Another mystery up my sleeve. I'm back, everyone. College keeps me busy, but I can't abandon fanfiction. I'll tell you all that Nine Circles of Hell may not have been one of my best works. I left it too long and it was hard for me to end and everything.

The fifth story in a series of fanfiction involving Detective School Q and my OC, Shizuko; Cursing a Horseshoe's Luck sets Class Q on a wild ride down the countryside as a master thief begins stealing prize horses from a well-known polo club.

Summary: After the encounter with the Nine Circles of Hell, Class Q has just been assigned another case—a disturbingly high-profile one at a Polo Club out in the countryside. What starts out a simple missing-horse case turns foul when a stable boy is found dead a few nights later.

Shizuko, once the "new girl" of Class Q, is now almost a full-fledged member at this point, and this makes it harder for her to handle memories of her old past, especially when it makes itself known by an unexpected appearance of one of her old "partners-in-crime".

disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q. This is called a FANfic for a reason: it's made by a fan with no intent of profiting off of it.

Chapter One: New Case, Old Counterpart

"How could YOU have known that!"

Meg was towering over Kyu, hands on hips. "Have you been tailing with Kinta again?"

Kyu was shrinking lower and lower by the minute. "No, I was alone."

"And I suppose it was just MERE COINCIDENCE that you happened to be passing by when it happened?" Meg's voice was rising both in pitch and in volume.

It was a typical afternoon in DDS. Class Q was simply waiting in their classroom for their adviser, Hongou-sensei to appear. However, he seemed to be a little late in arriving, and Kyu had, in a display of utter foolishness, taken the moment to tell Meg about a certain underwear design he'd "accidentally" seen her wear the other day.
His story was that he'd simply been passing by when he'd seen her on her way home. He'd witnessed her trip over a curb, and…

Well, the rest was self-explanatory.

Meg wouldn't hear of it—she insisted that Kyu had been following her just for that petty reason.

Ryuu and Shizuko, sitting at another side of the classroom, winced.

Kazuma was completely unaffected as he continued to type away on his computer. Kinta as well, although you tell that he was very amused at the "lovebirds".

Well, the others remained unaffected until Meg decided to launch a hardcover book as ammunition. At which case everyone decided to get out of their seats and out of the line of fire.

"You'd think Megumi would be used to this by now," Shizuko muttered as she ducked under a desk. She peeked out for a second, and a sudden blur whizzed by. Ryu quickly caught the book spinning dangerously in their direction. It had apparently ricocheted off Kyu's head. "Megumi's aim has improved," Ryu remarked, setting down the now-harmless volume.
Shizuko grimaced. "I hate to see what her aim was like when it wasn't improved."

Kinta joined their conversation. "It's something that nobody should have the honor of witnessing."

"Class Q!" a familiar thundering voice echoed through the room.

Meg halted in mid-strike, and Kyu froze, his arms raised in a useless effort to defend himself. The others were torn whether to sigh in relief or to freeze in terror as well. Ryu settled for putting on his stoic expression, while Shizuko followed suit.

Kinta and Kazuma opted for freezing in terror.

Their teacher entered the room. "That's better. Sit!"

Almost like well-trained dogs, the students scrambled into their seats.

"Is that your way of disciplining students, Hongou?" Nanami-sensei commented with a grin as he sauntered in, bringing with him no other than Morihiko Dan, the founder and principal of Dan Detective School. Dan-sensei simply looked amused, while Hongou-sensei fumed a little.

Class Q quickly stood up to bow in respect, but their principal waved at them casually, indicating that he wanted them to relax. "DDS has just been given another case," he announced. "And this time, it's quite imperative that we look into this AND solve it with as little casualty as possible."

"What seems to be the problem, sir?" Kyu piped up, interested.

"Well, here are the details. First of all, I assume that you've heard of the Kajawara Polo Club?"

Megumi gave a start. "That exclusive polo club out in the countryside?"

"The one and the same. Many of its members are rich and prestigious individuals, ranging from distinguished politicians to known celebrities. There are also foreigners staying at the club, because of its popularity. It's become an obvious choice."

"Wasn't there a new club springing up nearby?" Shizuko questioned. "Saigo Country Club?"

"Yes, precisely. It's been causing a bit of an issue, but that's another story. Of course, having heard of the two clubs, do you know of their prize horse?"

"Yes," Megumi quickly supplied. "Seimei; he's won several races, as well as some other miscellaneous contests."

"Very good. You've been keeping an eye on the papers," Dan-sensei said admiringly. "Well, there has been a threatening letter sent to the owner of the club. They were ordered to give up their entry into the upcoming contest or else they would make sure that their prize horse would suffer."

"In addition," continued Nanami-sensei, "The threats come with a strange symbol, obviously the MO, or modus operandi, of the perpetrator." He made a quick sketch on the blackboard of a horseshoe with it's open end facing down. "Do any of you understand what it means?"

Shizuko nodded. "A horseshoe usually means good luck, but only if you hang or illustrate it with its open end facing upward. but when it faces downward, it will give you bad luck."

"That's correct," said Nanami-sensei. "That symbol was found on the warning note."
"That sounds bad," Kyu remarked, putting a hand to his chin in thought. "But I doubt that Seimei is the only horse they're after—don't stables usually have plenty of different horses?"

"Exactly. Some time after the threatening letter was delivered, one of their horses went missing. Kammei, one of their show horses. Not only that, but a piece of paper with the symbol of the bad luck horseshoe was stuck into the wood of the stall using a small knife."

"It looks like they're serious," said Ryuu in a quiet tone. "But they haven't taken Seimei yet, so they must have other tricks up their sleeves."

"That's their worry. Class Q, I want you to take on this case. A high profile case needs the best that DDS has to offer. What do you say?"

"I say, we—"

"Wait just one second!"

Class Q turned to the sudden familiar tone. Yukihira Sakurako, the niece of Principal Dan himself, was situated at their classroom door, looking particularly spiteful.

Standing behind her were the rest of the members of Class A, namely; Shiramine Hayato, Gouda Kyousuke, Shishido Takeshi, and Touya Kuniko (who cast a shy glance in Ryuu's direction). Last, and definitely the least, was Yutaka Saburoumaru, who came bounding up behind them like the usual idiot that he was.

"Nice of you to drop by," Shizuko said dryly, and Yukihira sent a glare in her direction. She marched straight towards her uncle, who looked slightly bewildered at their appearance.

"Principal, you don't really intend to let Class Q take on this case? After all, we're still the better class! And they're all amateurs; they won't even fit in at the country club!"

"Who are you calling amateurs?" Kinta suddenly exploded, stepping forward ready for a brawl.

"See what I mean?" Yuki insisted, proving her point. "Dan-sensei, you can't let them go, they'll ruin DDS's reputation with their incapability to act mature!"

Now even the calm and composed Ryuu looked slightly insulted. "Are you suggesting that we don't have a sense of honor enough to keep from tainting DDS's reputation?" he asked with a dark look.

"I never said that."

"That was what you suggested," Kyu said, jumping into action. "Dan-sensei, we're accepting this case!"

"No way, Class A is a lot more refined than any of you are."

"Excuse me?" Kazuma exclaimed. "I'll have you know that my lifestyle is more refined than any of you and I can prove it with a simple peek into your records," he said, opening his laptop threateningly.

Shiramine stepped in. "Okay, more refined than some of you, but that's not the point—we deserve this case!"

"You just want to sit around at an expensive club!" Kinta shot at them accusingly.

"We're going for the case, idiot!" Yukihira snapped, her cheeks flaming in anger.

"If you think you're good enough for the case, then so are we!" said Megumi, stepping forward. "We're nowhere underneath your standards!"

"We think that being sent on a high-profile case such as this one means that we should also have a sense of refinement—you have to know how to handle things professionally!" Shishido Takeshi had spoken up, stepping into the room. The space was quickly getting crowded.

"We can handle things professionally!" Kinta shouted, raising a fist in a challenging manner.

"Oh right, and yelling is very professional," Gouda put in.

"Hey, you guys are responsible for half this conversation, you're not the only ones being unprofessional," pointed out Shizuko.

"Hey, you can't say that to us!" Saburoumarou burst out, elbowing his way to the front. "I'll have you know that I have—"

"—an IQ of 180, yes, we all know. You don't have any other redeeming qualities," she said with a snicker.

"Shut up, brat," snarled Yukihira, "This doesn't involve you."

"Am I or am I not a member of the class you're going against?" Shizuko snapped back rather angrily.

"As far as we're concerned you're not a big factor," Shiramine said airily. "It's the others we're, shall we say, concerned about."

"Well, fine by me," muttered Shizuko, picking up her things. "Since you guys get along so well, I am not going to interfere."

Class A didn't even make a move against her as she walked out the classroom door, past Principal Dan and the teachers. The rest of Class Q looked rather stunned, but quickly got back into the rhythm of the argument.

"We were assigned this case first!"

"That doesn't matter, the polo club will take one look at you and chuck you out!"

"We'll see about that when we get there! And what makes you think that they won't be apprehensive of you?"

"We have a lot more self-control than any of you do!"

"Says the person who exploded just for a chance in the case!"

The debate was about to escalate to a whole new level, but a powerful voice interrupted them.

"Silence, all of you!"

Nothing else could have made the students stop their yells. They all turned to the source of the voice—Dan-sensei himself.

"Class A, as much as I respect you for your skills and have great confidence in your abilities, a high profile case deserves the best—regardless of refinement and what you consider maturity. What gets the job done is much more important. And speaking of maturity, don't you think it would be a lot more mature to accept the things that have been given to you rather than trying to argue for something above your position?"
Yuki hung her head. "Yes, sir. We're sorry," she mumbled. She turned to leave the room, taking the rest of Class A with her.
With a heavy sigh, the principal turned to Class Q. "Like I said earlier, I've assigned this case to you, class Q. All I ask for is that you don't disappoint me by letting me know that I've made the wrong decision. What I want you to do first is take down these details, and then contact your other classmate, Shizuko. I'm afraid that Class A's interference may have caused her to distance herself from you."

"Yes, sir," they chorused, while Megumi added, "I'll contact her. I'll remember the details by heart."

Their teacher nodded in approval. "Very well. Now, as I was saying, you'll be going to the Polo Club. To get there, you have to take a bus from the city, and then travel by foot until you reach a certain inn. Someone will pick you up from there in a limousine, our client, Mr. Sakagami. He'll give you more details, and you're free to question him for any other information you find important."

"Sir, about the new club that was up and coming next to it," Kyu began, "Do we have any information?"

"Not much. The Saigo country club has been around for less than a year, so it hasn't been popular, and next to the Kajawara Polo club it's business has been very poor."

"Is it possible that Saigo is behind all this, to make Kajawara go out of business?" Kazuma asked, typing the other information in his laptop.

"Perhaps, but that might be what the criminal wants us to think. He could simply be throwing suspicion to the new club," Ryuu speculated. "In any case, we won't know for sure until we get there."

"All right. Class Q, are you ready?" asked Principal Dan.

"Yes, sir!" They all chorused.

As they exited the classroom, Megumi quickly made her way out of their school building and ran across campus to look for their missing classmate. She didn't have too far to look though; she spotted Shizuko's bag at the bottom of a tree on their rather woodsy area in the DDS grounds. Hurrying over to it, she looked up to check whether her split-second deduction had been right in guessing that Shizuko was in the tree.

"Didn't take you too long to find me," the dark-haired girl said, sounding depressed. She looked down at Megumi from the tangled limbs and branches of the tree.

"Your bag was down here, so it was really easy to guess," Megumi explained.

"Yeah, I suppose that was a pretty obvious giveaway," Shizuko admitted, climbing down a few branches and jumping off, landing on her feet in front of Meg. "I suppose Dan-sensei gave us the case?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, did you ever doubt it?" Meg grinned.

"Did he send you to find me?"

"Well, kind of. He just wanted me to pass on the details of the case to you."

"Does that mean I'm still part of Class Q?"

"Of course you are, why, what's wrong?"

Shizuko sat down at the tree's roots. "It's probably a stupid reason, but what Yukihira and Shiramine said kind of got to me. If I'm not important to them, what more would you guys think of me?"

"Oh, Shizuko, don't think that," Megumi said, sounding almost sisterly. "You're part of our team."

"I'm still new to everybody," she said gloomily.

"No you're not, you really helped us out in the Nine Circles of Hell case," The pink-haired girl reminded her. "None of us know how to play the violin; none of us are even music-oriented! We never would have figured it out."

"Check your photographic memory again, Megumi, I also put our class in danger by attempting to play it."

"It all worked out in the end!"

"I still feel kind of dumb," Shizuko muttered. "I should have known that even though I gave up trying to make trouble, trouble would come to take its revenge on me."

"What are you talking about?"

Shizuko gave a start. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." She sighed. I forgot…Megumi doesn't know what I've done in the past. Why of all things did I have to be a juvenile delinquent before aspiring to become a detective?

"You know, you're starting to sound a little like Ryu," Meg commented, leaning on the tree trunk next to her. "He was always a little secretive, but since some of our cases were solved, he's been warming up to all of us."

"But you were all together from the beginning, Megumi, and I'm still a new addition. I feel like I'm butting in on your lives," Shizuko confessed.

"That's not true," The other girl assured her. "You're an important asset to class Q. You handled the past cases pretty well, considering your being the newbie. You adjusted pretty well."

"I've always been flexible, but I still have that nagging feeling. You remember what I told you guys the first time I came here?"

"Of course, you told us that a long time ago you felt like you didn't belong anywhere, and being in DDS was like a dream come true for you."

"Exactly. The thing is, Megumi, dreams are like bubbles, when popped, their lives are over. My bubble just burst when Yukihira and the others didn't even care about my recruitment into Class Q."

"There's always the martial arts class for you to take out your anger on them," Meg laughed. "Shizuko, don't mind that anymore. The next time you ever feel that way, you can always talk to me, okay?"

"Okay, then."

"That's great," the girl cheerfully got up. "Okay, since you're going to come on the case with us—"

"I haven't said anything about going!"

"The case was assigned to class Q, and last time I checked, you're part of Class Q," Megumi said with a grin.

"…Can't I take a rain check?" Shizuko asked feebly.

"We'll be meeting at the bus stop at 3:30 tomorrow afternoon; don't be late, because we leave at 4:30 sharp—I've checked the schedules," she added as an explanation when Shizuko looked at her quizzically. "Anyway, after that, we have a short walk on foot to a nearby inn, and that's where our client will pick us up in a limousine. If there's any trouble with you, I'll send one of the boys over to drag you along to the bus stop."

"I hope you don't mean that literally."

"Depends on which of the guys I send to drag—er, fetch you," she said, waggling her finger at her like an older sister.

"Megumiiiiiii…"

"I'll see you tomorrow!"

The pink-haired girl ran off, and Shizuko withered.

"Nii-san is going to kill me…"

"Kyu, don't forget to take these preserved plums with you!"

"Aw, Mom, you didn't have to follow me all the way to the bus stop…"

The others; namely, Kinta, Kazuma and Megumi, snickered as Kyu's mother doted on him like he was a child.

"Now, be a good boy, and don't be reckless. Here, I bought this charm from a nearby shrine to keep you safe…"

"Mom…"

"Take care, sweetie, and you too, Ryu," Kyu's mother turned to the purple-haired boy, pinching his cheek. "Make sure that this son of mine doesn't get into any trouble, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," The young bishounen replied obediently.

"That's a good boy. I'll see you soon, and don't forget to have fun!"

"I always have fun on cases," Kyu replied cheerfully.

"Well, don't work too hard," the older woman replied. "I'll leave you now, take care!" She kissed him on both cheeks, causing some of the others to giggle.

Megumi checked her watch. "It's 3:25," she remarked. "We're all early, but Shizuko's missing," she said worriedly.

"Maybe she just took her time getting here," Kinta thought aloud. "Besides, we did tell her that we'd be meeting at 3:30, she might've gotten stuck in traffic or at school."

"What if her brother didn't let her come?" Ryuu pondered.

Megumi smacked her forehead. "I didn't think of that! Ryuu, do you think you can check on her? We still have a lot of time, but now that you mention it, it could be a family issue."

Ryuu sighed. "Fine. I'll send you guys a message if there's any trouble."

"Just how often does DDS get cases?"

Katsuhiko, Shizuko's oh-so-stingy older brother, looked completely unwilling to let his precious little sister go.

"Nii-san, I TOLD you, it just happened, and I need to be at the bus stop before the bus leaves at 4:30," Shizuko snapped.

"First a violin case and NOW a high-profile one at the Polo Club? This one is starting to make me a little worried, runt."

"Focus on college and let me live my life," she muttered, packing a couple of shirts into her duffel bag.

Ding-dong! The doorbell rang.

Shizuko winced. "I didn't think that Megumi would send one of the guys over so soon."

"The guys? What guys? Do you mean the ones from your class?"

"No, I mean the ones from the zoo. Of COURSE the ones from Class Q, nii-san, this was assigned to all of us, not just me. I'm going with them."

"I'll take the door. You finish packing if you wanna go so bad," Katsuhiko muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. His blue eyes flashed with impatience.

Ryuu grimaced as he rang the bell a second time. Still no answer. Maybe no one's home.

Before he could turn to leave though, the door swung open, and a tall boy in his late teens towered over him.

"Uhm," Ryuu began, but the boy beat him to it.

"I remember you, my sis was right, one of her classmates DID get sent over. You're…Ryuu, right?" the older teen said, raising an eyebrow.

Ryuu nodded. "Yes. I guess this is the second time you've let me into your house."

"That's true. Are you here to pick up my little sis?"

"I was sent mostly to check up on her. Are you letting her go on the case?" he asked.

"Well, I don't seem to have a choice, she's dead-set on going."

"I see. I'll wait for her, then."

Katsuhiko led him into the living room, where a sofa and several overstuffed armchairs were arranged neatly. A round glass coffee table was set in the center of the room, holding several magazines underneath it and some photo albums. The plant sitting on top of it looked as though it needed watering, however. A side table next to the sofa held a few silver frames, mostly of what seemed to be the siblings at different points in their young lives. One of the smaller frames showed a very young Shizuko in a costume for a play, dressed as a rather plump bumblebee. Another held a picture of what seemed to be a kid version of Katsuhiko riding a bicycle. A medium-sized frame held a picture of the both of them, Katsuhiko in his mid-teens and Shizuko looking as though she was nearing adolescence, dressed in what appeared to be white tennis uniforms. Katsuhiko looked more like the real athlete though—Shizuko was just carrying his bag and a racket, looking rather aloof. The largest frame held a picture of the family, their mother, father, and the two siblings. Shizuko looked to be about eight or nine years old in the photo, which meant that the family hadn't been together for quite a while.

"Yep, that was us before our mom and dad left to work abroad," Katsuhiko's voice suddenly echoed behind him. The older boy stepped over to the frames. "My sis and I have been taking care of ourselves ever since."

"No wonder Shizuko's become mostly independent," Ryuu remarked quietly.

"You've no idea." Katsuhiko looked mournful for a moment. "Come on, you can sit down. The chairs don't bite."
Ryuu felt slightly awkward, being with a seemingly protective older brother, and briefly wondered why in the world he'd agreed when Megumi had asked him to check on Shizuko. He sat down on one of the armchairs, feeling as though he'd just entered the interrogation room in a police station.

Katsuhiko must have noticed his uneasiness, because he smirked. "Don't be so tense. Oh yeah, you can just call me Katsuhiko-san." He laughed. "Though we've met quite a few times, we've never been properly introduced nor had a proper conversation, so let's start with the basics," he continued, sitting down on a chair in front of Ryuu. "How close are you with my sis?"

"We're friends," he said simply, although he could tell that Katsuhiko had noticed the unintended question mark at the end of his statement.

"She talks about you quite often," remarked the older boy. "Did you really save her life back at the violin school?"

"I guess you could call it that," Ryuu replied. "But I only knew about her being in danger because she sent me an SOS…"

"Well, that's what she told me too. But I'm glad you went after her anyway."

Katsuhiko stood up. "Listen, I want to ask a big favor of you."

"What is it?"

"Can you keep an eye on my little sister for me?"

Ryuu choked on air. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, I know you're not a wimp. I'll ask you though, how far are you willing to go to keep her safe?"

"I'd protect her with my life," he answered honestly. It was true—he'd found friendship within Class Q, within each one of its members, and to him it was worth more than his own life. He'd do just about anything.

Crossing his arms, Katsuhiko pronounced, "Fine, but I'll tell you this; anything that happens, you, I repeat, you, have to answer to me, you got that?"

"You're quite as overprotective as she mentioned," Ryu remarked, remembering a side comment that Shizuko had told him before.

The nineteen-year-old burst into laughter. "I guess that could be true. Since both our parents started working abroad I've been trying to take care of her as best as I can. But it's been getting more difficult as she gets older, and even then it was already hard for me to keep an eye on her.

"Now that's she's in the detective school, I get a lot more worried about her safety whenever she goes gallivanting around the city and beyond. It's a big risk, you know. And even worse, she doesn't always like people getting too close to her. She doesn't let anyone bother about her and insists that she can do things herself even if it kills her."

"I know what you mean," Ryu recalled with a wince. "I guess neither of us can change that."

"Yeah, but anyway, since I won't be there, I'm trusting you to keep an eye on her—can you do that?"

"I'll do everything in my power, then."

"Good answer."

At that moment, Shizuko came bounding down the stairs, tugging her duffel bag behind her. "Ah, Ryu! Thank goodness, I thought Megumi had sent Kinta over to drag me to the bus stop," she said in a rush. Spotting her brother, she asked suspiciously, "Nii-san, I hope you're not telling him any dumb stories about me."

"Oh, you mean like when you used to run around naked on the neighbors' lawn till you were five?" the older boy said with an evil smile. "No, nothing like that at all."

Shizuko shrieked. "You're a horrible brother!" she screamed, flushing in embarrassment and wrenching Ryuu out of his seat. "Get up, we're going," she snapped at the bishounen, pulling him out the door.

"It was nice meeting you, Katsuhiko-san," Ryuu managed to say.

"Nice meeting you too, Ryuu. Hey, if you want any more stories—"

"He's going to be banned from the premises," Shizuko said darkly.

"Aww, but I haven't even gotten around to telling him about your adorable little stuffed cat that you can't sleep without—"

"NII-SAN!"

"You sleep with a stuffed animal?" Ryuu raised an eyebrow.

"Don't interrupt an important discussion between siblings," Shizuko said snippily. "Good-bye, nii-san," she said with pure venom dripping from her lips.

"Bye, sis, take care, and I looove youuu!" Katsuhiko said the last bit with a slightly gagging sound.

"I loooveee you toooo," she said in an exaggerated tone much like her brother's as she continued to push Ryuu out the door.

"That was pleasant," Ryuu said casually as they strode down the streets.

"Yeah, sure it was," Shizuko muttered. "If you tell anyone about what you've heard, I swear—I will make sure your body is found scattered in several dumpsters. Oh, and I will personally deliver your guts in a jar of formaldehyde to the police."

"Just like Jack the Ripper. I won't breathe a word."

"Good."

Shizuko checked her watch. "Oh, man, that entire fiasco cost me so much time, it's 3:56," she moaned.

"We're still early. I'll tell Megumi we're on our way," Ryuu replied calmly, taking out his own mobile phone.

A sudden shriek sent both of them snapping their heads in the direction of the noise. Ryuu paused mid-type, his thumb frozen on one of the keys.

"Help! That crook has my handbag!" a woman screeched as a black-hooded form rushed past the two teenagers. Shizuko barely had time to register the skateboard that the thief was riding on.

"Ryuu, let's get him," she suggested, tugging at his arm. The boy shook his head. "We really should, but there's no way we'll be able to catch him on foot…"

The girl was way ahead of him. The next thing he knew, she was flashing her notebook to a nearby skateboarder. "DDS. I need to borrow your skateboard," she said quickly, getting straight to the point. Surprisingly, the young man obeyed, and she was running over to Ryuu with the set of wheels in tow.

"Shizuko, there is no way you can ride a skateboard," he pointed out, but she waved her hand impatiently. "Look, I've got an idea. I'll run him down in this direction. The street turns back on itself after a block, there's nowhere he can run," she informed him. "I want you to cut him off in that direction."

Before he could even disagree, Shizuko was off, putting the borrowed skateboard through its paces as she sped after the crook.

Ryuu managed to find the worried woman reporting to the police about her stolen handbag. He made his way over, identified himself as a DDS member, and calmly reported that his female companion was already on the criminal's heels. That being done, he ran off in the direction that Shizuko had told him to.

Megumi is going to kill me, he thought as he sped down a side alley.

Shizuko was gaining on the purse-snatcher with every passing second. Judging from the height and build of the crook, he looked to be no older than a typical teenager. What kind of kid was this who was desperate enough to steal from some woman?

It was obvious that the thief was aware of her presence, so he sped up. However, Shizuko was fairly skilled in skateboarding, so she was able to at least keep on his tail. As she watched the bandit round a corner, the girl smiled to herself. He's headed right where Ryuu is standing guard, she thought confidently. She followed him down the sharp turn.

Ryuu spotted the two of them headed straight for him. The hooded teen on the skateboard made waving motions for him to get out of the way, but he stood his guard. However, before he could really do anything, Shizuko had leapt off her borrowed skateboard and tackled the thief. They landed on the ground in a tangle of limbs. The purse went flying, and Shizuko grabbed it. "Ryuu, catch!" she called out to him, tossing him the handbag. Ryuu caught it and winced. This wasn't the plan he had in mind. "Are you okay, Shizuko?" he asked.

The kid's hood had fallen off in their struggle, revealing tousled pale blond hair and sharp green eyes. "Shizuko?" the boy asked incredulously, looking enraged.

Shizuko looked stunned. "You!"

"'You' yourself," the boy muttered, standing up and dusting himself off. "You've got some nerve tackling me! When did you come back? And who's the new dude?"

"That's none of your business," she snapped at him. "You've got some nerve yourself, taking some lady's handbag!"

"You're one to talk!" the stranger yelled. "So, you're in a detective school now? Ha! Everyone should know that you were once the best thief and delinquent a few years back!"

Shizuko looked taken aback. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"Oi! You, stop right there!" A police officer was already on his way toward them.

Before Ryuu or Shizuko could make a move to stop the boy, he ran off, leaping on his skateboard and rolling haphazardly down the city streets. The police officer quickly gave chase, but Shizuko shook her head. "They'll never catch him," Shizuko muttered.

After giving a more detailed report to the policeman, giving back the handbag to its relieved owner, and returning the skateboard that Shizuko had hastily "rented", Ryuu checked his watch. "We have to hurry. We wasted more than fifteen minutes. It's a good thing the bus stop isn't too far."

Shizuko remained silent, and this bothered him. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, a little concerned.

"Please don't tell Class Q," she mumbled.

"Don't tell them what?" Ryuu inquired, curious now.

"Please don't tell them about what he said. My so-called criminal past."

Rants: yes, it's the start of a whole new case for Class Q, but it looks like Shizuko's past is finally catching up with her as well. Will this affect her reputation at DDS? And what will class Q do if they find out that Shizuko was once a delinquent?

Oh, before I forget, for those of you who want to see and know more about Shizuko and her "apparent" relationship with Ryuu, please visit my creative journal:

http://frozen-rhapsody (dot) livejournal (dot) com

I've only recently created it, and if you have a livejournal account and such, I'd like you guys to comment on the first post there and tell me what you expect from me. Also, this could be a kind of treat for anyone who's become a fan of my OC. Contrary to popular belief, i DO write Shizuko/Ryu fanfics. I just don't feel like posting them here on fanfictiondotnet. The DSQ section has too many romance fics as it is. No sense in clogging it up with OC-involved romances. Heheh.

Thanks for your continued support! and PLEASE REVIEW!