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Chapter Text

Ah__ah__ah__ah, the piercing and sorrowful cry of a crow snapped Miyano Shiho back to reality. Her steps came to an abrupt halt as a chill, impossible to ignore, crept up her spine and attacked her head. She happened to catch a glimpse of the mansion by the roadside—Kudo residence. 

A sigh slipped from her lips once more. Just then, a pitch-black feather fluttered gently down, landing squarely on her pure white coat. Her brows furrowed instinctively. She drew in a deep breath and kept walking.

It was at the next corner, as she turned, that a sudden gust of wind swept past. She stood stunned as a boy came charging straight toward her, chased closely by a girl carrying a high schooler's tote bag, hurling reprimands with no restraint.

"You forgot it, didn’t you? You said if I won the karate tournament that you would take me to Tropical Land. What, you seriously forgot everything?! All you ever think about is Holmes, Holmes, Holmes! Hmph! Since you clearly don’t remember, there’s no reason for me to hang out with someone like you. Why don’t you just go off with one of those girls who keep sending you love letters?"

"Alright, alright! Ran, don’t be mad. I was just joking, okay? How could I possibly forget our date? Tropical Land, ten o'clock. I'll be there, promise."

Kudo Shinichi scratched the back of his head as he tried to pacify Mouri Ran, wincing slightly as his fingers brushed the lump she’d given him the day before. Come on, like I’d dare forget something you said? That’d be like losing half my life ."

"Also, Shinichi... could you please not go on about Holmes and Conan Doyle during our date tomorrow? I’m not interested. If you bring them up again ..."

BAM__

Ran’s punch sent a roadside mailbox flying off its stand. Lucky for Kudo Shinichi, he dodged just in time—otherwise, it would’ve been his neck that ended up crooked.

"Okay, okay, okay... it’s a date. I won’t mention them anymore. Ran, see you tomorrow."

Beneath the golden warmth of the setting sun, the two childhood friends remained fully unaware of the black crows beginning to gather above them. They circled in slow, ominous loops, forming a dark cloud that veiled the sun. 

Miyano Shiho glanced skyward, then looked at the bickering pair ahead. A faint, irrepressible trace of envy flickered in her eyes. She shoved both hands into her coat pockets and walked on, murmuring under her breath: "Famous detective Kudo Shinichi..."

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hovering at the entrance but hesitant to step in, Kudo Shinichi had already spotted Ran—dressed in her usual sky-blue jacket—waiting on the other side of the ticket gate. He leaned against the concrete wall next to the turnstiles, trying to calm his nerves. His phone buzzed incessantly in his chest pocket. Ran had sent him several messages in a row.

He quickly unlocked the screen. The first thing that popped up was this morning’s news headlines. Kudo Shinichi skimmed over them:

"KID returned ! After his previous failure, Kaitou KID will attempt the Crown heist again tonight! Fans have gathered outside the museum since noon."

"Breaking news, the studio of a famed manga artist was broken into, with priceless original manuscripts reported missing. Authorities reveal that the manga series has been running for over 30 years. Investigators suspect a group of impatient fans may have conspired to steal the artwork during a publishing hiatus. The perpetrators remain unidentified and at large."

 "Bunch of cosplaying teens have been lined up at Shibuya’s Anime Center since 9 a.m. for the opening ceremony of the Shibuya Anime Expo! A lot of free tickets have been sent out by the door, now if you like to enter, you have to pay for the tickets."
"Traffic restrictions will be enforced from 16:00 to 21:00 on the following major roads."

"What is all this nonsense……."

Finally, the latest message from Ran popped up:
"Shinichi, are you here yet? Waiting at the pirate ship entrance."

Ran’s outfit was no different from usual—sky-blue jacket over dark clothes, revealing her long, beautiful legs. She stood alone by the pirate ship gate, head tilted back, looking around. The moment she spotted Shinichi, a radiant smile lit up her face:

"Shinichi! Shinichi! Over here!!!"

Kudo Shinichi responded and made his way over. Technically, the two of them should have been in the next group to board. However, a staff member walked over and told several children from the front row to leave.

"I’m sorry, but your height and age don’t meet the safety requirements for the pirate ship ride. It could be dangerous. Please come back when you’re a bit older, okay?"

"What the heck, Ayumi... you’re the one who said age didn’t matter! Ugh, you’re all so weird. We paid for tickets! What do you mean we can’t ride? Aren’t you scared I’ll tell my mom? I’ll have her sue you, you know!"

"Forget it, Genta. I saw a stand selling Italian gelato on our way here—why don’t we go grab some?"

Kudo Shinichi narrowed his eyes at the group of little brats arguing for some nonsense. Classic kids—trying to sneak onto a dangerous ride while the adults weren’t paying attention.

The pirate ship soared to its peak and then swung down hard. Laughter and screams mixed in the air. In the back rows, some college students raised their hands and shouted with glee. Meanwhile, the girls in front of Shinichi and Ran screamed in terror, shrinking into the arms of the men beside them.

Shinichi turned instinctively to look at Ran, but her eyes held no fear—only uncontainable excitement. He took a deep breath.

...Was Ran wearing makeup today? She looked... unusually radiant.

"Hmm? Shinichi, what’s wrong?" As the ship slowly rose again, Ran noticed Shinichi staring and blinked her long lashes, puzzled.

Shinichi swallowed. "Ah, nothing..." Yet he couldn’t stop the flood of images in his head. He imagined Ran, pale with fear, clinging to his shoulder... their noses inching closer... until their lips finally met.

"Hmm? Shinichi... why do you keep staring at me like that?"

"Ahahaha, I was just wondering if you'd like to hear about the first meeting between Holmes and Watson? I know I've mentioned it before, but never went into the details, right?" 

Nervous as always, Kudo Shinichi reflexively latched onto the topic of Holmes like a safety net. Luckily, Ran didn't press the matter. She did not ask him to shut up.

As the pirate ship rocked back and forth, Kudo Shinichi kept on about Holmes cracking a mysterious syndicate case. Ran cast him a look—complicated, unreadable—but still said nothing to stop him.

"Ran, do you know Professor Moriarty? He was Holmes's archenemy. After both of them plunged into the Reichenbach Falls, Holmes went into a period of staged death. What's fascinating is that Conan Doyle actually intended to end the story there, but due to popular demand, he brought Holmes back to life in 'The Adventure of the Empty House.'"

Gosh, what an idiot—doesn't Shinichi realize I have no interest in this at all? Still rambling on about detective games__But since today was a rare chance to go on a date, Ran decided to let it slide.

After trying nearly every ride on the park map, Kudo Shinichi was still talking about sleuthing theories. To Ran, his voice had become a kind of white noise. She nibbled at a blueberry bagel, nodded along absentmindedly, and opened the park map while glancing at her phone.

"It's already 6:25. Let's just go on one or two more rides and then head home, okay? How about the roller coaster next?"

Still chewing on her bagel, Ran unfolded the map and stepped into the queue.

"Shinichi, what do you want to ride after the “Mystery Coaster”? The Ferris wheel? The haunted house? Or—Shinichi? Hey!! Are you even listening to me?"

Clearly not. Kudo Shinichi was still lost in his own world:

"Do you know what's most amazing about Holmes? The very first time he met John Watson, he could tell from a handshake that Watson was a retired military doctor. Isn't that incredible? But actually, it all comes down to observation—sharp, detailed observation. Seeing everything, hearing everything, understanding body language, human nature, psychology, and so—"

"Kudo Shinichi!!!" Ran's voice rose, annoyed. Shinichi thought she was in disbelief and quickly added:

"I'm not making this up. Here, let me show you—"

Suddenly, Kudo Shinichi grabbed the hand of a nearby woman and grinned:

"Excuse me, miss. Are you an expert gymnast?"

"Huh?!" The woman with a pearl necklace was visibly startled by the sudden gesture, blinking at him, " Um……. yeah……Do I know you?"

"Haha, no, you don't. But I felt your hand—calluses at the base of your fingers, especially the joints from both of your hands. That kind of roughness comes from training on parallel bars. Both hands, too—that rules out tennis players, who usually have dominant-hand wear. Ran, just look at the blisters on Suzuki Sonoko's hand and you’ll see the difference."

Ran could no longer hold it in. She muttered under her breath:"Kudo Shinichi! Can you please stop talking about detective stuff already? I’m just not into it. You always say you’ll tone it down, and yet it's Conan Doyle this, Edogawa Rampo that."

She stared straight at him. All day long, she’d held back, but finally summoned the courage to say it. But then when she looked into Shinichi’s eyes, her voice then grew lower, her cheeks flushed, unsure whether it was from nerves or something else:

"I just wanted today to be a normal date, like a real couple's day out. Can’t you focus just on us, just for once?"

"Like a couple... a date..." Kudo Shinichi stared at her, stunned, face flushing from the ears down to his neck, completely lost for words.

Ran furrowed her brow, "Sorry, Shinichi. I held it in all day because I didn’t want to ruin your excitement talking about all that stuff—I know that the detective and cases are everything to you. But sometimes, you’re so deep into your mysteries and cases that you don’t even see how the people around you feel... and it really hurts me sometimes."

As soon as Kudo Shinichi lowered his eyes and opened his mouth to respond, a sharp voice cut through their conversation.

"Outta the way, outta my way!!! Are you blind or something? Fuck off ! Fuck off!"

A hulking man in a black suit roughly shoved aside the elementary schoolers in line. One of the boys was clearly upset, but as soon as he turned and saw the man’s face, he turned pale and scrambled away yelling for his friends, like he'd just come face-to-face with a ghost.

"Didn’t think people like that still existed__cutting in line like that, how rude." Ran muttered. 

At the front, the staff called out for the next eight passengers—Kudo and Ran were among them. The gate closed behind them. Six of the passengers hadn't boarded yet, but the black-suited man and another man in similar attire had already claimed the last row of the coaster. Arms crossed, exuding a menacing presence, no one dared speak up. The rest just paired off and boarded.

As the safety bar clicked into place, Kudo Shinichi noticed that the woman he’d startled earlier with his handshake was sitting at the front left seat. She and three others were clearly friends who go out together; among them, a couple sat right behind Kudo and Ran, locked in a passionate kiss.

The sight made both Kudo and Ran blush with secondhand embarrassment.

Maybe it was the heat from behind, but Ran’s voice grew small, almost a whisper:

"Shinichi, I just wanted to have a day alone with you. No classmates, no Dad, no one else. Why can’t you understand that?"

"...Ran."

"Hahahaha, gotcha!"Ran suddenly turned around, her expression flipping as she flicked Kudo hard on the forehead.

"So easy to fool—maybe you should reconsider the whole 'great detective' thing. What if you get tangled up in something so deep you can't crawl out? Can't we just live a simple, ordinary life like everyone else? Graduate high school, go to college... Just saying, if I hear the word 'Holmes' on our next date, I swear I won't talk to you for a whole day."

Kudo chuckled dryly, nodding in agreement, though his ears perked up involuntarily—

The rollercoaster clattered upward, chain by chain, click by echoing click. But his sharp hearing picked up something else—

__was it just his imagination? The weight beneath them felt off-balanced, like the equilibrium had shifted. It was as if some massive spider had latched onto the undercarriage of the coaster... The sound was faint, nearly swallowed by the grinding of wheels on metal tracks, but if you listened closely—it almost sounded like someone crawling.

Kudo leaned forward, about to peer down—

"Today was really fun, Shinichi. I wish it didn’t have to end," Ran said suddenly, smiling sweetly.

Kudo looked at her face, and the creeping suspicion melted away like smoke. He couldn't help but return her smile. "Yeah."

This time, Ran's left hand gently clasped his. A blush rose silently on Kudo's face, but Ran's expression was pale in contrast.

They reached the peak. The wind howled at this altitude, the warmth in their limbs seeming to vanish, replaced by the eerie stillness of anticipation. Below, the amusement park looked like a scribble in a child’s notebook, all twisted lines and glittering points of light. Ran took a deep breath, her grip tightening on the safety bar. She turned to Kudo, who was fixated on a crow perched on a nearby branch, staring like he saw something beyond it.

"Shinichi, I..."

A sudden flutter of white wings interrupted her. A dove appeared out of nowhere, scattering the crow and taking its place on the branch. And then—the rollercoaster dropped. A vertical plunge, like an elevator with its cables severed, straight into hell.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

Wind slammed into Kudo's mouth, stealing his breath, compressing his chest with invisible boulders. Before he could recover, the ride twisted hard to the right, skimming along a cliff face.

CLANG—something hit the left side of the car. Kudo clutched the bar, his body flung to the side. His neck locked stiffly, preventing him from turning to see.

"AAAAAHH! Shinichi!"

It felt like they'd be thrown off any second. The ground was above his head now, sky below his feet. Screams echoed in his ears—some foreign, some disturbingly familiar.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

Before he could make sense of it, another ascent hit, then immediately another dive, this time to the left. The screaming grew louder—and closer.

The train shot over a high arc, slicing across a precipice. Multiple screams overlapped into a chorus of chaos, nearly bursting eardrums.The coaster twisted like a mad dragon along the rails, flipping, diving, spiraling. It was as if it intended to wrench the organs from every rider. Finally, a short lull came as they climbed the final hill. The last tunnel loomed ahead.

No one relaxed.

Ran used the moment to ask: "Shinichi... why were you screaming louder than I was?"

"That wasn't me, Ran..."

As they plunged down the final slope, a black blur flashed past his face. But Kudo's attention shifted—something wet hit him. His fingers touched his cheek, feeling warm, waterdrop.

"Weird... what's this?" he muttered. "What... is this? Water?"

Another scream rang out, disturbingly familiar. Kudo turned slowly.

The coaster burst into a tunnel shaped like a monstrous maw. A gust of breath grazed his neck,like someone just blew on his skin, followed by a piercing howl exploding in his ears. 

Then—a splash.

A warm torrent rained down from above.

"AAAAAAH! What the hell is this?! BLOOD?!"

"Blood? Oh god—WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"

"It’s too dark, I can’t see anything!"

The train burst from the tunnel, into open daylight—and stunned every passenger.

Everyone turned. Where Kudo and Ran had sat, directly behind them—

One of the passengers—a man who had been seated upright, hands still folded on his lap—was now missing his head. Instead, a geyser of blood shot upward, nearly a full meter high, then arced backward in a crimson splash, painting the side walls and sky like an ink painting.

The coaster rolled into the station. One of the passengers had not received a ticket to the ride—but  one straight ticket to the gates of hell itself.

"Mommy__Is it our turn now? I can’t wait! It’s my first time riding the coaster! Look, here it comes___Mom, what’s that… is that a person? But they don’t have a head... Mommy......... WAAAAAHHHHH!"

"What IS that?! Is that a body ?! AAAHHH! Someone’s DEAD! There’s been an accident!"

Screams broke out on the platform. Riders and staff alike recoiled as the train pulled to a stop. The headless corpse slumped sideways, blood still pouring, soaking through an already darkened outfit, dripping out the half-open door. The gruesome sight sent people fleeing in terror.

"CALL AN AMBULANCE! THERE'S BEEN AN ACCIDENT! SOMEONE'S DEAD!"

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to call the cops? There’s no head left! What do you expect the doctors to do—stitch it back on and give him CPR? Call the police, now!”

The staff remaining on the platform scrambled, visibly flustered, wanting to help but too terrified to step forward. Kudo Shinichi stepped over the edge of the coaster car, eyes narrowing at an unnatural smudge along the handle near his side.

Suddenly, warmth spread across his back. Ran had thrown her arms around him, crying into his shoulder.

"Shinichi... I can’t believe this actually happened... It’s too terrifying..."

Her reaction was the same as the three female friends who had accompanied the victim. Tears streamed down their cheeks as they trembled in disbelief, incapable of processing their friend’s gruesome death.

As murmurs spread through the crowd, Kudo Shinichi rose from his crouch beside the headless corpse.

“This was a murder,” Kudo declared loudly. “This was no accident—it was premeditated. And the killer is one of the passengers who just rode this coaster.”

He paused, scanning the shocked faces.

“In other words, excluding the victim... The murderer is in the eight of us.”

____________________________________

Fingers clenched tight around the track, Kuroba Kaito suppressed every instinct to gasp for breath. He shrank his body as small and thin as possible, wedged in the narrow crevice between the platform and the coaster rail.

“Damn it... damn it... this time I’ve really screwed up.”

His legs, his shoes—everything from the knees down was soaked in warm fluid. He didn’t need to look to know his pants and socks were saturated with blood. The mere thought of it made his stomach churn. He fought back nausea with clenched teeth.

“Damn that Aoko... why did she have to cuff me? Why did she insist on meeting today instead of all the other days?”

To be fair, it wasn’t Aoko’s fault___If Inspector Nakamori hadn’t glimpsed KID’s face that day... If he hadn’t fallen under suspicion, he would’ve been home by now—relaxed on the couch, video game in hand. Instead, after barely shaking off the accusations of being Kaitou KID, he raced back to Tropical Land to squeeze in a few minutes to be with Aoko.

That last-minute decision had landed him on this cursed ride.

And now? Not only was he late, but Aoko was probably more suspicious than ever. Worse, he was drenched in blood from a murder he didn’t commit.

He’d clung to the side of the coaster car with everything he had. He didn’t know how long he’d dangled, crying out internally while the world spun him like laundry in a washing machine. His stomach had flipped a dozen times over, his insides wrung dry.

At that moment... when the head hit Kaito’s leg and flew away—If he had let go, wouldn’t be lying on the railway right now... he would be lying in a coffin.”

Kaito had never been this close to death. The severed head had flown past him, barely missing his own. It even grazed his foot. In his panic, he’d instinctively lashed out—his kick slammed straight into the face of the last-row passenger. He might’ve shattered their sunglasses...

Footsteps overhead. Kuroba Kaito immediately covered his mouth and nose.

"This was a murder," a voice rang out above. "This wasn’t an accident. It was premeditated—and the killer is among the passengers who were on this coaster."

He couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. He would not let himself be found.

“Make way, police coming through! We are police! Nobody leaves this place.”

More footsteps. More voices entered. Even in hiding, even though he couldn't see anything, Kaito could tell how many people were talking in the area by the tones of their voices.

Police.  

Damn__ That made escape even harder. Would he have to wait until they solved the case just to leave? And what if they never caught the killer? Would they start a full sweep for evidence? If so, he was screwed.

Smoke bombs were no use—not with this many cops and eyes around. In his current state, changing outfits or slipping on a disguise was impossible.

“What the hell am I supposed to do...?”

“Police! Nobody leaves. This is now a crime scene. Please step beyond the tape.”

“Oh, isn’t that the famous detective—Kudo Shinichi?”

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

“That’s the high school detective! The one from the news!”

“They say he’s a genius, who cracked tons of impossible cases. Kudo__Kudo what?”

“It’s really him! Kudo Shinichi! I’ve always wanted to see him in person!”

“Can we get a picture? Maybe exchange numbers?”

“They call him the savior of Japanese law enforcement!”

Astonishingly, the fear in the air was fading, replaced by awe and admiration.

Kuroba Kaito scoffed silently. Savior of the Japanese Police Department? Hah. Who the hell is this guy to deserve that kind of praise?

Taking a slow, shaky breath, he moved the legs he’d been desperately ignoring, steeling himself against the sticky warmth. Carefully, he shifted his weight, letting his knees touch the freezing metal and concrete. Slowly, he lifted his head.

“Kudo Shinichi, look at this,” a voice from the police said above. “It’s strange. The coaster wasn’t malfunctioning, and the victim clearly didn’t commit suicide.”

“Exactly. This was a premeditated murder.”

From his limited angle, Kaito could see only part of the scene—a teenager, kneeling on one knee, intently studying blueprints and talking to a police officer.

“If that’s true, then the killer must be one of the passengers on that same ride. Excluding you and Ran, that leaves five suspects.”

“Six.”

“What? Wait—what do you mean?”

Even Inspector Megure looked confused. The others turned to Kudo, puzzled.

“Let me clarify,” said Megure, gesturing. “In the first row, we had Friend A and Friend B of the victim—” he nodded to a short-haired woman with round glasses and another woman wearing a blue headband, who was a gymnasty .

“And then Friend C, who sat with the victim in the third row.”

“They were lovers.”said the girl standing behind Kudo Shinichi.

"Ran is right," Kudo replied. Kuroba Kaito narrowed his eyes, scanning the area warily.

"Next are the two men in black sitting in the last row, D and E."

Kaito spotted the man in the black suit with the red shoe print still imprinted on his cheek. His sunglasses were barely hanging on the bridge of his nose, constantly adjusted by twitching fingers.

"Aniki..." the man in sunglasses started to stop the other, but the latter cut him off coldly, his voice dripping with disdain. 

"Tch. Will you just wrap this up already? We don’t have all day to waste playing this idiotic detective game."

"Idiotic detective game? Sir, what exactly do you mean by that?" Inspector Megure instinctively stepped in to defend Kudo Shinichi.

The man in black smirked, strange silver hair flowing beneath his hat—and those eyes beneath the black hat?__Something that made Kaito tense up further.

"This coaster has only eight seats. One person died. That leaves seven suspects, not eight. Hmph. A detective who can't even count? If that’s not a foolish game, what is?"

"Yeah... Kudo Shinichi, I don’t quite get what you meant earlier either," Megure said. "Why did you say eight suspects? We’ve already ruled out suicide."

Kudo’s lips curled up. His sharp eyes swept forward, and just as he spoke, Kuroba Kaito ducked his head back down instinctively.

"Because there weren’t eight people on the train, " Kudo said. " There were nine."

“What?!”

"Huh? What do you mean? Nine? But... There are only eight seats! You can’t be serious!" Inspector Megure exclaimed. Ran asked, "Shinichi, if there were an extra person, he would have to be hiding in the footwell at the front of the coaster. But that space is far too narrow to hide an adult. This can’t be right!"

"Exactly."

Kudo pressed his smile, certain now. The smudged handprint on the handle, the odd jolt as the coaster neared the station, the hiss of something inflating—none of it was coincidence. The air pressure and the noise of the sound of metal friction were completely different from the start.

"What if the extra person wasn’t hiding in a seat? What if he was clinging to the outside of the roller coaster all the time?"

Shit. Shit. SHIT.

Kuroba Kaito lay flat on the rails, his mind going blank. How had he been discovered? It didn’t make sense. No one had noticed him after he got off the coaster. So how the hell did Kudo spot him?

His thoughts spiraled. Before he could recover, a hand appeared before his eyes. Kaito looked up, stunned, and found himself staring into deep, clear blue eyes reflecting his own disheveled and bloody image—and a smile that was far too intrigued for comfort.

"Need a hand?" Kudo Shinichi knelt at the edge of the platform, his right hand extended. "Or can you climb up yourself?"

Chapter Text

The case had taken an unexpected turn.

The eighth suspect—or rather, the sixth after excluding Kudo Shinichi and Mouri Ran—the unknown Edogawa-san, dressed in an all-white suit—well, what used to be white—stood with his back to the crowd. One arm propped against the wall trembling, the other covering his mouth to keep from vomiting.

"That guy looks like the killer, doesn’t he? But isn’t this a bit much? Are you telling me he was hanging on to the coaster the entire time? I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it myself."

"Absolutely insane," Megure muttered, eyes wide as he examined Kaito head to toe. 

Clearing his throat, he asked, "Edogawa-san, care to explain why you were... ahem... in such a position? Be honest. Among everyone here, you’re looking the most suspicious."

Kudo Shinichi eyed Kaito’s bloodstained, mud-splattered suit. "While you’re at it, would you mind explaining why you're dressed like this___ in the middle of all this?"

"Ah... Kudo-kun, I forgot to mention," Megure interjected. "There's an anime convention in Shibuya today. Lots of folks dressed up as their favorite characters or people in real life__cosplay. So Edogawa-san, I’m guessing you’re one of them, right? Saw a bunch of guys in Kaitou KID outfits walking the streets earlier."

Grateful for the excuse provided by the Inspector, it would be foolish if Kaito didn't accept this fine offer.

Kaito nodded quickly. "I... lost a game of truth or dare with friends, so I had to... you know..."

"You think that flimsy excuse is going to fly? Who takes a dare that far? Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Megure barked.

Kaito put on his best dumb-teen face. "I just thought—like in the movies—it looked easy enough..."

"Utter nonsense!" Megure roared. 

"Alright, let’s retrace things all over again. Kudo-kun. All passengers were secured by safety bars, making it difficult to move. So the most likely suspects are the girlfriend C, who sat next to the victim... and the young man who cosplayed KID because he lost a damn game of truth or dare…….these young people……a bunch of psychos."

At this, Kudo couldn’t help but eye Kaito with even more suspicion. It wasn’t just about believing such a ridiculous story. It was the fact that this guy was there —at the exact time and place—without any logical explanation.

"But..." Ran interjected. "This young man doesn’t seem to know the victim at all, right? That means he doesn’t have a motive to kill him."

"I don't even know him." Kaito said.

"No, Ran. Now we must eliminate suspects based on empirical, physical evidence," said Kudo Shinichi. 

At that moment, the bespectacled woman among the deceased's friends seemed to recall something, "It absolutely couldn't have been one of the three of us. We've all known Kishida for years and we were very close. I know for certain the other two friends wouldn't have had a motive to kill him. That leaves only this young man! Or the two weird men in the last row! So what if they don't know Kishida? Who's to say he wasn't hired to do the job? Maybe they are killers and they just killed him."

"Plus, this young man…… If anything, wouldn't it have been easier for him to do it than for any of us?" added the dead man's girlfriend, desperate to distance herself from suspicion.

 "Like... after we entered the tunnel, he could have climbed from the side door to the back and slit Kishida's throat."

"Slit?" Inspector Megure asked. "We haven't even found the weapon yet. We can't confirm what it was."

"It was just an example," the girlfriend said. "He could've killed Kishida while standing in front of the back row. That would've been easy for him. Or maybe he used the doors in the back row for support—braced his feet against the two sides of the door and used his hands to strike in the dark."

"Aiko's right!" another friend chimed in. But Kuroba Kaito interrupted.

"If I really had done all that, wouldn’t the men in black sitting in the last row have seen me?"

He was absolutely right—they should have seen him.

"But when the train entered the tunnel, it was pitch black. Even if they had their suspicions, who would immediately think someone was crawling along the outside of the train like a fucking Spider-Man!? It must have been you!"

It was clear what bothered everyone most was not motive, but Kuroba Kaito's utterly absurd level of physical prowess. He had endured the entire breakneck ridge, clinging to the roller coaster's frame. And somehow, he went down the rollercoaster alive.

Kudo Shinichi stepped forward, "No. While this suspicious young man may appear to be the most mobile of us all, it would have been physically impossible. First, there's the issue of inertia. He was hanging onto the handle near the second car’s door. Given his height—roughly 175 cm—unless he could kill with his feet, and sliced the victims’ neck. There's no way he could have crawled backward headfirst and struck, let alone decapitated someone."

Just then, a loud voice cried out from the side.

"Inspector! I checked each passenger's belongings like you said. I found this..."

A uniformed officer opened a bag. Ran covered her mouth.

"Ah... That cloth is wrapped around something—a knife?"

The woman wearing the hairband instantly recognized the bag, "Oh my! Aiko? Is that yours! You?... Why would you do something like this? Kishida was your boyfriend. He loved you! How could you...?!"

Aiko, the girlfriend of the deceased Kishida san, buckled at the knees. Clearly, she had no idea why a knife had been found in her bag. Collapsing to the ground, she stammered, "No... this isn't mine... I have no idea how that got there! Inspector, detective ! I swear—that’s not mine!"

Kudo Shinichi bent down and used a handkerchief to pick up the blade. Aiko cried out in panic.

"It really isn't mine! I..."

"You were so close to Kishida? Could it have been because of that last fight you had..."

"It wasn't me! I swear, I don't know anything about this!"

But her denial did nothing to sway the others. The tide of suspicion swept over her like an invisible hand, shoving her toward the edge of guilt.

"Hey, you—"

A voice cold as ice sliced through the air. Kudo Shinichi turned sharply and met the gaze of the silver-haired man in black. Beneath the brim of his dark hat were eyes sharp and merciless—eyes that could kill without hesitation. Kudo froze.

"Didn't you already catch the killer? Then let us go, already."

There was no emotion, just command. 

Who was this man?

"I'm sorry, but this is a crime scene. Until statements are complete, no one is permitted to leave," Kudo Shinichi replied.

Meanwhile, with what seemed to be a "reasonable murder scenario" now in place, Inspector Megure pointed at the pale-faced Aiko and barked, "Fine! Take this woman in for questioning! She is the killer! "

"Wait—Inspector Megure! She's not the killer, and that isn't the real weapon!"

Kudo Shinichi stepped in swiftly, his index finger—the one that had exposed countless culprits—now firmly pointed at another woman, this one tear-streaked and trembling.

"It's you !"

All eyes turned to the woman with the blue hairband.

"No, wait... Officer," she protested. "How could it be me? The knife was in Aiko's bag. She should be the one, not me!"

"No," Kudo Shinichi replied. "The murder weapon couldn't have been a knife. Not even an average adult male could sever a neck from behind that cleanly, let alone a woman."

His words were met with baffled looks. Everyone turned to him, expecting more answers.

"The shape of the knife itself simply wouldn't allow the killer to sever a spine using only their bare hands in such a short time."It was Kuroba Kaito who said that. Kudo Shinichi cast him a glance, then picked up where he left off.

"Exactly. Just think about executions in ancient times. Beheadings were mostly carried out using guillotines. The blade dropped with the force of gravity to cleanly sever the neck—at an angle, mind you—because a straight blade has a hard time cutting clean through. On ancient battlefields, to decapitate an enemy in a single swing, soldiers used polearms or massive curved sabers. Both weapons are far larger than this kitchen knife. The length adds leverage, giving the wielder greater force and control."He paused before continuing.

"And think about butchers—those who process livestock, or hunters skinning game. Their knives are far sharper and more specialized than this stubby kitchen knife. So no, the murder weapon couldn't possibly have been this."

Kudo Shinichi shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Besides, if she really were the killer, she would've had plenty of chances to ditch the weapon along the way. Why carry it around? Idiots maybe. However, it defies common sense—I'm guessing you planted it in her bag when she wasn’t looking, just to frame her."

"Wait a second!" the woman blurted out, clearly panicked. "You just said it yourself—it’s physically impossible for a woman to sever a man’s spine like that! Plus, I was sitting in front of him! How could I ever possibly kill him in the front seat?"

"But if using the rollercoaster's speed—combined with piano wire or a steel ring? Then it would be possible!"

Kudo turned, "Officer, I’m going to need your help for a quick demonstration... We’re still needing one more person to help…… I want to reconstruct the crime scene. Edogawa-san—could I trouble you to sit where the victim was?"

With no room for objection, Kuroba Kaito sat in the seat once occupied by Kishida. Kudo Shinichi took the leftmost seat in the front row.

"Alright. Now watch closely. I’m the killer, and the victim is this young man. First, before lowering the safety bar, I place something like a purse behind me to create a gap. Then I lower the safety bar—see? That gives me enough room to slip out. Next, I take out a steel ring—something looped with a metal hook. Then I hook my feet under the bar and arch my back like this... Now I’m still technically inside the bar, but my body’s extended backward, over the next car. At that moment, Edogawa-san was crouching on the side in the dark—he wouldn't have seen a thing. Then I slip the ring around the victim's neck."

For the first time, Kudo faced Kuroba Kaito head-on, locking eyes with him as he mimicked the act, rope in both hands.

"It all has to happen before the coaster exits the tunnel. Once the loop’s secured, the hook catches on the rail between the tracks. With the coaster’s speed and momentum— snap —the head flies off instantly."

"What kind of insane fantasy is that!?" the woman shrieked. "You’ve got no proof! You’re just pointing fingers! Where is the evidence!"

"Then answer me this—where did the pearl necklace around your neck go during the ride?"

Kudo Shinichi stepped off the coaster and held up the rope.

"My guess? You replace the string of your pearl necklace with piano wire and looped it around the victim’s neck. Since you’re a trained gymnast—with exceptional flexibility and balance—it would’ve been easy for you. Maybe not for any other woman... but for you? A piece of cake."

"You’re bluffing!!"

Another friend jumped to her defense.

"If we’re talking about suspicious people, what about that extra passenger? Do you really believe his crazy story? Who the hell can cling to the side of a rollercoaster and survive the ride ? And what about those two guys in the back? Dressed in black in broad daylight at an amusement park? They looked like goddamn bank robbers from a heist movie!"

Kudo turned to Kuroba Kaito.

"I have no idea who this Spiderman-like young man really is, or why he’s cosplaying someone else to sneak onto the ride, but he’s not the killer."

He then faced the two men in black.

"And those two shady-looking guys? Sure, they’re weird. Sure, they acted squirrelly when the cops showed up. But they’re innocent in this case. A true killer plans ahead. So the killer knew what would happen. And she cried beforehand—because she already knew the victim would die. That’s the tell."

His voice hardened.

"The tears she shed before the coaster emerged from the tunnel... That’s the smoking gun."

The woman, now trembling, looked up. Her arms curled tight against her body as tears rolled down her cheeks—like pearls slipping from a broken strand.

Kudo Shinichi stared her down.

"Unless you’re crying on a coaster which is moving forward, tears don’t stream sideways like this."

____________________________________________________________

After this tragedy—woven from love and hate—had drawn to a close, the police found a stash of sleeping pills in her bag. The necklace used in the murder was discovered inside the tunnel. Its string was, in fact, made of piano wire. As for the pearls—they had scattered to the far corners of the world.

The few remaining white pearls, bathed in the crimson hues of sunset, shimmered like silent tears.

Only then did Kudo Shinichi and Mouri Ran step out from the shadows. The sky had already dimmed. Ahead of them walked the two women left behind—both shattered, unable to hold back their tears. The weight of grief too heavy to carry, they desperately reached for lighter words, anything to keep from breaking under the sorrow.

Behind them, Mouri Ran began to sob, as the weight of sorrow seeped into her as well. Kudo tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Don’t cry, Ran. You better get used to this. Stuff like this is gonna keep happening."

"Get used to what?! I’m not like you, Kudo Shinichi! How can you stay so calm and composed when someone just died ?! Doesn’t it get to you at all?"

"Ah... yeah, I come across it all the time. You learn not to be shocked. The important part is solving the mystery, uncovering the truth behind it."

Kudo gave a stiff smile, nodding slightly as his thoughts drifted again—to that weird weird teen, the one with the strength of a superhero, and a face eerily similar to his own.

Why had he shown up there? There was no way his explanation was the whole truth. The moment the culprit was caught, the boy vanished like smoke, leaving no trace—just like the first time their eyes had met.

He wasn't just anybody. That name he gave, "Edogawa," had to be made up.

Scanning the crowd, Kudo searched for the teenager.

"Wait... isn't that the man in the black suit who sat in the last row?"

A shadowy figure caught his eye near the bushes, shiftily glancing about. One hand held a suitcase, the other adjusting his sunglasses. Clearly, he was looking for someone.

"Sorry, Ran. You head back first. I just remembered something I left at the scene. I’ll catch up soon!"

"Wha—wait—Shinichi! Shinichi!!!"

Of course, Shinichi was still Shinichi... Ran barely turned her head before his figure disappeared, no hesitation, no looking back.

He was gone.

It was just a goodbye, and yet... Why did it feel like she was losing him forever?

Like he no longer belonged to her?

Shinichi... After you come back, you still belong with me right?

Pressed against the alley wall, Kudo crept closer to the bulky man in black.That’s when another cold voice came from behind.

"It’s almost time for the deal. Why are you calling me now?"

Deal? What kind of deal??

It was the other man in black—the one with long silver hair!

"Aniki... it looks like you might have to handle the trade yourself. That bastard kicked my damn sunglasses off. The nose pads wrecked. I’m gonna snap his neck with my bare hands!" 

The hulking man snarled, clenching his fists. The lopsided sunglasses slid again, and he hastily adjusted them. "Want me to take care of him first?"

Kicked off? Was it him who kicked this man?

Kudo held his breath, listening intently.

"Focus on the mission."

"But Aniki! That jerk might've seen my face under the glasses. Worse, he blocked Aniki’s view with those long legs of his! Otherwise, we could've confirmed from that last high point whether the target came alone."

"Tch... don't rush." A glint of something sharp flickered in the dim light. "And I doubt that the name he gave was real... but people... they can always be found__ and we will find him for sure.

The silver-haired man opened the suitcase. Kudo squinted, trying to see what was inside, but the two men quickly shut it again and moved deeper into the alley. Kudo waited for a safe gap before following—but the moment he took a step, that voice he'd been haunted by echoed behind him.

"Aoko, slow down! Geez... what time is it already? You still wanna play? I'm starving and exhausted...I want to go home now!"

Kudo whirled around__

It was him. The teenager.

Only now, he looked completely different__Dressed in casual shirt and pants, hair still just as messy, but now with an air of innocence.

Beside him walked a girl in a pale dress. She turned, stuck out her tongue.

"Kaito, wait here for me, okay? I wanna try grabbing that doll over there. If you're tired, go sit by the fountain and rest up—baka Kaito."

Kaito?

"What did you just say?" The boy's brows twitched. The girl made a silly face on purpose.

"I didn't say anything wrong! Kuroba's stamina is pathetic. We just left the house this morning, and now you are already exhausted. We barely walked that far, and we even watched a 3D movie for the entire 40 minutes around 6. You really should learn from my dad—regular physical training is essential."

"Tsk, tsk... Did you just say I have poor stamina? Argh..." Kuroba Kaito accidentally pulled a sore muscle in his back. His face twisted in pain as he retorted, "I'm not like that useless inspector, always chasing after thieves, constantly spraining his ankle or pulling something."

"Don't talk about my dad like that, Kuroba Kaito!!! Wait right here. I’ll be back."

_____________________________

"Uh.. Finally... I'm dead tired."Kuroba Kaito sat down on a bench, loosening the tight, aching muscles in his back. He looked over at Aoko, who was fiercely feeding coins into a claw machine, and let out a helpless smile.

Such a fool. Only someone like Aoko would come up with such a weird way to prove my innocence. 

A fool who keeps doing cute things.

At least now the suspicion has been cleared.

Back then, when Kuroba Kaito had shown up late, he thought disaster was imminent. He had already drafted hundreds of ways to confess or explain everything in his mind—until he saw “Kuroba Kaito ”walking out of the gift shop in the distance, chatting and laughing with Aoko. That "Kuroba Kaito" looked up and winked at him. They met in the restroom shortly after.

"Thanks for the trouble, Jii-chan. No need to worry—I disguised myself as Aoko and put on a convincing show in front of Nakamori-keibu. He shouldn't suspect me anymore. I just didn’t expect the murder case to take so long."

"It’s fine. As long as you’re safe. Kaito... shouldn’t you get changed and return to be with Nakamori-san?"

Thinking back, Kuroba Kaito figured he really should call and thank Jii again. The old man truly saved him this time.

"Kaito-sama!!!" As soon as the call connected, Jii-chan's long sigh of relief came through. "You finally called—I thought something had gone wrong with the operation..."

"Didn’t you already confirm everything with me earlier?"

But something felt off. Kuroba Kaito’s unease grew. He recalled how, in the restroom, although the voice had been identical to Jii-cah’s, the tone and words didn’t match him at all.

 A chill ran down Kaito’s spine. It was as if a pair of eyes had been silently watching him from the shadows.

"What exactly happened?" Jii-chan asked.

Kuroba Kaito, not wanting the old man to worry, chuckled to brush it off. "Ahaha, it’s nothing. Everything went smoothly today. I’ll fill you in later."

As he spoke, he noticed a strand of hair tangled around the button at his collar. Carefully, he plucked it out—

A long, golden strand, faintly shimmering with a wavy sheen.

Who... could it be?

Who has the ability to impersonate Jii-chan so flawlessly, even mimic his voice without any vocal device? Who secretly lent me a helping hand from the shadows?

"Kuroba Kaito."

A green sleeve slid into view. Kuroba Kaito raised an eyebrow—he hadn’t realized the other person was already just a few steps away.

"I’ve been meaning to find you. First, tell me—this is your real name, right?"

Kuroba Kaito stood up, cautiously eyeing the person who had stepped closer.

"Kudo Shinichi? What brings you here, Kudo-kun? As far as I recall, the culprit has already been apprehended by the police. Do you still have questions regarding the case?"

"Hahaha, not quite. No need to be so nervous." Kudo Shinichi smiled, though the sharp glint in his eyes never softened. 

"I just saw you walking with another girl earlier and thought it’d be a good time to come over and chat."

Kuroba Kaito returned the grin and walked alongside Kudo Shinichi toward the food stalls closing for the night.

"Perfect timing. I need to thank you, Kudo-kun, for solving the case so quickly and clearing my name. No wonder you’re the famous high school detective." Kuroba Kaito ordered two ice creams from a vendor, leaned against the glass counter, and turned to Kudo. 

"Thanks, Meitantei. Here—my appreciation." He handed one cone to Kudo.

Kudo Shinichi nodded and took it, lips brushing against the cold chocolate ice cream.

"You didn’t have to... whoa, that’s so sweet... Anyway, there’s something I wanted to mention. Lately, be a bit careful..."

 Kudo hesitated. He wasn’t sure how to warn Kuroba Kaito. 

He couldn’t tell whether the man in black had made a serious threat or was just venting. It might be better to do a thorough investigation into those two shady men. Their suspicious behavior is likely tied into illegal dealings.

If they truly were criminals, the only way to ensure Kuroba Kaito’s safety was to cut them off at the root—take the whole operation down.

"Hmm? Why?"

"No reason... Better safe than sorry."

Kudo Shinichi suddenly remembered he had to meet up with Ran—if he didn’t show up soon, his life might be in danger tomorrow.

"Oh crap—it’s so late already. I gotta run. Thanks for the ice cream, Kuroba Kaito. Next time, it’s my treat."

Next time? 

Kuroba Kaito blinked,"No need to be so polite, Kudo-kun. You helped me out today. Ice cream is nothing."

Kudo raised his hand."Then next time we meet, I’m still buying. But I have one request—consider it your thank-you to me this time. Honestly, ever since I grabbed your hand, I’ve been wanting to ask you this."

"Sure. What do you want?" Kuroba Kaito agreed without hesitation, curious what kind of secret Meitantei had discovered from just a handshake.

Kudo Shinichi turned to wave goodbye.

"Show me a magic trick—one that’ll leave a detective like me utterly amazed and wanting more, alright? Mr. Magician."