Miss Xiaolan's mood was very low.

She had been looking forward to this day for a long time.

During the day today, she has been thinking about how to greet Shinichi after seeing Shinichi, how to give gifts, and what tone to say happy birthday to Shinichi...

She was well prepared for this.

But the Rice Flower Municipal Building, the place where she and Shinichi made an appointment, was blocked for some reason.

Although it may not seem like a trivial matter, there are still a bunch of people around the municipal building who do not listen to the advice of the police and stubbornly choose to watch.

Xiaolan was not interested in watching, but thinking that Shinichi might be in the crowd, she used her karate strength a little and squeezed through the crowd to find Shinichi's figure.

But I didn't find it.

Shinichi must just be late...

Seeing that the appointed time had come, Xiaolan comforted herself in her heart, and then heard the phone.

Shinichi!

Xiaolan happily took out her mobile phone, glanced at it, and then was a little disappointed.

It is a number that I don't recognize. However, maybe Shinichi was calling from another phone?

Thinking like this, Xiaolan answered the phone.

But the opposite side is not Shinichi, but Conan.

Conan's voice sounded panicked, saying that she should leave the municipal building... But she was already outside. Did the kid run into another case?

Thinking like this, Xiaolan told Conan about the situation at the scene as she walked, and her mood was a little better. But halfway through the conversation, someone hit me from behind.

Originally, the bag she was carrying in her hand containing the red shirt she bought for Shinichi accidentally got rid of it.

Hurriedly picking up the bag, Xiaolan breathed a sigh of relief, and then found that the phone with Conan had been hung up.

Did she accidentally touch it or did Conan hang up?

Xiaolan didn't know.

After a moment's hesitation, Xiaolan put away her mobile phone and glanced at the Twilight Police Department, and found that the officers were all standing near the blockade at this time, as if they were looking at the municipal building.

Her luck had always been good, and she saw the Twilight Police Department at a glance. After hesitating for a moment, thinking that the "blockade" of the municipal building might have something to do with Shinichi, Xiaolan decided to go to the Twilight Police Department to ask him.

As she squeezed through the crowd and came to the vicinity of the Twilight Police Department, her phone rang again.

It's still an unfamiliar number.

But this time, it's Shinichi who called.

He asked her to meet somewhere else.

The municipal building can't get in, and there are crowds of onlookers around it, so it's really not a place to meet.

So Xiaolan squeezed through the crowd again and rushed towards the location where the new one said.

Tropical paradise.

She remembered here.

The last time she and Shinichi met here, Shinichi left her alone to investigate the case. The only time they met after that, Shinichi only asked a few words about the case and disappeared again.

Slightly caught up in the memories, Xiaolan came to the gate expectantly and apprehensively. By this time, it was almost midnight and the amusement park had closed for business.

But the door is open.

Shinichi, that guy must have snuck in again.

After saying a new word in her heart, Xiaolan walked through the gate and noticed that there were several street lights on the road inside. This made her breathe a sigh of relief.

For her, who is afraid of ghosts, walking alone in the dark is also a frightening thing.

But after walking for a while, she realized that these street lights were in the direction she was going... I didn't expect that guy from Shinichi to be quite considerate... But that guy shouldn't have slipped into someone else's control room, right?

While thinking and walking, Xiaolan soon came to the location designated by Shinichi.

I don't know where I brought a few lighting fixtures to illuminate the middle very brightly.

She subconsciously walked to the middle, holding the bag with the gift in both hands, waiting for the new one to appear.

A few minutes later.

"Really, Shinichi doesn't know where to go, and he hasn't come yet."

Xiaolan muttered in a low voice, looked at it, and vaguely felt that this neighborhood was a little familiar.

And then...

There was a cold touch on his cheeks.

Startled, Xiaolan turned around and saw Kudo Shimba standing in front of her with a groan.

Holding a can of iced Coke in his hand.

"Take it, you must be thirsty, right?"

"Shinichi!" Xiaolan was pleasantly surprised, and took the cola with a free hand holding the bag, "Really, you're late again!" ”

"Is there one? I think it's just right. Kudo Shinichi said, "Look, ten, nine, eight..."

"Huh?"

“… Three, two, one! ”

The clock rang suddenly at midnight.

The two stood in the middle of the square, surrounded by a curtain of water as the countdown ended.

The fountains inside and outside the two circles sprayed water upwards at the same time, enclosing the two of them in the water curtain, and a few droplets of water splashed and fell on the two of them.

Shinichi actually remembers them all...

"Hey, this is the way I've been saying hello for a long time, why are you crying?"

"Not really!" Xiaolan rubbed the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand carrying the bag, "It's just the water of the fountain!" Also, I've been thinking about it for a long time, and it's exactly the same as the last time I was here! ”

"Even what you just said is almost exactly the same!" Lan continued, and then noticed that the bag containing the gift was still in the hand she had just raised, "Ah, yes—"

"Shinichi, Happy Birthday!" Xiaolan carried the bag in front of her and handed it to Kudo Shinichi.

"Got it," Kudo Shinichi said, taking the bag and looking at it, "Really, it's just a birthday, and it's going to be so troublesome... Thanks. ”

"It's not because you've never grown up, and you won't remember your birthday if others don't remind you," Xiaolan said, secretly observing Kudo Shinichi's expression, and then, "... Shinichi? ”

"What's the matter?"

"There's a lot of sweat on your forehead," Xiaolan said worriedly, "Haven't you had a cold last time?" ”

"It's just that I ran too quickly, stupid, how could I catch a cold for so long," Kudo Shinichi said, "I'm very busy, and I still have a case to investigate... It's almost time to go. ”

"Huh!? Is this leaving? ”

"yes, it's a very important case." Kudo Shinichi said as he took out his phone, "Let's take a picture?" ”

Xiaolan, who was completely unprepared, quickly changed Coke from her right hand to her left hand, and then opened her right hand to hug Kudo Shinichi's arm and prepare for a photo pose.

However, before she could even react, Kudo Shinichi stood behind her side, crossed her shoulder and stretched out his arm holding the phone-

Click.

Xiaolan hugged the air.

A sense of loss welled up in her heart, and she hurriedly turned around, only to see that the curtain of water had fallen at some point.

Shinichi Kudo waved his phone with his back to her and ran into the darkness, leaving only the sentence "I'll find a chance to send you the photo".

After chasing a step forward, Xiaolan realized that the laces had fallen apart at some point.

Shinichi Kudo disappeared from her sight.

……

Today, too, is an empty birthday.