Chapter 4 – The Neighbor

(On their way home)

"Eh. Araide-sensei resigned?" asked the curious Kudo Shinichi. He didn't think Araide-sensei would quit his job after only 2 years especially since almost all his students and 'Ran' were fond of him.

"Yeah. A month ago. But he did it so he can work at the new free clinic built 6 months ago.", Ran answered while looking up the sky with awe and admiration, only it wasn't admiration of the sky.. "They said they needed doctors who would be willing to render their service for a salary lower than the usual.", she continued without noticing that Shinichi and Sonoko, who were standing each at her sides, were sniggering in agreement.

Clearly annoyed, "What is it?", she asked with suspicion. "What's with all the giggling? Do you know something I don't?"

"Nothing, nothing. I only know as much as you do.", Shinichi answered though he was obviously holding something back. "It's just that…", he began to continue, "Isn't that where you'll be working starting on Saturday for the school's community service program?"

"Eh? How did yo—" Ran couldn't finish the question. She was completely caught off guard by Shinichi who she didn't know was aware about her application. Humiliated by Shinichi's implication when he asked her about it, Ran tried to conceal her flushed cheeks with pretend anger, that was until she realized the answer to her incomplete question, then she really was angry. "So-so-so-SONOKO!", she bellowed at the now shaking young woman at the horror that is in front of her. Had Shinichi not spoken up soon, Ran would have certainly murdered her best friend most terribly. Maybe it was divide and conquer or maybe it really was just stupidity that saved the young woman.

"Now, now Ran. Don't be so embarrassed.", Shinichi said to Ran unknowing of the tragedy that was to befall him. "We all need teachers to teach us the ways of life. Yours is just a little bit different and taboo but—AUUGH!"

Sonoko, grateful for Shinichi's pathetic mistake in sharing Ran's wrath, made the right decision to change the topic, "Shinichi, we're going to visit Hirami-san today to try out his food that he'll be serving at his new restaurant. We'll be the first one to try it since his restaurant hasn't opened yet. You should come with us. He's a really great, right Ran?" said Sonoko with nervousness still in her voice.

"Oh? Come to think about it, I did hear that Suzuki Corporation invested a significant amount to a new restaurant establishment.", said Shinichi to Sonoko who was nodding to hint that the restaurant was indeed Hirami-san's. "So Hirami-san eh? He once cooked for a knight in London and for a duke in Ireland as well, so I heard. But sorry, I can't come. I promised Hakase I would help him move and set up some things at his house today."

"Eh? Come on Shinichi, can't you just ask Hakase if you could help him some other time? It's not like you get to eat food by Hirami-san's everyday.", Ran pleadingly requested to her childhood friend, who only recently came back home after a year and a half.

"Sorry. Sorry. I really can't. It's bad enough I didn't immediately visited him at his home last night after finally coming back. I can't blow him off again.", answered Shinichi. "Well, I better go ahead now. See you.".

(Outside Hakase's house)

Shinichi, arriving at the steps in front of Agasa-hakase's house, saw a couple of carton boxes right outside the door. Assuming these were the things Hakase wanted help with, he carried one of the huge boxes with the word 'books' written on the side after ringing the doorbell. It was taking forever for Hakase to answer the door, at least that's what Shinichi felt; he was carrying a huge box of books in his arms after all; what took hours could have been just a few seconds. He rang the doorbell again using one of the corners of the box to push the button. When after that there was still no answer, Shinichi realized he should have just waited for Hakase to open the door for him before he carried the box. He was just about to put down the box of books on the floor then decided not to when he heard footsteps coming towards the door.

The door opened.

"Hakase, are these the things you wanted moved?", Shinichi, who couldn't see in front because the box was blocking his view, asked the person at the door who he assumed to be Hakase. But then,

"If you're going to ring the door bell, you should at least wait a minute before ringing it again", said a familiar voice to Shinichi that wasn't Hakase's. It was a woman's but he couldn't quite remember whom exactly, or maybe he was just too afraid to. Then a sudden flash of memory, a death glare that is, came to his mind and his entire body froze.

Slowly, Shinichi inclined his head to the side in order to see the person he was hoping so much not to see at the door. He then realized he couldn't always get what he wanted.

"Mi-mi-Miyano-sensei?", Shinichi doubted despite being sure he was right.

"Miyano would be just fine outside of school, Kudo-kun.", told flatly by the soft voice that already started to walk away from the still unmoving detective at the door. When she realized this, Shiho slowly walked back to him and then shortly leaned her face only inches from his, looking at him without any expression on her face only curiosity. They were standing so close to each other they seemed about to kiss. Shinichi's heart was beating so fast only, he couldn't figure out whether this was because of fear or something else. "What-is-she-doing?" Shinichi asked himself. It lasted for more than a few seconds until Shiho saw a slight blush rose to Shinichi's cheeks, at that moment she smirked. She started to walk in the opposite direction again and when she was already a few steps away from him, she turned around and she asked him "Well? Are you coming in or are you going to just stand there like a statue?" with a smile that looked as if she knew what his weakness was. He still didn't move.

He wouldn't still have moved if Hakase hadn't called out his name. "Shinichi? Is that you?". It took the young detective a few seconds before that Hakase was calling him that he still hasn't moved away from the door and that he still was carrying the heavy box with his arms. "Shinichi?", Hakase asked again now standing right in front of the young man.

"Sorry Hakase. I spaced out for a minute. Should I bring the boxes in?", said Shinichi who seemed a little bit not himself to Hakase.

"What is it Shinichi? Is something bothering you?" asked the concern Hakase to the disoriented detective.

"Uh, no. It's nothing important. It's just that Miyano sensei…" Shinichi told Hakase not knowing how to quite finish his sentence. However, Hakase half knew what Shinichi was trying to say.

"Ah! You mean Shiho-kun. Yes well, Shiho-kun is the daughter of a friend of your parents' and mine. I forgot she was your teacher too. These boxes are actually hers. Her parents asked me to take care of her here in Japan because they can't leave London due to their work. She just moved in 3 months ago but her parents were only able to send her things now."

"Oh? So you're her nanny then, eh?", Shinichi commented with a wide smug grin.

"No, I thought I'd be more like her second father.", Hakase answered sheepishly smiling, that is until.

"You mean her second grandfather?". Shinichi innocently raised the question without immediately grasping the implications of his response.

"Ehem!", Hakase faked a cough to point out Shinichi's 'error'.

"Sorry! Sorry. Hehehehe, you know I was just joking Hakase.", Shinichi attempted to save himself. "So anyway, Hakase. Why would a young prodigy choose to become a teacher? If she's able to teach complex chemistry at the age of 17, I assume she did exceptionally well as a student."

"Ah, well, actually Shiho-kun is just on a break from being a chemist. Her parents suggested it so she won't be entirely consumed by her work. It seems that Shiho-kun has been really emotionally distant to people ever since they found out she was a genius and had to enroll her in a special program with kids much older than her. She didn't socialize much because of that, and even now that she's already graduated. That's what her parents told me. It really is a good thing that Ran-kun and Sonoko-kun are there to accompany her since she moved here."

"Those two?" asked Shinichi who wasn't really surprised by what he just found out about the two. Sonoko and Ran have been extremely friendly with people ever since they were kids. What surprised him was that Shiho Miyano actually went along with them.

"Anyway, why do you ask?" questioned Hakase to the young man with an unusual intrigue in his voice. "Could it be?"

"Eh?" wondered Shinichi about what Hakase could be thinking about.

"Could it be that you are attracted to her? I thought she'd be your type.", said Hakase teasingly with a grin imitating Shinichi's only it was even more smug.

"EH? No! Of course not! Why would you think that? Everyone should really stop saying that about me.", retorted the young detective in a manner that was just a little bit over defensive. But Hakase, ignoring the remark, continued to flash the grin at Shinichi as if he knew something intriguing about him that the detective himself didn't know.

Shiho, who was just in the room across where Shinichi and Hakase were, entered the room. "Should I prepare some refreshments? At your pace, it looks like it's going to take a while before you could even finish taking things out from one box.", she commented to them.

"Sorry Shiho-kun. We were just trying to catch up. Refreshments would be great. Thank you, Shiho-kun.", Hakase said to Shiho with an awkward smile. Shiho sensed that Hakase was slightly nervous and when she turned to Kudo-kun, who was looking pretty nervous as well, she knew they were keeping something they didn't want her to know. But she shrugged it off, after all, things discussed by an over-weight elderly man and a young high school student couldn't be about anything interesting.

After Shiho left the room, Shinichi thought about the situation, having Miyano-sensei around whenever he will be visiting Hakase to talk to about cases and other things (which he often did if not always), he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it. But one thing was for sure, nothing made his heart race faster than having her around, whether it was because of the glare that almost killed him or the way she leaned so close to him a while ago.

(end of chapter 4)