Toru Tsukano rose from the gallery and began running for the exit like a madman.
The crowd watched in confusion, and the bailiffs looked hesitant; they only had the authority to control the defendant, not to stop a witness from leaving.
Just then, a figure appeared at the doorway. It was Ninzaburo Shiratori, the reinforcement dispatched from the MPD after receiving Yuu Hoshimiya's call.
Shiratori blocked Tsukano's path, holding up his identification. "Mr. Tsukano, the police now suspect you are involved in this case. Please cooperate with the investigation!"
Tsukano's face turned deathly pale. Ultimately, he was forced to return to the stand in dejection.
In the gallery, Masumi Sera couldn't help but remark, "The police arrived quite timely, didn't they?"
Sonoko, standing nearby, added casually, "Teacher Hoshimiya must have contacted the MPD in advance."
"Oh, I see. As expected of Consultant Hoshimiya." Masumi Sera's eyes sparkled as she looked at Yuu in the center of the courtroom, a faint smile playing on her lips as if she were contemplating something.
In the middle of the court, Yuu continued to explain the truth of the incident.
"Mr. Tsukano, you heard during the morning session that the murder weapon hadn't been found, and you feared Mr. Iwamatsu couldn't be convicted."
"That is why you specifically ran to Toraya Park during the lunch recess to dump the weapon, making it easy for the prosecution to find it."
Tsukano grew frantic. "You're lying! The weapon has nothing to do with me."
"Oh? I recall that Toraya Park underwent renovations last year, and surveillance cameras were installed at the entrances. Perhaps we should ask the police to pull the footage to see if you were there?"
Tsukano's pupils contracted instantly. He immediately retorted, "So what if I went there? I was just feeling frustrated at noon and went for a stroll. Toraya Park is huge; am I not allowed to take a walk?"
An uproar broke out in the courtroom. That excuse was far too forced.
"I was just making up the part about the cameras. Why were you so eager to prove you were at Toraya Park at noon, Mr. Tsukano? Could it be a guilty conscience?"
"You!" Tsukano's eyes turned red as he pointed a trembling finger at Yuu. The feeling of being baited was truly agonizing.
Yuu smiled. These criminals in the Conan world were sometimes adorably stupid. Conan's bluffing tactics really were effective every time.
The suspicion surrounding Toru Tsukano deepened further.
Tsukano waved his hand dismissively, speaking with faked fury, "Where I go at noon has nothing to do with this! You are talking nonsense! I will sue you for slander!"
"How could I kill my brother-in-law? He's my only relative in this world!" Tsukano squeezed out a few fake tears.
A look of disgust appeared in Yuu's eyes. "Stop acting. Attorney Kisaki has already investigated your company. Eri, go ahead."
Eri Kisaki presented a stack of documents to the judge. "According to the investigation into President Ishigaki's firm, Mr. Tsukano's embezzlement of company funds was discovered by President Ishigaki. They had a heated argument a few days ago, which everyone in the office witnessed."
Tsukano was beyond furious. "Impossible! Those ungrateful bastards... they are framing me! They want my position as General Manager! This isn't evidence! This isn't evidence!"
Tsukano struggled to rush forward and seize the documents, but he was subdued by Shiratori from behind, his body pinned against the gallery table.
"Mr. Tsukano, you wanted evidence? I'll give it to you."
Yuu picked up the vase. "Dropping the gloves and dagger into the vase indeed prevents fingerprints on the items themselves, but to reach inside and grab them, one must use a bare hand."
"Inside this vase, there is a bloody fingerprint belonging to you. The ironclad proof is right here. How will you lie your way out of this now?"
The pinned Tsukano felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He froze completely.
His lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.
A sob escaped him, and tears streamed down his face once more.
"It's all that guy's fault... I didn't want to kill him. I didn't want to kill him."
"He said if I didn't pay the money back, he'd call the police. I had no choice... I had no choice but to do it."
"Why? I hate this! Why are you all trying to ruin me? Why couldn't that other guy just go to jail? Why not?!"
Tsukano wailed. Hearing his words become increasingly unhinged, Shiratori simply handcuffed him and escorted him out.
The onlookers sighed at the tragic turn of events.
At the prosecution table, Reiko Kujo was a bit dazed. She felt like a total spectator; she had spent the entire session listening to Yuu's deduction. The case was over before she could say more than two sentences.
She looked at Yuu and saw him giving her a smug, wicked grin, which irritated her.
This guy... he took so much advantage of me at noon and even helped me 'find evidence.' It was all a trick to mislead me! How detestable!
At the thought, she gritted her teeth and glared at him.
The old judge, after consulting with the jurors, banged his gavel. "Based on the jurors' consensus, the verdict of this trial is: the defendant, Toshio Iwamatsu, is found not guilty and is acquitted."
"Does the prosecution have any objections?"
Reiko Kujo snapped out of her daze.
She stood up and said, "The prosecution has no objections. We will gather materials as soon as possible to file a new indictment against Toru Tsukano for the murder of President Ishigaki."
The judge nodded and banged his gavel again. "The trial is over. Toshio Iwamatsu is released immediately!"
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the courtroom.
Iwamatsu looked on in disbelief, eventually thanking Yuu and Eri with great emotion.
The spectators gazed at Yuu with admiration, their applause continuous. They felt the trip had been worth it just to see such a brilliant deduction show.
Below, Masumi Sera wore a peculiar smile as she quietly tucked away the phone she had been holding up.
Before she hid it, the live video signal light was still glowing.
On the other side of the video, a girl stared at the cut signal, lost in thought.
The case was over, and the crowd began to file out.
Yuu and Eri packed up their materials and walked out into the corridor to join Ran and the others.
Masumi Sera immediately stepped forward to praise him. "Consultant Hoshimiya, your deduction just now was magnificent. You've given me a very useful lesson."
"And you are?"
Looking at the girl's familiar large eyes, Yuu recognized the tomboy of the Akai family instantly.
While the timeline in this world was erratic, it was still moving forward; Masumi Sera had already transferred here.
That meant the "sister from outside the domain," the middle-school-aged Mary Akai, must have arrived in Japan as well.
In that case, it was almost time to officially...
Well, once the Kingdom of Vespania was established as his rear base, the timing should be perfect.
"I am Masumi Sera, also a high school detective. I hope to learn much from Consultant Hoshimiya!"
Masumi Sera offered a respectful bow.
Yuu chuckled.
A high school detective who refers to herself as 'this humble detective'? She's quite like Natsuki Koshimizu!
He discreetly glanced at her chest. Flat as a board. She's like her in that way too.
Rumor had it that Masumi Sera was modeled after Natsuki Koshimizu, intended to replace the popular but tragically written-out female detective.
Looking at her now, there was certainly some truth to that.
However, compared to Natsuki Koshimizu, Masumi Sera's tomboy attributes were much stronger.
If she wanted to pass as a boy, probably no one except Yuu could tell at a glance.
"A high school detective at such a young age? Not bad. You have a bright future!"
"Consultant Hoshimiya, could I visit your house sometime? I still have many shortcomings in my deductions and wish to improve."
Yuu had intended to refuse, as that would be more in line with his usual persona, but he changed his mind.
Crucially, Masumi Sera delivering herself to his door made things much more convenient for him.
Especially regarding a certain blonde "toddler" known as the sister from outside the domain; it would be much easier to make contact with her later.
So, despite the eye-rolls from Ran and the other girls, he nodded happily.
"Of course! You can come find me, or hang out with Ran!"
Just then, the click of high heels approached as Reiko Kujo walked over.
She glanced at Yuu and said, "Consultant Hoshimiya, I've certainly had a taste of your methods today. Next time, I will definitely defeat you!"
This woman was actually acting like a child making a vow of vengeance.
After speaking, she held her head high and walked away with an arrogant air.
Beside him, Eri Kisaki was speechless.
What the hell? Aren't I your rival?
Yuu only helped out twice!
Yuu called back, "Prosecutor Kujo, I have even more powerful 'methods' waiting for you. I'm afraid you won't be winning next time either."
Reiko Kujo's body stiffened for a moment before she continued walking out.
Sonoko added fuel to the fire from the side, "It seems Teacher Hoshimiya stole all of Aunt Eri's thunder this time and drew all of Prosecutor Kujo's hatred to himself."
"Tsk tsk, what a man-magnet."
Hearing this, the gaze the women directed at Yuu became quite unfriendly.
Looking at their expressions, Yuu felt a bit intimidated.
Eri Kisaki, Ran Mouri, Sonoko Suzuki, Ai Haibara, Ayumi Yoshida...
With so many of them together, that sliver of dissatisfaction was magnified many times over. It was a bit scary.
He hurriedly said, "Aunt Eri, Ran, you all head home first. Remember to take Mitsuhiko and Genta back too. I have some business elsewhere, so I'll be going now."
Before they could stop him, he greased his feet and sprinted down the other side of the corridor.
The women sighed and let him go, leading the children out of the courthouse.
Meanwhile, the jurors had a wrap-up meeting after the case. Sumiko Kobayashi was in the meeting room taking diligent notes.
Ninzaburo Shiratori, after seeing Toru Tsukano into the police car and ordering his subordinates to take him back for a statement, hurried back into the courthouse.
Even a brief glimpse was enough to tell him he hadn't seen wrong.
In that courtroom, in the jury box, that woman wearing glasses and a pink dress—the girl who looked so much like Miwako Sato—had made his heart race.
The feeling was entirely different from what he felt for Miwako Sato.
Shiratori recalled his first love.
It was a girl he had met at a bookstore while he was still in elementary school.
He still remembered her scolding a pickpocket, the cold cola she gave him, and the cherry blossom garnish on top of the can.
That sentence—'The cherry blossom is a symbol worn by every police officer; it is the flower of justice, strong, gentle, and cool'—had stayed with him to this day.
Shiratori, who had originally aspired to be a lawyer, had changed his dream because of that sentence, eventually entering the police academy to become an officer.
That female juror looked exactly like the little girl in his memories.
Shiratori involuntarily walked to the door of the juror meeting room and began to wait.
His palms were sweaty and his heart was racing as he practiced how to strike up a conversation.
Just then, the doors opened, and the jurors filed out one by one.
Sumiko Kobayashi walked out clutching her notebook.
Shiratori's eyes lit up. He licked his lips and was about to step forward.
Suddenly, he saw Sumiko cry out in pleasant surprise, "Yuu-kun! Have you been waiting long?"
Sumiko threw herself into Yuu Hoshimiya's arms like a bird returning to its nest, then affectionately hooked her arm through his.
Shiratori watched this scene in a daze, his mouth hanging open in utter disbelief.
What is going on?
Doesn't Consultant Hoshimiya already have a girlfriend? And he has that ambiguous relationship with both Miwako Sato and Yumi Miyamoto...
As the heir to the Shiratori Group, having multiple girlfriends didn't seem like a big deal to him, but why was Yuu Hoshimiya always beating him to the punch whenever he had a slight interest?
First it was Miwako Sato, and now this bespectacled teacher.
Yuu naturally noticed Ninzaburo Shiratori, but he couldn't be bothered with him.
He was becoming increasingly bold now. Except for things that were truly inconvenient to expose—like the mother-daughter pairs—he was quite indifferent about his relationships with his beauties being known.
If people knew, they knew. It wasn't like he'd lose any skin over it, and it wouldn't even have a negative impact.
Well, one couldn't say there was none, but it would just be talk about him being a playboy or a womanizer, which lowered his personal reputation.
Yuu didn't care in the slightest.
He affectionately ruffled Sumiko's hair. "What took you so long? What were you writing?"
"I'm not telling you!" Sumiko hid her notebook behind her back, her face beaming as she leaned toward Yuu.
Yuu rubbed his nose against Sumiko's, looking thoroughly doting. The intimacy between them was plain to see.
Seeing this, Shiratori's eyes bulged. He felt as if an arrow had been shot through his heart, a mouthful of old blood stuck in his chest.
What is going on?
Will someone please tell me what is going on here?
Yuu even gave Sumiko a light peck on the lips before pretending to have just noticed Shiratori.
He asked, "Oh? Officer Shiratori, what are you doing here?"
Shiratori felt incredibly gloomy inside, but he had to maintain his refined, gentlemanly facade on the surface.
"Oh, I still have some filing to finish regarding the indictment transfer. I'm just waiting here. And this is...?"
Yuu introduced her with a chuckle, "This is a teacher at Teitan Elementary, Conan's homeroom teacher. She's also one of my girlfriends, Sumiko Kobayashi."
"Oh, Teacher Kobayashi. A pleasure to meet you!"
Sumiko offered a polite greeting as well.
"Well then, Officer Shiratori, we won't bother you further. We'll take our leave."
With that, Yuu put his arm around the beautiful teacher's waist and walked away.
Shiratori watched them leave, then immediately turned and began to follow them discreetly from another path.
He had to investigate this!
All the way, Shiratori followed them stealthily. Watching their lovey-dovey behavior made his heart ache repeatedly.
Although he couldn't be certain Teacher Kobayashi was the girl from his childhood, he was fairly confident.
Yuu naturally noticed Shiratori's tail early on, but he didn't expose him. Instead, he became even more affectionate with Sumiko.
After they got into the car, they didn't leave immediately. Yuu pulled Sumiko close by her soft waist and kissed her pink lips while his large hand stroked her beautiful legs, making her face turn bright red.
In the car behind them, Shiratori gripped the steering wheel, his eyes turning red.
After a passionate kiss, Sumiko, her eyes full of affection and panting heavily, stopped him. "Yuu-kun, we're at the courthouse! Dame!"
Yuu stopped. He ruffled Sumiko's hair, helped her buckle her seatbelt, and drove off.
The modified Lexus was incredibly fast; Shiratori nearly lost them.
He blew through who knows how many red lights just to keep up with the Lexus.
You won't shake me off that easily. At worst, I'll just pay the fines later!
Thinking of the seven or eight red lights he had run, Shiratori felt a twinge of pain in his wallet.
He didn't know that in the Lexus ahead, Yuu was driving with one hand while using the other to tease his first love to his heart's content.
In the passenger seat, the beautiful teacher's face was completely flushed. Fearing that passersby might see, she used her notebook to cover the position of Yuu's large hand.
Soon, the car arrived at the "Romantic Snow-Moon Hot Spring" in Haido City.
The Lexus parked. As Sumiko got out, her face still bore a lingering blush and her legs were a bit weak.
The white car behind them slowed down and parked quietly at the curb. Shiratori's eyes were filled with shock because he saw two extremely familiar people.
What is going on? Why are Officer Sato and Officer Miyamoto waiting here? Do they know each other?
Officer Sato and Teacher Kobayashi look so much alike; could they be twin sisters? No, that's impossible, they have different surnames. Did their parents divorce and remarry into different families?
Wait, isn't this a hot spring house? What are they doing with Yuu Hoshimiya? They aren't going to soak together, are they?
Shiratori grew increasingly panicked.
Miwako and Yumi, waiting at the entrance, immediately came over when they saw the two arrive.
The uninhibited Yumi saw Sumiko's expression and immediately pouted. "Well, look at you, Sumiko! You actually dared to sneak a snack first!"
Sumiko's face turned bright red with shame.
"I did not! Yumi, what nonsense are you talking about!"
Yumi wasn't having it. She wrapped her arms around Yuu's neck. "Yuu-kun, no way. I need you to compensate me."
Yuu reached out and slapped Yumi's round, perky buttocks. "Alright, go inside and talk to the owner. Everything is already reserved. Honestly, I told you two to start soaking first, didn't I?"
"Hehe, we wanted to go together!"
That slap made Shiratori's heart shudder in his car. What is the situation?!
He was well-traveled, but he had never heard of someone openly dating several girlfriends at once like this!
You have to understand, the three women present were beyond comparison to those "canaries" kept and played with by wealthy sponsors in terms of looks, figure, or status.
More importantly, given the characters of these three women, they would absolutely never accept being "kept."
Could it really be for love? Shiratori looked at Yuu's handsome, sunny face and wondered silently.
At the hot spring entrance, Yumi stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on Yuu before running inside with a light step.
Yuu, with one arm around Miwako and the other around Sumiko, looked every bit the winner in life. Ignoring the envious stares of bystanders, he led the two women into the hot spring house.
In his car, Shiratori was completely petrified, his mouth wide open and eyes bulging. He stared at the hot spring entrance, unable to recover for a long time.
Why? Consultant Hoshimiya, wasn't one enough?
Why are they all yours? Miwako, Teacher Kobayashi, Yumi... how can you all be so obsessed!
No, this can't be real. They're just ordinary friends who happen to be a bit physically intimate. How could three women be with one man? It's impossible!
Shiratori's expression shifted between crying and laughing, nodding and shaking his head. He looked completely unhinged.
Soon, his internal self-hypnosis convinced even him.
Shiratori felt a flicker of hope reignite. He quickly got out of his car and headed toward the hot spring house.
Entering the building, Shiratori went to the front desk and asked the owner, "Sir, did that man and the three women who just entered go to the public pool or a private one? Did they book one room or two?"
If it were two baths, it would be normal—one for the man, one for the women. Perfectly reasonable.
The owner replied, "You mean the four people where the guy had his arms around the twins? Just one room! They booked the best private pool in the house. That man is a lucky devil, tsk tsk tsk."
Shiratori instantly felt as if ten thousand arrows had pierced his heart. The sound of a breaking heart echoed in his ears.
That one sentence from the owner sent him into total self-isolation. With his head hung low and a wooden expression, he walked to the steps and sat down directly.
Cradling his head in his hands, Shiratori just wanted to be left alone!
In this moment, rather than "love" or a "handsome face," he truly felt that Yuu Hoshimiya had put a spell on his cock!
Otherwise, even if the women were willing, Yuu wouldn't have the capacity to satisfy them all!
Humans cannot comprehend things they haven't witnessed. Shiratori didn't know that three mere women were absolutely zero pressure for Yuu Hoshimiya.