When Hayashi Yoshiki arrived at the bottom of the apartnt building where Yoko Okino lived, he saw several police cars parked downstairs.
He took the elevator directly to the 25th floor.
As soon as he stepped out, Hayashi Yoshiki saw a group of people gathered in the corridor — the body had been found in the living room of Yoko Okino's apartnt, and the police were now investigating and collecting evidence, so everyone had been asked to wait outside.
"Nice to et you, Uncle Mouri."
"Who are you?"
"My na is Hayashi Yoshiki, and I'm Aunt Eri's cousin."
"Oh! So he's Eri's nephew...!"
Kogoro Mouri, who had just looked confused, beca alert at a speed visible to the naked eye. He walked up, patted Hayashi Yoshiki on the shoulder, and exclaid, "No wonder you're so handso."
"You flatter ."
Hayashi Yoshiki just smiled.
Mouri Ran stood off to the side in a ladylike manner and greeted him softly, "Good evening, Shu... cousin."
"Good evening."
Hayashi Yoshiki smiled kindly. Seeing that Ran seed a little awkward, he added, "No need to be so formal. You can call Brother Yoshiki."
"Huh?"
Ran felt a little strange calling him by combining part of his surna and first na.
But after realizing that it rolled off the tongue more naturally, she decided to go along with it.
"Who are these kids?"
Hayashi Yoshiki noticed several elentary school students.
"They're just so naughty kids who sneaked in while we weren't paying attention. Oh, and this one's Conan — he's staying at our house temporarily."
Kogoro Mouri placed a large hand on Conan's head, causing the latter to roll his eyes.
Kojima Genta and Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko were a bit offended by being called "naughty kids" and muttered quietly:
"What?"
"We just wanted to see what our idol's house looks like."
"Right, Ayumi?"
"..."
Being stared at by the two boys, Yoshida Ayumi looked at Hayashi Yoshiki in a daze and said, "What a handso big brother!"
"..."
Ignoring the children for now, Hayashi Yoshiki turned toward Yoko Okino and her agent, Yamagishi Eiichi.
"Teacher Hayashi..."
"Well, what's the situation now?"
"I'm not sure," Yoko Okino shook her head. "I just got ho and saw soone lying in a pool of blood. Then, following Mr. Mouri's instructions, I called the police and waited for them to arrive..."
"Okay, then may I ask if the deceased has any connection to you, Miss Yoko?"
"That person has absolutely nothing to do with Yoko."
Hayashi Yoshiki was speaking to Yoko Okino, but Yamagishi Ei rushed to answer, then imdiately turned to Yoko and said, "Isn't that right, Yoko?"
He looked like he was afraid she might say the wrong thing.
However, Yoko Okino didn't seem to recognize the body. After carefully thinking, she frowned and shook her head, "I don't know. I don't think I know him."
"You really don't know him?"
At that mont, Inspector gure Juzo walked out of the apartnt.
Although chubby, he carried the stern presence of a police officer. He looked seriously at Yoko Okino and said, "According to your earlier statent, the door was locked when you arrived. It would be impossible to enter without a key. In other words, if the person was killed in a locked room, the pri suspect is likely the owner of the apartnt!"
"That's impossible... I didn't kill anyone, officer!" Yoko Okino was shocked.
"That's what I've been saying, Inspector gure!"
When he heard that gure Juzo suspected Yoko, Kogoro Mouri beca agitated: "There's no way soone as lovely as Miss Yoko could be the culprit!"
"..."
Black lines ford on gure's forehead.
"It's still too early to conclude this is a locked-room mystery," Hayashi Yoshiki's clear voice cut in. "After all, it's just a door that can be opened with a key."
Yoko Okino visibly relaxed, as if she had found her support.
"Oh! Brother Hayashi!"
Inspector gure, who rembered him from before, lit up imdiately.
"Does Miss Yoko have a spare key to this apartnt?"
"Yes, I gave one to Mr. Yamagishi."
"I see! Then the culprit is Mr. Yamagishi!"
Kogoro Mouri wasted no ti in pointing his finger at Yamagishi Ei. As Yamagishi panicked and waved his hands to deny the accusation, Mouri rushed forward and grabbed him by the collar.
"You! You must have gotten jealous as her agent, confessed your feelings, and got rejected — so now you're trying to fra her, huh!?"
"Please don't spout nonsense! I did have a spare key, but I lost it a few days ago! I think I left it in the TV station's staff lounge."
"Where's your evidence? All we have is your word—"
"I know this, Mr. Mouri. Yamagishi isn't lying."
Yoko Okino, not wanting her agent to be falsely accused, quickly ca forward to explain. Her anxious and serious expression caused Kogoro to awkwardly clear his throat.
"Well, since Miss Yoko says so..."
(Don't just take one side of the story.)
Conan, observing the double standard, twitched the corner of his mouth.
Then he looked at Hayashi Yoshiki, who was calmly watching the scene with a faint smile — as if he wasn't bothered by this ridiculous farce at all.
But let's see who's better.
A competitive fla lit in Conan's heart.
He hadn't watched the Beika TV broadcast live, but he did see the news coverage of how the case was solved... To deduce the murderer's thod just by walking around the scene — that wasn't impossible for Conan, since sotis solving a case just required the right spark to connect the clues.
Maybe that's how it was for Hayashi Yoshiki.
But just the fact that he was able to do it proved how capable he was.
To find a rival who might actually be his equal — Conan couldn't help but feel the desire to compete.
"How's the police investigation and evidence collection going?"
"It's almost finished. Would you like to co in and take a look, Brother Hayashi?"
"Sure."
Hayashi Yoshiki hadn't expected Inspector gure to invite him personally.
It seed that the police in this world were indeed very accustod to solving cases with the help of detectives.
"I'll co help too, Inspector gure."
At that mont, Kogoro Mouri chid in enthusiastically.
Inspector gure waved him in.
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