Chapter 233: The Pattern on the Paper Airplane
At Natsume's words, Ran's heart leaped. She spun around and rushed toward the restroom, her eyes shining with a desperate, hopeful light.
However, when she flung the door open, the person standing before her was not Shinichi. It was a man she had never seen before.
The brilliant hope in Ran's eyes flickered and died, extinguished by a wave of pure confusion. Her shoulders slumped. "Who… are you?" she murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "Why are you here?"
The stranger, a man with narrow eyes and a gentle demeanor, seemed just as taken aback by the sudden confrontation. "That is…"
Before he could offer an explanation, his words were cut short by a piercing shriek. Sonoko had come up behind Ran, her eyes widening in alarm at the sight of the unfamiliar man.
"Ah! A thief!" she screamed, her voice echoing in the corridor. "How did a thief get in here?!"
She clutched Ran's arm, her fingers digging in as she stared, frozen in terror.
Hearing Sonoko's cry, Natsume's eyebrow arched slightly. The barest hint of a smile touched her lips, a flicker of amusement in her eyes that was gone as quickly as it appeared. She moved with fluid grace, stepping in front of Ran and Sonoko and gently guiding them back.
The man opened his mouth, clearly intending to speak again, but Natsume gave him no such opportunity. Without a moment's hesitation, her leg blurred in a swift, decisive arc, aimed to disable, not to maim. Her intent was clear: incapacitate him first, ask questions later.
From his position inside the restroom, Okiya Subaru had initially planned to feign being knocked down by the door, then use the opportunity to calmly explain his presence.
But Natsume's speed was astonishing. It defied all expectations. Okiya barely had time to register the attack, his mind screaming as he instinctively threw his arms up in a desperate block. The impact was jarring, a solid thud that sent him stumbling back, crashing against the far wall before sliding to the tiled floor.
'So this is what that bus hijacker felt,' Okiya thought with a grim, internal smile, the memory of his first encounter with Natsume surfacing with painful clarity.
To be sent flying so effortlessly by a young woman… while it was true his current identity prevented him from retaliating, it was also an obvious demonstration of Natsume's formidable skill.
Feigning a pained groan, Okiya struggled to prop himself up. His gaze landed on Natsume, who was slowly lowering her leg, a slight frown creasing her brow. She seemed puzzled by the outcome, as if she'd expected a more decisive result.
And she was right to be. An ordinary person would have been completely incapacitated by that kick, with no time to even react, let alone block.
Realizing another attack might be imminent, Okiya knew he had to speak quickly. "Please, wait!" he called out, his voice strained. "I'm not a thief! I was asked to come here!" He hoped the explanation would be enough to dispel her immediate hostility.
Following his frantic plea, Ran's phone rang. It was Conan. A brief, hurried conversation confirmed Okiya Subaru's story.
The tension in the hallway instantly evaporated, replaced by a wave of mortified embarrassment. Realizing their mistake, Ran, Sonoko, and Natsume all bowed their heads in apology.
"We're so, so sorry!"
"Sorry! I can't believe I called you a thief!"
"My apologies," Natsume said, her tone calm but sincere. "I attacked you without thinking. Are you alright?"
Fortunately, Okiya Subaru waved off their concerns with a gentle smile. "It's quite alright. A simple misunderstanding."
As he got to his feet, he took a slow, deliberate sniff of the air. A thoughtful expression crossed his face as his sharp eyes swept over their clothes, noticing the tiny, almost invisible stains.
"Hehe… Young ladies," he began, a mysterious glint in his eyes. "You must have just come from enjoying a meal at a Chinese restaurant, am I correct?"
"Eh?" Ran and Sonoko exchanged surprised glances. "How did you know that?" they asked in unison.
A confident, almost smug smile played on Okiya's lips. "The faint aroma of star anise and soy sauce in the air," he explained, methodically pointing to the minuscule dark spots on their clothing. "And these small spatters are consistent with sweet and sour sauce."
They looked down and, to their astonishment, found the exact stains he had indicated.
"Wow! That's amazing!" Sonoko exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with admiration as she looked at the handsome, intelligent man before her.
Natsume watched her friend with a fond, helpless expression. 'Honestly, Sonoko,' she thought, 'always getting sidetracked by a handsome face.' Then again, the persona Shuichi Akai had crafted for Okiya Subaru was indeed attractive, possessing a unique, scholarly charm. It was no wonder he had captured Sonoko's attention so easily.
Okiya smiled mysteriously. "I have a keen interest in deduction."
"That's perfect!" Sonoko clapped her hands together excitedly. "I just happen to have a puzzle I need solved! Mr. Okiya, could you help me? Natsume, you should take a look, too!"
After Okiya graciously nodded his agreement, Sonoko happily fished a folded piece of paper out of her pocket. It was the paper airplane that had landed in her family's yard two days ago. She had brought it along specifically to show Natsume after their cleaning session, hoping she could decipher the strange pattern of dots and lines drawn on it.
As Okiya and Natsume leaned in to observe the paper, Sonoko nudged Ran with her elbow. "Hey, Ran," she whispered conspiratorially, "you should send a picture of this to Shinichi Kudo. Let's see if he can solve it, too."
Ran sighed but nodded, a helpless smile on her face. "Alright, alright, I will."
Sonoko watched as Ran typed out the message, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "I want to see if that arrogant detective can figure it out before Mr. Okiya and Natsume do," she whispered.
The paper was carefully unfolded, revealing a strange sequence of dots and lines. Natsume's and Okiya's eyes scanned the pattern for only a moment before they looked at each other, a spark of mutual understanding passing between them.
In perfect unison, they spoke the answer.
"It's SOS."
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