Chapter 5: Someone Difficult to Get Along With~
One person ate, one person fiddled with their phone.
About five minutes later, Haibara Ai finished eating, took her cold medicine, and went to the room to change clothes.
On Chi Feichi's side, information on three bounty missions had also been downloaded to his phone. He cleared the traces left on the computer, shut it down, covered Kitagawa Anda with a coat, and after Haibara Ai came out, he packed up the pajamas Haibara Ai had changed out of and another set of new clothes, and took them with him.
Haibara Ai tacitly accepted Chi Feichi's actions. After going out, she pulled up the hood of her red coat. "What about him then?"
"When he wakes up, he'll go back himself." Chi Feichi closed the door. "Where exactly is the address? I'll drive you over."
"21st block of Beika Town, 2nd chome."
An hour later, a car stopped in front of the Kudo residence.
Haibara Ai looked at the dark and quiet house and lightly coughed. "It seems like everyone is out. You should go back first. I'll wait outside for a while."
Before, she had been single-mindedly thinking of finding Kudo Shinichi, who had also shrunk. Whether as a 'fellow shrunken person' or as someone who also knew about the Organization and had grievances with them, teaming up with Kudo Shinichi to figure things out was a good option. However, she had almost forgotten that Kudo Shinichi wouldn't be living here after he shrank...
"I'll wait with you for a while." Chi Feichi got out of the car directly.
"No need!"
Haibara Ai got out of the car as well, pretending to be a little girl, her expression cautious. "I heard some perverts like to target little girls. Are you trying to figure out who's in my family so you can make a plan to kidnap me?"
Chi Feichi was stunned for a moment...
"Pfft!"
Laugh... he laughed?
Haibara Ai stared blankly at Chi Feichi. The smile on the young man's face wasn't deep, but his light purple eyes, when he smiled, were like melting clouds, warm and gentle.
This guy...
Snapping back, poker face +1.
"You... what are you laughing at? What's so funny!"
Chi Feichi rubbed his face. It seemed this body hadn't laughed in a long time; the muscles in his face felt stiff, and suddenly smiling tugged at them a bit painfully. "You suddenly acting like an arrogant, conceited, and difficult kid is quite funny."
Just a moment ago, she was perfectly fine, but suddenly her expression changed, as if saying—'I've always suspected you're a bad guy. Now that we're home, I have nothing to fear, and I'm going to lay my cards on the table and expose you!'
Others might think that way, but unfortunately...
He knew Haibara Ai wasn't a real little girl and wouldn't make such a childish reaction.
Was she worried about running into people from the Organization here? Or was she afraid he'd get involved and was deliberately keeping her distance?
Haibara Ai remembered the pile of books she had seen on the coffee table in the living room earlier and understood. This guy studies psychology, huh? Alright, there's no point in keeping up the act. "I was just joking."
Chi Feichi nodded. "Mm."
Haibara Ai gave Chi Feichi a strange look. Was this guy, who seemed to not overthink anything and was so silent and quiet he seemed autistic, really studying psychology properly? "Are you always like this?"
Chi Feichi looked at Haibara Ai in confusion.
"No curiosity, rarely smiles, poor affinity, acting like a cold, aloof, and difficult person..." Haibara Ai leisurely retorted, echoing Chi Feichi's earlier remark about her being 'arrogant, conceited, and difficult'.
Chi Feichi thought for a moment. "I look like someone difficult to get along with?"
"On the outside, yes." Haibara Ai looked at Chi Feichi's calm face.
The subtext: But you're not, inside.
However, telling her to comfort a man and tell him not to overthink things... that would feel a bit like acting like a little girl, and she felt uncomfortable just thinking about it...
Anyway, the other person should understand what she meant.
Although this guy spoke little, he wasn't related to 'aloofness'. At least, spending time with him was relaxing, and he was probably a kind-hearted person inside.
Taking her back could be out of sympathy or for some other motive. Buying her clothes might be because he had too much money and didn't care about spending it, but this guy also bought slippers, under... forget that part!
Furthermore, when she ate, she saw the empty bento box on the table, which indicated that this guy had specifically bought two bentos when he went, remembering her portion...
There was still a faint, fresh scent of shampoo on her hair, but there were no traces of dampness on the pillow, indicating he had washed her hair and carefully blow-dried it.
The pajamas and slippers were the softest. At the very least, he had carefully selected the materials. He bought two sets of clothes in different colors and didn't forget to buy two jackets suitable for the recent low night temperatures.
On top of that, there was food to eat as soon as she woke up, and when it was time to take medicine, the boiled water by her hand was already at a suitable temperature for drinking.
And from beginning to end, this guy never specifically mentioned anything he had done, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Ignoring personality, ignoring money, these small details were more moving.
Haibara Ai couldn't help but turn her head to glance at Chi Feichi, who was standing beside her, looking down at his phone. He just liked to keep a straight face, looking uninterested in everything, completely clueless about showing affection...
"Uh..."
Next door, Professor Agasa opened his door and looked at the two people standing in the cold wind with confusion. "Are you looking for someone at the Kudo residence?"
"I'm a distant relative of the Kudo family. My parents planned to visit, but unfortunately, I got separated from them," Haibara Ai glanced at Chi Feichi, who had put away his phone. "He's a kind person who gave me a ride on the way. I have something very important to tell Kudo Shinichi."
Chi Feichi, who was given a "nice guy" card: "..."
"Looking for Shinichi, huh? He hasn't been back recently..." Professor Agasa felt a bit awkward.
As neighbors for so many years, he had never heard Kudo Shinichi mention such a distant relative.
However, it was also normal for distant relatives not to visit much in the past. But leaving someone waiting outside seemed a bit improper...
"You..." Haibara Ai looked at Professor Agasa, a hint of a mysterious smile appearing on her face. "Do you know about the medicine he took?"
Professor Agasa's expression froze for a moment. Speaking of medicine...
"I don't think you'd mind me sitting at your place for a while, letting the irrelevant person go handle his own matters first. After all, you and I are somewhat related, and you should be quite willing to chat with me, right?" Haibara Ai's tone was leisurely, but to Professor Agasa's ears, it was a blatant threat!
"Ah, of course!" Professor Agasa restrained the gravity on his face, forced a smile, and hesitantly looked at Chi Feichi.
Was he really an 'irrelevant' 'kind person'?
Haibara Ai turned back to look at Chi Feichi. "Thank you for bringing me here. I'll wait at his place. You can go back first."
Chi Feichi was a little curious about how Haibara Ai and Professor Agasa would communicate later now that he had intervened, but Haibara Ai clearly didn't want him involved. He nodded, got into the car, turned off his phone, and drove away.
Knocking out Kitagawa Anda and lying to delay his return to the academy were already facts.
Even if he went back voluntarily now, a 'key observation' plus 'chicken soup for the soul' package would be unavoidable.
Since that was the case, it would be better to be straightforward. Let them think whatever they wanted; he wasn't going to play along anymore.
He might as well take this opportunity to go to Osaka and arrest Numabuchi Kiichiro!
...
The next day.
Osaka, Tsutenkaku.
On the observation deck, a dark-skinned young man was introducing things to the people next to him. "Over there... is Tennoji Zoo, and over there is the Osaka Sports Hall..."
Hattori Heiji, huh...
Chi Feichi glanced from a distance, then withdrew his gaze and continued asking people which forest in Osaka had a waterfall and a log cabin.
Fortunately, he had driven to Osaka overnight and found a hotel to rest, otherwise, the bounty target might have been intercepted by the Elementary School God of Death.
He didn't remember the name of the place where Numabuchi Kiichiro was discovered, so he could only pretend to be a tourist and ask others.
Conveniently, as a famous landmark in Osaka, Tsutenkaku attracted many tour guides, who should have an impression of the local scenery...
"Are you talking about Kimen Waterfall on Kimen Mountain? If you're looking for a forest with a waterfall and a log cabin, that should be the place. It's just that I haven't been there for many years, so I don't know if the log cabin has been dismantled," the middle-aged tour guide uncle said with a look of regret. "Actually, Kimen Waterfall was very famous in earlier years. It was a very beautiful waterfall that plunged straight down from a high cliff. Unfortunately, it wasn't developed further afterward, and the place was also quite far from the city center, so it gradually became desolate..."
Chi Feichi took out a map of Osaka from his newly bought backpack and found the location of Kimen Mountain. "Kimen Waterfall doesn't seem to be marked on the map."
"Let me mark it for you," the tour guide uncle took out the ballpoint pen he carried with him, leaned forward, and helped Chi Feichi mark the spot. "I'll even mark the route into the mountain for you. This road is accessible by car, which is very convenient. But what are you going there for? If you want to go for a forest bath, there are actually better options, such as..."
Chi Feichi listened to the tour guide uncle ramble on. "Thank you, but a friend asked me to meet them there. If I have time, I'll check out those other places with them."
"I see. Well, you can find me as your guide then. I know the sights of Osaka like the back of my hand; you won't find many people in all of Osaka who can compare to me!" The tour guide uncle gave himself a sales pitch. "Go to Yamajima Travel Agency and tell them you're looking for Hirakawa Sho!"
"I'll go if I have time," Chi Feichi replied, took the map, and turned to leave, glancing towards Conan's group as he did so.
The people over there were still looking at the scenery and chatting idly.
He still had to go rent a car. He envied those who could take the police and ride in a police car to catch criminals...
In front of the observation window, Hattori Heiji was still explaining to Conan. "I dreamed that just when I was about to catch the culprit, he turned around and stabbed me... and then you died~"
Conan stumbled, joking while sweating. "What?! Come on, don't just randomly kill people like that, alright? Huh?"
Seeing Conan suddenly turn his head to look behind him, Hattori Heiji followed his gaze. "What's wrong?"
"It seemed like someone was watching us just now..." Conan looked at the passing crowd, his gaze subconsciously lingering on a black-clad back.
"There are so many people here, it's normal for someone to glance over as they pass by, isn't it?" Hattori Heiji was speechless. "Even if they took a second look, they might have been looking out the window, out the window! We're right in front of the window, after all..."
"That's true." Conan withdrew his gaze. Maybe it was just his imagination...
End of Chapter