Hashimoto Maya watched Gin's departing back, frozen on the spot. "..." T-That was it? He'd passed?
"Looks like Gin was fairly satisfied with my answer." Hashimoto Maya let out a relieved breath, still shaken, as realization dawned on him. "In other words, a sharp detective like Jiang Xia really is a major threat to the Organization. Even Gin thinks getting rid of him would be a good thing... Sigh, poor Jiang Xia. He didn't do anything wrong—he just became a thorn in the Organization's side because he was too good at deduction. May God protect him from the black-hearted, poisonous hands of those executives."
As he traced a rather imperfect cross over his chest, Hashimoto Maya suddenly turned on instinct and met a pair of reflective glasses in the bushes.
—That four-eyed kid was actually spying on him from afar.
The moment their eyes met, the brat seemed about to run. But after thinking who knew what, he forcibly stopped, then actually came over on his own like a real child.
Hashimoto Maya: "..." Wait, why did I say he was "like" a real child? He clearly was a real child, just a bit too crafty compared to other kids.
As a Peripheral Member of the Organization fought a desperate battle against his instincts.
On the other side.
Conan hadn't expected Hashimoto Maya, who had clearly been spacing out, to turn around and lock eyes with him so precisely.
He had originally intended to pretend he hadn't seen anything, and certainly hadn't noticed Hashimoto Maya's discreet meeting with Gin. But then he reconsidered—at a time like this, the more guilty he acted, the more likely those people would become suspicious.
His thoughts raced, and he gritted his teeth. Putting on an innocent, bewildered expression, he took the initiative to ask