Since then, my relationship with Conan-kun has deepened significantly. As fellow professionals, we share common ground; whenever I discussed my work—keeping details vague to protect client confidentiality—Conan would listen with intense focus.
Lately, I have effectively become Conan's mouthpiece, so our dialogue rarely ceases. Watching him flounder, unsure how to convey his deductions, made me pity him. So, I quietly stepped in to help.
I winked at him and tapped the voice-changing bow tie on his chest. "You need someone to play the adult detective, don't you?" I whispered.
Conan looked visibly flustered. "W-What are you talking about?"
"Just watching you, I can tell you're incredibly sharp. Do people call you a prodigy? It looked like you were having a hard time there."
"...What are you after?"
"Nothing at all. Just professional courtesy between detectives."
He wasn't the only one losing patience with the comedic duo of Inspector Megure and Detective Mouri. They kept exclaiming, "Oh, what's this?" yet never seemed to arrive at an answer.
Inside me, Furuya was tearing his hair out in frustration: How can they miss the obvious?! Are they really First Division investigators?
Since I also grasped the truth the moment Conan said his signature "Isn't that strange?", I would like to believe my own deductive faculties are decent.
Once I successfully played my part as spokesman, we exchanged smiles.
"...Thank you, Amuro-san," he said.
"And you, Little Detective," I replied.
However, that did not mean I had escaped his truth-seeking gaze.
"...Amuro-san, you knew, didn't you? You knew he was the culprit."
His eyes were piercing, making me feel as though all my lies and secrets had been completely laid bare.
I feigned ignorance. "Who can say? I just thought it might be him."
"Why did you get close to Uncle Mouri?"
His tone was certain. He was convinced my intellect surpassed Detective Mouri's, and based on that premise, he was questioning my motives.
Playing the fool would have been easy, but it would only drag things out. I carefully chose my words to be direct and reasonably honest.
"Well... honestly, it could have been any other detective. I am a complete novice, after all."
"A novice? You seem awfully skilled at tracking and subduing criminals for a beginner."
── Your movements were disciplined, like a professional police officer.
He leveled this accusation with a sharp, piercing gaze that felt like a shock to the system—a direct breach of my defenses.
To notice all that just by watching me swap roles with Furuya-san for a split second! The title "Savior of the Japanese Police" isn't just for show.
"I appreciate the compliment. But did you know my need for a mentor was genuine? As for right now... I would be lying if I said I didn't have another objective."
"What objective?"
"Observing you. People as intriguing as you are rare, you see."
I said this wearing a gentle, deceptive smile.
Conan stiffened, his guard going up so visibly that I couldn't help but chuckle. He gives off the vibe of a small animal you just can't help but tease.
I decided to stop there, mostly because the Furuya-san inside me was fuming: It is in poor taste to mess with a model Japanese student!
"I'm kidding! Don't look so scared. I'm not planning anything shady."
"And what exactly counts as 'shady'?"
"Like hurting you, or anything else a villain might cook up."
"Hmm... Hey, wait! Don't mess up my hair!"
As if to chastise his skeptical, lukewarm reaction, I ruffled his hair vigorously, drawing a sharp protest from him.
I laughed aloud, thoroughly amused. He was captivatingly cute, tilting his head as if asking, Are you playing with me?
"It's true, I am a liar. But my desire not to be your enemy? That is the indisputable truth."
Only then did I speak with complete sincerity. I wasn't sure if my words would reach him, but I would be content if the protagonist kept them in some small corner of his heart.
After all, making an enemy of the hero is nothing short of a guaranteed defeat.
"I want to be your friend."
"...What kind of thing is that to say to an elementary schooler?"
"Adults don't have many friends. What do you say, Conan-kun? Won't you take pity on this lonely grown-up and be his friend?"
"I don't really want to go out of my way to reject you, anyway. You are Uncle Mouri's apprentice, after all."
Hearing that, Conan finally seemed to relax his shoulders.
I, too, felt relieved to have established a stable rapport with the protagonist. Whether my plans succeed or fail will depend entirely on the nature of my relationship with him.
I also plan to visit Tsukikage Island with him. My goal is purely tourism; I have no ulterior motive other than wanting to witness that famous scene from the original story firsthand.
I am certain Furuya-san will instantly grasp the pattern of the code left in the tragically deceased pianist's will. He will decode it and read aloud: "To my son, Seiji..."
It seems his skills in that area are improving at breakneck speed, thanks to the lessons he received from Lupin.
However, it is hardly ideal that Lupin's provocations irritate him to the point where his veins look ready to burst. I suppose it is only natural that a man with a pure sense of justice and pride as high as Mount Everest would be incompatible with "Old Man Lupin."
The sight of Lupin cackling delightedly—"Ehehehe!"—while Furuya Rei screams, "I'm going home right now!" in utter humiliation has become a familiar occurrence at Lupin's hideout.
It got so chaotic that Daisuke Jigen, whose activities are usually limited to drinking, smoking, and sleeping, finally complained: "Can't you guys keep it down a little?!"
Conan eyed me suspiciously as I recalled these memories, then turned on his heel.
"Well, whatever. Let's go, Amuro-san. The old men have already left."
"Understood, Master. Let us depart."
Conan whipped around and shouted, "Wait! What did you just say? 'Master'?!"
"I am Kogoro Mouri's apprentice, am I not? And you are 'Sleeping Kogoro.'"
"That is a total distortion of the truth! Amuro-san, you've been getting really mean lately!"
"How strange. I've been told I'm as friendly and lovable as a puppy, but no one has ever accused me of having a nasty personality before."
"Friendly as a puppy...? Give me a break. I am not going to be your master, no matter what!"
That is a shame. It is true that my deductive reasoning is weak compared to Furuya-san's, so I thought this was a good opportunity to learn how to use my brain.
Wouldn't it be incredibly prestigious to have Edogawa Conan as my detective mentor?
"I truly thought that with you as my teacher, I could hone my skills further. I am being serious."
"Rejected! Come on, stop talking nonsense and let's go!"
"Understood."
Thus began our journey back home. The night road was dark, but the rental car driven by Kogoro Mouri felt warm and lively.
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Bonus Chapter Goal: 2 extra chapters for every review or 15 Power Stones.