"No way we haven't seen him before," Sonoko said, her eyes flicking toward the waiter bustling about, serving drinks and dishes. "He's the young owner of that inn we're staying at."
Ran tilted her head, curious. "Sonoko, how do you even know that?"
"Yesterday, he was staring at us from the inn's entrance, so I asked the staff about him," Sonoko replied, glancing at Tsuneo. She vaguely recalled the guy exchanging words with a repairman at the time.
"You know him?" Conan asked, propping his chin on his hand and eyeing Tsuneo, who was calmly sipping his juice.
"Sort of," Tsuneo said with a nod.
This Masahiko Dowake guy didn't even have the guts to flip the table… Tsuneo smirked inwardly. Tch, what a coward. Not that I'd do it either…
"I bet this diner and that old Tile Roof Inn we're staying at have the same owner," Sonoko muttered, shooting an annoyed glance at the grumpy waiter. "Didn't expect to run into him here."
Ugh, he totally ruined the vibe.
All that talk of angels and goddesses had sent this rich girl's heart racing, only for a mug of beer to douse the moment.
"You're staying at the Tile Roof Inn? That's right near my hotel," Masahiko said, his composure regained, a smile back on his face. He turned to the girls. "How about we hit up that nice restaurant by the beach tonight? I can pick you all up."
Sonoko's eyes lit up. "Really?!"
Is this it? Am I finally getting somewhere? The promise of follow-up plans sent her hopes soaring.
Tsuneo, however, chimed in lazily. "Can I tag along, Mr. Dowake?"
"O-Of course! The more, the merrier," Masahiko replied, forcing a grin as he eyed the guy who'd just ordered five plates of yakisoba. What's with this dude? Doesn't he get that he's in the way?
"Miss Sonoko, don't forget to bring a camera," Masahiko added. "I asked some locals, and apparently, something happened near that restaurant a while back."
"Something happened?" The group turned their attention to the Mihua University student.
"A year ago today, a woman with long brown hair was stabbed in the stomach and died there," Masahiko said, his tone growing grim. "It happened on her way to the restaurant. No witnesses, so the case is still unsolved. Tourists forgot about it, and the restaurant's business bounced back. But here's the kicker—that woman loved that place. Word is, she still… shows up there."
His voice dropped, taking on a spooky edge. "They say photos taken at that restaurant sometimes catch her—a strange, ghostly figure!"
Tsuneo nodded appreciatively. Not a bad story. I'll have to tell Genta and the kids next time.
Conan, meanwhile, scoffed internally. Ghostly nonsense.
"So, I wanna see if we can snap one of those photos," Masahiko said with a grin, addressing the two slightly spooked high school girls.
"What do you think, Ran?" Sonoko asked, turning to her friend.
"We've got, like, ten shots left on the film," she mused. Using them for ghost photos? Kinda cool, actually.
Ran crossed her arms, her face dead serious. "No way. We are not taking the camera!" Her tolerance for anything ghostly was firmly in the negatives.
"If we actually saw a ghost, that'd be something," Tsuneo said, smirking at Masahiko. "Maybe she'd lead us to her killer."
"Hmm…" Sonoko toyed with her camera, a mischievous glint in her eye. "If we catch something, I'll show it to Kudo. Oh, and that other photo in here, too."
"Stop it, Sonoko! You can't even tell who's in that kind of photo!" Ran protested, her face flushing.
Tsuneo shot Conan a sidelong glance. You're looking forward to this, aren't you? Bet that camera's got some weird stuff in it.
Scientifically speaking, faceless photos are usually the best ones. If it shows a face? Better start groveling to Sonoko.
Conan smirked faintly. You read people too well.
"With his deduction skills, Kudo'd probably figure out who's in the photo the second he sees it," Sonoko said, grinning at Tsuneo. "Hey, big bro Tsuneo, if I showed you a photo of a gorgeous girl—no face visible—who'd you think it is?"
Tsuneo pondered for a moment, then answered without hesitation. "That radio host. Bonus points if it's got her autograph."
"Huh?" Sonoko and Ran stared at him, baffled.
Radio host? Who's that?
Conan let out a dry chuckle. Still waiting on that reply, huh? Wonder when he'll cash in that fifty grand…
"Deduction skills?" Masahiko latched onto the keyword, intrigued.
"Yeah, her boyfriend's a detective," Sonoko said proudly, not missing a chance to hype up Tsuneo. "And big bro Tsuneo helps the police solve cases sometimes, too. He's been in the papers a bunch!"
"Really?" Masahiko looked at Tsuneo with surprise, then leaned closer to Sonoko. "So, what's this photo you're talking about?"
Before Sonoko could whisper a reply, the hot-tempered waiter stormed over, slamming a tray of yakisoba onto the table, forcing the two to pull apart.
"Here's your food," he said coldly, glaring at Masahiko. "Other customers need this table, so eat fast."
Tsuneo burst out laughing, reaching over to ruffle Conan's hair.
"Hey!" The little detective squirmed free, glaring at the idiot next to him. What's your deal today? Playing third wheel and spouting weird stuff—quit laughing!
As the waiter retreated to the counter, Tsuneo gave Masahiko's shoulder a friendly pat. "Some things you just can't let slide, man. You don't strike me as a pushover."
The repairman-turned-pot-stirrer leaned in, goading Masahiko further. "Look at that guy, strutting around with that smug face, like he's untouchable. What, you can't pay the bill or something? Why put up with his attitude? If I were you, I'd march over there and smash his glasses with one punch!"
"???" Conan, Ran, and Sonoko tilted their heads in unison, staring at Tsuneo with identical question marks in their eyes.
Masahiko's chest heaved, his jaw clenched. He stood, fists balled, as if an inner demon were whispering to him. Step by step, he marched toward the tanned waiter.
(Chapter End)
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