SailorStar9: With Chapter 178 uploaded, I present Chapter 179 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?

Disclaimers: I do not own Sailor Moon or Detective Conan, I only own this plotline and the pairing.

Pairing: Established!Furuya Rei/Mizuno Ami

Chapter 179: Taiko Meijin's Shogi Board, Opening Move

Time passes...

The Detective Boys were walking home from school one afternoon.

"What is it, Mitsuhiko?" Genta asked when Mitsuhiko suddenly stopped.

"Hold on." Mitsuhiko opened the soccer news website. "It says online that Japan won today's afternoon match."

"Come to think of it, there was a game today." Conan recalled.

"There's something here about Player Higo, Haibara-san." Mitsuhiko stated. "It says Double H played a big role on Samurai Blue."

"What's Double H?" Conan was confused.

"You don't know?" Mitsuhiko was surprised.

"Double H refers to Tokyo Spirits' Hide and Big Osaka's Higo." Haibara supplied. "Lately, people have been calling them Double H."

"What's 'happyakunaga'?" Ayumi looked over Conan's shoulder, his phone screen had displayed the news article on the latest update on Nishikido Kimiharu's murder.

"It's read as yaocho (match fixing)." Haibara corrected. "It's when someone deliberately loses a game."

"Where did the term 'yaocho' come from?" Mitsuhiko wondered.

"Maybe it originated from shogi." Conan suggested.

"It's not from shogi." Haneda Shukichi cut in. "It originally comes from go."

"Taiko Meijin." the kids chorused.

"Long ago, there was a yaoya (grocer) named Chobe." Shukichi related. "Everyone called him Yaocho. He wanted his friends to buy his products, so he put them in good moods by deliberately losing to them. But one day, Chobe-san played a close match against a skilled go player and people discovered how good he actually was at the game. Since then, deliberately losing for the benefit of yourself or others has been called yaocho (match fixing)."

"Taiko Meijin, have you ever played against Nishikido, the shogi player that was found dead?" Conan inquired.

"A few times, at events." Shukichi recalled. "He didn't make much of an impression. Just once, the move he made after returning from the bathroom was so unbelievably brilliant that it surprised me. I still managed to win, though."

"Are you going on a date with Yumi-san today?" Ayumi noticed Shukichi's attire. "Normally you have stubble when you're not wearing a kimono, but you shaved today."

"It's because I'm meeting someone important." Shukichi explained. "It's not a date. See you later." he bade the kids farewell and went on his way.

"What are you doing, Yumi-san?" Conan deathpanned, seeing Yumi scuttle about sneakily.

"I'm following Chukichi." Yumi whispered. "Lately, Chukichi's been acting strange. He's been getting dressed up and sneaking out a lot. When I ask him 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. Looks like I'll have to keep following him after all. You're going to help me." she pulled Conan along.

"Guys." Shukichi called out to a pair of women after exiting the Star Donuts store.

"These are from Star Donuts." Katsumata Mina was surprised.

"Where's the shop?" Uryu Shoko asked.

"Just down the street." Shukichi pointed.

"You even know places like Star Donuts." Uryu was impressed.

"Because I saw it in a magazine and told him." Yumi growled from behind.

"Yumi-tan?" Shukichi gaped at his fuming girlfriend.

"As in Taiko Meijin's girlfriend, Yumi-san?" Katsumata gushed.

"We hear about you from the Meijin all the time." Uryu added.

"So, what are you guys all doing together?" Conan thought to ask.

"A shogi study session with those girls?" Yumi echoed after Shukichi explained what was going on.

"They're female shogi players." Shukichi answered. "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 since her father asked me to." he admitted, turning to Katsumata. "You know, Katsumata Chikara Osho, the guy I played against in my Meijin title match in Yamanashi."

"I'm Katsumata Mina." Mina introduced herself. "My father has his hands full teaching his own students, so I asked Haneda Meijin to help me. And she is my rival." she turned to Uryu.

"I'm Uryu Shoko." Uryu nodded. "Together, Mina-san and I are working hard to become female Meijins."

"So, you always get together with these two play shogi?" Yumi wondered, nearing the two women's rented apartment.

"It's not just them." Shukichi replied.

"Apparently, Hishinuma-san is already back." Uryu spotted Hishinuma Kosuke's back through the glass door. "Hishinuma-san, the Meijin brought his girlfriend." she informed, the group entering the lobby.

"I've been learning a lot from the Meijin." Hishinuma related, turning back with a coffee takeaway cup in hand. "I'm Hishinuma Kosuke."

"He participates in our study sessions, too." Shukichi informed.

"It's an honor to meet the Yumi-san." Hishinuma added. "Anyway, we've got a problem. I only bought enough coffee for us. This place's coffee has gotten worse, so it's no different from instant."

"Let's not stand here talking." Shukichi reminded. "Let's go inside."

"Actually, I've been calling the room, but Genda-san isn't answering." Hishinuma stated.

"Who's Genda-san?" Conan inquired.

"He's a shogi player named Genda Yasukiyo." Shukichi supplied. "He's another member of our study group who's waiting for us in the room."

"I've got a spare key." Mina pulled out her spare key. "We can use this to get inside. Come in." she invited the others in.

In the rented apartment unit...

"Genda-san, we're back." Hishinuma called out. "That's odd." he checked the study area where four shogi boards were laid out. "Genda-san!" he gaped, shocked when he found the dead Genda in the pantry. "Genda-san, are you all right?"

"No way." Mina had also entered the pantry and saw the corpse.

Conan instantly hurried over to feel for a pulse and felt none. Turning back, he found an upturned shogi board with two legs missing. "Yumi-san, call the police and an ambulance." he requested.

After Sato and Takagi were called in...

"So Yumi suspected her boyfriend Haneda Shukichi was cheating, so she followed him." Sato summarized. "She learned he meets a group of young shogi players at this apartment for study sessions. When they came to this room where the study sessions are held, this man was found murdered."

"Mizuno-san has confirmed he was strangled." Takagi remarked. "The first thing she noticed was the Yoshikawa lines that indicated the victim resisted. And she is almost certain the murder weapon is the electrical cord left beside the body."

SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Read and review.