Chapter 70: The Beads Seen Again
Below the stage, the corner of Natsume's mouth twitched. A subtle sigh escaped her lips. Seeing Alhaitham suddenly pulled under the spotlight as a lucky audience member had already tested her composure. Yet, the real shock came from eavesdropping on the hushed, tense whispers between Ai Haibara and Conan Edogawa a few seats away. That was how she finally pieced together exactly what the Sumeru scholar had been doing these past few days. No wonder his shadow had been entirely absent from her daily life. He had quietly infiltrated the Black Organization, secured a position, and neglected to mention a single word of it to her.
In the dimly lit back row, Toru Amuro leaned over, his sharp eyes studying the gray-haired man who had just returned to his seat. "Bordeaux," Amuro began, his voice laced with genuine curiosity. "What was that magician trick just now? You actually agreed to cooperate with the performance?"
Over the past few hours of shared observation, Amuro had constructed a mental profile of his new associate. Bordeaux radiated an aura of absolute detachment, a man who treated unnecessary trouble like a plague. Amuro had fully expected him to coldly reject the magician's invitation, perhaps even causing a minor scene. To see him not only step onto the stage but smoothly play along with the act defied all of Amuro's calculations.
Alhaitham did not even turn his head. His gaze remained fixed on the velvet curtains. "Refusing would draw more attention," he replied, his tone flat and entirely indifferent. "It was a simple matter of standing in a box. Zero trouble."
Up on the brightly lit stage, the performance reached its climax. The Magician, Lyney, threw open the doors of the ornate cabinet to reveal empty space. He exaggerated his shock perfectly, widening his eyes and patting the sides of the wooden panels as if the audience member had vanished into thin air. After a moment of theatrical panic, he slammed the cabinet doors shut. Silence fell over the props.
A heartbeat later, the Magician's Assistant, Lynette, glided back onto the stage. Her expression remained beautifully deadpan as she approached the cabinet. With a swift, elegant pull, she opened the doors once more. The audience gasped. Now, the Magician himself had vanished.
A blinding spotlight suddenly cut through the darkness, sweeping upward to illuminate the high scaffolding above the stage. There stood Lyney, looking down at the crowd with a triumphant grin.
Deafening applause erupted from the auditorium.
Then, the illusion of perfection shattered. As Lyney stepped forward to deliver his grand curtain-call bow, his foot slipped against the edge of the high platform. His body swayed violently. He windmilled his arms, fighting for balance, but gravity won. Amidst a collective, horrified shriek from the audience, the Magician plummeted toward the hard wooden floor below.
Ran Mouri and Sonoko bolted upright in their seats, their hands flying to their mouths, ready to rush the stage.
But just before Lyney's body could strike the ground, his falling figure dissolved. In his place, a massive explosion of crimson rose petals burst outward, catching the artificial wind of the theater's ventilation. The petals drifted down in a captivating, slow-motion shower, blanketing the front rows of the auditorium.
The brief terror instantly morphed into explosive, thunderous cheering. The applause was deafening enough to rattle the floorboards.
'Huh? That last trick was actually interesting.'Sitting further back in the crowd, Kaito Kuroba leaned forward, his chin resting on his hand. He had been thoroughly unimpressed by the standard misdirection earlier, but that mid-air substitution caught him off guard. A sharp, competitive gleam flashed in his eyes.'How did he rig the release mechanism without a visible wire? I need to dissect that technique.'
The heavy velvet curtains finally closed. The magic show had officially concluded.
Natsume gathered her coat, preparing to lead her chaotic group out of the theater. However, their departure was immediately delayed by a chorus of shifting feet and urgent whining from the Detective Boys.
They had consumed entirely too much soda and water before the curtains rose. The sheer excitement of the performance had suppressed their bodily needs, but the moment the lights flickered back on, the dam broke. The children desperately needed a restroom.
handling the crowded aisles, the group was a noisy mess of chatter, dissecting the petal illusion with wild theories. The only exception was Conan Edogawa. The young detective dragged his feet, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, his glasses catching the harsh lobby lights. He remained entirely consumed by his own bitter frustration, replaying the missed opportunity to extract a solid clue regarding the Black Organization from the mysterious man in the audience.
They finally reached the public restrooms, only to find a line stretching halfway down the corridor.
Kogoro Mouri crossed his arms, glaring down at the shifting children. "Honestly. I told you brats to drink less water, but do you ever listen to me?"
Genta Kojima stopped doing his bathroom dance just long enough to shoot the detective a look of pure contempt. "Uncle Mouri, you drank three huge cans of beer before we even got here! You definitely need to use the restroom right now too, don't you?"
A vein throbbed on Kogoro's forehead. Having his hypocrisy exposed so bluntly, he swung his fist down, delivering a swift, practiced bonk to the top of Genta's head. "So noisy!"
Natsume stepped between them before a brawl could break out. "I noticed a hallway designated for internal staff earlier," she interjected smoothly. "There should be a restroom down that way, and it will definitely be less crowded. Follow me."
The group eagerly agreed, trailing behind Natsume as she handled away from the congested main lobby.
Just as she predicted, the staff corridor was blissfully quiet. The moment Genta spotted the restroom sign, he abandoned all caution. He lowered his head and sprinted blindly toward the door.
He threw it open just as a small figure stepped out.
A loud thud echoed through the hall. Genta collided squarely with a little girl in red, sending both of them tumbling backward onto the polished tiles.
Dr. Agasa hurried forward, groaning as he hoisted the heavy boy back to his feet. Natsume's eyes widened slightly as she recognized the small, red-clad figure sitting on the floor. She quickly knelt down, gently helping Klee stand up while brushing the dust from her dress.
'Ah, what kind of absurd luck is this?'Natsume sighed inwardly, masking her amusement.'Of all the people in this massive theater, they managed to crash directly into her.'
Genta rubbed his nose, his face flushing with guilt. He bowed deeply toward the little girl. "I'm so sorry! I really needed to go, and I wasn't looking!"
Mitsuhiko and Ayumi immediately crowded around, their voices overlapping as they asked if she was hurt.
"So your name is Klee," Mitsuhiko said a moment later, his cheeks turning a bright, noticeable shade of pink after the little girl cheerfully introduced herself. He straightened his collar, trying to look as mature as possible. 'Not only is her name incredibly cute, but she is also very cute.'
"Mhm!" Klee nodded enthusiastically, her pigtails bouncing. "Klee came to watch the magic show with Big Brother Kaeya. Did Mitsuhiko and everyone else come with Big Sister Natsume?"
The adults in the group exchanged surprised glances. The pieces rapidly clicked into place. The mysterious 'Big Brother Kaeya' Klee mentioned had to be the same man who had gifted Natsume the premium tickets. They marveled aloud at the sheer coincidence of running into his family here.
In reality, the chain of events was far simpler: Lyney had given the VIP tickets to Kaeya, who then passed the front-row seats to Natsume, opting to sit in the shadowed back rows alongside Bourbon and the others.
"Ah! It's getting super late!" Klee suddenly gasped, grabbing the straps of her brown leather backpack. "Big Brother Kaeya is waiting for Klee outside. Klee has to go find him right now. Everyone, if you have time later, you can come play with Klee and Big Sister Natsume! Goodbye!"
Without waiting for a response, Klee spun around and bounded down the hallway, her boots squeaking against the floor.
Sonoko and Ran watched the little girl's retreating back, their expressions melting into pure adoration.
"She is just too precious," Sonoko sighed, leaning against Ran. "I really hope I have a daughter that cute someday."
Ran smiled warmly, her eyes softening. "Me too. She was like a little doll."
Hearing Ran's wistful tone, Conan's brain short-circuited. His face erupted into a violent shade of crimson as his imagination immediately supplied an image of a teenage Ran holding a tiny, dark-haired toddler. Steam practically whistled from his ears.
His romantic fantasy was abruptly punctured by a chilling sensation. He glanced sideways to find Ai Haibara staring at him. Her half-lidded eyes conveyed a level of disgust and contempt so deep it required no words.
Conan coughed awkwardly, forcing his burning face to cool down. The embarrassing interlude had, at the very least, successfully dragged him out of his earlier brooding.
As he adjusted his glasses, a flash of white caught his eye. He walked over to the spot where Genta and Klee had collided. Resting against the baseboard was a fluffy, oddly shaped white doll with a red four-leaf clover attached to it.
Realizing Klee must have dropped it during the fall, Conan quickly informed Ran, scooped up the plush toy, and sprinted down the hallway to catch up with the little girl.
Pushing through the heavy exit doors, the cool night air hit Conan's face. He scanned the dimly lit street outside the theater. A few yards away, he spotted Klee. She was holding the hand of a tall man dressed in an incredibly flamboyant, lavish outfit complete with a fur collar and an eyepatch.
Conan's sharp eyes narrowed. 'This must be the Big Brother Kaeya she mentioned. The one who gave Natsume the tickets.'
"Klee!" Conan called out, jogging toward them.
Hearing her name, Klee turned around. Recognizing the boy with the glasses from Big Sister Natsume's group, she immediately let go of Kaeya's hand and trotted over to meet him.
Conan held out the white plush toy. "You dropped this in the hallway."
"Ah! Dodoco!" Klee's eyes sparkled with immense relief. She snatched the doll, hugging it tightly against her chest. "Klee almost lost Dodoco! Thank you so much, Conan!" She beamed at him, her smile bright enough to rival the streetlamps.
Conan scratched the back of his head, offering a modest, slightly embarrassed smile. "It's no problem."
Kaeya strolled over, his boots clicking softly against the pavement. He crouched down to Klee's eye level, a teasing smirk playing on his lips. "Oh dear, Klee. You are entirely too careless. You almost lost the best friend your mother made for you."
Klee lowered her head, her boots scuffing the concrete as she nervously twiddled her fingers. "Big Brother Kaeya, Klee will definitely be super careful from now on! I promise on my honor I won't ever lose Dodoco again!"
Kaeya chuckled, a warm, genuine sound. He reached out and gently patted the top of her hat. "Big Brother Kaeya believes you."
Conan watched the exchange in silence. His detective instincts were screaming at him. The man's eyepatch, the dark clothing, the dangerous, predatory grace hidden beneath his casual posture—everything about Kaeya screamed 'criminal underworld.' Yet, the sheer patience and gentle affection he showed the child completely contradicted his dangerous appearance.
After standing up, Kaeya offered Conan a polite, charming smile, thanking the boy once more for his trouble. He then took Klee's hand, preparing to lead her down the street.
As they turned away, the glow of a nearby streetlamp caught something reflective. Conan's gaze locked onto Klee's backpack. Hanging from the leather strap was a spherical, glass-like bead encased in metal, glowing with a faint, pulsing crimson light. A strange insignia rested at its center.
Conan's breath hitched. His eyes widened in absolute shock.
He immediately shifted his gaze to Kaeya. There, hanging casually from the man's hip, was an identical glass bead—only this one radiated a freezing, brilliant sapphire blue.
Before Conan could even take a step forward to demand answers, his blood ran cold.
Standing just a few feet away, leaning casually against a brick wall and clearly waiting for Kaeya and Klee, was a man with striking gray hair. It was the lucky audience member. The exact same man Haibara had just identified as a newly recruited member of the Black Organization.
Conan's mind raced, his thoughts spiraling into a chaotic frenzy.
'Do people who carry those strange glowing beads actually have connections to the Black Organization?! Are they all members? No, that contradicts the evidence. Haibara explicitly stated she had never seen those beads during her time in the organization. If they aren't official members, then what is this? Are they an outside faction cooperating with the Black Organization?'
Conan stared intensely at Alhaitham, his fists clenched at his sides, completely absorbed in his terrifying deductions.
However, it had to be said that the dim lighting of the street provided an unintentional, flawless camouflage. Standing mere inches away from Alhaitham, leaning against the exact same shadowed brick wall, was Toru Amuro. Because of his dark skin tone and the heavy shadows cast by the building, he blended perfectly into the darkness.
Conan Edogawa, the great detective of the east, stared right past him, completely and utterly failing to notice the dangerous Bourbon standing right in front of his face.
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