Mouri Kogoro, Yoko Okino, and her manager, Yamagishi Eiichi, were walking in front. Kogoro was saying something to Yoko, but to conceal her identity, only Yamagishi was actually conversing with him.
Ran walked in the middle, keeping an eye on Kogoro, while Conan stayed in the back with Takayanagi Ichiro.
"No matter who you are, you'd better not have any thoughts or actions that could hurt Ran-neechan," Conan warned as he walked beside Ichiro.
"Ran-neechan? You sure you don't mean just Ran?"
"You two aren't close enough to be calling her by her name," Conan replied sharply.
"Kid, having such strong possessiveness is not a good thing." After saying that, Ichiro ignored Conan and instead went to a vending machine nearby, buying three bottles of mineral water.
Seeing this, Conan frowned suspiciously. "What are you planning to do now?"
Ichiro didn't answer. Just then, Ran called from the car, telling him to get in.
When Conan got in, he saw Yoko sitting in the passenger seat. Kogoro didn't look pleased—he had hoped Ran would take the front seat while Yoko sat in the back with him.
At that moment, Conan heard a knocking sound from inside the car. Yamagishi, who was driving, heard it too. Looking in the rearview mirror, he saw it was Ichiro. He rolled down the window slightly and asked, "Mr. Takayanagi, is there something wrong?"
"The trunk seems like it's not properly closed. No need to get out, I'll help you with it."
Hearing this, Yamagishi had been about to open the driver's door, but he closed it again, letting Ichiro handle it.
Conan wanted to get out and check the trunk himself, but Kogoro held him back.
"Sit tight, brat."
Outside, Ichiro opened the trunk and couldn't help but chuckle when he saw the three elementary school kids inside.
The three didn't make a sound, looking at him pitifully. They knew that if he spoke up, they'd be thrown out of the trunk and lose their chance to be with Conan.
Ichiro didn't say a word. Instead, he tossed the three bottles of mineral water he'd just bought into the trunk.
In a low voice, he told them to be careful. Each of the three grabbed a bottle and huddled further into the cramped space. Ichiro then closed the trunk.
"All set," Ichiro told Yamagishi with an OK sign. Yamagishi nodded in thanks, then drove off.
Watching the car leave, Ichiro headed back home.
…
When they arrived at their destination, Yoko and Yamagishi led the way, while Conan slipped to the back of the car. Just as he was about to stand on tiptoe to open the trunk, it popped open by itself.
"Conan, you're here too?" The voice came from Yoshida Ayumi, the girl among the three kids who had tried to befriend him that afternoon.
After Ayumi spoke, the three of them climbed out of the trunk, each holding a half-empty bottle of mineral water.
"Don't do that again. The trunk is way too cramped," Kojima Genta complained, twisting his body.
"That's only because you're too fat, Genta," Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko said unhappily.
"Why were you three in the trunk? And why did Takayanagi Ichiro give you water?" Seeing the bottles, Conan realized there had been nothing wrong with the trunk. Ichiro had just used it as an excuse to give them water. Could they have known each other?
"So that big brother's name is Takayanagi Ichiro. I guess he figured out we'd be hiding in the trunk, so he kindly bought us water," Ayumi guessed.
"Yeah, I thought we were about to be exposed and sent home," Mitsuhiko added.
"Takayanagi Ichiro's a good guy," Genta declared, handing him a "good person" card.
Hearing all this, Conan knew they didn't actually know Ichiro. But how had Ichiro known the three would be hiding in the trunk?
A thought flashed in Conan's mind. Back at the Mouri Detective Agency, Ichiro had briefly stood by the window—he must have seen the three kids sneak into the trunk at that moment.
(End of Chapter)
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