Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Visiting the Suzuki Residence

One night passed.

Of course, nothing happened yesterday.

Since it was too late yesterday and school was starting the next day, it was only the third day after the confession. Keita had to send Sonoko home.

It was a pity for the good atmosphere.

The second semester of Teitan High School began.

At the school gate, Keita bumped into Sonoko. They exchanged glances, and Sonoko blushed a bit.

Ran, who was with Sonoko, saw this scene and felt curious. She asked quietly, "What's up? Why are you so red, Sonoko? Massaka..."

Sonoko gave Ran an irritated glance and replied sarcastically, "Nothing. What are you thinking, you pervert? Did you have some intimate time with your new husband Shinichi yesterday?"

Keita stepped closer, and Sonoko naturally linked her arm with his.

Ran looked at Sonoko, then at Keita, and said, "You say nothing, but it's so natural..."

"Hey, Ran, good morning." Keita greeted.

"Good morning, Keita-kun."

"If you're jealous, just hurry up and confess to Shinichi. Oh, ho, ho." Sonoko noticed Ran's envious expression and teased her, then led Keita toward the classroom amid a mischievous laugh.

"Sonoko, you heartless girl."

The three of them reached the classroom and received a warm welcome from their classmates.

Before, in their class, everyone knew that Sonoko was the heiress of the Suzuki conglomerate. However, the distance between the Suzuki conglomerate and the common people was quite vast, so it didn't feel real. Keita usually acted a bit wealthier in class, and Ran was just a normal high school girl from an average family.

It wasn't until a few days ago at the Future Group's product launch event that things changed. The Future Group's event was covered by Japan lights on major TV stations, especially the Nisai TV station, which had a live broadcast in the afternoon. The news spread like wildfire in the Line group, and the three of them became a sensation in their class.

The three of them made a splendid appearance at the event, especially Sonoko and Ran. One dressed as a cat girl, the other as an elf, making their 1-B classmates bright-eyed. The products showcased at the event were all related to the students, and Line was one of the first platforms the Japan high school students had tried. However, the most talked-about topic was the virtual game Sword Art Online. Their classmates Tsugaze and Nakamichi were even luckier and managed to get their hands on the first batch of helmets released on the official website.

Girls surrounded Sonoko and Ran, chatting excitedly, while most of the boys flocked around Keita, chattering away.

"Yoshida, when will the next batch of gaming helmets be released? I can't wait to get into the game."

"Yeah, Tsugaze has been bragging about it in the group for days."

"True, I've been queuing for three days straight and still haven't managed to get a gaming helmet."

The boys complained to Keita one by one.

Seeing the situation, Keita realized he needed to give them a definite answer, or they wouldn't stop. He calmed them down with a gesture. "Well, settle down. I understand the situation. I'll make a call and have my people send over some priority vouchers. When the time comes, you guys can use those vouchers to buy from the Future Group. Just don't spread the word; I don't want to be pestered for vouchers all day long."

"Hail Keita!"

"Hail Keita!"

The male classmates burst into enthusiastic cheers, and the female classmates noticed the commotion and joined in to show their support.

One particularly nosy girl named Hoshikawa exclaimed, "Unfair! We girls want in on this too!"

"Yeah!" The girls chimed in.

"Give me a break, you can all have some, okay?"

Finally escaping the crowd of girls, Keita returned to his seat and let out a sigh of relief.

"Wow, you're really popular." Shinichi walked in from the back door, having witnessed the commotion.

"You could start a company and be popular too."

"Don't be so modest. I'm going to become the Sherlock Holmes of the Heisei era."

"I heard you went to New York this time, encountered a serial killer, and even got shot. You're so enthusiastic about these cases; be careful or you'll end up in the hands of the culprits sooner or later."

Shinichi returned a dismissive expression, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and headed to his own seat.

Keita hadn't thought about helping Shinichi avoid becoming small; at most, he'd remind him on the day they went to the amusement park. Keita lived in this world, and his company was still a high-tech enterprise. Sooner or later, he would encounter the Black Organization, which stood in the way of the Future Group. The Black Organization had a strong influence in the Japan political, economic, and scientific circles. The organization acted recklessly, and Keita might end up being shot by a bullet or blown up by a bomb. That's why he intended to use Conan's help to completely eradicate the Black Organization and make his life a bit safer.

Afterward, Conan could use Haibara Ai's scientific abilities to create a real antidote and restore his true body.

...

4:30 PM.

After school at Teitan High School.

Ran and Sonoko were discussing where to celebrate Sonoko's birthday.

Keita suggested, "How about your place, Sonoko? I went back home late yesterday, and Mom complained that I returned late. We didn't even get to have birthday cake. It might be safer to celebrate with your family."

"It's, it's a bit embarrassing." Sonoko felt a bit shy at first but quickly recovered. "Okay, let's do it. I'll call my mom."

After that, she walked aside to make the call. "Hello, Mom, it's me. I want to invite friends over for a birthday party today..."

Ran asked Keita in a hushed tone, "Aren't you afraid of going directly to Sonoko's house?"

"Not at all. A son-in-law is bound to meet his in-laws sooner or later." Keita replied confidently.

"What's going on??" Shinichi was still confused. Come to think of it, he was a bit slow to catch on. Keita and Sonoko were already dating.

Ran whispered something to Shinichi while pulling him aside.

"Umm..." Shinichi glanced at Keita, then at Sonoko, his face turning red.

Meanwhile, Sonoko finished her call and returned, saying, "Okay, the butler will pick us up and take us home later."

The four of them stood by the school gate for a while until a stretched Lincoln pulled up in front of them. A butler stepped out of the car and opened the doors for them.

"Wow." *3
It was Keita's first time in a stretched Lincoln. After getting in, the butler closed the door, and the car set off.

Once the partition between the front and back windows was lowered, they found themselves in a private space.

The

car's two rows of seats were arranged facing each other, with plenty of legroom. There was a small bar in the middle, stocked with a variety of fine drinks.

"So luxurious." Keita touched the car's features and sighed in amazement.

Ran and Shinichi were also exploring the seats; the feel of the genuine leather was unmatched.

Keita noticed champagne in the fridge, glanced at the closed partition, and grinned mischievously at the others. "Hey, there's alcohol. Wanna have a sneak taste?"

Sonoko continued, "Do you often sneak drinks?"

"Sometimes." Keita chuckled.

"Then I'll have a glass too. I also sneak drinks sometimes," Sonoko playfully stuck out her tongue.

"Hey, why are you two like this?" Ran was a good girl who had never sneaked drinks.

"I... I'll have a glass too." Shinichi was also a good boy, but after seeing Sonoko and Keita each pour a glass of champagne, he felt the need to go along and have a glass too.

"Good kids shouldn't learn to drink from adults," Keita handed each of them a glass of juice. Then, he raised his own glass and clinked it against Sonoko's. "Cheers."

"Cheers." Sonoko raised her glass and downed the drink. It seemed that her habit of sneaking drinks wasn't just talk.

They would be visiting Sonoko's parents later, so they didn't continue drinking after that one glass. Ran and Shinichi were still sulking. Keita didn't know how well the two of them could handle alcohol, so he decided not to offer them any to avoid any embarrassing situations.

Today, Sonoko hadn't originally planned to celebrate her birthday at home, so the Suzuki family hadn't invited anyone over. It was just their family at home.

Sonoko's father, Suzuki Shirou, aged 50, was the chairman of the Suzuki conglomerate, though the note about him being a bit of a "henpecked husband" was crossed out. Her mother, Suzuki Tomoko, aged 42, was a strong and independent woman. Her sister, Suzuki Ayako, aged 23, was a research student at university.

Since university hadn't started yet today, Ayako had heard that Sonoko would be celebrating her birthday at home. She was out shopping with her fiancé, Tomozou Tomozawa, and upon hearing about it, she dragged him along to celebrate Sonoko's birthday.

Tomozou Tomozawa, aged 27, was the third son of the Tomozawa conglomerate and Ayako's fiancé.

Upon arriving at the Suzuki residence, they passed through the outer iron gate and were greeted by the Suzuki family as they opened the door.

Keita took the initiative, "Uncle, Aunt, Ayako, Tomozou. I'm Yoshida Keita, 16 years old, Sonoko's classmate and currently her boyfriend. It's nice to meet you."

Tomoko Suzuki spoke first, "Hmph, you have a bit of courage, but I won't agree to you dating Sonoko." She crossed her arms and gave Keita a scrutinizing look.

Sonoko wasn't pleased, "Who I date is my own business, isn't it?"

"Do you know, Sonoko? Ever since Ayako decided to marry into the Tomozawa family, our family's business can only be inherited by your significant other, in other words, your husband who will join our family. Normally, we should have screened based on family background and education, selecting someone from a respectable family that matches ours. But I never expected you to choose a high school brat. Sonoko, what are you thinking?" Tomoko Suzuki shouted at Sonoko angrily.

"Hmph, I have no intention of inheriting the family business." Sonoko pouted.

"You little..." Tomoko's forehead formed an exclamation mark.

Suzuki Shirou intervened, "Well, why are we talking about this? Come on in first. Ran, Shinichi, it's been a while, last time was probably during junior high. Thank you for taking care of my daughter, Sonoko."

Sonoko held Keita's arm, stuck her tongue out at her mom Tomoko, and pulled Keita inside the house. Keita quickly followed with an apologetic smile.

The Yoshida residence was about the same size as the Kudo residence, but the Suzuki residence was even bigger, with eight times the space of the Yoshida residence. In Tokyo, where land was scarce, such a large mansion was quite rare. The Suzuki family, being at the pinnacle of the neon elite, usually resided there.

They entered the dining room, where a huge cake was displayed on the table.

The dishes started to be served one by one.

Since Ayako's engagement, she had moved out. Sonoko hadn't seen her sister Ayako in a long time, so they sat together.

Keita had to sit next to Tomozou Tomozawa.

"Nice to meet you, brother-in-law." Keita shook hands with Tomozou Tomozawa, considering this their introduction.

The household staff set the tableware.

Once everyone was seated, Tomoko Suzuki raised her glass and invited everyone to toast. "Thank you all for coming today to celebrate the birthday of this unfilial daughter of mine. Let's raise our glasses and celebrate."

Everyone raised their glasses, clinked them together, and then sat down to eat.