Chapter 24, Chapter 23: Long time no see, Zero...

Upon reviewing the accounts, we found:

It's alright, Qingzhou has already done a backflip.

The small rooftop on the third floor of the hospital

Conan punched Kaito Kid's shin hard and said incredulously, "She told you to leave, and you just left?"

"Hey, hey, great detective, I told you I was threatened." Kaito Kuroba grinned exaggeratedly, but didn't move an inch, still perched on the edge of the small balcony like a bird, his white cloak swaying in the wind behind him. "This lady knows who I am."

"So what is your identity?" Conan asked casually, narrowing his eyes.

But Kaito Kid wouldn't be so easily tricked into revealing anything. The young magician raised a finger, his white glove lightly kissing the tip of his lips, silently conveying the meaning of keeping it a secret.

"Aren't you afraid that Zhuge will tell me after he wakes up?"

The black-haired, blue-eyed elementary school student leaned against the balcony wall, turned his head to look at the phantom thief who, despite his identity being exposed, still seemed completely at ease, and said, half-threatening and half-jokingly, "I promise I'll hand you over to the police immediately."

"No, no, no." Kaito Kuroba shook his finger confidently, a self-assured smile playing on his lips behind his monocle. "You certainly wouldn't want to hand over such a handsome and charming phantom thief, Great Detective."

Confidence makes one's fists itch. Conan revealed his crescent-shaped eyes, but didn't say anything for a moment. He just stayed on the small balcony with Kaito Kid, enjoying the exceptionally gentle breeze after the unexpected incident had subsided.

“This young lady has excellent marksmanship. A grappling hook gun is not like a pistol; even at close range, it doesn’t guarantee success.” Kaito Kuroba finally broke the silence, standing up and brushing off the dust he’d picked up while passing through the mushroom cloud. His pristine white suit gleamed even brighter in the sunlight illuminating the explosives.

“When I caught her in mid-air, she was already completely unconscious.” The phantom thief lowered the brim of his magician’s hat in the wind, looked up at Conan with his hands in his pockets, and chuckled, “She wasn’t confident at all, but she still refused my help.”

"Although I was robbed a little, when she told me to leave the 25th floor, I knew that this lady would never easily tell you my true identity, great detective."

"Well, the jewelry exhibition has been postponed, so I should go too." Kaito Kuroba sighed inwardly. Not only did he not get any gems on this trip, but he also lost several pieces of equipment. Objectively speaking, it was a real loss.

However, I encountered a lady full of secrets and saved two lives. Subjectively speaking, I made a profit.

"See you next time, dear detective." Kaito Kid always seemed to be carrying fresh flowers with him. The white rose he held in his white gloves was vibrant and inviting, and he elegantly offered it to Conan.

"You absolutely have to come see my magic show!" the 17-year-old boy said with a provocative tone. "It'll be so boring if you don't come."

"Ha!" Conan chuckled, snatched the rose from his hand, and retorted with his sapphire-like eyes shining like stars, "Next time I'll definitely hand you over to the police."

Kaito Kid shrugged, spread his arms and fell backward. Conan, unfazed, twirled the rose in his hand, watched the white hang glider fly past, and finally left a simple and sincere blessing.

"I hope that lady and the police officer wake up soon."

He hoped so too.

Conan watched Kaito Kid leave, then, holding a white rose, walked back into the hospital corridor.

The moment the balcony door closed, the smell of disinfectant mixed with iodine rushed into my nostrils, along with a bitter and sour medicinal odor. In the end, it all blended into a unique hospital smell in the water stains from the cleaner's repeated mopping.

He lowered his head, looking at the watermarks on the ground that seemed to never dry, recalling Zhuge Tongzhi's actions of testing the jammer early in the morning, Ai Haibara's delayed reminder, and the situation on the 25th floor that Kaito Kid told him. All the clues were woven together in his mind.

All the questions eventually converge on a key that unlocks the truth: Zhuge, how did you know all this in advance?

If they knew an accident was going to happen, why didn't they inform the officers of the First Investigation Division? Instead, they let Officer Hagiwara risk his life to defuse the bomb, almost losing his own life in the end.

He still lacks a key to unlock the truth; behind the door lies an unseen mystery.

Conan slowly exhaled and pushed open the half-closed hospital room door. Two figures standing beside the bed where the mystery lay looked over—it was Ran Mouri and a young man dressed as a college student.

Conan's gaze lingered on the small braid at the back of the other person's head and his blue-gray dog-like eyes for a moment. He then matched this young man with Zhuge Tongzhi's guardian, who had only appeared once in the past two weeks. Their only meeting was at the crime scene in the restaurant.

They probably only came after receiving notification that their child was hospitalized.

I have to say, they have a really big heart.

"Ran-neechan, I'm back." Conan looked away and, in front of the stranger, sweetly called out in a slightly high-pitched voice, "A kind older brother was handing out roses, and I brought one for Zhuge."

The black-haired, blue-eyed elementary school student, with a childlike tone, placed a fresh rose beside the sleeping Zhuge Tongzhi's pillow, then turned to look at the smiling Midorikawa Hikaru with feigned curiosity and asked, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Midorikawa Hikaru? Zhuge mentioned you to us."

“Yes, you must be Edogawa. Ms. Mori told me about you.” Midorikawa Hikaru said gently, like a kind older brother next door, as he gently ruffled the little boy’s soft black hair and thanked him, “Thanks to your big balloon, otherwise Kiri-chan would have suffered more than just a dislocated left shoulder.”

He spoke with relief, but when he looked at the black-haired girl sleeping silently on the hospital bed, his eyes were filled with deep worry and lingering fear.

Having narrowly escaped death from the epicenter of the explosion, the dislocated left shoulder and collarbone were not the only injuries Zhuge Tongzhi sustained, but fortunately they were determined to be the most serious injuries found so far.

But if it were just an orthopedic problem like a dislocated left shoulder and a minor burn, then the two people lying side by side on the board shouldn't still be asleep; they should at least have woken up once after the doctor tried calling them several times.

In other words, what truly worries everyone now are the unseen injuries inside the body.

Contrary to popular belief, bombs do not primarily cause harm to humans through the flames that erupt during an explosion. Rather, the invisible shockwave is the truly lethal factor, rather than the visually striking flames.

When a bomb explodes, the high-temperature, high-pressure gas produced by the explosive expands rapidly in all directions, generating a powerful shock wave.

At the same time, the bomb casing will be blown into countless sharp fragments, which will scatter rapidly in all directions due to the force of the shock wave. These fragments and the shock wave are enough to cause fatal injuries to people and objects within the blast radius.

Therefore, young soldiers on the battlefield are often advised by veterans that they must never lay face down on the ground when an explosion occurs.

Because when a bomb explodes on the ground, the shockwave from the explosion will be transmitted through the ground, causing severe internal organ damage to people lying on the ground.

Although such injuries may not show obvious external signs, internal organs may be ruptured and bleed, leading to serious injury or even death for those affected.

Zhuge Tongzhi, lying on the bed, washed the dust off her face. Her fair face was rosy. Her shoulder, which had been repositioned by the doctor, was now in a cast, which forced the girl into a proper sleeping posture.

Kenji Hagiwara on the next bed had his position adjusted to avoid pressing on the burns on his shoulder and neck that were covered with ointment. Thankfully, this guy didn't take off the thinnest protective suit over his uniform as well, otherwise his back wouldn't be in such a pristine state now.

The chests of both people rose and fell steadily in sync with the breathing rhythms of adults and children, seemingly indicating good health, but the panic of not being able to wake them gripped the hearts of everyone in the room.

After speaking, Hikaru Midorikawa fell silent. Conan, who understood the unspoken meaning, also put his hands in his pockets, a faint shadow falling over his azure eyes. Ran Mouri opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

In the silence, the ward door was slammed against the wall with a loud bang, drawing everyone's attention.

It was Matsuda Jinpei who had just gone to pick up the test results. This policeman, still in uniform, was carrying two bottles of hot water and several bags of fruit. Since he didn't have the hands to open the door, he decisively kicked the door of the ward open.

Then he was hit hard on the head by Hagiwara Chisato, who walked in behind him.

"Open the door properly." The light brown-haired beauty, who was holding two file folders in her hand, sighed and raised her droopy dog ​​eyes, which were exactly the same as her younger brother's. However, her sharp eyebrows and eyes showed a completely different mature and sophisticated temperament.

"That was a heavy hit, Senso-nee." Matsuda Jinpei couldn't help but close his eyes after being hit so mercilessly. As he put down the essential supplies for hospital staff, he complained, "I really don't have the hands to open the door."

"Huh?" Hagiwara Chisato handed one document to Midorikawa Hikaru, then used another document as a tennis racket to slap Matsuda Jinpei on the head. "I'm right behind you, can't you tell me to take it?"

The woman, who had tied her hair into a high ponytail for convenience, looked at her younger brother's childhood friend. Her beautiful face, still adorned with makeup, parted her red lips slightly, and a murderous aura poured out: "This is the inpatient ward, Matsuda. Kicking down the door will disturb other patients."

"You still have the nerve to complain about the pain!" Hagiwara Chisato swung the file folder. "Show me the courtesy you showed the attending physician just now!"

The curly-haired police officer who had just swung the burly squad leader to the ground was now too afraid to fight back under the attack. He retreated and circled around to the other side of Kenji Hagiwara's hospital bed, giving the policewoman, who had won with overwhelming momentum, a truce gesture.

He caught the folder that Hagiwara Chisato tossed to him, pulled out a few CT scans, waved them around, and shrugged at Midorikawa Hikaru: "Maybe you should go and give them some good news first."

Before going to get the results, Matsuda Jinpei had a sour face, but now his collar was slightly loosened, revealing a familiar arrogant smile. He said to Hagiwara Chisato in a somewhat ingratiating tone, "They are also very worried about their families."

You brat.

Hagiwara Chisato glared at Matsuda Jinpei, but as she turned away, she couldn't help but recall the incredibly calm and reliable Matsuda Jinpei she had seen when she entered the ward.

In her memory, this little boy, who always carried a screwdriver and caused trouble with his younger brother, actually took on the Hagiwara couple's anxiety and fear after they collapsed unexpectedly in their second year of graduate school. He methodically arranged various examinations, giving them a sense of fulfilling security.

Actually, she must have been terrified herself. Hagiwara Chisato thought of Matsuda Jinpei's quiet yet desperate expression as he slowly pulled out the test results from the folder, and her eyes welled up with tears.

Forget it, if the price of growing up is so painful, she'd rather Matsuda Jinpei stay that annoying brat.

Hagiwara Chisato blinked rapidly to clear her eyes of mist, then looked at Ran Mouri and her group, who were already showing signs of anticipation, and relayed the doctor's words: "The file folder contains her CT scan results..."

"Bang, bang, bang!"

But unfortunately, a crisp knock on the door interrupted her.

Hikaru Midorikawa, who was closest to the door, put the half-extracted CT scan back into his bag, turned around, and opened the door. He paused slightly when he saw who it was before stepping aside to let them pass. He said to the people inside, "It's Mr. Amuro and Inspector Date."

Amuro Tooru, carrying a takeout order, and Date Wataru, dressed in uniform, walked in. The blond, dark-skinned man looked at the two patients in the room with concern and said, "I saw the news on TV and just happened to be delivering takeout to the hospital, so I came with Officer Date to visit them. I hope we won't be disturbing them."

“There’s no need to worry about that.” Matsuda Jinpei sat down on the chair next to the hospital bed, looked at the blond man at the door who was putting on a great show, and casually misinterpreted the meaning of the other man’s words “disturbance”, saying, “If you can wake them up, I’ll have to thank you.”

Amuro Tooru didn't hold it against him. He just quietly observed Matsuda Jinhei's expression for a while, and only looked away naturally when the other man became uncomfortable. "That's good."

Judging from Matsuda's energetic and cheeky manner, Hagiwara Kenji is probably not in any serious trouble.

"I ordered takeout, and I didn't expect that it would be Mr. Amuro who delivered it. He knows Hagiwara and Zhuge. I was very worried about them after seeing the news reports, so I brought him up with me."

Date Wataru nodded to Hagiwara Chisato, smiled, patted Amuro Tooru on the shoulder, and introduced him to the people in the room who were still confused: "This is Amuro Tooru from Poirot Cafe. His sandwiches and dishes are amazing. I remember Matsuda went there to eat every day."

Hikaru Midorikawa smiled and turned his gaze to Jinpei Matsuda along with the others. Under his gaze, the curly-haired police officer slowly tensed up and subconsciously said, "Because Hagi always drags me to eat."

Amuro Tooru maintained his smile, but his face clearly conveyed the message, "Really? I don't believe it."

"Alright, since everyone's here, let's talk about it all at once." Matsuda Jinpei stood up under Midorikawa Hikaru's thoughtful gaze, gesturing for him to quickly focus on the test results. "I just received more detailed test results."

"We took a CT scan of their brains and checked their lungs and other internal organs. There were no blood clots or other serious damage." He didn't beat around the bush and announced the good news directly. "Their current coma is just due to a major shock. They should wake up after a period of rest."

"Great! Ah... Sonoko!" Ran Mouri cheered with delight, but the next second her attention was drawn to the urgent ringing of her phone. She accidentally pressed the speakerphone button and Sonoko Suzuki's loud voice rang out.

"Xiao Lan! You'll be late if you don't come soon! Today's volunteer activity counts towards your course grade, you didn't forget, did you!"

Oh no! Her original plan was to take her father and Conan to the Qingchuan Tower and then go to school, but so many things have happened all of a sudden.

Ran Mouri glanced at her watch and realized that she was indeed running out of time.

"Yuanzi, can you help me ask for leave? I'm here..." She switched her phone back to call mode, glanced at the sleeping Zhuge Tongzhi, and said that she intended to stay here.

However, Midorikawa Hikaru pressed down on the hand that was looking at her watch, shook his head slightly to interrupt her, and said softly, "Thank you so much, Ms. Mori. I will take care of Kiri from now on, so you don't need to worry."

"Hmm... okay then," Ran Mouri said without hesitation, pulling Conan, who was still examining the CT scan against the light, towards the door as she listened to Sonoko Suzuki's urging on the phone. "Let's go, Conan, I need to take you home first."

"Hey! Sister Xiaolan!"

"Mr. Midorikawa, please feel free to call me if you encounter any difficulties!"

"Okay, Miss Mori, be careful on the road." Morofushi Hiromitsu took the examination report from Conan, who was being pulled away.

As a member of the mobile unit, Chisato Hagiwara naturally had her own tasks to attend to. She finally reached out and flicked Jinpei Matsuda on the forehead, then smiled as she watched the man clutching his forehead, who dared not speak out in anger. She nodded to the people present and got up to leave.

After watching the three disappear into the hospital stairwell, Morofushi Kagemitsu closed the door and gently turned the latch.

With a muffled clicking sound, he slowly exhaled, turned to look at his colleagues in the room, whose expressions varied, and shook the black box he was holding. The green indicator light on the edge of the box was flashing.

"Long time no see, Matsuda, class president." Morofushi Hiromitsu revealed a gentle smile. His unfamiliar face curved into a pair of dog-like eyes that resembled Hagiwara Kenji's by eight points, but the voice that came out was all too familiar to everyone present.

Date Wataru, who had just found this person strange, paused for a moment upon hearing this and subconsciously looked at Matsuda Jinpei, who seemed unfazed by such behavior. He saw Matsuda Jinpei shrug at him but did not make any conclusion.

The other person in the room, who had not been mentioned, turned his head. His purplish-gray eyes turned into a cold, pale gray in the backlight, and he stared intently at the man who was looking at him at the same time.

"Long time no see, Zero." Morofushi Hiromitsu looked at Furuya Rei, whose expression went from stunned to tense, and then his voice softened completely, returning to his natural tone.

"I'm sorry for leaving without saying goodbye."

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Author's Note: Zhuge Tongzhi: zzz

Hagihara Kenji: zzz

Alas, you two missed an important scene together! (Sigh)

The magic show is delayed!! Let Zhuge work hard to earn some progress points (wiping away tears)

Hehe, I'm so happy to see the watering and comments!

I'm also pushing through the pressure of finals week (it's painful but painful).