A silver-gray sedan glided into an underground parking garage.
"Don't breathe a word about today."
From the backseat, the mysterious helmeted figure addressed the driver.
"But, Mr. Amuro…"
"Kazami."
The figure removed the helmet, revealing a head of blond hair, cutting off the other's words.
Yuya Kazami glanced at the man's eyes and nodded. "Understood."
"What a strange trio…"
Tooru Amuro stared at his reflection in the car window, his mind conjuring images of the bespectacled kid and the man in black.
"Who are you, exactly?"
…
"Boss, you okay?" Vodka asked, seemingly recovered, back in his usual role as driver.
He'd noticed Gin's grim expression since they got in, clutching his right arm, and couldn't help but voice his concern.
"I'm fine," Gin said coldly.
He said that, but his arm, which he avoided putting weight on, didn't look fine at all.
"Boss, you know that guy in black?" Vodka asked, rubbing his aching jaw.
Man, that hurt! The elbow to his chest still hadn't let up. He'd need a thorough checkup later.
"Hmph." Gin snorted, staying silent.
The mention alone stirred his memory of the missing emblem from his car.
That black-clad punk was clearly out to cross the Organization!
He'd find him and end him, sooner or later.
"Boss, who was that helmeted guy?" Vodka pressed, still fishing for conversation.
He'd been out cold on the floor, missing Bourbon's grand entrance…
"Shut up, Vodka!"
Gin cracked the window, lit a cigarette, and took a drag to cool his nerves.
Vodka opened his mouth, then clamped it shut, unsure what he'd said wrong.
Gin flicked the cigarette butt out the window.
"To the lab."
…
The police received an anonymous tip about the ten-billion-yen heist and the robbers' location.
Officer Megure mobilized a massive team, scouring the area.
In the end, they found a storage locker key in a bullet-riddled warehouse, but not a trace of the culprits.
For many, that night was sleepless.
…
The next morning, Tsuneo finished his martial arts training and, as usual, swung by Dr. Agasa's with a bag of sandwiches to leave one for him.
The doorbell chimed, and Akemi Miyano, dressed in casual clothes and an apron, opened the door.
"Morning, Mr. Tsuneo!"
Akemi's spirits seemed much brighter than yesterday, and she greeted him with a smile.
"Uh…" Tsuneo caught a whiff of the savory aroma wafting from the house and glanced at his sandwiches.
He'd forgotten—Dr. Agasa had someone looking after him now.
"Come in and eat!" Akemi said with a warm smile.
"Sweet, sweet, sweet!"
As everyone knew, Tsuneo never said no to food…
"Doctor, don't forget to call Yukiko later. Have her teach a few tricks," Tsuneo said, settling at the table, eyeing Dr. Agasa slurping soup across from him.
"Got it, don't worry," Dr. Agasa replied with a grin.
Hot, home-cooked meals were leagues better than convenience store fare.
…
Dusk fell.
Beika Shrine.
Yoko Okino gripped a dagger, her face etched with terror, her body trembling.
Blood splattered her clothes, and a few steps away lay a young man, dead, his eyes wide open.
"No way…"
"I didn't mean to kill him…"
Yoko's legs gave out, and she collapsed to her knees.
"No!"
Her raw, emotional cry rang out, and the director, satisfied, called, "Cut!"
"That was perfect, Yoko! Great performance!"
Kogoro Mouri, standing nearby, clapped enthusiastically at the director's praise.
Tsuneo, watching an actor film up close for the first time, was impressed.
Yoko's acting was top-notch. Even with a crowd of crew around, she stayed in character, pulling the audience into the scene—a rare talent.
"Conan, filming a drama's pretty cool, huh?" Ran said, crouching down with a smile.
"Yeah!" Conan nodded in agreement.
Having nailed the scene, Yoko let out a relieved breath and thanked the male actor who'd played the corpse so convincingly.
"When you're as dashing as Shingo Nachi, how could there ever be a mistake?" The handsome actor in a light blue shirt sat up, oozing self-confidence.
"Heh, what a weird guy," Conan muttered, crouching beside Tsuneo with a wry smile.
Who brags about themselves like that when they're just playing a dead body?
"Is there anyone weirder than you out there?" Tsuneo shot a sidelong glance at the kid whose soul and body were hilariously out of sync.
You've got some nerve calling him weird.
"Hmph." Conan turned his face away, refusing to engage.
As they bantered, Kogoro hustled over with a towel in hand. "Miss Yoko, great work!"
"Thank you, Mr. Mouri," Yoko said, taking the towel to wipe the fake blood from her hands and face.
"Your acting was incredible!"
"This drama's gonna be a rare masterpiece!"
Kogoro, the ultimate fanboy, pulled out the script and launched into full-blown hype mode.
"All thanks to you, Mr. Mouri, for being our consultant. It's gone so smoothly," Yoko said with a smile.
The director, roughly Dr. Agasa's build, clapped Kogoro on the shoulder. "Having the famous Detective Mouri on board is what makes this show stand out!"
Never one to be humble, Kogoro struck a pose, laughing smugly.
…
Tsuneo was guiding Conan through a matchstick puzzle.
"Hey, don't just mess with stuff!" Shingo Nachi stormed over, snapping at Conan.
Tsuneo turned his head, pretending to be engrossed in something else.
"Sorry, Mr. Nachi! It's my fault for not watching him," Ran said, rushing over to apologize as Conan got scolded.
Conan shot a glance at Tsuneo, who'd been egging him on moments ago.
Sometimes, the gap between people is bigger than the gap between a person and a pig!
Seeing Ran, Nachi's anger melted away. He raised a hand to his forehead, feigning a headache, and smiled. "You're so cute, I can't even stay mad."
"Thanks," Ran said, visibly relieved, then asked, "Mr. Nachi, are matchstick puzzles one of your hobbies too?"
"Kinda. A handsome guy like me has pretty intellectual interests," Nachi said, striking another pose.
"Flattering and obnoxiously narcissistic," Conan muttered under his breath, the jealous grade-schooler delivering his verdict.
"What'd you say?" Tsuneo asked, puzzled.
"Why didn't you back me up?" Conan glared at him.
"If you pay me, I'll break his legs for you," Tsuneo said, reaching into his tool bag as if searching for something.
"Hey!"
Conan grabbed his arm, terrified he'd pull out a wrench or worse.
The next second, Tsuneo fished out a pack of beef sandwiches…
Conan: …
(End of Chapter)
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