“It’s fine, the more the merrier.”
Shinji stood up, his movements impeccably elegant.
He didn’t show the slightest hint of displeasure; instead, he acted like a very hospitable host.
He quietly gestured to Sirius behind him.
“Take photos.
Take some useful photos, especially…”
Sirius nodded imperceptibly, her finger gently pressing the shutter of the miniature camera in her pocket.
“Please, have a seat, everyone.”
Shinji made a welcoming gesture.
“It seems the original reservation for two is a bit cramped.
Sirius, have the waiter move us to the Pine Room next door, and add a few chairs.”
“Yes, boss.”
After moving to a larger private room, the atmosphere eased up slightly, but only slightly.
A huge long table.
Shinji sat at the head of the table, with Eri Kisaki forced to sit on his right.
Kogoro Mouri sat down right next to Eri Kisaki like a door god, staring fixedly at Shinji as if he wanted to burn a hole through this pretty boy.
Ran, Sonoko, and Conan sat opposite them.
“Hmph, youngsters these days, they get a little money and think they own the world.”
Kogoro Mouri poured himself a beer and glanced at Shinji, his tone sour.
“Eri, is this your employer?
He doesn’t even look older than Ran, does he?
Since when did you start taking on these childish, play-pretend cases?”
In his view, although Shinji was dressed like a gentleman, his face was too young; he was at most a high school student.
He probably figured it was some rich kid stealing money from home to play the big spender.
“Dad!
That’s too rude!”
Ran kicked Kogoro under the table and looked at Shinji apologetically.
“Sorry, Mr.
Matou, my dad has had too much to drink.”
“It’s alright, Mr.
Mouri is a man of true character.”
Shinji smiled slightly, his manners impeccable.
“And he’s right, at my age I should still be in school; theoretically speaking, I’m the same age as Miss Mouri.”
“Eh?
Really?”
Suzuki Sonoko exclaimed.
Since she walked in, her gaze hadn’t left Shinji.
Handsome!
So handsome!
It wasn’t the powdery, delicate look of an idol star, but a noble aura that was a bit wicked, a bit mischievous, yet incredibly confident.
Especially those peach-blossom eyes—they seemed to have hooks in them when he looked at someone.
“Um…
Mr.
Matou?
Which school do you go to?
Is it in Tokyo?”
Sonoko immediately switched into interrogation mode.
“I used to study in Fuyuki, but I just moved to Tokyo recently.”
Shinji brushed it off lightly.
Just then, Conan, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly pushed up his glasses, a reflection flashing across the lenses.
“Hey, big brother.”
Conan spoke in that signature, sickeningly sweet childish voice.
“You’re the boss of New World Holdings, right?
The big brother in Akihabara who said ‘youth is about being bold’?”
As soon as these words were out, the atmosphere at the table instantly froze.
Kogoro Mouri’s hand, in the middle of picking up food, froze in mid-air, and the beer in his mouth almost sprayed out.
“New…
New World Holdings?”
“Wow!!
I remember now!”
Sonoko slammed the table, almost standing up in her excitement.
“I knew he looked familiar!
It’s that news!
The genius boy who threw down 60 million USD and became sworn brothers with the boss of NVIDIA!
Oh my god, he’s even more handsome in person than on TV!”
She cupped her face with both hands, hearts already appearing in her eyes.
“Ran!
Look!
He’s real and alive!”
Ran also covered her mouth in surprise.
“Eh?
Is it that…
the one who’s been very famous lately…”
Even Kogoro Mouri’s expression changed.
Although he didn’t know much about stocks, he understood the concept of 60 million USD.
He looked at Shinji, then at Eri Kisaki beside him; the disdain in his eyes instantly turned into deep vigilance, and his sense of crisis escalated.
This kid…
not playing house?
Is he actually a financial titan?
And, so rich, so young, and so handsome…
Eri, she…
“It was just good luck.”
Facing everyone’s shock, Shinji maintained that faint smile.
He picked up the sake flask, actually stood up, reached across the table, and poured a cup of wine for Kogoro Mouri.
“I’ve long admired Detective Mouri’s reputation.’Sleeping Kogoro’, every time you solve a case, it’s like you have divine help.
I really wish I could have your…
intuition.”
This compliment made Kogoro Mouri very pleased, but his inner vigilance didn’t completely vanish.
“Hmph, that goes without saying.”
Kogoro gave a haughty hum and took the wine glass.
Conan rolled his eyes on the side.
This guy, he speaks so flawlessly, not at all like a high school student.
And, the way he looked at Uncle just now, why did it feel like he was looking at…
an interesting monkey?
This feeling of being seen through made Conan very unhappy.
“By the way, Mr.
Matou.”
Ran tried to ease the atmosphere and asked shyly, “You’ve achieved so much at such a young age, your family must be very proud of you, right?”
“Proud?”
Shinji paused for a moment.
He didn’t seem to have any family!
“Perhaps.”
He smiled, turned his head, and his gaze landed on Ran.
“Miss Mouri, you look very beautiful.”
The topic changed too quickly, leaving Ran stunned for a moment.
“Especially your eyes, they are very clear and very gentle.”
Shinji’s voice was low and magnetic.
He looked at Ran, but his peripheral vision drifted meaningfully toward Eri Kisaki beside her.
“Very much like your mother.
Both of you are beauties that are hard to forget after just one look.”
This compliment was a fatal blow.
It praised the daughter, flirted with the mother, and incidentally brought them closer.
Or rather, this was his Noble Phantasm against women—who could blame him for being so handsome!
If it were Sirius, she would just treat such words as wind passing by.
Ran’s face flushed instantly, and she waved her hands repeatedly.
“No way, how can I compare to Mom…”
Beside her, Eri Kisaki, although trying hard to maintain a cold and elegant expression, found her earlobes uncontrollably turning red.
She picked up her teacup for a sip to hide it and glared fiercely at Shinji.
This kid, in front of so many people…
too presumptuous!
But for some reason, the resentment in her heart had vanished into thin air with that one line about being a beauty hard to forget.
Maybe it’s not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”