On the way, Chiba also saw the three very brave children.
They were still just children after all.
It was true they had courage. Facing such a big incident, they had actually made the decision to come looking for him. But they really had no idea what kind of people they were dealing with.
Armed kidnappers, just that identity alone meant they would never be gentle with children, the elderly, or girls.
Such people only cared about their own interests.
And when facing anyone who threatened those interests, the only choice was to completely eliminate them.
Chiba stopped the car and looked first at Conan.
"Conan, they are just ordinary children. Don't scold them too much.
But it's best if you don't let them get involved in dangerous situations again."
Conan naturally understood what Officer Chiba meant.
He looked through the window at the three children, his emotions complicated. But at this moment, he understood that, in the end, he and those three were different.
He nodded slightly.
"I know, Officer Chiba."
Looking at Conan's calm expression, Chiba nodded.
His impression of Conan had always been that of a genius boy with a sharp mind, someone who could often see through the essence of a case from unusual angles.
But perhaps it was precisely because he was too intelligent that he forgot those around him weren't the same, and he habitually treated ordinary children as if they were just as mature as he was.
After all, children like him were rare.
Then Chiba called out to the three children who were searching the street.
"Hey, you guys. What are you looking for?"
The three were startled, then relaxed a little when they saw it was Officer Chiba.
"Eh? Conan, why are you with Officer Chiba?"
Genta immediately noticed Conan in the passenger seat. He looked carefree, genuinely surprised to see Conan suddenly there.
Ayumi and Mitsuhiko were also surprised. But when they saw Conan, a trace of guilt appeared on their faces.
Children's emotions were easy to read, and with his understanding of them, Conan immediately figured it out.
So it was you, Genta.
Ayumi, being a girl, had a softer personality. She wouldn't come up with such an idea. Mitsuhiko did have his own thoughts, but his gentle nature made him easily influenced by others.
And Genta, with his hot temper and habit of using force to pressure Mitsuhiko, often did reckless things. His impulsive nature, along with his strong physique compared to other elementary schoolers, made him naturally rely on physical strength to carry out his ideas.
It seems that keeping only a normal classmate relationship with them is best.
Getting too involved with them would only bring greater trouble.
Just as Chiba said, they were, after all, just ordinary children.
Having already experienced being caught in a dangerous situation, Conan understood that keeping some distance was the best outcome.
Although nothing happened this time, what if his actions had been a step slower?
Wouldn't he have already been caught by those two kidnappers?
Now that he had accepted this conclusion, Conan didn't feel any bitterness toward them. But this time, he decided to make the difference in their identities clear.
"I told you guys already, didn't I? I asked you to give my glasses to Inspector Megure."
Conan complained lightly.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Genta immediately protested.
"In that case, all the credit would have gone to Conan alone!"
Very good… I risk myself here, and my efforts are just seen as a way to steal credit?
Even Conan, who had prepared himself, felt a fire rise in his chest, making it hard to breathe.
Not only Conan, even Chiba felt uncomfortable hearing that.
To treat a friend's act of risking his life as nothing more than trying to take credit, whether conscious or not, was enough to make anyone angry.
Being friends with such people was truly a headache.
Chiba glanced at Conan, noticing his quickened breathing. He understood that no matter how smart a child was, there were things he could not simply endure.
But honestly, if he were in the same position, he also wouldn't be able to endure it.
Conan struggled inwardly for a long time, but in the end, he suppressed his anger.
"Forget it. You guys, just get in."
"Oh."
Genta, carefree as always, didn't sense anything.
Ayumi and Mitsuhiko also didn't notice anything due to their guilt.
But even if they did notice, it would have been useless. Conan had already made up his mind. From now on, he would keep a clear distance between himself and ordinary children.
Classmates were just classmates. It was best to maintain that boundary.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Conan watched the three children climb into the car. The anger that had flared up earlier had already been forced down.
"Alright, next, I'll take you home."
"Eh…"
Genta looked disappointed.
Not just him, Ayumi and Mitsuhiko also looked equally disappointed.
"Then what about Takayama Minami's kidnapping case?"
"That's not something you children need to concern yourselves with."
Chiba cut them off directly. Perhaps because they had been around Conan too long, they had started to believe they also had extraordinary abilities.
This time, Chiba felt it was best to firmly separate them from any troublesome matters.
"It's already very late. I'll take you home now. As for the case, you don't need to be involved."
After saying this, Chiba started the car, leaving them no chance to argue.
As for the disappointment on the children's faces, it was probably just because they couldn't spend more time with the celebrity.
Chiba didn't know what else to say.
But no matter what, it wouldn't change anything. These children made such reckless decisions because they simply didn't understand how dangerous it was.
He didn't know whether they would face similar situations in the future. But from today on, Conan should definitely keep some distance from them.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)