Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

"It's nothing. Wangcai was being disobedient and running around, so I chased it out."

Lin Xiuyi made up a random excuse to brush it off.

But as soon as he finished speaking, he felt a sharp pain on both sides of his waist.

Eri and Yukiko both nudged him hard with their elbows, clearly expressing their strong dissatisfaction with him comparing them to "dogs."

Lin Xiuyi dared not delay any longer, fearing that these two ladies might cause some trouble again. He quickly got to the point and briefly explained the plans that his group had just decided, including their departure tomorrow, and the news that in addition to himself, Eri Kisaki, Yukiko, Reiko, Kogoro Mouri, Ruri, Midori Orikasa, and Chikage Tomizawa would also be going together.

After a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, Ikeba Shizuka's voice came through, noticeably less excited and more polite than before.

"I see, that's great, it's more lively with more people."

Lin Xiu noticed the change in her tone and quickly began to explain.
"I'm sorry, there are quite a few of us this time, which might cause you some trouble. But don't worry, we'll book the hotel in advance, so it won't bother you too much."

"What are you saying, Mr. Lin?"

Ikeba Shizuka smiled, her tone returning to its usual gentleness.

"When I went to Tokyo for the Kendo tournament, I was very grateful for your hospitality and for bothering me for so long at the izakaya. Now that you've all come to Osaka, how can I let you stay in a hotel?"

"I have plenty of empty rooms in my house, enough to accommodate everyone. Please feel free to stay at my house, and let me do my part as your host."

Lin Xiuyi wanted to decline, but Ikenami Shizuka was adamant and repeatedly assured him that it wouldn't be a hassle, so he had no choice but to agree. He then confirmed with her the arrangements for their pick-up upon their arrival in Osaka the next day before hanging up the phone.

"Click."

The moment the receiver was put back into the landline, Lin Xiuyi felt two murderous gazes instantly focus on his face.

"Should I congratulate you on 'hooking up' with another rich, beautiful, and hospitable young lady?"

Eri Kisaki crossed her arms, glancing sideways at Hideaki Hayashi, her jealousy practically making your teeth ache.

"Someone had previously sworn that Ms. Ikenami's invitation to Osaka was purely out of politeness between friends, and had no other 'meaning' whatsoever."

"That despicable woman!"

Yukiko puffed out her cheeks in anger, like a little hamster guarding its food.
"She asked you to go to Osaka; she clearly has ulterior motives! If I had known she had these intentions, I shouldn't have agreed to let you go in the first place!"

"How did you come to the conclusion that she had ulterior motives towards me?"

Lin Xiuyi shrugged helplessly, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Just like you said, Miss Ikenami is a rich girl from a wealthy family, with a good family background and a good temperament. I'm just a poor boy who runs an izakaya to save up for tuition. How could she possibly be interested in me? You're overthinking it."

"Hmph! Do you think I'm hard of hearing and can't tell?"

Eri Kisaki rolled her eyes at her childhood friend, mimicking the tone of Shizuka Ikenami's voice earlier.
"The way her tone changed after she found out we were all going... Humph!"

"Clearly disappointed!"

Yukiko immediately chimed in, their conversation flowing seamlessly, the two behaving as if they had rehearsed it.
"Tell me! When exactly did you two become so 'close'?"

If you two could always be this harmonious, wouldn't that be wonderful?
Lin Xiuyi looked at the two girls who had temporarily formed a "united front" to interrogate him, and felt both amused and utterly helpless. "Heaven and earth bear witness!"

He raised his hands in surrender, his face full of innocence.
"During the previous kendo tournament, weren't you all basically present every time Ms. Ikenami came to the restaurant for a meal?"

"Aside from normal customer-employee interactions, the most we did was discuss kendo matches. When did we ever have any 'intimate' interactions?"

"I was filming a movie on set during that time, and I wasn't at the izakaya at all!"

Yukiko stomped her foot angrily.
"How do I know if you two were secretly seeing each other while I was away!"

"I remember it very clearly, that woman actually wanted you to call her 'One-san'!"

Eri Kisaki clearly remembered the details vividly; she glanced sideways at her childhood friend, her tone tinged with sarcasm.

"If Reiko and I hadn't been watching from the sidelines, some people might have actually cried out against it."

"Eunice?"

Upon hearing this, Yukiko's eyes widened even more, staring at Hayashi Hideichi in disbelief.

"You actually have this kind of fetish?!"

"How is that possible..."

Lin Xiuyi was speechless, feeling like he was in a situation he couldn't clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.

However, Eri's words were like a key, inadvertently unlocking a corner of his memory.

Lin Xiuyi recalled the words that Ikenami Shizuka had whispered in his ear with a hint of amusement and challenge when he saw her off from the izakaya back to her hotel, before Eri and Reiko were around.
"Then I'll wait for you in Osaka. When it's just the two of us, I'll definitely make you call me 'One-san'."

The cunning and confident glint in the girl's eyes back then was now vividly clear in his mind.

Ha, having lived two lives, how could he possibly call a girl several years younger than himself "sister"?
People would laugh their heads off if they told anyone!
"What are you thinking about? You seem so lost in thought."

Seeing that Lin Xiu hadn't spoken for a while, Yukiko suspiciously waved her hand in front of his eyes.

"Could it be that she's already thinking about that 'older sister' in Osaka?" Eri's tone was even more sarcastic.

Lin Xiuyi was overwhelmed by the two's barrage of words and dared not stay in the living room any longer.

He quickly stood up and made up an excuse: "I haven't packed my luggage yet, I'll go back upstairs to pack it first. If you don't have anything else to do, you should go back early too, so as not to delay tomorrow's itinerary."

After saying that, he fled in panic, quickly running out of the izakaya.

Watching Lin Xiuyi's hasty retreat, Eri and Yukiko, who had been working seamlessly together just moments before, exchanged a glance, their tacit understanding vanishing completely, replaced by intense hostility.

"Hmph, don't think you can beat me like this!" Eri Kisaki sneered.

"It's not certain who will win or lose yet!" Yukiko retorted defiantly.

A moment later, the two women each let out a cold snort and left the izakaya one after the other, the tension in the air gradually dissipating as they left. (End of Chapter)