Case NOT Closed

“Okay, here’s what happened…”

Conan had indeed been feeling a bit frustrated lately and wanted to find a chance to confide in someone. Seeing Ai pressing for answers, he spilled everything about the recent cases involving Masayoshi Sakaguchi, including what Kensuke had said to him, to the two present.

“I can’t agree with what that guy said!”

Conan seemed to be holding back his frustration.

“A detective’s job is to find the truth, give the bad guys the punishment they deserve, and clear the name of the truly innocent! As long as it’s within reasonable limits and doesn’t result in injuries or casualties, what’s wrong with doing something that the law doesn’t allow?”

“Oh, I see, so that’s what’s been bothering you lately…”

The more she heard, the more intriguing Ai’s expression became.

Her ice-blue eyes scrutinized Conan from top to bottom, and a mischievous smile appeared on her small lips.

“I actually think that guy makes a lot of sense. No matter what the purpose of a detective is, whether it’s finding the real culprit or saving someone, it all comes down to one thing. No matter the reason, if a crime is committed, it’s a crime, and it should be subject to legal judgment. Isn’t that something you’ve always talked about?”

“Well, I mean…”

Conan blushed, he had sought out a familiar companion to confide in, and although Ai usually had a carefree attitude, she didn’t seem to be taking his side on this matter.

“I did what was right! I remember that there’s a concept in the law called ‘necessity,’ right?” It took him a while, but he finally came up with this explanation.

“It seems like you’re not all-knowing either! Or was Hawaii not thorough in teaching you the specifics of the law?”

Ai’s smile became even more pronounced.

“Indeed, the law is such a vast system. If you can master all of it, then what about those who spend over a decade studying law? Isn’t that a bit pitiful?”

“What do you mean by that?”

Conan frowned as he felt increasingly uncomfortable with Ai’s teasing words.

“Article 37 of the Japanese Penal Code: ‘An act unavoidably performed to protect the life, body, liberty or property of oneself or another person from the imminent danger of infringement, when the harm caused by such performance does not exceed the harm to be prevented.'”

Ai recited the Penal Code fluently, as if flipping through a book, and looked at Conan with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Remember, it’s ‘unavoidably performed,’ okay! Kudo, how many of the things you did can truly be considered ‘unavoidable’?”

“…”

Looking into Ai’s eyes and hearing her somewhat sarcastic words, Conan suddenly realized what had been bothering him earlier.

“Haibara, it turns out you and that guy are of the same kind!”

Conan stood up with a sigh, waved his hand somewhat roughly.

“Enough, I don’t need you to meddle in my affairs!”

With a sudden bounce from his chair, Conan stormed towards the door and slammed it shut with a loud bang.

“Shinichi!”

Dr. Agasa hurriedly called out from behind Conan, but Conan didn’t turn back.

“This kid…” He shook his head, sighed, and muttered, “Even though his mental age is already seventeen, he still acts like a child in some matters. Ai, don’t be mad. This is just the way he is, lacking tact in certain situations.”

Meanwhile, Ai stared blankly in the direction Conan had left.

In fact, she had only wanted to add a bit of humor and then offer comforting words afterward. After all, Conan’s behavior was quite unusual, and that was her usual conversational style.

However, she hadn’t expected him to be so sensitive, and her words of comfort were never spoken before they were swallowed back down.

After a while, Ai shook her head.

“Never mind, Doctor. After all, I don’t belong here in the first place. I’ll be moving out in a while, so I won’t cause any trouble for you.”

“Ai…”

Seeing a fleeting sense of loss in Ai’s eyes, Dr. Agasa moved his mouth but ultimately let out a long sigh.

…

It had to be admitted that Kensuke had been rather impatient these past few days.

In the morning, as soon as he woke up, he would check his bank account on his phone and then immediately glance at his mailbox outside his room. After having breakfast, he would check his bank account again and look at his email. This routine continued throughout the day, with periodic checks of his phone and email.

After repeating this routine dozens of times throughout the day, he became increasingly frustrated.

“What happened to that promised one million yen check?”

With a loud thud, Kensuke forcefully shut the mailbox outside his door.

These past few days, he had checked repeatedly, but there was no check, and his bank account remained untouched. The legal fee that Masayoshi had promised seemed to have vanished into thin air.

After nearly a week of waiting, Kensuke couldn’t wait any longer. His wallet was nearly empty, and he couldn’t even afford to pay his rent for the month. Forget about the new Nintendo Switch game, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” which he had been eagerly anticipating.

“Did he really turn himself in, or is he trying to avoid paying?”

Regardless of the reason, Kensuke decided to visit Masayoshi in person in Mihocho to get some clear answers.

After taking a tram and walking for a while, he arrived at his destination, Masayoshi Sakaguchi’s home.

From a distance, he could see commotion at the entrance. Workers were moving furniture in and out of the house, while Masayoshi appeared to be supervising something.

“Sakaguchi-san, what’s going on?”

Kensuke approached the entrance and looked around.

Masayoshi, upon seeing Kensuke, hesitated for a moment and then smiled.

“Ah, it’s you, Kensuke-san. As you can see, I’m in the middle of moving.”

“Are you planning to run away and avoid paying your debts?”

Kensuke didn’t mince his words.

“I have the contract you signed, and according to the terms, if I take you to court, I believe you’d end up paying more.”

“Oh, not at all, Kensuke-san. I have absolutely no intention of avoiding my obligations.”

Masayoshi chuckled.

“It’s just that I’ve had a lot on my plate recently, and I couldn’t get to your case right away. Rest assured, I’ll pay you every single yen that’s owed to you today.”

Kensuke nodded.

“I thought as much. A mere one million yen, there’s no way our esteemed Attorney Masayoshi would be unable to pay.”

He paused for a moment.

“Now, what’s really going on here?”

Kensuke glanced at the movers.

“Seeing you in this situation, are you planning to sell this big house? Facing financial difficulties recently? Got sued by someone? If you need legal representation, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’ll offer a special 20% discount for our loyal clients!”

“No, it’s not about that,” Masayoshi replied, shaking his head, hesitating for a moment.

“I want to sell this house and give a portion of the money to the Maehara family as compensation for killing their son.”

Kensuke took a step back and studied Masayoshi carefully.

After a long silence, he let out a deep sigh.

“How can there be someone as foolish as you in this world? Has the allure of money lost its appeal, or is it that you’ve been persuaded by that little brat word? stirring up your pitiful sense of empathy? Sakaguchi-san, let me remind you, Takeshi is the one that has killed your own son!”