Sunday arrived quickly.
To attend the party at Sonoko's family villa deep in the mountains, Tsuneo drove his pickup to the Mouri Detective Agency early to pick up Ran.
Of course, a certain uninvited tagalong followed…
"Tsuneo, take good care of my daughter!" Uncle Mouri, free at last, stood at the window with a beer, grinning like a fool.
He was ready to binge Yoko's tapes and drink himself senseless.
Tsuneo waved off the muddled detective, started the truck, and headed out.
"Dad really doesn't care about his health," Ran said from the passenger seat, gazing at the scenery, dreading the pile of bottles awaiting her at home.
"It's fine, Ran-neechan," Conan said with a smile, trying to comfort her.
"…" Tsuneo glanced at the watch on Conan's wrist but stayed quiet.
Sure, it's fine. You only get away with it because your father-in-law's tough, taking hundreds of your tranquilizer darts. Anyone else would be under a white sheet by now.
Dr. Agasa's tranquilizers were top-notch, perfectly dosed and formulated.
"By the way, Tsuneo, what do you think of Sonoko?" Ran asked, curious about his opinion.
Conan turned to listen.
"Very rich?" Tsuneo thought for a moment, naming her most glaring trait.
Heh, Conan smirked, as expected.
"Anything else?" Ran tilted her head, pressing further.
"Very generous…" Tsuneo nodded, pleased, gripping the steering wheel.
Rich and generous—his favorite kind of friend.
Ran and Conan exchanged glances, sharing an awkward smile. Another flop in the making.
…
The truck left Tokyo, winding up a mountain road.
"Slow—down!" Conan, stuck in the middle without a handhold, felt his brain rattling as the pickup hit the bumpy path.
"Conan, I'll hold you!" Ran loosened her seatbelt, one hand on the grab bar, the other wrapping Conan tightly.
Seeing the detective's face flush red, Tsuneo smirked.
You little perv, big brother's doing you a favor today!
For some reason, the truck's bouncing got worse.
Ten minutes later, they arrived.
Before them was a suspension bridge of wood and rope. Wide enough, but too weak for the truck.
A few dozen steps past the bridge stood the Suzuki family's mountain retreat villa.
As the trio stretched and breathed the fresh forest air, a figure in a black cloak appeared on the other side of the bridge.
Turning, it revealed a bandaged face, glanced at them, then bolted behind the villa, vanishing.
"I-I don't know if he's heading to the villa…" Ran, always spooked by ghosts, stammered.
"Probably not," Conan said, though the bandaged face had unnerved him too.
Sonoko's sister wouldn't have such weird friends, right?
Tsuneo glanced at his brick-sized phone.
Suspension bridge, villa, no signal in the mountains, a bandaged weirdo…
Yup, knew it. With this grim reaper around, trouble's guaranteed.
"Tsuneo, did you see that guy?" Ran asked, turning.
"Huh? How do you know it's a guy?"
Locking the truck, Tsuneo stepped onto the bridge, heading toward the villa.
"C-Conan," Ran whimpered, ready to go home.
"Ran-neechan, he's just scaring you," Conan said, glaring at Tsuneo's back.
He knew Ran was afraid of this stuff, yet he kept messing with her.
…
The doorbell rang.
Sonoko opened the door, saw the tall, handsome Tsuneo in sportswear, and beamed.
"Come in, quick!"
The heiress was all enthusiasm, even fetching slippers for him.
"Ran-neechan, did she even notice us?" Conan muttered, watching Sonoko drag Tsuneo inside.
Seriously, was this "most popular mechanic" title just something Sonoko rigged?
"Tsuneo is pretty charming," Ran said with a smile.
"???" Conan's face was a sea of question marks.
First time he'd heard Ran say that.
No way.
No way.
Not possible!
Seeing Conan's odd expression, Ran explained, "Don't you think Tsuneo's style and hair are pretty nice?"
She couldn't quite pin it down, but Tsuneo's vibe was different from the trendy youth. Simple, yet… comfortable.
"Huh?" Conan was baffled.
Style?
What style?
Gray workwear or gray tracksuits.
And his hair? Just plain black and short.
Sonoko assigned Tsuneo and Conan one room on the second floor, Ran another.
Tsuneo, holding Conan's hand, watched Ran carelessly open a door to three guys' room.
"Why do you keep staring at me?" Tsuneo asked, noticing Conan's gaze after the detective dropped his bag in their room.
"Nothing." Conan turned away, stepping out.
Can't see what's so great about this guy.
Once settled, everyone gathered in the living room.
"Sorry, my bad," Ran apologized to the three guys for barging in earlier.
They'd been changing, and she was mortified.
"What happened?" Sonoko, sitting by Tsuneo, glanced at her sister's friends, puzzled.
"Nothing, nothing," Ran said, waving it off.
"Alright, let's do introductions!" Sonoko stood, brimming with energy.
She introduced Tsuneo, Ran, and Conan, then moved to her sister Ayako's university film club members.
"First, next to Ran, is Ota-san, who handles most of the club's work."
Ota Katsumi, with long hair, dressed in a white suit, cigarette in hand, gave a cool wave.
He was handsome, but too artsy.
Conan instinctively compared Ota to Tsuneo, sitting by Sonoko.
Gotta admit, Tsuneo somehow looked… easier on the eyes.
(End of Chapter)
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