Mōri Ran, carrying several shopping bags and holding the hand of that strangely named little boy, passed by outside Café Poirot. The sight made Amuro Tōru frown slightly.
This morning, Kazawa said he was taking the kid upstairs out for a walk. Why did the child come back first with the girl upstairs? And where was Kazawa?
This kid was strange too. Kazawa didn't seem like the type to get close to people. Even though they often left school together, he and Mōri Ran always kept a certain polite distance. He had never actively sought her out. And this was even more unusual considering how strikingly beautiful Mōri Ran was.
Kazawa didn't act like a typical teenage boy at all. He showed no special treatment toward a beautiful girl like Mōri Ran, and he never displayed the kind of impulsive eagerness or show-off personality common in boys his age. Amuro guessed this was related to Kazawa's unusual family background—or perhaps it was the suppressive influence of being a juvenile offender.
That was, until this boy named Edogawa Conan appeared.
When Kazawa rushed out the door without even tidying up his things because he was worried about Conan's whereabouts—when he even chased after the car, running down the street—Amuro couldn't hide his astonishment.
Kazawa had somehow gotten unusually close with this elementary school student at lightning speed. They talked more and more often. Even this morning, a single phone call had summoned Kazawa out. A high schooler forming a friendship with a child, and even relaxing visibly in Conan's presence—that was completely baffling to Amuro, and also slightly concerning.
As Bourbon, of course, he wouldn't report this strange behavior.
But the Organization didn't rely on him alone for surveillance.
Lately, things on the Organization's side seemed to have changed. The instructions they sent were becoming more urgent, and the importance of the information held by the Kazawa family appeared to have risen again. The perfunctory surveillance reports he'd been submitting no longer satisfied them. Whether they would resort to more extreme methods—it remained to be seen.
If, in the end, the Organization couldn't find what it wanted from Kazawa, Edogawa Conan—who had been closest to Kazawa these past few days—might become the next target.
Kazawa had already gone out with him several times. It was possible that Rye's report had already reached Rum's desk...
Let's hope things don't go in the worst direction.
Kazawa's case had exposed the unreliability within the Public Security Bureau, making it impossible for Amuro to pull strings and place Kazawa under protection in the short term. The Organization's operations were escalating, and when that moment came... the boy's fate—
The perfect arc of Amuro Tōru's professional smile masked the growing unease inside.
He knew all too well what an undercover operative could lose. But every time he had to witness evil unfold—or even had to carry it out himself—those heavy negative emotions still threatened to overwhelm him.
At the very least, this time—he wanted to try and pull this child, this victim dragged into the shadows of the justice system and the dark corners of power and influence, out of the abyss.
"The bell just rang—welcome back, Kazawa-kun." Enomoto Azusa looked up with a smile when she heard the front door open.
After spending these days working with him, she had come to really like this boy. He was quiet and thoughtful, never caused trouble—so gentle and subdued it made one's heart ache. After all, a child who acts so grown-up usually got that way from hardship.
"Miss Enomoto, Mr. Amuro. I'm back."
Kazawa still spoke formally as always, but Amuro could tell his mood was low today. He turned to observe him closely.
Kazawa's mood really was down.
Shūichi Akai had just dropped a heavy plot twist on him. Even after walking a long way, he still hadn't fully digested it.
This stitched-together Frankenstein world's backstory was absolute crap!
Not only had he been dumped into the full deluxe combo meal that was the Sera family, but he wasn't even as useful as Shiho Miyano.
Shiho Miyano was a genius researcher. Kazawa Akimitsu, at most, was just a hostage the Kazawa couple used to be held in check. Now that his parents were dead and he held the key to a crucial inheritance, he was basically a piggy bank waiting to get smashed open.
Worse still, according to Shūichi Akai, Kazawa's parents had long since recognized Akai's identity and hidden it. Akai knew everything about the relationships between the Miyano, Akai, and Kazawa families. In this world, Akai hadn't joined the Organization through manipulative charm and forbidden love—he had been recommended by Kazawa's parents.
Although Akai and Kazawa's family connection hadn't yet been exposed—otherwise, he wouldn't have been assigned to surveillance—it still meant Akai had gotten into the Organization through the Kazawas' endorsement. That made him a high-risk target bound to be monitored closely. As long as he remained bent on taking down Gin, this would always be a live landmine.
And the deaths of Kazawa's parents were like a lit fuse. It was only a matter of time before the explosion reached him.
Not good. Not good at all.
Let's just hope Akai the "family destroyer" doesn't move too fast. With his team full of pig teammates, catching Gin really was nothing more than a fantasy.
One disturbing thought popped up—maybe Akai had come to find him because he was already preparing to wrap things up. Or rather... to prepare an escape route. Otherwise, after his ambush on Gin, he might never get the chance to get Kazawa out.
Could it be that he's already planning to act?
Kazawa quietly looked at Amuro Tōru.
Zero-san, pick up the hint already!
"Hm? What is it?" Amuro Tōru met his gaze, puzzled.
Hurry and tell Rye to back off! Everyone out there's a walking disaster! Kazawa, Shiho, and Akemi Miyano were all tied to the same sinking ship. If Akai exploded, they were all going down!
But all Kazawa said was: "Nothing."
His plan to establish a cover identity inside the Black Organization needed to be reprioritized again. He had to lay the groundwork for his upcoming actions.
He quickly sorted through the current information and decided to drop a hint to Amuro to avoid spooking the sharp-eyed undercover too soon and throwing his plan off course.
First, he'd need to make use of Amuro's need for intel—and his kind heart. For example… Akai knowing about his parents' deaths—there's no way Amuro didn't know too.
"Mr. Amuro, can you get in touch with the owner of this café?" Kazawa asked softly, maintaining his dejected state. "My parents arranged for me to stay here. They must have contacted him, right?"
He definitely could—but it wouldn't help. That arrangement was never made by Kazawa's parents. Amuro asked suspiciously, "Why do you suddenly want to contact him? He's not in the country right now, and it's hard to say when he'll reply…"
Kazawa responded with a soft "Oh," and hung his head in apparent dismay.
"Feeling down today?" Amuro's intelligence instincts were immediately triggered. He instinctively adjusted his expression and asked in a calm, non-threatening tone, "You weren't like this when you went out this morning. Did something happen while you were out?"
Kazawa wouldn't randomly bring up his parents—especially since, as far as Amuro knew, they hadn't been in contact for years.
So Kazawa must have discovered something.
As Furuya Rei, he felt sympathy. But as Amuro Tōru, he had to seize this opportunity and dig deeper.
Kazawa wasn't unfamiliar with this performance. He could tell Amuro had entered "acting mode."
But what Kazawa needed… was a scene partner.
Play the game deep enough, and no one can tell who's faking.
"I have a really bad feeling." Kazawa sat at the counter, fingertips pressed together and resting against his forehead. "Can you help me contact the owner and ask about my parents' situation? I asked their proxy lawyer during the trial, but I didn't get an answer."
Amuro stood straight behind the counter, eyes lowered.
Kazawa looked so vulnerable. He leaned into his palm, half-lidded blue eyes unfocused. From Amuro's angle, he could see the nape of Kazawa's unguarded neck.
This child who knew nothing… was like a sacrifice presenting his own throat—anyone could seize his weakness and take his value with ease.
Furuya Rei looked down at him with pity.
Then Amuro Tōru reached out and gently ruffled his lowered head—as if calmly slicing open the throat of prey.
"Why do you think that, Kazawa?" he asked even more gently. "Did you hear something?"