It was still summer—the sun scorched the land, and the cicadas sang.
This summer felt unusually long, as if it had stretched on forever.
During this time, he had experienced Kogoro Mouri's class reunion case, the Beika Wolf case, Nanatsuki Koshimizu's Detective Koshien case, and Conan's two defendant cases.
At Keisuke Kumiko's law office.
"I'm telling you, it's too hot! Can't you spend a little money and install an air conditioner in the office?"
Ai lay on the sofa like a dried salted fish.
Her smooth forehead was covered in sweat, and large beads of perspiration rolled down her face like crystal pearls.
Keisuke Kumiko glanced at her.
"If you're hot, take off your clothes. You're just a flat board—whether you take them off or not, there's no difference between you and a little kid."
Ai rolled her eyes. "Get lost, you pervert!"
After wriggling like a worm on the sofa for a while, Ai turned her gaze toward Keisuke Kumiko at the desk.
Her eyes were full of curiosity.
Because at that moment, Keisuke Kumiko wasn't enthusiastically playing video games like usual.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm browsing a website to see what famous tourist attractions there are in Japan."
Keisuke Kumiko's fingers tapped quickly on the laptop.
Ai raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You're thinking of traveling? Aren't you an otaku who should stay home, hugging your stack of gamer wife figurines and—"
"Don't think I didn't hear that just because you mumbled it under your breath. And you shouldn't say such things—otherwise, your reputation as the 'national otaku goddess' will be ruined in some people's hearts."
Ai tilted her head. "National otaku goddess?"
"Oh, don't worry about whatever title some random fat otaku gave you," Keisuke Kumiko replied casually.
"Besides, I never buy figurines. They're just a scam by merchants. Aside from brand appeal, they're a total waste of money."
"If you say that, other otakus will gang up on you."
"Doesn't matter. I'm unique."
Ai got up from the sofa and walked over to Keisuke Kumiko's desk.
She leaned over and looked at the screen.
She saw that Keisuke Kumiko was browsing images of what appeared to be a small island's scenery.
"Moonshadow Island in the Izu Islands?"
"You've been there?"
Keisuke Kumiko turned to look at her.
"No, I've only heard of it," Ai shook her head. "If you were talking about Mermaid Island, then I've been there."
Keisuke Kumiko nodded. "I want to take some time off and visit Moonshadow Island. Think of it as a trip to relax."
"Why has the cheapskate suddenly changed his ways?"
Ai looked at him in surprise.
"Spending money without making money isn't like you."
"What are you talking about? Money is meant to be spent," Keisuke Kumiko said.
After a pause, he smiled.
"Besides, I have a suspicion I want to confirm."
…
Keisuke Kumiko was a man of action.
If he said he was going on a trip, then he really would go on a trip.
The next day, he closed his office and bought a ferry ticket to the Izu Islands.
Moonshadow Island was part of the Izu Islands, which, strictly speaking, belonged to the Tokyo metropolitan area. You could get there by purchasing a ferry ticket from Takejima Pier.
"Hey, are you serious?"
Ai yawned, standing quietly on the deck.
Keisuke Kumiko had woken her up early in the morning before she was even fully awake and rushed her onto the ferry for some unknown reason.
Even now, her mind was still groggy.
"What do you think?" Keisuke Kumiko glanced at her. "Don't worry, we'll only stay for a few days. It won't delay your eagerness to get back to work."
"Who's eager to get back to work…?"
The ferry sailed for several hours before finally arriving at a small island.
From a distance, the small island seemed nestled within a larger one, with lush green mountains and crystal-clear waters winding through the broad coastline.
"Eh~"
After disembarking, Ai stretched her arms and took a deep breath.
The fresh air, filled with the scent of blooming flowers and trees, soothed her. She couldn't help but enjoy the tranquility of nature.
However, Keisuke Kumiko wasn't in the mood to appreciate it.
Because he hadn't come here just to travel.
After asking the locals for directions, he walked for a while and arrived at the entrance of a medical clinic.
It was a small clinic—just the kind you'd commonly see in Japan.
Pushing open the glass door, a friendly female voice greeted him from inside.
"Welcome."
A doctor sat behind her desk, smiling warmly.
She looked Keisuke Kumiko up and down.
A stranger's face—someone she had never seen before. A new resident who had moved to the island, perhaps?
She was observing Keisuke Kumiko, and he was also observing her.
She was a very beautiful doctor with an elegant face, large eyes, long hair tied in a ponytail, long, straight legs, and a fair complexion.
The only downside was that, as a woman, her chest was completely flat.
"I'm here as a tourist and just happened to pass by."
Keisuke Kumiko narrowed his eyes.
"Excuse me, how should I address you, Doctor?"
"My name is Makoto Asai. You can call me Dr. Asai."
The doctor smiled.
Keisuke Kumiko nodded slightly.
In reality…
Ai had once talked to him about the timeline, and it had left him somewhat uneasy.
People are like that. They say they don't care, but deep down, everyone is curious.
For example, he was quite curious himself.
In this world, if things happened according to normal time, then perhaps some events hadn't taken place yet, right?
There was a very classic case in Conan's original story.
It was called the "Moonlight Sonata Murder Case."
If he remembered correctly, this case took place very early in the original novel—before even the first lawsuit, the murder case involving that beloved dog, John.
Curious about this, Keisuke Kumiko suddenly had an idea and decided to visit Moonshadow Island under the guise of tourism.
And after investigating the island firsthand—
This case had not yet occurred.
"Hello, Dr. Asai. I'm a lawyer."
Keisuke Kumiko smiled and handed over a business card.
Makoto Asai took the card, glanced at it, and smiled.
"Oh, so you're the famous lawyer Kumiko. I've heard about you for a long time. I've read about your exploits online. I heard you've never lost a case since your debut."
"No, that's just an empty reputation."
Keisuke Kumiko said modest words, but his eyes flickered slightly.
From his perspective, he could clearly see two bars above her head.
And her favorability bar had already reached a negative level.
This doctor, despite her seemingly kind demeanor, was actually full of negative energy inside.
In other words, at this moment—
She hadn't carried out her murder plan yet.
But she might implement it very soon.
(End of this chapter)