Wow! I got so much feedback…thanks for reviewing, Guest, Kaitou, D C JoKeR H S, and desamontello12!

Guest: Don't worry, I totally understand the struggles of schoolwork, it's why I'm updating less often now.

Kaitou: Yeah, you're probably right about that. How difficult do you want it to be? Harder or easier than the first case?

desamontello12: Sorry to say this, but yes, the next case will be the last in the story. Mainly because I don't have any plot ideas for more than three cases in this story, and because I don't think I'll have the time to add more. This story had gone on longer than I expected, too.

To my readers: Please read and review! I'd like to hear your thoughts about this story, and I appreciate any feedback you give (except flames). I will get my level 100 Empoleon to douse them if necessary.

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective School Q. Amagi Seimaru, Sato Fumiya, and Animax do.

After finalizing the details of the case with the inspector, Class Q was on their way back to DDS. Seated in the DDS car along with his classmates, Kyuu rubbed at his eyes, feeling the exhaustion that he had been holding at bay wash over him like a tsunami. Ever since the panic attack, he had had a strong urge to curl up somewhere and take a nap. It didn't help that he hadn't had much sleep ever since his disappearance weeks ago…

Upon seeing the action, Ryuu, Megu, Kinta, and Kazuma shared worried looks. Megu decided to speak up, since her chances of being shut down were slimmer than everyone else's. "Ne, Kyuu. When was the last time you slept? You look tired."

"Hmm? Oh, I slept last night," Kyuu answered truthfully. However, Ryuu wasn't fooled.

"And how many hours did you sleep last night?"

Kyuu's gaze shifted, unable to look his classmates in the eyes as he tried to think of a way to avoid the question.

That was answer enough for everyone. Kazuma sighed. "Look, I'll be the first to admit that I sleep very few hours-being a creator of video games will do that to you. But you don't have that excuse. So what's keeping you up at night?"

After seeing that Kyuu wasn't going to answer, Kinta spoke up. "Does this have something to do with what happened at the hospital earlier?"

Kyuu's head snapped up, and he glared at Kinta. If he had been more awake, it would have been very effective in silencing the martial arts practitioner, but right now, he just looked like a sleepy panda. Or a raccoon. Kinta inwardly snickered at the thought.

"What happened at the hospital?!" Megu cried, her concern showing on her face and her tone.

The others listened to Ryuu's reply as Kyuu slumped down into his seat, burying his head in his arms. Would he never get over that embarrassment? Having a panic attack in a dimly lit hall? How pathetic could he get?

When the blue-haired boy finished his story, there was silence for a long moment. Then, instead of the laughter he had expected, Kyuu felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. Startled, he looked up and saw Megu's face looking at him. However, it wasn't mocking, or pitying. It was simply sympathetic, and he unconsciously began to relaxed as he took in her expression.

Kinta spoke up, deciding that it was safe-Kyuu wasn't likely to come after him now that he seemed to have calmed down. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, but I don't think you'll leave me alone until I do…" Kyuu sighed. "I haven't really slept for longer than two hours a night since my return."

Everyone gawked. How had he not dropped from exhaustion yet? Ryuu just nodded, unsurprised at the admission. (They did share a room, after all.)

Megu spoke so softly that they barely heard her. "Is it the nightmares?"

Kyuu was prepared to deny it, but he couldn't find the energy to do so. "Yes. Sometimes, I dream that I'm still in that lab. I wake up, and Odin is there, with his closet of tools, and giving me this super creepy smile. Then, when I wake up in the dark, I think I'm back in that room. The one you found me in."

Everyone looked at him sadly as he shuddered at the memory, but Megu's reaction surprised him. One minute, he was looking at her face, and the next, his vision was filled with pink.

"M-Megu? What are you doing?" Kyuu sputtered, his cheeks turning a little red. Her arms were wrapped around his shoulders, and he felt her chin resting on his shoulder as the rest of her body pressed against his. "Isn't it obvious? I'm hugging you until you feel better." There was no other reason, she thought. No ulterior motive at all.

Ryuu hid a knowing smirk as Kinta and Kazuma snickered openly.

When they returned to the school, Megu was the first out of the car, calling out a quick goodbye to everyone over her shoulder. She was inwardly screaming at herself as she zoomed out of the car and into the classroom to retrieve her bag and go home. She couldn't believe that she had the courage to do that!

Kyuu, the poor boy, just stood there, bewildered by what had just happened. By now, Kinta was full on laughing, while Kazuma had calmed down enough to start rolling his eyes at Kinta's overreaction.

Ryuu took pity on their class leader and turned to him. "How about we start heading home?"

Kyuu nodded, and said his goodbyes to Kinta and Kazuma. Then, he caught up to Ryuu as they started their journey back.

They walked in companionable silence for a while, until Ryuu broke the silence. "So…you have nightmares of your time at Pluto?"

Kyuu said, "Yes." Then with some hesitation, he added, "…I'm assuming you did too?"

His classmate froze mid-step, his expression one of panic and terror. It was such a rare look for him that Kyuu immediately felt guilty for the tactless comment. He opened his mouth to apologize when the blue-haired boy whispered, "You know?"

"Yes," Kyuu answered. His mind was screaming at him to shut up, but his mouth couldn't obey. "But I think I knew before I…went missing."

"I…see," Ryuu said finally. "I'll...just get my things and be on my way, then."

"Ehh?" Kyuu asked, utterly bewildered for the second time that day. "What are you talking about?"

It was Ryuu's turn to look surprised. "Isn't that what you want me to do? After all, I'm dangerous. I'm a member of Pluto."

Kyuu seemed to have recovered his thoughts. "NO!" He shouted, then winced as Ryuu flinched away from the noise. "No, why would you think that?"

Before Ryuu could say anything, Kyuu continued on. "Look, I told you that I had an inkling about your identity before I went missing. It was because I noticed the timing of the last few cases we worked on last year. You moved into my house, saying that you were running away. A few days after that, we get a call saying Dan-sensei had been kidnapped by Pluto. Are you telling me that that's a coincidence? And besides, if you think you don't deserve to live in my house, technically I'm a former member of Pluto too. Are you saying that I should leave my mom because I'm dangerous now?"

Ryuu looked at him speechlessly. Kyuu had basically torn his arguments into pieces. And he wasn't even done yet.

"So don't you say that you shouldn't live with us. Kaa-san loves having you over, and I enjoy your company. So you're staying. End of discussion."

Kyuu took some time to calm down from his impassioned speech, and when his vision cleared, he was relieved to see Ryuu nodding. "Okay, against my better judgment, I'll stay. Are you going to tell anyone?"

"Unless something important comes up, I don't see a reason to," Kyuu answered honestly.

Ryuu nodded, and the boys continued their journey in silence, each reflecting on the events of the day.

The silence was then broken by Kyuu. "So…what just happened with me and Megu today?"

It was such a huge change in topic that Ryuu couldn't help it-he burst into laughter at the sheer ridiculousness of it. At first, Kyuu was taken aback-he hadn't seen Ryuu laugh so loudly since the case with the one village separated into two by a wall. But then, a small smile crept on his lips. "What? I'm serious. What happened back there?"

"I'm not even going to touch that one," Ryuu responded, holding back another set of snickers threatening to escape.

The rest of their journey continued, with him smirking as he avoided answering Kyuu, despite the latter's protests and whines.

Stay tuned: The next case will probably start in the next chapter! Come back next weekend and check it out!