"Alright, alright, don't be mad. I was just joking~"
Wearing a playful smile, Yukiko followed closely behind Shizuka Hiratsuka, trying to appease her with a teasing tone.
"The Shizuka I know isn't the type to hold grudges like this~"
"Haa… fine. This isn't the first time you've messed with me anyway."
With a helpless shake of her head, Shizuka glanced at Yukiko Kudo, who looked completely at ease acting spoiled in front of someone ten years older than her. Shizuka simply gave up on staying angry.
After all, Yukiko always had her way in the end. So why waste the effort?
"Do we have somewhere to go now?" Shizuka asked casually, gazing out at the scenery through the car window.
"Let's head home first. Yusaku said he's already back. Tonight we're having dinner with Chris, so of course we need to freshen up a little."
"Yusaku's back?"
Shizuka nodded slightly. Having known them for so many years, she understood well. Yukiko might call her in the middle of the night to complain about Yusaku, but the truth was their relationship was solid second only to Shizuka's own parents, who even at their age still flaunted their love in front of her.
Which was also why Shizuka didn't like living at home too much. She was almost thirty, still single, and her parents insisted on feeding her a steady diet of romance every day.
It was unbearable.
"But why bother changing clothes? Your outfit looks perfectly fine to me," Shizuka asked curiously, eyeing Yukiko, who was lightly tapping the steering wheel in time with the music playing from the car stereo.
Shizuka didn't know much about brands, but she did know Yukiko had impeccable taste. Everything she wore suited her perfectly. If Shizuka didn't know better, she might have thought her glamorous best friend had just stepped out in an evening gown.
"Even if it's not a formal party, clothes still matter. This set is passable, but the one who really needs fixing up is you, Shizuka~" Yukiko teased with a mischievous grin.
"Eh? Me too?" Shizuka blinked in surprise. But thinking about it, she wasn't all that shocked. Growing up in a prominent family, she had attended her fair share of formal events. She knew well enough what sort of outfits were expected.
"But… I didn't bring any dresses with me this time." She scratched her head awkwardly.
"That's fine. Did you forget? Last time you visited the States, we bought some clothes together. They might not be the newest anymore, but they're certainly better than jeans and a T-shirt."
"Alright then." Shizuka nodded. She had never really minded dresses much. Still, she preferred pants and sneakers for comfort and ease of movement.
"We're home," Yukiko announced as she smoothly parked in the garage. Stretching her arms, she hopped out of the car with a smile and slung her bag over her shoulder.
"Yusaku! I brought Shizuka back with me~"
Opening the door, she found Yusaku Kudo sitting on the living room sofa, sipping coffee and reading.
"No need to shout like that at home, Yukiko," he chided gently, though his eyes softened as he looked at her. Then he glanced up at Shizuka, who was waving politely from behind.
"Good afternoon, Yusaku."
"Good afternoon. It's been a while, Shizuka. You're still as lively as ever."
"Yeah, well, I've been like this since I was a kid. Too late to change now, not that I'd want to." Shizuka chuckled as Yukiko pulled her down onto the sofa.
"You two really don't look like you've aged at all," Shizuka added with a laugh, accepting the cup of coffee Yusaku handed her.
"That's thanks to me," Yukiko said proudly, tilting her head. "If I didn't force this sloppy man to take care of his skin, he'd look ten years older."
"Hey, now…" Yusaku spread his hands innocently.
"Haha, well, he is just like Shinichi in that sense. When it comes to things they're passionate about, they get so absorbed they forget everything else."
Watching the easy banter between the couple, Shizuka smiled warmly. But somewhere inside, an unexpected bitterness stirred. She quickly brought the coffee to her lips, hoping to chase it away.
Still… even the coffee tasted bitter now.
Shizuka frowned slightly, glancing at the dark liquid in her cup.
"Yusaku, you still prefer your coffee black, huh?"
"Sorry, was it too strong? There's sugar over there."
"No, it's fine. Balances things out, actually."
Shizuka shook her head, though she couldn't help noticing the two still hadn't let go of each other's hands. She took another gulp of the coffee.
"…Alright, maybe I'll take that sugar after all."
Trying not to watch their lingering affection, Shizuka busied herself mixing coffee and sugar in search of the right taste.
"So, Yusaku, what kept you busy all morning? You didn't even come pick us up," Yukiko asked, clearly trying to shift the atmosphere.
"The police chief invited me and a few other well-known detectives to help out," Yusaku replied lightly. "Apparently, they've received intel that Lupin the Third is planning to steal something here."
"Lupin the Third?"
"That monkey?"