"Hattori-kun, there's something I want to tell you."
Momiji, lying in the hospital bed with her left leg in a cast and still wearing her kimono, spoke softly.
"Me? Miss Ōoka, are you talking to me?"
Heiji, who had been about to leave with Conan, pointed to himself with a puzzled look.
"That's right. I'm talking to you, Hattori-kun."
Momiji, her left leg propped up, nodded gently.
Heiji felt a bit awkward. He wasn't close with Momiji.
The Ōoka family wasn't ordinary. Though it had only developed locally in Kyoto within the past century, it was already leagues apart from ancient families like the Fujiwara.
But in just one generation, the Ōoka family had entered the upper ranks of the political world, and this generation's head had even become the Prime Minister.
Regardless of the mistake that caused him to be removed from office, reaching that position alone proved the Ōoka family was now a true political powerhouse. That alone would ensure the next generation had a much easier path to the top.
Although the Hattori family was once an ancient and powerful clan that had served Tokugawa Ieyasu, the main line had declined along with the fall of the shogunate.
The branch Heiji belonged to had only limited inheritance left, and most of the legacy had been lost.
Heiji and Momiji weren't close. So her calling him over like this left him very confused.
"Hattori-kun, do you remember participating in a Karuta competition when you were a child?"
Momiji carefully chose her words as she asked.
Right now, she was incredibly anxious.
If this had been before the bombing, she would have hoped Heiji remembered.
But now, after the bombing, she wished even more that he didn't.
That way, he would have a reason and excuse to disregard the promise he made back then.
Heiji looked thoughtful, then clapped his hands. "Miss Ōoka, now that you mention it, I do remember. My mom and I came to Kyoto, and there was a Karuta competition for little kids. I ended up joining."
Hearing that he remembered, Momiji grew tense. She subconsciously clenched her fists and asked quietly,
"Then do you still remember the little girl you faced in the finals?"
Heiji clapped again. "Of course I remember. That little girl cried so hard after losing, and I even went over to comfort her."
"Wait, that little girl was you, Miss Ōoka?"
Heiji asked in surprise.
Momiji's heart instantly burned with frustration.
Why do you remember? Why do you remember?
No, why did you only remember after I brought it up? If you really remembered it clearly, you should've recalled it the moment you saw me at Fujiwara's place.
But strangely, only now did you remember. So what does that make my feelings? I don't even like you, but now I have to keep the promise we made as kids?
Momiji felt indignant.
But on the surface, she still answered calmly, "Yes, that girl was me..."
At that moment, Conan suddenly understood.
Could it be that this Ōoka girl has had feelings for Heiji ever since they met as kids?
Thinking about it, Conan couldn't help feeling a little envious, maybe even a little jealous.
Even though, in his heart, Ran was still the most beautiful girl.
Still, he had to admit, from a man's perspective, Momiji really was beautiful, noble, and elegant like a fairy. That air of quiet confidence and noble composure wasn't something ordinary girls had.
Only girls raised in true elite families, with a privileged upbringing and refined etiquette training, could have such grace.
Momiji took a deep breath and asked quietly, "Hattori-kun, do you still remember the promise you made to me back then?"
Heiji laughed. "Of course I do. You cried so hard that day, so I told you that next time we meet, I'd play Karuta with you again."
"Miss Ōoka, you wouldn't still be holding onto that after all these years, would you? I only play Karuta now and then. If I played you now, I'd definitely lose."
Heiji waved his hands as he spoke, and Momiji's expression froze.
She murmured, "Play Karuta with me again next time?"
In Japan, that phrase was just one syllable short of "I'll marry you next time we meet."
Only then did Momiji realize she had misheard it as a child.
She had carried that childhood memory with her all this time.
But did she really like Heiji? When she asked herself honestly, she realized she didn't have any real feelings for him.
After all, they barely knew each other.
It was just that Momiji's personality wouldn't allow her to break a promise.
So, she had believed all these years that since she accepted Heiji's "proposal" back then, she had to honor it.
Yet not long ago, she realized she had developed genuine feelings for someone else.
For Toru.
But the childhood promise made her feel like she was breaking her word, which was agonizing.
She had even considered getting Heiji to voluntarily void the childhood promise, so she wouldn't be the one going back on it.
But now, it turned out it was just her imagination. A complete misunderstanding.
There had been no engagement. No promise. Nothing.
That was great. Truly great.
Momiji suddenly felt a wave of joy.
In that moment, something clicked in her heart.
The promises made as children were just childish words. There was no need to take them so seriously.
She should live for herself. She should go after her own happiness.
Even if her family tried to stop her, even if the road ahead was covered in thorns, she would forge ahead without hesitation.
Thinking that, Momiji couldn't help laughing out loud.
Her laughter startled Heiji. "Miss Ōoka, are you okay?"
Momiji wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and said, "I'm sorry, Hattori-kun. I just figured something out."
"You must be busy, so I won't keep you. I'm also a bit tired. I want to get some rest."
Heiji understood that she was politely asking him to leave.
"What a strange woman."
He muttered under his breath.
Seeing that Momiji was still injured, he shook his head, said goodbye to Conan, and left.
Once she was alone, Momiji began to plan.
"That Kaguya from the Shinomiya family is Toru-kun's fiancée. But from her attitude, she doesn't seem to care about that engagement. Hmph, what a woman who doesn't know how lucky she is."
Momiji couldn't help feeling a little jealous.
"I heard from my father that I was originally supposed to be engaged to Toru. Our two families were the most compatible. But since I'm an only child, marrying into the Fujiwara family was impossible."
"What a bunch of old-fashioned geezers. Even in this era, they still care about that."
Momiji looked displeased, but she also understood that family inheritance traditions couldn't just be thrown away.
"So, I need to work around this. Force my parents to have another child? No, there are other ways. All the Ōoka family needs is an heir, right..."
She quickly began forming a plan.
...
"...Achoo..."
Kaguya rubbed her nose.
"Kaguya-sama, did you catch a cold?"
Hayasaka asked with concern.
Kaguya shook her head. "Probably not. Maybe someone's talking behind my back."
...
At a detached house in Kyoto, Heiji rode up on his motorcycle with Conan.
The nameplate on the gate read "Kaieda."
Heiji looked a little unfocused. "From the clues we gathered earlier, we can guess that the case is probably tied to the Satsuki Association's president and his secretary. But we still don't have solid evidence."
"Kudo, what are you thinking about? Still got that girl from earlier on your mind?"
Conan teased.
Heiji straightened up and laughed. "No way!"
But even as he said that, Heiji couldn't shake a sense of loss.
He pushed the feeling down and rang the doorbell.
"Kudo, let's meet this Kaieda Tougo and see if we can get anything out of him."
He rang the bell a few times, but no one answered.
"That's weird. No one home?"
Just then, Conan leaned close to the door and took a deep sniff. His expression suddenly changed. "There's a smell... blood."
Heiji reacted instantly and kicked the door open.
The moment the door flew open, the scent of blood became even stronger.
They rushed into the living room on the first floor and saw Kaieda Tougo slumped on the sofa, eyes wide open, a bullet hole in his forehead.
"He's dead. Shot."
Neither of them touched the scene. Instead, they began scanning the room for clues.
Conan noticed that the computer beside him was still on. "There's a camera at the entrance. Maybe the footage is still on the computer."
Heiji pulled on gloves. While telling Conan to call the police, he navigated the computer, looking for the camera recordings.
Before long, Heiji found the right folder. He opened a video, and the two of them clearly saw the killer.
It was a foreign man dressed in black, wearing a black top hat, with short blond hair.
Conan's pupils constricted instantly.
It was him. Martini. The Black Organization member who had performed the bone marrow operation on himself.
He killed Kaieda Tougo. His next target... must be the Satsuki Association president, Kensuke Achiwa!
Conan didn't hesitate. He turned and bolted out the door.
The case didn't matter anymore. Tracking down the Black Organization was the real priority now.
"Kudo!"
Heiji shouted, then quickly followed after him.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)