"Is that so?" Ran rubbed her smooth chin and looked at Hoshimiya Yuu suspiciously. "If Shinichi said that, I wouldn't be surprised…"
"When did Hoshimiya Nii-san get so curious about cases?"
Hoshimiya Yuu smiled somewhat awkwardly at Ran's questioning.
He hadn't watched the entire Detective Conan series, but the cases he'd encountered so far were ones he had seen.
Since he already knew the entire truth, he naturally wouldn't act overly curious.
During the roller coaster case, Hoshimiya Yuu had mentioned having some interest in deduction and having read Sherlock Holmes.
Ran had dismissed this, thinking he was just saying that to ease her predicament.
"Okay, fine. I'm actually a little curious about the 'ghost of Keiji Asou' the villagers mentioned."
Hoshimiya Yuu said half-truthfully. "Piano music is heard from the community hall every full moon night, coupled with the mysterious death of the Asou family. Don't you think this kind of ghost story is exciting?"
Ran subconsciously hugged her arms. Just listening to Hoshimiya Yuu describe it, she seemed to visualize a terrifying scene.
"Y-yes… it is strange… how could there be a ghost in the world… haha… haha…"
Ran instinctively moved closer to Hoshimiya Yuu, trying hard to convince herself.
She was not a staunch materialist and had been afraid of thunder, ghost stories, and other scary things since childhood.
Hoshimiya Yuu knew Ran was afraid of ghosts, so he naturally wouldn't intentionally scare her.
He took hold of the girl's slightly trembling small hand and comforted her, "Don't worry. Even if a ghost really appears, I'll protect you. And based on my judgment, the so-called ghost on this small island is definitely man-made."
Feeling the warmth transmitted from Hoshimiya Yuu's palm, Ran gradually calmed down.
"But why would someone do that?"
"It's naturally to cover up the truth behind the death of the Asou family," Hoshimiya Yuu explained calmly. "As for the true purpose of this strange request, it's likely to ask Mouri Oji-san to investigate and clarify the matter."
"Ah! I see…"
Enlightened by Hoshimiya Yuu's explanation, Ran suddenly realized, "No wonder the client's name was Keiji Asou."
"Let's go. We should find a place to stay first."
Hoshimiya Yuu held Ran's hand and walked along the village road.
It was true that he needed accommodation; he was indeed very sleepy. But the most important thing was to make contact with Asai Narumi first.
After walking along the road for a few minutes, Hoshimiya Yuu saw a clinic.
Tsukikage Island was small, and this was the only clinic. It was obvious that Asai Narumi worked here.
The island had gained some popularity due to the promotion, but the village itself still didn't have many people.
Tourists mostly went to the scenic spots on the island, and few ventured into the village, which looked no different from any ordinary residential area.
Hoshimiya Yuu was wondering what excuse to use to enter the clinic and contact Asai Narumi, but unexpectedly, Asai Narumi happened to walk out as they passed by.
There was no one else on the road. Ran, who was worrying about where to go, immediately brightened up and went forward to ask for directions.
"Excuse me, sorry to bother you. May I ask where there is a hotel or accommodation?"
"If you follow this road straight ahead, you will see it. There is a hotel specially catering to tourists there."
After giving directions, Asai Narumi spoke warmly to Ran.
"Are you two from Tokyo?"
"Yes, we just arrived by ferry," Ran replied politely.
"I was born in Tokyo too, you know."
As if her thought was validated, Asai Narumi became even more enthusiastic and proactively introduced, "But this little island is different from Tokyo. The air is so fresh, and it's very quiet."
Before she could finish, a car equipped with a loudspeaker roared past.
"Masato Shimizu! Please support Masato Shimizu!"
The noisy sound echoed through the empty street as the car drove by.
Asai Narumi wasn't embarrassed and smiled, "That's an exception, because the village chief election is coming up soon."
Ran looked at the enthusiastic doctor and asked curiously, "A village chief election?"
Asai Narumi immediately started giving an introduction.
"Yes. The candidates are Masato Shimizu, the current fishermen's representative, and Mr. Kuroiwa, the current village chief whose approval rating has dropped recently…"
While Asai Narumi and Ran were chatting happily, Hoshimiya Yuu observed her closely.
Asai Narumi was about the same height as Ran. She wore a white coat over a black short skirt.
Her beautiful, long, fair legs were completely bare, with delicate white skin that invited a second glance.
Her long black hair was tied back in a high ponytail, making her look mature and competent.
Her fair, flawless, oval face was subtly dusted with foundation, with a touch of perfectly placed blush on her cheeks.
Even with her simple and modest attire, she couldn't hide her naturally alluring charm.
No matter how Hoshimiya Yuu observed her, even with [True Sight] at maximum output, he couldn't find a single trace of masculinity.
There was no Adam's apple, her figure was genuinely curved, and her voice was even softer and sweeter than most women's.
Even though she deliberately acted somewhat coincidentally, appearing slightly exaggerated, her every move was graceful and feminine.
Through observation, Hoshimiya Yuu even found that Asai Narumi intentionally dressed in a somewhat androgynous manner.
Perhaps her true appearance was too seductive, making it unsuitable for performing a doctor's duties.
Perhaps Hoshimiya Yuu's scrutiny was too bold, or perhaps she had talked enough with Ran, but Asai Narumi shifted the topic to Hoshimiya Yuu.
"By the way, my name is Narumi Asai. I'm the doctor at this clinic, and I have a formal medical license, too."
"So you're Dr. Asai? I thought you were a nurse," Ran said with some surprise. She hadn't expected such a young and beautiful woman to be a licensed doctor.
In Japan, getting a formal medical license was extremely difficult.
With this license, one usually never lacked work, and the salary was generally high.
"And this gentleman is…"
"Hoshimiya Yuu, health and physical education teacher," Hoshimiya Yuu smiled, introducing himself. "I can barely call myself a colleague of Dr. Asai's."
"Colleague… ha… ha…"
The connection was so tenuous that even the highly skilled Asai Narumi couldn't maintain her composure, only managing an awkward yet polite smile.
It's not them? Did I misjudge? It shouldn't be…
Failing to find Kogoro Mouri, Asai Narumi was confused.
By all accounts, the only people running into the village at this time should be the detective she invited to investigate.
And this was true; apart from Hoshimiya Yuu and Ran, the other tourists hadn't entered the village at all and were all out sightseeing.
Hoshimiya Yuu, who had been observing Asai Narumi, showed a slight smile.
Silly you. You didn't expect Mouri Oji-san to be so unreliable that he went straight back, did you?
Asai Narumi's performance was excellent. If Hoshimiya Yuu hadn't known the inside story, he wouldn't have noticed any flaws.
But knowing the truth, he could immediately spot the places where her behavior was deliberately forced.