The morning sun hung high in the sky, its harsh rays piercing directly through the window as soon as the curtains were drawn.
A faint smile tugged at someone's lips, giving them a somewhat inexplicably silly grin.
Lying on a thin mat spread over the floor, Natsume Sonoko was dressed in an ill-fitting rabbit-themed pajama set that had once belonged to Ran-neechan.
She had brought all her daily necessities, yet somehow managed to forget her own sleepwear.
Sonoko remained curled up in bed, stretching lazily beneath the covers—a rare sight, though it was unclear whether she'd pulled them over herself or someone else had.
"Heh, I remember Tokiwadai Middle School's promotional material saying students wake up between 7:00 and 7:30 sharp."
A certain pint-sized detective wore a strained, unconvincing smile as he stared somewhat helplessly at Sonoko, who showed no intention of getting up from the floor.
It seemed the promotional claims weren't exactly reliable.
It was almost past nine now. He'd been woken up bright and early, while this supposed elite schoolgirl lay motionless under the covers.
"So comfortable… lazing in bed is just wonderful."
Sonoko pulled the covers down from over her head, revealing eyes sparkling with delight.
Whether it was a school day or a holiday, oversleeping would undoubtedly earn a scolding from the dorm supervisor and a round of disciplinary action. Yet today, she'd managed to sleep in a full two hours extra—by her reckoning, she'd hit the jackpot.
Pushing aside her random thoughts, she turned slightly on the mat and locked eyes with someone scrutinizing her.
"Um, Sonoko-neechan, I came to wake you up."
Conan suddenly felt a bit awkward and quickly excused himself before darting away in a flash.
Just as Conan's figure vanished, Natsume heard a sudden commotion nearby—a clatter, as if someone had toppled out of their seat.
Feeling more refreshed than ever, she opened the window to breathe in the fresh air, the oversized rabbit pajamas drooping around her feet.
"Sonoko, Conan told me you're awake."
Ran entered carrying a breakfast tray, a gentle smile gracing her lips.
"Thank you, Ran-neechan. I'll go wash up first."
Sonoko's cheeks flushed slightly as she finally began to feel a little self-conscious about sleeping in.
She rinsed and spat out the toothpaste, setting her toothbrush aside before finally tidying up her things.
The rabbit pajamas were gone, replaced by a pale yellow sundress dotted with tiny, smiling sunflowers.
The girl in the mirror looked completely different from usual—though her signature twin buns remained unchanged.
"In that case, I'll await Mori-san's esteemed presence."
"Not at all, a phone call would've been enough. I didn't expect you to trouble yourself with a personal visit today."
Kogoro Mori spoke to a man who looked like a company employee, escorting him to the door as they talked.
"Ran, get ready. We're heading to the Baker Hotel next."
Kogoro straightened his suit, his expression turning serious—though the effect lasted only a moment before his steps grew unsteady after just a few paces.
"Uncle drank that much again last night…"
Conan's lips twitched slightly, looking none too reassured by Mori's current state. Still, the effects of the alcohol had mostly worn off; just moments ago, he'd been tinkering with his high-tech glasses.
Putting the matter aside, Conan crouched down to examine a skateboard, his brow furrowed in troubled thought.
"Selling such advanced tech as ordinary gifts… It folds to the size of a book and has a high-output propulsion system. If Academy City has ties to the Black Organization…"
Conan's mind raced as he stepped onto the board to test it, his eyes hardening with resolve. Even if there was a connection, he had no room to back down now.
"There's too little intel on Academy City at the moment. For now, I'll have to start with this 'Sonoko-neechan'."
His gaze sharp and determined, an intense aura seemed to radiate from him. In the next instant, Conan lifted into the air, hovering weightlessly as if riding the wind.
"Conan, how many times have I told you? No skateboarding in the agency!"
A slightly annoyed figure appeared behind him, lifting Conan by the collar to dangle him mid-air, her expression stern.
"Ran-neechan, let me explain!"
"Never mind that. Hurry up and put your shoes on—we're leaving soon."
"Oh, I see now."
Natsume Sonoko nodded, reaching out curiously to pat Conan's head, but he nimbly dodged her.
"So, Sonoko-neechan is coming with us too?"
Conan fixed her with wide, earnest eyes, a cheerful grin spreading across his face.
"That's right. A game based on Uncle Mori sounds pretty interesting."
Sonoko nodded, a look of genuine interest on her face.
But then a thoughtful expression crossed her features. No matter how she looked at it, this had the scent of a case—and where there was a case, there was danger.
Although she was an esper, in some ways, she wasn't all that different from an ordinary person.
'If only I could develop a convenient passive ability like Nitrogen Armor,' she mused. But it was notoriously difficult—she couldn't even wrap her head around the computational model.
Still, she'd heard rumors that not all espers were created equal.
Ones like Natsume Sonoko were the "fake" espers—their powers relied on calculation, their defenses broke easily, and a single blow to the head could reduce them to a Level 0.
True espers were different.
Their powers came from sheer will; even if their defenses broke, they kept going. They could stop bleeding and set bones mid-battle—just thinking about it was oddly enviable.
Mentally sighing, she resolutely slipped on her shoes. Surprisingly, Sonoko felt little fear—perhaps a side effect of spending too much time with Shirai Kuroko.
In any case, staying bored in the room was worse than going out for some fresh air in Tokyo's Miwaka District.
"Sonoko-neechan, is Academy City as safe as the ads say?"
Just as she'd put on her shoes but hadn't yet tied the laces, Conan's innocent voice chimed in from beside her.
"Actually, it's not that safe. Dangerous types pop up every now and then. There are plenty of criminal groups, assault cases, and underground experiments. For an ordinary student like me, life there is pretty risky."
After a moment's thought, Sonoko answered honestly.
'Assaults and underground experiments… Sounds a lot like the Black Organization's methods. They might even be one of the criminal groups in Academy City. And if they've managed to avoid being wiped out there, they must have someone high-ranking on the inside.'
Conan fell silent, his eyes growing serious.
"Then, Sonoko-neechan, are there any espers in Academy City who wear black clothes?"
If they were espers, they'd likely hold high status in the city. And if they were with the Black Organization, wearing black would be a defining trait.
"Huh? Let me think."
Sonoko found the question a bit odd, but after sifting through her memories, something clicked.
Now she remembered.
If it's about black clothing…
"Then, does black-and-white stripes count?"
--+--
The car slowly started up—the same van from yesterday. Uncle Mori seemed to have done the rental company a favor, so they'd waived the fee for these few days.
Since Kogoro had been drinking the night before, Ran had called a designated driver.
Admittedly, the vehicle wasn't in great shape—it had taken over ten minutes just to get it started that morning.
Sitting in the back seat, Conan was unusually quiet.
"Accelerator? Real name unknown. Ranked #1 esper in Academy City. Frequently seen in black-and-white striped shirts."
Conan mulled it over silently. Bored, Sonoko blinked and glanced at the boy beside her. He'd been acting strange since they got in the car.
"There's too little useful intel. With such common characteristics, all I get is useless information."
Finally giving up on further speculation, Conan leaned back in his seat, resting his head in his hands. Sensing someone's gaze, he turned and found Natsume staring at him, her face practically spelling out "I'm curious" in bold letters.
--+--
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!
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If you guys wanna check it out.