The sleek black Lincoln sedan raced through the city streets.
At the invitation of Hattori Heiji, Hayashi Yoshiki found himself once again in Osaka—this time, at the behest of the Suzuki Group.
The journey had been smooth.
But as the car entered the gates of the Suzuki Museum of Modern Art, Yoshiki noticed the heightened security: SWAT officers in full gear were stationed at the entrance, while a swarm of Osaka police guarded the perimeter. Above, helicopters from the Osaka Prefectural Police circled in patrol.
"Here~! Yoshiki-nii!"
A cheerful voice called out as Yoshiki stepped from the vehicle.
He looked up to see Mōri Kogorō, Ran, and Sonoko Suzuki waving enthusiastically.
Lowering their hands, Sonoko and Ran exchanged a laugh.
"Good morning, Uncle Mōri," Yoshiki greeted.
Mōri raised his hand in response, looking him over with approval.
"You're looking sharp today, Shu."
"Well, today calls for a more formal look."
Yoshiki chuckled, then turned to the two girls.
"So? Have you been enjoying yourselves these past few days?"
"Definitely! Osaka feels so different from Tokyo. The food here is amazing… It would've been even better if you'd had time to come with us, Yoshiki-nii!"
"Office work doesn't stop," Yoshiki replied with a helpless smile.
It was August—summer vacation. But unlike others, the trip for Mōri and his group, as well as Sonoko, had a specific purpose.
Conan greeted him politely.
Yoshiki nodded back. Meanwhile, Mōri glanced around the museum.
"With this kind of security, not even an ant could sneak through."
"Of course," Sonoko chimed in brightly. "After all, our opponent is Kaito Kid!"
Even though her family's treasure was the target, Sonoko wore a grin, seemingly thrilled by the situation.
"He's a phantom thief, a mysterious gentleman who can change his appearance at will. He's known for infiltrating the most secure vaults, no matter how tight the defense. He can even mimic his opponents' voices and gestures… This time, we've got a tough one."
A familiar young voice joined in.
Turning toward the sound, they saw a young man on a Kawasaki KLX250 with a girl riding pillion. As he removed his helmet, his dark complexion and sharp features immediately identified him.
"Hattori-kun?" Ran exclaimed in surprise.
"Hey! Good to see you all again!"Hattori Heiji smiled and approached.
"Hattori-san, would you come a little closer?"Yoshiki gestured to him.
As Heiji stepped up, Yoshiki grabbed his cheeks and gave them a hard pinch.
"Ow—what are you doing?!"
"Like you said, Kaito Kid's a master of disguise. But don't forget—he's also a narcissist."
Yoshiki smiled as he let go.
"You just gave him the perfect compliment with your dramatic speech."
"So… this proves I'm not him?"
"Maybe. But I'm starting to wonder if you're Kid in disguise."
Heiji reached out to grab him in protest, but Yoshiki dodged it, grinning.
The Osakan detective scowled, clearly unsatisfied.
Yoshiki turned to Ran and Sonoko.
"Perhaps one of you would help confirm I'm not Kid?"
"W-Would that really work…?"
While Ran hesitated, Sonoko's hand had already extended, her fingers lightly brushing against Yoshiki's cheek.
A flush of excitement bloomed across her face.
I'm touching Yoshiki Hayashi's actual face…!
It felt luxurious—no, sacred.
"Alright, Heiji, ease up,"Toyama Kazuha cut in with a smile, patting Heiji's shoulder.
She then turned to Sonoko and Ran, greeting them warmly—she had been their host during their visit to Osaka.
Together, the group entered the museum and took the elevator to the president's office.
Kaito Kid had set his sights on a treasure known as the "Egg of Memories", a prized heirloom of the Suzuki family. His warning letter had stirred the Osaka police into action, resulting in a full-scale special operation.
Shiro Suzuki, the family patriarch, had specifically invited Mōri Kogorō and Hayashi Yoshiki.
Amid tight security, they arrived at the top floor.
"Oh! Mr. Mōri, Mr. Yoshiki, thank you both for making the trip!"
Shiro Suzuki greeted them warmly, shaking hands with gusto.
He also welcomed Heiji and Kazuha, pleased to see additional talent on hand.
"Let me introduce the others in the room."
There were four more individuals seated inside.
"This is Sergei Ovchinnikov, First Secretary of the Russian Embassy."
A burly man with light blond hair gave a courteous nod.
"Next, we have Mr. Qian Jiangyi, an art dealer."
A middle-aged Japanese man of mixed descent, sharp-eyed and hawk-nosed, stood silently.
"This is Mr. Ryu Sagawa, a freelance videographer who's requested to document the treasure exhibit."
A scruffy man with shoulder-length hair, camera in hand, leaned back casually.
"And finally, Scorpion, a Romanov dynasty historian."
She was the only one to rise from her seat.
"Hello,"she greeted in accented Chinese, offering a polite nod.
Yoshiki's smile didn't change, but his eyes sharpened with interest.
He wasn't captivated by her looks—but by who she truly was.
Scorpion was, in fact, a high-level contract killer wanted by Interpol, known by the codename: Scorpion.
A precise shot to the right eye.
She had once sniped at Kaito Kid mid-glide in the night sky, and was skilled enough to aim directly at Conan's right eye with a pistol in dim conditions. In Yoshiki's mind, she was a high-tier third party—neither aligned with the Black Organization nor affiliated with law enforcement, but someone highly dangerous in her own right.
Her codename in English, "Scorpion", sparked another thought.
Could there be a connection between her... and the "Zoo" organization?