Morning arrived quietly in Beika City.
Inside the Mouri Detective Agency, a certain detective was snoring loudly on the sofa.
"ZZZZZZZ…"
Kogoro Mouri had an empty beer can balanced on his chest.
At the small kitchen table, Ran Mori sighed.
"He's hopeless."
Across from her sat the small boy now living with them.
Conan Edogawa.
He stirred his juice quietly.
His mind was far away.
Yesterday's case kept replaying in his head.
More specifically—
A certain person.
Haruki Akizawa.
Conan frowned slightly.
"That guy… his reasoning speed was too fast."
He had solved the key point of the case almost instantly.
Even Shinichi himself had only reached the conclusion seconds later.
That bothered him.
Then suddenly—
The agency door burst open.
"Detective Mouri! Help me!"
A frantic voice filled the room.
Kogoro instantly jumped up.
"Huh?! A client?!"
Standing in the doorway was a trembling man in a suit.
Behind him…
A young woman wearing sunglasses and a mask.
Ran blinked.
Then gasped.
"Wait… aren't you—"
The woman lowered her mask nervously.
"I'm Yoko Okino…"
Kogoro froze.
Then screamed.
"THE IDOL Yoko Okino?!"
Conan sighed internally.
Here we go.
The situation was explained quickly.
Yoko's manager spoke nervously.
"When Miss Yoko returned to her apartment this morning… we found a dead body."
Ran gasped.
"A body?!"
Kogoro puffed out his chest.
"Don't worry! I'll solve this case immediately!"
Conan rolled his eyes again.
But inside—
His mind sharpened.
This was the first major case after he became Conan.
And he needed to solve it carefully.
Meanwhile…
Across the street.
Haruki Akizawa walked toward the convenience store.
Then—
DING
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ]
Mission Generated
Mission: The Idol's Secret
Objective:
Assist in solving the murder case involving Yoko Okino.
Conditions:
• Identify the killer
• Discover the hidden emotional motive
• Do not expose system abilities
Reward:
Skill Fragment
Micro Expression Analysis (2/3)
Bonus Reward:
Item — Evidence Scanner Lens
Haruki stopped walking.
Interesting.
The Yoko Okino murder case.
One of the earliest and most famous cases in Detective Conan.
He turned his head slowly.
Across the street—
The Mouri Detective Agency door had just closed.
They were leaving.
Haruki sighed quietly.
Looks like his day had changed.
He followed.
Soon after.
Inside Yoko Okino's Apartment.
Police officers filled the room.
At the center…
A dead man lay on the floor.
A knife stuck in his back.
The victim:
Takeshi Fujie.
Former lover of Yoko Okino.
Inspector Megure stood beside the body.
"Detective Mouri! Good timing."
Kogoro grinned proudly.
"Leave it to me!"
Conan immediately began observing the room.
Small details.
Blood pattern.
Furniture placement.
The balcony door.
Meanwhile—
A knock sounded at the entrance.
Megure turned.
"Yes?"
Haruki stepped inside calmly.
"I heard there was a murder case."
Megure frowned slightly.
"And you are?"
"Haruki Akizawa. University student."
Kogoro waved casually.
"He helped with a case yesterday."
Megure shrugged.
"As long as you don't interfere."
Haruki nodded.
Then his eyes scanned the room.
And the investigation began.
The victim lay face down.
Knife embedded in his back.
But something was strange.
The room was locked from inside.
A classic locked-room murder.
Kogoro pointed dramatically.
"The killer must be Miss Yoko Okino!"
She gasped.
"W-What?!"
Ran protested.
"That's ridiculous!"
Conan sighed.
Kogoro strikes again.
But Haruki noticed something.
The knife.
The position.
The blood flow.
And most importantly—
The victim's face.
Haruki crouched slightly.
Observation Boost activated.
The victim's expression was not one of fear.
Nor surprise.
It was…
Calm.
Almost peaceful.
Haruki thought quietly.
"Interesting."
Meanwhile Conan inspected the balcony.
Then suddenly—
He noticed something.
A strand of hair caught on the balcony railing.
Long.
Female.
Conan's eyes widened slightly.
A clue.
But before he could say anything—
Haruki spoke.
"The killer entered through the balcony."
The room went silent.
Conan froze.
Megure blinked.
"You figured that out already?"
Haruki pointed calmly.
"Long hair caught on the railing."
Everyone looked.
The strand of hair swayed gently in the wind.
Conan stared.
"He saw it already…?"
But Haruki continued thinking.
Something still didn't fit.
The locked room.
The victim's expression.
The knife angle.
Then suddenly—
Conan remembered something from earlier.
The idol fan who lived next door.
A jealous woman.
Haruki looked toward the door.
At that exact moment—
The neighbor appeared.
A woman with messy hair.
Eyes full of rage.
Conan and Haruki both realized it simultaneously.
The motive.
The truth.
But Conan couldn't reveal it directly.
He was just a child.
Which meant—
He would need his usual trick.
Conan quietly prepared his voice-changing bow tie plan.
But Haruki was already stepping forward.
"Inspector."
Megure looked at him.
"Yes?"
Haruki adjusted his glasses calmly.
"I believe I understand what happened."
Conan froze.
Wait.
If Haruki explained the case now—
Conan wouldn't get the chance to demonstrate the trick.
Their eyes met.
Once again.
Two detectives.
One small.
One calm.
Both holding the answer.
And only one would speak first.
End of Chapter 6