"Big bro Tsuneo, even if you were testing Mr. Dowake for me, you didn't have to push him into a fight," Sonoko said, dabbing alcohol on his wounds to disinfect them.
Her words were scolding, but the slight curl of her lips betrayed her amusement. Sure, the outcome wasn't great, but it proved Masahiko had some real guts, didn't it?
Hahaha!
"Testing?" Tsuneo, sprawled face-down on the floor, blinked in confusion. Testing if he'd get himself kicked to death, maybe?
Conan, meanwhile, was still frowning, lost in thought about the inn's young owner and just how absurdly strong he was.
"You're hopeless…" Ran teased, carrying a basin of water and a towel as she entered the room, catching Sonoko praising Masahiko.
"Isn't it almost time for our dinner plans?" Sonoko glanced at the clock on the wall. She handed the first-aid duties to Conan and tugged Ran toward the inn's entrance.
Conan eyed the bruises and scratches covering Tsuneo's back, grimacing. Getting beaten up this bad? That's just ridiculous.
"So, what's the deal with this Masahiko guy?" the young detective muttered, deep in thought. Tsuneo wasn't the type to pick a fight with someone who'd offered to buy him dinner—not without a reason.
"Phew…" Tsuneo didn't answer. Sprawled on the inn's floor, he'd already passed out, snoring softly.
Man, he's really wiped out, Conan thought, shaking his head. With a sigh, he reached over with his small hands to clean the wounds.
Outside, rain began to fall, growing heavier by the minute. Sonoko and Ran were stuck at the inn's entrance, blocked by the downpour.
It was nearly time for their meetup, but Masahiko still hadn't shown up.
Suddenly, the inn's wooden door creaked open. Kyogoku Makoto, face expressionless, set an umbrella outside before shutting the door and retreating inside without a word.
"Is that for us?" Sonoko asked, surprised. The guy's mood swung between hot and cold, impossible to read.
"Looks like you're pretty popular, Sonoko," Ran said with a grin.
"What? That gloomy guy?" Sonoko huffed, her mind drifting to Masahiko's black eye. She was still a bit miffed about the whole thing.
"Oh no, I forgot my wallet in the room!" Sonoko exclaimed. "Wait for me, I'll be right back!"
She dashed upstairs, leaving Ran at the entrance.
"Where have I seen him before?" Ran murmured, lost in thought. She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd met the glasses-wearing innkeeper somewhere before coming to Izu.
Since Tsuneo was with them, the group had booked two adjoining rooms. The door to Tsuneo and Conan's room was wide open, and Sonoko peeked inside as she passed.
Big bro Tsuneo's sleeping like a log. And what's that kid reading, looking so serious?
Snapping out of it, she turned toward her room—only to freeze as a tall figure loomed in front of her.
"Ah!"
A piercing scream echoed through the inn.
Tsuneo, roused from his nap, groggily opened his eyes and glanced toward the door.
Conan, ever the man of action, tossed his book aside and bolted out.
"Why were you standing outside our room?!" Sonoko demanded, glaring at the figure—the tanned, glasses-wearing, ill-tempered waiter, who was none other than the inn's young owner.
"Sonoko-neechan, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding!" Conan said, stepping between them and waving his small hands frantically. Tsuneo seemed to get along with this guy, so he probably wasn't bad news.
Sonoko put her hands on her hips and leaned forward, staring Kyogoku down.
"Sonoko, are you okay?!" Ran raced upstairs, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw everyone unharmed. That scream had her imagining the worst—Sonoko's daytime fears coming true.
"I'm fine," Sonoko said, waving a hand dismissively but still eyeing Kyogoku suspiciously. "But this guy was lurking outside our room for who-knows-what."
Suddenly, a faint creak came from Sonoko and Ran's room—the sound of an old wooden floorboard shifting under weight.
It was subtle, but it didn't escape a certain someone's ears.
Kyogoku's gaze sharpened, his aura shifting into combat mode. With a surge of strength, he yanked open the girls' door.
Someone's actually in there!
As the door swung wide, a shadowy figure rummaging through their luggage froze. Sonoko opened her mouth to scold Kyogoku's rudeness—then spotted the figure darting toward the window to escape.
"Stop right there!" Kyogoku shouted, leaping after the intruder and vaulting out the second-story window.
"I'm going back to sleep," Tsuneo muttered, yawning. Seeing nothing urgent, he flopped back onto the floor.
He'd tipped Kyogoku off about Masahiko possibly sneaking into the inn to steal something. As the inn's young owner, it was Kyogoku's job to protect the guests, right?
Sonoko and Ran checked their luggage, relieved to find everything still there.
"Where's that kid?" Sonoko asked, looking around.
"Conan?" Ran frowned. "He was just here…"
In the rainy night, Conan sprinted down the road, chasing a fleeting shadow he'd glimpsed. Action was his nature—he didn't hesitate to pursue.
From the bushes nearby, Kyogoku stepped out, watching the detective disappear into the distance. "Where's he off to?"
The rain was too heavy, muffling sound and blurring vision. The intruder had jumped from the second floor and vanished into the woods, weaving through the trees. Even with his skills, Kyogoku lost the trail.
"I won't let you get away," he muttered, clenching his fist and heading back to the inn with a determined look.
About ten minutes later, a soaked Conan trudged back, sneezing.
Spotting Kyogoku as he entered the inn, he rubbed his nose and asked, "Achoo! Did you catch him?"
"Rain was too heavy. He slipped into the woods and disappeared. I didn't keep looking in case he doubled back," Kyogoku replied, tossing Conan a towel.
As Conan dried his hair, Masahiko Dowake walked in, here to pick them up for dinner at the beachside restaurant. He was a bit late.
Conan's eyes narrowed, noting the faint dampness on Masahiko's shoulders. His mind raced through possibilities. If that intruder was him, he could've run back to his hotel, changed into dry clothes, and returned in ten or twenty minutes. But why? He's not really sneaking in to steal underwear like Sonoko joked… right?
The detective locked onto Masahiko, who seemed to have some hidden agenda for getting close to Sonoko.
And he wasn't the only one watching. A certain someone with peak combat prowess had his eyes on Masahiko too.
(Chapter End)
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