Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan, but i think that's pretty obvious, nor any of the characters included in this story.

The Things That Never Were

Chapter 1- The Return of Kudo Shinichi

"Oi, oi! Will you just take your seat already? You're an embarrassment here." Said Kudo to his excited companion in a more than a little loud of a whisper. An annoyed expression was almost completely masking his face though it was still showing the same symptoms of the feeling of eagerness.

Kudo Shinichi and his fellow high school detective Hattori Heiji were riding on a bus to Teitan High for the first time in a year and a half since leaving for London to solve what was rumored to be the crime of the century, arriving just last night. At least that was true for Kudo Shinichi. Hattori Heiji, on the other hand, had just decided to move to Tokyo from Osaka after the London case was resolved and this was to be his first day of Teitan High education.

"Sorry, sorry!" Hattori said with a face that betrayed the very words he just uttered. He was not apologetic at all. "But Kudo…", the dark-skinned detective of the west continued as he sat next to the detective of the east or at least attempted to, "Aren't you even the tiniest bit excited to return to everyone else especially after officially being considered to MENSA's list of the world's 50 most brilliant minds? I know I am! I bet Kazuha's face would be priceless after I tell her the news."

"Idiot! Of course I am, it would be just weird if I were not. After all, even though there are quite a few prestigious lists globally recognized, they're nothing compared to MENSA's reputation. It was as if we won the Noble Peace Prize.", answered Kudo in a voice with more than just a little bit of pride despite his hardest efforts to humble himself. Then as soon as he realized, "K-Kazuha? You haven't called her?" Kudo asked with both a curious and surprised expression on his face.

With the mention of the name, Heiji immediately blushed though only slightly but Kudo noticed anyway to his amusement. "A-actually, when I suggested to my father that I move here to Tokyo in order to work with you to solve cases, as your partner of course- ahem- he thought it were a good a idea and before I knew it, he told Kazuha's father who also thought it were a good idea for both me and Kazuha with Tokyo being the capital city and all.", told Hattori with a guilt good enough to charge a suspect with a crime.

"As if you didn't know." Kudo teasingly remarked as he began to tauntingly play with two silver rings, which could only be interpreted as Kazuha's and Heiji's engagement rings, to the overly defensive Hattori who then immediately retorted "Of course I didn't. What makes you think I planned Kazu-!" but was cut off by the sudden hit of the brakes of the bus. The rings that Kudo held broke free from his fingers being thrown by the impact of the abrupt stop somewhere behind their seats on the bus. While searching with his eyes for the two silver rings, Kudo Shinichi's curiosity was captured by a young woman in her teens with strawberry blonde hair and a bored expression on her face. Before he realized that he was actually staring at the woman instead of searching for the silver bands, the young woman caught him and raised him an eyebrow. It took Kudo second before he noticed the glare of the woman he just bothered and just as he was about to turn back ahead, Hattori got to him first.

"Hehehehe! Oi Kudo. So that's the type of woman you like, eh?" Hattori stated more than he really questioned with a hint of retaliation to Kudo for previously taunting him.

"Stupid!" I wasn't admiring her! I was just surprised by how young she is for a teacher." Kudo replied with frustration though he was not sure if it was because Hattori was making fun of him or it was because he actually did find the woman attractive even for just a few seconds. The young woman was attractive after all. She had a petite, slender figure fit for her gorgeous face.

"Oh?" remarked Hattori sarcastically, "A teacher? Is it because she's wearing a Teitan High ID? She could be a student without a uniform, you know."

"No. She's a teacher, alright. Notice the textbooks she's carrying? One is the same book for chemistry as the students and the other is a teacher's textbook for teaching chemistry to students. You can't find it in typical bookstores because the publishers' only give it to certified teachers. I recognize it from a teacher involved in a case I solved before.", rebutted Kudo dismissively while picking up the rings he was searching for off the floor.

"Aah. Well, she's obviously a prodigy." Hattori responded nonchalantly after sensing Kudo already lost his interest on the subject.

(At Teitan High 2-B Class)

"Kudo Shinichi?" asked one Shiho Miyano without even taking her eyes off from the Chemistry syllabus to look at the two young female students in front of her. "You mean that detective everyone has been raging about ever since who knows when?" she continued.

"Yeah. Didn't Hakase tell you? I heard from Shinichi's mother that he took a flight back to Tokyo last night so he should be here soon", Mouri Ran answered to her sensei.

"He may even already be here." Raised Suzuki Sonoko who was standing right beside her best friend, Ran. "The weather report announced a clear sky last night so it should be easy for the pilots to operate the planes."

"Oh? You listen to news?" Shiho sarcastically asked, which was really more of a statement, to Sonoko.

"Miyano-sensei, you are so mean! Of course I listen to news! How else would I know about the latest trends, really?" defended Sonoko. "But I guess Shinichi would have called if he arrived last night so maybe he hasn't yet" Sonoko then added.

Without realizing that students already entered the classroom, many students who overheard the conversation began murmuring to each other.

"Kudo Shinichi? Did you hear them? They said he's coming home!" said one of the students to his companion. "Come to think about it, I did read an article about the London case they were involved in being solved."

"Seriously? Kudo's finally coming back?" said another student among the crowd of excited voices busily trying to gather as much information as they can about the return of the famous detective. That is until an announcement over the school's PA system cut them off. "Miyano-sensei, please report to the director's office immediately. I repeat, Miyano-sensei, please report to the director's office immediately."

(After arriving at school, in the director's office of Teitan High)

"Ah! Kudo Shinichi! Hattori Heiji! It is an absolute honor and pride of the school to have not one, but two of the 50 most brilliant minds in the world as students in Teitan High.", the director, in his utmost excitement and joy, almost screamingly rejoiced.

"Thank you sensei.", it was all Shinichi could say after being flattered by the school's director. "We were wondering, sensei, since this would be Hattori's first Teitan High experience, if he could have the same class as I. I just think that this dark-skinned detective would find it easier to adjust if he were around familiar faces, he is friends with Mouri Ran, Suzuki Sonoko, and his childhood friend, Kazuha, after all who also belong to the same class."

"I agree. I'll have my secretary arranged for it immediately.", replied the director as he pushed a button in his telephone. "Hishiya-kun. Would you please transfer Hattori Heiji to the same class as Kudo?"

A voice replied almost right after the director gave his request, "Of course director. I'll do it now. Also, Miyano-sensei is already here as you required."

"I see, I'll let her in myself", the director told the woman on the phone. Then right after, he faced the two young detectives while showing them out and said, "In the meantime, why don't you two wait outside your classrooms and wait for me to welcome you to your classmates."

As soon as the two young detectives left the office, a woman with the strawberry-blonde hair entered the director's room. Before the two friends recognize the woman as the one Kudo was staring at from the bus, they both had their backs turned from her and soon the woman was out of sight.

"Ah, Miyano-sensei. Please take a seat. As you have already seen, the rumors about the return of Kudo Shinichi are indeed true.", told the director but Shiho could only reply with a confuse yet unbothered face, "Seen?".

"You didn't see them? The two young students who just walked out of this room before you?" asked the taken aback director.

"I did see two students leave this room but I didn't see their faces.", Shiho answered with a flip of her short curly strawberry-blonde hair. "And even if I were able to see their faces, I wouldn't know which one of them is this Kudo Shinichi as I've never seen his face before.", she continued.

"Never?" asked the director who was now even more surprised than before. "Not even from the news?"

"Never.", she flatly responded. "I only know the faces of people I actually know, director, not people I only heard of."

"Ah I see. No matter, you'll meet them in a few today. Kudo Shinichi will be rejoining his classmates today in class 2-B, which you are in charged of at this hour, if I'm not mistaken. His fellow high school, Hattori Heiji who is a new student here, will be accompanying him. It shouldn't be hard for them to catch up with their classmates, as they're very bright. They're even included in MENSA's list of 50 most brilliant minds in the world as well."

"Is that so?", Shiho simply replied. After all, she too is in the list. When the school first found this out, they tried to put up posters to promote Teitan High's quality education by mentioning her achievement to the entire school.

"Anyway, why don't we walk back to your class so I can introduce you to them and you can then introduce them to class.", suggested the director to the young teacher who plainly complied.

(end of chapter 1)