Chapter 412 Heavy snowfall
Chapter 412 Heavy Snow

"Xiaoxun...Xiaoxun!"

"Eh?" At school, I was pulled back from my thoughts by a soft child's voice beside me.

"Xiaoxun, are you okay?" Turning back, Ayumi was looking at me with a worried look on her face. "It's been a long time. You've been distracted lately. Are you feeling unwell?"

"That's right. I've seen you secretly napping in class before, but lately you've been daydreaming. Xun, are you okay?" Mitsuhiko also came over.

"Did you not have enough for lunch?"

"How is that possible, Yuantai!" Ayumi scolded with a smile. "Xiaoxun doesn't eat as much as you do~"

It has been nearly a month since the last time I went out with Xiaolan and the others. These past month have been very peaceful. Although there are occasional cases, they are basically solved quickly with Conan present. Such peaceful days are rare, but the more peaceful the day is, the more uneasy I feel.

Ever since Vermouth touched my head last time, I have always felt uneasy. To be honest, the feeling of being touched on the head is not good. Since I was born, the number of people who have touched my head is no more than two hands. Not to mention my parents, it was a common thing before I was six years old. Even after I came back, my mother would occasionally put her hands on my head and stroke it.

Then there is Xiaolan, who has grown up. She also makes such moves without knowing it. But it is rare, after all, as a brother, I still have to save face.

The fourth one is Jingliu, and she is also the one with the most. After all, I spent these long ten years from childhood to adulthood with her.

If we add in Sato, Sonoko, and Yukiko after they return from shrinking, they can take up a few more spots, but they can all be ignored.

Finally, the person who touched my head the second most after Jingliu was Vermouth. I have been following her on missions for many years, and I still remember the feeling of her hand on my head very clearly. The last time I was touched on the head by Shincho, the feeling was exactly the same, just like the reward I received after completing each mission. Not only am I familiar with it, I believe Vermouth is also familiar with it.

Exposed, exposed? I can't be sure, but the feel is definitely there, there is no hesitation, just naturally placed on my head. If I say it is not exposed, I don't believe it myself.

However, in the past month, I have not felt that anyone from any organization has infiltrated my environment. This makes me feel worse than being monitored.

If it was Gin who found me, I believe we would have started a fight long ago, and I would have felt at ease. At most, it would be a matter of life for life. But this person happened to be Vermouth, a woman whose thoughts I could not accurately guess. What was worse was that there was someone tied to her side whose actions I could not predict...

Ling.

"Xiaoxun, has something happened? You haven't participated in any of our activities recently."

"That's right, you didn't join us last time we went to the zoo. You were the only one missing out of the six of us." Yuantai continued.

"That's right, even when Haibara-san asked you in person, you refused. Kaoru, are you feeling unwell? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

"I'm sorry, everyone." I spread my hands and explained with a helpless smile. "Indeed, I have been feeling unwell recently, so I didn't participate in everyone's activities. But I went to the hospital for a check-up and nothing happened. But I just don't feel well." I am indeed relieved by the children's thoughtfulness. Although these three children always like to show off and occasionally quarrel, their concern for their companions has never diminished.

"Eh? Could it be? Could it be a psychological problem?" Mitsuhiko's bold guess made the children look surprised and worried at the same time.

"How is that possible? Xiaoxun won't have that kind of terrible disease!" Ayumi quickly interrupted and changed the subject. "Yes, yes, Xiaoxun, do you know? Valentine's Day is just a few days away!"

"Eh?"

"Tsk, what's so good about Valentine's Day." Conan, who had been silent all the time, suddenly complained here for some reason.

"So-called Valentine's Day is nothing more than a promotional gimmick used by merchants to boost their business."

"But, if I receive a gift on this day, I will still be very happy." Conan's words seemed to help me change the subject, successfully attracting the attention of all the children. And I can also be liberated in this short time. By the way, I can temporarily forget about Vermouth.

"Besides, chocolate is also a very, very delicious snack. What's wrong with receiving it?" Yuan Tai also joined in. "Conan, you are not making a fuss here because you can't receive it?"

"Heh, heh, do you think I'm the couple behind you?" Conan narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze towards me and Shiho beside me. "They are the only two who are most likely to play this kind of love game here, right?"

"No, I actually have a different opinion." Shiho said softly while cleaning the table beside me. "In fact, the name Valentine's Day was originally taken from a Christian believer of Valentine. Legend has it that in the 3rd century AD, the Roman Empire was in a comprehensive crisis, the economy was in decline, the ruling class was corrupt, the society was in turmoil, and the people rebelled. In order to maintain its rule, the aristocracy brutally suppressed the people and Christians. At that time, a Christian named Valentine was arrested and imprisoned. In prison, he moved the warden's daughter with his frankness. They loved each other and were taken care of by the warden's daughter. The ruling class ordered him to be executed. Before the execution, he wrote a long suicide note to the warden's daughter, stating that he was innocent. It shows his upright heart and his deep love for the warden's daughter.

On February 270, 2 AD, he was executed. Later, in order to commemorate Valentine's sacrifice for justice and pure love, Christians designated the day of his execution as "St. Valentine's Day", which was later changed to "Valentine's Day." After all, it was Shiho, who could clearly describe the allusions in a casual chat.

"Eh? Is that so?"

"But my mom told me that Valentine's Day is a day for girls to gain the courage to love from chocolate. It's a day to make important memories. That's why chocolate is both sweet and bitter."

"So, Ayumi, have you bought the chocolate?"

"No, mom and dad said it's too early for me to give them chocolates." After saying that, the children all looked a little depressed. After all, the two boys had always liked Ayumi, but now one of them has fallen in love with someone else. But before such a day comes, as children, they will have some fantasies.

But the reality is still cruel. The bell for class rang again, and the children's reverie came to an end. They had to return to their seats and prepare for class.

"So, what about Xun's sister, your Xiaolan? What are you going to do?" Before class, Shiho asked Conan with a smile.

"She was busy preparing for our trip to Fukido Villa tomorrow, and she didn't mention anything about chocolate."

"Really?" Shiho's gaze stayed on me for a moment, and then she stopped talking.

"What about you guys?" Conan started gossiping again. "Did you prepare chocolate for Xun?" "I, we haven't celebrated such a festival before." Shiho's panicked look flashed away. "Besides, look at his current state." Conan also looked over with his chin tilted towards me. Only then did I realize that I, sitting next to Shiho, had once again lost my mind.

————The scent of orchids, the scent of lavender, the scent of home & the wings of angels, the wings of demons, the wings of guardians————

"Xun, you really aren't going with us?"

Time flies and it's the next day. Xiaolan, who had already made an appointment with Sonoko, will go to Fukito Villa for vacation today, and of course, my father will be responsible for seeing her off. But I don't plan to participate in such a family event. Because of Vermouth's matter, I have been feeling uneasy recently, so I want to take this opportunity to go to Shiho. First, I want to see the progress of the antidote, and second, I need to check the surrounding defense and spies.

"Ah, I'm not going." I waved to Conan. "Valentine's Day is coming soon, Xiaolan is in your care, I'm going to spend it with Shiho."

"Hey, hey..." Conan's mouth twitched slightly. But he quickly returned to a serious look. "But, Xun, you haven't been in a good state recently. Did something happen to you?"

"No."

"Is there any clue about the organization? Or... have we been exposed?"

"Hmm?" I looked up at Conan. "Why do you think so?"

"Didn't we go to the zoo together last time? The one you didn't go with."

"Yeah." I nodded.

"That time we had an abduction case, it was a man who looked like the zoo director, named James Blake."

"Hmm... I think I heard Shiho say that, but I didn't pay much attention to it at the time. What happened to him?"

“This person disappeared after the abduction and even the police failed to find him.”

"...So?"

"He... Never mind." Conan shook his head. "By the way, let me ask you about the other person."

"Who?"

"Akai Shuichi, do you have any impression?"

"Who is that?" I said, pretending to be calm. How could Conan know the name Akai Shuichi?

"Akai Shuichi was a passenger on the bus when we encountered the bomb kidnapper before." Conan said, holding his chin. "But I saw him again during the zoo incident that day."

"Maybe it's a coincidence?"

"No, I don't think so." Conan shook his head. "I remember what he looked like. His eyes were scary. That kind of indifference made people feel very uncomfortable. But I don't think he is a bad person. At least I didn't feel any danger from his eyes. But..."

"but?"

"But Huibara subconsciously avoided his gaze. And it seemed that Huibara was trembling a little when she looked at him, and even had some resentment."

"..." After hearing Conan's words, my heartbeat quickened a little. Of course I would feel resentful. Shiho was one of the few non-gold medalists who had seen Akai Shuichi, not to mention that this Akai Shuichi almost became her brother-in-law. "You think too much. I don't know this Akai, and Shiho probably doesn't know him either."

"But do you remember what you said before? There was someone from the organization on that bus." Conan didn't miss any details. "If... I mean if. If that person named Akai Shuichi is really a member of the organization. Then it's no longer a coincidence that we met him twice."

"..."

"Kaoru?"

"It's okay." I shook my head. "You go ahead, I'm going to look for Shiho too." I grabbed my windbreaker from the sofa and walked out the door.

"Hey!" Conan wanted to call me, but unfortunately, all I left him was a pale golden back.

"Hoo..." I left the office and walked to the door, letting out a long breath. The white breath formed a column of smoke that disappeared into the cold air.

He shook his head, rubbed his hands, and looked at the snow flying in the sky. But in his mind was the name that Conan just mentioned.

"Akagi...Shuichi."

I felt like I had fallen into a big net. There were two fishermen, one was Shuichi Akai and the other was Vermouth. At this stage, the two fishermen were looking for the whereabouts of the fish in their own ways. Shiho and I, who had sunk to the bottom of the sea, were watching the two hunters who were about to cast their nets through the dim sea water.

Will we be doomed to fail? Or will we be able to escape from this dangerous place before being hunted? Everything is unknown.

"Phew... This Valentine's Day is not going to be easy." After saying that, I walked into the heavy snow. A few seconds later, the white world completely buried me, and I disappeared without a trace.

(End of this chapter)