"Hey... Mom! Are you done with your business? Hurry up and go back to Osaka!"
Breaking free from the awkward failed attempt at pretense, Heiji Hattori grabbed Shizuka Ikenami's arm and started ushering her toward the door.
At that very moment, Mouri Kogoro, who had been drugged and unconscious on the side, happened to wake up. He heard Hattori's words and immediately jumped up in anger.
"Hey! Treating Ms. Ikehata like this is so disrespectful! Who calls a lady 'Obasan, Obasan' like that!"
"I'll call her whatever I want to call her." Heiji Hattori pointed his thumb back at Shizuka Ikenami and retorted impatiently, "After all, she's my mom!"
"What!? What the heck!!!"
Conan, Ran, and Mouri Kogoro all had their mouths wide open, looking extremely shocked.
"You, you're lying... be-because..."
Ran, with an incredulous expression, pointed at Hattori and exclaimed, "Because Shizuka-san is so fair!! Why would you..."
"It's genetic from my old man's dark skin tone, alright!!" Heiji Hattori yelled in frustration, clearly getting hit by another wave of embarrassment.
As Shizuka Hattori awkwardly explained, everyone understood why she had come to them with a request and had spun so many lies.
It was all to test Mouri Kogoro.
"Huh? Test?" Mouri Kogoro asked in confusion, "Why would you do that?"
"It's a mother's concern, I suppose."
Shizuka Hattori chuckled shyly and explained, "Every time Heiji and Mr. Mouri works on a case together, it seems to end in failure.
So, I wondered if it's because Mr. Mouri, as a detective, wants Heiji to learn more about criminal investigation. He might have been making Heiji do a lot of challenging and difficult tasks in a 'Spartan' way."
With a worried expression, Shizuka Hattori continued, "And before, Mr. Mouri didn't even visit my home when he came to Osaka...
Last time you were in Osaka, you didn't come to my house either... So I worried and thought you might be a heartless, emotionless man with no consideration for others."
Hearing his mother's words, Heiji Hattori grumbled with half-lidded, dead-fish eyes, "It's not nice to say, but when I was injured and hospitalized before, you didn't come visit me either."
"Ah... that was because it was a tight situation at the time, so there wasn't enough time..." Mouri Kogoro reassured quickly, "Next time, I'll definitely come visit your home."
"Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. The more I thought about it, the more I worried, so I came here uninvited and troubled you."
Shizuka Hattori apologized with a slight bow and smiled, "But thanks to this, I finally understand why Heiji admires you so much!
After all, Mr. Mouri is kind-hearted and skilled in deduction, so it's only natural!"
"Th-thank you for your praise..." Mouri Kogoro responded somewhat bewildered by the compliments.
After expressing her gratitude, Shizuka Hattori turned to Senichi and smiled, "I've often heard my husband mention your name. Meeting you today proves your reputation is well-deserved.
I was actually planning to meet you whom Heiji admires at a later time, but it turns out today was quite fortunate. Thank you for taking care of our Heiji."
"You're too kind."
Senichi quickly replied, "I'm just a few years older than Heiji. You're an elder, no need to be so polite. Heiji is like a younger brother to me. You don't have to worry, I'll take care of him."
"With your assurance, I feel relieved."
After a slight bow of gratitude, Shizuka Hattori turned to Mouri Kogoro and requested, "This time, I'm entrusting Heiji and Kazuha to Detective Mouri. Please take good care of them."
"Huh? Entrusting them to me?" Mouri Kogoro looked puzzled, "Why?"
"Huh? Didn't you hear from Conan-kun?" Heiji Hattori looked at Conan with a puzzled glance, then proceeded to explain the reason why the two of them had come to them.
After the explanation, everyone understood that Heiji Hattori had invited Mouri Kogoro to accompany him to Fukui Prefecture to investigate a case.
No wonder both of them had brought their suitcases.
As for why they didn't know, it was because Heiji Hattori called Conan, hoping to inform them in his place. However, Conan thought it was a joke, so he didn't provide timely feedback.
"By the way, you guys are going to investigate a case on a small isolated island near Wakasa Bay called Bikuni Island?" Senichi displayed an expression of interest, "I remember that island is referred to as..."
"I didn't expect Officer Senichi to know as well." Heiji Hattori nodded, a hint of a smile crossing his lips, "Exactly, people say it's an island inhabited by... mermaids."
"Huh? Mermaids live there?" Mouri Kogoro, who was nearby, had a speechless expression after hearing their conversation, "Do people actually believe in such things?"
"Well, maybe because there are tangible examples."
Heiji Hattori chuckled, "On that small island, there's a woman who's said to have eaten mermaid flesh and gained immortality."
"Ah! I know what you're talking about!"
Ran's eyes lit up as she exclaimed, "I remember, it was about three years ago. That immortal woman caused quite a sensation back then!"
"Yes, that's it!" Kazuha chimed in with anticipation, "I also want to attain eternal youth and beauty myself, which is why I followed Heiji all the way here."
"Hehe, is it for the sake of winning someone's heart..."
Before Ran could finish her sentence, she was hushed by a blushing Kazuha, and the two girls started giggling and playing around.
"Hmph, it's just an old lady who's long-lived." Mouri Kogoro commented, "It's not like the legendary Eight-hundred (years) Buddhist priestess who ate mermaid flesh and lived for eight hundred years."
"But the region where the Eight Hundred (years) Buddhist priestess was, Wakasa Province, is essentially today's Fukui Prefecture, right? It could be considered its origin," Senichi added with a smile.
"So, what's next? Did you come all this way to find me just because the client is looking for mermaids?"
Mouri Kogoro appeared rather disinterested, "If that's the case, then forget it. I don't want to chase after something that doesn't even exist."
"No, in fact, the commission is quite the opposite. The commission letter that was sent only contains one sentence: 'Mermaids will kill me, please save me!'"
Speaking of which, Heiji Hattori's expression gradually turned serious, "I could even sense the sender's fear from the trembling handwriting.
And no matter how my first call abruptly ended in distress, I managed to hear the sound of waves and a woman's cries..."
"Interesting," Senichi, with evident interest, stroked his chin and pondered for a moment before speaking, "I've decided, I'll go with you guys!"
"Huh?"
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