Chapter Text
Elegant New Student
The old tower bell rang across Eden Academy as a young boy stepped into the gates.
"Find the scientist, find the cure." Conan thought as he adjusted his glasses, scanning the surroundings of the school. The school looked prestigious, neatly paved bricks, black iron gates, even a well crafted statue...but none of it mattered.
The boy was on a mission—faking records and passing the entrance exam to get into Eden was child's play. But the interview nearly blew his cover.
"I have to be more careful, transferring last minute was a risky move, but Eden is the safest place for me to find a way to get that cure. I can't go back to that facility. My best option is to lay low while I find Damian Desmond."
Conan walked through the pathways and slipped inside the halls, careful not to attract any attention. When he finally found the room he was looking for, he took a deep breath before entering.
"Ah, welcome Mr. Edogawa!"
The teacher introduced him as the new transfer student. The students looked at him with interest, some girls eyed him with awe, some girls giggled while some silently began judging him, determining whether or not he has status and connections. As soon as the teacher finished, he told the boy to take a seat.
Conan's eyes scanned for his target as he walked forward. "I need to find that kid, Desmond. He's my ticket to getting close to people who can give me the cure."
His thought perked Anya's interest, she stopped eating her peanuts to give her full attention to the boy.
"He's looking for sy-on boy? What does he mean by cure...is he...sick?" She wondered while he walked towards Damian—to which one of his henchmen stopped him.
"What do you think you're doing? A nobody like you doesn't deserve to sit next to someone as important as Desmond," he scowled.
"Ah, my bad...I was just looking for empty seats! I prefer the ones at the back. I like the quiet," Conan subtly raised his palms defensively, flashing an awkward smile.
He ended up reluctantly sitting on a different table, close to Damian's, but afar from the rest of the students. Anya continued to look at the strange new kid, tuning into his thoughts once more as the teacher started roll call.
"My name is originally Shinichi Kudo. But I'm on the run, so I'm currently using Conan Edogawa—that's the alias I used to forge my records to get in here."
Anya gasped.
"On the run? A fake name?! Is he one of those bad guys on TV?" Her eyes sparkled with thrill.
"—Anya! It's your turn!" Becky whispered.
"Oh—uhh...here!" Anya snapped out of her thoughts, quickly raising her hand before the instructor could bark at her.
As the class went on, Conan listened to the teacher, acting like a good student. Anya, on the other hand, was too busy staring at the kid with interest.
The bell eventually rang. Students started packing up and heading towards the cafeteria. Damian sat with his friends on one of the tables, placing their trays and setting up their meal.
"I have to get close to him," Conan thought, watching him from a distance.
The headmaster suddenly entered the cafeteria. He wore his usual attire, striped gray pants, neatly tied hair, a monocle on his left eye, a cane, and an elegant suit—just like his posture, strict and calm as his eyes scanned around the room for a young boy with round glasses.
When he finally found him sitting alone, he approached his table and spoke in a calm manner. "Excuse me, you must be Conan Edogawa, I assume?"
He began quietly observing his appearance and mannerism, assessing the boy. His eyes sparkled with curiosity but he tried to keep it low-key.
"Those glasses, that haircut—it compliments his face shape...such an elegant look!" He thought.
Conan nodded to his question, to which the headmaster gleamed in delight.
"Wonderful! I have been wondering which student managed to transfer to Eden on such short notice! Would you mind if I join you?" He smiled.
"Of course," Conan smiled back politely, not wanting to seem rude as he tried to figure out who and what this old man wanted.
"How did this child manage to pass the difficult transfer exam test? We normally don't accept transfer students, so we offer a test that's impossible to pass! But he managed to pass it with ease...this child...he's one in a lifetime...HE'S AN ELEGANT GENIUS!!"
The headmaster kept observing Conan before finally speaking, "Ah, I'm afraid I haven't made your acquaintance. How rude of me...my name's Henry Henderson, headmaster and principal of this school." He smiled and held out his hand, urging Conan for a handshake.
Conan shook his hand, giving him another polite expression.
"So, I'm quite curious, Mr. Edogawa. Why did you decide to transfer? Forgive me, if this sounds a bit intrusive..."
"Ah, no—not at all, Mr. Headmaster!" Conan replied and began explaining. The headmaster nodded and listened to him, touched by the boy's calculated words.
"Hmmm...yes, yes...such an interesting student..." He nodded.
As the conversation went on, the headmaster grew thirsty.
"You are quite the special case. Can you care to pass me the tea?" He said calmly.
Conan gracefully poured him a cup, to which the headmaster silently praised him again for his elegance.
"Why, thank you, young man!" The headmaster took a sip and froze—suddenly spitting the tea violently.
"This tea....is NOT—ELEGANT!" He gasped, coughing dramatically.
He grabbed his throat and collapsed gracefully on the floor, causing the teacup to shatter and spill all over the tiles. This caught the immediate attention of all the students in the cafeteria.
"He poisoned the headmaster!" One student stood up and screamed.
"Who? The new kid!?"
Whispers filled the room as gossip began to spread. Conan froze, internally panicking as his eyes widened at the sight of the headmaster dropping to the floor in front of him.
"Poison!?"