Undeniably Yours

19: Opportunity.

*****

It was the last day of the cultural festival. Many students are excitedly loitering in the school ground. Several hours from now, the highlight of the event,  which was the bonfire, will commence.

Shinichi silently watched as his classmates prepare for the event. He smiled unknowingly as he observed several of them doing great effort in decorating the grounds. After some time,  he stifled a yawn. He was getting bored. He felt sleepiness slowly taking over. He slumped on his seat and closed his eyes. He was halfway in getting his sleep when he heard a group of his classmates talking loudly.

"Man, that girl was a hottie!" He heard one voice said. 

"Oh yeah?" another voice answered. "She's a new face here. Must be someone visiting."

"Certainly! Ahh.. who might be that lucky person?" They snickered.

Shinichi just shut his eyes tighter. 'Ugh. They're noisy.'

"Maybe it's Higashi? That woman looks foreign to me."

That comment made him jerk.  He lift his head quickly, that it seems like it will snap off his neck. He searched for the group that is talking and listened intently.

"Yeah! That is my first time seeing that hair color! She definitely is foreign! And those eyes! Wahh... such a beauty!" One boy again commented.

This time, Shinichi cannot restrain himself. He quickly approached the group. "Hey!"

The group were startled by his sudden interruption, but they managed to reply to him.  "Oh,  Kudo! What's up?"

"That... that woman you're talking about. W-What does she look like?"

"S-she's the same age as us, i think. She has a shoulder length auburn hair. Why? "

Shinichi seems agitated. "Where is she?"

The group seems flustered at the detective's strange behavior, so they just replied unknowingly. "At the gate. She was standing at the school gate earlier."

As soon as he heard,  Shinichi dashed outside the room leaving the guys flabbergasted. They just look curiously at each other, silently asking what just happened.

*****

Shiho was restless. The thought of being in the same ground as Kudo bothered her. Gods, why did she agreed to go here in the first place?  She was mentally scolding herself. She knew in the back of her mind, she wanted to go... that she wanted to catch a glimpse of him.

'But this is wrong.' the voice in her head speaks. 'I need to get out of here.'

She was about to walked out when a loud deep voice called her.

"SHI!!!"

She annoyingly turned around to see the grinning face of Nicholas. She rolled her eyes.

"What a warm greeting Shi!" He exclaimed, not minding the deadly glare he was receiving. "Nice to meet you too." he added with a grin.

"Nik. Seriously, just what is going on?! You know I shouldn't be here!" she hissed.

Nicholas just shrugged his shoulder, and give him an innocent look. He smiled knowingly. "Sorry, there was nobody else to call. I need someone to explain to the dean what happened."

"And what the bloody hell happened?  I am not oriented."

"I called you on the phone!"

"Oh?" she answered, her voice mocking. "So your definition of an explanation was that bloody call where you just screamed 'EMERGENCY Shi! Come here at school ASAP!'? I almost thought you're dying." She imitated his voice perfectly, though quite sarcastically.

He just chuckled awkwardly as an answer.

He recalled his conversation with the detective. He said he'll bring her here. In order to do that, he needs to make trouble. He went to the student council office earlier and made a commotion. He broke their window. Well, that was not creative, he admits, but it was flashy enough to get the attention of the highest organization in the university. He was immediately brought to the dean's office to explain the situation. And voila, he created the perfect chance for Shiho to come!

'Oh blimey, I am a genius' he silently complimented himself, as a wide grin spreads on his face. 

"Why are you grinning like a bloody maniac?" that sarcastic voice pulled him out from his thoughts. 

He looked at her, sighed and explained the whole situation. After he did, he look carefully at his companion.

Shiho let out a sigh, and looked at him with deadpanned eyes. He knew she was killing him in her mind right now. 

"S-Shi?" he called slowly.

"Nik, you idiot."

"I don't actually need that input." he answered awkwardly.

"Well, that was the only sane explanation for what you did. You bloody idiot."

He cringed at what she said. She really has no mercy. So much for being the ice queen.

'Hmpf. Just wait, Shi. You'll regret calling me that. I'm doing this for you.'

Much as this is troublesome, Shiho does not want to leave him alone. Surely, she was the only one he can call, given their circumstances. Shiho again let out a tired sigh before exclaiming. "Let's go see the dean."

Nicholas eagerly nodded before leading the way.

*****

Shinichi was running, not caring of what is going on around him. His chest is pounding, a silent anticipation slowly forming in his soul.

'Is it her?'

He was already near the school gate. But boy, it was empty. Only the students handing out flyers are there. He approached them.

"Excuse me, did you see a girl with an auburn hair here?", he asked some random guy.

The guy think for a moment before answering, "Oh! Yes, she was just here awhile ago, but some guy came and they left."

"Where did they go?"

"I dunno, man. They went inside. Just search for them, 'kay?" the guy just tapped his shoulder.

Shinichi begrudgingly nodded. He went back inside and begin to wander thoughtlessly. He was looking left and right for that familiar figure, but to no avail. He went the part of the school where booths are located. 

'Maybe Nicholas took her there.' He thought bitterly as the image of Shiho and Nicholas together lingered in his mind. He shook his head in annoyance. He willed himself to just concentrate on searching.

*****