Let me curse Youko Ono?

Chapter 14: You Want Me to Curse Ono Yoko?

That evening, at the Kojima family's dinner table.

Kojima Genta, a white napkin tied around his neck, happily exclaimed, "Unagi don! Unagi don! We're having unagi don tonight!"

Shu Yunwen looked up and shot Genta a glare.

This little fatty was a pure foodie, getting excited at the mere mention of food. And among all foods, unagi don was what could excite this little fatty the most. During his stay at the Kojima's, Kojima Genta practically whined about eating unagi don every single day. Once unagi don was actually made, the kid could eat at least four bowls—

Shu Yunwen couldn't even eat that much!

Before long, Kojima Mie brought the food out. Kojima Genji also sat down and said, "Let's eat," before everyone picked up their chopsticks and dug in. While eating, Kojima Mie didn't forget to look after Kojima Genta and also served Shu Yunwen, acting like a gentle housewife.

Halfway through the meal, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Kojima Mie stood up and opened the door. A dozen seconds later, Kojima Mie said, "Yunwen, someone's here for you!"

Shu Yunwen put down his chopsticks. "Got it, Aunt Mie. I'm coming out."

Standing up, Shu Yunwen quickly walked to the hallway. Upon seeing the two people standing at the entrance, a smile spread across his face. "I thought you'd actually manage to hold out until I went to the agency tomorrow."

With a clack, one of the two, looking quite disheveled, knelt on the ground and stammered, "Mr. Yunwen, I, I know I was wrong. Please, Mr. Yunwen, remove the spell from me and absolutely do not use such a spell on my family."

"Please!" The speaker was Matsushita Heisaburo.

His attitude now was completely different from that afternoon.

The string of bad luck he experienced that day had terrified him and made him tremble. He couldn't imagine what kind of situation it would be if even more severe "punishments" were cast upon his entire family and friends.

He was scared.

Thursday.

"Ran, aren't you going to attend the club activities this afternoon?" By the shoe lockers, a girl called out loudly as Mori Ran, carrying her schoolbag, walked out of the school building.

Ran turned around and shook her head with a smile. "I'm really sorry. But I have other things to do, so I apologize."

Sonoko poked her head out from behind. "Alright! Alright! Leave her alone! Ever since a kid moved into Ran's house, Ran's been transforming into a perfect wife. She's going home so early, she must be preparing a lavish dinner for that kid again..." Then, Sonoko waved at Ran and shouted, "Ran! Even though Shinichi isn't here these few days, you can't fall for that kid Conan!"

Ran turned her head, looking helpless. "Sonoko, what nonsense are you spouting! Alright, I won't talk anymore, I have to hurry back!"

As she left with her bag, a look of worry crossed Ran's face.

Kudo Shinichi had been missing for a whole week, and she was truly worried. If there was still no news, she would have no choice but to report him missing.

Shu Yunwen looked around and smiled slightly. Then, he saw Tsukamoto Kazumi walking over from not far away. She bowed slightly. "Yunwen-san, hello. Do you have time after school today? There's a coffee shop that opened near the school, and I heard it's quite good..."

"It's Kazumi-san," Shu Yunwen said after glancing at his watch. "If it's just for a cup of coffee, that's fine."

In the past few days, Tsukamoto Kazumi had asked Shu Yunwen out twice more. However, because Shu Yunwen had been busy with agency matters, he had rejected both invitations.

Upon hearing this, Tsukamoto Kazumi beamed happily. "Thank you, Yunwen-san."

Shu Yunwen changed his shoes, and the two of them left the school amidst the whispers of a group of students.

The coffee shop was called Daitou and was indeed near the school. After entering, they scanned the shop. It was half-full, with quite a few students wearing Teitan High School uniforms. The two of them took a seat in the innermost corner, ordered two cups of Blue Mountain and a slice of cake, and started chatting casually.

As for their conversation, Kazumi asked about his studies and health.

While they were chatting happily, Shu Yunwen's schoolbag suddenly rang.

Shu Yunwen apologized and then fumbled in his bag for a pager, pressing the answer button. "Hello, this is Shu Yunwen."

As soon as Shu Yunwen finished speaking, he heard the voice on the other end say, "Mr. Yunwen, it's Matsushita. I apologize for disturbing you, but there's a business matter at the agency that might require your help..."

"Need my help?" Shu Yunwen frowned. "Did someone die?"

Regarding matters at the agency, Shu Yunwen had instructed them not to disturb him unless someone had died, except on holidays—well, if someone died, it might be murder, and Shu Yunwen might be able to absorb souls and gain benefits!

"Of course, of course not," Matsushita said from the other end of the line, wiping sweat from his brow. "It's just a simple business matter. Of course, if you have other things to do..."

Shu Yunwen looked at his watch and then said, "Never mind, I should be free later. Tell me the time and location."

"Okay, Mr. Yunwen," Matsushita said quickly. "The time is 7:30 PM tonight, and the location is a coffee shop in Beika Town, 4-chome."

Shu Yunwen nodded. "I'm currently at the Daitou Coffee Shop near Teitan High School. Could you please pick me up at 7 o'clock?"

"Understood, Mr. Yunwen."

Shu Yunwen hung up the phone, put the pager away, and smiled at Tsukamoto Kazumi. "I'm sorry, Kazumi-san, I have something to do at 7 o'clock, so..."

"It's fine, Yunwen-san. If you have something to do, you don't need to worry about me," Tsukamoto Kazumi said with a sweet smile. She took a sip of her coffee and then asked curiously, "But can you tell me what you're busy with, Yunwen-san?"

Shu Yunwen thought for a moment and explained, "Kazumi-san might know. My father was an Exorcist. A few days ago, I inherited my father's exorcist agency and became the new president. Just now, someone from the agency said they needed my help with a business matter..."

Tsukamoto Kazumi exclaimed in surprise, "Yunwen-san is going to be an Exorcist in the future? But I remember you saying that you wanted to be a manga artist... And you used to think that being an Exorcist was a scam profession..."

"Uh..." Shu Yunwen was taken aback. "Did I say that? I'm sorry, my memory..."

He didn't remember his previous self having such lofty memories!

However, speaking of manga, since he had transmigrated into a world of manga, he had indeed become interested in it. He had gone to bookstores to find some manga and discovered that this was indeed a distorted world, with many famous manga from his past life not appearing at all...

If he really had the talent to draw manga, he might even strike it rich.

"It's okay," Tsukamoto Kazumi shook her head. "Take your time, Yunwen-san will fully recover one day. And when that happens, Hosaka-kun will definitely..."

Tsukamoto Kazumi paused, then asked, "By the way, Yunwen-san, I've never seen an exorcist at work before! Coincidentally, our social studies teacher assigned us homework to observe a profession and write a report. I doubt many classmates would think of being an exorcist. If I can write about it, it'll definitely be excellent. So, Yunwen-san, can I follow you and see how you work? I promise I'll do exactly as you say and won't disturb your work at all. Please!"

Tsukamoto Kazumi pleaded.

"This..." Shu Yunwen hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "...Alright."

Without realizing it, it was almost seven o'clock. The winter sky had already darkened, and night had fallen.

Outside the Daitou Coffee Shop, a car stopped. Matsushita Heisaburo got out and entered the store. His gaze swept across the room, locking onto Shu Yunwen and Tsukamoto Kazumi sitting in the corner. He quickly walked over and bowed, "Greetings, Yunwen-sama. Greetings, student."

Shu Yunwen nodded, picked up the unfinished coffee on the table, and drank it in one gulp. He said to Tsukamoto Kazumi, "Kazumi-san, let's go."

"Hai."

The three of them left the coffee shop together. Shu Yunwen and Tsukamoto Kazumi sat in the back seat, while Matsushita Heisaburo sat in the passenger seat. The driver was the secretary, Adachi Roppei.

Shu Yunwen asked what the matter was. Matsushita Heisaburo then spoke, "It's an entertainer from the entertainment industry, Ms. Ikezawa Yuko. She wishes to cast a curse on her competitor. Yunwen-sama, ever since Keqin-sama passed away, the agency has continued to operate, but it's not as prosperous as before. If we can help Ms. Ikezawa Yuko this time, the agency's reputation can spread again..."

Casting a curse to harm someone?

Shu Yunwen frowned.

When did he become so low-class, helping people cast curses for a little money?

"Matsushita-kun, while I possess this ability, it doesn't mean I can use it carelessly, do you understand?" Shu Yunwen's tone became serious.

"This is all for the agency. So, Yunwen-sama, please!" Matsushita Heisaburo pleaded again. "The agency has been struggling for two months. If we don't see any changes, we'll have to lay off staff next month. Since Keqin-sama's death, besides normal resignations, I haven't laid off a single person. The Keqin Exorcist Agency represents Keqin-sama!"

"This time, please, Yunwen-sama, you must help. Besides, Ms. Ikezawa Yuko likely just wants her rival to have some bad luck. Everything we do does not violate any laws."

Tsukamoto Kazumi looked astonished. "Yunwen-san, are you talking about the famous entertainer Ikezawa Yuko? How could she..."

Shu Yunwen turned to Tsukamoto Kazumi and smiled. "Kazumi-san, you cannot tell anyone what you heard today!" With that, Shu Yunwen said to Matsushita Heisaburo, "Matsushita-kun, I will only agree to this kind of thing once. In the future, if there are similar matters, you must notify me a week in advance, otherwise, I absolutely will not act. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Yunwen-sama!" Matsushita Heisaburo's expression was joyful. "Thank you, Yunwen-sama! I'm so sorry to trouble you!"

Not long after, the car arrived at the agreed-upon coffee shop.

After entering the coffee shop, at 7:30, a woman wearing a hat and large sunglasses hurried in. After asking the waiter, she walked over to Shu Yunwen.

"Hello, President Matsushita..." The woman took off her sunglasses as she approached the group.

Matsushita Heisaburo quickly stood up. "Hello, Ikezawa-san. Also, I am no longer the president of the agency. This is Yunwen-sama, the son of the former president Keqin-sama, and our current president. He is a very powerful exorcist who can help you solve some problems..."

Ikezawa Yuko looked at Shu Yunwen, who was still in his school uniform, and nodded. "Hello, Yunwen-sama."

Shu Yunwen did not stand up, but bowed slightly from his seat. "Hello, Ms. Ikezawa Yuko."

After a few pleasantries, Shu Yunwen spoke directly, "Ikezawa-san, my time is limited, so let's get straight to the point. You want me to curse your competitor, correct?"

"That's right," Ikezawa Yuko said through gritted teeth. "That woman is always better than me in every aspect. What's even more infuriating is that she stole the lead role in a TV drama that should have been mine. Ono Yoko, that woman is simply, simply unforgivable!"

"Um... um?"

Shu Yunwen froze when he heard the name Ikezawa Yuko mentioned.

Did she just say... Ono Yoko?

The biggest star in the entire Detective Conan world? The idol that Mori Kogoro worships, Ono Yoko?

Also, upon closer thought, the name Ikezawa Yuko sounded familiar! Come to think of it, in the episode where Ono Yoko first appeared, there was an actress who resented Ono Yoko with that very name...

Beside Shu Yunwen, Tsukamoto Kazumi looked astonished, watching the somewhat ferocious expression on Ikezawa Yuko's face, seemingly unable to believe this was the idol she admired.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Shu Yunwen nodded and said, "So, the target you want me to curse is Ono Yoko?"

"That's right. Please, Yunwen-sama, you must help me!" Ikezawa Yuko bowed.

Shu Yunwen smiled slightly and then said, "Since you hate Ono Yoko so much, I'll give you an opportunity. I can help you curse Ono Yoko to death, and you only need to pay double the fee..."

"Yunwen-san..." Tsukamoto Kazumi was startled and looked at Shu Yunwen in disbelief.

Matsushita and Adachi also looked at Shu Yunwen in surprise. "Yunwen-sama..."

Shu Yunwen raised a hand, signaling them to be quiet, and waited for Ikezawa Yuko's answer.

Ikezawa Yuko was stunned for a while before stammering, "No, I, I just wanted her to have some bad luck. I never thought about making her die. On Saturday night, there's a live broadcast program on Nichiuri TV that Ono Yoko will be participating in. As long as she makes a fool of herself then, I'll be satisfied."

Although Ikezawa Yuko disliked Ono Yoko, it wasn't to the point of wanting her dead. She was just an ordinary actress, and their conflict, strictly speaking, was only professional, not to that extent.

A smile appeared on Shu Yunwen's face.

The reason he said he could curse Ono Yoko to death was merely to test the waters; he had no intention of actually killing Ono Yoko. In fact, if Ikezawa Yuko had agreed to his proposal to kill Ono Yoko, Shu Yunwen would have refused her as a client.

"Alright, if that's the case, then... Ms. Ikezawa Yuko, please prepare the money. On Saturday, you will definitely see Ono Yoko..."

Before Shu Yunwen could finish speaking, a female police officer in uniform walked in from the hallway and flashed her ID in front of Ikezawa Yuko. "Excuse me, are you Ms. Ikezawa Yuko? I'm Takagi from the First Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Department. We have a case that requires you to come to the scene and assist with the investigation."

"Po, police officer?" Ikezawa Yuko's expression turned panicked. "Wh, why are you looking for me? I, I haven't done anything..."

Shu Yunwen rolled his eyes.

Her reaction would only make her seem more suspicious.

Shu Yunwen stood up and greeted her proactively. "Officer Chō, I am Shu Yunwen. We've met at the Metropolitan Police Department."

Officer Chō, who was Takagi Chosuke.

Because Shu Yunwen had been involved in two murder cases, he had to go to the Metropolitan Police Department to give a statement. The officer responsible for taking his statement was this very Takagi Chosuke.

Takagi Chosuke turned his head, his narrowed eyes scanning Shu Yunwen's face for a moment before he spoke, "So it's you, the high school student with an old man's face? What are you doing with Ikezawa Yuko? Hmm... were you with her all afternoon?"

"No, we only arrived here at seven," Shu Yunwen shook his head, then suddenly seemed to recall something. "Officer Takagi, did something serious happen? For example... did someone die?"

Shu Yunwen thought of the case where Ono Yoko's ex-boyfriend committed suicide.

Could it be that coincidental?

Takagi Chosuke narrowed his eyes and stared intently at Shu Yunwen. After a moment of silence, he said, "You were with Ikezawa Yuko, so you can be considered involved in the case. If you have time, why don't you come to the scene with me?"

Shu Yunwen stood up and smiled, "Of course, no problem, I have time."

This is the first murder case Shinichi solved after becoming Conan!

Shu Yunwen naturally had to go join in the excitement~