Chapter 5: Real Hallucinations

Kudo Shinichi's back!

Did I keep you waiting? Sorry 'bout that. A lot has happened, and I had to think about it first before saying anything.

Anyway, where were we again? Oh yeah... And so Kaito opened the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Yo, Kudo!"

I didn't respond immediately. I considered first how to react to him before doing so. It's Kaito. He'll surely want me to introduce Miyano-san to him... But if I do it right away, he'll be able to tell something's wrong so-

The sports magazine I was holding suddenly flapped shut. I knew thinking time was up so I decided on the safest course of action: Let Kaito lead the conversation.

I blinked a bit at the magazine before looking up and smiling. "Yo, Kaito."

"Don't 'yo Kaito' me. Mind to introduce me to your new seatmate, Kudo?"

Damn, he's fast. I knew he'd want to make a move right away, but I thought he'd want to chat a bit before doing that. Still, I had no choice but to comply. "Okay," I replied.

"Kaito, this is Miyano Shiho." I said, gesturing towards the reddish-brown haired girl beside me. "She's a transfer student."

"So I heard." He turned on his best grin, the one he used to melt the student council president. "Nice to meet you, Shiho."

I don't like him calling her Shiho, but if I say that outright, he'll notice... I just frowned at him and asked, "You know her, Kaito?"

"I do now." He gave me a ridiculing look. "How could I know her when I asked you to introduce me?"

I cocked my head to the side to emphasize my confusion. "That's what I was wondering about. Then why did you call Miyano-san Shiho?"

"Is there a rule saying I can't?" he retorted.

He's got me there... "Well... Not that there is but..." What else can I say? Any more and he'll probably-

"If it bothers you so much, I'll call her 'Miyano-san.'" I looked up, hiding the shock I felt. That was the first time Kaito ever turned away anything that could help him get a girl. My shock only lasted until he added, "Well, until she asks me to call her 'Shiho' at least.

So that's the catch. He probably thinks she'll fall for him in no time.

"W-well um-have you shown her around school yet?" Did Kaito just stutter? "Since you're her seatmate I suppose Mouri-sensei would've asked you to do it." I looked at him more closely. Nah... Maybe not... Why should he?

"The thing is," I answered, trying to hide my disappointment. "Miyano-san said she already knows her way around the school so there was no need."

"Is that so..." he said, shifting his gaze to the girl beside me. "Ne, Miyano-san, won't you even look at me?"

She didn't reply, and a slight irritation etched Kaito's face. But in just a few seconds, it turned into that confident, amused smile he always wore. What is he thinking?

"Kuroba!" I looked at the doorway and there was Mouri-sensei, a glare on his face. Needless to say, the male teachers were not very fond of Kaito. But his grades were good and like a phantom thief, he never gets caught so there's nothing they could do about him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Last class. Phys. Ed.

Our class was heading to the locker rooms and I noticed that Miyano-san was lagging behind. I slowed down and matched my pace with hers. "So, Miyano-san... How do you find Teitan High so far?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.

She was bored, that much was obvious. Either that, or she wanted to look like she was bored. If she did, she was succeeding. She shot me a slight glance before replying, "So-so."

"Uhm... Do you like it?" I ventured.

The slight glance she gave me turned into a bored expression. "It's fine."

I wanted to know more about her, but she kept answering in bisyllables (Is there such a word?). I was about to ask another question, but Nakamichi, the soccer team's midfielder from class 2-3 spotted me and called out, "Oi, Kudo!"

I remembered that 2-3's last class was Music, which was in the same direction as the locker rooms. Damn... Now I'm gonna have to talk to him.

I hid a wince and put on a smile, "Yo, Nakamichi. How're you doing?"

He laughed out loud and clapped me on the back. "I'm all spirits Kudo! Gotta do my best for practice, don't want the coach yelling at me again!"

The smile I had turned real as I envisioned him doing an overhead, which usually ends up with the ball hitting his head. "That's because you keep trying overheads. It would've been okay if you actually do it properly."

He let out another laugh. "Hey, it's not my fault my head's magnetic!" he said with mock outrage.

"Oi Nakamichi!" cried a guy from his class. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Eh?" Nakamichi looked back and saw that he had already passed the music room. "Ah! Ja, Kudo, see you at practice!" he shouted, running off.

I was grinning fondly at his retreating back, when I heard a small chuckle. My eyes widened in surprise as I saw a small smile on the lips of what used to be an emotionless face.

She noticed me staring and faked a cough. I knew it was fake, she was just doing it to hide her smile and chuckle. "Miyano-san?"

Before she looked away, I saw a faint blush on her cheeks. "I-I couldn't help it. Just thinking of the soccer ball hitting him on the head, I..."

She knows what an overhead is?

"Then-" I was cut off by the calls from the guys in my class. I looked up and noticed that we had already reached the intersection where the boys and girls parted. I couldn't just follow her, could I? So I backed off with a small nod and headed off to the boy's locker room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Soccer practice.

Me and my classmates who were also part of the soccer club didn't bother changing out of out PE clothes. Right after class was over, we ran right to the field.

Coach was already tapping his foot impatiently when we got there. Have I told you who our coach is? No? Well then, guess who? It's... the one and only... Mouri Kogoro! Yup, my homeroom teacher. Somehow, I get the feeling that he even requested to be 2-1's adviser, just because I was there.

Starting my middle school years, he was always in the audience during my games. Then, when I entered high school, he even barged in on the principal's speech just to call me off the crowd. Well, ever since then, we won every game we've played, but I refused to acknowledge all the attention. Being a teacher's pet and a coach's favorite isn't exactly a good thing, especially if you don't want arguments in a team.

I guess that was one of the reasons why I acted absent-minded. Instead of having to fend off all the compliments or complaints (whatever they give you), you can just seem like you don't notice them at all. And I think... that's a good thing.

Anyway, being the first there, my classmates warmed up and ran around the field playing a mini-game of soccer. I got my own ball and played keep-up. That was the best way for me to think, fooling around with a soccer ball. And at that time, I really needed to think.

I vaguely remember the coach shouting, kicking my own ball away and joining the others on the field for what I think was a practice match. But somehow, my thoughts were trained on Miyano-san, and I couldn't get my head in the game.

Somewhere along the way, I think I started hallucinating. Because in the corner of my eye, I could see a figure by the side of the field, a figure that looked a lot like the girl in my mind.

I stopped in my tracks, glanced at that figure, and saw that she was exactly who I thought she was. Our gazes met, and at that moment, something passed between us. What it was I had no idea, neither did I have the time to think about it , because a ball suddenly came out of nowhere (or so it seemed), and with it a call that said, "Go for it Kudo! Shoot!"

My soccer instincts came alive with those words, my senses sharpened as I ran for the opponent's goal, nimbly avoiding the players who tried a steal. When I was close enough, I took a shot, the ball just slipping past the goalie's fingers.

The coach's shrill whistle filled the air, and I tried to catch my breath as my my teammates patted me on the back. I smiled back at their 'Good job!'s and 'Keep it up!'s when I remembered.

I whirled around, staring at the space where she used to be, but she wasn't there. I ran to that spot, ignoring the questioning gazes, and looked around. But I knew it was futile, the place where we were, if anything, was a field. Where could she possibly have hid? She was never here... It must have been my imagination. I'm thinking about her too much.

My shoulders drooped with disappointment, and I was about to walk away when I noticed something on the ground. Peering closer, I noted that the grass there was flattened, as if someone had just been standing there for an amount of time. Nobody comes to watch practice during Mondays, they don't want the coach yelling at them so... Could it be...?

"Kudo! What the hell do you think you're doing there!? Get back here!"

I was reluctant to follow the coach's orders, the first time in a few years. But I knew I had to go. After all, what could a guy possibly find interesting in grass? So I went back and joined the team in a round of drills, glancing at that spot every now and then.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

With practice over, I changed into my school clothes in the locker room and headed for my classroom. I opened the door, and was surprised to find a certain someone there.

"Kaito?"

The thoughtful expression he had snapped to attention. He looked up, saw me and asked, "Kudo? What are you doing here?"

I noticed that he had been talking to Hondou Eisuke, what he calls the 'girl information center'. Is he looking into Miyano-san's... In response to his question, I just cocked my head to the side saying, "It's already five Kaito. Practice is over."

For a second, there was a worried look on his face. Did he forget track practice... because of her? But it quickly turned into a grin as he said, "So Kudo... Let's go home?"

I gave a small, confused smile in return as I walked towards my seat. I started arranging my things and replied, "Sure, but... where's your bag?"

"Eh?" He inspected his hands, puzzled, before laughing in embarrassment. "I guess it's still in my classroom. I'll go get it. Wait for me by the entrance, okay, Kudo?"

He ran off, and I was left with Eisuke in that room. "Ne, Hondou-kun..." I started, not wanting to ask, but needing to know. "What did Kaito want?"

"Oh, Kuroba-kun? He was asking about that new transfer student," he answered, placing his laptop back in his bag. "She's your seatmate, right, Kudo-kun?" With a small laugh, he said, "I want to tell you you're lucky, but I don't know if you are." He stood up, carrying his bag. "Ja, mata ashita. (Then, see you tomorrow.)"

"Mata," I replied. He left, and when I was able to stuff my books in my backpack, I too left the room. Before I headed for the entrance, I stopped by my locker for my ball.

Kaito was already there when I arrived. "Oi, Kudo, what took you so long?" he complained.

"I didn't take long Kaito. You were just fast, that's all."

He gave me a dry look as we started walking. "That still makes it seem like you were slow, Kudo. Seriously, who would've thought Teitan's soccer star was such a slowpoke?"

I kicked the ball once, twice before replying. "Hey, I'm not the one who ran one hundred meters in ten seconds."

It was our usual banter. I didn't even have to think to answer. We even had a routine for it. Kick-kick-talk-Kaito, kick-kick-talk-Kaito. But Kaito broke the routine this time; he didn't respond.

I took a look at him, and he had the same thoughtful expression, if not more thoughtful this time. I decided to drop the conversation, and give him time to think about whatever needed thinking.

He didn't speak for the rest of the way home, and when we reached railroad where we usually parted, he still didn't utter a word. I crossed the tracks and turned around to bid him goodbye.

"Ja, Kai-"

"Ne, Kudo."

I stopped, and stood where I was. He was looking down, hiding his face from me and the rest of the world. The warning light started flashing and the bars at the side of the path went down. "What is it?"

He looked up, his expression the most serious I've ever seen. "Su..."

I listened carefully. I could sense that whatever he was gonna say, it was gonna be important.

In a faint whisper, I heard him say, "Suki nano? Miyano-san no koto? (Do you like Miyano-san)"

The train passed, blocking my best friend from view. Kaito... Does he..?

Less than a minute passed before I got to see the other side of the road. But Kaito was gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And that's pretty much what happened that day. The incidents with Kaito and Miyano-san, they were complicating my life. If that was a good thing or not, I couldn't tell. Maybe you can help me determine. I'll tell you all about it next time. Well, until then.

~Kudo Shinichi~