Ke Xue Lu Ren Wang

Chapter 40 The Garden: No One Can Compare

Meanwhile, at the Mori Detective Agency.

A bespectacled boy wearing a large bow tie was leisurely lounging on the sofa, sipping his juice.

"Achoo—!"

Conan's mind went blank for a moment, and he felt an irresistible force gushing out from deep within his nasal cavity.

The next second, the orange juice in his mouth turned into a mist that sprayed out in a perfect fan shape around him, accurately covering the newspaper, TV remote control, and Kogoro Mouri's brand-new white shirt on the coffee table.

"Ah!!! My horse racing ticket!!!"

Kogoro Mouri's roar almost lifted the roof off.

"You brat! Why did you spray your drink everywhere again?!"

He looked at his beloved shirt and the soaked horse racing tickets on the table, his temples throbbing with veins.

"Huh? I didn't mean to..."

Before Conan could finish speaking, a huge fist rapidly enlarged in front of him and landed precisely on his head with a muffled thud.

……

Teitan High School, 5:00 PM.

After saying goodbye to Yuko Morishita, Toru Hanyu arrived at the school gate ahead of time.

In the early summer evening, the air still retained the heat of the day, but the breeze felt gentle on my face.

He slung his bag over one shoulder, leaned against a big tree next to the school gate, took out his phone, and opened the singing video that Matsusaka had uploaded.

The number of views has exceeded 600,000.

In the comments section, besides the unanimous requests for his face and comments like "My ears are pregnant," a wild team of people have even started analyzing his vocal techniques frame by frame.

He silently closed the page.

Not long after, Sonoko Suzuki and Ran Mouri appeared at the school gate.

"Hanyu-kun! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!" As soon as Sonoko Suzuki saw him, she immediately ran over a couple of steps, her tone tinged with apology.

"It's nothing, I just arrived too."

"Don't your teachers keep students going overtime?" Ran Mouri asked curiously as she followed behind.

"The last period is music class, and the teacher lets us go as soon as the bell rings."

"Oh, that's great," Sonoko Suzuki puffed out her cheeks, complaining a little, "Our teacher dragged on for almost ten minutes, otherwise she would have come out much earlier."

Yuzuru was not surprised by this.

Most of the teachers in their class believed in pragmatism: "If you can understand it, you don't need to explain it much; if you can't understand it, it's a waste of time to explain it."

"By the way, Ran, I have some things to do with Yuzuru-kun later, so I won't be able to go home with you," Sonoko Suzuki said to Ran Mouri.

"It's okay! I need to go back early to make dinner for Dad and Conan anyway."

Ran Mouri smiled, but her grip on the backpack strap tightened unconsciously.

My family has one big and one small dog. One of them does nothing but watch horse racing and drink beer, while the other just eats and plays on his phone. Neither of them is easy to deal with.

The thought of having to clean up that messy office when she got back made Ran Mouri's fists itch.

"I'm off now, Sonoko, Hanyu-kun, see you tomorrow!" Ran Mouri smiled and waved to the two of them before turning and joining the crowd of students leaving school.

Sonoko Suzuki watched her walk away, then walked over very naturally and took Toru Hanyu's arm in one smooth motion.

"Let's go! Let's meet the manager of a big star!"

……

At 6:10 PM, the subway arrived at the station.

As the two emerged from the gate, they were greeted by a sea of ​​neon lights stretching as far as the eye could see.

This area near the municipal district is one of Tokyo's most bustling commercial areas.

The towering glass curtain wall of the department store reflected the afterglow of the setting sun and the light from the giant GG screen, while office workers in suits and stylish young women brushed past each other in the crowd.

The air was filled with the aroma of takoyaki sauce, the scent of high-end perfumes wafting from the entrance of luxury stores, and the cool breeze from the subway station vents.

Sonoko Suzuki walked beside Toru Hanyu, her head darting left and right, her eyes almost never stopping.

As she passed a beautifully decorated dessert shop, her pace noticeably slowed, but she eventually stopped, probably remembering that she had important business to attend to that evening.

"By the way, Hanyu-kun, are you a fan of celebrities?" Sonoko Suzuki suddenly asked.

"I won't pursue her." Yuzuru shook his head, turning to look at her. "What about you?"

"Well……"

When asked the same question in return, Sonoko Suzuki hesitated, a rare occurrence for her.

She slowed her pace, her gaze flickered for a moment, and then she nodded slightly.

"I guess so before... but now, I feel like I don't need to chase after him anymore, hehe."

She spoke the second half of her sentence very softly, accompanied by two silly laughs.

Why?

"I always thought Kaito Kid was really cool, with his white cape and monocle. Every time he sent out a notice, it caused a huge sensation throughout the city. Even with all the fuss Jirokichi's uncle going out of his way, he still couldn't catch him..."

As Suzuki Sonoko finished speaking, she looked at Toru Hanyu, her cheeks slightly flushed, and her voice became weak.

"but……"

Sonoko Suzuki suddenly stopped and looked intently into Toru Hanyu's eyes on the bustling street.

"After getting to know you, I suddenly realized that Kaito Kid isn't so amazing after all."

The girl's voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear.

"Like a mirage in the water, impossible to grasp or touch. But only you are visible and tangible!"

She paused, as if gathering all her courage, and added another sentence.

"Besides, I think you're way more handsome than him~"

Yuzuru stopped in his tracks.

He was used to being praised for his good looks. But being compared to Kaito Kid by Sonoko Suzuki, and actually winning the comparison, was a first for him.

Especially when she said "You're more handsome," the expression on her face, a mixture of shyness and certainty, made Yuzuru's heart skip a beat.

"I didn't expect you to think so highly of me."

"Of course! No one can compare!"

After speaking, Sonoko Suzuki smiled and her steps became lighter, as if she had made some important declaration.

……

The two followed the navigation for a few minutes and found their destination on a relatively quiet street.

Morito Cafe.

Yuzuru looked up at the wooden signboard.

Pushing open the heavy shop door, a rich and mellow aroma of coffee beans wafts out, mixed with hints of caramel and woody smoky notes.

The shop's decor leans towards a classic style, with dark brown leather sofas and small brass lamps on the tables, casting a dim light that creates a tranquil and private atmosphere. In the corner sits an old-fashioned gramophone; it's unclear whether it's decorative or actually functional.

Most of the guests here are alone, quietly flipping through books or working on their laptops, and their conversations are kept to a very small scale.

Yuzuru glanced at the price list at the bar. For an average high school student, the starting price of seven or eight hundred yen for a cup of hand-drip coffee was still a bit high.

However, he doesn't need to pay today.

Yuzuru took out his phone and sent a text message: We've arrived.

Less than ten seconds after the message was sent, a middle-aged man with a brown trench coat and neat short hair stood up in the innermost corner booth of the coffee shop and waved towards the door.

The movement was subtle, yet precise enough for the two people to see it at a glance, without disturbing other guests in the slightest.

"Let's go."

Yuzuru put away his phone, led Sonoko Suzuki through several empty tables, and walked to a corner.

Pull out a chair and sit down.

The man opposite immediately stood up, extended his hand first, and wore a professional, just-right smile.

"Hello, are you Mr. Toru Hanyu?"