Chapter 218, Seventy-Third Cycle (48)
Besides the new employee, there are two chefs at the sushi restaurant.
There were only two people around, Kogoro Mouri and Conan Edogawa, so they let Hikaru Midorikawa make the sushi while they watched and occasionally gave pointers and explanations.
"Um, Uncle, when did Mr. Midorikawa arrive?" Conan Edogawa asked, just like a curious and lively elementary school student.
The chef outside knew him—or rather, knew Kogoro Mouri—and upon hearing this, he smiled and squatted down to whisper, "He just joined the company two days ago. Let me tell you, although he's too shy to show it, we can all tell that he only joined us because of Mr. Mouri."
"Oh? He likes deduction too?" Conan Edogawa's eyes widened in surprise.
The chef glanced at Kogoro Mouri, who had already started drinking, and said, "Yes, Midorikawa-kun seems to really enjoy reading mystery novels. He said that the Sleeping Kogoro Mouri is just as amazing as a character in a novel. He's usually a rather introverted and shy person, but when it comes to mystery, he gets all excited and becomes like a completely different person. You can tell just how much he loves mystery novels."
"I see. So, Uncle Midorikawa came here because of Uncle Mori?" Conan Edogawa exclaimed.
“Definitely. He’s been talking about Mr. Mori the whole time he’s been here. Whenever we mention Detective Mori next door, he gets really interested and serious.” The chef said with a kind smile. “I thought he might be too excited to speak when he saw you, but it seems he’s more shy than anything else.”
Kogoro Mouri heard this too, and immediately burst into smug laughter.
When Midorikawa Hikaru finished making the sushi and brought it out, he ate one. His mood improved even more because of the delicious food, so he directly invited the other person to sit down and chat.
Hikaru Midorikawa looked flattered. Although he was still a little shy, he sat down with a mix of embarrassment and excitement after being teased and comforted by the other two chefs.
Under the man's expectant and admiring gaze, Kogoro Mouri's spirits soared, and he wished he could tell him all the impressive and interesting cases he could remember.
Edogawa Conan just stared blankly as he rambled on about cases he had mostly solved himself.
It wasn't until they talked about a case that Heiji Hattori solved that he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "You've been lying down ever since you ate poisonous mushrooms."
His complaints were very soft, almost like a quiet soliloquy. In addition, several other customers came into the store during this time, making it more lively. Everyone else should have been completely unable to hear him, just like Kogoro Mouri, who was being complained about, didn't react at all.
But Hikaru Midorikawa turned his head away.
The man's long, jet-black hair swayed slightly, and a hint of dark blue glint appeared beneath his thick bangs and glasses as he stared at him.
"Poisonous mushrooms?" he said.
Conan Edogawa: "..."
Is this person's hearing incredibly sharp?! Is it really that keen?!
After being reminded, Kogoro Mouri realized that Conan Edogawa was undermining him. After glaring at Conan, he offered a weak explanation, then emphasized, "I was a great help back then; I was the one who first discovered the zombies."
Hikaru Midorikawa didn't dwell on it much, and his attention returned to the case itself. He couldn't help but exclaim, "So that's how it is. So they used footage from a movie they filmed before to make the dead look like zombies. This case is truly astonishing."
Just as the chef said, once he gets involved in mystery-related matters, Midorikawa Hikaru seems to become a different person. His introverted shyness almost disappears, replaced by seriousness and excitement. His tone of voice and actions become much more assertive and confident.
Even so, his choice of words still made him seem very well-mannered, but with an intangible air of authority that made people listen to him quietly and not even dare to interrupt.
"As expected of the sleeping Kogoro Mouri, Detective Mouri's experiences are even more dangerous, exciting, and interesting than those mystery novels," he said. "However, after hearing about that case, I couldn't help but think of a mystery novel."
Even if you can't see his eyes clearly, you can still feel his excitement and anticipation.
"It's 'Running Towards the Sun' by Ryuichi Taki*. I wonder if Mr. Mori has heard of it?"
Kogoro Mouri, who doesn't read mystery novels and only watches Yoko Okino's TV dramas: "..."
No, he'd never heard of it. He'd never paid any attention to mystery novels, but the name did sound familiar; he just couldn't quite place it...
“I’ve heard of it,” Conan Edogawa blurted out instinctively. “It’s a mystery novel written by a recent new author, and the main characters are a group of police officers. It’s just that it’s sparked some polarized opinions because of the inclusion of some unscientific fantasies. But despite the controversy, it’s supposedly very good. I was originally planning to read it, but…”
As a result of the successive arrivals of Vermouth, Bourbon, and Scotland, he completely forgot about the mystery novel and hasn't read it yet.
"Oh?" Hikaru Midorikawa looked down at him again. "Conan-kun is amazing. Does Conan-kun also like reading mystery novels?"
Conan Edogawa immediately revealed an innocent, childlike grin: "Haha, I just watch it casually when I have nothing else to do. I'm mainly interested because I've seen so many incidents with Uncle Mori."
Hikaru Midorikawa stroked his chin thoughtfully: "Really? But can Conan-kun even understand the discussions and arguments caused by this mystery novel? Can he understand all those complicated technical terms? I heard that Mr. Mori has a child prodigy, but I never imagined that Conan-kun would be this amazing..."
Conan Edogawa's alert radar is going wild again.
"What does a kid like him know? He just follows the trend and brags about it," Kogoro Mouri casually remarked. "The knowledge he actually acquires is all jumbled up; it's all from TV and the internet."
“That’s still impressive.” Midorikawa Hikaru smiled, but his attention had indeed shifted from Edogawa Conan, and he continued the previous topic, “I mentioned that novel earlier because of the case you just mentioned, Mr. Mori…”
"Ah ...
*
"Mr. Amuro, it seems something happened next door?" Enomoto Azusa stood at the doorway peeking outside. "I heard Mr. Mori's voice. Has something happened at Iroha Sushi Restaurant too?"
This "also" is very spiritual.
Amuro Tooru paused for a moment while wiping the cup: "Probably, but those three police officers went to check it out too. They're very capable, so there shouldn't be much to worry about."
Enomoto Azusa pulled her head back and looked at the blond youth with some surprise: "Eh, isn't Mr. Amuro going? You always go to check on Mr. Mori as soon as something happens."
"After all, I am Mori-sensei's top disciple." Amuro gave a slightly embarrassed smile, put the cup down, and picked up the next cup to slowly wipe it.
When a customer entered the Poirot Cafe, Enomoto Azusa's attention was diverted, and she greeted the customer with a smile.
Amuro Tooru put down the last cup, looked up at the misty drizzle and passersby outside the window, and his expression was a little serious.
“Mr. Amuro, one of your signature sandwiches, please!” said Azusa Enomoto.
"Okay, please wait a moment, it'll be ready soon." The blond youth lowered his head and continued working, but the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned.
*
The incident was not complicated, and fortunately, there were no casualties.
It was just a simple theft case, and it just so happened to be related to the mystery novel "Running Towards the Sun" that Midorikawa Hikaru had just mentioned.
That novel has become quite famous recently, and its author, Ryuichi Taki, even won a newcomer award for it. In addition, the novel is very controversial and has a very imaginative plot, which has led to a fierce competition for tickets to offline mystery events based on the novel's fan fiction.
Furthermore, the author, Ryuichi Taki, is quite a legend himself. Even so, he didn't even attend the Best Newcomer Award ceremony, and nobody knows his real name or what he looks like. This only adds to his mystique and generates more buzz.
"Even so, to steal a ticket to a novel fan event is truly incomprehensible..." Kogoro Mouri, who had just woken up from the tranquilizer dart, couldn't help but complain.
"Mr. Kogoro! Your reasoning just now was amazing! I'm still far behind!" Hikaru Midorikawa, who gets easily excited when it comes to mystery-related things, suddenly rushed up and handed over three tickets with both hands. "Because I'm a big fan of that novel, I got five tickets. I'll give these three to Mr. Kogoro as an apology for my rash and terrible reasoning just now."
"Huh?" Kogoro Mouri was completely bewildered, having no idea what he was talking about.
Conan Edogawa, who was taking the blame for Kogoro Mouri's deduction and was afraid of being exposed, coughed and quickly pretended to be happy as he reached out to take the ticket, thanking him sweetly.
However, Hikaru Midorikawa remained standing in front of Kogoro Mouri without moving.
"Mr. Kogoro, please accept me as your disciple!" he shouted, but his fists were clenched, and his face and neck were red, whether from excitement or shyness and nervousness, it was hard to tell.
"Huh? Disciple?" Kogoro Mouri was even more confused.
"As compensation, the cost of your sushi meals from now on will be deducted from my salary," Midorikawa Hikaru said earnestly.
Kogoro Mouri, who had been drowsy, instantly snapped awake: "Okay! No problem!! OK!!"
Hikaru Midorikawa immediately smiled and called out "Master Kogoro" in a very serious and obedient manner.
Amidst the cheerful atmosphere, only Conan Edogawa took a sip of his drink with a deadpan expression.
Another disciple has been added.
Moreover, doesn't this scene feel very familiar?
It's exactly the same as when Amuro Tooru became his apprentice.
Conan Edogawa's thoughts drifted to distant memories, while Hikaru Midorikawa finally calmed down and returned to his shy, nervous, and socially awkward self, only now with an added touch of gentle melancholy that attracted attention because of his good looks.
"Um, Master Kogoro," he said softly, "I heard I have a senior brother?"
Conan Edogawa's nerves suddenly twitched.
“Yes, you’re my second disciple. I also have a senior disciple,” Kogoro Mouri said casually. “His name is Tooru Amuro. He works as a waiter at the Poirot Café next door. You can get to know him sometime. He might come with me to handle cases often in the future.”
"Oh? Really? Then we're quite destined to meet." Midorikawa Hikaru smiled.
Conan Edogawa looked up instantly, his eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty, his blue eyes fixed on him with uncanny sharpness.
The man with long black hair had glasses that reflected light so his expression was obscured; all that could be seen was the smile that gradually deepened on his lips.
"I will definitely visit my senior brother often to maintain our relationship," he said.
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