Multiple choice system: Conan World

Akikawa Kyousuke didn't know what was going on. He had gone to work in Kanagawa, a hundred kilometers from Tokyo, and unexpectedly found himself once again face-to-face with the elementary school Shinigami.

Not wanting to be recognized by Conan, Akikawa Kyousuke chose not to remove his hood during the performance.

However.

After hearing the sirens blaring outside this morning, Kyousuke had a suspicion that another murder might have occurred.

Initially, Akikawa Kyousuke believed that this case had nothing to do with him.

But when he heard a knock at his door, he realized how naïve that thought had been.

Since suspicion had fallen on him, it could only mean that the deceased was either an actor from the play or their agent, Miss Itakura Misaki.

The detective's subsequent statements confirmed Kyousuke's assumption.

The deceased was none other than the actor who played the Masked Superman—Takeshi Furusawa.

What a coincidence. This man had come to see him in his room the previous night.

---

"When I chatted with Takeshi Furusawa last night, I didn't notice any signs that he might be contemplating suicide.

Was it an accident, or was it murder?"

Akikawa Kyousuke thought to himself as he followed the detective downstairs.

---

Conan, who had been observing the body in secret, caught sight of someone coming down the stairs out of the corner of his eye.

He turned in the direction of the sound.

When he saw Akikawa Kyousuke, who had come down with the Kanagawa Prefecture police, an expression of surprise appeared on his face.

After hearing Akikawa Kyousuke's introduction, Conan learned that Kyousuke was the actor playing the Evil Mask.

"Why is it this guy again?!"

"And what's with this guy? Why does someone always end up dead around him?"

"It seems like he's always somehow connected to either the deceased or the killer."

As Conan mentally compared Akikawa Kyousuke's streak of misfortune to that of Mouri Kogoro, he suddenly noticed Haibara Ai standing next to him.

Her eyes were fixed on Akikawa Kyousuke.

---

"What's wrong, Haibara? Why are you staring at him like that?" Conan asked.

"I can't shake the feeling that Akikawa Kyousuke looks familiar. I feel like I've seen him somewhere before," Haibara Ai said hesitantly in a low voice.

Conan immediately understood.

---

"This Akikawa Kyousuke is Miss Yoko's younger brother. Of course, she'd find him familiar," Conan thought to himself.

It must be said that not only Haibara Ai but most people in Japan would feel a sense of familiarity upon seeing Akikawa Kyousuke.

After all, his sister, related to him by blood, appeared on television and in various advertisements almost daily.

---

After Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya and Ayumi Yoshida recognized Akikawa Kyousuke, the two kids' faces lit up with admiration.

Firstly, because they liked the Evil Mask, and secondly, simply because Akikawa Kyousuke was a handsome man.

"Hey! You two!"

Genta Kojima, noticing Mitsuhiko and Ayumi's expressions, frowned in displeasure.

Using his stocky frame—nearly twice the size of his peers—he stepped in front of Mitsuhiko and Ayumi, blocking their view.

"You heard what they said, didn't you? That guy plays the Evil Mask!"

"He must've held a grudge against the Masked Superman and killed him!"

---

Mitsuhiko and Ayumi were left speechless at Genta's assertion.

"Is Genta an idiot? He's just an actor."

"Then he must've had a motive! Maybe he killed someone because he was jealous that the Masked Superman stole his spotlight!"

"That…"

Mitsuhiko and Ayumi were momentarily at a loss for words.

Suddenly, they felt like Genta's reasoning might actually make sense.

---

When Akikawa Kyousuke noticed Haibara Ai's gaze, he also looked at her.

This time, he, too, felt a sense of familiarity.

---

"I can't help but feel like this girl resembles Sera Masumi a bit. Is it just my imagination?"

After briefly reflecting, Akikawa Kyousuke pinpointed the source of his familiarity with Haibara Ai.

He thought for a moment, then turned to the Kanagawa detective before him and sincerely answered their questions.

---

Akikawa Kyousuke explained how he knew Takeshi Furusawa and recounted what had transpired the night before, when Furusawa had come to his room with a beer and started chatting.

Kyousuke didn't drink the beer Furusawa offered him, so he simply talked with Furusawa, who drank alone for a while, before seeing him off.

---

As Akikawa Kyousuke answered the police's questions, he also gleaned bits of information about the case from their words.

In short, Takeshi Furusawa had been found at the bottom of the women's hot spring pool.

According to a man named "Dr. Agasa," Furusawa had died from hydrogen sulfide poisoning.

---

Kyousuke didn't know who Dr. Agasa was, but considering that the elementary school Shinigami was present, he assumed the police's conclusions stemmed from the boy's deductions.

In other words, there was no reason to doubt the accuracy of Furusawa's cause of death.

---

"If Furusawa died from hydrogen sulfide poisoning and not drowning, then he didn't accidentally fall into the pool.

Although I've never been to the women's hot spring area, I've used the men's area during rehearsals over the past two days. The hydrogen sulfide concentration in the air between the two areas shouldn't differ much.

The strong rotten-egg smell near the hot springs is irritating, but the worst I experienced was mild eye discomfort.

This indicates that the hydrogen sulfide concentration in the air was at most 0.001%. For hydrogen sulfide to cause death, the concentration must reach at least 0.07%."

---

"While geothermal activity and temperature changes might cause a sudden increase in hydrogen sulfide levels near natural hot springs, the maximum change wouldn't exceed double the usual concentration.

So, it wasn't an accident. It must have been murder."

Akikawa Kyousuke reached his conclusion.

---

"The killer intended to use the natural presence of hydrogen sulfide near the hot springs to conceal their method, but the approach was too crude.

Since there were no signs of struggle on Furusawa, the killer must have struck while Furusawa was asleep.

Given that hydrogen sulfide is heavier than air and tends to settle in low-lying areas, and the police were conducting their investigation in the women's hot spring area without concern, it's clear that the crime didn't occur there."

---

After brief observation, Akikawa Kyousuke deduced the killer's method and timing.

At the same time, he realized something else.

If the murderer wished, they could kill everyone staying on the same floor as Takeshi Furusawa or in the surrounding rooms.

Naturally, that included Akikawa Kyousuke himself.

--

The killer's motive remained unclear, but their actions were extremely dangerous.

(End of Chapter)