“A game of an elementary school detective battling the Black Organization,” Kudou Yuusaku said with a completely straight face.
Kudou Yuusaku naturally had a very serious-looking face.
When he said those words, his tone was unusually earnest.
If Shouichi were an idiot, he might have actually believed his nonsense.
Shouichi put on an expression that clearly said, *You’re insulting my intelligence,* but he tilted his ear slightly toward Yuusaku as if to say, *But I’m willing to listen to your bullshit.*
As a good listener, Shouichi didn’t interrupt at all while Yuusaku spouted his nonsense.
Even Conan couldn’t help but try to interject a few times, but Yuusaku shut him down every time.
Conan had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.
*Just treat it as him making up a story for Shouichi.
It’s all to help hide my identity,* he thought.
But when Yuusaku mentioned that the woman on the floor was Kudou Yukiko, Conan’s pupils dilated in sheer shock.
Shouichi nodded.
“So you’re saying that you and Conan were actually playing a game?
You, Professor Agasa, and this Yukiko on the floor were all just acting?”
“Exactly,” Yuusaku nodded.
Whether Shouichi believed it or not, Conan was already trembling.
When Shouichi peeled the mask off Yukiko’s face, Conan’s lingering hopes finally died.
Yukiko’s eyes reflected Conan’s shivering figure.
As if on cue, the soccer ball from earlier rolled right to Conan’s feet, making him tremble even harder.
Shouichi kicked the soccer ball away from Conan’s feet and muttered, “You guys take your games really seriously.
That was a heavy hit.”
He glanced at Yukiko’s chest.
“Haha,” Conan laughed awkwardly.
He genuinely hadn’t known.
He was still in a daze, only realizing now that the person who came to kidnap him was apparently his own mother.
Conan glanced at his loving mother.
*Can ignorance be an excuse?
Besides, you guys started it!*
Yukiko’s eyes were half-closed, her gaze brimming with maternal love.
“E-Even if it’s just a game, you have to give it your all,” Conan stammered.
“Very good.
Excellent sportsmanship,” Shouichi said with a smile.
Conan nodded.
He had great sportsmanship; he could only hope his mom had good sportsmanship too.
Shouichi was successfully placated and left.
At least, in Conan’s eyes, he had been placated.
“Will he really believe the excuse you made up?” Yukiko asked, playing with the pink rope.
Yuusaku shook his head.
“Definitely not.”
“When Shinichi interacted with him, he definitely realized this wasn’t a game.
He just figured I wouldn’t tell him the truth and didn’t want to waste his time here.”
“It all depends on whether he wants to get to the bottom of it.”
“If he’s not interested, Shinichi’s identity won’t be exposed.
If he is, he’ll definitely be able to dig something up.”
“Then let’s ignore him for now,” Yukiko said, picking up the soccer ball and bouncing it.
…
Shouichi didn’t stick around to eavesdrop on Yukiko and Conan’s parent-child bonding.
He drove his car back home.
Upon returning, a delighted Yuuko shared some cute photos of Ai with him.
In the photos, Ai was meticulously cutting fruit.
Her serious expression was incredibly adorable, and Yuuko had even secretly snapped a picture of Ai giggling foolishly.
Shouichi smiled happily.
*Ai was slicing so viciously…
she definitely wasn’t imagining that fruit was me, right?*
*And that giggling photo…
it couldn’t be her smiling at the fantasy of successfully murdering me, could it?*
*Probably not.*
“Mr.
Shouichi, this is the fruit Ai cut for you.
She was just too shy to give it to you herself, so she had me do it,” Yuuko said, handing Shouichi the fruit platter.
Ai, who was doing her homework in the living room, looked up.
*I clearly cut that for Yuuko!
She’s reading way too much into this.*
“What a good girl,” Shouichi praised her.
Ai remained silent and sullen.
*Let him eat it.
Consider it his last meal.*
*Eat up so you can be sent on your way.
Tonight, we perish together!*
Night fell.
Shouichi was lying in bed asleep.
Ai hid the fruit knife in her sleeve again and carefully crept into his bedroom, attempting another night raid.
She stepped up behind him and pulled out the knife.
Right at that moment, Shouichi happened to roll over.
Ai shuddered, but she didn’t back down.
*I absolutely cannot hesitate.
I failed last time because I was too timid.*
“What are you doing?” Shouichi asked, staring at Ai with wide eyes.
Ai looked at him in terror.
Startled by those wide eyes, she stumbled and fell forward onto him again, the knife slipping from her grasp and dropping onto the carpet.
Taking the brunt of the loli’s tackle, Shouichi patted Ai’s head.
This was the second time this little one had come seeking hugs in the middle of the night.
Kids these days really were too clingy.
*Or maybe I’m just so charismatic that the little tyke can’t help but want to be close to me?*
“I…” Ai stammered, looking at Shouichi.
Her intense fear of the Organization left her unable to form a complete sentence.
Fortunately, Shouichi was very kind and didn’t mind a child who couldn’t speak clearly.
He patted her head and said, “You’re playing a game with me, aren’t you?”
“A game?” Ai froze.
“The game of Jing Ke assassinating the King of Qin.
You must be playing that game with me, right?” Shouichi said.
“Right,” Ai nodded.
She cautiously stole a glance at him.
*An excuse this absurd should have been brought up by the guilty party—me.
Why did you come up with it for me?*
*Are you actively making excuses for the person trying to kill you?*
She really hadn’t studied the field of psychopathy yet.
Shouichi said, “It’s already so late, let’s stop playing games.
We can play again tomorrow when we wake up.
Let’s just go to sleep for now.”
Ai wanted to get off the bed, but Shouichi had already pinned her down under the covers.
“I…”
“By the way, do you know Kudou Shinichi?” Shouichi asked suddenly.
“No, I don’t,” Ai answered nervously.
*Why would he suddenly bring up Kudou Shinichi?*
*Could it be that he finally sensed my malice and is suspecting my identity?*
“You don’t?” Shouichi muttered softly.
“Today, Kudou Shinichi’s parents were playing a game with a little boy.
“Just like you, they take their games very seriously.
“You used a real knife to play Jing Ke assassinating the King of Qin with me, and that little boy used real force to hit Yukiko.”
Ai trembled.
Although she didn’t know the full picture.
Ai guessed that the little boy was definitely the shrunken Kudou Shinichi.
As for the Kudou couple and his “game,” they definitely weren’t actually playing a game; they were just fooling Shouichi.
“Right, what were you saying just now?” Shouichi suddenly asked.
“Nothing.
I’m tired, I’m going to sleep now.”
Ai shook her head and shrank under the blanket, remaining perfectly still.
Today, she had just come in to play a game with Shouichi, and now she was tired from playing.
Time to sleep.
She would continue to endure.
Sooner or later, the time would come to eliminate Shouichi and avenge her sister.
Lying low was only temporary.