T/N: Hey, I just woke up and realized I still hadn't translated any chapters, so I went ahead and translated 3 chapter for Today right away. If there are any mistakes, please let me know >w<
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Beika Town, 2-chome, Dr. Agasa's underground laboratory.
Conan lay on the sofa, hands behind his head, bored, staring at the complex pipes on the ceiling.
Dr. Agasa, wearing goggles and a mask, was busy operating various instruments at the experiment bench, analyzing the mineral water Conan had sampled and brought back from Gin's seat on the Shinkansen.
"Doctor…" Conan's voice was tired, "I suspect Ran might have found out that I'm Kudo Shinichi."
"No way? It should be very difficult for someone to discover you've turned into a child," Dr. Agasa said without lifting his head, focused on the burette in his hand.
"That's true, but lately, Ran has been subtly testing me."
Conan rolled over to face the Doctor.
"She'll suddenly bring up some childhood memories that only she and I know, asking if I remember them.
Or, she'll casually ask, 'Conan, is your dad a mystery novelist working abroad? How many of Uncle Yusaku's books have you read?'… She asks in such detail!"
Conan scratched his head in distress: "Every time, I have to rack my brain, trying to answer like an elementary school student without giving myself away.
Several times, I almost couldn't help but tell her the truth! If this continues, I'll be exposed sooner or later anyway!"
"No! Absolutely not!"
Dr. Agasa abruptly put down the burette, turned around, his expression unusually serious.
His eyes fixed on Conan: "Shinichi, have you forgotten the danger of those men in black? You know better than anyone how viciously they act! Letting Ran know the truth is like dragging her into this dangerous whirlpool! Can you bear to see her in danger because of you?"
The Doctor's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Conan's head, instantly cooling his heated mind.
That's right, those villains from the Organization are not only powerful but also act without scruple.
If Ran were to get involved, it would be too dangerous.
"And also," Dr. Agasa's tone softened a bit, and he teased:
"Don't forget the 'accident' that happened at the Mouri Detective Agency a few days ago. It's normal for children to occasionally lose control and have an upset stomach or something.
But think about it, if Ran knew you were Kudo Shinichi… tsk tsk tsk, your image in her heart would be…" The Doctor deliberately drew out the end of his sentence, not finishing it.
Conan's face instantly flushed crimson. he felt utterly mortified.
If Ran really knew he was Kudo Shinichi,
wouldn't his image in her heart be completely ruined?
To be socially dead as Kudo Shinichi in front of Ran? That image was too beautiful for him to imagine!
A strong sense of shame overwhelmed the urge to confess.
"Do-Doctor! Don't bring that up!"
Conan sprang up from the sofa like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his face full of embarrassment.
"I get it! I'll continue to hide it from Ran! For her safety and my image, I absolutely won't let her know I'm Shinichi!"
He resignedly slumped back onto the sofa, covering his flushed face with a cushion.
Just then, the instrument in front of Dr. Agasa emitted a completion sound.
"The results are in!" The Doctor leaned closer to the screen, carefully examining the analysis report, a surprised expression on his face.
"Well, Doctor? What are the ingredients inside? Is it related to the poison that shrunk my body?" Conan immediately put down the cushion and asked nervously.
"I'm afraid not."
Dr. Agasa shook his head, pointing at the data on the report.
"The test results show that this bottle of water contains an extremely high concentration of a powerful laxative designed for large mammals! The effect is very strong, enough to cause severe diarrhea and dehydration in an adult within a short period.
You can't buy anything this strong on the market, it's usually used by veterinarians to relieve constipation in elephants or large livestock."
"Powerful laxative?!"
Conan was stunned, then recalled the disheveled sight of Gin and Vodka rushing to the toilet on the Shinkansen.
"So that's it." Conan sat up abruptly, "That makes sense now."
Conan's thoughts instantly became clear:
"Gin and Vodka's mineral water must have been swapped by that pink twin-tailed woman when I crawled under the seat to plant the bug.
And if my guess is correct, that woman is very likely a member of the Cunning Hares, who are opposing the Black Organization!"
"Cunning Hares…" Conan clenched his fists. "It seems I need to find a way to investigate this mysterious organization, perhaps through them, I can get more clues about the Black Organization."
Ding-dong—Ding-dong—
The doorbell rang urgently.
"Conan! Conan! Are you at the Doctor's house?" Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta's energetic voices came from outside the door.
Dr. Agasa walked over to open the door, and the three kids immediately squeezed in.
"Conan, you're here after all! Ran-neechan said you weren't home, and we immediately guessed you were playing video games at the Doctor's house." Ayumi saw Conan and excitedly ran over to grab his wrist.
"Conan! Come with us!" Genta's voice was the loudest, "We found out that Beika Library just got a set of super exciting Masked Rider special edition comics! It's a limited edition! If we don't go now, they'll all be borrowed!"
"Exactly!" Mitsuhiko was excited, "They say it has never-before-seen designs for Masked Rider's special moves! As soon as we heard the news, we came straight to find you, aren't we good friends?"
Ayumi also looked at Conan expectantly: "Conan-kun, come with us!"
Conan sighed helplessly, looking at the enthusiastic trio.
He really couldn't refuse his eager friends and didn't want to spoil their fun.
"Alright, alright, wait for me." Conan jumped off the sofa and picked up his small backpack… Beika Library, Children's Reading Area.
Genta held a thick Masked Rider comic, reading it with great enjoyment, making "hehe haha" onomatopoeic sounds.
Mitsuhiko, meanwhile, held a science encyclopedia, trying to explain something to Ayumi.
Conan, however, wasn't in the mood for comics. He leaned against a bookshelf, his gaze casually sweeping around.
Just then, a deliberately hushed conversation came from the relatively quiet adult reading area of the library, and several familiar voices immediately made Conan's ears perk up.
He quietly circled the bookshelf and peeked out.
Inspector Megure, Officer Takagi, and Miwako Sato were gathered around a reading table, their expressions serious.
Opposite them stood a middle-aged man wearing a library uniform, with a pale face and a nervous expression.
"Director Tsugawa," Inspector Megure asked in a deep voice, "Regarding the disappearance of Mr. Tamada Kazuo, a staff member of your library, we need to confirm a few more details.
According to his wife's testimony, the last time he came to work was the night before yesterday, responsible for inventory after closing, and he hasn't returned home since.
The duty log for that night, and the library's surveillance, really didn't capture anything unusual?"
Director Tsugawa wiped the cold sweat from his brow: "Ye-yes, Inspector. The surveillance that night, unfortunately, the system was undergoing maintenance and upgrades, so there were no recordings.
Tamada-san has always been diligent in his work, filling out records on time, and everything seemed normal that night too. I don't know why he would disappear…"