Chapter 183: Klee's Big Brother
At her big brother Kaeya's gentle reminder, Klee finally snapped out of her daze and eagerly ushered her friends inside.
"Klee, why don't you take your friends to play some games? I've already set everything up for you," Kaeya said, his voice warm and a soft smile playing on his lips.
A few moments later, Conan and the rest of the Detective Boys were gathered with Klee in front of the television.
"Whoa! Is this a new game?" Genta's eyes widened in astonishment as he stared at the unfamiliar console and controllers.
"Mm-hmm!" Klee nodded enthusiastically. "Big Brother Kaeya just got this from a friend. It connects right to the TV, so we can all play together on the giant screen!"
The children huddled around Klee, their faces alight with curiosity and excitement. Even Eisuke Hondou, drawn in by their energy, leaned closer, positioning himself to watch them play.
Ran and Sonoko, however, weren't particularly interested in video games and chose to sit a short distance away on the sofa, content to observe.
While the children's cheerful chatter about the game filled the room, Conan kept a sliver of his attention fixed on Kaeya. He watched as the man emerged from the kitchen, a tray laden with several glasses in his hands. Kaeya moved with an easy grace, placing a drink before each of the children before setting the last two on the coffee table in front of Ran and Sonoko. He then settled into an armchair beside them.
"This is a Berry & Mint Burst, a specialty from my hometown," he explained smoothly. "You should give it a try."
"Wow! It's so icy and blue! It looks delicious!" Sonoko's eyes sparkled. She leaned forward without a moment's hesitation and took a delicate sip.
"Mmm, it is," Ran commented after her own taste, a pleasant surprise on her face. "It's so cool and refreshing. It's a little sweet and sour, but not cloying at all."
A charming smile spread across Kaeya's face. "I'm glad you like it."
"By the way, Mr. Kaeya," Sonoko began after swallowing her drink, her curiosity piqued, "I heard your brother came to visit, too. Why isn't he here?"
"Ah, that guy..." Kaeya's body relaxed, and he leaned back into his chair, a hint of theatrical weariness in his tone. "He arrived, and before he could even spend any real time with Klee, he was off to talk business with someone. He really has no idea how to enjoy life. Miss Suzuki, wouldn't you agree that a person like that is terribly boring?"
"Well... I wouldn't say boring," Sonoko hedged, "but your brother really shouldn't have done that. You two haven't seen each other in so long; you should be catching up." Most, she thought with a private sigh, I haven't even had a chance to see what this handsome Mr. Diluc looks like. What a pity.
"Catching up isn't really necessary," Kaeya said, waving a dismissive hand. "We rarely see each other now that we're grown. I only went back to stay at Dawn Winery for a little while recently for Klee's sake. Even then, Master Diluc didn't give me a single pleasant look the entire time. And poor Klee was terrified when we left."
Taking full advantage of Diluc's absence, Kaeya launched into a series of embellished complaints, painting a vivid picture of their strained relationship.
Hearing this, Ran and Sonoko, who were unaware of the full story, began to feel a knot of worry. They exchanged a subtle, concerned glance, wondering if their impromptu visit with the children might have been an imposition that would anger this seemingly difficult brother.
Conan, meanwhile, quietly angled his body, pretending to be engrossed in the game while his ears strained to catch every word of the conversation. He was lost in thought, trying to parse the truth from Kaeya's smooth narrative.
Eisuke Hondou, ever observant, noticed Conan's divided attention. He crept over, crouched down, and whispered directly into the boy's ear, "Conan, what are you thinking about?"
The sudden voice so close by made Conan jump, his heart skipping a beat.
"N-Nothing!" he stammered, quickly recovering when he saw it was only Eisuke. He forced a laugh. "I was just wondering how to clear this level in the game. Haha."
"Is that so?" Eisuke's tone was skeptical, but he didn't press the issue. His eyes followed Conan's previous line of sight to the group on the sofa. There were only three people there. Conan probably wasn't focused on Ran or Sonoko... which meant his target had to be Mr. Kaeya. Was there something unusual about him?
With that thought, Eisuke straightened up and casually walked over to join their conversation.
From her spot, Ai Haibara, who had been subconsciously keeping her distance from Eisuke, watched his deliberate movements. Her gaze flickered from him to Conan and back again. Although she didn't sense the chilling aura of the Black Organization from Eisuke, her intuition screamed that his appearance here was no mere coincidence. She could only hope her gut feeling was wrong, and that he truly had no connection to them.
After some time had passed, the distinct sound of a key turning in a lock echoed from the entryway, followed by the soft click of the front door opening.
With the exception of the children, who were completely absorbed in their game, every head in the living room turned toward the entrance.
Two men stepped inside.
The man in the lead was tall and slender, with striking crimson eyes and long, fiery red hair tied back in a low ponytail. He was dressed in an impeccably tailored, almost noble-looking coat, and his face was a mask of stoic indifference. At first glance, he radiated an aura that suggested he was not someone to be trifled with.
Following slightly behind him was a man of a shorter stature. He had sandy-blonde hair, the middle section neatly braided and tied back, revealing intelligent, turquoise-blue eyes. A peculiar four-pointed star, either a tattoo or a birthmark, was visible on his neck. He wore a white, hooded coat over a dark blue high-collared shirt, his hands covered by black gloves.
Conan's eyes narrowed. Just as he'd suspected, both men had Visions., aside from the color, the design of the casings was identical to Kaeya's. The red-haired man's Pyro Vision was affixed to his hip, while the blond man's Geo Vision was worn like a pendant around his neck.
Conan instantly recognized the first man as Diluc; his features were too distinct to be anyone else. The second man, however, was a mystery.
Neither of the newcomers showed any surprise at the number of guests in the apartment; they had clearly been informed beforehand.
"Oh, look who it is. Our esteemed Master Diluc is finally back from his oh-so-busy work," Kaeya drawled, not bothering to stand with Ran and the others. He remained slouched in his chair, a lazy, mocking smile directed at his brother.
By now, even Genta and the others had paused their game, their heads turned curiously toward the two men who had just arrived.
Diluc's crimson gaze swept over Kaeya without a flicker of emotion, and he offered no reply to the taunt. His attention then shifted to the guests, and he gave them a stiff, formal nod of greeting before speaking, his voice a low baritone. "Welcome." He then gestured to the man behind him. "This is Albedo."
It was only then that everyone understood. The man with Diluc was Albedo—Klee's brother, the one who had temporarily entrusted her to Kaeya's care. They hadn't expected Diluc to bring him along.
Conan also recalled Natsume mentioning that Kaeya wasn't Klee's biological brother. Seeing how genuinely gentle and serious Kaeya had been with the little girl, he had almost forgotten that fact.
Watching Klee's face light up with pure joy as she abandoned the game and scrambled over to cling to Albedo, Haibara felt a small, genuine smile touch her lips. Although the appearance of yet another person bearing a Vision made her uneasy, she was happy that Klee could be reunited with her brother.
As for herself, she would never see her own sister again...
A strange thought surfaced. Haibara wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt an odd, almost unnatural quality emanating from Klee's brother—a subtle sense of being not quite human.
But as she watched Albedo patiently answering the barrage of questions from Genta and the other children, his expression calm and gentle, Haibara rubbed her forehead. It was probably just an illusion, she reasoned, a phantom feeling brought on by the exhaustion of everything that had happened recently.
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