Chapter 139 The Paradox of Arrival What else could it be, Kudo-kun?
"Yeah."
Huiyuan closed the book, turned around and looked at him quietly.
"It's not the case that bothers you."
"It's 'after the case'."
Conan's small body froze.
"Defeat the organization, get the antidote, and transform back into Kudo Shinichi." Haibara's voice was as steady as if she were reading a lab report. "Did you set a goal? You think that as long as you defeat the final boss and transform back into Kudo Shinichi, you can fast-forward to the happy ending?"
Conan pursed his lips. Wasn't that right? Wasn't everything he did just for this?
"Hello, great detective." Huibara cut into Conan's thoughts lightly.
"Ever heard of the 'arrival fallacy'?"
"Huh?" Conan turned around suddenly.
Here she comes. Here she comes again. This woman always manages to use Martian language, a language he can't understand, to clearly hit his blind spots and make his brain go blue screen.
"Simply put, players always dream of defeating the final boss, perhaps getting admitted to the University of Tokyo, earning 100 million, or... becoming a high school detective again, and unlocking permanent VIP membership in 'Happy End'."
She paused and looked at Conan as if she were reading a failed experimental report.
"The result? Completing the game is empty. The ending you expected will become just an ordinary, everyday life for your future self."
Conan felt like he was being hit hard by a hammer.
Countless rehearsals of changing back flashed through Conan's mind: confessing everything to Ran, sweating on the green field, and living the life he had always dreamed of.
He regarded the day he grew up as the end of all his sufferings and the promised land of glittering gold.
In the end, it was just a graduation task for the Novice Village?
"Happiness has a half-life, understand?" There was something ordinary in Huibara's voice, but it was calm as if he was analyzing chemical components.
"Your ecstasy of turning back into Kudo Shinichi is fading faster than my experimental samples. Soon, you'll find that Kudo Shinichi has his own troubles. You've simply gone from the Novice Village prison to the deluxe five-star prison."
"What do you want to say?" Conan frowned.
Damn it, this woman's words clearly dissected him, picked out his pitiful hope and put it under a microscope.
"What I want to talk about is the melon bag in your hand."
"……ha?"
The topic jumped so much that even Conan, who has top reasoning ability, had his brain freeze for three seconds.
Huiyuan pointed at the packaging bag that was crumpled by his fist.
"This season's limited-edition convenience store ace. It's a viral sensation on social media. It's said the puff pastry and buttercream ratio is the insanely perfect golden ratio. You'll make a detour this morning just to get it and almost miss your bus."
Conan was stunned.
That's right. In the morning sunshine, he was full of anticipation for this legendary dessert.
But once on the Shinkansen, anxiety about the future overwhelmed everything.
This piece of bread has become a forgotten background prop.
"Don't always stare at that pie in the sky called 'final victory', pay more attention to the equipment you can pick up at your feet."
Huibara withdrew her hand and leaned back in her chair lazily.
"A more effective strategy is to celebrate more. For example, celebrate that we successfully got rid of the Junior Detectives and have ten minutes of peace and quiet. Celebrate that you bought this stupid yet delicious bread. And by the way, celebrate that I didn't put anything in your coffee today... like a pufferfish toxin derivative or something."
Her face was expressionless, but Conan could hear the familiar, bad humor in her words.
"I understand." Conan's CPU worked at high speed and digested it instantly.
"The answer to this version is: modularize the main quests, use daily quests to meet KPIs, and rely on instant gratification to survive."
"Pretty much," Huiyuan said calmly. "The human brain, a crappy server, needs to be fed with care. CPUs burn out, and the same goes for the human brain; it needs regular sugar to sustain its energy. The main quest is too long, and without constant feeding of sweet treats, no one can make it through."
As soon as he finished speaking, a white shadow passed by.
Conan felt his palms go empty.
"Hey! Haiyi Bala!" He was stunned.
She had already torn open the package with her bare hands. The rich aroma of honeydew melon instantly launched an area-of-effect attack, completely occupying the air between them.
Huihara broke off a piece of puff pastry and put it in her mouth.
"Hmm..." She closed her eyes slightly, her expression serious as if she was verifying the final experimental data.
"The Maillard reaction in the meringue is within the optimal range. The butterfat content is visually estimated to be 35.4%, and the sugar concentration clearly reaches the dopamine secretion threshold. Conclusion... A-grade dessert, worth celebrating."
She handed the remaining half of the melon bag to Conan.
Conan looked at her, then at the bread in his hand, and almost laughed out loud. This woman always managed to use the tone of publishing a top journal paper to steal other people's snacks.
He took the bread and took a big bite.
The puff pastry burst.
Cream bursting.
A pure sweetness rushed into my brain, simple and brutal. The anxiety that had been lingering for days was instantly gone.
He looked at Huibara, but she had turned her face away, looking at the passing scenery outside the window.
Conan took another bite of the melon bun.
Indeed. How long had it been since he had felt so pure and happy just for a bite of food?
All his energy was devoted to the ultimate goal in the distance, but he ignored the countless shining "present moments" along the way.
"When you think about it, it makes sense." Conan admitted, "Instead of obsessing over the seemingly endless finale, it's better to focus on the small joys along the way."
"for example?"
"For example, this morning, I successfully tricked Uncle Maori into giving up his attempt to drink beer in broad daylight." Conan's eyes revealed a little pride. "Although the mission level is very low, it is at least a stage victory."
"Then how did you celebrate?" Huibara said in a teasing tone.
"I rewarded myself with a can of the newly developed energy drink." Conan shook the empty can next to his seat. "The taste is still the same as always, Cthulhu."
Huiyuan burst out laughing: "What kind of celebration is this? A punishment game?"
"According to your theory, the key point is the act of 'celebration' itself."
Conan explained seriously, "It can prolong the duration of a small feeling of happiness. Before the previous happiness buff disappears, the next one will be applied. It's like a relay race."
"Sounds like a new type of self-PUA." Huibara said calmly.
"Maybe." Conan shrugged. "But it's better than living under the banner of 'Once I finish this job...'"
The train came out of the long tunnel, and the view suddenly opened up.
The majestic Mount Fuji suddenly came into view, its snow-capped peak gleaming in the sun with incredible clarity.
"Celebrating that we saw Mount Fuji without being blocked by clouds." Conan felt that the tone of his voice was relaxed and somewhat strange.
Huibara didn't look at him, her eyes fixed on the snow-capped mountains outside the window.
"Yeah. Better than celebrating you never sleeping on the stand."
Suddenly, the phone in Conan's pocket rang with a magical Kansai accent, the volume comparable to a live concert at the Osaka Dome.
"Hey! Kudo! Where have you been? Let me tell you, that white fox jumped out again last night! And even left a waka poem! Isn't this a clear provocation to me! If you dawdle any longer, I'll catch the criminal first, hahahaha..."
Hattori Heiji's loud voice pierced the momentary silence with its energetic energy.
Conan smiled helplessly and held the phone half a meter away.
"I know, I know. Keep your voice down. Your Osaka accent is going to blow the roof off the car."
He hung up the phone, stuffed the last bite of the melon bun into his mouth, and said incoherently, "Looks like the celebration time is over. Detective, it's time to go to work."
"No."
Ai Haibara's fingers turned the pages of the German book again, and her eyes fell on the place where the bookmark was.
She didn't look up.
"The celebrations aren't over yet. Solving a hard-core case is, in itself, a 'dessert' of the highest order."
She paused for a moment, then raised her eyes and met his gaze.
"Am I right, Detective?"
Conan's expression froze for a second, then completely collapsed and he laughed.
Seriously, for a mystery geek, isn’t the moment when the truth falls through the floor the ultimate dessert in life’s journey?
The train continued to speed towards Kyoto.
Huiyuan turned a page of the book.
"You know what?" she suddenly said, "When I was in the organization, I always felt that once the research was over and I could get out of there, everything would be fine."
Conan didn't say anything, just being a qualified listener.
"Thinking about it now, those days weren't all bad." Her voice softened. "For example, successfully synthesizing a new compound. For example, the chocolate my sister stole for me. For example..."
"for example?"
"Nothing." Huibara shook her head and turned to the window.
Conan was sensible and didn't ask any further questions.
He also didn't want to get an answer related to Vermouth.
He changed the subject: "So, those old-fashioned chicken soup sayings like 'Don't be arrogant when you win, and don't be discouraged when you lose' and 'Perseverance is victory' just miss the point."
"Oh? So what's the point?"
"The key is to learn how to 'feed yourself candy.'" Conan said, making an exaggerated feeding gesture with his hands. "It's like training a dog. Give it a piece of jerky after completing a command."
"You mean, we are all Pavlov's dogs?" Huihara raised her eyebrows.
"In a sense, yes." Conan said calmly, "What's wrong with that? As long as it makes our journey to the main quest easier."
The train announcement sounded, announcing our arrival at Kyoto Station. The farmland outside the window gave way to a dense cluster of buildings, and the ancient capital gradually became clearer in the sunlight.
"Haibara," Conan began to pack his backpack, "You're right. Instead of painting a pie in the sky for the future, it's better to live every 'present' to the fullest. Even if it's the present as Edogawa Conan."
"Huh? So, you don't want to change back? You plan to be an elementary school student forever?"
"Then I have to change back." Conan said with a serious expression, "But before that, I will celebrate more small things. For example, successfully preventing a murder. For example, cracking the locked room trick. For example..."
"For example, successfully conning a scientist into accompanying you to Kyoto to solve a routine case?"
"Forget it." Conan grinned. That smile belonged to Edogawa Conan, pure and childish.
The Shinkansen's speed began to slow, and the scenery outside the window became increasingly urban.
"Well then," Haibara stood up and straightened the collar of her coat, "when we meet Hattori later and successfully get the clue, how are you going to celebrate?"
Conan put one hand in his pocket and said, "Would you like to have an authentic Kyoto kaiseki meal?"
"Celebration? Or hush money?" Huibara raised the corner of her mouth.
"Both." Conan also stood up. "After all, having a reliable partner to work with is worth opening a bottle of 1982 Lafite to celebrate."
Huibara stopped moving and tilted her head: "Kudo Shinichi, when did you max out your speaking skills?"
"Probably the moment I realized the finish line was a myth."
Conan pushed up his glasses, and the lenses reflected the roofs of the ancient city outside the window. "Since the happiness at the end is such a huge flag, why not enjoy the scenery along the way?"
"Let's go." Huiyuan glanced at him, "Let's go meet your dark-skinned best friend from Kansai. Remember, if he starts showing off his reasoning again, don't forget to 'celebrate' each of his 'great discoveries'."
"Why do I feel like you are being sarcastic to me?" Conan gave him a look that said "something is wrong with you" and quickly followed.
"Perhaps," Huibara's voice was unusually cheerful, "I'm putting your theory into practice... I treat making fun of you as a daily celebration."
Conan: "...So you've been celebrating. No wonder you're so enthusiastic every time you confront me."
Huibara responded with a dazed expression: "What else, Kudo-kun?"
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