Cherry Blossom City.
District 11.
The streets were adorned with colorful decorations, and flags fluttering in the wind bore the classic images of Corgi and other beloved characters.
The parade set off from the central square of the city, passing by the landmarks of Cherry Blossom City, every corner filled with cheerful music and the cheers of the crowd.
The actors participating in the parade wore meticulously crafted costumes, portraying popular characters like Corgi, Xiao Lan, Haibara Ai, and Kojirou.
The most eye-catching part of the performance was a large thematic float.
The float was decorated with a massive statue of Corgi, surrounded by props symbolizing various cases, such as magnifying glasses, voice changers, and tranquilizer dart guns.
There was even an interactive segment where fans could engage with the actors.
To add realism, professional law enforcers and detectives were also invited.
“We’re finally here!!”
Su Muwan’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at the streets of District 11.
She wore a lightweight beige trench coat, its hem gently swaying in the breeze, accentuating her slender figure.
Underneath, she had on a light blue knit sweater, perfectly complementing the early autumn atmosphere.
“Miss, don’t rush. Let’s settle in first.”
“I found a small villa near the sea.”
Qin Luo followed behind, dragging a suitcase, his gaze warm as he looked at Su Muwan.
Ah, the young lady on a trip—utterly adorable!
“Hehe.”
“Qin Luo, come here quickly.”
Su Muwan turned her head, a radiant smile on her face as she playfully linked arms with Qin Luo.
“Stay still, Qin Luo.”
Su Muwan raised her phone, aiming it at their faces, with the bright blue sky and gently swaying cherry blossom trees in the background.
She carefully adjusted the angle.
“Click!” With the sound of the shutter, the moment was forever captured.
Su Muwan happily looked down at the photo, but when she noticed Qin Luo’s gaze was fixed on her instead of the camera, her cheeks flushed slightly, and her heart seemed to skip a beat.
She looked up and glared at Qin Luo, “Qin Luo, why were you staring at me instead of the camera?!”
Qin Luo chuckled softly, “Because the young lady looks so beautiful when she smiles. Is that answer satisfactory?”
“You! Hmph!”
Su Muwan’s cheeks turned even redder, as if lightly dusted with pink cherry blossom petals. She waved her hands and exclaimed, “How dare you, Qin Luo, act so boldly even in another city!”
Qin Luo smiled and reached out to ruffle Su Muwan’s hair, teasing, “The young lady is much bolder than I am, even leaving a ‘mark’ on me.”
Su Muwan, flustered, retorted, “That’s what everyone does online! It’s proof that you’re a taken man!”
“Alright, alright. But miss, don’t you find it strange?”
“What’s strange?”
“Why are there cherry blossom trees in September?”
“...Qin Luo.”
“What?”
“Could you not ruin the mood? These are obviously artificial cherry blossom trees made for Corgi!!”
Just as she spoke, a wave of screams erupted from nearby.
“Ah—! It’s Kudo Ran!!!”
“The smartest high school detective in history!!”
“They even invited him to this parade!!”
“Hey! Don’t you think Kudo Ran’s character is a lot like a certain washing machine?”
“Huh! Now that you mention it, you’re right!”
Kudo Ran?
Qin Luo and Su Muwan turned toward the source of the commotion.
Amidst the crowd, Kudo Ran stood on a small parade stage, waving and smiling at his fans.
He wore a classic white shirt paired with dark blue suit pants.
Qin Luo pulled out a small card they had received upon entering the district and read aloud, “Kudo Ran, a famous detective from District 11’s high school, has helped law enforcement solve countless baffling cases.”
“Huh, seems a lot like the anime you watch, Miss.”
Su Muwan rolled her eyes, “Please, don’t compare these real-life detectives to my Corgi. It’s not the same at all!”
“Anyway, Qin Luo, let’s go!”
Su Muwan pointed excitedly at a themed store in the distance, her eyes gleaming, “Let’s go buy some figurines!”
Qin Luo looked surprised, "Miss, since when did you start liking figurines? I thought you were into antiques."
Hearing this, Su Muwan puffed out her chest proudly, "Hmph! You don't understand, Qin Luo! This young lady dabbles in everything."
“Fishing, antiques, figurines, flower arranging, tea tasting, wine, models... I even collect rare trading cards!”
Clap, clap, clap.
“Wow!”
Qin Luo applauded, "As expected of the young lady."
“Hehe!”
Su Muwan smiled proudly.
“So, you’re just a jack-of-all-trades, huh?”
“Huh... huh?”
Su Muwan gave Qin Luo a suspicious look. Why did that statement feel a bit off?
But never mind.
She grabbed Qin Luo’s hand and dashed toward the themed store, “Let’s go, let’s go! After we buy stuff, we’ll head to the villa.”
Ding-dong~!
As they entered the store, the shop assistant instinctively greeted them with a smile, “Welcome... eep!”
Mid-sentence, her face turned pale, and she quickly lowered her head.
Such... such intimidating customers...
Su Muwan and Qin Luo walked in.
The former glanced suspiciously at the assistant, who had immediately bowed her head upon seeing her.
She tugged at Qin Luo and whispered, “Qin Luo, is there something on my face?”
Qin Luo looked at Su Muwan, who was practically radiating dark energy, and chuckled, "The young lady is as lovely as ever."
“Phew, you scared me.”
Su Muwan sighed in relief.
Then she turned her attention to the store.
Everywhere she looked, there were themed toys and merchandise related to the day’s parade.
“Qin Luo! I want to buy this!”
Su Muwan ran up to a small glass display case filled with miniature figurines.
Qin Luo nodded, "Miss, forget about just buying this. You could buy the whole store if you wanted."
The shop assistant shivered at his words.
Buy... buy the whole store?
Are they... are they from the mafia?!
“What are you talking about, Qin Luo? The young lady is here to enjoy the atmosphere!”
Su Muwan shot Qin Luo a glare, then happily ran over to a photo booth where she could take pictures with her favorite anime characters.
Click!
After taking a cute photo with Qin Luo, Su Muwan dragged him to another part of the store.
Unbeknownst to them, shortly after they left, a disheveled man entered the photo booth.
One minute, two minutes, three minutes passed...
At the claw machine, Su Muwan and Qin Luo were busy trying to grab a plushie.
Suddenly.
“Ah—!!!”
“There’s a dead body!!!!!”
A scream echoed throughout the store.
Su Muwan froze, her head swiveling as she tried to locate the source of the scream.
What’s going on? A dead body?
Qin Luo blinked.
For some reason, he had a strange premonition.