After the Undercover System Went Haywire, I Switched to Grinding Suspicion Points Chapter 297

Edogawa Conan's instinctive blurt was too hurtful. Even he felt a bit embarrassed and tried to patch things up.

"I an, how could Usuha-nii possibly beco a culprit, right?"

Usuha Izuki said ominously: "Last ti at Dr. Agasa's house, you looked at like I had killed soone... No, you actually suspected I killed Dr. Agasa, didn't you?"

Edogawa Conan: "..."

Hattori Heiji didn't know about this incident and was completely out of the loop, even mocking him: "Huh? Conan, that's quite an outrageous misjudgnt!"

Edogawa Conan laughed dryly: "Ahaha, misunderstanding, all misunderstanding."

Laugh all you want! If you saw that scene you'd misjudge too! This guy Hattori, stop talking without experiencing it yourself!

Usuha Izuki didn't tease too excessively, poking Edogawa Conan's forehead: "Alright, you and your Heiji-niisan continue playing. I'll keep Ran and Kazuha company."

After saying this, Usuha Izuki turned and left without hesitation.

After confirming only the two of them remained, Hattori Heiji couldn't help asking: "Does he suspect you? Why does he so naturally assu you should be involved in these things with ?"

First asking a child about case details, then seeming to know there were secrets between the two of them, so deliberately leaving to give them private space... his attitude was very subtle too...

"...Is it possible," Edogawa Conan said with half-closed eyes, "that in his mind, you're no different from an elentary student?"

Hattori Heiji: "...No way?"

Edogawa Conan rolled his eyes: "When you first t him, weren't you an elentary student? After all these years without much face-to-face eting, just phone calls and emails, what's strange about him still treating you like a child?"

Hattori Heiji protested: "I actually started growing taller not long after eting Usuha-nii! I'm so tall now! Why would he still treat like an elentary student!"

The two bickered, and Edogawa Conan also managed to recover from the matter of his idol being the culprit, barely able to rationally persuade soone to turn themselves in.

Edogawa Conan t his idol at the cri scene, directly recreating the other party's operation, successfully convincing Ray Curtis through verbal persuasion and his identity as a fan.

But after learning from Ray Curtis why he wanted to kill, Edogawa Conan's mood beca very heavy again.

Ray Curtis's scandal was indeed fake, but the scandal fabricated by that reporter had too much impact, causing his wife's ntal state to suffer greatly and ultimately commit suicide. Even though he won the lawsuit, he couldn't get his wife back.

So Ray Curtis, seeking revenge, really did touch drugs, trying to draw out that reporter and find an opportunity to kill him to avenge his wife.

...Sigh, regardless of the reason, since he had killed soone, Edogawa Conan couldn't ignore it. Ray Curtis would have to go to prison.

At least Ray Curtis planned to turn himself in, so he didn't have to prove to the police in front of everyone that his idol was the murderer...

Edogawa Conan walked down the stairs with a heavy heart, heading toward the lobby with Hattori Heiji, who had been waiting downstairs out of concern for him.

Neither of them spoke, with an oppressive atmosphere surrounding them.

—Then they saw Usuha Izuki.

To be precise, they saw Usuha Izuki chatting with Mouri Ran and Toyama Kazuha.

The handso, fashionably dressed young man was smiling and saying sothing to the two high school beauties, making both girls laugh brightly, completely dispelling the anxiety and unease caused by the sudden case.

Hattori Heiji: "..."

Edogawa Conan: "..."

Their mood suddenly changed from one type of depression to another type of depression.

Hattori Heiji stared over there: "...Speaking of which, he did tell us earlier that he was going to keep Kazuha and Ran-san company."

Edogawa Conan also watched intently: "Yeah, so what are you unhappy about?"

"You're the one who's unhappy! Don't you like Ran-san? Kazuha and I are different from you!"

"Huh? Try saying that in front of Kazuha-san?"

The two quietly bickered for a bit, then called a truce due to so inexplicable feeling of shared misery.

The two of them were quite similar in so ways.

For instance, whenever they encountered a case, they would instinctively abandon the people around them and run off to solve it. Usually when they returned, they'd see the girls looking worried and reproachful, but unwilling to ruin their happiness upon seeing how excited they were.

Like today, coming back from solving a case to find the girls chatting happily with soone else, seemingly having forgotten about them—this was the first ti they'd seen such a situation.

Due to the angle, Toyama Kazuha was the first to notice Hattori Heiji staring at them, quickly waving: "Heiji!"

Mouri Ran also finally noticed Edogawa Conan, saying helplessly: "Why did you wander off again!"

Edogawa Conan laughed dryly.

Usuha Izuki smiled: "Is everything resolved?"

Edogawa Conan almost wanted to respond but hit the ergency brakes, letting Hattori Heiji take over.

"Yeah, all settled. Soone should be turning themselves in shortly."

"That's good." Usuha Izuki sighed. "The girls have been worried about you the whole ti. Since your problem is resolved, you should quickly comfort them now. I can't always happen to be around."

Edogawa Conan & Hattori Heiji: "............???"

Why did those words sound so tea-scented?!

Soon after, news ca from the police that the culprit had turned themselves in. The chaotic events of the night were finally over, and the group planned to return to the hotel to rest.

After asking around, they discovered that Mouri Kogorou's group and Usuha Izuki were staying at the sa hotel, so they simply gave him a ride back together.

"So Usuha-nii is also returning to Tokyo tomorrow?" Sitting in the taxi, Mouri Ran naturally struck up conversation with Usuha Izuki.

When Usuha Izuki wanted to be likeable, almost no one could escape. At this mont, under Edogawa Conan's very restrained but genuinely wary gaze, he said with a smile: "Yes, what ti are you taking the shinkansen? I'll go with you~"

Mouri Ran reported the ti without any wariness.

So the next day, Usuha Izuki got up early—well, it was already noon, but for him it counted as early—and bumd another taxi ride with the Mouri family to the shinkansen platform together.

When Hattori Heiji saw Usuha Izuki, his mouth was twitching: "Usuha-nii, didn't you co to Osaka to hang out with ?"

They had only t last night and now he was leaving!?

Was he really here to see him or not?! He was getting upset!

Usuha Izuki sighed heavily and patted his shoulder: "I think we might not be compatible. Every ti I see you, we encounter cases. For the peace of Osaka, I should leave."

Hattori Heiji: "...???"

What, now it's his fault that cases happen?!

Hattori Heiji laughed in exasperation: "So you actually just ca to see in passing, right?!"

"Not at all. Why are you so lacking in confidence?" Usuha Izuki looked at him with puzzled eyes. "Of course I ca to Osaka specifically for you. After getting off the shinkansen, except for going to the hotel to drop off my luggage, I went straight to find you. But sohow you and Conan inexplicably left behind without even acknowledging , and I had to help you comfort your girlfriend..."

As he spoke, Usuha Izuki's tone beca sowhat accusatory.

"Wait, wait, don't say that. Kazuha isn't my girlfriend." Hattori Heiji's face turned red. "It's my fault, my fault. I'll definitely make ti to properly host you next ti!"

Usuha Izuki was satisfied: "Alright then."

Then Usuha Izuki turned to chat with Mouri Ran and Toyama Kazuha.

He blended in with the girls without any sense of discord.

Hattori Heiji felt sothing wasn't quite right.

Edogawa Conan, who had witnessed the entire exchange, asked in confusion: "So why did you end up apologizing?"

Initially, wasn't Hattori the one accusing Usuha-nii of not really coming to hang out with him?

Hattori Heiji: "............"

Yeah, why?!

This confusion reached its peak when the shinkansen arrived and Usuha Izuki boarded with just a backpack.

...Bringing only this much luggage, he obviously hadn't planned to stay in Osaka long!

Hattori Heiji began to suspect Usuha Izuki actually had other purposes for coming to Osaka, and seeing him was just incidental.

But after boarding, Usuha Izuki waved goodbye to him from the window. Hattori Heiji, being a polite kid, leaned out the window to chat.

"When will you co to Osaka again? There won't be any cases! Really!"

Usuha Izuki: "I'll consider it."

"...Does this need consideration too?!" Hattori Heiji was displeased. "Usuha-nii, you..."

Toyama Kazuha knew Hattori Heiji had always cared about Usuha Izuki, so she also helped: "Usuha-nii, next ti you co to Osaka, please stay for more days. Heiji has always been looking forward to eting you."

Usuha Izuki smiled: "Since it's Kazuha's invitation, I'll definitely agree."

Hattori Heiji: "............"

He was starting to regret this.

What was going on with Usuha-nii? When talking to him and Kudo, he was so hurtful, but with girls he had this habitual coaxing attitude... Was this really gender discrimination?!

The shinkansen departed. Toyama Kazuha seized the last mont to instill so guy-chasing techniques in Mouri Ran.

"No curveballs! Go straight! Straight balls!"

Mouri Ran, already seated on the shinkansen, smiled awkwardly: "Yes, I understand..."

Just after she finished saying this, as if soone was deliberately contradicting her, a voice muttered while passing by: "Can't go straight, better throw a curveball to test things out..."

The few people he passed by: "...Officer Takagi?!"

Takagi Wataru was startled, only then noticing the Mouri group.

"Ah, Mr. Mouri, Ran-san, and Conan-kun... uh, who is this?"

Takagi Wataru's gaze fell on Usuha Izuki.

This was his first ti seeing Usuha Izuki, and this aesthetically conservative straight man was slightly shocked by Usuha Izuki's outfit.

Is this fashion? Then he'd rather be old-fashioned... just wear suits, they're fine...

Usuha Izuki introduced himself: "Hello, I'm called Conan, and I'm a detective..."

Takagi Wataru was confused but believed him: "Huh? Are there so many detectives nad Conan lately?"

Edogawa Conan said with a twitching mouth: "Usuha-nii is joking, right Usuha-nii?"

Usuha Izuki said regretfully: "Fine, I'm Hattori Heiji. Please take care of , Officer."

Takagi Wataru hesitated: "Conan-kun just called you Usuha... and I think I rember the na Hattori Heiji..."

"...Just kidding. My na is Usuha."

Edogawa Conan rolled his eyes—Usuha-nii was really addicted to identity theft! Speaking of which, why did Usuha-nii always dislike giving his real na? Was he so kind of fugitive?!

"May I ask, are you on duty?" Mouri Kogorou asked in confusion.

Takagi Wataru looked troubled but admitted it.

He was currently escorting a prisoner.

Mouri Kogorou couldn't sit still, curiously wanting to follow and see what kind of prisoner they were escorting. Mouri Ran also planned to go greet Officer Sato, who was still in her seat guarding the prisoner.

Edogawa Conan followed for a couple steps, then suddenly noticed sothing and whipped around to see Usuha Izuki was still sitting in his seat, not having left.

"...Usuha-nii, aren't you coming with us?"

Usuha Izuki smiled: "No thanks. Going over there with you all, I feel like a case is about to happen."

Edogawa Conan: "............"

He just pinned this bla on Hattori, and now he was going to pin it on him too?! Enough already!

How could there be so many murder cases happening in this world!