SailorStar9: So with Chapter 104 uploaded, this is Chapter 105 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Pairings: Established!Furuya Rei (Amuro Tooru)/Mizuno Ami
Disclaimers: I own absolutely nothing, except this plot and pairing.
Chapter 105: Taiko Meijin's Shogi Board, Opening Move
Some time later...
"What's wrong, Mitsuhiko?" Genta asked, Mitsuhiko suddenly stopping in his tracks.
"What are you looking at?" Haibara wondered.
"It says online that Japan won todays' afternoon match." Mitsuhiko beamed. "There's something here about Higo, Haibara." "It says Double H played a huge role on Samurai Blue." he showed Haibara the bulletin.
"What's Double H?" Conan was confused.
"That's rare." Fumio gawked. "Didn't you know?"
"Double H refers to Tokyo Spirit's Hide and Big Osaka's Hido." Haibara supplied. "Lately people have been calling them Double H. So there are things you don't know after all, Edogawa."
"What's 'happyakunaga'?" Ayumi suddenly piped up beside Conan.
"It's actually read at yaocho (match fixing)." Haibara explained. "It's when someone deliberately loses a game."
"Like how Conan intentionally loses to us at video games." Fumio nodded.
"Where did the term 'yaocho' come from?" Mitsuhiko wondered, the kids continuing their way.
"Maybe it originated from Shōgi." Conan guessed.
"It's not from Shōgi." Shukichi corrected. "It originally came from Go."
"Taiko Meijin." the kids chorused.
"Long ago, there was a yaoya (green grocer) named Chobe." Shukichi related. "Everyone called him yaocho. He wanted his Go friends to buy his products, so he put them in good moods by deliberately losing to them. But one day, Chobe played a close match against a skilled Go player, and people discovered how good he actually was at the game. Sine then, deliberately losing for the benefit of yourself or others has been called yaocho (match fixing)."
"Taiko Meijin," Conan voiced. "Have you ever played against Nishikido, the Shōji player who was found dead?"
"A few times." Shukichi nodded. "At events. He didn't make much of an impression. But just once, the move he made after returning from the bathroom was so unbelievably brilliant, it surprised me. I still managed to win, though."
"By the way," Ayumi spoke up. "Are you going on a date with Yumi today?"
"What makes you say there?" Shukichi gaped.
"Because normally, you have stubble when you're not wearing a kimono, but you shaved today." Ayumi explained.
"It's because I'm meeting someone important." Shukichi flustered. "It's not a date. See you later." he bade the kids farewell and continued his way.
"Yumi?" Fumio blinked, the incognito traffic policewoman was steadily following her famous boyfriend.
"What are you doing, Yumi?" Conan deathpanned.
"I'm following Chukichi." Yumi whispered. "Lately, Chukchi's been acting strange. He's been dressed up and sneaking out a lot. When I ask where he's going, he dodges the question. Since we started living together, I've been seeing sides of him I don't need to see. I'm probably overthinking it."
"In all likelihood, he's having an affair." Haibara declared. "It's probably because you started living together. Apparently, it's common for men to get comfortable and cheat once they've locked down the woman they love."
"Haibara, have you been watching too many Korean melodramas lately?" Fumio sweatdropped.
"Looks like I'll have to keep following him, after all." Yumi growled.
"Wait!" Conan protested, Yumi grabbing his wrist and pulling him with her.
"Should we follow?" Fumio wondered.
Outside the Star Donuts store...
"Have you met Taiko Meijin's parents?" Conan thought to ask.
"Not yet." Yumi admitted. "I heard he was adopted by some super rich family when he was trying to become a professional Shōji player. The son of the family was some kind of Shōji genius, but he died in an accident. They asked to adopt him so he could fulfill their son's dream. Apparently, the biggest reason Chukichi agreed to be adopted was because he became obsesses with Shōji."
"Then, have you met Taiko Meijin's biological family?" Conan wondered.
"I haven't met them, either." Yumi replied. "Apparently, he's got a mom, an older brother and a younger sister. I bet the whole family's laid back and carefree like him."
"Guys." Shukichi ran up to the two women in front of him after he exited the donuts store.
"These are Star Donuts." Katsumata Mina smiled at the paper bag in Shukichi's hands.
"Where's the shop?" Uryu Shoko asked.
"Just down the street." Shukichi pointed.
"You even know about places like Star Donuts?" Uryu teased.
"Because I saw it in a magazine and told him about it." Yumi snarled behind Shukichi.
"Yumi?" Shukichi gaped.
"You seem to be having fun, Chukichi." Yumi glared.
"Yumi?" Katsumata beamed. "As in Taiko Meijin's girlfriend, Yumi?"
"We heard about you from the Meijin all the time." Uryu chuckled.
"But Yumi, what are you doing here?" Shukichi was confused. "And what's Conan doing with you?"
"Yumi thought you were cheating on..." Conan answered.
"Conan insisted on getting Star Donuts." Yumi cut the boy off.
"So, what are you guys all doing together" Conan inquired.
"A Shōji study session with those girls?" Yumi echoed after Shukichi explained everything.
"They're female Shōgi players." Shukichi nodded. "They want to hone their skills at a high level on a regular basis, so I attend their sessions sometimes. I'm actually doing this because her father asked me to." he turned to Katsumata. "You know, Katsumata Chikara Osho,the guy I played against in my Meijin title match in Yamaanashi."
"That guy." Yumi remembered.
"I'm Katsumata Mina." Katsumata introduced herself. "My father has his hands full teaching his own students, so I asked Haneda Meijin to help me. And this is my rival."
"I"m Uryu Shoko." Uryu spoke. "Together with Mina, we're working hard to become female Meijins."
"So, you always get together with these two to play Shōgi?" Yumi asked.
"It's not just them." Shukichi replied.
"Apparently, Hishinuma is already back." Katsumata noticed the chubby man's back when they stopped in front of the apartment building.
"Hishinuma, the Meijin brought his girlfriend." Uryu informed.
"Seriously?" Hishinuma echoed. "I've been learning a lot from the Meijin. I'm Hishinuma Kosuke."
"He participates in our study sessions, too." Shukichi added.
"It's an honor to meet that Yumi." Hishinuma gushed.
"He's a huge Taiko Meijin fan." Uryu teased.
"He even copied that bedhead hairstyle from the Meijin." Katsumata giggled.
"Anyway, we've got a problem." Hishinuma turned to the five coffee cups he bought. "I've only bought enough coffee for us. This place's coffee has gotten worse, so it's not any different from instant. Want to try some?" he offered a cup.
"You're right." Katsumata took a sip. "It tastes worse. And it's not very hot. In contrast, the bread I bought is freshly baked and piping hot."
"There's no hot curry bun this time." Uryu looked at the packaged breads.
"They were all sold out." Katsumata responded. "Were you able to get the ice cream?"
"It wasn't too busy today, so I was able to get some freezing cold ice cream today." Uryu bragged.
"Let's not stand around here talking." Shukichi spoke. "Let's go inside."
"Actually, I've been calling the room, but Genda isn't answering." Hishinuma stated.
"Who's Genda?" Conan asked.
"He's a Shōgi player called Genda Yasukiyo." Shukichi explained. "He's another member of our study group who's waiting for us in the room."
"Maybe he got tired of waiting and fell asleep." Hishinuma guessed.
"It's been less than ten minutes since we left." Uryu reminded.
"I've got a spare key." Katsumata produced an extra key. "We can use this to go inside."
In the rented apartment unit...
"Genda, we're back." Hishinuma called out, entering the unit. "That's odd." he noted.
"He's not in any of the rooms." Katsumata added.
"Maybe he went out shopping." Uryu suggested.
"And left the front door unlocked?" Hishinuma questioned. "Wouldn't he have called us if he needed to buy something? Genda." he spotted Genda's dead body in the pantry.
"Yumi, call the police and ambulance." Conan instructed.
"He's not breathing." Hishinuma exclaimed.
A while later...
"I see." Sato noted, she and Takagi were called in. "So Yumi suspected her boyfriend Haneda Shukichi was cheating so she followed him. She learns he meets a group of young Shōgi players at this apartment for study sessions. When they came into this room where the study sessions are held, this man was found murdered."
"Looks like he was strangled." Takagi remarked. "There are Yoshikawa lines indicating the victim resisted."
"Which means, judging by the marks left on his neck, the weapon was almost certainly this electrical cord left by the body." Sato picked up the extension cord.
"How could you suspect me of cheating, Yumi?" Shukichi chided.
"Because you were hiding where you were going." Yumi pouted.
"You'd get mad if I told you I was meeting with other women." Shukichi protested.
"I'm not that petty." Yumi shot back.
"You two, no chit chat." Sato barked.
SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted, by the way. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Read and review.