In Detective Conan: Intercepting Miwako Sato at the Start

Page 115

"Just lucky," Yuuki Takada said casually, his tone unconsciously softening.

"It's not luck at all!"

Sato Miwako looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with pure admiration. "It's because you're amazing, Takada-senpai! I could never get it..."

As she spoke, she lovingly examined her prize, her joy evident in her words.

Sato Miwako looked down at the doll in her palm, her voice suddenly lowering, carrying a hint of shyness and tentativeness: "Um... can I have this?"

When she asked the question, Miwako Sato didn't immediately look up at Yuki Takada. Instead, she repeatedly stroked the soft fabric of the doll with her fingertips, as if trying to hide her slight nervousness.

This cautious yet expectant demeanor was a stark contrast to her previous confident and relaxed manner when she directly asked, "Does this feel like a date?"

Yuuki Takada looked at her slightly reddened ear tips and her hands that were tightly gripping the doll, her knuckles working hard, and remained silent for a moment.

“…It was originally meant for you.” He finally spoke, his voice calm, but seemingly less detached and inquisitive than before.

Sato Miwako suddenly looked up, her eyes sparkling with surprise and disbelief, as if she had been instantly struck by the dazzling lights of the arcade.

She pressed the doll tightly to her chest, a big, even slightly silly smile spreading across her face.

"Thank you, Takada-senpai! I will definitely cherish it!"

Seeing her genuine happiness, Yuuki Takada suddenly felt that perhaps it wasn't necessary to analyze the motives behind her behavior all the time.

At least for this moment, this joy is real.

Chapter 139 The Black Organization's Communication Signals

Temporarily escaping the noisy din of the arcade, Yuuki Takada felt his eardrums still buzzing.

Miwako Sato, however, seemed still immersed in the excitement of receiving the doll, clutching the British Shorthair plush toy tightly in her arms.

Her face was flushed, and her eyes shone brighter than the neon lights in the arcade.

"Takada-senpai, I think we should go there next." Sato Miwako said, slightly out of breath, her eyes scanning the bustling venue.

Finally, her gaze settled on an area not far away decorated with pink LED strips and shimmering curtains.

Yuuki Takada followed the other person's gaze and found that it was a special area for taking photo booth pictures.

In front of several cute-looking machines, a group of young people gathered, striking various funny poses and even intimate gestures in front of the camera, with laughter constantly filling the air.

"Takada-senpai, how about we take that headshot as a souvenir?" Sato Miwako pointed ahead.

His tone was filled with undeniable elation, and his eyes shone with a hint of expectant starlight.

It seems that taking photo booth pictures must have some special meaning for her.

Yuuki Takada looked in the direction the other person was pointing, and the sweet atmosphere permeating that area made him subconsciously feel a little awkward.

It wasn't that she resisted taking photos with Miwako Sato, but rather that this was an act that clearly bore the mark of a "couple."

This once again touched a nerve in Yuuki Takada's heart regarding the "script for today's date".

However, looking at Sato Miwako's almost glowing face and the doll she had just won herself in her arms, he simply couldn't bring himself to refuse.

“…Okay.” After a few seconds of silence, Yuuki Takada finally nodded and spoke calmly as always.

However, she quickly caught up with Sato Miwako's slightly hurried pace.

Stepping into the shooting area, the air seemed to be filled with a sweet fragrance and a youthful vibe.

Sato Miwako carefully selected a camera with the most dreamy background and the most diverse decorations, and pulled Takada Yuki into the narrow shooting booth.

The cubicle is filled with soft lighting, and a huge touchscreen displays a variety of fancy borders and virtual decoration options.

The screen reflected their slightly awkward figures.

The space was small, and their arms inevitably touched lightly. The faint fragrance of Sato Miwako mixed with the noisy atmosphere of the arcade, lingering around Takada Yuuki's nose.

"Takada-senpai, look! These cat ear frames are so cute!"

Miwako Sato excitedly swiped her finger across the screen, selecting various cute stickers and effects, occasionally letting out a small exclamation, "And this one, a sparkling star!"

"Ah, this beard is so interesting!"

Right now, Sato Miwako is completely immersed in the joy of choosing decorations. Under the light of the screen, the fine downy hairs on her profile are clearly visible, and the corners of her mouth are always turned up in a happy arc.

Yuuki Takada stood beside her, his gaze fixed on her focused profile. The awkwardness he felt due to the surroundings was strangely washed away by this simple joy.

In response, Yuuki Takada would occasionally offer brief, satisfied comments when she asked, "Does this look good?"

Finally, I chose a border effect: a pink border with cute cat paw and star patterns.

Miwako Sato even added a floating, fluffy cat ear headdress effect, which perfectly matched the doll in her arms and her previous trip to the cat cafe.

Insert a coin and set a countdown.

The machine beeped, and the numbers on the screen began to jump.

"We're about to film! We're about to film!"

Sato Miwako nervously tidied her hair, then subconsciously leaned closer to Takada Yuuki, almost resting half her body against his side.

Immediately afterwards, Sato Miwako raised the doll in her hand, held it under her chin, and a generous, slightly shy yet incredibly radiant smile bloomed on her face.

Yuki Takada's body stiffened for a moment.

Even through the thin fabric, you can clearly feel the body temperature and soft touch of another person.

Yuki Takada wasn't used to such close contact, especially when being recorded by a camera.

But as the countdown ticked, and under the expectant gaze of Miwako Sato, he finally relaxed, tilted his head slightly to make himself appear more fully in the frame, and managed to force a somewhat unnatural, but at least gentle, expression on his face.

"Crack!"

A flash of bright light, and the first photo was taken.

The screen switches to the preview interface, showing a photo of two people snuggling together with a cute doll between them.

Sato Miwako's smile was sweet and dazzling, while Takada Yuki's expression carried a hint of helplessness and indulgence.

The background and special effects render the scene with a unique, dreamlike quality.

"Wow! Not bad at all!"

Miwako Sato leaned closer to the screen and looked at it carefully, a satisfied expression on her face.

But then, as if noticing something, she gently poked Takada Yuuki's face on the screen, "It's just that your expression is a little too serious, Takada-senpai!"

"Let's be even happier in the next one!"

Looking at his own less-than-happy expression on the screen, Yuuki Takada forced a helpless smile.

Soon, the prompt sounded for the second photo capture.

This time, Sato Miwako seemed a bit bolder. She held the doll in one hand and quietly slipped the other hand through Takada Yuki's arm, gently taking his arm in hers, while tilting her head slightly toward his shoulder.

Yuuki Takada could feel the softness and strength of Miwako Sato's arms, and the slight tickling as her hair brushed against his neck when she leaned in.

His body stiffened again, but this time he recovered faster.

The moment the camera lit up again, he lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on Sato Miwako's face with a triumphant, playful smile, and the corners of his own lips finally curved into a more genuine, almost imperceptible arc.

"Crack!"

The second photo is complete.

Just as they were about to check the effect of the second photo.

"Buzz-"

A dull yet penetrating vibration came from Yuki Takada's trouser pocket.

The vibration wasn't loud, but in the relatively enclosed shooting booth, it was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattering the warm atmosphere.

He intended to hang up the call quickly, but then he sensed a familiar melody within it.

The slight gentleness on Yuuki Takada's face froze instantly, then vanished without a trace, returning to his usual coldness, even sharper than usual.

His aura changed in an instant, from a slightly tense but relaxed state to a sudden tension, like a startled cheetah.

This vibration pattern... he was all too familiar with it.

This was no ordinary call; it was a communication signal from the not-too-ignorable "behind-the-scenes" organization, transmitted through a specially encrypted channel.

Chapter 140 Rum's Three Things

At that moment, Sato Miwako seemed to sense a brief change in Takada Yuuki's emotions, and her hands suddenly stiffened slightly.

She unconsciously loosened her grip on Takada Yuuki's arm, her smile instantly freezing. A hint of confusion crossed her face as she looked at him uneasily: "Takada-senpai, are you alright..."

Yuki Takada did not respond to her immediately.

Almost reflexively, he quickly reached into his pocket and turned off the jarring vibration.

Then, Yuuki Takada squeezed out of the narrow space, his steps even carrying a hint of barely perceptible urgency.

"Sorry, Miwako." Takada Yuki greeted Sato Miwako, a forced calm that felt more distant than any reproach. His expression turned troubled. "I have something urgent to attend to and need to go out to take a call."

But what he didn't know was that at that moment, Sato Miwako's eyes dimmed instantly, and the lingering expectation on her face vanished.

Yuki Takada's gaze quickly swept across the surroundings, finally settling on a relatively secluded, dimly lit fire escape entrance near the filming area.

"Wait here for a moment, I'll be right back."

After saying this, Yuuki Takada didn't wait for Miwako Sato's reply before taking a quick step, almost as if fleeing, towards that dark corner.

“Takada-senpai…” Sato Miwako called out softly.

Behind me, the screen of the photo booth was still lit up, displaying the second photo that had just been taken, but the air in front of the booth suddenly turned icy cold.

Miwako Sato, holding her doll, stood alone in place, watching Yuki Takada's retreating figure, which exuded a sense of resolute determination, and quietly waited in her spot.

Yuuki Takada pushed open the heavy fire door and stepped into the dimly lit and quiet stairwell.

Compared to the hustle and bustle of the arcade outside, this place feels like another world.

Only the emergency exit sign emitted a faint green glow, outlining the cold concrete walls and steps.

He made sure no one was in the stairwell before taking his phone out of his pocket.

The screen lit up, displaying an encrypted, unfamiliar number.