Beika Town.
Mouri Detective Agency.
Standing before the full-length mirror while putting on his brown suit, Kogoro Mouri even said impatiently:
"Ran, where did this bratty bespectacled kid come from?"
The one Kogoro Mouri called a brat was naturally Shinichi Kudo, the high school detective who had turned into a child after drinking The Distillery's poison - now known as Conan Edogawa.
At this moment, Conan was looking at this old man who still hadn't left the house with utter disdain, as if he were some rotten fish or spoiled shrimp.
Ran Mouri, wearing a kitchen apron and placing freshly made breakfast on the glass table nearby, looked up at these words and responded:
"Dad, how can you say that about Conan-kun..."
Seeing Ran Mouri standing up for him, Conan Edogawa immediately put on a childish fake smile from where he sat on the sofa.
"For some reason, I just can't stand the sight of this brat. How strange."
Kogoro Mouri said curiously while tying his tie:
"Oh, right, Ran, you still haven't answered my question. Where exactly did this kid come from?"
"Conan-kun is Professor Agasa's relative."
Ran Mouri looked helplessly at her father and explained:
"Professor Agasa is attending a scientists' salon and doesn't have time to look after him, so he asked me to take care of him for two days."
"What?" Kogoro Mouri immediately frowned at these words: "You mean this brat is staying at our house today too?"
"No way, I absolutely don't agree with this."
"Isn't he staying at Professor Agasa's place? Just take him back in the evening."
"But..."
Just as Ran Mouri was about to say something more, Kogoro Mouri interrupted:
"Ran, that 300,000 yen payment."
Ran Mouri froze for a moment before suddenly remembering that her father seemed to be working on some job for the Metropolitan Police Department that paid 300,000 yen monthly—the most important stable income for their household, which she managed.
"Will it affect that job?"
"Of course." Kogoro Mouri said irritably, "Otherwise, why would I be so harsh on some brat?"
While there was indeed some natural dislike for the kid, the Ghoul running the coffee shop downstairs was also a reason Kogoro Mouri didn't want Conan staying over for two days.
Against Ghouls, he and Ran Mouri could at least defend themselves, but a kid like Conan Edogawa probably couldn't.
Hearing this, Ran Mouri instantly changed her attitude:
"In that case, I'll take Conan-kun back in the evening and return after he's asleep."
What? What?!
Conan Edogawa was dumbfounded by these words. Was Ran really this easily persuaded?
She'd sell him out for just 300,000 yen?
But what kind of 300,000 yen job could he possibly affect?
And what secret work did this third-rate detective Kogoro Mouri have?
Why had he never heard Ran mention this before?
Just as Conan stood there bewildered, Ran Mouri turned to him and said:
"Conan, have your breakfast first. I need to discuss this with Professor Agasa."
Watching Ran Mouri take out her phone from her apron pocket to call Professor Agasa, Conan felt completely defeated.
'Was our cohabitation ending so soon? Then what was the point of me being so happy last night upon hearing Professor Agasa planned to attend that scientist conference?'
Just as Conan was feeling frustrated, Ran Mouri beside him was looking at her phone with a puzzled expression:
"That's strange, no one seems to be answering?"
Hearing this, Conan casually remarked: "Ara ara~ Could it be that Professor Agasa's hearing isn't good and he didn't hear it?"
'Didn't hear it, my foot. Professor Agasa probably left his phone at home again and went out early...'
'Well, that figures for an old man who prefers using fax machines to contact his friends...' Conan mentally grumbled.
At that moment, Kogoro Mouri, in his suit, walked over with clear displeasure:
"So that means we can't return this brat yet."
"Tch, Ran, why do you always take on such thankless tasks?"
Hearing this, Ran lowered her head slightly with guilt:
"Sorry, Dad."
"Whatever, whatever." Kogoro waved his hand dismissively before saying, "Then you'll be in charge of watching the house today."
Seeing Kogoro about to leave, Ran asked in surprise:
"Dad, do you have work today?"
"Got a big client who's commissioned a case." Kogoro said with unusual seriousness: "My detective's intuition tells me this might be the breakthrough case for the great detective Kogoro Mouri!"
"I'll try to be back by 10 pm. Ran, remember to watch the house, and make sure to send this brat away by evening."
With that, Kogoro gently closed the door behind him.
"That's easy to say, but we can't reach Professor Agasa..."
As Ran spoke, she turned to look at the sofa - then froze.
"Wait, where did Conan-kun go?"
Ten minutes later.
Inside a white Toyota, Kogoro clicked his tongue in irritation:
"Why is this brat insisting on clinging to my car? I'm going to work!!"
Suppressing his embarrassment, Conan clung stubbornly to the backseat seatbelt and shouted: "Detective game! I want to play detective game!!"
"Wait, Conan-kun, don't cry!!"
In the backseat, Ran frantically tried to restrain Conan by his shoulders before turning to give Kogoro an awkward look:
"Sorry, Dad, I didn't know Conan-kun would be this childish."
"Tch!"
Annoyed by the child's tantrum, Kogoro snapped:
"I don't have time to deal with this brat. Ran, throw him out of the car."
"But Dad, the car's moving?" Ran replied blankly.
"I know that..."
Just as Kogoro was about to retort further, his phone beeped - recognising it as a reminder, he clicked his tongue before reluctantly conceding:
"Fine. Just make sure he stays quiet later."
"Actually, it's better this way. I wasn't comfortable leaving you alone with this brat at home anyway."
He continued grumbling: "Next time, Ran, don't accept such troublesome favours. And Professor Agasa, too - he knows you can't say no, yet he dumps this on you. Really..."
Ran could only offer an awkward smile in response, not daring to speak up.
Meanwhile, Conan - having achieved his goal - quietened down, his eyes gleaming with hidden purpose.
A major case that could make Kogoro Mouri instantly famous as a great detective? How could Shinichi Kudo—no, now Conan Edogawa—possibly miss such an opportunity?
At this thought, Conan felt a surge of pride: 'Even if that organisation shrank my body, I'm still the great detective Shinichi Kudo!!'
Twenty minutes later.
Conan sat by the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor of a burger joint, holding a chicken burger with a dumbfounded expression as he stared outside.
Beyond the window, at an outdoor seating area of a café, a conspicuously dressed lady sitting alone had just removed her sunglasses and was calling for a waiter.
Conan listened to Kogoro Mouri's excited whispers about the target appearing, his mind completely blank:
"So... this so-called big case is just catching a cheater?"
"What kind of major case is this supposed to be?"
"Shut it, brat. No one asked you to tag along."
Kogoro Mouri immediately retorted with clear irritation:
"This is a major case entrusted to me by an English diplomat! It's a testament to my expertise as Kogoro Mouri, the infidelity specialist. What would a snot-nosed kid like you know?"
Conan's face twisted in frustration. He wanted to retort, but couldn't decide where to begin.
An infidelity specialist? How dare you call yourself a great detective, Kogoro Mouri?!
Apologise to every detective in Japan!!
Just as Conan was mentally collapsing, Kogoro suddenly hissed in a hushed tone:
"Someone's coming! Keep quiet!"
"Eh? The cheating partner's here already?" Ran Mouri, sitting beside Conan, curiously stood up and peered towards the open-air café across the way.
A vaguely familiar figure soon entered her line of sight.
After a moment, Ran stared dumbfounded at the man taking his seat below and muttered:
"No way... Isn't that Luo Shu?"