BWDC:SDDK Chapter 99: You Just Mentioned Seiran Hoshi, Right?
Suzuki Jirokichi was observing in the shadows.
From the upper railing, he quietly peered down at Ren Ichimonji and Suzuki Sonoko as they entered.
---Even though he was quite open-minded about Suzuki Sonoko finding a boyfriend, Suzuki Jirokichi still cared at least a little bit about what the guy was like.
For instance, if it were some blonde punk riding a loud motorized scooter, let alone Suzuki Tomoko, even he wouldn't be able to accept it.
At the very least, the boy needed a passing grade in both personality and appearance, right?
Fortunately, much to Suzuki Jirokichi's relief, the person Sonoko brought in wasn't some street thug. In terms of looks, he scored high marks.
As for his personality—well, he'd find out once they reached the exhibits. Jirokichi switched camera angles, enjoying the drama in real-time.
Below, Sonoko was completely unaware that Jirokichi was watching. She simply pulled Ren along, saying with a smile,
"Ren, look at this! This is one of the collectibles Uncle brought back from abroad!"
Ren glanced sideways at Suzuki Jirokichi above. Since he had seen this seventy-something-old man in the news before, he could recognize him at a glance, even if his appearance differed slightly from the anime.
If it were anyone else, Ren might have gone over to investigate. But since it was Suzuki Jirokichi, there was no need to worry. He was likely just uneasy about Sonoko being alone with him.
---Speaking of which, Ren was also surprised. He had expected to see a crowd of staff members installing traps and arranging exhibits in the gallery. Instead, as far as the eye could see, there was only Sonoko.
It was as if the venue had been opened specifically for the two of them.
"Is this... Van Gogh's Sunflowers?"
Ren looked at the collectible Sonoko was pointing out. Just seeing the painting made him a bit stunned. The financial power of the Suzuki Financial Group was truly staggering; a masterpiece like this was something Suzuki Jirokichi could just bring back from a trip.
However, Van Gogh's Sunflowers seemed to attract disaster in the world of Detective Conan. Although Ren didn't remember it perfectly, he recalled a movie titled The Hellfire Sunflowers.
He hoped some "expert" wouldn't show up later claiming the painting was a fake and try to burn the building down.
Above, Suzuki Jirokichi—completely unaware he had been spotted—was still evaluating Ren's character. When he saw Ren give the priceless Sunflowers only a passing glance, he couldn't help but look surprised.
Ren wasn't shocked by such a treasure?
Was it because he didn't realize its value? Or was he truly indifferent to wealth?
Not sure yet; better keep watching, Jirokichi decided.
He followed Sonoko and Ren's progress until the two stopped in front of the world's largest pink sapphire. This time, Ren finally paused and began to examine the gem.
Seeing this, Jirokichi was startled.
Oh? So it's not that he's not greedy, but that his standards are so high the previous items didn't catch his eye?
Just as Jirokichi was thinking this, Ren spoke up.
"I think we could add a few more security measures. Just using automated locking shackles seems a bit too insulting to Kaito Kid."
Standing beside him, Sonoko—who had just been about to comment on how beautiful the gem was—froze.
Eh? Why bring that up all of a sudden?
It was only then that Sonoko remembered she had indeed mentioned checking the security measures when she called Ren earlier. But that was just an excuse! She never actually intended for Ren to adjust the defenses.
"Oh? You can actually tell what kind of traps are here?"
Before Sonoko could say anything, Suzuki Jirokichi spoke up in surprise. He hurried down the stairs and approached the pink sapphire, eyeing Ren suspiciously.
The boy didn't look like an expert in this field. How could he identify the hidden mechanisms near the sapphire at a single glance? Did Sonoko tell him beforehand to help him make a good impression?
Jirokichi looked at Sonoko with doubt. However, before she could answer, Ren pulled out his wallet and casually tossed it toward the top of the pink sapphire—
As the wallet hit the top of the gem, the seemingly hidden traps triggered simultaneously. A dozen shackles on chains lunged out, attempting to lock onto the body of the thief stealing the sapphire.
However, because it was only a wallet that touched the gem, the shackles caught nothing. After snapping fruitlessly in the air, they retracted into their hidden compartments.
"Uncle Suzuki, don't you think this design is lacking? The trigger mechanism is a bit too sensitive."
Ren picked up his wallet and put it back in his pocket.
Watching this, Jirokichi was dumbfounded.
---If Ren could use this method to fool the sensor, then Kaito Kid certainly could too. He could easily exploit the timing to bypass the capture mechanism and take the sapphire before the system reset!
"You're even more impressive than I thought!"
Jirokichi suddenly turned to Ren. He grabbed Ren's hand, looking exceptionally enthusiastic.
"Could you please help me improve these traps? This time, I'm staking my pride as the undefeated Suzuki Jirokichi—we must ensure Kaito Kid returns in utter defeat!"
Sonoko, standing to the side: ?
Why does it feel like Uncle is more excited than she is?
Lunchtime. A nearby hotel.
Sonoko sat at the table with her chin in her hands, looking a bit sullen.
Dammit, the morning didn't go at all how she imagined. While it was true that Ren and her Uncle were getting along well, why did it have to be in this way?
Seeing Ren take his seat, Sonoko couldn't help but say,
"Ren, let's go out and have fun next time, okay? My family is actually preparing to hold a viewing for an Imperial Russian treasure, the Memories Egg, at this gallery soon. They even invited a very successful scholar to give a lecture."
"And that scholar seems to be from the same place as you, Ren."
Hearing this, Ren immediately felt something was off. He asked,
"Could I know the name of that scholar?"
Sonoko replied with a smile,
"Her name is Seiran Hoshi. She's a scholar specializing in the Romanov Dynasty."
You just mentioned Seiran Hoshi, right?
Ren's gaze suddenly became sharp.
Excellent. He was just worrying about where to get the seventy points needed to reach his five hundred point goal. Talk about perfect timing!
End of Chapter
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