I'm in Conan, I'm not a gangster

Chapter 528 Divorce (2nd Update)
The next morning, sunlight streamed into the room through the gaps in the curtains, and Shiraishi E packed her schoolbag while yawning.

He stayed up all night dealing with those online bloggers and is still a bit sleepy.

However, thinking about how today's news headlines would be filled with explosive reports of "ruthless bandit Azu kidnapping a rumor-monger," he couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth—although the methods were a bit extreme, at least it would make those keyboard warriors restrain themselves for a while.

However, as he passed by the convenience store, he was startled by the front page of the newspaper displayed in the window and stopped in his tracks.

"What the hell?" He frowned and leaned closer, only to see the headline on the newspaper: [Shocking! Kudo couple officially announce divorce, thank each other for years of companionship, each moving on to new lives].

The accompanying photo shows Yusaku Kudo and Yukiko smiling at each other, looking nothing like a broken relationship.

"You really know how to pick your timing..." Shiraishi E never expected that Kudo Yusaku would choose this day to release the divorce statement.

He took out his phone and found that social media was indeed full of discussions about the Kudo couple's divorce. His "feat" last night didn't even make it into the top ten trending topics.

Sure enough, people prefer mundane, everyday matters to horrific, violent, and bloody events!

After he entered the classroom, the entire class was immersed in a gossipy atmosphere.

Several girls huddled together whispering, while the boys also chatted amongst themselves.

Even the top students who usually don't care about entertainment news are now listening intently.

"I heard it's because Ms. Yukiko found a new love while filming a movie."

"No, no, I heard that the excellent writer has a lover outside!"

"Stop making wild guesses! My mom says they've been estranged for a long time! All that public displays of affection was just for show!"

"Hey, do you guys think... Shinichi Kudo's sudden absence from school might be related to this?"

"I think it's very relevant!!"

"........."

As Shiraishi E walked from the classroom door to her seat, she heard various versions of rumors circulating in the classroom!

This made him sigh, feeling that all his science popularization efforts last night had been in vain!
………………

During lunch break, the three of them sat on the rooftop eating their lunchboxes.

Sonoko, stuffing an octopus sausage into her mouth, exclaimed excitedly, "I was shocked when I saw the news this morning! Uncle Yusaku is known for being a doting husband! How could they get divorced?"

"Yes, it's really hard to understand." Xiaolan was also puzzled and asked, "They seemed so loving to me, so why did they get divorced?"

“If anyone should be getting a divorce, it should be your father and your mother.” Sonoko also found it unbelievable.

"Yes, that's right." Xiaolan agreed.

Sonoko's eyes suddenly lit up, and she turned to Shiraishi E: "E, what do you think?"

"How can we look at it? Just sit and watch." Shiraishi E slowly swallowed the food in her mouth and said calmly, "Instead of guessing here, we might as well just call Shinichi and ask him."

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Ran hesitated. "Wouldn't it be too rash to call now? Shinichi might be upset right now."

Sonoko nodded repeatedly: "That's right, that's right. Maybe that guy is hiding under the covers and crying his eyes out right now."

Shiraishi E said with a hint of amusement, "Do you think that guy is some kind of fragile kid? He's not that delicate."

As he spoke, he took out his phone and dialed Shinichi's number, even putting it on speakerphone.

The call connected quickly, and Shinichi's voice came through: "Hello?"

"Shinichi, what happened to your parents' divorce?" Shiraishi E asked bluntly.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Shinichi's helpless voice came through: "Oh, about this. I only found out about it this morning when I saw it on the news, and then I immediately called to ask. Guess what they said?"

"How should I put it?" Sonoko chimed in, eager to oblige.

All three of them pricked up their ears.

"They said," Shinichi said, utterly speechless, "that they've never experienced what divorce feels like, so they decided to get divorced for fun."

"Let's also see who's more charming and has more suitors."

"We'll play around for about a year and then remarry."

"Huh???" Sonoko and Ran exclaimed in unison, drawing the attention of the students around them on the rooftop.

Emi Shiraishi calmly took a sip of her juice.

"This is too frivolous!" Xiaolan couldn't help but say. "What if, just what if they actually take it for real?"

Shinichi's indifferent voice came through the phone: "So what if we get divorced? They're still my parents, I don't care. As long as it doesn't affect my solving of the case."

"Shinichi, you...you bastard!" Sonoko said irritably, "You'll just spend your whole life with your deductions!"

Xiao Lan sighed and rubbed her forehead, "We worried for nothing."

After hanging up the phone, Sonoko angrily took a big bite of her sandwich: "That couple is so willful! They've made us worry for nothing!" Ran shook her head with a wry smile: "But... that's definitely in Yukiko's style."

Seeing the two's helpless expressions, Shiraishi E couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hey, Emi." Sonoko suddenly leaned in and asked mysteriously, "Do you think... Aunt Yukiko might really find a new boyfriend? After all, there are so many temptations in the entertainment industry?"

Shiraishi E shrugged: "Who knows? But knowing her personality, she might deliberately try to annoy Uncle Yusaku."

Ran said with great concern, "That's true... I hope Aunt Yukiko can stick to her principles!"

--------------

A few days later, Tokiwa Mio, the president of the Tokiwa Group, was discharged from the hospital.

Whenever she closes her eyes, she can still recall the chaos and despair of that day—the roar of the explosion, the tilting of the building, the screams of the crowd, and… the figure that pulled her back from the brink of death at the last second.

Therefore, after being discharged from the hospital and finishing her company affairs, she personally called Kogoro Mouri to invite the Mouri family and Emi Shiraishi to her private villa for dinner to express her gratitude.

Kogoro Mouri naturally wouldn't refuse such an invitation.

Eri Kisaki initially didn't want to go, but at Ran's insistence, she agreed to make time to go.

Mio Tokiwa's villa is located in Minato Ward, an area where wealthy people congregate.

For dinner, she specially prepared top-grade Wagyu beef, truffle dishes, and her treasured red wine. During the meal, she frequently toasted Kogoro Mouri, revealing her appreciation and affection for him in her words.

"Senior, I really owe you a lot this time, otherwise I'm afraid I would have..." She lowered her head slightly, her tone tinged with lingering fear, but quickly broke into a bright smile, "After dinner, I'll show you around my villa!"

Kogoro Mouri was flattered by her praise and laughed heartily, "Not at all, it's all I should do!"

However, Eri Kisaki, who was sitting to the side, frowned slightly, elegantly wiped the corner of her mouth, and said lightly, "I'm sorry, I have a request to handle later, so I'm afraid I can't stay and continue the tour."

Seeing her mother get up, Ran immediately stood up as well, quietly tugged at Kogoro Mouri's sleeve, and whispered, "Dad, shouldn't we go back now?"

This put Kogoro Mouri in a dilemma.

If I just leave, wouldn't that be disrespecting my junior?
But if they stay, it will be difficult to explain to Ran and Eri...

Just as he was having a headache, his gaze shifted and he noticed Shiraishi E leisurely enjoying her dinner. He quickly leaned over and whispered, "Shiraishi, why don't you stay? If we all leave, Mio will be so embarrassed."

Shiraishi E raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a half-smile: "What does it matter to me whether she's embarrassed or not? We'll never see each other again anyway."

Kogoro Mouri, sweat beading on his forehead, pleaded in a low voice, "You've disappeared, but I might still need to deal with her in the future... Please help me!"

Shiraishi glanced at Ran, who was staring at them with a slightly displeased look, clearly not wanting Shiraishi to stay any longer.

Seeing this, Kogoro Mouri quickly moved closer to Ran and said with a hint of pleading, "Ran, you don't want to embarrass Mio, do you?"

Kind-hearted Ran couldn't bear to think of Tokiwa-san's embarrassed state.

She sighed helplessly, then finally nodded, reluctantly agreeing to let Shiraishi E stay.

Shiraishi E shrugged, since she had nothing else to do, and agreed.

So the Mori family said goodbye to Mio Tokiwa, while E Shiraishi stayed behind.

After seeing the Mori family off, Tokiwa Mio turned to Shiraishi E and gave her a gentle smile: "Come on, let me show you around my villa."

The two strolled along the villa's corridor, surrounded by priceless works of art and antiques.

While admiring the view, Shiraishi casually asked, "Will the destruction of the Twin Towers have a significant impact on your Tokiwa Group?"

Tokiwa Mio chuckled lightly: "There will definitely be an impact, but not a significant one. We've already taken out a huge insurance policy, so the losses will be compensated. However, the stock price will inevitably fluctuate somewhat."

She paused, her eyes slightly unfocused, and said in a low voice, "To be honest, what happened a few days ago still feels like a dream... I never thought I would survive."

She suddenly stopped and looked at Shiraishi E earnestly: "Thank you, you saved me."

Shiraishi E was somewhat surprised: "Detective Mori told you?"

Tokiwa Mio shook her head: "No, although I was unconscious at the time, I still had some consciousness left... I know that you took me out."

She smiled slightly, a sly glint in her eyes: "Besides, you even gave your senior some advice, didn't you?"

Shiraishi E raised an eyebrow: "Did he tell you this too?"

“Of course not.” Tokiwa Mio chuckled. “Don’t I know my senior? He’s not that smart.”

Shiraishi couldn't help but laugh, never expecting that Kogoro Mouri's image in other people's eyes was already so "stable".

Tokiwa Mio suddenly took a step closer, her eyes filled with a certain meaning, and said softly, "Since you saved my life, I have to thank you properly."

Before Shiraishi E could respond, she took her hand and led her towards the back of the villa: "I have an artificial hot spring here, would you like to try it?"

Shiraishi wanted to politely decline, but seeing her enthusiasm, he didn't refuse any longer and nodded in agreement: "Alright, then I'll gladly accept your offer."

(End of this chapter)