Chapter 170: Confession
On the other side of town, Aether had arrived at Natsume's home more than an hour early to retrieve the modified phone she had prepared for him. After a brief chat, they made their way to the Mouri Detective Agency to meet up with Ran and the others, planning to head to the Beika Hotel as a group.
By the time they set off, however, their party had grown by one. Lisa and Xiangling, feigning concern, had persuaded Natsume to bring Noelle along for extra security.
As they walked, Conan deliberately lagged half a step behind the group. His gaze was fixed on Cointreau's back, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow. The man walked beside Natsume, chatting amiably with her and Ran about the latest celebrities and television dramas, showing not a hint of impatience. Conan could tell that Ran and the others were already warming up to him; they had even let him address them by their first names.
At the thought, Conan's lips pressed into a thin, angry line. He shot a glare at Cointreau's back. What a cunning man.
But he still couldn't fathom it. Why would a member of the Black Organization go to such lengths to get close to Natsume? That's right—Conan had already noticed that Cointreau's attention was far more focused on Natsume than on himself.
'Could it be that he discovered people from that so-called Teyvat organization have a lot of contact with Natsume?'he wondered.'Is he using the identity of Morikawa Shiro to get close and investigate her?'
The possibility that the man had a specific, ulterior motive for following them today made Conan's stomach clench with worry. He took a small measure of comfort in recalling his conversation with the FBI the previous day. Mr. Akai—who had apparently once been an agent deep undercover within the organization—had promised to make preparations in advance.
Just then, Noelle noticed that the small boy had fallen behind. She paused, walking back to his side and gently taking his hand to keep him from getting lost in the sidewalk crowds. Being treated like a helpless child sent a wave of irritation through Conan. He tried to pull his hand free, but her grip was surprisingly firm. After a moment of fruitless struggle, he sighed and resigned himself to his fate.
Upon their arrival at the hotel, a staff member quickly recognized Natsume. Though his eyes widened for a fraction of a second at the sight of her entourage, he quickly composed himself and stepped forward to guide them to their destination.
He led the group to the second floor and stopped outside a private room, gesturing for Natsume to go ahead and open the door.
Natsume stared at the closed door, her expression unreadable. She didn't know how to react. What was this? According to the letter, today was supposed to be a simple, straightforward confession. Why was it being staged with the dramatic flair of a marriage proposal?
Even Sonoko leaned in to whisper in Ran's ear. "Ran, don't you think this whole setup for Natsume's confession is completely different from how yours went? Why make it so mysterious? You don't think there's actually danger, do you?"
"Surely not..." Ran murmured, a flicker of nervousness in her eyes at Sonoko's words. "But with so many of us here, it should be fine."
"That's true," Sonoko agreed, finding the logic sound and setting aside her momentary worry. She turned to see Natsume still frozen in place and strode over to her side. "Natsume, aren't you going to open the door and see what's inside?"
"Hmm..." Natsume eyed the door, a deep-seated hesitation taking root. She had a strong hunch that the scene waiting for her on the other side was not one she wanted to witness.
"I'll open it." Cointreau stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Natsume. "For safety's sake. In an uncertain situation like this, it's better for me, a man, to take the lead."
He turned and offered a faint, reassuring smile to the group before facing the door. Gripping the handle with both hands, he pushed it open.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
A series of sharp cracks echoed from within as party poppers exploded in succession. A vibrant shower of confetti rained down, blanketing Cointreau, who had taken the full brunt of the welcome. Shredded paper clung to his hair and clothes, looking like a nightmare to clean off.
Having sensed people waiting just inside the door from the very beginning, Cointreau had consciously suppressed his reflexes. He stood perfectly still, allowing the ambush to unfold without dodging.
The people inside, however, were stunned. The person who opened the door was a man. They exchanged bewildered glances, wondering if he had come to the wrong room, or if Young Master Takano's tastes had taken a rebellious turn toward men.
But that couldn't be right. According to the young master's own descriptions, the other protagonist of this grand event was supposed to be a girl with blonde hair and golden eyes.
Wait a minute. Blonde hair and golden eyes?
The man standing before them fit that description perfectly. Could it really be...?
An awkward silence descended upon the doorway.
Just as their confusion peaked, the man stepped aside, revealing the young women who had been following him. Among them was a girl with the exact same blonde hair and golden eyes.
A collective sigh of relief rippled through the room. It seemed they had simply mistaken the first person for their target.
Natsume glanced at her brother's somewhat disheveled state and felt a secret, deep sense of relief that she hadn't been the one to open the door. This entire ordeal was confirming her suspicion: her decision to give this person an answer in person had been a terrible mistake. She could only imagine what other "surprises" lay in wait.
Hearing the commotion at the door, Takano Hideki knew his moment had arrived. He adjusted his clothes, took a massive bouquet of roses from his subordinate, Nakamura, and flashed a smile dripping with confidence and arrogance. Surrounded by his entourage, he began to walk toward the entrance.
Though he was slightly taken aback by the extra people, Takano Hideki's eyes instantly found his sweetheart in the crowd. He theatrically brushed back a lock of his long hair, his smile widening as he glided toward Natsume with feigned elegance and held out the roses.
"Ah! It's you! That idiot Second Young Master of the Takano family!"
Just as Takano Hideki was about to deliver his opening line, a surprised female voice cut through the air, shattering the romantic tension.
He looked over, his face pinched with irritation. Who was this blind fool, and what right did they have to speak to him like that?
"Is that you? That lovesick Second Young Lady of the Suzuki family?" he retorted.
Conan, who had been pushed to the side by the gathering crowd, watched the exchange with a deadpan expression. 'The two of them have a remarkably consistent opinion of each other,' he thought dryly.
He scanned the room, which was gaudily decorated with ribbons and balloons, a growing sense of dread pooling in his stomach. This was not going to be easy to wrap up cleanly.
Suddenly, a flash of black at the edge of his vision caught his eye.
Conan's head snapped toward the spot, his eyes widening as he tried to peer past the crowd at the partially obscured figure.
'That's right... it's Kaeya!'His mind raced.'Why is he here? Did he come to meet up with Cointreau?'
With so many people blocking his view, Conan didn't see the small, red-clad figure of Klee standing beside Kaeya.
Meanwhile, the reunion between Sonoko and Takano Hideki had devolved into a full-blown argument. Given their unpleasant history from the last banquet, neither could resist bickering. It wasn't until Nakamura discreetly reminded his boss of his purpose that Takano realized this was not the time for a squabble.
He finally tore his attention away from Sonoko, held out the roses again, and cleared his throat. Fixing his gaze lovingly on Natsume, he began, "My beautiful angel, I must confess that my heart has fallen deeply for you. You are the most beautiful accident of my life..."
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