Conan: The Man Behind the Romance

Chapter 41 Kudo Shinichi decides to go alone!

Saturday, noon, Kudo's house.

Kudo Shinichi turned over in a daze. The sunlight was a bit dazzling. He pulled the quilt to cover his eyes. In less than a minute, sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Ah ah ah ah ah--!!!"

He threw the quilt aside irritably, but his eyes still remained closed. The bright sunlight penetrated his eyelids and cast a blood-red curtain deep in his pupils.

"Damn it! I clearly drew the curtains, why is it so windy?"

Kudo Shinichi swept away the curtains that were blown onto his face by the wind. He felt annoyed and all of a sudden, most of his sleepiness disappeared.

He finally reluctantly reached out to the bedside, fumbled for his cell phone, and took a look at it with half-closed eyes.

11:30...

!!!

His eyes suddenly widened and he jumped up from the bed.

"late!"

However, as soon as his toes touched the cold floor, he suddenly realized that today was Saturday and he didn't have to go to class.

With an inexplicable sigh, he dragged his limp body to the bathroom and looked at the man in the mirror. Well... he was still handsome, but his hair was a mess and his eyes were slightly swollen.

"Hey, Officer Megure, why did you refuse? It's obvious that nothing will happen."

Kudo Shinichi sighed again. At four o'clock in the morning, Megure Juzo sternly rejected his proposal at the Metropolitan Police Department and expressed his gratitude for his help, but the matter ended there.

Of course he was unwilling to give up, so he asked the police to cooperate with him in investigating some things on the grounds that it was still dark, and he kept thinking and studying the case.

But until the first rays of light broke in the east, he still hadn't found any conclusive evidence.

There’s nothing we can do. Game Over.

When Megure Juzo drove him back, he seemed to comfort him with something, but Kudo Shinichi patted his dizzy head and couldn't remember anything.

Well, it’s probably something like life and stability come first.

Kudo Shinichi shook his head and started washing up.

He understands all the principles, but the most important thing is to solve the mystery and catch the mastermind behind it.

If the police withdraw now, he will investigate alone.

One day, he will win!

It was just twelve o'clock when Kudo Shinichi walked out of the house wearing a blue jacket. He planned to find a restaurant to fill his stomach first, and then go to Ginza Hospital to continue his investigation.

In the early morning, he had already thought of the method used by the mastermind to send a message to Gao Yuanyi, which was probably to hang a microphone or something like that from the rooftop.

Unfortunately, he was also unable to verify this kind of thing, and finally could only return to Gao Yuanyi's motive for suicide.

But he had investigated with the police in Shibuya and interviewed many people who knew Takahara Yoshi, but apart from a small suspicious point in the family relationship, he did not find anything unusual.

Alas, how did the mastermind behind this do it?

"I love you, I'm willing to give you everything!"

A voice suddenly came from beside him, startling Kudo Shinichi whose mind was wandering. He turned around and saw a TV in the glass window that was playing a costume movie imported from abroad.

Kudo Shinichi shook his head and laughed, and continued to walk, but in just the next second, his raised foot froze in mid-air. A man's scream suddenly came from the TV, but Kudo Shinichi turned a deaf ear to it.

What kept echoing in his mind were still the seductive words uttered by the woman with fair skin and charming face that he had just heard.

"I want your heart."

Your heart...

Your heart!!!
Kudo Shinichi's pupils suddenly shrank. He always believed that the mastermind behind this was Yuzuki Kiyoko's unknown lover, who was the one who planned everything.

But what if Kiyoko Yukimura was also involved? !

This sounds like a stupid thing to say, but if you consider that the police have been investigating her for many days without finding anything wrong with her...

All I can say is, it’s horrible!
Kudo Shinichi's eyes flickered. He guessed that what Xuesong Kiyoko did were all roundabout and far away on the periphery, and the outbreak point would be a few days later, so even Sato Miwako, who was following her, did not find anything unusual!
For example:
The death of Gao Yuanyi!
In previous investigations, Kudo Shinichi and the police generally believed that Gaoyuan Yoshi loved his wife deeply, and after his wife's death, he drank all day to drown his sorrows and began to think about committing suicide.

But what if we go in the other direction?

What if Gao Yuanyi didn't love his wife so deeply, and he went to the pub to drink every day just because he was seduced by a certain woman, or girl? !
This can also explain the small doubts in the survey results. After all, more than one person said:

"I never thought that guy was so sentimental. I can't tell it normally."

Confirmed, that's definitely it!

Kudo Shinichi gradually became excited, he felt that he was one step closer to the truth.

Although he completely cannot understand this abnormal love, it is still unknown whether it can really make Gao Yuanyi commit suicide.

But compared to having no clue at all before, at least there is a direction.

Moreover, Gao Yuanyi's suicide might be caused by many factors, maybe including last night's speculation? What wish did the mastermind behind the scenes help him achieve?
After buying a sandwich at a convenience store, Kudo Shinichi took a taxi directly to Shibuya.

He remembered the name of the izakaya that Gaoyuanyi often went to:

Interlude Izakaya!
Thirty minutes later, Kudo Shinichi stood on the street of Shibuya Jingumae 6-chome, walked into a side road, and the corner was his destination. He pushed the door open and walked in.

At noon, the izakaya was empty, with not a single customer in sight. The air was a little stuffy but not turbid, instead there was a faint floral scent.

Kudo Shinichi's nose twitched slightly, and he recognized the fresh fragrance, which should come from fresh roses.

The proprietress was about forty years old, with only a hint of her former charm remaining. She was leaning listlessly behind the counter, dozing off while watching a historical drama on a small TV. When she heard noises at the door, she slowly raised her eyes and looked over.

"At noon, we only have tempura and rice, but drinks are still available. Customer, please..."

When she saw the figure in the backlight clearly, she paused, clicked her tongue, and turned her head to continue watching TV. "Mr. Detective, what are you going to ask this time? I cooperated 100% last time."

Kudo Shinichi walked to the counter and got straight to the point: "Has Gaoyuan Yi always been alone when he drinks here? Have you ever been accompanied by other women?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you last time that he always drinks in the private room at the back of the second floor, and he won't let anyone disturb him after the food and drinks are served. There are so many guests at night, and it's impossible for me to keep an eye on him all the time, so how can I know if anyone else has come in?"

"You always have to clean up the room after he leaves."

The proprietress thought for a few seconds and shook her head, "No, there is only one set of bowls and chopsticks every time, and I have never seen him with other women."

"I didn't say it was a woman."

Kudo Shinichi opened a photo of Yuzuki Kiyoko on his mobile phone and showed it to the proprietress.

"Have you seen her?"

(End of this chapter)