Chapter 49: Insulting a Monk in Front of a Baldy

Mouri Detective Agency

Mouri Ran, who had carefully dressed up and put on makeup, stole a glance at Mouri Kogoro, who was fast asleep with his head pillowed on the desk, and tiptoed toward the door.

"Ran-neechan, where are you going?" Conan, having just returned from Professor Agasa's house, paused slightly when he saw Ran's unusually dressed-up appearance, then asked in a sweet, childish voice, "Are you going to the movie theater? I want to go too!"

"Shh..."

Ran hastily pressed a finger to her lips in a gesture for silence, lowering her voice as she replied, "No, not there~ I'm going on a date."

"A date?"

"Yes, a date with Shinichi."

"So it's a date with Shinichi-niisan~" Hearing that Ran was going on a date with his true self, Conan became so overjoyed that he lost his sense of composure.

"If Daddy finds out I'm going on a date with Shinichi, he'll definitely be furious, so you absolutely cannot tell him, okay~?"

"Mm, I know. Be careful on your way." Watching Ran's gradually retreating figure, Conan couldn't help smiling to himself and muttered, "Ran dressed up so prettily and looked so happy, it turns out she's going on a date with me..."

Wait a minute!

Before Conan could finish his sentence, his expression changed drastically. Wasn't he Kudo Shinichi himself?!

Who on earth was that girl Ran going to date?!

Conan suddenly felt a heavy shade of green hovering over his head. The ultimate champion of vinegar-drinking in East Asia was online once again, and he quietly trailed behind Ran, following her silently step by step.

As everyone knew, ordinary detectives rarely encountered so many murder cases, so the daily routine of most detectives mostly consisted of catching cheating spouses. Tailgating and shadowing were essential professional skills.

He never expected to use these skills on Mouri Ran today. Truly, life was full of unpredictable twists and turns!

Following Ran all the way, Conan watched with his own eyes as she entered a coffee shop. Without much hesitation, he tiptoed in right behind her.

Just as he stepped into the café, before Conan even had a chance to survey his surroundings, a small hand suddenly shot out and pulled him into a seat beside it.

"Shh~"

Seeing Suzuki Seimei making a shushing gesture toward him, Conan couldn't help asking in surprise, "Seimei, why are you here?"

"It's all because of Sonoko-neechan. I heard she's going on a date with some newly acquainted Wakaoji today. Worried that she might get scammed or tricked by someone, I came early to keep an eye on things~" Seimei pulled down the brim of his baseball cap and whispered his explanation.

┐(ﾟ～ﾟ)┌

Hearing this, Conan didn't even know how to retort.

Sonoko, please grow some common sense!

"By the way, Conan, why are you here? And I seemed to see Ran-neechan just now..." Halfway through his sentence, Seimei looked at Conan with a hint of disdain in his eyes. "You aren't tailgating Ran-neechan, are you?"

Conan waved his hands and denied, "Of course not! I just heard that Ran-neechan was going on a date with Shinichi-niisan, and I was a bit curious about Shinichi-niisan~"

"Ran-neechan is going on a date with Shinichi-niisan?" Hearing this, Seimei paused slightly, his gaze turning rather strange.

So this guy was simply terrified of being cuckolded!

ಠᴗಠ

Seimei's lips curved upward into a rather mischievous smile, and he said in a sarcastic, mocking tone, "Speaking of which, I haven't seen Shinichi-niisan for quite a while. I honestly thought he'd been beaten so badly he ended up hospitalized."

"..."

The corner of Conan's eye twitched, and he mentally ranted, "You brat, I only teased you a few times in the past, is it really necessary to curse me like this?"

"Conan, I'm not talking nonsense. Shinichi-niisan is extremely curious, and he always loves rushing into dangerous places. Even if he really gets bludgeoned by some criminals, it would only be completely normal, right~?"

(╬￣皿￣)

Veins bulged on Conan's forehead, and he instinctively wanted to defend himself, but the words stuck in his throat and refused to come out.

Because what Seimei said was entirely accurate; not only had he been ambushed and bludgeoned by Gin, but he had also been forced to swallow a poison that turned him into an elementary schooler.

That really pierced right through his heart!

"Actually, I've always felt that Shinichi-niisan isn't good enough for Ran-neechan. A high school detective who loves risking his life like him might end up dying at the hands of some criminal any day now. Wouldn't that mean Ran-neechan would be forced to live like a widow?"

Watching Conan's bitter, speechless expression, Seimei ruthlessly piled on the pressure. "Even if Ran-neechan suddenly dumps Shinichi-niisan and goes on dates with other boys, I'd say that's completely normal. Don't you think so, Conan?"

As the saying goes, "A gentleman takes his revenge ten years later; a petty person takes revenge from morning till night."

Seimei was currently just an elementary schooler, so he could barely be counted as a "petty person."

Speaking ill of Kudo Shinichi right in front of Conan—it was simply thrilling!

Puff, puff, puff...

Conan flushed crimson with anger, feeling as though his heart had been pierced through and through, yet he found himself completely unable to refute Seimei.

Furthermore, combining it with Seimei's previous words, Conan felt that the shade of green on his head had deepened even further. Was Ran really going to dump him?

As the proverb goes, "Care brings chaos."

Although Conan's deductive reasoning skills were extraordinary, they usually failed to function properly when he was faced with Mouri Ran; otherwise, he wouldn't have lost his composure so easily over just a few words from Seimei.

"I want my coffee! Didn't you hear me? Hurry up and bring the coffee over here!"

A burst of clamor suddenly rang out, drawing the attention of both Seimei and Conan.

"Eh?"

When Seimei's gaze fell upon the woman wearing sunglasses, his expression shifted slightly.

He saw that right above the head of the sunglasses-wearing woman who had just entered the café, three striking words floated: "Available for Check-in."

Originally, Seimei had only come to stake out the place in advance to prevent Suzuki Sonoko from being swindled by a scumbag. But now, seeing this development—coupled with the personal presence of Conan, the elementary school Grim Reaper—how could he possibly fail to realize that a crime was about to take place here?

"Y-Yes."

The female café clerk was startled by the woman's hostile attitude and hurriedly scurried off to prepare the coffee in a panic.

Seeing this, Conan muttered inwardly, "That older sister has a really awful attitude. She shouldn't be the person Ran is waiting for, right?"

Jingle!

The bell at the entrance of the café rang once again, and an ordinary-looking man wearing a blue suit walked in, carrying several books.

"Welcome. Is it just one person, sir?" A pretty waitress with shoulder-length hair greeted him immediately.

"Miss, I have a research paper that I absolutely must finish writing today. Could you please give me a quiet seat? Thank you."

"Certainly, please come this way."

Hearing this, the waitress led the man deeper into the café and seated him at a table near the corner.

"A college student? It shouldn't be him either. Who writes research papers on a date? Besides, this guy isn't as handsome as me," Conan thought to himself.