Friday, February 1st.
An ordinary day.
But for the MPD, it was anything but ordinary.
Today was the rare, glorious occasion when every officer in the Violent Crimes Division, First Investigation Section, Unit Three didn't have to work overtime. Every pending case had been handed over to Unit Four instead.
Why?
Because today, the rising star of the police force, Onizawa Takashi, would officially become husband and wife with his fiancée, Miyano Akemi.
For the newlyweds, this day was anything but ordinary.
...
The tailored white suit fit him impeccably, giving off an elegant and refined air.
His long fingers finished tightening his tie as the silver-haired young man standing before the mirror removed his gold-rimmed glasses. His crimson eyes carried their usual lazy look, but... the emotion written most clearly across his face was confusion.
Staring at his reflection in the white suit, Ritsu brushed aside the loose strands of silver hair hanging over his forehead. Even now, he still hadn't recovered from the "aftereffects" of registering their marriage at noon.
His gaze drifted toward the Certificate of Acceptance of Marriage Registration resting on the nearby table.
Anyone who didn't know better might think he'd just won some prestigious award.
Originally, they hadn't planned on officially registering their marriage.
But thanks to the "celebrity effect" surrounding Ritsu, the media had been relentlessly hounding the star police officer. In the end, they had no choice but to register the marriage together.
When filling out the marriage registration form, his mind had been completely blank.
He had even come dangerously close to writing "Sasajima Ritsu" in the name field.
Knock. Knock.
The sudden sound interrupted his thoughts.
Straightening his tie, he looked toward the door.
"Come in."
The door opened, revealing Wataru in a gray suit, wearing his usual hearty smile.
He looked Ritsu up and down before grinning.
"You always wear black, so I never expected white to suit you this well. Looking sharp, our groom today!"
"Thanks. Didn't Natalie come with you?" Ritsu asked.
"She's with Miyano—oh, no. I guess I should be saying Akemi-san now."
Wataru chuckled awkwardly before continuing.
"A wedding dress is a lot more complicated than a suit. There's no way she could get into it by herself, so Natalie's over there helping."
A wedding dress...
Ritsu honestly wanted to see both of his cousins looking beautiful as brides.
But when he remembered that the first time Miyano Akemi would ever wear a wedding dress was for a fake marriage with him...
His feelings became strangely complicated.
'I really do feel like I've wronged her.'
"Anyway, I'll be waiting outside. When you see that huge crowd out there later, don't get so nervous you start stuttering."
Ritsu smiled calmly.
"No matter how many people show up for a wedding, it still can't compare to the press conferences at the Metropolitan Police Department. Don't worry—I won't choke."
Wataru merely shrugged with a laugh instead of replying before closing the door behind him.
...
Meanwhile, in the chapel,
Still dressed in his trademark navy-blue suit, Conan was seated toward the back together with the Detective Boys, all wearing formal attire.
The three younger members were naturally excited about attending a wedding.
Judging by the suspicious blushes on Mitsuhiko and Genta's faces, the two precocious boys were probably imagining themselves marrying Ayumi someday.
"I want to marry Conan someday!"
"Huh?!"
Conan's eyes flew wide open.He looked so shocked he was bordering on horrified.
'I was just here to watch the drama! How did I suddenly become the main character of it?!'
Feeling two murderous glares land on him, Conan frantically waved both hands.
"I-I'm innocent!"
Seated in the row ahead, Sonoko turned around with a teasing grin.
"Well, well. Looks like you're pretty popular, Four-Eyes."
Ran smiled as well.
"You know, I've always wondered what kind of girl Conan would like. Although... isn't that question a little early for someone his age?"
To Ran, Conan was simply a little brother.
After all, what normal person would ever associate a seven-year-old child with a seventeen-year-old high school student?
Conan's cheeks reddened slightly as he rested his chin on one hand, looking thoroughly depressed.
'Do you even have to ask? Of course it's you, you oblivious girl.
I've liked you ever since kindergarten... Ugh... just thinking about it is frustrating. When am I finally going to turn back into Shinichi?
Damn those Men in Black!'
"Hahaha! Don't tell me you're actually embarrassed!" Sonoko laughed mischievously.
Ran assumed Conan simply didn't want to answer out of shyness.
As she was about to turn back around, she noticed that Haibara, whom Conan had mentioned before, had been sitting with her head lowered in silence the entire time.
Concern filled Ran's gentle eyes.
"Haibara, are you not feeling well?"
Hearing Ran's voice, Haibara's body trembled ever so slightly.
Perhaps it was because that kindness reminded her of her older sister. The reason she hadn't spoken at all was because she'd been lost in her own thoughts.
The possibility that her sister was being forced to marry someone connected to the Organization weighed heavily on her heart.
During this period, she hadn't had any opportunity to get close to Ritsu, so she still couldn't determine whether he truly belonged to the Organization.
But judging from the aura he gave off, he seemed like one of the good guys.
"Oi, Haibara, Ran's talking to you."
Conan poked her shoulder with a finger.
'She's acting even stranger than usual today. Don't tell me this icy woman doesn't dream about romance at all?
Could what she told me about waiting until she's eighty actually have been serious?'
Haibara merely shook her lowered head.
She didn't want any contact with dolphins who lived safely in the sunlight, surrounded by people who protected them.
Even after escaping the deep sea, she was still an unwelcome shark in the end.
And...
She carried guilt in her heart.
It was because she had helped develop APTX4869 that Shinichi had become Conan.
Because of her, the gentle girl before her, who reminded her so much of her sister, always carried a faint sadness hidden within her eyes.
Ran sensed that Haibara didn't wish to respond. So she quietly turned back around and resumed chatting softly with Sonoko.
'She's such a mature child. She's actually a lot like Conan... Though she seems rather shy. I hope we can become friends someday.'
Conan frowned slightly as he looked toward Haibara.
'Today's Haibara is really weird.'
Resting his chin in his hand, the straight-laced detective spent a long while thinking with all the subtlety of a brick.
Eventually, he arrived at an astonishing conclusion.
'Could it be... ever since the library incident, she fell in love with Sensei at first sight? And now that Sensei is marrying Akemi-san... she's heartbroken?
...That actually explains everything. No wonder she's been so depressed today.'
Still thinking about how she could find an opportunity later to test both Ritsu and her sister, Haibara suddenly felt someone pat her shoulder.
She turned in confusion.
Conan was looking at her with nothing but sympathy.
"...Haibara. You should be happy. At least the person you like is happy. Onizawa-sensei really is an outstanding man.
I understand how you feel."
"...Huh?"
Haibara stared at him with half-lidded eyes, completely speechless.
'What ridiculous nonsense is this dense detective imagining now? I have absolutely no idea what he's talking about.'
Conan coughed awkwardly.
"Uh... do I really have to spell it out?"
He leaned close to her ear and whispered,
"You like Onizawa-sensei, don't you?"
After hearing the most absurd thing she'd ever heard in her life...
Haibara rolled her eyes so hard it was practically a full rotation before leaving Conan completely dumbfounded with a single sentence.
"You've got something seriously wrong with your head."
----
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