Daily Spy Life in the Detective Conan World

Chapter 847 Concert Climax (Part 2)

The preceding events were all incidental; Xia Chuan was focused on Joel and didn't notice them.

"Miss Akiba Reiko is amazing. She can maintain such a high note for so long. She is truly a gifted performer."

Joel sighed.

She didn't know much about music, but she had heard about Akiba Reiko's situation when she talked to Yumi on the phone.

I hadn't thought much of it before, but after listening to it live, I realized how light and beautiful it was. It felt like being immersed in an ocean of music, joyfully wandering around.

“The feeling of attending a live concert is different from watching it on a mobile phone or TV. Otherwise, why would so many people flock to live music events? Besides their love for the singers and musicians, another big reason is the sense of awe and excitement.”

The two whispered intimately in each other's ears, enjoying the music and snuggling together. If it weren't for the inappropriate setting and knowing the purpose of tonight's event, Xia Chuan would have already embraced the atmosphere.

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom," Xia Chuan suddenly said.

"Okay, go ahead."

Joel nodded and reluctantly released Xia Chuan's hand.

Just like Xia Chuan, Joel was also feeling romantic, but after all, she was a girl. With Yumi being such a loudmouth and her younger brother somewhere around, she was at least still quite reserved.

After Xia Chuan left, Joel began to focus all his attention on the stage.

According to the process that Xia Chuan just described to her, tonight's concert rehearsal will last about an hour and will be conducted entirely according to the standards of the official concert a few days later. There will be a total of twenty-four ups and downs. As it goes on, not only will the high notes become more sustained and long, but the organ will also change its key, and the other musicians on site will become more and more powerful.

In short, the atmosphere will become more intense and profound as we go on.

Just then, the twelfth rise and fall ended, and gaps began to appear on the stage.

Since it's a concert that lasts for an hour, the musicians and high-pitched singers can't maintain a high level of performance the whole time, so there will be a short break for adjustment.

Suddenly, the sound of a new instrument seamlessly followed the piano.

Joel unconsciously straightened his back.

As an assassin, she had an amazing hearing. Although she didn't know what instrument it was, she clearly didn't see anyone playing it on stage.

Where did the sound come from?

On the second-floor stands, everyone held their breath.

Compared to Joel, they knew more, and they knew that after the twelfth ups and downs, they would get down to business!

From the second-floor stands, you can see a square gap suddenly appearing in the middle of the stage.

Sparse applause broke out.

Joel turned around in confusion, wondering why he was clapping.

When he looked up, he found that everyone above was looking at him.

The dappled crystal chandelier swept across everyone's faces, and from their faces, Joel saw blessings, joy, excitement, and exhilaration. Yumi, for some reason, was waving wildly at him, opening her mouth as if to say something, but was immediately covered by Sato Miwako next to her.

"Ania, Ai, you..."

Just as Joel was about to ask a question, he suddenly remembered that the atmosphere was not right. Loud noises were prohibited at the concert, and even speaking softly required keeping one's voice low.

So she could only give up and wait for Xia Chuan to return so she could find out the answer.

The flute melody grew increasingly clear and bright, but Xia Chuan still hadn't returned.

At this moment, Joel finally noticed the dent in the platform.

Meanwhile, the rest of the performers appeared to have finished resting.

Domoto Kazuki raised his hands and then gracefully lowered them, as if playing the piano.

As the organ caught up with the flute's rhythm, the violin and piano entered at the same time, and the high notes blended with the music once again.

Joel could clearly sense that the sound of the flute was coming from the depression, so he straightened his back and looked over.

The platform inside the pit slowly rose, and the first thing that caught the eye was that signature blond hair and chiseled face.

The white flute complemented the instruments on the field perfectly, blending together seamlessly.

"It's so romantic!"

"If you like it, I'll have Shinichi Kudo get it for you later, provided that the music idiot can do it."

Sonoko chuckled and teased, "I can lend Natsukawa the flute he's currently using. It's a flute made by Aurel Nicole in collaboration with a famous flute maker. It's one of a kind in the world, with a cool and beautiful melody. It's a rare and unique sound that's hard to come by even at concerts!"

Xiaolan's eyes were filled with increasing envy.

It wasn't that I envied the value of the flute, but rather that I envied Natsukawa's willingness to sacrifice for Yoel.

Concerts, set design, flute playing, performing on stage – if it were Shinichi, would he be willing to do all that for himself?
They would probably be willing, right?

But what if a case occurs at that time?
Xiaolan recalled that scene at the Tokyo Tower restaurant.

Shinichi was supposed to confess his feelings, right? But because of the case, he didn't succeed, and then he suddenly disappeared for some unknown reason.

Sensing that her best friend seemed a little off, Sonoko quickly changed the subject: "Look over there, Joel, she still hasn't noticed, she's just sitting there without moving, could she be so surprised that she's stunned?"

"No, Aunt Joel must have been moved to tears!"

Anya spoke up in rebuttal. Although she didn't have the ability to hear thoughts for the time being, she had already seen that flashback scene in Bond's future. At this moment, Aunt Joel must be covering her mouth, wiping away tears of excitement.

"What do you know, you little brat?"

Sonoko's attitude towards any child who contradicts her is always the same: she dislikes the other person.

Come to think of it, she doubted that she actually liked children, because she didn't really like the pretentious Ai Haibara next to her either.

The flute player on stage gradually improved, and Xia Chuan was indeed a little nervous at first, but as the other background music started and the platform rose, he saw Joel's face, and that nervousness gradually disappeared.

He even felt somewhat at ease with it.

Feeling smug, he glanced at someone on the second floor and smiled at them. The smile seemed like a thank you and a blessing, but to the other person, it was a blatant provocation.

His gaze fell, refocusing on that delicate face, on that princess who blended seamlessly with her dress, as if she had fallen to earth.

The brightness of the crystal chandelier gradually decreased until it was completely plunged into darkness.

Then, Xia Chuan, dressed in a black suit, was illuminated by a beam of warm yellow spotlight.

Next up is Joel.

The light shone on her, making her incredibly beautiful. The crystals and feather-like sequins on her clothes shimmered and sparkled, creating a magnificent and vivid scene.

"Wow~"

A faint orange-red glow emanated from the dome, creating a beautiful scene reminiscent of dusk. White feathers, dappled with the twilight, fell like snowflakes.

The flute music continued, and the tables and chairs in the first-floor stands silently parted in the middle, revealing a bright red carpet that stretched from the stage all the way to Joel's feet.

At this point, Joel was at a loss for words; his language system had crashed, and all he could see was Xia Chuan. The others on stage were blurred into the background as if a large aperture had been opened.

How long?
It's been many years, hasn't it?
Joel gently wiped away the tears on his face; he hadn't shed a tear in many years.

Since her parents passed away, she and Yuri have depended on each other for survival. To keep Yuri from worrying or being afraid, she hasn't shed a tear since then.

And now, a man is standing in the middle of the stage, right in front of him.

What is Xia Chuan going to do?
He came down from the stage and walked towards me along the bright red carpet.

Joel could no longer perceive any other sounds; all the music had been filtered out. Her eyes were fixed solely on the man approaching her, his face so resolute against the orange-red backdrop, his gaze fixed on her as if she were a priceless treasure.

"Joel."

Xia Chuan was standing in front of her without her noticing, less than twenty centimeters apart.

She could feel his warm breath.

His breathing was somewhat rough and rapid, something that shouldn't be happening to this top spy.

But it happened.

Is he nervous?
Joel gave a soft "hmm," and for some reason, he reached out and grabbed Xia Chuan's hand.

My palms were cold, and although they weren't trembling, I was definitely nervous.

So I wasn't the only one who was nervous?
Joel smiled, her rosy lips curving into a charming arc, and gently reached out to wipe the sweat from Xia Chuan's forehead.

"Thanks a lot."

"I thought this was a concert."

Joel wasn't being pretentious. The atmosphere had been built up to this point, and it was either a proposal or a wedding. Although she felt that she wasn't well-prepared and hadn't shown Xia Chuan her best self, everything seemed less important now.

Domoto Kazuki and Domoto Gen also sped up their playing, and the piano and organ suddenly became lively, as if loudly celebrating for the two of them.

Reiko Akiba's voice also rose all the way up, and the dolphin-like sound that almost pierced the eardrums was dazzling.

If it were Chigusa Lala, she definitely wouldn't be able to reach this level of pitch.

"This is indeed a concert, but it's not an ordinary concert."

"What do you want to say?" Joel's eyes held both expectation and shyness. If she were to tell others at this moment that she was actually the assassin Thorn Princess, probably no one would believe her.

"I have so much to say, but..."

"But what?"

"However, I feel that a lot of words are unnecessary. Some things just need to be put into practice, which is why we have this concert tonight."

Joel nodded gently, his eyes shining.

Next, shouldn't we start talking about that matter?
That sentence was destined to be heavy, so Xia Chuan didn't rush to speak and looked up at the second floor.

There are some things that need to be taken care of before proposing.

Xia Chuan glanced around and saw that almost everyone was standing by the railing, waiting for him to propose to Joel.

But that's almost it!
One person is not here.

"Leave it to me." Kaito gave Natsukawa an OK sign, then turned around to look behind him. Kogoro Mouri sat calmly in the back seat, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on Natsukawa below.

"So you found out all along?"

Kogoro Mouri's voice was cold and stern, a stark contrast to his usual carefree demeanor.

However, this is not because Kogoro Mouri has become serious; it's just that the Kogoro Mouri in front of you is not the real him.

"As expected of Kuroba Toichi's son, his disguise seems to be easily detected in front of you."

"dad!?"

Xiaolan noticed something was wrong with the sound and turned around to see her father's face being ripped off. She immediately turned pale.

This scene, resembling something out of a horror movie, was not something a seventeen-year-old high school girl could accept, especially Xiaolan, who was terrified of monsters and ghosts. Her legs went weak and she almost fainted.

Removing her mask, Vermouth revealed her true face.

The music on stage reached its climax, with intense and tightly-paced melodies colliding. Vermouth single-handedly carried the banner of the brewery, staring at Kaito for a long time, her momentum not giving way to his.

What happened up there?

“We have a special guest on set. I asked Kaito to greet her first to avoid affecting the rest of the show.”

What's next on the program?

"You'll find out later."

Xia Chuan did not answer directly, because it would make the show less fun if he said it out loud.

"Oh."

Joel punched Xia Chuan's shoulder lightly, though it was only a light punch, it still hurt Xia Chuan a little.

"Since we've been discovered, we have no choice but to act sooner. I originally wanted to wait until Xia Chuan successfully proposed before making my move, but if you're in such a hurry, don't blame me."

Vermouth chuckled and reached into her pocket to pull out a pistol.

"what happens?"

Conan appeared at entrance number two of the second-floor stands, intending to peek inside, but instead saw Vermouth dressed in Kogoro Mouri's suit.

He was suddenly stunned, then his face turned pale and then flushed.

That damned Vermouth, she's disguised herself as one of his people again.

And just like last time, he still didn't notice.

This is a very embarrassing thing for a famous detective.

"Miss, it was inappropriate of you to suddenly point your gun."

"Is that so?" Vermouth smiled meaningfully, turned her gun and pointed it at Nakamori Aoko: "I know you're a magician, but what if I were pointing my gun at her?"

Nakamori Aoko's face turned pale. She tried to back away, but found herself leaning against the railing. Unless she jumped down, there was no way she could avoid the gun.

Vermouth sat lazily in the audience. "What do you intend to do?"

"Damn it, how could you do this!" Kaito's face was grim, but he didn't dare to move.

"Since you're already here, and Xia Chuan dared to invite his relatives and friends, then you can only blame him."

The other person wasn't Shinichi Kudo, and Aoko Nakamori wasn't Ran Mouri. Vermouth pulled the trigger without hesitation.

"call out!"

"Clang-"

"what?"

Vermouth suddenly froze, her smile turning into astonishment as she stared dumbfounded at the person directly in front of her.

She pulled the trigger again, but the bullets were visibly blocked by some invisible wall of air.

"impossible!"

Vermouth reached out and discovered that a transparent glass panel had been installed over the row of seats on the wall.

Even for a magician, this is going too far!

When exactly was it? Vermouth tried hard to recall.

After a while, he suddenly realized and said, "When all the lights were turned off just now, did you have someone lower a piece of transparent glass from above?"

(End of this chapter)