Conan: I'm Really Not Tokyo Ghost Story

It's roughly the same model as the previous charity sale.

Fortunately, there's no rule here that you have to use needles and thread.

Otherwise... Sano doesn't want to embarrass himself a second time.

"dudu~"

Sano's phone vibrated. He took it out and glanced at it. It was a call from Ran Mouri.

"Hey?"

"Senior, do you have time right now? Could you come over for a moment? There's a murder case."

Sano raised an eyebrow.

...Ran Mouri has encountered murder cases more than once or twice, and she has quite a few detectives around her, including her father Kogoro Mouri, Sera Masumi, whom she has become familiar with, and even Subaru Okiya, who is actually Shuichi Akai in disguise.

There's also Amuro Tooru, and so on.

Therefore, it is clearly not right to call Sano over every time a murder case occurs.

After rubbing his fingers together, Sano agreed, greeted the little girl, and then righteously and legitimately skipped the homework.

Next, we arrived at the Kudo Mansion.

Just then, the trio of best friends arrived... Well, the duo of best friends has successfully expanded, and has now included Sera Masumi in their list of friends who would team up even after school, making them about the same level as Toyama Kazuha. However, compared to the former, the latter doesn't have the advantage of distance, nor is she as thick-skinned. Of course, this cannot be entirely attributed to her thick skin.

After all, "getting close" is a means to an end.

"senior!"

When Sonoko Suzuki saw Sano, her eyes lit up. "Perfect timing! Shinichi just texted me saying he doesn't like people going through his things and he won't let us into his house. Why don't you be bold and lead us in? He definitely won't dare to sneer at you!"

"..."

Sera Masumi and Mori Ran, who were originally planning to find an excuse to go in and even to force their way in, cast strange glances at Suzuki Sonoko.

Sano didn't show any unusual reaction, even though he didn't know the details yet.

But that didn't stop Sano from agreeing.

"Okay, I'll take the blame. Go inside first."

"Yes, yes."

Sonoko Suzuki happily followed Sano inside, while Ran Mouri and Masumi Sera exchanged a glance... and silently followed her in.

"...What's wrong with that guy? Why didn't he even close the door?"

Upon discovering that not only the iron gate to the villa's courtyard was open, but also the main gate, which was casually pushed open, Sano showed some surprise. However, when his gaze fell down and he saw the familiar pair of stamina-enhancing shoes in the entryway...

Hmm, that makes sense.

"Ah, it must have been Conan who opened it. Shinichi did say that he would have Conan find the photos and send them to the detective agency..."

Ran Mouri explained.

"Oh."

Sano nodded and then asked, "Let's talk about the case first."

"Yes."

As Ran Mouri naturally helped Sano and the others change their shoes like a hostess, she explained the situation—the three of them had accidentally bumped into a dead man on their way home from school. Judging from the manner of his death, it seemed that a patient had ignored the doctor's advice and committed suicide.

However, next to the corpse, a word "death" written in blood changed the situation drastically, especially since in Ran Mouri's memory, Conan... no, it was Shinichi Kudo's father, Yusaku Kudo, who, when he was young in Japan, was the only case he didn't solve and had to abandon halfway through.

The situation is similar to that of this case.

Therefore, the trio decided to come and find out relevant information about the case from back then, to see if there was any connection between the two cases.

"Whether it's a death message left by the deceased or a special mark left by the murderer, if important clues can be found in one case, it should theoretically lead to the solving of the other case as well."

Sera Masumi paused, then added, "Besides, I really want to see what kind of person Subaru, who lives here, is."

"Right, right? You're curious too, aren't you?"

From this point on, the topic went astray.

Sonoko Suzuki kept wondering what kind of "scenery" lay beneath the high collar that Shuichi Akai and Subaru Okiya always wore to cover their necks, like a floral neck... a neck covered in tattoos could probably be called a floral neck.

If that doesn't work, then fill your neck completely.

However, rather than being curious, Sano felt that this girl was simply infatuated.

This isn't the first or second time; I'm used to it by now.

With this topic in mind, the group headed toward the study in the Kudo mansion, until at a certain moment, Sera Masumi suddenly turned her head to look at the room next door.

To be precise, it's the restroom.

The faint sound of water could be heard coming from inside.

"Is that you, Conan?"

Without saying a word, Sera Masumi opened the door.

Then I saw Shuichi Akai, his chest exposed, his mouth full of foam, brushing his teeth.

"Well……"

Sonoko Suzuki's eyes lit up immediately, and she smiled wickedly, openly admiring the sight.

...Is this guy deliberately trying to be provocative?

Sano's lips twitched slightly. It was such a coincidence that he had just finished talking about Shuichi Akai's neck and then his neck was exposed. He didn't believe it at all—it was more likely that this guy knew about Sonoko Suzuki's curiosity about his neck through the surveillance cameras or bugs installed in the corridor.

In order to avoid causing unnecessary trouble, this "romantic encounter" was created.

If you want to show your neck, then show your neck. If you really want to wear a short-necked top, then who can question your fashion sense or your ulterior motives?

"No, I'm sorry, Mr. Subaru, we didn't know you were using the restroom. We just came in because the door was open... By the way, Conan seems to be here already. Do you know where he is right now?"

Ran Mouri quickly apologized and inquired about the situation.

Shuichi Akai seemed unable to speak because of the foam in his mouth, but simply pointed to the wall... or rather, the direction of the study.

"Okay, I understand, thank you."

Ran Mouri grabbed the two girls and started to leave.

Sano followed behind, his gaze lingering on Shuichi Akai's neck for a moment... He had initially thought that the guy was wearing a high-necked shirt to cover up the traces of the human skin mask, but now it seemed that wasn't the reason.

Of course, this is not surprising.

Whether the human skin mask is made too ingeniously or made a little too long, covering the chest area, it is possible.

If that's the case, why does Shuichi Akai still wear a turtleneck?

Wouldn't that just be asking for attention for no reason...?

Voice changer?

It seems that this is the only possibility Sano can think of.

This was something that surprised Sano.

Sano originally thought that Shuichi Akai only had his face done by someone else, while his voice was something he changed himself. After all, changing one's voice is not as difficult as changing one's face, especially since he was changing the voice of a new character, rather than a character he was specifically trying to become.

The difficulty is even lower... of course.

Speaking in a strained voice all the time can be uncomfortable and increases the risk of making mistakes in the long run. Using tools can significantly reduce the probability of making mistakes.

...It's about 50/50.

Sano was lost in thought for a moment and had already been standing at the bathroom door for two or three seconds.

Normally, there shouldn't be any problems within two or three seconds.

The problem is that the current situation and the people involved are not quite normal.

"..."

Shuichi Akai, who was brushing his teeth in the pit, turned his head slightly again.

Even the trio who had already walked several meters ahead noticed the anomaly behind them, instinctively stopped and turned around.

"Ok?"

Shuichi Akai tilted his head towards Sano, as if to ask a question.

"Is there anything else?"—This is what Shuichi Akai was trying to convey.

"senior?"

Ran Mouri, who was ahead of them, also asked a question.

Sano snapped out of his daze, glanced at Ran Mouri, and then turned back to look at Shuichi Akai.

He opened his mouth, pursed his lips, and scratched his head with his finger.

Sano finally managed to blurt out, "Why are you carrying Pinru's wardrobe?"

Akai Shuichi: "??"

Shuichi Akai, unable to understand the Sano joke, tilted his neck even further.

"What do you mean??" — This is the new meaning conveyed by Shuichi Akai.

"It means..."

Sano paused for a moment, then earnestly gave a scientific explanation: "You're so sassy."

"..."

"Gurgle~"

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Shuichi Akai swallowed most of the toothpaste foam.

After coughing, Shuichi Akai started dry heaving again while clinging to the sink.

"senior!!!"

Ran Mouri's face turned bright red, whether from embarrassment or anger, it was hard to tell. She flashed in front of Sano and tried to drag him away, not forgetting to apologize to Shuichi Akai as she ran: "I'm so sorry, Subaru-san, my senpai didn't take his medicine today!!"

Sano was dragged by Ran Mouri all the way to the study... but it was more like a study than a study.