Tapping, tapping, tapping—
Haibara Ai, currently typing on the keyboard in front of the computer, meticulously researching data, frowned with her delicate eyebrows. She felt a surge of dissatisfaction at the sudden vibration of her phone on the table.
"Who is disturbing me at such a crucial moment?"
Annoyed, Haibara Ai wanted to turn off her phone, but she quickly reacted.
There was only one person who had her phone number!
Haibara Ai quickly abandoned the computer and picked up her phone. She took two deep breaths, allowing herself to become as calm as usual, then pressed the answer button: "Fujiwara, is there something you need calling me?"
"Ai-chan, open the monitoring software on your computer."
Haibara Ai opened the software as Fujiwara Tōru instructed.
All internal and external camera feeds from the Western-style mansion appeared on the computer screen.
Haibara Ai's eyes narrowed, noticing the content captured by one of the cameras: a small boy was wandering around the Western-style mansion, seemingly looking for its entrance.
"Kudo Shinichi—?" Haibara Ai's pupils slightly constricted. "What is this guy trying to do...? Does he want to sneak in?"
"He's probably trying to investigate information about me and you."
"Then what should I do, Fujiwara?"
"Just do as you think, Ai-chan."
"Really, as I think? Then I might tell him some things. Medicines need the patient's cooperation to produce better data and efficacy. Is that okay?" Haibara Ai asked cautiously. She didn't want to cause trouble for Fujiwara Tōru.
"No problem. I trust you know your limits, and you know what can be said and what cannot be said."
"Alright, that's enough from you, Fujiwara... 603"
"Hm? What's wrong, Ai-chan?"
"Thank you for tolerating my willfulness."
"Why is this little girl so sentimental today? Could it be that I'm not home and she misses me?"
Hearing Fujiwara Tōru's teasing words, Haibara Ai pretended to mock him: "...Your skin is really thick."
"Alright, let's not talk about you missing me for now. Ai-chan, go to my room, open the bedside cabinet. The password is XXXX."
"What do you mean 'I miss you'!" Haibara Ai snorted softly, but still followed Fujiwara Tōru's instructions to his room. In the bedside cabinet, which was protected by a password, she found a pistol.
"Although your marksmanship might be terrible, this gun can intimidate people quite well. Oh, and be careful of Kudo Shinichi's watch, and also be careful of his belt and soccer kicking skills."
Fujiwara Tōru chuckled for a bit, then said, "…But you don't need to worry, I'll help you."
"Mhm."
"..."
Maebashi City, where the capital of Gunma Prefecture was located, was surrounded by sparsely populated rural areas outside the city center. Fujiwara Tōru and Eri Kisaki followed Conan Edogawa to a village courtyard with a lot of character.
"I'm sorry, Eri, Fujiwara. There's not much to offer in the countryside. These are some simple meals I made, so let's have them for dinner tonight."
Yukiko Kudo was still wearing the same clothes she had worn during the day.
However, she had taken off her silvery high heels. She was wearing flesh-colored short stockings, and her ankles were tightly bound, revealing her soft insteps. At this moment, she was half-kneeling, preparing food for Fujiwara Tōru and Eri Kisaki.
The food was simple Japanese cuisine, served in small bowls and plates, with floral-patterned rice.
"Is this made by Sister Yukiko?"
(afaf) Fujiwara Tōru held his rice, picking up his chopsticks and asking.
"After all, I'm a wife now, right? My cooking isn't bad. Fujiwara, quickly try it. Does it suit your taste?" Yukiko said with a beaming smile.
Fujiwara Tōru used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of grilled fish, tasted it, and said with a hint of flavor, his expression crisp, nodding: "Delicious."
Yukiko covered her mouth with her hand, smiling as she said, "Fujiwara, as long as you think it tastes good, that's fine. I'll go outside to light some incense for Dad and Mom in a bit. I'll clean up for you two after that. You two should go rest first."
"It's so late. Will there be any danger? Do you need me to go with you?" Fujiwara Tōru asked worriedly.
"No need. The ancestral tablet is in the courtyard nearby, so you don't need to accompany me. Besides, I have some things I want to say alone to Papa and Mama..."
Seeing Yukiko Kudo's insistence, Fujiwara Tōru and Eri Kisaki didn't force the issue.
After dinner, Yukiko again cleaned up the dishes. Although her personality was a bit mischievous like a little devil and she was a wealthy lady, Yukiko was extremely adept at household chores.
In this regard, Eri Kisaki was the opposite. Although she was the kind of woman who was skilled at all household chores, Eri rarely did housework because of her work, and she paid others to do laundry and cooking. To a certain extent, Yukiko had married well, too. She didn't need to work all day; she just needed to take care of the family.
Watching Yukiko go off to busy herself, Eri Kisaki and Fujiwara Tōru didn't go to rest but sat in the living room watching TV, conversing in low tones.
"Yukiko is not easy." Eri Kisaki suddenly spoke. Fujiwara Tōru remained impassive.
"Yukiko was born in the countryside of Gunma Prefecture. Gunma Prefecture is the poorest place in Neon. In the eyes of people from big cities, it's a completely rural area."
"But she studied well and, through hard work, got into a famous high school in Tokyo, getting her high school fees waived."
"After graduating from high school, she could have taken the exam to get into a good university, but she resolutely chose to enter the entertainment industry. She told me that going to university would take several more years, and she couldn't afford to waste that time."
"And by entering the entertainment industry, she could earn money earlier, and if she did well, she could also enter the high-income group."
"She's very talented in acting. Within three or four years of entering the entertainment industry, she became a big star well-known in Neon, with a considerable income."
"I originally thought she would continue to delve deeper into the acting world, becoming a truly talented genius in this circle, but I didn't expect her to suddenly flash-marry."
Fujiwara Tōru listened quietly to Eri Kisaki's words and asked, "Why did she flash-marry? Because she loved Kudo Yusaku too much?"
This matter was also reported by Neon media. Fujiwara Tōru remembered that the media had intentionally revealed only part of the truth.
Eri Kisaki said, "Yukiko earned money to improve her family's life, wanting to let her parents live a better life. But her parents died in a car accident just as they were rising in fame. Her fighting spirit was gone."
Fujiwara Tōru was only then startled. So, this was the real reason Yukiko gave up the entertainment industry. She sacrificed her fame and high income to directly marry. Yukiko was truly a strong-willed person.
"Actually, back then, I wasn't optimistic. It's not good to get married so young, especially when your career is developing smoothly. If your marriage partner isn't good, then your whole life is basically ruined."
"But from what I've seen since then, although her married life with Kudo Yusaku occasionally has arguments, he has always been very successful and prosperous."
"It's just that..."
Eri Kisaki hesitated for a moment, then said: "...It's just that her marriage might have some problems recently."
The reason Eri Kisaki said all this was to give Fujiwara Tōru advance preparation. In her opinion, if Yukiko had such thoughts, it must mean there were problems in her marriage. She wanted to make it clear. If Yukiko were to do something audacious, it would make Fujiwara Tōru realize that Yukiko was not a woman who would succumb to temptation easily. Given Yukiko's personality, she would absolutely do something excessive.
Mainly, Eri Kisaki felt that Yukiko was already married, and some things were morally questionable. Eri Kisaki also didn't know the extent of Fujiwara Tōru's moral compass.
In this regard, she and Yukiko Kudo were completely different. She didn't have a husband, and no one cared how her private life was. This had nothing to do with morality.
"So Sister Yukiko's life is so difficult." Fujiwara Tōru sighed.
"Mhm, so if she does anything wrong, Fujiwara, please bear with her."
The two chatted for a while, then went back to their respective rooms to rest.
After Fujiwara Tōru returned to his room, he took out his phone, activated the cameras in the Kudo family home, and began to observe.
...
In the Western-style mansion in Tokyo's Nerima Ward, Conan had been wandering around the vicinity for over two hours.
"The railings aren't electrified, and there's no barbed wire. Although there are cameras, there are also quite a few blind spots. Is that Fujiwara guy too confident in his own abilities, or does he think Tokyo's security measures are too lax?"
Conan concluded after a careful inspection. However, he didn't know that many cameras were hidden; with his abilities, he couldn't detect them at all.
Looking at the iron fence in front of him, Conan hesitated a little. Trespassing on private property at night—that was a crime. But he quickly made up his mind. He was just a child now, and he wasn't afraid even if he got caught!
Thinking of it, he did it. Like a monkey, he easily flipped over the fence and entered the garden of the Western-style mansion.
Conan stealthily approached the outer wall of the Western-style mansion. From his previous observation, he had noticed that a window on the first floor was not closed.
"Good thing I don't need to climb to the second floor."
Conan slowly pushed open the window, grabbed the windowsill with both hands, and jumped inside with force.
"Is this the kitchen? Just now, a girl came out of the mansion. I saw her standing near this window for quite a while. She must be Fujiwara's maid, right?" Conan thought to himself. He tensely pressed himself against the kitchen wall and moved to the living room.
At this moment, all the lights in the living room were off, a pitch-black expanse. Only on a high platform in the living room, a laptop was shining with light.
Conan hesitated for a moment, deciding to go over and see what was on the computer. If his guess was correct, this Western-style mansion should only have that little girl left. He speculated she was guarding something.
Conan's courage suddenly swelled. He tiptoed towards the high platform where the computer was. Suddenly, the living room lights came on. The sudden light made Conan, who was used to the dark, instinctively shield his eyes.
"Kudo Shinichi, you sure are brave."
A cold voice of a little girl came from behind Conan. He looked back in surprise, his pupils constricted, his expression terrified.
Because Haibara Ai, sitting on the sofa, was holding a Luger M9 silenced pistol. It was exactly Fujiwara Tōru's weapon. And the other party's voice made Conan feel somewhat familiar. His mind raced, and in an instant, he thought, shocked, "It's you, Sherry?!"
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