Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito.
Monday.
Shinichi found himself dragged out of his house by his kohai. It was only then that he noticed that he would soon be late for school... and that he was flooding his kitchen trying to wash a dish... and that the eggs he cooked were burning on the stove... and that Agase had barged in via a new invention. All while he had taken a glance at his new mystery novel.
What had he been missing while he read?
"Sempai! That's really too much... you should stop spacing out completely while you read...!" his kohai scolded him.
Shinichi pouted slightly.
"Kuroba, I only do that when I read mystery novels; even then, only for the good ones! It's not as if I do it reading ads or anything else, so what's the issue?"
A worried puppy look came from Kuroba's direction.
"The issue is that you always read those mystery novels, and it's dangerous to do so like that. You're one of those people who read on public transportation, aren't you? And you've probably missed your station multiple times too..."
Soon they arrived at schools, and found themselves parting ways. Just as Shinichi sat down however, his mind began to wander.
Damn. He was thinking about that again. How it that lately, that particular subject kept lodging itself into his brain?
Somehow, the great detective couldn't get it out of his mind how alike Kuroba was to him, International Thief 1412. Otherwise known as Kaitou KID. He knew that this was insane, that his kohai couldn't possibly have any connection to a phantom thief active long before either of them had been born.
Still, the little things stuck out, sometimes. Kuroba's way of hiding behind a smile, so similar to KID's. Their ways of making the perfect face on command. Their incessant, irrepressible pranks. Their taste in such pranks, even.
It was silly, as he already knew. He was being irrational. He had to admit, though, he really began to miss that annoying thief just as Kuroba showed up. Now, he found such feelings quickly fading away.
Shinichi really had to wonder... of all his friends, Ran came the least for love advice. Could there be... actual advice in those pointless love stories of hers?
Suddenly, a chunk of chalk landed right in his gaping mouth. Darn it; he was in class now, wasn't he?
From her spot at the front of the class, his teacher gave him a pointed look of disapproval.
"Kudo-kun, please answer questions 4 to 9 on the board for us all."
Shinichi quickly went through his copy of the textbook, dutifully writing down the answers, a bit shaky with fear. That teacher was just really... too much to handle at times. Seriously... throwing chalk at students when they didn't listen... throwing work at students if they didn't think enough...
He wondered if Ran would be like that someday. That would be an interesting career choice, not the least because Ran tended to throw fits of anger.
It seemed like eternity until the bells rang and students rushed out of the classroom in a deluge.
The detective looked around for his kohai. He couldn't be following him secretly again, right? Shinichi had already told him to meet up for lunch…
Before he could find Kuroba through the pandemonium, however, a blond kohai pulled him away.
After the odd hair colour, the next thing Shinichi noticed was an almost humorously large pocket-watch. Then the eyes, full of almost pompous confidence.
"Hello, you're Kudo Shinichi-san, right? My name is Hakuba Saguru – you might have heard of me before."
Shinichi raised an eyebrow at that. He had, indeed, heard of him before. Hakuba Saguru, British teen detective, son of the police superintendent, and, according to his friend Hattori Heiji, "an insufferable, pompous moron".
Shinichi wondered if Hattori was right or wrong on that particular point.
"Yes, I think I'm the one you're looking for. I have, too, heard of you."
"Then you know my reputation, I take it?"
"You seem to have quite a reputation. So what would you need me for?"
"You're the one going out with Kuroba, right?"
"Um… in a way… yes…"
The Tokyoite youth did not like where this was headed to… was it really going to be like that again…?
"I want to warn you…"
"…that if I hurt him, you'll punch my lights out? Nakamori-san beat you to it, already."
"…not that. I don't care what you do to that guy. I guess I'll have to tell you straight, then. I have reason to believe that Kuroba is International Thief 1492, the Magician Under Moonlight, Kaitou KID. I would like to ask you a favor, then, to help me, ah, procure the proper evidence…"
"!"
He wasn't the only one, then? As reassuring as such a thought was, Shinichi felt somehow unsatisfied, as if…
Just then, like in so many of Ran's favourite manga series, a voice barged in.
"Hello, Sempai~! Is Hakuba giving you trouble, or something?"
Hakuba Saguru smirked.
"Aren't you the one giving Kudo-san trouble, KID?"
"Geez, I've already told you that I'm not KID-sama. When will you ever listen? Sempai, let's go!"
The British detective sighed.
"One minute, point two hundred thirty-two seconds… you're really fast, KID. Ah well, I'll leave the two of you alone. Still, Kudo-san, please keep my suggestion in mind…"
Such thoughts dogged Shinichi for the rest of the day, and even as he tried to fall asleep that night.
And roses, plump under the stagnated moonlight, stood almost as still as those beams of light if not for the rustling of their petals.
AN: Ah I missed another day... I'll find the time to make them all up soon, so they'll be coming! The part about the teacher throwing chalk into a student's mouth is based on a story someone in my family told me on a former teacher just chucking chalk at distracted students (with terrifying accuracy). Reviews are author-food!