Jiangxia Tongzhi stood two meters away, looking first at Amuro Tooru, then at the car, then at Conan—who was in the middle of kicking another soccer ball—and finally at Haibara Ai, who was sulking in a corner with what looked like a literal dark cloud hanging over her head.
A long string of ellipses slowly materialized above Jiangxia's head.
…
One minute later.
Jiangxia scooped up the two chaotic little bear children who had trespassed into the scene and plunked them down next to Ayumi, who had just woken up.
Then he turned to Amuro Toru, thoroughly confused. "Why do you need these for a wedding?"
He was pointing at the fake head in the car.
Earlier, when moving the items, Jiangxia hadn't checked what the client ordered—he just blindly tossed everything into the trunk. That was also why it hadn't occurred to him that Ayumi might be inside—who would expect Teacher Matsumoto to order a pile of fake saws and decapitated heads for her own wedding?
Conan and Haibara Ai were silently staring at the "head" in the car.
Earlier, after figuring out what had scared the kids, Amuro Toru had shown them the props.
They were, indeed, fake: the head was made of papier-mâché, and the "blood" on the chainsaw was just some cheap red slime—nothing like the serial-killer horror show they had imagined.
The two fake children, reflecting on their dramatic reactions and the gritty police-thriller storylines they had made up in their heads, fell silent. Then, in perfect sync, they averted their gazes, each pretending none of it ever happened.
Truly, a moment of social death.
At the same time, they both felt a shred of relief—thankfully, they'd only thought those ridiculous things and hadn't said them out loud…
Unlike Jiangxia, Amuro Toru actually knew a thing or two about working for a wedding company. Hearing Jiangxia's bewildered question, he glanced at the props. "They're for a stage performance. Ordered by the bride."
As he said this, even Amuro looked a bit emotional. As expected of a police officer's daughter—her tastes were unique. Adding a murder-mystery horror vibe to your own wedding… bold.
Conan clearly knew Sayuri Matsumoto. The moment he heard the explanation, he accepted it without question. That teacher would do something like this.
Since everything turned out to be a misunderstanding, Amuro Toru instantly re-ranked in Conan's mind from "suspicious guy with a gun" back to "reasonably normal adult." After all, a licensed private detective owning a gun was acceptable.
The only part Conan still found sketchy was why Amuro had made Jiangxia leave when he opened the box to take Ayumi out…
But he'd already asked way too many questions just now and felt too awkward to dig further.
So instead, he glanced over at Haibara Ai, shooting her meaningful looks.
Haibara Ai, however, had fully activated her "do not disturb" mode. Not only did she say nothing, she also tugged her hoodie tighter around her head, giving off a vibe that screamed teleport me home and bury me in the basement forever.
Jiangxia, noticing her intense aura of isolation, took the hint and spoke up. "You two head back. We've got to deliver these props ASAP. Also…"
He looked at the dented car, then at Conan. "I'll send you the bill later."
"…," Conan immediately deflated. "Okay."
Doing the math, after paying for the damage, his allowance card would be just about empty. And with the body of a six-year-old, part-time jobs were off the table. He could only quietly swipe his parents' card and pray they didn't check the statement too closely this month.
Haibara Ai left soon after with Ayumi, planning to take the train home. Ayumi, still full of adrenaline after the incident, had lots to say to her friend. But just as she turned her head mid-story, she realized Haibara was staring at her with a strange expression—unreadable, but… off.
Haibara Ai raised a hand and patted Ayumi's head.
When she looked at the little girl now, she couldn't help but picture a deceased loved one valiantly pushing open the coffin lid and climbing back out. She genuinely hadn't expected Ayumi to survive. Apparently, Jiangxia and that cadre hadn't said anything top-secret in the car. What good luck.
Conan didn't leave. He was headed to the wedding venue anyway that afternoon, so he figured he might as well hitch a ride. He'd already paid for the damages, so surely catching a lift wasn't asking too much.
However, when Amuro Toru heard his request, he didn't immediately say yes. Instead, he stared at Conan for several seconds, gaze especially lingering on Conan's smiling teeth.
Conan was baffled by the scrutiny. His elementary schooler act began to waver under pressure, and his smile gradually collapsed into a frown.
Thankfully, Amuro finally nodded and allowed the weirdo child aboard.
…
When they arrived at the church, Jiangxia had barely stepped out of the car when he was surrounded by a small flock of police officers.
Among them, Inspector Megure's beer belly stood out like a beacon. Kiyonaga Matsumoto was Megure's superior, and since it was the boss's daughter getting married, Megure had brought some of his squad to show support.
They happened to arrive around the same time as Jiangxia's group. Megure's gaze went straight to the small beat-up car emblazoned with the wedding company's logo… and then to Conan.
Something clicked in Megure's mind.
He strode over. "Right before I left the station, the operator said a kid named Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko had called in a report. Said there was a severed head in the trunk of a car and a little girl locked inside…"
Unfortunately, the kid didn't give a car model or a license plate, so they couldn't investigate immediately.
Conan winced. He had forgotten his two friends were still waiting in the park. He gave an awkward laugh. "It was a misunderstanding. All a misunderstanding…"
Jiangxia calmly handed the matter over to Conan and walked away to start unloading props.
Once everything was moved into the venue and the setup was underway, Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki came looking for Jiangxia.
—They had arrived earlier and gone straight to the bride's waiting room, where they'd run into Conan.
Conan, naturally, couldn't resist retelling the day's absurd misadventures.
As they chatted, Sayuri Matsumoto, adjusting her wedding dress nearby, perked up. "Jiangxia? I taught him. That quiet kid with perfect pitch, right? …Also very handsome."
Ran and Sonoko both blinked. "He was a year ahead of us in middle school, right?"
Jiangxia had been a year older, but due to excessive absences and delays, he ended up starting school late. That's how he went from "older neighborhood kid" to classmate.
Which was also why Ran and Sonoko hadn't invited him today—they thought he didn't know Sayuri Matsumoto and didn't want to make him uncomfortable by tagging him along.
They hadn't expected their teacher to know Jiangxia.
Sayuri Matsumoto, at first, had only a vague recollection. But after thinking a moment longer, the details came back: "Ah, the teacher in his year broke a bone during a bank robbery and had to take leave, so I subbed in for a while—haha, I heard Jiangxia only came to two music classes that whole semester, and I taught half of them. Guess it's fate."
Conan: "…"
…What a bargain-bin brand of fate. Seeing each other once a year.
*Goal #1: Top 200 fanfics published within the last 31 - 90 days by POWER STONES.
Progress: 43/60(approx) for 10 BONUS CHAPTERS
Goal #2: One BONUS CHAPTER per review for the first 10 REVIEWS.
Progress:2/10*