A/N: MY PEOPLE :D Here I am, procrastinating BBM like the awesomely terrible author I am! This story's idea is from hai-edogawa, he has great ideas and I decided to help articulate them! Yeah, don't ask me to change the plot too drastically or whatnot... I'm just the writer, I don't have much leniency on what actually happens! Anyways, I'm not sure if I should really state the pairing... obviously it's starting from ShinxRan, we want it to be realistic, ne?

OOC Warnings: Well they're a bit young and foolish and there's alot of darkness going behind Shiho that y'all dunno about... apologies for their immature actions (waves hand) but I guess this is how I thought they'd be like... sorry about the cursing though, I'll edit some of that out ._.

The Heavenly Client

Chapter One

"Shinichi!" A familiar girl's voice yelled. "If you don't hurry up, we're going to be late for school!"

"Oi, Ran, I'm on my way, alright?" I yelled back at her. The girl, Mouri Ran, was my childhood friend. I'd woken up late today, and was currently waiting for my toast to pop up as I tried to find my bags for school. I could imagine her outside, leaning against the gate and sighing, checking her watch. What a stickler, I groaned to myself.

A minute or so passed.

Come on, what's taking you so long? I silently demanded, glaring at the toaster.

"Shinichi!" Ran's voice was shriller. "I'm going to leave if you don't come out in three seconds!" Crap crap crap why won't the toast just pop out already?! Ran waited for a moment, then called out in a warning tone.

"Three…!" The toast popped up, burned black. Stupid toaster.

"Two…!" I grabbed the crisped slice of bread and shoved it in my mouth, racing toward the door.

I jammed my feet into my shoes, simultaneously grabbing my bag and jacket. I burst through the gates.

"One—"

"I'm out, I'm out!" My voice was muffled as I burst through the doorway. Shoving my arm through the jacket and adjusting my bags, I took the burnt toast out of my mouth. "Geez, Ran, if you're so worried about being late then you should've just gone on ahead of me." I took a bite from my breakfast, then wrinkled my face in disgust. Tastes terrible.

Ran pouted. "Well…" She trailed off, glancing at her watch. "Shoot, we're gonna be so late!" She grabbed my wrist and started dragging me toward Teitan High. Hunh. As if I don't know how to walk. I mean, we're only freshmen, it's not like we should set an example by going to school early.

"Baka, I can walk myself!" I yanked my hand free and watched the blush spread across Ran's face. I felt a strange fluttering skip in my heartbeat but quickly pushed it down. It's just Ran… After a few seconds ticked by, I added, "In fact, I bet I can run faster than you can. Whoever gets to school first owes the other lunch for a week?"

A determined look crept into Ran's clear violet eyes. She smirked, "Challenge accepted." And with that she raced ahead, her dark chocolate hair waving cheerfully at me as she ran.

I glared at her back, shouting, "Cheater! I wasn't ready!" I sprinted after her, determined not to lose the bet. I can't cook for my life… Soon I was stride in stride with my childhood friend. I grinned cockily. "What, is this all you got?" I put on a burst of speed and sped ahead of her.

"No fair!" I heard her indignant cries behind me. I saw the entrance to the school in front of me. Ran's going to owe me lunch~ (Just in case you didn't know, Ran's cooking is the best. I swear. Taste before you judge me.)

But alas, it was not to be. In a blur of blue uniform and dark hair, Ran whirled by me and tagged the entrance with a slim hand. She grinned mischievously at me, her pretty eyes twinkling. "That'll be lunch for a week, Shinichi."

I narrowed my eyes at her, pouting. Ran's smile only grew. I couldn't help but tell her, "Kaa-san said my cooking's considered lethal."

I laughed at the look of horror starting to spread across Ran's face, stepping inside the classroom just as the bell rang.

Poking my head outside the door, I told her, "And now, Ran, you're late too." I ducked inside as Ran's punches pulverized the air where my head was occupying moments before.

I yawned. Three minutes into school and I was already bored. We hadn't even gotten through attendance yet. The teacher, Dayo-sensei, was duller than dull. Besides, I was already sleepy from going straight through the night yesterday, solving another case. The sensei's voice was an annoying buzz in my ear. I tried to block it out, but it wouldn't go away. Can't he just shut up for a moment— ow!

Ran had thrown an eraser at my face. An eraser. And it hurt! Clutching the red mark on my cheek, I hissed, "What was that for?!"

"Ahou," Ran snapped, "he's been calling your name!"

"Kudo Shinichi," Dayo-sensei said again, a sharp hint of annoyance in his voice.

"K-kokoni," I muttered. My cheek stung, although I was glad Ran had (not-so) subtly gotten my attention.

"Kuro Naito." The teacher droned on, his voice a monotone.

"Kokoni," a girl with pixie-cut black hair responded.

"Mayonaka Hana…"

I tuned Dayo-sensei out for the next few minutes.

When he finally started the lesson, I had to hold back another disinterested yawn.

This stuff was so boring… I'd learned it all before.

Sighing, I glanced sideways at Ran. Her dark silky hair was tucked behind her ear and she was scrawling notes in her notebook furiously. Her large amethyst eyes were thoughtful and concentrated, flicking back and forth from her notebook to the board. My detective's eye took in everything, from the slight tilt her body was in to her biting her lip.

"Kudo-kun, what is the answer to this question?" I snapped out of it as Dayo-sensei stared at me expectantly. He'd caught me not paying attention and wanted to trip me up.

I glanced lazily at the problem on the blackboard Dayo-sensei was pointing at. Under the label "Slope Intercept" in messy handwriting was a rather simple problem. Ignoring Ran's worried glances prickling the side of my neck and a few of my classmate's snickers, I relaxed.

"This is too easy, Dayo-sensei," I replied, smirking. "All I have to do is change 6x-3y=-12 into slope intercept form and tell you the y-intercept and slope of the line?" I learned this stuff in seventh grade, for goodness sake.

Annoyance twitched at his expression. "Yes, that would be satisfactory, Kudo-kun."

"Alrighty," I stretched indifferently. "The line in slope intercept form is y=2x+4. The slope is two, the y intercept is four."

Dayo stiffened slightly, and I smiled, amused. I could tell that I was correct from his pissed expression.

"Very well, Kudo-kun," Dayo said, his voice hard. "If you found that problem easy then what about this one?"

I narrowed my eyes, rising to the challenge. "If you insist, Dayo-sensei."

"Find the general solutions of 2(cos^2 x) = cos x." Dayo grinned in triumph.

I sighed lazily, saying, "Eh, we've done this already so why, all of a sudden, are you giving me this fancy junk again?

"If it's so easy," Dayo gritted his teeth, "then tell me the solution, Kudo-kun!" His eyes flashed demandingly from behind his glasses, his tone bossy and ticked off.

I casually responded, "Okay. We can start by canceling cos x on both sides so we get 2cos x=1, meaning cos x=1/2. In other words x=invcos(1/2)= + or – pi/3."

I didn't like the gleam in my sensei's eyes. "I said the general solutions," he smirked at me.

A-ah? General solution, general solution… I sweatdropped nervously, shakily recalling, "Oh yeah," think Shinichi think! "so, um, the required general solution is x= +pi/3 + 2k(pi) or x= -pi/3+ 2k(pi)." N-no, that doesn't sound right… uh, uh uh…

I could feel Dayo-sensei's stare burning into me, watching me humiliate myself.

"And yeah," I swallowed, "that's where 'k' is any integer." I took a moment to sigh. That should be it.

However, Dayo-sensei is looking at me with a mixture of triumph and disappointment. Sighing, he asked the class, "Is that it? Is that the only general solution possible?" Seeing that the class had been lazily slacking off, he snapped, "All of you had better be ready to tell me the complete answer!"

I blinked in surprise. So that's not it…? I notice, subconsciously, that the whole class was shuffling and trying to look busy, expressions of alarm spreading across their faces. Meanwhile, I was trying to catch my own error…

"Well, that boy made a silly mistake, although apparently it caused his great downfall," a feminine voice cut in, nonchalant and smooth.

The whole class froze. Who's that? Even Dayo-sensei's head was swiveling, trying to catch the owner of that silky voice.

"The given equation is equivalent to 2(cos^2 x)− cos x = 0, which can be factorized to cos x(2cos x– 1) = 0. Now, the possible roots of this equation are A) cos x = 1/2 , and the general solution based on this root is what was given by that boy earlier; and B) cos x = 0 that means x= invcos 0 = +pi/2 or -pi/2. Hence, the general solution based on this root is x = +pi/2 + 2k(pi) or x= -pi/2+2k(pi)." At the last sentence, the girl revealed herself, walking through the doorway. "Don't forget, 'k' is any integer, as the boy earlier stated." The girl smirked as the class stared in awe.

Okay, so she wasn't just a girl. She was a gorgeous girl. Radiant like an angel from heaven. I leaned back in my chair, taking in her delicate, almost sharp features and her crystal sapphire eyes. Her perfectly styled hair was in layers, a shoulder length warm, chocolaty coffee color. I heard a few immature boys let out catcalls as my finely tuned detective eye took in the rest of her. Slender, with (hey, I couldn't help it) nice curves. I coughed as a blush spread over my face. I let my gaze travel down her body again. Very nice curves. Especially for a girl our grade level. She look about fourteen, although she might be a bit younger or older.

Her fingers were slim, and not surprisingly, she managed to make the blue school uniform look like some fashion statement. My eyes swept over her, border-lining ogling. But I'm a detective, and detectives don't ogle. I coughed. Detectives observe.

Yes, this girl was gorgeous.

And from the calculating look in her eyes, not to mention the way she'd corrected me, she was smart too.

I whistled softly.

Smart and pretty. There weren't many girls like that in the world anymore.

"Dayo-sensei?" Unknown Girl asked, her voice soft but underlain with pure steel. An edge had appeared in her brilliant blue eyes. "You were supposed to get me during the beginning of first period."

Sensei shivered subtly and stumbled out an apology. "I-I'm so sorry, Miyano-san, i-it won't happen again."

"I hope not." The girl's voice was cold.

A faint smile crossed my face. I was liking this Miyano girl already.

"Fortunately for you, I'm only introduced to the class once, so there's no room for you to screw up anymore." Sassy too.

Dayo-sensei hurriedly shoved his glasses up the bridge of his nose, saying, "Class 2-B, this is Miyano Shiho, a transfer student. She's thirteen, younger than most of you, so I expect you to treat her well. Miyano-san, this is class 2-B."

Only thirteen, I raised an eyebrow. Quite well-developed, I see.

"Shinichi," Ran hissed, "stop thinking perverted thoughts!"

I crinkled my nose, glaring at her. "I'm not being perverted!" I hissed back.

Meanwhile, the rest of our class chorused, "Konnichiwa, Miyano-san!"

Miyano Shiho's gaze swept over the class. Cold and harsh. "Konnichiwa, class 2-B." Her voice was smooth and hard like ice.

"Please find a place to sit, Miyano-san," Dayo-sensei bowed, sweeping the classroom with an arm.

There were only a few empty seats. One, conveniently, was next to me. Miyano-san fixed those ocean blue eyes on me, then decisively stepped forward. She gracefully sank into the chair next to me. A few boys groaned in disappointment, one saying,

"Miyano-san, you can do better than Kudo! Besides, he's already taken for Ran-chan~"

I saw Ran flush, and Miyano stiffen slightly.

"You can do better than to downgrade my seating choice with your inappropriate comments. I'd rather sit here than next to your perverted fingers." Miyano-san retorted, a dark smile on her features.

The class let out a collective 'oooo' as the boy who called out sank low in his seat. I snorted. This girl had some backlash.

"Hey," I said quietly, keeping my voice low. "Thanks for dissing that boy. Miyano-san, right?"

She didn't even look up. "Of course. Didn't you hear when the sensei introduced me?"

I sat back, blinking.

Harsh.

The bell rang for lunch. As I stood up lazily and yawned, Ran grabbed her lunch from the few seats over. As I took out the store-bought bento I'd brought today, I turned around, about to ask Miyano-san if she'd like to join us for lunch.

"No." She stated it coldly, before I'd even opened my mouth.

I stared at her. "I didn't even ask you the question yet."

She fixed those piercing blue eyes on me. "I don't want to eat lunch with you and your girlfriend." She turned her back to them, walking primly away.

"She's not my girlfriend!" I yelled at her retreating back.

She stopped, and turned around with a crafty smirk. "No? The boy, and everyone in the class, it seems, believe you two's relationship to be a given. Who'd want to get inbetween your couple time?" With that biting remark, she turned on her heels and walked away.

A gentle hand on my shoulder made me start. "What did you do to make her angry?" Ran asked behind me, a worried look on her face.

"I didn't do anything," I muttered, shoving my hands into my pockets. "But I'm not liking her as much as I thought I would."

"You must've done something," Ran's eyes crinkled in worry. "She wouldn't be angry at you for no reason."

"Whatever, let's just go eat lunch."

As I was sitting the lunch room, I glanced around the place. No glimpse of steely sky-blue eyes, no flash of coffee hair. I frowned. Where's she run off to? I swept the lunchroom skeptically again, as if Miyano-san would suddenly appear.

"Looking for someone?" Ran's voice brought me back.

"I dunno, just can't seem to find the new girl. I wonder where she went?"

Ran shrugged, saying, "Maybe she went to cool off. You know, because you made her angry."

"I did not make her angry!" I pouted. "Why do you always make me the bad guy?"

Ran rolled her eyes. "Not my fault you fit the description."

"I'm a detective, not a criminal!"

"Now now, who ever said anything about a criminal?"

"B-but," I spluttered.

Ran grinned cheekily. "But you know what they say, 'If the shoe fits…' like Cinderella, ne?"

"Hmph," I said childishly, retreating sulkily. Turning serious for a few moments, I thought out loud, "But I really didn't say or do anything that would cause her to be pissed at me. Maybe she has anger issues? Or maybe she's just a tsundere ice queen…"

Ran smacked me in the head with her chopsticks. "Ow!" I yelled, maybe a tad louder than necessary. "Only you would turn perfectly neutral eating utensils into weapons, Ran! What was that for?"

"It's not nice to judge," Ran scolded, whacking me again, this time on the face.

"That stings!"

"Serves you right for being mean about Miyano-san."

"You don't even know her," I sighed. "You're too nice, Ran."

Ran gave me a long, violet-eyed look. "But you know, you really shouldn't jump too quickly to conclusions. I'm sure she's a nice girl once you get to know her. I mean, being a new student must be hard, right?"

I sighed again, saying, "Alright, stop pestering me about it. I'll give her another chance."

"Mouri-san has packs quite a punch, doesn't she." Miyano smirked condescendingly at me.

I stared at her. "What…"

Her cool gaze rested on my cheek. "The mark's still there," she noted, rolling her eyes. "Chopsticks, obviously."

As we sat down, I gave her the once over. She was an amazingly beautiful girl, but I wasn't quite sure what to make of her personality. She seemed biting and cold at times, then calculating and observational. Sassy? Mean? Closed off? I couldn't figure it out, and that deeply bothered me. I'm a tantei, I don't like to leave a case unsolved. And I hadn't even known her for a full day yet!

Her blue eyes were a remarkable shade of aquamarine, like a clear-cut sapphire and the sea.

Her eyes had me reeling; I'm not quite sure why.

Those eyes flicked over to me. "Stop staring at me, Kudo." I flinched at her casual removing of the honorific.

"I'm not staring at you, Miyano-san," I emphasized the honorific, then narrowed my eyes, "just can't seem to figure you out."

The way her head snapped toward me and the intense, guarded look in her unique cerulean eyes jolted me. An unreadable emotion flashed over her face, and then a cold, barely there smile slipped on her lips. (Her lips, by the way, were full and pale pink. Luscious too— not that I was looking.)

"I'm an enigma, Kudo-kun. I don't get 'figured out,' as you so casually put it." She turned away, as if that settled it, her layered hair falling into place as soon as she stopped moving.

Enigma indeed, I thought silently.

But unfortunately, Miyano-san, we tantei do not give up so easily.

The bell rang for the end of school. Instantly our classroom was filled with the muffled sounds of students shuffling around outside, packing up, then leaving. I stretched again, yawning. I heard a giggle behind me.

"You look like a cat when you do that," Ran laughed. A light dusting of pink covered her cheeks. K-kawaii… I thought, then shook myself. Like a little sister, I mean. Ran's like a sweet, innocent kid.

An already familiarly cold, sardonic voice rang out behind me. "A mangy street cat, at that." I whipped around, only to find (of course) the one and only Miyano Shiho. Her face was nonchalant. She was packing. As I stood, staring at her, she looked up.

"What?" Miyano raised her eyebrow. "Cat got your tongue?" She turned and was walking out the classroom when Ran bounded up to her, calling out.

"Wait, Miyano-san!"

She didn't even break her stride.

"Oi, I asked you to wait—" Ran placed a hand on Miyano's shoulder. For a split second the newer girl stopped and tensed. My eyes flickered in recognition.

"Ran, watch out, she's going to—!" Before I could finish Miyano had whirled around, her fist flying. Ran ducked quickly, her karate skills coming into use.

Mortified, Ran said, "I'm so sorry, Miyano-san. I didn't mean to— I mean, I didn't want to intrude—" Ran fumbled, her cheeks turning red.

Miyano simply stood, her gaze almost glaring but not quite. When she spoke, her voice was controlled and icy. "Well, you've gotten my attention. What do you want?"

Ran flushed, saying, "I just wanted to apologize for Shinichi."

"W-what—?" I spluttered.

Ran hurried on, "You were so angry during lunch, I know Shinichi must've done something to make you angry. I wanted to say sorry on behalf of him, he's an annoying baka but he's not bad when you get to know him…"

Miyano's sharp blue eyes narrowed. "Don't apologize. Especially since Kudo-kun," she smirked at me, mocking my emphasis on the honorific, "didn't do anything."

Ran stepped back, her mouth a small o of surprise. "O-oh, I'm sorry—"

"Don't." Miyano's voice was sharp.

"R-right," Ran stuttered. "Don't apologize. Got it."

"Is that all?" Miyano turned to leave.

"A-ah, I just wanted to say that we'll be here for you if you need us! You can always tell us if things are going wrong, we'll try and help you!" Ran said enthusiastically. Miyano, who'd been walking away, halted suddenly.

I thought it was sweet Ran still gave Miyano a chance.

Miyano-san, on the other hand, did not find it pleasant at all.

She stormed back, snarling, "Don't give me your crap leftover pity. I don't give a damn about you and your boyfriend," she was inches from Ran's face, her eyes blazing chips of blue fire, "and I don't need your fucking charity." She stalked away, leaving me stunned and more than quite a bit angry.

Tears were welling in Ran's pretty violet eyes.

I was enraged. "She doesn't have any right—!"

"I must've done something wrong," Ran's voice was plaintive and hurt. A small tear trickled down her face. "I must've made Miyano-san angry. Or w-why would she b-be so m-mean…?"

"Hey," I whispered softly, hugging Ran. I ignored the small flush on my cheeks. I was comforting her as a protective older brother, that's all. "You didn't do anything wrong, Ran."

Ran rubbed her eyes, inhaling back her sobs. She looked straight into my eyes, with the look of such pure sadness that it nearly broke my heart.

"Then why doesn't she like me?" Ran whispered softly, another quiet tear slipping down her cheek. Her voice sliced straight to my heart. I reached out and brushed it away.

"I don't think she likes anyone at all, Ran, it's not just you. You're too sweet, I told you. Don't worry, I'll take care of it, alright?" I soothed her.

"Thanks, Shinichi…" she said quietly. She gave me a small smile. "You can be really nice at times too."

I looked away in embarrassment, scratching my head. "You know what they say," I replied vaguely. "Your best friend sees the first tear, catches the second, and stops the third."

I didn't see the blush on Ran's cheeks as we walked out of the classroom and on the streets home. I was too caught up in thought.

Angel from heaven? I thought sarcastically.

Maybe an angel in her looks, but her personality was like rotting cheese. She was the picture of perfection; good looks, rich, smart. So why in the world did she have such a crappy attitude? I narrowed my eyes determinedly.

As a tantei, with a motto of 'Only one truth prevails,' I knew one thing for sure.

I was going to get to the bottom of Miyano Shiho, whether she wanted me to or not.

Things aren't going to be pretty, dear angel from hell, I thought decisively as I dropped a now smiling Ran off at her father's apartment. I also handed her eraser back, the one she'd chucked at me, making a joke so that she laughed. I smiled faintly, glad Ran bounced out of depression so easily.

You make Ran cry, and you're in some deep trouble. I could feel a fire raging inside of me as I walked home, alone. New Girl had no idea what she'd flung herself into. I was getting to the bottom of her, whipping off the dark cover hiding all her secrets. You can't escape from me, I thought, smirking. You have no idea how Ran's had to suffer with supporting her drunkard of a father; no idea about the hurt she's dealt with during their divorce. One does not simply mess with my nakama.

I'd found a new client with a case for me to crack; you could say a heavenly client.

But in my eyes, she was no longer anything but an angel from hell.

[End of Heavenly Client]