Detective Conan: I'm a Boy, But They Treat Me Like a Big Sister — Chapter 57

Chapter 57: The Perfect Sister of the Yukinoshita Family

Friday morning. The gentle hum of Class 2-F at Sobu High School filled the air.

Tōhō Getsukai sat by the window, his elbow propped lazily against the desk, his chin resting in his palm as he gazed out at the drifting clouds.

The scenes from last night were still replaying in his mind like a movie reel. He pictured the tiny, shivering girl curled up tightly beneath his heavy blankets, only the upper half of her pale face exposed to the cool air.

“I will bring you danger… Aren’t you afraid?”

At the time, Tōhō had simply reached out, gently stroking that fluffy, strawberry-blonde head. Using his flawlessly sweet, regal girl-voice, he had whispered, “Big sister will protect you.”

That single sentence had been enough to completely shatter the little girl’s emotional defenses.

Who would have ever guessed that the cold, genius scientist of the former Black Organization would turn into such a massive crybaby after shrinking down? She had clung to his waist, sobbing out “big sister” with every ragged breath, crying so hard she practically blew snot bubbles.

Regardless of the mess, the system’s cultivation progress bar had surged forward significantly. A very good thing.

A flash of golden twin-tails suddenly swung into his field of vision, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Eriri was draped over the back of the seat directly in front of him. She leaned in close, her large, cerulean-blue eyes narrowed in deep suspicion.

“Where exactly did you go when you asked for leave these past two days?” she demanded, inspecting his face. “Were you sick?”

Tōhō propped his chin up a little higher, offering a nonchalant, stunning smile. “I wasn’t sick. I just went to tease a Great Detective.”

“…Huh?”

Eriri’s face instantly filled with question marks. Her mouth opened and closed a few times like a stranded fish before she finally squeezed out, “Can you stop talking like you’re reciting some top-secret spy code every time you open your mouth?”

Tōhō ignored her entirely. His phone vibrated against the desk, and his gaze dropped to the illuminated screen.

A message from Aunt Yukiko.

[Yuekui-chan~ Come shopping with big sister this weekend! I saw a dress I liked last time and I desperately want you to give me some advice. Eri Kisaki has to go to court this weekend and can’t accompany me, I’m so miserable!!!]

The text was followed by a barrage of seventeen different crying and sparkling emojis, the sheer gaudiness of it perfectly rivaling an elementary school student’s first cell phone.

Tōhō tapped out a simple “Sure,” and locked the screen.

When he looked up, Eriri was still leaning over the back of her chair, staring at him. She radiated a persistent, heavy aura of I-am-not-leaving-until-you-explain-yourself.

“Eriri.”

“What?”

“From my current angle, I can see straight down your neckline when you lean over like that.”

Eriri gasped. She instantly shot upright, slapping both hands over her collarbone. A furious crimson flush crawled up her neck, burning all the way to the tips of her ears.

“Y-you…!”

Tōhō had already casually flipped open his textbook, laughing inwardly at the display.

What was the point of being so shy? Even if she covered up, they were barely the size of small steamed buns anyway.

Late afternoon. The final school bell echoed across the campus.

Tōhō walked down the quiet corridor leading to the special building. His little leather shoes clicked softly against the floorboards, and the setting sun cast long, elegant shadows of his legs, perfectly wrapped in knee-high socks.

The door to the Service Club was slightly ajar.

The moment he pushed it open, he noticed Yuigahama wasn’t there.

Yukinoshita sat in her usual spot by the window, a hardcover book resting in her lap. But the atmosphere in the room was entirely wrong.

Sitting in the chair directly opposite her was a strange woman.

Her long legs were elegantly crossed, sheathed in sheer black silk. She held a porcelain teacup between her slender fingers, looking incredibly relaxed, as if she owned the room. She had long black hair, exquisitely sharp features, and wore a perfect, radiant smile that didn’t possess a single visible flaw.

The initial visual impact was undeniably strong. But Tōhō had seen countless beauties in his life.

He had seen this exact kind of smile far too many times. Anything polished to the point of absolute flawlessness was, in itself, the greatest flaw of all.

He leaned against the wooden doorframe, making no sound.

“Ah, Yukino-chan, look. Someone’s here.”

The woman spoke first, her tone light, melodic, and cheerful.

Yukinoshita slowly looked up, her dark eyes landing on the silver-haired boy at the door.

“…Classmate Tōhō.” She hesitated for a fraction of a beat, her grip tightening slightly on her book. “This is my… older sister. Yukinoshita Haruno.”

Tōhō quickly searched his mental database.

Yukinoshita Haruno.

The number one perfect human in Chiba Prefecture. A walking social nuclear bomb. A woman who, legend had it, was born without a single shortcoming.

Simultaneously, she was the primary supplier of all of Yukinoshita’s deep-seated psychological trauma.

Haruno had already stood up. She walked gracefully around the small coffee table, taking two measured steps to stand directly in front of Tōhō. Then, she slowly circled him.

Her eyes tracked from his flowing silver hair to his delicate face, down to his shoulder line, sweeping over his legs, and finally returning to his eyes.

Throughout the entire invasive inspection, that radiant smile remained perfectly plastered on her face, the arc of her lips unchanging.

“My, my~” Haruno clapped her hands together lightly. “I’ve finally met the legendary new member of the Service Club. You’re even prettier than my own sister.”

The end of her sentence rose with a playful, teasing lilt.

But Tōhō’s Micro-Expression Insight skill had already dissected the sentence into its raw, ugly components. On the surface, it was a glowing compliment directed at him. In reality, it was a jagged knife twisted directly into Yukinoshita’s ribs.

Haruno continued, her smile sweet enough to rot teeth.

“Yukino hasn’t had many friends since she was little. Having a club member like you to keep her company… this big sister can finally rest easy.”

She sighed, tilting her head to fully embody the persona of a deeply concerned sibling. “She’s exactly the same at home, you know? Staying locked in her room all alone, never talking to anyone. It’s such a good thing someone is actually willing to get along with her now.”

“But then again.” Haruno paused, shifting her gaze back to her younger sister. “With Yukino’s difficult personality… can she really keep someone as outstanding as you around?”

It was textbook-level gaslighting. She used familial concern as a velvet sheath, and cold facts as the blade.

Tōhō remained completely motionless by the door, mildly curious. Had the eldest Miss Yukinoshita really come all the way to the school today just to sabotage her sister’s fragile social life?

He leaned comfortably against the frame, his silver hair cascading over his shoulders, thoroughly enjoying this one-woman theatrical performance.

Across the room, Yukinoshita’s face had drained of color. Her lips were pressed into a thin, bloodless line, but she remained completely silent, taking the verbal beating without a word.

“Senior Yukinoshita.”

Tōhō finally spoke. His sweet girl-voice was calm and unhurried, carrying the unique, lazy warmth of a late afternoon breeze.

Haruno tilted her head, her flawless smile unwavering. “Hmm?”

“I’m a boy, you know.”

Haruno’s smile instantly froze.

She blinked, her eyes darting up and down Tōhō’s figure once more. The long silver hair. The excessively exquisite facial features. The slender waist. Those legs beneath the pleated JK skirt that made it impossible to look away.

No matter what angle she viewed him from, he was a breathtakingly beautiful girl.

How on earth was this a boy?

Wait. Haruno’s mind clicked. No wonder this ‘girl’ is even flatter than my sister.

“Eh! Really? I couldn’t tell at all!” Haruno patted her chest, acting as though she had been genuinely startled out of her wits.

“Aha, how interesting.” She laughed, taking a smooth step back and folding her arms beneath her chest. “Being so blunt is also a very cute trait!”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“Mmhmm! I will definitely remember you… cute Classmate Tōhō.” Haruno gave him an extremely subtle, calculating look, then checked the delicate watch on her wrist.

“I have things to do, so… I’ll be going now.” She picked up her designer bag from the back of the chair and walked toward the door with a light, bouncy gait.

As she brushed past Tōhō, she tilted her head, leaning in just a fraction closer to his ear.

“Come play again next time. You are absolutely welcome!”

She drew out the final syllable like a purr.

The door clicked shut. The sharp sound of her heels faded away down the corridor.

The club room plunged back into heavy silence, leaving only the rhythmic, droning sound of cicadas outside the open window.

Tōhō turned around.

Yukinoshita was still sitting rigidly in her chair. Now that the invisible string pulling her taut had finally snapped, a deep, overwhelming exhaustion surfaced in her dark eyes.

Tōhō walked over slowly and took the seat opposite her.

He didn’t say a word.

Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a small thermos, poured a cup of warm water, and gently slid it across the table until it rested right beside Yukinoshita’s hand.

Then, he opened his own book and began to read quietly.

He didn’t ask what had happened. He didn’t offer empty, pitying comfort. He didn’t even mention Haruno’s name.

He just stayed there, a quiet, grounding presence in the room.

Yukinoshita stared down at the steam rising from the cup of water for a very long time.

“…It’s embarrassing, isn’t it.”