It took some time, but Takato found the cup he was looking for in the trash—an empty cup with a lemon slice remaining inside. Fortunately, none of the other cups contained lemon slices, otherwise he would have had to find a way to take them all back.
He bought a small sealed box and stored the empty cup inside.
As for extracting the DNA from it later, that wasn't his concern! He had obtained potential evidence, and he would take it back to Osaka as soon as possible and let Lawyer Shimada, who was in charge of the matter, handle it. If they still couldn't extract DNA from it in the end, then he would just have to make a trip to America.
However, before returning to Osaka, he should first do what he intended to do.
In the afternoon, when Takato arrived at Ekoda High School, he found that school hadn't been dismissed yet, so he greeted the gatekeeper and walked in grandly.
If he remembered correctly, Kuroba Kaito's class number at Ekoda High School was the same as Shinichi Kudo's class number at Teitan High School, both being Class 2-B.
At this moment, Kuroba Kaito, who was sitting by the window in Class 2-B at Ekoda High School, saw the man in the blue windbreaker walk in through the school gate. He then gasped in shock and stood up from his seat.
"Kuroba Kaito! It's class time!"
The teacher, who was in the middle of class, sternly reprimanded Kuroba Kaito.
"Kaito! What are you doing? Pay attention in class!"
Nakamori Aoko, the black-haired Female student next to him, whispered to Kuroba Kaito.
"Ah! That! Teacher! I suddenly remembered some things at home, so I'm going back first!"
Ignoring the teacher and Nakamori Aoko, Kuroba Kaito casually made up an excuse and ran out of the classroom. Seeing this, the teacher sighed helplessly, rubbing his forehead—he really couldn't do anything about it and could only continue the lesson.
Meanwhile, Koizumi Akako, a girl with long, straight, crimson hair, whose seat was in the front, was somewhat curious. She remembered that Kuroba Kaito had looked out the window in a startled manner when he got up, so she also turned her head to look out the window and saw Takato walking in through the school gate.
After just one glance, Koizumi Akako lost interest and turned her gaze back to the classroom—what's the big deal, he's just an ordinary person.
Thinking this, she was about to continue with the class, but a momentary sense of incongruity flooded Koizumi Akako's heart—because she possessed a powerful sixth sense, the sense of incongruity that had just emerged in her heart was definitely not an illusion!
"Teacher!"
Koizumi Akako immediately stood up, "I also have something to do and need to go home first!"
Saying this, she didn't even wait for the teacher's permission and ran out of the classroom.
"Why even Akako…"
Watching this scene, Nakamori Aoko muttered to herself, expressing her incomprehension.
Downstairs in the teaching building, as Takato stepped into the corridor at the entrance, he saw Kuroba Kaito rushing towards him in a hurry. Before he could react, he was pulled by Kuroba Kaito and ran out towards the school gate.
"I say, who exactly are you?!"
Outside the school gate, Kuroba Kaito asked Takato this question.
"That's also what I want to ask."
Suddenly, a slightly arrogant Female student's voice spoke.
Takato followed the sound and saw a tall, beautiful girl with long, straight, crimson hair.
Koizumi Akako!
Unexpectedly, Takato hadn't thought he would run into her—no, she also came out, why?
This character, who mainly appears in the "magic kaito" storyline, is a witch who truly possesses various magical spells! Could it be that his special existence has been discovered?
"Witch?"
After careful consideration, Takato used this question to ask Koizumi Akako, to see if she herself could be tricked into revealing something by this word.
Apparently, Koizumi Akako reacted to the term.
"You know me?"
Koizumi Akako wondered, "But apart from occasional flashes of inspiration in fortune-telling, a more sensitive sixth sense, and some illusion techniques, I really don't deserve that title. Compared to me, it's you…"
After a couple of explanations, Koizumi Akako moved closer to Takato and examined him carefully.
Being stared at like this by such a beautiful girl, Takato felt a bit awkward. However, from Koizumi Akako's answer just now, Takato probably understood that in this world he was currently in, Koizumi Akako was just someone with slightly extraordinary abilities—that was good, otherwise this world would be too terrifying!
"Akako, is he someone you know?"
Seeing the confusing conversation between Koizumi Akako and Takato just now, Kuroba Kaito asked.
"I don't know him. Isn't he someone you know?"
Koizumi Akako replied, shifting her focus to the windbreaker on Takato, then touched the windbreaker.
"So that's it, what's strange isn't you, it's your clothes… it feels a bit like an illusion."
Koizumi Akako said this, which startled Takato.
This windbreaker is certainly strange; it's the special item "The Detective's Magical Trench Coat." Wearing it, he appears as "Akechi Takato" in others' eyes, and no one would wonder "who exactly is Akechi Takato." This is also a layer of protection for him to conceal his identity.
But now Koizumi Akako has seen through the special nature of this clothing!
"Illusion?"
Takato was somewhat interested in this word that appeared twice in Koizumi Akako's mouth.
"Simply put, it's by using seemingly unintentional but secretly executed actions, sounds, images, drugs, or objects to make the other party fall into a state of mental trance, thereby producing various hallucinations in their consciousness. Regarding this, Kaito should have personal experience."
Koizumi Akako explained, looking at Kuroba Kaito beside her.
"I told you I'm not!"
Kuroba Kaito seemed to want to explain something, but Koizumi Akako didn't continue the topic and kept looking at Takato.
"However, I can't tell what method was used to create the illusion in your clothes, but this illusion is very weak, so weak that it almost doesn't exist. If it weren't for my sixth sense, I might not have felt it at all. How about it, are you interested in lending me this clothing for research?"
Koizumi Akako asked.
"Perhaps, if there's a chance in the future."
Takato couldn't agree to Koizumi Akako's request. What if someone who knew his original self recognized his face without this clothing? At least he would have to wait until he learned the Art of Disguise!
Thinking of this, Takato remembered his original intention for coming.
"Oh, I almost forgot, Kaito, I came to you to learn the Art of Disguise."
Takato turned his gaze to Kuroba Kaito.
"If you wanted to learn the Art of Disguise, you should have said so earlier; there's no need to specifically come to school to find me!"
Kuroba Kaito was very angry with Takato's answer. He had initially thought that this Detective, who called himself Akechi Takato, had specifically come to school to threaten him in front of everyone, which scared him so much that he skipped class and ran out.
"Give me an email address, and I'll organize the information and send it to you when I get back. I can't guarantee you'll learn it, though."
Kuroba Kaito said.
In the evening, on a train from Tokyo to Osaka, Takato carried the sealed box with him, looking at the latest newspaper's news about Nishikawa Taisei's critical condition, and fell into deep thought…