Chapter 33: Conan Wets Himself in Fear
"Should we take him out?"
Vodka gripped his handgun and flicked off the safety.
"Calm down!"
The muscles in Gin's cheek twitched wildly; he looked ready to cough up blood from sheer frustration.
If he fired a gun here, there'd be no walking away from this either.
"So what does boss mean, then?"
Vodka asked, blank-faced.
Driving aside, killing was the only other thing he was any good at.
"He's sharp, he's got serious potential, and he's on good terms with the police."
"Even his family background is staggering—he's got real pull in Japan's financial world."
Gin pulled out a cigarette.
But catching sight of the "No Smoking" warning inside the car, he quietly put it away again.
"What I mean is, Higashino Makoto is exactly the kind of person worth bringing into the fold."
"Our organization needs talent like that!"
Gin sighed, feeling strangely stifled.
As one of the Black Organization's top aces, he could kill without so much as blinking.
And yet here he was, hesitating over lighting a cigarette, not daring to make a move.
Until this business was settled, he didn't want trouble—and he definitely didn't want any loose ends.
"What if he refuses to join the organization?"
Vodka asked.
"Then..."
Gin's eyes turned cold as he weighed his options.
"We take him out?"
Vodka perked right up.
Gin: "..."
"Don't kill him until I give the order!"
"And nobody else touches him either!"
"Got it?"
Gin commanded coldly.
This guy needed everything spelled out or he just didn't get it.
"Got it, boss!"
Vodka nodded thoughtfully.
Quietly, he added Higashino Makoto to the "do not kill" list.
Everyone else not on that list, though—fair game.
"Swish!"
Gin gave his trench coat a shake and stood up.
Conan, sitting in his seat, felt every hair on his body stand on end, curling in on himself and trembling.
"What's wrong, kid?"
"Coming down with something?"
Kogoro asked.
"N-nothing's wrong!"
Conan shrank down in his seat, listening to the footsteps drawing closer.
Until a shadow blocked out the sunlight, standing right beside him.
'Don't tell me he's already noticed me?'
"Um..."
Gin, dressed head to toe in black, spoke up hesitantly, his face still cold.
"Huh?"
"Who are you?"
"Who's this guy?"
...
Several of them looked up, staring at him in total confusion.
Black jacket, black hat, black pants, black shoes—he stood out unmistakably in the crowd.
A grown man with long hair was one thing, but he'd dyed it an almost embarrassingly edgy silver.
"I..."
Gin looked at Makoto, his weathered face flushing.
For the life of him, he couldn't figure out how to start.
Especially with so many people watching him with such strange looks—it only made things more awkward.
"Oh, I remember now!"
"You're the one from Tropical Land that day."
"You really are into that outfit, huh? Is it some kind of special hobby?"
Hearing Ran say that, Gin's expression grew even more awkward.
'Is it really that strange?'
'It's just an ordinary black outfit. Does it really look that weird?'
"Well, what a person likes to wear is their own business."
"Even if you liked wearing women's clothes, I'd still respect your freedom to do it!"
Ran, recalling what Makoto had said back then, spoke with heartfelt sincerity.
'Women's clothes?'
Vodka's expression instantly turned bizarre.
"I—I would never wear something like that!"
The corner of Gin's mouth twitched as he ground his teeth, feeling an inexplicable urge to kill.
"Excuse me!"
"Was there something you needed?"
Makoto quickly cut off their bizarre little exchange.
If he let Ran keep talking, it might well turn into a hail of gunfire.
Sure, he already held a 10th Dan Black Belt in karate.
But no matter how good your skills, one bullet could still put you down.
He didn't have nearly enough confidence to catch a bullet bare-handed the way Kyougoku Makoto could.
"Mm."
Gin nodded and reached inside his coat.
"Get down!"
Conan suddenly screamed.
Kogoro ducked his head on pure reflex.
Makoto, meanwhile, swiftly pulled Ran tight against his chest.
"..."
Gin was completely baffled.
He pulled something out and tossed it onto the little tray table in front of Makoto.
"If you're interested, get in touch!"
With that, he went back to his own seat.
"Boss, do you like women's clothes?"
Vodka asked in a hushed, cautious voice.
"Hm?"
One icy glare from Gin was all it took to shut him right up.
...
A business card!
It was a business card!
Printed on it was—"Black Liquor Co., Ltd., Sales Manager, Kurosawa Jin."
"Oh, he's just here selling liquor!"
Kogoro picked up the card, glanced at it, and handed it back to Makoto.
Their main business was high-end imported liquor—a different league entirely from the beer he usually drank.
"Makoto!"
"Can... can you let go now?"
Ran asked in his ear, her pretty face flushed, her voice barely a whisper.
"Oh!"
"I thought..."
Makoto released Ran from his arms, letting out a breath of relief.
Good thing!
That guy hadn't made a move.
"Ha ha ha..."
"I saw Masked Superman on TV yesterday, and for a second I thought that mister was a villain!"
Conan laughed, looking embarrassed.
"What's that weird smell?"
Ayumi wrinkled her nose and walked over to Conan's seat.
"Yeah, there really is a smell!"
Mitsuhiko nodded, trying to place it.
"Ah!"
"It's—it's Conan! He wet his pants!"
"Ha ha ha... he's in elementary school and he still wets his pants!"
Genta suddenly shouted, pointing at Conan's crotch, roaring with laughter.
"I..."
"I'm going to the bathroom!"
Conan, his face burning red, clutched at his crotch and bolted.
…
…
Edogawa Conan — Shinichi's alternate identity. Series: Detective Conan.
Gin — Silver hair, Black Organization. Series: Detective Conan.
Higashino Makoto — Protagonist. Transmigrated.
Mouri Kogoro — Ran's father. Series: Detective Conan.
Mouri Ran — Shinichi's childhood sweetheart. Series: Detective Conan.
Vodka — Black Organization. Series: Detective Conan.
…
…
Translated by CheapBiscuit.
...
...
Throw those power stones here, lemme catch them!
If you like my translation works, support me on 🍪 patreon.com/CheapBiscuit for early access chapters and other exclusive benefits.
Thank you ❤ for reading and support.
Enjoy!