"Boom?"
Dr. Agasa mimicked with his chubby little hands.
Don't exaggerate—this mini flash smoke bomb handles plenty already, right?
The kind you mean, with a boom...
Planning a terror attack?
"Fine, make me two bombs. Not touch-sensitive—remote detonation." Tsuneo rubbed his chin, pondering.
"..."
The doctor and Miyano exchanged glances, wondering who'd pissed off the mechanic enough for bombs.
Inside, the great detective had sketched the chessboard pieces in his notebook, sitting cross-legged on the floor, scratching his head.
"Perfect."
"Isn't this your favorite cipher?" Ai leaned over the dots on the board.
"Isn't it?"
Seeing Conan silent, she met his eyes.
"Y-Yeah, probably..." Flushing from closeness.
"Huh?" Miyano caught his expression—cute.
"Oh, he's the type who blushes easy." Tsuneo nodded from the doorway.
Even Bumi could fluster him.
"..." Dr. Agasa shot Tsuneo a look—bad example, using a real kid.
"Hey, what're you two doing?!" Bumi yelled from the windowsill.
Next room, Genta nearly fell off but climbed back.
Tsuneo dragged the chubby kid away in front of everyone—destination unknown.
"Genta's butt is doomed..." Mitsuhiko sighed in relief.
He'd barely held on—too risky.
"Tch..." The detective, just arrived next door, looked exasperated.
Scared himself sweating.
Wait.
Conan eyed the wall he leaned on, then the window.
Window here, same next door.
This wall's too thick.
Where's the space in between?
He knocked around, hollow under the clock.
Smirking, he dragged a chair, stacked books, climbed, opened the glass, spun the hands.
He'd heard of these—set to a time...
"Ah!"
Mitsuhiko, peering at the board, heard a yell, turned—Conan gone.
"Doctor, Miyano-nee, did Conan leave?" He stepped into the hall.
Weird—chair and books scattered, kid vanished.
"Didn't see him." Dr. Agasa scratched his head, glanced at Miyano.
"Definitely not." She frowned, nodding.
Adults staring—lose a kid?
Not just any kid...
...
Minutes later, Genta returned, hands on butt, trailing Tsuneo.
"C-Conan's missing?!"
As leader, Genta was shocked. Brain of the team—vanishing?
Tsuneo-nii hits hard.
Mom said he's supposed to watch me...
"Here?" Tsuneo stood before the wall, eyeing the chair and books, then up.
The clock's off, lid open—tampered.
"Probably. Thought he yelled and bolted." Mitsuhiko nodded.
Figured he cracked something.
But the doctor and Miyano in the hall saw nothing.
"Tsuneo-kun, what now?" The doctor saw it too.
"Blow the castle up with bombs." Tsuneo, bomb-obsessed.
Dr. Agasa stared, speechless.
"You can't just destroy things!" The noble young master from earlier arrived, seeing scattered books, stopping them.
"Sorry, a kid vanished." Dr. Agasa apologized, rubbing his head.
"Vanished?"
Mamiya noble picked up books, puzzled.
"Probably the bathroom—downstairs." The gardener joined, checking.
"Whatever, leave it to him." Ai said, heading downstairs first.
Careful around this mechanic.
"I'm no wizard..." Tsuneo muttered as they left.
Dinner time soon?
...
"So why're you here?"
Tsuneo shook Conan awake—head throbbing.
Secret passage in the castle, this hidden room...
Last memory: down the dark path, saw a skeleton, then whacked unconscious.
"Want some?" Tsuneo pulled snacks from his pocket.
"Snack time?" Conan deadpanned.
You ate it all—no sharing.
"Maze down here. Took effort finding you."
Tsuneo pushed the stone door, peering into the dark tunnel.
"You're not saying you're lost??" Conan rolled his eyes.
No way.
"Gave up ten minutes ago." Tsuneo admitted flatly, finishing the pack.
No traps, just looping paths—worse lost than the doctor?
"Follow me."
Conan activated his watch flashlight, leading.
"You see it too—this family's off." The detective grew suspicious.
Tsuneo side-eyed him.
"Said it before—you've no room to call anyone weird..."
(End of Chapter)
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