allendalepharm Page 155
Page 155
what?
No, how did this guy do that?
How did Aragaki Yu manage to say such an obviously unreliable answer so calmly, without even a change in tone?
“Aragaki…” Kaito Kuroba’s voice sounded somewhat resentful on the phone.
"What is it?" But Aragaki Yu seemed not to understand.
Kaito Kuroba sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You... do you think I'd believe what you're saying?"
Unexpectedly, Yuu Aragaki readily admitted to it: "No way."
"And you actually used such a lame excuse?" Kaito Kuroba complained to Yuu Aragaki, annoyed. "Damn it, even if you're making up a story, at least make it believable!"
"Because I find it troublesome."
Kaito Kuroba: "..."
In a fit of anger and feeling deeply hurt, Kaito Kuroba accidentally crushed the phone in his hand.
"Beep...beep...beep..."
Hearing the busy tone of the call being disconnected from his phone, Aragaki Yu couldn't help but frown: "Sigh, young people these days, they really don't know any manners..."
Yuki-onna and the others, who had been openly eavesdropping on Aragaki Yu's phone call, couldn't help but exchange bewildered glances after hearing Aragaki Yu's final complaint.
"This kind of Onmyoji (master, brother) will probably get beaten to death sooner or later..."
Yuuki Aragaki had no time to pay attention to his shikigami's complaints. Instead, he comfortably began packing up the things he would need for his outing the next day.
Given the demands from both Kaito Kuroba and Ran/Sonoko, it's obvious who you'll choose.
In terms of both the quality and quantity of cases they attract, Ran and Sonoko, these best friends who are both death gods, are undoubtedly superior.
In order to ensure the healthy growth of his shikigami, Aragaki Yu ruthlessly chose to stand up Kuroba Kaito.
Of course, Aragaki Yu also felt a little guilty about this, so while packing his things, Aragaki Yu silently made up his mind.
After I return from the party with Ran and Sonoko tomorrow, I will definitely prepare a gift for Kaito Kuroba as an apology.
As for the specifics of the gift, he will probably have to go to the seafood market before making a decision.
After all, I've heard that the seafood in Japan lately is quite fresh, the kind that's lively and unusually aggressive.
……
"Okay, look over here, look over here!"
On the highway, in a car driven by Kogoro Mouri speeding by.
Sonoko, sitting in the back seat, was covering up her magic show: "First, this is a white handkerchief with nothing on it, and then, this is a red thread and a ring."
Sonoko showed the prop in her hand to Ran sitting next to her: "Come on, miss, could you please tie a knot in the very center of this line for me?"
"Is this okay?" Xiaolan took the red thread from Sonoko's hand with great interest, tied a knot as instructed, and then gestured to Sonoko.
“Of course, Ran!” Sonoko said with a smile. “Now, please put this knot in your palm, and then put this ring next to the red thread. Next, cover it with this handkerchief.”
After everything was ready, Sonoko began to speak in a strange tone: "Next, Ran, this ring in your hand will be bewitched by a demon and slide into this handkerchief. Then, as long as I recite a magical incantation..."
Sonoko made a few mysterious gestures with her hands under the handkerchief, and when she finally lifted the handkerchief, the ring was already threaded onto the red string.
"Wow! Sonoko is amazing!" Ran exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise. She couldn't help but praise Sonoko.
Even Yuu Aragaki, who was sitting in the passenger seat, clapped his hands in a show of respect.
"You did it? Sonoko." Ran asked curiously, looking at Sonoko who was beaming with pride after successfully completing her magic show.
"It's a secret, I can't tell you!" Sonoko mysteriously shook her finger. "Tonight, I'm going to perform for everyone!"
"Oh right, it seems like the people we're meeting today are all magic enthusiasts, right?" Ran suddenly remembered the identities of the attendees at today's gathering, and thus understood why Sonoko suddenly wanted to perform magic.
“That’s right! We all met on an online chat platform, you know, online friends!” Sonoko explained to Ran.
"Online chat? Party?" Sitting in the front seat of the car, Yuu Aragaki suddenly paused, these words seemed familiar.
"But who would have thought that the young lady of the famous Suzuki zaibatsu would also use a computer to make friends!" At this moment, Kogoro Mouri, who had been driving in silence, suddenly spoke up with a sigh.
"Come on, old man, you're really out of touch. In this information society, the internet is indispensable!" Sonoko said matter-of-factly in response to Kogoro Mouri's lament. "I think you should put one in your office too."
Mouri Kogoro: (*￣m￣)
Chapter 190 Girlfriend?
Ran said with some curiosity, "But I really didn't expect Sonoko to suddenly make friends online, and even become so enthusiastic about magic tricks!"
"Haha! No, Ran!" Sonoko said, cupping her face in her hands, somewhat embarrassed.
Because Aragaki Yu was sitting in the front row, she didn't want to say that she had met a rare person online.
That person is named Doi Takaki, 21 years old, and is a member of the magic enthusiast chat room that Sonoko is currently participating in.
Not only does he use polite and humorous language, but he is also full of wisdom, and often unconsciously displays his unparalleled literary cultivation.
[Although we haven't met yet, I believe he must be a handsome man with both talent and good looks, just like Aragaki-kun!] Sonoko suddenly clasped her hands together and fell into her own fantasy.
Detective Conan, who was wearing a mask nearby, saw through Sonoko's thoughts at a glance and couldn't help but think to himself, "Hehehe, the young lady is starting to swoon again."
Sonoko looked very excited and expectant: "I'm going to give them (Doi Takuki) a surprise with this magic trick I've carefully prepared today!"
"They won't be surprised at all!" Conan, who was standing next to Ran, couldn't stand Sonoko anymore and bluntly retorted, "That's just a basic magic trick that you often see on TV."
Conan's voice sounded a little hoarse, clearly indicating that he had a cold, which was also why he was wearing a mask.
Just as Ran and Sonoko looked at Conan in surprise, he continued in a somewhat uncomfortable voice, "I think Sonoko-neechan, you tucked the knot on the red thread into the ring and then pulled the thread out with your thumb, right..."
Noticing Sonoko's increasingly gloomy expression, Aragaki Yu glanced at Conan, who was still rambling on and on without realizing it, and couldn't help but secretly praise Conan in his heart: "He really is a brave man."
It wasn't until Conan said, "These are all just tricks to fool children," that Sonoko finally couldn't stand Conan's belittling. Rolling her eyes, she reached past Ran and flicked Conan on the head: "Hmph, you brat, you're still as annoying as ever!"
Ran glanced at Conan, who was covering his head and had tears in his eyes, and Sonoko, who was fuming, and could only comfort her, "Okay, Sonoko, don't take it to heart. Conan is just upset because I went to your party, but he couldn't go by himself."
As Ran finished speaking, Yuu Aragaki couldn't help but glance at Conan behind him through the rearview mirror and chuckle to himself.
Even with a mask on, Aragaki Yu could clearly see a jealous look on his face.
"But is this really a good idea? You're taking us to this party." Ran looked a little worried, afraid that her and Aragaki Yu's sudden addition would cause dissatisfaction among the other people at the party.
Sonoko squinted, putting on an expression that said, "It's okay, Ran, because I already told them I'd be bringing my girlfriend!"
"Girlfriend!?" Ran looked at Sonoko in surprise, completely unable to understand what she meant.
"Hmph~" Sonoko hummed, looking at Ran beside her with a slightly teasing gaze.
"Huh!?" Ran was startled by Sonoko's expression. She blinked uncontrollably and asked, slightly embarrassed, "What is it, Sonoko?"
"Hehe~" Sonoko's expression was mysterious.
……
At that moment, Kogoro Mouri's car slowly came to a stop in front of a suspension bridge.
It was obvious that the suspension bridge was not designed for cars to cross, so everyone had to get out of their vehicles and walk.
Fortunately, according to the map, once you walk across the suspension bridge, you'll be just a few steps away from the villa where Sonoko and the others are going to have their party.
……
"Ah! You were communicating in the online chat room as a male!"
On the suspension bridge, Ran looked at Sonoko walking beside her with an incredulous expression.
“Yes! On the internet, I’m a male, which is actually more interesting!” Sonoko said excitedly.
"But..." Ran couldn't help but poke her lower lip with the pad of her index finger and asked in confusion, "Wouldn't seeing the name Suzuki Sonoko immediately expose her?"
Hearing Ran's question, Sonoko smiled and explained, "No, Ran, it's because everyone uses a pseudonym to communicate online. For example... my pseudonym is 'The Magician's Apprentice'."
Hearing Sonoko's explanation, Ran suddenly realized and said, "Oh, I see! That's really interesting!"
"That's why I invited Aragaki to come along!" Sonoko Suzuki turned around and smiled at Yu Aragaki, who was following behind her and Ran.
"Me?" Along the way, Aragaki Yuu, who had been trying to recall the possible cases that might occur at this gathering but to no avail, looked blankly at Sonoko who suddenly looked at him, not quite understanding what all of this had to do with him.
At this moment, Ran, who was next to Sonoko, and Kogoro Mouri, who was lagging behind, and Conan, who seemed a little listless, also followed Sonoko's gaze and looked at Yuu Aragaki.
"Hehe." Noticing that she had aroused everyone's interest, Sonoko turned her gaze away from Aragaki Yu and said with a mischievous grin, "Yeah, that's one of the reasons I invited you to come with us, Aragaki. I wanted to see if everyone would mistake you for a magician's apprentice! Hehehe..."
Xiaolan: "So that's how it is!"
Conan and Kogoro Mouri: "..."
The two of them looked at Suzuki Sonoko, who was laughing strangely, speechless. They couldn't quite understand her thoughts and couldn't help but mutter to themselves, "Heh, this woman is really boring."
"Wait a minute..." Suddenly, Ran seemed to have thought of something. She looked at Sonoko with a rather strange expression and said, "But if that's the case, what about what you said about bringing your girlfriend..."
Just as Ran felt a strange stirring of curiosity, thinking that Sonoko wanted to take this opportunity to express her affection for Aragaki,
Sonoko readily admitted, "Haha, that's right."
Just as Ran was getting excited, Sonoko's next words were quite unexpected.
"Then this girlfriend is of course you, Xiaolan! And I'm playing the role of a best friend who's worried about her friend and her boyfriend running off to some random remote mountain alone!"