"White!"
The moment the little shota spoke, Ran instinctively covered her legs, her face turning a bright crimson.
"How could you say something like that? That's so rude!" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of embarrassment and admonishment.
Akashi tilted his head in surprise and responded matter-of-factly, "It's just panties, isn't it? It's not like I'm not wearing any. They look cute."
Ran's face turned an even deeper shade of red.
'Bang!'
It felt as though steam was escaping from her head, transforming her into a literal steam girl.
She consoled herself silently, 'Akashi is still a child. He doesn't understand these things. There's no point in getting upset with him.'
Meanwhile, Akashi, oblivious to Ran's embarrassment, turned his attention to the monitoring console. With some effort—his short legs making it quite a challenge—he clambered onto the chair and began operating the playback controls.
"Being small is such a hassle sometimes," he muttered under his breath.
By this point, Ran had calmed down and approached him, her curiosity piqued.
"Akashi, how do you know how to use these controls?"
Akashi chuckled, flashing a cheeky grin. "Because I'm a genius. Just a little fiddling, and I can figure it out!"
It was a flimsy excuse at best, but Ran accepted it without question.
'That makes sense!' she thought. 'Akashi is so handsome and clever—of course he's a genius! He might even be smarter than Shinichi was at his age!'
With a gentle smile, she reached out and stroked Akashi's fluffy hair, her fingers gliding through the soft strands as if petting a small kitten.
Just then, Akashi froze the surveillance footage on the screen.
"Found it!" he announced.
Ran leaned closer, her eyes fixed on the display. The footage showed the 22nd-floor corridor, timestamped from the previous night.
And there it was—the person who had earlier claimed not to be at the scene, caught on camera.
---
Meanwhile, back on the 22nd floor, Conan's sharp mind had pieced all the clues together. The little detective was ready to present his deductions.
'The art of dramatic flair never rests!' he thought with determination.
Today, another young talent had stolen the spotlight, and Conan, ever competitive, was determined to reclaim it.
However, being a "strange child" meant his words carried little weight. Every time he tried to voice his reasoning, he was brushed aside. Speaking too loudly only risked drawing Kogoro's infamous "iron fist of justice."
Frustrated, Conan decided to take a bold risk. He discreetly kicked an empty can, causing a commotion that left Kogoro unconscious.
Using the voice changer he'd received from Dr. Agasa, Conan mimicked Kogoro's voice and began his reasoning.
"Everyone, I've figured it out. I know who the real murderer is. It's not any of the three suspects here."
Gasps echoed through the room as "Kogoro" continued, his voice carrying authority.
"The murderer… is the deceased lying on the floor!"
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Inspector Megure frowned in disbelief. "What are you saying? Did he kill himself?"
"Brother Mōri, are you seriously suggesting this is a suicide? Don't be ridiculous," he added. "The dagger was lodged in the victim's back! How could someone stab themselves in the back to commit suicide?"
The onlookers exchanged incredulous glances. The idea seemed utterly impossible.
——
Conan let out a few mocking chuckles before explaining with confidence:
"It might seem impossible, but with a little preparation, it's actually quite simple."
"Earlier, we all noticed the high temperature in the apartment, the water stains on the floor, and the noticeable depression nearby."
"Additionally, there was a neatly placed chair near those stains."
He gestured toward the scene. "All the deceased had to do was prop the dagger upright using ice and raise the temperature in the room. Standing on the chair, he aligned himself, and then deliberately fell backward, impaling himself on the dagger."
"If he turned his body before death, it would give the impression of someone lying face-down and being stabbed in the back. Once the ice melted due to the heat, the water would leave stains, and the setup would disappear."
Conan's explanation sent a wave of realization through the room as everyone turned to examine the scene.
"This method… it's actually plausible!" someone murmured.
Officer Takagi Wataru, however, raised a question. "But why would the victim go through all this trouble to die at Yoko's apartment?"
Conan fixed his gaze on Yoko. "That's a question only Miss Yoko can answer."
His words made Yoko pale visibly.
At that moment, officers from the investigative unit rushed in.
"Inspector! We've identified the deceased. His name is Akiyoshi Fujie, a graduate of Konan High School!"
Hearing the name of her alma mater, Yoko's expression darkened. She let out a shaky sigh.
"Yes, I know him," she admitted. "He was my boyfriend when I was in school. But we broke up years ago. His appearance changed so much that I didn't even recognize him at first."
She paused, her voice trembling. "But I don't understand… why would he do this?"
---
Conan's sharp mind quickly pieced together the clues, forming a logical explanation.
The earring under the sofa was a key detail—it proved that Yuko Ikezawa had been in this apartment.
And, coincidentally, Yoko and Yuko bore a striking resemblance from behind.
'It's likely that Akiyoshi Fujie wanted to reconcile with Yoko. But in the darkness, he mistook Yuko Ikezawa, who had snuck into the apartment, for Yoko.'
'Yuko resisted his advances, leading to a struggle during which her earring fell off. Feeling devastated by rejection from the one he loved, Akiyoshi Fujie decided to end his life here, framing Yoko as part of his final act.'
Conan, confident in his theory, began to share his reasoning.
But just then, a phone rang.
'Ring! Ring! Ring!'
The sound startled Conan so much he froze in place, his mind racing.
'What do I do? Should I answer it? But the reasoning isn't over yet!'
Before he could act, an even more dire situation unfolded.
Kogoro, who had been knocked unconscious earlier, began to stir.
Conan's eyes widened in panic. He didn't have an anesthetic needle with him—his secret was about to be exposed!
But to Conan's astonishment, the groggy Kogoro woke up, seemingly oblivious to the situation. Instead of questioning anything, he simply reached for his phone and answered it.
---
"What's that, Ran? You've figured out who the murderer is?" Kogoro's voice carried through the room. "And you've found key evidence in the monitoring room on the second floor? Got it. We'll head there now!"
As Kogoro hung up, a ripple of shock passed through the crowd.
'Monitoring room?'
That was private surveillance equipment installed by the firm—completely off-limits to outsiders.
"This is bad," someone whispered nervously.
Kogoro stood up and announced, "My daughter has asked everyone to head to the monitoring room on the second floor. She says she knows who the real murderer is!"
Inspector Megure frowned. "Didn't you just claim the deceased committed suicide?"
Kogoro scratched his head, feigning confusion. "Did I? Ah, my head hurts so much!"
Megure gave him a look of utter disdain.
'Thick-skinned as ever,' the inspector thought. 'He's shameless enough to forget his own reasoning in seconds!'
Sighing, Megure signaled the group to follow him to the second floor.
But amidst the crowd, someone began to feel faint—the tension of being exposed too much to bear.