Chapter 145 This Bourbon is quite adept at handling things...

Since that exhilarating yet turbulent tennis tournament, life in Beika Town seems to have returned to its peaceful routine. The aroma of cafes, the tranquility of bookstores, the laughter of children in the streets and alleys—everything is proceeding as usual.

However, to those who pay attention, a subtle change that is quietly taking place cannot be ignored.

Nekono Fumiya and Nekono Okatori, a pair of outstanding siblings with exceptional looks and charm, began to appear together in the public eye more frequently.

Sometimes they would sit across from each other at the Poirot Café, sharing afternoon tea; sometimes they would each sit quietly reading a book in the library; and sometimes they would simply stroll through the streets of Beika Town. The unspoken understanding between them, and their complementary charm, always inadvertently attracted the attention of those around them.

Of course, some people were drawn to the scene not only because of the subtle atmosphere between the siblings, Nekono Fumiya and Nekono Okatori, but also because of the third person who often cleverly blended into these scenes—Amuro Tooru.

He might serve two regular customers carefully prepared desserts at Poirot Cafe, chat casually with Ikuya Nekono about neighborhood gossip, or jokingly ask Sakura Nekono for her opinion on the taste of the coffee.

Or perhaps they would bump into each other on the street and naturally join the siblings for a walk. The conversation between the three of them was always relaxed, and the atmosphere was just right.

To onlookers, Amuro Tooru's attitude seemed somewhat unpredictable.

At times, he would cast his gaze and smile more often at Nekono Ikuya, his eyes and brows filled with a tender affection that was difficult for others to penetrate.

At other times, however, his attention would be more focused on Nekono Sakura, and his focused gaze was enough to make any onlooker's imagination run wild.

What's somewhat puzzling is that Amuro Tooru's attitude changes seem to be unpredictable; sometimes he changes his focus after only a few hours of not seeing him.

What's subtle is that not only did Amuro Tooru show no remorse for his change in attitude, but Nekono Fumiya and Nekono Sakurato also didn't seem to feel offended much.

Akai Shuichi: "...?"

Shuichi Akai, the FBI's top investigator known for his calm and rationality, was now filled with a huge question mark.

Bourbon is quite adept at handling things; his ability to maintain balance is top-notch.

What are you doing? Trying to distribute the benefits evenly?

No, Bourbon is more like a highly skilled, arrogant juggler, casually tossing two dazzling pearls at the same time.

Even having lived in the "open and inclusive" United States for quite some time and seen all sorts of bizarre things, Shuichi Akai couldn't help but feel that the situation was somewhat outrageous.

It's impossible that these three people have tacitly reached a consensus and successfully maintained a delicate balance in their relationship.

But upon closer inspection, something seems amiss.

The young detective has learned to temporarily shut down his overactive reasoning abilities at times to prevent his brain from becoming overloaded with too much complex emotional information.

Shuichi Akai, who had not given up investigating the matter, continued to observe it in secret.

Shuichi Akai frowned.

Putting aside the clue Conan revealed to him about Nekono Ikuya having a mysterious lover—given Conan's consistently reliable behavior, his words are quite credible.

Let's just talk about the attitudes of the Nekono siblings and Amuro Tooru.

He always felt that they controlled their emotions too freely; when two of them were having an intimate conversation, the other person would immediately become more reserved and restrained in expressing their emotions.

It's as if they're deliberately giving up space and intentionally allowing the other two to spend time together.

Just as he had previously described it, Bourbon was tossing two dazzling pearls, and only one would ever touch his palm.

Is it part of maintaining a delicate balance in the relationship?

still……

Shuichi Akai's glasses gleamed.

Is there another reason that is unknown to the public?

Shuichi Akai was eager to know, but today he had no time to delve into this question that he intuitively felt would yield great rewards once solved.

He glanced at Bourbon, whom he had unexpectedly run into again at the street corner, chatting happily with the Nekono siblings.

He hadn't seen Akashi Teru, disguised as Morofushi Kagemitsu, since this morning—during their last private conversation, Morofushi Kagemitsu had already told him his real name.

Nekono Ikuya was not accompanied by Morofushi Kagemitsu, and neither was Conan.

Subaru Okiya, wearing a mask, brushed past the three of them, including Ikuya Nekono.

He felt somewhat heavy-hearted.

Yesterday evening, someone broke into the police department's server room, stole confidential data, and escaped. His intelligence indicated that the stolen data was likely a list of undercover agents who had infiltrated the organization.

Kiel is likely in trouble!

"The crepes here are really delicious, Amuro, thank you for the recommendation." Nekono Sakura took a small bite of the crepe in her hand, her emerald green eyes curving slightly with satisfaction as she squinted in enjoyment.

Amuro Tooru stood beside her, his purplish-gray eyes fixed intently on her, his tone gentle: "I'm glad you like it. How are you feeling today? Didn't you say you had a bit of a headache yesterday?" He naturally reached out, as if to touch her forehead, but stopped halfway, instead brushing away a stray strand of hair from her cheek.

Kaito Kuroba, who was playing the role of Ikuya Nekono, was happily eating another crepe when he heard this. Alarm bells went off in his head instantly!

Wait! This is what Ikuya said to Amuro Tooru in his original form yesterday!

Why did Amuro Tooru say those words so naturally to Ikuya-kun, who was dressed as Okatori-san, today?!

There's only one answer: This guy recognized me again!

How on earth did they recognize him?! Kaito Kuroba internally scratched his head frantically, feeling utterly defeated. Wasn't his portrayal of Ikuya and Okuori convincing enough?

The phantom thief suffered another crushing defeat.

Kaito Kuroba, dejected, hunches forward: QAQ~

Nekono Sakura seemed oblivious to the turmoil in his "brother's" heart, or rather, he had expected and was not surprised that Amuro Tooru could recognize him.

He took it for granted: shouldn't he be able to recognize his lover at a glance?

Sakura swallowed the crepe in her mouth and gave Amuro a reassuring smile: "It's alright, it's all better now."

She frowned slightly, her gaze falling on the faint shadow under Amuro Tooru's eyes—not obvious, but definitely present upon closer inspection—and her tone carried a hint of genuine reproach and a touch of barely perceptible heartache.

"But you, Amuro, don't push yourself too hard. You've got dark circles under your eyes, didn't you get a good night's rest again last night?" Her expression was full of reserved concern.

Huh, really? You can still tell from his dark skin?

Having been caught staying up all night yet again, and knowing that Nekono Ikuya had probably already figured out that he had been staying up for several days in a row, Amuro Tooru felt very guilty.

And I have a slight urge to touch your face.

He only paused slightly for a moment, then his smile deepened, taking on a mischievous glint.

He turned to Kuroba Kaito version of Nekono Ikuya, who was eating a crepe and smiling at them: "Ikuya, did you hear that?"

Amuro Tooru drawled out his words, his purplish-gray eyes sparkling, "Is Sakura-tori concerned about me? That's rare, I've never seen her so considerate before."

Kaito Kuroba blinked: Are you there? Why are you suddenly calling me out?

He had mixed feelings: he felt like he had become part of the game between Ikuya and Furuya.

He calmly continued eating his crepe with a smile. Oh dear, didn't he already foresee this before he started his amusing performance? No worries, just calmly observing.

Nekono Sakura immediately glared at Amuro Tooru with embarrassment and annoyance. Her blue eyes were shimmering with moisture, and her cool yet charming gaze was incredibly captivating: "Amuro!" Her voice rose slightly at the end, carrying a hint of reproach.

Kaito Kuroba naturally chose to side with his "little sister," his handsome face showing disapproval as he spoke in Nekono Ikuya's clear voice, "Amuro, I can't pretend I didn't hear that. Okitori rarely cares about you, so why are you teasing her?"

He drawled mischievously, "That won't do."

Kaito Kuroba: Deep Sibling Bond.jpg

Amuro Tooru immediately raised his hands in surrender, but his smile became even brighter. His gaze swept between the reproachful "Okuriri" and the chiding "Ikumi," finally settling on Okuriri's face, which was even more vivid and bright with embarrassment and anger. He readily begged for forgiveness: "I misspoke. I admit my mistake."

He paused, then added sincerely, "It's mainly because Ms. Sakuragi looks exceptionally beautiful today, which made me a little carried away."

As he spoke, his gaze gently fell upon Sakura, from her meticulously combed black hair to her bright blue eyes, which held a hint of embarrassment yet made them even more vivid, and then to her slightly pink fingertips holding the crepe...

His gaze was so focused that it seemed he was truly captivated by the beauty of the person before him.

Nekono Sakura felt her ears burn slightly under his gaze, but she only gave a soft hum, turned her face away, and muttered under her breath, "Smooth talker..."

But the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

Kaito Kuroba silently gave a thumbs up to Ikuya Nekono and Tooru Amuro in his heart.

Is this acting or real flirting?

It's a little hard to tell.

But in any case, the phantom thief was inspired and felt that he could not give up.

He silently shifted his gaze, immersing himself in this free-flowing performance.

Not far away, in the shadows of a quiet alley, an elegant wide-brimmed hat peeked out from the edge.

Beneath the brim of her hat, Vermouth's captivating eyes peered with interest through her sunglasses at the delicate scene of "the three of them, including a brother and sister."

Seeing this unexpectedly pleasing and harmonious scene, even the worldly-wise Thousand-Faced Witch couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

A half-smile curved her red lips as she whispered in a voice only she could hear, "Oh, Bourbon..."

Then, silently retreating, quietly shrinking back into the shadows, disappearing into the depths of the alley.

A moment later, Amuro Tooru's phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at the sender of the email, his smile unchanged, but a hint of solemnity flashed quickly in the depths of his eyes.

When he looked up again, a perfectly timed apology appeared on his face as he said to the two people in front of him, "Sorry, Sakura, Yuya, something urgent has come up, I have to go now." His tone was clearly regretful, and his gaze lingered on Nekono Sakura's face for a moment longer. "I'll take you all out for a leisurely stroll next time."

"Huh? So suddenly?" Nekono Sakura blinked, a hint of disappointment flashing in her emerald eyes, but it quickly turned into understanding. "It's okay, work is important, you should go now."

"Be careful on the road, Amuro," Kaito Kuroba reminded him at the opportune moment.

"Yes, you too." Amuro Tooru nodded to the two of them, then glanced at Nekono Sakuratoru one last time before turning and walking away quickly. His blonde hair flashed in the sunlight at the street corner, and he soon disappeared into the crowd.