"Do you remember why I tried to kidnap Sonoko before?" Shiraishi E said slowly, a story already forming in his mind.
"I remember... because you were deep in debt back then," Shinichi, of course, wouldn't forget. "But later, the loan shark's place was burned down, so you didn't have to pay it back and returned the one hundred million yen to Sonoko."
"Right... I thought so too, but I found out I was too naive," Shiraishi E sighed. "They said the IOU was gone, but they still remembered the money I owed them. I had no choice but to work for them to pay it off."
"But, what you're doing is illegal!" Shinichi felt this was wrong.
"They're breaking the law too," Shiraishi E reminded him.
Shinichi tried to persuade him earnestly, "If you get caught, you'll be in jail for years!"
"It's fine. The police don't usually bother with these gang fights," Shiraishi E told Shinichi not to worry. "Besides, I'm only seventeen this year! The Juvenile Protection Act will protect me. When I turn eighteen, I'll quit. It won't affect me taking the civil service exam in the future!! How about it, isn't my plan perfect?"
"Uh..." Shinichi was stunned. He had thought the other boy was desperate, but it turned out he was knowingly breaking the law. He sat up excitedly. "You... you're knowingly breaking the law!!"
"I have no choice, I can't come up with the money," Shiraishi E said with a helpless expression. "Why don't you lend it to me?"
"I... I don't have that much," Shinichi laughed sheepishly. "But you could borrow from Sonoko! Didn't you borrow from her last time?"
"When money gets involved in a relationship, the relationship is no longer pure," Shiraishi E shook his head, righteously rejecting Shinichi's suggestion. Before the other could speak, he suddenly added, "Shinichi, I remember your dad's mystery novels are bestsellers worldwide. A writer must be very rich. Why don't you ask him to lend me some? I'll pay you back when I have money."
"Well... he probably wouldn't lend it, right? It's such a large amount of money," Shinichi said, feeling awkward. He couldn't solve the other's problem, so he felt embarrassed to continue telling him to go straight. But the education he had received since childhood wouldn't let him turn a blind eye. This complicated feeling was driving him crazy.
"Then... what about calling the police? Can that solve it?" Shinichi asked, still not giving up.
"If calling the police could solve it, would I need to go to this much trouble?" Shiraishi E glanced at Shinichi. "Aren't you a detective? You should know very well what kind of people are behind loan sharks."
"..." This time, Shinichi was silent. He stopped talking about leaving the gang and just reminded him, "Shiraishi, no matter what, you can't kill anyone!!"
"I know that. For this little bit of money a month, of course I won't risk my life... I cherish my own life more than you do," Shiraishi E said, telling Shinichi not to worry.
"..." This made Shinichi very frustrated. He felt that his recklessness this time would be held against him for the rest of his life.
"Sigh!" He lay back down on the hospital bed, feeling terrible. He knew Shiraishi E was involved in illegal activities with a gang, but the other had also saved his life. He wanted to persuade Shiraishi E to go straight, but he didn't have the ability to do so.
Shinichi was tormented by law and morality. For the first time, he realized that the cruelty of reality was far more complex than in mystery novels.
Shiraishi E saw Shinichi's conflicted face and knew he was in the midst of an internal struggle. He got up and left the room, not wanting to disturb his contemplation of life.
Outside the room, Ran and Sonoko were already waiting by the door. "Alright, we're done talking. You can go in," he said, noticing that both girls looked down.
"Okay, I'll go give Shinichi his water," Ran forced a smile and went back into the room.
Sonoko handed a can of coffee to Shiraishi E. "Here, E!"
"Thanks," Shiraishi E said, taking it. He asked, "You two don't look so good. What happened?"
"Ran just told me, she wants to reconsider her feelings for Shinichi. She feels he's too immature... he said he wouldn't go, but he still went, always making people worry," Sonoko said glumly.
"It's right to think it over. It's good to be cautious in a relationship," Shiraishi E said, opening the can of coffee with a pop and taking a drink.
Sonoko was about to say more when someone came over and greeted them. "Sonoko! Long time no see!!"
"Hmm?" Sonoko turned her head and quickly greeted back, "Inspector Megure! Long time no see!"
"I didn't expect to see you here!" Megure said warmly, then gave a simple greeting to Shiraishi E. "Is Shinichi awake? I want to ask him about the situation."
"Yes, he's awake!" Sonoko went to the hospital room door, knocked, and then pushed it open. "Shinichi, Inspector Megure is here to see you!"
"Shinichi, are you alright?" Megure asked with concern after entering the room.
"Just a knock on the head, nothing serious!" Shinichi smiled and sat up.
"That's good. I want to ask you what happened at the scene." As Megure spoke, Takagi, who was beside him, quickly took out a pen and notebook to take notes.
Shiraishi E didn't go into the room. He still smelled of gunpowder. If the police smelled it, it would be a big problem... Although they might not have a sense of smell as sensitive as Shinichi's, what if?
About half an hour later, Megure and Takagi left the room. Shinichi also felt he was fine and was discharged from the hospital with a bandage on his head.
However, just after leaving the hospital, Sonoko said helplessly, "My mom found out about what happened at Tropical Land. She's very worried about me and wants me to go home... Looks like I can't have dinner with you guys."
"Then we'll have to do it next time," Ran said, understanding Mrs. Suzuki's concern as a mother, a hint of envy in her eyes.
"We can always meet up tomorrow," Shiraishi E said.
"I have to attend a banquet in London tomorrow, I won't have time," Sonoko said with regret.
"Looks like being a rich young lady isn't easy either," Shiraishi E smiled. "Let's hang out some other day when you're free!"
"Okay! It's a deal then!" Sonoko smiled and waved. "I'll be going now!"
The three of them watched Sonoko get into her car and leave.
"It's getting late, let's find a place to eat," Ran turned back and asked Shinichi and Shiraishi E.
"I'm not going. I lost a lot of blood, and my head feels a bit dizzy. I just want to go home and lie down right now," Shinichi said, rubbing his temples, looking tired. "As for dinner, I'll just grab something from the convenience store on the way."
"Then why didn't you just stay in the hospital?" Ran asked, a soul-searching question.
"How can lying in a hospital bed be as comfortable as lying at home?" Shinichi said matter-of-factly. "At home, I can read mystery novels while I lie down!"
"In your condition, how can we let you go back alone?" Ran said, exasperated. She then glanced at Shiraishi E, wanting to know his thoughts.
"Then let's take Shinichi home first," Shiraishi E said.
-------
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