Cut It Open and It's Black

"How could I possibly know the deceased!"

The manager chuckled awkwardly, a hint of guilt in his smile.

"Though it was only for a moment, I did notice the astonishment on your face when you looked at the body."

Fujino stared intently into the manager's eyes. "If I'm not mistaken, your deliberate fall just now was to retrieve the hair clutched in the victim's hand!"

"What?!"

Juzo Megure quickly waved to the forensic police, "Hurry and check if there's a hair in the victim's hand just as Fujino-bro said!"

"Inspector Megure!"

"In the victim's hand, there is indeed a strand of long hair from an adult woman!"

Juzo Megure took the evidence bag and examined the woman's long hair within, saying gravely:

"You two, can you explain what exactly is going on here?"

"Actually, I did know that person."

"Yoko!"

Just as Yoko Okino began to speak, the manager shouted.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Eiichi, I really can't hide this matter any longer..."

She bowed slightly to Eiichi Yamagishi with a look of apology, then lowered her head and explained, "Not only did I know him, but that person was... he was my boyfriend from high school, Akiyoshi Fujie!"

"Nani?!"

Juzo Megure exclaimed in surprise, then questioned her sternly, "If that's the case, then you must have killed Mr. Fujie, right?!"

"You killed him to end your relationship, so it wouldn't affect your popularity!"

"That's not true!"

Yoko Okino repeatedly explained, "He was the one who wanted to break up, not me..."

"Something's not right..."

At this moment, Conan, standing by the door, murmured.

Although Yoko Okino's hair was indeed held by Fujie, something felt off.

If only I could get into the crime scene...

Just as Conan was pondering, a voice pulled him out of his thoughts: "Inspector Megure, the killer is not Yoko Okino!"

Fujino suddenly interrupted Juzo Megure's questioning and said solemnly, "I already know who the killer is!"

"Nani, Fujino-bro, if it's not her, then who could it be?"

Juzo Megure looked at Fujino with surprise.

From what Fujino had implied earlier, wasn't the killer Yoko Okino?

If not her, then who?

Could he have killed himself?

"There is always only one truth!"

Taking a deep breath, Fujino slowly pointed to the body lying on the ground: "The person who killed Mr. Fujie was actually himself!"

"Really?"

Juzo Megure was a bit bewildered. "That shouldn't be. Fujie was stabbed from behind with a murder weapon. How could he have committed suicide?"

"It's actually very simple."

As he spoke, Fujino pointed to the water stains around the body on the ground: "I wonder if you've noticed the water stains on the ground?"

"Water stains? What does that have to do with the case?"

Juzo Megure was still confused.

Fujino scratched the back of his head, thinking to himself that the police in the Conan World were too unintelligent, before explaining:

"If Mr. Fujie used ice to fix the knife, then adjusted the air conditioner's temperature higher, and then committed suicide, as the temperature rose, the ice would melt. In that case, these water stains would be inextricably linked to this case!"

"I see..."

Juzo Megure stroked his chin thoughtfully. "If that's the case, it's entirely possible that Fujie staged his suicide to look like murder."

He cast an approving glance at Fujino, as if seeing a familiar figure in a daze.

It's a new bro!

"But, Fujino, if the deceased committed suicide, why was Yoko Okino's hair clutched in his hand?"

At this moment, Conan, who had somehow broken free from Ran's grasp, rushed into the room and asked Fujino.

Fujino was not surprised by Conan's appearance.

He simply crouched down with a mischievous glint, patted Conan's head, and teased, "Remember to use honorifics when addressing your seniors, Conan-kun!"

Ow! Didn't this guy see the bump on my head?!

It was intentional! How infuriating!

But for the sake of the truth, I'll endure it!

Conan's lips twitched slightly, his gaze fixed on Fujino, growing increasingly resentful. "I understand... Big brother Fujino!"

"Alright! Little Conan!"

Fujino chuckled and continued his deduction, "If I'm not mistaken, his entire elaborate scheme was to frame Miss Yoko Okino for his own death."

"Frame Miss Yoko Okino?"

"But if he had already broken up with Miss Okino, why would he come back to get revenge on her?"

Conan was a little confused by this.

Something felt off.

"So this whole thing is, in fact, a complete tragedy."

Fujino shook his head and asked Yoko Okino, "Miss Okino, is it alright if I reveal the details of this case?"

"No problem."

Fujino nodded and continued, "Just now, Miss Yoko Okino commissioned me to investigate being followed recently. If I'm not mistaken, the person tailing Miss Okino should be her ex-boyfriend, Mr. Fujie..."

"Actually, Mr. Fujie still loved Miss Okino in his heart, but he broke up with her due to pressure."

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon her manager, Eiichi Yamagishi. "I'm not wrong, am I, Manager Yamagishi!"

"Wha... What?!"

Yoko Okino's eyes widened, staring at Eiichi Yamagishi in disbelief.

"Th-that's right."

The manager lowered his head. "Actually, it was me who asked him to break up with Yoko at the time. Because you were in the rising phase of your career, I didn't want your popularity to be damaged by having a boyfriend."

"Why would... it be like this..."

Yoko Okino slumped to the ground powerlessly, tears welling up in her eyes.

Seeing this, Fujino sighed slightly. "I think that hair was pulled from Miss Okino's head by Mr. Fujie last night."

"Actually, the person tracking you last night was Mr. Fujie... He wanted to explain things one last time, but because you were too scared, you didn't hear him clearly..."

As he spoke, Fujino put on a demeanor of a middle-aged uncle, "Sincere love gradually turns into hatred; as much as you love, as much you hate."

"This guy..."

Conan knitted his brows, watching Fujino.

He, Kudo Shinichi, admitted that this guy's deductive skills were indeed good, and he even seemed to have seen through the truth from the beginning.

However, why did he always feel like this guy was dark on the inside?