"I know who the killer is!"
Conan spoke with unmistakable excitement as he looked at Ritsu.
"Sensei, the killer is Kisaragi Hosui, right? He left behind the wine glass split in half because he wanted to symbolize how the Twin Towers skyscraper split Mount Fuji in two. That's why he bears hostility toward Iwamatsu and the others."
He waved the photograph in his hand a couple of times before continuing his deduction.
"The reason the bloodstains formed a straight line is because something had originally been hanging in front of the wardrobe. It's most likely one of Kisaragi's paintings of Mount Fuji. By bringing his own artwork, he made Iwamatsu lower his guard around an old man like him."
If Ritsu hadn't been driving, he would have applauded Conan for finally putting everything together. He nodded in satisfaction.
"That's right. Your deduction is spot on. Tonight, I'll find a way to stop Kisaragi. He'll most likely try to kill Tokiwa-san during one part of the ceremony."
"Tokiwa-san is one of his targets too?" Conan frowned before asking worriedly,
"But Sensei... didn't you say earlier that Yoshiaki-san is the Organization's target? Is it really okay to leave his safety to Public Security?"
"Don't worry. Public Security officers are very capable. Besides, Morofushi-san has already reached the rank of Inspector despite being so young. The fact that he has confidential informants also proves that he knows quite a bit about the Organization."
Ritsu couldn't help recalling their days at the police academy.
When faced with the man who had murdered his parents, Hiro hadn't chosen to stand by and watch him die despite the danger. Instead, he reached out to save him, believing that Hajime's crimes should be judged by the law.
Hiro was someone wrapped entirely in kindness. He was also the dearest friend who had pulled him out of his confusion.
Ritsu had often wondered what kind of life he would have lived if he had never met Hiro.
Perhaps it would have been much easier. Much more ordinary...
But he certainly would never have met companions as wonderful as they were.
"Onizawa-sensei, why do I get the feeling that you already know Morofushi-san?" Conan asked frankly.
"From the way you talk about him, I can tell you trust him a lot."
He couldn't shake the feeling that his teacher was still hiding many things from him.
Just like the incident in New York. He had always wanted to ask whether Sensei had deliberately let him escape back then.
Ritsu pulled into the underground parking garage and removed his glasses before looking at Conan with a faint smile.
"Kudo, don't be so curious about me. And don't step into my world. You don't need to understand me. You only need to know that I'm on your side."
Conan couldn't understand why his teacher insisted on carrying so much by himself. A suspicion gradually formed in his heart.
'Did Sensei go through something while undercover in the Organization?'
He jumped out of the car and put on an innocent child's grin.
"Sorry, Sensei. If you don't want to talk about it, I'll... try my best not to ask anymore."
"'Try your best?'" Ritsu rolled his eyes.
"Were you One Hundred Thousand Whys in your previous life, you little brat?"
The two of them rode the elevator to the top floor.
Akemi, who had been waiting for quite some time, had already packed everything they would need into a shoulder bag. Looking worried, she asked,
"Do you need me to come with you?"
Ritsu licked his dry lips.
To be honest, there were things he couldn't conveniently say with Conan standing nearby. He discreetly winked with his right eye before taking out his phone and changing the subject.
"I'm going to catch a murderer. What are you, an art teacher, planning to do there? Cause trouble? Or give the killer painting lessons?"
Even Conan, who wasn't exactly known for understanding romance, could only stare at him with half-lidded eyes in speechless disbelief.
'Someone like Onizawa-sensei actually managed to find a wife? Then why are there still so many single people in this world? That's seriously unbelievable...'
Unable to suppress her laughter, Akemi ducked into the kitchen. As she checked the message on her phone, she smiled.
"All right, I won't go make things harder for the genius Inspector of the MPD. Have a glass of juice before you leave. Conan-kun, why don't you sit on the sofa and rest for a bit?"
"Okay, Akemi-sensei!"
[Takashi: It wouldn't be convenient to bring you along this time. If Hiro realizes how close our relationship is, he'll become suspicious. Besides, the Organization has planted bombs inside the Twin Towers Building. It'll be easier for me to act with one less person to worry about.]
[Akemi: I understand. Then please be careful... and Shiho is counting on you.]
[Takashi: Whether as a police officer or as her older cousin, I'll protect Shiho. Don't worry.]
After putting away her phone, Akemi took out an apple and an Asian pear to make a refreshing fruit juice.
She trusted Ritsu completely. If anything, she often found herself frustrated that he always put everyone else's lives before his own.
Ritsu was about to put away his phone when it vibrated once more. Reading the message, he froze briefly before smiling helplessly.
[Akemi: Try thinking about yourself once in a while too. Don't push yourself so hard. They'll understand.]
'Will they? That's enough for me.'
Ritsu waved his hand to indicate he didn't want any juice before walking into the bathroom next to the bedroom.
Waiting on the sink was a neatly prepared change of clothes that Akemi had laid out for him.
After removing his clothes, he took out the disguise solution from the drawer and carefully concealed every exposed scar on his body, making sure he hadn't missed a single one before reaching for the white dress shirt beside him.
The bathroom door opened again. Fully dressed, Ritsu stepped out.
He undid the top two buttons of his white shirt, revealing his collarbone, then pointed awkwardly at the crescent moon pendant resting beneath it.
"Akemi... do you really think this outfit is appropriate for the opening ceremony?"
With the white shirt left partially unbuttoned and the pendant on display, he looked rather carefree.
His navy blue linen suit jacket and matching trousers made the overall outfit feel less like formal attire and more like something worn by someone who had been invited to a high-end party.
To put it more bluntly, if he took off his glasses and slicked back his hair, he would honestly resemble the number one host at some Kabukicho club.
Even Akemi found it strange.
She had chosen the outfit based on Ritsu's original appearance. So why did it feel completely different when Onizawa wore it?
"...Hmm."
She thought for a moment.
"You should probably take off the pendant and button up your shirt."
"I think so too."
He nodded.
"I'll leave everything else as it is. Changing clothes again would be too much trouble."
Picking up the shoulder bag, Ritsu looked at Conan, who was still noisily slurping his juice. Raising an eyebrow, he asked,
"So, how long are you planning to freeload at my place? It's time to head to the opening ceremony. If we don't leave early enough, rush hour traffic to Nishitama City will be awful."
"Coming!"
Conan curiously glanced at the shoulder bag. "Are your disguise tools in there?"
"Yeah." Ritsu nodded.
"To avoid arousing the Organization's suspicions, I'll also be appearing as Augier."
He chuckled softly.
"When the time comes... will you be afraid? When you were still Kudo, you saw what I originally looked like."
Conan froze.
"You mean... the cross-shaped scar is real?"
"Yeah. It's real."
That answer instantly brought Conan back to that rainy night in New York.
After his close encounter with the silver-haired serial killer, he had come face-to-face with Augier, a man shrouded in darkness like the Grim Reaper emerging from a valley of despair.
—"Should I kill him?"
Even now, Conan clearly remembered the very first words Augier had spoken. There had been no emotion whatsoever.
As though human life meant absolutely nothing to him. As though killing someone was no different than slaughtering livestock.
'So that was Sensei's real face? What kind of story lies behind that cross-shaped scar?'
Strangely... that face no longer seemed frightening. Because it belonged to his teacher.
The person he respected.
The person he aspired to become.
"Sensei."
"Hm?"
Conan looked up with a brilliant smile.
"Even though you don't want me to step into your world, I still want to take one more step toward it. You can keep running if you want."
"But sooner or later, I'll catch up to you."
"..."
Ritsu was grateful he hadn't started the engine yet. Otherwise, he probably would have slammed the accelerator straight into a wall from sheer shock.
At that moment, he finally understood why Vermouth had been so drawn to those two teenagers. And he also understood why he had come to trust Shinichi.
Only those who had fallen into darkness would long for those who stood in the light. He hadn't yet reached the point of greedily seeking that light nor would he ever allow himself to.
"Honestly..."
He smiled helplessly.
"Then do your best and catch up to me."