Chapter 6 – The Young Student

(In Teitan High 2-B classroom)

Kudo Shinichi, unlike the rest of the class (especially the guys), was staring out the classroom window from boredom that could put him to sleep any second now. The teachers would usually just let him be, considering the young detective probably learned already what was still to be discussed. Surely, he didn't need an actual teacher by his side to tell him things he can understand by himself alone from merely reading books.

However, Miyano Shiho was absolutely not a typical teacher. In fact, she didn't even think of herself as a teacher, after all, this "career" was solely for sabbatical purposes from being a genius of a chemist. She stopped her lecture expecting that the detective would at least notice but as it turns out, Kudo Shinichi was no good as a detective when it comes to figuring out things about him –he was as clueless as a child. Shiho, clearly annoyed by this, slowly approached him until she was right in front of his desk but somehow, Kudo still didn't notice. He continued staring out the window with his eyes half opened until he felt a soft, light touch on his left cheek. It was a finger, nudging his face towards the front. His eyes warily trailed the gentle finger to lead him back to its commander. Little did he know that the face that was to befall him would not be as soft nor as gentle as its finger.

"A-a-h… aHE-HE-he…", cried Shinichi nervously more than he actually chuckled. It was Miyano-sensei, of course, whose finger just touched his wandering face. Her eyes were as sharp as a blade, piercing through his charm that would have normally assisted him in his juvenile escape from detention.

"For a detective, you sure are dumb searching for your teacher outside. I assume that was why you were staring out the window, correct?", said Shiho to the red-handed detective. Shinichi could only force a smile, thinking to himself the words "Just let me be." but then he noticed something weird –he was nervous or felt something similar to being nervous.

"So…", Shiho continued to reproach Shinichi sarcastically, "if you don't mind, tantei-san, I don't want your eyes anywhere else but on me. Now, shall we resume with our lecture?". Shiho, finally finished with the young detective, turned around to walk right back in front of the class but was slightly surprised when she found her students all looking at her, or maybe looking at her and Shinichi, with envious looks as if what they observed just confirmed their impression of the two –the "couple". Shiho didn't only imagine what she saw. Indeed the students had their theories.

But just as immediately, after sensing that their sensei had noticed their anguished faces, they returned to their textbooks pretending as though they weren't even bothered by Miyano-sensei's and Shinichi's brief moment of "intimacy". Shiho, still suspicious of the glimpse she just saw, resigned to ignore her questions, clipping her strawberry-blonde hair behind her ears and getting back to her lesson. On the other hand, Shinichi, still stuck at that "moment", still remembering the words her teacher uttered, couldn't help but gaze intensely at the mystery, that was his teacher, and wondered why the rush of adrenaline he felt when she touched him on his cheek was still rushing in him. He was most definitely intrigued with excitement he could not understand, control, nor did he want to feel by what just happened –even if it was merely a second of soft, light touch.

The bell had rung but no one besides Ran and Shiho moved to walk out of the room. Everyone who knew about the rumor was still hung up by that same moment.

"Don't tell me you guys still want me to continue on my lecture?", Shiho, surprised by the class' unusual behavior, with her signature smirk on her face, asked the students. They laughed at the young teacher's remark. They didn't realize themselves that the bell had rung and that they haven't even moved an inch from their seats since pretending to be reading their books after witnessing the said "intimate" moment.

"Oh and before I forget. Kudo Shinichi, Hattori Heiji, we'll be meeting every dismissal in this room starting tomorrow for your make-up classes in chemistry.", said Shiho to the two young high school detectives who simply nodded.

"EH?", reacted many of the students?

"What is it?", said Shiho, who was irritated by the fact she has to stay in the room for a few more seconds longer, while raising one of her eye brows at the students.

"A-hh. It's just that…", one of the students began to reply while thinking to himself that there was no way he would allow Kudo Shinichi to spend more time with Miyano-sensei even if Hattori Heiji would be with them. "After all, he was Kudo's friend, he couldn't be trusted with", the student continued to think to himself not knowing that the rest of the class, except for Ran, Sonoko, Kazuha and Hattori, had the very same thought running through their minds the only difference was that the girls were worried about their Kudo spending time with MIyano-sensei who might steal him away. That despite the indifference of the young detective and the young teacher to each other, they knew it would only be a matter of time before the both of them realize how perfect they were for each other.

"… It's just that I would also like to join that make up class, sensei, if it's okay. I don't think I completely understood the previous lessons. I just want to be sure.", lied the student.

"… Okay. Just don't show up late and be a distraction. I have enough bothersome students to handle alone as it is.", Shiho, in a soft yet strict voice and with an unconcerned expression on her face, answered the student though she knew he was lying just then but was apathetic to care about the real reason he wanted to attend the class.

Just before Shiho could leave the room, Ran and Sonoko stopped her to ask something.

"AA-ah! Miyano-sensei!", cried Ran as she walked briskly towards Shiho who only looked at Ran with a blank expression on her face. "Miyano-sensei. Sonoko, Kazuha, Heiji and I were going to Rareza Pasilio for dinner tonight. We were hoping for you to come as well."

"Rareza Pasilio? Isn't that the new restaurant that opened near Beika Hotel? I thought only a small number of VIPs are invited to eat on their opening night.", Shiho said to Ran while really thinking of a good enough reason not to come. Unlike other students, Ran isn't really the type to easily give up, especially on people. She is quite the opposite of Miyano Shiho –warm, friendly, trusting among many other desirable qualities. Shiho knew that if she simply said no to them, Ran would also simply just keep trying to convince her to come.

"Yeah but Hirami-san invited me and my family to come.", answered Sonoko. "He has been a close family friend of ours. That's why my father decided to help him in establishing his restaurant. Unfortunately, my parents couldn't come because of important business so I thought I would take you guys instead in their place."

"So what you're trying to say is that I'm second-choice material, am I right?", said Shiho, with both disapproving and bored expression on her face, to Sonoko, who was caught off guard by the young teacher's remark.

"Wha-huh-eh… he-he-hehe…" was all Sonoko could say. "Why would you choose to interpret something like that of all things from what I just said?", Sonoko thought to herself while smiling awkwardly to Shiho.

"So what do you say, Miyano-sensei?", Ran continued to insistently ask Shiho but then turned to the Shinichi who she saw from the corner of her eye talking to Heiji. "Shinichi! You're going as well, right? We haven't spent that much time to catch up and you missed the first food tasting yesterday too. You should at least come with us today!", asked and then ordered Ran to Shinichi, who didn't really have any choice on the matter. It was either a night of socialization or a karate kick to his stomach. The latter wasn't really much of an option.

"Y-yeah…", the defenseless detective yielded to Shiho's amusement, she couldn't help but smile in secret. "He can catch the worst of all criminals but he can't even say no to his friend, eh?", she said to herself. But people shouldn't judge the weak especially if they too are weak themselves. Shiho should have known better than to think that she was already safe from Mouri Ran. "So, Miyano-sensei. You'll come with us right?", Ran asked Shiho with a hopeful smile, one that you just can't say no to or it'll break.

"Okay.", the young teacher finally agreed to Ran's, Kazuha's, and Sonoko's surprise. Shiho must have seen the shock in their faces despite their attempt to act naturally because she had her suspicious look on her eyes. "What is it?", Shiho asked them?

The three girls, Sonoko, Ran, and Kazuha, looked each other as if trying to decide whose turn finally it is to answer. "It's just that… you are usually more difficult to convince but just then you agreed after only 3 rounds.", Kazuha, who apparently lost to Ran's puppy eyes and Sonoko's fear-stricken frown, answered.

"You guys kept count?", asked Heiji out of the blue finishing his question with a chuckle of astonishment.

"I guess I thought I'd be more merciful to you today", Shiho told them even though she herself, after having a minute to think about it, was wondered why she suddenly wanted to go with them. There was something that convinced her to accept the invitation. Something she couldn't quite point out until a voice both interrupted, as well as somewhat solved her riddle but she didn't exactly know in what sense it did.

"Well then,", it was Kudo Shinichi's voice that she heard. "Maybe we should go home now and get ready. We still need to change our clothes right? School attire isn't exactly fitting for a classy restaurant."

(End of chapter 6)

There might be people thinking how my story doesn't seem to show how great of a detective Kudo Shinichi is but please understand it's quite difficult to create a mystery. I might include a mystery in the next chapter that is to come out soon but I don't think the crime would be as intricate or as complex as the ones you've watched. And for that I apologize.