"Those bamboo leaf rice balls were actually a gift from the lady next door," Asami explained with a gentle smile.
Looking at the group gathered in the hallway, she noted that they didn't exactly look like they were dressed for a rugged camping trip.
"That's weird. We haven't said anything about going camping recently, have we?" Genta asked, confused, as he wiped a smudge of chocolate sauce from the corner of his mouth. He couldn't help but marvel at the snack—it truly lived up to the high praise Tsuneo had given it. It was delicious!
Beside him, Dr. Agasa was nodding in enthusiastic agreement, his mouth full.
"Big sister, do you have any idea where Mitsuhiko might have gone?" Ayumi asked, looking up with wide, worried eyes.
"Well… I only know that he's usually hanging out with you guys," Asami replied. "Oh, I know! Why don't we check his room? He usually writes his to-do lists on sticky notes."
With Asami leading the way, the group climbed the stairs and entered Mitsuhiko's room.
"So many books on natural science," Haibara remarked, nodding approvingly as her gaze swept over the bookshelf. It was a surprising sight; the shelves were packed with serious, thick academic tomes rather than the usual children's fare.
"Should we search under the bed?" Tsuneo asked, setting the empty cake plate down on the desk.
According to my experience, he thought, when the bedsheets hang down low enough to completely hide the space beneath, there's almost certainly something tucked away down there.
"Hey now…" Conan shot the repairman a deadpan look. Are you here to investigate a missing child or hunt for hidden stash money?
"That's strange. There are no sticky notes left behind, and the wallet he keeps in his drawer is gone," Asami said, scratching her head as she slid the drawer shut. He usually kept quite a bit of allowance money in there and almost never took the whole thing out with him.
"He took a significant amount of money and a large supply of food… Is he planning on going somewhere far?" Conan analyzed, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"Maybe we should go check under the bridge," Tsuneo suggested casually. "I have a feeling Mitsuhiko might be in the middle of a turf war with some stray cats."
"Are you suggesting… he's run away from home?!" Dr. Agasa's expression shifted to one of alarm. If that were the case, the situation was much more serious than they had thought.
But what could have possibly happened to make him pack his bags with such excitement the night before? Usually, running away involved tears and heartbreak, not the giddy anticipation they had witnessed.
"Wait!"
"For real?!"
"This is just like those dramas on TV, isn't it?!"
Unlike the worried faces of the others, Asami—Mitsuhiko's own flesh and blood—looked more excited than concerned. She seemed genuinely fascinated by the unfolding drama.
"There's really no need to be that happy about it…" Dr. Agasa muttered, scratching the back of his head.
"Whether he ran away or not, one thing is certain: he's been planning this for a long time," Conan said, picking up Mitsuhiko's school attendance card. Upon closer inspection, he realized that Mitsuhiko had been absent from their usual Sunday gatherings for several weeks now.
"Do you think… he's on a date with someone?" Genta speculated.
"Since it's summer break, if he's only absent on Sundays, we can probably rule out other students," Tsuneo said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "He's likely meeting an older woman—perhaps a professional, office-lady type."
"What adult would go on a date with a first-grader?" Asami laughed, shaking her head. As expected, Tsuneo-san never plays by the book.
However, speaking of dates, a potential candidate did come to mind. Mitsuhiko had once mentioned a girl in the third grade whose family owned a flower shop. Apparently, she helped out every Sunday, and Mitsuhiko had been very impressed by her hard work.
"Now that I think about it, could that girl have invited Mitsuhiko to the beach?" Asami wondered aloud.
"Why the beach?" Conan asked. He hadn't seen anything related to the ocean in the room.
"Because he borrowed my sunscreen yesterday! It's a high-end foreign brand I bought through a mail-order catalog," Asami replied, still showing zero signs of stress as she began chatting about her skincare purchases.
The room fell silent as a series of mental images flashed through the minds of Dr. Agasa, Ayumi, Genta, and Haibara:
Mitsuhiko…
With a girl…
At the seaside…
Sharing bamboo leaf rice balls…
"And rubbing sunscreen on each other's backs," Tsuneo added helpfully, completing the mental picture.
"That's obviously impossible. Especially that last part," Conan muttered, his expression turning sour. These people spend way too much time gossiping.
Just then, the sound of the front door opening echoed from downstairs. It was Mrs. Tsuburaya. As soon as she stepped inside, she called out loudly, "Asami! If you don't start getting ready now, you're going to be late for your piano lesson!"
"Okay! I'm coming!" Asami shouted back. She quickly turned to the group and whispered urgently, "Listen, we have to keep Mitsuhiko's 'running away for a date' a secret. If Mom and Dad find out, it'll be a disaster. They're both teachers; they'd never understand something like this!"
Conan stared at her blankly. To be fair, I don't think many parents would be 'understanding' about their primary school son running away for a clandestine tryst…
"Do we have guests? I'm coming in!"
After a polite knock, Mrs. Tsuburaya turned the handle and entered the room. She wore glasses and appeared to be in her thirties; her style was the polar opposite of someone like Jodie-sensei—she looked elegant, dignified, and refined.
After greeting the group, she quickly noticed that her son was missing. "That's odd. Didn't you children say you were all going camping today?"
Before anyone could slip up, Conan immediately nudged Tsuneo forward.
I'll leave the smooth-talking and the lies to you!
"Actually, it's like this," Tsuneo began smoothly. "We were just heading out to buy some fresh ingredients. Mitsuhiko called us from the Doctor's house and asked if we could swing by and pick up two of his books on insects…"
"Then why didn't he come with you?"
"He insisted on staying behind at the Doctor's to help with some chores. But more importantly, Mrs. Tsuburaya, have you started using a new skincare line? I couldn't help but notice—your complexion looks absolutely radiant lately…"
Tsuneo picked up his empty plate and guided Mrs. Tsuburaya toward the door, walking just half a step behind her.
From her skin to her hairstyle, and from her sense of fashion to her admirable character as an educator, he showered her with subtle, sophisticated praise. To a woman, appearance is often a point of pride; Tsuneo made sure to point out specific, positive "changes" since the last time they met, making his compliments feel sincere rather than rehearsed.
For the "devoted parent" type, he knew he had to balance the conversation—addressing her concerns for her children while ensuring she felt appreciated as an individual.
Listen intently. Don't pretend to know everything.
If she brings up a topic, it's because she wants you to know about it or finds it interesting. In these moments, appearing slightly uninformed but deeply fascinated is the best approach. Of course, pretending to be a fellow enthusiast works as well.
These were just a few entries from Tsuneo's personal journal: The Repairman's Guide to Client Relations.
(Warning: Methods vary by industry; do not apply blindly.)
As a repairman, Tsuneo wasn't exactly conventional; he believed providing "emotional value" was just as important as fixing a leaky pipe.
"Wow, you're really something else!" Asami whispered, giving him a thumbs-up.
With just three sentences, he had her mother beaming with joy. It was more impressive than any professional door-to-door salesman she had ever seen.
Next time Mom gets mad at me, Asami thought, maybe I should "accidentally" break something so I can call him over…
Conan watched them leave, his face a mask of exhaustion. Is there really a need to look at him with such hero-worship?
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