Chapter 141 Kaito/Conan: Mr. Amuro...
Meanwhile, Conan Edogawa and Shuichi Akai are having a conversation that appears to be sharing information, but in reality, they are each holding back due to various factors.
The intelligence from both sides was painstakingly pieced together.
On the other hand, the quality of her morning nap was excellent. Nestled in soft bedding, Nekono Ikuya was naturally awakened by her overflowing energy.
Without the urging of an alarm clock or lingering drowsiness, Nekono Yuuya slowly opened her eyes. Her emerald green cat eyes were not blurry at all when she woke up; instead, they were clear and bright, like jade washed by dew.
The combination of last night's satisfaction and this morning's peaceful sleep made him feel like he could fly.
Nekono Ikuya jumped off the bed with a "tap tap tap" and deftly pulled back the heavy curtains with a "whoosh".
Bright yet gentle sunlight flooded into the room, illuminating the entire space and making even the finest dust particles floating in the air clearly visible in the golden light.
Nekono Ikumi squinted, feeling the warmth of the sunlight on her face, and her mood became increasingly light.
"Haa—"
Feeling the warm sunshine, he stretched comfortably, his soft loungewear outlining his relaxed waistline, every pore seemingly opening up, radiating vitality.
Great, full of energy and feeling refreshed.
I feel like I could outwit ten Furuya Rei in one go!
but……
Nekono Ikuya looked around the unusually quiet house.
Jingguang is busy with police work, Black is working diligently, and Conan, that little detective, has disappeared somewhere.
He was the only one left in the huge house.
Her bright blue eyes, which had been sparkling just moments before, dimmed slightly in an instant.
boring.
He shuffled downstairs in his cat-paw slippers, pattered around the living room, poked at the leaves of the green plant on the coffee table, flipped through the open magazines, and stared blankly at the dark television screen for a while.
"So—boring—!"
Nekono Yuuya slumped on the soft sofa, like a melted cat cookie, even her hair exuding a listless aura.
Just as he was considering for the nth time whether to harass his friends who were at work, or simply disguise himself and go out to cause some trouble—
With a "ding-dong," the doorbell rang crisply.
Nekono Ikuya's ears twitched, and she sprang up from the sofa with a "whoosh," ran to the door, and looked out through the peephole.
A very familiar-looking black-haired boy was standing outside the door, making a face at the cat's eyes.
It's a plus version of Conan. Shinichi Kudo? No, it's Kaito Kuroba!
Nekono Ikuya's eyes lit up, and she instantly perked up.
He opened the door, but before he could even speak, Kaito squeezed in like an eel, yelling, "Yuya-nii, help! I'm so bored! Aoko went shopping with her friends and left me all alone. Kid hasn't been active lately either. If this keeps up, I'm going to grow mushrooms!"
He casually tossed himself onto the sofa, in the same posture as Nekono Ikuya had just done.
Both being bored souls, Nekono Ikuya closed the door and saw Kuroba Kaito with an expression of utter boredom, and couldn't help but laugh.
"What a coincidence, I was just feeling bored too. I'm all alone at home, it's so quiet I can hear the clock ticking. Looks like we're in the same boat?"
He walked over, sat down on the single sofa next to him, rested his chin on his hand, and looked at Kaito with a smile: "Before you came, I was thinking about whether I should disguise myself and go out to have some fun."
Upon hearing about disguise and having fun, Kaito Kuroba immediately sprang up from the sofa as if a key phrase had been triggered, his eyes lighting up: "Disguise?! Going out to play?! Take me with you! Take me with you!"
But then, as if remembering something, he stroked his chin, revealing a curious and mischievous expression: "Speaking of which, Yumi-nii, I recently heard an interesting name from a little detective."
"Hmm?" Nekono Ikuya tilted her head, adopting a listening posture.
“Nekono Sakura.” Kaito Kuroba blinked, mimicking Conan Edogawa’s serious tone, “Nekono-nii’s sister.”
He leaned closer to Nekono Yuuya, his face revealing undisguised confusion: "Yuuya-nii, when did you get a younger sister? I didn't know that." He had never heard of Yuuya-nii having a younger sister.
“Yes, that’s right, little sister.” Nekono Ikuya nodded without changing her expression, a mischievous glint in her blue eyes. “That’s what everyone thinks.”
Kaito Kuroba, being incredibly clever, immediately sensed something amiss in Ikuya Nekono's tone and eyes. He drawled, "Oh, little sister..." He leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said with a mischievous grin, "So, the so-called little sister is actually you, Ikuya-nii?"
Nekono Ikuya smiled and admitted, "You guessed right, it was me."
Kaito Kuroba's face broke into a "I knew it" smile: "It really is you, Yuya-nii! I knew it! Where did this little sister I'd never heard of before suddenly come from! And she's with that popular blonde, dark-skinned shop assistant... Eh?!"
He suddenly stopped smiling, realized something was wrong, and made a pause gesture.
"With that popular blonde, dark-skinned shop assistant...?"
Kaito Kuroba was thinking, and then he finished thinking.
He looked at Nekono Ikuya hesitantly: "Amuro Tooru is... is he the mysterious lover you mentioned, the one with the special job, the deep affection, and the one you've been with for a long time?!"
Nekono Ikuya's smile deepened, his emerald green cat eyes brimming with cunning. He raised a finger to his lips, making a "shh" gesture, neither admitting nor denying, but the gesture said it all.
"My God..." he murmured, "My cousin didn't even tell me."
He unconsciously called out "cousin".
That's some serious awareness of secrecy.
Unaware that Shinichi Kudo hadn't actually met Rei Furuya in Hawaii, and only assumed that Rei had recognized Tooru Amuro, but unaware that Ikuya Nekono could disguise himself, Kaito Kuroba was preoccupied with what was going on between Okuori-san and Tooru Amuro.
"Or maybe you didn't ask."
Knowing that Shinichi Kudo had never met Rei Furuya before, but having mentioned to Conan Edogawa that he had a lover and had gone on a date with Tooru Amuro, Ikuya Nekono thought that Shinichi had some suspicions.
Nekono Ikumi thought casually that under such circumstances, the little detective should suspect Nekono Sakura's relationship with Amuro Tooru, and then suspect Zero's identity and that he might be disguising himself.
Nekono Ikuya and Furuya Rei discussed it, and Furuya Rei's idea was that he shouldn't hide his undercover identity from Kudo Shinichi too much, but of course, he shouldn't violate the rules for undercover agents by telling him directly.
After all, this little detective is getting more and more involved with the organization, and is too close to Nekono Ikuya and the others. Trying to completely keep it a secret would be a pointless waste of too much unnecessary energy.
So let him deduce the answer himself; he trusted the little detective's keen intuition.
Shinichi Kudo, kicked into a ditch by Matsuda Jinpei's comment, "Nekino Ikuya has a particular fondness for black-haired, blue-eyed female characters," and Kuroba Kaito's comment, "You've met Ikuya-nii's lover in Hawaii," was speechless.
Let's just say it directly. Shinichi Kudo: Today is another day I hate riddle people.
Although he was incredibly skilled at deduction in the "Cat Wild Lover Guessing Game," he unfortunately obtained incomplete clues, leading to an incorrect answer.
But the young detective was still the same sharp-minded detective, so he noticed something from Shuichi Akai's focus.
Consider other clues.
Nekono's brother's warning, Mr. Akai's constant attention, and that painting in the exhibition that was supposedly painted by Samuel for his lover, yet whose color scheme made him feel strangely similar to Amuro Tooru...
Bourbon's every girlfriend was very charming...
A man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals is skilled at manipulating people's minds...
Samuel was Bourbon's legal partner...
Despite his smaller size, the still-sharp-witted detective has a bold guess.
He suddenly looked up and blurted out, "Mr. Akai... Mr. Amuro... could he be Bourbon?!"
He received an affirmative answer.
The little detective's pupils dilated in shock: "!!!"
Wait, Amuro Tooru really is Bourbon?
"!!!" Kaito Kuroba's eyes widened.
He carefully examined the photo of Ms. Okuori that Nekono Ikuya had brought up: a misty blue dress, black hair and blue eyes, a cool demeanor with a touch of allure...
"Wow!" Kaito Kuroba leaned closer to the screen and exclaimed in genuine admiration, "This is... so beautiful! Yuya-nii, you look absolutely stunning in women's clothing, you can't tell at all that you're a boy!"
Nekono Ikumi raised her chin smugly, her blue eyes gleaming: "Of course, don't underestimate my disguise skills and acting abilities."
"So, Yuya-nii is planning to continue disguising himself as Sakura-tori today?"
"That was originally what I was thinking, but now I suddenly have a new idea..."
Nekono Ikuya's gaze fell on Kuroba Kaito, scrutinizing him from head to toe, her eyes growing brighter and brighter. "Kaito, wouldn't you like to experience what it's like to be Nekono Okabe?"
"Me?!" Kaito Kuroba pointed at his own nose, his eyes wide, and then a smile that was a mix of challenge and mischief bloomed on his face. "I'm dressed as Okuriri? Then who are you dressed as, Ikuya-nii?"
“No, I won’t pretend to be anyone.” Nekono Ikuya shook her head, her smile widening. “I am Nekono Ikuya, and my brother and I will go out together.”
“Or we can switch places, you pretend to be me, and I'll pretend to be Sakuragi!” Nekono Ikuya clapped her hands, her blue eyes sparkling with eagerness. “How about it? Want to come? And help me solidify my Sakuragi identity while you’re at it.”
Of course I have to participate in such an interesting suggestion.
Kaito Kuroba said enthusiastically, "Of course I'll come. If I'm dressed as Ikuya-nii, I don't need to worry, but if I'm dressed as Okatori, I'll need to prepare. Do you have Okatori's character design book? His interpersonal relationships, personality traits, habitual actions... the more detailed the better!"
The phantom thief's professionalism kicks in, striving for a perfect replica.
Nekono Ikuya stood up and walked towards the room where he kept his disguise tools. "Yes, I have detailed settings here. As for the voice, I can also teach you that unique way of speaking." He turned back and winked at Kaito. "I guarantee I'll make you the most authentic Oakuri-sama."
The two immediately immersed themselves in professional role preparation.
Nekono Ikuya recalled the carefully crafted design he had created for the identity of Sakuragi from his mind and repeated it while disguising himself.
—From facial contour details, makeup tips, hairstyles, common clothing styles, and even some subtle habits and pauses in speech.
Kaito Kuroba learned very quickly. He had top-notch talent for imitation and acting, and with the personal guidance of Ikuya Nekono herself, soon, two Nekono Okatori figures appeared in the mirror: cascading black hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a cold and aloof demeanor with a touch of mysterious charm.
"Wow..." Kaito version of Okuri winked at himself in the mirror, trying to speak in the clear, resilient, and rhythmic voice that Nekono Ikuya had taught him. "It feels so strange." He tried to take a few steps, adjusting his posture to make it look natural.
Ikumi's version of Sakura is placed to the side for comparison.
“Very good,” Nekono Ikuya looked at Kuroba Kaito and nodded in satisfaction. “You’ve captured the character’s demeanor well. Remember, Ourori is somewhat aloof but not impolite to outsiders, and occasionally reveals her passion for art. Her favorite painter is Samuel. As for her interactions with her brother…” He thought for a moment and said with a mischievous grin, “You can make it a bit more complicated. The relationship between the Nekono siblings is quite delicate.”
Kaito Kuroba's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood. He slightly raised his chin and said in a slightly lazy tone, "Understood, brother~" The last syllable was drawn out, with a subtle hint of provocation in the intimacy.
Nekono Ikuya: "..." Why does it feel like Kaito is even more into the role than he is? Is this a good thing?
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