How to Survive With a Death-Flag Character Setting in Detective Conan - Chapter 23 (Part 2)
Edogawa Conan’s pupils contracted sharply. “Amuro-san, there’s no time! Put me down quickly!” His hand was already reaching for the .
Amuro Tooru immediately put him down.
A soccer ball shot out from his belt, and Edogawa Conan swung his foot with full force.
“Go!!!”
The ball shot forward like a cannonball, bursting through the hut’s wooden window and slamming into the chainsaw, knocking it clean out of Kuwahara Makoto’s hands.
At that exact moment, Mouri Kogoro kicked open the rickety wooden door and lunged inside, pinning Kuwahara Makoto to the ground. “Don’t move!” he barked in a deep voice.
Meanwhile, the terrified Higashiya Kento was restrained by Hattori Heiji and Amuro Tooru before he could even think of escaping.
Edogawa Conan was the last to enter. He walked up to the chainsaw lodged in the wall and switched off its power.
“Why?!” Kuwahara Makoto roared in anguish. “Why did you stop me from killing that bastard?!”
He saw the child walk up to him, with flames already burning behind him.
“Because he’s a criminal,” Edogawa Conan said solemnly. “And that’s exactly why he has to be judged by the law! A scum like him isn’t worth you throwing your life away for!”
Amuro Tooru grabbed a coil of rope used for binding lumber and tied up Higashiya Kento securely, and said, “You have to believe that the police will definitely give you justice!”
Feeling Kuwahara Makoto’s resistance fade, Mouri Kogoro slowly released his grip.
Edogawa Conan reminded them, “We need to get out of here now. The place is catching fire.”
Kuwahara Makoto had indeed deliberately set the fire. The rest hut, made entirely of wood, was burning fast. With no tools or water nearby, they had no way to put out the fire.
Suddenly, Kuwahara Makoto looked up and shouted, “Take the chainsaw with you. That’s the murder weapon!”
Hattori Heiji immediately pulled the chainsaw out of the wall, and the group hurried out into the open air.
Fortunately, there was a clearing around the hut, and the waterfall’s mist kept the area damp; otherwise, the fire might have spread into a forest blaze.
Once outside, Kuwahara Makoto just stood there, staring blankly at the burning hut. When the wooden structure finally collapsed in the flames, he dropped to his knees, tears pouring down his face.
“Aki! Aki!!!”
His hoarse, grief-stricken cry echoed through the mountains.
Everyone present understood that this hut was most likely where his brother had been murdered. The dark red stains on the floor and walls inside had already told them how brutal that scene must have been. Perhaps, more than one person had died there.
There had been more clues in that hut; preserving them would’ve been the smarter choice.
However, as the victim’s family, Kuwahara Makoto wanted to die together with the murderer in this “hell.” He poured out large amounts of oil, never once considering an escape route.
Hattori Heiji glanced at the blood-smeared chainsaw in his hands and thought grimly, This evidence should be more than enough.
By the time the hut had almost burned down completely, the Gunma Prefectural Police finally arrived, late as ever.
Yamamura Misao saw the smoldering remains of the fire and immediately roared, “What on earth happened here?! How could you set a fire in the mountains?! What if this started a forest fire?! Do you people not care about other people’s lives?!”
Everyone turned to look at him, their expressions… complicated.
When Amuro Tooru saw Yamamura Misao, he finally remembered that he was the person in charge of Gunma Prefecture. No wonder Mouri-san had said that earlier.
And as expected, Yamamura Misao didn’t disappoint. The team he’d brought was absurdly over-equipped, with riot shields, bulletproof vests, tasers, and pistols—everything imaginable.
Mouri Kogoro’s mouth twitched twice. “Why are you only showing up now?”
Seeing Mouri Kogoro, Yamamura Misao’s anger subsided a little, and he explained, “It took us time to gather the gear. Since the caller said there was an extremely dangerous serial killer, we mobilized Gunma’s best equipment! We had to ensure that we—no, that the citizens, would not be harmed during the arrest.”
Heaven knows how difficult it was for their small town to gather so much equipment.
Yamamura Misao noticed that someone nearby had already been tied up. Smiling, he said, “Still, Mouri-san, you’re incredible. You actually subdued a serial killer barehanded! I’m more and more impressed by you!”
After that, Yamamura Misao told them to take the culprits back to the hot spring inn first while the police took care of putting out the fire. Only after confirming that not a single ember remained did they escort Higashiya Kento and Kuwahara Makoto back for investigation.
By then, dawn was already breaking.
* * *
After a night of chaos, no one at the inn had slept well. Once the police left, everyone hurried to catch up on sleep.
Only Higashino Hiromu slept soundly under the effect of the sedative.
But the drug worked too well; by the time they were about to leave, he still hadn’t woken up!
Adachi Shizuku crouched beside him, poking his cheek worriedly. “Why isn’t he waking up yet? Nothing’s wrong with him, right?”
Hatori Yuiichi explained, “This kind of sedative makes people sleep for a long time. Since he woke up briefly earlier, there shouldn’t be any serious problem. If you’re worried, we can take him to the hospital for a check-up.”
Adachi Shizuku nodded.
“I’ve already packed the luggage. Senpai, help me load it into the car,” Hatori Yuiichi said, pushing two suitcases toward him.
Adachi Shizuku pointed at Higashino Hiromu, who was still wrapped in the blanket. “What about him?”
“I’ll carry him to the car in a bit,” Hatori Yuiichi replied.
Adachi Shizuku thought for a moment; given Higashino Hiromu’s size, probably only Hatori Yuiichi could carry him.
“Alright, I’ll leave him to you then.” He pushed the two suitcases and headed out.
Hatori Yuiichi had already dressed Higashino Hiromu, including his undergarments. Wrapping him snugly in a thin blanket, he lifted him up. As he passed the front desk, he told the owner he wanted to buy the blanket.
The owner, feeling apologetic for the unpleasant experience caused by the incident, said the blanket was a gift.
Hatori Yuiichi didn’t refuse and got into the car.
He raised the armrest between the seats so Higashino Hiromu could rest more comfortably against him.
Halfway through the ride, Higashino Hiromu finally woke up.
His eyes were hazy, and he looked dazed.
“Senpai, you’re awake? How do you feel now?” Hatori Yuiichi asked.
Higashino Hiromu felt a slight vibration behind him. When he turned his head, he realized he was leaning against Hatori Yuiichi’s chest.
“My limbs feel weak and sore all over. Am I done for?” he muttered, trying to lift his arm. He got halfway before his strength gave out, and his hand dropped back down.
“It’s not that bad. It’s just the aftereffect of the sedative. You’ll recover after some rest,” Hatori Yuiichi said, wrapping an arm around him. He twisted open a thermos, poured a cup of warm water, and brought it to Higashino Hiromu’s lips. “Here, drink some water.”
Higashino Hiromu was indeed thirsty and drank two small cups in a row.
“Want more?” Hatori Yuiichi asked.
Higashino Hiromu shook his head. Looking down at the blanket over him, he asked, “What’s this?”
Hatori Yuiichi replied, “Oh, I was afraid you’d get cold, so I asked the owner for it and she just gave it to me.”
Higashino Hiromu chuckled softly. “You’re really too thoughtful.”
He noticed that everyone else in the bus seemed to be asleep, looking even more exhausted than when they came.
“What’s with everyone?” he asked curiously.
“Things got a little hectic last night,” Hatori Yuiichi explained. “They probably didn’t sleep much.”
“By the way, what happened afterward last night?” Higashino Hiromu asked.
Hatori Yuiichi quietly recounted the events that followed.
Higashiya Kento had been taken to the police station, while Kuwahara Makoto, as the victim’s family, filed a new report. The police reopened the case and discovered that Higashiya Kento was connected to several missing persons cases…
Higashino Hiromu listened intently.
When Higashiya Kento was caught, the system had already notified him, but he wanted to know whether his deductions from the clues were correct. If there had been some unexpected twist, wouldn’t that mean he had wrongly accused someone?
Fortunately, the truth wasn’t far from what he had reasoned. He hadn’t misjudged anyone.
Hatori Yuiichi went on, “The so-called from back then was actually the inn owner’s grandfather pretending to be one. He did it to scare away investors and buy the hot spring cheaply to treat his son’s illness. And the recent wild man was the head chef, Kuwahara Makoto, disguising himself in order to lure a famous detective here to investigate.”
Higashino Hiromu asked in puzzlement, “Since he already hired detectives, then why would he still choose to die together with the murderer?”
Hatori Yuiichi shook his head, unable to answer.
Higashino Hiromu thought to himself, Maybe Kuwahara Makoto’s love for his brother had already surpassed his will to live. Perhaps he wanted to drag the killer to hell with him to atone for his brother’s death. Then… was I right to stop him from taking revenge? Should I have interfered in someone else’s choice?
He voiced the question aloud.
Hatori Yuiichi lowered his gaze in thought and said softly, “I think you did the right thing. Maybe at that moment, he truly wanted to die. But back then, he was consumed by grief and rage. After some time, he might rediscover the beauty of life. You didn’t make the choice for him. You gave him a future. If someday, after deep thought, he still chooses death, then that would be his own decision.”
* * *
The ride back was driven by Kaneda Hajime. Since Matsuzaki Toru had been busy all night and was severely sleep-deprived, and the others either hadn’t slept well or didn’t have a license to drive a minibus, he was the only one who could drive.
When they entered the Tokyo area, he woke everyone up and told them to give their addresses so he could drop each person off at their door.
When it was Hatori Yuiichi’s turn, he said, “No need to drop me off. I’ll take Higashino senpai home first, then head back myself.”
Higashino Hiromu said apologetically, “Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you?”
Hatori Yuiichi shook his head. “It’s fine. No one else could send you home anyway.”
Adachi Shizuku agreed, “That’s true. None of us could carry you.”
So the task of taking Higashino Hiromu home fell to Hatori Yuiichi.
Adachi Shizuku also asked if Higashino Hiromu wanted to go to the hospital for a check-up, but he refused.
When the car stopped in front of the apartment building, Adachi Shizuku helped unload their suitcases while Hatori Yuiichi hoisted Higashino Hiromu onto his back, pushing the luggage along as he walked into the building.
Watching his back, Adachi Shizuku couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Hatori kouhai is a real man!
The building staff saw Higashino Hiromu being carried and were all startled. They immediately stood up and asked, “Higashino-san? Do you need any help?” As they spoke, they started to come forward to lend a hand.
Hatori Yuiichi refused politely. “No need.” Carrying Higashino Hiromu on his back and pushing the suitcase, he went straight into the elevator.
Higashino Hiromu, embarrassed, lifted one hand weakly and gave them a small wave.
The staff sat back down behind the counter, thinking, This is the first time we’ve seen Higashino-san bring someone home, and being carried like that, looking so exhausted… Could this be Higashino-san’s boyfriend?
When they got home, Hatori Yuiichi carried Higashino Hiromu straight to the bedroom and tucked him under the blanket.
Higashino Hiromu said, “Thank you. I really troubled you today. Once I’m better, I’ll treat you to a meal! It’s getting late, you should head home soon.”
Hatori Yuiichi glanced at his watch. It was already past four in the afternoon. “Yeah, I’ll leave in a bit.”
He turned and left the bedroom, heading for the kitchen. He had planned to cook dinner for Higashino Hiromu before leaving, but when he opened the refrigerator, he found it completely empty except for a few bottles of soda.
He checked the cupboards; there wasn’t even a grain of rice or a jar of salt.
With no other choice, Hatori Yuiichi filled the electric kettle with water to boil, then went back to the bedroom and asked, “Senpai, you don’t have any food at home? What do you usually eat?”
Higashino Hiromu sniffed and said, “I don’t know how to cook. I usually order takeout, or have the building staff send food up.”
“Is there a supermarket nearby?” Hatori Yuiichi asked. “I can go buy some ingredients and seasoning.” Luckily, there was no need to buy cookware.
“You can have the staff deliver it,” Higashino Hiromu said. “There’s a landline in the living room. Press 0 to connect directly to the front desk. Whatever ingredients or condiments you want, they can send them up.”
CHARACTER PROFILE:
Yamamura Misao
Manga/Anime: Detective Conan
Height: Approx. 170 cm
Role: Police officer and later inspector from Gunma Prefecture
Personality: Naive, clumsy, superstitious, but earnest and well-meaning
Notable Traits: Often gets distracted, makes mistakes, but is persistent and supportive in investigations
Background: Inspired by a TV show about a policewoman to become a detective. Initially inexperienced, but over time, gains respect and experience. Known for his dedication despite shortcomings, and his admiration for detective Mouri Kogoro. Promoted to inspector as he proves his value in various cases.