mtl008 Chapter 1286 Follow Your Heart, Fear No More
Chapter 1286 Follow Your Heart, Fear No More
Chapter 1286 Following One's Heart, Fear No More
Meeting Ran Mouri's slightly expectant gaze, Shinichi Kudo quickly looked away, his eyes darting away.
Even when the girls he'd known since childhood were at their most emotional, they would never look at him with that kind of gaze.
The gaze was fixed on him, yet there was a slight evasiveness in his eyes. As if he was trying to suppress his emotions, his eyes were slightly moist, making them appear especially bright and sparkling beneath his eyelashes. In the flow of light, although he said nothing, he seemed to have already expressed all his thoughts.
He roughly guessed what she was going to ask.
Before that pivotal date, he had appeared in front of Xiaolan several times, either voluntarily or involuntarily, due to accidents, interference, or many other reasons.
Every time he felt he couldn't bear it and wanted to tell the other person the truth, or when he couldn't suppress his emotions and wanted to say something to express his feelings, an untimely case, the huge shadow that the organization had never dissipated, or a dangerous situation that could affect the whole situation would always bring everything to an abrupt end.
They always seem to lack a bit of luck, or perhaps fate simply doesn't want those caught up in treacherous conspiracies to reach their destination too easily, and always wants to create some turmoil.
If it weren't for that one stroke of genius from Joker and the groundwork laid by Tang Ze, both of them would have taken a step forward, and the situation would definitely not be like it is now.
Xiao Lan, suffering from the lack of response, and him, unable to tell the truth due to his concerns, will likely stand face to face again, separated by an invisible and intangible barrier, unable to convey anything.
"It's never been a question you asked or didn't ask. It's just that I'm not sure if I'm qualified to answer you."
"Lowering his voice, Shinichi Kudo said helplessly."
The goal of dismantling the organization, as its true nature gradually comes to light, is destined to be no simple struggle.
Even if the organization is overthrown, whether one can change back to their original form, and how long it will take, remains unknown.
With the help of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts providing additional research assistance, Haibara's progress has been very encouraging. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had the opportunity to obtain the new antidote she's currently using, which can further extend recovery time. However, Haibara herself has no idea when it will be fully developed.
Can I really answer Xiaolan's question? Do I really have the right to answer it?
"Since it's a question for you, you certainly have the right to answer." Seeing his slightly shy and sad expression, Ran Mouri, seemingly finding it intriguing, tilted her head to observe him for a few seconds before smiling. "What are you worried about? The future?"
Shinichi Kudo pursed his lips, his tone much more relaxed: "It's hard not to worry, isn't it? And yet you can still laugh—"
""
Knowing his true identity is not a good thing. If he makes a mistake and the organization captures his true identity, then the Mori father and daughter will definitely not escape when it comes to settling scores.
To silence witnesses and conceal their research, the organization is capable of anything. Who the victims are or what their social standing is, these things pose no threat to them.
"Look at what you're saying. It's like someone who doesn't encounter so many problems will have a smooth life ahead and doesn't need to worry." Ran Mouri snorted, turning to the side and bumping him with her shoulder rather rudely. "Do you even want to answer or not?!"
She knew what Shinichi was worried about, but for her, it was a question she had gradually come to understand these days.
Are there people in the world whose feelings will never waver? Perhaps they do, but life will not treat them kindly because of it.
Feelings may waver, life may change, there are pressures to survive, family upheavals, and future uncertainties—
There are just too many factors that determine where a relationship goes and whether it can last. Fairy tales will always end with the princess and prince living happily ever after, precisely to preserve that fantasy, because the complexities of human nature and life that follow will shatter all romantic notions.
Having gone through so much, she has a much more open-minded perspective now.
Nothing in the future is certain, and it is pointless to give up on the people and things in front of you because of concerns about future difficulties.
"Alright, go ahead and ask." Shinichi Kudo looked away again.
"Don't worry, I won't ask meaningless questions." Grabbing his sleeve, Ran Mouri lowered her voice, "You can't answer me when I ask when you'll be back. So I want to ask you, when you come back, will you—"
Kazuha Toyama, who was standing to the side, was watching intently when Hattori Heiji suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Confused, she turned her head and saw a mixture of excitement and agitation on Hattori Heiji's face, as if he were watching something grand.
"What are they doing?" she asked softly. "I didn't understand what they were saying—"
"Shh, don't make a sound!" Hattori Heiji covered her mouth with his hand, trying his best to minimize his presence, and dragged her behind the bushes to hide.
Haha, and you still laugh at him all the time. If Miss Ran confesses first in the end, he'll be cursing Kudo for the rest of his life!
Ran Mouri seemed to sense something, her grip on Shinichi Kudo's fingers tightened nervously, and she quickly glanced around.
The police station in Higashi-Osui Village was quite quiet. Unlike the village office, there weren't many villagers gathered at the entrance, either doing business or chatting. There were only a few people in front of the station, along with Karasawa, Kogoro Mori, and others waiting in the distance, seemingly communicating with reporter Ms. Kawauchi.
In short, it's not a suitable place to discuss private topics.
She cleared her throat and finally asked the second half of the question.
"Could you come with me one more time, to Dorobiga Park? We should have ridden the Ferris wheel last time—"
Disrupted by the case, Shinichi discovers new details about the incident after leaving the roller coaster.
Then, they never returned.
Even though I later shared the fireworks and nights I missed in different capacities, the regret still lingered.
If we could walk openly and honestly in an amusement park once again, without any worries, simply standing there together as childhood sweethearts who have known each other for many years, carefree and without a care in the world—
Shinichi Kudo was taken aback when he heard such a question. Then, as if he had realized the subtext of the question, his face turned red.
He had certainly heard those romantic stories about Ferris wheels.
Xiaolan didn't ask any more direct questions, nor did she pressure him to make a promise or give a response right now. Instead, she expressed her thoughtfulness and expectations in such a subtle way.
-
I know you can't come back right now, and I know you have many difficulties. Even if you answer me before everything settles down, it doesn't mean anything. I'm willing to wait with hope until the day we can go back to the past. And when that time comes, nothing will be able to stop you, or stop me.
To him, those words were no different from saying "The moon is beautiful tonight."
His face grew even redder.
"—Of course." Shinichi Kudo heard his own voice reply, seemingly softly yet also quite loudly. "Of course. I promised you."
"That's good."
A bright smile bloomed on her face as Ran Mouri tugged at his sleeve, hooking her little finger around his.
"It's a promise, this time, you absolutely won't break the contract."
After saying this, the two fell silent again, each seemingly hesitant to look the other in the eye.
"Ouch—Heiji—!" Kazuha Toyama, who had been pinched painfully by Heiji Hattori, couldn't take it anymore and jumped up. "Don't just pinch me, you should—waaaah!"
Heiji Hattori covered her mouth again, but the two people on the other side had already been disturbed by their movements. Their intertwined fingers quickly separated as if they had been electrocuted, and they turned their heads in the opposite direction, trying to cover their faces.
"Um, well, I'll go ask Ms. Hanoi; I need to explain the situation in the village to her—"
"Ah, ah, okay————"
Watching Shinichi Kudo run away in a flustered manner, his hands and feet moving somewhat uncoordinated, Kazuha Toyama realized what was happening, raised her finger, and pointed at Ran Mouri with a look of sudden understanding.
"Oh, so you two planned to do this afterward—Waaah! Pfft, what are you doing? Why are you covering my mouth too?"
Tang Ze was standing next to Kogoro Mouri, listening to him and the reporter argue about how to report reasonably to quell the rumors in the village and how to handle Makoto Yata's affairs, when he suddenly heard a cracking sound next to his ear and turned his head to the back.
"Um----"
Ran Mouri, whose composure was shattered by Kazuha Toyama's words, blushed and was playfully teasing Kazuha. Shinichi Kudo, walking quickly toward them, had unsteady steps and a mysterious smile on his lips, looking as if he was lost in thought.
Is the progression of their relationship also a kind of "shift in their fate"?
This world, so obsessed with telling itself that hard work will definitely pay off, is actually quite interesting.
In life, everyone has many regrets that cannot be undone. Out of fear of regret, some people will forever stand at the crossroads of choices, unable to make any progress. After all, making a choice may mean making a mistake, and may mean regret.
However, the more you fear making choices, the more you may lose. It's just a matter of order and timing; the results can be completely different.
Only those who take that step, change everything, and make the choices are qualified to win everything.
This is where you and your "lover" intersect—following your heart, fearless.
"Joker?"
Seeing the white-haired boy sitting on the tree stump, fidgeting with his fingers as if playing with something unseen, Shinichi Kudo couldn't help but ask a question.
Last night, he rushed to deal with Makoto Uta, who had suddenly attacked someone because he couldn't sleep properly, in the middle of the night. During the day, he had to run around dealing with the aftermath, so he really didn't have much energy left.
If Joker hadn't unusually asked for his help, and if he hadn't been genuinely curious about what Joker wanted, he wouldn't have come at all.
Tang Ze stood up, carefully putting away the glowing tarot cards in his hand, and casually dusted off his clothes. "Preparing. Okay, stop making that face. I didn't want to come to the woods to feed the bugs at this hour, but Death God," you know, coming during the day doesn't have much effect.
According to local legend, the god of death punishes those who enter the forest at night without permission. The villagers, who regard this as a rule, naturally only reveal their true nature at night.
This is also why Tang Ze shook out Shinichi Kudo.
The facts have proven that he can assimilate with the shadow version of Death God, so using him to summon is definitely the best option.
"—So, what do you need my help with?" Sensing something was amiss, Shinichi Kudo's eyelids twitched, and he took a half-step back. "You always say you don't like detectives interfering in your affairs—"
"It's too late to realize something's wrong now." Tang Ze put his arm around his shoulder in a friendly manner, and subtly increased the pressure to press him down. "Thank you for doing it again."
"What—Huh?! I already handed these clothes over to the police, so where did you get them from—wait—"
Wait!"
Shinichi Kudo tried to struggle, but he was no match for Tang Ze, who was now a mysterious and powerful man. He was forced to wear the Raven Feather Cloak and White Wig of the God of Death.
Almost the instant after he was forcibly stuffed into the Death God Set, the atmosphere around him suddenly changed.
A dark, humus-like layer suddenly spread out, and stepping on it felt like stepping into a quagmire. A vague, almost predatory feeling of being pulled at the raven feather cloak that had fallen to the ground instantly gripped the cloak, making Shinichi Kudo's scalp tingle.
After getting lost in this place last time, his consciousness became muddled, and he didn't know what his state was like back then. Now, he was clearly feeling this cold, creeping sensation as if he were being bound and surrounded by spider webs, which was terrifying.
"What are you trying to do—" Shinichi Kudo, his eyelids twitching, instinctively lowered his voice, "Didn't you already—"
Although he wasn't left with any real injuries, he wasn't completely oblivious to how the Joker had woken him up with a beating.
Ouch, that really hurts! Has Joker not had enough of beating him up yet? Why did he specifically call him over to get beaten up again!
"It's because I've already tried beating people up, but the effect wasn't that good, so I decided to try a different method." Tang Ze, who had already switched to his phantom thief outfit, smiled and pulled off his scarf.
Without even asking Shinichi Kudo's permission, he quickly and efficiently tied the other person up tightly with the red rope, then held the other end in his hand and turned around.
"I misunderstood something earlier. The 'Death God' is indeed a legend born here, but as a demon god, He is actually a being rejected and feared by this village."
"So, what's going on?!" Unable to move, Shinichi Kudo sensed something was wrong.
"So the more we weaken the God of Death, the more we will embolden other demons and monsters. The God of Death is not a monster that needs to be eliminated, but rather the key to suppressing this place." Drawing his sword, Tang Ze turned to the other side with a smile.
Under the dark, pitch-black shade of the trees, pairs of eyes lit up.
"If you want to exorcise demons, you have to do the opposite. Just accept my protection, Kudo."
"So they're here to be targets? — Hey, might as well just beat them up already."