The moment this owner-chef made his appearance, the room suddenly fell silent.
The man stood at least 1.95 meters tall and appeared to be around forty years old. He sported a clean-cut buzz cut, and his face bore not a trace of kindness. Combined with his hulking muscles, his entire presence was incredibly oppressive.
He held two steaming hot dishes in his palms as if he couldn't feel the heat at all.
Tsuneo: "..."
This aura... why does he look like he just got out of prison?
Especially that look in his eyes. If you told me he just killed two people in the kitchen, I'd believe you...
Even the experienced repairman had this as his first impression, let alone Hayato Fukuda, who had a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
"If you want to smoke, you can do it outside," the owner said, placing the two dishes on Tsuneo's table and turning to address the man.
"I won't smoke..." Hayato Fukuda immediately backed down. He uncrossed his legs and switched to a much more obedient sitting posture.
This man's gaze truly had a terrifying effect.
"Little friend, you dropped your chopsticks. I'll get you a new pair." The owner picked up the chopsticks Conan had accidentally knocked over, returned to the counter, and brought back a fresh pair.
"T-Thank you, Uncle." The famous detective was also a bit bewildered.
What kind of restaurant did KID find...
The owner glanced at Kaito, who was wearing a hat, but said nothing. He turned around and went back to the kitchen to work.
This young man looks a bit familiar. I think he's been here a few times.
"!" Tsuneo had already started eating.
It was delicious, no worse than those high-end restaurants with fancy decor.
If all the dishes were of this quality, then the price really wasn't expensive.
Kaito had ordered everything on the menu, so the owner in the kitchen was constantly busy.
By the end, it was almost just the repairman left with any fighting power, devouring each plate the moment it arrived.
The owner occasionally poked his head out from the kitchen to check the situation.
This guy...
How can he eat so much?
After three rounds of drinks, a small situation seemed to arise at the other table of guests.
"Fukuda, don't say that!" The lady in the pencil skirt seemed dissatisfied with the person across from her.
The man in the suit beside her also stopped what he was doing.
"Did I say something wrong? You two take the same route to and from work. Who knows if there's some strange relationship going on in secret?" Hayato Fukuda downed two large gulps of beer, appearing somewhat loose-lipped.
"Alright, he's just joking." Daiki Tsubota glanced at the man, then patted the woman beside him on the shoulder, signaling her not to be angry.
Miwa Nishii frowned but didn't say anything more.
The three of them sat together, but the relationship didn't look harmonious.
"It feels a bit complicated..." Ran shook her head as she watched the three of them leave the restaurant.
Kaito glanced at Conan, a confident smile on his face. "Actually, it's not that complicated."
"Listening to their conversation, they were constantly talking about things from their childhood, so they must not have seen each other for a long time."
"And the two people opposite Mr. Fukuda look like they might be employees of the same company."
Ran nodded and asked curiously, "Why would they start arguing then?"
If they were childhood friends, a little joking around shouldn't be a big deal, right?
"If you don't want people to know, you shouldn't do it," Tsuneo chuckled.
"???" Ran was even more confused.
"Those two are wearing wedding rings, yet they don't act like a married couple. They likely have their own separate families," Kaito continued.
Conan nodded silently in agreement.
"But just as that guy said, you can tell from subtle movements that their relationship isn't simple." Kaito rested his chin on his hand, boredly watching the repairman eat.
It's been over an hour. are you ever going to finish?
"This is the last dish, and it's also one that isn't on the menu." The owner placed a plate on the table and nodded at Tsuneo.
It was hard to say if that look in his eyes was one of approval or something else.
"I'll give you a good review." Tsuneo even rinsed his mouth before starting to taste the beef, which looked quite dark.
"Thanks!" The owner went back to the kitchen to work again.
He was also doing all the washing and cleaning.
"..."
Conan and the other two were speechless watching this scene.
This 'heroes appreciating heroes' drama you two have going on is really cliché.
The waitress, however, nodded vigorously.
The boss hasn't served that dish in a long time!
...
Later that evening.
At Professor Agasa's house.
"Young Master, how did it go? Was today successful?" Jii, the old butler, asked Kaito while holding a briefcase.
By the looks of it, his harvest was quite plentiful too.
"Of course. I styled my hair like this, how could I fail?" Kaito took off his hat and pointed at his hairstyle.
"We passed this hurdle, at least." Professor Agasa scratched his head, finding it hard to imagine how this whole thing would end if the deception continued.
Can that organization really be destroyed?
Right now, it wasn't just a matter of the antidote. Even if Conan turned back into Shinichi Kudo, he couldn't just appear in the public eye at will.
"Why does that guy look so happy?" Ai stood by the window with her arms crossed, watching the repairman wiping down his car late at night...
"He ate well..." Kaito began inspecting the new equipment Jii had bought.
Conan had stayed at the Detective Agency, so the Phantom Thief felt no pressure in front of the Professor and the others.
Of course, mainly because the repairman was there to cover for him.
"Oh! I upgraded these flash bombs, and these ones have a timer function!" The Professor sat on the sofa introducing the products, looking like an arms dealer...
Many of the Phantom Thief's gadgets required regular maintenance and upgrades.
Like the card gun, there were many types: flash, smoke, explosive...
Ai: "..."
Akemi: "..."
It was their first time seeing an on-site transaction.
"Right, and that hang glider set!" The Professor slapped his forehead, immediately preparing to demonstrate personally how this hang glider with a built-in propeller could send a person into the sky.
"I... I don't think that's necessary." Kaito looked at Professor Agasa's build and felt a bit worried.
Can it really fly...
"It's fine, it's very safe!" The Professor said, patting his chest.
Just then, the flash bombs on the table—due to some unknown timer setting—exploded one after another in a string, blinding everyone's eyes. Colorful smoke instantly filled the air.
Outside, Tsuneo, who was wiping his car, turned his head to look inside the house.
Flashes and smoke... what are those people doing?
Having a party?
Why didn't they call me?
Inside the house, amidst the chaos, the Professor spoke up: "Cough, cough, cough! Don't worry, this gas is harmless! It's very safe!"
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