Ninzaburo Shiratori and Sumiko Kobayashi

The romantic relationship between Police Inspector Ninzaburo Shiratori and Teitan Elementary School Teacher and Detective Boys "manager", Sumiko Kobayashi.

Relationship Analysis

Shiratori and Kobayashi

The love between Ninzaburo Shiratori and Sumiko Kobayashi had actually began when they were both elementary school aged children, probably around 15-20 years before the story of Detective Conan took place. The young Kobayashi was trying to stop two older men from stealing in a bookstore not too far from a just as young Shiratori, and when the goons threw her to the ground and were about to hurt her more Shiratori stepped in, both rescuing her from further harm and convincing the thieves to give their "treasures" back by talking to them about the laws against theft, which brought up the owner's attention. As a token of gratitude, Kobayashi gave Shiratori a soda cup with a paper ring whose parts looked the symbol of Tokyo police: Sakura petals. Shiratori was so impressed that, despite not even knowing her name, decided to join the Tokyo police force because of her influence.

For a long time, Shiratori believed that fellow officer Miwako Sato was the girl he met, since Sato was a fan of the Japanese police and looked exactly like a grown version of the girl whom he believed to be his "person of destiny". However, Satou's affections gravitated towards Wataru Takagi instead despite all of Shiratori's efforts (which included roping her into an omiai aka arranged date that almost had them getting married), and eventually this was sealed when she kissed Takagi after he almost died in a case.

Despite recognizing the huge drawback posed by Sato and Takagi's kiss, Shiratori didn't want to give up so easily because he still believed Sato to be the girl who changed his life. But during an encounter with the Detective Boys, he found another young woman who knew how to make sakura-fied paper rings, making him wonder if she was "the girl" instead. She turned out to be a murderer, which greatly saddened him... but at the end of the case, Ayumi tried to cheer him up by giving him a paper sakura "ring" and unknowingly reciting the same words about the Tokyo Police that he heard in the past. Almost at the same time Kobayashi showed up, and a shocked Shiratori realised that she was the girl he had pined for through almost all of his life.

Their relationship started in a relatively smooth manner, with Shiratori being very gentlemanly and protective of his prospect girlfriend and Kobayashi being very thrilled by her potential boyfriend's courting and him being a policeman. However, it hit a major snag when Kobayashi learned about Sato and mistakenly thought the only reason Shiratori was with her was because of how much she looked like Sato. The mess became worse because Shiratori had not told her yet about their first meeting and because this happened when she was the key witness to a murder... as well as the killer's other target.

Thankfully, thanks to the intervention of the Detective Boys and Shiratori reciting almost the same words he said in front of her as a child (this time, to shame the just uncovered culprit of the case for killing a person and trying to silence another), Kobayashi finally remembered Shiratori as the boy who protected her. When Shiratori confirmed their encounter and properly declared his long-time love for her, she shyly but happily accepted his confession. They are currently dating each other, with Kobayashi regularly making bentos for Shiratori.

Shiratori and Kobayashi moments

Manga/Anime

Volume 66: Files 687-689/Episodes 568-569: Inspector Shiratori, Memories of the Cherry Blossom

• In his childhood, Shiratori once came to the aid of Kobayashi from two manga thieves. She stood up to them and got tossed to the floor for her trouble, but Shiratori stepped in and managed to scare them off by reciting the Japanese Law Code's punishment for theft.
• Young Kobayashi gave Shiratori a cola soda for saving her, wrapping it with a paper ring that looked like sakura petals she made from a straw wrapper. Then, she said these words that inspired him to become the police officer he is today:

“	Because the sakura is the symbol of police officers! Determined, kind, and dignified. It's a flower of justice!	„

• The particular case involves Shiratori not only revealing this chance encounter to Conan and his friends an starting to wonder if Sato really was the girl from the past, but finding a woman who also seemingly fit the criteria, named Nami Kasakura. Kasakura turns out to be the murderer of the day, though; as a result, Shiratori feels very depressed and has started to lose all hope in love. However, when Ayumi gives him a bracelet made of paper sakura petals and repeats the same statement "the girl of destiny" made years ago, he desperately asks Ayumi who taught her, and Ayumi replies her teacher, Kobayashi-sensei. When he asks more about Kobayashi-sensei, as if on cue, Kobayashi appears and Shiratori recognizes her as the "girl of his dreams".
• Kobayashi is coming to pick up the Detective Boys, after being called by Inspector Megure and tells the kids she'll take them home by taxi. Shiratori suddenly grabs her hand in the cliché romantic gesture and immediately offers to take her and the kids home in his car. Kobayashi, who is now blushing, shyly accepts.

Volume 66: File 690/Episode 571: Battle of the Haunted Warehouse's Treasure Part 1

• Shiratori visits Kobayashi at Teitan Elelmentary School to inform her of some recent robberies in the area's jewelry stores. Kobayashi states something like that won't probably happen to her, but Shiratori quickly tells her that she should always keep her guard up and to immediately call him if anything happens. Kobayashi, who is now blushing, shyly agrees to.
• Shiratori then ask for her cell phone number and Kobayashi gives it to him.
• Shiratori asks if Kobayashi belives in destiny, revealing to her that he believes in it, blushing and rubbing his head awkwardly.
• The Detective Boys try to help Shiratori to confess, but he quickly shoots their attempts down because he wants to tell her later and do it on his own. Ai analyzes a prospect relationship favorably, but expresses frustration at the slow advances between them.

Volume 67: File 705-707/Episode 583: Kobayashi-sensei's Love & Episode 584: Inspector Shiratori's Lost Love

• Shiratori calls Kobayashi on her cell phone to warn about the snatching incidents that have been happening in her area. Kobayashi asks why Shiratori is always calling her and he replies it's because he worries for her.
• When the Detective Boys ask if she's seen Shiratori before, trying to clue her in, Kobayashi replies that it does feel like she's known him before, but cannot remember where or when.
• Kobayashi imagines what it would be like to date Shiratori, blushing while doing so, and thinking that she would be worried about his safety because he is a police officer, but that she would love listening to his cases cause she is a mystery fan.
• After Officer Chiba and Yumi Miyamoto mistake Kobayashi for Officer Sato, Shiratori smoothly appears, states Kobayashi's occupation, that she's the witness in the case, and her full name. He then asks the two not to mistake who she is again.
• In the middle of the interrogation, Kobayashi is concerned because the culprit might be after her. Then, Shiratori promises Kobayashi that he will protect her with his life, which flusters her quite a bit.
• After seeing Officer Sato and learning about Shiratori's previous liking towards her, Kobayashi (who had started to develop feelings for him) becomes extremely disheartened and starts thinking that Shiratori is only with her because of how much she and Sato resemble each other. As a result, she starts to be cold and curt with Shiratori, and denies his offer to taking her back home, something he asked Officer Chiba to do.
• When Haibara explains why Kobayashi is acting the way she is, Shiratori nearly slides to the floor, with a shocked face. When Sato and Takagi arrive and Sato cheerfully asks Shiratori about the "cute teacher" he's pining after, Shiratori gets even more upset.
• Shiratori visits Kobayashi at Teitan Elementary to discuss the case, with their relationship still strained. Then, Shiratori confesses his feelings for her and explains how they met, but Kobayashi, not believing it and probably unable to remember him properly, tells him that he's mistaken.

Volume 68: File 708/Episode 585: Timeless Sakura's Love

• Shiratori protects Kobayashi from the culprit who wanted her dead so she wouldn't be a witness.
• After Shiratori does the same "Criminal Law, Article..." speech he did at the bookstore where he and Kobayashi first met, Kobayashi finally remembers him as the boy who rescued her. Followed by Shiratori's confession after she remembers:

“	Since long before these children were born... I have been... In love with you.	„

• His declaration of love towards causes her to blush and loudly (and shyly) respond with a quick "yes". Which in turns makes Shiratori blush, as well as smile.
• Shiratori is extremely happy when he presents the bento that Kobayashi made for him.

Volume 69: Files 725-727/Episodes 608-609: White Day of Betrayal

• On White Day, Shiratori has a bag of white candy to give to Kobayashi; he reveals to Takagi and Sato that he couldn't decide which one to get and chose them all. While saying this, he thinks of his girlfriend Kobayashi (who's smiling and blushing) in the background, while he's also smiling and blushing fondly.
• Kobayashi is seen with all the white candy Shiratori has bought for her. She's smiling and blushing with happiness, not knowing where to begin.

Volume 71: File 741/Episode 624: A Video Letter of First Love

• Shiratori, with Officer Chiba, personally deliver a child prevention pamphlet to Kobayashi at school.
• Chiba slyly reveals that Shiratori only did the personal delivery because he [Shiratori] wanted to see Kobayashi's face; Kobayashi then blushes, thinking "I just saw him this morning when I gave him his bento..."
• Shiratori becomes jealous of Chiba and Kobayashi having an animated chat over an old teacher at Teitan Elelmentary. He gives a deep cough, before removing Chiba from Kobayashi's space so they can return to police work.

Movies

Movie 15: Quarter of Silence

• The Detective Boys are shopping for a present for Kobayashi and Haibara suggests a coffee mug that saids, "I LOVE SWANS", the "LOVE" actually being a heart. They quickly and excitably understand that switching the words on the mug can also read "I Love Shiratori". Almost immediately, Shiratori and Kobayashi sneeze in sync, along with the writing from the coffee mug between the couple.

Openings

Opening 31: "Don't Wanna Lie"

• Kobayashi, with a smile, is fixing/straightening Shiratori's tie; Shiratori has a smile and a small blush on his face. After doing so, the couple look into each other's eyes.

Trivia

• Shiratori refers to Kobayashi as "the girl of his destiny".
• The Shiratori/Kobayashi couple is one of the many couples that met in childhood, but with some interesting twists. Theirs was a single, chance encounter; they did not know each other's names; they did not actually find each other until adulthood; and when they did so their personalities had changed in comparison to their younger selves (the adult Kobayashi is more mellow and thoughtful, and the older Shiratori is more arrogant). Nevertheless, they like and accept each other the way they are.
• They are the quickest couple of the "Childhood" type of romance to get together officially.

Gallery

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  Shiratori and Kobayashi stare into the other's eyes

• 

  Shiratori and Kobayashi, in the 31th OP of the series

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  "I LOVE SWANS". From the 15th movie

See also

• Ninzaburo Shiratori
• Sumiko Kobayashi
• Wataru Takagi and Miwako Sato
• Detective Chiba and Naeko Miike