Once upon a time, the Kaitou Kid said this in his first encounter with Conan.
"If thieves are the artists of creation and imagination, then detectives are only the critics that chase them around.."
Later, Conan countered with the argument that many artists only became famous after their death.
But this statement was not entirely baseless, especially when applied to murderers and police detectives.
What detectives least wanted to encounter was a criminal who killed rapidly, the pressure so heavy because a life could disappear because they failed to catch the perpetrator.
And this time, Senichi and the others clearly encountered such a ruthless character.
Constant sacrifices and the looming threat of the next victim weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.
Such changes were almost visible to the naked eye. After Makoto Itou's death, investigators could see the growing restlessness.
Watching Inspector Megure return to the police headquarters with the body in the gradually receding vehicle, Senichi secretly admonished himself that he needed to stay calm, especially at a time like this.
After all, everyone was watching him. As the "Ace," he couldn't afford to lose his composure; it would only further demoralize the team.
Taking a deep breath and then exhaling slowly, Senichi suppressed his agitation. After organizing his thoughts, he looked at the waiting group and smiled, saying, "It's already noon. Are you hungry? Shall we go get something to eat?"
"Huh?"
With the three of them looking confused, Senichi drove Takagi, Chiba, and Sato Miwako to a bento shop together.
"You've been waiting for a while. Here's your curry chicken meal!" A young boy placed the meal in front of Sato Miwako with a smile.
"Thank you."
Just as Sato Miwako expressed her thanks and the waiter was about to leave, Senichi directly called out to him, "Wait a minute!"
"Hi, guest, is there anything else you need?"
"Just a quick question. We met at the Saionji residence before. Do you remember?" Senichi smiled and asked, "Do you recall?"
The other person looked puzzled upon hearing Senichi's words, seemingly not remembering the encounter.
"This morning, you delivered breakfast to Mr. Kimura," Senichi smiled
"Ah, it's you..."
With Senichi's reminder, the person finally recalled the memory of encountering Senichi when he had poked his head in the house this morning.
"Mr. Kimura must live alone, right?" Senichi asked with a smile, "I'm curious, who is the other breakfast for?"
"Sekai" the boy replied without hesitation, smiling.
"Sekai?" Chiba, who was nearby, was astonished, "But... isn't Miss Sekai already dead?"
"She's definitely not dead!"
With that statement, the boy's smile disappeared instantly. He glared at Chiba, then turned and walked away.
"So, Officer Senichi, you brought us here for lunch because you wanted to gather information," Takagi and the others realized after the boy had left.
"Ah, yes, I was a bit curious when I saw him deliver two breakfasts earlier," Senichi smiled and said, "I noticed he's familiar with Kimura Saionji, so he's probably from a nearby bento shop."
"That kid actually said Sekai Saionji isn't dead?" Sato Miwako said, picking up the pace of her meal, "So, does that mean Kimura lied? Could it be that the perpetrator is the alive Sekai Saionji? After we finish eating, let's go and ask him!"
After a quick meal led by Sato Miwako, they soon finished their food and once again arrived at the chaotic home of the person in question.
"Wow, it's really messy in here, and there are so many machines," Officer Takagi, who was visiting the person's home for the first time, couldn't help but exclaim while looking around.
"Well... according to the information, he runs a small shop from home, taking orders to make a living. I guess these are all tools related to his work," Sato Miwako, who was standing nearby, looked around and said.
Meanwhile, Senichi had already expressed his doubts to Kimura Saionji.
"Oh... that's a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?" Senichi looked at him and continued, "Explain, please."
"The meals I ordered were for one person." Kimura Saionji sighed and said, "But that kid delivered one for Sekai too."
"Huh? Why would he do that?" Chiba, who was nearby, looked puzzled at the explanation.
"That kid... seems to understand that Sekai has already passed away, yet at the same time, he doesn't want to accept it..."
As Kimura spoke, his voice choked up a bit, and he led everyone to the bedroom. "Although it's a bit wasteful, I still place the meals that kid brings in front of Sekai's photo every day."
In that small bedroom, Senichi saw a photo of Sekai Saionji and the breakfast bento placed in front of the photo.
The dishes on the bento were exactly the same as the breakfast Kimura Saionji had in the morning.
"Was he very close to Sekai?" Senichi looked at the breakfast and asked again.
"No," Kimura Saionji shook his head, "But... They were neighbors after all, and they've known each other since they were very young. In the end, they were just regular neighbors who would exchange greetings when they met in the morning or evening.
After that incident, Sekai moved in with her mother, and they only saw each other when she came to visit me. Even then, it was just a nod of acknowledgment..."
Not finding the expected clues, the group felt somewhat disheartened. Senichi, deep in thought, continued to ponder even after leaving Kimura Saionji's home.
However, this suspicion was no longer directed at Kimura Saionji but at the boy who refused to accept Sekai's death and continued to bring her meals every day.
This unwillingness to accept reality is a dangerous psychological state, indicating that Sekai Saionji's death had a significant impact on him.
In such an unstable mental state, it's very likely that he could engage in some extreme behavior.
Although there is no evidence to suggest that he is the culprit, there is no doubt that he shares the same motive with Kimura Saionji.
It's worth noting that, aside from familial ties, hatred born out of love can achieve the same effects.
But even without evidence, when Sato Miwako and Officer Takagi went to the local police station to investigate the boy's information, they found that this boy named Sawayoshi was just an ordinary child working in a bento shop.
After finishing high school, he didn't pursue further education and instead helped his parents run the bento shop.
He had no background or training in firearms modification, let alone the expertise required for such a high-level task, which demands extensive theoretical knowledge and exceptional practical skills.
He didn't fit any of these criteria, and there was no connection.
However, Senichi did not dismiss his suspicions. Instead, he thought of a possible explanation.
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