Chapter 186, Seventy-Threeth Cycle (16)
Haro circled around Morofushi Kagemitsu a few times, sniffing his scent as he went, his round dog eyes sparkling.
Morofushi Kagemitsu relaxed a little and tentatively reached out to scratch its chin.
Haro's tail started wagging wildly.
"Woof woof woof!"
Morofushi Kagemitsu didn't understand what it meant, but he received the puppy's kindness and affection, and couldn't help but show a happy smile on his face.
Zero told him everything about Harlow on the way, including how to pet the dog to make Harlow happier.
Before long, the once wary, sad, and angry puppy was now rolling around and playing happily beside him.
Morofushi Kagemitsu was playing with the puppy with a toy in one hand and sending messages on his phone in the other.
Rei Furuya has already started working at the restaurant. He applied for a waiter position yesterday and is working the night shift today. However, he almost missed his shift because his dog wouldn't let him go out.
If it weren't for Rei Furuya's superb driving skills, he would have been late.
It was raining and windy today, and the wind intensified as it got darker, making the room darken even faster.
Morofushi Kagemitsu was about to turn on the lights, but when he turned around, he found that Haro was gone.
He walked to the entrance as if he had expected it, and sure enough, he saw a small white dog sitting straight in front of the door, waiting for its owner to come home.
Morofushi Kagemitsu turned on the light. Haro glanced back at him, then turned back to continue staring intently at the door.
It didn't bark, nor did it wag its tail. It drooped on the ground, barely covering half of its body, its small head held high, looking towards the doorknob, as if expecting a blond, dark-skinned youth to open the door and walk in at any moment.
Morofushi Kagemitsu walked over and squatted down behind it, gently patting the puppy's head: "Hello, it's not evening yet, he won't be back for several more hours."
Harlow let out a weak "woof," but stubbornly kept his back straight and stared at the door without moving.
Zhu Fujingguang simply sat down on the ground and waited with it.
From this angle, the door, which was originally just the right size, appears exceptionally tall, seemingly separated from the pattering rain and howling wind outside by an entire world. A sense of powerlessness washes over you, and the heavy sorrow makes the door seem to turn pitch black.
"Do you always see him off like this, and then wait for him to come back?" Morofushi Kagemitsu seemed to be talking to Haro, but also to himself. "Was it raining the day Zero left and never came back?"
"Woof!" Harlow seemed to understand and suddenly turned around and barked at him, baring his teeth and looking teary-eyed. He was half fierce and half aggrieved, but on a little puppy, he looked extremely pitiful.
With a sigh, Morofushi Kagemitsu held the puppy in his arms, sat cross-legged on the ground, and continued to wait while stroking it.
"Don't worry, that won't happen again. Zero will be fine. I promise you, I will protect him." He swore, holding the puppy's paw.
"Woof!" Harlow shook hands with him earnestly.
"Hello, be a good boy, or Zero will worry. Hello doesn't want him to worry and get a headache, right? I know Hello is a smart and good boy."
"Woof woof woof!"
“Actually, I’m very grateful that you were there for him. None of us were there for him at that time. I guess no one expected that in the end, no one would survive, leaving him to continue such a dangerous and arduous job alone… Fortunately, you were there for him. Thank you for always being by Zero’s side. Hello.”
"Woof..."
"I'm sorry, Hello. Zero feels really guilty and heartbroken for you. He's always been the one who watches us leave, but the last time, you were the one who watched him leave. Hello is probably the only one Zero is worried about. And Zero, who understands best what it feels like to be left behind, also understands how you felt when you were left behind... You two are really alike."
"Woof?"
"...Haha, why are you the one comforting me? It's okay, it's okay, don't worry. This time the situation is different. We have many, many companions. In the end, we will definitely be able to help Zero pass the game safely and survive. A perfect happy ending is of course inseparable from Zero."
"Woof woof woof!"
"Yes, that's the spirit we need. We can't let Zero worry. Ah, it's already six o'clock. Let's go prepare dinner. Hello, what would you like to eat?"
"Woof!"
*
Heavy rain fell, and the sky darkened.
The restaurant, which had been booked out, was bustling with activity, and the waiters waiting backstage were chatting amongst themselves out of boredom.
"How old is Amuro-kun this year?"
"29 years old."
Wow! Really? I can't tell at all!
"Haha, many people do say that, but unfortunately, it's true."
"What did Amuro-kun do before? How could someone as handsome and capable as Amuro-kun want to become a waiter?"
"Yeah, yeah, Amuro-kun is so handsome even with those glasses on. He would be a huge star or model if he became one..."
"The banquet is about to begin, let's get to work," the blond, dark-skinned young man suddenly said, smiling as he pushed up his outdated, thick-rimmed black glasses, straightened his black and white waiter uniform, and walked out with a tray.
Under the bright lights, fireworks and ribbons exploded in the air, and amidst the voices of countless people congratulating the newlyweds in the center, the waiters began to prepare to serve the banquet tables.
The restaurant is on the first floor, and through the huge windows, you can see almost most of the restaurant inside.
However, the wind and rain today somewhat affected visibility, making the actions of the three young men huddled in a coffee shop booth across the street appear even more furtive.
"Did you see that?"
"I saw it! I saw it just for a moment, but that blonde is definitely it! Those glasses are absolutely hideous, hahaha!!!"
"Wait, move the camera this way. It's so convenient that Detective Mouri and his team are sitting by the window. The bride and groom must be sitting opposite them. They're dressed so simply. Their pre-wedding celebration should be a little more elaborate."
"It's really strange of them. The groom hired a detective, and the bride hired a detective too. Are they really going to get married because they don't trust each other's fidelity?"
Matsuda Jinpei and Hagiwara Kenji, both single men, instinctively turned to look at Date Wataru, the only one with a girlfriend and even engaged.
Ida Ko quickly waved his hand: "Don't look at me, I don't understand either, and their situation is already very complicated, so it's not surprising that it turned out this way."
Matsuda Jinpei was about to say something, but when he caught sight of that striking blond hair again out of the corner of his eye, he immediately turned his attention to the blond, dark-skinned young man who was carrying a cake.
They brought equipment with them to the theater this time—Professor Agasa's new invention. By simply placing that small, rotating lens on the table, they could clearly display and magnify distant scenes on their phones.
After all, in this kind of weather, it's difficult to see what's happening over there with the naked eye across a street and through the windows of two shops, and the restaurant over there is booked out and won't allow unauthorized personnel to enter.
Not only can the three on the other side pretend to watch a video of Rei Furuya and Conan Edogawa meeting for the first time, but the other three who can't come—Hidemitsu Morofushi, Akemi Miyano, and Hiroki Sawada—can also watch Rei Furuya's superb performance while completing Noah's Ark together.
The Sakura team's group chat immediately became lively.
To be honest, those glasses are really silly, but they can't hide Furuya's beauty~
[hagi, speak properly, this is disgusting (cat vomiting.jpg)]
[It's amazing. Just by wearing glasses and slightly changing his posture and expression, he looks like a completely different person. It's still so incredible.]
[He acts exactly like a greenhorn fresh out of school. This guy's acting is getting better and better; even with professional forensic knowledge, you can't see anything strange about it.]
The three people opposite watched as the clumsy blonde waiter accidentally knocked over the cake, hurriedly apologized to the groom, and was then chased away by the groom because the bride winked at him. Unable to hold back their laughter, they leaned on the table and shook their shoulders violently. Matsuda Jinpei even slammed his hand on the table to suppress his laughter.
Of course, even if you laugh until you cry, you should still keep watching Rei Furuya's performance.
Kenji Hagiwara even whispered lip-reading along with the people in the video:
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm really sorry. I just started working here today, and I'm not very familiar with the job yet."
"Hey, don't start flirting with that waiter just because he's handsome, okay?"
"Haha, what's wrong? Are you jealous?"
After the performance ended, the blonde waitress left, and the three men in the coffee shop across the street laughed like idiots, attracting strange looks from the two sparse customers around them.
Rei Furuya took out his phone in the bathroom and glanced at the Sakura group chat. He couldn't help but grit his teeth and mentally make a mental note of them all.
He didn't say anything, because he knew that whatever he said would just get him caught and teased.
Rei Furuya had tried to dissuade them many times, but they were even more excited than him. Since they had nothing else to do, they insisted on coming along, and sure enough, the group is now completely destroyed...
Composing himself, Furuya Rei transformed back into Amuro Tooru and wandered around for a while until the bride left the restaurant to get her nails done. A man wearing sunglasses walked in.
The man wearing sunglasses and a black trench coat, was very thin and had stubble. He sat down not far from Kogoro Mouri, Ran Mouri, and Conan Edogawa. The others didn't seem to recognize him; he was the only one sitting there.
He remained unmoved as the other waiters came and went, his expression somber as if he were quietly observing something. Only when the blond waiter passed by did he raise his hand.
"Waiter, a bourbon, please," he said.
The three people who could clearly read his lip movements through the window immediately stopped laughing.
"Tsk, even if I knew, I was still startled." Matsuda Jinpei muttered under his breath, "Why did he have to order bourbon of all things, especially while wearing a black trench coat and ordering bourbon?"
"I'm starting to regret it. I should have installed a bugging device," Kenji Hagiwara sighed. "Even if Conan found out about a bugging device, it wouldn't have caused any major problems."
“Don’t be too nervous,” Ida Kou said. “He’s only just officially started his performance. Everything will be fine.”
"Squad leader, you almost crushed the cup just now." Matsuda Jinpei ruthlessly exposed him.
Date Kou put down his cup somewhat awkwardly: "Well, he's the only one left now, and his condition is the most dangerous..."
As they were chatting, the blonde waiter who was confirming the order with the man in sunglasses was suddenly bumped into by the groom's attendant, Raita, who was pretending to walk by. He stumbled and almost fell on the table. When he turned around, he was instead scolded by the villain for being stupid and asking him to watch his step.
The three people's discussion stopped abruptly, and their eyes turned cold.
The coffee shop server, who had originally intended to ask if they wanted a refill since they had been sitting for so long, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and didn't dare to approach.
After that, they stopped laughing and just watched quietly, occasionally taking out their phones to type.
It wasn't until the groom got drunk that he attacked the blond waiter.
Date Wataru suddenly stood up, and Hagiwara Kenji, who had just suppressed the suddenly rising Matsuda Jinpei, turned around and pulled Date Wataru down.
As it turned out, there was no need to worry. The blond waiter pretended to be flustered and backed away to avoid the groom's punch, while the drunken groom fell hard to the ground.
The blonde waiter also sat down on the floor, rubbing his waist and muttering that it hurt, as if he hadn't reacted yet. The glass of water he was holding on the tray fell to the ground and shattered, attracting everyone's attention.
The groom, who had intended to teach the gigolo a lesson, not only failed but also cut his own hand. He refused the help of others and got up on his own to make a phone call.
The blond waiter on the ground also stood up, seemingly glancing out the window unintentionally.
Conan Edogawa followed his gaze and could only see the dark, rainy day with extremely low visibility; he could only see the parking lot a few meters away...
"Boom—"
Sparks flew, illuminating the sky and causing everyone who turned to look to show expressions of horror.
That wasn't lightning falling from the sky, but a vehicle exploding.
Screams and commotion erupted.
Conan Edogawa suddenly turned his head. The blond waiter looked shocked, and the groom's attendant stared blankly at the flames burning outside the window, while holding his phone and reading the bride Hatsune Miku's name.
Conan Edogawa had a bad feeling and jumped off the chair to run outside.
Security guards and restaurant managers have already surrounded the area where the explosion occurred.
Conan Edogawa glanced at the raging fire that he couldn't approach, then immediately ran to the group of people gathered around and asked, "What happened—"
The three men in the center turned around, revealing three incredibly familiar faces.
Conan Edogawa froze instantly: "Matsuda-san? And Inspector Date and Inspector Hagiwara?? What are you doing here???"
After asking the question instinctively, he saw the woman lying on the dry ground, and his heart, which had been pounding, suddenly relaxed.
"Is Hatsune Miku... still alive?"
“Alive.” Matsuda Jinpei explained simply and bluntly, “We went out to eat and smelled gasoline in the parking lot, which made us realize something was wrong. We dragged this unconscious woman out of the car; she seemed to have hit her head and passed out.”
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Conan Edogawa: "???"
The bride, Hatsune Miku, was taken to the hospital. The fire truck put out the fire. When the police officers, Inspector Megure and Wataru Takagi, came to investigate, they were not surprised to see Kogoro Mouri, Ran Mouri, and Conan Edogawa. However, they were a little surprised when they saw Wataru Date, Kenji Hagiwara, and Jinpei Matsuda.
The three shrugged innocently: "We were out for dinner and just happened to run into each other."
Although they weren't on duty, they were still the first witnesses, so they were kept on to participate in the investigation.
However, Inspector Megure didn't have much hope for them either. He didn't know what was wrong with them. They were usually very capable and proactive, but they would start slacking off whenever they were around Mori. They even said that they admired the legendary Mori from the police academy and wanted to watch him solve cases to learn from his experience.
Inspector Megure originally intended to place his hopes on Kogoro Mouri, but Kogoro Mouri seemed a bit out of sorts today, probably because the suspect, the groom, was his high school friend.
Therefore, Inspector Megure decided to solve the case himself, along with Wataru Takagi.
"No! I'm not the culprit! I would never do something like that to Hatsune Miku! How could I possibly murder my bride who's about to get married?!" The groom's attendant was visibly agitated. He suddenly stepped forward and pointed sharply at a blond, dark-skinned waiter in the crowd. "I know! It's him! He's definitely the murderer! It's that blond waiter!"
Even Kogoro Mouri was exasperated: "Banba, even if you were jealous that Hatsune Miku glanced at him a few more times before, it doesn't mean you should suspect that a waiter you just met is the murderer who wanted to kill Hatsune Miku, does it?"
"No! No!" Banba roared in fury. "This guy has known Hatsune Miku for a long time! He's the gigolo who's been secretly meeting with Hatsune Miku all along!!!"
The moment the term "pretty boy" was uttered, the entire room fell silent.
"Pfft..." Kenji Hagiwara shrugged, turning his head and waving his hands, "I'm sorry..."
The blond waiter sighed helplessly and stepped forward, saying, "I have indeed met Ms. Hatsune Miku."
Megure's eyes sharpened instantly.
The blonde waitress walked to the center of the crowd, took off her glasses, and smiled, "I'm her personal informant, a detective."
Inspector Megure: "?"
Another detective?
After taking off those glasses, the others finally understood why Banjo was so jealous and targeted him, even calling him a pretty boy. He was indeed a rare, super handsome guy with a gentle smile and no aggression. He had a baby face, clear eyes, and even looked like he was easy to bully.
"Toru Amuro, 29 years old." The blond young man introduced himself. "Miss Hatsune asked me to investigate whether you, who are so frivolous with relationships, have been entangled with other women, and to monitor you to make sure you don't mess around before marriage."
Conan Edogawa stared at him, then turned to look at Matsuda Jinpei, Hagiwara Kenji, and Date Wataru, who were huddled together whispering to each other, and felt a little strange.
But his attention was quickly diverted.
The strange man in sunglasses from before also stepped forward and revealed his identity.
He was originally a detective hired by Banba to investigate Hatsune Miku.
The man in sunglasses looked at Amuro Tooru and sighed, "I didn't expect you to be a detective too. No wonder I was easily shaken off when I was following you."
The blond youth spread his hands innocently.
Kogoro Mouri glanced at the two lousy detectives, then turned to Banba and said, "If you had hired me, I would have seen through this frivolous man as a detective at a glance, and none of this would have happened."
The blond youth could only shrug with a helpless smile once again.
He looked so innocent, pitiful, and helpless, but the three people hiding in the corner almost burst out laughing.
Knowing that Rei Furuya can act is a completely different feeling from watching him act in front of others.
And, just thinking about how words like "pretty boy" and "frivolous" are applied to the serious, dark-faced Rei Furuya makes it even funnier, hahaha—
Conan Edogawa glanced at them again, but had given up on having them actively solve the case while Uncle Mori was present. He continued to observe and think carefully about the case.
Something's a bit strange...
Inspector Megure suspects that the groom, Banba, is the murderer. After Amuro Tooru reveals his identity as a detective, he directly discloses the information and makes his own deductions, quickly concluding that Banba is the murderer. His reasoning is very logical and well-founded, which makes Banba furious.
"What are you saying, you bastard?!"
The man threw a punch, but Amuro Tooru dodged it instantly by dodging to the side.
Conan Edogawa, who had been deep in thought, suddenly froze, his eyes widening slightly as he stared intently through his glasses at the blond youth who was frantically trying to dodge.
Is this skill... just a coincidence?
However, it's not surprising that a detective would possess agile skills.
In a corner unnoticed by Conan Edogawa, three men barely withdrew their feet and clenched fists.
That was close! I almost couldn't resist rushing out.
"Please, please stop! Don't use violence anymore!" Amuro Tooru, sweating profusely, helplessly and frantically raised his hands to stop the other person from approaching, then immediately turned to Kogoro Mouri for help: "Mr. Mouri, please stop him, or he'll rush at me again—"
Amidst the commotion, no one noticed that the three people in the corner were practically banging their heads against the wall to stifle their laughter.
Hahaha, help! Hahaha, why is Rei Furuya able to act so naturally? Hahaha, I really want to take pictures and videos! Damn it—
When no one else was paying attention, Furuya Rei glared at them fiercely.
The three of them calmed down a bit. They stopped covering their faces and trembling as if they were having a seizure, and they didn't dare to discuss it directly. Instead, they took out their phones and posted the information in the group chat to discuss it with the others who couldn't be there.
[Zero did it on purpose. Not only did he emphasize the issue of kinship DNA, but he also subtly hinted at the fact that the bride and groom were actually twins. He even left a chocolate cake stain on the groom's shoe beforehand to prove his innocence. That's a bit over the top.]
[Yeah, it's practically a blatant innuendo, but what's that compared to the poor waiter being bullied, hahaha]
Hahaha, that's true!
After a row of insane laughter, the serious discussion continued.
[There's no other way; after all, you have to pretend to be a clumsy, inept detective to become Mori Detective's apprentice. It would be strange if you were skilled enough to need an apprenticeship.]
[Mr. Mori doesn't seem to understand at all, but Conan does, right?]
You can tell just by looking at his expression; his glasses are practically reflecting light.
[We just need to wait for the evidence to be found, and then Mr. Mori's neck will be in trouble again, hahaha]
[Honestly, Kofuruya's portrayal of the weak and helpless waitress being bullied by a drunk customer was so funny, hahaha! It's such a shame you didn't see it in person, hahaha (cat slapping the table and laughing hysterically.jpg)]
Then another round of insane laughter began.
Rei Furuya glanced at his phone and said, "..."
So you guys just came here to watch the show?
What a bunch of bad friends! They really are a bunch of bad friends!!!
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