Chapter 23: Okino Yoko's Request
"Tsukamoto-senpai!"
Ran called out a greeting from a distance.
"Mouri, long time no see!"
Kazumi waved back.
But her gaze couldn't seem to pull away from the man beside her.
"Who's she?"
Makoto asked, puzzled.
The girl in front of him had delicate features and striking, handsome looks.
On top of that, she wore her hair cropped short like a boy's, giving off a crisp, dashing air.
If you swapped her short skirt for a boy's uniform, she'd probably turn into a campus-heartthrob-grade hunk on the spot, plenty enough to make countless girls swoon.
For all his familiarity with the Detective Conan storyline, Makoto found himself drawing a total blank on who she was.
She had a bit of Sera Masumi's style, but was even prettier than Sera Masumi, with more of a girlish air to her.
At the very least, you could tell at a glance she was a girl—an extremely pretty one, at that, just with a prettiness that edged closer to handsome.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce her. This is Tsukamoto Kazumi, Tsukamoto-senpai."
"She's a third-year senpai, and my senior in the Karate Club—the former captain, actually."
"She only stepped down this year to focus on her university entrance exams."
Ran introduced her enthusiastically.
She clearly admired this senpai a great deal—it had the feel of an older-sister kind of bond.
"Hello, I'm Tsukamoto Kazumi!"
Kazumi held out her hand.
"Higashino Makoto. Second-year. I'm Ran's classmate."
Makoto took her hand.
Her palm was cool to the touch, with a hint of softness.
But the very next second, tremendous force surged from that same hand.
Like rolling thunder, like a flash flood bursting its banks.
As if it meant to send his entire body flying in a single instant.
"Thump!"
Makoto planted one foot lightly on the ground.
As though grounding himself through a live wire, dissolving every last bit of her force into nothing.
"S-senpai?"
Ran watched the two of them shaking hands.
A good ten-odd seconds passed without either letting go, and she couldn't help feeling a little jealous.
"Huh?"
"T-that is... Mouri, your boyfriend is really strong!"
"Really strong!"
Kazumi hastily pulled her hand back, only now realizing how awkward that had just looked.
Holding her kouhai boyfriend's hand and not letting go, right in front of her—that was really...
The more she thought about it, the redder her face got, until she was ready to sink through the floor.
"Were you trying to throw me over your shoulder just now, senpai?"
"Though that's a judo move, not karate!"
Makoto said with a smile.
"Ha ha ha... caught me."
"Looks like even I'm no match for you."
Kazumi laughed awkwardly, relief mixing in as well.
"So that's what happened!"
"Honestly, senpai, you still can't help testing yourself against people, can you."
Ran complained, exasperated.
Back when they were both in the Karate Club, Kazumi used to challenge her to a match every few days.
After all, in the entire school, aside from the coach, Ran was the only one who could actually go toe-to-toe with her.
"No more sparring, no more."
"I'm a university candidate now—I need to get home and study."
"See you!"
Kazumi waved and jogged off.
Only once she was out past the school gates did she slow down and touch her cheek.
Burning red!
◇◇◇
Mouri Detective Agency.
The place was usually dead quiet, but today, of all things, a rare Mercedes S500 sat parked outside.
"Don't tell me we've got another client?"
Spotting the Mercedes out front, Ran hurried excitedly up the stairs.
Ever since her father had quit being a police detective and opened this agency, it had been a long time since they'd landed a real case.
Their household income had been unstable ever since, so much so that they couldn't even afford a cheap used car.
"Dad, I'm home!"
Ran pushed the door open and froze on the spot.
Her father, who was usually a slovenly mess reeking of booze, sat on the couch in a sharp suit, his hair styled to perfection.
Across from him sat a young, beautiful girl.
Fashionably dressed, with long chestnut curls tied back with a cute pink ribbon, she was dazzling like a celebrity, yet still carried the innocent charm of the girl next door.
"Th-that's..."
Ran clapped a hand over her mouth, too stunned to get the words out.
"Okino Yoko?"
Makoto recognized her.
That fashionable, adorable girl was clearly none other than the idol singer currently sweeping all of Japan—Okino Yoko!
"Keep your voice down. No one can find out about Yoko-san's whereabouts!"
A tall, thin man in a suit standing nearby hurried to warn them.
"Don't worry!"
"I'm the top detective in all of Tokyo—"
"No, all of Japan!"
"Once I take a case, I never breathe a word of a client's privacy."
"Especially not for a client like Yoko-san!"
Kogoro's dead-serious expression slowly melted into a leering grin.
He was practically drooling at the sight of Yoko.
"Dad, what on earth is going on here?"
Ran asked, curious.
After some explaining, it became clear—Yoko suspected she'd recently been getting stalked.
Her furniture had been moved around, she kept getting calls from strangers, and mysterious people kept mailing her strange photos.
"Isn't that just a sasaeng fan?"
Conan set his backpack down, his face utterly blank, sounding for all the world like a tiny adult.
"A sasaeng fan?"
Kogoro blinked, taken aback.
"It's the type who loves stalking celebrities, wearing helmets to hide their faces, sneaking photos of their day-to-day life—the most obsessive, irrational kind of fan, harassing and messing with a celebrity's real life."
Manager Yamagishi Eiichi explained.
…
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Sasaeng Fan — Korean fan-culture slang (사생, sasaeng) for an obsessive fan who stalks a celebrity's private life — tracking their schedule, breaking into their home, or showing up uninvited.
…
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Edogawa Conan — Shinichi's alternate identity. Series: Detective Conan.
Higashino Makoto — Protagonist. Transmigrated.
Mouri Kogoro — Ran's father. Series: Detective Conan.
Mouri Ran — Shinichi's childhood sweetheart. Series: Detective Conan.
Okino Yoko — Idol. Series: Detective Conan.
Yamagishi Eiichi — Yoko's manager. Series: Detective Conan.
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Translated by CheapBiscuit.
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