Chapter 16

As a manga artist, he is realistic and tells the truth.

He didn’t say the Chinese cultural symbol Tengu was a Japanese thing.

Seeking truth from facts.

Honest and rigorous.

This attitude is worthy of respect.

“Buzz buzz~”

The phone message notification sound rang.

Hoshino Ki picked up his phone to check the message.

It was a bank transfer notification.

The amount was the 100 million yen agreed upon.

The employer was indeed trustworthy.

After seeing the head priest die, he immediately wired the money over.

Hoshino Ki raised his head.

And happened to see Conan pushing Kogoro Mouri in front of him.

Hoshino Ki’s hands were itching.

He couldn’t help but open the camera.

He had already adjusted his phone to silent mode in advance.

Aiming at Conan.

Photo obtained.

[Ding! Obtained evidence of Conan Edogawa harming Kogoro Mouri + points]

[Ding! Obtained evidence of Conan Edogawa solving the case in secret + points]

[Ding! Assisted Conan Edogawa in solving the case + points]

At this time.

A system sound suddenly came from Hoshino Ki’s mind.

It didn’t broadcast when he saved Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki before.

Hoshino Ki checked the points he had obtained yesterday.

[Saved Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki + points]

The points were only a few.

It seems.

Only when completing high-point missions.

Will the system broadcast.

In the photo.

Kogoro Mouri’s miserable state was clearly “exposed.”

He didn’t expect an adult to be pushed down by a half-grown child.

The most pathetic thing was that Kogoro Mouri even got a big bump on his forehead.

He didn’t feel it when watching the anime.

Now seeing the real appearance of Kogoro Mouri being “knocked out.”

It was very eerie.

The way he stood by the window looking deep while unconscious.

Was cool.

It was completely different from his usual self.

Like two different people.

An oily middle-aged man who clearly snored when sleeping.

It was unreasonable.

It was even highly likely that Kogoro Mouri was faking it.

He was once a “sharpshooter” in the police academy.

After graduation, he worked in the Metropolitan Police Department.

He was originally in the First Investigation Division, Arson Investigation Group.

Later transferred to the Metropolitan Police Department Criminal Investigation Division, Violent Crimes Investigation Section 3.

To be able to achieve such “results.”

He didn’t look like the kind of person who could be easily “tranquilized” by anyone.

Unless he was willing.

And.

A room full of people.

Except for Hoshino Ki.

Did no one notice.

Conan hiding behind Kogoro Mouri.

With a “bow tie” with a microphone in his hand.

Is it reasonable?

Highly unreasonable.

“The murderer is you—Monk Shunen!”

It was Kogoro Mouri’s voice.

The case was solved.

The murderer also confessed his crime.

The motive for the murder was because the old monk killed his brother.

A life for a life.

He wasn’t wrong.

The mistake was.

He shouldn’t have taken revenge when Conan was around.

“Hoshino-kun!”

“?”

Hoshino Ki saw that the case was solved.

And the bounty was in hand.

So he planned to leave on his own.

Before he could walk out of the temple gate, he was stopped by Sonoko Suzuki.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yeah!”

Hoshino Ki nodded.

There was no expression on his face.

“That...”

Sonoko Suzuki looked a bit nervous and uneasy.

Her cheeks were slightly red.

Like a girl in love.

“How did you know Shunen was the culprit?”

Sonoko Suzuki had dreamed of Hoshino Ki three times.

Two of which she was brutally murdered.

The terrifying scene lingered like she was there in person.

Originally, she was still a bit afraid of Hoshino Ki before coming to the temple.

But his rescue during the crisis last night.

She could clearly see his cold and stern face.

And could also breathe the cold scent coming from him.

Although cold, it didn’t lack warmth.

Completely different from the way he “cruelly” murdered her in the dream.

Plus, in the second dream, she and Hoshino Ki went from falling in love to getting married.

If you don’t count the ending where he was murdered.

It could also be considered a beautiful dream.

Therefore.

After a night of meditation.

Sonoko Suzuki just thought she cared too much about him.

That’s why she dreamed of him every day.

And.

Her love for Hoshino Ki was greater than before.

It was about to turn from a secret crush to an open one.

As if it was about to overflow.

Conan Edogawa suddenly jumped out, pinching his childish voice:

“Yeah, Hoshino-niichan, you are so amazing!”

Conan Edogawa raised his hands high.

“How did you deduce it just based on the boat and the waterfall.”

He cast a look of worship at Hoshino Ki.

Hoshino Ki looked at Conan Edogawa by his feet.

If he hadn’t known in advance that the other party was Shinichi Kudo, who was over 17 years old.

He would have really been fooled by his “innocent and cute” appearance at this moment.

“Just like Mr. Mouri said.”

Hoshino Ki responded in a flat tone.

His calm appearance made it seem as if he had seen through this case long ago.

“Wow! That’s too amazing!”

Conan still wanted to continue asking.

“But you solved the case in a shorter time than Uncle Mouri, why...”

“Excuse me, you two!”

Hoshino Ki didn’t answer his next question.

And nodded politely to the two of them.

Then turned and left.

“Yay! So handsome! Hehe...”

Love hearts appeared in Sonoko Suzuki’s eyes.

She held her cheeks with both hands.

And kept making lovesick laughter at Hoshino Ki’s back.

“Hehehe...”

Conan Edogawa’s mouth twitched incessantly.

He was very helpless.

Looking sideways at Sonoko Suzuki beside him with his half-moon eyes.

Hoshino Ki returned home.

After tidying up for a while, he lay on the bed to check the point statistics.

[Today’s points: points]

[Cumulative balance: points]

[Total point statistics: 4 points]

[System gift + points]

[Assisted Conan Edogawa in solving the case + points]

[Completed Black Organization mission +]

[Obtained evidence of Conan Edogawa solving the case in secret + points]

[Obtained evidence of Conan Edogawa harming Kogoro Mouri + points]

[Communicated with Conan Edogawa + points]

Through Hoshino Ki’s careful observation today, he found.

Conan was wearing a tranquilizer watch on his wrist.

And a bow tie voice changer on his chest.

These all showed that the plot had begun to get on track.

Plus the Mist Tengu Legend Murder Case was around episode 50.

The real time in reality had only just passed a week.

It’s impossible for someone to die every day to have multiple cases in a week.

Impossible.

This shows.

Conan’s plot development is not progressing according to real time.

You cannot rely solely on anime episodes to determine the plot’s development time.

Hoshino Ki frowned.

And sat up straight.

“Start simulation!”

[Yes! Starting this simulation.]

[Deducting host points, remaining points: points]

[Wish you a pleasant experience!]

[Please choose this simulation personality:]

[Choice 1: Steady and calm: methodical, step-by-step, working hard toward your goals.]

[Choice 2: Gentle and kind: generous, understanding, good at interacting with others.]

[Choice 3: Dedicated in love: dedicated to feelings, once you fall in love, you won’t change.]

[Choice 4: Without desire: reaching a state of selflessness, having no demands, having no worries.]

Four options appeared on the panel.

The first option.

Steady and calm.

Literally.

It looks like a very stable personality.

But judging from the experience of the previous three simulations.

Perhaps you can’t just look at the surface of the personality.

To be selected.

The second option.

Gentle and kind.

Have to suspect.