Chapter 11: Going Home to Wait for the Diary Update

"In the original work, it was only Ran Mouri whose shoelace snapped, but here Sonoko Suzuki’s snapped too. It seems the Reaper has indeed appeared, severing a decade-long romance with a single swing of his scythe."

The serialization of Conan seems to have outlasted both Naruto and Bleach; with over 1,000 episodes and still not finished, that scythe certainly dragged things out long enough.

Ren Amamiya shook his head, stopped watching the two heroines, and cast his gaze toward the protagonist.

Because he had been recording the whole time, he knew exactly where Shinichi Kudo was headed.

But there was no need to rush; just take it slow.

At the very least, he couldn't run head-on into those two model employees of the "Wine Factory."

Walking at a leisurely pace, Ren Amamiya arrived outside the secluded transaction site and found a roadside bench to sit on, taking it easy.

After a while, a middle-aged, portly man rushed out of the alleyway opposite the bench, panting heavily, wearing a pair of sunglasses.

This image left Ren Amamiya deeply impressed.

"Wearing sunglasses after dark—can you even see the road?"

Wearing sunglasses during the day is to protect your eyes from the sun, but at night? Are you cosplaying as a blind uncle?

Shaking his head slightly, he continued to wait outside for a while.

The transaction was complete, but the business inside likely wasn't finished yet.

After waiting quietly outside for another ten minutes, Ren Amamiya finally stood up and walked into the dark alleyway opposite.

He walked inside, silent as a ghost.

At a corner, he saw only a boy lying on the ground, his head seemingly cracked open, with red blood visible in his hair.

As for the others, they were nowhere to be seen.

"Ah... ah..."

As Ren Amamiya approached, the boy on the ground began to emit painful whimpers, though the sound was very faint.

Realizing the iconic scene was beginning, Ren Amamiya stood there and quietly recorded the entire sequence.

The high school student, struggling helplessly on the ground, gripped the grass with both hands as if to minimize the pain his body was enduring.

His body began to change; the high school student’s frame started to shrink bit by bit.

Slowly, even his clothes began to fit poorly.

It wasn't until his body had shrunk to that of a seven or eight-year-old child that the transformation stopped.

"From today on, Shinichi Kudo will no longer exist; only Conan Edogawa remains."

"Pray, Kudo. You must pray that Ran Mouri doesn't have a diary, otherwise everything about you will be exposed just like mine."

After recording the entire scene, Ren Amamiya took one satisfied look at the now-child-sized Shinichi Kudo and immediately turned to leave.

After working all day, he needed to go home and rest.

Tomorrow is Sunday, which is perfect for relaxing his nerves and going home to check the rewards he earned today.

As for Shinichi Kudo lying on the ground.

Isn't he still able to move? At most, he just had his head bashed in; it’s not a big deal.

It’s better not to get involved in this matter for now, to avoid any unnecessary complications.

After Ren Amamiya left, two groups of people arrived at the alley one after another.

"A child?"

The first group frowned upon seeing the child on the ground, hesitated for a moment, then took out a camera and snapped a few photos.

The second group was also surprised to see the child, but they didn't bother with him either, simply taking a few photos before leaving.

Nagi Sanzenin and Kaguya Shinomiya received the news immediately.

"A child?"

Seeing the photos sent over by the bodyguards, Nagi Sanzenin looked puzzled.

"That person went into the alley, and there was just a child lying on the ground inside?"

"The murder at the amusement park was on the roller coaster, right? Why was there a child lying on the ground?"

"Nagi, that child."

Isumi Saginomiya reminded Nagi about the child’s safety.

"Don't worry, Miss Isumi. The bodyguards notified the police after taking the photos; there won't be any problems."

"That's good."

Hearing Maria’s words, Isumi Saginomiya breathed a sigh of relief; at least a child wouldn't just meet with disaster in the amusement park.

Maria picked up the photos to look at them and immediately spotted the problem.

"Aren't the clothes this child is wearing too big?"

Nagi Sanzenin and Isumi Saginomiya turned their gaze toward them.

"Yes, they are indeed too big. These clothes aren't suitable for a child at all."

The child lying on the ground was at most seven or eight years old, but those clothes were clearly better suited for an adult.

"Isumi, what do you think?"

"Well, Nagi, perhaps you could wait for that gentleman to update his diary." ===== CHAPTER 21 =====

"That's true. Since he followed them there, it’s clear he knew that scene would happen in the alley. Leaving without taking any action suggests he likely knew the child would be fine."

The child on the ground was suspicious, especially a child wearing adult clothes—it was simply abnormal.

However, there were no other clues at the scene, and it was impossible to deduce exactly what had happened in that alley.

Waiting for the diary update was a very good choice.

Just as Nagi Sanzenin made her decision, Maria reminded the two young ladies present.

"Nagi, Miss Isumi, since we've decided to wait for the diary update, shouldn't we go home and wait there?"

"Yes, we can go back now."

Most of the day had been quite interesting, but after noon, Nagi Sanzenin felt restricted and uncomfortable outside.

Having just obtained a Vision, she really wanted to try it out more.

But with so many eyes around, it wasn't suitable to use the Vision, which had kept her bottled up.

Going home now would allow her to wait for the diary update, and on the other hand, she wanted to go back and use her Vision more.

If it were just in front of Maria and Isumi, she wouldn't have to be so restrained.

"..."

Looking at the photos taken by the bodyguards, Kaguya Shinomiya fell silent for a moment.

"Hayasaka, were there any Shinomiya family bodyguards involved in this operation?"

"No."

Ai Hayasaka shook her head to deny it.

"Because I felt Miss Kaguya’s actions this time were driven by some hysteria, to avoid letting the Shinomiya family know, I arranged for Hayasaka family bodyguards."

"Please rest assured regarding their loyalty; these people were borrowed from my mother."

"Good, well done."

Ai Hayasaka’s caution made Kaguya Shinomiya feel very relieved.

"There's no need to continue staying in this amusement park. As for who this child on the ground is, I believe the owner of the diary will give me an answer."

"Hayasaka, after we return, have people watch them. Do not allow them to say a single word about this operation."

"I understand."

Ai Hayasaka bowed slightly; she knew what to do.

PS: New book, seeking data. ===== CHAPTER 22 =====