How to Survive With a Death-Flag Character Setting in Detective Conan - Chapter 21

The scenery along the forest boardwalk was truly beautiful. The group, all top students from Tohto University, suddenly got excited and started playing “five-seven-five,” also known as haiku.

Higashino Hiromu, who knew nothing about Japanese short poetry, refused to participate. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of whether Higashiya Kento might have gotten into an accident, and whether he should go back to rescue him. But what if he did, and the culprit turned on him next? What should he do then?

Hatori Yuiichi noticed Higashino Hiromu lagging behind, so he slowed his pace. When Higashino Hiromu finally caught up, he asked, “Senpai, what are you thinking about? You look like something’s really weighing on your mind.”

Higashino Hiromu quickly shook his head. “It’s nothing, I was just thinking about some study problems. Hahaha~” He pointed ahead. “Why aren’t you still playing? I may not understand much, but even I can tell you’re really good at it.”

Hatori Yuiichi smiled. “I can’t be the only one showing off. Everyone should have a chance to perform.”

Higashino Hiromu nodded.

No one likes playing a game where one person completely dominates. That’s no fun at all.

As they walked, the group discovered that the end of the boardwalk led to a small waterfall.

“Wow!”

Kaneda Hajime glanced at Matsuzaki Toru and laughed. “You brat, you already knew about this, didn’t you? You kept your mouth shut pretty tight, huh?”

Matsuzaki Toru chuckled. “That way it’s more of a surprise, isn’t it?”

It truly was a pleasant surprise.

The fine spray from the little waterfall splashed against their faces, cool and refreshing, and for a brief moment, Higashino Hiromu forgot his worries.

Just then, they spotted Mouri Kogoro’s group approaching from the other side.

“Mouri-san~” The newcomers instinctively waved at him.

When the groups met, Adachi Shizuku asked, “Mouri-san, which way did you come from?”

Hattori Heiji replied, “We took the mountain path from the back entrance.”

Edogawa Conan slipped through the gap under the boardwalk railing and asked, “Hey, where does this boardwalk start from?”

Adachi Shizuku pointed with his hand. “The entrance is through the side door next to the front desk. Just open it and you’ll find it.”

“How long did it take you to walk here?” Edogawa Conan continued asking.

Toyama Mima checked her watch. “We’ve been walking for almost an hour and a half. But we were stopping to play along the way, so our pace was really slow.”

Kaneda Hajime said, “It’s less than three kilometers. For an average adult male, running here would take about twenty minutes. Someone who exercises regularly might make it in under fifteen.”

After he spoke, Mouri Kogoro’s group fell into thought.

Kaneda Hajime smiled and asked, “If I may be so bold, Mouri-san, are you perhaps investigating a case?”

Mouri Kogoro glanced at Hattori Heiji, who shrugged to show he didn’t mind. So he said, “Actually, we received a rather strange commission letter. It said, ‘A long-haired wild man has appeared in the mountains of Gunma Prefecture, identical to the one from sixty years ago. Please help us uncover the secret behind the wild man’s longevity.’ It also included photos of the wild man taken sixty years ago and recently. We examined them carefully, and they do look remarkably similar.”

“Wild man?” Higashino Hiromu asked. “Couldn’t it just be some kind of wild animal? Like a long-haired ape or something?”

“…Apes don’t have long hair,” Edogawa Conan explained. “And the creature in the photo was covered entirely in white fur, with features that don’t match any known primate.”

Higashino Hiromu asked again, “Then could it be someone wearing a white fur coat? Maybe a tall, broad person, from a distance it might look like a wild man?”

Edogawa Conan’s eyes turned into dots. “That’s… not impossible, actually.”

Hearing that, Mouri Ran and Toyama Kazuha, who had both been frightened, finally relaxed. Toyama Kazuha said, “Heiji, did you hear that? Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?”

Hattori Heiji put on an innocent face. “I told you from the start there was no such thing as a wild man. You’re the one who overthought it.”

Toyama Kazuha’s cheeks flushed red as she protested, “A-anyone would suspect a wild man after seeing such huge footprints!”

“Footprints?” Kaneda Hajime asked.

“The person who took the photo of the wild man later discovered footprints at the scene after it had left. They were twice the size of an average man’s foot. That’s why the news spread that there’s a wild man around this area,” Edogawa Conan explained.

Hattori Heiji added, “And just earlier, we also saw some huge footprints on the other side, so we were a bit puzzled.”

Higashino Hiromu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “That could still be someone’s disguise. The client might’ve used the wild man investigation as an excuse to lure you here, perhaps hoping you’d help them with some other case. The wild man might just be one part of it.”

The detectives all fell silent at that.

They had to admit, Higashino Hiromu made a good point. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d encountered a case within a case.

“Anyway, let’s head back,” Kaneda Hajime reminded them. “It’s already evening, and the mountains can be dangerous at night.”

Mouri Ran and Toyama Kazuha instantly felt a chill in the air, rubbing their arms as they hurried them along. “Let’s go back! It’s hard to find clues in the dark anyway!”

The detectives had no choice but to nod in agreement.

They climbed back onto the boardwalk and returned together with the research club members.

Mouri Ran had a good impression of Toyama Mima, so she brought Toyama Kazuha over to chat with her.

“What a coincidence, you’re both Toyama!” Mouri Ran said with a cheerful smile.

Toyama Mima raised an eyebrow. “Who knows, maybe our older generation were relatives!”

Toyama Kazuha laughed too. “I’ll ask my dad when I get back if we’ve got any relatives in Tokyo!”

The girls quickly launched into an animated conversation.

Higashino Hiromu, listening from the side, caught a bit of it.

So it was indeed Hattori Heiji who had received the anonymous commission letter. He wasn’t really interested in wild men at all; he’d just wanted an excuse to hang out with Conan. He even wanted to return the commission fee to the sender.

But of course, that would be impossible. There was no way he’d find the client, and without a doubt, they would end up getting dragged into some even stranger case afterward.

By the time the group returned to the hot spring inn, night had completely fallen. And there, right at the entrance, they ran into Higashiya Kento.

A sense of relief washed over Higashino Hiromu. Fortunately, he was safe.

Higashiya Kento seemed to have just stepped out for a stroll, and after a brief moment, he turned and went back to his room.

Just then, the owner came out and announced that dinner was ready, so everyone headed to the dining hall together.

“Wow! It’s sashimi!” Adachi Shizuku’s eyes sparkled as he stared at the table. “It looks so delicious!”

Sitting at the same table, Higashino Hiromu’s expression shifted slightly. “If you like it, eat as much as you want.” He then picked up a bowl of Gyudon beside him. He had little tolerance for raw food and could only handle the marinated crab and shrimp back home.

However, the bowl of Gyudon was large, clearly meant for sharing.

He looked at the others at the table and asked, “Anyone want some Gyudon?”

Matsuzaki Toru shook his head.

Hatori Yuiichi passed his bowl over. “Give me some. I don’t eat sashimi.”

Worried that he wouldn’t have enough to eat, Higashino Hiromu gave him more than half the bowl.

Adachi Shizuku blinked in surprise. “There are actually people who don’t like sashimi? And I met two at once?”

Matsuzaki Toru picked up a slice of tuna with his chopsticks. “Respect others’ eating preferences. Not everyone in Japan actually likes raw food.”

Adachi Shizuku quickly grabbed a piece of tuna himself, stuffed it into his mouth, and said through a full mouth, “Fine, but they’re missing out on the joy of eating it raw. Oh~ this piece of fatty tuna belly is amazing!”

Higashino Hiromu ignored him and focused on the cooked dishes.

There was also a sushi platter on the table. He carefully picked the ones without raw fish, and while he was at it, placed a few cooked ones onto Hatori Yuiichi’s plate. “We’ll take the cooked ones. Leave the raw ones to them.”

Hatori Yuiichi smiled and nodded.

Across the table, Amuro Tooru happened to be sitting at an angle where he could clearly see their table. Watching how familiar the two of them seemed, he couldn’t help but glance over a few more times.

Edogawa Conan noticed that his eating pace had slowed and followed his gaze, the corner of his mouth twitching.

Hey, hey, hey, what’s with you guys? Can’t you tone it down a bit in public?

With no other choice, Edogawa Conan picked up a piece of sashimi and placed it into Amuro Tooru’s bowl.

Amuro Tooru looked at him in surprise.

Edogawa Conan gave him a sweet smile. “Amuro-san, eat more!” Don’t look at others! It’s no big deal to pick food for someone!

Amuro Tooru found it inexplicable, but he accepted the gesture with a smile.

Hattori Heiji stared at Edogawa Conan in a mix of shock and disbelief, then leaned closer and whispered, “Kudo, what are you doing?”

Edogawa Conan rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, “Don’t ask. Just eat.”

Hattori Heiji shot him a sidelong look and drawled sarcastically, “So to Amuro-san it’s ‘eat more’, but to me it’s ‘just eat’? Am I even your friend anymore?”

Black lines practically formed over Edogawa Conan’s head. He had no idea what nonsense Hattori Heiji was on about. To appease him, he picked up some shredded radish and dropped it into Hattori Heiji’s bowl with a grin. “Heiji-oniichan, eat more!”

That caught everyone’s attention.

Mouri Kogoro laughed heartily. “Well, well, even I, his uncle, never got that kind of treatment!”

Edogawa Conan: ……

He had no choice but to stretch his little arms and serve dishes to everyone at the table. In return, he received a round of praise from Mouri Ran and Toyama Kazuha.

Only Hattori Heiji frowned down at the shredded radish in his bowl, thinking, What’s that supposed to mean, Kudo? Am I just a side dish to you?

The lavish dinner received unanimous praise from everyone.

Finally, the head chef, Kuwahara Makoto, came out to make an appearance. Excited, he declared himself a huge fan of Mouri Kogoro, showered him with compliments like a burst of rainbow-colored flattery, and successfully managed to get a personalized autograph from him.

The research club members were stunned.

Wait, you can do that?!

Suddenly, no one could sit still. One after another, they eagerly proclaimed themselves fans of Mouri-sensei and asked for autographs, too.

Mouri Kogoro waved grandly. “Alright then, I’ll grant your wishes tonight!”

And just like that, the “Mouri Kogoro Hot Spring Inn Autograph Session” began.

Everyone lined up one by one, coaxing him not only to sign autographs but also to write a few words of blessing.

Since Higashino Hiromu had once played the part of Mouri Kogoro’s fan, he couldn’t break character and joined the line as well.

But honestly, more than Mouri Kogoro’s autograph, he wanted the other three’s.

So after getting Mouri Kogoro’s signature, he handed his notebook and pen to Amuro Tooru.

Amuro Tooru froze, a little embarrassed. “I’m just a half-baked detective. What do you want my autograph for?”

Higashino Hiromu said earnestly, “Don’t say that. I believe in the skills of Mouri-sensei’s disciple! One day, your name will be known throughout Japan!”

Hearing that, Mouri Kogoro nodded approvingly. “Then you should sign it! It’s not every day you get the chance to sign alongside your sensei!”

Amuro Tooru chuckled helplessly and signed his name.

Then Higashino Hiromu approached Hattori Heiji and Edogawa Conan.

Hattori Heiji, who used to autograph requests, was perfectly at ease and signed without hesitation. Edogawa Conan, however, nearly started writing “Shinichi Kudo” before realizing it and turning it into a messy scribble, pretending it was a mistake, only to be teased mercilessly by Mouri Kogoro.

Higashino Hiromu carefully tucked the autograph book away, thinking to himself, Who would understand how precious this collection is? If I brought it back to my original world, it’d definitely sell for a fortune!