The Washing Machine Shrinks

Tropical Land, nightfall.

The Ferris wheel, adorned with colorful lights, turned slowly. The surrounding buildings were also lit up, and despite it being night, it wasn't dark.

On the path leading to the exit, Shu Yunwen, Washing Machine, Ran, Kazumi, Genta, and others walked along, chatting occasionally.

Kudo Shinichi, that attention-seeking fellow, took Shu Yunwen's handheld camera, looked at it for a moment, then handed it back to Shu Yunwen. He then proceeded to find some sense of superiority, saying, "So, Shu-san, you were able to determine she was the culprit and figure out her method because you happened to film her committing the crime, right?"

"Mhm..." Shu Yunwen rolled his eyes and checked the newly loaded tape in the camera. "...If saying that makes Student Kudo feel any better, then Student Kudo can think that."

After the case was over, when Inspector Megure was gathering his team, he had intended to take Shu Yunwen's camera as well. However, after Shu Yunwen's strong arguments, Inspector Megure ended up only taking the tape. At this point, if the camera were taken, it was highly likely that the scene of Kudo Shinichi shrinking would not be captured.

Alright, Shu Yunwen was now very suspicious. With his interference, the plot had become a mess. Whether "Washing Machine" would actually shrink was questionable.

"Huh? What do you mean 'feel any better'?" Kudo Shinichi, whose thoughts had been exposed, was somewhat exasperated as Shu Yunwen was lost in thought.

Ran quickly said from the side, "Shinichi! The way you're speaking is so rude!" Then, Ran apologized to Shu Yunwen, "Shu-san, I'm really sorry..."

"N-no, it's fine!" Shu Yunwen waved his hand and then asked, "By the way, Student Kudo, weren't you going to track someone? Did you not succeed in the end?"

Kudo Shinichi froze for a moment, then became dejected. "I was following them fine, but then I lost them. I followed them to several places, and finally, they got away from me inside a fast-food restaurant..."

Today seemed to be quite a blow to Kudo Shinichi. He tried to track Gin and Vodka, only to be shaken off. He rushed back after hearing about the case at the roller coaster, only to have Shu Yunwen solve it before him.

Yes, this was a double blow!

"I see!" Shu Yunwen smiled. Just as he was thinking Conan-kun might have been stifled by him, his expression suddenly changed as he looked in a certain direction.

Kudo Shinichi followed Shu Yunwen's gaze and his expression also changed.

He saw two familiar figures, one stout and one tall and thin!

Instantly, Kudo Shinichi, who had been somewhat dispirited, became full of energy. "Shu-san, Xiumei, Ran, I have to leave again. Shu-san, as a man, you must see the little kid, Xiumei, and Ran home!"

Shu Yunwen opened his mouth, then nodded. "Don't worry!"

"Shinichi!" Ran was worried.

"Ran, don't worry about me. Call me when you get home!" Kudo Shinichi made a phone gesture at his ear and chased after Gin and Vodka.

Ran watched Kudo Shinichi run further and further away, still with her hand outstretched, her face filled with sadness and reluctance.

"...He's gone... At that moment, I don't know why, but I suddenly had a premonition, an ominous premonition that I would never see Shinichi again..."

"..."

"...Ah!!!" Ran glared angrily at Shu Yunwen, clenching her fists, having the urge to beat Shu Yunwen black and blue. "Shu-san! How could you do something like that? This is simply, simply too rude!"

"Ah~ Well, I'm really sorry." Shu Yunwen scratched his head awkwardly, apologizing repeatedly.

That's right, the "He's gone" and all that wasn't a voice-over or Ran's inner monologue, but words Shu Yunwen had spoken while standing next to Ran...

Yeah, that behavior was truly despicable!

Tsukamoto Kazumi gave Shu Yunwen a helpless eye-roll and then apologized. "Ran, I'm really sorry, Yunwen-san didn't mean any harm..."

Shu Yunwen apologized again. "Sorry, Student Mori, please do forgive me!"

"Hmph... Annoying! So annoying! I'll walk home myself, don't follow me!" Mori Ran finally glared hatefully at Shu Yunwen and quickly ran off, leaving first. As she ran away, Ran thought to herself—why were the words Shu Yunwen said exactly the same as what she was thinking at that moment?

This... was too strange.

At this moment, Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi, the three little ones, stared at Shu Yunwen with dead fish eyes.

Ayumi: "How hateful, bullying a girl!"

Mitsuhiko: "And I admired you so much!"

Genta: "I'm going to tell Mom about today! Doing such a hateful thing, unforgivable!"

Then, the three little ones stuck out their tongues at Shu Yunwen and made faces.

Shu Yunwen was displeased. Tsukamoto Kazumi reached out and patted the three little ones on the head. "Yunwen-san has already apologized to Ran." After speaking, Tsukamoto Kazumi turned to Shu Yunwen and said, "Yunwen-san, this kind of prank is indeed very hateful! Please don't do it again in the future."

"Uh... I know." Shu Yunwen nodded, then suddenly clutched his stomach. "Excuse me, my stomach suddenly hurts a lot. Kazumi-san, could you hold my things for me? I need to go to the restroom and I'll be right back. Wait for me!"

Tsukamoto Kazumi took the things Shu Yunwen handed over and nodded. "Okay, Yunwen-san."

Watching Shu Yunwen walk away, Ayumi suddenly said, "That's strange!"

Mitsuhiko followed up, "Why is Brother Yunwen taking the camera to the restroom?"

Genta, that guy, chimed in, "Does Brother Yunwen want to film himself using the restroom and watch it later?"

"Ugh~~"

Ayumi and Mitsuhiko looked at Genta with expressions of horror and disgust. Even Tsukamoto Kazumi glanced at Genta's way of thinking, finding it too bizarre.

"G-Genta, you're so disgusting!" Mitsuhiko's face turned green.

Ayumi looked horrified. "That's something only a pervert would do, right?"

"Huh? Is it?" Genta looked confused.

"Mhm, mhm!" Mitsuhiko and Ayumi nodded vigorously.

Ten minutes later.

Behind a building, surrounded by bushes, with grass on the ground.

Kudo Shinichi crashed heavily onto the ground. Gin walked out from behind him. "Vodka, you were too careless. We were tracked by this brat this afternoon, and you still let your guard down and let him see the transaction."

Vodka ran over, pulling a gun from his pocket. "Damn it! Let's just kill him!"

Gin stopped him. "Put the gun away. Because of some trouble this afternoon, there are still police patrolling around here..."

"Did something happen this afternoon?" Vodka asked.

Gin's gaze was sinister. "Just a small matter. A man's head accidentally fell off while riding a roller coaster... Never mind."

As he spoke, Gin reached into his pocket and pulled out a box from his trench coat pocket. "Let's use the drug instead. This is a new poison developed by the organization. Even after death, it's impossible to detect the toxin. This drug hasn't been tested on humans yet, so let's use him as the first one... Oh, right, I heard this guy is some kind of high school detective?"

"Kudo Shinichi, right? A brat who doesn't know his place!" Vodka raised his leg and kicked Kudo Shinichi.

After administering the drug, Gin and Vodka jogged away.

About five minutes later, Shu Yunwen walked in from outside the bushes, a smile on his face, his camera on, filming the scene before him. About five or six minutes later, suddenly, Kudo Shinichi, lying on the ground, let out a piercing scream from his mouth, and then his whole body began to shrink, shrink, and shrink, like melting ice and snow, finally turning into a little kid.

"Whew~~ This feeling... is really terrifying." Shu Yunwen shrugged, whistled, turned off the camera, and walked out of the bushes.

Walking a few steps quickly, Shu Yunwen saw a security guard and quickly greeted him. "Hello, sir. I just saw a child lying on the ground in those bushes!"

"Really? I'll go take a look right away. Sir, may I ask who you are... Sir? Sir?" The security guard responded, asking for Shu Yunwen's identity. Seeing that Shu Yunwen didn't answer and was walking further away, he hesitated for a moment before heading towards the bushes.

He had to go and see if there was really a child there first!

"I'm really very sorry to have kept you waiting!" Shu Yunwen scratched his head apologetically and apologized repeatedly.

Tsukamoto Kazumi smiled and said, "It's okay. How about you, Shu-san? Do you need me to accompany you to the infirmary?"

"No, no need. I probably just had a bit of a stomachache, and I feel much better now."

As soon as Shu Yunwen finished speaking, Mitsuhiko said with dissatisfaction, "You feel much better, but I'm starving."

"Me too, Ayumi is so hungry," Ayumi added unhappily.

Shu Yunwen quickly said, "Sorry, sorry~ I'll take you back now."

Genta, the glutton, grumbled from the side, "Aren't you going to treat us to something to apologize?"

Shu Yunwen and Tsukamoto Kazumi exchanged glances.

Neither of them had any appetite right now. Thinking about what happened this afternoon still turned their stomachs, and they probably wouldn't be able to eat for a day or two.

"It's too late today. When I have time another day, I'll treat you to something, okay?" Shu Yunwen said.

After comforting the three children, Shu Yunwen and the others left Tropical Land.

Tsukamoto Kazumi's house was indeed near Tropical Land.

After taking Tsukamoto Kazumi home first, Shu Yunwen took a taxi and sent Ayumi and Mitsuhiko home one by one, and then he and Genta arrived at home, listening to Kojima Mie's nagging.

After dinner, Shu Yunwen returned to his room and watched the footage of Kudo Shinichi transforming into Conan again with his camera. He heard Kojima Mie call him to the phone. Shu Yunwen left the room and answered the call, then heard the person on the other end say, "Shu-san, hello, I'm Mori Ran. I got your home phone number from my teacher. I'm calling to ask about Shinichi. It's very late now, but no one is answering when I call Shinichi's house. May I ask if you've seen Shinichi after we parted ways?"

Shu Yunwen smiled and said, "You mean Student Kudo? I'm sorry, I haven't seen Student Kudo after we parted ways."

"Is that so?" Ran sounded disappointed.

Shu Yunwen smiled and said, "Student Mori, Student Kudo might not be answering the phone for some reason. For example, he might be in the restroom, taking a bath, or out grabbing a bite to eat. I suggest that Student Mori go wait at Student Kudo's house, and you might find him!"

Hmm. The phone not connecting means the Washing Machine hasn't come home yet. Letting Ran go to his door is definitely a wise move~

"Shu-san is right." Ran responded, "I'm sorry to have bothered you."

Shu Yunwen also took the opportunity to apologize again. "By the way, Student Mori, I'm really sorry about what happened this evening. I didn't mean any harm."

"Shu-san, please don't mind. I forgive you." Ran said magnanimously.

After hanging up the phone, Shu Yunwen returned to his room and continued watching the hard-won footage.

At the same time, in Professor Agasa's room, Professor Agasa looked at the shrunken Kudo Shinichi in front of him and stammered:

"You, you really are Shinichi!"