Chapter 31: Kudo Shinichi's Relative
Matsumoto Sayuri blinked, her lips parting in mild shock. "Ka... Kazumi?"
Seeing the bride's stunned expression, Takenaka Kazumi couldn't hold her serious facade any longer. A bright, genuine laugh bubbled up from her throat. She turned on her heel, waving a hand casually over her shoulder as she walked toward the door. "Just kidding! Alright, see you later."
The heavy wooden door clicked shut behind her.
Sonoko stood frozen, blinking owlishly at the empty doorway. "Who was that just now?"
"Kazumi," Sayuri murmured, her gaze lingering on the closed door. "She's a good friend of mine from university."
Natsume studied the subtle droop of Sayuri's shoulders, catching the faint trace of melancholy clinging to the beautiful bride. "Miss Matsumoto," Natsume spoke up, her voice smooth and grounded. "You don't actually need to let her words weigh on you. It's quite clear that Miss Kazumi has already moved on from Mr. Toshihiko."
"Eh?" Sayuri turned around, her white wedding dress rustling. Her eyes widened in surprise. "How did you..."
A soft, knowing smile touched Natsume's lips. "Because if she still harbored bitterness over the past, she wouldn't have delivered that line with such a light, joking tone. Anyone can see the deep bond you two share. To her, a friendship with Miss Matsumoto holds far more weight than whatever history she had with Mr. Toshihiko."
The lingering sadness in Sayuri's eyes evaporated, replaced by a warm, relieved light. "So that's what Kazumi thinks." She nodded slowly, a genuine smile returning to her face. "Yes, you're absolutely right. If Kazumi has already let it go, I should be looking forward to the future, too."
Sayuri glanced down at the paper bag Kazumi had handed her earlier. Reaching inside, her fingers brushed against cold aluminum. She pulled out a second can of lemon tea. "There's an extra one in here. Would any of you like it?"
Sonoko's eyes lit up. She had been eyeing the teacher's favorite beverage since they arrived. "Oh! Let me give it a try!" She eagerly accepted the chilled can.
Natsume watched the exchange, her golden eyes tracking the bright yellow can in Sonoko's hands. She tilted her head slightly. "Miss Matsumoto, the first love who gave you lemon tea when you were a child... was that Mr. Toshihiko? Your groom for today?"
"Eh?!" Sonoko and Ran gasped in unison, their voices echoing in the small dressing room.
Conan whipped his head around, staring at Natsume.
'How did she connect Miss Matsumoto's childhood first love to today's groom?'Conan's mind raced, his detective instincts flaring.'Did she catch a detail I completely missed?'
"How did you know?" Sayuri blurted out, her hands flying to her mouth in sheer astonishment.
"It's a simple chain of logic," Natsume replied, her tone conversational yet precise. "First, there was the distinct look in your eyes when you mentioned your first love earlier. Combine that with the fact that you still drink the exact same brand of lemon tea associated with him. It proves he occupies a permanent space in your memory."
Natsume raised a single, slender finger. "That's the first point." She immediately raised a second. "Next, I just heard Miss Kazumi mention that the groom used to be her boyfriend."
She met Sayuri's gaze squarely, her expression softening. "I believe in the strength of your character, Miss Matsumoto. Without a deeply special reason, you would never date your best friend's ex-boyfriend, even if they had broken up long ago. And considering Miss Kazumi's completely unbothered attitude just now, she must have discovered your secret reason. If she hadn't, no matter how strong your friendship is, she wouldn't be able to brush it off so easily."
Sayuri stared blankly at the blonde girl before her. The dressing room fell into a stunned silence. Slowly, Sayuri raised a finger and carefully dabbed at the corner of her eye, catching a stray tear before it could ruin her makeup.
"Honestly, Natsume—no, I'll just call you Natsume. You really hit the nail on the head." Sayuri lowered her gaze, a soft, self-deprecating chuckle escaping her lips. "That's right. Toshihiko is indeed my first love from childhood. When I first met him as an adult, he was just so incredibly similar to the boy from my memories. Kazumi noticed my reaction and helped me investigate. She was the one who confirmed it for me. But... Toshihiko doesn't know yet."
Natsume caught the fleeting shadow that crossed Sayuri's face—a deep, complicated sorrow that didn't belong on a bride's face.
Before Natsume could probe further, Sayuri's demeanor flipped. She clapped her hands together, beaming. "Still, that's amazing! You unraveled my biggest secret with just a few passing words. You're exactly like a detective. Honestly, I feel like you're even sharper than that arrogant Kudo kid."
Standing near the vanity, Conan's eye twitched.
'Hey, hey,'Conan grumbled internally, crossing his arms.'I'm not even standing in front of you as myself, and you still use me as a stepping stone to take a dig at me?'He pouted, kicking lightly at the carpet.'Besides, I just didn't have enough context to make that leap. You can't blame me! Without hard clues, who could guess a soap-opera plotline like that?'He knew Natsume's deduction relied heavily on reading micro-expressions and psychological profiling.'If this were a real case with physical evidence, I definitely wouldn't lose to her,' he reasoned, though a small knot of frustration remained in his chest.
"Wow! How romantic!" Sonoko squealed, her eyes sparkling like polished gemstones. She clasped her hands tightly against her chest. "Childhood first loves losing touch, only to reunite in the vast sea of humanity as adults, falling in love all over again, and finally getting married! Miss Matsumoto, you and the groom are tied by the red string of fate! You're going to be so happy together!"
'Well, that's assuming today's wedding actually proceeds peacefully,'Natsume thought dryly, her pragmatic side taking over.'Or at least, assuming the bride and groom don't get tangled up in a gruesome murder case.'
Suddenly, the heavy door to the waiting room swung open with a harsh creak. Heavy footsteps thudded against the floorboards. A tall, imposing middle-aged man stepped inside. A jagged scar slashed across his left eye, and his face was set in a grim, unyielding scowl. He marched straight toward Sayuri.
Sensing the aggressive aura, Ran and Sonoko instantly shifted, placing themselves firmly between their beloved teacher and the intimidating stranger.
"Who are you?" Ran demanded sharply, her stance shifting into a subtle martial arts guard. "Why did you just barge in here?"
Just as Ran's muscles tensed to physically throw the intruder out, a familiar, portly figure rushed in behind him.
"Hold on, hold on!" Inspector Megure panted, waving his hands frantically to diffuse the situation.
Between Megure's frantic gestures and Sayuri's weary sigh, the man's identity was quickly established. This terrifying figure was none other than Matsumoto Kiyochika—Sayuri's father. Not only that, but he was Inspector Megure's direct superior, holding the rank of Superintendent in the First Investigation Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
The tension in the room didn't dissipate, however. Superintendent Matsumoto clearly harbored deep dissatisfaction toward the man his daughter was about to marry. The father and daughter exchanged a series of sharp, biting remarks, the air crackling with unresolved familial friction. Ultimately, the Superintendent let out a gruff scoff, turned on his heel, and stormed out of the room, choosing to compromise rather than ruin the day entirely.
The grandfather clock in the corner ticked toward 1:30 PM.
Shortly after the Superintendent's dramatic exit, another figure appeared at the door. It was Umemiya, a senior student known to Ran and Sonoko. He strolled in, offered a few overly smooth words of admiration for the bride's beauty, and promptly made his exit.
Natsume watched the door click shut for the third time, her mind automatically categorizing the events.
'Well, look at this setup,'she mused, a cynical edge to her thoughts.'The "buffs" are stacking up perfectly. A best friend who happens to be the groom's ex-girlfriend. A disapproving, intimidating father. A flirty senior who clearly harbors feelings for the bride. The classic three-suspect lineup is officially complete. This bride is practically swimming in death flags.'The only key player missing from the stage was the groom himself, Takasugi Toshihiko. Honestly, Natsume didn't find Kazumi or Umemiya particularly threatening, but in this world, logic often took a backseat to dramatic twists. She recalled the deep sorrow in Sayuri's eyes when Toshihiko was mentioned.'I just hope the groom isn't the one plotting to harm her,'Natsume thought, her gaze softening as she looked at the beautiful bride.'If it turns out to be him, it would absolutely crush her...'
"Oh no, the camera battery is dead!" Ran's voice broke through Natsume's thoughts. She tapped the side of the camcorder, pointing at the blinking red icon in the corner of the screen. Setting the device down on a nearby stool, she grabbed her purse. "Miss Matsumoto, Sonoko and I are going to run out and buy some batteries. We'll be right back!"
With the two high school girls gone, the bustling waiting room suddenly felt very quiet, leaving only Natsume, Conan, and the bride.
Without warning, Sayuri leaned down and smoothly plucked the oversized glasses right off Conan's face.
"Ah!" Conan gasped, instinctively spinning around to grab them back.
"I knew it," Sayuri murmured, her eyes scanning his bare face with intense scrutiny. "Little boy, you look exactly like Kudo Shinichi."
Natsume blinked, her attention snapping to the shrinking detective. "Eh? It's true!"
She stepped closer, leaning down to inspect Conan's face. "I thought Conan looked familiar the very first time I met him, but I just couldn't place the resemblance. Now that the glasses are out of the way, it's uncanny. You two are spitting images of each other."
Natsume tilted her head, a mischievous spark igniting in her golden eyes. "By the way, Conan... do you have some sort of relation to Kudo Shinichi? Could it be..."
Conan froze. His heart slammed against his ribs.
'Oh crap,'Conan panicked, his mind spinning out of control.'Natsume is right here! She's staring right at my actual face! She's always been terrifyingly sharp—is she finally putting the pieces together?!'
A bead of cold sweat slid down the side of his cheek. His muscles locked up, his usually quick tongue suddenly tied in knots.
"Could it be... that you are Kudo Shinichi's..." Natsume leaned in closer, her voice dropping into a slow, deliberate cadence. She watched the sheer panic stretch across Conan's wide eyes, savoring the moment.
She paused, letting the silence stretch until Conan looked ready to bolt.
"...relative?"
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]