Sonoko picked a spot in the quietest corner of the coffee shop, completely hidden from the door.
Heiji didn't mind. If she liked it, it was fine.
"Heiji, I heard the strawberry cake here is amazing. Let's get one."
Sonoko sat right next to Heiji, her face beaming with happiness.
"What else?"
Heiji was letting her decide today.
"And a milkshake. The couple's size," Sonoko said sweetly.
"Okay. Anything else?"
"And an order of French toast. That should be enough."
"That's it?" Heiji sighed. That wasn't even enough for just him.
"Later, I'm taking you somewhere else. The food there is really good," Sonoko said mysteriously.
Heiji could only nod.
"Excuse me, one strawberry cake, one couple's size milkshake, and one French toast."
"Right away."
Sonoko suddenly hugged Heiji's arm and rested her head on his shoulder. "Heiji, when you go out with Kazuha, does she make requests like this?"
She was a little afraid of annoying him.
Heiji gently kissed her lips. "Don't worry. You two are different people. Don't compare yourselves, okay?"
Sonoko nodded.
Soon, their order arrived.
Time passed by. Sonoko ate happily, her eyes full of bliss.
Just then, a scream echoed through the coffee shop.
A waiter shouted.
"The restroom... someone is dead in the restroom!"
A customer scrambled out, screaming in terror.
Conan, who happened to be in the same shop, heard the scream and immediately ran to the restroom.
"Nobody leaves! Or you'll be treated as the murderer!"
Conan ran out, shut the front door, and looked at the customers.
"Hey, kid! Who are you? Someone's dead, and you're telling us we can't leave?"
A man with glasses said, annoyed.
"This is a murder. If anyone tries to leave, they're probably the killer," Conan said seriously.
"The little boy is right. To avoid being accused, we should wait for the police," a woman in a suit, around 27 or 28, stood up and said.
"Miss Waitress, please call the police."
Conan gave the woman a strange look, then asked the waitress to call.
"Heiji, looks like a murder. Aren't you going to check it out?" Sonoko asked, eating her ice cream.
Heiji shook his head. "Today is just for you, Sonoko."
No system mission, no personal connection. He couldn't be bothered.
Sonoko didn't mind. As long as she was with Heiji, it was fine.
Soon, Inspector Megure and Officer Takagi arrived.
"Inspector, the body is in the restroom," Conan said.
"Conan? Does that mean Mouri is here too?"
Inspector Megure was surprised to see him.
"Uncle isn't here. I came with Ran."
"I see. Let's check the body."
Megure headed for the restroom, but suddenly stopped when he saw the woman in the suit. "Eri?! What are you doing here?"
This woman was none other than Ran's mother, Eri Kisaki, the undefeated queen of the legal world.
The woman pushed up her glasses, her presence radiating confidence. "Inspector Megure, it's been a long time. You've been promoted."
Her voice was pleasant, but it carried an undeniable pressure.
"It's been ten years. If you hadn't left..."
"Inspector, now is not the time for that. You should check the body," Eri interrupted.
"Ah, right."
Megure walked toward the restroom, then stopped again, his face lighting up. "Heiji, my boy! I can't believe you're here too!"
Heiji sighed. No escaping it now.
"Inspector, can't you see I'm on a date with Heiji?"
Since their relationship was public, Sonoko wasn't shy.
"Ahem, Miss Sonoko, you're here too." Megure was embarrassed.
"Sonoko, I'll go check the situation."
Sonoko didn't hesitate.
"This is great! With Heiji here, this case will be solved in no time."
Heiji's face darkened. This guy is treating me like free labor.
"Big Brother Heiji..."
Conan was annoyed. Why do I always run into this guy?
Heiji ignored Conan and looked at Eri Kisaki instead.
She had brown hair up in a bun, black-framed glasses, and soft features with a sharp air.
Her tall figure was wrapped in a suit, and her legs were covered in skin-toned stockings.
She was the very picture of an intelligent, capable woman.
Heiji glanced at her, then walked into the restroom. She's beautiful, but it has nothing to do with me.
A strong smell of blood hit him. In the middle stall, a pool of blood was spreading from under the door.
"Has the scene been disturbed?" Megure asked.
"No, I've been watching the door. No one else went in," Conan said.
"Good job, Conan. You're a great little assistant," Megure praised.
Heiji ignored them and went to check the body, only to realize he didn't have gloves.
"Heiji, I have gloves right here!"
Sonoko waved a pair of white gloves from the doorway.
Heiji paused. "Sonoko, why do you have gloves?"
"Hehe, that's a secret."
Sonoko sweetly put the gloves on for him. She had, of course, learned this from Kazuha.
Heiji smiled. He knew Kazuha had taught her, but the fact that Sonoko, a rich girl, was willing to do this for him said everything.
Eri Kisaki also walked in, standing quietly to the side.
"Inspector, who is this boy?"
This is a crime scene, yet Megure is letting a high school kid walk around?
[Wait!]
Her eyes lit up. "He wouldn't happen to be the genius high school detective, Heiji Hattori, would he?"
"Yes! He's Heiji. Thanks to him, many cases have been solved quickly. He's amazing," Megure said.
"The one who foiled two master thieves... the one who solved the serial bombing... and the recent kidnapping case..."
"Are all these shocking cases really connected to this high school student? Inspector, he isn't just someone your department is promoting, is he?"
Eri Kisaki didn't trust the news. She cared about the truth.
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