"After verification, the deceased is Mina Kitayama, age twenty-three…"
Miyano, watching the news report, turned to the grim-faced trio of Conan, Tsuneo, and Dr. Agasa. "It… it's not her, is it?"
"Unfortunately, the woman stabbed five times in the back is indeed the one we were just talking about," Tsuneo said, nodding somberly, at a loss for words.
"A coincidence."
"It's just a coincidence!" Haibara declared, her small face deadly serious.
People gave in to dark desires and did terrible things every day.
This didn't prove anything!
"Right, definitely a coincidence," Tsuneo echoed quickly.
Even with the grim reaper kid's track record, his influence wouldn't easily spill over to nearby residents—except maybe that weird café…
Sure, Tsuneo had lain awake counting ceiling cracks when the noise got bad, but no way—absolutely no way!
He didn't have that kind of power!
The news continued.
Less than an hour after the crime, the culprit was apprehended.
No surprise—it was Yokokawa, the guy from upstairs.
He confessed on the spot, laying out his descent from love to hate.
"That's not something most people could handle," Tsuneo said, nodding.
Wearing a metaphorical green hat since college? Unless you're the king of cuckolds, who could stomach that?
"Shouldn't he have gone after the other guy first?" Haibara asked, frowning.
"How do you know he didn't?" Tsuneo replied.
He figured Yokokawa probably did take care of the third party. Why else would he confess so calmly?
Maybe the police were still investigating, and the media hadn't caught wind yet.
"You really can't judge a book by its cover," Dr. Agasa sighed. The image of that couple laughing over dinner, planning their wedding, felt like it was still right in front of him.
…
A few days later.
Tsuneo moved into the second-floor apartment.
"Congrats, I guess. No one to bother you now," Conan said, eyeing the massive pot of beef on the table, itching to gripe.
You invited these kids over to celebrate your move and play video games—why'd you make me bring the beef?
And this grilled fish—isn't that from Kojima's tavern?
Looks like Genta got roped in too…
"Thanks!" Tsuneo said, unfazed, tearing into a snack pack Mitsuhiko brought, grinning happily.
With the move keeping him busy, the kids had been sweet, asking what he needed and bringing stuff over. Huge help.
"Where's Haibara?" Conan asked, glancing toward the living room door, suspecting she'd bailed.
"She and Ayumi went to the doc's to grab the latest video game," Mitsuhiko said, munching on grilled fish.
"Then why not just go to the doc's house?!" Conan asked, shooting a look at Tsuneo.
"The last people in this place? One's dead, one's in jail. Gotta bring in some folks to ward off the bad vibes," Tsuneo said, flashing a creepy grin at Genta and Mitsuhiko.
"Eek!" Genta instantly latched onto Mitsuhiko.
Where'd she die?
Not right where I'm sitting, right?!
"It's fine, it's fine! Tsuneo's just joking!" Mitsuhiko said, though he gripped Genta's shirt tighter, clearly spooked.
"We're back!" Haibara and Ayumi announced, bursting in just as the mood was getting good.
"Genta, what're you two doing?" Ayumi asked, eyeing the boys' tight embrace.
"Tsuneo said—" Genta started, but quick-witted Mitsuhiko clamped a hand over his mouth.
If the girls heard this, they'd freak out even more!
"We're, uh, testing that 'huddle for warmth' idiom Tsuneo mentioned, right?" Mitsuhiko said, winking frantically at Genta.
"Yeah, exactly!" Genta nodded, squeezing harder. "Mitsuhiko, I'm freezing!"
"Me too!"
Ayumi: …
Haibara frowned, thinking these two had some serious issues…
…
"Tch, I thought someone really died in this place. Scared me half to death!" Genta grumbled, rolling his eyes at Tsuneo after Conan explained the truth, then diving back into his food.
The Detective Boys had seen their share of crazy stuff, after all!
A death outside? No big deal.
After dinner, Tsuneo carried the dishes to the kitchen, smirking at the Teitan trio's calm reaction to a murder case. "Since you're not scared, want to hear a ghost story?"
"Aren't we playing video games?" Mitsuhiko asked, glancing at the darkening sky outside, suddenly uneasy.
"Tell it!" Genta, the fearless leader, declared he wasn't afraid of anything.
"Haibara, this sounds exciting! Let's listen!" Ayumi said, scooting closer to Haibara, clearly intrigued.
Haibara: Why should I listen to this repairman's ghost story?
Is he some expert?
Oh, right—he does sneak out at night like a ghost…
"Detective, hit the lights!" Tsuneo said, smacking Conan's head.
With the mood set, Conan tugged at his mouth but complied, switching off the lights.
The room plunged into darkness. Tsuneo pulled out a flashlight, shining it up at his face from below.
"Legend has it, deep in the mountains, there lived a couple."
"The man went hunting every day, while the woman stayed home, weaving."
"They desperately wanted a child—big and sturdy like Genta—but could never conceive."
Why'd they want a kid like me? Genta frowned, looking around, but with no objections, he stayed quiet.
"One winter, the man returned from hunting, but his wife wasn't home."
"Usually, she'd have dinner ready by this time."
"Where could she have gone on a snowy day like this?"
Tsuneo's face twisted into an eerie smile, made creepier by the flashlight's glow.
Ayumi swallowed hard, gripping Haibara's hand.
Conan and Haibara exchanged a glance, rolling their eyes in perfect sync.
"Suddenly, he felt liquid dripping onto his head from the roof. Instinctively, he looked up."
"The next moment, his eyes widened, and he let out a blood-curdling scream!"
Tsuneo was about to hit the scariest part, gearing up for a dramatic expression.
"Ahhh!!!"
A man's terrified scream actually pierced through the living room window.
"Mitsuhiko!"
"Genta!"
The two boys clung to each other again.
"Haibara!" Ayumi squealed, hugging the stone-faced girl.
Tsuneo: ???
I haven't even gotten to the good part!
Who's stealing my thunder?
Conan's eyes narrowed, and he bolted to the window.
(End of Chapter)
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