Chapter 21: Everyone Is Very Reasonable

Sunlight streamed into the room.

Ai opened her eyes, feeling groggy, and carefully moved the arm that was draped over her. As she shifted, Masakazu stirred slightly. Ai froze, waiting patiently for his hand to settle back onto her head before she dared to move again. Once she was free, she let out a soft sigh of relief. She then picked up her shoes and tiptoed out of Masakazu’s bedroom without making a sound.

That was a close call. Yesterday, Masakazu had almost gotten to the bottom of everything. It was all that careless detective’s fault for exposing such a major issue so easily. Ai could only pray that Masakazu wouldn't start guessing in the direction of the impossible, like "rejuvenation." Given his thought process, it was actually possible he might figure it out.

Ai sighed helplessly. She needed to speed up the process of avenging her sister.

After closing the bedroom door, her expression stiffened. She found Yuko watching her with a mischievous smile, holding a camera and recording her.

"No! It's not what you think!" Ai said, waving her hands.

"Of course it's not what I think," Yuko said, stroking Ai’s hair gently. "It’s definitely not that Ai snuck into Masakazu’s bedroom last night to ask for a hug, and then felt embarrassed this morning and snuck out because she was afraid of being discovered."

"I..." Ai tried to explain, but Yuko only wanted to believe her own version of events.

"Alright, alright, I didn't see anything, okay? Go have some breakfast, and don't disturb Masakazu," Yuko said softly, comforting her. She knew she had to leave the child some dignity, or Ai might run away.

After helping Ai put on her shoes, she led the fidgeting little girl toward the dining room. Ai felt a sense of tragic indignation. Why was it that every time Masakazu pulled her into his bed, Yuko ended up finding out? She finished her breakfast quickly, gave Yuko a curt greeting, and bolted out the door, refusing to let her see her off. She simply couldn't face staying in that house any longer.

It was well into the day before Masakazu finally stirred awake.

"Mr. Masakazu, lunch is ready," Yuko said.

"Bring it to my room," Masakazu called out from bed.

After lunch, Masakazu got dressed, fumbled around his bed for a moment, and grabbed the gift intended for Akemi Miyano before heading to the company.

Upon arriving, he found Akemi Miyano drawing a secretary's salary while doing the work of a beast of burden. Masakazu had offloaded all of his own tasks onto her, placing the heavy weight of his trust upon her shoulders.

"A gift for you." Masakazu tossed a box toward her.

Akemi took the box and examined it, looking at Masakazu with suspicion. Why was this guy giving her a gift?

"Don't you want to see your sister?" Masakazu reminded her.

Akemi’s heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by a giant hand; her breathing became rapid and erratic. She opened the box cautiously, and when she saw the transparent plastic bag inside, her heart skipped a beat, terrified that it might contain a body part of her sister.

Masakazu looked at her strangely. Was the workload too heavy? She was struggling so much just to open a box.

"Hair...?" Akemi pulled the bag out, bewildered. Inside were only a few strands of tea-brown hair, identical in color and texture to her sister’s.

"That's right. Look at this hair—you can tell your sister is very healthy," Masakazu said.

Akemi’s mouth twitched. She had assumed the worst. Masakazu still wanted her to work for him, so he was unlikely to harm Shiho. She glanced at Masakazu, who was sipping tea, and gritted her teeth. Even though he hadn't harmed Shiho this time, this was definitely a warning. If she harbored any ulterior motives, her sister would surely face a grim fate.

"I understand," she said through gritted teeth.

"Good, as long as you understand," Masakazu nodded. *She knows I haven't mistreated her sister, so she'll surely work for me with all her heart, right?* Masakazu’s core belief was that sincerity should be met with sincerity.

"By the way, the debt from the Yotsui family has been repaid," Akemi reported.

"Is that so? To remember to pay back a debt just after his daughter died—Yotsui is a decent man," Masakazu remarked.

Akemi remained silent. *You know exactly why he paid it back.*

"Several other companies have called me to negotiate their repayments. Please be calm; they aren't deadbeats like Yotsui," she added.

"That’s excellent. Everyone seems so reasonable," Masakazu said.

As a newcomer to the business world, Masakazu felt he had many shortcomings and might not be able to handle those people. Yet, everyone he met was so kind. Yotsui might have been a bit of a deadbeat at first, but after his daughter died, he didn't forget to pay—he was a good man after all. The others who owed money were also quick to express their willingness to pay. He really didn't understand why Takeda hadn't been able to collect these debts; everyone was so reasonable.

Akemi tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. It had only been one night, and rumors about Masakazu had spread across the world. While the stories were certainly exaggerated, Masakazu was definitely no saint. To achieve his goals, he wouldn't hesitate to use unscrupulous or even illegal methods. Yotsui was everywhere, accusing Masakazu of being lawless and claiming that he had killed his daughter just to collect a debt. And even after committing murder, he remained untouched. The police didn't dare offend the Sumitomo conglomerate and could only feign ignorance, afraid to investigate him. Even the previous incident regarding the man who died of poisoning after being shot eight times had been brought up.

Kogoro Mouri had also become Masakazu’s primary lackey. He had started by frantically accusing Masakazu and acting provocatively toward the police, only to later offer nonsensical deductions that cleared Masakazu’s name and pointed the finger at a scapegoat. Everyone knew Mouri’s fame as a detective was built on the backing of the Sumitomo family.

"What is this nonsense!" Kogoro Mouri slammed the newspaper onto the table, his face full of rage. "Those pathetic media outlets! They’re calling me a lackey for that conglomerate scion—it’s infuriating!"

Yet, Kogoro couldn't explain it away. An omniscient reporter had actually captured a photo of Masakazu handing him a check, and he was smiling as he accepted it, with the Metropolitan Police Department in the background. With that photo, any explanation he gave would just sound like a desperate excuse.

"Dammit! They even say I only became a famous detective because of the Sumitomo Group’s promotion. I clearly got here on my own merit!" Kogoro roared.

Beside him, Conan’s mouth twitched. *You only became a famous detective because of me.*