Winning is everything: Conan

Chapter 4: You Don't Even Know This? You're Really Lowering the Standard for Criminals!

Keisuke Kumiko's confident and arrogant words startled Sakaguchi.

"Are you saying you can get me acquitted? There's a limit to how much you can joke, young man!"

Perhaps he had some respect for Kumiko, because even though he was mocked again, Sakaguchi didn't get too angry and instead gave him a kind reminder.

"This case was solved by the famous detective Mouri Kogoro. He has absolute proof that I committed the crime!"

"Absolute proof? No, no, no, you're mistaken, Mr. Sakaguchi."

The smile on Keisuke Kumiko's face remained unchanged.

In the dim light of the visitation room, his smile seemed particularly brazen—almost eerie.

"No evidence in the world is absolute. Even the strongest shield has weaknesses. As long as we find a spear stronger than the shield, the so-called 'absolute proof' will crumble!"

Sakaguchi's heart skipped a beat. He stared at Kumiko's face, saw his undisguised grin, and unconsciously swallowed.

"If you still don't believe me, I can show you my proof."

Keisuke Kumiko pulled a stack of documents from his briefcase and handed them to Sakaguchi Masayoshi.

"These are the results of every evaluation I completed during my training and internship at the Judicial Research Institute after passing the bar exam."

At first glance, every single one of them had an A+ marked on them.

Sakaguchi's eyes widened, and he gasped.

Japan's rigorous legal system was well-known.

Generally, those who could earn an A on these evaluations were one in a hundred, and an A+ was reserved for the absolute top students in the elite sprint class.

"You're a terrifying guy."

Sakaguchi let out a sincere sigh.

Based on what Keisuke Kumiko had said earlier, and with his own sensitivity as a lawyer, he had a vague realization of what kind of person the young man before him was—and the methods he might use.

This young lawyer might not be recognized by the world just yet, but his future achievements were undoubtedly limitless.

After thinking it over carefully, Sakaguchi finally nodded.

"Alright, I agree to let you be my defense attorney!"

Keisuke Kumiko laughed even more wildly.

He saw that the recognition level of his client had risen another notch—now reaching the second level.

"Very well, then sign the contract."

He pulled another contract from his bag and handed it to Sakaguchi.

The document detailed the relevant aspects of switching from a public defender to a private attorney, as well as the legal fees for this case.

"O-One million yen?!"

Looking at the number on the paper, Sakaguchi Masayoshi shouted.

"This is way too expensive! Even Japan's best lawyers would only charge around three million for a case like this!"

"Why do you think I've been talking so much with you?" Keisuke Kumiko smirked slightly. "You should feel lucky, Mr. Sakaguchi. This is only my current rate as a new lawyer. When you see what I charge in the future, you'll be glad you got such a bargain."

Sakaguchi Masayoshi clenched his teeth, his expression shifting.

He wasn't short on money—not one or two million—but the price still made him uncomfortable.

"Don't hesitate. A million yen can get you out of jail and back to a free life. Even if you take the emergency savings your wife stashed in the fridge, this is still the best deal you'll ever make!"

"…Hah, so you finally know how to use honorifics now."

Sakaguchi smiled helplessly.

After thinking for a moment, he picked up the pen and signed the contract.

As he looked at the name written on the paper, Keisuke Kumiko smiled—a completely relaxed smile, like a devil from folklore who had just sealed a deal.

"Of course. I only speak this way to intelligent people—never to fools."

---

Over the next period of time, Kumiko and Sakaguchi Masayoshi had an in-depth discussion.

Although this case came from the Detective Conan anime, Kumiko didn't remember it very well.

It was simple—who could possibly remember every single detail of a show with over a thousand episodes, filled with long, drawn-out stories and a tangled web of main and side plots?

Kumiko only knew the general outline. Detective Conan was composed of countless stand-alone cases, scattered and trivial. He had forgotten many of them after watching and had no memory of the finer details.

Besides, animation was just animation—it could only show so much. How could it compare to reality?

That's why he needed a thorough conversation with the person involved in this case. He needed to hear everything firsthand, making sure not to miss a single detail.

Here was the basic outline of the case:

Masayoshi Sakaguchi had a son named Masato, who took his own life eight years ago after being severely bullied by his classmate, Tsuyoshi Maehara.

As a lawyer specializing in juvenile cases, Sakaguchi had chosen to forgive Maehara at the time, believing he was truly remorseful.

But when they crossed paths again eight years later, he discovered that Maehara had never actually repented—if anything, he had become even worse.

So, Sakaguchi used his dog, John, and trained him using a combination of commands.

Then, one day, he invited Maehara Tsuyoshi to his home.

At just the right moment, he remotely controlled John via a phone command, positioning the dog on the second floor.

Sakaguchi then led Maehara to the upper level, and as planned, John lunged at him.

The attack caused Maehara to stumble backward, his neck striking the wall.

His spine snapped.

He died instantly.

Later, through Mouri Kogoro's investigation (with Conan's hidden assistance), they deciphered the training commands Sakaguchi had used on the dog.

"In other words, there's no direct evidence in this case."

After listening to Masayoshi Sakaguchi's account, Keisuke immediately made his judgment.

"This was all deduced by the detective. And when they pointed out the dog's trained commands, you had no way to refute them—so you just confessed."

"…Yeah." Sakaguchi Masayoshi nodded.

"Even though there was no direct evidence, it was still enough to convict me. Denying it would've been pointless."

"Tch, looks like your legal education wasn't as solid as you thought, Mr. Lawyer."

Keisuke Kumiko once again unleashed his sharp tongue.

That was just how he spoke—completely unfiltered.

"In a trial, direct evidence is the most important thing. Reasoning based on minor details is, at best, an assumption! Even if it appears to be true and can seemingly be verified, it's still just circumstantial evidence.

Unless every single piece of circumstantial evidence connects perfectly, without a single logical contradiction or error, a conviction is impossible.

And yet, you didn't even know that and pleaded guilty so easily? You're really lowering the standard for criminals!"

"…"

Masayoshi Sakaguchi was dumbfounded.

You're a lawyer, right? So why do you sound like a criminal?

After a pause, Sakaguchi said, "Actually, there is direct evidence. There was an eyewitness at the scene when Maehara died. This person saw the entire process firsthand."

"Oh? And who is this?"

"A 20-year-old university student named Sugita Sanae. She attends the same college as Maehara Tsuyoshi."

Sakaguchi Masayoshi continued, "That day, Maehara had invited her to my house, and she ended up making a mess of the place."

"I see."

Keisuke Kumiko stroked his chin, narrowing his eyes slightly.

A strange glint flashed in them.

He already knew how to win.

The key to this case lay in that university student—Sugita Sanae!

(End of Chapter)