Upon learning that the beautiful woman before him was actually around his age, Kogoro Mouri was overjoyed. After all, being of similar age and circumstances could increase his chances.
So, now Kogoro Mouri's demeanor changed suddenly. His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, resembling the starry eyes of a teenage idol. "May I ask about interests and hobbies?"
"Well, let me think..." Shizuka Ikenami pondered for a moment and then replied, "I guess it's related to the field of kendo."
"No, I'm asking about yours."
"Huh?" Shizuka Ikenami was momentarily surprised by the question, then chuckled, "I enjoy handicrafts, like knitting and crocheting..."
"Oh~ That's a nice hobby. You are truly a virtuous person," Kogoro Mouri complimented upon hearing her hobby with his face showing a certain expression.
However, his delight lasted only a few seconds. Ran, who was nearby, brought tea over and said with a smile, "What a coincidence, it's the same hobby as my mom's."
Being interrupted by Ran like that, Kogoro Mouri naturally became unhappy. He quickly changed the topic and counterattacked, "You must also be skilled in cooking, right?"
"No, no, I'm completely terrible at that." Shizuka Ikenami waved her hand, revealing a band-aid on her fingers. "You see, I accidentally injured myself while cooking yesterday. I haven't used a knife in a while, and my thumb, index, and even middle fingers got hurt..."
"Not being good at cooking is no big deal!" Kogoro Mouri quickly came to her rescue, "Nobody's perfect, right? Having weaknesses can make a person more attractive and approachable."
"Exactly, that's why Dad likes Mom so much," Ran didn't miss the chance to counter Kogoro Mouri, sealing off all of his attempts.
"But I really have so many shortcomings... That's why I've reached this age and still remain alone," Shizuka Ikenami said with an embarrassed smile.
"What?! You're still not married?" Kogoro Mouri nearly leaned into her face, looking extremely delighted.
"Well, um, no, I'm not married..." Shizuka Ikenami was taken aback by Kogoro Mouri's sudden proximity and answered haltingly.
"Such a beautiful lady like you hasn't attracted anyone's attention? The men around you must be blind!" Kogoro Mouri exclaimed joyfully.
"Miss Ikenami, you're really amazing," Ran praised her, then glanced playfully at her own father. "You're really similar to my mom. I wonder what the person who left her on the side was thinking. Maybe he was blind too..."
"You..." Kogoro Mouri sighed, looking at Ran helplessly, but ultimately didn't say much more.
Meanwhile, Shizuka Ikenami began coughing on the side.
"Ms. Ikenami, do you have a cold??"
"Cough... I'm not sick... It's just that I'm a bit sensitive to dust. I've had weak bronchial tubes since I was young..."
"Ran has just cleaned here before, perhaps that's the reason," suggested Senichi. "Why don't we continue downstairs at Café Poirot?"
"I'm really sorry for the trouble," Shizuka Ikenami apologized between coughs.
As Senichi looked at her continuously coughing, he furrowed his brows and exchanged a meaningful glance with Conan, who appeared to be lost in thought.
At Café Poirot.
The group found a spot to sit in the coffee shop and continued their conversation from the detective agency.
"A photograph?"
After further questioning, Kogoro Mouri also learned the purpose of Shizuka Ikenami's search for Mr. Shibata.
It wasn't some melodramatic story about a "first love," but rather her desire to retrieve a photograph.
The photo in question depicted Shizuka Ikenami receiving an award at a summer competition during her third year of junior high.
Some time ago, her grandmother became forgetful and misplaced the medal, so she wanted to recover the only photograph she had as a keepsake.
As for why the photo ended up with Mr. Shibata, it was because she had used it as a bookmark, placing it inside a book she had borrowed from him. She forgot to retrieve it when returning the book, and by the time she realized it, he had moved away.
"So, your meeting with Mr. Shibata is solely to retrieve the photograph?" Kogoro Mouri immediately regained his energy upon hearing this and asked eagerly.
"Yes, that's correct."
"Hmph!" Ran clenched her fist behind her back, clearly displeased with her father's demeanor.
"And then? Do you have any other clues related to Mr. Shibata?"
Upon learning this information, Kogoro Mouri's mood became joyful, and he quickly shifted into an energetic work mode. "Interests, hobbies, future career aspirations—these are all relevant."
"Well..." Shizuka Ikenami fell into contemplation upon hearing that.
Meanwhile, the waitress at Café Poirot, Azusa Enomoto, timely approached with menus in hand. "Have you all made your decisions? What would you like to order?"
"I'll have a cup of coffee."
"I'll have iced lemon tea."
"Black tea."
"REIKO…"
As Kogoro Mouri and the others each decided on their drinks, and as Conan was pondering over the menu, Shizuka Ikenami suddenly spoke up.
"Hmm?"
"REIKO? Who's that? It sounds like a girl's name," Kogoro Mouri asked in confusion.
"Oh, it's nothing. it's just that he always calls me that…." Shizuka Ikenami smiled and explained. "Because, in the book he lent me, there's a female character with that name, and he felt like I resemble her…"
"Conan-kun, have you decided on your drink?" Azusa Enomoto smiled and looked at the contemplative Conan.
"Yes, I have. I'll have an iced coffee," Conan handed the menu back to Azusa Enomoto.
"I'll go with what this child is having," Shizuka Ikenami chimed in with a laugh.
However, when the drinks arrived, Shizuka Ikenami didn't seem to come up with any significant clues. At this moment, Kogoro Mouri was feeling a bit frustrated. "This is troublesome. We only have a name, an age, and a photo from over thirty years ago as our leads…"
"In that case, would it be possible to hear that person's opinion?" Suddenly, Shizuka Ikenami spoke up.
Kogoro Mouri: "Huh?"
"I've heard from a friend that there's a famous high school detective named Shinichi Kudo in the Kanto region, and he often visits your detective agency…"
"Huh?"
"Shinichi?"
Kogoro Mouri and Ran wore puzzled expressions upon hearing Shizuka Ikenami's words, while Senichi frowned slightly.
Once Kudo Shinichi's name was brought up, it was clear that this person wasn't just an ordinary individual. However, why didn't he have any recollection of this person in his memory? No, perhaps he did have a recollection, but the pieces hadn't quite clicked yet.
Senichi's mind raced as he compared Shizuka Ikenami's features to the individuals he knew. Eventually, he suddenly looked up and gazed at Shizuka Ikenami with a look of realization dawning on his face.
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