Time spent in joy always slips away too quickly.
The high school detective from Osaka was heading home, and since Tsune was tied up with other matters, it fell to Conan to see him off.
"You holding up okay, Hattori?" Conan asked, catching sight of his friend who'd made the trip from Osaka just to check on him.
It had been two days, and Hattori looked… well, a little worse for wear, to put it mildly.
"Do I look like I'm not?" Hattori shot Conan a sidelong glance, his tone dry.
Up at 4:30 a.m. for training. Five grueling sessions a day, minimum, before he was allowed a break. Exhausting? Sure. But the progress was undeniable.
As for his swordsmanship, it was hard to gauge without a sparring match back in Osaka. Still, one thing was certain—he could eat a lot more than before.
"Your face… it's looking a bit darker than usual," Conan teased with a chuckle.
This time, he'd gotten a decent read on that Tsune guy. Next time, he wouldn't be so easily fooled.
Hattori ruffled Conan's hair with a grin. "When you get the chance, I'll treat you and Tsune bro to a trip to Osaka. Don't forget to bring him along."
"Tsune… bro?" Conan tilted his head, blinking. Had Hattori lost it? Two and a half days, and he's calling him bro?
Something about this felt… off.
"Hm. He's a worthy opponent," Hattori said, his mind drifting to Tsune's relentless daily routine. Respect didn't even cover it—Hattori was in awe. The guy's energy was on another level.
"No way I'd keep up with him," Hattori admitted silently.
"Really?" Conan didn't quite share the sentiment.
"Anyway, I'm looking forward to the next training session." Hattori slung his wooden sword over his shoulder, backpack in tow, and sauntered toward the other side of the street.
Conan watched him go, muttering under his breath, "He doesn't even realize how insane that guy is."
Just wait—Tsune's strength was going to blow everyone's minds someday.
"Hattori, you're going the wrong way!" Conan called out, waving a small hand at his friend's deliberately cool exit.
Hattori froze. …Oops.
A week later, the day of the magic enthusiasts' chatroom meetup arrived.
A yellow Beetle rumbled out of the city, winding its way toward the deep, forested mountains.
"Doc, you actually brought a cooler full of fresh fish?" Tsune, riding shotgun, glanced at the backseat and let out a laugh.
The weather had turned on a dime—short sleeves yesterday, snow flurries today. Yet no one seemed fazed. Just another quirk of this Conan-verse world, he supposed.
Dr. Agasa, bundled in a down jacket and gripping the steering wheel, shot Tsune a look. "You're young, full of fire. Running around in a tracksuit in the middle of winter."
He chuckled, then added, "Didn't you ask that 'RedHerring' guy if he picked his name because he loves fish? I figured, since he's into it, we'd bring a little gift."
Dr. Agasa's face lit up with a smug grin. Pretty thoughtful, right?
"I… hope he likes your gift," Tsune said, pressing his lips together to stifle a laugh.
He'd stumbled across the magic enthusiasts' chatroom while messing around on the doc's computer. Just for fun, he'd joined under a username, thinking he might pick up a trick or two. But Dr. Agasa had taken over chatting for him.
Not out of laziness—Tsune just found the latest gaming console way more entertaining than that old PC.
Meanwhile, on the same road, another car carried its own lively crew.
"Look over here, everyone!" Sonoko, perched in the backseat, was in the middle of a magic trick for Ran. "First, I take a plain white handkerchief—nothing up my sleeves. Then, a red string and a ring."
"Miss, could you tie a knot in this red string for me?" she asked, flashing a grin.
A knotted red string, a ring, and a handkerchief. Up front, Conan, wearing a mask, turned his head with a deadpan expression.
This lame trick was something she picked up from that chatroom, wasn't it? Probably from that guy calling himself "MagicEatsEverything" or whatever.
And, unbelievably, Sonoko was part of the same magic enthusiasts' chatroom. What were the odds?
Under the handkerchief, Ran threaded the knotted red string through the ring. "That's amazing!" she exclaimed. "How'd you do it, Sonoko?"
Sonoko wagged a finger, smirking. "A magician never reveals her secrets. Tonight, I'm performing this trick for everyone!"
She paused, then added, "Who'd have thought the heiress of the Suzuki conglomerate would make friends online?"
Mouri, driving with a bored expression, snorted. "Please. In this information age, the internet's essential. You should get a computer for that dusty office of yours."
Sonoko's old-fashioned jab left Mouri grumbling, with no comeback for the heiress.
In the backseat, Conan overheard the girls gushing about a chatroom member named Doi Takki. His stomach churned with secondhand embarrassment.
Ever since their Izu trip, that terrifying Kyogoku guy had gone abroad to train, chasing stronger opponents. Things with Sonoko had fizzled out since.
But still—Mr. Doi Takki, you'd better watch your back.
Conan glanced at Sonoko, who was practically swooning over this "rare, charming, and talented" guy she hadn't even met. Ridiculous.
She was planning to stun him with her magic trick tonight. Conan, in his flattest tone, dismantled her entire act for a critical hit.
"He won't be impressed. It's just a basic trick you see on TV all the time. You hide the knot in the ring's center, then pull the string out with your thumb, right?"
"This kid's as annoying as ever," Sonoko muttered, her assessment spot-on.
In the chatroom, Sonoko had posed as a thirty-year-old man and promised to bring her "girlfriend," Ran, to the meetup. The two up front? Just a driver and a clingy tagalong. Totally irrelevant.
Conan rested his head against the window, wondering what faces they'd make when they met Tsune, the ultimate foodie. And this "RedHerring" Doi Takki guy—what did he even look like?
(End of Chapter)
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