Conan: I'm really not the mastermind behind the scenes

"Is it injured?"

Zhu Fujingguang frowned slightly.

The Ragdoll cat, which had been lying there listlessly, tried to run away as soon as it noticed someone approaching, but was caught by the quick-thinking and agile Aoyagi Akimitsu.

Aoyagi Akimitsu held it up with both hands, ignoring its uneasy baring of teeth and claws. After looking at it for a few seconds, he said, "No, it's not injured on its own. It's covered in human blood. I overheard a few words when I went to provide information earlier. There was a stabbing incident at the Anchu City Cemetery. The victim was that archives administrator."

"?!"

Morofushi Kagemitsu was taken aback: "Could it be that the hospital staff discovered him and let us into the archives?"

“It shouldn’t be,” Aoyagi Akimitsu said after thinking for a moment. “He was stabbed by his current wife when she came to pay respects to his ex-girlfriend while he was bringing his cat to her grave.”

Morofushi Kagemitsu: "...?"

Completely surprised by this answer, he fell silent for a moment.

Aoyagi Akimitsu continued, "After I found out that the injured person was him, I learned more about the case out of curiosity. Last night at ten o'clock, because he hadn't come home yet, his wife called his colleague. This colleague happened to live not far from there, and he saw the administrator's whereabouts and told her."

"Out of curiosity, she secretly drove over and hit him while he was visiting his ex-girlfriend's grave with the cat she had given him. Enraged, she pulled out a knife that she had originally intended to use for self-defense at night and stabbed him more than thirty times."

"Fortunately, his wife was a medical student. Although she got married right after graduation and never became a formal doctor, she still had the basic knowledge. All thirty-odd cuts avoided vital organs, and he was rescued after being sent to the hospital."

Aoyagi Akimitsu seemed to smile slightly as he said this.

Morobuchi Kagemitsu felt a subtle discomfort.

He didn't know if Aoyagi Akira was laughing because the innocent administrator was still alive, or if he found the whole thing ridiculous.

"The relationship between husband and wife is truly amazing," Aoyagi Akimitsu sighed. "Yesterday they could be lying together in a loving embrace, and today they can be stabbing each other dozens of times because of infidelity or other reasons."

Morofushi Kagemitsu suddenly said, "He was just going to pay his respects; it doesn't count as cheating. And the reason he went to the cemetery to pay respects to his ex-girlfriend is entirely because you mentioned her this afternoon, right?"

After he finished speaking, he paused for a moment, because what he said sounded too much like an accusation—accusing the FBI agent in front of him of being the culprit who caused the administrator to be stabbed.

Aoyagi Akimitsu was holding the cat. Whether it was out of despair after failing to break free, or because it didn't feel any malice from the person holding it, the rather pretty Ragdoll cat stopped struggling and nestled obediently in his arms.

The FBI was pleased with its docility, gently scratching its chin before looking at Morofushi Hiromitsu without a trace of anger.

But what he said was completely impolite: "Are you saying this because you think it's my fault?"

"No." Morofushi Kagemitsu quickly denied, "You mentioned his ex-girlfriend to get him to talk about the strange accident at the hospital. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."

As he apologized, Aoyagi Akimitsu scrutinized him, his light brown eyes like honey, with something thick slowly swirling within them.

“You’re right, it was indeed my reason that he went there,” he said. “But there’s one thing I’m wrong about. Given their relationship, the conflict was bound to erupt sooner or later. Going to pay respects was just a catalyst, igniting the conflict prematurely.”

Morofushi Kagemitsu was stunned for a moment. Just as he was about to ask more questions, he saw Aoyagi Ayamiko carrying the cat and walking towards the car. The eagle flapped its wings again and flew away from his shoulder.

Seeing his police colleague peering in their direction from the driver's seat, Zhu Fujingguang had no choice but to quickly catch up and get back into the car.

The two sat down again, and the car continued moving forward. Only then did he ask the question he had just posed: "What did you mean by what you just said?"

"I've already revealed it to you, didn't you figure it out?" Aoyagi Akimitsu asked in surprise.

"..." Morifushi Kagemitsu slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Aoyagi, please give me your guidance."

Aoyagi Akira casually stroked the Ragdoll cat's head, his fingers tracing the area around its blue eyes.

He explained patiently: "As I just said, she used to be a medical student. Being able to get into medical school proves that she comes from a good family and has access to better educational resources since childhood. Or perhaps her family is of average means, but she has always put in far more effort than her peers."

"Such a person, who gave up his medical career after marriage, would have been fine if he had married a rich man or someone who was outstanding and promising. But the husband he chose was an ordinary person, and an ordinary person with no redeeming qualities."

"Considering the two possibilities I just mentioned, her choice will either displease her family, or..."

"—After the initial thrill of love fades, she will feel resentful. As the mundane days pass and small conflicts accumulate in daily life, this resentment will grow stronger and stronger. In the end, she will regret it."

Not only was Morobuchi Kagemitsu listening, but the police officers in the front row were also listening.

He didn't know the background, but upon hearing this, he couldn't help but say, "Regret? But wasn't this her own choice? I don't know about the United States, but in Japan, many women become housewives after marriage, and our country's laws also provide them with some protection."

Aoyagi Akihiro nodded: "I've looked into it. Regardless of how much it can actually achieve, at least it's on the surface."

"It's a pity that there are quite a few people who give up self-reflection and instead criticize the other party, believing that their current predicament is entirely due to others' manipulation and that their only mistake was being 'too honest and naive back then and thus being deceived'."

He sighed softly.

"When this mentality is applied to women who have married the wrong person, the more ordinary ones will say during daily arguments, 'I must have been blind to marry you,' while the more extreme ones will start to hate their husbands."

"I met the administrator in the archives this afternoon and saw his lunchbox. There was only leftover white rice in it. He complained to me that he and his wife had been arguing and that his wife was no longer cooking for him. He didn't notice anything unusual in the lunchbox. From my rough observation, it seemed to have been soaked in some filth, and there was still a faint smell inside."

Upon hearing this, Morobuki Kagemitsu fully understood.

“They had been arguing recently, and she was very unhappy with him. So when she found out that her husband had gone to pay respects to his ex-girlfriend, she completely exploded.”

“Yes.” Aoyagi Akimitsu nodded. “So you see, their conflict already existed. My mention of his ex-girlfriend getting him to decide to go to the grave was at most a catalyst—it doesn’t even qualify as incitement, does it?”

Morofushi Kagemitsu choked, knowing he was still talking about what happened before, and had to apologize a second time: "I'm sorry, Mr. Aoyagi, I shouldn't have said that before."

He didn't know why he suddenly blurted it out.

Normally, he would at most think about it silently or mention it to Zero afterward, but he would never say it to Zero's face.

Aoyagi Akihiro shrugged nonchalantly: "It's okay, I'm not blaming you."

Morofushi Kagemitsu couldn't tell if he was truly indifferent, so he tried his best to praise him: "You're really amazing to be able to judge a criminal's psychological state based on her past background and some details. Mr. Aoyagi, you truly deserve to be an elite member of the FBI."

"It's nothing, I've just been curious about family relationships, especially marital relationships, lately, so I've done a little more research on them."

Aoyagi Akimitsu seemed pleased with the praise, a smile playing on his lips.

As they spoke, the car entered Anzhong City. After driving smoothly for a while longer, the hotel with its lights on came into view.

Aoyagi looked outside and suddenly said, "Put me down. We have to go around in a big circle to turn around. I can walk this short distance myself."

The police officer driving checked the navigation and found it to be true. After exchanging a glance with Morofushi Kagemitsu through the rearview mirror, he stopped the car under a streetlight.

Aoyagi Akimitsu got out of the car first, followed by Morofushi Kagemitsu, who then closed the car door behind him.

"Is there anything else?" Aoyagi Hinami asked curiously.

In fact, Morofushi Kagemitsu had a lot of questions about the base, but Aoyagi Akimitsu completely interrupted his train of thought with that case of marital conflict.

He suspected that he did it on purpose, otherwise he really couldn't understand why Aoyagi Akimitsu would pay attention to such a common case and give so much analysis.

Unable to retaliate, Morofushi Kagemitsu decided to bring up the third person involved: "When I tackled Conan, I noticed a needle mark on the back of his neck. You'd better take him to the hospital for a checkup." Aoyagi Akimitsu dismissed it: "They didn't poison you, the undercover agent, so it's even less likely they would have done so to him."

Morofushi Kagemitsu was choked again.

The thought that had crossed his mind in the hospital that afternoon resurfaced; he felt that Aoyagi Akimitsu didn't care about Conan Edogawa's safety.

He didn't say it directly, but instead said, "Conan-kun has experienced such a terrible thing at such a young age, his mental state might be affected. If needed, the police can find him a suitable psychologist."

Aoyagi Akimitsu remained unconvinced: "I'll talk to him, but he probably won't accept it. Don't underestimate him; he's probably seen more corpses and encountered more trouble than your talkative colleague in the car."

Morofushi Kagemitsu: "..."

This public security officer, who has always been quite friendly to anyone other than enemies, couldn't hold back any longer.

"Mr. Aoyagi, does what you're saying prove that Conan-kun's identity is extraordinary?"

"Based on my previous investigation, he was not born in one of those war-torn regions in the Middle East. Given Japan's security situation, even a seven-year-old child, no matter how difficult his life has been, could not possibly be more experienced than a police officer who has undergone rigorous training and routinely undertakes high-risk missions."

Since Aoyagi Akira loves to speak plainly to him, he might as well be direct with him; it might work even better.

As expected, under Morofushi Kagemitsu's gaze, Aoyagi Akimitsu nodded slightly:
“Very well, since you have some doubts, I suggest you go and ask him in person one of these days, preferably with Furuya along. That kid’s acting skills are so-so, he’ll surrender in a few rounds.”

Morofushi Kagemitsu: "...?"

He remained silent for a moment, but ultimately didn't voice his suspicion. He simply asked, "Why? You're this child's friend. Why would you want his identity to be exposed by others?"

Aoyagi Akimitsu looked helpless: "There's nothing I can do. He's too slow, and I happen to be impatient in some things, so I just made the decision for him."

Morobuchi Kagemitsu was puzzled: "Dragging?"

Aoyagi Akimitsu looked at him and suddenly asked an abrupt question:
"Zhu Fu, have you ever read Sherlock Holmes?"

"..." Morofushi Kagemitsu had no idea why he had jumped to this topic, but since it didn't involve privacy, he admitted directly, "I've read it, after all, it's the most classic mystery novel."

Do you remember one of them, titled "The Dancing Little Man"?

Morofushi Kagemitsu did indeed have an impression of it.

Japanese mystery novels are popular. He had read Sherlock Holmes in middle school, and after joining the organization, he read the classic again in order to have something in common with Anise.

"A woman with a gangster background conceals her identity and comes to England to marry her current husband. One day, one of her dangerous suitors from the past finds her and communicates with her using a dancing doll symbol."

"Her husband noticed her fear and pressed her about her relationship with that man, but she didn't tell him the truth, so he had no choice but to seek help from Sherlock Holmes."

Holmes cracked the code, but it was too late; the suitor ultimately killed her husband. In despair, she attempted suicide. However, she survived and remained a widow for the rest of her life.

Morofushi Kagemitsu quickly summarized the general plot, and after he finished speaking, he realized that this was another case involving a married couple.

But soon, he realized something.

"—They were clearly in love, but chose to hide the truth under the pretext of 'not wanting to bring him danger,' which ultimately brought real crisis to the other person."

Aoyagi Akimitsu sighed, "Isn't this ridiculous? It's fine in novels, but let's hope this kind of thing doesn't happen in real life."

"..."

Morofushi Kagemitsu had never been in a relationship, and while he neither confirmed nor denied it, he grasped another key point:
"Mr. Aoyagi, you... really like mystery novels?"

“I like it,” Aoyagi Akimitsu said. “I’ve always liked it, and I also enjoy discussing interesting plot points with others.”

Morobuchi Kagemitsu felt as if his heart had been squeezed hard by an invisible hand.

"you……"

Just then, the sound of flapping wings rang out again. Moribushi Kagemitsu looked up and saw that the eagle, which flew slower than the car, had caught up. It landed on Aoyagi Ayakashi's shoulder.

Distracted like this, he didn't ask the question he wanted to ask.

Morofushi Kagemitsu said goodbye to Aoyagi Akimitsu and returned to his car. As the car was about to drive away, Aoyagi Akimitsu stopped by the window, as if he wanted to say a few more words to him.

“This cat is quite cute, do you want to keep it?” he asked.

Morofushi Kagemitsu looked at the cat, and his blue eyes met the cat's blue eyes.

He refused: "Mr. Aoyagi, this cat has an owner. If possible, please return it to its owner or take it to an animal shelter."

Its owner was stabbed, not killed. And given how busy the police are on a daily basis, it would be difficult for him to take good care of his pet.

"Really? That's a pity. Your eyes are so similar; you would have been a perfect match." Aoyagi Akimitsu seemed genuinely disappointed. "Besides, you seem like a very family-oriented person. If you had a pet, you would definitely be very responsible, right?"

Morofushi Kagemitsu didn't want to ask him how he figured it out, so he interrupted, "Mr. Aoyagi, it's getting late. You've been busy all night, so you should go back and rest as soon as possible."

Aoyagi Akimitsu sensed that he wanted to end the call as soon as possible, and seemed to smile again.

The streetlights shone down from above. He stood by the car, looking at Morofushi Kagemitsu through the window from a standing position, but Morofushi Kagemitsu couldn't see what his expression was.

"...It's time to go back. These past few hours have really exhausted me."

Aoyagi Akimitsu chuckled lightly, then suddenly changed the subject:
"You too, Morofushi. Last time at the Suzuki Hotel, and this time in the Gunma Forest, you've encountered two deadly crises in a row. Your luck is really bad. You should be more careful in the future—next time you encounter danger, there might not be anyone to save you."

Aoyagi Akimitsu's tone was gentle, and even the most critical person couldn't call him sarcastic, but Morofushi Kagemitsu suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

He looked up but didn't see Aoyagi Akimitsu, because after leaving those words, the FBI agent walked away from the car.

Morobuchi Kagemitsu stared blankly at the other person's back.

Under the lights, his long, jet-black hair with subtle curls swayed behind his black trench coat. From this angle, the FBI agent's style was remarkably similar to the organization's, as if he could completely blend into the boundless darkness.

However, there are some differences.

For example, members of the organization would not carry two animals with them when they go out and feed them casually. However, Aoyagi Akimitsu was probably in a good mood at this moment. He changed to holding the cat with one hand, and with the other hand he rummaged in his pocket and handed something to the eagle on his shoulder. After the eagle pecked at it, his hand moved down again, as if he was feeding the cat.

Morobuchi Kagemitsu watched him walk further and further away.

"What kind of person is this?" a colleague complained.

Zhu Fujingguang withdrew his gaze: "We can't control him. Let's go."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

This week has been full of misfortunes. I had a sore throat for several days, and when I went for a checkup, I found out that the inflammation was so severe that ordinary medication couldn't suppress it at all... (End of this chapter)