The next day happened to be Sunday again.
So there was no need to ask for leave. Koji Shimizu slept until he woke up naturally.
When he checked the time, it was already five in the afternoon. They had gotten home at three in the morning, which meant he had slept for a full fourteen hours.
Staring at the plain ceiling, Koji Shimizu blinked. He felt energetic, with no aftereffects.
However, when he recalled the deep exhaustion he had felt in his soul the day before, it was as if a warning still lingered—never to recklessly use the power of his soul, and never to casually profane the bodies of the dead.
After getting out of bed, changing clothes, washing up, and taking a quick shower, Koji Shimizu went downstairs to the dining room.
He quickly made himself two sandwiches and a glass of milk—breakfast served as dinner.
While eating, he opened that day's newspaper.
Recently, he had developed the habit of reading the paper every day. It helped pass the time while eating and also kept him updated on current events.
After flipping through a couple of pages, most of what he saw were trivial financial stories—companies going bankrupt or quick stock market updates. But on the front page of the entertainment section, he unexpectedly saw the name Shirakura Yo.
Yes—the very person he had killed last night.
Koji Shimizu felt no emotional reaction. Killing and being killed were, in some ways, the same to him; he had never cared much about such things.
Skimming the article, it explained that based on the letters exchanged between Shirakura Yo and Professor Hirota, along with the disk found in Shirakura's pocket, the police had deduced his motive for murder: he wanted to retrieve photos of himself dressed as a woman before his plastic surgery.
It was an almost obsessive motive. Even Koji Shimizu had thought the man was rather extreme.
Somehow, the reporters had even managed to obtain the photos. Next to Shirakura's celebrity portrait, they had printed pictures of him in women's clothing before the surgery.
Logically, such material should have been important evidence in the case, yet it had been leaked and turned into gossip for the public to compare.
A man who had been willing to kill over an "ugly photo" had ultimately been exposed in such a dramatic fashion—though Koji Shimizu himself had played a part in it.
Hopefully, the man knew this in the afterlife.
Koji Shimizu folded the newspaper and casually set it aside. He had a bad habit of not putting things away properly.
Back when he lived in a small house it wasn't a problem, but after moving into the large Kudo residence, he only cleaned when he felt like it.
As a result, newspapers were often scattered everywhere. A few days earlier, Conan had even complained that the house was practically buried in them.
But Koji Shimizu thought it was nice to have interesting reading material wherever you happened to sit.
Ring—Ring—
Just as he was about to clear the table, the phone rang. The caller ID showed Diana.
"Hello."
"Koji-kun, it's almost time. Don't forget to come, okay~?"
"Alright, I'll be there soon."
"Mhm, make sure you come~."
After hanging up, Koji Shimizu hesitated slightly.
He wasn't short on money for the moment, but the pay there was indeed very high.
After some thought, he decided it would be best to see things through properly. When the time was right, he would find an opportunity to resign.
Regardless of Diana's original motives for hiring him, she had always treated him well—offering generous wages paid daily and ensuring he never had to deal with troublesome situations.
She had treated him quite generously.
After cleaning the table, he went upstairs to change into casual clothes before heading out.
"Koji, going out this late?"
Koji Shimizu turned toward the voice.
Under the fading sunlight, in Professor Agasa's yard next door, two figures—one big and one small—were watering the lawn.
Ai Haibara, dressed in a little gardener's outfit meant for elementary schoolers, looked strangely amusing. Koji Shimizu found himself staring for a moment.
Had she already collected so many different outfits? The professor must be quite wealthy.
In truth, he was mistaken. Haibara wasn't someone who spent money recklessly. Under her guidance, Professor Agasa had created two practical inventions, which improved their financial situation.
When she saw Professor Agasa greeting Koji Shimizu, Haibara glanced over briefly before turning back to continue watering the plants.
Cold and indifferent—not cute at all.
Before Koji Shimizu had discovered her true identity, she had at least tried to act like an adorable child.
"Yes, Professor. A part-time job."
"Oh, I see. Then be careful on your way, Koji."
Koji Shimizu nodded and waved goodbye.
This time he didn't take a bicycle. Now that he was familiar with the route, taking the train was much more convenient.
—
"Beika… Beika Station. This train is a local service bound for Honancho…"
Koji Shimizu was practically pushed onto the train by the crowd.
He had been careless and forgotten that it was nearly rush hour.
Fortunately, it wasn't quite peak time yet, so the train wasn't so crowded that staff had to push passengers inside to close the doors—but it wasn't far from that point.
After boarding, Koji Shimizu didn't have to move a finger. The flow of passengers carried him automatically from one car to another.
Finally, he felt some space open behind him. Grabbing a strap overhead, he steadied himself.
Around him, the train remained packed shoulder to shoulder, yet for some reason there was suddenly an empty space where he stood.
Koji Shimizu instinctively turned around.
Behind him, in the corner between the door and the seats, stood a short-haired girl in a black dress with a white-collared blouse. With a calm expression, she leaned against the door with her eyes closed, holding a bamboo sword.
Why was she here?
Koji Shimizu was momentarily stunned.
As if sensing his gaze, Tetsu Moroha suddenly opened her eyes. Her sharp stare looked as though it could kill.
Now Koji Shimizu understood why this area was so empty.
When she realized it was him, her expression changed instantly. The fierce aura withdrew smoothly, replaced by a hint of surprise in her dark eyes.
"It's you."
"Yeah. What a coincidence."
Her eyes shifted as she briefly looked him over, then nodded.
"It really is."
She had never expected to meet Koji Shimizu again like this—here, at this time, and under these circumstances.
She was on her way to practice at a kendo dojo outside the area. To avoid being discovered by her mother, she had deliberately chosen a Sunday evening and traveled quite far.
She hadn't used the family car either. Although the household guards knew about her situation, she suspected that someone had reported her the previous times she was caught. So she told them she was going shopping with friends instead.
Under normal circumstances, she might only ride a train a few times in her entire life.
After exchanging greetings, the two of them fell into silence.