Ming Ke Theater Chapter 017

No matter how entangled they were, the video did not pause for anyone and continued to play.

【…

“Ah… Achoo.”

Conan, who was talking to Ran Mouri using his bow tie-shaped voice changer, couldn’t help but sneeze, a long snot hanging from his nose.

“Seriously, I finally got your call, and you’re sick, you stinky Shinichi, why don’t you hurry up and come back!” Ran Mouri said grumpily.

“Don’t be unreasonable, haven’t I told you, I’ve been entrusted with a troublesome case…”

Before Conan could finish, someone suddenly visited Ran Mouri, and she hung up after a few words.】

Shinichi Kudo remembered this point in time; it was the day he coincidentally turned back into his high school self. Speaking of which, that was also the first time he met Heiji Hattori. He should be able to see him on screen soon.

【…

Walking up the stairs, Conan heard a Kansai-accented boy shouting loudly from inside the room.

“You don’t have to lie to me anymore, I know that kid is definitely here! Hurry up and call him out, Shinichi Kudo!”

Hmm? Looking for Shinichi Kudo? Conan opened the door and curiously looked at the boy in the reception room. He looked about the same age and height as him, with dark skin, wearing a baseball cap, and carrying a bag on his back.

Conan had no impression of this person. What did he want with him?

“Achoo!” Conan couldn’t help but sneeze again.

Ran Mouri took out a handkerchief to wipe his nose: “Conan, are you sick too? This flu seems quite serious, both you and Shinichi are sick.”

“Kudo is sick? Didn’t you say you don’t know where Kudo is? How would you know he’s sick then?” the dark-skinned man asked.

“A phone call,” Ran Mouri said speechlessly. “Shinichi just called, and his nasal voice was very heavy.”

The dark-skinned man stroked his chin: “So you really are Kudo’s woman. Then the message I heard wasn’t groundless.”

Kudo’s woman?!

This description shocked Conan and Ran Mouri. Both their faces, one big and one small, turned completely red.

“W-who told you that?”

“Your friend Suzuki said that Kudo didn’t even go to school, and she thought you must know the kid’s whereabouts.”】

Even today, Shinichi Kudo and Ran Mouri couldn’t help but show embarrassed expressions when they heard this description.

Sonoko Suzuki said, “It seems that’s what happened. I was startled when Hattori came to find me so aggressively that day. I thought some delinquent was looking for trouble.”

Heiji Hattori apologized, “Sorry, sorry, I was indeed too anxious that day.”

Sonoko Suzuki said, “It’s fine, even if you really were a delinquent, you’d definitely get your comeuppance if you messed with me, hmph hmph.”

【…

The person who came was indeed the high school detective Heiji Hattori. Everyone said ‘Kudo of the East, Hattori of the West,’ referring to him.

He keenly inferred from Ran Mouri’s fragmented words that Shinichi Kudo was very likely around Ran Mouri, which made Conan wonder about his purpose for being there.

“Achoo!” Conan couldn’t help but sneeze again. He felt dizzy, losing his usual sharpness.

Heiji Hattori grinned mischievously and pulled out a well-wrapped goodie from his backpack: “Hey! Kid, I have a special cold medicine here, give it a try.” With that, Heiji Hattori poured him a cup.

The liquid in the cup looked like plain water. Conan, with his severe nasal congestion, couldn’t smell anything and drank the contents of the cup in a few gulps.

Heiji Hattori continued chatting with the Mouri father and daughter. He said, “Actually, I don’t have anything important here, just to meet that kid and confirm whether Shinichi Kudo is truly worthy of being compared to me.”

Conan swallowed the remaining contents in his mouth and suddenly felt very dizzy, even more severely than before.

Ran Mouri noticed his condition and quickly supported him, asking Heiji Hattori, “What did you give him to drink?”

Heiji Hattori said, “Chinese Baijiu.” He opened the outer packaging of the wine bottle and handed it to Kogoro Mouri. “By the way, this wine will be my lodging fee. Please take good care of me until I meet Kudo.”

Ran Mouri angrily said, “Hey! Don’t just speak for yourself!”】

Masumi Sera said, “Hattori, I didn’t realize you had this kind of personality.”

Heiji Hattori was also dissatisfied with his past behavior but still insisted, “It was alright…”

Moreover, at that time, he was eager to find Shinichi Kudo and compete with him, so he chose to overpower him with his demeanor first, which inevitably made his personality appear arrogant and unlikable.

“Children can’t drink alcohol. Drinking too much will make them stupid,” Yukiko Kudo said disapprovingly.

“I’m sorry, Auntie Kudo,” Heiji Hattori immediately apologized.

Shinichi Kudo heard his address for his mother and knew without looking that his mother must be even angrier.

Yukiko Kudo pouted, “Call me big sister, big sister!”

“Yes, yes, Big Sister Kudo,” Heiji Hattori obediently corrected himself.

Shinichi Kudo said, “We also have to thank Hattori. If it weren’t for this accidental encounter, the antidote wouldn’t have been developed so quickly.”

Ai Haibara nodded and said, “Indeed.”

【…

The client arrived, it was Kimiye Ikemura, the wife of diplomat Isao Ikemura.

She commissioned Kogoro Mouri to investigate her son’s girlfriend, Sachiko Katsuragi, and asked him to discuss it at her house. Heiji Hattori felt that Shinichi Kudo might show up during this process and wanted to go along.

Conan was worried that Heiji Hattori would blurt out something, so he also wanted to go, using the excuse that he felt much better after drinking, though in reality, his condition was even worse.

The group soon arrived at the Ikemura residence, a very impressive villa.

Fumio Koike, the Ikemura family’s butler, came to greet them as they entered.

Kimiye Ikemura asked, “Where is my husband?”

Fumio Koike said, “Mr. Ikemura is probably in the study on the second floor.”

They encountered the subject of their investigation, Sachiko Katsuragi. Kimiye Ikemura’s attitude towards her was very poor, and she lost her temper after only a few words.

Takayoshi Ikemura, Kimiye Ikemura’s stepson and Sachiko Katsuragi’s boyfriend, grumbled discontentedly, “What’s the big deal, you’re just a stepmother yourself.”

On the stairs, they met an old man, Kimiye Ikemura’s father-in-law.

Kimiye Ikemura was very surprised to see him, but he said to her, “You said you wanted to talk about fishing, so I came.” He pulled out a fish print, “Look, isn’t it plump?”

Kimiye Ikemura echoed, “Ah, yes, it is indeed very big… Then please wait in the Japanese-style room, I’ll be right there.”

The old man nodded and went downstairs.

Kogoro Mouri asked, “Is that alright? You already made an appointment with him.”

Kimiye Ikemura said indifferently, “It’s fine, he’ll forget it right away anyway. Father has been very forgetful lately.”】