Conan: I'm Really Not Tokyo Ghost Story

Perhaps it's an occupational hazard.

Asai Narumi kept nagging with a "I'm doing this for your own good" look on her face.

It gave Sano a feeling of being back in his past life, being nagged by his mother.

...It's a bit annoying, but I can't really argue back, and even if I did, it probably wouldn't make a difference.

Especially considering that Sano is genuinely constipated.

Yes, that's right. Sano is constipated. How can anyone live without having a few minor ailments?

"Okay, I'll go when I have time."

Sano replied dismissively, "But we still need to eat, can we skip this topic?"

"……Um."

Asai Narumi nodded, still wanting more, and then sat there quietly until Sano had finished eating before they left together.

"Then I won't give you any more money."

Upon arriving at the hotel lobby, Asai Narumi bid farewell to Sano: "I was very happy to run into you today. If you have time in the future, we can have dinner together again."

...Don't say things that are so easy to misunderstand.

Sano gave a wry smile, somewhat speechless.

You should know that in Japan, there isn't the same set of polite words and rules as in China. Although some social etiquette still exists, phrases like "Let's have a meal together sometime" are usually not just polite talk.

It is the absolute truth.

Therefore, Sano is now a little unsure whether this big shot has gradually become so immersed in playing the role of a woman that he actually sees him as a woman and has even developed an interest in him... Tsk, if that's really the case, then was the invitation to have dinner together from the very beginning already a case of lust at first sight?

"……senior?"

Before Sano, who was feeling a chill run down his spine, could even think of how to deal with Asai Narumi, he was left to fend for himself.

A familiar voice reached my ears.

Turning her head, she saw the two best friends... the trio and the plague god Conan standing at the hotel entrance, looking at Sano and the other two with surprise, especially Suzuki Sonoko, whose gaze kept moving back and forth between him and Asai Narumi.

"Miss Narumi..."

Ran Mouri blinked her big eyes, which were filled with undisguised excitement, gossip, and a tiny bit of hesitation.

"...Don't misunderstand, we just happened to run into each other, so we had a meal together."

Sano rejected the idea without hesitation.

"Hey……"

Sonoko Suzuki raised an eyebrow tactically, her face seemingly saying "I understand, I understand."

"As I said, it was just a coincidence that we ran into each other."

Sano spoke again, emphasizing the point once more.

Sonoko Suzuki shrugged innocently and said, "We didn't say anything."

...You didn't say anything, but your eyes were already full of gossip.

Sano clicked his tongue, too lazy to say anything more... Mainly, saying anything would be useless and would only make these guys "excited" more, so it was better to ignore it and wait until Asai Narumi appeared less often in the future.

It will naturally be forgotten.

"How did you get here?"

Sano changed the subject and asked.

"Sera just got discharged from the hospital, so I thought I'd come over and celebrate."

Sonoko Suzuki had just given a serious explanation when she revealed a mischievous smile again: "What, did our appearance disturb you, senpai?"

...Is this never going to end?

Sano exhaled: "What could it be? What could it be in broad daylight? What do you think it could be? What makes you think that bumping into someone at a hotel would be considered a disturbance? Oh, I know, it's Makoto Kyogoku."

At this point, Sano immediately changed the subject.

"So you mean that if I run into you and Kyogoku here, it would be considered as disturbing you, is that what you mean?"

Upon hearing Sano's words, Sonoko Suzuki was immediately taken aback.

...Although I don't quite understand how Sano's words came about here.

But that didn't stop Sonoko Suzuki from blushing.

"Senior, what nonsense are you spouting!?"

Seeing Suzuki Sonoko stammering and utterly embarrassed, Sano secretly curled his lip, then turned to Mouri Ran, raising an eyebrow—"Do you need one too?"

Ran Mouri quickly looked away, pretending that nothing had happened.

Sera Masumi lowered her head, touched her nose, and coughed lightly.

As for Conan... he's just a kid, it's best if he doesn't get involved in this kind of thing.

Yes, especially with Ran Mouri right next to you.

Like Sano, Asai Narumi, who was also involved, simply watched the scene with a smile, without saying a word, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

"...So, what are your plans next, senior?"

Having finally escaped her state of embarrassment, Sonoko Suzuki dared not make any more jokes, lest she and Sano enter a state of mutual hurt, and instead asked about serious matters.

"What can we plan? We've finished eating, let's go home and sleep."

"Well... since we've already run into each other, let's go and see where Shira lives. Miss Narumi can come along too, so we can get to know each other and chat."

Sano was uninterested in Sonoko Suzuki's invitation to team up... There was nothing he could do, since he had already been to Sera Masumi's place, and had even thoroughly searched it.

Sano knew perfectly well how many pairs of underwear Sera Masumi had brought...

"I……"

However, before Sano could even speak, the mission had already begun.

[Please ensure that no one dies within the mission objective area within the mission time limit. Completion will earn you 100 enhancement points. Mission time remaining: 01:59:59]

Pulling up the map, I saw that the target area was indeed a room in this hotel.

"...Anything is fine."

After changing his mind, Sano turned and walked towards the elevator.

Sonoko Suzuki, who had been prepared to plead with Sano because she thought he was unlikely to agree, looked at Masumi Sera in bewilderment.

"...Could it be that he's interested in you, senior?"

"Why!?"

Sera Masumi quickly glared and waved her hands, saying, "No, please! I can't accept that! I really can't accept that!"

Chapter 612, Chapter 615: Unrequited Love is a Common Thing in the World

It's not that Sera Makoto is insecure.

However, from a self-aware perspective, Sera Masumi didn't think so.

There's a possibility that Sano might take a liking to me.

...And if, by sheer misfortune, she were to actually be targeted by that guy, then Sera Masumi would be willing to admit that she was a shota-con.

Absolutely impossible, I have no connection with that guy!

"Hey~"

Suzuki Sonoko gave a meaningful smile and, while keeping up with Sano's pace with the rest of the group, began to promote her product to Sera Masumi.

In other words, he boasted about Sano's various merits, which made Conan give him a deadpan look.

...This gossipy woman hasn't learned her lesson yet; she still dares to shout nonsense.

Didn't they even consider Sano's own feelings...? Oh, right, if it were Sano himself, he'd probably say the same thing.

The kind of thing that makes Ran Mouri go berserk.

While Conan was distracted, a group of people squeezed into the elevator and arrived at the thirtieth floor.

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, before I even turned the corner, I saw three middle-aged men in suits with distressed expressions sitting in the common area, deep in thought.

"...Wow, what a terrifying group of middle-aged men this is."

Sonoko Suzuki instinctively moved closer to Sano, muttering to herself.

"Oh, all three of them seem to be editors at a novel publishing house."

Sera Masumi glanced at the room as well and recalled, "There seems to be a fairly famous romance novelist on my floor. I guess he came here specifically to supervise the writing process."

"A romance novelist?"

Upon hearing this, Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki immediately showed obvious interest, while Sano silently complained in his heart... Fortunately, his grades were not good enough to require supervision and urging for his manuscript, otherwise dealing with these editors who were comparable to super stalkers would be quite troublesome.

wrong.

Shouldn't it be said that because of her good grades, she doesn't get pressured to improve...?

Hmm... let's just leave it at that.

"...What's that novelist's name?"

"it's me."

No sooner had the Sonoko Suzuki issue arisen than a bald man wearing glasses appeared.

After her self-introduction, Ran Mouri immediately became a fangirl.

Sano didn't listen much.

But looking at the room the bald guy came out of... it was right in his mission area.

Could this guy be... the originally scheduled victim?

There were three grown men over there, which also fit the normal pattern of the "plague god halo".

"...Where are you going?"