Chapter 122 Could Bourbon's target be Makoto...?

Jingguang is one thing, but what's with this pink-haired, squinty-eyed guy who suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

In Amuro Tooru's inner monologue, the chibi version of Furuya Rei glared angrily, but his years of undercover experience allowed him to maintain Amuro Tooru's normal expression on his face. He gave Akashi Teru a friendly but not overly intimate smile, striking just the right balance, perfectly reflecting their familiar but not intimate relationship.

"Thank you," he said with a smile, and sat down comfortably on the other side of Akashi Teru.

Thus, a glittering light bulb separated him from Ikuya Nekono.

Although all the prime spots were taken, this did not deter Bourbon from his determination to carry out the honey trap mission.

Seeing that everyone was starting to share the food, Amuro Tooru immediately seized the opportunity, picked up the tempting plate of small cakes in front of him, and stretched out his arm to pass it to Nekono Ikuya, over Akashi Teru.

His purplish-grey eyes held a smile: "Mr. Nekono, would you like to try this chestnut cake? I deliberately used less sugar when I made it, so it's all the natural sweetness of the chestnuts. I think you might like it..."

His hand was only halfway out—

Suddenly, another hand with distinct knuckles appeared, intercepting the cake midway.

Akashi Teru acted as if he were just casually helping to pass the cake, naturally placing it in front of Nekono Ikuya. The whole process was smooth and effortless, with a "you're welcome" smile on his face, without saying a single extra word.

He merely served as a transit point, yet he completely ruined the atmosphere.

All those "accidental" touches that might occur when handing over a cake, and the ambiguous atmosphere that could arise from them—are gone!

Toru Amuro: "..."

Amuro Tooru silently scored six points.

He glanced silently at his childhood friend's nonchalant profile with his purplish-gray eyes; the other didn't even look up at him!

Is this Hiro's composure?

Light bulbs, especially those from childhood friends, Amuro Tooru sighed inwardly. When they were intentionally trying to emit light and heat, their brightness more than doubled!

While chatting with the enthusiastic Subaru Okiya about black tea, Nekono Ikuya took in everything.

He looked at the chestnut cake on his plate, which had finally arrived after a long and winding journey... He picked up a small fork, gently cut off a corner and put it in his mouth. The smooth chestnut puree and cream melted on his tongue, and the taste was indeed quite good.

“The chestnut cake is delicious.” He raised his emerald green eyes and gave Amuro a genuine smile, then naturally turned his head back to continue discussing black tea with Subaru Okiya.

On one hand, Nekono Ikuya glanced subtly at Akashi Teru, who was smiling innocently...

He lowered his thick, curled eyelashes, looking down at his nose, silently making the sign of the cross in his mind: Hiro, if you've targeted Amuro Tooru, you can't target me anymore! (Cat pretending to be cute.jpg)

On the other hand—

A glint of interest flashed in the depths of Nekono Ikumi's emerald eyes as he looked at Okiya Subaru.

Look what he discovered! A person who had concealed their true appearance!

There are countless ways to disguise oneself in the world, and Subaru Okiya shouldn't have revealed his weakness to Ikuya Nekono so quickly.

However, Nekono Ikuya is also a master of disguise, and one of the very few at the very top. Okiya Subaru, on the other hand, is clearly not as skilled at disguise; his level is probably only enough to barely maintain the mask on his face.

Most importantly, the person who helped him with the disguise clearly learned the technique from Toichi Kuroba. Furthermore, Ikuya Nekono and Kaito Kuroba are close, so close that they often playfully spar with each other in their disguise skills, and even learn from each other.

And given how close Nekono Ikuya is to Okiya Subaru, it would be strange if he didn't notice the incongruity, right?! This pink-haired graduate student doesn't even know how to fake his voice; he relies entirely on a voice changer!

So when he saw Subaru Okiya seemingly unintentionally help Conan out of a predicament, Ikuya Nekono simply picked up his tea and sipped it slowly, letting the rising steam obscure his eyes and brows. He patiently waited quietly until the little incident ended and Subaru Okiya's attention returned to him.

“Mr. Okiya has a deep understanding of black tea,” said Nekono Ikuya, gently placing the teacup back into the saucer, the porcelain clinking against the saucer with a crisp sound.

He raised his eyes, his emerald green eyes filled with just the right amount of curiosity and a hint of appreciation, and his gaze fell on Subaru Okiya: "Mr. Okiya's brewing method is very particular, it makes me feel like I am drinking tea in a traditional English tea room... Does Mr. Okiya have British ancestry? This kind of meticulous method makes me feel like I have been naturally immersed in a certain culture, which is really rare."

His question sounded natural and casual, as if it were just an extension of the topic.

Subaru Okiya's gentle smile remained unchanged, his narrowed eyes concealing all his emotions.

—This is practically cheating! Nekono Ikuya looked at Okiya Subaru's squinty eyes, and the chibi version of herself in her mind puffed up her cheeks.

However, he also admired Subaru Okiya. As someone who had tried most of the world's costumes, Ikuya Nekono had of course tried squinty eyes as well.

So he knew that while squinting eyes could effectively conceal emotions, maintaining squinting eyes all the time was also very tiring, not just a little bit tiring!

“Mr. Nekono, you flatter me. I am not of British descent; I just happen to be quite interested in black tea, so I have studied it a little more. And British black tea culture has always been very famous.” He said modestly, then added with a hint of pleasure at being praised, “However, it is my honor to receive such praise from Mr. Nekono.”

Really? Nekono Ikuya has reservations.

I always felt that Subaru Okiya either accidentally revealed a flaw or deliberately used the same hobby to win his favor.

Ikuya Nekono is half British, so the probability that she likes black tea is exceptionally high!

Without saying a word, Nekono Ikuya seemed to have resolved her small doubt, and gave an apologetic smile: "I see. Please don't mind, it was my presumption. It's just that I have some British ancestry, so I'm quite sensitive to this kind of thing, and I couldn't help but make the connection when I saw Mr. Okiya's technique. Mr. Okiya is really amazing to be able to delve into a hobby to this extent."

"So Mr. Nekono has British ancestry?" Subaru Okiya readily chimed in, looking slightly surprised. "No wonder he has such a unique air about him, a classical elegance, and such insightful knowledge about black tea."

Nekono Ikuya: "..."

Is this the prelude to "Honey Trap"? Or is it just a polite remark? If it's the prelude to "Honey Trap," then it sounds too abrupt.

"???" Conan also looked at Subaru Okiya with a puzzled expression.

Is Mr. Akai getting close to Nekono-nii?

Why? He suddenly glanced at Akashi Teru and then at himself. Could it be a misunderstanding, and he was questioning Nekono-nii's identity?

The young detective lowered his head guiltily and began to recall the lies he had told over the years by invoking Nekono Ikuya's name.

To explain the strange origins of the news, he mentioned the three members of the organization who died after a chance encounter and revealing information, as well as the information he obtained from other places, such as Akashi's brother. Nekono's brother really went to great lengths... Passive, the banner of the Nekono family's leader is really useful, everyone believes whatever he knows, the little detective sighed.

"You flatter me." Ikumi Nekono, unaware of what the little detective was thinking, took the opportunity to extend an invitation to Subaru Okiya: "Since we are both interested in black tea, perhaps we could exchange ideas and appreciate it together sometime in the future? I have some nice teas in my collection, and I'm just worried about not finding someone knowledgeable to share them with."

Nekono Ikuya was in high spirits, and no matter what Okiya Subaru's purpose was in approaching him, he accepted the challenge!

Could he be someone sent by the organization? A backup for Bourbon?

“Of course,” Subaru Okiya readily agreed, his smile deepening. “It would be an honor to communicate with someone of such refined taste as Mr. Nekono. I look forward to it.”

The two smiled at each other, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

Regardless of whether Bourbon's approach to Nekono Ikuya was due to an organization mission or personal actions, Okiya Subaru decided to create obstacles for him.

He remembered that he had collected newspapers from the period around Samuel's death. Although he didn't know why Amuro Tooru hadn't changed his name, "Amuro Tooru" was someone who had married Samuel in France.

Unfortunately, Bourbon was too cautious, and no newspaper managed to capture a clear picture of his face. Okiya Subaru looked at Amuro Tooru with regret.

Then they discovered that this cunning member of the organization was curiously trying to find out about Masumi?!

"Miss Sera only recently transferred to Teitan High School." He smiled his usual friendly smile, his eyes filled with curiosity. "Did you study abroad before? Is it difficult to adjust after such a sudden transfer?"

Amuro Tooru: Although he didn't know that Sera Masumi was Akai Shuichi's sister, he felt that her eyebrows and eyes were familiar to him and suspected that she was a relative of the Miyano family.

However, they unintentionally achieved the feat of raiding each other's properties!

Okiya Subaru: "!!!"

Is Bourbon's goal truly pure?

Sera Makoto was enjoying a delicious rice ball made by Amuro Tooru when she heard this. She turned around and answered cheerfully, "I'm getting used to it, not bad! Ran and Sonoko are super nice to me, and my classmates are very welcoming!"

"As for the reason..." She blinked her green eyes, then revealed an exaggerated expression mixed with painful memories, swallowing the food in her mouth forcefully, as if trying to dispel some terrible memory.

"The main reason I transferred schools was because the food in Britain was just too awful!"

"Cough—!" Sonoko Suzuki, who was drinking juice, was the first to choke.

"Huh?!" Ran Mouri covered her mouth in surprise.

Sera Masumi, however, wore a pained expression, as if saying, "I've suffered greatly from this." She started listing the problems on her fingers: "Fish and chips are nothing but salt and oil, the Stargazing Pie is a double attack on both the eyes and the taste buds, and those vegetables that are cooked to the point of losing their soul... It's a culinary desert! If I stay any longer, my taste buds and my will to survive will protest!"

Her words were sincere and heartfelt, and coupled with her vivid expressions and body language, they resonated deeply with the listener.

Nekono Ikuya shook her head: "British food... sigh!"

Amuro Tooru couldn't help but smile, the probing look in his purplish-gray eyes disappearing and replaced by a genuine, helpless smile: "I see."

This reason... is truly irrefutable.

Subaru Okiya began asking Tooru Amuro questions about cooking, while the others listened with great interest.

Occasionally, when one person asks another a question out of curiosity, they are always interrupted by the others, intentionally or unintentionally.

Subaru Okiya: We must interrupt Bourbon's honey trap of Nekono and his investigation of Masumi.

Akashi Teru: I'm determined to be this third wheel today.

Subaru Okiya and Teru Akashi: Rescuing Conan from the clutches of the curious Sera Masumi.

Amuro Tooru: You pink-haired pretty boy, let go of my Yuya!

The conversation quickly turned into a lively discussion.

Only the innocent Ran and Sonoko watched the handsome men and beautiful women sitting around the picnic mat chatting enthusiastically, happily drinking their juice. It was truly a delightful picnic!