An hour ticked by.
Takagi returned first from Fujie Akiyoshi's apartment, clutching a diary the others hadn't yet seen.
Right behind him, Sato arrived with Ikezawa Yuko in tow.
The woman had long, wavy brown hair, gold earrings, a gold necklace—the picture of affluence. And she was undeniably beautiful.
"Honestly, what's wrong with you police? The woman in that photo is wearing sunglasses and a hat. You're trying to identify me based on earrings?" Faced with Inspector Megure's evidence, Ikezawa Yuko remained cool and collected, oozing confidence.
Then she fixed a sharp gaze on Okino Yoko and went on the offensive. "The man died right in Yoko's home, yet you're questioning someone she barely knows? Are you even competent?"
"Uh… well…" A cold sweat broke out on Inspector Megure's brow. He instinctively looked to Kurosawa Hoshino for help.
Hoshino sifted through his memories of the original case. "Ms. Ikezawa," he began thoughtfully, "Ms. Yoko actually asked us to investigate the stalking she's been experiencing. By the way, this room has clearly been disturbed. I wonder if that person wore gloves. If not, a simple fingerprint check would confirm whether it was you."
In his memory, this very woman, Ikezawa Yuko, had even used the statue-shaped lighter in the room to light a cigarette—a familiar, practiced gesture. That wasn't the only clue. She'd also turned on the bathroom light. Later, she'd admit to searching the room for dirt on Okino Yoko, meaning she'd touched plenty of surfaces.
"Right, that makes sense." Both Mouri Kogoro and Inspector Megure nodded in agreement, their eyes now locked on Ikezawa Yuko.
Because the moment Hoshino finished speaking, the woman's relaxed facade shattered. Panic flashed across her face. They immediately knew—she'd been here, and she hadn't worn gloves.
"Still not ready to admit it, Ms. Ikezawa?" Hoshino pressed.
"I… I…" Ikezawa Yuko's eyes darted around the room, met by everyone's stares. She took two panicked steps back, suddenly regretting her carelessness. It was too late now.
Her head dropped. "Fine, I was here. Yoko stole the key from the dressing room during a TV recording. But I only wanted to find scandalous material on Yoko, I swear! This afternoon, that man opened the door and lunged at me from behind. I was terrified. I shoved him away hard and ran. I don't know what happened after that."
"Heh." A confident smirk spread across Mouri Kogoro's face. "Ms. Ikezawa, drop the act. You're the killer." He shot a glance at Hoshino, eyebrow raised. "See, kid? Not suicide. The culprit's confessing."
"No, I really didn't!" Ikezawa Yuko's voice cracked, tears welling.
Hoshino turned to Takagi, who was observing the scene. "Officer Takagi, what about the security footage you checked earlier?"
Takagi nodded. "Right. When reviewing the footage, I noticed Ms. Ikezawa ran back into the elevator less than two minutes after Mr. Fujie left. There was no blood on her, and her hands were clean."
"Yes, yes! That's it! I just ran. My fingerprints definitely aren't on the knife!" Ikezawa Yuko bobbed her head frantically.
Hoshino then said, "Inspector Megure, perhaps we should look at the diary Officer Takagi brought?"
The diary. They'd almost forgotten.
They huddled together, opening the deceased's diary and reading intently.
Soon, after grasping its contents, many eyes turned to the manager, Yamagishi Eiichi.
Ran couldn't hold back. "Mr. Yamagishi, why did you advise Mr. Fujie to break up with Ms. Yoko? His diary is filled with his love for her and his heartbreak after the split."
"What?" Yoko Okino was stunned. She had no idea her manager was behind the breakup. She stared at him, shocked.
Yamagishi Eiichi hung his head, avoiding their gazes. "I… I was only thinking of Yoko's career. She's at her peak popularity now. If fans found out she had a boyfriend, her image and career would be ruined."
"Mr. Yamagishi, you…" Yoko couldn't finish.
"Ms. Ikezawa," Hoshino began his final deduction. "Your figure from behind is very similar to Ms. Yoko's. Mr. Fujie likely came here today hoping to reconcile. When you resisted so violently, he must have mistaken you for Ms. Yoko and believed she hated him now. In a moment of despair and impulse, he decided to do something that would 'destroy' the Yoko he thought had rejected him."
He pointed to the clues on the floor. "That water was originally ice, used to secure the knife handle. The air conditioning was turned up to melt the ice quickly. The illusion of him being stabbed in the back was created by him standing on this chair and falling forward. Because he was stabbed and couldn't move as he fell, the chair remained neatly in place."
"Wow, Hoshino! You're amazing!" Ran gushed, her eyes shining with admiration. Realizing everyone had gone quiet, she blushed and shut her mouth, her beautiful pale violet eyes blinking rapidly at Hoshino.
Megure stepped forward, carefully examining the upright chair. "There do seem to be some faint footprints here," he confirmed with a nod.
Then, with a solemn expression, he approached Kurosawa Hoshino. Just as everyone thought a problem remained…
A broad, sunny smile broke across Inspector Megure's round face. He clapped Hoshino on the shoulder. "Haha! Hoshino, my boy! I never expected you to crack it so easily! No wonder you've survived so many close calls—your observation skills are sharp! It all makes sense now!"
"..."
Hoshino's lips twitched. He thought of all the fanfiction tropes, the countless scenarios he'd read… and now he was living one. He'd become the "little brother" himself.
A true Devil Fruit user of the "Little Brother" title.
The "Little Brother" might arrive late, but he never missed his cue.
"Phew…" Sato Miwako let out a soft breath, secretly studying Kurosawa Hoshino, her eyes glinting. She hadn't expected this seemingly ordinary high school student to be so… extraordinary.
"Tch. I was careless." Conan shook his head in frustration. He blamed his child's body for preventing him from inspecting the scene immediately, putting him a step behind Hoshino.
Even though Hoshino had been significantly faster, Conan still believed that if he'd had access to the scene from the start, he would have been just as quick.