148

"But if Bourbon wants to kill you, I can only risk my life to stop him."

The detective's brain crashed at the sudden words of honesty. He stared blankly at the man who was sitting next to him and looking down at him. His grey-green eyes were in a dark, dark shadow with his back to the sun, as if something about to break was slowly flowing inside. Conan didn't understand. These were words that should have moved him to tears or made him shy. Why did he feel like he was sitting in a freezing winter, with the biting wind corroding his limbs and the cold seeping into his bones so that he couldn't move an inch?

Brother Kong... is that so? A doubt suddenly popped up in my mind, and then it spread throughout my body like a branch, starting to sprout and grow into trees.

No, Brother Kong was just expressing his worry about himself. I was overthinking it, I must be overthinking it. It’s just that his eyes looked a little strange. Was it because of the shadow from the backlight? It was a little... a little scary.

The detective tried his best to get rid of this thought, but he couldn't control his rational and reasoning brain, which started to work like an instinct. Some small details hidden in the shadow of previous reasoning were quietly revealed, but all of them were not as shocking as the fear he faced before him.

So scary, is this Kong Ge really the Kong Ge I know? No, Kong Ge is a good person. As Ikaros, he saved so many people. He was forced to join the organization, and now he is expressing his concern for me...but why, why does he look so much like a member of that organization at this moment?

He was, but was forced...

"Ding-a-ling--"

The timely phone call gave Conan some breathing space. He quickly picked up the phone and tried to apologize with a smile, "Brother Kong, I have to take a call..."

But he didn't notice how flustered his expression was at that moment, and Noel next to him just waved his hands calmly to show that he didn't mind.

"Conan, is Kong here today?" Ayumi's cheerful and lively voice came from the microphone, full of bright and pure breath, "Dr. Agasa said that we can go to the beach together this weekend, and we must bring Kong along!"

"That's right, I really don't know what he's been busy with recently. He's a non-staff member of our detective team, how can he be absent all the time!" Yuan Tai's voice also came from the microphone, with a childish tone of dissatisfaction, but soon, he said expectantly: "The eel rice by the sea must be more delicious!"

"Conan, it doesn't matter if Kong is not here. We can make an appointment with Xiao Guang and Kong will definitely come back." Conan realized something from Guang Yan's words and asked subconsciously, "Where are you now?"

"We are at the gate of Xiaoguang's school!"

Conan looked at Noel subconsciously, and the other person's expression returned to normal. He stretched out his hand with a little helplessness. Conan understood and handed the phone to him.

"I'm with Conan, Ayumi."

"Brother Kong!" The voice on the other end was obviously happier, and couldn't wait to ask Noel where he had been during this period.

"I'm sorry, I'm busy these days," Noel didn't answer directly, but changed the subject: "I just heard you guys talking about going to the beach?"

"That's right, Dr. Agasa said we can go to the beach on Sunday! Does Kong want to join us?"

Kong Ge would probably disagree, Conan thought subconsciously. Not to mention that he looked like a homebody, a place like the seaside seemed out of place for Kong Ge. It was hard to imagine him swimming in the sea in the sun.

"Okay." Noel chuckled and said, "I don't think I'll have anything to do during this time."

"Great, see you at the mall tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, the mall?" Noel was confused and repeated.

"Yes, because we need to buy some equipment," Mitsuhiko took over the topic and explained, "I want to buy some diving equipment, Ayumi wants to buy a swimming ring, and Genta wants to eat the cake that is only available at the mall."

"Okay, I'll come find you tomorrow."

"Well, let's gather at Dr. Agasa's house tomorrow." Mitsuhiko couldn't help but say excitedly, "We can go to the beach the day after tomorrow."

Noel was silent for a moment and then asked, "Today is Monday, right?"

"Yeah, what's wrong, Brother Kong?"

"Nothing." Noel suppressed the twitching corner of his mouth and turned his head to say, "Xiao Guang should not be in school. He...has been feeling a little unwell recently and is resting at home."

"Hey, is Brother Xiaoguang sick?!" The children immediately expressed their concern, and Noel quickly explained, "He has almost recovered. I think he will love going to the beach with you guys."

"Okay, see you tomorrow." The children hung up the phone reluctantly, and Noel looked down at Conan's slightly shocked eyes.

"What's wrong, Conan?" Noel asked knowingly.

"Xiao Guang... isn't home." Conan said after a pause. There had been no sound since he followed Noel into the house. Moreover, he felt that if Xiao Guang was sick, Kong Ge would definitely go to see Xiao Guang as soon as he got home, instead of sitting here and chatting with him.

"Yeah, is that so?" Noel stood up and stretched his body, then said with a smile, "He has something to say, but as a doting brother, I need to keep it a secret for him, so Conan, don't ask me anything else."

Conan wanted to say something, but it seemed like something was stuck in his throat and he couldn't ask at all.

So once again, he returned empty-handed with full of doubts. Noel smiled and saw Conan off, and soon after, he welcomed Morobushi Kagemitsu who had returned from the laboratory.

"I'm back, Xiaoguang."

Hearing the sound at the door, Noel quickly opened the door and greeted with a smile. Under Morobu Jingguang's confused and puzzled eyes, he smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

This was not what Morofushi Jingguang had expected. It was as if Noel had suddenly changed his temperament during this period and wanted to avoid him as much as possible. But now he suddenly returned to his past attitude, as if the previous estrangement was all his illusion, and even... became more clingy.

Feeling his waist tighten and his limbs hanging in the air, Zhu Fu Jingguang said helplessly, "Noel, if you have anything to say, just say it directly. Let me go first."

Unexpectedly, Noel hugged him tighter and tighter, buried his head in Zhu Fu Jingguang, and said sullenly: "What are we having for dinner tonight, Xiaoguang, I'm so hungry~"

"Sorry I'm a little late." Morofu Jingguang resisted in vain. Besides, Noel's appearance made him miss her a little. He slowed down his voice and asked softly, "What do you want to eat?"

"Braised pork." Noel answered without hesitation, but did not loosen his hand.

"Noel, let go first, I'll do it..." Zhu Fu Jingguang decided to ask Noel the reason for his look at the dinner table, but now he was being held and couldn't move at all. However, after hearing this, Noel carried him into the kitchen, and then reluctantly let him go, and silently returned to the living room and waited eagerly.

It is worth mentioning that Noel let the person into the kitchen from outside the door, but he did not enter the kitchen space during the whole process. It was obvious that he was still strictly following the rule that prohibits entering the kitchen.

Soon, a portion of delicious and chewy red meat was placed on the table. Noel held the rice and began to show off, which made Zhu Fujingguang, who wanted to talk, stunned for a moment. He waited until the other party finished the third bowl before finding a gap to speak:

"Noel, about the lab..."

"I know Xiaoguang, you want me to survive," Noel said without raising his head, "Xiaoguang is really a very good person."

When he said this, he still had rice in his mouth and his speech was a little harsh. It sounded like he was just sighing casually. The next moment, he changed the subject and said:

"Conan and his friends want to go to the beach and do some shopping at the mall tomorrow. Do you want to go?"

Morobushi Jingguang wanted to refuse. Recently, he has been busy with more than just laboratory matters. The White Alliance has obviously been put on the organization's blacklist. Both Hongshu and Noah's Ark can only provide technical support. Various forces will come to test the alliance, which has obviously leaned towards the police. As the only adult among the core members of the organization, he naturally needs to handle matters carefully. Moreover, those who were previously recruited to defect in the organization have obviously had some problems. Every time they confront each other, it is difficult to judge whether they are their own people who have been recruited, or spies instigated by the organization.

Should have been rejected.

However, Morofushi Kagemitsu heard himself say, "Of course you can."

———

"Xiao Ai, there's something wrong with Kong."

Haibara Ai, who had just finished analyzing a batch of drugs in the laboratory, was about to take a bath and have a good rest when she saw the detective who hurried into the doctor's house and said seriously.

"You found something wrong with him again." Huibara Ai said expressionlessly. As early as when the detective's last reasoning told her, the absurd feeling that she could not keep up with the other party's train of thought had lingered in her heart.

She actually thought that Noel was a poor guy who was forced to join the organization. Although this was true to some extent, how did she come to the conclusion that Grappa had been bullying Sora Natsukawa? She also didn't expect Noel to directly accept this plot. Although she knew that the other party wanted to distinguish the identities of Grappa and Sora Natsukawa, would it be schizophrenic to distinguish them to this extent...

Unaware of the truth, Huihara Ai continued to listen to the detective's analysis: "I feel that the aura of Kong is somewhat similar to that of the people in the organization."

"Could it be that you, like me, have a radar on the members of the organization?" Haibara Ai said with a hint of sarcasm on her face, but she was shocked in her heart. Given Noel's personality, he probably wouldn't expose that side of the organization in front of Conan. That was probably what he least wanted.

"No, Haibara," Conan didn't think that his companion in front of him already knew the reason. He kept recalling the details in his mind and couldn't help but ask: "Do you think that Kong has been in the organization for so long, will he... kill anyone?"

Huiyuan Ai was amazed at the other party's sharpness, and with a kind of evil mood, she raised her mouth and asked, "I say, great detective, you don't really think that someone who has been in that organization for so long can have such a clean hand?"

"I..." Conan paused, his voice trembling, and said, "I was just wondering, do you think that when Kong was saving those people, he was also thinking about those he killed? Would he be in pain?"

The girl looked up suddenly and saw the detective's face, which looked like he was about to cry.