Detective Conan: Death Note

"Thanks to Natsuki Koshimizu, our agency has finally seen an uptick in completed cases lately."

Inside the Kindaichi Detective Agency, after finishing the end-of-month report, Toru Amuro spoke with a hint of cheer.

"Not at all. I'm still just a rookie in training," Natsuki replied modestly.

"There's no need to be humble about what you've earned. You handled those cases all on your own, didn't you?"

Toru Amuro placed a stack of case reports in front of Natsuki Koshimizu.

"...Yes," she nodded, slightly embarrassed, but smiling as she sat at her desk.

"Next up, the cases I handled."

He placed another stack beside hers.

He had completed slightly more than Natsuki, mostly thanks to the fact that with more hands in the office now, he could accept field work more easily.

Together, the two had solved a total of 51 cases this month.

Hayashi Yoshiki wasn't quite sure how they were measuring months, though.

"And this one's the case the boss handled."

Toru Amuro placed a thinner report in front of Hayashi Yoshiki.

It was Jirōkichi Suzuki's request to capture Kaitō Kid—the incident aboard the airship.

Even though both parties had agreed it didn't count in the end, the money from Suzuki would still come through.

"I barely did anything."

"Yeah, it was mostly me and Natsuki doing the legwork."

"...Mr. Amuro, your tone sounds kind of off."

"I mean, who am I to speak, just a part-timer, right?"

Toru Amuro, leaning on the desk with a cup of coffee in hand, smiled deeply.

Despite his many burdens and identities, he genuinely enjoyed the work at the agency.

There was a certain satisfaction to it, even if things got hectic.

Especially now that he had learned Hayashi Yoshiki was someone with a background eerily similar to his own, Amuro had grown even more attached to the agency Hayashi ran.

"Because Mr. Hayashi is the best! No way we'd trouble him with something so minor," Natsuki joked.

"Ah, yes, because he's so good, he keeps rejecting this case and that one... I think the only time he really shows initiative is when something happens near the McDonald's by the office."

"Why do I feel like Mr. Amuro's getting cheekier with me every day?" Hayashi Yoshiki asked, amused.

So easy to read, Furuya Rei...

Natsuki chuckled.

"But seriously, it's amazing. Tokyo really lives up to its name as a big city...

Back in my hometown in Fukuoka, even after three years as a high school detective, I didn't reach 100 cases."

"Maybe it's because people in big cities have more stress and overthink more," Hayashi Yoshiki replied.

"By the way, what kind of person is the famous Kogoro Mouri?"

Natsuki tilted her head curiously.

"Our agency sends him so many requests, and we see his name in the papers all the time."

"Our boss is actually related to him by blood, and he's supposedly quite skilled," Amuro answered after a moment.

He had encountered Kogoro Mouri's group during the Dusk Villa case, but the real Mouri had been secretly replaced by Kaito Kuroba.

Strictly speaking, Toru Amuro had never actually met the real Kogoro Mouri.

Still, based on the newspapers and what he'd heard from Hayashi Yoshiki, he was probably a capable man.

"Uncle Mouri? He's kind of a mystery," Hayashi Yoshiki said as he worked on a puzzle.

Placing a white piece in the corner of the board, he smiled.

"Most of the time, he seems confused, but when it matters, he's totally dependable.

Speaking of which, should we go visit him?"

"Visit?"

"A detective-to-detective connection, maybe?"

"I mean, after all this time, it might be nice to formally say hello."

As the boss, Hayashi Yoshiki's proposal wasn't declined.

And Toru Amuro and Natsuki were genuinely curious about Kogoro Mouri.

The three quickly got ready.

Toru Amuro hung the "Out of Office" sign on the door before joining Hayashi Yoshiki and Natsuki in the car.

Of course, Amuro was the driver.

Upon arriving at Mouri Detective Agency and going upstairs, Hayashi Yoshiki heard a voice he didn't recognize.

"Huh? He just stepped out. Said he was going to that doctor's place... what was his name again?"

"Yeah, all those kids are camping tomorrow, so they're sleeping over at the professor's house."

"Ugh—how unlucky!"

As Hayashi Yoshiki stepped inside, he saw a girl in a Teitan High uniform sighing dramatically in front of Mouri's desk.

Though dressed as a girl, her features were quite boyish—yet her uniform confirmed her identity.

"Uncle Mouri."

"Oh! Yoshiki, you're here~!"

As Hayashi Yoshiki walked in, Kogoro Mouri leaned back in his chair before standing up to greet him with a smile.

Natsuki and Toru Amuro followed behind.

"Sorry to intrude~," they said in unison.

"Ran."

Hayashi Yoshiki smiled at Ran, who returned the gesture with a cheerful smile.

Then he turned to the boyish girl standing beside her.

"And who might this be?"

"This is Masumi Sera, she just transferred into our class today.

She says she's a detective too!"

"A high school girl detective?"

Natsuki looked intrigued.

Her own high school years had been a source of pride—her detective career had begun then.

Seeing another girl claim to be a detective stirred something sentimental in her.

Regaining her composure, she bowed slightly and introduced herself:

"Ah, nice to meet you. I'm Natsuki Koshimizu, an assistant at the Kindaichi Detective Agency."

"So you're the one Yoshiki told me about!" Ran smiled warmly.

"No, she's officially my assistant now," Toru Amuro added with a grin.

"And it's been a while, Miss Mouri, Mr. Mouri."

"Oh! You're that famous detective!"

Just as Amuro finished speaking, the high school girl standing beside Ran lit up with interest at the sight of Hayashi Yoshiki.

Masumi Sera, was it?

Meeting her curious gaze, Hayashi Yoshiki offered her a gentle smile.

"So... were you just talking about Conan?"

"Yeah, that kid ran off to Professor Agasa's house," Kogoro Mouri explained.

"But what brings you here, Yoshiki, and with your whole agency crew?"

"Well, they were curious about Uncle Mouri, so I figured—why not bring them over to meet him?"

As soon as he said that, Kogoro Mouri straightened up and tried to look intellectual.