Sorry for the late update. As I've mentioned before, I had to take a time off from writing, as I needed to study for my final exams, which I only recently just finished. I hope I didn't ruin the momentum of the story for you. For those who thought that the development of the relationship between Shinichi and Shiho is too slow, I agree. However, I can't bring myself to make things too intimate for them just yet as I find it too abrupt for a girl, who make it a point to distance herself from people, and for a guy, who is too engrossed by mysteries and crimes to notice anything else, to suddenly be together after only a short period of time. Nonetheless, I will try my best to advance their relationship as fast as I could without compromising the integrity of the characters.

Chapter 8- An Unexpected Guest Part 1

(At Hakase's house)

The morning after the delightful yet traumatizing dinner at Rareza Pasilio, Shiho Miyano began to prepare for school as her everyday routine had always mandated only to find out that classes had been suspended for the day due to the sudden rising criticality of the once so trivial issue on the department of education's part. The news announced over the television Hakase had been watching a rather controversial decision by the board of education members to create a distinct set of stipulations and guidelines for young teachers. It would seem that several of the members realized the conditions for young teachers were very much different compared to teachers of average age and found it harsh to dictate onto them directives meant for circumstances of older adults. Until a separate set of guidelines have been officially made, schools employing teachers under 21 were ordered to suspend classes today.

"Well at least you get to have a break today.", Hakase told Shiho in an attempt at a shot of optimism. He knew Shiho would be annoyed by the late report of suspension by the school. After all, who wouldn't? She had already taken a bath, dressed in her casual clothes as today was suppose to be casual Friday and Shiho always did her best to look as mundane as possible so as to not give the male students an opportunity or reason to gawk at her –she, too, was always unsuccessful at her every try.

"Yeah, I could have stayed asleep if the members of the board of education had bigger brains. I guess this is the future of education –stupid educators who don't know when to properly declare a suspension. No wonder students are having difficulty with their studies.", Shiho said to the tense professor, who did not know quite yet how to save the situation from the impending disaster, that was Shiho Miyano's bad mood.

"So what do you plan on doing today? It's not so often that you get to spend a worry-free day, eh Shiho-kun?", Hakase asked the young chemist but before she could answer the doorbell had rang.

"Eh? Who could it be this time of the day? Could it be Ran-kun? Maybe she didn't know about the suspension.", Hakase wondered.

"That's not possible. She's a girl scout.", Shiho remarked as she walked her way down the hall to answer the door. "And I have absolutely nothing to do today. I just wasted my energy getting ready in these clothes. I'll probably just stay in my room. How about you Haka-..", the young scientist continued but was interrupted by a series of impatient ring of the door bell much to her annoyance.

"What the—Coming!", she shouted at the person at the door, whose life she could only imagine to be hanging by the thread for if not, then she would definitely make sure it would be. Nevertheless, the ringing continued without stop completely ignoring Shiho's comment and thereby aggravating her even more than she already was.

"Oi! Are you deaf or are you ju—", Shiho, finally making it to answer the door, immediately resorted to incessantly scold at the juvenile guest at the door. But much to her surprise, and confusion, she was greeted by the fabled grin of Kudo Shinichi, the same grin that turned those girls around him into hopeless romantics. For a moment there, she was without a word in her tongue.

"Good morning sensei.", Kudo greeted her young teacher, the grin still alive in his face.

"Ku-kudo…-kun. What is he doing here so early?", Shiho thought to herself and remained still for a second or two 'til she became conscious of how intensely the young detective was staring at her as if she were some piece of evidence that needs examining. "Wa-wait a minute Kudo! Don't you go 'Good morning sensei' on me. What is wrong with you? Haven't I told you before to wait at least a minute before ringing the bell again!", she yelled Shinichi, completely losing her calm. He was in disbelief at the sight of the young teacher in her anger. He couldn't imagine how such a petite, composed, and meek woman be capable of much aggressiveness.

"So-sorry, ahehehe-HE-he.", he chuckled.

"Sorry? You've already said that so many times do you even know what it means?", Shiho replied as she let the detective inside the house, returning to her old collected self. "Hakase's in the kitchen."

"Actually, I didn't go here to see him. I'm here for you.", Kudo informed her ever so calmly as if it was something he did out of habit –as if it was part of his everyday routine.

"M-me?", Shiho asked, utterly baffled by Shinichi and heedless to herself, was blushing faintly. Shinichi merely grinned, noticing (the detective that he was) a shade of rose looming at his teacher's cheeks.

"What is it?", said Shiho who, after recovering from a mixture of curiosity, anticipation, and embarrassment for something she couldn't pinpoint, cautiously turned to Shinichi with a suspicious yet bored expression on her face.

"Eh? What do you mean 'what is it'?", he asked her innocently in return.

"Oh I'm sorry. I forget. I'll go get you a dictionary first. What do you mean 'what do you mean what is it'?", she retorted aloofly, slightly losing her calm once more, which she was aware of that lead to even more frustration on her part. She couldn't understand why she couldn't seem to keep her calm every time Kudo was around. He wasn't like her other students who she could deftly ward off. "Well? Are you going to answer or should I go back to my room now?"

"Ah. Right.", answered Shinichi who found it amusing how much Miyano Shiho's expressions and mood could change in a period of less than half a minute. "Shop-ping.", he told her like it was the answer to a riddle she could not solve.

"Shopping? What for?", Shiho was now even more suspicious than before. "I don't recall anything about shopping with you today."

"Shopping. I thought I should replace the dress I ruined last night so I came here to invite you to go shopping. I would buy the dress myself but I wasn't sure if you'd still like to buy that same dress or buy another one of different design.", Kudo told her in a reassuring voice to diminish her suspicions. Shiho stared at the young detective, trying to find a sign that he was kidding, lying, messing with her but she found nothing of the sort.

"I can't. I have things to do so good bye.", she rejected bluntly.

"Wha-wai—", Shinichi began to pursue his invitation but was interrupted by Hakase who just entered the hall to check on the person who was keeping Shiho at the door.

"Ah Shinichi, what are you doing here?", the professor asked Shinichi.

"Good morning Hakase. I was just offering to replace Miyano-sensei's dress. I ruined it last night so I went here to ask her to go shopping but it seems she's busy today.", Shinichi informed Hakase.

"Eh? I thought you said you have absolutely nothing to do today, Shiho-kun?", Hakase asked Shiho, forgetting about her tendencies to isolate herself from people until he caught a glimpse of her death glare. Nonetheless, he decided to encourage her to go out shopping with Shinichi, thinking it would be good for her to be in company of a friend, especially Kudo who he thinks might be possibly be infatuated over the young teacher. "Come now, Shiho-kun. Didn't you say you wanted to buy new clothes anyway?", he persuaded her.

"I guess so. But I'll remind you Kudo. You brought this onto yourself.", Shiho told –no, she threatened, Shinichi. He didn't quite understand what exactly it was that he brought onto himself just yet. Little did he know that what he thought would be a stress-free day was everything but just that.

(Outside a clothing store)

"This seems good, what do you think?", Shiho asked Shinichi, who was at her side carrying numerous paper bags of clothes from other stores. This would be the sixth store they had visited. He was already tired from standing up while waiting for the young teacher to try on clothes and decide whether to buy the piece or not but he didn't mind for he had a reason to justify his labor.

"You think so? It looks good but uncomfortable.", he answered her.

"Hm. You're right. Let's go somewhe—", she agreed but before she could finish what she was saying, a sales lady from the store approached them and interrupted her.

"Excuse me but uhm, are you Ku-kudo Shinichi?", she asked the young detective who was clueless to why the lady asked but that was before he noticed her cheeks' flushed with a faint shade of red. Shiho noticed it too then smirked. "He really is something, embarrassing women by making them fall hopelessly at the tips of his fingers.", she thought.

"Yes, that's me.", said Kudo to the sales lady.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you and your girlfriend from your conversation but it's just that me and my friend over there are big fans of yours. We were hoping if we can ask to have our picture taken with you.", asked the sales lady to Kudo, slightly embarrassed by her request.

"Su-sure.", Kudo told hesitantly. He didn't want his picture taken but he couldn't bring himself to reject the request. After having the pictures taken, the saleslady and her friend resumed to their work and left Kudo and Shiho alone.

"So what store should we go to now?", Kudo asked Shiho immediately after having his picture taken with the two women.

"Eh. So why didn't you correct her when she referred to me as your girlfriend?", she asked in turn while giving the detective a piercing look at his face. She didn't know whether to be offended by Shinichi's slight lack of chivalry just then or to be embarrassed by the assumption itself, albeit there was another thought she was thinking she just couldn't quite figure out. There was fairly a good ring to the word 'girlfriend' just then but just as quickly as she reacted to the word 'girlfriend', she shook the thought out of her head.

"Ah, hehe.", chuckled Kudo nervously. "Don't stress about it. I just figured that it would be easier to humor them rather than to set it right. It was becoming a bit of a hassle to correct them after having to do it five times.", he explained to Miyano. At all the stores they visited, at least two sales lady thought they were a couple, and in truth, he didn't mind the assumption. "It wouldn't be the worst thing. After all, she's pretty, undoubtedly intelligent, and something else.", he thought to himself.

"Is that so? Well forgive me for being a hassle", she said to him mockingly but he has yet to recover from her previous remark that he didn't realize she was joking.

"That-that's not what I meant, sensei.", he retorted. She merely smirked to his dismay.

"Well anyway, we should have lunch first before going to other stores. It's already past twelve.", she suggested.

(At a table outside the restaurant)

Shinichi and Shiho were sitting at a table outside the restaurant having lunch as students and acquaintances walked pass their seats, recognizing them of course. It was a big thing for them to see the two youngsters sitting at the same table, not to mention at the same side of the table, side by side. The question of whether it was a date, a friendly lunch, or against their will that they were eating together at the same time, at the same restaurant, at the same table immediately occupied their heads. But Shinichi and Shiho were not even aware of their presence for Shiho was too engrossed in reading her fashion magazine and Shinichi was too captivated by his beverage and what its contents could be.

"Ah, Miyano-sensei –", Kudo began to talk to his companion but got cut off by Shiho's a bit impatient comment.

'Seriously, Kudo.", she turned to him. "I'm not your teacher outside of school and certainly not today, so don't call me sensei. Miyano would do."

"Ah, right. I forget. Sorr—never mind.", he was going to apologize but decided it would be best not to after he remembered Miyano's earlier remark about his apologizing. "Anyway, Miyano-se-san. Can I ask a question?"

"Questions", she corrected Kudo. "That was your first question and I assume you have another one so it's questions and not a question. What is it then?", she turned to the direction of the detective albeit she didn't take her eyes off the magazine she was reading.

"Okay. Can I ask why you're so cold?", he was able to ask this without even a tiniest molecule of fear in his nerves.

"Eh?" was all she could utter, being taken by surprise by the sudden frankness of Shinichi, who a second ago was too tense to say her name without including the word 'sensei' in the end. It really amused her how he could be so awkward at one point and so forth coming the next as if he was talking to someone normal, someone unlike her. In this way, Miyano could not help but feel think to herself, "normal…finally".

"What do you mean exactly by cold, eh?", she demanded the young detective to explain himself while looking at him with an advising expression to be very careful not to say something he would regret.

"Cold as in distant to the point that you can be rude, sometimes insensitive. You're certainly scary. Your mood's unpredictable. That puzzle's me.", he expounded nonchalantly to Shiho, who now wore a soft smirk on her face.

"Hm.", she remained silent for a few seconds. "You mean strange? You find me strange and that puzzles you. After all, I don't have the social skills of a normal teenager or a personality of one. And for that I guess I just want to be left alone. …Is that so wrong?" she asked Kudo without looking at him yet secretly smiling at his question, at him.

"Ah, I guess not. No.", Kudo responded. He realized that he might have been too frank in his asking and decided to shed a new light of a humorous kind on the subject. "But that would be rather difficult, don't you think? With all the guys looking at you I mean. Every time you enter the same room as them they stare at you as if you're a sculpture. Not to mention, you're all the male students could ever think about in class. Really, have you seen them when you're around?"

"Yeah, I've noticed them –including you.", answered Shiho as she turned to face the detective with a tease of a smirk on her face.

"EH?", Kudo immediately reacted at his teacher's remark.

"Don't think I haven't noticed you looking at me. I've already glared at you many times just to dismiss your attention.", she reminded the young detective, who has not been so keen on his observations of himself. It was true, he did stare at her several times in the past but he didn't think she would notice just how often.

"Tha-that's not it! It's not what you think.", Kudo responded, being back to his old awkward self around Miyano.

"Not what I think? What do I think, Kudo?", Shiho asked Shinichi in turn moving a bit closer to him, curious of how the brilliant detective would handle the question.

"I mean I'm not looking at you because I find you attractive or something.", the young detective hastily answered.

"Ah. So I'm not attractive then?", she continued to tease him, now leaning even closer to him. Their faces were so close to each other, close enough for a kiss, which only made Kudo even more self-conscious and embarrassed.

"Ah n-no. That's not what I mean. I don't think you're not attractive 'cause of course I find you attractive it's just that… I'm not…a-a…", the detective struggled to answer his young teacher, who was leaning ever so closely to him. He inevitably failed at his attempt at a response for all he could think about was how close his teacher was to him and how his face must not redden by this fact, a task that appeared to be more difficult than he thought. Luckily for him, Ran and Sonoko, who spotted them at the restaurant on their way to Hakase's house, interrupted them.

"Shinichi? Shiho-kun?", cut in Ran who was standing in front of their table with Sonoko. "What are you guys doing leaning so close to each other?"

Sonoko's elbow hit Ran at her side rather too late for Shiho already backed away from Shinichi, who was already gasping for breath after holding it in for so long. "Oh! Ran. You shouldn't have interrupted these two lovebirds. I think they were about to kiss!", Sonoko suggested teasingly.

"Really?", Ran exclaimed at her friend. "I knew it! I knew Miyano Shiho is Shinichi's type. Heehee."

"Wha-what? No! We were just talking! We're not -GAH", Shinichi retorted almost too over defensively, his face was still in a shade of pink then. "What are you guys doing here anyway?", he interrogated them with a glare that could almost compare to Shiho's.

"Ah! We were going to Hakase's house to hand this over to Shiho-kun.", said Ran. "It's the new set of stipulations and guidelines for young teachers. The school handed it over to me when he visited the free clinic while I was working there."

"Ah. You mean the free clinic where Araide-sensei is currently working at?", Miyano teased Ran in retaliation for her and her friend's earlier remarks.

"A-ah ahe-he-he. Yeah.", confirmed Ran who was blushing furiously.

"And Kudo! Aren't you such a lucky lad?", Sonoko exclaimed then leaned over the young detective's ear to whisper. "I noticed they removed the rule that said Miyano-sensei wasn't allowed to have relationships of other forms than mentorship with students. So you can just go ahead and kiss her, eh Shinichi.", Sonoko whispered to him, who turned beet-red at what Sonoko said to her amusement but was partly intrigued by it.

"What about you? What are you guys doing anyway?", asked Ran with a suggestive grin to Shinichi.

"Dating!, This has to be a date!", Sonoko almost shouted in her excitement.

"Yeah.", Shiho outspokenly said to everyone's surprise. Ran, Sonoko, and Kudo turned to her direction all at once, their mouths half opened. "Apparently, according to the sales people, I'm Kudo…-kun's girlfriend. He didn't disagree so this would be a date."

"A-ah. She's kidding. That's not it!", Shinichi, who was once happy to have crossed path with Ran and Sonoko in the restaurant, was now in scrutiny. "I can't catch a break here", he thought to himself.

"I was just buying her a dress to compensate for the one I ruined and now we're having lunch. Which reminds me, you guys should go now and leave.", Shinichi told Ran and Sonoko flatly.

"Is that because you want Shiho-kun all for yourself?", Sonoko continued to taunt the detective while Ran tried ever so hardly to suppress her laughter.

"Absolutely not. I'm doing this for you two. Seriously. You do not want to be a part of the shopping. Here I thought eternity meant having to accompany you two in the mall but no! I was wrong because this here, right now, is an eternity.", Kudo said rather dramatically but the two could discern there was a half truth to what he was saying.

"You know I'm right here Kudo. Besides, like I said this morning, you brought this onto yourself. I'm not at fault here.", Shiho reminded the detective who only chuckled at her in disbelief then turned immediately back to Ran and Sonoko.

"Save yourselves.", he told them.

(After lunch, outside another clothing store)

"Oi, oi. Will you hurry up a bit? There's one more store you haven't checked.", Kudo nagged at Miyano, who was being dragged by the arm by the young detective.

"I haven't checked a million stores yet but why is this one so special, eh Kudo? And I applaud you for your chivalry. It really is rare to find someone who won't drag you across the streets.", Miyano said sarcastically but perhaps there was no need for the adverb as this was her normal attitude of speaking.

"This one actually has a dress to sell, something you'd like I think.", he told her and soon as he finished, they had arrived in front of the store's window where displayed was a gown that could not (and would not) be described by mere words.

"What the…", Shiho was stunned. She didn't think Kudo would be able to identify what a gorgeous gown looks like. "But don't you think this is rather too, formal and elegant compared to the one you ruined?"

"Yeah, that was what I was going for. I was hoping you might wear this for my mother's party", Kudo explained to her.

"Party?", Shiho asked him, completely clueless of what he was referring to.

"Didn't Hakase tell you? My mother wants to celebrate her birthday here in Japan so she's going back here next week. You are coming right? After all, you are my parent's friend's daughter.", he demanded of her more than he really asked.

"I don't think so. I've never even gone to one of my parents' parties nor would I go to this one.", she rejected the detective once more.

"Exactly! Which means if you go to the party, you would actually be able to meet my parents for the first time. Hakase said they've asked about you many times over the phone but he didn't quite know how to describe you to them.", he told her as if he was a sales man and this was a pitch to persuade her to buy the dress paraded in front of her. When in fact his plan all along was to use the dress as an instrument of his invitation for her to go to his' mother's party.

"Oh. You want to introduce me to your parents, Kudo?", she asked teasingly. "Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to be your girlfriend after all, even if it was just pretend.", she continued to tease him.

"Wouldn't be so bad? He-he-he. This woman…At least that's something positive…I think. But pretend? Hmm might not be the accurate word to use", Shinichi told himself mentally. "So are you coming then?", he asked her without even trying to rebuke her last remark.

"… Why not…It wouldn't be the worst thing to do.", Shiho said, agreeing finally after much contemplation although she was still confused about Shinichi's true intentions in his inviting her. However, she couldn't deny any longer that she very much enjoy his presence and his presence alone. "It wouldn't be the worst thing, no…", she thought to herself.

"It's a date then", commented Shinichi, whether it was a joke or not, neither one of them could tell.

"…to fall in love, that is.", Shiho whispered to herself concluding her thought, unaware that the young detective, ever so observant, heard her every word.

(Outside Hakase's house)

Having spent the entire day visiting clothing stores, Kudo Shinichi and Miyano Shiho finally made their way back to Hakase's house. Shinichi's fingers were already sore from where the paper bag's strings hanged, not to mention, his legs were history long before they arrived home. Nonetheless, he still insisted on being the one to carry all the bags for Shiho despite her protesting. When they arrived at Hakase's place, the front door was locked, which was a rare occurrence. They were about to enter the house when Hakase called out to them from Shinichi's mansion across the street.

"Ah. Shinichi, Shiho-kun! Could you come over here for a second", Hakase shouted.

"Hakase, what are you doing at my place?", Kudo asked him as both he and Shiho, approached the old professor.

"I hope you don't mind Shinichi but I had to let myself in because you had a visitor who wanted to wait for you 'til you return. I thought you'd go straight back to your house so I let her in your living room.", Hakase explained to Shinichi.

"Visitor?", Shinichi asked and was immediately followed by another much to Hakase's and Shinichi's surprise.

"Her?", it was Shiho who raised the question with a hint of jealousy. When she realized that she had asked it out loud rather than mentally, she tried to divert the attention of the two, who stared at her out of curiosity about her curiosity. "So are we going in or not?"

"Ye-yeah", Shinichi responded after an awkward silence. They entered the mansion then walked straight to the living room where Hakase settled the guest. Shinichi could already hear multiple persons talking to each other. When he entered the living room, he saw that both Ran and Sonoko were there too, just as he presumed, chatting ever so cheerfully to the aforementioned guest. When Shinichi finally caught a glimpse of the guest, he was completely caught off guard by his discovery of who she was, so much in fact that he just stood there staring for a second or two before actually recognizing her.

"A-Asami-sempai?"

Shinichi's attention was completely focused at the woman in front of his eyes that moment, he didn't notice that the other woman, the very one beside him, Shiho, was glaring at his guest with bitterness and …envy. She's heard of the name before, "Asami", back then when Sonoko and Ran were talking to her about a certain perfect woman.

(end of chapter 8)

Foot notes (I think): Asami-sempai was from an episode (100-101) of detective conan where it was revealed, at least implied to the audience that Kudo Shinichi liked Ran to the point that he turned down Asami-sempai's confession. Asami-sempai was an upper class student to Shinichi. She baked a lemon pie, which Shinichi found rather disgusting. So she baked and baked more lemon pies until he liked it. He was her first love but when she confessed to him, Shinichi turned her down because he liked Ran.

Although for my story, things wouldn't be exactly the same between Asami-sempai and Shinichi. I hope detective conan fans wouldn't be mad for it. It would be quite a while before I finish the next chapter. Until then, I hope you enjoy this chapter.