Chapter 99: What? Hoshino Ki is upstairs?

Just ahead of the car.

A woman with short, wavy, tea-colored hair walked over.

If one looked closely, one could tell.

The person was none other than Sonoko Suzuki herself.

After all, she had only changed her hairstyle, not gone for plastic surgery.

"I wanted a change of pace! I copied her and got my hair permed into waves!"

Sonoko Suzuki said this while bending down to stare at Ai Haibara, who was at Hoshino Ki's feet.

Ai Haibara pursed her lips.

No particular emotion could be detected.

Conversely, Hoshino Ki’s expression showed some subtle changes.

"How is it? Does it look good?"

Sonoko Suzuki tossed her beautiful hair.

And intentionally or unintentionally, she cast her gaze toward Hoshino Ki.

She clearly wanted to make herself look more bright and moving.

Of course, the target was only Hoshino Ki.

"Sonoko! Tone it down a bit!"

Ran Mouri followed Sonoko Suzuki’s gaze toward Hoshino Ki.

But who would have thought she would meet his eyes exactly.

Because of the jokes everyone had made earlier.

She felt a bit uncomfortable at this moment.

She could only avoid Hoshino Ki’s gaze.

And went to control her best friend who was attacking.

"Does Hoshino Ki have nothing to say?"

Sonoko Suzuki looked shy.

She took small steps and arrived in front of Hoshino Ki.

Although the scent was faint.

Hoshino Ki still smelled the fragrance on Sonoko Suzuki.

He frowned and took a slight step back.

His body leaned against the wall.

Maintaining a polite distance between a man and a woman.

Because of Sonoko Suzuki’s sudden approach.

Ai Haibara, who was at Hoshino Ki’s feet, was nearly tripped.

But she did not cry out in surprise.

Instead, she looked up at Hoshino Ki with a suspicious face.

"Oh oh! Brother Hoshino must be mesmerized by Sister Sonoko."

"Really?"

Mitsuhiko and Genta suddenly popped out from the back seat of the car.

Both of them had flushed little faces.

"......"

Hoshino Ki turned his head to look at Mitsuhiko and Genta in the back seat.

He issued a lethal warning to the two of them.

"Ah ah ah, it's nothing, I was just talking nonsense!"

"I don't know anything!"

Mitsuhiko and Genta’s little faces changed instantly.

They both wore expressions of fear.

They laughed it off and obediently hid back inside the car.

"I should go get a wavy perm too..."

Ayumi, inside the car, stroked her own hair with a disappointed look.

Everyone set off and arrived at the banquet hall.

"Caviar with foie gras and roast duck!"

"I can't take it anymore!"

Kogoro Mouri saw the banquet table filled with delicious food.

Drool flowed three thousand feet.

He piled food onto the plate in his hand all at once.

Before long, his plate was heaped with all kinds of food.

"Haha! I want this too!"

Professor Agasa’s eyes lit up, his appetite wide open.

He followed behind Kogoro Mouri, grabbing things with a clatter.

Not thinking about his own physical health at all.

Hoshino Ki, meanwhile, followed behind the two of them, circling the table once.

After returning to the starting point, he found his plate was still empty.

He hadn't taken anything.

"What's wrong? Is there no food here that you like?"

Ai Haibara’s voice sounded from beneath the three of them:

"It's all high-calorie food, isn't it?"

"Fine! I remember there's steak over there, I'll go get some for you..."

Ai Haibara had been watching Hoshino Ki since just now.

He hadn't touched a single piece of food on this table.

Given how picky he usually was about food at home.

She understood his inner thoughts instantly.

So, without waiting for Hoshino Ki to reply, she went to another area.

Kogoro Mouri was full of confusion.

He looked at Hoshino Ki’s calm expression at this moment.

He couldn't help but lean in close to ask:

"This kid... why does she seem like your wife?"

"Thanks to Ai, Hoshino Ki doesn't look so cold anymore!"

Professor Agasa held his big belly.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

He looked at Hoshino Ki with a kind expression.

"......"

Hoshino Ki shifted his gaze to look at Ai Haibara’s back.

It did indeed look that way.

In the anime, Ai Haibara lived in Professor Agasa’s house.

So Professor Agasa’s diet was controlled by her.

Because Professor Agasa was quite obese.

To avoid him consuming too many high-calorie foods.

Which would lead to him suffering from diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.

Ai Haibara always appropriately controlled Professor Agasa’s diet.

Now that Professor Agasa’s position had been replaced by Hoshino Ki.

Rounding it up, from an outsider’s perspective, it really did...

Ai Haibara looked like she was in the role of Hoshino Ki’s wife.

The banquet began.

Mio Tokiwa gathered all the guests of the banquet hall in the center of the viewing platform.

As the chairwoman of this building.

She personally presided over this opening ceremony.

She first read a welcome speech for everyone attending.

Afterward, she proposed that anyone interested could participate in the opening ceremony’s countdown game.

The person who accurately counted down 30 seconds, or was closest to 30 seconds, would be the winner.

If two people counted the same number.

They would use rock-paper-scissors to decide first and second place.

The winner of the game would receive the imported red sports car displayed in the venue.

The second-place winner would receive a mountain bike and a helmet.

Everyone at the banquet who wanted to participate signed up enthusiastically.

Banquet staff handed out small flags of different colors to the guests present.

Once the countdown was finished, one just had to raise the small flag in their hand.

Hoshino Ki, Ai Haibara, and Conan did not participate in this game.

Instead, they chose to watch from the sidelines.

Just after the secretary gave the order to start the countdown and began timing.

The guests in the banquet hall all held their breath and began counting down.

Kogoro Mouri was also seriously counting down in the middle of the banquet hall.

But he was kicked in the arm by a child behind him and forgot what second he had reached.

By this time, most of the people around him had already raised their flags.

Kogoro Mouri appeared somewhat flustered.

He simply followed the crowd and raised the flag in his hand randomly.

Unexpectedly, it was a case of a blind cat bumping into a dead mouse.

Kogoro Mouri won first place.

This was the first sports car he had ever obtained in his life.

Just as the banquet reached the next stage.

Mio Tokiwa’s body was hoisted high and appeared on the stage.

Kogoro Mouri hurriedly urged the secretary to pull the curtain.

And told her to go to the control console to lower Ms. Mio Tokiwa.

Officer Megure received the news of Mio Tokiwa’s death.

And immediately arrived at the scene.

Because someone had just died at the banquet scene.

The guests present could not leave yet.

After simple deduction.

Kogoro Mouri directly identified the suspect as Mio Tokiwa’s secretary.

Just when the case had not been fully solved.

Two or three explosions were heard.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Then all the lights in the building went out inexplicably.

And then the whole building began to shake violently.

Just when everyone was at a loss.

Staff called to say that unexplained explosions had occurred everywhere.

And notified everyone that they must evacuate quickly.

Now there was only one observation elevator that could be used to escape.

It could carry 9 people at a time.

So Officer Megure let the elderly, children, and women evacuate first.

"Conan, you go up!"

"It's already full, I'll wait for the next trip!"

Conan got off the elevator and went to Ran Mouri’s side.

The Detective Boys all boarded the elevator first.

By the time the next elevator arrived.

Conan, Ran Mouri, and Sonoko Suzuki entered the elevator with the crowd.

Conan walked into the elevator and looked left and right.