[Conan Doujin] The Mystery of Theseus

Puzzle15's whereabouts are unknown for no reason, and can be called □□.

Hearing the vibration of the mobile phone on the table, Kuroba paused.He put down the cue in his hand and leaned against the bar, then took his mobile phone to check.

At the same time, Edogawa on the opposite side of the street stood behind the shadow of a street tree, using the cover of being easily spotted, to pay attention to the movement in the store, consciously or unconsciously waiting for the response to the text message.

However, very naturally, after looking at the phone, Kuroba put the screen face down on the table.Fiddling with the mobile phone that was no longer active, he looked up at the old man who had been cleaning the glass from the beginning to the end, and continued talking about the topic just now, as if nothing had happened.

Completely ignore? !

Unable to think of the reason why the other party did this, Edogawa gave a "tsk" with a headache.

Sure enough, it is more efficient to ask in person.

It was only a few steps away from where he stood.The street was so quiet that no pedestrians passed by, and the sound of approaching footsteps was clearly audible.

That is, within two or three seconds, Edogawa was already standing at the door of the bar.The size of a primary school student makes him out of tune with the overall environment.

"Hey... hello!"

Hearing the sound of footsteps outside the store, Kuroba had already turned his head to look in the direction of the sound.After seeing the short figure of the visitor clearly, his eyes widened in an instant, which can be said to be full of astonishment.

"I remember..." He left the seat in front of the bar, "I shouldn't have told you the address here...?"

"I didn't tell you." Calming down the unsteady breath caused by running for a short time, Edogawa put his hands on the countertop that was too high for him, and sat down on the tall table designed for adults to socialize with great effort. chair.He looks away. "What you didn't tell me was not 01:30."

"Then what are you..."

"Let me say, master," the old man at the bar put down the glass in his hand, "If you have something to talk about, it's best not to be in the shop..." He laughed along, wiped the sweat from the side of his face, "Lest they say I sell alcohol to minors again."

"Oh, that's it," Kuroba glanced at the schoolbag that Edogawa was still carrying. "I don't look like I'm all right, but this guy's kind of—"

"You don't look like an adult, do you?!" Edogawa jumped off the high chair while pressing his forehead. "Sorry for the interruption," he nodded slightly to the old man at the bar, "Let's go talk outside."

Terai...that's how it's called.

Before Kuroba could catch up, he went straight to the door of the bar.

"Ah, I didn't expect you to find this place." Walking aimlessly along the sidewalk outside the bar, Kuroba put his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky, "I was really shocked just now."

To say "find this place", it's better to say that everything is a coincidence... It was completely unexpected that he bumped into Kuroba here, I don't know if it was luck or God's will.Thinking that he didn't need to explain the ins and outs of "finding" this bar, Edogawa simply cut to the chase.

"In the past two days," he said in a sinking tone, like a stern parent checking the whereabouts of his adolescent children at night, "what did you do when you didn't go to school?"

"Huh?" Heiyu put on a displeased expression of "what is this person talking about?"

"Don't be kidding," Edogawa stopped, "I have been waiting at the gate of your school for the past two days," he narrowed his pupils, "I have never seen anything that looks like 'Kuroba Kaito' Students leave school."

"I didn't see me leaving school, doesn't it mean I didn't go to school?" Hei Yu, who was innocent and wronged, was obviously upset, "Besides, I went home well after school time..."

"Go home?" Edogawa didn't believe his testimony, "Can anyone prove this?"

In other words, he didn't complain about the fact that he was waiting at the school gate...

"Evidence... Proof?" Proof of presence and proof of absence are usually necessary evidence for defense or conviction when a case occurs. All-round memory.Somewhat speechless, Kuroba blinked.He looked into Edogawa's eyes, there was only a serious search like a falcon.

What does this guy want to know?

"By the way! Aoko!" He suddenly recalled something, "Aoko Nakamori, do you still remember? You have met before!" He took out his mobile phone, "Yesterday after school, she insisted on going to eat at the new restaurant in the shopping street. The taiyaki shop, we acted together until we got home."

On the screen of the mobile phone that Qianqian showed, it was the girl who was very similar to Lan.She is eating taiyaki with red bean paste, and she is making a V-shape to the camera with her right hand.The picture is a little blurry, and it seems that the person who took the photo was shaking.The date the photo was taken was indeed yesterday, and the time was evening.

At that time, I must have been kicking stones in front of the gate of Ekoda High School.Facing the factual evidence that obviously did not match his memory, Edogawa remained silent.Something is not right, nothing is right.It is a fact that he did not see Kuroba leaving the school, and it is also a fact that he did not see Aoko Nakamori at the school gate, but it does not look like Kuroba is hiding anything, and there is no need for him to forge a photo for such an insignificant detail. photo.

"Have you read it?" After taking back the phone from Edogawa's hand, Kuroba exited the photo album almost immediately. "Really," he rejoiced and regretted at the same time, why he didn't delete that photo sooner, "Why should I die if it's Taiyaki..."

Judging by Kuroba's reaction, it is true that he went to the shopping street after school.

Is there something wrong?Am I missing something?

"You today..." When he spoke again, Edogawa found his throat was dry, "When did you leave school today?"

"Today?" He took out his mobile phone to confirm the time, and Hei Yu answered truthfully without going around in circles. "Probably... an hour ago?" He looked up at the sky and recalled it, then nodded with certainty, "Well, that's right. Then I stayed in Grandpa's shop all the time."

"Where's Nakamori?"

"I went to the shopping street with my friends."

Did he really miss it... Feeling like an idiot for being troubled by these meaningless questions, Edogawa dropped his shoulders and sighed deeply.

"I said..." Looking at his series of reactions inexplicably, Hei Yu was a little cautious even when he opened his mouth to ask, "You are looking for me... What's the matter?"

Edogawa's eyes froze for an instant.

I would come here, and there is no... any definite reason.It should be said that besides wandering around Jiang Gutian, I should have more things to accomplish.Uncle Mori has recently accepted a tricky commission over his own means. In order to preserve the reputation of "Sleeping Kogoro", Conan Edogawa should be present.

Why did I come here?

I heard that the investigation of the uncle's case was not going very well, and because of this, Lan, who had to accompany him on the trip after school, didn't take too much care of his late return.Normally, I should pay more attention to the progress of the case.

It's just a subconscious idea, a branch line that seems to have no effect on reality whether it is explored or not, but it is out of touch with the main line without knowing it.

Then just go to the end.

Closing his eyes and twitching the corners of his mouth, Edogawa turned and walked in the opposite direction from what they were facing just now.

"I'll go back today first," he paused, and raised his head under Kuroba's unknown gaze, "When will you leave school tomorrow?"

One last time, please allow me to confirm one last time.

If you still can't see it, admit defeat to reality.

The next day.

Because of the exact time information, Edogawa was much calmer on the way to Ekoda.There is no need to race against time to catch the tram that will leave in one minute, and there is no need to trot all the way so as not to miss the first student to leave school.

It was less than 5 minutes after the time that Hei Yu said, and two familiar figures could be seen leaving the teaching building.Holding Kuroba with his schoolbag in one hand, he was arguing with Nakamori next to him.Their elongated silhouettes were reflected by the setting sun on the ground, exactly as expected.

See you, see you.

Both were well seen.

Edogawa, who was waiting opposite the school gate the same as the previous two days, let out a long sigh of relief, although he wasn't completely clear about why he was feeling at ease.