BWDC:SDDK Chapter 7: Enough, NakaMouri, I'm the One in Command!
"Eh? The Black Star has been recovered? Well, what do you know, you're actually pretty capable for a kid."
Sonoko Suzuki chuckled as she patted Conan's little head.
She had honestly thought Conan had gotten lost while running around in a panic and was just about to ask the ship's staff to search for him. Instead, Conan had returned on his own and brought back such a massive surprise.
...Well, it seemed there was more than just one surprise.
Sonoko felt her "handsome guy radar" quietly go off. She abruptly looked up at the mysterious man with the coffee who had returned alongside Conan.
For some reason, he seemed to radiate a mysterious aura. Despite wearing ordinary clothes, when paired with that eye-catching face and those deep, meaningful eyes that seemed to hold many secrets—
On a scale of gloomy and mysterious handsome guys, she'd give him a nine! She only withheld the last point to keep him from getting conceited.
She crouched down quietly and whispered to the "reaper" elementary student next to her, "Hey, kid, who's this handsome guy you brought back?"
Handsome guy? Who? Him?
Conan turned to look at Sonoko with a complicated expression. He and Sonoko were childhood friends, much like his relationship with Mouri Ran, though he was closer to Ran. He knew Sonoko's temperament inside and out.
How should he put it? If she was interested in this guy, she must be really "starving."
Conan fell silent for a moment, weighing his words, and then said, "He's Batman."
Sonoko: "?"
Are you kidding me? Where is there a Batman in the real world? Ugh, this kid is definitely unreliable. I'll have to take the lead myself!
She gave Conan's hair a rough toss and stood back up. Recalling her rarely used etiquette, she coughed twice to adjust her tone.
She asked, "Sir, I am Sonoko Suzuki of the Suzuki Financial Group. Might I ask who you are?"
Taking a sip of coffee, Ren Ichimonji instinctively replied, "I'm Batman!"
Sonoko: "?"
Ah? So the kid wasn't lying? He really is Batman?
As Sonoko's gaze suddenly became strange, Ren Ichimonji realized his words had slipped out of habit. He coughed quickly to correct himself.
"Ahem, I'm just joking... I'm Ren Ichimonji. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Sonoko blinked. She felt her first impression had been completely overturned. Wasn't he supposed to be the gloomy or mysterious type? Why did the filter shatter the moment he opened his mouth?
...What kind of handsome guy was this? The "funny guy" type?
"Yes! We must catch Phantom Thief Kid!"
"Even if we have to call in police helicopters to patrol the surrounding waters, we must find that fellow!"
Ginzo NakaMouri's frustrated voice rang out nearby. He led a squad of officers from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department past Ren Ichimonji and the others. After a few steps, he suddenly realized something was off.
NakaMouri retraced his steps, his eyes landing on Ren Ichimonji. More specifically, they landed on the conspicuous white coffee cup in Ren Ichimonji's hand.
He might not remember a stranger he'd only seen twice, but he would definitely never mistake that coffee cup. On the entire Sallieabeth, there was only one "legend" walking around holding a cup of coffee!
"Aha! Phantom Thief Kid! I wasn't even looking for you, and you delivered yourself right to my door!"
NakaMouri rolled up his sleeves, ready to take action on the spot.
Hearing this, Sonoko's eyes widened, practically sparkling with stars. What? This mysterious coffee guy is Lord Kid? Is it true? The rumors said Phantom Thief Kid was a handsome middle-aged man in his forties... but come to think of it, a handsome young man in his early twenties fits my aesthetic much better. This is great!
Still, if it really was Lord Kid, he'd be able to escape even if he was discovered, right? After all, he was the world's greatest phantom thief!
"...I am not Phantom Thief Kid. Inspector NakaMouri, haven't you mistaken me for someone else?"
Ren Ichimonji shook his head and sighed. "If you bother to ask anyone who was there, they'd tell you that Mrs. Suzuki's Black Star was stolen after I left the banquet hall. I was outside chatting with the crew at the time. If you don't believe me, go ask the sailors who brought Miss Mouri up."
Hiss... that actually makes sense. A person can't be in two places at once...
NakaMouri nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly snapped his head up again. He pointed at Ren Ichimonji and shouted, "Wait! If you weren't in the banquet hall, how did you know exactly when Mrs. Suzuki's Black Star was stolen?!"
"As I thought, you ARE Phantom Thief Kid! Men, seize him first and ask questions later!"
"Hey! What are you doing? What are you doing?! He's the thief! Why are you grabbing ME???"
Before he could finish, two officers flanked NakaMouri, grabbed his arms, and dragged him away. The Inspector, who had just been transferred from the Port Police Station to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, wailed at the top of his lungs.
"I'm the real Ginzo NakaMouri! I'm not the thief! He's the thief! You've got the wrong man!"
Not far away, Shintaro Chaki, the officer in charge of the operation, felt his eye twitch. If he had known, he wouldn't have transferred this guy from the Port Police to deal with Kid. How did it feel like NakaMouri had gone half-mad from chasing the thief for so many years?
That guy with the coffee had been verified twice already; trying to verify him a third time was just asking for a formal complaint.
Chaki waved toward the group with a forced smile, signaling that everything was fine. Then, as the officers dragged NakaMouri over to him, his expression flipped instantly.
NakaMouri was stunned. Since when did the commander have such incredible face-changing skills?
"Enough, NakaMouri! I am the one in command!" Chaki roared.
Hearing this, NakaMouri broke free from the two officers and shouted back in fury, "Chaki, you'll regret this!"
With that, he turned and stomped away.
Watching NakaMouri's retreating back, Shintaro Chaki fell silent. Perhaps next time they dealt with Phantom Thief Kid, he'd just let this "legend" work alone. Otherwise, if NakaMouri offended some high-ranking figure, wouldn't he be the one taking the fall? That simply wouldn't do!
"Uh... wh-what happened?"
Mouri Ran finally began to wake up. She looked blankly at the circle of familiar faces around her, including Mouri Kogoro, who was crouching beside her looking incredibly worried.
"Ran, you're awake!" Kogoro grabbed her hand excitedly. "The party is over, Phantom Thief Kid escaped, and the Black Star has been recovered! We're almost at the Tokyo port!"
Ran: "?"
Why do I feel like I missed an entire episode?
End of Chapter
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