"Sonoko, your ears are really sharp." Chen looked at Sonoko Suzuki as he spoke.
"Of course. As long as there's even the slightest sound, I can hear it." Sonoko said proudly.
"But Sonoko, could you stop eavesdropping on other people?"
"I wasn't eavesdropping." Sonoko said. How was she eavesdropping? She had clearly been listening openly.
"Fine." Chen spread his hands and said nothing more. Then he told Sonoko, "You can't listen to this. This is something that can't be discussed."
"Why not?" Sonoko persisted.
"There are many reasons. The main one is that I don't want to tell you." Chen smiled faintly.
Knowing she would not get anything out of him, Sonoko stopped asking. But that did not mean she had given up.
At that moment, Sonoko was trying to get Ran Mouri to ask for her, but Ran refused. So Sonoko kept trying to persuade Ran. Chen naturally noticed what Sonoko was doing and found it rather amusing.
Why Haven't You Left Yet?
"What did Heiji Hattori's mother, Shizuka Hattori, want with you?" Akako Koizumi asked Chen.
"What else could it be? Don't tell me you can't guess." Chen glanced at Akako. He refused to believe she could not figure it out.
"It must have been because of Heiji Hattori."
Akako guessed it was definitely because of Heiji. He had been bullied badly enough to end up in the hospital, so Shizuka certainly would not ignore it.
Chen nodded at Akako. Shizuka had indeed come because of that. Otherwise, why would she have sought him out?
"So how did you answer her?" Akako asked Chen curiously.
"How else could I answer? I didn't answer at all." Chen shrugged.
"That makes sense. I imagine she must have wanted you to apologize, and with your personality, that would be practically impossible."