Winning is everything: Conan

Cold sweat formed on Conan's forehead.

This guy… Could he really tell just by looking that he was carrying a recording device?

How is that possible? To everyone else, he's clearly just a child! Where did this person get such judgment?

"Don't worry, I won't take the thing in your pocket," came Kumiko's amused voice from the front.

"Because there's no need?" Conan asked tentatively.

"The audio recording in this case is considered illegal evidence and will not be accepted by the judicial authorities, so don't worry."

"It seems you have some knowledge of the law, kid."

Keisuke Kumiko still had a smile on his face.

"Of course, that's just one aspect... You can take out your recorder and listen to what you just recorded."

Conan hesitated, then looked at him and took out the recorder.

He turned it on.

The conversation between Keisuke Kumiko and the university student played back.

As Conan listened, his expression changed.

A crucial part was missing from the recording—the moment when Keisuke spoke to Sugita Sanae and she decided to change her testimony!

Conan recalled how Kumiko had leaned in and whispered into the girl's ear earlier.

Because his voice had been too low, it wasn't recorded!

"Even if you record it, even if the judicial authorities recognize the evidence as legal, it won't have any effect," Kumiko continued. "Because in that conversation, I never asked her to change her testimony, nor did I even mention the suspect. Did you hear me say anything about the suspect, or ask her to do anything for him? I simply asked her to recall what happened at the time of the incident, and afterward, it was her own decision. Do you understand?"

"Kiddo, I don't give anyone an opening."

Kumiko smiled and patted Conan's head.

At that moment, Conan's face turned red and white like boiling water in a cartoon, looking particularly amusing.

"Alright, I still have a lot to do. Goodbye, Conan-kun."

Kumiko stood up and was about to leave.

"Wait!" Conan called after him.

Kumiko turned around with a smile. "Something else?"

"Don't you know the truth of this case? No, you should know. Uncle Sakaguchi—that man killed someone." Conan stared at him. "Uncle, why did you do this? Why are you helping a murderer?"

"The truth of this case?"

Kumiko slowly turned back and looked at him with a smile.

"Are you really sure you know the truth? Are you certain he's the murderer?"

…

Conan frowned slightly but still lifted his head. "I believe there is only one truth in this case—that Uncle Sakaguchi is the true culprit!"

"Oh? Then keep confirming it. Believe in your conviction."

Kumiko turned away.

"Besides, I want to emphasize a lawyer's duty. A lawyer's job is to protect their client's interests, win cases, and secure compensation. That's what it means to be a professional lawyer. Do you understand?"

Conan stood silently, watching Kumiko walk away.

His hand clenched the recorder tightly inside his pocket, producing a metallic sound.

He could never agree with such a belief.

Stop joking!

If things were like this, where would truth and justice exist in this world?

No matter the reason, a criminal should remain in prison to atone for their crime. That was Conan's unwavering belief.

The lenses of his glasses reflected a light. After thinking for a moment, he rushed out of the Italian restaurant.

He was going to find Sugita Sanae and persuade her to abandon the idea of testifying for the suspect—not to listen to that lawyer!

…

Outside the restaurant, hidden behind a car on the roadside, Kumiko smirked as he watched Conan run off.

"Hah, it's a pointless effort."

From Kumiko's judgment, the famous detective had likely gone to find Sugita Sanae.

But it was useless.

Because when she left earlier, her favorability toward him had reached level five.

Humans are creatures of shifting perspectives. Their stances change as circumstances change—they don't always remain firm.

When a witness leans toward one side, they won't necessarily stay there forever.

From Keisuke Kumiko's experience, once favorability reaches level five, it becomes difficult for a witness to change their stance.

"Time to go home."

Humming Yoko Okino's new song, Kumiko walked toward his apartment.

Kumiko lived in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo.

Edogawa Ward is located on the easternmost side of Tokyo. While it's not part of central Tokyo and isn't as prosperous, it still retains some old shopping streets. Among the 23 wards of Tokyo, it has a relatively high population density.

After taking the subway and getting off in Edogawa Ward, he walked for a while and arrived at the entrance of a single-unit apartment.

He pulled out the key and unlocked the door to unit 204. Inside was a modest 30-square-meter room with simple furnishings and no bathroom—just a few tables, chairs, cabinets, and other basic furniture.

Though small, it had good sunlight. Most importantly, the rent was cheap—only 20,000 yen per month, several times lower than other places of the same size.

Why? Because someone had died there!

Finding an apartment was easy in this world. There were haunted houses everywhere, and the rent was always cheap.

Of course, Keisuke Kumiko wouldn't live there forever.

Sooner or later, once he made enough money, he'd move out and buy a house bigger than Masayoshi Sakaguchi's.

After washing up, Kumiko played some Nintendo Switch games for a while, organized the written notes and materials he had gathered that day, and went to bed.

The next twenty days before the trial were relatively simple.

Kumiko followed a strict routine between three locations.

In the mornings, he went to the detention center to visit Masayoshi Sakaguchi. In the afternoons, he visited Sakaguchi's house to spend some time with the dog. And at night, he returned home to sleep.

Like that, the days passed quickly.

And soon, the day of the trial arrived.

Japan's judicial system follows a four-tier, three-instance system.

The courts are divided into four levels, from highest to lowest:

1. The Supreme Court

2. The High Court

3. The District Courts

4. The Family and Summary Courts

The Summary and Family Courts are at the same level and primarily handle civil, minor criminal, and family cases.

The District Court, where Kumiko filed his case, hears almost all types of civil and criminal cases.

The three courts mentioned above are first-instance courts.

The High Court handles appeals from these courts as a second-instance court.

The Supreme Court is the highest court and hears third-instance cases arising from appeals, as well as some major cases with far-reaching implications.

Since this dog-training murder case was a relatively common homicide in this world, it was handled at the local court level.

In this world, Japan had at least one district court in each city-level region.

Especially in Beika City, where murders were frequent, three district courts had even been established.

Well, there were just too many suspects, and the cases couldn't be processed fast enough.

That morning, Kumiko woke up early, washed up, got dressed, and took the subway to the Third District Court of Beika City.

Soon, he arrived at the courthouse.

(End of Chapter)

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