GOAL BONUS CHAPTER #5
Jiang Xia stared at Tonoyama with a mix of confusion and amusement, then slowly took a step back.
He pointed at the bandage wrapped around Tonoyama's finger. "That should be the 'string' he used to tie the knife," Jiang Xia mused. "It should have traces of the deceased's blood on it."
Dianshan glanced at his hands, then his legs, utterly bewildered.
Wait a second… this wasn't supposed to happen.
The plan was for Jiang Xia to assume that the evil did not contradict the righteous, and to keep pushing forward with the case. He'd even point out the blood on Tonoyama's calf and scoff, revealing that what Jiang Xia thought was blood was actually some dark underpants showing through the burnt fabric of his trousers. At that point, others would start to doubt Jiang Xia's reasoning. But now…
Jiang Xia looked at Tonoyama's stunned face, unsure what to make of it. Wasn't it obvious? He'd wrapped murder evidence in a visible spot and was casually walking around. How could he not get caught? This guy was just too embarrassing.
Tonoyama, thoughts spinning in a circle, looked at the oncoming police, and let out a roar. He felt like a fool—Jiang Xia had known the evidence was in his hands, but just now, he only looked at his calf! That sinister little detective!
With a growl, Tonoyama shoved aside two passing officers and charged toward Jiang Xia, clearly planning to punch him and escape while Jiang Xia was distracted by the incoming police.
Conan's expression shifted in an instant.
He wasn't worried that Jiang Xia would get beaten up. No, it was the fact that Jiang Xia couldn't help but engage in a little "retribution" of his own on Tonoyama, and then—boom! He'd be branded as the one responsible for a public "abusive lynching."
Sure, in the past, the police had arrived to find criminals half-beaten, with Jiang Xia flashing an innocent "I didn't mean to do it, I'll be more careful next time" look. It had usually worked. But if he didn't watch out now, it'd be a very public scene.
Conan gritted his teeth and, without thinking, raised his wrist to use the anesthesia needle. If he could knock out the big guy before Jiang Xia did something, it'd solve the problem. Or maybe he could just knock out Jiang Xia instead. That'd work too.
But before he could do anything, Officer Sato, who had been prepared, let out a sharp shout and dashed toward Tonoyama leaving behind an afterimage.
With a loud thud, Tonoyama hit the ground, rolling his eyes and twitching a couple of times before falling still.
Eri stepped in front of Jiang Xia, giving a cold glare to the now unconscious murderer. Once she confirmed that he was completely incapacitated, she relaxed her stance, which had been aimed to throw him over her shoulder.
The passing police officers, shaken out of their daze by Sato's quick move, rushed forward and slapped the handcuffs on Tonoyama.
The sound of metal snapping shut echoed through the air, and with it, the shikigami that had been clinging to Tonoyama's legs loosened and fell to the ground.
Before it could even settle flat, Miyano Akemi and Xiaobai swooped in, grabbed the shikigami, and carefully carried it over to Jiang Xia's feet, like a prized offering.
The Tengu wasn't very familiar with the whole "ghost-handling" process, so it was a little slow. But when it realized what was going on, it slapped its palm in sudden enlightenment and zoomed over to fly the shikigami into Jiang Xia's hands.
Jiang Xia, now holding the new shikigami, gave a thankful nod to the ever-helpful Tengu. He couldn't help but appreciate that with this ghost's ability to fly incredibly fast, he no longer needed to awkwardly fumble with shoelaces just to collect ghosts.
The case was solved. And now, with the ghost in hand, Jiang Xia had completely lost interest in sticking around for paperwork. He made arrangements to meet up with Kisaki Eri and Conan, just in case something else came up.
Meanwhile, the crowd of bystanders slowly dispersed, revealing Mouri Ran carrying a box of cakes, and standing next to her was someone Jiang Xia recognized—Suzuki Sonoko.
Suzuki Sonoko had dressed up nicely today. The moment she saw Jiang Xia, her eyes lit up, and she waved energetically at him.
Sonoko had heard a bit about the case from Mouri Ran, so she had intended to comfort Jiang Xia, who had just encountered yet another murder scene. But before she could move, someone rushed in front of her.
A man struck a pose, flipped his hair, and gazed at Sonoko with an expression that could only be described as intensely affectionate. "Sorry, I kept you waiting. Something came up," he said.
Suzuki Sonoko blinked.
Oh right, she had a date with this guy. How had she almost forgotten about it?
A while ago, while Sonoko was out traveling, she'd met this... guy. He had used his top-tier charm skills to sweep her off her feet, and she'd ended up agreeing to a date without really thinking it through. She had been so dazzled by his swagger that she barely remembered what was going on.
But now, standing in front of her, this man was giving off a vibe that made her a little less impressed than before.
Sonoko rubbed her chin, embarrassed, deep in thought.
Seeing him next to Jiang Xia, she realized that the aura of maturity that had attracted her initially was now nowhere to be found.
Sonoko's eyes flickered from the man to Jiang Xia, who, strangely enough, wasn't stopping her from talking to him. Instead, he had grabbed Conan, who had been walking by, and seemed to be pushing him toward her—almost like he was trying to "sell" Conan as a product.
Sonoko's eyes widened.
After a moment of hesitation, she realized with a jolt that Jiang Xia probably thought her "date" with this man was more of a group outing with friends—something casual.
Wait, no. If that was the case, then maybe this was an opportunity to shift things around and turn the date into an innocent hangout. That way, she wouldn't have to offend either of them, and could easily brush off any romantic advances the guy might try to make.
As she considered this, she suddenly looked at Jiang Xia, expecting some sign of interest. But then she froze.
Jiang Xia, instead of showing any kind of hesitation, had that unmistakable "Take me with you" look plastered all over his face. And then, without missing a beat, he grabbed Conan and shoved him forward, as though he were handing him over like a prize.
Sonoko blinked.
Uh...
It truly was clear to her now. Jiang Xia was completely oblivious to the romantic tension here and had no intention of stopping the whole "double date" thing. Well, at least she had a way to avoid dealing with the "playboy" now.
Conan, who was being awkwardly shoved in front of Sonoko, glanced around suspiciously. His gaze landed on the "playboy," and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
He had originally assumed that this guy was Rlan's date, which had already given him a bad impression. Now, as he overheard a few choice lines of conversation, his suspicion grew.
With a smirk, Conan couldn't help himself. He turned to the playboy and said, "Big brother, I don't quite get what you said earlier. What's this about women being difficult just because you didn't find the right approach? First, you push people away. Then, after a night, act kindly? Why would you act like that? Is this some kind of trick? What's your deal?"
The tension in the air grew thick.
*Goal #1: Top 200 fanfics published within the last 30 days by POWER STONES.
Progress: 3/50(approx) for 10 BONUS CHAPTERS
Goal #2: One BONUS CHAPTER per review for the first 10 REVIEWS.
Progress:0/10*