The Black Cat [Detective Conan]

- Chapter 12 : Back to school -

The green-eyed boy slipped into the classroom so discreetly that no one noticed he was the new pupil who was supposed to arrive shortly after the holidays. He passed between the tables and hurried to a free seat in a fairly isolated corner. As he passed, he felt the intense gaze of someone behind his back, probably a student. This unpleasant sensation did not bring back fond memories. When he sits down at his table, he discreetly slaps his cheeks to force himself to come to his senses.

This is neither the time nor the place to panic. He's in the middle of a primary school class, with other children who can barely read. He's certainly not going to run into the people he fears in this place.

He slowly raises his head, pulling his hood up slightly, and is startled to see a female face close to his own. He jerks back, almost toppling over backwards.

- Ooh, you're new, aren't you ? says a little girl, shaking her brown hair in a headband.

- What's your name ? continued a heavyset boy whom Hachirō hadn't seen coming.

- Where are you from ? a third boy, with a freckled face, insisted.

Hachirō blinks in surprise at this sudden questioning. He put his hood back on tightly, determined not to answer.

- Children, give him a break, exclaims the teacher, he's about to come up to the blackboard.

She finishes her sentence with a smile. The green-eyed boy clenched his fists under the table. At that moment he felt like disappearing into a mouse hole. Without looking at the young crowd around him, he can see their eyes on him. They all want to see who is hiding under that hood. Questioning and impatient whispers begin to fly as Hachirō remains motionless.

Gradually, the noises around him seem to fade away, as if drowned in water, and for a moment his mind is taken away from this innocent little primary school class.

- Hm ?

The impatient clearing of his teacher's throat quickly brings him back to reality. He straightens up and approaches the blackboard without further ado. He took a deep breath and stammered in a very small voice:

- My name is Ha ... Hachirō, A-Akiyama Hachirō ...

***

At the first break, the rejuvenated pupil sat down on the ground, in the shade of a tree, even though there was no sun. After the presentation, he returned to his seat with shaky legs. He lets out a sigh and tucks his knees under his chin. It wasn't by continuing like this that he would be able to integrate into his new environment, as his tutor had asked.

She would surely have reprimanded me, telling me that this wasn't the way to move things forward.

When he thinks of Saeko, the boy immediately feels calmer. The policewoman takes up more and more space in Hachirō's heart. She has done so much for him, and continues to help him. He is indebted to her and would like to return the favour. The memory of his addiction to tobacco and alcohol comes back to him.

He knows very well how hard it is for regulars to stop using these substances. Yet when he sees her drinking, he's convinced she's not doing it for the love of the drink or the cigarette. She often has a blank stare, as if she's going to find the answer to something she can't see.

- Hachirō-kun !

That voice ... It's ...

The boy turns around and comes face to face with the trio of children who had questioned him earlier. He had wanted to be alone, but now he was going to be served...

Just as he was about to look away, a fourth person caught his eye. It was a boy with glasses who approached a little further back than the other three. The girl with the pink headband, who was the first to speak to Hachirō since he started school, speaks up:

- We've been asked to show you around the school and guide you through the day!

It looks like he can say goodbye to his loneliness. The boy wasn't too keen on the idea. He says nothing and turns his head away slightly, clearly indicating that he wants to be left alone. The three children don't stop there, though, and go on together with their friend :

- Come on ! 

Seeing that he didn't react any more than that, they sat down beside him, waiting for any response. Suddenly, the freckled boy speaks up :

- I think we got off on the wrong foot.

He then smiles, sure he knows why Hachirō doesn't answer before continuing :

- My name is Mitsuhiko, this is Ayumi, he points at the girl with the headband, Genta, he points with his chin at the fattest of the four children present, and Conan, this time he points at the boy with glasses.

Conan ... ?

That's a funny name for a Japanese. It's unusual. He glanced discreetly at Conan and met his eyes. Conan bows his head slightly, as if answering his name.

- Will you come with us now ? asks Mitsuhiko.

Hachirō sighs, he knows he has no choice, if he doesn't follow them he'll be harassed relentlessly.

However, he still has an ulterior motive. The words spoken by Gin still resonate within him: a good hunter always catches his prey in the end.

And if that prey is close to certain people, it's logical that the hunter should try to eliminate them to make sure that the target hasn't divulged any compromising secrets about him.

And then there's the memory of the Day, that famous Day he'd like to have forgotten everything about, even the smallest, most insignificant details ...