Chapter 167: The Obedient Little Brother
Morikawa Shiro.
The moment the name registered, Conan's heart seized in his chest. His blood ran cold.
He whipped his head around, his eyes widening in disbelief. It was him. It was really him—Cointreau, a codenamed executive of the Black Organization.
How could he be here? Had he been trailing them this entire time? What did he overhear? Why reveal himself now? What was his real connection to Vermouth? Was Morikawa Shiro even his real name?
A storm of questions crashed through Conan's mind, each one more terrifying than the last. They swirled and collided until only a single, paralyzing fear remained: Had Cointreau found the fingerprints on the bug planted on Kir's shoe?
Every muscle in his small body locked up. Conan could only watch, frozen, as Cointreau closed the distance, his steps unhurried as he came to a stop beside Ran. A desperate scream lodged in Conan's throat, a frantic warning to Ran to get away from this man, this monster in disguise, but no sound would come out.
Aether glanced down at the child beside Natsume, who was staring up at him with wide, terrified eyes. An amused smirk touched his lips.
'Why such a dramatic reaction?' he mused. The boy hadn't been this frightened back at the harbor. He'd had the nerve to threaten Vermouth, after all.
Was it because of her? Aether's gaze drifted thoughtfully to Mouri Ran.
"Ah, Morikawa-san came with me," Natsume said, looking at her brother with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I got so caught up in my conversation that I completely forgot."
Conan's head snapped toward Natsume. Since when was she still in contact with Morikawa Shiro? He'd never heard her mention it. A fresh wave of dread washed over him.
"It's fine," Aether replied, his tone gentle. He had never taken it to heart. Besides, seeing his sister chatting so happily with her friends was enough to lift his own spirits.
"Whoa, he's a hottie~" Lured by Ran's comment, Sonoko turned around, and her eyes immediately lit up. She gave Natsume a playful nudge. "Is he the one who gave you that love letter? Are you two on a date?"
"Of course not," Natsume flatly denied, rolling her eyes at Sonoko's wild imagination.
She quickly introduced Aether and Sonoko, giving them the short version of their first meeting at the Twilight Mansion.
"We just happened to run into each other today," Natsume explained, reciting the cover story she and Aether had prepared. "It felt like fate, so we decided to catch up for a bit."
They had discussed this exact scenario. Given the circumstances, Aether would inevitably find reasons to see her, and they couldn't keep sneaking around forever. Encounters with her friends were bound to happen. The simplest explanation was the best: they were just friends.
Even if Conan found out, his hands were tied. He would never risk telling Natsume about the Organization, which meant he had no legitimate reason to stop her from associating with a "friend."
"Oh, so that's how it is." Sonoko's shoulders slumped in disappointment, but after hearing the explanation, she dropped her matchmaking attempts.
"Miss Suzuki, a pleasure to meet you," Aether greeted Sonoko with a polite nod before his gaze dropped to Conan. His smile widened, a subtle edge sharpening its curve. "And you, little brother. We meet again."
"H-hello," Conan stammered, his body rigid. He tracked Cointreau's every move, his mind racing. What was he planning?
"By the way, Sonoko, what was that about a love letter? Did Natsume get one, too?"
Girls, it seemed, had a natural radar for such things. Mouri Ran had latched onto the phrase when Sonoko first said it, and now that there was a lull in the conversation, her curiosity bubbled to the surface.
"That's right! Natsume, you still haven't told us about the love letter!" Sonoko's attention immediately snapped back to the more interesting topic.
Bombarded by their relentless questions, Natsume sighed and gave them a brief summary of the mysterious note.
"Wow! Do you think it's a romantic surprise he prepared just for you, Natsume?" Sonoko's eyes sparkled, her hands clasped together in front of her chest as she drifted into a dreamy fantasy.
"I doubt it," Conan interjected, shooting Sonoko a deadpan look. "The guy didn't even write the letter to Natsume-neechan seriously. His attitude toward her probably isn't serious, either."
Even with the hawk-like presence of Cointreau looming over him, Conan couldn't suppress his protective instincts. "Natsume-neechan," he said, his voice tight with concern, "if you're going to meet him tomorrow, you should take someone with you."
Perhaps Cointreau's presence truly had scrambled his brain, making him forget that Natsume was anything but an ordinary girl. But even if he had remembered, he likely would have said the same thing. Some dangers couldn't be overcome with fighting skills alone.
"Yes, the little brother has a point," Aether chimed in, his voice smooth as silk. Conan's suggestion had played right into his hands. He reached down and ruffled Conan's hair, a gesture that looked like a reward. "I told you that person must have bad intentions."
Conan didn't feel praised in the slightest. He felt the heavy, deliberate pressure of Cointreau's palm on his head, a silent, crushing threat. He didn't dare move, forced to remain perfectly still and endure the man's touch.
'Why is this brat being so obedient all of a sudden?' Sonoko wondered, watching the scene with a curious frown. Conan was usually so restless and resistant to being treated like a kid.
But she quickly dismissed the thought. Natsume's situation was more important, and it was always better to be safe than sorry. "In that case, Natsume, how about I go with you?"
If Sonoko could have toned down the sheer excitement gleaming in her eyes, Natsume might have actually believed her offer was born from concern rather than a thirst for drama.
Still, Natsume didn't mind. If Sonoko wanted to come, she could. Even if the sender did have malicious intent, she was confident there would be no real danger.
Hearing Natsume agree, Aether smoothly offered to join them as well, using the excuse that he was worried about two young women going alone.
Before long, the party had grown even larger, with Mouri Ran and a very reluctant Conan tagging along.
The group chatted for a while longer. Conan watched with a knot of anxiety tightening in his stomach as Cointreau subtly probed Ran for information, asking innocent questions about her life and her father's work. There was nothing he could do but stand by helplessly.
Finally, Aether glanced at his watch. It was getting late, and he had been out for quite some time. With a charming smile, he bid farewell to Natsume and the others.
He walked to the parking lot and stopped beside his car. His hand reached for the door handle, then paused.
A faint smile played on his lips. He lowered his hand and slowly looked over his shoulder into the deepening shadows.
"You've been following me for a long time," he called out, his voice dangerously soft. "Is there something you need… lit-tle bro-ther?"
The air hung still and silent, as if no one was there at all, as if Cointreau's senses had finally failed him.
But he didn't move. He remained perfectly still, his eyes fixed on a single point in the darkness, his unwavering gaze a silent, chilling promise: I know you're there.
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