As Hayashi Shuichi racked his brain over how to get back to Tokyo, a silver Ferrari screeched to a halt beside him, splashing a wave of muddy rainwater.
If Hayashi Shuichi hadn't reacted quickly, dodging to the side, the spray would've drenched him to the bone.
"Tch, looks like our civic-minded little detective's stuck here tonight?" Sharon Vineyard drawled, rolling down her window with a teasing glint in her eyes.
"You leaving?" Hayashi Shuichi asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I just came to check out the filming location on a whim," Sharon said with a light chuckle. "My shoot's still a ways off."
"So, you're heading back to Tokyo?" Hayashi Shuichi pressed.
"That's right," Sharon nodded.
She was about to ask, What, you think you're hitching a ride with me?—planning to savor the moment by coldly rejecting him, letting him stew in the pouring rain as payback for his earlier jab. She'd watch him sulk while she sped off.
But before she could speak, Hayashi Shuichi casually opened the passenger door.
"Fukuda-san, please tell Yukiko I'm heading back with Miss Vineyard," he said.
"Huh? Uh, sure…" Fukuda Hidekazu glanced at the visibly stunned Sharon before nodding.
Hayashi Shuichi slid into the seat and looked at Sharon, who was still processing. "Let's go."
"Hey, when did I say you could get in?" Sharon snapped, her refined features flashing with irritation. "You've got some nerve, kid!"
"Back at Mihua City Hall, when you were framed and nearly pinned as a murder suspect," Hayashi Shuichi said calmly, "I was the one who cleared your name. A ride back to Tokyo isn't too much to ask as thanks, is it?"
"Heh," Sharon let out a dry laugh, rolling her eyes. Though her expression still held a trace of annoyance, she couldn't deny he had a point. "Buckle up," she said with a reluctant sigh, starting the engine.
The silver Ferrari roared to life, tearing through the downpour like a wild horse set loose.
…
The rain poured in relentless sheets, fat droplets pounding the ground, kicking up sprays of water as if the world were cloaked in a shimmering curtain.
The silver Ferrari sped along the winding mountain road, alone in the darkness, its headlights carving a narrow path through the rugged terrain.
A howling wind roared like a beast, bending roadside trees until they swayed wildly, their branches groaning under the storm's fury.
Hayashi Shuichi stared out the window in silence. Truth be told, he wasn't sure what to say to her. One wrong word could betray a slip, and he couldn't afford that.
Sharon Vineyard was no ordinary woman—she was Belmod, the Black Organization's feared witch, sharp as a blade and ruthless. A single misstep, the tiniest clue, could spark her suspicion.
Hayashi Shuichi knew all too well that if he accidentally revealed even a hint of his knowledge about the Black Organization, it would trigger a relentless manhunt. In this Conan world, where crime lurked around every corner, the Black Organization was a sprawling, transnational syndicate with tendrils in the highest echelons of governments worldwide.
As a mere high school student, Hayashi Shuichi was no match for such a formidable enemy.
Beside him, Sharon drove with a mind full of questions and wariness. Years in the Black Organization had honed her instinct to distrust everyone. When she'd first met Hayashi Shuichi at Mihua City Hall, despite it being their first encounter, his guarded gaze had unsettled her. It was as if he knew something.
Had she slipped up somewhere, drawing the attention of this high school detective?
Pretending to tire of the silence, Sharon glanced at the rearview mirror, brushing a hand through her slightly disheveled blonde hair.
She shot Hayashi Shuichi a sidelong look, her lips curving into a half-smile. "In such a rush to get back to Tokyo—worried your other girlfriend will get mad if you're not home?"
"I don't have a girlfriend," Hayashi Shuichi replied flatly. "Yukiko and Eri are just friends."
"Just friends, huh?" Sharon scoffed. "You expect me to believe nothing happened when you and that little actress girlfriend of yours were hiding behind those curtains last time?"
Hayashi Shuichi gave her a deadpan look. "You're a famous American celebrity. Why are you gossiping like some nosy housewife?"
"Gossip's a woman's nature—what's so strange about that?" Sharon said, unabashed. "Not answering directly? That's as good as admitting it."
"Big star," Hayashi Shuichi said dryly, "we're driving through a storm on a tricky road. How about you focus on the wheel instead of playing tabloid reporter?"
"Relax, my driving skills are top-notch," Sharon boasted. "This little rain? I've handled worse—"
Her words were cut off as the car lurched violently, the road shuddering beneath them as if some massive force churned underground.
The Ferrari rocked like a leaf in a tempest, items inside tumbling chaotically.
"What the hell?" Sharon exclaimed, a flicker of panic in her eyes before she regained her composure, gripping the steering wheel tightly to keep the car steady.
"An earthquake? Can you handle that?" Hayashi Shuichi asked, his face grim as he pointed to the forested hills on either side. The entire mountain range, trees and all, trembled violently, as if the apocalypse loomed.
"Fuck! An earthquake, now?" Sharon cursed, her frustration boiling over.
She kept one eye on the falling rocks tumbling from the hillside, flooring the gas to escape the danger zone.
"Watch out!" Hayashi Shuichi shouted suddenly.
Sharon saw it too—a massive pine tree, uprooted by the quake, had crashed across the road, its sprawling trunk blocking their path.
She slammed on the brakes, and the silver Ferrari screeched to a stop, halting just over a meter from the tree…
(Chapter End)
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