novelaction Chapter 198 Guinness, is there anything else you'd like to say?
Chapter 198 Guinness, is there anything else you'd like to say?
As the wind rustles through the trees, the evergreen leaves, green and tender all year round, brush against each other, making a soft, whispering sound.
The light refracted white light on the lens, and Kuromon Haruya opened his eyes, scrutinizing the subtle changes in expression and body language of Hanzawa Masato.
'The character of Kuromon Haruya is certainly not going to be very kind to Sherry, but this is only shown in the details, and Hanzawa Masato is not among the characters foreshadowing.'
From which oversight did he find out?
'Have you been too relaxed lately? Or maybe it's just a dramatic misunderstanding, or perhaps it's due to his unique position as an outsider?'
Ultimately, Makoto Hanazawa's existence was never part of the twenty-year plan from the beginning. His appearance in Beika Town in an incomprehensible form was out of place, and his background, like the timeline of Detective Conan, is difficult to ascertain.
—Like a ghost that appears out of nowhere, or an urban legend.
'Fanze Makoto is too close to me. He witnessed me summoning crows, and now he's even noticed Shirley Conan. If he were to develop feelings of pity for the Red Team like Ireland did in the original story, it would undoubtedly be a ticking time bomb. And…'
Kuromon Yoya lowered his eyes; this plan had been on his shortlist from the moment he first saw Hanzawa Masato.
'Just in case, should I eliminate all irrelevant influencing factors?'
"Hey, why do you say that, Real Person?"
Seeing that Heimen Yaoye paused for a moment, tilted his head to ask instead of immediately denying it, Fanze Zhenren felt a sense of certainty.
He touched his face sheepishly: "Because the way you look at Ai is just like me, it's the way you look at someone through the lens of who you are."
"Mr. Kuromon, you may not realize it yourself. But when we visit Professor Agasa together or take Ai for a walk, you are often not looking at Ai, but rather gazing through her figure at someone related to her from afar."
Your gaze is calm, devoid of much nostalgia... it's probably an expression of hatred for someone.
'...Elena Miyano.'
Suddenly letting out a smirk, Fanze pointed to himself, looking somewhat embarrassed and ashamed, and said:
"Just like how I know Conan and Shinichi Kudo have nothing to do with each other, but I still can't see him normally. Whenever Ran or other people mention that Conan looks like that person, an inexplicable resentment rises from the bottom of my heart, making me feel that one day he will become a detective who manipulates his mind and uses ruthless reasoning to drive criminals to their doom."
"But I'm not trying to force you to tell me anything, and it's okay if I can't say! It's just... Mr. Kuromon, you lent me a helping hand when I was unfamiliar with the place. You not only provided me with cheap housing and helped me change my documents, but you also provided a lot of help in various aspects afterward, including when I was carrying out organizational tasks. You are a good person!"
Mr. Kuromon must have considered every choice he makes, so I think I shouldn't cause you any trouble! Between you and Ai, I will definitely choose you.
“Mr. Hanzawa.” The masked smile vanished, and Kuromon Haruya took a deep breath, changing his tone in a low voice: “No, Guinness, you know too much… Do you have anything else to say?”
Under the spring sunshine, a loaded pistol stood upright, its dark muzzle pointed at the heart. Before it could be fired, a hollow pain shot through the chest.
Fanze looked across at the other side, where Kuromon Haruya was hidden in the shade of a tree, his eyes gleaming with a cruel green light. Without the slightest hesitation or concern, he remained unmoved and cold.
During their time together, the two had come to understand each other's abilities. He knew perfectly well that escaping from "Butbel's" clutches was nothing short of a pipe dream.
He pursed his lips, closed his eyes nonchalantly, and said, "...I've said everything I needed to say, just give me a quick death."
Kuromon Haruya sighed, took a few steps closer, and pressed the barrel of the gun against the man's forehead to ensure the pain would subside before it was transmitted to his nerves.
Cherish your last moments.
They were intimately familiar with the bullet's firing sequence. The trigger was pulled, first producing a crisp "click," then...
...Huh?
It doesn't hurt, but I'm still thinking about it. Could it be that...?
Fanze opened his eyes in disbelief. Kuromon Haruya was picking up an unloaded pistol and blowing away the non-existent gunpowder smoke in a cool manner. Seeing that he hadn't recovered, she playfully winked at him as a reminder.
"What's wrong, Guinness? Did you get your butt stuck in the chair, or have you already forgotten my birthday wishes?"
Birthday wishes, greetings...
Dead memories suddenly resurfaced, and the lines that the group had specially rehearsed for their birthday on July 1st flashed through their minds.
Fanze Zhenren: !
Fanze Zhenren: !!
Fanze Zhenren: !!!
"Black Gate - Distant Night -"
In the springtime of his later years, Masato Hanzawa never imagined he could feel a rage more intense than when facing Shinichi Kudo, to the point that he clenched his fist and involuntarily swung it at his friend's face!
"I, Fanze Zhenren, will fight you to the death today, you bastard! Give me back my kindness, my gratitude, and my heartbreak!"
He stepped to the left, then back to the right, then with his hands behind his back and head tilted back, Kuromon Haruya confirmed one thing with a smile as he adjusted the strands of hair that were obstructing his view:
As expected, Mr. Hanzawa's strength is good—weak, there's no need to worry at all.
"Um, wait, wait! Mr. Fanze, pulling down your pants and grabbing your hair are fouls! Calm down and wait a bit!"
......
Half an hour later, outside Shirley's hospital room.
Kyosuke Kazato stared at Haruya Kuromon's obviously changed pants, then glanced at Masato Hanazawa, who was panting heavily and seemed to have done some strenuous exercise, his lips moving in a wavy motion.
“…” Wow~ As expected of the organization’s Sea King, oh no, I mean, the benevolent Lord Butbel!
"Well, gentlemen, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that the young patient's test results are in, there are no abnormalities, and he has just woken up."
The bad news is that she seems to have developed a stress reaction due to the excessive fright and is currently exhibiting symptoms of psychogenic aphasia. In short, this means she speaks slowly, or even is unable to express herself, and may require further treatment.
"Aphasia? Can you cure it? How long will it take?"
Fanze raised an eyebrow, his displeased gaze sweeping over Kazato. A sense of oppression even stronger than Butbel's was overwhelming—the evidence being that even Butbel himself couldn't withstand it and wanted to leave, only to be stopped by Guinness.
Kyosuke Kazato nervously rubbed his hands together, explaining in a weak voice, "It's hard to say. Treating mental illnesses is usually a long process, and the effectiveness depends on the patient's symptoms..."
"That's enough," Kuromon Haruya said with a smile, extending his hand to clearly indicate that he was asked to leave: "Dr. Kazato, you've worked hard. You don't need to worry about the rest of the treatment."
Kyosuke Kazato was eager to get rid of this hot potato, so he bowed and quickly made an excuse to go to another clinic. Children are difficult to treat to begin with; what if the higher-ups were dissatisfied and turned him into another former Code Name Four?
"What are your plans for the follow-up treatment?" Master Fanze leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, and black smoke billowed from his eyes in anger.
Although they received Kuromon Haruya's assurance that "he would never do it again" and his general attitude towards Ai, do they really think that's enough to turn the page? How naive!
He gave a few weak laughs, and before he could even manage a smile, he was glared at by Hanzawa and immediately shut up.
“I had some contact with children with aphasia when I was studying in Italy, and I worked as a caregiver for a while. Maybe I could give that a try…?”
Seeing that Fanze was still angry but did not obstruct him much, Heimen Yaoye breathed a sigh of relief and pushed open the ward door.
In the empty ward, the rhythmic, indifferent sound waves of the medical instruments rose and fell, and the reddish-brown hair was the only bright spot.
Ai Haibara was gazing at the tender buds floating outside the window. The girl's thin body was huddled in her hospital gown, her hair disheveled and curled from her drowsiness. Having lost her usual guard and vigilance, she looked even more pitiful.
Hearing the noise, she turned her head hesitantly. When she saw that it was Kuromon Haruya, a glimmer of light instantly appeared in her eyes, and she stammered out two words:
"...Mother!"