Phantom Thief of Heart!but conan

Chapter 919 The Sleeping Detective
"Sorry, sorry, I'm really sorry just now..."

"Really? How could someone bend over to pick up trash and get hit by someone else's dog, then lose balance and almost fall off the road..." Suzuki Sonoko readjusted her headband, crossed her arms and complained, "Should I say you're really unlucky, or should I say you're just too uncoordinated..."

“Ah, well…” The boy wearing a pair of large round-framed glasses smiled bitterly, “Anyway, thank you. If I hadn’t bumped into you, I might have really fallen onto the road. That situation just now would have been dangerous.”

When he rushed over, the traffic light on the sidewalk was red, which was why several people stopped by the roadside waiting. It would have been difficult to avoid a car accident if they fell off the sidewalk at this time.

"I'm the kind of person who, if I accidentally drop a piece of bread, will 100% drop it with the buttered side facing down. But, physically, I'm also..." He raised his head and looked carefully at the faces of Suzuki Sonoko and Mao Li Ran. Suddenly, his expression changed. "Hey, you look familiar. Have we met before somewhere?"

Conan, who was also dizzy and holding his head, glanced at him.

This way of chatting up someone is not a question of whether it is old-fashioned or not. Who would say something like this?

"Oh, yes, I have indeed seen you!" Hondou Eisuke nodded in realization, "You are the daughter of Detective Maori Kogoro, right? Although I haven't seen you formally interviewed or anything, I often see you in reports..."

"Eh? Can you recognize it?" Mao Lilan pointed at herself in surprise.

As Kogoro Mouri's fame grew, people who knew Ran Mouri of course knew her family background, but it was rare for someone to recognize her face alone when her father was not around.

"Of course, you are so beautiful, it is very impressive." Hondou Eisuke laughed, "Besides, Detective Maori Kogoro is the detective I admire the most. I have read a lot of his reports."

At this point, he seemed to have realized something and looked at the three people standing together: "So, you are also in the second grade group B?"

"You are..." Tang Ze, who knew exactly why he was here, raised his eyebrows and asked the question even though he knew the answer.

Hondou Eisuke smiled with his eyes curved.

When he smiled like that, Conan narrowed his eyes.

Both because of the excessive attention he showed to Mao Lilan, and also because of his current face.

When Hondou Eisuke's eyes curved into an arc because of a smile, the childishness on his face disappeared a lot as his round and bright eyes narrowed, and his genetic characteristics that were extremely similar to Mizunashi Rena were fully exposed.

"Hello, my name is Hondou Eisuke, and I just transferred to Teitan today. From now on, I'll be your classmate!"

----

"Hmm, so, this guy actually chose our class for Xiaolan."

Watching Hondou Eisuke being led in by the homeroom teacher, and standing awkwardly behind the podium to introduce himself just like the new transfer student Karasawa, Suzuki Sonoko at the table in front suddenly leaned back and said this to Karasawa.

"Yeah, I saw him asking classmate Lan all kinds of questions along the way." Tang Ze nodded without comment.

"Well, I have to say, the method is quite clever." Suzuki Sonoko touched her chin and muttered softly, "I admire the other person's father, and the other person's father is a celebrity. It is indeed a very convincing excuse..."

"Yuanzi, you don't think..." Tang Ze raised the corners of his mouth as he remembered something interesting.

The real purpose of Hondou Eisuke coming to Beika Town is definitely not such a superficial reason. The main reason is that Karasawa remembered how this guy stripped Conan's identity.

I like Mao Li Ran, who directly told Conan that the defense was broken, and with one basic attack, the opponent used all his skills and ultimate moves.

"What else?" Suzuki Sonoko stared at Hondou Eisuke on the stage with a scrutinizing look, "Just because you want to get some good luck? Is there really anyone who would make such a rash decision? And although Uncle Mori is a bit weird, he is indeed a capable detective. This is not based on luck, right?"

"Hmm..." Tang Ze dragged out his words and did not respond to her immediately.

How should I put it? Although the reason is indeed made up, if you look into it carefully, it is indeed a bit weird to say that a detective can become famous because of good luck, but what Hondou Eisuke said is really not wrong.

If you want to try your luck, especially the luck of fame and fortune falling from the sky like Mouri Kogoro, then you have come to the right person to find Mouri Ran.

"——I hope we can get along well with everyone in the future!"

While the two of them were whispering, Hondou Eisuke on the stage had already finished his self-introduction with a smile on his face, and after the homeroom teacher said that he could choose any empty seat, he walked back without any pause and sat down next to Tang Ze.

When Tang Ze turned his head, he met Hondou Eisuke's smiling face.

"I overheard what you were saying just now." Hondou Eisuke showed no sign of shyness like a stranger who had just transferred to school. He leaned over and whispered, "It sounds a little weird, but you'll know later."

Before the teacher's gaze shifted over, he turned back and placed his stationery on the desk.

"Some people are destined not to have a smooth life from the moment they are born."

----

"Hmm? A high school student who looks like Rena Mizunashi?" Maori Kogoro put down the newspaper and sat up straighter after hearing what Maori Ran said. "Do you admire me?"

"Yeah. He recognized me right away. It seems like he has read a lot of your reports." Mao Lilan put the water cup next to him. "He said he wanted to come over to our place. I thought, since this is a detective agency, it's his freedom to come in whether he's my classmate or not, so I agreed."

"A high school student who admires me instead of that Akechi kid, and who looks like Mizunashi Rena..." Maori Kogoro straightened his back all of a sudden, and it was obvious that he was no longer listening to what she said next. "This is really rare."

"Dad," Mao Lilan glanced at him, "You are a celebrity now, and it will not sound good if this gets out."

Although it is indeed the truth.

The image of Kogoro Mouri as a detective is actually quite impressive.

He may not be considered very handsome, but he has a good foundation after all - after all, how can a person with a poor foundation give birth to a beautiful daughter? It's through genetic mutation - and he has been trained as a criminal police officer for many years. Although his body has declined due to laziness and unhealthy lifestyle habits, it has not changed shape or deformed. He can still go out for a candlelight dinner with Eri Kisaki without being stared at with strange eyes. In fact, he is in line with everyone's imagination of an ideal detective.

Unfortunately, the image of Goro Akechi has been very popular recently.

The advantages of appearance, the glamorous background, the perfect business...

If there is a choice, most people will still admire people of similar age. Among the minors, Akechi Goro's popularity has been at its peak. "I'm just telling the truth." Maori Kogoro curled his lips, "You don't know what price the waiter downstairs, the one called Amuro, negotiated with the dark-skinned boy last time... Hey, I suddenly feel that having an agent is not bad."

For Kogoro Mouri, who makes a living as a private detective, fame is something intangible that he doesn't really care about. At most, he feels a little jealous when he sees that Goro Akechi can transform these resources into actual commission fees.

The demand for detectives in Tokyo is still very high, and as a public figure, his income has increased a lot.

As for high school detectives, no matter whether it is Kudo Shinichi or Hattori Heiji, no matter how famous they are, they cannot threaten a consulting detective like him. The two are essentially not on the same path, so even if they are compared, he doesn't really care.

But after learning from his daughter how Toru Amuro persuaded Heiji Hattori to cooperate with their agency's request to launch a new artist and participate in that variety show, and hearing the specific price, he was really jealous.

It's just a variety show, there's no scene where a serious murder happens.

Exposing a rookie's mistake is a good deed, but 80 yen, that's too much of a good deed...

"Hattori has worked so hard as a detective for so long, and this is the only time he earns money. Do you mind it?" Mao Lilan couldn't help laughing as she listened to him rambling on. "Your admirer will be here soon, so pay attention to your image, dad."

Although she felt quite amused and helpless in her heart, the smile on Mao Lilan's lips was happy and calm.

In the past, even after he became famous and his income started to increase, Kogoro Mori rarely talked about such topics with his daughter.

Even though many household affairs were left to his daughter, the real financial power was still in his own hands. Mao Lilan had no say in his extravagant spending.

Now, she could hear her father talking to her about work, colleagues and life in a complaining manner. It was a certain atmosphere that had been missing for too long and she couldn't help but smile.

Just as Kogoro Mouri was about to say something, there were regular knocks on the office door, followed by the sound of the doorknob turning.

Kogoro Mouri, who was casually slumped in the sofa chair, suddenly sat up straight, supported his chin with one hand, and flipped through the briefing book in front of him with the other hand. At the same time, his voice became deep and rich.

"Xiao Lan, could you please make me a cup of coffee? Coffee that is not made by you seems to be unable to wake up my 'sleeping' brain cells..."

"……what?"

"What are you doing? Are you rehearsing a play?"

Conan and Suzuki Sonoko pushed open the door with the corners of their mouths twitching at the same frequency.

It's not a question of image or not, Kogoro Mouri has an expression of wanting to show off written all over his face.

"What? Why are it you?" Hearing the familiar voice, Kogoro Mouri looked up and saw their faces, and suddenly relaxed.

"What happened just now? What's the matter? Are there reporters coming to the office to interview you today?" Suzuki Sonoko frowned strangely.

"Don't mention it. He probably thought he had come up with a very good pun and it was very stylish." Conan put down his schoolbag and glanced at Kogoro Mouri with an expression as if he saw through you.

"My classmate said he wants to go home. It's not appropriate to visit him in school uniform. It's too informal." Mao Lilan put the coffee heavily beside his hand, "This is the coffee you asked for, Dad."

"I spent so much time on this, but you are the ones in the end." Maori Kogoro curled his lips, "Where is that little beauty?"

"Little beauty? Oh, I thought so." Suzuki Sonoko's expression immediately turned into contempt, "No wonder, if you knew he was a high school boy, you wouldn't be so excited at all."

"Male?" Maori Kogoro's expression completely collapsed. "You should have said it earlier. You kept saying that he looked like that host... Really, I even asked Akechi for advice..."

Conan choked as he brought the cup of water to his lips.

...I was thinking, that sudden change of expression just now looked strangely familiar...

"Didn't you say before..."

"What do you know? Only by understanding your opponent and making continuous progress can you have a chance of winning the competition..."

"that……"

While the office was bustling with activity, a voice came from behind them, outside the open door of the office.

"This is the Maori Detective Agency, right?"

Feeling a reflexive pain in his head, Conan took a step without thinking and moved away from the door.

Sure enough, the next moment, a figure fell headfirst into the door of the office and fell to the ground in a prostrate posture.

Conan, who had predicted the disaster in advance, still did not escape. He was hit on the back of his head by the opponent's flying round-frame glasses. He covered his head and screamed in pain.

"S-Sorry, I seemed to have tripped over something just now..."

Hondou Eisuke appeared again in the same posture, groping the ground in panic, and soon turned towards Conan.

He kept saying, "This is the famous detective, right? Nice to meet you, Detective Maori! It's such an honor to meet you!"

Conan, holding the frame of his glasses in his hand, looked at the smiling expression on his face. His eyelids seemed to be squeezed together due to myopia, so he couldn't see clearly in front of him, but he felt the hairs on the back of his eyes stand up slightly.

This guy who looked very similar to Rena Mizunoshi, and when he smiled so hard that his eyes couldn't be seen, the subtle temperament he revealed was so similar to the Rena Mizunoshi that he had seen outside Goro Akechi's dressing room that day.

In theory, the real detective is not Kogoro Mouri.

The current Mouri Kogoro is at best a qualified private detective. What supports the title of this famous detective is the voice hidden behind the sleeping Mouri Kogoro, that is, Conan himself.

Looking at him facing him, it didn't look like a face he had mistakenly recognized because he couldn't see clearly, and Conan's mouth corners straightened.

Does this guy really not see clearly, or is he taking this opportunity to test something?
(End of this chapter)