Yukino opened the seemingly thick book in front of her and discovered a hidden compartment inside.
Inside the hollowed-out space was a carefully wrapped package.
Seeing the package, her expression showed curiosity. She assumed the previous owner of the book had hidden something inside, and somehow the book ended up in Japan, collecting dust in a forgotten corner of the library for who knows how many years.
Yukino imagined a dramatic, tragic story behind it. She carefully unwrapped the package and finally saw what was hidden inside the tightly wrapped fabric.
Inside was a rectangular plastic bag. And inside that plastic bag... was rock candy.
"Who would hollow out a book just to hide rock candy?"
That was Yukino's first thought. She didn't immediately associate it with drugs.
After all, she was just an ordinary high school student. In her daily life, she had never encountered such things. So when she saw something that looked like rock candy, her instinct wasn't to assume it was meth.
But soon, she paused.
If it really was just rock candy, why would someone hide it so securely?
Could it be the legendary... crystal meth?
As soon as that thought entered her mind, Yukino panicked. She quickly closed the book and put it back in its original place.
Covering her pounding heart, her expression grew uneasy.
Should I call the police?
As a good citizen, she knew she should report it. But what if it wasn't drugs? What if it really was just rock candy?
If she reported it and the police showed up only to find out it was a prank or a misunderstanding, she'd become the laughingstock of the day. Especially under her sister's sarcastic gaze.
The thought gave her goosebumps.
And if it really was drugs, then this could involve drug dealers. That was dangerous too. Should she just pretend she didn't see anything?
Yukino's hesitation reflected the way most people would react in the same situation.
After all, when faced with something like this, the natural instinct is to turn away and pretend nothing happened.
It was only now that Yukino realized her own immaturity. She truly didn't know what to do.
She was just a regular high school girl. When confronted with something serious, something real, she had no judgment, no idea how to react.
Dazed, she returned to the table where Toru and Haruno were seated. She sat down absentmindedly, picked up the drink Toru had bought for her, and took a few sips through the straw.
Noticing her pale face, Haruno leaned over with concern. "What's wrong, Yukino? You look awful. Are you sick?"
Though she often teased her sister, Haruno was still genuinely concerned. She reached out and placed her hand on Yukino's forehead.
Only then did Yukino snap out of it. She gently pushed Haruno's hand away and said with pursed lips, "I'm fine."
She had made up her mind. Once they left the library, she would report it to the police anonymously.
But if she didn't provide her name or lead them to the exact location, would they take it seriously? Or dismiss it as a prank?
Yukino was distressed. Something that seemed so simple was turning out to be so hard. Caught between being a responsible citizen and the fear of embarrassment, she didn't know what to do.
Toru was looking around the library at that moment.
He was watching to see who would suddenly collapse... and whether a body would show up.
So, who's going to die here?
Well, probably not Haruno or Yukino.
...
Beep beep!
Inside the librarian's office, a stern-faced man with a cold expression suddenly changed.
He quickly pulled out his phone and checked the notification.
"Someone touched those books!"
His face turned pale with alarm.
I hid the crystal meth in the most remote part of the library—where barely anyone ever goes. And someone still found it?
As a drug dealer, he had always been cautious. He even installed a special alarm sensor in the shelf containing the stash.
He rushed to the computer and pulled up the surveillance footage.
There were dedicated cameras pointed at the area where the drugs were hidden.
He rewound the footage from a few minutes ago and quickly saw what had happened.
A young girl—Yukino Yukinoshita—had opened the book and clearly seen the contents inside.
The librarian's face turned deathly white.
This is bad. The drugs have been exposed.
Should I take the chance and assume this high school girl won't report it?
No. I absolutely can't gamble. If I'm wrong, I'm finished.
Japan's laws on drug trafficking might not be as severe as some countries, but once the entire supply chain is exposed, the financial damage would be massive.
The people above me won't forgive that.
He immediately paused the video, took a screenshot of Yukino's face, and emailed it to a specific address.
Then, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"I'll pay whatever it takes. Send people immediately. Eliminate the girl in the photo I just sent. Now. Immediately."
"You want the location? She's in this library."
"How much? Is 100 million yen enough? 200 million? Fine, 200 million!"
"But make a scene. Make the police think it's a random mass killing, a terrorist attack. Don't let them suspect our business."
After hanging up, he paced in place, his eyes gradually turning ruthless.
The witness had to die. The evidence had to disappear.
...
In a rundown Tokyo apartment, a group of skinny men had gathered.
They had all taken off their shirts, revealing lean but muscular bodies. Some were smoking and playing cards, others were joking loudly.
One man sat silently, sharpening two clawed knives against a whetstone.
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
The room instantly went silent. The men exchanged looks and each quietly picked up their weapons.
"It's me."
The door opened, and a brawny man in a suit with tattooed arms stepped in.
Being stared at by so many bloodthirsty eyes made him tense up. "The Matsuba Society has arranged a boat for your escape. You leave tonight."
"But right before that, there's one last job. Are you in?"
The man sharpening the knives continued grinding and asked coldly, "Target. Price."
The man in the suit passed around a freshly printed photo. "This girl. But you can't make it obvious she's the target."
"You need to kill others too. Make it look like random violence. Make the police think it's a riot or terrorist attack. The reward is 100 million yen."
"Too low. 200 million."
"No can do. It's an easy job, and we're even helping you flee the country. 200 is too much. Final offer: 120 million. Deal or not?"
The man with the claw blades stood up, threw on a sleeveless shirt, and said in a hoarse voice, "Deal."
"There's a van ready. The target is in a library downtown."
Without another word, the men tossed aside their cards, crushed out their cigarettes, grabbed their weapons, and filed out.
After they left, the man in the suit looked at the messy floor and let out a long breath. "These Filipinos are all crazy lunatics... but I have to admit, the boss picked a useful bunch."
...
A van pulled into the parking lot of the building where the library was located. Nearly ten Southeast Asian men with lean, dark bodies climbed out.
Some were expressionless, others wore vicious grins. They headed upstairs silently.
Inside the library, Toru, still chatting with Haruno, sniffed the air and frowned.
"What's that smell? Something burning?"
The next second, his expression changed.
He heard someone shout, panicked, "Oh no! Fire!"
In the next instant, a corner of the library erupted in flames. Thick, black smoke billowed out.
Within seconds, entire shelves were engulfed. The fire spread rapidly.
Riiiiiiing—
The fire alarm blared, overlapping with the chaos of people screaming and shoving.
Toru looked up. No water was spraying from the ceiling.
The sprinklers aren't working? How did this place pass fire inspection?
"Fujiwara-kun!"
Haruno stood up, looking shaken. Even she couldn't stay calm in this situation.
Yukino stood beside her, face pale, fear clearly showing in her delicate, clear eyes.
Toru didn't waste time. He rushed to the window and looked down.
Two floors below them, fires were already burning fiercely. Smoke poured upward.
The library occupied four floors in the middle of the building. With fires already below them and books acting as fuel, the blaze would only accelerate.
Going down was too dangerous. The only option was to go up.
He immediately gave instructions. "To the fire escape. Go upstairs. Stay low. Move quickly!"
There was no time to wet clothes to cover their mouths. The best they could do was crouch low and move fast.
Most people in fires don't die from burns. They die from inhaling hot air or smoke.
As Toru spoke, the Yukinoshita sisters instantly calmed down and followed his instructions. They bent down, covered their mouths and noses, and started coughing as they moved toward the fire escape.
"Fire! Everyone run!"
"The fire escape! It's over here!"
The fire spread like lightning. The crowd panicked, screaming and shoving as they fled.
The flames were too fast. Three library floors were on fire at once. This was no accident. Someone had done this on purpose.
Toru's thoughts spun.
He had expected a murder after running into Conan. He didn't expect arson.
At the same time, Conan had also realized this wasn't just a fire. It was arson.
He shouted anxiously, "Genta, Mitsuhiko, Ayumi, hurry! Go upstairs!"
(To be continued.)