wait until dismissal to be able to hit her childhood friend, Hattori Heiji, in the head. But it was Suzuki Sonoko, queen of gossip, who suffered the most. It was pure torture to have to keep all her questions to her self and remain sitting still. She could not even attempt to sneak a question for it was too dangerous. With her freakishly sharp senses, Shiho Miyano would surely catch her. It was true. Even with all their utmost efforts, Shiho still knew, even when her back turned from the students, that everyone was not paying any attention to her lectures at all. At maximum best, only the guys were focused at her and that could only be because they have a crush on her and wanted to gape at her incredible swaying figure as she writes across the blackboard. She knew that all the girls were only staring at the hero of their one-sided love story but she couldn't blame them anyway. She agreed –he was indeed good looking and not in the typical Hollywood good-looking sense rather, it was the mesmerizing kind you just can't say you don't enjoy looking at. However, she still found it ridiculous to for everyone to pour all their attention just because of famous high school detective (okay –a gorgeous high school detective). After all, there were many brilliant people in the world; MENSA was able to list 50. And aesthetics are just aesthetics –they're just like candy wrappers. You don't actually pay for the candy wrapper; you pay for the candy.

Then the school bell rang independence. At the teacher's dismissal, the students soon resumed to their excitement of the return of Kudo Shinichi and the curiosity of what could things possibly be with the new student Hattori Heiji as his partner. Before Shiho could even turn around to dismiss the class as she always did (and the class did always waited for her to do just that before leaving), the students were already up from their seats and crowding Kudo and Hattori. She could only smirk with interest, raising her eyebrows at the sight of what she knows will be the beginning of a very interesting days to come.

Ran, attempting to fence off her classmates so she could finally be able to talk to her childhood friend, dragged Shinichi with Sonoko, Kazuha, and Hattori quickly to the cafeteria. Why she thought it would actually keep the students from bothering them she could not understand because the students were still there as if they were never tried to get rid off. After grilling the two young detectives with questions about the esteemed London case,

"Oi Kudo!, What do you think of our new teacher? Miyano-sensei's pretty hot, eh?", one of the students brazenly asked the cornered Shinichi.

"Pretty hot? That's a complete understatement! Come on Yori, you can do better than that!" defended another Miyano-sensei fan.

"Sorry, sorry. Ehehe. She is super hot like a sizzling volcano that could no longer hold in its flaming lava! The world is melting because of her! Good enough?", said Yori who was confident enough he didn't actually needed to ask the question.

Kudo, who was beginning to feel sorry for his hopeless peers, didn't really think much of answering the question if it weren't for his classmates' insisting.

"She's okay", he finally commented.

"EEH? Are you being serious, Kudo? She's tota—", his classmated began to complain but was abruptly cut off by Sonoko's undefeatable voice.

"Oi! You morons! We're the ones who should be asking questions here! Why don't ypu run off somewhere really far before I ask Ran and Kazuha to chop you off to tiny bits!", Sonoko screamingly threatened. Although, the students knew Ran and Kazuha aren't actually going to chop them into tiny bits and pieces, the fear if Sonoko's wrath was more than enough for them to skip away.

"And Kudo! Are you actually being serious then? 'She's okay'? I totally agree with those morons, Miyano-sensei's completely hot! I was really half-hoping, half-certain you would be all over her now.", Sonoko continued to scream.

"Idiot! I would never do that. Don't turn me into Ran!", Shinichi retorted and then gave Ran a grin to taunt her.

"Wh-What? What are you talking about Shinichi?", Ran defensively demanded to the smug detective.

"You know what I mean. You and Araide-sensei. Hehehe. Have you two finally gone out together already?", Shinichi continued to tease his childhood friend who was already dark red with embarrassment. Seeing his Ran beginning to get into position, Shinichi tried to move back for the fear of a karate chop. "Oi, oi. Ran! I was just joki—Augh!"

Ran, satisfied with the bump on Shinichi's head, sat back down to her chair.

"How stupid of you Kudo. You never offend a woman who knows her punches. I learned that the hard way from Kazuha.", remarked Hattori when suddenly out of no where "Arrraaa!". Kazuha, who he though was seated across him, hit him on his head as well.

"The hard way, eh Heiji?" threatened Kazuha more than actually asked with a glare that could chase away anyone near her.

They continued to eat their meal without noticing that a group of girls were listening to their conversation the entire time. Maybe they interpreted it wrong or maybe they were exactly right, but when Shinichi didn't answer Sonoko if he actually only thought Miyano-sensei was okay and if he wasn't interested in her, they concluded that the school heartthrob Kudo Shinichi was attracted to their chemistry teacher.

"Eh? Kudo Shinichi and Miyano-sensei? And just when I thought I'd finally get a chance!"

"Never mind that, we never really got a chance. Even the boys were devastated but I think they thought good of it. Kudo-kun and Miyano-sensei do look good together. Completely match in brains, looks, and personality."

"Still. Wouldn't everyone want a chance with either one of them? We can't just let Miyano-sensei waltz in and take him away. I'm sure the guys would be reluctant to give up their fantasies about Miyano-sensei as well."

And within just less than an hour, the rumor of the pairing of the famous, handsome high school detective and the young genius, alluring chemistry teacher spread all through out the campus. So did the bitterness and determination to steal away the pair from each other.

(end of chapter 3)