"The trial slots were taken care of long ago."
Tsuneo said, waving his phone with a brilliant smile on his face.
"Is that so? I honestly don't see what's so interesting about that game." Ikumi Kyoda scooped out a bowl of rice and placed the entire rice cooker directly in front of the repairman.
Lately, when she had nothing else to do, she would occasionally stay over at Tsuneo's apartment and help cook breakfast in the morning.
Speaking of Cocoon, it seemed that only hardcore gamers and children were truly anticipating it. The repairman clearly didn't fit into either category.
"If I miss this one, I feel like I'll have to wait fifty years," Tsuneo said, shaking his head.
"Is it really that exaggerated?" Ikumi sat down beside him and began to eat. She was dressed casually, wearing only a loose white shirt. Judging by her expression, she still wasn't particularly interested in the game.
"Let me give you a little tip: one of the scenarios is London a hundred years ago, at the end of the century." Tsuneo turned on the TV to the morning news, then turned back to her and spoke mysteriously.
London, a hundred years ago? At the end of the century?
"Sherlock Holmes?"
Indeed, for a detective, that figure was the center of conversation. Regardless of whether one was an expert or just a casual fan, the topic was enough to spark a dialogue.
"Wasn't she hosting the weekend evening news before?"
Tsuneo looked at the female anchor on the screen with some confusion. He hadn't seen her on the morning news before.
"Temporary job adjustments are normal," Ikumi remarked. After taking a bite of rice, she asked nonchalantly, "Why? Do you know her?"
"Don't know her," Tsuneo shook his head like a rattle. Not well, definitely not well. She didn't even tell me she was an undercover agent.
"It's very difficult to lie to a detective." Ikumi tapped her finger twice on the tabletop, turning to look at the repairman with a half-smile. That being said, she didn't necessarily think his willingness to lie was a bad thing.
Tsuneo changed the channel without changing his expression. Watching the news so early is too serious for me.
A swimsuit commercial?
Perfect. Let's watch the commercials!
"By the way, why did you stuff so much cash into the closet? Aren't you afraid of losing it?" Ikumi moved on from the previous topic, asking about the duffel bag in the wardrobe. There were tens of millions, nearly a hundred million yen inside—not a small sum.
"That's the payment. I was worried about it being traced at the time, so I just tossed it in there. It's convenient to grab some for spending." Tsuneo went into "tea-over-rice" mode halfway through his meal, eating aggressively.
Lose it? I'd like to see who dares try to steal it.
"Anyway, when are you going out again? Take me with you!" Hearing this, Ikumi figured the money was likely earnings from his "Dark Knight" persona. She didn't pry further but became more interested in his next move.
"What, can you dodge bullets too?" Tsuneo shook his head. If things go south, I'd probably end up having to carry you while running.
"Heh..." Ikumi laughed. She put down her chopsticks, leaned back, and lay on the floor. The white shirt stretched, exposing her long, slender legs, while a corner of purple-patterned fabric came into view.
"..."
Tsuneo looked at his half-finished gravy-soaked rice, then turned to look at the woman beside him.
Hmph. A mere honey trap.
Keep it up if you've got the guts. Let's see what other tricks you have up your sleeve...
Noon.
Teitan Elementary.
"Let's eat!"
"Class, don't be picky with your food, and make sure to chew thoroughly!" Kobayashi-sensei stood at the podium, speaking to the children.
"I can't stand this. Even after 'graduating' high school, I still have to eat school lunches. It's enough to bring tears to my eyes."
Conan rested his chin on his hand, sucking on a milk straw while grumbling under his breath. Even the instant noodles Tsuneo made had more variety than this.
"Is that so? I actually quite like this feeling," Haibara said beside him, breaking apart her bread with a smile.
Conan tilted his head and looked at her, clearly not understanding.
"When I was in America, I always ate alone in the school cafeteria. Rather than that, I'd prefer everyone sitting together like this, noisily pushing the tables together to eat."
Haibara took a bite of her bread. Though the nutritional value was fine, the taste was truly nothing to write home about.
"I thought so too at first, but..." Conan made an exasperated face and took a sip of soup. As expected, the more nutritious something is, the worse it tastes.
"Ah! Mitsuhiko, you picked out the carrots again!"
Across the table, Ayumi spotted someone being picky.
"I—I wanted to save them for last." Caught in the act, Mitsuhiko gave an embarrassed smile.
"Hehehe..." Conan nodded. In every class, there were always kids who were picky eaters, or those who wolfed down their food as if their lives depended on it.
For example, the guy next to me.
Thinking of this, the Great Detective turned his gaze toward Genta. Just then, a student at another table behind them shouted, "Finished! I'm first today!"
Conan finally showed a look of genuine shock.
Impossible. How could it not be Genta?!
"Kobayashi-sensei, I suddenly feel a bit unwell. Can I go to the nurse's office?" Genta stood up and, after getting permission, walked straight out of the classroom.
"Eh?" "Eh!"
First came confusion, then shock. Everyone in the classroom was surprised without exception.
"This is incredibly unusual!"
"Genta barely ate anything today." Mitsuhiko stood in front of Genta's desk, looking at the tray of food in bewilderment.
The bread had only one bite taken out of it, the milk was barely touched, and the rest of the items were completely ignored.
"Could he be on a diet?" Ayumi asked curiously. There are often those diet-and-weight-loss shows on TV. Did Genta see one of those?
"There are only two people in this world who are absolutely incapable of dieting," Conan said, waving his hand, dismissing the idea. "One is Genta, and the other is Tsuneo."
"Something's not right. Come to think of it, Genta hasn't asked us to play after school for several days now."
"Every time school ends, he's the first one to leave by himself."
Thinking carefully, Mitsuhiko and Ayumi realized that Genta had indeed been acting abnormally for the past couple of days. Even when Ms. Sonoko mentioned the game launch this morning, he only stayed excited for a fleeting moment.
"Could he be getting bullied by some older students?" Mitsuhiko became anxious at the thought.
"Please. Genta is so big; who would dare bully him?" Conan smiled. This option didn't seem correct either.
Thanks to the "Dark Knight," there were fewer thugs on the streets now, and the schools had become much quieter. Thinking about it, that guy actually did some good after all.
(End of Chapter)
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 30 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[pat*eon*com/DaoistRoeoNQ]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"