Reiko leaned grumpily against her brother's side, her voice laced with a hint of jealous pique. "Onii-chan, exactly how many other 'little sisters' do you have out there?"
"Aside from you? None," Hayashi Shuichi chuckled, reaching down to give the young girl's head a playful rub. "Today is only the second time I've ever met Miwako."
Hearing this, a satisfied smile instantly broke across Reiko's face. Contented, she looped her arms around her brother's, her eyes sparkling as she watched the group of children playing nearby.
"Seiran certainly has quite the charm, doesn't he?" Chikage Tomizawa remarked with a snicker, watching Furuya Rei and Wataru Takagi hover around Seiran like moths to a flame. "Once those two find out his real gender, it'll be a memory that haunts them for the rest of their lives."
"Is bullying children really that entertaining to you?" Shuichi asked, looking at her with an exasperated expression.
Instead of backing down, Chikage let out a playful giggle and leaned closer to him. Swaying her slender waist, she intentionally closed the distance until she was almost brushing against him. "If I don't tease the kids, how about I tease you instead, little Shuichi?" she cooed, her voice dripping with mock-sweetness.
Seeing Chikage practically draped over her brother, Reiko's anxiety flared. She immediately wedged herself into the gap between them, using her hand to vigorously fan the air.
"Wow, it's so hot! Chikage-姐姐, it's probably better if we sit a bit further apart, don't you think? Look how big the sun is—people are going to melt out here!" As she spoke, she pointedly used her shoulder to nudge Chikage away.
"Tch," Chikage pouted, reluctantly shifting a few inches over. "By the way, about those things I left at your place..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Shuichi's head snapped up. His gaze sharpened, darting toward the entrance of the small park.
He gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head, using his eyes to signal Chikage to stay silent. "Careful," he whispered. "Someone troublesome is coming. He's incredibly observant—don't let him catch a whiff of anything unusual about you."
After the low-voiced warning, Shuichi stood up and walked toward the newcomer.
Though Chikage didn't quite understand the danger, she saw the gravity in Shuichi's expression. Trusting that he wouldn't lead her astray, she took the warning to heart. She instinctively smoothed out her skirt, tucking away her playful demeanor and replacing it with a poised, ladylike air.
The person capable of making Shuichi so wary was, of course, Yusaku Kudo. In the world of Detective Conan, this man's intellect was among the absolute elite. During their first meeting, he had already used his keen powers of observation to suspect that Shuichi was no ordinary student.
Miwako, spotting him from the sandbox, cheered and ran over. "Glasses Brother! You're here too!"
"Mm-hmm," Yusaku Kudo nodded with a smile. "I hit a bit of a writer's block, so I came out here to look for some inspiration."
After patting Miwako on the head, he turned his gaze toward the approaching Shuichi. "It's been a while, Hayashi-kun."
The last time they had met was during the Beika International Film Festival, when the Black Organization had made their move and assassinated a famous director. Though Shuichi and Yusaku had immediately given chase, the culprit had managed to escape.
After some light small talk, Yusaku pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. His gaze drifted past Shuichi, landing on Chikage. "You really do attract the ladies, Hayashi-kun. Another beautiful girl I haven't seen before."
"Is that so?" Shuichi raised an eyebrow, countering with a question of his own. "You're a famous novelist—young, successful, and wealthy. Don't tell me there aren't girls lining up for you at university."
"Liking a girl and having girls like you are two very different things," Yusaku replied with a look of profound depth. Then, as if asking an idle question, he added, "By the way, how is Fujimine-san? I heard that after the Beika Film Festival, she officially entered the entertainment industry."
"Yeah, Yukiko is busy filming a movie," Shuichi answered succinctly.
"Being cast in a movie right at the start of her career... Fujimine-san's luck is truly remarkable." Yusaku pressed further, his tone seemingly casual. "Does Hayashi-kun happen to know the name of the film?"
I know, obviously, but why would I tell you? Shuichi rolled his eyes internally.
Back at the film festival, Yusaku had tried to show him up right in front of Yukiko. Shuichi had seen through the young man's intentions long ago.
"I'm not sure," Shuichi lied, shaking his head. "Film productions are quite secretive before release. Yukiko didn't tell me much."
"Is that so?" Yusaku gave Shuichi a long, searching look. It was clear he had detected the insincerity, but he was smart enough not to push the point. Instead, he pivoted. "And what brings Hayashi-kun to this little park today?"
"We were on our way to the Art Museum. One of the kids got tired, so we stopped here to rest for a bit," Shuichi explained simply.
"The Art Museum? I heard there's an exhibition going on right now," Yusaku smiled. "Would you mind if I tagged along? Including some descriptions of artwork in my novel might add a nice touch of atmosphere."
You're clearly after the 'drunkard's intent' rather than the wine, aren't you? Shuichi thought. Since Yukiko wasn't here today anyway, he simply nodded and agreed.
"Big Brother, you're all going to the Art Museum?" Miwako asked curiously, hearing their conversation. "Is it fun there?"
"It's mostly paintings and statues," Shuichi explained patiently. "Whether it's fun or not depends on whether you like that kind of thing."
Miwako clearly had zero interest in fine arts. Her face slumped instantly. "That sounds boring." With that, she turned back to go play with Seiran and the others.
Shuichi led Yusaku back to Chikage and Reiko. "This is Miss Tomizawa, and my younger cousin, Reiko."
"And this is the famous mystery novelist, Yusaku Kudo. His book, The Night Baron, has been selling like wildfire lately."
"A pleasure to meet you both, lovely ladies," Yusaku greeted politely.
Though Chikage remembered Shuichi's warning and tried to maintain a shy, demure facade, she couldn't help herself once she learned the man was the author of The Night Baron. She began prattling on, offering a mountain of feedback and opinions on the book.
It couldn't be helped—the protagonist of The Night Baron was a phantom thief who operated under the cover of darkness. As a professional in the same "industry," Chikage couldn't resist the urge to correct Yusaku's "errors" in his portrayal.
"I feel like your description of a phantom thief is a bit too shallow. A thief is a person, too—they have emotions and preferences. From their perspective, what they do shouldn't even be called 'stealing'..."
"And in your book, the equipment the Night Baron carries before a heist is clearly insufficient..."
This idiot!
Shuichi wordlessly covered his face with his hand. He quickly let out a sharp, dry cough to interrupt her. "Chikage! I'm sure Kudo-kun has his reasons for writing it that way! It's probably foreshadowing for the future plot..."
(End of Chapter)
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