Conan: I'm a zaibatsu in Tokyo

"Ai is so cute."

Xiao Lan couldn't help but laugh.

Then, Ran turned to Kazuha and said, "Actually, you don't need to worry. Koyo was just joking."

Murder or anything like that is absolutely impossible.

How could Brother Zheng Yi kill someone so casually?

“I know.” Kazuha nodded.

To Ai Haibara, Ai's threat just now was nothing short of adorable.

Who uses a child to threaten others?

"That's just her being cute," Kazuha said softly.

Kazuha turned to Miraiko and said, "Don't worry, I'll go to the competition in your place."

For the sake of the club's existence, we still have to give it our all this time.

"Hey, hey, hey! You can't underestimate Shoichi's threat!" Heiji said to the group with dissatisfaction.

That's Zhengyi!
Xiao Lan said, "Brother Zhengyi wouldn't kill anyone, how could you have such a strange idea?"

Killing someone over a karuta tournament? That's absurd! Who would believe such a thing?

“Yeah, Heiji, you’re thinking too strangely.” Kazuha also looked at Heiji with a puzzled expression.

She also found Heiji's thoughts strange.

Although everyone is saying that Zheng Yi is not a good person and likes to kill.

But surely it's not worth killing someone over a competition that offers no benefit whatsoever.

“You don’t understand Shoichi at all!” Heiji said with a dark face.

Conan curled his lips.

Yes, yes, we don't understand Brother Zhengyi at all, only you understand him best.

"Eh? What is this?"

Conan suddenly bent down, picked up a small, exquisite photo folder from the ground, and gently opened it. Several photos lay quietly inside.

"This seems to be something that Zheng Yi and Hong Ye left here, right?" Xiao Lan said uncertainly.

"Let's see what's inside," Conan said.

They pulled out a few photos, and one of them, a picture of two children fighting, caught their attention.

“This kid looks like Heiji,” Kazuha said as she stepped forward.

She pointed to a dark-skinned little girl in the photo, then looked at Heiji and felt that she looked exactly like Heiji when he was a child.

Conan compared the child in the photo with Heiji.

"It really does look like it," Conan said softly. "And what about the other little boy..."

"It looks like it's Brother Zhengyi," Xiaolan said.

"Brother Zhengyi?"

Conan's eyes widened as he carefully considered Shoichi's appearance in his mind. He did indeed look very much like the child in the photo.

Conan said, "It seems to be true."

Besides, Zheng Yi was quite cute when he was a child.

He just had a roguish look on his face, giving off a very intimidating vibe.

Of course, the current Zheng Yi is not someone to be trifled with either.

Kazuha snatched the photo from Conan's hand and said, "Heiji, you actually knew Shoichi when you were a kid."

"I don't know him," Heiji said with a dark expression.

“But you all took pictures together,” Kazuha said.

Conan also looked at Heiji with curiosity.

Masakazu is from Osaka. It's normal that he knew Heiji when he was a child and before he went abroad.

Am I really less knowledgeable about Masakazu than Heiji is?
Kazuha asked Heiji, "When exactly did you meet Shoichi? I didn't know about it."

“I already said I don’t know you, I’ve only met you once,” Heiji said angrily.

Ran leaned against Kazuha, gazing intently at the two people in the photo.

She suddenly said, "Look, Heiji in the photo looks like he's crying."

"what?"

"No!"

Heiji stepped forward to snatch the photo, but Kazuha seemed to have anticipated it and dodged, causing Heiji to miss.

Kazuha frowned in displeasure and said, "Why are you so agitated? Is there some secret hidden in the photo?"

"no!"

Kazuha's eyes narrowed.

The more Heiji denies it, the more it reveals an important secret.

A crowd gathered around the photo, excluding Heiji.

"Heiji's face is so red, like he's been punched," Conan whispered.

"Who did it? Was it Zheng Yi Ge in the photo?" Xiao Lan guessed curiously.

"Probably," Conan said. "Look at Heiji's stunned expression, and Shoichi's clenched little fists..."

Obviously, our famous Kansai detective was beaten to a pulp the second before the shutter was pressed. "

Xiao Lan nodded and said, "Besides, look at Zheng Yi's eyes in the photo, he looks so fierce."

That perfectly matches the expression when someone is hitting another person.

Kazuha pointed at the photo with her finger and said, "Look at Heiji's hand, it's clenched too. Maybe Heiji is going to retaliate."

A group of people started analyzing the photos, speculating about the cause of the fight and the final outcome.

The discussion became increasingly heated.

"So, Heiji, what exactly happened between you and Masakazu?" A group of people stared intently at Heiji.

"Fine! I'll tell you, okay?" Heiji said helplessly.

That was a truly humiliating experience.

Heiji grabbed his head and squatted down on the ground. He looked up at Kazuha and said:

"You should know that when I was a child, I suddenly went to participate in a karuta tournament and won the championship."

Kazuha nodded.

As a child, influenced by his mother, Heiji often played karuta and even participated in a competition, winning easily.

After that, Heiji never participated in any more karuta tournaments.

"Did you participate in the competition with Zheng Yi?" Xiao Lan asked.

She had heard Hongye say that Zhengyi also played karuta when he was a child.

"No."

Heiji shook his head and said through gritted teeth, "The one competing against me is a little girl."

Conan asked, "Then why is this a photo of you and Zheng Yi?"

Heiji recalled what had happened back then.

He began by saying, "My mother was once known as the Queen of Karuta, and I started playing Karuta because of her influence."

I won a karuta tournament when I was a child.

But the little girl who lost to me in the final cried nonstop after the match.

Everyone listened with curiosity as Heiji told his story.

"Humph!"

Heiji slammed his fist on the ground and said angrily, "Back then, there was a little boy accompanying that girl."

The boy saw the girl crying and comforted her.

But his words of comfort had no effect, so…

Heiji pointed to his face and said, "That little boy attacked me when I wasn't paying attention and punched me in the face."

"So, you got hit?" Conan asked.

"It wasn't a beating, it was a sneak attack!" Heiji said, dissatisfied.

"Then I fought with him, and he took advantage of his earlier sneak attack and kept the upper hand."

Before I could retaliate, we were separated by the two sides.

Conan nodded.

So, Heiji still got beaten up.

Heiji read Conan's meaning from his eyes and ruffled Conan's hair in annoyance.

After awkwardly dodging, Conan asked, "And then? Did the little girl stop crying?"

"Is that what you're most concerned about?" Heiji's face darkened. But he still said, "That's right, the little girl stopped crying after we started fighting."

Heiji grinned and said, "Those two bastards really can't accept defeat."

He resorts to violence when he loses a match.

In all his years, Hattori Heiji had only ever seen someone so unable to accept defeat.

Conan's lips twitched.

Indeed, everyone's attention was drawn to your fight, and no one thought about losing the game anymore.

It was indeed an effective way to 'comfort' people.

Heiji snorted and continued, "After that, I lost interest in karuta, thinking I would never run into those two sore losers again."

Until I met Zhengyi.

Heiji gritted his teeth and said, "At the time, I didn't connect Shoichi with the little boy at all."

As my investigation deepened, images of Zheng Yi kept appearing in my mind.

I was surprised to discover that the sore loser back then was Zheng Yi!

That little girl from back then must be Hongye now.

When I was a kid, I couldn't stand losing and I would hit people.

When he grew up, he couldn't afford to lose in business, so he committed murder.

You can tell what a person will be like at three years old; there are clues to everything.

"I see." Conan nodded. "No wonder you said you knew Zheng Yi better than I did."

And he harbors an indescribable malice towards Zheng Yi Ge.

It turns out it was a grudge from their childhood.

I misunderstood you.

This side of me was something I didn't know.

Conan can also understand why Heiji is still bothered by what happened when he was a child.

“So Kazuha, you know you shouldn’t have participated in the competition, right?” Heiji said to Kazuha.

"Huh?" Kazuha shook her head and said, "What does this have to do with participating in the competition? Do you think Shoichi will still come to beat me up like he did when we were kids?"

Kazuha pointed to himself.

That's impossible. We're not children anymore, how could that happen?

Heiji said angrily, "Yes! He doesn't hit people anymore, he's started killing people now!"

Heiji's words were terrifying, but Kazuha wasn't scared at all.

She pointed at herself and said, "You don't actually think I can beat Ooka Momiji, do you?"

How can someone who has never participated in a competition defeat the next 'Queen of Chihwa'?
That's giving her way too much credit.

Kazuha said to Heiji, "I just want to try my best to gain a good reputation in order to save the karuta club."

"Maybe I'm not even qualified to compete against Kureha."

“You’re right…” Heiji said weakly.

Miraiko said, "Don't underestimate Kazuha, she's quite strong."

"Forget it, Kazuha is no match for me," Heiji said softly.

Kazuha retorted to Heiji, dissatisfied, "That was just when we were kids. I'm definitely not as good as you now!"

After arguing for a bit, He Ye suddenly asked:
"By the way, Heiji, if I also lose a match and keep crying, will you comfort me?"

"Of course not," Heiji said disdainfully.

It's really pathetic that you can't even accept losing a game.

Kazuha clenched her fists angrily.

Zhengyi wanted to comfort Hongye
……

On Zheng Yi's car.

Ai sat quietly in the back seat, her eyes closed and silent, oblivious to any sounds around her.

There was definitely a strange, pleasurable sensation when I did that move.

But after she finished, Ai felt like she was doomed.

She heard Zheng Yi and Hong Ye's restrained laughter, as well as Xiao Lan and the others' laughter behind them.

This time I'm really too ashamed to face anyone.

Wearing such strange clothes and making such childish gestures, they really should consider living in another world.

Momiji was still considerate of Ai's feelings and didn't tease her too much.

She quickly changed the subject, saying, "This time, you don't need to help me. I'll win the game myself."

"Really? I'm afraid you'll cry if you lose," Zheng Yi said.

"you!"

Just as Momiji was about to get angry, Masakazu quickly pointed to Ai, who had her eyes closed.

I did this so Ai wouldn't be so shy, not to deliberately tell you embarrassing stories.

Hongye gritted her teeth.

Should I tell you about my embarrassing situation just for Ai's sake?

Ai's nose twitched.

It's clear that they're very interested in the fact that Hongye cried.

“You were much more mature than me when you were a child,” Hongye said.

Ai's body shifted slightly.

She was also very interested in Zheng Yi's childhood, especially his immature behavior.

"Beep, beep, beep~"

Unfortunately, the sudden ringing of the cell phone deprived Ai of the chance to hear about Masakazu's embarrassing childhood stories.

"Hey?"

"Brother Zheng, did you leave your photo folder at the hospital?"

Conan's voice came through the phone.

"Hmm?" After answering the phone, Zheng Yi turned to Hongye and said, "Did you lose your photo folder?"

Upon hearing this, Hongye's slender, fair fingers slowly traced the edge of the tassels on her kimono pocket.

She lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath her eyelids.

After a moment, he confirmed in his usual tone, "Yes, he's definitely gone."

"Yes," Zhengyi said into the phone, "Are you still at the hospital? We'll go back and get it now."

"okay."

After hanging up the phone, Zheng Yi said, "Turn around and go back to get your things."

Upon hearing that she had to go back, Ai's breathing became noticeably more rapid.

Inside the car, Ai's breathing became louder, and it was impossible for Momiji and Masakazu to hide it from them.

Zheng Yi patted Ai's head and said:

Are you getting off the bus with us later?

"No." Ai's eyes remained closed. "I'm sleepy. I want to sleep in the car."

Hongye's lips curled up slightly, forming a smile she couldn't help but suppress. She bit her lower lip in time, forcibly suppressing the smile.

She didn't laugh out loud, not wanting to make Ai even more embarrassed.

However, Zheng Yi was not so restrained.

In comparison, Zheng Yi is far worse.

Instead of restraining himself, he turned his head and stared intently at Ai's tightly closed eyes with an extremely exaggerated gaze.

That suppressed laughter on his face was even more infuriating than if he had burst out laughing.

Fortunately, Ai had her eyes closed.

"Whoo~"

Ai's breathing became heavier.

After stopping teasing Ai, Zheng Yi asked Hongye, "By the way, what photos do you keep in your photo folder? And why do you carry them with you?"

"It's a photo from one of my matches," Hongye said.

Hongye gave a soft hum and simply closed her eyes to rest. She deliberately kept her breathing very light, but her ears turned slightly red.

“You’re really narcissistic,” Zheng Yi said.

"None of your business." (End of Chapter)