8:40 PM. The festival was in full swing.
Kurosawa Hoshino strolled with the group, their rented yukatas blending into the vibrant crowd. The air was thick with the smell of street food and excitement.
One person, however, wasn't enjoying himself.
Conan.
A thin string was tied around his waist, the other end connected to a bunny-shaped balloon bobbing above his head—a purchase from Ran that he was clearly regretting.
A sudden wave of awe swept through the crowd.
Everyone turned towards Mount Mitsutake across the river. The final character of the giant "Dai" script was now fully ablaze, completing the fiery message.
"It's all lit up!" Ran cheered, clasping her hands. "Our trip was a total success! Maybe next year our luck will be even better."
Next year? Hoshino mused. Even with better luck, you might not be around to see it.
"Let's head back to the hotel once it burns out," Mouri Kogoro declared, arms crossed. He looked tired.
"So early?" Ran pouted, her sightseeing spirit undimmed.
Hoshino smiled. "Leaving on a high note preserves the magic. Makes you remember it fondly."
"Exactly," Kogoro grunted, seizing the excuse.
"Excuse me, Miss?"
A man's voice came from beside them. Hoshino turned.
The man had tanned skin and wore a crisp white suit. He held a camera. "Sorry to bother you. Would you mind taking a few photos for me? With the burning script as the background?"
"Oh, sure! No problem," Ran replied, taking the camera.
So he appears this way after all, Hoshino thought. His eyes scanned the crowd and quickly found the familiar, stout figure of a policeman approaching.
The officer stopped behind the man in white.
"Pardon me. Are you Mr. Sei Kenichi?"
Sei Kenichi turned, startled. "Yes? That's me."
"I'm Inspector Yokomizo Sango, Saitama Prefectural Police. A guest at your hotel, Mr. Imatake Tomo, was found murdered in his room tonight. I'd like you to accompany me back for some questions."
"Murdered?!" Sei's face paled.
Nearby, Kogoro and Conan immediately snapped to attention, their casual demeanors vanishing.
"Please come with me to the Tokeyama Hotel. Thank you for your cooperation."
"O-of course."
As Sei agreed, Yokomizo's gaze fell on Ran, who still held the camera. "Did you know this gentleman?"
"No," Hoshino answered for her. "He was a passerby who asked for help with a photo."
"I see. And you are…" Yokomizo squinted at Hoshino, then his eyes widened. "Wait! You're that high school detective who's been in the papers! Kurosawa Hoshino!"
"High school detective?" Sei Kenichi tensed, his eyes darting to Hoshino with new wariness. As a writer, he'd followed the recent headlines.
"That's right," Hoshino confirmed.
"Perfect!" Yokomizo brightened. "Kurosawa-kun, would you be willing to come to the scene? We could use your insight."
"I'll come."
"Thank you!"
"Ahem!" Kogoro Mouri straightened his yukata collar. "I am also a detective, you know."
"You are?" Yokomizo looked him up and down, his expression hopeful but uncertain. "And you are…?"
"I am Mouri Kogoro!" he announced with pride.
"Mouri Kogoro…" Yokomizo searched his memory, then frowned apologetically. "My apologies, sir. I don't believe I've seen your name in the news."
Kogoro froze.
"Pfft—" Ran failed to stifle a laugh. Conan quickly turned his head, his shoulders shaking slightly.
"I… I've handled cases!" Kogoro spluttered, but his protest died weakly. The recent solutions had, indeed, gone uncelebrated.
A subtle breath of relief escaped Sei Kenichi. An unknown detective wasn't a concern. His focus remained solely on Hoshino Kurosawa.
Tokeyama Hotel, Room 204
The room was a mess. Drawers hung open, contents strewn about. In the center lay the body of Imatake Tomo, a single gunshot wound to the head. Dried toothpaste flecked his lips, and a toothbrush lay on the floor nearby. An empty wallet was discarded beside him.
The scene screamed botched robbery.
"The shot was heard at 8 PM, exactly as the festival burning began," Inspector Yokomizo summarized. He looked at Sei Kenichi. "You claim you were already at the festival then?"
"That's right," Sei said calmly. "My camera has time-stamped photos. I asked several people to take pictures of me with the first character burning. I couldn't possibly be here."
"Is that so?" Yokomizo motioned to an officer. "Get that film developed—"
"That won't be necessary."
Hoshino's voice, cool and definitive, cut through the room.
Everyone turned. Kogoro and Conan, who were examining the toothpaste tube, looked up sharply.
"I already understand everything," Hoshino stated.
Gasps came from the crowd at the door. Ran's eyes shone.
"So fast!" she whispered. "Even faster than Shinichi!"
Hoshino ignored the odd comparison. All eyes were on him.
Conan's gaze was particularly sharp, analyzing Hoshino's every move. He can't possibly have solved it already… can he? What did I miss?
Sei Kenichi's confident smirk faltered for a split second.
"Inspector," Hoshino began, his eyes locking onto Sei. "The alibi is clever. But it's built on one flawed assumption—that the murder happened at 8 PM."
He stepped toward the bathroom, pointing at the sink. "The deceased has toothpaste in his mouth, and his toothbrush is on the floor. Everyone assumes he was brushing his teeth when interrupted. But look at the sink. It's dry. No water droplets. No wet toothbrush bristles."
Conan's eyes widened. Of course!
"If he was actively brushing his teeth when killed," Hoshino continued, "there would be water splatter. The brush would be wet. There is none. Therefore, the toothpaste was applied after his death. The scene was staged to manipulate the time of death."
He turned to Sei. "You shot him earlier. Then, at 8 PM, you used a remote device—likely attached to a radio-controlled toy or a simple timer rig—to fire a blank or a second shot from outside the window, creating the 'gunshot' everyone heard. You then rushed to the festival to establish your alibi with photographed proof."
Sei Kenichi's face drained of color. "Preposterous! Where's your proof?!"
"The proof," Hoshino said, walking to the window, "is the slight smudge on this outer sill. Grease, perhaps from a small motor or a launching mechanism. And the lack of a second shell casing inside the room. The first one, from the real murder, you collected. The second, from the blank, likely fell outside."
He faced Sei squarely. "You're a writer, Mr. Sei. You know all about timing and misdirection. But you forgot the mundane details. The dryness of the scene."
The room was silent.
Inspector Yokomizo recovered first. "Check the exterior ground below this window! And detain Mr. Sei!"
As the officers moved, Sei Kenichi's shoulders slumped, his defiance crumbling.
Conan stared at Hoshino, a complex mix of frustration and profound respect churning inside him. He saw it all… just from a dry sink. He didn't just follow the clues; he saw the story they were trying to tell.
Kogoro Mouri scratched his head, muttering, "Well… I was just about to say that…"
Ran beamed. "Amazing, Hoshino-kun!"
Hoshino simply nodded, his gaze meeting Conan's for a moment. In the young detective's eyes, he saw not just defeat, but the spark of a new, fierce determination.
The game is on, Hoshino thought, a faint smile touching his lips. And it's just getting interesting.
A Note From the Author:
Hey everyone, I hope you're enjoying the story so far! 🎉
Crafting these mysteries and watching Hoshino outsmart everyone (including a certain high-school detective-turned-child) is a blast, and I'm so glad to share it with you. If you've found yourself smiling, guessing along, or just enjoying the ride, consider supporting the journey!
Creating these chapters takes time, coffee, and a lot of brainstorming. If you'd like to help keep the story going and see what happens next, you can support me via:
➡️ PayPal – For one-time support. https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/WangLing19
➡️ Patreon – For early access, bonus content, and behind-the-scenes peeks. patreon.com/wangling338
Every bit of support means the world and helps me dedicate more time to writing. Thank you for reading—you're the reason this story lives on. 💙