"A ritual?"
Conan, hearing this, drooped his dead-fish eyes and grumbled, "We agreed on just one condition."
"No, no, this doesn't count as a condition." Hattori Heiji waved his hand and said, "And you don't have to do anything. Just think carefully about the content of the text that Ran sent you. After that, I'll tell you the meaning of 'X.' That's the only way it makes sense~"
"Is that so?"
Conan looked at the two with puzzlement, not understanding why such a thing was necessary.
However, seeing both Hattori Heiji and Detective Senichi nodding in agreement, Conan reluctantly accepted the proposition. After all, this action didn't involve any loss, and he just needed to think about the content of the text in his mind—there was no need to speak it out, so it wasn't embarrassing.
With this in mind, Conan began to recall the text message that Ran sent with the 'X.'
Due to the intervention and assistance of Detective Senichi, Conan, within the hotel where his parents' proposal took place, had taken advantage of the final effects of the drug and chose to confess.
Although he didn't wait for Ran's reply due to the sudden pain that struck his heart and spread throughout his body, forcing him to escape immediately, this action did bring the two closer.
By the way, up until now, Ran has not formally responded to Shinichi(Kudo)'s confession.
Of course, it's not because she doesn't want to. Although she had some premonition at that time, when Shinichi(Kudo) formally confessed to her, her mind went blank as if she was in a dream. Everything around her seemed to distance itself, and for a moment, she didn't know what to do.
But what distressed her was that her dazed moment lasted too long. She forgot to respond to Shinichi(Kudo), and by the time she came to her senses, he had already left.
She felt it was her responsibility, thinking that she had been lost in thought for too long, failing to reply, and putting Shinichi(Kudo) in an awkward situation, causing him to hastily find an excuse to leave.
However, this was a misconception on Ran's part. After Shinichi(Kudo) confessed, her brain malfunctioned, and Shinichi(Kudo) quickly slipped away.
On the other hand, Shinichi(Kudo) was also regretting his hasty departure after confessing without waiting for Ran's response, feeling that it was a bit rude and regretful for a while.
In short, both of them felt they had been impolite, leading to a wonderful misunderstanding.
After Ran did not respond to Shinichi(Kudo)'s confession, it wasn't because she was unwilling.
Ran felt that Shinichi(Kudo) had mustered the courage to confess to her at the location where their parents had agreed to spend their lives together. Therefore, her response couldn't be too casual.
She considered a reply over the phone insufficient and unequal to expressing her true feelings. So, she planned to wait for the next opportunity when they could meet in person to formally respond to his confession. For now, this matter was temporarily put on hold.
Although Shinichi(Kudo) didn't receive a direct answer afterwards, their daily communication showed an increasingly intimate exchange of words. Ran also took the initiative to contact him, showing no signs of rejection. This reassured Shinichi(Kudo).
Even though the confession was temporarily put on hold in this ambiguous state, it seemed to have a positive effect based on Ran's reactions.
As for not receiving a reply, Shinichi(Kudo) believed that Ran was simply shy and chose not to bring it up as if it was also put on hold.
Therefore, despite not revealing the content of the text message, just recalling it in his mind, Shinichi(Kudo), faced with the slightly intimate tone of Ran's message, felt a bit embarrassed.
Fortunately, he only kept those thoughts in his mind and didn't expose the content...
"Finished thinking? Well then, let me tell you."
When Conan was recalling the content of the message earlier, the silly smile that unconsciously appeared on his lips was naturally noticed by the two. They understood that he was genuinely recalling the message.
After exchanging a glance, Hattori Heiji, with his arm around Conan, smirked and said, "Actually, the meaning of 'X' is very simple. It means 'kiss.' You said you received a text with 'X.' Now, combining it with the content of the message, I'm sure you've figured out what the sender truly meant."
Looking at Conan's dumbfounded expression, Hattori Heiji grinned, "Congratulations! It seems like your relationship has taken another step forward~"
At this moment, Conan experienced the same feeling Ran had after his confession. His mind was blank, unaware of the surroundings. Even the words Hattori Heiji was saying seemed like whispers in a dream, barely audible.
As a fervent Sherlock Holmes fan and an aspiring detective eager to get closer to his idol, Conan's intelligent brain certainly understood the principles of deductive reasoning, known as the "deductive method."
Naturally, his imagination was exceptionally vivid. The typically wise and calm brain of Conan now seemed to be uncontrolled, letting his thoughts wander and imagine freely.
Almost visibly, Hattori Heiji, standing alongside Conan and next to Detective Senichi, saw a rush of redness swiftly climb from Conan's neck and flood his entire face in the blink of an eye.
However, the crimson-faced Conan seemed to show no reaction at all. His gaze was unfocused, and his bewildered eyes stared ahead without any indication of what he was actually looking at.
All of this was captured by Detective Senichi, who was sitting on the sofa opposite Conan, holding a camera.
Conan, seemingly oblivious, didn't notice anything and continued to smile foolishly, as if he was lost in some internal thought, totally unaware of his surroundings.
"Oh, oh, oh! Looks like you've thought of something pleasant, huh?"
With Hattori Heiji's slightly teasing Osaka accent, Conan, whose brain had momentarily shut down, reflexively nodded.
"Did you think of something blush-worthy and heart-pounding?" Hattori Heiji, once again, spoke with a mischievous grin. "Like a certain someone's KISS..."
Conan nodded again in his daze, but soon an uneasy feeling rippled through his heart. Then, as if being doused with cold water, he jolted awake.
Looking at the sly expressions on the faces of the two beside him, Conan felt a mix of embarrassment and discomfort, not quite understanding what had just happened.
Blending together feelings of shyness and awkwardness, Conan couldn't help but angrily shout, "What are you two doing?!"
"Hehehe, do we even need to say it? Have you not figured out the situation yet?"
Taking the camera from Detective Senichi, Hattori Heiji revealed a villainous smirk, saying, "Naturally, we recorded your current appearance to settle the score for my previous grudge!"
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