Conan: Science Cartoonist Kudo Yuji

"Young Miss, is it inappropriate for us to come here?"

A dashing young man with long, orange-red braids, dressed in a butler's uniform, gripped the steering wheel. After being questioned, he drove the car into the Sasaki family's manor and parked it on the side of the road. The butler immediately turned his head to look behind him.

"The chairman said that under no circumstances should we be associated with the Sasaki family, because..."

"Because the old men in their family are pushing out scapegoats, who are destined to be purged, right?"

A girl in a pink long dress with wavy, light blonde hair placed her hands on her lap, looking elegant and poised.

“But we have no choice but to come this time. Sasaki Kiyori is dead. Whether it was an accident or there was something going on, given the Prime Minister’s style over the years, the major families in Kyoto are definitely under suspicion.”

After all, the current situation is no longer like it was a few years ago, when the south was one-sided. Instead, the power between the north and south is balanced. It is easy for anyone to guess that the major families eliminated Sasaki Kiyoyori, who was initially chosen to express his intentions, and then turned to the Yoshioka government in the north.

"Besides, that person will definitely come, won't they?"

The young lady placed her hand on the car door frame, staring at the butler in the rearview mirror with a mischievous look.

"The one you secretly drove away, the one you didn't want to come, is supposedly the son of the Osaka headquarters manager, right?"

The young lady rested her hand on her chin: "I don't understand why Mother would arrange for your family to be close to the Hattori family, and even have you be close to Hattori Mamoru from a young age. Is it because she wants to control Osaka by controlling the Hattori family?"

“That’s impossible. Ah Shou doesn’t want to be a policeman at all.”

"I know you said you wanted to be... a writer or something?"

Feeling that the car she was sitting in wasn't as comfortable as her own, the young lady shifted her position with a hint of disdain and looked ahead with some impatience.

"Not here yet?"

"We're ready to park, miss."

The two lingered in the parking lot for a while before finally entering the memorial service venue under guidance. After receiving various colored silk handkerchiefs representing their status at the entrance, the young lady carefully observed the colors of the other attendees inside the venue.

"Most of them are gray, and they all seem to be ordinary people." The young lady immediately understood when she saw that most of these people were checking something with the staff at the door using their phones.

"Are they worried about not having enough people to attend the memorial service, so they're using car points or something to attract ordinary car owners?"

"That's obvious, because apart from the one wearing the orange handkerchief, everyone else seems to have gone to redeem points."

It was quite conspicuous for someone with an orange handkerchief to stand out among a group of people with gray handkerchiefs, and that person's very high-class attire piqued the young lady's curiosity. "That person has returned to a girl in a high school uniform," the butler reminded the young lady. "Miss, our colors are not numerous in the arena, but they are unique."

"It's very simple. Those people at the gate just now checked the VIN of your car, and they can easily find out who the owner is."

The young lady took out her phone and looked at the butler: "This is the car of the Toyama family, which is the family of the current Osaka headquarters manager's wife. Naturally, it also represents the Hattori family. Those people with the same color as us are almost all juniors from various families in Kyoto and Osaka."

"Should we go and find out about that high school student?"

"No." The young lady shook her head, then strode off: "I'll go and greet them myself."

There was no need to worry too much about safety at the Sasaki family's memorial service; at least, no smart person would hurt anyone at this time, so the four of them easily started talking.

"Greetings, gentlemen. My name is Hattori Harumi. May I have a chat?"

"Hattori?"

Kudo Yuji looked the girl up and down, then noticed the butler following behind her and nodded.

"What do you want to ask?"

"I'd like to ask, what is your relationship with the deceased, Kiyoyori Sasaki? You don't seem like typical detectives who are after car credits or investigating Sasaki's death."

It was only then that Harumi paid attention to Nohara Maki's appearance, and after confirming that she did not recognize any young lady from any family in her memory, she dared to be certain that it was related to Tokyo.

"We have the same reason for coming, Miss Ooka."

Before Maki Nohara could speak, Yuji Kudo interrupted her, adding, "Also, Mamoru Hattori is an only child. I suggest you refer to yourself as his fiancée; that would be better."

"You...!" The deacon hurriedly stepped forward, wanting to rebuke him.

"Well, we can't just say it offhand, sir. Do you have any good suggestions?" The young lady seemed very interested.

"How about we say that you once played a junior shogi game with him, and after you lost, he comforted you and said he would marry you if you met again, but it was actually a big misunderstanding?"

"How stupid would one have to be to mishear?" The young lady hesitated slightly. "That doesn't quite fit my smart persona, does it? Officer?"

"To guess my identity and then reveal it goes far beyond intelligence." (End of Chapter)