umiya Detective Agency.
After a relaxing bath, Akira Yumiya stretched out on his bed, his body loose, eyes half-closed, hands behind his head. This was his most comfortable thinking pose.
"Today was… productive, in more ways than one," he mused.
His interactions with Shinichi Kudo and the others had gone smoothly. He could sense that Ran and Shinichi were developing a positive impression of him. He had successfully established a connection with the protagonists.
He also had some thoughts about Kaede Kudo.
While his attention had mostly been on Shinichi, he had also been observing Kaede. His karate training had honed his observational skills. Even brief, casual glances had revealed a lot.
"When we first met, she was polite but reserved, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. When I mentioned wanting to discuss detective work with Kudo Shinichi, her caution seemed to intensify."
"Yet, despite her caution, she was the one who persuaded Shinichi to accept my invitation… She clearly wants to learn more about me."
"Love at first sight is unlikely. I suspect she's sizing me up, treating me as a potential threat."
"It's intriguing. Most people, meeting a seemingly harmless stranger, would simply decline out of caution or disinterest. But her specific brand of vigilance, that almost subconscious desire to engage… It's worth exploring."
"If you strike up a conversation with a stranger on the street, you wouldn't have this level of scrutiny. And, as far as I know, Kaede and I have no prior connection, so this reaction is unusual."
"If she merely thought I was trying to get close to Shinichi and was worried about her brother, she could have just refused outright. There was no need to involve Shinichi."
"Therefore, eliminating all other possibilities, the only remaining factor explaining her behavior is… timing!"
"The timing of my appearance, the timing of my approach to Shinichi… it triggered something in her mind, making her wary."
"During our conversation, I learned that Shinichi and Ran are going to Tropical Land this Saturday. The beginning of everything."
"Considering that, the probability of her being a time traveler increases significantly."
"Furthermore, as we moved to the restaurant, my conversation with Shinichi shifted from Sherlock Holmes to his past cases. Kaede's brow furrowed slightly from time to time."
"This was deliberate. I wasn't trying to hide the fact that I'd researched Shinichi. I wanted to gauge her reaction."
"Later, I made an effort to engage her and Ran in conversation. While seemingly casual, the topics were quite specific."
"For example, analysis of moves from my match with Makoto Kyogoku, a discussion of a traditional Japanese custom, gossip about a member of the men's karate club."
"These topics might seem ordinary, but they all relate directly to 'Akira Hanemiya' and Japan."
"Too many coincidences."
"From the start, she was cautious. Someone with that level of caution wouldn't casually discuss Japanese customs with me, let alone gossip about the karate club, especially the men's karate club."
"In other words, both my polite attempts at conversation and her responses were calculated."
"It wasn't casual chat. It was a test. She was trying to determine if I was truly 'Akira Hanemiya,' if I was genuinely Japanese…"
"But why? What made her question my identity?"
"This strengthens the time-traveler theory."
"That line of thinking is unique to someone with foreknowledge."
"Because she is a time traveler, she is suspicious of me, a character who shouldn't exist at this point in the timeline."
"Because she is a time traveler, she considers the possibility that I am also a time traveler, and she's testing me."
"Her actions might have other explanations individually, but the combination is too much to dismiss as coincidence."
"Therefore, until new evidence surfaces, I'll operate under the assumption that Kaede Kudo is a time traveler."
"Let's re-examine her behavior through that lens."
"She's close to Shinichi and can influence him."
"She was wary of me initially, but her attitude seemed to soften by the end of the evening."
"She probably hasn't confirmed whether or not I'm a time traveler, and she didn't sense any malice from me, hence the change."
"Her loyalties lie with Shinichi—the 'Red' side."
"Now, if she's a time traveler, knowing what's about to happen to Shinichi, what will she do?"
"Will she stand by and watch Shinichi be attacked by Gin, shrink into Conan, and then help him take down the Black Organization? Or will she try to prevent the attack altogether, severing Shinichi's initial connection with the organization?"
"The latter is possible. She's his sister. And given that time travel is real in this world, there's no guarantee that Gin's attack will play out exactly as it did in the original timeline. What if Shinichi dies instead of just being knocked out? What if he doesn't shrink after taking the APTX 4869, but just… dies?"
"And let's not forget the Black Organization. They're not just a bunch of incompetent goons. They've been around for half a century. They've managed to kidnap scientists and develop drugs without leaks. They have a congressman killing people and helicopters strafing Tokyo. The Japanese authorities are remarkably slow to react."
"It's all a bit… convenient. If I knew my brother was going up against something like that, I'd try to stop him."
"But this is Conan. Time travel exists. I can't question the 'World Will' or the 'Heavenly Trend.' If she does try to stop Shinichi, can she?"
"Whatever. I'm overthinking it. I'll probably get some answers at Tropical Land on Saturday… I have a feeling it's going to be an interesting experience."
Akira Yumiya cleared his mind and drifted off to sleep.