After a few moments, the dealership manager returned, his professional smile now tinged with a deep, respectful deference. He had clearly confirmed Sonoko's identity.
"As you are a friend of Miss Suzuki, the membership requirement is, of course, waived," he said, bowing slightly to Gustave. "If you would please come this way, we can sign the contract."
He led Gustave to a polished mahogany desk and produced the purchase agreement. Without even glancing at the terms, Gustave signed his name with a clean, decisive stroke. After the signing came the simple matter of payment. A quick swipe of his card, and one hundred and twenty million yen vanished from his account. But as the saying goes, money can't buy happiness, though the Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato certainly came close. It was a perfect match for Gustave's aesthetic tastes.
"Mr. Gustave, we will need to prepare the vehicle for you. It should be ready in approximately three days."
"No problem," Gustave replied. Three days was a short wait.
With the transaction complete, the manager personally escorted the group to the exit, his face beaming. Selling this exclusive car to a non-member like Gustave would have normally cost him a significant portion of his annual bonus. Compared to earning the gratitude of the Suzuki family, however, it was a price well worth paying.
As they stepped back onto the bustling street, Conan tugged quietly on Gustave's sleeve. "Hey, Gustave," he whispered, his eyes gleaming with a familiar curiosity, "once the car is ready... do you think I could check it out?"
Gustave looked down at him, surprised. "You?" he asked with a small smile. "I didn't take you for a car enthusiast. I thought your only hobby was solving mysteries."
"Basically, few men can resist these, right?" Conan shot back with a boyish grin.
Gustave chuckled. Conan was right. As boys, they loved toy cars; as men, they loved real ones. It was a near-universal truth. He was certainly no exception, having spent a small fortune on a state-of-the-art racing simulator back on the Bamboo Staff.
As they continued their walk, they spotted two familiar figures across the street: Professor Agasa and Ai Haibara. The professor shuffled along dejectedly while Ai walked beside him with a serene, hands-behind-her-back posture that seemed far too mature for her small frame.
"Ai!" Yang Chan's face lit up, and she waved happily.
Hearing her name, Ai looked over and, seeing the group, gently pulled Professor Agasa across the street to join them.
"Chan'er, what are you doing here?" Ai asked.
"We're shopping, Ai!" Yang Chan replied, her voice full of excitement. She took Ai's hand and launched into a detailed account of their eventful day.
Listening to the story, Ai's expression shifted to one of dawning realization. "So, it was you who saved the people at the mall."
"Haibara, how did you know about that?" Conan asked, puzzled.
"There was a shooting at a major shopping center. It was reported everywhere," Ai said, curling her lip slightly. "It's hard not to know what you've done."
Conan had the grace to scratch his head in embarrassment. "By the way, Haibara, what were you two up to this morning?" he asked, deftly changing the subject.
"It was all because of Dr. Agasa," Ai sighed. "I saw him acting sneaky this morning, so I followed him when he went out. And just as I suspected, I caught him red-handed, eating cake in a dessert shop!"
Ever since Ai had moved into the professor's house, his diet had been under her strict control. For the sake of his health, high-sugar foods were strictly forbidden. After weeks of deprivation, the professor had finally cracked and tried to sneak a treat, only to be caught by his vigilant guardian.
"Professor, how could you?" Conan chimed in, playing his part. "You know how high your blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids are! How could you go behind her back to eat cake?"
Dr. Agasa looked like a child who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, his head bowed as he mumbled apologies. The sight of a seven-year-old girl and a shrunken teenager lecturing a white-haired old man was a bizarre reversal of the natural order.
"Okay, Conan, Ai," Ran finally intervened, ever the peacemaker. "I'm sure Dr. Agasa didn't do it on purpose. Let's not talk about it anymore." After all, they were in public, and the professor deserved a little dignity.
"Hello, Dr. Agasa," Gustave said smoothly, stepping forward to introduce himself and change the topic. "My name is Gustave. I'm a friend of Conan's."
Tezuka and the others followed his lead, introducing themselves one by one, and the tension dissolved into friendly greetings.
With their group now larger, and the afternoon fading toward evening, the conversation turned to dinner. The day had been surprisingly calm after the morning's incident, almost as if Gustave and the others had temporarily suppressed Conan's usual aura of misfortune. Beika Town had survived another day.
Ran invited everyone to her family's home, but Conan immediately shot down the idea. "The second floor of the agency is tiny and the room is a mess," he complained. "Besides, my uncle is probably drunk by now. How can we possibly fit so many people in there?"
The group decided to go to Dr. Agasa's house instead. The professor's home had plenty of space, and with Ai in charge, it was immaculately clean. Ran, feeling a little disappointed, decided to show off her skills and cook for everyone.
Seeing that she would be cooking for so many people by herself, Gustave took the initiative. "Ran, I didn't expect you to be able to cook," he said with a charming smile.
"Of course," Ran replied, a little surprised by his comment.
"Haha, well I'm a pretty good cook myself," Gustave said.
"I can prove it!" Conan piped up, raising his right hand. "Gustave's cooking is really delicious!"
Ran shot Conan a reproachful look. Even if Gustave was a good cook, she couldn't let a guest do the work. "Gustave, you're our guest," she protested.
"Ran, it's alright," he insisted gently. "I have nothing to do anyway, so I might as well let everyone have a taste of my cooking." He glanced at his watch. "Shall we go buy some groceries now? Otherwise, we might have to wait until midnight to have dinner."
Seeing the time, Ran couldn't refuse any longer and agreed to Gustave's suggestion that they cook dinner together.
"Eiji, Sengoku," Gustave called out to the two energetic tennis players. "You two look like you could carry a few bags. Come with us."
Tezuka wanted to go with them, if only to escape Sonoko's undivided attention, but Gustave had already chosen his helpers. More importantly, he watched as Fuji, that disloyal friend, quickly made an excuse and slipped away. A moment later, Ai and Yang Chan took Professor Agasa and Conan to see a new invention.
Suddenly, the bustling group had evaporated, leaving Tezuka and Sonoko standing alone on the street corner. The world of two of them had just been created.
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