Itakura Misaki heard Okino Yoko's cries from inside the room.
Her hand froze in front of the door, unable to knock for a long time.
"Miss Yoko..."
Apart from the TV shows and movies in which Okino Yoko appeared as an actress, this was the first time Misaki Itakura had seen Okino Yoko cry so miserably in real life.
Itakura Misaki felt that perhaps the relationship between Okino Yoko and Akikawa Kyousuke was far more complicated than she had imagined.
Suddenly, the door to Akikawa Kyousuke's room quietly opened from the inside.
Okino Yoko stepped out.
When Okino Yoko saw Misaki Itakura, who was still standing by the door ready to knock, her eyes—red and swollen from crying—widened slightly in surprise.
It was clear that Okino Yoko hadn't expected Itakura Misaki to finish the investigation so quickly.
Seeing Okino Yoko's surprised expression, Itakura Misaki's face quickly showed embarrassment. She was about to explain that she had just arrived and wasn't eavesdropping when Yoko Okino softly said:
"Please don't tell Kou-chan about what happened just now."
"Ah, okay."
Misaki Itakura glanced toward the room, feeling a little conflicted. Then she watched Okino Yoko bow her head and walk past her.
When Okino Yoko reached the end of the corridor and turned to leave, she passed by Conan and Sera Masumi, who were heading toward the room to visit Akikawa Kyousuke.
Both detectives turned their heads almost simultaneously and saw Okino Yoko walking quickly out of the hospital with her head down.
"Kid, did you see that?"
Sera Masumi asked Conan in a low voice.
"I did. Miss Yoko's eyes were red and swollen—she obviously cried just now."
"Do you think she cried simply because a younger artist from her company almost died because of her?"
"Miss Yoko has such a kind personality; if I were an uncle, I'd definitely say yes."
"I suddenly have a theory."
Sera Masumi said, pulling out her phone and searching for information about Okino Yoko.
"As expected, Miss Yoko is also from a single-parent family, and her parents divorced a long time ago."
"That's right, Akikawa."
Sera Masumi looked at Conan and said:
"No wonder I always thought Akikawa seemed so kind. Turns out they're siblings."
Conan nodded, silently marveling at how such coincidences could exist in the world.
"If Miss Yoko cares so much about Akikawa, wouldn't it be unreasonable for Akikawa to have been under his mother's house arrest for so long?"
Recalling Akikawa Kyousuke's past experiences, Sera Masumi once again noticed something that didn't add up.
"Didn't Officer Takagi say earlier that Mrs. Ryoko's daughter claimed she hadn't been in contact with her mother and brother for many years? It's normal for her not to know Akikawa's situation."
"Kid, do you really believe that?"
"Miss Sera, are you implying that Miss Yoko killed Mrs. Ryoko to save her brother from their mother?"
"Then, if that's the case, why would Miss Yoko leave a scene where her brother could be identified as the killer?"
Conan asked in return.
"Another thing is, how do you explain Akikawa's overdose on sleeping pills?"
"Maybe Miss Yoko wanted to kill both her mother and her brother?"
Sera Masumi suggested, but then dismissed her own theory.
"That doesn't work either. If that were true, then Akikawa wouldn't need to protect his sister..."
"So, Sera, you've noticed too. The only reasonable explanation is that Miss Yoko had nothing to do with that case."
"Besides, my uncle, Ran-Chan, and I have known Miss Yoko for a long time. It's impossible for her to do such a thing."
"Also, I can't imagine her having a motive to kill Akikawa."
"The most reasonable explanation is, as Akikawa said earlier, that the killer is someone else."
Conan said, giving a smile to Sera Masumi.
"That being said, considering that Miss Yoko is Akikawa's sister, it seems like all of Akikawa's actions make sense."
"What puzzled you earlier, Miss Sera, was why Akikawa, who had stayed at home most of his life, joined an entertainment company and became an artist immediately after his mother's death."
"It's precisely because his sister, Miss Yoko, is there."
"Look, Akikawa chose the same place as Miss Yoko for his first job."
"Kid, you're right."
Sera Masumi sighed.
"Indeed, it seems I overcomplicated things. Based on Akikawa's experience, his thoughts should be simpler."
"Exactly."
Conan nodded.
"If Akikawa's character wasn't so simple, why would he still express gratitude toward Koichi Nishihara, who clearly harbored ill intentions toward him?"
Ten minutes earlier, Akikawa Kyousuke's manager, Itakura Misaki, had revealed during an interview that during their first rehearsal, Akikawa Kyousuke had gone to thank Nishihara Hiroshi for deliberately choosing the same audition role as him.
As for the reason behind his gratitude, it was because, during the original audition, Nishihara Koichi had given Akikawa Kyousuke some "advice."
Everyone present at the time, including Mouri Kogoro, had heard it.
It wasn't advice at all. It was just Nishihara Koichi flaunting his superiority as the presumed winner.
"Nowadays, can someone with such a simple mind really survive in the entertainment industry?"
Sera Masumi couldn't help but ask.
"It's fine; Miss Yoko is there, after all."
Conan wasn't worried about this.
As they spoke, they arrived at Akikawa Kyousuke's room.
After knocking gently, they entered.
The two encountered Misaki Itakura, whom they had met not long ago, and Akikawa Kyousuke, who was still asleep from anesthesia.
To avoid waking Akikawa Kyousuke, Sera Masumi, Conan, and Misaki Itakura stepped out of the room.
After confirming that Akikawa Kyousuke's injuries weren't severe, Sera Masumi casually asked:
"By the way, Miss Itakura, how does it feel to be Mr. Akikawa's manager?"
"Feelings? Very tiring," Misaki Itakura sighed.
"Miss Itakura, do you think Mr. Akikawa's mind is brighter than most people's?"
"Aura?"
Misaki Itakura looked at the "handsome" detective before her with a dumbfounded expression.
That look seemed to say, Do you even know what you're talking about?
"Do you mean someone who can't even recognize common Chinese characters? Someone who needs me to label novels or scripts with pseudonyms for him?"
After Misaki Itakura finished speaking, she immediately realized she might have said too much and quickly covered her mouth.
"Then... uh, don't tell anyone about this! It'll lower Mr. Akikawa's evaluations!"
"Even though... Mr. Akikawa hasn't even completed his first project yet."
"It's okay, I was just asking casually. I'll forget it by tomorrow."
Sera Masumi gave a warm smile to Misaki Itakura.
"I'm looking forward to Mr. Akikawa's performance. Once he recovers, I'll come back to watch the play."
"Okay, thank you for your support!"
Misaki Itakura thanked them again and quickly returned to Akikawa Kyousuke's room.
Sera Masumi turned, scratched her short wavy hair, and said with some embarrassment:
"Oh, it seems there's really nothing wrong with this Akikawa."
She spoke, then paused, waiting for Conan's response, but none came.
She turned to Conan, noticing him stroking his chin as if lost in thought.
"Kid, what's wrong?"
"I suddenly feel like Akikawa's manager seems a little familiar to me."
(End of Chapter)