"Of course."

Conan jumped off the bed, puffed out his chest confidently, patted his bow tie, and assured, "Kuromon-kun, I only shrunk three weeks ago. I haven't even had time to get used to this identity yet! Are you thinking about something when you say that?"

Great, even though the organizational assessment period has passed, it's only been three weeks. ^_^

Kuromon Haruya's eyes flickered and wandered. He raised his hand to the back of his neck, looking obviously guilty, and his lips trembled.

"What did you say, Kuromon?" Conan heard him mutter a few words, but couldn't hear him clearly.

Kuromon Haruya coughed a few times, raised her voice, and repeated her explanation: "I said, because I recently watched a movie or TV show with a similar plot, it suddenly came to mind!"

That vaguely described work is probably a bad movie too.

Conan thought to himself, the atmosphere was so serious just now, he thought something had happened again.

Heimen's photography sense is quite good, so why does he lack discernment in his videos?

"But you really need to be careful. Although Sonoko is pushing you two, she won't miss the opportunity to help Ran find another partner."

A muffled rumble of thunder rolled in from behind the distant mountains, darkening the sky. Having achieved the goal of ventilating the room, Kuromon Haruya turned and locked the French windows, then led Conan downstairs.

The warm living room was filled with the unique aroma of black tea. Suzuki Ayako, the eldest daughter of the Suzuki Group, put down the plate full of cookies and snacks, looked at her younger sister who was gesturing and lively introducing the two groups of people to each other at the table, and smiled indulgently.

Sonoko Suzuki, on the other hand, was poised and confident, displaying the demeanor of a hostess: "Everyone here is a member of my sister's film club from university! The five of them are very close friends, so they get together every two years."

Sitting next to Ran, the handsome long-haired man with a headband, who was giving her a knowing look, was named Ota Masaru. It was said that he used to be the leading man in the club.

The young man recording the reunion with a camera is Hiroki Kakutani, who is in charge of special effects photography for the club.

"This is Mr. Takahashi, who is in charge of prop production and management!"

Sonoko Suzuki pointed to another man with a kind face. His round figure was particularly eye-catching, and his torso was almost spherical.

The moment Yoruichi Kuromon saw him, he realized something was wrong.

Despite the loose clothing providing some concealment, Takahashi's movements were still far too agile.

Obese people exhibit noticeable differences in movement compared to people of average build. When moving their limbs, the excess fat around their joints rubs and squeezes against each other, causing distorted movements.

Furthermore, due to the accumulation of fat in the abdomen, Takahashi's center of gravity should shift forward when he moves.

Given his identity as a prop maker, since Kuromon Haruya didn't see these features at all, it means that Takahashi Ryo's big belly was actually an empty prop shell that he made, which was just for show!

With such thorough preparation, it would be a shame if they didn't become the perpetrators in this incident.

Sonoko Suzuki, of course, didn't notice this. After helping her older sister, who was in charge of makeup and costumes, find a husband, she looked at the woman next to Ayako Suzuki:

"The last one is Chikako Ikeda. She was in charge of directing and screenwriting, and she was also the president of the club at the time."

"Please give me more advice."

Chikako Ikeda had short, ear-length hair and wore a purple-black choker. Her fashionable attire made her look much more mature than everyone else present.

"And this is my family and friends!"

Having finally finished her introduction, Sonoko Suzuki took a deep breath, raised her voice, and ran confidently to Ran's side.

Thinking of Suzuki Sonoko, whenever she was brought along to a party, she could only watch her older sister and the others longingly, reminiscing about the happy experiences of her youth.

But now, the situation has completely changed! She, Sonoko Suzuki, is now a strong and capable mature woman who can invite friends to gatherings!

"This is Ran Mouri, my classmate and best friend. She's the champion of the Kanto Karate Tournament!"

Sonoko Suzuki hugged Ran, her face beaming with pride: "You've all heard of the famous detective Kogoro Mouri, right? He's her father! And her mother is none other than Eri Kisaki, the lawyer known as the undefeated queen of the legal world."

"Nice to meet you." Ran Mouri looked at the three men from before, bowed shyly, and said, "I'm sorry for my rudeness earlier."

Sonoko blinked, very curious: "What? What?"

"It's nothing." Ran Mouri turned to the side and nudged Sonoko towards Haruya Kuromon.

Just now, in her haste to escape the horror movie that Brother Heimen mentioned, she wandered into the wrong room and went in and out three times, getting a good look at all the men's bodies.

It's best not to let others know about this embarrassing thing.

Sonoko glanced sideways: Ran, that girl, it's obvious she's hiding something from her. Tonight, I'm definitely going to hold her in bed and interrogate her properly at the women's pajamas party!

However, with showing off taking precedence, Sonoko went behind the chair of Haruka Kuromon and put her hands on his shoulders:

"And this one is none other than the photographer who recently took the 'Taro Bomei' landscape painting that went viral online, the winner of last year's Higashikawa Award for Best Newcomer, and is known as the rising star of the photography world, Mr. Kuroba, Haruya Kuromon!"

The mysterious cameraman, Kuroba! Everyone here is a talented person with a deep interest in film, so how could you not know him?

Chikako Ikeda immediately stood up and wanted to go forward to make friends, but another member was faster than her, and her figure darted out so fast that it almost left a blur.

Kakutani Saku knelt down in front of Kuromon Haruya, excitedly grasping his hands: "Kuroba-sensei, I'm your fan, can you sign my autograph?"

As he spoke, Kakutani quickly placed the camera on the table beside him, the angle perfectly capturing the precious moment of seeing his idol in person. He pulled a photograph from a lining near his chest in his coat, presented it to Kuromon Haruya with both hands, practically bowing deeply to express his sincerity:

"I'm a huge fan of yours! Look, this is your early masterpiece, 'The Love River in Verona,' which is also one of my favorite works. I was influenced by you back then, which is why I chose to become a photographer!"

The Love River in Verona...

If Yoya Kuromon remembers correctly, this photo was taken at dusk when he personally eliminated several mafia members in retaliation for a university campus attack.

Under the fiery sunset, even the bloodstains left by the street fighting were adorned with a festive red, and the remaining gunshots and explosions were like fireworks on New Year's Eve, celebrating the city's departure from the old year and welcoming the new.

This work, written from the heart, was somehow interpreted by the media as an encounter with love in the ancient city of Verona, Italy, and at the time, there were even columns speculating whether he had met the love of his life.

After signing his message with his pen, Kuromon Haruya smiled and pulled him up: "Thank you, I believe you can do it."

"That's enough, Kakutani. Your enthusiasm is going to scare Kuroba-sensei away!"

Chikako Ikeda pushed Hiroki Kakutani aside, took his hand, and shook it again. "I never expected you to be that Kuroba-sensei. I've heard so much about you!"

Kuromon Haruya: "Not at all, Miss Chikako, it's your Blue Kingdom that's truly amazing."

"Just reading the original text is like floating in a blue sea of ​​clouds, clear and refreshing. I never imagined that beneath your strong exterior, you also had such a delicate heart."

Ms. Ikeda squeezed Haruya Kuromon's hand and replied with a smile:

"Haha, after all, student days are the most naive, and one's thoughts will change to some extent after graduation."

Looking at the group of people "chatting happily," Sonoko Suzuki leaned on her sister's shoulder and smugly boasted, "Heh heh, how about that, sister? I'm someone who can bring friends to parties all the time."

"Yes, yes, I never expected your friend to be so amazing, Sonoko."

Ayako Suzuki gently turned her younger sister's chin to the side, gesturing for her to pay attention to what was happening: "This is Mr. Kuromon's handshake event. If Atsuko..."

Atsuko, the name was like a captivating spell, causing the members of the film club to tremble with fear.

The cheerful atmosphere before her reminded her of those years, and Suzuki Ayako felt a pang of loss: "If Atsuko hadn't had that kind of thing happen, she would have been happy too."

"Stop talking!" Chikako Ikeda roared, shaking off Haruya Kuromon's hand.

Seemingly realizing her reaction was too strong, she tried to calm herself down and added a few words: "Taking time out of your busy schedules to get together, I don't want to mention someone who died two years ago, it's too much of a downer!"

Ota Masaru made no attempt to hide his sarcasm, retorting, "I think some people's attitudes change after they become famous."

"What do you mean!" Chikako Ikeda said with a sour face, unwilling to say more, and turned to walk towards the forest outside the villa under the pretext of taking a walk.

Kakutani watched Ikeda's departing figure, then looked at his idol who was right in front of him, and finally gritted his teeth and decided to catch up with his long-time crush.

Watching this farce unfold with its obvious signs of trouble, Kuromon Haruya held a cup of warm lemon tea and sincerely thanked Suzuki Ayako for her method of saving the day.

Although he doesn't dislike lively atmospheres, if given a choice, he prefers social environments where he only interacts with a small number of acquaintances.

The suspect has been identified, and the suspenseful atmosphere is heightened by the looming rumors and speculation; all that remains is for the case to unfold.

Boom——

With a loud bang from the sky above, a torrential downpour began.

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