Winning is everything: Conan

After discussing the commission, Keisuke Kumiko requested a 10% agency fee.

In other words, if the commission was set at 2 million as stated in the contract, Sakaguchi would receive 200,000 as an introduction fee.

Sakaguchi said it wasn't necessary and that he was simply repaying a favor.

But Keisuke insisted on giving it to him.

"What I hate most are favors. That's the most expensive thing in the world. I don't want to be haggling over it with others later. If I can buy it now for just 200,000, it's too cheap. Why wouldn't I do it?"

That's what Keisuke said.

Seeing his firm attitude, Sakaguchi agreed.

"Alright, Ai, let's go."

After finishing their business, Sakaguchi stood up, ready to call Haibara Ai to his side.

"No, Uncle Sakaguchi, I want another cup of milk tea!"

Haibara Ai used a sweet voice and acted spoiled toward Sakaguchi.

"Alright, I'll wait for you in the car outside. Don't take too long!"

Sakaguchi smiled, patted Haibara Ai's head, and then left the café.

Only Kumiko and Haibara Ai remained seated across from each other.

"Little sister, something's up, isn't it?" Keisuke raised an eyebrow. "You must have a reason for staying here on purpose, right?"

Haibara tilted her little head sadly, like an innocent child, and looked at Keisuke with her ice-blue eyes.

"Uncle, I want to ask you a question."

"Kid, please talk normally, thanks."

Keisuke looked at her, observing the expression the girl had deliberately put on. To be honest, it almost made him vomit.

However, Haibara Ai's expression remained the same.

"Uncle, how do you plan to handle the upcoming case?"

She asked while blinking her innocent eyes.

Before Keisuke Kumiko could say anything, another voice suddenly came from the seat behind him.

"Haibara, don't pretend in front of this guy. He can see right through it."

Conan stuck his head through the gap between the plants separating the two booths. At the same time, he turned around and sat next to Haibara Ai.

Keisuke Kumiko narrowed his eyes. Sure enough, that brat was eavesdropping again.

"The question Haibara asked is also the one I want to ask," Conan said coldly.

"Though I don't expect you to give me a good answer, I still want to give you some advice. This case is very important to my uncle... Kogoro Mouri. The murderer is a police officer who knowingly broke the law. Someone like that has no place in this world. If you still have any professional ethics as a lawyer, please abandon this case and don't make the same mistake again!"

Oh, here we go again.

Keisuke let out a deep sigh.

"I really don't get it. I just want to ask you—why are you so sure that he's the criminal? Do you have some advanced forensic investigation method, or are you just relying on your eyes?"

Conan stared straight into Kumiko's eyes.

"I used a detective's reasoning because there is only one truth."

"There is only one truth"—that sounds nice!

Keisuke smiled.

He looked at Conan and suddenly said:

"I don't understand—why is it that a kid like you, a child who has never been out in society, who relies on his parents for money, and who doesn't know the hardships of the world, can always speak great truths as if he sees through everything? I want to ask you—what do you really understand?"

"I don't understand your mentality of defending a murderer!"

Conan took a deep breath and nearly shouted.

He yelled so loudly that he attracted the attention of other café customers, who turned to look and whispered among themselves.

"Oh, you look like this... It reminds me of my high school days."

Keisuke glanced at Conan with a smile and raised his hands to signal the guests not to mind them.

"Back then, our Chinese teacher asked us to write an essay about autumn, describing the desolation of the season and the sight of frozen leaves flying everywhere. I thought: I wake up early every day to study and stay up until eleven or twelve at night after school. How could I have time to understand the desolation of autumn?

So, in the end, I had to rely on my imagination, stacking all sorts of beautiful words to describe an autumn I had never seen..."

After a pause, Keisuke looked at Conan with a slightly mocking smile.

"Little friend, little detective, your situation now is exactly the same as ours back then—there's no difference!"

"...!"

Conan clenched his teeth.

Every word Keisuke spoke was as sharp as a knife.

After a moment, he suddenly turned his head and asked Haibara Ai beside him:

"Haibara, what do you think?"

At this moment, Haibara Ai had already dropped the childish act she had been pretending to play.

"I think he's right. People have to experience things and see things before they can make corresponding comments. The country on the other side once had a classic saying..."

Haibara Ai said softly.

"Do not advise others to do good unless you have experienced their suffering."

Though her tone was light, there was a hint of sorrow in it.

Conan was silent for a moment and said, "I don't understand... Haibara, are you planning to stay with this guy?"

"No, I didn't have that plan from the beginning."

Haibara Ai shook her head gently, her ice-blue eyes quietly watching Conan.

"It's just that you once said that he and I are the same type of person, so I wanted to get closer and take a look, that's all."

"Then... what about now? After seeing him, what now?"

Conan almost glared at Haibara Ai.

Haibara Ai looked back at him directly without flinching.

"Now I think you were right."

…

"Haibara... is there no turning back?"

Looking at the calm eyes of the girl in front of him, Conan suddenly felt a bit sad, as if a valve had been deflated.

"You disappeared after leaving a letter. The doctor was so sad that he didn't eat properly for three days. He's still waiting for you to come back. Every afternoon, he stands at the door, hoping to see you return with your school bag."

"That's impossible."

Haibara Ai shook her head silently.

"You are light, living under the warm and bright sun. But I am darkness, and I can only hide away in the sewers at night. There will never be an intersection between us."

"Haibara..."

"Elementary school kids should stop imitating adults and putting on tragic dramas like in late-night shows, okay?"

Conan wanted to say more, but a mocking voice interrupted him.

Keisuke Kumiko looked at the two children in front of him, who seemed to be about seven years old, and sighed.

"You two have been whispering non-stop beside me, talking as if one of you is about to die and the other is about to give birth. It's honestly embarrassing for an adult like me to hear this. Please be mindful of your surroundings, okay? Someone over there is even taking pictures of you with their phone. Please lower your voices, thank you."

"..."

"..."

The two looked around and fell silent.

"Since you've made this decision, Haibara, there's nothing more I can say."

Conan stood up from his seat and shook his head.

"I just hope that the next time we meet, we won't be enemies."

After saying that, he cast one last glance at Haibara Ai and walked toward Mouri's office upstairs.

Haibara Ai watched Conan's back, her calm eyes showing no ripples.

Now that the decision was made, there was no regret.

"Hey, little sister, he's gone. Why are you still here?"

Keisuke Kumiko's voice reached her ears.

(End of this chapter)