"Brat, from now on, you should call him Heiji-niichan. How do you keep forgetting?"
Sonoko pulled back her fist, looking annoyed.
[Internal Thought (Conan)]: Damn it, Sonoko.
Conan bared his teeth and grimaced, his face full of displeasure.
"Oh my, my, whose child is this? So cute." Yukiko crouched down and pinched Conan's face, tugging it back and forth. "So adorable. I bet this boy's mother must be a great beauty."
Conan narrowed his eyes and looked at Yukiko speechlessly, his face full of a dry, forced smile.
Heiji looked at Yukiko without words. This woman really was narcissistic.
"Yukiko? Are you Fujimine Yukiko?" Mouri Kogoro stared at Yukiko with wide eyes.
Yukiko stood up, her angel-like face carrying a polite smile. "Kogoro, long time no see."
"It really is you. After all these years, you're still just as beautiful."
Mouri Kogoro's face was full of admiration. However, he did not act the way he usually did around beautiful women. He didn't have that "dirty old wolf" look on his face.
"Is that so? I also feel like I haven't changed." Yukiko cupped her face, looking pleased.
"Of course, you haven't changed at all." Mouri Kogoro nodded quickly.
"Dad, honestly..." Ran stood to the side, looking helpless.
"Oh my, my, Ran, have you been having nice chats with Shinichi lately?" Yukiko walked over to Ran, a mischievous glint flashing in her beautiful eyes.
"Yukiko-neesan, please don't tease me."
"Yu... Yukiko-neesan?"
Conan's eyes snapped wide open, his face full of shock. At first, he hadn't paid attention to the way Ran addressed Yukiko, but now he heard it clearly.
"Yes, Conan, is there some problem?"
Ran looked at Conan strangely.
"Yes, Conan, is there some problem?"
Yukiko looked at Conan with a bright smile, but her beautiful eyes carried a chilling coldness.
Seeing Yukiko's smile, a drop of cold sweat appeared on the back of Conan's head. He quickly forced a smile. "No problem. I have no problem."
Yukiko let out a "hmpf," lifted her head proudly, and pouted at Heiji. "See that? From now on, you should call me Yukiko-neesan too."
Heiji curled his lip and directly ignored her.
Conan lowered his voice. "Mom, come over here for a second."
Yukiko glanced at Conan, nodded, and walked to the side.
"Come on, Conan, let's go whisper some secrets."
"Whisper secrets? Okay, okay!"
"What a brat. He really loves playing around."
Looking at Conan, who was suddenly all smiles, Mouri Kogoro curled his lip in disdain.
The two of them walked farther away.
Conan's face immediately fell. "Mom, what's going on? Isn't Dad in Osaka? How did you end up here with Hattori and the others?"
Yukiko let out a cold snort. "Don't mention that novel-obsessed, deduction-obsessed freak. I'm telling you, don't you dare learn from him. You should care more about Ran, or if someone else steals her away, don't blame me for not warning you."
"Mom, let's not talk about me first. What's going on with you and Dad?"
Conan hadn't listened to a word of that.
Yukiko fell silent. After a long while, she sighed. "Last time I was kidnapped, he didn't even come. If Heiji hadn't been there, I'm afraid I..."
She couldn't finish the sentence.
"Dad didn't go?" Conan froze for a moment, then his brows tightened, furious. "This won't do. I need to ask Dad about this."
"No need to ask. It was definitely a case, or some other 'important' matter."
Suddenly, Yukiko glared at Conan. "Shinichi, I'm warning you. If you dare tell him where I'm staying, we're done! Hmpf."
After saying that, she turned and walked away.
Looking at Yukiko's back, Conan looked helpless. "It's over. Mom is really angry."
"Ran, did you come here on vacation too?" Sonoko asked curiously.
"No, someone hired Dad, so that's why we came here," Ran said with a light smile.
"Looks like Uncle Mouri's reputation as a famous detective is pretty impressive too." Kazuha smiled from the side.
"That's right! I am the famous detective Mouri Kogoro! Wahahaha!"
As soon as he heard that, Mouri Kogoro let out his signature triumphant laugh.
"Oh my, my, Kogoro, what are you laughing about so happily?"
Yukiko walked back over and stood gracefully not far from Heiji.
"It's nothing. They were just admiring me, the famous detective," Mouri Kogoro said proudly.
"Ran, your dad still looks like he needs a beating," Sonoko whispered to Ran.
Ran laughed helplessly.
Yukiko pursed her lips and gave a polite smile.
Heiji had been quietly watching from the side the whole time.
At that moment, Conan suddenly tugged on the corner of his clothes. "Hattori, was the Yasakani no Magatama recovered?"
Heiji glanced at Conan. "It has nothing to do with you anyway. Why are you so concerned?"
"But I feel like the Night Baron definitely has a follow-up move. He put in too much effort for it to end like this." Conan frowned, his tone turning serious. "And the Self-Defense Force injuring people is also very suspicious. I suspect it's connected to the Black Organization."
Heiji nodded slightly. "There is indeed a major problem with the Self-Defense Force incident."
"Mhm, very suspicious," Conan said heavily, rubbing his chin.
"But what?"
Conan lifted his head, and a fist was getting closer and closer...
"But it has absolutely nothing to do with you."
The fist slammed hard onto Conan's head.
"Ah! That hurts! Hattori, what are you doing?"
Conan glared at Heiji while clutching his head.
"Conan-brat, what did you just say?" Sonoko's beautiful eyes turned cold as she glared at Conan.
Conan gritted his teeth. Hateful Hattori.
Yukiko looked at the two of them strangely from the side. She walked to Conan and asked in a low voice, "Shinichi, did you ask something you shouldn't have?"
This was the first time she had seen Heiji hit someone.
"I did not!"
Conan looked full of displeasure.
Heiji couldn't be bothered to deal with that deduction-obsessed freak. He had wanted to throw that punch for a long time. That guy was hopeless.
[Internal Thought (Heiji)]: Whenever he runs into anything related to the Black Organization, he charges in like a headless fly. He says he can't let the people around him get hurt, but he never truly thinks things through for their safety. Even if he's desperate to find an antidote, he needs to do it in a proper and safe way. But judging from how he acts every time he faces the Black Organization... the only word I can use is "stupid." In general, Conan's behavior is extremely selfish.
The group began walking toward the town.
Conan walked beside Heiji, his face full of displeasure. "Hattori, I'll remember that punch. Once I get my original body back, I'm getting revenge."
Heiji shrugged casually. "Talk when that day comes."
After saying that, he grabbed the back of Conan's clothes and lifted him up.
"Ah! Put me down! Put me down already!" Conan shouted.
The others were immediately drawn by the commotion and looked back.
"Conan, what should you call me?"
"Conan-brat, you're being naughty again, aren't you?" Sonoko glared at Conan.
"Conan, you have to be polite, okay?" Yukiko said with a playful wink.
"Conan, you should call him Heiji-niichan," Ran said softly.
Conan gritted his teeth and said it one word at a time: "Hei... ji... nii... chan."
Heiji smiled slightly and set Conan down. "Now that's more like it."
[Internal Thought (Conan)]: Hateful Hattori!