The black van continued down the endless road that seemed to stretch forever on the outskirts of Academy City. They were relying entirely on the navigation system to figure out where they were.
"Ran-neechan, who is this big sister we're picking up today? Uncle seems to take it really seriously—he even got his suit dry-cleaned specially."
Having apparently grown tired of staring at the massive outer wall, the bespectacled little boy settled back into his seat and tugged curiously on the high school girl's sleeve in front of him.
"From what Dad said, she's the daughter of an old friend. That friend isn't in Japan right now, so he asked Dad to be her guarantor during the break—kind of like a temporary guardian," the girl named Ran replied thoughtfully, though she didn't seem to know all the details herself.
"Oh, I see. So, Uncle Mori, will this big sister be staying with us for a while?"
The little boy in his tiny suit and glasses nodded, then asked another question, clearly intrigued by this student from Academy City.
"Yeah, she'll be staying with us for a bit. Not sure for how long, though. Might only be a few days before she moves back to her own place."
Kogoro Mori kept his eyes on the road, answering offhandedly as he focused on driving.
After a while longer, a taxi stand finally came into view up ahead.
There, on a waiting bench, a girl with her hair tied up in a bun suddenly lifted her head. Empty snack wrappers lay scattered beside her.
"Dad, there's someone waiting at that stop."
"I see her. Matches the description and location we agreed on. Should be her."
In the back seat, the little boy widened his eyes, peering through the window at Natsume.
"Is that sister a middle schooler?"
"How'd you guess, squirt?" Kogoro slowed down, pulling the van smoothly to the curb.
"Because that uniform is from a middle school."
"Oh, right, Uncle, what's the sister's name again?"
"It's Natsume... Ryuuko, was it? No, wait..."
Standing up, Natsume quickly gathered the snack wrappers beside her, tossed them into a trash can, and brushed off her mouth, checking for any crumbs. Satisfied, she smiled in relief.
"Sister, sister! Are you the one Uncle Mori is here to pick up?"
She felt a slight tug on her sleeve—a small hand had appeared out of nowhere, clutching the fabric.
Turning, Natsume Sonoko found herself looking down at a grinning, bespectacled little boy. He was quite tall for his age, already reaching up to her chin.
She stared silently at the vaguely familiar figure, a strange, unreadable emotion flickering in her eyes.
This is bad, really bad! Ran into the Elementary School Detective of Death—what do I do now?!
"Conan, what are you doing? Don't be so rude!"
"I'm so sorry. I'm Ran Mori, Kogoro Mori's daughter. The car my dad rented has some engine trouble and can't be turned off, so he asked me to come get you." A little flustered, Ran pulled Conan behind her and bowed slightly.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Natsume Sonoko. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Sonoko lifted her head somewhat blankly.
"Sonoko? I have a friend named Sonoko too! What a coincidence." Ran suddenly beamed, happily taking Sonoko's arm.
"That's Sonoko Suzuki, right? I'm Edogawa Conan, seven years old. You can just call me Conan!"
They reached the van, and Sonoko cautiously climbed inside. Behind her, Ran lifted a large suitcase as if it were nothing and stowed it in the trunk.
With their passenger aboard, the van set off, leaving Academy City and heading toward Miyukicho, Tokyo.
"Sonoko, your father asked me to look after you, so you can relax and stay with us for now. Whatever trouble comes up, I can handle it—after all, I'm the famous detective of the Kanto region!"
"By the way, Sonoko, have you heard of me in Academy City? Bet my name's a lot bigger than some kid named Kudo Shinichi, right?" He scratched his head and let out a hearty laugh, the famous detective Kogoro Mori brimming with confidence.
In the back seat, Conan, sitting beside Sonoko, also looked curious, as if interested in the answer.
Academy City was heavily promoted to the outside world, with its famous schools and celebrities well-known beyond its walls.
But aside from that official publicity, most other information seemed largely kept separate from the outside.
"I'm sorry, but I haven't heard of either Uncle Mori or Kudo Shinichi." Sonoko hesitated for a moment before answering honestly. As soon as the words left her mouth, the air grew palpably awkward.
"Is that so? Well, you're all students in there—not like us adults with time to follow that kind of news." Kogoro laughed it off, though the stiffness in his face showed he was a little bruised by the response.
"Just as I thought. Information is somewhat blocked between the two sides," Conan mused quietly, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed out the window.
"Natsume, are you from Private Tokiwadai Middle School? I recognize your uniform from a brochure." Conan leaned closer, eyes shining with curiosity.
"Wow, Conan, you really know a lot." Sonoko turned to him, sensing his unusual interest in Academy City.
She sat quietly in her seat, feeling the gentle bumps of the road, and before she knew it, they had entered Miyukicho.
Looking outside, the scenery was completely different from Academy City. No robots or high-tech devices in sight—just adults hurrying along with briefcases.
Her gaze lingered on the back of Kogoro's neck, and her pupils contracted slightly, as if she'd noticed something startling.
His rough skin was dotted with unusually large pores; on closer inspection, they looked like tiny needle marks.
--+--
Mori Detective Agency, 1-39, 5-Chome, Miyukicho, Tokyo.
"Well, that makes two people staying with us now. But we only have this one room left—it's where Conan usually sleeps." Ran helped carry the luggage into a small room, wiping sweat from her forehead.
Sonoko glanced around the cramped space, filled with various odds and ends. There was no bed—just a futon laid out on the floor.
So this is how Conan lives… pretty simple, Sonoko thought, a flicker of curiosity rising within her.
"But we don't have an extra bed, Sonoko. Why don't you sleep in my room instead?"
"Yeah, I doubt you're used to sleeping on the floor, Sonoko," Conan chimed in.
"No, it's fine, Ran-neechan. I actually don't like sleeping in beds at all. This is perfect for me." Sonoko quickly waved her hands in refusal. Since Ran was quite a bit older, Sonoko followed Conan's example and called her "Ran-neechan."
Heh, since when does anyone 'not like' sleeping in a bed? A dry, internal voice—presumably Conan's—drifted through the scene.
In the corner of the room, a small boy lifelessly picked up his futon and silently rolled his eyes.
"Conan, for the next few days, you'll have to squeeze in with Dad. Get your things sorted out," Ran declared with an air of authority.
--+--
"Gotta admit, the tech from Academy City is something else." Kogoro sat at his desk, hands clasped behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. He wore a pair of virtual reality glasses, one leg crossed over the other, looking utterly at ease.
"Dad, be professional! We have a client." Ran, busy cleaning up cigarette butts from the floor, snatched the glasses off his head in annoyance.
Without his center of balance, Kogoro tipped backward and landed flat on his back.
"Ran, what was that for?!"
Struggling to get up, he rubbed his lower back and twisted slightly. Just then, the door opened, and his eyes were drawn to the figure stepping slowly into the office.
"So this is the famous detective Mori Kogoro's agency?"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.