After a brief introduction, Senichi and his group had a basic understanding of the four individuals.
First was the handsome guy in the orange jacket and hat who initiated the conversation; his name was Keisuke Otsubo.
Next to him was the somewhat chubby guy called Touru Akitaya.
As for the girl with long hair and a pink outfit, her name was Eiko Nojima.
And the short-haired girl in the green jacket, an obvious fan of detective stories, was named Akane Isaka.
After mutual introductions, everyone had a preliminary understanding of each other.
"In fact, we're all detective fiction enthusiasts, especially your works, Detective Senichi. We're all fascinated by them!" Akane Isaka said with a fangirl-like excitement.
"It feels surreal meeting you in person for the first time," Keisuke Otsubo laughed. "When we saw you two, our brains couldn't even process it."
"Yeah, I didn't expect it to be real..." Eiko Nojima nodded in agreement.
"Oh, by the way, if it's not too much trouble, could we have dinner together tonight?" Akane Isaka clasped her hands together with a pleading expression. "And please, sign our books!"
"Yeah, we'd love to chat with you two," Touru Akitaya added with a smile.
"Well, that's fine. Having locals to guide us is more than welcome, and we're sure to enjoy some local delicacies," Kogoro Mouri rubbed his head, looked at Senichi and others, and since they didn't object, he agreed, "And about the autographs, we can do that now!"
"I want Detective Senichi to sign my book," Akane Isaka said with a smile. "And Mr. Mouri's signature will be a valuable heirloom passed down for generations!"
"Calling it a valuable heirloom is a bit too much..." Mouri Kogoro replied while looking pleased with himself, his tail almost wagging in the air, prompting Conan on the side to comment with sarcasm.
After discussing the schedule, they left the tower and arrived at the Strait Plaza.
The construction here was quite unique; one had to take an escalator down to reach the plaza.
"By the way, how do you guys know each other?" As everyone boarded the elevator, Ran looked at them curiously and asked.
"Well, we were all classmates in high school, and because we got along well, we've kept in touch ever since," Touru Akitaya said with a smile.
"So long, it's truly amazing. It's been such a long time, and everyone's still getting along so well," Ran said with envy.
"In fact, we were high school buddies. There was supposed to be one more person." Eiko Nojima said with some sadness.
"Another person?" Ran asked in confusion.
"His name was Hondo, and he was really good at painting. He even planned to apply to Tokyo University of Arts."
Akane Isaka spoke with a touch of melancholy, "But... in our senior year of high school, just before graduation... under the Kanmonkyo Bridge, he took his own life..."
"Suicide?" Ran exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Kogoro Mouri frowned slightly and asked, "Did he do it because he thought he lost his artistic talent?"
"Absolutely not!" Eiko Nojima, who had always spoken softly, became suddenly emotional upon hearing Mouri Kogoro's words. Her expression was filled with indescribable sorrow. "The reason he took his own life... was because someone stole his dream away..."
"Dream..."
"His right hand was broken once..." Touru Akitaya said with a pained expression, "Even though it was treated, the recovery wasn't very ideal."
"Yesterday happened to be Hondo's thirteenth death anniversary." Keisuke Otsubo sensed the heavy atmosphere and spoke in a slightly lighter tone, "So, that's why Akane and I came back from Tokyo, to pay our respects to Hondo."
"Not entirely for that reason!"
Realizing that the topic had become quite heavy, Touru Akitaya, upon hearing his friend's words, approached Keisuke Otsubo and Akane Isaka from behind, embracing them with a smile.
"Eiko and I heard another piece of news! These two were attending school together in Tokyo, and in the end, they quietly got engaged!"
"Hehehe~~"
With the embarrassed laughter of the two young men and women, the previously heavy atmosphere instantly dissipated.
"Ah, that's really wonderful!" Ran, always with a longing for marriage, sincerely congratulated them upon hearing about the couple's encounter. "Congratulations to both of you!"
"Oh... I only realized in a moment of absent-mindedness that she's the only one left for me to choose," Keisuke Otsubo looked at his girlfriend and uttered a somewhat reckless remark.
"What do you mean by saying that!" As expected, upon hearing her boyfriend's words, Akane Isaka retorted angrily, "You dare to say that! Clearly, it was my voluntary sacrifice to choose to marry you!"
"You two really are a perfect match," Ran couldn't help but laugh as she watched the bickering couple.
"Match my foot!!"
"Hmph!" (x2)
After they simultaneously said their pieces, each turned away, then stole a glance at each other, and immediately burst into laughter in unison.
Evidently, the two had noticed the previous tension in the atmosphere and intentionally used their banter to lighten the mood.
On the side, Senichi, who was also laughing along, had a clear mind at this moment and began to contemplate the past.
Clearly, thirteen years ago, Hondo's suicide might have something hidden, and this could very well be the motive for the current case.
Yes, at this stage, if Senichi still didn't realize that this was the background of the case, he would truly be clueless.
But what comes next—who kills whom among the four, followed by the classic three choices—Senichi couldn't predict.
From the current perspective, the relationships among the four seem good, and no motive for murder is apparent. Further observation is needed, and Senichi can't be sure if his judgment is correct. He decides to wait and see.
Thinking of this, Senichi recalls the unpleasant guy they encountered on the train, the one making a malicious and annoying phone call.
Generally, everyone encountered during a case may have some connection to it.
If they could encounter him again today, and there's a link between them, then the case could essentially be declared closed.
As the saying goes, truth is stranger than fiction.
Not long after Senichi had this thought, while the group was leisurely strolling in the Strait Plaza, a detestable guy suddenly spoke from behind.
"Well, look at that, you guys are all here!"
The man who made a phone call on the train was now smoking a cigarette, showing a malicious smile. "Akitaya, it seems I arrived at an inconvenient time. Let's reschedule our talk. I plan to stay here for three or four days, so I'll find you later~"
Watching the figure of the other person walking away, the only thought in Senichi's mind at this moment was— the victim has definitely been identified as this guy!!
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